Ciao a tutti!
This is my last post as I now have been safely ensconced in the good old 'Bush for a week. The flight home from Italy was an epic adventure that should really be chronicled with a feature length film. Perhaps this will be my summer project. Anytime you party all night in a piazza, don't sleep, and are one of the few, the proud, the sober at the 5:30 opening of the airport you know it's going to be a good day. And so it was.
Being home has been an awesome and interesting experience. I may have found Jesus, the Madonna, Buddah or somebody when I took my first bite of Chinese food and then definitely did at my first bite of brueggers with lox the next morning. Fitting back into my routine at home hasn't been much different than getting re-acclimated upon coming home from school any other semester. Going back to Burlington however was quite the culture shock. Maybe since Burlington is far more similar to Florence than East Greenbush, but still literally and figuratively half a world away. Also, that's when it hit me that I missed a whole UVM semester. Everyone was doing their end of semester stuff and I was just chillin out. Weird. But also awesome- dodged that bullet like it was my job! Somehow I'm thinking that no matter how much Botticelli sucked, it still wasn't quite comparable to a full finals load....sorry Nelson. Your class is still a joke and we still think you're crazy.
Ah Firenze. How I miss you. I knew I would. At my most homesick and tired I knew I'd miss it when I left. And I do. Firenze is a beautiful town. But what I miss the most is a) my friends. I think my car is going to be making some epic trips to Syracuse this next year because this is just not ok. b) speaking Italian. Man do I love it. and man do I get confused when I slip and say something "anch'io!" and people just look at me like I'm a loon. Which I think I may be. Italy left it's mark on me when I was really in need of a change and an opportunity to grow. And for that, I will always thank that town and the people there I came to love.
So in honor of Firenze I will say Ciao and I will say Arrivederci. Because this is not Ciao per sempre (for always). There will be more Italian adventures, and many other adventures too so I will just say Until we meet again....Arrivederci!
Baci e grazie mille!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Ultimo Giorno
It's my last day here in Florence. It's been quite the emotional roller coaster and I'm having a way harder time with the prospect of leaving than I thought I was going to. It's all so real now. Tomorrow I'll be back in the states. Last night was essentially the last night I slept in my bed here because I have to leave for the airport at 5 am. We're all trying to cram in all those last minute things while also trying to just relax and enjoy each others company. It's making for a day that seems like it's moving through super glue, because everyone is going every which way so nobody is actually getting much done, but at the same time is flying at the speed of light. I don't know if I'm really ready to fully reflect yet, but I promise when I get back to the states that I'll do one more post. For right now, I'm just going to soak up the last of this Tuscan sun before I fly away home....
Monday, April 26, 2010
There was a Great Big Moose
Today was my second to last day of my internship, and my last day with this particular class. To commemorate this occasion, I taught the kids a camp song: There was a Great Big Moose. If you don't know it, you should probably google it or something because it's a) fabulous b) going to make this story a whole lot funnier. So I'm teaching the kids this song, which goes repeat after me style. I sing the first line "there was a great big moose" and the line that comes back to me was the most adorable and hilarious thing I've ever heard. Insert rolling R's all over the place and try to imagine what "moose" would sound like if it was spelled with a couple of U's. Needless to say, fun was had by all. The kids got really into it. And then when class was over, they gave me a card a girl had made on behalf of the class and wished me buon viaggo (a good trip). So cute!
After my internship, I went on a 2 hour bike ride with Vittoria along the Arno outside of Florence. The countryside is SO BEAUTIFUL here. I never get sick of getting out of the city and seeing the hills that surround Florence. They're beyond picturesque! And it's always really nice to just hang out with Vittoria, especially since I'm leaving Thursday MOLTO PRESTO (very early). I have to be at the airport when it opens. Woof.
Thursday. Wow. I can't believe it. At times this semester absolutely crawled by, but right now it seems like it flew.
I definitely am not done with Italy though. I don't know precisely when, because I've obviously got another whole year of UVM fabulousness to enjoy, but I could see myself coming back for a while. I love speaking Italian (you've all been warned!) and think that's going to be one of the strangest things about coming back- everyone speaking English all the time. I mean, it's definitely going to be great early in the morning when I just want to stumble around and mumble unintelligible things, because speaking Italian before my coffee is just not feasible, but other than that, I really like it. It's like a puzzle, putting together all the pieces I know to form conversations. Keeps me on my toes! Plus, Italian is one of those languages that just always sounds great. Take for example, the word for pot hole: la bucca or (le bucce). So descriptive, and so nice sounding. Or chingiale- don't you just want to hug it, whatever it is? NO! It means WILD BOAR!
After my internship, I went on a 2 hour bike ride with Vittoria along the Arno outside of Florence. The countryside is SO BEAUTIFUL here. I never get sick of getting out of the city and seeing the hills that surround Florence. They're beyond picturesque! And it's always really nice to just hang out with Vittoria, especially since I'm leaving Thursday MOLTO PRESTO (very early). I have to be at the airport when it opens. Woof.
Thursday. Wow. I can't believe it. At times this semester absolutely crawled by, but right now it seems like it flew.
I definitely am not done with Italy though. I don't know precisely when, because I've obviously got another whole year of UVM fabulousness to enjoy, but I could see myself coming back for a while. I love speaking Italian (you've all been warned!) and think that's going to be one of the strangest things about coming back- everyone speaking English all the time. I mean, it's definitely going to be great early in the morning when I just want to stumble around and mumble unintelligible things, because speaking Italian before my coffee is just not feasible, but other than that, I really like it. It's like a puzzle, putting together all the pieces I know to form conversations. Keeps me on my toes! Plus, Italian is one of those languages that just always sounds great. Take for example, the word for pot hole: la bucca or (le bucce). So descriptive, and so nice sounding. Or chingiale- don't you just want to hug it, whatever it is? NO! It means WILD BOAR!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Let us Reeeejoice
Yesterday was the last day of classes. REJOICE! Not that I haven't loved every minute of suffering through the Black Death and looking at more Botticelli paintings than I ever knew existed, though their existence as true Botticellis is still unclear, but I am quite glad to be done. I am now in a strange state of limbo where I don't really have anything to do and so thus can do anything. Except today. Because it is raining. So i decided to be productive and in one fell (brutal) swoop do ALL the internship journal entries I haven't been doing plus write my reflection paper. I got the journal entries done.....
Last night there was a dinner and a feste at school to celebrate the last day of classes. It was actually really fun. I had spent the entire afternoon in the giardino making boats out of cardstock with Charlie and then later also Kelsey, so it was just a giardino filled day. If you're wondering, the boats are beautiful. We will hopefully be hanging them from the wisteria when the rain abates. As for the feste, we were all pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. Good thing, since we had to miss a dinner with our host families to go! And afterwards there was dancing. So. Much. Fun. Such bad music for most of the night, such bad dancing (we busted out everything from the shopping cart to the lawn mower) but so amazing. Towards the end of the night, the music got a little better but by that point everyone was just in too goofy of a mood to do anything but be utterly ridiculous. It was really nice. And then when it was winding down we just moved the party to the piazza which is now a HOPPING place to be at night now that the gazebo bar is open. And yes, that's exactly what it sounds like. A bar. In a gazebo. Intended for Italians so the drinks are WAY too strong. But it was definitely a fun night. I gave a lovely toast to Savonarola, because boy am I going to miss his scary face glaring down at me every morning as I go to school. Somehow the lucky Catamount and the UVM Boulder just don't have the same oomf knowing that they didn't turn a significant portion of a generation of Florentines into God-fearing, art-burning religious fanatics. But I guess I can make do in exchange for bagels, hippies and going barefoot.
Last night there was a dinner and a feste at school to celebrate the last day of classes. It was actually really fun. I had spent the entire afternoon in the giardino making boats out of cardstock with Charlie and then later also Kelsey, so it was just a giardino filled day. If you're wondering, the boats are beautiful. We will hopefully be hanging them from the wisteria when the rain abates. As for the feste, we were all pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. Good thing, since we had to miss a dinner with our host families to go! And afterwards there was dancing. So. Much. Fun. Such bad music for most of the night, such bad dancing (we busted out everything from the shopping cart to the lawn mower) but so amazing. Towards the end of the night, the music got a little better but by that point everyone was just in too goofy of a mood to do anything but be utterly ridiculous. It was really nice. And then when it was winding down we just moved the party to the piazza which is now a HOPPING place to be at night now that the gazebo bar is open. And yes, that's exactly what it sounds like. A bar. In a gazebo. Intended for Italians so the drinks are WAY too strong. But it was definitely a fun night. I gave a lovely toast to Savonarola, because boy am I going to miss his scary face glaring down at me every morning as I go to school. Somehow the lucky Catamount and the UVM Boulder just don't have the same oomf knowing that they didn't turn a significant portion of a generation of Florentines into God-fearing, art-burning religious fanatics. But I guess I can make do in exchange for bagels, hippies and going barefoot.
Monday, April 19, 2010
All it takes is a bicycle and a scarf
The market on Sunday was an absolute blast. Sam, Charlie and I wandered around for 5 hours looking at all the stuff, and the people, and bought some pretty great things. We spent probably 45 minutes at one stand where every item of clothing was 1E and the man just kept dumping more clothes on the pile. I got a neon yellow shirt with a cowboy and indian themed comic strip on it...with the text in italian! Big win. I also may have bought parachute pants. And by that I mean I did, and I've already worn them and have fallen in love. They were the one crazy Italian item of clothing I've been eyeing all semester and I finally did it. And got tons of compliments so apparently I needn't have worried so much!
Today I went over to Kelley's (Professor Di Dio, my advisor at UVM) apartment in Florence for prosecco with Natalie (former TREKkie of mine) and Maggie (current SUF grad student). It was so much fun! So nice to sit and chat with people from UVM who know me back home (well besides Maggie). I think that's been the strangest thing here. Most of my friends go to Syracuse and so vaguely knew each other, or at least know the same people, places, things. There's only two boys here from UVM and I kind of know one of them, and don't know the other at all. So essentially, to everyone I meet, I'm just a student in Italy. No one knows who I am, what I do, or where I'm coming from in the States. In some ways it's freeing (and believe you me, I've taken full advantage of that freedom) but sometimes it's strange to be such a blank slate. Having an afternoon with UVMers really made me appreciate everyone there a lot and made me really excited to see them. But oddly enough, it didn't make me homesick. I am having the time of my life here, and have grown so much over the semester that I don't regret coming in the least. Having the chance to see people from home so that someone besides me can tell the difference was possibly what made it so cool without making me homesick. It pretty much made my week that when I rolled up in bici Kelley remarked "Look how Italian you look with your bike and your scarf! Omg!" Success. I don't know if Italian is exactly how I look, but at the very least, it's nice to think I no longer stick out like a sore thumb. Of course I would reach that level of anonymity (oddly enough, something most of us strive for here in public settings) just days before leaving. But at least I reached it. I may still scream American sometimes, but it's cool to think of just how adaptable we really are. Although thank goodness it's going to get hot soon after I return home, because if I brought my scarf inducing paranoia of catching a cold by exposing the back of your neck back to the States, I might drive myself insane even before making everyone else crazy.
