Last night I ended up not going out, which was probably a good thing considering the fact that I had to get up really early this morning to go to pranzo. I took the bus around 11 and Antonio (Benedetta's dad) picked me up at the bus stop in their area 1 hour later. We had planned this pranzo last Sunday at the Thanksgiving party.
Their house is very nice and has plenty of room. It's located outside Florence in a little town called Pontassieve which is very green and scenic. They (Anarita, Antonio, and Benedetta) of course made me an enormous lunch. I have such a headache from eating and drinking so much! We started with mini pizzas, liver crostinis, sausage crostinis, and bread stuffed with zucchini and cheese. Then, we had a typical Tuscan soup with broth and some type of noodle-y starch. Then, we had very thin meat (I think it was veal) covered in cheese and porcini mushrooms, and creamy spinach. For dessert, we had tiramisu and tea. Amazing!!!!! There was also this great sweet wine. I loved it so much that they gave me a bottle.
After lunch, Benedetta and I hung around in her room and shopped for her on Abercrombie.com. She's obsessed, so I told her that when I go back to the states I'll pick up what she wants. The prices at the Abercrombie in Milan are apparently obscene, so it's better to do it this way.
Around 4, we went to the designer outlets for a little Christmas shopping. I couldn't believe all the stuff they had! All of the famous Italian designers at discount prices!? Of course, everything was still really expensive, but it was a lot of fun to look. Anarita told me that my Grandmother used to go there all the time. I'm not surprised. Grandma was always in style.
Afterwards, Anarita and I dropped Benedetta off back at home because she had to study. Then, we went to Alberto (the crazy old guy at Thanksgiving) and Maria's house to pick up Maria. Maria and Alberto are Anarita's parents, for the record. As soon as I got in the house, Alberto dragged me through the place to show me the room where my Grandma used to sleep. He had told me at the party that I had to come see it. He was so excited that he was practically yelling and couldn't hear a word I was saying. Then, he hit me on the cheek. Love tap, but a strong one haha.
Afterwards, Anarita asked if I could come back on Thursday for dinner and for an English lesson. I guess she and Antonio want to learn English and are willing to pay me to teach them. I don't know where to begin! I guess I'll look in my first Italian book and do it the same way, but in English. Anyway, I have a splitting headache and I'm not hungry. But, I know Maria Pia is going to make me eat again. Ugh. Italy is trying to give me a heart attack with all its oil and butter.
More next time. Ciao.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Pranzo in Fiesole... and then the day got weird
Today was very interesting and entertaining... I did the normal school thing at CLIDA from 9-11. At 11, I left to find the bus and headed to Fiesole for pranzo with Edurne (the lady, Aunt Gail's friend, that I met at Thanksgiving that wanted to have me for lunch). She picked me up at the bus stop and we walked to the school that she teaches at. Now, this wasn't just any school, as I had thought. This was, in fact, a VERY prestigious university where people come from all over the world to do their PhDs! It's called the European University Institute, and Edurne is the Spanish teacher there.
She showed me around for a while because I arrived a little early (12:15), and our lunch was scheduled for 1. The campus was absolutely gorgeous. Some of the University departments were even in 12th century buildings!!! There was a beautiful view overlooking all of Florence and amazing gardens. The libraries were insane! As she was showing me the library, she rattled off some stats and features and said one thing that caught my attention: "We have every book you could ever want." I thought about the book that Elisa had us all order from America. It's called "Princes and Artists," it's very random and hard to find, and the only book that we are allowed to read in English for our class. We had all ordered it over a month ago, and it still hasn't arrived. Since the semester is almost over, Elisa gave us the photocopied Italian version to read instead. We were pissed that we had to read in the Italian the one thing that we were actually allowed to read in English. So, I went out on a limb and asked Edurne if maaybbbeee they had "Princes and Artists" in English. Turns out, they did! She immediately checked it out for me and made photocopies of the entire book, one section for each of us students (me, Jeff, Grace, Maggie and Andrea). The best part was that the photocopies were free since she's a teacher there. Elisa had made her Italian version photocopies for us, but had to get 5 euro from each of us because in Italy, you have to pay copyright fees in order to have a photocopied book. Not in this case! I can't wait to tell my friends. They are going to be soooo excited.
So, after thanking Edurne a million times, we met her students for lunch in the cafeteria. There were about 7 of them from all over the world. We all had lunch together and talked for about an hour. Of course, they all spoke English and whatever their native language was. So, I didn't have to worry. But seriously, EVERYONE KNOWS ENGLISH! I have to catch up on learning Italian! And then move onto foreign language #2! Naturally, they were all ridiculously brilliant and making all these historical jokes that went over my head. It was really cool to be around such smart people though. I felt like I was back at Holy Cross with the way the students were and the campus was set up. We had a really nice time and the students invited me to a party tonight. I don't think I'm going to go though because the cab will cost me about 40 euro, and I just can't swing it. So, after a lovely lunch, Edurne drove me back downtown and I walked to the bus stop to head home. This is where it got interesting...
I was standing at the bus stop minding my own business, but overheard an attempt at a conversation between two Italian women and an American woman. The American woman was struggling hardcore and trying to get directions on the right bus to take. The Italian women noticed me and of course, since I look totally American, said in Italian "Do you speak English!?" And I answered back in Italian, "Yes, I speak English and Italian." Then, they handed the American woman over to me. Turns out she needed the same bus I did, so we got on together, and started chatting. Her name was Sasha, and she was 66 years old, but didn't look it from all the plastic surgery she'd had. She was from LA and spending 4 months in Italy, exploring and trying to learn Italian. But, she was definitely doing more exploring than she was learning. She seemed so amazed at my ability to speak Italian and kept asking me lots of questions. Next thing I knew she asked "do you have a job?" I told her "no" and she then asked "Do you want a job? I'm on my way to this dentist that a pharmacist near the Duomo recommended to me. I broke my tooth a week ago and have gone once, but the dentist doesn't speak English and I don't speak Italian. I'll pay you to translate for me." Since I was in NO position to pass up money for simply speaking Italian, which I love to do anyway, I totally agreed. The dentists' office was right on the way to my house anyway!
