Archives: March 2009
Mon Mar 30, 2009
Learning About Wine and Becoming a Family
After being with nineteen girls for about two months, being with only a group of five other girls was very strange. For one full week, buddy checks were not necessary, bathroom lines weren’t nearly as long and going out to eat wasn’t overwhelming. But as much as I loved our time apart, distance only makes the heart grow fonder, and I am so happy that we are all back together. And now that we are moved into the palace, life in Italy is even better (I didn’t think that was possible). All week long we have been able to cook together in our wonderful kitchen, exchange stories and laughter about our spring breaks and best of all, enjoy the privacy of our nests.
(Maurizo cooking a traditional Roman meal for us in our new kitchen)
This past Thursday we had our final wine class with Maurizio. The food was delicious, the wine was its perfect compliment and the company was even better. I can not think of a better way to be welcomed into our first week in the palace. All nineteen of us were there, as well as all of our professors. All night long laughter echoed through the dinning room, and the clinking of our wine classes could be heard through out the palace as we cheered one another again and again. And at that moment, for the first time, all nineteen of us felt as if we truly belonged here. No longer were we nineteen girls who had never met before this trip with our professors but we felt a part of something bigger. We felt apart of a family with those who had come before us and those would come after because only they would truly understand how we have felt during our time here. Only they would understand the love we felt from the people who were looking after us, and the thoughtfulness and time that went into everything they planned for us. Not only do we have a new home in Ariccia but friends that we have made our family.
(Again, Maurizo cooking for us)
Words cannot express how grateful I am that I was able to come to Italy and study. Not only have I found a new family and a new corner of the world to call my own, I am becoming a better citizen of the world. Although I am not in the college of human sciences and am Pre-law, I know that I am truly benefiting from my time in Italy. Through my interactions with people I have met and with a different culture, more then ever before I see the importance of fostering positive relations with other countries and the people. The people of Italy are passionate about their country and the government that runs it. And being a student of political science, it is incredible to able to study where the first republic was set up.
(The wine we were sampling as well as the wonderful appetizers)
As we come to the close of the weekend, I slowly see our time here disappearing. We have so many exciting things coming up, a week in Milan, a trip to Venice, the Grand Opening of the palace and a Roma soccer game. As excited as I am for all of those things, they ultimately mean that we must return to our other homes. But instead of dwelling on what little time we have left, I am simply going to ignore it. Instead I am going to focus on all of the wonderful things we have already done and those that we have yet to experience. I am going to focus on the fact that we are the first people since the 1700’s to live in the lower level of the Chigi Palace. We have an amazing family here in Italy, and Marco made us the Chigi Princesses.
(Roberta, Jessica, Gretchen, Cinzia and Frances posing together after delicious food and wine)
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Fri Mar 27, 2009
Movin' On Up...
Well we’re movin on up,
To Chigi Palace.
Its charm with catch your eye when you walk in.
Movin on up,
To Chigi Palace
We finally have a dryer for our clothes.
Cooking in the kitchen is best.
Our nests hold everything,
Our beds are like the Heavens,
The duvets are so perfect.
The heated floors are great,
And the views from the windows are beautiful.
We have a room for Roma,
Sienna, Florence, and Venice too.
Well we’re movin on up,
To Chigi Palace.
Its charm with catch your eye when you walk in.
Movin on up,
To Chigi Palace
We love to hang out together,
In the kitchen at night.
We play card games and talk,
About the rest of our lives.
The bright orange chairs are cute,
And the chandeliers are gorgeous.
It is all fantastic.
It’s hard to believe we live here finally,
We all are so ecstatic.
Well we’re movin on up,
To Chigi Palace.
Its charm with catch your eye when you walk in.
Movin on up,
To Chigi Palace
{To the tune of Movin’ on Up on the Jeffersons}
[Emily, Maria, Sarah Beth, & Railey Hanging Out in the Kitchen]
After a wonderful week in Barcelona, Spain and Dublin, Ireland, we all were ready to come home. This time, we were coming back to a completely different place that we have not lived in before. We have been waiting for this moment since we arrived. Everyone loved the hotel and all of the people that worked there, but the anticipation to move in was far too great. The change of scenery was also nice to.
