Thu Jul 02, 2009
Ninfa Gardens and a wine tasting!
We were picked up from the palace this morning around 8:30 ready for our first field trip since the midterm break. We were prepared for a fun-filled day of gardens and wineries. The first stop on the agenda was the Ninfa Gardens. The Ninfa Gardens are a Medieval, English style Garden in Italy, meaning that the plants are meant to look wild and slightly overgrown making the viewer forget that it is actually manmade and every single detail is planned out in an extremely specific manner. Also, they contain plants from around the world, not just the region in which they lie, which in this case would be of course Italy. Upon arrival we were prepared for the gardens to be very beautiful, however, I know I was not prepared for the extreme variety and lushness of the Ninfa Gardens. It far exceeded my expectations. On our guided tour around the garden we saw everything from walnut trees to lavender bushes to bamboo stalks. It was truly amazing! There was even a spring, where the water was so clear and cold that we could drink straight from it. I don’t think we would ever find anything like that in a million years at home! We all enjoyed the beauty and took lots of pictures of course before getting back on the bus to head towards the Marco Carpineti wine farm and wine tasting session. When we arrived at the wine farm, we were met by a tour guide, who took us to the giant room in which they store and bottle their wine. The Marco Carpineti wine farm is a biological wine farm, meaning that they do not use any pesticides or grapes from any other regions of Italy, it is all-natural. We got to watch our tour guide “bottle” and label a practice bottle of wine without any wine in it and see the room where they store and age the wine in barrels. After that the fun began. They brought us the most delicious appetizers and pasta that were of course complimented by their very own wine, all while sitting at a long table in a room overlooking their gorgeous vineyards. After shoving one last spoonful of food in our mouths and sipping on our last glass of wine, we got back into the bus to go back to the palace. On the way it started raining, which in my opinion was the perfect end to a wonderful day because what better napping weather than a stormy afternoon. Tonight we are eating a group dinner and Cassandra has agreed to cook for us, I personally am very excited!
Jennifer and I at the Nina Gardens
Mon Jun 29, 2009
I use Google, make nice translation for you!
What a crazy past two weeks we have had! As Emmie mentioned we visited Milan before the break and had a lot of unexpected experiences. As a fashion capitol, it was an apparel design major's dream. I definitely have some inspirations from shop windows to take back to the States with me. Dad was quite relieved when he discovered I spent very little money there, none at all on clothing.
One of my favorite experiences of the week was going to a museum that taught us about the history of silk production. Even as an apparel design major, I had no idea all of the work that went into making a silk garment before ink jet printing. It gave me an entirely new perspective of silk that will serve me well when working on design projects.
Over the midterm break I was able to put to use many of the lessons we have been taught by the program. All of our Italian lessons with Mary Lou came in very handy while I was traveling with my parents around Italy. I was able to ask where certain landmarks within cities were located (such as the San Pietro in vincoli in Rome) or order our dinner at restaurants. One of my favorite experiences thus far was talking to Italian children at our hotel in the Dolomites. I highly recommend it if you want to practice what you know and learn more of the language. You know they won't hit on you (like the boys from Genzano) and they are much less intimidating and forgiving than grown Italians. This trip has really shown me that there are so many ways to communicate with other people, not just words. I have also been able to learn about how people of different cultures interact with one another, which directly relates to our college (human sciences).
Getting from place to place in Rome was a breeze, mom and dad were impressed by how well I was able to navigate the subways, busses and streets. Thanks "Welcome to Italy" guide! Since we had to complete the Rome scavenger hunt a few weeks ago, I knew many facts about the Roman Forum and the Coliseum that I could relay to my parents. Basically, I became their personal tour guide (sometimes with the help of Rick Steves).
Me with my parents at the Coliseum
Helping watch out for pickpockets (just like Dr. B taught us a few months ago) and telling my parents ways to stop them was a necessity.
I had the pleasure of being able to pass on some of Marco's history lessons and personal experinces while traveling all around the country with my family.
Teaching my parents about how to properly drink wine as we learned at a winery outside of Sienna was also quite a fun experience.
We definitely had our fair share of mishaps as well which no classroom would think to prepare you for! Remember to always make sure you show up to the right airport (double check your boarding tickets!), otherwise you might have to spend 70 euros on a cab and sprint to catch your flight. Also, make sure to be prepared for any weather conditions when hiking, a.k.a. don't wear shorts in the Dolomites if rain is on the forecast when snow is still on the ground.
