The End

Here it is, the last post. I've been home for almost a week now, so I've had plenty of time to think about what I want to write. Now I will attempt to summarize my thoughts.

First off, it almost seems like this fall semester was a dream. It went by so quickly, and now all of a sudden I'm back at home and everything is back to normal. However, things definitely have changed.

I've learned so many new things. I have many Italian recipes that I have tried or will attempt from my cooking class and my wonderful host parents. They have also taught me to appreciate food more and really enjoy the flavors and time to be with family and other people I love. My Italian has improved immensely, thanks to the amount of practice I've gotten through conversations with my host family, conversation partners, and other Italians. Because of these opportunities I've taken advantage of, I can confidently say I speak Italian (albeit certainly not perfectly, I can always improve). Looking back, my only regret is that I didn't utilize these opportunities even more, but I will still keep in contact with these friends. I've been able to travel not only to new cities in Italy, but also new countries, something I didn't do very much during my 2 years in Verona. Seeing more of Europe introduced me to other foods, languages, and cultures.

Of course people have asked me "How was Italy?!" since I've been back. "It was great!" I'll say, and it really was. But that doesn't even BEGIN to describe it. It is really impossible to capture this entire experience in one sentence, one conversation, or one blog post. So please, ask me more about Italy! I really can't say enough, I just have some trouble figuring out where to begin. I've also tried to give you all a better idea of my time in Florence through this blog. I really hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. And I really do appreciate you all taking the time to read my posts. It means a lot to me that my efforts haven't gone to waste.

Finally, especially to those of you who haven't had the opportunity to study/work/live anywhere abroad...DO IT! It is a unique experience that is like no other. Living in a new place with a different language and culture has enabled me to be more adventurous in trying new things and meeting new people. An experience like this really is an eye-opener in changing everything that may have been thought as "normal". One thing you may consider "normal" is "foreign" to someone else. So, I strongly believe that it is a shame some people haven't had a chance to travel out of the country. Take advantage of the opportunities you have! Especially if you are in college when it is easier to do so.

I had no idea how much studying abroad for one semester would impact me, especially since I've already done it for a longer amount of time before. However, living in Florence has really changed my life. I have learned things and met people that I will never forget, and I can't wait to go back :)

And so with that, arrivederci Firenze!
Caitlin
  

Next to Last Post!

I want to put up a nice last post, but that means I have to spend some time on it. Today that is not possible because I have to get everything ready to go for tomorrow! So I will write one after I get back. Our flight tomorrow is at 7am...so we will be taking a taxi at 4 in the morning :D That is if everything goes smoothly, a taxi will take us, and our flight is not cancelled. As of now it is not and snow/rain is predicted for late tonight...

Anyways, just wanted to include in this quick post that a few weeks ago for our last Intro to Renaissance Art class before the final we spent the entire time in the Uffizi! This is basically a huge museum with some of the most famous Renaissance paintings. Some of them you might be interested in...

• Cimabue - Maestà
• Giotto - Ognisanti Madonna
• Leonardo - Adorazione dei Magi, L'Annuciazione
• Michelangelo - Tondo Doni
• Botticelli - La Nascita di Venere, La Primavera, Pallade e il Centauro, La Madonna della Melagrama
• Raffaello - Madonna del Cardellino, Ritratto di Leone X con i cardinali Giulio de' Medici e Luigi de' Rossi
• Titziano - Venere di Urbino

And I never did mention that we ended up seeing the real David twice (once in class and once with our friend). It is in the Galleria dell'Accademia and was completed by Michelangelo when he was only 29 years old. It is 17 feet tall and used to be outside the Palazzo Vecchio (where the other replica is). It symbolizes the intellectual strength of the city of Florence.

See you soon, North Carolina.
Caitlin
 

Snow and Homemade Pasta

As I mentioned in my last post, yesterday we had a bit of snow here! It was cooooold but really fun to walk around and take pictures. Unfortunately, most people were supposed to leave this morning, as today is the end of the program. Buuut flights were canceled due to all the snow (it snowed pretty much non-stop yesterday). So, they have to stay a few more days. It's partly sunny today and is supposed to be for the rest of the weekend BUT on Monday it's supposed to snow again...when we leave. I hope we can get out of here alright...

