Last Trip to Amalfi Coast

Sad to say but this was my last trip before returning home THIS SATURDAY!  4 MORE DAYS...But whose counting? (My mom mostly). Anyway this past weekend we went to Amalfi Coast with a trip organizer called Bus 2 Alps.  The trip was one of my favorite trips so far due to great weather and sights. Last Thursday we departed Florence and made our journey to Sorrento a town located in the coast.  It was an 8.5 hour bus ride and I was ready to jump off the minute it arrived. We didn't get into Sorrento until 2:30am.  We then had to be up at 8:00am to get a head start to Capri. As you would imagine I was not in the best mood after waking up. After getting less than 4 hours of sleep we made our way to Capri where we first took a boat tour around the coast and visited the Blue Grotto (one of the seven wonder's of the world). The Blue Grotto is located on the side coast of Capri.  In order to enter the Blue Grotto you must change boats and get in a 4 person row boat where you literally lay flat to squeeze under the tiny passage way. The small passage way is due to the water and waves filling the tiny opening. The entire process was interesting to watch and take photos of. Our boat rower literally laid on top of us and shimmied our tiny row boat through the cave.  Inside the Grotto you are able to view the wonder which is the blue iridescent water.  The natural sunlight from outside shines on the water from underneath and creates glowing blue water.  It looked as though someone took a light and shined it from underneath the water. It was kinda magical looking but one misconception is the Grotto is quite small. You are only in the Grotto for a few minutes before circling and turning around to head out. After we continued our boat tour around the coast and saw a million dollar home of an Italian writer and the three famous rocks located along Capri. I didn't realize this but Entourage was filmed there as well as many other movies and TV shows. After the tour we had a torturous hike to Capri town of all uphill hiking. I wouldn't mind it if our tour guide didn't literally fly/run up the hill. But after arriving there we tasted Grinatas (a famous Amalfi drink) which consists of lemon ice and fresh squeezed orange juice.  It was refreshing and the perfect drink to enjoy. Then we shopped around and I purchased custom made sandals (also know for in Capri), ate lunch, and took a chair lift up to the highest point in Capri.  The chair lift ride was really neat. You were able to look over the entire city and see some amazing sites. Up top there was a huge look out point where you could lay out and of course there was a bar. We hung out and took lots of photos before returning to the main city. Later we enjoyed a great dinner in the town of Sorrento. The next day we visited Positano (a beach town) and had a beach day. The only bummer was it was cloudy and threatening to rain most of the day until we had to leave. Right as we were getting ready to go the sun came out! (Worst timing) Overall the day was still enjoyable we grabbed panini's and hung on the beach with friends.  Later we strayed away from the group and went into the town of Sorrento again for a nice dinner with just a few friends.  We later grabbed gelato and called it a night.  The next morning we packed up and made our way to Pompeii.  I was very excited to visit the town and tour the historical site.  Pompeii is historically known for being buried under ash for hundreds of years after the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. We had a guide tour where I learned a lot about the city. First the city was extremely advanced for its time, they had water pipes and water systems, advance heating systems and even cross walks.  I wasn't aware the town took over 200 years to uncover.  After uncovering the remains of the town, they also found an even older town beneath Pompeii. Meaning that Pompeii was built on top of an even older city at that time.  Another interesting fact was that Pompeii was an extremely corrupt town that had over 24 brothels at the time. We were able to view remains of restaurants, shops, houses, and brothels.  After the tour we grabbed pizza and returned to the bus for our trip back to Florence. Luckily it only took 7 hours this time since we headed away from Sorrento that morning. We returned to Florence at night and I was happy to relax and later sleep!

This week is my last week in Florence! It is a bittersweet feeling, I'm ready to return home but a little sad to leave. I'm consumed with finals until Wednesday and Thursday and Friday are dedicated to packing (believe me I will need all the time I can get to fit everything in a suitcase). My friends and I are trying to eat out this week and cover any restaurants we missed as well as return to our favorites so we can fill up on all the good Italian food before leaving.  I plan on giving myself a three day grace period at home to eat everything I missed (there is a lot to cover) and then whipping myself back into shape! I can't wait to return home and see everyone!



