So I was sitting in Cinema class on Thursday afternoon watching "Divorce Italian Style" when out of the blue, we hear this loud crack of thunder and then bright lightening! The whole class jumps and then we hear this pounding rain on the windows. Francesca (you all remember her, my feisty Culture teacher who is also my Cinema teacher) immediately stops the movie and runs to the window. Sure enough large chunks of ice are pelting the windows! Francesca says, in her fantastic Florentine accent, "Guys, it never hails in
Yesterday, after 2 months I finally made it to the
Going to have a busy week coming up. Midterms are next week already and I'll be spending the weekend in Capri and
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Just another rainy weekend...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
2 months already?!
I've almost been here 2 months already! Its so hard to comprehend! On one hand I feel like I've just arrived and every day flies by, but on the other hand I feel like I've been here for awhile now in the sense that I've learned SO much in such a short time and I know the city so well.
On Tuesday before class, Morgan and I decided to put our museum cards to good use and go to the Medici Chapel before class. This is a building that I pass every day on the way to school but never thought to stop. The Medici Chapel is a building that has many relics and tombs of members of the Medici Family along with several works by Michelangelo. The Medici Family were very important bankers (even bankers to the Pope) in the Medieval and Renaissance times and they funded a lot of the beautiful things that exist in Florence today. They lived in Pitti Palace with in across the Arno and you can tour today. Being in Renaissance Art History and History I am learning so many interesting facts about things that I pass every single day but know little to nothing about. For example, one of the Medici sons, Lorenzo the Magnificent, adopted Michelangelo. Michelangelo was not very loyal to the Medici Family and would commission works for other higher paying customers which was really looked down upon since the Medici's gave so much to him. Another interesting thing I learned today was that due to the size of Florence's Cathedral (more commonly known as the Duomo) designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, the climate on either side of the building is completely different. There is a temperature difference and along with the wind speed. I pass the Duomo at least twice a day and never knew of this. Its things like this that I love learning about it! And I have to say that I am really enjoying my classes!
Last night, the whole group threw a surprise birthday party for Nick! Maria tipped us off that it was his birthday so we all went over to the boys apartment and pretended that a pipe broke so he would rush over. Unfortunately, he sent Maria first (seeing as housing is her main responsibility) so she had to call and tell him that he needed to come ASAP because it was really bad. So needless to say...he was really surprised! We all threw confetti on him as he walked in! He was definitely pleased with the party and we all had a great time!
Plans for the weekend are still up in the air. We are holding out to see what the weather decides to do. As of right now it is supposed to rain :( but hopefully not and we can make it to the cute little town of Lucca!
On Tuesday before class, Morgan and I decided to put our museum cards to good use and go to the Medici Chapel before class. This is a building that I pass every day on the way to school but never thought to stop. The Medici Chapel is a building that has many relics and tombs of members of the Medici Family along with several works by Michelangelo. The Medici Family were very important bankers (even bankers to the Pope) in the Medieval and Renaissance times and they funded a lot of the beautiful things that exist in Florence today. They lived in Pitti Palace with in across the Arno and you can tour today. Being in Renaissance Art History and History I am learning so many interesting facts about things that I pass every single day but know little to nothing about. For example, one of the Medici sons, Lorenzo the Magnificent, adopted Michelangelo. Michelangelo was not very loyal to the Medici Family and would commission works for other higher paying customers which was really looked down upon since the Medici's gave so much to him. Another interesting thing I learned today was that due to the size of Florence's Cathedral (more commonly known as the Duomo) designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, the climate on either side of the building is completely different. There is a temperature difference and along with the wind speed. I pass the Duomo at least twice a day and never knew of this. Its things like this that I love learning about it! And I have to say that I am really enjoying my classes!
Last night, the whole group threw a surprise birthday party for Nick! Maria tipped us off that it was his birthday so we all went over to the boys apartment and pretended that a pipe broke so he would rush over. Unfortunately, he sent Maria first (seeing as housing is her main responsibility) so she had to call and tell him that he needed to come ASAP because it was really bad. So needless to say...he was really surprised! We all threw confetti on him as he walked in! He was definitely pleased with the party and we all had a great time!
Plans for the weekend are still up in the air. We are holding out to see what the weather decides to do. As of right now it is supposed to rain :( but hopefully not and we can make it to the cute little town of Lucca!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Wine Tasting and Venezia...what could be better?!
Ciao a Tutti!
Friday morning bright and early we left for our third Rutgers excursion to Veneto, the Northern Region of Italy. First we were headed to the city of Verona which is about 2 hours away from Florence. Yes…it is where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet takes place. One of the walls of the house is called the "Wall of Love" and all visitors are encouraged to profess their love on the wall with a sharpie. Every year they make a copy and put it in a museum. It was cool to look at. A fun fact I learned was that Shakespeare never actually visited Verona. He wrote about it from what he had learned from reading books. Verona was a lovely city. We had a walking tour through the city and then some free time for lunch. On our tour we saw the Capitulates house where Juliet supposedly lived. Verona also has a smaller version of the Coliseum which they call the “Arena”. It originally had 3 stories but after an earthquake the 3rd story was destroyed and only 2 floors remain. After getting some lunch and a spritzer (a typical Veronean drink which is white wine, an orange soda type drink and seltzer…it was very good!) and walking around for a little bit we were off to the town of Valpolicella.
Valpolicella literally means “Valley of many cellers” in Italian. This could only mean one thing…we were off to a wine tasting at Serego Alighieri Winery! The family that owns and runs this winery are direct descendants of Dante Alighieri and have owned the winery for centuries. The winery was so beautiful! We took a tour of the winery which was very interesting. They store tons of grapes on bamboo racks in a dry room for several months while the sugar turns into alcohol. The whole process of making the wine is done completely naturally. There are no computer systems monitoring the temperatures in the rooms unlike most winery’s have today. We also saw the large barrels where the wine is stored for several more months before it is bottled. Then it was off to the wine tasting. It was a nice room all set up for all 50 of us to try 3 different kinds of wine. I am not a huge wine fan myself, but, I will say this wine was pretty good! One of the ladies working at the winery explained the three different wines to us and then we all tasted them. It was definitely a good time! Then it was back on the bus as the sun was setting on Serego Alighieri Winery. It was so pretty to see!
