Of Bidets and Bicycles

I have learned to expect the unexpected when learning to live with a new group of people.  Each group naturally has its own kinks to work out based on personalities and location, which are often quickly and easily addressed in the first few days of co-habitation.  Of course living in a foreign country is no exception and each day at San Paolo we have "chapter meetings" to bring up all our questions and have practical discussions with Prof. Doll (R.D.), Julia (R.A.) and Prof. Skillen (Art History Prof and Program Director).  

Now Prof. Doll and Prof. Skillen really deserve some credit.  While it is they're job to orient us with our surroundings it cannot be easy for 2 men to address all the questions, spoken and unspoken, that 22 twenty-something girls have to ask.  So today, they decided to address the fact that each and every one of us has a bidet sitting in our bathroom.  Which also spurred conversations about plumbing, cleanliness, appropriate use of toilet paper (which is apparently never in Italy) and "feminine hygiene products."  It was a pretty impressive conversation that was luckily cut short by lunch.

After lunch I had the wonderful opportunity to walk up to Montenucci's, a local bakery and coffee shop, for pastries with some of the girls.  After looking at 2 full tables of various flavors of chocolate bars (which was also an experience in and of itself) we each picked a pastry out from behind the glass.  For a euro each we shared a chocolate one, 2 regular cream/custard creations, and (my personal favorite) a fluffy baked masterpiece filled with espresso flavored custard. Yum!! I took a picture, but unfortunately our internet doesn't allow me to upload them - so you will all have to be patient until I can trek to the library for some free wi-fi.  

Yes, Dad, I have taken pictures of things other than my pastry.

Finally, the whole group walked over to the public library.  It's a beautiful building; they renovated the old franciscan monastery into a huge huge masterpiece.  There is even a courtyard lined with lemon trees! All of which were bearing lemons!!

Anyway, we went because Prof. Doll likes to show us movies in Italian with English subtitles.  In my opinion he also wants to spur a philosophical discussion because of all the films he could have shown us he chose "bicycle thieves"- A black and white post-WW2 Italian piece about poverty and hopelessness.  By the way, the only Italian I could remember from it was "a demani" which means "see you tomorrow"

So it has definitely been a full day! 

I hope all is well with all of you,

Ciao!!