-Briony, I am looking for the perfect postcard. Thank you for sending me your address!

This past weekend I was given the opportunity to experience the areas surrounding Riva. Ticino is not only a great place to study but also a region worth exploring. This weekend was particularly culturally significant. Cities all over Europe celebrate Carnival and we are only an hour away from one of the most acclaimed celebrations. The staff’s encouragement convinced me to go to Bellinzona and stay local rather than run off to Venice. Sunday I woke up early and went to mass.( I think my comprehension level is just above 50%. I’m not sure how many more Sundays felt mass was a must.)All in all I traveled 8 hours- 4 round trips to Bellinzona this weekend. Out of exhaustion I could barely write an email, let alone a blog entry. I apologize for the delay.            

     I enjoyed Bellinzona on our first trip and was excited to see more. I used my weekend pass to make it to as many festivities and parades as possible. In all honesty I found the nightlife a little overwhelming. I met way too many Americans, mostly Franklin college students drinking cheap liquor and cough syrup. When I strayed from the tents I saw more bands and families mixed in with crazy drunks.                              

  I understand cutting lose one last time before lent. I’m sure the Pagans and their Catholic converters practiced debauchery since the origin of Carnival. However I can’t help but wonder if something has been lost. Has Bellinzona’s age old tradition been reduced to touristy tripe?

Perhaps the biggest mistake was that we stayed at the Villa for dinner. I would imagine the day time and later afternoon activities varied greatly from the night life. Perhaps next time the Villa could provide bagged dinners. We students had to choose between a free meal and culture.

Earlier that week Molly Carrie and I went to Lugano to buy costumes. Weather from a lack of selection of creativity most of the boys dressed as Zoro. I kept it simple and went as an Indian and as a Roman. Molly was a cop. Carrie, I’m still not sure what she was. She wore all black and a frightening mask.  Europeans take their costumes very seriously.  For example the packages of meat featured below. I met the people in the second picture shortly after:

Can you guess their nationality? Turns out they were two white Dutch tourist dressed as Southern Baptists.  

                The parades were by far the highlight of Rabadan. Many of the floats had political messages. I saw polar bears in Hawaiian shirts dancing on melting ice caps. A large effigy of Al Gore also waltzed down the streets. Even when the Swiss celebrate they consider their political agendas. Dr. Rich would have been quite amused. The days seemed to be much more community oriented and I loved seeing the children running around in their costumes.

                After a pretty wild Thursday night in Bellinzona my roomies and I hosted breakfast at our apartment. We made a pretty traditional spread; pancakes, hash browns, eggs and bacon. Afterwards we spent the day watching movies and recovering.

  By no means has my disappointment with Carnival tarnished my impression of the area. Saturday Stuart and I took our bikes around the 31 mile Lugano loop we passed through Brusimipano crossed into unfamiliar territory.  It felt good to cover new ground we were passed by many spandex clad Lance Armstrongs.  We weaved in and out of the small towns and saw tons of churches and castles to explore. We stopped briefly in Morcote in another church yard. Unfortunately we headed out too late and had to be back before dark. When it starts to get warmer I’d like to rent a boat and spend a day on the lake.  There are plenty of great restaurants and cafés right on the water. We tried some great beer in Bissone. The next time the villa serves rabbit I will be trying some local fare. 

Looks like Skaneateles.“We should keep a record of our findings”, after 3 weeks here I feel comfortable enough to reference Salad Fingers cartoons. I will also bring a long a fully charged camera to document the experience. I’d also like to keep a journal of different foods and drinks I try. We have even talked about writing a short guide to the area for future CESA students. There are many other reasons apart from to stay local. “Europe on a Budget”              

  As usual we had we had a little trouble with the bikes. This time 1 mile from the villa my handle bars broke and I fell into the curb. Always wear your helmet when riding a loaner. I made a report for our RA and the bikes will be prepared by next Wed.  

Looking ahead I have a more solidified itinerary. I am more familiar with the hostel and transportation sights. Tomorrow I will be traveling to Monaco. Here is a list of my other plans. I booked my flight to Paris this morning.

This weekend Monaco, not Munich

 Feb-14-Feb 21 Italy for the southern trip 

Feb 22-25 Florence  

Feb 28-March 9th Spring Break in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia)

 March 13-16 I’m thinking Sorrento, Napoli and Capri

 March 20-24 Cinque Terra

  March 26-31 Paris  

April 3-6 ? 

April 7-13 Northern Tour; Germany Belgium etc

 April 16-20 Wine Tour with Megan ?

 April 24-27 Last weekend trip ??

 May 2 Fly home 

 May3-10 Raise Hell in Blacksburg 

May 10 Graduation 

May 11 The end of the world. I need a job!