First Day of Classes

The view from my window this morning.

There are orange trees in the street!

The grocery stores are chock full of fresh fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices, I bought a bag of fresh spinach for 1€ and 3 kilos of oranges for 3€. The wine is also an excellent deal, I purchased 1 liter of red wine for 0.59€ that is less than one American dollar. Everyone who comes to the store gets there by walking and brings a rolling-type carrier with them. Everyone brings their own bags, and if you forget you must pay to use a plastic one. The shopping baskets have a handle and wheels so that you can roll it around and are very small (since people can walk to the market and buy fresh items with frequency, the size of the basket does not need to be as large as the ones in the US where we stock up on preserved items).

Everything is small. The elevators claim they can carry four people but it becomes an uncomfortable squeeze with only two and is the size of a broom closet (smaller spaces use less energy). The city itself is small, and is made for people instead of cars. The roads are winding, narrow, and paved with bricks and smooth rocks. It feels old, and it will continue to age beautifully. It can sustain its population, unlike other cities I am familiar with…