Soulmates in Firenze!! (3/12-3/15)

SOOOOO this post concerns Sammie's (my best friend from home and roommate at school) visit to FIRENZEEE!!!

You can image how excited I was to see a face from home and to have someone come visit me in Italy! Things started off a bit rocky when I arrived at the airport a day early and very confused- due to time differences and a mis-communication, I hopped back in a cab on Wednesday, (3/11) pretty disappointed. So when she finally did arrive the next day, I was absolutely ecstatic! It was a short trip (thurs-sun) so we had no time to waste- and it's a good thing she slept the entire flight. We were also lucky for her trip because we got some absolutely beautiful weather.
Her first afternoon here we went out and explored some of the city and I showed her around some of the main spots. Later that night, we had our usualy Mexican night at my friends apartment and went out for a mini night out on the town.
The next morning we were up early and out again. I took her to see the open air market, and some other spots so that she could get some gifts for her parents. Then we headed up to piazzale michangelo- the beautiful look out point that over looks the entire city of Florence. She absolutely loved it and we of course snapped hundreds of photos. After that, we me up with Alex to do a little shopping for our evening out.
We took her and some other guests to our favorite traditional Italian restaurant just across the river called Dantes; I've mentioned it before. because this trip was a 21st birthday gift from Sammie's parents, we felt it necessary to celebrate her birthday that night. We got her a little cake at the restaurant and she really enjoyed the traditional pasta dishes and house Chianti.
We went to a local favorite discoteca to keep the birthday celebration going and needless to say she had a great "birthday" evening.
The next day we were up early to go to the beach in a small town known as Viareggio. It was about a 1.5 hour train ride and in an adorable little town. It was one of the first warm days that we had, and though not warm enough to be in full bathing suits and in the water- it was nice to l in the sand under the sun.
Later that evening we went out for a typical Italian aperativo at a chic restaurant called Kitsch- and it was delicious. One more last discoteca trip with some friends from school and we called it a night.
The next morning we got up early so she could get some souvineirs for her family members and it was interesting to see the city that early because I'm not usually up at that time. It was quiet and had a sense of calm after the night about it. I put her into a cab a few hours later, wishing I was getting in with her, and wish her a safe trip.
I am so glad to have had a friend from home come visit me- and the fact that she came all the way to Italy for a long weekend makes her one of the best friends I've had!

A very holy experience... (3/8)

I know- so very behind the on the blogging, but I kept a list of things I've been doing so I can expand upon them....
The Sunday after we returned from spring break I decided to attend mass with a friend at the Duomo in Florence. I haven't been to church in a while, but my friend had been to church in Italy before and said that people do not get as dressed up as they do in the states. So it was odd to be wearing jeans to church, especially after not going for over a year.
This was the first time I had ever entered the duomo, and it was truly a beautiful sight. It was a lot different than the churches we have seen on this trip. It was a little bit colder, larger, and more empty. There was some cement walls and floors, and there were also a few pretty stain glass windows. We sat for mass in pull out chairs- I don't think there are pews because there is so much tourist traffic that goes through the duomo daily.
Mass was interesting to listen to in all Italian for the first 20 minutes, but after that it became very difficult to listen and try to decifer what the priest was saying. Also, the duomo is so large that the priest's voice kept echoing and reverating of the walls and around the room- it sounded a little like God was talking to us because it was such a powerful audio.
Another thing that was different was that there was no choir singing- this made it a little more serious.
I decided to receive communion because 'When in Rome,' but seriously, when was I ever going to go to Italian mass at the duomo in Florence, Italy? Plus I think I'm a pretty good person and a fan of God.
When we exited the church (mass was just like at home- 1 hour long) it was a beautiful sunny day and I felt up lifted and calm. I am glad I did it; it was a nice experience!

Leg 3 of Spring Break- Dublin!

We were sad to leave London but excited for our last leg of the trip. Once we arrived at hte Gatwick airport, we discovered that we had a 3 hour delay. Unfortunately, this cut our time quite short in Dublin, and we arrived around dinner time.

We took a taxi from the airport to the hostel and I sat in the front, drivers side...because they drive on the opposite side of the road and car! It was a little scary sitting up front and experiencing this. Our driver proved the age old theory right- that people in Ireland (unless you are encountering them outside of a pub at 3am) are some of the nicest people on earth. He was whipping out maps and names of restaurants that we had to go to- and was so helpful and interested in hearing about America.

