10 days, 5 countries, 1 backpack

I have never dreaded blogging so much in my life. I actually procrastinated this post by doing my homework. Not that I don't want to share about my travels- I've just done so much since the last time I blogged and the task just seemed so daunting. Brace yourself for a super long travel novella with a lot of pictures!

This past week was LDM's spring break. Since we don't have classes on fridays, that means we technically got a full 10 days free. March 19-29. Many other students chose long bus trips with travel companies and strict itineraries for each day. Instead, I decided to travel "on my own" with some other friends. I went to Lisbon, Portugal and Barcelona, Spain with Shelby, Madeline, Lexi, and Margaret and then Amsterdam, Netherlands with Margaret, Lexi, and Michelle. I think it was much more rewarding (granted, also more stressful) to be in charge of what we wanted to do each day. We planned the important things in advance- flights, lodging, etc.- but most everything else was up to us in the moment. 

Thursday night (March 19), we began our journey with a train from Florence to Rome! We spent the night in an okay but not great hostel and then woke up around 4 am the next morning to catch a bus to the airport! 

Lisbon, Portugal

Despite my worries about my bag size and Ryan Air (you are only allowed 1 carry-on measuring 55cm x 40cm x 20cm and one "personal item" measuring 35cm x 20cm x 20cm), we made it through security perfectly and were able to board our plane with no problems. The flight was about 2 hours, and I woke up just at the very end to see a beautiful aerial view of Lisbon. We landed, took an "aerobus" to the city center, then walked about 5 or so minutes to our accommodation- "Home Hostel." They allowed us to check in and leave our bags in a storage room, even though we were too early to get the keys to our room (it was still being cleaned). 

We walked around downtown some- it reminded me of a European version of Charleston, SC- and then got lunch at a place close to our hostel. I split a plate of Vegetable Paella with Shelby and also got fresh mango juice. 

Later we decided to go on a bus tour of Lisbon. It was cool to see more of the city than I would have otherwise (not enough time to walk all over) and from a different perspective, but after a while it got very windy and cold since we were sitting on the top of the bus. Afterwards we walked around some more; just enjoying the city and the weather (not super warm, but not cold!) before returning to the hostel. PS- best hostel ever. Everything was nice and clean and in a great location- but the best part was the staff and the atmosphere! Everyone was super welcoming and seemed to want to get to know us even though we were only staying 2 nights. One of the founders of the hostel made home cooked dinners every night that anyone was welcome to have for 10 euros (less than I would be able to find dinner anywhere else- especially for 3-4 courses!). Everyone called her Mamma and you had to register for dinner before 6 pm each day so she could go grocery shopping. 

Dinner Friday night consisted of: bread and olive oil for starters, pumpkin soup for a first course, pork with vegetables (okra, etc.), rice and salad for second course, almond delight for dessert along with another cake, and then a shot of dessert liquor!

Breakfasts were included with the room rate (a nice surprise to all of us), so Saturday morning we ate fairly early and then took the train to Sintra- about a 30 minute ride. 

This region of Portugal looked SO different from Lisbon- very tropical! In Sintra there are multiple castels, fortresses, and monuments. We had talked earlier with a lady from Home Hostel that gave us recommendations on which places to pay and enter and which to just view the exterior. Our first stop was her favorite- Quinta Da Regallira- and she definitely recommended going inside; plus we got a reduced student rate! It’s not just a castle either; it also included a large span of gardens, with towers to climb, waterfalls to see, and caves to walk through! Once we finally got to the interior of the gothic-style castle it seemed almost like a let down, but it was interesting too.

We ate a quick lunch at the cafe there and then stopped for ice cream on the way to the bus stop. Something must have happened with the bus, because we ended up having to wait for it for almost an hour. But we finally got on and went up the mountain (reminded me of driving around the NC mountains but on a much narrower road) and arrived at Castle Pena or as we called it- the rainbow castle which was beautiful itself and also offered spectacular views. 

Thankfully the bus arrived just as we were walking down from the castle, so we took it back to the train station and walked around the historic district for a short while before boarding the train back to Lisbon just in time for dinner! 

Saturday night's dinner was: bread and oil, sangria, vegetable soup with mint leaves, a traditional Portugese pasta and beef dish with salad on the side, chocolate mousse, and a small drink of Port wine (dessert liquor). The glasses strongly resemble our shot glasses at home, so every night at the toast Mamma would say "It's not a shot, just sip!" Before dinner came to a close that night, I bought a cookbook of Mamma's favorite recipes that I can (attempt to) re-create at home, and she signed it for me! :)

Sunday morning we took a taxi to the train station so that we could get on our train to Porto before 7 am. When we booked the flight from Portugal to Barcelona, someone got confused and did a different one- so Shelby and I had the day in Porto while Madeline, Lexi, and Margaret left around 1 pm. I was really happy for the extra time in Portugal and the opportunity to explore Porto- such a beautiful seaside town! Mostly, Shelby and I just explored at our leisure and then found a nice place with outdoor seating for lunch so we could enjoy the weather. I tried the codfish, which was very good and came with olives and an onion sauce.

