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. :-)

Brussels, Belgium

Belgium chocolate :-)

Me in front of the Atomium.

Belgian waffles=perfection.

Grand Place, the historic center of Brussels. Stunning.

Belgian fries with some sauce recommended by the fry man who laughed at me when I attempted to speak French.

So the first trip out of Italy brought us to Brussels in the wonderful country of Belgium. Honestly before coming to Europe I barely knew Belgium/Brussels existed. However, we found flights for 35 euro round trip and we thought it would be a fun trip. First it was just Jesnie, Vinh and I going but then we decided to invite everyone from our dorm and we ended up with 11 people all going to Brussels. I was really nervous about traveling with 11 people I was worried it would be an absolute disaster. I did a lot of research hoping that it would help make things more organized and all in all everything went really smoothly. Obviously it took some time to get everyone moving in the mornings and we almost lost 3 people on the way to the airport coming home. However all in all it was an absolutely wonderful weekend and our group was super functional and a lot of fun. First off for some reason I did not take that many pictures and took 0 videos. I really need to get better at that but everyone else took a lot so it should be good. Our apartment/hotel was absolutely wonderful. Each apartment had 2 bedrooms, a pull out sofa bed, 1.5 baths, a kitchen with dishwasher, washer machine, and a decent sized living room. We had 2 apartments so we basically had enough room for 12 people. It was absolutely perfect for us. The first night one of our friends from NYU met up with a kid he knew from Brussels, (Pieter) so Pieter hung out with us all night and showed us around a little bit. He was really nice and spoke English really well. The first night we did not eat a meal we literally just ate french fries, then waffles, then chocolate. Pieter first said wow you guys are not like the typical Americans I imagined, overweight and constantly eating. Then we just kept going in and out of places eating and he goes ooo never mind. The french fries are just like the ones from Pommes Frites in New York except they are fried in beef fat so they have a little bit different taste. They were absolutely amazing but I still didn't find a dipping sauce as good as Mango Cutney from the one in NYC. The waffles were ABSOLUTELY phenomenal. They don't just make homemade waffles but there is this sugary glaze on the waffle itself. Then I got strawberries, chocolate, whipped cream and these amazing nuts on top. It was from this place called Elisabeths's right near Grand Place. One of the best things I've ever eaten. Then we went in and out of the different chocolate shops, the worker in the chocolate store told us that this white chocolate coffee cream one was his favorite so I tried it and it was delicious, perfection. We then got to see the Grand Place at night which is the old, historic part of Brussels. It was absolutely gorgeous the detail work etc is insane. We also saw the peeing boy statue "Mannekin Pis" which is a famous statue in Brussels. The story goes that the king or someone important was looking for this missing boy and he said as soon as he found him he would make a statue of him doing whatever he was doing. Well when they found him he was peeing so they made a statue/fountain. It is really ridiculous and it's also a really tiny statue. When we all saw it all of our reactions was just to laugh it was so dumb that it was actually a tourist thing to see.

The next morning getting everyone up and moving was obviously difficult. Katie took a really early train from Paris to meet us in Brussels. There was a really bad train accident on the Brussels train line a few weeks ago so all the lines are messed up and her train was delayed by like an hour but no one was up anyway so it worked out fine. By the time everyone was up and moving it was time for lunch. We decided to get Thai food because on wikitravel.com they said that Brussels has really good and cheap Thai food. Since we are all New Yorkers and Thai is such an amazing cheap food to eat in NYC we were all really excited to get Thai. After we ate lunch we walked back over to Grand Place to see it during the day and then went to find waffles. Our group is obsessed with food. I mean Brussels has amazing food but we are obsessed with food in general. Every dinner/lunch conversation revolves around food even when we try to talk about something else the conversation gets brought back to food. It is absolutely hilarious and almost ridiculous. One day I'm going to film us and see how many seconds we can go before referencing food again. After our waffles we found the metro to go to the Atomium, it is Brussels equivalent of the Eiffel Tower (see pictures). It was built for the 1958 world's fair and is basically a giant atom thing. It has escalators, elevators, and stairs to navigate throughout and overall is a really random thing to see. After the Atomium most of the group went back to take a nap and Jesnie, Vinh, Katie, Joe and I went to get more fries at some famous place called Marie Antoine. We googled the wrong address so it took a little while to get there but we found it. My sauce was actually really good and the fries were of course amazing. The lady at the window was mean and only spoke French so I was forced to try and speak French. Katie and Vinh were teaching me how to say random things all weekend it was actually fun. I love languages I just wish I could pick them up a lot better. French is like impossible to pronounce but it was very entertaining to try. Je m'appelle Jennifer and our address to the hotel Rue D'Idalie, 8 are like the only things I remember. O and ordering fries je voudrais pommes frittes! After our fries we went to go chocolate shopping. Katie basically speaks French fluently so she kept asking all the people in French for free samples and we got to try a lot of amazing stuff. We picked up some post cards and a few souvenirs including chocolate and then headed back to the hotel to meet up with everyone again. Jesnie, Katie and I were really exhausted so we laid down for a little bit and everyone went back to Grand Place they found one of the good Mussel places. Then we met them at the restaurant and everyone ordered Mussels. Supposably seafood in general is good in Brussels but they are well known for their Mussels, Mussels in Brussels. I was actually sick from all the food after chocolate tasting and I'm not a huge fan of mussels. I tried some of everyone else's but the texture weirds me out and I'm not big on seafood. Katie and I split a shrimp scampi dish instead. Later that night some people got fries again too. I told you we only ate food the whole time.

