I just returned from my first adventure outside of Italy, a weekend in Valencia, Spain, where I battled two unfortunate aspects of my personality: my dislike for the chaos of travel and for dislike the chaos of crowds, two things that I confronted often in the third largest city in Spain. My lack of knowledge in regards to public transit is comical, which absolutely shoots my anxiety level off the radar when navigating it alone. BUT, to James', Marks' and my own surprise, I not only managed the train from Florence to Pisa, the Pisa airport, and the metro from the Valencia airport to my hotel by myself (even changing lines... the horror!) , with no hiccups and even arriving early. I may've had a little help though, namely James' bulleted directions with metro stops, directions, landmarks, and verbal explanation and my 4 years of Spanish Language courses. I will say that I was still pretty proud of myself when I got all checked-in before Mark arrived to meet me. James was with FSU in the Pyrenees last week (tough life) and he wasn't expected back in Valencia until 7 or so, a few hours after my flight landed. Indeed, he arrived early and missed us at the hotel by a mere 5 minutes, he made it up to my hotel room to discover that I, too, had made it early. My good pal Mark who is in Valencia studying with Virginia this semester offered to babysit with a few Spanish favorites and nice walking tour of the city until James "arrived".
Churros rank in the top 5 of my list of favorite Spanish foods. Who doesn't love deep-fried dough covered in sugar and dipped in chocolate sauce with a glass of nut milk to swallow them down with? Mark snapped a nice photo of me in my eating glory with a caption that summarizes our outing together: "forced ashton to do spanish things: drink horchata while eating churros and chocolate next to a cathedral." James found us in the plaza, conveniently located directly across from the one of the numerous Valencian McDonalds. From there, I changed hands for leisurely walk around town and Chinese dinner with James. Truly, the Spanish eat dinner very late. Way too late for this growling-stomach-at-6PM girl. But keeping with the culture, we ate dinner on Thursday night around 11, only to find the pushiest Chinese waitress. Cultural anomaly? James and I laughed every time she approached our table with her outslaught of questions. Everyone knows how much I love Chinese food and this being only my second chinese meal in the month and a half since I've been here, she couldn't have ruined the mood.
Friday, James took me on a historical walking tour of Valencia. As the Republican capital in their defeat during the 1930s Spanish Civil War, Franco and his forces hit Valencia hard. There are few "old" buildings as compared to Florence, even with Valencia's ancient history, passing hands from the Romans to the Arabians and back to the Spanards, but the city's architecture is completely modern. Curved, wavey and sleak designed buildings litter the city center, hotels, and especially the city of Arts and Sciences, all as a result of Franco's destruction. Late Friday afternoon, we indulged in another favorite Spanish tradition: Tapas. Many of the local restaurants have "Caña y tapa" (a small beer and tapas dish) from about 6:30-11. Loving this idea, I insisted that we "tapas hop" through the city. I think we managed to hit 4 different spots, each with prime people watching locations from their outdoor seating, before we finally made it to James' favorite dinner spot: the kebab and shawarma guy. Needless to say, the meal has become one of my favorites as well, combining spice, chicken, cheese and veggies all for a very cheap price. Until now, I had been too nervous to try the Kabab stop across the street from my apartment in Florence. That was my first stop off the train from Pisa last night. Another thing Valencia has done right: the public bike system. Each person can pay a flat annual fee for use of the numerous public bike locations throughout the city. For each trip, the first 30 mins are free then for additional time it charges a small fee on your credit card. James and Sam have memberships, but I posed a bit of an inconvenience. So, James and I attempted to manuver all variations to get us both on a bike for the long walk home. Miserable failure. Definitely only a 1-person bike unless you're like an acrobat or something.
Saturday, we decided to head to the beach. With James' skill of the metro and the tram system, we made it out for a beautiful but windy afternoon to catch some sun, get in the waves, and watch the regata in front of us. Valencia's beaches hosted the 2009 America's Cup and the wind was definitely available. I have never been a fan of sand, even since my childhood (many funny stories about that). Valencian beaches have a very fine sand and with an afternoon of wind, it was impossible to keep my towel as pristine as usual. Because of the sandy bottom, the water looks a lot like Atlantic water as compared to the crystal clear, rock bottom Meditteranean waters of Cinque Terre or Portofino on the Italian side. When NC Public Schools used to have a Fall Break, we always took a trip to the beach for the same reasons I loved the beach Saturday: the temperature is perfect, the water is still warm, and there are few other beach goers. After the beach, we quickly changed and grabbed another kabab before heading to the Granada v. Valencia futbol game. Because I played soccer for so many years, any excuse to get me to a European match will work, especially 15 Euro tickets in a prime location. We cheered and chanted the Valencians all the way to a 1-0 victory, although we nearly missed the only goal in the 3rd minute. The ball hit the back of the net as we walked out of the corridor to find our seats. By chance, we ran into another Davidson friend, Morgan, before the game outside the stadium and decided to meet up with her, Mark, and some of their friends after the game. They hadn't eaten dinner yet, and to our surprise, they wanted kababs! James and I refrained from our 3rd kabab in 24 hours, but we did enjoy the company of some Davidson and Americans alike. By the time we began the trek back, we had just missed the closing of the metro at 11:30, so James hailed yet another form of public transportation, a taxi.
