Week TWO

Buongiorno! Happy Wednesday!!

I was walking to the bus stop this morning and tried to think of what I had done yesterday and on Monday and realized that all of the days are starting to blend together which can only mean one thing…. time is absolutely FLYING by. It's frightening. I can't believe I have already been here for 10 days!

Sunday morning I woke up at 10:30 (much to Barbara's surprise), chowed down some breakfast (the normal Special K with yogurt and a banana), and went with Carol to the bus stop. We wanted to go to the Uffizi but, once we got there, realized that it is still tourist season and the place was packed. So instead, we went to the Palazzo Pitti. This palace used to house the grand-dukes of Tuscany (almost wrote ducks) and later the King of Italy. Needless to say, this place is massive!! There are several museums inside and Carol and I only got through two in our three hours there. Also, out back, there are the Boboli Gardens that stretch 11 acres. I can't imagine growing up in that palace and having 11 acres to run around in… The place is beautiful! However, it was about 90 degrees outside with some crazy humidity so Carol and I didn't stay outside long.

One of the artifacts

Another artifact

Another artifact…. All of the artifacts are NOT animal related. Don't know why I only took pictures of these ones...

Outside in the Boboli Gardens

Ducks in the fountain!

Posing with a bush

Of course, after our museum visit, we just had to get some lunch.

Gustapizza from Gusta Pizza

Monday was our third day of Italian class and my first culture class! Italian is going really well. I love learning a new language and being able to see how I've improved throughout the week. I went into the grocery store this afternoon and was able to have a quick conversation with the baker in Italian! I also got really lost in the city without a map and was able to find my way to the bus stop by asking shop owners where I was. Hooray!! Slowly but surely learning the language

The cutest little cupcake my friend got 

My culture class, the History and Culture of Italian Food, is going to be a good one. Our professor is a German man, Dr. Fischer, who believes in punctuality and getting everything done efficiently and quick. It's great. I'm really excited to learn about the origin of traditional Italian food and how the normal 'meal' has changed throughout the past generations. Today, our second day of class, we took a 'food tour' of the city and walked around, visiting some hole-in-the-wall places that look fantastic. We also had a blind test of Italian food! I had no idea what to expect but have been really proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone, especially when it comes to food. Can anyone guess what it is? Strange texture but probably the most tender meat I have ever had.

Professor getting the goods ready for the blind taste test

The mystery meat!!

It's called lampredotto! The fourth stomach of the cow (quarto stomaco della mucca). Apparently you can also eat the first and second stomachs but the third isn't eaten. Once everyone had tried it, Dr. Fischer offered up seconds and you can bet I volunteered. Speaking of branching out food-wise, Barbara toasted pieces of bread and put 'crustini' on it -- a type of ground up meat that is placed on the top with some formaggio. I didn't want to ask exactly what meat it was until after I had eaten it. The texture was definitely different (super finely chopped) and in the end, it was cow liver. I have absolutely zero clue if people eat this a lot in the United States but I have never eaten it before. Woohoo for studying abroad!!

We also visited the Mercato Centrale today on our walking tour. This is an indoor market that has all sorts of vendors with all sorts of food. Here is a pic I snapped of some meat hanging off of whatever contraption that is….. Also if you zoom in, the hooves are still on the leg of the animal. Talk about knowing exactly how fresh your food is and where it came from

Tuesday night I hiked to the top of Piazzale Michelangelo with my friends Gaston and Kevin. This is a hill in Florence that overlooks the entire city. There was an acoustic guitar player singing in the middle of the square and so many people were sitting and listening to him while watching the sunset. It was nice to see everyone pause and just really enjoy the moment. I think that's what I've liked most about Florence -- it's such a different vibe. People are okay with being disconnected from the rest of the world and aren't on their phones 24/7. No one is rushing through crowds or pushing others aside just to get somewhere first. Even on the bus today, there was an older woman trying to get on with her groceries and three other passengers eagerly walked up to her to help her. At dinner, we don't eat and then immediately leave the table; instead, we will sit there for another half an hour laughing about the day's events or talking with each other and catching up. It is so refreshing to be surrounded by this feeling of serenity all throughout the city!

