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

Field Trip Friday!!

This past friday, February 13th (Friday the 13th!!) I had a field trip with my villa and the garden class. We took a bus from Florence to one of the surrounding areas outside the city. The first place we visited was called the The Medici Villa Castello and was a beautiful villa with ornate gardens and a wonderful view of the entire city. We got a chance to walk through the villa which had an interior courtyard, or foyer, that was decorated a lot different than most that we had seen. Unlike most courtyards that are based on the architectural structure of the space (columns, pillars, symmetric lines) this one had beautiful paintings from ceiling to floor. These painting reflected the members of the families that had once lived in the villa, and most scenes portrayed street festivals or political celebrations. Much of the interior of this villa was influenced by French designs of the time; with many paintings outlined in gold paint and many of the rooms with busy wallpapers and velvet tapestries and bedding. 

The second place we visited was the Medici Villa of La Patraia. We didn't go into any sort of villa here, but rather focused on its garden. This garden was a lot more symmetrical than the and focused a lot around the mathematics of planning the placement for each hedge. Unfortunately, flowers are not traditional in Florentine villas (and as I may have said in previous posts, are more typical of English romantic gardens), so there was a lot of green to be seen. The fountain in the center was under construction because some of the statues were being repositioned. 

But we did get to see a former fountain, that no longer runs the water due to erosion problems. It was located directly in the center of the back of the garden and was made partially out of sea shells! It had statues of animals, such as goats, lions, and horses. It was pretty impressive!

After this school field trip business was over, a small group of us decided to hop back on the bus and go for a hike in Fiesole; a small rural area outside of the Florence city walls. It was a beautiful (but chilly day) and we just wondered around the area. We saw a cute little church and found the lookout point where you can see all of Florence; it was beautiful! We also ran into a group of American students sitting at the lookout point and they brought a picnic of cheese, wine and bread with them and they were organizing a small game of soccer! I took that as notes for our next visit up there!

Then we walked along a dirt/rock trail, stumbled upon a villa turned hotel and kept hiking around the perimeter of the town- it was refreshing and so nice to just be in the fresh air. I of course had to try out the local gelato and got a hazelnut flavor- it was amazing, typical. :)

We all decided that we would stay in and rest that evening for Venice the next day. We stumbled upon a little Mexican restaurant in our sweatpants and sweatshirts and shared some chips, salsa, guacamole, and Sangria. It was a great relaxing night, just sitting and talking in this restaurant- and I have to say that I have truly made some great new friends here!

xo,

Amanda

A very tilted weekend!

Friday:
For my food and culture class we had a field trip this Friday to a dairy farm outside the Florence city walls. I slept through the entire bus ride due to my precautionary Dramamine and woke up in the country!
We exited the bus and went into what looked like an organic supermarket- I got very excited. The owner of the land (hundreds of acres), gave us a little talk about his supermarket and land. He only spoke Italian so our teacher had to translate what he was saying. His farm is a large international cheese exporter and has a wide variety of all different cheeses that are made on site. We went outside to the 'barn' where we saw cows! There was a gigantic one with a ring through it's nose, so silly, and there were also little calves running around! It was sad to see many of these cow's head's were looked into the fence that was housing them so that they would eat the hay. These cows are used strictly for production- a.k.a. they were going to produce milk, or become a cheeseburger :(. After that, we went up to the horse barn. I was also a little nervous about that because apparently there are a number of people here who eat horse meat! ah, not ok by me. Thankfully these horses are just for leisure, not for consumption. They were all very pretty and we even saw a Clydesdale. I tried to talk to the animals to get their attention, but then I remembered that they don't speak English! I tried my Italian on them, but no such luck. After that, we went back into the grocery store and had a tasting! We got to try 3 different cheese, I think 1 was Parmesan, 1 was mozzerlla, and I'm not sure what the 3rd was. We also got to try the local focaccia- very tasty, thinner than the one in Florence, with oil and salts on top. There was also 1 type of salami and another type of meat that tasted like sopresetta. And we got to try some desserts! One was an apple crisp type pastry and the other was a nutty bread.
After the tasting (which our teacher told us not to fill up on because we had a big lunch coming up?), we got a chance to shop around the supermarket and make any purchases we needed to. I found kamut organic rice crackers!- and quickly bought them.
After that we got back on the bus and made out way over to the monestary we were going to have our typical Tuscan lunch in. The monestary was beautiful, and we learned that there are rooms avaliable to rent overnight. Apparently some people like to come there and reflect because it is a very peaceful place, and you can see the city from its position up on the hill. Staying in a monestary- not my first choice, I think I would feel like God was watching me the whole time, not that he isn't always- well you get the point!
We went into the dining room- it was a large rectangular room with big cement benches with cushions and grand wooden tables rooted into the floor. There was also a large replica of the last supper painting on the wall. When my teacher said typical Tuscan lunch, I stand to correct him because it was a freaking feast!! It included the following:
Bottled wine, sparkling, and natural water on each table
Appetizers: cheeses, bruschetta, proscuitto, olive patte, bread
First Plate: Artichoke risotto (my absolute favorite) & Lemon pasta (it was actually yellow colored!- not so yummy)
Second Plate: Pork chops & Baked seasoned potato slices
After meal: Biscotti, meant to be dipped in some sort of after dinner liquor (I ate all of the cookies and my friends did shots of the liquor) & Espresso
It was an insane meal! I love this class :)

