Ciao! The end of my program is approaching quickly. We present our final projects tomorrow in Locarno next to Leonardo Da Vinci's Il Rivellino. After that I will officially be done with class. Mom and Dad, you guys should be on your way to the airport in a couple hours. I cannot to wait see you and for you guys to experience Europe. You're going to love it!  (below: House by Mario Botta below)

Since my last post we have traveled a little around Ticino (the surrounding area) but mostly stayed up in Scudellate working on our studio project. It's so nice not having 3 other classes and finals to worry about at the same time. Definitely the best/easiest quarter yet! Oh, and we got a tour of Mario Botta's new office. He's an architect, basically a celebrity in Ticino! (below: And there the celeb is with our teachers)

Myself and 3 others from our group took the day off and went to Locarno to do a little work, a little wandering, and see a film at the famous international Locarno Film Festival. Unforgettable night. Hundreds of people come there each year to watch movies in their Piazza Grande. The main street is closed off, the piazza is filled with hundreds of seats, and an enormous screen stretching from building to building is used to project the movie on. Since no bus goes up to our town late at night we decided to stay up most of the night and sleep a little in a park next to the lake. I can check that one off my bucket list!

There's a little cafe/bar next to our hostel owned by an amazing little lady named Piera. She's basically the town grandma or town greeter. I swear everyone in Ticino knows her! She's alwasy giving us free drinks and food even though we cannot understand 95% of what each other are saying. Last Friday she made oso bucco for our entire class, and supplied us with, lets say, generous amounts of wine, champagne, and amaretto:) Life's good in the Scood
(below: the oldest Christian church in Ticino)