Umm this is where I live

3/15/15

Day 59

There is absolutely nothing worth mentioning about my day. So instead, here's my apartment that I realize I never blogged about. Don't get too excited. 

We live on what Americans would call the 3rd floor but Italians would disagree, so technically, we live on the 2nd floor of this thing that feels like you're entering a castle. The first door is really tall and solid wood so it's pretty heavy. Then there's an iron gate that's almost always open.

Then the endless stone stairs leading up to our "2nd floor" residence. 

When you walk in, you're greeting by a dimly lit yellow hallway and if you're perceptive, you'll notice that the majority of the artwork somehow related to Jesus Christ. This theme continues on through the rest of the apartment. As you walk down the hallway, the door on the left is my 2 of my roommates' room. Its window opens onto Via Ghibellina (our street) and we're right next to what I think is a Mexican bar so it can get loud at night. (This picture was taken looking towards the door so their room is on the right)

At the end of the hallway is the living room where the Jesus obsession reaches its peak. I don't think this picture does it justice because you can't make out enough of the art to appreciate the full effect. 

There's one uncomfortable sofa and a matching chair and an ancient TV that takes over 5 minutes to turn on so we just don't. Off of this room, our landlord has a room where he keeps his supplies. He keeps it locked but once he left it open and we found out it has the best view and doubles the area of the apartment. (You can see it past the TV)

Also off of the living room is my and my roommate's room. (There are four of us total, 2 in each room) We're really bad at keeping it clean. 

Finally, the kitchen and bathroom stem off of a really narrow hallway that also connects to the living room. The shower is about as big as a postage stamp and leaks so the bathroom is a constant flood.

The kitchen has a washer but no dryer because Italians like to use clothes lines. Not really sure why. 

Both the kitchen and our room overlook a small courtyard which has a way of funneling all noise in our windows, amplifying it as it echoes up to us. We get a lot of free trumpet concerts (read: trumpet lessons) and impromptu private a cappella performances courtesy of our neighbors. But, as much as I complain, I secretly love how I can hear the strains of conversations in Italian or smell cigarettes on the breeze because our neighbors lean out their windows to smoke. And the best part is that I live 5 minutes away from school so I don't have to wake up a second earlier than necessary. It's a beautiful thing. 

All I Wanted to Do Was Watch TV

3/14/15

Day 58

It was another relaxing day. I got lunch and went grocery shopping and wanted to watch a TV show in Italian. Well, it was a little more complicated than that. I wanted to watch a specific show, dubbed in italian, with english subtitles. I asked the staff of my program and they told me it would be easier to find online. I downloaded the program and it didn't work so I decided to watch the Da Vinci Code instead. It wasn't in Italian and it didn't have any subtitles. It would at least be cool since I thought my professor said it was filmed in Florence. I was excited to see if I recognized the locations, but I realized he was actually talking about Inferno, also by Dan Brown. That is set in Florence but it hasn't been filmed yet. So I wasted a lot of time. 

Boboli Gardens

3/13/15

Day 57

I went to Boboli Gardens with my friend and not to sound like a brat, but it was kind of disappointing. I didn't even take pictures. Everything was dead because it's still kind of winter-ish, and the sun was all wrong to get a good pic, especially in the grotto... and also maybe I'm a little spoiled by Longwood Gardens. Anyway, at least the weather was nice and we just strolled and talked and took pictures until we hit the gate. We found the Grotta del Buontalenti and it was so unexpectedly cool!!

I really want to come back and see if we can go inside, since today it was closed. We could see how cool it was inside, but unfortunately, my phone and camera couldn't since the sun was really bright. Sadly, part of the picture was always either over or underexposed. 

She had arranged to meet up with a conversation partner to practice her Italian after our walk, and hadn't met him before, so I went with her to the Duomo to meet him. We first walked past Orsanmichele and of course I took a picture. I love that place.

When the conversation partner spoke in Italian, it was so fast and he slurred so many sounds together that it didn't even sound like Italian to me. I had no idea what he was saying, I couldn't even pick out words like usual! One time, I'm sure he said "qualcosa", which means "something." But it took me awhile to decode it because he never said the q or the c- he just said "hualhosa!" We chatted for a little bit and he walked with us to a park on the river bank. Then we walked back to the Duomo and he told us about a good spot he used to take pictures but we couldn't get in anymore. My friend probably won't meet with him again. 

Both of us had been talking about our current mission to find shoes earlier, and on the way home we saw a shoe store advertising 10€ deals so of course we went in. It was called Porsantamaria35, which was also it's address. She ended up finding the perfect pair of combat boots and they came in under budget! 

