I am loving Florence

Well hello beautiful readers!

First let me say, Florence is incredible. I have heard from many people that they didn't enjoy Florence because there are SO many study abroad students who live here, but I don't feel that way. I think its because I live so far away from the center of town. And since I take the bus multiple times a day, I understand the city really well. My neighborhood is solely Florentines. I rarely see other Americans, and if I do, they're just like me - trying to blend into the vibrant but peaceful Italian culture.

A beagle eating a bagel

But having such a high concentration of American students in Florence has its advantages. For example, bagels. (I tried to explain a bagel to my host family and for a while they thought I was talking about a dog... Can you imagine? I ate a beagle today. I haven't had a beagle in months! There was even cream cheese on my beagle. It's very American!) There are a few pretty good American restaurants here in Florence. I get annoyed when I see just-off-the-plane American's eating there. I just thinking to myself, "com'on you couldn't last two weeks with your bacon and eggs?" Me on my high horse, and
not having been in the US since August, feel that it is socially acceptable for me to order myself a bagel with peanut butter.

I am going to Venice this weekend for Carnivale. I have my camera charged! It's going to be so cold. I will freeze.

Oh yeah it's been snowing here. Not enough to stick to the ground, but word on the street is that there is a snow storm coming through this weekend....just in time for Carnivale. I'm still excited!!

Well, I have homework to do and dinner to eat.

Until next time.

-Hallie

And I'm back!!

Wowza everyone. This has been quite a month and I am finally back on the internets with some time.

Lets all just back up to my last few weeks in Rome. Wonderful, exhausting, exhilarating, tearful. All words that can describe it. I finished up my last few weeks by taking trips to some of the most quintessential Roman places. I saw the Pope! I went to the top of the Vitorrio Emanualle Monument and saw the lay out of the city perfectly! I sat in the same seat as Anthony Bourdain and ate THIS:

Cacio e Pepe

I said goodbye to some great friends and a beautiful city and shipped off to Lisbon. If you have a chance to get there, GO. Very very cool city. Wish I could have spent more time exploring the maze of streets but I got the stomach flu. I was in bed for two days so that was a complete bummer BUT I stayed in a great Bed and Breakfast. Stay there when you have your opportunity to go to Lisbon. 

But real talk everyone, Lisboa is beautiful. Here is a picture to make sure you get my point:

Crazy.

I then left the sunshine and made my way up north. I arrived in Dublin, Ireland and was immediately force fed tea, cookies, smoked salmon, brown bread, chocolate and then was asked if I needed any sausages. I stayed with my friend Emma's and her grandparents. I had a great time lounging around, eating cabbage and ham, drinking wine, and watching Sex and the City. It was my first time being back in an English speaking country since August. It was refreshing and Dublin was really nice. I spent Christmas there too with a huge Irish family. It made my first Christmas away from home much homier than I expected. (Unfortunately I have no photos of Dublin)

On the 26th I flew to London and met my dad in the airport. We spent a week in London. We went to museums and ate tea and scones everyday. It was so great seeing him and experiencing London with him. We learned how to use the tube and I watched every documentary about the royal family. Here's my dad and I infront of Buckingham Palace. We look cool.

     

   

After an uneventful New Years Eve, my dad went home and I went back to Ireland. This time to Galway! Well out in the country of Galway to visit my friend Rosie and her family. Her mom loves taking "yankees" out on a tour of the west coast of Ireland. So luckily I was next! We went to the Cliffs of Moher on one of the windiest days I have ever experienced. So gorgeous. Then went to Emma's other grandmothers house in County Cavan with our friend Katie for another few days of relaxing before shipping back to Italy for my second semester abroad. 

Cliffs of Moher - It was so windy that the
water was being pushed up the hill!

I returned to Rome for a few days before I moved into my new home. Three days in Rome was perfect. I had an excuse to go to all the places I had lost sight of and eat at all my favorite restaurants. Let me know if you want the names.

I just moved into my homestay in Florence a week ago. I live with a mother, father and their two kids (a girl who's 22, and a boy who's 17). Food all the time and I have my own room. Life is good. Here are pictures of my room: 

Bed!

big desk!

red chair, window, and big closets!

More on life in Florence and actual school later. Its time for dinner! Ciao!

