Final weeks...

Sorry it's been so long since I last blogged. These past few weeks have been packed with visitors, trips, and lots of fun! So here's what has happened since I last blogged...

Me, Mom, Aunt Jerry, GranJan, and Dad at the Vatican Museum

During the last week of March my parents and my aunt came to visit!  They loved Italy and I am so glad that they got to experience a little bit of where I have called 'home' for the past 3 months. They went to Venice, Rome, San Gimignano, Siena, and explored Florence during the week they were here. I got to join them when they went to Rome and we had a great time with our tour guide and Rome was just as beautiful the second time around. I was sad to see them go, but I get to see them in less than two weeks, so it was alright.

A typical 'street' in Venice

Venice! Some of you may have heard that Venice is a little overrated, dirty, crowded, and smelly. Well, all of those things may be true if you go to Venice in the summer. In April, however, it is a beautiful city. We spent an entire weekend roaming the streets and visiting the other islands of Venice. I had heard about the 'water streets' before, but I never imagined how cool it would be. In Venice, there are absolutely no cars. The streets are made of water and the little alleys that are made for walking are so small that there is no way a car could even fit. They have all the same vehicles we have--firetrucks, ambulances, police cars, garbage trucks, taxis, buses, etc.--but they are all boats! And of course they have gondolas, the kind of boat that everyone knows from Venice. On Saturday we took a water bus and went to 3 other islands near Venice--Murano, Burano, and Lido. Murano is the island that is known for its glass. We watched a man do glass blowing and it was amazing. Burano used to be an old fishing town and it is known for its very colorful houses. The houses were all very bright colors--pinks, greens, reds, blues, yellows. It was the most adorable town ever. Then we went to Lido, which has a nice, big beach. Unfortunately it was getting late by the time we got there and it was chilly, but it was nice to see the water and put my feet in the Adriatic Sea. Other than that, we had a great time just exploring the streets, St. Mark's Cathedral, and the Doge's Palace. We also got extremely lucky because the weather was beautiful! 75 degrees and SUNNY (which is extremely lucky considering Venice floods 250 times a year!)

One of the towns of Cinque Terre

The Monday after I got home from Venice, my friend Heidi arrived! She had been visiting friends in Germany and then she got a train to Florence and spent the week here with me. Unfortunately I had class all week, but she came with me and got to experience a little bit of what sorts of things I have been learning while here. Then on Saturday we got up nice and early (5am!) and got on a train to Cinque Terre, a beautiful place on the northern coast of Italy. Cinque (5) Terre (lands) is an area composed of 5 little towns connected by trains and hiking trails. Unfortunately the 'Sea hike' was closed between 4 of the towns, so we only got to hike on it for a little while, but it was still beautiful. The towns are all built up on the hills and cliffs which makes for some gorgeous scenery. It was so much different than Florence and it was a much welcomed change from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Heidi and I in Cinque Terre

This week I have my final exams and my program officially ends on Thursday. I am staying in Florence for a few days with my grandma and waiting until the 22nd when Andre comes from his journey in the Middle East to visit me in Italy! I can't believe that my trip is nearly over, but I am also very anxious to get home. Today we had our 'Arrivederci' luncheon and it was so bittersweet. I kept thinking about the 'Arrivederci' party my parents had for me before I left and it doesn't seem possible that it's coming to an end already. It is definitely a bittersweet time, but I know that I will be back sometime in the future. My time here has been a great experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but three and a half months is long enough for me. I am just going to soak it all in these last 2 weeks and I'll see you all at home! Ciao!

Conquering Rome

St. Peter's

This past weekend our group traveled to Rome for 3 days.  It was awesome!  The history found in the city is incredible.  Our weekend started early Friday morning around 8am when we caught a bus to Rome.  We took the Frecciarossa (red arrow) which is the fastest train going from Florence to Rome.  After about an hour and a half on the train, we arrived in the beautiful city of Rome.