Next we were off to the tiny town called Bardolino which is on Lake Garda which boarders the pre-Alps (the mountains that come before the Alps…incase you were wondering). Team Rutgers filled the tiny hotel in town that we stayed in. The town was so cute! Once we checked into the hotel Nick took us down to the lake. It was so pretty! This was the first time I’ve seen water since I’ve been here! It was a really big lake with tons of sail boats and docks. It seems like a great shore town that must be hopping once the warmer weather hits. The majority of tourists that go there are German so a lot of the signs were in German which I thought was interesting. We walked around the town for a little bit which was pretty dead but still fun to see and then it was time for dinner at the hotel.
Saturday morning I got really early start with a few others to check out the sunrise on Lake Garda. It was freezing!!! But to see the colors on the lake were so worth it!! I got some really nice pictures but then went back to sleep before breakfast and boarding the bus at 8:30. It was about another 2 hour drive to Venice from Bardolino so I got to go back to sleep for a little. Once we were close to Venice we hopped off the bus and took the train into Venice. Now…I had heard a lot of negative things about Venice. Just that it was only a day trip kind of place and that it wasn’t really worth seeing. I must say…I was completely surprised! I thought it was a really awesome city. When I first walked out of the train station I couldn’t believe there was a canal right there! It was so cool! Venice is a very marshy land with several canals running though the city. There are no cars in Venice, to get around you have to either walk, take a water taxi, or a gondola! We had a walking tour of the city where we saw the grand canal, San Marco Square which as a beautiful church in the center that was built over 1000’s years ago. Inside San Marco Church literally the entire thing is covered in mosaic tile! It was truly unbelievable! We also saw the Bell Tower that fully collapsed in 1902. It was since been rebuilt but it still, to this day, has structural issues and soon will be wrapped in titanium to keep it from collapsing again! After our walking tour, Nick took us out to lunch at this delicious restaurant where I had the greatest lasagna ever (Sorry Mom, yours is still good too!) along with pork, which was a welcomed change, French fires (they must have known we were American) and tiramisu! After lunch we had some free time to wonder around the city. Venice is much bigger than Florence and none of us had a map so it was definitely an adventure! At first I was nervous about not knowing where to go and wanted Nick to tell us directions but then I realized that this is all part of our learning experience. We had wanted to go to San Marco Square and go in some shops but by the time we found our way back, we had to be back to meet Nick at the train station. After getting a little lost we finally found our way back but unfortunately I didn’t have too much time to shop in the stores which I was disappointed about.
Once back it was a 3 hour bus ride back to Florence and then it was bed time for me as I was exhausted from my busy busy week and weekend! It was such a great time! I really enjoy our excursions! They are always such a good time and also a really great bonding experience with everyone on the trip! I also think that Nick takes us to places that I don’t know that I would have gone to on my own. He knows all the great places to go and its great to have a guided tour of the cities because I learn things I wouldn’t on my own. Sadly, we only have one more excursion left and its not until May .
Sunday was homework and catch up day. Tomorrow I am supposed to be going to an authentic Italian dinner. This weekend is shaping up to look like I am going to a little town called Lucca which is about a hour and a half train ride from Florence. According to my history teacher “it’s a jewel of a town” and a “must see!” So its off to Lucca I go!
Updates to come!
Weekend Pictures
Friday morning bright and early we left for our third Rutgers excursion to Veneto, the Northern Region of Italy. First we were headed to the city of Verona which is about 2 hours away from Florence. Yes…it is where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet takes place. One of the walls of the house is called the "Wall of Love" and all visitors are encouraged to profess their love on the wall with a sharpie. Every year they make a copy and put it in a museum. It was cool to look at. A fun fact I learned was that Shakespeare never actually visited Verona. He wrote about it from what he had learned from reading books. Verona was a lovely city. We had a walking tour through the city and then some free time for lunch. On our tour we saw the Capitulates house where Juliet supposedly lived. Verona also has a smaller version of the Coliseum which they call the “Arena”. It originally had 3 stories but after an earthquake the 3rd story was destroyed and only 2 floors remain. After getting some lunch and a spritzer (a typical Veronean drink which is white wine, an orange soda type drink and seltzer…it was very good!) and walking around for a little bit we were off to the town of Valpolicella.
Valpolicella literally means “Valley of many cellers” in Italian. This could only mean one thing…we were off to a wine tasting at Serego Alighieri Winery! The family that owns and runs this winery are direct descendants of Dante Alighieri and have owned the winery for centuries. The winery was so beautiful! We took a tour of the winery which was very interesting. They store tons of grapes on bamboo racks in a dry room for several months while the sugar turns into alcohol. The whole process of making the wine is done completely naturally. There are no computer systems monitoring the temperatures in the rooms unlike most winery’s have today. We also saw the large barrels where the wine is stored for several more months before it is bottled. Then it was off to the wine tasting. It was a nice room all set up for all 50 of us to try 3 different kinds of wine. I am not a huge wine fan myself, but, I will say this wine was pretty good! One of the ladies working at the winery explained the three different wines to us and then we all tasted them. It was definitely a good time! Then it was back on the bus as the sun was setting on Serego Alighieri Winery. It was so pretty to see!
Next we were off to the tiny town called Bardolino which is on Lake Garda which boarders the pre-Alps (the mountains that come before the Alps…incase you were wondering). Team Rutgers filled the tiny hotel in town that we stayed in. The town was so cute! Once we checked into the hotel Nick took us down to the lake. It was so pretty! This was the first time I’ve seen water since I’ve been here! It was a really big lake with tons of sail boats and docks. It seems like a great shore town that must be hopping once the warmer weather hits. The majority of tourists that go there are German so a lot of the signs were in German which I thought was interesting. We walked around the town for a little bit which was pretty dead but still fun to see and then it was time for dinner at the hotel.
