Paris!

Even before everyone had gotten their study abroad results and plans confirmed. We had all agreed to celebrate Vinh's birthday in Paris. What's the 4-1-1? Vinh's birthday. He had it in our heads before we ever left for Europe. Well it actually happened. Sabira our friend studying abroad in London was on her spring break so she came to Florence to visit for a few days. Then we all flew from Florence (well Pisa) to Paris together. We wanted to maximize our time in Paris so we took a Thursday night evening plane. This required missing Italian which is kinda risky because we have a very strict attendance policy. They have to have one otherwise no one would go ever because classes here a joke. But anyway I told Massimo (my Italian teacher who is so much fun) that I was going to Paris and that I wouldn't be able to come to class. He told me "exception, tell no one...shhh!" So I sent him my homework via e-mail and he gave me a 94 on a project I wasnt even there for. I love Massimo! We had a field trip for marketing that morning. So Jesnie and I went to it. It was actually at the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum right across the bridge from my apartment so it worked out great. We brought our backpacks for the weekend to the museum and then left a little early to catch our bus to the airport. The museum was kind of interesting actually they had like the mold used for Audrey Hepburn and Drew Barrymore's foot to make Ferragamo shoes. But it was a little too long and after a while Jesnie and I were too anxious to get to Paris to pay attention.

It ended up working fine for us and we made it to the airport with the perfect amount of time to grab some food. But then our flight was delayed so it was just kind of annoying. This was our first time flying EasyJet airlines. I really enjoyed it because we didnt have to check-in at all. We just walked through security no one checked the size of our bags we just walked right through. I also fell asleep for the entire flight. I fell asleep before we took off and didnt wake back up until the plane hit the ground, it was perfect. At the airport Vinh's cousin picked us up. Vinh actually has a lot of family in Paris. His cousin drove a really nice Mercedes. It felt so nice to be in a car again but the Mercedes made it a million times better. So his cousin drove us to Katie's homestay where Vinh and I dropped off our stuff. Then Katie brought us to meet up with Katlin where Sabira and Jesnie dropped off their stuff. Then all of us went to this fondue place. It was a really small place but it was a lot of fun. They had HUGE pots of cheese fondue with endless amounts of french baguette to dip in it. Then they gave us bowls of meat where we cooked ourselves in this boiling hot oil mixture. There were also these different sauces to dip the steak in. When we were there (mind you this place is VERY tiny and not that well-known) in walks Julie Olney (who is studying abroad in Paris) with some of her friends that were visiting her from a different study abroad Florence program. So in the middle of no where in Paris the two Roman girls were in the same place. It was so crazy that we ended up in this same restaurant at the same time. We exchanged the latest updates we had from home. I was just in shock the whole night that we met up. After I got a nutella crepe, I had been waiting forever to get one from Paris and then we all went home.

The next morning I woke up and got to meet all of Katie's host family. We were staying in Katie's room but she lives with the most amazing french family ever. The Mom said my name..Jen-nee-fair in her French accent. It was so beautiful I was obsessed. She was also so classy and nice and was excited to have us in her home. She spoke some English so it wasn't that hard to communicate with her. I met her host sister who is about 16 years old and then her host brother who is in 6th grade. Her host brother is absolutely adorable I wanted to bring him home. He has huge blue eyes and so sweet. He just started learning English this year in school so when he woke up he said Good morning and used the few words that he knew. The whole family though was just so welcoming and nice.

We got up and showered grabbed croissants at the bakery near her homestay and headed over to Notre Dame to meet Jesnie and Sabira. We were there early so there was no line and we got to walk right in. It was interesting to be back, the last time I was there was with Sound of America performing a concert. In fact it was the concert Marina passed out. I walked through again pointing out to everyone...ooo look here's where Marina fainted.

outside of Notre Dame. :-)

Then after Notre Dame we went to meet Mike and Joe. They wanted to meet us in Paris but their flight didnt arrive until Friday morning. We helped them find their hotel and check-in. In the meantime we went and bought stuff for our picnic at Versailles. We got huge French baguettes and packed them in a bag as well as some fruit and 5 or 6 different types of cheese. Then we met back up with Mike and Joe and got on the train to Versailles. We walked to the back of the palace to the gardens where we had our very French picnic. The bread and cheese were absolutely amazing. It was so classy and wonderful. The weather was perfect it was gorgeous. Also, versailles is like one of my favorite places ever. After our picnic we all fell asleep in the grass for a few minutes. See Mom and Dad I'm not the only one who naps.

Picnic!

Gardens at Versailles, near where we had our picnic.

Jumping pictures at the gardens!

