Regali di Firenze

Hey all, I had a pretty mellow weekend around Firenze. Exams are fast approaching so my traveling days are over. This weekend there was a handcraft festival in Santa Croce so we spent the entire day outside eating and walking and shopping and speaking in italian to practice for our exams. Here are some pictures! Its raining here today so that makes it easier to study. Next week is filled with lots of tests and whatnot and then the week after is exams and my plane home! Pretty crazy!

This weekend goes down in the books!

Okay friends, so this past weekend (it is now Sunday) definitely goes down in the books as one of the best weekends of my entire life. I was feeling a little bit uneasy the other day when I counted how many days I had left and realized that it was a very low number. I wasn't sure I was ready to go back to the States (am I ever going to be ready!?) but after this weekend, I have decided that I truly have gotten the best experiences I could out of my time here in Italia, and I can go back now! 

So, on Friday morning, Danielle and I got up very early and hopped a train to Milano. I had never been, but Danielle has been about 5 times now. Her friend Daniel is in fashion design school there for a year and his cousin from Philly, Evan, is visiting him for a couple of weeks. We met up with them last weekend in Cinque Terre too! Once we arrived in Milano, we checked into the hotel, dropped our bags and went out. It was about midday and we walked to the Duomo. I love the Duomo in Milano because there is a gigantic piazza and the building is so unique and sharp and beautiful. The windows have this really neat swily movement of stone thing going for them. Then we took the metro to Daniel's apartment where, of course, he was still getting dressed! His apartment is SO cool. First of all, the outside has one of those gigantic doors with the tiny door cut out in the bottom. And then you walk in and there's this Rocky Horror Picture Show'esque elevator made of wood and glass and it goes up the middle of the spiral staircase. So cool! After about an hour of trying to help Daniel decide what to wear, we all went out. First stop was Corso Como Dieci, pretty much the most expensive stuff I have ever seen in my entire life. All designer, Prada, etc. Crazy stuff! So we looked around and spoke in very hushed voices and pretend to look like we belonged, and then we sat down in the garden for tea. My favorite part of CCD is the bookstore (all really amazing beautiful art and design books) and the garden. there are birds and this enclosure of ivy and leaves and its just beautiful. So we sat down and had french coffees and then got on our way. 

After CCD we stopped at a couple of vintage stores and then stopped to get awesome awesome awesome pizza that they cut with scissors!!! And then we went to see Vincent. Now, I have been hearing... a lot, about Vincent. He is a shoe store owner who used to design for some major major people and he carries other peoples designs and some of his own. Daniel has brought pretty much all of his friends there and he and Vincent now know each other very well. so I was pretty much in shoe heaven. There was one part when I was standing in the middle of about 7 pairs of shoes! Vincent and I bonded over shoes and I can't wait for him to visit NYC, I told him he should open a store there. 

After Vincent we went for Aperitivo at one of the coolest bars I have ever been to. We walked in and it looks like sort of an in and out, eat at the counter type places, but then you keep walking, back through the kitchen and this hallway and it opens up into this very dark almost cave-like area with couches. There were trees growing out of the ground! And it was rainy so it was even cooler. There were all of these tall candles lit, it was very neat. So we grabbed passionfruit cocktails there and then some of Daniel's fashion school friends met up with us and we all chatted and such. Then it was getting a little bit late so the girls and the boys split up and went to get ready for dinner. We all met at Daniel's and then, (here is where it gets really good!) we went to Armani/Nobu!!!!!!

Okay, holy sushi! This stuff was amazing. Now, I haven't been to Nobu in New York, but it's going to have to happen now. We got so many different kinds, and they made us this one roll, that wasn't on the menu, but it was some sort of Salmon thing, and it was the best sushi I  have ever had in my entire life. It was AMAZING. The Salmon was so creamy it completely melted in my mouth. It was so good! After Nobu we walked past the Duomo at night and through the galleria which was gorgeous. We stomped on the bull's balls (it's what you are supposed to do!) and turned around for good luck. And then it was late, so we parted ways and went to bed! The next morning we got up early (again) and hopped a train back to Firenze. We dropped our stuff at the house and rain out for a quick light bite, gelato, and a fast look around the antique fair. Then we went to the Duomo and a quick visit to our friends at Jules e Jim  and look at the new stuff. After the whirlwind tour of Firenze we crossed the Arno and went to Borgo Antico for a little Aperitivo. We got some prosciutto and pancetta and salami and olives and pizza and potatoes and cocktails and chatted for about an hour before we went back to the apartment. We changed, very fast, organized a little bit and then we headed out to go see Bob Dylan in concert!!!!

It was so amazing! We got there and to our spots as the first song was beginning. We had a great view from the balcony and he put on an amazing show. There was no fluff, no opening band, no intermission, no encore, just straight music. He did some old stuff and some new stuff and a lot of the old stuff he revamped in a new (and great) way! The crowd was awesome because it was completely mixed: american, Italian, etc. and the age range was unbelievable. There was some seriously older people there rocking out and then people our age and then people younger. It was a great energy and one of the best shows I have ever been to - he is such a rock star! 

After Bob we were all still really revved up so went to The William for a drink and then home to bed! Today  I have tons of work to do, but I will post pictures later. Overall, it was one of the best weekends I have had. Sitting otuside Corso Como Dieci with Daniel and Evan and Danielle was one of my favorite moments because were all goofing off and being silly and dorky, but we were also having the most engaging conversations about art and fashion and politics and food and everything. It is really refreshing to be around people that are creative and intelligent and passionate but also not afraid to just be themselves and act like huge losers and have fun! It's sort of hard to convey why this weekend was such a turning point but it just felt like this chapter had come full circlebut still ended in a place very different from where it began (if that makes sense). Now I just have to get through exams and then I am back in New York City! I have next weekend and then the weekend after is my last and I do feel like I have done everything I wanted to here, I could obviously always do more, but I don't feel like I missed anything! Okay, I have got to get to work now or I will never finish the semester! Pics are here!! Baci!

Sorry!

Sorry that didn't work too well! Heres some pictures:

Rome and Cooking class in Firenze

Cinque Terre

Food Fashion and Fun Part 1

Okay ya'll! So, since I was in Torino, I went back to Rome and then to Cinque Terre and Viareggio. 

 

Let's start in Rome. Since I have been to Rome to tour and eat before, I was really excited to go back with my Sociology of the Arts class. I know my way around pretty well now, so it was really just like going to another city to hang out for the weekend without any sort of touristy obligations. I could leave without feeling like I missed a thing! So, we got up early and my entire class (all 5 of us) We went to the Futurist exhibit at a museum in Rome. It was really interesting because the Italians are so proud of the 100th anniversary of Futurism, as they should be! The exhibit was very interesting and my professor is brilliant so it was quite the experience. Then we all went to lunch and drank wine and ate pasta and talked about politics in Italy and America and what its like to be a student here and back in the States. Our guide is going to law school in Philly next semester so we all exchanged contact info and now she can see the other side of things! 

