Paris Take Two

As the semester is flashing by me I just can't seem to catch it.  This semester aboard has been one of the best decisions of my life.  I'm not sure if I am ready for it to be over just quite yet.  So here is some of the recaps from Paris & a few other wonderful cities in Europe...

The Musee d'Orsay could be my favorite museum that I have ever visited.  The museum is housed in a old railway station built in the 1848.  The d'Orsay houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces in the world.  Some of my favorites Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir and Van Gogh.

Here are just a few of the wonderful paintings that I saw & loved.  These are by no means my photos or copies of the real deals.  Just some wonderful google images. 

claude monet coquelicots

vincent van gogh la nuit étoilée

paul signac entree duport

 edgar degas la classe de danse

We also made it over the to the Louvre where we saw the one and only, Mona Lisa by Leonardo de Vinci.  If you want to get close to the very small portrait you have to fight your way to the front amongst typical Asian tourist (rude, pushy & loud).  While attempting to fight my way to the front I saw a lady get pick pocketed by a small child.  I was too late in understanding what was going on.  The security guard came running over to the lady and asked her to check her purse and of course she had no clue that the small child had stolen her wallet.  Horrible that the world has to come down to this, but I firmly believe that each and everyone of us can make this a better world.

Other wonderful stops on our Paris trip:  Arch de Triumph, Moulin Rouge, The Famous Champs-Elysees with stopping into the store Louis Vuitton, Notre Dome, & the famous love lock bridge.

& don't forget tons of laughs 

:)

Paris

Can't believe that I have let my blog slip.  I guess this happens when you start traveling the world and forget about the small things like writing down your wonderful experiences.  Since I have last wrote I have been to Paris, Venice, Amalfi Coast which included Naples, Pompei, Sorrento, Capri and Positano.

Paris! Paris! Paris!  The iconic city.  The Eiffel Tower & Paris dominate the designs of Target to Hobby Lobby picture frames.  Besides being the city of Love I didn't know quite what to expect.   

We started off by walking to the train station in Florence at 3:30 pm, caught a bus to Pisa, plane to Beauvais France, then bus to Paris, and finally a few metro stops to our hostel at 11:45 pm.  By this time I was starving with the lack of good airport food, I was almost ready to pass out.  After a quick search of food (about 40 minutes) we finally found somewhere that would serve us food after 12 am.  Without food I am not Lindsy.  I get angry easily.  I can become as dangerous as a wild animal.

That burger and French fries saved me and it wasn't pasta! After pasta everyday, twice a day a burger was real nice :)

After a great nights sleep we had our hostel breakfast; bread, cereal and coffee out of a bowl.  We then set out for Versallies, which the underlined part is silent.  So you would pronounce it Ver-sigh.  I have never even came close to learning french and my phonics is not anywhere close to up to code.  Versallies is where the King and Queen of France once lived; the Famous Marie Antoinette even lived there and had her own side cottage and gardens.

My favorite thing about Ver-SIGH was the interior of the buildings and palaces.  The French had amazing patterns. Pastels, swirls, flowers, lilies, blues, pinks, gorgeous canopy beds, wonderful flowing curtains, doorways made of gold, every ceiling painted, and a room of mirrors. 

Waiting for the train back into Paris I met some ladies from North Dakota.  So nice to meet someone that is from the mid-west.  From the train we took a few metro stops to the Eiffel tower.  This is where I started jumping up and down with Kaitlyn.  We strung for a couple of extra euros and took the elevator to the top :)  Chelsea decided to stay on the second landing from fear of heights, so Kaitlyn and I shared a glass of Champagne on the top of the Eiffel tower while the sun was setting over Paris.  Cheers to P13 (Pairs 2013)!

More to come on Pairs... I can't even write because I am so excited for the arrival of my MOM & SISTER! 

Hope everyone is doing well back in the states! I am very blessed to be here traveling Europe.  Thank you all for your thoughts and payers.

Rome in Two Days

Make sure to check out the tips and tricks of traveling!  Okay, so Rome is a big city as I have said before with tons and tons of history.  But if your like me you don't have much time to spend there and need to see as much as possible in the time that you are there.  So here is a two day guide, my style :)

If you are staying close to the train station or the hotel that I suggested in tips and tricks, I would check in early afternoon and unload your luggage.  Ask the front desk for a map of the city and metro.  I would head straight for the Colosseum, it is about a 15 minute walk.  The Colosseum never fails to impress and one of my favorite sights.  The opening hours are from 9am to 1 hour before sunset.  Once inside the Colosseum I would suggest buying a guide or audio tour (for me has been worth the money every time)!  After a nice tour of the Colosseum settle in for a early dinner close by.  This way you can come back and gaze at the Colosseum all lit up at night, really breathtaking.