Saturday:
Me and my friend Alex got up early and got on the train to Pisa by 10:37am. We were there no more than an hour later and arrived to beautiful 57degree weather, with sun. We saw a few other American girls (you quickly become friends with anyone speaking English here) and learned how to get on the bus from the train station to get to the leaning tower. After missing the stop and riding the bus back around we finally found out stop. There leaning tower, along with the Duomo and a few other historical buildings, are 'gated' in by these huge brick walls surrouding on all sides. The Duomo and other historical buildings were beautiful and the tower really was leaning! I must admit that it was a lot smaller than I had expected but still fun to see. After attempting to taking "holding the leaning tower up" picture for about 20mins and quickly giving up, we ate a little lunch on the side of the Duomo. After buying a leaning shot glass (come on, I had to), Alex and I decided we could easly walk back to the train station. Wrong- we got quite lost, but I had to say I was happy we got lost because the weather was sooo beautiful and we stumbled upon a lot of different ruins adn got to explore the adorable city of Pisa. As soon as we fianlly found the train station- it started raining! Luck was on our side :)
It was a nice relaxing weekend; a lot differnt from what next weekend should be like...

Gregg- keep your eyes peeled for one of my next posts- I AM GOING TO VENICE NEXT WEEKEND FOR CARNIVAL!!
Missing everyone xoxo
- Amanda

Weekend in Milano (1/30-2/1)

This past weekend we took a wonderful trip to Milan. I had heard, from one of my Italian teachers at Uconn, that if the cities had to be compared- Florence was more like Boston and Milan was more like New York City. Well let me tell you; he couldn't have been more correct. NYC is of course still my number one, but Milano has become a very close second.
We took a Eurostar train from the Florence train station a little bit after 2pm. The train was fabulous to say the least, with comfy soft seats, a little eating table in the middle of the 4 seats, and an electronic window shade. We felt like we were riding in style. We arrived in Milano about 2.5 hours later and the train station was massive. All of the trains pull into this huge terminal that almost looks like a large tent. Then the interior of the station has extremely high ceilings with typical Italian architectual design. We got to our hotel, which was only a 10min walk from the train station- very convinient, but our digs weren't as great as we thought they would be.
We got freshened up and walked over to an area that the gentleman at the reception desk in our hotel suggested for great restaurants. We walked around this area for quite sometime, unable to find anything.
A little while later we just so happened to stumble upon a Mexican restaurant called Sante Fe- I mean really, I have been craving Mexican here like no one's business and there it was right in front of us! And to top it off, the owner, who opened the door to tell us the restaruant was opening in 5mins- spoke English and was from American!!- We were all quite pleased.
Of course the food was amazing. Here I go again but I had: a margarita, which I am not usually a fan of but it was very tasty, we had a plate of nachos for an appetizer, and then I got chicken/cheese enchiladas will the works- unreal. For dessert, the 4 of us split 2 choco tacos- which are made quite different here. It consisted of a warm quesadilla wrap with metled nutella inside, a warm banana on top, and whip cream to make it complete- again, scrumptious.
We quickly walked that meal off, seeing as we got pretty lost on our way back home, and luckily stumbled into the new Beckham couple Armani lingerie ad- which was gigantic, and amazing.
We went out for a few drinks at bar called WISH and then tried out the Milano disco scene at a dance club called IL CLUB- creative, I know.
It was a great first night in Milano!
We got up early the next morning to see the 'sites.' The complimentary breakfast was very below par, something we have yet to experience at any of these hotels- so let's just move on.
Something that I love about Milano, much like I do about NYC, is their use of the metro. It was very convinient, and even easy to use for us visitors. It also had about the same rates as the NYC subway- 1euro. We took the metro over to the famous Milan shopping district and let's just say I was blown away.
We saw all of the amazing store fronts; from Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, Juicy Couture and Dior, to Yves Saint Laurent, Roberto Cavalli, and Armani. Just to see the window displays and the forms was amazing.
After buying absolutely nothing, because clearly all items are currently out of my budget- we stopped at a little piazza that had a large statue of Leonardo in the middle and a seating area around where we sat and had a few oranges. After that, we made our way over to Il Duomo (cathedral or very large church). Il Duomo in Milano is hugeeeee and a truly unbelievable site to see. With its repetative Gothic style architecture, we needed more than just a few minutes to stare at it. And it was almost too big to fit in the view finder of my camera! And we didn't go inside or climb it because we sure if we had to pay and it was very crowded at the time. When we were taking pictures (and getting attacked by Italian pigeons) these African men came over and tied these bracelets around our wrists and kept saying 'peace Africa.' On the wrist that the man tied mine onto, I just so happened to be wearing a bracelet my friend gave me from Senegal, Africa she got when she studied there for 6 weeks over the summer (they are traditional worn around the waist of African women to ward off bad spirits that might make them less fertile). Well of course, these men were from Senegal too, which was pretty cool. Until of course they started asking for money, at which point we b-lined it to the nearest McDonalds. :) (none of us got anything to eat though!)
We also walked through a gigantic open air mall that, as Emily said, had great 'frescos, ' and was definitely older than many of the other sites in Milano.
We made a quick stop at the huge H&M down the street (more in our budget) and got a few great items on sale!
After that, we had dinner on the streets in an open air shopping area that sits adjacent to the duomo. We sat outside under tents that had heat lamps standing and a few hanging from the top of the tent. It is about 10 degrees colder in Milan than in Florence, so it was pretty cool to feel warm yet still be able to be outside and see all the action. Me and one of the girls split a small cheese pizza (yummy) and a panini with proscuitto, mozzerella, and tomato- tasty.
Later on we had a drink at Sante Fe and called it an early night because we were pretty tired from all of the site seeing.
The next morning we got up to check-out and catch our 1130am train back to Firenze. We got a little morning surprise- it was snowing in Milan! We immediately dressed and packed quickly and went outside to 'play' in the snow- which of course just involved taking about 20 pictures each on the walk over to the train station.
It was truly another wonderful weekend, and not to cheat on any of the other cities I have visited on this trip- but this was by far my favorite thus far :)
xoxo
Amanda