Today Was So Weird

3/12/15

Day 56 

Now that we're in the second half of our program, time is starting to feel precious again. In the middle it seemed less valuable but in the beginning and end of being anywhere, I usually feel like taking advantage of every second. So today, we went to the Rose Garden and then Piazzale Michelangelo!

The walk was great but garden itself was a disappointment because it's too early and we only saw one rose.

Then we just sat and watched the sunset from our favorite spot.

We realized that on the deck below us, a guy was proposing. I took a picture because I had my phone out already. Then I went back to photographing the sunset over the Arno and Florence's many bridges. Later, I realized the couple was unintentionally in the bottom of almost all my pictures.

Half an hour later, on our way home, DO YOU KNOW WHO WE SAW. Five feet in front of us, we saw them! My friend grabbed my phone and showed them and ended up emailing them the picture. Also on our way home, we passed through an area where my friends said she saw a naked crazy guy before. And as she was telling us, we saw the naked crazy guy. And it was not a lot of fun. We pretty much ran the rest of the way. So our evening at Piazzale Michelangelo turned out to be extra exciting!

I also got gelato twice today and counted it as a meal since its filling. I'm satisfied with my life decisions. 

Tonight seemed as good a night as another other to actually go out for once so we bought 1€ knockoff Heineken beer at the grocery store and watched interview before going to the piazza. What we didn't realize was that it was the end of the week for us, but it was still only a Thursday night. The piazza is normally too crowded to even sit down but tonight it was deserted. It was us and a few randomly assorted guys. One was playing guitar, one was singing, and when one came up asking if we wanted "co-ky-een-a" (it sadly took us a little longer than it should have to determine he was offering cocaine) it was time to go hit up the Secret Bakery instead. Plus it was cold. Btw: the Secret Bakery isn't really a secret because it's address is on trip advisor. 

When we'd worked our way through the tangled back alleys to the frosted glass doors, we were greeted by a huuuuge crowd of loud and obnoxious Americans. Somehow, the group was so big that they didn't notice my friend squeeze in at the front of the line. She ordered for all of us and we snuck off with our loot! 

Piazza della Signoria was extra pretty tonight and we also got a glimpse of the Ponte Vecchio before calling it a night. 

Orsanmichele

3/11/15

Day 55

I've been meaning to go to Orsanmichele and thank god for art history because it drags my lazy butt to all the places I want to go but don't. Anyway, today was Orsanmichele and I was surprised that I recognized the building. I've been admiring it for awhile, I just didn't know what it was.

The outside has these sculptures of saints in little niches in the wall that were carved by all the important people (Like Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, and Ghirlandaio). Apparently they were commissioned by all the guilds (unions) when the church/grain market had its open walls (it was a loggia) filled in. My favorite niche was Four Crowned Saints by Nanni di Banco. 

There's also a skywalk connecting Orsanmichele to the neighboring building.

We asked if its possible to walk on it and it is! The museum is free and it's only open on Mondays which is perfect because that's the day I don't have classes! (Well, I have one in the morning) As much as I was initially scared of art history, it turned out to be a great class. Hearing the history from our professor while standing inside and looking at the  Madonna and Child by Daddi was the full experience. 

It was also nice to see more of Florence since now I've been here for an embarrassingly long time without knowing every dark corner and side street by heart. Actually, I haven't even climbed the Duomo!

After class, I couldn't procrastinate any more on writing an essay that I think I was already a little late to turn in. So that's what I did with my night. 

The Best Kind of Boredom

3/10/15

Day 54

It's still nice to be back to real life but it makes for a boring blog! 

Somehow, without any alarm, I accidentally woke up at 6 am. I finished the paper. 

Then I had Teaching English and we played "I Spy". Of course, my partner and I were bad at yelling loud enough to keep the kids' attention so it was a little bit like a free for all, with kids shouting "That?" "That?!" and pointing. The teacher had to tell us "the game works better if they ask questions about the object in English..." but then it got better and I think they had fun. When the teacher is in charge, it seems like the kids are pretty ADHD too and so she usually ends up screaming at them. I think that's just the structure of Italian elementary education, but I didn't really want to yell at them so I expected them to be a little hyper during the game we played. Overall, it went pretty well. When we left, they all waved and smiled so it couldn't have been too painful for them!

In my urban studies class, we took a field trip to the old prison and learned that it used to be a monastery before it became the prison. Today, it has been transformed into apartments and has a piazza and a cafe in the center.

