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!!!

Cioccolato!

A few days ago, I noticed some big white tents being set up near Santa Croce which is right down the street from my house. After some research I learned that the tents were being set up for a chocolate festival! Even better...the chocolate festival is going to be here for the next TEN days! So, of course, today I went and walked around the festival for about an hour, sampling and purchasing some chocolate. I will probably need to restrain myself from going back every day and doing the same thing! Here is a picture of the festival with Santa Croce in the background :)


After exploring the chocolate festival for awhile, a large group of people from my group decided to walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo, an area outside the city walls where the view is absolutely amazing. Today was the perfect day to go--58 degrees and sunny! During medieval times, almost all cities were surrounded by walls, and Florence was no exception. When leaving the city, you have to walk through a gate in the wall and from the Piazzale you can see the wall going up the hill and surrounding the city. Here are just a few pictures I took of the city from outside the walls.

I would also like to welcome my newest blog followers, Mrs. Driver's kindergarten class! If you guys have anything you would like to know from my trip feel free to ask and I will be sure to answer all of your questions :) I miss you all and I can't wait to see you all again in April!

Chianti

 

On Friday some girls and I decided to explore Florence a little more. We had been wanting to climb to the top of the Duomo, so we finally decided to just do it. Although it cost 8 euro, it was totally worth it! There are 463 stairs and the stairwells are tight (no stopping for a breather or else everyone behind you will have to stop, too!). Once we finally reached the top, the view was beautiful! You can see the entire city from atop the Duomo.  Above is a picture of me at the top of the Duomo :)

Then on Saturday, six of us girls went on a hiking and wine-tasting tour of Chianti, a small town about 45 minutes away from Florence. The day started off very, very cold. We had to meet at 7:30am to catch the bus to Chianti. Once we got there we grabbed some hot drinks and then set off on our hike. Since it had just rained the day before, the hiking trail was muddy and there were puddles everywhere. We started off on a nice, flat surface, and then we started going down a steep hill. The only problem with going down hills is that you eventually have to go back up. Let's just say I realize how out of shape I am and today my legs are very sore! After the 2-hour hike, we headed to a villa where we met our host, Lorenzo. Lorenzo's family has been in the wine-making business in Chianti for hundreds of years, so he knows a lot about wine! We had the opportunity to sample 3 different types of red wine as well as a white dessert wine. Along with the wine, we enjoyed a 3 course meal of meats, bread and olive oil (also made by Lorenzo's family!), pasta, and biscotti. It was delicious! After the 3-hour-long lunch, it was time to head back to Florence. Everyone was exhausted after the hike and meal that almost everyone slept on the bus ride home. 

After we got back to Florence, I had my first laundromat experience. I lugged my large bag of laundry down the street, past restaurants, bars, clubs, and shops, until I finally reached the closest, cleanest laundromat. I then proceeded to pay 6 euro and about an hour of my time to wash and dry my clothes. Let's just say I am thankful for washing machines and dryers at home!

Today is a rainy day, which is perfect because I have a ton of homework to do for this week. I can't believe we are starting our 4th week of classes tomorrow. In some ways it feels like I just got here, and in other ways I feel like I've been here for forever. I'm just trying to enjoy it while it lasts and soak up every moment!

Brief Update :)

Here is a brief update of what I have been up to lately...

Last week we had Italian classes every day for an hour and a half plus our regular classes. The classes I am taking are Italian, Politics of the European Union, History of Europe in the 20th century, Modern Renaissance Art, and Dante's Commedia (a literature class).  So far the classes haven't been too bad, but the politics class and history class require a lot of reading. They seem fairly interesting though, so that helps. For the art class, we meet in class once a week and go on a "field trip" once a week. Last week we visited the Uffizi, an art museum here in Florence! It was so cool to see the original art that we had talked about in class the day before. All of the art and architecture here is beautiful. There is so much history throughout the city and surrounding areas. For example, walking past the Duomo nearly everyday...awesome!

