40 Minutes My Butt...And My Butt is Pretty Big..

Greece Day 3
Another early morning, but this time we had gotten 8 hours of beauty sleep! We wanted to make it to the National Archaeological museum when it opened. And we did! We got there at 8:30 on the dot. (Thats an odd saying). Oh and this time I got in as a student! Yeah! The bottom floor is mostly marble, stone and bronze sculptures that follow the development of Greek art. It was quite a collection of work and we were allowed to photograph! We found two huge rooms that housed their Collection of Egyptian art which I went crazy for! Egyptian jewelry, sculptures and even some lovely mummies with infor about significance and history of each group of items on the wall (in English too)! We left the museum just in time to take the subway to the Parliment building and see the changing of the guards. Which is hilarious!! They wear these dresses (I'm sure they have a much more dignified and no doubt manly name) and these funny little shoes with black puff on the toe. Which could only remind me of the little yarn pom-poms my mom made and put on our shoes in 3rd and 4th grade cheerleading. And this made me think, do they know how ridiculous those look? Or perhaps they would agree with my momma and think they are the perfect shoe accessory. Oh! and the guards do this funny little walk, where they first lift their knee then extend their leg, flex and point their toes and then step. And they do this on each step! HAHA Don't fret. I have video! No on could miss out on that!
Right down the street from the Parliament was the War Museum, and we had read that the outside was "guarded" by tanks, cannons and fighter jets that would could actually look into and get right next to. So we went off in that direction, getting held up once by the parade of pom-pom wearing guards. Once at the War museum we did find that it was certainly guarded by it's own fleet of jets and tanks. I really wanted to sit in one but I don't think they would really be okay with that. So inside we went, as to not get in trouble twice while in Greece! The first display we come across is a bunch of guns and the little card description says Luxurious European Rifles. Haha we loved it already! Along with luxurious rifles the museum had other weapons, uniforms, and photos on display of the history of Greece's mighty military efforts over the years. So Nora and I are walking around minding our own business and enjoying the lovely museum when two of the security guards hit on us. (Greek men must love American Women or Nora and I are just THAT hot!) We spend the rest of the time avoiding them. And then left the museum but not before grabbing the museum info packet in Greek. Yes!
Now to find some food for Amanda, because I was about to start getting cranky. On the way back to the subway station we stumble across this little outdoor cafe which had the best yogurt, honey raisins and walnuts, apparently a local favorite that we were informed we must try. So we did and fell in love! Yogurt will just never be the same. :]
It was time to go. Sad.
We grab our bags from the hotel and jump on the train to the airport. As we sit on the train we admire our great understanding of Athens subway/train system and high five for not getting lost! That and being on time for everything! Too bad our plane decided not to be on time for us, but rather an hour late. Which is not good for catching our 8:00 train from Milan to Florence...
So we take the plane and try to not worry during the flight about our train in Milan and how we are possibly going to get there on time. But the second we land Nora and I try to be the first ones off the plane and out of the airport to catch the first possible shuttle bus to Stazione Centrale. It's at the very least a 40 minute bus ride to the train station, and we have about 45 minutes until our train leave. Once we finally arrive at the station, it is 10 after 8:00 and we are running like mad women. The humor in all this is...you see Amanda is wearing this little skirt all day. Quite comfortable even easy to run in, but at one point during our mad dash for the train we run over a huge series of grates in the ground that blow air up. Why they do this...I really have no idea other than for every one around to get a show while unsuspecting girls skirts go flying up to their chins. Oh yes. It happened. Right up! Everything shown. And yet I didn't care. I just kept running, and laughing which made the running more difficult.
Turns out our train to Florence did leave without us. Not like they knew or cared. So then we had to figure something out. We went to the ticket booth and asked the lady very nicely in Italian if she spoke English. And she did yay! We handed her our ticket and explained the situation and asked when the next train to Florence was that we could get onto. Domani! she says. Ummmm.....No! I think to myself....I don't think you understand. "We need to leave tonight." Domani she repeats seeming quite happy with herself. Oh and we had been having this conversation in English up until now...what happened lady? Now all the sudden all she would speak was Italian too us. So I ask her if we can get to Florence tonight by switching at another station, such as Bologna (we've done that before). She tells me that she can get us a ticket to Bologna (oh... ps I'm speaking in English, and she is responding to me in Italian. Why? Why?!) So I ask what time the train from Bologna to Florence leaves. Again she says Domani with a smile. And hands me my ticket and shoos me off. So we call Nikki. Really freaking out now, I just want to be home. I'm exhausted...and apparently they don't want to have a conversation in just one language. Nikki tells me what to say to the ticket lady but advices me to go to different one than I had before. We get back in line and end up at another window. Where again I nicely ask (in Italian) if the lady speaks English and she says 'yes only if you speak slowely"...and then starts rambling a thousand words a minute in Italian. In my head I'm screaming REALLY? REALLY? I hand her the ticket and slowly explain the situation. She also tells me the only train she has is at 8:00am the next morning. Wonderful. So I get Nikki back on the phone and ask the lady to talk to her on my cell phone, I was just like please please she speaks Italian! And the ticket lady finally agreed. I get the phone back and Nikki is still rambling Italian to Marco and then translates for me. Telling me, our only option is to get on a train from Milan to Bologna, Bologna to Arezzo and then Arezzo to Florence, finally arriving in Florence after 7am tomorrow morning or to stay the night in Milan. And as we look outside it's pouring...practically a monsoon hit Milan...where were we going to stay and how were going to find such a place. So we just decide that we'd rather be moving in the direction of home. And go with the tickets.
Milan (23:00) - Bologna (1:24)
Bologna (2:22) - Arezzo (4:56)
Arezzo (5:45) - Firenze (7:09)
Lovely...
Instead of being in my lovely bed at 11:00 tonight, I happen to find myself on the oldest train in the history of the world. At least Nora and I staked out our own compartment (so Harry Potter! I half expected to find some Bernie Bots Every Flavor Beans somewhere).
Ps. We left our hotel and headed for the train station around 1:30pm Athens time which is 12:30pm Florence time. So by the time we get off the train and I make it to my apartment, travel time = approximately 19 hours. Fun! Nora and I decided we should have just swam it. We probably would have made it home quicker. I'm a good swimmer! :]
Oh. Did I mention my phone died while I was talking to Nikki trying to figure everything out. So we get on the train and no outlets in the compartments. But! Alas I find one in the bathroom. Plug my phone in and called my parents and sista. Sometimes ya just gotta get creative.
This train is running about an hour late. Really? Are you kidding me? Our first train couldn't have been running 15 minutes late but this one is an hour! Oh and if this one is running an hour late then we might miss our next train. Grrreeeeaaatttt.
So in our little compartment, Nora and I shut the door and close the curtains we really aren't in the mood to be disturbed. And we turn her Ipod on really loud and just sit and do logic puzzles. Hehe.