If you are not that tired head to the Trevi Fountian by the metro.  Take the Colosseo (line B) to Termini and switch to line A where you will head towards Battistini and get off at Barberini.  I know this all sounds really confusing if you have never used a metro before, but if you have the map in your hands and these directions you will do just fine :)  Or if you are beat from all the traveling head back to the hotel for a great nights rest. 

Getting up early will be essential to your success today. 

I would get to Vatican City first thing in the morning and by metro.  I would start with the Vatican Museums, the richest museum in the world.  It opens at different times year round and with special events.  I would check their website for exact times, but I would try to be there by 8am to wait in line for the opening.  When ending the tour in the Sistine Chapel (very very very amazing art work) make sure to exit the museum via the right rear door.  This will allow you to go directly to St. Peters Basilica, this could save you up to two hours.  However, on special events the exit is closed where you will just have to walk back out and around.  St. Peters is definitely worth the wait if you like seeing gold, bronze and marble.

After Vatican City it could be time for a lunch break after seeing all the amazing art work.  From there I would start walking towards the city center.  Along the way make sure to see Castel Sant' Angelo, Piazza Navona, Piazza Campo D. Fiori (great shopping and food), the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps. 

After this you are going to be ready for a nap on the train. :) If you have any questions don't be afaid to email me.  lindsy_gumb@hotmail.com

P.S.  Jorge Bergoflio of Argentina is the NEW POPE!

Hope all is well! Love from Italy

Tips, Tricks & Must Do's in Italy

Don't live by these suggestions but they could save your life ;)

• Don't bring large amounts of the US dollar.  Exchanging from US dollar to the euro will only get you about half of your money back.  For example $100 will get you 55 Euros.  The best way to get money changed to the Euro is by telling your bank ahead of time that you are traveling and you can also check the exchange rate they charge.  You will also need to tell them exactly where you are going and on what dates.  From there you can take a debt or credit card to any ATM and withdraw money.  Every ATM that I have used was capable of changing the language to English. 
• Buy a English/Italian dictornary before you leave the US.  Small enough that it will fit in a purse or bag.  Make sure it has a few basic phrases too. 
• Pickpockets are a terrible issue that you face when traveling in Europe.  Whenever I travel I use a waist money belt that I bought from Wal-Mart.  I would highly suggest putting your passport, train/plane tickets, cash and cards into your belt underneath your shirt.  I personal do not carry a purse.  I know 5 people in my program that have been pick-pocketed since we have been here.  They had no idea that it had happened until they tried to buy something later in the day. If you do bring a purse please have your hand on it and in front of you at all times. 
•  http://www.walmart.com/ip/Waist-Money-Belt/9107582 

•  Pack light!!!!  Advice that I have heard from tons of people as well as believe myself.  Bring twice the money and half the clothes.  You are going to want to take home all of the treasures of Italy and let me tell you there is so much that you are going to want to buy. 
• Think twice about bringing your iphone or expensive smart phone.  I brought my sisters old ipod touch and I am so glad I did.  Before you leave the US you can download texting apps that allow you to text other phones for free if you have WiFi.  Some café s and restaurants have free WiFi along with your hotel or hostel. 

 
The best way to get from city to city is most likely going to be the train.  The train website is:

Trenitalia Link

The link above is in English.  It can be tough to navigate through the website.  Keep patience and you will get your ticket.  

Rome

A great hotel at a great price is Aenea Superior Inn Rome.  It is not a usual hotel by American standards with it being located inside of a residential apartment building.  It is located on the 2nd floor with 15 rooms.  You have your own private bathroom and breakfast in the morning.  Along with a mini fridge, coffee pot and kettle. Very clean and well kept.  They also have free Wifi which is very important if you are traveling with only a ipod or computer. 

Aenea Superior Inn Rome Link


Tomorrow I will be posting: "How to see Rome in two day!" 

Rome Take Two

When in Rome...

The Rome Excursion was planned by our school, Richmond.  This was nice to have a planned out itinerary without having to plan or book a single thing.  This time around I went to so many more churches and museums, plus went back again to all the popular sites.  

Rome is a giant city.  For public transport they have buses, underground trains, and regular trains.  I am starting to get the hang of metro systems and how they work, however buses are harder for me to understand.  There are bus stations and stops all over the city and run at different spread out times.  So I generally take the metro.

But in the case of Rome the metro only runs around the outside of the city center because today's Rome is built over Ancient Rome and all of the ruins.  This leads to lots and lots of walking which I am so familiar with now.

The first day in Rome we visited Pizza di Spagna, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountian and about 5 churches with well known painters works.  Pizza di Spagna is known for it's Spanish Steps.  The monumental stairway has 135 steps.  We did not see the Spanish Steps as they usual are.  It is forbidden to eat or drink on the steps.  However, there had been a very important soccer game that day against a German team.  The Germans had taken over the steps and then the police came and kicked all of the Germans off.  The steps were littered with spilled beer and broken glass.  We were not allowed on the steps while they were cleaning up the mess.

