Prost, Germany!

It’s crazy how fast time has flown by. London and Siena seem like years ago and I have only a little over a month left in Florence! I still have a list of other countries I want to see before I leave, so I decided it was time to plan everything out. One of the places at the top of my list was Germany, but it seemed like getting there for a reasonable amount of money was impossible. Train tickets and plane tickets were in the hundred Euros and the organized trip programs only went on certain dates to Munich. I had the weekend before and after spring break open and my only chance to go was with Euroadventures to Munich the weekend before spring break. Despite the fact that I had three research papers due before spring break, I decided to book the trip and tag along with a few friends! I had a feeling it’d be worth it.

The night before departure I received an email saying the tour guide for the trip’s flight got delayed so I’d either have to go to Prague instead or cancel the trip altogether. This was extremely disappointing, but with a few emails and phone calls we convinced Euroadventures to just organize the transportation and hotel for us and drop us off in Munich without a planned schedule and without a tour guide… which I preferred anyway!

Thursday night around 8pm (March 22^nd), I wheeled my suitcase through the cobblestone streets of Florence to the Santa Maria Novella train station across town and snagged a seat on the bus. I’m really surprised by how much my suitcase has been through and that it’s still surviving. Thank God! The bus ride was a long eight hours, driving through northern Italy and part of Austria, to the doorstep of our hotel in downtown Munich. It was 4am when we checked in and we were able to sleep a few hours before starting the day.

Euroadventures bumped us up from hostel accommodations to a hotel, and the breakfast alone definitely showed the difference. It was the best, most unique breakfast I’d ever had! As much as I love Italian food, I was dying to have something different for a while. I didn’t think there was much variety in German food, but I was pleasantly surprised. The breakfast consisted of multiple types of cereals – granola, cornflakes, etc. - dried fruit, yogurts, hams, cheeses, vegetables (including pickles! Italy seems to not know they exist…), pastries, croissants, pretzels… is your mouth watering yet? I certainly ate more than enough and tried everything at least once. One of my goals throughout this trip has been to try as much foreign food as I can from every culture I experience. So far everything has been wonderful!

We had a lot to do in two and a half days and thankfully my friends had done a little planning beforehand. It was also nice that Katherine knows German so we were able to communicate better with everyone. We made our way to the city center first to watch the huge clock tower (called the Glockenspiel) strike 11 o’clock and play music while the figurines rotated and spun around. Apparently it had become a huge tourist attraction as was evident by the crowds of people gathered around to watch. The rest of the city center was gorgeous and extremely clean. I especially liked the large fresh fruit, vegetable and flower markets we found at Viktualienmarket. Again, I was surprised at the variety in German foods – I was honestly expecting a diet of sausage, potatoes and beer for my stay there, which definitely is delicious, but not so healthy. But the market had everything you could think of (more pickles!) and then some. There was also a cute outside café, and with their plate of lunch, I swear EVERYONE had a huge glass of beer – even the little old ladies. It was fantastic!

Next we split up – Katherine went to explore the art museums while Lindsay, Molly and I headed to Dachau concentration camp. It took a while to figure out transportation but with the help of a few nice locals we got our tickets and were on our way. The transportation in Munich was great – our group train ticket was good for the metro, tram and bus as well and could be used the entire day! Everything was prompt as well, so we had no trouble making the best use of our time there.

The concentration camp was a completely different experience compared to the tourists sites I had been visiting, but I felt like it was an important part in history that I had to see. It was located in a huge open space inside a quiet German town. There was a somber feeling throughout and everything looked the same as it had during its use, with a few less buildings and barracks. The gate to the entrance displayed a phrase in German that translated to something like “Work Sets You Free”, which was obviously a misleading message to all who entered. We did an audio guided tour throughout. It was such a weird feeling walking through areas where executions were carried out and marches had been conducted. We also saw what the barracks looked like and walked through the process leading up to the gas showers. I honestly hadn’t heard much about Dachau before I went, but the experience helped me understand so much more than what textbooks could about the Holocaust.

It was nearing the end of our first day when we all met back up for dinner. We decided to eat at the world famous Hoffbrauhaus (I kept thinking my friends were saying “Opera House” all day). It’s a huge beer hall with long tables, live music and the most warm, welcoming atmosphere. I knew as soon as I walked in I would love the place! We found empty spots at a table next to two American couples, right in front of the band. It’s a pretty popular tourist attraction so we expected to see a few more Americans there than we had elsewhere. For dinner I ordered bratwurst and German potato salad, with a huge raddler – which is half lemonade, half beer. German beer may have changed my mind about the beverage I usually disliked. It was delicious! And the largest glass I’d ever had. I finished it all! Even though it technically was only half beer, I’d still like to think my German ancestors would be proud. Haha!

As we finished our dinner and were getting ready to leave, an elderly drunk man grabbed Lindsay’s hand as she passed the table and began to introduce her to his “grandsons”. She called me over and we chatted with them for a bit but were hesitant to stay. We grabbed the other girls and decided to sit a while with the guys. I struck up a conversation with Oliver, a guy who had traveled to Munich from northern Germany just to party a little with his friends. We talked about everything from politics to religion to fashion. I noticed he was wearing a Hollister sweatshirt which I was curious about because I had noticed a lot of European guys wearing the American brand. He said brands like Hollister and Abercrombie are extremely popular in Europe and pretty pricey – he paid 80 euro for his. I thought it was funny that people wait in long lines to buy those brands in Europe, brands that were popular when I was in middle and high school. We talked for around two hours and it was one of the best conversations I’ve had with a European so far. He knew English so well compared to Italians I’ve interacted with and I felt bad for not knowing any German. It also didn’t hurt that he was pretty attractive. I was intrigued, needless to say. :)

Our trip the next day was what I was most excited for. We took a train through the beautiful green and foresty German countryside to Fussen, a small town just outside Munich where Neuschwanstein Castle is tucked away in the mountains. We woke up pretty early and were all tired – poor Lindsay kept falling asleep everywhere. The two little old German ladies next to me on the train thought it was hysterical when I snuck photos of her.