Stupendous Sunday!

It was great to be able to sleep in today!
We all got up late and enjoyed an unbelievable brunch at this restaurant called Caffe Duomo. Oh, and it was American style- 2 eggs over easy with toast and home fries- I loved my life completely at the moment I ate it! haha. Some other girls got chocolate chip pancakes and a greek omlet. Let's just say that we are going to be making that a Sunday tradition.
After that we went to an open air market to do a little shopping. The market is there everyday and they sell mostly jewlery, scarves, and leather items. I got a really cool glass ring- it is certainly one of a kind and was only 4 euro!
The next purchase was completely unexpected. I have been on the lookout for a knock off LV bag, but was informed today that both the buying and selling of these is highly illegal in Italy and can be grounds for arrest- so this is clearly not something I will be doing here.
After I was informed of this, I was now on the lookout for a fabulous Italian leather bag. Good thing I found exactly what I was looking for within the next 5 minutes. I stumbled upon this beautiful, geniune Italian dark brown leather mini duffle bag- which was originally 115 euro- and I got it for 70 euro! It was the one splurge I decided to allow myself and it is seriously one of the most beautiful posessions I own. I can't stop smelling the real leather!
After that, we went to the chocolate festival. It was a little festival that has been held for the past week in a small piazza and today was the last day. It was so amazing! There were little stands everywhere that sold a wide variety of chocolate items- chocolate liquore, hot chocolate, chocolate fondue, bars of chocolate, fruits dipped in chocolate, cake, moose, truffles- it was delicious! I went for the healthiest route and got a dark chocolate bar with hazelnuts (which are the most popular nut here oddly enough)- oh and I had to get one little chocolately nutty ball of goodness. There was a little marching banding playing and it was very crowded and so exciting!
It was the end to a wonderful weekend- classes tomorrow!
xoxo
Amanda
p.s. found a place called a yogurteria- gelato made out of yogurt aka a healthier solution- so excited! It's like an Italain Pinkberry!!

