Roma & The Vatican

This past weekend I went on my second school trip to Roma and the Vatican. We left at 6 am on March 3rd (Saturday) on a bus, this trip the group was an entire bus smaller than the Venice trip which was nice, not as chaotic. The ride was 3 hours long and once we arrived in Rome around 10 am we were dropped off at the Coliseum. It was..wait for it...beautiful. This entire experience has been very surreal, for lack of a better word. I am visiting places, even living in a city, rich with thousands of years of history. I am standing where Romans once stood, some of the world's greatest artists, philosophers, heros, politicians and 'villains'. I obviously appreciate it now, but this trip will truly hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life.

Obviously reppin the sorority inside the Coliseum

Back to the Coliseum, so we arrived at the Coliseum and there was a protest happening for construction labor unions, so that was really interesting to watch. We walked inside the Coliseum for about 30 mins, then we went to the Palace of the Emperor (well the ruins of it) right across from the Coliseum up on a hill, so we got some spectacular views of the city.

View from Ruins of Roman Palace, Coliseum in the background

From there, we went back onto the bus and headed over to the Vatican City. Now there really is no difference between saying "the Vatican" or "the Vatican City", they both encompass the same things...some girl asked the difference. Anyways, we had lunch on our own outside of the city walls and then we met up with our tour guides that took us on a 3 hour tour through the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and other various parts we were allowed to enter. The Vatican was probably my favorite place we went to all weekend. St. Peter's church literally took my breath away. I walked in and stopped in shock/awe. I know I have said other churches are gorgeous, beautiful, etc. but this...this was something else. Most churches I have been into have been gorgeous, but very simple and 'plain'. St. Peter's on the other hand was very elaborate, lots of gold, statues, and detailing from floor to ceiling. When we went in to the church it was around 4, so the afternoon sun was pouring in from the west, obviously I was then told that they build the church purposefully facing the east so that the sun would shine through the dome in the back and onto the alter.

Inside St. Peter's Basilica

Another fun fact, the main doors to the church are only opened every 25 years on the Jubilee (2025 is the next time that they will be opened). Also, the crest of the Catholic church bears two keys, the keys of St. Peter, one is gold and the other is silver. The gold opens the gates to heaven and the other to Earth...our tour guide seemed a little confused as to why one would want to go back, but at least you have the option. Anyways, the crest can be seen all over Rome on various churches and fountains. Fun game to play "spot the crest"..no?

Our tour ended in St. Peter's Square in front of the Church. We learned about the Swiss Guards who are in charge of protecting the Pope. They are all Swiss men between the ages of 18-30 years old. During their service they cannot drink, be married/have sex and they also much be attractive...not complaining but I have no idea why. I also sent Camille a postcard from the Vatican...I think she will like it :] hehe.

After the Vatican we went to our hotel and got our rooming assignments. Alex and I forgot about the meeting for the trip so we didn't get put together and I ended up rooming with a girl named Colette from New Jersey who is a Fashion major. She was really nice and I invited her to join Alex and I for the rest of the evening. We met up with one of my sorority sister's Kiernan who is studying in Rome and she took us to Scholar's Pub. They played great American music and had amazing food...drinks as well. Definitely enjoyed my evening in Rome. Even if we felt like we were traveling into the depths of hell when trying to figure out their metro system.

---Sunday March 4th---

Today was a jam packed day! First we went to Piazza Navona where we saw three gorgeous fountains. The main one depicted four rivers from the four corners of the Earth. Sorry, the only river I remember him saying was the Nile, the others..one was in Africa, another South America and the last...I do not know. The fountain was incredible, I really find it astonishing how perfect sculptors are when it comes to during a slab of stone into a masterpiece. From there, we walked to the Pantheon, which again, I was simply blown away by the fact that they could build such amazing buildings, without cranes and other pieces of 'modern technology'. Talent does not rely on technology, thats for sure.

Really awesome fountain

After the Pantheon, we walked to the Trevi Fountain. I gasped when I first saw it. Gigantic, majestic, white and perfect. I have ALWAYS wanted to go to the Trevi and throw in two coins: the first meaning I will return to Rome, the second meaning I will find true love and I am so happy to say that I was able to throw in my two cents. Camille told me to jump in the fountain but seeing as how I did not want to get arrested, my hand was all I was willing to risk. I could have sat at the fountain all day long, it was so beautiful and serene. I also did not realize how large it was and that it was made off of the facade of a preexisting building. Also, legend has it that a virgin is whom discovered the source of water that the fountain is connected to and she is depicted in the fountain in the top corner. The main element of the fountain being Neptune, as it is attributed to him. He is in the center with two tridents guiding the seahorses that pull his chariot (a seashell). The movement throughout the fountain is flawless and I would not mind having it in my house to stare at all day long.

pantheon

Our next stop was the Spanish Steps, also another place I could stay all day and people watch. The steps and surrounding area were lovely but the men hustling roses were not so beautiful. They would literally give you the flower as if it were a gift or shove it in your hand and then as for money for it. I told a girl to just throw it on the ground, lets just say the man shouted some not so nice things but serves him right to assume we are dumb and going to pay for something we clearly don't want. From the Spanish Steps we went to, what the Romans call, "the wedding cake". It is really a building that was built to honor the first King of Italy who helped in it's unification but Romans do not like it for it is very fascist looking and also is not rooted to the hearts of the citizens but really a political statement. However, after WWI it became the resting place of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and is now more of a memorial, which Romans seem to appreciate a little more since it represents something much more important.

