This past week was spring break and my parents and John were able to come and visit me. So, I got to play tour guide for a week!
Day #1 – Orvieto – “Jet Lag”
They arrived around noon and I met them at the top of the Funicular and show them to our hotel and get checked in. We went to a really good pizzeria for lunch and then I took them on a quick walk around the edge of town so they could see the view and get a better picture of how high up they really were from the town below. We also went to the Duomo and walked to the top of the Torre del Moro (the town’s clock tower), which was fun because I hadn’t gotten a chance to do that yet. Then I took them to my favorite wine bar, Vin Caffe until they all began to fall asleep at the table.
Day #2 – Pisa – “Is this our train?”
We took the early train to Florence and then hopped on another train to Pisa. We got into Pisa around noon and headed through the town on our way to the Field of Miracles (Duomo, Leaning tower, etc). We stopped for lunch at a pizzeria, which offered more types of pizza than I had ever seen before. We continued after lunch to our destination. We hung out for awhile and took some tacky tourist pictures along with everyone else, then we decided to sign up to climb the Leaning tower. Climbing the tower was an interesting experience considering it was leaning. So on one side it was extremely easy to climb and the other side was a little more difficult. We were even allowed to go and stand on the very top. Which, yes, is slanted so that was a little scary. We didn’t spend too much time up on top. Then we went inside the Duomo, which was the best collection of art/sculpture I had ever seen inside a church. Usually the art is all taken out and place else where in a museum. But in this case, they had left all the art and paintings along and it really made the interior look amazing. It also had an incredible golden ceiling and golden mosaic in the apse. By this time, we needed to catch a train back to Florence to make our way back to Orvieto. I was following a sheet of paper that I was given by a travel agency in Orvieto that listed all the times of the trains that ran from Florence and back and Rome and back. We successfully caught the correct train from Pisa to Florence. HOWEVER, we were apparently supposed to get off at the station before the Florence. (This was still a Florence station, just a smaller one). This was listed incorrectly on my train sheet and the ticket we were given did not successfully list the station we were supposed to exit at. So, we asked a conductor and he said we had one minute to run and catch the last train that heads back to the station we missed. Well, yea, we missed that train. So the conductor sent us on a different train to Orvieto (a very slow one). We boarded early, assuming that the permanent board that lists trains and platforms was correct. There was a train at the platform, but the platform board did not have a train listed on it. The train was supposed to leave at 7:20 and it began to move at 7:00. Very suspicious of this we finally asked the lady next to us if the train was headed to Rome and she said yes. HOWEVER, then the lady next to her said “no no no, this train goes to Arezzo”. So she told us to hurry and get off at the next stop and then catch the next passing train, because that one would go to Rome. So we got off again (with the other lady, who was also on the wrong train). The next train pulled up and we began to get on (well, mom did). The other lady was chasing down a little old lady asking if the train headed to Rome. So I became suspicious of this train as well and began yelling Roma?? Roma?? Into the train and finally someone answered and said no. So we got off again and a girl sitting on a bench explained to us that it was the “slower” train to Rome and that we would get on the next train. So we did. And yes, we did get home, around 10:00. I’ve used a train almost every weekend since I arrived in Italy and I’ve never had that many problems in one night. But the good news was that we did get home, eventually. And now we just have something to laugh about, even though at the time, it didn’t become funny until about the time we had to get off at some po-dunk stop and catch a different train.
Day #3 – Florence – “St. Matthew’s Finger??”
Again, we catch the early train to Florence and arrived around 9:30. We immediately headed to the Accademia Museum, because we knew there was a good chance we would be standing in a long line. This is the museum that houses the statue “David” by Michelangelo. We really didn’t wait too long in line and we were kept fairly entertained by a pair of boxers on sale and the vendor next to us that had a picture of David’s “family jewels” on them. So then we spent some time in the museum and saw the David. Then we went to a recommended sandwich shop and had some good toasted sandwiches. (When I say recommended I am usually referring to my Rick Steve’s Italy 2009 guidebook – he is the new Frommer’s). We walked to the Duomo after lunch and went inside and them walked to the top of the Dome. I had already climbed the dome, but it was still cool, and on the way down we stopped under the painted “Last Judgment” on the interior and laughed about all the creatures of the underworld that were depicted. Then I took them on a nice little hike to see more of the city. We walked by the Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi Galleries, Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace and back again. Then, of course, we stopped for Gelato. We made our way to the San Lorenzo church so that we could see the Medici chapel and Lorentian Library (staircase designed by Michelangelo). However, they were both closed, so we bought tickets to the church and “treasure” instead. The treasures were cool, they were mostly relics of the saints. And my dad was really excited that he got to see “St. Matthew’s finger”. The treasures also housed the tomb of Donatello, which I thought was pretty cool. We caught an earlier train home and we were able to come back and get dinner in Orvieto.
