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!