The Dolomites, still beautiful even after a disastrous hike
Thu Jun 18, 2009
Money, Models, and Milan!
Wow! I dont even know where to begin! Milan was just as beautiful as I thought it was going to be! Thank goodness we were given very little free time because that city would have for sure caused me to put my parents in bankruptcy! Milan is everything I thought it was going to be, and more!! It has been my favorite place that I have traveled to thus far. Everyday was jammed packed with new and exciting things. The week started off bright and early Monday morning in Modena at a local factory producing balsamic vinegar. Now, in the past I would have told you that balsamic vinegar was one of my favorite things but taking shots of it makes me feel a little differently. It was very interesting the way they served all of their different flavors in little plastic shot glasses. Needless to say it was a very interesting experience that I am so glad I got to take part in.
I am pretty sure I can speak for the whole group when I say that we were all very surprised by our next destination. We were all a little skeptical when our bus driver left civilization and pulled up into a cow farm. Our initial shock of landing on the farm quickly turned into a papparazzi- crazed photoshoot with the smelly cows. Here, we learned all the steps that go into making parmesan cheese. For those of us who weren't completely grossed out by the smells, bugs, and overall process, were given a chance to taste test the parmesean cheese. Then we went to a place where you could purchase every thing that we tasted from earlier. And just in case we didnt have enough balsamic vinigar shots from earlier, we were given about ten more to try. They also introduced us to ice cream covered in balsamic vinigarI personally think that the person who came up with that combination got a little carried away when it came to his special sauce. So then we were off to out hotel in Mantova, along with 400 flies that decided to accompany us on our bus from our last destination on the farm.
Tuesday was dedicated to the search for Mr. George Clooney-- was an unsuccessful journey, I might add. We landed in Lake Como early in the morning, and we were disappointed after all the stalking we did through People magazine that had promised us a Clooney Sighting, only to find out the trustworthy magazine was sorely mistaken. So after that bit of a let-down we were off to Milan.
Wednesday, I would have to say, was my favorite day this week. Now the reason for this decision was either because of the great Japanese food we were given at lunch or from the group dinner that night with the Italian apperitivos. For those of you who do not know what that is: its unlimited finger food with the purchase of one drink. It was pretty funny to see the amount of times the Auburn girls went through that food line. I am sure it looked like we had not been fed in weeks. By the end of the night the group had me doing backbends to create a wig-like look with my own hair to make it look like it was Dr. Bs hairnot sure where that idea came from! But I will say that the pictures from that little stunt are priceless, and if I can get a copy of that picture it will absolutely be on my blog by the end of the semester. Anyway, back to the rest of the week in the fashion capital of MilanBy the end of the trip we went to places such as the local museum of silk, visit to the Villa Necchi Campiglio of Piero Portaluppi, and a tour through the best flagship stores in Milans downtown area. The day ended with an eight hour bus ride with a bunch of sad people who were forced to go back! Although my spirits were lifted again when I got to sit next to Peek on the bus. She spent a good three hours on the same EASY level Sudoku game. Oh and by the way, she was still unable to finish by the time we got home.But hey, at least she can draw!
The group at the villa with Max.
The two Allies, Me, and Sassy Abbey
Look what I finally got a copy of...
Sun Jun 14, 2009
Art & Relaxation
Its the dawn of a new day (almost, the sun isnt actually up yet), and we have so much to look forward to. Our near future has great things in store for us, including Modena, Parma, and Milan, then were off on our own for over a week to experience all weve planned for the midterm break. I am so excited to experience all these great new things, but am amazed at how much time has passed already. Our time here in Italy s nearly half over. Looking back, we have done so much, though.
This week was a busy one, as Jenna noted in he blog, with a lot of long days. But it had its its rewards.
Mondays topics of cardiovascular health and the Mediterranean diet got me back to thinking about all I have learned in Auburn from my nutrition studies. It is interesting to look at the similarities and differences in theories of health and well being around the world. The day gave me an opportunity to renew my commitment to living well.
On Thursday night I was so excited to be invited by Francesco to his art opening at Villa dEste in Tivoli. All of the paintings featured the Lazio region of Italy (where we are living and learning today) in the XVI and XVII century c.e. It is amazing that most of the art that was exhibited here had not been cataloged or published before, and we were right there in its presence. Among the guests was the owner of the art himself, but he wished to remain anonymous, enjoying the art with the rest of us. I was also excited to be able to explore the beautiful gardens at Villa dEste and let the tadpoles in one of the pools nibble on my fingers. The best experience there, however, was to see how Francescos face lit up when he saw that we all came to enjoy the opening he had worked so hard on.
