Last day in Roma!

Packing is almost done...

Only a couple more hours left in this ancient city. These three months have flew past, it seems like just yesterday I was moving in! It's a bittersweet moment, saying good bye to Rome, and hello to Wisconsin again. I had the most amazing time here. I've learned so much about myself and about the Italian culture. I thank everyone who helped me get here, and for all the wonderful support.

I love you all! See you soon!

Cinque Terra

Wow, what an exhausting weekend! This past weekend my friends and I went to Cinque Terra, Italy. Cinque Terra translates to "Five Lands." We went hiking through all five cities in one day! The hike was about 8 miles long. All the cities overlooked the beautiful blue ocean. Some of the towns were right on the coast and others were on cliffs overlooking it. We stayed in the first city in an apartment right in the harbor. The water practically came up to our door! We later found out that most of the of the postcards of our city had our apartment on it because it was such a beautiful view!

The hike was excruciating but still so much fun! The weather was great, a little bit too much sun but still beautiful! In total it took about 8 hours to hike all the cities, which also included lunch, snack breaks, and a little shopping in every city. When we reached the last city we ran into the ocean to celebrate. The sand had little pebbles instead of soft refined sand, so it wasn't nice to lay on, but it felt good on our sore swollen feet. The water was really cold but it felt great! Sadly, when I was digging for sea glass my camera dropped in the water. Hopefully I can save it when I get back home.

Overall, the weekend was a great success: we had a beautiful apartment, a great hike with some good friends, classical Cinque Terra food, and a nice trip back home on the train!

Now I have finals to finish up and then I'm on my way to WISCONSIN!

Day 88: The days are flying by!

Ciao!

Sorry for the lack of blogging. Nothing too exciting has happened since my last post. The last few weeks I have been working on my research papers and studying for tests. I wrote three of my final papers on: Italian Cinema: the representation of women in the diva genre; Ancient Rome: the Roman baths; and Classic Mythology: tragedy.

I also went on a field trip with my Mythology class last weekend to Tarquinia, Italy. We visited the ancient Etruscan tombs and a museum. It was a beautiful day to spend on the country side. Although we were in and out of tombs all day, the town was very pretty and peaceful.

I've been here for 88 days already, but it only seems like 10. I've been having the time of my life here, but I am looking forward to home. I know I will definitely go through culture shock when I get home. There are some things that I can't even remember what they're like!

I've been thinking of some things that I'm really looking forward to. They may seem silly to you, but when you're gone so long you start to miss the little things in life.

I miss...
-My family and friends
-driving a car
-a queen size bed
-not having to separate the garbage
-the English language
-wearing colors and summery clothes
-getting my hair cut
-sushi
-Qudoba
-skittles
-my cat
-having my jeans fit, wishing they wouldn't stretch every time I wash them
-being thinner
-going to formal and other Pi Phi events
-sun tanning outside

I'm going to miss Italy so much, but I look forward to the summer! I haven't enjoyed a Wisconsin summer in such a long time!

Only 14 days until AMERICA!

Days 65-69 The Euroadventure to Croatia?

Caution: Anyone going to study abroad in Europe, do not use Euroadventures for any vacations...

I'm going to make this blog short because I just arrived back from Croatia today and I'm sick of complaining of the company Euroadventures.

My friends and I booked a weekend trip to Croatia through Euroadventures, which is run by 4 young men who were once American students who studied in Europe. The company is based in Italy, but they do trips all over Europe.

Even though I am a little bitter about the organization of the trip, I had a wonderful time in the beautiful Croatia. However, because of false advertising and lack of organization from our event planners we took a 4 hour bus ride to the Italian port, then took an 8 hour overnight cruise/ferry ride to Croatia, then another 3 hour bus ride to the coast (there and back). Long story short, they falsely advertised our transportation creating an idea that it was going to be luxurious, fabulous, and a ton of fun. Instead, it was out of the way, not worth the money we paid, and generally lead terribly with our drunk "guides."

Our hostel was really cute though, and put together well. But our guides never gave us the keys so we always had a hard time getting into our hotel. Luckily there was always someone there to hear us banging on the door. It was just inconvenient.

But our time at the beach was much deserved and despite the chilly weather for 2 of the 3 days, it was still nice to lay in the sand and play in the ocean! Sadly, I didn't get a tan, but I can say I experienced a new country and a new culture and that's what I wanted!

But Euroadventures should be dreading tomorrow because all 120 of us will be responding with mad emails and refunds!!!

Days 59-64 Family Vacation in ROMA

MY FAMILY FINALLY CAME TO ROME!!!! One of the best weeks of my life! Sharing my new life here with my family was an amazing experience. It was exhausting but unforgettable.

There was so much traveling! I'll just give the main details:

Friday: My best friend Hannah from UW-Madison was already in town, so my family, Hannah, and I went to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. I was their tour guide because I had class already in the Colosseum and the Forum so I was already an expert!

Saturday: We said our goodbyes to Hannah, and headed off to the Tuscany area to Lucca, to visit our Quilici family (My Grandma's family). Our train was very early, but we got to Lucca in the afternoon and spent the whole day with our family. I decided to study in Italy mainly because I wanted to learn more about my heritage, and meet my relatives. Even though my Italian is very limited, and only 3 of our relatives could speak a little bit of English, we all connected and bonded because we are FAMILY. It was one of the most amazing experiences. It truly made me feel Italian :) Lucca was so beautiful and very different from Rome. We walked around the town and had lunch with our family. Then we went to two of our relatives' homes, and visited the house that my great-grandpa grew up along with my other relatives. The house was on our family's olive vineyard and land. Words can't explain how wonderful I felt being able to spend time with my family, my Italian family, and to step in a house that has been in my family for multiple generations....it was breathtaking.

