Slow moving day today, I woke up early and started my homework after eating breakfast. I was able to do a few things around the house that needed to be done and then I headed off to lighting class. We learned about different artists and their influence on light, such as Caravaggio and the Pantheon. During break I got some gelato, Santa Croce and menta which was such a good combo. Went back to class and we presented what we are thinking of for our final projects. Wow, final projects already? Didn't I just get here?
After class I raced home to make some spaghetti to bring back to class with me for some dinner and I actually ended up being a little late to class. It was ok though because the teachers were late too. We spent class looking at what they expect us to have for our final projects and also looking at other examples of projects that they think would be good for us to know about. We have two more papers to write for the class and one project to complete, looks like it will be a busy rest of the semester for this girl. On an exciting note, as soon as I opened up my spaghetti and began eating it, everyone kept saying, "oh what is that? It smells SO good!" I was very pleased with myself.
I came home from class and began working on homework. I was able to skype with Daddy for a little bit which was great! We only get to skype about once a week so it is always so special when we do get the chance. He promised to not get the Christmas tree until I get home so I could not be more thrilled. I also go to talk to Chris for a few minutes before I headed to bed.
Good day, but I am starting to realize how much school work I have to complete before the end of the year. Anyone want to volunteer so that I can really enjoy my last few weeks here?
Con amore, Ciao!
Monday, November 14, 2011
November 13th
Courtney and I had another pretty epic night on Saturday when we returned from Assisi, so we decided to sleep in, shocking I know. So we woke up around 12 and I started my day with blogging and homework. She had a few errands she needed to run so she was gone for a few hours but when she returned we went grocery shopping. I have decided to do spaghetti this week because it has been a while since I made it, and when I made it the other day, it was delicious. Also, it helps that it is so inexpensive. Wednesday will be tacos with Adrian and Freddy so that will help to mix up my meal routine for the week.
On the way home from grocery shopping, C spotted a pair of boots that she instantly fell in love with so we went into the store so she could try them on. They are black boots and difficult to explain but they reminded me of something Michael Jackson would wear. They had a heel so maybe he wouldn't, but he is the first person I thought of when I saw the boots. They are very cool looking, just not something that I would ever be able to rock. So, after a while in the shoe store, we headed home to make dinner. She made a variety of veggies and I made my spaghetti which was delicious. I have also been adding some red pepper flakes I got from the open air market forever ago and so the sauce has a kick, I am rather impressed with myself.
After dinner, I finished the night with blogging and homework. It was a rather uneventful day but I knew I needed to catch up on my blogs because otherwise I wouldn't remember very much. I also made a promise to you and to myself that I was going to be better about it, so I wanted to keep my promise.
As the hightlight of my day, Chris and I were able to skype for a little bit! We haven't been able to for a little while and so it was nice to be able to hear his voice for a little bit. A great way to end the day.
Con amore, Ciao!
On the way home from grocery shopping, C spotted a pair of boots that she instantly fell in love with so we went into the store so she could try them on. They are black boots and difficult to explain but they reminded me of something Michael Jackson would wear. They had a heel so maybe he wouldn't, but he is the first person I thought of when I saw the boots. They are very cool looking, just not something that I would ever be able to rock. So, after a while in the shoe store, we headed home to make dinner. She made a variety of veggies and I made my spaghetti which was delicious. I have also been adding some red pepper flakes I got from the open air market forever ago and so the sauce has a kick, I am rather impressed with myself.
After dinner, I finished the night with blogging and homework. It was a rather uneventful day but I knew I needed to catch up on my blogs because otherwise I wouldn't remember very much. I also made a promise to you and to myself that I was going to be better about it, so I wanted to keep my promise.
As the hightlight of my day, Chris and I were able to skype for a little bit! We haven't been able to for a little while and so it was nice to be able to hear his voice for a little bit. A great way to end the day.
Con amore, Ciao!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
November 12th
This past week I knew I wanted to do something like a day trip because I had nothing planned so far for this weekend. I started thinking about the places that I still wanted to visit and Assisi was at the top of my list. I ask Court if she wanted to go with me and she said yes! We were excited because this was the first trip we would be taking together that wasn't planned by the school, it was our own adventure.
We got up super early to get to the train station to buy our tickets so that part was not fun at all. We went to the station and with no problem purchased our tickets on the next train out to Assisi which was at 8:02. We waited in the station for about a half of an hour and the boarded the train and went on our way. Between homework and napping on the train, it was a pretty quick but boring ride.
When we got to Assis, the first thing we did was purchase our return tickets because we wanted to avoid any timing issues that could have popped up. Since the train station for Assisi is about a 3 mile walk to the actual city, we waited for the train and then took it up the huge hill to where the city is located. We decided that it would probably be wise to get a map of the city so that we would be able to know where we were and, even though it was small, we didn't want to get lost. The map I purchased had a little information packet in it so it was a good souvenir to get instead of a post card. At the shop, we asked the woman where her favorite place to get pizza was, and after a few times of her explaining where it was, we headed there and got some lunch.
