Spring Break in Greece, and the Stein Family Visit to Florence and Rome!

Here’s what I’ve been up to the last two weeks.

Spring Break:

Spring break was two weeks ago, and I went to Corfu and Athens. On the way to Greece, we took an overnight cruise. We went through the Adriatic Sea to Igomenitza, Greece, and then took a short fairy to Corfu. Corfu is a small island off the western coast, and it is in the Ionic Sea. We stayed 2 nights at the Pink Palace; the name couldn’t fit any better. The best way to describe it is an all inclusive hostel/hotel resort on the beach for college students. Because we were there early in the season, we basically had this place to ourselves. The first day we just wandered around and explored the beach and surrounding area. The second day we went ATVing around the entire island. Now this was an experience! The weather wasn’t so great, but we decided to go anyways. The roads were slippery and it down poured on us. One girl swirved off the road and ran into bushes. The next day the weather cleared up and went kayaking in the Ionic Sea. We made it to this little rock island off the shore and tried to climb it. It was pretty hard without shoes and sharp rocks jabbing our feet, so we turned around and just relaxed on the water.

From Corfu we took a fairy and then drove across the entire country of Greece and finally arrived at 9:00 am in Athens. This was a miserable bus ride. I really wasn’t too impressed with the city. It was dirty and not that friendly, and it turned out we didn’t really stay in the safest area. But anyways, it was a good way end to spring break. It was still fun to see the Acropolis, the Archeological Museum, and several other sites around the city. On our way back to Italy we took another overnight cruise, but this time through a thunder storm...you can only imagine how fun that was.


Family Comes to Visit:

After my 30 hours of traveling from Athens back to Florence, I was greeted by my parents and sister. It was great to come home to my family in Florence. The week with them was a lot fun, you should ask them about it. On Saturday we went out to dinner at this restraint my mom has been talking about for months called Trattoria Garga. This was the start of delicious food for the entire week. On Sunday we went on a guided bike ride through Fiesloe and around the Florence outskirts. The hills were challenging and the downhills were dangerous with sharp curves. We stopped at a winery, and had a nice lunch in the country side. Monday was our shopping day. We spent time at the San Lorenzo market and Sami and I both bought leather coats. Tuesday we had an Italian cooking class. We made the best pasta I have ever had along with other great food like bruscetta, chicken, and pesto. Wednesday was a big museum day. They saw the classic museums in Florence while I was in class, and on Thursday we took the high speed train to Rome!

My family only got to spend one full day in Rome so they crammed everything they could into a full day tour. I was able to stay the entire weekend and meet up with some friends, so I was able to see the city and explore more than they did. Some of the things we saw in Rome were the Coliseum, Spanish Steps, Catacombs, many different ruins, the Jewish Ghetto, the Vatican, St. Peters Basilica, and so much more. Rome is one of my favorite cities that I have been to.

Pictures:

Corfu
Athens
Family Visit to Rome and Florence

Carnevale in Venice and Bologna

So it has been a really busy couple weeks for me in Florence. Between midterms, several Carnevale events, and day trips, I have constantly been on the go. Last weekend I went on a school sponsored day trip Modena and Bologna. In Modena we ventured to a balsamic vinegar farm in the outskirts of the city. We took tours of the balsamic vinegar brewing/storage rooms and the vineyards. I tasted balsamic vinegar that was over 30 years old. From there, we went to Bologna. Bologna is the college town of Italy. There isn’t much to do there really besides climb a tower and see the oldest university in Europe.

My friend Becky and I stayed at our friend Kelly’s for the night in Bologna. Kelly goes to the U of M with us, and she is studying at the university there. She had a Carnevale party which was a lot of fun. A short explanation about Carnevale is that it is a big festival throughout parts of the world that lead up to Mardi Gras. People wear costumes and throw parties to celebrate, and I would say it is equivalent to our Halloween. At this Carnevale party no one really spoke English, so it was a good experience to meet real Italian students not the typical Americans studying in Italy that I am used to being with.

One of the best places to celebrate Carnevale is Venice which is where I went this weekend with some friends from school. The day started out at 7:30 in the morning for a 3 hour bus ride followed by a short boat ride that took us right into Venice. The city was jam packed with all sorts of people costumes and music. We spent a lot of time in the San Marco Square and then weaved in out of side streets. The day wouldn’t be complete without a gondola ride, and it was absolutely worth it. We also saw a glass blowing exhibit and ate some great pizza! Venice is such a unique city, it doesn't compare to anything else I've seen Italy.

Now that Carnevale is ending and spring break is coming up, I have to revert back to school mode and study for midterms. I have 4 midterms this week and then a week long break in the Greek Islands and Athens.

