Day 2 was a great improvement over day one considering I was no longer exhausted from travel and the weather was beautiful. We started out with a crash course on how to speak Italian well enough to survive and on manners as well. I was surprised to see how much I knew already. I feel that what will end up being the most important part of the lesson was about Italian hand gestures. They are all fairly simple and can convey meaning efficiently so I hope to be able to use them to try and greatly compliment whatever Italian I can muster. It is nice to be able to speak a little Italian because I feel that I fit in more, although it is clear that everyone knows I am American as soon as I open my mouth. Over the course of the day I practiced what I had learned but when things got tough I found myself quickly just resorting to English. Over the course of the trip I hope to be able to speak Italian more effectively and not rely so heavily on English.

This was followed by a walking tour of the city. I found how World War II effected the cities architecture very interesting. Since the city was heavily bombed many buildings were destroyed but ones next to them survived. This meant that older beautiful buildings now contrast with uglier buildings built in the 50’s next to them. These both contrast with the beautiful modern buildings and skyscrapers that have been built more recently. These modern buildings have been built with the environment in mind. Solar panels are used to power certain light fixtures and one residential skyscrapers had a balcony filled with plants for each apartment. Many of these modern buildings were built around a plaza above the streets. The absence of bustling cars made the plaza and the surrounding architecture seem much more peaceful and safe. One thing that greatly surprised me was being able to peer between the skyscrapers and see the peaks of the alps. I did not realize just how close they were.

In the evening, me and some friends took the subway to a soccer game. I do not have much interest in soccer but being at a game was incredible. The continuous chants from the fans echoed throughout the stadium and created a great atmosphere. This is something that I wish American sports would pick improve on as we do have chants but not to this level. The fans showed a major passion for the game and I loved being able to share in this experience.