The heat of the sun hits my face
And all to quickly my comforter becomes my heating blanket.
As I open the windows, I feel the cool Firenze breeze
Indicating another beautiful day.
Dressed and fed, I start a modest walk to class
Once inside I sit at my flimsy plastic desk
Awaiting an intriguing discussion
In which I'm sure I will be forced to speak.
On the way back I stop at a small cafe
Most likely I leave with a ham and cheese sandwich
A food I previously disliked
Has now become my staple meat.
I head back to my beautiful apartment
Which at least in New York would cost around a million dollars.
I lie on my bed feeling air swirl around me
Knowing a nap is in the near future
I wake with 5 new mosquito bites
And tell myself that I am just that sweet.
I begin to wander through the streets of Florence
Loving that no matter where I go, I will always find my way home.
For hours I walk,
Just taking it all in
And then after a few hours
Start to search for a new place to eat.
Dinner has yet to disappoint me
A pasta, calzone, or pasta again
I'm always anticpating my next meal
And the activities that will occur later in the night.
Come home,
Get dressed,
Go out,
That's the routine
We dance til dawn
Laugh at everything
Fight like family
And then sleep til the next day.
There's nothing like Firenze
Monday, June 18, 2007
Just a Few Observations
1. The stones in the street, not so good for wearing flip flops.
2. Lack of diversity in foods (pretty restricted to pasta and Chinese)
3. Italy has real history, that dates back more then 200 years ago.
4. Dogs are obedient
5. Homeless people are in surplus
6. Cars are a million times smaller
7. They even have cars with only three wheels
8. Trains seems to be a huge part in public transportation
9. Firenze in an extremely expensive city
10. McDonald's is a good $2 more in Italy
11. However, they have a different menu and their fries are definately better
12. A lot more people attempt other languages in Italy
13. There is a church on every street corner
14. There's also a cafe
15. Alcoholic beverages cost a minimum of 10 euro.
16. Grease is not a big component to Italian pizza.
17. You can't hail a cab, instead you have to call for one
18. You pay for the cab to wait for you
19. Italian men definately dress better
20. You never know when your gonna get hit on
21. Speaking English is seen as an attractive quality... much like speaking Spanish or something is in the US.
22. American music is very appreciated in Italy
23. It makes sense why Americans watch so much more tv, Italy certainly lacks for channels.
24. Italy still has to master the art of dubbing...some shows go back and forth between Italian and English
25. You can live without a dishwasher and microwave, but not a dryer. Airdrying causes both a loss of clothes from wind or extremely stiff underwear.
26. From age 10-80 people ride bikes
27. or vespas
28. Toilet paper rolls are smaller
29. Your not supposed to touch things like vegetables or fruits at the grocery store
30. Walking is the best way of transportation
Just a little food for thought :)
2. Lack of diversity in foods (pretty restricted to pasta and Chinese)
3. Italy has real history, that dates back more then 200 years ago.
4. Dogs are obedient
5. Homeless people are in surplus
6. Cars are a million times smaller
7. They even have cars with only three wheels
8. Trains seems to be a huge part in public transportation
9. Firenze in an extremely expensive city
10. McDonald's is a good $2 more in Italy
11. However, they have a different menu and their fries are definately better
12. A lot more people attempt other languages in Italy
13. There is a church on every street corner
14. There's also a cafe
15. Alcoholic beverages cost a minimum of 10 euro.
16. Grease is not a big component to Italian pizza.
17. You can't hail a cab, instead you have to call for one
18. You pay for the cab to wait for you
19. Italian men definately dress better
20. You never know when your gonna get hit on
21. Speaking English is seen as an attractive quality... much like speaking Spanish or something is in the US.
22. American music is very appreciated in Italy
23. It makes sense why Americans watch so much more tv, Italy certainly lacks for channels.
24. Italy still has to master the art of dubbing...some shows go back and forth between Italian and English
25. You can live without a dishwasher and microwave, but not a dryer. Airdrying causes both a loss of clothes from wind or extremely stiff underwear.
