Northeastern does Italy - Napoli, Roma and Perugia

After doing a worldwide adventure of Sorrento, Capri and Pompeii it was time to head back to Perugia. Since we were stopping in Napoli we deemed it necessary to get some pizza. (They are renowned as having the best pizza in Italy).  After consulting Rick Steve's, we found out what the best place in Napoli was.  After walking for (what seemed like) forever, and then waiting in line for 30 minutes, we finally made it inside!  They only had two kinds of pizza, formaggio e' doppio formaggio (cheese and double cheese).  We each got our own, making all of them doppio formaggio!  While this place may have been small and had a very "bare essentials" atmosphere with the plastic furniture, you would have thought it was a 5 star dining experience based on the way people were eating!  Everyone had their own eating "style."  Some people cut up their pizzas into tiny pieces, leaving the crust behind.  Others went with a more rolling individual slices style.  It was definitely an experience to be a part of though!  I will say this about the food ... pizza will NEVER taste the same.  I have actually never eaten anything that good in my life!  It would not be an exaggeration to say that I fell a little in love with that pizza.  Aside from that we didn't stay long in Naples.  It was kind of dirty and very much a city.  It pretty much just reminded me of New York.  So after lunch we got back on the train and headed to Perugia.

In Perugia we took Mischa and Nora on a tour of our typical days.  We showed them the duomo, the fontana, the piazza, the views, etc etc.  Even better though, we put all of our mattresses on the floor of our living room so we could have a giant sleepover!  It was pretty successful.  Maybe it was a bit more challenging to get around it during the day, but at night it was A LOT of fun!

We also made a trip the the fabbrica de cioccolate "Perugina."  (The Perugina chocolate factory)  We didn't make it in time for an English tour so we settled for an Italian one.  This might sound like a bad thing, but it actually ended up being so much fun!  We got lumped in with an Italian high school class on a field trip.  Multiple times one of the class "Mom's" shushed us and rushed us along, assuming we were part of her group.  I didn't realize that I looked like a 15 year old Italian student!  When the tour was over they gave us an obscene amount of candy.  I'm not sure if they always give that much, but I have a feeling that they gave us so much because they felt bad that there were no English tours.  It was fine by us!  We ate until we physically couldn't eat any more.  (FYI Kit Kats in Italy are way better than they are in America.   I don't know why, but it's true.)

It was decided that while they were in Italy, it was necessary to go to Rome for at least a day!  So we got up bright and early, caught a train, and were on our way.  First stop was the Vatican.  Megan and I have already seen the Sistine chapel so we waited at a nearby coffee shop, having cappuccino's, until they finished their visit.  From there we literally saw as much of Rome as possible in one day!  We went to the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon and the Borguise.  Unfortunately the Colosseum was closed by the time we got there, so Mischa and Nora didn't get to go inside.  It was a crazy day, but I'm so glad they got to see so much of Rome in one day!  Unfortunately the death of my camera took place, we were down to two at this point.  Estelle (Mischa's camera) had to power through for all of us because Megan's died.  Sad week for camera's apparently!

Back in Perugia we spent their last couple of days relaxing, eating and enjoying each others presence.  Writing this now makes me a little sad because I realize how long it's been since I've seen them (and even longer with all my other friends at home).  But I am leaving Italy in 4 days, which is so exciting!!  It's actually very bitter sweet.  I'm so thrilled to be going home, I miss my life in Boston so much.  But at the same time it saddens me that this experience is over.  I looked forward to going abroad for so long, and now instead of it being in my future it is my present.  Soon it will be in my past.  Enough about that for now.  I need to enjoy my last few days while I'm here, and I don't want to waste them feeling sad and on a computer!

Northeastern does Italy - spring break style!

One of my favorite weeks in Italy, by far, was spring break when Mischa and Nora came to visit us.  It was absolutely wonderful!  Just the fact that they came would have made it a great week, getting that fantastic taste of home and seeing friends I missed.  But we went on plenty of adventures making it even more incredible than I could have imagined.

First Nora flew in on Friday and we picked her up and went back to Perugia.  That night the three of was went out to a romantic dinner at a medieval themed restaurant.  Seriously.  We didn't even realize it until we looked around and were like, "So why are there suits of armor and dragons everywhere...?"  It was pretty entertaining until we saw the gnome room, Megan did NOT enjoy that!  We show her what a typical night in Perugia for us is like by taking her to Dempsey's and introducing her to our friends.  We had a great time but we knew we had to get up early to get to the airport.  We needed to pick up our lovely 4th, Mischa!

So that morning, after some difficulties getting to the airport, we finally made it!  (Don't ask about the difficulties.  It included missing trains, missing buses, rude transportation employees, and a 300 euro cab.)  Once the four of us were reunited though, it was all worth it!  Immediately we jumped on a train and headed to Sorrento.

Mischa was a trooper.  After an international flight, 2 trains, and a slightly ghetto metro she was still in high spirits!  (I would have been very very cranky.)  It may have been the enormous amounts of candy we ate (thanks again Nora!).  But personally I think it was the fact that we were all finally together in Italy after talking about it obsessively for two months.

Once we got to our adorable bed and breakfast in Sorrento (we had the green room, definitely the best) we got dinner and called it a night.  We had a big day ahead of us, and after a long day of traveling we were exhausted.

We decided to go to Pompeii first thing in the morning.  To be quite honest, I wasn't looking forward to Pompeii that much.  I was completely shocked though, it was incredible!  We had the best time.  Checking out the ruins, taking pictures, seeing the plastered bodies, the outdoor potties, the brothels.  All of it was amazing.  At this point in time we were down to 3 working cameras.  Sadly Nora's passed away earlier that weekend due to a camera in drink incident.  (It's exactly what it sounds like.)

We relied on Rick Steve's (our fearless book tour guide) to tell us everything we wanted to know.  I'll give Rick props where props are due, but he got us a bit confused this time around.  DAMN YOU RICK STEVE'S!!  It's ok though, eventually he got us back and track and lead us to the things we really wanted to see.  Namely the brothels.

This isn't just me being slightly perverted, they were really cool!  On the walls there were pictures of positions, which historians believed were menus!!  After giggling a lot, running around Pompeii pretended the lava was coming, acting like we were making pizzas in the brick ovens, and showing what positions we would have ended up in if we were buried by the ash (Nora and Megan would duck and cover, Mischa would be climbing out), it was time to go.

Our next stop for the day was Capri.  Capri was absolutely stunning, I really haven't seen anything quite that beautiful before.  We walked around, put our feet in and picked up sea glass from the ocean.  We took a crazy bus up to the top of the island so we were at Anacapri.  I may have seen my life flash before my eyes on that rocky, teetering, edge hugging, gravity defying bus.  It was all worth it when we got to the top though.  We hiked for a while, just taking in the amazing views.  There were plenty of La Pausa's (beaks) with Mischa's undeniable slowness and Megan's fear of heights.  But I'm proud of them both because they powered through!!!  No, no I'm just teasing.  We had a wonderful time and I'm so glad I got to share it with friends from home.

We took a ferry back to Sorrento for another night dinner and bedtime in our great b & b.  Next stop, next blog ... Napoli, Roma, fabbrica di cioccolato "Perugina," and mattress floor sleepovers!

Pictures Link

I realized that I posted the link to my shutterfly site a while ago.  So some of you may not have it.  Here is it if you want to check out pictures from my adventures!

 http://ashleysitalianadventures.shutterfly.com/

Oh, and there are some HILARIOUS ones from when my Mom and Dad came to visit!