We stayed at the Barnacles hostel in the temple bar area. This area is known for it's pubs and restaurants, and oddly (and conveniently) enough the temple bar itself was located right next to our hostel. This hostel was SUCH an upgrade from the prior, and I'm not going to lie- I actually liked and enjoyed staying there! It was a snuggly little room with 2 bunk beds, clean sheets, and a nice bathroom! It also had a kitchen and common room that- it was very homey.
After freshening up and throwing our bags down- we went out for a traditional Irish dinner. I got Irish stew, complete with a thick gravy, lamb, potatoes, carrots, and celery- it was delicious! After out delectable meal we met up with some friends that are also students in Florence and were visiting Dublin and staying in the same hostel as us! It was nice to see some familiar faces by the end of our trip- and we all headed to a pub/club.

One thing I learned that evening, that I must pass along to anyone that plans on visiting Ireland- is that they DO NOT sell beer by the pitcher. In fact, they get highly offended if you ask. We later found out from a nice bartender that the sale of pitchers was outlawed in Dublin, at least, to combat the binge drinking problem. Who would have guessed a binge drinking problem in Ireland? Haha, at least they are trying to do something to combat the issue.

The next morning we were up bright and early for another free tour. Not realizing how much colder it was in Ireland, and still a little jet lagged, me and one of the other girls skipped out on the tour after about an hour of it. We did learn some very interesting things though about Irish history, one of which that it has one of the worst national histories I have ever heard of. Being a big history buff, I am sad to report that the great majority of Irish history involves the British government trying to take over the Irish, and the many failed attempts (until the 1960s) of the Irish to overthrow them for indepedence.
We saw Dublin castle- which was pretty impressive. We saw one of the original slabs where there were bullet holes and scratches from the British sharpening their muskets. Unfortunately, this was one of the only original pieces left of the castle, seeing as it burnt down and was rebuilt years ago. It is not as grand now, and is mostly used as an army training facility. Though, there were 2 beautiful statues there- one of which was the Goddess of justice. It is a Irish joke that she has her back to the city and her scales are weighed unevenly- signifying how unjust the British were to the Irish. (which is even more irnoic because the British put the statue there).

After that we saw a the records tower, which was attached to the King's Chapel. The record's tower was once used as a prision (after it was used to hold records). And we couldn't enter into the King's Chapel because it was built over water and the floor has some holes in it due to natural erosion. We also went into a beautiful park where grass had been planted over what used to be a bogged area. And there were little tiled pathes that looked like sea serpents to remind visitors that there was once water present. In the same park was a staute for the Special Olympics that was first held in Dublin a few years back.
We also got to see where Johnathan Swift lived- the author or a Modest Proposal. For those of you that don't know who that is- here is the brief version. He was an author in the 1700s who wrote a sattire suggesting that to take care of the hunger problem as well as the over birth rate in Ireland, that people eat babies. He made mock receipes and crazy suggestions in this book. Very weirddd, but it was something we read in high school so it was interesting to see his house.
We also learned that many of the sites/buildings in Ireland have no rhyme or reason to their name- there is a huge lack of creativity, and most of the time, things are just named a certain way because that is what people felt like naming it at the time.

After that point, me and one of the other girls headed back to the hostel for a little R&R. Not before getting a smoothie though- something that I love and that they sell in every other country in the EU except for Italy- lovely.
It was a nice afternoon in with all of the girls once everyone returned to the room- especially because it was chilly. We all got ready and headed out for another traditional dinner with our guy friends that were staying at our hostel. We went to a pub/restaurant and I got my first dark beer! Though it was a Murphy's (sorry Guinness people) it was really yummy! And reminded me of a coffee- though I can't see myself drinking more than one every so often, it was nice to try something new. We also all got Boxty's for dinner- which is an Irish pancake (kind of like a crepe) made into almost like a tortilla stuffed with chicken, a cream sauce, and veggies. It was delectable. After that we saw a few other pubs to round out the night. Oh and just for the record, Dublin has the best mallomarows- ever, anywhere- they are amazing.

The next morning me and one of the girls were up and out very early for our British Airways flight home. After flying some frightening budget airlines the whole trip, it was great to have a mini luxury at the end of the trip. We had a layover in London (thank goodness, because I still can't get enough of England) and got more shortbread cookies of course.
It was pretty interesting to sit in the London airport because there were a lot of very international flights departing and arriving there. Many going to the Middle East, Dubai, etc. and we saw a lot of planes with Arabic written on the sides. My eyes were wide with curiosity because I had never really seen anything like that. We finally made it back to Florence around dinner after a cab, 2 planes and a train. It was a weird feeling returning from vacation to, well, our everyday vacation spot. It was a beautiful day none the less so it was nice.

Spring break was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had and I am very grateful for all the things I learned and places I saw.
Wish you could have all been there with me!

Leg 2 of Spring Break: London!