The City of Arts and Sciences hosted the Paella Festival all weekend and after a few failed attempts at making it over there, we decided to go Sunday afternoon before my flight. With no convenient metro stop, we waited for my 7th form of public transportation, the city bus. (Yeah, count them: Train, Plane, Subway, Tram, Bike, Taxi, and Bus... how's that for conquering fears?) Unfortunately, we weren't the only people headed to the festival and James and I squished onto the bus (luckily airconditioned) for the 15 minute ride. Once there, we bought a few paella tickets that could be exchanged at any of the vendors for a plate. Crowds, another one of my weaknesses, squeezed through the narrow lane between vendors as James and I tried to choose different paellas. We managed to get 3 different kinds with varying amounts of cow tongue, seafood, rabbit as protein. We found a quiet place on the steps and enjoyed the people watching. From there, we walked to find the nearest (but by no means close) metro stop so that we could ride to the airport together. Once there, we enjoyed a Coca-Cola Regular and a Coca-Cola Light together before I headed out on my Ryanair flight. Luckily, I was 20 minutes early both ways as compared to James' 3 hour catastrophe last weekend. I made it back to Florence only to find an empty apartment. After living with my Aunt and Uncle in Boston this summer and their 2-week beach vacation which left me alone in their big ol' house, I knew that I could never live alone. All I wanted to do was hear about my roommates' trip to Oktoberfest in Munich and Caroline and Keena's trip to Madrid. Luckily, we have this beautiful thing called Skype, where James kept me company while I ate dinner and I caught up with my Mom and Dad afterward, getting out all the talking that I had desired.
I hope everyone in the States is enjoying the beautiful weather that October brings. In Florence, we've had an unusually warm September and October with temperatures in the upper 80s everyday and continuing to be forecasted. I told James last night that I will not complain about an 87 degree day, even if my closet lacks a summer variety, because come November when I'm shivering in my boots, I will want nothing more than a warm Florentine day. I loaded another batch of photos from the Grape Festival and Valencia. We head to Venice on Friday as a program so I'll have plenty to fill y'all in next weekend. Ciao!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Friends in Firenze
My last post detailed my amazing weekend with my grandparents, but this post will highlight my amazing, slightly younger, friends. Because abroad students have so many other friends studying in Europe and because travelling is so easy and relatively inexpensive, very few weekends are actually spent in one's "home city" while abroad. This weekend, James and Sam came to us and we indulged in some of the finest tourist attractions that Florence has to offer. All weekends start early because we don't have classes on Friday (and I don't on Thursday!) but I spent my Thursday pacing for my boyfriend to arrive. We had our first experience with RyanAir, a lowcost and nearly always delayed airline which I will be flying more than once this semester. The boys' flight got delayed by 3 hours after they had made the 40 min trek to the airport, making them approximately 6 hours early for their flight (you could say he was as excited to see me as I was him :). The Florence crew had planned a true Italian welcome dinner, including chicken caccitori, bruchetta, caprese salad, garlic bread, and vino. We planned the meal for when they were supposed to arrive around 9 pm, making it truly an Italian timed meal, but their new 12:30 arrival was not conducive for our grumbling stomachs, so we ate without them. James has not felt the need to buy a European cell phone, so I left him with descriptive instructions on how to navigate from the train station to my apartment since I had no clue what time they'd arrive. I sat, accompanied by two very good friends, hardly able to contain my excitement. They finally made it to Florence a little after midnight for a reheated bowl of chicken caccitori.
Saturday, James and I tried a cute little panini place for lunch and then reunited with Dugan, Caroline, JD, and Sam at the Duomo. We had passed the impressive cathedral multiple times everyday for the last month, yet not made it inside. What better way to get a view of Florence and the cathedral than from the top of it? So, we set out to climb the 461 stairs through the double-layered dome, to one of the highest points of the city. We had several breaks to admire the painted ceilings which made the climb much more manageable. Afterward, we headed to Santa Croce, another massive church in Florence, home to the resting place of Michelangelo and other famous Florentinians. Once again, Caroline and I were forced to wear our "modesty kimotos" (new name this time). Its a tough task to dress that modestly when its still 90 degrees at the end of September. I have learned to appreciate every detail of a piece of art, art of all kinds, in only 3 meetings of my art history class. Churches, and Florence in general, make this tough. James made a point that it's difficult to take in and fully analyze the intricacies of an entire renaissance building. You'd need days in a place like Santa Croce. I haven't even attempted the Uffizi or Academia yet. That night, we had a nice family dinner out and then a relatively wild evening out. It tends to happen when you get a few Davidson kids reunited.
Saturday, James and I had decided on having a date-day of sorts. James suggested visiting the Pitti Palace and the Boboli gardens while the weather remained nice and with a stroke of luck, admission for the entire grounds was free on that particular day. We strolled through the palace (massive collection of art once again) and through the gravel paved paths of the gardens. We didn't see as many flowers as we were expecting, so we kind of had enough of the shrubbery and decided to climb yet another hill to Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato Church. This peak offers a Southwest view of the city, spectacular on a clear day, and a great spot to take a seat, especially if you've got a cute boy by your side. We climbed the gazillion steps to San Miniato Church, the oldest church in Florence named after a martyr from the 3rd Century AD who lived as a hermit on the hillside where the church now sits. He was beheaded for his beliefs and, as legend has it, he flew back to his home, carrying his head. The Church served as a model for many of the later churches of Florence and the cemetery out back is something INCREDIBLE.
We wrapped up the day with a nice dinner at Acqua al Due. Highly recommeneded by all travelers to and through Florence. Afterwards, James and I sat amongst the statues in Piazza della Signoia where he told me the story of Perseus and Medusa -- full of knowledge, that boy. We then moved to the bridge next to the Ponte Vecchio, took a seat and enjoyed the view. Its easier to appreciate the Ponte Vecchio at night when you can't see how nasty the Arno really is.
Today, we had an almost-eventful morning getting James and Sam on a train to the Pisa Airport. Electronic ticketing machines are a great idea, until someone holds up the line in confusion. The boys made their train... running. Afterwards, we set out to Impruenta for their annual Grape Festival. Nice idea, but not what I was expecting. I envisioned an Italian version of the Lincolnton Apple Festival: Farmers bringing their harvest, local artists selling their products, and churches making bbq. While there were a few vendors (one where I found pollo fritte... YES, fried chicken!!), most of the afternoon revolved around the central square where each section of the village put on a performance to compete for top prize. I've never seen more elaborate costumes and floats with beautiful green and purple grapes as decoration. However, I don't handle crowds all that well (must be something about growing up in a small town) and having thousands of on-lookers crowded into one small square all shoving to see the same thing is not my idea of a good time. So, we watched for about the first 30 minutes or so and gave up to checkout the free samples. After each performance is over, anyone is welcome to take as many grapes from the floats as desired. Needless to say, if you leave it to 5 girls on a college budget, you'll have a kitchen stocked of grapes for a while.
