Saturday, May 8, 2010

Il mio ventunesimo compleanno a Monaco di Baviera

Munich last weekend for my 21st birthday was incredible! Such a great city with such nice, friendly, and genuinely happy people. Some interesting things to start: BMW World, Haufbrauhaus, Spring Fest, considered the northernmost Italian city.

We arrived on a Thursday evening and acquainted ourselves with the city. Friday (my birthday!), Jennifer met us and we went on an amazing bike tour! It was our tour guide's first official tour, which might strike apprehension in some, but it was very good. The tour showcased the highs and lows of Munich and Germany's history. There are lions everywhere, marking one of the first rulers of Munich. There are some WWII memorials. Our tour guide actually got choked up at one. The memorial commemorated the deaths of 7 students and their professor who spoke out against Nazi rule. They were found and guillotined in a public square. It was especially poignant for us since these students were our ages, etc. fighting for what was right. The way Germany deals with their history and involvement is very interesting. They acknowledge it and try to move on. On the bike tour, we stopped for lunch in the English Garden, a stunningly beautiful park in the middle of the city. The river that flows through it actually makes a great spot for surfers! There's also a nudist meadow!

After the tour, we decided to search for lederhosen and derndels, the traditionally Bavarian garb. The girls succeeded completely, while I found some knock-off, costume-esque lederhosen for 5 euro. I knew they wouldn't be accepted well, but I had to buy them! We suited up and hit the town. Our waiter at one of the beer halls told me I looked like a jerk, and I said "I know. I'm sorry!" But that was the worst of it. Munich was like Disney Land with lots of beer: the happiest place on earth.

We repeated this routine in our outfits again the next day, meeting some cool people from all over the world in the process.

Sunday met us early the next morning when we checked out. We had most of the day in the city still, so we decided to pay a visit to Dachau, one of the first concentration camps in Germany. That day was the 65th anniversary of its liberation, so some high-up officials were in attendance for the ceremony. Our tour didn't conflict with the ceremony, though. It was chilling. You walk through a small gate with words translating to "Work will set you free" above. Then the processing center where people were documented and showered. The barracks are across the courtyard and are absolutely horrifying. I couldn't stay in them for more than a moment. I was reminded of Elie Weisel's accounts in his best-selling "Night." Unfortunately, we didn't have as much time at Dachau as we would have liked, but I am very happy to have seen it.

We made it back to Florence for our last week of class before finals. Mike was able to find some flights and come to Florence this weekend. It's good timing. I get to play tour guide for the last time just before leaving. Only one more week in the capital of Tuscany and the birthplace of the Renaissance. :(

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Cose ad Amsterdam e Alitaliaccia

Last Thursday, Amsterdam came calling and we answered promptly! We flew Alitalia through Rome straight in to Amsterdam. Hilliary and I had to check our bags, so we went to the baggage claim when we got there. Her backpack came right on out...my bag did not, which is hard to fathom since we checked in together. I filed a report and all I could do was wait for some news. So we motored on. After checking in to the hostel, we explored our food options. Amsterdam is such an international city that you could eat anything you wanted whenever you wanted. I started with a bagel and soup. I decided that I should probably invest in some change of clothing since I would be there for 4 days--and who knows if my bag will ever show up. Luckily, Amsterdam also has some great shopping. We went to a second-hand vintage store that sold gas masks. I abstained.

The next day, the rest of the group met us later in the afternoon. We got our bearings just in time to head to the Crystal Castles concert a few metro stops away. It was insane! I had never really listened to their stuff before, but they are quite the entertainment. The lead singer reminded me of Coraline. Kind of freaky. But ridiculous in a way that only Amsterdam could embrace. It truly is a city that has anything and everything anybody could ever want out of life. Seriously.