Ok so since we last left off on the spring break excursion we were headed onto the chunnel- the train that gets you from Paris to London. We were expecting it to be under the water for quite sometime- be I don't think that we were under water for more than 20 minutes total. But that's ok because we made it there in under 2 hours and we were so excited to get off the train and hear everyone speaking English! We hopped on the tube (The Piccadilly line) to Russell Square (our stop). The tube is the underground subway that they use in London and it is actually shaped like a tube and travels through tube shaped tunnels. It's really cool, and if you are too tall you can't stand on the sides because your head won't fit! We also found that the interiors of the tube were a lot nicer than those that you would see in NYC. And there were also very easy to use maps directing us towards the correct subway. The only different thing we realized was that as the subway was coming towards us, with is came a huge cloud of smog. It was quite interesting.

We stayed at the Generator hostel, which was quite the experience within itself. When we walked in there was bumping club music and blue lights in the main lobby- this is a hostel, not a club remember haha. We checked in with a positive attitude, figuring it could be fun. After going upstairs to see the room- we decided it was a pretty horrendous hostel. Not to get into any details to scare anyone, but let's just say the room had stains in various places- and I slept on top of the featherbed with my jacket as my blanket and my sweater over my pillow. But enough about that!

After dropping our bags and freshening up, we went out to dinner at a chic little restaurant and met up with Alex's friends from home.

After that we went to the London eye for our 8pm reservation. For those of you who don't know- it is a gigantic Ferris wheel that sits on the Thames River and overlooks all of the city. Instead of ferris wheel cars, it had these giant glass globes that can fit up to 25 people. It goes about 1ft. per second and takes about 30minutes to make a full rotation. At it's highest point it reaches 443ft! It was absolutely beautiful to see all of the sites at night and the whole city was lit up and amazing. The best site to see from above was Big Ben- he stood high above everything else! After that I got the most amazing cookie I have ever had in my life, which I felt the need to mention because it was my first shortbread cookie- which apparently England is known for- unreal. After that, we made it an early night because we were tired from the night before. We got some grapes and cheese at the grocery store and had a little girls night at the hostel.

The next morning we were up bright and early for the "all you can eat" breakfast- which was comprised of jam with toast and cereal haha. We were out by 1030am and took the tube to Hyde Park Corner to meet up for the free tour. The tour was just about 2 hours and took us to see all of the major sites in London. We had an amazing tour guide- a woman who was from Ireland but living in London. Our first stop was the Wellington Arch. Apparently Wellington was a major contributor to the British way of life, and though he was a selfish politician when he lived- the British now look up to him and love him. We then made our way over to Buckingham Palace which was quite impressive in itself. At the cross walk, we encountered a cross walk button high up that was made just for people on horses! At first I couldn't understand why it was there but immediately after we saw both a cop on horse and the Queen's guard- all on horses!

We learned that at Buckingham, there could be a possibility of 2 flags flying, but there is always one up- one being the British flag and the other being the Queen's flag. The Queen's flag is only up when she is in the palace (which she was not on that day) and the British flag is always kept flying. The British flag was not always kept flying, and this was a recent addition since the death of Princess Diana because when she died they had no flag to fly, and the Queen did not want to use hers. We also saw Charles private castle which was directly across the street. He also has his own flag and the British flag flying- and he wasn't home either! We also saw a few of the funny guards that don't move and took a few pictures near them. We were told not to get to close though because of the recent events with one of them. Apparently an American student got in one of their faces in an attempt to make him move and made the guard so angry that he chased after him and was hitting the student with a sword. Very funny actually, and you can watch it on youtube.

After that we made our way around the city, seeing some more of the major sites. We saw wher the 2012 summer Olympics women's volleyball games were going to be held. It is also known as the Horseguards area where you can see the changing of the guards. We also saw Downing Street from a far, where all of the major politicians live and is heavily guarded due to the nature of the residence. We stopped at a woman's house named Nell Gwyne. She was one of the King's whores (many years ago) but a name for herself, got a house and a title (earldom ) for her son! She is a lady that many people in London, oddly enough, find inspiring. We stopped at Westminster Abbey- which was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. We also saw big ben of course and the houses of Parliament. All of which were very impressive. We also stopped but an arch crossing that had a little nose sticking out of it, just randomly placed there. It is rumored to be Wellington's nose- but it was very funny to see. We saw a number of other small sites, all of which were great. At the end, our tour guide to us to a park and told us the tale of when the entire new British parliament was almost over thrown by a group of rebels. It was quite historical and interesting- it was a bit of a long story so I can't remember all the details, but if you google a story about the British parliament being stormed you can find it. Once the tour guide left, we sat and enjoyed a typical British lunch- toast with jam and butter haha.