Saturday morning I got really early start with a few others to check out the sunrise on Lake Garda. It was freezing!!! But to see the colors on the lake were so worth it!! I got some really nice pictures but then went back to sleep before breakfast and boarding the bus at 8:30. It was about another 2 hour drive to Venice from Bardolino so I got to go back to sleep for a little. Once we were close to Venice we hopped off the bus and took the train into Venice. Now…I had heard a lot of negative things about Venice. Just that it was only a day trip kind of place and that it wasn’t really worth seeing. I must say…I was completely surprised! I thought it was a really awesome city. When I first walked out of the train station I couldn’t believe there was a canal right there! It was so cool! Venice is a very marshy land with several canals running though the city. There are no cars in Venice, to get around you have to either walk, take a water taxi, or a gondola! We had a walking tour of the city where we saw the grand canal, San Marco Square which as a beautiful church in the center that was built over 1000’s years ago. Inside San Marco Church literally the entire thing is covered in mosaic tile! It was truly unbelievable! We also saw the Bell Tower that fully collapsed in 1902. It was since been rebuilt but it still, to this day, has structural issues and soon will be wrapped in titanium to keep it from collapsing again! After our walking tour, Nick took us out to lunch at this delicious restaurant where I had the greatest lasagna ever (Sorry Mom, yours is still good too!) along with pork, which was a welcomed change, French fires (they must have known we were American) and tiramisu! After lunch we had some free time to wonder around the city. Venice is much bigger than Florence and none of us had a map so it was definitely an adventure! At first I was nervous about not knowing where to go and wanted Nick to tell us directions but then I realized that this is all part of our learning experience. We had wanted to go to San Marco Square and go in some shops but by the time we found our way back, we had to be back to meet Nick at the train station. After getting a little lost we finally found our way back but unfortunately I didn’t have too much time to shop in the stores which I was disappointed about.
Once back it was a 3 hour bus ride back to Florence and then it was bed time for me as I was exhausted from my busy busy week and weekend! It was such a great time! I really enjoy our excursions! They are always such a good time and also a really great bonding experience with everyone on the trip! I also think that Nick takes us to places that I don’t know that I would have gone to on my own. He knows all the great places to go and its great to have a guided tour of the cities because I learn things I wouldn’t on my own. Sadly, we only have one more excursion left and its not until May .
Sunday was homework and catch up day. Tomorrow I am supposed to be going to an authentic Italian dinner. This weekend is shaping up to look like I am going to a little town called Lucca which is about a hour and a half train ride from Florence. According to my history teacher “it’s a jewel of a town” and a “must see!” So its off to Lucca I go!
Updates to come!
Weekend Pictures
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| Verona & Venice March 20-21 2009 |
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Faith and Begora!
Faith and Begora! or Cheers as the Irish like to say...I've returned from the motherland! and have a lot to tell...So brace yourselves...this will be a long update!
Wednesday afternoon it was off to Dublin! After having the plane delayed about and hour we finally arrived. So it was Jes, Jen, Morgan, and myself on our way. We took the air coach which is a bus system that takes you directly from the airport into the city. When got onto the bus Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" was playing and I knew I would love this country! Plus...I was really looking forward to being in an English speaking country! It was been getting a little frustrating dealing with the whole language barrier and it was really relaxing to know that I wouldn't have to deal with it for 5 days. So anyways...Jacquie met us in town and took us to her house. She lives in this great house with 5 other roommates who are awesome! They are from all over the US and all so welcoming to us. You could tell the difference between the East Coast and West Coast people. The people from the West Coast are so laid back and non-judgmental. That night, Jacq took us to this pub called the Oliver St. John Gogarty. Of course we had to get a Guinness in Ireland! There was a band playing traditional Irish music. It was so much fun! We were all signing along to the songs! Everyone in Ireland is so nice, friendly, and wants to have a good time!
Thursday morning we got up, got breakfast (Bagels! oh how I've missed breakfast food! Its not big in Italy!) and took a bus to the country side. We got off the bus in the tiny town of Arnao and spent the afternoon walking about 5 miles through the beautiful Wicklow Mountains National Park to the town of Glendalough. It was so quiet and serene. And it was just how I had imagined Ireland looking. Everything was so green with cute little houses. We stopped at tiny tea house along the way for a 'spot of tea' and some scones to warm us up! Glendalough means the glen of two lakes. Glendalough is where St. Kevin's church is (St. Kevin was a hermit priest who founded Glendalough in the 6th century) and the Round Tower which was used as a bell tower and used to store refugees in times of attack. I learned all of this from my great tour guide Jacquie!! We walked through Glendalough and found the two lakes which were so pretty! Of course I took tons of pretty pictures! Then it was back to Dublin! We went out to dinner at a place called Sheehans. So yummy! Then out with Jacquie and her roommates to a pub. Had a great time.
Friday we went out for a traditional Irish breakfast which included eggs, toast, sausage, bacon, and beans! (Luckily they left out the blood pudding!) Then we were off on our walking tour of Dublin by our excellent tour guide! Dublin is so much bigger than Florence but a nice city to walk around in. We went to some great parks like St. Stephens Green and Jacq showed us St. Patrick's Cathedral which also has a great park next to it. We saw the the famous Molly Malone statue, River Liffy, Ha'Penny Bridge, Trinity College, hit up some shops and walked around the center of town. And we even got Shamrock Shakes! The whole city was gearing up for the St. Patrick's Day festivities! It was so fun! Everything was green, white and orange! Unfortunately, Morgan has flying out that Friday night because her boyfriend was coming to visit her in Florence on Saturday afternoon so she couldn't stay the whole week. So after walking around the city for most of the day we took her to the air coach stop to catch the bus back to the airport. On the way to the bus stop, she wanted to run into the food store quick to get some shepherds pie seasoning mix. We knew that she was running a little low on time but she was determined to get the mix. She was successful and we put her on the bus to the airport. Then we headed back to Jacq's place for dinner. After dinner we were just hanging out planning what to do for the night when the doorbell rings. Jacquie's roommate answers and who walks in but MORGAN! And she says..."I guess I shouldn't have stopped for that shepherds pie mix!" HAHA! So all of our mouths dropped open when she walked through the door! We legit couldn't believe she has missed her flight! She got to the airport just as they were closing the flight and they wouldn't let her board! (Keep in mind- we flew Ryanair). So the poor girl had to book another flight to Rome at 6am Saturday morning and then take a 3 hour train ride from Rome to Florence and then the shuttle to the Florence airport! But she did make it home safe and sound! We just kept telling her that it would be a great story later in life! And that that was one expensive packet of shepherd pie mix! Haha!