Day #4 – Orvieto/Rome – “If I see one more rose guy…”
We got to sleep in for a chance to get some breakfast at the hotel. Then dad went back to see the Duomo once again and mom and I went shopping. Then we all got together and had lunch at a pizzeria on the main street. I had never been there before, but it was the best cheese pizza that I’ve had so far since I’ve been here. We headed to Rome after lunch and checked into our Hotel. After checking in, we were off again. We did a nice walk to some of the picturesque places of Rome. First we hit the Pantheon, which unfortunately was closed but was supposed to open back up around 6:00 pm. So we went to the Spanish Steps and fortunately managed to escape most of the men wanted to sell you roses, and then we headed to the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi was cool, because the sun was setting and the lights in the fountain were all lit up, giving it a nice evening ambiance (minus the other 300 tourists gathered around it). Then we headed back to the Pantheon, and this time it was open. We ate dinner at a really good pasta place that Rick (Steve’s) recommended. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and hung out for the rest of the evening.
Day #5 – Rome – “The men dressed as Gladiators are quite crafty”
We got up and ate breakfast out of the rooftop of our hotel and then spent the day doing “Ancient Rome”. We started out at the Santa Maria Maggiore church, because it was on our way. This is the church that has incredible gold frescoed ceilings, walls and alter. It is also claims to house pieces of wood from “the crib” (Jesus’ manger). Then we walked through the Roman Forum and the Colloseum. After the Colloseum, we ate lunch and continued our trek at Palatine Hill (the emperor’s hill that was an enormous palace). We then exited the Hill, and rounded to Circus Maximus. We ended our day at Capital Hill which Michelangelo’s staircase and this piazza (square). This man liked stairs apparently. By this point, everyone was getting worn down, so we split ways. Some of us went shopping (obviously, me and mom), some took a nap and some wandered to some neighboring sights. We found a nice restaurant just down the street from our hotel that had extremely good pasta. But in Italy, you will never find a bad pizza, or a bad pasta. Or at least, I’ve not discovered one yet.
Day #6 – Rome/Orvieto – “I feel like I’m being herded like a sheep…”
We did Vatican City on this day. We started with the Museum, because, once again, we knew we’d be standing in a line for a while. However, we actually were probably only in line for 30 minutes or so. The museum is 4 miles long, so we saw a lot. A lot of statues, a lot of paintings, a lot of maps, a lot of gold ceilings, a lot of tapestries, and A LOT of people. We were pretty much herded through the rooms as be began to get closer and closer to the Sistine Chapel. Finally, we reached the Chapel and it was amazing and extremely over whelming. The room as jammed tight with people and camera nazis, so it was had to enjoy ceiling and the space. But it was cool nonetheless. We grabbed some pizza at the cafeteria in the museum and then headed to St. Peter’s. We spent some time in St. Peter’s, which like the Duomo in Pisa, still has all its art and décor. (mainly because its still used and it’s the Pope’s personal cathedral. There were several tombs of former popes and it also houses the statue “Pieta” by Michelangelo (Madonna and child). It also housed several other works, and one by Raphael. In the afternoon, we caught a train back to Orvieto and spent the afternoon shopping to pass time before dinner. We ate dinner at restaurant close to my apartment, which I had eaten at before. It has very good pasta, and an incredible friendly waiter. After dinner, mom and dad crashed, but John and I spent the evening in true “Orvieto style”. We stayed at my favorite wine bar for a while and then headed to the club, where we ran into some friends of mine from the Arizona study program.
Day #7 – Orvieto – “I just bought like 7 oranges…”
I took my parents to the market in the morning, but it was a really cold day, so we shopped quickly. We picked up some things to make lunch with, but also some things that I would need for the week. We made sandwiches for breakfast, but mainly spent the afternoon bumming around. We went to the internet café for a little while, but I think we were all just exhausted for the crazy 6 days prior. I saw them all off at the top of the Funicular around 5:00 and they were once again on their own until their plane left from Rome.
3/23/2009
3/14/2009
Venice, Vincenzia, and Verona
Our class trip to Northern Italy before Spring Break!
Day 1: VENICE
We started our journey by bus from Orvieto at 7:00 am. We stopped shortly in Florence to see the Church of the Autostrada (Highway). This church is an interesting mesh of curves and shapes that aren’t normally found in religious architecture and there is no bell tower, just a couple bells hanging only 8 ft. off of the ground. We reboarded the bus and eventually ended up in Venice around 1:00. We took a Vaporetto from the parking area to where our hotel was. A vaporetto is a bigger boat that is the main form of public transportation. There are no cars in Venice. Which was wonderful! Our hotel was the Belle Arti by the Accademia Museum (kind of close to San Marco’s (St. Mark's) Square, but on the other side of the Grand Canal). We had a small little room and balcony, but the hotel was nice with a great area to sit outside in their garden. For the afternoon, we tried to take the advice of several people who had been to Venice, and we “got lost” in Venice. We just walked around leisurely and didn’t look at the map ever. We accidentally ran in San Marco’s at one point and we crossed a bridge and then got to the top and realized that is was the Rialto Bridge. We checked out a few restaurants for dinner and finally chose one overlooking the Grand Canal. It’s is a lot of fun to just walk around without a plan in Venice. There’s tons of shops, especially glass shops, and other fun things to see. They are also known for their awesome gelato.
