463 steps to the top!

On Friday afternoon, me, Dee, Gina and Allison decided that we have been in Florence too long to not have been to the top of the Duomo! The Duomo is in the center of the city and the icon of Florentine architecture.

Me and Gina had first gone into the cathedral on Thursday and were blown away. Constructed beginning in 1296, it is enormous with marble mosaic floors, gorgeous stained glass windows and ceilings that look like they go on for miles. When we walked through the church and made our way to the dome at the end of the aisle, I realized it was one of the most incredible things I have seen here. The entire space depicts the "Last Judgement," with frescoes stretching hundreds of feet from the dome's base to the top. At the furthest point up, there are painted figures that appear to be dangling from the dome, painted in an incredibly realistic 3-D style. As we stood there craning our necks at the extreme top, we realized there was a corridor that wraps completely around the dome. Up top, people were inches away from these amazing frescoes. We had to do it!

On Saturday, the 4 of us walked each of the 463 steps to the top. During part of the walk, we had to crouch because of how small the walkway was. After the second set of stairs, we entered the walkway that circles the entire length of the dome. I could actually see the individual brush strokes on these figures painted over 700 years ago!

We kept walking. Exiting through a small roof, we reached the top. We spent about 45 minutes gazing out over the dome. I was mesmerized by the terracotta rooftops that go on for miles and the massive shadow that the dome casts over hundreds of buildings.

From above, we spotted our neighborhood, our school and our library. It was a day I felt so fortunate to call beautiful Florence my home... (at least for a few months!)

Live show in downtown Florence: Iggy and the stooges!

Last night, me, dee and gina went to a free Iggy and the Stooges concert in Piazza della Republica! Outside right near the duomo, there was a stage set up open to the public. Iggy and the stooges, and a few other bands played and it was a great time. Between the amount of people at the show, the lack of open container/drinking laws and the pumped up music, everyone was going crazy. At the show we talked to some of the locals and they were explaining that a lot of the angst that the crowd had was towards the Firenze's mayor and the general political decisions lately. apparently, he hasn't been favoring the opinions of the youth and there has been major resistance coming from most young people in response.
After, we went to our favorite pizza spot, Gusto Pizza in San Spirito. San Spirito is a square on the other side of the river where there are tons of restaurants and bars and a market on sunday. It has a massive church with a striking blank facade, where locals gather at night to drink, play cards and talk on the steps.
It was a fun night! 

Sicilia getaway!

This past weekend, everyone in my school program (about 40 of us) went to Sicilia. Leaving on Thursday night, we took a 14 hour train, boat and bus ride onto the island of Sicilia to visit Taormina, Palermo and Cefalu. In order to reach the island, they actually stopped the train, separate the train cars and put the train onto a ferry!

After traveling on two trains (one being a sleeper, overnight train,) we took a three hour bus trip to Toarmina. All the workers on the trains were on strike, so we did not have the luxury of pillows, blankets of access to any food. Needless to say, by the time we arrived, we were exhausted. But as soon as we got off the bus, the sights were far too gorgeous to stay cranky or sleepy for long. Taoromino looked like a painting. We took a tour around a cliff-dangling park filled with flowers and Byzantine-styled architecture overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. We walked around the quaint seaside village for most of the afternoon and then went to a cannoli tasting. I was excited to try an authentic Sicilian cannoli, but I really had no idea the sort of goodness I was about to discover...

We entered a back room of a tiny bakery called Etna Pasticceria, where bakers stirred chocolate chips and pistachio crumbles into the thick ricotta cheese filling. They took the crispy, melt-in-your-mouth shells fresh from the fryer, dusting them with confectioner's sugar. I took my first bite sitting on the stoop of the bakery. It was the best thing i have eaten since being in italy... and quite possibly, my life.

We continued onto the city of Palermo, where we stayed for two nights. Our hotel was somewhat strange, located an unsafe, un-walkable 20 minutes from the city center. We got there and had a pretty gross school-organized hotel dinner in the basement. Between the eggs, pasta, and canned fruit that I ate and the fluorescent-lit room that had a bingo-hall feel, I had an strange introduction to Palermo.

