Barcelona --- 5 Months Later

It's back to the blogging world thanks to reminders from my grandmother that I have yet to post about Barcelona (my last trip overseas) and because you can't help but miss this thing!

Travel back about 5 months...

I decided to stay a few more days in Europe after my program ended to visit some friends of the family in Barcelona.  Funny story how we know them.  About 5 years ago, my mom hired an intern at the State Fair that was hosting a foreign exchange student, Jordi, from Spain that also wanted to work for the summer.  So, he too became an intern and worked with me in Little Hands on the Farm.  I didn't understand a word he said, but he was such a happy guy and loved being there, even though the conditions were hot, tiring, and miserable. 

This is Jordi, his fiance, and his sister... 

We have kept in touch with him over the years and every year we get an invitation to his parent's flat in Barcelona.  I finally took advantage of this amazing flat with beautiful views, five bedrooms, a huge balcony, and private elevator.  His parents are both well respected doctors in Spain and some of the most kind people you will ever meet.  They refused to let me pay for a thing, loved practicing their English with me, and fed me more food than I could handle.  Every day, they planned an itinerary for Jordi and I to walk around Spain and see the sights.  I think I went into every museum in Barcelona.  My favorite was Antonio Gaudi's house.  They also took me on this air tram ride over the city, on a road trip to a tiny little beach town where all the "kids" go, and out to a very fancy dinner with 5 courses.  Seriously, the amount of food they fed me was outrageous!  The last night they threw a party for me on their balcony with American food (chips) and Hawaiian lays and gave me a chocolate bar in the shape of my name, Abigail.  Even though I had just met them, they somehow figured out my semi-ridiculous obsession with chocolate. 

 

Barcelona was very fun and Jordi and his family were great hosts.  But by this point in the trip, I was beyond ready to come home and think I would have enjoyed the city much more had I gone sooner.  Either way, I finally made it over there and that is all that matters! 

Unique Antonio Gaudi Architecture

Jordi's Mom and I 

View of Barcelona from Antonio Gaudi's Park 

The Home Stretch

7-19-07

Today was my last day of class. Tomorrow is my last day in Florence. For the past couple of days, I have been trying to figure out what I have done here to make the time fly by so fast. Yes, I traveled every weekend, but what the heck did I do during the week? I cannot even remember. All I know is that I love Firenze. I love Venice, Sorrento, Capri, Rome, Siena, Cinque Terre, Via Reggio, Paris, and I am sure I will love Barcelona too. It has been a great six weeks experience and I truly feel like I have grown as a person and learned a lot about the world. I am definitely more independent now and I know that independence will carry over to life back home. It will be hard not traveling somewhere every weekend, not being able to walk cobblestone streets at night, not having my own place, not seeing famous, historical things on a daily basis, and not living the European lifestyle. However, I am ready to be back home with my family and friends. I wish they could have been with me to experience everything I experienced because it was so amazing and hard to explain. I know that once I am home for a while I will want to hop right back on a plane and come back. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before my next trip. I mean, I did toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain and I will rub the boar’s nose tomorrow, so that guarantees a return.

As a little remembrance, I made a top ten list of things I loved about Italy and another one for things I did not love…

LOVED…
1. Gnocchi al Pesto
2. Planning Weekend Trips
3. The David
4. Watching Harry Potter in an Opera House
5. MTV Italia
6. Leather Boots and Bags
7. Manelli Keys and Bracelets
8. Streets of Florence at Night
9. Climbing the Duomo
10. Cappucino and Pastries in the Morning

LOVED NOT SO MUCH…
1. Tourists
2. Pigeons
3. Everyone Smoking
4. 100 Degree Weather and No Air Conditioning
5. Catcalls From Italian Men
6. The Train Station at Night
7. Mosquitoes
8. Homework and Finals
9. The Exchange Rate
10. Screaming Children for Neighbors

Bienvenue a Paris

7-16-07

(FYI: Its a Looong one)

