Venezia!

Sorry it has been almost a week since I've last written, but no worries, when there aren't frequent posts it means I'm having a great time away from being stuck inside at a computer, so that's good news in my mind!

Anyways, I think I left off with last Wednesday which was a casual day much alike my Thursday. Because we were going to Venice on Friday with class, Benjamin cancelled our photography class because we would be having class in Venice and photo opportunities, so once again we only had our 2 hour class of Italian from 10-12 and then we had a day of freedom! It's sad that I can't exactly remember what I did that day, but I think we probably walked around town until 4 then returned home, napped, did some homework, and ate a delicious dinner made by Claudia per usual. I do know that after dinner we went out with Jordan, we met her at Piazza della Republicca, and ventured around to a few different bars and finally settled on trying a Kebab. Kebab stores are literally on every block in Florence, sometimes more than one on each block, and I had yet to try one, so Jordan and I decided to give it a shot. 4 euros for a wrap with a few french fries, some kind of thinly sliced meet, a few vegetables and a sauce, I gotta say it was pretty delicious, but no comparison to a GustaPanino!

Friday morning we had to wake up early to be at the train station by 9. Obviously I'm an anxious psycho and I woke up way to early and even though Sam wasn't ready and we had plenty of time to spare I HAD to leave for the train station because anxiety was just building within me. So I got to SMN at 8:35, ran into Liang, we went and got brioches, I had a chocolate one which was the first good chocolate croissant I've had (i've only had 3 mom). Most of them here have a chocolate pudding type thing inside rather than actual hard chocolate which is what I prefer and that is what the train station had! YUM!

Boarded the train at 9:25, I was definitely there WAY too early, but no worries I made the train! And we were off to VENEZIA!

When we arrived we all walked together to Aloggi Sofia which was kind of near the Rialto bridge. It was entertaining to see some people navigate the streets and the bridges with their unnecessarily large suitcases. But we all made it into the hotel safely and into our own rooms (which were pretty decent). We settled in and soon after embarked on our journey throughout Venezia. We we're hungry and Professor had suggested a place to eat so we went in search of that... Found it but everyone in the group followed us so it was crowded and I don't like traveling with a group of 20 cause its just too difficult so Anna, Alex, Sam, Liang, Sarah and I broke off. We wandered toward the Rialto and ended up grabbing a panino/rolatini thing to go from Bar Aperol! Then we were headed off toward San Marco. Acca and I couldn't handle stop and go motion toward there from the rest stopping into the glass shops and looking to buy trinkets, so we walked briskly to the piazza where we sat by the water and just hung out taking photos waiting for the others to appear from within the crowd.



Acca and I decided we wanted to take the vaporetto to the Island across the way with the church of San Giorgio (by recommendation of the mother). We left the others on the mainland (their loss), encountered a NASTY woman selling the tickets for the boats.

We started to ask her in italian... "Che baraca noi prendiamo per andare a S. Giorgio" ... she shouted back nastily " I SPEAK ENGLISH" She put me in a bad mood, mean lady. Anyways we bought tickets for the boat from the nasty mean lady who clearly did not want us learning her language because she knew ours and we were off to San Giorgio.

For some reason when we first arrived we didn't think to open the front door of the church. We walked around the entire thing, worrying that the church was closed and we had wasted money on the boat ride. Luckily we went back to the front and had the courage to open the door. Gorgeous church, what church isn't? We made our way to the back where the campanile entrance was, we bought our tickets that said elevator only, and we asked the vendor (in italian) if there were stairs we could take because we wanted to earn some gelato after the climb... but nope, no stairs, forced to take an elevator, which we rode up with french people, french people were everywhere in venice it was weird.


At the top we had gorgeous views of all the surrounding islands, and we had the pleasure of it turning 2:30 I think, and we were gifted with HUGE LOUD BELLS ringing right above our heads for at least 5 minutes. It was an experience but it left my head ringing a lot longer than the bells!


We returned to the mainland in search for Gelato before we had to go to our Professor's gallery opening in the Jewish Ghetto. We looked in numerous gelateria's none looked to our standards until we were closer to our hotel. We found a delicious place where Dan stumbled upon us while he was on his way back from trying to follow the W.C. signs to pay to use a bathroom. I got a cone for 1.50 euro with stratciatella and menta, my new favorite combo then we headed back to the hotel to change and go to the gallery. We then ran into the Benjamin's walking back to the hotel too, so we walked back with them and chatted for a little while and Professor Benjamin told us about a delicious meatball place we had to go to around the corner (we didn't end up having time).

We all met in the lobby at 5:30 to walk over to the opening in the Jewish Ghetto. We arrived a little before 6, and waited outside for it to open. In the Ikona Gallery Professor Benjamin's photos looked beautiful. I had never seen his work before so it was a really good experience for me, the photos were gorgeous, ranging from 1987-2005, black and whites from all over the world. It was a well put together gallery and you could tell how happy he was to finally have it completed!