Sunday: After visiting our family we spent the night in Florence, and then spent all day Sunday touring Florence. We climbed the Duomo, saw the Ponte Vecchio, and spent a lot of time shopping at the leather market. We were all exhausted by the end of the day and all slept on the train home to Rome.

Monday: Dad came to Rome to go to a conference so for part of the day he was at a conference. So Mom, Sam, and I went to the Campo di' Fuori market and bought fresh food and made lunch for when Dad came back. Then the rest of the day, I showed them some of the special places in Rome...Villa Borghese, the Spanish Steps, Piazza di Popolo, the Trevi Fountatian, and the Pantheon. Going to Rome or any large tourist city with a Roman or someone who lives in the city, is key, because we know all the secret side paths, and the non-tourists places to be-- which can sometimes be the most special.

Tuesday: While Dad was at work, Mom, Sam, and I did some tourist shopping. Let me tell you...that was exhausting! Being an actual tourist here is so tiring! I definitely recommend spending over a week here to get everything done!

Wednesday: Our family went to the Papal Audience/Mass with the Pope. Even though the Vatican is currently going through a huge scandal that is very sad and terrible, we decided that going to a mass with the Pope would be a once in a lifetime experience. The mass was very exciting! People were going crazy over the Pope! There were a lot of different groups or organizations that attended mass. I think we were sitting next to a children's Communion group from Italy, but there were many different groups from all over the world. The Pope delivered mass in multiple languages, everyone was able to enjoy it. Before announcing the language, a priest would introduce the mass with a welcoming of many of the registered groups. Surprisingly, one of the groups there from the U.S was...UW-MADISON!! WE WENT CRAZY! How unique is that?!?

After Mass, we went on a Vatican tour with the organization Roman Odyssey. It was great, I would recommend that company for anyone going to Rome, they do tours everywhere!

Thanks Mom, Dad, and Sam for coming to Rome! I loved showing you around, Rome is amazing and thanks for the wonderful opportunity to travel, learn, and find myself!

Sempre con amore,

Hannah Marie Rizzo Peltier

Days 51-54 Copenhagen

After a week of midterms Gail and I headed off to COPENHAGEN! The farthest North I have been (in Europe).

We took a late flight into Copenhagen, Denmark and met with Gail's best friend Joey for some drinks in Copenhagen Central. Our hostel was right in the center of town! The nightlife was very different from Rome -- well I guess everything was different from Rome. It was cold and a little rainy, the fashion was different, the language was very different, everyone spoke English which was nice for once, there was a more variety of food (Italy usually only has Italian food, which doesn't have a lot of variation), and the city was much more modern than Rome or Italy itself. We planned out our weekend tourist attack at a cute urban cafe/club and tried some authentic Copenhagen drinks. Once we got settled, Gail and I made our way back to our hostel for a good nights rest. We were surprised to find out that there were 18 people in our room! The bunk beds had 3 bed on it! I slept above an Australian guy, about our age, and Gail slept in the bed above me! It was crazy! But the hostel was very cool despite the living situation. We had a huge lounge, great breakfast, and a TV!!! (something we don't have in Rome, and it was even in ENGLISH, with most American television shows!), and fast internet!

Gail and I made our way around Copenhagen alone during the day while Joey was at school. But it was very relaxing and we just hung around town. We took our time and walked through the King's Gardens, saw the Royal Castle, went to a couple museums, and did a LOT of shopping. Because it was more modern than Italy, there were a lot of cool stores and great shopping. Danish Crones and the money system was a little less expensive than Euros so we enjoyed the price tags :)

After class, Joey met up with us and we went to a place called Christiana, which is right outside of Copenhagen. It is known as a non-tourist Amsterdam (if you know what I mean). It wasn't as beautiful as Amsterdam, but everything was painted with graffiti. It wasn't ugly gang graffiti but rather graffiti murals. There were little markets, shops, a skateboarding park, a couple restaurants, and it overlooked a small lake. The ice was finally melting but it is usually used for ice-skating in the winter and swimming in the summer. There was only a few residents in Christiana, and most of them were squatters and hippies. We hiked through the forest and just looked around, but didn't participate in any 'activities' there because it was a little sketchy, but interesting. After a certain point, people couldn't take pictures in the center because the pictures could contain 'illegal things' in them. In the forest we saw the hippies' houses, and it was incredible how they lived. Their houses were very colorful, very "eco-green," they just lived with nature.

Later that night, Joey, Gail and I went grocery shopping and made Mexican food at Joey's dorm. It was FANTASTIC! While traveling, Gail and I try to 'picnic' or cook at our hostels in order to save money. We had a great time seeing Joey's dorm and meeting his friends. After dinner, a group of us went out and enjoyed the Danish nightlife!

The next day, the 3 of us went to Malmo, Sweden. It was only an hour train ride from Copenhagen. It was a first time for all of us, so we were a little confused about the Danish/Swedish train. Then all of a sudden Joey realized the train that was currently at the station was the train that we NEEDED to be on! So we quickly shuffled to the door...Joey and I got in just fine, but poor Gail was just about to jump on but the doors started to CLOSE on her!!! Joey and I tried to pry the doors open but they shut, separating us from Gail!

(For those who are regular readers, you may remember that in London the same thing happened on the Tube, but instead Gail jumped on the Tube/Metro without telling us and I tried to pull her off the Tube, but the doors closed on us! It was our first day in Europe, and we were so scared! Luckily, Gail got off on the next stop and I jumped on the next Tube to get to the next stop as quick as possible and looked throughout the station looking for her, and were reunited with laughs and tears!)

