Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Sing-Off on NBC: COMMITTED "Every Breath You Take"
Such a fan of the group Committed on the NBC show The Sing Off! They are so talented!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
me singing boom boom pow by black eyed peas (my version).avi
By far one of my fav videos to watch for a good laugh. Always.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Wiz Khalifa!
Recently saw Wiz Khalifa on tour. Show was pretty damn good. Here is a snippet of what he had in store!
Kid Cudi - Pursuit Of Happiness ft. MGMT
Get good vibes from this video (and the random cameo from Drake...ha). Effortless and entertaining as hell.
OREGON DUCKS!
For the first time in the schools history the University of Oregon Ducks football team have an undefeated season (11-0). We are currently ranked number two in BCS rankings, and once we beat our rivals Oregon State this weekend, a spot in the BCS championship will be solidified. Students, teachers, alums and fans alike are all over the moon with spirit and support for our team. WE HEART CHIP KELLY! Congrats to the coaching staff and all the players on the Oregon Ducks! Cannot wait to cheer my team on in Arizona for the championship bowl!
A little tailgating fun!
Current State of Mind!
Keep Calm and Carry On was a poster produced by the British government in 1939 during the beginning of World War II, intended to raise the morale of the British public under the threat of impending invasion. The simplicity of this saying speaks straight to my soul - still very relevant in life today.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Back to Eugene
Well folks, it's back to Eugene for one last year of class, exams and obvi - the general weekend shenanigans.
I must admit that campus feels different as a senior, instead of floating down 13th (due to the deadly lack of sleep) without one eye wide open, I find myself noticing and paying attention to all kinds of detail. For instance the freshman - did I look that doe eyed and clueless three years ago? I must have... it is so funny to pick up on characteristics that can identify a class of about five thousand. *Hint: LOSE THE LANYARDS! Also, why are the streets of Eugene literally covered in garbage? Its gross... for such a green city us college kids dirty ish up and it is not pretty lately.
*Hint 2: PS FRESHMAN and SOPH's - riots are not cool.
Admit-tingly it is only day one of week 2 and i have already missed two science classes - Senoritis exists after high school. Awful. I just don't really understand why i have to take four science classes if my major is in the writing field?...beyond. BIO 130 might be the death of me. There is only so much instruction I can take in monotone, watching paint dry would be more enjoyable (and quiet).
One plus of this fall season, with school starting, so does football season. Oregon is starting off the season right 4-0 and creating quite a buzz for our team and their potential. I look forward to the Saturdays at Autzen Stadium filled with rambunctious banter and the occasional OREGON(!!) chant during tailgates. Side note: This years goal for tailgating, no blacking out or catching on fire. Last weekends win over Stanford was accompanied by the most amazing fall day one could ask for - 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. SCO DUCKS
I have a feeling that sleep in any form will be a rarity this year, so with this free time I'm off to catch some ZZZzzzz's.
Night friends!
*Hint 3: White leggings don't look good on anyone. Just don't wear them.
I must admit that campus feels different as a senior, instead of floating down 13th (due to the deadly lack of sleep) without one eye wide open, I find myself noticing and paying attention to all kinds of detail. For instance the freshman - did I look that doe eyed and clueless three years ago? I must have... it is so funny to pick up on characteristics that can identify a class of about five thousand. *Hint: LOSE THE LANYARDS! Also, why are the streets of Eugene literally covered in garbage? Its gross... for such a green city us college kids dirty ish up and it is not pretty lately.
*Hint 2: PS FRESHMAN and SOPH's - riots are not cool.
Admit-tingly it is only day one of week 2 and i have already missed two science classes - Senoritis exists after high school. Awful. I just don't really understand why i have to take four science classes if my major is in the writing field?...beyond. BIO 130 might be the death of me. There is only so much instruction I can take in monotone, watching paint dry would be more enjoyable (and quiet).
One plus of this fall season, with school starting, so does football season. Oregon is starting off the season right 4-0 and creating quite a buzz for our team and their potential. I look forward to the Saturdays at Autzen Stadium filled with rambunctious banter and the occasional OREGON(!!) chant during tailgates. Side note: This years goal for tailgating, no blacking out or catching on fire. Last weekends win over Stanford was accompanied by the most amazing fall day one could ask for - 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. SCO DUCKS
I have a feeling that sleep in any form will be a rarity this year, so with this free time I'm off to catch some ZZZzzzz's.
Night friends!
*Hint 3: White leggings don't look good on anyone. Just don't wear them.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
CHEERS to ITALY (and Steph and Laine)!
6-13-10
It finally arrived. Our last weekend in Italy; I can’t quite comprehend how fast three months flew by. Alas this past weekend was extremely bitter sweet.
On Friday the class got up early and met at the train station at eight a.m. Once in Florence, our first stop was the Uffizi Museum. The Uffizi is one of the largest museums in the entire world, so we definitely had a long tour in front of us. Now – don’t get me wrong, I love art and totally respect the history of it – however, having already gone through this museum before, I would have rather spent my last days in Florence walking around the city and talking in the Italian culture I have come to love. After the Uffizi, we walked over the Ponte Vecchio to a restaurant for a classic big Italian lunch (complete with 4 courses and enough bread and wine to satisfy everyone completely). After lunch we ventured to the Studia Accademia, which is where the original David by Michelangelo is located. I was also lucky enough to have seen the David on my last trip to Italy, however I had totally forgotten how great his presence is as you come around the corner and he stands thirty yards in front of you. He is massive, and romantic and as cliché as it sounds – kind of takes your breath away.
Once the academic part of our trip was over, we made our way to our hostel (which was a fabulous two story private room complete with balcony), checked in, and then met up with all our other classmates. We did some light (…) afternoon shopping and then found, believe it or not – A MEXICAN RESTAURANT. We stopped in for pitchers of margaritas and Mexican cuisine, which actually satisfied our three-month craving.
After diner we got ready to go out on our last Friday night in Italy. It just happened to also be two friends in my program – Steph and Laine’s 21st birthdays. So we definitely intended to celebrate to the fullest. Our first stop was Shot Café. We all got great drinks, met some cool people from New York City, and enjoyed the last night our group would have to really let loose. Paris and I convinced the bar owner to play some hip-hop so we could begin our groove sesh. After Shot Café we went to Twice. Twice is a fun dance club. After about ten minutes of dancing, the DJ told Paris and I to dance in the VIP section – and we slowly brought our entire group in with us. It was wild! Finally, at about three-thirty a.m. my little feet were tired, and we decided to make our way back to the hostel.
The next morning we went for breakfast, and then proceeded to spend the entire day walking around Florence and picking up last minute gifts for friends and family. It truly was the perfect last weekend.
A Group of us at Shot Cafe!
It finally arrived. Our last weekend in Italy; I can’t quite comprehend how fast three months flew by. Alas this past weekend was extremely bitter sweet.
