Spring Break Part Two

Casa Batlló

Cathedral

Castell

Park Guell Churro y chocolate

I will try to add more pictures later... but here are a few!

Part TWO

Tuesday Alyssa and I got up early to head to the airport. We were being spacey, and almost took the wrong bus (1A instead of 1X… really, though, can’t you just have one “1”). But we made it to the airport with plenty of time, just to get stuck behind someone who was having problems in the passport check line (the only passport check line, no less)! Haha we had rushed and stressed just to wait. An employee finally came and told us we could go to any line since they were having problems. We gratefully did so, and got checked and through security in no time. We listened to some jams and boarded our first Ryanair flight! If you don’t know, Ryanair is a super cheap airline in Europe, which is pretty much the only reason Barcelona was able to happen for us! When we arrived in Barcelona, we got on the metro and went to find our hostel. It was a trek, but it was very nice when we got there. The girl at the front desk was so sweet and circled points of interest, bus stops, and metro stops on our map. The hostel was clean, and was an eco-hostel, which was sweet. Then we went to explore. First we went to the Pablo Picasso museum! I had seen some work by Picasso in San Diego, but the museum was amazing. It is set up chronologically, which makes understanding the development of his work/style possible. By far the most impressive thing was his 58 paintings based on “Las Meninas” by Velazquez. Picasso’s interpretations were fascinating and wonderful to view all-together. After the museum we got tapas, of course. We enjoyed fried oysters and roasted green peppers for an afternoon snack. Then we went to La Sagrada Familia, one Gaudi’s most famous works. Seeing Gaudi’s work in real life was wonderful. He used so much imagination and didn’t follow rules other architects live by. We also walked to Hospital de Sant Pau. It was under construction for renovation, but you could still see how beautiful the building was. There were tons of stray cats there, too, which a woman was walking around feeding. It was cute. Then last thing for the day was to head over to see more of Gaudi’s famous work, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. Sweet stuff! That was our Tuesday, in a nutshell!

Wednesday We got up and went to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA). There were some great exhibitions going on, and it was a nice change of pace from the mostly Renaissance museums in Italy. After the museum, we walked down La Rambla, Barcelona’s most famous street; although the girls who worked at our hostel told us it’s more elevated in the eyes of tourists than Barcelonans. We were ready for lunch after lots of art viewing, and we got to Mercat de la Boqueria just in time. The market is HUGE, and houses produce from all over the world. We got organic vegetarian paella from a vendor. It was delicious. There are also a bunch of stands selling fruit and fruit juice. Alyssa got blackberry-banana and I got coconut pineapple. I want a Juiceman-Juicer more now! After lunch we walked down the rest of La Rambla. There are lots of street performers. I took a picture with a guy dressed as a fruit stand, and when I put money in his can he yelled “Ayyy Tutti Frutti, take a funny picture!” He then put a hat and a fruit lei on me and I took another picture with him. Haha. Alyssa took pictures with a headless man. It was amusing. We then got to the end of the street where the Christopher Columbus statue is located. Then we walked along the pier. It was such a gorgeous day! We also went to the park right by the Barcelona zoo. Next, we went to the cathedral and Gothic quarter. Our friend, Di, was in Spain over the summer working as a camp councilor on a US military base. She came home with some killer harem pants, which are her “Spain pants.” We got some Spain pants, too! Lol. Then it was time to meet with our host in Barcelona. Marçal is student and photographer, in addition to an amazing host. He has hosted nearly 150 people in his flat, and has taken portraits of all of them. He calls this photo project “The Center of the World” because for him, his flat in Barcelona is the center of the world. We were excited to be staying with a host who had met so many other surfers. We took Marçal out to dinner to a restaurant by his house. I got the same thing he did, some kind of blood sausage with fried potatoes. I never would have ordered it without him suggesting it, but it was really good. Then we went to have drinks with him. He is a really interesting person, and it was nice to get to know him a bit.

Thursday The next morning it was our turn to be photographed in the “Center of the World.” For the shoot, you take a picture of you and something you are traveling with, then you with something from his flat, and lastly with the people you are traveling with. It was a cool experience, for sure. After our pictures, we went back to Mercat de la Boqueria for lunch. I got a wrap something or other and GOOD, FRESH fried fish on a stick. Then we did a little shopping before heading to Montjuïc Mountain. There is a castle there that sits on the edge of the mountain, Castell Montjuïc. We walked up to the castle and enjoyed the views of the city and of the ocean. There was a slide on the mountain we went down, too. We also went by the Montjuïc Fountain, which has shows with music and lights on Friday nights. We were bummed we were going to miss a show, but maybe one day we’ll be back. We then went to Park Gϋell, where Gaudi has more work. The day was lovely and the park magnificent, but there were far too many people. We got chocolate and churros, and headed to Fontana, four little squares that make up a neighborhood. We explored the area, shops, ect, before getting tapas. We had crab salad, fried squid, grilled mushrooms…all for cheap cheap. We then went back to the Center of the World for our last night in Barcelona. We looked at the pictures and hung out with our host before going to sleep.