[Lauren & Maria in the Living Room]
[Bailey Cooking in the Kitchen]
Being an Interior Design major, I was able to help Dr. Sharon Park- Gates with setting up the palace. For our four community service hours, we were privileged enough to work beside her in the making of the palace. We did everything from work on the signage of the rooms to finding all of the electrical outlets on the floor plan to placing the mirrors throughout the rooms. It was quite an experience I will never forget.
[A View of Firenze]
[A Lot of the Girl's Hanging Out in the Kitchen at Night]
This trip as a whole has been more than I could have ever imagined. The program has impressed me endlessly. All of our teachers and helpers are excellent. Years ago I would have never thought I would have gone all of the places I have been or meet the people I have. Ariccia and all of the people who live here have a special place in my heart now. I never thought I could have a home away from home in Italy, but now I can call Palazzo Chigi my second home. And how cool is it to say that all of us girls have now experienced living in a Palace in Italy!
[One of Our Dishes We Have Made!]
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Mon Mar 23, 2009
Oh the places you will go....
“Oh the places you will go…” thank you Dr. Seuss!! Who ever knew a children’s book could utter such a true statement. 10 years ago I would have never believed that I would have traveled as much as I have. We are already entering week 8 and I can hardly believe all of the places we have all gotten to go. It’s the week after spring break and oh the places we went…. Barcelona, Madrid, Dublin, London, Paris and oh the journey we had. Our week of glob trotting was exciting, enlightening, empowering and packed full of unique and once in a life time experiences. This all together broadening week has left us with memories that will last a life time and always keep us laughing, so…here is a reflection, from us to you…
Everyone’s week was off to a crack of dawn early start on Saturday morning to catch our various flights—some as early as 6 in the morning. However, the morning chill was avoided and instead a morning sweat ensued as everyone was wearing at least three outfits at a time to make their luggage weight limits. This thorough planning though paid off as all weight limits were met and all luggage crises were averted. If only we had known that seats were so hotly contended by the other passengers—once the bus pulled up to the plain people ran like they were on fire up the air plane steps and jockeyed for position of “the best seat” on a southwest like flight— highly amusing. Aside from a disruptive/slightly amusing drunken passenger (I’ll let you guess how that turned out) the flights were cheap, short and sweet and set us quickly in the direction of fun.
With attractions like Gaudi in Barcelona, St. Patty’s day in Dublin, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the charming streets of London, and the enchanting nature of Italy, the week was destined to be packed full of fun and entertainment the entire week, and we were not disappointed. As you can imagine, the main destination/attraction of the break and of the group was Dublin, and you don’t have to wonder why—celebration extreme!! From the stories, it sounded like the intensity of this day long festivity was one for a life time—imagine green everywhere and Guinness all day long…
[Maria, Gretchen and Sarah enjoying the festivities of Dublin]
For those of us that missed the luck of the Irish, there was still fin to be had. Wandering the Gaudi lined streets of Barcelona were magnificent as the whole city seems to be representative of the Modernista style. It was neat to finally see buildings in person that you had always learned about in art history books, Casa Milla, Casa Batllo, Park Guell, Sagrada Familia (still unfinished), and the Palau de Musica —they are way better in person if you can only imagine.
**For an awesome view of the city go to the top of Casa Milla and Park Guell.
[the lizzard in Gaudi's Park Guell]
London, Paris, and Italy proved equally as entertaining as well, days full of lots of wondering and sight seeing—the maze like streets of Venice, the leather market in Florence, the London eye, and the Tuileries outside the Louvre, all quenched our insatiable need for travel and added to the places we can now say that we have actually been.
[some of the girls in front of Big Ben in London]
With only 6 weeks still left in the trip (which none of us wants to talk about) there are no limits to the place we can still go and enjoy. Our lists of journeys can be never ending and just how we like it. Personally, I don’t like limits and am looking forward to never ending possibilities of these next few weeks—let’s be honest though—who said this was or has to be the end?
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Fri Mar 13, 2009
It's a Small World, After All...
