Weather, Or Not

Bizarre things are happening in Italy. It's been snowing for the past four days, and the forecast predicts even more for the next three. Most of the village of Cortona is without power, and most schools cancelled classes. Now before you break out the hot cocoa and start singing "Frosty the Snowman," let me explain something:

This never happens.

It's true. Winter in Italy usually brings rain, not snow. We are in the midst of a weather rarity.

Our Art History class was cancelled on Wednesday, and we were eternally grateful because we were supposed to walk around Arezzo for three hours, looking at works of art and giving presentations. Instead, Kirk (our teacher) sent us an email about the cancellation and reminded us where the best hill was for sledding.

We are college students. We're practically adults.

So when Kirk suggested sledding, of course our natural response was: SLEDDING IS MY FAVORITE.

The hill was perfect. It is so steep and long that the city installed an escalator for people who want to walk up to the duomo. Therefore, you enjoy the swift journey down the hill on your toboggan, and then relax as you ride the escalator back up. It's all the joys of sledding without any of the work.

This was the day we learned about the cruelty of Italian children. A group of them climbed up the wall next to the sledding trail and proceeded to pelt everyone with snowballs as they went down. It didn't take long for this to escalate into a snow war.

All in all, it was a pretty great day.

The only not-so-great aspect of this weather is the lack of heat. I know that sounds a little ridiculous. I mean, it's snowing outside. Of course it's going to be cold. However, it's also cold inside. Actually, let me rephrase that. It's like an Arctic tundra in here.

Therefore, I present to you:

How to Survive a Cold Apartment
1. Wear lots of layers (including, but not limited to: sweaters, hats, scarves, blankets, long johns, etc.).
2. Put on more layers.
3. Wear, at minimum, 4 pairs of socks.
4. Make coffee; cradle hot mug as if it were your firstborn.
5. Laugh about how cold it is.
6. Complain about how cold it is.
7. Hug radiator.
8. Google frostbite symptoms.
9. Repeat Step 2.
10. Make a how-to survival guide to pass the time.

At least it's pretty out there.