Parentals do Italy! Part 2: Time spent in Umbria

So we left Florence on Sunday and while I went back to Perugia, they went to their hotel in Brufa.  The next morning after classes I jumped in a cab and went to spend the day with them!  First of all, Brufa is absolutely beautiful.  The view outside of their window was just fields of green against a perfect blue sky.  It was about 60 degrees while we were there, and to us that is sitting outside on the deck and shorts and t-shirts weather!  Apparently it is not the same to Italians.  We already got some crazy looks (tall and blonde are not two adjectives you would use to describe Italians) and clearly stood out.  But then we realized they were BUNDLED up like it was snowing!  Boots, jackets, scarves...the whole 9 yards!  Clearly they thought we were lunatics were sitting outside in shorts and t-shirts, but we were ok with it!

We also made a trip to the spa and relaxed in the pool and hot tub.  Dad was the only one adventurous enough to go into the Turkish hot house (or something along those lines).  That night we just relaxed and had a nice dinner at their hotel.

The next day they came to see Perugia!  Unfortunately the weather was kind of yucky, so I didn't get to show off my home town quite the way I would have liked to.  But we still had a good time.  They got to see how tiny the door frames were in my apartment (all three of us hit our heads, multiple times).  We walked around and saw a bit of Perugia, the fountain, the piazza, the duomo, etc and got some delicious pastries.  That night we went to my favorite restaurant in Perugia, Il Falchetto, for a traditional Umbrian meal.  After aperitif's (appetizers), primi's (first pasta courses), secondi's (second meat cources) and wine (and of course Diet Coke) we were stuffed, tired and ready for bed.

The next day my parents went to Assisi and I wasn't able to join them because of classes.  They came back to Perugia the day after though, and fortunately it was much better weather this time!  We walked around to some of the views and took lot's of pictures.  (check out my shutterfly site!)  It was a gorgeous day and I was really glad that I was able to show them how beautiful the town I had been living for months really was.  We also went to the Galleria Nazionale dell' Umbria, which is Perugia's main museum.  We didn't stay for too long because they had a train to catch to Rome.  But of course we needed to eat first!  We went to my favorite pizza place, Mediterranean.  Then I got them to the train station and sent them on their way to Roma.

I was so bummed to see them go, because I wasn't able to meet them in Rome.  But it was fantastic to have them visit.  We had an incredible time!  And as my Mom and Dad kept pointing out, it was the most time we've spent together in a long time.  I'm really grateful that they were able to come and share part of my experience with me.  Now I only have a week left and 4 finals to go.  I can't wait to get home!  But before I do I need to make sure I blog about my week with Mischa and Nora over spring break!  Stay tuned for new updates .... ciao!

Parentals Do Italy! Part 1: The Arrival

Ok so this is the post that everyone (and by everyone, I mean my Mom and Dad) has been waiting for!  My parents came to visit at the end of March for 12 days and it was amazing!  First they flew into Rome and took a train to Florence.  I'm very proud that they did this on their own without any disasters!  (This may have been partly due to my Dad's blackberry, which he did not get off of the entire time.  Seriouly, ask my Mom.  We have pictures.).  I went and met them in Florence and we began our weekend!

On their first day they were understandably a bit tired and jet lagged so we took it easy.  Now that I've made fun of my Dad a bit, I must make fun of myself.  We decided to just walk around Florence a bit and apparently all my Mom saw Dad and I arguing over which way to go while staring at a map.  As it turns out, neither of us know Florence very well.  Surprising, right?  As we walked around and took in how beautiful Florence is, the skies opened up on us and we got stuck in a crazy storm!  It only lasted for about 10 minutes, but it was a nice "welcoming" to Italy for my parents.  Afterwards we made our way back to the hotel to rest up and nap for a bit.  That night we had our first Italian dinner together and ate way too much of course.  It was absolutely delicious and I got to show my Italian language skills.  Despite the food comas we were close to entering, we got gelato for dessert.  We all went back to the hotel early to get some sleep so we could continue our adventure the next day.

Quick side bar, our hotel was on a side street and our first few times trying to get to it we had trouble finding it because we didn't see the the street sign.  One time we actually spotted the sign and instead of assuming that it was there the whole time, my Dad proclaimed, "Well they finally put up the sign!!"  Haha, sorry Dad, the story is too good, it had to be told.

The next day we had breakfast in the hotel and went on our way.  We got to see so much of the city over the course of the weekend.  We went to the Uffizi Gallery, which is the most famous museum in Florence.  It houses pieces like Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" and Leornardo da Vinci's "The Annunciation," amongst many others.  

We also went to the Duomo, which is the largest and most famous cathedral in Florence.  We decided to climb to the top to see Brunelleschi's dome.  From there we could see the entire city, and wanted to take some pictures.  Unfortunately the wind was blowing so hard, we only want to be on one side of it!  My parents definitely did not come to Italy to be blown off the top of a dome!  It was a hike to get to the top of it, but insane getting down.  There are two stairways for the majority of the climb, one to get up and one to get down.  Unfortunately, at one point the path becomes one!  There was quite the traffic jam, and a dark narrow staircase is not where you want to get stuck.  Fortunately we made it all intact, but it was definitely interesting.

My Mom's favorite part of Florence was the famous bridge, the Ponte Vecchio.  We compared it to Jewelry's Row in Philadelphia because leading up to the bridge and across it was all jewelry shops!  The view is what you really go for though.  Check out my shutterfly photos to see some beautiful shots of the sun setting over the bridge.  My Mom liked it so much there that we went back everyday!

Of course since we were in Florence, there was much shopping to be done.  There are a few streets in Florence that are all outdoor shops.  They sell everything from gorgeous leather bags and jackets, to beautiful glass jewelry, to colorful scarves.  We found ourselves spending a lot of time there.  (Thanks for the jacket Mom and Dad!)  It is definitely the place to get gifts for family and friends.  It's where I got most of mine last time I was in Florence, and where they got most of theirs!  We also bought some fantastic olive oil from this little side shop.  The man that worked there was adorable!  He didn't speak great English, but between his English and my Italian we managed to get by.  We ended up trying 4 different kinds of delicious olive oil, and buying 6 bottles!  I'm pretty sure we made his day.

Another stop we made was Santa Croce, a beautiful cathedral that has Michelangelo's tomb.  One of the reasons I wanted to take them there is because it's a gorgeous Christian church, with a giant Star of David in the front of it!  It was built by a Jewish architect and he apparently wanted to leave his mark!  It's beautiful inside and the architecture is incredible.  And of course the comment was made that maybe they should have gotten married there!  (About 25 years too late Mom and Dad...)

While in Florence we had some incredible meals, of course lot's of great pasta dishes!  But then it was time to move on from Firenze and go onto Umbria (Perugia and Brufa).

Bonjour Paris

About 2 weeks ago (on the 3rd - 5th of April) I went to Paris for the weekend with Megan.  Paris was one of the places that I was determined to get to while studying in Italy, so I was incredibly excited that it was actually happening.  Friday morning I took a bus from Perugia to the Rome airport (I've taken this trip too many times to count at this point!), jumped on the plane, and before I knew it we landed in France!

Getting to Paris wasn't quite as easy however.  From the airport we took a shuttle to the train, a train to the metro, and a metro to our hotel.  Upon arriving I was thrilled, tired and slightly surprised.  While I know that Paris is obviously a huge metropolis, I didn't realize how large the city actually was.  For some reason I felt like I should have been able to see the Eiffel Tower immediately, but clearly those were some unrealistic expectations!

We did have a fantastic dinner our first night though.  I am in NO WAY embarrassed to admit that we bee-lined it for Hard Rock Cafe!  We got nachos, wings, a chicken sandwich, a salad, and brownie sundae!!!!  Ah to have wonderful unhealthy typical American food again.  It makes me smile just thinking about it now.  Anyways it was a wonderful way to start our weekend!  That night went to bed early, ready to get up and get our weekend in Paris started.

