Songs for Coming Home

I am going to miss Italy so so much. It will be very difficult to get on the plane and say goodbye to an amazing semester, but there is a little part of me that is ready to go home. Here are a few songs I found that will make it easier. I love these songs:

I'll Be Home for Christmas

Good day...

I normally don't write short posts about one day at a time, but...today has been one of those days where everything just feels right. It started with the delivery of a new washing machine, which is so exciting because our old one floods the kitchen. Next, I went to my drawing class, which is my favorite class. I was finishing up my final project and my teacher stood behind me and said "Ah, Andrea. Brava." I looked at my drawing and realized it really did look amazing. I have made a huge improvement in my drawing class. Feeling good, I went to the central market to buy some fruit. The old man that helped me was so sweet! He pinched my cheek as I tried talking to him in Italian, and when he gave me my change he noticed my purse was open and said "No, no. Chiuda." He gave me a very concerned look and zipped up my purse for me. When I got home, I discovered an extra apple, orange, and a random tomato in my bag. It was such a sweet thing to do. I am having an amazing day...and it is only lunchtime.

Thanksgiving in Italy

As November comes to an end autumn fills the air. The leaves are turning orange with crimson tips, the air is crisp, and the smell of roasting chestnuts drifts along the streets of Florence. The tourists are clearing out, the pace of the city is slowing, and the shop owners are beginning to relax. Elated by the arrival of my favorite season, I almost forget Thanksgiving is less than a day away. The buildings are not decorated with pilgrims and turkeys, the grocery stores are not over flowing with cranberry sauce, and I haven’t seen one child with a handcrafted construction paper headdress. With the commercialism completely removed from one of America’s largest holidays, I am finally able to focus on the significance of Thanksgiving…and just give thanks.

This semester has taught me more than I can put into words. One of the most worthy things I have learned is how grateful I am for the people in my life. Family, friends, teachers, mentors, neighbors, and strangers are what make life…well, life. I want to thank everyone who has touched my life and helped me grow into the person I am today.  Thank you to my parents who give me unconditional love and support, my brother whom I have admired since I was born, my extended family because I know they will always accept me with open arms, and my friends whom I chose to enjoy my daily experiences with. These bonds are what make my life enjoyable, meaningful, and fill me with love. I am thankful for everyone who has loved me and helped me grow these last twenty-one years.

In addition to building a larger appreciation for the people in my life, I have recently begun to appreciate the little things. For example, when my radiator turns on at 6pm, when I wake up to dry clothes on the drying rack, and when I find the bathroom empty on my way to shower. I’m thankful when a waiter notices I am a student and gives me free water, when my first class of the day starts at a museum, and when we finish early enough there is time to grab a cappuccino before my history class. These little things make the largest difference and turn a good day into a great one.

So here I sit, in an apartment in Italy, on the eve of Thanksgiving. I can hear church bells in the distance, mopeds rushing by on the street below, and the voices of excited children coming home from school. Soon my radiator will turn on and I’ll warm up water for tea, the two things I love most about this time of the evening. I might bake a dessert and ponder Thanksgiving a little more tonight, but I realize I have been giving thanks every day I have been here. So, this year on Thanksgiving I am grateful that I get to say… “I am thankful to be in Italy”. 

Updated Food Blog

I have updated my food blog with my first cooking class and will continue to do so until my class is done.

Here is the link: http://florentinefood.blogspot.com/

Hungarian man dancing with one of the girls on our tour...

Violinist in Bratislava

Choir singing in the St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna

Horses from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna

Best of the East Fall Break Tour- Part Two

Day 5: Krakow- We started with a tour of Krakow and passed many historical sites. I loved how relaxed and safe this city felt. It was easy to navigate and everything was in walking distance. When the tour ended we ate a Polish meal of stuffed cabbage, borsch soup, and potato pancakes. We did a little window shopping and ended up at a hot chocolate restaurant. This place was dedicated solely to hot chocolate and chocolate related drinks. I got the gingerbread hot chocolate which was absolutely delicious. We went out again that night, however due to miscommunication about our room key I was locked out of our hostel and had to track the key down at 2am. I was planning on calling it a fairly early night, but it took an extra hour or so to find the key.

