Author Archives: sta5038

Last Words

It has a little more than a month since I got back from Florence and have wanted to do this blog entry for a long time now. I started this blog entry as soon as I got back but then abandoned it due to my obscene amount of laziness.

Wow…my 6 weeks in Italy was the best time of my life. Half of my roommates left on Friday July 2nd morning and I left the next morning. While they were packing I was imagining the first time I saw them and it felt literally like the week before. I think it just hit me while I was grabbing my favorite brie/eggplant sandwich from the nearby caf� that I have actually lived in another country by myself. I wasn’t just another tourist sticking to my American ways while sight seeing. I really did attempt to imbibe the culture and blend in. The first few weeks were all about adjusting but by the end, I was so comfortable with my roommates and my way of life there. Everything just kept getting better so saying goodbye to Florence was really tough =(

Here’s a quick recap on the last few weeks in Florence. I explored more of Florence by visiting the backyard of the Medici Palace- Boboli Gardens. I actually met an American couple there who were so nice and made miss the American accent just for a minute or two. Besides the Boboli Gardens, I also visited the Academia. This is a museum that used to be an art school. It contains some of the greatest sculptures from Michelangelo- including the amazing David. There are copies of this statue located around the city but they don’t even compare with the original. I think I stared at it for about 20 minutes straight. It’s a lot bigger than I expected- about 17 feet tall! Michelangelo was really a master at adding detail to his sculptures- the veins running down the arms, the finger nails, and muscles are so realistic. I don’t think I can look at any other European sculpture the same way again. I also bought another leather bag- this time for my mom. I bargained it down from 70 euros to 45 euros and I know it’s genuine because it was in a reputable leather shop =D My cooking had also come to a permanent hiatus by week 3 because I just wanted to eat authentic Italian cuisine instead of making my own mediocre versions. There was also a week when everyone had a birthday so we ended up going to nice restaurants every night. Yum!

Since I was in a soccer crazy country, I wanted to watch the World Cup matches with other Italians and experience the soccer craze first hand. The first time Italy played, we all went down to a bar by the river to watch the game. I was not surprised by the intensity the Italians cheered their country on. Another time Italy played, I went down to the river again but this time followed the crowds to a huge projection screen placed outside right by the river. What an amazing place to watch a soccer game! Surrounded by nature and the annoying sounds of vuvuzelas- stadium horns, I cheered on the Italian team! Too bad they lost which meant they were officially out of the world cup circuit.

One of the best days in Florence was June 23^rd– my birthday! What an amazing place to turn 20! My roommates really made it one of the best birthdays ever. They took me out the night before and planned everything so that at 12 am the dj gave me a birthday shout out and played almost every single birthday song out there for a good 20 minutes. Later that day, we went out to an internationally famous chocolate shop called Vestri, that’s only located in Miami and Florence. I tried chocolate with chili pepper filling! It was interesting to say the least….

My roommates also took me out to dinner and surprised me with a gelato cake! It was soooo delicious! Hands down, it was one of my favorite days in Italy! I also got to try some of the best pasta I’ve ever had! It was spicy and zesty and tangy and….just amazing!

Overall, Florence was definitely my favorite city when compared to all the different cities I visited in the 6 weeks span. Every time I would go back to Florence, I would feel very content and just happy to be home. One of my favorite things to do every morning was to visit Caf� Amerini to grab my daily dose of delicious-beyond-words cappuccino. Many afternoons I spent my time exploring the city’s world of shopping! The outdoor San Lorenzo market had some of the best deals in the city and was a place I could practice my bargaining skills. I discovered an amazing leather bracelet shop on the Ponte Vecchio Bridge that I quickly became addicted to called Manelli. The bracelets here were simple yet so timeless and beautiful that I ended up going to the shop atleast once a week. Sometimes I would wander into H&M just because the fashion was still Italian but the clothing is so wonderfully cheap! Shoe shopping was my favorite but the shoes in Florence were pretty pricey. I still ended up splurging on a pair =).

Other afternoons I would simply leave my apartment without a map and without a game plan…other than to wander the city and just marvel. If I ever got lost, I would look for a glimpse of the magestic Duomo to help orient me in the charming city. Pretty much every other day I would explore the city looking for delicious pastries or gelato to satiate my nighttime appetite. There was a bakery across my apartment called Forno, which had the best pastries and focaccia bread! My mouth is watering just thinking about the unique bread with zucchini and tomatoes baked inside. I experimented with many different flavors of gelato and narrowed down the amazing selection to two different flavors- Stacciatella (chocolate chip) and Fragola (strawberry). I’m not a fruit person but strawberry gelato tastes like real deliciously sweet strawberries!

Today I spent the day in some athletic shorts and a penn state t-shirt- something I could never do in Italy. Italians follow the concept of “bella figura” = Italians always maintain a sophisticated presentation in terms of fashion and public behavior. Sticking to this cultural concept was fun in the beginning but quickly turned difficult. I just wanted to saunter around town in my comfy flip-flops and t-shirt. Too bad I couldn’t or I’d stick out like a sore thumb. The last week however, I gave up and put on my comfy flip flops without shame. I also wore athletic shorts down the street but then was too embarrassed and raced back to my apartment to change. I really tried my best to dress as fashionably as the impeccably dressed Italian women.

Another Italian cultural nuance that might surprise you is that Cappuccinos are usually never ordered after lunch. Espresso’s, however, are deemed appropriate to order at all times of the day. I can’t tell you how hard it was to squash my nighttime cravings for Cappuccinos.

Furthermore, when dining at a restaurant, the bread served at the beginning of the meal is not to be touched until you get your first course. Resisting the warm, fresh bread when I was ravenous was very difficult. I don’t like that part of the culture =(

Throughout my 6 weeks stay I made quite a few observations. Even though I left Florence no way close to being fluent in Italian, I did pick up quite a few phrases. Here are some Italian words that I heard the most.

–Allora = at first I was really confused at what this word meant because Italians would use it every other sentence. I soon came to learn that this word is similar to the English words, “Anyways,” “Then,” and “Ok.”