Eventually we got up, took pictures in the garden and then got up to tour the palace. The palace is supposed to be free because we are students in the European Union but because our visas aren't for a full 6 months they made us pay. The French are very particular and most definitely not the nicest people in the world. Anyway it was worth it because Versailles is just simply gorgeous. However, after our very long picnic it was kinda late and they were closing so we did not have much time. I've been before so it didnt really matter to me but I think we managed to see it all before we left. Then we got back on the train to get back into Paris. Our next stop was the Eiffel Tower. The lines were of course out of control but Sabira, Jesnie and Joe had never been to the top. You can't go to Paris and not climb the Eiffel Tower so we decided to get in line and deal with it. Vinh, Katie and Mike opted out of climbing the tower because they've done it before and didn't want to pay again. I've done it before too but I didn't want to just wait outside so I paid to do it again. The lines getting in the elevator on the way up weren't too bad but the way down was long. We planned it perfectly so the sun was setting as we were getting to the top. So we got views of it in both daylight and at night. Also while we were in it, the lights turned on and did the little twinkle thing, so it was fun. We got stuck in a long line on the way down and conveniently there was a Ben & Jerry's on that platform. So I ate Ben & Jerry's while I waited to get down, so not ok. I need to stop eating. When we finally got down Mike, Katie and Vinh were very much ready to go. Everyone was ready to get dinner but it had gotten kinda of late so we decided to do something quick and cheap. We went over near Katlin's apartment because they have a lot of really good crepe places over there. So for dinner we got savory crepes. I got one with some French cheese, onions and peppers. It was absolutely delicious, like phenomenal. I believe we also got a sweet crepe but I'm not quite sure. All I know is I ate a lot of crepes while in Paris, it was a little out of control.

The next day we all agreed to meet at the Louvre early in the morning. We get in free because we are students so that is really nice. I'm not really into art at all so not having to pay for it was definitely a plus. Katie gave us the quick tour through because she's done it so many times before to all the most famous pieces of art. Which was perfect because none of us really wanted to spend an excessive amount of time there. Jesnie and Sabira actually did want to spend some quality time there so we split off from them. They used their guide book to look at everything and then Katie, Vinh and I brought Joe and Mike to see Notre Dame because they missed it the morning before. The line was too long this time though so we didnt go back inside. The inside in my opinion is not that exciting. I think it is much nicer on the outside. So they wandered around the church looking at it while I sat in front. My feet did not do well in Paris and I was in a lot of pain so I sat trying to fight off all the gypsies. Then we got sandwiches from a stand outside Notre Dame, mine was called a croque-monsieur I think. They put the ham and some sauce inside the bread but the cheese on the outside of the bread. It was really delicious whatever it was. Then we met back up with Jesnie and Sabira at the catacombs. So supposably for sanitary reasons they cleaned out the French cemeteries and put all the bones underground in this one spot in Paris. The boys all wanted to see it and we kind of got dragged along. We went deep underground like walked a long time farther and farther into these dark tunnels. It was weird, it kind of felt like a disney world ride but the bones were actual real. We got yelled at for taking pictures with the flash. I'm not really sure why they were concerned with a flash wearing away at the bones, aren't they rotting anyway? Anyway we finished with that and went to the church called sacre coeur. It is a really really pretty white church near the place we got cheese fondue. Before climbing up to the church we got crepes. This time mine had banana, nutella, almonds, and whip cream. It was absolutely delicious. Then we were heading up the stairs and Katie warned us of these people that try to tie bracelets on your arms and then you have to pay for them. I was like whatever we'll be fine. No, these people were crazy. We literally had to put our hands in our pocket and shove them off us. They were out of control. Then these other people tried to get us to sign a petition and one of the ladies tried to steal Jesnie's crepe. These Paris gypsies are CRAZY. Anyway we finally made it to the top of the stairs to the church. It was really beautiful and kinda different from the other churches around Paris/Europe. Then to the left of the church is a nice little area where you can see a nice view of Paris and the eiffel tower. Oh yeah, the church is on top of a hill so you can see almost all of Paris so it's really really nice. Well then my nose started bleeding for no reason at all. So we decided to sit on the steps of the church until it stopped bleeding. There were tons of people hanging out on the stairs and all sorts of entertainment. There was this man singing with his guitar who was actually pretty good and he got the whole audience singing along with him. BUT more exciting was this amazing soccer juggler who was doing all these crazy tricks. I tried to upload a video but Italian internet won't let me. :-( But he was so amazing! Katie looked him up later and found out he is actually world famous. He was so talented.

After we were extremely entertained by the soccer player we went over to the Moulin Rouge area. Supposably it is really dangerous at night but during the day time it's just a tourist spot. We say the Moulin Rouge with the windmill thing out front from the movie. Then I got Starbucks and we went home to take a nap and change before dinner for Vinh's birthday. All of us met back up at the Arc De Triomphe to take pictures before the sunset.