Saturday we slept in as we were all feeling a little tired from all the walking and sight seeing. There was a carnival going on in Merrion Square, close to Jacquie's house, so we went to check that out. It was a beautiful day so we took a ride on the ferris wheel and at the top we could see all of of Dublin! It was very winding at the top so I was a little nervous but it was actually really fun! Dublin doesn't have too many big buildings so there is not really a skyline or anything like that to see but it was still cool. Then we bought some postcards and sat in St. Stephens Green and wrote them out. On our way back, there was a large crowd that had gathered around a guy doing a comedy act in the street so we stopped to check it out. He asked who was from American and we yelled "WOO!" thinking others in the crowd would have yelled...but no...we were apparently the only ones. So this comedian goes of on this tangent about who when you ask Americans were they from they say "WOO" instead of "New Jersey!" It was so funny and so true! Then he got Jacquie in on one of his songs and started calling us the "American Girls with white teeth!" It was really hilarious and so random! Later on there was another act going on in the street and the guy was seeing Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A"! It was too funny to see Irish people belting it out! The Irish are actually obsessed with Bruce! He was on tv and there were pictures of him everywhere! (Dad, I know you would appreciate that!) After another day out and about Dublin, we had dinner and got ready for a night of dancing at this really cool place called the Purty Kitchen. Again...we all have a fantastic time!
On Sunday we were all so bummed that we had to leave. Dublin was getting more into the St. Patrick's Day festivities. The carnival expanded with tons of venders and games all over. There were little kids with their faces painted and everyone decked out in green. We were really sad to be leaving at such an exciting time! We packed up all of our stuff and took the bus to the Guinness factory where you learn all about Ireland's most famous beer. It was actually a really awesome place and very interesting. Guinness is celebrating its 250 year anniversary this year. Its made from water, barely, hops and yeast and there are three different types: Draught, Extra Stout and Foreign . As you are walking through the factory you can stop at the "Taste Lab" and try the different kinds. And at the end of the tour you get a free pint in the Gravity Bar which is at the very top of the factory which is all glass and can sit and enjoy the view of Dublin! It was so much fun!! Another interesting fact that I learned was that Guinness Brewery is the same as the Guinness Book of World Records! (This may be common knowledge but I never knew this before!) One of the managers at Guinness got into an argument about a silly topic at a pub one night and wondered where he could find the answer to his question. Then he thought that there must be others all over debating silly topics at other pubs throughout Ireland so...he came up with this book and it was first published in 1955 and has been going ever since! After the Guinness tour we walked through town once more, stopped for lunch and were on our way to the airport. We decided to give ourselves extra time because we didn't want to run into a situation like Morgan had. Also stopped for some Irish Soda Bread because I just had to try it out and compare it to my moms. No surprise Eileen Hagner's Irish Soda Bread blew it out of the water! So we're going through security and they stop me and tell me that I have to open my bag because I have two umbrellas inside that needed to be inspected. I politely told the woman that I only had one umbrella but that I would get it out and show her but she insists that I have two. And I am confident in my answer knowing I only brought 1 umbrella to Ireland. So...the checking of the umbrella quickly turns into a big deal as I have to go back and forth through security with my bag and without it. As I am going through my stuff I see Jes's purse (she asked me to pack it for her because she didn't have any room) so then it dawns on me that she must have an umbrella inside her purse...so thats where they were getting 2 umbrellas from. Now the way they were acting you would have thought that the umbrella was a loaded weapon. The man at secruity was talking to me like I was a harden criminal saying..."You have TWO umbrellas!" like they had never seen them before. So after opening and closing the umbrella and sending both though the scanner I was free to go. So we find out gate and get in line. With Ryanair there are no assigned seats so its literally a free for all. Come time to board the plane I see people having to check the size of their luggage and I just knew that this was going to be a problem. Of course come my turn to board, the guy says I have to check my luggage because it was too big. (Keep in mind I had the same suitcase going and it was no bigger returning and I had no problems.) So I then had to wait in a line that was a mile long for check my bag while at a snails pace they wrote down everyones information and then I had to pay 30 euros for my stupid bag! Needless to say, I was not a happy camper on the flight home. We got into Pisa airport around 11:30 and then had to take a 80 minute bus ride back to Florence. BUT...it was ALL worth it. I really had a fabulous time! I truly enjoyed Ireland and its people and I couldn't have asked for a better host and tour guide! Thanks to Jacq, everything was wonderful! I definitely want to go back to Ireland someday and do the whole country. It has so many different aspects to it and theres just so much more I want to see!
So back in Florence, its another busy week. Went out to the Dublin Pub (yes in Florence!) for St. Paddy's Day! Had a good time. This weekend we are going on our 3rd Rutgers Excursion. This time its an overnight trip to the city of Verona and then to Bardolino (which is on the lake Lago di Garda)to visit of a wine-producing family estate in the heart of the Valpolicella region and then to Venice for the day on Saturday. We leave very early Friday morning and won't return until late Saturday night...so it will be another busy, jam packed weekend but I'm really looking forward to it!!
Pictures of Ireland!