This morning everyone had to be up packed and on their way to the metro by 7 am. Needless to say it was very difficult to get 12 people, actually 11 people up and ready. Katie got to stay at the hotel and sleep a little longer because her train didnt leave until 9 am. However after a somewhat complicated morning we made it to the airport with plenty of time before our flight. The flight was on time and honestly I fell asleep before we even took off. Then we had to catch the train from Pisa airport to Florence and finally we made it all home. It was such an enjoyable weekend and the food was amazing. I really wish I could have gotten another waffle with those strawberries, chocolate and nuts on top but it's probably better I didn't. I literally feel like I gained 5 lbs from this weekend and really going to try and eat healthier this week. Midterms are the next 2 weeks so the travel plans are on hold for a weekend. Then for Spring Break we are basically meeting EVERYONE in Barcelona. It is going to be soooo much fun and really praying for some warm weather so we can go to the beach. Then we get to see the rest of our friends in Prague. Everyday I say my life here is perfection and it really is. It's so wonderful and I am so glad and blessed to have this experience.

I really miss everyone. We all said that traveling has this weird thing when you come back to home which is currently Florence you kind of want your Mom or Dad waiting for you at the train station to drive you home to your bed. Also, i had this weird desire to watch TV today. I haven't seen any real TV in over a month now so I'm going to try and watch some Biggest Loser episodes. Most of the TV websites Fox, NBC, and hulu are only accessible to people in the USA so it's kind of difficult but I found one so I'm excited.

That's all for now. Bonsoir!

Fa Bel Tempo! :-)

So, I'm being good about blogging and writing again today. It was absolutely gorgeous out today, I hope Florence stays that way. I woke up early to write a paper for politics that I have to get done before I leave for Brussels tomorrow. I went to Mama's Bakery, I think I mentioned it before it has American coffee and bagels and feels like NYC. I managed to finish my paper before I left for Italian so I was excited. On the way to class, I actually got hot and just wore my short sleeve shirt, jeans and flats today. The Italians think us Americans are crazy for not wearing jackets but I'm from upstate NY, 60s is considered summer.

Our campus is also absolutely stunning when the sun is out. Marketing was cancelled so all I had was Italian. Today they brought in kids from a nearby Italian high school and we had to speak in Italian for half the class and then they had to practice using English for the second half. The two kids we talked with were really fun and could definitely speak English a lot better than we could speak Italian (I figured that would happen). The girl spoke Italian really quickly and kind of mumbled with her hand in front of her mouth so it was really difficult to understand. I realized that when speaking English in Florence I should be a lot more conscious of how fast I talk. They asked us about some American pop stars like Lady Gaga and Kesha. It was really entertaining to hear their questions. We asked them what they thought of Americans but they seemed shy and didn't really answer. However, the one boy asked us "I see in the sitcoms and movies, all these big house parties, why do you party in the house?" We told him that those are fraternity houses that he sees in movies and that most people don't go out because they have to be 21 to drink. He couldn't understand why we wouldn't just party in a pizzeria, club, bar, etc. It was really funny. Also they asked us where else in Italy we had traveled so we answered Roma, Venezia, Verona, etc. and that we were visiting other countries in Europe. We asked them where their favorite place was but they told us they had been to Rome once but never leave their hometown. I am assuming it is because they can't afford to travel but it seemed so weird that they had never really seen Italy. Then someone from my Italian class pointed out that most Americans don't visit all the states but still I found it strange. At the end they asked for our full names so they could find us on facebook. The boy also told us to come visit him in Arezzo and he would show us all around. He said he knew where all the good wine and cheese places were. They were all hospitality and culinary students so they all cook and know where all the good restaurants are. Unfortunately they don't know Florence that well.