When our train arrived we took a bus up through the mountains and had a better view of the castle. Sadly, part of it was covered by scaffolding so we couldn’t see the beauty in its entirety. But it was magnificent and I can definitely see why Walt Disney was so inspired by it. The castle was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and was actually never finished. The colors – oranges, pinks, whites, grays - made it look like a castle straight out of a fairytale! I was deeply saddened that we couldn’t take the horse drawn carriage up the mountain to the castle. Wouldn’t that have been perfect?! But we had to hike instead. And a gorgeous hike it was! We had a great view of the countryside, forest and snow covered mountains. Halfway there it began to rain on us. There was something so thrilling about watching the dark storm clouds roll in and us having to run and take shelter in a castle. Like something out of a fantasy movie – it was one of those happenings you’d only day dream about.

The tour throughout was brief since there were only certain rooms and floors open to the public. Everything was so fairytale like that I kept forgetting an actual king lived there. One room had a Tristan and Isolde theme, another was built to resemble a cave, and another had swans everywhere. Apparently the King was nuts about swans ever since he was a child. Leaving, we caught the bus just in time to miss the next storm and make our way back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner.

To continue with our German beer drinking experiences, we decided to have dinner at Lowenbraukeller, another beer hall that is part of Starkbierfest. It was a huge hall full of tables and a stage, along with a second floor, which is where we sat. It eventually was packed with Germans all in Bavarian costume. The festival isn’t as well known as Oktoberfest, so it was nice to not be around tourists and see what German life was like on a typical night. This time I ordered a full liter of beer and it was just as good without the lemonade! I imagine if I had studied abroad in Germany I’d have ridiculously good arm strength; it was such a struggle lifting my stein for every picture and every sip!

As the night went on there was a German band playing, a beautiful woman contest and a strongest man contest. We eventually joined a group of rowdy English and Irish men who were sitting at the table next to ours. They were in Munich celebrating their friend’s bachelor party. I never would have thought the English to be wild and loud drunks, but they were crazier than some of the Americans and “bros” I’ve seen partying back home. At one point, one of them spilled their beer on a German guy sitting nearby, who then turned around with a glare like he was about to kill someone. But a few drinks later, all was merry and well.

For some reason I was singled out by the groom to be picked on for the night. It was my first encounter with British humor… which basically consists of making fun of someone or trying to get under their skin, in a very slapstick and sarcastic manner. So he kept calling me by a different name, even though he knew it was Carly, or he kept pretending to give me a high five and then pull his hand away. Silly stuff like that, which probably was partially due to his drunkenness as well. It was just sort of… bizarre. If I hadn’t known he was kidding around, I would have been really annoyed. But every now and then he’d say “you know I’m kidding” or “I’m glad you’re taking this in good heart”. And eventually towards the end of the night – after he reappeared from a drunken disappearance caused by several consecutive shots – he bought me a drink and we had a bit of “real talk” on the restaurant’s terrace. I had another cool conversation with one of the guys who lived in London. I was talking about how much I liked the city and that I was excited to return in a few months. He told me places I must go to and wrote down some British slang on a napkin for me so that I’d be a little clued in on the conversation.

By the end of the night, the entire place was so lively. Everyone was dancing – on chairs, tables, the floor – or they were sitting down having conversations with big grins on their faces, still drinking the beer like water. Walking back to the hotel I had such a great feeling and was already starting to think Munich was my favorite trip so far.

Our last day in Munich, we had only half a day to explore before heading back to Florence. We took the subway out to the Olympic Stadium. Unfortunately the stadium was closed to visitors, but we were able to see the swimming, soccer and hockey arenas. We then climbed a huge hill in a nearby park and had a great view into the stadium where the 1972 Olympics were held. We still had time to kill before we had to go back to the hotel, so we decided to go to the BMW factory and museum that was right next door. The museum was massive and so innovative, with touch screen and interactive... everything. There were cars, motorcycles, engines and inventions from the company from all eras. And in the modern part of the museum we were able to sit on several motorcycles and cars. We couldn’t drive them, but it was a great photo opportunity!

We made it back just in time for the bus to pick us up. It was full of students who had gone to Prague for the weekend, and everyone pretended to be asleep so they wouldn’t have to give up their seats for us. Such a familiar atmosphere had returned. Ha. The ride back was beautiful as we drove through Austria and the Alps. Austria was one country I wanted to visit but I figured with seeing Germany and later the Czech Republic, I wasn’t missing much. I tried to keep my mind off the fact that I had three research papers due in the next days. I instead was looking forward to spring break that was a week away, and all the trips I had planned!

Here are more pictures from my time in Germany!

