Last days in Italy

So, today is my second to last day in Italy. I can't believe my time here has flown by so fast! I am really going to miss so much...like hour long dinners, wine at every meal, crossing the Ponte Vecchio to go to school everyday, traveling throughout europe every weekend...so much. At the beginning being abroad was hard because I didn't know anyone, but now I feel like when I go back home I have so much readjusting to do. I'm a bit nervous for this supposed reverse culture shock that comes with going home...but I'm also really excited to be heading back to the states! I miss my family and friends so it will be great to reunite with everyone. The only thing is, two days after I get back to Rye I have to hop another time zone, because I'm going on a 2 week long family vacation to the Galapagos! I'm of course really excited, but I know I won't be getting much rest this weekend because I'll essentially be spending 2 days on a plane. Oh wellll. Being in Europe this past semester was WELL worth it and I'll remember my time here forever!

Lucca

Last Tuesday, on a day off from classes, I ventured to the beautiful city of Lucca on my own--just to grab some lunch and see a new town. It was so cute! One of the last walled cities left in Italy, the entire town is enclosed and composed of all these quaint little streets and parks. I took a nice long walk facing the walls, got some good pizza at Pizzeria Felice, and took photos of course. It was definitely worth the trip and a must-see for people who are studying in Tuscany!

Weekend in Venice!

Venice was by far my favorite town that I have seen in Italy so far. I absolutely loved it! It was such a peaceful weekend... our program stayed in a great four star hotel called Hotel Belle Arti, and got to see the famous Biannale art Exhibition. Venice was beautiful beyond words. The whole city is bolstered by a lagoon, so the only way to get around the town is by walking or talking a "vaporetto" (water taxi) if you want to avoid getting lost. Also, Venice was so expensive! I was glad to be on a prepaid school trip because our meals, aside from lunches, were accounted for and the food was of course exquisite... I mean it is Italy : ). I got some great murano glass necklaces and rings too. If you have to see a town in Italy, aside from Florence, Venice is a must... nothing beats its charm and sheer brilliant views!

Photos from my Trip to Denmark and Sweden!

Weekend in Belgium..Details!

Last weekend I saw Belgium, the first time I had been to the country! It was beautiful. With my friend from home, I saw the towns of Bruges, Brussels, and Leuven. Bruges was by far my favorite. So quaint and charming...I had my first waffle and sampling of traditional Belgium chocolates there! We climbed to the top of the Bell Tower, viewed the city from a birds eye angle, took a really cute boat tour and heard about the history of the town...it was great. I really think it might have been one of the most amazing little areas of Europe I have seen, other than the cities of Italy.

Saturday night we went out in Brussels at this great 3-story bar called Delirium, with 2004 beers! I got to try lots of Belgium beer and had a blast. Sunday and throughout the weekend I toured Leuven, where my friend is studying, a small and really nice suburb of Brussels. This weekend I head to Copenhagen and Sweden...another action-packed weekend ahead! Ciao for now!

Escapades in Belgium!

Pictures of The GORGEOUS Siena!!!

Views from Rome!

Gallavanting through ROMA & Fiesole

This Saturday I got to see the Eternal City and it absolutely blew my mind!!! Everything that the Romans did...they just did it better. All of the buildings are so imposing and rich with history...I got to see the famous Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Vatican City all in a day's work! I originally didn't think I was going to get to see Rome, for time and planning reasons, but my host mom recommended a travel agency and so I got to go. It was amazing...I took about 200 pictures in one day and my jaw was dropping every 5 minutes. I loved all of the baroque architecture and the panoramic views that I got from my bus tour. I wined and dined well in Piazza Navona with a cute Italian couple, and ate gnocchi, bruschetta, and then some gelato! The Italian couple I met basically adopted me for the day, it was so cute...we all took pictures of one another and at the end of the excursion they bought me a guide of Rome in Italian as a little gift! All in all I was so happy that I got to see such an important city and that I did it on my own. Sunday, even though I was tired, I didn't have much work to do and my high from Rome pushed me to take a 20 minute bus to a hillside town overlooking Florence, called Fiesole. There I took some of the most gorgeous pictures of the entire city of Florence (from a birds eye view) that may even trump my photos from Piazzale Michalengalo. Pictures to come soon, xoxo!

Pictures of The Queen's City

LONDON!!

This past weekend I visited London and I have to say it definitely ranks up there in one of the most AMAZINGLY beautiful cities I've ever seen, with tons to do as well...entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and great food too! I saw the whole city in a mere 2 and a half days thanks to my amazing tour guide Line...including the big sites like Big Ben, the Tate Modern museum, the London Eye, Tower of London and the Tower Bridge, and the best shops on Oxford Street and Regent Street. Let's not forget Harrods! That store was more like a palace than a place to buy things...words can barely describe all the wealth thats in that one building. We also shopped through Notting Hill and Camdentown, two adorable little hamlets in London. I had the best weekend and am still reliving it in my head and wish I was there for longer! I may be interning there next summer...