After class I wanted to sit outside in the gardens behind the main villa, Villa La Pietra. La Pietra is where the family who originally owned the estate lived and we are not really allowed inside the building because it is a museum used for tours, etc. However, the gardens we are allowed to use at anytime it's just been too cold to sit out there. When I got out of Italian the clouds came out and it got a little colder (Florence weather is bi-polar) so I couldn't really sit outside. Instead Vinh and I went and explored the gardens. They are huge and really nice. Everything is kind of dead right now but in the spring they will be breathtaking. The top two pictures are a few of the pictures I took today. Overall, it was a very productive day and I'm excited to go to Brussels tomorrow not that all my work is done, sorta. Pray for safe travels and send me your chocolate requests. Belgium is like THE place for chocolate (and waffles and french fries). :-)

Also the third picture is of the man that taught a cooking class Jesnie and I went to on Tuesday. It was really fun he taught us how to make four different types of Italian appetizers. One was bread with a sun dried tomato and cheese spread, avocado rolled in tuna, a quiche type cake with a blue cheese sauce, and a zucchini that was stuffed with meat, zucchini, cheese, and bread. All of them were really good and are good party appetizers. The man who taught us actually worked as a chef for Golden View which is a restaurant right on the Arno and is one of the places I went with Katie's family when they were in town.

The next picture down is my American coffee with my bagel with scallion cream cheese from Mama's bakery. It's so comforting and delicious.

Finally the last picture is of my nutella croissant that I couldn't wait to take the picture so there is a bite out of it. They are so amazing especially when they are hot. Today Cassandra specifically asked the guy to make more so we had them right when they came out of the oven. The nutella burnt my tongue as I ate it. OMG! Seriously the most amazing thing ever and they only cost 70 euro cents. The only problem is they are definitely not low cal.

That is all for now. I will blog Sunday night after Brussels. We are flying out of Pisa so we will probably go see the leaning tower while we are there. Should be a fun weekend there are 10 of us going and Katie is meeting us there from Paris. We rented two apartment/hotel things so we can cook a few meals to save money and they also have a pool and gym so hopefully I can swim laps! Love and miss you all!

La Dolce Vita

So, I apologize for not blogging in quite sometime. I am going to try and make it more of a habit. Katie blogs every night, I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that but at least a few times a week. Anyway, when I first arrived in Florence I was in a lot more culture shock then I thought. I was never unhappy or depressed but I anticipated it to be super easy knowing I could speak the language and lived in Rome, NY my whole life. After I adjusted I was waiting for that OMG study abroad is the most amazing time of your life to kick in. I thought that would also happen the first week. But again it took a lot more time then I thought. However, it has all happened just as I knew it would.

Well, I'm in love with life and study abroad. I am so relaxed all the time. There is nothing really to worry about ever. This week my marketing and politics class got cancelled so I only have had to go to Italian from 1:30-2:45 pm, Mon-Thurs. This weekend Katie (my roommate from NYU in New York City) came to visit with her family. It was really nice to show them around Florence and see the more touristy things that I have yet to take time out to see. I think they really enjoyed the relaxed Italian lifestyle and most definitely the gelato. Also they were extremely generous and paid for ALL of my food for the weekend at the different restaurants around Florence (you need to thank your parents again Katie). Also Jesnie (my roommate here) went to Switzerland for the weekend to visit her family there so Katie stayed with me. It was just like old times except this time in Italy. It was a really amazing weekend and worked out perfectly that I had not planned a trip somewhere else that weekend.

This Friday 10 of us from my dorm are going to Brussels, Belgium for the weekend and Katie might be able to meet us from Paris! :-) As most of you know, I love to plan. So booking trips and organizing hotels and making sure we have all the details set has been my source of entertainment. Basically every weekend until I leave is booked with a trip, all of which I got amazing deals on (after a lot of research). After Brussels we have midterms so I'm just doing a day trip to Modena with NYU where they make balsamic vinegar and we are going to go balsamic vinegar tasting. Then it's Spring Break, to begin Spring Break we have an apartment in Barcelona. Katie and Joe are meeting us there from Paris and then my friends from NYU (DFB, Milena, Adriana, and Nina) who are in NYC this semester are also coming. It is going to be such a fun weekend I cannot wait. From Barcelona we are flying to Prague to visit our friends studying abroad there. The Czech Republic is not on the Euro and the exchange rate is amazing. So we have free places to stay and the crowns which will make a much cheaper second half of spring. Also in Barcelona and Prague they have Starbucks! The last weekend in March I am going to see Manuella and my Grandma's family in Calabria. Well, actually I only bought my return ticket home, I haven't bought my ticket there yet because I am waiting for prices to go down. Ryanair.com which is a cheap European airline has sales that they change every Thursday and Monday night so something should go on sale before then. I already talked to Manuella yesterday and she said to call her back with details because she wants to take that Friday off of work. Mary is planning to come for Easter Break which is so exciting and crazy! She applied for an express passport so hopefully that all works out and she can get here! If Mary comes I am making her bring me so much stuff from home, I already have a list formulating in my head. The day Mary leaves I am flying to Paris to see Katie and Katlin and to celebrate Vinh's birthday. Ever since I left Paris I have been excited to go back, it's so much fun and there is so much to do. I am most excited for the pastries from Laudrée (be jealous Marina). The weekend after we are going back to Spain (Ibiza) for Jesnie's birthday. Then we are finishing off our travels with a trip to London to see the last group of study abroad kids. So again free places to stay but unfortunately we will be paying with the British pound, not cool. Then finals and I will be flying back home.