Northern Italy: Place to Place with a Friendly Face

All at once it seemed like everyone in my program was having friends and family coming to Florence to visit them. I felt a little sad that none of my friends or family could come; I wanted so badly to share my experiences with them and let them see in person the beautiful city I called home and praised so often. Then about a week before spring break at UT, my good friend Alyssa told me she was trying to work things out so that she could visit! I was so excited because we had been discussing the possibility before I left and she had worked so hard to save up and travel for spring break. Well it did work out, and she arrived in Florence early Friday morning on the 9^th of March. The poor thing had just finished two days of flying and as soon as she arrived we headed to the Santa Maria Novella train station to go to Milan!

It was my first train ride ever and I was super excited about it. Everything went smoothly and we arrived in Milan around mid-day. It took a while to figure out which form of transportation we should take to find our hostel, but we finally found it. We stayed one night at Hostel Greco; it was super cheap but a bit far from the city center. I had booked it a few nights before on Hostel World and was nervous because it didn’t have the best reviews. It was also my first time staying in a hostel – and this one we shared with about eight other girls and guys. As usual, my worrying was unnecessary because everything worked out fine. We had a place to sleep and a city to explore!

Milan was originally where I wanted to study abroad just because it is Italy’s fashion capital and I thought I’d somehow figure my way into fashion week. But after visiting – we had a short time, unfortunately, just half a day – I’m glad I chose Florence. Milan is very much more of a modern city with not nearly as much to see as Florence. I think I would have grown tired of the city.

We visited the beautiful Duomo and the famous shopping area right next to it – Quadrilatero d’Oro. It was like a fashionista’s heaven! There were beautiful designer stores everywhere and quaint little cafes. I love browsing the window displays because they often have cool themes corresponding to the designer’s fashion line items. It was also funny seeing a McDonald’s planted in the middle of it all. I’m beginning to think our fast food restaurants here are of a higher luxury standard to Italians. I’ll admit, I caved and got a strawberry milkshake and cheeseburger once… so good. After a short time wandering the streets we found a cute but bit pricey restaurant to have a delicious dinner before heading back to the hostel.

The next morning we woke up early and headed back to the train station to visit Verona for the day. I was happily settled on the train waiting for departure, just thinking about how lucky we were to get such cheap tickets and make all of our trips on time. I started reading the back of my ticket and saw it said you must validate your ticket if you don’t have an assigned seat. I mentioned it to Alyssa and remembered seeing someone stick their ticket in a machine before boarding the train. By the time I decided maybe I should run off the train and validate them, it was too late and we began moving. We were just hoping that no one would come around to check. But of course, they did. A man checking tickets looked at ours and began telling us in Italian that we had to pay a fine for no validation. Neither of us fully understood and he asked if we spoke English. We said yes, but he continued on in Italian while another passenger on the train began arguing with him and yelling about how it was unfair. Once the attendant collected our money, he left our car and didn’t return to check anyone else’s tickets. We had to pay around 11 euro (the price of our ticket) and a 45 euro fine on top of that. So much for our cheap tickets! All because we didn’t get a little stamp of the date on our ticket. Everyone else on the train was a lot more helpful trying to explain to us (in Italian and Spanish, since Alyssa knows Spanish pretty well) what we had to do once we got to Verona. Once we arrived there, we were able to get a bit of a refund towards our return ticket to Florence. The man who was arguing with the train attendant went out of his way to show us where to go and he even complained to the station about what happened. Even though this was such an annoying and unfortunate happening that could have been avoided, it changed my views on how Italians just keep to themselves. We were obviously in a dilemma and quite a bit of them went out of their way to help. It was so nice!

That trouble aside, we began our day’s exploration of Verona. We stopped for lunch and I had my first Kebab and a beer. It was a delicious combination – food always seems to make everything better! In total, we spent about six hours in Verona and saw quite a bit of the city and its history. It’s very touristy, but reminded me of Florence on a smaller scale. It was just as beautiful. We visited the Castelvecchio first, which was massive and now houses museums. It was right along the river so once we climbed to the top we had a great view of the city. We also saw a bit of a movie being filmed; someone said it was a new Romeo and Juliet film.

This brings me to the reason I was most excited to visit Verona. It is, of course, the city in which William Shakespeare based the play “Romeo and Juliet”. Because of this, there are a ton of tourist sites pertaining to the story, including Juliet’s house and Juliet’s tomb, both of which my friend and I visited. I don’t know if the Capulets and Montagues actually existed – I’m pretty sure it’s all just made up – but nonetheless it was a thrilling feeling being there and sort of living the story.

I love Shakespeare and am such a hopeless romantic so that sort of thing is definitely my cup of tea. I even stayed up until 5am watching “Letters to Juliet” the night before the trip just to be inspired and excited for when I’d get to write my own letter. If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s about Juliet’s house in Verona where girls go and write to her letters of their love or heartbreak, leave them in the wall, and wait for a response. The main character goes to the wall, finds a letter from years ago, and decides to respond to it as Juliet. She ends up helping the author of the letter find her long lost love and, in the process, finds her own love (who happens to be a cute brit - Totally my kind of movie). Haha

In the film, Juliet’s house is hidden away in a peaceful courtyard of plants, benches, and a statue of herself. It was a bit disappointing that the wall wasn’t like the movie, but I sort of expected that. The courtyard was full of tourists and there were gift shops all around. The walls were covered in signatures and there were no letters. We actually had to go inside and take a tour of the house up to the room where you can either write or email Juliet your letter. SO 2012. I chose to write mine and although I had been contemplating what to say, I still just made it general. I put my address down for a response, but I’m not sure they actually do that. Who knows – it’d be cool if they did! J

Another central site we visited was Verona’s Arena – sort of like the Colosseum but on a much smaller scale. Lastly, we went to Juliet’s tomb, which was on the opposite side of the city and consisted of a small museum that led down to a dark underground tunnel and room that contained an empty tomb. We did a lot in two days and were completely exhausted by the time we returned to Florence Saturday night.

