Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
More Florentine Adventures!
So, I'm trying to get all caught up. After the Milan weekend, I just hung around in Florence, which is what I've been doing for the most part. I still want to visit other parts of the country and Europe, but one thing at a time! :)
The next weekend we went to the wine festival, which was fun! It was all sorts of Italian wines: white, red, sparkling, dessert, and they even had samples of grappa, a really hard liquor. We even got to keep our glass! It was nice, and again, I felt more Italian :)
The next weekend I didn't really do much, just kind of hung around and walked around Florence. I did visit the Palazzo Medici for a presentation that I had to give there on the Chapel of the Magi Procession, by Gozzoli. That was really neat to see. To say the least, the Medici family was loaded! Their palace was fantastic, and the art was really nice. There was also a marble museum there too, which was included with the admission. I also got free gelato from a certain place. I like it there cuz the chocolate flavor is 75% chocolate!! yummy! I went to mass at the Duomo, which was cool.
As far as school goes, everything is going great. It was this week that I got to go to my first Italian opera in Italy! While I've seen it before in the USA, to see it here was even more of an experience. For our class, we got to see two operas: Rigoletto and La Traviata, both by Verdi. I got to the theater about half hour before the show started. The lady checked my ticket and told me that I brought the wrong one! I didn't want to miss the performance, so I sprinted back to my apartment, grabbed the ticket, and sprinted back. I made it in time, but was sweating bullets after all the running! :) Rigoletto was good..the costumes were modern, they did not make good use of the stage, but the performance overall was very well done!
La Traviata is my favorite opera, so I was even more excited to see that one the following day. It was INCREDIBLE. The scenery was fantastic, very Moulin Rouge like (which is not surprising, since that film is based on this opera), the singing was great, plus we had better seats. I would say it would be very hard to top that performance. The other classes are going well too, but there haven't been any excursions. I did give my presentation at the Palace, and I found out I aced it! :)
Last weekend, I tagged along with my friend from my art class and her parents to go to the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David! We waited an hour to get in to the museum, but it was incredible. I did not spend enough time there! There was so much to see! The paintings, the sculptures, Michelangelo's unfinished collection, and of course David. I could seriously spend a whole day just looking at that and not be bored at all. I will definitely be back there, as it is free for me.
When we went to lunch, a German couple we were talking to said what a lovely family we were, thinking that I was their daughter! Then as we passed through the San Lorenzo market, another guy said he'd give a discount cuz of such lovely daughters we were! It was fun!
I discovered a little church and went to mass there. There was also an organ concert prior to that: such a big organ in a little church made the church practically shake! But I like it there :) It is small, but still lovely.
I also went out with a promoter for one of the tour trips, Mike. He was really nice. We went to a bar for a while and met up with some of his friends, then went to Space, a nightclub nearby. It was neat because it had 2 dancefloors, playing different music. His friend, Leo, was really nice and basically was my bodyguard throughout the night, so that was good. But, I have no way to get in contact with him, so if I see him, great, if not o well! It was still nice.
I've also enjoyed walking around with my new roommate, Adrienne. She is such a sweet girl, and we've found some new internet cafes and stuff, so it's fun. The other night last week we stayed at Moyo, one of the cafes til 1:30 in the morning! The walk back was just funny, or at least to us it was! We also tried a new cafe, Naima, where they have delicious apperitivo and wireless! plus it is closer to where we live.
I spent most of this past weekend with her. On Friday, we (also with another friend) went to a place called Harry's bar, which Mauro, our host father, recommended and had a bellini. We walked around and found a delicious place for hot chocolate! Adrienne got her debit card lost in the ATM, so we called the carabinieri (cops) to help. They couldn't do anything, but they were pretty cool, and we were talking to them later because they were in the same square. Then we walked around some more and found a little guitar bar..they play live music. We didn't stay there, but it was near Naima, which we went in there for a while. It was a fun, go-with-the flow night. Saturday I studied, and Sunday went to another church for mass! Finally now, just waiting for midterms to be over and go on break!
