Jeanette's Blog

Bittersweetness, onto a new chapter of my life

2007-05-03T13:06:37Z

So I have some advice for the following bloggers... BRING YOUR LAPTOP!!
This wonderful program only supplies two computers and after spring break, when finals are prowling in front of you, everyone needs the computer to write papers, make study sheets, research, etc.. and you'll never have time to blog. It's a fact, be prepared.

Allora, The end has arrived very quickly. It seems like yesterday I was just meeting this strange group of 21 people and getting acquainted with an Italian family that now I am dreading to be separated from. It's ironic that I've become closer with these people that I've spent a short 3 and a half months with than I am with some that I grew up with and spent years seeing on a daily basis. We've made incredible, unforgettable, irreplaceable memories together in a magical, mystical, medieval city. We've trampled all over Italy throwing this new Italian language around hoping that we make sense to the well versed natives. There's nothing bashful about the Spring 2007 SUNY Siena group, I can tell you that!
As much as all of us have been counting the days remaining, I don't think any of us ever thought it would come. My experience here has been surreal. : Fun, Harmony, Laughter, Learning, Friendship, Companionship, Compassion...
Good Food ALWAYS, good conversation, always someone who is interested to get to know you better, people that love you for who you are, they embrace your every move, are always ready to support you, always want to hang out with you, BECAUSE... life is short and we only had three and a half months together. We knew that, but it felt like it would and should last forever. Sounds amazing, doesn't it? It was.
Our last minute trips included a weekend in Naples, which we also visited Pompeii and Sorrento, Florence, and Follonica, the beach. Barbara changed my whole point of view on Naples. My first visit was during Spring Break and it was aweful. It felt dirty and dangerous and it smelled really bad and the people were not very nice at all. Once tourist season started it got better, I suppose, or Barbara simply knew the best places to take us, which is more likely. haha We conquered Florence in one long, exhausting day, and we have spent the last two weeks studying, taking exams and packing.
Just a little info about spring break: I had an absolutely exhuberent time. I decided to stay in Italy and use the Italian I had learned. Most of the others decided to travel to other countries and they had a wonderful time as well. I chose a couple places in Italy and now I can confidently say that I have eliminated one country from my to do list. I'll be back, though. : ) The best advice I can give, however, is to chose 1, 2, or at the most 3 places to see and really enjoy them. Don't spend half the break in some form of transportation.
Anyway, it's been very enjoyable writing to all of you about my travels and has really halped me keep up my English. haha Encourage every youngster you know to travel abroad, it will be the best thing they could do for their own personal growth and experience!
Think of my group tonight...we're all sleeping in the Rome airport!! HAHA one last night to end the trip...

PACE, AMORE, ARRIVADERCI

- Jeanette

Bologna, Rimini, and Eight Lovely Ladies

2007-03-21T15:52:52Z

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Bologna? Bologne, food, Italy, etc...
Well there's also a selection of churches, museums and yes more leaning towers. I saw an incredible statue carved by Michealangelo and Nicola Pisano in the church of San Domenico. It was a magnificent piece of artistry. Very powerful and then I walked around it to the back and there was the bones of St. Domenico inside a reliquery. Wam Bam thank you M'am! It was pretty much awesome.
Then we went to the Santa Maria dei Servi in which is contained the Madonna and Child painted over 800 years ago by Cimabue. Imagine how much it has been destructed and how many people have seen prayed, cried, shouted, kissed, blessed, etc, in front of that painting over 800 years. It adds a lot of meaning to things when you think like that. I've learned to think like that when visting church after church after church.. it can get old, but each is special in it's own way and impacted a selection of people lives and gave meaning to someone somewhere. It's really interesting and you don't have to be religious to understand that.
To answer your question, OF COURSE I climbed up one of the leaning towers. 500 steps up there baby. That means I climbed 1,000 steps altogether. The view that high is always delicious and I never want to leave.
I had the best gelato since I've been here. SO, go to Bologna if you want the best gelato.
Then we took a train to Rimini, a town on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. We stayed in Hostel Jammin'. It was very affordable: 18 euro/night for a four person room with private bathroom, fresh sheets, and breakfast in the morning.
The first night we got there very late becasue we got lost after getting off the train. We got lost for an hour and a half. haha We ate at a nice restaurant called The Bounty. The service was excellent, the environment comfortable, the food delicious, the beer cold, and the music acceptable. What more could you ask for?
The next day we spent at the beach. The sun was bright, it was a gorgeous day and I was ready to strip down to my bathing suit and take the beach by storm. So that's exactly what I did. I took in some sun and jumped in and out of the water. It was a little chilly, but you know how that goes. It's just cold in the beginning and then you get used to it. We were out there all day and then went back to the hostel and took a nap and then came back out for dinner and to celebrate St. Patty's Day the American way.
The Bounty was pleased to receive us for a second time that weekend. This night we ate better. I had the best tortellini that has ever graced my palate. AMAZING, I can't stop thinking about it. It was stuffed with cheese and assorted seafood and tossed in a creamy cheese seafood vegetable sauce. Oh! out of this world. We laughed and laughed and laughed and then danced and danced and danced. The next morning we woke up and were sufficiently worn out from the weekend and made our way back home by lunchtime.
Wonderful.....