Day 2: VENICE
We ate breakfast at the hotel, which was the best assortment of pastries, meats, cheese, cereals and everything you could imagine. After breakfast, we walked to San Marco’s Square to meet Marco for our morning tour. He told us about the columns located just at the entrance of the San Marco’s Square, which are referred to as the “Lover’s Columns” and represent the symbols of Venice. The current symbol of Venice is the winged lion and you can find it EVERYWHERE in Venice on EVERYTHING. Then he took us in a small chapel in the back of San Marco where tourists aren’t technically allowed unless they have special permission. He wanted us to show us the most famous gold fresco painting of the Madonna and child, which the Venetians were extremely proud of, because they stole it from Constantinople. Then we took our Marco-led tour of the Doge’s Palace and we got to see the private family quarters, the government meeting rooms and the prison. Afterwards, we found a bar to grab a sandwich in. Venice has the BEST wraps, which are stuffed full of meats, cheese and spinach. We then took Marco’s suggestion and rode the Vaporetto up and down the Grand Canal for a few hours and got to see all of the houses and buildings along the Canal. It was a lot of fun, and free, however, a bit chilly. After getting off the Vaporetto we found some good gelato and headed to the Academia Museum. Before dinner, we went shopping at a glass shop for some jewelry. Then we joined another group of students and went to a highly recommended Trattoria (like a more casual restaurant) for dinner, which had some incredible pizza. We then wandered over to the popular bar and club district and asked one of the Italians we ran into which bar was the best. He pointed us in the direction of a bar on the corner which had a special that night on Spritzers, but there was also a game on so the bar was full of football hooligans. But we stayed outside, so that we were out of the way, and we managed to make friends with a group from England.
Day 3: VENICE
After breakfast, Marco met us at the Rialto Bridge and lead us on a morning walk through the Northern part of Venice. We made short pit stops at several squares and churches along the way. The main highlight of the walk was the San Giovanni e Paolo and we were able to go inside and see the chapel. After the walk with Marco, we headed back to the San Marco area to get lunch in “sandwich row” which had been recommended by several other students. For the afternoon, we signed up to take an excursion to the islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello. Murano is the island that makes all the glass products. The glass used to be made in shops in Venice, but the Venetians began to fear that all the kilns and ovens that were ablaze night and day would someday lead to a mega fire disaster and it would destroy all of Venice, so they forced the glass blowers to move to the island next door, called Murano. We got to see a glass smith make a vase and then another one made a horse. Then we got to go into the store and see all the glasses, vases and chandeliers. The chandeliers were amazing and I’ve never seen such extreme eccentric pieces before (or prices). Next was Burano and this is the island that is known for its brightly colored houses. It was the fisherman’s island, so the houses were colored so that the fisherman could see their homes when coming in from sea. It is also know for its lace. They have several places to get handmade lace and you can watch some of the women knitting lace in the shops. Lastly, we went to Torcello, which is a fairly vacant and morose place, but its known for its cathedral which has an interior that is lined in gold mosaics. After our boat excursion, we headed to another recommended seafood restaurant that was family owned and we were served by the nicest little old man who had a great sense of humor and loved joking with us. After gorging ourselves in a mesh of shrimp, mussels, lobster, fish, calamari and more, we went nearby to a bookstore, recommended by Marco. It was a rather hole-in-the-wall sort of place, but it was actually huge inside and books were just piled up. You definitely had to dig to find what you wanted. The back door dumped off into a canal and was labeled “fire exit”. I bought an Italian cookbook there and so now maybe I can cook something that’s actually “Italian”. This was followed by a leisurely walk back to the hotel and crashing for the night.
Day 4: VENICE, VINCENZIA, VERONA
My roommate, Meg and I woke up at 6:00 am and sleepily wandered over to San Marco’s Square and sat on the stairs by the gondola docks and watched the sunrise over Venice with the remainder of a bottle of wine from a few nights earlier. We left Venice around 9:00 am and headed for Vincenzia. On the way, we stopped at a small town to see the Brion cemetery, designed by the Spanish architect, Carlos Scarpa. We reached Vincenzia and only stayed a few hours and wandered around to see the several buildings designed by the ancient architect Palladio. We arrived in Verona and spent the remainder of the day just exploring the town. This is the supposed location of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, so it is quite the tourist mecca. We walked down the main street and were instantly sucked into a small café, which advertised 32 different flavors of hot chocolate. We then stopped at a bookstore and I found a Rick Steve’s 2009 Italy book, which I had been looking for. It has the best recommendations for sights, hotels, eating, and tons and tons of history. We then, with the help of Rick Steves, found a good restaurant, which had awesome spaghetti and crostini.