Me "fishing" for tadpoles.
After the long week, this weekend was meant for relaxing. Most of our group relinquished our traveling priviledges for a couple of days and simply did what we needed to do, stay home. We knew we had a couple lof ong weeks ahead of us, and didnt want to miss the Festivale Infiorata in Genzano, either. The art and medium used was so impressive, being all natural ingredients, such as flower, coffee grounds, and sand. Such an event is not to be missed.
As I furiously pack this morning for our next two weeks of adventure, I can only hope that the rest of our time abroad is as exciting as all Ive experienced so far. The personal growth Ive experienced and connections I have made are truly the opportunity of a lifetime!
Fri Jun 12, 2009
An Italian Experience
I cant believe we have been here for over a month already! At first, while we were still trying to get adjusted to our new lifestyle, the days were moving a little slowly, but now, with our days packed with class, field trips, and traveling, the days are flying by. So far, I have only stayed within the borders of Italy, yet I feel like I still have so much more of the country to see; it amazes me how this small country has so much diversity, history, and beauty.
After a busy week in Siena and Florence, followed by a weekend in Cinque Terre, this relaxed week was just what I needed. Although Monday was a busy day full of classes, Monday night may have been one of my favorites thus far. After a brief lecture on the Mediterranean diet and history of wine, the entire group, plus our instructors, gathered in the kitchen for a wonderful meal and wine tasting. Cinzia and Roberta prepared an amazing spread of cheeses, breads, olives, melon, meats, salad, and pasta, and we all ate our delicious food while trying the various white and red wines Maurizio provided for us. With our newly acquired wine tasting skills, we made sure to swirl, inspect, and smell each wine before tasting. Although the white, in addition to the red, wines may all look the similar, you must not be fooled by their appearances; surprisingly, each individual wine has its own unique flavors and aromas. However, the wine and the food is not what made me appreciate this night so immensely; what made the night so special was all 20 of us girls, plus our wonderful instructors, all enjoying the same meal together. Although we have had group dinners before, there was something special about this night that I cant quite explain. The mood in the room was uplifting and lively; there was no hint of negativity or animosity in the room. While I can only speak for myself, I think this night was the perfect way to erase our sour, exhausted moods and begin the week off on a happy note.
In addition to attending classes, all 20 of us departed for a field trip to the towns of Orvieto and Todi pn Wednesday morning. Although these towns were small and void of a lot of commotion, I really enjoyed seeing what each of the towns had to offer. In Orvieto, a medieval town in the region of Umbria, we explored the Pozzo di S. Patrizio, a giant well that was once built for the Popes. After descending down the countless, spiral steps that led to the bottom of the well, it was breathtaking to look up to the top and really grasp how big the structure was; just remember, once you go all the way down, you have to climb all the way back up! After our exploration of the well, we toured the Duomo that sits in the center of the town; similar to the Duomo in Siena, the enormous columns supporting the interior were decorated with the theme of gray and white, while the ceilings and walls were decorated with the most beautiful mosaics.
☺
Allie and I at the Duomo in Orvieto (notice the grey and white columns)
Now, I thought I would add a little personal story of an event that occurred last night. After spending the day alone in the Palace from 9 AM to 8:45 PM due to illness (while the group was on another field trip to Umbria) , Cinzia and I decided to go to the hospital to make sure everything was okay. I am supposed to be flying out at 6:50 AM Saturday morning for an overnight trip to Venice, followed by a group trip to Milan Monday thru Thursday. Needless to say, it was best to go to the hospital Thursday night before all the traveling began. Although it was a bit nerve-wracking spending 12 hours alone in a foreign hospital where the communication was little if none, my experience was totally satisfactory; I honestly cannot complain at all. The doctors decided it would be best for me to stay overnight for further observation, but unfortunately, there were no rooms available for me to sleep in; instead, I slept on a portable bed in the main corridor. This may sound a bit iffy, but I actually found this to be an eventful experience (in a positive way). I had trouble sleeping, but fortunately, there was a lot of action in the hospital last night, so I kept myself entertained by watching all the commotion. Although I probably wouldnt want to spend multiple nights at the hospital, the staff was very nice, and I felt very safe and secure. So no need to worry if your child is admitted to the hospital here, they will be totally taken care of!