Which makes me think....there are some very "Italian" worries/hang ups/commonalities that I've been mulling on. I think I would like to share them now. Keep in mind that this is a work in progress. Nonetheless, indicators of a true Italian:
*insane driving habits that require a total lack of respect for anything smaller than your vehicle
*puffy, shiny winter coats (worn at all times, see fear of catching your death)
*a lack of concern for timeliness or punctuality....I call this "Italy-time"
*the equation of amount of food fed to/consumed by a person with the amount of love you are giving/receiving
*fear of catching your death which causes-
*the constant wearing of a scarf
*horror at the mere suggestion of wet hair
*constant wearing of slippers
*the insistence on a down winter coat even when it's reaching mid 60s during the day
You think I joke, but I kid you not. :)
Today I went over to Kelley's (Professor Di Dio, my advisor at UVM) apartment in Florence for prosecco with Natalie (former TREKkie of mine) and Maggie (current SUF grad student). It was so much fun! So nice to sit and chat with people from UVM who know me back home (well besides Maggie). I think that's been the strangest thing here. Most of my friends go to Syracuse and so vaguely knew each other, or at least know the same people, places, things. There's only two boys here from UVM and I kind of know one of them, and don't know the other at all. So essentially, to everyone I meet, I'm just a student in Italy. No one knows who I am, what I do, or where I'm coming from in the States. In some ways it's freeing (and believe you me, I've taken full advantage of that freedom) but sometimes it's strange to be such a blank slate. Having an afternoon with UVMers really made me appreciate everyone there a lot and made me really excited to see them. But oddly enough, it didn't make me homesick. I am having the time of my life here, and have grown so much over the semester that I don't regret coming in the least. Having the chance to see people from home so that someone besides me can tell the difference was possibly what made it so cool without making me homesick. It pretty much made my week that when I rolled up in bici Kelley remarked "Look how Italian you look with your bike and your scarf! Omg!" Success. I don't know if Italian is exactly how I look, but at the very least, it's nice to think I no longer stick out like a sore thumb. Of course I would reach that level of anonymity (oddly enough, something most of us strive for here in public settings) just days before leaving. But at least I reached it. I may still scream American sometimes, but it's cool to think of just how adaptable we really are. Although thank goodness it's going to get hot soon after I return home, because if I brought my scarf inducing paranoia of catching a cold by exposing the back of your neck back to the States, I might drive myself insane even before making everyone else crazy.
Which makes me think....there are some very "Italian" worries/hang ups/commonalities that I've been mulling on. I think I would like to share them now. Keep in mind that this is a work in progress. Nonetheless, indicators of a true Italian:
*insane driving habits that require a total lack of respect for anything smaller than your vehicle
*puffy, shiny winter coats (worn at all times, see fear of catching your death)
*a lack of concern for timeliness or punctuality....I call this "Italy-time"
*the equation of amount of food fed to/consumed by a person with the amount of love you are giving/receiving
*fear of catching your death which causes-
*the constant wearing of a scarf
*horror at the mere suggestion of wet hair
*constant wearing of slippers
*the insistence on a down winter coat even when it's reaching mid 60s during the day
You think I joke, but I kid you not. :)
Friday, April 16, 2010
Last Regular Old Weekend
Incredible. This is my last regular old weekend in Florence. I still have nearly two weeks, but next weekend is finals, and I do in fact have a final presentation next Saturday, not to give, but to listen to other people give. Making this my last normal weekend. As "normal" as any weekend here can be at least! Not many plans as the mountain of finals work under which I'm buried will not avalanche off of me until Wednesday, but after that I will be DONE except an Italian written and oral....and let's talk about how much I'm studying for that. My LIFE here is on big study session for Italian oral exams.
So to catch you up....
I pretty much owned my Botticelli presentation. Thank goodness because now it means I don't really have to do much for my final paper besides make my presentation dictation read like an essay. Big win. Cinque Terre. AMAZING. I will try to upload photos following this post. I took nearly 300- many are just slightly different angles of the same exact thing but I have seriously never seen anything so beautiful, which is saying a lot here. We departed Florence at 7:30 am and it was freezing and raining. We were all vaguely miserable and contemplating not getting on the train because it was an all day hike, and what fun is that in the pouring rain when it's 45 degrees? No fun at all. But, fortune smiled upon us. By the time we reached the first Cinque Terre (which means Five Lands) it wasn't raining. We started hiking to warm up and by the time we reached the second town, about 30 minutes away (the shortest hike) the sun was coming out. In something you only see in the movies, the sun bursted through the clouds, it warmed up about 20 degrees, and we were all able to see the Cinque Terre as they were meant to be seen. My favorite town by far was Vernazza, the 4th town. We had time there to sit on these rocks that looked out upon the sea and ate the best fruit gelato I've ever had (Kiwi-banana and pineapple!) while soaking up the sun. The towns were amazing- colorful houses literally built into the faces of steep mountains. In between the towns there were often single houses or small clusters of houses situated on the very top of a mountain. They must have the most incredible view ever seeing as their houses looked as if they could topple into the sea at any moment. It was also really nice to hike and be out and about in the woods, walking through olive groves and forests. My host dad and sister were just asking me what I liked most about Florence, and I had a really hard time picking what I liked the most, as there are so many things, but when it came to what I missed in the states (due to it's lack in Florence- of course I miss everyone at home like crazy) it was definitely nature.
Last night was the end of the year art show at school. Interestingly enough, someone from the advanced painting class did a gigantic panel painting of a close-up of dog fur because she too missed nature while being here and thought that the highly pervasive dog culture was as close to nature as Florence gets. In other news about the show, I had two watercolors displayed! It was really cool to have my work hung, and now I have two framed pieces to bring back to the states!
I've also been doing some storytelling through our volunteer program (ie my host mom) this week, which has been really fun. There's a whole bag of flashcards and storyboards and costumes that you take to a school and you and a partner do the flashcards with the kids to prep them, read the story while dressing up, and then do it again while making the kids dress up and interact. Soooo cute. The first day I did it, the teacher liked it so much she asked me and my partner for our phone numbers so she could call us to have coffee with her sons to help them with their English! And yesterday the kids liked it so much that they asked me and my partner for our firma (autographs)! Talk about feeling like a celebrity, when 25 Italian school children run at you with pens and notebooks!
So to catch you up....
I pretty much owned my Botticelli presentation. Thank goodness because now it means I don't really have to do much for my final paper besides make my presentation dictation read like an essay. Big win. Cinque Terre. AMAZING. I will try to upload photos following this post. I took nearly 300- many are just slightly different angles of the same exact thing but I have seriously never seen anything so beautiful, which is saying a lot here. We departed Florence at 7:30 am and it was freezing and raining. We were all vaguely miserable and contemplating not getting on the train because it was an all day hike, and what fun is that in the pouring rain when it's 45 degrees? No fun at all. But, fortune smiled upon us. By the time we reached the first Cinque Terre (which means Five Lands) it wasn't raining. We started hiking to warm up and by the time we reached the second town, about 30 minutes away (the shortest hike) the sun was coming out. In something you only see in the movies, the sun bursted through the clouds, it warmed up about 20 degrees, and we were all able to see the Cinque Terre as they were meant to be seen. My favorite town by far was Vernazza, the 4th town. We had time there to sit on these rocks that looked out upon the sea and ate the best fruit gelato I've ever had (Kiwi-banana and pineapple!) while soaking up the sun. The towns were amazing- colorful houses literally built into the faces of steep mountains. In between the towns there were often single houses or small clusters of houses situated on the very top of a mountain. They must have the most incredible view ever seeing as their houses looked as if they could topple into the sea at any moment. It was also really nice to hike and be out and about in the woods, walking through olive groves and forests. My host dad and sister were just asking me what I liked most about Florence, and I had a really hard time picking what I liked the most, as there are so many things, but when it came to what I missed in the states (due to it's lack in Florence- of course I miss everyone at home like crazy) it was definitely nature.
Last night was the end of the year art show at school. Interestingly enough, someone from the advanced painting class did a gigantic panel painting of a close-up of dog fur because she too missed nature while being here and thought that the highly pervasive dog culture was as close to nature as Florence gets. In other news about the show, I had two watercolors displayed! It was really cool to have my work hung, and now I have two framed pieces to bring back to the states!
I've also been doing some storytelling through our volunteer program (ie my host mom) this week, which has been really fun. There's a whole bag of flashcards and storyboards and costumes that you take to a school and you and a partner do the flashcards with the kids to prep them, read the story while dressing up, and then do it again while making the kids dress up and interact. Soooo cute. The first day I did it, the teacher liked it so much she asked me and my partner for our phone numbers so she could call us to have coffee with her sons to help them with their English! And yesterday the kids liked it so much that they asked me and my partner for our firma (autographs)! Talk about feeling like a celebrity, when 25 Italian school children run at you with pens and notebooks!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Spontaneous Grand Adventures
Sadly, this weekend is the weekend of Botticelli. I have my final presentation coming up on Tuesday and as I will be in Cinque Terre all Sunday, most of the work needs to get done now. However, I am in Italy and don't particularly give a flying fig about Botticelli and thus I shall relate to you the wondrous adventure I had yesterday instead of doing Botticelli. I was sitting in the giardino, and my friend joe asked me to go on a turtle hunt with him as we have turtles that live in the giardino. He needed it for his Italian project on tree climbing, as clearly a good reason to climb trees is to avoid the threat of a wild animal attack, such as that posed by a turtle. This led to paninis and beer in the piazza across the street from school to fuel up for a short stroll to Piazzale Michelangelo where there was another great climbing tree Joe needed a picture with. The short stroll ended up being a 3 hour walk which took us around the Boboli Gardens (which I have yet to actually go IN) in a "giro" that my host mom had recommended that morning at breakfast. Of all the crazy coincidences! After that, we went to Fu Qui where I had a dinner date with the ladies and had some pretty decent Chinese food. It was nice, but was probably the last Chinese food I'll be eating in Italy. Oh! I nearly forgot the great fortune which I took as an omen that this Chinese food experience would be better than our last! We arrived at the villa and i realized that I had lost my keys. The only place they could have possibly been was inside the villa but it was closed. Just as I'm started to realize I'm in trouble, two ladies leave the villa. They see me freaking out and ask "did you lose your keys?" (in italian) and I'm all "SI!" One of them opens the villa, goes behind the desk, and pulls out my keys! If that's not buon fortuna I don't know what is! After dinner I came home and, since it was the first night that actually stayed warm, did yoga on the roof terrace and drank tea. It was absolutely lovely. I didn't get much Botticelli done, and it was all totally spontaneous, but it was one of the loveliest, simplest days I've had in a while. I think lovely simplicity is something I am going to strive for more often. We all get so caught up in "where did you go this weekend?" "what did you see/experience/do?" that we forget that Florence is in it's own right a beautiful city not only for tourists, but for people to live and be in. Not every day needs to be packed full with things from Frommer's must see list to be absolutely beautiful and vale di pena (worth while).
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Fun "Facts" about Crete
I can't believe I forgot my list of fun "facts" about Crete!
1. The people of Crete use mopeds the way we use our feet and/or bicycles. They ride them helmet-less in short sleeves while conversing with passengers and passerby's alike, parking anywhere they feel and hopping on and off said mopeds as if they were skateboards and not motorized vehicles.
2. They cannot/will not express themselves through dance, despite bumping party music at any and all clubs/bars/cafes (this was pointed out to us by a Latvian traveler staying in our hostel). They are however pretty efficient with car horns (this we noticed- I've never received so many good natured honks in my life).
3. They may not be able to dance so well, but man can the people of Crete parade.
4. "Chips" ie french fries, should be considered a food group in Rethymno. Everything and anything comes with a side of chips.
5. You cannot flush toilet paper on the island.
1. The people of Crete use mopeds the way we use our feet and/or bicycles. They ride them helmet-less in short sleeves while conversing with passengers and passerby's alike, parking anywhere they feel and hopping on and off said mopeds as if they were skateboards and not motorized vehicles.
2. They cannot/will not express themselves through dance, despite bumping party music at any and all clubs/bars/cafes (this was pointed out to us by a Latvian traveler staying in our hostel). They are however pretty efficient with car horns (this we noticed- I've never received so many good natured honks in my life).
3. They may not be able to dance so well, but man can the people of Crete parade.
4. "Chips" ie french fries, should be considered a food group in Rethymno. Everything and anything comes with a side of chips.
5. You cannot flush toilet paper on the island.
Buona Pasqua e Buon Giorno Firenze!
Ciao a tutti e Buona Pasqua! Such an eventful weekend I barely know where to start. Probably the beginning....
