I took note of all th places, restaurants and sweets I loved while I was abroad. Here is a list I compiled including suggestions other people sent me. My best Advice if and when you go to Italy is to Get Lost! This is the only way you will learn your way around. Also once you start to wander you end up finding the best food, the best sites. Something I learned best in all of my traveling is to always look up, follow the signs and the streets, they will led you the right way.
Here goes...
Tips for Florence:
Places
-The Duomo- I would recommend going early in the morning and climbing to the top (this entrance is left of the main entrance on the side). Best view of the whole city
- the markets- great for leather, ceramics, hats, and gifts...easy to bargain, esp. When you buy several things
NorthWest of the Duomo...go up Borgo S. Lorenzo and it will be on your left for blocks and blocks
Be sure to hold tight onto your wallet or purse here. Lots of pickpockets
--Galleria dell' Accademia- must see the David. Plan for long lines if you do not have a pass.
-Piazza Della Repubblica is great to chill in on a hot day if you want to people watch and it's close to the shopping stores i.e. H&M and all the fashion.
-Piazza della Signoria/Palazza Vecchio is a nice place to chill and listen to music
-Galleria degli Uffizi- full of art from all time periods. Very long lines and could spenda whole day here, but well worth the art it you have the time.
-Ponte Vecchio- a well know street/bridge for its gold and Jewelry...it is a fun place to hang out at night and listen to music
-Palazzo Pitti ( Pitty Palace) a gorgeous palace. My favorite is the gardens behind the palace: Giardino di Boboli. This is a great place to spend the afternoon!
-check out Piazza Michelangelo, great view.
-Chiesa di San Miniato al Monte--- the monks make amazing honey that they sell in the gift shop. Listening to the choir sign is cool too, around 5pm
Food
-best known for this thick bread soup...it's a Tuscan soup
-Hit the Diner if you are craving an American breakfast/burgers/shakes.
-The Oil Shoppe has great sandwiches, get the meatball.
22r S.Egidio Firenze (Italy)
-If u want a Kebab, Mesopotmia (sp?) Kebab ( Via Dell'Oriuolo) is the best, gotta get the 5€ one with cheese
-I due fratellini ---great, cheap sandwiches
http://www.iduefratellini.com/
Via dei Cimatori, 38-red
50122 Florence Tuscany, Italy
(around the corner from Palazzo Vecchio
-Ristorante Pizzeria il Teatro- Via Ghibellina,128r. 50122 Firenze
Best gnocchi!
-Cebero Trattoria (sp)..... Nicer restaurant, but best food I have ever had!
-Ostaria dei Pentopoveri Via Palazzuolo, 31/r
www.centopoveri.it tel. 055.21.88.46
-Gusta Pizza - best pizza ever!
Via Maggio 46r-Firenze Tel. 055285068
-Ristorante del Fagioli - Corso Tintori, 47r- 50122 Firenze. Tel. 055 244285
Gelato
-Gelateria La Carraia - my favorite gelato place, get the biscotti
Piazza N. Sauro, 25r- 50123 Firenze
www.lacarraiagroup.eu
-Antica Gelateria Florentina - by the train station
Via Faenza 2a-50122, Firenze
The best here is the chocolate peanut butter
-Vivoli is said to have the beat gelato in Florence
Via Isola delle Stinche, 7
50122 Florence, Italy
- Grom
South side of duomo
The secret bakery! A block south (away from the river) from Santa Croce
Might be off Borgo Allegri
Opens at like 1 or 2am, when the bakers are making the pastries for the next day.
Drinks/bars
- known for Spritz
-Eby's Bar Via dell' Oriuolo 5R, Arco di San Pierino, 50122 Firenze
Straight from the Duomo, around the corner from The Lions Fountain
Must get Eby's drink
" Manja , Vai, Vai Vai, and a BANANA"
-The Lions Fountain
- Bar Near Duomo
Drinks and appetizers
Might be off Via Tosinghi
-Strip by santa Croce is full of fun bars
Moyo is a good one
- discoteca's are full of creepy men and pure grinding if you are into that kind of stuff
Side trips
-Take the train to La Spezia for the day, then get a Cinque Terre day pass and hit the 5 different towns "cinque Terre= five lands".
-Siena - small town, u gotta pay for the museums/ to climb the bell tower church place.
Best Gelato in the center of town: Gelateria il Gelato
Piazza del Campo, 41
Fun to see the rival areas, otherwise not much to do, except during the horse races
Food- known for pucci (sp?) an thick spaghetti like pasta
-Pisa-- this is also a small town, not much to do beyond seeing the main highlights. In the middle of June there is a cool candle lighting ceremony
Must see--- the Campo dei Miracoli including the Baptistery, the Cathedral, the grave yard and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was cool to see some very famous artists work here, like the work of Cimbue, Giovanni, and the architects of each building.
-I never went to Assisi but I heard it's really beautiful.
- The amalfi coast is a must. We went to Maiori and stayed, pricey but worth it. -Blue grotto is a tourist trap, you'll Pay like 15€ for a 5min boat ride through it, kinda weak.
-If ur with a large group take a boat ride around Capri during the day (lasts like 4hrs or something), take a lot of beers with u :).
-Milan is too metropolitan.
-If ur looking to party hard one weekend with nothing but foreigners go to Rimini or Riccione. 2 party cities on the east coast, one of my favorite places during my trip.
Venice
A beautiful city surrounded by water
The Jewish Cemetery is cool
Must go to the surrounding islands Murano and Burano. they are known for their laces and glass blowing.
A gondola ride is fun, but very expensive
Rome-
Hotel: Best Western Hotel Globus. Viale Ippocrate 119, 00161 Roma
Very nice, good location by university, expensive approx €163 a night
Gelato: Gelateria Artigianale. Via del Governo Vecchio, 112, 00186 Roma
www.frigidarium-gelateris.com
Best gelato! Get white chocolate nutella gelato, dipped in chocolate
Restaurants: Braci e Abbracci- Ristorante Pizzeria
Viale delle Provincie, 136, Roma
Sites:
-Spanish steps
-Trevi Fountain--- night is best
-Vatican City--- must see Michelangelo's Last Judgement in the Sistine Chaple...it takes a long time to get to because the make you walk through everything else first, but it is well worth the site.
---St. Peter's Basilica
-The Forum and The Coliseum--- very Hot in summer
-Piaza Navona
-The Pantheon
- the Castle and the Bridge of Angles
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Last of Italia-- Rome
Well my trip had to end somewhere. Instead just leaving Florence straight for the States, I chose to end my trip in the ruins of Rome.
I had been to Rome once before, but I was excited to see it with a new perspective five years later. This is a city that I do not feel a love for as I do for Florence, but there is a lot to do and see. I saw all the main sites including the Vatican City (with the Sistine Chapel and St. Paul's), the Froum, The Colosseum, the Spanish steps, etc.... I kept my talent as gelato guru and managed to find the most amazing gelato in town. It was homemade white chocolate nutella gelato in a cone and dipped in chocolate! Talking about good gelato, this was amazing! We enjoyed our lasts tastes of real Italian food over the three days we were there. I decided the best way to end the trip would be to sit by the Trevi Fountain on our last night in Italy. After a delicious last meal and gelato we wandered over the the fountain and took in the last moments of Italy. I emptied my wallet of coins and turned my back as I tossed them all in the Trevi Fountain. That has to be good luck right?! Either way it was the perfect way to get rid of allllll of the coins I had accumulated in my European travels.
