13.
Thirteen is the number of days until I am on my way home back to New Jersey.
Before I came on this study abroad, everyone would ask me if they think I'm going to love it there. And every time I would respond with the response, "Of course I'm going to love it! I even plan on moving there once I graduate to open up my pastry shop!" Sadly, for me, that's not the fact anymore.
As much as I loved my time here in Florence, I'm ready to go home. I miss my friends, my family, my dog, my job, my bed, my everything. Don't get me wrong, I loved my time here: all of my trips, the friends i've made, the classes I've attended, the food I've eaten. But to be honest, I'm done with it all. I'm done with my classes. I'm done with the Italian food. I'm done with traveling. I'm done with my roommates. I'm done with my life in Italy.
This was the experience of a lifetime and I am telling everyone to go and study abroad in any location because you will have the time of your life. Studying abroad is definitely not something that I would discourage in any way. It is something that you need to experience on your own, make your own adventures, make your own friends, and make your own memories. I know I did. The first month of being here, I would wake up, go to class, pass the Duomo and stop. I'd look up and shake my head because I couldn't believe the fact that my dream of eventually studying in Italy and learning pastry had come true. I was standing in front of a masterpiece. Why? Because that was my home for the next four months. This was the city that I was going to wake up in for the next 120 days of my life. I'd be surrounded by Italian culture: the food, the music, the people, the weather. Everything.
I've traveled to countries that people have DREAMED of going to. I have eaten foods that shock so many people back home where it's a delicacy here. I have seen monuments and sculptures that so many people have always wanted to see. I have been to about 7 countries when there are people that haven't left the states. I've received the chance to be one of the luckiest people on the planet.
But time is winding down, I'm approaching the day that I leave my home here and return to my original one where I grew up. Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
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last minute to actually take out a suitcase and throw in everything right before I have to leave because i was upset to leave my home for the last four months. I think, what did it for me, why I'm so prepared to go home and excited is because I miss that comfort about being around things and people that I know. I want to go home and see a Target or an A&P, not a Zara's and a Billa Billa Billa. I want to say, "1 pound of meat please" instead of "Quatro de kilo di carne per favore" I just want to carry around quarters and not 2 Euro pieces. It's those small things that just make me feel comfort; make me feel like I'm at home. But what I think it also is, is that money is such a huge aspect to living here and I'm out of mine. I have zero dollars left. I came with thousands of dollars and now I'm down to a couple of hundred. I'm one that makes money and saves it, not splurging it on expensive clothing or bags or jewelery. I use it for things that I've dreamed of having, that I've waited a lifetime for. Here I'm paying for the trips, all of my food, buses, trains, school books, clothing, going out, it's too much for me to handle. I need to go home and have a job. Knowing that every week I'm receiving money to put into my account. I need to know that I'm capable of doing that. And that's only possible in the states, at home.
I think what's killing me the most are my friends. None of my cloesest friends for life are here with me. Sure, I talk to them really often and I write to them and talk on Skype with them, but it's not the same. To know that I can't call them every single day to complain about my problem or to tell them a juicy story is hard on me. My whole life, I've had these friends to be by my side, to get me through problems, and I dont' have that access anymore. Even here, I've made good friends, but in no way do they compare to the ones at home. Every day, I think about them and what I could be doing with them right then and there if I wasn't in Italy and it was hard on me. These last few days I've been really upset because I know that I'm seeing them soon but still every day passes and I've yet to board that plane to land in JFK and see my mom and dad's faces.
Florence, I've loved you from the moment I landed in your airport. I've seen your sights, your locals, your markets, tasted your food, and danced and drank in your clubs. I've witnessed your weather, tasted your tripe, and spoke your language. But I know that it's time for me to leave you and my home and to go back to the place where I feel completely secure.
13. The number that brings me back to my True Home.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Would You Like Some Cheese with that Wine?
Sadly, friday marked the day of our last school trip before we leave to head home, and I must say, that it definitely ended on a good note. Our first stop on the trip with Gaiole, Chianti. When we first arrived there, we were brought to a castle to go on a short tour. But ever since I saw that disney-inspired castle in Munich, nothing compares, so I wasn't very impressed. However, the views that you recieved looking off the terrace could not be described in words.