In all, I had a great weekend. We go to class each week living for the weekends and my weekends have a lot in store for the remainder of the semester. I posted plenty of new pictures. Enjoy and ciao!
Saturday, James and I tried a cute little panini place for lunch and then reunited with Dugan, Caroline, JD, and Sam at the Duomo. We had passed the impressive cathedral multiple times everyday for the last month, yet not made it inside. What better way to get a view of Florence and the cathedral than from the top of it? So, we set out to climb the 461 stairs through the double-layered dome, to one of the highest points of the city. We had several breaks to admire the painted ceilings which made the climb much more manageable. Afterward, we headed to Santa Croce, another massive church in Florence, home to the resting place of Michelangelo and other famous Florentinians. Once again, Caroline and I were forced to wear our "modesty kimotos" (new name this time). Its a tough task to dress that modestly when its still 90 degrees at the end of September. I have learned to appreciate every detail of a piece of art, art of all kinds, in only 3 meetings of my art history class. Churches, and Florence in general, make this tough. James made a point that it's difficult to take in and fully analyze the intricacies of an entire renaissance building. You'd need days in a place like Santa Croce. I haven't even attempted the Uffizi or Academia yet. That night, we had a nice family dinner out and then a relatively wild evening out. It tends to happen when you get a few Davidson kids reunited.
Saturday, James and I had decided on having a date-day of sorts. James suggested visiting the Pitti Palace and the Boboli gardens while the weather remained nice and with a stroke of luck, admission for the entire grounds was free on that particular day. We strolled through the palace (massive collection of art once again) and through the gravel paved paths of the gardens. We didn't see as many flowers as we were expecting, so we kind of had enough of the shrubbery and decided to climb yet another hill to Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato Church. This peak offers a Southwest view of the city, spectacular on a clear day, and a great spot to take a seat, especially if you've got a cute boy by your side. We climbed the gazillion steps to San Miniato Church, the oldest church in Florence named after a martyr from the 3rd Century AD who lived as a hermit on the hillside where the church now sits. He was beheaded for his beliefs and, as legend has it, he flew back to his home, carrying his head. The Church served as a model for many of the later churches of Florence and the cemetery out back is something INCREDIBLE.
We wrapped up the day with a nice dinner at Acqua al Due. Highly recommeneded by all travelers to and through Florence. Afterwards, James and I sat amongst the statues in Piazza della Signoia where he told me the story of Perseus and Medusa -- full of knowledge, that boy. We then moved to the bridge next to the Ponte Vecchio, took a seat and enjoyed the view. Its easier to appreciate the Ponte Vecchio at night when you can't see how nasty the Arno really is.
Today, we had an almost-eventful morning getting James and Sam on a train to the Pisa Airport. Electronic ticketing machines are a great idea, until someone holds up the line in confusion. The boys made their train... running. Afterwards, we set out to Impruenta for their annual Grape Festival. Nice idea, but not what I was expecting. I envisioned an Italian version of the Lincolnton Apple Festival: Farmers bringing their harvest, local artists selling their products, and churches making bbq. While there were a few vendors (one where I found pollo fritte... YES, fried chicken!!), most of the afternoon revolved around the central square where each section of the village put on a performance to compete for top prize. I've never seen more elaborate costumes and floats with beautiful green and purple grapes as decoration. However, I don't handle crowds all that well (must be something about growing up in a small town) and having thousands of on-lookers crowded into one small square all shoving to see the same thing is not my idea of a good time. So, we watched for about the first 30 minutes or so and gave up to checkout the free samples. After each performance is over, anyone is welcome to take as many grapes from the floats as desired. Needless to say, if you leave it to 5 girls on a college budget, you'll have a kitchen stocked of grapes for a while.
In all, I had a great weekend. We go to class each week living for the weekends and my weekends have a lot in store for the remainder of the semester. I posted plenty of new pictures. Enjoy and ciao!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Euro Trips, Tips, and Grandparents
Its been a few days since my last post since my grandparents (winners of the Papa and Nana of the year) wisked my off for a long weekend on the coast then through Tuscany! Wednesday night, they met Caroline and I at our apartment (my Papa really wanted to see how big the place was and make sure that it was in a nice area). We mozied through Florence on our way to a restraunt recommended by our advisors as "the best Tuscan food in Florence" ... Food here really doesn't disappoint. The restraunt was across town, so after passing the duomo (and after rolling my "winter suitcase" from their hotel) my Papa was scouting out places for a cold beer WITH air conditioning. We stopped in this really hip little bar off the main drag. There, we sat with locals while my grandparents enjoyed their first time drinking with their oldest granddaughter. Wednesday night, I learned my first trick to being a young American girl: Smile at the waiter. Not only did I get a free chocolate cake and an explanation of every dish on the menu, but he brought us an order of trippe (that's cow intestine...), a famous Florentine dish that I was too scared to order but certainly brave enough to try. Not too bad, by the way. After a stop at my favorite and frequently frequented gelato stop, I left my grandparents for the night with a plan for a 9 am departure time in the morning.
I left Florence without a good night of sleep and without knowing if I'd have wifi to talk to James/Caroline/my parents. It was tough breaking out of the little routine that I've gotten used to. But, Thursday morning, we left Florence for a pit stop in Pisa to catch a not-so-unique tower shot. After about 25 mins in Pisa (my Papa doesn't spend any longer in any place than he has to), we headed up to the coast of Santa Margharita Ligure, a port town with beaches and too many sailboats to count. We spent two days there, cruising the city, enjoying the water and the breeze, and realizing how lucky we were to be in Italy. The weather has been unusually hot for this time of year: Usually it is about 75 degrees in September. We've been pushing about 90-95 everyday. Each day, we woke up and went exploring, one day in Santa Marghartia, one day in Portofino, and came back to a little trattitori on the water for a cold drink and some focciacia, roasted veggies, rice balls, and of course some vino. Nana and I tried a house sparkling vino bianco that this place had on tap... for 1.50 Euro. Yes please. Each day, Papa disappeared for a little while, only to return with a bottle of wine for us to enjoy on our terrace before dinner. While there, I ate pesto penne, muscles, lasagna, and squid. Yum.