Day 6: Krakow- We started with a tour of the Jewish Quarter of Krakow. We stopped halfway through the tour to get bagels and continued to Schindler’s factory. Schindler’s Factory surprisingly had little to do with Schindler and more to do with the history of Poland during World War 2. The exhibit was well done, particularly the uneven ground at the end of the exhibit symbolizing Poland’s recovery after WW2. After the museum I managed to find the matzo ball soup I had been looking for in Poland, and it was delicious! After the soup we went back to the hot chocolate restaurant and I got rose hot chocolate. We had a group dinner at another Polish restaurant, I had borsch in a bread bowl, and we went back to the hot chocolate restaurant…it was my third time in 24 hours.  This time I got the white chocolate and strawberry. Very delicious.

Day 7: Auschwitz- We left Krakow and headed to Auschwitz. The first thing I noticed after getting off the bus was the landscaping. I was shocked because the area surrounding the camp was beautiful…which made the camp even more eerie. It was like entering a cemetery with beautiful trees and grass, but with a very somber and eerie feel to it…very eerie. We walked through the first camp Auschwitz 1 for about two hours with a tour guide. The camp is very difficult to put into words. I almost felt like I shouldn’t be walking around there. So many people tried to get away from that place…I felt very strange about actually choosing to go visit the camp. One of the most emotional parts of the tour was entering the room dedicated to the children. All prisoners that were chosen to live had to have a profile picture taken of them as soon as they got there. There was one picture of a girl not even looking at the camera but at someone off to the side with tears in her eyes. Her expression was one of a broken child. She was scarred and had just lost all her faith in humanity. Her childhood had been stolen from her. It was so heart wrenching, I wanted to go to her and hold her. I wanted to save her from all the evil that had destroyed her world. That was my first really emotional moment among many that day. The second camp we went to was Auschwitz 2, Birkenau. I couldn’t believe how massive this camp was. It contained four gas chambers, rows and rows of prisoner’s cabins, huge work spaces, and many buildings I was unable to identify. Schindler’s List was filmed there, and I recognized many places from the movie. It was very surreal. One thing I appreciate about Spielberg is his use of real people and their real stories in the movie. Our guide mentioned a few of these people and their stories which paralleled the movie. At one point it the tour we stopped at four headstones. In different languages, they said “To the memory of the men, women, and children who fell victim to the Nazi genocide. Here lie there ashes. May their souls rest in peace.” Our guide told us that this was where many ashes were dumped after cremation. She walked off quietly and left us in silence. Nobody moved and there were a few seconds of complete stillness. There were no words to be spoken, but everything was said in that moment of silence.

Day 8: Prague- We did a tour of Prague the next morning. My favorite part of the tour was Lennon’s wall. This is a piece of a wall dedicated to John Lennon after his death. It is constantly painted on and added to by travelers, residents, and advocates for peace. I scratched a peace sign inside a heart onto the wall. After the Lennon wall we went to a courtyard next to the Prague castle and were there at the same time as the Czech president. We were able to stand in line and see him as he walked by. We moved on to see the Prague castle and the Saint Vitus cathedral. After that we moved on to the Bohemian Bagel restaurant and had a delicious meal. We then went to the beer factory where you can pour your own beer from the taps. After naps we all went out for the most delicious brats I have ever had. They are from the carts on the corner of the streets and make the most delicious brats in the world, I am convinced. After the brats we went to a bar and all tried Absynth. It was a bright green color, almost radioactive looking. It burned more than a normal shot, but it had weird black licorice taste to it…when in the Czech Republic…

Day 9: Prague- The next morning I woke up early and decided to explore Prague on my own. I grabbed a map from the reception desk and went on my way. I ended up climbing the clock tower for the most beautiful view of Prague imaginable. After the clock tower I listened to a street jazz band for a few songs, and then I went back to the Charles Bridge and the Lennon Wall. This time I was prepared with two important quotes and added them to the wall. I met up with some other people on the trip for more bagels at the Bohemian Bagel place. We did a little wandering around and souvenir shopping then went out for our last group dinner. We all had a drink down at the bar in the hotel and went back up to pack and prepare for the long ride back home.