Once we finished our tour, we headed over to a wine cellar to learn about the infamous Chianti wines. After touring the cellars and seeing the barrels and bottles upon bottles of wine that they produce, we got the opportunity to try them. We walked into this room that was set up for our wine tasting and I felt like I was royalty. The wine glasses shined without a spot on them, there were baskets of crackers, bottles of water to clean the palate. It was the perfect set-up. The first wine we tried was from 2007 and was of course, a Chianti Classic. Despite the fact that I am by far, more of a white wine girl, I actually thoroughly enjoyed this wine. It was a dry, red wine but had a flavor that, for once, I really enjoyed. However, I could not say that for the second. I took one sip of the chianti from 2005 and couldn't swallow it. I think I've just come to the conclusion that I'm more of a beer girl. (I'll just put my pinky up when I drink it to make myself seem more classy) After, they took us for a lunch that was included in our trip and the whole way to the restaurant, I can't tell you how many times I heard the phrase, "If our lunch is another plate of proscuitto, I swear...." For once, I was actually one of those people. I even shocked myself. Thankfully, what we all wanted happened, we didn't get plates upon plates of proscuitto. The meal started off with a plate of cold cuts and bruschetta, however! only one piece of meat was proscuitto so no complaining for the other students (thank god!), then our main course, which believe it or not, I haven't had all of my time in Italy....LASAGNA!!! It was sooo good! Nothing like my mother's lasagna, but this was still reasonable hahaha. Then for dessert was this cake with apple inside of it and some sauce which many people didn't like but I loved it, so I was completely satisfied. After lunch, we got back onto the bus and went to our second stop.
Our last stop before we headed back to Florence was in Montalicino, the birthplace of the famous wine, Brunello. We weren't there for long but what we did was go into a castle looking building that apparently has some of the best views you can recieve there. So we climbed some stairs and ended up on a walkway that went around the whole perimeter of this castle. But the views were to die for:
After, we headed back on the bus and back to Florence for the last time ever being here. I can't believe all my trips are over. It's really sad to think about it, but I know I made friends and memories to last a lifetime.
Once we finished our tour, we headed over to a wine cellar to learn about the infamous Chianti wines. After touring the cellars and seeing the barrels and bottles upon bottles of wine that they produce, we got the opportunity to try them. We walked into this room that was set up for our wine tasting and I felt like I was royalty. The wine glasses shined without a spot on them, there were baskets of crackers, bottles of water to clean the palate. It was the perfect set-up. The first wine we tried was from 2007 and was of course, a Chianti Classic. Despite the fact that I am by far, more of a white wine girl, I actually thoroughly enjoyed this wine. It was a dry, red wine but had a flavor that, for once, I really enjoyed. However, I could not say that for the second. I took one sip of the chianti from 2005 and couldn't swallow it. I think I've just come to the conclusion that I'm more of a beer girl. (I'll just put my pinky up when I drink it to make myself seem more classy) After, they took us for a lunch that was included in our trip and the whole way to the restaurant, I can't tell you how many times I heard the phrase, "If our lunch is another plate of proscuitto, I swear...." For once, I was actually one of those people. I even shocked myself. Thankfully, what we all wanted happened, we didn't get plates upon plates of proscuitto. The meal started off with a plate of cold cuts and bruschetta, however! only one piece of meat was proscuitto so no complaining for the other students (thank god!), then our main course, which believe it or not, I haven't had all of my time in Italy....LASAGNA!!! It was sooo good! Nothing like my mother's lasagna, but this was still reasonable hahaha. Then for dessert was this cake with apple inside of it and some sauce which many people didn't like but I loved it, so I was completely satisfied. After lunch, we got back onto the bus and went to our second stop.
Our last stop before we headed back to Florence was in Montalicino, the birthplace of the famous wine, Brunello. We weren't there for long but what we did was go into a castle looking building that apparently has some of the best views you can recieve there. So we climbed some stairs and ended up on a walkway that went around the whole perimeter of this castle. But the views were to die for:
After, we headed back on the bus and back to Florence for the last time ever being here. I can't believe all my trips are over. It's really sad to think about it, but I know I made friends and memories to last a lifetime.
Monday, April 26, 2010
SPRING BEERFEST 2010. MUNICH, GERMANY.
Okay, so remember way back when, when I explained how Greece was the single best experience of my life and I wanted to go back? Yeah, well I take all of that back. Replace the word Greece with Munich, Germany and you've completed the correct sentence.
Munich = Most Unbelievable Time Ever!!!
Thursday, 7pm: The trip was supposedly supposed to begin. We were supposed to meet Euroadventures at the train station by 7:15pm. However, we get there and of course we get the lovely phrase we all want to hear, "The bus' air conditioning broke down, so we are waiting for another bus to come in about 30 minutes" Bummed, we are just leaving it alone and listen to music until thirty minutes passes and we recieve another message saying that we need a second bus so it will be another 30 minutes. Here's the thing, we chose this company because they told us that we would leave by 7, arrive at the hostel by 3a and then we could sleep so we'd be awake for the next day and ready to go. What happened instead? We leave at 8:30, make 5 stops on the way, for god only knows why, and arrive at the hostel at 6am the next morning, only getting 3 hours of sleep. I guess 3 hours is better than none right?