Our first stop was to Starbucks.  Again, I'm not embarrassed to admit this.  I do love a delicious caramel macchiato!  From there we took the metro to the Louvre.  It was phenomenal, and so surreal to be there.  One of the strangest parts however, was that they allowed pictures to be taken anywhere inside the Louvre, there were absolutely not restrictions when it came to photography.  Personally, I was shocked.  I've been to dozens of museums and churches in the past four months, and this was the first time that there were zero restrictions in place.  And in the worlds most famous museum nonetheless!  Seeing the Mona Lisa in person was very surreal as well.  I knew it wasn't very large, so that wasn't surprising.  It was in a room, on a wall by it's self.  It was blocked by glass, rope, and other barriers, with two guards watching it.  Also, it apparently goes into a safe a night.  Pretty cool, huh?

After exploring the Louvre for a few hours and having lunch, we decided it was time to make our way over to the Eiffel Tower!  Very, very cool to see in person, incredibly impressive.  Of course we hopped right in line to take the elevator to the top!  While it took about an hour, it was absolutely worth it.  Make sure to check out my pictures on shutterfly to see how insanely high up we were!  The view from the top was simply gorgeous, seeing the city laid out in front of us like that.  I'm glad it's something I got to experience because I doubt I'll repeat it in my life.

After coming back down we got ourselves some delicious cotton candy ... when in Paris, right?!  We then made our way back to our hotel after our first full, long day in Paris.  The next day was Palm Sunday so we decided it would be appropriate to go to the Notre Dame.  On the way there we walked down many side streets with outdoor markets occurring on them!  Fresh breads, cheeses, produce, seafood, etc ... anything you could think of, someone was selling it!  It was very unique to be able to see this happening, watching Parisians do their Sunday shopping at a local outdoor market.  It was essentially as if we forgot we were in the huge city of Paris, and instead were in a smaller French town.  We some how ended up walking down a street wit prositutes on it.  At first we didn't realize because it was a Sunday, it was the morning, it was a nice street in a good area, and ... well ... it wasn't like we were LOOKING for prositutes!  We made our way down that street pretty fast and moved on.  Although we did get a good laugh out of the fact that we saw French hookers.  As our walk continued we also saw a French marathon going on!  Of course we stopped and cheered for a while.  It almost made up for missing this Boston marathon this year.

Our walk ended at the Notre Dame, and it was perfect.  The cathedral was so breathtakingly beautiful.  It was also packed with people.  While on one hand it might have taken away from the experience a bit, it also added to it.  Many of the people were there to attend mass, so we got to be there during a service.  The sounds of the choir combined with the beautiful architecture, statues and frescoes was amazing.  I could have stayed their all day.  French churches are also very different from Italian churches.  I've seen my share of Italian churches, all of them beautiful.  But this one was beautiful in a different way.  It's hard to explain, but I understand why it is a must see for tourists in Paris.

After the cathedral we got lunch at a recommended crepe place.  I couldn't leave France without having delicious crepes first!  I had one with chocolate and apples and Megan had one with chocolate and ice cream.  Soooo good!!  I really don't understand how French people aren't fat because I would eat them all the time if I lived in Paris!  Haha!  Our adorable French waiters also gave us free glasses of champagne as a "souvenir."  I know that the stereotype is that French people are rude and hate American's, but I had some really positive experiences.  Aside from out waiters, Megan and I were stopped twice on the street by locals who could tell we were lost and attempted to help us.  While we couldn't understand them, it was still very sweet.  Also, this was the first time I was in a city where I knew NONE of the language and it was interesting.  While many of the tourist-y things had English, it was still a challenge in general getting around if you don't even know how to ask where something is!  We managed though.

I would love to go back to Paris someday.  But it was wonderful to be able to go just for a weekend and experience as much as possible.

Long time, no blog

Ok so I genuinely apologize to all my blog readers.  I know I've been AWFUL about updating my blog.  But I'm going to do all my updates in the next few days about what I've been doing recently.  Also, I'm doing them in reverse chronological order.  So starting with this past weekend...

It was Easter so we had a 4 day weekend and I decided to take advantage of it by going to Greece!  More specifically I went to Mykonos, a small Greek island.  It was myself, Megan, Jenna, Jamie and Jamie's friend Matt.  We started on our journey early Friday morning by flying into Athens.  From there we took a ferry to Mykonos.  Just finding the ferry was an adventure it itself, but after a bus and walking for (what felt like) forever we finally got on the correct ferry and were on our way!  It was a 5 hour ferry, and for anyone planning on going to Mykonos I recommend flying.  It was a loooong time to be on a boat, I'll just leave it at that.

I will say that it was absolutely, positively, %100 worth the trip though.  We arrived around midnight on Friday night (after leaving at about 6 am).  We went straight to the beach, which was right outside the front door of our bed and breakfast, and it was beautiful.  The beach was warm and empty, and the ocean looked so incredible bathed in the moonlight.  Megan and I of course couldn't resist running in the water for a few minutes.  Even waste deep at night we could see our feet perfectly clearly.

The next morning we decided to walk into town and along the way we saw a place you could rent ATV's (All Terrain Vehicles)!  Obviously we couldn't resist and Megan and Jamie took one, Jenna and I took another.  We drove into town and found a cute little place to have breakfast.  The drive in was unreal.  Seeing Mykonos in the day time is unlike anything I've ever seen before.  The torquise sea was sparkling, the bright sand was clean, and the beautiful white houses with blue shutters that are stereotypical portrayals of Greece are absolutely real.  As soon as I can I'll add pictures to my shutterfly site.  But during the drive I felt like I was in a movie, or a dream.  I just didn't think it was possible for something in this world to be THAT beautiful.  I don't think I stopped smiling (or yelling OPA!) the entire time.

Breakfast was wonderful.  It was a REAL breakfast: omelets, coffee, toast, pancakes, yum!  We got to sit outside and enjoy the sun before heading back.  Then we ATVed back and hit the beach!  I'm sure that everyone knows this about already, but I am a sun worshipper.  I live and breathe for the beach.  My time down the shore is my favorite, and all of my beach memories take place there.  So just being on the beach was possibly the happiest I've been the entire time I've been in Italy (and I've been very, very happy).  I love the beach so much because it utilizes all five senses, and the beach in Mykonos did it in the most wonderful way possible.  Feeling the sun on your skin, hearing the crash of the waves, smelling the salt of the ocean, tasting the slight crunch of sand in your teeth, and of course seeing how incredible it all is together (sand, sun, surf).

We spent all day laying out, reading, climbing rocks, collecting beach glass, until the wind picked up and it started to get a bit cold.  So we went back to our B and B to shower up and get ready for dinner.  Of course we felt the need to take the ATV's out again first and did a bit of off roading.  I think renting them, and driving them around the island, was the most fun thing I've done since I've been abroad.

Dinner that night was excellent.  Having a break from Italian food in general (yes, you can get tired of Italian, no matter how amazing it is) was nice but Greek food is excellent!  I had lamb souvlaki and loved it.  Looks like I'll be searching for a good greek restaurant in Boston now!

The second day was spent similar to the first.  Wake up, take in the view, ATV to breakfast in town.  We did a bit of shopping as well.  I purchased a beautiful homemade Greek ceramic of a moon!  Interestingly, although it was our Easter, since we were in Greece it was the Greek Orthodox Palm Sunday.  Very interesting watching the parades take place along the coast while eating breakfast.  Religion is clearly a huge part of their culture and it was beautiful to watch.

We spent the rest of the day on the beach again, then taking the ferry back to Athens.  Athens was, interesting.  I didn't love it, but I loved Mykonos so much that it totally made up for it however.  Now I am back in Italy, wishing I was in Greece.  Who would have ever thought that I would be upset about being in Italy!?!  Haha just kidding, I love it here and I plan on enjoying my last two weeks (TWO WEEKS!!!) to the fullest.  I promise another update soon.  Next up is Paris!  Until then ciao and thanks for reading!

Carnivale in Venezia!

