No new pictures yet, but.....

Hello all my wonderful friends and family!

Obviously, as you can tell from the pictures below, the Amalfi Coast and Capri was breathtaking. Walking through Sorrento, a boet tour around the Island of Capri, hiking from one side of Capri to the other to have a lovely lunch and lay on the beach, walking through Positano and laying on the beach for the afternoon, and an afternoon of exploring the amazing Pompei is certainly something I will never forget. I highly recommend making the trip there if you ever find yourself in Italy. It's hot, beautiful, picturesque and the most sapphire-blue water you will ever see. Truly amazing. It can be expensive and time consuming to get there by train and to plan the trip yourself, so I would recommend taking an organized trip like I did - just make sure that there is time for you to do you own thing if you're like me and hate organized touristy stuff. I was glad I got to have time to myself and do whatever I wanted to do while there.

I will say though, try to get a hotel where a group of 12-14 year old french kids are NOT staying - they were absolutely obnoxious and woke us all up screaming and running through the hallways and stomping up and down the stairs at 6:30am on Sunday. People don't understand that when they are abroad they are representing their country and behaving like that does not give people a very good impression. I know they are just kids and don't get it, but seriously. And their teachers traveling with them didn't seem to care at all. Just awful. Thank goodness I already had a good impression of French people from my trip to France years ago or I may have been swayed.....

It's about 1:30pm local time and I just returned to school after having lunch at the Mercato Centrale in Firenze. I had the most amazing roasted pork sandwich (second only to my mama's famous pulled pork) and the Mercato is definitely a sight to behold. Can't believe I forgot to take my camera with me, so I will be returning there tomorrow with camera in hand and try some more delicious food!

This weekend's plans look to be shaping up nicely, though I need to work a little more on them (which I will be doing tomorrow morning). I have come to terms with the fact that I will not be able to see everything I had planned on seeing, and will be going to more of the big sights on this trip, as I will definitely be returning someday. So, with that said, I will be going on a group trip to Siena this Thursday afternoon will all the people in the Gonzaga Law Program, on Friday I will go to Pisa and Lucca by train (haven't decided if I will stay the night or not yet). Saturday I have to get this paper finished for my Justice & Society class because we have paper presentations next week and the paper is due next Friday. Sunday I will go back to Cinque Terre for a day trip since we were rained out the first time we tried to go and I now can go back with a group for free. So far I'm feeling pretty good about that. Next week I have finals on Friday, but will try to get in some sightseeing during the week. It's just a little difficult to plan as my classes are so spread out during the day. I likely will be going to the Science Museum to see Galileo's telescopes and Galileo's finger in a jar between classes soon, or maybe in the morning. I still have yet to go into the Duomo, so I must do that too, and am also planning on going to see Dante's house and his church, which I've heard is very moving. Then I will try to make it to Santa Croce, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. I think I will likely go to Fiesole to see the Etruscan Ruins there next Saturday or Sunday and then will begin my journey to Venice and then onto Poland and Germany on Monday the 22nd. I'll likely go to Venice and spend the afternoon there to see the city, then stay the night and begin my journey to Krakow, Poland the next day.

Phew!!! I have a lot to do and the sand just keeps trickling through that hourglass!! Hopefully, if I push myself hard enough, I wil be able to see evrything I am wanting to see. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I got homesick for the first time yesterday, for some odd reason, so rest assured that all of you are in my thoughts. I wish you all could be here to experience this with me, but this blog helps with that as it's almost like you are. Love and hugs to all of you...

Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Pompei.... Oh my!!

I cannot say enough about how beautiful the Amalfi Coast was, it was truly amazing. With that statement, here are a few pictures to show you what I mean:

Sorrento from the bus:

Mt. Vesuvius from our (crappy) hotel in Sorrento:

CAPRI:

POSITANO:

POMPEI:

Mt. Vesuvius from the Forum in Pompei (above)

Too much to see and do!

So, I'm desperately trying to figure out my travel plans for next weekend as I'm heading out for the Amalfi Coast for this weekend at 6:30pm tonight and I'm hopelessly confused and worried. It looks as though I won't be able to make it to Volterra after all, I don't think. But, I am going to Siena on Thursday and then I think that Friday I will try to go to Lucca as the train ride is short enough and the schedule agreeable enough with me actually having time to spend in the town. I could always just go to Volterra on Friday, stay the night, then go north to Lucca, spend the day and then head back to Florence. Decisions, decisions..... That actually might work. Just worried I won't be able to find a place to stay in Volterra, and then I'm supposed to go back to Cinque Terre that Sunday (which means more train rides going back in the same direction I just came from. Hmm.... might be time to talk to the tour agency and see if I can't just meet them in Pisa on Sunday morning and do the trip....

Hopeless. See what I mean? (not to mention my inability to make a decision)

DAD - Tell me what to do, you're great at making decisions. Do I do day trips and waste a bunch of time on the train and bus, or do I spend the extra time planning (for hostels) and the extra money to stay overnight in Volterra, then head to Lucca for the day, back to Pisa for the night on Saturday and try to meet up with the tour group in Pisa to go to Cinque Terre that Sunday? You have a lot of time to decide as I likely won't have internet access until Monday since I'm heading to the Amalfi Coast tonight....... that reminds me, I need to go buy sunscreen....

Expect gorgeous pictures of Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii on Monday. Do NOT expect pictures of me in a bathing suit!ù

Ciao!!

