Friday Night in Bologna

Some new friends from my program took me out on the town last night, and it was a blast! Let me tell you - Mill Ave has nothing on Bologna. Like most of Italy, the whole city pours out into the streets around 9 or 10 for a walk, a bite to eat, and just to socialize. But then in the University sector, more or less all 80k+ students are out in force. It's like Vegas; you can walk around with a drink, the best places are Italian (Bellagio, Battista's), and I saw Wayne Newton. Ok not that last one. But at least everything isn't Vegas priced!

We started the night at an Irish pub that looked like anything we'd have back home. Then we went some place where we got free beer and free shots because one of the guys in our group new someone there (still the best way to get anything done in Italy - also it turns out he knew everyone in Bologna, every 5 minutes we stopped so he could say hi to someone). We took our alcoholic booty to a beautiful little Piazza (Santo Stefano, seen above), where we sat for a long time and chatted, and where I was promptly taught some very important Italian phrases (mostly having to do with girls). Some friends of the guy I mentioned earlier met up with us, one of which was an American girl from Aspen. We walked around for a while, got some food at a Sicilian place which had an interesting little potato-ball-filled-with-pot-roast thing, and then went to another pub. We talked politics there for a while then ventured out again and this time ended up in a disco (not like John Travolta - in Europe the dance clubs are all called discos). It was a veritable festa di salsiccia in there (I'll let you translate that for yourselves) but we had a good time, and man did they make their drinks strong. I don't remember the last time I tasted alcohol in a drink I bought at a club. No need to flask it here! After this I had the pleasure of my first ride on a scooter, which was much less scary because there was no one else driving the streets at 3am.

Now it's the weekend and I'm not really sure what to do - I may venture out into the markets to get some of the stuff I need which I didn't bring. Should be an interesting day again!