Italian adventure ended here in Rome. It was a lot easier for me to leave Rome then Florence. We got up bright and early and made our way to the airport.
On my two flights back home I made new friends and shared stories of our separate adventures together. I found that at my age, friends are easy to come by and it always nice to share your stories with someone else. I realized there are a lot of good, nice people you come by in this world. Over this trip I learned an immense amount, faced all of my worst fears, and tried new things. These were all goals of mine, but I got way more out of all of this adventure then I ever could have expected. What an adventure I had!
Jamie
This is my last trip blog. A little late, but better then never. I wanted to thank you for those of you that read. Be looking out for a tips for Florence that I have compiled
I had been to Rome once before, but I was excited to see it with a new perspective five years later. This is a city that I do not feel a love for as I do for Florence, but there is a lot to do and see. I saw all the main sites including the Vatican City (with the Sistine Chapel and St. Paul's), the Froum, The Colosseum, the Spanish steps, etc.... I kept my talent as gelato guru and managed to find the most amazing gelato in town. It was homemade white chocolate nutella gelato in a cone and dipped in chocolate! Talking about good gelato, this was amazing! We enjoyed our lasts tastes of real Italian food over the three days we were there. I decided the best way to end the trip would be to sit by the Trevi Fountain on our last night in Italy. After a delicious last meal and gelato we wandered over the the fountain and took in the last moments of Italy. I emptied my wallet of coins and turned my back as I tossed them all in the Trevi Fountain. That has to be good luck right?! Either way it was the perfect way to get rid of allllll of the coins I had accumulated in my European travels.
Italian adventure ended here in Rome. It was a lot easier for me to leave Rome then Florence. We got up bright and early and made our way to the airport.
On my two flights back home I made new friends and shared stories of our separate adventures together. I found that at my age, friends are easy to come by and it always nice to share your stories with someone else. I realized there are a lot of good, nice people you come by in this world. Over this trip I learned an immense amount, faced all of my worst fears, and tried new things. These were all goals of mine, but I got way more out of all of this adventure then I ever could have expected. What an adventure I had!
Jamie
This is my last trip blog. A little late, but better then never. I wanted to thank you for those of you that read. Be looking out for a tips for Florence that I have compiled
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Places visited, Lessons Learned
Places I have been in Italy:
Fiesole
Pisa
Vada beach
Siena
Montaeperti
Monteriggioni, Badia a Isola, Colle di Val d'Elsa
Rome
Sites I saw in Florence:
The baptistery- Battistero di San Govanni
The Duomo-- inside as well as climbed to the top of the dome
Bargello- the oldest public building in Florence
Museum of San Marco
Church of San Miniato al Monte- best view of Florence! Overlooking the city
Casa de Dante- tackiest museum ever!
Uffizi Gallery- full of masterpieces all in chronological order of time periods...basically like walking through my art history book
Church of Santa Maria Novella- one if my favorite site visits, just beautiful
Church of Santa Croce
National Library-- Biblioteca Nazionale- very secretive and incredibly interesting for a library
Galleria dell'Accademia- my true love, "The David"
Piazza Michelangelo- best view of the city
Piazza Della Repubblica- best people watching place, saw Oasis walk through here
Palazzo Vecchio- full of statues, the original location of the David
Ponte Vecchio- jewelry bridge
....Many more piazzas and places off the map or just not commonly known
Crazy thing i ate- tripe--cow intestines and stomach. (yes I ate this)
Things I have learned:
I need to have time to myself
A map can get you anywhere, but if you wander enough you will find the best things
Always climb the hill to see the view
Take risks and don't look back
Stay up until 2 in the morning just to get the "secret pastry" you have been looking for.
So much more.....
Jamie
Fiesole
Pisa
Vada beach
Siena
Montaeperti
Monteriggioni, Badia a Isola, Colle di Val d'Elsa
Rome
Sites I saw in Florence:
The baptistery- Battistero di San Govanni
The Duomo-- inside as well as climbed to the top of the dome
Bargello- the oldest public building in Florence
Museum of San Marco
Church of San Miniato al Monte- best view of Florence! Overlooking the city
Casa de Dante- tackiest museum ever!
Uffizi Gallery- full of masterpieces all in chronological order of time periods...basically like walking through my art history book
Church of Santa Maria Novella- one if my favorite site visits, just beautiful
Church of Santa Croce
National Library-- Biblioteca Nazionale- very secretive and incredibly interesting for a library
Galleria dell'Accademia- my true love, "The David"
Piazza Michelangelo- best view of the city
Piazza Della Repubblica- best people watching place, saw Oasis walk through here
Palazzo Vecchio- full of statues, the original location of the David
Ponte Vecchio- jewelry bridge
....Many more piazzas and places off the map or just not commonly known
Crazy thing i ate- tripe--cow intestines and stomach. (yes I ate this)
Things I have learned:
I need to have time to myself
A map can get you anywhere, but if you wander enough you will find the best things
Always climb the hill to see the view
Take risks and don't look back
Stay up until 2 in the morning just to get the "secret pastry" you have been looking for.
So much more.....
Jamie
Thursday, June 16, 2011
My Life as a Florentine
The moment we moved into our apartments in Florence, our local program director told us that we are now Florentines. She said that you are no longer a tourist in a hotel, you are staying in an apartment and you must be respectful of the true Florentines.
After nearly four weeks of living and going to school in Florence I feel as though I got a good feel for the Italian way of life. I became very familiar with the cities, the best restaurants for what you are looking for, the best gelato, areas to see, and all that Florence has to offer. I even found the "secret bakery!" Although there were ups and downs of four weeks with 9 other students, I had the time of my life and took every bit of Florence in while I had the chance.
The food was to die for; I could live off real Italian food for the rest of my life. All of the ingredients are the freshest possible. The tomatoes are always ripe, you can never have too much cheese, the pizza is made in front of you and fresh out of the oven, and the herbs just pulled from the garden. You cannot find a horrible Italian restaurant in all of Florence, so anything is going to be a safe bet when it comes to food.
With my class we traveled through Dante's Inferno (The Divine Comedy). Dante was perfect to study in Florence because there is so much to do with him as well as the Inferno. The class was intriguing and definitely helped open my eyes to one of the most famous literature pieces ever written.
Living in Florence was the time of my life. I mean how many people can say that they walk by such a magnificent master piece like the Duomo every day to class. As the bronze boar predicted, I will most certainly return to Florence someday.
Jamie
After nearly four weeks of living and going to school in Florence I feel as though I got a good feel for the Italian way of life. I became very familiar with the cities, the best restaurants for what you are looking for, the best gelato, areas to see, and all that Florence has to offer. I even found the "secret bakery!" Although there were ups and downs of four weeks with 9 other students, I had the time of my life and took every bit of Florence in while I had the chance.