After the tour was over we hopped onto the tube and made our way over to Harrods. IT WAS AMAZING!! The store is absolutely huge and we spent a few hours just walking around in awe starring at everything. We of course started on the floor with the food and I got a slab of handmade fudge- it was sinful. I also got a little green bag with godl 'Harrods' lettering on it, and a little Harrods bear that came in the bag! How could I leave Harrods without something? We spent a lot of time walking around the womens clothing section. It was so awesome to see all of the designers collections as they would be in their own showrooms. There was only about 1 of each piece of clothing and the dresses for many of the collections were absolutely beautiful. I feel in love with the D&G line in particular- typical. We also went over to the LG room- which is where they have a lot of new technological devices on display. We got to play with the new HP all touch screen computer. It was so cool! I'm not sure if they have that out in the US already and I've just been missing out, but it was a pretty sweet piece of technology. In the sporting goods section we experienced a very interesting cultural divide involving a middle eastern family fighting amongst themselves. A lot of the real shoppers at Harrods come from the Middle East because they are some of the only people that can afford the items sold there. Also, the owner for Harrods is from the Middle East and apparently his son was dating Princess Diana at the time of her death (?). I learned some pretty interesting things that day!
After Harrods- we headed over on the tube to the Piccadilly Circus area....where we went to....the...LONDON ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH!!!!!!!!!!
I am not going to lie, this made my spring break. It is ABSOLUTELY huge and amazing and I spent 20mins just walking around, shaking, sniffing, spraying myself, dancing, and touching the clothes. My goodness it has been a long time and I cannot wait to go back to work when I get home haha. When we were walking out, I went up to one of the greeting models and asked him if he would take a picture with me for my stores at home (I just really wanted to take a pic with him). After reviewing the picture, I came to realize that there is a huge possibility that he was the model in the poster that you see when you first enter the store- wonderfullll.
After a day of mayhem, we went back and freshened up at our hostel.

Later that evening, we went to dinner at a little English Pub and I got fish and chips with mushy peas!!! It was sooo yummy. The chips are actually french fries and the mushy peas were a bright green, like split pea soup. We also got more shortbread cookies for dessert.
After reading up in our free trashy London newspaper, we came to discover that the Marlee and Me premier was going on in London. It was 9pm once we were done with dinner, so we figured it was the perfect time to head over to the premier, in hopes that we would see some stars on their way out. Although we did not catch Jen An or Owen Wilson, we did see a boat load of famous British people. It was actually quite hilarious because we had no idea who any of them, but following the groups of screaming young girls, and crazy paparazzi, we snapped photos of unidentified British stars- it was so much fun.
After that we headed back to the hostel to get our free drink at the bar in the lobby. After finishing the drink and experiencing the creepy eurotrash envirnoment, we ran upstairs and went to bed.

The next morning, our last day- we were up and out around 11 again. Our first stop of the day was the London Castle. This was the site of many monumental times in British history- but the most important to me being that Anne Boleyn was beheaded there!!!! I know that sounds weird, but for all of you that know me- you know I am obsessed with the story of the Boleyn sisters and the Tudors. I can't believe that I got to stand somewhere where Anne and Mary Boleyn once stood! Although it was a little rainy, it was super cool. We then made our way over the tower bridge towards the London Bridge. Under the tower bridge was a creepy haunted house that we saw from outside- and it looked very scary. It was monumental to see the London Bridge, but not the most impressive site I've ever seen. Due to the typical English weather, we ran for cover in a nice inside mall and sat and had our usual lunch. After that we walked past the Clink, the 1st ever prison that gave all other prisons their name- it was pretty creepy, and pricey to enter to we kept walking haha. We finally made it to the Globe theater, which is the site of where many of Shakespeare's first plays were put on stage. Although it was burnt down and rebuilt- it was a pretty nice theater and cool to be in such a historical place- especially being a big fan of Shakespeare.
After that, we made our way over to Westerminster Abbey for the choir mass at 5pm. There weren't very many of us there, but the choir was absolutely unbeleivable and there was a little mass to go along with it. It was interesting to see how connected some people felt with the church, and it gave me a warm feeling inside. I felt comfortable and connected in such a massive, historical and beautiful church. Almost every Queen's corrination and wedding has been held there, and it was inspiring. I decided I wanted to start going to church more often.
After freshening up at the hostel, we went to dinner at Pret a Manger which I have now become obsessed with and most likely spend all of my money at this summer in the city. All of the salads and sadwichs are made fresh on site with really cool combinations in flavors and tastes, and if they have leftovers at the end of the day they donate all the food to local charities- I am in love with this establishment. After that we headed back to the hostel for another girls night in complete with shortbread cookies, grapes, cheese, trashy London newspapers and girl talk. It was a typical rainly London evening and it was great to spend it with my friends.
We rested up and headed out early the next morning for our flight to Dublin!
Ireland is next!!

