disco italiano

Well, I made it out... After stayin' at work 'til Midnight, I kinda had to force myself, but am glad I did. In my paranoia of not knowing where to get off the trolley (the stops aren't really marked), I got off way too early. So, that ended up making two thirds of the trip downtown on foot. oops. I found my way to a bar I had seen on my tours on Wed and Thurs. Upstairs had a bar area and a cafe area, but most people seemed to be coming up and down the stairs. I made my way downstairs and discovered a basement disco. The mix of people was interesting and even kind of amusing, the music was about ninety percent american pop that even I recognized. It felt like a homemade disco in someone's house, but that was just kind of charming. Just before closing, a girl walked through handing out warm croissants. I don't know if that's tradition here?! I notice the bartenders never ask me what kind of beer I want - maybe I stumble through just asking for "una birra media" so much that they don't bother!

Once closing time came it was time to head home. I hiked down to the street where the trolley line was, and realized pretty soon that the trolley doesn't run all night. Cold, tired, and annoyed at myself, I started walking on back home but kept watching for taxis - I couldn't find an empty one to save my life. Eventually (I'm not sure how), I ran across one stopped on the street who sped me back to home base. By then it was 4am, so I was glad to know I didn't have to get up in the morning since we started at 2pm today (as we slide our shift towards the regular 1am-1pm).

But now I know. Trolley there. Taxi home. And on my travels after the Olympics, look for hotels near to where I'll be going.