January 21: Trip to Siena, interesting yet cold

I finally found a way to be in my own pictures! 

I've been a little behind on my blog posts but here is a quick recap of the weekend. On Friday some of my roommates and I decided to take our first day trip and we visited Siena which is also in Tuscany. We walked to the train station which we were told was close to the bus station that we needed to buy tickets from and after about 45 minutes of running around, being lost, asking for directions etc. we found the SITA station and bought a round trip bus ticket for only 14 Euro.

We woke up at 9 the next morning and hustled to the bus stop. The bus ride to Siena was a little over an hour and I wasn't quite as motion sick this time. After arriving at the Siena bus stop, we adjusted to our already familiar feeling of being completely lost. I whipped out my Let's Go travel book which I have been relying on to plan trips and we delved into the new city. The streets in Siena make even less sense than in Florence so we decided to do what we always do when we're lost and find the Duomo.

Beautiful Gothic architecture.

Next we ate at a bakery recommended by my book and were unimpressed. This book is great for orienting you in a new place but a lot of its recommendations just seem like random places that the author stopped at, rather than the best of the best.

After lunch we bought tickets to see all the sights in Siena, starting with the Museo Dell'Opera, where we saw a lot of sculptures by Pisano and climbed the Facciatone which led to the top of an old Cathedral and an amazing view of the entire city. I have a feeling that I will be doing a lot of climbing narrow staircases to look at cities during my time in Italy.We hit most of the major attractions in Siena: the Duomo, the Crypt, the Baptistery and Il Campo. While many of these places paralleled the ones we are used to passing by in Florence, what struck me as different about Siena was the eerie quiet of the city's narrow streets. Florence can feel a bit like Disney land with all the tourists constantly cycling through, but this was not the case in Siena. It was almost creepy how quiet the area surrounding the cathedral was, and all of us noticed it.  I don't know much factual information about Siena but my guide book kept mentioning the ravaging effects of the Black Plague on the city, and how Florence, instead went on to become the birth place of epic rebirth in the form of The Renaissance. I think that this might have something to do with the eerie nature of Siena.

After sight seeing we did a bit of shopping but by that time it had begun to snow/rain and we were all miserably cold. We spent another hour trying to find one of the restaurants in my guide book only to find it was closed. Frustrated and cold, we got on the bus to go back to Florence. Still starving upon arrival and unable to find an open restaurant we resorted to good old McDonalds. Surprisingly, McDonalds was much more expensive than the usual lunch spots I frequent and my fries and diet coke were 6 Euro!

I'm glad we made the trip despite the poor weather. It was reassuring to know that I am capable of figuring out Italian public transportation. Next weekend Rome!

Ciao a tutti,
Nell

January 20th: Climbing to the top of the Duomo.

Thursday was a beautiful, clear day so, Teague and I decided that we would do what everyone who goes to Florence should do, and climb to the top of the Duomo. The experience proved to be a much needed respite from the perpetual maze of narrow city streets and gave me a whole new perspective on the city. What we refer to as "the duomo" is formally called the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. 

We climbed to the top of the dome in the background (It's bigger than it looks in this photo).

 Teague and I both pushed our fears of small spaces and heights aside and made the climb. I am grateful I did the trip on a weekday because I can not imagine how scary it would be to climb the narrow spiral staircase on a busy weekend day.

This was the easy part...

This was the hard part. We had to climb straight up. 

When I got to the top, I sort of freaked out and began to grasp the railing and my purse because it is SOOO high and there isn't much standing between you and a flying death. It was extremely windy at the top and I could definitely imagine someone being jolted by a gust of wind, losing their balance and flipping over the meager railing on the edge of the dome. After collecting myself a bit, I moved closer to the edge of the dome and peered over. The contrast between the pristine blue sky and the expanse of orange roof tops was breath-taking. I was beginning to feel a bit frustrated with the business of the tourist filled city, but the peaceful quiet of the top of the duomo more than redeemed Florence in my eyes. 

Teague and I had a lot of fun with our cameras. 

Eventually we climbed down (my calves are still sore) and ventured into the inside of the cathedral. The inside is enormous and decorated with shocking and beautiful images. 

Totally worth 8 Euro admission. 

January 19th: Life in a Florentine apartment

Jules and I prefer to blog under the influence....just kidding mom and dad! 

