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!