Snow in Florencee!

The town is in a panic because there is supposed to be snow tonight into the next three days. All of our teachers said they have lived here for 50 years and have only seen snow 2-3 times. I think it's really weird that snow is such a big deal because everyone walks everywhere anyway. Oh well we'll see what happens when we wake up. Hopefully we have a snow day and get to roam the city in the snow!

Florentina Soccer Game

Sunday we woke up pumped to go to the soccer game. It was Florentina vs. Siena. We got a long email from one of our student activities advisors at school of the Do's and Dont's of the matches. For example, do not wear opposing teams colors or you will be harassed and hit. So... this led us to not wear those colors. Soccer or as it is called here futbol is very popular. The stadium was huge and everyone was wearing purple (Firenze's color). I wanted to buy a shirt but I couldn't find one in time so I had to settle for a purple headband and scarf!

We walked over with about 50 students and all sat together. I couldn't really make out the cheers because they were all in Italian but I pretty sure the they were saying "F you Siena". We won the game 2-1 and I saw some pretty sweet goals. One of Florentina's players is 21 and has been playing on the team for 3 years and was filthy good.

After we went to the American Diner because we were all craving American food. I wasn't hungry at first but we had to wait in the cold for and hour so by the time we were in it was 5 pm and I was going all in for a burger. I got a cheeseburger and fries with American coffee (just what I needed). Everyone else got giant milkshakes. I could of lasted longer without American food but it was nice to have a juicy burger.

Today I had the normal classes, Villa and the Garden and Italian. Mondays are pretty relaxing thank god. However, today was freezing probably the coldest day yet. My hands were purple and frozen. I need to invest in some warm gloves.

Then we had family dinner which was tortellini soup which was fine with me because I am starting to get a cold. My nose was running constantly all day! Joy... not.

Off to bed early. Ciao.

Siena and San Gimignano

Today we woke up at the crack of dawn aka 6:45 for another day trip organized by the school. I wasn't sure what to expect because I haven't really heard or researched much on these two places but they are part of Tuscany so I was interested.

In Siena we saw a beautiful Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta. Our tour guide was Steffano again and he told us all about how this Catherdral was supposed to be the largest one in all of Italy but when Siena got the plague half of the population died off and they had no one or a need to continue building the church. however, it still was so big. The part that was left open was made into a museum and There was a ledge that came out to a panoramic view of Siena which I was excited to see. We also saw the Battistero, which was a lot smaller then I expected but it was a great meeting spot for renaissance sculptors as I was told.

After we saw the church and baptistery we walked up to the panoramic view. The stairs spiraled all the way up many feet. I was scared and holding on for dear life. One of my roommates is scared of heights and I thought she was going to pass out. The view was absouletly to die for just like any other view I have seen in Italy. The views of the countryside in the far background are breathetaking. We all took a millon pictures like usual.

The Panaramic View

Then we went to lunch and Steffano decided to take us 8 to a cute little restaurant called L'osteria la Piana. I decided not to get a horrible lunch like the last week and go for something different then pasta. I got Tuscan soup which was delicious. It was nice to change it up. There also was a cute little dog right next to our table sitting on a chair and didn't say one peep. It still shocks me that dogs are allowed to walk into restaurants and stores with their owners. They also Rome the cities without leashes and just follow their owners. I wish I could teach Leo to do that (I MISS HIM SO MUCH)!

Then we took a short ride to San Gimignano. This place was more just to walk around and tour a Medieval Town. The views weren't as spectacular but it still was nice to see something different and less busy then a Florence type city. 

This was the little puppy next to us at the table. so adorable. 

The Crew. 

When we got back I made some sausage and peppers with roasted potatoes. I'm getting very good at cooking. Christy calls me her mom because I make dinner every night but I enjoy it alot. After we went out to the bar we went to the first night called Lion's Fountain which is the American bar. It was fun but these long days wipe me out. I'm back early and going to bed.... night.

exhausting week

The weeks fly by here. I can't believe I already finished my second week of classes. It might be because we have no Friday classes which is awesome! Gives us an extra day to travel or a day of rest if we aren't. 

Wednesday night we planned on going to this club called 21 which we went to last wed. it was awesome but when it came down to it we were all drained because of planning trips. We argued and debated for about two hours on which trips to book and which agencies to go through it was a bit ridiculous but I stayed calm through it all (blessed that I have patience). In the end we ended up booking a bunch of trips.

Rome the 3rd-5th

Interlaken the 9th-11th

Venice for Carnivale the 18th

Spring break is still undecided

Easter Weekend in the Almafi Coast

Last trip of the semester will be Springfest the 19th-22nd in Munich, Germany

These are the ones officially booked but there will be more to come and I've been budgeting everything pretty well and only spending on what I need too.