Leg 1 of Spring Break: Paris!!

To start off, I just wanted to say that I am already trying to plan my next trip to France- because I absolutely feel in love with Paris!!

We got to our hotel (which was a small train ride outside the center of the city) around 1130pm- only minutes before my birthday! We made it to a kebab place as the clock struck 12 and because it was my 21st birthday- we asked, and the owners kept the kebab place open! I enjoyed a scrumptious cheeseburger and fries- and for dipping, they gave us some sort of mayonnaise (it was yummy).

In the morning, Emily and I were up bright and early to see Versailles. Neither of us knowing a word of French, it was quite the experience managing being able to get on the right train, and then switching subways 2 times. But we made it! And we even got to hear some traditional French accordion music on the train! As soon as we got off the train we spotted a Starbucks!! That was one of the most satisfying carmel macchiato's I've ever had. haha Versailles itself was a grand site. As soon as you walk onto the property you see the main gate that is encrusted in gold and the property is absolutely huge. We got audio tour guides and headed out. First we toured the Chateau, which has room after room with bright velvet colored and detailed walls and countless pieces of artwork. We also got a peak at the King's Chapel, and the famous Hall of Mirrors. Both were very extravagant with detailing and gold from floor to ceiling. We the made out way out to the gardens. The way that the outside is set up is there are rows of gardens around the main grand canal that you see so far down on the property. Many of the gardens have beautiful sculptures and fountains in them. And on the sides are tiny pathways between the trees- it was magical. We made the treck over to Marie Antoinette's private estate (house)- that King Louis the 14th or 15 (my mind escapes me, I know awful- sorry) built just for her. We couldn't find it at first because there are so many other buildings and everything is in French, but as the saying goes, "When you aren't looking is when those things that you want most come to you," we stumbled literally into it! Her house was absolutely adorable- tiny, with little rooms for everything. There was the kitchen, dining room, pool room, a bathroom for a visiting family member, and her room. I want my room to be her room- it was adorned with pink velvet walls, pink couches, and of course gold accenting all over the room. We also went into the creepy corridors of the house where a simulated whispering females voice in French could be heard- it was really cool. In addition, we learned that Madam Dubarry (one of the King's most famous whores that was brought into court) roamed these hallways. It was unbelievable to just stand in the estate.

After Versailles, we headed back into the city to meet up with the rest of the girls. We got lucky because it was an absolutely beautiful day with the sun shining and the city was bustling. I got my first ever French baguette- and it was delicious! We walked through the Latin and Greek quarters- and there was music playing, people everywhere, and cultural goods on sale for all to see. After that we headed into Notre Dame- which was absolutely beautiful. The architecture on its facade was quite different than a lot of which we have seen in Italy. There was more of a gothic style art and it was not quite as large as some of the Duomos here. We also saw figures dressed up out in the front- everything from a creepy tombed Egyptian, to the Hutch back of Notre Dame himself! When we went inside, there was a mass or some sort of procession that was about to begin, and it was beautiful to hear the mass begin in French. The interior of the church had massive stain glass windows and sculptures depicting people and scenes from the bible everywhere. I also saw the candles that we lit for loved ones, and they looked beautiful. In addition, the confessional boxes are quite different than those seen in a traditional American church. They are glasses booths that everyone can see you in, and you sit across from the priest at a desk- looked pretty awkward. After that we walked around in search for the Jewish quarter with no luck. And due to the recent global events, we were weary of asking for help, and when we finally mustered up the courage to, didn't get much assistance. But we did find a 'My Berry,' which is exactly like Pink Berry and it made my birthday that much more sweet.

After that we met up with my roommates friend and headed over to Luxembourg gardens. The gardens looked just like the famous dot painting, " A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by George Seurat. There were people all over socializing, children running around, and tiny boats sailing in the large fountain in the center. There were also a number of statues and sculptures placed around the gardens, even a huge head! There was also the Luxembourg castle itself- which was looked like your standard castle haha. We found a seat right near the pond/fountain area and had some Portugeese wine- my first ever! It was quite a yummy red, that has more of a kick than most of the Chiantis we are used to.

Once we were kicked out of the gardens because they were closing, we headed over to the Chanzelize- a large street loaded with shopping. On the way there, I sat next to a little French girl on the metro and she was whining a little bit so I started making sillt faces at her. She let me see inside the bag she had on her lap and it was a new goldfish! I guess she was worried about him on the train, as she tried to tell me in French. She was absolutely adorable. Once on Chanzelize, I was able to see the Arch de Triumph from a distance but the zoom on my camera allowed to get a picture that tells otherwise. We shopped around for a bit and even found a Gap! Never thought I would be excited to see one of those.

