Oh, Back to School ...

My whirlwind trip of Europe (well, mostly just Italy with a little bit of Germany thrown in), is over. It was the most amazing, fantastic, beautiful, tiring, frustrating, and enjoyable month of my life. Well, just over three weeks. It will take me a long time to describe the things that I saw to you all, even if I just write a bulleted "laundry-list" of the sights that I went to (which, of course, I don't want to do!).

I started on August 1st and took an overnight train to Berlin. I had a few hours in Berlin so I went about 200 meters from the train station and happened upon the Reichstag, and another 100m and I was at the Brandenburger Tor! I was thinking about walking further down and seeing what's left of Die Mauer (the Wall), but it was pouring and I was already soaked. I had packed for Italy, i.e. I wasn't prepared for rain, so I decided to hop onto the next train to Göttingen and meet my friend Mona there. The train was smooth and uneventful -- German trains are as smooth and efficient as Swedish trains are, even more so actually, and I didn't know yet that I should really appreciate the efficiency of the Germans!

It turned out that the phone number I had for Mona wasn't working, so I was stranded at the train station in Göttingen, but at least the sun was off and I finished drying off (after a two hour train ride I was still wet from Berlin!). Thankfully, she called me about 10 minutes later to tell me she had a different phone number, and to call her on that one when I was in Göttingen -- but I told her I was already there! I had a fantastic time in Göttingen with her, and we also went to visit her parents in her hometown of Clausthal, which is in the Harz Mountains. We also went to Goslar, which was an important medieval trading city. It's totally preserved from the middle ages and was very cute, but I could tell that Mona and her sister were bored with it. Sort of like me when I take people to Old Sacramento -- it's boring for me but interesting for a first-timer! So I was loving it, but they were less than thrilled! Oh well!

I left Germany on the 5th and went south to München, where I had a few hours layover so I walked over to the Marielplatz and tourist-watched (my new favorite activity). I took another night train through Brenner Pass (I was very sad that I couldn't see the Alps because it was night-time), and arrived in Florence the next morning. I took a quick train over to Lucca, and I was finally there!!

Nanda's house is amazing. I think it is anybody's dream to have this cute little Italian lady cooking extravagant meals for you all the time. My first meal there was a lunch, which I thought would have been no big deal, but it turned out to be a five-course affair, finishing with cheese, fruit, and dessert. I could probably go on for ages talking about Nanda's meals. Even though I am glad to be back home in Sweden, I really miss Nanda already (and my stomach misses her more, I think!) It was just such a warm and happy place to be -- life revolved around the kitchen. I don't think I ever saw the rest of the house! We would sit there for 2 hours each meal at least, not counting the time we sat in there talking while Nanda was cooking! I really loved Nanda and her husband Caesare -- they are just such welcoming and warm people, I am thinking already when I can go back to visit! I think I have adopted them as my stand-in Italian grandparents!

There is certainly more to say, but I have some errands to run in Lund, since I have just returned yesterday there is a lot to do! But at least now you have some taste of what I have been up to -- and believe me, the adventure has just begun!

Here is some German for you to learn:
Bergen -- mountains
Zug -- train
Hauptbahnhof -- main train station

Here is some Italian for you to learn:
Buon giorno -- hello/good day
Molto bene -- very good!