The Trevi Fountian is such monumental fountain.  The fountain is actually just the face of a building.  The fountain is at the junction of three roads which marks the terminal point one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome.  The ancient story goes, throw one coin in and you will return to Rome, throw a second coin in and you will fall in love and if you throw a third coin in you will get married.  So guess how many coins I threw in?  Yep, that's right I threw THREE in!

On our second day in Rome we went to The Vatican Museums & St. Peter's Basilica.  I learned so much about the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo.  The Pope at the time commissioned him to come and build the sculptures for a tomb, but early in the project the Pope changed his mind and told Michelangelo that he was supposed to paint a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Michelangelo at that time had never painted a fresco before.  He thought painting was dumb and for the weak.  Michelangelo was so mad at the Pope for making him change the project that he left Rome and went back to Florence.  The Pope then threatened war with Florence if Michelangelo did not come back to Rome and paint for him.  Michelangelo dragged his feet back to Rome where he created a masterpiece.

As I said before he had never done a fresco before, so halfway through painting the ceiling it began to rot.  He once again had to start from scratch.  The fresco only took him four years to complete.  Contrary to popular belief he never laid down to paint the ceiling.  He stood and painted from scaffolding that he created himself.  Can you image day and night standing, painting and looking up for four years of your life.  The pain would be unbearable.  Did you know that Michelangelo also wrote. 

Michelangelo: To Giovanni da Pistoia
"When the Author Was Painting the Vault of the Sistine Chapel" 1509

I've already grown a goiter from this torture,
hunched up here like a cat in Lombardy
(or anywhere else where the stagnant water's poison).
My stomach's squashed under my chin, my beard's
pointing at heaven, my brain's crushed in a casket,
my breast twists like a harpy's. My brush,
above me all the time, dribbles paint
so my face makes a fine floor for droppings!
My haunches are grinding into my guts,
my poor ass strains to work as a counterweight,
every gesture I make is blind and aimless.
My skin hangs loose below me, my spine's
all knotted from folding over itself.
I'm bent taut as a Syrian bow.
Because I'm stuck like this, my thoughts
are crazy, perfidious tripe:
anyone shoots badly through a crooked blowpipe.
My painting is dead.
Defend it for me, Giovanni, protect my honor.
I am not in the right place—I am not a painter.

Up until the 1980's everyone thought Michelangelo was a deep dark soul.  His fresco's were very dark and gory.  However, when the Japanese paid for the restoration of the Sistine Chapel everyone soon realized that the paintings were just dirty.  They came to life and are the colorful paintings that we see today.

Just in case you wanted to know how a fresco is made - you first apply plaster to a wall, then you let the plaster dry.  After the first layer of plaster you add more plaster but with pigments mixed into the plaster.  You only mix as much plaster as you can use in one day because it drys fast.  And the process continues until you have a painting.   

We also visited the Colosseo, Foro Romano, San Pietro in Vincoli, Campidoglio, and many more wonderful sites in the beautiful city of Rome.  

Next post will be on tips and things you have to do in Rome. :) 

Hope all is well!   

Barcelona Cont...

                     



                  
                  Barcelona, Spain

The six photos for my first photo journalism assignment.  Above, an egg stand.  You can't touch most of the products in the market unless you buy.  No Tocar.  
   







Strawberries are one of my favorites along with tons of other fruit. There was so much to pick from.

I am so behind on blog post.  I have been writing here and there, some on notebooks from class, random pieces of paper, and a few post in my journal.  The task of catching up begins, Barcelona, Rome and Pairs.

I am not sure how people actually backpack across Europe for a year or even years.  It wears you out.  I think the combo of school and trying to backpack on the weekends was very tough on my health.  Only one trip to the doctor, one case of stomach flu, one case of a cold virus, and now I am feeling much better.  Being sick in Florence, Rome or Barcelona just doesn't seem as bad so I can't complain :)

Anyways more sights from Barcelona:

Gaudi's architecture all over the city was amazing.  He had a beautiful eye for the designs of things.  One of the many houses he has designed was called La Pedrera.  The house is meant to replicate the movement of waves and splashes. 

We took a nice afternoon break on the Placa d'Espanya steps with a glass of sangria.  This was marked the gateway to the great park of Montjuic, which was made for the 1992 Olympic Games.

Switching from Italian to Spanish was a bit difficult and then switching back to Italian was crazy.  There are very similar but not really at all.  I was so fortunate to go and be a part of Spain for the weekend.  And I loved Barcelona.  Some of the many photos from the trip.

Placa d'Espanya

One tiny part of Sagrada Familia

Kayla, Kaitlin and I on the double decker bus, just cruising around Barca!

La Pedrera, see the waves!

Guell Park

Wanted to play some sand volleyball on the beach!

Inside Sagrada Familia

First meal in Barcelona, bacon, potatoes and sausage (and a Spanish beer)!