We started to head to the airport, but realized we still had a lot of time so we also climbed the tower of Clerigos church to see an overview of Porto- probably one of my favorite cityscapes! 

Then we took the metro to the airport, boarded our flight after a lot of waiting around at the gate, and arrived in Barcelona around 9:40 where we met up with the others at the hostel- "The Generator."

Barcelona, Spain

This hostel also had breakfast available...not included in the rate we already paid, but also not too bad of a price and very convenient. Monday morning we ate breakfast and got ready for a walking tour of the city at 10 am. 

The tour was offered free of charge with the idea that at the end everyone tips (or doesn't tip) what they think it was worth. Our guide's name was Leon and he was excellent- very knowledgeable and funny. He walked really fast so we were able to see more in the limited time we had (3 hours). The main thing I learned from the tour- and our stay in Barcelona- was that Barcelona isn't really Spain, it's Catalan. They have been given "nationality" status, but are still trying to gain their independence fully. 

That afternoon, we walked around the harbor and got lunch at El Rey De La Gamba- where we split 2 of the fixed price "Menu Del Dia" (menu of the day) options that come with multiple courses. We had salad and fried (breaded) calamari for an appetizer, Seafood Paella and Seafood Fideua (a noodle-like dish) for the main course, and flan for dessert! After lunch, we walked around that area of Barcelona more- made it to the beach, but didn't stay long because it was super windy and not very warm. 

Porron wine pitcher!

Around 7, we took a Tapas tasting tour! Tapas are everywhere in Barcelona and originally started when a servant put meat over the king's wine to cover it from sand and called it a cover or a "tapa". Now they are more like small appetizers or starters and are very much a social tradition. On the tour, we went to 3 different places and tried all sorts of tapas. At the last stop, we also drank wine from a Porron- a traditional pitcher that the whole table shared. Our guide said they traditionally use red wine, but we used white so that when (not if) we spilled it on ourselves it wouldn't stain and ruin our limited number of clothes. At the end of the tour, our guide led us to a bar where she gave us a free drink that tasted like sweet coffee. We ended up staying there for a while and talking to some of the people we met on the tour, many of whom were from England. 

Tuesday was Lexi's birthday! That morning we had breakfast/coffee at Starbucks (!!) and then walked around the city some more in different areas than we had the day before. Primarily we were near the street/area of La Rambla. We had lunch at a small restaurant where I ordered shrimp ravioli with gorgonzola cheese. My meal was delicious but so small- I think I could have eaten 2 more plates- but I didn't want to pay for that! 

We got lost a lot on the way to a fish spa for pedicures but finally found one called Aquabliss. Fish pedicures are big in Europe, but illegal in America (probably because you can't sanitize fish the way you can nail clippers). Such an interesting experience! I'm glad I did it...not sure if I'd do it again. So ticklish!!

Afterwards, we wandered around more and did some shopping before returning to the hostel to relax some. For dinner that night, we went to a thai restaurant just down the street. Not sure if it was so good because I haven't had Pad Thai in so long or if it was really that good... but it was delicious! 

Wednesday we planned to hit the big places that Barcelona is known for so we woke up a little earlier than normal. We walked to Sagrada Familia, the church designed by Gaudi that is still under construction and not estimated to be complete until somewhere around 2026-2028! It was so neat to see what I've studied in person; the interior of the church is simply breathtaking.

We stopped at Costa Coffee for a caffine fix, and then took the metro to the stop closest to Park Guell. After multiple escalators (they should put these on all the hills!) and some stairs and hills we finally arrived at the top and were rewarded with amazing views of the entire city. We ventured further into the park and arrived at the infamous tile mosaic benches. Since they were demanding a pretty high fee to get in to see the monumental part of the park, we decided to look at them from outside the gates. Besides, there were a lot of other neat things in the park- for free! :)

That afternoon we were able to meet up with Nicolette (she interned in Barcelona last summer), who showed us some of her favorite places in the city and led us to the Arc De Triompe. Lexi, Margaret and I took the metro back to the hostel to quickly grab our bags and then we were off to the airport, headed for Amsterdam! Shelby and Madeline left very early the following morning to fly to Paris for the remainder of our break. 

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Our flight to Amsterdam arrived very late Wednesday night/very early Thursday morning and by the time we figured out the taxi and arrived at our apartment (through airbnb) it was around 1 am. Michelle was there to welcome us at the door, and we all finally fell asleep around 2 am- with the agreement that we would sleep in the next morning. 

