Il Mio Terzo Settimana in Italia

Il Ponte Vecchio 

  

     My third week in Italy has been yet another very enjoyable week. I am really starting to feel at home in the Villa. Everyone in the program is so friendly and fun to talk to. It’s just a really great, positive environment to be living in. The highlights of my week include teaching at an elementary school, shopping, going out dancing, and of course more delicious food. I’ll start by explaining about my first teaching experience. For the rest of the semester I will be teaching English in a third grade class once a week with my friend Melissa. We had our first day last Monday, and it was great! The teacher was very friendly, and the kids’ faces lit up when we walked in. Melissa and I introduced ourselves, and the teacher helped to translate some words for the class. Then the class read some introductions they had prepared for us. They told us their name, how many siblings they had, they’re lucky number, favorite color, and favorite animal. It was adorable! We ended the class by playing a game of Simon Says, which they loved. I teach again tomorrow so I’ll have to brainstorm some more fun grade school games to play. I thinking some hangman and heads up 7up would be perfect. Overall, it was a really good first day. They kids are so excited to get to know us, and I can’t wait to see them every week.

      My classes at the villa are going well too. Italian is the most work, but that’s probably good since I am in Italy. Reading Nietzsche is still pretty strange, but interesting for sure. I really love the film class, even though so far we’ve only been watching very depressing films. They are from a period called Neorealism, which highlighted depressing themes from right after World War II. Directors wanted to make the films as real as possible, so they all have tragic endings. Luckily this next week we are moving on to a new period. We will be learning all about Fellini, which I’m really excited about. I still love my Florentine Renaissance Art class too. The site visits are always great. We visited three different churches around Florence this week. They were all stunning! It’s just such a great way to get into the city for the afternoon, and to be able to see firsthand some of the best art Florence has to offer. I think it would be really difficult to see all that art on my own, so I’m very happy I decided to take that class.

     This weekend I took time off of traveling and stayed at the Villa to explore Florence more. On Friday I went into the city with two girls, Andrea and Heather, to do some shopping. The end of the month of January marks the end of all the big sales in Italy, so we picked a good weekend to shop. It was a pleasant sunny day to be walking around Florence. We got some pasta and espresso for lunch at a random little restaurant. And I bought my first pair of real Italian leather boots! Definitely was a successful shopping day. Friday night at the Villa was strange because so many people were gone traveling. But it was nice to have a smaller group at dinner. After dinner, most people decided to go into Florence. I went to my first Italian dance club called Twice. It was a lot of fun, and there weren’t too many Americans there. (A lot of other study abroad programs just started in Florence, so the place is filled with Americans now). The next day I went with Andrea to Sesto Fiorentino's Saturday Market. We just browsed around, and then hung out at the villa for the afternoon.  That night I went for dinner and an adorable Italian restaurant called Osteria in the Piazza Santo Spirito with a group of 8 people. I loved the décor of the restaurant. It was very small, with a nice deep red color on the walls. And yes, it was amazing food once again! I got spaghetti with tomatoes, garlic, and basil and a glass of white wine. It was one of my favorite dinners outside of the villa so far. We stopped to hang out for a little at the Ponte Vecchio after dinner, which looked stunning at night! It really hit me that I was living in Italy while staring at all the beautiful lights over the water. It was incredible. 

       I should also mention how incredible the villa food has been this past week. This is mainly because we had numerous desserts, which were all phenomenal.   We had homemade tiramisu, carrot cake, and chocolate cake with pear. The tiramisu was my favorite. It was so rich and creamy! I hope we have it again soon. And we also had pesto pasta twice this past week, which is by far my favorite kind of pasta. I am really starting to miss cooking though (pesto pasta being of my favorite meals to make). It will definitely have to be one of the first things I do once I get back home. But we might get to get a cooking class in the Villa at some point this semester, which would be amazing.

       This next weekend I will be leaving Florence and heading to Brussels, Belgium. I am super pumped for my first trip out of Italy. And the weekend after that the whole program goes on a trip to Rome! So I have a couple of fun weekend to look forward to.

I miss everyone at home very much, and hope you’re all doing well!

Molti Baci!

-Laura

My fettuccine and tomatoes lunch after shopping in Florence

My new leather boots!

Parma e Bologna

Parma

Il Duomo di Parma

One of our many great appetizers at the Parma wine bar-Gavanasa

Last night I returned from my first weekend trip to Parma and Bologna! I went with a group of 10 other people on my program. We left bright and early Friday morning at 8 am to catch our train to Parma. The train ride itself was pretty awesome. We went up into the snow-filled mountains during the ride. They were beautiful although we were all very worried it was going to be snowing when we got to Parma. Luckily, it was just snowy because we were so high up in the mountains. It was a very chilly weekend though. Nothing like the below zero temperatures back in the Midwest, but it was in the 30s and 40s. (We were a little spoiled our first week with it being sunny and in the 50s). Plus we were outside all day, and buildings are not heated very well.  Anyways, we arrived in Parma around 10 am and immediately went to a café because we were all in need of some espresso. After asking a few Italians for directions we found our way into the middle of the town. Of course, the town was adorable! There were lots of little shops, beautiful brightly colored buildings, and a friendly atmosphere. We found some of Parma’s beautiful spots, like its Duomo and a lovely church. It was really fun to just wander around on our own, to have no agenda, and just discover Parma for ourselves.