Sun Jun 07, 2009
"Get Lost"
Where do I begin? Never in a million years did I think that in one week I would travel the hills of Tuscany and the canals of Venice. I find myself pinching my arm from time to time just to make sure Im not dreaming. It all started early Tuesday morning when we loaded the bus and were off to our first stop, a wonderful vineyard in Tuscany. I dont think any of us have had two glasses of wine before noon, but it was a great experience. It was very fun to sit and learn the correct way to taste wine. Step one: twirl the glass to see how thick the wine is. The slower it runs down the glass, the better the wine. Step two: start from one side of your nose and move it in a semi circle to get the smell of the wine. Step three: sip the wine and let it sit on your tongue to get the full affect. Our table was a little more focused on me and my terrible, yet humorous, wine tasting skills. Im always happy to provide a good laugh. After some fabulous wine and cheese and a breathtaking tour around the grounds, we were off for more adventures. Driving from one city to the next it was hard to keep my nose off the window. The views were just absolutely amazing! No picture could ever do it justicebut I still took my fair share.
~Beautiful landscape of Tuscany
I would have to say that one of my favorite places in Tuscany was Siena. My family has grown up around the farm and Ive always love to ride horses, so I was really excited that we were going to Siena where one of the most famous horse races is held. We all had dinner the first night in an open square, but I dont think any of us realized that it was the place where the race was actually held. The next day Jennifer talked about the bareback horse race and all of us were in amazement that it was held in this somewhat small square. I found a few post cards with the races on it to send home ,and they were really cool to get some kind of image of the race. Jennifer even mentioned that some of the landlords kicked people out of their homes around the square in order to make money for the races. Crazy!
Florence was next on our journey, and I was blown away by the duomo. Allie and I found ourselves with a neck cramp because we couldnt take our eyes off the painting inside the duomo. Seeing the demons of the underworld and the angels of heaven almost brought a tear to my eye. It will definitely make you take a moment to think about life. We spent most of our free time inside the church sitting on one of the benches just talking about life and our trip thus far. Then, after a trip to the spectacular statue of David, we all hit the leather market. I think everyone made great purchases, including mef. I definitely could have spent another day in Florence, but some of us were off to Venice for the weekend.
~Just imagine an intense horse race held here
Needless to say Friday night was a bit of an adventure, but everything worked out and we all settled into our hotels for a good nights rest. Saturday was a brand new day and we were ready to get lost. As Rick Steves suggested. Venice is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The buildings are rich with character ,and so are the people. That afternoon, after a relaxing gondola ride, we stopped in a tiny square to have gelato and this women came up to ask us to take our picture. We all looked at each other in confusion and said yes. She said it was just too cute of a picture, and we all laughed. They were very kind, and took our cameras as well, so that we could have a copy of our own.
~We LOVE gelato!
Overall it was one of my favorite trips weve taken this summer. Tons of fun was had and lots of lessons learned, but we were all eager to get to our home away from home. We all look forward to the week in Ariccia and a relaxing weekend. I cant wait to see what else is in store for us. Ciao Ciao.
The Ants Go Marching One By One Hurah! Hurah!
Adventurous might be one good word to describe our weekend in Venice. Before I tell you about the ups and downs of this weekend, let me back up to Tuscany. Week four was great. I think we would all agree that our trip to the vineyard and wine tasting near Sienna was a favorite.
Jenna, Emmie, Allie, Me, and Allie at our wine tasting!
Each day was very unique, but fun. In volterra, we enjoyed our tour guide, Annie, from Washington D.C. She landed in Volterra eleven years ago. A husband and child are two small additions in her life that have kept her here. As a matter of fact, they will probably keep her here forever. Her story was very different but fun to hear. Interacting with different people has been a great learning experience. Meeting people who are so different from us not only opens our eyes to different sides of the world but it teaches us to embrace differences and love people for who they are. Because my major, Hotel and Restaurant Management, is so focused on people, I have loved all of these different interactions. Moving on to Florence...
Florence was great! The city was big but not huge like Rome. We loved the food up north and the people were very friendly.