The next weekend we went to the wine festival, which was fun! It was all sorts of Italian wines: white, red, sparkling, dessert, and they even had samples of grappa, a really hard liquor. We even got to keep our glass! It was nice, and again, I felt more Italian :)
The next weekend I didn't really do much, just kind of hung around and walked around Florence. I did visit the Palazzo Medici for a presentation that I had to give there on the Chapel of the Magi Procession, by Gozzoli. That was really neat to see. To say the least, the Medici family was loaded! Their palace was fantastic, and the art was really nice. There was also a marble museum there too, which was included with the admission. I also got free gelato from a certain place. I like it there cuz the chocolate flavor is 75% chocolate!! yummy! I went to mass at the Duomo, which was cool.
As far as school goes, everything is going great. It was this week that I got to go to my first Italian opera in Italy! While I've seen it before in the USA, to see it here was even more of an experience. For our class, we got to see two operas: Rigoletto and La Traviata, both by Verdi. I got to the theater about half hour before the show started. The lady checked my ticket and told me that I brought the wrong one! I didn't want to miss the performance, so I sprinted back to my apartment, grabbed the ticket, and sprinted back. I made it in time, but was sweating bullets after all the running! :) Rigoletto was good..the costumes were modern, they did not make good use of the stage, but the performance overall was very well done!
La Traviata is my favorite opera, so I was even more excited to see that one the following day. It was INCREDIBLE. The scenery was fantastic, very Moulin Rouge like (which is not surprising, since that film is based on this opera), the singing was great, plus we had better seats. I would say it would be very hard to top that performance. The other classes are going well too, but there haven't been any excursions. I did give my presentation at the Palace, and I found out I aced it! :)
Last weekend, I tagged along with my friend from my art class and her parents to go to the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David! We waited an hour to get in to the museum, but it was incredible. I did not spend enough time there! There was so much to see! The paintings, the sculptures, Michelangelo's unfinished collection, and of course David. I could seriously spend a whole day just looking at that and not be bored at all. I will definitely be back there, as it is free for me.
When we went to lunch, a German couple we were talking to said what a lovely family we were, thinking that I was their daughter! Then as we passed through the San Lorenzo market, another guy said he'd give a discount cuz of such lovely daughters we were! It was fun!
I discovered a little church and went to mass there. There was also an organ concert prior to that: such a big organ in a little church made the church practically shake! But I like it there :) It is small, but still lovely.
I also went out with a promoter for one of the tour trips, Mike. He was really nice. We went to a bar for a while and met up with some of his friends, then went to Space, a nightclub nearby. It was neat because it had 2 dancefloors, playing different music. His friend, Leo, was really nice and basically was my bodyguard throughout the night, so that was good. But, I have no way to get in contact with him, so if I see him, great, if not o well! It was still nice.
I've also enjoyed walking around with my new roommate, Adrienne. She is such a sweet girl, and we've found some new internet cafes and stuff, so it's fun. The other night last week we stayed at Moyo, one of the cafes til 1:30 in the morning! The walk back was just funny, or at least to us it was! We also tried a new cafe, Naima, where they have delicious apperitivo and wireless! plus it is closer to where we live.
I spent most of this past weekend with her. On Friday, we (also with another friend) went to a place called Harry's bar, which Mauro, our host father, recommended and had a bellini. We walked around and found a delicious place for hot chocolate! Adrienne got her debit card lost in the ATM, so we called the carabinieri (cops) to help. They couldn't do anything, but they were pretty cool, and we were talking to them later because they were in the same square. Then we walked around some more and found a little guitar bar..they play live music. We didn't stay there, but it was near Naima, which we went in there for a while. It was a fun, go-with-the flow night. Saturday I studied, and Sunday went to another church for mass! Finally now, just waiting for midterms to be over and go on break!
Milan excursion!
So I officially suck at blogging..I'm sorry. I have all these thoughts, then I forget to type them..but anyway, so quite a few weekends ago now, I visited Milan! I had a friend (Davide) who lives there. The train ride there sucked!! It was about 4 hours (with a delay), and the lady across from me kept kicking me..(don't know if this was on purpose or not!) Anyway, I finally arrived! Davide and his cousin, Michela, showed me around Milan! It is such a neat city.