So sure enough our train rolled into Bologna station at exactly 2:20. I about ran some people down getting off the train and running to our next train three lanes over. But we got on it in time. So as we walk down the halls of this train, we're looking for a compartment with some room in it and as our luck seems to be going, we find nothing! The train conductor or some man in a suit with a TrenItalia name badge comes up to us and looks at our tickets then walks off, and after he's a few feet away we realize he wants us to follow him. He wakes up these two men who are sprawled out all over an entire compartment and tells us to sit in there. Well the guy who i sat down next to asked me to turn off the light. I just shook my head. I don't think so buddy! They also wanted the door shut and the curtains closed. Already feeling tired, uncomfortable and very cranky we grab our bags turn off the light and shut the door as we walk out of the compartment. Now where to sit we think? Ummm...oh yeah. There isn't anywhere. We don't even technically have tickets for this train! So we pull down some jump seats and curl up next to the window. Fun thing was, every time someone decided to walk down the hallway we either had to contort our selfs or stand up so they could get by. It was the best two hours of my life! So we're ridding along. And all the sudden we see signs for FirenzeRifredi and we think, what the heck are we doing in FLORENCE!!! Yet the train speeds right on through that station. And right on through another very tiny Florence station. I decide I'm going to call my parents again, so I head off to find a bathroom (for a plug ya know). And just as I get my phone plugged in someone starts BANGING on the door. I grab all my stuff as the door opens and it's Nora with both our bags, our purses and our notebooks (how she grabbed all that stuff in like a split second I have no idea, she turned into Wonder Woman). All she says to me is, "WE'RE IN FLORENCE AND WE'RE GETTING OFF!" as she practically jumps off the train. So I follow suit. The train had stopped at Firenze Campo di Marte while I was plugging my phone in and I hadn't even noticed. Nora, knowing we were in Florence and dreading another 3 hours of travel made the executive decision that we were getting off! And thats exactly what we did. I think I did a little dance once we were off the train, because I was just so dang happy to be in Florence. But....where in Florence are we?? Because we were going to be in Greece all weekend and our train was coming into Firenze SMN, a train station we know REALLY well. Neither of us bothered to bring a Florence map. Wonderful. As we find our way out of the train station there are about 25 men getting onto a bus and we ask if they are going to Santa Maria Novella they nod and say yes really creepily like they just want us two young things on the bus with them. But we get on anyways. How else are we going to get to a place we actually recognize. The bus did eventually take us to the SMN station. And we got off in a flash! I was so happy!
I believe it was 5:30 by the time I walked in the door of my apartment..
*sigh*
Home at last!

Brown Bread to Boot!

Greece Day 2
7:30 early to be exact. With a day full of walking and site seeing ahead!
First stop. Acropolis.
So last night I had looked 16, but at the Acropolis entrance I couldn't even pass as a college student. Crazy Greeks....
It's a hot day, thank goodness it's only like 8 in the morning.
But seriously the view was amazing. As we climbed to the top we saw the Theater of Dionysus and Odeon of Herodes Atticus and once at the top we had a lovely breeze and view of the entire city and all the way to the water. We even saw where we had been the eveing before. (I mean the hill, not the bar ;) We saw the Parthenon and even got a pair of American girls to take our picture in front of it! Then aw we are walking around marveling at the sites I see a perfect little stone lying on the ground. So I pick it up and roll it around in my hand. Then with this intense look on his face and furrowed brow (I just wanted to say furrowed brow) a man, walkie-talkie in hand and important looking name badge clipped onto his polo, comes up to me and simply says "Ma'am! (I'm a ma'am today?) You can not take the stones". Oh, and then I realize that I still have the stone in my hand, I release my hand and just let it fall to the ground. "Sorry!!" :/ And with that the guys just turns around and walks away. (Don't worry Johnny :] )
After spending a sufficient amount of time there we walked through the Ancient Agora and museum on our way out. the Ancient Agora was used as the cities market place and Administration center from the 6th century BC all the way through the 6th century AD! It's a beautiful and relaxing area and you can't even hear the bustle of the city. In the small one room (air conditioned) museum there were many artifacts found and preserved from the Agora. When we left there we wanted to find our way to the Roman Agora but were super hungry so found a cute little restaurant to eat lunch at. In all our time in Italy, we both agree this was the BEST bread we've had! And free water too, yeah we liked this place. And stayed in the cool air conditioning a little while before heading back out. (Seriously it was SO hot, you have no idea!) We didn't get very far on our walk to the Roman Agora before I stopped us to go into a little jewelry shop. Where the jewelry maker himself came out and talked to us about politics the second he heard we were Americans. Oh and he talked to me about a Robert Frost poem (that I had read Junior year, thanks IB...). He was a nice old man though (plus I liked his work) so I humored him and we chatted about literature and poetry for a while. I did end up buying a couple bracelets and something for Kirssy (shhhh don't tell her!). Then we continued our journey and found the Popular Musical Instruments Museum, hosted by the Ministry of Culture (a little too 1984 for me...) was near where we were. So we detoured a little to visit the museum.
The museum is quite cute. With a courtyard out front and someone playing harp, and two clarinet players practicing on the second floor. It had instruments from the 18th-20th century and headsets that reproduced the music of each display. Really neat. I really liked it! Oh! And we saw two violins, but no violas. Nora and I were disappointed. (She played Viola in high school too!). Now it's time to head into the Roman Agora, built between the 19th and 11th century from donations of Julius and Octavion Ceasar. It was pretty cool. But really just a whole bunch of old rocks. Haha Just kidding. I have a million pictures. But right now my brain can't think of everything in there.
Now a fool would believe our site seeing might end there but NO! Much more to see. Off to the Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern Olympic games were held in 1896 and again in 2004! Awesome. And then off to see Zeus' Temple and Madrians Arch. Which is the remnants of the largest temple ever built in Greece. And even as tired as we were we wanted to finish our long day of sight seeing by getting the "best" view of the Parthenon on Philopappos Hill. Just a little southwest of the Acropolis it really was the best view, and even as hot as it was there was a nice breeze and many stone benches to chill out and enjoy the view. Again Nora and I bugged some other tourists to take our picture. :] Then we headed back down and to our hotel for a lovely shower! We were only out site seeing for nine hours. Weak! Haha.
Because we were so worn out from our day we just wanted to find a cute little place to sit and eat dinner, but for some reason nothing seemed to be open. Were we crazy? It was a Saturday night...right? But we did finally find a place where we could get some good Greek food! on our way back to our room later we walked by this little bakery...and that was bad. We wanted to try everything. But we settled for sampling a few things. Haha. And of course one of our "samples" was Baklava (nut and honey pastry) which was SO good. After a day like that we for sure went to sleep early and it was wonderful!
What a good day, we felt so accomplished!
And didn't even get lost once. :]