Our street

Sewing Final Project

In our sewing class we learned how to do many different things on the sewing machine (seams, finishings, pockets, a collar, and more). For our final project, we went to a vintage boutique and bought items to change for a final fashion photo shoot. All of the fashion classes participated in this and were assigned either 60's or Hippie Chic. We got 60's and here are our before pictures:

Mine - a little girl's dress

...and a huge, plain black dress

Kristen - a really huge shapeless dress

Keep on reading to see the amazing results!!

Coffee

Alright here we go...

Coffee made it's first appearance in Italy in Venice around 1570. It was very expensive, so only rich people could buy it and it was sold in chemist's shops. Then, in 1640 the first coffee shop opened in the same city and expanded to other cities including Turin, Genoa, Milan, Florence, Rome and Naples. And the rest is history!

The coffee beans are not grown here, but they are blended here in famous Italian torrefazioni. There are two main types of coffee: Arabica, from Coffea Arabica, and Robusto, from Coffea Canephora, generally stronger. Each coffee is different, with a different mixture of types and beans from different countries. It's really like wine in that way, there are even such things as coffee tastings.

Here's a list of the different types of coffee you can get in Italy (I'm pretty sure this is not a complete list, but I think I got most of them):

• Caffè - espresso, a small cup of very strong coffee
• Caffè Macchiato - espresso "stained" with a drop of milk
• Caffè Corretto - espresso "corrected" with a shot of liquor
• Caffè di Orzo - espresso with Barley, no caffeine
• Caffè Freddo - iced coffee (not very common here)
• Caffè Latte - half espresso, half hot milk
• Latte Macchiato - hot milk "stained" with a small shot of espresso
• Cappuccino - espresso with hot milk and steamed milk froth on top

I'm not a coffee drinker, so I haven't tried most of these (I think an espresso would be way to strong for me). We do have a coffee vending machine in school buildings though and I tried a cappuccino with ginseng once, it was good (I think because the sugar was set higher).

Oh! I also added another recipe for Pasta al Ragu that we ate for dinner tonight. Vivaldo told me how to make it, and it was amazing :D

Caitlin

     

Italian Laws

Thanks to John, who gave me the idea of writing this post, here are some interesting laws in Italy!

• There are regulations for the number of hours in a day the heater can be turned on. And I wonder why I'm so cold a lot... But seriously, this really conserves energy.
• In Lucca kebab shops are banned within the city walls. Other cities only allow these shops if they also sell traditional northern food, such as polenta. This law was put in place by the Lega Nord party, who have been linked to political remarks against southerners and immigrants. Interestingly, the Italian Minister of Agriculture, Luca Zaia, of the Lega Nord party has partnered with McDonalds to create a McItaly burger. His reasoning is to help Italian farmers, who will provide the ingredients for this burger. But what happened to preserving local foods? It seems that American and Japanese restaurants are safe while African and Middle-Eastern ones are not. There is a line between preserving biodiversity (such as with the Slow Food movement) and practicing gastronomic racism.
• I've read about other crazy Italian laws too, such as it being illegal for men to wear skirts (but what about kilts??), in Rome eating or drinking outside in the historic center is not allowed, and some cities banning the feeding of pigeons in the center to preserve the buildings (I like this one, they are so annoying!).

Through conversations with my 2nd conversation partner, Valentina, (due to personal reasons, I had to get a new one) in the school cafeteria, I learned more about certain "rules" Italians have towards food. She thought it was so strange that Americans drink a cappuccino in the afternoon. For her, it didn't make any sense, and she didn't even understand HOW they could do it. Valentina said that the milk is too heavy for after breakfast, so she almost flipped when I told her kids in the US drink milk with their lunch. Another time she commented that another girl was eating her fruit before her sandwich for lunch. Valentina also found this very weird. I have noticed that Italians are very particular about food. This includes the order as well. I believe I've mentioned before that Vivaldo didn't understand how the Americans they've hosted could mix the primo (pasta) and secondo (meat) dishes because they are supposed to be eaten separately.

Speaking of cappuccino, I think today or tomorrow I will do a coffee post for you all.