Sangria Toast to Spain

Barcelona

I had no time to be upset or homesick after my dad left as I flew to Barcelona Spain the very next morning with Kaitlin & Kayla.  First I had a 30 minute walk to the train station in the early morning.  While on the way I thought I was getting robbed but really it was just a man rushing to the train station and just bumped into me.  As my friend Kayla says, "Nothing wakes you up in the morning like thinking you are getting mugged."  I was wide awake for the rest of the trip.  From the train station we took an hour bus ride to Pisa to the airport.  From the airport we took a plane 1.5 hours to Girona, Spain.   And from there we took another hour bus into Barcelona.  Finally we walked the 40 mins to our hostel.

Flights in Europe can be very cheep, especially Ryan Air.  As soon as they land everyone starts clapping, which made me very nervous at first.  Since the flights are so cheap you have to spend the extra time and money to actually get to the airport with other means of transport.  Not sure if it is worth it to pay more for a direct flight or take the time and use the cheaper airline.  I guess it depends if you have the time or not. 

This was also my first time staying in a hostel, which was a little nerve racking.  Definition of hostel: 

Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available. Hostels may include a hot meal in the price.

Our hostel was pretty much exactly like that.  Three bunk beds and six lockers with one private bathroom, however the shower was out of order.  When we checked in we were the only 3 in the room, so we locked our backpacks up in the lockers and I put my money belt on (everyone makes fun of me for this, but guess what I have also not been pick pocketed)!  We hit the road towards La Rambla. 

Barcelona is a pretty good size city, about 1.6 million and with surrounding suburbs 4.5 million people.  The main street is La Rambla.  This is where thousands of people, vendors and shops swarm the street to sell goodies.  Right off La Rambla they have the best open air market, maybe the best in all of Spain.  For my 1st photo assignment we needed a series of 6 photos that told a story from a reporters view.  This was a perfect opportunity for colorful shots.  

After walking down La Rambla we made it to the ocean :) This reminded me of my wonderful trip this summer to Florida with my family, loved it.  Another side note: next on my bucket list is my scuba diving license.  

After all of the walking we found a great restaurant by our hostel to sit down and chow down on some great food. I ordered a salad and my first hamburger since abroad and of course a pitcher of sangria, one of my favorite things from Spain.  It is a staple of Spain that you just have to try.  Getting back to the hostel we were all nervous that someone had checked into our room...and no one had.  There were 3 empty beds left, yet we were all nervous that someone could check-in in the middle of the night...oh boy. 

Woke up and to my relief no one had checked in.  We decided to spend our next two days touring the city from the double decker bus.  I would highly suggst this to anyone that is traveling and wants to see the main points of a city in a short amount of time for the lowest cost.  You can also jump on and off as many times as you want. 

OUR STOPS:
Sagrada Familia - Is a beautiful cathedral designed by Gaudi!  It is still under construction and the building of it started in the late 19th century.  Gaudi said that he didn't care how long it took to build the church because God had time.  It is fully funded by churchgovers, devotees, and through ticket revenue from vistiors like me.  It was Gaudi's dream, to which he devoted much of his life to.  It will not be completed until 2022. 

"Much of Gaudí's work was marked by his big passions in life: architecture, nature, religion. Gaudí studied every detail of his creations, integrating into his architecture a series of crafts in which he was skilled: ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry. He introduced new techniques in the treatment of materials, such as trencadís, made of waste ceramic pieces"

Park Guell -  This is one of the great places to see much of Gaudi's work.

more to come...

I am off to Rome with my school early tomorrow morning.

Hope all is well! 

Rome - Colosseum, Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, The Pope...

Being in Rome with my Dad was one of my most favorite times here in Italy.  If you are ever in Italy you must make a stop in Rome.  This trip was a lot of first for my Dad and I.  We took a 1.5 hour night train ride to Rome.  Thankfully our hotel was very close to the train station.  (I planned everything pretty well if I say so myself!)  After finding our hotel and checking into our room we made a night trip to see the Colosseum.  Walking down the steps from the road to the Colosseum was very...words can't describe.  I swear I heard the roar of the crowd from when the Colosseum was in it's prime.  It really is breathtaking at night.

After a short nights rest we woke up and went back to the Colosseum for a glance of the inside of the giant stadium....AMAZING.  We bought a guide book that showed us all the features and history behind the Colosseum.  It is crazy to think that thousands of men and animals lost their lives in that arena for the sake of a good show.

After the the Colosseum we took our chances with a ride on the metro, we only went the wrong way once.  Some really nice people from Tennessee helped us out and got us back on track.  I think from then on my Dad was scared that I didn't know what I was doing.  He would also double check with me and other people that we were on the right line.  But we finally made it to Vatican City, where we went to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel (amazing work by Michelangelo), and St. Peter's Basilica.  We really lucked out and got in the right line to enter the Basilica.  (Not being catholic we forgot that it was Ash Wednesday)

My dad's favorite experience was getting to see the Pope and being in St. Peter's Basilica among the masses during this historic time.  The Pope now is the first Pope in 600 years to retire and of 8 that have ever retired during the 2000 some years of tradition. 