Then we had dinner at Laudrée it the most amazing place ever. Melissa told me to go to get pastries here the first time I went to Paris and I have yet to stop talking bout them since I was in Paris 3 years ago. They are just beyond amazing, simply incredible. But this time we decided to go big and get the full dinner. The restaurant itself is like a mini mansion and it is decorated in the most classy way ever. Katie and I made everyone go to the bathroom just because the upstairs is so amazing. My first course was this butternut squash soup. Then I got this chicken and wild mushroom dish that was served on top of the most amazing buttery croissant. After was dessert which Vinh's was served with a cute little candle. I got the raspberry pastry thing that I remember o so well from the last time I was at Laudrée. It was just as delectable as I remembered it. Then we also got two macaroons. By this point I literally felt like I was going to explode but it was all just so amazing. Just the fact that we all had dinner at Laudrée on the Champs de Elysee was an unreal experience. It was the perfect way to start off Vinh's birthday.

Then we ran to the subway so that we could be out before midnight. We got off in front of the pyramid at the Louvre which was lit up all nice at night and at midnight we sang Happy Birthday to Vinh in multiple languages. The eiffel tower then also went off. The lights all flash which I think is really pretty and I thought looked like a big birthday candle. Cheesy but it was a great addition to our fabulous evening.

Us outside of Laudrée before dinner.

Vinh's birthday dessert.

The next morning Sabira, Joe and Mike had to catch early flights back home. Vinh went to meet up with his family. They took him out for lunch and made him a cake for his birthday. While Vinh was his family Jesnie, Katie and I went to the Paris Opera house. It was the opera house that Phantom of the Opera is based off of so I really wanted to go. Last time we came to Paris we tried to go but it had already closed so I wanted to make sure I saw it this time. It was actually really really beautiful. They claim there is actually a small lake underneath but they don't let you see it and I'm not sure I believe it. After Jesnie and Katie got French onion soup and I got a goat cheese salad at a café. Then we said bye to Katie and thanked her for the most amazing weekend. It really was flawless and simply wonderful. Then Jesnie and I got a train to meet Vinh who was with his family who also bought us Vietnamese sandwiches (they are so good and we used to get them in nyc all the time). Another one of his cousins drove us to the airport which was really nice of them because this airport was about an hour and a half outside of Paris. We all fell asleep on the way. Once we got to the airport we checked in and then ate our Vietnamese sandwiches. Then we flew home. Again I fell asleep on the entire flight, I am starting to get really good at that. Then we arrived in Pisa and caught the bus back to Florence. I was wide awake on the bus from all the sleeping I had previously done. So the bus ride home I spent realizing what little time I had left of study abroad. It made me so upset I was about to cry the whole way home.

From then on that's all I think about. Anytime anyone mentions going home, I'm that girl that's on the verge of tears making everyone else upset. I don't want this fairy tale of a lifestyle to end.

Buona Pasqua-Easter Dinner.

Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Luke 24:46-47

Easter dinner made everyone a little sad. Usually we are all with our families, cousins, relatives, neighbors, etc. to celebrate and to be together. However, seeing we are all 4,00 miles or more from home that was not exactly an option. To me it seemed like the perfect opportunity for an Easter dinner party. So I invited everyone on facebook but only a few people seemed to be interested. So Victoria and I sat down and made a menu for about 10 people figuring we were overestimating by a lot. We were in Venice all day on Saturday and knew that most grocery stores would be closed on Easter so we asked Krysten if she could go for us on Saturday. She willingly agreed and ended up carrying enough groceries for all of us from the store all by herself. Her arms have bruises on them from how heavy the bags were. I felt awful and told her she should have gotten a cab and added it to the grocery bill. So after word got out that we were cooking Easter dinner our head count grew exponentially to 17 people. Victoria and I were very concerned we weren't going to have enough food so we went and found a small deli that was open and was able to grab a few more things. The menu was lasagna, baked ziti (vegetarian version), salad, garlic bread and tiramisu for dessert. Earlier that day our PA Antonio came up and taught us how to make tiramisu. It is actually fairly easy especially in Italy where all the ingredients are really accessible. Then I cut up 5 loaves of garlic bread and then Mary and Danielle buttered them. Finally I seasoned them with a plethora of seasonings. I also cut up veggies to add to the salad and then we got ready to tackle the big project, the lasagna. None of us actually knew how to make lasagna and all tried calling home to Moms, grandmothers, grandfathers, Dads, uncles but no one picked up. Everyone was either out at church, or still sleeping because of the time difference or just not picking up. Finally I got a hold of my Grandpa Hoehn who ensured us that we were in fact doing it right. We made one big tray and one small tray of lasagna and then made two trays of baked ziti as well. Vinh, Victoria, Paul, and I did most of the cooking. And a few other people helped cook some of the other food in the kitchen downstairs because it wouldn't all fit in our oven. Finally at around like 9 pm all 17 of us were there with hot food ready to eat like one big family. I led everyone in grace thanking Jesus for Easter day the food and our wonderful times together (even though there were multiple religions represented) I felt it was necessary, it was Easter dinner after all.

