I have done so much in the past two weeks! First, I went on a trip with some of my roommates through the school to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello and then we spent the rest of the day in Bologna. Being a car lover, I had so much fun at the Ferrari museum and being able to see all of the old models. Bologna was a beautiful city where they had a dessert festival going on that weekend. We made sure to load up on a lot of good desserts and chocolates!

I then went to Venice for three days to meet up with one of my close friends from Fairfield. She is studying abroad in Brussels and loving her experience there. It was so great to be able to see her! Because tourist season is over, Venice was very quiet. It was cold but still so beautiful. We wandered around the city and explored all the little streets and alleys. Because there are no cars in Venice, the city is so peaceful and really a magical place. We also took a tour that brought us to some of the islands around Venice, including Murano. We saw a demonstration where they showed us how they blow the Murano glass. It was so remarkable to see them twirl and blow into the pipe to make the glass bowls and glasses! Also on the island, the fisherman paint their houses different bright colors so they can see them from far away. They were so striking - you could see them across the river!

On my train ride home through the countryside there was a bit of frost all over the grass! It is getting pretty chilly and the rainy season has arrived so it is cloudy most days. The windows are all decorated with Christmas decorations and they have been stringing lights up around the city. Thanksgiving was this last Thursday and 8 of my friends and I got together and cooked ourselves a Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve always helped out my mom during the holidays, but preparing Thanksgiving dinner by yourself is a lot more work then I expected! It was nice all being together and celebrating an American holiday in Italy!

I only have a few more weeks left before its time to head home. The workload has begun to catch up to me and I have a lot left to do before I leave! I’m getting more and more excited to be able to come home to see my family and friends! The end is in sight…

Ciao! Bon Jour! Hello!

I have returned safely from my Midterm Break trip! It was an amazing experience filled with many adventures and surprises! First, two of my friends and I departed to go to Paris. We arrived very, very late at night to our hotel, which was in the 11th district. It is a less touristy area, but the metro station was right around the corner so we were able to get all over Paris very easily. Our first day we went to the Louvre which was gigantic in size and very overwhelming. I believe that you could spend 6 months in the Louvre and not see everything! We decided to pick a few things that we all wanted to see in order to narrow down wandering for hours and hours. We went to see Napoleons Apartments, the Mona Lisa, Cupid and Psyche, and the Venus de Milo.

We spent some time wandering around the Renaissance Art section and it was so cool to see the paintings we are studying in our class right in front of us. We were surprised at the way some of them looked in person versus in the books or slides. Some were a lot smaller than we expected!

After the Louvre, we walked outside in the gardens and began to stroll down the Champs Elysees. We decided to look for some place to eat and somehow ended up on the street where all of the Embassy’s are located. It was the night of the Rugby World Cup Final, so all of the consulates were heavily guarded! It was cool to see all the different guards from different countries. After we ate, we went back to our hotel and got ready to go to the Moulin Rouge. It was a lot different than I expected it to be; It was not at all like what you see in the movie or what I had thought of a Cabaret. It was definitely an interesting experience for the three of us.

The next morning we got up and went to see the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately we were kicked off the lawns around it because people had slept there overnight after the Rugby final and it was a mess! We took a few pictures and decided that we would come back later that night to climb to the top. We then went to Notre Dame Cathedral. The stain glass windows inside were beautiful. We then went on a tour with a travel agency our hotel told us about to the Palace of Versailles. The palace is enormous and filled with beautiful paintings and elaborate decoration. My favorite room was the Hall of Mirrors. I still cannot believe that they did not have full-length mirrors until this room was built! We met an American couple from Miami who was also on the tour with us. On our way back we all decided that we would go to the tower because the sun was just about to set and we would be able to see from the top from day to night. The view was breathtaking, especially at night when Paris really becomes the “City of Lights.” Every hour on the hour the tower has bulbs on it that sparkle rapidly for about 10 minutes. It is so amazing to see. At that point we were starving so we found a restaurant that we loved where for 15 euro you had a complete meal including dessert - yummy crepes!. It was so good that we went back the next night too! On our last day in Paris we went to the Arc de Triumph, which was what I wanted to see the most in Paris. I grew up a huge cycling fan and the Tour de France finishes every year with a race around the Arc. It was amazing to be able to see it in person after watching it on TV for the past 20 years! We then wandered a bit around Paris and went to go look at the Opera house and explore all of the shops!

It was so much fun being in Paris and I was sad to leave, but really excited to get to Galway.

I arrived in the afternoon and met up with two of my good friend from Fairfield that are Studying Abroad there. I was so excited to be able to see them! There were a bunch of other Fairfield kids that I saw there and we went out to a bunch of the pubs. I loved the atmosphere of Galway because it reminded me a lot of home! Everyone in Galway was so friendly and it was nice to hear everyone speaking English. There is also a restaurant called Supermac’s that is a chain like McDonald’s and Burger King, except so much better. I was so excited because I was able to get Cheese Fries and Pizza that was American Style! I loved to go into all the shops and we also took a walk down to the Village of Claddagh. After being in Galway for a few days though, I began to miss Florence and was excited to come back home to see all my roommates.

I cannot believe that the semester been flying by so quickly! It was nice to get out of Florence for a while to travel and especially see some of my Fairfield friends! I’m exhausted from all my adventures and am in need to catch up on a lot of sleep! I’m nervous to get back my midterms but excited for this upcoming week because my Marketing class is going on a tour of a winery!