So after everyone leisurely woke up and showered, we walked to a bagel shop called Bagels and Beans for breakfast... or maybe it was lunch. I had a chai tea latte and a wheat bagel with bananas, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Basically heaven on a brightly colored plate. 

The weather in Amsterdam wasn't ideal as it rained and was very cold the majority of the time we were there. But I think/hope we made the best of it, and I definitely want to return sometime when it is much warmer. It's an adorable town, and I would love to rent bikes and just ride around- maybe in the summer. They actually have a problem in Amsterdam with the number of bikes and where to store them as there are more bikes than people!

That afternoon we went to the Van Gough museum and purchased both our entrance tickets and a multimedia guide- which I was very happy we did. I don't think I would have fully appreciated the museum without the guide and it definitely had more information than was listed on the panels beside each painting. I believe we spent about 2-3 hours there!

We had a somewhat difficult time deciding where to go for dinner. Partly because we returned to our apartment to relax for a little and use wifi and then struggled with the notion of getting out of bed again. But we finally decided on a Lebanese/Middle Eastern restaurant called Da Bazar. I had meat couscous- which was beef, chicken, peppers, and onions on a skewer and then couscous, dried apples, apricots, dates, mushrooms, tomatoes, and more onions and peppers in a giant bowl. De-lish, and not too expensive.

Friday morning we made it out of bed at a more reasonable hour (not halfway through the day) and went back to Bagels and Beans for breakfast. This time I had a sesame bagel with goat cheese, walnuts, honey, and thyme! 

We were half planning on renting bikes to go to the city center (our apartment was located in the De Pijp area), but the rain and cold kind of dashed that idea. So we took the tram instead, and walked around the city for a while, stopping in multiple stores along the way to warm up.

 Later we went on a one hour canal cruise which was lovely in every way. I was so intrigued by all the house boats- I would totally live on a house boat. We continued our self guided walking around the city after leaving the boat. At one point, we even made it to the red-light district which was, um, a little intense but then we had stroopwaffles so everything worked out. I ordered mine with nutella, because...nutella. :)

Because so many people have immigrated and moved to Amsterdam over the years, they don't really have a traditional food. But one of the most popular types of restaurants are Argentine Steakhouses. Before we left the city center, we had dinner at a steakhouse called CAU where I had the best pumpkin risotto of my life. 

During the Canal Cruise, we sailed past the Anne Frank house and saw the super long line reaching all the way around the block. Hence, we decided to wake up really early Saturday morning to get in line and hopefully not wait as long. This worked pretty well- we arrived around 8:30 to stand behind the already 30 some people. At least it made me feel better to look behind me and see the line continue to grow astronomically. The museum opened at 9, and we were able to enter around 9:20. 

Very impactful. I'm not even sure what other words to describe my experience. I found it very interesting that the rooms are unfurnished and completely empty- as per request from Otto Frank- to signify the void left behind by the Nazi's. It only took about an hour to get through the entire museum. I kept remembering things I saw or read in the play, and I was also reminded of the scenes from The Fault in Our Stars. 

After exiting the museum, we went to Sara's Pancake House for brunch. I got 2 sunny-side up eggs (omg eggs for breakfast!!!), 2 pancakes, bacon, coffee, and orange juice. 

We took the tram back to the museum quarter, which was close-ish to our apartment and went to the Rijksmuseum- which is a huge museum of Dutch history from its beginnings until now. Michelle and I just ran up the 3rd floor to gaze at the De Stijl movement exhibit where we were able to see the original zig zag chair and many other pieces that we studied in our design history class. To complete our day of art and museums, we went to the Stedilijk museum of modern art. 

On our way back to the apartment, we stopped for Vietnamese french fries- very popular here and very good. They have a list of sauces you can choose from, but I thought they were good on their own! That night was more of a relaxing last night, since we had a full day of travel the next day. We played cards, went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner, and then packed all of our things back into our backpacks. 

Early Sunday morning around 2 or 3 am we lost an hour (greeeaaattt) because of DST. But we still made our 7:17 am train to Brussels, and we even got breakfast at Starbucks beforehand!

♥

Brussels, Belgium

We arrived in a very rainy and windy Brussels around 10 am. We had some time to explore the city before our flight left, but the weather was just so gross and it was so un-enjoyable to be outside. 

We did walk around some, and we got the famous Belgium waffles (I had strawberry and whipped cream!). But there's only so much walking you want to do when your feet are completely soaked and the rain is blowing sideways. :(

I got a late lunch/early dinner at the airport before boarding the flight to Rome around 4. 

Rome/Florence, Italy

Our plane arrived in Rome early (6:10), so we caught the first bus to the train station available which was good because we got stuck in traffic and only made it to the station around 8! Our train to florence departed at 8:20, and then we arrived back in Florence at 9:50. 

