Another Visitor! End of April - May 2011

End of April - Beginning of May,

Loved all the all this month. Beginning around friends who you know can experience what you are going through while abroad is great.  Does more than what I can write on a blog or postcard to my friends and family because they get to experience it themselves.  Randomly, one of my long lost (lol) bffs contacted me and said she is coming to Italy and then second email was her confirmation.  I have not spoken or seen her in over a year at this point since she lives in ATL.  It was great to reconnect but definitely even better to have her here in from for her BIRTHDAY!!

Sharday my love, was a great guest and took in every minute of Italy.  We did as much as we could immediately.  First things first it was time to go out and let everyone know we were ready to party.  Especially because I just finished my finals, everyone was ready to have fun.  I realize here in Italy I do a lot more hanging a friends houses whether its just to eat, drink, and sometimes we are suppose to go out but we don't make it.  We enjoy a little Aperativo, and Vino and have our own fun. My friend was able to witness it,  and all my friends in Italy loved having her over.

Later, we toured a little bit a Rome before, skipping town to Reggio Calabria.  Its literally the 'toe' part of the boot of Italy.  The town was very much a small city, not like Rome at all.  Since it was just the beginning of May it was not hot enough for the beach but you can tell it was a beach town.  The way the city was set up, it reminded me of Miami.  It has that South Beach strip vibe.  We went down to visit my friend who came to visit me for Easter.  It was a good trip because I was able to compare the difference being so far south.  Literally I can see Sicily from his apartment terrace, which was just a ferry ride away into Messina.  Since he was on the basketball team we went to his game and ate with players. It was a good relaxing weekend.  The town was small not much to do but go to the bars and attend whatever party that was schedule for the weekend.  At the basketball game you can see how different each local town was, the poverty here was very evident.  People in NYC think they live in the hood this definitely take the cake.  There was barely streets at night in this area. This was an away game, so the town gym that played against was horrible location seemed very run down. During the game, since my friend and I, were the only 2 black people in the stands you can feel people around us starring trying to figure out why were here. lol.  Meanwhile, my friend is tell us, as the team warm up for the game that Sharday and I have fans.  O Italian men, can be so predictable sometimes.

They ended up winning the game and we celebrated, this means they were going into the championship. (Which they ended up winning btw, and my friend was MVP)  Anywho, we went to this party further out of town.  It was Jamal and his teammate, Sharday and me.  We had fun in this sweat box in this college town. And the men loved Sharday!! lol Please see pics below for further details.

Sharday first night in Rome, already in the club with me. 

 What we didn't expect on our way to my apartment at 5am were the Crusaders.  Yes, like a group of the real ones.  It just so happened to be Pope John Paul II holy week when she came into town.  Great! As they prepare the streets of Vatican city for bringing former Pope John Paul II aka JP2 into sainthood. Millions of his biggest fans and followers flood the street.  Wait does that mean for us at 5 a.m. is that WE can't get home.

 All the Die - hard Catholics out again

 The damn Police had us out until 7am  and we still had to sneak pass with some African Brothers who were working in order to get across the street into my building.

After a 7 hour train ride (cheap train) we arrive in Reggio Calabria

 Jamal and the boys!

 Sharday on our double bike.  It took us like 2 hours to get our id's back from the guys who rented to us. No one speaks English, the further south you go.  lol.  We had to use my little Italian and Sharday's little Spanish, b/c one guy spoke both to realize they were hitting on the whole time. lol