Monday! Well. Let's be real here. Christin and I didn't go to our first class because we needed the time to work on our papers for our other class. I ended up writing three papers, taking two written essay-style finals, and giving a presentation. Goodness... kind of a lot to do in three/four days. Also, this was the time that it started to get unbearably hot. I am used to the heat in Texas, but dang. I started referring to the apartment as "The Sweat Box"... There is no AC in the apartment... which was fine until we realized that there was also no breeze and no fan and the sun was shining directly into the windows. So we would just try to keep really still and hope for the best. It was a little rough... sleeping was interesting. We would lay there and sweat... Shannon and Diane had a ceiling fan in their room... soooo Christin and I moved our mattresses into their room and slept on the floor for the week. It was like a big sleepover party! haha. Anyway, I went to my history class that day. We walked around again... it was a bit hotter this week so we were all a bit sweaty. After class, the roomies and I headed to the the API farewell apperativo. It was at a really nice restaurant. It was fun to hang out with everyone. That night, we headed to our friends' apartment across the Ponte Vecchio to hang out and watch the calcio game between Italy and Ireland. I couldn't decide if I should cheer for Italy (my home) or for Ireland (my heritage). INNER TURMOIL! Italy won. So I guess... Go Italy. ;)
My roomie!
Love these girls!
Tuesday! In Pairing Food and Wine class, we made this incredible pasta and handmade spinach and ricotta ravioli (from scratch!). My group made a yummy chocolate and banana tart! SO GOOD. I can't wait to make all of this stuff when I get home! We reviewed for the final in our history class... maybe we walked around? I honestly can't remember. Those couple of days were blurred together with studying and papers. Lame... Not exactly how I wanted to spend some of my last few days here. Tuesday night, we got late night salads at our favorite little cafe by our apartment. I don't even know what it is called. We love the night time staff there. They crank some awesome music - Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding... all the good stuff. And we jam. So hard. I'm gonna miss that place! The ladies that work there are so kind and laid back. Love it.
YUMMY.
Wednesday! I took my Pairing Food and Wine final... it was a little rough, but our professor and a chef in training at the school made food for us again at the end. So that was a pretty good compensation. Then I went to my history class. We reviewed for the final and watched a movie about the history of Florence. Theeeennnn I went back to the apartment and pretty much studied all night and finished my papers.
Happy finals!
Thursday! We woke up early Thursday morning to climb to the top of the Duomo! Wow. The view was amazing! It was kind of a hard walk up the hundreds of stairs, but it was definitely worth it. After the eight hundred or so stairs in Capri, this was nothing. We took a bunch of pictures at the top. We then climbed back down and headed to the Diner for a big breakfast. This place had delicious omelets and pancakes! I loved the atmosphere... it was just like one of those little diners you would find back in the States. After breakfast, we headed back to the apartment to do some last minute studying. In Pairing Food and Wine, we gave our presentations. We had to cook in groups and give a presentation about our dish and the wine we served with it. CORRECTION from an earlier blog post! I posted a picture of "my favorite wine"... that picture is actually of my second favorite wine... My FIRST favorite wine is basically the same wine, but a bit better quality and in a different bottle. We served this wine with the same dessert that we made on the first day. YAY. It went really well. Christin and I may or may not have eaten six of the dessert things........... :D Then I took my history final. I finished it really quickly. I was really sad walking back to my apartment after my last final... I couldn't believe that it was over... These two professors were seriously the best professors I have ever had. They were so passionate and knowledgable. I really wish that all of my professors could be like them. I have learned so much from them, and I am so grateful that I was able to be in their classes. After class, I headed back to the apartment to hang out for a little while... THEN I walked to the hotel to met my momma!!! YAY! I am SO happy that she is here! I missed her! We went to dinner at the little restaurant across the street from my apartment. I ate the best bruschetta, balsamic vinaigrette, and ravioli that I have ever had. We will definitely be going back soon. After dinner, she helped me pack up my stuff and we headed out of the sweat box. This hotel is so wonderful! I took a long, hot bath and slept in the air conditioning in a super duper comfy pillow top bed. AH. So amazing. My mom brought me so many yummy snacks! So good to have her here.
The view from the top of the Duomo!
My favorite cookies that my mom brought for me!
Friday! This morning, we woke up to head down to breakfast at the hotel... It was so delicious! Loved it. We then walked around and shopped for a while. It was fun to go to the markets and show my mom all of my favorite spots. Then. We got some gelato at Grom. Annnnddd then a girl tried to pickpocket my mom. She had her hand in my mom's purse and nearly got her money when my mom caught her and called her out and grabbed the thief chick's purse to see if she got anything of hers. It was quite the adventure... Then I felt bad for taking my mom there... We came back to the hotel to take a nap and get out of the heat. Later, we went to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. Yes, we got the tshirt. After dinner, we went to the apartment to drop off my keys and say bye to Christin. We missed Shannon and Diane by a few hours, but I will definitely be seeing them soon. :) It was so weird saying bye to the apartment. I won't exactly miss the whole sweating while sleeping and the shower head over the toilet thing, but I will miss living here and living with those wonderful girls. They have been such blessings to me! I can't believe that Christin won't be living with me when I get back... She has been so great. I miss her already... Food and wine reunion soon for sure.
Ponte Vecchio!
My momma and I. :)
Definitely going to miss this...
Home.
Our door!
Keys. :(
I have had the time of my life (like the final scene of Dirty Dancing). Learning and doing new things with people that I love... I really couldn't have asked for more. I still have some time left abroad, but my journey here in Italy has been something that I will never forget. I am so blessed to have been given this opportunity, and I am so grateful to be here. I have met some incredible people, and I have learned things about life and about myself. I could go on and on... I can't believe my time abroad is almost over, but I am looking forward to all of the exciting things that await me at home. I will update again soon... most likely from London! WHOO!
Ciao ciao!
No comments:
Post a Comment