Assisi

2007-03-21T14:44:49Z

First stop!!!!! The Basilica of St. Francis: built 1228, two years after the death of St. Francis. I'm sure you can deduce that it was built in his memory. This basilica comemorated his life dedicated to the simple life, in his belief, closer to God. St. Francis started life with his wealthy family and then renounced all his material possessions. He started the Franciscan Friar movement, if you will, and his tomb is kept in the crypt below the lower church.
The Basilica is composed of an upper and a lower Chapel in which many famous artists were commissioned to contribute including, Giotto, Simone Martini, Peter Lorenzetti, and Cimabue. Giotto's fame in the Basilica is The Cycle of the Life of St. Francis which can be viewed in a series of panels in the upper church. The other artists have tramcets devoted to their work in the lower church.
The lower church gave the idea of protection when I walked in. It was painted mostly in a deep blue with huge dramatic arched ceilings. this was the only place that we have been to in which the Silence Law was striclty enforeced. It really makes a difference in the experience. Silence makes the impact a greater magnitude, possibly because your imagination can take you back a few hundred years faster in silence than not. The Upper Church was much brighter, painted in shades of white and adorned with Giotto's work. Jesus felt like more of a friend in this church rather than a judge. I really enjoyed the visit here.

Second Stop!!!! The Basilica of St. Claire: St. Claire was the closest friend to St. Francis and started a nunnery. They are built near each other in Assisi and St. Claire's is built in beautiful pink marble with several buttresses cascading down from the left side. It's a beautiful story as I'm sure you can imagine. Best friends renouncing their material possessions for a life devoted to nature and God, gaining followers along their journey, dying and being honored by these enormous and beautiful Basilicas and their way of life maintained and their message passed on for hundreds and hundreds of years. Ain't bad if you ask me.

Third Stop!!!! San Damiano: This was the Church the St. Francis frequented in Assisi. The walk to here was all downhill, which made the walk back really challenging, but onward... I was taken away on the wind, through the trees. It was gorgeous. I didn't go inside the Church because I felt that St. Francis owuld have stayed outside. Weird, I know, but it was a sensation that came over me and I followed. I walked down a path in the park around the church and admired the statues of St. Francis; I found a solitary place in the woods where the sun shown down and sat and relaxed in silence. It was really nice. Empowering. Nature is baffling, miraculous if you look closer. I can't say much about this experience because it was truly, very personal.

The important thing is that Assisi was beautiful and is a great day trip to embark upon.

Never leave home without it!

2007-03-20T12:54:44Z

wine cork/bottle opener
passport or copy of it
money or a way to get it
water
needle and thread
reservation codes
confirmation letters
tickets
important emergency contact numbers
camera
sunglasses (you'll wish you had them if you don't)
loose change for the bathrooms

FYI: this entry will be updated regularly I'm sure

SPRING BREAK!!!

2007-03-14T16:13:54Z

I am meeting my traveling partner and boyfriend, Chris, in Rome on the 23rd of March. We will devote 2 days to Rome aiming to view, The Colloseum, The Pantheon, Vatican City, The Trevi Fountain, and more. From there we will travel by train to our hotel in Napoli. A bus/ train will take us from Napoli to Pompeii and we will spend the day in Pompeii.
Napoli will serve as our port the folowing day where we will board a boat that will transport us to The Isle of Capri. For three days we will relax on the beautiful beaches and investigate the hidden nooks and spectacles that the Island has to offer. At the conclusion of our little R&R, we boat back to Napoli and catch a train to Monterosso, one of the Cinque Terre.
Two days in Monterosso and then we're taking a train to Siena where I'll play tour guide. I'll be tour guide for pretty much the entire trip, so I'm excited. Siena will be the conclusion to our trip of Italy.