Universal. Have you ever thought about what it means for things to be universal? I know I haven’t…before coming to Italy, my only connection to the word was in reference to building codes and handicap accessibility guidelines. But the past six weeks have opened my mind to a whole new meaning of the term. I have started recognizing the many similarities between life here in Italy and life back in Auburn and it is astonishing how long the list is! Back towards the beginning of the trip, some of us girls started joking around and making a list of things that are universal. It was all in good fun and started out with things like puppies being cute and not wearing a white coat while you eat gelato. But as the trip has progressed, I have come to realize how much truth there was in our list. And because of this, I have decided to share with you a short version of my list of things that are universal…
1. The Passion that accompanies Aspiration…
Just yesterday morning our group had the opportunity to visit the James Joyce Lyceum, a high school in Ariccia which students choose to attend because of its focus on languages. When we arrived, we were met by a group of students who gave us tours of the school and told us about a typical school day. Then, when our tours were over, they took us back to their classroom where we got a chance to just chat with them about anything and everything. And the kids were fantastic…they were all so eager to talk to us and ask questions about us and our lives in America. But, what impressed me the most was their answers when we asked them if they were planning on attending University when they graduated from high school… It was a unanimous yes. And they were so excited about it… I could tell by the looks on their faces that they were elated to have the opportunity to continue their educations by going to University. It honestly was one of the most inspiring things I have ever experienced.
2. The Power of Creativity…
Throughout this entire trip, we have been continually exposed to some of the greatest pieces of art and architecture ever created. And as it is with anything, some people appreciate certain creations more than others. But, art history nerd or not, I don’t think anyone can deny the sense of awe that overwhelms you when you first round the corner and get your first glimpse of the Pantheon or walk into the Academia and are greeted by Michelangelo’s David towering over you. It is a magical feeling that can’t be explained…being in the presence of such immaculate creations is empowering, inspiring, and most of all, powerful.
[sweeney, green, and i in st. peter's square]
3. The Calming Effect of Nature…
This past weekend, nine of us had the opportunity to visit Cinque Terre and hike along its famous trails for a few days. And all I can possibly say is that those were the best two days I’ve had in an incredibly long time. They were as close to perfect as could be…and not just because of the beautiful sunny weather. I think what made those two days so perfect was that we got to spend them out in the fresh air while hiking on cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean. And the air out there is clean, crisp, and a little bit salty. It’s the perfect combination – you can’t help but feel rejuvenated.
[cinque terre hikers stopping to enjoy the scenery]
4. The Innocence of Children…
Never in my life have I been as in tune with the joy that children bring into the world as I have been these past few weeks. It’s hard to explain, but there is something about how kids relate to the world around them that is incredibly pure and refreshing… This picture was taken this past weekend on the beach in Cinque Terre, where this little guy was so focused on his digging that I don’t think anything could have gotten him to leave his little pile of sand. And the crazy part is that this picture could have been taken anywhere in the world, because the innocence of children knows no boundaries.
[digging on the beach in levanto]
5. The Intensity of a Perfect Sunset…
To top off our weekend in Cinque Terre, we returned to Vernazza, our favorite coastal city, and sat on the rocks to watch the sun set. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect picture…waves crashing up onto the rocks, mountains incredibly clear out in the distance, and the sun descending slowly until it met the horizon. But once again, the crazy part is that people all over the world are experiencing the exact same thing. And knowing that is intense, but in a good way…it reminds me of how unified this huge world of ours really is. [Make sure you really take in the colors of the sunset…War. Eagle.]
[the sunset in vernazza on our last night in cinque terre]
I really hope that this list has given everyone a glimpse into the awe that I feel every time I experience something that is new, but at the same time, is wonderfully familiar. It has caught me off guard time and time again that I keep forgetting that I’m actually in Italy. And at first I thought that was a bad thing, because I didn’t think I was absorbing the environment that I was in. But what I have come to realize is that that feeling only serves to illustrate this concept of ‘universality’. And that is by far the most significant thing that I have absorbed from my time here in Italy…the simple realization that the basic principles and sensations of life are the same all over the world, no matter where you are.
[P.S. The picture below is my favorite picture from the past six weeks… It’s from our second weekend here, where we spent four days in Rome. A few of us got up at 5:45 on Sunday morning before we left and watched the sun rise at the Trevi Fountain…we were the only ones there and it was the most perfect, tranquil thing I’ve ever experienced…so of course we had to interrupt the stillness with a good jumping pic! So I guess I have one more thing to add to the list…things that are universal…memories that will last forever]
[me, em, pavey, and green disrupting the stillness of sunrise at the trevi]
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Mon Mar 09, 2009
The Hike of a Liftetime!