That night, me, Dee, Gina, and Kelly were the only 4 students brave and not sleep-deprived enough to take a bus into the city. As soon as we got off the bus, I realized just how different this city was compared to what I know and love in Florence. We circled around the bar and restaurant area. It was packed and very chaotic. Trash was strewn about the streets and graffiti was everywhere. Stray dogs roamed around, and as soon as we walked away from the most populated streets, we all realized how unsafe we felt. It wasn't a "bad" experience. Just very, very different.

The next morning, we took a bus to visit the town of Cefalu. I fell in love. Men were sewing fishing nets on the side of crooked, cobblestone streets and palm trees were everywhere. No matter where in town you were, you could always see the crystal blue Mediterranean waters in the distance.
Me and my roommates posted up at what I now consider my favorite beach. The water was so clear that as you waded out even past your head, you could see well beyond your feet! Situated right on the beach were ancient, perfectly weathered and crumbling Sicilian buildings and giant boulders jetting out of the water. There was a concrete pier perfect for climbing to take in the sites from up high and jump off the ledge into the water. Oh, and the entire beach nestled between massive mountains.

The next day, we did some sight-seeing around Palermo. We went into stunning cathedrals, walked around town and went to a market. I was so shocked by how true the stereotypical Italian culture and appearance was there. Most of the city looks out of a scene of the godfather (which would make sense, as most of the films were shot there.) After sight-seeing on Sunday there, we ventured into some of the backstreets and less touristy areas. By doing this, I think we got the true feel of the city. Old Italian men play cards and gamble outside of storefronts and packs of pre-teens walk around smoking and yelling. The city has a very raw feeling to it. Exploring it really opened my eyes to other aspects of Italian culture that I was blind to before. An experience to say the least!

So many students here seem to be going crazy, traveling to as many different countries and destinations as possible, but I feel like I could spend my whole time in Italy and go home more than fulfilled. Each new city I have seen feels like a different culture and country of its own.

Food tour for Class!

Today, for my vegetarian cooking class, we went on a food tour! My professor took us to local florentine restaurants/cafes that are especially delicious for a veggie-diet. It was incredible.

The first place we went was called Usci e bottega. As soon as we walked into the cozy, 15 foot, brick restaurant and heard soft accordion music playing, I knew it was going to be amazing. The restaurant is known by locals for light lunches and its aperitivo. Aperitivo is an Italian tradition that takes place in the early evening. Many restaurants and cafes charge the price of one drink, and with the drink you get to enjoy a delicious open-counter buffet. These buffets consist of delicious hors d'oeuvres, fresh vegetables, breads, sample size meats, etc. The Italians refer to this as an "opening of the stomach," a way to prepare themselves for dinner, and for socializing. This place is apparently one of THE places to go for aperitivo. Here, we sampled sweet gorgonzola cheese-stuffed grapes, tuscan flatbread with different oils, fresh figs, pears and peconia cheese, and an amazing toasted tuscan bread with melted sheep cheese, drizzled honey, chopped almonds, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. While there, my professor explained that the owner of the restaurant travels to small distributors all around Tuscany to get the products for his store, and chooses only from the smallest, freshest distributors. The store is completely seasonal, with no menu at all. They make fresh food everyday and locals order from the selection that is available in the store, changing on a daily basis. Amazing.

Next, we went to a chocolate and gelateria to sample homemade chocolate and gelato. I thought I might keel over and die from the sheer smell of the place when I entered. It was heaven! I got hazelnut and milk chocolate gelato. There is a way that the gelato melts in your mouth here that you just can't find in the ice cream at home. I don't know what it is but it is to die for.

For the last stop, we ventured into a truffle cafe. Truffles are a branch of mushroom that have a very strong, intense flavor and smell. They are amazingly flavorful and make most bland things taste SO GOOD. At this cafe, they only serve truffles. Truffle paste, truffle oil, truffle panini, truffle sauces... the list goes on and on. This cafe had only the finest, with some of the oils priced upwards of 50 euro! Here, we got to try mini panini (there is no "s") with truffle cream on them. they were as good as they sound.

If only every class I ever took was like this one... I sometime feel like I am dreaming.

Firenze Soccer Game!

Yesterday, me, jess, tiffany, dee, kelly, and gina went to go watch the professional soccer team, florentina play at the stadium. As we were walking to the game, we noticed so many people around the city wearing purple (the team's color.) Even people not going to the game were supporting their team. Bars playing the game were jam-packed. 