Cinque Terre

On Friday morning me and two other friends, Alex and Emily, left for Cinque Terre. We had to take the train to La Spezia, which is at the end of Cinque Terre. This popular summer vacation spot is on the north west coast of Italy and literally means '5 lands.' It is a collection of 5 'islands' or small villages that include: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Moterosso.
Travling on the train was quite the experience. Everything concerning track number, time of departure, etc is clearly in Italian, and fairly unorganized- making it pretty challenging to find your train and go. We finally got on the train around 1230pm- which was not heated and pretty dirty.
We got into La Spezia around 330pm and it was pouring rain, which was expected but still pretty cold and wet. We checked into our hotel right outside the train station- called Hotel Firenze, oddly enough. The hotel was very cute and our room had 3 single beds and a flat screen! haha. We trucked out in the rain to find this pizza place we had heard of called Pia- apparently the oldest in the town. We found it, and it was certainly worth how many times we got lost. It first opened in 1887 and still stands today! We each ordered a pizzeta; a tiny personal pizza which is cooked in their large brick oven. I got a margarita (the standard cheese/sauce pizza) and it was extremely tasty- probably the best I've had in Italy yet. One thing we learned was that the farther you get out of Florence, the less English people speak. Especially in small towns such as this one- everyone is very friendly but speak barely a word of English, so it can be difficult at times! When we were paying, they gave us a little dessert for free which looked like a tiny slice of pizza, but it had melted nutella on it- to die for, as usual.
We then picked up a local bottle of wine and a few pastries for the hotel room. Both, but especially the pastries were amazing! For the rest of the night we relaxed and got a great night's rest for our adventures the next day.
On Saturday morning we went to the free breakfast the hotel serves- again, amazing. And the view from where breakfast was served was of the hills and beautifully colored buildings that comprise the town- it was great.
We arrived at the train station around 11 and got a special ticket to ride the train along the coast that you can hop off and on as many times as you want at each of the 5 stops for 6 hours. Our first stop was at Riomaggiore. As we were pulling into the station we literally started screaming because our train was hanging between two huge cliffs and you could see the waves crashing against the coast- it was an awesome view. We walked down to a small trail that was literally almost hanging off the cliffs and took in the ocean breeze. Considering it was raining all day, we still took in the amazing atmosphere. Just the sound of the waves crashing filled us with excitement. We later walked around the tiny village, complete with brightly colored (yellow, pink, and orange) houses and clothes hanging to dry from each window. It was like we were on the movie set for Mama Mia.
We hopped on the train a little later and stopped at the last stop, Monterosso. This stop was a little less hilly and we were able to actually walk on the beach! I got a rock from the beach- there weren't many shells, more rocks, and we walked along the little path by the water. We had some time before the next train came so we stopped in a cafffe and got some hot chocolate to warm our souls. We were right on the water and the combination of the view, hot chocolate and serenity of the town gave me such a strong sense of peace inside, one like I have never felt before and it was truly a moment I will never forget. We also saw a little black cat outside running from the rain! It felt bad for the litttle guy, haha. Another funny thing about these small towns is that everyone knows each other and the community is like one big family. It was nice to see.
We hopped back on the train and got off at one more stop, called Vernazza. Almost all of the businesses in this town were completely closed for the season. We saw a marina where many boats come in during the summer months and take people out into the sea for tours, etc. We also stopped into a little church right on the water. It was kind of creepy because there was no one there, but you could just feel the history.
We waited for the next train back to La Spezia for quite a while, and it was kind if cold and rainy but we finally made it back. We had to wait in the McDonald's in La Spezia for about 2 hours for our train back to Florence. Of course I couldn't resist but the McDonald's here actually have some healthy options! In case you were wondering, I got a sandwich on multi-grain bread with chicken, lettuce, tomato and a special sauce. It was quite satisfying.
The train ride back was a little frightening because it was difficult to navigate where to go without many people who spoke english. Also, traveling at night is certainly not as safe as during the day, and you can thank my blonde hair for making us stick out at all times. After a day in the rain, the unheated 2 hour train ride was a bit difficult to endure. But we finally made it back to Florence, safe and sound and I was proud of us for making it and felt like I had certainly gained some life experience. It was also one of the first times I felt like I was coming back to Florence, a sort of new temporary home and not just another foreign city! In addition, I got to see one of the most beautiful natural scenes of my entire life!
All in all, it was a wonderfully relaxing, eye opening trip!
xoxo
Amanda

A few quick things concerning dinner parties of the week!

Ok so firstly, I would just like to say I am loving this idea of the dinner party and it certainly something I am going to be adopting into my lifestyle more often when I get home. It is a great way to be social, cook new foods and have a great time.
So, this past week, I had 1 great dinner experience and another fun dinner party I felt the need to mention:
1. This week with our roommates I cooked eggplant parm. I have never cooked it before but I winged it and everyone ended up really liking it! Including myself! I will definitely be ready to cook in my apartment next year at school- and some dishes for the fam too of course! This experience is definitely teaching me the art of cooking your own meal- and I'm loving it.
2. We have all been craving Mexican food here like crazy so we decided to have a Mexican night. In the library the other day we were talking about it and a few boys from Roger Williams said they too had been craving Mexican so we invited them to join. We had it at my friends apartment and the spread included: fresh salsa and guacamole with chips, chicken with cheese and rice and beans. It was so yummy!!!
Ok I think that is all you missed for the week. Oh one more thing, I did not get the internship at Ferragamo for the semester because they don't currently need interns for the time I will be studying here. Honestly, eveything happens for a reason and I sort of feel a wait off my shoulder because I have NEVER relaxed in my entire life and these 4 months seem like a great time to start. I'm happy I will be able to take everything in at my leisure, and I know my busy life that I do honestly love will still be at home when I return!
xoxo
- Amanda

A few fabulous things of the week so far!

So these are a few great things that have already happened this week:
- In my food and culture class this week, we got the chance to sample some local focaccia bread, which is called schiacciati bread in Firenze (apparently some foods change name based on region). It was yummy
- Today I went for my first run, and for part of it, we literally ran along the Arno river- amazing.
- This evening we went to an American bar to see the inauguration. I got a cheeseburger with french fries and a Heineken...so proud to be an American!!!
Up early for an on site Villa and the Gardens class tomorrow...I think we are going to some villa outside the Florence city walls.
xoxo
Amanda

Mailing Address!

Hey, so I know some of you have asked me for my mailing address so I figured it would just be easier to post it on my blog! Be sure to check the rates before sending anything because I know it can get pricey.
xoxo
- Amanda

Amanda Alimo
c/o The Institute at Palazzo Rucellai
Via della Vigna Nuova, 18
50123 Florence
Italy

You CAN do Rome in a day!!