St. Peter's Square

After arriving at our hotel, we began our first adventure to Vatican City.  For those of you that don't know, Vatican City is actually it's own country, meaning that they could technically check our passports when entering, but they didn't.  After standing in line to get into the city, we started on our tour of the Vatican Museums, the ending of which is the famous Sistine Chapel.  We spent about 3 hours walking through the museums before finally reaching the Sistine Chapel.  Once we got to the Chapel, I was overwhelmed, not by the beauty of the art, but by the enormous amounts of people!  The Sistine Chapel is a holy place, meaning that photographs are not allowed and it is supposed to be completely silent, but with hundreds of people crammed into the room, it was almost impossible for the guards to stop photographs and keep people quiet.  It was frustrating that people were not being respectful of the art and the chapel, but I think it's fairly typical.  After seeing the Sistine Chapel we went to St. Peter's Basilica which was amazing.  It is the biggest church in the world and the head of the Catholic church, and all of the art inside is mosaics which is incredible.  We also hung out at St. Peter's Square for a bit, saw where the Pope makes his speeches, saw the window to the Pope's office, and even saw a beautiful rainbow!  After a long day of tours and art, I was exhausted.  I ate dinner and headed to bed to prepare for our next day of tours.

The Roman Forum

On Saturday we started early in the morning and the day was focused on the Romans.  The first place we saw was the Roman forum which is basically just a big area of old ruins.  It was neat to see all the old stuff, but it was nothing compared to the Colosseum where we headed next.

The Colosseum

The Colosseum was so cool!  It was massive and the history behind it is amazing.  The Romans basically used it as a big stadium where they would have gladiator battles and beast battles (it was a pretty gruesome place and I'm pretty sure tons of people died there).  It blows my mind how the Romans were able to build such a huge place without any of the technology we have today, but they were pretty smart people.

The Pantheon

After the Colosseum we went to the Pantheon which is another amazing place built by the Romans.  The Pantheon was originally built as a temple to all gods, but it is now a Christian church and they still have services there sometimes.  It was a massive building and the pictures don't do it justice, so you'll all just have to go there for yourselves :)

The Trevi Fountain

On Sunday we had the morning to explore on our own so me and a few friends went to see the Trevi Fountain (yes, we made a wish), and the Spanish Steps (not as cool as I expected).  We also went to the biggest gelato place I have ever seen (they had over 50 different flavors!).  On Sunday evening we were all very exhausted.

In other news, my grandma has officially arrived in Florence!  I was in Rome when she got here, but I got to see her on Sunday and her apartment is so close to my house that I have been able to visit her every day this week.  It is SO nice to have a familiar face here and I will have even more this Sunday when my parents and aunt arrive.  Then the next week my friend, Heidi, comes to visit and then it's exam week! I can't believe my trip is almost over, but I know that when the time comes I will be ready to be home.

Nipozzano Castle

This week was just another normal week of school and this weekend was fairly normal as well.  On Thursday after class, we took a group trip to two different castles owned by the Frescobaldi family.  We are lucky because one of the teachers in our program (unfortunately I am not in her class) is Diletta Frescobaldi, the 32nd generation of the family.  The Frescobaldi family has been in the wine-making business for over 700 years, and the castles we visited are just two of their many locations throughout Tuscany.  The first castle, Pomino, was up on top of a very large hill where it was much colder than in Florence.  At Pomino, they grow a type of grape that can only be grown in colder temperatures, hence the reason for the high altitude.  We got a short tour of the estate before hopping on the bus and going down the hill to Nipozzano, the second castle.  Fortunately is was much warmer at Nipozzano and after the tour, we got to taste some wines that were produced by the Frescobaldi's.  Overall it was a fun day!

On top of one of the towers in San Gimignano

Gelato World Champion 2006-2007/2008-2009

On Saturday a group of us traveled to San Gimignano, a town about an hour away that is known for its many (still standing) towers.  When we arrived, we immediately noticed the difference in temperature from Florence.  It was freezing!!! But, despite the weather, we decided to make the most of our trip and we climbed one of the 13 towers, ate "World Champion" gelato, got some pizzas, and walked around the market.  By 4 o'clock, however, we were all very cold and ready to go home, so we got on the bus and headed back to Florence. 