So, we chatted a little on our walk from the bus stop to the office. When we got there, I introduced myself to the dentist and she was absolutely gorgeous! Blonde, tall, skinny and very very Italian. I started talking to her about what Sasha had said to me, and the dentist explained the procedure of fixing her crown. She explained that there were two types of crowns. One was the traditional way, which cost 1000 euro per tooth. The other was a new "high tech" way, which cost 1800 euro per tooth. Sasha kept telling me over and over that her insurance in the US only covered 500 euro's worth and that she wanted a discount. I of course conveyed the message to the dentist, but she wasn't into it, as I expected. I tried to explain to Sasha that the dentist had nothing to do with the strength of the euro versus the dollar and that procedures cost what they do. Perhaps materials are more expensive here than they are in the US, etc. Europe is just naturally more expensive than America in most ways. Finally, Sasha started to understand and decided to just take care of the hurt tooth, and worry about the other tooth and aesthetics when she got back to the US. (She was VERY concerned with how it would look and I told her to just do the less expensive procedure because she was so upset by the price. It would still be white, just not all the way through. I then told her to worry about the other tooth when she could pay what she wanted in the United States. Beauty wasn't an immediate necessity. Well, maybe it was for her, but I talked her out of it). Sasha ended up paying me 15 euro and asked for my phone number in case she ever needed a translator again. That would be awesome if I could help her again! And now I have money to go out tonight! The dentist also thanked me and told me that I could always come by if I needed anything.
I feel soooo cool right now :) And I can't wait to go out tonight! Yay weekend!
Ciao!
She showed me around for a while because I arrived a little early (12:15), and our lunch was scheduled for 1. The campus was absolutely gorgeous. Some of the University departments were even in 12th century buildings!!! There was a beautiful view overlooking all of Florence and amazing gardens. The libraries were insane! As she was showing me the library, she rattled off some stats and features and said one thing that caught my attention: "We have every book you could ever want." I thought about the book that Elisa had us all order from America. It's called "Princes and Artists," it's very random and hard to find, and the only book that we are allowed to read in English for our class. We had all ordered it over a month ago, and it still hasn't arrived. Since the semester is almost over, Elisa gave us the photocopied Italian version to read instead. We were pissed that we had to read in the Italian the one thing that we were actually allowed to read in English. So, I went out on a limb and asked Edurne if maaybbbeee they had "Princes and Artists" in English. Turns out, they did! She immediately checked it out for me and made photocopies of the entire book, one section for each of us students (me, Jeff, Grace, Maggie and Andrea). The best part was that the photocopies were free since she's a teacher there. Elisa had made her Italian version photocopies for us, but had to get 5 euro from each of us because in Italy, you have to pay copyright fees in order to have a photocopied book. Not in this case! I can't wait to tell my friends. They are going to be soooo excited.
So, after thanking Edurne a million times, we met her students for lunch in the cafeteria. There were about 7 of them from all over the world. We all had lunch together and talked for about an hour. Of course, they all spoke English and whatever their native language was. So, I didn't have to worry. But seriously, EVERYONE KNOWS ENGLISH! I have to catch up on learning Italian! And then move onto foreign language #2! Naturally, they were all ridiculously brilliant and making all these historical jokes that went over my head. It was really cool to be around such smart people though. I felt like I was back at Holy Cross with the way the students were and the campus was set up. We had a really nice time and the students invited me to a party tonight. I don't think I'm going to go though because the cab will cost me about 40 euro, and I just can't swing it. So, after a lovely lunch, Edurne drove me back downtown and I walked to the bus stop to head home. This is where it got interesting...
I was standing at the bus stop minding my own business, but overheard an attempt at a conversation between two Italian women and an American woman. The American woman was struggling hardcore and trying to get directions on the right bus to take. The Italian women noticed me and of course, since I look totally American, said in Italian "Do you speak English!?" And I answered back in Italian, "Yes, I speak English and Italian." Then, they handed the American woman over to me. Turns out she needed the same bus I did, so we got on together, and started chatting. Her name was Sasha, and she was 66 years old, but didn't look it from all the plastic surgery she'd had. She was from LA and spending 4 months in Italy, exploring and trying to learn Italian. But, she was definitely doing more exploring than she was learning. She seemed so amazed at my ability to speak Italian and kept asking me lots of questions. Next thing I knew she asked "do you have a job?" I told her "no" and she then asked "Do you want a job? I'm on my way to this dentist that a pharmacist near the Duomo recommended to me. I broke my tooth a week ago and have gone once, but the dentist doesn't speak English and I don't speak Italian. I'll pay you to translate for me." Since I was in NO position to pass up money for simply speaking Italian, which I love to do anyway, I totally agreed. The dentists' office was right on the way to my house anyway!
So, we chatted a little on our walk from the bus stop to the office. When we got there, I introduced myself to the dentist and she was absolutely gorgeous! Blonde, tall, skinny and very very Italian. I started talking to her about what Sasha had said to me, and the dentist explained the procedure of fixing her crown. She explained that there were two types of crowns. One was the traditional way, which cost 1000 euro per tooth. The other was a new "high tech" way, which cost 1800 euro per tooth. Sasha kept telling me over and over that her insurance in the US only covered 500 euro's worth and that she wanted a discount. I of course conveyed the message to the dentist, but she wasn't into it, as I expected. I tried to explain to Sasha that the dentist had nothing to do with the strength of the euro versus the dollar and that procedures cost what they do. Perhaps materials are more expensive here than they are in the US, etc. Europe is just naturally more expensive than America in most ways. Finally, Sasha started to understand and decided to just take care of the hurt tooth, and worry about the other tooth and aesthetics when she got back to the US. (She was VERY concerned with how it would look and I told her to just do the less expensive procedure because she was so upset by the price. It would still be white, just not all the way through. I then told her to worry about the other tooth when she could pay what she wanted in the United States. Beauty wasn't an immediate necessity. Well, maybe it was for her, but I talked her out of it). Sasha ended up paying me 15 euro and asked for my phone number in case she ever needed a translator again. That would be awesome if I could help her again! And now I have money to go out tonight! The dentist also thanked me and told me that I could always come by if I needed anything.
I feel soooo cool right now :) And I can't wait to go out tonight! Yay weekend!
Ciao!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
La Festa del Ringraziamento
Buona sera!
Today was AWESOME. I left my house around 1 to catch the bus to Aunt Gail's and Uncle Ellis'. I arrived much earlier than I was supposed to (2:00 pm) but it didn't matter because Aunt Gail needed some help anyway. She had given this Thanksgiving the theme of "New York chic," so I dressed completely in black. When I walked in, the living room furniture was gone, and in its place were gorgeous tables, set perfectly with tan and brown sparkling linens, pretty centerpieces, wine glasses, etc. The chairs were covered with beautiful quilted covers and everything looked amazing. Since New York is "The Big Apple," the biggest apples I had ever seen were placed on every table, and there was an enormous tower of apples as a centerpiece on the main food table.
I went downstairs and Aunt Gail was not in the kitchen. Instead, a team of chefs were in there cooking our Thanksgiving meal! Aunt Gail was outside slicing apples for "Big Apple Martini's" with one of the waiters. Again, there were huge apples everywhere. They were hanging from trees and everything!