This past week was not only my first week living in a Florentine apartment, but also my first week living on my own, with out the rules of  home, dorm, or sorority life. In other words: total freedom. It has been challenging, though. After splurging on restaurant meals for the first few days, I decided to try grocery shopping. Buying food poses a whole new set of challenges when everything is written in a different language (I’m still not sure if I’ve been washing my face with facewash or lotion). After several attempts, I did manage to stock my fridge and pantry and today I even made lasagna!

This is the kitchen in which I successfully cooked lasagna.  It was a real treat. 

I don’t have class on Wednesdays, so, today I woke up and went to the Market Centrale, which is basically a huge farmer’s market inside a large warehouse. I bought some fresh spinach, fruit, tomatoes sauce, bread and olive oil from various vendors. It felt great to get away from the touristy part of town and start shopping where the Italians shop.

Teague and Nikki's room. Note the beautiful yet non-functional fireplace. 

This is our dining room/living room. This is where I blog. 

One of the most striking differences between life in America and life in Florence is the use of energy. In Florence, energy and water are used much more efficiently, where as in America, we take heat, water and electricity for granted. We were advised that, in Italy, heat is only turned on for certain hours of the day, and that rather than jacking up the thermostat, we were to wear more layers. This of course makes sense, but takes some adjusting to, but we have started wearing many many layers to bed. Ironically, the Italians do not pat themselves on the back for this practice, nor do they boast that they are “going green”, rather they accept the practicality of this more conscientious lifestyle.

The baby bathroom. The only way to wash your face in the sink is to do a sort of plie.   

After moving into our Florentine apartment, we were also advise NOT to plug too many things in at once, nor to use multiple appliances at once. We learned the importance of this warning the hard way last night, after our power went out due to our simultaneous use of the dishwasher as well as many lights. It took 5 clueless girls and 1 frustrated neighbor a half-hour to get the power running again, but unfortunately we did not learn our lesson. The following day our power went out again after turning the dishwasher on. This time we vowed not to use the dishwasher anymore. This sacrifice, along with constantly being cold and never quite knowing if using certain outlets will result in disaster, are a mere pittance to pay for living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. So far, I’m loving ever minute.

Our apartment consists of a long hallway with rooms branching off of it.

This is my bedroom. 

Bye bye!

January 17th and 18th: Classes begin

Classes started yesterday. I was starting to forget that I am actually here to study (supposedly). Our "school" is called the CEA GlobalCampus. It is located in an office building in the Piazza della Repubblica. It consists of one very clean and modern looking hallway with a front desk and several classrooms and offices branching off of it. Most of the professors are Italian. I am taking Photography in Florence, history of the Medici, the Social History of the Italian Mafia, and Intermediate Italian II (12 credits). I bought books today and I have never spent less, which I am sure my parents will be appreciative of. I am hoping to get a lot out of my classes while still taking it very easy.

My photography professor is amazing. He is my favorite type of Italian: deeply philosophical and appreciative of life. His class sounds like it will be amazing and I cannot wait to learn how to use my camera more skillfully. The Medici class seems like your typical upper level history class and Italian seems pretty basic as well. I had my first Mafia class today and it has already completely blown my mind. Learning about the Mafia is interesting because nearly all of my preconceptions of it are wrong. Furthermore, learning about the Mafia in Italy is a unique opportunity because I can see the implications of its existence all around me. After watching several scary movie clips, I found myself looking around me on the streets and wondering who might be involved in the Mafia eeeek. 

Last night my roommates and I attended a cooking class included in our CEA program. The class was extremely chaotic and consisted more of an Italian chef shouting instructions such as "stir this!" "cut this"  "No the pieces must all be the same size!", while we all tried to keep up. Still we did manage to make a three course meal, consisting of a caprese salad, potato gnocchi and a chocolate souffle. It was delicious!

Speaking of delicious, I need to talk about my favorite place to eat in Italy so far. It's called Antico Noe and it's a panino shop. Before I ate there for the first time, I heard rumors among the students that this places makes "life-changing" sandwiches and I can attest that it's true. After eating a turkey, mozzarella, pesto sandwich on Monday, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was like that butterfly feeling you get after meeting someone you really like, except with food. My friends and I have been trying different sandwiches there and they only get better. Jules is probably the most obsessed; she has started describing everything in terms of its proximity to Antico and if we're lost in the city, she can usually sense Antico and lead us to safety. But seriously, the freshness and quality of the typical Italian ingredients make these panini unreal (panini means sandwiches plural, so when you order a "panini" in America, you're really ordering a sandwichES). 