This week is another normal week followed by a very exciting weekend--ROME! I can't wait to visit Italy's capital and the Vatican and see all of the things I've read so much about.  In addition to the trip to Rome, my grandma also arrives in Florence this weekend and I can't wait!  I can't believe it's been 2 months already, but I am definitely ready to see a familiar face and tell her all about my experience and hopefully have many more cool experiences with her while she's here.  Well, today is a very cold, rainy day so it's a great day to do homework! Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers and I hope everyone is doing well back home! :)

Fiesole, Lucca, and Pisa!

This weekend I decided not to travel too far from Florence, but to enjoy the sights and towns that are close by.  On Friday, 3 of us girls hopped on a bus and went to Fiesole, a tiny, quiet little town in the hills just outside of Florence.  It was beautiful!  It was so great to see trees, grass, and to breath clean air.  While in Fiesole, we visited some Roman ruins.  At the ruins, there was an amphitheater, a temple, and some baths.  The ruins were incredible.  Those Romans definitely knew what they were doing!  

Then, on Saturday, we took the train to the city of Lucca, about 1 hour outside of Florence.  Once we got there, we went straight to the bike rental place and rented some bikes for the day.  We had heard that the best thing to do in Lucca is ride bikes around the ramparts, so that's what we did!  Lucca's walls are the most in-tact of any city we've seen so far because Lucca was never really attacked, so the walls never suffered much damage.  Along the top of the walls, there is a beautiful path for bikers and pedestrians...no cars allowed!  Luckily it was a gorgeous day for biking and it was so much fun!  After biking for a few hours, we got on the train to Pisa.  Everyone knows what's in Pisa...the Leaning Tower!  We were so exhausted by this point that we literally got off the bus, walked to the tower, took the most touristy pictures possible, and left.  It may sound lame, but we had heard from multiple sources that the only thing worth seeing in Pisa is the tower, so that's what we did.  The tower was awesome, though!  I'm not exactly sure how it's still standing, but I'm glad it is!  After about 2 hours in Pisa, we got on the train back to Florence and we all slept the entire way back. 

Today (Sunday) was spent relaxing, catching up on sleep, and doing homework.  A friend and I walked up to Piazzale Michelangelo since it was such a beautiful day (60 degrees and SUNNY!) and then I came back and got started on my homework for the week.  This week is just a normal week of classes and schoolwork, so I don't anticipate much excitement.  Last week was the start of tourist season, and it is very obvious.  Luckily I have already become accustomed to the city and I no longer feel like a tourist :) I even helped some Americans find their way the other night!  I was so proud :)

Well, until next time...Ciao!!!

Spring Break in February???

It's true, I just returned from the best Spring Break of my life. Although it was not very "Spring-like," it was most definitely a break, and an awesome one at that! For break, I traveled to Munich and the surrounding areas as well as to Maria Alm, a village in the Austria Alps, which was beautiful! Anyways...let me start at the beginning...

I arrived in Munich on Saturday afternoon and although I had never met my wonderful hosts, Rudy and Ingrid, we found each other almost immediately in the crowd of people (thanks to a short description from my grandma).  After my first ride on the Autobahn (not as scary as I thought it would be considering there is no speed limit), we arrived at my temporary home in Munich.  Rudy showed me to my room and I spent a couple of hours relaxing and unpacking before dinner. For dinner, Rudy and Ingrid's son, Christian, his wife, Christine, and their adorable son, Paul, came over and we enjoyed weiner schnitzel, beans, carrots, potatoes, and a delicious chocolate/cherry dessert.

The next two days were spent in Munich, visiting various areas around the city. I got to see the Olympic Park where the 1972 Summer Olympics were held, the BMW headquarters, more churches than I can count, the Town Hall of Munich, Nymphenburg Castle, and some other (not-so-memorable) things. I ate lots of delicious food and found the only English-speaking channel on TV (CNN).