Our last big weekend here in Europa was quite the success...well, in the end. Jessie and I decided to let the boys handle the travel plans for the entire weekend because we basically organized everything else over the six week period. Not a good idea. Come Tuesday of last week, the only thing they knew was that we were flying out of some Milan airport on Friday morning, we were staying in some Paris hotel, and we were leaving some time Sunday. Time for the girls to step in. We planned to meet for dinner to discuss every last detail of this huge trip because we were not stepping onto an airplane/train/bus without knowing how exactly we were getting to another country. The boys assured us that it was only Tuesday and we did not leave until Friday so we should not worry. Oh, really? Well, Jessie and I were extremely worried and started drilling them with questions. We first figured out that our plane would leave at 8 a.m. Friday morning from Milan. Milan is about 3-4 hours away by train and the latest train we could catch was Thursday night at 9:45. The earliest was Friday at 5:45, but we would miss our plane by a good couple of hours. So, our only option was to take the late train on Thursday night. The train would arrive in Milan at 12:05 a.m. and we would have to figure out sleeping accommodations for the remaining 5 hours. Should we book a hostel with beds and pillows or sleep on benches at the train station? Answer…the train station. No, I am not kidding. Like homeless people, we found the hardest, most uncomfortable bench in the station and parked ourselves there until our train to the airport arrived at 5 a.m. We used our luggage as pillows and dressed ourselves with every article of clothing we had and slept for about an hour. If only I had taken pictures to document this moment, but I was not entirely thrilled to be there. I’m sure you can picture it. Because we were too cold and uncomfortable to sleep, we stayed awake playing cards and “would you rather” (ex: would you rather marry a creepy gypsy or a creepy Albanian). It turned out to be a pretty fun night. We took the morning train to Bergamo, the city with our airport, and made our flight with only about 15 minutes to spare. We had some issues with Bergamo buses, so we were late. Isn’t traveling fun! We finally made it into Paris after taking an hour bus ride from our far away airport and immediately saw our first French attraction. A crepes stand. Crepes are fried tortilla-looking things filled with either Nutella, chocolate, banana, jam, or a combination of everything. Yum! I was loving France already. The Arc de Triumph was the next big thing we saw, but it was not all that exciting. We did not want to pay the money to climb to the top either, so we just took a few quick pictures and called it a day. Plus, we had to find our hotel because, of course, I was carrying the biggest bag and my shoulder was killing me! Thanks to New York native, Julian, figuring out the Metro system was a piece of cake. Metros are really fun too and I think My Man Mitch and I will have a discussion when I return about incorporating them into the downtown Indianapolis area. Knowing that the boys were the ones to book the hotel, I was a little skeptical and kept picturing a place very similar in comfort and cleanliness to the Milan train station. But, they pulled through and booked us two very nice hotel rooms with breakfast included. We put our bags down, showered, which felt amazing, and headed towards the Louvre. On Fridays, the Louvre is free for students after 6, so we were very excited. However, not as excited as when we spotted a Starbucks sign inside the pyramid. We have all been playing a game lately where we talk about the first things we are going to do when we get home…For example, Jessie wants drive-thru Wendys and a pedicure; Brice wants a Chipotle burrito; Julian wants to go gambling; Mark wants to go to his Fraternity house; and I want a Starbucks Carmel Frappucino. Basically what I am trying to say is that I sprinted from the Louvre entrance to the Starbucks line so fast that I completely forgot why I was actually there. That particular frappucino was ten times better than my very first. Now, the first thing I want when I get home is a home cooked American meal. The Louvre is gigantic and there was no possible way we could see everything in one night, so we decided to focus on the Denon Wing. The Denon Wing has the Michelangelo slaves, the Venus, the Mona Lisa, and many more less important pieces. My favorites were the slaves because I have been studying them for the past six weeks. Again, it is amazing how different sculptures are in person compared to pictures. The Mona Lisa was a major disappointment because she is so small, she sits behind a huge glass wall, and viewers have to stand so far away. I like her better in pictures. After the Louvre, we grabbed a typical French dinner of steak frites (steak and fries) and went straight back to the hotel to sleep. The next morning we all felt completely refreshed and ready to try some French continental breakfast. I chose the coca puffs, a croissant with strawberry jam, and orange juice. I have branched out so much over here. The itinerary for day two included a visit to the zoo, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower. Zoos in Paris are much like farms in Indiana. Goats, pigs, rabbits, llamas, and deer are huge attractions, which is not what I paid money to see. Due to the lack of interesting French animals, we ended up spending most of our time staring at the monkeys. One of the monkeys gave me a fist pound on the opposite side of the glass and that is when I knew I had to take him home with me. But zoo people don’t like that idea and I am pretty sure airport security does not allow monkeys on planes. Dang it! We ate more crepes at the zoo before moving on toward the Notre Dame Cathedral down the street. It is so enormous and so architecturally unique that is almost seems fake. We did not go inside because the line was miles long, but I did get some great photos of gargoyles and flying buttresses. The last stop of the trip was the Eiffel Tower. French people absolutely despise the tower and that hatred was made crystal clear when we were mocked by two little French girls for taking pictures. Oh the Tour de Eiffel is tre magnifique. Oo la la. I still think it’s awesome. As we got closer to the base of the tower, we noticed and extremely large group of people facing a stage about a football field length away. We were really confused but then realized we were smack dab in the middle of the French Independence Day celebration. What independence they were celebrating…I have no idea. But, we found a spot on the grass and tuned in to the concert. All the performers were big timers here in Europe so it was a good thing I watch MTV Italia because otherwise I would have had no idea who was playing. The best part of the night was the amazing fireworks show that followed the concert. It was right behind the Eiffel Tower, which was lit up and sparkling, and the fireworks were choreographed to music. By far the best fireworks show I have ever seen. It was a perfect end to our last weekend together abroad.

Hiking Cinque Terre

7-8-07

Cinque Terre, or Five Grounds, is one of the most raved about places in Italy. The past study abroad students at Purdue insisted we go visit, our school scheduled special trips, and most importantly, cousin Kate wrote it under my “places to visit” list. Now I know why people love it so much. Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore are the five towns that make up Cinque Terre. The colorful towns are built up on steep cliffs with hiking trails, railroads, and shuttles connecting them. They each have their own private, rocky beaches as well. Jessie and I decided that if we were going to visit Cinque Terre, we were going to wear our hiking clothes and hike the entire thing. I am proud to say that we accomplished our goal. We started by taking the train to the very last town to purchase our hiking passes for the day. They equipped us with a map and a water bottle and pointed us in the direction of the next town. We took a minute to look over the map and decided to tackle blue trail, which started hard and ended easy. The reasoning behind our choice was that we would rather be convinced early the trail was hard and be surprised later when it got easier. It was a great plan. The trail shot straight up for the first half hour and I quickly realized how out of shape I am. Hiking trails in Tennessee and Colorado used to be a cake walk! Because I am so competitive, I was irritated by my shortness of breath and shaky legs and started hiking faster with less breaks. Jessie, on the other hand, took tons of breaks. While she would rest, I would take pictures and look at the map. We reached the second city in about an hour and stopped along the cliff’s edge to look down onto the beach. The beaches have very little sand so people set their towels on huge rocks in the middle of the water. I am beaching it there before I leave. We walked around the city for a few minutes, grabbed an apple at the market, and started back up the cliff. Between the second and third city, the trail was more of the same. Hike straight up and hike straight down. The trail slowly started to move closer to the cliff’s edge and all I could think about was how mom would have been flipping out. Another hour passed before we arrived in the third city and we were starving. We found a small café off the main street and ordered focaccia caprese sandwiches to sit and eat in the shade. The temperature and the sun were starting to get to us. After sitting down for a good half hour, it was extremely difficult getting up and getting back on the trail. We only had two more towns, so we were motivated by our approaching finish. The trail started to ease up a bit and Jessie was much happier. We booked it through the last two towns because there was not much to see and I started craving gelato. Finally, we finished the 5 hour hike in Riomaggiore. We were so proud of ourselves and no one could believe we finished in one day. It was a great accomplishment and an even better workout. To reward our physical fitness, we ordered gelato. Hey, we deserved that strawberry and lemony goodness after working so hard. Jessie and I were more than ready to go home and hit the sack. We had a huge weekend, but it was the best we have had here. Partly because Jessie and I planned two amazing trips on our own, which was a first for both of us, and partly because it was our last weekend in Italy. Time is running out and I am starting to get sad about leaving my home away from home and my Italia friends. I have really bonded with Jessie and after this weekend, we decided to rendezvous in NYC for my fall break. We figured that if we could survive this weekend, traveling in American will be easy as pie. Next weekend…Paris!

