Paris

Paris is just lovely in the fall! We enjoyed a pretty relaxed trip filled with landmarks, shopping, and delicious food. On the Champs-Elysees I went into the flagship Sephora which was HUGE and I also went into the Gap, which made me feel oddly at home. We took a cruise on the Seine River the first night and got to see many great sights with sparkling lights and just before we also ate escargot and I had the best French onion soup ever.

The next day, our only full one, we took one of those on and off bus tours of the city. It's nice because it offers you transportation and also some background information/history about the landmarks. We went to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame.



That day we also did some shopping, of course, and in this one tiny shop the young man at the counter gave us a huge spiel on the American system, telling us that it's all about "mon-ay, mon-ay, mon-ay! And if you don't have mon-ay, you are feenished!" It was so funny because his English wasn't very polished and so sometimes he'd get so passionate he'd just switch to French and we didn't understand a word! That night we went out for my very early birthday dinner and we all had yummy food followed by even more delicious creme brulee.

On our last day we extensively explored the Paris Metro which I got down pretty well by the end of it. We went to the Flea Market in the morning and even though it wasn't quite what we expected (it ended up being only antiques and some kind of junky stuff), I had a lot of fun looking around at the different little French treasures. I even found one of my own and bought a silver ring while I was there and mom bought a cute painting from this little old lady. Afterwards we went to the Paris Catacombs which are really odd because they are basically underground tombs where the bones and skulls of people have been assorted in decorative, artistic ways. Weird, huh? After, we traveled around to a couple different neighborhoods to experience what a more "French" Saturday would be like and I ate a crepe that was to die for. Then we pretty much just had time to grab our luggage and some snacks before heading to the station to catch our return train!The overnight trains are quite the experience. Not of us got the best sleep and 6 people in a little cabin makes for very awkward sleeping arrangements! But we got lucky and always had seemingly trustworthy people in our cabins.

The last day was spent once again in Bologna but it was really laid back because we were all pretty exhausted. We just roamed around a bit...Tia Diane and Chris climbed the tower while my mom and I went to the Bologna Antique Flea Market which is only once a month and VERY promising. We found lots of beautiful (albeit expensive) items, and decided that it was much nicer than the one we went to in Paris! That night we went out to a nice dinner and Charlotte came with us. After, Charlotte and Chris had to run to the gelateria to grab some before it closed!

The next morning was very sad because we all had to say goodbye. It was 5 in the morning when they left, and after I called my dad and was talking to him for a while to unwind. At 6, I heard my buzzer ring and Tia Diane and Chris ran up the stairs frantically explaining that they had left a suitcase! So they ran back down to the taxi and luckily made it to the airport just in time to make their 6:55 flight. I talked to my mom early this morning and they all got home safely...she was so happy to see Emma (our dog) and also the boys (as a sidenote) hehe.

Now I'm just trying to recoup and get back into the swing of things. It's time to start preparing for Thanksgiving and Brittany's visit!

Florence

Well we've already returned from Paris (which was lovely) and my mom is actually leaving tomorrow :( ...but before I forget, I want to write about our time in Italy before Paris! The rest of them made it to and from Venice just fine and they had a great time. Who wouldn't love that city? The next day we went to Florence and had a yummy lunch at this hidden place where we got a delicious 3 course menu for, you won't believe it, only 6 euro each! Then we strolled around Florence seeing things like the river, the Duomo, and the Baptistery and then we spent the rest of the day shopping the open air markets! I went to a Mac makeup store there and the lady helping me was from S. Africa and she was so friendly and sweet. Plus they were playing Justin Timberlake in the store, which made me very happy, of course. We ran into a lot of other international people, including a ton of Brazillians, with whom my mom and aunt had fun talking. We ended up not buying too much stuff, but it was very fun browsing the different stands in the various markets. For dinner we ate in a very quaint place with delicious food (which is the case everywhere, I suppose!).

The next day was spent again in Bologna. The Italian girls came home very early from Calabria which made it a little awkward for everyone sleeping, but we got along ok. That day I took them all to my study center where they were able to meet my advisers and some of the other students in the program. We found a great consignment store that carries some designer stuff, and my aunt bought a Furla leather tote for just 15 euro! We found some great stuff there. I also took them to the fresh food market, which is probably my favorite place in Bologna, and then we ate at a quick but yummy place nearby; one of the most popular lunch places in town. After some more shopping (my mom finally found some Italian linens and decided that shopping in Bologna is good after all) we went home to eat pizza and salad before leaving on the night train to Paris!

PISA

Mom, Tia Diane and Chris all made it here safely. They arrived Friday night and have been running around ever since! I'm exhausted too, trying to show them all the sights and get the most out of their vacation. I'm not used to so much back-to-back traveling since I take trips periodically instead of smashed into ten days! They can't get over how old everything is, the commonality of public transportation, and the amount of walking one must do! I must say they're also pretty impressed at how easily I can get myself around this country. I didn't really realize just how far I'd come until I witnessed how lost they felt about the whole thing!