Must Be Jelly Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That! (Bombtastic PB & J Sammich)

Greece Day 1
"Friday" although do I really have to consider it Friday? People are still out from Thursday night as I am getting on our train at 4:30am. I called my father to inform him that he was getting off a plane while I was getting on a train. Mind you it was only 9:30pm (Thurs) for him. I also interrupted John's Thursday night Bible study because well...as much as I didn't want to believe it, my brain knew it was Friday, for me at least. I didn't realize until I had already gabbed on forever that he was in the middle of something. And then I felt really bad. Told him to tell all the guys I said hi and hung up quickly.
So we sit down on the train, and it's pretty much deserted. No one else is on there. And this guy walks on a few minutes after us and sits in the sit right across the isle from me. Really? Was that necessary? But then I realize why, he wants to strike up conversation. In Italian. Not happening sir. It's 4 in the morning. Only English. So when we tell him we don't speak much English, he doesn't seem to care and keeps on chatting. I catch bits a pieces. He doesn't have a ticket, or doesn't have the right ticket. He isn't sure how to get the ticket he needs. Or what train to switch too to get to where he's going. Something a long those lines. Well sorry bud, you sat next to the wrong girls. We couldn't help him. And after a while I think he got bored of us not responding. So he left.
Our train rolls in to Bologna at the lovely time of 6:00 am! And our next train, to Milan, leaves in exactly 44 minutes. It turns out to be a much more comfortable train that what we had previously been on and I think to myself (what a wonderful wooorld...) that I might actually get some sleep. And I did. A little. Oh! Imagine our luck! The girl sitting next to Nora is from Athens on her way home for the summer, and she's on our same plane flight too! Brilliant! She was very nice, helped us find the shuttle from Milan Stazione Centrale to Milan Malpensa Airport. Once at the airport we found our way really easily. My Italian comprehension is awesome!

Sidenote: I don't think I have mentioned Nora and I's quest for the crispy M&M's, for which we have seen none of in the States for EVER! So we've been on the hunt, and been quite unsuccessful until Malpensa airport! We found some! No lie! :D




Anyways, back on Greece. Our flight to Athens was quite short maybe two hours but I doubt that long. So remember how proud I was of my language comprehension in Italy. Greece is a whole different story. No idea! What-so-ever. It was pretty funny. Thankfully the airport and train station had English signs too for the most part. So we find the train we need, hop on, 8 stops, get off and switch to another train and find our stop. We were so proud of ourselves. We did it! And found our hostel too. But turns out our room is at a different location...so we get to walk some more. Finally we get there, get to our room and guess what...there is air conditioning! Could it get any better? I submit that it could not! Nora turns in on and we marvel in this wonderful invention. After getting settled, we're off! Two girls on a mission to climb this hill and get to see the best view of Athens, 360 view is what we were told! Our map by the way is all in Greek. This makes getting around super easy. But remember we're on a mission. And after a confusing walk across town and a treacherous climb up Mount Lycavittos, it's a success! I took enough pictures and video to...I don't even know. It was beautiful we could see everything. We stayed up there for a long time, the sun started to set which made the view that much more breath taking. Then we started the descent. Which actually turned out to be almost as difficult as the climb because everything was slippery and where there were stone steps they were perfectly smooth. I did slip once, okay maaaaybe twice but recovered gracefully. Haha. We did make it down all in once piece. but happened to end up in a completely different location than we had started. On another mission, to find this bar we had read about, something to do with brightly colored bottles and ouzo. It's a long walk but we make it to Bretto's which is located on this lively street with many restaurants and dessert places. Nora and I were exhausted, I am quite sure we looked (and smelled) like we had just hiked across the world and yet...the bartender hit on us.
Well here's how the story goes. Prepare yourselves it's a good one.
We walk in and the younger of the two bartenders comes up to greet us aw we sit down. He asks where we're from and then how old we are. Nora says 19 and he seems to believe her. but when I say 21 he looks at me skeptically and asks how old I am really. To which I respond with "21 why would I lie about that here??" Still not believing me but obviously giving up for the moment he hands us the list of liqueurs and says he'll be right back. So I locate the bathroom and head off in that direction, on my way I'm stopped. Again I'm asked how old I really am. Because I AM telling the truth, I again tell him 21. but out of curiosity ask how old he thinks I am. He says 16! Uhhh...Really?! So I tell him that I guess I'll take that as a compliment and turn to go to the bathroom. But he tells me that I can't drink if I'm 16. I was just like really sir? You think I'm lying to you. So I get out my driver's license and point to my age for him. He noticed that bu also was apparently interested in learning my name as well. "You are 21 Miss Amanda" I just laugh (uhh..yeah.) I told you that. He introduces himself and with that I turn to actually make it where I was going this time. So then me and Nora pick out some drinks, Mr. Nilson comes over and tries to flirt a little. Haha. We got Watermelon liqueur (for me of course!!) and melon (for Nora) they were good! I loved the watermelon,then again that seems to be a trend of mine here. But with all those colorful bottles we couldn't just sample one. So we ordered peach and strawberry. As we sip on those, this couple walks in, and starts talking to us. We find out that they are from Florida and have two daughters around our age. Some how or another the woman got the idea that both Nora and I were Jewish (they were Jewish and Nora actually is Jewish) and she got so excited to meet two Jewish girls. It was hilarious. We talked to her for a bit longer and then they left. But Nora and I laughed about it for the rest of the night. Just after our lovely conversation with our new Jewish friends was over the bartender dropped off some shots for us. We just laugh when we turn around and see them and he winks at us from across the bar. So we pick them up, smell them (haha) and ask what it is. Gum tree something. Cheers and take it! "When in Greece!" :] It was quite good actually. but thats when we decide we're done and it's probably time to leave. As we "evaluate our lives" what we call checking our map to see how far our walk is going to be, we notice a coupld of guys sitting across the street and have been sitting there the whole night by themselves. So why the heck not. Lets make some friend in Greece. I walk over and ask if anyone is sitting in the seat next to one of them and Nora sat across from me. We learned they are both from New York, brothers (Cole and Russell). The one sitting next to me, Russell, just graduated with a music finance degree or something, so they decided to go on a 9 day trip all over Greece and are leaving the next morning for home. They were cool to talk to, we all even walked to the subway station together, but thats when Nora and I ended our night because we want to get up early!