Did you ever sing the song The Ants Go Marching One By One Hurah! Hurah! when you were camping as a child? This song would be appropriate in Venice. Late Friday night our, lets call him speechless, bus driver took us 30 minutes outside of Venice to our campground. Of course, we did not know we were signing up for a camping trip. Im sorry to say I forgot my boots and tent! Instead, we agreed to head back to the beautiful city and find a place to stay. How will we find a hotel? Will it be safe? Will we be homeless? All of these questions came to mind. American Express was no help in finding a hotel. I guess their five star service wasnt really up to five stars on Friday. Dont worry, we arent holding it against them! Early Saturday morning, around 1:15, we all settled into our hotels. All summer I have dreamed of treating myself to a nice hotel and I guess my wish came true. A lot of Euros later I found myself sharing a four star hotel with Chasley. Of course we enjoyed the hotel, but was it worth the money? No way! It sure was an adventure! The clock kept ticking and we were still homeless, so we caved and splurged. Once we were all spread out around the city and safe, we could sleep peacefully. Dont worry, the adventures did not end there! Sunday, we were thrilled to have a free boat ride to Murano to watch glass blowing and have a tour of a glass warehouse. Miscommunication, lack of alarm clocks, and stress left two girls in bed when our boat pulled away. What did we learn from our adventurous trip to Venice? Examine hostels closely, work on communication, try to keep your stress level down, laughing is the best medicine you could ask for, and never trust a vodaphone to wake you up in the morning! Saturday night we had the most fun group dinner we have had all summer. Catherine cried she was laughing so hard and of course all of our stomachs hurt! Here is a picture of the one and only Venice group.
We look forward to a relaxing week of class and field trips in Ariccia this week. It is great to be home in the palace! Ciao!
Mon Jun 01, 2009
Teaching points
Even though I have only been in Italy for three weeks, there are many lessons that I have learned that are reshaping the way in which I view the world and myself. The following are some notable lessons:
Lesson 1: Kindness is a universal form of communication.
One day I ran to the supermercato to grab some items for dinner; however, once I arrived to the palace and started to gather all of the materials for dinner, I realized I forgot one important Italian ingredientfresh garlic. I ran to the alimentari in order to see if they had garlic, but unfortunately, they only had garlic powder. As I was talking to the assistant with my limited vocabulary of Italian, a person in the line told me that the fraschetta restaurant had some fresh garlic. So I ran to the fraschetta restaurant that is right across from the palace and asked to buy some garlic, and by this time my stomach was reminding me that it was well past dinnertime. The attendant went straight to the back of the restaurant and pulled out the prized ingredient for my new recipe. I asked her the cost, but she gave me the garlic free of charge. We immediately embraced, and I experienced one of the most sincere hugs that I have had in Italy thus far. At that moment I felt at home, I felt welcomed, I understood. Even though I didnt know how to accurately articulate my appreciation in Italian, I am certain that she knew that I was grateful and honored to receive her act of kindness.
Another moment of kindness that touched my heart was when our whole group took me out for my 26th birthday celebration. After Abby, Sam, and I returned to the palace from the classical concert, everyone was dressed so nicely and waiting for us in the lobby. We went to a restaurant called Glam in Albanomy dinner and dessert was covered, and I got the sweetest card. Everyone made me feel so special, and it was an experience that I etched deeply in my personal history book.
Before my birthday dinner
Lesson 2: You are leaving a legacy.
We had an opportunity to visit ancient resting places throughout RomeThe Non-Catholic Cemetery/Englishmen Cemetery and the burial grounds for the Etruscans. This experience was far from morbid, for it reminded me of how our lives are writing a story that will be remembered long after we are gone. Hearing the stories of famous English poets such as John Keats (who was in a quest for finding a cure for his battle with tuberculosis while in Rome), and Percy Shelley (an English poet whose widow, Mary Shelley, wrote Frankenstein) helped me to realized that you are never too young to leave your mark on the world. Also, it was amazing to hear how Keats studied medicine but it was not his true passionhe would even doodle and write poetry in his anatomy books. This reminds me that the line of work that you pursue must ring true to your hearts passion. Because when you operate in this vein, your work will impact how others experience life--and this life changing force may reverberate throughout many generations.
The bed where Keats spent his last few days
Lesson 3: Slow down and live.