Compared to Amsterdam, the temperature in Florence felt almost like a tropical resort. I am so happy to be back in a place I know with a bed to call my own (for at least 7 more weeks, that is). Traveling is great, but 10 days is a long time! 

Now I have to make myself get back in the swing of things with homework and class...but I'm headed to the Amalfi Coast this weekend, so I guess it's not too bad. :)

Roman Holiday

This semester is really starting to fly by now, and I just want everything to slow down! Next week we have midterms (eep) and then Spring Break- which will be amazing, but that also means that I am halfway done with studying abroad and I just really don’t want to think about that. :(

Yeapsira is now 6 years old!

This past Tuesday was Yeapsira’s birthday; so as soon as I was done with my photography class at 8:30 (that class feels longer every week), I raced home for dinner and the celebrations. With help from Sofia, Francesca had made an orange chocolate cake that was decorated with a very wide variety of candles. We all sang “Tanti Auguri” to Yeapsira- the Italian version of the happy birthday song- and then he blew out his candles in multiple large puffs. 

Thursday I left for my big trip of the weekend: Rome! I went with Michelle, Liz, Marina, Lorena, and Annie!! Our train departed at 3:05 pm and we made it with much more time to spare than Jackie and I did when we went to Bologna! Because the train ride was longer- about an hour and a half- they also served us a small snack- coffee and chocolate cookies. No complaints from me about that!

Once we got to Rome, we realized we were all so excited to get to Rome and to be able to explore on our own that we hadn’t really made a plan of what to do first (oops.). No big deal though, we just decided to go ahead and find our accommodations. Our longest walk by far- about 45 minutes from the train station! But then we were much closer to many of the attractions in the city center. After the owner of the apartment let us in and gave us the keys, we spent a little time enjoying the couches and the wifi. By then it was around 5/6ish, so we left to find dinner.

Someone had been given a recommendation for a place to eat so our fearless guide Liz with a map on her phone led the way. It was considerably colder and I was considerably more tired than when we were walking before, but I think dinner was worth it! We paid 20 euros each for a full traditional Italian 4-ish course meal that also included unlimited red wine. First we had antipasti (appetizers) which consisted of numerous small fried things, plus various types of pizza. Next we had small portions of 2 different types of pasta for the primo course: one seemed to be a carbonera, and the other simply a tomato sauce- but it also had bacon. Apparently, they were supposed to come back and ask us if we would like meat or fish for our secondo course, but instead they just brought out dessert and we didn’t realize until later. Still a little disappointed about this, but then again- I honestly may not have been able to eat it! I was almost full after the first pasta dish. In my opinion, the best part of dessert was an iced coffee cream that came in a large shot glass- reminded me of tiramisu, but cold and with more coffee.

"4" course dinner

Because we wanted to do and see a lot on Friday, and because traveling is tiring, we all crashed somewhat early that night. The next day we left around 8 am to walk towards the Vatican museum for our 9 am ticket entrance. We also stopped at a bar for a quick breakfast- coffee and croissants- and then Michelle realized she left the ticket vouchers in her backpack… at the apartment. I ran back with her to get them and then we all continued walking to the Vatican Museum. It was a bit of a hassle to find the entrance, but I was very glad that we decided to order the tickets online as that probably saved us about an hour time that we would have otherwise spent waiting in line.

The museum was beautiful- especially the Sistine Chapel. I had been before on the choir tour, but it’s always nice to have more time to explore and read things at your own pace. Additionally, we went through a contemporary art exhibit that I definitely don’t remember seeing previously.

After exiting the museum, we headed back to the apartment to grab our bags (our host had allowed us to leave them there for the morning- which my shoulders definitely appreciated). We were able to meet up with Margaret and her friend Alyssa (visiting this week), who were also in Rome! Then, together, we all went to find lunch. I split a primo course of spaghetti with a cream sauce and black pepper and a secondo course of rosemary chicken with Liz—best of both worlds. Lorena, Liz, Marina and I also ordered a bruschetta appetizer and Bellini cocktails- when in Rome, right?

Most of the girls in my group wanted to see the Colosseum and since it closed at 4, that was our next stop. In an attempt to save time and help our already tired feet, we purchased bus passes (1.50 euros each). Once we arrived, I decided to save 12 euros (the entrance fee) and simply walk around the monument instead of venturing inside again. Liz did the same as she will be taking a guided tour when her parents come to visit later. After the other 4 finished exploring the inside of the Coliseum, it was gelato time (but seriously, is it ever not gelato time?). We then made our way back to the pantheon, just in time to walk around in our history notes some more. I’m always happy to be travelling with other ID majors that understand when I freak out about the architecture and its significance.