This weekend was incredible, definitely one I will never forget.  On Thursday Meg and I went out with Jamie, Jenna and Shania to celebrate our Italian midterms being over.  Lupi had a magic show at Shamrock so we just chilled there.  Yes, if I haven’t mentioned this before, my friend Lupi is a magician by profession.

 

Friday I just laid low because I was getting up early Saturday.  So I did laundry, went for a run (I know, it’s shocking), cleaned the apartment, and did some studying for midterms.  Nothing exciting, I just went bed early.  I know, I'm boring.  Haha.

 

So Saturday is where the real weekend started.  We (Megan, Lupi,

John and myself) all decided to go to Venice for Carnivale.  Carnivale is essentially a much classier Mardi Gras.  We arrived in Venice around 11:30.  As soon as we got off the train it was clear this was going to be a weekend to remember.  EVERYONE was in costume.  At the very least everyone was wearing a mask, had their face painted, or was wearing a hat.  However a lot of people were all out, top to bottom, over the top, in extremely elaborate costumes.  I saw Smirf’s, men dressed as ballerina’s (more on them later) and dominatrix’s.  The majority of people, however, were dressed in full out ball gowns with themes from the 1800’s.  For example there was my favorite costume, the “rose couple.”  Both wearing really elaborate dresses and suits from the 1800’s covered in roses, complete with gloves, wigs, masks, etc.  Masks are a huge part of Carnivale, everyone wears them.  I bought a really beautiful black and silver one with feathers.  Megan, Jamie and Jenna got their faces painted.  And Lupi got a cape and a wizard’s hat (because he’s a magician of course).

 

So after arriving at the train station we had to take a waterbus to get to our bed and breakfast.  It was SO COOL!!  I knew that the city was all water, but actually seeing it is pretty incredible.  Apparently gondolas are crazy expensive (like 30 euro a person) so we just took a bus.  They have water taxis too.  It was a really unique experience.  (FYI to anyone visiting Venice, they don’t check for your tickets on the waterbus ever.  And the tickets are really expensive.  So if you catch my drift…)

 

We stayed at a really cute bed and breakfast that was owned by an adorable woman.  She told us all about the best places to go and helped us figure out the city.  Now Carnivale is pretty much city wide, but the place to be is in Saint Marco’s Square.  So we of course made our way down to there, walking along the pier of the main waterfront.  The experience was unbelievable.  Every trip I’ve taken so far on weekends have been cool, but super busy.  Packed with wanting to see a hundred things, we end up constantly running around.  This was the first time we just wandered around and people watched, taking in the city and the craziness.

 

So there were some really funny stories from this weekend.  Back to the ballerina’s I mentioned.  It was like 5 or 6 guys dressed in tutus, tights, leotards, and bright pink lipstick.  We of course had to take a picture with them.  So they come over to us and right before they take the picture, one of them kisses Jenna!!!  It’s so funny, she was just like “Ahhhh?!” but cracking up.  I don’t think it would have been possible to stop him if she wanted too.  Check out my pictures on shutterfly if you want to see them!   Later in the night we saw them again, and I went to give them a high five.  Instead of just high fiving me back, he picked me up fireman style (over the shoulder) and ran away!  My friends just kind of stopped and stared, not exactly sure what to do.  Hahahahaha.  He only ran like 10 feet or so but it was so funny.  Apparently that’s what they do: kiss people, dance, and kidnap/run away with people.

 

That night we all went out to dinner then headed back to Saint Marco’s Square to keep celebrating.  It was a really fun night of dancing in the streets, drinking wine, and looking at all the crazy costumes.  It was essentially a big competition where everyone wanted to get his or her picture taken.  I got my picture taken once also, it was pretty flattering.  I didn’t know why at first, because it was just wearing a mask.  But he showed me the picture and the way the light was hitting my hair, the silver in my mask, and my eyes it looked like I was glowing.  My hair looked like it was on fire and my eyes were crazy bright.  I wish I could get a copy of the picture, but oh well.

 

The next day we just slept in, walked around a bit more, got food and headed back.  Venice is kind of far from Perugia and we had to transfer trains so we wanted to head out early.  Especially because all the girls had to study and Lupi and was throwing himself a birthday party.

 

This week I’m just studying for midterms and getting ready for Nora and Mischa’s arrival!  YAY!  So I doubt I’ll have any more interesting updates until after spring break.

Perugian Adventures with Brian

Now that I blogged about mine (and Brian’s) weekend in Rome, I decided to do a separate blog for the rest of our week together.  We spent Saturday night with my friends at our local favorite bars, Demphsey’s and Shamrock.  It was a lot of fun, and I particularly enjoyed just being able to spend time with Brian and showing him what a typical night in Perugia is like.  The next day we walked all over the city for a couple of hours.  We walked to all my favorite view points in the city and had a great time showing off my small, but beautiful Italian home.

 

Unfortunately during the week I had class, but we made the most of the time when I wasn’t in class.  Everyday we met for lunch and ate on the Duomo (cathedral) steps in the main Piazza.  Brian fell in love with the kabobs here, which are similar to gyros.  But I still made sure he tried lots of different Italian foods as well.  We had prosciutto and mozzarella piadini’s (sandwich) a lot during the day as a snack, and went out almost every night for dinner.

 

On Monday we went to my favorite pizza place, Mediterranean and after to Rock Castle for Monday night karaoke with all my friends.  Tuesday a big group of us got a meter long pizza for my friend’s birthday.  Wednesday myself, Brian, Megan, Jamie and Jenna went to Luna Bar for aperitivo.  Aperitivo is a very common, popular thing for bars to do in Italy.  You go around 7:00 and buy a drink, and they bring you lot’s of free, delicious, appetizer-type foods.  We had different bruschettas, cheese, meats, pizza, risotto, olives, and lots of other yummy snacks.  After aperitivo we went to John and Lupi’s apartment for a house party.  Another night of dancing and drinking (typical nightlife of Italy) that I got to share with Brian.  On Thursday a large group of my friends: Megan, Jamie, Jenna, Brittany, John, Lupi and Andreas joined Brian and myself for dinner at Dal Mi Cocco which I have blogged about before.  It’s the restaurant that does 5 courses for 13 euro, but the catch is that whatever they are making that day is what you are having.  It was delicious again, all traditional Umbrian and Perugian foods.

 

On Friday, since I didn’t have class, Brian and I decided to make a day trip to Assisi, a small town about 20 minutes from Perugia.  It was so incredible.  We had a walking guidebook (RICK STEVES’!!) given to Megan and myself by Claire (thanks Claire!) that proved to be extremely helpful.  It led us all over Assisi, showing us the Roman Amphitheater, the Basicilica of San Francesco, Basilica of Santa Chiara, etc, and giving us really interesting explanations at each.  My favorite parts of Assisi were the incredible views and the tombs of St. Francesco.  He is one of the Saints of Assisi and was born there.  His story is fascinating; he gave up all his material possessions to live a life dedicated to God.  St Claire (who’s tomb we also saw, very cool) was one of his followers and started the “Poor Claire’s.”  Assisi is a very popular pilgrimage place for Catholics and it was really interesting to see all the history.  Brian’s favorite part was the Temple of Minerva.  It’s a fairly small and basic cathedral, but what he liked about it was it’s original use.  It was a temple used for animal sacrifices, and the drains for the blood were still intact on the floor.  Creepy, yes.  But still a pretty unique thing to see.

 

That night, upon arriving back in Perugia, I took him to the secret restaurant that I previously blogged about.  We had an incredible meal, antipasto plate, primi’s, secondi’s, side dishes, and wine.  Basically enough food to feed a large family, well not a Klose family, but still a lot.  The weirdest part of the night however, occurred at the end.  This very drunk/insane woman come up to our table and asked us about our preference of flowers in Italian.  I pretended I couldn’t understand her so she would go away, and then she revealed she was English.  Well then she asked for some of our wine while she “waited for her cocktail and her potatoes.”  Yea, seriously.  So I, of course, lied and told her we just poured the rest of the bottle into our glasses.  A few minutes later she was back, WITH A GLASS, and this time addressed Brian!  He just ignored her, which she took as, “please help yourself!”  Which she did.  We pretty much finished our glasses, paid, and got the heck out of the ASAP.  It was entertaining, but highly bizarre at the same time.