Until then,

Caitlin

     

Italian Expressions

A list of some verbal and non-verbal expressions in Italian that I find fun and I would like to share :D

Phrases

• In bocca al lupo = Literally - Into the mouth of a wolf. Really - Break a leg. The response to this is "Crepi!" (Die!)
• Piove a catinelle = Literally - It's raining buckets. Really - It's raining cats and dogs.
• Non vedo l'ora = Literally - I don't see the hour. Really - I can't wait.
• Mi prendi in giro? = Literally - Are you taking me for a spin? Really - Are you making fun of me?
• Che cazzo = WTF
• Boh - perhaps my favorite expression :) It's used to express "I don't know" or "Whatever"
• Ai-yah! = Ouch!
• Ciccia = Literally - Flesh. Really - a term of endearment. Graziella says this to us all the time.

Gestures (sorry if these are hard to picture...)

• Tracing a line down your cheek, usually accompanied by frowning and looking down = Sono triste (I'm sad)
• Pulling your lower eyelid down with your index finger = Ti guardo (I'm watching you)
• Holding your hand palm up, in front of you so it's next to your stomach and moving it in circles that go away from you = Che noioso (How annoying). Graziella also uses this when talking about Vivaldo, haha.
• Making an L with your hand and shaking it back and forth = C'è da fare o no? (Yes or no?)

I have found that Italians are more animated in general and they do talk with their hands. The stereotypical image of an Italian shaking his hand with his fingers together while saying "Mamma Mia!" is somewhat true. They do the greeting kisses too, which can be awkward for me (when I forget which cheek is first). Italians can be more touchy too. One time while in the Gucci store (no I did not buy anything) an older salesman said something funny so we were laughing. Then he put his hand on my cheek, like I was his granddaughter...

Caitlin
    

Verona

We finally made our way to Verona when dad and Pat came to visit!! Going back to Verona brought back a lot of memories...

After we got off the train and were walking to the hotel, we recognized this place because we used to get our books for school here.

Olio di Oliva

November was the start of olive oil season, and here there was an abundance of Olio Nuovo (New Oil) in Tuscany. This Olio Nuovo is pretty different from what I'm used too. When the olive oil is new, it has a green color before it turns golden-yellow and the after-taste is pretty spicy.

I thought I would share with you some interesting facts about olive oil that I learned in my cooking class.

London

Two weekends ago (I know, I'm getting behind again...) Kristen and I left for London Thursday afternoon! It took a while to get there...we had to catch a train at 4 for Pisa, catch our plane at 6:50, get to Stansted at 8:10, take an hour bus ride to downtown, meet our friend Jacob so he could take us on the tube to his place. I don't think we got there until around 11 (oh and remember that England is an hour behind Italy...)

London was sooo cool though! One of my favorite places we visited this fall (if not most favorite). We packed a ton of stuff into 3 days:

Football!

A couple weekends ago our friend Jacob came to visit. He is studying in London this year and we are actually going to visit him this weekend :)

One of the things we did when he was here was go to a football game! It was ACF Fiorentina (or Viola as they are commonly called because their color is purple) vs. Chievo Verona. Yes we planned to go to this particular game, but we had to root for Florence. We sat behind the goal with the rest of the crazy fans, it was pretty fun:

The stadium

Part 4 - Lucca

After flying back into Pisa, then taking the train to get into Florence Sunday night, we got up early and took off for Lucca for the Comics and Games Convention! Unfortunately, it was rainy and cold all day, but at least we got seats on the 2 decker train :D

It was really fun, we saw some cool costumes:

Walking into the city from the train station.

Part 3 - Warsaw

We hopped on another train for about a 3 hour ride. This time we didn't get trapped in bunk beds, but we had to stand cause there was no room. That's what you get for taking the cheap train.

Zosia met us at the train station and we had an awesome weekend. It started off with an amazing homemade dinner with her family, then they had a cake a presents for us afterwards for our birthday! It was so nice to celebrate with friends. The next day, Zosia showed us around the city:

The Palace of Culture and Science, the world's second largest clock-tower. There are 3288 rooms on 42 floors, with an overall area of 123,000 m², containing cinemas, theatres, museums, offices, bookshops, a large conference hall, and an accredited university.