After two days of classes I'm definitely starting to feel more confident traveling alone in Florence. Although I still constantly feel lost, I can usually at least find my way back to the Duomo, and I have learned the key to not getting harassed by men and gypsies on the streets: stare at the sidewalk (or wear sunglasses) and frown constantly. As for my Italian, I speak much more fluently after a few drinks and I am starting more, day by day. Soon I will fit right in, just kidding American students (which number in the thousands here in Florence) stand out immediately here. Italians are just way too chic.

I miss everyone in America very much!

Ciao,

 Nell

January 15th: Getting to know Florence

Today was a beautiful day in Florence for several reasons. It was the first day that we did not have any activites scheduled in the morning and the sun was out. I started out the day by getting a latte. NOTE: one major cultural difference that my roommates and I are dealing with is that Italians do not drink coffee the way we do. I am used to running into Starbucks every morning and running out with a huge coffee in my hands, then drinkning it on the go. No where in Florence is this possible. Instead you must either sip the much smaller espresso drink at the bar, or pay to sit down.

At two my roommates and I met in the Piazza della Repubblica for an Art History walking tour in the city. One of the things that I love so much about Florence is that the Art is deeply engrained in the city. It surounds us all the time and even helps us find our way around (without the giant Duomo to use as a landmark, we would literally never know where we are). My school is located in the Piazza della Repubblica which is a stones throw from the Piazza del Duomo which is right near the Piazza della Signoria etc.

I heard an overwhelming amount of information on the art history tour but this is some of the information that I actually remember:

• symbols of Florence include a lion and the Fleur-de-lis 
• The bronze doors which are called the Gates of Paradise on the Florence Baptistery are FAKE. They are replicas of the originals which are being restored. Still--everyone poses for pictures in front of them and obsesses over them.
• The Baptistery which is a little nugget-looking building right in front of the Duomo has 8 sides which are intended to represent the infinity symbol and thus eternal life.
• The building of the Duomo spanned several centuries and the outside of it represents the Neo-Gothic style while the inside represented the Gothic style. I have yet to climb to the top of the Dome, but it is definitely on the Florence Bucket list.
• The tour guide basically gave a summary of all of the art in Florence, we didn't go in to any of the famous museums like the Uffizi or the Accademia. She definitely sparked my interest in the art of Florence though and I will be returning to many of the monuments and museums at a later time.

It's kind of strange to see such iconic art work and statues at night, when we're hoofing it to the bar. I guess that's what's so great about living in a city like Florence.

These are the people I share an apartment with: Jules, Teague, Nikki and Sloan. They are very cool. Our apartment is pretty great too. We live near the Piazza di San Marco which is a few blocks from the Duomo. At first we were a bit dissapointed because some kids got to live right in front of the Duomo, directly in the center of town. However, after some time we have really gotten to know and love the neighborhood and we are beginning to appreciate its charm. We are already becoming regulars at several caffes and we are very close to several markets and many cute shops.

I realize this was a very scattered post, but I've been kind of all over the place lately. I look forward to visiting Siena and Bologna this weekend with some of my roommates and then Rome next weekend! 

January 14th: Trip to the Chianti and wolf sighting

Photo taken by Teague 

Now that we’ve gone on our first excursion I finally have something interesting to write about. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve been doing tons of stuff but that past few days have been devoted mostly to orientation programs and tours, today we experienced the Chianti.  The vineyard we visited is part of an ancient estate where Giovani de Verrazzano (the explorer who discovered the bay of New York) was born. The vineyard was once part of an Etruscan settlement and still employs ancient wine making techniques.

Chianti (thanks for the camera dad)

The bus ride to the Chianti was the most nauseating experience of my entire life, due to the windiness of the roads, the emptiness of my stomach and the stuffiness of the bus air. I was literally repeating to myself: “don’t throw up don’t throw up…” over and over in my head. My overwhelming desire to not vomit in front of a a large group of people saved me, however, some poor kid did puke on the bus.

Anyways, the bus ride was well worth the views of the Tuscan country side, which were refreshing after several days in the crowded city. The rolling hills, covered with olive trees and grape vines were almost too beautiful to appear real. We got off the buses and were met by the owner of the vineyard who gave a dynamic and impassioned speech about his belief in the holiness of wine. He explained that so many people put their lives and their wine on a time line—feeling that wine should only be enjoyed at certain predetermined times. He feels that you should just drink the wine!