It's obvious that public transportation for Gail and I have always been a little difficult, and it wasn't the first time that we each faced two separate sides of a metro door looking at each other with fear and trying to scream through the door telling each other what we should do! Hahah, luckily we had cell phones this time around, and Joey and I went only one more stop on the metro and then caught another back to meet Gail at the first station. It was quite funny for all of us because the same silly/terrifying situation happened again!

After that 'bump' in the road (seems like I use that phrase a lot for our traveling "mistakes") we got on correct train to Sweden. Sweden was very similar to Copenhagen. It was very quaint, modern, and everyone was blonde! We mainly stayed in the center of Malmo because Sweden was a little cheaper for shopping than the Euro and Crone. We went to the mall and all the small boutiques. The food was great and spending time in another country was extra-special! Two countries in one day!!!

On our last night, we walked the streets of Copenhagen and look in its beauty. Then we went to Joey's apartment to cook dinner and have some wine. It was a very relaxing weekend. It felt good to just 'hang around' in the city and didn't have to stress about seeing specific tourist sites.

Day 45-47 Naples, Pompeii, Capri

Ciao Everyone!

Sorry for such the delay in blogging. It's been a busy time in Rome!

Three weeks ago my school took a trip to Naples, Pompeii, and Capri. It was probably the most interesting and amazing trip I have taken so far.

The adventure begins on Friday, March 12th... early in the morning we pilled onto our 3 buses and began the journey to Pompeii. I dozed into a pleasant nap and awoke in an ancient abandon city. We enjoyed some pizza right in front of the Pompeii walls, and waited for our class to start. My history class went off on our own tour because our teacher was in charge of the trip and we were learning about Pompeii in class at the time. Pompeii is not completely excavated but what is, is extraordinary! We saw houses, restaurants, temples, bakeries, a WEIRD brothel, and areas of recreation and daily activities of the Pompeiians. We went there primarily to see the ancient Roman-style city because Pompeii was part of the Roman republic territory. It was a very educational trip.

After our Pompeii trip, we drove to our hotel in Naples. Since Naples is where pizza originated from, we went to an authentic restaurant to have a tasty slice Naples' pizza. The restaurant was so cute; there was a little girl's birthday party going on, and all native Italians enjoying their dinner. It was fantastic!

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The following day, we all went to Capri. Capri is an island off of Italy. We had to take a bus to the port and a ferry to the island. The ferry was very bumpy and I was very sea sick, but I fell asleep after awhile. When we arrived in Capri, it was like opening a page in a book to a long lost island. The water was amazingly clear and as blue as sapphire. My friends and I took a private boat around the island and saw the Blue Lagoon, and other caves around the island. The air was warm on our faces, and the splashes from the boat was refreshing. It truly was the most beautiful sight ever. As we rode around the island there was huge rocks in the water, I felt like we were in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie!

After a quick lunch at a cafe on the top of the island, one with a beautiful view, we took a chairlift to the tip-top of the island. On the chairlift ride we were able to see many residents' houses, of course the ocean, and all below us. The ride was about 15 minutes. It was very peaceful...I laid back relaxed and let the wind blow through my hair and the sun beat down on me. Once at the top we had a fabulous AIFS group photo shoot, and enjoyed the picturesque view. Then we made our way back down the middle of the island. We had to wait for the local bus to pick us up to take us down to the port.... but it never came! We only had 15 minutes until the ferry left!!! So the only other option was to RUN! Yes, I actually RAN down the side of the island! We ran down the side allies of the island that were often entrances into the property or houses of the residents. We made it to the ferry with about 3 minutes to spare. But we didn't have our tickets!!! We accidentally ran past our professor who was holding the tickets. So one of my friends ran to the other entrance of the port to catch her. While she was gone, some of my other friends and I had distract/pled with the sailors or I guess people in charge of the ferry, not to leave without us. They were laughing at us pleading with them, and we even had to pull on the bridge so they wouldn't take it off and leave us there. We sat on it so they couldn't lift (they even tried)! Eventually, only 5 minutes late, our professor arrived with the tickets and saved the day! Everyone was relieved!

The ferry was, as expected, bumpy and nauseating. But luckily I fell asleep. Then all of a sudden, I was lifted out of my seat and flung into the seat ahead of me! We hit a HUGE wave which propelled everyone's bodies from their seats. It was quite scary at the moment, but for those awake, I heard it was funny to watch people come out of their sleep with such fright! In the end, the day was a success, a few "bumps" in the road but was still my favorite day yet! I would love to return to Capri one day soon, and would recommend it to everyone! BEST DAY EVER!!!!

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Our last and final day on our adventurous weekend, we went to an archeological museum in Naples. We all tried to fit in a quick nap from the hotel to the museum because it was about 45 minutes away. Then all of a sudden, I woke up to the sound of a gunshot! I thought to myself, "What? A gun shot at 10 AM in the morning?!?!" then I smelt burning rubber and instantly realized, one of our tires blew up! The bus started to swerve in and out and quickly pulled over. The other 2 buses carrying the other students also pulled over. The damaged ended up being so bad they had to transfer all the students on my bus to the other buses. But there were definitely limited seats, and some people had to sit in the isle! Luckily, we only had about 15 minutes left until we arrived!

Once at the museum, we were all tired because of the long days and the long travels but I was still excited to see the museum. My class was able to see all the artifacts excavated from Pompeii. It was so interesting to see their tools, pottery, art, and items used in everyday life. They were very advanced for their time...they had the same style tools for gynecological exams, surgeries, and other medical tools! And we didn't get tools like that until much later! Pompeii art was a mixture between Roman and Greek. It helped to understand our class lessons by seeing the actual artifacts and influence of Greece and Rome!