Our last sight in Rome was Trevi Fountian.  By the time we rode the metro and walked to the fountain it was dark.  Another sight that I would suggest seeing at night.  It is one of the most celebrated fountains and designed by Nicola Salvi.

Dinner was bittersweet as I knew that he would have to be leaving soon.  We took a 3 hour night train back to Florence.  We walked the 40 minutes back to my apartment and then started packing him up to go back to Nebraska.  It was a rough morning, from no sleep and a long week of activities and traveling.  The cab ride to the airport was a tearjerker...it was even harder to tell him goodbye at the airport. Family is so important to me.  I am so thankful for the love and support that I get from my family and my friends.  I know that I will always have to live close to them because they are so important in my life. 

*Pictures to follow (very soon)

Days with MY DAD!

Time really does fly when you are having fun.  I can't believe my dad has already flown to Florence and is back in Nebraska already.  We had such a great time together.  I was very worried about him traveling here by himself, checking into the airport, making all the connections and just getting here.   But I had nothing to worry about.  Of course he made tons of friends on the plane rides and here in Florence and Rome in all the shops we visited.

Monday I had to go to all of my classes.  He said that he wasn't going anywhere without me.  The streets are a little confusing and you can easily get turned around.  So I took him with me to my painting class from 9am to noon.  He did get a little adventurous and visit a few shops down the street from my classroom.  He came back and told everyone that he bought an antique mirror for 50,000 Euros and some of my classmates even believed him. haha

For lunch we went to a little restaurant near my house.  It was a hopping little joint that spoke all Italian and the menu had no English.  We ended up ordering spaghetti, bruschetta, soup and ravioli with rabbit.  My suggestion to you: Do not order the ravioli with rabbit...No BENE!

During my afternoon classes he went to Pitti Palace and other shops around my school (and he didn't get lost!)  For dinner we went to one of my favorite restaurants with some of my favorite friends! After dinner we decided to make a like stop at the Loins Fountain, a pub that a lot of the American students go to.  After a few drinks the song Wagon Wheel came on the jukebox. (One of my favorite all time songs to dance to!) My Dad and I just showed everyone in that pub to swing dance :)

After an early morning of dancing we slept in for a bit and then hit the road again.  We went for a stroll through the leather market.  The leather market here in Florance is wonderful, exciting and very cool to walk through.  They have thousands of bags, purses, shoes, fur coats, and scarves.  The market is all about bargaining for the best price.  If one vendor sees that you look at something for more than a minute they start bargaining with you right way and sometimes even follow you down the street.  This was a hay day for my dad, Mr. Bargain King.  I still haven't went back to the market yet...the vendors might attack me!

Padre - Father

I almost couldn't sleep last night because I was so excited and a little nervous :) This morning  I needed to walk about 25 minutes to the train station to catch a shuttle bus to the airport to pick up my DADDY! After finally getting to sleep I never heard my alarm go off, but I still woke up in time for a quick bowl of cereal and was out the door.

I first stopped at a tobacco shop near my apartment to buy the bus ticket, well he didn't understand what I was saying and said that I needed to just go to the train station.  So I quickly walked the 25 minutes to the train station to find a very large area and very many people moving in about 50 different ways.  Culture Shock set in a bit this morning!  I tried to ask a few people about directions or where to find the shuttle, no luck. 

Side Note (Regular people here do not talk to strangers on the street and I mean they do not talk to you at all and walk in a different direction.  People that will talk to you on the street are either trying to sell something to you or steal your wallet, so generally the public doesn't speak to strangers.)

After running around to a few shoppes and frantically looking for the shuttle I saw a blue bus that had aeroporto scrolling across the top! So I ran to the bus as fast as I could, and whoop whoop it was going to the airport.  Payed 6 Euros and was on the way to pick my dad up! I was about an hour early and then his flight was delayed by another hour.  

I had to sit and watch other people arrive and meet their family's....this almost brought me to tears.  There is something about distance making the heart grow fonder.  Everyone was so excited to see their family and friends.  Italian greetings were happening left and right (Ciao's & kisses on each cheek)!  

Finally after two hours I saw my Dad walking through the exit.  I was waving and almost crying with excitement and guess what?  He didn't even recognize me...I think we wasn't planning on not seeing me until after another checkpoint or maybe I just look so European already. :)

We had a great day.  I gave him a tour of Florence, took him to Fiesole (best view of Florence and monks remember), Gusta Pizza, chocolate festival (they had chocolate makers from all over showing off their skills), and we bought chocolate, wine, cheese, and olives! And for supper we went to Pitti Cafe.  

My dad is now fast asleep and snoring...haha I just love him! :)

After Gusta Pizza!

Dad & The Ponte Vecchio!

And Dad in front of the Duomo!

And Him & Me.

Just hamming it up!

Carnival in Italy

My friends & I's Masks!