Thursday I had my first quiz in my photography class and I wasn't sure of what to expect but it was fairly easy then we got to shoot for the first time which wasn't as fun as it sounded. I'm not very good with manually working with my camera yet but hopefully I get there soon. 

Then Thursday night we went to Nioama which is a bar owned by Sergio who is awesome. He gave us drink specials all night and told us all the hot spots to go. We also talked to Florence for Fun and Bus2Alps companies just to get a feel for what we were getting into. I still plan on doing trips on my own just to save money and go on my own time but it easier when you have it all planned out for you and go with a bunch of people and have tour guides.

This morning I got to sleep in till noon then made some eggs (nomnomnom) and we decided to explore the town. 5 hours later we finally got back. A long 5 hours of walking but it was nice to enjoy to air. It seems to actually be getting colder instead of warmer as the days go on. We went to a bunch of little shops and the markets on the streets. I really wanted a leather made satchel bag that was bigger and could fit a bunch of stuff. My goal was to get one of the bags they were charging 60 euros or more down to 50 or 40. It was worth a shot and being a girl has it's advantages. I found a nice tan one that you could wear as a purse or a satchel and I got it for 40 euros. I love being a little bargainer. I know its like 50$ in the US but I really wanted something made here that I could use forever.

After we got home all of us crashed. We all went into hiding in our rooms and watched our shows on our computers or did homework or slept. After a long week and a lot of walking you feel completely drained. I never felt this tired in a while. Also we have to wake up at 6:45 again for another Saturday trip. This time were going to Siena and San Gamingano. But these trips are totally worth it. 

Now that I have completed season 1 of Friends with Christy we must go to bed and get some rest for tomorrow. Buona notte!

Ps this is the cow stomach that I ate... yeah never happening again.

A new week

So yesterday we had no Internet all night which was actually quite refreshing... but I did not get to blog.

Monday wasn't too exciting. I had my normal classes Villa and the Garden and Italian. In my Villa class we went to visit the Palazzo Medici which was actually very interesting. They were the first people to create a palace in Firenze. They were the first thing people would stop and see on the way into Firenze. They were merchants who became nobles through marriage. We got to walk through the palace while our teacher told us all about the history and background.

Monday night we had our weekly family dinner. Anna was cooking this week and she made tortellini soup with vegetables. It was so Delicious!! It had carrots, onions, tortellini, broth, and broccoli in it. With some bread it was to die for.

Today wasn't too different. I had three classes. My history of food, photo, and Italian. In food class we went to the central market to see what was made and sold there. We had to try many things our teacher got for us. Two of my roommates have the class on Mondays so we knew what we were going to be tasting... cow stomach. I knew that's what we were eating so I was very hesitant. I was the first one though to grab a toothpick and pick a piece. It wasn't bad with flavor but the texture just made it so gross. It felt like squid and all chewy. YUCK! Then in the market we saw all parts of animals since the Italians use all the part. For example, we saw a pigs legs wrapped up with the toe nails still on them and everything. My stomach was rumbling the whole time.

Then I had an hour before my next class and I was far from my apartment so I sat a Piazza Della Repubblica which is in the middle of the city, one of the main Piazza's. I packed a sandwich and crackers in the morning and sat by the carousel and ate them. Even though I was sitting by myself on the bench it was so peaceful and wonderful to sit in the sun and people watch.

Photo class hasn't really been interesting yet, we start shooting on Thursday along with my first quiz here! We'll see how that goes.

Then for dinner we went to an appretivo. This is when you buy a drink and you get unlimited food that they have set out. They are mainly pick on food which we didn't know so next time we should probably eat before. There were little sandwiches, spaghetti, and bread along with some other things. After we went to beer pong at Red Garter which is the American bar. I only stayed for a little but it was nice to see a bunch of Americans. Made me feel at home. xoxo Ciaooooo!

So yesterday I had no time to blog because it was the longest day of myself. Today is a more relaxed day and it has been awesome. We went on a preplanned trip to Pisa and Lucca with the school and a tour guide names Stefano. He was literally awesome and knew so much about what he was showing us. We had to wake up at 6:30 am because the bus left at 8am. Getting up at that time was the most brutal thing yet though, it was so cold in the morning and I didn't want to roll out of bed to put actual clothes on. Oh how I miss wearing my sweatpants everyday. However, the trip was absolutely amazing and so worth the waking up and 50$. 

First we took an hour bus ride into Pisa. I took a quick catnap to refresh myself. When we walked in the view that I saw was so amazing. I felt my jaw drop and my eyes widen. We could see the leaning tower, museum, and church. It felt so real but yet so unreal at the same time. I never thought I'd ever see these things so up close and personal. We got to walk around and get coffee and pastries before we started the tour.