Our bus returned to the museum just in time to pick us up. Evidentially, no one came to help the driver change the tire, even though he called a towing company, so he ended up changing the tire by himself on the side of the highway! Can you imagine, trying to change a tire of a huge coach bus?!?! He was our lifesaver!

This trip had some transportation problems (missing the local bus and running down the mountainous island, almost not getting on the ferry, almost capsizing the ferry, and popping the bus' tire) but it still was my favorite trip of all! Words can't explain Italy's beauty. And I'm sure right now I am taking it for granted. I know Madison will be nothing like it, and I will miss seeing its beauty everyday. But I thank God for creating such a holy and beautiful place I can call home for now --ROMA!

Ciao!

Day 35- First Solo Trip in Roma

Ciao

Today was the most amazing, relaxing, exciting, and stressful day of my trip so far!

It was my first time trying to figure my way around Rome alone. Because I live so close to school and most of my friends would rather hang out at my apartment, I usually only walk around the area near to my school.

However, today we needed go meet at the Colosseum for photography class. My roommates told me that it would only take 20 minutes to get there, but it ended up taking me 30 mins. I was very scared because I got lost and very confused, but I did find my way there just in time for class. After that little misadventure, we were given our film and dismissed to go adventure on our own. It was so fun to watch the tourists run around the Colosseum looking crazy. But when I was in the back of the Colosseum it was very peaceful. The sun was shining and it was so warm, I enjoyed just sitting on a boulder and people watching and taking photos.

The day became a little more exciting when I heard loud booming voices and singing in the front of the Colosseum, so I quickly (with camera in hand) went to go find out what was going on.....it ended up being the Scottish Rugby Team! The Scotts had arrived! They were here for the weekend for the rugby game vs. Italy. Every place I went for the rest of the weekend I saw red and blond hair people in kilts!

The huge group of guys was sooo funny to watch and their songs were very entertaining.

I had a great time, and I can't wait to visit it again.

Day 33-La Clase di fotographia

No, non sono una giornalista

Sono una studentessa di fotographia!

Today, we had our first photography class outing! We went to the Campo di Fiori market that was full of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, spices, and soooo much more. Our school's portfolio theme for the year is "traces" therefore, we have to photograph shapes, people, or architecture within that subject.

We ran into many interesting people in the market, many vendors yelled at us for photographing their items, or tried to sell us things; many people getting nervous about all the cameras around, especially the old people asking if we were journalists. Some people would stare at us when we were taking a picture of something random and look at us if we were crazy, or there were several noisy people trying to follow us thinking something interesting was going to happen!

My favorite moment of the day was when some of us were in the same piazza taking photos of this cafe. I was trying to capture this unique looking waiter dressed in an all creme tux with a red bow tie. The waiter was serving an elderly man who was talking on his bluetooth (which I have never seen in Italy!) He kept laughing because all our cameras were facing his direction. He was confused but kept talking then he pulled out his camera and started taking pictures of us!!! It was so hilarious!

Days 28/31 BARCELONA

Hola Barcelona!

The weekend of Feb. 18-21 my friends and I took our first international trip!!!

Finally I felt at home within the Spanish language, where I didn't need to struggle for words as I do in Italy.

Barcelona was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I actually fell more in love with it than I have with Rome. But I was also accompanied by some of the most amazing people too!!

It was like a UW-Madison reunion! My college friends, Gail, Hannah Liebow, Casey, Sarah (my friends from school) and Kirk, Sarah's boyfriend, and my friend Lauren from Rome, all joined together in SPAIN! Between all of us we represented 4 different states, and 3 different countries! In addition to our random roommates in our hostel we experienced a very international weekend of all sorts!

We stayed in a new hostel near the center of the city, called The Urbany Hostel. It was very modern, with each floor being a different color and very creative mural cartoons over the walls representing events that have taken place in Barcelona. They had a lounge where they had free computers and free wi-fi, a tv, a Wii video game center, a bar, and a cafe, where we had breakfast every morning. They also had a pool and a gym, but we never made time to try out either of those facilities. Most importantly, they had a kitchen where we made dinner most nights to save money. Between all of us, we had wonderful meals because we had some great cooks in our group!

Over the weekend we visited the main sites we visited were:

Las Ramblas: a very touristy street with a fabulous food market where we bought supplies to make our picnic lunches
La Sagrada Familia: one of the most famous Roman Catholic churches in Barcelona. It started in the 1800s and will be finished in 2026. It is very modern and has some of the most beautiful stain glass windows I have ever seen!
The Gaudi Park: such a breathtaking experience. It was so much fun to climb through the park, and see all his magnificent work!

This has been one of the best weekends I've had so far. To be in an amazing city, eat fabulous food, see wonderful places, and spend time with some of your best friends, is in my book...one of my most treasured memories!

Day 25- First Class Field Trip

On Monday, I had my first class field trip. Because I am in one of the most historical cities in the World, many of my classes are taught on site. Thus, if we are learning about an event in history, we go to class where it took place, and learn there. In History 311, we are learning about the origins of Rome. Rome was founded by two twins. We visited the Tiber river, where the babies were found by a 'She-wolf' who nursed them to health and raised them. I live right on the Tiber River, next to the Tiber Island. We learned that the island practically started the city because it was the only place on the Tiber that was safe to cross. Travelers would stop on the island then continue to the other side. Therefore, with all the travelers, Rome became an important city for trade. From then on Rome grew enormously! Blah blah blah, we learned so much information, couldn't fit it in this blog! But it was very fun to be able to walk through ruins and know that some of these places are as old as the origin of Rome 6th Century BC!

