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

Three- Tre

Buon giorno!

I have some more updates, and a few more must see sights off my list! On Thursday I went to the Galleria dell' Academia and saw...

Michelangelo's David! All the stuff people say about it is true. It was amazing. I must say, even though I knew the dimensions and all on paper, it was larger in life than I had expected. The detail in a statue that big was so impressive. I am going back while I am here, which will be because I got a museum card through one of my classes. It gives you unlimited admittance to all of the state museums in Florence. Pretty sweet!

I also went in Santa Croce church this week. The most interesting part of Sante Croce is that the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo are both inside! So I saw that :)

I went to a gelato workshop through school and learned how to make gelato alla nocciola, sorbetto di fragole, granita di limone, and lingue di gatto! YUM. I am in love with all things hazelnut, no naturally hazelnut gelato was a win. And lingue gi gatto, which means "cat's tongues" are little oval cookies. They are so good when they are warm and fresh out of the oven. I am going to make them again for sure!

Another museum I went to over the weekend thanks to my handy museum card was Palazzo Pitti. Palazo Pitti is literally a minute walk from my apartment in Firenze. The Palazzo Pitti is made up of 6 separate museums! The one I went to was the Galleria Palatina. I saw works I had studied by Raphael, Rubens, and Titian. The rooms that showcased the work, the ceilings, and other pieces were great, too. I also strolled through the Appartamenti Reali in the Palazzo. The Appartamenti were redone with 19th century decorations. The rooms are so lavish it was amazing. The ceilings there are breathtaking, too. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the Palazzo!

The only other truly important updates involve food. Alyssa is taking Italian Vegetarian cooking, so last night we made eggplant parmesan! It was divine. And so easy to make. Great, great dinner. We also went out last night. We met some guys who showed us where one of the secret bakeries is. In Florence, there are multiple bakeries that are only open in the middle of the night. Unless a small crowd was outside or a line was formed, you would not be able to recognize one from the street. So we found one of the secret bakeries and got chocolate croissants. They were amazing. And the fact that we got them in the wee hours of the morning from a secret bakery in Firenze made it even better.

That's about it for now. Until next time friends!

:)

Two- Due

February 5th, 2011

Hot water works! It is amazing. And our toilet is fixed. All is well in the apartment. Win.

So here are some other fun things that have been going on. The other night Gladys, Alyssa and I went out on the town. We made friends with two guys from Pistoia. Their names are Guiseppe and Alessando. Pistoia is a little town a ways from Florence, but perhaps they can be our tour guides. Hanging out with them was great. Alyssa and Gladys are both from Vegas, so they had heard of it. But who has ever heard of Albuquerque? Guiseppe kept saying Abu Dhabi, essentially. Hilarious. So there we were, in Florence, toasting to Abu Dhabi.

Another highlight was a walking tour in Florence that started at the Ponte Vecchio and went to San Minato and Piazzale Michelangelo. I learned some interesting facts I didn't know about Ponte Vecchio. One, it was the first bridge built across the Arno in Florence by the Romans. Second, it was the only bridge NOT destroyed in WWII. And lastly, the Italians put large windows in the walkway above the bridge (the Corridoio Vasariano) so that Hitler would have a nice view of the river. Interesting stuff, right?
San Miniato is a beautiful Romanesque church from the 11th century, and the views of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo are breathtaking. It was warm and sunny, to boot!
After the tour we went to the Chocolate Festival going on in Santa Croce. Chocolate everything. Amazing.

Last major thing coming to mind is our trip to Pisa! And that means... THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA! Hahaha. It really is a bizarre tower, and it looks just like the pictures. Of course, we had to take sleezey tourist pictures with the tower, which was fun. Syvetlana took a picture with it and said "Syvetlana holds Leaning Tower with pinky finger." Love her. But I can't lie, I pulled a creeper and took pictures of as many other tourists as I could who were "holding up the leaning tower." I was just amused and happy. The other highlight in Pisa was our food. We had lunch at Porton Rosso and gelato at Bottega del Gelato. I had pasta with shrimp (can't remember what it was called) that was to die for. The place was adorable, as well. My amaretto and nicciola (hazelnut) gelato was heavenly. All and all it was a great day in Pisa!

Lastly, the internet people should be coming very soon! When they do, I will add pictures on here. It just is too slow and spotty to do it now. Until next time... Arrivederci!

ONE.

February 1, 2011

Ciao from Firenze!
I decided to start writing while I am in Florence so that whoever is curious can know what I am up to... and so I can keep a record of my time here! It has almost been a week since I arrived, so the jet lag has worn off, and I am ready to go!

The apartment we are staying in is on the south side of the Arno River. We walk across the Ponte Vecchio and past the Uffizi to get to the main building of our school. The building where all the Italian classes are is adjacent to the Duomo. Let's just say, I enjoy walking to school! It's not a bad way to start the day. :) The apartment itself is nice, but the only bad thing is our toilet hasn't worked since the first day. At present I am waiting for the plumber to come. We are hoping they can fix it quickly! Having a working toilet would be great haha.

So highlight of my trip so far would be the visit to the Uffizi. I literally almost burt into tears when I walked into the Botticelli room and saw both the Primavera and The Birth of Venus. It was incredible to see these masterpieces in real life. I also saw the Doni Tondo by Michelangelo, The Duke and Dutchess of Uribino by Piero della Francesca, Bacchus by Caravaggio... the list goes on. I'm so glad I took some art history prior to coming, because I think that made me appreciate it all the more. I'm ready to hit up my boy David, but I'm going to wait to see if we are going with my art history class (museums are not cheap!).

Today I had photography. Our professor was out, but the lab tech was there. We didn't do much, but we did go to buy film and paper as a class. I was done super early, so I came home, dropped my stuff off, and proceeded to walk around the city for nearly 5 hours (small breaks for cappuccino, checking my e-mail at school, and going in a few shops). It was a fantastic day. I walked west along the Arno past the main city and came across a huge outdoor market with clothes, bags, shoes, food, etc. There was just a huge strip of vendors. No one had told us about this (maybe because it is a 45 min walk from the city center?), but I am going back for sure! When I got there everyone was paking up shop (1:00pm), so next time I know to go earlier. I wandered back and really did just walk around Florence all day. No agenda, just went where ever I felt like going. My feet are a bit tired now, but it was a wonderful day.

Tomorrow I have my Women and Religion class and Italian. I am excited to start learning the language. I will leave you for now. Much love!






So I didn't post this before the "plumber came," and this is what happened:

It was in fact the landlord, an old semi-grumpy Italian man, not a plumber who came. I was alone when he showed up, and we did not speak the same language. It was tooo awkward till the FUA lady showed up. After he investigated, the FUA woman translated that a real plumber is coming tomorrow. The girls next to us must have told them the water was not hot because none of us mentioned it, but the FUA lady also asked me if our hot water was working. Let me just tell you... I have been DREADING showers because they are not hot. We were told that hot showers here are not what they are in the states. I pretty much just figured it was fine, but the FUA lady said it should get hot. She went to the shower, turned on the water for a minute, and said it should be hotter than it was. So the landlord adjusted the water heater. Will I finally have a warm shower and not cry every time I have to get cleaned up? Was the cold shower thing not the norm!? Wish me luck and send hot water thoughts!