I am totally soaking up this lesson. I wouldnt say that the way of life in Italy is at a slow pace, but I would say that the way of life in Italy is at the right pace. You have an opportunity to take time for things that matter, such as truly paying attention to everyday conversations, making time for family and friends, laughing until you are exhausted, cooking large dinners, going for walks. Essentially, you get an opportunity to not just smell the roses but acknowledge that they exist. Never in my life have I slept betterI sleep throughout the entire night, and I wake up surprised to know that it is morning time. Also, it is refreshing to experience a culture that isnt too consumer driventhe supermarket closes on Sunday at 1:15 in the afternoon, none of the clothing stores are open on Sundays, and all of the local shops and restaurants are closed during the middle of the day from about 1-4 p.m. so that employees can enjoy lunch at home with their families.
Overall, I feel as if I am living life as I never have beforeI am truly ENJOYING myself and letting go of some reservations that were handicapping me from experiencing life to its fullest. I am being changed day by day, and I am not just learning about some of the greatest architecture, art, and history in the world, but I am also learning more about myself in this global context. Who will know what I will discover in the next 8 weeksbut I am so excited to find out!
Thu May 28, 2009
Ancient Rome Scavenger Hunt
Laura and I inside the Colosseum
Yesterday we headed to Rome for our Ancient Rome Scavenger Hunt. We were given a list of 20 clues, and we had to research online and figure out what locations in Rome we were supposed to visit. We were allowed to go on the scavenger hunt with other girls in the group, but we all had to take our own pictures to turn in. It did make the whole experience a lot more fun to be able to do it together though.
Since we were on our own to get the scavenger hunt done, we decided to sleep in yesterday morning and go into Rome around lunchtime. We woke up on Wednesday, got ready, and hopped on the bus to Rome. Once we were on the metro, we started making our stops. We had to visit many different sites, so I will just talk about some of my favorites. We started out with the clue that was the most out of the way, which was to find an ancient structure that supplied the city of Rome with water. Luckily some of the girls had done some extra research and found an Aqueduct a few blocks off of one of our metro stops. Next we headed to the Colosseum. I have been to Rome once before, but was not able to go inside of the Colosseum during that trip. I was really excited to see what it was like. What I saw was something indescribable. It was strange to stand inside the Colosseum and think about everything that took place there such as all the gladiator fights, public executions, killing of wild animals, and killing of Christian martyrs. We spent a long time at the Colosseum reading about the history, looking around, and just trying to process what a huge part of history we were having the privilege of visiting.
Inside of the Colosseum
Next, we headed to the Roman Forum. It was so much bigger than I expected. One thing that was hard for us here was that many of the ruins and ancient buildings were not clearly marked, so it was hard for us to find the things we needed to take pictures of for our scavenger hunt. But we still had a lot of fun walking around, exploring, and trying to figure out what everything was. We also visited Capitoline Hill and Museum while we were close to the Forum because it is so close. Here we saw the original statue of Marcus Aurelius and the statue of Romulus and Remus. After the Capitoline Museum, Laura, Allie and I decided to split off from the group and make a couple extra stops before we took care of our last clue. We are all going to Paris for our 4th of July break, and have decided to go to Disneyland Paris during one of our four days there. We remembered seeing a Disney Store near the Spanish Steps in Rome, and were so excited that we decided to go ahead and get our tickets. So we hopped back on the metro, headed to the Spanish Steps, and successfully purchased Disneyland Paris tickets using the little Italian we know. After that we took a picture of our last clue, the Tiber River, got some gelato, and then hopped back on the metro to head home to Ariccia. It was an exhausting day filled with lots of Roman history, millions of soccer fans, and my first Italian pizza, but we had a great time!
Laura, Allie and me with our Disneyland Paris tickets!
Mon May 25, 2009
POSITANO!!
Even though we were not in a classroom from Wednesday to Saturday, one would be at great fault to say we had not been learning. Even though Positano was our vacation spot, we as a group acquired more information in our journey to understand the Italian style of living. Once we arrived in Positano we were greeted by an extremely long flight of stairs. Stairs that in fact would cause most of us too have uncontrollable shakes once we reached our destination. After the stairs, and two (very small) elevator rides we arrive at our new home for the weekend, the Pupetto. The reception area and eating place was a terrace (that was covered in lemon trees and other colorful flower bushes) that looked out over our beautiful private beach surrounded by anchored sailboats of all shapes, sizes, and colors. IT WAS AMAZING! It was quite a sight to see the dark, pebbled beach as opposed to the white sandy beaches most of us are accustomed to, but we were all excited to be at the beach, IN ITALY!