 After walking around we got hungry, so we sat on some steps of a building in their main plaza and ate the lunches we brought. We were all freezing after being outside for so long so we went on a search for a nice wine bar to sit down in.  We found one with enough room for all 12 of us called Gavanasa. We ordered some delicious white wine, and found out we could get some free appetizers when we ordered drinks. We ended up getting about 10 plates of free appetizers! The waitress just kept bringing us more and more. She brought us plates of prosciuto, little pizzas, artichoke bread, zucchini bread, and mini sandwiches. We were all absolutely stuffed afterwards. We probably should not have had lunch right before going there.

           After our long morning and afternoon in Parma we decided to check into our hostel and rest a bit. I think we were all a little nervous for the hostel. I have never stayed in one so I had no idea what to expect, but it ended up being completely fine. We got two rooms with 6 beds in each. We didn’t have any random people in our rooms either, which was nice. We rested up, and headed back into downtown Parma later that night. We decided to try out a different wine bar called La Dolce Vita. We ordered some more wine and once again got free appetizers. This place had pasta, pizza, French fries, prosciutto, mozzarella sandwiches, and more. Once again, all of the food was amazing. We didn’t end up buying any meals in Parma because we were all so stuffed from all those appetizers! The atmosphere of the wine bars at night was really fun too. There were heat lamps outside so people could stand in the streets, there was loud American pop music playing, and lots of friendly people. It was a really fun time.  

 We got up and headed on another train to Bologna at 9:30 the next morning. After an hour long train ride we arrived and started walked around the city. We met up with some other people from our program that had stayed in Bologna the night before. It was a bit cold and gray out, but the city was still beautiful.  We saw some of their famous towers, and walked around the University. We ate lunch at a little pub, and I got a yummy veggie Panini. It had great mozzarella, zucchini, and eggplant. Next on our agenda after we ate… gelato! Haha. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it. We ate at this gelateria called Gram, which is apparently all over Italy and even in New York. I got dark chocolate and mandarin gelato, which was also very yummy. We walked around some more after all our eating, did a little shopping, and headed back to the train station. Unfortunately, we got on the wrong train! We were supposed to take a regular train, but ended up getting on a high-speed train. We all had to pay an extra 21-euro. It was frustrating, but we did get to ride a high-speed train, which was cool. The ride should’ve taken an hour and half, but took us 20 minutes. Crazy!

 Other than the slight train mix-up the whole trip went very smoothly. I really enjoyed traveling through other Italian cities, and I can’t wait to check out more! I am loving my time here in Italy so far. I love the culture, the food, and meeting new people. And I am very excited to travel more. My next trip is to Belgium and 2 weekends!

Miss and love you all at home!

Molti Baci!

-Laura

Bologna

Andi and I eating gelato at Gram

Classes, Siena, San Gimignano, and more Florence

    I have now been in living in Italy for over a week, and I absolutely love it so far. Since the last time I’ve posted I’ve started classes, visited two more Tuscan towns, experienced Italian nightlife, and eaten a lot of fantastic food!

    All my classes have all gotten off to a great start. I’m taking Italian Cinema, Nietzsche & Fascism, Florentine Renaissance Art, and Advanced Italian. I think Italian Cinema will be really great. I learned a lot about film in my Italian culture class last semester, so I’m excited to actually watch the films now. We have our first film screening tonight. Advanced Italian should be good as well. There are only 5 other people in the class, so it’ll be nice to get such direct help with the language. For my Nietzsche & Fascism class, we just started reading Nietzsche’s Antichrist. Nietzsche is pretty crazy, but his work is really interesting to discuss. And so far my favorite class is the Florentine Renaissance Art. The professor is great and funny, and we get to do site visits in Florence once a week.

    And that brings me to another exciting aspect of my week, my first art class site visit in the city.   We looked at il Palazzo dei Medici and the Basilica di San Lorenzo. Both were absolutely stunning. The amount of detail that goes into the architecture of these buildings is unbelievable.  After the site visit a few of us stayed in Florence for lunch. We went to a cute little restaurant and had some pizza. I got Caprese and a glass of white wine. It was very refreshing to do in between my classes.