Ciao!

It has been a crazy two weeks since my last entry! I went with 6 of my friends to Germany to experience Oktoberfest. It was beyond any expectation I had about it; there were thousands of people within ONE tent, rides that were taller and faster than I had ever seen and pretzels that were larger than my head! Two of my friends and I decided to try to gain the full Oktoberfest/German experience and bought traditional German clothing. It was not at all comfortable but we had a fun time and even were mistaken for authentic Germans a few times! We also spent one of the days exploring and shopping around Munich. I was so excited to get my first Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha in two months!! We went to eat lunch at Burger King and spent most of our shopping time in H&M. It’s funny how comforting it is to see these stores, yet it also made us all miss home a bit. Now that I’ve traveled to other cities it amazes me how Italy remains so noncommercial and un-Americanized. Part of me wishes Florence had some of the comforts of home but I’m also learning that I don’t NEED a latte from Starbucks everyday and by eating take-out food or getting delivery makes you loose some appreciation for the meal your eating.

The Oil Shoppe is a sandwich shop that is directly below our apartment. It has been voted by American students to have the best panini’s in Florence. If you ever come to Florence, make sure to grab a panini from there and look for our picture hanging up! It is run by a man named Alberto and his wife Margarite. We have become good friends with them because we go there so often! Alberto last week opened a restaurant next to the Oil Shoppe called La Cantina. Two of my roommates and I went for dinner and had the full Italian meal experience. It was so nice to sit down and spend time talking and getting to really know each other and enjoying the food we were eating. It was relaxing and made me realize how things at home can be so fast-paced. Everything in Italy is a bit slower and more relaxed than at home. It’s hard to be patient all the time (especially when waiting on line to get my panini!) but it’s a great lesson I’m learning.

I’m loving my classes here more and more each week. I can’t believe that midterms are next week! My roommates and I decided that we need to take it easy this weekend so we can study, and are going on a day trip this weekend. We are going the Boccaccesce Food and Wine Festival which is about an hour away from Florence in the town of Certaldo. I’ll be sure to update you on how it was!

Ciao!

At the Tower of Pisa

Well I’ve officially been living here for a month. I cannot believe that the time has gone by so quickly! Well since my last article, I have visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the historical town of Lucca, and the beautiful beach at Viareggio. My friends and I of course had to take the classic shot of us holding up the tower with all the other hundreds of tourists doing the same! It was so surreal to be actually standing in front of the tower since I’ve seen pictures of it for over a decade. The town of Lucca was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. It is a medieval town that is surrounded by this massive brick wall. In the small city there are antique markets all over with outdoor cafes and parks. Viareggio is probably my favorite place we have gone to yet! It is about an hour and a half away from Florence and is a town located directly on the beach. There is clear cool salt water with a few small waves and soft with virtually no shells or rocks. Directly behind the beach is the Apennine Mountains, which provide a breathtaking atmosphere. The main strip of town lines the beach with cute boutiques, gelaterias, and even a Roxy/Billabong store!

My roommates and I at the Coliseum in Rome

I’ve finally managed to acquaint myself to cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. Italians don’t go to the grocery store like Americans and buy food for the week, they go to the market everyday to buy fresh ingredients for the day. It has definitely taking some getting used to and we have all learned the best times to go to the markets to avoid the crowds. They also charge for plastic bags to take the food home so we all have grocery bags we bring with us! The food however is amazing and the vinegar and oils taste so fresh and crisp. We did have to go out one night for Chinese food because we needed a break from pasta!

The beautiful Viareggio

I’ve found a great little English Pub around the corner from my apartment where they play football games on Sunday nights for Americans. It’s been a great place to meet other students studying here as well as see some TV in English!

View from Assisi

Anyway, this weekend I am headed off to Germany to go to Oktoberfest and visit some Fairfield friends. I’m so excited to be able to see what all the hype is about and see some familiar faces!

Until next time-Ciao!

The wall surrounding Lucca

Hi Everyone!

I’ve been in Italy now for 17 days and it is amazing! I have been in classes for two weeks and already also traveled to Rome, Assisi, Orveito, Tuscany, and I am going this weekend to Pisa and the coast! The classes have been very interesting and all of my teachers are friendly. It is sometimes hard to understand what they are saying because of their thick accents and different vocabulary but they are always helpful with questions and helping us figure out what they are saying. My Italian class has been especially great because we are being taught practical phrases and words that we use day to day. I can already have a short conversation in Italian as well as order coffee and food. Speaking of the food, it has definitely been an adjustment to get used to the different food here. I have had to redefine what pizza, marinara sauce, and pastries taste like. I do miss the American versions of food to an extent but it is fun to try all the Italian versions! The gelato here is also amazing. My roommates and I frequently go to one called Grom, which uses all fresh ingredients to make it. It is so delicious - I know I’m going to miss it so much when I come back home. Thank goodness we do a lot of walking because it works off all the food that we eat! We even walked to the top of dome of the Duomo for my Renaissance Art class - all 463 steps! I also have begun my internship. I have a project where I am looking into United Kingdom Universities to figure out how their internship process works so my company can recruit students. It’s really interesting to see all the different UK schools and see how different their education is structured compared to ours. I feel like I am doing the college search all over again! Anyways that’s all for now. Check back again soon!