Halloween Adventure

After a long time searching I finally found my costume. I picked up some cat ears and a tail while we were in Milano. I then found make-up ideas on Pintrest. I was going to be a wolf for the night! and heres the product.

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A few weeks before Halloween I bought a ticket to take a city tour. It was based off of Dan Browns Inferno. We walked all around the city with little ear piece so we could hear our tour guide. We made our way around all the old prisons. (most had been turned into a museum or a Hotel) We also saw the executioners house and learned a lot about Florence's History. I thought it might be at least a little scary, but it was pretty much a history tour. I did enjoy it, however I would not pay for it again. I went with a small group of friends that dressed up with me so at least I was in good company. The real adventure was getting there though. I made plans to meet with the other three girls on the bus. They went to dinner while I made my way to the little sandwich shop to meet one of my friends. I had a pretty quick chat with them in Italian then made my way to the bus stop. I looked at the first bus that was my number, but I didn't get on. I had a terrible feeling that I had already missed the bus my friends had gotten on, but wanted to make sure. I let the first bus pass. Several minutes later another bus came up and while I still didn't see my friends on it I decided that it was too late for them to have gotten on this bus and I must have missed them. I jumped on and got a few odd glances from the locals, but the kids that were on the bus loved it. They kept whispering to one another, pointing, staring with wonder and giggling when I made faces at them. Once off the bus I realized I didn't really have a way to contact my friends and they were probably at the place the tour starts. I was in quite a hurry, but got stopped several times. I really didn't know where I was going so I had to use as much Italian as I knew to find this place. I would walk up to a vendor and ask "dove e...."some church steps I can't remember the name of. I was pointed in the wrong direction and eventually made it to my destination. I though I was late and that the tour had already left, but thankfully they were still giving instructions for the night. I looked for the other three girls only to realize they had not yet made it. Panic creeped up on me. I worried if they could find their way or if they would make it in time for the tour. About 10 minutes passed and there was still no sign of them. Just as I was about to retrace my steps and go back to the center they came around the corner. I was so happy and relived! After the tour we went and got pizza at my favorite pizza place and of course gelato afterwards. Then we all came back to the the dorm to share our new found knowledge of the city and get some much needed sleep.

The Fashion capitol

If you're a hunger games fan you might be thinking that I'm talking about the Capitol or even district 1. Lets face it they have some pretty classy people. However I'm actually talking about the fashion capitol of Italy. Milan or in Italian Milano (like the cookie). Our group sleepily walked to our bus around 6:50 am. I think this about the time most of you are going to bed (in America). The drive there was a little over three hours I think and I slept the entire way. On these long trips the bus will usually stop at a sort of gas station so we can eat our breakfast and go to the restroom. Once we got into the city our first stop was an old castle.

As we were leaving a bunch of guys selling rainbow thread bracelets came up to us. I couldn't even say no! My wrist was grabbed and before I knew it I had just acquired a new bracelet. He then asked me for money, but all I had on me was a 20 and lunch money that the school had given us. I didn't feel too bad not giving him anything though. One of my friends gave about 10 euros just so the vender would let go of her wrist. I then found a 20 cent piece that I could've given, but I decided to make a wish and throw it into the fountain instead.

We then made our way to the famous Milano Duomo! Once again my breath was taken away from me. The church was so decorated and had so much detail. To get close and see everything in detail is to get lost in a single building.

  The best part of the trip was going on top. I think I heard someone say that there were 250 steps to the top. It was a little nerve racking going up the stairs because it was very tight and there were no windows really. You could only take three steps at a time (sometimes four) then turn and go up the next three then turn and go up the next three all the way to the top. If I could I would die on top of the duomo.

On the top of every tall post thing there were Saints to watch over the entire city. I decided that on top of the world was the best place to stop and have lunch. I sat and just enjoyed the moment. The weather was perfect. It was pretty cloudy and treated to rain but while we were up there it held off. After lunch our group took some pictures then started our decent. As we were walking down the stairs it started to sprinkle. If it were to rain while we were on top the guards would've had to close it because it's hazardous. I then went into the church to see what it was like. Almost every Catholic church I've been in has been dark and gloomy. The architecture is very beautiful with all of it's detail and long rows of columns and arches. It's almost like you're walking with Gandalf through the Mines of Moria. It's all dark and gloomy and suddenly you find yourself in the great hall. You feel so small because everything around you is so large and vast. It was like this church went on forever! I didn't even see the very back of it. I did get to go downstairs and see a crypt...I think thats what it was. There was a very fancy decorated room behind iron bars and just opposite of that was a sealed off room with a glass casket. I believe it was of a previous pope. I'm not for sure, but it was a little weird. We weren't suppose to take pictures while we were there either, but I like to live on the edge sometimes. Of course my photos didn't actually turn out well, but I at least have them. I eventually wandered back outside. It had started raining noticeably more so I run with our group to shelter. We all stood in the living room of Milan and waited for the rain to subside. The living room of Milan is a glass roof mall type of place. It was built in honor of Italy's first king. The king and the architect were actually friends. Sadly the architect either committed suicide or tripped from the top of the building and fell to his death. The king died a few days later.