Saturday, we stumbled upon a carnival that was gearing up for the Queen's Day celebration the following weekend. Orange, the color of Amsterdam, was everywhere. It felt like a European version of the state fair. We rode the tall ferris wheel to get a view of the entire city--beautiful. Afterward, we ate lunch along a canal and went to the Heineken Experience. It was pretty cool! It was a very hands-on type of museum. I helped brew some beer...and then we went on a ride where we got brewed! How creative. The ticket included some beer, so we hung out in the brewery's bar for a little while after the tour. That night, we walked through the Red Light District. It's funny, because none of us felt like that was obscene or inappropriate. I guess I'm embracing that European attitude more each day. And I guess that's how Amsterdam blends it all seamlessly together.

Hilliary and I found ourselves at Anne Frank's house. Such a poignant story. And the house was very cool, too, because Otto Frank, Anne's father, personally guided its development. He is quoted a few times throughout the museum. In the last room, the Freedom2Choose room, Otto clarifies that the house isn't meant for people to dwell on the past, but rather to move forward, forgetting prejudices and bigotry. I think I will try to visit Dachau, a concentration camp outside Munich, this weekend. It could be a nice little parallel.

That afternoon, we had to head to the airport to come back home. I went early to pick up my bag (the airline called me Saturday saying they'd found it. I didn't see any merit in wasting time getting it with only one night left). So I found it. Put my new purchases in and proceeded to check in. Of course, I had to check my bag again. However, due to our 20 minute connection in Rome, none of our bags made it to Florence! All I could do was laugh. I had worn the same clothes for 4 days. No toothpaste. No nothing. But I was home. And that's all that mattered.

Two days later, my bag was delivered. I emailed Alitalia to see what they would do for me. I'm still waiting for a response.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Amici e le Cinque Terre: il bellissimo luogo

After Jennifer and company left Florence last week to continue their Italian excursions, the Florentine routine resumed. Although hardly a routine, we frequented our familiar establishments and discovered some new ones as well.

Last Thursday, Accent arranged for the TCU group to go see Momix, a modern show that could be described as Cirque du Soliel meets Blue Man Group. The show actually started in the United States, but must be on a tour of Europe. We saw it at Teatro Verdi, a beautful old theatre near Santa Croce. We got to sit in a balcony for the performance! Every scene was amazing. There was no dialogue, but the incredible soundtrack said it all. The show moves through the four seasons in extremely unique ways. The performers were some of the most talented I've ever seen. I highly recommend Momix to anyone.

Saturday, we decided to go to the Inter Milan v. Fiorentina futbol game! What an experience! Inter is one of the top teams in the world and Florence hosted them right in our backyard. Fiorentina scored first within the first 15 minutes and held Inter for most of the game. In the second half, Inter snuck in two back-to-back goals. Fortunately, Fiorentina answered them right away to tie it back up at 2-2. The clock ran up at 90:00, so a short overtime ensued. At the end of overtime, neither team managed another goal, so the game ended in a tie. At least Fiorentina didn't lose to one of the best teams in the world! We also had some extra entertainment in the stand when a Milan fan haphazardly identified his affiliation amidst a sea of diehard Fiorentina supporters. We seriously feared for his wellbeing. It almost got real ugly. I suppose that is why they had hundreds of crowd-control personnel seperating the fans. And this was just a normal game! I can only imagine Johannesburg this summer.

The school week was pretty slow. That is, until I found out we had a quiz Thursday in my Italian class. Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem. But, when Jennifer was in town, she let me know that she would be in Cinque Terre, a 2-hour train ride from Florence, for her 21st that week. Of course as a best friend, I had to go! I had planned on leaving Wednesday morning after class as to only miss my Thursday morning Italian class. Well, the quiz was worth 5% of my final grade--and it's date was non-negotiable. I really cannot complain about the effect on my grade, since it is technically in the syllabus. It just angered me that the ONE class I miss (of a 3 day/week 8am class), it would be worth 5%. Woe is me.