Day 5: VERONA
We went to the Castelvecchio in the morning and explored the museum and castle grounds, and got to walk along the guard wall in the garden. This was pretty much the only thing I could do for the day, because I had to catch a 1:00 train home. I actually had to catch a train to Bologna and switch trains and then come to Orvieto. I was lucky though because I had 4 other students with me, so with the 5 of us, we managed to find our way around fairly easily. So I arrived back home around 7:00 and that ended our trip to the north. I loved Venice and if I ever came back to Italy, I think that I would spend most of my time in Venice. Now, I am patiently awaiting the arrival of my parents and my brother, who will arrive in Rome tomorrow morning, and will be meeting me at the Orvieto train station around noon!
Day 1: VENICE
We started our journey by bus from Orvieto at 7:00 am. We stopped shortly in Florence to see the Church of the Autostrada (Highway). This church is an interesting mesh of curves and shapes that aren’t normally found in religious architecture and there is no bell tower, just a couple bells hanging only 8 ft. off of the ground. We reboarded the bus and eventually ended up in Venice around 1:00. We took a Vaporetto from the parking area to where our hotel was. A vaporetto is a bigger boat that is the main form of public transportation. There are no cars in Venice. Which was wonderful! Our hotel was the Belle Arti by the Accademia Museum (kind of close to San Marco’s (St. Mark's) Square, but on the other side of the Grand Canal). We had a small little room and balcony, but the hotel was nice with a great area to sit outside in their garden. For the afternoon, we tried to take the advice of several people who had been to Venice, and we “got lost” in Venice. We just walked around leisurely and didn’t look at the map ever. We accidentally ran in San Marco’s at one point and we crossed a bridge and then got to the top and realized that is was the Rialto Bridge. We checked out a few restaurants for dinner and finally chose one overlooking the Grand Canal. It’s is a lot of fun to just walk around without a plan in Venice. There’s tons of shops, especially glass shops, and other fun things to see. They are also known for their awesome gelato.
Day 2: VENICE
We ate breakfast at the hotel, which was the best assortment of pastries, meats, cheese, cereals and everything you could imagine. After breakfast, we walked to San Marco’s Square to meet Marco for our morning tour. He told us about the columns located just at the entrance of the San Marco’s Square, which are referred to as the “Lover’s Columns” and represent the symbols of Venice. The current symbol of Venice is the winged lion and you can find it EVERYWHERE in Venice on EVERYTHING. Then he took us in a small chapel in the back of San Marco where tourists aren’t technically allowed unless they have special permission. He wanted us to show us the most famous gold fresco painting of the Madonna and child, which the Venetians were extremely proud of, because they stole it from Constantinople. Then we took our Marco-led tour of the Doge’s Palace and we got to see the private family quarters, the government meeting rooms and the prison. Afterwards, we found a bar to grab a sandwich in. Venice has the BEST wraps, which are stuffed full of meats, cheese and spinach. We then took Marco’s suggestion and rode the Vaporetto up and down the Grand Canal for a few hours and got to see all of the houses and buildings along the Canal. It was a lot of fun, and free, however, a bit chilly. After getting off the Vaporetto we found some good gelato and headed to the Academia Museum. Before dinner, we went shopping at a glass shop for some jewelry. Then we joined another group of students and went to a highly recommended Trattoria (like a more casual restaurant) for dinner, which had some incredible pizza. We then wandered over to the popular bar and club district and asked one of the Italians we ran into which bar was the best. He pointed us in the direction of a bar on the corner which had a special that night on Spritzers, but there was also a game on so the bar was full of football hooligans. But we stayed outside, so that we were out of the way, and we managed to make friends with a group from England.
Day 3: VENICE
After breakfast, Marco met us at the Rialto Bridge and lead us on a morning walk through the Northern part of Venice. We made short pit stops at several squares and churches along the way. The main highlight of the walk was the San Giovanni e Paolo and we were able to go inside and see the chapel. After the walk with Marco, we headed back to the San Marco area to get lunch in “sandwich row” which had been recommended by several other students. For the afternoon, we signed up to take an excursion to the islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello. Murano is the island that makes all the glass products. The glass used to be made in shops in Venice, but the Venetians began to fear that all the kilns and ovens that were ablaze night and day would someday lead to a mega fire disaster and it would destroy all of Venice, so they forced the glass blowers to move to the island next door, called Murano. We got to see a glass smith make a vase and then another one made a horse. Then we got to go into the store and see all the glasses, vases and chandeliers. The chandeliers were amazing and I’ve never seen such extreme eccentric pieces before (or prices). Next was Burano and this is the island that is known for its brightly colored houses. It was the fisherman’s island, so the houses were colored so that the fisherman could see their homes when coming in from sea. It is also know for its lace. They have several places to get handmade lace and you can watch some of the women knitting lace in the shops. Lastly, we went to Torcello, which is a fairly vacant and morose place, but its known for its cathedral which has an interior that is lined in gold mosaics. After our boat excursion, we headed to another recommended seafood restaurant that was family owned and we were served by the nicest little old man who had a great sense of humor and loved joking with us. After gorging ourselves in a mesh of shrimp, mussels, lobster, fish, calamari and more, we went nearby to a bookstore, recommended by Marco. It was a rather hole-in-the-wall sort of place, but it was actually huge inside and books were just piled up. You definitely had to dig to find what you wanted. The back door dumped off into a canal and was labeled “fire exit”. I bought an Italian cookbook there and so now maybe I can cook something that’s actually “Italian”. This was followed by a leisurely walk back to the hotel and crashing for the night.