I got a pizza with ham, olives, and artichokes. It was the best crust that I have ever had! It was the perfect mixture between crispy yet still doughy, salty and flavorful, thick and thin. Oh, so good. After pizza we decided that we would window shop and walk around the little town to see as much as we could. We headed up the hill, looking in all the shops along the way, to the Basilica of St. Francis.We stopped in a little had shop and C fell in love with one, but we decided that we should come back instead of purchasing it right away. The church was gorgeous and almost indescribable. We started our self guided tour in what is known as the lower basilica and looked at all of the paintings on the walls and everything. Italy has this problem of thinking they need to cover literally every surface in their churches with paintings, statues, and whatever else they can think of. This basilica was the exact opposite. It had the perfect amount of paintings, most about St. Francis, but everything was so beautiful. We walked down to where he is buried and it gave me the chills. It was so amazing to be there and see the different relics of his life. When we were finished with his tomb we made our way outside and went to the upper and main part of the church. While we were upstairs they were having communion so Court and I went in line and received the Eucharist. It is definitely cool to say that I have had communion at the Basilica of St. Francis, for some reason, it even seemed a little holier! Ok, that was obviously a joke, please give me at least a little giggle, Dad.
After the upper area of the church, we walked around the town for a little bit and then decided that we wanted some coffee so we stopped in a little shop and the woman was so nice. She let me use their bathroom before she knew we had any intention of buying anything and that is beyond rare in Italy. No on lets you use their bathroom for free and it is very frustrating. I understand why they have this policy, but coming from America "the land of public restrooms", it is very frustrating at times. On a side note, I have never seen a more gorgeous view out of a bathroom window. Assisi is surrounded by rolling hills and it is one of the most beautiful countrysides that I have ever seen. Everything was so green and vibrant that it is one of those times where the camera does not do it justice.
When we finished conversing with the woman, we decided to head back to that little shop and get the hat because we weren't sure what time it closed, better safe than sorry. Passing through the piazza located just before the basilica, there was a big performance by what looked like a bunch of people in their early twenties. We weren't sure what their performance was but they had swastikas on their arms and were dressed in clothes from that time period. They were performing a play and it looked pretty intense. We got the hat and then went back up to where the basilica is located and decided to go to the top of the city.
On the way we stopped in just about every shop until the point where they all started to look the same and then continued up the hill to another one of the main piazzas. A cute little side note, in Italy, they have a lot of three wheeled trucks that the locals use for transporting different goods. Well, in the piazza, there was a group of about five Italian men all standing around tipping the car on its side so that one of them could change the flat tire. It was so funny to watch then interact and talk with each other. We found a few more churches and walked in each of them. They were all so charming in their own way, whether it was how small they were or the amazing artwork they had, it was just so interesting walking in the churches and seeing it all. We got a little pastry that is called la rocciata which is a red strudel that has walnuts and apples in it, it was so tasty and sweet. The man at the bakery suggested this because he said that it was a pastry special to the area so we must try it.
After we ate our pastry and walked around more and realized that the temperature had dropped immensely and that we were both freezing. We briskly walked down all the hills we had climbed to go back to the bus station. We were hoping we would be able to catch an earlier train than the one we had planned on but we weren't sure. We waited around in the little shops near the bus station for the bus to come and got kicked out of one because he realized what we were doing and not planning on buying anything.
Luckily soon after the bus arrived and we went to the train station seeing that the next train was only in 30 minutes which was very nice. We both got a little snack to hold us over and then boarded the train. While we were sitting we were talking and not paying to too much attention to what was going on because we were so excited to get on the train. When the conductor came by to check our tickets he told us we were in the wrong class and Court realized she had lost her ticket. She left it on the console and she went to grab it and it wasn't there. We had a little freak out moment but it was all ok because we found it in her purse. We moved to second class and the ride was smooth from there. The second time he went through the cars to check tickets we moved to grab ours and he responded with, "don't worry, I remember you two". We couldn't stop laughing because it was so funny.
We made it home and made some spaghetti for dinner. I put onions and garlic into the sauce I made and it was so delicious, almost as good as the Moore family sauce. We had a long dinner just the two of us and it was so much fun. After dinner, we got ready and went out on a bar hop of Florence, I have never done this before and it was so much fun. Over all, it was a great day. I am so thankful that I went to Assisi and was able to see the town. It was so beautiful, quaint, and clean.
Con amore, Ciao!
We got up super early to get to the train station to buy our tickets so that part was not fun at all. We went to the station and with no problem purchased our tickets on the next train out to Assisi which was at 8:02. We waited in the station for about a half of an hour and the boarded the train and went on our way. Between homework and napping on the train, it was a pretty quick but boring ride.
