Orientation to Bologna

We had a slow start this morning. Our first group meeting was at 10:30 am. All the students gathered on the terrace at Astoria. The terrace is our meeting place for all group activities, where we have group dinners, and where students gather when they have some time off.

On the agenda for today was Orientation to Bologna and the program. The staff and I took the group to Giardini Margherita, Bologna’s largest park. We had our orientation and then we had a picnic lunch. Despite a lot of information to remember, all the students were very attentive and asked some very good questions. All you parents should be very proud; you have raised some amazing kids! It is so nice to have a group of students who are extremely polite and friendly and so filled with excitement about being in Italy. The staff and I are having a geat time interacting with them!

After lunch, the students went on a digital scavenger hunt in the park and then the students taught the staff how to play Mafia! In the afternoon, the students went on their first grocery-shopping trip. Half the group went to Mercato dell Erbe an open-air market that has been around since 1910. The kids bought their own food from the various fruit, vegetable, bread, meat, and cheese vendors. The staff was in the background to help with vocabulary. Half the girls thought that some of the vendors were cute ☺!. Shopping took two hours because they wanted to stop at all the stalls and then began to bargain shop for the best prices.

After shopping, we had a catered dinner on the terrace from a famous Bologna restaurant, Pane e Vino. On the menu was pasta, different types of ham, prosciutto, and mortadella ( bologna), grilled vegetables and orzo with mozzarella. At night the most of the students went out to explore the city and or to the movie in the piazza. About 10 girls met some kids their age and they were trying to practice their Italian. They all cannot wait to start class tomorrow.

A domani