January 17, 2010:
Where to start… Well…the last few days have been hectic and crazy but filled with fun and excitement. Exploring on a daily basis is a must. Taking things back a few days, lets start with my jaunt to the market on Friday.
Friday morning, I woke up at 11…oops…and attempted to find the Mercato Centrale. Well…that became an experience of a lifetime. I started off heading in the right direction towards the market but somehow got sidetracked by a bunch of neat stores along the way. To make a long story short, about 45 minutes, I arrived at the market. It was exactly the same as I had remembered it from three years ago.
Let me give you a visual:
--The Meat Counter has bull testicals, eyeballs, brains, stomach, whole pig heads, and whole piglets. As well as these lovely concoctions, you can also find chicken beaks; chicken cluckers (AKA…Chickens hanging beard) chicken feet…and whatever you can possibly fathom eating.
--The Fish Counter…that was possibly more exciting than the meat counter. As I roamed the aisles of the fish section, I came across enormous octopus with beady eyeballs as well as whole squid. One fishmonger actually had a bowl of squid ink for sale. I nearly threw up on the spot. Other than that, you can find whole eels. I don’t even know where else to go from there. Oh, right, the entire shark that was in the market really creeped me out. Lovely.
Then you come across the fruits and vegetables, which were beautiful, and lovely, unlike the stinky, smelly, gross butcher counters.
You are probably wondering what I walked out of the market with? Well…tons of tomatoes, mushrooms, olive oil, olives, sundried tomatoes, Pecorino Romano cheese, baby clams and a few other items. Kristen should not be allowed to go to the market.
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Today we hit the soccer stadium. Fiorentina verses Bologna. The goalie was awful! Supposedly, he is some amazing goalie in Italy, and somehow, he let two goals just fly past him throughout the 1:30 game. What BS!
Running tomorrow morning and then heading back to the market with the entire apartment tomorrow to pick up basil and more tomatoes. Did I mention that tomorrow I would also continue the search for a warm scarf? I finally found toasty socks…now the hunt for scarves continues.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Excursions around the City
January 11, 2010
A gorgeous day! Sunny, with a few cloud puffs in the sky, tons of happy begging pigeons everything. Woke up, got out of bed really late. Our entire apartment was a mess this morning because we were all running so late.
Around 9am, we got breakfast, went to the bank and proceeded on with our hike up the Polimoda Hill. I had heard from a few people that the hill leading to school was a bit of a nightmare. It looked nothing like a nightmare until this morning. The road looks as though it is straight, but in reality, you get the top and it turns to the right...and KEEPS GOING UPHILL! We got the top and i was ready to take off every layer of clothing I had on because I was dripping wet! If I get that sweaty every day I am going to have to bring a change of clothing for each day I have school!
Our meeting with the agency went quickly. We heard what they had to say, we took notes, and bolted right after the meeting straight to an apartment we were dying to see. We got the first apartment half an hour later located near the Duomo. After the five flights of stairs, (by the way, I don't think I am going to gain a pound here) we get to the top to see the apartment. Three bedrooms, two were extremely tiny, no more than 4x7, and another, which was a double twin room, very spacious and comfortable. We then went onto the balcony and saw the incredible side view of the Duomo, front to back, only four blocks away. Simply stunning.
The landlord then said to us, I know you like this one, but I also have one downstairs. So we took the stairs to the next floor down. He opened the door only to reveal the biggest apartment I have ever seen in my entire life!!! You enter the room and straight ahead is an eight person dining room table. Directly to the left is an enormous family room with a TV and comfortable couches. Our room is then straight back from there, which has a huge stucco arch in the middle of it. We have a good sized kitchen with a kitchen table. Then two more bedrooms and another dining room. We also have a washing machine and brick-stone flooring.
Tonight we went out for dinner at another restaurant down the street. The food was wonderful, but if I don’t eat a salad and fruit soon, my body is going to hate me.
January 12, 2010
7:12 pm
This morning we had orientation at Polimoda on the hill. We went over permit of stays, only to find out our Visa’s do not let us out of the country until we get our permit of stays. What the hell Florence!? Don’t you know we are here for traveling?! GRR.
Oh, and since my tote broke getting off the plane, I bought a new one today at the leather market in the center. Too much money but I needed it. Also, Amanda and I have done nothing but travel around the city shopping for sweaters and we have had no such luck. I am done shopping. After today, I quit.
A gorgeous day! Sunny, with a few cloud puffs in the sky, tons of happy begging pigeons everything. Woke up, got out of bed really late. Our entire apartment was a mess this morning because we were all running so late.
Around 9am, we got breakfast, went to the bank and proceeded on with our hike up the Polimoda Hill. I had heard from a few people that the hill leading to school was a bit of a nightmare. It looked nothing like a nightmare until this morning. The road looks as though it is straight, but in reality, you get the top and it turns to the right...and KEEPS GOING UPHILL! We got the top and i was ready to take off every layer of clothing I had on because I was dripping wet! If I get that sweaty every day I am going to have to bring a change of clothing for each day I have school!