Planning ahead is the key for smooth travel and in general it will save you lots of money and frustration. The hotel prices fluctuate with the season, so spring and summer are the high seasons, of course. Travel outside the tourist season is more enjoyable because there are less people everywhere, but Italy is Italy no matter when you have the free time. Bus and train companies also run deals every now and then. For example, my bus tickets from Siena to Rome, a three hour ride were 8 euro including tax each way. That's a REALLY good price, but you have to book 10 days in advance. Just like in the US, always read the fine print. Traveling on religious holidays is tougher because the number of trains and buses and flights are limited and prices sky rocket.
I am Jeanette Steiner and I will be your travel agent... haha just kidding...

It's going to be a great time and Chris might even be lucky enough to meet and have dinner with Maria Pia and Franco!!!!

Ciao!

Condiments

2007-03-14T16:07:38Z

We Americans love our condiments, just check your refrigerator door or that corner cabinet in the kitchen if you find yourself disagreeing with me. haha I'll concentrate on the basics, however. The purpose of this blog is solely a headsup for my future travelers.

America:- Frank's Redhot
- A1 steak sauce
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Salt and Pepper

Italy:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Crushed red peppers
- Salt and pepper

Now.....don't make me say "I told you so."
: )

Oh yeah, school...

2007-03-06T17:12:17Z

Italian with Victoria:
Because I only had one semester of Italian under my belt when I came here, I am in the beginner to intermediate Italian class. Victoria is a great teacher with a wonderful personality. She is open to all questions and comments and will eagerly engage in conversations with you outside the classroom for extra practice speaking the language. Speaking is so important when learning a new language. I try to use what I learn in class at home and everywhere, really. I am in Italy so there's no excuse. haha. The families are very helpful at correcting our mistakes as well. Maria Pia laughs at me every day because I make her feel like she's raising a toddler again! My philosophy is that mistakes are inevitable so you might as well just try as much as you can. It's working, too.

Art and Architecture with Barbara:
What a unique experience to study paintings and sculptures on slides in a classroom and then walk out the door, walk for a little bit and see the original work from the 1200's preserved on the wall or standing in a church or museum!!!! You may say, " Ugh, art history, slides...boring!" BUT, alas, Barbara succeeds in keeping your eyes peeled by making the class fast paced. She makes them come to life with interesting details and amusing dialogue that makes every one of us giggle.

Dante's Divine Commedy with Barbara #2:
I LOVE THIS CLASS! It's my favorite... Barbara #2 is very wise, well rounded, and very knowledgable of the subject. She has a great sense of humor and is a hip mother and wife. She has a wonderful way of instigating the our minds to think on our own and discover our own feelings about certai passages. Barbara has paralleled the class to modern day, which is not much of a stretch, so it's very interesting and educational.

Italian Painting with crazy Franca:
She's crazy man!! All that turpentine must have gotten to her head... A joke A joke, she's amazing. Personally, standing in front of the same still life for 3 hours twice a week didn't seem that exciting. Franca makes the time fly by with her hysterical antics. She would loose her head if it wasn't attached but ask her to critique your work and you'll make extensive progress the next time around. She's honest, talented, and experienced. She interacts with us on a very human level, meaning, she uses our vocabulary and even though she's a well known artist here, she doesn't walk aroud with her head in the clouds. I love her and really enjoy her class. She grades by progress.

Tests are mostly written: essays, short answer. Study and you'll do fine. Don't hesistate to ask for clarification. The classroom is also the second home. There's only one room for all the classes, except for painting and ceramics, so we spend a lot of time in very close proximity with one another. Daniella and Barbara play lots of roles: Mom, big sis, teacher, mentor, travel agent, information, director, assistant director, banker, translator, etc. So you can imagine how amazing they truly are.

Comments anyone?

2007-03-06T17:08:10Z

Hey fellow travelers!

Just wanted to point out the COMMENT option at the bottom of each blog page. You can do that, you just have to create a user name and it would make me really happy!! : )
You can ask questions, give constructive criticism, share stories, etc. It will give me more of an idea about what interests you.

Sincerely,

yours truly

Where everybody knows your name...

2007-03-05T12:40:58Z

Siena is a beautiful place, but it's not home...

