Vin Brule almost makes up for there being no hot apple cider.

I was sad that I missed Christmas village with my mom (at least for her, she got to go with her sister, and I heard they had a splendid time,) and now, I don't even have to be sad because the German Christmas market has arrived in Piazza Santa Croce bearing treats of all kinds, including, but not limited to the following:

Bratwurst and Saurkraut (I can't spell German.)
Brezel (aka. Pretzels, which are incredible)
sausages and salamis
ornaments
gloves and hats
potpouri and candles
jewelry
befana dolls
vin brule (delicious)
dutch cheese
goolash (again, Italian I can do, German, not so much)
German and Austrian cookies
pretty much all things that smell heavenly

Apparently there's a Scottish Christmas market that opens next week in Santa Maria Novella and an ice skating rink in some piazza I don't know how to get to but will find.

Oh how I love the holidays.

Mercato San Ambrogia and the shortest lady I've ever seen

As the days pass by and I have begun to realize how little time I actually have left here I don't want to leave. (I will leave though, Dad; I miss you way too much to stay.) This has been the most incredible experience of my life thus far - hands down.

Actually one of the things I will probably miss most is having mornings exactly like this morning:

I don't have class on Tuesdays, so I slept in a bit and then got up and headed to my favorite cafè where I had a capuccino and a paste con cioccolato and wrote in my journal and read my Bible. Just so you know, for future reference, this is practically (a word my bookbinding teacher can't get enough of - and which, when she uses it, means precisely) the best way to begin a day. My favorite cafè is just 10 or so meters from the San Ambrogia market where you can buy fresh veggies and clothing articles and housewares and, if your brave, a whole dead and skinned rabbit, head and all. I didn't get a rabbit, as I'm not brave when it comes to dead creatures, but I did get some veggies and such to make dinner this evening. I browsed around the market, attempting to listen in on conversations, and then strolled down the road a bit to Bacco di Nudo, the enoteca where I get my wine, except next door they have another store that doesn't sell wine, but jams and pasta sauces and olive oil. Here is where the shortest woman in the world works. I'm not even lying. So, I walked in (actually I've met her before, but I didn't realize it then) and she gets up from her chair behind the counter and comes over to me to tell me (for she speaks English very well) about every single sauce and jelly in the store, and no joke, she comes up to my waist. She was short. Very short. She went on and on and on about each and everyone of those "prodotti tipici" that I though I would never get out of there, but I did by this Balsamic vinegar cream that she said to try in yogurt. I plan to do that this evening if I make it to the supermercato or if the bakery I usually go to sells yogurt. I'll let you know how it tastes, but the cream is spectacular. I had it on some bread for lunch.

Allora, sorry to bore you with the everyday happenings of my Tuesday morning, but I felt the need for a post and well, this is the real Italian life, not all that other travel stuff. This is the kind of thing that makes me want to stay.

"Do all turkeys have feathers or just Italian ones?"

(the above title was the cause of much laughter at borgo allegri 24 yesterday evening.)

So, I don't have time for much of a post as I have to get home to cook a turkey and pumpkin pie and stuffing and make sweet tea. My roommates and some of the girls from my cooking class are coming over this evening for traditional homecooked Thanksgiving dinner. I'm so excited, but I'm not going to lie - today is a little depressing knowing that my family is at grandma and papa's house having dinner together, eating turkey and drinking sweet tea and probably not having pumpkin pie, because that's always my job.

I hope all of you Dentons and Vaughns and Harrells and Carrolls know how much I am missing you right now! Have fun playing Catch Phrase and making Christmas lists and taking naps and scanning the shopping flyers without me, and hopefully I'll be talking to you or will have by the time you all read this. I love all of you so much!!

Buon Giorno della tacchino! (Happy Turkey Day!)

P.S. Just so there is no confusion - they don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Italy, (shocking, I know) and I had to go to class today. Boo.

I live in Italy...for 25 more days.

Man, it both seems like I've been here forever and like I've just arrived. One second I'm going crazy missing people and the next I don't want to leave. I'm sure I'll be ready to go when the time comes, but I also know I'll be ready to come back soon after getting there. I'm going to miss this place and the newness to everything. There is this refreshing feeling that comes with the unfamiliarity of life in a foreign land. I wish there were a way to recreate such a feeling in a familiar place like home. I guess that's why they say you experience reverse culture shock upon return; they also say it's worse than the original case of culture shock. I believe it.

Okay, so moving on past the inner thoughts of me:

On Saturday I went to Venice,
and
On Sunday I went to an Olive Press.

I had a supremely successful weekend.

Venice was. . . grand. Yes, that word will do; it was grand. I mean, the place has no cars. In fact, it has no streets, at least not the kind of streets we have. We (my roommate, Amber, and I) stepped out of the train station and suddenly we were standing only meters from the Grand Canal. So, we hopped a Vaporatto (which is like a bus, but it's a boat, so it's a bus/boat), and we headed down the canal to Piazza San Marco. I'm not even kidding; I've never seen a place like it. It was grand. (And here I need to put in a slight apology to one fantastic mother of mine - you would have just loved Venice. Mi dispiace.)

There's not really much else to say about Venice. We only got lost once, and Murano glass is sweet. That'll do.

The olive press was also quite grand, though intriguingly amazing might be a better description. The trip I went on actually included a two hour hike through Fiesole to get to the Olive Press, which I didn't know about, but which turned out to be pretty awesome all on its own. The rainy season is trying to actually begin, and so, from the hills of Fiesole we could see a light fog hanging over Florence. Incredible.

