The beautiful lake side town of Gargnano

I've spent just a week now in the beautiful lake-side town of Gargnano. To be studying in Italy in general is an amazing experience but to be studying in a beautiful palazzo that backs onto the lake, to have lectures on the floor below where you sleep and to eat communal meals on the back patio makes it more than incredible. We are living like a boarding school on the top floor, sharing rooms. This, in itself, is a new experience for me. I have never shared a room like this, especially with someone from a completely different culture. My room mate is especially different. She's very sweet but from a very different background, a tiny part of life's rich tapestry. 

The first few days were very intense with a variety of tests and information overload. Everyone was pretty tired, most of them having arrived a few days before the course but all made an effort to chat. We were spilt into classes for the first half of the day and then all meet for lunch. The quantity of food is something that I've experienced a lot in Italy but this is something else. It's really difficult not to eat all 3 types of carbs during the meal, even if you're stuffed from the first bowl of pasta. But it's wonderful to sit in the shade of the fur trees, with the sound of the waves and beautiful surrounding landscape, chatting with people from all over the world in your second language. It's very interesting that our common language is our second language, a demanding concept having to speak a second language all the time but such an eye opening experience. Also, interestingly enough, groups have gravitated together and mostly with common cultures or first languages. This has resulted in me having a wonderful group of girl friends all from Canada, America and Australia. 

The town that we're in is quaint and small enough to wander around in 10 minutes. The beach is a 5 minute walk from the university building, the gelateria is across the road and the local beach club is in the next town, a 15 minute stumble away. It's idyllic and means when walking round you'll always bump into another student or lecturer and in fact become a local in the super market and bars. 

By the Friday we were knackered and headed to the local bar, after sitting at the dinner table till 10.30 putting the world to rights. We had a few drinks by the light of the bonfire, with some hilarious Italian man singing along to the Police. It was so Italian. The next day the majority of people woke up at the crack of dawn (including my roommate who couldn't have made any more noise) and ventured to Milan for the EXPO whereas me and 4 other girlies woke up late and within 10 minutes were on the lake side with coffee and brioche for breakfast. It started to rain so we all had a bit of time chilling in our rooms and sorting and then all headed down into the television room. We looked like refugees all snuggled up with blankets and jumpers watching a film while the rain poured outside. It was so cosy and I was actually blessed to feel a bit cold after the weeks of 40 degree heat and screaming children. We scampered to the supermarket and bought an array of meats and cheeses for a buffet type dinner. We all squeezed into the little kitchen with music, wine and card games. It was a beautiful and hilarious evening. The following day we laid on the beach, playing games, chatting and eating left over watermelon. Slightly bronzed and sleepy, we curled up together, watched some awful Italian television and headed to bed. I would love to stop there and say that we all drifted off pleasantly, but this is Italy. Due to the rain on Saturday, the festival in the town had been postponed to the following night. It honestly sounded as if it was in the room next door. The awful 80's tunes rung throughout the town, louder than the endless church bells that hammered round our hangover heads that very morning. Oh Italy.