– Prego = I always knew this word meant “you’re welcome” but Italians salespeople would say this word to me when I entered their store and when I was next in line at the register. From these observations I deduced the meaning of this world to also be “Welcome,” and “Next.”

– Andiamo Regatzie– = I love this phrase and used it quite a bit. It means, “Let’s go guys!”

– Ciao = of course this means “bye” but this word also means “hi”

– Quanto Costa = how much?

– Dove = I used this word many time when I was lost throughout the city. This handy word means “where?”

– Va Bene = this phrase means “It’s all good.” It’s a phrase I tried to live by in Italy =)

Coming home was a little strange at first. I never realized how easy everything is. Drinking cold water from the fridge, showering in hot water all the time, getting home made food, and having a fully functioning washer and dryer at my fingertips. Even though home is so comfortable, my life in Florence had something I can never find at home- adventure. Studying abroad has allowed me to become a much more independent and resourceful person.

Location: Breinigsville, Pennsylvania

Ro-Ma RoMaMa!

Last weekend I squeezed in Rome and Vatican City in 2 days and was EXHAUSTED when I got back to Florence. In general, I haven’t had a full 8 hours night sleep since America. On Friday, I left early to catch a train to Rome with my Ancient Rome class. The train station at Rome was gigantic! It must be in proportion to the size of Rome because Rome is gigantic as well. The first place we headed to in Rome was the Coliseum.

I saw the first glimpse of the Coliseum and was completely dumfounded at its size and magnificence. The Coliseum is one of my favorite buildings I have ever seen this past 6 weeks. I think it is important to know the history of this building and understand its importance so you can really appreciate this absolutely amazing building. I saw where the lions and bears were kept and the backstage area where the gladiators awaited their turn to die. I saw the giant stadium that could hold up to 50,000 people. To sum it up, I walked around the coliseum with my mouth hung open.

After the coliseum, we headed over to the Roman Forum and Palatine hill. This contained the remnants of Rome’s political buildings, city hall, justice building, and temples.

One of the things that really surprised me was how close all the ancient roman relics are located to the modern parts of the city. I actually saw an ancient amphitheatre with modern offices built on top of it! Imagine going to work on a 2000-year-old building!

Located right behind the Roman Forum is a large white palace that was built by Mussolini. To describe it as extravagant would be an understatement. Italians in general really hate this building because it reminds them of the dictatorship days. However, my teacher said that Americans always comment on how beautiful the building is and I had to agree- it’s pretty powerful looking.

After visiting the Roman Forum, we walked around a bit and passed different forums built by different emperors, such as Augustus and Caesar. In one of the forums was a long red building that was actually the first indoor “mall” in the world. We also passed the Tiber River and the bridge to Tiber Island. Finally, we reached the best-preserved Roman building- the Pantheon.

At first I was surprised to see where this building was located. I had always imagined a more recluse location but it was actually right in the middle of a small square, surrounded by more modern buildings. Unfortunately, the front facade of the building was under restoration but that didn’t stop me from appreciating the glory of this building. It was pretty amazing to see the inspiration of hundreds of buildings around the world- the US capital, Lincoln memorial, and Florence’s Duomo. The inside of the building has a dome shaped ceiling with an open circle in the middle of the dome. I wish the inside of the Pantheon had been preserved because the inside was converted in the 17^th century to a Roman Catholic Church. Originally, the inside of the Pantheon was supposed to be painted a deep blue with gold stars. This way the sun could shine through and reflect on the gold stars. It must have been soo beautiful but the amazing Roman architecture still remains.

The Pantheon ended my school field trip so we were basically left to either go back on the train or stay in the city. I opted for the second option as my roommates were somewhere in the giant city of Rome. They said to meet them by the Trevvi fountain and I thought “ok, yea that’ll be easy..no probem.” Ha. I forget the little detail that I had a crappy map of Rome and no idea where to turn. Somehow I ended up right near the fountain and asked someone for directions. They pointed straight ahead. Perfecto. I met my friends, took some pics of the Trevvi fountain, and headed to Piazza Navona for some gelato. It was extremely hot outside and I’ll take any excuse to eat gelato basically =). After gelato, we headed over to the Spanish Steps. This was the first trip where I wasn’t in a tour group and really had no itinerary planned. All we had was a map and a list of top ten things to see in Rome. Spanish Steps was on the list so that hopped onto our itinerary. We ran around in circles before asking someone for directions. He answered us in Italian and we misunderstood “30 minutes” with “3^rd right.” Whoops. We ran around in more circles and finally discovered the famous steps. Don’t even ask me how we got there because I have no clue. 6 clueless girls in a new city walking in circles is such an adventure! We walked up and down the steps, took some group and individual shots and left. We had just packed in almost all of the tourist spots by 7 pm!

I know this is probably really sad but I kept having songs from the Lizzie McGuire movie in my head that day. What can I say…I loooved that movie =P.

We then found our hotel, which was actually one of the nicest places I’ve been in all 6 weeks. I was sooo ready to just sleep after all that walking and 4 hours of sleep but alas my stomach was eating itself and I needed to get dinner. After an excellent dinner of spaghetti with garlic and olive oil and tons of bread we searched for the Ice Bar!

This is probably the weirdest place I’ve ever been to- it’s self-explanatory- a bar made completely out of ice. It’s -5 degrees Celsius so we had to wear these freaky metallic capes and gloves to enter.

I think we lasted about 30 minutes because we were all wearing sandals and shorts- not good ice bar attire. It was a pretty hilarious night =) Thanks to the annoying metro system, we couldn’t take the tram back to our hotel because the trams stopped running after midnight. After a good 30 minute walk, I fell into a deeeep sleep.

We started the next day bright and early and were off to the world’s smallest city- Vatican City! I was sooo excited to see this because I’m obsessed with Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons. We booked a tour right outside the city because we were basically left with two options- book a tour or wait 5 hours in line to buy tickets. The tour led us through Bernini Square, the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel and finally the amazing St. Peters Basilica. This church is incomparable to any church I have ever seen- and I’ve seen many in Italy! It’s so ornate and just absolutely magnificent.