After a strenuous, mostly uphill, hike, we sat down for lunch at this fattoria above the olive press. I had agnello (lamb), which was delicious. The Olive Press tour would be better explained with pictures so I'll just put a link to the fotos on here once I get them uploaded, and I'll put explanations under each foto telling what the stuff is. And then, when I get home, I'll give everyone a lesson in buying good olive oil.

Fotos and Explanations.

Probably the best thing about yesterday (maybe even better than the fact that I toured an olive press) was that I spoke Italian for probably half the day. I made two foreign friends who I had the opportunity to speak to during the hike. The first was actually a girl from Germany who is working as a aupair for an Italian family. The second was a guy who lives in Florence. He was great because, though he obviously spoke fluent Italian, he spoke slowly for me and repeated himself when needed, but didn't get frustrated when it took me and minute to comprehend. Josefina and Armondo. An olive press. A nice hike on a foggy day. Un bel tramonto. The perfect Sunday.

Canolis, Volcanoes, and the Mafia

Man, where the heck do I begin? Sicily. Sicily is an island of the coast of the boot of Italy forever away from Florence. So forever away in fact, that one must ride an overnight train to get there, which means that one's first day in Sicily is spent rather smelly and unshowered and minus some bits of necessary sleep, but these things are far overrun by the fact that one is in Sicily and closer to Africa than one has ever been (unless you're Kendra Jo Crabtree that is), and therefore one does not care about being smelly and tired and one eats a delicious canoli and an arancini for lunch and then it's all okay. I'll start there.

So, this past weekend I went to Sicily. We met Thursday night at the Campo di Marte train station in Florence where we got on overnight trains with beds and sinks in your cabin/carraige/room. The train ride was in the least...interesting. I slept on the top bunk of a moving thing that rocked back and forth and occasionally made quick stops that made things tople over (including me). It wasn't so bad though, and I mean now I can say I slept on a train...twice in fact. When I woke up the next morning I washed me face in this awkward sink behind the ladder and then went into the hall to find out that I was just in time for the train to board the ferry. No joke. The train boarded the ferry at the tip of the boot of Italy and took us across to Sicily. Once the train was securely on the ferry we could actually get off and go up. Then, when we got to the other side they put the train back together and we went on our way. I want to meet the person who woke up one day and said, "why don't we just put trains of ferries and take then across the sea."

So, then we made it finally and hopped on our bus and began to see the island. The first day we visited Taormina and then this beach which I believe they said was in Catania. In Taormina we had real Sicilian Canolis! Fantastic! First thing I'm doing when I get home is making Canolis for people (well, after showering and a good night's sleep). I love canolis, which is why I'm so glad we learned how to make them in cooking class. I also ate this fried rice contraption thing called Arancini for lunch. The canoli was better, but when in Sicily you must eat Sicilian things, and I efficiently played by this rule.

The beach we went to was fantastic as well. I walked out on this getty of rocks and sat and watched the sun begin to set behing the shore. Oh my word, I am speechless.

The next day we spent the whole day walking around Siracusa. We began with Greek ruins, went through the Roman invasion, and then discovered the early Christian's hideout underground. Somewhere in all that history lesson we visited the market in Siracusa where I ate cactus fruit. (I should make a list of all the crazy things I've eaten since I've been in Italy.) Hmmm, oh and then I ate another canoli and some delicious pasta (not in that order). Then we toured the natural harbor of Siracusa, and then had hot chocolate, and I bought Crema di Fragola and some post cards.

I promise, it was much more exciting than I just made it sound. Cactus fruit is something pretty exciting all by itself, and if you'd seen the sun glistening on the water off that natural harbor you wouldn't have listened to the whole of the history lesson either (I listened to most of it, but I had to take some fotos too.)


Almost done... forse.

The last day I woke up kind of sick, which was rather unfortunate as I haven't been sick for real in so long. But, I dealt, and we went to Noto where we saw lots of men out wandering the streets looking rather mafia like wearing their traditional Sicilian hats. (There were not many woman out though, and according to our guide there is a lot of Arab influence in deep Sicily where Noto is located and therefore all the women were inside keeping house.) Then (and I just decided I hate the word then as a transition - it's so overdone). Following Noto, we adventured to another beach where I laid down in the sand in an attempt to not feel sick anymore. It only kind of worked. We tried to eat lunch down the street from the beach, but that was a disaster I don't want to relive, but luckily our bus didn't leave us, and we did get to go see the Castle near where the supposed Cyclops lived. There are even these two rocks out in the sea named after Ulysseus. We saw the sunset from here as well - positively gorgeous. Again, no words.

So, you'd think the real adventure stops here, but no. We got back onto another night train and were heading back to another giant ferry that carries trains (seriously - incredible) when our chain-smoking guide, Francesco Sommariva comes by and tells us if we look out the window we can see Mt. Etna erupting. Mt. Etna erupting. I saw a live volcano. Really all you could see was pink streaks in the sky, which was molten lava flowing down the mountain, but it was so amazing. I attempted to take a picture and it only kind of worked because we were on a moving train, and it was pitch black outside other than streets lights and the pink streaks in the sky, but anywho.


Eventually we made it back to Florence, and after I slept for many many hours last night, I don't feel sick anymore and have to register in an hour.

And, that was my adventure to Sicily.

I also went Olive Picking last Thursday which I don't feel like writing about right now, but I will give more substantial time to at a later date - perhaps after I go to the olive press which may happen this Sunday.