Part 2 - Krakow

We took an overnight train from Prague to Krakow, which also uncomfortable. It felt like we stopped every half hour and every time I woke up. Anyways, Krakow was cool, but also cold! It got warmer when the sun came out during the day though. Here are the pics:

We got the top bunks. I guess we were still technically in Prague at this point, but whatever, Prague had enough pictures.

Part 1 - Prague

It's been about 2 weeks since I've been back, and I have been finding time here and there to go through my hundreds of pictures and am finally sitting down to write this. Sorry for such a long break!

First stop on our fall break adventure was Prague! The bus ride Friday evening into Saturday morning was...uncomfortable. We had plenty of stops though and I was glad to just get that done with at the beginning. 

And here we go...

I was not used to seeing trams, but they were everywhere.

Fall Break

I finished my mid-term exams this week! So much writing though, my hand was so sore after the first day.

Now I am packing for my big fall break adventure :) Kristen and I will be traveling in Prague and around Poland, here is what our schedule for the next week looks like:

18:00 22/10 - 12:15 23/10 = Florence to Prague by bus
21:30 26/10 - 6:30 27/10 = Prague to Krakow by train
15:09 - 18:08 28/10 = Krakow to Warsaw by train
12:35 - 19:55 31/10 = Warsaw to Pisa by plane, Pisa to Florence by bus

Yep, we have an 18 hour bus ride ahead of us. Fuuuun. But it was cheap! We are visiting a friend in Warsaw, and can't wait to see her again! Last time was when we were about 13 years old in Verona, she took a 24 hour bus ride to see us.

On Monday, the 1st of November we have school off for All Saint's Day. That day, we are hopping on a bus to go to Lucca for the Comics and Games Convention. So excited, according to Wikipedia: "With almost 140,000 visitors a year, it is the second most popular fair in Europe (after the Angoulême Comics Festival, in France) and the third in the world (the first is the Comiket in Tokyo, Japan)."

I won't be able to post for the rest of the month, but I will have PLENTY to write and show you when I get back!

Until then,

Caitlin

   

Linguaggio Giovanile

In one of our Italian classes last week, we talked about slang that young people use. It was interesting to learn about the slang of another language, and I recognized some of it! Here are some translations (figuratively and literally) of a few good ones:

• Fighissimo/figo/ganzo/forte = cool/awesome, forte literally means strong
• Essere fuori (come un balcone) = To be crazy, literally to be outside (like a balcony)
• Che sfiga/sfigato = what a shame or how unfortunate
• Fare forca = to skip school, literally to use or make a pitchfork
• Palestrato = a guy who is very muscular and not so smart. Derived from palestra which means gym.
• Andare a palla = to go strong, literally to go to a ball
• Imbroccare/rimorchiare/abbordare = to "conquest" a guy or girl, literally to guess/tow/board

There are variations from North to South and in the different regions.

Many expressions are formed by che + a word (che sfiga, che pazzo).

Many English words are also used here, such as weekend, gay, OK, club, babysitter, shopping, and jeans. Computer, internet, and popcorn are others used that don't even have an Italian equivalent. Some words are derived from English words, like the verbs chattare, cliccare, and faxare.

Italians also commonly pronounce abbreviations like words, and I think it's kind of funny. So U.S.A. is pronunced oo-za.

I've also learned quite a few curse words here, from my host family, Italian movies, and other Italians while I'm out and about. I won't repeat them here, but if you are interested, I'll let you know.

That's all for now,
Caitlin
 

EuroChocolate Festival

We took a train for the first time since we've been here to Perugia for the EuroChocolate Festival! Getting there and back was an adventure itself (including a misprint on the ticket telling us to get on the wrong train and a huge crowd waiting for the minitram to get back to the train station, which someone told us the wrong stop to get off at). No worries though, cause everything worked out and we got to enjoy plenty of chocolate, yummm

The train was so full, we had to sit in the space in between cars. We had a lovely view of the bathroom.

The French Riviera

Sorry it took me so long to get this post up, I knew it was going to be a long one, so I wanted to make sure I had enough time to write it.