Friday, 9am: We arise from our three hours of sleep, and eat breakfast at the hostel and leave for our 11am bike tour at 11:45am, yeah that makes so much sense right? We arrive at the location for our bike tour. But before we started this 4 hour bike tour, we had to watch this clock strike 12 and watch the lovely plastic figures spin round and round and round. Then after watching, losing brain cells, and wasting away 20 minutes of our life, the 4 hour tour became a 2 hour tour. I guess the word punctual doesn't exist in Germany.
Eventually, we got to get onto these California Cruisers and ride our bikes all around Munich and do a tour. It was a lot of fun because most of the people forgot how to ride a bike, so I guess it was more fun for me than them. Oh, but the tour itself was fun too. We got to see surfing in the river, nudist park, and many places that were significant in the war. But the best part? The beer garden! There are tables everywhere, and then you go to the back and order food which doesn't come in small portions. So all you dieters, forget about low-carbs and not drinking because you do both in this spot. (No, this is not beerfest yet. Just some place in the middle of the city). As you enjoy your liter or half a liter of beer, you eat your food and listen to live German music. It makes you feel very lively and you leave with a giant smile on your face. (However, that could be the affect of the beer that you just consumed) And trust me, the bike ride back is a lot more fun if you catch my drift. ;). On the way back we stopped and saw surfers. No, not surfers on oceans, but in streams! There were these 5 guys that had surfboard and there was a very rough current that always comes through at the same point in this river/stream. So they all jump in it and surf until that get pulled back and then they swim to the side and continue to do it again. I wanted to jump in there so back, but you know....I didn't want to show any of those guys up.
Friday, 6pm: My friend and I get ready and head to the main event of the weekend, BEERFEST!!!!! We arrive there and see that beerfest is a carnival and then there are these two huge tents. We heard that one tent is for more of the intense Germans and the other tent is for the crazy partiers you like to sing and dance and go crazy. So clearly we headed towards that tent. But before we went on, we ran into our roommates from Florence and decided to go on this spinning ride twice before we drank (smart idea; don't ever do it after). After acting like a 5 year old screaming at the top of our lungs on this ride we headed for the tent. When I reached the tent, my friend walked in and I followed after and I got stopped by security but didn't understand why. Get this....i got ID'd!!!!!!!!!! This would be reasonable if the drinking age was 21 like back in the states, but in Germany it's 16!! I'm almost four years older than that and they still wouldn't let me into this tent. But I was not going to let this ruin my night so I had my friend and I run back to our hostel, I grabbed my ID and ran back to ths tent. Thankfully, the second time around, I was let in and I knew it was time to start taking down some beers.
Friday, 7:45pm: We enter the festivities known as Beerfest! Now let me explain to you this tent. You think craziness. Think 150 times that and you will have beerfest. Hundreds upon hundreds of tables, massive barrels of beer coming into the room every hour if not sooner, women and men dressed up carrying up to 12 liters of beer to the tables, people dancing on top of the benches to the live German music being played at the front of the tent, glasses breaking, people screaming, people cheering. All for the main purpose that it's Beerfest. And this happens every. single. night. So me and my four roommates from back in Florence go right to the front of this tent and stand there until we see an open table or at least a bench to stand on. We all grab our first liters of the night and take them down pretty quickly. Continuing on, we buy our second liter and then start walking around. The first table in front of us had a bunch of guys on in and there was an open spot and they invited us to join them on the bench to dance so I agreed and got up there and screamed my heart out to all the German songs (No, i didn't know any of the words. I just used that old trick where you continuously say apple, orange and it looks like you know what you're saying) Throughout that whole night I met amazing people from places such as right there in Munich and even Russia. Everyone was so nice offering us drinks of their beers and dancing with us and just having a good time posing for photos and having an amazing time with our liters upon liters of beer. Beerfest starts at around 11am and ends at 11pm. We all stayed until the last song was played and then we headed out back to our hostel. 4 guys from our table offered to walk back with us so we did and we had a fun conversation about sports teams......it was quite random but very entertaining. After that night, I knew that Munich was by far my favorite place and could not wait until the following night.
Saturday, 9am: I think we can all happily say that I did not wake up all ready to go that morning. But I got up anyways and got ready because there was a field trip to Dachau, the concentration camp in Munich. I would honestly prefer not to talk about it nor will i put photos up of it because it was really hard on me but let me say this: Going here is the most life-changing experience you will ever have. There was not one time where I could look someone in the face and give them a smile. It was so hard on me to even think about it knowing that I had family go through this. If I were you, make sure you get there sometime, somehow and you will know exactly what I mean.