On Friday the class got up early and met at the train station at eight a.m. Once in Florence, our first stop was the Uffizi Museum. The Uffizi is one of the largest museums in the entire world, so we definitely had a long tour in front of us. Now – don’t get me wrong, I love art and totally respect the history of it – however, having already gone through this museum before, I would have rather spent my last days in Florence walking around the city and talking in the Italian culture I have come to love. After the Uffizi, we walked over the Ponte Vecchio to a restaurant for a classic big Italian lunch (complete with 4 courses and enough bread and wine to satisfy everyone completely). After lunch we ventured to the Studia Accademia, which is where the original David by Michelangelo is located. I was also lucky enough to have seen the David on my last trip to Italy, however I had totally forgotten how great his presence is as you come around the corner and he stands thirty yards in front of you. He is massive, and romantic and as cliché as it sounds – kind of takes your breath away.
Once the academic part of our trip was over, we made our way to our hostel (which was a fabulous two story private room complete with balcony), checked in, and then met up with all our other classmates. We did some light (…) afternoon shopping and then found, believe it or not – A MEXICAN RESTAURANT. We stopped in for pitchers of margaritas and Mexican cuisine, which actually satisfied our three-month craving.
After diner we got ready to go out on our last Friday night in Italy. It just happened to also be two friends in my program – Steph and Laine’s 21st birthdays. So we definitely intended to celebrate to the fullest. Our first stop was Shot Café. We all got great drinks, met some cool people from New York City, and enjoyed the last night our group would have to really let loose. Paris and I convinced the bar owner to play some hip-hop so we could begin our groove sesh. After Shot Café we went to Twice. Twice is a fun dance club. After about ten minutes of dancing, the DJ told Paris and I to dance in the VIP section – and we slowly brought our entire group in with us. It was wild! Finally, at about three-thirty a.m. my little feet were tired, and we decided to make our way back to the hostel.
The next morning we went for breakfast, and then proceeded to spend the entire day walking around Florence and picking up last minute gifts for friends and family. It truly was the perfect last weekend.
A Group of us at Shot Cafe!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Barcelona, Spain - OLE
6-5-10
Hola Amigas! Just returned from the most amazing week in Barcelona, Spain.
I had never been to Spain before this excursion, and was so excited to explore uncharted territory!
Tuesday
We (Me, Stephanie, Laine, Rachel, Georgia & Hannah) landed on Tuesday afternoon and made our way to our hostel, which was beachside in Barceloneta (about a 10 minute walk from the city center). Once we had settled into our shared dorm (with two other colleges students) we walked around the area to find out what was around our hostel besides the gorgeous ocean. We ended up grabbing a bite to eat at this beachside café, and I had my first taste of Spanish Sangria – I DIE. It is so good. Having traveled all day, we opted to take a long walk on the beach back to the hostel and hit the hay early so we would be ready for adventures the next day.
Wednesday
7:00 I wake up early to get a head start to the day, upon going into our bathroom I nearly step on a cockroach the size of a small rodent. I obvi screamed, ran out and slammed the door shut. Disgusting. No tolerance for bugs – especially mean ones.
On Wednesday the weather was a bit cloudier than we expected, so we decided to spend the whole day taking in Barcelona. We walked from out hostel along the beach to La Rambla, which is one of the most famous streets in Barcelona. It is filled with carts setting everything to postcards and flowers, to live chickens, turtles and bunnies. No Joke.
La Rambla is also famous for its street performers – there are literally dozens of them dressed up like witches, or fruit, or soccer players or monsters and they all perform certain tricks.
One such Performer
We also found the most delicious fruit market I have ever been to in my life – it was a humongous farmers market filled with fresh produce, smoothies, meats, cheeses and chocolate. We made several stops at this fruit market to inhale as much of this goodness as possible – my favorite purchase was the fresh papaya, strawberry and mango smoothie – heaven in a glass.
We continued our hike through La Rambla to Gracia – the biggest shopping street in Barcelona. Literally it took us over 3 hours to walk about 4 blocks because we wanted to check out every store – did I mention fashion in Spain ROCKS? After several good purchases the group made it to the two famous Gaudi buildings located on Gracia. Not knowing much about Gaudi, I admired the architecture he produced years ago – in contrast to the other more traditional architecture of Spain. The whimsical nature of the buildings appear to be dripping, tossing and turning into the wall. The mosaic stone work is absolutely beautiful – and another trademark of Gaudi’s work.
Gaudi's Building
On Wednesday evening we deiced to see what nightlife I Barcelona was all about. For those of you who don’t know, Barcelona is quite wild. It is considered lame to go out before 1:00 AM at the earliest – more like 2:00 AM. So we ate a late dinner around ten, then proceeded to get ready and left the hostel at an early 1:30 AM. We walked along the beach with a group of friends we had met at the hostel, and all of us ended up at Shoko, a trendy new club on the beach. It was so much fun! We were dancing all over and mingling with our new friends. At about 3:00 AM Georgia and I wanted to go and check out another club we had heard was the most wild in Barcelona called Razmatazz. It was 90’s night at Razmatazz and they were playing funky remixes of the classics, we danced well in the morning and had an amazing time doing so.
Thursday
I woke up to the sun shining – we were staying at a hostel on the beach – so obviously the girls opted to spend most of the morning laying on the beach and watching the sunrise. It was so relaxing and felt peaceful like an actual vacation. Morning turned into afternoon and before we knew it, three thirty rolled around. Dragging ourselves away from the sand and sun, we got cleaned up and headed to Guell Park. Guell Park is located on the highest hill in Barcelona and was designed by Gaudi. Many elements of his art are found within the park, including mosaics and houses – one in which live for 2 decades. The park is absolutely stunning with endless views of all of Barcelona, green palms and colorful flowers everywhere. That evening we stumbled upon a popular Spanish restaurant. It was decorated how I would envision Spain would look like in the fifties, with a tropical twist. It was a great atmosphere, drinks, food, and fun.
All of us in Guell Park!
Friday
Another gorgeous day in Barcelona - not a cloud in the sky. We plopped ourselves front and center on the beach once again and enjoyed the warmth of the fun for the hours of the morning. Around 1:00 PM Hannah and I walked into the city center and the Barri Gothic area – which is absolutely. We went to the Picasso Museum (incredible – the museum has a great collection of his work that Picasso even personally contributed to). After the museum we walked around the neighborhoods of the city we had not previously seen, taking in the authenticity of the Spanish city.
Night rolled around and after getting ready for our last night, we ate at this amazing Falafel / Kebabs restaurant. Cheap and filling were the words that lured us in, but it turned out to be one of the best meals we ate during our trip. After our Kebab session, we ventured to the ‘Fontana Magica’ or Magic Fountain which lies at the bottom of the Palace of Barcelona and every Friday evening has a water / lights / music show. The fountain show was huge – filled with people – and so worth the trek! After the show was over, we walked up to the top of the Palace to look at the view of Barcelona and the several fountains below. We ended up sitting on the top of these steps for a couple hours with several locals listening to a Spanish guitar player (the most amazing mood music ever!) and enjoying the widespread view of the city below.
