My eval of the first week

My reflection on the cultural introduction class:

The good:

·        The amount of places we got to visit.

·         I really enjoyed getting to see so much and to experience a lot of different aspects of the Italian culture.

·        I enjoyed our professors.

·        My favorite parts; the vineyard, the Tarot Garden, the quarries, and the day at the beach.

The bad:

·        I didn’t enjoy that Rome was so rushed. I feel that I missed it because I was getting bombarded with so much information that I couldn’t enjoy the experience.

·         The work load was too much for the amount of free time (the lack of free time) that we had to do it. I feel that we either needed more time to at least write our journals daily. It was hard to do that when our days were planned from 8:30a-10:30p especially because we didn’t want to lose sleep over writing. We didn’t want to be exhausted the next day and unable to pay attention and enjoy what happened during the day.

·         I feel we didn’t have time to put thought into our paper because of the journals, the daily activities, moving into our apartments in Florence, and starting out new class.

·         I didn’t like that I signed up for the cultural introduction with no knowledge of it being a class because my grade will probably bring down my GPA

Suggestions:

·        Allot a time during the day, after dinner, to write the journals.

·        Allow a little more time to do the 3000 word paper.

·        Spend more time in Rome.

·        Tell the schools to let it be known that the cultural introduction is a class that you get a credit for.

All in all it was an amazing experience despite the issues I had. I had fun and I enjoyed getting to go places I’ve never been to.

Day 7: May 12th

Holy crap I've been here for a week!!!

Today we did a bike tour. It has been so long since I‘ve ridden a bike (except for a very short trip with Kurtis) that I was slightly afraid I’d fall. Thankfully I’ve been riding motorcycles so that came in handy, and so did “expect the unexpected”. Our route was much longer than I originally thought (3miles). I got told it was between 10-15 miles total (holy crap!!). The bike tour took us to a huge market in Forte dei Marmi (south of Cinquale). I swear the stalls just kept on going and going. You could buy clothes, shoes, accessories, etc., and household items. There was a ton of other stuff too, but I can’t recall all of it. Sadly we only had an hour and a half to wander the market and go wander the pier that was in front of the market. I took a couple pretty pictures while there (promise I’ll post some soon!). I was super excited about my amazing buy. I got these awesome lace-up sandal-heels that are in stores for 70€ but I got them for 15€! So cheap for such adorable shoes!

One the way back to where we were set loose for lunch we rode through an absolutely gorgeous park with this bridge. It was the perfect photo spot. We got t see the end of a photoshoot and then once we got our photo done on the bridge, we saw a wedding party coming. We all ended up applauding the newlyweds because that’s just how we are. We continued on through the park (on street bikes…so tough) and on past beautiful villas of rich people. I know we saw the villa of the inventor of the cappuccino/coffee holder thing (the one with 6? Sides) and the coach of some futbol team and the residence of the Fiat company owners. All of the villas were so HUGE and so pretty. I’m jealous that they get to vacation at a beach.

We finally got to out lunch area and I stopped and got pizza (of course!) and a coke (only in foreign countries). After lunch we rode home and ended up with a lot of free time so I decided to get a head start on my packing.

That night was the farewell “buffet” that could’ve used a whole lot more food than mostly bread and cheese. I was the first one up there so I got to grab some of the meat (a hotdog!) that they offered. I couldn’t believe how wonderful and savory the hotdog was! I hadn’t realized just how bad I’d been craving meat until I took a bit of the hotdog. I was so happy! Desert was tiramisu!! So utterly delicious J

After dinner (11pm) we all went upstairs to figure out what everyone was doing. We ended up trying to go to a place called Beach Club (a bust! Wouldn’t let the “gang” in) and then we tried to go to what we thought was a club, Sexy Sexy. Boy were we mistaken….we’re still not sure what it was, but I’m guessing it was a strip club or something to that extent. Next we wandered around listening for the sounds of an awesome bar or club. It didn’t take us long to find one! That was a lot of fun. I ended up getting a free drink from one of the guys on our trip and a rose from an Italian who was utterly adorable trying to speak to me in Italian even though he knew I didn’t understand. He had one of his friends try to translate. I think that actually made my night. He was trying just so hard to make small talk and it was so difficult especially since my Italian is VERY limited.

Day 6: May 11th

Today was an absolutely amazing day. We got to go to the beach!!

We woke up around 8am and headed downstairs for breakfast (sweet stuff and a hardboiled egg!). I was glad I finally got some protein with breakfast. I learned, during breakfast, that the white of the egg is the only part that actually holds protein and the yolk is just cholesterol and fat.

