Sunday in the City

After living here a week I have discovered so much about the city, Italians and their way of life. For example shops shut at 1:30 and open again at 3:30 (this is when you discover you desperately need milk or some other commodity to stay alive in those two hours), pedestrians always wait for the green light and drivers go when they feel like it and you are only as good as you look (in Bergamo everyone wears their finest. Always.). This last one has made me more aware of what I chose to wear out of my severely empty wardrobe in the morning and I mostly have neat nails and hair now. Oh the difference a week makes!

So after spending a week in and out of the Citta Alta as a student, I felt it was time to become a fully fledged tourist for the day. Camera in hand and sensible shoes on, I grabbed a few of my new friends and we hopped on the bus to the top of the hill. This description however, does not explain the crowds of people on the streets, the shops bustling with shoppers and restaurants and cafes filled with families having lunch and drinks together. I thought Sunday was the day of rest and I was expecting to just do a little window shopping in some deserted streets. But, it seemed a full day of socialising is much preferred by the modern day Italians in the city.

We walked the streets and took some pictures, posing and such until out stomachs rumbled and we made our way to a pizzeria. It took a while to hose as we were so hungry and the food sounded so good but eventually decisions were made. Polenta and braised beef was my choice, as polenta is one of the main foods to eat here. Seriously, it is everywhere! It was almost like stew and dumplings which made me miss home. The rain began to pour as we sat chatting and so our trip was cut short. We wound through the streets taking a picture here and there ducking into a few shops and even a church (there is something about Italian churches that's so beautiful) eventually arriving at the funicular to ride back down to the lower city.

At ten to six it was still so busy so, Ellie and I wondered down the main shopping street and bought practically everything in Zara and Max Mara...in our heads. Oh student loan, how I wish there was more of you! But we have already made plans for a shopping trip. As I made my way home, I came upon a festa in the street next to mine and was lucky enough to see a group of Irish Dancers...which was ultimately bizzare but also a lovely experience. We eventually found out that it was something like Bergamo Day yesterday hence all the people. Let's see what it is like next week! Pin It