Then slowly in shifts people split up washing the dishes and we served the tiramisu. Also everyone paid Krysten back for groceries and most of us put in a few extra for her labor. So 17 people ate for only 4-5 euro each. The dinner ran so smoothly and it was just really wonderful. Also, I now know that I am capable of throwing a 17 person dinner party. It was no substitute to being with our families but it was a great way for us to spend time together and celebrate Easter.

Only one table at Easter dinner.

The main chefs.

Florentine Adventures Mary and Jen style

So during the week we didn't have much time to sight see because I had class. Also the hour commute back and forth eats up the day very quickly. Monday we stopped at Mama's for breakfast (naturally) and headed up to campus early so I could show Mary around. Vinh and I gave her a quick tour and then Mary had the joy of experiencing what we call "Death Valley" across campus to get to Villa Ulivi. Waiting for us at Ulivi was hot nutella croissants!!!! I think they made Mary a little sick so she wasn't as obsessed with them as the rest of us crazy NYU kids are. Mary sat in the cafe while I went to Italian for an hour. Then we moved outside on this big stone table to do try and do work and upload pictures from Staletti. It was a beautiful day and it was so great to be outside but unfortunately the peace to not last long. First the drawing class decided to come outside and we thought we had to move. However the teacher was nice and said we weren't in the way at all. Also Vinh is in that class so he just drew while Mary and I failed at trying to get work done. But then the Music kids came out and decided to try and sight read outside. So we had the joy of listening to 15 music kids sing random notes for a solid hour. It was awful but really provided Mary with a 'true' NYU experience. Then we caught the bus home and stopped at McDonalds because we were starving, I know pathetic but I can't help it. I miss America sometimes. We had originally planned to go out to eat but instead decided to make dinner with some people from downstairs.

Tuesday we wanted to wake up early but ended up sleeping and stopping at the Oil Shoppe for lunch. Since there were so many of us we decided to cab it to campus. It was such an amazing feeling to not have to walk but it's too expensive for it to be an option again. Then Mary did work while I went to Italian and then we came right home because we wanted to climb the duomo. It was raining though and we wanted our pictures to be really nice so we decided to wait and instead we just got gelato and came home. Then we met up with Pratik and some of the other London kids that were visiting Florence and went to Il Gatto e La Volpe one of our favorite pasta places for dinner. They also have that amazing balsamic vinegar to dip the bread in..perfection. After dinner a lot of us had to go to a Marketing night lecture at a FIAT show room where this lady talked up FIATs and her business. During the lecture she let us sit inside the FIATs but I was dumb and chose to sat in the backseat. There is NO room in those little cars so my legs were numb by the time her presentation was over. After our lecture a bunch of us got together to go to this place where a Beatles cover band comes every Tuesday night. It is really funny these Italians try to be the Beatles and they actually are really good. Mary loves the Beatles so I figured it would be a fun/random activity.

Wednesday I had politics early in the morning so Mary slept in and walked to campus with Jesnie. After Italian I had to stay on campus until 6 pm for a marketing lecture so Mary and I devoted the day to catching up on work. Mary wrote her whole paper. I was proud to have got some things done although I was not as productive as her. Then we came home and got Gusta Pizza, my favorite pizza place in all of Italy. That night I asked them if they had onions and would put them on my pizza. Perfection, so delicious. We just sort of relaxed the rest of the evening and planned out our weekend.

Thursday everyone has class early in the morning and then Italian until 2:45 pm. So Mary decided to stay home and explore Florence a little on her own while we were in class. Then after I got back from class we went to get some coffee from Mama's because I was exhausted and Mary got a bagel. All of a sudden while sitting in the bagel shop the nice sunshine went away and hail chunks started falling. We were like umm, ok and waited inside of the coffee shop for a little bit until the sun came back out again. Then we headed over to the Boboli gardens which were really stunning and I got to get in free with my student museum pass. Unfortunately I thought my camera was broken so I didnt get to take any pictures. Aside from the gardens being really nice the view of Florence were really awesome and Mary got some great pictures. Then we crossed the Ponte Vecchio and looked in all the gold shops at really nice jewelry that we could not afford. We also did some normal shopping and Mary got some things and discovered Zara, which is in the USA but really big in Europe. We also went to the Leather Market with the Boar. Supposably the story goes that if you rub its snout you will someday return to Florence. So we took the touristy pictures with the pig and then moved on to the big leather market near Mercato Centrale.