After the rain had stopped our group went and visited Teatro alle Scale. Inside we were able to see the opera house (no pictures aloud) ((JK I got a picture anyway!)) Every family had their own box for the theater. They were personally decorated for the person that owned the box. Inside there was a little museum I could go though. It had history of actors, composers, and my favorite part costumes. We then got a tour down the fashion block. All you could do is window shop because everything there was outrageously expensive. Eventually we all stopped for lunch and coffee in this quaint little restaurant. We also visited another church that was smooshed between the street and the houses around it. The painter had done a fantastic job of making the church look like it had more depth than it actually did. It was a real illusion to the eye of the beholder. Afterwards we were free to do what ever we wanted. I went shopping for a pair of ears and a possible tail because Halloween was the next day.  Andrea and I were the only ones shopping together and quickly realized that it was about time to leave. We eventually found our way back to the bus after some slight confusion. Once on the bus I was out like a light and thus ended my adventure in Milano (like the cookie! :D).

Part 2 of Naples

-Giorno tre
           
            Well it's been a while so I don't quite remember everything that happened the weekend I went to Naples. I'll do my best though.

            We started out on another early morning. This time we were headed to the Amalfi coast. We went to see this pretty neat church. The decorations on the outside were awesome. Inside the church we found a couple that was going to married there the next day. The bride to be didn't look too excited, but I also think she wasn't feeling very well. Most of us sat in the wooden pews just enjoying the sights around us.

After we the church the group split up and did their own thing. Emily and I went out on our own. We walked down the coast speaking in accents the whole time. Mostly with an Irish accent because we are both two red headed pale girls. It just made sense. We almost got a boat tour, but then saw the time (and the price) and promptly decided it was time for us to head back to the bus. We walked around a bit of the tourist shops before we jumped onto the bus. No matter where you go in Italy if it is somewhat of a touristy place you will find the same merchandise. Key-chains, shirts, aprons, magnets, and a whole lot of other things that you could find anywhere else. It wasn't terribly eventful but it was nice just hanging out with friends. Our group got on the bus once again and we headed towards a town at the top of a cliff. The town is called Ravello. It's very high up and to get there you have to go up very steep, tight, winding roads. It's very scary being on a bus and going up these roads. There were several times I thought we weren't going to make it as our bus brushed against the side of a wall. At any point it looked like we could just tip over and roll all the way down. The mountains look as though they are set in layers because of the houses that are stacked all along the sides. 

While we were in Ravello I spent most of the day alone. This is exactly what I needed though. I was free to just explore the city quietly without having to make any trips or stops I didn't necessarily want to. I went from one end of the city to another. I found this beautiful villa with purple leaves covering its front gate. I was even asked if I spoke english! Ha! That was one of the best moments for me because that meant I looked like I belonged there (at least to me.) As I walked I met this Italian couple that was visiting the city as well. We were all headed in the same direction so we had a little conversation. It was very simplistic and I think I used the full extent of my Italian in that conversation which wasn't much. I also ran into the girls dean Livianna. I half expected her to tell me I needed to find a group so I wouldn't be alone. Instead she was very cool with it and even told me of a neat little place to go to see a great view of the ocean (see pic above). It was then time for lunch so, I found a nice little restaurant with free wifi. The waiter spoke english thankfully so I knew exactly what I was ordering. This is where I had my very first taste of italian red wine. It was strong, but it didn't taste too bad. I believe he called it a desert wine. I don't remember the actual name. 

 



Overall this day was very relaxing. When I made it back to the meeting point several people scolded me for going off alone. I was fine in this quiet little town so I didn't take much heed to what they were saying. Once I was on the bus I decided to take a nice nap (like always). Every time I get on that bus to go somewhere I take the whole back seat to curl up and sleep. Sometimes I even sleep on the floor. Everyone else usually falls asleep as well, so I'm not the only weary traveler.