Cinque Terre: the most beautiful place on the planet!
I arrived Wednesday afternoon before Jennifer. The train station was literally on the beach! So I soaked up the ambience, then headed for the hostel. I checked in at the top of the hill in Riomaggiore. The room, however, was at the bottom of the hill near the water's edge. It was a hidden little door down an alleyway/maze--only in Italy. I met some of the others staying in the 11-person room (one of the girls actually knew some TCU people!) and headed for the beach. After I finished reading, I went back to see if Jennifer had made it for her 21st and she had! We got ready for dinner and headed up the hill. To our surprise, there were only three restaurants in the whole town--luckily they were open (and the only things open!). We had some great seafood followed by some great mojitos (thanks, Rick Steves!). We finished the night with wine on the marina.

The next day, we woke up and hiked from Monterosso to Vernazza, the hardest trail of the five towns. We made it back to the hostel where we met some more roommates. Tom, a 23-year old kiwi from New Zealand. After spending 5-months in Fort Lauderdale and gaining his deck-hand experience for boating, he traveled through Western Europe. Cinque Terre was his last stop before meeting his port of call just south. He signed on as a deck hand for a 44-metre yacht, owned by a middle-eastern oil tycoon. The yacht isn't even completed yet. It has a crew of 9...for a six-person family! That must be nice! His contract is for 7 months--all exepenses paid. I'm slightly envious. And James, a 23-year old masters student in London who originates from Canada. The two of them joined us for some of our adventures on Friday and Saturday.

We spent all-day Saturday on the beach! It was PERFECT weather in a PERFECT place for relaxation. We picked up a picnic lunch at the local market: foccacia, pesto, mozzarella, salami, grapes, apples, and white wine. I know...rough life. It was great, though, to have those moments to relax with great friends (Spain was a great spring break, but one of those vacations that demands a vacation afterward).

Now it is Saturday and I am back in Florence with the weekend still ahead of me! Granted, I have alot of schoolwork to catch up on this weekend before a week of papers and presentations. We will leave for Amsterdam on Thursday!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Quando Jennifer arriva a Firenze

Jennifer is in town! She and two of her friends who are also studying in Aix en Provence, France are traveling around Italy for the next two weeks while they're on spring break. They're starting here in Florence, then heading to Venice, Rome, and Cinque Terre. They have Eurail passes, so taking trains everywhere is cheaper.

Jennifer will be turning 21 next week in Cinque Terre and I think I am going to meet here there!! Some other TCU folks went there this weekend and their pictures look too good not to go! Until then, I am showing Jennifer what it means to be Florentine. I hope I have done a good job so far! It was Easter (Pasqua) yesterday, so we went to mass at Santa Croce after watching the celebration in Piazza del Duomo. They shot fireworks off an ornate cart! Last night, we made dinner for the group. Unfortunately, my dishes didn't turn out the way I had planned....bo.

In other news, I signed up for fall classes. Unfortunately, the course offerings and times are not working to my advantage. I have to drop my Italian minor :( I am really mad about that. That is one of the reasons I came here and now I can't finish it! Hopefully I can work out some sort of compromise.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Dieci giorni in Spagna

Back in Italy! Sorry for the delay in updates, but it's hard to sit and blog when you're on the go in Spain.

FRIDAY
We woke up and got a taxi to the airport. When we are standing in line to check in, Matt realizes he had left his passport back at the apartment. Our flight was taking off in less than an hour. Miraculously, he was able to grab another taxi, tell the driver to speed as fast as possible (which Italian drivers are very capable of doing), and get there and back just in time. That pretty much set the tone for the rest of our trip. We arrived in Madrid, checked in to our hostels, and explored the city.