Two boys were playing soccer in the corner and when the weather gets warmer, it becomes a nice place to come and relax. 

Coincidentally, our program organized an aperitivo celebration as the midpoint of the semester there and so a few hours after class, we were back at Le Murate (The Walls). The doors to the cells were so tiny!

As usual, all the Americans treated it like dinner and ate enough pizza to not be hungry again later. The juice was the highlight of the meal. It tasted fresh and ever pitcher was a different flavor! I'm really not sure what was in my favorite but I hope I get to taste it again before I leave. The event was fun because I tend to hang out with the same groups of people and this gave me a chance to see some of the people I'm not as close with. 

And then, I got to go home and it was my favorite part of the day :) 

Home!

3/9/15

Day 53

After back to back adventures, I want nothing more than to lie in my bed and not move for a very long time. I know I'm wasting my precious last few months in Florence but I just need a moment (or like a week) to relax. I haven't planned any more trips out of Italy and I kind of feel lazy for it but my bank account and my stamina need to recover. And I still haven't seen enough of Florence! I think the extra week that I stay here, I'll be able to focus on exploring Florence and learning Italian and all that but I don't want to miss out on the full experience of living here while I have the chance! If I come back to Europe on vacation, I'll only be able to visit a city here and a country there. I won't be able to live here again (unless I can find a job that's based in Europe). So I need to be taking full advantage of Florence now too! 

Anyway, Monday greeted me bright and early with an oral exam in Italian. I prepared for it to be brutal but it actually wasn't too bad. I treated myself to an espresso and a chocolate brioche/pastry from the cafe on the way to class so I was in a good mood and fully functional, despite being awake before noon. (I have been craving a day like a typical weekend in America, where I can sleep until I'm not tired anymore. That sounds like heaven to me right now, but I'm sure I'll just think of it as boring when I have it back... I guess the grass is always greener!) 

In my extra hour of Italian, me and my professor talked about the purpose of study abroad. It has become almost the same thing as backpacking Europe because it's seen as a time when you're here for awhile and who knows when you'll be back- depending on grad school, and your salary and real life. So you might as well see the world! 

On my flight back to Rome, I was sitting next to this cool Greek girl named Emma who was going to university in Siena. She was telling me about how hard it is to get a job in Greece so she came to Italy. The first year she was here, she went to the university's school for foreigners because she didn't speak any Italian but she learned it pretty quickly because the only way she could make friends was through Italian, the common language with the other foreigners. So if they wanted to go out together, they all had to speak Italian. With my program, we're lucky that our grades transfer and that we're surrounded by people that kind of understand where we're coming from if we make a joke, but we also miss out on really learning Italian. To make it worse, when we travel every weekend, we don't get the chance to involve ourselves in Italian culture and make Italian friends. My professor was saying that's changed a lot since she studied abroad. She pretty much just stayed in Bologna and really got to learn Italian and make friends. There's something to be said for both versions of studying abroad. Ideally, I'd be able to do both! If I had all the time and money in the world I would do what Emma did. 

It's kind of sad that so many Americans come all the way here but then live in an environment in Florence where it's basically just America plus the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio. I guess the grass is always greener though because, like most other Europeans I've talked to, she really wishes she was American. At least, she was jealous that it's easier to find work. She would love to move there, but since her family's still in Greece, she doesn't want to be too far or else she wouldn't get to see them as much. It was interesting to hear a different perspective on Europe vs. America, even if her opinion mirrored most other Europeans. Moral of the story: there's always something to complain about. 

I got back home from our discussion to find the inside gates of my apartment locked! Usually, I have to open the outside doors to the building with a key, walk through a gate that's always open and I don't have a key to, and then open my apartment door with a key. But today the outside door was open and the gates were closed!

I tried to push on it or unlock it but had no luck. I stood and waited for someone to rescue me because I'm helpless when it comes to common sense. I have no idea what the lady did, but she just pulled a thing and it swung open and looked at me like I was an idiot. Basically, it was exactly like the train incident where you had to push a button (it wasn't clearly marked!) to open the door (I thought it might be automatic!)... Yeah. These Italian doors keep getting me. 

Safely in my apartment, I almost didn't want to leave but grocery shopping was next on the list. It's funny because when you travel for a week it's not a big deal, but when you travel for weeks on end, it's the little things that really start to drain you. Having to go out and buy food for every meal sucks and coming home to an empty refrigerator after your travels sucks more. Also, the laundry kind of builds up. And there is nothing nicer than getting home and taking a long, hot shower before crawling into bed. I stocked up on food and stashed it safely in my closet so my roommates can't steal it like usual. 

