Fall Break

Ok so this week has been midterm week, we've been busy studying and avoiding studying... and taking midterms. The classes here usually don't have any work and then all of a sudden this week comes and they just throw tests at us.. so it's been a stressful and kind of boring week.

My dad was here last weekend, it was awesome to see him and get some quality fam time in. We went to some AMAZING restaurants, the food here just keeps getting better.

Next week is fall break -- We leave tomorrow for Pisa for the day and we're going to Dublin, Barcelona and Madrid. (KB and our friend Katie Mac are staying in Dublin for a couple more days while some of us go to Barca)

So you know where we are all week here's the sched.

Fri Oct 24: PISA for the day (flight to Dublin at night)
Fri Oct 24 - Mon Oct 27: DUBLIN (fly to barca at night)
Mon Oct 27 - Wed Oct 29: BARCELONA (overnight train to madrid)
Thur Oct 30 - Sun Nov 2: MADRID (flight back to forence)

Gotta go study for 2 midterms today! Updates about fall break when we get back.. there will be a lot to say im sure.

arrivaderci!

Amsterdam

Let me start off by saying that exploring the world is the most amazing thing I've ever done. So far I've been to Greece, Italy and now Amsterdam (Holland) and it just makes me want to see more and more. I cant even believe that we were in the Netherlands for the weekend.. I kept looking around and thinking wow, I am in a different part of the world in a completely different culture, and I am walking on the streets that my relatives have walked on before.

We went to the Van Gogh museum and the huge I AMSTERDAM sign, which was our playground for about 2 hours. You'll see photos cause I have hundreds in front of that sign.. and I'm not even really sure why it's there. Anyway, we wanted to go to the Heinekin Museum but it was closed for rennovation which was a bummer. We also went to the Anne Frank house, and that was so unbelievable to see the actual place where Anne Frank and her family hid during the Holocaust. The walls are covered in quotes from her diary, and there are videos of Mr. Frank speaking about his memories from that time. It was just really moving to be there.

The city itself was beautiful with a huge network of canals and bridges, all lined with trees changing colors. My favorite part were the old crooked houses and bridges and canals. There was also the red light district which was cool to see, kind of sad that all these girls make their livings by standing in windows but its their lifestyle so I guess you can't judge that!

We had so much fun just exploring a city unfamiliar to us. I love all of the people I hang out with here, we're basically like a big family, its great.

The world is so much bigger than I've ever realized before, I can't wait to see so much more.

Daddy-o's coming tomorow - I'm excited to show him florence and where I live, what I do and where I go every day. And for some quality fam time... and great dinners. Yum.

next week is midterms already, I can't believe it. This semester is FLYING by... I never want to leave. (Although im starting to miss america, the fam and my friends from home & syracuse) aaand after midterms is fall break! woohoo We're going to Dublin (where I'll see my Irish friends who worked at Copley with me this summer!) and Barcelona and Madrid to see THETA girls! cant wait for that. More later.. here are some photos from amsterdam --

ciao!

Traveling around Italia

Above is Il Campo (the piazza with the 9 divisions.. read about it below), the front of the Duomo in Sienna and me & lena on a tower looking over all of Sienna.

This is the Fountain of Neptune and the Two Towers in Bologna. Kristin and I climbed all the way up the one on the left, it was hard going up a ton of windy small stairs but so worth it... the view was amazing from up there. The one on the right is actually the crooked one... even though it looks the other way around.

This is the Duomo in Florence, the center of everything here.. all of the shops and restaurants are on streets surrounding this.


Grapes Fermenting at the Winery that we went to on the bike tour


Okay so it seems like I'm the only one writing on here -- kb might start to soon since her computer was broken and she JUST got it back but otherwise its basically just my blog! haha. anyways, kristin and I just discovered we actually have internet in our apartment (we're stealing it from something called "libero wifi" which means free wifi in italian... so who knows where its coming from, all i know is i am so excited to have internet at home.) we don't use it that often, mostly at night because during the day i'm either at school or exploring florence so its great! it gives us more free time around the city.

Last week I finished class at 12:45 and left school, walked down to the Duomo (the center of florence) listening to my iPod and wandered the streets of Florence by myself. It was one of the best days yet, i just felt so independent and free. I found my way to San Lorenzo which is this amazing market that sells clothes, shoes, pashminas, everything. I wandered into this little store and spoke only italian to the store owner, and ended up buying a gorgeous pair of brown leather boots and sandals. Aaaand since i spoke italian he gave me a great discount (i think). I love being on my own here sometimes, its so great to just really feel like I live here and not a tourist.

On friday Kristin and i took a day trip to Bologna. It is smaller than florence but definitely still a pretty big city. We explored the Piazza Maggiore, went into the Basilica which was gorgeous and had the worlds largest zodiac sundial engraved into the floor of the Basilica. We followed the guidebooks advice and went to eat at this little restaurant which had the BEST lasagna bolognese ever. it was to die for.. the food here is just un real. but dont worry i'm working out to work it all off haha. There are also two towers in Bologna, one of them is kind of crooked in the ground and leaning, but the other you can climb up and we saw an amazing view of all of Bologna.

Saturday Lena and our friend Katie and I took a day trip to Siena. it is much smaller than Bologna and Florence and really a quiet, cute town. I wouldn't even call it a city. We went to "il campo" which is the center and the huge piazza is divided into 9 sections to represent the Medieval council of 9, which was a council that ruled siena in medieval times. Its surrounded by restaurants, gelaterias and clothing stores. Siena's duomo is also gorgeous, although not as big as the one in Florence but the front is much more ornate and detailed. Apparently there is a constant battle between Florence and Seina and they are always competing to be better than one another. Inside the duomo there is completely gothic and for 10 months out of the year the marble floor designed with themes from ancient times is covered to preserve it, except for september and october so we got to see it!

Sunday 9 of us went on a Tuscan Bike tour through chianti. We went to a Cantina, which is where they make and bottle wine, got a tour and tasted wine and bread with the best olive oil in all of italy. It was amazing. Then we went on a 13 mile bike ride, which had a great lunch in the middle followed by the steepest, longest uphill climb. We had a choice to take the bus or attempt the hill.. and of course we all decide to attempt the hill because we can't say no. With a little riding and a lot of walking (except for the boys who had to ride the whole way) we made it up.. it felt great.

It's so gorgeous in Italy.. I'm really appreciating being here, every site and thing we do is just amazing and I'm loving every second.

Next weekend is Amsterdam... should be a crazyyyy time ---

ciao! love from italia!