List of things I did this weekend I'd never done before looks like this:
1. went olive picking
2. ate cactus fruit
3. rode a night train
4. rode a train on ferry
5. got really really close to Africa
6. stood in the Mediterranean Sea
7. ate take-away mussels (not a good idea, ever)
8. saw an active volcano

Why Don't They Have Cheddar Cheese In Italy?

Lately I've been realizing some of the things I miss from the states... so, I've decided to compile a list. Probably not exactly the best thing to make me miss them less, but at least you can now appreciate the following things a little more knowing some people (i.e. me) live without them on a daily basis.

Cheddar Cheese
SVU and tv in English in general
Target and supermarkets that are really super
Milk that tastes good by itself
Sheep blankets
My car
Grass
Microwaves
Frozen Chicken
Dryers
The smell of fresh laundry
To Go Cups
Self Check out lines
Stars
Mexican Food
The US Dollar
Carpet
Peppermint Hot Chocolate from Bongo Java
Small White Monkeys
Card games
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
My mom's cooking
Haircuts
Sweet Tea
The South

...and next time I'm in a similar mood I'll compile a list of things I shall miss about here when I am there.

Just Follow the Duck

So, tonight as I was walking home I saw this lady carrying an umbrella with a duck handle; she was holding it up in the air to lead her tour group, and I had the urge to follow the duck, but I refrained and instead ran home so my toes wouldn't freeze into ice cubes.

I think the temperature dropped at least 15 degrees celsius just in the last three days. I'm not even lying. I haven't warmed up since it first got cold, but last night I did discover how to turn on the heat in my apartment, and then I curled up under the covers and slept all warm and cozy. So, I suppose I have warmed up...once...last night.

Perhaps you are wondering what was the reason I braved the cold this evening and almost lost my toes. Well, it was a pretty darn good reason. Today, 4 novembre 2006 is the 40th anniversary of the flood in Florence, and during a quick read of The Florentine I discovered that this evening at 19:00 they were going to illuminate the Arno River at Ponte Vecchio. So, I went, cameras in gloved hands, wearing two pairs of socks and four layers.


Aside from the frigid temperatures the days lately have been just about perfect. Not even in terms of weather, but also in terms of my lazy activity. Wednesday we had no class, and I thought I was going to get to go olive picking, but alas, the olives just weren't ripe. So, I slept in and went to my cafe instead. Then I decided to go walking leisurely about the city. I came to the San Lorenzo market and browsed the many stalls (since they were actually open) and ended up buying a hat. The people selling them were really nice, and I ended up having a conversation with an American lady who knew the guy who makes the hats. Then this other lady who was working at the stall too started helping me pick out the hat. It was just an adventure of sorts walking through the market on a cold afternoon buying a brown fuzzy hat.

I wore the brown fuzzy hat yesterday morning on the way to Lucca until the sun had been up long enough that I didn't need it anymore. Lucca I liked...about as much as I like the brown fuzzy hat. It's a small town in Tuscany an hour and a half from Florence with its city wall still intact. There's even a moat. (And apparently a comics and games festival the first weekend of November). Just so you know, I crossed the moat, and I biked the entire city wall. And to top it off, my bike had a bell that sounded like the bell on a mailman bike. I'm not sure I've actually ever seen a mailman bike, but if I did, I'm sure the bell on it would sound exactly like the one on the bike I rode around the city wall of Lucca.

We finished the day out by eating bucceleta (I think that's what it was called) and drinking cioccolata calda. Then we rode the train home, and I bought soup at the Standa and watched the Office with Laura.

I have no complaints, not even about the cold, because I have a blue pashmina and a brown fuzzy hat, and now I know how to turn on the heat in my apartment.

Positively splendid.

My Parents Left me in Europe

So, midterm week actually ended over a week ago, but as soon as they were finished my parents came into town!!! That's my sad excuse as to why I have left no REAL post in about two weeks.

Sadly, now it is just me again chillin' in Florence as my parents left this morning to return to the U. S. of A. I know they were probably ready to be back, but we had a wonderful time, and I loved having them here for a little while. We saw Florence (in fact I think I saw some of Florence for the first time - it's different being a tourist), and then we went to Rome for two days and Cinque Terre for two days and then Florence again, and we finished with a nice lunch in Chianti. I hope they enjoyed Italy as much as I have since August.

Pictures of Florence Day 1 (post jetlag)

Have you ever seen the Colosseum? Well you should because it's awesome. I think it was actually bigger than I imagined. We took a guided tour through that and the Roman Ruins on our second day of Rome. On the first we saw the pope. Yep, that's right, the pope. On Sundays at noon he comes out to bless the crowd and we were in the crowd. It was so cool, especially when I understood some of his little mini-sermon which was in Italian. He did greet everyone about 7 times in a different language each time. I'm not catholic, but it was still quite an experience. That same day we saw St. Peter's Basilica which was also beautiful. There was some sort of Parade/Spanish Mass going on while we were in there, but it almost just added to it. They were singing in Spanish and these priests came down while we were slowly walking around checking out the statues and the high altar and the dome. We also saw the alleged tomb of St. Peter (the first pope) and John Paul II. I also mailed myself a post card from the Vatican - now how many people have something postmarked "Vatican City." Well, I do as soon as it gets to me. Not to brag or anything.

I Saw the Pope.