26. From age 10-80 people ride bikes
27. or vespas
28. Toilet paper rolls are smaller
29. Your not supposed to touch things like vegetables or fruits at the grocery store
30. Walking is the best way of transportation
Just a little food for thought :)
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The day in Pisa started off bright and early from another relatively sleepless night. We started off by going to an old temple in Pisa. While there Professor Cooperman talked about Pisa and Livorno and it's appeal to Jews several centuries ago. Supposedly a man was trying to build a "free port" and the Jews that lived there would be able to live there without restrictions. Pisa and Livorno seem to fit hand in hand. Professor Cooperman also mentioned a doctor in Pisa that was a very renowned Christian doctor in the area. However, one day he just disappeared and no one knew where he went. Apparently, he was Jewish, but he couldn't pronounce himself Jewish in an area that he was known as Christian in. I thought that was a very interesting concept of how moving to a different area would let you reveal your "true self."
After we left the synagouge we went to an old Jewish cemetery. Inside a young woman discussed how most of the tombstones were moved away from the actual burial site. We saw a bunch of gravestones of some of the more influential Jews that had died in the area. We also were shown where the bodies were cleaned before burial. I thought that was a little creepy, but I guess a little interesting.
After that Rachel, Ilana, Hayley, and I waited for Dr. Cooperman on this large area of grass that was supposedly imported from Haifa. Once Dr. Cooperman came we all took a bunch of pictures in front of the leaning tower of Pisa. Supposedly in 1173 the tower served as a bell tower. Five years after it was built it started to sink downward, thus providing a little bit of a tilt. As years have gone on many people have tried to correct the positioning of the tower, including Mussolini, but all efforts have failed. During World War II, the US ordered that all towers in Italy be destroyed in order to prevent surprise attacks, however, the leaning tower was saved by a last minute retreat.
After we finished taking pictures we went on a search for a good restaurant. Ilana and Hayley went off to catch their trains while Rachel and I stayed behind. We ended up going to this small restaurant that was extremely cheap. It was a very good meal and watched Rachel eat her meal was extremely funny. She tore that pizza to shreds.
After lunch we headed back to Florence. When we got back I decided that I needed to take a little nap. Unfortunately, my little nap turned into an extremely long nap and I didn't end up waking up until about 10:30. By then everyone had managed to go out to eat and come back. We spent the rest of the night doing a whole lot of nothing, which was a pretty nice change from the norm.
After we left the synagouge we went to an old Jewish cemetery. Inside a young woman discussed how most of the tombstones were moved away from the actual burial site. We saw a bunch of gravestones of some of the more influential Jews that had died in the area. We also were shown where the bodies were cleaned before burial. I thought that was a little creepy, but I guess a little interesting.
After that Rachel, Ilana, Hayley, and I waited for Dr. Cooperman on this large area of grass that was supposedly imported from Haifa. Once Dr. Cooperman came we all took a bunch of pictures in front of the leaning tower of Pisa. Supposedly in 1173 the tower served as a bell tower. Five years after it was built it started to sink downward, thus providing a little bit of a tilt. As years have gone on many people have tried to correct the positioning of the tower, including Mussolini, but all efforts have failed. During World War II, the US ordered that all towers in Italy be destroyed in order to prevent surprise attacks, however, the leaning tower was saved by a last minute retreat.
After we finished taking pictures we went on a search for a good restaurant. Ilana and Hayley went off to catch their trains while Rachel and I stayed behind. We ended up going to this small restaurant that was extremely cheap. It was a very good meal and watched Rachel eat her meal was extremely funny. She tore that pizza to shreds.
After lunch we headed back to Florence. When we got back I decided that I needed to take a little nap. Unfortunately, my little nap turned into an extremely long nap and I didn't end up waking up until about 10:30. By then everyone had managed to go out to eat and come back. We spent the rest of the night doing a whole lot of nothing, which was a pretty nice change from the norm.