 I had the wonderful chance to make my very own carnival mask this last week.  Traditional mask are made from paper mache, jesso and sometimes clay.  My mask is made from paper mache.  Mask were made for Italy's Carnival. They were also used to disguise people and their voice.  Men's masks were full faced and it would change the sound of their voice.

My Mask!

The mask was pre-made for me to save time.  But it was started like this:

1. First a clay form is made from the face or shape that you want. 
2. Then you put plaster over the clay form, leaving a face mold to make multiple masks. 
3. You then put a layer of soap on the face mold to ensure that the mask comes off.
4. Then layer by layer you put tiny pieces of paper onto the face mold along with glue.  
5. After the layers of paper and glue are dry you pull your mask from the face mold. 
6. Then you put a layer of thin cloth on the front of the mask.
7. Now its time to decorate.
8. Usually you start with a layer of white paint.  Then to make the mask look older you can sponge on a rust color paint. 
9. From there you can add any colors you want.  

More info here for Carnival:  http://www.livetravelhelp.com/info/events/mask-carnival-venice/

programma completo - full schedule

I have to get in the habit of writing a post everyday...sorry its been days again.  I can tell this semester is going to go way to fast.  I am already done with my 2nd week of classes.  I have learned so much from all of my classes in just these two first weeks.

Fashion Class (interesting facts)

• Definition of clothing:  Clothing is something you wear until it falls apart, where as Fashion is something you wear until the next things become popular.

• The name given to sweaters came from clothing made for athletes, because the users became sweaty from wearing the clothing.

• Top four fashion capitals in the world: London, Milan, New York and Paris. (After this semester I will have been to every city)

• Trench Coat - Came from Great Britain in World War I when they asked Burberry to design a coat for the army in the trenches.

America and Italy are heavily intertwined in fashion, it would be hard to survive without the other.  My teacher said that Italians would never admit it but America saved them from becoming obsolete in the fashion world.  My photography teachers grandfather invited his American friends to come to a fashion show in Florance. This brought the American market to Florence. 

Travel

I have also spent much of the week planning for the rest of the semester :) I have my dad coming this Sunday!!!! I have a great week planned for us.  We will be going to Rome for 2 days and one night along with many of the sights and museums of Florence.  After my Dad leaves I am going to Barcelona Spain for a weekend trip with my two friends Kayla (from Colorado & close to the Midwestern feel with a little hipster) and Kaitlin (from South Carolina - she is a USC Game Cock & a sweet southern girl). 

The next weekend we are going to Rome for a school field trip, 4 days and 3 nights. Then we are off to Paris for 3 days and 2 nights with Kaitlin and Chelsea.  Later in the semester we have another school field trip to Venice. Along with my Mom & Sister coming during spring break.  Along with other family members and friends coming :) Can't wait!

The amazing thing about Europe is that you can travel/fly all across to different countries for just a few pretty pennies.  In the states it cost a arm and leg to fly from state to state.  Here you can fly from county to country for under 100 Euros.  I never would have thought I would be saying that I'm just going to Paris for the weekend or hey I going to Spain, so crazy!

 

Fitting In - Adjusting - Rushing

Today I had the wonderful privilege to face-time (video chat) with Mrs. Gumb's 5th and 6th grade class.  What a group of talented and smart kids they are.  I know all of them from spending time in the classroom over my winter break.  They taught me the very important game of 6 square.  You can learn a lot from kids.  Mrs. Gumb's class is studying the Renaissance and Middle Ages, how perfect for me.   So, they grilled me on Italy and it's history.  I think I only missed one question.  I hope they all have the chance to travel the world and learn like I did. 

Days have been rushing by it seems.  My dad will arrive in four days time and I am pretty excited about it.  I have booked out the whole week for us thanks to the newly acquired internet at via santa maria.  For our big excursion we will be going to Rome for 2 days and 1 night.  I have emailed all of the supplies that I would love to have, for example floss! Everything like that here is so expensive, floss costs $10! I also gave him a few tips on traveling and packing (I'm so nervous for him)!

Besides the excitement of my dad coming its been a blur/rush from Monday all the way to Wednesday night.  Homework, painting, photography and cooking and eating...doesn't sound too bad right.

Have much to tell you...but its already late and I am wiped. 

Love to everyone back in the states!

Egg Yolks

After a late night at the opera Monday morning started off great with painting class.  I learned how to make my very own paint using egg yolk and pigments.  Can be a very messy process. The colors seem to be richer. :)

My teacher is so great.  He was born and raised in Holland and has lived in Italy for quite some time.  Interesting story: I asked him about the health care here. He said that is used to be free before the bad economy.  Now you buy health insurance according to your income.  For example: His daughter hurt her ankle playing basketball and now has to go to PT.  He bought a card for 37 Euros (about $48) and that gets his daughter 11 physical therapy appointments. WHOOOOOOAH! In the US $48 wouldn’t even pay to say hello to the doctor.