We left the hotel at about 9:30 for Viareggio to go check out the architecture, etc. On the way there we stopped at Cittadella del Carnevale, a place where they make giant floats. The Spell of Carnival is equivalent to Mardi Gras, except the floats are even bigger and are all about political stuff. We were there for only about an hour, but it seemed that all of us were just ready for the beach. The proof for that statement is that everyone was lying in the sun on the ground as often as possible. I was one of them J

We finally arrived at the boardwalk at about 11:30am and had tons of free time. We didn’t have to be back at a meeting spot until 3:30pm, which was just fantastic. There was a group of about 10 of us that ate at this crepe place. I ended up getting a crepe with mozzarella and parma ham (don’t ask what it is b/c I don’t know exactly what it is). While we were waiting on our food a couple of us females went into a shop right next door and I ended up getting two absolutely AMAZING dresses. They’re very cute and super soft and comfy. The food finally arrived and I liked my crepe at first, but after about half of it I lost my taste for it. After we all ate we wandered around looking for a place to find Danielle a swimsuit and she got one, thankfully.

Next stop, the beach!!    We got to the place where we were told would lead to the free beach, so we walked on down to the water and flung out our towels to bask in the sun. I made sure to reapply my spf 85 sunscreen and I’m very glad I did. After I flung out my towel I immediately sauntered down into the water only to be surprised at how freaking COLD it was. Courtney (one of the Memphian photographers) happened to be close by and laughed at my squealing at how cold the water was. I GOT TO TOUCH A JELLY FISH!!!! I was expecting the jelly fish to be super squishy, but it wasn’t. It jiggled, but it was hard to the touch, but it might’ve been because it was dead and on the beach for who knows how long. Either way it was really cool. The beach was awesome as a whole. After we were on that part of the beach for a good 45 minutes a guy in an official looking shirt came over and asked for our tickets (uh oh!) because apparently it was a private beach. We weren’t the only ones that didn’t know…we picked up all of our stuff and wandered on down the beach to find the free area. We found it and ran into several others from the group traveling with us. We laid out to get some sun (nothing got through my spf 85) and then we’d walk into the water to cool off. One thing I didn’t expect was all the topless women! After we were on the beach for a good 30 minutes, a couple of us decided to act like the locals and sun topless. Definitely an experience, but it was a very freeing experience. Right before we left a actually got all the way into the water and swam around for a bit, which was fun J

We left the beach at about 3:15pm and headed back to our hotel for some free time and then another group dinner at Bango Stefanella. Calamari and other fried seafood were offered. I tried it, but I just couldn’t stomach it…I ended up getting a pasta with a spicy tomato sauce (really yummy). 

Day 5: May 10th

This morning I woke up a little later than I wanted to and ended up having to stuff my purse with these little waffle-cookie things. They’re really yummy and they’re shaped like a waffle but look and taste like a cookie. The Italian breakfast is usually all sweet stuff like croissants. They also had a juicer so you could juice your own oranges, which I very much enjoyed.

We went to the quarries today in Carrara (the mountains) and we got to go to where they cut marble into sculptures. While we were there we got to see a couple sculptors work, which was very interesting and very very dusty. I learned so much on this trip. White marble with no streaks is 100% calcium citrate and that the pink marble that was at the sculpture place is from Iran. The sculptures were very pretty and I could tell that they took a while.

Next stop was a souvenir shop on the way up a mountain. I was completely unprepared for the bathroom there. It was a hole in the floor you had to squat over…not very easy for someone with balance issues. At the souvenir shop I invested in gifts for my mum and my sister. I would tell you what I got them, but they’re probably going to read this.

Now on to the quarry! It was frightening doing the zig-zags up the side of the mountain, but it was definitely worth it. The quarry is in my top 5 favorite places. It was just so cool getting to learn about how they used to cut out and move blocks 20 tons of marble down the mountain. They used to use a diamond wire with a very small diameter to cut the marble out of the mountain after they took a giant chisel and hammer to split it on its vein. The vein will always run at a 45 degree angle because of how the mountain rose.

After the quarry we headed to Pietrasanta to have lunch (super yummy spinach and meat ravioli) and to check out the church there. I had my first taste of real Italian gelato there in the Piazza. I was so shocked and amazed that the melon gelato tasted like I was eating a cantaloupe. I was NOT expecting that at all. Once we’d had our gelato and checked out the church we returned to the hotel via bus and had a little free time until our group dinner at Bagno Stefanella. I had penne type pasta with pesto sauce, which was basically this green, fairly strong, basil sauce that I didn’t exactly care for. There were options of pasta with tomato-basil sauce and pasta with fish sauce (smelled like tuna, hated it). After dinner, Danielle, Collin (new friend), and grabbed a bottle of Limonechello (lemon flavored vodka I think) and went down to the beach to have a drink and just hangout. We ended up coming back to the hotel because it got chilly and we decided to hang with the other group there. It was fun and a pretty nice night. I got to see the true colors of some people, which I’m glad I got to see.

Day 4: May 9th

Day 4 had a wine tasting and arrival in Cinquale in store for us.

Sadly, we only got to stay in the resort for one night. It definitely wasn’t long enough…I could’ve gotten used to a lot of food for dinner J We woke at about 8am to finish packing up (again…) and headed down to breakfast of the normal sweet stuff (pastries) and got surprised by eggs! I was so happy to finally have protein for breakfast! I ended up getting three helpings of eggs because I was so happy.