The Duomo
It appears that every city in Italy has a Duomo. The significance of the Duomo in Florence is the structure of the building. When people in "the old days" were first trying to construct the Duomo no one could figure out how to support the "dome" that they wanted to make. The man who figured out how to create the dome shape was able to control the construction of the building. In order to prove that they would be able to support their claim, they were asked how they would support the dome. The man cracked an egg in half and used on of the sides to represent the dome. That man was Filippo Bruneschelli. He is considered the architect of the Duomo. The Duomo took six centuries to complete and is considered the third largest cathedral in the world. It wasn't completed until 1887 because of various political issues.
The day we went we were lucky because there wasn't a line. Everyday I pass by the line stretches across the cathedral. The group started at the steps so we could climb to the top. As a person living in Florence you can tell several things about the people that lived during the time period when buildings such as the Duomo were constructed. Two of the main things that can be determined by the architecture in Florence is 1) people were in good shape 2) people were unable to function as cripples. The reason I say this is because of the amount of stairs that are at every single location that we have visited since we got here. I can not imagine how a person who broke their leg, or was extremely heavy would be able to get around at all. I bring this up because at the Duomo I was dying of exhaustion. There were sooooooooo many steps within this building that it truly felt neverending. There are several different levels that you stop at along the way. Each stairway is different some being a spiral staircase while other just being straight up and down. There is a lot of art that covers that walls, mainly biblical depictions of various things. Overall, the Duomo is very dimly lit, so I assume it was mainly worked on in broad daylight. It is truly a magnificant structure, and mind boggling because it seems impossible to have designed. When we got to the top we had an amazing view of the entire city. Fear of heights was not an option when being so high up. The climb was extremely strenuous, but completely worth the view received in the end. The Duomo is an architectural piece that shows how people lived centuries ago, along with their artistic interests.
The day we went we were lucky because there wasn't a line. Everyday I pass by the line stretches across the cathedral. The group started at the steps so we could climb to the top. As a person living in Florence you can tell several things about the people that lived during the time period when buildings such as the Duomo were constructed. Two of the main things that can be determined by the architecture in Florence is 1) people were in good shape 2) people were unable to function as cripples. The reason I say this is because of the amount of stairs that are at every single location that we have visited since we got here. I can not imagine how a person who broke their leg, or was extremely heavy would be able to get around at all. I bring this up because at the Duomo I was dying of exhaustion. There were sooooooooo many steps within this building that it truly felt neverending. There are several different levels that you stop at along the way. Each stairway is different some being a spiral staircase while other just being straight up and down. There is a lot of art that covers that walls, mainly biblical depictions of various things. Overall, the Duomo is very dimly lit, so I assume it was mainly worked on in broad daylight. It is truly a magnificant structure, and mind boggling because it seems impossible to have designed. When we got to the top we had an amazing view of the entire city. Fear of heights was not an option when being so high up. The climb was extremely strenuous, but completely worth the view received in the end. The Duomo is an architectural piece that shows how people lived centuries ago, along with their artistic interests.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Italian Dogs
Throughout my stay in Florence one of the most interesting things I have noticed is Italian dogs and their relationships with their owners. I have seen so many dogs that walk around leashless, obediently following their owners around. One of my first days here, I was in a cafe and this dog followed it's owner into the store. During this time the dog stayed right next to it's owner and when it came time to leave, quietly followed it's owner out. I can honestly say I've seen very similar scenario many times since I've been here. What's so interesting is that I have never ever seen that at home. I'm not sure if it's the dogs or the people, but the relationship between the two seem to be so much stronger here then back in the US. The dogs appear to be almost robotic considering their complete lack of exploration, barking, etc. Whatever they do in Italy, we need to try to adopt within the US. How enjoyable would it be to walk your dog and not have your dog walk you. The dogs here literally trail their owners.