Getting to Greece took planes, trains and automobiles. By this I mean we took TWO planes, TWO trains and TWO automobiles (not in that order- it was actually trains, planes and then automobiles). It was quite the adventure but when we finally rolled into Rethymno 14 hours after we left Florence, it was all worth it. Crete was absolutely gorgeous and so different from anywhere else I've ever been. It's such a laid back place. Old men sit in cafes sipping coffee at all hours of the day. Young people sit in shockingly hip and chic outdoor lounges that line the streets drinking frappe (essentially iced coffee but it's made with nescaf and is whipped) or beer while chatting and smoking. Always smoking, that was the one thing I didn't love. But the outdoor lounges were amazing- one day we ate lunch in padded, cozy patio recliners! Oh, and the food. Delicious. I ate chicken souvlaki 3 times because it was so amazing! I also tried lamb on Easter (the traditional easter dish) and had grilled octopus that was practically an entire octopus minus the head grilled and thrown on a plate. It may have been the best octopus I have ever tasted. I even had eggs and toast Greek style for breakfast on Easter which was such a treat- veggie omelet packed with tomatoes, onions, peppers and mushrooms with a freshly grilled pita. Started that day off right! And we needed to be eating great food to keep our energy up for the serious beaching we did. I am currently a delicious golden brown thanks to the 2 full afternoons I spent on the beach, basking in the sunshine and occasionally cooling off in the sea. Everyone said the Mediterranean is too cold this time of year to swim, and it was a bit chilly, but swim we did! I only got in half way and didn't fully submerge, but still- it was a great way to spend Easter if I couldn't be home.
And here you're thinking that this was the end of the adventure. However, this is where you would be wrong. Nobody mentioned to us before we left that Easter Monday is the busiest travel day of the year. And that the trains back to Florence might be full. Funny story because they were! We rolled into Rome at 8:30 pm after traveling since 9 am only to find there was no possible way to get back to Florence before 5 am. So, after some deep breathing, we bought tickets for a 6:50 fast train, grabbed our bags and started walking. We stopped at a hotel, convinced the guy that 6 of us could sleep in enough beds meant for 5 (a moot point really, since the 3 of us who slept sideways on one queen sized bed only got 3 hours of sleep anyway) and got us some dinner and drinks. I fortunately had a class this morning that I could skip so I got to come home and eat breakfast and chill for a bit before going to class. But Sam went straight to her site visit, rolling suitcase and all. The wolf pack is pretty hard core is all I'm saying :)
This actually is where this particular adventure ends. No worries- there will be more to come. There's still Kelsey's birthday and Cinque Terre coming up in the next week. But for now I'm pretty content to just be back in Florence finally and have a little time to chill....I have to steal these moments of solitude because there are just too many adventures to go on to have these moments often.
Arrivederci!
Getting to Greece took planes, trains and automobiles. By this I mean we took TWO planes, TWO trains and TWO automobiles (not in that order- it was actually trains, planes and then automobiles). It was quite the adventure but when we finally rolled into Rethymno 14 hours after we left Florence, it was all worth it. Crete was absolutely gorgeous and so different from anywhere else I've ever been. It's such a laid back place. Old men sit in cafes sipping coffee at all hours of the day. Young people sit in shockingly hip and chic outdoor lounges that line the streets drinking frappe (essentially iced coffee but it's made with nescaf and is whipped) or beer while chatting and smoking. Always smoking, that was the one thing I didn't love. But the outdoor lounges were amazing- one day we ate lunch in padded, cozy patio recliners! Oh, and the food. Delicious. I ate chicken souvlaki 3 times because it was so amazing! I also tried lamb on Easter (the traditional easter dish) and had grilled octopus that was practically an entire octopus minus the head grilled and thrown on a plate. It may have been the best octopus I have ever tasted. I even had eggs and toast Greek style for breakfast on Easter which was such a treat- veggie omelet packed with tomatoes, onions, peppers and mushrooms with a freshly grilled pita. Started that day off right! And we needed to be eating great food to keep our energy up for the serious beaching we did. I am currently a delicious golden brown thanks to the 2 full afternoons I spent on the beach, basking in the sunshine and occasionally cooling off in the sea. Everyone said the Mediterranean is too cold this time of year to swim, and it was a bit chilly, but swim we did! I only got in half way and didn't fully submerge, but still- it was a great way to spend Easter if I couldn't be home.
And here you're thinking that this was the end of the adventure. However, this is where you would be wrong. Nobody mentioned to us before we left that Easter Monday is the busiest travel day of the year. And that the trains back to Florence might be full. Funny story because they were! We rolled into Rome at 8:30 pm after traveling since 9 am only to find there was no possible way to get back to Florence before 5 am. So, after some deep breathing, we bought tickets for a 6:50 fast train, grabbed our bags and started walking. We stopped at a hotel, convinced the guy that 6 of us could sleep in enough beds meant for 5 (a moot point really, since the 3 of us who slept sideways on one queen sized bed only got 3 hours of sleep anyway) and got us some dinner and drinks. I fortunately had a class this morning that I could skip so I got to come home and eat breakfast and chill for a bit before going to class. But Sam went straight to her site visit, rolling suitcase and all. The wolf pack is pretty hard core is all I'm saying :)
This actually is where this particular adventure ends. No worries- there will be more to come. There's still Kelsey's birthday and Cinque Terre coming up in the next week. But for now I'm pretty content to just be back in Florence finally and have a little time to chill....I have to steal these moments of solitude because there are just too many adventures to go on to have these moments often.
Arrivederci!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Vado a Creta!
Tomorrow morning, in my first venture out of the country since arriving in Italy, I am going to Crete with my wolf pack of ladies. It should be fabulous. It's also the first time I've gotten on a plane since getting here, so it hasn't quite hit me yet. I think it will though when I'm at the train station at 5:30 am tomorrow with a backpack and smile and nothing else. The to do list consists of the following: eat lots of Greek food, make friends with the crazy hostel owners, go to Knossos, sun tan on the beach for copious hours, visit produce markets and explore Rethymno (where we're staying), and drink raki (the Mediterranean/Turkish version of grappa flavored with anise). We're boxing it, we're checking it, and it will hopefully be a weekend we'll never forget. I will most certainly update everyone on how it was upon my return to Florence. For my last 3 weeks....we're not talking about that. Focusing on Crete...
In other news, I had the greatest gelato of my life today at a place called Cavini- they had soy coffee gelato which was fluffy and wonderful and cioccolata fondente senza latte (milk free dark chocolate) that was basically frozen fudge. The combination was epic and I may have found a new favorite hang out spot. Heavenly!
In other news, I had the greatest gelato of my life today at a place called Cavini- they had soy coffee gelato which was fluffy and wonderful and cioccolata fondente senza latte (milk free dark chocolate) that was basically frozen fudge. The combination was epic and I may have found a new favorite hang out spot. Heavenly!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
La finesettimana prima della pasqua
Ciao a tutti!
This weekend is the weekend before Easter- obviously. Not so obvious however is all the fuss that occurs here due to that. I was in a piazza on thursday night and suddenly a procession of 300 people complete with monks, nuns, candles and a giant wooden cross came processing through singing and praying at various points. It was quite the sight. It had to do with a traditional procession where you visit 7 churches in one night and also Annunciation Day. Annunciation Day being the most under appreciated holiday ever. There was a big festival in a piazza on Annunciation Day and there was special food- brown sugared toasted nuts and these little wafer cookie-esque things that taste like pizelle (the licorice wafers you eat at christmas) but are super thin. vendors make and bag them right there and hand you ones to taste as they come off the iron. soooo delicious! also porchetta which is this giant wrapped pig that is roasted with the head still on.
Friday I had a trip with the art classes to Bologna- such an awesome city! We saw a Morandi exhibit which was an excellent change of pace (he's an Italian artist who worked from the 1910-s through the 60's) after all the Renaissance stuff we look at. And the city itself if young and hip and known for it's great food- including but certainly not limited to bologna and bolognese sauce. we walked through the open air markets and it was like nothing i've ever seen. huge slabs of meat and giant salamies. buckets of fresh fish ranging from tiny anchovies to 4 ft swordfish. fruits and vegetables of ever color. i love the way food is such an integral part of culture here. amazing.
Yesterday I walked up to Fiesole with some lovely people and spent a fabulous afternoon having a picnic on a grassy hill overlooking the Arno River Valley. We chatted, napped and snacked for nearly 3 hours before walking through the town to visit my favorite bakery to get treats for the long walk back down. That little hill town is one of my favorite places here. It's just so beautiful and peaceful and so different from Florence. It was nice to pass such a relaxing weekend since next weekend is Easter and the ladies and I are spending the long weekend in Crete. It's a whole lot of traveling and a whole lot of ladies and should be a whole lot of fun!
This weekend is the weekend before Easter- obviously. Not so obvious however is all the fuss that occurs here due to that. I was in a piazza on thursday night and suddenly a procession of 300 people complete with monks, nuns, candles and a giant wooden cross came processing through singing and praying at various points. It was quite the sight. It had to do with a traditional procession where you visit 7 churches in one night and also Annunciation Day. Annunciation Day being the most under appreciated holiday ever. There was a big festival in a piazza on Annunciation Day and there was special food- brown sugared toasted nuts and these little wafer cookie-esque things that taste like pizelle (the licorice wafers you eat at christmas) but are super thin. vendors make and bag them right there and hand you ones to taste as they come off the iron. soooo delicious! also porchetta which is this giant wrapped pig that is roasted with the head still on.
Friday I had a trip with the art classes to Bologna- such an awesome city! We saw a Morandi exhibit which was an excellent change of pace (he's an Italian artist who worked from the 1910-s through the 60's) after all the Renaissance stuff we look at. And the city itself if young and hip and known for it's great food- including but certainly not limited to bologna and bolognese sauce. we walked through the open air markets and it was like nothing i've ever seen. huge slabs of meat and giant salamies. buckets of fresh fish ranging from tiny anchovies to 4 ft swordfish. fruits and vegetables of ever color. i love the way food is such an integral part of culture here. amazing.
Yesterday I walked up to Fiesole with some lovely people and spent a fabulous afternoon having a picnic on a grassy hill overlooking the Arno River Valley. We chatted, napped and snacked for nearly 3 hours before walking through the town to visit my favorite bakery to get treats for the long walk back down. That little hill town is one of my favorite places here. It's just so beautiful and peaceful and so different from Florence. It was nice to pass such a relaxing weekend since next weekend is Easter and the ladies and I are spending the long weekend in Crete. It's a whole lot of traveling and a whole lot of ladies and should be a whole lot of fun!
Monday, March 22, 2010
La settimana scorsa, ho viaggiato molto
Ciao a tutti!
This past weekend I traveled. Boy did I travel. Friday my Black Death class (sunny, I know) took a trip to Pisa and Lucca. Pisa was....Pisa- once you've taken pictures with the Leaning Tower (which is absolutely fabulous) there's not actually anything to do. Lucca however was incredibly adorable. It's a tiny town that is still surrounded by the original walls- these walls, unlike many, were constructed after the invention of gunpowder and thus are about 20 feet wide. So, what did the people of Lucca do? They paved a bike path on it and now you can rent bikes and bike around the city! Bellissima! The views are incredible because you get interesting glimpses into the town and also gorgeous vistas of the surrounding countryside. It was amazing to get on a bike again and just ride.
Saturday, also with my Black Death class, I went to Siena and San Gimignano. Possibly my favorite places ever. They're medieval hill towns with winding, twisting, narrow streets that go up and down and around really steep hills. All amidst original tower houses that are beyond impressive. Siena has an incredible main square that is circular and slanted towards the center. Every year, 10 of the 17 neighborhoods of Siena (a crazy institution similar to gangs but with more chanting and mudslinging and no knife fighting) enter horses into a race that occurs in this piazza. It's legendary for it's rowdiness and people come from all around the world to see it. The horses race 3 times around the square- and I do mean the horses. The jockey is entirely inconsequential- if a jockey falls off (which is quite common since whipping, pushing and kicking other jockey's is allowed and encouraged) a horse can still win without it's rider! Crazy! Also, very excellent pasta in Siena, which was quite nice after a surprising encounter with Luccan pasta the day before- Lucca is known for its pasta because it's very yellow. Yellow pasta indicates wealth because it means you have more egg yolks to spare. I however, am not a big fan. I will take my white peasant pasta any day thank you! As for San Gimignano, what can I say? It was incredible. Siena on a tiny scale with even more fabulous wine. The only negative thing was how little time we had to spend in such a beautiful town.
