So I am finally back home in America, no culture shock yet..I haven't said grazie yet to anyone either. Last week I spent it with my parents visiting family in Torino for Easter, family in Genova near the Ligurian Coast, and finally wrapping up our visits in Rome. It was really fun to meet family that I had never met before. Some, had only seen me when I was a couple months old. This was my dad's first time back in Italy in 30 years, so it was really great for him to see his family.
All of the cities were really different, but really beautiful. Torino seemed like a great place to live, and really big! I liked it because it had both modern and old parts of the town. I met most of the relatives that I had never met before there. Zia Rita is my Nana Ida's sister, they are so much alike! It was really fun to finally meet the cousins I have heard so much about over the years.
In Genova, their main attraction is the ocean. We went to Portofino one day which is a beautiful area on the Italian Riviera. We saw the mansions of Dolce & Gabbana, Silvio Burlesconi, as well as other designers and famous people! I had the opportunity to go out with Alessandra (my cousin who is 19 years old) and her friends one night. Most know English so I was able to communicate with them. It was really fun and I made the observation that boys are the same everywhere! Her friends reminded me of my own.
We had already been to Rome before. In fact we were visiting the same family members that I visited in January. We were there during the Beatification of JP 2 so it was really crazy! Also, Obama and the other presidents of countries were meeting to discuss business. Rome was really crazy but we had a really great time seeing family and some of the sites! All in all it was a really fun and exciting week seeing family. It was hard to say hello and goodbye to people I had just met in two days. I know I will be back to Italy, there is no doubt about that. Some of the cousins even told me they want to visit the USA so that would be exciting for me to show them American culture.
I am so happy I decided to study abroad. I have learned so much about other cultures as well as myself! I am happy to be back home, also. But I already miss Italy and I will do all I can to go back soon. Thanks to everyone who read my blog. My mom told me a lot of people were commenting on it to her, I really appreciate it. It was my way of journaling and staying connected to what is happening at home.
We just took pictures on my parents' camera so I unfortunately don't have any to share on the blog...but if you pester my parents over e-mail they would be more than happy to send whoever wants to see pictures of the last leg of my trip to you. Thanks for reading! Baci to all!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
5 Terre, Heaven on Earth!
I spent my last weekend of my time as a student in Italy in Cinque Terre. And I decided I liked it even more than Amalfi Coast trip! My friend Ellen and I spent 2 days and 1 night in Monterosso Al Mare, the beach town and the 5th town of Cinque Terre. My friend Paige, another Gopher joined us the first day. We ate some pesto and mozzarella foccacia, had some gelato and then boated to the first town called Riomaggiore. Riomaggiore has really great colorful buildings all stacked close together. We walked from Riomaggiore to the next town, it started with a M but I can't seem to remember the name. Regardless, we did the walk of love together and reminisced about our time spent in Italy. The end verdict? We love the people from Minnesota and we love the city of Florence.
The next day Ellen and I were on a mission to hike! Recovering from my awful sinus infection, I was motivated and ready to kick some butt hitting as many towns as I could! Unfortunately, the main trail was closed. Of course! It was a beautiful day, but it was closed because it rained a week before...didn't make much sense. Our other option was to take one of the three unmarked trails, hike an hour and a half straight up hill, then hike another hour and a half straight downhill to reach the city directly next to Monterosso. We started to hike it, but it only took about 5 minutes of deciding that we would rather veg out and enjoy ourselves. Who were we kidding to think we could be athletic after stuffing our faces with Italian pastries and pastas and pizzas these last four months?? We ended up having a great day boating to Vernazza for only 3 euros and we ended up loving that town! Regardless of our lack of hiking we then headed home later that day. Monterosso has a great beach, would've like to spent more time there. I don't think a day trip would've been enough here, glad I spent the night.
Ellen is again, for the 50th time, my foodie friend. We split a dinner of black home made pasta (made with squid ink I believe), curry, zucchini and prawns. We also tried fish ravioli, which was really delicious and not as weird as it sounds.
I realize I have not vented a whole lot on this blog, which is probably a good thing. Here are a list of things I will miss, and things I will not miss. Might I add the things I will not miss are things I have taken with a grain a salt, and made me appreciate what I have at home!
It has hit me since I have been here that when I go home, I will not be 21. Normally this isn't a problem, however I am obsessed with great quality wine for cheap!!!! So even when I am 21 I will be whining (no pun intending) that my glass of wine costs $8 and that it tastes like Franzia. Italy has spoiled me in so many ways...this being one of them.
What I will miss...list could go on forever....1 euro cappuccinos, walking everywhere, affordable amazing no preservative food, my cute apartment, traveling the world every weekend, class once a week, markets...everywhere, lack of technology-no need for a cell phone, letting my undies dry any where and everywhere and have it be perfectly acceptable, Pino my man who makes my paninos, hearing people speaking a beautiful language everywhere I go...again the list could go on.
What I won't miss...crusty jeans because I don't have a dryer, creeper Italian & Albanian men, grocery shopping multiple times a week, slow internet, my feet are ALWAYS dirty, and cobblestone streets. I would say this list is definitely much shorter.