The other day in Pisa we passed a dog that was literally lying on it's back while it's owners filed it's nails. The dog was completely relaxed while it's owner filed away. I know that if I ever tried to file my dogs nails he would go crazy and the situation would not last for more then five seconds. All I know is that I'm deeply intrigued by this difference in the behavior of dogs between the US and Italy.
The other day in Pisa we passed a dog that was literally lying on it's back while it's owners filed it's nails. The dog was completely relaxed while it's owner filed away. I know that if I ever tried to file my dogs nails he would go crazy and the situation would not last for more then five seconds. All I know is that I'm deeply intrigued by this difference in the behavior of dogs between the US and Italy.
Visit to Rome
The next morning we visited Rome. I was exhausted since I only got a little more then two hours of sleep. Once we got to Rome there was a whole lot of running around. From the colossem, to the Spanish steps, to this "special fountain" that's name I can't remember, for three hours we toured the "sights" of Rome. I think if I knew more history, these things would have been a lot more meaningful. However, since I didn't know the significance of hardly any of these things, I viewed everything as interesting architecture. The ruins and stuff were cool, but once again I didn't know what they were ruins of. After we left the group we went to this restaurant that was pure health food and definately not good. I honestly believe that the worse a food is for you the better it test. It was nice though because at the end of this horrendous meal, the girl gave me a free chocolate croissant.
To continue with my previous complaints, I pulled a muscle when we weere hiking and my feet were killing me, so I was in alot of pain for most of the day. Ilana and I went shopping all throughout Rome, which was nice. It was pretty funny because it seems that Italians really liked stairs when they were designing cities and I was having the hardest time getting around. Every shop Ilana and I went into had steps to get to the next level of clothes. It was horrible though with that pulled muscle and when we sat down on the train to go back I could not have been more relieved.
One thing I noticed in Rome, which was a little more intense then here in Florence was the amount of homeless people here. Begging in Italy seems to be a very common thing. One of the people that touched me the most though was this man in Rome. I'm not sure exactly what was wrong with him, but he was extremely disfigured. His legs seemed to either be broken or just not functioning properly. Nonetheless, Ilana and I had walked out of a store to see this man literally crawling through the streets pushing this shoebox filled with money down the street. He almost sounded like he was chanting something in Italian, in a dull cry. Ilana appeared to be afraid and I instantly felt extreme remorse for this man. Some of the homeless people in Italy don't seem to be "unfit" but this man was obviously disabled and it was very easy to understand how he probably ended up on the streets. What's interesting is that I was looking back on a lot of the other homeless I've seen since I've been here and it appears that a lot of homeless persons use fear methods in order to get money.
There is this woman in Florence that does something similar. She is not disfigured as far as I have seen, but she lies every single day next to the duomo with her face in the ground and a can in front of her. This scene is honestly disturbing because you never see her face, you never see her move, and it makes me feel very uncomfortable. What I'm wondering is whether or not these fear induced methods work and increase the amount of money beggars get, as opposed to those in the US that sit with a McDonald's cup and a sign?
To continue with my previous complaints, I pulled a muscle when we weere hiking and my feet were killing me, so I was in alot of pain for most of the day. Ilana and I went shopping all throughout Rome, which was nice. It was pretty funny because it seems that Italians really liked stairs when they were designing cities and I was having the hardest time getting around. Every shop Ilana and I went into had steps to get to the next level of clothes. It was horrible though with that pulled muscle and when we sat down on the train to go back I could not have been more relieved.
One thing I noticed in Rome, which was a little more intense then here in Florence was the amount of homeless people here. Begging in Italy seems to be a very common thing. One of the people that touched me the most though was this man in Rome. I'm not sure exactly what was wrong with him, but he was extremely disfigured. His legs seemed to either be broken or just not functioning properly. Nonetheless, Ilana and I had walked out of a store to see this man literally crawling through the streets pushing this shoebox filled with money down the street. He almost sounded like he was chanting something in Italian, in a dull cry. Ilana appeared to be afraid and I instantly felt extreme remorse for this man. Some of the homeless people in Italy don't seem to be "unfit" but this man was obviously disabled and it was very easy to understand how he probably ended up on the streets. What's interesting is that I was looking back on a lot of the other homeless I've seen since I've been here and it appears that a lot of homeless persons use fear methods in order to get money.