Once everyone arrived, we all congregated outside and waiters continuously passed out awesome hors d'oeuvres, champagne, and "Big Apple Martinis." I spent most of my time chatting with Benedetta, Andrea, Arianna, and their respective parents. I think I relate best with all of them. Of course though, every time another person came through the door, they had to hug and kiss me and tell me about the time they came to the United States and saw me when I was 5. They even had pictures! One grandma made me her special cookies! It was so funny because I knew almost none of them, and they all knew me. One women, who was just a friend of Aunt Gail's and Uncle Ellis', wasted no time in scheduling lunch with me on Friday. She's Spanish and teaches foreign and Italian students in Fiesole. She really wants me to see the school, so I'll be going there for lunch with her on Friday. That should be fun. She was really nice. Benedetta's mom also made sure to remind me that on Sunday, we are having lunch together and going shopping at the outlets outside of Florence. Italian designers at discount price? Definitely. So much for having a free weekend ahead of me. Oh well. I'm looking forward to it.
Another interesting character would be my 87 year cousin, Alberto. Apparently, my grandmother used to stay with him and his wife every year that she came to Florence. He's really old, but still walks very well and speaks REALLY loudly. He kept getting in my face every 10 minutes, yelling the same thing every time in Italian. "You have to come to our house and see where you're grandmother used to stay! You have to eat the cookies that Maria (his wife) makes! Don't just say "ok," you HAVE to come!" Then, he would shove me (a love shove), and since he's huge and I'm small, I'd fall off balance every time. Funny guy, but everyone was getting really annoyed with him. It was humorous.
After 2 hours of hors d'oeuvres, we sat down to dinner upstairs. The turkey weighed 35 pounds! There was also a 20 pound ham, stuffing, sweet potatoes, spinach salad with pomegranate, green bean almondine, pumpkin and cheese pie, corn... and the list goes on.. We had an awesome dinner and chatted a lot. Afterwards, I felt like I was in a different world because I was so tired. For dessert, there was pumpkin pie, cheesecake, a huge apple pie shaped like an apple, and more champagne! An Italian man sang a beautiful love song because it was an attending couple's 25th year wedding anniversary. He also sang a Christmas song.
I didn't hang around much longer because I was exhausted and had homework to do (which I still haven't started because I was too excited to wait to write this entry). Benedetta and her mom and dad drove me home.
I had such an awesome time! At points, I was completely overwhelmed with all the Italian and wanted to cry. But everyone kept telling me that I was doing great and everyone wanted to hear what I had to say. We had such a wonderful time. I even broke down and agreed to speak a little English with Benedetta and Andrea because they really wanted to practice (they're really good). I'm also really excited because Benedetta is coming to the States to study this summer (July and August). We are going to have so much fun together!
So, that's all for now. On to another torturous week of work. I'll write more when something else exciting happens.
A presto!
Today was AWESOME. I left my house around 1 to catch the bus to Aunt Gail's and Uncle Ellis'. I arrived much earlier than I was supposed to (2:00 pm) but it didn't matter because Aunt Gail needed some help anyway. She had given this Thanksgiving the theme of "New York chic," so I dressed completely in black. When I walked in, the living room furniture was gone, and in its place were gorgeous tables, set perfectly with tan and brown sparkling linens, pretty centerpieces, wine glasses, etc. The chairs were covered with beautiful quilted covers and everything looked amazing. Since New York is "The Big Apple," the biggest apples I had ever seen were placed on every table, and there was an enormous tower of apples as a centerpiece on the main food table.
I went downstairs and Aunt Gail was not in the kitchen. Instead, a team of chefs were in there cooking our Thanksgiving meal! Aunt Gail was outside slicing apples for "Big Apple Martini's" with one of the waiters. Again, there were huge apples everywhere. They were hanging from trees and everything!
Once everyone arrived, we all congregated outside and waiters continuously passed out awesome hors d'oeuvres, champagne, and "Big Apple Martinis." I spent most of my time chatting with Benedetta, Andrea, Arianna, and their respective parents. I think I relate best with all of them. Of course though, every time another person came through the door, they had to hug and kiss me and tell me about the time they came to the United States and saw me when I was 5. They even had pictures! One grandma made me her special cookies! It was so funny because I knew almost none of them, and they all knew me. One women, who was just a friend of Aunt Gail's and Uncle Ellis', wasted no time in scheduling lunch with me on Friday. She's Spanish and teaches foreign and Italian students in Fiesole. She really wants me to see the school, so I'll be going there for lunch with her on Friday. That should be fun. She was really nice. Benedetta's mom also made sure to remind me that on Sunday, we are having lunch together and going shopping at the outlets outside of Florence. Italian designers at discount price? Definitely. So much for having a free weekend ahead of me. Oh well. I'm looking forward to it.
Another interesting character would be my 87 year cousin, Alberto. Apparently, my grandmother used to stay with him and his wife every year that she came to Florence. He's really old, but still walks very well and speaks REALLY loudly. He kept getting in my face every 10 minutes, yelling the same thing every time in Italian. "You have to come to our house and see where you're grandmother used to stay! You have to eat the cookies that Maria (his wife) makes! Don't just say "ok," you HAVE to come!" Then, he would shove me (a love shove), and since he's huge and I'm small, I'd fall off balance every time. Funny guy, but everyone was getting really annoyed with him. It was humorous.
After 2 hours of hors d'oeuvres, we sat down to dinner upstairs. The turkey weighed 35 pounds! There was also a 20 pound ham, stuffing, sweet potatoes, spinach salad with pomegranate, green bean almondine, pumpkin and cheese pie, corn... and the list goes on.. We had an awesome dinner and chatted a lot. Afterwards, I felt like I was in a different world because I was so tired. For dessert, there was pumpkin pie, cheesecake, a huge apple pie shaped like an apple, and more champagne! An Italian man sang a beautiful love song because it was an attending couple's 25th year wedding anniversary. He also sang a Christmas song.
I didn't hang around much longer because I was exhausted and had homework to do (which I still haven't started because I was too excited to wait to write this entry). Benedetta and her mom and dad drove me home.
I had such an awesome time! At points, I was completely overwhelmed with all the Italian and wanted to cry. But everyone kept telling me that I was doing great and everyone wanted to hear what I had to say. We had such a wonderful time. I even broke down and agreed to speak a little English with Benedetta and Andrea because they really wanted to practice (they're really good). I'm also really excited because Benedetta is coming to the States to study this summer (July and August). We are going to have so much fun together!
So, that's all for now. On to another torturous week of work. I'll write more when something else exciting happens.