 

Saturday was Valentine’s Day, which was really nice to be able to spend in Italy together.  In the morning we went to a giant outdoor market, which sold everything from clothes to produce to pets to kitchen equipment.  The rest of the day we shopped around Perugia, got gelato, took a nap, did more shopping and went to dinner.  Big day for Brian though, he bought a gorgeous leather jacket!!  I know I already bought one, but I was still jealous.  He did buy me a beautiful dress though, so I was quite the happy camper as well.

 

Sunday we didn’t do much, just enjoyed our last day in Italy together.  Walked around, ate some delicious food, tried to go to a soccer game but failed (don’t ask), and then went to Rome that night since his plane was the next morning.  It was really sad saying goodbye to him Monday morning since he is being stationed in Okinawa, Japan.  But it was absolutely incredible to have him here and be able to show him Italy.

 

In a week or so Mischa and Nora are coming to visit us!  I can’t wait to have more visitors and show them Italy also.  We are planning on doing Capri, Pompeii, and Sorento with them over spring break.  And after that my parents are coming!  Yay for visitors!  Scarily enough, after that it will be April and I’ll only have a month left.  This weekend I’m going to Venice with Megan, Lupi, and John for Carnival, which should be incredible.  I’ll make sure I blog all about it when I come back from that too.  And I promise I won’t wait so long in between blogs this time!  

1 more thing

I totally forgot to mention one pretty entertaining story about Rome.  While we were at the Coliseum I couldn't help myself from shouting, over and over, "Are you not entertained??!!"  (A la "Gladiator")  While Brian laughed maybe the first three times I did this, but the 10th he was annoyed.  And by the 25th he was embarrassed.  And by the 50th he was walking away from me pretending not to know me.  So yea, I made quite the spectacle of myself and I didn't care.

"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED??!!"

Roma con Brian!

Hi all, I know I have been slacking on the blogs.  Sorry!  I do have a good excuse though.  Brian came to visit me!!  We had such an incredible time together.  I’ll start with our first weekend…

 

This one was spent in Rome with Brian!  He flew in Thursday morning where we met in Rome.  And from there was started our weekend immediately.  After dropping off our stuff we walked to the Coliseum.  Seeing it in person was absolutely amazing.  Brian summed it up perfectly when he said, “it’s something I always wanted to see, but never thought I would in person.”  Upon arriving there we found out about a tour that was only 20 euro a person (the tickets alone are 8 euro).  It was so worth it because we got to learn all about the Coliseum, jump all the lines, and also got entrance plus a tour around Palatine.  It was a fantastic way to start our day but we decided to keep going after.

 

We walked all around Roma and saw some incredible (albeit “touristy”) things.  We stopped at the Trevi fountain to throw coins backwards over our shoulders for good luck.  That was easily my favorite part of the day.  It was so beautiful and much larger than I imagined.  I loved it so much that we actually went back the next night after dinner to sit and enjoy it again.  (FYI it’s absolutely worth visiting twice so you can see it once during the day and once at night, it’s breath taking both ways but totally different.)  The first day we also walked to the Pantheon, which was very impressive as well.  It’s apparently the largest self-sustaining dome in the world, and architects now still don’t know how it was made.  After the first day being long and full of walking we were ready to call it a night.

 

Of course we had to get a few delicious Italian meals along the way since it was Brian’s first time in Italy.  We went pretty basic with pizza, calzione (calzone), crossaints (cornetta’s) with ham and cheese, and gelato throughout the day.  We actually ended up skipping dinner and going to be early if you can believe it!  Just shows how tired we were.  Brian literally just got off a plane from New York, I don’t know what my excuse was.

 

The next day we headed over to Vatican City to participate in another tour we were told about the previous day.  Vatican City was absolutely incredible.  Our tour guide was fantastic and told us so many interesting facts about the history of Vatican City.  We were lead through rooms upon rooms with everything from statues and sculptures, to paintings and frescos, to maps and tapestry’s the size of a normal wall!  Everything was so beautiful and fascinating.  We got to see works by Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, and many more.

 

But of course the piece di resistance was the Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel).  Fortunately they allowed us to take pictures (no flash of course) but my pictures can’t even come close to capturing the colors, details and awe-inspiring frescos that covered the walls and ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  It would have been easy to spend all day in there, just staring at the wall piece by piece.  Of course the piece “Creation of Adam” (the one where God is reaching out to Adam and their fingers are almost touching) was beautiful.  All of it together was overwhelming though.

 

After the Sistine Chapel we walked through St. Peter’s Basilica.  Walking through there and see the tombs of all the past Popes, and the burial site of St. Peter, was a very unique experience.  You weren’t allowed to speak in there, because it was a spiritual space.  I enjoyed it a lot, but my favorite part of the Vatican City was still the Sistine Chapel.

 

That night we went out to a restaurant that our tour guide recommended to us, but we of course couldn’t find it.  After walking around for about 30 minutes we decided just to go into one that looked good to us.  While checking out the menu for a “Trattoria” (a traditional restaurant) the server came outside and asked us where we were from.  When we told him we were Americans he said, “No ones perfect!”  That sold it to us.  We ended up eating way too much delicious food, getting primi’s that our server recommended and saltimbocca, a traditional Roman veal dish.  When we thought we couldn’t get eat more, they brought over free dessert!  Definitely a fantastic way to end a great day.

 

We decided to go back to Perugia the next day, but first to go to the Spanish Steps.  It was quite a hike up them, particularly in the rain, but they were so lovely.  It was the one “touristy” thing we hadn’t gotten to do while in Rome, so it was great to see them before heading back to Perugia.  Even our train ride back was interesting.  It’s about 2 hours from Rome to Perugia and Brian and I rocked out to The Beatles the entire time!  All of the Italians may have hated us, but we enjoyed ourselves.

Ciao Italy, hola Spain...Ole! My weekend in Barcelona!

Right now I am exhausted, but it’s completely worth it because I got to spend the weekend in Barcelona, Spain!  I went to Barcelona with my family when I was 13 and had incredible memories of it.  So when Megan suggested it for this past weekend I was totally on board.  Fortunately, my experiences this weekend not only lived up to, but also surpassed my memories and expectations.  I remembered the city as full of life, and culture, and essentially similar to a large piece of artwork and my memories did not disappoint.  It was amazing.

We started by leaving at 6 am Friday morning to begin our 7 “legs” of the trip (taxi, train, bus, shuttle, plane, bus, metro).  It was a lot of traveling but absolutely worth it.  The only bad part of the trip was when we saw a flasher on the Metro!!  EWWW.  I guess there are perverts in Spain just like there are in the United States.

The first night we were there we mad our way over to La Rambla.  La Rambla is the most famous (and largest) street in Barcelona and all down it is vendors selling everything imaginable, artists, and street performers.  Our favorite performer was a Edward Scissorhands look alike!  (check out the pictures, Megan was terrified)  The street performers are fantastic, they are all “statues” that move when you give them some euro.  It’s really amusing but you have to be careful.  Because La Rambla attracts so many tourists, and everyone is so distracted by the very talent performers, pick pocketing is extremely common.  Fortunately none of us got pick pocketed, but Jamie almost did!  Thank goodness she noticed and tracked him down before he would make away with her stuff.  We had a lovely dinner of tapas, paella, and sangria while sitting outside people watching and enjoying tradition Spanish foods and the fact that we were actually there.