Food Fashion and Fun Part 2

 

After lunch we spontaneously decided to go to this other exhibit that was in a private villa that had been opened to the public. It was an exhibit of advertisements that were inspired by or created by Futurists. They were so beautiful and poignant and creative and classic and innovative all at the same time. It totally reminded me of my grandpa. After that, the rest of the class returned to Firenze and my suitemate, Seta, and I remained a Roma. We checked into our hotel and went out to dinner by the Trevi fountain at a restaurant called Arancia (or something like that). Great fish, great wine, great dessert. To be 100% honest, this past weekend of food has completely clouded my food memory...but we'll get to that! 

The next day we went to the Pantheon and some other places. Most importantly I had INCREDIBLE granita di caffe. For lunch we went to this tiny spot near Piazza Navona and had wine and cheese and olives...for about three hours. We then went to this little store where everything is made my monks, and its been there, FOREVER. Very cute. I may have bought a leather purse..or two.... Then we went to the Jewish section and I want to go into the Sinogoga but it was closed :(. So we went housewares shopping. 

For dinner we trekked around try and find a restaurant called La Peonia, but it was closed, so we veered off and wandered until we stumbled upon another restaurant that had been recomended to me. The food was AMAZING. I have never had Rigatoni matriciana like that. Perfectly cooked, perfectly peppered.  

Food Fashion and Fun Part 2 again

And I had a carciofi that was basically like potato chips, made out of artichokes! For dessert we had an unbelievable cream cake thing that I cannot even begin to describe. The crust seemeed to be made out of the dough that they make lobster claws out of..but it was soft in some places, and flaky in others. Then there was that delicious unpasteurized (sp?) cream business, then on top, the best part, were all of these thin rows of some sort of sugare creation. Like the brown sugary chewy part of cowtails, except not in that artificial chemical tasting way, but in that delicious sweet and texture way. So great. The next morning we overslept and missed our train.... C'e la vita. 

 

This week was actually a fun week at school. Well, the end of the week. On Thursday night, one of our friends who gave us a tour at the modern art museum here told us about a friend of his who is exhibiting her photographs at a bar/cafe on the other side of the river. So we went got some gelato, went to the antique fair (I got the coolest door knocker of all time) and then went a tiny bit of vintage shopping..I got shoes... After that we we met up with Martino for some Aperitivo  at his friends art exhibit and he introduced us to the artist. She was very cool and we actually spoke for a really long time. It was really neat that she actually sat and talked with us because the place was packed! After that we went to this really fun relaxed bar/cafe called Rex where there was live music (which was a surprise to us!) and then a Dj. Also, the woman who runs one of our favorite vintage shops (where I got the shoes) bartends there. It's super nice because we have started to build up a community here, so its great to see people we know when we go out. My roomate Danielle has gotten to be friends with one of the DJs at Rex...whose name is Danielle Cavalli - thats right! Roberto Cavalli's son! 

At Rex we met up with our friend Alexandra who is dating a guy that lives here so we met up with his friends as well. All of his friends were so warm to the both of us, kisses on both cheeks, italian conversation, it was great. We see them all over and its so nice to have friends around the city. After Rex we went home and went to bed! 

Food Fashion and Fun Part 3

On Friday we slept in and then spent the entire day shopping. That's right, the entire day. We went to an early Aperitivo at La Cite which is a library/cafe. They have a sign up that says that "This is a library, there should be no solitary studying but instead loud social interaction", so its that kind of place (I'm paraphrasing here, btw). A couple of NYU students jam there on Thursday or Friday nights with Florentine musicians so it's a really eclectic crowd in a really creative environment. After jazz we went to Santo Bevitore for dinner, one of our favorite restaurants in Firenze,  I had a DELICIOUS extremely spicy sausage pasta. Then we went home early to go to bed! 

Saturday (yesterday morning!) we woke up at 6 and hopped a train all the way up to La Spezia, which is near Genova. Cinque Terre is a group of 5 hill towns connected by hiking trails (8 miles in total) right on the coast. The towns are all built into the mountains and they are painted the most beautiful pinks and yellows. We got into Monterosso (the first town) and walked around a bit. It is the most resort like of all of the towns, so we tasted some pesto (delicious) and got some focaccia and this crazy milky pinenutty hazelnutty cookie thing from a place that was recommended to me. It was very weird, but still very tasty. A little too oily though. Then we took the ferry to Vernazza, the most beautiful of the towns. We climbed up this tower and saw a beautiful view of the ocean, the mountains, and the town. Then we sat down for lunch. Now, we knew we had to go heavy on the seafood, but we had no idea what we were in for. We started with a wine, Vermentino, created by a female producer who makes a tiny amount of wine only for this restaurant. We were sitting outside at a table in the Piazza and the gentleman who was our waiter pointed up to a vineyardup the hill from us, which is the exact vineyard where our wine was grown. It was so cool to sit there and drink it and look at where it came from. So we ordered octopus with potatoes and mussels. The octopus was amazing, not rubbery at all. It was so fresh that the texture was just soft and it was interesting with the potatoes, the flavor was great! The mussels were the best mussels of my entire life. They were bright orange and they came with two lemons on the plate that were literally plucked from the tree in the same town. Ridiculous. Next we had trofie with Pesto. Ok. Pesto. Pesto was created in Genova, and now I know why. This pesto was SO fresh!!!!! The pasta was cooked perfectly, the right amount of chewyness and cheese and we scarfed. I'm telling you, Pesto is ruined for me, forever. 

Food, Fashion and Fun Part 4

We came around to dessert and we couldnt decide what we wanted. So we ordered caffe corretos and the waiter picked our desserts for us. We told him we wanted two, so he sent out five. Panna cotta, chocolate mousse, frutti di bosco crostata, marble cake and nutella cake. They were all amazing. Every single one of them. Then we had limoncino, which is pretty much the same as lemoncello, except its particular to the north. So delicious. There were lemon trees all over Cinque Terre and it just doesn't get any fresher than that!