Saturday night, my friend Sam and I took a train into the country to go back to Figline to visit Charlie and her family. It was so nice to see nono and Luda again- they're incredible people- and Charlie's dad was also there. We had Tuscan grill like last time, and I ate amazing tortellini con proscuito...I'm still amazed that pork is so delicious here. After the real food part of dinner we moved on to liquor sampling. Va bene! So much fun. I tasted 3 different kinds of grappa- let me explain grappa for a second. Grappa is the traditional peasant drink (the institution of a peasant class was abolished in Italy in the 1970's) made from any compostable material. It is a liquor that is, by itself, resembles vodka because it's colorless and odorless. It certainly isn't tasteless however because it retains the flavors of what it is distilled from. In the country, people to this day sometimes drink it with breakfast. Intense. So, first I tried blueberry infused and then honey infused grappa. These are grappas that have had blueberries and honey added to them respectively, and thus pick up the color and flavor of the added ingredients. Delicious but very sweet. I then had raspberry distilled grappa which is grappa made from raspberries therefore it is colorless and contains no actual raspberry fruit or juice, but maintains the flavor. This was my favorite because it wasn't sweet at all. It was a little weird sipping a liquor that's got such a high alcohol content (imagine sipping vodka!) but it was definitely a Tuscan experience! Sunday we had a Tuscan adventure through Chianti, and drove along the Chianti road to a little place called Montegrosse where we explored an abandoned medieval castle. The entire region is dotted with these castles, many of which have been refurnished into homes, but many which stand in ruins. It was incredible. We then drove back along the Chianti road, which goes straight through the heart of wine country. Everywhere you look is just vineyard upon vineyard for miles. We stopped in Radda in Chianti for lunch and had fantastic Ribollita, which is a hearty Tuscan soup with vegetables and bread, and wine. It was the most delicious Ribollita I've had, which I'm told is because of the black cabbage they use in that region, as well as the best house wine, which is because we were in the heart of Chianti so even the vino della casa is good quality. Utter bliss can be used to describe my state after that fantastic meal. It was at this meal that I also tried my first hot liver pate bruschetta- I was a little weirded out but was even more terrified by how much I liked it. I might just become a carnivore after all! Now I just need to try some chingiale (wild boar).....
This past weekend I traveled. Boy did I travel. Friday my Black Death class (sunny, I know) took a trip to Pisa and Lucca. Pisa was....Pisa- once you've taken pictures with the Leaning Tower (which is absolutely fabulous) there's not actually anything to do. Lucca however was incredibly adorable. It's a tiny town that is still surrounded by the original walls- these walls, unlike many, were constructed after the invention of gunpowder and thus are about 20 feet wide. So, what did the people of Lucca do? They paved a bike path on it and now you can rent bikes and bike around the city! Bellissima! The views are incredible because you get interesting glimpses into the town and also gorgeous vistas of the surrounding countryside. It was amazing to get on a bike again and just ride.
Saturday, also with my Black Death class, I went to Siena and San Gimignano. Possibly my favorite places ever. They're medieval hill towns with winding, twisting, narrow streets that go up and down and around really steep hills. All amidst original tower houses that are beyond impressive. Siena has an incredible main square that is circular and slanted towards the center. Every year, 10 of the 17 neighborhoods of Siena (a crazy institution similar to gangs but with more chanting and mudslinging and no knife fighting) enter horses into a race that occurs in this piazza. It's legendary for it's rowdiness and people come from all around the world to see it. The horses race 3 times around the square- and I do mean the horses. The jockey is entirely inconsequential- if a jockey falls off (which is quite common since whipping, pushing and kicking other jockey's is allowed and encouraged) a horse can still win without it's rider! Crazy! Also, very excellent pasta in Siena, which was quite nice after a surprising encounter with Luccan pasta the day before- Lucca is known for its pasta because it's very yellow. Yellow pasta indicates wealth because it means you have more egg yolks to spare. I however, am not a big fan. I will take my white peasant pasta any day thank you! As for San Gimignano, what can I say? It was incredible. Siena on a tiny scale with even more fabulous wine. The only negative thing was how little time we had to spend in such a beautiful town.
Saturday night, my friend Sam and I took a train into the country to go back to Figline to visit Charlie and her family. It was so nice to see nono and Luda again- they're incredible people- and Charlie's dad was also there. We had Tuscan grill like last time, and I ate amazing tortellini con proscuito...I'm still amazed that pork is so delicious here. After the real food part of dinner we moved on to liquor sampling. Va bene! So much fun. I tasted 3 different kinds of grappa- let me explain grappa for a second. Grappa is the traditional peasant drink (the institution of a peasant class was abolished in Italy in the 1970's) made from any compostable material. It is a liquor that is, by itself, resembles vodka because it's colorless and odorless. It certainly isn't tasteless however because it retains the flavors of what it is distilled from. In the country, people to this day sometimes drink it with breakfast. Intense. So, first I tried blueberry infused and then honey infused grappa. These are grappas that have had blueberries and honey added to them respectively, and thus pick up the color and flavor of the added ingredients. Delicious but very sweet. I then had raspberry distilled grappa which is grappa made from raspberries therefore it is colorless and contains no actual raspberry fruit or juice, but maintains the flavor. This was my favorite because it wasn't sweet at all. It was a little weird sipping a liquor that's got such a high alcohol content (imagine sipping vodka!) but it was definitely a Tuscan experience! Sunday we had a Tuscan adventure through Chianti, and drove along the Chianti road to a little place called Montegrosse where we explored an abandoned medieval castle. The entire region is dotted with these castles, many of which have been refurnished into homes, but many which stand in ruins. It was incredible. We then drove back along the Chianti road, which goes straight through the heart of wine country. Everywhere you look is just vineyard upon vineyard for miles. We stopped in Radda in Chianti for lunch and had fantastic Ribollita, which is a hearty Tuscan soup with vegetables and bread, and wine. It was the most delicious Ribollita I've had, which I'm told is because of the black cabbage they use in that region, as well as the best house wine, which is because we were in the heart of Chianti so even the vino della casa is good quality. Utter bliss can be used to describe my state after that fantastic meal. It was at this meal that I also tried my first hot liver pate bruschetta- I was a little weirded out but was even more terrified by how much I liked it. I might just become a carnivore after all! Now I just need to try some chingiale (wild boar).....
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Back in Firenze!
Ciao a tutti!
I'm back from break safe and sound. It was a wonderful break to say the least and now I think I need another break just to recuperate. To my eternal relief and gratitude, I met up with Mike in the train station with minimal issues. We made it to Sorrento on a gorgeous, if chilly day and had dinner at a pizzeria. It then proceeded to rain. And rain. basically, the whole week it rained with minor intervals of cloudiness and an afternoon of sun. So keep that in mind. The pizza in Sorrento was AMAZING. Very different, most definitely, but delicious. It was thicker than the super thin crust of Florence, but still thinner and crispier than American. The pasta in all of Amalfi was second rate compared to Florence, but I guess you get spoiled living in Tuscany. I'm quite excited to get some high quality pasta now that I'm back in Florence because to my everlasting surprise, I missed it.
On Tuesday Mike and I explored Pompeii which was really, really cool. It was the coldest/rainiest day, so I don't have as much to say about it as I wish I did, but it was definitely a crazy experience. It seems surreal to think that you're walking through a town that was just minding is own business, and then an hour later was completely decimated by a volcano. The degree of preservation is definitely eery. Wednesday we had a sunny afternoon so we took a boat to Capri and hiked around. We found a trail to the Arco Naturale (Natural Arch) which is this amazing rock formation that Capri is known for. It's a gigantic rock arch, as the name suggests, and depending on which side you're standing on you can either see the sea and the rest of Capri, or the sea and the Amalfi Coast. The sights were unreal- I'm so thankful that we had some sun so we could really appreciate the beauty of the island and the water. The sunset over the water that followed was also one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.
Rome was pretty jam packed. Our first evening there we saw the Colossuem, the Forum ruins and a bunch of monuments to kings and rulers of Rome/Italy. Then yesterday we walked across town past the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, across the Arno, past the Castelo Sant'Angelo, and to the Vatican. Whoa. We spent the afternoon in the museums and saw the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's. It was beautiful, and the Pieta lost nothing on second sight. That evening we hit up my favorite pizza place in Rome and saw the Trevi Fountain at night. The Trevi Fountain is a beautiful monument during the day but is pure magic at night. I'm speechless every time at how beautiful it is. Today was a travel day, well sort of. I only had an hour and a half train ride and then spent the afternoon hanging out in Piazza Signoria (the piazza outside the Uffizi) and soaking up the sun that decided to come out minutes after Mike left the country. Typical.
I'm exhausted so I think I may go take a nap, or at least rest a little. I'm crashing at a friend's tonight, so I've still got one more night of couch surfing before I move back into my homestay tomorrow. I'm not really excited for classes to start again, because who ever is, but it will be nice to be back in a place that's sort of mine and to return to a more regular schedule. A regular schedule which is only going to be my norm for another 6 weeks. Wow. Talk about how time flies when you're (finally) having fun!
I'm back from break safe and sound. It was a wonderful break to say the least and now I think I need another break just to recuperate. To my eternal relief and gratitude, I met up with Mike in the train station with minimal issues. We made it to Sorrento on a gorgeous, if chilly day and had dinner at a pizzeria. It then proceeded to rain. And rain. basically, the whole week it rained with minor intervals of cloudiness and an afternoon of sun. So keep that in mind. The pizza in Sorrento was AMAZING. Very different, most definitely, but delicious. It was thicker than the super thin crust of Florence, but still thinner and crispier than American. The pasta in all of Amalfi was second rate compared to Florence, but I guess you get spoiled living in Tuscany. I'm quite excited to get some high quality pasta now that I'm back in Florence because to my everlasting surprise, I missed it.
On Tuesday Mike and I explored Pompeii which was really, really cool. It was the coldest/rainiest day, so I don't have as much to say about it as I wish I did, but it was definitely a crazy experience. It seems surreal to think that you're walking through a town that was just minding is own business, and then an hour later was completely decimated by a volcano. The degree of preservation is definitely eery. Wednesday we had a sunny afternoon so we took a boat to Capri and hiked around. We found a trail to the Arco Naturale (Natural Arch) which is this amazing rock formation that Capri is known for. It's a gigantic rock arch, as the name suggests, and depending on which side you're standing on you can either see the sea and the rest of Capri, or the sea and the Amalfi Coast. The sights were unreal- I'm so thankful that we had some sun so we could really appreciate the beauty of the island and the water. The sunset over the water that followed was also one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.
Rome was pretty jam packed. Our first evening there we saw the Colossuem, the Forum ruins and a bunch of monuments to kings and rulers of Rome/Italy. Then yesterday we walked across town past the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, across the Arno, past the Castelo Sant'Angelo, and to the Vatican. Whoa. We spent the afternoon in the museums and saw the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's. It was beautiful, and the Pieta lost nothing on second sight. That evening we hit up my favorite pizza place in Rome and saw the Trevi Fountain at night. The Trevi Fountain is a beautiful monument during the day but is pure magic at night. I'm speechless every time at how beautiful it is. Today was a travel day, well sort of. I only had an hour and a half train ride and then spent the afternoon hanging out in Piazza Signoria (the piazza outside the Uffizi) and soaking up the sun that decided to come out minutes after Mike left the country. Typical.
I'm exhausted so I think I may go take a nap, or at least rest a little. I'm crashing at a friend's tonight, so I've still got one more night of couch surfing before I move back into my homestay tomorrow. I'm not really excited for classes to start again, because who ever is, but it will be nice to be back in a place that's sort of mine and to return to a more regular schedule. A regular schedule which is only going to be my norm for another 6 weeks. Wow. Talk about how time flies when you're (finally) having fun!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Spring Break!
