Excitement all around: after travelling by train for more than three hours, we finally arrived at Eindhoven airport, all the way from Groningen. Going through customs was an adventure all by itself, having to unload almost everything from our suitcases: electronics, fluids, tripods, the usual. None of us had ever experienced such a busy Eindhoven airport before. There weren’t enough seating places and most people had to stand. The airplane itself was full as well, and seeing that we were the last to get on the plane, our suitcases were dispersed all over the cabin. But it didn’t take away from the excitement! After all, we were going to Rome! After a two-hour flight over beautiful, snow-topped mountains, we finally landed in Italy, genuinely having misjudged the temperature…
After shivering our way to the bus stop and a long drive from the airport to the city centre, we thought we’d made it. Unfortunately, our apartment was still a long walk away, so we decided to take the bus. Much confusion followed: the bus driver said he knew where we had to get out, but after the four stops he said it would take, we still weren’t there. However, people-trusting girls that we are, we exited the bus, only to find out this wasn’t our stop. In the mean time, the bus had already driven off. The scene that followed can be described as funny: four girls, packed with luggage, running after a rusty Roman bus across Italian streets… One can imagine. Though, we made it! So after four more stops (so actually 8 in total), we finally got to the right street and were welcomed in the most beautiful apartment with our own roof terrace.
The next morning, following a night of delicious Italian pasta and wine, we decided to explore the city. Packed with a lunch of store-bought sandwiches and bananas, we made our way to the Capitol, Forum Romanum, Colosseum, Piazza Venezia and Piazza Navona respectively. We noticed that being here in March is probably more convenient than during summer break, seeing the amount of people here now as compared to what it would be then.
Hopefully, our exploring of these two days will pay off before we start the actual research on Monday morning, at nine sharp. In any case, our Humanity-brains have been triggered by what we’ve seen so far. Especially Piazza Navona seems promising to study the relationship between locals and the many, many tourists…
Sticking to the Italian cuisine, we are enjoying the smells of our vegetable risotto, looking forward to what the next days will bring.
UCG Students 