We toured the wine cellar then filed into the beautiful dining room, from which we had a view of the pristine country side. We sat at circular tables and were immediately served several types of wine. The owner explained to us how to determine the relative age of the wine, and how to swill and properly taste the wine. Then, servers began to bring out bread, olive oil, pasta with red sauce, more bread, salami, prosciutto, more bread, roasted vegetables,  beans, chickpeas, pecorino cheese, more wine, and finally biscotti. Yes I ate some of the prosciutto, but only a little bit and I meticulously picked out the fat. My mom would have yelled at me. The food was AMAZING. I kept marveling at how happy I was that in contrast with last semester, which I spent slaving over homework and worrying about grades, my only objective for this day was to save enough room in my stomach for each course and enjoy delicious wine. The meal lasted for at least 2 hours as we enjoyed course after course of food and bottle after bottle of wine. I will never forget this meal.

After returning to our apartment Jules (my roommate) and I took our daily 4 hour nap from 6 to 10 pm, then ventured out into the city center for dinner. We went to a Mexican restaurant and bar called Eby’s and upon entering the owner, an Albert Einstein look-alike, presented us with a shot of alcohol mixed with fresh fruit and then pointed us upstairs to the small dining room. After sitting down I immediately realized that the large dog sitting across from me, next to his owner was NOT a dog but a wolf. And yes I am sure because I study wolves and I love them. It was three feet away from me and I was transfixed by it for the entire meal. At one point, it stood up and began to sniff the chips on the table, so its owner pulled on his leash and told him to sit down, the wolf responded by looking at the owner with the most intelligence I’ve ever seen in an animal’s face as if to say, “oh ok”, and layed back down on the ground. Multiple people walked by and no one seemed to be surprised by the animal aside from Jules and I. Go figure, it’s Italy. 

This was the wolf sitting in front of me at dinner. It was enormous-- his back was taller than the table. (Photo credit to Jules) 

Tuesday January 11th, 2011: First night

           My flight to Florence was surprisingly stress free and even—dare I say it—enjoyable? Props to Lufthansa for having a very impressive selection of films, good meals and an extremely efficient flight attendant staff. I arrived at the Florence airport on time and with all of my baggage (this was a huge relief because several of my friends had their bags lost). As I left the baggage claim area, the CEA staff greeted me immediately with warm enthusiasm. They handed me my keys and an information packet and then herded me to a bus, along with several other eager students. I was surprised that I didn’t even have to go through customs or have my passport stamped, perhaps that comes later.

            It was drizzling during my drive away from the airport but the air temperature was approx 50 degrees, so I couldn’t complain. The bus was to stop at each student’s apartment individually, so, I wasn’t quite sure when or where I would be disembarking. After about 20 minutes the bus slowed in front of a pharmacy which was across from a small wine bar. I prayed that this would be my apartment (I love wine). Once the bus pulled over a young woman knocked on the door and upon opening it announced, “I’m looking for Nell Gable?” I gathered my carry-on bags and got off the bus. The woman, who was another representative from CEA, helped me to my apartment door and showed me how to use the keys. It finally began to feel real.

            Soon my other roommates arrived and we all began to carry our luggage up to our second (or third, we’re not sure) floor flat. Jules and I share a room, Teague and Nikki share another and there is also a single room. The flat is relatively large, and even has a full size dining room table. I made my bed then left to explore with my roommates.

            Naturally our first stop was the small wine bar directly below my bedroom. We sat down and ordered two bottles of wine and secured access to the delicious buffet. The wine was delightful and cheap, as were the appetizers on the buffet. As a vegetarian I soon realized that my lifestyle would be difficult to maintain in Italy. I have decided that though meat really isn’t appetizing to me anymore, I will not stop myself from eating it if I really want to, or if it happens to be mixed into a food that I really want to try.

            So, my roommates: Jules, Teague, Nikki and I sat in the wine bar/bistro and enjoyed our new neighborhood and got to know each other for several hours before venturing out into the rain to buy some necessary household items and returning to our flat. After two years of living 1.1 miles away from campus and the nearest store, having all of life’s necessitates (wine, toilet paper, soap and candy…) within a one block radius of my apartment is a much welcomed change.

More soon!

-Nell