The next day we got up early to make the most of our day.  Our first stop was Starbucks!  While many of you may think we are ridiculous for getting a Starbucks fix, you have to understand.  It was GLORIOUS to have a coffee (or in my case caramel macchiato) like we have at home.  It just gave us a nice kick and put us in great moods to start the day.  Also we don’t have one in Perugia, so it’s not like it’s readily available to us.

From there we went to a bar our hostel told us about that gives FREE walking tours!  It was definitely one of the best parts of our trip.  Because the tour guide was working solely for tips, she was fantastic.  We walked all over the city for about 2 and a half hours, seeing lot’s of hidden gems.  The focus of the tour was the history of Barcelona as opposed to seeing the main “touristy” spots.  We saw Gaudi’s first public piece or artwork, Picasso’s dad’s art school (and where Picasso lost his virginity!), Plaza George Orwell (which is nicknamed Plaza Trippy because that’s where a lot of drug addicts hang out).  We also the church that Gaudi frequented, Isabella and Ferdinand’s castle/cathedral, and saw the first synagogue (I don’t remember if it was in Spain or Europe, but still cool either way).  A few other interesting things we saw were a plaza that was blown up during WWII, destroying a daycare center (they left the walls that had chips blown out of them the same as a reminder), the first piece of wood Christopher Columbus brought over the from the United States, and where San Eulalia was tortured and eventually killed (one of the Saints of Barcelona).

Aside from the walking tour we also went to Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s gothic cathedral.  It was under construction but still incredible to see.  We attempted going to Gaudi’s park but it was unfortunately closed because of really bad storms the week before that knocked down a lot of trees.  I was pretty disappointed we didn’t get to see it, I remember it being my favorite part of my last Barcelona trip.  But we still saw so many amazing things; I have no right to complain!  That night we also went to the very first “ice bar.”  An ice bar, for those of you who don’t know (*cough*Mom*cough*) is a bar literally made entirely of ice.  The bar itself, the chairs, the cups, everything!  It’s a very cool (Haha, get it?!  Cool?!  Haha, good one Ash) thing to do and see, but we only stayed for 1 drink.  They keep the bar at -5 degrees so they have to give you special thermal jackets, hats and gloves to wear.

The next day we made sure to get up early again and this time headed down to see the beach.  It was so beautiful, and a really wonderful way to start the day.  We wanted to see the Picasso museum, but unfortunately the lines were way to long and we didn’t have a ton of time left before we had to get to the airport.  It was fate that we didn’t get to go though.  The entire weekend we looked for churros and couldn’t find them!  (Weird, right?) But then after deciding to leave the Picasso museum, turning the corner to go to the metro, what do we see?  A churro place!!  It was definitely destiny.

Then we began out 7 “legs” to go back.  Myself, Megan, Jamie and Jenna had an amazing time.  They were a fantastic group to travel with.  We plan on traveling to Amsterdam and Greece together and I can’t wait for those adventures.  That night we went to a bar and watched the Superbowl.  Not a bad way to end the weekend, huh?  Now I’m planning this weekend because Brian is flying in!  I’ll be picking him up in Rome, spending a few days there, then bringing him back to Perugia to show him around here.  I’m sure Rome will be an interesting weekend, since it will be both of our first times there.  I’ll be sure to blog all about our adventures next week!

Adventures in Firenze!

Bongiorno!  This past weekend was spent in Florence and it was genuinely one of the best weekends of my life.  From start to finish the trip was fun, beautiful, interesting, delicious and almost perfect.  I went with a fairly large group but ended up spending the majority of my time with 5 others (Megan, Jamie, Jenna, Brittany and John).

We took a train Saturday morning from Perugia to Florence and it was lovely.  We actually got McDonald’s for breakfast before getting on the train at 10:00 AM and I’m not embarrassed by it.  As Megan put it, “It tasted like home.”  The train took about two hours and we got to see some incredible views of the Tuscan countryside as we traveled.

Upon getting there it was raining, but even that couldn’t dampen our spirits.  We walked through the streets of Florence looking for our hostel (which I found!  Who’s proud that I managed to not get lost in a foreign city…because I am!) and seeing some incredible things as we walked.  I got my first, albeit brief, view of the famous duomo which we planned on going back to as soon as we dropped off our belongings.

The hostel itself was fine, actually far better than I imagined.  It was a private room that we booked with enough beds to sleep 8.  Very basic and small, but at least clean and private for our group.  Good job Hostel Veronique!

Then we went back to the duomo and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.  There are a few parts to it structurally.  The bell tower, which was designed by Giotto right before he died.  The baptiste, which Giotto and Michelangelo both have frescos and sculptures in.  And the actual duomo itself, which is where the cathedral lies, and where we spent most of our time.  The pictures I took really can’t justify how awe-inspiring it is.  After spending time in the cathedral we climbed the 463 steps to the top.  Trust me when I tell you this was no easy task, but so worth it.  The stairs were steep, narrow and dark.  But the feeling of standing at the top of the duomo, looking over the entire city of Florence, is one that I will never forget.  It costs 8 euros and takes some time, but if you have the chance absolutely do it!

The rest of the day continued to go really well.  Everyone was in such great moods, the city is a like a giant piece of artwork you can’t help but be enthralled by its beauty.  We had a wonderful lunch, walked through out markets, went to the famous bridge over the river, just exploring and taking pictures the whole time.  (Which are posted!)

The best part of the trip, however, came at dinner.  I was taken by one member of my group to a restaurant she went to a few years ago when in Florence.  It’s hard for me to explain why this particular dinner is now one of the best memories of my life, but I’ll try.  First of all, the food was incredible.  It far surpassed everything I’ve eaten in Italy so far, hard to believe but true.  It was truly the best meal of my life.  Italians have such pride in their food and cooking.  The menu at this restaurant changes daily with whatever is fresh at the market, and we just told them we would have whatever they recommended.  There were no words to describe how good this meal was, especially for a “foodie” like myself.

Another reason this night was so spectacular was the company.  I don’t just mean the people I was with specifically either (although they were all wonderful and we are all forever bonded by this experience).  But everyone in the room became our friend for the evening.  The other guests, the chefs, the servers, the owners, the hosts, EVERYONE! One of the funniest moments came when they asked us if we minded if they smoked.  We, of course, said no because it’s Italy and that’s what they do here, it was polite of them to ask but we’re guests in their country!  As soon as we gave permission all the Italians in the room lit up, turned on the music, and started dancing!  The dancing quickly made it’s way from the floor to the chairs, and from the Italians to us.  The rest of the evening was spent mingling with locals and having an incredible time dancing on the chairs in this tiny, unbelievable restaurant.  In general, the experience was pretty surreal.

The next day in Florence was fantastic as well.  We shopped and continued to walk around.  And we happened to stumble across a chocolate festival!  That just ended up being a delicious and hilarious way to spend the afternoon.  We made our way back to the train station and back to Perugia after that.  But in all, it was an absolutely unbelievable weekend.  The fact that we were all constantly soaking wet from the pouring rain, and still so happy, just proves that you can’t be upset in Florence.  Or at least we couldn’t be.

And the adventures continue

Hello all my readers.  Apparently I had more than I realized!  It warms my heart every time someone comments on something they read... so keep the comments coming!  Also, if anyone has been to Italy (anywhere in Italy as I plan on traveling frequently) please let me know if you have any recommendations of places I "have" to go.  Be it restaurants, cafes, bars, museums, sites, etc etc.  Any advice you have, I'd love to hear it!  Also if anyone has specific questions about things that I haven't mentioned or elaborated on, let me know.  I can definitely tell you anything you want to know, I just sometimes forget that other people are interesting in more than food and scenic pictures.

The weather here has been rainy for the past few days.  But Italy is even beautiful in the rain.  It's much better than the brutal winter I hear people are facing back home.  Stay warm everybody!  Also for anyone who is interested, here is the link to Megan's blog.  http://megandoesperugia.blogspot.com/ It's a lot of the same information because we pretty much do everything together, but if you were curious about another perspective, her blog is really interesting and well written.

