Cioccolato

Margherita just made the most delicious little chocolate cookie.

Essentially it is just chocolate, panna (creme), and panettone. Rolled into a little ball.
Delicious!
 She is also starting to make all of my favorite food because she knows that I am leaving soon. We only have a few days left together :( It is such a strange thing to think about!

Just thought I'd update with a little information. I've been so busy lately and haven't had much time to update this blog.

Well, now back to my paper about how Classical Mythology relates to Disney princess movies.

A dopo!
Ciao ciao

The Art of the Kitchen

During dinner tonight, I told Margherita about an Italian movie I watched in class today. I don't remember the title but it was about a man that goes to a cooking class to learn how to make chocolate. It was such an interesting film because it shows how chocolate is more than a few ingredients thrown together-- it is a true science.
Margherita brought up this point. To make good chocolate, you need love. The same as cooking and baking in the kitchen. Success comes with love and patience.

On another note, Happy last day of November! This month has truly flown by and it is surprising that we only have three weeks until Christmas! Margherita has started to buy an assortment of panetonne and pandoro for me (I think she comes home every day with a new one-- she wants me to try every different one from every bakery possible). These are traditional dolci of Natale. Panetonne is from Milano. It is a bread filled with raisins and dried fruits traditionally. Now there are many different versions. Some are filled with chocolate, liqueur or nuts. I found a grande panetonne at a popular chocolate shop, Vestri, that was covered in chocolate and hazelnuts. Yum! Margherita won't buy those though, she only likes the traditional panetonne. Pandoro is another traditional dolce originating in Verona. This is much different, with nothing inside and made with a lot of butter. They are extremely delicious. You can find fresh ones every day at about any pasticcheria (bakery). Or supermercato actually. They are everywhere.

Sorry this is such a bad picture, but on the left is pandoro and on the right is panetonne.

But, overall message of the day? Fill your life with love and your kitchen will be blessed with delicious food.

Happy Thanksgiving (?) !!

Well first of all, I'd like to wish all of my family and friends a wonderful Thanksgiving! It is such a great day to celebrate with loved ones and recognize everything we have been blessed with. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people in my life. Although I can't spend the holiday at home, everyone is in my thoughts and prayers today!
Unfortunately, Italy knows nothing of Thanksgiving and all of its wonderful delicious traditions. HOWEVER I did find a pumpkin pie in one of the American bakeries today-- its called Sugar and Spice and was on my way back from my presentation today. I just had to get one and share it with my friends. It was delicious. That made my day!

This morning, I had to give a presentation to an Italian high school. It was a presentation in English to help them learn. I had a blast. The teacher was so sweet and the students were so quiet and actually listened to me. I went to the Instituto del'Arte and it is gorgeous. Those students are so lucky. Italy has normal high schools, where students learn a little bit of every subject, but they also have specialized schools. This is a specialized high school, where the students learn only subjects in art. It is very different than American high schools.

Tonight, Margherita wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving with me! I was so shocked because I knew that she had no knowledge of the holiday. But she decorated the table very nicely and brought out champagne. We toasted to Ringraziamento (Thanksgiving) and she wished me a happy holiday! I think she also wanted to feed me like it was Turkey Day, not necessarily the kind of food but the quantity. Let me start from the beginning: 

1) Spinach and ricotta cooked together. Topped with fresh tomato sauce (always made from scratch)

2) A typical Tuscan dish (piatto toscana) made of Tuscan bread (Tuscan bread doesn't have any salt in it) mashed with cabbage, zucchini and onions. Topped with fresh olive oil. 

3) Lamb, slowly cooked in the oven for 7 hours, with potatoes that were cooked with the juice from the meat. Also, cooked artichokes (they are in season now!) with garlic and rosemary, roasted cauliflower and roasted green beans. 

4) A special cut of pork that is stuffed with herbs. Delicious-- you can find this on the street and the vendors make wonderful paninis with this. 

5) Tripe (not my favorite, I can't handle the squishy consistency) topped with cheese. 

6) Clementines and a pear 

7) A traditional Italian dessert for Natale, called Panettone. It is a sweet bread made with raisins. Don't worry, she didn't bake it. You can find them at all pasticcherias and supermercatos-- they are everywhere in all shapes and sizes! But she served it with a homemade crema made with oranges. She tried to serve me another dessert but I told her I would have to wait until tomorrow. 

Oh, and also she served fresh bread (from a forno--bakery) with fresh olive oil. 

So, although I am miles and miles away from home, I was still able to celebrate Thanksgiving. Margherita truly made it a wonderful holiday. 

Also, I loved Skyping with my family! I love you all so much. 

Ciao, a dopo. Buon Ringraziamento!