Strawberry and Tiramisu

We still had a fair amount of time left before our train came, so we also made it to the Trevi Fountain- which is unfortunately closed for construction- and the Spanish steps. Dinner was at a small pizzeria where we were able to buy pizza by the slice (and weight). Then we caught another bus to get to the train station, bought some postcards while waiting for said train that ended up being delayed 10 minutes, and then finally boarded to travel back to home sweet Firenze.  

Annie’s flight was early Saturday morning (5 am ish) and I’m still just really sad that she had to leave. I do miss some little things from America (reliable internet, free restrooms, big sidewalks…) but mostly it’s just people. If all my friends and family could just move here, I’d be golden. :)

Saturday morning Jackie and I had tentatively planned to walk to Piazza Michelangelo to see the sunrise, but after our alarms went off at 5:20 we both laughed and promptly fell back asleep. Maybe another morning. Or maybe we’ll just go for the sunset again.

When we did wake up at the much more reasonable time of 8:30/9, Sofia and Francesca were getting ready for a day of baking cakes! They made 4 or 5 cakes for Yeapsira’s birthday party and we got to help. And by help I really mean “stand in the kitchen with aprons on and observe the cooking process.” One cake had oranges, chocolate, and pears in the batter and once it finished baking Francesca sprinkled powdered sugar on top. It was so interesting to be able to see her cook- I just hope she will indeed give us the recipes for all these amazing dishes! It was somewhat difficult to look at Francesca without giggling that morning, because she was wearing an apron that was apparently a wedding present. I’ll just put the 1000 word worth picture of her posing in it here and leave it at that (lol).

Jackie, Sofia and I in our aprons!

Around noon, Jackie and I ventured down the street to explore a smaller market –Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio. It was much less touristy than the central market and felt much more authentic. I was able to get 4 apples and 3 oranges for 1 euro and 30 cents and all the produce looked amazing. I was strongly tempted to also buy some raspberries, but since I knew we were having cake later I decided to wait for another day.

Jackie and I at Yeapsira's birthday party!

Yeapsira’s party was held at a small park about 15 minutes away from the apartment. We walked over there around 3 and helped Francesca set everything up. Francesca is apparently very well known for her signature tuna “sauce” (for lack of a better word). It seems very simple- just tuna, mayonnaise, and capers- but it is delicious and I’m excited to try making it at home.

 At the party, she served it on small slices of bread, and also put it out as a dip for carrots. I found it interesting that all the children loved it and kept coming back for more. Such a big difference from if you were to make tuna for most children that age in the US!

One of Yeapsira’s presents (probably his favorite) was a full body captain America costume- complete with a mask and shield. Immediately after receiving the gift, he started taking his clothes off to change into it! He’s also worn it a lot at home ever since! Jackie and I are hoping to get a picture of us with him in costume- oh, the irony!

Margherita pizza from Gusta <3 td="">

For dinner that night, I went to Gusta pizza (finally!) with Michelle, Liz, Lexi, Margaret, Claire and Marina. I got the Magherita pizza and got about halfway through before I had to stop and get a box. Then we got gelato; where I had coffee and mixed nut flavors.

Sunday was a general “get stuff done day” as most everyone had a lot to catch up on. I finished most of my homework and studied for the exams I think will be more difficult; along with looking up and deciding on what classes to register for next semester as I am scheduled to register over spring break. Yay- more stress. Still, it’s not very much compared to my workload at home. But I also don’t have the chance to travel or live in Florence at home. :)

Caffe Latte 

I also had a chance to go for a coffee break around 3 or 4 to help keep me focused. All the coffee is amazing here, and I’m not sure how I’ll survive when I get home. Starbucks does not compare.

For dinner, Jackie and I went to a restaurant quite close to our apartment- Gusto Leo. It was kind of touristy, but not too bad- our waiter let me order all in Italian without stopping me or making me switch to English. We split a ¼ liter of the house red wine and then I got “Tagliatelle Boscaiola”- long, thick noodles (kind of like linguini) with a tomato cream sauce, mushrooms, and peas.

When we returned home, we got the chance to taste Sofia’s cake of the week- Castagnaccio. It’s definitely an acquired taste- Jackie was not a fan. It’s not very sweet, but I liked it- more of a dried fruit sweetness. The cake is made from chestnut flour and has pine nuts and raisins added in. I looked it up later and learned that it’s a traditional plain cake of the Tuscany that’s usually an autumn dessert (which makes sense with the nuts and raisins). 

Now I’m trying to prepare myself for midterm week/wondering how I will pack for an entire 10 days of traveling in a small bag that I can carry easily/getting super excited for Spring Break!