The VIEW

 

Hi

I also had my first gelato yesterday!! I had waited a week to see what places people really liked and turns out the cheapest place so far is right around the corner from school! This could get bad very quickly. Anyways, you can get a cone with two scoops for 1.90 euro... I REPEAT 1.90 EURO. That is cheaper than any panino or pizza I have gotten so far. Also, the mint flavor was superb and I got it with stracciatella -- the chocolate chip ice cream. Yeah, yeah, I know I always eat mint and everyone thinks I'm so boring for going into a gelato shop with 22 flavors and I pick mint and chocolate chip?! But I did and it was heavenly. I'll force myself to try other flavors but the mint is always my fave and I have zero shame

Gelato! On probably the hottest day so far… Perfect combination

This morning we were woken up at 6:10am by booming thunder and lightning. It was kind of fun being snuggled in bed listening to it until I realized that a) I couldn't fall back asleep because of the noise and b) this would mean going to school in the pouring rain. Oh well. Thank you mother dearest for convincing met to bring an umbrella with me so I would have it right when I got here! Thankfully on the walk from the bus stop to school, it stopped pouring and I snapped a quick pic of the river on Ponte Vecchio. So pretty. Also shout out to Sheridan who immediately responded to my text of "Holy cow thunderstorm!" with "WHOA HOLD ON TO YA TROUSERS!!!" Love it.

Whoa nelly

In other news, the bug bites have been insane. Here is my leg after waking up on Monday morning. There are no screens on our windows so you either sleep in the heat or surrender to the mosquito masses. Luckily, I am not alone… All the other Californians are suffering too.

Ah

 I will end this post with these great words of wisdom I passed by today….

Hope everyone is doing well. Xoxoxo ciao!

The first weekend here!

Italy is incredible. This place continues to amaze me everyday!!



Thursday we had our first day of school. I am in Italian 1 with my professor, Olga. There are 14 of us total in the class and we have it four days a week for three and a half hours each day. Olga only talks to us in Italian which I think is very helpful, as it challenges us to really listen and try and interpret what she says while expanding our own vocabulary as well. It's great living with a host family and being able to practice the language every night. We just learned the alphabet and how to say our numbers (HOW EXCITING). I can ask simple questions like "What is your name?" and "Where is ____?" so that's usually what I'll contribute to the conversation. Also, the phrase "Come si dice ____" means "How do you say ____" so I'll add that every so often. Everyone giggles at my attempts and my accent, including myself, so it's a lot of fun.

Speaking of accents, I met a guy from another study abroad program on the bus last week who asked if I was from Australia because he said I had an accent! WHAT?! YES! Dream come true. I said I was from Sydney and then when he asked where in Sydney and I said "P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney" -- everyone immediately knew I was lying. It was interesting to hear that he thought I sounded different…. maybe from living in Louisville? I've never gotten that before.

Friday we had class in the morning and then I stayed in the city to meet up with my friend from high school, Alyssa. She has a really cute apartment near the Duomo! It was great to catch up with her and we will both be here until December so I know we will be traveling together. We then had a guided walking tour around different parts of the city. ACCENT, our program, arranged the tour and it was really interesting to hear some cool facts that I hadn't known before. I have no idea how a tour guide can talk for two and a half hours straight…. memorizing all of that info must have given her a headache. After that, my friend Gaston and I went to the steps in Piazza Santa Croce to drink some wine and watch the crowds in the piazza. I walked home afterwards, had dinner with Tomasso and Carol, and then went to bed. During dinner, Tomasso introduced us to my new favorite biscotti -- biscotti with almonds. We dip them in this sweet wine for dessert and it is monte bene (so good!)!

Walk home from school on a cloudy afternoon

Still walking home…. takes almost an hour

Walking to Italian class after our break! Moments before we got so lost I had to turn on my data for a google map on my phone

The best pizza. Also it's only two doors down from our program center…… YES

Mmm

2 Euro vino

Saturday morning, Carol and I woke up at 6 to go to Cinque Terre! We went with a guided tour program called Florence for Fun -- they host trips and coordinate travel plans for students studying abroad. Everyone met at the train station and then we took a bus to Cinque Terre. I had seen pictures of it in the past but seeing the city in person was amazing! This place is so beautiful. We took the train from Riomaggiore to Vernazza, and then hiked from Vernazza to Monterosso. We got lunch, hung out on the beach for a bit (the Mediterranean was so nice) and then took the train back to the first town where our bus was waiting. If anyone visits Italy, Cinque Terre is a place that you must see!! The weather was beautiful (80 degrees and sunny) and the day was great.