We made it back just in time for diner. I don't remember what we had the entire time we were there, but the food was fantastic especially the breakfast. After diner I went to my cabin and got ready to go out for the night. Our group had decided to go to a discoteca which is basically a club. I was ready before anyone else so I just put sweat pants and a jacket on so I could go get wifi at the main cabin. Other people from our group were there using up the internet as well. We sat and talked with the Canadians while they played ping-pong. We found out that they were going too so we would at least know people there. After a while they left and I went to the cabin where everyone seemed to be. Once we were ready we walked down the hill to dance the night away. I love dancing. If you know me, you should know that I dance and sing all the time. We all got in for free and it was actually pretty fun. The dj was good and the dance floor didn't have too many people on it. There were a few issues with some of the guys though. A lot of them really wanted to dance with our girls. If that happened to me I would put myself in the middle of our group or go sit down. One of the Canadians came up to me and asked me to dance. It was kinda nice. I don't think anyone asks to dance anymore. We then proceeded to two step. It made me laugh, because it wasn't two step kind of music but it was fun and he was very respectful. Later when it was time to go back to the hotel they walked us back to the main cabin. After sitting and talking for a while a group of us decided to hope over the pools fence and jump in the pool. It was very cold but it was an experience I won't forget. It was about four in the morning at this point so I said good night to everyone and went to my cabin.

   Giorno quatro-

        Everyone woke up early to enjoy our last breakfast there. Today we would be going into Napoli.

Going through the streets of Napoli were chaos. There were beggars and street statues every few feet. We were very rushed while there because we were not staying the whole day and only had a few hours. We saw government buildings, a gallery, and my favorite part The Veiled Christ. 

   

The art work here took my breath away. Everything was made of marble or stone. One figure I saw absolutely amazed me. I stared at it for the longest time because I was never quite sure if there was a veil over the figure or not. I even blew on it to see if it would move. I knew in my head that it was stone, but my eyes were in disbelief. I wish we could've stayed a bit longer and I really wish I could've taken pictures inside the chapel. After this we left in a big group for lunch. Our destination we called L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. This name might be familiar to you if you've ever seen the movie Eat, Pray, Love. Yes, I have eaten pizza where Julia Roberts has eaten pizza. It was soo tasty and cheap too. What I love most about Napoli is how cheap it is. I bought a pair of flats for 10 euros!! You can't really find that anywhere else. I wish we had another visit there, but if I want to go back I'll have to plan my own trip. This has been the only over night trip we've had so far, but it was really fun and I hope to go back to a few of those places.

Adventures off the coast (day 1 & 2)

Day uno-
             Being on a bus by 6 am is never an easy thing to do. I packed the night before to make sure I had everything with me. I walked slowly down to the cafe to grab my sack breakfast/lunch. Not even the birds were out singing as I made my way down the hill to where the bus stop was. I took an extra shirt from my backpack before I put it in the luggage compartment then hoped on the bus. I went to the very back seat stretched out and crashed. At one point I found myself on the floor, but it didn't matter because I was not ready to wake up yet. When I finally did wake up it was about mid-day and the bus was so hot! It didn't help that I was wrapped up in my cashmere sweater. After suffering for a time someone finally went up to the driver and asked for the air to come on. Instant relief! after that i fell asleep again, I mean there's not much else you can do on a bus for 6 hours. Our first stop was the ruins of Pompeii.We walked around the city for a little while. We didn't have a guide so I followed one that spoke English for a bit. Their group was small so I tried not to make it too obvious that I was listening in. I learned that the people use to eat laying down and that they had fast food restaurants. There was even one place that you could order food in the front room and then lay down and eat it in the next room.

It was a pretty interesting place and I'm sure there was more to see than what I did in the limited time we were there. I was a little mischievous while I was there though and did get to see a few extra things because I had jumped over some of the low fences to explore. I wish I could've learned a few more things about it before I went, but I can always look it up later. We found some of their tombs and a bath house. One of the coolest things to see were the people preserved in their last state. I only saw two, but they were both so different. One was on it's stomach with a look of agony while the other was in a fetal position with what seemed to be a smile. It's all very tragic and amazing at the same time. 

After Pompeii we got back on the bus and headed to our hotel. The road to get there was very winding and small. I felt that our bus could go over the side of the cliff at any moment. Thankfully we had an awesome driver and our lives were spared. We stopped once at a scenic spot to get a group picture. 

We made it to the bus stop a little before dinner time. Thankfully the walk wasn't very far. (You have to walk everywhere in Italy) I felt bad for people that had brought rolling suitcases or dufflebags that seemed like a pain to deal with. The place we were staying is called the Villaggio Verde. It's located in Sorrento which isn't too far from the coast. Our quarters there were so cute. There were four beds to each cabin and there was a little sink and oven inside. This is what the main lobby and our cabin looked like. 