The weekend was fairly uneventful. On Friday night some friends and I decided to try out the Mexican restaurant down the street (we needed a small break from pizza and paninis). Surprisingly, the Mexican food was delicious! I also had a hamburger this weekend which was also very tasty :) But enough about the food...Saturday was spent walking around the city and then doing homework. I felt pretty lame sitting inside working, but it was cold, so it wasn't all bad. On Sunday I decided to get up fairly early and walk to an American church I had found online, St. James Episcopal Church. It was about a 25 minute walk from my house to an area of the city I had never been before, so it was a nice adventure. The service was very beautiful, but much more traditional that what I am used to. There were a few other college students there and the people were all very friendly and even invited me to a luncheon after the service, but I decided to just head home and eat lunch with my roommates. I think I'll go back next week, or maybe try a different church! Florence is at no loss for churches, so there are plenty to choose from! The problem is finding one where I can understand the service. On Sunday evening, my friend, Ellie, and I went to a ballet at one of the local theaters. The ballet was La bella addormentata, or Sleeping Beauty :) I had never been to a ballet before, but it was beautiful! This weekend we are going to see A Midsummer's Night's Dream which I am really looking forward to. Below is a picture of me at the ballet.

For the rest of the week I am just attending classes and eating my host mother's delicious dinners (we get dinner at home 3 nights a week).  On Saturday a group of us are going on a hike in Chianti, a small town just outside of Florence, for some wine tasting and sight-seeing. Although it may be a little chilly, I am very excited to get out of the smoggy city to the beautiful Tuscan countryside.

I hope all is well at home and you are all surviving the freezing temperatures! Miss you all!

It rains in Italy?!?

As I was packing for my adventure to Italy, everyone I talked to would tell me to "pack my rain boots!". When I arrived in Italy, however, I was pleasantly surprised by sun and very warm temperatures (compared to back home, at least!). Tonight, however, begins the descent back into cold temperatures. It is raining right now and it is very cold. The 10 day forecast is not looking promising, especially for those of us who had planned to travel but have now decided not to due to a chance of SNOW on Saturday. Sadly, though, this is the "normal" weather for this time of year and we just got extremely lucky to arrive during a "heat wave". I guess it's a good thing I packed those boots!

Besides the fact that it actually does rain in Italy, here are some other things I have learned about Florence and the Florentine people:
-Very few people actually drive, most just walk everywhere. And if you do drive, first of all, you're crazy (a class got canceled the other day because the professor got hit by a car on the way to class!), and second of all, you drive a very small, practical car (such as a moped or a Smartcar...or a bike)
-Dogs are allowed anywhere and everywhere. Restaurants, stores, bathrooms, and anywhere else you can imagine. Unfortunately I don't think they know what a pooper-scooper is.
-There is such thing as a bad pizza or panini. You've gotta know the good places!
-There is no such thing as bad gelato, only expensive ones.
-It's not "grat-ZEE", it's "grat-zee-EH", sort of. If you respond with "gratzee", your response will be "pregee". I think they like to make fun of our Italian
-They eat meals WAY later than we do! If you go into a restaurant at 6 or 7, you're basically screaming "I'm American!!!"
-Most of the Florentine people are very friendly and willing to help you out when you need it :)

Well that's all for now! I don't have a very exciting weekend ahead considering the weather, but keep checking back just in case :)

Siena

Today we went to Siena, a fairly small town about an hour away from Florence. It was so beautiful! The churches and cathedrals were amazing, far more extravagant than anything I've seen in the US. The main part of the city was all built inside a wall (for protection) and it was so neat! I learned that the town is divided into 17 districts, or contrade, and they all had really funny names! Some of the names I remember are dragon, goose, forest, eagle, panther, and hippopotamus. There was so much history in this little town! It was originally a banking town, and the oldest, still working bank is located here! Also, this is where St. Catherine of Siena was from and we got to go in her church (San Domenico, the first picture above) and learn a little bit about her. We also saw the Cathedral of Siena which was gorgeous (second picture above)! It took nearly 3 centuries to complete and the carvings and details were so intricate. It was amazing. Perhaps my favorite part was the Piazza del Campo which is basically a huge open area surrounded by beautiful buildings--restaurants, apartments, shops, and businesses (third picture above). Twice each year a famous horse race, The Palio, is held between the 17 contrade. The horses race around the Piazza with a jockey riding bareback and the contrade that wins gets to hold the pride for the whole year until the next race. In recent years, the tortuga contrade has been winning the race often (I guess Aesop was right). After a few hours of touring and exploring, me and a few other girls found a nice pizza place and enjoyed some delicious Sienese pizza on the Piazze del Campo. I hope to be able to go back to Siena since it's so close and spend some more time exploring inside the city walls :)