Friday was travel. All day. Took the first subway in Barcelona at 5 am and got home to Florence at about 11pm. That weekend I was dead, but it was worth it! Sorry I’m slow at writing and may have multiple typos… but much love!

Spring Break Recap Part 1

Fiesole Roman Baths

Fiesole Ampitheater

Another view of the baths ITALY PRIDE..lolzzz

Milano: Duomo

Galleria in Milano

Castello in Milano

Park behind the castle

Me in the Arc of Peace :)

Bergamo! Church in the lovely upper town

Walls of the upper town

Tram to the Top

Walking back down

BACK from SPRING BREAK! It was amazing.

Last Friday we did a day trip to Fiesole (20 minutes by city bus from Florence), then a train to Milan on Saturday, train to Bergamo Monday, flight to Barcelona on Tuesday, and back to Florence on Friday. It was a jam packed week! My feet are dead and my pockets empty, but it was quite the week. This weekend I’ve been dead from lack of sleep and a minor cold, but I’m resting up, taking lots of vitamin C, and hoping to be better in no time. Writing about the trip seems a bit daunting at the moment, so I’ll go by day and try to list the highlights.

Friday Fiesole sits on a hill overlooking Florence. The views from up there are great. The main “attraction” in Fiesole is the Area Archeologica. There is an ancient Roman amphitheater, Roman baths, and other ruins. There is also a museum with artifacts that have been found in the area. The site was really nifty(why don’t we all use “nifty” more?). It was sunny and warm, and we were happy to be outside and in the sun for most of the afternoon in Fiesole. We also went into a church that was attached to a museum. There was no information in English, but they had artifacts from all over the world, including Japanese dolls and a mummified woman and cat. Interesting… That was Fiesole. Nice day trip!

Saturday We got up early and left for Milan. Once we arrived, we wandered a bit, then found the Duomo. The Milan Duomo is a very Gothic structure with an intricate façade. We also went in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele which is right next to the Duomo. The Galleria a glass-topped tunnel which is basically one of the world’s earliest and most selective shopping malls. We found a large park, Giardini Publblica, and relaxed there for a while. It was so nice out, so we just read for a while and enjoyed the day. Then we met my friend Vivianna and her friends at the train station. Vivianna lives in Turino, and one of her other friends goes to a military school in Milan, so they came to visit for the weekend. Vivianna was a foreign exchange student at Cibola, and it was really nice to see her again. She is such an funny, eccentric, nice, outgoing girl. We hung out with the girls that night in their hostel, as it was POURING rain. We ordered pizza, too. I got the same as Vivianna, pizza con patatine fritte (pizza with fries on top)! Haha it was good, but weird. That night we left to meet the host we were staying with through CouchSurfing. He was quiet and it was a bit awkward because he seemed uncomfortable with his English, but he was nice. We went out for a bit, then we played card games with him when we got back. We learned an Italian card game, scopa, and taught him Egyptian rat-screw and bull shit. It was fun and broke the ice.

Sunday The next day in Milan we met the Italian girls and hung out with them before they went back to Turin. Then we went to the Palazzo Reale. There were TONS of people dressed up in 18th century costumes EVRYWHERE. It was the 150th anniversary of Italy, so they were doing something to commemorate it, but we never did quite find out exactly what they were doing. We also saw a man who dyed his beard red, green, and white to celebrate Italy! Dedication. Then we went to the Castello Sforzesco. It’s a huge castle that was constructed in 1450. Since it was the reunification celebration, there was a fake battle in front and they were firing canons and the whole she-bang. It was amusing. Behind the Castello was a carnival and Parco Semprione. The park was really nice, and it was a beautiful day so there were lots of people out enjoying the day. At the back of the park is the Arch of Peace built for Napoleon (similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris). That night our host, Alessandro, took us on a walk to other parts of Milan. We saw the church Santa Maria delle Grazie and the canals in Milan, the Navigli. He took us to a gelato place that has all sorts of different flavors depending on the day (including Parmesan and mojito). It got banana and cinnamon! Then home, more card games, and sleep.