For my lunch break I walked home and made myself a salad, much needed after all this pasta, bread and gelato.  My afternoon was filled with Fashion Marketing and Basic Spoken.  I finally did get a little internet at school and found out that we might get internet on Tuesday YAYYY! This evening I went to dinner and had one of the best pastas so far. (I keep saying that) Four cheese penne YUM!

Don Giovanni - The Opera

Such relaxing days for me.  Saturday it poured all day and was a great day to stay in and start on a book that was left behind from old tenets. (The Terra-Cotta Dog) A little laundry and cleaning took place, a few naps and of course dinner with friends.

Sunday evening I had the wonderful opportunity to go to the Opera at the “Teatro Comunale”

Don Giovanni
Composer: W.A. Mozart

It was a beautiful opera and my very first opera.  I didn’t know that operas can last up to 4 hours.  It was about a troubled young man that  liked the ladies too much.  (I think that all Italian men do :)  Click on link for plot -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Giovanni 

Excursion to Fiesole

On Fridays I don’t have class!!! This is to give students the opportunity to travel and explore. So what did I do on my first Friday...no I didn’t sleep in, I signed up for a trip to Fiesole.  I was getting confident in my directions and knowing my way around the city, so I accidentally left my map at home.  We had planned to meet for coffee and a pastry before walking to the bus station, this is where I realized I had forgot my map.  We didn’t have enough time to go back and get the map.  So I said, “I can wing it, I’m good at this direction stuff” Famous last words! 

Florence has a river flowing through the middle of town so there are about 7 bridges that connect you to the other side of the city.  I was sure that the map had told me to go down to the 5th bridge take a left and go straight for awhile and I would arrive at the bus station. (FYI I had been by the bus station earlier in the week when walking to the real estate office to set up our WIFI (Which they said could take up to 10 days) So once again I was confident with my skills.  HAHA!

Sorry for all the stories inside stories. I guess that’s what you get when you don’t blog for days...

So, we had about 5 mins to be at the bus station and I realized that it was the 4th bridge and not the 5th bridge.  I admitted my mistake to my fellow travelers and started lightly jogging to the West.  We made it just in time, only a little sweaty and out of breath.  Once on the bus we took it about 20 minutes outside of the city of Florence to Fiesole.

Fiesole is a province of Florence, which is in the region of Tuscany.  Fiesole is like being in the clouds and you get to look down on Florence. It is known as a famously scenic height above Florence.  It was founded around the 9th-8th century BC.  And you can tell this by the remnants of etruscan walls, roman baths and the still standing roman theatre.  A very neat archeological site.

At the very top of the town there was a Benedictine Abby, with monks and everything :) We also visited the cathedral of Fiesole, which contains the shrine of St. Romulus and the shrine of St. Donatus of Fiesole.

Maybe best part of the whole day was brunch.  It seemed that we walked halfway back down the hill before we reached the restaurant and by that time I was dying of hunger.  Kaitlin and I could only think of American brunch and fast food places, for example IHOP, Village Inn, Chicken Buffet (Ashley & Court you know what I am talking about!) Pancakes and French Toast.  It made us about 10 times more hungry. 

But we were very wrong about brunch in Italy.  We sat down with drinks already on the table: orange juice, water and coke.  There was salad, cheese and cold meats also already on the table.  I was filling up my plate thinking we are only going to get a little salad and a piece of lunch meat. BOY WAS I WRONG! (2nd time that day)

We were served:
Egg Casserole with bacon (thick sliced bacon)
Warm Bread
Scrambled Eggs (I’m assuming fresh farm eggs)
Lasagna
Roast Beef (tender and so flavorful)
Bruschetta
More Warm Bread
Refills of juice
Breakfast casserole with eggplant and croissants

& then they took are plates away and gave us clean plates (very full at this point)

Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake (Always room for dessert)
And lastly Fresh Fruit on Ice

My table ate and cleaned off every single plate of food that they brought us.

Advice: Set at the skinny girl table, they have leftover food. :)

First Week In Florence :)

Saturday
Leaving Siena was so exciting with a twinge of sadness.  It was a quite, charming, and lovely little city.  The trip to Florence was a short trip with me sleeping the whole way.  I woke up just right outside the city.  The sight was breathtaking...

The bus dropped us right outside of the city.  This was really the beginning of my study abroad.  I took a taxi with one of my roommates to my place of residence for the next 3 months, Via Santa Maria n42.  So exciting whizzing through the tiny streets anxious about what was to come.

Our taxi driver dropped us right outside of our door, payed a whopping 19.50 euro for the ride, and started the process of getting all my luggage up the very narrow steps to the 3rd floor. (But really more like the 4th floor.)  It was well worth the work...my apartment is amazing.  It is more than I could have ever expected. 