Saturday, 2pm: We arrive back in the city and have some time to spare before going back for a second round of Beerfest so me and my friend decide to wander the city and pick up our souveniers and get some lunch. So, for the first time ever, since I've been home, for lunch, my friend and I got............sushi!!!!!!!!! Let me just say, despite the fact that it wasn't the most unbelievable sushi compared the one at home, it was definitely delicious pretty much for the reason that it was the first time I've bitten into a piece of sushi since mid-January. After our meal, we headed back to the hostel but we wanted to stop in a store to see if we could get outfits for the night. You know, those ridiculous beerlady costumes. Well, after trying on about 12 different ones, we bought them! We couldn't have been more excited to put them on for Beerfest and then we realized we could wear them for Halloween too. So double usage! Good thinking..I know.
Saturday, 5:30pm: We arrive back at BEERFEST!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are in the tents and luckily it wasn't as hectic as the first night but that is pretty much because we got there earlier. We got our first round of liters and then grabbed a table where our group of about 7 people were joined by a bunch of creepers. Clearly we kicked them out. Then, there was this man, who was awesome!! He was a lot older but he kept buying rounds for all of us and you know what that means......FREE BEER!!! :) So the whole night, i had three liters and only paid for one. Yep, that's living the good life. After screaming and dancing and drinking some more, around 11pm, once again, we all leave to go back to the hostel. I was wiped out so I went straight to bed and it felt great, let me tell you.
Sunday, 9am: Our last day in Munich. Couldn't get much sadder than that. We were all miserable. None of us wanted to go back to reality. We wanted to continue to experience Beerfest for at least another night but that was out of the question. :( So everyone in our group got onto the bus and made our way to Austria to go and see the castle that inspired the Disneyland Castle. I didn't understand what it really could look like but seriously, it looked JUST like the Disneyland Castle. It was unbelievable. This castle was huge! and the view was just incredible. We got to walk all over the place and look off of a very high bridge and admire the views that it had to offer.
Sunday, 3:30pm: We headed back to the buses and went on our way on our 9 hour journey back to Florence. After watching 6 movies, stopping about 2 times, and some uncomfortable sleeping, we arrived. As we walked back to our apartment, all we could do was reminisce about the most amazing and urealistic time we experienced back in Germany. If you were considering going there, do it. You will never ever regret it.
I think I might be there for Oktoberfest.....
Munich = Most Unbelievable Time Ever!!!
Thursday, 7pm: The trip was supposedly supposed to begin. We were supposed to meet Euroadventures at the train station by 7:15pm. However, we get there and of course we get the lovely phrase we all want to hear, "The bus' air conditioning broke down, so we are waiting for another bus to come in about 30 minutes" Bummed, we are just leaving it alone and listen to music until thirty minutes passes and we recieve another message saying that we need a second bus so it will be another 30 minutes. Here's the thing, we chose this company because they told us that we would leave by 7, arrive at the hostel by 3a and then we could sleep so we'd be awake for the next day and ready to go. What happened instead? We leave at 8:30, make 5 stops on the way, for god only knows why, and arrive at the hostel at 6am the next morning, only getting 3 hours of sleep. I guess 3 hours is better than none right?
Friday, 9am: We arise from our three hours of sleep, and eat breakfast at the hostel and leave for our 11am bike tour at 11:45am, yeah that makes so much sense right? We arrive at the location for our bike tour. But before we started this 4 hour bike tour, we had to watch this clock strike 12 and watch the lovely plastic figures spin round and round and round. Then after watching, losing brain cells, and wasting away 20 minutes of our life, the 4 hour tour became a 2 hour tour. I guess the word punctual doesn't exist in Germany.
Eventually, we got to get onto these California Cruisers and ride our bikes all around Munich and do a tour. It was a lot of fun because most of the people forgot how to ride a bike, so I guess it was more fun for me than them. Oh, but the tour itself was fun too. We got to see surfing in the river, nudist park, and many places that were significant in the war. But the best part? The beer garden! There are tables everywhere, and then you go to the back and order food which doesn't come in small portions. So all you dieters, forget about low-carbs and not drinking because you do both in this spot. (No, this is not beerfest yet. Just some place in the middle of the city). As you enjoy your liter or half a liter of beer, you eat your food and listen to live German music. It makes you feel very lively and you leave with a giant smile on your face. (However, that could be the affect of the beer that you just consumed) And trust me, the bike ride back is a lot more fun if you catch my drift. ;). On the way back we stopped and saw surfers. No, not surfers on oceans, but in streams! There were these 5 guys that had surfboard and there was a very rough current that always comes through at the same point in this river/stream. So they all jump in it and surf until that get pulled back and then they swim to the side and continue to do it again. I wanted to jump in there so back, but you know....I didn't want to show any of those guys up.