A Tale of Four Cities

This weekend was originally supposed to be filled with adventures in Rome...but since Annie's flight was cancelled (she flew here for her spring break!) she wasn't able to arrive until Saturday afternoon. I'll skip the details of the nightmare that was fixing and changing our train tickets and accommodations. The important thing is that we'll all get a chance to have some Lizzy McGuire moments next Thursday!

Don't get me wrong, I was excited to go to Rome this weekend- but I was equally as happy to have another weekend in Florence without the stresses of traveling. There's so much to do and see here that I think sometimes gets overlooked by students in the frenzy of country hopping and rushing from one destination to the next. 

Thursday my wine tasting class took a field trip to "Eataly" for a special meeting and tasting with a wine producer from the Tuscany region. Our class got out about an hour early, so I wandered around the city for a little bit before meeting up with Michelle for lunch at Panbriaco: an adorable sandwich shop where you can get a delicious panino for 3 euros. 

Michelle and I went to Zara's, H+M, and OVS. I ended up purchasing a new coat and 2 new shirts. They were welcome additions as I had definitely been feeling a little constrained by my limited wardrobe. After our shopping spree, I went back with Michelle to her apartment and booked the remainder of my flights for spring break with the other girls that I will be traveling with on our week off--what a relief it is to be done with that!

Friday morning I had a small breakfast with the Ricci's and then promptly went back to bed (seven thirty is pretty early for a college student :P ). Around noon, I had breakfast #2 at an American diner a couple blocks away from my apartment. I had sunny side up eggs, or "dippy" as I always called them, toast, "hash browns", and fruit. I don't think I realized how much I missed american-style breakfast until I started eating. Authentic Italian food is the bomb.com, but sometimes a break from pasta is nice. (Did I just say that?)


Liz and I finally found a nice cafe to sit and do our homework at that afternoon. We sat outside near the Pitti Palace for a while, but the wind was brutal so we settled for coffee and a sofa. The library here is not a very nice place to do work and I am constantly distracted in my room. I definitely miss the ample study spots at HPU, but they do have better cappuccinos here. :)

Saturday I had a museum day with Marina! We went to the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi Gallery. At the beginning of the semester I purchased a museum pass that will get me into most of the museums in Florence. It was nice to be able to use that- and nice to know that I can return again to see more later! We had hoped to also visit the Boboli gardens located directly behind the pitti palace, but unfortunately they were closed due to the wind. Now I just have to find time to go back- maybe when it's a little warmer.

Ravioli with truffle sauce

Dinner was at Trattoria Zaza, a very popular (and huge!) restaurant. I was very glad that someone thought to make a reservation so we were able to walk in and be seated right away. Marina and I were both stuck between 2 items on the menu, so we ended up sharing 2 dishes! I had a half plate of ravioli with truffle sauce and a half plate of fettuccine noodles with pesto sauce. Both were delicious and I was happy for a chance to be indecisive. 

Sunday was the only day this weekend that was pre-planned and didn't change. I had a wonderful day exploring the Tuscan countryside with Marina. The area called Chianti is about 30-45 minutes away from Florence, but it seems like a whole new world. I felt like I was walking around in a mural- or one of the scenes painted on the walls at Olive Garden. 

Our first stop was San Gimignano, which has the nickname of "the 100 tower city." While it never had exactly 100 towers (actually it was more like 75), the town built did build a lot for defense against the Florentine army and other surrounding cities. Most of these towers also served as apartments. Today, only 14 towers are still standing and only one is open to the public. But instead of walking up more national treasure like stairs, Marina and I opted to go to an fortress where we got an amazing view-- for free. :) The actual city is also very lovely to walk/wander around. While I didn't feel rushed, I also could have happily stayed there much longer- maybe even the whole day. 

Next we took a very short visit to the walled city of Monteriggioni. Very small city- only about 40 people live there...total. We payed 2 euros for a ticket to walk up stairs onto a platform that enabled one to see both over the walls to the surrounding countryside and also look down on the city center. There were 2 platforms- one near the north gate and one near the south gate, and the ticket permitted you to climb both. Well worth the 2 euros in my opinion!

Because I ate the apple I brought with me as a snack before Monterriggioni, I was able to hold off for lunch until we arrived in Sienna around 1. Marina and I decided to get lunch with our guide and others in the group that made the same decision. For 11 euros we got unlimited pasta for a first course, pork, potatoes, and salad for a second course, and unlimited red wine. I'm assuming this fee also included the cover charge. And everything was delicious. :)

We had a walking tour of Sienna with a different guide. I remembered a lot of the information from my first trip to Sienna, but it was still a nice tour and I learned some new things too. When I visited Italy with the choir tour about 2 years ago, Sienna was my favorite city. It was lovely to be back, although my perspective has changed a little since I have now seen many more quaint towns. 