We started off at the Castle Sforzesco. It was really neat! Unfortunately, it cost a lot to go in, but just the facade was enough. Duomo, which is very different than the Florentine one because it is gothic not Byzantine style (pics to come later..hopefully). We also rubbed the lucky leg on the door. The door used to be bronze, but now it is faded, except for a leg. The church on the inside was fantastic! So many stained glass windows and engraved carvings. After that, we went to lunch and just walked around the city. The mall in Milan is so much nicer than any mall I've seen in the US. Since most of the places such as Dolce and Gabana, Louis Vuitton, Armani, Ferrari, etc. originated in Milan, it was cool to see those places (although the street I live on in Florence is like a mini Milan :) ) Michela had to go to work, and Davide and I just happened to stumble upon a nature museum, which was free at that time! It was cool. There were old rocks, gems, old skeletons, and things like that.
I went back to the hotel and just hung around there for a while, then met up with Davide and Michela and a couple of their other friends. The drinks in Italy are strong! I decided to try a long island, tequila sunrise, and peach daquiri, all of which were very good. It was fun to go to a non-American place. Not that I have anything against Americans (haha as I am one), but I felt much more Italian hanging out with Italians, talking in English and Italian, and being in a more Italian environment. It was really fun. I just spent one night there, then I went back to Florence.
We started off at the Castle Sforzesco. It was really neat! Unfortunately, it cost a lot to go in, but just the facade was enough. Duomo, which is very different than the Florentine one because it is gothic not Byzantine style (pics to come later..hopefully). We also rubbed the lucky leg on the door. The door used to be bronze, but now it is faded, except for a leg. The church on the inside was fantastic! So many stained glass windows and engraved carvings. After that, we went to lunch and just walked around the city. The mall in Milan is so much nicer than any mall I've seen in the US. Since most of the places such as Dolce and Gabana, Louis Vuitton, Armani, Ferrari, etc. originated in Milan, it was cool to see those places (although the street I live on in Florence is like a mini Milan :) ) Michela had to go to work, and Davide and I just happened to stumble upon a nature museum, which was free at that time! It was cool. There were old rocks, gems, old skeletons, and things like that.
I went back to the hotel and just hung around there for a while, then met up with Davide and Michela and a couple of their other friends. The drinks in Italy are strong! I decided to try a long island, tequila sunrise, and peach daquiri, all of which were very good. It was fun to go to a non-American place. Not that I have anything against Americans (haha as I am one), but I felt much more Italian hanging out with Italians, talking in English and Italian, and being in a more Italian environment. It was really fun. I just spent one night there, then I went back to Florence.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Just some random thoughts
I just wanted to share some random thoughts on things I've noticed :)
1. First of all, I'm moving in with an Italian family! I'm kind of excited for this, as I think it will be a great chance to improve my Italian/cooking as well as learn more about the culture. Their apartment is awesome! It's decked out with all this art that he paints, and it's just really cool!
2. While my cooking abilities are still quite low, I have noticed that even the sauce at the grocery store is so much better than anything in the USA, haha, really it is so good!
3. While I'm not a big coffee person, the coffee here is phenomenal: the cappuccino is perfect temperature..I may become slightly addicted, then return to the low class stuff in the USA..luckily I have Caribou to fall back on :p
4. Gelato (ice cream) ..wow..first, they have an amaretto flavor..which is good..second, cuz i go to this one place all the time, I get free gelato there now! :)
5. The guys here: haha enough said. I've never thought I'd say this, but getting hit on here is a little overwhelming! At first, it was very flattering, but I'm getting good at showing un-interest, unless I am really interested,,haha hasn't happened yet!
6. Going to church is something I really look forward to! I used to go to Santa Croce, which was all in Italian, but it was still cool. Now I'm going to go to the Duomo, which is an English mass, but I'll continue to expand my horizons. All of the churches are so magnificent, it's really like a museum..which is why there are so many museums right by!