After Rome we returned to Florence, but only to catch another train the following day to Cinque Terre. I'd been before, but it was raining. And I'm not going to lie, I was a little disheartened when the morning we left was looking a little cloudy, but it cleared up in no time, and I finally got to see the five little cliff side towns in the sunlight instead of in the gloom. Going to Cinque Terre was also a nice relief from the hectic travel of seeing things in Rome and Florence. We hiked and ate crepes and road trains and stared astonishingly at the sea. It was wonderful.

Absolutely Stunning.

We finished off with another more relaxing day in Florence. We started by returning to the Central Market and then visiting the Boboli Gardens which I'm sad I hadn't ventured to before as they are also beautiful and quite relaxing. Then we headed up the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato for the fantastic views over Florence. When we got to San Miniato there were either priests or monks chanting or singing inside and we sat on a pew for a little while and listened. (I still say they were chanting monks, but I'm not sure the dilemma will ever be solved.) Then, oddly enough someone decided to turn San Miniato Pink for a night. They had these giant pink stage lights set up and as it started to get dark they turned them on and the whole facade of San Miniato turned Pink. If nothing else I got to take some good photos. My mom and I decided that San Miniato thought they weren't getting enought visitors and the whole show was a crazy marketing scheme as you could see the church that is typically hidden in the dark, clearly from the other side of the river.

The Pink Church.

On our final day, we turned the pace down even more and took a bus to Chianti where I went only a few weeks ago and did a tour of the wine cellar and the vineyard and whatnot and then had that amazing five-course meal again. I have to say, I think it was better the second time, but just as filling. I may even ride that bus out there again, just to go through the countryside and see all the fall colors again. It is getting so gorgeous when you actually see trees.

Florence needs more trees.

I shall try not to go so long again without a good post, but as you can see, it was only in an effort to have a number of big adventures to share. Everyone say hello to the fall for me and enjoy the trees.

And since I'm way behind:

I made Octopus and Chocolate Cake.

Troppe Cose Fare - Too Much To Do

Apparently Italians take midterms too, or at least Americans in Italy have to.

I still have so much to do, including, but not limited to the following:

finish my book for bookbinding
study for my architecture exam
print out my pieces for writing
take (and possibly study for) my Italian exam
finish buying a few things to send home with my parents
pack for next week
go to the Boboli Gardens (just cause I feel I should)
sleep so I don't get sick from this sudden surge of cold weather
anxiously await the arrival of my parents

So, I would leave a more lengthy post with more interesting detail about things such as the beauty of going to Chianti and eating five course meals or making Octopus in cooking class, but these stories will have to wait until the above list is a little shorter.

Alla volta prossima, Jessica

I want to live on a Ferry

No, really - I do. (beware - there are plenty)

So, the sun rises in Florence beginning just before seven in the morning. I discovered this Friday morning while sitting in the train station wondering whether or not they were kidding about how serious it was that we arrive at 6 since it was approaching seven and we hadn't moved from the meeting spot. Fortunately we did finally get on a bus and pull out of Florence for Amalfi, but it wouldn't be Italy if we didn't make about 300 stops along the way including two unexplanable ones, where we all sat on the bus and watched our chain smoking guide from Cinque Terre take a smoke break. Honestly, I think at least one of those stops was specifically for that.

I think I sound cynical, but really, it was just funny. Italians are rarely rushed. So, we then stopped in Naples too, just to see the sea and let a few people get their wallets stolen. Seriously, that place is sketchy. We hadn't been out of the bus for two minutes and someone had already gotten pickpocketed. Thankfully, it wasn't me, but I still felt really bad for the girl. At least, now I can say I went to Napoli, but I don't think I'd ever return.

The Amalfi Coast, on the otherhand, was splendid. I don't know that I have ever seen water so blue and skies so clear. Being outside the city and near the sea was completely refreshing. We drove up and onto these winding roads and suddenly we were overlooking the most beautiful sea. We drove along there for 30 minutes or more (probably more) and I just sat and stared at the sea. I stared partly because it was so gorgeous and partly because I had to do something to keep my mind off of the thought that our bus wasn't going to make it around the next winding turn. Scary. But we made it.

The next day was filled with ferry rides and chillin' in Capri. I love ferries I decided. They are fantastic. The breeze, the scenery. I think I could've gone all the way there just to ride the ferry around the island, to and from little coastal towns. Actually, on our way to Capri that morning, the ferry made a pick-up at Positano, which is another town in Under the Tuscan Sun. I mean, Capri was great, Amalfi was great that evening (I bought limoncello), but the ferry I loved. I know that sounds insane, but it was relaxing and beautiful out there, and it was great to just be able to rest and enjoy.

So, then Sunday we went to Pompeii. We had a crazy guide. She was hilarious. She kept referring to us as "you who stay in Florence." It was great. And more importantly, I got to see the city that I always heard so much about from Mrs. Clark-Brown. My High School Latin Class came to life before my eyes in the form of columns and volcanic rock. Crazy.

Last night I made Foccacia Bread.

I made Pasta on a guitar.

I'm not kidding. We made Maccheroni alla Chitarra; that's macceroni on a guitar. It wasn't your normal, everyday looking guitar, and it is unlikely that it would play any sort of beautiful music, but still, it's the principle of the thing. It was also delicious - the pasta, not the guitar.

The fact that I made Pasta from scratch is all that matters here.