Gorgeous Sorrento and Capri

7-7-07

Talk about the most beautiful places in the world! Sorrento is a cute little beach town situated on top of enormous cliffs with beaches, marinas, and amazing views. Our hostel/campsite was conveniently located at the very tip top of the cliff, so we opted for the bus ride instead of climbing. We were a little nervous about the condition of our accommodations because this was in fact a hostel and we had seen the movie and heard the horror stories. When we walked onto the grounds, we were pleasantly surprised and on the verge of ecstatic. It was perfect! There were trees everywhere, a pool, a market, a restaurant, great views, and a beach. High five for Jessie and me for booking such a great place. We had the option of staying in a “dormitory,” a tent, a camper, or a cabin. Guess which one we chose…the cabin. The cabin had one double bed and one single, for Brice, and some lawn chairs outside to look out onto the coast. Our shared bathroom and shower was a good two minute walk down the hill. We immediately threw down our bags, put on our swimsuits and headed for the pool because day light was fading fast. After traveling all morning, it was so nice to swim and nap in the sun. The stresses of the day completely melted away. Before the sun went down for the day, we left the campgrounds and hiked higher looking for good photo ops of the coast. However, the higher you climb, the more trees stand in your way. So back down the hill we go. I was feeling the burn already. We turned back into our campsite and found that the best views were down by the beach. The beach was located all the way down the hill and was littered with small, glazed tiles instead of sand. I took a handful as souvenirs. The sunset was so beautiful that I think we all used an entire memory card because we could not stop watching. When we finally pulled ourselves away, we hiked back to the cabin and fell into our beds. We were more than exhausted and were planning to rise early to catch the ferry to Capri.
Around 7:30, we got out of bed, walked down to the restroom, packed our things, checked out of the cabin, and hiked down to Marina Grande. It was a peaceful morning walk, but the Marina was buzzing with tourists waiting for ferries. We had heard rumors that ferry tickets were 50 Euro, so we were crossing our fingers for cheaper prices. And we found them! They were less than 20. The ferry was huge and when in motion, it rocked back and forth just enough to put me to sleep, which isn’t too surprising. I fall asleep to everything. The ferry docked and we hustled our way off and to the nearest boat tour stand. It was the greatest investment I have made here. Well, except for my leather boots. The boat took us around the entire island and weaved between hundreds of rich and famous yachts, such as Roberto Cavalli. We visited hidden grottos, passed under huge arches carved into floating boulders, marveled at cliff side neighborhoods, where Georgio Armani lives, and soaked up every ray of sun in the Italian Riviera. The only disappointment was the two hour wait for the Grotto Azzurro. This was supposed to be the highlight of Capri because you can hop off the boat and swim through the caves. Obviously, we were not the only ones excited about swimming there. The other highlight of Capri is found on land. Handmade, leather sandals. At the sandal stores, you choose a design from the wall, the strap color or colors, and then the workers begin making your sandal. I was waiting in line with my design and colors in mind, but backed out at the last minute. I know, I know. Why would I pass up handmade, Italian sandals? I am actually not sure why I decided against them, but I do know it is a very hard subject to discuss. Moving on…We stopped for a quick lunch before boarding the ferry and I ordered fried calamari. Oh how I have missed seafood. It was a satisfying meal and I left Capri one happy girl. As we were pulling away from the dock, I decided that once I make my first million, I will buy a white house in the fancy neighborhood, rent the yacht from Roberto Cavalli, and spend every summer vacationing there. Sounds like a fantastic, realistic plan to me.

American Immigrants

7-7-07

Why would anyone want to travel 1st or 2nd class when one can travel luggage class? That’s right…luggage class. The definition of luggage class is when three American travelers purchase a ticket without seat numbers on a train with seat numbers and are forced to sit with the luggage. Here is what happened…Jessie and I planned an entire weekend trip, by our selves, to Sorrento and Capri. We scheduled an itinerary, purchased train tickets, and booked a hostel/campsite. We were pretty impressed with our organizing abilities and went to sleep Thursday night feeling confident that the trip would run smoothly. Then the 4:00 a.m. alarm sounded Friday morning. It was not too difficult waking up and getting ready, but we forgot that Florence is still pitch black that early in the morning. In America, as everyone knows, only crazies are out and about that early so two blonde headed girls should not be. Well, the same applies in foreign countries. The walk to the train station was the scariest time in my life. A man on a moped stopped next to our sidewalk and started growling, two other men started cursing at us on the bridge, and the homeless people along the station wall were being creepy. Italians, thank goodness, will only cat call, so we were more than fine. Just a little freaked out. Our morning continues to get better when we realized that our 5:30 train was no where to be found on the board. That’s a problem. Train station workers do not arrive at the office until a little after 5:30, so we were unable to ask for help. Finally, we ask a security guard and he shows us another board that says the only other train to Napoli leaves at 8:30. How frustrating! Even though we knew our tickets did not match that particular train, we decided to go back home, relax, and head back to the station for the 8:30. We could get away with it right? Wrong…very, very wrong. As soon as we stepped on the train, we realized that people were looking for their assigned seats. Oops. This is when we found our seats with the luggage. Obviously, I thought this was the funniest thing in the world and could not stop laughing. My laughter was soon silenced by the ticket checker. He does not miss a thing and immediately charged us the difference. The train stopped in Rome and we were approached by an American that, ever so politely, reminded us that luggage racks are for luggage, not people. Needless to say, we had to move, even though we paid good money for those seats. Oh well. We went to the food car and stood for the remaining hour. When we finally arrived in Napoli, we had to find another train to take us to Sorrento. We, along with what seemed liked the entire city of Napoli, were lined up on the same platform. How we were all going to fit onto the same train, I have no idea. It was going to be an all out shoving war. We won! The train was scorching hot, sticky, and smelly with about 100 people crammed into the space between the cars. No seats were available when we boarded. The smell that started filling the room was the worst smell you have ever smelled multiplied by 100. I thought I was going to pass out. People slowly started getting off the train at various stops and I could finally move and breathe. But as people started exiting, little gypsy children playing accordions started entering. Those poor kids are the dirtiest, scariest kids I have ever seen. It’s sad that you have to grab a hold of your wallets and bags when they walk by because if you don’t, say goodbye to your things. Finally, the train stops in Sorrento and we no longer feel like American immigrants.

