Beloved Yiayia

Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. 

~Emily Dickinson

     I found this quote while fussing around on the Internet a few days ago. I couldn't help but save it because I think it is the perfect description of my Yiayia. Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, even if comfort is found in the beauties of death, such as the end of suffering and moving on to a better place. This particular quote helped me realize that my grandmother will never be gone. She has left me, along with everyone else she has encountered in her life, with the gift of love. She taught me the importance of love, how to show it and the healing powers it possess. It is incredible to see how she has created such love in my extended family. We have grown so close because of it and been constantly involved in each other's lives. She was at the top of the chain, the one who ingrained the importance of loving each other in all of us.
     I admire everything she has accomplished in life and look up to her as my biggest role model. I know that I wouldn't be where I am in life without her. She has taught me so much about life, values, and family. The pain of missing her will never go away but her memories, and most importantly her love to us all, is eternal.

The French Riviera

 Time has literally slipped away and I have barely had a free moment to update this blog! There are so many things I want to cover... well to begin, I traveled to the French Riviera for the weekend and it was truly amazing. Since it was my first time in France, I had no idea what to expect. It was a great weekend for adventuring and learning from mistakes (quite a few, since my friends and I don't speak too much French). We took a bus ride from Florence to Nice and arrived at our hostel late Thursday night. My first time in a hostel-- not too bad! We thankfully didn't have any freak stories or anything, except my friends in the adjoining room had a hole in their shower, allowing the room above them to peek in while people showered. Interesting. Friday we spent wandering around Monaco, visiting the King's palace, the aquarium, Monte Carlo Casino, and staring at the beautiful yachts in the harbor. It is incredible to think how people can afford boats that are billions of dollars. I really enjoyed Monaco, especially the architecture. It is so different than Italian architecture!

This is the palace where the King lives. Monaco is actually  its own country, one of the smallest in the world!
There are guards that are placed in front of the building and are always on duty.

 Our first French pastry! Chocolate filled croissants. Yum.

 This is the Monte Carlo Casino. Absolutely gorgeous! I have never seen so many expensive cars in once place though.
      Saturday we went to the beach in Cannes. Unfortunately it was a little cloudy but it was still fun to go! Molly and I had an interesting adventure while in Cannes. We had to go to the bathroom very badly, however we couldn't find a restroom! Every place we went to said they did not have one. Eventually we found a public bathroom but it was closed. For the afternoon. Does that make sense? This whole siesta idea is very confusing and makes life rather difficult to function properly. I mean, do Europeans not go to the bathroom during the afternoon? Anyways, Molly was in so much pain that she literally ran ahead (well, it was more of a waddle) to the Prada store and asked the security guard where we could find one. He recommended any cafe or bar. We actually stumbled upon the cutest cafe and ended up buying a delicious lunch there. It worked out too well, although we had to endure a little pain and French judgment of Americans. (Thats another thing, the French really do not like Americans. We would get dirty looks from so many people for just speaking English. People would laugh at us a lot, which we got used to. On the beach in Nice, the American flag is hanging upside down. I don't quite get it. I think it goes beyond their disagreement of our occupation in Iraq. The French simply do not like Americans.)
Saturday night was an absolute blast. Molly and I found this restaurant and brought all of our friends with (there were about 10 of us). We ended up having a fabulous meal, so much food! I started out with foie gras (my first time trying it!) and it was absolutely delicious. Second course was duck in a pepper sauce. Third was a kind of cheese, I'm not sure of the name. I just told the waiter to bring out his favorite... it was some kind of soft mild cheese but absolutely delicious. Oh and we ate this cheese with fresh baguettes that were brought in fresh from the bakery next door. We finished off the meal with ice cream. I had pistachio, creme brule, and vanilla. All in all, it was a successful meal. The French can do food well, that is for sure.
     Sunday was a perfect day to relax and spend time in Nice. It is a fun city to be in with many restuarants, beautiful piazzas, and beaches. I wandered around a bit, did some shopping, and walked by the water. It was a great way to end the weekend and see a little bit more of France. I hope to get a chance to visit Paris within the next few weeks! One of my very good friends Stephanie is studying there and I want her to take me to all of the greatest places in the city! Although the French can be a bit snobby, they have great culture.

Sunday breakfast. Interesting, I ordered a ham and cheese crepe and they put a fried egg on it. No complaints though. It was served with a cappuccino (cafe au lait?) and fresh bread.









With Shelby at the beach. The beaches in Nice didn't have sand, they were rocky. Still gorgeous, though.

This one is for you, Alec! While walking through the Piazza in Nice, there was a car show with a number of old cars! I immediately thought of you and just had to get a picture :) I can't wait until you start planning your road trip to Cali!