Day 10: Home- Daylight savings started this morning at 2am. I have never had to deal with daylight savings before, being from Arizona. Confused and not wanting to miss the bus leaving at 7:30, I set my alarm for 4:30, 5:30, and 6:30am. Finally I went down to the reception desk to ask what time it actually was. We then boarded the bus and said goodbye to the beautiful cities of Eastern Europe and headed back to our familiar town of Firenze. It was a great trip, I am so glad I decided to go. I would have loved to have more time in many of the cities I went to, but I will be back…I am sure of it. 

Best of the East Fall Break Tour- Part One

After my last midterm I hurried home to finish packing for my trip across Eastern Europe. Up to the last minute I had three fans pointing on a few clothing items in an attempt to completely dry them before leaving. After being partially successful, two roommates and I headed to the train station for an all-night ride to Vienna, Austria.

Day 1: Vienna- We woke up in Vienna ten hours later. After breakfast we left the hotel for a guided tour of the city. During our tour we passed many beautiful buildings, sculptures, and even managed to see a procession of horses from the Spanish Riding School. Personally, I think it is wrong to use horses as entertainment and as a means of transportation, but I appreciated being exposed to the cultural aspect of the horses. After our tour we went to St. Stephan’s Cathedral. I have seen numerous cathedrals since I have been in Europe so it takes a lot to impress me… but there was something about this cathedral… it was huge, but not overbearing. It was a very warm cathedral that smelt like vanilla candles and was filled with music from a choir. It reminded me of walking through a scene in a Christmas movie. We then headed over to a restaurant for our first real Eastern European meal which consisted of a beef soup, beef and hash brown dish, and apple strudel. We then headed to the Schonbrunn Palce. We were unable to enter the palace so we walked the gardens instead. The sun had fallen by this point and had cast long shadows across the garden, it was very picturesque. Before sundown we decided to head over to the Riesenrad, a famous amusement park, and ride one of the world’s oldest Ferris wheels. The barn shaped box we stood in with about twelve people all standing up and walking around while suspended in the air was actually pretty terrifying. After the amusement park we went to try to famous Austrian sacher cake. It is a chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jam in the middle, which sounded delicious, but unfortunately it was a disappointment. It was dry and overpriced. Finally we went back to our hotel, met our roommates, and got ready for a night on the town in the Bermuda Triangle reign. This area is full of bars and late night food stands. It was the perfect place for a few drinks, some dancing, and a box of greasy chow-mein to eat on the way home. It doesn’t matter where in the world you are, you will always be able to find Chinese food.

Day 2: Bratislava and Budapest- We woke up the next morning, re-packed, had breakfast and were off to our next country-Slovakia. Basically, it went something like this “Okay, guys. We are in Bratislava, Slovakia. Meet us at the bus in three hours.” We all stood there thinking the same thing…What are we supposed to do in Bratislava, Slovakia for three hours? So we started walking toward a castle and found a beautiful view of the city. We wondered through “Old Town” and ate at a traditional restaurant. I got wiener schnitzel, fries, and onion soup. And that was Bratislava. Onto Budapest. Now, my Italian cell phone doesn’t like it when I switch countries, so by this point my poor phone was having a heart attack. It kept sending me messages along the lines of “Welcome to HUNGARY! It is going to cost you a fortune to use your cell phone here!” or “In case you were unaware, you are in SLOVAKIA! You have an Italian cell phone. We are not a Slovakian cell phone company”. Poor phone. We got to Budapest and checked into one of my favorite hostels. We had 13 girls to one bedroom, but we had a huge kitchen, living room, and dining room area. We shared the space with other travelers and met an Irish woman doing a bike tour and two Brazilian friends traveling through Europe together. That night we went on a pub crawl and discovered that wine and Coca-Cola mixed is considered a cocktail drink in Hungary. It tasted alright, but I prefer my wine separate from my fountain drinks. After an exhausting night I climbed up to the loft and passed out.

