Spring Break-Prague

The next morning everyone had class so we explored Prague while the Prague study abroad kids had class. It was absolutely freezing (especially in comparison to Spain) so I was not really in the mood to explore. But we walked around Old Town and went shopping because we finally got to get out of the euro and use crowns (20 crowns=1 us dollar). We ate lunch at some mediterranean restaurant it was ok and then of course got Starbucks. We sat in Starbucks for a while because it was warm and we had some time to kill. Then we met everyone near the clock tower after class and took the subway back to the dorms. After we were all going to go out as a big group the prague kids plus there were a few people aside from Jesnie and I visiting to a Mexican restaurant. But supposably it couldn't fit all of us or there was a long wait. Instead we went out to dinner as a big group to some Italian restaurant. It was okay but Jesnie and I are used to Florence food. Mrs. Russo told me before I left that I was going to become a food snob. Well, its official lol we are all food snobs.

The next day we went out with everyone to get Mexican food at a different restaurant. It was really good and nice to eat good Mexican food. I've had it a couple times in Europe and none of it was really that great. Then we went to Prague castle with Sandhya because she doesnt have class on Wednesdays. We climbed this hill/mountain through this really adorable neighborhood to get to the castle. There were really pretty views of the city and also we saw Prague's mini version of the eiffel tower. Once we finally got to the top we walked past the guards and found the really pretty cathedral in the middle of the castle. Unfortunately it was too late and it was closed so we couldn't go inside. Then we were walking around for like an hour trying to find 'the castle'. Vidur kept asking people where the castle was and they all kept giving us random directions. Turns out there isn't really a castle. The castle is the church surrounded by this complex of buildings. Hilarious. We kept asking people where the castle was when we were in fact in it. Then we took the tram down to Charles Bridge which is supposed to be one of the oldest bridges in Europe. I dont know it was pretty though and full of vendors selling different things. Then I found another Starbucks got coffee and then we went back to the dorm so Sandhya could study for her exam. A lot of people had Thursday exams so we just chilled in the dorm that night. We tried to go out for Czech food for dinner but it was closed so we ended up eating Chinese food lol.

The next day we had lunch with Kaitlyn at an Indian restaurant in the mall. Then Kaitlyn went to class and Jesnie and I shopped at the mall for a little bit. It was weird to see like a real mall and we actually really liked it. On like the third floor I found a Starbucks again. I think I got my share of Starbucks to hold me over for the next couple weeks until I get to Paris to get it again. Then we left the mall to go back and explore Old Town again. It was really nice out so it was really enjoyable to explore this time. We went into the big church in the main square and then we paid to go to the top of the bell tower. The bell tower was actually really cool and we got to see the whole city and take pictures. On the hour there is a small show thing from the clock. These statues pop out and then the man at the top plays the trumpet. A ton of people stick around to see it but it's actually really lame. But after the little show we went to the market to buy souvenirs and stuff until they got out of class. Then we met everyone near the NYU buildings and took the subway back to the dorm. Everyone was really excited to be on Spring Break. For dinner we went to dinner at a really nice Thai place together again as a big group.

Our flight left super early that morning so we had to catch a cab at 4 am to get our 6 am flight. Then we landed in Milan at 7:30 and got into the city center around 8:30 am. Jesnie and I were going to spend the day in Milan and explore but we were way too tired. So we changed our train ticket to an earlier time and then went to the main piazza near the duomo. We took some pictures got some croissants and cappuccinos and then headed back to the train station. The train was about 4 hrs back to Florence because we took the slow one. It actually felt really good to be back 'home' in Florence. I just threw my stuff on the ground and fell asleep. Both of us slept most of the day. We woke up eventually because we were starving. We got pizza at our favorite place right around the corner.

Overall a very successful spring break. We got to see so many of our friends which made it so much fun. It was so relaxing and just simply wonderful. So blessed!

Spring Break- Barcelona

Spring break=amazing. I was able to meet up with so many different people it was wonderful and on top of that I got to visit Barcelona and Prague (or Praga in Italian or Praha in Czech). Barcelona might be my favorite place that I've visited so far it was so beautiful and there was so much to see and do.