Trevi Fountain

Finally, after a long morning we left to have a traditional four course Roman lunch which lasted..2.5 hours. I don't think I could have touched my toes afterwards I was so full of pasta, eggplant and tiramisu. Then we went to the catacombs, which were cool but we didn't see any bones or anything, just dirt and empty graves but they go on for 10 miles and are 100ft deep. We only went down to the second level and were in there for maybe 25 mins.

Rome was amazing. Aside from being rich with history, it was also a very lively city and a much different pace than Florence. I really hope that I can go back before I leave, possibly when my mom comes!

-----
Today is International Women's Day! An older British man asked us in Italian why we had yellow flowers (which we given to us at lunch) and that is why! Yay for being a woman and for him thinking we were italian and understanding what he asked!! Now it is time to celebrate with super happy hour for the ladies.

Ciao!

Paris, Je t'aime.

I know it has been two weeks since my birthday weekend and I apologize but life started to pick up over here (in a good way) so the constant traveling then diving back into school immediately has made it difficult to stay on top of blogging. SO, here we go: Paris 2012.

--Thursday, February 23rd--
I have Italian from 9-10:15 am on Tues/Thurs so both Alex and I had to head straight from Italian to the train station in order to get on a train to take us to Pisa to make our flight at 2:45pm. Considering neither Alex and I had taken a train before, we were a little stressed out about timing. We ended up getting to Santa Maria Novella (the name of the train station in Florence) at 10:57am...just in time to make the 11 am train to Pisa. The train was direct, so it only stopped once and we got to the airport by noon. Our flight was an hour behind, which was not super fun so by the time we got to Paris, we were a little irritated. Irritation quickly turned into confusion because we had no idea how to get from the airport to our hotel. We figured out how to get there, so I asked the man working the ticket booth for the tram/metro if he spoke english (in French) and he responded (in French) saying that he only spoke Chinese. I continued to speak in English and asked for two tickets and he laughed and said (in English) "I said I only speak Chinese!!" I was thankful that he was nice and funny, definitely made me feel more comfortable not having any idea how we were going to get to our hotel.

Once we got to the metro station, Alex and I jumped on and off trains unsure if it was the right one or not....after about 20 mins we realized that they were all the same...oops. We finally got to our hotel..two hours after landing but we were so excited to finally be at our home base for the weekend and looked forward to meeting up with my friend Aisha from high school who is currently studying at the American University, Paris. Aisha took us to dinner at Tribeca and then we all got bottles of really cheap 'sparkling wine' (the French only call Champagne, champagne, it if is from the Champagne region) and walked over to...the Eiffel Tower. I cried, a little...mostly on the inside..but regardless I was in shock. I could not believe that I had finally made it to the city of my dreams and I was standing in front of a landmark that covers the walls of my room back in the U.S. It was a perfect place to turn 21 :]

--MY BDAY! Fri. Feb 24th--

Cannot believe that I turned 21 in Paris of all places! Such a blessing, I wished that everyone I loved was there to celebrate with me. Today I went to the Notre Dame and it was just as beautiful in person. (running joke about the Notre Dame..."I returned home"...in reference to the hunchback and my gimp eye) I met up with two of my sorority sisters who were also in Paris for the weekend, they are studying in London. It was a joy to be able to spend the day with people from home. We all went inside the cathedral and I just about died when I looked up. The stain glass windows were the most stunning pieces I have seen. After the Notre Dame, I had a mission: to find this bridge covered in locks and place a lock on it for my father and I. It is difficult to explain and for many to understand but I do love my father and I am very proud to have both of the parents that I do because they have each taught me very valuable life lessons. My mother is a beautiful, strong, intelligent woman who I greatly respect and admire, even if I am very emotional and irrational with her at time. She has taught me the importance of drive, self-motivation and that overcoming adversity is always a better option than succumb to it. My father has taught me the importance of listening to my heart, being loyal to those who love you the most and to never stop fighting for what I believe in. I have learned that close relationships are what get us through the good times but more importantly the bad. It is really painful for me to live without him, I understand that we all make mistakes in life and that we have to live with the consequences of our actions, but he has missed out on a lot of important life events, so that is why this little mission he gave me meant the world to me. I was able to include him in my study abroad experience. I am lucky enough to skype my grandparents, facebook chat my nana, see my aunt Jenna in a few days and my mom is coming to visit in a few weeks! All he has are my blog posts, but now he also has this lock. Hopefully someday we both can go back to Paris and see it. I hope everyone can find and appreciate the beauty in that, life has not been easy for all of us, but the only way to move forward is to forgive each other of our trespasses and be thankful that we are all alive, healthy and I am accomplishing my dreams because of each of you. I had crepes in Paris, walked through the gardens in front of the Louvre, down the Champs-Elysse to the Arc de Triumph and back to the Eiffel Tower. I honestly could not have done any of that if it weren't for my family. I had the greatest birthday because of all the years you all have dedicated to giving me the best life possible. I have learned something valuable from each of you and I am forever grateful for that.