So, this past Saturday morning, Kristen and I left Florence at 5 to visit the French Riviera! We had 5 cities to see in 2 days, so it was a fast-paced and exciting trip, which included a TON of pictures:

First stop - Monaco, the second smallest country, only the Vatican is smaller.

Saint Nicholas Cathedral

Wine Tasting

I'm not much of a wine drinker, but when our friend invited us to go to a free wine tasting in an Enoteca (wine shop) on Thursday, we couldn't say no.

Making Gelato

Today, we went on a school activity to see how gelato is made in one of the numerous gelaterias in Florence. It was really neat, and included a free cup of gelato! I got biscotti (cookies), cheesecake di fragola (strawberry), and Ambrosia (yogurt, honey, and cinnamon) yuuumm.

Antica Gelateria Fiorentina where we got to watch chocolate gelato being made

Scambio di Conversazione

A while ago I signed up for a scambio di conversazione (conversation exchange) with the university. I got paired up with an Italian and we get to talk to each other in Italian and English a couple hours a week. Today I met my partner for the first time and we spent some time getting to know each other.

Her name is Silvia and she is 4 months pregnant with her first child. She lives in Prato, which is very close to Florence, and she work(ed) here, for the police. She's traveled around the US before (the East and West coast) and she really wants to go again. She loves all the different ethnic foods and, interestingly, the large cups of coffee. I was baffled to find an Italian that prefers American coffee. Silvia said she likes Starbucks and there is only one in Italy, in Rome. Her favorite Italian food is pizza.

I will get to know Silvia much better throughout the semester. I am excited about being able to talk to someone one-on-one in Italian. I'm already feeling my Italian improving :D

I put up 4 more recipes that we made today in cooking class. If any of you get a chance to try any of the recipes, I would love to hear how they turned out and what you thought!

Ciao!
Caitlin
  

On the way home

So on the walk home from the bus station Saturday when we came back from Siena, we ran into a saxophone and drum band in the Piazza della Repubblica. They were amazing! Even though I ran out of battery and Kristen ran out of space, we just put my memory card in her camera so she could record them. Here are a few songs for your viewing pleasure:

   

Siena

Kristen and I took the bus to Siena yesterday! Siena is only an hour and 15 min away, and much smaller than Firenze. Some roads are a bit steep as the city sits on a hill. Vivaldo told us that in the medieval times, Siena was an advanced city because they managed to transport water up and, without a river running through in like here, it was much safer. It was so foggy and cold in the morning, but it eventually it got nicer.

This is a loooong post, but it isn't even half of the pictures I took (all of them are on Picasa):

Piazza Salimbeni

International Festival

We learned today that there is an international festival going on in Piazza Santa Croce, so we checked it out! It was really cool, lots of booths with food, desserts, and other goods from different countries:

Germany! The food smelled delicious

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine

We went to another church for Intro to Renaissance Art today:

Crudo

No, I don't mean crudo as in crude. What I am talking about is the Italian version of Japanese sashimi. It's pretty interesting, and I've never heard about it before. Raw fish with a delicate balance of fat (olive oil), acid (lemon juice or vinegar), salt and spices. Another chef, B. Becht, even invented Italian Sushi, which is different because it is little, artistic versions of any traditional Italian dishes. However, this trend never really caught on in Italy, but apparently it is popular in Japan (John?).

These concepts work so well because Italian and Japanese cuisine are actually similar, despite being so different. They both focus on the taste of natural ingredients in dishes, and Italians are extremely particular about their ingredients. They get the freshest fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses because having good ingredients is 80% of the cooking (at least). The dishes we have for dinner are all homemade (check out the album Kristen put up on Facebook: A tavola) and simple, but delicious because the tomatoes, for starters, are amazing! That is why there are so many markets around here, for people to get local-grown produce so often. Italians generally do their grocery shopping pretty often. Milk is sold in much smaller containers than I'm used to, only 1 liter. At the supermarkets, the milk sometimes isn't even kept refrigerated because they go through them so fast, which still seems bizarre to me.

Well, I put up 4 more recipes from cooking class on Monday as usual, but I also added a rating for each dish so you can see what I thought about it. I hope you find it helpful!