The food was to die for; I could live off real Italian food for the rest of my life. All of the ingredients are the freshest possible. The tomatoes are always ripe, you can never have too much cheese, the pizza is made in front of you and fresh out of the oven, and the herbs just pulled from the garden. You cannot find a horrible Italian restaurant in all of Florence, so anything is going to be a safe bet when it comes to food.
With my class we traveled through Dante's Inferno (The Divine Comedy). Dante was perfect to study in Florence because there is so much to do with him as well as the Inferno. The class was intriguing and definitely helped open my eyes to one of the most famous literature pieces ever written.
Living in Florence was the time of my life. I mean how many people can say that they walk by such a magnificent master piece like the Duomo every day to class. As the bronze boar predicted, I will most certainly return to Florence someday.
Jamie
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monteriggioni and nearby cities
( Monteriggioni, Badia a Isola, Colle di Val d'Elsa )
The other day was yet another day trip. We ventured out about an hour into the Tuscan Hillside to Monteriggioni and nearby areas.
We began in a itty bitty town called Badia a Isola. It is in the countryside. There is not much there but a few shops, a gas station, some housing, and a little church. We meet our tour guide there. She was a nice Italian lady that lives in a nearby town. She took us into the church. It was cool to see this very old, relatively simple church. The part I liked most was that to walk in we had to go through the side entry passing through this storage room full of antique wooden furniture. The whole place smelled like antique wood! We gazed at the views from the town and then took a quick bus ride over to the city of Monteriggioni.
Monteriggioni is a medieval city built on a hill. Within Dante's Inferno, Dante refers to this city and that is the reason we went there. This city took a while to grow on me. I couldn't really understand our tour guide because she spoke a broken English so I just dazed gazing around the city taking photos as we went along. This whole city is surrounded by medieval Romanesque walls and only contains 30 families. We climbed grated metal scaffolding stairs that lead to a path surrounding the top of these tall rock walls. Climbing these frail stairs terrified me! Especially the height of this medieval walls and the little support we had under our feet. I sucked it up, faced my fears and stayed up there with the group. It was a breathtaking view of the Tuscan hillsides, but i was too anxious to really enjoy it. Once we were wrapping up I quickly bolted for the stairs. I have never been so happy to be on the ground. My knees trembled for the next half hour. I was glad I took the opportunity to face my fear of heights, but would not care to climb those stairs again.
Once down we walked around the walled city, which was a very short distance. Then we sat down for lunch. I tried this traditional Tuscan soup made with vegetables and filled with bread and beans, a very hefty soup. It was amazing! After lunch we got to wonder the town a little longer before making our way back to the bus. By this time I had gained a liking for this area, enjoying the antique shops and gelato within it.
We got back to our bus and our bus driver insisted on continuing this adventure, contributing one more town to the trip. He dropped us at the top of this town, Colle di Val d'Elsa, which slopes downward to the base of a hill. This town is known for their crystal and have a nice factory there. We strolled through this final town of the day and then got back to the bus to head back to Florence.
This day trip was yet another successful day in Italía! This area would be a great area to come back to and hike through some day.
Ciao
Jamie
The other day was yet another day trip. We ventured out about an hour into the Tuscan Hillside to Monteriggioni and nearby areas.
We began in a itty bitty town called Badia a Isola. It is in the countryside. There is not much there but a few shops, a gas station, some housing, and a little church. We meet our tour guide there. She was a nice Italian lady that lives in a nearby town. She took us into the church. It was cool to see this very old, relatively simple church. The part I liked most was that to walk in we had to go through the side entry passing through this storage room full of antique wooden furniture. The whole place smelled like antique wood! We gazed at the views from the town and then took a quick bus ride over to the city of Monteriggioni.
Monteriggioni is a medieval city built on a hill. Within Dante's Inferno, Dante refers to this city and that is the reason we went there. This city took a while to grow on me. I couldn't really understand our tour guide because she spoke a broken English so I just dazed gazing around the city taking photos as we went along. This whole city is surrounded by medieval Romanesque walls and only contains 30 families. We climbed grated metal scaffolding stairs that lead to a path surrounding the top of these tall rock walls. Climbing these frail stairs terrified me! Especially the height of this medieval walls and the little support we had under our feet. I sucked it up, faced my fears and stayed up there with the group. It was a breathtaking view of the Tuscan hillsides, but i was too anxious to really enjoy it. Once we were wrapping up I quickly bolted for the stairs. I have never been so happy to be on the ground. My knees trembled for the next half hour. I was glad I took the opportunity to face my fear of heights, but would not care to climb those stairs again.
Once down we walked around the walled city, which was a very short distance. Then we sat down for lunch. I tried this traditional Tuscan soup made with vegetables and filled with bread and beans, a very hefty soup. It was amazing! After lunch we got to wonder the town a little longer before making our way back to the bus. By this time I had gained a liking for this area, enjoying the antique shops and gelato within it.
We got back to our bus and our bus driver insisted on continuing this adventure, contributing one more town to the trip. He dropped us at the top of this town, Colle di Val d'Elsa, which slopes downward to the base of a hill. This town is known for their crystal and have a nice factory there. We strolled through this final town of the day and then got back to the bus to head back to Florence.
This day trip was yet another successful day in Italía! This area would be a great area to come back to and hike through some day.
Ciao
Jamie
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Siena and Monteaperti Day Trip
Talk about take your breath away. The other day we took a day trip into the country side of Tuscany. We rode in a Nice bus and made our way to Siena. The views from the drive were amazing, post card worthy. It was like one of those scenes you see in movies but not real life.
Siena was a place I definitely have to go back to some day. It is a place filled with rivalries and everything revolves around the city bank. The town is split up into many neighborhoods, each of which have their own rivals. We got the opportunity to see the main attractions of Siena and hear about the traditions and beyond. Every year there is a fascinating horse race between the neighborhoods. This is a fierce and dirty battle, put on in the center of the city.
The cathedral was the most intriguing to me. It was a breath taking site filled with paintings, sculpture, marble "graffiti" (marble carved into and filled with lead dust), frescos and so much more. The library of the cathedral was my favorite part. I literally got an adrenaline rush and butterflies in my stomach from the beauty of this room. The walls and ceiling were covered with original frescos that have never been restored. They stood in deep color and glistening gold leaf. Wow! What a site!
We also got to see the skull and right thumb of Sant Caterine. She was a very important Sant to Siena, but they were not able to keep her whole body. Bits and pieces of her body are spread throughout different cities of Italy and neighboring places. She was itty bitty, the size of a 10 year old of our time. Her skull and thumb were tiny as you can imagine.
After our tour of the town we stopped and got a traditional Sienan lunch. I ordered Picci, which are thick homemade spaghetti noodles.....mmmmmm! In the city center my friend told me of "the best gelato he has ever eaten!" So we made a stop there for most certainly some of the best gelato ever!
