Sick!

Well, I have arrived in Rome. We got in on Saturday, and it was snowing like crazy! This was not what I signed up for! Anyways, I took a taxi to my house family and met them. Their names are Giuseppe and Maria Teresa and are both super nice. They don't know too much English but then again, I don't know much Italian! They have been a huge help as of lately and have been doing things like running out to get medicine, paying for it upfront for me, making me meals, and anything else I need help with. I couldn't have asked for a nicer family!

Anyways, that night I arrived, I had dinner with my family and another house family that's housing two other students from my program. The next day, we went to orientation together and we had lunch and had a little tour of Rome. Just to see what it was like, I walked back to the apartment; it wasn't too bad of a walk actually, except the last part is uphill. Rome seems like a pretty safe city and is congested so I felt comfortable.

This next part you might want to skip if you get grossed out easily:
Anyways, that night, I did something that I haven't done in about fifteen years - I threw up. All of a sudden, I felt nauseous and sure enough, I kept vomiting for the next few hours along with other lovely symptoms. I finally decided to call the doctor, who visited around 11 pm, and told me I had a stomach infection. He gave me a shot, and gave me about five different medicines to take. Although the fever has gone away for the most part and I have stopped vomiting, I still feel weak.

Needless to say, my illness caused me to miss the first two days of classes. I have been sitting around, reading, watching tv (Fairly Odd Parents in Italian!) and sleeping. I plan on going to class tomorrow; hopefully I'll feel better then.

 Snowy Rome!

 It's hard to see, but the snow is there and coming down hard!

 My room! The desk I'm sitting at now.

 Lots of bookshelves = mi piace

 My own bathroom!

Update

Hey; not too much new here, but I thought I'd give you a summary of what I've been up to lately.

Tuesday, I decided not to go to Sienna and relaxed in the afternoon, reading the Hunger Games. I finished the book last night and enjoyed it. It's no Harry Potter, but it was a fun and easy read.

On Wednesday after class, I went to the Academia Museum and got to see the David, which was about sixteen feet tall in height! No pictures were allowed, sorry. A few people took them anyways, but what can a picture really show? You have to see it yourself in person to fully see it.

Anyways, yesterday was an extra long day at class, going until 4:30! We had an oral exam which wasn't too horrible. Our final exam in the class is tomorrow.

Today after class, I went to a pizzeria and had some great mahrgerita pizza (I've been eating a lot of pizza lately!) I've also drunken lots of hot chocolate! It never gets old! Speaking of food, the past few days I have been getting different things for lunch, such as gelato, panini, and pasta. Everyone around here is complaining about how much they've been eating, but carbs are no stranger to me!

Anyways, after class and lunch today, I went to the Medici house and got to make my own fresco. I think I might give it to my house family as a gift. Today, I also bought a thing of chocolates and a bottle of wine for them. I hope they like it! Yesterday, I found out a little bit more about my house family- I think they are an older couple, early sixties, and have a son who is married and a daughter who is 30 and works in the city and visits often on the weekends. Her name is Carolina! Anyways, they sound nice; I asked the person who is in charge of housing here and she told me about them, so I haven't spoken to them in person yet! I meet them tomorrow! I also heard that they are planning on having a welcome dinner for me. I can't wait!

So tomorrow, I wake up and have breakfast (my usual chocolate croissants, cereal, and so forth), check out of the hotel, go take my final exam, then take a bus to Rome.

I am ready and excited to see it!

Ciao!

 Here is the common area of the school I've been attending for the past two weeks. My class is down the hall to the left and up the stairs.

 Yup, thataway

Our frescoes! Mine is on the corner with the wine bottle and 2 glasses.

Wine Tasting Mondays

Ciao!

Last night, we got back to our hotel in Florence, and it's strange to say, but it feels a bit like returning home! On Sunday, we woke up early and checked out, and a small group of us went to the Guggenheim Museum in Venice, which was about five minutes away from our hotel. The art shown there ranged from about the time of Picasso's later work up to Pollock's. Sorry, no pictures guys. 

Afterwards, we went to a gelateria called Grom, where I had the best gelato I've tasted yet! It was called chocolate extra noir, tasting as if it was made of 80% cocoa. Later, I had a few slices of pizza (more pizza!) and was on the bus. It was a four hour ride down from the mountains, and although I tried to sleep, I couldn't. When we checked into our rooms, it was a relief to have a spacious place to keep our belongings. Granted, it's no house or apartment, but it's nice for 2 weeks.

Today, I had another day of classes, then went to a panini shop (the word for sandwiches) and had a great sandwich for 3 euro, which is pretty reasonable here. Later, I did some homework, and we were all back on the bus to go to Trebbio Castle, which was built by the Pazzi family in 1184. On our tour, we learned that they were the second most famous family in Italy, after the Medici's. Apparently, they tried to take power from Lorenzo di Medici, and Medici killed a hundred of the Pazzi clan in revenge. Lovely.