7. Just hanging out in Florence is really cool. There is so much to see. This weekend I went to the Palazzo Medici..just plain amazing!
8. The drinking laws are so much more lenient, but don't worry, I've been very responsible! :) All of the wines here are great, plus they are not too expensive. It's kind of nice to be able to carry a beer in the street and not need to show any i.d. for purchasing too.
9. I like going to the markets for shopping..makes me feel more Italian :)
10. Nutella is God's gift to me! Haha, really, I have never had it til I've been here, but it is delicious.
11. I feel that no matter where I would live in the city, there is always something to see. The other week, I saw a free outdoor concert, Bandabardo, in the piazza of Santa Croce. It was so cool to see how many people were there! Now living near Piazza Republicca is really cool too. That's the fancy part of town: I'm right by Gucci, Dolce and Gabana, Prada, Armani, Lacoste, all of those cool places.
12. Some things I miss: Of course I miss everyone at home, but some things I miss are Chipotle, Caribou, texting (very expensive here), dryers (like for clothes), Lund, the gym here is very limited.. i don't know..other things like that. And I really really miss American breakfasts! Breakfast being my favorite meal is definitely not the same here. (When I come back, I plan on having bacon every day for at least a week, as I thought I bought bacon, but it was really pork chops or something :p)
13. I like traveling..and it's cool to walk everywhere (my only form of exercise! :p) However, crossing the streets is not fun..but I've learned to be quick to avoid colliding with cars!
1. First of all, I'm moving in with an Italian family! I'm kind of excited for this, as I think it will be a great chance to improve my Italian/cooking as well as learn more about the culture. Their apartment is awesome! It's decked out with all this art that he paints, and it's just really cool!
2. While my cooking abilities are still quite low, I have noticed that even the sauce at the grocery store is so much better than anything in the USA, haha, really it is so good!
3. While I'm not a big coffee person, the coffee here is phenomenal: the cappuccino is perfect temperature..I may become slightly addicted, then return to the low class stuff in the USA..luckily I have Caribou to fall back on :p
4. Gelato (ice cream) ..wow..first, they have an amaretto flavor..which is good..second, cuz i go to this one place all the time, I get free gelato there now! :)
5. The guys here: haha enough said. I've never thought I'd say this, but getting hit on here is a little overwhelming! At first, it was very flattering, but I'm getting good at showing un-interest, unless I am really interested,,haha hasn't happened yet!
6. Going to church is something I really look forward to! I used to go to Santa Croce, which was all in Italian, but it was still cool. Now I'm going to go to the Duomo, which is an English mass, but I'll continue to expand my horizons. All of the churches are so magnificent, it's really like a museum..which is why there are so many museums right by!
7. Just hanging out in Florence is really cool. There is so much to see. This weekend I went to the Palazzo Medici..just plain amazing!
8. The drinking laws are so much more lenient, but don't worry, I've been very responsible! :) All of the wines here are great, plus they are not too expensive. It's kind of nice to be able to carry a beer in the street and not need to show any i.d. for purchasing too.
9. I like going to the markets for shopping..makes me feel more Italian :)
10. Nutella is God's gift to me! Haha, really, I have never had it til I've been here, but it is delicious.
11. I feel that no matter where I would live in the city, there is always something to see. The other week, I saw a free outdoor concert, Bandabardo, in the piazza of Santa Croce. It was so cool to see how many people were there! Now living near Piazza Republicca is really cool too. That's the fancy part of town: I'm right by Gucci, Dolce and Gabana, Prada, Armani, Lacoste, all of those cool places.
12. Some things I miss: Of course I miss everyone at home, but some things I miss are Chipotle, Caribou, texting (very expensive here), dryers (like for clothes), Lund, the gym here is very limited.. i don't know..other things like that. And I really really miss American breakfasts! Breakfast being my favorite meal is definitely not the same here. (When I come back, I plan on having bacon every day for at least a week, as I thought I bought bacon, but it was really pork chops or something :p)
13. I like traveling..and it's cool to walk everywhere (my only form of exercise! :p) However, crossing the streets is not fun..but I've learned to be quick to avoid colliding with cars!
pic website
In addition to this site, I'm adding pics to a tumblr:
http://annagoestoitaly09.tumblr.com
http://annagoestoitaly09.tumblr.com
Visiting Pisa and Livorno!