The first day everyone slept in to recover from jet lag and then we spent the rest of the day exploring Bologna. We walked through Piazza Maggiore, took a city bus tour, ate some pasta and then my favorite gelato! For the record, Tia Diane said that before she couldn't believe how much gelato I ate, but that it goes down just so smooth, now she gets it! They were disappointed because they didn't really get to see University buildings on the tour, so we'll probably take another stroll through Bologna on Wednesday before we depart for Paris.

Piazza Maggiore, Fountain of Neptune

OUR NAME!!!
In the Comunale Building

Yesterday we took a day trip to Pisa, which is a bit far from Bologna. The train ride is about 2:15 in total, but we had to switch trains in the middle which takes longer. By the time we got there everyone was famished and so unfortunately we settled for a very touristy cafe that was nothing to rave about. After, we wandered the streets of Pisa and finally landed upon Campo dei Miracoli, or Field of Miracles, where the Duomo, the Baptistry, and the (Leaning) Bell Tower are housed. It was such an unbelievably clear, beautiful day, with blue skies and wispy clouds. It really set the perfect backdrop for the spectacular sight of these three buildings. They are all constructed from the same materials and style, which has since been dubbed Pisan-Romanesque. Everyone always just talked about the Learning Tower (which was really cool...I mean it's just one of those things you see pictures of all your life and then you're like...whoa...it's right in front of me) but it's the three buildings altogether and what's inside of the other two that's truly amazing.

On the train to Pisa

The Pisan Duomo is one of the best cathedrals I've been in so far. The ceiling, the paintings, the altar, everything- is breathtaking. Mom looked actually quite overwhelmed with it all! Inside the Baptistry is very plain, but the neatest thing about it is the acoustics. A note will echo for 10 seconds making it possible to harmonize with yourself. Unfortunately we missed hearing the guard sing, but I sang a couple notes myself (after which I was promptly shushed) and it sounded SO COOL! We didn't go inside the tower for reasons ranging from too expensive to tired knees to fear of heights, but really it's cooler to look at from the ground anyways.

The ultimate cheesy tourist picture ;)

It took us forever to return because the trains were packed due to everyone coming home from the All Saint's Day holiday. I tried to keep everyone nourished with snacks because we didn't have dinner before we left and were waiting to eat at home! So from Florence back to Bologna we had to stand the whole hour in the aisle next to this selfish, rude lady with a cat. Luckily, Charlotte was incredibly sweet and cooked the dinner I had planned on making, having it ready for us when we returned. It was delicious, although we probably would have eaten just about anything at that point!

Today I'm staying behind and going to school like a good little student. The tour group, however, is headed to Venezia! They're a little nervous about braving it without an Italian-speaker or someone who's at least more familiar with the trains, but I reminded them that people do this every day and they'll be just fine!

Some more pics of Pisa:

In front of the Baptistery, the largest in all of Italy


The altar, inside the Duomo

View of the Duomo from the top of the Baptistery,
beautifully lit by the setting sun

The girls in front of the Duomo and Tower

A great Tia Diane quote:

• I don't like these ear plugs. I can't hear you!
  

All Hallow's Eve

Last night was so much fun! Andrew hosted a Halloween Party in which all the Americans in our program were encouraged to bring all their friends and roommates. It was quite a big party, with an entire room just for dancing! Charlotte, Shawn and Ian were all Eurotrash, and there were several characters from the show Futurama. As for me, I was a dog. But that needs further explanation. You see, in Bologna, there is this class of people called 'Punkabestia'. They are basically punks who live on the street and are dirty, dreadlocked, and against the establishment. They beg for money, drink alcohol, and make you pity them and their starving dogs, or bestia. So Shawn had the great idea that Martino (the guy who's twice my size) and I should be Punkabestia together. And so he was the punk, and I was his bestia. It really was quite a creative costume all together, and I like to think I looked quite a bit cuter than the bestia we see on the streets! I felt like such a mom though because I actually sewed my costume. Kudos to my mom for teaching me the basics! I sewed a tail and ears, and then safety pinned spots to myself. I had way too much fun putting it all together! Walking to Andrew's was a little awkward because people don't really celebrate Halloween here so I just looked like a freak with a tail. Plus, we passed some actual punkabestia...AWKWARD! We brought several of our Calabrese friends and lots of others brought their roommates too so it was a fun mix of Americans and Italians at the party. And bonus...me and Martino got lots of compliments on our costume!

The main group of us at our Halloween Pre-party

Punkabestia!

Elizabeth the Vampire and me
You can see my whole costume better in this one.

Roommates...Federica had already gone home :(

And that was that! Now I'm off to prepare for my family's trip here. I can't wait to see my mom!