Today is my last day in Athens and Europe altogether. I am so sad to be going home!
Yesterday we went to the ancient agora (marketplace of ancient Athens) and the acropolis. I can't even describe in words how wonderful it was! To get up to the acropolis we took the path of the Panathenaic procession - the path taken in antiquity during the "parade" to bring the small olive wood statue of Athena (known as the xoanon) a new peplos (dress) during her birthday celebration. Courtney and I carried her a Gap cardigan. Needless to say, when I was on the acropolis with the Parthenon and the Erechtheion I did not want to leave! It was the best experience I have had so far.
I will be seeing you all very soon!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
First day in Athens...
did not start off well. First let me say that I am usually not a clumsy person. BUT for some reason, the last couple of days in Rome proved otherwise. Wednesday night I fell going up the stairs at a bar (alcohol not necessary) and the next day I fell up the stairs at a Fascist convention center (yes, you can fall UP the stairs...more than once). I thought that was the end of my clumsiness, but alas it was not. Today while walking to our metro stop I stepped over to a trashcan to throw away my gum and I bit it. I fell straight to my knees and scraped up my leg pretty badly. To make matters worse my pants leg now has a gaping hole where my knee is. UGH! Atleast I didn't break anything!
We went to the National Archaeological Museum and that made my day a thousand times better! I saw so many sculptures and vases that I love that it's too much to name. It was definitely one of the best art days of my life!
I had my first Greek meal ever...and it was in Greece! For lunch today I had a chicken kebab (yummo) and a gyro with pork, fried potatoes and tzatziki sauce which is a creamy cucumber sauce (delicious!). I can't wait to try some more...
Since I don't know any Greek I'll just say goodbye for now!
We went to the National Archaeological Museum and that made my day a thousand times better! I saw so many sculptures and vases that I love that it's too much to name. It was definitely one of the best art days of my life!
I had my first Greek meal ever...and it was in Greece! For lunch today I had a chicken kebab (yummo) and a gyro with pork, fried potatoes and tzatziki sauce which is a creamy cucumber sauce (delicious!). I can't wait to try some more...
Since I don't know any Greek I'll just say goodbye for now!
Friday, June 26, 2009
It's all Greek to me!
Made it to Athens! We saw the acropolis from afar while in the taxi going to our hotel. It's much bigger than I pictured it, and I'm really excited to go explore it during the next few days.
Erin's Greek friend Marios who was supposed to be here to be our tour guide wasn't able to make it so we're on our own!
Erin's Greek friend Marios who was supposed to be here to be our tour guide wasn't able to make it so we're on our own!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Arrividerci Frascati
Today is our last day in Italy. I have fallen in love with Italy and do not want to leave!
We went into Rome last night for the first (and last) time so we could see the city at night. The Colosseum as well as other ruins and monuments were lit up by lights and it was so beautiful. The bar we settled in was showing ESPN America so we got to watch LSU win the College National Championship! Geaux Tigers!
The professors are taking us to a nice restaurant tonight for our last supper (hehe) and I'm sure it's going to be a sad night knowing that our time here is over.
But....We leave for Greece tomorrow! We should arrive in Athens at about 2pm where it's supposed to be clear and 90 degrees. Wonderful!
Also I have found my favorite combination of gelato...Stracciatella and Snickers gelato from a gelateria here in Frascati. I've already had some today and I'll probably have some again later. It's my last day for gelato!
Ciao tutti!
We went into Rome last night for the first (and last) time so we could see the city at night. The Colosseum as well as other ruins and monuments were lit up by lights and it was so beautiful. The bar we settled in was showing ESPN America so we got to watch LSU win the College National Championship! Geaux Tigers!
The professors are taking us to a nice restaurant tonight for our last supper (hehe) and I'm sure it's going to be a sad night knowing that our time here is over.
But....We leave for Greece tomorrow! We should arrive in Athens at about 2pm where it's supposed to be clear and 90 degrees. Wonderful!
Also I have found my favorite combination of gelato...Stracciatella and Snickers gelato from a gelateria here in Frascati. I've already had some today and I'll probably have some again later. It's my last day for gelato!
Ciao tutti!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Venice!
Buon giorno tutti!
Once again sorry it's been so long since I've updated my blog. Internet is not as widespread in Italy as it is in the states.
Courtney, Erin, Kyle (ceramics grad student) and I went to Venice this weekend and had a lot of fun. Friday night we went to a jazz bar where amazingly enough LSU was playing baseball on tv! It was tres bizarre to see LSU on a tv in Italy but I'm glad I got to watch the game because now they are in the championship round with Texas.
While at the jazz bar where there were many bras hanging from the ceiling (we did not leave our own) we met some hot Norwegian fellas, Christian and Gard, who were on their own European vacation. They were so funny and we had a really good time with them. We also ran into a group of Italian guys dressed as cowboys who had just returned from a basketball tournament and were at a cowboy themed party. Random! There's no telling what kind of people you will meet.