The game was filled with passionate, expressive (to say the least) fans.  There was an entire section that was strictly men (almost all shirtless), standing in their seats going crazy. During halftime, tons of fathers bring their sons down to a small section of the field and play soccer with them. It is a tradition that starts from such a young age.

We won! It was definitely an experience and a fun day! Behind the stadium were rolling hills and gorgeous ancient buildings. Only in Florence!

The most beautiful place on earth

Today, I jumped on a bus for 2 hours and i discovered my exact definition of heaven. My roommates and I took a day trip to Cinque Terre (or in Italian, "The Five Villages.") Between the massive cliffs, mountains, wine terrace vineyards and turquoise Mediterranean water, it probably the most beautiful place I have ever been. It is a region made up of 5 small villages that, combined, have a population of 1,000 residents. Each town sits on rugged mountaintop and cliffs. Between them is nothing but wilderness and 1 connecting train. It was perfect.

We took a bus into Riomaggiore (the northern-most village) first. Here, we walked on Via Dell'Amore or "Lover's Lane." When the towns first were popularized, this was the walkway that people would walk to to meet others from surrounding villages. There was a man playing an instrumental version of Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" with a accordion and couples' initials carved everywhere. It was so beautiful I almost died.


We then took a train from Riomaggiore to Corniglia, the next town. We followed a hilltop from the base upwards, not knowing at all where it would lead us. As we climbed higher, the view just kept getting more and more breathtaking. The entire mountaintop was lined with terrace-cropped (run from side to side in order to use mountain terrain for cultivating)  grapes and olives. As we turned at the top, we could see the whole village against the Mediterranean Sea. There are no words!

We then went on a 2 and a half hour hike from Corniglia to Vernazza. The hike was very intense. We were scaling rugged boulders, roots, and making our way up and down cliffs. Any time we needed a break, we would stop and simply look to our left. From there, you could see limitless miles of the Mediterranean see and cliffs. When we came upon the town of Vernazza, I felt like I was looking out into a play set, something out of Disney. The entire village of pastel buildings and terracata colored rooftops dangles on a mountainside. It felt as if it appeared out of nowhere.

Here, we spent a few hours. My roommates Jess and Tiff rented kayaks and rowed around the sea to get a glimpse of the town from water. Me, Kelly, Dee and Gina tried some of the local cuisine (a white wine cultivated right in Cinque, and pesto gnocchi since that is where pesto originated) right on the oceanside. I could not believe this was real life.
It is hard to recap the amazement, beauty and wonder I felt in this little town. I think the pictures do it better justice! Enjoy :) 

walking tour

After classes today, my roommates Gina, Dee, Tiffany and our friend Will went on a tour in the Santa Maria Novella area of the city. The walking tours through school are great. We went on one last week to San Miniato and Michelangelo and I was blown away, so when we found out about this one, we knew we had to go. It's a guided tour with the campus' certified guide AND we get complimentary gelato at the end all for free. Our guide, Elfrida is amazing. She's this super adorable, extremely smart little lady who could tell you everything about Florence, down to literally the materials they use to pave the streets. She is great.

At the tour I learned that one of my buildings at school was once a palace owned by the Dohni family, a rich and powerful family that sponsored Michelangelo as one of their artists. His famous wooden painting displayed in the Uffitzi museum apparently used to hang on the walls of what is now our school. It just amazes me that a walk to work or the market involves passing palaces and cathedrals constructed back in the 1400's.

After the tour, we went to the Ponte Santa Trinita Bridge. The bridge overlooks the beautiful Arno River. There are these amazing triangular cement blocks that jet off the side of the bridge, meant for standing on to dangle off the side to get an even better view of the city.
This weekend, I am visiting Cinque Terre for a day trip on Sat and going to an Florentine soccer game. I can't believe this is my life! :) 

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beach day!

Today, my roommates and me took a day trip to viareggio, a little beach town right on the Mediterranean coast. It was so pretty! we took our trip through school, which was nice cause all we had to do was meet up at the train station and jump on. The weather was about 92 today so it was the perfect day to spend getting some sun. As soon as I got there, I felt like I wasn't in Italy anymore. The palm trees, colorful buildings and churches made it feel tropical, somewhere like Puerto Rico or Mexico. The most striking to me though, was the mountains you can see right from the beach! I have never been somewhere where you can walk down the beach and see massive mountain peeks hazy in the distance. The pictures don't do it justice!

latern festival!