Pictures:

Carnevale in Venice

Siena, San Gimignano, and Exploring more of Florence

My weekend started out with a day trip to Siena and San Gimignano. It was a school sponsored trip that was free for all of us. The hardest part of the day was waking up early to meet everyone at the bus station at 8:15. Our first stop was Siena. We were provided with a tour guide to tell us about famous churches and historical information about the city. My guide was kinda crazy and loved to tell us way to much information about everything little detail she could think of. Her tour was very similar to the type of tours we take in my Renaissance Art History class.

The city of Siena is a beautiful town located right near where all the Chianti wine comes from. It was nice to go to a place that was a little less touristy. Unfortunately when I was there, it rained most of the time. At one of the convenience stores we ran into other American students buying umbrellas like us. They were studying in Siena, so they gave us some good advice as to where to eat and walk around for the 2 hours we had before we headed off to San Gimignano.

The best part of San Gimignano was the lookout point at the highest part of the city. The clouds were beginning to clear up as we reached the top. On a darker note, they are also known for their torture museum there. I made my way through the dungeons and dark creepy corners of this museum. My perception of the medieval period was scarred from seeing some exhibits there. We really only had about 2 hours in San Gimignano, so that’s all I had time to do. From there we all headed back to Florence.

On Saturday, my friend Amy planned “Amy’s day of Fun” for a group of us that were in town this weekend. We first climbed the Duomo (it is the highest view from inside the city). It was quite a hike to get to the top; clearly the church was not made for tourists to be climbing the dark and narrow winding staircases. Once again, I took some great photos of the city, they never get old.

From the Duomo, Amy’s Day of Fun took us to the Boboli Gardens which is definitely a sight to see. Luckily, the rain held off while we were there. It was also nice to see some greenery within such a close vicinity to the city. The landscape, views of castles, and greenery make it a great place to relax. I highly recommend going to there.

Later that night, me and my roommates decided to host a pot luck dinner for everyone that was with us during the day. We ended up having 15 people at our apartment, and surprisingly our place could fit everyone. We had to bring in out patio chairs and table, but it all worked out. The theme for dinner was anything but Italian. We have all been eating so much pasta and pizza that we needed a break. I made sloppy joes that were delicious.

As far as classes go, they are pretty interesting. However, I am definitely learning more about Italian culture just by living here and trying to get around. I have midterms coming up in two weeks, and then I'm off to Greece for spring break!

Pictures:

Siena, San Gimignano, and Florence.

A Great Weekend Exploring Tuscany!

This Friday, our school sponsored a hike into the Fiesole Hills, which are the hills surrounding Florence. It was about a 20 minute bus ride north of the city and about 25 of us met at the base of the hills around 10:30, where Lorenzo, the director of the program was waiting for us. During the hike we were able to see some incredible views of the city. We basically kept winding around on some dirt paths/ uphill trails for a couple hours until we got to the top of Monte Ceceri. From there we made our way down to eat at one of the best pizza places in the area.

Later that night, I went to the synagogue, and this was an experience. We had to be there before 5 because they lock the doors after that for security reasons. When we got there around 4:50 they we had to check our phones and cameras into the front desk, and then we were escorted by a security guard to the main entrance. This is the only synagogue in Florence, and it is strictly Orthodox. The inside is unbelievable; there is gold paneling, dark old wooden benches, very elaborate decorations, and a great big dome in the center. It sticks out in the skyline of Florence as the building with the teal colored dome.

Unfortunately, the attendance of services was very small. There were only about 25 people there all together. I’ve heard that there are only about 1,000 Jews in Florence. It was an orthodox service, which is not quite my style, but we were somewhat able to follow along. After services, I went with Chabad for a Kiddush and Shabbat dinner. At Chabad there were people from France, Argentina, Israel, the U.S. and Italy. We also met some other American students from NYU that live close to us.

Then on Saturday, I took a day trip to Pisa and Lucca. I went with 5 friends from school, and it was our first time taking the trains, therefore it took us a while to figure out how they work. Our first stop was Pisa which was only an hour train ride. Pisa is a city that revolves around tourism. The only sight to see there is the leaning tower. It is definitely worth seeing, but you can’t really spend more than 2 hours looking around and taking pictures.

From Pisa we took a half an hour train ride to Lucca. Lucca is a walking city surrounded by massive walls built to protect it. We entered through this tunnel that opened up to a gorgeous view on top of the city walls. We walked around for a couple hours taking pictures, admiring the old buildings, and window shopping. A highlight of the day was finding the Amphitheater in the middle of the city. We got lost looking for it, and we were expecting to find a structure like the coliseum. After searching for a good hour, it turned out that it was a hidden round plaza that looked just like the rest of the city. From there, we watched the sunset with the hills in the background behind the city walls (check out the pictures, they are pretty awesome). For dinner we took Rick Steves’ advice and made a reservation at Trattoria Del Leo, which is one of the restaurants he recommends in his book Rick Steves’ Italy 2009 (This guide book was extremely helpful for this trip!). Before our reservation at 7:30 we went to a local bar for apperativos. Many local bars and even some restaurants have this throughout Italy. It’s a time before dinner where you can order a drink and then help yourself to a buffet of appetizers. After filling up on appetizers, we had a delicious dinner and caught the 9:45 train back to Florence. I highly recommend going to Lucca. It has a very relaxing atmosphere and delicious food.Lucca has been one of my favorite adventures so far. I had a great weekend, I was able to explore three different parts of the Tuscany region! Next weekend I am going to Sienna San Gi