One thing I learned this weekend is that even though tipping is not customary in Europe, it is definitely built-in. The seating/service/bread charge which can reach up to 3 or 4 euro per person can surprise even the most carefree patron. Our 1.50 euro glass of wine, if delivered to our table, cost 2.50. I'll run up to the bar for the extra euro.
On Saturday, we left the coast for my grandparents' other favorite town: Siena. The namesake of my cousin, the walled medieval city was reminescent of Florence, but smaller, with a younger median age, and fewer tourists. We stopped in Monteriggioni, a walled castle and fortress about 10 kilometers from Siena on our way in. Everything in the entire town, the church, well, hideout, and housing, were located within the walls of the city. It was easy to travel back to the middle ages and imagine little italian boys fetching bread from the market for their mother. Siena was much of the same. A college city in a medieval town seemed right up my alley. We walked around and I got to listen of reminescents of my grandparents first, second, third, or more trips to Siena. How lucky am I to get to travel to the favorite places of my grandparents, WITH my grandparents as tour guides.
Today, we drove home through the Chianti region of Tuscany, famous for its red wine producing vineyards and picturesque rolling hills. We stopped at some vineyards and villas to "sample" some local culture. After a few hour car ride and a search and find mission for diesel, I'm back at home. Yeah, Florence feels like home already. We grabbed a panini on my street (before another gelato), and I told them both that I feel more comfortable here, not only because I've been here before or the finally cooler temperatures, but this is where I live. Nice to say that I LIVE in Italy. I posted some pictures from this weekend and I hope that I haven't rushed through this blog post, but I do have a few things to finish up and some homework to complete before class tomorrow. Yeah, we are studying here too, even as minimal as it may be.
All-in-all, having some company made me even more excited to have my guests for the rest of the semester. I've started making mental lists of all the places that everyone has to see. Maybe one semester isn't enough time after all. James arrives on Thursday, so I just have a few more days until our month of separation is over. I look forward to sharing all of this with him. And Mom and Dad, I'm still thanking you for the best gift you never knew you gave me: young grandparents.
I left Florence without a good night of sleep and without knowing if I'd have wifi to talk to James/Caroline/my parents. It was tough breaking out of the little routine that I've gotten used to. But, Thursday morning, we left Florence for a pit stop in Pisa to catch a not-so-unique tower shot. After about 25 mins in Pisa (my Papa doesn't spend any longer in any place than he has to), we headed up to the coast of Santa Margharita Ligure, a port town with beaches and too many sailboats to count. We spent two days there, cruising the city, enjoying the water and the breeze, and realizing how lucky we were to be in Italy. The weather has been unusually hot for this time of year: Usually it is about 75 degrees in September. We've been pushing about 90-95 everyday. Each day, we woke up and went exploring, one day in Santa Marghartia, one day in Portofino, and came back to a little trattitori on the water for a cold drink and some focciacia, roasted veggies, rice balls, and of course some vino. Nana and I tried a house sparkling vino bianco that this place had on tap... for 1.50 Euro. Yes please. Each day, Papa disappeared for a little while, only to return with a bottle of wine for us to enjoy on our terrace before dinner. While there, I ate pesto penne, muscles, lasagna, and squid. Yum.
One thing I learned this weekend is that even though tipping is not customary in Europe, it is definitely built-in. The seating/service/bread charge which can reach up to 3 or 4 euro per person can surprise even the most carefree patron. Our 1.50 euro glass of wine, if delivered to our table, cost 2.50. I'll run up to the bar for the extra euro.
On Saturday, we left the coast for my grandparents' other favorite town: Siena. The namesake of my cousin, the walled medieval city was reminescent of Florence, but smaller, with a younger median age, and fewer tourists. We stopped in Monteriggioni, a walled castle and fortress about 10 kilometers from Siena on our way in. Everything in the entire town, the church, well, hideout, and housing, were located within the walls of the city. It was easy to travel back to the middle ages and imagine little italian boys fetching bread from the market for their mother. Siena was much of the same. A college city in a medieval town seemed right up my alley. We walked around and I got to listen of reminescents of my grandparents first, second, third, or more trips to Siena. How lucky am I to get to travel to the favorite places of my grandparents, WITH my grandparents as tour guides.
Today, we drove home through the Chianti region of Tuscany, famous for its red wine producing vineyards and picturesque rolling hills. We stopped at some vineyards and villas to "sample" some local culture. After a few hour car ride and a search and find mission for diesel, I'm back at home. Yeah, Florence feels like home already. We grabbed a panini on my street (before another gelato), and I told them both that I feel more comfortable here, not only because I've been here before or the finally cooler temperatures, but this is where I live. Nice to say that I LIVE in Italy. I posted some pictures from this weekend and I hope that I haven't rushed through this blog post, but I do have a few things to finish up and some homework to complete before class tomorrow. Yeah, we are studying here too, even as minimal as it may be.
All-in-all, having some company made me even more excited to have my guests for the rest of the semester. I've started making mental lists of all the places that everyone has to see. Maybe one semester isn't enough time after all. James arrives on Thursday, so I just have a few more days until our month of separation is over. I look forward to sharing all of this with him. And Mom and Dad, I'm still thanking you for the best gift you never knew you gave me: young grandparents.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Nature Girl
Thursday night was one of the best nights of my life. We found ourselves at an American restaurant and bar called "The House of Sizzle" where it was wing night with beer specials. We ordered 120 oz of beer, wings, and burgers. Delish. Our beer was delivered with a firework on top, I guess in celebration of American commradery. And then to top it off, our waitress forgot to charge us for the beer. About 50 Euros of free booze for the table. Thank you, Italy.