Breakfast??

This morning I woke up to find my breakfast dishes out (Margherita usually leaves them out in the morning) and this delicious dessert that she made last night-- Sachertorte. It was delicious, of course, but I can't believe she wants me to eat that in the morning! She loves pushing sweets on me. I'm not complaining but its hard to start the day out with a wonderful chocolate-y dessert.

This is another dessert she made the other day... it was a pear tart with amaretto. YUM. Since it is winter now, she loves to bake and spend even more time in the kitchen. Last week she wasn't feeling well but still baked this tart and then made a delicious dinner. She amazes me!



Last night Molly came over for dinner because she wanted to interview Margherita for her Italian class. It was so much fun having her over!! We had lasagna, beef with ricotta, fried egg, and prosciutto, then a whole assortment of vegetables. Plus dessert. And fresh olive oil. It was a great night and we had such a blast together!!

Margherita and Molly

Berlusconi is Gone!

So this news update is a little delayed, but after 17 years of being in office, Silvio Berlusconi stepped down from his position of Prime Minister!

On November 16th, Berlusconi officially resigned. I am pretty sure all of Italy rejoiced because no one truly supported him. Almost all Italians that I have spoken with have expressed their extreme dislike of him. Mostly because he has done nothing for this country. His time in office has been filled with scandals and false promises. Margherita always says how he makes Italy look like a joke.

Italy is one of the most confusing countries, politically speaking. There are about 6 different parties, all with different goals and ideas of how to help Italy. However none of them can unite and work together which has not only created a divided country but also one that is completely ineffective.

Mario Monti has taken over as Prime Minister. It was actually a great choice for this country. He is not affiliated with any of the political parties-- he is the Minister of Economy and Finance. Hopefully he can pull the country together and find an effective way to help Italy before it crashes and burns. Italians' hope has been revitalized and hopefully they will gain more confidence in their government.

This is such a big event for Italians-- all of my professors can't help but talk about it and show their excitement.

New Olive Oil-- YUM

The new olive oil is out! This is a celebrated time of year in Italy because the harvest of olives has ended and the new olive oil is out for sale! Let me tell you, there is nothing more delicious than fresh olive oil. You can’t cook with it—just eat it raw! It is a little spicy and the color is a lot darker than normal olive oil. Margherita received a huge bottle from one of her friends who lives in the mountains. It is amazing.

She taught me a Tuscan recipe the other day. So first, take a piece of bread (preferably fresh bread) and toast it. Then, rub a little bit of garlic on it, add a little salt and then drizzle olive oil over.

Delicious! :)

Ireland-- Part 3

Ireland was by far my favorite part of the trip. I passed out on the plane (I seriously have no recollection of the flight) but I remember waking up and looking out the window as we landed—I was the green countryside and distinct Irish cottages dotted over the region. I think I literally gasped out loud. For the next few hours I think I kept nudging my friends and saying, “GUESS WHAT. We’re in Ireland!”

            I have always wanted to visit Ireland. Not only have I heard so much about it and seen so many breathtaking pictures of it in various movies, but my parents lived there for a few months and talked about how wonderful it is. I was so excited that one of my deepest wishes was coming true!

            After we disembarked the plane, it took us a while to gather our things and sort a few details out. We then took a bus to Dublin, found our hostel and made the plans for the day. Unfortunately, we were exhausted from not sleeping the night before but were not able to check into our room for another few hours. So, we decided to brave the rain and wander the city for a while. After a little bit of trudging around, Molly went back to sleep while Clio and I wandered for a little bit. Dublin has such a different feel than the other cities. Of course, everyone told us that Dublin is the most touristy city but we still enjoyed ourselves.There are so many pubs—on every corner and every street. The people are incredibly nice and so friendly. It’s a wonder how they can be so upbeat with all of the rain they get! But everyone we encountered was open to talking to us. Plus, their accents are so fun!

            Clio and I didn’t last long in the rain—it had been a long day even though it was around three in the afternoon. We went back to the hostel to nap for the afternoon and gain some energy. I went to talk to one of the guys at the front desk, who was incredibly helpful. He helped make the trip so amazing. He suggested a bus tour around the western side of Ireland and then staying the night in Galway. At first I was a little doubtful but then realized that the real Ireland is the west coast—the countryside and green landscape. So, after helping us sort out a few details, the rest of our trip was successfully booked!

That night we ate at the Brazen Head Inn—the oldest pub in Ireland. It was delicious – I am obsessed with their brown bread and stew. We had a great night just relaxing and chatting all night in the pub, with traditional Irish music playing in the background. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Also, this pub had signed dollar bills plastered all over the walls. Ironically, one right in front of my face had ‘GO PACK GO’ written in bright green letters. I couldn’t stop laughing!