Ciao Firenze!
Hello United States! 
xoxo

Spring Fest in Munich Germany

This weekend I traveled to Munich Germany for Spring Fest or what the German's call Frühlingsfest!  We left at the crack of dawn on Thursday...literally to catch a bus to the airport and then our flight to Munich! (3:30am to be exact ) and arrived in Germany early in the morning.  We were able to check into our hotel and drop our bags.  We grabbed a quick bit to eat and then traveled to the town of Dachau where we toured the Dachau concentration camp.  We decided to take a guided tour of the camp so we could learn as much as possible about the site.  The guide was well worth our time.  Our guide was an lively middle aged man who had grown up in Dachau and had parents who lived in the town during World War II.  Our guide shared lot of information and personal stories with us which made the tour more meaningful and impacted us tremendously.  The camp had an Erie feel to to it and it felt surreal being there.  It was very sad to imagine how many people suffered in the exact spot I was standing in. Some interesting facts I learned that I didn't know before is that Dachau was the 1st Concentration camp ever created in 1933.  It was created as a model camp for others to reference when creating more camps.  Dachau had mostly political candidates and enemies of Hitler (people who posed a threat to his up-rise) as well as Germans, and Russians lower class civilians. Throughout the time the camp was open the camp held prisoners from 30 different countries and spoke 25 different languages.  I learned that Hitler arrested hundreds of other political figures prior to his popularity as part of his scheme to become the chosen leader. The camp was set up as a working prisoner camp and not an extermination camp, however over 40,000 people died due to epidemics, and infection.  The living conditions were just as severe as the other camps.  We visited the reconstructed barracks (sleeping cabins) where we learned that the barracks were designed to hold 206 people based on the number of beds but instead were filled with 2,097 people in each. That number is small compared to the 14,000 people who died each day at Auschwitz. We also toured the museum, model gas chambers (never used however still in place), special jail (where the Nazi party tortured inmates), and watched a documentary inside a building.  One miracle we learned was seven women gave birth throughout their time at Dachau.  No other concentration camp allowed women to give birth and raise their children.  Although the subject was sad I felt honored and lucky that I was able to visit the site and learn more about the history behind the camp. 

Later we went to the infamous Hofbrauhus and enjoyed roasted chicken, potatoes, HUGE pretzels, and HUGE BEERS (probably the best chicken I have had abroad!).  We each ordered a liter of beer which was the largest glass of alcohol I have ever seen! I got a Radler (which is a combo btw lemonade and beer). I absolutely hate beer so this was the only way I could survive consuming that much alcohol. We then went to sleep in preparation for Spring Fest the next morning. On Friday we woke up and immediately returned to the Hofbrauhus to pregame before the big event (not really needed but more of a social gathering).  We hung with friends for the afternoon while I consumed another Radler.  Later we made it to Spring Fest and we visited to the two main beer halls/tents. Spring Fest was a huge carnival that had games, rides, and tons of food.  The fest also had two main beer tents which was an entirely different world inside compared to the outside atmosphere of the carnival.  The minute you stepped into the beer tent, it was packed with people, beer, and pretzels.  Each tent had a different feel to it. You could eat, drink and socialize in the tent.  There was always music playing or performers to entertain. We hung at the fest until night and then returned all day on Saturday.  Tons of our friends came to Spring fest from other study abroad programs. It was fun to catch up with everyone and hang all together. Sunday we toured around Munich and took a hop on hop off bus in the morning.  In the afternoon we returned once again to the Hofbrauhus to enjoy one last meal! Later we traveled to the airport and returned to Florence late at night.

Ciao!

Cinque Terre

Last weekend I stayed in Florence and took a day trip to Cinque Terre on Sunday.  The weekend was busy as usual. I met up with friends, celebrated my roommates 21st birthday and toured Santa Croce (famous church near where I live). Wednesday we went to a Florence Soccer Game with our program and we celebrated my roommate Ashley's 21st b-day.  We hosted a party at our place and served sprinkles cupcakes as dessert along with a lot of alcohol.  (Thanks to Mel's visit we were able to freeze lots of sprinkles Cupcakes) On Thursday my friend and I met for an American breakfast at the Diner and then made our way to visit Santa Croce. The church had an ornate decor and was massive.  Additionally, Santa Croce also holds Michaelangelo's grave inside. On Sunday I traveled to Cinque Terre with a friend from school.  We took a day trip with a company organizer.  After a 2 hour bus ride we arrived in Cinque Terre and hiked from the 1st city through to the 4th city.  We were warned that the hike was difficult but I figured I would be fine.  I should have given that a second thought before eagerly volunteering to hike. The hike was extremely difficult and had an vertical uphill climb for the first hour.  Not to mention it was pouring rain! I thought I was going to pass out on the way up but finally managed to catch my breath on the flat part.   By then the rain had cleared up but I was soaking wet and worst of all so was the trail! The path had tiny winding trails without fences or rails. (Even worse with rain...and now that I think about it...very dangerous) We literally were overlooking extreme heights and staring straight down into the water. The views were incredible and breathtaking.  We hiked around the mountain and got great candid photos of the city below. Finally after 2.5 hours we reached the fourth town. I must have burned at least 800 calories during the hike. Each town had a different atmosphere to it.  All of them had great views of the ocean and mountains.  In the fourth town we sat down and ate lunch overlooking the ocean on a lookout point. We were about 10 feet away from the ocean! It was amazing! I scoured down my pesto pizza (a Cinque Terre specialty).  The pizza was delicious! Then it began to shower and thankfully cleared up as we moved on to the fifth and final town.  We were able to take the train to the final town and when we arrived it was back to sunshine! We walked the strip of restaurants and shops and devoured gelato.  We then hung out on the beach and managed to grab a postcard before departing.  Later we traveled back to Florence and I was eager to return to shower and sleep :)

That is all for now!

Ciao!

