Being here is starting to feel more routine and normal now. The last two days have been filled with classes - contemporary architecture and lots of design studio and Italian. Yesterday we started studio and found out about the project we will be working on all semester. The site for our project is in the historic part of Genoa. Yesterday we went on a site visit and also went inside two churches. On the way back, my friends and I bought blankets - the villa is always freezing and it is impossible to get a warm shower here! I guess that's one of the trade-offs for living in a beautiful, 110-year-old house.

The historic area has lots of cute shops. We're hoping to get a chance to actually go in them this weekend. Right now, I'm waiting for dinner to be served. The villa has a cook that makes lunch and dinner for us on weekdays. Today, lunch was pasta with pesto sauce and prosciutto (and it was delicious!) There's salad, a bowl of fruit, and fresh bread and foccacia available at every meal. After dinner, everyone in the villa is going downtown. Our professor wants to take us to some sort of pub or wine bar. It should be a lot of fun. Well there's not ot much else exciting to say - like I said, things are starting to get a little more routine - but I really do like being here so far.