Day 4: VENICE, VINCENZIA, VERONA
My roommate, Meg and I woke up at 6:00 am and sleepily wandered over to San Marco’s Square and sat on the stairs by the gondola docks and watched the sunrise over Venice with the remainder of a bottle of wine from a few nights earlier. We left Venice around 9:00 am and headed for Vincenzia. On the way, we stopped at a small town to see the Brion cemetery, designed by the Spanish architect, Carlos Scarpa. We reached Vincenzia and only stayed a few hours and wandered around to see the several buildings designed by the ancient architect Palladio. We arrived in Verona and spent the remainder of the day just exploring the town. This is the supposed location of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, so it is quite the tourist mecca. We walked down the main street and were instantly sucked into a small café, which advertised 32 different flavors of hot chocolate. We then stopped at a bookstore and I found a Rick Steve’s 2009 Italy book, which I had been looking for. It has the best recommendations for sights, hotels, eating, and tons and tons of history. We then, with the help of Rick Steves, found a good restaurant, which had awesome spaghetti and crostini.
Day 5: VERONA
We went to the Castelvecchio in the morning and explored the museum and castle grounds, and got to walk along the guard wall in the garden. This was pretty much the only thing I could do for the day, because I had to catch a 1:00 train home. I actually had to catch a train to Bologna and switch trains and then come to Orvieto. I was lucky though because I had 4 other students with me, so with the 5 of us, we managed to find our way around fairly easily. So I arrived back home around 7:00 and that ended our trip to the north. I loved Venice and if I ever came back to Italy, I think that I would spend most of my time in Venice. Now, I am patiently awaiting the arrival of my parents and my brother, who will arrive in Rome tomorrow morning, and will be meeting me at the Orvieto train station around noon!
3/05/2009
Pictures
So I was finally able to find and internet connection that was fast enough to download pictures to my blog, so here are a few just to keep you entertained. I'll try to post a few here and there with my blogs! 
The Pantheon in Rome, of course!
Yay! Jumping for joy on our hotel balcony in Almafi. This is Sam, Al, Me and Meg.
Welcome to Almafi! This was the morning we left, it was bright and shining and beautiful!
This is me, obviously standing on the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) in Florence!
This a photo I took our first week in Orvieto. It is of the side of the upper city showing the valley city down below.
The Pantheon in Rome, of course!
Yay! Jumping for joy on our hotel balcony in Almafi. This is Sam, Al, Me and Meg.
Welcome to Almafi! This was the morning we left, it was bright and shining and beautiful!
This is me, obviously standing on the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) in Florence!
This a photo I took our first week in Orvieto. It is of the side of the upper city showing the valley city down below. 3/02/2009
un giorno in la viva di una ragozza americana in Italia - a day in the life of an american girl in Italy
So I know you all love hearing my stories of traveling and meeting strange people in Italy, but I figured that one thing you might all really enjoy is a special opportunity to see into my daily life here in Orvieto. It will give you a chance to see how different things really are, but also how great they are as well. I will tell you about 2 different days: A weekday and a Saturday in Orvieto with Maggie.
