Where I Live

I think it is about time to actually talk about where and how I live here in Bologna. Not that knowing where in Bologna I live will mean anything (as maps of strange cities usually mean very little to me), but below is a map of Bologna. With Microsoft Paint, I have attempted to show where I live, where my school is, where the city center is located, and where most other SAIS students reside. As you can see, school is in the eastern part of the city, while my apartment is located in the southern part, closer to Piazza Maggiore and the center of town. Also, highlighted is the section of town where most SAIS students live. I still live with SAIS students and in a building that only houses SAIS students, but the crowd where I live is a little older and a little quieter. This is evidenced by the very mundane party we threw last week. So, that's where I live.

Now for how I live....This is my street:

One neat thing about Bologna are the kilometers of porticos that line the city and insulate the walkways and sidewalks from the outside elements. Below is the portico directly outside my front door:

This is front hall of my apartment building. It's funny, if I saw something like this in the States, I would be shocked and horrified at the deteriorating state, but because it's Italy, this can be passed off as quaint and rustic. Don't worry--my actual apartment doesn't look anything like the front entry.

This is the living room:

This is my bedroom. I have a ridiculously large king-sized bed and some crazy matching 1970ish furniture:

That's pretty much it. Nothing too flashy. Although I do have a kitchen, which, for someone who lived in an apartment in DC that lacked this feature, is pretty luxurious....