When we got to Assis, the first thing we did was purchase our return tickets because we wanted to avoid any timing issues that could have popped up. Since the train station for Assisi is about a 3 mile walk to the actual city, we waited for the train and then took it up the huge hill to where the city is located. We decided that it would probably be wise to get a map of the city so that we would be able to know where we were and, even though it was small, we didn't want to get lost. The map I purchased had a little information packet in it so it was a good souvenir to get instead of a post card. At the shop, we asked the woman where her favorite place to get pizza was, and after a few times of her explaining where it was, we headed there and got some lunch.
I got a pizza with ham, olives, and artichokes. It was the best crust that I have ever had! It was the perfect mixture between crispy yet still doughy, salty and flavorful, thick and thin. Oh, so good. After pizza we decided that we would window shop and walk around the little town to see as much as we could. We headed up the hill, looking in all the shops along the way, to the Basilica of St. Francis.We stopped in a little had shop and C fell in love with one, but we decided that we should come back instead of purchasing it right away. The church was gorgeous and almost indescribable. We started our self guided tour in what is known as the lower basilica and looked at all of the paintings on the walls and everything. Italy has this problem of thinking they need to cover literally every surface in their churches with paintings, statues, and whatever else they can think of. This basilica was the exact opposite. It had the perfect amount of paintings, most about St. Francis, but everything was so beautiful. We walked down to where he is buried and it gave me the chills. It was so amazing to be there and see the different relics of his life. When we were finished with his tomb we made our way outside and went to the upper and main part of the church. While we were upstairs they were having communion so Court and I went in line and received the Eucharist. It is definitely cool to say that I have had communion at the Basilica of St. Francis, for some reason, it even seemed a little holier! Ok, that was obviously a joke, please give me at least a little giggle, Dad.
After the upper area of the church, we walked around the town for a little bit and then decided that we wanted some coffee so we stopped in a little shop and the woman was so nice. She let me use their bathroom before she knew we had any intention of buying anything and that is beyond rare in Italy. No on lets you use their bathroom for free and it is very frustrating. I understand why they have this policy, but coming from America "the land of public restrooms", it is very frustrating at times. On a side note, I have never seen a more gorgeous view out of a bathroom window. Assisi is surrounded by rolling hills and it is one of the most beautiful countrysides that I have ever seen. Everything was so green and vibrant that it is one of those times where the camera does not do it justice.
When we finished conversing with the woman, we decided to head back to that little shop and get the hat because we weren't sure what time it closed, better safe than sorry. Passing through the piazza located just before the basilica, there was a big performance by what looked like a bunch of people in their early twenties. We weren't sure what their performance was but they had swastikas on their arms and were dressed in clothes from that time period. They were performing a play and it looked pretty intense. We got the hat and then went back up to where the basilica is located and decided to go to the top of the city.
On the way we stopped in just about every shop until the point where they all started to look the same and then continued up the hill to another one of the main piazzas. A cute little side note, in Italy, they have a lot of three wheeled trucks that the locals use for transporting different goods. Well, in the piazza, there was a group of about five Italian men all standing around tipping the car on its side so that one of them could change the flat tire. It was so funny to watch then interact and talk with each other. We found a few more churches and walked in each of them. They were all so charming in their own way, whether it was how small they were or the amazing artwork they had, it was just so interesting walking in the churches and seeing it all. We got a little pastry that is called la rocciata which is a red strudel that has walnuts and apples in it, it was so tasty and sweet. The man at the bakery suggested this because he said that it was a pastry special to the area so we must try it.
After we ate our pastry and walked around more and realized that the temperature had dropped immensely and that we were both freezing. We briskly walked down all the hills we had climbed to go back to the bus station. We were hoping we would be able to catch an earlier train than the one we had planned on but we weren't sure. We waited around in the little shops near the bus station for the bus to come and got kicked out of one because he realized what we were doing and not planning on buying anything.
Luckily soon after the bus arrived and we went to the train station seeing that the next train was only in 30 minutes which was very nice. We both got a little snack to hold us over and then boarded the train. While we were sitting we were talking and not paying to too much attention to what was going on because we were so excited to get on the train. When the conductor came by to check our tickets he told us we were in the wrong class and Court realized she had lost her ticket. She left it on the console and she went to grab it and it wasn't there. We had a little freak out moment but it was all ok because we found it in her purse. We moved to second class and the ride was smooth from there. The second time he went through the cars to check tickets we moved to grab ours and he responded with, "don't worry, I remember you two". We couldn't stop laughing because it was so funny.
We made it home and made some spaghetti for dinner. I put onions and garlic into the sauce I made and it was so delicious, almost as good as the Moore family sauce. We had a long dinner just the two of us and it was so much fun. After dinner, we got ready and went out on a bar hop of Florence, I have never done this before and it was so much fun. Over all, it was a great day. I am so thankful that I went to Assisi and was able to see the town. It was so beautiful, quaint, and clean.
Con amore, Ciao!