The next day I had been particularly anticipating because it was the day of the Pitti Immagine Taste Festival! Since I’ve been abroad, my affection for food has been growing immensely. I am always hungry and can always eat more. I’m also more open than ever to trying new things. The food festival was fantastic. We paid 15 euro and basically got to eat all kinds of foods from every region of Italy. There were olive oils, breads, pestos, meats, cheeses, wines, cookies, cakes – everything! They were all bite and taste sizes so you really had to make your way around to all the booths to get your money’s worth. I definitely did and I got pretty full and a bit tipsy! haha At the end there was a small market where you could purchase your favorite foods you tried.

The rest of my friend’s stay was spent in Florence doing everything I could think of that would give her a clear picture of what my life had been like there so far. I FINALLY went shopping and we also went to a classical music concert held in the British Library. We also both developed a cannoli addiction that I have yet to rid myself of. I have a feeling it will just be replaced with the next dessert I try!

Alyssa left early Thursday morning before I woke up for class, but she left behind a reminder of how sweet a friend she is. There were fresh flowers on the table and kitchen counter with a note saying they were a “thank you” for letting her stay the week! It was so sweet of her and it’s also inspired me to have fresh flowers in my apartment more often. The wonderful thing about Europe is the open air markets that sell those sorts of things – I’m really going to miss it when I return home. Alyssa had also brought me a present from home when she arrived – American Vogue! She knows me too well. J

I also had another trip on my horizon. The next day I packed and left early, along with other students in my program, for a weekend stay in Venice! We headed towards northeast Italy, where I had just been only a week prior. But this time we’d be on the water and I’d get to see yet another ocean. I’ve been exposed to so many different types of transportation this semester and Venice definitely was quite a new experience. Our bus stopped at a vacant lot near the city and we all had to transfer onto boats to get to our hotels. I snagged a seat on the top deck so I had a great view as we sailed into the city.

Venice didn’t look too different than Florence – colorful, ancient buildings, piazzas, statues… except, of course, it is completely on the water and your only way to get around is by boat or on foot. But it did feel a lot more like a fairytale. One of the school faculty said you haven’t experienced Venice unless you get lost in the city. It’s very easy to. The streets are narrow and curving, many dead end to water and there are bridges everywhere. A friend and I wandered one night to see what being lost in the city felt like. I think the city was meant to be seen that way, not by following a map from point to point.

There were a few things, though, that killed the magic for me. As you can imagine the city is an extremely popular tourist site and that’s pretty much completely what it thrives and survives on. It’s expensive and you pay for everything – public restrooms and even to sit at an outside table to have gelato. Everywhere you turn there are street performers or gondoliers trying to get you to purchase their goods or go for an overpriced ride in a gondola. I remember watching a video in my Italian class back home about the tradition and expertise it takes to become a gondolier and how respected it is. I got a completely different impression, though, because I thought it was the main transportation for all Venetians. Gondolas now are decorated in such a gaudy manner and seem to be for the retired tourists willing to pay the overpriced amount. But I guess I can’t blame a city that’s struggling to survive. It was also sad to learn that many people don’t live there anymore and looking around, most of the buildings did look vacant. I imagine life would be a bit difficult there and it’d also be weird knowing that the city is constantly sinking! It was built atop tree trunks that were driven into the ocean bed and I suppose over the years they’ve begun to give way and shift around.

Through tours with our school, we saw a ton of historic sites and famous churches, including the Basilica di San Marco that had the entire ceiling and walls in mosaic. But I was more excited for our free time on Saturday that I used to visit the islands of Murano and Burano. I took a boat from the main land to Murano, which is the island where most of Venice’s glassblowing takes place. I was able to see a bit of this in action and wandered through shops of gorgeous Venetian glass products, including some of the most amazing chandeliers I’ve ever seen. Afterwards, I island hopped to Burano, which was probably the closest real life experience I’d ever have to the Wizard of Oz. It was a cute island with not much more than residences, all of which were painted in bright colors of the rainbow with contrasting flower pots outside and trim on the houses. Hopefully my friends and I didn’t freak out too many residents with our picture taking and running around their front and back yards!

It was sad leaving Venice because I felt like the city was a whole new experience and a breath of fresh air from the routine I was falling into with school. I also had tons of homework to face back home – but I could only hide from it for so long!

Here are more pictures from my time in Milan, Verona, Florence, and Venice!

Roman Holiday! (minus the princess part)

Since I’ve been in Italy, I’ve probably visited more churches than I have just going to Sunday service throughout my 20 years of life. I’ve always thought churches were beautiful, but the ones here are breathtaking. I find myself in awe at the detail and craftsmanship and wonder how on earth they constructed anything so spectacular hundreds and thousands of years ago? But I guess with such religious devotion you’d want only the best for places of worship. Religion still seems to be of great importance in Italy – almost everyone who is religious is catholic. Good luck finding a protestant church! I wonder, though, the ratio of visitors who go to attend mass compared to those who just visit it as an art museum and historical site?