The Sistine Chapel on the other hand was the opposite. Many people expected the famous chapel that was painted by Michelangelo to be as ornate as the basilica. It’s very simple but still beautiful. I was excited to see the ceiling that depicts scenes the Last Judgement. The frescoes are one of Michelangelo’s most famous pieces of work so I tried to sneak in a picture but the guard yelled at me =( I was also really excited when I saw the doors that lead to the room where Conclave is held. I know all this thanks to “Angels and Demons.”

I wish I had gotten more sleep before visiting the Vatican City because I would have definitely been less cranky and more attentive to the tour guide. He was interesting but really, all I wanted to see was the basilica and Sistine chapel. We spent over 2 hours at the Vatican museums. Visiting a church or museum every other day in Florence has burnt me out. You could say I’m museumed out. And anyways, after seeing Michelangelo’s David, I really can’t look at any other statue the same way anymore.

Despite my crankiness, it was an incredible experience. I got to dip my hand in the holy water and see where conclave is held. I even got to see the window where the Pope usually waves to the square from. I was really excited to see the different places mentioned in the “Angels and Demons” book. Does this look familiar?

After Vatican City, my stay in Rome was pretty much complete. I went to the train station, bought a train ticket from a very rude man and successfully navigated my way to the correct train track (which I am ridiculously proud of myself for doing in that confusing and humungous train station). I caught my euro star and reached Florence in 1.5 hours! Gotta love Eurostar.

I have only 2 more days in Florence =( =( =(

I feel like I have only been focusing on other cities in my blogs but I’ve learned so much about the Florentine culture by spending 6 weeks here! So expect a new entry soon about my stay in Florence.

Location: via del Moro, 22, Florence, Italy

“I Feel Like I’m in Disney World!”

I’m sitting on my bed after my last “art of Florence” class ready to explain my French Riviera trip to all who care to know. I went to the French Riviera not last weekend, but the weekend before. Again, I’m sorry I didn’t write about the trip as soon as it happened but just sitting down and writing without any disruption is a rarity here.

The Thursday before that weekend, we left Florence at around 11 pm and reached Nice at around 5 am! I then fell asleep and woke up at 8:30 am…what a great sleep i had that night. The hostel I stayed in was apparently the top rated hostel in France. It was much nicer than the hotel I stayed in Amalfi. The hostel was very charming from the outside.

We had free wi fi and a nice cafeteria. The only difficulty was sharing a small room and one bathroom with 5 other girls!

On Friday we set out on the bus to Ezbe- a tiny medieval town full of charm and beauty. In Ezbe, we visited the Exotic Gardens, which is basically a large garden/terrace on top of a hill overlooking the quaint town. From the terrace, I saw the most amazing views of France!

I spent some time taking pictures and enjoying the peaceful and beautiful town. I don’t think it fully hit me that I was in France until I heard French spoken everywhere. When I say I don’t know any French i reallyyy mean it. I had to ask my mom the day before how to say “yes” in French. Yes, I know thats bad. Everytime I meant to say “thank you” during the course of the weekend, I kept saying “grazie” instead of “mercie!” I also kept saying “si” instead of “oui.” These few italian words had finally been ingrained in my head so switching to French did not come easy at all! Half the time I said “grazie” I would follow by saying, “I mean merci!,” like a complete idiot.

After visiting Ezbe for a few hours, we headed over to Monoco- the 2nd smallest country in the world! Monoco is known to be the hang out of the rich and famous. Every building oozes with wealth and the city’s atmosphere is completely different from any city I’ve visited before. It is definitely much more richer and modern. It was certainly a beautiful sight to see!

Once we reached Monaco, we headed to lunch and then to the richest casino in the world- the Monte Carlo Casino! Everyone was so nervous about getting in the casino because apparently one must dress like a millionaire to not stand out. Shorts, flip flops, and jeans are not allowed. I changed into a nice dress and shoes and headed over to the beautiful casino to gamble with the super rich! I wish I could post pictures up of the casino but unfortunately cameras were not allowed! Because it was mid day, the inside of the casino was very solemn and almost intimidating- especially in the black jack and poker room. My friends and I headed over to the slot machine room and started playing without a clue how to work the machines. It was pretty hilarious to watch my friend press random buttons and win 20 euros! Luck wasn’t on my side because I lost 5 euros after 10 seconds of playing. It’s ok…I will learn the ins and outs of gambling some day…

The surroundings of the casino were absolutely breathtaking! With the lavish Hotel de Paris on one side, and beautiful gardens leading up the mountains on the other side, it was definitely a sight worth taking a million pictures of. Only Royce Rovers, Mercedes, Ferrari’s, BMW’s, and Audis rolled by the casino dropping off suave looking men in black suits. After the casino, we headed over to the harbor to check out the amazing yachts parked there. These yachts looked like 5 star hotels on the inside! One day, just one day, I hope to be able to spend a day in a yacht similar to the ones on the port. Unlike the other tourist spots, Monaco did not have many tourist stands or souvenir shops. We walked all over and only found stores like Valentino, Gucci, and Hermes. After finally finding a postcard stand, we headed over to a bar to watch the England vs. Slovenia game. I really wanted to visit the Monaco Palace that was situated on top of a hill, but the walk to the palace was really long and tedious. We were already exhausted from walking to the Casino to the harbor so I took some quick pics of the Palace that was the home of Grace Kelly. Monaco has definitely been one of the ritziest towns I have seen during my study abroad. The entire city is filthy rich and most of this wealth is derived from the casino and resorts. When I got back to my hostel room, I ate dinner and hit the sack. I needed to catch up on sleep desperately!

The next day, I visited the small but exquisitely beautiful town of Antibes. The Mediterranean Sea had taken on a more Caribbean turquoise blue color that I wish my camera could have really captured.

I guess you just need to go visit Antibes to see what I mean 😉 We first visited the Picasso Museum, which was a nice break from all the Renaissance art I had seen in Florence. The museum contained art pieces not only from the master himself but from other modern artists who used Picasso as their inspiration. Even though we weren’t allowed to take pictures, I did sneak in a couple hehe.

