So I've got to get you up to date so I can continue posting on a regular basis. After spending my first weekend in Firenze, I got to travel to Interlaken, Switzerland for the weekend. If you think images in postcards seem altered or unrealistic, you are wrong. The scenery in Interlaken of the Swiss alps on a cold yet blue sky sunny day was breathtaking. Although I am not a big fan of heights and definitely not experienced in snow sports, I was still able to enjoy the weekend in a country I never thought I would ever visit. Even though I don't understand why everything is so expensive in Switzerland, (a McDonald's meal that would be 5 US dollars at the most was 11 Swiss francs) and what the obsession with fondue is, the experience was definitely once in a lifetime.
Venice for Carnevale...what can I say about this European version of Mardis Gras where every where you walk there's adults fully dressed in intense costumes and painted faces or masks, posing to take pictures with tourists. More hardcore than Halloween and definitely crazier than anything I've ever seen, Venice (or Venezia) was a mosh pit of tourists but it was an experience I'll never forget. The canals have the bluest water I've seen in Italy, and the fact that there are boats to get from one place to another rather than cars is something hard to imagine but so amazing to see in real life.
Ah...Paris, France. This was one of my most anticipated trips and I have some nostalgic feelings looking back on this weekend that seemed to go by way too fast. There are hardly any words to describe my feelings about Paris. The city in its entirety reminded me of NYC, and they definitely have their similarities but its their differences that made me fall in love with this romantic place. The Eiffel Tower at night, its lights did a dance that matched my emotions as I stared up at one of the most idolized and photographed buildings, only an hour or so after we dropped our suitcases off at the hotel in the Latin Quarter. The city at night looks magical with all of its lights and charm. I saw all the major sights, ate pastries at La Duree and walked down the Champes, but I will definitely be coming back to this city.
I just got back a few hours ago from Rome, a bus trip included in my program. I loved seeing the Vatican, the Collosseo and of course the Trevi Fountain (previous images of which I have only seen in the Lizzie McGuire movie and Mary-Kate and Ashley movies..) and everything was beautiful. The Campo di Fiori night life was a lot of fun, minus the claustrophobic bars, and what is Rome and their bathrooms? Apparently they didn't get the memo that it is not comfortable for women to use a toilet that might as well be a urinal...or they got it and just didn't care to add toilet seats. We got lucky with the weather, it was warm and sunny in the 60s for the most part, enhancing the view on top of the Castel St. Angelo definitely.
I had a great weekend in Rome, but I can say for sure that I am happy to be back in Florence. I love going away, visiting other countries and cities and becoming cultured in my own right, but it feels great to return to my temporary home, my apartment right outside of the duomo in Firenze. Tomorrow I'll be returning to classes, walking past the familiar gypsies and Asian tourist groups, seeing the same Fendi and Patrizia Pepe stores on my walk, and I couldn't be more than excited. Not exactly to sit through a 3 hour class, but to be on my own in the city that will never cease to captivate me, Firenze.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Ciao from Firenze!
So I may have been one month late in starting to post the details of my semester abroad for the whole web universe to read.. okay or maybe just my parents and the one or two people bored enough to read someone else's encounters in another country..
Since I'm already 5 weeks behind I guess I should get started. Upon arrival to Florence, this city was a virtual unknown universe to me. All the talk of its beauty and charm didn't resonate with me until I stepped foot into the picturesque city I now call home. The first few weeks, what I refer to as my adjustment period was full of getting lost at night, eating all the Italian food I could, figuring out that keys and doors are not always consistent in which way they open, and learning how to avoid gypsies (still working on that one) for starters. Now, it seems as if time has flown as I am more familiar with this city and have finally found a place that has coffee in to-go cups (with lids!), something I definitely took for granted in the states (does referring to the U.S. as the states make me sound like I live in Europe? hm..)
Although there have been 5 weeks of adjustment in Firenze, and walking past the duomo on the way out of my apartment is a regular occurence, I still have not gotten used to the beauty of this city. Its cobblestone streets and old architecture, the view from the Arno River on the Ponte Vecchio and the fact that I can look out my window and see a huge, intricately designed cathedral is almost unreal.
I've learned a lot in the past weeks, from my classes, from traveling and from living in a city where many people dream to visit. One thing I have learned is that sometimes it is better not to see how the food you eat is made. I'm referring to my Pairing Food and Wine class where I got to see up close and personal how fried calamari is made. This sight included watching my teacher, Marco, cut open a small squid, stick his finger inside to remove the bone, cut out the eyeballs with a scissor.. need I say any more?
Now that I've began my blog, I will try to keep my reader(s)? interested by updating on a regular basis my encounters and adventures in Italy, as well as other cities in Europe.
Since I'm already 5 weeks behind I guess I should get started. Upon arrival to Florence, this city was a virtual unknown universe to me. All the talk of its beauty and charm didn't resonate with me until I stepped foot into the picturesque city I now call home. The first few weeks, what I refer to as my adjustment period was full of getting lost at night, eating all the Italian food I could, figuring out that keys and doors are not always consistent in which way they open, and learning how to avoid gypsies (still working on that one) for starters. Now, it seems as if time has flown as I am more familiar with this city and have finally found a place that has coffee in to-go cups (with lids!), something I definitely took for granted in the states (does referring to the U.S. as the states make me sound like I live in Europe? hm..)
Although there have been 5 weeks of adjustment in Firenze, and walking past the duomo on the way out of my apartment is a regular occurence, I still have not gotten used to the beauty of this city. Its cobblestone streets and old architecture, the view from the Arno River on the Ponte Vecchio and the fact that I can look out my window and see a huge, intricately designed cathedral is almost unreal.
I've learned a lot in the past weeks, from my classes, from traveling and from living in a city where many people dream to visit. One thing I have learned is that sometimes it is better not to see how the food you eat is made. I'm referring to my Pairing Food and Wine class where I got to see up close and personal how fried calamari is made. This sight included watching my teacher, Marco, cut open a small squid, stick his finger inside to remove the bone, cut out the eyeballs with a scissor.. need I say any more?
Now that I've began my blog, I will try to keep my reader(s)? interested by updating on a regular basis my encounters and adventures in Italy, as well as other cities in Europe.
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