Lately, I've been experiencing some saddness. In planning weekend excursions and spring break travelling from one end of Italy to the next, I've let myself get stressed out. And it is in this vulnerable state when I miss my family and friends the most...
I miss the place where people know me.
I don't have a favorite place to go here, or a favorite thing to do. I don't have anything to call my own other than the bed I sleep in at night and even that doesn't belong to me. Thank you James Fauvell for sending a HUG vicariously through a letter to my good friend Eve, who's doing the program with me. When Eve hugged me, tears poored from eyes...
I miss the place where people love me.
There's no neighbors, no WE NEVER CLOSE, no Spot coffee, no Amanda lovin', no Cabin Cafe, no JP Bullfeathers, no Jack Astor's. There's no Tremont, no Hoyt, no North Forest, no Bird Ave. There's no purple home, no Aunt Darcy's and no dirty apartment that I can mess up without worry. There's no Dad to help me when I'm helpless, no Mom to toughen me up, no Aunt D'Arcy to make me feel spoiled, and no Christopher to hold my hand.There's no Delaware Park to collect and reground myself. There's no place to be alone, but feel like you belong. There's no TAB to be my second home. There's no Dad to help me when I'm helpless, no Mom to toughen me up, no Aunt D'Arcy to make me feel spoiled, and no Christopher to hold my hand...
I miss the place where everybody knows my name.

Pisa and Cinque Terre

2007-02-27T17:01:32Z

Field trip! Everybody loves them.
Pisa was the first destination." What's in Pisa?" some have said. The world famous leaning tower, a cathedral, and a baptistery. That's about it.
The leaning tower left me truly baffled. It leans, man. It really leans, a lot, and it's really tall. Fascinating beyond belief. We didn't go in it because there was limited time and it cost a good chunk of money, but of course I needed to take the staple pictures with the tower. I took one trying to push it back up, one kissing it and a funny one that looks like I'm picking off the flag on top. It was lots of fun and tourists were actually taking pictures of me being funny. haha goofy tourists...
In the Cathedral, there is a Marble Pulpit which was sculpted by Giovanni Pisano, a very important Italian sculptor from the late 1200's. I am studying him and his father, Nicola Pisano, in my art history class. Nicola Pisano's Marble Pulpit was in the Baptistery. It was really great to see the pulpits in person and be able to get up really close to the sculptures. The Baptistery had an excellent echo effect that was demonstrated every half hour. The demonstrator would sing one note and be able to sing a different one right on top of the last as it echoed. (I don't know if I really explained that very well, but it was awesome.) The Baptistery is constructed like a big white cake. That's exactly what it looks like from the outside. haha
The buildings are right next to each other, boom, boom, boom. It's easy to find them from the train station as well. It's a short, direct walk to the center. Right on Barbara's schedule, we boarded the train with Marta; our destination Cinque Terre!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's one of the top ten places to visit in my Italy book, it was recommended to me by countless numbers of people and described phenomenally in all my research. Hence, I was extremely excited.
The train ride was a little over an hour from Pisa. I knew we were close when I caught a flashing glimpse of brilliantly blue water. From that moment on, my face was glued to glass window of the train. It was very humorous because we were traveling inside a tunnel that was lined with arched openings equidistant from each other. So, every time there was an opening, everyone altogether would say, "whoa!". It went something like this if you can imagine the situation: .........Whoa!........Whoa!........Whoa!........Whoa!........Whoa!........etc. haha
We got off the train and dashed toward the shore to soak as much of the atmosphere in as possible in that very moment. It's easy to fall in love with Cinque Terre. It's a line of 5 small towns that are along the eastern coast of Italy. There is one road that connects them in order to travel by car, but IT'S THE MOST IMPRACTICAL WAY TO TRAVEL. In Cinque Terre, the best way to transport yourself, etc is by Train, or Boat, or Foot. It's amazing. The air is so fresh as I'm sure you can imagine, the greenery so green, the sky so blu, and the people are so friendly!!! Finally. People talked to us there like we were people and not 'foreigners.'
Our hotel was located in Monterosso the last of the cities if traveling from the south. Monterosso is a good place for young adults stay because it houses the one and only pub that is open in the off seasons. Pubs are a great place at night to go and practice Italian with the locals!
Anyway, our hotel was perfect. We had breakfast and dinner included in our stay. Delicious. The first night we had muscles and olives in a red sauce over spaghetti for our first plate and for the second was roasted potatoes and broiled fish. The second night we indulged in either a four cheese pasta or shimp scampi over penne pasta for the first plate and second was swordfish or chicken with a vegetable that I don't remember. but it was ended by a couple slices of fresh pinnapple. Perfect! (I wonder where this belly of mine is coming from?)
Guess what... I got to sleep on the top bunk this time!!!! Heck yeah. From all the travelling on Friday we all hit the sack pretty much right after dinner. haha that seems to happen regularly here. Long Long days... In the morning, we ate brakfast, which was a selection of fiber filled cereals, yogurt, marmalades, and fruits, and then met Gabriele, our tour guide for the day. We took the train to Riomaggiore, the first if traveling from the south. We walked Via dell'Amore, which is a path along the edge of the mountain that goes through a National park, and we learned some interesting things about the culture of Cinque Terre. For instance, on each side of the mountain there are different types of climate. On the east side, the one in which we were standing, there were cacti, and other warm climate vegetation because all the wind comes from the west, but on the other side of the mountain it snows and is much colder because it catches all the wind. That was a bad sentence, sorry.
Cinque Terre was not built by slaves but by the citizens that lived there once upon a time, which makes it a unique place. It was built and is now maintained manually by those that continue to live there. UNESCO helps to raise money in preservation of this beautiful place. The people make money through tourism in the summer and by producing very good wine. More stones were used in building the vineyards of Cinque Terre than to build The Great Wall of China. Yeah that's a lot. The native people invented a structure in which to build into the shoreside to prevent erosion with inverted slates. It's hard to explain, so I'll try and illustrate it for you:
the first row is / / / / / / / / / /
The second is \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \
and then / / / / / / / / / /
So when the waves crash into the walls of earth the water trickles down and back into the sea instead of rotting the earth away. Pretty smart, huh.
Lemons are sweet in Cinque Terre... no really I wasn't making an analogy they really are sweet. And their wine is very smooth. I want to go back there soon. I almost left everything and became a fisherman, haha. Cinque Terre is place where people and nature live harmoniously together, it's magical.
I met a bunch of great people there, Simone included!!! I miss Simone! He taught me how to dread hair the right way, us Americans got it allllllll wrong. He showed us pictures of what Cinque Terre used to look like years ago. He took us to his home and treated us very kindly and respectfully. He opened a 20 year old bottle of wine to share with us. I will never forget him, because in some way he impacted me and changed my life in ways that I'm not even sure of yet. Maybe something that I learned from him was: Don't let language be a barrier between good people. Jump into life and don't look back. Live in the moment, because it will pass before your next breath.
The day we left I spent the morning exploring. I think I found the end of the earth. I sat on this point of land that jutted into the sea and from that point I could see nothing but sea and sky. It was an indescribable feeling. There was silence in that place. Real silence, serenity.
I took some of the beach with me in the form of really beautiful rocks. I plan to make jewels with them. Cinque Terre is inspirational!! Make it a destination sometime in your life. I highly advise it.

