Bella Italia

Easter seems weeks ago now, classes began quickly and everyone seems to be back in the swing of things. It's spring and the streets of Barcelona are full of colour, the pavements lined with green trees and lovely purply-pink blossom, the relaxing shade of which seems nice now, vital in summer. Ever since I got my bicing card to use the city bikes in December I have loved cycling downhill and along Gran Via to my University everyday, but now that the suns out and the temperature's beginning to warm the city, the commute's getting even better.

Despite the enchantment of this mediterranean beauty, I decided to abandon it for a long weekend and return to Italy, to visit my friend Zippy in Milan. Never having done it before, I can now confirm that booking plane tickets 4 days before flying is a wonderful feeling, and in all the spontaneity and excitement there was hardly any time to get stuff sorted. 4 days later - and coincidentally, exactly a year after I set off to begin my term abroad in Florence - I was back in Italy.

The one hour hop across the mediterranean clouds went quickly, but before I even got into the plane I had a sense of Italy already. The boarding gate for my flight appeared on the screen in the departure lounge, and the passengers were told to queue. I'm English, so by queue I understand a line of people of standing one behind the other. Obeying, I hurried over and stood behind the barrier. Something must have got misunderstood in translation though, because instead of a line, the thing in front of the boarding gate was more of a crowd, which squished itself slightly when the announcement was repeated that Easyjet wanted a single-file queue.

Applause from the Italian passengers signalled we'd landed safely, and after customs, the shuttle bus and the express train to Milan, I met up with Zippy in Cadorna train station...

(More posts and photos on their way - Internet's being slow this week!)