Weekend In Rome

7-1-07

Day two included the Vatican and St. Peter’s. This was Sistine Chapel and Pietà day and I was so excited because we have talked about these works since the first day of class. They are beautiful in books, but I could only image their impact in person. We found the Vatican line at 8:30 in the morning and started placing bets as to how long the line would take. My guess was 2 hours and 15 minutes. I was way off. We stood for 3 hours and 9 minutes. I was a tad bit irritable and kept saying that it had better be worth it. The Vatican beyond impressed me. My favorite room leading to the Sistine Chapel was the map room. It is this extremely long room filled with maps of Italy. The ceiling was painted beautifully and the windows opened up to scenic views of Vatican City. Other rooms included picture galleries, state rooms, and collections of ancient art. Finally, we wind our way into the Sistine Chapel and immediately it takes my breath away. It is not just a series of paintings painted by some artist. It is more than a masterpiece, more than artistic skill, more than Biblical knowledge. The Sistine Chapel is overwhelmingly out of this world, literally. It seems not humanly possible to create something so extraordinary. It is almost like some divine being was present to help Michelangelo. There is no other way to describe it. We spent about a half an hour tilting backwards and staring at scenes from the flood, the creation of Adam and Eve, the creation of heaven, and the creation of the world. The prophets and sibyls were amazing too. I have never been so emotional looking at artwork and I was unsuccessful with keeping the goose bumps down, but I managed to keep away the tears.
We finally pulled ourselves away from the ceiling and walked to St. Peter’s Basilica. At first, I was not enamored with the actual church so much as the Pietà. She is beautiful. She sits on more of an angle than pictures show and she is much smaller than I imaged. Christ is unbelievably lifelike sitting on her lap. His ribs, muscles, and veins look defined by skin rather than carved marble. Mary looks very young and serene for having just lost a child. Her proportions are somewhat off, also. She is much larger on the bottom than the top, but Michelangelo had to compensate for Christ’s size somehow. She made me get emotional too and I had the hardest time leaving. When I finally did leave the Pietà, I walked around St. Peter’s and marveled at the detail of the place. Italian artists were extremely patient. I dipped my hand in the holy water and did a little Father, Son, and Holy Ghost prayer, even though I am not Catholic, because I felt it was fitting. Dad would have really loved St. Peter’s. We walked outside onto the square and located the Pope’s window where he pokes his head out every now and then. We also stood directly in the center of the square and watched the columns magically line up. Very cool. We left Rome around 4:30 and when we arrived back in Florence, I really felt like I was home. Rome was an amazing place to visit and I was happy to experience such great history, but I am glad I chose not to study there. I love Florence and am starting to get extremely attached.

Tonight, our Italian roommate Nika is cooking an Italian dinner for us. We are having two courses. The first being some kind of pasta and the second being scallops. She is leaving next weekend to go home for the rest of the summer, so she wanted to do something nice for us. She said she is a “cucina brava.” I am pumped! We also found out today we are getting yet another roommate. They are never ending! Jessie and I were hoping for an American roommate so we could actually communicate with her, so we waited by the door this morning wondering when she would come. We heard our outside doorbell ring so we unlocked the door and ran to the stairs to spy on her. Turns out it was someone that lived on the first floor. They must have forgotten their key and pressed a random button. Roommate #2 finally showed up and we don’t think she is American. She was with our landlord and another lady that were speaking Italian, so we can’t tell right now. She has not been back to the apartment since the first encounter. We are crossing our fingers.

7-1-07

Rome definitely was not built in a day. The place is huge! Thankfully, our school planned two full days and four different site-seeing itineraries to make sure we saw just about everything. We left Florence via charter bus bright and early Friday morning and checked into our 4 star Roman hotel in the early afternoon. Hotels abroad are very different from American hotels. For example, elevators are nonexistent so we were forced to haul luggage up 6 flights of marble stairs, which are extremely slippery and not made for sandals. Yes, I was the one to slip. They also keep your room key at the front desk, your passport, and give you a basket of eggs for breakfast. I thought Easter was in April? Anyway, my weekend tour guide was my Michelangelo professor. My nerdy, eccentric, unorganized professor. He was extremely flustered guiding 30 students through one of the biggest cities in the world, but he somehow managed to enlighten us on Roman history. Our first stop was the Spanish Steps, one of the most famous sites in Rome. We did not actually have time to climb the steps, but I took pictures and played in the fountain below them. From one fountain to another, we made our way to Trevi Fountain, designed and built under Pope Clement XII. It is customary at the fountain to toss a coin over your shoulder to guarantee a return visit some day. My toss was not the most graceful, so I hope it still counts. We took a lunch break near the fountain and returned only to realize that Rolf, my professor, had left my group behind. Did I mention that Rome is massive? Good thing I was a responsible student and wrote down his cell phone number. Rolf walked back to retrieve our irritated group and continued the tour to the Pantheon.