Next we got back on the bus and took a little adventure to Monteaperti. At this site, Dante fought in one of the biggest battles of his time. There is a monument at the site recognizing this battle. Our bus driver thought we were crazy for coming here, he dropped us at the end of this long dirt road and had us get out to go explore and find the monument. We walked for about a mile in the Tuscan country side. What a beautiful site! You felt like you were walking through those amazing scene savers computers come with, but this was reality. It smelled crisp and clean way out here. After walking for about a mile and climbing a steep hill we found our way to the monument! We took in the site and got our photos and made our way back to the bus and back to Florence.
This was quite the day trip! I have near witnessed such magnificently beauty in my life.
Jamie
Siena was a place I definitely have to go back to some day. It is a place filled with rivalries and everything revolves around the city bank. The town is split up into many neighborhoods, each of which have their own rivals. We got the opportunity to see the main attractions of Siena and hear about the traditions and beyond. Every year there is a fascinating horse race between the neighborhoods. This is a fierce and dirty battle, put on in the center of the city.
The cathedral was the most intriguing to me. It was a breath taking site filled with paintings, sculpture, marble "graffiti" (marble carved into and filled with lead dust), frescos and so much more. The library of the cathedral was my favorite part. I literally got an adrenaline rush and butterflies in my stomach from the beauty of this room. The walls and ceiling were covered with original frescos that have never been restored. They stood in deep color and glistening gold leaf. Wow! What a site!
We also got to see the skull and right thumb of Sant Caterine. She was a very important Sant to Siena, but they were not able to keep her whole body. Bits and pieces of her body are spread throughout different cities of Italy and neighboring places. She was itty bitty, the size of a 10 year old of our time. Her skull and thumb were tiny as you can imagine.
After our tour of the town we stopped and got a traditional Sienan lunch. I ordered Picci, which are thick homemade spaghetti noodles.....mmmmmm! In the city center my friend told me of "the best gelato he has ever eaten!" So we made a stop there for most certainly some of the best gelato ever!
Next we got back on the bus and took a little adventure to Monteaperti. At this site, Dante fought in one of the biggest battles of his time. There is a monument at the site recognizing this battle. Our bus driver thought we were crazy for coming here, he dropped us at the end of this long dirt road and had us get out to go explore and find the monument. We walked for about a mile in the Tuscan country side. What a beautiful site! You felt like you were walking through those amazing scene savers computers come with, but this was reality. It smelled crisp and clean way out here. After walking for about a mile and climbing a steep hill we found our way to the monument! We took in the site and got our photos and made our way back to the bus and back to Florence.
This was quite the day trip! I have near witnessed such magnificently beauty in my life.
Jamie
Monday, June 6, 2011
Weekend Get Away-- Vada Coast
Vada coast
This weekend four of the kids in my program (Jenny, Zach, Mary, Aaron) and I decided to get away from the city for a bit and find a beach. Zach did his research and found some place on the coast of Tuscany, Vada Beach. This was a holiday weekend in Italy so it was quite the task to find a location with open hotels. We took what we could get and went for it.
I really had no idea what to expect from this place. It wasn't on the map, but there was some information online about it.
After a two hour train ride we arrived at the smallest train station we had ever seen. We walked out and all there really was were fields and a parking lot. A cab driver was there and happy to take us to our hotel. We arrived at a very quaint little town. It was very small, but beautiful town. There were no American tourist here, which was quite the change from everywhere else. This area was full of families with small children and many pregnant women. Our hotel was very safe and moments away from a beach. The beach was not quite the white sand beach I imagined. They were still nice beaches though with shallow, calm, clear water. None of the beach was crowded and the sun was perfect during the morning thru the later afternoon. We walked through the plaza, which was the center and city of this town, for dinners and ate some delectable pizza lunches at our hotel. Italian food is just so fresh and delicious. Each night we watched the sunset on the beach. I couldn't have asked for anything better than that. The first night on the beach we came across and older man who was astonished to see American students there. He raved about his love for America and become our friend. Aldo Roseilini was his name, very Italian. He was one of the few people there to speak English and appreciate American tourists.
Vada was a nice enjoyable weekend away from the city and on the beach. Now back to class and life in Florence for now.
Miss you all!
Jamie
This weekend four of the kids in my program (Jenny, Zach, Mary, Aaron) and I decided to get away from the city for a bit and find a beach. Zach did his research and found some place on the coast of Tuscany, Vada Beach. This was a holiday weekend in Italy so it was quite the task to find a location with open hotels. We took what we could get and went for it.
I really had no idea what to expect from this place. It wasn't on the map, but there was some information online about it.
After a two hour train ride we arrived at the smallest train station we had ever seen. We walked out and all there really was were fields and a parking lot. A cab driver was there and happy to take us to our hotel. We arrived at a very quaint little town. It was very small, but beautiful town. There were no American tourist here, which was quite the change from everywhere else. This area was full of families with small children and many pregnant women. Our hotel was very safe and moments away from a beach. The beach was not quite the white sand beach I imagined. They were still nice beaches though with shallow, calm, clear water. None of the beach was crowded and the sun was perfect during the morning thru the later afternoon. We walked through the plaza, which was the center and city of this town, for dinners and ate some delectable pizza lunches at our hotel. Italian food is just so fresh and delicious. Each night we watched the sunset on the beach. I couldn't have asked for anything better than that. The first night on the beach we came across and older man who was astonished to see American students there. He raved about his love for America and become our friend. Aldo Roseilini was his name, very Italian. He was one of the few people there to speak English and appreciate American tourists.
Vada was a nice enjoyable weekend away from the city and on the beach. Now back to class and life in Florence for now.
Miss you all!
Jamie
Friday, June 3, 2011
Pisa Day Visit
Today our class took a day trip out of Florence to Pisa.
Pisa was different than I pictured it to be. Of course there is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but not much more. It is a pretty small city. We had a tour through the landmarks of the city. This consisted of touring the Campo dei Miracoli including the Baptistery, the Cathedral, the grave yard and hearing the history of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was cool to see some very famous artists work here, like the work of Cimbue, Giovanni, and the architects of each building.
The Baptistery is known for the acoustics. One of the guards stood in the center and sang up towards the dome. It was a beautiful sound. It sounded like there was a whole choir up there. This is because the ceiling was originally a pointed dome, which later a spherical dome was added over.
The Cathedral was gorgeous. It took your breath away! Within it is The Urn of San Ranieri. He died in 1161, but they keep his body in a glass casket there. It was kind of eery. The ceilings were marvelous covered in carved wood and gold leaf.
The grave yard was interesting, covered in buried tombs and the walls painted with frescos. Majority of the frescos were ruined in a bombing during the World Wars, but it was awesome because you could see the original sketches behind them.
The Leaning Tower. It was much harder to take a picture than it looks. I got one holding it up, but it isn't nearly as cool as I thought. The tower is most certainly leaning. There is a whole story as to how it sunk in the soil on the west during the building process and how it has been added upon and stabilized over the last couple hundred of years. It is crazy to think it is a stable building. I am kind of glad we did not go to the top of that building.