ROME this weekend was wonderful! We left Firenze around 10am on Saturday morning. We decided early that morning that in order to be more adventurous, and to save our bank accounts, to rent a car. It was my first ever road trip and where better else than Italy to start! We got a cute little car to fit the five of us, and it came with a GPS, thank goodness. Before leaving Firenze, we stopped at the look out point where you can see the entire city- it was surreal, and so amazing to so our temporary little home in full view. The trip to Rome was about 2.5 hours and was great because we got to have a dance party and view the Italian country side- while being chased by a 2 crazy Italian boys in a Porsche- thankfully we lost them.
Once we arrived in Rome, it took us the remainder of the afternoon to find a hotel. One of the hostels the girls looked up was closed for renovation and the other was too scary for words. At that point I decided I wasn't a hostile girl and preferred a hotel. We finally find a quaint little hotel call Hotel Gerber. The types of rooms they have in hotels here include: a room with 2 single beds, a room with 1 double bed, or a room with 3 single beds. All of these rooms cost the same amount, unless you are upgrading to a suite or something. We tried to pack all 5 in a room with 2 single beds, but the hotel staff soon caught on and we had to get another 3 person room. We went to dinner and I got some sort of yummy dish which consisted of what seemed to be 2 big lasagna pieces of pasta with a spinach and ricotta filling in the middle with red sauce on top- it was scrumptious. Then, of course I had the most amazing gelato of my life for desert...again. This one I think had oreo cookies in it, and came with a mini cone on the top- to die for. We went to bed early because we wanted to be fresh and ready for the sites the next day, were tired from the travel, and were far in location from where the hopping section of town is for nightlife.
Today we were up and out by 8, and we got a great free breakfast at the hotel. If you must know, I had an orange, yogurt and hard boiled egg with tea- trying to be healthy for at least 1 of my daily meals here. haha
Our first stop was the Vatican. Being raised a Roman Catholic, and certainly always a believer in God, but in a phase where I am trying to figure out which religion I prefer, I didn't expect the effect the Vatican had on me. Vatican city itself is literally within gated walls. When you walk in, it is in the shape of a huge circle and outlining the circle are huge buildings with large Roman columns complete with Roman figurines on the top, piled high in the sky literally glowing in the majestic sunlight. In the center of Vatican city was the beautiful nativity scene with the north star shinning at the top. And the Christmas tree was still set up in the center, but I think it was about to be taken down in the near days because there were no decorations on it.
When we entered the Vatican itself, I was so overcome by the sight I was brought to tears and had never felt the presence of God so much in my entire life. Straight down in the center of the church behind the alter was a large gold star with light shinning through it that resembled God him. There was a mass in progress when we entered, and the priest's voice reverberating around the walls in Italian made it even more amazing. The details of the inside of the church are almost impossible to describe in words and have to be seen in pictures; the painted and tiled scenes of angels and large sculptures of past members of the church were absolutely beautiful. There was also another nativity scene set up inside the Vatican that had a working fountain and some pretty lighting as well. This was truly an amazing experience for me and I am so grateful to have had it.
Next we went to the Trevi fountain which is this gorgeous area complete with a huge white building with Roman columns and Roman men fighting on their horses (as well as other figurines) and the fountain with all of the water is set in the front. It is known was being a really romantic spot and very picturesque. There were many couples snapping their cameras away.
There was also a small church right near the fountain in circle with gates. On the gates there were locks locked all over. Apparently couples come, lock the lock onto the gate, write their initials on the lock and then throw away the key. It is a symbol of their everlasting love for each other; yet another adorably romantic tradition that goes on here in Italy.
After that, we went to the Spanish steps which are right in one of the Roman fashion districts (I think I was more inspired by the fashion than the steps ;)) We got a packet of chocolate wafers and a small bottle of red wine and sat on the walls of the steps looking down at the view. Again, a beautiful sight to just sit and take in.
And our final destination of the day: The Colosseum. It was immense and you could just feel the history that had taken place. To think that hundreds of years ago, men were fighting each other and animals in the center of this huge building is crazy. We didn't go in because there is a charge and I am going to Rome and into the Colosseum with one of my classes this semester. We walked around some nearby ruins and were able to see a view of just a portion of Rome from a look out point at the top of the ruins- again, amazing. Also, we got lucky this weekend because the weather was beautiful (about 58 degrees and sunny).
To make the trip complete...we got MCDONALDS!!!! for the ride home. A McChicken with small fries. Listen, I understand that I am in Italy and supposed to be taking in the culture. And I am, everyday, but just this one little over priced, heart attack in a bag meal- put a huge smile on my face, and in my stomach :)
Well, it was truly a wonderful weekend and I am so happy to be seeing all of these historical sites and travel the country!
Classes again tomorrow, and I am actually excited!
Until then, buone notte...
xoxo
Amanda

Chianti Wine excursion!

