8/23/14 – 12/13/14
(excerpts taken straight from my journal I kept during my 2014 study abroad experience)
8-26-14
Benvenuti a Firenze! Just moved into our apartment at Via Del Ginori 1, 3rd floor, apt. D, and it’s beautiful. My roommate (Eliza) and I have our own bathroom (with a shower) and we have a terrace on the roof that overlooks the Piazza San Lorenzo. We have 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, 2 common rooms, a porch with a washing machine, and a rooftop deck with tables and chairs. We made a trip to the market to buy some food and I purchased my first bottle of wine (but forgot a bottle opener) so that will have to wait for another night. Most of the locals speak English so it as very easy to communicate what you wanted. The view of the Duomo is amazing from our terrace.
We went to a cooking class tonight at In Tavola. We made Eggplant Caprese (Caprese di Melanzane), Potato Gnocchi, Salsa Sorrentina, Ragu alla Bolognese, and Tiramisu. We spent almost 3 hours preparing everything. At the end we got to eat it and everything was delicious. On our walk home I touched the “Lucky Boar” (Porcellino) and threw in 1 Euro cent. It was made by Baroque master Pietro Tacca shortly before 1634. It was found in Rome but was moved to Florence by the Medici.
8-27-14
Today we had a survival tour around the city. We were shown the hospital, the walk-in clinic, the many markets, a few shops and bakeries, and of course, the beautiful Piazza del Duomo. It is a museum consisting of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi’s dome, Giotto’s bell tower, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the Crypt of Santa Reparata, and the Opera Museum. The dome was built between 1418 and 1434, after Filippo Brunelleschi entered it into a contest. The bell tower is 278 feet tall. It is constructed of white, red, and green marble and was begun by Giotto in 1334. After the tour, Eliza and I walked around. We went out to lunch in a cute outdoor restaurant, got gelato, (I tried lemon and raspberry) and then went shopping around town.
Interesting Fact:
Margarita Pizza was created by Raffaele Esposito, for Queen Margherita of Savoy because she wanted a pizza with the Italian flag colors (red – tomatoes, white – mozzarella cheese, green – basil).
8-28-14
Last night, a few of us went out. We started off by pregaming at one of our friend’s apartment. Then we went to an Irish pub called The Lions Fountain and got a beer and a shot for 5 Euros. It was a really cool place because it had t-shirts from all different America colleges that student’s who had visited, signed. I found the Endicott shirt, but I am hoping to hang up a Salem State one. Then we headed to a club called Twice. It was really fun and the bouncer let us in the VIP section, and gave us sparklers and champagne.
Today we had our last orientation meeting and then got lunch below our friend’s apartment. After that, I went shopping for a little by myself and bought a skirt. Then I walked through a museum displaying “Fotografie Di Sergio Guerra Hereros Angola”.
8-29-14
Today I slept in until 11, after going to bed at 9 last night (yes a 14 hour nights sleep). We had a tour of the school buildings and some ice breaker activities where I met a lot of people. I bought my Italian book for 18 Euro, which is only $24! (So much cheaper than books at Salem State). Then I signed up for a trip that goes to Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri. It’s a 2 day trip on September 20th and 21st. I’ve also been looking in Fall break trips and other weekend trips, maybe Greece or Croatia.
8-30-14
Today, Eliza and I walked around town all day and saw so many new things. First, we went to the Palazzo Pitti and saw the garden. The view of Florence from the top was amazing. The garden was called “Gardino Bardini”. Then we went into a costume gallery, which was amazing. It was called “Galleria del Costume”. The next exhibits we saw were of China and jewels. These were called “Museo delle Porcellane” and “Museo degli Argenti”. The walls and ceilings were all beautifully painted and carved. After the museum, we got lunch at a pizza shop called Toto atto II. When we were walking back to our apartment, we bought key chains and stopped to look at clothes, shoes, and bags. After the shops, we passed the beautiful Ponte Vecchio, which means “old bridge”. It’s a medieval stone arch bridge over the Arno River. We took a break and then went to see the view from the top of the Michelangelo. It was breathtaking. The view of the Ponte Vecchio, Duomo, churches, etc. were beautiful. On our way back, we stopped at what most locals call “the best gelato place” Gelateria. Needless to say, it was very, very good. I had grapefruit and vanilla, both very good.
8-31-14
Right now I am writing in the little café that is below our apartment called Bar Ginori. I tried a pastry with what I think was chocolate on the inside and powdered sugar on the top. I think it was called a chocolate sfogliatine, but it was very good. I also had my first cappuccino, which isn’t my favorite. I’ve been wanting to try this café, “bar” ever since we moved in. (Apparently they call cafés “bars” here and they all sell alcohol.) But I really came down here because I needed wifi, which I want to try and see if theirs works upstairs in our apartment too. So far I love/hate Italy. I love all of the sights and how everything is so close and you can walk everywhere. I don’t like how everything’s so different and I can’t speak Italian yet. But I’m sure I’ll get use to it. Right now I’m trying to plan trips to all of the places I want to see before I leave.
Right now I am writing from our rooftop terrace, overlooking the beautifully lit up Duomo. I can no even believe we got this apartment as college students, and I wouldn’t trade our apartment for anyone else’s. Sitting here, I realize there are no planes overhead and no street cleaners down below, they must not clean the streets on Sunday nights (but they sure do on every other night… and they’re LOUD).
Tonight, three of my roommates (Eliza, Meghan & Hayley) and I went out to dinner at a beautiful outdoor restaurant in the Piazza de Santa Croce called “Ristorante Boccadama.” I tried Prosseco for the first time (even though I sold it constantly at work) and it was very good. I love the bubbly taste. I also had ravioli filled with ricotta cheese and spinach. I also had cheese dipped in honey for the first time ever and I loved it. I never would have thought to try that back home.
Tomorrow we are going to apply for our permit of stay so we can be legal residents in Italy. I’m finally getting over the homesick and nervous phase and becoming excited about classes and trips. I realized that we’ve already been in Florence for a week now (it flew by but I already feel so close to my roommates).
This weekend we are going to Cinque Terra (the perfect way to end the first week of classes). I have 3 out of the 4 weekends in September booked with trips, also including Pompeii, Sorrento, & Capri the 20-21 and Oktoberfest the 25-28.