Well that was just another day in paradise for me. Here comes yet another weekend in Florence. We will see the adventures I come up with next.
ciao!
J
Pisa was different than I pictured it to be. Of course there is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but not much more. It is a pretty small city. We had a tour through the landmarks of the city. This consisted of touring the Campo dei Miracoli including the Baptistery, the Cathedral, the grave yard and hearing the history of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was cool to see some very famous artists work here, like the work of Cimbue, Giovanni, and the architects of each building.
The Baptistery is known for the acoustics. One of the guards stood in the center and sang up towards the dome. It was a beautiful sound. It sounded like there was a whole choir up there. This is because the ceiling was originally a pointed dome, which later a spherical dome was added over.
The Cathedral was gorgeous. It took your breath away! Within it is The Urn of San Ranieri. He died in 1161, but they keep his body in a glass casket there. It was kind of eery. The ceilings were marvelous covered in carved wood and gold leaf.
The grave yard was interesting, covered in buried tombs and the walls painted with frescos. Majority of the frescos were ruined in a bombing during the World Wars, but it was awesome because you could see the original sketches behind them.
The Leaning Tower. It was much harder to take a picture than it looks. I got one holding it up, but it isn't nearly as cool as I thought. The tower is most certainly leaning. There is a whole story as to how it sunk in the soil on the west during the building process and how it has been added upon and stabilized over the last couple hundred of years. It is crazy to think it is a stable building. I am kind of glad we did not go to the top of that building.
Well that was just another day in paradise for me. Here comes yet another weekend in Florence. We will see the adventures I come up with next.
ciao!
J
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Adventures Galore
Wow! I cannot believe I have already been in Florence for nearly two weeks. It is amazing how quickly time goes.
Florence is definitely my favorite place on earth. I know I have not been everywhere, but I couldn't have designed my ideal place to be any better than this. Everything about Florence is astounding.
My apartment in right by The Duomo, which is the ideal place located basically in the center of the city. Everyday I pass the Duomo several times a day. This is a sight that just continues to take you breath away every time you see it. Today I took the morning to myself and climbed the 400something stairs through narrow stairways all the way to the top of the dome. This view is unbelievable, looking over the whole city and into the hills of Tuscany. All the people looked like ants below. I choose the perfect morning because it was breezy and clear without many people out early.
Throughout my time here I have gone on many excursions and adventures. I am taking a class thru CU with eight other kids. We spend a lot of time together....a lot! But we always have a good time. We have eaten some of the most delectable, freshest food you will every eat. One day three others and I decided to walk and just keep walking. We walked about 2 hours or so outside of the city and found many features you would never find in the city- parks, a carnival, a pyramid tomb, a public swimming pool, a quaint local town, a local Italian flea market, the best gelato I have ever had here, local soccer games, and so much more. We walked for about 5 hours straight that day and truly experienced Italian culture. Other than this excision, we have learned to suck it up and always climb the largest hill or street in sight. This always leads to the best view in the city. We have done this several times and have never regretted the climb.
Keep checking and I will be sure to post more stories, adventures and places I have been. This is just a glimpse. Check out Facebook for photos galore.
Off to Pisa for the day tomorrow!
Ciao!
Jamie
Florence is definitely my favorite place on earth. I know I have not been everywhere, but I couldn't have designed my ideal place to be any better than this. Everything about Florence is astounding.
My apartment in right by The Duomo, which is the ideal place located basically in the center of the city. Everyday I pass the Duomo several times a day. This is a sight that just continues to take you breath away every time you see it. Today I took the morning to myself and climbed the 400something stairs through narrow stairways all the way to the top of the dome. This view is unbelievable, looking over the whole city and into the hills of Tuscany. All the people looked like ants below. I choose the perfect morning because it was breezy and clear without many people out early.
Throughout my time here I have gone on many excursions and adventures. I am taking a class thru CU with eight other kids. We spend a lot of time together....a lot! But we always have a good time. We have eaten some of the most delectable, freshest food you will every eat. One day three others and I decided to walk and just keep walking. We walked about 2 hours or so outside of the city and found many features you would never find in the city- parks, a carnival, a pyramid tomb, a public swimming pool, a quaint local town, a local Italian flea market, the best gelato I have ever had here, local soccer games, and so much more. We walked for about 5 hours straight that day and truly experienced Italian culture. Other than this excision, we have learned to suck it up and always climb the largest hill or street in sight. This always leads to the best view in the city. We have done this several times and have never regretted the climb.
Keep checking and I will be sure to post more stories, adventures and places I have been. This is just a glimpse. Check out Facebook for photos galore.
Off to Pisa for the day tomorrow!
Ciao!
Jamie
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Just the Beginning of Florence
Florence blog
I cannot believe I have been in Florence for over a week now. This is the most amazing place on earth. There is soooo much to see and do. I have been able to experience many adventures here...
To begin my trip I arrived a day early so I could be in Florence on time for my program. The moment I stepped off the plane into the heat of the Florence air I knew this was going to be the best decision I have ever made.
I stayed in a hostel for a night by myself. I had the greatest time! I met several great kids from all over The States and Canada. One of the girl's had been in Florence for a semester so she showed me the ropes, the best pizza place and best gelato places. Also a few Italian words to get me around. These were all incredibly helpful. We got to watch the sunset while staring over the river and bridges eating gelato. A very successful start to my trip. I was sad to leave the hostel after just one night. I said goodbye to my new friends and set out to begin my study abroad program.
I quickly learned that public transportation in Florence is not necessary and unreliable, if you want to get anywhere, walking Is your best bet.
This was just the beginning of my trip. I have many more Stories and places I have gone. Keep posted for more!
I cannot believe I have been in Florence for over a week now. This is the most amazing place on earth. There is soooo much to see and do. I have been able to experience many adventures here...
To begin my trip I arrived a day early so I could be in Florence on time for my program. The moment I stepped off the plane into the heat of the Florence air I knew this was going to be the best decision I have ever made.
I stayed in a hostel for a night by myself. I had the greatest time! I met several great kids from all over The States and Canada. One of the girl's had been in Florence for a semester so she showed me the ropes, the best pizza place and best gelato places. Also a few Italian words to get me around. These were all incredibly helpful. We got to watch the sunset while staring over the river and bridges eating gelato. A very successful start to my trip. I was sad to leave the hostel after just one night. I said goodbye to my new friends and set out to begin my study abroad program.
I quickly learned that public transportation in Florence is not necessary and unreliable, if you want to get anywhere, walking Is your best bet.
This was just the beginning of my trip. I have many more Stories and places I have gone. Keep posted for more!
Monday, May 23, 2011
My trip thus far...
Blog- sum up thus far
Well I am two weeks into my six week Europe adventure, and what an adventure it has been! I have been through three main cities in three different countries. Each had a different language and a different lifestyle. I have seen thousands of sites and experienced different cultures of the world.