Once Upon a Time a Monk and Two Nuns Had Lunch at a Cafe in Assisi

So, I decided shortly after arriving that one of my goals while I was here should be to get a picture of a nun or a monk, so when we sat down to lunch at a cafe outside of the Basilica di San Francesco right across from a monk and two nuns I decided to be brave and accomplish my goals. I mean, seriously, how often do you find the opportunity to take a picture of a monk and two nuns eating gelato? Actually, I've made a few random nun friends in the last few days, and Amber even said she saw a monk staring at me while we were in Assisi, but I don't know how I feel about that last one. One of the nun friends was this cute little nun from India that we sat with on the train to Perugia the first day of our little weekend adventure. She was nice and told us when to get off the train - always helpful.

Alright enough with monks and nuns - now on to the adventure gone awry - very awry in fact, and then the adventure amazingissimo (that's not really an italian word; I made it up).

Friday we went to Perugia. We didn't see much of Perugia. We mostly saw this really giant hill that we walked up though we should have ridden a bus, but seeing how I didn't understand the lady at the bus ticket window, I didn't know that. Fear not though, because my Italian skills increased tenfold on Friday. After walking halfway up the hill, we decided that a little espresso would hopefully bring the smiles back to our faces so we stopped at a bar where we put down our very heavy bags and asked the kind guy who made our caffè how to get to the bus station. I should actually say, I asked and attempted to figure out what he was saying. I did understand him mostly, and we continued on toward our destination. We finally got to the bus station and caught a bus to our hostel on this lake. The hostel at least was beautiful, but a little bit out of the way. A lot bit out of the way, and fortunately for Amber and I, the train only stops in the town where our hostel was like two times a day. Thankfully, we didn't know that until we got there and needed to get back to Perugia to catch another bus to La Perugina (the chocolate factory). Yeah (huge amounts of sarcasm)...so we got a ride from the owner of the hostel who drove us quickly through the countryside to catch a train in Magione instead of Torricella. The rest of the day went by fairly well, except that we had to call the owner of the hostel one last time because we read the train schedule wrong so we had him pick us up at Magione.

We were unhappy people waiting at the train station at the end of that day, but we had chocolate.

Assisi went much better. We checked the train timetables as soon as we got back to the hostel from Perugia and caught the 9 o'clock on Saturday morning out of Torricella to Assisi; then we caught the shuttle bus that took us the 4 km into the City Center where all the beautifulness was. We landed at about 10:45 in the city, and I got a much needed Caffèlatte and dolce before we headed into the Basilica di San Francesco (the church of Saint Francis). That place was beautiful. I had studied it a little in my architecture class, but seeing it... incredible. I wish I could have taken fotos of the inside, but it was not permitted. Most of the churches here are these giant open cathedrals with giant columns. They are all very grand and decorated and beautiful, but something about this one, with its long nave and lack of aisles was more richly spiritual. I can't explain it, but I bought a book of Saint Francis' writings, and what I have read about his life so far is pretty amazing.

After spending the whole morning in the church, we stopped for lunch and then headed up the hill, mosying in and out of shops and seeing this beautiful old city. My only regret was that we walked so long and so slowly up this hill, just enjoying the day, that we never made it all the way to the Basilica di Santa Chiara (Francis' girlfriend). I hear it is also a sight to behold. Perhaps I will just have to return to Assisi. I did see a gorgeous sunset though on our powerwalk down the hill to catch the bus.

Absolutely Amazing.

... just a little more.

Calcio. Soccer.

Today, I went to a Soccer Game - Fiorentina (Florence's Team) v. Catania. We won. Italians are very much into their soccer. The whole place was filled with Purple and singing and chanting and excitement. I'm amazed daily at all the things I've done here - the figuring out transportation schedules, the speaking Italian all over the place, the going to a soccer game and jumping up with a bunch of smelly men chanting things I don't understand, the drinking caffè, the monumental amounts of walking. I also just noticed that two of my MUST DOS from the long ago posts have been completed: hike Cinque Terre and Visit Santa Croce. I've done both of those, and two weekends from now I'm going to Chianti!

Now, I just need to find a hat shop that sells hats in hat boxes...

I love the Tuscan Countryside

Really.

This weekend I ventured to Cortona and Arezzo with SAI for the much anticipated Tuscan Movie Tour. Imagine watching a movie, looking out the window, then looking back at the tv and seeing the exact same scene that is outside the bus window. That's what I did this weekend in a nutshell.

We began by going to Cortona where Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed. First of all, I love that movie. Second of all, I walked on the land that it takes two oxen two days to plow. No joke - we were driving up this hill and around these really curvy curves in a giant charter bus (I was a little afraid we were going to hit either an ancient wall lining the road or a mophed parked along the side of the road; fortunately we hit neither.) and watching the scene where Paolo and Chiara are getting married. There is a shot of a church on the side of a hill. We passed that church and then moments later watched that scene.

The town was quite wonderful as well - small and quaint as all Tuscan towns should be. We toured through some churches there, ate a quick lunch, then hiked down the road to 'the villa.' 'The villa' in fact where the movie was actually filmed. I think the best part of all may have been that though we were with this tour guide from Florenc for Fun, and it was an organized outing with 70 or so students, we actually snuck onto the property. This was just the type of activity Sarah Rumsey would have loved - trespassing.

After Cortona we hopped back on the bus and began watching La Vita è Bella as we travelled to Arezzo. To get into Arezzo though, we actually had to ride a bunch of escalators up a hill and through the city wall. It felt as though we were in an underground train station or subway, and then suddenly we walked through these modern automatic doors and onto a stone road standing in front of a 12th century church. After that it didn't feel at all modern anymore, and there were no more escalators. Around a few corners from the church we walked into the piazza where some of the scenes for the movie were shot. Actually a similar thing happened when we got back on the bus in that the very next scene to appear was in that very piazza. I bought candy and foccacia bread in Arezzo.