Grrrrr

School is seriously getting in the way of my time in Florence and my travel plans. Both classes combined, I have around 80-100 pages of reading per night. This is getting VERY frustrating! Not to mention the paper I need to start writing that I have no direction on..... Grrrr!

In good news, however, I went by the tour agency I was supposed to do Cinque Terre with this past Sunday to book my Amalfi Coast trip yesterday afternoon and found out not only that we will have breakfasts and dinner included on that trip, but that I can go back to Cinque Terre with them whenever I want at no charge since the weather was so horrible. Yay! That frees up time for me to go see Lucca and Volterra and saves me money! Also, this trip to teh Amalfi Coast is going to be amazing - 3 nights and 3 days, we'll go to Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii and more and still have time to lay on the beach! Can't wait! Now to go do some crunches so I can have a prayer of looking decent in the bikini I foolishly allowed my roommates to convince me to buy..... There will NOT be pictures of me in that!

Love to all.....

Crazy Italian men...... Bellissimo!!!

Just for you mom, like I said I would, and all other ladies that would appreciate it....

They also pretended to measure the doorway of the Duomo, but I was too busy gaping at them bending over to measure to actually take a picture.... see below:

Joanna's reaction afterwards:



(That's actually later on with the River Arno in the background)

Updates....

Okay, so last Thursday we were supposed to take a group trip to Fiesole to see an amphitheater and Etruscan Ruins. Unfortunately, this fell throuh as the bus drivers decided to go on strike from 3pm until the morning. Thankfully, we hadn't already left and gotten stuck there, though it wouldn't have been too long of a taxi ride. We've rescheduled the trip for this Thursday afternoon - cross your fingers for a smooth trip!

I managed to hike up to the Piazzale Michelangele this Saturday, which boasts the best views of Florence. It was my first time seeing the entire city, and it definitewly did not disappoint! I forgot to load the pictures on my thumb drive and will post them soon. What a beautiful city!

That was not the end to the weekend, however, as my roommates and I had booked a trip up to Cinque Terre (5 lands in Italian) on the coast, which is a truly beautiful area if you look up some pictures. Sadly, it was pouring down rain and so cold when we got there that we were unable to do the hike along the coast and cliffs through the 5 towns lining the waters edge. We had to immediately buy a ticket back to Florence - I was so bummed! Not only did we blow a total of €60 by the end, but I was really looking forward to visiting the area. I did have time, while we waited for the train to return to Florence, to take a look around the top town we had taken the train to and were supposed to hike down from. Even in the rain it was a wonderful place and I have decided I will return there next weekend for a two-day trip as I must be able to see it. I will post rainy pictures soon....

The train ride back to Florence was beautiful though, we had a chance to see marble mines in the mountain areas and stockpiles of huge blocks of marble along with various other types of stone. We also got a peak at the top of the leaning tower of Pisa on our way back, which you can't see going the other direction. I decided that was probably enough for me as I don't have a lot of time or money to be visiting extra places. It was actually a bit of a fun adventure - I mean, that's what traveling is all about, right? Rolling with the punches and making the best of the unexpected oppotunities you get. Besides, I had a lot of reading to do and it was good to get back to the apartment early to get a jump start on that. Yeah, I almost forgot I was going to school while doing all this as well, don't feel bad.

We will also be heading to the Uffizi Museum on Wednesday, which should be amazing. There are countless precious works of art there, including the famous painting of the Birth of Venus, and I am very excited to go! I am going to be booking my trip to the Amalfi coast today as well - I made sure to check the weather and it looks as though it will be very nice - so excited to see Pompeii and lay on the beach! But, my poor roommates are having problems getting their money from financial aid (still! We've been here over a week!), so they won't be able to join me, which is too bad as it would have been fun to have them there too. Keeping my fingers crossed their money will be dweposited today and they'll be able to come too.

I am also going to look into reserving a hostel at Cinque Terre for next Friday as I absolutely have GOT to go back and see it. Thinking I will leave Florence Friday morning, hike down when I get there through the national park and stay the night, saving Saturday to putz around and play on the beach before returning to Florence. My rommates alrady have other plans, so this will be a solo trip, but I don't really mind traveling alone - I actually kind of like it - as I can do whatever I please and stay as long as I want to.

OH!! GELATO!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously - this stuff is worth all the hype. It is TO DIE FOR! And don't even get me started on the wine and Limoncello! I'm also thinking about doing a hiking wine tasting tour in Chianti......... I know, you're jealous! I am almost jealous of myself!

I am leaving so much stuff out, the Ponte Vecchio, The restaurant in the Santo Spirito district, more gelato (I'm keeping a flavors journal), Shopping at the Outdoor Market, crazy Italian men in speedos and work uniforms at the same time (will post pictures for you, mom), vespas with "Don't Mess With Texas" bumper stickers, beautiful people, funny beggars, having a cappuccino at my neighborhood caffé bar with a bunch of Italians in biker gear this morning, the list goes on..... but I have to save some stories for when I get home!

Ciao for now!!

Firenze on fire! (at least the sky was)

Most beautiful sunset last night on my walk home after a gathering with fellow students. The pictures need no explanation:

(Well except for the first one - it's taken from the bridge that goes to my apartment)

And some pictures of the famous Duomo:

Don't have time to write much now, but will soon. Ciao!!