The next morning we woke up at the crack of dawn, packed a few belongings, and met our tour bus (after some difficulty navigating the streets. It’s a confusing city!) We signed up to take the McCoughly tours—a bus that takes us from Galway all of the way down the west coast and then back to Dublin. We hopped on the bus at 7:30am and arrived in Galway around 10am. The tour was amazing and showed a great side of the Irish culture. Our bus driver played Irish music over the speakers in the bus (I unfortunately didn’t get a cd, I totally forgot!). Our first stop was in the Burren, a farming region in Ireland. It was gorgeous. We completely lucked out and were blessed with a sunny day—something that never happens during November. In the Burren (pronounced ‘Burn’) we went to the McCoughly farms, where the son led us on a hike up the hills to see the entire countryside. Words can’t describe its beauty! He was great in telling us about the history of the Burren and facts about Ireland in general. One interesting thing—the Burren is one of the only places in the world where the farmers lead there cows up the mountain for the winter. The way the landscape is designed is that it is actually warmer on top of the hills than in the valleys.

  

                   After our hike, we went back to their ‘Grandma’s Cottage’ and had coffee and carrot cake. The bus continued on to a few more destinations. My favorite—of course—were the Cliffs of Moher. I don’t think I could even describe how gorgeous they are. I would have to recommend anyone to seeing them. It is something you will always remember for the rest of your life. Anyways, we had a blast there. The sun and rain were in and out – we saw gorgeous rainbows! So, we decided to hike around the top of the cliffs, something I wouldn’t suggest. There is so much rain that the path turns into mud and makes it very easy for someone to slip or fall off of the cliff. (Not saying that happened to me or anything, I would give my parents a heart attack. But I’m just saying. It COULD happen. And when there is a choice between slipping off of the cliff and getting your foot covered in mud by trying to balance yourself, choose the mud).

            We traveled around the countryside until dusk and then returned to Galway. I have to say that my friends and I had the most amazing day. We couldn’t stop ‘oohing’ and ‘aahhing.’ I decided on this trip that I had to return to Ireland. So, someday, it will happen!

            

 Anyways, we returned to Galway and made it our mission to find a hotel or B&B. After traveling for a week and staying in hostels that were not necessarily the cleanest places, we needed our own room and our own bathroom. It just had to happen. So we wandered around the city and eventually found a hotel for relatively cheap. So we booked a triple room, put our stuff down and found a pub for dinner. We had a great night—drank a Guiness FINALLY and met some Irish people. It was fun chatting and getting to learn more about the culture. I think we slept well that night—I have never slept so soundly since being abroad. We woke up pretty late and just laid in bed laughing, sharing stories from the night before. We were in complete bliss in our hotel. It felt like a little piece of heaven. 

Once we finally decided to get moving, we showered, packed, cleared out of the room and found a great place for breakfast. It was right by the ocean and the people who worked there were so sweet. Omelets for breakfast and coffee?? Best way to start the day. Together we bought the Claddagh rings—an Irish tradition that represents love, loyalty, and friendship. It was definitely a bonding moment.

            Needless to say, I think we were high on Irish life at this point. We wandered around the city, visited the Cathedral, and unsuccessfully tried to find where my parents lived back in the day. It was hard to say goodbye to Galway, but we had to board the bus for the two and a half hour bus ride to Dublin. We arrived, finished some details for our trip back to Florence, packed our suitcases, and then went out for dinner. Molly and I ordered the most ridiculous stew—Guiness and Beef stew. Don’t get me wrong- it was absolutely delicious, but it was HUGE. And so filling. Irish food is definitely nothing to write home about but it is very comforting. It is a perfect match for their rainy weather.

            We weren’t able to go out to any pubs that night in Dublin—after so much traveling and bouncing around different countries, we were exhausted. After packing our belongings, we crashed in preparation for our early morning travels back to good old Florence.  I am seriously in love with Ireland and cannot wait to plan my next trip back! It won’t be for a while, of course, but it is a country that needs to be explored with enough time. And possibly a car as well.