Then I watched the sunset over the Tuscan countryside as we drove back to Florence with the end of La Vita è Bella playing on the television.

I like Italy. I enjoy travelling around, but just as much as I like Italy, I like Florence. I like that I live in Florence. I'm not a tourist in Florence or just passing through, I live here. I like waking up and going to my favorite cafè and shopping for fresh things and sweaters at the San Ambrogia Market. I like drinking caffèlatte with a dolce filled with nutella. I like eating il pollo and spinaci from a Salumeria. I like sitting in Piazza di Santa Croce and watching the day turn into evening and then into night. I like drinking wine with my dinner and getting stuffed on bread and olive oil. I like that the streets aren't smooth and not all the cars have four wheels (some have three). I like sketching statues and listening to street music from Loggia della Signoria. Italia. firenze. La dolce vita.

- io

Her name is Simona.

I spent a few hours at my cafè this morning journaling and reading la mia sacra bibbia and in the end discovered that my favorite little cafè worker's name is Simona. (I hope I spelled that correctly.) It's just fantastic. She smiles at me everytime I come in.

This past weekend I went to Cinque Terre which was beautiful in pretty much every respect. It did rain on us though in the afternoon, and the wind made the water choppy so we ended up not being able to take our ferry and then hiked in the rain. But that place was so beautiful, it barely mattered. I take that back - it mattered, but it was still a great trip. Besides just seeing Cinque Terre, I got to ride on a European train through the hills of Tuscany, through Pisa and then north. On our way home I looked out the window and saw clouds just sitting on the hills. It was truly a beautiful sight.

Check out the fotos, but keep in mind I think this may be one place you just have to see for yourself.

It's really beginning to feel like home here. I suppose I mean it is beginning to feel as if I live here. I have decided that there are some things I will be so excited to get to have again from home and then things from here I will miss terribly when I leave. It's strange to be missing everyone and everything from home, but at the same time absolutely loving that I'm here. I need to think on that.

Two little notes of interest:
I found the best enoteca in Florence (well, that I've seen so far). It's really close to the best cafè in Florence which works out well. They fill up the bottles of wine from big barrels and then you bring back your bottle when you finish the wine and they refill them. I bought the Chianti last time, and it was delicious. Today I bought a white wine from San Gimignano.

I bought a journal at a bookbindery. That's right, straight from the bookbindery.

-jessica

(P.S. The comments come to me now before posting, so don't freak when they don't appear immediately. I get to read them first!)

So, I have this favorite cafè...

Quite often I find myself getting up in the morning and going to this little local bar (bars are what the Italians call coffee shops), and I call it local because really, it's down this street near my apartment in the opposite direction of the city center. You go out and turn left instead of right onto Via Ghibellina and suddenly you are in local Florence heaven. Professoressa told us before we left to choose a cafè or "bar" to frequent instead of trying them all. Well, Enoteca de Macci is mine. The lady who works there was so kind to me the first time I went, and she grins at me as I try to speak to her in Italian. Today, when she saw me come in she simply smiled this huge welcoming smile and came to let me order. She doesn't speak to me in English though I know she knows some, and for this I am thankful. All the people who come in are locals as well. They come in and order their morning caffè (though caffè in Italian is really espresso), and they down it in about 15 seconds standing at the bar. But while they wait they talk to each other, the customers to one another and the lady to the customers. I don't know what they talk to each other about yet, but my Italian will hopefully only improve as the semester goes on.

Soon, I hope to find out the lady's name. I bet she has a beautiful story, I think for me she is like the man with the flowers was to Francis in Under the Tuscan Sun, except she acknowledges me. But still, it's that mysterious quality about her and her smile and the fact that she never charges me to sit down. €1.80 for my caffèlatte and a cornetti. I can't wait to have another morning there.

Buon Compleanno a "Daddy" (e Erin 2 giorni fa)

Beware, this is going to be a long one.

Wow. This weekend I did so much I barely know where to begin telling about it. Well, Friday. Friday, after spending my morning reading my Bible at my favorite cafe on Via de Macci I met up at the school for a walk across the river and up to Piazzale Michelangelo and the church of San Miniato. It was so nice to venture away from the buildings everywhere and to see some trees. I decided this weekend that I miss trees. But from Piazzale Michelangelo I could see the whole city and the wall that goes around Florence. It was so beautiful up there. Then at the top there was this church. The church itself was not too spectacular from the outside but there was this amazing cemetary. I know, that sounds a little wrong, but seriously I'm so glad I had my slr camera with me to take film fotos. Hopefully I will get into the darkroom sometime this week, because I think I got some really amazing ones of the statuary and headstones. The tour guide left us, because the church was not open as she had expected (a common occurence here in Italy - nothing is ever "for sure"), but a girl I recently met, Rebecca, and I stayed until it opened about half an hour later to see the inside. I love going in the churches here, because they are so quiet and peaceful. This one, I do not think, had any electricity so the only light came through a few tiny windows. I liked it.

Fotos of Piazzale Michelangelo and the church of San Miniato.

Friday evening was the perfect continuance of such a splendid afternoon. My roommate, Rebecca, and I went out for a nice dinner at this place called Antico Noè. I will definitely be taking my parents here. They have slow food, which means everything is in season and very fresh. I had the most amazing spaghetti ever and a very nicely complimented glass of white wine. After our delicious meal we went to this concert my architecture teacher had told me about in the duomo. Yep, I went to a free concert in the duomo of Florence. Papa, you would have loved it. You told me I should try to go to a symphony while I was here, and you were right. I loved it. I did get a little tired there at the end, but then I looked up again at the gorgeous fresco over my head and went, um, I think this is worth every moment.