Day 23/24 New Friends and Valentine's Day

So this weekend has been the first real weekend in Roma. We arrived here last Saturday, so we spent most of the weekend catching up on sleep and unpacking. On Thursday I went to bed early, and Friday Gail and I spent literally 6 hours planning our trips! This coming weekend we are going to Barcelona, and in a month or so we will go to Copenhagen. On Saturday, we walked around town and did some sight seeing. It was really fun to see everyone's apartments!

Then at night we went to Campo de Fiore, which is a very American area. We went to a bar called Sloppy Sam's. The drinks were so cheap for Italy, only 5 Euros! Which still is way overpriced, but on average drinks cost 10 Euros! I went out with some of my roommates and our other friends on our program. We enjoyed sitting on the patio under a heating lamp and watched all the people in the Piazza. There was a lot of dancing, singing, and drinking in the Piazza! Further into the evening we met a man from Brazil. He was our age, and was doing an intership program here for enginerring. He lives alone, and is the only student working for the company. So we really enjoyed his company and finally befriending someone not American!

On Valentine's Day, we climbed the Castle Saint Angelo in the Vatican area. It was so beautiful to reach the top and look over the city. It was breath taking, and almost brought me to tears! We were exhausted after climbing the castle so we walked around the park and went to a market near by. We bought some snacks and sat near an ice rink and watched all the pre-teens skate and awkwardly hold hands with their 'signifcant other' hahaha. It was an interesting flash back to our childhood. The rink was playing great American music so we enjoyed the comfort of relaxing with friends and listening to U.S music, just as we would do at home!

To end the holiday, my roomates and I made homemade tacos, something that we all crave and miss from home. All the Mexican resturants here outragously expensive, so we decided to make it at home, but even the supplies were expensive! In the end every bite made the money worth it!

Day 19-20 School

Tuesday and Wednesday

This week has been a busy roller coaster with trying new classes, finding my way around town, and settling in.

I am enrolled in Classical Mythology, Rome Through The Ages, and History of Italian Cinema on Monday and Wednesday. And on Tuesday and Thursday I am in Media Photography and Italian.

Culture shock is starting to settle in. It's hard to go grocery shopping and do errands when nothing is similar to home. But I'm getting used to it.

I'm tying this blog at my apartment, which means I finally have internet!!! Now everyone can Skype me!!

Ciao for now!

Day 18- Finally to Rome

Today is the day my real Italian life begins!

After late night packing and attempting to study, I woke up at 6 am to finish packing, cleaning the hotel, and cramming in some last minute studying for my final today.

My final look about one hour, but I think I did really well! We had 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks which equals out to a whole semester of one class! So in two weeks I received 3 credits!

We only had a couple hours of free time, but we snacked on some Kebabs and did some last minute shopping. We filled onto our bus at 12:30 PM and were divided into 4 buses depending on our location of our apartments.

I slept most of the ride, I really needed a nap! When we arrived in Rome our advisors were there to meet us and put us into cabs to drop us off at our apartments. The whole process went really smooth.

When we walked into our apartment our mouths dropped to the floor! It is soooo beautiful! We were so scared it was going to be old and gross but our building is amazing! We have a cute old school elevator with little wooden doors that only fits about 2 people in it. It's similar to the elevator in the Tower of Terror movie! In actuality, we only live one floor up so I always take the stairs. We have two American women living next door, but they haven't said anything nice to us yet, so hopefully they will warm up to us.

We have 3 bedrooms for 7 people, a laundry room with a brand new washer, a kitchen with a nice European stove, no oven, great storage space, a microwave, and a counter/bar.

We have a great living room with a dining room table, a couch, and a couple love seats. My roommates Tasha, Gail, and I share the large bathroom with a tub, a shower, a toilet, a bidet, and a huge closet for all our stuff. Our other roommates Katie, Emily, Caryn, and Sam have another bathroom.

I'm really happy with our apartment! It's so close to to our school and is around a bunch of shops!

Day 17- Leather Obsession

TGIF

I've been in Italy for 2 weeks! Can you believe it?! Well during these two weeks I have been very frugal with my money. I have been dying for leather...leather jacket, leather purse, leather wallet, leather boots, I want everything LEATHER! I live very close to the central market in Florence, but did not buy anything during my stay. I've been comparing prices and bartering all the time.

But today was the day! L-Day, LEATHER DAY! I had a half day of school so my friend Lauren and I went shopping immediately! We couldn't wait any longer! First we went to a store called Promead. It's similar to Forever 21. Like I said in previous blogs, all stores are having 70% off sales to clear the racks for the new season. That's why I wanted to buy buy buy, but my guilt was saying no no no! But I did get a few things...at Promead I got a dark brown leather jacket and a cotton black blazer! The prices were unreal!

Next we went to the market where I purchased a gray leather side purse. I'm so happy that I can carry a cute purse now! I also got a few postcards for my collection. Lauren bought a few scarves and some cards as well.

But the best part of the day was discovering a Chinese restaurant! I was so happy to eat food other than bread and pasta. It was sooooooo tasty! I'm looking forward to getting my own groceries and eating vegetables!

Ciao for now

Day 15- Wine Tasting

Day 15

On Wednesday, our group took a wine trip to central Tuscany. I, myself and not a wine guru, and tend not to like wine. However, I thought, "when in Tuscany (Rome)." The wine tasting and tour took place at a 15th Century castle where were were able to tour the wine cellars and the castle grounds. The castle has been producing wine since its founding, but only recently have started to produce wine for profit. Previously the family that lived in the castle primarily produced wine for their family and friends. After the tour we sat out in the garden and patios and just breathed in the fresh Italian air as we looked at the rolling hills, vineyards, and castle grounds. It was so beautiful it nearly took my breath away. Sometimes I have to have a reality check, and realize I am living in a beautiful historic country! Things I see every day, I never see in the United States, it doesn't seem real.