Ciao a tutti!
It's spring break here for us SUF kids- WOOHOO!
I am currently hanging out in a friend Allie O's apt in Rome. It is day 2 of couch surfing (last night was a friend in Florence's apt) and I'm feeling great. I just went out for some AMAZING (and by that I mean probably pretty decent but nothing special except when you've been surrounded by Italian food for 2 months) chinese food. It was so worth the trek all the way to Rome lol. A bit different than the states, but I feel like that should just be my mantra- it was really good but really different. Like gnocchi. Which I had for dinner last night. Except gnocchi is like amazingly awesome and nothing like in the states. Regardless, Mike is arriving in Rome tomorrow. I'm quite excited. We're off to Sorrento- I can't wait to see the Amalfi Coast. We also happen to be going to the pizza capital of Italy. I'll be sure to let you all know how Napoli's pizza compares to Florence. Word of the street is it's amazing because it has fluffier crust- I've become a fan of the thin crust though. It should be an epic showdown. And quite delicious, as is everything in Italy.
The past week was midterms, hence my lack of posting on this blog, but I think my exams went pretty well. Black Death was about as awesome as the name sounds, but Italian was pretty good. Apparently my Italian is pretty decent- the cafe by my school asked me to translate a flier they had printed up in Italian into English so that they could advertise at school. It felt really awesome to actually be able to do it for them, with minimal help from a dictionary. And if it means that me and my friends get free coffee and apple donut holes when we go there, I don't hate that either. DELISH!
I miss you all and send my love. Time to go further enjoy this crazy spring break on which I've found myself!
It's spring break here for us SUF kids- WOOHOO!
I am currently hanging out in a friend Allie O's apt in Rome. It is day 2 of couch surfing (last night was a friend in Florence's apt) and I'm feeling great. I just went out for some AMAZING (and by that I mean probably pretty decent but nothing special except when you've been surrounded by Italian food for 2 months) chinese food. It was so worth the trek all the way to Rome lol. A bit different than the states, but I feel like that should just be my mantra- it was really good but really different. Like gnocchi. Which I had for dinner last night. Except gnocchi is like amazingly awesome and nothing like in the states. Regardless, Mike is arriving in Rome tomorrow. I'm quite excited. We're off to Sorrento- I can't wait to see the Amalfi Coast. We also happen to be going to the pizza capital of Italy. I'll be sure to let you all know how Napoli's pizza compares to Florence. Word of the street is it's amazing because it has fluffier crust- I've become a fan of the thin crust though. It should be an epic showdown. And quite delicious, as is everything in Italy.
The past week was midterms, hence my lack of posting on this blog, but I think my exams went pretty well. Black Death was about as awesome as the name sounds, but Italian was pretty good. Apparently my Italian is pretty decent- the cafe by my school asked me to translate a flier they had printed up in Italian into English so that they could advertise at school. It felt really awesome to actually be able to do it for them, with minimal help from a dictionary. And if it means that me and my friends get free coffee and apple donut holes when we go there, I don't hate that either. DELISH!
I miss you all and send my love. Time to go further enjoy this crazy spring break on which I've found myself!
Monday, March 1, 2010
American nonos and tuscan hills
To top off the craziest week ever, I think I may have just had one of my most beautiful weekends. Friday the ladies and I went out and had some crazy times (stories by request only) so by Saturday I was quite ready to head off to the country with some other gal pals to visit a friend's grandfather. We went to Viaggio which is a little township outside the bustling metropolis (speck on a map) of Figline- pronounced feel-lean-nay, not fig-line. There, my friend's American grandfather from Mississippi lives with his Pisan wife in a beautiful old Tuscan villa overlooking the township and the surrounding hills. They have a small olive grove whose olives nono uses to make his own olive oil (we had it with dinner- it was absolutely delicious). We hiked up to the grove and took pictures of the vista while nono told us stories about his grandkids, and Figline and his travels. That night we had a 5 hour dinner- from 9 pm until 2 am! In true Tuscan style, we grilled little pieces of meat (chicken and turkey sausage for us, but you can do whatever you want) on a table top grill. It's such a social and slow way to enjoy a meal- definitely something I want to bring back to the states with me. The food culture here is just so much healthier because of ideals like that. But, we also got our bbq fix (I swear, the things I miss are so incredibly random it blows my own mind) with his homemade southern style baked beans. Yum! And naturally, among those courses (and numerous others) there was wine like you wouldn't believe. 7 people consumed 3 bottles of red, 1 bottle of lambrusco, vin santo and limoncello. We vehemently said basta! (enough!) to the grappa though. I now understand why Italians drink espresso as a digestivo (digestive aid)- I had a shot of espresso at 1 am and still slept like a baby. But that also might have been because I was deliriously content and sleeping in a cozy bunk bed (I adore top bunks more than anything else you could ever imagine sleeping on) in a house where I felt so incredibly welcomed it was almost making me teary. I have met some of the most incredible people on this adventure who have opened my eyes to such different ways of living a wonderful life. I now need to put live in an Italian villa and host young travelers on my bucket list. This list is growing by leaps and bounds here.
In other news, spring has officially sprung here. The mimosa is in bloom in all it's bright yellow glory, daisies are popping up all over the giardino, and i can be seen with flowers in my hair at almost any moment. Trees have green shoots and the climbing plants on the palm trees are coming back to life. It's absolutely gorgeous. I also just discovered on my Saturday morning hike up the mountain to Fiesole that Italy has aloe like you cannot even imagine. These plants grow on the side of the roads and look like something out of Honey I Shrunk the Kids. There were numerous plants that were wider across than I am tall, with individual "leaves" that were the size of my leg! Spring makes every outing like a grand discovery because there's always something new blossoming- i'll be sure to keep you all posted on the transitions. I hear that after it blooms yellow, spring also blooms purple! We shall see, we shall certainly see. By the time I am back from break it will be in full swing- I'd say I can't wait but I am also quite looking forward to spending a week exploring the Amalfi Coast with Mike. Once I make it through midterms that is. Plus, once I get back, it means my time here has passed the halfway mark. As little as 3 weeks ago that would have been a very exciting thought- I won't lie and say the transition to living here was easy for me. Now, though I still miss you all like crazy, it's a much more melancholy thought because I have found people and places here that I really love too. I suppose that's the inherent danger of going abroad- but also the inherent beauty.
In other news, spring has officially sprung here. The mimosa is in bloom in all it's bright yellow glory, daisies are popping up all over the giardino, and i can be seen with flowers in my hair at almost any moment. Trees have green shoots and the climbing plants on the palm trees are coming back to life. It's absolutely gorgeous. I also just discovered on my Saturday morning hike up the mountain to Fiesole that Italy has aloe like you cannot even imagine. These plants grow on the side of the roads and look like something out of Honey I Shrunk the Kids. There were numerous plants that were wider across than I am tall, with individual "leaves" that were the size of my leg! Spring makes every outing like a grand discovery because there's always something new blossoming- i'll be sure to keep you all posted on the transitions. I hear that after it blooms yellow, spring also blooms purple! We shall see, we shall certainly see. By the time I am back from break it will be in full swing- I'd say I can't wait but I am also quite looking forward to spending a week exploring the Amalfi Coast with Mike. Once I make it through midterms that is. Plus, once I get back, it means my time here has passed the halfway mark. As little as 3 weeks ago that would have been a very exciting thought- I won't lie and say the transition to living here was easy for me. Now, though I still miss you all like crazy, it's a much more melancholy thought because I have found people and places here that I really love too. I suppose that's the inherent danger of going abroad- but also the inherent beauty.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Craziest Week EVER
Wow. I need a minute or 10 to breathe after this past week. This was by far my craziest week since coming to Florence. Tuesday I had a big presentation in my Botticelli class so all of Sunday and Monday were spent in the Giardino when it was nice, and the Villino when it was cooler, doing research for that. The presentation on Tuesday went really well and so to celebrate, my friends and i went out to Beatles night on Tuesday. Always a good time! I also did my internship both Monday and Wednesday mornings at the elementary school- I love working in the English classes but it means that I start my day at 8:30 am instead of 11 am. Wednesday was the Milano-Firenze calcio game. Big soccer game- lots of yelling, lots of people, lots of beer. Also, lots of fun, but maybe something that I'm glad I did once and now can be happy watching the mass chaos from my apartment window. And as if 4 days of craziness wasn't enough, I took a bus to Padova last night (university town just south of Venice) to see a Dave Matthews concert last night! It was AWESOME! Much different than in the states, but still amazing. He played a totally different line up, lots of new stuff and a few really popular older songs, and much less chatting in between sets. Also, there wasn't a 30 minute series of encores where they leave and come back- the concert actually ended on time. Weird! The bus ride was looooong and we didn't get back to Florence until nearly 4 am but it was so worth it. It was an amazing experience to see Dave in Italy. And made me very excited for this summer's concert (which I bought a ticket for this morning lol). Today I was up early to go to the elementary school where I intern to read a Doctor Seuss book to a class of third graders. It was really fun- there's a story telling program through Syracuse that my host mom organizes and it was nice to finally participate. A friend and I read and acted out (costumes included) the story "I Wish I Had Duck Feet." Really good story, really hilarious to act out. To quote my host mom "by the end of the story you will be all decorated like a christmas tree"- you're wearing duck feet, deer horns, a tiger tail and an elephant nose. So fun! It was nice to finally have some time this afternoon to just hang out with my friends in the Giardino and "do homework." I hadn't seen half the wolf pack (what we call our massive group of ladies) in days so it was really nice. Tonight we're all going out for some Mexican food- there are two places in Florence that are apparently quite good. I'm ridiculously excited. I love Italian food and am eating SO WELL but sometimes you just want something spicy that isn't peperoncino. Bring on the hot sauce and tomatilla!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Bagel cravings and beautiful sunshine
I'm sitting in the Giardino where I dragged myself as soon as school opened to do work because I have a big presentation coming up on Tuesday. Needless to say, I am not working on said presentation. Something about it being gloriously, fabulously, wondrously SPRING is preventing me from actually looking at anything related to Botticelli. I just can't believe how Florence comes alive when it's nice out. I saw hundreds more people on my walk to school than I've ever seen- same roads, same neighborhoods, more sunshine. It's amazing. The sunshine has put me in a great mindset and I'm feeling really good about myself, my time here, and what I can still accomplish even though I got off to a rocky start. This realization may have hit me this morning when i woke up with the most intense craving for my traditional sunday bagel. I mean, I would have given just about anything for a green mountain coffee and a bagel with cream cheese. Name your price. One big difference this time though. Instead of it heralding a wave of homesickness and melancholy that I couldn't shake, it made me stop and think "it's only a bagel. it will be there when you get back." And then I went to the kitchen and poured myself some Fruite and Fibre which is apparently some kind of health food cereal reminiscent of raisin bran but should really be renamed tutti frutti party in your bowl because it's just that delicious. Who would have thought that dried coconut and apple could so vastly improve raisin bran??? The Italians have raised eating to an art form is all I can say.
Last night I took some lovely lady friends to the Reginella- the restaurant that mom and crew discovered on their solo night in Florence (something for which I will be forever grateful). Our favorite waiter Noe greeted me at the door and then after his friend gave us a hard time all through dinner (all in good fun of course) proceeded to feed us way too much free wine. Which naturally made all my good intentions to go home and get some sleep fly out the window as I went out for a night of dancing. But, on the note of Italians taking eating to an art form, I tried Spaghetti alla Boia. It's spaghetti sauteed in hot pepper, egg and garlic that makes a saucy consistency that coats your pasta in YUM and then they toss tomatoes in for good measure. I was not sure how I felt about egg and pasta. I am now a believer that egg and pasta is a direct sign from the heavens that someone up there loves us very much.
Well, before I go get some delicious Turkish food for lunch (possibly becoming my new Sunday tradition) I need to get some work done. Missing you all- be happy, be well.