A presto!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
quick hello
SO BUSY. I CAN'T SEE THE END OF THIS WORKLOAD. AHHHHHHH. Updates this weekend when something not related to sitting in my room and reading happens!!! I'm in the midst of applying to an internship with TIME magazine, so we'll hope for the best! Weekend so soon! Can't wait!
Ciao!
Ciao!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Birthday weekend
Today is Carla's birthday, but we celebrated it last night. She chose Antico Noe (naturally) for her birthday dinner. Yes, it is the sandwich place, but there is also a restaurant side to this delightful location. So, Andrea and I of course missed drinks beforehand (because the bus is a nightmare), but made it downtown in time for dinner at 9pm. Carla looked fabulous, as always, in her little birthday dress. Her parents had set up the menu and pricing with Antico Noe beforehand, and we certainly did not go hungry. We were served by Carla's now boyfriend (Andrea, the one that I have mentioned before who works there). We had unlimited Chianti and amazing antipasti consisting of bruschetta, mozzarella burrata, salami, proscuitto, pecorino with honey (soooo awesome), and arugula and tomato salad. For dinner, we were given spaghetti carbonara and rigatoni "ala noe." Everything was sooooo delicious.
After dinner, Andrea (the boy) called Andrea (my roommate) to the back to ask how to present the American cake that we had bought for Carla. Next thing we knew, the lights and music in the whole place went out. We thought that it was a black out. Instead, it was just Andrea (boy) doing a very thorough job at the American birthday celebration. He came out singing "Happy Birthday" in his thick Italian accent and put the cake in front of Carla with a small candle in it. It was adorable. And he got everything right! Andrea's (the boy) Dad, who owns the place, brought us out some champagne to celebrate. Once everything was finished, Andrea rushed home to change and then came back to get us to bring us dancing.
He took us too a small discoteca near the Uffizi that I NEVER would have found on my own. It was called GLAMOUR, but was completely filled with Italians! No Americans, yay!!! So, we were able to use our Italian a lot. We were all having a good time, but a few people in our group started to get sick from dinner. I was surprised that I wasn't one of them because I'm usually the one complaining of a stomach ache. So, around 2:30am we decided to go home.
This morning, I managed to sleep until noon! I never do that, so I must have been really tired. At 1pm, we all met at "The Diner" which is an American-style diner with the breakfast foods that we miss so dearly. I had an egg-white omelet and Maggie had chocolate chip pancakes. Everyone else chose breakfast sandwiches.
All in all, it was a very fun weekend, but I am exhausted and not very happy to start the week again. Next weekend, is the Thanksgiving celebration at Uncle Ellis' and Aunt Gail's. I can't wait! Now, I'm off to bed. Buona notte!
After dinner, Andrea (the boy) called Andrea (my roommate) to the back to ask how to present the American cake that we had bought for Carla. Next thing we knew, the lights and music in the whole place went out. We thought that it was a black out. Instead, it was just Andrea (boy) doing a very thorough job at the American birthday celebration. He came out singing "Happy Birthday" in his thick Italian accent and put the cake in front of Carla with a small candle in it. It was adorable. And he got everything right! Andrea's (the boy) Dad, who owns the place, brought us out some champagne to celebrate. Once everything was finished, Andrea rushed home to change and then came back to get us to bring us dancing.
He took us too a small discoteca near the Uffizi that I NEVER would have found on my own. It was called GLAMOUR, but was completely filled with Italians! No Americans, yay!!! So, we were able to use our Italian a lot. We were all having a good time, but a few people in our group started to get sick from dinner. I was surprised that I wasn't one of them because I'm usually the one complaining of a stomach ache. So, around 2:30am we decided to go home.
This morning, I managed to sleep until noon! I never do that, so I must have been really tired. At 1pm, we all met at "The Diner" which is an American-style diner with the breakfast foods that we miss so dearly. I had an egg-white omelet and Maggie had chocolate chip pancakes. Everyone else chose breakfast sandwiches.
All in all, it was a very fun weekend, but I am exhausted and not very happy to start the week again. Next weekend, is the Thanksgiving celebration at Uncle Ellis' and Aunt Gail's. I can't wait! Now, I'm off to bed. Buona notte!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Dinner with the relatives
Yesterday evening, I had the joy of taking a one hour bus ride across Florence to my cousins' house just outside the city. My cousin, Arianna, picked me up at the bus stop and as soon as we got to her house, her Mom (Antonella) gave me lots of hugs and kisses. Andrea, the boy cousin, greeted me kindly too. I felt so welcome right from the beginning. I had seen Arianna and Andrea in the beginning of the semester here, but I hadn't seen Antonella since Dec 2007. Now, Antonella knows no English, Arianna knows a little, and Andrea knows a conversational amount. But, we spoke all in Italian the whole time! It was sooooo cool! I felt fluent because we just kept talking and talking! It was a great experience because I was with no one else that had to learn Italian, so I could talk as much as I wanted! They were sooo interested to hear everything I had to say and they even said that they were really impressed with my language skills! Yay!
Benedetta showed up around 8:30. We sat down for dinner around 9 pm and had tagliatelle with mushrooms, pork roast, french fries, and salad. For dessert, she had 3 cakes- all of which she insisted I try, and roasted chestnuts. I was soooooo full! And she kept trying to get me to eat more! Those darn Italians. After dinner, Benedetta's parents came over (I had also met them in Dec 2007). We all sat and talked for a while. It was so much fun! I got home from their house around midnight and I was completely exhausted but really happy to have family here in Florence. Even though it was only my second time hanging out with all of them, I felt like I had known them forever! They are so nice and easy to talk to... and so funny- especially when they bicker. I can't wait to see them for Thanksgiving at Aunt Gail and Uncle Ellis' house! We are going to have lots of fun chatting in Italian! Yay!
Ok, I have to write my paper now because we are going to aperitivo with Kevin's mom in a few hours. She's visiting from New York.
Ciao!
Benedetta showed up around 8:30. We sat down for dinner around 9 pm and had tagliatelle with mushrooms, pork roast, french fries, and salad. For dessert, she had 3 cakes- all of which she insisted I try, and roasted chestnuts. I was soooooo full! And she kept trying to get me to eat more! Those darn Italians. After dinner, Benedetta's parents came over (I had also met them in Dec 2007). We all sat and talked for a while. It was so much fun! I got home from their house around midnight and I was completely exhausted but really happy to have family here in Florence. Even though it was only my second time hanging out with all of them, I felt like I had known them forever! They are so nice and easy to talk to... and so funny- especially when they bicker. I can't wait to see them for Thanksgiving at Aunt Gail and Uncle Ellis' house! We are going to have lots of fun chatting in Italian! Yay!
Ok, I have to write my paper now because we are going to aperitivo with Kevin's mom in a few hours. She's visiting from New York.
