Around Padua, part 1

Internet is letting me down constantly these days, plus there’s a lot of noise in my house ‘cause there are works in progress in my neighbors’ apartment. So I decided to take a walk and make some photos of this beautiful city I live in.
When I first came to Padua, in 2005, I hated it.
It was snowing like crazy – and I had never seen snow in my life before, I mean: I come from the south of Italy and it never used to snow back then.
So I arrived here with my big luggage, walking in the snow until my knees, it was so cold even inside my new house, all my roommates were at work and i didn’t know where to go ‘cause I was afraid of getting lost (something I’m very good at).
Only in my last months here before moving to Milan I discovered all the beauty of this city, and now that I live here again I’m really happy and love it.
Of course living right in the centre of Padua helps a lot. You can walk everywhere and have all you need around you. You also have many things you don’t actually need: there are about 5 churches around here, and early in the morning they all make their bells “singing”….imagine that. Saint Anthony church alone has something like 8 bells….
As all of you know this city is where Saint Anthony died and was buried, so here you can find his "basilica":



Living near it means that you can barely walk out of your home during special festivities, because you can find cues of devouts 2 kilometers long – I’m not exaggerating.
Near the church you can find this wonderful square, Prato della Valle (in a sort of 360° pic...)



It’s considered the biggest in Europe after Red Square in Moscow



All public markets are held in here – like the monthly Antique market and every fair or small concert and the weekly market every Saturday



In summer you will find a lot of people just lying on the grass and sunbathing.
Walking through the streets of Padua you can find any sort of old building and river streams









This is the most famous bar in Padua, and the oldest too: the Caffè Pedrocchi



People attending university (which is just round the corner) MUST NOT enter this Cafè until they've graduated.
Every city here has its own special "rules" about what a university student mustn't do to avoid bad luck.
This is the main entrance with the stone Lions (which bring such bad luck):



Students also can't overcome chains which delimit the pedestrian area if they want to pass exams



The morning after their degree ceremony, they finally go to Cafè Pedrocchi to have breakfast.
So I'm waiting for February when my BF will have his postgraduating ceremony to finally enter this cafè and have a hot chocolate, with the piano playing and red velvet carpets anywhere!!!