Last night I took some lovely lady friends to the Reginella- the restaurant that mom and crew discovered on their solo night in Florence (something for which I will be forever grateful). Our favorite waiter Noe greeted me at the door and then after his friend gave us a hard time all through dinner (all in good fun of course) proceeded to feed us way too much free wine. Which naturally made all my good intentions to go home and get some sleep fly out the window as I went out for a night of dancing. But, on the note of Italians taking eating to an art form, I tried Spaghetti alla Boia. It's spaghetti sauteed in hot pepper, egg and garlic that makes a saucy consistency that coats your pasta in YUM and then they toss tomatoes in for good measure. I was not sure how I felt about egg and pasta. I am now a believer that egg and pasta is a direct sign from the heavens that someone up there loves us very much.
Well, before I go get some delicious Turkish food for lunch (possibly becoming my new Sunday tradition) I need to get some work done. Missing you all- be happy, be well.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
My life post-stomach flu
So on this emotional roller coaster that is Florence, I've definitely hit some highs and some lows since my last post. The rest of the visit from the crew was a blur of trattorias and wine and laughs...some travel snafus too, but all in all a wonderful time. Thank you to the lovely ladies who visited me- showing you Florence was amazing. Mom- I'm so glad you finally got to see Europe! I arrived back in Florence this Sunday after a weekend in Assisi to find that spring has sprung! It was a gorgeous day- sunny, warm, tourists and locals alike milling around downtown just being outside. I tried a new kebab place and had one of the best kebabs I've had in Florence while walking home. Marvelous. And then I got the stomach flu. Not very marvelous at all. I'm finally recovering (24 hour bug I think NOT) though, so that's a relief. Thank goodness for host moms who make you chicken broth and pastaccina and serve it to you on a tray in your bed bc you can't get up. Tonight I'm venturing out for the first time since getting sick so we'll see how that goes. Nothing crazy, just going to see Avatar, of all movies (typically not my style), in the English movie theatre downtown. I figure I'll save seeing Bachiami Ancora, the hot new Italian film, for when I'm less worn out. It takes a lot of energy to follow italian TV bc they speak so fast! Though I'm sure any foreigner who has ever tried watching American TV thinks the same of us, so that's probably not saying much. In keeping with the Spring motif, I have two points to make. One is something interesting I learned in my Botticelli class about the Primavera. The Primavera is one of Botticelli's most famous and well known works- you would have thought we would have cleared up any controversy about the identity of the figures actually in said painting right? Wrong! There's two big controversies- one about the identity of the "graces" (the three dancing females) who may or may not also represent the "hours". The other is about the identity of "flora" or the lady in the flowery dress, who may or may not just be "cloris"....interesting. I never realized you could discuss such things for 3 hours, but this Tuesday I most certainly did! Second point on spring for all of you lovely folks reading this during one of the snow storms that seem to keep slamming the east coast- I am writing this post from the Giardino! Our outside garden! Because it is in the 50's! This is so where I parked my car! Much nicer than the "unusually cold" weather that Florence was rocking up until about 5 days ago. Big upgrade.
Tomorrow I'm off to Perugia to take a tour of the chocolate factory with a possible detour to Lake Trasimeno (the lake that we passed on the train to Assisi!). Should be yummy! Hopefully my stomach will be up to the challenge. Saturday is a trip to Padova with my Black Death class to see the Scroveigni Chapel- should be amazing! And then next week is Dave Matthews in Padova! WOOHOO! Be on the look out for pictures from that adventure!
Ciao!
Tomorrow I'm off to Perugia to take a tour of the chocolate factory with a possible detour to Lake Trasimeno (the lake that we passed on the train to Assisi!). Should be yummy! Hopefully my stomach will be up to the challenge. Saturday is a trip to Padova with my Black Death class to see the Scroveigni Chapel- should be amazing! And then next week is Dave Matthews in Padova! WOOHOO! Be on the look out for pictures from that adventure!
Ciao!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
It's a brand new day
I think it was somewhere in between crouching on the floor of the Uffizi with my Botticelli class and professor to see what the Primavera would have "really" looked like when hung and dancing to "Down" with my friends and a waiter in the street by the light of the Duomo. But maybe it was when i realized I've come to love eggplants or when I was perfectly content in that very moment sitting in Zaza's with my mother in a near food and wine coma. Who knows- it might have been when I was told that to other people I look like I'm always "put together" and "excited." Whenever it happened, things shifted. Something changed- my outlook, my perspective, my world, I'm not sure. But it's good. It's really good. I remembered why I came here and what I want to accomplish and realized how very much I am still excited to do, see, smell and experience. Suddenly, two and a half more months seems nearly adequate instead of interminably long. And who knows, maybe in two and a half more months it will seem all too short and I'll look back and wonder why it took me so long to shift my perspective. Maybe it really was just a matter of letting go of how people say things should be seen and crouching down to see things as they were "really" intended to be seen.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
La mia mama!
This weekend was my first trip to Rome where I went with my school and met up with MY MOM and the crew. The crew consisting of Aunt Heidi, Dana, Nancy and Coco. Unreal! Upon arriving in Rome my school group went directly to the Vatican (after stopping for a coffee break- they don't make you do ANYTHING here without a coffee break, not even a 2 hour class). Oh. My. God. It was amazing. I was absolutely floored by the Laocoon- you stumble upon it while going through a pretty courtyard and then peering around the impressive display of seemingly tropical foliage that's in bloom even in February. The Sistine Chapel was gorgeous, and so fascinating to see in person. Only downside is that in person it's so far away that you can actually appreciate the details of it better in books. But the overall impression is obviously out of this world. Saint Peter's Basilica was just wow. You're standing in the middle of this enormous space and then you're told that the arch over the altar is 104 ft high- about the height of a typical 10 story building here. What!? I live on the 5th floor and sometimes feel like I'm floating about the world. This is twice as high and is just an arch that fits INSIDE the Basilica. Outrageously large are the only words I can think of to describe that place. I think the thing that surprised me the most though was the Pieta. I'm not a very religious person and quite honestly my only beef with Florence is that sometimes I feel like I just cannot look at a another religious painting or sculpture without screaming. I almost cried when I saw the Pieta. Glass wall and 20 ft of space and all, it was such a moving experience. The pictures help but cannot even convey what it was like. Also indescribable with words or pictures is the Pantheon. It was raining when we went and you could see the rain falling through the oculus. It was so beautiful and unexpected and oddly delicate in a space that is all heavy marble and geometric perfection. And on the subject of perfection, let me describe my first encounter with the Trevi Fountain. I'm walking home from a Mexican restaurant with my friends Nancy and Rachel.I'm the epitome of content because I've just had my first good beer in a month (I finally broke down and had a Corona since we were at a Mexican place and I really couldn't stomach another bad Italian beer). It has finally stopped raining after a damp and kind of cold day. We round a corner and suddenly BAM. I'm standing face to face with the Trevi Fountain in all it's illuminated night time glory. Again, words cannot describe how beautiful it was with the light reflecting off the water and casting shadows on the statues.
To top it all off, my MOM is finally here! Well, it hasn't really been long enough for a finally but it sure seems like it. I"m pretty sick right now so she could not have come at a better time. Having everyone here is so exciting because, especially now that we're back in Florence, I get the opportunity to show people from home the new home that I've found here. Which is precisely what it felt like, returning home, after a hectic, alternately wonderful and terrible, and all around intense experience in the bustling city of Rome. Tonight my mom came to dinner at my host family's house, which was so great. I really wanted all of these people to meet because obviously my mom is integral to me and who I am, but my host family is an integral part of my experience here and the person I am becoming by living here. And as my host dad said, you haven't been fully "mom'ed" about being sick until both your real mom and your italian host mom have decided to go off about your cough/cold. But sometimes that's precisely what you need.
Buona sera a tutti!
To top it all off, my MOM is finally here! Well, it hasn't really been long enough for a finally but it sure seems like it. I"m pretty sick right now so she could not have come at a better time. Having everyone here is so exciting because, especially now that we're back in Florence, I get the opportunity to show people from home the new home that I've found here. Which is precisely what it felt like, returning home, after a hectic, alternately wonderful and terrible, and all around intense experience in the bustling city of Rome. Tonight my mom came to dinner at my host family's house, which was so great. I really wanted all of these people to meet because obviously my mom is integral to me and who I am, but my host family is an integral part of my experience here and the person I am becoming by living here. And as my host dad said, you haven't been fully "mom'ed" about being sick until both your real mom and your italian host mom have decided to go off about your cough/cold. But sometimes that's precisely what you need.
Buona sera a tutti!
Monday, February 1, 2010
I can't believe it's Febbraio!
Wow- February already! On one hand it feels like I've been in Florence forever, but then on the other it feels like I just landed yesterday. Very strange time warp, but I feel as if it's not really so strange if you think about it. Sometimes I feel so adjusted, like when people ask me for directions in Italian, but then other times I am totally baffled by some small thing and am positive there's a big old "made in the USA" stamp on my forehead. But I suppose that's the whole point of this experience; learning to embrace that USA stamp and still be a respectful and courteous student studying in Italy despite of it.
This weekend was quite a topsy turvy one. I caught something, which those of you who have talked to me have had the pleasure of experiencing as I hack up a lung and croak like a frog, so ended up staying home sick from my school trip to Assisi. Quite a bummer, but Assisi is pretty accessible so I can go back. I did however go to Pisa on Friday with a bunch of girl friends, totally spontaneously, and had a blast. Notes on the Leaning Tower: it's waaaay shorter than I was expecting but it's actually quite tipped! And it really is as much fun as they make it look in the movies to hang there and take funny pictures with the tower. I will try to post some asap because they're a riot.
Mom and crew are arriving in Rome this Saturday and I couldn't be more excited. Sundays are family days around here and everything is closed so that people spend time with their families; it makes it kind of tough when you're a student all alone in a foreign country and you and your friends don't even have a place to go. But, the next two Sundays will be jam packed and after that it might (fingers crossed!) be warm enough that we could hang outside in one of the million little parks that polka dot Florence. There's one by my house that has a merry go round in it! It's totally just for kids but I may have to try it out sometime. Just saying, sometimes in order to really try Florence you have to do some slightly ridiculous and touristy things. I'm learning to embrace it.
Well, it's time for my first class of February so I better not be late!
Ciao a tutti!
ali
This weekend was quite a topsy turvy one. I caught something, which those of you who have talked to me have had the pleasure of experiencing as I hack up a lung and croak like a frog, so ended up staying home sick from my school trip to Assisi. Quite a bummer, but Assisi is pretty accessible so I can go back. I did however go to Pisa on Friday with a bunch of girl friends, totally spontaneously, and had a blast. Notes on the Leaning Tower: it's waaaay shorter than I was expecting but it's actually quite tipped! And it really is as much fun as they make it look in the movies to hang there and take funny pictures with the tower. I will try to post some asap because they're a riot.
Mom and crew are arriving in Rome this Saturday and I couldn't be more excited. Sundays are family days around here and everything is closed so that people spend time with their families; it makes it kind of tough when you're a student all alone in a foreign country and you and your friends don't even have a place to go. But, the next two Sundays will be jam packed and after that it might (fingers crossed!) be warm enough that we could hang outside in one of the million little parks that polka dot Florence. There's one by my house that has a merry go round in it! It's totally just for kids but I may have to try it out sometime. Just saying, sometimes in order to really try Florence you have to do some slightly ridiculous and touristy things. I'm learning to embrace it.
Well, it's time for my first class of February so I better not be late!