The castle is surrounded by a vineyard that makes chianti wine, extra virgin olive oil and pure saffron. The tourguide, who is the cousin of the current owner of the castle, told us facts about how the wine is made and what good olive oil is. After the tour, we had some wine tastings and dinner. We were served some pasta, crostini, meats and cheeses along with four glasses of wine. I choked down 2 and a half of the 4; I still do not care for the taste. We had a white wine, a chardonnay I believe, at first, which was probably the one that tasted  the best of the four. Then, we had a chianti wine followed by a more aged chianti, ending with a dessert type wine. We dipped biscotti in the last wine as well. He told us how to drink wine, how to hold the glass (at the stem), what to smell for, etc. Interesting, but not my forte. 

Now I'm back at the hotel, ready for another night warm in bed! Ciao for now!

On way up the hill to Castle Trebbio! 

The newest part of the castle is the courtyard, made in the 1400s.  

Down in the cellars, they store the wine up to three years in these oak barrels. 

 The owner's "sentimental collection" of wine.

Chardonnay- grin and bear it! 

I tried hard to finish this glass! 

Cheers!

By the way, it was freezing there. Just like everywhere else in Italy. I might as well be in the Midwest!

....then again, maybe not!

More Pictures

 Pics from Pisa!

 Pics from Venice!

Pictures from Monday

Here are some pictures from Monday's adventure when we went to Piazale Michelangelo. It's WAY up on a hill.

 In the distance you can see a hill start to arise. It's a LOOOONG way up.

 Finally made it to the top though!

 View from above!

 Inside the basilica

Venice

Ciao,

Right now I'm in Venice taking a breather from the cold! I think the windchill here is in the teens, and we're all dressed in layers. It's the worst when we have to cross bridges over the canals.

Just a brief description of Pisa: it was freezing there as well and we only stayed about an hour and a half to see the leaning tower. We went there for an afternoon trip yesterday, and didn't do all that much. Pisa is a small place, and all they really have is the tower and cathedral.  We returned to Florence that night.

It was about a four hour bus ride from Florence to Venice, and we stopped once to refuel (both the buses and ourselves). I got a dark kit kat bar, which tastes a little different here than in the States. We had lunch at the hotel and checked into our rooms, which are very small and cramped! I definitely prefer the Florence hotel!

We went on a tour yesterday and today of the city, visiting places such as the Chiesa Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, that held paintings by Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, and other works by Giorgione and Donatello. It was a huge place but extremely cold! Even the inside of most of the buildings here are freezing! Afterwards we went to the Scuola di San Rocco which featured frescoes by Tintoretto. Finally, we ended the tour at the Academia Museum, seeing most works of art.

Afterwards, a group of us went out to eat and I had a delicious pizza, mahrgerita, and some more bread and rolls to snack on. The rest of my table got pasta, but I figured you couldn't go wrong with pizza.

Fast forward to the next day, we took a tour of the Doges Palace, St. Mark's Basilica, and St. Mark's Museum. There were a bunch of mosaics there and it was a huge cathedral. Mass is still given there every week. Afterwards, a group of us walked around and had paninis (sandwiches) and I am now here typing this blog! I'm considering going on a gondola ride in a bit, but it is freezing so I'm not sure if I could take it!

Venice is nice overall, but I will be happy to return to Florence!

Leaning tower of Pisa

 Streets of Venice

On balcony of St. Mark's Basilica

Ciao!

After another day of classes, I went to a sandwich shop and had a delicious sandwich on baguette! After doing a little homework, a group of us went to the Uffizi (sp?) Museum and saw some famous works such as Botticelli's Birth of Venus and paintings by Davinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Giotto. 

I'm so glad we were inside most of the day because it was FREEZING! I've been told by numerous folks back home that in the midwest it is in the sixties, while here I don't think it got any warmer than the upper thirties. There was a little snow on the ground even when I woke up! Apparently, it's the coldest it's been in Florence for twenty seven years. Just my luck I guess!

Tonight for dinner we are getting chocolate cake for dessert which I am very excited for. Our first quiz in our Italian class is tomorrow, so I'll be studying that tonight. 

Tomorrow, I will be going on a little trip to Pisa, and then the next morning we leave for Venice for the weekend. Stay tuned for some awesome pics!

Hope these satisfying your craving until then:

 View of hotel room in Florence.

 One of the many bridges in Florence. My hotel is on one side of the river, while the school is on the other. Depending on how quickly you walk, you can get there in about 15-20 minutes.

 A map of sorts of Florence.

 Il duomo.

Gates of Paradise 

 Palazzo Vecchio

 In a piazza square in Florence.