Walking in Vernazza

View from top of the hike!

Posing with the Mediterranean Sea!

All in all, a day very well spent!

Today (Sunday) we are checking out one of the museums in Florence to start checking them off our bucket list. With our program, we get a Firenze Card which grants us free access to most of the big museums so we must take advantage of all the beautiful art here! I also need to do my Italian homework. Wait, homework?! What is homework? Isn't it still summer?!?! Oh wait I actually am here to study…. We have a mock test this week to see if we have been studying correctly and a quiz the week after so the academic semester is already getting started and unfortunately won't slow down anytime soon. I also have my first culture class tomorrow! The History and Culture of Food. I know that we go wine tasting sometime during the semester so maybe it's tomorrow? Probably not but a girl can dream.

Everything else is going splendidly. I have FINALLY slept through the entire night so I think my sleep schedule is back on track which is a relief! I do not do well on three hours of sleep

Carol and I are still figuring out communication with the host family. We are technically only supposed to have dinner with the family Monday thru Thursday nights. On Saturday night, after we got back from Cinque Terre, there was some raw pasta and rice left out on the counter and a pot with water in it on the stove. Was this out for us to make dinner? or had Barbara just gotten back from the market and didn't have time to put anything away? Barbara and Andrea were both out at a friend's birthday party so we were not really sure but didn't want to take any chances! I will keep you posted if we figure out this mystery…. so for dinner we just ate some bread that I had bought at the market and turkey. This is why I am living with a host family because I cannot cook for myself! Something I hope to learn in Italy with a cooking class that they offer later in the semester on random weekends. I hope it's pizza on the class menu!!

And, once again, pictures of the animals.

Stella

Megan :)

Arrivederci!!

Week One

Quick blog post before I turn in for the night!

Jetlag is still somewhat bad… I haven't slept through a full night yet, and keep on waking up for several hours. I was up at 4:30 this morning and couldn't fall back asleep before my alarm went off at 7. It's crazy! But hopefully I'll be completely adjusted soon.

Tuesday morning, Andrea drove Carol and I to the bus stop to show us where it was. The roads in Italy are so much busier than anything I've seen with all the vespas, buses, taxis, and cars weaving in and out and racing around corners. It's insane! Glad Andrea was behind the wheel and I wasn't…..

Carol and I didn't have orientation until later in the afternoon so we decided to just explore the city and see what we could find. We don't have our Firenze cards yet, which grant us access to most of the museums and churches in the city, so Carol and I kept outside. Right now, Florence feels like a maze to me. You wind through these little alleyways and streets that are beautiful, filled with apartments and hole in the wall restaurants only to pop out in these enormous piazzas full of the most amazing art and architecture. Last year, I took an art history class on Renaissance art so I recognize a lot of the main attractions but seeing them up close is incomparable.

Il Duomo

Kitty

A replica of Michaelangelo's David

Grapes growing along the path to school

We then made it to the Accent Study Center where all of our classes are being held. It's on the southern side of the Arno, so about a 20 minute walk from the Duomo. Orientation was pretty basic -- we learned about safety in Florence and logistical things like health insurance, schedules, and contact information. I was able to meet other students in different home stays and we all decided to explore some more before we had to meet up with the rest of the group for dinner.

Ponte Vecchio

We went to dinner with the entire school at a restaurant just around the corner from the Piazza della Signoria. The food was awesome and just being able to meet more and more students in the program is always fun. There are 128 students in the program and almost 60 are from UCSB. Most are third-years, but there are significantly more fourth-years (like me!) than I thought there would be when I signed up to study abroad.

First course of dinner

Selfie in front of the Duomo

Carole and I ended up walking home which took almost an hour because our host family is father away than most. So, we decided to try out the bus system this morning to take it to the study center. It worked well! We take two buses to the center and it only takes about 30 minutes. When I was standing at the bus stop with about 10 other people waiting, an older German woman walked up to me and asked me if I knew English "because I looked like I would"…. Glad I am really blending in here! Today at school we took a placement Italian test (for beginners like me it was quite a joke) and then had an academic orientation. I got lunch with some friends after the orientation and then decided to walk home. It was an overcast day with some random drizzling here and there so the walk home was actually pretty nice!