There is this woman in Florence that does something similar. She is not disfigured as far as I have seen, but she lies every single day next to the duomo with her face in the ground and a can in front of her. This scene is honestly disturbing because you never see her face, you never see her move, and it makes me feel very uncomfortable. What I'm wondering is whether or not these fear induced methods work and increase the amount of money beggars get, as opposed to those in the US that sit with a McDonald's cup and a sign?
Cinque Terra
Today we went to the beach, Cinque Terra. It started off as a nice morning. We took the shuttle from hotel to the train station and then the train to Cinque Terra. The ride was beautiful as we saw in and out views of the mountains. Cinque Terra consists of 5 towns that you can walk between. We got off the train at the first town. When we got there we "propelled" don this mountain to go lie on some rocks down by the ocean. Their were a lot of steps to get down the mountain and then a rope that you used to help you climb down that brought you all the way to the bottom. The rocks were definately not the most comfortable place to lie down, but when I looked out into the ocean, it was just beautiful. It reminded me of one of those scenes in a movie where someone looks out to a beautiful scene and becomes silent with an inner peace. As I sat there feeling the heat beat down on me and then a strong gust of wind, it felt for that moment like everything in life was just perfect. It's an amazing feeling to have, even when it only lasts for a moment. We lied there for a while until the sun disappeared behind a cloud, forcing us to relocate so we could continue to sunbath. We decided to walk to the next town which was supposed to be close. That's when my perfect moment of "inner peace" quickly dissapated. We started walking and just never saw the end. For hours we hiked through the mountains in our flip flops, without a water bottle for 90% of the time. It was extremely strenuous. After we finished the trail, I caught the train home by myself. I was very proud of myself being able to find my way back by myself. I hopped a train, got a cab, changed by tickets, switched trains, etc. For me I felt it enforced my independence and just made me feel like I could do anything. Some of the people I met along the way were really nice too. There was this old man who kept talking to me in Italian trying to help me find my way. He was so funny, because he just kept talking in Italian and I didn't uderstand any of it. It was crazy though because towards the end of the conversation I soehow was able to start figuring out what he was saying. Dr. Cooperman was explaining to me that that's how you learn language as a baby and that you learn language better like that because your using a different part of your brain.
Anyways, when I got back I went out with some of the girls to Space Electronica. At first I wasn't really enjoying myself because the DJ was playing techno music and I really don't enjoy techno. However, they eventually had something comparable to a foam party. They took this machine and it started spitting out massivev amounts of foam. Everyone was completely covered. I've never seen anything like it, it was definately one of the most fun things I've experienced thus far. We danced the rest of the night away and ended up getting in really late. Cinque Terra wasn't as great as I hoped for various reasons, but luckily in the end, everything turned out how it should of.
Anyways, when I got back I went out with some of the girls to Space Electronica. At first I wasn't really enjoying myself because the DJ was playing techno music and I really don't enjoy techno. However, they eventually had something comparable to a foam party. They took this machine and it started spitting out massivev amounts of foam. Everyone was completely covered. I've never seen anything like it, it was definately one of the most fun things I've experienced thus far. We danced the rest of the night away and ended up getting in really late. Cinque Terra wasn't as great as I hoped for various reasons, but luckily in the end, everything turned out how it should of.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
A Day In Siena
So today was another ridiculous yet horrible day. Last night we all went to the club and had a nice time, except for once again someone pushed me. I am not sure what is going on at these clubs, but a lot of the American girls that come here seem very angry and ready to fight. Of course , there was a lot of drama when we got home too so it was just a long night. Then we were so loud that some upstairs complained and then Randall got an angry phone call from the landlord. Everyone was tired and irritable when we left for Siena. I slept for a little while on the bus and then we went to this synagouge. It was actually really pretty, quaint would be the perfect way to describe this synagouge in this town. It was really sad listening to this women that showed us around the temple though. She was so excited to have us there and said that there are only about 30 to 35 Jews left in the town. Supposedly, only about 10 of them attend services, so the synagouge is typically very empty. She was talking about how her son has his Bar Mitzvah coming up and how there is no one to come. It is so sad to think of there being no one that can come celebrate that. It was another interesting thing because while I am not deeply involved in the Jewish community, I know I could be if I made an attempt. In this town they do not really have any Jewish community to be apart of.