Once the sun was set, we trecked over to the Eiffel Tower, which was of course lit up for the night- AND IT WAS AMAZING!! The tower is absolutely beautiful and we took 1 million pictures of it before we go close. Once underneath, we took 80 more pictures and were disappointed to find out that we wouldn't be able to go to the top because the wait for the line was too long and we had too many other things to do that evening! As were walking back to the metro station we looked back by chance and the Eiffel tower was giving a little light show! It was sparkling and glistening up and down the sides with blue colored lights- it was beautiful. Thank goodness we turned around! I also got all of my family birthday phone calls when we were at the Eiffel tower- this put an even bigger smile on my face.

We headed back to the area where out hotel was and got sushi for my birthday dinner!! I got 3 rolls- why be modest on a 21st birthday, and it was so yummy. After that I got my birthday dress on and headed out for a night on the town. We of course ended up at a TexMex bar because I have a Mexican food obsession- though did not get any. We also had a few run ins with the Parisians who were not to pleased that there were Americans in their city at night. It was certainly a fun and interesting 21st!

Early the next morning, or what seemed like an extention of the previous day, we got up to go to the Louvre! Because it was the 1st Sunday of the month we were able to get in free of admission, which was amazing. We stopped for a quick Starbucks and headed in. Again, this was another place that I needed a good day to spend in, but I got another great taste test. We saw the Mona Lisa, which I am happy I can say I saw the Mona Lisa now, but it was kind of small and because there were so many people surrounding her, I couldn't really get that close. Again, thank you zoom. I was most impressed by the huge collection of Egyptian art- which included everything from the Sphinx to loads of Sanskrit and even mummy tombs. It was really impressive to see art from such an ancient civilization.

After the Louvre it was time to head to the train station to leave :(. I wanted to stay forever but all good things must come to an end and I KNOW I will be back there very soon. Before departing though, I got another baguet and my first and only crepe! It was chocolate filled and essentially one of God's gifts to earth.
Going through customs, we got 2 stamps in our passports before boarding the chunnel- some of the first stamps we've gotten traveling, so we were all very excited!

London coming up next! Sorry for the delay but I want to make sure I get all the great details in and I want these posts to be good. They are important to me because I feel like I really got to see some of the world and learned a lot.

MY ROOMMATES COMES INTO FLORENCE TOMORROW AFTERNOON!! I am very excited to see a face from home.
Miss all of you!
xoxo
Amanda

Nice and Monoco: The French Riviera!!

This weekend we finally traveled outside of the country to go to the French Riviera. Though we ended up doing nothing carnival related- it was truly an amazing time.

We rented a car from a local car rental, and because we got an automatic (which is rare around here, everyone drives stick) I was able to drive!! It was a cute 5 seater Fiat (and very roomy) with a large trunk. We left Florence around 430pm and arrived in Nice at about 1030pm because we got a little lost trying to find our hostel. The drive was mostly 2 lane highways (autostrada in Italiano) with huge bridges overlooking cliffs and the Atlantic, and a lot of tunnels through the cliffs. It was quite the eye-opening drive.

This being the 1st hostel I ever stayed in, I was surprised to see the accommodations of 2 bunks beds and a sink/shower in the room, and the public bathroom down the hall. I actually ended up sleeping very well and for only 15euro a night, I have to say I will be doing it again!

We quickly cleaned up and went out to adventure the city a little bit that night. We ended up going to a bar called THOR, but only had 1 drink and left because we were very tired and wanted to be well rested for the next morning.

We got up bright and early and were on our way. We walked along the main strip in Nice, where the electric tram runs and where we could see some things set up for carnival (2 huge floats, stadium seating, some decorations, and a big TV). On our walk we found a mall!!!! I have not been in a mall since I was in the states, so I was very excited. We shopped around, grabbing a few things in Sephora and a smoothie!! It was great to be in France because they eat with a lot more variety than in Italy. As I have said, the Italians eat JUST Italian food. But in France, they had a variety of different foods (more of what we would see in the US) and they eat a lot healthier, offering salads, smoothies, fruits, etc. 

After the mall we walked down to a little carnival that had a crepe stand, and a Ferris wheel!!! For 5euro, we got to ride this gigantic Ferris wheel overlooking all of Nice, parts of the French Riviera, and the beautiful ocean! I was a little nervous at 1st because it was very high up, but once we were up there, it was absolutely breathtaking, and it literally looked like we were in paradise. We scooted around the Ferris wheel car, each trying to take pictures from the different angles while we had seconds at the top every time we went around. It was hilarious.