Perugia, sweet Perugia

2007-02-22T11:04:38Z

Last minutes decisions are always exciting! Whoever disagrees should try making one again sometime.

www.Hostelworld.com was the portal through which we discovered the FARMHOUSE in PERUGIA! Yes a farmhouse, that's what I said. And not not just any old farmhouse, but a 200 year old farmhouse. 18 euros a night with complimentary, homemade, red wine. Baby ducks, a pony, goats, sheep and chickens came with the package, too! Vicariously through the chickens, we got eggs for breakfast, which we cooked in our very own kitchen and ate at our kitchen table which was next to the sitting room which was connected by a hallway that led to our four bed room. I got to sleep on a bunk bed again. (the bottom, which wouldn't have been my first choice, but I'm a nice person) : )
Outside the walls of this fortress were rolling hills of emerald green for miles. I was so excited to run and roll and lay upon them. As beautiful as Siena is, it can be very suffocating at times, because the buildings are huge and tall and the streets are very narrow.
So, I unpacked my stuff and explored every nook and cranny to satisfy my curiosities. After, I went outside and ran into our Grandparents for the weekend, Reta and Bruno. They told us about the market and some information about the farmhouse and the animals and then said "Andiamo!" Reta shewed us into the back of their mini truck and closed the tailgate and we were off to the market. haha. There was no ice to break here. I was so glad because I do not like ice in relationships. (It makes jumping in a little difficult.)
For four people, we spent 7 euro each to eat for the entire weekend. I was impressed. I miss cooking, so it was nice to be able to exercise some independence in the kitchen for a weekend. We returned to the farmhouse and put everything away and prepared to make a quick trip to the world famous Perugina chocolate factory. Have you heard of Ferrera Rocher? Those delicious hazelnut chocolates? They're made by this factory. Our intentions were to catch a tour, but they stop early on Fridays, so we were out of luck. We walked through ourselves and then, of course, purchased a selection of world famous chocolates. America has Hershey kisses, Italy has Baci kisses. Ten times more delicious because there's a hazelnut in every one!
We also purchased hand towels, because, unfortunately, towels were not included with our stay at the farmhouse. We found our way back and prepared for dinner and ate chocolates. Chocolate doesn't spoil dinner here, mom. We had gnochi and salad accompanied by the homemade wine and then...a surprise entered our world. Four Austrians came to stay at the farmhouse with us! Very cool people. They made us feel better about our Italian. haha They were very good at English and we were horrible at German. That seems to be happening a lot.
We spent the rest of the night hanging out: Austrians, Americans, and one Italian. It was a blast. Conversation was great and again, no ice to break. It was interesting to observe this ecclectic gathering of different people. Americans definitely consume too much, too fast.And Bush has given Americans a bad reputation. It was a great learning experience for me.
The next morning, we headed to the center city to Piazza IV Novembre to see the fountain sculpted by Giovani and Nicola Pisano. It was gigantic and quite functional even 800 years later. Even in the city center, things were more spread out than in Siena. I met a guy on the steps of a church that talked to me for a while in Italian. He doesn't like Perugia because everyone knows everyone. sound slike a lot of places, haha.
I loved Perugia, however. Maybe it was the sun, or the crazy views, or the open air. I'm not sure. The views were incredible, though. At one point I was standing even with the clouds in the far distance. It was pretty crazy. They seemed eye level, but in reality were not. I could see for miles and miles and miles and then right in near proximity there were people and houses. For some reason, it seemed that near me was real and everything in front of me was fantasy. We spent the entire afternoon in the center and then returned back to the farmhouse to cook dinner with the Austrians. By the way their names were Katy, Hanus, Morris, and Alex. : )
We had a feast of fresh mozzarella, tomotoes, pecorino (sheep cheese), fresh bread and pasta with an olive, tomato sauce that was delicious. It was accompanied by the wine of course and then we hung out and relaxed. We packed and chatted and went outside to look at the stars for a while. Guess what... there was no moon in the sky for two days! I don't remember that ever happening in my life, but it was scary. I thought we should call the appropriate authorities, but I was outvoted. It came back Monday night, so I feel better now.
We hit the sack kind of early because we were tired from the long day of walking and traveling, but we ended it with a bed time story. It was about dinorsaurs. You had to be there. : ) We slept, with an area heater glowing up the room like a sunset, soundly and woke up, had eggs and cereal for breakfast and donated our leftover groceries to our new friends.
A well needed rest in the country. My health is much better. There isn't anything that some fresh food, good wine, clean air, and the open countryide can't alleviate, even a little bit.

Venice "La Citta dell' agua alta"

2007-02-14T08:50:06Z