Friday, 6pm: My friend and I get ready and head to the main event of the weekend, BEERFEST!!!!! We arrive there and see that beerfest is a carnival and then there are these two huge tents. We heard that one tent is for more of the intense Germans and the other tent is for the crazy partiers you like to sing and dance and go crazy. So clearly we headed towards that tent. But before we went on, we ran into our roommates from Florence and decided to go on this spinning ride twice before we drank (smart idea; don't ever do it after). After acting like a 5 year old screaming at the top of our lungs on this ride we headed for the tent. When I reached the tent, my friend walked in and I followed after and I got stopped by security but didn't understand why. Get this....i got ID'd!!!!!!!!!! This would be reasonable if the drinking age was 21 like back in the states, but in Germany it's 16!! I'm almost four years older than that and they still wouldn't let me into this tent. But I was not going to let this ruin my night so I had my friend and I run back to our hostel, I grabbed my ID and ran back to ths tent. Thankfully, the second time around, I was let in and I knew it was time to start taking down some beers.
Friday, 7:45pm: We enter the festivities known as Beerfest! Now let me explain to you this tent. You think craziness. Think 150 times that and you will have beerfest. Hundreds upon hundreds of tables, massive barrels of beer coming into the room every hour if not sooner, women and men dressed up carrying up to 12 liters of beer to the tables, people dancing on top of the benches to the live German music being played at the front of the tent, glasses breaking, people screaming, people cheering. All for the main purpose that it's Beerfest. And this happens every. single. night. So me and my four roommates from back in Florence go right to the front of this tent and stand there until we see an open table or at least a bench to stand on. We all grab our first liters of the night and take them down pretty quickly. Continuing on, we buy our second liter and then start walking around. The first table in front of us had a bunch of guys on in and there was an open spot and they invited us to join them on the bench to dance so I agreed and got up there and screamed my heart out to all the German songs (No, i didn't know any of the words. I just used that old trick where you continuously say apple, orange and it looks like you know what you're saying) Throughout that whole night I met amazing people from places such as right there in Munich and even Russia. Everyone was so nice offering us drinks of their beers and dancing with us and just having a good time posing for photos and having an amazing time with our liters upon liters of beer. Beerfest starts at around 11am and ends at 11pm. We all stayed until the last song was played and then we headed out back to our hostel. 4 guys from our table offered to walk back with us so we did and we had a fun conversation about sports teams......it was quite random but very entertaining. After that night, I knew that Munich was by far my favorite place and could not wait until the following night.
Saturday, 9am: I think we can all happily say that I did not wake up all ready to go that morning. But I got up anyways and got ready because there was a field trip to Dachau, the concentration camp in Munich. I would honestly prefer not to talk about it nor will i put photos up of it because it was really hard on me but let me say this: Going here is the most life-changing experience you will ever have. There was not one time where I could look someone in the face and give them a smile. It was so hard on me to even think about it knowing that I had family go through this. If I were you, make sure you get there sometime, somehow and you will know exactly what I mean.
Saturday, 2pm: We arrive back in the city and have some time to spare before going back for a second round of Beerfest so me and my friend decide to wander the city and pick up our souveniers and get some lunch. So, for the first time ever, since I've been home, for lunch, my friend and I got............sushi!!!!!!!!! Let me just say, despite the fact that it wasn't the most unbelievable sushi compared the one at home, it was definitely delicious pretty much for the reason that it was the first time I've bitten into a piece of sushi since mid-January. After our meal, we headed back to the hostel but we wanted to stop in a store to see if we could get outfits for the night. You know, those ridiculous beerlady costumes. Well, after trying on about 12 different ones, we bought them! We couldn't have been more excited to put them on for Beerfest and then we realized we could wear them for Halloween too. So double usage! Good thinking..I know.
Saturday, 5:30pm: We arrive back at BEERFEST!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are in the tents and luckily it wasn't as hectic as the first night but that is pretty much because we got there earlier. We got our first round of liters and then grabbed a table where our group of about 7 people were joined by a bunch of creepers. Clearly we kicked them out. Then, there was this man, who was awesome!! He was a lot older but he kept buying rounds for all of us and you know what that means......FREE BEER!!! :) So the whole night, i had three liters and only paid for one. Yep, that's living the good life. After screaming and dancing and drinking some more, around 11pm, once again, we all leave to go back to the hostel. I was wiped out so I went straight to bed and it felt great, let me tell you.
Sunday, 9am: Our last day in Munich. Couldn't get much sadder than that. We were all miserable. None of us wanted to go back to reality. We wanted to continue to experience Beerfest for at least another night but that was out of the question. :( So everyone in our group got onto the bus and made our way to Austria to go and see the castle that inspired the Disneyland Castle. I didn't understand what it really could look like but seriously, it looked JUST like the Disneyland Castle. It was unbelievable. This castle was huge! and the view was just incredible. We got to walk all over the place and look off of a very high bridge and admire the views that it had to offer.