On the way back to Firenze, we stopped in a small town named Eze. It is an old, medieval town built into the mountainside with the greatest views. It was a bit cloudy but isn't is gorgeous?







So that was pretty much my weekend! Now just back into the swing of things. Classes started again. I'm already half way through the week. Its funny how quickly the week goes by when I only have classes four days out of the week. By the time I'm  back into the swing of the work week, its time to take a break. I like the way these Italians operate.
More coming soon! There has been so much I have been meaning to write about. It just takes time to sit down and write it out. Homework for now!

Con amore,
Carolyn

Ravena, Cooking, and Relaxation

One of the best parts of this program is the fact that there are no classes on Friday. Many trips are offered on Fridays throughout the semester, just short day trips to cities in the Tuscany area. I decided to spend my Friday in Florence, get a chance to know the city and spend time with friends. I went on a run to the soccer stadium and explored the area a bit. There is a perfect path around the stadium that gives enough room for runners and people using the sidewalk. Plus I enjoyed it because there were other people running too. It is so interesting to come from a culture where people work out frequently, obsessed about going to gym, and arrive in a culture where that is not a huge factor. I think their exercise is walking everywhere, instead of intense cardio. However, I particuarily enjoyed my run because there were other people running around the stadium or other athletes coming and going. Its refreshing to be around like-minded people!
     The rest of my Friday was spent shopping and cooking up a storm. A few of my friends and I wanted to make dinner; we thought that dinner once a week for all of us would be a great idea. At Jordy's apartment, in his tiny kitchen with not many appliances, we camped out all afternoon and cooked for hours. We made chicken parmesan (which is strangely not a dish in Italy, although you can find it in every American-Italian restaurant), pasta with olive oil, and stuffed peppers with eggplant and zucchini. Once all of our other friends showed up (about 10 of us) and we finished preparing our feast (around 9:30pm), we sat down and enjoyed the food. It turned out pretty delicious and everyone enjoyed it (I hope...)!

     Saturday was a beautiful day and I decided to go on one of the school trips to Ravena. This city is about two and a half hours north east of Florence. Its a gorgeous drive over the mountains where you can see the Tuscan countryside for miles and miles. Ravena was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire, from 402 until the empire's collapse in 476. We visited many different sites, such as the Mausoleum of Theodoric, Arian Baptistry and Dante's tomb. Everything was extremely gorgeous with so many interesting stories. I lucked out and was placed with a great tour guide. He explained all of the mosaics with such detail and knowledge, I wish I could take a class with him! I'll post a few pictures, however they don't do the beauty justice. It's incredible to think that these mosaics have lived through so many ages and are still intact.

(So touristy, please note the hearing devices around our necks)

Ravena is such an interesting town. There are so many great negozi (stores) and beautiful piazzas. It would be a great place to wander around and spend an entire day! Unfortunately, we had to leave pretty early. It was a great trip though and very educational.
     That night, my friend Molly and I went out to a pizzeria for dinner. This was my first time eating pizza in Italy and I must say that nothing can beat it.

This pizza had insalame (salami) and peperone (peppers), named the Fiorentina. Extremely delicious, it will definitely be revisited. After dinner, we grabbed the best gelato in town (according to Margherita) and walked around the neighborhoods for a while. It was a perfect way to end the day of intense sight-seeing.

Sunday was a bit of a gloomy day, the first once since I've been here! A friend and I woke up early and took a 2 hour walk/jog up the mountain and down. It was so refreshing to be up in the hills where you can see the entire city of Florence. On the way back, we found a fig tree and picked fresh figs. This probably made my entire weekend, they were delicious! I've always believed that there is nothing better than picking figs off a tree and eating them right away. Figs and any other fruit. It's the only way to live.
     Thankfully, we got up early enough to beat the bad weather. Although the rain was a little frustrating and ruined our beach plans for the day, it was a blessing in disguise because it gave me the excuse to stay in and get some homework done. Yes, I have homework which I tend to forget about. Its hard to not let this country distract you! But productivity this afternoon definitely capped the weekend off on a good note. OH I can't forget to mention dinner. Margherita prepared a delicious meal, like always. We started off with pesto lasagna (always fill up on pasta for the first course, something I'll never understand). Next was cooked rabbit with sauted kale and broccoli. And for dessert she cooked peaches and filled them with creme, topped with crumbled cookies. Absolutely delicious. 

Well, tomorrow we should see the sun again with a high of 75 degrees.  What a great way to kick off Monday morning! I have to say that the first week of classes, the second week in Italy, was certainly a success. 

Ciao, ci vediamo! 