At 9am we dragged our luggage through the gravel to the bus and we were off to the vineyard by 9:30. I don’t think us females were at all prepared for the gorgeous man greeting us at Vincenzo di Vaira. I don’t think he was prepared for being stared at and drooled over either, but boy, he took it well. Alessandro is his name, and wine is his game (at least when he isn’t playing futbol…soccer). Alessandro started the tour off in the vineyard where he told us all about his father-in-law’s vineyard (many of us females were very upset after this realization).  This is also where I found out that some of the people there are not that bright….

Next was the cellar. I had no idea that the grapes were fermented in their skins! Not a clue. After they ferment they essentially get squished in order to separate the skin from the flesh of the grapes. Then they get put into stainless steel giant can-like things that allow all of the dirt, skins, etc. settle to the bottom. Then those that are being put into wooden barrels are moved into the barrels and those staying in the stainless steel, well, stay. I also learned that you can’t sell certain wines before two years and most white wines don’t really age.

After the cellar we got to have lunch and do a wine tasting (so cool!!). We got to shop and buy their wines and the olive oil that they make (super good quality and very yummy). They also make honey at the vineyard, along with olive oil, and they grow fresh fruits and veggies, all of which you can buy. The honey is soooo yummy!!! I ended up buying two bottles of wine, a little canister of olive oil, and a jar of honey. Danielle (roomie) and I decided to split another jar of honey for while we’re here because it just looked and tasted so good. The honey isn’t super processed so it’s really pure and even better than most honeys.

After everyone was done at the vineyard we clambered back onto the bus for the ride to Cinquale where we are staying for four nights. I ended up napping on the bus but got poked awake once we pulled into Cinquale so I could get my first glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea. I was so happy that I apparently got a very huge grin on my face.

We got to Hotel Eden and I gotta say, I didn’t want to leave. It was such a gorgeous hotel and the beds were pretty comfy. We got into our rooms and then left to have dinner at a little pizzeria across the street. That night was a lazy night. Danielle, Sara and I spent the night relaxing and doing absolutely nothing in our room. It was so nice and very much needed.    

Day 3: May 8th

Today we traveled to our next destination, but before that I had to pack….my stuff exploded.  I planned to wake up at 7:45a to finish up packing and have time for breakfast, that didn’t happen. I ended up sleeping till 8:15a. I was frantically packing and poor Danielle (my roomie) was waiting on me after she was all packed and ready to go. Finally I’m ready to go and we have about 10 minutes to run downstairs and stuff our faces. We definitely didn’t get enough food…oops!

We met everyone in the lobby at 10a (late of course). We walked (and a group of us got left behind…) to a Piazza to go on a bus tour to see sights we didn’t see the day before. We saw the Vatican state, Castel Sant’ Angelo, Palazzo di Giustizia, Arco di Costantino (again), the Colosseo (again), the Spanish Steps (again), Monumento a Garibaldi, Faro al Gianicolo, and tons of others. We pretty much saw all of the major tourist attractions, which was nice to actually get to see more. We finished our bus tour and got back to the hotel with about 15 minutes to grab everything and check out then we hopped onto a bus.

When we were out of Rome we stopped for lunch at this truck stop/gas station thingy. It was pretty clean and it was much better than any place that I’ve been to in America. Lunch was ok. I think we should’ve had more time so we could’ve grabbed lunch in Rome. I hate that we have such little time to eat sometimes and that our day is planned from the time we wake to the time we go to bed. How do they expect us to actually write our journal entries? We’re already dealing with a lack of sleep, I guess they want us to stay up even later and write. Anyways….

The bus ride was only about an hour and a half and I slept the entire way. If you put me in the sun I am going to fall asleep. We arrived at a garden, and not just any random garden but this freaking amazing garden! It was the Giardino dei Tarocchi, or The Tarot Card Garden. It was so cool!! It’s a sculpture garden and all of the sculptures are based off of a deck of tarot cards, and these sculptures are just beautiful and amazing and they really “spoke” to me. One of the sculptures the artist, Niki de Saint Phalle, actually lived in. The inside of the sculpture was covered in mirror fragments and it was soooo beautiful! (pictures to come, I promise!). The garden also had a snack bar, which I was quite happy about because by the time we were done at the garden my tummy was declaring it was dinner time.

We clambered back onto the bus after a quick snack (ha! Snack was lasagna). The lasagna was frozen and it’s about 100 times better than the crap at home. All this fresh food is spoiling me! The ride to where we were staying (in Piombio) was about a 2 hour ride, I slept again…We finally got to the resort and had about half an hour to get to our rooms and to dinner. The room seemed brand-spankin new because when you walked in it smelled new. You could smell the wood they used for the stairs.

We had about 30 minutes till dinner so I hopped into the shower. It was so much better than the shower in Rome! Dinner consisted of not 3 courses (normal) but 6 courses. I repeat 6 COURSES!! I had a huge food baby after that, but boy was I happy! After dinner we headed to bed and slept hard.

Just an update!

I'm currently on day 5 of my trip and I'm in Cinquale. Sorry I'm such a slow poster...our schedules are PACKED!!! I'll update when I can :)