Monday Monday morning we went in a church, Santa Maria presso San Satiro, that is painted using illusion. It looks bigger than it is because of the way the alter is painted with “fake” columns. Then we took a train to a town about 45 minutes away, Bergamo. Bergamo is where the airport is, and since our flight was early in the morning we decided to stay there for a night. Bergamo is a cute little town divided into an upper and lower town. We walked around the lower part, then took a tram to the upper town. In the upper town, we went into the church, wandered the square, and had lunch in a café on the main square. We also tried the famous dessert from there, polento e osei. It is a yellow polenta cake that was reallly good and reaaaalllly sweet. We wandered back down to the lower town through little streets that are along the Venetian walls of the upper city. The views were nice from up there, and it was good to walk down for a change of scenery after taking the tram up. We wandered the shops of the lower town before going to our hotel for the night. I took a bath, which was great because I love baths and we don’t have a tub in Florence. That was about it for Milan and Bergamo! I still have to write about Barcelona, and I will! I need a break, for now, but I will post more ASAP!

Love :)

Sette: Seven

SAY CHEEEEEESE :)

Alyssa and I and lots of yummy, stinky, old cheese :)

You can see both layers of the barrel, which will make sense later.

Vinegar being aged.

Hey dad... Got any more meat? Haha

Breaking the curds while cooking the cheese.



Ciao!
I haven’t written in too long, so I hope I remember everything of interest that I’ve done!
On Friday the 4th, Alyssa and I did a trip through our school here. We went to a Parmigiano Reggiano producer in Reggio Emilia, a prosciutto producer in Parma, and a producer of Aceto Basalmico Tradizionale di Modena. All of these products are only produced in these specific parts of Italy because of food regulations. All of these towns are close to each other, but they are a few hours from Florence, so we met on the bus at 5:30 am and took off. I slept the whole way there, of course. We went to the Parmesan producer, first. This was probably my favorite visit. The Parmigiano Reggiano is so good because the milk they use is so good. Their cows are milked twice a day and are only fed grasses. The milk is used right after milking, as is. The only ingredients in the cheese are fresh milk, whey, a natural enzyme from a cow’s stomach, rennet, and salt. We saw how they cook the cheese, mold it, salt it, and age it. There are all sorts of regulations concerning what is quality Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and we learned about the different qualities and ages. We also tasted two cheeses, one that was aged for two years, the other for three. Yum! They gave us our own little cheese knives, too.

Next it was to the prosciutto producer. It was hard to understand the guy who was telling us about it, but basically they get a pigs back legs and refrigerate them a bit, then refrigerate them more at a higher temperature, and then in a barely cold room. Then they dry out some more. Tons of raw, dried pig legs. I thought of my dad when we were there, so that picture is a shout out to you, Pops! That was about all there was to it. Haha. We ate there and got to have bread and prosciutto and pasta and wine… good stuff!

Lastly was the producer of the balsamic vinegar. They gave us the history of the company and showed us where the vinegar is aged. They only use grapes that have been cooked for two days in their classic vinegar, and then they age it. The classic is aged for 12 years! The aging is in the attic, not the cellar, and the vinegar is in barrels. It moves from a large barrel down to a small one, with lots of intermediate sizes. The smallest barrel would sell for 30,000 Euros! And that is without any vinegar in it! The barrel we were looking at when the woman explained this had been in the business since 1890. When the barrels begin to leak, they don’t replace them, but they build a new barrel around the outside! The barrel from 1890 had another casing that was put on in the 1950s. We also got to sample vinegars. One of the ones we tried was the Aceto Basalmico Tradizionale di Modena Extra Vecchio. It was aged for 25 years! I had vinegar older then I am. :)
One other interesting thing about vinegar is that as long as it is bottled in Modena, not necessarily made there, but if it is bottled in Modena a company can put “di Modena” on it. That’s why and cheap grocery store balsamic vinegar says “di Modena” on it. To say “Aceto Basalmico Tradizionale di Modena” on it, it must be aged correctly within the certain restrictions. That was definately a cool trip. Learned a lot about food and got to see how it is made. I had lots of old, aged things to eat that day!

That weekend I also went to the photo exhibition I previously wrote about. It was small, but the pictures were great. They were all from the last century. There was a group of pictures taken by the church by our house, which was cool to see.

