Ciao Italia!

We finally arrived! After a long day of traveling, we were greeted by the warm Mediterranean sun and happily settled in at the guesthouse. We sorted out our rooms, dropped off our things, and set off in search of our first taste of Sardinia. The first night was spent eating pizza, sampling gelato, and exploring our new home.

The next morning, we were up early for breakfast at a cafe near the guesthouse before heading to the University for our first day of class. We spent the day with civil and environmental engineering students and professors from the University of Cagliari and learned about their university, their program, and student life. Class ended with a friendly debate over topics related to college life in Boston and Cagliari.

After class, we were treated to a simple but delicious lunch of bread, salami, and cheese. We all sat outside, enjoying the sunshine.

The afternoon was spent exploring il Castello, the largest of the four historic districts of Cagliari. The hills could be a little brutal to climb, but the photo opportunities from the top were worth the effort.

Our tour included a stop at the University's old library, which had books that were hundreds of years old. Rumor has it that there is an original piece of Dante's writing in a room not open to the public.

Our first day ended with a traditional Sardinian dinner with more courses than we could count. Unfortunately, I was too busy eating to remember to take many photos. After three and a half hours of nonstop food, we all wandered home and gave into the food coma, looking forward to what the rest of the trip would bring.