I cannot believe that the sixth week is already beginning. The past few weeks have flown by and have been absolutely amazing. On Thursday night a few of the others girls and I boarded a train from Florence to Cinqueterre. We got to Cinqueterre that night and went straight to the hostel. We stayed in Levanto, which is not one of the five towns, and our hostel was very nice. They were ten of us total which was a really good size group. We ate dinner that night at a really cute restaurant and we had a feast. The seafood was amazing from the fried fish to the ravioli with shrimp and tomatoes. We also had tiramisu and other delicious surprises which made our first night there perfect. The next morning we got up to have a great breakfast in our hostel and then it was time to hike. We met our tour guide/hiking guide Patricia at the train station and then we were off to explore Cinqueterre. We started in Riomaggiore then worked our way through each city back towards Levanto. In Riomaggiore we walked around the town and then it was off to Manarola. 
This is a picture of the group as we are walking to Manarola.
We took the train from town to town and then hiked throughout each town to explore every part. In Corniglia, the third town, we climbed almost four hundred stairs to reach this town that is in the center of the Cinqueterre. It was a small, quaint town that was beautiful. We walked along the coast and saw the Mediterranean Sea the whole time while walking. After our long day of hiking, we had plenty of time just to relax that night. We ate lunch in Corniglia and after walking to see a gorgeous panoramic view of Cinqueterre we left to go to our next town. The next town was Vernazza and it was my favorite town. It was so small but it was the most interesting and the prettiest of all them to me. We tried the wonderful pesto pizza here and had some of the best gelato. After a short walk through the town, you turn a corner and all of the sudden there was a gorgeous view of the Mediterranean Sea. There were boats just sitting in the water and people just sitting on the rocks looking out on the water. We walked to the top of what was left of a castle and got beautiful pictures of this town and the surrounding area. 
A picture of Vernazza from the top of the castle!
After Vernazza it was off to Monterosso al Mare, the final town. This is the beach town and there is an old part and new part. We saw both and hiked to church and a cemetery and that looked over both the old part and the new part. After this long day of hiking we went back and watched the sunset in Levanto and watched the kids riding their bikes along the sidewalk and playing in the sand on the beach. Each town resembled what Italy really seems like to me. When I thought of Italian towns and the mountains beforehand, this is what I always thought of Italy to look like.
The next day was the most intense day of the whole trip. When I woke up I knew that we were hiking but I did not realize how intense it was going to be. We took a train to Monterosso al Mare and then we hiked from the bottom of a mountain to the top. 
This was the sign at the top of the mountain saying what we hiked.
There were so many steps and it was literally straight up. Some of the steps some of the girls had to use their upper body strength to pull themselves up because the stairs were so steep. The view was amazing of all of Cinqueterre on our way up and the day was absolutely beautiful. 
A view of the Mediterranean Sea while hiking to the top!
At one point I did not think we were going to make it but we did and I am so proud of all of the girls. It was so worth it and the view from the top was amazing. We ate our lunches and just looked at the Mediterranean Sea, while doing a little bit of stretching to get ready for the hike down. We then hiked down the mountain and back to Levanto. It had rained for a few days before we got there and so the mountain still had water on it from the rain and so it was definitely slippery trying to walk down. We saw so many interesting flowers and Patricia was such an interesting guide to have. After this intense hike we went back to Vernazza and watched the sunset on the water from the rocks. 
A view of the sunset while sitting on the rocks in Vernazza!
It was a great day and a great end to the day. We could not have asked for better food and better days to explore and hike. The weather was wonderful and thankfully all of the rain was gone. It was definitely the experience of a lifetime and I am so glad that I got to experience that hike!
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Fri Mar 06, 2009
Over, Under and In Between the Tuscan Sun/Rain
I am currently writing this blog in our hostel in Florence. A few of us decided to stay in Florence 2 extra nights and it was a great decision! (If there are punctuation marks left out and/or things spelled wrong- I blame the Italian keyboard, I am have trouble finding some of the keys.)
The week started off with a trip to Siena. It was a beautiful city full of historic architecture and modern interiors- not to mention the amazing doughnut holes! Our next adventure led us to Cortona. It was cool to see where Under the Tuscan Sun was based. We all wanted to go see the Villa Bronosole but Enrico wasn't able to drive the bus down the road. Our next destination was one of my favorite things we have done yet! We got a tour of the Fittoria Santa Vittoria vineyard and afterwards were served a full out FEAST! We had a personal chef, Francesco, cook us an authentic Italian meal with 6 courses that was delicious! Marta (whos father owns the vineyard) led us in a wine tasting lession to show us the proper way to try wine. First, you hold the glass at the bottom so that you don't interfere with the temperature of the wine. Next, you aerate the wine to let out the bouquet. Then you taste!