Is That It??!

Occasionally, things surprise me. Sometimes in a good way...and other times well...it's surprising.
We went to Pisa yesterday. Left right after class and ran over the the train station to catch the train that left in 10 minutes. Somehow we made it there on time..I have no idea how. But we got on and much to our surprise (disappointment) the train was not air conditioned...surprise numero uno. But we're still excited to go, because it's Pisa, and I'm pretty sure it's just one of those things you have to see while in Italy, like the Colosseum and David (neither of which I have seen yet).
The train ride was an hour and a half long, which seemed to take forever. But the three of us (Nora, Missy and I) had fun. We talked, joked around, and were entertained by two young Italian girls who were either quite high or very drunk. We couldn't tell.
Finally the train stops in Pisa, and we get off in a hurry (the train was hot, and some how it was cooler outside it seemed). As we walk across town to the Leaning Tower, we stopped to get Missy something to eat and check the map just to make sure we were headed in the general direction of where we wanted to end up. Nora gets excited, "we're almost there" as she jumps in the middle of the street, "I think we should be able to see it from here...or maybe not". So we walk a little further down the street, and it comes into view. Just as it does, all three of us stop and at the same time say "Is that IT?!" It was tiny. Well I mean still much taller than I. But they make it look HUGE in pictures and postcards. And it's really not that large. No wonder we couldn't see it from further down the street. Surprise numero due. We were all laughing pretty hard, because we couldn't believe that this tower got that much hype. As we get closer we realize how many people are surrounding it. It's insane! We're still laughing in disbelieve, this is what we came to see? But it was fun. We did all the touristy things, we took pictures, we held it up. Which is SO funny to watch other people do. Everyone looks ridiculous! It was a pretty good time until we got shooed off the grass by the police. Hmm...lets do something else then I guess. We contemplated climbing up the tower, but then really what would we see and the next entrance was over an hour and a half away. Not really THAT interested. So we just walked around. Looked at all the little shops, with all the tiny leaning replicas. Laughed at all the postcards with the tower falling over into a crumbly mess and oh the many boxer shorts for guy....Must I explain? No. I think you can get it.



So after a while we're done. There isn't much else in this poor little town other than the tower. We hop on the train back home. Which is air conditioned!! Yay! And will take about an hour. Another YAY!
We're back in Florence by 9:00 and exhausted. I have laundry, packing and homework to be done. I leave for Athens Friday morning (4am) Hehe. Missy and I just head back to the apartment to do everything we need to do, and relax a little. We found A Little Princess on our kitchen table while eating dinner, and were super excited to watch that. (A favorite of mine!) The movie made me think of home, my daddy and being a kid. It was great.

Sigh..

Let me just tell you...
Missing people is so hard. Especially from so far away. It's hard not knowing when you'll see someone again, or if you will. But it's still so hard even knowing when I'll see the people I miss! Sigh..

And now that you guys are all thoroughly depressed...
I bought a bible and peach tea today. It was a good day!

These legs weren't made for walkin'....

And that's not what they'll do.