After leaving the synagouge, we went and got lunch. Lunch was good, but everyone was tired so we headed back to Florence really soon afterwards. By the time we got back to Florence, it was downpouring and the streets were literally flooding. All these people were standing on the streets with brooms trying to sweep the water, out of their businesses. At one point the bus was stopped in from of a school and people were coming out of the building with buckets. It was crazy to watch. When we finally got back to the apartment everyone was ready to go to sleep. Unfortunately we were greeted to seeing this electrician inside the apartment with plaster all over our beds, the floor, etc. Needless to say no one was happy, and the drama just continued on and on and on. All I can hope for is that tomorrow will be better and that the drama will soon stop.
After leaving the synagouge, we went and got lunch. Lunch was good, but everyone was tired so we headed back to Florence really soon afterwards. By the time we got back to Florence, it was downpouring and the streets were literally flooding. All these people were standing on the streets with brooms trying to sweep the water, out of their businesses. At one point the bus was stopped in from of a school and people were coming out of the building with buckets. It was crazy to watch. When we finally got back to the apartment everyone was ready to go to sleep. Unfortunately we were greeted to seeing this electrician inside the apartment with plaster all over our beds, the floor, etc. Needless to say no one was happy, and the drama just continued on and on and on. All I can hope for is that tomorrow will be better and that the drama will soon stop.
Back to School
Today we woke up early to have our first semi day of class. It was rough because I was woken up in the middle of sleeping to some drama. It seems to be a continous cycle in this household. Since I have never lived in any kind of communal space before I wonder if this is how things always are. However, after only a few days of living like this I have come to really appreciate my apartment back home. There is definately something to be said for being able to go to sleep whenever you want to. Anyways, today the group went to this old synagouge for a few hours which was really beautiful. It would definately be a really cool place to get married. It has that gaudy church design, but it is a temple. It was kind of interesting that the temple was bombed during World War II , but the Nazis were unable to destroy it. When we went upstairs there was this little museum. Something I thought was really strange was that they had this preserved dress for boys to wear at their circumsion. The dress was so similar to what babies where during the baptism. I felt like it really showed a Christian influence on the Jewish community in Florence during the represented time period. After touring the museum we sat in this little room and watch a short movie on the Holocaust. Usually I find information on the Holocaust to be really interesting, however this was all in Italian, and was not as impactful since I could not understand it. After we left the synagouge a bunch of us went out for lunch. Everyone else is getting tired of all the past, but I love it. Never will I complain of too much pasta, however it would be nice to have some chicken. At home my mom loves to cook chicken, I like to cook chicken, and here it seems like they just are not that fond of it.
I then walked around forever with a bunch of people. At one point we went into this cafe and while we were sitting there I started to notice the relationship between dogs and their owners. It is very different in Italy in terms of how dogs act. While sitting in this cafe a dog walked in trailing behind his owner. The dog stayed next to his owner in the cafe and then when the owner left followed them back out. The dog was not on a leash, and was so well training. I am not sure what Europeans do differently in that sense, but it was truly amazing. I know that whenever I take my dog anywhere I am trailing behind him not vice versa, and he has to be on a leash. I think this difference is great and I definately think America should get some advice on how to train their dogs from the Europeans.