Amanda and Ashley wine tasting!
Everyone loved the wines and most ended up buying some bottles to take home. As a group we decided to get Enrico some bottles because he is an awesome driver and we appreciate him so much! Midway through the meal Marta's 2 year old daughter came into the room. She was absolutely precious and she fell in love Raley! Then all of the sudden their HUGE adorable puppy showed up. He was in love with everyone! We ate so much I think we rolled onto the bus- on our way to Florence!
We got to Florence that night. The next morning we went to the Duomo. Because it was raining, we got to go inside the Duomo and see the dome! Rick Steves and Lisa (Ipod podcasts) led us through the different museums of Florence.
Rick and Lisa leading us through the rain.
After that, we went to the Academia and saw David! I think over half of the group is now in love with David and are using the statue as a prototype for their perfect man. After the David we were free to peruse the leather and food markets. A few of us found amazing paninis with a birra mustard sauce. I recommend everyone try it! Next, we hiked up to the Capucci Museum where we saw the most beautiful, elaborate and intricately designed dresses I've ever seen.
These were the more wearable Capucci dresses. The others were extremely elaborate!
Then we were free to shop some more! The next day we went to the Ferragamo Museum where we saw alot of shoes worn by famous actresses such as Marilyn Monroe, Nicole Kidman, Audrey Hepburn and many more. After Ferragamo we were off to the Uffizi where we saw alot of famous works of art. It was strange to finally see the art that we had studied so much about in school- in person! Works of art such as the Birth of Venus, Spring and alot of Giotto's famous works. Today is Friday and the first sunny day of the week! The rest of the groups have dispersed. Some of us have gone to Cinqueterre and others back to Ariccia. I am so glad we stayed in Florence longer to have more time to see the beautiful buildings, enjoy the interesting people and shop the markets longer (even though my bank account may not agree!)
Stew, Maria and me on the Ponte Vecchio.
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Sun Mar 01, 2009
Como se dici "Team Extreme" ?
It is kind of hard to believe that we have officially been here over a month, and slowly but surely becoming pros at this Italian thing! Each day we learn something new…whether it be something as small as how to say a new phrase in Italian or something as significant as the entire history of an important building that we visited. This week has been great! Gretch has the first part of the week on lock down…see previous bog.
But on Friday, we went to Deruta. Deruta is “A Potter lovers Pilgrimage” so if you love pottery…this is the place for you! We got to visit a pottery factory and personally watch an actual renaissance man make an incredible piece of pottery out of a ball of clay. It was for sure one of the coolest things ever! We first watched them mold the pottery, then saw where they were fired the pottery at 1000 degrees (that’s HOT), saw where they painted the pottery, and finally where it was glazed, stored, and sold! It was very cool to see the behind the scenes true life of a potter.
We then went to Assisi, where we saw the church of Santa Chiara (St. Clare) and the Church of San Francesco (St. Francis) [The power couple of their time]. It was a beautiful church that was really 3 churches in one! There were levels of the church. On the bottom level was where St. Francis was buried. It was meant to be a dark chapel so there weren’t any windows. The middle level was where the original chapel was built and walls and ceiling were covered in frescos of St. Francis and Jesus. The top chapel was meant to be very light so there were lots of windows and more paintings on the walls and ceiling of St. Francis and Jesus. It was a very beautiful church and very cool to see. And our tour guide was very interesting.
On our way back to Ariccia, Dr. B. told us that we had to go and meet Francessco at the Chapel across the street from the Chigi Palace for a tour and it was the only time that he could do it. It was late and it had been a long day but all of us were very excited about going to the church because we knew that there was a secret surprise waiting there for one of our girls…an engagement! Dr. B had known about it for weeks and had been trying to work everything out so it would be perfect and it was! We all got off the bus and walked over to the church and Rob was waiting for us on the steps and then got on one knee and proposed to our very own sweet little Ginny St. Clair. It was so sweet and she was shocked and of course said YES! At dinner on Sunday night Maurizo made a special congratulatory cake and it was wonderful!
Congratulazioni Ginny and Rob!!
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