My classes begin Tuesday and I only have classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (long weekends = more trips!)
Tuesdays
- Italian 1:30 – 2:45
- Food of Italy 3:00 – 5:30
Wednesdays
- Interior Design 9:00 – 11:30 & 12:00 – 2:30
- Quarters of Florence 3:00 – 5:30
- Wine & Business Marketing 6:00 – 8:30
Thursdays
- Italian 1:30 – 2:45
9-1-14
12:06AM – Just kidding, they do clean the streets on Sunday nights.
Tonight we ate dinner at the Palazzo Borghese. The palace dates back to 1400 when it belonged to the Salviati family.
9-2-14
Today was the first day of classes. I had Italian and The Food of Italy. My Italian class was only 9 people, so it should be easy to learn. My cooking class was around 15 people but we get to split into groups. We had a field trip to the official LDM cooking room where we will have a few of our classes. We also made pasta and sauce in class (which was perfect because I didn’t have to make dinner). We get a recipe book, chef hat, coat and apron, and we get to go out to dinner one night.
After classes we had a field trip to Forte di Belvedere, where it had an amazing view of the city and exhibits from the Italian artist Giuseppe Penone called “Prospettiva Vegtable”. His works of art reflect on the activities of humans and nature, on the practice of art, on the passage of time, and on life itself. He uses unconventional materials for his work such as lead, iron, wax, pitch, wood, plaster, and burlap. Forte di Belvedere is the second and largest fortress to be built in Florence. It was built by Bernardo Buontalenti between 1590 and 1595 by order of Grand Duke Ferdinando I dé Medici. The fort was designed to protect the centre of government, the Medici family, the Pitti Palace, Oltrarno district and the South end of Florence. The views from the top were amazing. After, we got free gelato. I tried chocolate and crème (I think I’ll stick to the fruity flavors).
9-4-14
Yesterday I had class all day, from 9:00-8:30. My first class was Interior Design. It’s a five hour class but I already love it. I know it’s going to be hard but I’m hoping to learn a lot. We learned to draw a house to a certain scale. Then for homework we have to sketch our dream house and draw it to scale. After that, I had my History of Florence class. My teacher is very outgoing and he said we go on a fieldtrip to a different museum every week. Then I had my Wine Business and Marketing class, which seems like it will be fun because we learn about wine and visit wineries. After classes, I grabbed pizza at San Lorenzo Bar, Gelateria, Travola, Calda, and became friends with one of the workers. He said he would can me “Boston” and he would teach me some Italian if I helped him with some English. “Piano da piano” means “step by step”. Then we had a clubs info meeting, I am hoping to sign up for yoga. I also signed up for Croatia yesterday! I signed up with my roommate and a few other people (including the girls who live below us!) The trip is for next weekend, the 11-14. I can’t wait to be lying on the beach, AND they have white water rafting. Today I had Italian again, but that was it for classes. I did some errands, got my books, and took a walk to the outskirt of Florence in order to pick up my apron, coat and hat for my cooking class. (I only got lost a few times). I also bought Birkenstocks and I love them.
Now I’m sitting in my favorite café/bar Ginori. I’ve been here for about 2.5 hours. When I first got here, I had a latte and a pastry called Sfoglia Crema. Then I ordered a glass of red wine (Chianti Montespertoli Tenuta Moriano) and it’s pretty good. (I didn’t think I liked red wine). The barista brought over a plate of chips for me. (Probably because I’ve been here for so long).
9-5-14
Last night we went out with about 20 people. We all pregamed at some of the guys apartment. Then we headed out to a bar called “Uncle Jimmy’s”, which was a typical American bar. There were bras hanging from the ceiling and everyone could sign their name on the walls. We signed our names and then left. We had a drink at a sit-down restaurant and then moved on to “Bar I’Visacci”. We left and met up with some other friends and tried to find “Full-Up”, but we ended up at the “Red Garter” instead. We ran into some German kids who were trying to find the same place. On the way, we passed a break-dancer. We never found “Full-Up”, and we had a pretty unsuccessful night, but I did buy a bottle of wine for 1 Euro.
Today we walked around and found a smoothie place called “Love Life” (it’s my new favorite place). I got a smoothie with yogurt, pineapple juice, apples, pears and strawberries. Then we found a few clothing stores and I bought a really cool shirt. After that, we went and bought cannoli’s at “ara’: e Sicilia”, which is supposed to be a very good cannoli place. (It was). We went out for dinner at a place where students get discounts so we made our own salads for only 5 Euro. Then we found a place that has coffee to go, even iced! (It’s hard to find take-out).
My roommate and I booked our fall trip to Turkey! She has a friend there so we’ll be staying for free. We also saw an Orchestra playing in the San Lorenzo plaza (they were playing a lot of ABBA). Tomorrow we leave for Cinque Terre/Lucca.
There’s a crowd of people chanting outside (we think it might be for a soccer game). I swear people never sleep around here. I also saw my first arrest today. I have no idea what the guy did, but the cops did not seem happy.
Interesting Fact:
There is an enclosed passageway in Florence called the “Vasari Corridor”, which connects the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti. It was build in 1564 by order of Grand Duke Cosmo de’ Medici. He wanted it so he could move from place to place when he felt insecure and didn’t want to be seen. The meat market had to be moved in order to avoid the stench. Goldsmith shops took its place and still occupy the Ponte Vecchio.
9-6-14
Today we visited Lucca and it was beautiful. We visited the San Michele, the Anfiteatro, the Torre Guinigi, and the Palazzo Pfanner. The San Michele is a beautiful church with an angel at the top. The Anfiteatro is a plaza that was once an ancient site where Roman gladiators and beasts engaged in mortal combat. The Guinigi Tower was owned by the Guinigi family. Back then, families built towers to the height of how much money they had. Although the city had a rule that you could only build so high; so they planted trees on the roof so they could keep growing and make their tower seem taller. The Palazzo Pfanner was build in 1660 for the Moriconi family, who later filed bankruptcy and was forced to leave Lucca and sell it to the Controni family. The Pfanner family took over when Felix Pfanner set up a brewery there in 1846. It closed in 1929.