After lunch we laid out on the rocks (there isn't much beach) while we waited for Daniel and Evan to meet up with us. Once they arrived in Vernazza we hiked to Corniglia. Little did we know that Vernazza to Corniglia was one of the two harder sections of the hike but it was nice to work off lunch. After about an hour and  a half we were SO hot and sweaty from the hike! We were trying to find this private beach I heard about in Corniglia but all we found was a sewer, so we took our shoes off, dipped our feet in the ocean (it was freezing!) and changed out of our gross clothes. We were starving so we took the train to Monarola, which is another of the five towns. This one is more residential but I heard about a restaurant there so we hiked all the way up this hill to find this tiny restaurant tucked away into the mountain side. There were three floors but it was a tiny place, it just had to be three floors because of the way the mountain was shaped an how the building hugged the mountain. They didn't have a table right away so we waited around while the sun set and then finally they took us. We ate inside, opposite a lemon tree. So cool. 

Food Fashion and Fun Part 5

Okay. So there were 5 of us. We ordered a bottle of red and one of white. We ordered a 2 person portion of pasta with lobster and a 5 person branzino. The guy brought the gigantic fish over to the table for us, asked us if it was okay, we said yes, then he took it in back to cook it. Once the lobster dish arrived, I knew we were in for a serious meal. Basically, think about a lobster, caught that day, cooked perfectly, butterflied down the middle, with a gigantic portion of perfectly cooked tagliolini in tomato sauce slopped on top. We went to town. I thoroughly respect everybody that I was at dinner with that night after we all attacked that lobster. There was NOTHING left. It was so flavorful and the pasta complimented the lobster perfectly. After the lobster, the Branzino came. Oh my goodness. It was served with olives and potatoes (which Daniel called "little cooked pieces of gold in oil" which was spot on). The fish was amazing. It was so fresh that it tasted like the ocean, but in the most subtle way. It wasn't the most delicate fish in the world, but it tasted so light and amazing. Never had fish like this before (except at Vetri in Philly!). We ate every last drop (including the cheeks!!). For dessert we got a dessert wine that was made right there in Monarola with a panna cotta, strawberries with lemon juice, tiramisu, and then they sent out an almond semifreddo. After dinner we took the train to Viareggio, another beach town a little bit south. We went right to bed because dinner was hours long. In the morning we got up, got espresso and went to the beach. It was sort of a jersey-shore esque beach but its Italy so it was beautiful and relaxing nonetheless. We got pizza and iced espresso for lunch and then headed back to Firenze. It was such a relaxing and beautiful weekend, and I had some of the best food of my life! I am going to post pictures but I have so many that they will be up later, don't forget to check them out! I also took a lot of film this weekend so you'll just have to wait until you see me to see those!!!! Next weekend is a big weekend - Milan (I'm going to Nobu!) Bob Dylan concert in Firenze, and the antique fair in Lucca! Phew! 

I'm okay!

Hey everybody, I just wanted to let you know that I am fine. The earthquake did not hit Florence and if we felt it, I was asleep. I will update you guys more later, but I wanted to just post that I am fine!

Mangia, Mangia!

So! I spent yesterday and today in Torino. By far, my favorite city in Italia (that I have visited). It is a primarily baroque-looking city that has the most beautiful monuments, interesting and diverse museums and overall just a really cool vibe. 

I took a five hour train to get there. It seems like it would be stressful, but the train ride was beautiful. One of the stops was La Spezia, which is right in the heart of Cinque Terre. It is on the coast and when I say on the water, I mean, train, dropoff, ocean. It was gorgeous! I cannot wait to go there in a couple of weeks. 

Once I arrived in Torino I checked into my hotel and almost immediately met up with Tito. Tito is a friend if a friend of mom's who has a restaurant in Torino and is about to open in Chicago. We got in his car and he drove me all the way to a tiny vineyard in between Asti and Alba (considered Asti though). The drive consisted of tiny roads that wound up a hill. Eventually, we surrounded by vineyards on all sides. 360 degrees of grapevines as far as I could see. The gentleman whose vineyard we were going to told me that in the summer, he can tell what kinds of grapes grow and who they belong to based on the shades of green of the vineyard. Pretty remarkable. 

So, deep in the hear of the Langhe, we finally arrived at this 4 hectare vineyard. The older gentleman and his wife had been running the vineyard but now live in the town and their two sons run the show now. We got  a tour of their cave, their land, and pretty much all of their production equipment. 

This vineyard was unlike any other because it was completely biologico, which means they do not use any poisons. Im talking, these guys still squich grapes with their feet! Not all of the wine, but some of it. 

When we arrived, the mother was putting out plates and silver and cheese and salami for us. She was apologizing for not preparing a better meal because she didn't know we hadn't eaten lunch. It was unbelievable. This was the type of place that all farmers and wine makers live. So the cheese was from one of their neighbors, and the salami was from down the street, and, of course, it was all unbelievable.  We had a cows milk cheese and a sheeps milk cheese with honey, and some focaccia and then they brought out barbera grape mustard which was soooo good on the cheese!  The mother kept saying Mangia Mangia! The entire time we were tasting wine too. First we tasted a dolcetto d'asti, then the barbera. That one was amazing. After that we tasted a wine that had been completely untreated and squished by the older gentleman's feet. It wasn't better than the barbera, but it was a completely new taste to me. I don't think I have ever had wine that pure. The older man and I could barely understand each other, but between my broken italian and his passion and expression, we could understand a lot. After the tasting we walked about the property and I tasted some wine that hadn't aged completely yet. He basically used a turkey baster to get it out of the barrel and into glasses for us. Next we got to taste their Passito which is left on the vine until November!! It is a gorgeous color because it is unfiltered. Sort of a peachy amber goldenness. I left with 3 bottles of wine and truly unique experience. 

Then, Tito drove us to Alba where the truffles are harvested. (this is the wrong time of year, but I got to see some MASSIVE truffles). Its a tiny town but it is completely focused on food and wine - my kind of town! Then we drove through Barolo and then back to Torino. After a short sightseeing drive through Torino, I went back to the hotel to change. 

Later, Tito picked me up and brought me to his restaurant. Waiting there was a regular costumer of his and two more ladies joined us later. We all sat down and joked and in some english and some italian we had an unbelievable meal. We drank bottles and bottles of Pira Barbera d'Alba. I ate beef carpaccio with parmesan and celery and then a homemade Barolo pasta with some sort of meat in it. It was all unbelievably delicious. The Barolo pasta, Tito told me, doesn't get red enough when they mix the Barolo with the flour, so they add some beet juice to make it red. I loved hearing this because it is a perfect example of the difference between Italian food and American food. Americans would just add red food coloring. It was also really nice because Sorin and Fabrizio (his waitstaff - yes, two of them!) were so nice and welcoming and there was such a family feel. It was really nice to be back in the restaurant world again and among friends. 