Sunday, 3:30pm: We headed back to the buses and went on our way on our 9 hour journey back to Florence. After watching 6 movies, stopping about 2 times, and some uncomfortable sleeping, we arrived. As we walked back to our apartment, all we could do was reminisce about the most amazing and urealistic time we experienced back in Germany. If you were considering going there, do it. You will never ever regret it.
I think I might be there for Oktoberfest.....
Monday, April 12, 2010
Cinque Terre and Turin Like a Present: Full of Surprises
So this past weekend was my final weekend trip with GEFT and I have to say it was probably one of my favorite trips by far with them. I was told that Cinque Terre was one of the most beautiful places you could ever go and now it was my turn to see for myself.
The trip begins friday morning at 4:50am when I awoke to take yet another dreadful walk to the Piazza Independenzia to meet our group at 6am. We had to take a five hour bus ride to get to our hotel in Turin. Luckily, we had two buses which meant that the majority of the students got two seats (including me :D) which means I finally slept well on this bus. Around 12 noon, we arrive at our hotel in Turin. Okay this hotel: Weirdest. Hotel. Ever. First off, it was on top of a hill, so if we wanted to go out at night? Walk 40 minutes down this massive hill. (So I guess you can imagine what the majority of us did for the two nights we were there...yeah, we didn't leave that hotel) But this hotel, looked like an institute. Beige walls on the outside with no name and just windows and that's it. Clearly the person who designed this didn't study architecture in college. Inside was, get this, an art gallery! In the most unattractive hotel I've ever seen externally, the inside was full of art. The whole concept of this hotel was just very strange.
Around 1pm we head back on the bus to take us to the city center where we meet a tour guide that takes us around Turin. Although I enjoyed the tour of the famous piazza's, gelato shops, and monuments, I felt as if we walked in one giant circle. (But I really do think that's what happened) However, that circle was quite amazing because we saw incredible sites that Turin had to offer:
After finishing the tour, our leader told us that we will have some free time to walk around before we meet at the bus. So me and some friends just wandered around and looked in all of the stores. Compared to Florence, this city was a lot more spread out whereas Florence is more condensed and in walking distance. That made me appreciate Firenze just a little bit more than I already do. By the time we got back to the bus, they told us that before we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner, we would be stopping at Valentino Park or "The Park of Love" (I thought the name was pretty appropriate) This park was definitely a sight to see. Although the park was very small, the amount of beauty that it accumulated was above and beyond. I felt as if I was in a fairytale. The branches that formed an archway as you entered the park. The small waterfall in the middle of the stream that ran throughout the entire park, the tulips blooming with their exuberant colors. If you can't tell already, I loved it there. My friend gave me her camera and let me take photos because she has one of those Canon cameras where every photo you take looks professional. So taking these photos made me feel as if I was doing this for a living and honestly, it made me feel on top of the world. I think you'll see what I mean:
After we left Valentino Garden, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. On our way down to the hotel we assumed dinner would be pretty good because it was included and it was served at the hotel. Boy were we misled. The food was not great at all. Actually, I felt pretty sick after it. But I was starving so of course knowing me being a garbage disposal, I finished everything on my plate. Following dinner all of us were going to go out and have a good time but of course the fact that our hotel was on top of a hill ruined the possibility of that happening so we all decided to just go to bed which was probably one of the best decisions we made because we were so exhausted.
Later that night, we had a wonderful (sarcasm) dinner once again and then definitely hit the sac around 10pm because the next morning everyone had to be on the bus by 5:30am!! Seriously, how more worse can that get? Oh, I know, by saying that we had to get up that early to go hiking up a mountain. No big deal. So after a bus ride and then a train ride, we arrive in our first of four towns that we were going through in Cinque Terre.
Then after the 2 hour hike, we ended up in our second destination and we were there for about two hours, so that's where we were supposed to pick up lunch and just wander for a while. This town was very small but so friendly. Cinque Terre is known for their pesto which made me so excited because I am in love with Pesto. So, for lunch we decided to get pizza with pesto on it. The slice was HUGE and was worth every penny. the taste of the pesto was so fresh and I could've gotten about 5 slices if I wanted. But instead I decided to grab ice cream after which was also delicious so of course I didn't want to leave Cinque Terre ever. For the remaining time, me and some friends wandered up around the town into all of the stores and then just sat by the ocean for the remainder of our time and it was just beautiful and so relaxing. I never wanted to leave.
When we left, we took a train to our next location that was unbelievable! It just looked out into the ocean which was crystal blue and had this huge rock in the middle of the ocean that we all climbed and sat down for a while. The weather was amazing as was the views that Cinque Terre once again, had to offer. We weren't there for very long so after about 4 minutes we headed to our last location which we did by a quick and easy hike. When we arrived, they let us wander for a while and then meet up to get the train to go back to Florence. The fourth town really didn't have a lot to do there, but it was still beautiful. We all just sat on a hill and basked in the sun, so clearly I was not complaining whatsoever. Once we left the final town, we got onto a train to get us back to he starting point where our bus was waiting.We boarded the bus and were on our way bakc to Florence. I slept very well because that hiking wiped me out but also reminded me how much I love hiking and how much I love being outdoors and that's all I'll want to do once I get home.