Wednesday afternoon it was off to Dublin! After having the plane delayed about and hour we finally arrived. So it was Jes, Jen, Morgan, and myself on our way. We took the air coach which is a bus system that takes you directly from the airport into the city. When got onto the bus Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" was playing and I knew I would love this country! Plus...I was really looking forward to being in an English speaking country! It was been getting a little frustrating dealing with the whole language barrier and it was really relaxing to know that I wouldn't have to deal with it for 5 days. So anyways...Jacquie met us in town and took us to her house. She lives in this great house with 5 other roommates who are awesome! They are from all over the US and all so welcoming to us. You could tell the difference between the East Coast and West Coast people. The people from the West Coast are so laid back and non-judgmental. That night, Jacq took us to this pub called the Oliver St. John Gogarty. Of course we had to get a Guinness in Ireland! There was a band playing traditional Irish music. It was so much fun! We were all signing along to the songs! Everyone in Ireland is so nice, friendly, and wants to have a good time!
Thursday morning we got up, got breakfast (Bagels! oh how I've missed breakfast food! Its not big in Italy!) and took a bus to the country side. We got off the bus in the tiny town of Arnao and spent the afternoon walking about 5 miles through the beautiful Wicklow Mountains National Park to the town of Glendalough. It was so quiet and serene. And it was just how I had imagined Ireland looking. Everything was so green with cute little houses. We stopped at tiny tea house along the way for a 'spot of tea' and some scones to warm us up! Glendalough means the glen of two lakes. Glendalough is where St. Kevin's church is (St. Kevin was a hermit priest who founded Glendalough in the 6th century) and the Round Tower which was used as a bell tower and used to store refugees in times of attack. I learned all of this from my great tour guide Jacquie!! We walked through Glendalough and found the two lakes which were so pretty! Of course I took tons of pretty pictures! Then it was back to Dublin! We went out to dinner at a place called Sheehans. So yummy! Then out with Jacquie and her roommates to a pub. Had a great time.
Friday we went out for a traditional Irish breakfast which included eggs, toast, sausage, bacon, and beans! (Luckily they left out the blood pudding!) Then we were off on our walking tour of Dublin by our excellent tour guide! Dublin is so much bigger than Florence but a nice city to walk around in. We went to some great parks like St. Stephens Green and Jacq showed us St. Patrick's Cathedral which also has a great park next to it. We saw the the famous Molly Malone statue, River Liffy, Ha'Penny Bridge, Trinity College, hit up some shops and walked around the center of town. And we even got Shamrock Shakes! The whole city was gearing up for the St. Patrick's Day festivities! It was so fun! Everything was green, white and orange! Unfortunately, Morgan has flying out that Friday night because her boyfriend was coming to visit her in Florence on Saturday afternoon so she couldn't stay the whole week. So after walking around the city for most of the day we took her to the air coach stop to catch the bus back to the airport. On the way to the bus stop, she wanted to run into the food store quick to get some shepherds pie seasoning mix. We knew that she was running a little low on time but she was determined to get the mix. She was successful and we put her on the bus to the airport. Then we headed back to Jacq's place for dinner. After dinner we were just hanging out planning what to do for the night when the doorbell rings. Jacquie's roommate answers and who walks in but MORGAN! And she says..."I guess I shouldn't have stopped for that shepherds pie mix!" HAHA! So all of our mouths dropped open when she walked through the door! We legit couldn't believe she has missed her flight! She got to the airport just as they were closing the flight and they wouldn't let her board! (Keep in mind- we flew Ryanair). So the poor girl had to book another flight to Rome at 6am Saturday morning and then take a 3 hour train ride from Rome to Florence and then the shuttle to the Florence airport! But she did make it home safe and sound! We just kept telling her that it would be a great story later in life! And that that was one expensive packet of shepherd pie mix! Haha!
Saturday we slept in as we were all feeling a little tired from all the walking and sight seeing. There was a carnival going on in Merrion Square, close to Jacquie's house, so we went to check that out. It was a beautiful day so we took a ride on the ferris wheel and at the top we could see all of of Dublin! It was very winding at the top so I was a little nervous but it was actually really fun! Dublin doesn't have too many big buildings so there is not really a skyline or anything like that to see but it was still cool. Then we bought some postcards and sat in St. Stephens Green and wrote them out. On our way back, there was a large crowd that had gathered around a guy doing a comedy act in the street so we stopped to check it out. He asked who was from American and we yelled "WOO!" thinking others in the crowd would have yelled...but no...we were apparently the only ones. So this comedian goes of on this tangent about who when you ask Americans were they from they say "WOO" instead of "New Jersey!" It was so funny and so true! Then he got Jacquie in on one of his songs and started calling us the "American Girls with white teeth!" It was really hilarious and so random! Later on there was another act going on in the street and the guy was seeing Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A"! It was too funny to see Irish people belting it out! The Irish are actually obsessed with Bruce! He was on tv and there were pictures of him everywhere! (Dad, I know you would appreciate that!) After another day out and about Dublin, we had dinner and got ready for a night of dancing at this really cool place called the Purty Kitchen. Again...we all have a fantastic time!