The day was long, with a lot of walking especially when Joe decided he really wanted to walk a few miles away to go grocery shopping. Later that night everyone went to a club called Yab. The club was a lot of fun except when it came time to pay the bill. The women at the counter completely ripped me off and refused to explain to me why my tab was 30 euro for 2 drinks. I was extremely upset , especially considering one of those drinks was supposed to be free with cover. Not a very nice way to end the evening, but now I know to always ask the price of drinks before I start drinking. Italian clubs are expensive!
I then walked around forever with a bunch of people. At one point we went into this cafe and while we were sitting there I started to notice the relationship between dogs and their owners. It is very different in Italy in terms of how dogs act. While sitting in this cafe a dog walked in trailing behind his owner. The dog stayed next to his owner in the cafe and then when the owner left followed them back out. The dog was not on a leash, and was so well training. I am not sure what Europeans do differently in that sense, but it was truly amazing. I know that whenever I take my dog anywhere I am trailing behind him not vice versa, and he has to be on a leash. I think this difference is great and I definately think America should get some advice on how to train their dogs from the Europeans.
The day was long, with a lot of walking especially when Joe decided he really wanted to walk a few miles away to go grocery shopping. Later that night everyone went to a club called Yab. The club was a lot of fun except when it came time to pay the bill. The women at the counter completely ripped me off and refused to explain to me why my tab was 30 euro for 2 drinks. I was extremely upset , especially considering one of those drinks was supposed to be free with cover. Not a very nice way to end the evening, but now I know to always ask the price of drinks before I start drinking. Italian clubs are expensive!
The Next Day
The next day I woke up early so I could go get my cell phone. After that I met up with Ana, Lauren, and some of the guys. We walked to the center of Florence and saw some pretty cool stuff. We eventually stopped at this little Italian restaurant. I got this spaghetti and sausage dish which was pretty good. The restaurant owner was really nice to us and spoke amazing English. It was incredible to watch him switch to all these different languages as people walked by. I definately believe that being in another country is inspiring when it comes to learning other languages.
I had a nice afternoon except for on our way back to the hotel it started downpouring and we were soaked to the bone. We went to meet Randall at the hotel so we could go check out our apartment. The apartment is BEAUTIFUL!!! I am in the quad with Ana, Lauren, and Michael. Luckily we each have our own closet and a drawer to keep our stuff in. We also have this beautiful terrance, a fully equipped kitchen (except for a microwave), and three bathrooms. Once we toured the apartment we had orientation for the rules of the house. In Italy there is an actual law that states you can not have people sleep at the apartment that are not living there. There is also a law that indicates quiet hours in Italy. At 11 pm if people are being to loud, neighboring tenants have the right to call the police. While I know these laws have been implemented for a reason, I know that the noise level will eventually become a problem considering there are 12 college students living in one apartment.
After orientation I took an extrememly long nap and then went out to dinner with the group. At the restaurant I decided to keep it traditional and get spaghetti with meat sauce. There was a little drama because some of the Italian guys liked Michael, and some of the other guys got upset. It was a nice dinner though. It was really sweet, Joe got all the girls at the table a rose and then when he had an extra he gave it to our waitress. I thought it was just a really nice gesture and I could tell our waitress really appreciated it. After that we all got ready to go out for a crazy night in Florence. It was ridiculous. We walked around forever trying to find this club, we must have asked 30 people for directions. The club played two kinds of music, techno and rap. We stayed there for a while and then at around 5 am came back to the house. Everyone stayed up for a long time talking and having a good time until the sun literally came up. I woke up 3 hours later, in serious pain. All the people that woke up early then went out to breakfast and were back asleep by 1. In the afternoon we went on this long walking tour of the city. The architecture of some of the building was really beautiful. We walked this huge hill that was deadly, so that we could get a good view of the city. When we got to the top I got my first gelato and then took a bus back to the apartment. Now, we are about to go out to dinner. The trip has been pretty fun so far, but only time will tell.