On Tuesday morning we left for Maria Alm, a village in the Austrian Alps where Rudy and Ingrid have a flat. The three days in Austria were awesome! The beautiful mountains, the gorgeous weather, the fresh-fallen snow and the amazing skiing made my time truly unforgettable! I wish I could describe how beautiful these mountains are, but I think you have to see them for yourself in order to truly appreciate their beauty. I also had the privilege of hearing an Alp Horn (think "Riiiiiicolaaaaaa!"). Apparently it is only played in the Alps, so it was a real treat.  While in Maria Alm I also had the most delicious meal ever--a sort of Austrian macaroni and cheese, served in my very own pan!

On Friday we visited Neuschwanstein Castle, also known as "Cinderella Castle". Unfortunately it was the worst weather day, and it was really foggy, so my pictures are quite disappointing (but I did buy some postcards!). The castle has a fascinating history. Building of the castle began in 1869 by King Ludwig II who was apparently a bit crazy. He spent money on pointless things and many people did not like him because of his frivolous spending habits. Anyways...Ludwig "mysteriously" drowned in a lake while on a trip with his "friends" and building of the castle ended following his death. Only two of the floors were fully completed, so our tour took us to all of the finished rooms of the castle. It was incredible. My favorite room was his bedroom which was made almost completely of carved wood. Basically Ludwig was a spoiled brat, but I'm glad I got to enjoy his castle. After the castle we went to Garmisch which is the town where the World Ski Championships were held just last week (Rudy and I watched the final day on TV the Sunday before!). It was neat to see the place where so many famous athletes had just been. 


On Saturday Rudy and I went back into central Munich and visited the Modern Art Museum. It was much different than the museums I've been visiting in Florence, and I must say I like modern art much more than Renaissance art. I then did a little bit of souvenir shopping and then we headed back home where I packed up my stuff and enjoyed my last dinner with Rudy and Ingrid. During the week we also played a lot of cards, and on the last night I finally beat them both for the first time all week! :)


I had such an awesome time in Munich and I definitely want to go back again one day! Now it's back to the daily grind of school and homework (although I can't complain...it's not nearly as bad as it would be back in Harrisonburg!). This weekend I am planning on doing some day trips to towns near Florence. Stay tuned for more updates!

 

London, papers, and tests...

First of all, on Thursday morning I started my volunteering at a local middle school here in Florence. It was awesome! Me and four other girls from my group went to the school at around 9:30 and we met the kids. All of the kids in the particular class where we were are learning English (and have been for many years) and most of them are pretty good at it. The focus of the class where we were is music, so all of the kids in the class play some sort of instrument. After basic introductions, we were split up into smaller groups where we got to talk and get to know a few of the kids a little better. I was in a group with 1 boy, Andrea, and 2 girls, Dana and Alessia. All of the children were very confused about my name because in their English textbook there is someone named Jamie but it is a boy. Andrea also told me that in the textbook there is a girl named Andrea, so we had a nice laugh about how our names were mixed up. The style schooling here is very different and I'm not sure if I like it more or less than the American way. Here, the kids have much more freedom than in the States and during breaks they go out in the hallway and yell and play and run around. It seemed a little crazy to me, but so far it seems that there aren't too many behavior problems. I am going back this Thursday and I can't wait to get to know the kids better and learn more about schools in Italy and Europe!

