Hi everyone!

After being fully rested on Saturday from our first week of research and getting up early, we discussed our weekend plans. It soon became clear that none of us is really good at making decisions . In the end, we decided to go to the idyllic town of Cervo on Saturday, which some say is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. When you read something like that, of course you want to admire it with your own eyes.

The first challenge was to find an open tabaccheria where you can buy bus tickets. As a Belgian, I still have to get used to the fact that the shops here close at noon.

Cervo is very small, but really beautiful! We wandered through the narrow colourful streets and climbed all the way up to the church, where we were rewarded with a wide view. A day full of pleasure, only Saoirse lost her wallet somewhere in Cervo…

Sunday we visited the decadent and luxurious Monaco! Just for one day, of course, as we cannot and will not pay for an overnight stay. Soon you notice how rich Monte Carlo is. By the way, you can buy a yacht there for 4 million euros, what a bargain! First we visited the aquarium and the oceanographic museum. Saoirse got in with a discount, thanks to Myrtille’s student card. My favourite animal there was the rescued loggerhead sea turtle, which will soon be released into the wild.

In the afternoon, we walked past the Grand Prix circuit, the casino and the royal palace where the guards were just alternating. There I had arranged to meet a Belgian friend whose parents live there. She had brought along some things that I had forgotten at home. We ate an affordable greasy cheeseburger with chips and I had almost forgotten how it felt not to eat pizza or pasta every day. Tired but satisfied we returned to Imperia, which is starting to feel like home.

Ciao!

Isaac Vermeulun