November 10th
It was sort of a lazy morning around the house and I slept in a little bit. That is for sure one thing that I am going to miss about here, the fact that I was able to sleep in. I spent most of the morning catching up on homework for my Italian class and also updating my blogs. I really really want to get better about blogging again because I know that there are going to be so many things I will forget if I don't have them written down. This has been an amazing experience so far and I don't want to forget a single moment.
I was able to skype with mamma during our regular time of her morning and my afternoon right before I head to class on Tuesday and Thursday. I went to one of the school buildings to give my final portion of my payment for my Rome trip on the 19th and got some gelato on my way to class. Italian class we reviewed our homework and then went to get gelato for one of our in class assignments of being able to order things at restaurants. This is a skill that I perfected early on thanks to Mrs. Marshall's tapes that she lent me. The gelataria is located right near my apartment but because I got gelato on my way TO class, I just talked a little in Italian to my professor instead of purchasing it. I left class with a few friends and went to purchase a purse that I had seen the other day and fell in love with it immediately. It took me about 30 minutes to actually purchase the bag because it was rather expensive but I decided that since it would be my Christmas present that it would be ok. That didn't stop me from freaking out and wondering if I had made the correct decision or not and so I had a minor freak attack. It is ok though now and I have stopped freaking out about it, notice that I am writing this three days later. The purse is gorgeous though and it is my one expensive purchase to myself because I decided to not buy boots or a leather coat while I am here. I don't think I can pull of cool leather jackets, I am not hip enough.
I came home and I skyped with Kelly for a bit and it is nice to be back on the schedule we had when I first got here. She and I both got so busy with school that it was hard to keep the schedule but hopefully now we will be able to continue. I worked on homework and then straightened Courtney's hair. I had dinner of my left overs from dinner with Freddy and Adrian and it was almost more delicious the second night than it was the first night if that is even possible. I skyped with Danae for a little bit and it was a lot of fun to catch up. I finished the night with watching Charlie St. Cloud and heading to bed early because I had to wake up early the next morning for my vineyard trip. In conclusion, Charlie St. Cloud was a dumb movie and I am thankful that Chris never allowed me to force him into watching it.
Con amore, Ciao!
I was able to skype with mamma during our regular time of her morning and my afternoon right before I head to class on Tuesday and Thursday. I went to one of the school buildings to give my final portion of my payment for my Rome trip on the 19th and got some gelato on my way to class. Italian class we reviewed our homework and then went to get gelato for one of our in class assignments of being able to order things at restaurants. This is a skill that I perfected early on thanks to Mrs. Marshall's tapes that she lent me. The gelataria is located right near my apartment but because I got gelato on my way TO class, I just talked a little in Italian to my professor instead of purchasing it. I left class with a few friends and went to purchase a purse that I had seen the other day and fell in love with it immediately. It took me about 30 minutes to actually purchase the bag because it was rather expensive but I decided that since it would be my Christmas present that it would be ok. That didn't stop me from freaking out and wondering if I had made the correct decision or not and so I had a minor freak attack. It is ok though now and I have stopped freaking out about it, notice that I am writing this three days later. The purse is gorgeous though and it is my one expensive purchase to myself because I decided to not buy boots or a leather coat while I am here. I don't think I can pull of cool leather jackets, I am not hip enough.
I came home and I skyped with Kelly for a bit and it is nice to be back on the schedule we had when I first got here. She and I both got so busy with school that it was hard to keep the schedule but hopefully now we will be able to continue. I worked on homework and then straightened Courtney's hair. I had dinner of my left overs from dinner with Freddy and Adrian and it was almost more delicious the second night than it was the first night if that is even possible. I skyped with Danae for a little bit and it was a lot of fun to catch up. I finished the night with watching Charlie St. Cloud and heading to bed early because I had to wake up early the next morning for my vineyard trip. In conclusion, Charlie St. Cloud was a dumb movie and I am thankful that Chris never allowed me to force him into watching it.
Con amore, Ciao!
November 11th
Today was a wine field trip so I woke up super early to make it to the Piazza to meet with my class. I walked to the Piazza making it there with plenty of time to spare and talked with a few friends. Adrian and Freddy's marketing class was coming with our class today because their next project has something to do with wine and its production. I sat with Adrian on the bus and it was a pretty quick ride. We went to a town called Suvereto which is actually right next to a town that we had already been to for a field trip called Populonia. The name of the vineyard was Petra and it was very different than the first one that I visited.
Petra is a very modern vineyard and was actually built in the 1970's. Swiss architect Mario Botta was hired to design the cellar and it is really something amazing. In my opinion, it looks like a giant crop circle, but it is pretty cool; google it. We toured the grounds first and they were breath taking. The vineyard is trying to become very sustainable and their efforts are very obvious. In the only area of the land that was not being used by the vines, their pond, they designed a floating device that allowed them to have photovoltaic panels on the pond. The panels help to generate more power than the vineyard needs to run so they supply it to other local farmers. On our way back up to the cellar building, their pigs (which were giant) came running towards us. The guide fed them some corn and everyone pulled out their camera to take pictures. The guide thought this was funny and said, "boy it sure is too bad you aren't staying for lunch." Gross.