For dinner, I ate at Cafe Central with Aisha and Alena (my other best friend from high school also studying there). I had the most amazing meal of my life...chicken with creamy risotto. Seriously, I would fly back to Paris to eat it again.

--Saturday, 25th--

Another splendid day in this amazing city. I had breakfast at this place called La Marine. I had a ham & cheese omelette, croissant, coffee, and orange juice. The coffee was amazing (thank you Grandpa for telling me to get it) From there, we walked back down Rue de Rennes (our hotel's street) and I bought myself a birthday present (a watch). Bon anniversaire a moi! Then, we went to the Sacre Coeur which is a beautiful white church on top of a hill that overlooks the city. It was just as gorgeous on the inside, obviously every church is stunning, and I bought a few people some presents :]. The area the church is in was very San Fran-esque. Cute buildings, hills, great food and shops. After, we tried to go to the Musse d'Orsay but the line was an hour long and I wanted to walk around more, so I guess I'll just have to go back :]. So, unfortunately we just walked down the Seine river and had lunch (please note the sarcasm, the Seine is gorgeous). I had a croque monsieur, delicious and we then went to the Shakespeare and Company bookstore. A place that was frequented by Hemingway and other famous writers. I bought a book, of course, have to remember it somehow! It started to rain so we went back to the Hotel to change and figure out dinner plans. We met up with Alena and Aisha again and had sushi. SO GOOD! It was nice to be in a city with a diversity in cuisine.

After dinner, the magic happened...I accomplished a true dream of mine and I walked to the second floor (top was closed) of the Eiffel Tower. The man at security claimed that I was too beautiful to be French and that I must be American...in all honesty I think it was my childish giddiness about climbing a metal landmark that gave me away. Regardless, I had a very surreal moment when I finally reached the top. 669 steps and a dream was accomplished. I made it, to a city I have always dreamt of visiting. To a place a never thought I'd see. I was so happy that I swear I could fly. I had the greatest weekend of my life and a birthday I will never forget. I will continue to dream, simply so I can accomplish them.

Before I left for Florence, my little Madison told me 'carpe diem, seize every moment Brittany and accomplish your dreams because right now it is about you. Live it up because soon you will be back at home wishing you could go back, so don't for a moment stop. Have faith in your own life and tackle everything that you can'.

I did. 669 steps. A lock.

Thank you everyone for the love and support. I wouldn't have made it to the top of that tower without it.

Ciao.

Prague!

I know my posts are starting to become more spread out, but I cannot apologize because it is due to the fact that for four weekends in a row I will be traveling!!! On Valentine's Day, Lainey and I decided to book a trip to Prague through a company called Bus2Alps. Although it was last minute, it was by far the best decision I have made thus far. (obviously Paris is up there too but that is this weekend so lets not put the cart before the horse.) Lainey's two guy friends (Alex and Nick) whom she knows from back home, who are also studying here, joined us on the trip. I will try to break down my trip, but to be honest, it was hard to understand our Swedish/Czech tour guide who had a irish-esque accent when he spoke english.


Prague

Thursday, February 16th--

Buses left from the train station (Santa Maria Novella) at 8pm. The buses were actually really nice and since we had a 12 hour ride there, benedryl became Lainey and I's best friend.

Friday, February 17th--

Old Town Square

We arrived to our hotel, the Czech Inn (hahaha) around 9:30 am and had an hour or so to eat breakfast and freshen up before our walking tour at 11. Our walking tour was headed by a funny man named Christian, who was full of energy and really tried to make the tour as funny and educational as possible. Due to sleep deprivation, I am having trouble recalling exactly what we saw and the history behind it, so forgive me on my inability to be as descriptive. When we left for our tour, we had to take the tram in order to get deeper into the city, unlike Florence, Prague is not small enough to walk everywhere. Our tram dropped us off by the Old Town Square. One thing I really liked about Prague was how open it felt in comparison to Florence. The streets were wider, allowing more light to shine through, making the city seem a little brighter. Old Town Square was surrounded by buildings that reminded me of Disneyland, because they were bright colors and too perfect to be real.