Our last night!
Overall, Spain was unbelievable. I had by far one of the best weeks of my life, and cannot wait to return. The culture, art and life of the city are unexplainable and unparalleled to anything I have seen before.
Hola Amigas! Just returned from the most amazing week in Barcelona, Spain.
I had never been to Spain before this excursion, and was so excited to explore uncharted territory!
Tuesday
We (Me, Stephanie, Laine, Rachel, Georgia & Hannah) landed on Tuesday afternoon and made our way to our hostel, which was beachside in Barceloneta (about a 10 minute walk from the city center). Once we had settled into our shared dorm (with two other colleges students) we walked around the area to find out what was around our hostel besides the gorgeous ocean. We ended up grabbing a bite to eat at this beachside café, and I had my first taste of Spanish Sangria – I DIE. It is so good. Having traveled all day, we opted to take a long walk on the beach back to the hostel and hit the hay early so we would be ready for adventures the next day.
Wednesday
7:00 I wake up early to get a head start to the day, upon going into our bathroom I nearly step on a cockroach the size of a small rodent. I obvi screamed, ran out and slammed the door shut. Disgusting. No tolerance for bugs – especially mean ones.
On Wednesday the weather was a bit cloudier than we expected, so we decided to spend the whole day taking in Barcelona. We walked from out hostel along the beach to La Rambla, which is one of the most famous streets in Barcelona. It is filled with carts setting everything to postcards and flowers, to live chickens, turtles and bunnies. No Joke.
La Rambla is also famous for its street performers – there are literally dozens of them dressed up like witches, or fruit, or soccer players or monsters and they all perform certain tricks.
One such Performer
We also found the most delicious fruit market I have ever been to in my life – it was a humongous farmers market filled with fresh produce, smoothies, meats, cheeses and chocolate. We made several stops at this fruit market to inhale as much of this goodness as possible – my favorite purchase was the fresh papaya, strawberry and mango smoothie – heaven in a glass.
We continued our hike through La Rambla to Gracia – the biggest shopping street in Barcelona. Literally it took us over 3 hours to walk about 4 blocks because we wanted to check out every store – did I mention fashion in Spain ROCKS? After several good purchases the group made it to the two famous Gaudi buildings located on Gracia. Not knowing much about Gaudi, I admired the architecture he produced years ago – in contrast to the other more traditional architecture of Spain. The whimsical nature of the buildings appear to be dripping, tossing and turning into the wall. The mosaic stone work is absolutely beautiful – and another trademark of Gaudi’s work.
Gaudi's Building
On Wednesday evening we deiced to see what nightlife I Barcelona was all about. For those of you who don’t know, Barcelona is quite wild. It is considered lame to go out before 1:00 AM at the earliest – more like 2:00 AM. So we ate a late dinner around ten, then proceeded to get ready and left the hostel at an early 1:30 AM. We walked along the beach with a group of friends we had met at the hostel, and all of us ended up at Shoko, a trendy new club on the beach. It was so much fun! We were dancing all over and mingling with our new friends. At about 3:00 AM Georgia and I wanted to go and check out another club we had heard was the most wild in Barcelona called Razmatazz. It was 90’s night at Razmatazz and they were playing funky remixes of the classics, we danced well in the morning and had an amazing time doing so.
Thursday
I woke up to the sun shining – we were staying at a hostel on the beach – so obviously the girls opted to spend most of the morning laying on the beach and watching the sunrise. It was so relaxing and felt peaceful like an actual vacation. Morning turned into afternoon and before we knew it, three thirty rolled around. Dragging ourselves away from the sand and sun, we got cleaned up and headed to Guell Park. Guell Park is located on the highest hill in Barcelona and was designed by Gaudi. Many elements of his art are found within the park, including mosaics and houses – one in which live for 2 decades. The park is absolutely stunning with endless views of all of Barcelona, green palms and colorful flowers everywhere. That evening we stumbled upon a popular Spanish restaurant. It was decorated how I would envision Spain would look like in the fifties, with a tropical twist. It was a great atmosphere, drinks, food, and fun.
All of us in Guell Park!
Friday
Another gorgeous day in Barcelona - not a cloud in the sky. We plopped ourselves front and center on the beach once again and enjoyed the warmth of the fun for the hours of the morning. Around 1:00 PM Hannah and I walked into the city center and the Barri Gothic area – which is absolutely. We went to the Picasso Museum (incredible – the museum has a great collection of his work that Picasso even personally contributed to). After the museum we walked around the neighborhoods of the city we had not previously seen, taking in the authenticity of the Spanish city.
Night rolled around and after getting ready for our last night, we ate at this amazing Falafel / Kebabs restaurant. Cheap and filling were the words that lured us in, but it turned out to be one of the best meals we ate during our trip. After our Kebab session, we ventured to the ‘Fontana Magica’ or Magic Fountain which lies at the bottom of the Palace of Barcelona and every Friday evening has a water / lights / music show. The fountain show was huge – filled with people – and so worth the trek! After the show was over, we walked up to the top of the Palace to look at the view of Barcelona and the several fountains below. We ended up sitting on the top of these steps for a couple hours with several locals listening to a Spanish guitar player (the most amazing mood music ever!) and enjoying the widespread view of the city below.
Our last night!
Overall, Spain was unbelievable. I had by far one of the best weeks of my life, and cannot wait to return. The culture, art and life of the city are unexplainable and unparalleled to anything I have seen before.
The Palio Announcements
5-30-10
On Sunday evening the Palio announcements for which Contrada’s horses were going to be participating in the July race. This announcement takes place in the Piazza del Campo and most of Siena 60,000 people are present for the declaration. The Contrada I live in, the Unicorn Contrada, had already been selected to participate. However, we were so exited when they announced the Porcupine Contrada was selected, as it is where we attend school and where our very proud teacher Silvia resides. The other two selected were the Wave and the Dragon Contrada’s. When each one was announced the residents of the Contrada would sprint down from the Piazza to the town hall building screaming, crying and dancing with excitement. Several members of the Contrada were so excited that they began climbing up the walls of town hall to try and touch their flag – a good 50 feet above them.
Reppin' my Contrada - the Unicorn!
It was such a great experience to be apart of a tradition that has lasted for centuries, and really gave us an insight to the pride the Sienese people have for their particular culture and city.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Bologna, Rimini & San Marino …(oh, and traffic in Italy sucks).
5-29-10
Upon arriving Bologna, I didn’t really know much about it. It is a region in the center of northern Italy, is one of the few towns in Italy that has porch-lined streets, and is famous for creating the delicious pasta dish, Lasagna. With the latter reason being why we made this stop on our excursion, it was good enough for me I guess! We ate the most amazing Lasagna at lunch – can’t even describe the ooey gooey yumminess of it all. After lunch (and a freak rain / thunder storm) we had free time, and the girls of course stuck together in hopes of finding some good shopping – it took us all of five minutes to sniff out H & M. All of us made one or two good purchases and then were corralled back on the bus to leave for Rimini.