My parents have arrived! I have spent barely any time with them since I have had finals and they were in Cinque Terre this week! I will try to keep writing until May 2nd about family stories and situations that have happened while traveling with my family.
The next day Ellen and I were on a mission to hike! Recovering from my awful sinus infection, I was motivated and ready to kick some butt hitting as many towns as I could! Unfortunately, the main trail was closed. Of course! It was a beautiful day, but it was closed because it rained a week before...didn't make much sense. Our other option was to take one of the three unmarked trails, hike an hour and a half straight up hill, then hike another hour and a half straight downhill to reach the city directly next to Monterosso. We started to hike it, but it only took about 5 minutes of deciding that we would rather veg out and enjoy ourselves. Who were we kidding to think we could be athletic after stuffing our faces with Italian pastries and pastas and pizzas these last four months?? We ended up having a great day boating to Vernazza for only 3 euros and we ended up loving that town! Regardless of our lack of hiking we then headed home later that day. Monterosso has a great beach, would've like to spent more time there. I don't think a day trip would've been enough here, glad I spent the night.
I realize I have not vented a whole lot on this blog, which is probably a good thing. Here are a list of things I will miss, and things I will not miss. Might I add the things I will not miss are things I have taken with a grain a salt, and made me appreciate what I have at home!
It has hit me since I have been here that when I go home, I will not be 21. Normally this isn't a problem, however I am obsessed with great quality wine for cheap!!!! So even when I am 21 I will be whining (no pun intending) that my glass of wine costs $8 and that it tastes like Franzia. Italy has spoiled me in so many ways...this being one of them.
What I will miss...list could go on forever....1 euro cappuccinos, walking everywhere, affordable amazing no preservative food, my cute apartment, traveling the world every weekend, class once a week, markets...everywhere, lack of technology-no need for a cell phone, letting my undies dry any where and everywhere and have it be perfectly acceptable, Pino my man who makes my paninos, hearing people speaking a beautiful language everywhere I go...again the list could go on.
What I won't miss...crusty jeans because I don't have a dryer, creeper Italian & Albanian men, grocery shopping multiple times a week, slow internet, my feet are ALWAYS dirty, and cobblestone streets. I would say this list is definitely much shorter.
My parents have arrived! I have spent barely any time with them since I have had finals and they were in Cinque Terre this week! I will try to keep writing until May 2nd about family stories and situations that have happened while traveling with my family.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Lemons, Sun, and Mount Vesuvius!
This past weekend I traveled to the Amalfi Coast for my birthday! It was really fun. We stayed in Sorrento but we spent the days in Positano, Capri, and Pompeii. I went with the same group of girls I traveled with last weekend, a mix of U of M girls and Colorado Boulder girls. We went through Florence for Fun a student travel group and we ended up staying in a 4 star hotel which was a really nice change from hostels.
We arrived on Thursday night after a long ride there since our bus got hit by a car...everyone was alright but it definitely delayed the trip! It was cute too because the bus sang happy birthday to me at midnight. We took a day trip to Positano. Positano is a little beach town with lots of shopping, restaurants and really beautiful scenic beaches. We had amazing Neapolitan style pizza and relaxed on the beach with Peroni beers. That night we went to a local bar to celebrate my birthday. Other people from my program were at the same place, they played some fun music and overall I had a really fun night! Another girl was there who was turning 21 and we were wearing the same dress which was really ironic, we had to take a picture together.
The next day we went to Capri. We took a boat tour and saw the Blue Grotto which apparently is one of the 7 wonders of the world. We looked it up and are not quite sure if this is true, but it was really amazing to see. Capri was also so beautiful! Definitely really touristy but I loved being in little beach towns. It was really relaxing. We also had a limoncello tasting, I tried meloncello, cream limoncello and regular limoncello. All were delicious! Also, the Amalfi coast is also famous for their granitas and citrus fruits. So we had lots of lemon and orange granitas during our stay, they were soo good! The two girls leading our trip bought me a little bottle of limoncello for my birthday too, which was really nice of them.
On Sunday we traveled to Pompeii. We had a really cute old Italian man tour guide who brought us through the old, historical city. He was really fascinated by the brothels they had during this time and showed us exactly where they were. I felt like we talked about brothels for a lot of the time but we all thought it was funny. It was really interesting to see the 3 bodies and a dog that were on display. They were covered in rock materials but almost all had there hands covering their mouths and eyes to protect them from the gas that swarmed the city. After that we climbed Mount Vesuvius! I didn't know what to expect climbing or seeing what the volcano looks like but it was really cool. All of us felt really out of shape as we saw babies and old men and women climbing vesuvius, as all of us young girls were panting the entire way. The view was really spectacular and it felt good to get in some exercise and see a famous historical site!