Clock

There was an astronomical clock and beautiful church in the square, the clock was actually named the world's most disappointing clock. Yes, it was made around 1410 and is the world's oldest working clock, but when it rings every hour, it really isn't all that exciting. However, the clock is still gorgeous and the contrast of black/grey stones and the gold/green in the clock make it very pleasing to the eye.


We walked all over the old city, saw the Jewish Quarter, after eating at Bohemian Bagel (of course, I miss bagels) and saw a few famous synagogues, an unbelievably depressing Jewish cemetery and ended at the Rudolfinum.

Jewish Cemetery 

The Rudolfinum is a very famous landmark in Prague, it is a concert hall and is an example of neo-Renaissance architecture. Very beautiful building and is right on the river, allowing for some amazing views of the Prague castle and Charles Bridge.

Rudolfinum

Our tour lasted about 3 hours and after the tour, Lainey, Alex, Nick and I all decided to see the Jewish Museum since it is closed on the weekends and we had some time to kill before dinner. The museum consisted of a few different buildings but we only managed to make it into one, which was a small little synagogue that had the names of 100,000 innocent men, women and children who died during the Nazi occupation in Czech. To see that many names was overwhelming and I was shocked that I, of all people, didn't burst into tears. On the second floor the names continued but they also had a room housed drawings from children held in one of the concentration camps in the area. The pictures depicted hope, family, and only a few were about death or sorrow. The drawings are in museums all over the world and the Jewish woman who had the children draw as a form of therapy managed to hide over 400 drawings (my numbers could be completely wrong, so for that I apologize) in suitcases before her death in a gas chamber, in which we volunteered to enter since she thought her husband was dead. We also walked through the cemetery in the back of the temple that is at least 7 feet above ground and said to have 11 layers and holds over 100,000 people. The lot was a about 100 yards long (again bad at math but it was not very large) and the reasoning for it being up so high is because the Jew's were not given much land in the city and they also do not believe in cremation, thus they just piled up.

Nick, Me, Lainey and Alex on the Charles Bridge

After being very sad for an hour and a half, it was time to head back to the hotel and figure out what we were going to eat for dinner. After freshening up, we asked the front desk for a really good, traditional czech restaurant and we ended up at U Bulinu. Dinner was amazing. I had beef goulash, potato dumplings and hot raspberries with vanilla ice cream (for dessert) along with a beer. Hands down, best meal I have had since being in Europe. Not only was it nice to have a lot of protein (Italians do not eat a lot of meat) but the food itself tasted so fresh and light. Our waiter was also very good looking and spoke very funny english. He kept saying the "f" word but did not understand the meaning of it and we all died laughing. The boys also told the waiter is was my birthday and that I really wanted to take a picture with him...so embarrassing but sadly partially true. Bummer we never found out his name, oh well.

We ended up staying at dinner for 4 hours, missing the pub crawl (not that we needed to drink more) and so we just went back to the hotel and had more drinks in the bar. It was nice to be in good company and simply just enjoy Prague without having to spend a lot at clubs or freeze to death outside in the rain.






Saturday, February 18th---

Woke up at 9:30 am, had breakfast then headed off on a tour of the Charles Bridge, Lennon Wall and then we had a separate walking tour for the Prague Castle and the Lesser Quarter.

Lainey and I (charles bridge behind us)

The Charles Bridge was very cool. Unlike Florence, Prague doesn't seem to constantly keep their landmarks clean, meaning the stone was very black, giving it more of a Gothic, dark fairytale type feel. Most of the statues that were along the bridge were made of gray stone and had accents of gold (i.e. a crown, cross). The bridge lead to the other side of the river and from there we went down and had walked through this little street fair that I guess is there every Saturday. There was food, drinks, and a live band. Lainey and I got, Pikle, which is basically a small dessert that tasted like a churro. It was freshly made and very delicious.

"In My Life" my favorite beatles song

Then we walked over to the Lennon Wall, which is a large wall that has been graffitied, mainly with Beatles songs but also other words of love or funny drawings done by those who visit the wall. I tagged the wall with "Love Wins" from Tuesday's with Morrie. Here is the full excerpt from the book:

 "Have I told you about the tension of opposites?" [Morrie] says.
- The tension of opposites?
- "Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn't. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted."
- "A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. And most of us live somewhere in the middle. Sounds like a wrestling match," I say.
- "A wrestling match." He laughs. "Yes, you could describe life that way.
- "So which side wins," I ask?
- "Which side wins?" He smiles at me, the crinkled eye, the crooked teeth."Love wins. Love always wins."