Ciao a tutti!
ali
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Fiesole
Today was my first day I spent on my own. Well thus far- I am on my way out to meet some friends at kitsch for some apertivo- yum! I started the morning in Fiesole. To get to Fiesole I had to take a bus (city bus, 1 E, no big deal)- what was a big deal though was that i went into a tabacchi and asked for/bought a 4 trip bus ticket all in Italian! Go me! I got to Fiesole, which is this hill town just outside of Florence and it was amazing. Everything you imagine when you think of the hills of Tuscany. I got off at the main piazza and started hiking up these winding streets that went straight up the mountain. The view was incredible. Unfortunately my camera died on the way up so I only have a handful of pictures, but those mental images will last a lifetime. It felt really great to go somewhere all by myself and just do it, even if it was only a few hours. On my way back down the mountain I stopped in a pastry shop and tried "paste di mandola con cioccolata" an almond pastry with chocolate. Out of this world delicious- when I missed my first bus back, I almost went back for another, but decided to just wait for lunch. I also did that transaction in Italian btw. I had lunch on my way downtown at a little family run place in my neighborhood. I couldn't even tell you what it was in Italian but for 3.80E I had a plate of green beans with onions and tomatoes (it was all stewy and delicious), about half a loaf of soft but crusty bread and aqua gassata (bubbly water). SO GOOD! It may sound like all I do is walk and eat around here and that's because, when I'm not in class, that is precisely what I do. It's what everybody does. I must have already walked over 7 miles today and I'm not even done with my travels for the day. The Italians would waste away if they didn't eat constantly. And I'm totally ok with that. I also went to the library today and got an Italian library and internet card! Woohoo! To cut down on my travels, I was supposed to hang out at the library until now-ish (my friends with whom I'm going out tonight just got back from a class trip today) but this library is so popular that I couldn't find a place to sit inside anywhere! So i came home for some tea and a cookie and I'm on my way!
Misconception about Florence that I would like to bash first: Florence is a big city. Proof against the myth: while walking to the art supply store for paint brushes I ran into a girl I go to school with in Vermont, who is not in my Syracuse program, on a street corner by the store. It was great to see a familiar face and just chat about things like profs from school and who else is in Florence that we know. Which is not that many people- but considering that it's half way around the world, the fact that it's a handful of people is quite astonishing.
Buona Sera! It is time for apertivo!
Ali
Misconception about Florence that I would like to bash first: Florence is a big city. Proof against the myth: while walking to the art supply store for paint brushes I ran into a girl I go to school with in Vermont, who is not in my Syracuse program, on a street corner by the store. It was great to see a familiar face and just chat about things like profs from school and who else is in Florence that we know. Which is not that many people- but considering that it's half way around the world, the fact that it's a handful of people is quite astonishing.
Buona Sera! It is time for apertivo!
Ali
Thursday, January 21, 2010
First week of classes- done and done!
So this week was my first week of classes- whoa. Intense. Monday's I have The Black Death followed by Italian (Wednesdays too). Tuesday's are loooong 3 hours of Watercoloring followed by Italian (only 1 hr 15) and then 3 hrs of Botticelli. Thursdays are just Watercoloring and Italian. I don't mind the long days though, because it's when you're at school that you see everyone since we're all spread out throughout the city in homestays. I do have friends in my zona (neighborhood) though, and after yesterday's zona dinner (so we could meet people who live near us) some of us went out to a wine bar- because naturally Weds would be the popular weekday going out night in Italy. They sure know how to celebrate hump day over here! Get this: the name of the bar: KIWI BAR! LOVE IT! Plus, it's only 3 blocks from my house, instead of the 35 minute walk to the main downtown area- doable when it's warm out, but it's still a bit chilly at night to be making that walk often.
They're keeping us very busy here with zona dinners and activities meetings etc so i'm already finding homework to be a bit of an issue. We have 3 day weekends though and this weekend my only field trip is to Ravenna on Saturday so hopefully I'll be able to catch up/get ahead this Friday when some of my friends are in Assisi. I'm going to Assisi next weekend, which I'm also quite excited for. I'll let you know how Ravenna goes- it's my first field trip outside of Firenze! I can't wait! Our field trips are led by TA's and grad students here at the University so they should be pretty fun since obviously they're quite knowledgeable but they still are young and know that we're here to have fun as well.
Fun is definitely not in short supply here- there are so many places to explore that I sometimes get overwhelmed with the prospect of trying to do it all! Which is quite the welcome change from the homesickness I was battling for the first full week or so. I think I reached a turning point on Tuesday; I was planning my weekend travels and I wrote out all my weekends are realized "WOW! I have SO FEW free weekends- how on EARTH am I going to go everywhere I want to go!?" The realization that instead of being infinite and looming, my time here is quite finite was a real wake up call and snapped me out of my funk. I think that Tuesday also coincided with the time that I started feeling like I had real friends here, not just people who I could hang out with for a minute or two before going to class or going out en masse. It's a really nice feeling, especially when it translates into you saying "home" and people have to ask which home. For anyone who can remember/has just gone away to college it's like the first time you say you're going home and you mean that you're going back to your dorm or your apartment. It's not a replacement for your home (in the States, as people say here) but it's a new place where you feel at home. It really makes you contemplate the nature of home and it's flexibility. I'm nearly on the other side of the world, but I have found a place to sleep that feels like a home and people with whom I can have conversations about everything from how good these jeans make my butt look to how reliable a source s Heidegger given his Nazism.
Sending my best wishes and all my love "home to the States"
Ali
They're keeping us very busy here with zona dinners and activities meetings etc so i'm already finding homework to be a bit of an issue. We have 3 day weekends though and this weekend my only field trip is to Ravenna on Saturday so hopefully I'll be able to catch up/get ahead this Friday when some of my friends are in Assisi. I'm going to Assisi next weekend, which I'm also quite excited for. I'll let you know how Ravenna goes- it's my first field trip outside of Firenze! I can't wait! Our field trips are led by TA's and grad students here at the University so they should be pretty fun since obviously they're quite knowledgeable but they still are young and know that we're here to have fun as well.
Fun is definitely not in short supply here- there are so many places to explore that I sometimes get overwhelmed with the prospect of trying to do it all! Which is quite the welcome change from the homesickness I was battling for the first full week or so. I think I reached a turning point on Tuesday; I was planning my weekend travels and I wrote out all my weekends are realized "WOW! I have SO FEW free weekends- how on EARTH am I going to go everywhere I want to go!?" The realization that instead of being infinite and looming, my time here is quite finite was a real wake up call and snapped me out of my funk. I think that Tuesday also coincided with the time that I started feeling like I had real friends here, not just people who I could hang out with for a minute or two before going to class or going out en masse. It's a really nice feeling, especially when it translates into you saying "home" and people have to ask which home. For anyone who can remember/has just gone away to college it's like the first time you say you're going home and you mean that you're going back to your dorm or your apartment. It's not a replacement for your home (in the States, as people say here) but it's a new place where you feel at home. It really makes you contemplate the nature of home and it's flexibility. I'm nearly on the other side of the world, but I have found a place to sleep that feels like a home and people with whom I can have conversations about everything from how good these jeans make my butt look to how reliable a source s Heidegger given his Nazism.
Sending my best wishes and all my love "home to the States"
Ali
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Full Immersion Weekend
Buona Sera!
This weekend was full immersion weekend. That means that, unlike most weekends when we travel or do our own thing in addition to being responsible for meals besides breakfast, it was a weekend dedicated to spending time with your host family. On one hand, it was really nice to spend time with the family, but on the other hand it made me a little homesick. Friday we had stuff at school for most of the day so just had dinner at home. Dinner here at the Harley’s is at 8 pm most nights. People generally eat lunch at around 1 pm, or we have been eating closer to 2-2:30 on the weekends. This means that you’re ready for a little snack around 5 or 6. The Italians have the perfect solution for this; apertivo! On Friday we had our own brand of apertivo in centro- gelato! I had the most delicious NON-DAIRY chocolate gelato of my life. It was served, along with strawberry gelato, in a little wafer to make a sandwich. Too delicious for words- the strawberry was basically just very smooth sorbet but the chocolate was out of this world. Good thing I had a 40 minute walk back home so I was hungry all over again for chicken and artichokes. And pasta naturally. Meals are also always served with salad, which we eat a condimenti- with salt, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Two interesting things about Tuscan food- everything includes olive oil, and you always mix things with the sauce/dressing/etc in the bowl before you serve it. Saturday Vittoria, our host mom, took me and Whitney to the centro and pointed out good gelaterias, trattorias, bars, restaurants etc along the way. In other words, she did a whole lot of talking because every other door is a place that sells some sort of delicious food. We had a delicious lunch at Trattoria da Rocco- a famous little place in the market where you eat in a tiny booth with other people that you enter from the OUTSIDE of the booth and the waiter serves you from a partitioned off corridor in the middle of the booths. All inside a little “building” (it’s entirely made of windows) about the size of a subway car. Afterwards, Vittoria left Whitney and I to explore so we went to the Ponte Vecchio where I took about 100 pictures of the gorgeous vistas and architecture. The Ponte Vecchio is a bridge towards the southern part of the city where there are houses and shops on the bridge- the other bridges are just for cars and pedestrians. There was a bust of some famous guy (not the important part) surrounded by a gate with 100s of locks on it. We were wondering way until we saw the sign that said “It is not allowed to put locks on the railing.” So naturally, everyone puts locks on the railing, most of them with love notes on them. Such is life in Florence. For dinner we had a piatti unico (a one pot meal) of some delicious combo of chicken and peas in a tomato-y broth. We also have bruschetta at every meal, but not the bruschetta you’re thinking of. Same crispy bread but them you rub raw garlic on it, sprinkle salt, rub a cut tomato over that and then pour on some olive oil. I’m a big fan of everything but the tomato, but I’m getting there. Saturday night was a very homesick night for me for some reason. A friend of mine put it well; it’s not that you miss home so terribly, because I’ve barely been gone, it’s that you realize how very far you are and that you don’t have the option of calling/texting/visiting whenever you want. So I went out, had a drink at Angie’s Pub (neither Irish nor a pub) met some great people, and felt a million times better. Today was much better. Ludo took me and Whitney on a short little tour around the Stadio because there was a game today! Fiorentina vs Bologna- unfortunately Viola (another name for Florence’s team) lost, but it wasn’t a very important game as far as the season goes. Afterwards we went to the Piazzale Michaelangelo which overlooks Florence and Fiesole. It was beautiful- you could see all the major monuments in the city, plus our zona (neighborhood) Campo di Marte and the old wall that used to surround Florence. From there we went to San Miniato, a 3 minute drive further up the hill, which is a gorgeous old Dominican Basilica. There was the most amazing Byzantine mosaic on the outside and above the altar, and the tile-work on the floor was incredible. The mosaic, in true Byzantine style, was figures in blues and reds on a gold background that just illuminates the whole area when the light hits it. They’re very flat, and not always the most interesting because they’re quite simple compositionally, but the colors are astounding. When we came back, we all hung out and had tea in front of a fire, which is a special Sunday treat. They burn orange peels in the fire and it makes it smell delicious.
I just had my first big Italian Sunday dinner. So delicious! Lots of food, wine and extended family/friends. Good times!
Ciao Ciao!