I attended mass at the Duomo with a few friends because I wanted to experience the church fulfilling its purpose, how it was meant to serve the people. The mass was in English and it was wonderful being in a church after not going for so long. I’m not catholic so I didn’t know the prayers, but they sounded similar to the ones I’d heard when I went with my dad to mass in the states. The sermon had a great message – something along the lines of not worrying about material goods and possessions because in the end they don’t matter and aren’t the sum of your life. The priest also talked about not burdening yourself with past events – something I struggle with all too often. At the time I was still pretty frustrated about what happened with my sublease in Austin. I kept praying about it and realized that I needed to just accept the cards I’d been dealt and move on. God wouldn’t put me through anything I couldn’t handle. He never has.

I’ve always loved classical music and dressing up, so I was excited to attend my first Italian opera! It was at the Teatro Comunale, a beautiful theater with rows and decks of seats all in the royal Florentine red. We saw the performance “Tosca”, a play in three acts by Giacomo Puccini. The music was lovely and I recognized one of the songs from when I studied classical music for music memory competition in middle school. The story was about a political rebel who was fleeing from imprisonment and his singer girlfriend. I was pleased with myself because for the most part I could understand everything, even though it seemed they were speaking a mix of Italian and Latin (I think). The story, of course, had a fatal Romeo & Juliet-type ending and received applause from everyone, even a few “bravos” and standing ovations.

The next morning we left bright and early for Rome! We stayed at the Hotel Portamaggiore, which was pretty far from the center of the city but had its own interesting ruins surrounding it. Something I found quite interesting about Rome was the mixture of old and new. I had seen pictures of the famous sites but never thought about what surrounded them. You walk down a narrow, winding street of cafes and shops and suddenly you turn a corner to find Trevi Fountain or Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps). It felt like finding a hidden treasure or taking a step back in time. There were people everywhere and I loved feeling anonymous, being lost in the crowd in another huge city. It wasn’t overwhelming; I could see myself living there and loving it.

Our first day we didn’t waste any time and saw a ton of sites: lots of churches and lots of art. My tour guide, Peter, was hilarious and had a joke for everything. He’s one of those quotable people, saying things like, “Okay we enter this church, steal your pictures, and run like hell” or “You see this ancient roman bath? It’s very similar to the one I have in my hotel.” He’d say “come along children” and by the end of the tour he was more like our really awesome grandpa instead of a tour guide.

The second day in Rome was dedicated to the Vatican. We waited outside the huge walled city for a while before finally being herded inside along with the other curious tourists. We made our way through gorgeous rooms of artwork and relics, down long hallways of frescos towards the Sistine Chapel. The only thing I knew about it was that it was one of Michelangelo’s most famous works. Our guide explained the meaning behind the paintings, that they represented God’s creation and the fall of man. Luckily I got a good long view of the paintings with my neck craned to the ceiling, taking baby steps. That’s how fast I could move. The entire place was packed with people and guards shouting for us to move along. No pictures were allowed, but I guess I could have snuck a few. Other people certainly did. Something that has become a pet peeve of mine on this trip is when people use their flash to take pictures of art work. I don’t know if they realize what it does to a painting over time or if they don’t think their one flash will make a difference - similar to how one would think their vote in an election doesn’t matter. But it all adds up and the eventual outcome can be drastic. I’ve tried to lessen my random photo snaps and try, instead, to really study the art and just remember how it made me feel – something some quick photos don’t always capture.

St. Peter’s Basilica was next and it was just as beautiful as the Duomo in Florence. There was a ray of light shining through one of the windows that made people look like glowing angels or spirits when they passed through – it looked pretty hilarious. Another odd sighting was one section of the church that had the body of a dead pope on display in a glass casket. It was his actual body covered in wax. It still puzzles me how the bodies or body parts of saints and popes are preserved and worshipped. I’ve always believed that the body is meaningless without the spirit. But I guess they can be symbols of remembrance of the good deeds you’ve done?

On our way back to the hotel my roommate and I took the right bus in the wrong direction and found ourselves on the complete opposite side of Rome. Oops! Even though it took us an extra hour to get back, at least we got a “tour” of a side of Rome we might not otherwise have seen. Besides that minor error, the transportation in Rome was fairly easy to figure out. There were the buses, trains, and, my favorite, the subway. I don't know what it's like to teleport, but I think subways are man's closest invention to it. You descend into the subway in one neighborhood, you see nothing but darkness and flashing lights throughout the journey, and then you ascend into a completely different looking place!

The last oober famous site we visited was the Colosseum, on our third day in Rome. It. Was. Amazing. The funny thing was it is surrounded by modern streets and apartments, so it was so unexpected when we came upon it. Part of it was under construction so I didn’t make the complete circle around, but I did climb as high up as possible – talk about a work-out. There were even guys dressed up as Roman warriors outside. How cute! Not. These dudes are one of the many tricksters out to rob tourists of their money. They ask if you want a picture with them (with your own camera) then charge you for it. Another trick I saw partially played out was a man giving his camera to a girl, asking her to take a photo of him. When the camera “doesn’t work” the man comes over to try and figure it out while you get pick-pocketed. There were about fifteen of us staring at the situation, so fortunately nothing happened to the girl.