After a night out at Shot Cafe and the opening night of Club 21, Friday morning, Keena, Caroline, and I woke up early and headed to the train station for a day at the beach. Thus far, our day trips and activities in Florence have been planned for us through the fabulous Lucca and Milva, but we decided that we wanted a day at the beach while the weather was still nice. So, we planned a trip (on our own) to Viareggio, a beach in West Tuscany, the closest to Florence. Everyone knows that I'm such a planner, with to-do lists always written down or mentally noted. Its tough to be completely planned in travelling, especially in another country. For the first time, I really felt like I wasn't at comfortably at home in the US of A. It was reassuring to have things go smoothly and casually for our first day truly out of our comfort zone. I need things that push me out of my OCD, type A personality. So, Friday morning, we hopped on the train around 9 and arrived at 11:30, just in time for an appropriate American lunch. Obviously not in Italy. Shops were JUST opening up for the day as beachgoers headed to the sea. We walked through the cute little town by the water, stopping in a few stores before finally decided where to eat. We had to wait for the restaurant to open. Our waitress knew zero English, but we managed to order and eat. I had calamari and shrimp with veggies. Delish. And had an awesome view of the ocean to top it all off.
The beaches in Viareggio are all private, so we were expecting to pay a few Euros for a beach chair and an afternoon of sunrays. We asked the non-English-speaking waitress what the protocall was. She couldn't offer us any information other than to just walk out onto the beach and pick a spot. So... we did. An hour later, the beach patrol man kindly asked us to show our ticket. With none, we promptly moved to another beach with some more signage explaining what to do. This beach, we soon discovered, was a topless beach. We saw our fair share of young topless Italians and skimpy bottoms. Caroline and I both agreed that THAT is the only form of culture shock we've experienced thus far. For the most part, Italians are much more in shape than Americans, but they really don't leave much of anything to the imagination, including the men in tight speedos. Another shock of the day: Street vendors selling fake purses, sunglasses, clothes, watches and jewelry moved their jobs onto the sand during the day. The salesmen are not shy either. At first, we thought the notion of these men with obviously fake Gucci purses walking around and badgering beachgoers to purchase was funny... until we became the victim of their harrassment for 5 hours. We must've screamed young American girls (maybe because we chose to keep our tops on?) because every 5 mins or so, we had some display of fake something in front of us. We responded with polite "no grazie, no grazie" but thankfully Keena finally showed some direct sternness and began answering "No." for us all.
We spent the day soaking up some rays and then headed back to Florence for a quiet girls night in. We had an early train to Cinque Terre Saturday morning and after a long day in the sun, we needed the sleep. Even with many a trips to the mountains, I have never had the term nature, granola, organic or the like associated with my name. Not because I dislike nature or because I don't value the beauty, but just because I'm a girly girl. I like pedicures and cooking vs. tents and mosquitos. I did make a valiant display of versatility for all the girly-girls of the world with very few complaints on our hike this weekend -- the view was inspirational. We met the Wells crew at Santa Maria Novella station for a nice commute to Cinque Terre, a cluster of 5 cliffside towns that overlook the ocean with trails between each. We casually strolled the first and most famous section of the trail deemed the "Via dell'amore" (street of love). The views were indescribable (I've added photos to facebook if you want a preview, but they don't nearly do the view justice). I can see why so many happy couples make the trek; Nature can be love-inspiring. The first trail is more of a paved path, so all of us expected the entire day to be easy breezy. We obviously weren't the only American students that decided to go to Cinque terre this weekend because we kept running into students that we had class with, making the train that ran from the 2nd and 3rd town especially crowded. We had no choice but to ride because the trail was closed, so we decided to hike the next 2 sections. The easiness of the first section disillusioned us for the trek betweek the 3rd and 4th. It kicked all of our butts: 4 km of mountain climbing (with rewarding views of the water nonetheless, making us want to jump in it because of the hot temperature). The builders of this trail were obviously not 5'2" women, because the old stairs were steep enough for me to jump down and almost tall enough for me to fully extend my leg, probably explaining why my muscles are a little sore today. The trail was hilly but the most difficult part was finding solid footing because the rocks that once paved the path were unsteady and uneven. Although we bit off a little more than we were expecting with that portion of the hike, the difficulty of the hike definitely made us all feel accomplished of what we had done when we finally reached the beach for the final hours of our day. We spent time in the salty but crystal clear waters of the 5th and final town of Monterosso. We all crashed on the train ride back. Like, unconscious, even amongst loud passengers entering and exiting.
Caroline and I were in definitely need for a relaxing night and day, so that is how we spent our Saturday night and Sunday. It has been a day to catch up with everyone after I've been so busy for the last 2 weeks. The reality that I'll be here until December has really start to hit. Luckily, my grandparents arrive on Wednesday and I look forward to a nice weekend travelling through Tuscany to all of their favorite places. James arrives in Florence the following weekend. I cannot wait to share this city with all of my visitors this semester. Florence has whatever someone is looking for: the slow pace of Italian lifestyle, or the city nightlife and restaurant variety. Its all here. All my lovin'!
After a night out at Shot Cafe and the opening night of Club 21, Friday morning, Keena, Caroline, and I woke up early and headed to the train station for a day at the beach. Thus far, our day trips and activities in Florence have been planned for us through the fabulous Lucca and Milva, but we decided that we wanted a day at the beach while the weather was still nice. So, we planned a trip (on our own) to Viareggio, a beach in West Tuscany, the closest to Florence. Everyone knows that I'm such a planner, with to-do lists always written down or mentally noted. Its tough to be completely planned in travelling, especially in another country. For the first time, I really felt like I wasn't at comfortably at home in the US of A. It was reassuring to have things go smoothly and casually for our first day truly out of our comfort zone. I need things that push me out of my OCD, type A personality. So, Friday morning, we hopped on the train around 9 and arrived at 11:30, just in time for an appropriate American lunch. Obviously not in Italy. Shops were JUST opening up for the day as beachgoers headed to the sea. We walked through the cute little town by the water, stopping in a few stores before finally decided where to eat. We had to wait for the restaurant to open. Our waitress knew zero English, but we managed to order and eat. I had calamari and shrimp with veggies. Delish. And had an awesome view of the ocean to top it all off.