The wine tasting look place in a large dining room within the castle. Our tour guide explained each wine and what you would eat with it. We were also given bread and olive oil, bruchetta, and salami and meat. I had a real "adult" moment when all my friends and I snacked and sipped on wine :) we felt so elegant and European! Nothing like the drinking activities at UW-Madison!

I took some notes during the wine tasting...here are some of the wines we tried. They are listed in order of my favorite to least favorite.

1. Classico: to be eaten with cheese
2. IGT: a smaller bottle but a heavier favor, it goes well with white meat
3. Classico Reserve: can be saved for 25 years, while the rest have to be drank in less than 10 years. This partners well with red meat.
4. Desert wine: which we ate with almond cookies!

Once the drinking activities concluded, my classmates and I made our way back to our coach buses (which we travel with everywhere). Surprisingly, when we reached our buses we saw that the whole back window was shattered and some of the winery workers were posting blue cardboard over the now-empty window. Incidentally, our driver parked near some tall and flexible trees and one fell onto the bus due to the high speed winds that day. We all had a good laugh, especially when my advisor Marco didn't even noticed until I asked him if he knew what happened! Then he freaked out, but everything turned out fine.

Overall, I am still learning to like wine, but this day trip was so amazing. I wish I could live in that castle, drink wine, eat cheese, and read in the courtyard; it would be like living in a fairy tale.

Day 14- David

Day 14 Tuesday

Tuesday was a short boring day. Not much activity. We registered with the police, so they have our documents and information in case anything happens. Then we had classes and prepared for our Wednesday tests. After school, we went to the Academia Museum, where the famous “David” sculpture resides. He was the most beautiful statue I have ever seen. 15 feet of perfection, gorgeous eyes, stylish hair, muscular, and butt naked! Michelangelo was the first sculptor to create a correctly portioned and realistic statue of a naked man. However, David’s head and hands are slightly larger than the rest of his body. He never explained why but it is possible that he was symbolizing two important parts of the body: the mind, and the hands, which he used to slay the giant. I wish I could have snapped a photo of this beautiful man, but the security was so difficult, he was like an ancient celebrity!

Following the museum, Gail and I went on a shopping adventure around Florence with no map. We tested our abilities of internal directions and we were semi-successful. We didn’t get much shopping done, we just walked around. And we got home just in time for our meeting. But we are getting better every day!

Coming up: Wednesday: Italian exam & wine tasting
Thursday: Italian exam
Friday: free day and packing
Saturday: Final exams and going to ROME!

Day 13- Sienna

Day 13 Monday

On the bus again! After school on Monday we took a trip to Sienna, which is in the Tuscany area, (about an hour away from Florence). Sienna was by far my favorite place, it was so colorful and ancient. The sun was shinning over the hillsides, and the churches were magnificent. Our tour guide was so cute, she was wearing pink lipstick, pink eye shadow, a pink scarf, and a black cat hat with pink accents. Originally from Sienna, she gave us great insider information. There are 17 “neighborhoods” (the real Italian word can’t be translated, so neighborhood is the closest word) that divide the city. Each part has an animal representing it, such as the giraffe, the caterpillar, the rhino, the fox, and the goose. Each August and July, 10 “neighborhoods” (chosen by lottery) race on bareback horses around the central piazza. They cover the track in dirt and in one area place mattresses for the safety of the jockeys, because they often fly off the horse at a specific sharp corner. However, even if the Jockey does fall off, the horse can still win the race!

After the tour we went shopping, again there were a lot of sales! But mostly we windowed shopped since we are all poor college students suffering from the horrible exchange rate. The best part of the night was our snacks! My friend Lauren and I have fallen in love with the gummy bears here! Then we also fell upon something we call “fried rice balls.” The Italian word, I have no idea, but all I have to say is that they are MOUTH-WATERING! The inside was similar to a rice pudding and the outer shell was breaded like a cheese curd but not as much, then topped with sugar! These special treats only come once a year during Carnivale, a large festival celebrated in all of Europe (but each city celebrates it differently). Carnival starts on February 6th so I will let you know how that goes!

Day 12- Last day of Venice

Day 12 Sunday

Up and adam early in the morning, we were off to the Guggenheim Museum that was actually very close to our hotel. The Peggy Guggenheim is a beautiful museum with magnificent location on the canal, where in the past, people attending the museum would arrive by water, and greeted by Peggy herself. Surprisingly, Peggy was a vivacious yet narcissistic woman with many lovers. She was blessed with one child who she named Peggen…pronounced similarly to “Peggy.” In the museum there was one room dedicated to her daughter who committed suicide once she discovered her mother in bed with her husband (pretty juicy..huh?) Peggy lived a life as a constantly changing artist, experiencing new things, producing beautiful creations and providing support and guidance to other artists. In the museum we were able to see many pieces by Peggy, but also some by other artists, and some of Peggy’s apprentices. Even more beautiful, was the view from the Eastern side of the museum where the water comes right up to the steps. We were able to see gondolas pass, large fishing boats, water taxis, and floating sea gulls riding the waves.

After the museum we went shopping for more jewelry and gifts, grabbed some pizza (again, blahh I’m so sick of it) and returned to the hotel to proceed with the multiple transportation routes we needed to take to get back on the bus. Once we returned to the warm large buses, started to de-layer, I cuddled up to Gail and got in another nap!