Love Wins

I loved the Lennon Wall. I got some really great shots and look forward to turning them into prints and hanging them in my room back in Orange. After the wall, we went on our Prague Castle tour which lasted about 3 hours and was on the other side of the river (also the more wealthy side since the houses were bigger and only the most wealthy families could live in the area around the castle). The church that sits on top of the hill was by far my favorite site that we saw. 

French Gothic architecture and neck straining due to its sheer size. I cried a little I was in such awe of the cathedral. From the gargoyles, to the gothic arches, to the detail and bell tower, the entire thing was a masterpiece. The outside was stunning but entering into the church made my mouth drop. The tall ceilings and various stain glass windows could make even the hardest heart soften. It was beautiful, heavenly (pardon the pun) to say the least. The view other churches we saw after that one were beautiful, but could not compete. We wandered more around the area, seeing places where the Nazis tortured people (well the outside of the buildings) and other important buildings to Prague's history and the final collapse of communism in 1989. We ended the tour outside a monastery which brews its own award winning beer, not for the beer but for the amazing view overlooking the city. 

By this time it was dark and the city was glowing. The feeling you get when you feel as if the entire world is gone and it is just you and whatever you are staring at and for a moment you feel completely weightless, that happened while standing there look out over this gem of a city I never dreamt I would visit. 

From there we walked to dinner, we weren't original at all and simply ate at the same restaurant. It was too good to not have again! We went to an 80's & 90's (American music only) club with Bus2Alps people after dinner. It was fun! They played Whitney Houston (r.i.p), michael jackson, Grease, and other very cheesy songs. It was a fun place to end our amazing weekend in Prague. 


Sunday, February 19th--- was spent entirely on a bus. 12 hours. we watched 5 movies (Forrest Gump, 50 First Dates, Blood Diamond, The Social Network and Jerry Maguire) Today was also the 1 month mark of being abroad. :] Great way to celebrate my accomplishment of finally making it to Europe. 


I still cannot believe that I was there. It went by too fast and I truly hope that I can go back to Prague before I die. It was a beautiful city, rich with history and amazing architecture. I had a smile on my face the entire trip and I am greatly looking forward to going to Paris this weekend for my 21st birthday. Now THAT is a dream come true. 


Ciao!

La vita è teatro. Tutti in maschera.

"Life is a theatre. Let's get masked."

So many of you were concerned about my last post. Understandable since you are not here and usually I would call half of you to talk about my problems, however since I cannot do that, I am challenged to face issues that arise head on (no, I am not blogging about a boy for those of you who assumed that, I am not THAT girly.) and I am really thankful for the challenges because I feel as if I am growing closer to myself, both emotionally and spiritually. So please, do not freak out, but I told myself I would blog my experience abroad, so that includes the good days, the bad days, but not the ugly days because I don't want pictures taken when I feel gross. (I hope you can sense feel my humor and are laughing)

Allora (that means "well/so" it is equivalent to saying "okay so/umm") on Friday the 10th I actually met up with one of my sorority sister's who is currently studying abroad in Rome for dinner with the group of friends she traveled to Florence with for the weekend. We had a lot of fun at dinner and it was really nice to get out and enjoy a fun meal with a group of girls. Jessi and Lainey spent the night at our apartment after dinner since we all were going to Venice together and the buses left at 6 am on Saturday the 11th.

--Venice-- (I'll break the trip down the best I can)

Saturday, February 11th 2010
6 am--Buses left Firenze. It was not easy waking up at 5 am to walk in the cold to go to where the buses were meeting, but the worst part was sitting for 3.5 hours. We drove through the mountains and countryside, which was really pretty but completely covered in snow! It was nice to drive through different parts of Italy since all I have really seen so far is just Florence. Also, two teachers were our guides for the weekend, Franco and Stefano. They bicker and talk like a married couple and Franco has the funniest accent when he speaks English that I just can't but smile and giggle when he talks. He is also very intelligent and I always made sure to walk close to him so I could hear all about the history of basically everything we walk past over the course of the weekend.

Piazza San Marco

10am-- Arrived at the boating dock where we had a boat take us from the mainland to Venice. Venice is completely surrounded by water (hence the gondolas) so getting to Venice and the other islands happen by boat. Once we got to Venice, we went to Piazza San Marco, the most iconic scene of Venice. (the large open square where all the pigeons are) Sadly, I did not get my pigeon picture due to the large amount of people celebrating the opening weekend of Carnival, which officially began on Sunday the 12th. (During my study abroad experience there are two pictures I want: one, a picture of me running through a large group of pigeons and two: storming the beach at normandy (probably won't happen so it has transferred to my 'bucket list') There is a church in the Piazza, Basilica di San Marco that we got to go inside of and I was in awe by the outside, but my mouth hit the floor the second I stepped inside and looked up.