First, I'd like to say HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
Now I'll get into Venice.
We left early Friday morning and after a bus ride to Florence and a train ride to Venice it was 12:00 in the afternoon. Upon leaving the train station, we were surrounded by confetti and costumes and beautifully painted masks. The first thing we had to do was find our hotel, which ended up being very conveniently located around the corner a bit from the train station. Along the way we window shopped at all the stores and bought masks for Carnivale. My mask is a blue and silver butterfly. They range from quite simple to very extravagant and detailed. Venice is known for blown glass and leather goods, and these shops have gorgeous merchandise.
Check-in at the hotel wasn't until 2, so we made our way to the main square of Venice, Piazza San Marco. This is where most of the festivities were being held in celebration of Carnivale. We crossed bridges and walked along canals and through skinny alleyways following signs that read P. S. Marco. Suddenly and very unexpectedly we stepped through an archway into the Piazza. There was in front of us the enormous Church of Saint Mark. It was built with Gothic architecture using pointed archways and tons of pinnocles stretching to the sky. The church was clad in three colors of marble. It was the center focus of the square.
Around the piazza, stages were set up and small acts of musicians, jugglers, stilt walkers, and actors were doing their best to woo tourists and make some pocket money. Pigeons were everywhere! Tons and tons! Their feathers were darker than the pigeons' here in SIena. Probably because it rains more in Venice and there's more sun in Siena. Anyway, I thought I was going to get swarmed, ran into, or pooped on at least a few times during the trip but none of that happened. haha. People were actually paying 1 euro for bread crumbs to attract the pigeons. It worked phenomenally, because the pigeons swarmed to them like magnets on their head, arms, in their hands, everywhere! It was very entertaining, but a bit gross to think about.
We headed back to the hotel to check in, change, put our masks on, and prepare for a night out in Venice during Carnivale. When the sun goes down in Venice, there are lights strung up over the streets that come on and make everything sparkle. We found a place for dinner and learned a valuable lesson about eating out in Italy. We got charged a base fee just for sitting down! Surprise! I paid about 20 dollars for a pizza and a glass of wine. For the rest of the weekend, I ate on the go.
After dinner, we went back to the Piazza San Marco and danced while a jazz band played on the main stage. I went back to the hotel at 9:30, which was early, to plan my day Saturday, read, and write a letter. Saturday, I rocked out of bed at 8 and was off to discover Venice in the morning. I wandered and wandered. I figured out that even when you're lost in Venice, you're not really lost because if you just keep walking soon you'll find something familiar or a directive sign of some sort. Venice is a small city comparitively.
So I put my map away and just walked. I found a fish market and 'The Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World'. The bookstore was really neat. There was a lifesize gondola in the center that was filled with books and there wasn't an open space on any of the walls, and in the back there was a port with steps down into the water. I found the Santa Maria dei Miracoli church, the enormous and ornate Santa Maria delle Salute where a couple was getting married and taking pictures, the Fenice Opera House, the hospital, the Guggenheim Museum, and I also went inside the Church of Saint Mark. The church was amazing. The floors were tiled decoratively and the ceilings were high and arched and painted in gold leaf. Everything was very dark from the hundreds of years of candle burning. I could feel a strong sense of history. It was incredible.
I walked from 8:30 until 4:30 in the afternoon and by that time was ready for a nice nap. I took a two hour nap and then got ready for another night of Carnivale. I ate a quick sandwich for dinner and made my way with the other girls to the Piazza to see the acrobat performance. It was way more than I expected. There were eight men flipping all over the place, a woman singing who had a great voice, and they were telling a story. It was one of my favorite things that happened in Venice. A couple of the girls made friends with a couple Italian guys, so after the show we went out with them. They showed us parts of Venice that we wouldn't have known about otherwise because they were out of the tourist district. It was really interesting... there's something about Venice that's really hard to describe. It has a different feeling. We hit up some bars and then I called it quits, but some of the girls pulled an all-nighter!
Sunday, we checked out at 10 and went to the square to watch the famous "Flight of the Angel." Apparently that was everyone's plan because we couldn't even move from the massive crowd. It was uncomfortably overpopulated. The angel was pretty, though, floating from the top of a tower down to the ground. After that we caught our train and headed back to Siena just in time for dinner. A virus is going around our group here and I caught it on Sunday. Maria Pia intuitively had soup ready for us when we got home. It was a perfect ending to the weekend.