Day 3: Budapest- We began with a guided tour of Budapest by the sweetest tour guide imaginable. He was in his 40’s, living with his parents, shy but knowledgeable, and just so very precious. Before we had even gotten halfway done with the tour of Budapest, I was in awe of the city. Somewhere between walking through the beautiful parks covered in orange and red leaves, the light mist that barely touched my face, and the many bodies of water I fell in love. It is by far one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. After the tour we split into our smaller groups of friends to do more exploring. We had lunch at a small Hungarian restaurant and got a lesson in cultural differences. As Americans, we tend to be on the louder side when we eat a meal. Hungarians, apparently, find this very disrespectful. The Hungarian waitress had a serious attitude with us from the time we entered her restaurant until the time we left. Halfway through our meal she even slammed her fist down on the counter and shouted “SHHH!!”. We were stunned and tried to eat as quickly as possible to go elsewhere. We actually ended up getting dessert next door and then spotted a Starbucks around the corner. Even back home I try to avoid Starbuck in favor of smaller coffee shops, but it was fun to order something we all missed from back home. I got a Crème Brule drink I remember getting in the past for the “fall specials”. It wasn’t nearly as good as the Italian cappuccinos I have had, but it was nice to hold something warm. We then headed off to Parliament and it turns out it was a national holiday in Hungary. There was music playing in the courtyard and an elderly man dancing alone to it. One of the girls in my program went to dance with him and he was so excited to have a partner. While we were in the courtyard we saw a special presentation of the flag. Later that night we walked up to the Buda castle which was simply magical. The lights all reflected off the river and the mist that hung in the air gave everything a special glow. It was nothing short of magic.

Day 4: Krakow- We left for Krakow the next morning. When we checked into our hostel this sweet polish woman saw me struggling with getting my suitcase up the stairs and came to help me. She was well into her 60’s but strong enough to carry most of the weight. This made my day. After checking into our hostel we realized we had two bathrooms for all 39 of us. Another adventure. We arrived early enough to grab dinner, so we went out for pierogies. Since Krakow is a huge college town, we went out to explore the night life that night. We ended the night with Gyro’s and McDonalds fries. I am learning that late night food is popular in many countries, especially those populated with college students. 

Fall Break Pics

I just posted pics from my Best of the East tour from fall break. They are pretty much in order. It starts with Vienna until the pic of the mini donuts container, then Bratislava until the pic of the disco van, then Budapest until the night pic of the lights reflecting off the water, then onto Krakow until the pic of the burnt book, then Auschwitz until the last pic of the bunk beds, then Prague until the painted pic that says "And he chose the road less traveled." The remaining pics are all from the cameras of friends and I grouped them together. I'll post more on the trip soon... 

Roma

Last weekend I went on a field trip to Rome and it stole a little piece of my heart. Rome is a beautiful city with the perfect mix of ancient buildings, history, and modern structures. We started our day at the Colosseum and then proceeded to see Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. We then split up for the day and I went to the Trevi Fountain with a few lucky coins and tossed them in with a few wishes. If wishes come true, this is the place to come to with your most valued ones. Dad, I wished for a pony, so you might want to start getting the backyard ready. Only kidding, I figured I would bring home the baby chicks I found in Lucca instead since they are less likely to eat the trees.

The next day we saw the Pantheon, Piazza della Pietra, Piazza Colonna, Mausoleum of Augustus, and Ara Pacis. We then began to walk to the train station earlier than we had planned since the buses we had planned to take were shut down for the “Occupy Wall Street” demonstration. Luckily, we were able to get on a shuttle that brought us directly into the train station. Since we had a few hours to kill, a few of us went outside to watch the demonstration. While we were there everything seemed peaceful, inspirational, and very powerful. We didn’t hear about the beginning of the riots until we had arrived back in Florence. However, I recently learned that the smoke we saw during the demonstration was not only from the flares but also from the beginning of the riot. Apparently we were close enough to where it had started, but didn’t realize what we were seeing. From what I saw it wasn’t crazy, but I was only there for about an hour and am not a reliable source for what happened during the demonstration. I don’t want to make it sounds any worse or more peaceful than it was. However, I can say with confidence that the people who participated were very passionate and inspired to change their country. I hope the best for them and all the counties that participated in this worldwide movement.

Overall, it was a successful trip. Too short, as always…but I’ll be back. 

A park in the back of Boboli Gardens... a great place to do nothing.

Video of Street Performer