Day 11- Venice

Day 11 Saturday

Saturday was the first day we were able to sleep in!! Hotel Messner had a five star hotel and three additional hotels with fewer stars, which I was in. In the morning all the other sectors met at main hotel for breakfast. It was an “International” breakfast similar to the breakfast at our hotel, but had more options. We had fresh bread, Nutella, fruit, yogurt, cheese, salami, jelly, tea, coffee, juice, and sweets, a meal full of carbs…I can feel myself expanding already! HELP!

After breakfast we had to cross the canal to get onto the main island of Venice in order to see all the great sites. We could have taken the Academia bridge but it would take some time to get to the bridge, cross over, then walk to the museums. Instead we took a gondola. But it was no ordinary gondola ride...we had to STAND in the gondola! 14 people standing in a gondola is a scary thought! We only had to cross the canal so it was only a few yards. But we also had to cross between the passing water taxis, which leave huge wakes/waves. People were hanging on to each other and screaming, trying to keep their balance! If we fell we were told the water was so cold we would have to be rushed to the hospital immediately! I tried to balance my own body and ride the waves has they pushed our gondola back and forth but people kept grabbing on to me! It was so scary! I tried to shake them off but they clung to me like velcro! Fortunately, everyone made it over safely! Even thought it was frightening it was such a thrilling and hilarious experience to watch my fellow students cross the canal screaming and wobbling hahah!

Following the gondola rides we went on a 3-4 hour tour to so many beautiful places but again all the names are in Italian and I will have to look at what exact places we went to see. I can’t remember at this moment, since I’m writing this blog about 5 days post-Venice.

After a long day of touring, some girls and I went for lunch at an adorable café. They loved that we were American and started playing American pop music including Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, etc. They danced and sang while they were making our food, it really made our lunch experience something special.

There were so many things to do in Venice! After our meal we went shopping, looking for all the best gifts Venice is known for: lace, blown glass and glass jewelry, wooden puppets, and masks. There were so many beautiful vendors and so many places to see. Venice was such a historical city, every street, every canal, and every café looked like a picture in a storybook.

Even though Venice had snow for the first time in 10 years, the museums were more frigid than the outside, and we were mapless, Venice was such a breath-taking place. I am so glad I was able to experience its uniqueness!

Day 10- Venice

Day 10 Friday

Bright early in the morning our group met in the hotel for breakfast then off to our private coach buses (which have been our transportation for every trip). The 3.5 hour drive was a perfect opportunity for my first nap on the trip!

The following events that occurred in Venice may be shocking….prepare yourself!
Once we arrived in Venice the buses had to stop at the port because buses are not allowed in. Unloading the buses took a bit, then we walked to a port where all 112 of us tried to fit in one water taxi. But we were unsuccessful, and eventually took two boats. The first boat was so heavy because of the packed in students, the water was extremely close to the windows. I thought if we added any more people we would have sunk!

After the boat ride, we walked to our hotels. We were assigned two different hotels because we were staying on the smaller island of Venice. Once we settled into our ancient hotel room, our group headed off to see some sights....I can’t remember all the sites at the moment I will have to look at my itinerary, but I will get back to you all!

Day 9- L' Opera

Hello blog-followers!

Day 9 Thursday

After a long tiring day of learning Italian vocabulary and songs, Gail and I went to the Florence Street market near the Dumo Church to look for leather purses and boots. Our short shopping trip turned into a whole day event! We ended up stopping at many different stores outside the market. Currently many retail stores are having 70% off sales to clear out the shelves for the new fashion season, so we of course were making our way around the town. Living in one of the largest fashion countries has its perks!!

After a long afternoon of shopping we headed home, had a fantastic dinner, and quickly ran off to the Italian Opera. Dressed to the nines, our group had seats on the second level with a great view. The Opera was about a love triangle and a portrayal of how strong minded Italian women are. It was very beautiful, but unfortunately I was so exhausted from the long day and lack of naps, I accidentally fell asleep.

After the Opera I instantly fell asleep once I hit the pillow. I was dreaming of my weekend adventures to come in Venice!

Day 8 - Casey

Wednesday

Another day of school (4 hours) at the Eurocenter -- nothing too special.

Today we had our academic meetings with our director to learn more about our classes in Rome, our apartments, and future professors. My class schedule is very screwed up but I have a meeting with our director on Thursday.

I spent most of the day after school, trying to post of pictures on Facebook or an online photo album for everyone to see but it didn't work! I was very frustrated! Following our meetings we went home, relaxed, and studied for our Italian quiz for Thursday.

Dinner was amazing! Florence is known for many things, such as the Duomo, their leather, and the Ponte Vecchio, but no one mentioned their vegetable soup! Let me tell you...it was life changing. Just writing this makes my mouth water! Following the soup course, we had a little roasted chicken with a salad. You can't imagine how much I miss salads and vegetables. All they eat here is bread and cheese. I can feel my body expanding and my arteries clogging! But it still tastes good! Our desert was chocolate pudding = fabuloso!

About 10 PM My friend Casey from UW Madison came into Florence from an smaller outside city. Gail and I picked him up at the train station and had drinks at the hotel. Later we went to a very unique bar filled with Italian hippies to meet some of Casey's fellow classmates from his study abroad program. It was great to meet fellow other UW students!

Ciao!

Day 7 - Pisa and Peas

Jan. 27 marks the first full week I have been in Europe.

I have experienced many different things some good some bad.

Tuesday we had our second day of class, Italian is going well.