The beaches in Viareggio are all private, so we were expecting to pay a few Euros for a beach chair and an afternoon of sunrays. We asked the non-English-speaking waitress what the protocall was. She couldn't offer us any information other than to just walk out onto the beach and pick a spot. So... we did. An hour later, the beach patrol man kindly asked us to show our ticket. With none, we promptly moved to another beach with some more signage explaining what to do. This beach, we soon discovered, was a topless beach. We saw our fair share of young topless Italians and skimpy bottoms. Caroline and I both agreed that THAT is the only form of culture shock we've experienced thus far. For the most part, Italians are much more in shape than Americans, but they really don't leave much of anything to the imagination, including the men in tight speedos. Another shock of the day: Street vendors selling fake purses, sunglasses, clothes, watches and jewelry moved their jobs onto the sand during the day. The salesmen are not shy either. At first, we thought the notion of these men with obviously fake Gucci purses walking around and badgering beachgoers to purchase was funny... until we became the victim of their harrassment for 5 hours. We must've screamed young American girls (maybe because we chose to keep our tops on?) because every 5 mins or so, we had some display of fake something in front of us. We responded with polite "no grazie, no grazie" but thankfully Keena finally showed some direct sternness and began answering "No." for us all.
We spent the day soaking up some rays and then headed back to Florence for a quiet girls night in. We had an early train to Cinque Terre Saturday morning and after a long day in the sun, we needed the sleep. Even with many a trips to the mountains, I have never had the term nature, granola, organic or the like associated with my name. Not because I dislike nature or because I don't value the beauty, but just because I'm a girly girl. I like pedicures and cooking vs. tents and mosquitos. I did make a valiant display of versatility for all the girly-girls of the world with very few complaints on our hike this weekend -- the view was inspirational. We met the Wells crew at Santa Maria Novella station for a nice commute to Cinque Terre, a cluster of 5 cliffside towns that overlook the ocean with trails between each. We casually strolled the first and most famous section of the trail deemed the "Via dell'amore" (street of love). The views were indescribable (I've added photos to facebook if you want a preview, but they don't nearly do the view justice). I can see why so many happy couples make the trek; Nature can be love-inspiring. The first trail is more of a paved path, so all of us expected the entire day to be easy breezy. We obviously weren't the only American students that decided to go to Cinque terre this weekend because we kept running into students that we had class with, making the train that ran from the 2nd and 3rd town especially crowded. We had no choice but to ride because the trail was closed, so we decided to hike the next 2 sections. The easiness of the first section disillusioned us for the trek betweek the 3rd and 4th. It kicked all of our butts: 4 km of mountain climbing (with rewarding views of the water nonetheless, making us want to jump in it because of the hot temperature). The builders of this trail were obviously not 5'2" women, because the old stairs were steep enough for me to jump down and almost tall enough for me to fully extend my leg, probably explaining why my muscles are a little sore today. The trail was hilly but the most difficult part was finding solid footing because the rocks that once paved the path were unsteady and uneven. Although we bit off a little more than we were expecting with that portion of the hike, the difficulty of the hike definitely made us all feel accomplished of what we had done when we finally reached the beach for the final hours of our day. We spent time in the salty but crystal clear waters of the 5th and final town of Monterosso. We all crashed on the train ride back. Like, unconscious, even amongst loud passengers entering and exiting.
Caroline and I were in definitely need for a relaxing night and day, so that is how we spent our Saturday night and Sunday. It has been a day to catch up with everyone after I've been so busy for the last 2 weeks. The reality that I'll be here until December has really start to hit. Luckily, my grandparents arrive on Wednesday and I look forward to a nice weekend travelling through Tuscany to all of their favorite places. James arrives in Florence the following weekend. I cannot wait to share this city with all of my visitors this semester. Florence has whatever someone is looking for: the slow pace of Italian lifestyle, or the city nightlife and restaurant variety. Its all here. All my lovin'!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Comforts of Home
I wrapped up my first week of classes on Wednesday afternoon. Its kind of crazy that I have more "weekend" days than I have "class" days this semester. We were all talking that at school we always have work to occupy our time. Here, we have hours of free time to do what we so choose. Filling the free time has been our only challenge.
Last night, JD cooked us a nice pasta dinner (with country music included). Afterwards, we went out for our first Wednesday night. It was Club 21's opening night so we put on our court party attitude and danced our hearts out. Nice way to celebrate my first week of class.
While most of my friends had class today, I was footloose and fancy free. One of my guilt pleasures at home is getting my nails done. After the copious amount of walking we've been doing in the last 2 weeks, my poor feet (and shoes!) have suffered the brunt of it. Keena eyed a nice looking spa and this morning, we took the plunge. It many not be the chinese women and my student discount, but Italians can give a pedicure. Afterwards, Caroline and I made some lunch and took a nap before going to a "Making Gelato" class at a Gelateria 2 blocks away. Detrimental to my physique. But, even across an ocean, I managed to fine peanut butter gelato making my flavor choice an easy one.
We had seen a ton of cute shops and markets around the city but we haven't really been in the mood/had the time to devote to shopping, believe it or not. In my day of guilty pleasures, I made my first Florentine purchases. I came home with a sweater poncho wrap, 2 snakeskin bracelets, and 5 pashmina scarves. It may not have been Gucci or Prada, but my purchases made my day. AND tonight I still have a lot to look forward to. We're headed over to an American restraunt for a burger and draft beer. Talk about containing my excitement. If only American football was on.