Then we went swimming at a beach in Lucca where you could see the beautiful mountains from the ocean. The views here of the ocean AND the mountains are beyond perfect. We ate lunch at a delicious restaurant called “Trattoria da “LEO””. We had a two-course meal, water, wine, and coffee for only 16 Euro. We also tried their specialty bread “Buccellato”. We then went to a hotel where we are spending the night. (The showers here are amazing compared to our apartment).
9-8-14
Yesterday we visited Cinque Terre. The views were too perfect to explain. Cinque Terre means “5 Villages” and it’s a portion of the coast on the Italian Riviera. The 5 villages are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The Cinque Terre dates back to the 11th century, and they built the railway line in the 14th century. The houses were painted many colors so the fishermen could easily see their houses from the water. They made money by fishing, and fish was their main source of food.
The first city we visited was Manarola, where you could see the beautiful coastline and colorful houses. Then we took a train to the next city, Monterossa, where we visited a few shops, ate lunch, and then swam in crystal clear, blue water. We also went cliff jumping off rocks that were about 25 feet high. It took me a while, but then my friend (Darby) grabbed my hand and basically pulled me off with her. After that, we took a boat to Porto Venere, which isn’t part of the 5 villages, but it’s close. Here we climbed the steps of the Gothic Church of St. Peter, which dates back to 1198. You could see unbelievable views from the top. We tried the local pesto and bread called “focaccia”. At Monterossa, we tried their clams, which were very good. We took a boat back to our buses to head home. On our trip, I bought a mini homemade jar of limóncello, a necklace, a fish ornament, and I took some rocks and broken pottery from the beach. I still can’t believe the views we saw and that it was actually real.
I found my two favorite clothing stores, Brandy Melville and Subdued. I bought a sweatshirt at Brandy Melville and a tank top at Subdued. I also signed up for a coffee card at Astor, so I can get up to 4 coffees a day for 30 Euro a month!
9-9-14
So I’ve basically fallen in love with Astor Café because now with my coffee card, I can get up to 4 coffees a day… goodbye sleeping, hello caffeine tolerance. I also signed up for yoga today for Thursday from 6:00 – 7:15, so maybe that will help to calm me down after all of the coffee.
Went to Croatia (9/12/14 – 9/14/14)
9-15-14
So I haven’t written in a while, but I’ve just been so busy. Last Tuesday night, we went to a place called Colle Beneto. The mixed drink list was about 4 pages long, and I finally met DJ Eno. My friend who had studied in Florence last year, told me to meet him. I messaged him on Facebook and he told me where he worked. When I met him, he yelled “Tara!” and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Needless to say, he’s a very nice, cool, local. I finally got my package from my family J and then began to pack for Croatia.
9-16-14
Yesterday we tried to find “The Diner”, but we were unsuccessful. We walked around for almost an hour, and then finally gave up and went to a place called “San Firenze”. We got eggs, bacon, OJ and coffee. On our way back, we stopped at a cute store that sold soaps, honey, and more. I bought a bar of coconut soap.
Last night we went out for my friends 23rd birthday. I pregamed at a friend’s apartment, headed to Lions Fountain for a 5 Euro beer and a shot, and then headed to Uncle Jimmy’s. While there, a kid we knew took a fire drinking challenge and finished it. We met some guys that said they were from Florence and they helped lead us to a bar called “Blob”. While we were walking there, a guy that I had never seen before called out my name. His name was “Giorgio Rettori”, who one of my friends suggested I add on Facebook before heading to Florence. He led us to a club and let us in. He introduced me to a lot of people and gave us free shots all night. The bar was really cool and they played old American R&B hits all night. When we left the bar, Giorgio helped us find the secret bakery. WE FINALLY FOUND THE SECRET BAKERY! We each got two pastries, one filled with crème and the other filled with chocolate. Then we headed next door to his friends pizza shop (everything stays open so late here). We met the owner of the pizzeria and his girlfriend from Australia, ate our pastries and then we headed home. Needless to say, it was a successful night.
9-17-14
Interesting Fact:
The Italian flag colors stand for: red – fate, white – charity, green – hope.
Last night my cooking class went out to dinner at Buca San Giovanni. We had a four-course meal, including risotto, bread with meat, quiche, pasta with meat sauce, steak, potatoes, a chocolate crème and strawberry dessert, and of course wine. We got to go out to dinner instead of having class.
Tomorrow I start yoga and I have my first Italian quiz. I also just booked my trip to Ireland for Oct. 2-6! I can’t wait! Also, my interior design midterm is to create our dream bedroom, which I am pretty excited about.
This weekend, we leave for the Almafi Coast, Pompeii, Capri and Sorrento. I really hope the Blue Grotto is open because a few of my friends who went last weekend, said it was closed because the water was too high due to all of the rain they got this summer.
Interesting Fact:
Florence use to have a “baby drop box” at the hospital where parents could drop off their babies if they didn’t want them or couldn’t take care of them anymore. It was done this way to stay private.
9-19-14
Interesting Fact:
The library in San Marco was the first public library in Europe in 1444.
Last night was by far the best night I’ve had in Florence so far. We started off by pregaming with wine (obviously) because I got a student discount of three bottles for 10 Euro. We headed to “Blob” where there was live music being played by two guys I met a few nights ago. It was a very cool bar to hang out at, and we got a few games of foosball in. Then we headed to a club that had just opened, “Full-Up”, but there was a cover charge so we decided to call it a night. We stopped at a market on the way back for drunk-munchies. As we made our way home, two boys who said they were from Amsterdam stopped us. This is when our night took a turn. It consisted of signing Lady Gaga, My Bonnie and Clementine, meeting up with a bunch of their friends, giving us roses, trying to get into clubs but failing because it was 3:30 in the morning, taking selfies, and of course, adding each other on Facebook. They were a very fun group of guys, and they ended up making our night one of the best ones yet.
Today there was a massive hailstorm, which flooded the streets and left piles of hail that looked like snow. A lot of the stores closed because of the flooding, and even our apartment flooded in some rooms. The funny thing is, a few minutes after the storm, it was 85 degrees out. The locals said they have never seen anything like it.