The amazing view!

Some group shots. Trying to be Artsy!

The tour started in the baptistery. It was absolutely gorgeous. It had stained windows and a huge alters. We walked up to the second floor where it overlooked the people below, and the alter. Every half hour a guy came out to sing sounds that echoed beautifully throughout the baptistery. It sounded like nothing I had ever heard before. Then we went to Saint Maria's church. It was the largest church I have ever seen. I heard there are giant, beautiful churches in Rome but for now this church was the biggest I've seen. There were four different alters with the main one in the middle. There weren't many pews for people to sit in. I think it was a very small historical church. After we went to the last museum, it had a giant courtyard where we took pictures. Also it had a lot of artifacts from the history of Pisa. We had such a big group it was hard to stay close to Stefano to listen to what he was saying so I mostly walked on my own and took it all in through my eyes.

The Baptistery

 Group Shot. 

Group shot #2 minus me.

In side the Saint Maria Church. 

The Cementery.

Huge group of girls... aka the 40 girls that signed up for the trip. Photo op taken by our tour guide.

 I got some good Leaning Tower Pics!
           

Then we took a short bus ride to Lucca. I wasn't sure what we would be seeing there because I haven't heard much about Lucca and unless it was planned I wouldn't have thought to go there. We walked through the center of town and got lunch. Lunch was the only disappointing thing of the day. I ordered a ham sandwich (prosciutto) but I felt like I was eating chewy lard aka fat. I couldn’t bite through and there was no flavor or tomatoes to top it with. It made me have the worst stomachache. After lunch we met everyone at a bike shop. They paid for all 40 of us to rent bikes for an hour. You ride them up on the wall that surrounds Lucca. It was so much fun. I felt like I was a child again riding through the streets. We stopped to take pictures along the way and just coast through different spots. It was just the most refreshing thing to do. 

My nasty sandwich....

Bike riding and pictures from along the way. Wish I could go back before I leave, maybe I will!

After the day was over we took a bus back at about 6pm. I passed right out on the ride back. We all made our dinners and took a rest in our rooms. I watched some shows online until we decided to get up and get ready to go out. We hung out in our apartment for a while and didn't actually leave for the club until 12:15 pm. At that point I was about to not go out but everyone was going so I went. Then when we got there after walking 30 min the club owner said our passes wouldn't work and we'd have to pay 10 Euros whether we drank or not. We still went in, I only lasted till 2:30 and half of us walked home. Christy and me watched and episode of Friends like usual and off the bed by 3:30. I had such an exhausting day but it was so worth it!!

I told myself I wouldn't waste my Sunday away and just sleep. I woke up at 11:30am, which really wasn't close to enough sleep. I cleaned up the apartment with Anna and then we went for a run. When we came back Anna, Christy, Krista, Lexa and I decided to explore the town while the other three still slept. We looked around at some shops but I'm not really interested in spending my money on things I can buy in the US. I want to look for nice unique leather things. Then we went on our weekly supermarket food shopping. Christy

As soon as we got back we made our first good dinner. Chicken with lemon and pesto, baked potatoes, salad and garlic bread. Yummmmm were so excited we bought actual good meal food plus to good snacks :) Hopefully I can go do some homework in the quiet and get to bed early since I can't watch the Giants game here since it starts at 12:30 am.... Ciao. 

The betch cave plus two. 

Me and Christy's homemade dinner. So delishhhh. 

Chanti Wine Tour

Today we had a planned trip to the Chanti Wine Tour. We had to be at the train station at 9:30 and we left the house without knowing the route. We were literally running through the city to find the station asking a new person at every corner to help us find our way. Once we got there right on time, we got onto a few buses to take us to the Vineyard/Castle. I loved just looking out to window listening to music on the bus. It was so cool to see the busy city bustle turn into a lovely countryside view. The road was so tiny and windy road. I thought we were going to get into an accident at every turn. The roads here look like their built for one car only and the drivers drive like they are on their way to the hospital not caring for the other cars or even pedestrians.

Once we were there we got a tour of the Castle at which one of the children of the original owners still lives. Anna (the owner) was one of five children to live in the original Castle. When her parents died and all her siblings moved away to escape the pain. She decided to stay and allow tourists to tour her house and vineyard at which they make famous Chanti wine and olive oil.

Then our tour guide took us through the cellar where they kept the bottles and barrels of wine. It was crazy how much wine was being stored.

SO MUCH WINE!