We had great weather all weekend sunny with a light breeze and I didn't even get sunburned! It is now really coming to the end of my time here and it's starting to be a scary thought. My psychology teacher says we will never be the same person again after studying abroad. I am anxious to see my friends and family, but I know I will miss Italy more than ever. I might have to take up my chances to go to Belcastro in the summer from now on. My parents arrive in one week! I will be spending this Saturday and Sunday in Cinque Terre. I found a really great price for a private apartment in the city of Monterrosso Al Mare and I am really excited, I will be traveling with my friend Ellen (fellow foodie as she likes to say). My next post will be my last as a student, but I might share some stories and photos of my time traveling with my parents to visit my family in Italy. Can't believe it's almost over! Anyone want to join me in Europe next time??
Right now I unfortunately am sick with probably the worst sinus infection ever. I have been staying in at night, and doing homework has been hard to focus on. Finals next week too! I am going to a doctor to get antibiotics so I am hopefully better by Saturday when I leave for Cinque Terre.
I also got a chance last night (Tuesday) to go out to dinner with my 72 year old Italian landlord and his wife. They have been more than kind to us bringing us desserts or gifts throughout the semester so we thought we had to take them out! It was great seeing them interact together, and they even challenged us to only speak in Italian for part of the time! They are so wonderful and have lived through a lot of Italian history, it was great to hear their stories. I will definitely miss Franco but he did give us his email address so we can stay in contact for next time I come to Florence.
Well, I am off to the doctor now...lets hope I get better soon!
We arrived on Thursday night after a long ride there since our bus got hit by a car...everyone was alright but it definitely delayed the trip! It was cute too because the bus sang happy birthday to me at midnight. We took a day trip to Positano. Positano is a little beach town with lots of shopping, restaurants and really beautiful scenic beaches. We had amazing Neapolitan style pizza and relaxed on the beach with Peroni beers. That night we went to a local bar to celebrate my birthday. Other people from my program were at the same place, they played some fun music and overall I had a really fun night! Another girl was there who was turning 21 and we were wearing the same dress which was really ironic, we had to take a picture together.
Climbing Mount Vesuvius
On Sunday we traveled to Pompeii. We had a really cute old Italian man tour guide who brought us through the old, historical city. He was really fascinated by the brothels they had during this time and showed us exactly where they were. I felt like we talked about brothels for a lot of the time but we all thought it was funny. It was really interesting to see the 3 bodies and a dog that were on display. They were covered in rock materials but almost all had there hands covering their mouths and eyes to protect them from the gas that swarmed the city. After that we climbed Mount Vesuvius! I didn't know what to expect climbing or seeing what the volcano looks like but it was really cool. All of us felt really out of shape as we saw babies and old men and women climbing vesuvius, as all of us young girls were panting the entire way. The view was really spectacular and it felt good to get in some exercise and see a famous historical site!
We had great weather all weekend sunny with a light breeze and I didn't even get sunburned! It is now really coming to the end of my time here and it's starting to be a scary thought. My psychology teacher says we will never be the same person again after studying abroad. I am anxious to see my friends and family, but I know I will miss Italy more than ever. I might have to take up my chances to go to Belcastro in the summer from now on. My parents arrive in one week! I will be spending this Saturday and Sunday in Cinque Terre. I found a really great price for a private apartment in the city of Monterrosso Al Mare and I am really excited, I will be traveling with my friend Ellen (fellow foodie as she likes to say). My next post will be my last as a student, but I might share some stories and photos of my time traveling with my parents to visit my family in Italy. Can't believe it's almost over! Anyone want to join me in Europe next time??
Right now I unfortunately am sick with probably the worst sinus infection ever. I have been staying in at night, and doing homework has been hard to focus on. Finals next week too! I am going to a doctor to get antibiotics so I am hopefully better by Saturday when I leave for Cinque Terre.
I also got a chance last night (Tuesday) to go out to dinner with my 72 year old Italian landlord and his wife. They have been more than kind to us bringing us desserts or gifts throughout the semester so we thought we had to take them out! It was great seeing them interact together, and they even challenged us to only speak in Italian for part of the time! They are so wonderful and have lived through a lot of Italian history, it was great to hear their stories. I will definitely miss Franco but he did give us his email address so we can stay in contact for next time I come to Florence.
Well, I am off to the doctor now...lets hope I get better soon!
Monday, April 4, 2011
La Sangria Familia...BARCELONA
I spent this last weekend in Barcelona and loved every minute of it! The weather was beautiful, sunny everyday! A little too sunny at times considering we all got so sun burned and walked around the city looking like lobster tourists. I went with ten girls, which was a lot of fun. It was a group of girls I hadn't traveled with yet and I really had a lot of fun getting to know new people even within the last weeks of the program. I was also so thrilled because I met up with my friend Madie, from the U of M who is studying in London at one of the clubs. I was so happy about this since I didn't get a chance to visit her, it was so amazing seeing her!