After the Picasso museum, I just basically walked around the center part of the town and poked my head here and there. I walked through an outdoor market where I saw people bargaining in French for fresh food. I also slipped into a couple stores that were filled with very original hand made souvenirs. After a quick lunch I walked towards the beach and dipped my toes into the beautiful teal water. I really wanted to buy the souvenirs I had seen before lunch but of course all the stores had shut down during the lunch hours, which is completely annoying in my opinion.

After Antibes, we headed towards my favorite French city thus far- Cannes. The first thing I though when I went to Cannes was, “I feel like I’m in Disney World!.” The city was filled with Palm Trees, palatial hotels, and luxurious beaches for the rich and famous. Unfortunately, as soon as I got there, my trusty camera flashed “battery exhausted.” OF COURSE this has to happen to me. Doesn’t matter though because Im planning to steal all my roommates pics =D

The first thing we did was visit the site where the Cannel Film Festival is held every year. I walked up the red carpet (oo lala) and totally felt like a celebrity as my roommates snapped pictures of me.

We then walked by the beach and bought granitas (that weren’t half as good as the ones I had in Capri.) The beaches in Cannes are very much different from the beaches I’ve encountered elsewhere. They’re more like the crowded, bigger beaches you would encounter in Miami, except for the nude part. The beaches in Ezbe, Antibes, Monaco, and Amalfi were much smaller and less touristy. I really wanted to get some cool souvenirs from Cannes so I stopped by an antique market. Besides that, there wasn’t much on the itinerary except to go “oo ahh” at all the pretty buildings, shops, and beaches. We didn’t dare eat at Cannes because none of us were willing to fork over 50 euros for one meal in the expensive city. Cannes must be an amazing place to get married because at least 2 wedding parades honked past us as we were walking down the main boulevard! All in all, I loved Cannes because it was a nice break from the old fashioned cities I had been to and a chance to mingle with the rich and famous. If you know me, you know how I love my celebrities!

After Cannes, we went back to our hostel in Nice, ate dinner, and went out in the night to explore Nice’s nightlife. There was a popular bar that everyone in the tour group was going to called “Waynes Bar.” We instead went to “Check Point” which was more local and less crowded. For the first time, we decided to mingle with the natives there. It was fun but the language barrier was a little annoying. We then bumped into some nice Australian backpackers who were living the life traveling Europe. They were such stereotypical Australians- with their blonde hair, surfer looks, and chill attitude. I asked one of them what university they attended back in Australia and he answered, “o I just surf.”

The next day while I was loading my bags on the bus, I heard that a gang had mugged a group of girls on our tour at knifepoint. I’m so thankful that I was safe during this amazing trip!

It was really nice to explore another country and compare the culture with that of Italy. I did notice that the common perception that French people are beautiful is absolutely 100% true. The men and especially the women are just drop dead gorgeous! I know that Italian men are supposed to be very handsome but I actually though the men in France were better looking! They’re also a lot less forward that Italian men. Of course I am generalizing and am basing my observations on 2 days of walking around.

Back at home, I have a little toy poodle named Minnie. We always joke around at home that she’s a snobby little French Poodle just because she turns her button nose up at the sight of kibbles. Maybe that explains my excitement at seeing literally every other person walking an adorably frilly little poodle. =D

Before leaving for the French Riviera, I thought that it was going to be very similar to the Amalfi Coast weekend. Both line the Mediterranean Sea and are beach towns/cities. However, I am still really surprised at how different the two weekends were. Amalfi was definitely smaller, less crowded, and more old-fashioned than the French Riviera. Even the Mediterranean Sea looked different in both areas. It was a deeper blue in Amalfi and lighter turquoise in the French Riviera. While I mainly lay down on the beach and went swimming in Amalfi, I walked around and explored more of the mainland in the French Riviera.

The common phrase that was mentioned by my roommates or I when entering each French city was, “I feel like I’m in Disney World!.” I guess the statement implies that we didn’t feel like the cities we were visiting were actual cities that regular people lived in. The styles of the building, the amazing beach views, and the palm trees all felt like a magical world- like Disney World!

Location: via del Moro, 22, Florence, Italy

What a Weekend!

Time is flying by so I cannot believe it’s been about 2 weeks since my last blog entry. Everyday I’ve been super busy either with school work or exploring Florence and other Italian cities. Theres a lot to catch up on so this blog is going to be about my June 12^th Amalfi Coast weekend and then my next blog will be about my past weekend at the French Riviera. Phew!

My weekend at the Amalfi Coast was the weekend I had dreamt of during finals week at college. Relaxing on the beach, swimming in the Mediterranean, and exploring Capri, Positano, Sorrento, and Pompeii- aka a perfect weekend! My roommates and I booked this trip to the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii through a tour group. The Amalfi Coast is supposed to be one of the highlights of Italy- with its beautiful beaches and cities bordering the deep blue Mediterranean Sea. We left Thursday evening and reached Sorrento at about 2:30 am and headed over to our hotel for the night.

The next morning (Friday) we had to wake up at 7 (ughh) and walked over to the port to take a ferry over to the Island of Capri. I was immediately taken aback at the stunning view right outside the hotel. I could see the coastline of Sorrento leading up to a mountain with it’s tip disappearing into the hazy sky.

A giant boat came to pick all 90 of us and took us to the island of Capri. I can’t even tell you how long the boat was because as soon as I sat down in the boat I fell asleep. This was actually a common theme of the weekend- every time I sat down in a comfortable chair I totally passed out. Once we reached the island, I was taken aback by the gorgeous views! I

I feel like I am starting to get desensitized to all the beauty surrounding me because it’s starting to become the norm around Italy.

I got off the large ferry and stepped onto a smaller boat that would take me on a tour around the entire island. The island is basically a giant mountain that has a more town feel on one side and a ritzy celebrity feel on the other. The water surrounding the island is a deep gorgeous blue that contrasts with the vibrant green of the island. Unfortunately, I couldn’t fully enjoy the ride because I felt sea sick =( The Blue Grotto was one of my favorite parts of the boat ride. It is basically a tiny opening in the side of the island in which the water is the most brilliant shade of blue I’ve ever seen. Pictures do not do it justice.