After I unpacked I went will a small group to explore the city. We went into a couple of shops and found some pretty nice stuff for a decent price (finally). After awhile we bumped into a bigger group of ours and went with them to the lemonry to taste test the lemoncello. I had gelato in my hand and didn't wan't to mix the sweet taste of coffee and lemon just yet so I held off for a bit. Then we headed back to our cabins for the night. The only place we could get wifi was at the main lobby so a lot of us hung out there for a bit. In a way it kind of brings people together. I meet an old English couple that gave some of us traveling tips and I also meet a cool bunch of Canadians that were there for vacation. 

Giorno Due-

                  Today our group sets off for the island of Capri! Our small group makes their way down the hill on what seems to be a beautiful day. With only a few complaints from Steven. 

As we walk down to where the fairy will pick us up it starts to pour down buckets of rain. While we waited to get our tickets for the fairy some of us took shelter under a tree or with the vendors who had big umbrellas covering their stand. Almost no one brought an umbrella and the rain was slightly chilly. Once we had our tickets we ran down the wet stone steps towards our designated dock. Thankfully It had a huge tent top to give us a few moments of shelter. We made the most of it. For the worst part of the storm we were already under the shelter. 

We were pretty soaked though. When our fairy came we had to run to the end of the dock and hop on. At this point I just gave up trying to be dry. The rain poured down and drenched us, but the worst part is when I'd get too close to someones umbrella and rain would slide down my back. Once we got to the fairy I picked a seat and curled up. I couldn't see anything outside because the rain was plastered to the windows. I wasn't even sure we were moving. About halfway or more to the island the sun decided to come out. A loud cheer came from everyone on the boat. On the island it still looked a bit dismal and the clouds seemed a bit formidable, but the sun did finally come out. 

At this point our group separated. All but four of us hoped onto a boat to tour the island. I wasn't very interested in spending the money so I stayed behind. The pictures from the others were beautiful, but I'm glad I stayed and had my own little adventure. The first thing I did was go to the bathroom and try to readjust my clothes. I put my bathing suit on because it was the only dry thing i had and I took my long sleeves off. I walked with my shirt hung over my arm so it would hopefully dry. The small group which consisted of Sopia, Masaru, Heather, and myself made our way through the small town. Eventually we found ourselves on the other side of the island. We were looking for some cheaper places to eat as we made our way along the path. Soon we came upon a grape vineyard. Because I am an adventurous spirit and somewhat mischievous I reached far over the stone wall and grabbed a bunch of red grapes. Upon seeing this others in my group were inspired as well. 

Unfortunately some eyeglasses were dropped in the dirt after this. A little rescue mission was held and I think we almost got caught so we walked away as quickly as possible.The grapes held us over for a little while longer as we continued to make our way further down the path. At the very end of the path we came across what I thought was a church. Eventually I went inside and discovered it was an old villa that a Swedish man and his young boy lover had once lived in. It was pretty interesting. The decorations on the wall were made with real gold pieces (or so we were told). 

(sorry they're sideways. I haven't discovered how to fix that yet)

It started to rain on us again, but this was our shelter for the time being. There were photos placed all throughout the house of the Swedish man and the young lover. By the time we left we were all pretty hungry so we stopped at this little cafe in the wall. They had the best bruschetta I've ever tasted. I am ashamed to say I even took a picture of it and posted it on a social media site. The walk back to the center of town took a lot less time for some reason. Probably because it was mostly downhill. Eventually we came back to the beach. There was no sand just stones. Listening to the waves wash up upon the pebbles and slowly drag them back into the sea's embrace was almost magical. There was a certain peace and contentment being there. I watched as three young boys gathered up the courage to run into the slightly chilly waters. They would splash one another and laugh. It was very picturesque. I decided that it was too beautiful to not take the opportunity of jumping in. I changed underneath a small overhang bridge. I was only slightly protected from the eyes of others, but it didn't matter. I was in Italy! How could I not be adventurous? I used my long sleeve shirt as a skirt for a second so I would be somewhat decent. I stood for a second in front of this vast sea soaking in the moment. I could see Mt. Vesuvius on the other side and the city of Napoli that lay at her feet. I gathered my courage and took the first into the water. The sudden chill gave me goosebumps all over. Once I was deep enough I just dove in. Heather followed me in. We swam out to where the water was about 20ft deep. You could see all the way to the bottom the water was so clear and blue. We swam in the water for about an hour. By the time we were done swimming everyone else wanted to join us. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic day. Capri is one place I would love to visit again. After I got dressed again I grabbed a cup of hot coco and a little lemoncello before heading to a boarding dock. Once on the boat I stayed out side the entire time watching Capri grow smaller in the distance. To me it was like a neverland and I didn't want to leave, but I knew that I couldn't stay either. 