Prague

Since arriving in Prague, I have decided this is my favorite trip so far.  The town is really neat and has a friendly and American atmosphere (that must be why I like it so much). 

Reasons why I like Prague:

1.     They have Starbucks

2.     They have Bagels

3.     They have BBQ Sauce

4.     They have things other than pasta and pizza to eat

5.     They have Thai food

6.     They have Mexican food

7.     They have a (Americanized) Movie theater with English movies

8.     They have Wifi everywhere!

Those are the most impressive however there is a lot more! The first day we checked into our AMAZING HOTEL (The Marriott=Americanized). Then we walked around the town and visited a Mall! I couldn’t tell you how happy I was.  The first thing I did was purchase Starbucks!  Later we ate at The Pub, which was a restaurant that had an individual beer tap at each table. You could refill your beer yourself while sitting down.  The tap also had a computer/screen that monitored what you drank so you paid for the actual amount you consumed…pretty neat! I also enjoyed a turkey burger with BBQ sauce, which sufficed my craving for American food.  The next day we ate at Bohemia Bagel (Great American breakfast place with Bagels…obviously!) We then visited the John Lennon wall and went to a peacock garden. Inside the garden there were live peacocks roaming around.  It was really unique. After we took a free walking tour of the city and toured Old Town, New Town, and The Jewish Quarter. After we feasted on Czech specialties at a special Easter market in Old Town.  This weekend there was an Easter festival where huts were set up all over town selling traditional Czech food and traditional Czech products.  We tried Czech sausage, tridnek, (a hot cinnamon roll that was shaped like a hollow barrel and cooked and spun on an iron rod) chicken kabobs, fried potato chips, au gratin potatoes, and crepes. The market sold hand painted eggs, wool products, Russian dolls, and other trinkets. That night we went out to an Easter party at a near by club.  One of the coolest clubs I have been too. The club had the feel of a house concert but with great American music, huge second floor balcony, and bar that wrapped around half the room.   We met up with a bunch of friends traveling to Prague so it was a fun night. The next day we visited the Prague Castle and toured St. Vincent Church.  It was a bit of a disappointment when we got there because the palace consisted of exhibitions and art instead of rooms with furniture and apartments. After visiting Versailles in France we decided it wasn’t worth the wait. Later we shopped around the town and sipped on hot wine.  For dinner we ate at a local Czech restaurant.   This morning we woke up and picked up Bohemia Bagel (yes…again!) and went to tour the Jewish Quarter consisting of a museum, two synagogues, and a cemetery.  To our surprise the buildings were closed due to the celebration of Passover, which was a major disappointment considering it is already the second day here.  Instead we decided to go back and grab food at the Easter festival, get Starbucks, and shop.  Later we went to a movie, which was pretty exciting! It was my suggestion and everyone was on board since we had extremely cold weather this weekend and we were all unprepared.  We saw American Reunion was which so funny! The movie theater was nicer than home and had a huge screen and extremely comfy seats. I was so happy to see an American movie in English. It is the little things in life that make me the happiest! (However that doesn’t change that I still want a designer handbag for my 21^st birthday dad!) Now we are at the airport waiting for our flight to board.  We are traveling back extremely late so I’m excited to get back to Florence.

Can’t wait to return back home!

Ciao!

Venice with Donald & Holley Hoffman!

MY PARENTS FINALLY ARRIVED IN ITALY! Tuesday I met my mom at the hotel and was so happy to see her! She lugged all of my precious belongings from home and even managed to bake banana bread from my roommates and I.  After settling into the hotel we then went to a casual dinner at ZaZa’s (Great restaurant with an open aired atmosphere). The next morning I enjoyed the free hotel breakfast and attended my Italian class.  After I met my mom back at the hotel and we went to see the David.  We walked over the museum and found a HUGE line wrapping around the building.  Little did I know that my museum pass would allow us to cut the entire line and walk right in.  I felt pretty cool cutting everyone else off J After seeing the David and boring ourselves in the museum we headed over to Gusta Pizza (my favorite pizza place in Italy). Later we walked the Ponte Vecchio, picked out our jewelry requests for my dad and went to the Gucci Museum. Later we dined at Gusta Osteria (a local restaurant known for good pasta).  That night we indulged in gelato and slept in our comfy hotel beds. The next day we surprised my dad at the airport.  Unfortunately his luggage got lost even though he flew directly from Munich to Florence and the bag was marked Priority with a business class ticket.  All of those factors don’t add up to me but Munich managed to misplace his bag for 2 days straight. After we got back to the hotel my mom, dad, and I went to my apartment. I gave them the grand tour of my place and then we grabbed the best panini’s in town at Salumeria Verdi. After we went to Piazza Michaelangelo (a look out point that over looks the entire city). That night we dined at La Giostra…a family favorite where we feasted on pear ravioli and apple glazed chicken. Later we splurged with gelato.  The next morning we traveled to Venice by train and checked into our hotel.  We then explored the Jewish ghetto and toured 3 different Jewish synagogues. Later we went for a dinner recommended by our hotel and had one of the best pasta dishes so far in Italy. (Which says a lot considering all I eat is pasta).  The next day we took a ferry to Murano and saw glass blowing and beautiful glass pieces made by the factory. We then visited San Marco Square (main square) and took a quick tour of The Basilica of San Marco (San Marco Church). We shopped around and then finished the night with dinner and dessert. The following day we took a gondola ride, did some last minute shopping and made our way back to Florence. Later that night we ate at il Latini. The restaurant was really unique in that it is a fixed menu, in which TONS of food is brought to you all at the same time as everyone else eating at the restaurant.  The food was unreal and nonstop! The next day I skipped class and we took a day trip to Siena and San Gimignano. My dad rented a car and to my surprise drove like a pro with stick shift. We shopped around, taste-tested numerous gelatos and then made our way to a private wine tasting near the town.  We sampled 9 different wines, cheeses, meats, and ended with lasagna.  The wine tasting was pretty cool because we learned the proper way to taste wine and a lot of history about how the wine is produced. The next morning we toured the Jewish synagogue and area in Florence.  The temple was gorgeous and massive. Later we shopped around and ate at Acqua 2 where we indulged in a pasta sampler and steak sampler.  On Wednesday I had to day goodbye to my parents. I sent a huge suitcase back with them with all of my Italian purchases. It was hard to do but knowing that I was traveling to Prague the following day helped.  I was sad to seem them go but extremely happy and lucky they were able to visit me!  Next destination is Prague!