Inside the Basilica di San Marco

The entire ceiling was done in a mosaic (the Italian's love their mosaics) and it took 5 centuries to complete. The tiny glass pieces that appear gold in color actually had gold in them, added during the glass making period. It is unbelievable the amount of detail, dedication and perfection artists had back then and they would start projections they most likely wouldn't see the end result of, unless you managed to live for hundreds of years. Renaissance and Gothic style are the two most common styles in Italy, personally my favorites because I love the mass amounts of small detail and symmetry. In other words, Europe is simply beautiful and I am excited to travel to other countries and revel in the beauty that is there. After the church I had lunch with Alex (not my roommate but one of my sorority sisters), Aubrey (another Alpha Phi), Lainey (who is actually an Alpha Phi and is technically my 'niece' since her big sis is my twin, meaning we share the same big Chelsea...don't think too hard about that one), Jessi and Alex (my roommate). It was good, we all had pizza since it was the only thing under 10 euro...Venice is too expensive for its own good.

2pm--After lunch we walked back to the dock where the boat first dropped us off in Venice to get back on the boat to head to Murano, a small island famous for its handblown glass. We got to go inside one of the factories and watch them make a vase and a small glass horse, then shop of course. I bought Mom a pair of earrings (knowing how picky she is, I hope she actually likes them :]) and I bought myself a pendant to put on a chain. I figured it was small enough that I could always wear it and remember my trip to Venice.

Murano Glassblowing 

3:30pm-- Back to the boat and off to another island, Burano. Burano is famous for their lace work but more importantly the brightly colored houses. If you google Venice, a lot of the pictures that come up are of Burano because the bright colors make for wonderful photos. The island was very quite and peaceful. So far, Burano has been one of my favorite places because of the calming effect it has on the mind and body. Also, I wouldn't mind living in an aqua colored house...just saying.

Burano--my favorite place

4:30pm-- After a long and very freezing day, we were back on the boat to return to the mainland in order to get back to our hotel which was more in the countryside, around popular places for summer vacationing. We had to wait for the buses at the bus stop for about 25 mins and I swear we were all about to collapse from exhaustion and delirium from the cold. We all huddled up like penguins and sang songs with the word "sun" it in, thinking it would warm us up. To be honest, I think it worked only because we were laughing so hard at how crazy we probably looked to everyone around us.

6:30pm-- We got to the hotel and got our rooms and had about an hour before we would leave for dinner. I decided to put on an extra pair of pants since one wasn't enough.

8:30pm-- I swear we got lost because it took us an hour to find this restaurant, but we finally made it! We had a delicious traditional Carnival dinner, four courses of course. The first course was a specially cooked radish with a cheese melted on the side, it has a similar consistency to brie. It was actually very good, I was a little nervous at first because I didn't know exactly how I would feel about this baked, cooked, I don't really know, radish but I was surprised by how yummy it was. It was flower shaped like an artichoke but tasted more like asparagus (in texture). The second dish was pumpkin risotto with smoked grated cheese on top. I was tempted to have seconds because it was unbelievable, but the two pairs of pants weren't very giving. The third dish, to be honest, I am not 100% sure what meat it was, it sounded like he said chicken, but I think it was stuffed hen to be exact, wrapped in bacon (obviously). Potatoes were served on the side and it was pretty yummy, but I was getting full since I am not used to having such large, long, filling meals. Dessert was tiramisu and fritters (pastries). Dinner didn't end until 11pm and I swear I lost my mind sometime during that period because I was so tired that nothing I said made sense. We all were just completely out of it and full. The second we got to the hotel, at midnight, I got into my pajamas and passed out.

---Carnival in Venice---

Sunday, February 12th.

7am-- Rise and Shine! We had a terrible 'continental' breakfast at the hotel and realized that our hopes of it being warmer were crushed by the sight of snow all over the ground. Oh well, the sun was out at least :] Never been so happy to see the sun before in my life.

10am-- Arrived in Venice to go to the Palazzo Grassi, which was a palace but it was bought in 2004 (If I remember correctly) by some very wealthy Frenchman who transformed it into a contemporary art museum. The pieces on display were very interesting, my favorite being a giant, metallic pink, balloon animal (a dog to be exact) and the artist's attention to the smallest details was mind-blowing. He got the tie on on the nose spot on and even included the ripples the balloon makes where the balloon-artist would twist to make the legs and head. Oh and the entire thing was made out of some very heavy, solid material...not sure what exactly...still impressive.