I had a dream the other night. I was about a block from Friendlys and I realized I could turn my blackberry back on (I cannot express how much I miss it). I got so excited but then we pulled into the driveway and I realized that study abroad was over. Everything was just done and I started bawling crying. Then I woke up and realized I was still in Italy. So my goal is to appreciate every minute I have here, before it's over. I'm in love with how simple and easy going life is here. Everyone is trying to stress me out with summer internships and housing but I keep ignoring it. I am going to start working on some summer applications tonight and hopefully make a habit of checking career net every night. Also I can't figure out housing until I find out about RA. Pray that I get that job it will save so much money $$$ and also the stress of finding an apartment in NYC.

Another amazing thing is we found this café about 2 min from my apartment that sells BAGELS, American coffee, cupcakes, apple pie, english muffins, and cinnamon buns. It's like a taste of NYC sitting in the middle of Florence. It is absolutely adorable in the inside and makes me feel so happy in the inside. All they are missing is Wi-fi and I would basically live there. Also, the gelato places are all starting to open up because the weather is getting nicer so I just have had tons of amazing gelato. Earlier today I got lemon and yogurt flavored gelato. Together they tasted like lemon meringue, by far the best combination I have ever had! Overall I am just so happy to be here and thankful that God has blessed me with such an amazing opportunity. I do miss everyone and love you all! Skype, call, write, or just comment!

The Roman in Rome

So this weekend was my trip to Rome. I absolutely loved every second of it. I kept telling everyone I grew up in the wrong Rome. There is a lot to see and do in Rome which makes it really expensive but fun. All of the old buildings, monuments, fountains etc are around every corner and you never know what amazing thing you are going to run into next. Its big city-ness made me happy because I do miss New York City, a lot. The streets are much wider and there is a metro system. Also, people stay out at night and things do not close down as early like in Florence. We ate at an amazing restaurant in Rome suggested by our tour guide in the Vatican. we had to wait over an hour for a table but it was worth it. In the middle of the restaurant there was a big wood burning oven and the walls and ceiling were all decorated with dried herbs, garlic, hot peppers. It was really, really adorable.

The first night we walked everywhere around Rome so we got to see a lot of it by just exploring so that was really nice. We found the Trevi fountain and it's just as amazing as all the movies and pictures make it seem. The second day we took the bus to Vatican City then took another bus to the Pantheon where we got lunch at a nearby restaurant. Vatican City was really really beautiful and we were happy we paid for a tour because it made it much more enjoyable and worthwhile. The Pantheon was like whatever it takes two seconds to walk in walk in a circle and walk out. Then we got amazing gelato at some famous place called 'Gioletti' it was really good but I got tiramisu and I think they put straight up liquor in it which makes it taste a little funky. Then we took the bus to the Colosseum but we did not realize that it closes at 3:30 pm so we couldn't get in. So we walked home and took a much needed nap. After we finally woke up we took the bus to the restaurant our tour guide suggested. When we finally left the restaurant (it was in a less touristy neighborhood) we walked back towards the city center and ran into hundreds and hundreds of Italian teenagers just hanging out on the streets, partying doing whatever. They were all crowded in the streets, hanging out in the piazzas but it was really cold out so I dont how they were staying outside. Also, they don't like Americans in their area of town and I kinda felt really out of place and unwanted as we walked through.

The next morning we woke up really early to go see the Coliseum but the line was really long so we paid for a tour so we could skip the line but didn't actually go on the tour. We walked around really quick there really wasn't much to see. You kind of have to go inside the Coliseum just to say you did it but there really isn't anything that interesting to see. So that was Rome! Absolutely loved it. However it was nice to get back to Florence. I'm glad to be in Florence because it's so much different that New York City and its a good home base.

Katie and her family might be coming to Florence this weekend! So excited!!!! They are in Paris and want to come to Italy and Florence seems to be the most affordable trip. So I will do all the touristy things in Florence with them so that will be good. I was saying when I left Rome that I have seen almost all of Rome but have yet to climb the Duomo or see David and they are right here. That's all for now. I'm in love with my life here. I have finally learned to relax, enjoy doing nothing and enjoy my semester off from hard classes. It's perfection, for real.