Weekdays:
Classes are different from day to day but this is generally my routine for school during the week. I wake up around 8:00 to shower and get ready for the day. On my way out the door (around 9:00) I grab breakfast to go from my gigantic fruit basket in my slave’s kitchen, which usually is piled high with pears, bananas, and oranges, which I bought fresh from the local market that weekend. It only takes me about 5 minutes to walk to the study center from my apartment and along the way I pass an art school, San Francesco cathedral (very beautiful interior but the exterior is quite sad and plain), a couple restaurants and wine shops, and, of course, the Duomo. The duomo (church) is amazing and I take it for granted to be able to walk by it everyday. Its façade is covered in beautiful tiled artworks, columns, guardians (lions, dragons) and a gorgeous gold leaf that can be extremely blinding and mesmerizing when the sun shines just right. So I reach the study center with about 30 minutes to spare before Marco’s history lecture begins. I set up my office in the back row with some classmates who have already staked their claim (the back row is very popular amongst those of us with computers because there are outlets on the wall). Then I go out to the hall to get a cappuccino. The study center has coffee machines and you can get anything from tea to coffee to hot chocolate. So I always get my coffee before class starts. Then I check my emails, facebook, etc. before class begins and I eat my breakfast. Then around 11:00, we take a short break from lecture, in which I usually invest in my second cappuccino of the day and continue to email and blog. Then around 11:30 the lecture commences once again and goes until 1:00. Yes, it is a 3 hour-long lecture. After the lecture, we have about an hour and half until we meet for our Italian language class at 2:30. So I move my office to my studio desk and grab my bag and head out for some lunch. I usually head straight for Muscatelli. This is a pastry and pizzeria shop (the lady knows me quite well and always greets me with a smile). I get whatever pizza looks most tempting at the time and I can usually get a pretty large piece for only 1,50 Euros. This is one of the cheapest pizzerias in town. So I head back to the study center with my pizza. So while I wait for my language class to begin, I eat lunch and do homework or chat with others to pass time. So language class is basically just a kindergarten class in which usually consists of singing, dancing, playing board games, etc. And me with an extremely confused look on my face the majority of the time. Our teacher speaks only Italian unless we are absolutely confused then she may stick in an English word or two. This class ends around 4:00 so I hang out at the study center until around 5:00 or so just doing work, painting, sketching or playing on the internet. Before dinner, I usually go for a run/walk around the trail or just around town til 7 or so. Dinner most nights usually consists of a medley of the veggies I picked up on the market or some sort of pasta. Whatever I decide on always turns out awesome though. The rest of the evening is either spent working on sketches, paintings, watching movies, or on occasion going out for wine with some friends. We always go to our favorite spot, Il Vin Café. We love this spot because it has a great atmosphere with quaint little tables and they always give you free munchies if you order a bottle of wine.
Saturdays:
If you ask me what my favorite day is, without a doubt, I would answer Saturday, and not because it’s the weekend and it’s the “party day”. But, because it is market day! The local market only takes place on Thursday and Saturday mornings and Saturdays have more vendors and are livelier. So, my day begins at 9:00 when I get up (and yes, I do get up even if I went out the night before and didn’t get in til 5:00 am, because… I just can’t miss the greatness of the market). I head to the Piazza del Popolo, which is the square that the market is held in. It is only a 3-4 minute walk from my apartment. I met friends at a place called Scarponi to get breakfast. This pastry shop/chocolate shop has amazing pastries and an awesome variety of handmade chocolates. So I usually get the most appealing pastry of the day and a coffee to help me get started. Then we head over the bakery (also in the same piazza space), because if you don’t go early then you’ll miss out on all the good stuff. I usually get a couple rolls (they get stale extremely quickly so its not worth it to stock up), and I usually get some other baked goodies too. My favorites are these little breaded balls with sunflower seeds, bacon and cheese in them. So, after bread shop, we hit the market up. The market has everything from food to clothing to kitchen appliances in it. And once I think I even saw rugs. But all the food is in one area down by the bakery and pastry shop. I head over to a vendor who’s from Sicily, because he always has blood oranges (because blood oranges come from Sicily) and he usually has the freshest fruit and I can usually get 3 oranges, 3 pears and bananas/kiwis or under 2 Euros. Then I head to one of the cheese vendors (there is usually 3 or four) And I look for the cheeses I really like: Pecorino al peperoncino (this is extremely similar to a pepperjack cheese, except much softer and much hotter), and the Morridella (This is a milder cheese that’s extremely soft). Sometimes if I’m feeling lucky I’ll see a cheese that looks good and I’ll get a taste test and usually I’ll get some of that too. I’m in love with Italian cheese. Then I’ll go to a large vendor who sells tons of vegetables, it is run my a husband and wife couple who are in the 70ish and they just constantly yelling back in forth to one another in angry Italian, but then they always start laughing, so I don’t ever know what’s going on. Here I get garlic, onions, zucchini, eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce and whatever else that looks good that day. The one thing you always have to remember about the market is that you can’t go with a grocery list in hand. You have to just look around and base your grocery list on what’s in season and what looks best that day and what looks ripe and fresh. So after I finish with the market I usually wonder around to the other vendors just to see what’s being offered. Nothing has sucked me in yet though. So I drop my groceries off at my apartment and then I head to the Alimentari (this is a version of a grocery store/butcher/condiment store), Here I can get all the things that I can’t get an the market, like meat, eggs, milk, cereal, pasta, sauces, pop, wine, napkins, toilet paper, etc. So by the time I reach home with all my shopping completed then it is usually around 1:00 and I’ve definitely worked up a lunch appetite. So I proceed to make my favorite sandwich, EVER. I get out a fresh roll from the bakery, slice up some peperoncini cheese, salami, fresh tomatoes, a little pepper and a little olive oil. …amazing. I would eat this sandwich every day if I could. Then after lunch, I pack up my computer and head to the Blue Bar (one of the 3 internet café’s in town). It’s only a 3 minute walk form my apartment. I get a cappuccino and hang out and use the internet for a couple hours and usually am joined by several other students as time passes. To pass time until dinner, I usually just keep myself entertained at the apartment or go do things with friends. Then after dinner I meet up with friends and we all usually start the night out with a bottle of wine somewhere and then we head to Corso (the main street in town) and hit up some of the bars, clubs.