It was Alyssa’s birthday Sunday, so we went out Saturday to celebrate. We met “the Soggy Bottom boys” at the bar we went to. Haha. It was Carnevale and there were three guys dressed as the soggy bottom boys. They were nice, and one of them was a DJ who told us to go back when he was playing. We did go back last night. He played 50’s records. This bar is a café/bar, but it is a cute place with a fun vibe. They have live music there sometimes, which is nice too. On Alyssa’s actual birthday we took her out to Gusta Pizza. It’s on our block and known for having some of the best pizza. We had not been, but it is now a fave! It was delicious. We also had cake and gelato. Happy Birthday, Alyssa!

This is getting long winded! I also went to the Medici Palace and the Bardini Gardens this last week. I have midterms this coming week, so this weekend is going to include lots of reading and studying! So long for now…

Sei:Six

Ciao a tutti!
Venice update and a few pictures!


Welcome to Venezia!

Golden :)

Classic Carnevale Costume... and yours truly!

San Marco

VERRRYYYY CROWDED bus lol

Venice was amazing. It is unlike any city I have been to. We arrived Friday, the day before Carnevale. It was nice to be there early and see Venice before the craziness started. The city is so charming. With no cars, it is eerily quiet. It is magical just wandering the streets, but also quite confusing. We spend the first day getting lost, shopping, and wandering. We all bought masks in preparation for Carnevale. I bought a white one that I plan to paint! There were some amazing shops we came across. The architecture is amazing, too. We also went in the church at San Marco. It was beautiful and the golden ceiling and mosaic work was phenomenal.

Saturday we took a long vaporetto ride around Venice and to Murano. A vaporetto is a water bus in Florence. Then we went to San Marco and got into the spirit of Carnevale! There were thousands of people, lots of them dressed up. The people who go all out are incredible, as you can see in some of the pictures! There were concerts going on, street performers, and people everywhere. We wandered and went to other squares in the city where there were vendors set up, an ice skating rink, DJs, and general activity everywhere. We got Vin Brule, a hot wine, and enjoyed being a part of the festivities—while wearing our masks, of course!

Departing from Venice was another adventure in and of itself. We had an overnight train that left at 3am and was to arrive in Florence at 6am. The only problem was our train did not leave from the center of Venice, but from a station 45 minutes outside the center. We were not aware of this, but were early enough that we knew we could take a bus to the station. That would have been easy, except for the fact that there were a few hundred people trying to get on the same bus as us! Can you say, sardines? We did get on the second bus that came, squished but happy that we would make it on time. The overnight train was brutal, but worth the great trip!

This week in my Women and Religion class, we “interviewed” two senior Italian women to get their perspective on the experience of a woman in Italy. They were so sweet. They are both part of a historical society that is having an exhibition this weekend. I’m going to go. They are going to have pictures and movies and lots of stuff. It should be cool. Back to class, though. The women also sang for us and we sang the chorus of one of a song about crickets. It was great.
In my art history class this week we went to Palazzo Davanzati. Pretty cool palace.. not as big as Pitti and I still have to go to the Medici palace, but it was fun.

Now a side story not really related to my travels, so feel free to skip this is you like. The other night Alyssa and I were looking up classes at USD. We were then looking at some of the Theology department faculty. One of the faculty members had S.T.D. by his name.
This is what followed:

Staci: “What’s an S.T.D.?”
Alyssa: (Gives me the… “Did you really just say that?” face)
Both: Laughing. Lots of laughing.
Staci: “But really, I want to know.”
Alyssa: “Not like you can just look up STD.”
Staci: “Oh, I’ll find out.” (proceeds to look up STD) “I found it. It means Sacrae Theologiae Doctor.”
Alyssa: “Which means?”
Staci: “Hold on…It’s the final theological degree in the Catholic Church.”
Alyssa: “So basically.. only the theology department can get an S.T.D.”
Both: Laughing uncontrollably. ANNNNDD… we are still laughing about this.

We are obviously very mature. It is hilarious, though. You learn something new everyday! Until next time, much love!

Five: Cinque

The Duomo :)

These faces just explain how we feel about the secret bakery haha.

The inside of the cupola.

Your truly!

View from the top.

Buona sera.
It is Wednesday night in Firenze, and enjoying some hot tea and updating the blog!

Let me start by saying I have not been gone long, but there is nothing that can replace New Mexico green chile or carne adovada burritos! EVER! The other night one of my roommates (even though she’s not from NM, she’s Mexican so she gets the chile thing) was really missing spicy food, so we decided to go out to eat at a restaurant called Tijuana. It is a bit ironic that going to USD, we had to come half way around the world to go out to eat in TJ! The place was really cute on the inside, and supposedly the owner spent a substantial sum of money bringing decorations from Mexico to Florence to decorate. Our margaritas were really yummy, and we had fun just being there and hanging out. We all got enchiladas. Flour tortilla enchiladas. Haha. The food was good, but we were all left wanting real Mexican food. If we ever want chips and salsa and a good change of scenery, though, we know where to go.