The cutest little ducks in a window

Pesto, mozzarella, tomato on pesto focaccia….YUM

For dinner tonight, Barbara made us gnocchi with shrimp and cherry tomatoes followed by salmonne with baccalà (salmon and salted cod) and it was DELICIOUS. For the third course, we had fresh cantaloupe and watermelon with some vino! (The vino here certainly puts my favorite two-buck chuck from Trader Joe's to absolute shame.) I am so grateful to be staying in a home with a family because this experience is amazing. Barbara is a fantastic cook and Andrea and Tomasso have been so warm, welcoming, and oh so helpful. It's great to really step out of my comfort zone at the dinner table and try to piece together some Italian sentences as I learn the language. Tomasso wants to take Carol and me to his favorite shops and restaurants in Florence this weekend (showing us the hidden gelato and wine stores) and we are going to go running together in a popular garden right behind the house.

Tomorrow we have our first day of class! While I'm here, I am taking Italian levels 1-3 (a year of Italian at the UCs!) and a class on the history and culture of Italian food. Friday we have class in the morning and then a tour of the city in the afternoon and Saturday I am going to Cinque Terre with some friends.

And then because I have to mention them at least once every blog post, here are the animals:

Stella, the alpha cat (definitely gets all the food) 

Stella selfie

Ciao Megan

Buonanotte!

Finally Here!

Ciao from Italia! I am alive!

The flights went relatively well, minus the few screaming babies that are bound to be on any flight or the snoring neighbors who take up the entire armrest so you're stuck in the middle not really sure what to do. The food was eh (cold cheese ravioli), but at least American Airlines hooked it up with some complimentary wine! Holla

Pre-Flight

My layover in London Heathrow was short and sweet. While I was sitting at my gate to fly to Rome, an elderly man struck up an Italian conversation with me. I was able to create about two sentences that were composed of a mix of Spanish, Italian, and English and then just smiled and nodded, adding "mmm si" where I felt it was appropriate. He asked me where I was studying and how long I would be there. I was able to answer those questions. For the rest of the conversation, I really have no idea what went on. But he was such a precious old man and so friendly!

On the plane, I met a fellow traveler coming from Istanbul. We attempted to master the train system together and succeeded! I walked from the Termini station to my hostel, getting so lost on the way and turning a ten minute stroll into an hour and a half struggle. The hostel wasn't bad; I shared a room with three other girls (two from New Zealand and one from Argentina) who were all traveling throughout Europe. Despite there being no hot water for a shower, the rest of the evening was great. I walked around the city for a bit and it was gorgeous! A guy asked me where I was from and when I responded "California," he was so excited. He asked me if I personally knew "the man Snoop Doggy Dogg!" I immediately corrected him, saying he was actually Snoop Lion now, didn't he know that? Just kidding. We ended up having a conversation about how fantastic California is and In&Out was definitely mentioned. Also, I quickly became a huge fan of the water spickets in the streets! I had to take a pic…

Fontana delle Naiadi

First sunset in Italy!

I proceeded to sleep about 3 hours (thank you jetlag) and got up this morning to pouring rain. Awesome. I'm surprised I can still identify rain because lord knows none of that happens in California. I checked out of the hostel, grabbed my gear, and hopped on the train to Florence. The ride was absolutely beautiful! Italy is so, so green and the rolling hills of the country were really pretty. Also there were some cute mama and baby sheep grazing in fields near the train tracks. Awh.

When I got to Florence, you couldn't have paid me to walk anywhere with all my luggage after getting lost in Rome. I cabbed it to the study center and was given my host family arrangements, and then snagged a cab to their house. It is AWESOME… MY HOST FAMILY HAS A DOG! Her name is Megan and she's a yellow lab mutt. There are also two cats, one is small and the other is definitely large and in charge. When I first walked in, it was eating and didn't stop for 15 minutes; I'll probably look similar to the cat when I return from Italy in four months. The mom, Barbara, is so sweet and has two sons -- Andrea is 17 and Tommaso is 30. There is another student at the house, Carol, who is a fourth year at UCLA. The house is about three miles away from the study center so I'll be taking various buses to get to school during the week. There's a great park nearby and we are super close to the Arno so I'm excited to run around the area and scope everything out!

Hi Megan

We had dinner tonight and it was fantastic. Sarah made pesto lasagna, pork with potato wedges, and a fruit salad with berry pie for dessert. SO good

View from my window

We have orientation tomorrow and classes start Wednesday!

Walking along the Arno

Already in love with this city and it's only been ten hours….