Then, the weekend just kept on getting better. Saturday morning, I got up fairly early, met up with a few people, and we headed out by bus to Fiesole, a small village like town on the outskirts of Florence. Pretty much, we just walked around looking out over Florence again. These were even more spectacular views because we could see not only Florence, but the amazing Tuscan countryside. Somehow we stumbled upon a convent too, up on this hill. Around the back of the convent we followed this little path back around to the city and as we walked through this wooded area, we could hear bells chiming in the distance. I wanted to lay down in the dirt and just soak it up. I want to go back up to Fiesole one day just to write, to listen to those bells again and write (don't get me wrong, there are bells all over Florence, just not trees).

Fotos of Fiesole.

So, then after Fiesole, my roommate and I were on our way back to our apartment when all the sudden the Florence soccer team was coming out of a hotel to load their bus. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.

And, I had my first caffè latte the other day. I don't know what day it was, but I had it. Steph, you will be proud. The first one was good, but I needed the dolce I had with it. The second one I had in Fiesole after lunch, and it was great. And now I have them all the time. In fact, I've already had two today - how sad is that.
Awe yes, just a little bit more...cooking class. I'll keep it short, but I ate sardines. We made food from Sicily (it's Italian Regional Cooking). So I made spaghetti with mussels and the people behind me made sardines. Then we also made canolis. But, I actually thoroughly enjoyed the sardines, and will likely eat them again - possibly when I go to Sicily. The mussels were good too; I'm not sure if I've really ever had mussels. They were interesting to make - I know I've never made them. But you can see me cooking them below.

Fotos of cooking class.

Perhaps that is all; I'll probably think of something else in a little while, but I think I should probably spend some time doing my homework. I have a lot to read.

And since everyone has a birthday in September: Happy 20th to Erin two days ago on the tenth, and Happy Birthday (I'll not put your age up) Daddy today!!

Buon Compleanno a Mark

Another beautiful day in Italia. It has yet to rain on me here except our first night which only added to my inability to sleep which had much more to do with jetlag than the rain. Today is yet another sunny one, though it has gotten a slight bit hotter. I'm not one to complain though about heat when it is not accompanied by miserable humidity like in Tennessee. I recently heard a rumor going around that this weekend will be cooler; I'm hoping this is true because I'm planning on walking to Piazzale Michelangelo on the other side of the Arno tomorrow with FUA and then hopefully riding out to Fiesole with Emily on Saturday. The countryside will be a nice change from all this city. I love it - don't get me wrong, but some fresh air could be nice.

As far as classes go, I just returned from my last one, and for the most part, they will all be enjoyable. We even went on a sight visit in my architecture class today - the first day! We went to the duomo (just the outside unfortunately) and then to the Opera del Duomo Museo (or something like that - it's the museum that accompanies the duomo) and toured around. Since I had already recieved free entry to the museum through my class, I stayed for a while afterwards to look around. Michelangelo's unfinished "La Pietà" was there - beautiful, as well as the original panels to Lorenzo Ghiberti's bronze doors for the Baptistry. I wish I'd had my camera with me, but seeing as how this was the first day of class and I had no idea we would do a sight visit, I did not bring it along. The bronze panel doors were incredible (Dad, you should be reading about or have read about them at the beach in the book I gave you before I left, Brunelleschi's Dome). They are these huge doors on the east side of the Baptistry next to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Each panel depicts a different scene from the Old Testament. I spent so much time in that room - they were incredibly detailed.

My other classes are alright as well. Writing about Florence will surely be an enjoyable class that will feed right out of my journals - most likely an excellent supplement to my own record keeping. The teacher is, well... British among other things. Bookbinding I don't even need to say anything about because it's called bookbinding. Graphic Design also has a British teacher who, though I think I'm the only one that found it funny, kept saying words like "clutter" with an American accent when no one understood his British. Italian is going to kill me. And Italian Regional cooking I absolutely love! The teachers' names are Fabbio and Duccio. Yep, that's right - Fabbio. I loved it.

Man, I promise I don't mean to make these things so long; it just happens. And, send me e-mails if you haven't already. I feel lost as to what's going on in your lives! So, send me beautiful updates.

And...

Happy 21st Mark! Spero che è bella e divertente. Let me know how it goes.

Firenze è Bella

I've been around this crazy city about a million times now. From my apartment to the Santa Croce to the Duomo to the Piazza de Republicca to San Lorenzo to the Piazza de Uffizi and back again. My feet have been well used, but I'm beginning to learn my way around. The key is to learn a few major streets that take you to key places so you don't feel lost. My favorite street so far is Borgo Albizi. Not only does this bustling borgo take you to the Republicca, but it also contains some of the best shops. I found the most amazing Cartoleria sort of shop. Basically it is a shop where you can buy everything from journals to handmade papers or pens that require a bottle of ink to use them. I believe I could spend at least a few hours in that place or another one I found which I believe was on Via Verdi. Then, I have also found some splendid bookstores. Edison on Piazza de Republicca reminds me of Barnes and Nobles with a little cafe upstairs. It's large and roomie. Then the one on Via Dei Neri which is an English bookstore so I can read all the titles. The markets are also amazing at San Lorenzo especially, but they are just about everywhere - people with their little carts selling leather goods and cheap souvenirs or knock-off purses and sunglasses. Anywho, I think I may just come back a bit less directionally challenged.