We were casually walking through the market and I was on my phone when all of a sudden Mary disappeared. I was like where'd mary go? And some street vendor was like your friend? and I was like yes Dove la mia amica? He goes oh this way I'll take you. So we walked arm and arm down the street to find Mary who had been convinced by some other Italian man to try on coats in his store. I am laughing and speaking in Italian to them. They were very excited and I hoped this would get Mary a better deal. Then we found out the lady working in the store has family in Calabria and I'm Calabrese and everyone was excited. And it was just chaos and happening so fast. Then next thing we know Mary's coat got reduced because she's student, then because I'm italian, then probably another discount because she is beautiful and then more because she paid with cash. After 5 min of commotion and laughter Mary had a new Florentine leather jacket. It was great. Then we had to go back to other street vendor's store who had helped me find Mary. He tried to convince me to buy a jacket but I told him that I could not buy one today that I needed my money to go to Paris and London (all in Italian, my Italian is finally starting to kick-in). Then I told him I'd come back so he gave me a business card and then asked me if we wanted to go out that night. I kindly replied no and Mary and I ran down the street to escape before we got ourselves in more trouble. That night we went to our other favorite pizza place because it's so cheap A Casa Mia and I got the most amazing Calzone. The cheese inside was so fresh it was absolutely delicious. It was very eventful day, to say the least.

Friday we woke up and got ready to try and do all the touristy things in Florence. First we tried to climb the Duomo but it was closed until Monday so we climbed the bell tower instead. It almost worked out better because this way we could get the Duomo in our pictures. However the 414 stairs up was HORRIBLE, I honestly was not sure if I could make it at one point. The stair cases get narrower and narrower as you go up and two people cannot really fit. So as one person is going up the other person has to squish themselves against the wall so one person can get down. We have really great videos of our reactions and heavy panting once we get to the top. So we took nice photos from the top, even though it was cloudy it had a great view of Florence.

Me at the top of the bell tower.
Duomo from the bell tower.

Then once we got to the bottom of the bell tower (it took some time because there is no room for anyone to move) it started pouring rain. So naturally we ran into Ben & Jerry's. Obviously we couldn't resist so we got Ben & Jerry's ice cream on top of a waffle drizzled with chocolate syrup. Needless to say, it was delectable! Then by the time we had finished the ran had stopped completely and the sun was out. So we waited in line at the Duomo, walked in to see the inside and then left to go see the David.

Inside the Duomo.

However when we got to the Academia the line was SO long and probably would have taken hours. Then I realized I could just give Mary my museum card and photo idea. We looked enough alike that she got to cut the line walk in for free, see David and Vinh and I waited for her at the exit. It worked out perfectly. Then we headed back to the leather market. This time no major creepers just a really nice Italian guy that Vinh and I talked to. He led us into his shop which was really nice and had great prices. Also he loved that we were speaking in Italian to him and Vinh ended up with a really great messenger bag. Then we headed over to the train station to get our tickets for Venice the next day. After we took the bus from the train station to Piazza Michelangelo where I think has the best view of the city. There is a fake David there that is green from being out side. So by the time we got there it was still sunny and beautiful outside and the view was AMAZING. It was so beautiful. I took video and pictures but it really doesn't capture how awesome it was.

Mary in front of the fake David.

View from Piazza Michelangelo, told you, its amazing!

Mary and I in Piazza Michelangelo.

Us again.

After we picked up a few groceries in case everything was closed on Easter Sunday and Monday for when we returned from Venice. Then I had to fill out summer housing really quickly because I didnt realize it was due that day and we headed over to Golden View. On the way we ran into a parade of Catholics saying prayers and holding candles for Good Friday. It was actually quite erie. Dinner at Golden View is always nice, it is a restaurant located right on the Arno so it overlooks the water and they usually have live music. After dinner we got gelato of course and went to bed.

The girls in Venice on the gondola ride. :-)

Grand Canal Venice.

Early Saturday morning we woke up to catch our train to Venice. It was awful because the train was overbooked because of the Easter holiday and we had to stand for the first hour long train ride to Bologna. In Bologna we were lucky enough to find seats but the train quickly filled up and was jam packed with people. Also children traveling is AWFUL. Dear parents if you cannot control your children do not travel with them. Love the rest of the world. When we got off the train in Venice it was SO crowded, you could barely move down the streets. The five of us Kara, Victoria, Vinh, Mary and I all were meeting up with Allie and Caroline who also happened to be in Venice that weekend at Hard Rock Cafe. Yes, we miss american food that much. However it look an hour to find Hard Rock and get through the mass amounts of people. Once we all finally got to it they said there was a 90 min wait. So we decided to hop on a gondola ride to kill time. The gondola could only fit 6 so Vinh offered to stay back. The ride was only 30 min but it was really enjoyable and the guy let Mary help steer the gondola. She specifically wore her striped shirt to match the gondoliers so it was absolutely perfect. The guy was great too he gave us random facts about Venice and his life as a gondolier. By the time we finished our ride we got a text from Vinh saying our table was ready so the timing was perfect. We all stared without speaking waiting for the waiter to bring us food, we were pathetic. Then we walked around Piazza San Marco which was unfortunately under construction so it did not have its usual charm. I was sad because I wanted everyone else to be as obsessed with as I am. Then we walked along the water and shopped our way back to the train station. We really didnt have much time in Venice at all but Mary and Victoria picked up some really nice glass things and it was a nice day trip. The train home luckily was not as packed so we could relax and spread out a little bit.

Mary steering the gondola.