We toured the cellar building and went through every area of it. Another effort towards their sustainability goal is that they don't have any presses for their grapes. They load them through the top of the take and then let gravity do the pressing. It is one of those things where you wonder, "why hasn't this always been the process?" We went to the second floor of the cellar and looked down into one of the tanks which was huge. I asked how heavy the lid was and the guide allowed me to close the tank lid. SUPER cool to be able to say that I have done that. We walked around a little more and then began the wine tastings. We sampled two different types of red wine and they were pretty good. The first one we sampled I liked better because it was more fruity and less astringent.
After the wine tasting we went to their olive oil production building and sampled their olive oils. They were so good and it was really cool to taste fresh olive oil. It was very informational to find out about the process and then to find out that many EVOOs actually aren't, they just say that they are. If the percentage on the back of the bottle is less than 1.1% then it is real EVOO.
We took the bus back to Florence and it seemed to go quicker than the bus ride there which is good. When I got back to the apartment I worked on different things and then went to dinner with Courtney, one of our roommates Ellen, and two of her friends. Dinner was super delicious and I got penne strascicate alla fiorentina which was basically penne pasta in a bolognesse sauce and super delicious. I have had a really good streak lately on food and i am very thankful for that. I love food, sometimes too much.
We came home and finished the night with doing Ellen's nails and straightening her hair, it was a good girly night filled with chitchat.
Con amore, Ciao!
Petra is a very modern vineyard and was actually built in the 1970's. Swiss architect Mario Botta was hired to design the cellar and it is really something amazing. In my opinion, it looks like a giant crop circle, but it is pretty cool; google it. We toured the grounds first and they were breath taking. The vineyard is trying to become very sustainable and their efforts are very obvious. In the only area of the land that was not being used by the vines, their pond, they designed a floating device that allowed them to have photovoltaic panels on the pond. The panels help to generate more power than the vineyard needs to run so they supply it to other local farmers. On our way back up to the cellar building, their pigs (which were giant) came running towards us. The guide fed them some corn and everyone pulled out their camera to take pictures. The guide thought this was funny and said, "boy it sure is too bad you aren't staying for lunch." Gross.
We toured the cellar building and went through every area of it. Another effort towards their sustainability goal is that they don't have any presses for their grapes. They load them through the top of the take and then let gravity do the pressing. It is one of those things where you wonder, "why hasn't this always been the process?" We went to the second floor of the cellar and looked down into one of the tanks which was huge. I asked how heavy the lid was and the guide allowed me to close the tank lid. SUPER cool to be able to say that I have done that. We walked around a little more and then began the wine tastings. We sampled two different types of red wine and they were pretty good. The first one we sampled I liked better because it was more fruity and less astringent.
After the wine tasting we went to their olive oil production building and sampled their olive oils. They were so good and it was really cool to taste fresh olive oil. It was very informational to find out about the process and then to find out that many EVOOs actually aren't, they just say that they are. If the percentage on the back of the bottle is less than 1.1% then it is real EVOO.
We took the bus back to Florence and it seemed to go quicker than the bus ride there which is good. When I got back to the apartment I worked on different things and then went to dinner with Courtney, one of our roommates Ellen, and two of her friends. Dinner was super delicious and I got penne strascicate alla fiorentina which was basically penne pasta in a bolognesse sauce and super delicious. I have had a really good streak lately on food and i am very thankful for that. I love food, sometimes too much.
We came home and finished the night with doing Ellen's nails and straightening her hair, it was a good girly night filled with chitchat.
Con amore, Ciao!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
October 30th-November 9th
Well since most of last week blogging time was devoted to creating the fall break novel of a blog, I didn't have the energy or the extra time to blog for each day unfortunately. So what I have decided to do is just give a few high lights from each day instead of doing one for each day. Also, I might not be very good about food in this post, I know you are all devastated not hearing about which flavor of yogurt I had with breakfast. Well, starting with:
October 30th
This was the day that Chris left so most of the day was spent uploading pictures to facebook and beginning the blog. Nothing very exciting happened because I was so tired from the fast paced break that all I wanted to do was lay in bed and catch up on some sleep and other things I needed to do on the computer. I was emotionally drained from sending off Chris. This was not a very good week for me emotionally, and that is also why I am not giving a daily update because I don't want to whine and look back on this and get upset at myself for whining.
October 31st
For my lighting class we went to the Gucci Museum that opened in the Piazza Signoria and it was really interesting to see all of the historic pieces of luggage and clothing. I also found out my midterm grade and I did much better than I thought I did. For sustainable class, we also went on a field trip but we went to a tile store that was also for bathroom fixtures. It was interesting seeing all of the different tiles and styles that Italy has. On the way home, I got some gelato. I can officially say that I have had gelato for dinner; I feel like a true Italian now. We had our halloween party when I got home and it was so much fun! A lot of people showed up and it was a great party. Us girls were characters from Sex and the City, I was obviously Charlotte York. We went out to a new bar after and that was fun dancing and goofing around.