Barcelona-- Part 2

Spain was a totally different experience that Paris. I was actually very excited to go-- having taken Spanish for 6 years in middle and high school, I have learned so much about the Spanish culture. It was so rewarding to go and experience it! Our time there was very limited, however. We flew in on Monday morning and left on Wednesday morning. It was essential that we made the most of our time there!
     We found our hostel with no problems and met one of our friends there who wanted to go a few days before us. This hostel wasn't the greatest (we had to buy our own towels and the bathrooms were pretty dirty) but it was perfectly located on La Rambla (one of the main/busiest streets in Barcelona) and it was so social! They had activities planned for Halloween and every night a group from the hostel went out to clubs together, for those that don't know where to go. Plus, they pay for any cover charges which is very nice.
     After checking into our hotel, we ate paella, drank sangria and just wandered by the port. It was so warm there! I think it must have been in the 70's. The sun was shining-- it couldn't have been more perfect. We tried to go to the Picasso museum but it was unfortunately closed. Instead we decided to go to the cathedral and walked inside. The architecture in Barcelona is outstanding-- not just the cathedrals but every building and every placa! Outstanding. That night we went to dinner with Ben (our Australian roommate that we met that day) to a tapas restaurant. So delicious! I can't remember everything we ordered but my favorite was definitely the potatoes. It was like a potato torta. Delicious! Now, while in Barcelona, it is necessary to experience the night life! We left as a hostel around 1:45 AM. Yes, the bars and clubs don't get busy until 2AM. It is perfectly normal to stay out all night into the wee hours of the morning. There are so many people out and about, you'd think it was the middle of the afternoon!! No wonder they have siesta, I would be exhausted if I did that every day.  Tuesday was for some reason a holiday for Spaniards so most things were unfortunately closed. We made the best of the situation though. We walked to the Gaudi houses and saw them from the outside. Absolutely breathtaking. Then we walked to Gaudi's cathedral, named La Sagrada Familia. It is intredible to think that someone designed a church to look like this. I couldn't believe it!! From there, us girls took the train to Pueblo Espanyol. It was originally built for an architectural convention but then re-constructed because it became so famous. It is a small village that has stores from every different region of Spain. It is so quaint and has the cutest stores. We window shopped and took about a million of pictures. I know my mom would have loved it! That night we got a great recommendation for paella by the port. I decided to be adventurous and order seafood paella (while in Spain, do as the Spaniards, right?!). Poor decision. They put entire pieces of sea creatures in there. I think there was a shrimp that was literally just yanked out of the ocean. It was certainly an experience but definitely worth it. That night we decided to go out again because we only had two nights in Barcelona!! Unfortunately we were only able to for a few hours because we had to catch a bus to the airport at 5:30am. So, from the club, we took a taxi to our hostel, grabbed our bags, trudged through the rain to the bus stop, caught the bus and safely made it to the airport on time! Ireland, here we come!!! :)

One of Gaudi's houses--Casa Batlló

Another Gaudi House-- La Pedrera

La Sagrada Familia

The word "Sanctus" is printed over and over again on the turrets. Not your normal cathedral.

Pueblo Espanyol

More of Pueblo Espanyol

    

Fall Break-- Part 1!

So much has happened in the past ten days! For my fall break, some friends from my program and I decided to visit Paris, Barcelona and Ireland. It may have been a bit ambitious to travel so much in such a short period of time, but we had a great time.

     I have never been to Paris but have heard so many great things about it. Margherita and I were talking about my vacation before I left and she was shocked that I was planning to only be in Paris for three days. She has been there several times-- at least four or five-- and has seen something different every time. She has an uncle that lives there and every Sunday he goes with his friends to see something different in Paris. He has been doing this for 70 years and has never seen the same thing. Imagine how enormous this city is. Her advice to me was to just walk around the city and see everything-- museums take up too much time. This was pretty much my goal for the trip: just wander! The first day, Friday October 28th, my friends and I landed in Paris and had to take an hour and a half bus ride to the center of the city. We finally navigated our way through the city to our hostel to check in and drop off our things. I left to meet up with my roommate and good friend, Stephanie, who is studying abroad in Paris for this semester. We had a  blast together. I basically told her to just show me the city. We went to the cutest cafe, Angelina's, to get hot chocolate (it was actually chocolate syrup-- so incredibly thick but amazingly delicious) and a pastry they are famous for. We pretty much wandered around the city central and saw the Opera, walked down the Champs Elysees, climbed up the Arc du Triomphe, climbed the Eiffel Tower right before it closed and ate delicious crepes. It was so surreal spending time with Steph, I wish we had more time together. For some reason I have the worst planning with my trips and just barely miss my friends. But it was perfect just wandering the city together and catching up on life.
  The next few days, my friends and I had a blast. We took a boat ride down the river and saw museums, famous bridges and the Notre Dame. We wandered through the Latin Quartier an did some shopping and bought a baguette (so necessary). Sunday was my favorite day because I went off by myself and just wandered around the city. I bought a travel book and tried to find everything I wanted to see. I just can't get over how large the city is-- It was impossible to go inside any museums because there was so much I just wanted to see! I walked past the Imperial Palace, the Sardonne, Musee d'Orsay, Odeon and the Luxembourg Gardens. Oh my goodness, I could have spent hours in the gardens, they are absolutely gorgeous. Fall is an amazing time in Paris. The gardens are huge but they are public. I saw so many families and parents playing with their babies. I loved it! That night, Molly's parents had bought us girls tickets to the Moulin Rouge for Molly's birthday (which was the previous week). What an experience! I had no idea what to expect and it was certainly interesting. The theater is in an interesting part of the city-- pretty much the red light district. It was a blast getting dressed up and having a nice night out together though! Molly's parents were so sweet!
     We had to get up quite early on Monday morning (October 28th). The bus ride to the airport was about an hour and we had a 9am flight. But we arrived to the airport on time and safely got on the plane for Barcelona!!!