Sorry, I kind of suck at this whole blogging thing. I will get better! So some of the first places outside of Florence I've been to are Pisa and Livorno! Pisa is the home of the leaning tower. It was pretty cool, especially climbing to the top, although it was weird cuz it isn't a straight staircase! It's a cute little city.
After going to Pisa, we went to Livorno, a small town on the Mediterranean Coast! Getting there was an adventure..after taking the train, we took a bus, and I got stuck in the doors! Haha! The beaches in Europe are very different! This isn't a bad thing..but just an observation. While the American beaches are all sand, and pretty much anyone can sit wherever, here there's a very small sand portion, and the rest is reserved for clients, who pay to use chairs. So we all took turns watching our stuff and swimming! The water was gorgeous! It was nice and warm :) It was a really fun day(as we did both Pisa and Livorno in the same day).
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Oh yeah, it's called study abroad :)
I suppose I'm technically here to "study.." forgot about that, just kidding! I am taking 5 classes here, most of which seem pretty interesting. Intro to Renaissance Art is cool because we get to visit all sorts of historic museums and sites in Florence. However, being a large group, our time is very limited. But, there is the Uffizi pass, a card with a set price, that allows for free admission to most of the places, so if I want to go back, I can at my leisure! This is much cheaper than paying each place separately. Some of the places are the Medici Chapels, the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia, and so much more. I'm really excited for it.
My Italian professor is really laid back :) He plays music the whole time. I've learned a lot so far, but I think the structure is a little weird, but the more Italian I know, the better. While most people like restaurants, stores, etc, speak English, I want to improve my Italian, as right now, it still needs quite a bit of improvement.
Cross Cultural Psychology is the one class I'm afraid I won't be able to stay awake in. While the material is interesting, the professor is very slow and sometimes difficult to understand. But I'll keep an open mind, get some cappuccino or something before it, and I'm sure it will be okay!
I'm really excited about the Great Italian Opera Class! The professor is extremely knowledgeable, and she said that we are hoping to see Rigoletto and La Traviata (my favorite!)
History of the Mafia is also pretty cool so far. We started watching some documentaries as well as part of The Godfather, part 2.
The classes here are quite different. They meet 2.5 hours once a week, except for Italian, which is still 2.5 hours, but it's divided between 2 days. Nobody has class on Fridays, which is really nice! I also have no class on Mondays-yes for long weekends! Tuesdays are my busy day: I have art, Italian, and psychology. Wednesdays only the opera class, and Thursdays Italian and history of the mafia class. But so far, I think it should be good!
My Italian professor is really laid back :) He plays music the whole time. I've learned a lot so far, but I think the structure is a little weird, but the more Italian I know, the better. While most people like restaurants, stores, etc, speak English, I want to improve my Italian, as right now, it still needs quite a bit of improvement.
Cross Cultural Psychology is the one class I'm afraid I won't be able to stay awake in. While the material is interesting, the professor is very slow and sometimes difficult to understand. But I'll keep an open mind, get some cappuccino or something before it, and I'm sure it will be okay!
I'm really excited about the Great Italian Opera Class! The professor is extremely knowledgeable, and she said that we are hoping to see Rigoletto and La Traviata (my favorite!)
History of the Mafia is also pretty cool so far. We started watching some documentaries as well as part of The Godfather, part 2.
The classes here are quite different. They meet 2.5 hours once a week, except for Italian, which is still 2.5 hours, but it's divided between 2 days. Nobody has class on Fridays, which is really nice! I also have no class on Mondays-yes for long weekends! Tuesdays are my busy day: I have art, Italian, and psychology. Wednesdays only the opera class, and Thursdays Italian and history of the mafia class. But so far, I think it should be good!
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