After the day’s sightseeing some friends and I decided to just roam… Rome. It’s was nice to give the camera a rest and just live. We grabbed some gelato and stretched out by the river to rest a while. It was a perfect sunny day and the weather was fantastic! By the time I got home I was dead tired and slept through dinner until our departure the next morning. Some of us woke up earlier than the others to make an extra stop in Tivoli on our way home. It was so worth it! I’m such a sucker for European romanticism and fairy-tale like dwellings, and that’s exactly how I’d describe Villa d’este and the remains of an ancient roman estate we visited. The estate was in the Tivoli countryside, just outside Rome, and had paths of trees, ponds surrounded by goddess statues, and the fantastic remains of buildings that once served as a Roman ruler’s home.

Villa d’este was my favorite. The villa had rooms full of paintings and frescoes and there wasn’t much light except for a few windows that gave us a sneak peak of the gardens outside. The views were spectacular and once I stayed a while on the balcony, I raced down the steps to explore the garden. It was a work of art in its own with perfectly and creatively trimmed shrubbery. It was maze-like and definitely fulfilled my desire to just run around in gardens or a vineyard - kind of like how Lizzie in Pride & Prejudice runs away to the desolate countryside to escape. I love when life here is so comparable to a book or movie I love. J

Every turn housed a magnificent water fountain, some tucked away in caves. There were steps leading to even larger fountains, including one known as the organ fountain where we heard an organ playing music by the fountain’s water pressure. There was also a row of large ponds with fish! I still think this place was one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in Europe so far and I felt such a connection to it. It was a nice way to wind down after a crazy few days in massive Rome!

Here are more pictures from my time in Rome and Tivoli!

Building a Smile: Carnevale, Fiesole, & Fashion

Besides my brief encounters with locals at stores and cafes, I haven’t had much interaction with Italian culture. I am living here, but I’ve been waiting for that moment when I feel out of place or witness something so unusual that it makes me really stop and take notice of the cultural differences. I finally felt like I experienced that when I attended Carnevale in Viareggio, Italy on Sunday (Feb. 12^th).

Carnevale is basically the Italian version of Halloween mixed with a Mardi Gras-like parade. Everyone is dressed in elaborate costumes, some of which have themes. Others just wear intricately decorated, colorful masks – which is what I did. I was so stoked to wear my silver sequin mask, unfortunately it wasn’t very flattering. Haha

Before the carnival parade began I spent a little time wandering the beach nearby. It was funny seeing everyone running around the sand wearing their masks. It was also odd wearing full winter attire on the beach. I realized I had never been on a beach in cold weather, nor had I ever been to a beach that wasn’t on the Gulf of Mexico. Viareggio beaches are beautiful: Clean water and sand with a backdrop of snow covered mountains. But I hear they’re nothing compared to Sicily or the Amalfi Coast. Hopefully, when it warms up, I’ll see for myself!

The parade was like none other I had experienced before. All of the floats were gigantic artistic masterpieces portraying a political message – almost all dealing with former Prime Minister Berlusconi. Some were pretty provocative, leading me to wonder if anything like that would be allowed in a states parade. Probably not…along with the masses of tweens and teens drinking and smoking. I couldn’t get past how weird that was. Nevertheless, when Italians come together to celebrate, they really know how to enjoy themselves and have a good time!

The following week was fabulous and fashion-filled. One day for my History of Italian Fashion class we visited the Scuola del Cuoio, not too far from my apartment and the Santa Croce church. It’s a school and workshop where some of Florence’s finest leather goods are made by hand. One of the artisans demonstrated an old renaissance technique of applying gold leaf texture to a piece of leather. The design was intricate and unique to the artist, making every piece special. People such as Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn, and Gwyneth Paltrow owned leather goods from the school. It was surreal thinking they had walked the same hall that I was standing in.

For the next class meeting we had another field trip, this time to Pitti Palace, which houses multiple museums. It’s always such a task getting to class in the morning, especially when we have an onsite meeting. And of course the days I’m running late is when I have to climb huge hills and navigate confusing streets. Once I reach the destination though, panting and perspiring, it’s always so worth it.

Pitti Palace came into view as I sped-walk past shops and cafes that lined the street. It was so massive; I couldn’t believe I hadn’t spotted it from afar – or that I hadn’t been to this place yet! My ultimate idea of Europe is enchanting palaces and castles, and finally I was standing at the entrance of one! The palace was bought by the Medici family in the 1500s and was the main residence for the ruling family, as well as the place of reception for other world rulers visiting Florence.

We visited the costume gallery which includes in its impressive collection the garments of a few members of the Medici family. And not just any garments – the clothes they were buried in. So someone had a lot of work collecting the shreds and pieces of fabric that remained. I thought it was weird that they dug up the bodies of some of Italy’s most famous historic figures and took their clothes. But it was pretty amazing seeing it in person. Other costumes on display were dresses ranging from the 1700s to modern day – including some of Italy’s best known designers who made dresses inspired by the ancient costumes.

In my Fashion Marketing & Merchandising class we also had a field trip to the Salvatore Ferragamo museum. I was really excited to learn more about a designer I was only familiar with by looking at ads in Vogue. The museum housed tons of original designs by Ferragamo, including the clear wedge shoe that won him the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award. In just this one visit my love for fashion and admiration of designers grew – in leaps! Ferragamo began making shoes at age nine, and nothing ever set him back from his dream. Even during financial crisis when supplies were limited he used his creativity to create from what was available. We saw some of these products of creativity in the form of shoes made from fish skin and cork, and they weren’t any less beautiful than hand-crafted leather. I also had no idea how loved his designs were by some of my favorite movie stars: Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, Lauren Bacall… to name a few.