Buongiorno Tutti

I can not believe I have less than two weeks left in Rome. It seriously feels like yesterday that I was sitting at SFO texting my friend Maggie questioning my choice to study abroad. We were both at SFO boarding different planes to Europe. Our texting conversation was:
Hallie: "I checked one bag and I brought a carry on and my backpack! I'm so nervous!!!!!!! Wanna come to Rome instead of Paris?"
Maggie: "I am too!! What are we doing??"
Hallie: "I have no idea! Ah"
Maggie: "No, its okay. We are strong, independent world-savvy women and we are LIVING IS THAT SUCH A BAD THING?! NO. It is very much a good thing"

I have looked back on that conversation a few times and laughed at myself for being so nervous. Yes, I am 6238 miles away from home but this is not impossible! I am eating the best food in the world, learning the most beautiful language, rubbing shoulders with some of the most interesting people. I never want to leave. Well maybe in five months, I'll be singing a different tune.

Well my classes in Rome have come to an end. I only have finals left!! Wish me luck!

After three finals I will be packing up my entire Roman life and going on vacation! Here's my plan:
Dec 16-20 Lisbon, Portugal!
Dec 20-26 Dublin, Ireland
Dec 26-Jan 1st London with my Dad!
Jan 1-6 Back to Ireland!
Jan 6- 9 Back to Rome! Then moving everything to Florence for the next chapter in my study abroad!

Here are a few things I have done since my last post:

I went to Siena! Check out how beautiful the Siena Cathedral is! The inside is so incredible too.

I can definitely see myself moving to Siena. The city is absolutely gorgeous. Down every street there is something different to look at. The neighborhoods are incredible and I want to go to the Palio in my future.

Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Baroque Altar

I also went to Assisi last weekend. This city was really different from Rome because it was a.) TINY. So small and thats an obvious difference. but b.) Assisi felt a lot more religious than Rome ever has. I am living in the center of Christiandom and regularly walk through the Vatican (#nbd, I know) but because its so small, there aren't a lot of tourists so really the only people who were there pilgrims. It was really interesting. But people were so friendly. And almost all the churches had baroque architecture and medieval painting or mosaic. And because of the earthquake in 1997, some of the places underground have been completely remodeled in a very contemporary way. It's very interesting.

Marlisa and I infront of the creepiest
makings of a Nativity scene. Ever. 

I also really loved Assisi because of how - in the words of Anthony Bourdain - crunchy it is. Everything was about peace and "Pace e Bene" was everywhere. So Santa Cruz. Loved it.

Can we also talk about how gorgeous this sunset is. The weather was cloudy and sunlight peaked through the clouds giving those amazing godly rays of light.






I also went to a small town called Fumone to see how Olive Oil was made. It was so cool and the food was incredible. Five course lunch.... no problem. Sign me up!









Ci Vediamo, tutti. I am off to eat dinner in my neighborhood. goodness, I'm never going home!
xoxoxoxo

Vacationing!

Hellooooooo!!!!

Just returned from a wonderful vacation! We had a week off so I decided to go to Madrid to visit my friend Kyle from UCSC and to Paris to visit my friend Maggie who I've known since we were five. I have already been to both of these cities so I feel like I got the super touristy things out of the way and being with a "local" made it so much more fun finding the hip spots around town.

So here was my Itinerary:
Saturday to Wednesday evening - Madrid
Wednesday night to Sunday - Paris.
Perfect four days and four days.

When I arrived in Madrid I was greeted with a sign that said "Pork Cheek" made by the very talented Kyle Thomson. That night we got dinner and walked around Madrid. The city is gorgeous. It reminds me a lot San Francisco. My friends from Rome arrived later that night too.

stuffed fried potatoes

My time in Madrid consisted of museums, walking, eating pastries, cañas, walking, eating tapas, more pastries and more walking. All Saints Day was Tuesday while I was there and it is a Spanish tradition to eat bunuelos (kind of like cream puffs, but deep fried) and huesos di santo (just some more sugar). So we did as the Madrilenos did and ate. We went out to tapas a few nights and on time we ordered fried green tomatoes. I think this could be the best thing I have ever eaten. They were absolutely perfect. They had a bunch of fresh cheddar cheese on top and arugula salad. It was beautiful. I forgot to snap a picture before it was almost all the way devoured. But I did take a picture of stuffed fried potatoes. These were incredible too.