Ciao!

Sardinia

For the remainder of my spring break I traveled to Sardinia with one of my roommates and another friend studying in Florence Italy.  Sardinia is an island off of Italy that is known for its beautiful beaches, clear blue water, and fresh seafood.  We scored cheap tickets via Ryan Air for a total round trip of 40 Euro. I already liked the look of this trip.  We flew into and stayed in a city called Alghero, which was known for their beaches, and restaurants.  We visited for three days and laid out most of the time.  We visited the city during a “dead period” before tourist season.  It literally was dead...we had the beaches to ourselves and wandered the streets alone at night. I almost felt as though I was in a scary movie but it was somewhat relaxing as well. We found a secluded beach the 1^st day and hung there the remainder of the vaca.  The weather was great it was high 70’s and I managed to get nice and TAN! Our hotel we stayed at was very accommodating and helped keep us entertained during our stay.  We enjoyed a great breakfast every morning and managed to snag free packed lunches each day due to a complaint about their pool being under construction and not disclosing that information before hand.  (We chose the hotel because it had a huge pool) At night we walked into the “Old Town” and enjoyed lots of tasty dinners.  One of the famous dishes known to Sardinia is pasta with sea urcin.  I tried it and I have to say I was somewhat hesitant to try it but it was surprisingly really good.  We also discovered a huge candy store with large open barrels of gummies, chocolate, and sugary treats.  We visited the place twice before the trip ended! The last day we were there we took a boat to Grotto de Nettuno (Neptune’s Grotto).  The landmark consists of underground caves on the coast of the island.  The boat pulled up to cliffs and rocks and we got out and entered the underground cave.  It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen.  The caves were enormous and had very unique formations.  The cave was discovered by Fisherman over 600 years ago and is said to have existed for over 600 million years.   After the small excursion we headed back to the beach and spent the rest of the day soaking up the sun.  We then grabbed a dinner in the town before heading back to Florence the next morning.  Over the remainder of the weekend I caught up on sleep, laid out on our roof (yes it is possible and very functional), and even did some work before the weekend was over!

Ciao!

Turino with Mel

I had the BEST weekend ever with my sister! Mel arrived in Florence last Saturday morning.  I met her at the airport expecting to help carry her luggage however her luggage didn't make the flight due to her tight connection.  It was eventually delivered the next day but she still came with lots of goodies for me! Believe it or not she brought me a full dozen of sprinkle cupcakes :) She also carried lots of liquids and clothes for me! So off the bat... she already started the trip with a great start.  After she settled down we went to Gusta Pizza where she fully immersed herself in the Italian culture by eating a huge pizza. After lunch we went on a shopping extravaganza and purchased leather gloves, leather coats, and went to Zara (young women's fashionable clothing store) Obviously it was my favorite day since shopping is my favorite hobby but I was happy to spend time with her!  Later we took a break and chilled at my apartment and then dined at Acqua 2.  It is a fancy restaurant that serves samplers.  You can order based off the amount of people and sample multiple items on the menu. We started with a pasta sampler, and then I tasted the steak sampler.  We left feeling unable to breath. 