Ciao!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Paul visits Italy!
Ciao!
It has been a while since my last update, but I'm swamped with work so I'm going to try to give a brief overview of my week with Paul...
He arrived on schedule Tuesday morning (11:30) and we met at the hotel downtown. Once all was settled, I took him for sandwiches at Antico Noe (our regular place). He seemed to really like it but, after all, who wouldn't like Antico Noe?! After that, we toured Santa Croce, walked around the Ponte Vecchio and got gelato at one of my favorite places. For dinner, we did aperitivo with my friends and then had "pub night" at Kukuya and the Lion's Fountain. It was a great first day!
On Wednesday, it rained and we toured the Uffizi Gallery, which was incredible. One masterpiece after another. I was so overwhelmed with the amazing layout of the museum and the beautiful artwork! It was great though, and I can't wait to go back and spend some more time there. For lunch, I took Paul to Pizzaiuolo and we each got a personal pizza and split a bottle of wine. It was a nice thing to do on a rainy day. After lunch, we visited the Leather School at Santa Croce. Their products are incredible! I think I'm going to go back there to get some Christmas presents for people. We did some more shopping and then rested. At 7:30, we went to Maria Pia's for dinner. She made a ridiculous spread and really enjoyed meeting Paul. Paul was a little nervous at first, but he did just fine. He understood a lot of the Italian too! :)
Thursday was a beautiful day weather-wise, and we went to Fiesole to see an oil press. This was a program set up through Holy Cross and Grace wasn't able to go, so Paul got to take her spot! We got the scoop on harvesting olives and got to see the machines in action. We sampled the olive oil in a light lunch. Paul and I both bought bottles because it was sooo good! After the oil press, I had to go to my tutoring session. Paul's college friend Colleen has been living in Parma, Italy since graduation and decided to take a day trip to Florence with her Italian boyfriend. So, Paul was able to meet up with them while I was in my tutoring session. They climbed the Duomo because Paul had never done it. I was glad that he had someone to go up with. After my tutoring session, I met up with Paul, Colleen and her boyfriend for cocktails. Colleen and her boyfriend left about 2 hours later and at 9:30, Paul and I went to dinner at Il Latini. Paul was sooo excited to be back to his favorite Florentine restaurant, and we had a great time eating everything! We were so full that we ended up with some bad indigestion the next day.
On Friday morning, we headed to the train station around 5 am to catch the train to Rome. It took us a frustrating 15 minutes or so to find a place to sit in the train. This train happened to be a predominantly sleeping train. So, we had to push through all the way to the end, where we found a private room with seats instead of beds. It was actually really enjoyable and comfortable once we got settled in there.
We arrived in Rome around 9am and checked into the hotel right away. It was raining a little, but we decided to go with the original plan anyway. So, we grabbed some breakfast and then walked to Piazza Navona, which was beautiful. Then, we saw the Pantheon. The inside was so cool! Paul told me everything he knew about it and then we continued onto the next sites. We passed Largo Argentina and checked out the ancient ruins there. Then, we went to the Roman Forum and took about 2 hours exploring the whole place. Paul had so much to say about it, so it was really cool to be able to understand what all the ruins had been! After the Forum, we went to the Colosseum. I was completely blown away by its size and architecture. It is such an impressive structure for having been built so long ago! I really don't have the words for it because it was that amazing to see in real life. Everyone MUST see the Colosseum! After the Colosseum, we went to a church (I forget the name) and saw San Pietro in Vincoli (chains). We grabbed a quick lunch at one of Paul's favorite hangouts, Miscellanea. We then returned to the hotel, dried off (we were completely drenched from the rain), and napped. Around 8:00, we headed to Trestevere for dinner. We took a little walk around the area because it was so quaint and enjoyable, and then went to Dar Poeta for dinner. We started with a bruschetta assortment, which was awesome. Then, we each had our own pizzas. I can't believe I am saying this, but they were better than Pizzaiuolo's! We split a nutella and ricotta calzone for dinner. Everything was out of this world. After dinner, we walked around for a little while to get rid of the food and then went to one of Paul's favorite bars (Scholar's) for a drink. It was very crowded and had a great atmosphere. I really enjoyed it, but we got tired pretty quickly.
On Saturday, we woke up early planning to go to the Papal blessing at the Vatican. However, we discovered that it was actually on Sunday. So, since we didn't do that, we were able to fit some more things into our schedule. We had breakfast at the hotel and then went right to the Vatican Museum. I had never been in such an enormous and rich museum! There was sooooo much to see, but we moved at a brisk pace because it was ridiculously overwhelming. We did see just about everything though. My biggest excitements were Raphael's School of Athens and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel was especially breathtaking. We spent about 20 minutes staring at the ceiling. Needless to say, I had a bit of a neckache after that. But, it was totally worth it! After the Vatican museum we walked to St. Peter's Square itself and saw the basilica from the outside, and the inside. It was enormous! Again, no words to describe it. Inside the basilica was Michelangelo's Pieta, which I studied in my art history class freshman year. It was so cool to see it up close and in real life! After we toured the inside of the basilica, we climbed the 521 (I think) steps to the top of the cupola to get a view of Rome. The weather was perfect and Rome was beautiful. After the Vatican, we went to one of Paul's favorite panini places for lunch. He calls it "Mrs. Panini's" even though it's actually just called "Pane e Dolci." She recognized him from his time abroad and made us two delicious sandwiches. After lunch, we walked to Paul's apartment and then found an internet cafe to catch up with people. We then grabbed a cab and saw the Ara Pacis and Augustus' mausoleum. Then, we shopped around for a little but I bought nothing. We quickly saw the Trevi Fountain and then went back to the hotel for a nap. Around 7, we went up to the hotel's terrace for a glass of wine and spent about 45 minutes chatting and looking at the Vatican all lit up. Then, we went to dinner at Ristorante Carbornara at Campo de' Fiori. The food was delicious! After dinner, we walked through Campo de' Fiori and then to the Pantheon. We got gelato at this great place and tried to find a club that had apparently been closed down. From the Pantheon, we walked to the Trevi Fountain, threw coins in, and took some pictures. It was sooo beautiful. Then, we walked to the Spanish Steps and enjoyed the scenery.
This morning we woke up and had breakfast. We hung around the hotel for a little while and then checked out. Paul managed to get me on an earlier train so we didn't have much time for goodbyes. So, at this point, he's in the air and I'm back in Florence.
Obviously, we had a wonderful time. Paul was such a great tour guide for Rome and I hope that I did okay for Florence. I feel so refreshed that he was able to visit me. It was nice to take a break from my every day life and really get to enjoy Italy. I saw and learned so much and I'm so glad that Paul was able to make it over to share everything with me!