Teleferico

On my last day in Madrid, Kyle and I ventured to the top of a park and took the Teleferico across the City. It's basically a small enclosed chairlift that has great views of everything. We then walked around the park we ended up in which was so pretty with the trees changing color.


Then it was off to Paris. My original plan was to get to Orly kind of late but still take the metro into the city and meet up with Maggie. But of course my flight got delayed. Annoyed knowing that I would have to fork over forty euros to get into the city on a cab, I boarded the plane in a huff. When the man scanned my ticket, he looked at me and said, "Oh I'm sorry miss, but we've had to move your seat." my first thought was, Really? I was already in the back of the plane, how much further could I get? He said to me, We've had to move you up to business class, do you mind waiting just one second so I can print your new ticket... I'm really sorry.
The flight was perfect. One and a half hours of luxury. I got dinner, I had a bunch of leg room, and I got FOUR moist towelettes. I know, super fancy.

Bonjour

I got to Maggie's homestay where I stayed my first night. An adorable Parisian home that she loves. The family seems so cute and so sweet. Early the next morning we woke up because she had a sight visit at the d'Orsey. Perfect start to Paris. One of my favorite museums. Maggie then had another class so she sent me on my merry way to walk around the center of Paris. Everything was great. Paris is magical. I wish I spoke french, its such a pretty language. Someone told me that learning French after learning Italian is easier....hmmmm, a thought....
Well then I checked into my funky hotel at the bottom of Montparnasse. I think if I crossed the street, I would be out of Paris. It was comfortable and very close to the metro.

Ceiling at the Hunting and Nature Museum

For the rest of my break I did more walking and more eating. I went to the Hunting and Nature Museum which was awesome. A contemporary artist adds their own harmony with these old traditional pieces. Turns very hipster but would be a great place to take kids. Lots of hands on things. I ate a falafel! I randomly ran into Kyle in Paris! I went Pompidou! Should have spent more time in there, its huge, but I was exhausted. Next time :)

I also went to a concert in Paris! I went and saw James Blake, Laura Marling, the cults and some other bands I missed. It was so much fun going to a concert in a different country. The venue was beautiful. A lot like the fox theater in Oakland. James Blake is a lot more dubstep than I expected from the few songs I had heard, but he played a fine line between dubstep and folk rock perfectly. You should check him out. Same with Laura Marling. She is just adorable.

Crepes and Cider

I ate crepes, macaroons, panini, cookies, and an american breakfast. A perfect week of culinary
delights.


Oh my way back to Rome, I decided to check my bag, but of course they lost it. It got stuck in Madrid (my layover) so its still there. But I get compensated 100 euros for my missing things. Hopefully it will be back here tomorrow!

This was the perfect vacation in the middle of what already seems like a vacation.






Well, more on my last few weeks in Rome are coming. Going to Siena this weekend! xoxo

I'm feeling at home

I'm already starting week four in my ten week quarter. I'm two months into my study abroad and I feel at home. I've got my routine down but still everyday I am discovering something new. My new favorite thing to do is stop by the farmers market at Piazza Cosimato in Trastevere on my walk home from Italian. Everyday I have a break from 10am - 2pm so I usually take a walk through the Eternal City and make my way home for lunch. Usually I'll watch some TV on my computer and then make my way back to school for my afternoon classes. Even in the morning I have a routine. I leave my apartment by 8:15 and get on a over crowded tram and then stop by my favorite caffe, Gió, for a morning cappuccino. We really are creatures of habit.

Even my classes are incredible. I have the same professor for Baroque and Renaissance art history, back to back. Usually I would be pulling my hair out after being in class for almost six hours with the same professor, but I'm not. He is one of the smartest and most interesting teachers I have ever had. He is so passionate about his subjects and lectures completely without notes or a powerpoint. When we're in the classroom, he only has slides, and when we're on sight, he only has the art in front of us. There's my little love rant for Paolo.

I saw the protest yesterday in Rome. I wanted to go shopping at this place where they have really cheap boots and its right behind San Giovanni di Laterano I also planned to walk down the street to go to San Clemente but its in the area exactly where the protest was happening. I realized that the art of protest is pretty universal. It looked exactly like any other protest that would happen in San Francisco or Santa Cruz. There was a drum circle, similar chants, and banners. And of course, police and news reporters everywhere. The helicopters didn't stop flying around Rome until around 10 at night. I watched the protest for a few minutes and then turned around and went home before it got violent at all. On my bus ride home, I smelled smoke near the Circus Maximus but I didn't find out until later what it was from. The anarchist protesters set cars on fire. From what I saw of the protest was that it was very peaceful but what I saw on the news was very different. Maybe I just got out in time, or maybe the media is just focusing on the few people who are making it violent.