On Thursday night I left Florence and headed to London.  After a bit of confusion at the bus station and almost missing the bus to the airport, I made it safely to London where there was no confusion thanks to the fact that I can speak the same language as people in London! I arrived at Gatwick airport and then took the Gatwick Express (train) to Victoria Station where I then hopped on the tube (subway) and went to the station where I met my friend (and sort of relative) Ellen! It was so great to see her! Last time I saw Ellen was 5 years ago when her and her mom and sister came to the States for a visit. We have been keeping in touch online and when she found out that I was going to be in Europe there was no way I wasn't going to see her, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to visit her as well as see the wonderful city of London. Anyways...on Thursday night I was pretty exhausted from traveling, so we just decided to go back to Ellen's apartment and catch up a bit and get rested for the weekend. Then on Friday Ellen had to go to work so I got on the train to Hartley Wintney where I met Jane (Ellen's mom) and I spent the day with her and Jess (their dog). Hartley Wintney was such a cute little town and I loved it! We spent the day catching up, taking Jess on a walk, eating lunch at the Waggon (a local pub), and visiting the WI where I met some of the locals. Everyone was so friendly and the town was just adorable. I have officially decided that I like little towns and the country much more than I like cities. After spending the day in Hartley Wintney, Jane drove me back to London (it was so strange to ride in a car there because they drive on the opposite side of the road!) where we went to visit Ellen's work. She works at a private school that has not yet opened yet, but will be opening in September for children ages 8-18. She showed us around the building which is in the middle of renovations and I got to meet the guy that is basically running the school (maybe I can get a job in London one day!). It was very interesting to hear about schooling in the UK because it is a little different than in the States. Quite a lot of students go to private schools and almost all of the kids that I saw walking around wore uniforms. Ellen said that is very typical and almost all schools require students to wear uniforms. After visiting the school we drove around London for a bit and then had some hot chocolate and dinner before bed. On Saturday Ellen had dance rehearsal (she is very busy!) so I met up with her sister, Mari, and Mari's boyfriend, Peter. They took me around London and showed me many of the sites that are must sees when you visit London. I saw Buckingham Palace (unfortunately we missed the changing of the guard), Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and much more. After the "tour" we met Ellen for dinner and then walked around a bit more before bed. On Sunday I decided I had to take the most touristy pictures possible, so Ellen took me walking around a bit more and she took pictures of me in a phone box, by a double-decker bus, and a few others. After taking lots of pictures it was time for me to get back on the train to the airport. We said our good-byes and decided that I need to come back to London for a longer visit sometime soon. There is so much to see in such a big city and I feel like I didn't even hit half of it! Overall it was a great weekend and I had a lot of fun!

This week is full of papers, tests, and work. It's midterm week and there is so much to get done before spring break next week. I have already written 3 papers and taken 1 exam and it's only Tuesday! Luckily this time next week I will be in Munich, relaxing and enjoying time away from schoolwork :) Oh, and tomorrow I am going to a Fiorentina vs. Inter Milan soccer game and I can't wait! Unfortunately the weather is calling for "heavy rain" which will make my first European soccer game quite an experience! I will be sure to update my blog before leaving for Munich on Saturday. I hope everyone back home is doing well! :)

Assisi

On Saturday our group took a trip to Assisi which is about 2.5 hours away from Florence by bus.  Assisi is located up on a hill and even though it was almost 60 degrees back in Florence, Assisi was much more chilly and there was even snow on the mountaintops a little higher up.  To say the least, I did not dress warmly enough (more on that later).  Regardless of the cold weather, Assisi was beautiful! Like most other towns, it is surrounded by walls all the way around.  This city, however, has 3 layers of walls, sort of like belts.  As the city grew, they had to build new walls to surround the growing town (like you have to buy a new belt to surround your growing body).  As we walked around, you could tell when you were passing through one of the walls and getting closer and closer to the oldest part of town in the middle.  While in Assisi we visited two basilicas--Basilica di Santa Chiara and Basilica di San Francesco.  We learned a lot about the saints that these basilicas were dedicated to--St. Clare of Assisi and St. Francis of Assisi.  There was also a ton of beautiful art by artists such as Giotto and Cimabue.  We also learned that while the main stone in Florence and Siena is marble, the main stone in Assisi is limestone and that is shown by the white and pink colors of the town.  Like everywhere in Europe, Assisi has a very deep and rich history, and these are just some of the things I learned while I was there!

As I said before, I did not dress warmly enough for the mountain-air of Assisi, and I now regret that.  A couple of days before the trip, I had started to feel a cold coming on, and now it's a full-blown cold.  I have been sneezing, coughing, and just about everything else.  On Sunday I just rested, did homework, and relaxed.  I have also been loading up on cough medicine in hopes to get better by Thursday when I leave for London! I will be in London for the weekend visiting some family and I am very excited.  I have heard that London is absolutely wonderful, and I can't wait!

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers this week as I attempt to feel better, travel to London, and prepare for my midterm exams which I have next week (I can't believe it's almost halfway through the semester already!). I hope you are all doing well back home! Miss you all!!!