After dessert (I couldn't tell you what it was called - but it was similar to a flan) We drove up the museum of the alps which provides the most incredible view of the entire city. It is a truly beautiful city and I hope to get back there at some point. I could not believe how welcoming Tito and all of his friends were and I am so grateful. I hope that when he comes to New York, I can be even half as welcoming! Here are some pictures of the weekend, although I have to tell you, I spent a lot of my time eating and drinking instead of taking pictures! 

Brief Tangent

I know this is not particularly relevant to my time in Italy, but in some ways I think it is. Here is an article that appeared in the Times today about the food movement in the States:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/business/22food.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=business

Ok ok, I know!

Hey Everybody, I know it has been FOREVER since I posted and I am sorry! This is partially because about 50% of the people who read this were here in Italy with me. 

Midterms was really hectic, especially since most of the professors here still have yet to return work so we have no way of knowing if we a they're going well or not. Va bene. I'll let you know when I get stuff back.  

Anyway, so spring break began. That Thursday I took a train to Venezia and met up with Dad and Leslie. Highlists included incredible food, a gondola ride (he sang....) great glass shopping and waking up really early to go to the local fish market and take pictures. Now, you all know I'm not a huge fish fan, but this stuff was amazing. One thing that I have noticed about Italy is how incredible the natural colors are. We saw scallops in the shell with the brightest orange I have ever seen. Pretty neat. 

After Venice we took a train down to Firenze. We were having a long talk when the guy next to us chimed in. It turns out he is an expert in sustainable energy which is exactly what we were talking about. It is such a small world. Anyway, in Firenze I got to show them the ropes, gelato, sandwiches, etc. Then we went on to Siena. Incredible food in Siena too and a bottle of wine I can still taste when I think about it. Also, the best coffee cheesecake I ever tasted in my life. 

We also saw this really neat exhibit about insanity. After the exhibit I met up with Mom and David. We had a realllllly long leaisurely lunch before taking the train back to Firenze. Again I got to be the tour guide - gelato and sandwiches...the sacrifices I have to make...Anyway! We went to Boboli and then were sort of Firenze-d out so we took off to Bologna for lunch. Veal tonato. YUM. BAck to Firenze for some truly unbelievable meals. Then we headed off to Rome where I got to see the Pantheon again, which I was so excited about because it is one of my favorite places in Italy. We went to this fish restaurant. Oh my goodness! I have never had fish like this! I ate sea urchin. Which was....interesting...but I am glad I tried it! And we had scorpion fish too. Very cool.

Finally I went to the train station and came back to Firenze. It was quite the week of traveling. When I got back here, I had a night to myself (which was a welcome change) and then the next day Danielle came home with her friend Dan. We had a really relaxing day of just hanging out in cafes and shopping. It was a pleasant change of pace. 

In terms of the next six weeks (because that is all  I have left!) I was planning on traveling a lot but I think I might take it down a notch. There is this really intense pressure to travel since we are in Europe and most of my classmates are running off every weekend to Cairo and Budapest and Prague and whatnot. I think it's great that they are traveling and I had the same plans, but I find it is really hard to truly experience a culture that way, so I have come to terms with my lack of traveling. It would wear me out by May and this is supposed to be my "vacation"! 

So I am not going to all of the crazy places I planned on. I am going back to Rome in  a couple of weeks with class which I am very excited about because I LOVE Rome. I may go on to another city from there, but I am not sure yet. Then I think I am going to Cinque Terre for Easter long weekend to relax. And I might go to Milan, but thats about it! I am sort of excited about it. I have decided to make the most of Firenze even though I don't love it. We have gotten to the point where we know some really nice local restaurants and places for aperitivo and coffee in the afternoon so its nice not to come home right after school and feel cooped up. 

Also, the school has gotten involved with some neat local activities. For example there is an aperitivo tomorrow at an art gallery which is showing some works from students here and the profits go to an organization fighting violence against women. Pretty nifty. There is also a jazz jam with Florentine musicians every thursday that we go to. Its a nice way to wind down from the week. 

Another funny thing - the guy at the gelato place has started to recognize me and my roomates and give us discounts. I always get the same thing - a small (or medium...) cone with dark chocolate and crema with toasted almonds. Anyway, I go down there tonight and there is a handwritten addition to the list of flavors: Dark chocolate with toasted almond. I was so excited! 

Well, thats pretty much it for now. I am shopping a lot since it's spring (is that an excuse?). Well check out pics from break! Here and here. 

Mi Manchi! P.S I know that they are all food pictures. I am very aware. 

Elle is here!!!/Rome

Hey all, don't have much time to post, but elle is here in Firenze visiting me and we met in Rome so I will post more later but for now, here's pictures. 

Start here, 

then look at these, 

then finish with these. 

and this was an art gallery I went to before I left, with really cool architecture. 

Okay I will fill everybody in later on all of the things I have been eating and drinking and doing. I miss everybody lots. Ciao ciao

Pisa and London

Ciao Tutti! Sorry about not posting for a bit, I have been traveling non-stop and I am trying to recover! I spent last weekend in London and stopped on in Pisa on the way. I had to take a train from Firenze station to Pisa Centrale. Then we walked around Pisa for a bit looking for the tower. I got hopelessly lost, of course, and stopped a nice looking italian woman to ask for directions. She told me that she was walking in that direction and would just walk us there! We ended up having a pretty elementary but nonetheless interesting conversation entirely in Italian and then we saw the tower. It is surprisingly leany! 

We were lucky enough to be traveling on a beautiful day and the backdrop for the tower and the baptistry was just beautiful. We took some disgustingly touristy pictures holding the tower up and such (because you just have to). Then I hopped on a train from centro to the aeroporto and then got on my flight to London. 

That night we went to dinner at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen in London. I have to say, I have been wanting to go to this restaurant more than any other, possibly in the world. The philosophy behind this food institution is brilliant and it occupies a space in the world that is full of potential. The resource that this restaurant is and is expanding upon taps into a world of power and hopefully promise. I sat in the dining room, but there is also a bar and a trattoria and they are also open for lunch and dinner. I have to commend them for being able to capitalize on as many shifts as they can and stay packed (the couple next to us told their server they had been trying to get in for 2 years). 

That being said, I was slightly disappointed by the meal. The service was good but slightly inattentive (water glasses empty at times and we were given the amuse bouche once at the beginning of our meal and once in the middle - incorrectly of course) and upon eavesdropping on the server at the table next to us who was doing wine service, he seemed to be, frankly, bullshitting. 

The meal had some highlights though! The amuse bouche was delicious, some combination of ginger, scallops pomegranate, etc. Perfect size and definetely woke up the palate. Next came primi piatti. We had devonshire crab (well seasoned and tasted fresh) and beef carpaccio. The carpaccio had good flavor (balsamic, arugula, cheese) but was sliced too thick which made the texture funny. 

