Happy May!
That sounds so freaking weird. That means literally 2 weeks left until I leave, just 14 days. Yes, I am feeling a little sad about that...hmm.
It's funny how I spent much of my time here missing home and missing the things I'm used to and when confronted with the very close end of the program I'm kind of sad to go. That being said I don't think I'd want to stay longer. 14 Days is enough time to get to do the things around Florence I want to do, the main one visiting the Uffizi Gallery at least twice. Considering it's in the back of my apartment building and I have a student pass that gets me in infront of the line and for free I should have gone a while ago. Oops.
This weekend has been filled with a lot of work. Projects, papers, and presentations are due this coming week and finals exams are the next. Yes, I have exams and papers/projects in all my classes :( So I opted to stay in Florence this weekend and work through the tremendous pile of work I have to get done. I've finished a very large Italian Fashion History project, and I'm trying to make headway on my Wine Tasting paper and presentation, which is due tomorrow...I might be in trouble for that one. I blame the lack of information online about Giacomo Tachis. Who is that? Yeah, exactly...
The fashion show is also this coming week and thank God my dress is done-zo! Well, mostly done. I have to put a hook and eye in, then it's done. The studios aren't open on the weekends though, which is complete bullshit if you ask me, and they are only open until 8:30PM on weekdays, so I hope everybody gets their stuff done! I'm hoping that after the professor and fashion department head sees my dress they will give me credit for the Apparel Design class, ergo I won't have to take Draping II senior spring...that's just a hope. I'd feel weird asking for credit so if they want to give it to me I'll gladly accept :)
My birthday is soon, too. I'll be 22. Enough said :(
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
26: 5 Days in Germany
So I went to Frankfurt and Munich last weekend (I know, good timing with Springfest happening THIS weekend...).
Thursday: I landed in Frankfurt Hahn Airport really confused. They say that English is Germanic, so I had assumed I'd be able to understand at least the gist of what someone was saying. False. My first impression of the German written language was somebody got frustrated and slammed their fist on a keyboard. So, I asked a lady working at the airport where I need to go to get to Frankfurt. It's around 2:30PM. Oh, what now? I have to take a 2 hour bus ride into the city. So I get on the bus, which cost 13 Euro. A sweltering coach bus, so hot that the fuzzy seats stuck to the backs of my calves. The sun beaming brightly through the wide windows added to the heat; I understood what green-housed plants must feel like...
The bus drops me off by the train station, Houfbanouf....I think I spelled that wrong. My hotel is on the other side of the train station but do I know that? Not really, no, mainly because I'm just fried and an idiot at this point. I grab a schnitzel sandwhich (yeah!) and then realize where I am and where I need to go. The Adler hotel is in a shifty part of town, across the street from the train station and near the financial district (you have to walk through the strip clubs and casinos, though), so I'm assuming the digs won't be that great. I am surprised by a few things:
1. The receptionist and reception area is spotless.
2. There is a bowl of free candy.
3. The minibar (which only has water, but still in theory this is awesome) is free.
4. Our room is adorable.
So then I settled in and walked around the area, exploring the modern architecture in Frankfurt's outer area before Annie and Nicole arrives at midnight.
Friday: We walked a lot. We walked into the center of the city where most of the touristy things are. There are a few cool beer gardens and shops. We almost got hit by the tram. Nicole got so tired she was laughing at everything. We sat at a beer garden on the south side of the river and drank apfelwein (apple wine), which was okay, but not terrific. What else....
Bess and Laura came in the late afternoon and we saw them! Happy Birthday Laura!
Saturday: We go to the Frankfurt Modern Museum, which is fucking weird. The theme was photography and I've never seen so many pictures of naked people. That's what modern art is, I guess, photographs of naked people... and portraits of girls, piles of candy, and hanging lights... Afterwards the trio, Annie-Nicole-Peter, trained it to Munich. Annie then went to Venice while Nicole and I stayed in Munich.
Sunday: Munich is amazing. I love Munich. Our hotels was funky and modern, but that wasn't the best part. The best part was that we were right across the street from a family bakery (Bäkerei in German). We were near the English Garden an the Hofgarten, at the bottom of one of the universities there.
We ventured into Marienplatz, the center, which had some choice Bavarian architecture. There were people walking around in leiderhosen! Did I spell that right? We had lunch at Hofbrauhaus, a touristy beer house, but still really great. I'm not the biggest beer-drinker, but the beer I had in Munich was quite yummy.
Speaking of beer, Nicole and I went to a solid German food place for dinner and got delicious pints there. And then Nicole had the great idea to walk around and find a bar, which we did. We found a beer garden near our hotel and sat down outside. We ordered just two beers, "what most people get," we told the server. Enter two gigantic liter mugs of beer. My tolerance is not what it used to be back in freshmen year, I'm actually an old woman when it comes to alcohol. In my wine tasting class I'm sleepy after one third-glass... So needless to day this was a lot of beer.
On the way home Nicole and I laughed about a store called, "Futon Futon."
Monday: If you asked me what I expected about Germany I would not have said gardens. In fact, there's a cold and industrial depiction I get when I think about Germany, which I guess is what Berlin is like (says Nicole and Annie), and then there's a whole Bavarian Germany that comes to mind too. I think of gardens as being French or English. That being said, Nicole and I walked around the English Garden and I was really surprised at how cool it is. There are beer gardens, statues, rivers, a pond to paddleboat in! There's even a spot near the end of the garden where surfers practice their moves in the river!