The trip begins friday morning at 4:50am when I awoke to take yet another dreadful walk to the Piazza Independenzia to meet our group at 6am. We had to take a five hour bus ride to get to our hotel in Turin. Luckily, we had two buses which meant that the majority of the students got two seats (including me :D) which means I finally slept well on this bus. Around 12 noon, we arrive at our hotel in Turin. Okay this hotel: Weirdest. Hotel. Ever. First off, it was on top of a hill, so if we wanted to go out at night? Walk 40 minutes down this massive hill. (So I guess you can imagine what the majority of us did for the two nights we were there...yeah, we didn't leave that hotel) But this hotel, looked like an institute. Beige walls on the outside with no name and just windows and that's it. Clearly the person who designed this didn't study architecture in college. Inside was, get this, an art gallery! In the most unattractive hotel I've ever seen externally, the inside was full of art. The whole concept of this hotel was just very strange.
Around 1pm we head back on the bus to take us to the city center where we meet a tour guide that takes us around Turin. Although I enjoyed the tour of the famous piazza's, gelato shops, and monuments, I felt as if we walked in one giant circle. (But I really do think that's what happened) However, that circle was quite amazing because we saw incredible sites that Turin had to offer:
After finishing the tour, our leader told us that we will have some free time to walk around before we meet at the bus. So me and some friends just wandered around and looked in all of the stores. Compared to Florence, this city was a lot more spread out whereas Florence is more condensed and in walking distance. That made me appreciate Firenze just a little bit more than I already do. By the time we got back to the bus, they told us that before we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner, we would be stopping at Valentino Park or "The Park of Love" (I thought the name was pretty appropriate) This park was definitely a sight to see. Although the park was very small, the amount of beauty that it accumulated was above and beyond. I felt as if I was in a fairytale. The branches that formed an archway as you entered the park. The small waterfall in the middle of the stream that ran throughout the entire park, the tulips blooming with their exuberant colors. If you can't tell already, I loved it there. My friend gave me her camera and let me take photos because she has one of those Canon cameras where every photo you take looks professional. So taking these photos made me feel as if I was doing this for a living and honestly, it made me feel on top of the world. I think you'll see what I mean:
After we left Valentino Garden, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. On our way down to the hotel we assumed dinner would be pretty good because it was included and it was served at the hotel. Boy were we misled. The food was not great at all. Actually, I felt pretty sick after it. But I was starving so of course knowing me being a garbage disposal, I finished everything on my plate. Following dinner all of us were going to go out and have a good time but of course the fact that our hotel was on top of a hill ruined the possibility of that happening so we all decided to just go to bed which was probably one of the best decisions we made because we were so exhausted. The next morning we all had to be up and ready to go by 8am. Our first stop, The Egyptian Museum in Turin. It's said to be the biggest selection of Egyptian relics next to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Although our guide was completely monotone, I was actually really fascinated by the history behind everything he showed us and what the hierglyphics meant. I thought that was a really interesting aspect of this trip. After the tour we all had about an hour to wander around Turin and then meet up at the bus later on. So I decided to go into this cafe and grab hot chocolate. Let me tell you! When you order hot chocolate in Italy, sometimes you get that normal hot chocolate that everyone recieves in the states. If you get the right kind of hot chocolate, you recieve what is literally a chocolate bar melted into a glass. So while I was drinking heaven they put out a bowl of legit chocolate on the table for free as "bar food." Best cafe ever?? I think so!!!!
After I finished, we all gathered to the bus and got on for an hour bus ride to a vineyard to do a wine tasting. This was by far one of my best experiences I've yet in Italy. We got to try four different wines and then they would give us some food with it to pair with. The first wine was a white wine that I thought was pretty good and they served it with bread and different types of spreads. The second tasting was a red wine that was okay and was served with Proscuitto and Salami (my favorite foods here!!). The wine I know was good but I really hate red wine and I really couldn't tell you why. Just the flavor doesn't get my taste buds very happy. So I gave the rest of that one away to a friend. The third was another red wine and it was by far my least favorite. it was so disgusting I took a sip and gave it straight away. However, I did manage to eat a lot of the cheese that was offered as a pairing for this wine. (Me and my eating habits, geesh. Atakins diet, here I come). The final wine was a dessert wine and was actually a red sparkling wine. It was delicious!!!!! It was very fruity and everyone was smiling so much while drinking it so you could tell that was the favorite of the group. The pairing was also delicious as it was a piece of cake and then some cookie that was the most amazing piece of sweetness I've had in a while. After the tasting on the beautiful 70 degree weather day, we all bought some wine. I bought the dessert wine and am going to bring it home for my family to try and can't wait to hear what they think of it. Ever since that tasting, I've had a much larger appreciation for wine and I definitely appreciate that to the highest extent.