SATURDAY
We took a free walking tour of Madrid. It was organized by our hostel, so we weren't expecting too much...and for good reason. Our tour guide showed up drunk, likely high, and affected by "the chemicals" as he called them. He informed us that he does the pub crawls at night, then the free tours the next morning--poor combination by my estimation. Aside from a rocky start, I was pleased with the tour. He was comical and more-or-less informative. He was empassioned and enthralling. Free tour guides expect tips at the end, however, I only tipped a few euro. Sorry, Adam. After learning from our tour guide how crazy Madrid nightlife could be, we had to see for ourselves. We went to a 7-STORY discoteca! It was insane! Brooke and I ended up on the main dance floor just in time to feel the cold frost shoot down from a compressor in the ceiling. Without air conditioning, I guess that is the only way to cool the club down. After a few blasts of frost, confetti came down! I got home with confetti still in my hair! In most of Spain, lunch is served around 2 p.m., then dinner around 9 p.m. or so. In Madrid, bars and pubs don't open until after midnight--so you know you're going to be out late. The metro closes at 1 a.m. and reopens at 5 a.m. So you're expected to stay out until the metro reopens! I don't know how they do it.

SUNDAY
We visited the famous Prado and Reina Sofia museums. We saw some classics by Velazquez, Picasso, Dali, and others. Spanish artists are awesome! By far, Spain has the coolest art I have seen. We visited those museums during their "free" times. College students will do anything to save a buck! We also went to Retiro Park, a beautiful public area complete with manmade lake (with rowboats!) and recreation areas.

MONDAY
We woke up Monday, checked out, and caught a train to Seville. After checking in to our hostel, I met up with Mike and other TCU students studying in Seville. It was so good to see a familiar face! It was fun to compare experiences (homestay vs. apartment, Spanish vs. Italian cultures and languages, social norms, etc.). Seville was very laid back. It was as though you could literally feel the country of Spain when you walked its streets. I liked it a lot! We went out for tapas that night. When we got back to the hostel, I wasn't feeling well and ended up throwing up. Abby also threw up. And so did Lauren. We had all eaten the same pork at dinner, so we concluded it was undercooked or something. Once in the night, I threw up again. That wasn't so fun. And I felt bad for my hostel mates (sorry!). Now I have a literal and figurative bad taste in my mouth for tapas and sangria.

TUESDAY
I didn't let the rocky night get me down. I met Mike for lunch, then he showed me his house. I met his senora as she was cooking lunch. She doesn't speak any English and I don't speak much Spanish at all (I get bits since I study Italian), so that exchange was translated for us. Later that night, I ate dinner there, but we should have planned that in advance. Mike asked her only an hour or so before dinner and she was not too happy about the last minute request. She obliged nonetheless, so I cannot complain. Later that night, I decided to take a "quicker" way home. FYI, that isn't the best idea when you have no phone or map. I stubbornly wandered for about an hour and a half, until at 3:30 a.m. I decided to snag a cab. Four euro later, I had made it back and went to bed.

(Matt and Abby left for Morocco instead of staying with us--that's a saga I'll discuss in a little bit)

WEDNESDAY
We flew to Valencia as an intermediary to Barcelona. The flight was only 40 euro and then train to Barcelona was only going to be 17 euro. There is an AMAZING aquarium in Valencia, but we couldn't stomach the 20+ euro prices. We shopped around, found a TON of barber shops and hair salons--if you every need a new doo, you know where to go.

THURSDAY
Our train to Barcelona wasn't until 3 p.m., so we headed to the beach in Valencia. We ate vegetable paella on the boardwalk and enjoyed the beautful sunshine and gorgeous view. It was slightly chilly with the wind so there weren't a ton of people out and about, but we enjoyed the glimpse nonetheless. We had to hurry back to the hostel to grab our bags and get to the train station. We barely made it!

(We were expecting to meet Matt and Abby in Barcelona, but got emails and facebook messages from Abby. She said that their excursion to Morocco didn't happen, but they were determined to take it, so they would be a day late. They wouldn't be taking their scheduled train, but a flight the next night instead).

We get to Barcelona and take the metro to our hostel! In all of Spain, but especially Barcelona, we were being extra cautious with our belongings in public. It is the worst city for tourists since their pickpockets are so good. But it is the best city for tourists with its beauty and abundance of things to do! That night, I met Jillian and her roommate (whose wallet I promptly returned after she lost it in Florence!) for dinner. They took us to a great tapas place, then a few bars. We ended the night at the beachside discotecas. INSANE.