I also tried Chinese food here today. It wasn’t the best but it was okay. Except, NONE OF THEM UNDERSTOOD WHAT CRAB RANGOON IS! This was my fortune, but we couldn’t figure it out because it didn’t translate correctly. “Lei avrŕ tanti amici quando ne avrŕ piú bisogno.” This directly translated, means “You have many friends when I will have more need.”
9-23-14
Over the weekend, we had our trip to Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri. We took a 5-hour bus ride to Pompeii (we left Florence at 6:00am) and spent the afternoon there. Pompeii was a city that was covered in ash and rock from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The rock and ash preserved the whole Roman city, but only 2/3 of the city is discovered because the city doesn’t have the money to excavate it. It was very cool to be in a city that was once covered in volcanic ash and destroyed. The bodies that we saw were preserved for centuries because of the lack of air and moisture. Plaster was used during the excavation around the 1600’s in order to fill the voids between the ash layers. So the position the bodies are in, is the position they actually died in.
We went to a place called “Open Bar” and got a type of pastry called a “baba”, which was filled with chocolate and soaked in alcohol. Then we made our way to Sorrento and the hotel. The hotel had a three level pool that looked out to the mountains (probably the coolest pool I’ve ever been in). For dinner, we went to “Da Gigino” pizzeria and each got our own Neapolitan pizza. After dinner, we went to a local limoncello shop called “Limonoro” and got to try their lemon, lemon-crème, melon, and frozen limoncello. I also bought some to bring back home. Our teacher then brought us to a view of the water where you could look down and see the “pools” for restaurants, which were really just the ocean surrounded by docks and chairs. After this, my roommate and I grabbed mojitos (my first mojito) at a lit up bar called “Insolito”.
The next day, we headed to a ferry to Capri. In Capri, we got on our own private boat to tour the island. We cruised around the whole island, passing caves, I Faraglioni “lovers tunnel”, lovers because, houses on top of the mountains, and my favorite, the Blue Grotto. The Blue Grotto is a cave where sunlight passes through an underwater cavity and shines through the seawater, creating a blue reflection that illuminates the cave. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. The boats were tiny and you had to lie down while the rower pulled you through by a rope because the opening was so small. Once back on our boat, our driver let us jump into the water. The water was crystal clear but the bottom was a deep royal blue.
We headed back to Capri, and took a tram to the top. Here, we walked though the “Gardens of Augustus”, saw beautiful views of the ocean, ate lunch at “Isidora” (I had fried calamari and shrimp) and got gelato at “the best gelato shop ever”, “TavoLaCalda R Buonocore”. I had their famous chocolate and almond flavor “Fantasia di Capri” in a warm homemade waffle cone. We walked down the long, narrow stair pathway back to the bottom, stopping at a few shops along the way. Once we got to the bottom, we got frozen lemonade and sat on the beach until it was time to get back on the ferry. We also stopped at a famous perfume shop called “Carthusia”. It was created in 1681 and they create perfumes from the islands flowers. St. Giacomo put flowers in a vase and used the water as perfume. This became known as the first perfume of Capri. Rosemary is used for men, and the Capri wild carnation for women. We then took the ferry back to Napoli and headed home.
9-25-14
So it’s been exactly 1 month since I’ve been in Florence, and time sure does fly by. I feel like we just arrived yesterday, but I have made so many friends and have had so many experiences that I will never forget. Two nights ago we went to Gusta Pizza for my roommates birthday. Luckily we got there right when they opened because it got packed. In my history class yesterday, we got to go into the Duomo (my first time).
Interesting Fact:
On Easter morning in 1478, Giuliano dé Medici was stabbed and killed by Francesco dé Pazzi and Bernardo Baroncelli, right in the center of the Duomo (exactly where we were standing when our teacher told us the story).
Interesting Fact:
The cathedral attached to the Duomo is the largest in Europe.
Last night I finally figured out how to FaceTime, so I called Estelle and my dad. Tonight we leave for Germany and Oktoberfest!
Interesting Fact:
60% of the marble on the Duomo has been replaced, and only 40% is original. They constantly replace and restore the marble.
Went to Germany (9/26/14 – 9/28/14)
9-30-14
Yesterday, my roommate took me to a store called “Tiger Italia”. It had almost everything you would ever need in life. From art supplies, to cooking supplies, to gifts, they had it all. I bought a blanket and a jump rope. Today I’m on a mission to find a flannel for Ireland this weekend.
10-9-14
I have been way too busy to write this past week. Last Tuesday night we went to an Opera called “II Campiello” at “Fondazione Teatro Del Maggio Musicale Fiorent”. It was about widows eager to remarry, daughters of marriageable age, and jealous boyfriends. Di Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari wrote it. The play was very good and funny, but it was hard to understand because the subtitles were translated directly. It was really cool to see an opera in different language. My cooking teacher also invited us to his restaurant any time we wanted to. It’s called “Café Bahia”.
On Wednesday, we had two field trips for my classes. My Wine Business and Marketing class took a bus to a local vineyard and winery. It was called “Fattoria di Bagnola”, and we met the owner who showed us all of the steps he goes through in order to make the wine. We got to eat grapes right off of the vine, see how they crushed and fermented them, and got to see the wine cellar, which was over six centuries old. After, he let us try some of his wines and made us snacks to go with them. We had a soup called “Ribollita”, which is chicken noodle soup with left over bread in it, but it was really good. The wines that we tried were Tattoria di Bagnolo (2012), Capro Rosso (2009), and Fattoria di Bagnolo (2010).
When we got back from the vineyard, my History class had a trip to Santa Croce. It’s a Gothic/Renaissance style church that was built in 1385. It is the Franciscan church and is the burial place for some of the most illustrious Italians such as Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile and Rossini. Dante has a tomb here also, but he died by being burned alive in Ravenna and they would not give his remains to Florence. Leonardo da Vinci also has a tomb here, but he was buried in France where he died. We visited the church (designed by Niccolo Matas Ancona), the chapel (designed by Giotto) and the Sacristy. It is the largest Franciscan church in the world, and was paid for by some of the city’s wealthiest families, such as the Bardi and the Peruzzi families. Members of the Bardi family are buried under Santa Croce, while no members of the Peruzzi family are. This is because they killed Giuliano Medici in the Duomo on Easter in 1478. The church is beautiful and is topped with a Jewish star because the architect was Jewish.