It’s wonderful to live in a place where these things are in my backyard, so to speak. I can experience everything firsthand that otherwise I would only learn about through slideshows, sitting in a cold class room. I know it’s not possible to always have this available for teaching methods, but it helps an awful lot and is so much more intriguing. There should definitely be more field trips in college, or at least more efforts to make class a little more interesting. I feel very lucky to have these things available to me.

The following weekend we had another trip to a small town near Florence called Fiesole. The day consisted of another lovely hike up a hill (of death) to a gorgeous view of Florence. Unfortunately it was a bit foggy so my photos didn’t turn out as nice. But that really was the least of my worries.

A few days prior I found out that the person subleasing my apartment in Austin was moving out. I had two options: find someone new to move in or pay the rent myself and say “adios!” to traveling and return home early. I guess you can imagine this was my worst nightmare coming true. When I got the email I couldn’t help crying and remembering those horrible days at work last semester, where I would push through the stress and hatred of my job because I knew the more money I earned, the more I could travel. I basically had control of making my dreams come true… it just depended on how much I was willing to put myself through. And I did it. Three jobs added up to 40+ hours a week on top of 12 hours of classes and an internship. I really don’t know how I managed – and here I was suddenly feeling like all of that was for nothing. Just when everything was starting to feel comfortable, Austin came back to haunt me.

I’ve found that abroad, even more so than in the states, I’m constantly trying to figure out the lessons I’m learning from situations such as this or what God is trying to show me. It was hard to come to any nice conclusion; I was mad as hell. I would never do that to someone, especially if I knew they worked so hard to travel and that was all the money they had. But I guess you can’t expect people to be reliable or treat you how you would treat them - at least not in this day and age.

Standing there at the top of the hill in Fiesole, I felt my worries slip away for a bit. Here I was in a place I thought I’d only ever dream of seeing and I was letting something take away my enjoyment. Something that, as hard as it was for me to admit it (I tend to be the queen of worrying), I knew would ultimately work out.

I walked over to a bench and saw the phrase “Smile Like You Mean It” written in white marker on the top. This was exactly what I needed to see and it cheered me up for several reasons. It reminded me of my favorite band The Killers, who have a song of the same name. Second to praying, their music is what I always turn to when I need cheering up, hope, or a new way to think of things. They are like my soul mate in music form – yep, I’m pretty obsessed!

Not only did I think of The Killers and all their sweet music remedies, but also of my brother Chad (who is as equally obsessed with them as I am). It made me think of all the phone calls and conversations my twin and I shared when we had problems to discuss. I knew if Chad was there he’d first give me a hard time, make fun of my problems, then tell me to listen to The Killers and move on. Because everything would work out. Everything would be alright.

For the rest of my time in Fiesole I decided I would march forward and enjoy myself. I had a Roman theater to see, Etruscan ruins to climb, and a delicious Tuscan meal to eat. And I would do it all smiling like I meant it. J

Here are more pictures from my time in Florence, Fiesole, and at Carnevale!

Finally, Florence!

It’s been little over a week in Florence and it already feels like home. Probably because that week feels more like a month when I think about everything that’s happened. I’m already settled in my apartment, going to classes and know my way around almost good enough to not need a map. I can just leave my apartment, put on my headphones, walk, breathe, and take it all in.

The bus ride from Siena to Florence was all too familiar. A lot of this trip has been constant traveling, stopping, experiencing an amazing place I could never dream up, then on to the next one. And I love it. I can picture this pattern of non-stop travel and experience being something like my future life. I mean, I’d love to find that one place that tears me apart to leave, but I think that’s a ways away. I’ve got so much more world to see!

As we arrived in Florence, there was one view I can’t get out of my head. The bus rounded a corner and from behind the vanishing trees the city came into view. It looked so perfect, like a painting, and as cheesy as it sounds it literally brought tears to my eyes. It seemed like everyone on the bus was as transfixed as I was with their gasps of disbelief that such beauty existed in the world.

Once in the city, we were reunited with our luggage, grouped together with our roommates and sent off in cabs to find our new home for the next three months. I wasn’t too excited that my apartment was a 25 minute walk from school, but had hopes we’d be in a cool part of town. After driving through sketchy, graffiti-filled, dark, narrow streets that looked like the set of "Escape from New York", the cab came to a stop. “Via dei Macci, settanta” the driver said as he put our luggage out in the street and drove away. We had a few laughs at the sight of one of our roommates trying to get her bags out of the street as she was holding up traffic. All four of us were thinking the same thing about the neighborhood. Oh. My. God. What is this?! We rang the doorbell labeled “Zuccherini” just as instructed. No answer. A few more times, still no answer. Then, like much needed Italian cliché comic relief, our landlord Simonetta zooms by on a vespa yelling “Ciao!” She parked and ran to let us in. The front door opened to a winding staircase and I was just beginning to lift my suitcase onto the first step when I heard my roommates yell, “Oh my god you guys, drop your stuff and come see this now!” I ran upstairs and through the front door that branches off into two gorgeous apartments. Simonetta had just finished redoing the entire place and we were the first ones to live there. Andrea and I had our own living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, all furnished from IKEA, and so did Zoe and Caroline. It didn’t have that Italy feel that I was expecting – like antique furniture, super small and cozy – but I couldn’t complain. We really lucked out.