I have learned more than one could imagine, seen some of the most famous sites in the world and challenged myself. The most important quality I have taken away thus far is that you must always keep an open mind. This has gotten me through the whole trip. It has opened many doors. Every time Kelsey and I got lost, or just off our path a bit, we would always keep going and find one of the must magnificent places. I tried many food items I would never normally eat (This was usually because we couldn't read the menu, but sometimes it was a part of the culture). I ate bacon, sausage, ham, calamari, lobster/crab smear, mushrooms, onions, and so much more. Not that I enjoyed all of them, but I am glad I tried each. I have challenged theses fears I have always had and taken many risks I would never do. In this I made it to the top of one of the world's tallest buildings (with a tremendous fear of heights), I have lived out of one bag for two weeks and have four more with the same bag, I have done things I could never image doing without this experience. In each country I tried to catch onto the language and use it when I could. Although this was not easy to do in three or four days, you can catch onto enough to get you through.
In each city, Kelsey and I found that the best thing to do was to observe other people. This allowed us to see which was the right way to walk on the street, how to eat appropriately, when to leave a tip, how to act within their culture and more.
Well now Kelsey and I have parted ways and I wait for yet another adventure to add to these adventures I have already experienced. Here I come Florence!
I look forward to staying in one place for a bit longer and really get to be emerged in one country and one culture to several weeks.
Well I am two weeks into my six week Europe adventure, and what an adventure it has been! I have been through three main cities in three different countries. Each had a different language and a different lifestyle. I have seen thousands of sites and experienced different cultures of the world.
I have learned more than one could imagine, seen some of the most famous sites in the world and challenged myself. The most important quality I have taken away thus far is that you must always keep an open mind. This has gotten me through the whole trip. It has opened many doors. Every time Kelsey and I got lost, or just off our path a bit, we would always keep going and find one of the must magnificent places. I tried many food items I would never normally eat (This was usually because we couldn't read the menu, but sometimes it was a part of the culture). I ate bacon, sausage, ham, calamari, lobster/crab smear, mushrooms, onions, and so much more. Not that I enjoyed all of them, but I am glad I tried each. I have challenged theses fears I have always had and taken many risks I would never do. In this I made it to the top of one of the world's tallest buildings (with a tremendous fear of heights), I have lived out of one bag for two weeks and have four more with the same bag, I have done things I could never image doing without this experience. In each country I tried to catch onto the language and use it when I could. Although this was not easy to do in three or four days, you can catch onto enough to get you through.
In each city, Kelsey and I found that the best thing to do was to observe other people. This allowed us to see which was the right way to walk on the street, how to eat appropriately, when to leave a tip, how to act within their culture and more.
Well now Kelsey and I have parted ways and I wait for yet another adventure to add to these adventures I have already experienced. Here I come Florence!
I look forward to staying in one place for a bit longer and really get to be emerged in one country and one culture to several weeks.
Madrid
Madrid blog
Madrid was very different from Paris and London. Kelsey and I really didn't know what to expect going into Madrid. Neither of us knew much about it, what to do there, or where to go. Once again we stuck together and pulled out another great trip. Our friend Jeff has lived there for the last six months. He was super nice and hung out with us for most of out trip. Jeff took us on a day trip,to the best/cheapest restaurants, and taught us a bit of Spanish.
Spanish phrases (please disregard my spelling, it is going off sound):
Valé=okay
Salude= bless you
Pardon= excuse me
Hola= hello
Adios= good bye
Many more phrases and terms
Trends:
Meat, meat, and more meat- ham, bacon, sausage, anything with meat
Roller blades
Small cars and motor cycles
High boots
Places We Went:
Plaza de España-- nice little plaza near our hostel
Grand Via-- where we stayed. A famous strip of Madrid
Campo del Moro-- a huge park we strolled thru one day
Cathedral de la Almudena
Palacio Real
These rooms were exquisite. All with massive scale. The size of the rugs astonished me! They took up massive rooms of the place. Also the porcelain room was spectacular ( the whole room was made of porcelain). Each room was so different from the next
Treato Real (we found some really cheap, really good sandwiches here)
Plaza del Sol (marks kilo 0 of Spain)
Main shopping streets ( Calle de Preciado and others known for shopping)
Plaza Mayor
Monastery de el Escorial (a day trip, about 45 mins north, in the mountains)
El Prado Museo-- contained many masterpieces and much more
Museo Reina Sofia-- contemporary art including Picasso and many abstract pieces
Parquet del Retiro- a massive park, would be an awesome place to chill every afternoon
Chamartín
Estadio Santiago Benrnabeu (the soccer 'fùtbol' stadium of Real Madrid)
-on our last night in Madrid it was Real Madrid's last game of the season, so we set out and bought some jerseys and went to experience a true game! They won 8-1!
What we learned-
-things are always different than they appear (food, clothes sizes, etc.). All the food was much different than you would think. Even a hamburger, was not really a hamburger
- Spanish in Madrid is spoken different than what we were taught
-Spaniards will try and help you speak the language rather than go eu and speak English
-once you know how to ride underground trains, they all run the same
- everything tastes and looks the same in every restaurant even if it is quadruple the price
- it is helpful to have someone more familiar with the area show you the way
Madrid was a city full of surprises for Kelsey and I. There are many expansive parks, shopping areas, palaces, etc. Each place was only about a 5-10 minute walk, making it seem a lot smaller than we expected. Such a fun beautiful city though.
Madrid was very different from Paris and London. Kelsey and I really didn't know what to expect going into Madrid. Neither of us knew much about it, what to do there, or where to go. Once again we stuck together and pulled out another great trip. Our friend Jeff has lived there for the last six months. He was super nice and hung out with us for most of out trip. Jeff took us on a day trip,to the best/cheapest restaurants, and taught us a bit of Spanish.
Spanish phrases (please disregard my spelling, it is going off sound):
Valé=okay
Salude= bless you
Pardon= excuse me
Hola= hello
Adios= good bye
Many more phrases and terms
Trends:
Meat, meat, and more meat- ham, bacon, sausage, anything with meat
Roller blades
Small cars and motor cycles
High boots
Places We Went:
Plaza de España-- nice little plaza near our hostel
Grand Via-- where we stayed. A famous strip of Madrid
Campo del Moro-- a huge park we strolled thru one day
Cathedral de la Almudena
Palacio Real
These rooms were exquisite. All with massive scale. The size of the rugs astonished me! They took up massive rooms of the place. Also the porcelain room was spectacular ( the whole room was made of porcelain). Each room was so different from the next
Treato Real (we found some really cheap, really good sandwiches here)
Plaza del Sol (marks kilo 0 of Spain)
Main shopping streets ( Calle de Preciado and others known for shopping)
Plaza Mayor
Monastery de el Escorial (a day trip, about 45 mins north, in the mountains)
El Prado Museo-- contained many masterpieces and much more
Museo Reina Sofia-- contemporary art including Picasso and many abstract pieces
Parquet del Retiro- a massive park, would be an awesome place to chill every afternoon
Chamartín
Estadio Santiago Benrnabeu (the soccer 'fùtbol' stadium of Real Madrid)
-on our last night in Madrid it was Real Madrid's last game of the season, so we set out and bought some jerseys and went to experience a true game! They won 8-1!