This morning we all met at the bus station at 9:45am to go on a Chianti wine tour! The bus ride there was pretty terrifying because the roads up to the Tuscan hills were very small and windey and I felt pretty sick, lol. Once we finally got there, it was beautiful. It is a castle called Castello del Trebbio. It's a 900 year old castle that was once occupied by the Medici family and is now owned by a local woman named Anna. We got a tour of the castle and it was absolutely beautiful- complete with 40 rooms! Anna and her family still live there today and the house is unheated- but has a lot of large fire places, thank goodness. The family also has on display 1 of the only 2 of a particular 500 year old Leonard painting, unbelievable. I believe the other is located in the Louvre.
We then went down into the wine cellar where the huge vats of wine are made and stored. The family owns 800 acres of land, and produces both wine from the vineyard, and oil from its 10,000 olive trees. We are in Chianti region so this family produces mainly red Chianti wine. We learned that Chianti wine, per Italian law, needs to be made with atleast 80% Sangiovese grapes, but this particular vineyard makes their's with 100% Sangiovese grapes. So it is stronger than most in taste and you can really get the sense of the flavors.
We then moved to the area where the oil is made and storred. We learned that in Chianti, people pick their olives in the months of November and December to get the most olive oil from the olive trees. At this vineyard, they pick the olives in October because there is a lower acidity level in the, at this time. If you pick them in November and December you can get about 5 bottles of oil from each tree, whereas in October, only one bottle per tree. But the lower acidity level leads to better quality. Also, there are 4 types of oil (in order from best to worst): extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, olive oil, and the forth she said we don't talk about. haha
Oh also, there was a dungeon down in the wine cellar- creepy!
After that, we went up into the main dining room to of course, have a Tuscan feast. We tasted 2 of their different wines. The first, which sits in stainless steal vats for only a few months. And the second (a little more expensive) sits in wooden vats for 3 years, and then in a seperate set of vats for 3 more years. They were both very good but very different in taste. The feast included: slices if provolone, salami, bruschetta, bread with their extra virgin olive oil on it, pasta with basil, tomato and cheese, and a new dish that I am absolutely making when I come home. It is called papo e pomodoro. It looks like a puree of sorts or mashed sweet potatoes but is actually just pureed tomatos and bread with some spices and parmessan cheese on top- it was delicious!
After lunch, in an attempt to walk off the food, we literally went galavanting amongst the Tuscan wine vineyard. This was truly an amazing experience I will never forget. There were hills all around and we walked in between the olive trees up and down the terrain. It was an unbelievably peaceful feeling and an immense sight to see.
After that we bought some of the wine (only 6 euro a bottle and very tasty!- I bought one to bring home, now worries everyone, you will get to try it too :))
I was truly under the Tuscan sun today!
xoxo
- Amanda

First Academic week in review!!

So because my Monday through Thursday was filled was mostly matters of academia, I figured I would review in one post.
My business art class is awesome. It is the first business class I have ever taken and I am really enjoying the content of the class. This week we talked about a general over view of the art market in relation to artist giving their art to dealers and dealers selling them to auctions houses the be auctioned. One of the biggest questions of the week was, "Who/what decides how much a particular painting is worth?" Very interesting course.
My food and culture course is as equally interesting, as I said in the last post. We learned that my German professor moved here and feel in love, typical (this is literally the case with every other person you will meet that lives here now but is not a native). Don't worry folks, my boyfriend is back home, his name is NYC :)
My Italian class (modern readings in Italian literature) was quite rough the first day. I spoke to the dean, etc. and they suggested I do some of my own reviewing to better my Italian and stick with the difficult class- and they let me borrow some of the text books from the lower levels to review. The staff is great here. Serena, our liaison, is like everyone's mom and so great to us. And Caterina, the sort of dean, is extremely helpful and friendly.
Anyways, the second day of my Italian class was actually a lot better and I was able to understand a lot more. The class is about Italian teatro- theater. And we are going to see a few local shows through out the semester!
And finally, my villa and the garden class. It was a bit dense and dry the first day but I think it will definitely get better. We walked around the grounds of the court yard at the Palazzo (our school) and talked about the architecture- it would have really sparked my interest I think had it not been raining and 40 degrees out.
The great thing about all of my classes is that we have at least 3 field trips in each pertaining to the subject material!
A few other monumental things that you might have missed this week:
I had my first Italian coffee at this great caffe we all go to between classes right across the street called 'Caffe Americana'- ironic haha. It has great little paninis, duh and great hot drinks. Of course my first Italian coffee was decaff and iced- I am American at heart, what can I do! :)
The second monumental thing that occured was that I had my interview at Salvatore Ferragamo on Thursday morning for a possible internship I could have while studying here! The interview went pretty well and the offices/store are of course beautiful. She asked me some pretty challanging questions and I had to speak a little Italian to the women but I did my best. I am waiting back to see if they need me for the semester so I will keep everyone updated!
All in all, academic week 1 was a little tough to get throught but ended with a bang!
xoxo
- Amanda