Paris at night-- from the top of the Arc du Triomphe

Notre Dame

The Pantheon

Luxembourg Gardens-- How gorgeous are the trees?

My friends and I were obsessed with the crepes in Paris. 

The Louvre!

Buona Sera!

Even though there were torrential downpours this morning, the sun decided to come out this afternoon! It is such a beautiful day, I had to take a study break and go outside on the veranda.

I.Love.Sundays.

Sundays are by far the greatest day of the week. They just feel so calm and relaxed. Its such a wonderful feeling to wake up late and get things done on your own time, rather than rushing around and feeling frenzied.
     This morning I woke up and laid in bed, studying a bit for my Cinema midterm on Tuesday. After getting ready for the day, I started to make myself some breakfast and Margherita came downstairs from her ironing. I haven't seen her in a few days and I've missed her! We are on completely different schedules; usually she leaves before I wake up and I get home after she has gone to bed (on the weekends, during the week we have dinner together). It was so great chatting with her this morning. She told me about a movie that she saw, This Must Be The Place, because I had to watch the same one for my Cinema class. I recommended it to her because it is such an interesting film and I loved it! (I highly suggest you see it. I am not sure if it is out in the United States yet because it was made by Sorrentino, an Italian director, but keep a look out for it! It is certainly different and unlike any other movie). We discussed the movie and analyzed the characters for a while. Then she told me about this great restaurant near Piazza San Ambrosio named Teatro del Sale. She explained how there is nothing like it in the city. It is a club that you have to pay 5 euro for a membership that lasts for a year, but the food is incredible. You pay a flat fee and the servers keep bringing food until you tell them to stop. Each dish that they bring out--traditional Tuscan dishes-- they announce loudly and explain what it is. She also said that you don't need to eat for three days afterward because it is so much food. I think this place would be great to take the family :)
     Then Margherita showed me what she bought yesterday, a new vacuum! All you need to do it turn the button on and it does all of the work itself. It is about the size of a frisbee, has wheels and its battery operated, so it just putzes around the apartment and cleans the floor. She would buy this; she is such a neat person! I literally could not stop laughing when she pulled it out of her room. The was so pleased with herself too and I can tell this toy is going to be her new friend.
     Margherita shows so much love towards me, I am blessed to have her as my host mom! When I told her that I was going to be in the library all day, she pulled out food to make a sandwich with and made sure that I was going to be home for dinner.
     The day started off on the right foot! I mean, how could Sunday not? Everything is done with such a calm mentality. As I walked to school, barely anyone was out on the streets except for families pushing strollers or parents playing with their children in the piazza. The cool fall day is warmed up by the sun and I can't help but appreciate the day, even if I am stuck in the library. Also, the Packers play the Vikings today. How exciting!
     Well, midterm week is coming up and that means study study study!

Gustazione di Vino

  New word of the week: Gustazione di vino. Translation? Wine tasting. I spent the majority of Saturday in Chianti, only an hour from Florence. Chianti is a region in Italy that is famous for producing Chianti wines. We spent our time in the village of Panzano, which was originally an Etruscan village and is the oldest and most populated township in the community of Greve in Chianti. 
A few of my friends and I booked this trip through a company and had to meet at the train station at 7:30 am. From there, we took a bus to Chianti and proceeded to hike around the area of Panzano for three hours. Words cannot describe how beautiful the landscape is. There are so many vineyards and gorgeous houses that blend into the background. It was also the perfect day: it was just a bit chilly (autumn--l'autuno-- is definitely settling in) but the sun was brightly shining. Our guide stopped along our walk to talk about the grapes and how specific ones are only used for Chiantis. After our walk, we stopped at a church, Santa Maria, on top of a hill that overlooked the entire region. It was absolutely breathtaking. After we toured the church, we proceeded to walk to lunch which was held at the winemakers house. From the outside, it looks rather simple but it is filled with so much history. Lorenzo's family, the Sassolinis, lived in Florence many generations ago. Their family was in favor of the Republic and against the Medicis, so when the troops of Emperor Charles V conquered the town, they were banished from Florence. The Sassolinis became farmers and land owners in Panzano where they inherited a villa and the land of the Petrucci, a noble family of Siena. The inside of the villa was filled with their coat of arms, old relics, paintings and objects handed down through the different generations. I couldn't help but creep around the upstairs when I ducked out of lunch to go to the bathroom. I loved how the house was just filled to the brim with history. I wish I could have toured the entire house.
     Here is a little history of Chianti wine...Chiantis are predominantly made with sangiovese grapes. It is ruby red in color and as it ages it develops garnet hues with a harmonious, dry and full flavor which is slightly tannic. The perfume is intense with notes of dark fruits and violets. The symbol of the Chianti Classico region is the Gallo Nero (black rooster). The Gallo Nero label with a red border is the basic Chianti Classico wine which is released about one year after its harvest. 