On Sunday we were all so bummed that we had to leave. Dublin was getting more into the St. Patrick's Day festivities. The carnival expanded with tons of venders and games all over. There were little kids with their faces painted and everyone decked out in green. We were really sad to be leaving at such an exciting time! We packed up all of our stuff and took the bus to the Guinness factory where you learn all about Ireland's most famous beer. It was actually a really awesome place and very interesting. Guinness is celebrating its 250 year anniversary this year. Its made from water, barely, hops and yeast and there are three different types: Draught, Extra Stout and Foreign . As you are walking through the factory you can stop at the "Taste Lab" and try the different kinds. And at the end of the tour you get a free pint in the Gravity Bar which is at the very top of the factory which is all glass and can sit and enjoy the view of Dublin! It was so much fun!! Another interesting fact that I learned was that Guinness Brewery is the same as the Guinness Book of World Records! (This may be common knowledge but I never knew this before!) One of the managers at Guinness got into an argument about a silly topic at a pub one night and wondered where he could find the answer to his question. Then he thought that there must be others all over debating silly topics at other pubs throughout Ireland so...he came up with this book and it was first published in 1955 and has been going ever since! After the Guinness tour we walked through town once more, stopped for lunch and were on our way to the airport. We decided to give ourselves extra time because we didn't want to run into a situation like Morgan had. Also stopped for some Irish Soda Bread because I just had to try it out and compare it to my moms. No surprise Eileen Hagner's Irish Soda Bread blew it out of the water! So we're going through security and they stop me and tell me that I have to open my bag because I have two umbrellas inside that needed to be inspected. I politely told the woman that I only had one umbrella but that I would get it out and show her but she insists that I have two. And I am confident in my answer knowing I only brought 1 umbrella to Ireland. So...the checking of the umbrella quickly turns into a big deal as I have to go back and forth through security with my bag and without it. As I am going through my stuff I see Jes's purse (she asked me to pack it for her because she didn't have any room) so then it dawns on me that she must have an umbrella inside her purse...so thats where they were getting 2 umbrellas from. Now the way they were acting you would have thought that the umbrella was a loaded weapon. The man at secruity was talking to me like I was a harden criminal saying..."You have TWO umbrellas!" like they had never seen them before. So after opening and closing the umbrella and sending both though the scanner I was free to go. So we find out gate and get in line. With Ryanair there are no assigned seats so its literally a free for all. Come time to board the plane I see people having to check the size of their luggage and I just knew that this was going to be a problem. Of course come my turn to board, the guy says I have to check my luggage because it was too big. (Keep in mind I had the same suitcase going and it was no bigger returning and I had no problems.) So I then had to wait in a line that was a mile long for check my bag while at a snails pace they wrote down everyones information and then I had to pay 30 euros for my stupid bag! Needless to say, I was not a happy camper on the flight home. We got into Pisa airport around 11:30 and then had to take a 80 minute bus ride back to Florence. BUT...it was ALL worth it. I really had a fabulous time! I truly enjoyed Ireland and its people and I couldn't have asked for a better host and tour guide! Thanks to Jacq, everything was wonderful! I definitely want to go back to Ireland someday and do the whole country. It has so many different aspects to it and theres just so much more I want to see!
So back in Florence, its another busy week. Went out to the Dublin Pub (yes in Florence!) for St. Paddy's Day! Had a good time. This weekend we are going on our 3rd Rutgers Excursion. This time its an overnight trip to the city of Verona and then to Bardolino (which is on the lake Lago di Garda)to visit of a wine-producing family estate in the heart of the Valpolicella region and then to Venice for the day on Saturday. We leave very early Friday morning and won't return until late Saturday night...so it will be another busy, jam packed weekend but I'm really looking forward to it!!
Pictures of Ireland!
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| Dublin, Ireland March 11-15 2009 |
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
"On the Rocky Road to Dublin..."
The bags are pack and I'm off to Ireland for my first big trip tomorrow! Jacquie has a great itinerary planned for us! I want to see as much as I can in the short time that I will be there as well as participating in many St. Paddy's Day festivities! Although for the first time I will be missing my mothers world famous St. Paddy's Day party that is taking place in North Wildwood this year (I guess if you can't be in Ireland thats the next best place! Haha!)I will be thinking of them while I'm in the Emerald Isle. I'm so excited to finally visiting the mother land! (I've been to Germany already..for the 25% of me that's German!) I return late Sunday night so be expecting tons of updates and pictures upon my return!
xoxo
xoxo
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Weekend Recap
Friday was our 2nd Rutgers excursion to San Gimignano and Siena in Tuscany. It started at 8:30 and we were off to San Gimignano. The ride was about an hour and a half. It is a tiny, older town famous for its towers and a few movies have been filmed there like "Tea with Mussolini". Originally there were 72 towers and now only 14 remain. Petra (a roommate from Rutgers) had warned me about how great San Gimignano was...but I didn't believe her until she I saw it! It was beautiful! I think my favorite place so far! It was just so cute and quaint with a different feel than Florence and the other cities we have been too. Although, I've heard it gets quite touristy, I did not see that side of it. We started at the bottom of the hill where we met with our tour guide and got our whispers. After walking up the hill and through the town the tour guide conviently let us have some free time in the Piazza in front of the "World's Greatest Gelato" place. Now...I can't see a sign like that and not try it! Clearly the tour guide did not know me! Granted it was 10:45 in the morning but the advneturous ones from "Team Rutgers" (As Nick refers to us as) made a b-line for the gelato place! Let me tell you...it was up there! I can't say it was the "best in the world" because I haven't tried them all yet...but it might have been my favorite so far! I got coconut and vanialla with nutella and actual hazenults inside. To die for! After our little pit stop at the gelato place we were off on our tour of the town which took us up more hills to this little park that overlooked Tuscany. It was so beautiful! And after all of Team Rutgers did the anti-rain dance..the weather held out and it was actually sunny and warm and beautiful! We got some more free time at the top where I took tons of pictures...too many I'm sure but I just couldn't pass it up. It couldn't have been a more perfect day to see Tuscany. From there it was on to lunch which consisted of chicken, french fries, pasta with meat sauce. Desert was a fruit tart and of course we had white wine which San Gimignano is famous for. It was all so good but once we were done with lunch we had to hurry off to our next stop.
It wasn't on the itinerary but Nick wanted to take us to Monterigiorni if we had time. We almost didn't make it as our bus got caught behind a line of traffic which was held up by a fire engine. The roads are very winding and Nick passed out bags in case someone wasn't feeling so good. At first we thought he was kidding until he said that it has happened more times then he would like and just wanted to be preventive! Haha! Luckily, we survived without any incidences. So Monterigiorni is a tiny town that is completely walled. It is the oldest fortress in Europe built in the 1200's and the best persevered. The town is almost just like it was hundred of years ago with the exception of cars of course. The population can't be much as it only takes 5 minutes to walk from one end to the other. Dante Alighieri mentions this town in his famous "Dante's Inferno" and myth has it that the well in the center of Monterigiorni is where Dante entered Hell. It was a neat little town and I'm glad we got to stop there.