I don't know what I was thinking before heading here. I must've thought I was heading to a third word country without nail polish remover or Diet Coke. It may be 5 Euro for a "Coca-Cola Light", but the comforts of home indeed exist in this ancient city. Since the mosquitos have evacuated and we can open our huge windows, I'm not missing AC nearly as much these days with the temperatures down in the lower 80s. Tomorrow, we're headed on a train ride to Viareggio, the closest beach directly west of Florence, to soak up some end-of-season rays before hiking Cinque Terre on Saturday.
Last night, JD cooked us a nice pasta dinner (with country music included). Afterwards, we went out for our first Wednesday night. It was Club 21's opening night so we put on our court party attitude and danced our hearts out. Nice way to celebrate my first week of class.
While most of my friends had class today, I was footloose and fancy free. One of my guilt pleasures at home is getting my nails done. After the copious amount of walking we've been doing in the last 2 weeks, my poor feet (and shoes!) have suffered the brunt of it. Keena eyed a nice looking spa and this morning, we took the plunge. It many not be the chinese women and my student discount, but Italians can give a pedicure. Afterwards, Caroline and I made some lunch and took a nap before going to a "Making Gelato" class at a Gelateria 2 blocks away. Detrimental to my physique. But, even across an ocean, I managed to fine peanut butter gelato making my flavor choice an easy one.
We had seen a ton of cute shops and markets around the city but we haven't really been in the mood/had the time to devote to shopping, believe it or not. In my day of guilty pleasures, I made my first Florentine purchases. I came home with a sweater poncho wrap, 2 snakeskin bracelets, and 5 pashmina scarves. It may not have been Gucci or Prada, but my purchases made my day. AND tonight I still have a lot to look forward to. We're headed over to an American restraunt for a burger and draft beer. Talk about containing my excitement. If only American football was on.
I don't know what I was thinking before heading here. I must've thought I was heading to a third word country without nail polish remover or Diet Coke. It may be 5 Euro for a "Coca-Cola Light", but the comforts of home indeed exist in this ancient city. Since the mosquitos have evacuated and we can open our huge windows, I'm not missing AC nearly as much these days with the temperatures down in the lower 80s. Tomorrow, we're headed on a train ride to Viareggio, the closest beach directly west of Florence, to soak up some end-of-season rays before hiking Cinque Terre on Saturday.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Laborious Start
My first day of classes started on Labor Day, a holiday which many Italians celebrate everyday and which my fellow Davidson students are forced to not observe. Before class, Keena, JD, Caroline, and I went to the fresh market as well as two different grocery stores to buy meats, cheese, bread, and other goodies for the week. Among other things, I came home with piave, cheddar, salami, a loaf of Toscana bread (for 1 Euro!). After a quiet lunch in our apartment, Caroline and I headed to Piazza Strozzi for our first Italian class. Everyone said that having taken Spanish in high school and college will help me in Italian and while many words are very similar, it can just add to my confusion. (However, I did start going off in Spanish the other night to some Italian man and convinced my fellow students on the program that I was fluent... thanks Davidson). I unfortunately had World Religions after Italian, a class that stretches for 2 and half long hours from 3-530 on Mondays. Makes for a long day.
After class, I went back to the boys' apartment and from there they escorted me to Via Faenza to grab Caroline for a double date of sorts. We ate a restaurant called ZaZa's. I went with my favorite, penne bolognese. We drank acqua, no gas, and ate the basket of bread without thinking twice. 2.50 for the water, 10 euro for the bread. No thank you.
The boys found that the supermercado across the street sells the cheapest Peroni beer by the case, so they each grabbed a box and lugged it across the city. The sight of these two Kappa Sigs carrying cases of beer as they passed by the Duomo must've just screamed "party" judging by the number of Italians that asked where we were headed. We had a quiet night at their place, listening, singing, and dancing to country music over a bottle of wine with my Southern friends. Later, we went for a walk and gelato across the ponte vecchio. Even on a Monday night, the city was bustling. In one of the piazzas, they were playing what I call "dancing music", inviting everyone to grab a partner and hit the dance floor. JD and I sprinted to the middle of the floor where we shagged to "Me and Mrs. Jones", by far the most energetic pair in the crowd.
Today, I THOUGHT I had Art History at 9 AM. I thought wrong. I got up and walked to class only to discover that I did not in fact have class. No big deal. A few hours of free time to do some reading never killed anyone. That is, IF I hadn't have left my purse in my apartment with my keys, phone, wallet. So, how does a 20 year old American girl fill her time with no money, no way to call to be let in, and no way to break into her apartment? She waits outside her door for an hour and a half until one of her roommates walks out. Productive. Needless to say, the locals must think I'm casing an apartment for a robbery. I've learned a valuable lesson early on in the semester. But, some time to myself for people watching didn't disturb my morning too terribly, as compared to an hour and a half of wasted time would have at Davidson. Accidental, it may have been, but forcing myself to take a break is sometimes just what everyone needs. Ciao!
After class, I went back to the boys' apartment and from there they escorted me to Via Faenza to grab Caroline for a double date of sorts. We ate a restaurant called ZaZa's. I went with my favorite, penne bolognese. We drank acqua, no gas, and ate the basket of bread without thinking twice. 2.50 for the water, 10 euro for the bread. No thank you.
The boys found that the supermercado across the street sells the cheapest Peroni beer by the case, so they each grabbed a box and lugged it across the city. The sight of these two Kappa Sigs carrying cases of beer as they passed by the Duomo must've just screamed "party" judging by the number of Italians that asked where we were headed. We had a quiet night at their place, listening, singing, and dancing to country music over a bottle of wine with my Southern friends. Later, we went for a walk and gelato across the ponte vecchio. Even on a Monday night, the city was bustling. In one of the piazzas, they were playing what I call "dancing music", inviting everyone to grab a partner and hit the dance floor. JD and I sprinted to the middle of the floor where we shagged to "Me and Mrs. Jones", by far the most energetic pair in the crowd.