Went to Ireland (10/3/14 – 10/5/14)
10-17-14
Writing in this journal and trying to keep up with all of my adventures is getting harder and harder every week. Right now my roommate and I are sitting in the Florence airport, waiting for our flight to Turkey, so I have some time to catch up.
Last Wednesday, my interior design class went to an assembly about the new high-speed train station that is going to be built in Florence. The architect is Norman Foster. Then for my history class, we visited Piatza Della San Maria, where the Statue of David and the Ufizzi museum are. Our teacher always has stories (most of the time funny ones about his childhood) to tell us. He showed us a tree in the street, and said that in 1993, terrorists put a bomb in a car in that exact location and set it off. This caused some of the pieces in the Ufizzi gallery to be destroyed.
Over the past weekend, we visited Venice and Verona. Words can’t describe how cool Venice is (nor can pictures). The city is built entirely on water, and bridges connect everything over canals (108 bridges to be exact). There are no cars in Venice and people aren’t allowed to ride bikes, so they walk everywhere, or take Gondolas. Each one of the “islands” that the bridges connect, have their own church. In Venice, we visited the Doge’s Palace, the San Marco Church, and the Grand Canal.
Interesting Facts:
Doge’s Palace was established in 1340 for the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice. It was built in the Venetian Gothic style.
San Narco Church is a Roman Catholic church built in 1084-1117. It burned down in 976 with Pietro IV Candiano locked inside.
The Grand Canal is a major traffic corridor from Santa Lucia railway lagoon to St. Mark Basin.
Once our guided tour was over, we went off to have lunch and explore on our own. We went to an outdoor restaurant and I got wine and pasta with shrimp. I have always wanted to go on a gondola ride, (apparently, according to all of my friends, I pronounce gondola wrong) because that’s what I pictured all of Italy to look like. Canals, boats and men in stripped shirts, singing (clearly not all of Italy is like that). The gondola ride was 20 Euro each, but it was worth every penny (or should I say 1 Euro cent). The ride went through some of the canals and then out through the Grand Canal. We passed the first ever 7-Star hotel, and the palace where George Clooney got married.
After the ride, we walked around and shopped, buying masks and glass objects (which Venice is known for). We took a boat back to the bus and then headed to the hotel.
The next day we visited Verona. The “magical” place where Romeo and Juliet lived (although it didn’t have the romantic feeling I thought it would have). We touched “Juliet’s boob statue”, (which is said to bring good luck to your love life) and saw Romeos house and Juliet’s wall and balcony, then we did some shopping. We saw an old Roman amphitheater, and took a picture with people dressed up as Roman warriors. Then we headed off to the Gamba Winery for a wine tasting.
The rules that I’ve learned for proper wine tasting:
- Hold the glass by the stem in order to keep the wine at the right temperature and to see the color.
- Smell the wine after swirling it. Fruity? Floraly? Oaky?
- Take a sip and swish it around to clean out your mouth while keeping a clear mind and not paying attention to the taste.
- Take a sip and leave it in your mouth while moving your tongue around.
- Swallow and take in the entire flavor.
- Pairing the right wines with food is very important in the Italian culture.
The Gambia Winery used two different types of wooden barrels to age their wine. They used an American oak, which gives the wine a spicy taste and aroma, and a French oak, which gives the wine a vanilla taste and aroma. In the end, they mix the two together to create their wine. We tried three of their wines, Ripone (2010), which was my favorite, Amarone (2010) and Richotto (2011), which was a very sweet wind. They also told us that these types of wine are dessert wines and should be served as the last glass because your taste buds have a hard time going back to a different wine after a sweet one.
Interesting Fact:
When smelling different wines, smelling your skin in between each one can clear your nose because of your natural PH balance.
We walked through the vineyard and got some great pictures. Walking through these vineyards is making me quite the wino, and making me wish that I could someday own my own winery.
10-22-14
These past two weeks have been extremely busy because it was midterms week and now it’s fall break. During midterms week, I barely slept (nothing new). Tuesday I had my Food of Italy midterm. We had to memorize all of the recipes we have made so far, including the measurements for the cakes. Wednesday I had my Interior Design project due, which was a 3D model, a floor plan, 2 cross-sections, and a PowerPoint of my “dream room”. I’m the only one in my class who is taking it as an elective, so I was pretty proud of the final result. I also had my Quarters of Florence, and my Wine Business and Marketing midterms. Both of them were all essays (very different from multiple choice SSU midterms). Thursday I had my last midterm, Italian. I was pretty nervous for this one, but I left pretty confident after.
Right after finished my last midterm, I went to pamper myself. I went to “Firenze Fish Kiss” and got a fish pedicure. You wash your feet, and then submerge them in a mini aquarium filled with “Garra Rufa” fish. With their lips (they don’t have teeth) they remove the epithelial cells from the feet. With this action, they also give a micro massage to release an enzyme that promotes the restoration of the dermal balance. The fish just nibble on your feet. While sitting there, people kept coming in and asking what it felt like. One lady even asked to take pictures. The fish that were in the tanks were from Turkey (which is funny because that’s where I was going for fall break).
That night, my roommate and I went out for apertivo down the street. We each started off with a glass of wine and then realized how hard midterms week was, so we ordered piña coladas. The bar tender was extremely nice; he gave us our drinks, plus an extra one to share. After, we went home and packed because the next morning we would leave for Turkey.
Went to Turkey (10/17/14 – 10/23/14)
10-24-14
Today we went and saw the other half of the Pitti Palace. It included the Galleria Palatina and the Galleria Arte Moderna. The Palatina house paintings and sculptures ranged from the 16th-17th century. Some of the works are done by Titan, Raphael, Van Dyck, Murillo, Caravaggio, Frans Pourbus, Velazquez, Giusto Sustermans, Bronzino, Fra Bartolomeo, Piero del Pollaiolo and Filippo Lippi. The gallery however, doesn’t follow a chronological order with the years of paintings. The next part of the museum was the Royal Apartments. These were the private residences for several ruling families, including Vittorio Emanuele II when Florence was the capital of Italy (1865-1871). There were several bedrooms, although they were all made into galleries so there was only one room with a bed. The Arte Moderna houses works of art, that are mostly Italian artists from the end of the 18th century until the beginning of the 20th century. Some of the artists included Macchiaioli and Giovanni Fattori. The rooms in the Pitti Palace are amazing, and the ceilings have so much detail that it’s hard to imagine they were all done by hand. Some of them even had paintings that looked so much like carvings, that I had to double take and look at them very closely. Some of the walls were even covered in silk instead of wallpaper. It’s amazing how much detail they use to use when creating these walls, and gold, a lot of gold.