Once off the Ferris wheel, we headed down to the water. We met some American guys, in the US Navy that were really nice and just visiting Nice for a few days while on a stop over on their deployment. We decided to group up and see the rest of the sites together for the day. We all headed over to the water- which was absolutely beautiful. It was about 55degrees out, but because it was sunny by the water, it felt warmer. The beach itself had clear blue water, and instead of sand, lots of rocks. They almost had the texture of river rocks, smooth and round and gray in color. Once we got closer to the water, we were able to pick up a few pieces of seas glass! I got green, yellow, and blue pieces. And once you get into the water (which none of us did) it becomes sand and there are no more rocks. We lied around the beach for a while and took some pictures.

We spotted what looked to be ancient ruins on the top of a hill from the ocean, and decided we wanted to head up there. We walked up quite a number of stairs and made it to the first lookout point. The view of the city was again, amazing and we took a load of pictures. We kept walking up and stumbled upon the ruins! They were located on a level of this mountain that had almost like a park type area with trees and benches; it was refreshing. The ruins were a set of rocks that seemed to have been a stage for a large water fountain and pond. It was no longer running most likely for preservation reasons and fear of erosion. We finally made it up to the top look out point (after seeing 1 about every 10ft up) and again, the view was unreal. There was also a cool plate, that seemed to be a sun dial at the top, but was actually a map of the French Riviera with all the coordinates of these cities on the globe.

Oh I completely forgot to mention, the French language sounds absolutely beautiful, and it is one of my new life goals when I get back to the states, to learn it. Thank goodness one of the girls we were with speaks almost fluent French, because the locals don't know much English and I don't know a word of French.

After the ruins, we all went to an Irish Pub (yes, it was owned and run by people right out of Ireland) for a few drinks. We got to learn a little about the navy from these boy, and it was interesting to hear their stories of life under the water. They were just happy to be above the surface and with people other than each other. We all had a great time chatting in the afternoon, and around dinner time we said goodbye to them because they had to take a train back to Toulon, France to hop back on their sub in the morning.

Once we left them, we were now on our search for dinner. We had a typical French dinner in mind at a bistro...but once we saw SUBWAY!!!!! there was no turning back. It was seriously amazing and I had DORITOS!!!! If you have talked to me, you know I have been craving those here more than anything else. What a dinner :).

We headed back to the hostel for an early night in so that we could be fresh and ready for more sight seeing in the a.m.

On Saturday we drove to Ez and Monaco. Ez is just a small village in between Nice and Monaco and it was absolutely adorable. The drive between these 3 areas was a lot like what I would imagine driving along the California coast to be. The roads were tight and curvy while hugging the amazing coastline- and we were high up in the cliffs most of the time.

We went into a perfume shop in Ez, where the saleswoman gave us a little showing of all of their finest and most popular made perfumes. Everything smelled so good! But I resisted buying a bottle because I can get perfume duty free on the way home back to the states. ;)

After stopping along the roadside abut 5 times to get out and take pictures of the unbelievable views of Monaco (which is its own island I believe), we finally made it there. We parked and immediately and walked along the docks to look at all of the gigantic yachts. They were absolutely amazing and I was reminded of how much I love being on the water, and boating. Maybe not yachting, but boating haha. We drove over to the more central area of Monaco where we saw more yachts and an 'ice' skating rink by the waters edge! There were also little kiddie rides (it was set up as sort of a carnival for kids).

We sat at an outside bistro along the water and had some traditional French lunch. Though I didn't get anything, some of the girls had a typical grilled ham and swiss cheese sandwich, which seems to be very popular. They also got a sugar crepe and a chocolate crepe for dessert- which I got a little bite of, and it was yummy! While everyone was eating their sandwiches, I spotted these adorable French kids sitting next to us. They had white blonde hair and big blues eyes and they were chattering to each other about cookies in French. They were some of the most adorable kids I've ever seen!

We headed back into the car and were on the road for Florence at about 130pm. My copilot, aka Emily, drives stick at home. The car we rented had tip-tronics, or was semi-automatic. I had always tried to learn how to use it, but could never correctly master it. Well, she taught me on the way home! It was really fun and whenever I get my next car, it has to be semi-automatic because it is just so much more fun that way.

After getting lost 3 times, and paying the price for it in tolls, we finally made it back to Firenze at about 630pm.

It was truly a wonderful weekend in paradise and I am ABSOLUTELY going back to the French Riviera, no questions asked. 

SPRING BREAK starts this weekend!! We are leaving for Paris on Friday, my 21st birthday is on Saturday, we head to London on Sunday, Dublin on next Wednesday, and then I will be back in Florence on next Friday. I will miss everyone until then- hope all is well. And look out for my next huge post about spring break! (maybe I'll break it up for each country :))

xoxo

Amanda

Carnivale in Venezia!!

My first Carnivale!