So Thursday was my Marketing and Italian midterm both which were very easy and required little studying. This week of midterms was the most stress-free thing ever. Amazing. Friday morning we were all up at 6 am to fly to Barcelona. Ali and Cassandra our suitemates other flight had got cancelled so they decided to fly with us on our Friday flight to Barcelona. The Italians had planned a strike later Friday afternoon so a lot of flights, trains, etc. got cancelled. Luckily we were out of Italy in time to avoid all of that. Our train left at 6:57 am to Pisa and then from Pisa centrale we had to transfer to the airport train to Pisa airport. I had a little trouble fitting my bag in the carry-on thing but luckily we managed to squish it in. Ryan air is a budget airline and they are ridiculous about everything and charge you for everything. So I only packed a carry-on for the whole 7 day spring break because I didnt want to pay a ridiculous luggage fee. My bag was slightly overpacked but Ryan-air makes these tiny little boxes that you have to fit your carry-on in and if doenst fit you have to check your bag for something ridiculous like 40 euro. Also you dont get a purse and a carry-on you can only have strictly one bag so you'll have to shove your purse in your carry-on . Regardless after a lot of effort we managed to get in so I didnt have to pay. Then of course the flight was delayed by like 30 min which actually wasnt that bad but it felt like forever. The flight went really well actually. I wrote in my journal most of the time. (I bought a new one from the leather market. :-) ) When we arrived we were actually in Girona, it's an airport outside the city where the budget air lines travel to. So then we had to catch a bus into Barcelona city center. On the bus Cassandra and I looked through all of our guide books and maps to figure out what we wanted to do in Barcelona which helped make the 75 min bus ride go a little bit faster. Finally by 2 pm we arrived in Barcelona. Unfortunately it was kind of cold but we were all excited to be in Spain. Ali and Cassandra went to go get food but the rest of us Vinh, Jesnie, Valentina and I went to meet Katie and Joe at the apartment. We rented an apartment for the 6 of us to stay in for the weekend. It was actually much cheaper than getting a hotel and the same price as a hostel. The man was waiting at the apartment with Kaite and Joe when the rest of us arrived to show us everything, to give us our keys and also to collect the money. I was a little worried about the apartment situation but it actually worked out really great. The pictures online definitely made it look a lot bigger and nicer than it actually was but it was perfect for what we needed. Well we were all starving and were excited to be in a big city with all the food chains and something other than Italian. Florence really only has pizza and pasta and you really can't find anything else. Sounds dumb to complain about but you do get sick of it. So Katie and Joe had already been in Barcelona for the day so they already knew where some stuff was and they led us to Hard Rock Cafe to get food. Yes, I know why would you eat at Hard Rock in Spain? When you dont get American food for 2.5 months you miss it. On the walk to Hard Rock we ran into Starbucks. I wish I had my reaction on camera, it was so exciting. Of course I made everyone stop because I was way too excited. Then we finally made it to Hard Rock where we had to wait forever and DFB met us there. It was very exciting for so many people to be in Barcelona. After Hard Rock we walked down La Rambla which is this crazy street where all these people dress in the strangest costumes and want you to pay them money to take pictures with. Also they sell all sorts of animals on the street. You can get rabbits, mice, pigeons (yeah or you could just take one walking down the street), chicks, hens, birds, fish..anything really. I heard you could get monkeys but I'm pretty sure that's a lie. After we walked down La Rambla we went to the market where they had all this amazing fresh fruit and other foods. We got fruit smoothies that were absolutely amazing. Then after the market we bought Dunkin Donuts which is called Dunkin Coffee in Spain(yes all we do is eat, we are ridiculous). The doughnuts were actually different which was disappointing but they also had a lot of amazing new flavors. Then DFB brought us back to his brother's apartment (his brother lives and works in Barcelona). We got to go out on the terrace which overlooks Barcelona it was really really pretty. Then the rest of us left to go back to our apartment and take a siesta. However, we never really ended up taking a nap just eating our doughnuts and relaxing in the living room. Then DFB walked over to our apartment and we met up with Ali and Cassandra again at a Mexican restaurant for dinner. Yeah, I'm not exactly sure why we ate Mexican in Spain but it was fun nonetheless and the restaurant was decorated fun and had live musicians.