12 noon--After the museum we made our way back to Piazza San Marco to watch "Volo dell'Angelo" Flight of the Angel, which signifies the start of Carnival. A woman dressed in a traditional outfit was lowered from atop the bell tower down onto the stage on the other side of the Piazza. It was completely packed and the frenchman behind me was literally on top of me which his small child leaning on my head telling his dad all about what was going on. If I didn't love children so much, I would have been highly annoyed, plus he also had a cute little accent and spoke french. After, we all went to lunch at a caffe, had pizza again (I know, it's terrible) but it was amazing. It had brie and bell peppers on top of it and I was in heaven. The italian's really know what they are doing when it comes to cooking, except when they use too much salt. Alex and I ate at a restaurant right by our house and it was so salty that we couldn't finish our meal. I got sick after, I felt like I ate the ocean. But, the overall atmosphere of the city was amazing. Masks, costumes, laugher were everywhere. People were dancing and I was wearing my mask that I had bought in Burano. Funny story, a man was taking a picture and I thought I was standing in the way, when in actuality he was taking a picture of me and I just started laughing and he thanked me. :]

2pm--We headed back to Piazza San Marco to meet Franco and Stefano because the group decided that we all wanted to go inside the Palazzo Ducale, the Duke's Palace. The entire palace was done in Gothic style and I swear someone had to walk behind me and pick my mouth up so I wouldn't trip, the details and decorations were indescribable. From the grand entrance to the hallways to the CEILINGS, yes the ceilings were decorated more so than the walls. The purpose of the palace was not to only house the Duke but it was also used by the Senate and Grand Council. Venice was once a Republic, so the Palazzo Ducale is where courts were held (the court room was decorated with gigantic paintings, the central one depicting Christ) and it was also attached to the prison next door by a very tiny bridge that we were able to walk through and see the cells. Two rooms were my favorite, the first room had large maps (at least 10 feet tall and 25 feet long...probably bigger but we all know I am terrible at math and dimensions, just imagine GIANT rooms) on the walls and two giant globes in the middle of the room. The second room was the Grand Council, a room that could easily fit 2000 people and looked similar to the ballroom from Beauty and the Beast. I still am not sure how they did it, but the art work and decorations on the ceilings were jaw dropping. Seriously, it would bring tears of wonderment to your eyes to see every detail throughout the entire Palace, inside and out, it was beautiful.

Palazzo Ducale

Back row (left to right): Jessi, Aubrey, Franco, Stefano, Alex. Front row (left to right): Alex (alpha phi), me, Lainey

3:30pm-- We headed back to the hotel to pick up two girls who were sick and stayed there instead of joining us and then we headed back to Firenze.


Overall, the weekend was amazing. I loved Venice and although I was frozen, I enjoyed every second of the weekend. I felt amazing the entire time and I am happy to realize how positive of a person I really am. I love Florence, I love Italy and I am SOOOOOOOOO EXCITED FOR PARIS!!!! I cannot begin to describe how excited I am, I can't think about it because I'll start crying.


CIAO!


P.S.

I have had a lovely Valentine's Day so far. Alex and I went to Gusta's pizza which they made the pizza's into hearts and tonight we are having a girls night with Jessi and Lainey at our favorite restaurant.

Happy Valentine's Day from Firenze!! (Gusta's pizza)

A Mountain to Climb

Sorry that I have not updated my blog in the past week. One, nothing exciting has really happened, just been going to classes and doing homework. Two, I have been faced with quite a few challenges this week and I am glad that I understand the concept that no matter where you go, your life follows. Although it has been a challenging week and I was not expecting it, I am studying abroad in order to grow and discover new places as well as new things about myself. I can only look back on this week and ask myself three things: what is hurting me? why is it hurting me? and how can I move forward and overcome it? Self evaluation and reflection are necessary in order to learn from the past and better prepare yourself for the future. Being faced with new obstacles is not an uncommon occurrence in my life, thus I look at this as a blessing not a curse.

Thankfully I will be going to Venice this weekend for a school trip that I signed up for, it is also Carnival in Venice this weekend. I am SO EXCITED. It is my first trip outside of Florence and it couldn't be happening at a more perfect time. (Life has a funny way of working out) There are about 60 people from my school going and I know about eight girls on the trip. Buses leave tomorrow (Saturday) at 6 am, so it is going to be a very long two days. I will update my blog after my trip and post pictures to facebook once I return, so keep a look out!


"happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light. "






Always remember to count your blessings, gratitude is knowing what you have right now, not wanting something you don't. 


Ciao!

Best Hot Chocolate Ever

On Thursday, I spent hours doing school stuff, i.e. running around in the snow finding books and paying for my Permit to Stay which you have to get in order to stay in the country legally. Personally, I don't understand exactly what it is for and I think they just want more money from people staying here longer than 90 days but thats ok. I also found Grom, which is an amazing gelato place that makes authentic gelato and it was mind blowing. Nothing too exciting really happened yesterday but at night I went to dinner with Alex, Lainey and Jessi at a restaurant around the corner from my house. Dinner was awesome! We just spent the whole dinner laughing and talking and our waiter gave us all a free drink. After dinner we went to the Lion's Fountain and had a few drinks and just hung out. It was nice to finally go out and enjoy myself after a week of school.