Saturday morning Kyle and I went to the Venice Bienale. I still can't believe that I went to the Bienale! Kyle and I were in awe the entire time. The Bienale is basically the biggest and most important contemporary art exhibition in the world, and it's always been a dream of mine to go...and now I can say I did! The Russian pavillion was by far my favorite of the countries represented. We also visited the Peggy Guggenheim museum that houses her personal collection of early 20th century art. I have to say it was a nice break from ancient and medieval Rome!
We are going to Pinocchio tonight for the last time :( Courtney and I are going to order our 3 favorite dishes and share them: eggplant parmesan, gnocchi with ham and cheese sauce and fig and ricotta ravioli. Delicioso!
Our last week in Rome is coming up and I am extremely sad. I seriously do not want to leave Italy just yet. However, we're going to Greece Friday so I guess it's not all too bad!
Ciao for now!
Once again sorry it's been so long since I've updated my blog. Internet is not as widespread in Italy as it is in the states.
Courtney, Erin, Kyle (ceramics grad student) and I went to Venice this weekend and had a lot of fun. Friday night we went to a jazz bar where amazingly enough LSU was playing baseball on tv! It was tres bizarre to see LSU on a tv in Italy but I'm glad I got to watch the game because now they are in the championship round with Texas.
While at the jazz bar where there were many bras hanging from the ceiling (we did not leave our own) we met some hot Norwegian fellas, Christian and Gard, who were on their own European vacation. They were so funny and we had a really good time with them. We also ran into a group of Italian guys dressed as cowboys who had just returned from a basketball tournament and were at a cowboy themed party. Random! There's no telling what kind of people you will meet.
Saturday morning Kyle and I went to the Venice Bienale. I still can't believe that I went to the Bienale! Kyle and I were in awe the entire time. The Bienale is basically the biggest and most important contemporary art exhibition in the world, and it's always been a dream of mine to go...and now I can say I did! The Russian pavillion was by far my favorite of the countries represented. We also visited the Peggy Guggenheim museum that houses her personal collection of early 20th century art. I have to say it was a nice break from ancient and medieval Rome!
We are going to Pinocchio tonight for the last time :( Courtney and I are going to order our 3 favorite dishes and share them: eggplant parmesan, gnocchi with ham and cheese sauce and fig and ricotta ravioli. Delicioso!
Our last week in Rome is coming up and I am extremely sad. I seriously do not want to leave Italy just yet. However, we're going to Greece Friday so I guess it's not all too bad!
Ciao for now!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Florence
I'm in Firenze! That's Italian for Florence. The internet works really well here so I'm trying to update my blog while I can!
Florence is wonderful. It's a pretty small city so it's easy to find your way around, and it's not overwhelming like Rome. It's still pretty hot but a lot less humid.
We went to the Uffizzi Gallery Thursday. As I was standing in the museum trying to listen to the tour guide tell us about a painting, I heard someone talking really loudly behind me. I turned around to give this man an "ahem" look, but to my surprise I was staring in the face of Michael Caine. Michael Caine! I was so shocked that he was in the museum walking around like us normal folk. Haha. He basically followed our group through the next few rooms with his tour guide, so needless to say I could not pay attention to anything. I still don't know anything about Bottecelli's Birth of Venus because Michael Caine was standing next to me (I bumped his arm) and all I could think was "oh my goodness it's Michael Caine!"
Yesterday I saw Michelangelo's David.
http://www.fmboschetto.it/religione/libri_storici/davidMichelangelo.jpg
I have to say I wasn't overly excited to see it, but when I did it was wonderful. I'm not a Renaissance lover, but the detail and scale of the sculpture (the sculpture itself is about 15 feet high without the base so it towers over you) is amazing.
The teachers took us to dinner our first night in Florence to a restaurant that is in the old barn of a Renaissance palace, and we had dinner like a big Italian famiy. It was the most food I have ever eaten in my life! The waiters gave each table a free bottle of chianti that was pretty tasty to start off with. We had canteloupe and proscuitto (first course), pasta with meat sauce, gnocchi in pesto, spinach and cheese ravioli (second course), veal, pork, and chicken (third course). Then came the dessert platter....I can't even remember what all was on it, but I loved every bit of it! We also had a traditional Florentine dessert of biscotti dipped in some sort of liquor. It was like amaretto but a little stronger and warm. It was strange but very good. We were also given a glass of Moscato wine, a dessert wine. Talk about gluttony!
I go back to Rome today, but Florence has been really amazing. Ciao for now!
Florence is wonderful. It's a pretty small city so it's easy to find your way around, and it's not overwhelming like Rome. It's still pretty hot but a lot less humid.
We went to the Uffizzi Gallery Thursday. As I was standing in the museum trying to listen to the tour guide tell us about a painting, I heard someone talking really loudly behind me. I turned around to give this man an "ahem" look, but to my surprise I was staring in the face of Michael Caine. Michael Caine! I was so shocked that he was in the museum walking around like us normal folk. Haha. He basically followed our group through the next few rooms with his tour guide, so needless to say I could not pay attention to anything. I still don't know anything about Bottecelli's Birth of Venus because Michael Caine was standing next to me (I bumped his arm) and all I could think was "oh my goodness it's Michael Caine!"