The weather has been chilly but not as bad as the states. However, on Tuesday we traveled to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was windy, cold, and rainy. Our pictures didnt turn out too well because of the darkness and rain. We didnt walk around much because we were too cold so instead we went to a Mcdonalds to warm up! It was the best Mcdonalds I have ever been too! It was classy, warm, very technologically savy, and had the best FOOD! I hate American Mcdonalds food but this was great!

I was full from the French fries I had at Mcdonalds but I never say no to one of our hotel's 3 course meals. Every night you have to sign up for a vegetarian meal for the next day, and because dinner on Tuesday was veal I signed up for a salad -- Unfortunately, 12 extra people took vegetarian meals even if they didn't sign up. Therefore, I was left with a big plate of peas! They were good, but as a course, peas was a little pathetic.

I ended the night with a nice hot shower to warm me up after the cold wet day in Pisa and finished my Italian homework.

FINALLY IN EUROPE! My trip so far in London and Florence

Ciao!

It has been awhile since I've had internet access, so sorry for the lack of blogs.

I arrived in London on Wednesday. We had all morning to look around the city, but I was very tired from the flying. But in the evening we had a group dinner and cocktail. Then we went out to a few pubs to see what the night life was like in London. Our hotel was nice but small. We were right in Hyde Park so we often took walks in the park.

The following day we woke up early to go on a guided bus tour around London. It was AMAZING! So much fun! We saw all the big tourist stops and were able to stop and take pictures and adventure on our own. We actually had a Scottish tour guide, but he was hilarious!

After the tour some friends and I went to the Theatre district to see if we could get tickets to any of the big shows. We ended up getting tickets for "Blood Brothers" a British drama/musical which starred "Sporty Spice" from the Spice Girls. It was a great show!

Before the show we had a lot of time to spend so we went to the Tate Modern, the Globe Theatre, and some other tourist spots. But our main adventure that day was the TUBE! (aka the metro system)

My friends Gail and Maria were with me and the Tube came up instantly when we arrived at our platform. Gail without looking or consulting with the us jumped on the tube. Right as I tried to pull her off, the doors closed! Right then, for about 5 seconds we were both facing each other separated only but the glass doors. She started screaming "What do I do?" because she had no idea what stop we were getting off because Maria and I were consulting what line we should take as Gail jumped on. However, I couldn't hear her I could only see her lips moving and her jumping up and down. So in return I just mouthed calmly, "Stay at the next stop."

Once Maria and I caught the next Tube, and got off on the right platform and we were pushing through the sea of people searching for Gail. It was seriously like a scene from a movie. Then...just as we reached the end of the crowd I spotted Gail at the end of the tunnel sitting by herself. It was so funny but we were all relieved!

So at the end of the night we went to the show with some friends and took the tube home at around 11 PM.

The next morning we had to be out of the hotel at 5:15 AM! So we were very tired! We caught a flight to Pisa at 9:45 AM. However, when we arrived in Pisa, I realized I was missing one piece of luggage. I was so scared I didn't know what to do, the Italian Customs and airport is very strict and scary! But a nice older British couple realized I was very distraught and brought me to the Baggage center. Myself and another AIFS student filed our luggage claims and then tired to find our group once we left the airport. But our buses and other students were no where to be found, so we thought we were LEFT STRANDED in Pisa while our hotel and school was in FLORENCE! But luckily, I recognized two students running out of the bathroom who said the buses were just about to leave! So with the angels watching down on us, we made it to the bus just as it was about to drive away!

Now I am officially in Florence. We arrived on Friday. The last 3 days have been a blur because we've been so busy and so tired. I'm mainly trying to catch up on my sleep. The first day we just relaxed and hung out at the hotel. The hotel was built in the 1700s and everything in it is original. The rooms are newer but things around the hotel are antiques. Gail and I have a HUGE room hidden in its own hallway. So we have to open 2 doors before getting to our room. Our room looks over just some streets but it's still beautiful.

On Saturday, we had our 3 hour orientation in the Plazzo Borgese (the Palace of the Borgese family). There we did some ice breakers, which my group won every time! We had to make a tower out of balloons and we made the "Tower of Love." We also won the "human knot" game. So I came home with a handmade Italian spinning top as a prize. We learned about the program, our hotel, and the Chief of Police came to talk to us about the dangers and laws in Italy. He was smokin' hot but very informative. We then had a 3 course meal that was SOOOOOO filling and amazing!

We went shopping and walked around Florence so we could get more familiar with the town. We ended up getting lost and didn't get home until midnight, but it was still fun!

On Sunday, we had a tour of Florence so we could find where our school was, the pharmacy, and other tourist places. Sunday was a relaxing day, so at night we had a board game night in my room.

Today we had our first day of language school. I am in beginning Italian, but it's pretty easy for me since I've had Spanish.

But I'm off to buy my text books and later meet up with our group for a cocktail and dinner.

Hope all is well!

Miss you all!

Love, Hannah

Last Day in Wisconsin

In less than 24 hours I will be on a flight to London, England!

I will be in London until Friday.

Then we will fly to Pisa, Italy and stay for a day!

Next we will take a coach bus to Florence, Italy for a 2 week language orientation. Our first weekend in Florence we will take a group trip to Venice for the week and take an art class! After Florence, we will take the bus to Roma!

In Rome I will be living in an apartment with other students in my group. I will be attending the University of Richmond, London--Rome Center. It is right in the HEART of Rome, near all the tourist sites! Many of my classes will take place at Roman museums and historical sites!

I'll be taking many pictures that I may post on Facebook or make Kodak albums!

Hope all is well!

Love, Hannah

Welcome to my blog!

Only 3 days until Italy!

So much packing left to do!

Keep checking my blog for updates!