The next day we woke up and ate at The Diner (an Americanized breakfast place in Florence where you can actually get a bagel, pancakes, or an omelet)  Next we hiked Piazza Michaelangelo which over looks the entire city.  After we visited the Boboli Gardens in Florence and sat outside and caught up. It was a gorgeous day so it was perfect to spend time outside.  After we dabbled into the Italian culture by attending a food event in the community called The Taste.  It is a food trade show that occurs every year in which local citizens can pay 15 euro to walk around and sample some of the best food from the country at each booth.  You can then purchase the products after. My food and wine teacher told me about this and it was a perfect event to attend with Mel. Our favorite part was the baked goods and chocolate booths. Later we napped and then ate dinner at La Giostra.  La Giostra is my absolute favorite restaurant here and they are known for their Pear Ravioli, & Apple Glazed Chicken.  It is pretty fancy but well worth it to splurge on with family or friends.  When we were younger our family actually ate their when we traveled to Italy.  It is neat to go back and I still have vivid memories of the place. After I showed Mel the best gelato place in Florence called Grom.  We got gelato and walked to the bars so she could see the night life.  The next morning she departed to London to visit her friends from abroad the previous year while I crammed for Midterms.  It was hard to actually concentrate and do school work since this entire semester I haven't had any homework lasting over 10 mins. Hahah I felt as though I had to retrain myself to study.  I successfully completed all my midterms and on Wednesday Mel returned.  We went out that night and the next morning traveled to Turino.

We took a millions forms of transportation before arriving in Sestiere (a ski town of Turino). We decided on this destination because it offers great skiing and the winter Olympics were held in the city in 2006. We arrived in the evening and got settled, picked up our skiing/snowboarding gear and then went to dinner.  The next day we woke up early enjoyed our great Hotel breakfast (they cooked eggs for us...It was AMAZING!) and then ventured onto the slopes.  We stayed right near the slopes so it was easy to get to.  I haven't skied in a while so I approached the bunny hills expecting the worse.  I went down a couple of times and felt pretty confident.  Mel wanted to head onto moderate slopes so I didn't think twice before moving on.  I now regret that decision...I wiped out three times before making it down the moderate slope.  First let me inform you that a moderate slope in Europe=Black Diamond Slopes in America. The angle of the hill had to be close to a straight shoot down.  I burst into tears and laughter before making it down the hill.  It was quiet the experience. After that slope I told Mel I was sticking to the easy hills.  One of the coolest parts about the slopes and ski town is that you can eat and take breaks on the mountains. We ate lunch at a restaurant on the mountain and skied/snowboarded right up to it.  It is also very popular to sit back on the slope in a lazy boy outdoor chair.  People are posted everywhere soaking up the rays and taking a break.  I tried to take advantage of that as long as possible before Mel wanted to continue to snowboard and ski.  I called it quits early and went back to rest.  Later we ventured around the tiny town and went to aperski (drinking after skiing) We then grabbed dinner in the town and headed back to our hotel where we streamed movies!  This was a huge excitement point since my internet in my apartment is awful! The next morning we repeated our day by skiing, snowboarding and eating lunch on the mountain.  In the morning Mel had a minor incident in which she lost her snowboard.   She sat down and went to pull out her phone and didn't realize her board slipped out from underneath her. She spent a good 30 mins looking for it before finding on caught in a side of a fence. I personally couldn't be happier...I thought we could avoid skiing but that wasn't the case.  After a 2nd full day of skiing and snowboarding I couldn't walk. My entire body ached and was bruised!!! We then went to 2 different aperskis and then ate dinner.  The next morning we traveled back to Florence.  We settled down, unpacked and grabbed dinner at a restaurant called ZaZa's.  They are known for their wine, and pasta.  The next morning Mel got up early and left to go back to DC.  I was so sad but also got to look forward to my trip the next day to Sardinia.

Overall I had a great time with my sister and couldn't have asked for a better trip. It was so nice to have family here and escape the normal routine.  I enjoyed showing her all my favorite spots and spending time with her.  I want her to come back to Italy but I will also settle for my parents visit!!!
MY MOM COMES IN 3 MORE DAYS!!!! Can you tell I'm excited??? I can't wait to see my mom and dad and travel with them!

More to come!
Ciao!

Amsterdam

Last weekend we traveled to Amsterdam.  I was pleasantly surprised by the town and LOVED it! We arrived Friday night and started the trip with a feast at Wok Wok (an Asian stir fry place near by) It was so nice to get food besides ITALIAN Food! As much as I love Italian food I was ready for a break.  We then visited a couple of coffee shops and saw the red light district.  It was so bizarre to see girls dancing in windows waiting for men to enter the shop.  I found it very distributing and weird.  The coffee shops were somewhat interesting in that there is a menu in which you chose what type of marijuana to purchase.  I have to admit I was an obvious tourist in that I took a million photos documenting this experience.  The next day we started with the Anne Frank Museum.  The museum featured artifacts, documentaries, and quotes that depicted the story of Anne Frank. The museum was incredible.  I was moved by the exhibits and artifacts left behind by Anne Frank.   After we went to the pancake bakery and ordered HUGE pancakes!  I was spontaneous and tried a pancake with bacon and cheese cooked it.  It was DELICOUS!  We then made our way to the Heineken museum, which was like a big party inside.  The entire museum had rooms with music and logos of Heineken.  I personally hate the taste of beer so I barely made it past the sampler before giving away my two complimentary remaining glasses of beer.  After the Heinekin tour we went to see the Amsterdam letters.  Later we ventured to a diamond tour in which we toured the Gassan Diamond headquarters and viewed diamonds.  I found my future wedding ring!   It was a 3-carat diamond J and cost 200,000 euro.  So I’m going to have to tell my future husband to start saving once I meet him.  Later we dined on Thai food and visited another coffee shop.  The next day we walked around the near by town and then headed back to Florence.  Overall Amsterdam was my favorite trip so far.  I loved how the city was modern, and up to speed with technology.   It was a huge difference compared to Italy. There was a Starbucks in Amsterdam that I visited morning.  It was so nice to have a “normal” American coffee.  I was in HEAVEN!