Now, I have a ton of homework to do so I'm going to stop procrastinating and get to it. I actually have to go to school tomorrow.
Ciao!
It has been a while since my last update, but I'm swamped with work so I'm going to try to give a brief overview of my week with Paul...
He arrived on schedule Tuesday morning (11:30) and we met at the hotel downtown. Once all was settled, I took him for sandwiches at Antico Noe (our regular place). He seemed to really like it but, after all, who wouldn't like Antico Noe?! After that, we toured Santa Croce, walked around the Ponte Vecchio and got gelato at one of my favorite places. For dinner, we did aperitivo with my friends and then had "pub night" at Kukuya and the Lion's Fountain. It was a great first day!
On Wednesday, it rained and we toured the Uffizi Gallery, which was incredible. One masterpiece after another. I was so overwhelmed with the amazing layout of the museum and the beautiful artwork! It was great though, and I can't wait to go back and spend some more time there. For lunch, I took Paul to Pizzaiuolo and we each got a personal pizza and split a bottle of wine. It was a nice thing to do on a rainy day. After lunch, we visited the Leather School at Santa Croce. Their products are incredible! I think I'm going to go back there to get some Christmas presents for people. We did some more shopping and then rested. At 7:30, we went to Maria Pia's for dinner. She made a ridiculous spread and really enjoyed meeting Paul. Paul was a little nervous at first, but he did just fine. He understood a lot of the Italian too! :)
Thursday was a beautiful day weather-wise, and we went to Fiesole to see an oil press. This was a program set up through Holy Cross and Grace wasn't able to go, so Paul got to take her spot! We got the scoop on harvesting olives and got to see the machines in action. We sampled the olive oil in a light lunch. Paul and I both bought bottles because it was sooo good! After the oil press, I had to go to my tutoring session. Paul's college friend Colleen has been living in Parma, Italy since graduation and decided to take a day trip to Florence with her Italian boyfriend. So, Paul was able to meet up with them while I was in my tutoring session. They climbed the Duomo because Paul had never done it. I was glad that he had someone to go up with. After my tutoring session, I met up with Paul, Colleen and her boyfriend for cocktails. Colleen and her boyfriend left about 2 hours later and at 9:30, Paul and I went to dinner at Il Latini. Paul was sooo excited to be back to his favorite Florentine restaurant, and we had a great time eating everything! We were so full that we ended up with some bad indigestion the next day.
On Friday morning, we headed to the train station around 5 am to catch the train to Rome. It took us a frustrating 15 minutes or so to find a place to sit in the train. This train happened to be a predominantly sleeping train. So, we had to push through all the way to the end, where we found a private room with seats instead of beds. It was actually really enjoyable and comfortable once we got settled in there.
We arrived in Rome around 9am and checked into the hotel right away. It was raining a little, but we decided to go with the original plan anyway. So, we grabbed some breakfast and then walked to Piazza Navona, which was beautiful. Then, we saw the Pantheon. The inside was so cool! Paul told me everything he knew about it and then we continued onto the next sites. We passed Largo Argentina and checked out the ancient ruins there. Then, we went to the Roman Forum and took about 2 hours exploring the whole place. Paul had so much to say about it, so it was really cool to be able to understand what all the ruins had been! After the Forum, we went to the Colosseum. I was completely blown away by its size and architecture. It is such an impressive structure for having been built so long ago! I really don't have the words for it because it was that amazing to see in real life. Everyone MUST see the Colosseum! After the Colosseum, we went to a church (I forget the name) and saw San Pietro in Vincoli (chains). We grabbed a quick lunch at one of Paul's favorite hangouts, Miscellanea. We then returned to the hotel, dried off (we were completely drenched from the rain), and napped. Around 8:00, we headed to Trestevere for dinner. We took a little walk around the area because it was so quaint and enjoyable, and then went to Dar Poeta for dinner. We started with a bruschetta assortment, which was awesome. Then, we each had our own pizzas. I can't believe I am saying this, but they were better than Pizzaiuolo's! We split a nutella and ricotta calzone for dinner. Everything was out of this world. After dinner, we walked around for a little while to get rid of the food and then went to one of Paul's favorite bars (Scholar's) for a drink. It was very crowded and had a great atmosphere. I really enjoyed it, but we got tired pretty quickly.
On Saturday, we woke up early planning to go to the Papal blessing at the Vatican. However, we discovered that it was actually on Sunday. So, since we didn't do that, we were able to fit some more things into our schedule. We had breakfast at the hotel and then went right to the Vatican Museum. I had never been in such an enormous and rich museum! There was sooooo much to see, but we moved at a brisk pace because it was ridiculously overwhelming. We did see just about everything though. My biggest excitements were Raphael's School of Athens and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel was especially breathtaking. We spent about 20 minutes staring at the ceiling. Needless to say, I had a bit of a neckache after that. But, it was totally worth it! After the Vatican museum we walked to St. Peter's Square itself and saw the basilica from the outside, and the inside. It was enormous! Again, no words to describe it. Inside the basilica was Michelangelo's Pieta, which I studied in my art history class freshman year. It was so cool to see it up close and in real life! After we toured the inside of the basilica, we climbed the 521 (I think) steps to the top of the cupola to get a view of Rome. The weather was perfect and Rome was beautiful. After the Vatican, we went to one of Paul's favorite panini places for lunch. He calls it "Mrs. Panini's" even though it's actually just called "Pane e Dolci." She recognized him from his time abroad and made us two delicious sandwiches. After lunch, we walked to Paul's apartment and then found an internet cafe to catch up with people. We then grabbed a cab and saw the Ara Pacis and Augustus' mausoleum. Then, we shopped around for a little but I bought nothing. We quickly saw the Trevi Fountain and then went back to the hotel for a nap. Around 7, we went up to the hotel's terrace for a glass of wine and spent about 45 minutes chatting and looking at the Vatican all lit up. Then, we went to dinner at Ristorante Carbornara at Campo de' Fiori. The food was delicious! After dinner, we walked through Campo de' Fiori and then to the Pantheon. We got gelato at this great place and tried to find a club that had apparently been closed down. From the Pantheon, we walked to the Trevi Fountain, threw coins in, and took some pictures. It was sooo beautiful. Then, we walked to the Spanish Steps and enjoyed the scenery.
This morning we woke up and had breakfast. We hung around the hotel for a little while and then checked out. Paul managed to get me on an earlier train so we didn't have much time for goodbyes. So, at this point, he's in the air and I'm back in Florence.
Obviously, we had a wonderful time. Paul was such a great tour guide for Rome and I hope that I did okay for Florence. I feel so refreshed that he was able to visit me. It was nice to take a break from my every day life and really get to enjoy Italy. I saw and learned so much and I'm so glad that Paul was able to make it over to share everything with me!