FRIDAY
(Matt and Abby are nowhere to be found. Their excursion to Morocco got back late, so they missed their flight and were forced to stay another day in Malaga. They found another flight and finally made it late that afternoon. I felt bad for all their antics!)

Park Guell was INCREDIBLE. It is my favorite park in the world. Gaudi was commissioned to design the space as a housing development for the privileged classes. The city of Barcelona scrapped the project and made the park a public space. The common areas, fountains, subtle details, and quirky features are astounding. I love Gaudi's architecture! I don't find it goddy at all! It was a beautiful day, so Lauren and I left the group for the beach.

SATURDAY
Our last day. A group of us went to Starbucks to start the day and map our plans. I sat my bag down next me. When we got up to go, it was nowhere to be seen! Immediately, I knew it had been stolen. I checked the streets, but didn't see anyone with anything. My camera, cell phone, and passport were in it! I had put my valuable things in my bag for the day because we had to switch hostel rooms, but our new one wasn't yet ready. Fortunately, I had JUST put my wallet in my pocket, so the theif didn't get my debit card or cash. I kept a cool head, though. I called Accent, our program in Florence. Then I went to the tourist information office to ask where the U.S. Consulate was located. Well, it's Saturday. I need to travel the next day. They give me an emergency number...that only works Monday through Friday, 9-5--what?! Some sort of emergency number, America. They instructed me to go to the police station to file a report, which I did. The police officer was nice enough to call the airline, too, and ask if it was okay to just travel with the police report in lieu of a passport. So everything was taken care of rather quickly! I am just mad that I have to go through all the motions of getting new everything (except a camera--I'll just have to make mental notes). I'm also mad because we were being so careful! Professionals, I tell you. It was another beautiful day, so we hit the beach again after all that.

SUNDAY
Time to go home. We made it to the airport and checked in...well, most of us at least. Matt, the poor kid, messed up another reservation. He booked his return flight for the Sunday before, so he didn't have a seat on our sold out flight. He was forced to stay in Barcelona another night, buy another flight, and get home the next day. His spring break got real expensive real fast!

It is so nice to be home in Florence, though. Not only is it familiar, but it's Italian. I appreciate the culture so much more after having been deprived of it for over a week! The food is so much better here, too! Every meal isn't pork and potatoes. Grazie, Italia!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

La fine settimana scorsa e gli esami intermedi

Midterms have arrived. I don't want to say I haven't been studious this semester, but I had planned this semester to be somewhat of a break from the usual rigor. Besides, I'm definitely doing my homework in my cooking and wine tasting courses! In all my classes for that matter, I feel like I supplement my time in class with my time outside of class. How can you not review for an art history exam when your rooftop overlooks the Duomo? And Italian language? Come on. That's a no brainer. My point is that I hadn't really studied...at all...until this past weekend before midterms approached. I had my cooking practical yesterday. I made homemade fresh egg pasta and my other group members perfected the tomato, mushroom, and zucchini sauce. My professor said our dish was perfect and reminded hiim of his grandmother's cooking--really?? I guess it doesn't hurt that I also purchased a homemade pasta maker. I went to a kitchen supply store near school to buy it. When I was looking for the cheapest one, the older store owner approached me and she started speaking Italian--awesome! I love being put in situations where I actually HAVE to use my Italian. She tried to tell me to buy the more expensive ones because they were better and more Italian. I appreciated her attempts, but of course I opted for the 30 euro machine. I also had my wine tasting midterm yesterday.

Today, I had my art history and political science midterms. They were considerably more difficult than my tests yesterday, but I think I did well on them.