What else? Hmmm. Madrid and Paris are coming right up. I am so excited to spend time in those cities again. Besides that not much else is new. Here's a purse picture, pretty similar to the past few purse pictures:

My purse, map, a pen from the Vatican Post Office, sunglasses, camera, Receipts up the wazzooo (you get a receipt for everything, even if you're spending a euro, so my purse is always filled with little pieces of paper), a business card from my favorite restaurant Da Vitorrio, change, hair clips, a pack of sugar from Flunch (hahah), wallet, keys, and a shopping bag.


Better start studying,
Hallie

While weeks have gone by...

...I am falling more and more in love with Rome.

The more comfortable I become in my new home, the happier I become.

In the past few weeks I have:
Started classes and I am obsessed with them. I'm taking Ancient Roman Art, Renaissance Rome, and Baroque Rome. All of Roman art history from 400 BC-1750 AD. awwww yeah. (but forget about all that Medieval stuff...they weren't making much anyway)
I've been to the Villa Borghese Gallery twice and its absolutely beautiful.
I went to the keyhole on the top of the Aventine Hill. It framed St. Peters perfectly. So beautiful.
I fainted in Piazza Del Popolo (I'm fine. dehydrated, locked knees)
I found my new favorite restaurant. It's called Da Vitorio. So good. so cheap.
I've discovered the best farmers market in Trastevere.
I bought a dress for 7 euro.
And I rearranged my room.
       I'd say a pretty productive few weeks.

The weather is finally cooling down in Rome and I'm so excited to not be sweating for literally 24 hours a day.
I applied for a homestay in Florence for the Spring. Can't wait to eat incredible food all the time.

Here are photos from the Aventine and the student protest outside my apartment.

You can see St Peters in the distance there.

Fight the power














Until next time.
Love, Hallie

Firenze!

After a few weeks of saying that I wouldn't spend my money to go to Florence since I'm already going to be living there for four months, I caved. We have a week long break after our intensive italian course ended. Everyone in my program planned these great vacations to Greece, Amalfi, Paris, Oktoberfest, etc, but I really wanted to experience Roma while I'm here.

But I felt out of the loop so I went to Florence for the weekend. As I said in my last post, I missed my first train. Ended up being just fine. Got to Florence and met my friend, Maribeth, and her friends from school. We had a picnic at the steps of Santo Spirito. That was really nice. Cross the river with gelato in hand and went to Maribeth's apartment, very close to the Uffizi. We rested and went out for dinner and drinks for one of her friends birthdays. 

We woke up the next morning and walked to the Duomo to get a cappuccino and a cornetto. I planned on meeting up with some other friends from high school, Emma and Rosie, but we ended up being lost in communication. While Rosie was in the museum, I decided to walk around the city I will be living in. Florence is beautiful. Hands down. 

Difference between Rome and Florence:

1.) ROME IS HUGE. Florence is tiny. you can walk anywhere in Florence within just a few minutes. Not an issue at all. You have to plan for travel time in Rome, It could be close to an hour or two. 

2.) Things are very very close together in Florence. Rome is full of big streets for big traffic to travel down. The streets in florence are made for foot traffic, which I like a lot.

3.) It seemed like I only heard american study abroad students in Florence. Very high concentration of American girls in the areas I was in. Maybe I'm just not looking for it in Rome.

These cities are so different. I feel like once I get to Florence all I'm going to do is comparing it to Rome, trying to figure out which one I like more. I'm just enjoying Rome for now :)

When I arrived home Sunday night, there was a huge thunderstorm that kept me awake from 3am-5am. I skyped with an old co-worker which was so much fun but made my Monday very very lazy. 

Nothing else new here in Rome! Hanging out and being in awe day after day. Hopefully I'll wake up in time to see the Papal Audience tomorrow morning!

here are some photos from Florence:

 The Arno and the Ponte Vecchio

Baked goods at a Farmers market at Santo Spirito

 Fake David

Duomo and Clouds