Now, I have a ton of homework to do so I'm going to stop procrastinating and get to it. I actually have to go to school tomorrow.
Ciao!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Halloween in Barcelona
Hola people!
So, I spent the weekend in Barcelona and it was fun, interesting, scary, and exciting. We left very early Friday morning and had a long journey consisting of a train from Florence to Pisa, a plane from Pisa to the Barcelona airport, a bus from Barcelona airport to Girona, a train from Girona to the center, and our feet from the center to our hostel. We arrived at the hostel around 4 pm and got settled in. We were happy to see that the hostel was very secure and right in the middle of all the fun.
Once all of our friends from the other study abroad programs arrived, we met up and went out for some tapas. They weren't very good, but we still had fun catching up. In Barcelona, no one goes out at night until 2 am, so we had some sangria and hung around and chatted for a while. When it was time to go out, Kevin, Kathryn, myself and Andrea met up with the other Holy Cross kids and started following them to a club. They led us down an alley and got a little ahead of us. Next thing we knew, a little trouble was starting.
Three Spanish boys (not much older than us) starting following us down the alley and started hitting and pushing Kevin on his chest and back. We were all really confused and thought that they were trying to either start a fight, or sell us something. So, we sort of ignored them and Kathryn cursed at them in Spanish, telling them to go away. Within a few seconds, they had managed to distract and confuse us all so much that they succeeded in ripping Kevin's necklace right off his neck from under his shirt! You couldn't even see it under there! We concluded that they had done all that patting to actually find out if something was under his shirt. After that, we were so sad and freaked out. I felt horrible for Kevin because it was a very expensive white gold necklace that had been given to him by his aunt (who has survived cancer three times). The rest of the night had a bit of a damper on it, and I was REALLY nervous to be out on the streets. We also found out that Carla's parents' digital camera had been stolen from right under their noses :(
After that incident, we soon were able to meet up with one of Kat's old friends, who is Spanish, and he was able to protect us a little better. He took us to a cool club and we danced there until about 4 am. That was really fun! I guess we got into the hostel around 5 am and I slept until 9 am Saturday morning. We were all completely exhausted, but still managed to get some sightseeing in. We saw Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia church and it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. It won't be completed for another 30 years, or something crazy like that. It was soooo intricate! I had never seen anything like it before. Sadly, we were unable to go in because the line was really long. However, we did enjoy admiring it from the outside. After seeing La Sagrada Familia, we searched for and saw a few more Gaudi-designed houses. Then, we stopped for lunch on Las Ramblas (the main strip in Barcelona). I tried a "tortilla" for lunch, which is scrambled eggs and potatoes. However, I didn't think the food at this place was that great. After lunch, we went back to the hostel and napped, and then got ready for Halloween festivities!
We (Kathryn, Kevin, Andrea and I) started Halloween at a little restaurant, where we ate some falafels. After that, we went to an outdoor terrace and had Sangria. After that, we met up with some more of our Holy Cross friends (Carla, Annie and Hadley) at an Irish Pub nearby. When we arrived, they had already met some Irish guys, so we hung around and chatted with them for a while. After a few hours of hanging, everyone was ready to go dancing (except for me because the Sangria made me feel gross). So, Carla, Annie and the Irish men jumped into a cab and then the rest of us searched for another. We finally made it to Club Opium (right on the water) but could not contact anyone that had left in front of us. So, we stood around while Kat tried calling people. After about 1.5 hours, Kat had not come back and we were confused. I called her and came to find out that she had found everyone, and was in the club. Since she had already gone, Kevin, Andrea, Hadley and I just decided to go home because the mood had been killed. So much for a crazy Halloween. We didn't care that much though. We were soooo exhausted.
On Sunday morning, we started off our sightseeing at Gaudi's Park Guell. It was sooooo amazing! Again, his unique style was completely captivating and the whole place was swarming with tourists. I got some great pictures, though! The mosaics were so intricate and everything was clean, flowery, and beautiful. I bought a really cute decorative mosaic plate as a little personal souvenir. After the park, we took the metro and headed to the Picasso Museum. It was packed because museums are free on Sundays, but I still enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I had to go through it fast because everyone was hungry and no one wanted to really see the museum, so they were all waiting for me on the other end. I wish I could have stayed longer, but I certainly enjoyed it.
After the museum, we stopped at a restaurant for some tapas for lunch. They were pretty good, but still not that great. After lunch, everyone was tired and wanted to head back. I chose to take a walk down to the harbor with Andrea, Jenny and Aiden. They were still going strong and I wanted to see what was down there. It was very pretty, but it started to get cloudy. So, we took some pictures and then went back to the hostel. I took a 2 hour nap and then woke up with a terrible stomach ache. Pretty soon after, I got really sick from lunch. Ugh. I felt better after re-hydrating and resting for a little while.
For dinner, we decided on Japanese and had heard of this really cool place. It certainly was one of the best Japanese restaurants I had been to. Dinner was all you could eat for 14 euro. All of the tables were set up along a conveyor belt and mini plates of sushi, seaweed, tempura, salads, dumplings, etc came around all evening. AND YOU COULD TAKE WHATEVER YOU WANTED! There was also a hibachi station that was all-you-could-eat. There were 13 of us and we went nuts. We probably went through about 20-40 mini plates each. The boys were in heaven. It was a great thing to do on our last night.
After dinner, we hung around with everyone in Placa Cataluyna and chatted for a while. Then, everyone went back to their hostels because creepy Spaniards started closing in. Kevin, Andrea and I decided to sleep for a few hours. At 4 am, we got up, and started our journey home to Florence. We had to take a cab from the hostel to the bus station, a bus to the airport (1.5 hrs), a plane to Pisa (1.5 hrs), a train from Pisa to Florence (1.5 hrs), and finally, a bus from the Florence station to our houses. We arrived around 11 and were exhausted. I chose to go to class today; Andrea did not.
So overall, Barcelona was a ton of fun but I liked it a lot better in the day time. The night life was too crazy and unsafe for me. Florence has a great party scene, but it's much more controlled and manageable than the nightlife of Barcelona. The party animals in Barcelona all seemed to be tripping on some crazy (and dangerous) drugs. So, we all had to be on high alert for thieves and pick pockets every second. They were everywhere! Also, the food was really sub-par. Obviously, I set my standards high living in Italy, but I didn't like that it made me sick. I definitely loved the city though! It was so interesting and modern. I'd like to go back one day. Everyone should definitely go and check it out!