Bologna
Steph and I at lunch in Bologna!
Rimini (as I was informed by several of our Italian friends, as well as our teachers) was the capitol of the discothèque in Italy. We had heard nothing but good and fun things about this city by the sea; one of our professors even called it the Las Vegas of Europe. However, no one mentioned that the high season did not start until mid-June, and until then Rimini was a bit quiet and uneventful. So after all the hype and anxiousness to take over the clubs, the group of us ended up grabbing a few drinks and spending the night on the beach. Low key, but actually really fun. The sand was soft as velvet and the Mediterranean Sea was warm compared to the good ol’ Pacific. The next day we spent touring Rimini –the several churches, parks and museums it had to offer, and lounging around on the ocean.
Rimini!
From Rimini we headed to San Marino. San Marino is a mountain town in the hills of the Emilio Romagna region. On a gorgeous (or even clear…) day it would be one of the most amazing views one will see in their life. However, on the specific day we excursion there, it literally was raining all damn day. Not just raining, but thunder storming, lightening, and windy. In the midst of the poor weather, we did manage to see some of the beautiful landscaping, the charm of the town, and learn (from the most adorable tour guide ever!) a bit about the history and political construction of the Republic of San Marino.
Laine, Paris and I in San Marino
Overall, we traveled as a class by bus, on this two-day trip through northern Italy; we spend about 12 hours on the bus. Traffic throughout the highways of Italy are constantly stop and go, and I thought rush our in Oregon was bad….seesh.
Upon arriving Bologna, I didn’t really know much about it. It is a region in the center of northern Italy, is one of the few towns in Italy that has porch-lined streets, and is famous for creating the delicious pasta dish, Lasagna. With the latter reason being why we made this stop on our excursion, it was good enough for me I guess! We ate the most amazing Lasagna at lunch – can’t even describe the ooey gooey yumminess of it all. After lunch (and a freak rain / thunder storm) we had free time, and the girls of course stuck together in hopes of finding some good shopping – it took us all of five minutes to sniff out H & M. All of us made one or two good purchases and then were corralled back on the bus to leave for Rimini.
Bologna
Steph and I at lunch in Bologna!
Rimini (as I was informed by several of our Italian friends, as well as our teachers) was the capitol of the discothèque in Italy. We had heard nothing but good and fun things about this city by the sea; one of our professors even called it the Las Vegas of Europe. However, no one mentioned that the high season did not start until mid-June, and until then Rimini was a bit quiet and uneventful. So after all the hype and anxiousness to take over the clubs, the group of us ended up grabbing a few drinks and spending the night on the beach. Low key, but actually really fun. The sand was soft as velvet and the Mediterranean Sea was warm compared to the good ol’ Pacific. The next day we spent touring Rimini –the several churches, parks and museums it had to offer, and lounging around on the ocean.
Rimini!
From Rimini we headed to San Marino. San Marino is a mountain town in the hills of the Emilio Romagna region. On a gorgeous (or even clear…) day it would be one of the most amazing views one will see in their life. However, on the specific day we excursion there, it literally was raining all damn day. Not just raining, but thunder storming, lightening, and windy. In the midst of the poor weather, we did manage to see some of the beautiful landscaping, the charm of the town, and learn (from the most adorable tour guide ever!) a bit about the history and political construction of the Republic of San Marino.
Laine, Paris and I in San Marino
Overall, we traveled as a class by bus, on this two-day trip through northern Italy; we spend about 12 hours on the bus. Traffic throughout the highways of Italy are constantly stop and go, and I thought rush our in Oregon was bad….seesh.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Island Life is the Good Life!
5-24-10
The Town of Alghero, Sardinia
Ciao! This past weekend I ventured to Sardinia (an island off the west coast of Italy) with three of my friends in the program. Our flight left on Friday at 6:00 am! I somehow managed to drag myself out of bed at 4:00 am so as not to miss our flight. We flew Ryanair – which if anyone has flown Ryanair before knows it is kind of a joke… Within minutes of getting situated into our seats the flight attendants try to sell you anything not attached to the plane by announcing options over the loud speakers for (cigarettes, lottery tickets, alcohol, toys, flags, an assortment of overly priced food ect...) The whole time I was sitting there thinking – am I on a flight or at an auction? It was quite weird.
We landed in Sardinia at 7:15 am and took a cab to the hostel we had booked online. Upon arriving we stood outside an empty building that was in the middle of a complete overhaul and renovation – it was a disaster zone – finished with our very own boarded up windows!...gross. We called and got a hold of the woman running the Bed and Breakfast and she directed us to the new building they were using while construction was taking place, at which point the four of us let out a huge sigh of relief – no sleeping with cock roaches, thank god.
Our new hostel actually turned out to be an apartment. It was modern and furnished and we had the two bedrooms, three deck spaces to ourselves, quite lovely. The beach was only one block away, and the first stop was lounging by the ocean – that was until we realized it was only 8:00 am and still a bit chilly for the beach. We headed into the town of Alghero – which is the main (mini) city on the island of Sardinia. Alghero is absolutely beautiful! It truly has an old world charm of Italy, but located by the sea! The rest of the day was spent wandering throughout the small streets, shops and restaurants and lazily sleeping on the beach – quite the great life, so nice and easy.
The Beach!
On Saturday we got up early (surprising, I know) and took a charted boat out to the Grotto di Nettuno. The boat ride was sunning with views of all Sardinia and the mountains and cliffs that surround it. The grotto was remarkable, and we made friends with one of the tour guides who gave us good info on the history of it all (this same tour guide later tried to pick up on my friend Paris by asking her if she would like to buy a DVD of the trip, “Would you life coffee? Tea? Me on DVD? I’m expensive!”. It was nice to get out onto the water and zone out into the marvelous views while soaking up some rays.
Beautiful cliffs and views from the boat ride.
After many hours on the beach, we cleaned up and headed into town for dinner and drinks on the sea! All the locals were hypnotized by the soccer game going on – Inter Milan vs. Germany for the European Championship. We watched the game at a bar called Kings Pub (which had the best Sangria I have ever tasted!) with a few dozen other locals who were ecstatic when Inter Milan ended up winning 2-0.
Then Sunday came, and our last hours spent in Sardinia were filled with a delicious breakfast, white wine on the beach and a sad goodbye the island we all fell in love with that weekend.
Beautiful weekend, with beautiful friends.
The Town of Alghero, Sardinia
Ciao! This past weekend I ventured to Sardinia (an island off the west coast of Italy) with three of my friends in the program. Our flight left on Friday at 6:00 am! I somehow managed to drag myself out of bed at 4:00 am so as not to miss our flight. We flew Ryanair – which if anyone has flown Ryanair before knows it is kind of a joke… Within minutes of getting situated into our seats the flight attendants try to sell you anything not attached to the plane by announcing options over the loud speakers for (cigarettes, lottery tickets, alcohol, toys, flags, an assortment of overly priced food ect...) The whole time I was sitting there thinking – am I on a flight or at an auction? It was quite weird.
