I can think of no other way to spend a leisurely Sunday than walking down the streets of Bologna and lying under the sun in many of its piazzas. Though most of the shops and bars (bar as in cafe, not bar as in pub) are closed, for a leisurely stroll and simply admiring Bologna's many basilicas and palazzos, a Sunday is the perfect day. Of course, there are the required few cafes open in and around Piazza Maggiore where most of us tourists start and end our day, so one is not completely at a loss.

I have met a few people from the (one and only) hostel that I'm staying at and we are spending most of the day together. One woman, Frinée, who has been studying in Germany for 7 years is here in Bologna to take an intensive Italian language course for 4 weeks. Another woman, Julia, from Germany who has been studying Italian for the last 3 months is taking a 2 week visit through Northern Italy. And last, Angelo, the only "native" Italian among us, is in Bologna for 6 months to take a test that will grant him with the Engineering Degree he has been working on for 5 years in Rome. In fact, I am surprised to hear Italian in my hostel more than any other language - quite the contrast to my experience in Venice - and it seems there are more Italian tourists in Bologna than anyone else.

On the other hand, I did meet a woman (raised in Vancouver, living in Saskatoon) earlier today and in fact, the experience of talking to her was comparable to being run over by a bulldozer! She didn't stop talking, hardly at all, and she continuously spoke of herself... she is touring Europe on her own for 2 months: she arrived in Paris, travelling through Italy, Greece and finally ending her trip in Turkey. And of course, she had to make a comment about how "exciting" it will be to visit Turkey and how she is interested to see how her travels will go there as "most people don't speak English". How much I deplore hearing such ignorant comments (especially by white North American people)! She reminded me of some of what I will hear when I return to Canada... interestingly enough, I don't seem to have come upon many Europeans showcasing their ignorance but then again, this has only been my experience...

In fact, I was identified as a figure of "Canadian solidarity" by my Mountain Equipment Co-op backpack! She approached me (well, really, she spoke to my back) with a simple question: "Are you Canadian?"... a question that no one I know would think to ask because of all it assumes (and some of which it doesn't).... In any case, she was waiting for the bus to town (like us) but allowing herself only 20 mins to catch a train to Sienna... she was rushing to Florence and then hoped to take a day trip to Sienna today only to return to Florence in the evening! If you ask me, I'd rather spend a relaxed day in Bologna than go train-hopping between cities... what else can I say? A few minutes of speaking to her and I, too, felt as if I should be rushing somewhere. But alas I was glad to "settle" for the company of Frinée, Julia and Angelo, and for the experience of lounging about in Piazza Maggiore on a Sunday in Bologna...