Sunday. Buona Pasqua! Easter in a Catholic country is obviously a big deal but don't be fooled Italians are more in it for the ritual and celebration than the holy part. At the Duomo there is a big opening ceremony so we all woke up early and made sure to get their to take part. There were all these people dressed in different outfits in front of the church and then obviously the priests and altar boys in their traditional robes. Then a fake dove comes sky rocketing out of the church which then leads this cart on fire. The cart explodes with different fireworks and then releases a white cloud of smoke, a red cloud of smoke and then a purple cloud of smoke. Also the fireworks last for about 10 min and then I think the entire cart is burned. It was hard to see the cart itself but overall it was cool to see.

Different clouds of smoke in front of the Duomo. Also notice the huge crowd.

Also at the end was a parade with all the people in the strange costumes.

After we tried to escape and get back to the leather market because Mary wanted to pick up a few last things. Trying to push through the crowd we hear someone yelling "permesso, permesso!" I was like honestly is someone trying to push through with all these people? Come to find out there are 2 giant bull/oxen things dressed in flowers just walking through this large crowd of people. There was nothing I could do but laugh. Italy is so unpredictable. The leather market was of course filled with adventures yet again. One man told mary that she was Jennifer Lopez's sister and then stared at her lower half. Also another man told Victoria he'd give her half off of a jacket and something about being her boyfriend. Then we all walked back to Maffia for Easter dinner.

Those cows/bulls/oxen were walking down the street, I found a picture of them outside a restaurant but the ones we saw were way bigger.

Easter dinner will be a separate post! Overall we had an amazing week filled with endless adventures and unexpected people oh and of course a ton of food and gelato. It was truly epic and a lot of fun.

Stalettí -Ask and you shall receive.

So I apologize, I am so far behind on my blog. I am also very behind on my school work and just caught up on job applications. Tonight and tomorrow is going to be a very productive time for me, it has to be.

So rewind to perhaps my most dreaded weekend of the semester. I thought it would be a lot of fun to visit Grandma and Grandpa Mellace's hometown but forgot that there wasn't a wikitravel article to guide me, a map to print off the computer, or a basic public transportation. Also that whatever Italian I ever learned needed to be used 24/7. The whole thing took a lot of phone calls and forced me to drop my usual planner self and just go with the flow. It made me so stressed out but led to one of the most amazing weekends of my entire study abroad experience.

Obviously the plane left a little late, we are in Italy and the Pisa airport is not known for efficiency. But we managed to still get there at the scheduled arrival time which was good. Luciano had called about a half hour before my flight to ensure that it was still on time (this is all in Italian of course). When we landed in Lamezia Terme, the airport that Manuella told us to fly into although I'm not sure exactly where it was especially in relation to Staletti. The sun was shining there were palm trees and the Mediterranean Sea was visible from almost everywhere. We were so excited to be where ever exactly we were. Then we passed through the airport and a man met us with a sign that said "Baia Del Est" the name of the hotel that Luciano works at to drive us to the hotel. We followed the taxi driver and he drove and drove and drove. Finally about one hour and 70 euro later we had arrived at the hotel. The hotel is kind of like a resort that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. When we arrived Luciano was there to greet us and make us some cappuccinos and then show us to our room (all in Italian, just assume that everything is spoken in Italian from this point on). The room was perfect there was one big bed in the main room with the TV for Mary and I and then a small bathroom and then a separate small bedroom for Vinh. The balcony had an amazing view of the sea. However, it was very overcast by the time we got to the hotel and because it was off season there were no guests at the hotel. We were basically stranded on the side of a mountain in this great hotel with the Mediterranean Sea but with no signs of civilization and overcast weather that made everything scary, kinda. We decided to go explore until dinner that Luciano told us would be at 7 pm and he'd bring us to his parents house. We walked down the massive hill/cliff and made our way down to the beach.

We just sorta sat on the beach it was too cold for us to really enjoy it and very overcast. Also on top of this we were starving and did not have any way of finding food. Nothing in the town is open because it is off season and there were no people to be found. Then along comes two guys on the beach picking up sticks and building a campfire. We were just like whatever glad to see that some other people are around. All of a sudden one of the guys stopped and said OMG are you guys speaking English? We were like ummm... yes... He was in shock he could not believe there were Americans in Staletti and from that point on we realized everyone in Staletti was going to be amazed by our presence there of all places. He asked us what we were doing here and we explained that my family lived here and that we were staying in the hotel on the side of the mountain. Come to find out him and his friend are culinary students at the hotel Luciano

runs. They pay money to come to Staletti to learn Italian cooking and then return home which for them was Canada or Mexico to be chefs. Both of them were seemed rather bored and unhappy with the program and were excited to speak to other English people. So then I asked them if they knew anywhere we could get food and they said their was a McDonalds in the next town over that was connected to a grocery store. We asked if we could walk but they said it would take about 2 hours, I thought about calling a cab but realized that I didnt have any cab numbers. Then they offered to drive us. All of us were very skeptical about the situation and Mary and Vinh were pretty sure we were plotting our own murder. But in the end it was an adventure and it was totally fine. McDonalds has never tasted better and I have a new outlook on McDonalds. If they can survive and have a location in Staletti they certainly know something about business. After McDonalds we went to the grocery store that was conveniently attached behind it to grab some snacks and food to live off for the weekend for the meals not pre-arranged. Well instead we just explored and ended up with water, a box of crackers, and a thing of cookies. Fail, like how dumb are we? Why wouldnt we have gotten real food to live off? Whatever it worked out fine. Then they guys drove us back to the hotel where we found out we all lived and we got ready to go to dinner with Luciano.