We landed in Sardinia at 7:15 am and took a cab to the hostel we had booked online. Upon arriving we stood outside an empty building that was in the middle of a complete overhaul and renovation – it was a disaster zone – finished with our very own boarded up windows!...gross. We called and got a hold of the woman running the Bed and Breakfast and she directed us to the new building they were using while construction was taking place, at which point the four of us let out a huge sigh of relief – no sleeping with cock roaches, thank god.
Our new hostel actually turned out to be an apartment. It was modern and furnished and we had the two bedrooms, three deck spaces to ourselves, quite lovely. The beach was only one block away, and the first stop was lounging by the ocean – that was until we realized it was only 8:00 am and still a bit chilly for the beach. We headed into the town of Alghero – which is the main (mini) city on the island of Sardinia. Alghero is absolutely beautiful! It truly has an old world charm of Italy, but located by the sea! The rest of the day was spent wandering throughout the small streets, shops and restaurants and lazily sleeping on the beach – quite the great life, so nice and easy.
The Beach!
On Saturday we got up early (surprising, I know) and took a charted boat out to the Grotto di Nettuno. The boat ride was sunning with views of all Sardinia and the mountains and cliffs that surround it. The grotto was remarkable, and we made friends with one of the tour guides who gave us good info on the history of it all (this same tour guide later tried to pick up on my friend Paris by asking her if she would like to buy a DVD of the trip, “Would you life coffee? Tea? Me on DVD? I’m expensive!”. It was nice to get out onto the water and zone out into the marvelous views while soaking up some rays.
Beautiful cliffs and views from the boat ride.
After many hours on the beach, we cleaned up and headed into town for dinner and drinks on the sea! All the locals were hypnotized by the soccer game going on – Inter Milan vs. Germany for the European Championship. We watched the game at a bar called Kings Pub (which had the best Sangria I have ever tasted!) with a few dozen other locals who were ecstatic when Inter Milan ended up winning 2-0.
Then Sunday came, and our last hours spent in Sardinia were filled with a delicious breakfast, white wine on the beach and a sad goodbye the island we all fell in love with that weekend.
Beautiful weekend, with beautiful friends.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Introducing: The Smoldering Tempter
5-18-10
This character, let’s call him Carlo (whom I think is a mixture between a rooster and a road-runner) is an integral part of the Siena city life. Carlo walks aimlessly throughout the streets scowling at any girl who will make eye contact with him (though no one in my program has seen him hit-on an actual female – I would pay good money to watch that interaction). Each day he wears a purple shirt of some sort, with an array of colored pants (white being his favorite). In this photo he is perched next to a column in the center of the Piazza del Campo – where he stayed literally not moving – for hours on end (we reveled in his presence from a café across the way). In the moments Carlo did alter his position it was to ever so slightly, slowly and discreetly lower his sunglasses to the tip of his nose when he saw a lady of intrigue (alas none were ever enough to tempt this beauty). I am convinced that he wears more lipstick than I do – from what I can tell we even prefer the same color: Rose Bliss. The gel in his hair? Yep, I am guessing that is actually liquid cement to keep his hair in a permanent spike. At my first sighting I was a little confused by the combination of man boobs and pot belly but I realized that they are a result of Carlo’s rigorous workout regimen – creeping.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Views for Days
5-15-10
This morning at O’dark hundred the class met at the bus station to begin our day of excursions around the countryside of Italy.
Monte Oliveto Maggiore: Monte Oliveto Maggiore hosts the Benedictine Abbey (which was founded for hermits in 1313) and still houses many secluded monks today. We viewed several frescoes, and visited the library (which had books dating from the 14th century). The abbey was beautiful – but if I am being honest, a bit creepy. For those of you who have seen Shutter Island – it has quite a similar vibe; dark, secluded, and no offense to the monks but they all stare quite eerily at you. A few times I was tempted to ask them what they were staring at - hello? Rude.
The Abbey at Monte Oliveto Maggiore
Pienza: I absolutely fell in love with Pienza! It is a quaint renaissance town on a hillside. You can walk the length of the whole town in about ten minutes time, but it is full of shops and restaurants and cafes. There are baskets of flowers everywhere, and the entire town boasts a view of the rolling hills and greenery of Italy. After touring the town we had a long lunch (lasting almost 3 hours) and it was four courses. It was heaven!
Pienza
La Foce: This estate (originally owned by Antonio and Iris Origo) was converted from being strictly acres of clay hills into a self-sustaining farmland and garden. It is humongous, and gardens go for miles – literally!
La Foce Estate
View from La Foce
This morning at O’dark hundred the class met at the bus station to begin our day of excursions around the countryside of Italy.
Monte Oliveto Maggiore: Monte Oliveto Maggiore hosts the Benedictine Abbey (which was founded for hermits in 1313) and still houses many secluded monks today. We viewed several frescoes, and visited the library (which had books dating from the 14th century). The abbey was beautiful – but if I am being honest, a bit creepy. For those of you who have seen Shutter Island – it has quite a similar vibe; dark, secluded, and no offense to the monks but they all stare quite eerily at you. A few times I was tempted to ask them what they were staring at - hello? Rude.
The Abbey at Monte Oliveto Maggiore
Pienza: I absolutely fell in love with Pienza! It is a quaint renaissance town on a hillside. You can walk the length of the whole town in about ten minutes time, but it is full of shops and restaurants and cafes. There are baskets of flowers everywhere, and the entire town boasts a view of the rolling hills and greenery of Italy. After touring the town we had a long lunch (lasting almost 3 hours) and it was four courses. It was heaven!
Pienza
La Foce: This estate (originally owned by Antonio and Iris Origo) was converted from being strictly acres of clay hills into a self-sustaining farmland and garden. It is humongous, and gardens go for miles – literally!
La Foce Estate
View from La Foce
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Brolio Castle and Vineyard!
5-14-10
Today we had a class excursion to the Brolio Castle and Winery. Brolio Castle is home to Baron Ricasoli (the Baron still lives in the castle). The castle was absolutely stunning, with sprawling views of grapes vines and hills and homes across the Chianti Countryside. Brolio Vineyards is actually quite famous in Italy because the original Baron Ricasoli created the combination for what is known today as Chianti Classico. After touring the castle, we toured the winery and got to see how the grapes are picked, fermented, barreled, bottled and labeled. It was so interesting to grasp the process necessary for one bottle of wine - and the whole time felt so surreal that I was getting a tour of a winery in Chianti, Italy. Following the tour we had a tasting. The vineyard set up an amazing table for all of us with bread, cheese, proscuitto – it was delicious. We tasted several different wines, and I learned so much about the different combinations of flavors, how wine ages and develops over time, and my personal preference wine – Casalferro (a mixing of Merlot and Sangiovese). It was a gorgeous day, and getting off the bus back in Siena, Paris and I were both rosie cheeked and ready for a little nap sesh.