10-25-14
Today I had absolutely nothing to do, so I went on a walk by myself. I walked over the Ponte Vecchio, took a left, and then just kept walking along the Arno until I couldn’t anymore. I stopped to walk through a little park that led up to the top of the Michelangelo. Right outside of this was the San Niccolo Tower, which I want to find out if you can climb to the top. I kept walking and finally reached a park and quiet walkway path along the Arno. I found a place to sit and watched the rowers on the river, and the bikers and walkers on the path go by. It was beautiful out today and finally felt like Fall. I walked back through the park and crossed a bridge to walk back on the other side. I stopped at a pizzeria along the water for lunch and had some type of seafood risotto. It was very good, but I was too eager and burned my tongue. I continued to walk through parks until I was back in the city. I stopped at some stores to buy a few nips for my roommates birthday tomorrow, and some postcards.
Now I’m sitting The Diner having coffee and cheesecake. Their menu said they have carrot cake, which I’m hoping is true because I want to get my roommate a slice because she said it was her favorite.
Florence is very city-like and you rarely see any grass or trees, so on my walk I picked up some flowers and leaves to remind me of home and Fall.
10-28-14
Sunday was my roommates birthday, so we went out for lunch at The Diner and then a bunch of us went to apertivo at Kitsch for dinner. There were nine of us all together. One of my friends had two friends visiting from home and they bought the whole table shots. After dinner, we went back to our apartment and had a bunch of friends over on our rooftop porch. Everyone was shocked about the view.
The next day, I went with my friend to show her two friends around Florence. It was really cool to be able to give history facts about the places we saw. We brought them to Santa Croce, then finished off the night watching the sunset at the Piazzale Michelangelo. This weekend, I’m off to Greece for Halloween and I just booked Paris for the weekend after!
Today was our first class in the cooking room in the central market, and everyone took pictures of us… I also bought a jersey for tomorrow night’s game. It’s of Mario Gomez, #33, who is a striker on the Fiorentina team, but also plays for Germany (that would never fly in Boston).
Went to Greece (10/31/14 – 11/2/14)
11-7-14
Bonjour! I’m on my way to Paris! I cannot wait to land and finally see the Eiffel Tower.
Last week for classes: My food class is now meeting in the actual cooking room so we can make our own dishes now. So far, we’ve made chicken with mushrooms and veal.
My history class visited Santa Maria Novella and the original pharmacy. In the church, we saw the Tornabuoni Chapel, which is the second largest painted chapel in Italy (#1 is the Sistine Chapel). The frescos in the chapel were painted by Ghirlandalo; one side for Giovanni, the other side for St. Maria. We also saw the painting La Trinita Di Masaccio (Holy Trinity). Painted by Masaccio in 1426, there’s a skeleton of Adam (the first man ever created). He asked to die and was the first man to ever die, at age 900. His quote is above his body, “I was what you are, and what I am you will be”.
We also visited the original pharmacy, which was cool because they still sell medicine and the inside was beautiful.
For my wine class that night, we had a wine tasting. We visited a local store where you could bring your own bottle and fill it up with wine of your choice. Then we headed to the restaurant where the owner was just named the #1 Wine Taster in Italy.
We tried 6 different wines (2 white and 4 red), and he taught us how to taste wine and be able to tell what is in it (I still don’t know how they can tell).
Went to France (11/7/14 – 11/10/14)
11-16-14
Tuesday in cooking, we made our very own Eggplant Parmesan, and it was very good to say the least.
It was also my friend’s birthday so we went out to dinner at the restaurant below their apartment. We had about six different appetizers, five servings of Florentine steak, three bottles of Champaign, a bottle of dessert wine, and four different desserts. The owner didn’t charge us for anything. He also brought out bottles of vodka, gin, and tequila, and let us control the music and have a dance party until 12:30pm. Needless to say, Manuel and smiley are the best.
After that, we went out to a club called Dolce to meet up with some friends.
Thursday and Friday, one of my friends from school was here, so we spent those two days doing touristy things. Thursday morning we climbed up the Duomo. The stairs were a lot more narrow and steeper than I thought they would be. There were 463 steps to get to the top, and some of them were almost like climbing up a ladder, but it was totally worth it. The hallways were very narrow, so it was hard to pass people, and when climbing up the actual dome part, the steps were arched. Once we reached the top though, the views were amazing. You could see all of Florence, the Bell Tower, the Arno River, all of the Churches, and I even spotted my apartment. After we got plenty of pictures, we headed back down to get pizza.
We went to Gusta Pizza where pizzas are only 5 Euro.
After a gelato and a class break, we went back to climb the Bell Tower. This one was 414 steps, and I liked it a lot better because you could actually see the dome.
We also went into the Church, underneath in the Crypt, and into the San Giovanni Baptistery. The Baptistery was very cool because the roof was made of a million gold tiles to make mosaics.
After, I went to yoga then got ready and we headed to “Yellow Bar” for dinner.
After dinner, we went to “Lion’s Fountain”, where I brought a Salem State t-shirt to sign and hang up in the bar.
The next day, I volunteered at the high school “Liceo Artistico Leon Battista Alberti” to help teach English to a bunch of 18-19 year olds. A few of them could speak English very well because their parents taught them or they taught themselves. I was actually very impressed with how much they knew. They were also very funny with their stereotypes of Americans and with what they knew about the U.S.