What we learned-
-things are always different than they appear (food, clothes sizes, etc.). All the food was much different than you would think. Even a hamburger, was not really a hamburger
- Spanish in Madrid is spoken different than what we were taught
-Spaniards will try and help you speak the language rather than go eu and speak English
-once you know how to ride underground trains, they all run the same
- everything tastes and looks the same in every restaurant even if it is quadruple the price
- it is helpful to have someone more familiar with the area show you the way
Madrid was a city full of surprises for Kelsey and I. There are many expansive parks, shopping areas, palaces, etc. Each place was only about a 5-10 minute walk, making it seem a lot smaller than we expected. Such a fun beautiful city though.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Paris
Paris blog
Paris was quite the adventure for Kelsey and I. We were very lost and confused Americans the first day. We tried to brush up on some French phrases because we thought it would be helpful. Once we got there though we realized French is much harder than it looks and no matter how many times we practiced we still said the phrases wrong.
They have an underground train system similar to London. We were familiar with how to ride this so had no trouble at all finding our hotel. It was a very cute, very simple older hotel we stayed in right in a main area of town, Bastille.
We learned pretty quickly the terms used regularly- from foods to simple phrases like closed or push/pull. Not all the French were friendly and welcoming, but almost everywhere we went they could speech English or at least bear with us as we attempted to ask them a question. We did a lot of observing to see how the culture worked there and what was appropriate and what wasn't.
There were a lot of tourist there from all over the place. It was easy to spot out the Americans and other English speaking people. Most were just as confused as we were so that was always reassuring.
Every place we went took our breath away and made us speechless. The sites and historic locations are beyond massive, with intricate detail. Just mind-blowing. I think we took a hundred photos, if not more, at each location.
Blow are some lists that Kelsey and I made from our whole trip...
French terms that were most useful:
Bonjour= hello
Au revoir= good bye
Pardon= sorry
Excusez-moi= excuse me
Merci= thank you
Parlez-vous anglais?= do you speak English?
S'il vous plaît= please
Jamon= ham
Fromage= cheese
Les toilettes= toliet
Etc......
Trends:
High fashion, dressy attire
Long champ bags
Roller blades
Mopeds/motorcycles
Smoking
Coffee breaks
Crêpes
Public Display of Affection
casual drinks- anytime of the day
Places we went:
Bastille (the area we stayed in)
The Eiffel Tower (we went all the way to the TOP! This is over 80 stories and more than 600 flights of stairs. Scared out of my mind. I almost cried so I wouldn't have to go.)
Musee de Louvre "The Louvre" ( this contained over 35,000 works of art. It would take one person 9 months to view every piece. So we just glanced thru parts of it seeing a Michael Anglo sculpture and the Mona Lisa)
Galeries Layafette (the capitals best known departments store with high-end fashion items)
Place de la Concord (an enormous square with a large tower on the opposite end of Arc de Triophe along Avenue des Champs Élysées )
Walked down Avenue des Champs Élysées
Arc de Triophe (surrounding this arc is surrounded by the worlds busiest intersection, with 12 streets forming at a round about)
Versailles-château and gardens
Montimartre-Basilique Du Sacré Cœur (known for it's best view of the city, minus the Eiffel Tower)
Notre Dame (a massive Gothic Cathedral)
Things we learned:
- if you sit outside, someone is going to be smoking next to you
- all of the machines are in French(which makes it hard to understand what you are getting into)
- no matter what time of day The Metro (the underground train) is going to be packed
- if you act confused, people will speak to you in English
- you stand out like a sore thumb as an American
- all English speaking people find each other- whether this is to take a picture, ask a question, or just to hear a familiar language
- read your tour book before considering crossing the world's busiest intersection with 12 streets forming at a round about. (good thing we pulled out the book, seconds before running across. Turns out there is an underground passage. We had no idea)
-always look up to find where you are going
- stores open late and close early
- there is not true time- stores hours are subjective, trains arrive anywhere between 5-15mins of when they say
-the hardest thing about shopping was not being able to buy something because it was too expensive, you didn't have enough room in your bag, or you knew if you bought one thing you would have to buy 3 more things to go with it...
Paris was definitely far out from my comfort zone! I ate things I would never eat, faced fears I will probably never get over, got around without knowing a word of French, and truly experienced the French culture. It was an exceptional trip!
Paris was quite the adventure for Kelsey and I. We were very lost and confused Americans the first day. We tried to brush up on some French phrases because we thought it would be helpful. Once we got there though we realized French is much harder than it looks and no matter how many times we practiced we still said the phrases wrong.
They have an underground train system similar to London. We were familiar with how to ride this so had no trouble at all finding our hotel. It was a very cute, very simple older hotel we stayed in right in a main area of town, Bastille.
We learned pretty quickly the terms used regularly- from foods to simple phrases like closed or push/pull. Not all the French were friendly and welcoming, but almost everywhere we went they could speech English or at least bear with us as we attempted to ask them a question. We did a lot of observing to see how the culture worked there and what was appropriate and what wasn't.
There were a lot of tourist there from all over the place. It was easy to spot out the Americans and other English speaking people. Most were just as confused as we were so that was always reassuring.
Every place we went took our breath away and made us speechless. The sites and historic locations are beyond massive, with intricate detail. Just mind-blowing. I think we took a hundred photos, if not more, at each location.
Blow are some lists that Kelsey and I made from our whole trip...
French terms that were most useful:
Bonjour= hello
Au revoir= good bye
Pardon= sorry
Excusez-moi= excuse me
Merci= thank you
Parlez-vous anglais?= do you speak English?
S'il vous plaît= please
Jamon= ham
Fromage= cheese
Les toilettes= toliet
Etc......
Trends:
High fashion, dressy attire
Long champ bags
Roller blades
Mopeds/motorcycles
Smoking
Coffee breaks
Crêpes
Public Display of Affection
casual drinks- anytime of the day
Places we went:
Bastille (the area we stayed in)
The Eiffel Tower (we went all the way to the TOP! This is over 80 stories and more than 600 flights of stairs. Scared out of my mind. I almost cried so I wouldn't have to go.)
Musee de Louvre "The Louvre" ( this contained over 35,000 works of art. It would take one person 9 months to view every piece. So we just glanced thru parts of it seeing a Michael Anglo sculpture and the Mona Lisa)
Galeries Layafette (the capitals best known departments store with high-end fashion items)
Place de la Concord (an enormous square with a large tower on the opposite end of Arc de Triophe along Avenue des Champs Élysées )
Walked down Avenue des Champs Élysées
Arc de Triophe (surrounding this arc is surrounded by the worlds busiest intersection, with 12 streets forming at a round about)
Versailles-château and gardens
Montimartre-Basilique Du Sacré Cœur (known for it's best view of the city, minus the Eiffel Tower)
Notre Dame (a massive Gothic Cathedral)
Things we learned:
- if you sit outside, someone is going to be smoking next to you
- all of the machines are in French(which makes it hard to understand what you are getting into)
- no matter what time of day The Metro (the underground train) is going to be packed
- if you act confused, people will speak to you in English
- you stand out like a sore thumb as an American
- all English speaking people find each other- whether this is to take a picture, ask a question, or just to hear a familiar language
- read your tour book before considering crossing the world's busiest intersection with 12 streets forming at a round about. (good thing we pulled out the book, seconds before running across. Turns out there is an underground passage. We had no idea)
-always look up to find where you are going
- stores open late and close early
- there is not true time- stores hours are subjective, trains arrive anywhere between 5-15mins of when they say
-the hardest thing about shopping was not being able to buy something because it was too expensive, you didn't have enough room in your bag, or you knew if you bought one thing you would have to buy 3 more things to go with it...