On the first day we hung out at the beach and walked around the city a lot. We had a paella dinner and lots and lots of sangria which is a delicious fruit and wine drink. Late afternoon (on almost everyday I think) we had a siesta. Yes, you heard right. I knew that I couldn't go to Barcelona without experiencing their beach night life....which might I add the locals stay out until 6 am. I realize I do not have the stamina to be able to do that or study abroad in a city like Barcelona! We didn't make it out even close to that late, but it was fun to be able to go out, dance and have a good time. Plus, we were celebrating my friend Devon's 21st birthday. The next day we did a Gaudi tour around Barcelona which was really amazing. La Segrada Familia is the unfinished incredible Gaudi church. We didn't go inside because of time and money but it was great to hear stories about it, it was the last work of Gaudi before he died. He also knew he wouldn't finish it so he left tons of drawings for people to keep his work going. The whole tour was free and he told us really amazing pieces of information. Did you know George Lucas was inspired by chimney's on one of Gaudi's designs for the look of the Stormtrooper's in Star Wars? Thought my dad would enjoy knowing that.
One of my favorite things in Barcelona besides the beach and the food and all the Gaudi was the market La Boqueria (spelling). It was fabulous! I liked it because it had a lot of fresh fruit juices and mixed fruit cups, something you don't find much of in Italy. It was so delicious and so cheap! We wanted to go back there for lunch one day but it was closed, we were happy to have seen it while we did.
Again, the food was amazing. I was told a lot of things are fried but I didn't find that true. I had a lot of seafood, paella, different types of salads, and tapas! Tapas are their form of appetizers. These are what I heard was fried, but we ordered a lot of seafood, potatas bravas (potatoes with a paprika-garlic mayo type topping--so delicious but probably horrible for you...), and sauteed vegetables! I found most things to be quite healthy. We kept looking for churros, but I think they are more popular in Madrid. We also laughed at all the gelato stores because they can never live up to Italy gelato!
We spent 4 nights in Spain which was a long time. Usually, everyone is ready to go home to Florence by Sunday but we wanted to stay we loved it so much! It definitely felt like vacation though, probably because I associated vacation + hot weather together. I am now so much more curious about places like Sevilla, Toledo and Madrid that I have heard great things about and want to see all of Spain. Next weekend I will be going to the Amalfi Coast which is Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri and I cannot wait! I am hoping for beautiful weather and I am especially excited because it is my birthday! The days are diminishing while I am here and it's getting sad...not looking forward to going home broke and jobless. So that's why I have to enjoy it while it lasts and at least I have my parents to join me after my program ends. I am really really looking forward to that. Adios Amigos! Now I have to go back to saying Ciao...all these language changes make my brain hurt!
On the first day we hung out at the beach and walked around the city a lot. We had a paella dinner and lots and lots of sangria which is a delicious fruit and wine drink. Late afternoon (on almost everyday I think) we had a siesta. Yes, you heard right. I knew that I couldn't go to Barcelona without experiencing their beach night life....which might I add the locals stay out until 6 am. I realize I do not have the stamina to be able to do that or study abroad in a city like Barcelona! We didn't make it out even close to that late, but it was fun to be able to go out, dance and have a good time. Plus, we were celebrating my friend Devon's 21st birthday. The next day we did a Gaudi tour around Barcelona which was really amazing. La Segrada Familia is the unfinished incredible Gaudi church. We didn't go inside because of time and money but it was great to hear stories about it, it was the last work of Gaudi before he died. He also knew he wouldn't finish it so he left tons of drawings for people to keep his work going. The whole tour was free and he told us really amazing pieces of information. Did you know George Lucas was inspired by chimney's on one of Gaudi's designs for the look of the Stormtrooper's in Star Wars? Thought my dad would enjoy knowing that.
One of my favorite things in Barcelona besides the beach and the food and all the Gaudi was the market La Boqueria (spelling). It was fabulous! I liked it because it had a lot of fresh fruit juices and mixed fruit cups, something you don't find much of in Italy. It was so delicious and so cheap! We wanted to go back there for lunch one day but it was closed, we were happy to have seen it while we did.
Again, the food was amazing. I was told a lot of things are fried but I didn't find that true. I had a lot of seafood, paella, different types of salads, and tapas! Tapas are their form of appetizers. These are what I heard was fried, but we ordered a lot of seafood, potatas bravas (potatoes with a paprika-garlic mayo type topping--so delicious but probably horrible for you...), and sauteed vegetables! I found most things to be quite healthy. We kept looking for churros, but I think they are more popular in Madrid. We also laughed at all the gelato stores because they can never live up to Italy gelato!
We spent 4 nights in Spain which was a long time. Usually, everyone is ready to go home to Florence by Sunday but we wanted to stay we loved it so much! It definitely felt like vacation though, probably because I associated vacation + hot weather together. I am now so much more curious about places like Sevilla, Toledo and Madrid that I have heard great things about and want to see all of Spain. Next weekend I will be going to the Amalfi Coast which is Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri and I cannot wait! I am hoping for beautiful weather and I am especially excited because it is my birthday! The days are diminishing while I am here and it's getting sad...not looking forward to going home broke and jobless. So that's why I have to enjoy it while it lasts and at least I have my parents to join me after my program ends. I am really really looking forward to that. Adios Amigos! Now I have to go back to saying Ciao...all these language changes make my brain hurt!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Beer, Castles, and a lot of Potatoes
Last weekend I took an overnight bus to Prague, Czech Republic with a friend from high school, Elizabeth Mountain. It was so so nice to catch up with her, we had a long bus ride to do so too! Butt was a little sore, but it wasn’t too horrible and definitely the cheaper option.