It has a gorgeous tuscan feeling to it, duh I still can’t believe I am in Tuscany.  My apartment has a huge kitchen with gas stove top, oven, table for 8, chairs/couches, dishwasher (which I have a funny story to tell), fridge and windows facing the street and other houses. (Can see straight across to my 80 year old neighbors :)  There is also a bathroom and bedroom on the first floor with an office room that we converted to a bedroom (SHHHHH don’t tell our landlord)! On the way up the stairs there is s tiny little door that leads to a space in the wall for our tiny wash machine. Thank goodness we have one.  The 3rd bedroom is on the top floor.  We also have a terrace but haven’t got the key to it yet. 

So being the resourceful girl that grew up in an auction company I learned to move furniture through tight spaces and impossible turns.  :)  Well we turned our 2 bedroom into a wonderful spacious 3 bedroom apartment.

After all of the hard work of lugging our suitcases up the stairs and moving furniture around we had our fist family dinner together just to tide us over till the welcome dinner.  Megan made pasta for us, while Emma, Maria and I cleaned up.  It was such an exciting first night in the apartment.

We also had a welcome dinner in Florence that night in a wonderful hotel.  The hotel was so beautiful.  One of the rooms was said to have been Caesars girlfriends bedrooms.  It was magnificent with huge chandeliers, frescos, and a balcony for musicians to play as their alarm clock.  I think I could handle living there, maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to get up in the morning then. 

For dinner we had a four course meal with water and vino.  We started off with bread which we dipped in oil and balsamic vinegar.  Then we had our first course, four cheese gnocchi (one of the cheeses was blue cheese, which I love).  Next up was a delicious pasta course with red sauce.  We then had a chicken breast flavored with lemon and fried potatoes. To finish it off we were offered chocolate cake and cappuccino.  After dinner there was a whole basket of bread left over, so be the resourceful girl that I am I wrapped up the bread in my scarf. (Going to use it in a soup)


Sunday
I didn’t have any musicians wake me up that morning, but I was in my new apartment IN FLORENCE, which was just as exciting.  We had another Mandatory Orientation Meeting.  3 hours of information was a bit of an overload.  To top it off a Police Man from Florence talked to us about our safety, which I think they hired him to scare us.  (And it worked!)  It’s a lot different living here than in Burwell, Nebraska. :)

After we took a group photo in front of one of the many churches here we had a FREE Art History tour.  BTW take advantage of anything that is free and furthers your knowledge in life, even if it could be boring.  (Its good for you)  After the tour I invited my newly made friends (Kayla, Chelsea, Kaitlin and Ashley) back to my apartment for dinner.  I made a simple meal of pasta and wine.  Still in love with my apartment and the city.

Monday - Thursday
Classes

I am taking: Painting in Florence, Fashion Marketing & Merchandising, Basic Spoken Italian, and Photography for the Media.  Each and every one of my classes is amazing. 

Painting is going to focus on the “Italian” still-life, full figure self portrait, a single form of Florence defined, Florence cityscape, a fresco, figure painting, and painting outside around Florence.  I am going to be painting with oil, (ahhh never used them before) but when in Florence one must try to use oils.

Photography has a total of four big projects.  They will be developing picture stories, that will include a short text in the form of an article, headline and captions.  Sounds exciting right?

Fashion class is going to be once in a lifetime.  My teacher has many connections and I will get to go on many field trips to luxury Italian fashion manufacturers and fashion outlets.  OH BOY!

And basic spoken I will continue my journey of learning and speaking the Italian Language. 

Food

Food here is just amazing.  On Wednesdays we have to decided to have family dinner at our apartment.  So last Wednesday I cooked my first Italian meal.  I used the soup recipe from the cooking class in Siena.  It is a great simple soup, please try it!

Lella’s Pappa col Pomodoro

4-6 Servings:
400 grams of firm Tuscan Bread
6 cloves of garlic
10 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
500 grams of ripe tomatoes or canned tomatoes
A bunch of basil
1 1/2 liters of beef broth
1 dried red pepper
salt and pepper

Prepare the beef broth, remove the fat, filter it and keep it hot.  (I just used the beef broth cubes)  In a deep terracotta pot, add the olive oil, garlic and the minced dried red pepper; then turn on the heat to medium-high. (more like medium)  As soon as the oil is hot, add a handful of basil leaves in order to ‘perfume’ the oil - be very careful to not burn the garlic - it should always stay white.

Add the bread that has been sliced very thinly.  The bread should toast and absorb all of the oil.  At this point, add the tomatoes and add a lot of broth - enough to nearly cover the bread.  Adjust the salt and pepper and add additional basil leaves. 

Cook slowly for about an hour in a covered pot, checking frequently that it remains most - add broth when necessary.  The soup should be rather dense.  Before serving, pass the soup through a food mill - esp. the big pieces of bread, garlic and basil leaves. (I didn’t have a food mill, but it still was delicious) Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

During summer, the pappa can also be served cold.  We can transform the dish into a complete one by adding a scrambled egg - one for every two people - and some grated Parmigianino Reggiano cheese.  This version of the soup is called “Pappa Maritata”