We left Florence on Saturday around 130 and arrived in Venice around 430. We took an inter-city train because though it is slower than the fast train due to the added stops, it is significantly cheaper. And set up a lot different than any of the other fast trains that we have taken since we've been here. Each car has an aisle to walk in and then 'cubes' or 'boxes' that house 6 seats. And seats are assigned! Which we later found out AFTER booking the tickets. Luckily most of us sat with one other or in a nearby 'box.' It was definitely a different traveling experience.

As soon as we got off the train I was filled with excitement. There were people in costume everywhere!!! And you know I love a good themed party- themes and costumes in general are my thing.

Upon exiting the train station we were thrown right into the crowds of people and the gorgeous view of the canal that runs through the city. After walking around and snapping pictures left and right of all the gondolas (and lovers in gondolas because it was Valentine's day) and people dressed in full on period costumes (like Marie Antoinette and Louis XIII) we picked up an unlimited 24hr pass that worked for both the water taxis and buses on the mainland. We made our way over and caught a bus to the mainland to go the our hostel.

Needless to say, we never made it there. After riding the bus around for 2hrs, 4 exhausting and expensive phone conversations with the woman at the reception desk, and 5 confused looks from the Italians we asked for directions (including 2 bus drivers) we gave up in fear that the buses were going to stop running and that we would be stranded. So we headed back to the main island and luckily were able to leave our things at a friend's (Molly!) hotel from school who is studying in Ascoli Piaceno, Italy, but was in Venice for the weekend with her program. We took a water taxi to her hotel and got a wonderful little tour of the city via water!! Thankfully, Molly, Spencer, other Molly and Danielle (all Uconn girls that I took Italian with back home and who are also studying in Ascoli Piaceno) let the 6! of us sleep in the floor of their hotel- life savers. Catastrophe solved.

We all got our masks on and headed out. We found a little outdoor pizza place and ordered a yummy Margarita pie each- with some of the thinnest crust I have ever seen; it was scrumptous. I also got a Bellini in a bottle! A great traditional Italian cocktail.

We then made our way to get some desserts (tirimisu- :)) And then went to find the Piazza San Marco. Venice is a funny island because it seems to be a series of tight alley ways that all lead to bridges that cross over smaller sections of the canal. The real transportation traffic is on the canal with the water taxis and gondolas. But because it was carnival, and there were a lot of American students on the island, it seemed as if everyone was just following the crowd. Like the party was somewhere, we just weren't sure where so we followed everyone without real choice because the streets are like a tight maze! It was very neat. 

Piazza San marco had an outdoor show with actors reciting on stage, but we didn't really get to see much of it because it was so crowded. Everyone was dressed up! Most people just had funky masks on with glitter and all different colors and feathers. Masks that derived from the traditional Italian theater have very long droopy noses and are funny looking! Other people had their faces painted, and then as I said earlier, some people were in full on costume- of all members of the court. For small children, carnival is more like Halloween in America, because there were children dressed in a variety of costumes- from scooby doo to a pirate! We even saw a group of guys dressed as typical 'crazies' of the time period- it was funny!

We made our way over to another square, again aimlessly following everyone- which just seems like the right thing to do. Of course we did not make it there without first stopping at a gigantic outdoor candy stand- where we got everything from sour worms and candy raspberries, to a Mal-o-mar!! (for those of you that don't know, and please get a box at the supermarket tomorrow if you don't because your life has not yet been completed- it is a marshmellow placed on top of a gram cracker and then dipped in chocolate- basically a portable s'more- and God's gift to earth). We made it to the other square where there was little outdoor concert and it was great! 

Because it was the first night, things rounded up around 12 and we headed back to Molly's hotel room for an attempt at rest- at least we weren't sleeping on the benches in the piazza!

We woke up bright and early this morning, got a quick breakfast and headed out. We shopped around the island for Murano glass; famous glass that is made right around the island of Venice and is absolutely beautiful. We made it to a gorgeous piazza by the water where there was a parade of characters dressed up. After taking pictures with some of the characters, we went and sat by the waters edge near the gondola docks and took some more pictures/enjoyed some fresh fruit. The sun was reflecting off of the water and beating down on us, making it seem so warm and summery. It was absolute bliss to sit on the docks, and losing track of reality, I accidently put my feet in too low and got my sneakers wet with a little wave that came in! It was totally worth it. 

We hopped back on a water taxi around noon headed towards the train station. I really did not want to leave but it was the only train we could book home today because all of the others were sold out!

It was truly a magical weekend, and as we all agreed, I felt like I was in Disney land for adults, except the natives aren't fluent in English.

Even though we spent under 24hrs there, we had a fabulous time- and gives me all the more excuse to go back, which I have to.

Carnivale round 2 in the French Riviera next weekend. I can't wait!!

Until then...

xoxo

- Amanda