On our first day we did a free walking tour, which was a little slow and we ended up leaving and went to go try our first steins of Czech beer. It was super affordable for quite a bit of beer, we were really full for the rest of the day then. I am not exactly a huge beer drinker, but it was fun to try their local beer. For dinner we went to a traditional Czech restaurant. We each had beef with a traditional sauce (tasted like a gravy) and potato dumplings. It was really heavy! And even more filling with a stein of beer. Our stomachs felt like we wanted to explode after, but hey you gotta try the local cuisine!
Some other sites we saw were the Charles Bridge, which is beautiful. We also saw the John Lennon Wall, which since the 1980’s has been a average wall but it is covered in graffiti. In the late 80’s the wall was a source of letting out irritation for the Communist Regime. You can’t see the picture of John Lennon that once used to be there, but it is covered with plenty of lyrics and Beatles memorabilia. I really liked this and was happy to be informed of the history behind it. We also saw the Prague Castle with is a huge area made up of palaces and a cathedral. It almost looks like its own little town. Elizabeth and I were picturing a castle from Shrek, but it was really interesting to see how different this was from a typical castle. We checked out the Old Jewish Cemetery, which was incredible. There are over 100,000 burials within the cemetery with 12,000 tombstones showing. They are all crooked and stacked amongst each other it’s really quite a site to see.
Prague nightlife is usually pretty popular. We were able to “Czech” out the 5 story club as well as a 80’s themed club that I really loved. The 5 story club had a different music theme on each floor and it is a pretty big tourist attraction. The 80’s club not only played 80’s music, but used every wall to play the music videos too. Never heard so much ABBA in my life!
I really loved Prague. The architecture was incredibly, and the city was so unique and very historical. I love Florence but it is really nice to go to places that are so different from Italian culture. I am at the only 3 weeks left mark. It makes me a little sad but I am definitely anxious to get back home to see people that I have been missing. I need to enjoy my cappuccinos and gelato while it lasts. My parents have been tempting me by skyping during their dinner time. My mom made stir fry with peanut sauce! Italy has beyond amazing food but I definitely want some variation in my life!
This weekend I will be going to Barcelona for 4 nights with 10 girls. It will be an adventure! I am excited though for the Gaudi, food, and finally being able to somewhat speak a language. Only things I am nervous about are what I have heard about pickpockets and speaking Spanish when I arrive back in Italy! Should be an exciting weekend.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Home Sweet Home Firenze
On Thursday of this week it was Italy's 150th Unification Celebration! So if you were Italian, you wouldn't have to go to school or work that day. All of the festivities happened on Wednesday night. There was a band playing at Santa Croce, and then fireworks were set off on top of Palazzo Vecchio (old Medici Palace). There was Italian flags EVERYWHERE. Even the Ponte Vecchio had the light outline of the Italian flag on it. My adorable old man landlord left us a note saying "I hope you don't mind I put a Italian flag outside of your apartment balcony. I like being Italian." It was a fun and proud moment for me to be able to say I am Italian!
Later that night I had the opportunity to attend a 18 year old Italian boy's birthday party. My friend Natalie's homestay brother, Pietro was having a party at a nearby club. We walked in and the bartender looked at us and knew we were all 20 + years old. It was really hilarious to see these boys get excited American girls were there. Our main lines for the night were "Sono vecchia." I am old and "Io ho venti anni, tu hai deicisette anni." I am twenty, you are seventeen. Regardless it was really interesting to be around Italians and not Americans for once.
This past week it had been overcast and rainy. But I woke up Friday morning and it was beautiful out! Since I don't have class on Friday, my friend Ellen and I decided to roam the city center and also go to the Boboli Gardens. The Boboli Gardens were huge and really beautiful. Whenever I walk through all the historical sites around the city I am so amazed they are the same rooms and gardens people lived in hundreds of years ago! We also were able to see a costume gallery inside Palazzo Pitti. That was fascinating to guess what year the garments were made.
We had made plans to go to the market and then make dinner together that night since I had my whole apartment to myself this weekend. The market is my new favorite place to shop. Everything is fresh and affordable, especially for cooking for one or two. We ended up buying pear and pecorino ravioli, french bread, garlic and parsley chicken meatballs, fresh tomatoes, squash, asparagus, and for dessert a chocolate raspberry torte brownie. It ended up being really delicious. We enjoyed dinner with my bottle of Chianti Classico I bought from my vineyard visit a few weeks back. As Ellen says we are both foodies and that is probably why we get along so well. Being here in Italy has really made me want to try new things and experiment with my cooking skills more. I am looking into taking a cooking class the last few weeks of the semester, hopefully.