Paris was definitely far out from my comfort zone! I ate things I would never eat, faced fears I will probably never get over, got around without knowing a word of French, and truly experienced the French culture. It was an exceptional trip!
Monday, May 16, 2011
London
London was quite the adventure for Kelsey and I. Upon arrival Kelsey met this nice man that told her the area of town our hostel was in was known for drug trafficking and was not the safest part at night. He was incredibly kind and used his mileage on us to buy us a hotel in one of the wealthiest, nicer parts of town. We were very grateful to have met Joel.
From there we set off on many adventures throughout London! Although we did get lost from time to time, we always seemed to find our way. Here are some lists of what we noticed while in London:
English Pharses-
Way Out= Exit
Give Way= Yield
Water Closet= Bathroom
Frosty= bitter people
Boiling= hot
Chat show= comedy show
Going to the toilet= bathroom
Trends-
Tights with anything and everything
Boys wear suits
Girls wear blazers
Ankle boots
Bowling style shoes
Kids riding scooters
Places we went-
High Street Kensington (where we stayed and shopped)
Holland Park
South Kensington
Harrods
Wellington Arch (stood on top! Only about 3 stories)
Buckingham Palace
The Queen's Gallery (just glanced at)
Westminster Abbey (even talked to a security guard that worked the Royal Wedding)
Big Ben and The Houses of Houses
The London Eye (this was a massive ferris wheel that you were able to see the whole city from the top of. What a view!)
Gabriel's Wharf (one of our favorite little places we stumbled upon)
Kensington Gardens
Kensington Palace (just walked thru the gardens)
Hyde Park
Tate Modern
London Bridge
London Tower (more like a massive castle! We unfortunately did not have time to go inside)
Tower Bridge
Borough Market (amazing sandwiches we got!)
Charing Cross
Piccadilly Square (a mini Times Square)
China town
Leicester Square (still can't pronounce this word! This area is know for its theaters and entertainment)
Covent Garden (great for meals, we went to this authentic noodle place with one of our friends we met up with there)
Ve Olde Cheshire Cheese (the oldest pub in London. Our friend from home, jophie, took us there)
The Chunnel (brought us to Paris)
Lessons we learned-
Look right! Then left.
Always ask for your check
How to ride The Tube (the train)
Look up at the street names, they helped
Still don't know if you are supposed to walk on the left or the right side of the side walk. They just walked all over.
Lots more....
London was the perfect place to start for us. It was more familiar to American culture and everyone speaks English...definitely a plus. It reminded us of New York Cit at parts. Very city like and a happening place. I could've spent more time there but was excited to start new adventures.....off to Paris
From there we set off on many adventures throughout London! Although we did get lost from time to time, we always seemed to find our way. Here are some lists of what we noticed while in London:
English Pharses-
Way Out= Exit
Give Way= Yield
Water Closet= Bathroom
Frosty= bitter people
Boiling= hot
Chat show= comedy show
Going to the toilet= bathroom
Trends-
Tights with anything and everything
Boys wear suits
Girls wear blazers
Ankle boots
Bowling style shoes
Kids riding scooters
Places we went-
High Street Kensington (where we stayed and shopped)
Holland Park
South Kensington
Harrods
Wellington Arch (stood on top! Only about 3 stories)
Buckingham Palace
The Queen's Gallery (just glanced at)
Westminster Abbey (even talked to a security guard that worked the Royal Wedding)
Big Ben and The Houses of Houses
The London Eye (this was a massive ferris wheel that you were able to see the whole city from the top of. What a view!)
Gabriel's Wharf (one of our favorite little places we stumbled upon)
Kensington Gardens
Kensington Palace (just walked thru the gardens)
Hyde Park
Tate Modern
London Bridge
London Tower (more like a massive castle! We unfortunately did not have time to go inside)
Tower Bridge
Borough Market (amazing sandwiches we got!)
Charing Cross
Piccadilly Square (a mini Times Square)
China town
Leicester Square (still can't pronounce this word! This area is know for its theaters and entertainment)
Covent Garden (great for meals, we went to this authentic noodle place with one of our friends we met up with there)
Ve Olde Cheshire Cheese (the oldest pub in London. Our friend from home, jophie, took us there)
The Chunnel (brought us to Paris)
Lessons we learned-
Look right! Then left.
Always ask for your check
How to ride The Tube (the train)
Look up at the street names, they helped
Still don't know if you are supposed to walk on the left or the right side of the side walk. They just walked all over.
Lots more....
London was the perfect place to start for us. It was more familiar to American culture and everyone speaks English...definitely a plus. It reminded us of New York Cit at parts. Very city like and a happening place. I could've spent more time there but was excited to start new adventures.....off to Paris
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Packing
Packing has to be my worst skill EVER! After packing up my backpack and carry on...shedding some tears over how I couldn't bring Everything. I realize I am in for the adventure of my life.
This is one of those moments where you wonder what you have gotten yourself into. I realize this is going to be the time of my life, definitely the biggest thing yet in my life. I am diving off that diving board for the first time and way scared, but I am going for it!
I will do my best to keep all you followers- family, friends, whoever else- up-to-date on where I have been, what I have done, and the adventures I have encountered. ツ
Love you ALL! Miss you!
Off to bed before A LONG day tomorrow before London.
Jamie
This is one of those moments where you wonder what you have gotten yourself into. I realize this is going to be the time of my life, definitely the biggest thing yet in my life. I am diving off that diving board for the first time and way scared, but I am going for it!
I will do my best to keep all you followers- family, friends, whoever else- up-to-date on where I have been, what I have done, and the adventures I have encountered. ツ
Love you ALL! Miss you!
Off to bed before A LONG day tomorrow before London.
❤
Jamie
Monday, April 25, 2011
Pre Travel
Hi All!
I have decided to create this blog in hopes that I will document my travels of the summer and be able to communicate with everyone who wants to follow me. I do not have much experience blogging so this will be something new for me! I leave for Europe in just 16 days. I will begin my travels in London and go from there.
Hope you enjoy it ツ
I have decided to create this blog in hopes that I will document my travels of the summer and be able to communicate with everyone who wants to follow me. I do not have much experience blogging so this will be something new for me! I leave for Europe in just 16 days. I will begin my travels in London and go from there.
Hope you enjoy it ツ
❤ Jamie
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