I had a nice afternoon except for on our way back to the hotel it started downpouring and we were soaked to the bone. We went to meet Randall at the hotel so we could go check out our apartment. The apartment is BEAUTIFUL!!! I am in the quad with Ana, Lauren, and Michael. Luckily we each have our own closet and a drawer to keep our stuff in. We also have this beautiful terrance, a fully equipped kitchen (except for a microwave), and three bathrooms. Once we toured the apartment we had orientation for the rules of the house. In Italy there is an actual law that states you can not have people sleep at the apartment that are not living there. There is also a law that indicates quiet hours in Italy. At 11 pm if people are being to loud, neighboring tenants have the right to call the police. While I know these laws have been implemented for a reason, I know that the noise level will eventually become a problem considering there are 12 college students living in one apartment.
After orientation I took an extrememly long nap and then went out to dinner with the group. At the restaurant I decided to keep it traditional and get spaghetti with meat sauce. There was a little drama because some of the Italian guys liked Michael, and some of the other guys got upset. It was a nice dinner though. It was really sweet, Joe got all the girls at the table a rose and then when he had an extra he gave it to our waitress. I thought it was just a really nice gesture and I could tell our waitress really appreciated it. After that we all got ready to go out for a crazy night in Florence. It was ridiculous. We walked around forever trying to find this club, we must have asked 30 people for directions. The club played two kinds of music, techno and rap. We stayed there for a while and then at around 5 am came back to the house. Everyone stayed up for a long time talking and having a good time until the sun literally came up. I woke up 3 hours later, in serious pain. All the people that woke up early then went out to breakfast and were back asleep by 1. In the afternoon we went on this long walking tour of the city. The architecture of some of the building was really beautiful. We walked this huge hill that was deadly, so that we could get a good view of the city. When we got to the top I got my first gelato and then took a bus back to the apartment. Now, we are about to go out to dinner. The trip has been pretty fun so far, but only time will tell.
Only The Beginning
The first day of the trip was relatively long. I got to the airport early (making my mother happy), but making it so I had more time to kill. When I got in line to check my bags, I ran into another girl that was going on the trip, Hayley. It turns out that we were actually in a history discussion together this semester. When we got to the gate Lauren and Ana were already there, so we just hung out with them for a little while and tried to get to know each other. The flight was decent. I sat next to a very attractive marine who was on some kind of "top secret" mission. He was from Wisconsin and dipped. It was probably the second time in my life I have seen that. It was pretty disgusting when he spit the leftover tobacco stuff into this bottle. He was telling me how he grew up on a 850 acre farm and how his family had more cows then his entire high school had people. He was a true country boy.
During the actual flight we encountered alot of turbulance, which made me feel a little nauseous, but my cold is what was really doing me in. We stopped in Germany for just long enough to catch our next plane. When we got to Florence we were greeted by Randall and we exchanged our money. I met a few of the other kids that were on the trip. Everyone seemed to be pretty nice. We then left the airport and took a taxi to the San Gallo Palace. I of course managed to get grease on my pants , which is unfortunate since they are my favorite sweats.
At the hotel I roomed with Ilana and Rachel. Both of them seem like very nice people. That day we had a long break and I ended up spending that time talking to this girl Michael. After that the entire group went and got dinner at this restaurant. The food was good, I got this ravioli and shrimp thing. After that I ended up heading back to the room for the night because I was feeling crappy.
During the actual flight we encountered alot of turbulance, which made me feel a little nauseous, but my cold is what was really doing me in. We stopped in Germany for just long enough to catch our next plane. When we got to Florence we were greeted by Randall and we exchanged our money. I met a few of the other kids that were on the trip. Everyone seemed to be pretty nice. We then left the airport and took a taxi to the San Gallo Palace. I of course managed to get grease on my pants , which is unfortunate since they are my favorite sweats.
At the hotel I roomed with Ilana and Rachel. Both of them seem like very nice people. That day we had a long break and I ended up spending that time talking to this girl Michael. After that the entire group went and got dinner at this restaurant. The food was good, I got this ravioli and shrimp thing. After that I ended up heading back to the room for the night because I was feeling crappy.
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