For our first dinner we dined at a seafood place, appropriately because we were right by the Mediterranean Sea. Our first course came out: salads; but not just any salad, lettuce adorned with mussels, octopus, and calamari, not at all what we were expecting or (for most) desired, but a few did enjoy the array of Mediterranean delicacies. Our first lesson, never expect what you imagine, especially when it comes to Italian cuisine. The meal was followed by gelato and strolling around the area where we found vendors selling gorgeous cover-ups and jewelry and a string of lighted restaurants that looked out onto the water. The lights of the hillside town and the candles on the tables of the beachfront restaurants were magical, it was like a movie set: unbelievably perfect!
The first night was quite a change from the luxuries of our palace home, although we were all happy and excited, we did miss a few things we were not used to missing. Lesson number two: although your hotel room may be missing a few key objects, it all works out. All of our rooms came without a shower curtain. It sounds minor, and ended up being no problem at all, but it is a very odd feeling (one that took some getting used to) to bathe yourself out in the open. A lot of the rooms also did not even have a shower it was more of a lowered square in the corner of a tiled room with a shower head attached to the wall. We all joked about it while also flooding our bathrooms; it was a fun experience to say the least.
Our first day we decided to venture to the island of Capri, a beautiful thirty minute ferry ride away and full of unbelievable views and expensive shopping. While some walked around the area, another group took a boat ride around the island of Capri. We saw the Blue Grotto (famous for its electric blue water) the Lovers Arch, and many houses of the rich and famous. It was nice to feel the breeze from the front of the boat where quite a few of us sat in awe of the ridiculous view we were seeing. When the boat returned the rest of us ventured around the tiny island to shop and grab some lunch. A majority of the shopping was expensive brand names so it was just looking, and not a lot of purchasing. Although some girls were afraid they would have to purchase a 1,000 euro dress, due to a tiny spot on a dress and an outraged shop owner. Our third lesson: look but do not touch. While a few of the girls were looking in a store they were all gathered around a neat dress, some touched it( like a normal American would) and then they left the store. One of our group members that remained walking around that same store got a bit of a surprise. The shop owner headed straight for her, yelling in Italian, claiming she was responsible for some miniscule spot on that dress the girls had been looking at earlier. She yelled and screamed for about ten minutes while our friend tried to convince her she had not even touched the dress much less made the smudge. She finally got away, but not unharmed. It takes a lot to have someone yell at you for something you did not do, in a different language, all by yourself and not have a small breakdown. But she handled it like a champion and brushed it off, to make the best of the rest of her time on Capri.
Virginia, Hilary, Allie and Me on the beach of Capri
The second full day was spent on the beach (RIGHT in front of our hotel) and walking around town. We spent time relaxing, reading, and learning more about each other, it was a great day! Lesson number four: we have a pair of excellent jellyfish wranglers in our group. Though the sun and sand were hot, we were upset to find that a swim to cool ourselves off was only a possibility for those who were very brave ( which included none of the girls in our group.) There were jellyfish everywhere! Some were washed on the beach while others were lining the shore. Some girls developed an entertaining way to pass the time in the heat, by trying to clear the water of jellyfish with rocks. They were good at what they did, but unfortunately did not make the water safe enough for us to swim, but I think they had a good time trying.
Our last lesson was learned on the last night of our stay. We planned to go to a really neat discoteca that was named Music on the Rocks, some of us made it and were told to pay a ten dollar cover charge if they wanted to stay. I forgot to mention that a small mixed drink was twelve euros at this place, that is about sixteen dollars, for ONE drink. We later found out that this particular discoteca was allowed to pull these ridiculous prices because they claimed Shaq and Denzel Washington had been there, but in reality, it was a monopoly. This was the only discoteca in Positano and with tourists and young people alike, they could set these prices and still get major business. Lesson number five: Positano discoteca=ridiculous prices. Even though a few did not make it to the discoteca the last night, we still had a goodtime playing card games and laughing in the hotel rooms.
Maybe these five lessons do not seem to be that large of a learning experience to you, but to the twenty of us they will forever be fun memories and important lessons learned. Even though we were on vacation, Italy is always a learning experience and a chance to get to know each other more and more with every day we spend together.
Also, in case you were wondering, the steps that made our legs shake going down were EXTREMELY TOUGH going UP on our last day. Another lesson, another memory, they did not stop the entire trip, and I hope they continue throughout the rest of the summer.
Positano, So beautiful!
Thanks to my loft roomies for the pictures!