Quote of the Day

I stumbled upon this quote while sitting in the library and I found it to be very relevant to my life right now:
"The thing that's important to know is that you never know. You're always sort of feeling your way."

Of course, I feel like that is the definition of my entire stay in Italy. I never really know what is going on, even when I think I am understanding the language. Sometimes I think I'm completely misinterpreting what people are trying to say. Usually I just do the typical, "Si, si!" and nod, smiling. That gives off the right perception that I know what is going on.
But just in general, there are so many twists and turns in life that you don't really know what will happen. It's hard to make strict plans in life and stick to them. It's true, you just have to go with the flow and feel your way through situations. The expected usually turns into the unexpected. That is just the way life is.


Anyways, it is something interesting to think about.

Random Finds

This morning, my friend Shelby and I decided to get up early and take a walk. It was such a great decision because the weather couldn't have been more perfect. It has been so hot lately. Walking around the city, dragging all of my school books and a computer, has turned out to be quite the workout. This morning was a little chilly as the sun was just rising over the hills. I was getting quite the strange looks, wearing workout shorts, a tank top, and tennis shoes. I think Italians work out in dresses and jewelry. One night, Margherita went to meet her friend for a power walk and she put on a stylish pair of sandals. They just don't understand comfort!

     Anyways, Shelby and I went on a nice walk around the Duomo and found Santa Maria Novella, a gorgeous church in the centro. Its amazing how close everything is in Firenze. You can literally walk everywhere, it just takes a little exploring to know where everything is oriented.

     Also, took a few pictures in the underpass I walk through every day. 
     Other than that, life is great. Classes officially started and I have gotten all of the kinks worked out. No problems whatsoever. Now I just need to purchase all of my books and schools will be in cruise mode. Also, I have just discovered a gelateria down the street from my house. This could potentially be a problem.
     The food here is absolutely amazing. Margherita is a wonderful chef and I always look forward to her meals. Last night she made pesto lasagna and grilled eggplant, which is just part of the dinner. Literally, every night is a three course meal. Tonight she made this farro dish (its an oat I think) with tomatoes and spinach. Too delicious. She also fried a piece of chicken for me and potatoes. For dessert she gave me fresh figs. I don't think this woman could treat me any better. I have yet to find a pizzeria (you think I would by now!). That is my mission for tomorrow!
Ciao!
Ci vediamo.

Margherita, in a nutshell

I am starting to realize that I lucked out with my housing situation. Margherita is such a blast to be with and I'm really starting to learn a lot about her. Today she took me to the beach, Forte di Marmi. It was about an hour drive from Florence. Not very far at all! Today was such a beautiful day, we had to take advantage of it. Plus, she loves to sun tan. Yesterday I came back from a friend's apartment and found her on the terrace ironing in a swimsuit and curlers. While talking on the phone. She's hilarious.
     So anyways, we had a very interesting conversation on the way there. Her passion is to travel. I don't think I could remember all of the places she has been. But name a big city and I guarantee shes been there. Margherita started to tell me about her experience in Africa and how it was such a defining moment in her life because of the poverty there. Children there are happy when they only have one pair of shoes and live with barely anything. Think about the culture we live in, where children are constantly buying, buying buying. Consuming = happiness. She said she started to realize that there is so much we can cut back on, such as conserving water, not buying as much, or turning off lights when you're not in the room. I can tell that she makes a conscious effort at helping the planet in her own way. She has four separate garbage bins for plastic, food, cardboard, and other trash. She rarely turns all of the lights on in her apartment. Just very interesting and eye opening, she has a good heart. (Actually as I'm typing this, she came into my room and turned off the lights).
     Other things I have learned about her.... hm. She loves the color violet. Also, she is obsessed with dishwashing gloves. Apparently they aren't sold in Italy. She traveled to New York to visit some past students and bought a pair there. Unfortunately, those ripped and she needed to buy another pair but couldn't find purple ones and had to settle for blue. She couldn't stop talking about them. Note to self, if possible, find purple dishwashing gloves for Margherita.
     Forte di Marmi was a great chance to get away and RELAX before classes start tomorrow. Even though we only go to school four days a week, the classes are long and pretty intense. I have a feeling it'll get quite busy these next few months. But today, Margherita and I laid out in the sun (I napped, still working on kicking this jetlag), ate panini, walked around town to find the most expensive pieces of clothing, ate gelato (of course), and came home. Perfect day.
     Time to mentally prepare for classes. Its easy to get caught up in this beauty and forget that I'm here for a reason... study study study!!

Arrivederci!