Things I miss

2007-02-07T15:35:57Z

So as everyone experiences, I have experienced a little home sickness. Italy is a very proper country let's just say. Being my loud active and theatrical self doesn't really fit in here. It's sad but true...I miss the vulgarity all around and the outrightness of people and the not exactly dirty, but livable feeling of America. In America, there's no fear that you are going to break something. I have no problem being proper and refined, but sometimes i just need to run and jump around and scream and have emotion. This beautiful place does not facilitate this desire inside me.
I miss the theatre immensely. I guess that's a good sign, since it is my major. I'm looking into seeing some shows here, but getting that kind of information is a bit more difficult than at home. There's not as much theatre here.
I miss my friends and my boyfriend. By the way, I purchased a cell phone before I came here and in retrospect it is not necessary. I recommend simply buying phone cards. I payed 5 euro and on a payphone it pays for 45 minutes, but by a landline it pays for 4 hours and 41 minutes. My host family allows me to use their phone and I can use the one at school as well. Phone cards are definitely the way to go or you can buy a cell phone here and put minutes onto it.
Also sad, but true......I miss American television!!! I know it's horrible when I am surrounded by the grand outdoors. However Deal or no Deal just doesn't cut it and Americans are great entertainers.You have to watch some Italian TV to really understand what I mean.
I miss big, huge, colorful, delicious breakfasts like cereal, haha, and pancakes. I miss Panos at wee hours of the morning. I miss peanut butter. (My mom will laugh at that because i didn't start liking peanut butter until recently) Even though I adore that my host mother makes my bed everyday..................I miss my disheveled covers and unmade bed. I miss having to clean up after myself. I miss baths...........and I haven't had one of those in a very long time, because I couldn't take one in my last apartment either.
I don't miss doing my laundry and cooking for myself, though. I don't miss the cold and the snow, that's for sure. : ) Good luck and I wish warmth to all of you in the north.