Then I met up with my friend and we went to a restaurant near Santa Maria Novella for lunch, and then visited a wine and food expo (and obviously bought pastries). Then we went to an American Coffee Shop called “Arnolds” (which is now my favorite iced coffee place) and walked around the San Lorenzo markets. We went and watched the sunset from the Piazzale Michelangelo, (I’ll never get sick of doing that) and then had apertivo at “Kitsch”. After, we rode the carousal, (finally!) got gelato, and called it a night.
Today, my roommate and I went to a café where they make your cappuccino into art. I was watching the barista make them and he uses melted chocolate to make pictures or a unique design on all of them.
11-28-14
Las Thursday after class, I visited the Museum of Natural History. It was really cool because it was filled with taxidermy. My favorite exhibit was the one with all different seashells.
12-2-14
Two weekends ago we went to Rome. The day we got there, we had a city walking tour. We visited the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, (which unfortunately was under construction) and the Pantheon.
When we went back to the hotel, we just got a few snacks and beers and played cards all night.
The next morning, we had a bus tour. We passed the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, (which I thought was the coolest building I’ve ever seen) the Pyramid of Cestius, Circus Maximus, and parts of the Old Forum.
After the bus tour, we headed to the Vatican City.
Vatican City is considered it’s own country and St. Peter’s church is the largest in the world. We waited in line for about 45 minutes, but it was totally worth it. St. Peter’s Church was the most beautiful church I have ever seen. Our tour guide told us that you lose all sense of size when you enter the church because everything is so big. In the church, there is a canopy that is 10 stories tall, and the bodies of a few deceased Popes.
After the Vatican, my roommate and I walked around and explored Rome.
For dinner, we walked around Campo dé Fiori and went to a few different restaurants for drinks and dinner.
The third day, we finally saw the Colosseum. We were told that it took 8 years to build and it was built by the Jewish. It’s called an amphitheater because “ampi” means, “double” in Latin, and there are 2 rings to the Colosseum. We also got to go inside and walk around, which was very cool. We learned about how they use to fight until death, man vs. animal (which was brought from Africa) and man vs. man.
Next, we walked through the Old Forum. We even got to see where Julius Caesar’s ashes were spread. We also walked passed the Arch of Constantine and then headed off to lunch.
We stopped at a cute little sandwich shop, (which was amazing) and the owner let us sign the wall.
When we walked back to the Colossuem, I saw my mom and grandmother. I knew I was going to see them in Rome but I never thought I’d run into them. I left my program group and my mom and I went back into the Colossuem.
After that, we headed to the hotel and got ready for dinner. We went to a nice place down the street called “Ristorante La Pentolaccia”. I had red wine and pumpkin ravioli (and a cannoli for dessert).
The next morning, we got ready and I was basically the tour guide for the day. I showed them everything I had seen in the previous 2 days.
We stopped to get gelato at a place called “Della Palma”, which had 150 different flavors to choose from. I got Nutella and Kit-Kat.
Then we made our way towards the Vatican museum.
An older man on the Spanish Steps who thought we were lost stopped us. He told us that he teaches young artists how to make cameos and that he always takes his graduating students to the MFA in Boston every year. He also recommended a restaurant and told us to ask for the “special price” menu. He told us to come visit his shop at any time and he would give us free cameo lessons.
Then we headed to the museum. We walked around for a while and then saw the Sistine Chapel. It has the largest fresco in the world, and was completed in 1483. You’re not supposed to take pictures of it but I snuck one.
We made reservations for the restaurant that Franco Conti (the man we met earlier) suggested and headed there at 7. When I asked for the “special price” menu, the waiter looked confused. Then I showed him Franco Conti’s card and he understood. Then he just began bringing food out. We had an entire 3 course meal, plus dessert and wine. Franco definitely steered us in the right direction.
The next morning, we had to get up early to catch a train to Florence. When we got there, I showed my mom and grandmother their hotel, my apartment, and sent them off to the Duomo while I went to class.
After class, they met me in the market so we walked around for a while and then I took them to apertivo at Kitsch.
The next day, I had class all day, so I drew out a map and a list of things for them to do. Then at 8:30, I met them and we went to dinner at Trattoria Nella. I had the best gnocchi in Gorgonzola sauce ever.
The next morning, we got up early and headed to the Galleria dell’ Accademia. We walked around and saw walls and walls of art; then we turned a corner and there it was, the Statue of David by Michelangelo. It was way bigger than I had imagined it would be. The Statue of David was sculpted by the famous Michelangelo in 1501-1504.
That night, we went and watched the sunset at the Piazzale Michelangelo and then got dinner (for Thanksgiving.) I had to leave early because I was leaving for Switzerland, but I was so happy that my mom and grandmother could come and visit me while I was in Italy.
Went to Switzerland (11/27/14 – 11/30/14)
12-7-14
So it’s officially our last week in Florence. It’s finals week so I’ve been cramming trying to study and finish all of my projects. I’ve also been trying to squeeze in all of the things I haven’t done yet.
On Thursday before class, I went to the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Vecchio. The Uffizi use to be the offices of the Florentine magistrates. Uffizi means “offices”. It was begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 for Cosimo I de’ Medici. One of the most famous pieces of art is the “Birth of Venus” by Sandro Boticelli.
After the Uffizi, I went into the Palazzo Vecchio and climbed the bell tower (which has the best view of the Duomo). Palazzo Vecchio means “Old Palace”, and is now the town hall for Florence. It was originally called the Palazzo della Signoria. This is where the original Statue of David stood, and also where Baccio Bandinelli’s “Hercules and Cacus” still stands. In this plaza, also stands the “Fountain of Neptune”, “Judith and Holofernes”, and “Perseus with the head of Medusa”.
After class, I visited the San Lorenzo Church, and the Santo Spirito Church. Both were beautiful and sort of looked the same. The San Lorenzo Church is one of the oldest and largest churches in Florence. The Santo Spirito church is the home to Michelangelo’s Crucifix. He made a wooden Crucifix because he was allowed to make anatomical studies on corpses coming from the convents hospital (when he was 17 years old).
The next morning, I visited the Medici Chapel and the San Lorenzo library. The Medici Chapel was beautiful and consisted of purple, green, and red marble. The San Lorenzo library was also cool because it had a giant elegant staircase leading up to it that Michelangelo built. Inside it looked more like a church with pupils but they were used for stacking books.