After the boat tour ended, I hopped on a train that took me to the other side of the island. This side was definitely meant for the rich and famous- stores like Valentino and 5 star resort hotels lined the hilly streets while celebrity yachts chilled out on the sea. My friends and I were itching to jump into the water as the weather was really really hott and humid. We stopped by a cute caf� that was literally built right over the water. I ate my yummy eggplant sandwich and watched the beautiful teal blue waves splash under me.

Like I said before, Italians like to dine in restaurants for a minimum 2 hours, which I was not willing to do. I just wanted to jump into the water so I got the waiters attention and asked him for the “conto”” or check. After that, my roommates and I ran down to the beach and jumped into the beautiful sea. I was ready for the cool water but was not ready for the pokey stones and pebbles in the beach and water. The beaches in Capri and even in Positano, don’t have sand- just pebbles and bigger rocks. This makes it pretty painful to walk without flip-flops on the beach and even in the water. That afternoon was spent in bliss- relaxing on the beach, soaking up the sun, and swimming in the Mediterranean. I couldn’t ask for a more perfect day =) The beaches in Capri were actually quite tiny but very unique. The beach I swam at had giant rocks and arches over the water. I could go on describing the beauty of Capri all day, but you would probably get bored =P

Anyways, after a relaxing afternoon on the beach, we headed over to a shop for some Limoncello tastings. Limoncello is a specialty of southern Italy- especially Capri. It is basically lemon liquor and is usually served as an after dinner liquor. It is sweet but strong and doesn’t only come in lemon flavor. I tried melon flavored liquor and it was even better! After the limoncello tasting, I hopped back onto the ferry and immediately fell asleep- no surprise! It was a really fun but exhausting day. The heat mixed in with the miles and miles of walking and lack of sleep had taken its toll on all of us. Once we reached our hotel, my roommates and I calculated that we each had 8 minutes to shower before dinner started. This meant 8 minutes to wash the sweat and grime and sea salt off of me! To make matters worse, the showers in our hotel room was basically a tiny stream of ice cold water. Living in luxury! After a yummy dinner of spaghetti, bruschetta, and free refills of wine we headed out to explore Sorrento’s nightlife.

The next morning we set out bright and early to go to Sorrento. Sorrento is a beautiful coastal town that is less ritzy than Capri but just as beautiful. The houses in Sorrento are literally piled up one on top of another like a mountain of houses!

As soon as got off the bus, we ran straight to the beach. It was a beautiful day and the beaches in Sorrento were bigger and sandier than Capri. The sea was a deep blue- unlike the teal waters in Capri. I spent another afternoon lounging on the beach. Whenever I got too cold in the water I lay down on my beach towel. Whenever I got too hot from the sun, I went back into the water. It was an afternoon well spent =)

Later that evening we headed back to the Sorrento pub to watch the England vs. USA soccer game. I was so excited because Italians are obsessed with soccer and each match of the World Cup is like a Super Bowl in America. Everyone in the bar was so into the game- standing up and cheering, jumping into the air, yelling phrases in Italian at the tv…it was such an electric atmosphere.

Some cultural differences I noticed in Sorrento were the way the men acted. Of course, Italian men are notorious for being extremely flirtatious especially to American girls. The men in Sorrento are much more obnoxious than the Florentine men. They have absolutely no shame when it comes to approaching girls. Every single motorcycle and car filled with guys that passed me had to call out. 4 motorcycles actually slowed down and started following me- even while I was stuffing my face with messy crepes filled with nutella. Unbelievable.

On Sunday, we dressed in our comfiest work out clothes ready to climb Mount Vesuvius! First, we headed over to Pompei and explored the amazing city that was destroyed by Vesuvius’ explosion. Toxic gas from the eruption had suffocated and killed everyone in the city. Then ash produced by the volcano buried the city 25 feet deep. The excavation of Pompeii revealed an entire city that was preserved by the ash. I had always wanted to visit this historically significant site. I just did not expect the city to be so well preserved! I felt as if I was walking down the street in ancient Rome. I saw a typical restaurant, home, and even a brothel house. In the house, a giant painting on the wall had still been preserved as well as the imprints of potted plants that lined the house’s kitchen. What I found the most interesting about this Pompeii were the plasters of actual people that had died form the explosion. Their decomposed bodies had left a hole in the ash that was later filled with plaster by achaeologists. Here is a picture of what an archaeologist found after removing the plaster from the holes:

After exploring Pompei, we headed up Mount Vesuvius on our bus. Basically, the bus took us to the start of the hiking trail, which is about 2/3 up the mountain. The bus ride to that point was scary! The giant bus had to negotiate really angled turns that were bordering the edge of the cliff. Lets just say I didn’t fall asleep for one second during the 30 minute ride. Climbing up the mountain was a great butt, thighs, and calves workout. The hike was incredibly steep and the slippery ashy ground made the hike even more difficult. However, after about 25 minutes, I reached the top! I can now say I climbed one of the worlds deadliest and still active volcanoes!

This blog entry is long enough so I think ill call it quits for nowww. byee

Location: Via del Moro, 22, Florence, Italy

Luck is improving

Apart from crashing into a blind person and tripping over his walking stick my luck has definitely improved! I had “luckily” missed what would have been my 3rd encounter with bird poop and had no part in my apartments toilet getting clogged. Success! I cannot believe how fast time is going by here. Let me recap on the past week.

I finally visited one of the highlights of Florence- the Ponte Vecchio. The Ponte Vecchio literally means “old bridge” and is flooded with jewelry shop after jewelry shop- a girl’s best friend!

The dazzling displays of diamond, gold, and silver jewelry were mesmerizing. I never expected the bridge to be filled with such high quality items. I was imagining handbags, belts, and scarves, which is what is found in every other popular market around town. Unfortunately the jewelry was wayyy out of my budget, but I did find some beautiful leather bracelets that I may just have to go back to get.