Next was Siena! About a half hour from Monterigiorni. We again met with our tour guide and first went into Saint Catherine's Basilica. Saint Catherine is the patron saint of Siena and she is known for talking the Pope into moving the Vatican back to Rome after the fall of the Roman Empire. Heres a little fact...the difference between a church and a basilica is that a basilica has relics. So...Saint Catherine's Basilica had some interesting relics inside...including Saint Catherine's thumb and head!! It was really interesting and as weird as it was...really cool! Now...I've been to a few basilicas since I've been here and this is the first time that I've seen these relics but apparently they exist. Anyways...Siena is a really hilly city. Everyone who lives there must have great legs! We walked up and down the hills all over the city. We went to Siena's Duomo..which I must say...gives Florence's Duomo a run for its money! It is black and white marble and really pretty inside. After it was originally build they wanted to expand it so they started laying the foundation (that you can still see today) but then in the 1300's the plague hit Siena killing half of its population so construction was halted and it never resumed. It would have been massive if they finished! After seeing the inside which includes a few statues by Micheangelo and a library painted by Raphael, we went to the Piazza Del Campo which is in the center of the city. Right now it is all stone with shops all around but in July and August this piazza turns into the place were the Palio takes place. The Palio is a horse race that is the biggest event of the year for the people of Siena. Siena is divided into 17 districts and each district has a symbol (like the turtle) and they each have a horse and they race around the piazza (which they cover in some kind of sand) and whichever horse wins the Palio gets to take home the Palio, which is a flag decorated with Mary on it. We had some free time to walk around the Piazza and then it was time to head out. It was really a great excursion! I liked this one best so far! I would definitely venture back to both San Gimignano and Siena. Our next excursion is in a few weeks to Veneto.
On Saturday we went to this tiny town called Fiesole. Fiesole is located just outside Florence by bus. Its up on a hill so it overlooks all of Florence. The town itself is very cute and it doesn't see much tourist. Luckily, it was another beautiful day so we just hung out and took pictures and relaxed in the sun enjoying the beautiful view! Later when we got back we went out to a little restaurant and pub.
Sunday was homework and errands day. This week with my history class I am going to the Bargello Museum which is famous for having Donatello's "David" and the famous doors of the Florence Baptistery which are made of bronze by Ghiberti. And the Bargello is actually located on the street I live on! So I'm excited for that. On Wednesday night I am off to Dublin so visit Jacquie (one of my roommates from Rutgers)! I'm so excited to be finally making it to Ireland!
Click on the album to see my pictures!
It wasn't on the itinerary but Nick wanted to take us to Monterigiorni if we had time. We almost didn't make it as our bus got caught behind a line of traffic which was held up by a fire engine. The roads are very winding and Nick passed out bags in case someone wasn't feeling so good. At first we thought he was kidding until he said that it has happened more times then he would like and just wanted to be preventive! Haha! Luckily, we survived without any incidences. So Monterigiorni is a tiny town that is completely walled. It is the oldest fortress in Europe built in the 1200's and the best persevered. The town is almost just like it was hundred of years ago with the exception of cars of course. The population can't be much as it only takes 5 minutes to walk from one end to the other. Dante Alighieri mentions this town in his famous "Dante's Inferno" and myth has it that the well in the center of Monterigiorni is where Dante entered Hell. It was a neat little town and I'm glad we got to stop there.
Next was Siena! About a half hour from Monterigiorni. We again met with our tour guide and first went into Saint Catherine's Basilica. Saint Catherine is the patron saint of Siena and she is known for talking the Pope into moving the Vatican back to Rome after the fall of the Roman Empire. Heres a little fact...the difference between a church and a basilica is that a basilica has relics. So...Saint Catherine's Basilica had some interesting relics inside...including Saint Catherine's thumb and head!! It was really interesting and as weird as it was...really cool! Now...I've been to a few basilicas since I've been here and this is the first time that I've seen these relics but apparently they exist. Anyways...Siena is a really hilly city. Everyone who lives there must have great legs! We walked up and down the hills all over the city. We went to Siena's Duomo..which I must say...gives Florence's Duomo a run for its money! It is black and white marble and really pretty inside. After it was originally build they wanted to expand it so they started laying the foundation (that you can still see today) but then in the 1300's the plague hit Siena killing half of its population so construction was halted and it never resumed. It would have been massive if they finished! After seeing the inside which includes a few statues by Micheangelo and a library painted by Raphael, we went to the Piazza Del Campo which is in the center of the city. Right now it is all stone with shops all around but in July and August this piazza turns into the place were the Palio takes place. The Palio is a horse race that is the biggest event of the year for the people of Siena. Siena is divided into 17 districts and each district has a symbol (like the turtle) and they each have a horse and they race around the piazza (which they cover in some kind of sand) and whichever horse wins the Palio gets to take home the Palio, which is a flag decorated with Mary on it. We had some free time to walk around the Piazza and then it was time to head out. It was really a great excursion! I liked this one best so far! I would definitely venture back to both San Gimignano and Siena. Our next excursion is in a few weeks to Veneto.
On Saturday we went to this tiny town called Fiesole. Fiesole is located just outside Florence by bus. Its up on a hill so it overlooks all of Florence. The town itself is very cute and it doesn't see much tourist. Luckily, it was another beautiful day so we just hung out and took pictures and relaxed in the sun enjoying the beautiful view! Later when we got back we went out to a little restaurant and pub.
Sunday was homework and errands day. This week with my history class I am going to the Bargello Museum which is famous for having Donatello's "David" and the famous doors of the Florence Baptistery which are made of bronze by Ghiberti. And the Bargello is actually located on the street I live on! So I'm excited for that. On Wednesday night I am off to Dublin so visit Jacquie (one of my roommates from Rutgers)! I'm so excited to be finally making it to Ireland!
Click on the album to see my pictures!
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| San Gimignano and Siena March 6, 2009 |
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Free Chocolate...I'm so there!