We had made plans to go to the market and then make dinner together that night since I had my whole apartment to myself this weekend. The market is my new favorite place to shop. Everything is fresh and affordable, especially for cooking for one or two. We ended up buying pear and pecorino ravioli, french bread, garlic and parsley chicken meatballs, fresh tomatoes, squash, asparagus, and for dessert a chocolate raspberry torte brownie. It ended up being really delicious. We enjoyed dinner with my bottle of Chianti Classico I bought from my vineyard visit a few weeks back. As Ellen says we are both foodies and that is probably why we get along so well. Being here in Italy has really made me want to try new things and experiment with my cooking skills more. I am looking into taking a cooking class the last few weeks of the semester, hopefully.
Yesterday was Saturday and I went to Fiesole, a town full of hills and villas. Also, part of my reasoning for making a trip to Fiesole is that I have heard that is where all the soccer players live : ) It ended up being a very overcast day, but it didn't rain on us which is all we cared about. We hiked through the woods and it was really fun, we didn't feel like we were in Italy it felt like we were back home in Minnesota!
Overall, I had a really great week. It is scary to count forward because I only have 4 weekends counting next weekend left of my program. It will be bittersweet for me because I miss my family and friends so much at home, but I have become sentimental about Florence. I love it so much here! I know at home when I order a caffe I won't be receiving an espresso for 1 euro but a cup of gross American coffee for 3 dollars. I won't be able to walk anywhere, or buy fresh mozzarella for 40 euro cents, or have free passes to see museums. But at the same time, I am fortunate enough to have studied abroad, for many people are not able to. At the end my parents are visiting and we will be going to see my family around Italy. Next blog entry will be all about Prague! I am going with a high school friend, Elizabeth Mountain who is studying at Gonzaga in Florence.
I also got great news that Lady Gaga and possibly other artists will be giving a free concert on April 20th just a couple days before my program is over at Santa Croce! Very excited for that.
Later that night I had the opportunity to attend a 18 year old Italian boy's birthday party. My friend Natalie's homestay brother, Pietro was having a party at a nearby club. We walked in and the bartender looked at us and knew we were all 20 + years old. It was really hilarious to see these boys get excited American girls were there. Our main lines for the night were "Sono vecchia." I am old and "Io ho venti anni, tu hai deicisette anni." I am twenty, you are seventeen. Regardless it was really interesting to be around Italians and not Americans for once.
We had made plans to go to the market and then make dinner together that night since I had my whole apartment to myself this weekend. The market is my new favorite place to shop. Everything is fresh and affordable, especially for cooking for one or two. We ended up buying pear and pecorino ravioli, french bread, garlic and parsley chicken meatballs, fresh tomatoes, squash, asparagus, and for dessert a chocolate raspberry torte brownie. It ended up being really delicious. We enjoyed dinner with my bottle of Chianti Classico I bought from my vineyard visit a few weeks back. As Ellen says we are both foodies and that is probably why we get along so well. Being here in Italy has really made me want to try new things and experiment with my cooking skills more. I am looking into taking a cooking class the last few weeks of the semester, hopefully.
We had made plans to go to the market and then make dinner together that night since I had my whole apartment to myself this weekend. The market is my new favorite place to shop. Everything is fresh and affordable, especially for cooking for one or two. We ended up buying pear and pecorino ravioli, french bread, garlic and parsley chicken meatballs, fresh tomatoes, squash, asparagus, and for dessert a chocolate raspberry torte brownie. It ended up being really delicious. We enjoyed dinner with my bottle of Chianti Classico I bought from my vineyard visit a few weeks back. As Ellen says we are both foodies and that is probably why we get along so well. Being here in Italy has really made me want to try new things and experiment with my cooking skills more. I am looking into taking a cooking class the last few weeks of the semester, hopefully.
Yesterday was Saturday and I went to Fiesole, a town full of hills and villas. Also, part of my reasoning for making a trip to Fiesole is that I have heard that is where all the soccer players live : ) It ended up being a very overcast day, but it didn't rain on us which is all we cared about. We hiked through the woods and it was really fun, we didn't feel like we were in Italy it felt like we were back home in Minnesota!
Overall, I had a really great week. It is scary to count forward because I only have 4 weekends counting next weekend left of my program. It will be bittersweet for me because I miss my family and friends so much at home, but I have become sentimental about Florence. I love it so much here! I know at home when I order a caffe I won't be receiving an espresso for 1 euro but a cup of gross American coffee for 3 dollars. I won't be able to walk anywhere, or buy fresh mozzarella for 40 euro cents, or have free passes to see museums. But at the same time, I am fortunate enough to have studied abroad, for many people are not able to. At the end my parents are visiting and we will be going to see my family around Italy. Next blog entry will be all about Prague! I am going with a high school friend, Elizabeth Mountain who is studying at Gonzaga in Florence.