The in between

When our group isn't out on trips and doing exciting things we are here. I can't say there has been a dull moment in this past month. Every morning I get up around 7 so I can get ready and make it to breakfast which is at 7:30am. I then head down the hill to the school building for our morning worship at 8:50. Once a week I have an 8am class so I wake up a little earlier. The classes seem to fly by and before you know it it's lunch time. My first two classes are always about the language. It's either Italian language or phonetics. At first it was hard to keep up with what the teacher was saying, but now it's getting easier to actually understand whats going on. I also have another language class, but all we do is talk in Italian. I think this is the perfect class for me, because I am almost always talking. My fun classes are ceramics, fine arts and monuments, renaissance and baroque art, fitness, tailoring, and Mediterranean cooking!

I've made friends with almost all of the ACA students and with the local Italians. This is an example of our study breaks (meaning we probably haven't been studying that much at this point.)

Everything seems to have a different time schedule here which is sometimes nice, but a little hard to get use to. An example would be meal times. Breakfast starts at 7:30 and only last until 7:45 I believe, then there is lunch at 1:15pm ( I am always starving by this time) and then dinner at 7pm. It's very late for me, but on the upside I don't need any late night snacks. (thats a lie sometimes I do)

Another thing I have to get use to is letting someone else do my laundry. There is a limited window in which you can get your laundry in. It's only on Monday from 2-3. You can't have more than 15 items to give and you can pick everything up on Thursday. I still have not adjusted to this and wash some of my clothes by hand. 

I have started to have short kindergarden sentances with the locals. I've said a couple of bad words with out knowing it then and those always get a good laugh in which case I turn red and run away for a bit. Life overall is good here. I know that I'm making tons of memories and there will be a lot to learn in the adventure ahead of me. 

The day of sights: Cinque Terre

The day started at 6am so I could make it on time to the bus that left at 6:50. We were given sack breakfast and lunch which consisted of three sandwich type substance, fruit, and a pastry. Once on the bus I snagged the back seat so I could stretch out and sleep. I could hardly sleep as we drove through the countryside though. We passed one city that Michelangelo used to visit. This town was very special because it was the mine he used to collect marble from.

Early morning bus ride view at 6:50 am

Mountain of Marble that Michelangelo used

The drive to Cinque Terre was long. I'm not sure quite how long because I fell asleep, but it took a while. Once we arrived in the main city we hoped onto a train that took us to our destination. (Yes, we paid for this one) The train only took a few moments, but it was so packed that a few people had to stand the entire way. This was the first stop out of the 5 cities were were allowed to visit.

We didn't spend much time in the first city, but all of them had amazing views. 

Could you imagine waking up every day to a fantastic view of the Mediterranean sea!? And of course I had to get the classic picture of little old Italian men sitting on a bench enjoying the day. 

Cute old Italian men

All through out the town there was little winding stairwells and passeges that would be hidden if you weren't looking for them. It was almost as if this were a magical journey I was on. I'm pretty sure we went through someone house down a stairwell. I wasn't quite sure though so I just went with it as I tried not to trip and fall down the steep stairway. At this point our large group split into smaller ones and we were off! My group jumped on the train and skipped the second city to go to the third. We were told that the second city was just a bunch of steep hills and stairs. As we got off the at the third station we had a surprise. THIS was the town with all the steep stairs. It looked like something off of Lord of the rings. It reminded me of Cirith Ungol. For those of you who don't know quite what that is, its a very very steep stair way that Frodo, Sam, and Gollum had to climb to get into Mordor undetected and destroy the one ring. We decided not to climb the stairs but to eat our lunch here and just rest for a bit in the shade. I did take a picture of the sign at the bottom however and I will count that as an accomplishment. 

The stairs we didn't climb

We then made our way to the fourth city which was also beautiful. With every stop we got closer and closer to the sea. In this one I even got splashed a little by the waves crashing over the rocks. It was a small fishing village I believe, but this one had the most tourist packed into one place. 

After touring the cities my group made their way to the train so we could reach our final stop and best stop. The beach! Its still pretty warm over here so it was a great day to jump in the water.

After a long, exciting day we made our way to the train. All of us were tired and needed sleep. I'm pretty sure we all took naps on the way back. I woke up a couple of times and took better pictures of the marble mountain mines. I also saw my first sunset in Italy. 

When we got back we all rushed into the cafe to eat dinner, because most of us were starving. After dinner I headed to bed because the next day would be an adventure in its self. 

Buononotte!