Next came pappardelle with ragu and "bocca di lupo" which is a superstitious phrase meaning "mouth of wolf". Italians say it instead of good luck. Apparently it is also a pasta shape. Well the flavors were amazing, lemon and some sort of nut and deliciousness but the pasta was undercooked! Not al dente. Not cooked. Weird. 

Next came the pork (well cooked, tender) which was a tiny portion. And the Turbot which was paired beautifully with jerusalem artichokes and spinach. But the turbot was too oily and the top was overcooked making it taste like a potato latke. Dessert was good, chocolate semifreddo with blood oranges (soaked in liquor to the point of not being able to recognize them) and lemon tart (perfectly torched sugar on top) with creme fraiche. The end! 

So the next day I saw all of London in a day! Buckhingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Big Ben, House of Parliament, The London Eye, the NAtional Gallery. I think thats it! The National Gallery was my favorite part. I saw The  Ambassadors, which I had been studying two days before in one of my classes, and van Gogh's Sunflowers, and works by Rembrandt, Turner, Hals, etc. It was amazing. And free!!! Then I hopped back on a plane, train, automobile, train, another train, etc. Finally I am home and midterms are coming up and such so I am working hard on that. Elle comes this Friday and we are going to Rome! fun fun! I am planning lots of trips and such. 

On Thursday nights there is a jazz jam at a local cafe/bar between some nyu music students (unbelievable talent) and local florentine musicians. Its super fun and the aperitivo is delicious and the wine is awesome. And, its every thursday. Anyway! I got to run, dinner time (fettucine alfredo with brussel sprouts). Ciao ciao

Switzerland!

Ciao! Sorry it's been a few days since my last post, I was in Switzerland without any internet for the weekend! What an incredible trip! We left Thursday night, rushing around after class to get to the bus by 7pm. As we left the apartment it started pouring (again) and we were rushing past the Duomo with bells ringing, it was sort of cryptic! We eventually got to the station with about 80 other students and piled into two buses, ours didn't have a bathroom, of course. We drove for 8 hours through Italy. We passed Lake Como which was gorgeous - it was night - but it was all illuminated by the gorgeous moon and the mountains were reflecting into the water. This view continued for the rest of our ride! Eventually, around 3 am, we arrived at Balmer's Herberage, the youth hostel we were staying at. We were put into a room with 30 other beds (all full) and that was that! The next morning we woke up and went immediately to reception to book our activities. 

The hostel was nice. Well, it was a typical hostel, except for the fact that it was occupied by mostly American students, which was sort of a let down since part of the hostel experience is meeting other travelers. There was a lot of pure American drunkenness but the days were so much fun that it didn't matter. 

On Saturday the weather was sunny and a little bit cloudy but not too bad. We walked around town a little bit and then we met up with our pilots for paragliding. We hopped in the van and picked up two more girls at the train station then met up with the rest of the pilots at the landing site. We were waiting for everybody to be ready when an older woman (probably in her mid 60s) climbed in the van from just finishing her flight. She was telling us how amazing it was so we got really excited! Next thing we know we are driving up the mountain with the pilots suiting up in boots. So, I guess someone decided I was going first so I put on my pack and got ready with my pilot Robert. He says he will count down from 3 and then I should start walking down the mountain then running. We have to wait for abotu 20 minutes until the tailwind dies down and then he counts down and we run! We were almost immediately lifted off the ground and we were in the air flying! Paragliding is neat because you can steer it so we were going in and our of the mountains and over the lakes and such. It was absolutely beautiful and such an adrenaline rush. Right before we landed Robert asked me if I wanted to do some acrobatics; I obviously said yes so before I know it we were swinging from side to side in the air and then we were spinning downwards, almost like a corkscrew. Then we landed! It was such an incredible way to see Interlaken!! 

After paragliding we went out for crappy Thai food and then called it a night. 

The next day we woke up early and got ready to go snowshoeing. It was raining in Interlaken when we met up with Matt, our guide. He actually got in the car and said "Hello, my name's Matt and I'll be your guide for the day" I didn't think people actually said that for real! He was Australian and he ahd some incredible travel stories. We drove up the mountain and then took a cable car that disappeared into the snowy forests. We started our hike from a restaurant tucked away in the slopes. It was really hard in the beginning but eventually most of us got the hang of the snow shoes and had tons of fun. We opted to go the hard way whenever we could and even though we all fell (even Matt) it was so much fun! At the top of the mountain we got chocolate as a snack and then we headed back down which was just as hard as going uphill! The adrenaline rush was awesome and by the time we finished I was ready to go around again. We took the cable car back down and had to put treads on the truck to get down the mountain since the snowfall had accumulated while we were hiking. 

That night we went out for cheese fondue, locally brewed beer and Rosti, a local dish made of potato hash browns, various meats, with a fried egg on top. 

That night we met these two Australian girls from Adelaide who were traveling for four weeks before going to Thailand. I was super jealous of them because they were just picking places on a map and going there and staying in hostels. Pretty neat way to travel! Anyway, the next morning we met up with them and walked into town. All of the activities were cancelled due to too much snow so we just meandered around. I got chocolate fondue and french fries, of course, at a local restaurant before we jumped on the bus to come home. 

There was 5 feet of snowfall on the way home and a landslide had blocked the tunnel on our original route so we had to take a 2 hour detour. Our trip ended up being 11 hours and we didn't get in until 3 am but it was still worth every minute. Overall it was an incredible weekend. I got to do things I never thought I would be able to and I felt incredible the entire time. Switzerland is a truly unique place. There is no noise allowed on Sundays or after 10 (they are surprisingly strict about this). Every male serves in the military for 7 months when he is 18 and then 6 weeks every year until he is 35 - meaning every grown male in Switzerland is a trained fighter with a complete army kit. And they have never been in a war! They also ALL recycle and compost. The water is so blue it looks like windex. It is an unbelievably serene and calming place. I was relaxed the entire time I was there and I have been writing a lot on my own so it was the perfect place to catch up. 

Tonight we wanted vegetables for dinner as a change from all of the Swiss chocolate we had been eating but all of the stands were closed by the time we got home so I attempted to make risotto. It actually came out really good (reference to my roomates here) and I am really excited! It was a Sangiovese risotto with mushrooms and a side of sauteed fennel. The fennel was a little bit overcooked but I'll get it next time. The risotto was the perfect texture and the flavor was incredible. I was really surprised by how easy it was to make. I think Italian ingredients just makes everything easier. 

Well, that should catch everything up. I am going to Pisa and London this weekend - I am eating at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen and I honestly am so excited I cannot concentrate. I will post again before then. Don't forget to check out pics from the last post and there are most pics of me flying to come, I have to get them from my friend. Mi manchi molto. Ciao!