This week after returning to Florence I visited and survived the Florence emergency room and hospital.  I was making lunch on Monday and cut my finger on a can.  I realized that I was going to have to go to the emergency room after feeling a horrid pain in my finger.  Ironically, I found out I live one street away from the emergency room.  I walked myself over and got admitted.  I was able to get a hold of my parents and avoiding getting stitches! I had to get a tetanus shot, which was unfortunate but my finger is ok! Another thing I learned was that everyone in the hospital only speaks Italian.  I had quite a bit of difficulty explaining what happened in Italian.  It is funny now looking back on it but a nightmare when I was there. Also I learned the health care in Italy is very cheap.  It only costs me 26 euro for the visit and shot.  Not too bad!  Currently I have to wear a large bandage over my thumb and can’t get it wet.  Showering, writing, and typing are a little more challenging than usual.  Hopefully it will heal quickly!

Anyway I’m anticipating my sister’s arrival to Florence!  Mel comes in TWO DAYS! I’m so excited to see her and show her Florence.  Unfortunately I have midterms Monday through Wednesday but after we are traveling to Torino for the weekend to go skiing and snowboarding! Looking forward to it!

Ciao!

San Gimignano

Two weekends ago we visited San Gimignano.  San Gimignanois a town 45 mins from Florence in Chianti Country. The town is known for their wineries and food.  We walked around the town, climbed the bell tower, viewed the town church, and enjoyed a 4 course meal for lunch.  We ate at a great little restaurant tucked away in the streets of the town.  We first were served Pomodori.  It is an Italian specialty that is served as a appetizer.  The dish is a mix of tomatoes, soft bread, water, and seasonings.  It looks like a thick pasta sauce that is light in color.  Next we were served a walnut truffle ravioli that was mouth watering!  After we had chicken and finished lunch with traditional tiramisu.  The meal wouldn’t be considered Italian if we didn’t feast on bread and wine.  After our HUGE lunch we tasted the world champions of gelato making.  Apparently there is a world contest every year and the makers were very proud to announce their victory with a huge sign placed over their shop.  Before leaving we had time to explore the shops and we found unique jewelry and wine all around.  This by far was my favorite day trip.  I really enjoyed listening to our advisors share stories and information about the city. 

Carnival in Venice

This weekend we took a day trip and attended Carnival in Venice.  It is festival that goes on every year in Venice from the beginning of February to the end of February. The festival originated as a public holiday and celebration the day before lent. In the past the event celebrated prosperity, myths, and culture. We traveled by bus for 3.5 hours (UGH!) and then boarded a ferry that took us to San Macro Square (the main area of the festival).  The minute we stepped off the ferry and onto the island we were surrounded by crowds of people.  Everywhere you walked you would see street performers dressed up standing waiting for you to take pictures or watch them.  It seemed as though numerous Italians from other parts of the country traveled to Venice for carnival to simply make a statement by dressing up and posing for pictures.  By the main square there was a main stage where shows were held.   Some of the shows included magicians and mimes.   There were tons of shops with souvenirs, masks, and trinkets from Venice.  I was able to purchase my 1st mask! One of the neat areas we found was face painting.  It is a huge tradition to have your face painted with intricate designs and to wear a mask. We spend most of our time eating, drinking at bars, and observing the bizarre phenomenon.  Everywhere you looked people were wearing masks, extravagant costumes or goofy outfits.  The island was quite confusing due to narrow passage ways, and dark tunnels. We got lost quite a few times to say the least.  Overall I would say it was a neat experience and I'm very excited to return to Venice with my parents when they visit to see more of Venice! I saved the chance to go on my first gondola ride for the next time I return ....Obviously so my parents can pay for it :)

The rest of the weekend we recuperated and I caught up on homework and cleaned our messy apartment!  I found out today that I got 100% on my Italian quiz! Pretty exciting considering I have no clue how to speak properly in this country!