First Day O'Classes

Today was the start of the academic semester here in Florence for the students at the Palazzo Rucellai university. Fortunately, i woke up at 8am for a 9am class and was greeted with the news that our first class had been canceled due to the professors illness. So, we took the time to run some errands and pick up our stipend! The university alots us 280 euro a month, which comes out to about 70 euro a week, in cash that we can pick up at the Banca Toscana and is money that we can use for food, or whatever we please. After that, I grabed a quick lunch which consisted of mozz cheese, tomato and basil on fresh halla bread and was warm from the panini machine. We sat and ate the sandwiches along the river arno while the beautiful Tuscana sun was beating down on us. After, I had my food culture class, with a German teacher by the name of Peter. It seems as if it is going to be a truly interseting class; starting off with the origins of food, the 3 different regions of where specific foods are derived from in Italy, how wine, oil, etc. is made and why certain foods are not traditionally made to go together. We are also going to have a few in class field trips, a few of which include: going to a dairy barn, and going to a wine vinyard. After class we walked around the streets a little more and then I took a siesta...a very commone afternoon nap that is much needed for many of those living in Europe. (I can't tell if it due to the heavy food consumption or just culture but we always feel like we need one!) After that, we attended aperativo again at what has now become our local place- Bar del San Marco- and had a few tasty treats.
I know in one of the former posts I said I would be back at Dante's- and we went back tonight because the owner offered to cook me and my friends a free meal. There were 10 of us and he went all out, it was literally unbelievable. We had fresh greek salads (with some yummy feta) and bruschetta, mushrooms on bread, and bread with patte. Then we had the pasta dishes- soooo good. One was a penne alla vodka with fish; I don't like soft fish and this dish was literally one if the most amazing meal I've had. The second pasta dish was an alfredo with a smoked bacon taste. And the third was a pasta with a darker sauce and patte. We paired all of this with the house Chianti which is made to go great with the spices in the food. The 3 couse meal was great! We tried to leave even just a large tip but the owner wouldn't let us pay! Customer service is done very different here in the smaller romantic cities of Italy.
And as if that wasn't enough- I got snicker gelato after dinner...because I had to have desert and it was amazing! Not as good as the the tirimisu flavor though I must say.
A domani! (until tomorrow)
Buone notte
xoxo
- Amanda

Class Schedule

Monday- 9am to 10am- The Villa and the Garden
1245pm to 215pm- The History of Culture and Food
Tuesday- 1045am to 1215- Business of Art
1245 to 215- Readings in Modern Italian Literature
Wednesday- 9am to 11am- The Villa and the Garden
1245 to 215- The History of Food and Culture
Thursday- 1045am to 1215- Business Art
1245 to 215- Readings in Modern Italian Literature

Sleepy Sunday

Finally I am caught up on my blog and posting this message on the day it actually happened! I am certainly going to try harder to keep up.
Today, the weather was even more beautiful if you can even imagine. It was the same, 50s but just seemed so great. The thing I love about Saturdays and Sundays here is that all of Italians come out with their families and dogs and shop and everyone is so happy and eating lots of gelato.
We tried something we had been dying to the whole trip (and got completely ripped off) but it was yummy. It was 2 fresh, warm waffles and in the middle was tirimisu flavored gelato and melted nutella....it was sinful. I didn't finish the whole thing because it is huge and clearly not on the light side. Also, it was dripping all over the steps of the Duomo and I'm pretty sure I insulted a national landmark- opps!
After, we went to Ponte Vecchio which is the most famous bridge that connects the 2 sides of Florence over the river Arno- it was seriously beautiful. The bridge is encased in what looks like little houses and is filled with shops that sell gold, silver, and over little souvenirs. Standing on the bridge and looking out on one side you can see all the way down the river and up to the snow topped Alps- unbelievable.
And after an Italian culture filled day- we went to watch the Giants vs. Eagles game at an American themed bar! It was nice and there were a lot of American students there but I think the only other time I will do something American like that again this trip is watch the superbowl because it made me miss home a bit. All of the McDonald's and taco bell commercials killed me!
Well, it is the end of a beautiful weekend and classes start tomorrow...I am excited!
Until then ciao a tutti!!
xoxo
- Amanda

Final Day of Orientation- January 10th

This was the last day of orientation. We picked up our text books at the university around 12pm and took care of some other academic business. In addition to that, one of my classes is taught in all Italian so that will be very difficult for me. The text books were 88 euro, which, when you do the conversion math, is significantly cheaper than how much we pay a semester in the states for text books. All of the text books are like the readers we receive in some of our classes; they are basically a collection of articles copied and bound into a book that the professor puts together.
After that, we walked around to all different parts of the city and I got my first pair of Italian boots...for only 19 euro! We also found a 99 cent store where I picked up a notebook for class.
After, we went to the supermarket and got supplies to make a big fresh salad...it was so yummy!! Fresh mixed greens, beans, olives, mozz cheese, grilled chicken and walnuts. I miss my salads from the states...or places like Pax and ChopIt in the city with a huge selection of salad toppings. Italians don't really like fruit and vegetables much- they are all about the bread, cheese and meats and I just can't eat like that all the time!
We later went to a dinner party and it was so yummy! We had traditional Italian meal- bruschetta, and pasta with zucchini and sausage. We also tried a champagne I had never seen before- it was pink! Apparently it is becoming a craze in the states? Italy is certainly one step ahead on their grapes.
It was yet again a wonderful day; especially because it was very warm. It was lower to mid 50s and sunny- walking around is the best when it is like this.
xoxo
- Amanda