It's been a pretty great week here, despite the weather.  I had my first Italian pastry and when I tell you if I died in that moment I would have been fine with it, it is no exaggeration.  Sadly I did not have a camera on me to take a picture of the masterpiece that was my "pasta con cioccolato" (Yes, pasta here means how we use it in America and it means pastry.  They just really, really love pasta in Italy).  I'm certain I'll continue to experiment with all the pastry's they have to offer here until I am either broke or fat.  And that might even stop me if they are all as good as that one was!

One interesting aspect I've noticed about Perugia is there are tons of dogs, everywhere!  I'm not sure if they are strays or if owners just don't keep them on leashes.  I love it though.  They are all friendly and adorable.  Since the majority of them are mutts, a lot of them look like my Tootsie!  My only problem with the fact that they run around on their own, is no one cleans up after them (if you catch my drift).  This has yet to be a problem for me (as I've been very careful to look where I'm stepping).  But the first time I accidentally get some dog poo on my shoes you can fully expect a long, angry rant on this blog!

Aside from pastry's and dogs, I started all of my classes this week.  I'm looking forward to my Italian cinema class and Renaissance art class the most.  I've always been interested in foreign films but never got into them as much as I would have liked to.  I think this class will open a lot of doors for me as far as discovering renowned Italian directors (and will probably help with my Italian in general since everything will be subtitled).  My art class is supposed to be primarily for "beginners," which in my case is a very good thing.  I've never taken an art class, but I've always enjoyed museums and exhibits.  This class will definitely give me a greater appreciation for how talented the famous artists of Italy truly are, without being completely over my head.  The best part is that I'll be going on an over-night field trip to Florence to go on 2 days worth of private tours of museums all over the city!  It's at the end of March so expect to hear all about that when the time comes.  My other two classes are Italian literature and the History of Early Christianity.  Both I am not sure how I feel about yet.  While I'm sure I will enjoy my literature class, that is primarily because I have a deep love of literature in general.  I have the feeling that I won't learn much from that class that I couldn't have accomplished on my own.  But that's fine, it will at least be enjoyable work for me.  As far as history goes, the information is a bit dry as of this week.  But I'm going to stay positive and chalk that up to it being necessary background information we need to learn before getting into the "good" stuff.

As everyone knows, this week we had the momentous occasion of Barack Obama being sworn into office as our 44th President.  Anyone that knows me I'm sure knows what a huge Obama supported I was this year.  Even going so far as campaigning for him in New Hampshire (in the pouring rain nonetheless).  As much as I wish I could have been in the United States to experience something this huge (and something I truly felt part of) it was pretty incredible to experience it while in Italy.  First of all, Italians LOVE Obama.  Megan and I (and a few other friends) all went to a local bar to watch the inauguration as they were playing it on CNN in English.  The bar was packed with students and Italians alike.  I took a moment to look around the room during his speech and it was dead silent.  Everyone was just mesmerized staring at the television.  I snapped a few quick photos just to memorialize that moment, hoping to capture the feeling in the room.  It's was pretty unbelievable to see the way that people were affected, American or otherwise.

But the best part of my week was going to dinner with Megan.  While this may not sound too special, let me give some background information for you readers.  When all us abroad students arrived in Italy we were given a Perugia guidebook.  It included everything from who to contact if you have a question about the trains, to what days museums are open.  My favorite section was of course about food.  It included the best gelato places, pizza places and restaurants.  The first restaurant was called "Osteria del Tempo Perso" and it was described and some of the best and cheapest food you will find in Perugia.  Sounds perfect for us broke students, right?  Well the catch was it's a "hidden" restaurant.  They don't advertise, it's literally just a door with the name lightly carved in, located in a nondescript alley.  The school, out of respect for the restaurant, refused to give away it's location.  The idea was that if you could find it on your own, then you deserved to be able to go.  I pretty much came to terms that I was never going to find it on my own, and I didn't.  I can take no credit for it's discovery.  However, Ms. Piccirillo DID find it!  I won't put it's location on here incase other Umbra students read my blog, but it was as good as they said it was.  When we went (and it truly is hidden, she stumbled across it when taking a wrong turn one day) it was completely empty and tiny!  We each had a "primi" (First course of pasta.  Hers' a shell noodle with mushrooms and almonds.  Mine a penne with gorgonzola and walnuts), a "secondi (Second course of meat.  Hers' a pork with curry sauce.  Mine a swordfish.) and lato piatto (Side dish.  We shared fried mozzarella).  UNBELIEVABLE!  Anyone that comes to visit, I promise you, I will bring you.  The funniest part was the lights went out (apparently it's very common to blow fuses in Perugia) and we had dinner by candle light.  Very romantic, haha.

Time for my last class of the week.  Then it's time to attempt at another homemade dish this evening!  (We also made a fantastic lasagna this week.  And by we, I mean Megan.  I passed her things.)  Have a great weekend everyone.  I'll be in Firenze this weekend!  (Italy word for Florence.)  When I'm back I'll update with a nice, long blog and probably way too many pictures.  Ciao!  

Busy busy weekend

Hello all!  Sorry it's been a bit since my last update.  I've been really busy the past few days, which is good for me because it keeps me happy and good for you because it gives me good stories to write about!  So this weekend was filled with food, friends, and exploring.

This weekend I went out to my first "official" traditional Italian dinner.  It was incredible.  Eating here is far more than a meal, it's an experience.  We started with a bruschetta appetizer.  Here it's not just tomatoes and onions on bread.  They have garlic bruschetta, zucchini bruschetta, etc etc...  The next course was a pasta course.  It was fresh, homemade gnocchi and al dente linguini.  Both phenomenal with a meat sauce.  The next course was a meat course that included chicken, beef and pork.  After was a salad course.  Then of course dessert!  We also had a few bottles of delicious wine (locally made).  We were there for at least 2 hours and had an amazing time.  I don't think I'm going to be able to go back to "American" Italian food after this.

Megan and I also made a homemade pizza one night, which was a big feat for us!  We cheated slightly by buying the dough.  But we bought a basic tomato sauce and sauteed onions, garlic, and spices in it.  Then melted mozzarella, parm and provolone cheeses on top.  Magnifico!

Apparently here everyone makes there own sauce.  We had our first big trip to the grocery store which was an experience in and of its self.  We expect to find rows of fancy delicious sauces, but everything they sell is very basic and plain because everyone does it themselves.  So by the time I'm home (after experimenting with many varieties) I'm sure I will have a fantastic recipe!

Back to the grocery store though.  First you have to take something called the "mini-metro" to get there.  For those of you who live in Boston or have seen the "T," it's very similar to that.  The difference is it's TINY!  Imagine the one-cart T, that is typically so hilariously small, and shrink it to about a fourth that size.  They come every minute instead of every 10 minutes however, the it's never and issue.  It's outdoors instead of underground though, and has the distinct feel of Disney World's "monorail."

We managed to converse with the deli guy at the market to get un mezza kilo (about a pound) of salami and provolone cheese.  The only thing was, we clearly violated a big taboo when we requested the cheese be sliced.  Apparently that is NOT something you do in Italy!  Oops!  Well at least we know for next time...

On Sunday we spent a day on a genuine family run Italian farm.  It was pretty incredible.  Apparently when you say "farmers" in Italy it's not just people who grow food.  They also fish, have live-stock, have vineyards and make olive oil and wine, and essentially build/make everything they use like baskets or rope.  We learnt how to make homemade pasta on the farm too!  If I attempt it on my own I'll let everyone know how it works out.  Again we had an incredible 2 hour, 5 course meal.  There is really nothing quite like it.  I think I can happily give up breakfast if I can have these marathon meals everyday like Italians do!