Since we have midterms this week, I stayed in Florence (for the most part) this past weekend. We decided somewhat last minute to do a day trip to San Gimignano, a medieval town south of Florence in the Tuscan countryside that is famous for its Vernaccia white wine. On the bus ride there, however, we neglected to familiarize ourselves with the route, so we missed the stop that we were supposed to get off at and ended up in Siena. If you recall from previous posts, I have already been to Siena! But we had an hour to kill there before another bus could take us to San Gimignano, so we grabbed some gelato and walked around. And it was sunny then (compared to last time when it was cold and rainy), so we weren't altogether mad at ourselves! But San Gimignano was BEAUTIFUL! By far it was the prettiest town I have visited yet. We visited a torture museum--grotesque. And we also stopped in an enoteca to taste some local wines and manj a little bit.

My last midterm is tomorrow morning in Italian. I am not terribly worried about. So as of 9 A.M. tomorrow morning, I will be on spring break 2010!! Watch out, Spain!!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Il weekend a Roma e due compleanni

Our program that TCU works with here in Florence, ACCENT, took us to Rome this past weekend! We left early Friday morning from the train station. It was quite fun since the last time I took a train it was set up compartment style whereas the fast train to Rome looked more like an airplane--except the train was actually very spacious!

We arrived in Rome mid-morning. After somehow mananaging to squeeze more than 30 students onto a city bus with regular Romans, we made it to the hotel, checked in, and began the day. Freya, our tour guide who is a native Australian, but Florentine by choice, took us on a historical walking tour of Rome. It included churches, piazze, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain. For dinner, we took her suggestion and tried an all-inclusive restaurant. We simply sat down and the food started coming! 5 courses and 10 caraffes of wine later, we needed to leave. It was so much fun, though! We had yet to experience a hearty Italian (let alone Roman) meal, so it was nice to have that experience. That night, we managed to get a table in a packed pub in Campo dei Fiori, a square not far from our hotel that many young students go to.

The next day, Freya greeted us early in the lobby for breakfast. We set our sights on the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica. We were done with organized events for lunch. We went to La Isola della Pizza--that's right! Needless to say it was quite good. I also had pizza today for lunch, which made me think how I will feel about pizza in the States upon my return. The pizza here is so thin and (sounds weird) liquidy. A hungry person can easily have his or her own pizza. But college students on budgets always share! That night, we saw the Trevi Fountain once again (I hope that didn't count as my return) and the Spanish Steps.

Sunday was reserved for ancient Rome: theatres, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. Since I can remember, I've heard "the 7 hills of Rome." Well, let me just say, in my imagination, they were much larger and much more spread out. Ancient Rome (more or less, the "downtown" of the day) is smaller than I had imagined for a city that ruled the world for centuries. After touring, of course we had to take in some gelato in front of the Pantheon. I had one of those, "You guys, we're eating gelato in Rome, Italy in front of the PANTHEON" moments. But that's just about every day, so I guess you could call that normal. It amazes me how seemlessly Italians blend modern needs and luxuries with antiquity. Not only that, but how they think nothing of it! Structures here are built to last. It seems like no one ever even considers tearing a building down (hence why my apartment sometimes resembles an office space). But I admire that in Europeans. They do not waste. In Prague, they save the beer phoam, let it settle, and let an unsuspecting patron guzzle down what so many Americans would consider less than water. Here, the 4th stomach of cows is served with salsa verde on a kaiser. And nowhere in Europe do you let your plate go uncleaned! I think we can all take a lesson from their small, but conscious efforts. (Sorry for the slight tangent)

We arrived back in Florence exhausted! But Monday and Tuesday, we had birthdays to celebrate! Monday, we went to dinner at Il gatto e la Volpe for Sarah's 20th and Tuesday, we all met at Kylie's apartment to ring in her 21st! Well, that happened the night before at midnight, too! Midterms are next week, so I am staying in Florence to try to keep my mind focused. Perhaps a day trip somewhere like Perugia, Pisa, or Assisi wouldn't hurt though. I'll let you know next time!