Pictures:

Pisa and Lucca - A Search for the Amphitheater

Hiking in the Fiesole Hills

My 21st Birthday, and some more

As the weekend came around, it was still raining and the weather was not holding up. I had to cancel my plans to go to Pisa and Lucca because everything there is outside. I ended up going to see see the Uffizi Museum which is one of the most famous museums in Florence. I also ended up walking for about four hours in the rain wandering through the hillsides with Tamir and Jamie. We found some great views that you can see in the pictures posted . I also walked past some amazing Italian villas that over look the city of Florence.

For my birthday on Monday, my friend Taja and her roomtaes made dinner for my apartment (look at the pictures). They made a delicious dinner. We had bruscetta, salad, ravioli, a fruit cake dessert, and of course some red wine to celebrate the occasion. After dinner we all went out to celebrate. I had a great 21st Brithday! It was also very nice to get all the e-mails and online messages for my Birthday. Thanks Everyone!

Another highlight of the week was the Florence chocolate festival. Right near the school there was about a block full of chocolate stands. It was amazing. They had any type of chocolate you could imagine. I went there a couple times throughout the week. Tamir and Jamie bought some fudge for dinner on Fri. for my birthday.

I am finally getting into a normal routine here with classes, homework, and sightseeing. In two of my classes we went on walking tours throughout the city to learn about some of the geography/history/architecture. I have posted several of these pictures online.

This weekend I am going on a hike in the Fiesole hills, and then I am going to Pisa and Lucca

Here are some pictures:

My 21st Birthday
Sites around Florence


-Andy

The First Week of Classes

After getting settled and moving in, my room mates and I want exploring the Sunday before classes started. We decided to walk around the north east end of the city. We first made our way to the soccer stadium and track field in Florence. This is where the Fiorentina team plays. I think sometime soon a bunch of us are going to go to a game. From there, we went north, and went to see the David Statue in the Accademia Museum. It was pretty incredible, and it is definitely a sight worth seeing. There is a lot of other great work at that museum too.

On monday, classes started. It was strange to get up and have to go to class and not be a tourist anymore. All of my classes seem manageable. I am in four classes. I am taking Italian, an international business class, a class on the Italian life and culture, and renaissance art history.The classes are pretty small because we only have about 60 people on our program, so I really getting to know everyone in my classes.

Then on Tuesday night we had a welcome dinner sponsored by the school. It was great to finally meet everyone on the program. They served a delicious meal, with 4 different appetizers, 3 main courses and dessert. It was kinda like Bucas back at home, but much better!

The weather has still been gloomy. We have not had one sunny day since we have been here. It rains most nights, and only gets into low 50's during the days. I was sussposed to go a hike nearby today, but it was cancelled due to the weather. Hopeffully the weather won't get in the way of any of my other plans for the weekend!

Ciao!

Andy

Getting Used to the Italian Culture - the first couple days

Hi everyone,

I have finally had a chance to get settled in Florence after arriving on Friday morning. I came on the group flight with about 20 other students from my program. It was fun to meet everyone at the airport and hang out between flights.

When we first arrived taxis took us all to our apartments, two of my roommates were on my flight, and then other came later in the day. My apartment is great, and we really feel like we are living like local Italians because we are not in student housing, rather everyone on the trip is spread out around the city in rented out apartments. Each apartment I have been to is completely different from the next.

My apartment is in the basement of a building that is about a 25 minute walk from the school. It is a two bedroom, one bathroom complex with a nice kitchen, and living area. Because we are in the basement, we have a great backyard\patio. It came fully furnished with everything we need.

I have really enjoyed living with my roommates. They are easy to get along with and are all really nice. We will all definitely hang out a lot more as we get to know each other

The school I go to is pretty incredible. It is mostly in one building, with a couple other classrooms in nearby buildings. It was built in the 1500's and is nothing like a school we would see in the U.S. The staff and teachers are all great, they have given us advice about almost anything because I don't know the language at all.

So far I am really enjoying my stay here. I am very excited to explore more of the city, because it there is so much to see!!! Even if I go to a Museum a day, I won't be able to see it all.

Click below to see pictures. The weather has been gloomy/rainy since I've been here, so I don't have many good pictures. I will be sharing picture ablums online, and I'll post new links every time I write a new entry!

My New Home in Florence

That's all for now,

Andy