     Anways, lunch and wine tasting was a blast. We tried four different wines and then grappa, a sweet Italian wine that is typically drunk after dinner. We started with bread, prosciutto, salami, and olive oil. With this we drank Chianti Classico which actually ended up being my favorite. Then we proceeded to the first course of pasta with pesto, drank with FerdinandoIII (a Chianti made from pure sangiovese grapes, compared to the Chianti Classico which is made from a blend of sangiovese, colorino, and canaiolo grapes).  Another round of pasta with tomato sauce (fresh tomatoes, there is nothing better!) with Chianti Classico Reserve. This wine is the same as the Chianti Classico however it is left in the barrels for a bit longer than the regular classico. Once we finished our food, we were given a Vin Santo Chianti Classico --a dessert wine with which you eat biscotti. We ended the afternoon with Grappa Chianti Classico, a very strong wine that is taken as a shot ( not many people are able to sip this. It is 43% alcohol!). The winemaker said that it is acts as an aide to digestion-- It probably burned through everything in my stomach it was so strong. But it is obtained from the best dregs of grapes through a process of distillation. It is aged in wooden barrels for about 6 months, allowing it to acquire an amber color.
     It was a wonderful experience and I am so happy I was able to make it to Chianti to try the famous wines. I kept thinking of my dad and wishing he was there with me--I know he would have loved it!! I also made friends with an Italian woman-- it was great to practice my Italian with her! She was so sweet and we chatted about life in Italy, movies and politics. Italy has so many political issues, it is really too bad.
     Once we returned to Florence, my friends and I actually found a Mexican restaurant in Florence! I've been craving Mexican food and it was such a surprise to find one it Italy. Granted, it wasn't the most authentic but we had a blast munching away on nachos only a few feet away from the Duomo.




     I was happy to stay in Italy for the weekend and not do a major trip. Although I love traveling, it can get tiring so it was a great weekend to relax and do some adventuring in the area.

Perugia Chocolate Festival

For about two weeks in the month of October, Perugia (a small city south of Florence) hosts a Chocolate Festival that brings thousands of people from all over the world. A few of my friends and I booked the trip with a company based in Florence. We left Florence around 9:30 am and arrived a bit after 11:30. We found our way to the festival which was located in the city, tents were put up right in the city and the entire place shut down. There were streets lined with different booths boasting of the best chocolate in Italy.

Little vendors and specialty chocolates were there as well as bigger brands, such as Baci, Lindt, and Milka. We were also given a "ChocoCard" that allowed us to receive free samples at certain locations. When we first entered the festival grounds, Molly freaked out and started to buy chocolate right away. This taught me one of the most important lessons at a place like this: Pace yourself! We started off getting hot chocolate. It seemed like a great idea at the time because it was so cold and the wind was blowing like crazy-- we needed something to warm us up. However, Italian hot chocolate is quite different than America's. Here it is more like chocolate syrup-- very thick and creamy. I felt like I was drinking the topping to a cake. Don't get me wrong, it was absolutely delicious. It just probably wasn't the right way to start off the day.

 (HUGE BACI! They look delicious...---> )

It was a fun day. We bounced around to different booths and found very interesting combinations of chocolate. One booth had chocolate shishkebobs (I was too sugared out to try it). Every booth had something different but it was all delicious. It would be pretty hard to find chocolate there that wasn't good. The one I found very strange was the chocolate cream cheese-- not a fan. I told Margherita about it and she said she thought it was a great idea! She heard about the 'chocolate Philadelphia' and wanted to buy it. I think she is going to get it the next time she is at the store. Whenever I bring up food I think is strange, she always seems to go out and buy it just so I can try it. I should stop mentioning those things to her...
     Overall, a successful day. However, I'm not going to lie, I don't want to see chocolate for the next few weeks. During breakfast on Sunday morning, Margherita brought out this box of Brazilian chocolates and gave me some to try. Granted, it was about 1pm but still! Who gives chocolate for breakfast??! She was laughing at my adventures during the festival, probably thinking I ate too much chocolate. Which doesn't explain why she gave me more chocolate... haha sometimes I think she is just too much like my Yiayia.