So yesterday I had heard about this chocolate tasting event that was sponsored by a local group that does all kinds of activities for students studying in Florence. A few of us were thinking about going but after class everyone didn't seem that into it. I didn't have too much homework so I still really wanted to go. Allison, another girl in the program was just like...we should go and check it out. So we walk across to town to find out where it is and it turns out that its a this delicious gelatorera called Vestri's right around the corner from my apartment. Francesca had actually taken us there a few weeks ago and said that its her favorite gelato place in all of Florence so we knew it was going to be good! There were only about 5 students total, Allison and I being the only ones that spoke any English. This gelato place is a tiny little shop so we cram inside with our book bags and all. The owner of the shop asks if everyone understands Italian and before I could say "eh..not too much" he starts off his speech explaining about how he makes the chocolate and how he started the business. He said something about Hershey's (ERSHEY'S as he pronounced it since they don't pronounce H's in Italian) and Stati Uniti and then had a bad look on his face so I'm guessing he's not a fan of Hershey's! I was just standing there smiling and looking happy as I was not really comprehending anything he was saying until he started cutting up pieces of chocolate to give to everyone! And they just kept on coming! I tried everything from chili chocolate, truffles, hazelnut chocolate, some kind of minty vanilla kind and even a coco bean which was very bitter. Just when I thought it was over...he asks...do you want gelato?! Of course we want gelato! So we all got to get two different kinds of gelato. I picked vanilla cinnamon and chocolate chili. So good! And then....he all gave us mugs of hot chocolate! I thought I had died and gone to heaven! And I didn't even go into a chocolate coma! I can't believe we didn't eat this man out of chocolate..it was all so good and all for free! It was a really fun time and I'm so glad I went!
Today was the first time I had my history class because it was canceled on Monday. Well...Nick came in to class today and introduced our Professor Fabrizio Ricciardelli and explained that the reason he had to cancel our class on Monday was because National Geographic is filming a show called "Secret Florence" and they asked him to be the commentating historian for the special! And he is also a published author. How cool! So look out for Fabrizio on National Geographic! I really liked the class...he was really enthusiastic and I think I am going to learn a lot from him.
On Friday we are going on our second Excursion with Rutgers to Siena and San Gimignano. I've heard good things about both places so I'm really excited! And Nick is taking out to lunch this time. I just hope the weather holds up! Its supposed to rain just like its been raining all week so I have my fingers crossed for better weather!
Today was the first time I had my history class because it was canceled on Monday. Well...Nick came in to class today and introduced our Professor Fabrizio Ricciardelli and explained that the reason he had to cancel our class on Monday was because National Geographic is filming a show called "Secret Florence" and they asked him to be the commentating historian for the special! And he is also a published author. How cool! So look out for Fabrizio on National Geographic! I really liked the class...he was really enthusiastic and I think I am going to learn a lot from him.
On Friday we are going on our second Excursion with Rutgers to Siena and San Gimignano. I've heard good things about both places so I'm really excited! And Nick is taking out to lunch this time. I just hope the weather holds up! Its supposed to rain just like its been raining all week so I have my fingers crossed for better weather!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
New Classes...
On Sunday, we opted to skip the Uffizi for that day because its a big museum and we will be visiting it with our Art History class so we decided to walk around a rainy Florence. Toni's mom, (shout out to Toni! haha) had given me the address of this perfume place that I had to go to which is near the Santa Maria Novella Church which is on the other side of town. Ironically as we were looking through Rick Steve's tour guide book of Italy it came up as a place we must visit so we went to check it out. It is called the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica Di Santa Maria Novella and it is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world. It was founded by the Dominican friars in 1221 and it used medicinal herbs grown in the monastic gardens to make medications, balms and pomades for the monk's infirmary. Today it is a beautiful museum that has windows to the garden and sells all sorts of perfumes, bath soaps, pot-pourri, shampoo & conditioners and much more. You could actually smell it from outside! It was a really interesting and awesome place. I couldn't decide on which perfume I buy so I'll just have to make the trip back!
Monday was our first day of classes in the second part of the program. We are allowed to go to any or all of the classes offered and then we can pick from there which ones we want to take. Yesterday I went to Medieval Art History in the morning. Its a small class and we go on a bunch of field trips but the Medieval period doesn't interest me as much as the Renaissance era does. So I went o Renaissance Art History in the afternoon and liked that class much better! (Thats more art history in one day then I've had in my entire life!) In this class we learn about Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo (as they refer to him here), Raffaello and many more! We also go on field trips around Florence as well. So I am taking: Italian 2, Renaissance Art History, Italian History, and Italian Cinema. After class it was food shopping and then we decided to go to the movies. Once a week here they will play a movie in English with Italian subtitles at the local movie theater called the Odeon. Let me tell you, it certainly blows the Ritz right out of the water! It was incredible! It was a stain glassed dome in the middle of the ceiling, complete with a balcony, velvet seats and an intermission! It was so much fun! Plus with our student card we get a discount! We saw "Rachel Getting Married." I didn't love it. Its very dark and not what I was expecting but I would definitely go back!
Today I start Italian 2 classes and we might be going to a free chocolate tasting! Yum!
Monday was our first day of classes in the second part of the program. We are allowed to go to any or all of the classes offered and then we can pick from there which ones we want to take. Yesterday I went to Medieval Art History in the morning. Its a small class and we go on a bunch of field trips but the Medieval period doesn't interest me as much as the Renaissance era does. So I went o Renaissance Art History in the afternoon and liked that class much better! (Thats more art history in one day then I've had in my entire life!) In this class we learn about Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo (as they refer to him here), Raffaello and many more! We also go on field trips around Florence as well. So I am taking: Italian 2, Renaissance Art History, Italian History, and Italian Cinema. After class it was food shopping and then we decided to go to the movies. Once a week here they will play a movie in English with Italian subtitles at the local movie theater called the Odeon. Let me tell you, it certainly blows the Ritz right out of the water! It was incredible! It was a stain glassed dome in the middle of the ceiling, complete with a balcony, velvet seats and an intermission! It was so much fun! Plus with our student card we get a discount! We saw "Rachel Getting Married." I didn't love it. Its very dark and not what I was expecting but I would definitely go back!
Today I start Italian 2 classes and we might be going to a free chocolate tasting! Yum!
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