A few days ago, maybe Saturday (all my days are running together now) Emily and I walked around the city with the sole purpose of taking photographs. I think I may have gotten some good ones, but besides that we had so much fun. At the Piazza de Uffizi we saw the most amazing mimes. We took pictures with two of them even. Emily even got kissed on the hand by a man acting as some sort of white statue. I'm not going to lie, he was a little creepy. Then we watched this crazy mime run all over this one corner, sneaking up behind unsuspecting tourists and scare them or grab one of their hands and wait for them to notice and then scream or jump or scurry away.
We probably sat there for twenty or thiry minutes laughing. Emily got better pictures of him so you'll have to check out my favorites link on flickr where I'll select those from her photos. We also met these funny old painters just sitting outside the Uffizi. They just started talking to us and teaching us Florentine slang (good and bad). I believe they taught me the Florentine way to say "How's your momma and them?" which my dad will enjoy knowing.

Nights here are beautiful as well. All the little street musicians come out and set up everywhere. Last night my roommates and I walked to Piazza de Republicca and watched these Latin Dancers. They were playing some pretty interesting drum/Latin music. I'm sure one of my more musically inclined friends would have been able to better label that music genre, but you get the idea. On our way there we passed these three guys that I had seen a few evenings earlier. I hope I pass them again too; they were pretty good. In fact, Emily and I stood on the sidewalk for quite a while the first time we walked by them.


Awwe, so good. They had a cd for sale and last night my roommate bought it for 10 euro, so if it works I'll be rather excited.

It's amazing to be out and about around the city seeing things and wearing out my feet, but even sitting in my apartment can be its own adventure. I did laundry the other day - intriguing really. Buying the laundry detergent was even difficult; I know some Italian, but apparently not enough for everything.
Well, I wish I could write more, but my battery is dying, and I've been wanting to try out this great panini shop called the Oil Shoppe and my stomach is telling me it's ready for lunch.

P.S. I hope the pictures show up for everyone. If they don't, let me know, and check out flickr. (the first one is emily's picture, but I was there.)

Sono Qui

Yep, that's right, I'm in Italy. At this very moment, while all of you are sleeping away, it is 12:15pm here and I am sitting in this wonderful little cafe drinking tea and eating a chocolate pastry. Yum. We found this cafe right down the street from my apartment that has free wifi. So, my roommate and I got up today (after sleeping in a little - jetlag is a pretty serious ailment) and headed to this cafe to check some e-mail and whatnot. It is so good to hear a little from home too.

sidenote - a dog just came and left the cafe.

Okay, back to being in Italy. The flights were long, the lay overs were longer (not really, but it seemed like it. I sat in Frankfurt for 4 and a half hours.) But, alas, I am here. My apartment is fantastic. Sarah Rumsey would love it!! Someone tell Sarah that I said that, because I have a feeling she won't check this for a while. We live on the top floor, up about 70 flights of stairs (really 8 I think, because we live on the American fourth, and Italian third floor, and there are two flights of stairs per floor). Either way, it's way up there, and lugging my luggage up that was a chore. We have two beautiful views. One overlooks these awesome red rooftops, and trees, and the other is to this little area between all the apartments where everyone hangs their clothes to dry. That's right, we have one of those great hang your clothes outside on lines places. It's just awesome. I wish I had uploaded my pictures. Somehow I messed that up, so you'll just have to wait a few more days. Maybe I'll get them on tonight, but doubtful.

The whole city is just, I don't even know if I can say. All the buildings are old and everyone speaks Italian. That's the easiest way to describe it, but I know that helps you absolutely none. I love just walking down the street and listening to the people around me, and knowing that in a few days I will begin to hopefully understand some. When that happens I'll be able to get up early in the morning and listen to the neighbors below me who cook the most amazing smelling breakfast and spy on their conversations. We have to leave our windows open for airflow. The windows are even amazing. Sarah would like them too. And she would like this dog that keeps coming into this cafe and the cashier keeps saying, "Vai, vai" which means go, go. Awe.

The Duomo - I cannot forget the duomo. We saw it first at night - my first night here in fact. I was with my roommates and we were just wandering up this street thinking it would be a few more streets 'til we came upon it and then suddenly it just began to appear around the corner. Beautiful. Absolutely incredible. Again, my pictures. Darn.

And the Santa Croce. I live probably two minutes walk from the Santa Croce. I have serious plans to do all my homework sitting in the piaza overlooking it. Our first dinner was at this restaurant (where whatever I ordered was not what I wanted), but we sat outside, right next to the Piazza di Santa Croce. It was beautiful. The weather here is nice too. I don't miss humidity one single bit. I like the breeze and the shadows all the tall buildings make for the streets below that keep everything cooler.

La Vita é Bella

Deep Breath.

By this time tomorrow I'll be chillin' over the Atlantic Ocean. And man am I ready to be there. My bags are packed; my camera's charged; my ipod is about to be updated. I have run more last minute errands than anyone should ever attempt. It has been a long summer of preparation and working and stressing, and it all comes down to tomorrow - and the next four months.

Whoa! I'm leaving for Italy tomorrow! Yeah, that sounds strange. The next time I put a post on here it will be from an Internet Train somewhere around Florence. Seriously, that's totally strange. I mean, I've been talking about this for a while, but tomorrow really isn't that far away. It is in fact... tomorrow. I can't think about it anymore.

Enough with the goodbyes. Bring on the hellos.

- 17.5 hours