After the Gallery and a little Prosecco, we all went to an osteria for Cristi's 21st birthday dinner. I had the menu turistco for 14 euro I got lasagne (nonna's is still the best), calamari, insalata mista and 1/4 litro di acqua! SCORE! It was a pretty decent meal, there was only one mishap. A fish was ordered and it came with bones, and someone was not thrilled with receiving a non boneless fish, so it was returned to the kitchen upon request, and a new pasta dish was requested because the osteria did not have any fish on the menu without bones. Went immediately home after dinner because we were waking up to take sunrise photos at the fish market.

Passed out immediately once my head hit the pillow.

Woke up to my awful piercing alarm at 5:45, immediately got out of bed, got dressed and washed up the went to the lobby to meet the 6am crew. We walked outside, walked past a surprisingly open bar with hot brioches, had to get one. Chocolate of course, maybe number 4? week 4, number 4, one a week, that's fair!


When we got to the market all the merchants were just in the beginning stages of setting up their stalls. All 15 of us who woke up swooped and surrounded the fish area with our cameras, snapping various shots of disgusting looking dead fish and alive crabs. Quite the entertainment. One of the stands had merchants who were really into entertaining us. This one man who seemed to run the show, Luca, kept cracking jokes at us, held his carving knives at me... others were throwing eels across the floor at our feet. They let us hold crabs and other fish, it was quite the entertainment and a great setting for shooting great pictures. Benjamin treated most of us to Cappuccinos at the bar on the corner of the market, delicious!


We were out taking photos from 6-8:30 trying to stay out of the workers ways. As the market began to get busy we were able to go to the breakfast that was included with our hotel and opened at 8:30. It was quite the good included breakfast, drinks of our choice, I had a hot chocolate and orange juice, then I had some yogurt, a brioche and lots of fruit. Oranges, bananas and kiwis! I now eat the entire Kiwi, Sam taught me... literally skin and all, taste SO good and more enjoyable, eat it like an apple, no work involved. She is a smart Kiwi eater that Sam!

After breakfast we returned to the hotel to check out. They let us leave our bags there while we explored the rest of Venice for the day. We took the boat to Murano where we hoped to see glass blowing. We wandered the island, looked at many glass necklaces and trinkets. Avery, Acca and I went into a glass art gallery. Gorgeous piece of glass, some looked like Picassos, there were also glass bamboo which were literally shivering in the wind. Made us all nervous so we left before we broke anything! Walked around the island in search for glass blowing. I guess all the factories and the museum are closed on Saturdays, but luckily on our way back to the boat we stumbled upon a man making little animals out of glass, so we saw him create a really cute elephant! Precious!

We got back to the Venice, I went to a photography gallery in the back corner of piazza san marco with Liang, Sarah and Acca, lot's of great photos inside, mostly black and whites. Some very very nice prints, I definitely enjoy looking at photography galleries over most others. After we headed back to the hotel to meet up with everyone, walk to the train station and head home. My legs were dead and I was beat so I was happy to sit on a train for two hours, and I was a little happy we didn't have to stay another day, because I would have been SO tired!


We arrived back in Florence. Claudia had left dinner out for us: fish, vegetables and some bread. Healthy dinner! Then we all went out, met Anna and people at SMN after a bus that we didn't think would come for a while stopped randomly for us at a place that wasn't even a bus stop and saved us from walking all the way in town. Strangely there was one other passenger on the bus and it happened to be Alexa, so together we all walked to a bar named Naima, got drinks there then continued on to finish the night at club TwentyOne. It was a fun night, we got our fill of dancing in and were back cozy in our beds by 2:00am ready to take advantage of the first day I have been able to sleep past 9! YAY!

Monday, Professor had us over to his apartment for a celebratory wine and cheese tasting for having completed our first photo project. Their apartment, a block up from Santa Croce, was huge and gorgeous. I wish i took pictures, hopefully he will invite us back so I can. We watched a slide show of all our photos, his wife Donna had prepared crostini, olives, and cheeses to compliment each of the wines. We tasted 2 Proseccos, a 3 euro and a 9 euro, a Chianti Classico DOC; Rosso di Montalcino [Renieri]; and Vin Santo (did not like that). And I ate the most delicious green olives I have ever eaten!

Today, Tuesday, we had Mauro. First I woke up early to check out the mercato in the cascine park with Anna, we walked through it having no purchases then walked back to school. I ate a Kiwi like an apple on the way back, we had class then breaked for lunch. We went to Nerbone again in the mercato centrale, got myself a porchetta sandwich, then left to find gelato with acca before our site visit at Santa Maria Novella. My favorite church in Florence so far, I may even like it better than the Vatican, but I haven't made that big decision final yet.

For dinner tonight Claudia used all the very ripe avocados, which have much greener outsides than the one's at home do, she made a delicious guacamole. Then we had a mix of cooked vegetables, peas, carrots, sprouts, a lettuce, and mushrooms, along side a 4 grain couscous. Delicious, and I am now in the process of passing out on my computer while writing this blog so I'm gonna say A DOPO!

Tomorrow I'm waking up at 7:10 to make it to the Bargello by 8:30 for our reservation. One italian class 11-12. Eurocentres is having a picnic for all its students at 1, then we have a reservation for the Uffizi at 2:30 then WHO KNOWS!!

CIAO A DOPO