PARIS

Paris, je t'aime

This past weekend I was in Paris...aka the city of love. It marked the 5th time that I have been to the beautiful city, Paris never fails me. I had the time of my life! Even though I have seen it many times, the art and the landscape and the shopping on the Champs-Elysées never disappoints and always burns a hole in my wallet haha! Of course, I saw the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Jardin Tuileries, I ate good french pain au chocolate in my friends' apartment, and had the best french wine and oysters! I bought a gorgeous look-a-like classic Cartier ring, tasted the INCREDIBLE chocolate macaroons from La Durée, got some silk scarves, saw the Notre Dame in all its glory...basically fully enjoyed Paris to its utmost for the 3 and a half days I was there. It was so hard to leave! I really feel like I could easily work and live there in the future, and I'm finding that also true for Florence. Yesterday and today, just in transit, I realized how comfortable I am on my own and how great Europe is. I think I could really do well here in the future if I ever find a career...maybe I was born on the wrong continent-since Im now proficient in 2 languages, I definitely would consider a life here.

On another note, today I bought the perfect leather bag...its caramel/light chocolate brown with gold buckle detail and it really is exactly what I wanted. Pictures of Paris and my bag to come...ciao!

Italian Opera!

Wednesday night I saw my first Opera at Teatro Communale in Florence. The opera was by Verdi, entitled "Rigoletto," and it was such a great experience. I loved getting dressed up in my proper and going out for the spectacle. Though I couldn't really understand most of it, granted because it was in rapid Italian, I definitely am glad I went. Our group sat at the top of the theatre, so we had a birds eye-view, and despite the fact that many of the thespians I was with complained about the excessive modernity that this particular director applied to this classic storyline the singing was beautiful and I'm sure it will be something I remember fondly for a long time.

Today I set off for PARIS for the weekend! I'm so excited to go back to probably one of if not my favorite cities in the world. I'll be there until Monday night and will hopefully have pictures up sometime next week. Au revoir maintenant, bisous!!

Words cannot begin to describe... Galleria del Uffizi

So im sitting in my program office at school right now, still in awe of the artwork I just saw at the Uffizi gallery in Palazzo Vecchio. I am speechless... I cant believe I am living and breathing in a city with so much history and majestic art its really incredible. I am so lucky to be here and this afternoon proved to me why I chose Florence. This city has everything.

I set off for the Uffizi at 11 this morning, after my Italian class, just on my own not really sure what to expect. I got in quite easily actually, because I have a card called 'amici del uffizi' which is special for students at my school and gets me into most every museum in Florence for free. I traveled up the 3 flights of grandiose stairs and immediately the hall of the gallery took my breath away. I felt so small looking at the amazing, large columns flanking the sides of the corridor.

Actually though, when I first went to the Uffizi directly after 2 hours of intense class, I felt really lightheaded and though I passed through many of the famous rooms that house Botticellis and Leonarda da Vincis works, I felt myself getting tired so I got lunch in the Palazzo and came back in the afternoon. Id like to say in the morning I got my bearings and in the afternoon I was able to fully appreciate the art because I was full and ready to take in everything.

And oh did I! By far my favorite piece of art that im still awestruck by was the work by Gentile da Fabriano in his Adoration of the Magi...decorated with such ornate and delicate detail, and rimmed with gold trimmings everywhere, my jaw was dropped for a good three of four minutes just staring at the piece. I saw the incredible Birth of Venus and Primavera by Botticelli...and I have to say I preffered the latter to the former, especially the second time around. I thought that both were fantastic pieces of art, but something about the movements and depiction of Venus in Primavera moved me a little bit more than in his Birth of Venus.

I also got to see incredible paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, most specifically the collaboration painting (done with his master Verroccio) called the Baptism of Christ. And I absolutely loved the Sala delle Niobe, lined with amazing canvases brimming with gold and ceilings arching upwards towards the heavens. I felt so small in this room, but in the good way.

I cant believe I was just in the company of some of the most acclaimed pieces of art in all of Renaissance history, and it was a mere 3 minute walk from where I take classes. I only really saw in depth the first half of the Uffizi today, because I want to appreciate the museum as best and thoroughly as possible...and just the first half took me 2 hours to really get through. Im so glad to be living and studying here, and my little adventure today totally validated, in a way I cant really describe, the reason I chose Florence!

Photos from Chianti Trip

Chianti!