!!!!!!!

I have no time at all, its 4am. I just got home from Switzerland, heres pics - more to come later with amazing stories to follow!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007945&l=0695a&id=1243530026

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007944&l=8d59a&id=1243530026

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007949&l=268c1&id=1243530026

yeah! theres three!!!!!!

Updating Travel Schedule

Here is my tentative updated travel schedule:

5/2-8/2 Interlaken

12/2 - 15/2 Pisa.London

19/2-22/2 Elle comes to visit!!! (Rome... Anywhere!)

26/2 - 1/3 Parma, Modena

5/3 - 15/3 Spring Break!!!! (Florence, Siena, Venice)

19/3 - 22/3 Lucca (Antique fair this weekend!!!) Bologna

26/3 - 29/3Montefalco (Birthday weekend celebration!)

2/4 - 5/4 Rovereto/Lake Garda (Centennial celebration of the futurist manifesto)

9/4 - 14/4 Greece or Castello Fiorano

16/4 - 19/4 Amalfi Coast/Capri

23/4 - 26/4 Cinque Terre

30/4 - 3/5 Sevilla (Flamenco Festival) 

8/5 - back to the US of A

Okay, we will see how much of that I actually do!

Catching up

So its been a few days since I have really posted, so I have a few things to catch everybody up on. 

Classes are going well. I have a lot of homework but it is all interesting so I don't mind doing it so much. My italian class is getting a little bit better even though it is mostly in english (we are currently watching an italian movie with english substitles - what is the point!?) but we had a quiz the other day which I think I did well on. Unfortunately, my professor, Domenico has started asking me to correct the mistakes of others in the class which is not really a proper way to approach the situation, but at least it is more challenging for me. I am teaching myself a lot of italian too, I am now reading children's books in Italian (with the help of a dictionary always) and have just worked my way through the story of Pandora in Italian. My extra curricular reading lately is cookbooks and children's books....

My politics class is pretty much the same format as my topics class in NYC but the material is more interesting since we are really learning about the roots of "democracy" and it is a truly interesting time to be learning about such a thing. It also corresponds nicely with the time period that we are studying in my sociology of the arts class. 

 

My SOA class is definetely my favorite class. My professor is an old Italian lady named Professor Ciacci (pronounced Cha-chee) who speaks great english but lapses into Italian during our lectures (somehow an interesting 2.5 hour  period) which I love. She also has the tendency to fall asleep mid lecture. She is still really interesting, very realistic and grounded and super creative. She is very fixed on including students (since we only have 5 in our class) and she has some really incredible field trips planned. It is one of those classes where I am writing down notes for myself in the middle of class notes. It reminds me a lot of my post-modern poetry class last year and we have some cool trips planned to contemporary art galleries and photography exhibits. One of them is a gallery where they focus on the experience of interacting with the art and the artist so the entire viewing is considered a part of the art so I am pretty excited about that! 

My painting class is, er, interesting. I am a pretty bad painter! I spent three hours last wednesday night painting a black-green blob that was supposed to be a bottle. My teacher told me she didnt think it was so bad for my first time. I decided to take that as a compliment. Anyway, I am really enjoying the process of sitting for three hours in a well lit studio and playing with paint. 

My classes are all really well tied together  as I paint, where I learn first hand the artistic process, and then I learn about the relevance of art and the process in my soa class, and then I learn about the political context in which this process was developing and then the whole darn thing is in italian!

So thats pretty much everything. My roomates are  little bit sick and I am definetely fighting something off so I am drinking lots of tea, keeping the windows open and eating well. Alright, its way past gelato time!

P.s We got locked IN our apartment today and couldnt get out until about 3. Thats okay though. 

P.P.S I also went to a an AWESOME vintage fair yesterday and I got a shirt, some shades, and a bracelet. 

So  I will leave you with this little anecdote of Italian culture:

This happened in my Italian class the other day. We were learning how to describe ourselves and we were about to graduate past "I am tall" and "I am stubborn" into the world of hobbies and activities. We learned to say I like....(to play soccer, to read a book) etc. One of the girls in my class (there is only one boy) raised her hand and asked (in english, of course) how to say "I hate". My professor, Domenico, looked at her with a confused facial expression. "Hate" he repeated, asking her if the word was correct (his english is about as good as my italian). "Hate" she said again, and he went over to the white board and asked to spell it. "H-A-T-E" she spelled. "Hate" he said again, "Hate, like the opposite of love?" The girl nodded and Domenico, finally understanding, replied, "No, we do not have  a word for this. It is too strong". 

Pictures up!

Heres pictures from the last couple of days:

Uffizi!

Buonasera. 

I didnt really do much today except have class! I had my italian class and my politics class. Pretty normal etc. However today was the first day, (since weve been here) that it hasnt rained! So I was in a good mood all day because it was so sunny. After school I went to the bookstore and bought Ai piedi dell'Olimpio (At the foot of Olympus), Il GGG (The BFG), Il Piccolo Principe, e La Scienza in Cucina i L'arte di mangiar bene (The science of cooking and the art of eating well). I am going to try to read them in that order, since it goes from easiest to hardest but they will all be a challenge for me! My roomates and I are also trying REALLY hard to speak only in italian. People in my italian class are truly starting to get on my nerves though, they pretend to try to ask question in Italian and then just speak in english. I hate it. Anyway, I have boatloads of homework to do, so I'm going to get on that (even though I would rather read my new books, culinaria italia, etc.) ciao!

A few days' recap

Ciao tutti. Mi dispiace per not posting recently. My internet (which we affectionately dubbed Alice) has been a little fleeting lately. 

After the Uffizi on Friday, we woke up early on Saturday and took a bus to Lucca. It was rainy and positively freezing but we still had a great time. Unfortunately some of our capagne did not have as much fun but we planned ahead! We went to see the birthplace of Puccini, which is marked with a truly fabulous statue of him reclining in a chair eternally smoking a cigarette (he died of throat cancer). We also saw the Roman amphitheatre and the Piazza of San Martino which had some incredible bas-relief sections on the outside. Inside is the Volto Santo which is a truly unique depiction of the crucifixion. There is a legend about it that it arrived in an unmanned boat and the people from Pisa tried to reach it by boat but their oars broke (ask a Pisa native and they tell a different story) and once it arrive and was installed in the cathedral it would occaisionally disappear  and later be found in fields surrounding the city. Anyway, every year there is a big festival in Lucca where they carry it from one cathedral to another. very fancy. We also saw Tintoretto's Last Supper and the sarcophagus of Illaria del Carretto from 1405!! 