We'll start off with Thursday night.
A couple of us girls decide that we are going to go to this club across town. Well...I mean we think it's across town. After having walked there and back, I do believe it's in another country. :) And that is when Missy and I made up our little song. (Quite catchy don't you think?) So anyways the club ended up being across the river (and through the woods) and over the highway, about eight years away. But really fun once we found it. It was all set up outside, so all the different dance floors were under these huge tents and I guess there were about three of them and they each played different music. Quite fun.
Friday morning rolls around FAR to early. Only a couple hours of sleep I would guess. And we are rushing to get ready and leave for Verona. Missy and I both believe that the train leaves at 10:30, and we didn't leave our apartment until 10:15. (it's about a 20 minute walk to the train station, if not more) Go us! So..I'm a girl on a mission. Just walking through the crowds, around people and pretty much just squeezing myself in between other much slower walkers, so ensure that we made it to the station on time. We arrive at the station at 10:31. And are surprised to find everyone waiting in a small cluster. Turns out our train doesn't leave until 10:50 AND it's running twenty minutes late. Geeze! So we get to chill out for a little while, catch our breath, I eat my poor apple that had been in my sweaty hand the entire walk and then we get on the train. Oh. Did i mention Nikki had been running late too, so it wasn't just us. Must have been that kind of morning. But we all made it on the train on time!
The train ride to Verona was about two hours, and went by really quickly. I sat with Nikki and Marco and we just talked the whole time, when I was supposed to be doing my homework which Marco really wanted to help me with. Haha. :)
Once we made it to Verona, it was a beautiful day! We went to the hotel and dropped off our stuff, and then went walking around the city. We saw Juliette's house and stood on the balcony for pictures of course. While we were standing up there and Marco was down in the courtyard all these Asians came into the courtyard and started taking pictures of us too. Haha. They were talking to us in some other language and basically trying to direct the picture, by asking us to move a little to the left or lean closer. It was hilarious. I took a picture of them, taking a picture of us. Just to capture the moment. The rest of the day/evening was spent just walking around and seeing the city. That night I fell asleep in like two seconds. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep mid-sentance talking to Nora. And Saturday morning when I woke up I was like, hey Nora what was I talking to you about? Like no time had even passed. She just looked at me like I was crazy and we went to eat some breakfast in our pjs!
So after we ate Nora and I just went walking around and shopping for a little while. We went into a couple of goofy little stores with funny names. Like Pimkie...which we kept pronouncing "Pimp-key" and then laughing as we tried our hardest to pronounce it correctly. (You know you just tried to say it!) Around one we met up with everyone at the hotel and went to the train station to go to a little town nearby that is on this lake. I think it was called Desenzano but I could be completely wrong. Anyways it was beautiful. Nothing all that exciting and in much need for me to write happened, we just walked around and I took about a bazillion pictures. (I'm such a tourist...) We wanted to get into the water, because it was SO dang hot out that day, but there really wasn't any place to there. So we took a boat (water taxi) across the lake to another small town called Sirmione (this time I'm for sure about that name). The boat ride was so much fun. I really enjoyed it. The wind was really cool coming off the water, and there were a bunch of boats out fishing or just sailing around. Pretty great. OH! We saw this momma duck and her six baby ducks swimming right behind her, and then there was another baby duck like 4-5 feet away in the water, and he was swimming so hard to catch up. Then, another one of the large boat taxis went gliding through the water and we were terrified that the ducks had gotten hurt. Nikki and I just stood there counting all the babies to make sure all of them were there. Everyone on our boat was like "awww" ...when the other boat practically went right over them.
So after walking around Sirmione for a while we found a little dock going off into the water for people to dangle their feet off of or lay out on. And a bunch of people were just hanging out and playing in the water. We were pretty excited. And then realized...we hadn't brought towels. So we would get all wet, and then take the boat back to Desenzano where we would get on a train back to Verona. The entire time being wet.. So we all just relaxed, dangled our feet in the water and enjoyed the scenery.
The day was wonderful, so pretty and very relaxing yet at the same time SO tiring. By the time we got back to Verona I felt like I was just going to collapse if I didn't get some food and then some sleep. So Missy and I talked about it and we were both super hungry and had been craving sushi the whole day, since we saw a little restaurant on the way to the train station that morning. so we venture out to find it. But end up having to ask like five people where to go, and the place we ended up was not the one we had thought we were going to and definitely much further away from our hotel that we had meant to trek out that evening, being as tired/hungry as we were. So we go into this little Japanese restaurant and to our surprised it's actually like a pretty nice place, and we have sun dresses with our bathing suits on...and probably smell like lake and sunscreen. but we're hungry so we just go in anyways and they didn't seem to care all that much because they sat us. So here's how our luck seems to be as far as restaurants go here in Italy (the waiters/waitresses never seem to like us much no matter how hard I try to order everything in Italian, they are almost always rude to us, and just kind of happen to forget about us) and this dinner outing isn't much different. But we thought it would be, ya know Japanese restaurant or something. I don't know. They just didn't like us from the start. Our waitress would walk by us multiple times and deliberately not look in our direction. Haha. So Missy and i finally got our sushi, and let me just tell ya...the first place I'm eating when I get home is Mr. Chopsticks! :] I really thought eating some sushi here would help my homesickness...but it seemed to have made it just a little worse. Although the next day when we told Nikki about our experience, she told us about this really good place just outside the center in Florence. So I think we might go there and try to redeem our feelings on sushi in Italy.
Sunday was much the same as Saturday, a whole bunch of walking. This time though we stayed in Verona and climbed up to the Castello San Pietro, which is this "fortress" at the top of a hill and completely over looks the whole city. It's a wonderful view. We just sat on the walls and looked out for a while. We needed the rest, it was like 95 and sunny, we were dying from heat. I actually think we all were a little dehydrated by the end of the day even though we had drank so much water.

By the time we made it back down and to the hotel again, it was time to head out to the train station and com back to Florence. It was a good weekend, but I don't think any of us were too disappointed to be coming back home.

Romeo & Juliet!

Verona this weekend! YAY!

Poggibonsi??

So yesterday was interesting...
Saturday night after we were all settled back in from our lovely day in the rain. My friend Nora calls and is asking me some quick questions about Siena and San Gimignano, because I already have been there with the whole group before (and we had a tour guide lead us around). So me and Nora were talking for a while and then I was just like, well why don't I go with you. Because Siena is alright, really it doesn't inspire me much, but San Gimignano is beautiful really absolutely amazing. I really enjoyed the even small amount of time I was able to sit up on the tower and just look over the hillside, quite a creative God we have! :]
The plans were made, we were going to leave on a train from Florence to Siena the next morning around 11:00am. And then spend some time in Siena, take a bus from Siena to San Gimignano. Walk around and eat lunch in San Gimignano and then take a bus to Poggibonsi and the train to Florence from there.
Well....
All went according to plan from Florence to Siena. We made it there in one piece, which is good because getting around a hill town with two pieces of me would just be a lot of work. Even though getting from the train station to the Center was actually a lot more work than I thought. I think we walked for approximately eight years. Me and Nora decided that we in fact walked around the entire city of Siena (ps. up and down hills) before going into the center. But all the signs were really confusing and at times even contradicting. So when we finally made it to a place I recognized I became Nora's personal tour guide, basically taking her everywhere ours did and just regurgitating what I had heard. It was kind of funny. After we had spend a sufficient amount of time wandering about the city...and asking for directions to the bus station which was hidden I'm sure of it now! We did find a lovely young Irish couple (at least we believe them to be Irish) who gave us quite easy directions to find the buses. We made it there! But then the task of buying a ticket and getting on the right bus. Luckily we found some bus drivers just huddled all together (give a pep talk I think hehe) and they were quite nice to us and even spoke English well! So seems we made it on the right bus. Or...so we thought. We ended up sitting on this bus that said it was going to Florence (which is where we want to end up...but with a small detour to San Gimignano). So we're on the bus for a while, and finally the bus driver stops and yells out Poggibonsi to San Gimignano. So we get off. But we had already seen signs for San Gimignano like 10 minutes back..so we were confused. We stand around for a little while at this really deserted bus station, and a bus comes around with San Gimignano on the scroll bar. So we get excited! But we start to get on the bus and the driver tells us that he only picks up from San Gimignano and drops off here at Poggibonsi. Now why he couldn't take us from Poggibonsi and drop us off in San Gimignano I have no idea...
So we decide to try to find how to get a train to Florence instead. And that was a whole ordeal in itself. But we did finally get on the train...and I did make it back to Florence. I also learned many things, like not to go to Poggibonsi...or give weird ticket machines more than the ticket amount (because it doesn't give you change). So they day wasn't a total loss. Hehe.