Xoxo
-A

Paris

After jet setting to Paris for the weekend with a group of 18 girls I now have a new appreciation for small group trips (with my family in particular). This past Thursday we departed early in the AM to Paris.  We took over 5 systems of transportation to secure a cheap flight.  In the end we learned it cost the same amount to fly out of a nearby airport and pay more for the flight versus commuting to a middle of now where airport with cheap flights.  Regardless we arrived in Paris and stayed with some other sorority sisters in an home exchange apartment.  Our location was great and we traveled mostly by metro the entire time.  I became a metro extraordinaire.  I know it is hard to believe but somehow I ended up as the group tour guide for the weekend.  I led a group of 18 people around the entire time.  I now understand how annoying I was when I was little and would ask a million questions over and over and over when visiting tourist attractions.  We started the day with Notre Dame and then proceeded to Musee d' Orsay.  After we ate at Ratatouille where we sampled the traditional ratatouille dish (known as a vegetable stew served chilled).  The following day we started with Versailles.  I was blown away by the palace and grounds. I decided I could easily get married there or live there due to the extravagant interior design. After Versailles we went to Sacre Coeur which is a church set on the top of a hill in Paris.  The church had a breath taking view of the city below.  We listened to a local performer on the steps of the church and drank hot wine...a recent discovery :)  After we went to the Champs de Elysee where we viewed the arc de triomphe.  While walking down the Champs de Elysee we smelled Abercrombie Fierce (Abercrombie cologne) from the street.  We soon discovered the flagship store on the strip.  Male models we standing outside shirtless inviting pedestrians to come inside.  Inside was like a dream come true! 6 floors of all Abercrombie! In addition we visited Laduree (a famous bakery/macaroon shop) and tasted colorful macaroons.  The next day we ate breakfast at Angelina's a famous pastry shop near the Louvre.  The pastry shop is notorious known for their hot chocolate and chocolate croissants. I ordered the hot chocolate and received a cup of rich melted chocolate.  It was delicious but heavy on calories! After we ventured into the Louvre.  Angelina's helped brace me for the bordem I soon felt after entering the Louvre.   As you all know I HATE MUSEUMS WITH A PASSION! However luckily so did everyone else I was traveling with.  We quickly scanned the museum, saw the Mona Lisa, sculpture of Venus, and other exhibits and then left! After we went to the Eiffel Tower and waited in a long line :( As the planner of the group I suggested we get tickets ahead of time however we failed to do so.  We finally made it up to the summit and it was freezing.  We made it up in time for sunset which was incredible.  On the way down we were able to view the Eiffel Tower lit up.  To end the day we dined in the Moulin Rouge district!  Overall I had a great trip in Paris! I would go back anytime just for the food! I had a chocolate croissant each morning and even managed to make room for a crepe!  Don't worry I already went for a run yesterday!

Right now in Italy there is a chocolate festival going on around the corner from us.  It is the best festival I have ever seen! I'm a huge fan of chocolate so basically it is a dream come true.  So far I have gone everyday and gotten a piece in honor of Valentines Day!

That is all for now!

Ciao!

Less than 24 hours in Rome

Unfortunately due to the cold weather and snow in Italy we had a bit of a frantic travel experience.  We attempted to travel to Rome last Friday morning and arrived by train to a snow storm with snow flakes the size of golf balls.  Apparently it hadn't snow this bad in 20 years! The entire city shut down including transportation.   We finally located our hotel and met up with our two friends studying abroad in Rome.  After settling in and eating we decided to return to Florence due to the rumors of a blizzard headed directly to Rome.  All the attractions shut down for two days so we made a quick decision to catch the last train back to Florence.  To recover from the disappointment we spent some quality time at a local pub nearby on Saturday, got delicious panini's at Salmeri Verdi (One of the best Panini's places in Florence and recommended by many) and then managed to go out at night.  Sunday we cleaned and cooked our way through the day.  This week I visited the local market which sells tons of local products at various stands.  I found a form of dried cranberries which was pretty exciting!  In my cooking class we prepared Pasta Normandy, a veal prosciutto dish and sampled two white wines.  We learned white wine is normally paired with greasy, fatty foods because it helps to cleanse your system due the high acidity.  I'm starting to grasp the basics in the Italian language and can now officially navigate through the grocery store. Tomorrow we leave for Paris and I'm so excited to travel! I hope there aren't any issues with our travel however I'm sure there will be some minor bumps in the road :)

That is all for now!

xoxo
-A

Classes at Lorenzo De Medici

First week of classes and now a four day weekend! I had made it through the first official school week :)  I started on Monday with my beginning Italian course and Pairing of Food and Wine.  The Italian course is enjoyable and is similar to Spanish so I can understand most of the class so far.  By far the food and wine class is my favorite.  I have a passionate foodie teacher who isn't afraid to get messy and teach us everything.  The first thing we made was pasta carbonara which is a pasta with a cheese and egg mixture along with bacon. While cooking the pasta my teacher showed me that he wasn't afraid to stick his hand in boiling water to taste/test the pasta.  I felt as though I was watching a cooking show right before my eyes. We also tasted 2 wines in class including a white Chardonnay and red Merlot.

Tuesday I attended Anthropology of the Catwalk, and Visual Merchandising.  I already can tell the anthropology class will be boring however I really enjoyed the visual merchandising class.  We will be working with local businesses in Florence to help merchandise their windows and stores in addition to multiple group projects, and story boards.