Today I had a field trip to the Chianti wine region of Italy, just 50 minutes from Florence, and I have to say it was absolutely breathtaking. We got to walk through the countryside for hours on end just taking in the beautiful sights of the grapes in the vineyards, the landscape, and the hills surrounding us. We had a personalized tour through a famous castle owned by a nutty Count, where we got to sample wines made in the castle firsthand! I was certainly at home! And the house was in itself a living relic...I saw and touched first-edition books of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, Don Quixote's novels, and I even saw a Mark Twain's personally hand-written autograph in a copy of The Prince & The Pauper. He knew the great-grandmother of the Count who lives there!

The wine and the history I learned about today was fantastic. I really loved Chianti, it is definitely one of the best parts of Italy I've seen to date, even though I've only traveled a little bit so far. This coming weekend, on Friday, I head for Paris and then London the weekend after that. I'm going to be traveling on weekends a lot more now...in just a few short weeks I'll get to see another beautiful part of Italy, Siena! I'm really falling into a nice groove here in Florence...taking in all the art, reading in my favorite park almost daily that overlooks the Arno river, and eating tons of course. I'm taking in all of the city!

Ciao per ora! :)

Pisa, etc...

This past weekend I went to Pisa, and took my tourist shots by the Leaning tower! It was sooo fun actually being in a place that I had only read about for years! Our group had a great lunch in the main piazza and got to see not only the tower but also the really gorgeous duomo in the center of the piazza. It was my first real trip outside the city of Florence, aside from our orientation in the hill country of Tuscany, so it was a momentous occasion!

Everything for me in Florence is going amazing! I love all the food, culture, wine of course and gelato! I really think this experience is going to make me, and has already started if i must say, so much more independent and comfortable in travelling and living life on my own and the way I want to. Which is great!

This Sunday I head for the Chianti Wine country for a wine tasting and a special visit to a villa in the region. Then next weekend I'm off to PARIS, la ville extraordinaire! Then I think I'm off to London the following weekend! Next week i'll also get to see my first Italian opera with my school, which should be amazing. And of course, I'll keep you all updated on my Italian escapades! Ciao! xoxox

Finally have wifi! Ciao from mia casa!

Yesterday i FINALLY got wifi in my house, so I'll be able to update more frequently now. This past week has been pretty intense, it was my first week of classes so I started art history, film, and of course am continuing with Italian. Classes are pretty long and I have them everyday so I get tired easily at night. The meals that Giovanna cooks are amazing too--this past week we had veal soaked in white wine sauce, risotto, lots of pasta, and of course gelato--so I slip into food coma pretty easily haha! It's been great being in Florence and learning to navigate things on my own. Today I went to a good leather market in the center of the city, called San Lorenzo markets, and bought some cute leather bracelets, only 5 euro for 6 of them! I climbed to Piazza Michelangelo as well this week and got to see Florence in its glory from a birds-eye view. Tomorrow I head to Pisa for a class trip with my Italian teacher. In the next coming weeks I'll be travelling a lot--to Chianti, Paris, Siena, and maybe Rome! I will keep you all updated on my escapades, ciao for now!

Lovin' Florence

So Florence is amazing. I'm loving it here, studying abroad was the best decision. This past weekend I did a lot of sightseeing and of course, ate great Italian food and drank classic Tuscan wine. On Friday I had my usual 3 hour intensive Italian class, and then my friends and I went out to a great little traditional restaurant Coquinarius. I had such good rose wine with simple cheese ravioli and some "crostini"-basically bruschetta with basil and olive oil topping. Giovanna made fresh salmon and vegetables that night. I also got to take a great run around the park near our apartment, overlooking the Arno river! It was fabulous.

On Saturday I saw the David at Galleria dell'Academia, for the first time of my life. It was absolutely breathtaking. It's hard to really describe the emotional reaction this piece of Michaelangelo gives you...also you can't take pictures of it, not that I could do it justice if I had. Also, our class saw an exhibit by Robert Mapplethorpe, a renowned photographer. I feel so fortunate to be in Florence studying this incredible art and history. We had a great lunch at Trattoria Za-Za- I had good appetizers of prosciutto and a delicious veal sauteed in white wine sauce. That night I went out clubbing with my roomates at a really fun club called Space! We had drinks at Oibo and Caffe Begallo to start out and then finished with a night of dancing. It was lots of fun!

Yesterday I woke up lazily and had an American brunch at a restaurant near the Duomo called Angels. I got to have an American burger with fries, and it was really good! Then my roommates and I walked around the San Lorenzo markets and shopped for awhile, and had gelato too. Giovanna made a great pasta pomodoro and I fell asleep satisfied and in love with my new city. Thats all for now, will write again soon! XO Lily

Recap on First Week in Florence!

Hey guys!