Once the tour was over we got some free time which we used to window shop (I bought nothing) and then we went to a nice Italian style 3 hour lunch at Buca di San Antonio. We started by sharing this beautiful little Tart of Ricotta and artichokes with a chickpea sauce. Then Danielle had guinea fowl with grapes (she is a vegetarian! haha, except when we go out) Katarina had baby goat with potatoes and turnip greens and I have pork with truffle sauve (hehe) and green bean pudding. We all shared and we had a bottle of Majulina Colline Lecchese Rosso (I wanted to get something local). The lunch was relaxing, warm and delicious.

Next we grabbed some local desserts - bucatello - a yeasty bread with eggs raisins, and the one we had also had chocolate. And cookies (they have a name but i cant remember!) dipped in chocolate with sprinkles. They were perfect winter cookies. 

Saturday night, (after a catnap) we discovered a jazz club (called jazz club!) and met up with some friends from a different school who are also studying in florence, and went to a dance club called Twice and then our Brazilian friends (a friend of the friends from Parsons who live in Firenze, showed us this lounge that was in a cave sort of undergroundish. very italian and fun. But we were exhausted so we came home and slept in on Sunday!

On Sunday there was a chocolate festival in Santa Croce!!! Chocolatiers from all over Italy come to Firenze and sold and gave away their delights. The highlight was a truffle with balsamic and fragole (strawberries). Then we just did homework and tried to go to bed early! 

So that is the weekend! 

I have been trying to plan some of the trips I want to take around Italy and Europe (I am trying to keep it in Italy) but here is my tentative schedule:

This weekend I may go to Bologna, Parma or Modena however I'm not sure yet. 

2/6-2/8 There is Carnaval in Arezzo, but there are also trips to Interlocken and we want to go there too, so that is a possibility. 

2/13-15 I am in London!!! (and Pisa briefly)

2/20-22 Elle comes and I meet her in Rome!!!

2/27-3/1 I am not sure yet, another chance for Bologna, Parma, Modena

3/5-8 I meet Dad and Leslie in Venice

3/9-3/11 We travel to Siena where I spend a few days with Dad and Leslie and then meet up with Mom and David

3/20-22 Back to Firenze with Mom and David and school starts up again

3/27-29 This is the weekend after my birthday and I am thinking of doing a weekend involving a cooking  class/truffle hunt/wine tasting

4/3-5 I have a site visit, a field trip planned by one of my classes to Rovereto for a celebration of the Futurists and a trip to Lake Garda. 

4/9-13 We have an extra day of for easter, I am thinking about going to Greece with some of my roomates/friends for a small vacation

4/17-19 No plans...yet

4/24-26 ""

4/30-5/3 There is a Flamenco festival in Sevilla!!!!!!!

5/8 back to the states!

So! There are my tentative plans. Anyone who wants to join me is welcome. Or give me suggestions on restaurants of activities that cannot be missed in these places, please please please comment here or email me (acekus@gmail.com) 

Things that I know I have to do:

Modena - balsamic

Parma-ham

Butcher of Panzano (school plans a trip)

and I want to get to a winery at some point (suggestions!?)

Okay. I have to get back to work!!! So much homework!!

Things to look forward to:

I m ay be going to a lecture on futurism tomorrow, there is a vintage fair this weekend and next week I am going to the observatory and going to see revolutionary road at the Odean theatre!!

okay! ciao! baci! 

The Uffizi

Today I decided I would let myself sleep in  since classes this week were certainly exhausting. I woke up and made myself some espresso (out of my Moka of course!) and a breakfast of yogurt, proscuitto and toast with honey and ricotta. 

 

I then got myself all dressed up  (in the red, yellow and blue dress with all the flowers!) and went to the Uffizi! I was happy to find out that my roomates are as dorky as I am when it comes to museums, and we are all of the belief that it is unacceptable to go a museum in just any old clothes and out of respect for the art withing the museum, we must dress up!

 

So, I marched on down to the Uffizi and spent the entire afternoon. I saw every single piece of art that was able to be seen! NYU gives us these amazing little cards that not only give us free admission to many major museums in Italy, but also let us skip all of the lines! So I marched right on in for free. The museum was obviously unlike anything in the states. The building in itself is gorgeous and competes with the works that hang on its walls. I found myself spending so much time just in one room studying not only the walls but the intricate ceilings, frescoes, window trimmings, etc. 

 

One room I walked into was completely Gold. The cieling was covered with individual Gold flowers and the walls had these tiny little pieces of thwarted artwork all over them. This was my favorite room not only because it was all in gold and the detail was incredible, but the sculptures in this room were all from one story, (I don't remember which one) and they all depicted (exquistely of couse) movement. It was just really neat to see these larger than life motions frozen in stone. I spent at least an hour in there! 

 

Anyway, there is way too much to cover so I put some of my favorites on here. Later I will try to post some of the pictures I was able to illegally take, once I can figure out how!

 

Below are:

Rosalba Carriera, 

Portrait of Felicia Sarton

Giuseppe Crespi, Cupid and Psyche (or in Italian Amore e Psiche)

and Woman Rising from the Bed (or "The Flea")

Giovanni Bellini, 

Sacred Allegory

This picture doesn't even do it justice. The detail in this one is incredible, especially in the floor. 

Boticelli, Cestello Anunciation

and then 

Matthais Stomer's Caravaggio inspired Anunciation

 

Well the pictures didn't show up, but theres the names of some of my favs!

After the Uffizi I came home and did research about Lucca since we leave early tomorrow for there. Now I am exhausted so I am going to do some homework and go to bed! Baci!

 the blog page has been down lately so I will try to post more of my weekend later. Highlights include Lucca, The Chocolate Festival and my travel plans! 

Il Cibo

Ciao tutti amici! (I have no idea if thats right)

Ookay, what have I been up to? 

Well this was the first real week of classes and after much switching, stressing and sampling, I picked a courseload that is interesting, challenging and oddly coherent. Instead of post-modern fiction I am taking Sociology of the Arts, upon the recommendation of an advisor who saw my interest in the food world and thought this would be a pertinent class. When I went to class today I got extremely excited as I saw the syllabus included explorations of Duchamp and etc. My professor is an old(er) italian lady who falls asleep in the middle of lectures but I loved that she passed out a questionnaire about us, asking about our experience in art, our interest in the class, what we want to do with our lives (as if we know!) and etc. she seems to have a serious passion which I truly appreciate. 

My Italian class is a bit of a let down since my professor speaks mostly in English and the students in the class (primarily girls) refuse to speak italian, even when they ask questions about what italian words and phrases mean! Its frusterating but my roomates are I are very committed to learning italian so i speak only italian with people around here (even when they try to speak english with me) and my roomates and I run around reading signs and naming everything in italian!