Luciano actually had to stay at the hotel so he introduced us to Diego who drove us up to his parents house, Antoinette and Salvatore. The car ride up the hill was insane going back and forth, back and forth to get even farther up the cliff than our hotel. About 10 min later we arrived at the house where we were greeted by a tiny tiny old Italian lady, Antionette. She had pizzas prepared for us and we politely sat down in the kitchen. Then slowly from different doors and bedrooms 3 more pizzas appeared along with various family members. The dinner started off very quiet and awkward but slowly I started to use my Italian to have some conversations. Also the two little children were providing us with entertainment in return for our attention. Eventually Vinh decided he was going to use the little Italian he learned to try and join the conversation. Within a few short hours our Italian sky rocketed about 5 levels. This was not Florence and no one spoke a word of English. So it was either learn fast or sit their in silence and confusion. Of course I was not going to just be quiet so I used what I knew and it was a lot of fun. Then Salvatore asked us if we wanted to go out with Diego to see the town and hang out with the young people. After our adventure this morning we were up for another adventure. So Diego drove us down the hill and brought us to a Pub type place where all the Italian teenagers hang out. He only spoke Italian as well so it was a lot of fun trying to communicate the whole night. When we arrived we soon found out that it was a karaoke place. One of Diego's friends spoke some English and insisted that we do Karaoke and proceeded to give us the list of karaoke songs. Aside from the Italian songs there were actually a lot of English ones. So Mary and I agreed to sing Mambo No. 5 (5th grade talent show song) but half way through Diego's friend cut us off and changed it to Frank Sinatra's New York, New York. Laughing hysterically we proceeded to sing the whole song very off key but had a lot of fun. Then we sat down and kinda of just relaxed while we watched the other Italians sing karaoke. Turns out Italian karaoke is more like a talent show and anyone who sings is actually trying really hard and showing off. Oops. Mary and I did not get that message but it was fun nonetheless. Eventually we got tired and asked Diego to drive us home. He brought us back right away and was really great about making sure we all had fun at karaoke. He also told us to call him the next day if we wanted to do something or if we needed anything.

The next morning we wake up to sun shining into our room and the whole town of Staletti transformed. The water was glistening blue and green and we could see the rocks underneath in some parts. The whole town looked magical not empty and scary. The sun had literally transformed the city and we could have not been more happy. We had said multiple times, it has to be nice out on Saturday it just has to. Quickly we put on bathing suits, grabbed towels and were about to head back down the mountain. Then we realized we needed to eat something before we left. So I went to ask Luciano if there was anything we could eat and some one from the hotel led us into the room where he made us cappuccinos and they had our favorite nutella croissants, regular croissants, and juice. Ask and you shall receive. So now that we were fed and content we walked down the mountain to the beach where we laid out all day relaxing in the sunshine. It could not have been more perfect, the whole beach was ours. Everyday in Florence I had been saying how I wanted to just be tan and visit somewhere with a beach because everywhere we visit our cities. Well, ask and you shall receive. Three hours later we decided to climb back up the hill to find food. Feeling a little sunburnt I could not have been happier. I again went to ask Luciano if there was somewhere we could find lunch nearby or for a cab number to bring us to a restaurant. He told us to go to our rooms and that he'd come get us in like 15 min. About 5 min, our doorbell rings and a hotel worker has a basket of paninis and appetizers for us. Ask and you shall receive. It was so perfect. So we sat on our balcony eating lunch overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Then we all showered and go ready for Ornella and Rosario to come pick us up.

Ornella went to high school with my parents so conveniently she spoke English and gave us a break from our very Italian filled 24 hours. Her and her husband bought us gelato in a nearby town and we walked along a boardwalk near the beach. It was really beautiful, more developed than where the hotel was. There was a soccer game going on and kids riding bikes it was just really adorable. Then the wind picked up and the sand was blowing so bad we had to run back to the cars. After we got in the car I asked Ornella if we could go visit Manuella and Pepe because I was originally going to stay with them and didnt want to leave without at least saying hi. They also speak some English so it was a little bit easier for Mary and the rest of us to communicate with them. Manuella gave us these really amazing cookies one with cream and chocolate in the middle and the other that tasted like the rosette cookies Grandma makes at christmas. Then Pepe showed us old pictures he had of all the Mellaces, Melissa's wedding, Grandma & Grandpa's Anniversary photo, Jerry's wedding, random other pictures. Vinh and Mary thought it was funny to see us all so little and I promised Pepe I would send him more updated pictures. Not only do we all look different but he's missing a few cousins! Some one remind me when I get back! We also tried this drink that tasted like a carbonated Iced Coffee it was really strange but I kind of liked it. After visiting Manuella, Pepe and all of their kids and grandkids Pepe brought us to see Grandma & Grandpa Mellace's old house. I had mentioned something to Ornella about it and when she mentioned it to Pepe his face lit up. He had not been there since they left in 1960s and was so excited to show us.