The first day :)

 

Today we had orientation, got our internet for the school hooked up, got our cell phones, took a little mini-tour of the city, and met with the graduate students from JMU. The tour was beautiful. The buildings are so neat and the little shops are so cute! The first picture is of Ponte Vecchio and the second picture is from the back of the Duomo. I still don't know much about any of the buildings, but I'm sure I will learn all about them. The weather was perfect for walking around the city--mid-50s and sunny (much better than at home!) Classes start tomorrow--I have Italian, Modern Renaissance Art, and Politics of the EU. Although I am not typically a big fan of classes, I think I'm going to like them this semester :) 

I've arrived!

Well, I'm here! After a very long trip, I have arrived safely in Florence :) It all started at around 1:15 p.m. on January 10 when Mom, Dad, Anna, Adam, and I left Harrisonburg and headed up to Dulles in D.C.  At this point, I was experiencing quite a plethora of emotions.  At one moment I would be so excited, then the next moment I'd be dreading it, then the next moment I'd be nervous, and then I would go through those same emotions over and over again.  When the time finally came to say goodbye to my family, I couldn't help but cry.  I have never been away from home for more than a few weeks at a time and I still can't believe that it will be that long until I see my family again.  But after hugs and kisses and tears, I walked away, giving one last final wave before heading down the stairs to security.  Luckily I was traveling with another girl from my trip, Ellie! She helped me a lot to not be sad and she just kept reminding me about how much fun we are going to have and how awesome the experience is going to be.  Anyways...after making it safely and smoothly through security (no pat-downs here!), we were off to our terminal.  We stopped and got some Starbucks and then we boarded the plane.  The plane was HUGE!  We each had our own t.v., so I watched a movie (The Social Network), played some games on my iPod, listened to music, and got about a quarter of the way through a book.  Although I tried to sleep, I was (unfortunately) unsuccessful.  The seats were very cramped and it was extremely hard to get comfortable.  I did decide one thing on this trip...one day, I WILL fly 1st class. 

So after a 7 hour, 45 minute flight, we landed in Frankfurt, Germany.  Having only a 1-hour layover, we had to hurry through security and we were able to get right on our flight.  This plane was smaller but I would say about 75% of the passengers were college students on the way to Florence for the semester.  There was one group from Syracuse, New York with almost 40 people on the flight! I guess a lot of college students had the same idea as me! After landing in Florence, we were met by 2 of our group leaders who gave us some information and then got us a taxi to our homestay.  The taxi drive took FOREVER, or so it seemed.  We were winding in and out of streets and the drivers here are crazy! I was trying to enjoy the opportunity in the taxi to see the city and sort of figure out where I am, but all the twists and turns sort of through me off! Finally, the taxi driver dropped me off in front of my homestay and I was on my own.  I rang the doorbell and waited. And waited. And waited some more.  Finally, my host mom, Signora Rovai, greeted me and brought me in.  She showed me to my room and showed me around the house. I was the first of my roommates to arrive (the others aren't even here yet!) so I got to choose my bed and closet and I am already unpacked! After settling in I got to Skype with Mom and Dad and I even got to wake Adam up through Skype :) I am so glad to have technology that allows me to stay so in touch with them! 

Wow, sorry that was so long. I'm partially doing this for my own sake so that I can look back and remember what happened and I don't have to write it down :) Oh, and it's raining. I think I should get used to the rain.

Good thing I love pizza and pasta!

As some of you may know, I will be leaving on January 10 for Florence, Italy through the James Madison University study abroad program. I will be in Florence (or Firenze as the Italians say!) for three and a half months where I will be taking classes such as Italian, Art History, European History, Political Science, and Literature. I also plan on doing LOTS of traveling throughout Italy as well as other places in Europe (I've never been to Europe before so there is quite a bit I'd like to see!).

Over the past few weeks many people have asked, "Are you nervous?" In short, the answer is YES, I am terrified. I have never been away from home for more than a few weeks at a time and I know NOBODY else on the trip. On the other hand, I know that this experience will be life-changing and I am pretty sure I will have the time of my life. I look forward to meeting new people, experiencing new things, seeing cool places, learning more about the world, and most importantly, learning more about myself.

Anyways...keep checking back for more updates throughout the next few months! I'll try to post regularly about my adventures! :)