The Pantheon is a temple dedicated to the gods, hence the name, and has one of the world’s largest domes. Unfortunately, we were unable to go inside because it was closed, but apparently the dome’s eye admits a pretty spectacular beam of light. The inside is made of marble and houses the tombs of Raphael, the painter, and members of the Italian royal family. Hopefully, the coin I tossed into the Trevi Fountain will bring me back to see the inside. We moved on towards Piazza Navona and stopped along the way to play in more fountains and drink water off the side of a building. We also decided to intimidate a fountain by spitting water like the statues. We attracted quite an audience. Piazza Navona is unique because it was once a stadium and the shape still exists today.
Off to Capitol Hill, an ancient religious center turned town hall. It is quite an impressive architectural area. Michelangelo helped construct the steps leading up to the three palaces, the museums, and the fountain. From personal experience, I would like to say that Michelangelo’s stair design was less than desirable. They were the worst steps I have ever climbed, but at least they are aesthetically pleasing. Capitol Hill leads directly to the Roman Forum, which signifies the fall of the Roman Empire. The ruins include major halls, arches, basilicas, and temples. It’s an overwhelming site and one that best visually explains Roman history. The strangest part of the Forum was a set of transparent-looking columns placed among ancient columns. I was confused because they looked so new and discovered that Valentino ordered them for one of his upcoming fashion shows. They worship the man over here. I mean, they let him have a fashion show in the Forum! Who does that? After the Forum, we had to visit Moses. He is absolutely breathtaking compared to pictures we have studied in class. I could not take my eyes off him. This particular Michelangelo is one that most closely resembles both the Pope and the sculptor. It is a powerful, strong piece and overtakes the rest of the works on the tomb. Seeing Moses personally is the main reason I signed up for the Michelangelo class.

The last stop of the day was the Colosseum. Wow! Words really cannot even begin to describe this place. We could almost see the gladiators, the lions, and the stands full of people. If only we were around in 72 A.D., I would have loved to watch a battle. The most interesting part of the Colosseum is the floor. It’s a maze of pathways and doorways and it is difficult to decipher what was actually held there. I spent a good amount of time trying to piece parts together. By the end of day one, I was exhausted and my feet were screaming at me. The school arranged a pizza party for Florence and Rome students that night and it was fun bonding with other Americans.

Ah, Fiesole

6-27-07

Great views, great sunset, and great food are exactly what you will find in Fiesole. I heard about this place before I left for Florence from Grammy and Grampy. They said I absolutely had to go and thank goodness I listen to everything they tell me. It’s beautiful! We went to the Tabbacchi to purchase our bus ticket and made our way to the Duomo to catch the number 7 bus. Thankfully, Kate escorted me to the stop earlier today so I knew exactly where to stand and wait. Kate also informed me that sometimes you can get away with not validating your ticket when boarding the bus. Sneaky, sneaky. We had to try. Enough people boarded so we put non validation plan into action and successfully snuck our way up to Fiesole. We hopped off the bus and immediately headed to the first restaurant we saw – Ristorante Aurora. It sits right on the edge of the hill so the views were amazing during dinner, which by the way was very fancy. Complimentary champagne, free appetizers, silky table cloths, duck ravioli…the works. With views like that, you have to dine in style. The food was amazing but we were cutting into our sunset viewing time, so we quickly asked for the check and ran a little ways down the hill for pictures. Let’s just say the sunsets in New Mexico beat this by a landslide. The sky was just too cloudy for anything spectacular and colorful. So what does one do when landscape pictures are too dull? One takes pictures of herself, of course. Fiesole has a whole street full of mopeds just begging for someone to pose with them. I jumped at the opportunity because posing with one is almost the same as riding one with an Italian boy…almost. I will cross it off the list anyway. The streets also have pedestrian crossings very reminiscent of a certain Beetles album, Abbey Road. Call me John Lennon. Overall, Fiesole is a very romantic town and one that I would love to revisit. Next time, I will bring my own bottle of champagne, probably some peanut M&M’s, and a blanket and find a nice little, quiet area to enjoy the view. Let’s just hope a great sunset decides to show up too.
Update on the hair cut today…it went wonderfully! It was the first time since 5th grade I have had my hair cut by someone other than Glen and I was beyond nervous. Good thing Princess Guilia came along to interrupt for me. They cut my bangs exactly the way I wanted and they even put in some extra layers. Very fun. It’s a good Italian haircut, but the whole experience further justifies why I spend so much money on Glen every few months. You need to have a hairdresser that knows you and knows your hair. It is more important than you think. I am lucky to have Glen. She is the best hairdresser in the world…and I can literally say that now.

This Guy Name Michelangelo

6-26-07

Well, I did it. I survived my first exam at the Accademia. A couple days ago, after our professor outlined the structure of the exam in class, I left thinking there was no way I would be able to become an art history buff in time to pass the exam. As it turns out, my memory likes to pretend to be a steel cage when it comes to remembering certain information. I am so glad it likes to pretend with art history. We were asked to prepare to discuss, in detail, a full page list of Michelangelo’s works. Detail means everything from date, location, and patronage to composition, technique, and style. Now, locations are not hard to identify because Michelangelo really only moved between three places during his lifetime; Florence, Rome, and Bologna. Easy. But then comes the hard part of placing each artwork with a date and a patron. Thanks to Amy Jo’s Michelangelo book, I found each work separated into chapters by date and patron. Somehow the author knew I would be looking for that. Great minds think a like, that’s what I always say. Explaining the composition, technique, and style is the fun part. I have learned that when it comes to analyzing artwork, anything goes. You just have to sound like you know what things such as foreshortening and catrapposto mean. I have also learned that if you pause long enough and run your hand over the artwork without speaking, that constitutes a critique. At least, that’s what my professor does, so that must be how it’s done, right? I will have to try that method when I visit the David. This Thursday we will be visiting Michelangelo’s house and then the San Lorenzo where almost all of his drawings are stored. It is still somewhat surreal to think the famous artworks we have only seen through projectors can be seen in museums right down the street. It is even more surreal to think that in about 2 days, I will actually be able to look up and see the Sistine Chapel and stand in front of the Pietà. Two of Michelangelo’s most famous works. Unbelievable. I have never really been too excited about history, but this art history stuff is not so bad.