Yesterday I saw Michelangelo's David.
http://www.fmboschetto.it/religione/libri_storici/davidMichelangelo.jpg
I have to say I wasn't overly excited to see it, but when I did it was wonderful. I'm not a Renaissance lover, but the detail and scale of the sculpture (the sculpture itself is about 15 feet high without the base so it towers over you) is amazing.
The teachers took us to dinner our first night in Florence to a restaurant that is in the old barn of a Renaissance palace, and we had dinner like a big Italian famiy. It was the most food I have ever eaten in my life! The waiters gave each table a free bottle of chianti that was pretty tasty to start off with. We had canteloupe and proscuitto (first course), pasta with meat sauce, gnocchi in pesto, spinach and cheese ravioli (second course), veal, pork, and chicken (third course). Then came the dessert platter....I can't even remember what all was on it, but I loved every bit of it! We also had a traditional Florentine dessert of biscotti dipped in some sort of liquor. It was like amaretto but a little stronger and warm. It was strange but very good. We were also given a glass of Moscato wine, a dessert wine. Talk about gluttony!
I go back to Rome today, but Florence has been really amazing. Ciao for now!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Back in Rome!
Hey everyone, sorry it's been a while since I've posted anything. The internet at our hotel is not very strong, and it sometimes decides to not work at all. For some reason Gmail won't load, so if you have written me an email I might not be able to respond, let alone read it at all!
This past weekend Courtney, Erin, Jessica, 2 undergrad students Daniel and Alexa, and I went to Capri (KAH-pree). We all were prounouncing it like the Isle of Capri casino, but Justin and Nick let us know how to say it correctly. It was THE most beautiful place I have ever seen. http://www.capri.net/ We took a 2 hour boat tour around the island. The whole island is pretty much cliffs that plunge into the ocean except for the port area where there is a pebble beach and piers for boats. Emperors Augustus and others used this island as a getaway resort, and because of it's single entrance to the island they felt safe.
On our boat tour we stopped at the Blue Grotto, a cave. It was so magical! We had to get off of our big tour boat and into a small row boat that fits 4 people plus the "driver." Courtney and I rode together in a boat, but as she was getting in the little boat she almost fell in! It was scary for her at first, but we laughed about it all the way to the grotto. Getting into the grotto was pretty scary. The opening is barely large enough for the little row boat to fit under so we had to lay down in the boat so our heads wouldn't get smashed on the rocks! The driver has to time it right so that the waves don't come up when he's pulling us through. I videoed us going into the grotto and there were a few cuss words that came out of my mouth. Ooops! Once we were inside, the sunlight creates this amazing blue glow inside the cave. There were about 15 other little row boats floating around in there with us, and all the drivers start singing an Italian song and it echoes. So beautiful.
After our boat tour, we walked around the island and window shopped. Capri is a wealthy vacation spot so there was Hermes, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dolce and Gabana.....things I could never afford but love to look at! Jessica, Daniel and I hung out on the pebble beach for a while, and Jess and I got in the water. It was pretty cold, but I HAD to get in that clear blue water!
Needless to say I did not want to come back...
Thursday and Friday the whole program is going to Florence. Hopefully we'll have internet so I can keep in touch! Ciao for now.
This past weekend Courtney, Erin, Jessica, 2 undergrad students Daniel and Alexa, and I went to Capri (KAH-pree). We all were prounouncing it like the Isle of Capri casino, but Justin and Nick let us know how to say it correctly. It was THE most beautiful place I have ever seen. http://www.capri.net/ We took a 2 hour boat tour around the island. The whole island is pretty much cliffs that plunge into the ocean except for the port area where there is a pebble beach and piers for boats. Emperors Augustus and others used this island as a getaway resort, and because of it's single entrance to the island they felt safe.
On our boat tour we stopped at the Blue Grotto, a cave. It was so magical! We had to get off of our big tour boat and into a small row boat that fits 4 people plus the "driver." Courtney and I rode together in a boat, but as she was getting in the little boat she almost fell in! It was scary for her at first, but we laughed about it all the way to the grotto. Getting into the grotto was pretty scary. The opening is barely large enough for the little row boat to fit under so we had to lay down in the boat so our heads wouldn't get smashed on the rocks! The driver has to time it right so that the waves don't come up when he's pulling us through. I videoed us going into the grotto and there were a few cuss words that came out of my mouth. Ooops! Once we were inside, the sunlight creates this amazing blue glow inside the cave. There were about 15 other little row boats floating around in there with us, and all the drivers start singing an Italian song and it echoes. So beautiful.
After our boat tour, we walked around the island and window shopped. Capri is a wealthy vacation spot so there was Hermes, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dolce and Gabana.....things I could never afford but love to look at! Jessica, Daniel and I hung out on the pebble beach for a while, and Jess and I got in the water. It was pretty cold, but I HAD to get in that clear blue water!
Needless to say I did not want to come back...
Thursday and Friday the whole program is going to Florence. Hopefully we'll have internet so I can keep in touch! Ciao for now.
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