After all that, I had to get to work on a project and an essay I'd been putting off for my 9am class tomorrow... only to realize that when I got my computer back with its new harddrive, it didn't have Microsoft Office installed. Luckily I can download it from my schools website for free BUT the wifi in my apartment is slow and it would take all night. I started the download and fell asleep. 

Greece Part IV: Ending in Rome

3/8/15

Day 52

Going back home felt much better than expected. Obviously, I would've loved to have more time in Greece but I was ready to be lazy and spend a whole day in my bed without moving. But first: Rome. 

Since our flight got into Rome around noon and a 6 pm train was half the price of a Freccia, I decided to make the most of my 6 hour layover in Rome! I'd missed seeing the Pietà somehow last time I went to see Saint Peter's Basilica. Today, I was on a mission. 

But really quickly, I stopped in a grocery store (that for some strange reason was in the train station) for a cheap lunch. I got a box of nutella B-ready bars and they were good and I didn't want to have to carry them... So I finished all 8! Then I was thirsty though so I went up to one of the food stands in the middle. After asking and finding out the guy didn't speak English, I got to put my nonexistent Italian to use to ask for a cup of water. He was a little confused but opened up a water bottle to pour it into a cup and then told me it was free. It was a good day. 

I managed to fit almost all my stuff into my backpack so I'd only have to pay for one bag. I had tried to google whether I could leave the backpack in the train station or check it at the Basilica and I was pretty sure I could at the train station but the answer was unclear. It was so nice to have my data back, even if it didn't help me with this. I tried asking at the desk and they said no but a little later, I asked again in Italian and they told me to go to track 24. Yay for basic Italian! It was 6€ to check my bag which was perfect because I had exactly that much. But since you paid when you picked up your bag, it would be easy to get into trouble. 

I asked at the tourist information booth if they had a map. You had to pay. And I also I had my phone with Google maps so I didn't even really need it. I asked them what the best way to get to the Vatican was and they told me the metro was like 1.50€ or something but I didn't have the money so I'm actually not sure why I asked. I think I was asking if people ever walk and on what roads but they said no it's too far. So when I thanked the girl and told her I was just gonna walk she laughed at me and said "Good luck!" Basically, I was trying to see Rome with 6 hours, 6€, and a little more than 60% phone battery.

It was actually a really nice walk minus the fact that I was wearing my winter jacket and sweating.

I finally saw the pietà! 

Saint Peter's Basilica is such a cool place because every square inch of it is covered with art. Every alcove has statues and the walls are colorful and the ceilings are so high and it's not just a boring rectangular floor layout. I couldn't stop taking pictures.

My friends said they'd been able to somehow see the tombs in the Basilica. Last time, we had asked about seeing the tombs and got a weird answer so this time, I came prepared. I'd asked my friend for specific directions of how to get down to them. And because of this and the help of a nice security guard, I found them this time! SO WORTH IT. Sadly, I wasn't allowed to take pictures though :( The coolest part was (to no one's surprise,) Saint Peter's tomb. You can only get a glimpse of its grandiosity without pre-registering for an official tour. Apparently you have to reserve your spot months in advance. On the way out, I spotted these guys!

I was proud of myself. I had not only saved a lot of money by waiting for the later train, but I also made good use of the accidental time in Rome! I felt efficient for taking full advantage of the opportunity.

On the train home, I was in first class somehow. I definitely hadn't paid for it. But it turned out to be too fancy for me because I couldn't even figure out how to open the door into the car! It seemed like it was an automatic door since it was flat glass, but it didn't open for me and I couldn't find a handle or button anywhere. I'm pretty sure a man inside saw me and smirked. Awkwardly, I just stood there and waited until the next people came. I tried to explain to them but they didn't speak English and this time I had no idea how to communicate myself in Italian so I waited for them to open this magical door. There was a button. Right next to it. In my defense, trains have a lot of buttons and most of the time you're not supposed to press them. This looked like one of those. It was small and black and unlabeled. This is why I'm not allowed in first class. It's too fancy for me. But I got over myself and went to sit down. I was stuck with: the man that laughed at me, the couple that had to open the door for me, and 3 American girls dressed all exactly the same and sleeping with their feet up.

It was going to be a fun journey! 

Greece Part III: Santorini

3/7/15

Day 51 

*spoiler alert: I crammed a million and one pictures into this post because I'm hoping quantity will make up for quality. My apologies.*

We still had a lot left to see in Santorini, and luckily we had a car so we had no excuses not to wake up early to drive around, even though it was heavily raining. (If you look closely though the wet windshield, you can see a blue church)

We drove to the mountain but realized the view was completely hidden by low clouds blanketing the whole island.