Tonight, my roommates and i went to piazza signoria to watch festa della rificolona, or the lantern festival. it's based on an old tradition when farmers would make the pilgrimage from surrounding villages to florence in order to celebrate the birthday of virgin Mary.  They elebrate now by parading through the streets of Florence with live music and tons of little kids carrying cute candle-lit lanterns. it was so pretty!
Tomorrow is a beach day in Viareggio. So excited!

beautiful san miniato and piazza san michelangelo!

today, my roommates and i went on a guided hike up to piazza san michelangelo and basilica san miniato al monte. i was really excited to go and see the sights but I honestly did not realize what I was about to see. it was breathtaking.
we crossed the arno river, hiked up the winding paths and as we got further and further up, the view just kept getting better. from the top, you can see every famous building, cathedral and clock tower in florence and the entire city looked like a painting. it was gorgeous. We then continued upwards to san miniato al monte and i kept wondering how this was real life! it was beautiful. The basilica overlooks both the countryside and city of florence. There is an incredible wall that separates the busy city and peaceful countryside straight down the middle. The basilica is filled with amazing frescoes, mosaics and paintings carved of sheer gold and marble. built in the 1400's, it was to die for! after the tour, the roommates and I went to explore the cemetary around the basilica. i have never seen anything like it. For what seems like miles, the cemetary wraps around the church with some of the most amazing tombstones, statues and decorations i have ever seen. some families had their own rooms of tombs the size of cathedrals. It was amazing. The art, money, and effort put into the building of these shrines blew me away. the whole place was desolate, with bareley anyone in sight. it was so peaceful.
after a day of hiking, we were rewarded with complimentary gelato from our school. It was one of my favorite days here yet. Just when I thought I was getting to know this city, i continue to discover more and more amazing things.

i haven't yet, but i will upload tons more of these pics (these totally don't do it justice!) on my photobucket account if you wanna look!

http://s1161.photobucket.com/albums/q511/kellmcb90/

Secret HEAVEN

so tonight was one of my best in the streets of florence for one reason: my roommates and i discovered heaven. We found one of the secret bakeries in florence. Yes, it's as magical it sounds. secret bakeries. starting at 1am, scattered bakery suppliers around florence serve you hot, magical, gooey, melt-in-your-mouth pastries fresh out of the oven. i think i could die a happy girl after having eaten just one.
these bakeries are completely unmarked, unlabeled and noncommercial. it is strictly through word of mouth. the suppliers who bake fresh pastries for local bakeries will sneak a few to you through the back door for 1 euro if you are privileged enough to find them. lucky enough for us, the girls who lived in our apartment before us left us a note telling us how to get there :)
after going to a few bars and talking to a few new friends, we decided to head back to our apartment for some sleep. as we turned onto our crooked little street, i suddenly felt a craving for something that is all too accessible on the streets of florence: fresh italian pastries! of course once i mentioned this craving, it was contagious. all of us NEEDED a pastry. we quickly remembered that this so-called "secret bakery" was just 5 minutes from our apartment. We didn't know the exact place, but we started walking in the general direction. After about 5 minutes, we suddenly knew we were close. The most delicious, sweet, intoxicating smell of fresh baked pastries filled the streets around us! like dogs, we followed the scent until we arrived at a frosted white, unlabeled door that read "please keep quiet" in english and italian. We knew we were there. A man in a bakers' uniform came to the door and gave us a "mixed batch" of goodies.
Having an intense sweet tooth and appreciation for baked goodies, i knew i would love it. But when I took my first bite of my powdered crusted, chocolate-filled, fresh baked flaky croissant, i thought i might just keel over and die in the cobblestone streets. it was indeed, the best thing i have ever sank my teeth into. i snuck a few pictures to share.

shhhh!!! it's a secret! 

hello 4 day weekend!