The next day I visited the popular Mercato Centrale- a GIANT fresh foods store. This store has the biggest selection of fresh fruits, vegetable, spices, cheese, and meat I have every seen in Florence. My roommates and I bought some vegetables (Guacamole!) in preparation for the yummy Mexican feast we had later that night.

This past week I got a really great taste of the historical aspects of Florence. I’m really glad I enrolled in the “Art of Florence” class because I get to explore the city’s major monuments, museums, and churches with the class. It’s like a class and a tour guide in one! My professor will lecture for the first half of the class and then take us out to visit the original pieces she was lecturing about. I certainly can’t experience that in boring State College. So far, we have already visited the Duomo, Orsanmichele, Palazzo Piti, and Santa Croce. The Palazzo Piti was one of my favorite site visits. This palace was the residence of many of Florence’s ruling families starting with the Medici family. The palace now display treasures the Medici family owned and famous paintings by Caravaggio. Besides the class visits, one of my roommates and I went out on our own to explore the Palazzo Vecchio.

This building has such an amazing history as well. It was originally built in the 1300’s to be used as the town hall. The major ruling families of Florence then used the palace and today it still serves its original purpose of being a town hall. My roommate and I, like super nerds, brought our own museum guidebook along and literally stuffed our heads in our books as we walked from room to room. Today, we visited one of the bigger museums in Florence- the Uffizi. This museum has mostly paintings that are chronologically organized by room- from the 1400s-1700s. Once again, we had our handy museum guidebooks and used them faithfully to learn more about the paintings we were seeing. Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and “Primavera” were my favorite paintings of the museum. I love history so physically witnessing history has been amazing so far.

Last Friday, I went on a school led trip to Altroarno, which literally means “across the Arno.” Fyi the Arno is the main river that runs through Florence. Altroarno is basically the countryside of Florence. It is filled with trees (which is amazing because the actually city part of Florence has absolutely no trees!) and beautiful houses hidden in the hills.

We started our trek in Florence and as we got deeper into Altroarno, the atmosphere completely changed. The noise of traffic was almost nonexistent and the air just felt cleaner. The view as we climbed the hills was breathtaking. I am so jealous of the people who live in the houses on the hills. The typical house in Altroarno has a beautiful gate that opens up to a small garden in front of a Spanish style house. Their backyard view..no biggie…just the entire city of Florence surrounded by mountains. They really do get the best of both worlds (no Hannah Montana pun intended) because they live in the quiet peaceful atmosphere of Altroarno but still have the fast paced city life at their feet.

I would definitely love to rent a house here when I’m older…or so I can dream. =) After trekking, I relaxed a bit and then started to get ready for Venice!

On Saturday, my roommates and I booked a day trip to Venice with the tour company Bus2Alps. I was soooo excited for this trip because I have always wanted to visit the famous “city on water.” I already had a plan of the places I wanted to visit and the things I wanted to do- gondola ride, San Marco’s square, Murano glass blowing demonstration, and the Rialto Bridge. Unfortunately, I was only able to cross out one thing from my list! The Bus2Alps itinerary completely misled my roommates and I. We arrived at the Island so late- around 3 pm and were left to explore San Marco Island for 45 minutes before being taken to Murano Island to view a glass blowing demonstration. 45 minutes was just enough time to grab a quick lunch (we hadn’t eaten since 8 that morning) and take some pictures of San Marco’s square and a pretty bridge. We then met up with the Bus2Alps people to take us to Murano Island. After 2 hours we finally arrived at Murano Island because the tour leaders essentially had no idea where they were taking us. Once we got to the island, only 1 tiny Murano glass shop was open! I think if you’re going to lead a tour group you should know the hours of operation of the main activity on your tour! On top of everything else, the tour leaders just randomly left us on Murano Island and went back to the main island. It was quite an adventure to island hop back to the main island without a clue of Venice’s waterway. After stopping at 4 different islands to ask for directions, we finally reached the island our bus was on. I was very disappointed with the Bus2Alps tour but the few hours I had in Venice was definitely amazing. I was so surprised to see how large Venice is. Before going, I thought that Venice was composed of maybe one or two small islands…but Venice is huge! It has six islands that range from metropolitan- like to rural. Venice’s main waterway is called the Grand Canal and is filled with water taxis- which are literally taxis on water. Venice is such a romantic city! I actually saw a man propose to his fianc� on a passing gondola…and pda is rampant. The highlight of the Venice trip had to be shopping at a Murano glass shop- the only one that was open on Murano island. The jewelry was all hand made and absolutely gorgeous. I definitely want to go back to Venice someday and really explore the islands.

Beautiful Coastline of San Marco Island in Venice

Murano Glass

Gondola Ride

Now that I have experienced 3 weeks in Florence, I have noticed more differences between American and Italian culture. I had already mentioned in my previous blog a couple of differences but I have discovered some more.

At the grocery store, I have to tell the cashier how many bags I think I will need before he starts scanning my items. This is because bags aren’t free like in America. My first few experiences in Italian grocery stores were really confusing because the cashier kept asking me “quanti borse?” which means “how many bags” in Italian. I would just nod my head like an idiot and say “Si,” not realizing that he was asking how many bags I needed so he could charge me accordingly.
I have to bag my own groceries unlike in America and that too at a really face pace! The cashiers scan the items so fast that I end up bagging my items along with the next three people in line because I’m a realllyyyy slow bagger. Yesterday, the man behind me had to actually grab my bag and open it for me because he saw how badly I was struggling to open the bag….hahah whoops =P
So far, I have not seen any free public restrooms in Italy. Most cost about .30-1.50 euros. If you have to go- you better have exact change!
Public display of affection is the norm here. People have no shame in eating each other’s faces right next to ATM’s, benches, and in restaurants.
Europeans don’t wear flip flops- ever
I had been told that tipping is not required in Italy but that’s only because most restaurants have a cover charge of about 1.50 euros per person
In cafes, I will be charged more if I sit down instead of standing with my coffee
This is probably common knowledge but restaurants charge for water- be sure to ask for “Acqua naturale” otherwise you’ll get sparkling water.