This weekend was full immersion weekend. That means that, unlike most weekends when we travel or do our own thing in addition to being responsible for meals besides breakfast, it was a weekend dedicated to spending time with your host family. On one hand, it was really nice to spend time with the family, but on the other hand it made me a little homesick. Friday we had stuff at school for most of the day so just had dinner at home. Dinner here at the Harley’s is at 8 pm most nights. People generally eat lunch at around 1 pm, or we have been eating closer to 2-2:30 on the weekends. This means that you’re ready for a little snack around 5 or 6. The Italians have the perfect solution for this; apertivo! On Friday we had our own brand of apertivo in centro- gelato! I had the most delicious NON-DAIRY chocolate gelato of my life. It was served, along with strawberry gelato, in a little wafer to make a sandwich. Too delicious for words- the strawberry was basically just very smooth sorbet but the chocolate was out of this world. Good thing I had a 40 minute walk back home so I was hungry all over again for chicken and artichokes. And pasta naturally. Meals are also always served with salad, which we eat a condimenti- with salt, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Two interesting things about Tuscan food- everything includes olive oil, and you always mix things with the sauce/dressing/etc in the bowl before you serve it. Saturday Vittoria, our host mom, took me and Whitney to the centro and pointed out good gelaterias, trattorias, bars, restaurants etc along the way. In other words, she did a whole lot of talking because every other door is a place that sells some sort of delicious food. We had a delicious lunch at Trattoria da Rocco- a famous little place in the market where you eat in a tiny booth with other people that you enter from the OUTSIDE of the booth and the waiter serves you from a partitioned off corridor in the middle of the booths. All inside a little “building” (it’s entirely made of windows) about the size of a subway car. Afterwards, Vittoria left Whitney and I to explore so we went to the Ponte Vecchio where I took about 100 pictures of the gorgeous vistas and architecture. The Ponte Vecchio is a bridge towards the southern part of the city where there are houses and shops on the bridge- the other bridges are just for cars and pedestrians. There was a bust of some famous guy (not the important part) surrounded by a gate with 100s of locks on it. We were wondering way until we saw the sign that said “It is not allowed to put locks on the railing.” So naturally, everyone puts locks on the railing, most of them with love notes on them. Such is life in Florence. For dinner we had a piatti unico (a one pot meal) of some delicious combo of chicken and peas in a tomato-y broth. We also have bruschetta at every meal, but not the bruschetta you’re thinking of. Same crispy bread but them you rub raw garlic on it, sprinkle salt, rub a cut tomato over that and then pour on some olive oil. I’m a big fan of everything but the tomato, but I’m getting there. Saturday night was a very homesick night for me for some reason. A friend of mine put it well; it’s not that you miss home so terribly, because I’ve barely been gone, it’s that you realize how very far you are and that you don’t have the option of calling/texting/visiting whenever you want. So I went out, had a drink at Angie’s Pub (neither Irish nor a pub) met some great people, and felt a million times better. Today was much better. Ludo took me and Whitney on a short little tour around the Stadio because there was a game today! Fiorentina vs Bologna- unfortunately Viola (another name for Florence’s team) lost, but it wasn’t a very important game as far as the season goes. Afterwards we went to the Piazzale Michaelangelo which overlooks Florence and Fiesole. It was beautiful- you could see all the major monuments in the city, plus our zona (neighborhood) Campo di Marte and the old wall that used to surround Florence. From there we went to San Miniato, a 3 minute drive further up the hill, which is a gorgeous old Dominican Basilica. There was the most amazing Byzantine mosaic on the outside and above the altar, and the tile-work on the floor was incredible. The mosaic, in true Byzantine style, was figures in blues and reds on a gold background that just illuminates the whole area when the light hits it. They’re very flat, and not always the most interesting because they’re quite simple compositionally, but the colors are astounding. When we came back, we all hung out and had tea in front of a fire, which is a special Sunday treat. They burn orange peels in the fire and it makes it smell delicious.
I just had my first big Italian Sunday dinner. So delicious! Lots of food, wine and extended family/friends. Good times!
Ciao Ciao!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Prima Weekend
Buon Giorno!
Today is my first Saturday in Florence and its part of full immersion weekend. Basically what that means is that Whitney (my roommate) and I spend the entire weekend with our family. Vittoria- my amazing host mom, is taking us all around the city and our neighborhood today so we can get the lay of the land. Tomorrow we're hiking to Fiesole which we can see from our bedroom window! We're right by the Stadio for all you soccer fans and can see that and THE DUOMO from our roof terrace(s). Molto bella! Yesterday we went out exploring- I went to the Duomo, but didn't climb to the top (yet- that's coming). And I saw the Piazza della Republica (the Rape of the Sabine Woman!) and Orsanmichele. We hung out in a really neat wine bar that was nearby that reminded me of Muddy Waters in Btown if muddy's was in a basement. And full of Italians- we were the only Americans there. It was great. They had live music which was 2 old guys playing acoustic and electric guitar/violin and singing. It felt so homey and wonderful and was exactly what I needed after an admittedly difficult and homesicky day. I also went to an amazing gelateria by the Duomo and had nondairy chocolate gelato that was so delicious it made my head spin. I ate it in this tiny little wafer thing- the wafer was tiny, the mound of gelato was not. Good thing the Stadio is quite far from il centro (downtown) bc by the time I got home and settled I was hungry again. For a dinner which included prosciutto tortellini in brodo. Cured ham tortellini in broth- and I LOVED it! I also just tried my first Italian soy milk- not bad. Not for my coffee, but great in cereal. Paired with toast- toast could be a food group here. Well, bread is- not grains. Just crusty, delicious bread. YUM!
I'm hoping to post some pictures later today for you all to see so be on the look out. I was going to do it now, but we're bringing our cameras with us on our outing today so I figured I'll wait and inundate you all at once with the beauty of Firenze.
Sending all my love,
Ciao Ciao!
Ali
Today is my first Saturday in Florence and its part of full immersion weekend. Basically what that means is that Whitney (my roommate) and I spend the entire weekend with our family. Vittoria- my amazing host mom, is taking us all around the city and our neighborhood today so we can get the lay of the land. Tomorrow we're hiking to Fiesole which we can see from our bedroom window! We're right by the Stadio for all you soccer fans and can see that and THE DUOMO from our roof terrace(s). Molto bella! Yesterday we went out exploring- I went to the Duomo, but didn't climb to the top (yet- that's coming). And I saw the Piazza della Republica (the Rape of the Sabine Woman!) and Orsanmichele. We hung out in a really neat wine bar that was nearby that reminded me of Muddy Waters in Btown if muddy's was in a basement. And full of Italians- we were the only Americans there. It was great. They had live music which was 2 old guys playing acoustic and electric guitar/violin and singing. It felt so homey and wonderful and was exactly what I needed after an admittedly difficult and homesicky day. I also went to an amazing gelateria by the Duomo and had nondairy chocolate gelato that was so delicious it made my head spin. I ate it in this tiny little wafer thing- the wafer was tiny, the mound of gelato was not. Good thing the Stadio is quite far from il centro (downtown) bc by the time I got home and settled I was hungry again. For a dinner which included prosciutto tortellini in brodo. Cured ham tortellini in broth- and I LOVED it! I also just tried my first Italian soy milk- not bad. Not for my coffee, but great in cereal. Paired with toast- toast could be a food group here. Well, bread is- not grains. Just crusty, delicious bread. YUM!
I'm hoping to post some pictures later today for you all to see so be on the look out. I was going to do it now, but we're bringing our cameras with us on our outing today so I figured I'll wait and inundate you all at once with the beauty of Firenze.
Sending all my love,
Ciao Ciao!
Ali
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Buon Giorno a tutti! Today is the day that I move in with my host family. Whoa! I just found out that I'm living with the family of one of the Italian professors here at Syracuse- score! There's 3 kids in the family, 2 daughters (ages 23 and 13) who live in the house and an older son who does not. I don't know my roommate yet but at 5:30 I'm being picked up so I guess I'll meet her then! I'm pretty nervous about moving in but also really excited to get settled. Plus people in the past have said good things about the family and I'm sure they'll be sensitive to the fact that we're fairly clueless seeing as the mom works for the university and has seen first hand the mass chaos. The apartment is a 20 minute walk from school, which isn't bad seeing as this is the coldest it's going to get and it's already pleasant to walk that far. They also have a roof terrace which is something I've been dying for since I got here. My hotel roommate and I had a terrace but we didn't have an opportunity to hang out on it, plus it had no view whatsoever. This apartment though apparently has beautiful views of Florence. I guess I'll wait and see!
Last night was my first night on the town. A bunch of us met up in an American bar called the Red Garter where we convened while watching Italians play a trivia game about America in Italian. Hilarious and amazing! After a very loud and overwhelming 30 minutes there we went to the COOLEST italian wine bar called Moyo. It was super chic but earthy and funky. It reminded me of the wine bar equivalent of New Moon for all of you Burlingtoners. Way more my scene then the crazy American bar. Here we actually got to sit and talk and relax while sharing bottles of wine. Best part is that this whole bar area is right by the Piazza della Santa Croce. Santa Croce- the famous, gorgeous cathedral that I've studied in way more than one art history class! I was speechless when we entered the piazza and immediately started squealing and taking pictures. Until a man with blue eyeliner and half his face painted red barked at us....then we left. But it was still AMAZING! I'm not even going to embarrass myself by explaining my reaction when I saw a glimpse of the Duomo from the bus- use your imagination. I can't wait to see it up close and personal. I also saw the River Arno for the first time last night. Absolutely beautiful- the lights of the city were reflecting off the water and the arched bridges are lit and reflect in the water as well. There was a little waterfall where we were as well which was so neat. I really want to take a stroll over the bridges soon. I just need to see where my host family lives so I can start planning out what I need to set aside time to see and what I'll just pass by on my way to school. I think that's my favorite thing about this city. You pass by a beautiful monument or famous cathedral while wandering around trying to find a bank, and every building is gorgeous in itself. So many red terra cotta roofs and stucco walls. All of which look well loved and used but never abused or in disrepair. I know I've said that to some of you before but it takes my breath away every time. I'm going to try to post pictures soon so that you can all share in the beauty that is Florence.
Be well, and lots of love!
Last night was my first night on the town. A bunch of us met up in an American bar called the Red Garter where we convened while watching Italians play a trivia game about America in Italian. Hilarious and amazing! After a very loud and overwhelming 30 minutes there we went to the COOLEST italian wine bar called Moyo. It was super chic but earthy and funky. It reminded me of the wine bar equivalent of New Moon for all of you Burlingtoners. Way more my scene then the crazy American bar. Here we actually got to sit and talk and relax while sharing bottles of wine. Best part is that this whole bar area is right by the Piazza della Santa Croce. Santa Croce- the famous, gorgeous cathedral that I've studied in way more than one art history class! I was speechless when we entered the piazza and immediately started squealing and taking pictures. Until a man with blue eyeliner and half his face painted red barked at us....then we left. But it was still AMAZING! I'm not even going to embarrass myself by explaining my reaction when I saw a glimpse of the Duomo from the bus- use your imagination. I can't wait to see it up close and personal. I also saw the River Arno for the first time last night. Absolutely beautiful- the lights of the city were reflecting off the water and the arched bridges are lit and reflect in the water as well. There was a little waterfall where we were as well which was so neat. I really want to take a stroll over the bridges soon. I just need to see where my host family lives so I can start planning out what I need to set aside time to see and what I'll just pass by on my way to school. I think that's my favorite thing about this city. You pass by a beautiful monument or famous cathedral while wandering around trying to find a bank, and every building is gorgeous in itself. So many red terra cotta roofs and stucco walls. All of which look well loved and used but never abused or in disrepair. I know I've said that to some of you before but it takes my breath away every time. I'm going to try to post pictures soon so that you can all share in the beauty that is Florence.
Be well, and lots of love!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Il Parte Prima
Buona Sera! My first day in Italy is coming to a close- a very very long day that started on Monday and ended on Tuesday. The jet lag was fairly brutal all day but now that I have the opportunity to finally sleep, it suddenly doesn't seem as crucial. I'm sure that I'll be out the second my head hits the pillow however. Florence is absolutely beautiful! The weather is fairly warm, probably upper 40s- warm enough to comfortably have a quick lunch outside in the jardino (the garden) on campus and sip an itty bitty espresso. So bitter and strong but so delicious! The Villa Rossa (the main building on campus) is so quaint and picturesque, as are all the buildings on camps. You feel like you're in a little slice of the Tuscan country side when you sit in the Jardino and look around. All buildings are incredible which is why I think it's such a gorgeous place. Lots of old architecture in this modern city. I even saw a glimpse of the Duomo from the bus! The Duomo! That's when it hit me that this isn't any old city. It's Florence!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Arrivederci!
Arrivederci family, friends and the good old East Coast! This morning I am off to the airport- leaving at 9:30 am for a 5:30 pm flight. Yay airport security! I'm pretty nervous right now and though I'm no longer wondering why I do these things to myself (that was last night at around 1:30 am) I am thinking what have I gotten myself into now??? Lots of love to everyone who put up with my worrying. I promise to make it all worth it and have an amazing experience. I'll write as soon as I have great stories to tell and pictures to share....as well as reliable internet connection. So for now I"m not going to say goodbye. I'm going to say Arrivederci (until I see you again) and Ciao (because this is both a hello and a goodbye)!
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