You Can Stand Under My Ummmmbrella, ella, ella.

So you've heard. Venice is the "City of Water". Well you have never seen it quite like this before (or maybe you have, and I'm wildly underestimating you).
Well here is my Venice experience...raining, pouring at some points even. But even with all the rain, and terribly cold wind just threatening to blow my skirt up at any moment, the city was beautiful. I loved it! I think I took like 180 pictures, if that tells you anything.

So we had to wake up and be on the train by 8:15 which really wasn't that bad. Maybe I was just super excited so I was wide awake. I don't really understand the Italian train system...this small yellow box has to stamp something on my ticket and eat a little square hole out of it, for them to know that it is valid? But it has the train number, date, time, destination and even seat number already printed on the ticket so I don't think I could very well use it for any other train. Hmm. More on the train system later...
We were all spread out a little throughout the train because we hadn't bought our tickets together, and we had bought them quite close to the day we wanted to leave. But it was alright we were close enough on the way there that Kathryn and Jessica were able to talk (they happened to end up right across from each other) and Nora was sitting right behind me. I was sitting next to this American guy named Adriano. He was neat, we talked for a while and ended up having a lot in common. The train ride was almost three hours long I think, but it really didn't seem as long as I thought it would. Most of the ride was quite pretty. Although as we kept getting closer and closer to Venice the weather got worse and worse. First just dark and dreary...and then rainy, and by the time we got to Venice I swear a full on monsoon had broken out. No not really. I exaggerate. Hehe.
So we get off the train and the six of us reunite! And then trek through the rain and slippery ground to find a cute little restaurant to have some lunch at (and shelter from the cold). The 'waiter" was really rude, but that seems to be a trend among how some people treat us Americans. We discussed this at lunch and I was enlightened on Italians views of our government, president and there for us individuals. Lovely. When we were done with lunch the rain had seemed to die down a little but the cold wind was definitely still there...too bad. But we walked around the city to take pictures. Because like I've said before Venice was still SO beautiful even when raining and somewhat dreary, any other city wouldn't have been this wonderful given the conditions. We stopped into little shops, glass is a huge thing here, they make jewelry, vases, clocks and really just about anything out of. And it's all so gorgeous. So that was fun to look at. Especially the small shops were they were working on the glass right in the front room and you could watch as you walked around and looked at everything. It's like art!
Went went to Piazza San Marco which is the famous square in Venice, and it's huge. It has a TON...and I mean like a MILLION pigeons. I've found from this trip...that well I really do not like pigeons. And these birds are so not afraid of people at all. They come flying right over your head nearly flapping you with their wings (actually one did flap me in the face, haha). They just aren't scared of getting that close to people. Also in the square is this huge amazing church that visitors are able to walk into and view. The ceiling is made out of small gold tiles and is pretty spectacular. I have a couple pictures I will post, but for the most part you aren't allowed to bring cameras in.
It did finally clear up about two hours before we had to leave, which was nice. I was able to get some good pictures of the sun shinning off the water and all that jazz. But then we did have to leave, and I really didn't want to because man if I thought Venice was beautiful while it was raining, it was nothing compared to when the sun was shinning.

Watermelon Gelato

So I've officially been in Florence a week.
And my favorite thing is watermelon gelato. You have to hunt for it, but man when you find it it's AWESOME! Haha.

Go Greece Lightning...

So here’s getting you caught up on the last few days. Today I started classes so I’ll have more access to internet, more consistent access at least.

Let’s start with Saturday because that comes before Sunday…so it just makes sense. Saturday I slept in till noon, which I don’t even know why I did that, well we all slept in really late. I think I was just sleeping off jet lag, because I haven’t been lagging since. And then we were pretty lazy, just slow getting ready. But once we were all ready we went! Found where our advisor Nikki lives and went shopping around there. Well while we were shopping a monsoon came along, just busted through our bright sun and clouds in a horrible down pour that left us trapped under a small awning of a store front. Nikki called her wonderful Italian husband Marco to see if he would be kind enough to bring us some umbrellas so that we would not get soaked and then look like five stray kittens. While we waited, when the rain would subside a bit we would run to the next covering and then stand and watch the rain while chatting. Just before Marco came with the umbrellas (which were SO lovely) Missy saw a salon that had hair care products and wanted to run in. So we just waited across the street, then Marco came and just dropped off the umbrellas and we stood there waiting a little longer for Missy. Well…while we were waiting Nikki warned us about Italian women and their distaste for American women. And no kidding, just after she got done telling us all this and how we could make it better, my umbrella starts squishing down on my head, I scream and jump out into the street (as do the rest of the girls). That’s when we see that the woman (Italian) in the store had started shutting her metal gate, just to be a jerk. So Nikki goes into the store and asks if the store was closing and the woman says no, you’re not allowed to stand in front of my store window. Nikki told her we weren’t blocking the door, and that it was pouring outside that we were waiting for a friend, and then in English (mind you these two Italian women were having this conversation in Italian) the woman tells Nikki that she was just giving us a little education, while tapping her forehead. Nikki was so pissed off. She was like don’t talk to me in English, we are having a conversation in Italian, if we were four Italian women you would have never shut that door on us, you could have hurt those girls, you just didn’t think any of us would be able to come in here and communicate with you. It was crazy. Her Italian was going a mile a minute! So we walked a few stores down and then Missy met us and we went to a little café and had a cup of Caffé Americano (basically just coffee but if you don’t order it like that they will bring you a baby cup of espresso). Italians like to sit, for really long periods of time. I am still wondering how they do it, with out fidgeting all the time and without their butts going numb…I mean like a LONG time. Like HOURS after the coffee is already gone. Don’t get me wrong it’s wonderful, because I love people and I love having conversations and stuff. But seriously…My butt gets tired of sitting. Haha. So after a while, Nikki was still getting over how angry she was at that Italian woman for being so rude to us, right after she had been telling us all this stuff and encouraging us to be polite to the women even when they were somewhat standoff-ish, and then some of her friend walked into the café. They decided to sit down and have a coffee with us, it was two Italian men who speak pretty good English but are still learning. They were so much fun to talk to. And they said they really enjoy practicing their English. So we sat for even longer…now my butts really done for.