So this past week has really been a blur of sightseeing, getting acquainted with Firenze, and eating mucho wine, pasta, and pizza! Florence is a beautiful, historical city that is basically a living museum with so much to learn everywhere you go. This whole week I have had limited internet so blogging has been hard but I get wifi in my homestay on Monday so that will all change soon! My house is great. I live with a really sweet signora (Giovanna) and her husband (Piero) and two girls from Gettysburg. Every night the meals are impeccable and dinner can last upwards to 3 hours! I've had intensive language classes all this week but I'm really learning fast so I can understand most things so far. So far my favorite restaurants I've been to this week have been I Fratellini, where my language class and I went on Monday. I got a 2 course AMAZING meal for only 10 euro, including the red wine! Also I Pizzaoulio--great marghertia pizza and wine for only 11 euro! Also, I'm planning on taking Art History and History of Italian Cinema along with Italian of course, for my 3 classes.

Last night I got my first entry into Florence at night--we all went out to Santa Spirito for drinks, a quaint little piazza on the right side of the Arno if you face away from the Ponte Vecchio. I'm going to go out with the girls living in my house this next coming weekend, and celebrate my birthday again! Being 20 in Florence is awesome, I definitely feel independent and I love it! Ciao for now, I'll write again when I can!

Orientation Excursions in Hill Country

So now that I have more internet access..to describe my week-long escapades in the foothills of Tuscany:

The first day I arrived to Florence (September 8th) I was very jetlagged. We had a great lunch in the middle of Santa Croce, the neighborhood where my school is and I had my first pasta dish and vino rosso. That night we took a private bus to our main site, Pescia, about 2 hours away from Florence with all the commuter traffic. Our first dinner as a group was at the Villa's private restaurant, Il Poderino...I had the best homemade linguini and of course, vino vino vino!

Wednesday, the 9th we all had breakfast together and started intense italian classes in the morning. Afterwards our group walked down the hill to the main piazza in Pescia and had the one of the best lunches of the trip, complete with risotto, salumi (fresh salami and prosciutto), classic tuscan wine, and a great fruit salad. We then had a walking tour of Pescia and I had my first gelato in Italy--SO good!! We saw lots of churches and beautiful views of the village, and that night we had a festa (party) with local italian men. I had lots of wine and traditional italian pizza and pasto pesto!

The next day we had intense italian language classes and our excursion for the day was to Collodi, hometown of Carlo Lorenzini where the Pinocchio Park is located. We saw a gorgeous garden that spanned many acres and flights of stairs, pictures are on my facebook! Then we took a private bus to a quaint village called Montecarlo (all these towns are hillside towns in the heart of Tuscany) for a great dinner and one of the best desserts I've ever had, called zabalogni, and a visit to a great local theatre.

Friday we went to Stiappa and Pontito for a long walk through the countryside. That day we had the best lunch of the trip at Carla al Laghetto...the food was impeccable and wine was flowing everywhere. I got tipsy and had a big food baby!

Saturday was our last day of orientation. We had our usual intensive italian classes and got our family assignments. I have a great family, the signora is named Giovanna, the signore Pietro, and I am also living with 2 nice girls from Gettysbury College who are also American and very fun! Saturday we took a trip via train to Pistoia and saw the local piazza and church (duomo) there and spent the night at a local hotel. Sunday was my 20th birthday so on Saturday-into Sunday we all went out and celebrated at a local irish pub and I had likely the strongest drink known to man. It was called "nigrone" and had 4 different kinds of alcohol. More to come later about my birthday festivities and my first few days in Florence! I'm loving it here! Ciao for now! xoxo

First Views of Tuscany and Florence

Starting Life in Italy!

CIAO!

I haven't had internet access for the week of orientation in Pescia, so today is the first chance I have had to update my blog. I only have a few minutes before I go to class, but to fill you in briefly (more to come soon): Italy is absolutely gorgeous. I'll tell you all in more detail about my orientation week later today when I have more time- of course generally, Tuscany was beautiful. We traveled to many hill towns in the mountains, not just Pescia but also Collodi, Montecarlo, Stiappa, Pontito, and Pistoia! We took many long walks as a group and had amazzinggg vino, formaggio, i dolci, etcetera! The desserts were some of the most amazing I have tasted, it's crazy how Italians can make a meal turn into a 3-hour affair. Anyways, I have to go now, but when I get internet next I will describe in more detail my first full day in Florence which was also my 20th birthday, and my travels in the countryside. Arrivederci per ora!

Lily

Getting ready!

So as of right now, I leave for my semester in Florence in a mere 4 days! Packing has been a crazy process, it's not too easy getting everything you need for 3 months into 2 bags that can only weight 50 pounds! I'm getting really excited for the trip, it should be the experience of a lifetime.

I'll use this blog as a way to update everyone on my adventures in Firenze and elsewhere in Europe. Ciao !

XO Lily