This past weekend, a group of students took a trip to Switzerland. A trip that I was unaware was happening. Apparently, it is called the adrenaline capital of the world so it’s no surprise that they got to go white water rafting, walk a high ropes course, and almost go skydiving. I officially have a regret, something I was trying to avoid during my trip. I would have gone to Switzerland in a heart beat! I started looking through my calendar for any possible openings, but I only have 4 more weekends here. This weekend is Rome, next is Sorrento and Capri, next is Paris, and then Barcelona. Where has the time gone? This is my resolution to the problem, mom close your eyes, I am going to skip class. That’s it. There is no other option. I have to fill this regret with extreme sports and I may just have to jump out of a plane. Am I sounding like my brother yet? I will have to look further into the trip, of course, but I will keep you updated.

Meanwhile, Kate and I are off to get my hair cut. This should be interesting.

The Craziness of Florence

6-24-07

(Aunt Amy Jo, I Apologize For Not Keeping Up the Blog on a Daily Basis. I Promise to Work on This as I Now Know How Important it is to Everyone)

Happy San Giovanni Day! Today and this entire weekend has been a celebration of this San Giovanni guy, the patron saint of Florence. Although I am not sure exactly what we are all celebrating, I do know that everyone in Florence has gone absolutely crazy! The craziness began on the walk home from the train station yesterday. We took the train to Via Reggio for the day to get some sun, play in the ocean, and drink Pina Coladas. Funny story about the Pina Coladas real quick. No one in Italy knows what they are. We were dying to have some because we felt they were fitting for our day at the beach, but when we walked up to the beach restaurant, they thought we were nuts. However, one woman over heard our request and went to the back, cut up a real pineapple, and made the drinks. She was from the Dominican Republic, so of course she knew. They were fabulous. Anyway, back to Florence. Music was playing everywhere when we got to the apartment. American music. Florentines, we have noticed, love the 80’s, Gwen Stefani, Avril Lavine, and the umbrella song (Rhiana). We decided to investigate the commotion and realized that every resident of Florence was outside. I have never seen so many people in one area in my life. Streets were blocked off to make room for tables with candle light. Piazzas were crowed with people singing along to live bands and street performers performed for hundreds of viewers, including myself. In the Piazza Pitti, a band with violins, mandolins, guitars, and basses played songs very reminiscent of Nickel Creek, one of my favorite bands. I never thought I would come across that kind of music over here. I loved it. Another performer near the Ponte Vecchio attracted a huge crowd with just his piano. He was amazing. In the Piazza della Republica, a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like was putting on a comedy show, but his humor definitely would not fly in public in the United States. The craziest part was walking down the streets and seeing marathon runners run by you. Where did they come from? We followed some of them towards the Duomo where there was a finish line. Apparently, marathons here start in the evenings and runners have to maneuver their way through crowds because they have no blocked off path. Last night was probably one of the funniest, most random nights I have ever been a part of. Tonight a fireworks show takes place in the Piazza Michelangelo along with the Calcio Storico, medieval soccer game, and a parade. Should be another great night.

Kate and I finally met up for dinner! We met on the Ponte Vecchio and ate at the Open Bar restaurant. It’s a very fancy restaurant that looks out on to the Arno, so romantic. I brought along some of my friends and she brought along Princess Giulia. I explained to Giulia that I was a princess too and that even though my parents don’t run their own country, I still get to wear a tiara and a sash. She may think I am a little strange after that conversation. Hopefully, Kate and I will meet up again before she leaves.

Another Roommate...What?

6-20-07

When Jessie and I first moved into our apartment, our landlord briefly mentioned that another girl would be living with us. She has been going to our school in Florence for about a year to study fashion design and she is Italian. We were excited to meet this girl, but she never showed up the entire first week we were here. She did however manage to leave a refrigerator full of pasta, ham, cheese, and Coke, which started to rot, mold and smell within a few days. Fantastic. She also knew about a broken window in our living room and called a handyman to come fix it. How did she know about the window? We have never seen her in the apartment. Things were starting to get creepy . To ease our freaked out minds, Jessie and I went through all the options as to why she was never around. Maybe she is on a school trip? Maybe she went back home? Maybe she does not actually live here? Or according to Jessie, maybe her dead body is locked behind the door right next to our room? Yeah, that one really helped. We decided that if she did not come home by Sunday, we were going to talk to our program directors at school and then go home and eat her delicious-looking tortellini in the frig. On Sunday, we spent the day going to the grocery store down the street, figuring out how to use an Italian laundry machine, walking around the neighborhood, reading girly books, and relaxing from our busy travel weekend. Still no sign of the roommate. We left the apartment for a couple hours only to return to our drying laundry rack moved from the living room to the front doorway, our dishes cleaned and put away, our bath mat missing, and a restocked frig. We wandered the apartment in silence completely confused. She was still nowhere to be found and her bedroom door was still locked. As we were cooking dinner, we kept a constant eye on the front door and finally, it opened. The mystery roommate was alive! Her name is Nicka and she lives in the south of Italy, but has been studying here for a little over a year. She speaks decent English, but I speak to her in Italian. I am hoping she will help me with my Italian homework, which I can never understand. The coolest part about Nicka is her fashion designs. Love it! She showed me her portfolio and pictures from a fashion show she put together. They are incredible. One collection was made entirely of straw. How about that? After watching her sew this adorable jacket the past two days, I am inspired to...go shopping :) Definitely not to learn how to sew, although that may come in handy. Our apartment has turned into a live Project Runway. Mom and Murph eat your hearts out!

Last night I met up with my two Kappa friends, Caitlin and Annie, from Purdue that have been studying here for 4 weeks and leave this Saturday. Sad. We went to a little bar called BeBop to listen to a Beetles cover band that performs every Tuesday night. They were hilarious. They also introduced me to Kebobs, which are very hard to explain but resemble a BLT wrap and are absolutely delicious, and these gold keys you wear on a long chain around your neck. Apparently, girls literally fight each other for these keys. Guess that means I will be getting some. Today we are climbing the Duomo together and eating at the Oile Shoppe, a place highly recommended by the Florence crew. My to-do list just keeps getting smaller and smaller.

Cousin Kate comes today, but she seems to have a packed schedule while she is here. Hopefully, I can meet up with her.