So these are typical days in the life of me, give or take random adventures here and there.
Weekdays:
Classes are different from day to day but this is generally my routine for school during the week. I wake up around 8:00 to shower and get ready for the day. On my way out the door (around 9:00) I grab breakfast to go from my gigantic fruit basket in my slave’s kitchen, which usually is piled high with pears, bananas, and oranges, which I bought fresh from the local market that weekend. It only takes me about 5 minutes to walk to the study center from my apartment and along the way I pass an art school, San Francesco cathedral (very beautiful interior but the exterior is quite sad and plain), a couple restaurants and wine shops, and, of course, the Duomo. The duomo (church) is amazing and I take it for granted to be able to walk by it everyday. Its façade is covered in beautiful tiled artworks, columns, guardians (lions, dragons) and a gorgeous gold leaf that can be extremely blinding and mesmerizing when the sun shines just right. So I reach the study center with about 30 minutes to spare before Marco’s history lecture begins. I set up my office in the back row with some classmates who have already staked their claim (the back row is very popular amongst those of us with computers because there are outlets on the wall). Then I go out to the hall to get a cappuccino. The study center has coffee machines and you can get anything from tea to coffee to hot chocolate. So I always get my coffee before class starts. Then I check my emails, facebook, etc. before class begins and I eat my breakfast. Then around 11:00, we take a short break from lecture, in which I usually invest in my second cappuccino of the day and continue to email and blog. Then around 11:30 the lecture commences once again and goes until 1:00. Yes, it is a 3 hour-long lecture. After the lecture, we have about an hour and half until we meet for our Italian language class at 2:30. So I move my office to my studio desk and grab my bag and head out for some lunch. I usually head straight for Muscatelli. This is a pastry and pizzeria shop (the lady knows me quite well and always greets me with a smile). I get whatever pizza looks most tempting at the time and I can usually get a pretty large piece for only 1,50 Euros. This is one of the cheapest pizzerias in town. So I head back to the study center with my pizza. So while I wait for my language class to begin, I eat lunch and do homework or chat with others to pass time. So language class is basically just a kindergarten class in which usually consists of singing, dancing, playing board games, etc. And me with an extremely confused look on my face the majority of the time. Our teacher speaks only Italian unless we are absolutely confused then she may stick in an English word or two. This class ends around 4:00 so I hang out at the study center until around 5:00 or so just doing work, painting, sketching or playing on the internet. Before dinner, I usually go for a run/walk around the trail or just around town til 7 or so. Dinner most nights usually consists of a medley of the veggies I picked up on the market or some sort of pasta. Whatever I decide on always turns out awesome though. The rest of the evening is either spent working on sketches, paintings, watching movies, or on occasion going out for wine with some friends. We always go to our favorite spot, Il Vin Café. We love this spot because it has a great atmosphere with quaint little tables and they always give you free munchies if you order a bottle of wine.
Saturdays:
If you ask me what my favorite day is, without a doubt, I would answer Saturday, and not because it’s the weekend and it’s the “party day”. But, because it is market day! The local market only takes place on Thursday and Saturday mornings and Saturdays have more vendors and are livelier. So, my day begins at 9:00 when I get up (and yes, I do get up even if I went out the night before and didn’t get in til 5:00 am, because… I just can’t miss the greatness of the market). I head to the Piazza del Popolo, which is the square that the market is held in. It is only a 3-4 minute walk from my apartment. I met friends at a place called Scarponi to get breakfast. This pastry shop/chocolate shop has amazing pastries and an awesome variety of handmade chocolates. So I usually get the most appealing pastry of the day and a coffee to help me get started. Then we head over the bakery (also in the same piazza space), because if you don’t go early then you’ll miss out on all the good stuff. I usually get a couple rolls (they get stale extremely quickly so its not worth it to stock up), and I usually get some other baked goodies too. My favorites are these little breaded balls with sunflower seeds, bacon and cheese in them. So, after bread shop, we hit the market up. The market has everything from food to clothing to kitchen appliances in it. And once I think I even saw rugs. But all the food is in one area down by the bakery and pastry shop. I head over to a vendor who’s from Sicily, because he always has blood oranges (because blood oranges come from Sicily) and he usually has the freshest fruit and I can usually get 3 oranges, 3 pears and bananas/kiwis or under 2 Euros. Then I head to one of the cheese vendors (there is usually 3 or four) And I look for the cheeses I really like: Pecorino al peperoncino (this is extremely similar to a pepperjack cheese, except much softer and much hotter), and the Morridella (This is a milder cheese that’s extremely soft). Sometimes if I’m feeling lucky I’ll see a cheese that looks good and I’ll get a taste test and usually I’ll get some of that too. I’m in love with Italian cheese. Then I’ll go to a large vendor who sells tons of vegetables, it is run my a husband and wife couple who are in the 70ish and they just constantly yelling back in forth to one another in angry