On Wednesday I attend my Italian class again and then have trend forecasting.  I'm very excited about the trend forecasting class.  This class teaches you how to forecast certain styles, upcoming trends, and fads through the use of photoshop and Adobe.

Many of my classes take field trips throughout the course which is very exciting.  The only bummer is that most of my classes are 2.5 hours long and I find it very difficult to sit that entire time.  The most impressive thing about the teachers at Lorenzo de Medici is their English.  Every professor has excellent English.

Last night some of the girls I'm living with and I indulged in a fancy dinner at La Giostria, which is a restaurant around the corner from us.  I had eaten there before when I was young and was reminded of the memories when I walked in.  We were greeted with sparkling wine and a large platter of appetizers. We started off with their famous pear ravioli as an appetizer and then ate apple glazed chicken with roasted potatoes and vegetables.  After leaving I was in a food coma and could barley move. 

That is all for now!
Arrivederci!

Pisa & Verrazzano Castle

Yesterday we went to Pisa for a short day trip.  We visited the Pisa church, baptistry, cemetery, and leaning tower.  We learned from our tour that each town is focused around birth, life, and death.  Babies used to be baptized twice a year in which the entire town would gather for the two events.  The church is used weekly to hold services.  Inside the church was extravagant and decorated with a roman inspiration due to the round architecture.  We also learned that Galileo was born in Pisa and conducted one of the first experiments on the leaning tower.  Our tour guide explained the leaning tower was slowly tilting to the ground 1 millimeter each year until the building was secured a few years ago.  The reason why the tower is leaning is due to the soft soil it was built on.  Pisa is located close the sea water and over time the soil became soft and sunk causing the building to lean. After Pisa we returned to Florence and went to the grocery store! 

Today we went to Verrazzano Castle & Winery.  We toured the beautiful grounds and facility.  The Verrazzano Castle produces over 106,000 bottles of wine a year and was founded in 1170.  The winery is known for there Chanti wine and was one of the 1st to produce Chanti Wine.  We got to see the wine cellars, prosciutto cellar, and barrels of wine.  After the tour we sat down in a gorgeous room at the winery that overlooked breath taking views of the Tuscan hills.  We tasted 3 wines, red rosso, chanti, and a dessert wine (which tasted like whiskey) I was not a fan of the dessert wine!  We also ate lunch there and had one of the best meals so far.  We were served pasta, salad, prosciutto, salami, potatoes, quiche, sausage, & bread.  While numerous students decided to get drunk I enjoyed the food and company I was with.   After we returned to our apartment and napped for the afternoon. Finally I was able to Skype with my parents! (Probably my favorite part of the day)

Tomorrow we are planning on gathering school supplies, remaining house hold items, visiting an open air food market and cooking our first dinner together!  Make sure to check out pictures on Facebook.

Ciao! 

Sienna

Today we took a day trip to Sienna with our group and advisors.  We learned that Sienna and Florence have always been rival cities due to their political power and religious power.  We toured a church as well as the main town of Sienna.  Another thing I learned today was that Sienna is known for the best food in Italy.  (Not very hard to compete since all the food is AMAZING HERE)  We took a leisure lunch on the piazza and I enjoyed one of the best mozzarella and tomato salads I have ever had.

 We then returned to Florence and later dined at a local place next to our apartment.  I also learned that our apartment is owned by Ferdomo (very well know Italian Designer)  Unfortunately our internet isn't consistent so hopefully we will work through it so I can skype everyone!

Tomorrow we have orientation and then are planning on taking our first trip to the supermarket! We are surviving off of a small amount of food and toiletries so hopefully we can refill soon!  

FLORENCE!

I have FINALLY arrived in Florence! After a long commute I made it!  It took three flights to get here and the last one managed to lose 70 pieces of luggage.  Luckily mine was not one of them! After the two hour delay of luggage mishaps I was dropped off at my mini mansion! We are living in an apartment with three floors, including four bedrooms (walk in closets...I couldn't be happier) a washer and dryer (impressive for Italy) a kitchen including a dish washer :) and marble counters! Also we have a sun room that overlooks The Duomo (Major tourist attraction and beautiful building which Florence is centered around) We can literally climb onto the roof from our sun room! We were warned about blowing fuses and power outages but hopefully we can manage to avoid those!

I plan on using skype to talk during the semester so hear is my skype username
Alexhoffman7

Tomorrow we start orientation and this week we are taking few day trips to Sienna, Pisa, and a castle!

That is all for now.
Ciao!

Bye Bye America...Hello Firenze!

This is my first official post on my blog! Today I'm packing for the semester in Florence Italy and as you can imagine I having some difficulty fitting everything into my suitcase.  I'm only allowed two checked bags and a carry on.  (That is absolutely ridiculous)  I need my dad's American Airline status about now.    Anyway I leave Sunday morning for Florence!

While in Florence I will be living with seven other friends from my sorority and taking mostly apparel classes along with beginning Italian and Italian Food and Wine.  I'm very eager to start the semester and start traveling!

Ciao!