Side note, how the heck is it already November?
November 1st
Since All Saint's day is observed here in Italy, we did not have school. I spent the day working on blogs and catching up on homework. It was rainy out so the option of going outside was put to the bottom of the to do list.
November 2nd
Wine class was good and we got our midterms back. I did well on the test and I was really glad because I studied very hard for that test. The wine class is not at all what I thought it was going to be like. There are so many different types of varieties and classifications to grapes that it is amazing! Here I was thinking there were only three! Red, green, and black are honestly all that I think the world needs to know about.
November 3rd
Great morning filled with sleeping in, laundry, and sweeping. I have become a freak about making my bed, not a day goes by that I don't make it. The true test will be if I continue this habit when I return home. Italian class was good and we got our midterms back, I got an 89! I am very happy with my grade, do I wish it was an A? Of course, but I am still happy with the grade I received.
November 4th
Day was filled with finishing blogs and working on homework. At night, I went to dinner at Adrian, Connor, and Harry's apartment and we made a roasted chicken with rice and potatoes! It was so delicious. In conclusion, the bird took about an hour and a half longer to cook than we had originally intended, we were very hungry by the time we ended up eating. We had plenty of wine to keep us occupied though so it was all fine.
November 5th
I went to the San Lorenzo market and walked around looking at everything and buy different presents for my family. It was so much fun and I was able to take my mind off of all the things I had been thinking about lately and just give myself a breather. I went to the boy's apartment again for fondue and that was a lot of fun. They had a lot of people there and it the fondue beyond delicious.
November 6th
Good day! I went to church in the morning with Mrs. Messina and it was interesting to say the least. I can now cross "being slapped by a holy figure" off of my bucket list. Ok, some explaining is obviously needed. We were at church and it was a special mass because the cardinal (or bishop, we couldn't quite tell) of Florence was at mass! It was a glorious celebration and there was so much singing and praising going on. So, the cardinal was walking around shaking hands and kissing people's cheeks and when he gets to me, we shake hands but because I don't go into kiss him, he slaps me! Ok, it was more of a pat pat on the cheek, but it is more fun to say that I got slapped, isn't it?
November 7th
For lighting class, we reviewed all the different types of lighting and it was a boring but informational class. It is interesting to learn about all the characteristics and details that the types of lighting have. For Sustainable design we went to a site located in Florence and it was really cool to see a bit of modern architecture inside of a city that is filled with the exact opposite. When we returned to the class, the architect came back with us and gave a presentation more in detail of the process he went through and a lot more of the technical details were given. The budget for his little project was 3 million euro. Pocket change, really.We also found out that a majority of our final project for the class will be individual. For those of you who have put up with me whining about our midterm project, you understand what an amazing thing this was for me to hear. My responsibility will be to redesign more in detail our private offices in the conference center and I am very excited to start this project.
November 8th
A happy 43rd birthday to Mr. Marshall
In my revit class I finally took my midterm and handed in part of my final project. I received a 95 on the midterm and I am very thrilled. I came home and was able to skype with my Mamma for a little bit and that was so nice. We have this system worked out where we skype Tuesday and Thursday right before she goes to work and right before I head to my Italian class. It works out very nicely for both of us. Mr. Messina was finally released from the hospital and it was an amazing thing to have on this day. Courtney and I went out to Karaoke and had such a fun time. We plan on going back again very soon.
November 9th
Mr. and Mrs. Messina got onto a train to Milan to spend the night there and then hopefully take a flight out of there the next day. He just needs to get home to America to the doctors that speak English and so that they can really tell him what is going on instead of dodging around all the questions and not giving answers.
I had my wine class in the morning, and again, it was beyond filled with information. I washed my sheets before class hoping that they would be dry by bedtime. In the afternoon, I wandered around the Oltrarno and had a few hours to myself just to think. It is getting harder and harder for me to get lost in my beloved city. Every time I cross the river and try to get lost, I just always end up at the Piazza Michelangelo, without fail. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. I made dinner with Freddy and Adrian and it was delicious. We made a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and mozz cheese. I made a salad dressing that Court's mom taught me how to make and it was SO good. We used the rest of my pesto that I got from Cinque Terra with pasta and chicken for the main dish. We had a new type of red wine and it was very delicious. Also, to add a memory that only I will understand, "Did you pour acid down my window?"
I am so sorry that I have been bad about my postings, I just was mostly devoting my time to the Fall break blog, and if you read that, you know how long and detailed it was. So, this is a promise to you and myself that I will be better about my blogs again. The last few weeks I have really dropped the ball and this is not good for when I look back on this to remember every detail of my time here. So, starting today, I will implement my daily blog again. I know you are all so pumped :)
Con amore, Ciao!