Orientation Day 2! January 9th

On the second day of orientation, we went to the university (Palazzo Rucellai) at 930am. We got a tour of the university, which is absolutely beautiful. It is one small building, connected to the others in the city with a tiny spiral stair case that you have to take in order to get up to the classrooms. There is also a library and studio separate from the main building somewhere else in the city. The university has been owned by the Rucellai family for many many years and is beautiful. The classrooms look like mini cathedrals. The rooms have art painted all over the ceilings, architecture on the walls, and are absolutely beautiful.
After the tour, we filled out our permits of stay for our extended stay of 4 months in Florence as American citizens...which costs 75 Euro, fun.
After that, we skipped the tour of the city (because we give ourselves our own tour everyday) and went over by the river Arno- absolutely beautiful!! We crossed the bridge to the other side of the city and went to this little restaurant called Dante. We each got personal sized pizzas- mine was mozzarella, sauce, and prosciutto, for only 6 euro and it was so yummy! The owner was really nice to us and cooked us a tasting of all of their deserts for free and they were unbelievable. He also gave us free hats and took a picture with us! We are definitely going back there.
Later that evening we went to the same disco as the previous night (Colle Bereto), but it was a little too crowded. So we went to another disco called Fullup and went with some friends to the VIP room..it was great!
It was yet again another wonderful day/night in Firenze :)
- Amanda

First day of orientation- January 8th, 2009

Yesterday we had orientation at this beautiful villa.
We mostly learned about the
university and the sort of the way of the land in
Florence. Each teacher spoke about
their classes, we heard from the registrar, bursar, and
la polizia came in and gave us
some hints about keeping safe in the city. We had little
finger sandwiches with ham and
provolone and a small piece of pasta with soft cheese...
and some fruit for desert,
finally!!! I had 2 servings of the fruit which consisted
of bananas, pears, apples,
oranges, raspberries and strawberries. After lunch we
listened to a few more speeches and
made our way back down to the main part of Florence.
Later on, a few of us went out into the city which was
lit up and there were little Italians around shopping and
it was so fun! We got some world famous gelato (tirimisu
flavored--amazing!) We later picked up our little Italian
phones and I am finally connected to the world!
After, we had something called aperativo which takes place
between about 5pm and 8pm.
It's an Italian tradition and we sat in a little bar/caffe,
ordered 1 glass of wine,
and appetizers are free. It was super yummy and consisted
of all sorts of Italian finger
foods like deep-fried meatballs, bread with tomato sauce
and cheese. All for the price of one glass of wine; 4 euros!
Later one we went to an Italian disco with all Italians and
it was a true experience!
ALL OF THE MUSIC THEY PLAYED IS ABERCROMBIE MUSIC!!!! I
could legitimately sing along with
at least 5 of the songs because they were on the CDs from
work. I was at home.
I had to catch up about yesterday so more about today in the
next post!
Ciao!!
xo
Amanda

Planes, trains, and automobiles

Getting to Florence itself has been quite the excursion. We took off from JFK at 3:50 US time on Tuesday. The Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt wasn't too bad, and might I say I truly enjoyed the warm moist lemon scented towels before each meal.
Meal 1: (dinner) mixed greens with thousand island dressing, pasta with red sauce and mushrooms, ciabatta bread, monetary jack cheese, and chocolate moose with white chocolate shavings and a strawberry....truly delectable!
Meal 2: (breakfast) a multi-grain roll with jam and butter. A piece of cheddar cheese and a fruit plate with strawberries, kiwi, and watermelon....again, yummy!
I watched the Duchess on my laptop complements to Karen....it was such a saucy movie!
And of course, there was a crying baby on the flight. I'm not just talking a few cries here and there. This child yelped and scream for probably about 7 of the 7.5 hours...awesome, again God's way of telling me that children aren't my cup of tea.
It was a little difficult to sleep so I chatted it up with some new girls that I met from UCONN most of the time who are really awesome! One of which works at abercrombie=endless amounts of conversations. We arrived in Germany at 5:30am German time.
Once we got to Frankfurt, things went down very quickly. I purchased my first legal German beer and a croissant...both quite tasty. Then we tried to sleep somewhere for the remaining 5.5 hours and found no where but the floor and chairs to try and catch a few zzz's- quite impossible.
The Germans weren't very pleased with us, it seemed, when we walked into the terminal. I'm pretty sure they were bothered by our normal voice level...opps. And someone told one of the other girls that the way we dressed/acted made it very obvious that we were American...I'm proud of it!!
We finally got on the flight at 11:35am German time. We had to take a bus from the terminal to the puddle jumper of a plane, awesome.
Thank goodness we finally arrive in Florence 1.5 hours later around 1pm
More about the apartment, city, and new roomates in the next post!
xoxo- panda