Today was a learning day. i had two 2 1/2 hour classes! my first was with my super neurotic, spastic but awesome italian teacher. he continuously shouted things at us in Italian and told us to "get rid of our zombie faces" when we stared back in confusion. By the end of class, i knew how to count, say the name of countless random animals (snake, dog, spider, rat...) and tell people my name and where i am from. looks like i'll be set for the next 3 months.

My second class was my intercultural communication class. My teacher seems really awesome, wordly and experienced! she has been basically everywhere, has like ten degrees, and while not teaching, is a meditation expert who teaches classes in India!

I also rearranged my schedule so that I officially only have classes on Mon, Tues and Wed. Yay forever 4 day weekends! now that my schedule is a whole day more free, i want to start taking day trips and explore some new lands (not that i need much of an "escape" from beautiful Firenze!) but there is just so much to see :)

Oh, and I feel like I got hit by a train when I woke up today. Yesterday's abs and legs class kicked my butt. Frabizzio (our instructor) treated us like we were in boot camp, drilling us through abs and leg exercises. Our "breaks" consisted of us running in place. Between watching my roommates and I struggle through the workouts in the front and center massive mirror, and listening to my teacher rap snoop dog lyrics while yelling numbers in Italian, my hysterical laughing made the ab workouts just that much more intense.

I took some more pictures of my beautiful school. here they are!! :)

Today was a good day!

Me and my roommate Deidre went to Mercado Centrale and tried some amazing biscotti samples and bought some groceries. We stumbled upon an adorable vintage shop where she got a kick ass 70's style dress. Then I met up with my roommate Gina and we scored some free gourmet food at my school-run restaurant, Gonzo. It was amazing! I got an eggplant, mozzarella, tomato and basil antipasti :) so GOOD! we get a certain amount of meal vouchers to use there for this semester. It has theme dinner nights, a menu that changes daily and so much fresh food!
Then we roamed around for hours, got pretty lost (which has basically become my favorite things to do here) and eventually made it back to school.
I signed up to go on a field trip to Viareggio Beach (right outside Tuscany) for Satuday which I'm super excited about. Then, me Kelly and Jess (my roommates) went to an "abs and legs" class at my school that kicked our butt.
tonight we are going to a little pub called Be Bop that apparently has beatles cover songs that live bands play on Wednesday nights. Hopefully it's a fun time.

1st day of school

Today, I had my italian class and vegetarian Italian cooking! the different schools within the university are scattered throughout Florence which is great. A walk to class involves me passing the Duomo, piazzas, markets, shops, etc. so beautiful!

My language class seems like it should definitely help with my daily conversation. When I went to my vegetarian Italian cooking class I was blown away! We started today with an introduction to Italian breads and vegetables. We made bruschetta, tried Tuscan, Pugliese, and Emilia Romana breads,  sampled some different in-season Italian vegetables and herbs in different oils. SO GOOD. The culinary school is super pretty. The inside waiting area looks like a restaurant, everyone wears all white cloths and chef uniforms (I will have to too while in class, hahah!) and all the stove tops and cooking space are on big marble tables. I left class full. It was fantastic.

Tomorrow I have off. I am going to check out a few more markets, go to Gonzo, the campus-affiliated fine-dining restaurant to see what they have to offer, and sign up for a field trip to go to Viareggio, a Tuscan beach town. I can't believe that this really is my life!!

5 days down, 103 to go!

Ciao from Italia!

I have been in this beautiful city for almost a week now, and have neglected to even do it the decency to write about it! what can i say? it's beautiful, modern, ancient, crazy and peaceful all at once! i live in the city center on via del corno with 6 other girls in a great homey apartment. i have been having the time of my life!
The first day was a little rough... i was running on no sleep for well over 2 days and had about 20 hours of travel with a 6 hour time difference to adapt to. I took 4 flights and a train but waking up on the flight to pisa mountains and everyone speaking italian was pretty incredible. I have spent hours getting lost trying to find my apartment (it isn't labeled on maps and the end of the street actually is labeled a completely different name!), but it has been so much fun.
The girls I live with have been a ton of fun. we have quickly become accustomed to our awesomely-eclectic and quirky apartment.
We have spent almost everyday exploring, seeing the sights and going to markets. i have a photobucket account for anyone who wants to see my pictures. i will post the link at the bottom of the page. as for now, arrivederci!!

http://s1161.photobucket.com/albums/q511/kellmcb90/