Then we went and ate at the restaurant that she built for tourist. It was very good. We had pasta with sauce and olives, bruschetta, and tasted two different wines. I really like the Chanti dark red wine. I bought a bottle to take home to my family because it is very famous. After we walked around the vineyard and then through the fields. It was gorgeous except for the fact that it was very muggy and foggy out. I'm glad our school did this because I wouldn't have planned it on my own but it was defiantly something I enjoyed. 

When we got back we shopped for a bit and I made my first real purchase. I bought a pair of knee high taupe boots that are flat. Perfect for walking around here and so comfy. They were only 25 euros and then I bought a headband with flowers that goes over my ears for 3 Euros. Not to pricey of purchases but they were worth it. After I went for a short run and walk around our block. Runs are so much more enjoyable here when the scenery is pretty to look at. 

Since then I've just been hanging out in the apartment, made myself some pasta and and garlic bread, and then we started to plan some trips. It is very very very stressful to try to coordinate what everyone wants to do with the mandatory field trips we have for certain classes and people visiting us. Hopefully it all works out and we get where we want to go. Time is already flying by! Arrevaderci!

birthday festivitiess

Here are some pics from last nights club adventure:

 Here is all 8 of the girls from my apartment. We finally got a good group pic. It was a lot of fun and the promoters for the club gave us a bunch of free drinks and a free bottle of champagne. The clubs in Europe are way different then back home in New Haven.

Here is a pic of me, taylor, lexa (the birthday girl) and brittany in order from left to right. 

This morning I was exhausted from the night before and we had class. It is very weird over here in Italy because everyone goes out anynight of the week until 4 or 5 am. My body can not handle that. 

In food class today we watched a movie about shocking foods and how people eat insects and animals that are unusal as delicacies. It made me so grossed out to watch people eat fried cockroaches and pig eyeballs. I almost threw up. 

Right after class I had to eat some good food. My friend Francesca took me to this panini place called il Panino del Chianti. I got a turkey, pesto, and mozzeralla panini. It was TO DIE FOR. It was so good and the best lunch i've had yet because I have usually been making stuff in my apartment to save money but today I was running late. It was so delicous I can't wait to go back and try other kinds.

Then photo class was boring because were still learning techniques which is okay for now but I can't wait to explore the places, people, and customs of Italy through the lens of my camera! 

In Italian class we learned vocab about food and what to say when you go into a store. I like how the class is more based on communication skills instead of grammar. I need to start using my Italian more so it sticks in my head. My roommates and I decided to start talking Italian in our apartment for little things like Hi, bye, how are you etc. We'll see how that goes!

Then we decided to go to a nice dinner for Lexa's birthday. I have been trying to save my Euros for things I really want but some good food is always nice. This was only our third time going out for dinner. The resturant we went to is highly recommended. It was called Acqua Al 2, there are also branches in Washington DC and San Fransicio. The are known for their sampler platters which comes in the first course, second course, salad, dessert, and cheese samplers. You choose which ones you want and then you split it amoung however many people you have. We decided to get the salad, first, second, and dessert. I knew it was going to be an expensive dinner but let me tell you it was SO WORTH IT. 

We bought two salad samplers to share and they each came with a corn salad, greek salad, and a chicken type salad. Very small portions though. 

Then there was pasta. It came out on one small plate and we had to pass around the table for 8 people. Each person got about five noodles for each kind of pasta. While we were passing it around it felt like we were eating nothing but in the end we ate a lot. The types of pasta were: Small shells with cheesey pesto, pasta with spanich, rigotoni with eggplant sauce (my favorite!), and rissoto with pumpkin. In the end I think this was the best choice because we got a little of everything and I tried so many things I would have never tried. 

Then there was the main course which was steak surprisingly. The first red meat i've had in a while. There was a small steak in balasmic dressing, a small steak with blueberry dressing, and then beef strips with tomatoes in a crostini bowl. The blueberry is very well known there for its creativity and I was so nervous to try it. I actually liked it alot, more sweet while the balsamic was tangy. They were all very enjoyable. 

Balsamic to the left and Blueberry to the Right 

Beef strips yumm!

The dessert was to die forrr. There were four tiny slivers of each thing and we split iit between four people so we each got a bite of each one. It didnt seem like enoughh! It was dark chocolate cake, cheesecake with starwberry fruit, tiramisu, and peach pie. I dont really like all of the things but I tried them all once again. Very experimental night. 

The Resturants Desserts

Our Desserts :)

Once we came home we had more desserts planned for Lexa's birthday. We looked everywhere for a cake but instead Krista and Christy got her a canoli, chocolate pic, and a mini cupcake. We sang and all shared some more dessert. I think I've had enough food tonight to last me a while! Now it's off to bed because We have to get up early in the morning for our Chanti Wine Tour hosted by the school. I'm so excited to finally really explore. Ciaoooo.