Bumming Around

I've realized that living in another culture requires you to question everything. I am unsure of what to do in certain situations or how to act because the Italian culture is very different than the one I'm used to. For example, in America at dinner time, it is customary to wait until everyone is served to eat. Rather, in Italy, people just go ahead and eat when the food is served. However, it is completely rude to not finish what is on your plate. This gives off the message that the food was not good or that you are wasting a perfectly delicious meal. These are things you wouldn't even thing about, but I find that I need to  constantly re-evaluate how I act. I know it'll become second nature in a little while but the adjustment period is a little funky.
Today I adventured around the Duomo and Piazza della Signorina, just to get to know the city better and pick up a few things. Shelby and I stumbled upon the most amazing farmers market with fresh prosciutto and the most delicious figs. My friends and I also cooked our first Italian meal! (not quite up to par with real Italian cooking but I like to think that practice makes perfect).
Also, Margherita went out and bought me a huge jar of Nutella yesterday. It was sitting on the counter this morning for breakfast. Nothing like starting the day with a sugar rush. But seriously, Italians push food on you like no others (well, no one can compete with Yiayia. I've never seen a woman feed so much food to one person. I think its her loving demeanor, I mean how could you turn away a 93 year old woman? Italians are a close second though).
Here are some of my favorites from today:

 Good Morning Florence! Just a picture outside the kitchen window .

 Italian coffee is very strong and you only need a little bit. This coffeepot is the perfect size!

 The outside view of my campus. The red-ish building is the Villa Rossa.

The inside view. There is a beautiful courtyard surrounded by school buildings. Pictures don't do it justice!

The Adventure Begins

What a whirlwind these past few days have been! I've been doing my best to take everything in and get situated, but I still have to pinch myself every once and a while to make sure I'm not dreaming. Living in Italy is such a great opportunity.
     I arrived in Florence on a group flight late Tuesday evening. Unfortunately, with needing to get ready for school and situate ourselves in the Syracuse campus, there hasn't been too much time for exploring. All of Wednesday and part of today was dedicated to getting keys, connecting to the internet, signing up for classes, and just learning basic information. Today all of us students were set up with our host families and were sent on our way to live with them.
      I lucked out and am so excited about my housing situation. I was placed with a middle-aged single woman named Margherita who lives about a 10 minutes walk away from my school's campus. She doesn't speak any English, so it looks like my Italian will quickly improve. Her apartment is very modern and extremely clean. She told me that she has hosted many students in the past (about 10!) and loves to have them stay. Margherita has a journal that past students have written in and say wonderful things about her. I can just tell we are going to be great friends and get along very well!
     I have already unpacked and organized my room a bit. It is amazing to see how Europeans live. I really think their lifestyle is more efficient, no excess and clutter. They don't buy in bulk and live very modestly. Everything is compact in this world, from cars to apartments, even to the food they buy! A Costco or a Sams Club would certainly not do well here. Its a little bit of a shock. I'm so used to having every think I MIGHT possibly need in any circumstance, surrounding my self with "stuff." Being here has helped me realize that a lot of that can be cut out. Living simply is much better.
      There is so much I want to do and literally not enough time in the day. I keep forgetting that I'll be here for four months, so there will be plenty of time. This is such a great city though and I can't wait to get out and adventure around. I want to make friends with Italians and become fluent. Its a transition, no phone and not much internet access but it makes the experience so much more enjoyable. I need to spend every moment possible getting to know this city and beautiful countryside. I'm beginning to feel like four months will FLY by.
     I want to describe everything in detail so you can experience it too. Literally there is so much I want to share, just not enough time and not even the words to describe it. Hopefully I am doing it justice and I'll definitely upload some photos once I get the chance.
     Margherita is cooking dinner tonight. My first homecooked Italian meal! I'm so excited to experience this food! What a journey and its thrilling that it has officially begun.

Ciao!

Jetting off!

     Greetings! So after months of planning and painful hours of strategizing, my suitcases are carefully packed and just barely fit under the weight limit. I am still in disbelief, not quite able to grasp the fact that I will be living in Florence, Italy for the next four months. I won't be able to mentally prepare for it, so I'm just trying to take everything as it comes.
     I just received an email from the program I am studying through that warned us students about labor strikes in Italy on Tuesday, the day I am arriving. My flight into Florence might be delayed or canceled due to these strikes. Honestly, I'm not too worried about it. More than anything, it will most likely be a fun adventure to start off my abroad experience.
     This trip will certainly be a rollercoaster and I truly wish I could bring all of my friends and family along. If only there was a way to fit everyone into my back pocket so we could all experience the wonders of Italy. Since this isn't quite possible, I hoped to keep everyone updated through this blog! I'd love to hear from everyone. If you have time, please email me at carolynentress@gmail.com.
     I'm not quite sure if I'll be able to sleep, but looks like I'll have a busy two days of travel. Off to bed, goodnight!