My topics class is cosi cosi. it seems really interesting and the professor is hysterical. it makes a lot of jokes that arent funny which makes them extremely funny. but in all honesty, i do think its going to be interesting. it is a class based around Leftist politics and what it truly means to be left both in history and in contemporary society. 

MY painting class is going to be REALLY interesting! mostly because I am a terrible painter! And my professor is a professional painter who doesnt believe in giving As and thinks grading is too inflated (im not sure i disagree....) anyway, after spending 140 Euro at the art store I'm pretty committed! But if there is anywhere to be bad at art...its Florence!

So we went the market the other day, it was WONDERFUL! There were dead chickens with their heads attached and fresh sausage and liver and cuori (hearts) IT was wonderful!

Tonight I cooked for my roomates, fresh tortellini from the market with porcini mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chicken. It actually came out really good considering the only things in my spice cabinet were salt, pepe, and dried basil. a little porcini/balsamic reduction and voila! (er, brava?) My roomates now want to cook every night together. Which is even better since I found a copy of that out of print cookbook that I was researching before I left - Culinaria Italia! I bought it immediately and have been reading it all night! I do have to get back to organizing my school books here though! It takes forever to get things since all of the stores are specialty so school supplies are scattered around the city. I am going to try to make the Uffizi tomorrow and Saturday I am going to Lucca so I will try to post after that! I miss everybody! ciao! baci! 

It wont let me post pictures here so I will do my best to try to add them later!

Mercato Centrale e Obama!

Buona sera! I have NO time but heres pictures:

Mercato Centrale

I'll post more later!

First Weekend in Firenze!

Buon giorno! I have been running around the city as usual, still trying to find my way around. We have been finally making friends with people, mostly who work in shops in our area, as we get the courage to ask in our patchy italian where we should go for aperitivo, or dinner, or even where to buy trashbags (oddly hard to find here!)

It seems that many of the tucked away more traditional and less touristy places here are magical! When you are looking for them, they are never there, however when you aren't looking they are incredibly easy to find. Last night we stumbled upon a tiny osteria on the other side of the river and it was the most adorable restaurant. The meal was pretty awesome, especially because as soon as we sat down we got glasses of sparkling wine and a bread basket filled with cheese and olive tapenade. 

We have been keeping it pretty mellow mostly going out to dinner and to some cafes/bars after dinner. A lot of the places are catered to tourists/Americans and its less fun but we are starting to find the more italian places. We had heard about this gelateria that was good and realized that it was literally two doors down from our apartment. It was delicious, and dangerously convenient. 

After dinner last night we walked back from the other side of the river over the Ponte Vecchio and listened to a violin player outside the Uffizi. Then we walked home (and ate gelato)! 

Anyway, I've got some pictures but for some reason I can't upload them on here so here is a link:

Pictures! 

I also got a cellphone that you can call if you need me. The number from America is : 01139-328-384-3957. If you are calling from Europe you dont need the 01139. In terms of calling - Skype is better because its free!

Thats pretty much everything. Tomorrow should be interesting as I start classes and have to find my way around alone. I'm going to run out and get some espresso now as I haven't had any today!

Ciao! Baci!

Duomo!

I went out and saw the Duomo for the first time last night. It is literally around the corner from where I live! It is, obviously, incredibly beautiful and surreal to see - somewhat like a pop-up book. I am finding my way around much better even though the traffic is terrible and the buses are always late so I have been late to the orientation both days. We will try again tomorrow! This morning  I woke up and the sun was shining and the air was just cold enough to be refreshing. For breakfast I had espresso and an unbelievable apple which I bought right downstairs where there is constantly fresh produce. For  lunch we had pomodoro, mozzarella e pesto panini which was provided by the school (even cafeteria food is good here) and after lunch we walked up to the Tabbachi to get more espresso. We are very chatty! I'm going to post pictures of campus later - my roomates and I are constantly walking around campus and we just stop and stare at how incredibly beautiful everything is. The entire city, obviously is gorgeous but campus is pristine! Well we are about to food shopping at the market and then out for dinner; more interesting stuff to come once classes start. Until then, ciao! baci!

Firenze!

After 30 hours of traveling. One cancelled flight. Two delayed flights and an unexpected six hour layover in Amsterdam, I am FINALLY in Firenze! I haven't even seen the Duomo yet since I got in at 2am and had to go right to class this morning (the buses in Firenze are not reliable at all!) We spent long hours in pointless workshops at the beautiful NYU campus. It literally is picture perfect. We actually aren't allowed to walk in many places because it is so perfect! 

I have three suitemates: Katarina (my roomate), Danielle, and Seta. We have two bedrooms and a kitchen/living area and a bathroom. Its pretty small but it is really cozy! It comes completely furnished and its got a beautiful exposed brick wall with all of these little nooks. Its pretty fun. The windows have those beautiful old shutters. We live on this tiny little street that nobody can find, tucked away in almost the heart of the city. I can give you more info once I go out tonight and learn the town! Plans for this evening are mellow - going out to dinner and taking it very easy. Unpacking and such. Classes start on Monday and I still know very little Italian but I am trying! I miss everybody back home and I get a cell phone tomorrow so I will post the number once I get it. Its free for incoming calls (if i get the right one!) so anybody can call me! Ok! Thats all for now. ciao!

6 days and counting!

So, I have been packing and getting all my things together and some people have been asking for my mailing address so:

Amelia Ekus

New York University

Villa Natalia

Via Bolognese, 10650139

Firenze, Italia

So that's where I have all of my classes, it is slightly outside of the city. I think it's funny that it's on a street called "Bolognese" but that's just me. 

You really shouldn't mail anything though, because its very expensive and it takes forever. I am planning on writing letters which is fun, but no packages or anything ok!

I have been packing and preparing up a storm. I have to read all of my guidebooks and Room with a View now, because I don't want to schlep them all the way to Europe, so I am reading nonstop. I'm also reading cookbooks in preparation! 

I have a trip planned already to Sienna and Venice with my dad and Leslie for March, and hopefully plans for Sicily will follow! The excitement is starting to build but it still hasn't hit me quite yet. I fly out of Boston at 4:30 on Monday and get in to Frankfurt at 5:30 in the morning! Then I have to wait all the way until 8, and I get in to Florence at 9:30. I've never been to Germany so I guess I'll have to live it up in the airport for a while before I take off. 

Anyway, I'm getting a cell-phone once I get over there and I will post the number, but it is cheaper to call from the United States to Italia than vice versa so I will be keeping that in mind. The best way to contact me is through e-mail or Skype. 

I am going to get back to my reading. Ciao!