Pictured above is Grandpa Mellace's house and below is me in front of Grandma Mellace's house.

We drove through the town and then past this castle into these tiny, tiny, tiny little streets. I have seen small streets before. In Florence I have squished against the wall as taxis drive through but this was unlike anything I have seen before. I really didnt know if we would make it. Then Pepe hoped out of the car and we all followed into this little place where he pointed out Grandpa's house that had this cute little balcony and then Grandma's house. They literally live less than a block away. It's hard to explain the houses because they were set up so that you could only walk from place to place. There was no room for cars or even horses, it was strictly to walk through. All of the houses were on top of each other and it was just so adorable. I dont know how to describe it. And I forgot my video camera, probably the worst time ever to not bring it. Also, Pepe being excited and energetic proceeded to walk into Grandma Mellace's old house and was surprised when it was locked. Then these two very old people came up to the door and Pepe explained the situation and they let us in. Of course they were watching the Pope on RAI when we walked in. Typical. Then the old man told Ornella who was translating because his dialect was so strong I did not understand a word, that the room adjacent to the living room was where Grandma Mellace and Nonna used to make cheese. He also remembers buying the house from her back in 1959 (Grandma says 1962 but regardless that's a long time ago). It was really quite an amazing and unreal experience. After that Pepe went home and Ornella and Rosario brought us back to their home. They had planned to bring us to a pizza place but were waiting for it to open and wanted to wait until we were hungry. Their house was very nice and Ornella showed us pictures of everyone that she had from home and of her parents 50th Anniversary party and yes Mom and Dad you were in it. We watched some TV they had a huge flat screen TV with like 500 channels. I had not seen a TV like that since I've been in America and was shocked to see that anywhere on the mountain could get that many channels! We also watched Gli Amici which was Ornella's favorite Italian game show. After we started to get hungry, so Ornella and Rosario right away brought us to their favorite pizza place. The pizza was really delicious and they treated us even though it was not necessary. After they brought us to get caffé and cappuccinos. Ornella wanted us to dry this dessert where they put espresso on top of gelato but unfortunately they had not started making gelato yet for the season. She was disappointed that we didnt get to try it but we promised to try and find it in Florence. Then they brought us back to our hotel and walked us over to say bye to Luciano. A little while before this Mary was said, "you know what would really top off our day, is if we could go dancing." Well we walked up to the lobby to say bye to Luciano (he told us to say good bye tonight because he wouldnt be at the hotel early enough on Sunday to say bye) and there were tons of people in the hotel. Supposably on Saturday nights they do a dinner and then everyone dances after (kinda like a wedding). Luciano asked us if we wanted to dance with everyone later and that it started at 11 pm. Ask and you shall receive. We told him we would be back. However, we all got tired and instead decided to just say thank you for everything, pay him for the room and go to sleep. It had been such an amazing day but we were exhausted.

The next morning we woke up to more beautiful sunshine and said good-bye to our little paradise located in the middle of nowhere somewhere in Calabria. As we waited for Ornella and Rosario to pick us up at the airport we reflected on how perfect the weekend was. It really was. Everyone was so wonderful and we would have never been able to survive with each and every one of them. Then Ornella and Rosario picked us up and drove us an hour to the airport. Even though we insisted we'd be fine they waited for us to check-in and made sure we got to our flight ok. Thank God we did because this airport happened to do things differently than the other 10 airports we've traveled to and we needed Ornella to help us. We said bye and thanked them for EVERYTHING. They were two of the nicest people ever and so generous. We truly were going to miss their company and want to meet up with them when they return to Rome.

We made our flight perfectly and landed in Pisa around 1 pm. Then we decided to spend the day in Pisa and take the typical, cheese, tourist pictures in front of it. We spent some quality time trying to be creative but the pictures didnt quite capture what we were going for. We got lunch in Pisa and then caught the train back to Florence. The weekend was magical. It could not have been more amazing and it was dumb how much I stressed over it. Italy has taught me to relax a little but Staletti did not give me an option. I had to relax, enjoy life for what it was, and rely on family and other amazing people to take care of us. I cannot wait to get back and tell Grandma everything and show her all the pictures Mary, Vinh, and I took. It turned out to be a perfect weekend. Ask and you shall receive.

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. :-)