After some free time to wander around Sienna, and take a lot of pictures of the beautiful arches and alleyways, we went back on the bus to travel to our last stop of the day: a vineyard near San Gimignano! Even though it's still winter and no leaves are on the vines, the estate was beautiful and offered a lovely view of the countryside. We also had a small tasting of 3 wines, 3 olive oils, and 1 balsalmic vinegar. The wine company was definitely on a smaller scale and family owned- we had the tasting inside their house!

All in all, the trip to Chianti was wonderful and probably my favorite day trip so far. Plus, we found out that our guide might be the same one for the trip we booked to Cinque Terre in May- which would be awesome because he was very good. 

When I arrived home that night, Francesca introduced me to the new host student that will be staying here for 3 weeks. Her name is Antonia and she is from London, England. I may have used the word "new" incorrectly however, because today we learned that this is her 6th time staying with the Ricci's. She seems very nice, and I am excited to get to know her more. Also her italian is very advanced and I must admit it's nice to have another "translator."

Today is Yeapsira's birthday, and tonight we will be having a celebration for him- with family. Saturday he will have a party where many of his friends will be invited. Yeapsira is now 6!


So, even though I didn't leave for the weekend or go to Rome (yet!), I still had a lovely time exploring more of Florence and Chianti! 

It was is the best of times. 

Tortellini in love with Emilia-Romagna

I apologize for the title of this post... I had no other option than to make a cheesy pun (ha). 

Emilia-Romagna is one of the regions in the northern part of Italy. The capitol of this region is Bologna- where Jackie and I visited this weekend, along with Modena. We returned last night and even though I'm still very tired, I feel like I'm getting sicker, and I have homework yet to do...I wanted to write about my adventures while they're fresh in my mind! 

Some of the delicious foods that are produced in the Emilia-Romagna Region.

Saturday morning I woke up early to finish getting all my things together. We had a quick breakfast with Francesca before (literally) sprinting to catch our train that was scheduled to depart at 8 am! We made it with 1 minute to spare!

Once we arrived at the Bologna Central Station, 10 minutes later than anticipated, we did some more sprinting to make our next train to Modena. We had to ask several security guards and other travelers which direction to go to find the train- I have no idea how we would have found it otherwise. Thankfully we did get on the correct train before it left the station, and we arrived in Modena at 9:30- where we purchased bus tickets to take us to Acetaia Di Giorgio: the location of our balsamic vinegar tour!

The tour was excellent! We were originally somewhat surprised to find ourselves in a private house, but this made it even more special as the owners tried and succeeded in preserving the historic origins of the small company. During the tour, we learned the difference between DOP and industrialized balsamic vinegar. Most all the balsamic vinegar we have at home has been industrialized and made with wine vinegar as well as added sugars to speed up the process. Authentic, or traditional balsamic vinegar is only made with grape musk, no sugars are added, and instead of aging for 3 months (like industrialized), the vinegar is aged anywhere from 12 years to over 25. DOP stands for "Denominazione Origine Protetta", or Protected Designation of Origin. This is basically a stamp from the government certifying authenticity. Producers have their own personalized labels that are stuck on to the bottle for identification purposes, but aside from this all DOP balsamic vinegar bottles look identical as the producers are not allowed to bottle the vinegar themselves. The government also keeps a track of how much vinegar each producer makes each year. For example, Acetaia Di Giorgio is only allowed to produce 3000 bottles of vinegar per year. Additionally the government regulates the quality of the vinegar. Before bottling takes place, professional balsamic vinegar tasters come to Acetaia Di Giorgio to taste and evaluate each vinegar. If any vinegar does not score highly, it is put back in the barrel to age longer. 

At Acetaia Di Giorgio, they use oak, cherry, and juniper wood barrels. After aging in these barrels, the cherry wood will give the vinegar a sweet taste, the oak a toasty or "warm" taste, and the juniper an almost spicy taste. Many bottles are labeled "mixed wood", which simply means the vinegar came from several different barrels and hence has a blend of tastes/flavors. Because no wine vinegar or other sugars are added to the vinegar, it is highly concentrated. You would only need a few drops to season any type of food and it's delicious to try a spoonful of it on it's own! Additionally, you don't need to cook food with the vinegar as it doesn't need to be reduced (or cooked down) like industrialized vinegar does. You would simply sprinkle a few drops on, right before serving. 

Sorry if this is too much information; I just found it really interesting! :) I really debated buying some of the vinegar, but as the cheapest bottle was 48 euros, I got a recipe book instead. Plus, if I change my mind before I leave Italy- I can order the balsamic vinegar online and have it shipped to Florence for 5 euros (much better than the 27 euro fee to ship to the US).