Siena

2007-02-07T09:52:40Z

So, it's a three hour bus ride from Rome to Siena. It's a BEAUTIFUL journey. There are rolling richly green hills, bright produce farms, vineyards, incredibly blue skys, and sunny. Their grass is so perfect, it looks like turf, but it's not.
I met my family in Siena. My Italian mom and dad are Maria Pia and Franco! I have a roommate, too and her name is Emily. But let's talk about the parents.
Maria Pia is wonderfully dramatic. She paints her eyes with all shades of blue her cheaks and lips in red and her hair is sculpted to perfection, so that not even a gust of wind could move it out of place. She is energetic, gregarious, and hospitable. Franco is a bit older, shorter, and more quiet. You can imagine their relationship. haha It's very entertaining. They run a butcher shop in Siena, so we have the best of meats at dinner. They are helping me become a little Italian.
Maria Pia always encourages me to transform my meak Italian into strong confident expressions. Dinner time is when I get to exercise my Italian conversation abilities. It's humorous. The best way to learn is by trying and failing sometimes. They have a very tiny dog named Felipe and a big fat black cat named Jaugermeister, excuse my spelling. The similarities between humans and their pets make me smile.
They take care of us very well. My laundry is done everyday. My bed is made when I get home from school. Breakfast is ready on the table when I get up. Kisses are plentiful and the food is amazing. She hasn't even repeated a meal yet and I've been here for 10 days! And after dinner we always watch the Italian version of Deal or no Deal and that's exciting.
I started classes on Monday Feb. 5. I have Italian every morning at 8:30 . My classroom overlooks Piazza del Campo, the main square of Siena. It's beautiful. Siena is a walled city, with limited motor traffic, cobble stone roads and medieval architecture. Some of this city was built before Christ and the more 'modern' buildings were built in the 1200's! Who connects modern with the 1200's. Italians! WOW, that's all i have to say. There's great shops, fresh produce, movies, bus station, everything you could think of.
Every Wednesday there's a market with everything from clothes, to watches, to tools, to fresh flowers and produce for sale at cheap prices. We have experienced two markets so far and it's great. People are very friendly and patient with us Americans trying to fumble our way through the language. Everyday we get better. It's very incouraging. I definitely think I am learning Italian the best way there is to learn it. I learn grammar and gender and all the specifics in the classroom and then all I have to do is step outside to practice what I learn. The trick is going to be using it when I get back to the US.
I go to school next to one of the best examples of gothic architecture in the world. I feel special. It's interesting seeing the horse hitches on the side of buildings and being transported back in time for a minute, then realizing the sound of an engine side swiping you as you're gauking into outerspace.
This is SIena, welcome.

Rome

2007-02-07T09:17:24Z

So after some techinical difficulties, which always seem to find me, I'm submitting my first blog to you. Sorry about the delay.
It all began with an 8 hour flight from Newark, NJ to Rome, Italy. I tried to sleep as much as possible to avoid jet lag, but, alas, it did not work. The jet lag plague will get you no matter what you do it seems. We arrived at 8 am with a full day of sight seeing ahead of us. The term 'sight seeing' does not do justice to what really was in store for me.
Imagine taking a bus from an airport to a hotel and in every direction you are smacked in the face with ancient Roman ruins. Can you imagine?! It was an immediate culture shock. These places and structures that I had seen in books, photographs, postcards, these two-dimensional figures were suddenly very three-dimensional.
We're talking about The Sistine Chapel, The Roman Forum, The Colloseum, The Trevi Fountain, Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, The Spanish Steps. I breathed the air that runs through them, over them, and around them! I touched The Colloseum where in history was the meeting place for all of the Romans to be entertained and to battle. I saw famous paintings and sculptures by Raphael and Michaelangelo, the originals that have been preserved. It's incredible and extremely educational.
I experienced their meal traditions as well. For colazione (breakfast), Italians have coffee, cappuccino, or tea with pastries. For pranzo (lunch), you have the choice of a panini (sandwich), or you can sit down and enjoy bruschetta or some sort of appetizer for the first course, pasta for the second, and then cold cuts for the third. White wine is usually served with the first course and then red wine with the second course. This could change depending on what you're eating. For cena (dinner), the first course is rice or pasta, the second is meat and a vegetable, and the third is cold cuts with cheese, and then you have dessert. Red wine is served with dinner. Fruit is always present at every meal. They have wonderful fruits and vegetables.
I am always hungry here if you can imagine that. I have breakfast at 7:15, lunch at 1 or 2, and dinner is at 8. So there is a lot of time in between meals and a lot of walking. Not to mention the brain exercise I do trying to learn the language. It's delightfully exhausting.
There is a night life in Rome, but at this time of year Italians don't normally go out. It's too cold for them. This was an interesting thing for me to learn, because 45- 50 degrees is far more pleasant to go out in than what Buffalo is experincing at the moment. However, this is their winter. If you find yourself aching for a nice cold brew an illuminated Guiness is always a good sign. Irish bars seem to be the norm, but discotecas are all the rage. Not for me, though. It's a good time, even if you're the only ones there. haha