Today, I got to sleep in :] I don't have class on Fridays with is really nice and although it was 28 degrees, I was brave enough to go outside. Alex, Lainey, Jessi, Leah and I walked around by the Duomo and did a little shopping. We went to the pastry/caffe place Rivore and had probably the most amazing cioccolato calda EVER. The whipped cream was unreal and the chocolate was literally melted chocolate that was warmed. I think I died and went to heaven. No, I am pretty positive that I did. Sadly, the city is pretty dead due to the cold weather and there is a trip to the French Riviera so even on the school end it is pretty quiet. I am starting to enjoy the peacefulness of doing nothing. This past semester was jam packed with events, class, meetings and I never had the time to relax, read, journal, etc. I am adjusting to this laid back life style a little faster than I thought and I am very excited about that. I want to enjoy the city, take it easy and not worry about anything other than what is currently going on. I am still very thankful for the support I have back at home and I am even more thankful that they WANT me to be here. I get to go to Paris for my 21st birthday...never in a million years did I imagine spending my 21st in the city of my dreams. I am beyond words really. I don't quite know how to express what I am feeling but I hope the next few weeks fly by :]

rivoire's cioccolato panna

ciao!

Today Was Perfect (includes recipe)

Done with my second day of school and it is really hard for me to not cry tears of joy because today was awesome. I definitely started my day off right with a positive attitude and trying to really focus on being present. This morning I had my Italian 1 class which has only 7 people including myself in it and my professor is absolutely adorable. For the most part, she teaches the class in Italian which made is a lot easier to pick up and grasp. I am thankful that Italian, for the most part, is not similar to French. It makes learning the language easier because the pronunciations are different, where Spanish is very similar so it can make things difficult. Overall, I am VERY excited to learn Italian :] After Italian, I had a break from 10:15-6 and unfortunately I spent that break inside because it has started to snow here...it is really awesome but also very unfortunate for my toes since they froze. Heating isn't exactly that great in our apartment so I am bundled up trying to keep warm, but experiencing snow is pretty magical. I am enjoying spending time with Alex, we always have great conversations and it only adds to the freedom of living here, in an amazing apartment on our own.

My night class was my Pairing Italian Food and Wine, which is a 2.5 hour class where we learn about wine tasting, the different regions of Italy and the wines they are most famous for, how to critically analyze wine through its aroma, taste and color. While doing this we also learn how to cook a variety of meals and then compare what me make with wines and how to choose what wines go best with certain dishes. Not only do we cook main courses, but desserts too! Tonight in class our professor took us around the city and showed us different restaurants that are famous for different things such as Grom for its gelato or Rivore (not sure on the spelling) which is a place famous for their chocolate--they were one of the first families to come into Florence in the 1700's and make chocolate. I also learned that there is a chocolate tasting festival where you can pay an entrance fee and learn how to taste chocolate. SIGN ME UP! Our professor cooked for us after she gave us this walking tour, which took place as it was snowing mind you, and she named a dish called Cucina Povera. It is a dish that the poor italians would make when they had very little in the cupboards and little money to buy meats and finer ingredients.

Cucina Povera 

need:
3 golden (or yellow) onions (depending on how many people you are going to feed, if it is not very many use less, probably 1-2 depending on the size of the onion)
lots of olive oil
1 fresh chili pepper
bread crumbs (plain)
Penne pasta


1. add water to pan and cover (for the pasta. fun fact: don't add olive oil to the water, it makes the pasta less sticky which in turn makes it more difficult for sauce to stick)

2. while pasta water is coming to a boil, coat (and I mean coat) a large frying pan with olive oil and add sliced onions. Add enough oil to really coat the onions, this allows them to turn soft without caramelizing or turning brown.

3. Dice chili pepper and add to onions. Season with salt and pepper

4. Once water starts boiling, add a significant amount of salt, 30% of the salt you put in the water evaporates, then add pasta. Cover until water starts boiling again, then uncover. (thats how you make perfect al dente pasta)

5. Add four tablespoons (with an actual table spoon) of bread crumbs. (The crumbs were the cheaper substitute for parmesan cheese for the poor Italians, thats why they are used)

6. Add about 1/2-1 cup, depending on how many onions you have, of pasta water to the onions. Add the water once starch begins to be released from the pasta. (This keeps the sauce from becoming too thick and saves calories since you aren't adding any fats to do the same job!)

7. Drain the pasta once it is done cooking and add it to the onion sauce. Mix well and serve :]

The wine we had with the dish was a rosata (rosé). Seriously, this dish sounds so plain and boring but it was probably the best pasta I have had since being here. SO YUMMY!!! Awesome poor college student dish that is for sure!

Enjoy and Ciao :]


p.s. ITS SNOWING!!!