Today, I THOUGHT I had Art History at 9 AM. I thought wrong. I got up and walked to class only to discover that I did not in fact have class. No big deal. A few hours of free time to do some reading never killed anyone. That is, IF I hadn't have left my purse in my apartment with my keys, phone, wallet. So, how does a 20 year old American girl fill her time with no money, no way to call to be let in, and no way to break into her apartment? She waits outside her door for an hour and a half until one of her roommates walks out. Productive. Needless to say, the locals must think I'm casing an apartment for a robbery. I've learned a valuable lesson early on in the semester. But, some time to myself for people watching didn't disturb my morning too terribly, as compared to an hour and a half of wasted time would have at Davidson. Accidental, it may have been, but forcing myself to take a break is sometimes just what everyone needs. Ciao!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Karma
We spent Saturday in a traditional medieval Italian town called San Gimignano, famous for the best vino bianco, Vernaccia, in Tuscany, as well as promenent producers of saffron and olive oil. The town boasts structures from ancient civilizations like the Etruscans and the Romans a thousand years ago. In the middle ages, families displayed their political and economic power by the size of their homes. Once home to more than 70 medieval "skyscrapers", San Gimignano's skyline does not reflect its 1000 year old age. We toured the walled village and took a tour of an ancient cathedral that used paintings along the walls to tell stories in the New and Old Testament. Its hot in early September in Florence and our group of 13 Americans wore shorts and t-shirts or tanks for a long day of walking. We were given what I would call "modesty cloaks" to wear over our shoulders and our legs before we could walk into the Cathedral. Talk about embarrassing and obviously American. Even living in the Bible Belt of the American South, I still sometimes forget how conservative most parts of the world are.
We then took a hike through the tallest tower in San Gimignano. 219 steps later, we had a view from the political building that overlooked the vineyards and hills surrounding the village. The sky wasn't nearly as carolina blue as Thursday during our tour of Florence, but a clear day nonetheless. Not a great day to wear flipflops as we topped a ladder to reach the top, but I was glad I nixed the idea of wearing a skirt. We were rewarded for our exercise efforts with a 2 hour, 5 course lunch. We indulged in a bread soup, saffron risotto, ravioli, chicken and veggies, and tiramisu. Lulled into yet another food coma, Lucca and Milva took us for a wine tasting at the main winery in the village. We sampled 4 wines from San Gimignano vineyards to wrap up our day excursion.
We arrived back in Florence for a aperitif on the terrace of the Grand Hotel Minerva which offered a great nighttime view of the city. Our appetizers and drinks turned into dinner for most of us since we didn't finish up until about 10 PM. We grabbed a few bottles of wine and headed to the boys' apartment. We never made it to a bar or club, but Dugan and I managed to get lost, sit on the ponte vecchio and wait for JD to come on a search and rescue mission. Finishing the night with a Nutella sandwich, we crashed after another long and satisfying day.
After a wonderful skype session with Shelby at 11 this morning (5 AM Davidson time...) and a slow start to our day, we decided that we had had enough Italian culture and food for the week, so we wanted to connect to our roots and have a real American brunch. Karma sucks. We found the first American diner across town in Florence. Our food may've been American, but we were definitely on Italian time. Tempted by a cheeseburger, I stuck with an omelet and milkshake as to not stray too far from Italian cuisine. By the time we finished up (2 hours later), there was a torential downpour outside and we were a good distance from our apartment. After trying to be patient and wait it out, we lost our shoes and took off running, past the Duomo and the tourists seeking refuge under porches with their cameras, all the way to our apartment. Soaked.
I think we're going to have our first family pasta dinner tonight before classes start tomorrow. I am SO not in school mode. I am looking forward to a quiet evening with friends and an early bed time. Things here are really starting to feel normal. Once we have a normal schedule with school and such, I will definitely start feeling more comfortable. It really is like starting college again-- You've got to figure out all the new things about your location and lifestyle... and forget about navigating your way to class. Struggles.
We then took a hike through the tallest tower in San Gimignano. 219 steps later, we had a view from the political building that overlooked the vineyards and hills surrounding the village. The sky wasn't nearly as carolina blue as Thursday during our tour of Florence, but a clear day nonetheless. Not a great day to wear flipflops as we topped a ladder to reach the top, but I was glad I nixed the idea of wearing a skirt. We were rewarded for our exercise efforts with a 2 hour, 5 course lunch. We indulged in a bread soup, saffron risotto, ravioli, chicken and veggies, and tiramisu. Lulled into yet another food coma, Lucca and Milva took us for a wine tasting at the main winery in the village. We sampled 4 wines from San Gimignano vineyards to wrap up our day excursion.
We arrived back in Florence for a aperitif on the terrace of the Grand Hotel Minerva which offered a great nighttime view of the city. Our appetizers and drinks turned into dinner for most of us since we didn't finish up until about 10 PM. We grabbed a few bottles of wine and headed to the boys' apartment. We never made it to a bar or club, but Dugan and I managed to get lost, sit on the ponte vecchio and wait for JD to come on a search and rescue mission. Finishing the night with a Nutella sandwich, we crashed after another long and satisfying day.
After a wonderful skype session with Shelby at 11 this morning (5 AM Davidson time...) and a slow start to our day, we decided that we had had enough Italian culture and food for the week, so we wanted to connect to our roots and have a real American brunch. Karma sucks. We found the first American diner across town in Florence. Our food may've been American, but we were definitely on Italian time. Tempted by a cheeseburger, I stuck with an omelet and milkshake as to not stray too far from Italian cuisine. By the time we finished up (2 hours later), there was a torential downpour outside and we were a good distance from our apartment. After trying to be patient and wait it out, we lost our shoes and took off running, past the Duomo and the tourists seeking refuge under porches with their cameras, all the way to our apartment. Soaked.
I think we're going to have our first family pasta dinner tonight before classes start tomorrow. I am SO not in school mode. I am looking forward to a quiet evening with friends and an early bed time. Things here are really starting to feel normal. Once we have a normal schedule with school and such, I will definitely start feeling more comfortable. It really is like starting college again-- You've got to figure out all the new things about your location and lifestyle... and forget about navigating your way to class. Struggles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)