(The Nestle bunny in Italy?)

On a side note, Perugia is gorgeous. The city is located up on a hill and overlooks the countryside. I would certainly recommend it to anyone that is traveling through Italy. It is a beautiful city and I wish I would have been able to adventure around a bit more!

Wien-- As the Viennese Say

Before I even traveled abroad, I knew that I had to visit Vienna, not because of anything I knew about the city but because I wanted to visit one of my best friends and cousin that are there for the semester. It seemed like a great idea to go to a place I would typically never consider visiting. Prior to traveling there, I had no idea what to expect. I did not do much research, other than finding it on a map and booking a train ticket.

            Last Thursday I took the night train from Florence to Vienna, which is about a 10 hour trip. Let me tell you, it is certainly an experience. The 2^nd class ticket, the one I booked, is basically a cabin with 6 seats that almost recline. One my way to Vienna, the cabin was filled with three men and two Indian nuns. Its hard to actually get a solid amount of sleep, due to the fact that almost every hour one of the train attendees barges in, flips the light on and asks to see your ticket. However the train ride into Austria is amazing. We traveled through the mountains and it was beautiful with the sun rising and fog gathering in the valleys. I successfully arrived in Vienna around 9am. Ivana was supposed to meet me at the train station and we were on the phone for maybe 10 minutes until we realized that we weren’t at the same train station. It turns out I booked my ticket to the wrong station (there are about 10 in the city of Vienna). Thankfully she was able to get to me in no time (That’s the wonderful thing about the city, public transportation is SO EASY. The Ubahn goes throughout the entire city and runs about every five minutes. I love it!) and we met up! Stepping off of the train was such a shock—it was about 70 degrees when I left Florence and traveled to cold, rainy, dreary weather. It was such a nice change, however I think I was wearing five layers of clothing.

            Unfortunately, Ivana and Will both had classes all day. It actually turned out to be perfect—Ivana showed me a great caffe to get breakfast and then how to get to the tourist information booth. I met up with her again for 45 minutes or so, just to walk her to her next class and get a tour of their school. The building where the students from IES take classes is absolutely beautiful. I felt like I was walking through a museum—with chandeliers and wonderfully decorated. Their study room was unreal.

            So for the afternoon, I just wandered around the city in the rain. The weather was intense, so much wind and rain! After finding the Parlaiment Building and the Univeristat of Vienna, I decided to find a museum. I literally just picked a building and ducked in there. I wasn’t quite sure what I had gotten myself into until I bought my ticket and found a brochure. The Kunsthistoriches Museum was built by Emperor Franz Joseph in order to house the collections of the Habsburgs. Inside is the Picture Gallery, Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities, Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection and Coin Cabinet. What a gorgeous museum! I feel like the building itself was just as gorgeous as the collections it contains. I wandered around for a few hours, then decided to find another museum in the area (which isn’t hard, Vienna is filled with endless museums). Next was Neue Burg with the Collection of Arms and Amour and—my favorite—the Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments. I had a blast in that part of the museum. When I first arrived, I was given a headset to listen to descriptions of the pieces in the museum. However, in the area with ancient instruments, I could type in a number and it would play a song of each instrument. I think I could have spent hours in that section, the music was beautiful. I loved roaming around these museums with the cold and rainy weather. Barely any one was out and it felt as if I had the entire museum to myself.

 This is a clock in the city. Every hour, it chimes and there are little figurines that move around. However at noon, every figurine moves around in the clock tower. We were lucky enough to catch it then!

 The Parliament building

 The Kuntshistoriches Museum

Neue Burg Museum. 

            Shortly afterwards I met up with Ivana once her class had finished. We ate dinner at an authentic Austrian restaurant (I insisted on it). I had this bread-dumpling dish cooked with eggs and onions while Ivana ordered this delicious fish. For dessert we ordered apple strudel, of course. Ivana said it was the best she’s had since arriving in Vienna, which is a huge deal!

That evening Ivana and I just wandered around the city. Actually, she led me around the city. She refused to tell me where we were headed but took me to the most beautiful places. I don’t think I could remember all of them, lets see, Mozart’s apartment, the Opera house and a million others. Even though it was a bit chilly, it was such a fun walk and wonderful spending time together. We cut our walk short to meet up with Will and his friends for a bit. I was so happy to see Will and catch up! It was so great the way that weekend worked out and how he was able to spend time with me. There is something so special about spending time with family. I just had to laugh when we first met up though, him and his friends had their musical instruments with them, just finishing up a jam session. I wouldn’t expect anything less from my cousin.