Train Traveling

6-16-07

This weekend marked the very first travel weekend of our 6 week stay here in Italy. I decided to visit Venice, a city of romance, waterways, hungry pigeons, decorated masks, and gondola rides. All week I tried to convince people to come along and ended up traveling with about 20 Arcadia students. Out of those 20, only 5 of us really bonded with each other and have officially formed our own little clique. Jessie, Bryce, Mark, Julian, and I are a great traveling team. We purchased tickets together through a complicated machine at the train station the day before and managed to only screw up one ticket. Poor Bryce lost about 30 Euro at a malfunctioning machine and had to stand in another line for over an hour to retrieve the money. Keeping in mind our “traveling team” modo, Jessie and I left Bryce and the boys to figure out the dilemma on their own. We were hungry. The morning of the trip we reconvened at the station, grabbed our usual cappuccino and pastry, and headed off to Venice by 6:30 a.m. We switched trains in Bologna and tried to sneak into some first class seats. Traveling to Venice should be done in style, right? Well, apparently not because we got caught. Dang it! In Venice, we headed straight for San Marco, which is a huge plaza with museums, shopping, live music, cafes, and pigeons. Oh the pigeons. There were hundreds of pigeons hanging out in the plaza begging for food and well, tourists can pay to feed them. Being a tourist, I decided to pay the Euro and bravely walk toward the flapping, black mass. Instantly I was attacked! Pigeons flew in from all directions and latched on to every part of me they could. My hands, my arms, my head, my shoulders…the food was gone in milliseconds. It was the most terrifying thing I have ever done, but it was so worth it. Next on the itinerary was a gondola ride. Jessie and I were beyond excited about riding one, but the rest of our team was less than thrilled. They bought beverages to help them get through it. Seeing Venice from the water is definitely a memorable experience and one I will never forget. It was just like the movies with heart shaped seats and a real live gondola man. Our gondola man was pretty popular on the waterways and would yell “gobble, gobble” to every other gondola man we passed. They thought they were hilarious. We thought they were strange. Before we left Venice, we just had to stop and say hello to some very important people. Georgio Armani, Prada, and Gucci were all there and looking even more glamorous and expensive than ever. How I love them.

One more thing…our school took us on a day trip to Siena and San Gimignano this weekend as well. These medieval cities have lots of history and lots of character. We visited churches and museums in Siena, but loved just sitting in the plaza people watching and eating some of their famous treats. Yum! In San Gimignano we looked at old towers, watched two boys play soccer, and took scenic pictures. Although, I will say that Venice has been my favorite trip so far. Next weekend….Sicily.

Italian Leather Boots Are Bellisimo!

6-13-07
On every corner, in every shop, there is a plethora of leather. Leather purses, leather gloves, shoes, books, belts, anything you can image. Since my first walking trip on the first day, I have been seriously infatuation with a pair of absolutely gorgeous leather boots in a store window. Miss Sixty’s store window to be exact. Now, some of you may not be familiar or have forgotten my list of things I wish to accomplish in Florence, which is extremely important for this particular blog, so here is a refresher…
Eat as much gelato as I can
Make friends with some Italians
Visit everything on Kate’s list
Travel as much as possible
Ride on a moped with an Italian boy
Buy a leather purse
Find Amy Jo and BC’s old apartment
Go to a beach
Find a place that plays live Italian music
PURCHASE ITALIAN LEATHER BOOTS
Number 10 is officially crossed off the list as of today. Before anyone freaks out about this seemingly impulse purchase (mother and possibly grandmother), let me explain. I have walked past that particular window every day, twice a day, or more, and have also kept an eye out for other boots to compare. I describe it as quick and efficient research. I also believe that when in Florence do as the Florentines do. Florentines buy leather boots. I am trying to immerse myself in the culture, that’s all.

Today I also accomplished number 6 on the list, a soft, natural brown leather purse. It too has been starring at me for days now. With classes not starting until 2 today, I just had to make the trip to the mercato and check it out. The mercato literally sucks you into its rows upon rows of nic-nacs and handmade goods and will not release you until something is purchased. I tried to explore some other purse options because there are hundreds, but this one particular purse kept following me! What the heck! So I decided to buy and found a stand run by the most bargainable guy in the mercato. It was a piece of cake getting to the price I wanted and I would like to thank my blonde hair for all its help. Blonde hair in Italy is a whole other story, but some people are just fascinated by it. The new purse and I loved showing off together around the streets and in class today. We were turning heads and making people jealous all over the place. Leather is definitely my new best friend.

Quick side note…I saw a bride and groom taking wedding pictures on the Ponte Vecchio today. What a lucky couple. I took a picture, but still cannot seem to figure out this picture posting on the blog. Oh well.

Wait…We Actually Have to Take Classes Here?

6-12-07
Having all the free time in the world to do whatever you want, go where ever you want, and see what ever you want is truly the way to experience Florence. But once classes begin, you can kiss the majority of that free time good bye. The first class I chose to take over here is an art history class on Michelangelo and his works. I figured that learning about his master pieces and then walking down the street to see them in person would be amazing. The professor informed us that we will take class trips daily to the museums and even travel to Rome to see Michelangelo’s sculptures, painting, etc. How fun! He lectured today on different medias, techniques, styles, and did a very brief overview on how Michelangelo fits into each category, or idea as Professor Rolf described them. It was shaping up to be exactly the kind of class I was expecting. Traveling and art are a great combination. I am looking forward to learning more art history, analyzing different artworks, and visiting historical places. Then came the class syllabus. Italians obviously don’t mess around when it comes to education. 1 written essay, 1 presentation, and 4 exams with essays. He also gave us directions to all the Florence libraries…for research. The whole “not worrying about my classes or grades” plan suddenly pulled a 180 on me. This may be harder than I thought. Who wants to research on vacation (well I was calling it vacation before class started)? Class number two is my Italian language class. For two full days, I have spoken quite a bit of Italian, not well, but have managed. Our professor walks in speaking to us as though we are all smoking cigarettes and have dark hair, dark eyes, tight pants, and last names ending in “i” or “o.” I have only taken a semester of Italian and pick up on 1 of every 10 words this woman is saying. Uh oh. Did I mention this class is 4 hours long 3 times a week? 4 hours of smiling and nodding with little comprehension. The good thing is that we spend the last 2 hours of class walking the streets of Florence learning how to order from restaurants and gelaterias, which means we get to eat and roam for a grade. Chocolate and vanilla ice cream translated into Italian is gelato stracciatella. A+ for me! This class may be the most difficult to understand, but is already by far my favorite.