The next day we woke up and got Starbucks obviously. Then we met Ali and Cassandra again at Sagrada Familia which is a famous church in Barcelona that is supposably is still being built. It is the only cathedral or something like that not finished. As you walk around the church you can see the different styles and depictions of Jesus and the apostles. We took pictures and then realized that it was actually really hot out so we left to drop off our jackets back in the apartment. Then we hopped back on the subway to Parc Guell which is this really gorgeous park up on the mountain. There are actually many sets of escalators that are installed into the side of the mountain so you can get to the park. They are outside so Im not exactly sure how that works in the rain but thank God they were there. The park was really really nice it had gorgeous views of Barcelona also there were live musicians. In the main part was this huge open circle surrounded by palm trees and these benches made of all mosaics were like built into the cliff. It was really stunning and we took a lot of pictures. There was also like cool caves and landscapes it was really enjoyable. Then we left to have lunch with Cassandra and Ali on La Rambla because they were leaving that night to go to southern spain. We finally ate traditional style Spanish food Tapas and Paella neither of which I liked. But we tried it so whatever. After lunch we headed over to the beach to see the Mediterranean and just walk around. It was too cold to lay out in our bathing suits so we just walked around and of course took more pictures. Then we went to Catedral which is the famous church in Barcelona. The inside is actually open and has trees, swans and a mini pond so it was really really pretty. I just kept saying how amazing it would be to have a wedding there. Then we walked around the area near the church until we found this churro place we had found on google. There was no room in the restaurant so we sat on the sidewalk with our churros and cup of chocolate and ate (again) like savages. Then we headed back over to La Rambla and bought more Dunkin Donuts for breakfast the next morning because Joe, Katie and Valentina all had early morning flights. We again tried to Siesta but ended up just wasting time until dinner. We went to this place near the beach and tried all different types of tapas. This tapas was in a less touristy area so it was much better than the kind we had had for lunch. Milena, Adrianna, and Nina had arrived in Barcelona that day so were waiting to meet up with them. But they were all super jet-lagged and decided to just sleep and meet up with us in the morning.

Sunday morning, Katie and Joe left to go back to Paris and Valentina went to Greece to meet up with some other friends. So in the morning it was just Vinh, Jesnie and I. Somehow we lost power so we had to call the landlord to come and fix it. All I had to do was flip a switch so I felt kinda retarded but whatever it was fine. Then of course we started our day with Starbucks and waited for DFB to meet us there. Then we went back near the beach to meet Adrianna, Milena, and Nina. It was exciting to see them and catch up on everything that is happening back in New York. We tried to take a cable car across the water but it was closed for some reason. So we took the bus across town to go over to the castle. It took us quite sometime to find it but it was worth it. We actually took a different cable car up to the castle and then got to see some really pretty views of Barcelona and the water. Of course we again took a bunch of pictures but then we all got really hungry. So we took the cable car back down and found a place in the main square Plaza Catalunya to get lunch. I was a little skeptical to eat on the square but it turned out to be really good and I had the most amazing goat cheese salad. After Vinh, Jesnie and I went back to the apartment and this time we really took a siesta. Then the girls stopped over to see our apartment and we all hung out for a little bit. We had had a really late lunch so we didnt hungry until late but because it was sunday everything was closed. So we ended up walking to McDonalds to get food. McDonalds menu is also slightly different in each country and this McDonalds had toblerone McFlurry which was delicious.

Vinh left early Monday morning so now it was just Jesnie and I in the apartment. We made sure everything was clean and put away and then waited for the landlord to come pick up the keys. He came a little earlier than expected but we were basically all packed. Then we went to Starbucks for breakfast (yes I'm obsessed). After Starbucks we went to meet DFB at his brother's apartment where we put our luggage for the day. Then the 3 of us went down to the beach area (Barceloneta) to rent bikes. It was absolutely gorgeous out and it was only 6 euro to rent the bikes for 2 hrs. So we rode all along the beach and then down over near the port. We tried to go near La Ramba but there were too many people. Then we had lunch outside and tried to tan lol. After Jesnie and I bought some souvenirs and headed back to DFB's brother's apartment. We got our suitcases and then headed to Plaza Catalunya to catch the bus. It was right there when we arrived so we said good bye really quick to DFB and were off. The bus only took like 20 min because we were flying out of the real Barcelona airport. The line was super short to check in but we got nervous because our bags were being weighed on this airline. Luckily the lady was super nice and let me go. I was 1 kg over the limit. :-/ Then we flew from Barcelona to Prauge the flight was 2 hrs and we landed around 11:30 pm. The metros in Prague and most of Europe close at midnight so we had to take a taxi from the airport to Sandhya and Kaitlyn's dorm. It was really nice to travel from main airport to main airport and with cabs instead of all these connecting buses and trains. It was very exciting to see everyone but we were all pretty tired by the time we got to Prague and they had midterms in the morning so we all just went to sleep.