After I finished, we all gathered to the bus and got on for an hour bus ride to a vineyard to do a wine tasting. This was by far one of my best experiences I've yet in Italy. We got to try four different wines and then they would give us some food with it to pair with. The first wine was a white wine that I thought was pretty good and they served it with bread and different types of spreads. The second tasting was a red wine that was okay and was served with Proscuitto and Salami (my favorite foods here!!). The wine I know was good but I really hate red wine and I really couldn't tell you why. Just the flavor doesn't get my taste buds very happy. So I gave the rest of that one away to a friend. The third was another red wine and it was by far my least favorite. it was so disgusting I took a sip and gave it straight away. However, I did manage to eat a lot of the cheese that was offered as a pairing for this wine. (Me and my eating habits, geesh. Atakins diet, here I come). The final wine was a dessert wine and was actually a red sparkling wine. It was delicious!!!!! It was very fruity and everyone was smiling so much while drinking it so you could tell that was the favorite of the group. The pairing was also delicious as it was a piece of cake and then some cookie that was the most amazing piece of sweetness I've had in a while. After the tasting on the beautiful 70 degree weather day, we all bought some wine. I bought the dessert wine and am going to bring it home for my family to try and can't wait to hear what they think of it. Ever since that tasting, I've had a much larger appreciation for wine and I definitely appreciate that to the highest extent.
Later that night, we had a wonderful (sarcasm) dinner once again and then definitely hit the sac around 10pm because the next morning everyone had to be on the bus by 5:30am!! Seriously, how more worse can that get? Oh, I know, by saying that we had to get up that early to go hiking up a mountain. No big deal. So after a bus ride and then a train ride, we arrive in our first of four towns that we were going through in Cinque Terre.
So, I love hiking, but the fact that it was drizzling when we got off the train put us all in a not-so-happy mood. They gave us some free time to wander around the first town before we headed out on our two hour hike to the next town. I just bought my souveniers and looked around for a little while. Then before we left we all watched these two boys plays soccer against each other. Although everyone on this trip was between the ages of 19 and 23, we were all screaming our heads off when one of the 10 year old boys scored a goal. I think they thoroughly enjoyed it if you ask me. Finally we headed off onto this hike. Thankfully it stopped drizzling before we ventured out into the wilderness, or mountain. I'm going to say wilderness to make is sound more dangerous. Which I could actually say it was since there was one girl that actually fell off the mountain. Luckily, what she landed in was 10 feet down in bushes and thorns. Twenty feet back however, she would've fallen to her death, so it was definitely a very scary moment since I was right in back of her. There were other hikers coming our way and he was able to pull this girl up out of the thorns with his walking stick. She was okay and was a champion and continued on her way. The walk to this town was pretty difficult with a lot of steps but the views that we were able to see were unbelievable and made me just appreciate Cinque Terre and Italy more:
Then after the 2 hour hike, we ended up in our second destination and we were there for about two hours, so that's where we were supposed to pick up lunch and just wander for a while. This town was very small but so friendly. Cinque Terre is known for their pesto which made me so excited because I am in love with Pesto. So, for lunch we decided to get pizza with pesto on it. The slice was HUGE and was worth every penny. the taste of the pesto was so fresh and I could've gotten about 5 slices if I wanted. But instead I decided to grab ice cream after which was also delicious so of course I didn't want to leave Cinque Terre ever. For the remaining time, me and some friends wandered up around the town into all of the stores and then just sat by the ocean for the remainder of our time and it was just beautiful and so relaxing. I never wanted to leave.
When we left, we took a train to our next location that was unbelievable! It just looked out into the ocean which was crystal blue and had this huge rock in the middle of the ocean that we all climbed and sat down for a while. The weather was amazing as was the views that Cinque Terre once again, had to offer. We weren't there for very long so after about 4 minutes we headed to our last location which we did by a quick and easy hike. When we arrived, they let us wander for a while and then meet up to get the train to go back to Florence. The fourth town really didn't have a lot to do there, but it was still beautiful. We all just sat on a hill and basked in the sun, so clearly I was not complaining whatsoever. Once we left the final town, we got onto a train to get us back to he starting point where our bus was waiting.We boarded the bus and were on our way bakc to Florence. I slept very well because that hiking wiped me out but also reminded me how much I love hiking and how much I love being outdoors and that's all I'll want to do once I get home.
This trip was worth every minute. What everyone said was true. Cinque Terre is simply amazing.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
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