The real star of last weekend was yet again, the secret bakery! I got a chocolate doughnut. Imagine classic crispy cream but with chocolate insides and coated in sugar. Oh. My. God. I don’t even like doughnuts that much, but this doughnut was too good. I must not go back soon. It could turn into an addiction! I love the picture of Alyssa, Gladys and I grubbin'. So not attractive, but so much win.

This week I did check another classic Florentine experience off my list! I climbed to the top of the cupola (dome) of the Duomo (cathedral)! The dome was designed by Brunelleschi and is a work of architectural genius. After learning the history of the Duomo, it was great to go inside and to actually climb to the top. The stairs become ladder-like at times because it is so steep. The views from the top were incredible! It was an amazing experience I hope anyone that visits Florence has the chance to experience.

I took pictures of the Duomo with my film camera for my photography class. I am looking forward to seeing how they come out. I have been trying to take as many good classic photos as I can in addition to digital photos. I went out this last weekend just walking and keeping my eyes open for good subjects for my photo class. I happened upon a puppet show in Santa Croce that gave me just that. There was an older man and a younger middle-aged woman who had set up a puppet show in the piazza. There were kids watching and laughing as the puppeteers sang and made the puppets dance. I printed a photo of the man and the puppets/stage in class, and it came out great. It was so unexpected and enjoyable, and I’m glad I got to document it on film. Sorry I don’t have digital ones to share now, but I can show them to you soon! While I was out I also went in an antique market that is in one of the piazzas here. I have gone by it many times, but it is not always open/I have never gone in. They had lots of great things. I wanted to live in one of the small shops, as some where set up like living spaces. Wandering gets me great places. :)

There is so much to do and see! And it’s all happening fast! Tomorrow I am going to the Museum and Monastery of San Marco with one of my classes. Friday I am going to Venice for Carnevale. The weekend after that to Modena to tour production sites of balsamic vinegar, prosciutto, and parmesan cheese and sample some of Italy’s famed products.
More to come. Love to all of you!

Quattro-Four

Best cappuccinos ever... and we made them!

Making espresso


Old school machines


Sampling Mokarico caffe

The factory at Mokarico

I love Italy!

This week I went to the Bargello Museum with my class, Symbols and Symbolism in Western Art. We saw Donatello’s David (in addition to many other works), the first free standing nude in the Renaissance since classic Rome. Can I just say, I totally did not know that it was in Florence! That is what I love about this city. Everywhere you turn there is art, history, and a story. There is so much to learn. There are so many great museums and places to go and see. And my classes go on field trips nearly every day. It is fantastic. I also gave a presentation on Donatello’s St. Mark in the Bargello. My mom, sister, and brother in law (and Dad?) are coming to Florence at some point this semester. I am going to be one stellar tour guide for them! :)

In Florence, tripe is a traditional food. Men often have tripe sandwiches for lunch. Tripe is animal stomach, just for any of you who were not aware. Being in Firenze, I have to eat as Florentine’s would, obviously. I got a tripe sandwich. It was surprisingly good! It was served on a great baguette with some type of spicy sauce. The texture was a bit weird, but I liked, and am glad I tried it.

Gladys and I also did a tour of a coffee producer and an espresso machine manufacturer today. First we went to Caffè Mokarico, the coffee producer. We learned about the different types of coffee beans, toured the facility, and did a tasting. We also learned about the process of blending coffee, which was first done it Italy! They even gave us a bag of coffee to take home with us. Next we went to La Marzocco. We learned about the company’s equipment and history, watched a video about the basics of being a barista, and got a tour of the factory. Then, we go to use one of the machines to make our own cappuccino. It was without a doubt the BEST cappuccino I have ever had. We grounded fresh beans, made the espresso, streamed our own milk, and added a bit of cocoa powder. If their cheapest domestic machine cost less than a few grand, I would have gotten one to be my own barista! Ha! They also served us lunch, gave us a photo book of their company, and gave us a coffee cup with their logo on it! It was a wonderful day full of wonderful caffè!

Tonight we are going dancing to kick off the weekend. Much love! Ciao!

Pictures!

Palazzo Pitti


Yummy pasta from Pisa!

I spy...

Syvetlana holds leaning tower with pinky finger...

View from the top...

Me in front of the Duomo... Not a great one, but you get the idea

First taste of gelato... fantastic!

Out with Alyssa and Gladys in Firenze.

The livingroom in our apartment