I found out today that you can scale the Duomo. What a very intriguing thought! I will have to look into that. I also heard about designer outlets that are fairly close to Florence. Checking into that as well. Another cool thing I learned today was that we live right above a craftsman’s workshop. The constant banging sounds are incredibly annoying in the early morning, but turn into these extravagantly built and upholstered pieces of furniture. It’s nice seeing something so amazing and beautiful in the morning before heading to the Michelangelo class from you know where…

Un Cappucino e Un Crimini della Crema Per Favore.

Alarm clock sounds at 7:30 a.m. so Jessie, my roommate, and I can head out early to find a good caffè place before our orientation begins at the Accademia Italiana. Our goal is to find a good place close to our apartment that we can frequent on a daily basis. We want to make friends with some Italians. The barista behind the counter greets us with a Buon Giorno (I know what that one means) and we stand back a bit to see how the others are ordering. We go with un cappuccino e un cremini della crema, a pastry. Great choice. While we are eating, Italians start flooding the caffè wearing these extremely stylish outfits and speaking incredibly fast. I can’t help but stop eating to watch everything that is happening around me. Wow! I am in Italy, in a caffè, hanging out with the locals. This is crazy! When I finally decided to snap out of my stare and pick my jaw up off the ground, Jessie and I headed off to the school, which is directly across from the Pitti Palace. I took a pretty difficult Italian placement test, listened to a few lectures about safety and class procedures, and took a tour of the school. One balcony on the third floor has probably one of the best views in all of Florence. I think I will spend a lot of time sitting there. Maybe even sketching a little? We will see. Our school advisors then prepared an authentic Italian lunch with 6 different kinds of pastas, homemade pizza, and deserts. I was in awe of the food and think I may take an Italian cooking class. Mom, Grammy, and Amy Jo would be so proud. We took a little walking tour after lunch with my Michelangelo professor and visited some of the main Florence attractions – The David, inside the Duomo, the Gates of Paradise, the Piazza della Republica, and the Santa Maria Novella. He also pointed out Vodaphone where I will be purchasing an international cellular device, tomorrow. The best part of the day was a free dinner on a Tuscan hillside provided by the Accademia Italiana. The entire school squeezed, shoved, and pushed their way on to a single bus that took us near Fiesole outside Florence. Traveling with that many hot, sticky, smelly people was not pleasant. I did, however, have my first blonde moment of the trip during the bus ride. An Italian woman was sitting in front of me reading a book and I thought to myself, they print books in Italian? It’s going to be a long 6 weeks. Anyway, the restaurant was absolutely gorgeous and very swanky with a 4 course meal and a bottle of Chianti. We started with two different pastas that were too good for words and then moved on to a, what is the word, interesting meat dish. I thought it was just a very rare-looking steak, but turns out they cooked us wild boar. Never in my wildest dreams…The boys in the group had just a tad too much Chianti and on the way back started playing with the bus doors and yelling for people to hop on. Oh boy. The streets here are just as beautiful at night with live music playing everywhere and Italians out enjoying cool air. A crowd was gathered on the Ponte Vecchio to listen to a singer/guitar player, so we thought we would gather too. I love Florence.

The mosquitoes have finally arrived at apartment 2 and the never ending sounds of mopeds are getting louder. Tomorrow I am investigating a pair of Italian boots I saw in a shop window and starting my classes.

Flying Solo

(Note: This post was meant for Sunday Night...I am far behind)

It is amazing how quickly one gains independence while flying solo. I found myself sitting in the Indy Airport Saturday, all by myself, with a stomach full of nerves and close to tears. Don’t get me wrong, I was beyond ecstatic about studying abroad for 6 weeks, but being shoved into new experiences isn’t something I handle well, at first. I need a solid, well thought out plan and leaving Indy without one was terrifying. How am I going to understand Italian signs in the airport? Will I go through customs in Milan? When I get to Florence, how do I get a taxi? Who is Tonelli and why do I have to ring her doorbell? I thank my mother for this “being in control” gene. Getting to Newark, NJ is a piece of cake, chocolate cake preferably, J and getting onto the massive 747 was also pretty easy. A man wearing a Packers jersey, cut-off shorts, and high tops made me smile and relax because dad would definitely be that guy traveling to Florence dressed like a NASCAR fan. The man next to me can’t speak a lick of English but gave a little father, son, and holy ghost prayer before take-off and while landing. Also, making me smile. We land in Milan and I start following the wrong group of people headed out of the airport instead of to the transfer gates. Oops! Good thing mom reminded me to ask lots of questions. Finally, I arrive in Florence ( Firenze as they call it in the Milan airport – talk about one confused American – stood in front of the monitor for a good 5 minutes wondering where my flight was) and run into a girl from Purdue! How much smaller can this world get? Finding a taxi was the easiest part of the trip and I had to laugh at myself for being so dramatic about not finding one. I bonded with my driver and he was very impressed with my horrible attempt at speaking Italian. He taught me that when you answer the phone, you say “Pronto.” Good to know. My apartment is gigantic with high ceilings, big arching windows, sitting areas, and a kitchen. My roommate is very, very shy and quiet, but that is better than absolutely nuts. We walked around all day yesterday and saw the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, the David, the Pitti Palace, the Boboli Gardens, J.J.’s Cathedral, etc. Already I have had 3 different flavors of gelato (Coco flavor is the best), Italian pizza, Bruschetta, and Sparkling Water (sick!). I am learning so much already and cannot wait to continuing learning more. I am on my way to becoming a true Florentine.