Of course when we went to leave it was raining again, but only drizzling so us girls decide to just head to our apartment and get shelter from the rain. But we get bored so we meet some friends at a sports bar to watch the football (soccer) game. From there Jessica and I met up with another girl from Abroadco and some of her guy friends who are studying with CEA and we all head out to the club. So while we are walking to this club, me and a friend are talking and we are a few feet behind the rest of the group (which is being pretty loud). We stop to ask a couple of girls if we are headed in the right direction and all the sudden we’re soaked! Some old lady on the fourth floor dumped water on us because we were being too loud I guess. Apparently it’s just something they do here, to get people to shut up. (I might try it on the garbage truck…) So we look at each other and are like UH….and then just start laughing and walk into the club around the corner. I’m pretty sure it’s a club meant for Americans, but not entirely sure. They played a lot of different music but by the very end of the night before they were about to close they started playing stuff like Greece Lightning and I Will Survive. It was hilarious, I can’t even explain. All the Italians in there were really getting into and then of course you had all your crazy obnoxious drunk Americans. It was funny. So me and Jessica ended the night on that note and finally got some sleep.

Sunday morning we all woke up to have brunch with Nikki, her husband and some of her Italian friends. So that we could get to know some more Italians and just learn the culture and customs through them. It was great. Breakfast was so good! The two guys that had met up with us in the café Saturday were there too, and didn’t understand the concept of “brunch”. It was so hard to explain, but really funny. Once they got it they were like Breakfast food for lunch?? And we were like well kind of. But you can have breakfast food all day long we told them and they were pretty astounded that we would eat breakfast in the evening. We sat there for a good three hours and then got up and decided to take a walk around Florence to window shop. I got to talk to one of Nikki’s friends. It was somewhat hard to have a conversation; he has a very thick accent. But we managed anyways and I really did enjoy talking with him, he even helped me a little with Italian and we talked about the differences between our cultures and how we grew up. It was neat. Of course to ruin our fun, it starts raining again. So we all head our back to our homes to not get poured on. Me and Missy decide to watch a movie and then go up to school to work on stuff. But we called it an early night because of school this morning. And even though we tried to go to sleep early, 8:00am rolled around much too soon!

Hot Cop!

No lie. Even better looking than Leo (Veronica Mars)! Yeah!

Yesterday was a day full of orientation and lectures, kind of boring but a good looking Italian man in uniform totally makes the day worth it.

To start the day off me, Missy and Jessica went to this little café just a few blocks from our apartment and got croissants and coffee. It was hard to order the croissants, or even find out what everything was because I don’t know those words yet. But the guy was really nice and patient, and actually joked around with us about our English or I guess our lack of Italian. One thing I don’t much like about Italian restaurants or anywhere really, is that you pay for everything at the end. And I know that sit down restaurants in the states are like that but I’m talking about where you would usually just grab a piece of pizza or say a croissant and coffee to go, but they also have cute little tables, places that don’t have waitresses you just order at the counter. If you sit, you pay when you’re done. It was definitely something I wasn’t used to, I’m not sure I like it..haha I think I just fear getting up and leaving because it’s more common (and instilled in my brain) that you pay before you sit. Also, trying to find coffee to go is nearly impossible. So running late and grabbing something on the way is not really an option. Oh how the American in me wishes it was though. After our lovely breakfast we made a mad dash to campus. Not knowing how long it might take us to get there, we really hadn’t walked there before. But it doesn’t take any time at all. There are two campus’ one Strozzi Campus is only about five minutes from our apartment and the other San Gallo Campus is probably closer to fifteen to twenty minutes. Both are pretty easy to get to and a very good walk.

Once we made it to the Strozzi Campus, early even, we sat down in this huge theater (where every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday they show movies in English). There were a bunch of other students most of whom we had never seen before. After a few minutes they started passing out these brightly colored folders that were sure to make us a walking American target in the streets of Florence. But these packets are really helpful and have a lot of information in them. As we looked through them the Santa Reparata Director got up and talked about a million different things for FOREVER. I was so bored. All the information was in this folder they had given us so why couldn’t we just look through it and read it, we’re college students so we should be able to handle reading a student handbook and such. After her million hour talk, we got our class schedules J

History of Modern Italy mon-thurs 9.15-11.15

Italian 1 mon-thurs 12.45-2.15

I’m pretty excited about starting my Italian class, I’ve already learned so much just by walking around. A couple of us girls left the theater and grabbed lunch at this cute little café down the street and then walked around window shopping for a bit, before we had to be back for a safety lecture. Which we all thought was a joke. Turns out it was really good. And I don’t just mean watching the hot Italian cop stand in front of us. But the content was good. And his English, it was so cute! I really like listening to Italian men speak English; I think it’s their accents. Haha

Now Friday rolls around, and I’m not quite sure how it became Friday so quickly. Although I was talking to John and before I left we figured out that I was going to be gone 68 days, so on the phone he was like so you’ve been gone like a week now…and I thought about it and I was like no, like three days. And we were both like…oh. Haha. Just crazy how natural it feels to be here, like I’ve always been here, it’s not that new scary feelings.

This morning we had to wake up at like seven or something to get to campus on time to catch our bus! We are going on this tour of Tuscany, Siena and San Gimignano. Nothing can really describe it, so just look at my video that I uploaded. :)

