Yesterday we exchange students from district 2060 had quite
the adventure! After school on Saturday (hmpf. The 6-day school week here is
taking some getting used to) we boarded a train to Trieste for a sailboat race
and festival called Barcolana. We ended up taking the wrong connecting train
from Venice to Trieste: we took the regional train that stopped at every town
along the way, so the ride lasted an extra two hours. Despite this setback,
though, we had a great time listening to music and hanging out in the train car
that we had all to ourselves! The conductor was very friendly and we had a good
conversation with him as well. Finally we arrived in Trieste, which is a
gorgeous seaside city, all lit up at night, and joined the others for dinner at
a pizzeria. After spending the night with a Rotary host, we got up early the
next morning and drove to Slovenia (about 20 minutes away, isn’t that
convenient!) to board a boat. That day was one of the most beautiful days I’ve
ever experienced! The sunrise over the Slovenian sea was breathtaking. The air
was fresh and salty, the sky was clear and blue, and the ocean sparkled in the
sun. We sat on the deck of the boat, watching the multi-colored sailboats and
occasionally spotting white and pink jellyfish in the sea. In the afternoon,
the sailboat race began, which was incredible to watch! Teams of sailors had to
maneuver their boats to turn at three different points during the race, and a
big crowd of people in smaller boats had come to cheer them on from a distance.
Helicopters flew above and policemen rode around on jet-skis, yelling at the
spectators to move their boats so the sailboats could get by. Many people were
just lounging in the sun on their boats and enjoying the perfect weather. I sat
on the deck and took turns staring down at the ocean, over at the sailboats, up
at the blue sky, and out at the mountainous coast of Slovenia and Italy. It was
the first time I had seen the ocean in years, and I realized how much io amo il
mare! At the end of the afternoon we had to leave the boat and catch the train
back to Vicenza, but it was an unforgettable day. I went to school today
(Monday) pretty tired but I didn’t mind. Right now I am considering switching
schools, which would be a big deal, from a scientific high school to a
linguistic school. At the moment I have lots of science and math classes that
don’t really interest me, and at the linguistic school I would get to take five
languages, with limited math classes! The only problem is that I get along
really well with my current classmates- they are so helpful and friendly (and
patient with me when I don’t understand what’s going on) so it would be tough
to switch… we’ll see how it goes. I’ll have to decide this week. Until then,
ciao!
Hiking at a lake near Vicenza with my little host brother :)
On the train on the way to Trieste!
Our boat in the morning
The racing sailboats, from afar
Americans on the boat!
I took this picture of a sailboat and then edited it!