Good times wine tasting with Georgia!
The winery at Brolio
Today we had a class excursion to the Brolio Castle and Winery. Brolio Castle is home to Baron Ricasoli (the Baron still lives in the castle). The castle was absolutely stunning, with sprawling views of grapes vines and hills and homes across the Chianti Countryside. Brolio Vineyards is actually quite famous in Italy because the original Baron Ricasoli created the combination for what is known today as Chianti Classico. After touring the castle, we toured the winery and got to see how the grapes are picked, fermented, barreled, bottled and labeled. It was so interesting to grasp the process necessary for one bottle of wine - and the whole time felt so surreal that I was getting a tour of a winery in Chianti, Italy. Following the tour we had a tasting. The vineyard set up an amazing table for all of us with bread, cheese, proscuitto – it was delicious. We tasted several different wines, and I learned so much about the different combinations of flavors, how wine ages and develops over time, and my personal preference wine – Casalferro (a mixing of Merlot and Sangiovese). It was a gorgeous day, and getting off the bus back in Siena, Paris and I were both rosie cheeked and ready for a little nap sesh.
Good times wine tasting with Georgia!
The winery at Brolio
Sunday, May 9, 2010
The Palio!
5-9-10
It is quite an exciting time in Siena right now because the Palio is happening quite soon on July second. For those of you who don’t know what the Palio is, let me give you some background. Siena is broken down into 17 ‘Contrada’s’, which is another name for neighborhood. These Contrada’s each have an animal that represents the neighborhood (Paris and I live in the Unicorn Contrada, our teacher Silvia lives in the Porcupine Contrada ect…) and each Contrada has a rival to which there is extreme competition. Everyone wants their Contrada to be the best in all of Siena. Every July second and August sixteenth there is a horse race (each Contrada has a horse and a jockey they are assigned and work hard to make sure their neighborhood wins this annual race). With 17 Contrada’s hoping to win there is a tense animosity in the air of Siena in the weeks before each race. To the Sienaese people, these two races are almost as important as their catholic religion. The winning jockey receives 300,000 dollars and enough respect for a lifetime. There are great feasts out in the middle of the streets, fancy costumes, and music as each Contrada tries to out do every other Contrada in Siena.
My teacher Silvia told us that the people of Siena have been known to play ‘dirty’ by poisoning other Contrada’s horses, jockeys ect.. in order to have a better chance of winning. There have been instances when opposing Contrada’s paid the Porcupine Contrada’s (Silvia’s Contrada) jockey in order to make sure he would throw the race and not win. The Porcupines found out about this after the race and beat up the jockey – he then had to be in the hospital for 40 to 50 days. When I ask Silvia about this she smiles and replies “this not so good, but he deserve it” and shrugs her shoulders. Needless to say the Palio in Siena is quite an important part of their culture, so it has been nice to be here to experience a practice that has been occurring every year since the early 1700’s.
Lazy Weekend In Siena
5-9-10
After a week of school, and the stress of midterms coming up this next week, Paris and I opted to spend a lazy weekend in Siena. Our friend Sara came to stay with us for the weekend – it was so nice to have her here and get a little piece of familiarity. Sara arrived on Friday afternoon, and that evening we decided to invite the boys (Espy, Don and Mike) to have dinner at our house – though Espy did all the cooking. It was delicious! We had all been vibing something other than Italian food, so Espy made pan-fried chicken, mashed potatoes and (AMAZING) gravy. We ate, drank and talked well into the night. The day was spent walking around Siena to show Sara our city. We had a late lunch at an Osteria (restaurant) and then drinks at the Irish Pub – called the Dublin Post.
After a week of school, and the stress of midterms coming up this next week, Paris and I opted to spend a lazy weekend in Siena. Our friend Sara came to stay with us for the weekend – it was so nice to have her here and get a little piece of familiarity. Sara arrived on Friday afternoon, and that evening we decided to invite the boys (Espy, Don and Mike) to have dinner at our house – though Espy did all the cooking. It was delicious! We had all been vibing something other than Italian food, so Espy made pan-fried chicken, mashed potatoes and (AMAZING) gravy. We ate, drank and talked well into the night. The day was spent walking around Siena to show Sara our city. We had a late lunch at an Osteria (restaurant) and then drinks at the Irish Pub – called the Dublin Post.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
No Holiday on the 5th of May?
5-5-10
It is Cinco De Mayo (my favorite fake holiday in the states) and determined to get some sort of Mexican-ish food in my belly. I may even have to fly to Mexico for it because Italy shows Mexican food no love. Would pay good Euro for a taco right now.
It is Cinco De Mayo (my favorite fake holiday in the states) and determined to get some sort of Mexican-ish food in my belly. I may even have to fly to Mexico for it because Italy shows Mexican food no love. Would pay good Euro for a taco right now.
My Life Be Like (Ooh Aww)
4-29-10
Still settling back into Siena after Rome. It has been a beautiful, relaxing few days.
This week is school as usual. In Italian Cinema we are watching a movie called ‘Amarcore’ directed by Fellini – it is absolutely BIZZARE – not getting good vibes so far – hopefully the second half will be better. Low key weekend ahead, hanging around Siena (will prob spend most of Saturday getting lost in the thousands of shoe stores…)
Still settling back into Siena after Rome. It has been a beautiful, relaxing few days.
This week is school as usual. In Italian Cinema we are watching a movie called ‘Amarcore’ directed by Fellini – it is absolutely BIZZARE – not getting good vibes so far – hopefully the second half will be better. Low key weekend ahead, hanging around Siena (will prob spend most of Saturday getting lost in the thousands of shoe stores…)
When In Rome
The Girls first night in Rome!
The Colosseum!
4-26-10
Just returned from a week in Rome, and let me tell you, Rome is just wild. It was so much fun and refreshing to leave small Siena and spend a week in a huge (beautiful, acient) city. The class arrived and hit the ground running. We had so much to cover and see in such a small amount of time. Our first stop was the Colosseum. If you havent taken the metro in Rome it is actually quite easy and cost effective. Anyway, there is a stop specifically for the Colosseum, and the view coming out of the metro and into the daylight stright at the Colosseum is hard to beat. It is just breathtakingly- humongus. It was a gorgeous day, seventy five degrees with the rays of sun laying down shadows on the ancient ruins that spread out in front of us. After touring the Colosseum, we walked through the Roman Forum and the Pantheon. Post Pantheon we stopped into this amazing gelateria, with over 100 flavors, where I got a four scoop dose of happiness: banana, coconut, pistaccio and tiramisu. Feeling rejuvenated we walked through two more churches, and then to Piazza Nuovana. This Piazza was by far my favorite one I have visited in Italy. It was filled with artists selling their work, restaurants, shops, flowers and a huge fountain by Michaelangelo. After a long day the class had dinner at a restaurant in the Piazza Nuovana filled with good friends and good conversation.