Our meeting with the agency went quickly. We heard what they had to say, we took notes, and bolted right after the meeting straight to an apartment we were dying to see. We got the first apartment half an hour later located near the Duomo. After the five flights of stairs, (by the way, I don't think I am going to gain a pound here) we get to the top to see the apartment. Three bedrooms, two were extremely tiny, no more than 4x7, and another, which was a double twin room, very spacious and comfortable. We then went onto the balcony and saw the incredible side view of the Duomo, front to back, only four blocks away. Simply stunning.
The landlord then said to us, I know you like this one, but I also have one downstairs. So we took the stairs to the next floor down. He opened the door only to reveal the biggest apartment I have ever seen in my entire life!!! You enter the room and straight ahead is an eight person dining room table. Directly to the left is an enormous family room with a TV and comfortable couches. Our room is then straight back from there, which has a huge stucco arch in the middle of it. We have a good sized kitchen with a kitchen table. Then two more bedrooms and another dining room. We also have a washing machine and brick-stone flooring.
Tonight we went out for dinner at another restaurant down the street. The food was wonderful, but if I don’t eat a salad and fruit soon, my body is going to hate me.
January 12, 2010
7:12 pm
This morning we had orientation at Polimoda on the hill. We went over permit of stays, only to find out our Visa’s do not let us out of the country until we get our permit of stays. What the hell Florence!? Don’t you know we are here for traveling?! GRR.
Oh, and since my tote broke getting off the plane, I bought a new one today at the leather market in the center. Too much money but I needed it. Also, Amanda and I have done nothing but travel around the city shopping for sweaters and we have had no such luck. I am done shopping. After today, I quit.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Beginning of My Florence Excursion
Friday, January 8 and Saturday, January 9, 2010
The Departure
At 7:30am on Friday morning, my mother woke the entire house to make sure that we were fully functioning by 10am and ready to leave the house. We first had to drop the mongrels’ (dogs) off at the grandparents for their overnight hotel visit, and then we were on our way.
The ride to Philadelphia was a little iffy throughout parts. The weather forecast enlightened the northeast that we would only be seeing 2-4 inches of snowfall over a few hours, and that would be that. But nooo…this morning, we woke up to 3-4 inches already. And the snow was still falling. Therefore, the ride to the airport was slippery and stressful. I kept telling my father it was time to buy new tires, but he wanted to hear no such thing.
I arrived at the gate for check in after making my way through security. I don’t know how many of you have flown recently, but airport security didn’t even check to see how much liquid I had packed away in my carry on! I was shocked! Anyways, I got to my gate only to realize my second connecting flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Florence was cancelled. Supposedly, Germany is experiencing some life-threatening storm to the point that Lufthansa feels the need to cancel each and every one of their flights leaving from Frankfurt.
I am currently on the plane to Frankfurt, and of course, I have no slept a wink. Instead, I watched Julie and Julia, Bride Wars and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince for the fifteenth time. Too bad they didn’t have UP as a choice. That would have made my travels much better. J My computer is telling me it is 11:13pm…that is in the states. It is currently 5:15am Germany/Europe time and I feel dead already. When I get off this aircraft, I have to make my way through the hellish Frankfurt airport, without a connecting flight to reach! How interesting!! I find it slightly amusing only because it is completely beyond my control. A very brilliant individual always tells me to not worry about everything so much, that half the things I worry about are beyond my control. The other half I am convinced enjoy biting me in the rump…. like this connecting flight. Oh well!
We are landing in Frankfurt at 6:15am, only to find myself running through the airport. I will write again on my connecting flight, (if I ever get on one) and elaborate the lovely security procedures Frankfort is so very good at. Maybe this time, they will make me take off all my clothes in front of the line instead of the belt and shoes and such. Wouldn’t that be a hoot! I can hear it now, in the deep, throaty German language, ‘Excuse me mam, would you mind taking off all your clothing because we feel you are a harm to everyone around you?” haha…I am dreading it as I type.
Oops…here comes breakfast at 5am in the morning! Give me coffee!!! I hope it is like soup! Or schnooup as my dad says.
3:08pm:
-Wow…what a day. Got a connecting flight with my roommate Amanda this morning at 8am out of Frankfurt. I have never ran that fast through an airport before! I can tell you I was in a full sweat by the time I got to the appropriate gate.
12:57am, January 10, 2010
The last time I wrote I literally fell asleep on my laptop. I woke up around 9:30 by saying to my roommate, OMG! We just slept 14 hours! Thinking it was 930am. In reality, it was 9:30 PM. Wow. What a mess I am.
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So we woke up after our 7-hour nap and I showered and got ready for dinner. We then met up with the rest of the group down the hall at the hostel and went to dinner next door to the hostel. We had three bottles of wine split between 9 people and Pizza Margherita. Mmm. Tomorrow morning we are all waking up, buying internet access for the week and then Amanda and I are going to roam around again. Lucky me, my tote broke getting off my very last flight so now I have to buy a new tote tomorrow for school which starts in one week.
Tomorrow we are also meeting with our coordinator, Sass Brown, who is taking us around the city, showing us around and meeting with us to go over the apartment hunt, which starts on Monday morning. Amanda and I have decided to get an apartment in Historic Center right in the middle of everything. Even after being at the hostel for one day, we are so out of the way from everything major surrounding us that it isn’t worth living over here. I would rather live in the center, have a great experience there and walk the 40 minutes back and forth to school 8 times a week, two times a day. Tomorrow starts another day.
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