Italian, but then they always start laughing, so I don’t ever know what’s going on. Here I get garlic, onions, zucchini, eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce and whatever else that looks good that day. The one thing you always have to remember about the market is that you can’t go with a grocery list in hand. You have to just look around and base your grocery list on what’s in season and what looks best that day and what looks ripe and fresh. So after I finish with the market I usually wonder around to the other vendors just to see what’s being offered. Nothing has sucked me in yet though. So I drop my groceries off at my apartment and then I head to the Alimentari (this is a version of a grocery store/butcher/condiment store), Here I can get all the things that I can’t get an the market, like meat, eggs, milk, cereal, pasta, sauces, pop, wine, napkins, toilet paper, etc. So by the time I reach home with all my shopping completed then it is usually around 1:00 and I’ve definitely worked up a lunch appetite. So I proceed to make my favorite sandwich, EVER. I get out a fresh roll from the bakery, slice up some peperoncini cheese, salami, fresh tomatoes, a little pepper and a little olive oil. …amazing. I would eat this sandwich every day if I could. Then after lunch, I pack up my computer and head to the Blue Bar (one of the 3 internet café’s in town). It’s only a 3 minute walk form my apartment. I get a cappuccino and hang out and use the internet for a couple hours and usually am joined by several other students as time passes. To pass time until dinner, I usually just keep myself entertained at the apartment or go do things with friends. Then after dinner I meet up with friends and we all usually start the night out with a bottle of wine somewhere and then we head to Corso (the main street in town) and hit up some of the bars, clubs.
So these are typical days in the life of me, give or take random adventures here and there.
3/01/2009
Assisi
The past week hasn't been very eventful. I guess we needed a "down-week" after going on our South Trip to Almafi. However, on friday we made the short one-hour trip up to Assisi (also in the same region as Orvieto, Umbria). Its a town that's very similar to Orvieto: hill-top, very small and quaint. And there's plenty of tourists, but they all only come for one thing: San Francesco d'Assisi. (Similar to Orvieto, they all come from one thing: the duomo). So, we spent most of our time at this particular church. The church actually has 3 parts: The cript, the lower church and the upper church. And as you have probably already guessed: The church was built to house the relics of St. Francis. Which was truly awesome, because we actually got to see his tomb which was located in the cript. This was one of those church that was considered to be a major pilgramage destination.
Assisi was also hit with a bad earthquake in 1997 which completely destroyed the nave of the lower church (the ceiling collasped completely and unfortunately killed several people). Since then, the church as been restored as best as possible and its still quite beautiful. And did I mention that Assisi is Marco's hometown? Yes, so as you can image, we got quite the earfull. And he took us on a tour and showed us where he was born and where he grew up and other things. He also seemed to know everyone in town. (which shouldn't be hard, he said there was only 800 people who lived in Assisi).
We came back to Orvieto after about 1/2 a day in Assisi and it has been a fairly quiet weekend here. It's also been extremely nice weather and I've been able to go running for several days on the trail. The trail wraps around the outer edge of Orvieto on the side of the hill and its quite the roller coaster. Up down Up down Up down.... etc. But its an extremely nice trail with benches and maps and such. Its extremely nice to walk the trail around 5-6 in the evening because the sun is starting to set and it is, of course, just like the rest of Italy... Bellisimo!
This week should be fairly quiet too, we are working on an "urban facade" project which is due on friday and then we have a free weekend (some people are going sky-diving, but definately NOT me) and then on Monday we head for a week in Venice! So I will be getting ready for that excursion and just trying to actually do my school work. Ha!
Assisi was also hit with a bad earthquake in 1997 which completely destroyed the nave of the lower church (the ceiling collasped completely and unfortunately killed several people). Since then, the church as been restored as best as possible and its still quite beautiful. And did I mention that Assisi is Marco's hometown? Yes, so as you can image, we got quite the earfull. And he took us on a tour and showed us where he was born and where he grew up and other things. He also seemed to know everyone in town. (which shouldn't be hard, he said there was only 800 people who lived in Assisi).
We came back to Orvieto after about 1/2 a day in Assisi and it has been a fairly quiet weekend here. It's also been extremely nice weather and I've been able to go running for several days on the trail. The trail wraps around the outer edge of Orvieto on the side of the hill and its quite the roller coaster. Up down Up down Up down.... etc. But its an extremely nice trail with benches and maps and such. Its extremely nice to walk the trail around 5-6 in the evening because the sun is starting to set and it is, of course, just like the rest of Italy... Bellisimo!
This week should be fairly quiet too, we are working on an "urban facade" project which is due on friday and then we have a free weekend (some people are going sky-diving, but definately NOT me) and then on Monday we head for a week in Venice! So I will be getting ready for that excursion and just trying to actually do my school work. Ha!
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