            We went to a bar in the MuseumsQuartier where we sat and chatted for a bit. This place was hilarious. It had a huge disco ball hanging in the middle of the ceiling with classic American oldies playing. I wasn’t sure if we time traveled or if we were still in Vienna. Quite deceiving.

            Anyways, Ivana was so sweet and let me crash at her place for that night. Unfortunately she was going on a weekend trip, leaving in the morning, so it was great to spend a little more time with her before we had to separate. I had such a great time with her on Friday and wish our cities were closer. But needless to say, she did a great job showing me the city and informing me of everything that tourists need to know about the city (She absolutely amazes me about her knowledge. I love how she just goes to a museum when shes bored. I think she has her entire Vienna travel book memorized. She has definitely inspired me to take a more educational interest in Florence and to get off the beaten path a bit).

            Saturday morning I met up with Will at the Naschmarkt, which is essentially a huge outdoor market with cafes and various vendors. It is huge and stretches for several streets! I was quite proud of Will, he got up so early (I think we met at 9am on a Saturday?) and showed me around the market. We did a little grocery shopping to cook lunch, wandered around the flea market for a bit and even found him a sweater (5 euro, now that’s the way to do your shopping)!

Afterwards we wandered around the city and he took me to some famous places, such as the Monument to Empress Elisabeth and Maria Theresa Square. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Is anything not beautiful in Vienna?

            Quite tired after our long morning, we traveled to Will’s apartment where we made lunch (well it was more of Will cooking for me, he is such an expert!)—curried chicken and vegetables with brown rice. Delicious of course, he must get his cooking genes from Yiayia. I don’t know why, we must have been really tired, but after eating we passed out on his couches for a good two hours. I honestly don’t think I’ve slept that hard since I’ve arrived in Europe. It was amazing.

            The rest of the day was very relaxed, just hanging out with his housemates and enjoying a lazy Saturday. Squintz, one of Will’s friends, invited us to Mozart’s Requiem that he was seeing that night for a class. Oh my gosh. It was such an incredible performance, I have never seen or heard anything like it. Although the acoustics weren’t where they should be since it took place in a church, I was still floored from the concert. Seeing a musical performance while in Vienna was a necessity for me and I loved it. Plus, it was only a six euro entrance fee. To think, on any random night in Vienna you can attend things like this. Incredible.

            Sunday was the definition of a lazy Sunday. Everyone just hung out in the apartment and relaxed. After Will made another wonderful lunch (pasta with pesto and chicken) we went to the Schonbrunn. It was such beautiful timing—the morning was freezing and raining, certainly not motivating to go out and do anything—but when we ventured out of the apartment the sun had peaked out and warmed up the city a bit. Schonbrunn, only a few Ubahn stops away, was the summer residence for the Habsburgs. I was absolutely blown away by its magnificence. The estate is enormous with gorgeous gardens and amazing fountains. It is hard to imagine that people actually lived in a place as extravagant as this. I tried to take some pictures but they certainly don’t do it justice.

Also, the weather was incredible. With the sun starting to set, illuminating the bright colored leaves, and the cool, crisp air, I felt fall surround us. It was almost like a piece of the Midwest fall had creeped into our afternoon. Needless to say, Will and I had a wonderful time together. It was great to catch up on life and simply spend time together. We wandered the estate, not quite paying attention to where we were headed.  Eventually, we headed back to his apartment, made a quick dinner, and then headed off to the train station. Will was so sweet and took me to the station where I needed to catch my train. And that’s where my wonderful weekend in Vienna ends.

       
 Fall has arrived!










    I don’t think I can thank Ivana and Will enough. They were such great hosts and took the time to show me the city. Their love for Vienna was quite evident and made me fall in love with the area. I would honestly recommend this trip to anyone. Vienna has a certain charisma to it. No matter what the weather or circumstances, there is always something to do or see. I was so surprised when I first arrived—everywhere I turned my head I saw the most beautiful buildings that date back to hundreds of years ago. Incredible. I know it’s a stretch, but I would love to travel back for the Christmas markets the city is so famous for. But that’s too far away to think about right now.

            Now, back to Florence. Even though traveling is a blast, I always look forward to returning back to this city. I miss understanding the language (German is such a complicated language and like nothing I’ve studied before) and crazy Italian life. This week, like all of them, has completely flown by. I guess that’s what happens when every day is filled. Well, I better cut this off before I continue to ramble since I could for hours.  

To end, as Ivana loves to quote Billy Joel:

"Slow down you crazy child
Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while
It's alright you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize...
Vienna waits for you."