Italian Garbage

Okay can I just say, and then I will tell you of my last two days traveling, Italian garbage trucks and Italian garbage men are the loudest I've ever heard in my whole life! Haha Before I get going on that whole story, let me tell you of my travels :)
So after exchanging money I found my gate and then hunted for a seat. I finally found one facing the windows next to a family with four children (about to board a 9 hour flight to Germany mind you)! I sat down and got myself organized and thats when it really hit me that I was leaving and the last time I'm going to see everyone for two and a half months, was Jess at my parents house and my family and John after I got through security and could only wave and blow kisses (shut up, and yes I totally did). So..needless to say Amanda got teared-up sitting there waiting for the plane. thats when the mom of the family sitting next to me starting talking to me. She asked if I was staying in Germany, what I was going for and if I was traveling alone, to which I said yes and then got a little more depressed because I was alone and I was traveling alone to a place where Ive never met anyone and I barely know the language. I snapped myself out of it and continued talking to her and her husband until families with small children could board. Then I started talking to this older lady to the left of me. she mentioned visiting grandchildren while in the states and how she was flying to Europe now because she was moving from Australia to Spain. She was very young and hip looking. I was thankful for the conversation so I did not sit in silence and start wallowing again.
Once on the plane, I got everything settled. I had a window seat and then there was one person sitting to my left. He sat down and no kidding fell asleep instantly I was a little jealous. So I decide to pass the time, and I have a lot of it, by writting some of this blog in word or watching a movie on my computer, only to find that I left my power cord at home. Crapit! so I put my computer and everything away sadly and pull out 1984 but I was already squirmy thank goodness it was dinner time. My little plane buddy woke up and over dinner i learned that his name is Leo and he is actually on his way home from studying abroad for a year in the states. Then he was able to fall right asleep, again, jealous. While they played the other Boleyn Girl, I tried to sleep but was unfortunately quite unsuccessful. i did however mildly doze off during Dan in Real Life.
The plane flight was horribly uneventful which I guess is a good thing. We landed in Frankfurt at about 9:00am which I found out a little while later is 2:00am in Dallas. Haha. I found this out after I woke up my parents and then John. Oops. :)
My layover in Germany was three and a half hours long. and they didn't even announce what gate my flight was leaving from until thirty minutes prior to departure time. So I sat around Frankfurt airport, sleepy, hungry and a little stressed. It was quite an educational experience though because I learned:
1. When queuing Germans feel the need to stand practically on top of one another.
2. Very frew Germans (at least at the airport) speak anything other than German.
3. They like to walk VERY quickly and eat very slowly.
4. And none of them have friends in the states. NO one knows how to call a US #.
I was almost in tears because I could not get my phone to call my parents or John. But I did finally, obviously I woke them up around 3:30am. After I talked to them, I wandered around for a bit and finally just went and sat at a gate with no departures listed. I was so sleepy but feared falling asleep because of my bags. So I got creative and fashioned a way to hold onto both my bags (computer bag and 21" rolling carry-on) and sleep. I sat down in this chair and rolled my carry-on under my legs, so it kind of propped up my knees and my legs hung down the side. then took the buckle strap and put that around my leg so no one could just slide it out from under me. Then put my computer bag in my lap and one arm through the arm strap and kinda just held it. I leaned my head against the wall, and my sleeping position was complete! It was actually quite comfortable even though I'm sure I looked like a doof. but I never fell asleep completely just dozed off a bit. Finally it was time for my flight to Florence. they took us to the smallest plane I've ever seen. It's a good thing I was so tired or I for sure would have been crazy claustrophobic. The flight was only an hour and fifteen minutes (if that), so basically we were only taking off or landing, no lie. We land in Florence, and I want to jump for joy because we're getting off the smallest plane in history...only to find that we walk into the smallest airport in history! but we got our bags really quickly and it was easy to navigate even with my limited Italian. I was really nervous, aside from the claustrophobia, there were a TON of people in this one small baggage claim room and this (airport)guy kept asking me questions in Italian that I didn't understand. It was nerve-racking. I felt so lost, completely out of my element. So I walk out of the baggage claim area and there are about twenty people standing around with signs (like names and stuff) and I don't see my name or Abroadco or anything. Once again, Amanda starts sweating. but then this cute dark haired lady asks me what my name is (in English), I see she has a piece of paper in her hands. It's Nikki! My Abroadco advisor. I was so happy. We talked for a littel while as we waited for the next girl, Jessica, to arrive. then we were off! In this small white taxi, that all drove too close together and much too fast when given the opportunity. We picked up two more girls from the train station (Kathryn and Missy) and then headed to campus, where we got our apartment keys! Now to get to the apartment? Seriously??
An Italian boy about our age, maybe a little older lead the way. Mind you we still have all our bags and Florence is stone streets and narrow sidewalks, if you're lucky enough to get sidewalks on the particular street you are walking down. So it was pretty much the most exhausting trip ever. My lovely dad called while I was hauling my luggage all over Florence and I just know I was a total grump. (But I talked to him about an hour later and was in a much better mood.) My apartment is so Italian quaint. there will be a video tour up in a few days, don't you worry! It's five of us girls, my roommate Missy who is in Abroadco with me and then three other girls from Virginia who are fashion majors! Jessica, another Abroadco girl, lives in the apartment above ours with five girls we don't know yet. It's really great though, and my roommates are quite fun!
Oh!
So like eight years ago I was going to tell you about my first morning in Florence.
Picture this:
Comfy bed, cool breeze through the window, some wine the night before so you're sleeping oh so well! Oh did I mention it is 6:00am?? Yeah. All the sudden my poor unsuspecting ears are horribly offended by the loud clanging angry garbage truck and shouting Italian garbage men. I stick my head out the window only to find ten or so garbage bins along the side of my street and the garbage truck about three buildings away. Are you kidding me?? It's that far away and that loud? And it hasn't even gotten to our side of the street yet. Oh. We're in for some fun. So I shut our windows in a flash and crawl back in bed and hope for the best.

Tickets, Security & Money Exchange. OH MY!

So here I am at the airport, waiting for my plane. I tell ya, this is the easy part of today I'm sure of it.
The story goes...
We arrive at DFW, find awesome parking spots, get all my stuff, no problem! RRRRiiight? Wait in line and finally it's my turn to get my tickets, so I bounce up to the desk, passport in hand and dear father by my side (thank goodness). Because, who am I? They have no idea and worse no ticket to Florence for whoever I am. Nows when my heart starts pounding and I get a little sweaty..oh who am I kidding I was sweaty before this! But wait, remember that wonderful dear father of mine by my side (not to mention, blog starter), well SuperDad steps in! And believe me, they found my tickets! So that gets all worked out and it seems I will make it to Florence! Yay! But will my luggage??
To Be Continued...
The much less interesting part of the story.
Now tickets in hand I scurry through security where they find nothing wrong with my computer bag, carry-on and quart-sized ziplock bag jammed full of no larger than 3oz containers of liquid. Now the fun begins. Where do I exchange money? How do I exchange money? And umm..Oh yeah where's my flight?

Tomorrow...Tomorrow...

You're only a day awwaaaayyy!

Getting ready to leave is a much more daunting task than I thought it would be. I fee like I want to see everyone before I go, but sadly there is not enought time in the day. And besides that spending the time with my fam is much more important. Although the past week has been great. I have had the chance to see many of my close friends and even some I hadn't talked to in a while. Which was great! :D But really people it's not like I'm never coming back. Or will I? haha
Until next time...

Arrivederci