Blog about Prague later! :-) All the Barcelona and Prague pictures are on facebook.

Time for Spring Break

Sorry, I have not posted anything in a while. Last week, we took a break from the travels and stayed in Florence to try and study for midterms. That did not exactly happen but it was a good thought and it also helped save some money, which disappears faster and faster everyday. We did do a day trip to Modena with NYU it is where balsamic vinegar is made. However, we did not go to some factory with big machines mass producing vinegar. No. The group of 20 NYU kids were invited into this Italian lady's home who we just called Nonna. She was 83 years old, looked absolutely amazing and was wonderful to talk to, she really made me miss Grandma Mellace. Everyone was like omg, its the Italian grandmother I never had and I was like no wrong I have one and I miss her. Anyway she maid a pumpkin risotto with her famous balsamic vinegar, some pizzas, and a strange cake. They also had parmesan cheese drenched in balsamic that were delicious. So anyway after lunch and her speaking Italian to use. Most of us just smiling and nodding our heads, the rest of us kinda understanding what she said. Her daughter who is like our parents age brought us up to the attic where "Nonna" had been making vinegar for decades. It has to be in the attic because the vinegar is best when the climate has really really cold winters and then really really hot summers. The vinegar is particularly good in Modena because of its strange extremes. You could smell the vinegar as you began to climb the stairs. She is one of a group of 33 master tasters that began to make balsamic vinegar tradizionale. She has a special license and everything for it that is very hard to get. Her vinegar is made in these huge barrels that have been used to make vinegar for over a 100 years. The vinegar sits and just becomes richer and richer. You don't pour it on things like typical vinegar, it is really thick with a super strong taste. We got to try spoonfuls of 10 year old vinegar and then 25 year old vinegar. Both were absolutely phenomenal. The tiny bottles of it were over 40 euro each so I didn't buy any. However, I was really tempted and it was a really unique experience. Other than that the weekend was pretty chill. I spent a lot of time at Mama's Bakery which is this place that has bagels and American coffee attempting to study for marketing. Overall it was just me spending money and eating American food with American size calories.

During the dreaded 'midterm' week almost all classes were cancelled and instead we had a few one hour exams we had to take. It was the most stress free and easy midterm week of my life. The exams were so simple and our teachers basically told us exactly what would be on the exam before we took it with no added . I did study a little bit more for Marketing but even that exam was only 70 multiple choice questions and involved no math. So basically I'm in love with life here. Even the difficult things are stress free and simple. After exams we went to the leather market and I finally bought a journal to document my travels. I have my blog but I wanted to do something a little bit more personal. Also got a leather bag that is smaller and better for traveling and to avoid pick pocketers. Then we came home and packed a weeks worth of clothes for spring break in a small duffle bag that I'm praying will meet the airline requirements. For dinner we got Gusta Pizza and Gelato because our fridge is empty because we are all leaving for spring break.

Tomorrow I'm up bright and early to go to BARCELONA! Katie and Joe are already there waiting for us all to arrive. The NYU kids are coming from New York city, DFB lands tomorrow too and then the girls, Milena, Adriana and Milena are arriving Saturday. It is going to be the most amazing time ever. I CANNOT WAIT! We have a 3 bedroom apartment for some us that has a kitchen and wifi and washer machine, everything so excited. Then we are heading off to Prague Monday for the rest of the week to visit all the study abroad kids there. Pray for safe travels and for good weather! The Italians are holding a bus, plane, and train protest later in the afternoon tomorrow so also pray that we avoid that and can get to Barcelona on time. It is going to be the most fun Spring Break ever and just add to the amazingness of my already wonderful life. So blessed!

Love and miss everyone. Can't wait to blog post-spring break travels. :-)