    The following day I was able to look at some more outstanding artwork and architecture in two different Italian towns: Siena and San Gimignano. The whole program left bright and early for a day trip to the two cities. Siena looked like a dream when we first arrived because it was extremely foggy. All of the buildings were surrounded by white. We visited il Duomo di Siena and a couple churches. Once again, the amount of detail in the artwork of these buildings was outstanding. Every ceiling has intricate, beautiful mosaics. I think I said ‘Wow’ in almost every room we entered.  We had a little free time before heading to the next town so I wandered around Siena and found a café with the best espresso I’ve ever had. It was a little Jazz Bar, with American Jazz music playing (but in Italian), and the owner was very nice. But jeez that espresso, I didn’t put any sugar in it, and it was sweet, rich, and amazing! I found my next sweet, delicious treat when we continued on to the town of San Gimignano… gelato! The town is supposed to have the best gelato in the world, but unfortunately that shop was closed. Luckily, we found another gelateria, which had the best gelato I’ve ever had. Although, it wasn’t just the gelato that made San Gimignano incredible, the town is gorgeous. It looked like it came right out of a movie. It has these beautiful antique castle-looking towers, and great views of the Tuscan hills everywhere. I really enjoyed both Siena and San Gimigano, to say the least.

     Another update I’ll give you about my past week is about the Florence nightlife. I went out with a couple groups from my program on Thursday and Friday night and experienced the Italian bars. Unfortunately, a couple of the places we went were very American. One of the bars was called the Lion’s Fountain, and I think every other student studying abroad in Florence was there. Another place we went to was called the Red Garter; this one actually had Italians in it, and also had karaoke! Some other students went to a Jazz Club and said it was very fun, so I think that’ll be my next stop.

     And of course, I still love the food. The pasta in the villa really is the best I’ve ever had. And I cannot get enough the dessert. We had homemade cheesecake the other night… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to have American cheesecake again! Luckily, I am balancing out all my eating with hikes. There are beautiful mountains right near the villa. I went on a 2-hour hike yesterday. It was amazing.

    I miss and love you all at home. Hope you are making it through with all that cold, snow. I know I’m surviving with it being in the 50s here. J

Molti Baci!

-Laura

The Garden of Il Palazzo dei Medici

My delicious Caprese Pizza

La Basilica di San Domenico in Siena (surrounded by a dream-like fog)

The best espresso in Siena (possibly in the world)

The lovely towers of Sam Gimignano

Ciao da Sesto Fiorentino

The Villa

The Garden behind the Villa. Belissima!

Ciao! So after a very long flight, I am finally in Italy! My first couple days here in Sesto Fiorentino have already been incredible. I was blown away when I arrived at my new home, Villa Corsi Salviati. It is more beautiful than I even imagined. I am also crazy about the town of Sesto. Within an hour of arriving, I headed into downtown Sesto to explore with a group of students from my program. Our first stop was an adorable café, and I had my first Italian cappuccino there.  And on our way back I stopped at a pizzeria, to have my first slice of real Italian pizza. Both were delicious. I still can’t believe that I’m actually living in Italy.

I had orientation most of the day yesterday and today. Yesterday we learned about the history of the villa, filled our some paperwork, met our professors, and went on a small walking tour of Sesto. Today we had orientation in Florence. So we basically got to sightsee the entire day! We started out at Basilica di San Miniato al Monte which overlooks all of Florence. We continued on to the Chiesa di San Salvatori al Monte. After the churches we headed into downtown Florence. Even the walk there was beautiful. It was a perfect day to be walking around, 55 degrees and sunny. In downtown Florence we looked at the architecture of the Uffizi and the Duomo. Then we were allowed to explore the city on our own. So I did the one thing I’ve been dying to do since I arrived in Florence… go to a Gelateria! J The gelato was super yummy, and yes it was better than American gelato.  I ended the day downtown by doing some shopping.

The one other great thing about the trip so far has been the food in the Villa. We have our own cook, a classic looking Italian man named Bruno. My favorite meal was our dinner tonight: Ravioli, parmesan, fresh tomatoes, and salad, with bread pudding with custard for dessert. And there is always unlimited coffee available at meals. I’m very happy about that.

Tomorrow we start classes. I have my Fascism class and Cinema class. Although I don’t have my first class until 2, so I’m thinking I might go for a hike in the Sesto Mountains before.  

I’m definitely enjoying life in Italy so far. Miss and love you all at home.

Molti Baci

-Laura

Downtown Sesto Fiorentino 

View of Florence from the Bascillica di San Miniato al Monte

Getting Ready To Leave

Tomorrow at this time I will be waiting in O'Hare Airport for my flight to Florence, Italy. I am beyond excited to study abroad in Italy. After five semesters of studying the language, I hope I can navigate my way across the country (or at least order a meal). Since I have never been out of the country before, I am very anxious to see what it is like. I am writing this blog to fill all of you at home in on my experience. From my classes to the delicious food, I hope these posts can give you an idea of what my life in Italy is like. I would also love to talk, so feel free to find me on Skype while I'm abroad. My Skype name is LauraGberg. I can not believe that I am actually leaving tomorrow! ahh. Next time I write a post I will be writing you from my new home: a villa in Sesto Fiorentino (a town right outside of Firenze). Can't wait to send pictures of the villa and tell you all about my first days in Italia.  Well I better start packing.

Arrivederci e molti baci!

-Laura