Caitlin
  

Hiking in the Florentine Hills

I was exhausted yesterday because Kristen and I did a 10 mile hike through the Florentine Hills that afternoon in about 4 hours. Definitely worth it. We saw some beautiful views that we wouldn't have otherwise and got an awesome workout (I'm a bit sore today). Luckily, it did not rain during our hike because up until the day before, the forecast was rain all day. It did rain before the hike some though, so our shoes got caked in mud at one point. They felt like weights.

We took a bus up north to get to the starting point (Piazzale Michelangelo is on the other side of Florence for reference). Then, we walked up some roads and started on the trails. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking:

We are not Americans

I haven't written much about my living situation yet. As I said before, I share a room with Kristen and we live with our host mother, Graziella, and her live-in partner/boyfriend, Vivaldo. They both have children who are grown up, some with kids of their own. We also have some other students living with us: 4 girls who go to James Madison University, which has their own program in Florence. So, there are 6 girls living together, and Graziella and Vivaldo cook for 8 people (8 HUNGRY people because they always give us so much food) Monday through Thursday. The other girls don't get dinner on Fridays because of the way their university does the homestay contract, but we do.

Parco delle Cascine

Today, after our Italian class we went to the Parco delle Cascine, since Italian is our only class of the day and so we get done by 9 on Tuesdays!

It was a bit of a walk to the park, but well worth it. In the center, there are almost no trees and greenery in general. So spending some time in a park was very nice. We followed the Arno a majority of the way there too, so we had a lovely stroll.

The Mediterranean Diet

Today in my cooking class, we learned about the Mediterranean Diet. However, it really shouldn't be called "Diet", but "Lifestyle". Because, although there are various foods that are common to the 16 Mediterranean countries, it also includes a general attitude towards food and life. I think that it would be good for everyone to incorporate some of these aspects for a healthier lifestyle.

Museo Galileo

Sunday, Kristen and I spent the afternoon in the Museo Galileo, a science museum. We were not allowed to take pictures, but I did buy a guide book at the gift shop with lots of images and information if you are interested in looking at it when I get back. There's also pictures on the museum's website and the virtual museum is pretty neat.

So I mentioned that parts of Galileo were buried underneath the Chiesa di Santa Croce. Well we saw some of his other parts that are kept in the museum: 2 fingers, 1 thumb and 1 tooth.

Tourists

Man, I will be glad when the tourists die down a bit as the weather gets colder. It seems as though almost everywhere we go, there are groups of foreigners. They fill (and I mean FILL) the squares by the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio, with their maps and cameras out and ready, following their tour guides who are holding up an umbrella, fake flower, or other random object to make sure they don't get lost. They come from all over too: the US, different countries in Asia, around Europe, even other parts of Italy. This makes English pretty abundant, as the souvenir, leather, and food shops meet the need of the (mostly) American tourists. Unfortunately, this means that people will frequently talk to Kristen and I in English first as they pick us out as Americans and assume we do not understand Italian. Fortunately, this gets much less common away from the center of the city and if we try speaking Italian first.

Basilica di Santa Croce

Some pictures and information that I learned in my Intro to Renaissance Art class Thursday about the Church:

The church is a Gothic style.

My Classes

After my second week of classes, I am finally going to discuss each of them for you in more detail. The 5 courses I am taking this semester are: Current Trends in Italian Cuisine, Workplace Psychology: Building Effective Managers, Italian Language Advanced I, Basic Sewing Techniques, and Introduction to Renaissance Art (in Italian). Very different from my usual engineering course load, but I enjoy working with a different part of my brain and taking a little break from math and science.

First Cooking Class

Quick post since I haven't had internet access in my room for the past few days and I need to go to bed soon for my 8am class.

I just wanted to mention that I put up 4 new recipes that we made in class on Monday. That's right, we made 4 dishes and got to enjoy them all :) We split up into 4 groups and I helped make the Scaloppine con nocciole, which was super easy and delicious! The sauce was incredible. We also made Linguine spinaci, fagiolini e caffè, which was pasta with coffee in the water. It was interesting...it smelled strongly of coffee, but didn't have a particularly flavorful taste. We made amazing little mashed potato balls, with parsley and bread crumbs on top called Palline di patate gratinate. For dessert, we had a simple Ricotta al cacao con coulis di frutta, ricotta cheese with berries...yum!