Though we had a super nice apartment, there was one huge problem. The lock on our front door was faulty and until Simonetta fixed it, it took us about an hour and a half to get in each time we tried. But it did give us the opportunity to meet our neighbors who saw us struggling and tried to help out. Three guys who go to Texas Christian University live across from us and we often invite them over and go out!

It was so nice to unpack, get settled and not have to live out of suitcases anymore. The same night we had a welcome dinner at another gorgeous restaurant called Palazzo Borghese.  To get to the eating area, you have to pass through several rooms all decorated in Victorian or French style – I’m not sure which but it was beautiful. And the dining area was definitely a sight – chandeliers, frescoes on the ceiling, and the same antique furnishing and decorations. Needless to say I felt underdressed. I think a princess cut ball gown would have been appropriate!

We had one free day in Florence before our classes began and I spent it going on an art history tour of the city. We saw Michelangelo’s David (the replica, the real one is inside a museum here) along with many others in the Piazza della Signoria. We went inside the Duomo and it was just as beautiful as the one in Siena. I look forward to attending church service there this semester.

While on the tour we experienced the beginning of the ridiculously cold weather Florence would have for the week. So far it’s been in the 20s every day, with snow fall every now and then. Apparently it hasn’t been this cold here since the ‘80s. I had to give in and purchase some warmer clothes at H&M because I definitely wasn’t prepared. There’ve been days when I feel like I’d be willing to give anything for a hot Texas summer day. And I often feel compelled to sleep in my wool pea coat under my covers at night. Okay, you get it. It’s so freaking cold!

My classes are going great and I really enjoy all of them. I’m taking Fashion Marketing & Merchandising, History of Italian Fashion, History of Italian Cinema, and Italian Language. I came into this thinking study abroad classes would be a breeze, but it seems like I have a lot of work ahead of me. Lots of writing – each class I have to do a 3500 word research paper on top of other tests, papers and homework assignments. I am also volunteering with a local English speaking community newspaper – The Florence Newspaper. I’m very excited about writing for them because I plan to focus a lot on the fashion community of Florence and Italy. The editor (who is also my cinema professor) is currently trying to get me a press pass for Milan Fashion Week. Crossing my fingers it all works out! This was supposed to be a take-it-easy semester, but somehow I always manage to put a lot on my plate. I guess it’s just what I’m subconsciously comfortable with and I secretly can’t function without stress?

My first week in Florence I also experienced my first soccer match. Soccer is BIG in Italy. The game was Fiorentina vs. Udinese, and Florence ended with the win. I didn’t stay the entire game because by the second half I couldn’t feel my toes, hands or face and felt like death was upon me. It was miserably cold. But I do look forward to going to another match once it warms up a bit. Being around Italians at a soccer match is hilarious. There was one older guy behind me that was so into it he kept patting me on the back and shouting words of excitement to me in Italian. All I could do was smile and throw my hands in the air because I had no idea what he was saying. Next match I’m going to come prepared with my own phrases to shout in an opera-esque Italian accent.

When I’m not briskly walk-running to class, I have had some time to observe Italian society and note some differences between American and Italian culture. Just as Americans, Italians love their pets. There seems to be a dog obsession here. Everywhere you go outside (and sometimes in stores) you see people walking their cute little dogs – always the most unique breeds – dressed in sweaters and other winter attire. And dogs have the freedom to poop wherever they please. The sidewalks here have dog poop all over them! So avoiding stepping in it is something else I can add to my paranoia, along with being pooped on by a pigeon. Thankfully I have avoided both so far, but some of my friends haven’t been so lucky. I have a feeling my time will come...

Just as in London, the people here dress so nice. For women, fur is a major trend. Men, where do I begin? Italian men care so much about their appearance. Not all, but most of them wax their eyebrows, have carefully sculpted hairstyles, and my professor said it is popular for them to also wax their chests and get pedicures/manicures. They all look so perfect; it’s a bit too much. A lot of them seem to walk with this air that they know they look perfect, too. Again, some, not all. There’s quite a bit of average Joes, too.

Going out in Florence has been quite an experience as well. American music is pretty popular here and the clubs and pubs have their share of creeps just as in the states. The Italian men here are really aggressive in their female pursuits. (I actually had a conversation with a guy who agreed with me on this observation) I don’t know if it’s just a typical guy-in-a-club method or the way Italians are towards American girls. Conversations are brief and within minutes they’re dishing out compliments or trying to hold your hand and kiss you. It’s really odd getting that much attention. Even walking down the street you’ll get at least one “Ciao bella!” a day. We had an Italian police officer talk to us during our orientation about Italy’s number one sport – women. He also jokingly said the attention may get annoying while we’re here, but we’ll miss it once we go back to the states. I can see that being true, haha.

The language barrier definitely doesn’t help much. I always feel like I’m scrambling to remember conversational phrases from class when I’m out mingling with Italian dudes, just to prolong the conversation and avoid any awkwardness or unwanted aggressiveness. But, I guess if I were to ever meet a nice, decent guy, the language barrier could be a good thing. Everything you’d say to one another would have to be straight to the point because you don’t know enough of each other’s language to beat around the bush and avoid sincere conversation. I don’t know. I also just honestly LOVE practicing Italian with native speakers! Haha

Being settled in Florence, it’s getting easy to fall into a safe routine and not want to go out. I’ve been really tired lately and with the extreme cold weather it’s been so easy to just want to lie around the apartment. But I can’t let this happen! I have three more months to explore Europe and if I’m not taking advantage of it that time will surely fly by.


Here are more pictures from my time (so far) in Florence!