October 30th
This was the day that Chris left so most of the day was spent uploading pictures to facebook and beginning the blog. Nothing very exciting happened because I was so tired from the fast paced break that all I wanted to do was lay in bed and catch up on some sleep and other things I needed to do on the computer. I was emotionally drained from sending off Chris. This was not a very good week for me emotionally, and that is also why I am not giving a daily update because I don't want to whine and look back on this and get upset at myself for whining.
October 31st
For my lighting class we went to the Gucci Museum that opened in the Piazza Signoria and it was really interesting to see all of the historic pieces of luggage and clothing. I also found out my midterm grade and I did much better than I thought I did. For sustainable class, we also went on a field trip but we went to a tile store that was also for bathroom fixtures. It was interesting seeing all of the different tiles and styles that Italy has. On the way home, I got some gelato. I can officially say that I have had gelato for dinner; I feel like a true Italian now. We had our halloween party when I got home and it was so much fun! A lot of people showed up and it was a great party. Us girls were characters from Sex and the City, I was obviously Charlotte York. We went out to a new bar after and that was fun dancing and goofing around.
Side note, how the heck is it already November?
November 1st
Since All Saint's day is observed here in Italy, we did not have school. I spent the day working on blogs and catching up on homework. It was rainy out so the option of going outside was put to the bottom of the to do list.
November 2nd
Wine class was good and we got our midterms back. I did well on the test and I was really glad because I studied very hard for that test. The wine class is not at all what I thought it was going to be like. There are so many different types of varieties and classifications to grapes that it is amazing! Here I was thinking there were only three! Red, green, and black are honestly all that I think the world needs to know about.
November 3rd
Great morning filled with sleeping in, laundry, and sweeping. I have become a freak about making my bed, not a day goes by that I don't make it. The true test will be if I continue this habit when I return home. Italian class was good and we got our midterms back, I got an 89! I am very happy with my grade, do I wish it was an A? Of course, but I am still happy with the grade I received.
November 4th
Day was filled with finishing blogs and working on homework. At night, I went to dinner at Adrian, Connor, and Harry's apartment and we made a roasted chicken with rice and potatoes! It was so delicious. In conclusion, the bird took about an hour and a half longer to cook than we had originally intended, we were very hungry by the time we ended up eating. We had plenty of wine to keep us occupied though so it was all fine.
November 5th
I went to the San Lorenzo market and walked around looking at everything and buy different presents for my family. It was so much fun and I was able to take my mind off of all the things I had been thinking about lately and just give myself a breather. I went to the boy's apartment again for fondue and that was a lot of fun. They had a lot of people there and it the fondue beyond delicious.
November 6th
Good day! I went to church in the morning with Mrs. Messina and it was interesting to say the least. I can now cross "being slapped by a holy figure" off of my bucket list. Ok, some explaining is obviously needed. We were at church and it was a special mass because the cardinal (or bishop, we couldn't quite tell) of Florence was at mass! It was a glorious celebration and there was so much singing and praising going on. So, the cardinal was walking around shaking hands and kissing people's cheeks and when he gets to me, we shake hands but because I don't go into kiss him, he slaps me! Ok, it was more of a pat pat on the cheek, but it is more fun to say that I got slapped, isn't it?
November 7th
For lighting class, we reviewed all the different types of lighting and it was a boring but informational class. It is interesting to learn about all the characteristics and details that the types of lighting have. For Sustainable design we went to a site located in Florence and it was really cool to see a bit of modern architecture inside of a city that is filled with the exact opposite. When we returned to the class, the architect came back with us and gave a presentation more in detail of the process he went through and a lot more of the technical details were given. The budget for his little project was 3 million euro. Pocket change, really.We also found out that a majority of our final project for the class will be individual. For those of you who have put up with me whining about our midterm project, you understand what an amazing thing this was for me to hear. My responsibility will be to redesign more in detail our private offices in the conference center and I am very excited to start this project.
November 8th
A happy 43rd birthday to Mr. Marshall
In my revit class I finally took my midterm and handed in part of my final project. I received a 95 on the midterm and I am very thrilled. I came home and was able to skype with my Mamma for a little bit and that was so nice. We have this system worked out where we skype Tuesday and Thursday right before she goes to work and right before I head to my Italian class. It works out very nicely for both of us. Mr. Messina was finally released from the hospital and it was an amazing thing to have on this day. Courtney and I went out to Karaoke and had such a fun time. We plan on going back again very soon.
November 9th
Mr. and Mrs. Messina got onto a train to Milan to spend the night there and then hopefully take a flight out of there the next day. He just needs to get home to America to the doctors that speak English and so that they can really tell him what is going on instead of dodging around all the questions and not giving answers.
I had my wine class in the morning, and again, it was beyond filled with information. I washed my sheets before class hoping that they would be dry by bedtime. In the afternoon, I wandered around the Oltrarno and had a few hours to myself just to think. It is getting harder and harder for me to get lost in my beloved city. Every time I cross the river and try to get lost, I just always end up at the Piazza Michelangelo, without fail. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. I made dinner with Freddy and Adrian and it was delicious. We made a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and mozz cheese. I made a salad dressing that Court's mom taught me how to make and it was SO good. We used the rest of my pesto that I got from Cinque Terra with pasta and chicken for the main dish. We had a new type of red wine and it was very delicious. Also, to add a memory that only I will understand, "Did you pour acid down my window?"