Thus began our first night in Rome. After dinner we walked back to our hotel and changed into dancing clothes. Our motto for the night was Go Big or Go Home and Rome wasnt ready for us. A group of eight of us went to Campo Del Fiori (a trendy campo that houses the flower market duing the day and all the young students during the night). It is filled with hip bars and clubs were one can sit at a table outside and watch all the action going on about the Campo. Paris, Georgia and I got a drink at a charming bar, and then hopped to another, and another. We then ran into a Danish Public Relations guy named Andres who was hosting a party at a posh dance club a few blocks away – and he wanted us to come. “Cover, drinks, everythings on me” was what he said – and thats all he needed to say. A group of locals, foreigners and us we ushered off to this club called Le Maison. It was just wild. An insanely edgy cool dance club for the young and hip of Rome (complete with Chandeliers and light blocks on the floor), and we were in the VIP section! Le Maison played american hip-hop (which I hadnt realized how much I missed!) Reggae, Techno and Pop. Paris, Georgia and I danced our hearts out – once again closing down the club at 5 30 AM. We hailed a cab to take us home, but first asked the driver if he could stop somewhere that we could get food. He was very friendly and stopped at a late night pizzaria. THANK GOD. In our very tired and haggard state Paris, Georgie and I oredered the first two pizzas we saw on the menu – not thinking to read what was on them. We found out back at the hotel as we sat on the balcony outside, the pizzeria thought is would be fun to give us a pizza with whatever the hell they wanted to put on it. Thus started our chow down inhailing session of two pizzas topped with blue cheese, spinche, mushroom, spicy pepper and eggs. Yes eggs. Over easy eggs. At that point anything tasted just perfect. Then it dawned on us it was almost 6 am and we had to be ready to go at 8 AM for the following days tours. Time to Rally.
The next day was spent touring the Museo di Risorgimento of Rome (basically the history of Rome). We also visited other local cathedrals and had lunch in an area called the Jewish ghetto. We had the afternoon free, which we obviously spent exploring more of the city and shopping. Yearning for sleep we opted to stay in that evening and rest up for the next days festivities.
Morning came to quickly and we were off to the Vatican. It was absolutely beautiful! We did the whole tour (which took about three hours) the highlights being the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Basilica. That afternoon we saw the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.
That evening we went to an Ice Bar. Everything in the bar was made out of ice! The chairs, the bar, the cups, the floor, ceiling, everything! There were all these fur skins to sit on and they made you wear heat cape to keep people from getting frostbite – it was negative 20 degrees! It was so cool and I have never experienced something like that before! We only lasted about an hour in what felt like Antarctica, and then we all went to this restaurant ordered wine and chilled out for the rest of the evening.
The last full day was a free day. A few friends went to Pompeii but Paris and I opted to stay in Rome and fully explore all the nook and cranny neighborhoods that it had to offer. We must have walked the entire city and I enjoyed every minute of it! We saw Wallace Shawn (who played the annoying bald guy in The Princess Bride, the professor in Clueless and the voice of the T-Rex in Toy Story) at the train station! Happy hour Sangria in the Campo del Fiori was spent people watching and listening to the local musicians playing for a buck or two. That evening, our last in Rome, the group decided to do a Pub Crawl. Pub Crawls in Rome are just wild! We went to four different bars and met tons of other students that were visiting from all around the world.
Overall Rome was a huge success, I couldn’t have planned a better trip. It was a fabulous week in a fabulous city.
Introducing Pierre Giacomo Petrioli
PG in all his glory.
4-20-10
I would like to take a second to describe the doll that is my art history teacher. His name is Pierre Giacomo Petrioli (but everyone calls him PG). PG is about 5 ft 1 inch on a good day. He has a round belly to match his welcoming round face. He is nearly bald, smokes out of a pipe every minute we are not in class, and has square glasses that shape his face. He lectures to us about art history in Italy for two hours, two days per week. I cannot get enough of him. He is the epitome of an authentic (and always happy) Italian man. Some mornings he brings the class chocolate ‘to help us think’ , even though our class is at nine AM. His English is quite good, but he has certain mannerisms and phrases he uses frequently. He greets you with a “Ciao ok”, but this phrase comes out as one word like “CiaoOOOK”. For example instead of saying “he was one of the best painters of all time” PG says, “he was the best painter of every time”. He often refers to some of the artists as full of ‘bullshit’ (with an accent on the shit), and mumbles under his breath praise to the great genius of thousands of years ago like Giotto, Dante Alighieri, Cimabue, and Michaelangelo. He is a professor I will never forget and miss dearly back in the states.
Sorrento Or Bust!
Relaxing in Sorrento!
4-19-10
What a weekend I have had! A group of us (I think 11?) decided to go to Sorrento and get in some quality beach time. To get there at a decent hour we got up EARLY on Friday morning around 4 AM (of course Paris and I were up till Midnight packing…) to catch the 5AM train. The train took us to Chuisi, where we switched trains to go to Rome, where we switched trains to go to Napoli, where we switched trains to go to Sorrento! The journey took us 9 hours and boy were we ready for some R & R. Sorrento is a quaint beach town on the south coast of Italy, and it is famous for its lemons (Lemon Gelato, Lemon cello, lemon everything…). It was absolutely beautiful and definitely worth the nine hour adventure to get there. Our hostel we were staying at was a bus ride from the main city of Sorrento in a quiet town called Marina del Cantone. Our hostel was perfect, several bungalows just steps from the beach. The group checked in and headed into town to grab some grub. We found an ocean front restaurant, sat down and enjoyed the sunset, Mediterranean breeze and ocean. The night was young and needless to say we were all tired and crashed early that evening.
The next day I woke up early, got a cappuccino from the restaurant at the hostel and read looking out onto the ocean as the sun began to rise. It was quiet and I was the first one up, so I had a Chelsea Handler session – which are best uninterrupted anyway. Around 10 we all made our way to the beach where I parked it on a lounge chair with my books and magazines and didn’t move (literally – except to turn over) for the next eight hours. One couldn’t have asked for a better day, not a cloud in the sky, eighty degrees, a cool breeze, locals and kids playing about in the ocean – it was amazing. Sorrento was climbing my favorite places list fast!
Night rolled around and the group decided to save money, just grab some wine and chill on the porch of our bungalows. We had a great evening talking and laughing and reminiscing on how the hell we got here and how lucky we were.