I also got great news that Lady Gaga and possibly other artists will be giving a free concert on April 20th just a couple days before my program is over at Santa Croce! Very excited for that.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Spring Break: Istanbul, Athens and Santorini
This Spring Break experience was really incredible. I traveled with 6 girls and then another joined us in Greece making a group of 7. Usually that is hard to do, but I would say it worked out surprisingly well. We first trained to Rome where our flight to Istanbul takes off, and we made a plan to sleep in the air port. 3 of us took turns staying awake. Of course I got the worst shift ever of 4 am and got to witness the hobos digging through the trash around us...but man was that an interesting experience. If I can help it it won't happen again for me, but it could've been worse! Plus we saved a lot of money by not staying in a hostel.
We then started off in Istanbul, Turkey which I must say is so far one of my favorite cities. I loved the architecture, the tile, the Mosques, the food. Everything. I had no idea how massive of a city it is. Fortunately, our hostel was located 5 minutes away from the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace. On our first day in Istanbul we did the Bosphorous Tour. So we got on a huge ferry ship and got to see Istanbul at all ends. We were a bit confused where the Asian side was, but it was really beautiful. Lots of picture taking! We then had lunch on a little city right off the pier and enjoyed fresh fresh fresh sea bass. It was so delicious. We had to dig the meat out of the actual fish.
The majority of the city is Muslim so we would be eating lunch, or sleeping in our hostel at 4 am and we could hear them saying prayers into the microphone throughout the whole city. Even though it disturbed my sleep, it was really really interesting to be around. I loved the tile inside the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. It was incredible and definitely my kind of style when it comes to art and architecture. There were also a lot of mosaic pieces. When we visited the Topkapi Palace we could tell we were the only people there who didn't truly understand the history. There were huge lines to a few rooms, once we got in there were really amazing jewels. Lots of people around me were getting in trouble for taking pictures. But again, it was hard to fully understand what we were looking at without knowing the history. But we tried!
We had some really great street food when we were there. Highlights were a special drink, yup that's the name of it...that they sold on the street especially when it got cool out. It tasted to me like tapioca pudding (not the texture) with nutmeg and cinnamon. Really delicious and probably God awful for me too. Apple tea was everywhere and really great. Kebabs, and lots of baked vegetable and meat dishes were the most popular. I tried what looked like a sesame bagel that they sold on the streets. We were hungry, it was cold out, and the man was yelling "hot hot hot hot" so we thought how perfect! It wasn't hot, but it still tasted pretty good. We had lots of Turkish delight which were surprisingly good. But now every time I saw them in the airports or in Greece it made me feel sick because of how many samples I tried. The pastries in Turkey were also to die for. They were thick and dense and way more filling than Italian croissants. A lot had chocolate, nuts, and apple. They were a definite breakfast food, we had at least one a day when we were there.
Two of my favorite things were definitely the bazaars and the Turkish Baths. The two Bazaars were the Grand Bazaar that has jewelry, ceramics, clothing, bags, everything...and then the Spice Bazaar had mainly tea and spices. I definitely got my barter on (sometimes I was really awful at it) and came out with a decent dent in my wallet, but everything I bought is definitely worth it. Turkey was a great place to buy gifts. I had a really great lentil soup there with warm pita at the Bazaar too.
The Turkish Baths were quite the experience. Our hostel kept recommending an affordable one, but sometimes we are hesitant they are getting a deal for telling us that. We did it anywhere, just because they offered us a ride! Man o man I still can't believe what we saw. Old, overweight, toothless, Turkish women topless everywhere with their panties hanging off their butts. We didn't fully understand the concept of a Turkish bath. We knew you were naked, and we knew water was involved. But most of us thought we would be getting into hot tub like pools. Nope. We walked in the room with our thin gingham towels around us and walked into a huge open space with only large sinks filled with hot water. One of my friends unwillingly got her towel grabbed off her by an old lady who was demonstrating to us how we were supposed to do it. We had a good laugh then clapped and told her she handled herself well. It was really hilarious. We were shy because of how out in the open the baths were, but we later got the courage to strip down and jump in the cool pool that we found.
We flew from Istanbul to Athens. We landed in Athens to a snow storm...and we found out the Acropolis was closed which was probably good and bad news in the end. Our ferry the next day was also canceled, and we did not want to be stuck in Athens (which none of us were fond of anyway) in the snow storm. So we did a bit of a last minute splurge and hopped on a 30 minute flight to Santorini. The last Sunday of our trip we headed back to Athens and enjoyed major sunshine and the Acropolis. Athens almost redeemed itself at that point.
Once we got to Santorini there was sunshine, but there were also flurries and rain. We thought oh crap, did this flight for nothing. However the next day, it only rained a little bit and was overcast so we enjoyed a wine tasting and tour of a winery which was really interesting. From that point on out though, everything was smooth sailing. Every restaurant we went to we were given free ouzo, limoncello shots and desserts. We definitely got the spoiled treatment because tourist season hadn't started yet. Everyone was really kind to us, it was nice to experience small town people being friendly. In Greece we ate lots of Mousakka a potato, beef, and bechamel sauce dish. We also had some really great fresh cod, greek salads, gyros and lamb dishes. The Baklava was insane as well. It was oozing out of our mouths, best I have ever had hands down. We tried to order everything as Greek as we could. I fell in love with the food! It was so delicious. Every meal we kept saying "wow that is my favorite yet".