Besides these differences, I am really enjoying my time here. I am going to gain so much weight eating my daily dose of 1 pastry and a gelato. =) Ciao for now

Location: via del Moro, 22, Florence, Italy

Bad Luck During Good Times

My time in Italy has been filled with amazing experiences but also terrible luck. Even my roommates are starting to joke about how often bad/funny things happen to me. I already mentioned before how my wallet was stolen from the outdoor market. Well, as soon I received my new credit card in the mail, my apartment key actually broke! I then had to go to the school and request for a new key. After my new key came in, my sandal strap broke while I was walking back to my apartment. I was forced to walk about half a mile barefoot…yuck! During the weekend, I was stuck in a monsoon in Siena. I bought an umbrella and the umbrella had a huge hole in the center! After the rain stopped, a bird pooped on my shoulder. Apparently, if a bird poops on you, it signifies good luck to come….I don’t think so. Yesterday, I went to a shoe store to hunt for good quality sandals. When I tried the sandals on at my apartment, they broke too! I went today to return the sandals and a bird pooped on me yet AGAIN! Fed up with everything, I went back to my room and sat on my bed…and you guessed it; the bed broke.

Despite all these aggravating occurrences, I am having such a great time here! I have dappled at some Italian cuisine in my own kitchen (bruschetta anyone?) and savored the amazing pastries around every corner. The past weekend was my first weekend getaway from Florence. I took a trip with my school to 4 beautiful Tuscan cities. On Friday, I visited Siena and San Gimignano and on Saturday, I visited Pisa and Lucca.

My first impression of Siena was that it is not as lively as Florence. I did think the architecture of Siena’s Duomo was absolutely amazing! I would have to jump to the conclusion that the interior of the cathedral is more outstanding than Florence’s.

I also had the best lasagna of my life there. It was completely different from American lasagna (which I am not a fan of).

Yum!!

But apart from that, the town did catch my interest much. Maybe I am biased because of the horrible weather we encountered that afternoon in Siena. Clouds flew in and we got bombarded with rain and even hail! No one was prepared for this type of weather and we ended up running more than a mile to our bus! I had to sometimes wade through almost a foot of muddy rainwater and did not help that my umbrella had a huge hole in the center! Muddy jeans and frizzy hair is not my idea of fun. However, our mood certainly lightened up when we reached San Gimignano.

San Gimignano is charming little town surrounded by beautiful vineyards and green, rolling hills. It is apparently one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Tuscany. The town is so peaceful and is a drastic difference from the blaring sirens and vespa’s in Florence.

We were basically allowed to explore the city on our own. There are two main streets that are lined with cute little shops filled with only hand made things- from jewelry to hand bags. There are also many wine shops filled with the best white wine in Italy- Vernaccia. The wine was so cheap here because it is actually grown in the vineyards surrounding San Gimignano. I couldn’t resist so I bought a bottle of wine for my parents. From Siena to San Gimignano, my mood did a 180. I ended Friday feeling exhausted but really satisfied.

The next day I had to wake up early again but I was pumped to see the famous leaning tower of Pisa. I had already planned out all the different poses I was going to do with the Pisa- holding the tower up with one finger, leaning on it, pushing it over… When we arrived in Pisa we were bombarded with people trying to sell us everything from fake Gucci watches to Rayband sunglasses. Everything was so cheap and tempting but I did not want to be charged with the 10000 euro fine for buying fake designer items. Pisa is an extremely touristy place so obviously sellers will flock to this location. My first impression of the Pisa was, “wow! That tower is about to fall over!”

I learned from my tour guide that the tower had been built about 3 stories when the ground under it caved in on one side, causing the tower to lean. The rest of the tower was slightly built more towards the center to compensate for the tilt. If you look closely you can actually see the slight curvature of the tower. After taking about a million pictures, my roommates decided to climb the tower while I went souvenir shopping. They said that climbing the tower was very difficult because gravity was essentially pushing them one way as they tried to climb. Once they reached the top, they experienced a bit of vertigo. Afterwards, we all headed back to the bus that would take us to Lucca- my favorite part of the whole weekend!

Lucca is very similar to Florence in architecture and size, but is so much more peaceful. There are not as many tourists and vehicles. I did not have much time to explore the city because we were taken to a bike rental shop. I could not believe I was going to bike ride through in Tuscany! That was something I was dying to do and am so happy I got the chance to. My classmates and I grabbed a bike and took off through the outskirts of Lucca. We rode past amazing landscapes of mountains, rivers, and beautiful architecture.

The city of Lucca was encased in a wall that was built during the Roman Empire to protect the city. We basically rode along that Roman wall. Bike riding was such a nice break from walking and I don’t think I have biked in about 5 years! The much needed breeze mixed in with the beautiful sights of Lucca is something I will always remember. After biking riding, we hopped on the bus back that would take us back home to Florence.

On Monday, I was desperately in need of a new small purse since I didn’t trust my other bag that had been pickpocketed from. I decided to go on my own to the giant San Lorenzo Market. This is one of Florence’s biggest outdoor markets that have a wide selection of purses, wallets, sunglasses, scarves and more. It is also a perfect place to practice the art of bargaining. I knew the basics of bargaining from watching my parents bargain in India. I entered the market a little nervous but knew that I had to act tough yet polite if I wanted my way. The first couple of tries were a complete disaster. The shopkeepers could tell I was an amateur and would not lower the price more than 2 euros for me. However, I kept my head up and kept trying. At about the 10^th try I finally bargained successfully! I kept smiling and tried to make the shopkeeper empathize with my sad financial situation as a student. He bought it and dropped the price down about 20 euros! I walked away from the market with a new fashionable leather bag! Success =)

It’s so strange how in two weeks I already consider this city mine. I am already able to get around the city without a map because the whole layout of the city is ingrained in my mind. I loved the peaceful Tuscan cities of San Gimignano and Lucca. However, Florence’s fast paced city atmosphere is more my style. There is never a dull moment in Florence. I cannot wait to explore more of Florence! My roommates and I have already booked tickets to visit two huge museums in Florence- the Uffizi and the Academia del Galleria. We are also planning to visit the famous Boboli Gardens and Piazza del Michelangelo where the statue of David is located.

Time to actually start reading for class! Ciao!