Today was our first day of real classes, and it was nice to get the ball rolling on that.  I have a really large block in the middle of the day.  That works out pretty well for me as far as homework, blogging and exploring go!  Right now it's still a bit cold and rainy, but once it warms up I doubt I'll ever be inside!  I signed up for a few different Umbra run programs today.  Next week I'll be going on a historical walking tour of the city, which I can't wait for.  Obviously the city is full of history, but I can't wait to hear about it from someone who knows all the details.  Also I have signed up for wine, cheese and coffee tastings!  (Not at the same time)  I hope to be quite the connoisseur by the time April comes around.

My only other update is that I finally moved and got internet in my apartment.  YAY!  Megan and I now live in a beautiful town-house type apartment.  The upgrade is ridiculous.  We each have our own rooms complete with desks, closets and a view.  I also have a bizarre mini-bathroom in mine.  It's about 5 feet high, so I can't stand in it.  And it's just a sink and a mirror.  But it is nice to have to brush my teeth or get water in the middle of the night from!  We also have a large kitchen, living room, and 1 and a half baths!  I'm actually in shock of how nice this place is, particularly in comparison to our last one.  The kitchen is interesting however.  You have to turn on the gas and then light the stove with a match to get it on.  Then the oven has no numbers or temperatures on it, so you pretty much just have to guess.  It's ok though, it's all in the experience!  I bought an internet card for my apartment though.  So if anyone wants to Skype with me, let me know when times are good for them and what their Skype name is!  Mine is Ashleydubbs.

Must go for now.  Hopefully I'll be able to update again soon!  Ti amo (I love you) everyone!

Pictures!!

Hey everyone.  I know some of you (namely those without Facebook).  So here is the link to where I will be posting pictures!  http://ashleysitalianadventures.shutterfly.com

Enjoy and let me know what you think!  Sorry there aren't many yet and the photography isn't great.  Now that I'm learning my way around the city a bit more and have gotten my sleep schedule on track I'll be posting much better pictures soon.

Classes and Gelato

The first day of classes has come and went.  Going to class I think will really help me adjust.  Just having some normalcy in my life and a schedule will be great.  Also my classes are really small so it will be a great way to meet more people.  Although I’m definitely not looking forward to homework...  However, if today was indicative of how challenging the classes and assignments will be, I’m not too worried.

Just to give a brief description of where I live and what it’s like, it’s insane.  I will be in the best shape of my life when we get out of here.  When I walk out of my apartment I have a 15 to 20 minute walk to class.  This isn’t any kind of leisurely stroll either.  We live at the top of one hill, have to walk down it into an alley, and back up another huge, steep hill.  My calves actually burn from all the walking I’ve done the past few days.  The positive thing is that I am no longer concerned at all about gaining weight!

Speaking of gaining weight, I have my first real, Italian gelato today.  It. Was. Amazing.  Also the person who ran the shop was fluent in English, which was such a relief.  I’ve been trying to pick up on as much of the language as possible and taking my “common phrase book” everywhere (THANK YOU BRIAN, BEST GIFT EVER).  But after the 3^rd day of misprouncing “prendo” (Can I have) and getting eye rolls as Italians say “Americanas” under their breath, it was wonderful to have someone speak English to us.

Here is the link to my photos by the way for anyone reading this that doesn’t have facebook.  Sorry there aren’t many descriptions with it!  The first group are essentially just traveling to Italy.  Then it’s just the view that I see on my walk to class.  So beautiful.  I plan on doing a lot more exploring of more of the hidden parts of the city on Friday, so expect more pictures soon!

Buona notte (good night) all my American friends!

First Weekend

I’ve had my first official full day in Perugia.  The city is absolutely breath taking.  It’s completely unlike anything I’ve ever seen in the United States.  Everywhere you go the city is full of culture and history.  One of the most incredible things I saw today was that from certain places you could actually see the alps!  Also around 6:30 the entire city was out walking around.  It was so unique seeing how Italians interact with one another.  I had my very first real Italian pizza today, magnifico!!  Puts Boston to shame, no doubt about that.  I look forward to having my first coffee and gelato also. 

Last night we all went out for a night on the town.  We went to a bar called “Merlin” and had a great time.  It’s clearly an American hot spot in Italy.  Half of the people studying abroad were told about it and they played all American music.  It was a lot of fun though, getting to know everyone and dancing all night.

Today we explored for the first time.  There is so much to see in the city that we didn’t even scratch the surface.  Apparently there is an entire underground city we can walk through.  We don’t have classes on Friday and a few of us plan on dedicating that day to exploring some more. I can’t wait!

Aside from that I’m still getting adjusted.  As much as I love what I’ve experienced so far, it can be frustrating.  Not speaking the language is really hard and I now totally understand why people studying abroad choose to go to an English speaking country so frequently.  Once I pick up more basics I’m sure it will become easier.  This week we are doing an intensive Italian course where that’s all we studying for 3 or 4 hours a day.  I’m sure it’s going to be really helpful. 

Other frustrations are the lack of internet.  It’s hard to keep in touch with people without the internet because phone calls can be so expensive.  So if anyone has any inclination to call me even to say hi, it would be really appreciated!  I miss my friends, family and Brian a lot.  It’s wonderful having Megan here because I think I would get really lonely without her.  I can’t imagine doing this without someone to rely on.  I’m sure it will be easier once we get to know other people better.  There are 8 other students in my apartment building who are all really nice and great to spend time with.  I’m sure we will end up being closest with them but until we’re really comfortable with them it’s not the same as my friends at home.

I’m sure this period is the same for everyone.  Once I settle into a routine, start my classes, meet more people, and travel a bit everything will be even that much more wonderful.

Until then arrivederci (good bye) and I hope everyone is doing well at home!!  Please send me emails to keep me updated with everything that’s going on with you!

Finally arrived!

So I finally made it into Italy! Yay! It's been a very long two days but absolutely worth it. Yesterday we flew from Logan (in Boston) to Germany. That was a pretty long flight, about 7 hours, but Megan and I made the best of it. They gave us a lot of food which was of course great. However there on flight movie was Roads to Rodanthe...even for a movie on a plane it was abismal. Haha. Great choice Richard Gere.

From there we flew to Rome, got on a bus that took us to Perugia. Then got our papers, cell phones and checked into a hotel. My Italian cell phone number is 011 39 335 789 7973. Anyone is welcome to call me whenever they would like! Just keep in mind I am 6 hours ahead of everyone on the east coast and 9 hours ahead on the west!

Tomorrow we will move into our apartment, which I can not wait for. While the past two days have been hectic and exhilerating, I am so excited to get settled. I haven't really slept since I've gotten here, and I'm hoping that I will wake up in the right time zone tomorrow.

There have been some pretty interesting things I've seen since getting here. In the airports there are smoking areas. But they are just glass boxes in the middle of the airport. It was pretty funny to watch people smoking inside a glass box right next to you. I wanted to take a picture but I thought that would be creepy. Also in the bathrooms they don't have papertowels, they have clothes that you pull and use, and then they retract. While this isn't necessarily that funny or weird...imagine me and Megan trying to figure these out together (while sleep deprived). There are also bidehs here. I'm sure that's not the right spelling, but I assume you will know what I'm talking about. They scare me a bit. I also figured out why there aren't fat people here. If they got fat they wouldn't be able to use anything. The showers and beds are TINY!!! I am way to big for the beds esspecially. I have taken some pictures but won't get a chance to post them until the next time I get on a computer. Have fun laughing at the image of my trying to sleep in a teeny tiny bed.

I slept most of the bus ride over to Perugia, but once we got here (and I woke up) everything was beautiful. So many hills though! Hopefully walking to class will be my workouts while here. I plan on taking a lot of scenery pictures tomorrow so get ready!

That's all I have for my first night in Italy. Sorry if it wasn't too exciting. Hopefully after tomorrow I'll have some better stories to tell. Ciao!