My favorite part about Santorini had to be renting an ATV and riding the whole entire island. We started off and saw the red sand and black sand beaches which were BEAUTFUL. Everything was so picturesque. I really couldn't believe my eyes. Way way way better then Mexico. People must go to Greece! Then we ended our day watching the famous sunset at Oia by 5 pm. All of the buildings, the water, the beaches, the cliffs, in Santorini are so unbelievable. This is definitely a place I want to go back sometime. We then took a ferry back to Athens and like I said before finally enjoyed the Acropolis and Olympic grounds.
All in all Spring Break was a HUGE success. One girl I was with found out her debit card number was stolen in Florence, another got her wallet stolen in Athens during the last 30 minutes of our vacation, and the other accidently booked the flight that left Saturday instead of Sunday and missed her flight by a day...but hey a week of traveling and a total of multiple train rides, 5 flights, ferrying and metro-ing everywhere we didn't fail too badly.
We then started off in Istanbul, Turkey which I must say is so far one of my favorite cities. I loved the architecture, the tile, the Mosques, the food. Everything. I had no idea how massive of a city it is. Fortunately, our hostel was located 5 minutes away from the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace. On our first day in Istanbul we did the Bosphorous Tour. So we got on a huge ferry ship and got to see Istanbul at all ends. We were a bit confused where the Asian side was, but it was really beautiful. Lots of picture taking! We then had lunch on a little city right off the pier and enjoyed fresh fresh fresh sea bass. It was so delicious. We had to dig the meat out of the actual fish.
The majority of the city is Muslim so we would be eating lunch, or sleeping in our hostel at 4 am and we could hear them saying prayers into the microphone throughout the whole city. Even though it disturbed my sleep, it was really really interesting to be around. I loved the tile inside the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. It was incredible and definitely my kind of style when it comes to art and architecture. There were also a lot of mosaic pieces. When we visited the Topkapi Palace we could tell we were the only people there who didn't truly understand the history. There were huge lines to a few rooms, once we got in there were really amazing jewels. Lots of people around me were getting in trouble for taking pictures. But again, it was hard to fully understand what we were looking at without knowing the history. But we tried!
We had some really great street food when we were there. Highlights were a special drink, yup that's the name of it...that they sold on the street especially when it got cool out. It tasted to me like tapioca pudding (not the texture) with nutmeg and cinnamon. Really delicious and probably God awful for me too. Apple tea was everywhere and really great. Kebabs, and lots of baked vegetable and meat dishes were the most popular. I tried what looked like a sesame bagel that they sold on the streets. We were hungry, it was cold out, and the man was yelling "hot hot hot hot" so we thought how perfect! It wasn't hot, but it still tasted pretty good. We had lots of Turkish delight which were surprisingly good. But now every time I saw them in the airports or in Greece it made me feel sick because of how many samples I tried. The pastries in Turkey were also to die for. They were thick and dense and way more filling than Italian croissants. A lot had chocolate, nuts, and apple. They were a definite breakfast food, we had at least one a day when we were there.
Two of my favorite things were definitely the bazaars and the Turkish Baths. The two Bazaars were the Grand Bazaar that has jewelry, ceramics, clothing, bags, everything...and then the Spice Bazaar had mainly tea and spices. I definitely got my barter on (sometimes I was really awful at it) and came out with a decent dent in my wallet, but everything I bought is definitely worth it. Turkey was a great place to buy gifts. I had a really great lentil soup there with warm pita at the Bazaar too.
We flew from Istanbul to Athens. We landed in Athens to a snow storm...and we found out the Acropolis was closed which was probably good and bad news in the end. Our ferry the next day was also canceled, and we did not want to be stuck in Athens (which none of us were fond of anyway) in the snow storm. So we did a bit of a last minute splurge and hopped on a 30 minute flight to Santorini. The last Sunday of our trip we headed back to Athens and enjoyed major sunshine and the Acropolis. Athens almost redeemed itself at that point.
Once we got to Santorini there was sunshine, but there were also flurries and rain. We thought oh crap, did this flight for nothing. However the next day, it only rained a little bit and was overcast so we enjoyed a wine tasting and tour of a winery which was really interesting. From that point on out though, everything was smooth sailing. Every restaurant we went to we were given free ouzo, limoncello shots and desserts. We definitely got the spoiled treatment because tourist season hadn't started yet. Everyone was really kind to us, it was nice to experience small town people being friendly. In Greece we ate lots of Mousakka a potato, beef, and bechamel sauce dish. We also had some really great fresh cod, greek salads, gyros and lamb dishes. The Baklava was insane as well. It was oozing out of our mouths, best I have ever had hands down. We tried to order everything as Greek as we could. I fell in love with the food! It was so delicious. Every meal we kept saying "wow that is my favorite yet".
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