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!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
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)
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!
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!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
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! :)
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! :)
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| After Gusta Pizza! |
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| Dad & The Ponte Vecchio! |
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| And Dad in front of the Duomo! |
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| And Him & Me. |
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| Just hamming it up! |
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Carnival in Italy
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| 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.
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| My Mask! |
The mask was pre-made for me to save time. But it was started like this:
- First a clay form is made from the face or shape that you want.
- Then you put plaster over the clay form, leaving a face mold to make multiple masks.
- You then put a layer of soap on the face mold to ensure that the mask comes off.
- Then layer by layer you put tiny pieces of paper onto the face mold along with glue.
- After the layers of paper and glue are dry you pull your mask from the face mold.
- Then you put a layer of thin cloth on the front of the mask.
- Now its time to decorate.
- Usually you start with a layer of white paint. Then to make the mask look older you can sponge on a rust color paint.
- 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)
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!
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.
TravelI 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!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
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!
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!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
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!
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
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. :)
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. :)
Monday, February 4, 2013
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”
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”
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