Since our tour ended around 11:30, Jackie and I had a little time to explore the small town of Modena before our train was scheduled to arrive. I really enjoyed walking around the town and through the main (and basically only) piazza. We were going to stop for lunch, but figured we would find somewhere on the way to the train station. Ha. Since the town is so small, all the main stores and restaurants are right in the piazza and don't extend out more than a couple streets away. So we ended up eating in the train station, which wasn't too bad, but I definitely would have preferred a meal in Modena's adorable piazza. 

We had to wait about 5 minutes past the scheduled time for our train to actually appear, and then we left for bologna around 2:10 and arrived arrived around 3. Our hostel was described as being "near" the train station, which I might not have agreed with after walking 20 or so minutes with my not-even-that-heavy backpack. But we made it and then awarded ourselves about 30 minutes to rest up in our room before leaving to explore Bologna. 

Bologna is an adorable town (although thankfully larger than Modena). It's known as "la grassa" or the fat one- mainly because of all the great food in the city. Bologna is famous for the invention and perfection of tortellini pasta, as well as mortadella sausage, and ragu sauce (or what we would call bolognese). 

Basically 3 minutes after we left the hostel we stumbled upon some street performers that had attracted a huge crowd. After listening for only a little while, I could see why-- they were excellent musicians and even better performers. You could tell they were having so much fun playing, and the expressions on their faces were almost better than the music! I almost considering buying one of the CDs for 5 euros, but 1) I couldn't get through the crowd and 2) the memory of seeing them live will be better anyway. :)

We stopped at many different stores and cafes just to peak in and see what was available. It was really nice just to be able to "roam" without feeling rushed or having any real deadline other than our stomachs. We saw SO many places offering apertivo, which is common in Italy- apparently even more so in bologna. With apertivo, you pay for a pre-dinner drink and then you are also allowed to eat any and all appetizers set out in a buffet style.

 Jackie and I stopped inside one particular bar and bought some chocolate with extremely interesting flavors. I got one that was white chocolate with champagne and blackcurrant and another that was 70% cocoa dark chocolate with oranges and almonds. I believe Jackie got one bar of milk chocolate with pear, almonds, and honey. The bar also had a wide variety of wines that they were serving by the glass to the many customers crowded in the small room. I asked about the cost of trying a glass and was told it depended on the wine. Then before I could say anything else, the bartender was handing me a glass of a signature sparkling white wine from bologna- pignoletto. It was very good, although I think I may have preferred the non-frizzante (or non-sparkling) version. When I finished my glass I asked how much I owed, but the bartender shook his head and assured me it was just a taste and he hoped I enjoyed it. So, I basically got 2 bars of chocolate and a glass of wine for 3 euros. Score. :)

That night for dinner (after roaming around the town and the historic medieval outdoor market), we went to a quaint little osteria (typically a simple and inexpensive Italian restaurant) near the university district of the city. Jackie and I shared a half-liter of another bolognese traditional wine- a red, Sangiovese. We both ordered tortellini, however I got it with a cream sauce and Jackie tried the ragu sauce. Before we went back to the hostel, we got a quick cup of gelato. Everything was delicious and I thought "La Grassa" certainly lived up to it's name that night! 

The next morning, we had a quick breakfast at the hostel (good, but nothing extraordinary) and then checked out to go see more of the city around 10 am. First thing- we climbed the tallest medieval tower in the world: Torre Asinelli (97 m). This tower, plus the smaller leaning tower beside it called Torre Garisenda; however everyone just refers to them both as "I Due Torri" (the 2 towers). The climb up was exerting for sure, but the view once we finally reached the top was well worth it. I'm not sure what type of stairs I was expecting, but these reminded me of a scene from National Treasure where the wooden steps keep falling and breaking apart... Maybe not the best thing to be thinking of as you climb up 498 wooden steps. :O

After our climb, we started aimlessly roaming the town again- sort of searching out a place for lunch. Maybe 2 hours later we went back to our hostel to use wifi to search for a good sandwhich shop as we were unable to find any. I think the biggest problem was that most stores were closed since it was Sunday. Which is nice, but not when you're a tourist trying to find food. We did finally find a small shop where I was able to get a panino and taste the famous mortadella meat. Then we found probably the best gelato I've had in Italy so far at a gelateria called Sorbetto. They have many classical flavors, as well as some original flavors of their own. My favorite was Michelangelo which was a blend of chocolate, almond cream, almonds, and hazelnuts. 

We said goodbye to Bologna at 4:50 pm, as we boarded our train back to home sweet Florence. I had an excellent weekend, but as my cough has gotten worse and I currently have very little voice, I am definitely happy to be back "home." 

For dinner Sunday night, Jackie and I walked down the street about 4 minutes and got kebabs (not on sticks). Then we returned to the apartment and had small slices of the chocolate cake that Sofia made earlier that day. I also had some tea with honey and lemon which my throat was very happy about.


So, now I do need to finish up some homework before my Pilates class! 

Buona giornata! (Have a nice day!)