We could barely see a few feet in front of our faces, much less all the way down to the sea. Without even getting out of the car, we turned around. By the time we got back down near the bottom, the fog had started to lift and we had this view:

In the fog though, we all decided that it looked a lot like we would imagine Ireland, not Santorini!

We returned to Fira to look for the blue houses by the Old Port. Instead, we found donkeys! And we were suddenly glad the tours weren't running where you can ride the donkeys up and down the hill- the donkeys were struggling enough without us on their backs. It would have been a repeat of the camel disaster!

We walked along the ridge of the cliff of stores and restaurants and houses to what I'm assuming is Imerovigli.

It was one of those times that whenever you move a fraction of an inch you feel the need to take another picture because it was just such a stunning view.

We spotted the tiniest bit of blue in the distance and tried to get closer.

It turned out to be impossible to get a good shot, even though we circled the area for awhile and found another small, darker blue dome too. But everything seemed like it was gated off so we turned back toward town. On our way, we almost got run over by a pack of donkeys and then we did get to see one tiny blue-domed church up close. It was pretty anticlimactic.

Defeated, we got lunch at a place George had recommended called Lucky's. It more than deserved the recommendation!

The gyro was the best I've had so far and the guy and his mom working there were friendly and adorable. His mom "spoke little English" but she still asked us if the food was good and, acting as official DJ, put on some Greek pop music and danced to it for us. Greek music sounded Arabic at first. I really wish I'd had phone service because I would've broken out Shazam. 

Then, for the first time since I've been here, we just completely ran out of energy and stuff to do. We'd already checked out of our hotel so we sat in the car and napped while it rained outside. It was nice to finally get a chance to relax for the first time in weeks. 

It cleared up enough after an hour for us to go back to walking around and shopping before we had to catch our flight to Athens. We were still on the souvenir hunt because everything was so cheap and so pretty. I got more yogurt and honey because I was craving it. The guy was so nice that he gave my friend a fork and knife even though she was eating baklava from another store. Greek people are great. 

A little before we had to leave for the airport, we tried to find a place to park the rental car and there weren't any available spaces near the hotel. We drove a little further than usual and had to park in a parking lot next to a church AND GUESS WHAT? The church had a blue dome, but more importantly, we turned around and saw blue churches EVERYWHERE. (Even though you couldn't really see them in pictures)

Also this part of the church was pretty:

With T-30 minutes to go, my roommate turned into a professional driver and we whipped around sharp turns on tiny roads until we had a better view of the churches. Unfortunately, we missed the best view of them on the cliff overlooking the ocean in Oia. And There were plenty to admire on our long drives. I even walked right past a big church near the beach without taking a decent picture. 

And worst of all, if we had just walked for a few more minutes on our expedition earlier, we would have found them here. So the pictures still didn't turn out great, but we did finally get to see the blue domes in person! It was a happy accident that there wasn't enough parking by the hotel. 

Of course, on the drive to the airport, there were so many blue churches that I lost count. We'd originally come to Santorini just to see the blue churches and then forgot to look until we had less than a half an hour left. Oops. 

The airport was so tiny that when we drove up, everyone on our flight was waiting outside because it was closed. I think there might even only be one flight a day! 

Santorini was expensive to get to and not at the top of its game in winter, but I'm still really glad we went. I just now need to come back to see it during the summer in its prime! It's been added to the list of places I need to see again.

Random observations:

Like in the Munich airport, there was a room just for people to go smoke! America would never do that.

Also, like in Morocco, the buses had their destinations in both languages. This time it was Greek and English.

Back in Athens, we took the bus from the airport again and since we asked about a student discount, the ticket was only 2.50€! But my excitement was short lived because then I had the sad realization that I'd forgotten my sunglasses in the car door. Now I have to decide if I want to re-buy them. They did get stuck in my hair a lot and made the world seem orange which was annoying... But I could make my decision later. First, I had to navigate us from the bus stop to the hotel which was an adventure and a half. I'm not sure my cortisol will ever recover, but we did eventually make it to our hotel that was supposedly "in the city center". (It wasn't, by the way) 

3 guesses on what I had for dinner? Gyro? Yeah :) And then we stocked up on baked goods for dessert and breakfast from a huge bakery next door. Walking back to the hotel, we saw another delicious looking bakery and got more sugar there too. ...no self control...