Well last weekend I went to Bologna. It was the first trip that I went on my own without someone there to help me find bus stations and hostels.
What a great experience. I managed to get a ride to the airport in Bratislava with Trezia a girl I am going to school with. She lives Prague. She is a really cool girl and helpful. We arrived at the airport at about 0600, and Trezia tells me she has never flown before. So of course I have experence in the industry and told her all the do's and don'ts of traveling. She was off to Bari somewhere in Italy as well.
We had a lovely breakfast in the airport and the meal was good and inexpensive. Trezia flight left 3 hours before mine, so I took her to the security check point and seen her off.
At this time, I went outside because the sun was shining and amazing enough there was a lovely place to sit on the grass. I sat on the grass for a few hours reading my book "Northanger Abbey" by Jane Austen.
I then headed to security and boarded my flight to Bologna. This is a small little place in Italy. The flight was only about an hour long and I managed to find the bus stop to get to the shopping mall that I was suppose to go to. The man from the hostel emailed me with the bus number and the stop, but no directions as to how to get to the hostel from there. I met a girl at the bus stop who could only speak Italian,French and some broken English. So I grabbed a cab for 7 euros and went on my marry way to the hostel.
Tuns out the the hostel was in the country, but only a little ways away from the main road and shopping centre. Once, I got through the lock gated doors the man checked me in, and then asked if I needed a ride somewhere. Well were do you go when you don't know where you are going and what there is to do? "Shopping." He took me in his van, and showed me the way to get to the shopping centre which has a huge grocery store and a few little shops. This was perfect because the food in Italy is so expensive,so finding a food store is like finding a needle in a hay stack..quite helpful.
After a few hours of shopping I decided to head back to the hostel and get some sleeps. The walk back was lovely, but I tell you the drivers are not really concerned with you as a pedestrian. I almost got hit by a car when the green walk light was on. Not to self, be careful. Really scared me. Took me off guard, and made me realize that I am in a different country and should pay attention to the cultural difference that applies to the road rules.
Anyways, I got back to the hostel, and got into bed and slept like a baby. I woke up early and went down for breakfast. There were 2 men staying at the hostel from France, and couldn't speak English. So I decided now would be a good time to read my book and eat breakfast. These 2 guys left and another man came into the breakfast room and sat down to eat. He said hello and could speak really good English. After we finished eating he asked me if I wanted a ride to the centre. So how could I refuse. This was my chance to talk to someone who knows where everything is in Bologna, and get a ride. So anyways, David who lives in Milano and works in Bologna proceeds to give me a ride to the centre when he tells me he will be late for work and would it be okay to drop me off at the bus. Scared to death, I said "yes" I had no idea where this bus was going or where it would end up. So as I go to get out of the car he asks me "would you accompany me to dinner tonight." Again, how could I refuse. So we made the plans and I got out of the car. For my next adventure.
I get on the 39bus and it is full of people. Early morning rush hour gets the best of me. I don't know how to get a ticket or how much it was. So I didn't bother paying I just rode around like a local. My stomach was sick and I was so out of my comfort zone. I ended up in the small communities or Bologna, and then headed back to the main part of the city. It was so beautiful. Lost but not without an amazing site of city dwellers trying to get to work, artist setting up booths, and of course shopping.
It was starting to get late, and I realized that I need to find the bus number 13 and find my way back to this hair saloon because I made an appointment the day before to get my hair cut. I was sitting on the bus and not really paying attention when I looked over across the street and there was a bus stop for the number 13. So I jumped off the bus almost did a nose dive and then hit a puddle of water. Not to worry there was a nice little coffee shop right there and I walked in and order a coffee. Yep only 1 euro. How cool is that when it's almost 5 euro for coffee in Vienna. So I drank my coffee dried off a bit and headed in well a direction I didn't know if it was right or wrong. I got on the number 13 bus, and it was the wrong way, but I did go past authentic Italian shoe store this was my chance to go look at the greatest shoes on earth. Well maybe not the greatest but come on. The Italians know how to make shoes, and I was not letting this chance go by. Off I went to the shoe store, and found a pair of hand made shoes that fit like a glove. So this was my purchase of the day, and off I went to try to find the hair saloon.
Finally, at the hair saloon I realized that these ladies can not speak English and I don't speak Italian. Great what was I going to do. I showed them a few pictures and then a lady came in who spoke English and translated for us. I am not sure if I like the hair cut, but hey I needed it done. Why not in Italy.
The last day I got a ride with the owner of the hostel, and headed back to Vienna. This was my big trip alone. I am now ready to go and do more things on my own. I think I am over the fear of being lost. Because in Europe one is always lost!