I'm exhausted but soooooo excited because Paul is coming tomorrow and we have so much planned! We will be in Florence from Tuesday-Friday morning and then heading off to Rome early Friday morning. We will be there until Sunday. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next, but I'll do my best.
Ciao a tutti!
So, I spent the weekend in Barcelona and it was fun, interesting, scary, and exciting. We left very early Friday morning and had a long journey consisting of a train from Florence to Pisa, a plane from Pisa to the Barcelona airport, a bus from Barcelona airport to Girona, a train from Girona to the center, and our feet from the center to our hostel. We arrived at the hostel around 4 pm and got settled in. We were happy to see that the hostel was very secure and right in the middle of all the fun.
Once all of our friends from the other study abroad programs arrived, we met up and went out for some tapas. They weren't very good, but we still had fun catching up. In Barcelona, no one goes out at night until 2 am, so we had some sangria and hung around and chatted for a while. When it was time to go out, Kevin, Kathryn, myself and Andrea met up with the other Holy Cross kids and started following them to a club. They led us down an alley and got a little ahead of us. Next thing we knew, a little trouble was starting.
Three Spanish boys (not much older than us) starting following us down the alley and started hitting and pushing Kevin on his chest and back. We were all really confused and thought that they were trying to either start a fight, or sell us something. So, we sort of ignored them and Kathryn cursed at them in Spanish, telling them to go away. Within a few seconds, they had managed to distract and confuse us all so much that they succeeded in ripping Kevin's necklace right off his neck from under his shirt! You couldn't even see it under there! We concluded that they had done all that patting to actually find out if something was under his shirt. After that, we were so sad and freaked out. I felt horrible for Kevin because it was a very expensive white gold necklace that had been given to him by his aunt (who has survived cancer three times). The rest of the night had a bit of a damper on it, and I was REALLY nervous to be out on the streets. We also found out that Carla's parents' digital camera had been stolen from right under their noses :(
After that incident, we soon were able to meet up with one of Kat's old friends, who is Spanish, and he was able to protect us a little better. He took us to a cool club and we danced there until about 4 am. That was really fun! I guess we got into the hostel around 5 am and I slept until 9 am Saturday morning. We were all completely exhausted, but still managed to get some sightseeing in. We saw Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia church and it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. It won't be completed for another 30 years, or something crazy like that. It was soooo intricate! I had never seen anything like it before. Sadly, we were unable to go in because the line was really long. However, we did enjoy admiring it from the outside. After seeing La Sagrada Familia, we searched for and saw a few more Gaudi-designed houses. Then, we stopped for lunch on Las Ramblas (the main strip in Barcelona). I tried a "tortilla" for lunch, which is scrambled eggs and potatoes. However, I didn't think the food at this place was that great. After lunch, we went back to the hostel and napped, and then got ready for Halloween festivities!
We (Kathryn, Kevin, Andrea and I) started Halloween at a little restaurant, where we ate some falafels. After that, we went to an outdoor terrace and had Sangria. After that, we met up with some more of our Holy Cross friends (Carla, Annie and Hadley) at an Irish Pub nearby. When we arrived, they had already met some Irish guys, so we hung around and chatted with them for a while. After a few hours of hanging, everyone was ready to go dancing (except for me because the Sangria made me feel gross). So, Carla, Annie and the Irish men jumped into a cab and then the rest of us searched for another. We finally made it to Club Opium (right on the water) but could not contact anyone that had left in front of us. So, we stood around while Kat tried calling people. After about 1.5 hours, Kat had not come back and we were confused. I called her and came to find out that she had found everyone, and was in the club. Since she had already gone, Kevin, Andrea, Hadley and I just decided to go home because the mood had been killed. So much for a crazy Halloween. We didn't care that much though. We were soooo exhausted.
On Sunday morning, we started off our sightseeing at Gaudi's Park Guell. It was sooooo amazing! Again, his unique style was completely captivating and the whole place was swarming with tourists. I got some great pictures, though! The mosaics were so intricate and everything was clean, flowery, and beautiful. I bought a really cute decorative mosaic plate as a little personal souvenir. After the park, we took the metro and headed to the Picasso Museum. It was packed because museums are free on Sundays, but I still enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I had to go through it fast because everyone was hungry and no one wanted to really see the museum, so they were all waiting for me on the other end. I wish I could have stayed longer, but I certainly enjoyed it.
After the museum, we stopped at a restaurant for some tapas for lunch. They were pretty good, but still not that great. After lunch, everyone was tired and wanted to head back. I chose to take a walk down to the harbor with Andrea, Jenny and Aiden. They were still going strong and I wanted to see what was down there. It was very pretty, but it started to get cloudy. So, we took some pictures and then went back to the hostel. I took a 2 hour nap and then woke up with a terrible stomach ache. Pretty soon after, I got really sick from lunch. Ugh. I felt better after re-hydrating and resting for a little while.
For dinner, we decided on Japanese and had heard of this really cool place. It certainly was one of the best Japanese restaurants I had been to. Dinner was all you could eat for 14 euro. All of the tables were set up along a conveyor belt and mini plates of sushi, seaweed, tempura, salads, dumplings, etc came around all evening. AND YOU COULD TAKE WHATEVER YOU WANTED! There was also a hibachi station that was all-you-could-eat. There were 13 of us and we went nuts. We probably went through about 20-40 mini plates each. The boys were in heaven. It was a great thing to do on our last night.
After dinner, we hung around with everyone in Placa Cataluyna and chatted for a while. Then, everyone went back to their hostels because creepy Spaniards started closing in. Kevin, Andrea and I decided to sleep for a few hours. At 4 am, we got up, and started our journey home to Florence. We had to take a cab from the hostel to the bus station, a bus to the airport (1.5 hrs), a plane to Pisa (1.5 hrs), a train from Pisa to Florence (1.5 hrs), and finally, a bus from the Florence station to our houses. We arrived around 11 and were exhausted. I chose to go to class today; Andrea did not.
So overall, Barcelona was a ton of fun but I liked it a lot better in the day time. The night life was too crazy and unsafe for me. Florence has a great party scene, but it's much more controlled and manageable than the nightlife of Barcelona. The party animals in Barcelona all seemed to be tripping on some crazy (and dangerous) drugs. So, we all had to be on high alert for thieves and pick pockets every second. They were everywhere! Also, the food was really sub-par. Obviously, I set my standards high living in Italy, but I didn't like that it made me sick. I definitely loved the city though! It was so interesting and modern. I'd like to go back one day. Everyone should definitely go and check it out!
I'm exhausted but soooooo excited because Paul is coming tomorrow and we have so much planned! We will be in Florence from Tuesday-Friday morning and then heading off to Rome early Friday morning. We will be there until Sunday. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next, but I'll do my best.
Ciao a tutti!
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