Tomorrow I have my first Basic Sewing Techniques class (which I just switched into last week and so missed the first class). After that, I will write more about each of my classes this semester.

Ciao!
Caitlin
  

Piazzale Michelangelo

We walked up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, which is on a big hill and overlooks the entire city. So, I got some pretty cool pictures...

On the way up...

The Viareggio Beach

Yesterday, Kristen and I took a 1 hour and 15 minute bus ride to the beach at Viareggio. The weather was beautiful and it was the perfect day trip. Now, I know the first thing that popped into your heads when I mentioned beach in Europe...

Interesting Things...

Here are a few interesting things that I wanted to note after living here for just over a week:

1. A lot of Italians here take great care in the way they look. I've seen many people walking around on the cobblestones and even riding bikes in suits and high heels.

Tour of Florence

I've finished my first week of classes (no classes on Fridays, finally!) and I will go into more detail about them in another post. I just wanted to talk about my first one on Monday, Current Trends in Italian Cuisine. My professor gave the class a small tour of Florence before coming back and making a delicious and quick pasta dish. She gave us a lot of historical information about places around the city, which I will pass along to you (to the best of my ability):

Italians come here to buy the candy-coated almonds that are traditional to have at weddings.

Picture Post

I took a lot more pictures this weekend and wanted to share them with you!

Basilica di Santa Croce

Orientation and More

Yesterday we had orientation all day. We met in Odeon Cinema, an old theater where they show movies and performances. We had a break for lunch and went to the market to get amazing sandwiches where they dipped the bread in this soupy sauce...yum. More orientation, where we met another girl who was also doing a homestay. We figured she would be pretty down to earth and we were right. She is a Mechanical Engineer going to Iowa State University! I did not think we would meet another Engineer here, let alone an ME from Iowa!

Afterwards we took our placement test. I was a bit worried about it, but it was not bad at all. We were still placed in the same class! Before I turned in my test, I noticed another girl get up to turn hers in. I thought she was wearing a particularly short "dress" (more like a long shirt), when she bent over to pick up her bag and she mooned me because she was wearing nothing underneath. It's incredible some of the things the Americans wear here. They advised us on how to stay safe in Florence during orientation because Americans stand out. Well, this is another reason why some Americans are such easy targets.

Later, LdM hosted a dinner for us, where we met some more cool people. After dinner, we walked around looking for a dumpster for our trash (they told us in orientation to take out your trash every day). Today was pretty lazy, but we did walk to a big supermarket to pick up a few things and finally got some gelato :)

Now, onto the pictures!

My Room

So when we got to Italy yesterday, Kristen and I had to take a taxi. The cab ride to the apartment was CRAZY. I seriously forgot how people drove here (the signs are foreign to me as well, I'm glad I don't have to deal with it). It's so disorganized, everyone is constantly changing lanes (most without using their blinker and those who use it put it on while they are swerving), but somehow everyone looks out for each other and it works. I wish I took a video of it. There were so many tiny cars too, that drove through tiny alleys that were just big enough for the one car. People were walking everywhere, including in the streets. At one point we had to stop for an ambulance that barely squeezed past us and another person trying to turn left.

The apartment we are staying in is really nice, and an extremely short walk from downtown. Everything is small here; we got into the elevator and there was only enough room for us and our bags. Our host mother had to take the stairs. We live at the top of the building, on the 6th floor, with a beautiful view.

The jet lag was messing with us today. We went to bed early last night, and still slept until 1! I did take some pictures of my room though:

First Day

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to post a quick first note. I made it to Florence safe and sound! Pretty good first day: I met my host mother, Graziella, who is "a very good cook and is funny and hip", unpacked my stuff, picked up my cell phone, walked around downtown Florence, took an intense nap, and had an amazing homemade dinner. I am looking forward to living with a family, I'm getting much needed practice in Italian (we speak almost no English) and 4 more students will be coming to live with us next week!

That nap didn't cut it, so I will be getting to bed early tonight. I will try to post pictures of the apartment and downtown tomorrow (my battery was dead when I unpacked it, so I couldn't take any today).

Ciao!
Caitlin