Location: via del Moro, 22, Florence, Italy

Buon Giorno!

It has been about a week since I arrived in Florence, Italy! So far, the experience here has been filled with amazing sightseeing, eating, and shopping.

My apartment is located in a very narrow street called Via del Morro. I’ve observed that all the streets in Florence start with “Via” which is Italian for “street.”

As I lugged my suitcase and bag into the lobby of the apartment building I realized with horror that there was no elevator and I lived on the top floor. I was also shocked to find out that I’m living in an apartment with 6 other girls! Thankfully, we all get along really well. Because the apartment is so old fashioned, the appliances and bathrooms will take some getting used to…

This city is more beautiful than I imagined. The red cobble stone streets are lined by quaint buildings, giant palazzos (palaces) or glorious cathedrals. I live right near the highlights of Florence, such as the Arno River, Duomo, and the Uffizi museum. I’m surrounded by high end stores like Gucci, Prada, and Dolce Gabanna. Unfortunately, I’ll never be able to afford any of that. But it’s still nice to stare through the giant windows =).

I don’t think I have ever been in a school as beautiful as Palazzo Rucellai! The classrooms are decorated with beautiful paintings that date back to the Renaissance period. I feel like I am going to school in a museum!

The first night in Florence, my roommates and I all decided to walk around near our apartment and try to find a convenience store. The streets in Florence are confusing to say the least! They form forks and change names without notice. We walked in circles even with maps in front our faces. Lets just say we had tourists written all over our forehead!

Fortunately the days since have been much better in terms of directions. In terms of luck …not so much. My 4th day here, I actually got pickpocketted at an outdoor market! I should have been more careful because major tourist spots are breeding ground for pick pocketters. I still feel sick thinking about the amount of euros and other important credit cards lost. I had to visit the police station close to my apartment but neither the police understood English nor I understood Italian. I am actually quite surprised that I was able to explain my whole situation in Italian to the officer…with the help of some phrase books. Too bad the phrase books don’t tell you what to do after you’ve received a complicated answer in Italian!

However, I learned a lot that day. I am so much more careful with my money now and never leave the house with an excessive amount of cash or important cards. I also am planning on buying a smaller purse that I can keep an eye on at all times. Unfortunately, ever since the incident, I have been having nightmares about thieves stealing my camera. If that happens…I don’t even want to think about it

Now onto the exciting stuff! My roommates and I have already visited many landmarks of Italy. Today, we actually climbed the Duomo. If you are even the least bit clausterphobic or scared of heights, this is not the adventure for you. It was around 460 steps of steep, narrow, and dark stairwells! However, once we reached the top of the Duomo, we knew the climb was worth every step. From the top of the Duomo, I could see the entire city of Florence and the mountain range surrounding the city. It was absolutely breathtaking and I hope to climb the Duomo once more before I leave for the US- preferably at sunset.

Besides the Duomo, we have visited some of the beautiful Piazzas (city squares) we live near, such as the Piazza de Republica, Piazza de Signoria, and Piazza de Beccaria. We have also visited some of the numerous outdoor markets Florence has to offer, such as San Lorenzo and the Straw Market. The markets have some of the best deals on leather handbags, beautiful silk scarves, and shoes. Now, I just have to work on my bargaining skills- which I am planning to do next week! We have also dappled in some fine Italian wine, expresso, and cuisine. The paninis in Florence are amazing! Even better are the gelato! So far we have only tried wine from the nearby convenience store which was alright. I am planning on going going wine tasting in Tuscany…should be amazing!

A week in and I have already noticed some cultural differences between Italy and America. For instance, in Italy, people walk on streets as if they are not surrounded by many people. They don’t say “excuse me” or “pardon” if they do bump into people on the streets unlike in America. People never make eye contact with each other on the road because eye contact signifies interest. Italians are also never in a rush to eat. You will never find an Italian eating while walking to work or school because they believe that dining must be a relaxing experience. I have also noticed that sizes in Italy run way smaller than in America. For instance, sidewalks, roads, stores, coffee sizes and even toilets are at least half of those sizes in America. Cramming onto a 2 feet wide sidewalk can take some getting used to! Finally, dining out in Italy has been one of the most confusing experiences. We usually end up with a bill that is higher than we expected because of random charges written in Italian. “Is that a service charge?” “Do we tip on top of the service charge?” If we sit down will we be charged extra?” Those are usually the questions running through my mind each time. Finally, I have also started to understand the Florentine perspective of Americans. They view Americans as loud and obnoxious partiers. I believe this stereotype comes from the partying many study abroad students engage in because of the amazing night life in Italy. Bars and clubs are pretty much catered towards American tourists. Italians do party but most of their drinking is done in moderation and mostly for socializing.

The first few days here were a bit startling in terms of adjusting to the new culture and dealing with the language barrier. However, studying abroad is about adjusting to a new way of life and thats exactly what I am ready to do.

Because studying abroad actually involves a bit of “studying” I better open up my book on Ancient Rome =)

Ciao!!

Location: Via del Moro, 22, Florence, Italy

A Quick Intro…

Hey everyone!

My name is Shuvya Arakali and I’m a sophomore at Penn State. This summer I’m going to Florence, Italy for 6 weeks. It’s a program that will be held at the Palazzo Rucellai Institute in Florence. I’m hoping to fullfill some gened requirements like arts and humanities. What better place to study art and history than at the birth place of the Renaissance? I cannot wait to experience the amazing italian cuisine, travel throughout the beautiful cities of Tuscany, and learn more about the Italian culture. I am excited but still a little nervous about being on my own in a foreign country. Even though past program participants told me that most Italians know English, I’m still trying to learn a little Italian- who knows, it may come in handy. I just hope the volcanic ash clears by May…

Thats all for now!

Location: University Park, Pennsylvania

Education Abroad GeoBlog

Penn State bloggers from around the world

Author Archives: sta5038

Last Words

Ro-Ma RoMaMa!

“I Feel Like I’m in Disney World!”

What a Weekend!

Luck is improving

Bad Luck During Good Times

Buon Giorno!

A Quick Intro…