After, my roommate and I went to The Diner. Then we finally made it to TIM to switch our phone SIM cards back.
That night, we got together with some other friends and all went out to dinner at a place that my friend kept recommending called “La Bruschetta”. I got Gorgonzola Gnocchi. We ordered a bottle of wine, but since I told the waiter that I knew the same girl he knew, he brought us out shots all night.
The next night we went out to a bar called “Naima”, but we were pretty tired so the night didn’t last very long.
The next day, my roommate and I spent the entire day at a coffee shop studying for finals.
12-10-14
This whole week has been finals week. Luckily I only have one more tomorrow (Italian) and then I’m done.
On Tuesday I had my cooking final where we actually had to cook for my teacher.
Then that night, we had the API apertivo to say goodbye to all of our leaders and students in our group. It was at Colle Bereto.
Today, my Interior Design final project was due, and I had my History final and my Wine Marketing final.
After these, I made one last stop to the grocery store to stock up on pasta to last me until we leave.
12-11-14
So they actually hung up the t-shirt I gave them at Lion’s Fountain! My roommate and I walked in to see if they had hung it up yet, and it’s right past the bathroom near the table at the coffee bar.
This morning before y final, I made my way to San Marco. It was the first public library in Florence, built by Michelozzo. The upstairs was full of cells for the monks cloister in the 15th century. Cosimo de’ Medici also had a cell at the convent for his personal retreat. The church is famous for the seat of Girolamo Savonarola’s ruling in Florence in the late 15th century.
After the church, I headed off to Arnold to get coffee and study for my last final. After my final I was officially done with school and I went home to finish packing.
That night, my friends and I all went to the Duomo to just sit on the steps and drink. We also had to take a Christmas card picture before we left Florence. For the rest of the night we just walked around looking at the Christmas lights and we all rode the carousel. We hung out at Lions Fountain for a little but then left to get kebabs and go home.
12-13-14
So I’m officially on my way back to the U.S. It’s very bittersweet but I know I’ll be back to Florence one day.
Yesterday was our last day in Florence and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my study abroad experience. My roommate and I packed in the morning because we had to be home when the cleaning lady came. Then we went to The Diner to get breakfast (which actually turned into lunch because the cleaning lady was an hour late).
When we left the restaurant, we walked past a photo booth, so I made her stop and take pictures with me. It was hard to fit both of us in the booth at the same time, and it was pretty embarrassing, but it was totally worth it.
After that, we went to News Café for one last time. The owner of the café always draws on the Cappuccino with chocolate. He knew that it was our last day in Florence, so he drew the Duomo on my roommates and drew the Ponte Vecchio and wrote “see you soon” on mine. Before we left, he gave us goodbye hugs and told up that we’d be back soon.
Next, we went into the Medici Palace (because our bedroom windows overlooked the garden, so we had been overlooking their courtyard for the past 3 ½ months and had never gone in). We walked through the garden at the palace and obviously took a million pictures because it was our last day in Florence. Then we stopped in the bathroom before we left, and that’s when the fun began. My roommate said when I opened the bathroom stall door, my face just dropped. That’s because the toilet was just a hole in the ground with 2 steps to stand on. We were both shocked and neither of us knew what to do. She thought we might be in the men’s room so she ran to check the door, but nope, we were in the right bathroom. You basically had to squat to go to the bathroom.
After that fun, we started our hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sunset one last time. We met a few friends up there and watched for a little before we hiked up even more to San Miniato.
The church was beautiful and I was really excited that I made it in there before leaving. I lit a candle, and not just for one person, but for everyone I’ve ever known that have passed away.
We walked back outside and continued to watch the sunset. We started our walk back down and went home to get ready for the night.
We started off by going to Lions Fountain because one of our friends was playing live music and singing there. It was really fun because it was all abroad students celebrating our last night together. After we spent about an hour there, we made our rounds to say goodbye to everyone.
Then we headed to dinner at a place called “Yellow Bar”. This restaurant is amazing and they home make most of their pasta. I had a type of yellow and green noodles with white and red sauce and mushrooms. It was amazing. We also got a bottle of Piecorto wine. I tried to save the label of the last bottle of wine I had in Italy like I did for the first, but it was a struggle.
We stopped in front of the Duomo on the way home to say our goodbyes. It was really sad to say bye because none of us live in the same state, so it’s hard to say when we’ll all see each other again. Eliza – Maine, Ali – Rhode Island, Chanel – Minnesota, Darby – North Carolina, Erica – Washington. (Even out of my roommates only one is from MA – Meg, Haley – Tennessee, McKayla – Utah.) We said goodbye about a million times and hugged for a total of probably half an hour.
Finally, when we all worked up the courage to leave, my roommate and I went on one last walk to see Florence. We walked past the Duomo, Piazza de Republica, Piazza della Signoria, and down the Arno River. We went to say goodbye to the owner and waiter at “La Buchetta”. On our way back, I finally snuck on to someone’s Vespa to take a picture, and it wasn’t one of the new ones, it was an older one. We also stopped at “Osteria dell’ Olio” to say goodbye to the owner and the waiter. We finally made our way home, finished packing, and went to bed.
My roommate had to catch an early flight so she woke me up at 4AM to say goodbye. I went back to bed but could barely sleep because I knew I was leaving that day. When I woke up, it was only one of my roommates and I left. We cleaned the rest of the apartment and then went to Arnold one last time.
After, we left the apartment with our entire luggage and met at my friend’s apartment to catch a taxi to the airport. Since every student in Florence had to leave today, the airport was insane. Students were running around frantically trying to fit as much as they could in their bags, while paying the least amount of fees as possible. We finally made it through checking our bags and security so we could relax and eat. I scrounged up the little change that I had left and bought pizza. My friend and I are on the same flight so we’ve luckily been able to stick together the whole time.
We boarded our first flight (which was late but only took 55 minutes) and headed to Zurich, Switzerland. We had to go straight to the gate of our second flight because they were so close. Luckily on the second flight, the lady next to me moved and my friend and I could sit together. So far, we’ve just watched “Something Borrowed” and talked. Both of us can’t wait to land and finally be home.
Always take advantage of the free alcohol on long flights. We drank wine the whole way home.