On Sunday morning we started the trip back to Siena – knowing we had a long day ahead of us. We caught the bus to Sorrento, the train from Sorrento to Napoli where we ran into a bit of unexpected trouble. Napoli is where we learned of the grounding of all planes in Europe (thanks to that damn Volcano) so the train station was flooded with people wall to wall trying to get on trains to get home. Of course we had to wait in line for about two hours only to find out the our train doesn’t leave for another three hours. Good lord, three more hours in Napoli Termini… for those of you who don’t know, Napoli is quite notorious for having TONS of pick pocket-ers – in fact there is a lady on the loudspeaker who messages “Beware of pickpocket” every five minutes. No Joke. Needless to say I was death gripping all my possessions to make sure I would not be a victim. An hour later, a couple tourists were attacked by some locals only a few yards from us. PLEASE GET ME OUT OF NAPOLI! Our train was late, and there was standing room only, so we stood from Napoli to Rome (a three hour trip). In Rome we waited in line to get tickets to Siena (if it is possible the Rome Train station was MORE crowded then Napoli with people whose flights were canceled). We finally reached the front of the line only to learn that we had missed the last train to Siena that evening fifteen minutes ago, because of the ridiculous lines. We were going to spend the night in the Roma Termini. Yes, that is correct – the girl who doesn’t camp, and hates roughing it was about to sleep with countless other strangers on the concrete in the Roma Termini. Luckily I had my friends, so we bundled together to keep warm – only having our beach wear, Rome is quite a bit cooler!) While a few of the others slept for a couple hours, I was far too nervous to close my eyes, not to mention, uncomfortable. So I read and people watched from 9 PM to 6 30 AM when the first train left to go home. It was the definition of miserable.
At the end of the day, Sorrento was absolutely breathtaking and I enjoyed every minute of it. Some people say it is all about the journey of getting to where you are going, in this case I would beg to differ.
Puttin' In Work
4-11-10
It’s Monday, back in school. For some reason (which I can’t recall now….) I decided to take 18 credits here. So I am back on the grind gettin’ those grades.
It’s Monday, back in school. For some reason (which I can’t recall now….) I decided to take 18 credits here. So I am back on the grind gettin’ those grades.
I Heart Italy
The Duomo in Florence
4-11-10
This weekend was relatively low key. It was gorgeous in Siena and Paris and I spent most of Saturday walking the entire city, taking it all in and getting to know our bearings. On Sunday I ventured back to Florence with my friends Georgia and Stephanie (we also met up with Sara) to do a little shopping. After exploring the markets Sara took us to the Duomo (STUNNING), the Ponte Vecchio, and the Piazza di Michelangelo (which had a view of the entire city of Florence). It was a lovely weekend.
Week One, Done.
4-9-10
First week of school in Siena is finally over. Long days are going to take some getting used to; I guess I can’t really complain though…I AM in Italy. I guess the best suggestion is class…outside?
First week of school in Siena is finally over. Long days are going to take some getting used to; I guess I can’t really complain though…I AM in Italy. I guess the best suggestion is class…outside?
Nine to Five?
4-7-10
Second full day of classes, and we got our real schedule for the term. I have class from 9 AM to 5 PM three days a week. Remind anyone of high school? Of course class is mandatory – which may be a bit of a struggle for me because at UO I tend to get pretty good grades by attending class on a more minimal basis. Definitely not used to a 9 to 5. This may get interesting.
Second full day of classes, and we got our real schedule for the term. I have class from 9 AM to 5 PM three days a week. Remind anyone of high school? Of course class is mandatory – which may be a bit of a struggle for me because at UO I tend to get pretty good grades by attending class on a more minimal basis. Definitely not used to a 9 to 5. This may get interesting.
Moving In & On Up
Our New Home!
4-6-10
Today was move in day for the apartments. Paris and I are living together – and we randomly got placed in by far the best apartment the program had to offer. Our landlord, Francchi Gulio, is about ninety years old – and in pretty damn good fighting shape. He speaks no English, but did tell Paris and I that we are his grand daughters for the term and he will help us in any way possible. Such a kind heart. He makes some jokes – at which we have no idea – laughs at himself, mumbles and leaves us to our home. Our home? Is incredible, straight out of a dream! Arched brick ceilings, antique Italian furniture, cozy colors and plenty of space for two!
It was the first day of school – gorgeous weather today! – and after class Paris, Espy and I went running at the Fortress which offers a running track complete with panoramic views of Siena and Tuscany – not bad for a gym session.
And So It Begins
This is Siena!
4-4-10
My journey to Europe has been just that, quite a journey. Upon arriving in Rome, (with Don, another person in my program) we hailed a taxi to take us to the Roma Termini (train station). It was a eight-thirty a.m. and a beautiful morning. The sun was shining as we dodged through the busy streets of Rome, sunlight forcing me to put on my sunglasses – an action I was not mad about. General traffic in Rome is absolutely insane and pedestrians definitely do not have the right of way – I swear our taxi almost hit five people in five minutes. It was all thrilling and surreal until we pulled around a corner, and large grassy opening exposed the Colosseum – then it hit me. Holy shit, I am in Italy. For the next four months. Is this real life?
Our train ride was filled with miles of gorgeous scenery – but with my lack of sleep and jetlag already setting in, it was quite and effort to keep my eyes open for longer than a minute at a time. We took the train to Florence because we were going to spend the night with my friend Sara (who has been studying there since January). Now, don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful that Sara let me crash at her apartment (as my program didn’t start until the next day) but my smart self insisted on bringing almost every piece of clothing I owned – nearly 150 lbs worth…. And Sara failed to mention that she had a seven-floor walk up. Operating solely on adrenaline (trying hard to ignore my sleep deprivation, starvation and three large suitcases) I was able to use every muscle in my body to lug my baggage up those seven floors - cursing my high maintenance qualities the whole time.
Paris, Espy and Mike arrived later that afternoon after Don and I had a few hours to get a much needed nap session in. Once we all congregated we ventured to a little restaurant near Sara’s house for dinner. My first real dose of Italian food was delicious! Pasta, wine, Caprese Salad and fresh bread, at the time it was the equivalent of heaven on earth. Following dinner, we rallied our energy and went to Shot Bar, which literally served every kind of shot one could imagine – and to our appreciation - quite cheaply. From Shot Bar we went to Twice, a disco in the heart of Florence! The excitement of being in Italy hit Paris and I almost simultaneously when our feet hit the dance floor, and shut the club down at around five a.m.
The next morning we caught a bus to Siena from Florence to finally see the town we would call home for the duration of our time abroad. We met our group – all of whom were absolute dolls! So sweet and friendly – including our program directors Silvia and Claudia! The first night in Siena we had a group dinner at a family owned restaurant, in the basement of a hole in the wall doorway. Stepping into the basement was like stepping into another era. It was just gorgeous with arched brick ceilings, rich colors and hearty wood furniture. And I must say – it was the best meal I have had in a very long time.
After dinner all the students went out to a bar called Barone Rosso, which was quite fun, complete with American techno and hip-hop and lots of people. A few locals told us about a disco nearby called Gallery – it took Paris and I all of five minutes to convince everyone – IT WAS TIME TO GET OUR GROOVE ON. Gallery was amazing, we danced and drank and go to know the fifteen friends we would experience this term with.
Needless to say that on Sunday I was running on about 5 hours of sleep in the last 4 days and needed to recuperate. I curled up into my bed and read Chelsea Handler until my eyes could no longer stay open.
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