I am so sorry that I have been bad about my postings, I just was mostly devoting my time to the Fall break blog, and if you read that, you know how long and detailed it was. So, this is a promise to you and myself that I will be better about my blogs again. The last few weeks I have really dropped the ball and this is not good for when I look back on this to remember every detail of my time here. So, starting today, I will implement my daily blog again. I know you are all so pumped :)
Con amore, Ciao!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
October 29th
Well, this was Chris' last day in Italy so we wanted to make it extra special.
We started the day with waking up at 5:30 in order to catch our train in time and we made it to the station in Naples with plenty of time to spare. We both spent the three hours traveling in and out of sleep. It was super difficult to be comfortable on the train so we didn't get very good sleep which was annoying but obviously not that big of a deal. We walked back to the apartment to drop off our bag and have breakfast of cocoa puffs and coffee. The Messina's (my roommate’s parents) came when we were in the middle and Chris was able to talk sports with Mr. Messina and Courtney. He had been deprived of sports talk all week, I felt so bad for the poor guy, but obviously not too bad.
When they were done, we went to the San Lorenzo food market and leather market to finish shopping for different things that Chris had not been able to get yet. The food market was closed when we went last Sunday so he was finally able to see the inside of the market, including all of the lampredotto and cow's noses in the cases. Gross. We finished with the leather market and headed back to the apartment so we could drop off all of his goodies before we went to the antique market.
On the way to the market, we got boilito paninis which are boiled beef and apparently something else that is a famous Florentine dish. They were boiled beef sandwiches and delicious. With the parsley salsa on ours, they were the perfect sandwich. The famous antique market was a lot smaller than we thought it was going to be which was a bummer but we both found things from there that we purchased. It was very interesting to see all of the different things there that the vendors were trying to sell. The market was very similar to American antique markets where there was a lot of interesting finds and a lot of, well for lack of better words, crap. It of course was more interesting because all of the things were Italian, or at least we assumed they were, so it made even the crap even a little bit more romantic. On our way home, we went by the supermarket that I go to and got our supplies for dinner. Picnic's hold a special place in our heart and we figured that a picnic would be the perfect way to end our amazing week that we had together. We got bread, goat cheese, grapes, salami, prosciutto, and wine.
We came back to the apartment to drop off our dinner materials and realized that Chris should pack before we headed to church. It was horrible and so sad to watch him pack and check in for his flight. After he packed, we still had a little bit of time left so we played some cards because there wasn't really enough time to do anything or go anywhere, just about fifteen minutes or so.
We went to church at the Duomo and I was finally able to go inside. To be honest, I was a little disappointed. I thought it was going to be covered in paintings on all the walls and decked out in statues and marble. It wasn't. It was the perfect amount of paintings and statues and had stained glass on every window. The Duomo is massive and is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been inside of. The mass was a little boring because there was no singing, but it was nice to be able to understand a sermon for the first time in the eight Sundays that I have been here. The sermon was interesting because it was about not giving up faith in God and the church if a priest were to make a mistake, for priests are human and have times of weakness, and it really just seemed like he had done something terrible recently and this was his way of confessing. However, the message was still true!
On the way back to the apartment we got a waffle treat that are all over Florence. It is a waffle with what ever topping you decide, usually either fruit, nutella, or whipped cream. We decided to get one because neither of us had ever had one before and as the register dinged at 8 euro for our total, we realized we had been dooped into another tourist trap. It was a good waffle, but let's be honest here, I can make one just as easy as they did. Oh well, it was a good first and a good last for the waffle experience and we can at least say that we got one.
With our appetites being completely shot, we went back to the apartment and played cards. I know most of you are thinking, "why the hell are they playing so many cards on their last night in Florence?" And the answer is very simple, it is one of our favorite things to do with each other. It is a great way to spend quality time together and since we were both so pooped from the go go go of the week, we just wanted to relax and enjoy each others' company. In our opinion, it was yet another perfect element to our last night together.
Finally around 8 or so, we made our way to the Piazza della Signorina to listen to the guitar player and eat our dinner together. We finished dinner and danced as she played her sweet songs, it was so romantic. After dinner we came back to the apartment and put the left overs in the fridge then went down to get his last serving of gelato for the trip. We got some delicious flavors, I got lampone and amaretto (raspberry and almond) Chris got tiramisu and frutti di bosco. After gelato we wandered the streets looking in the windows of different shops and just spent more time together. Once we were done getting lost for a little, we went back to the apartment and played cards and made sure everything was packed and ready to go in the morning for when we woke up at 4:30. It was a perfect day and a perfect way to end the wonderful vacation.
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