After the garden, we went to a Japanese Fashion exhibit at the contemporary art museum. It's kind of mind-blowing to think that we were so close to some of the greatest and most iconic pieces by Yoji Yamamoto, Juniya Watanabe, Rei Kawabuko, and Issei Miyaki!
At our hotel we got free pastries and then went to take a night train from Munich to Florence.
Tuesday: 6:30AM we arrived in Florence Santa Maria Novella Station. I am exhausted and hungry. But the night train was totally worth it. We even had a stowaway in our room. Some German girl who didn't know where she was going and didn't want to tell anybody where she was from. But the other people in our room didn't seem worried by her. Yeah, it was an experience that I'm glad I had.
Thursday: I landed in Frankfurt Hahn Airport really confused. They say that English is Germanic, so I had assumed I'd be able to understand at least the gist of what someone was saying. False. My first impression of the German written language was somebody got frustrated and slammed their fist on a keyboard. So, I asked a lady working at the airport where I need to go to get to Frankfurt. It's around 2:30PM. Oh, what now? I have to take a 2 hour bus ride into the city. So I get on the bus, which cost 13 Euro. A sweltering coach bus, so hot that the fuzzy seats stuck to the backs of my calves. The sun beaming brightly through the wide windows added to the heat; I understood what green-housed plants must feel like...
The bus drops me off by the train station, Houfbanouf....I think I spelled that wrong. My hotel is on the other side of the train station but do I know that? Not really, no, mainly because I'm just fried and an idiot at this point. I grab a schnitzel sandwhich (yeah!) and then realize where I am and where I need to go. The Adler hotel is in a shifty part of town, across the street from the train station and near the financial district (you have to walk through the strip clubs and casinos, though), so I'm assuming the digs won't be that great. I am surprised by a few things:
1. The receptionist and reception area is spotless.
2. There is a bowl of free candy.
3. The minibar (which only has water, but still in theory this is awesome) is free.
4. Our room is adorable.
So then I settled in and walked around the area, exploring the modern architecture in Frankfurt's outer area before Annie and Nicole arrives at midnight.
Friday: We walked a lot. We walked into the center of the city where most of the touristy things are. There are a few cool beer gardens and shops. We almost got hit by the tram. Nicole got so tired she was laughing at everything. We sat at a beer garden on the south side of the river and drank apfelwein (apple wine), which was okay, but not terrific. What else....
Bess and Laura came in the late afternoon and we saw them! Happy Birthday Laura!
Saturday: We go to the Frankfurt Modern Museum, which is fucking weird. The theme was photography and I've never seen so many pictures of naked people. That's what modern art is, I guess, photographs of naked people... and portraits of girls, piles of candy, and hanging lights... Afterwards the trio, Annie-Nicole-Peter, trained it to Munich. Annie then went to Venice while Nicole and I stayed in Munich.
Sunday: Munich is amazing. I love Munich. Our hotels was funky and modern, but that wasn't the best part. The best part was that we were right across the street from a family bakery (Bäkerei in German). We were near the English Garden an the Hofgarten, at the bottom of one of the universities there.
We ventured into Marienplatz, the center, which had some choice Bavarian architecture. There were people walking around in leiderhosen! Did I spell that right? We had lunch at Hofbrauhaus, a touristy beer house, but still really great. I'm not the biggest beer-drinker, but the beer I had in Munich was quite yummy.
Speaking of beer, Nicole and I went to a solid German food place for dinner and got delicious pints there. And then Nicole had the great idea to walk around and find a bar, which we did. We found a beer garden near our hotel and sat down outside. We ordered just two beers, "what most people get," we told the server. Enter two gigantic liter mugs of beer. My tolerance is not what it used to be back in freshmen year, I'm actually an old woman when it comes to alcohol. In my wine tasting class I'm sleepy after one third-glass... So needless to day this was a lot of beer.
On the way home Nicole and I laughed about a store called, "Futon Futon."
Monday: If you asked me what I expected about Germany I would not have said gardens. In fact, there's a cold and industrial depiction I get when I think about Germany, which I guess is what Berlin is like (says Nicole and Annie), and then there's a whole Bavarian Germany that comes to mind too. I think of gardens as being French or English. That being said, Nicole and I walked around the English Garden and I was really surprised at how cool it is. There are beer gardens, statues, rivers, a pond to paddleboat in! There's even a spot near the end of the garden where surfers practice their moves in the river!
After the garden, we went to a Japanese Fashion exhibit at the contemporary art museum. It's kind of mind-blowing to think that we were so close to some of the greatest and most iconic pieces by Yoji Yamamoto, Juniya Watanabe, Rei Kawabuko, and Issei Miyaki!
At our hotel we got free pastries and then went to take a night train from Munich to Florence.
Tuesday: 6:30AM we arrived in Florence Santa Maria Novella Station. I am exhausted and hungry. But the night train was totally worth it. We even had a stowaway in our room. Some German girl who didn't know where she was going and didn't want to tell anybody where she was from. But the other people in our room didn't seem worried by her. Yeah, it was an experience that I'm glad I had.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
25: Paris
So I went to Paris last weekend. That comes off cavalier sounding, but I really don't have the adequate adjectives to describe how FREAKING AMAZING PARIS IS.
My mom essentially said to me countless times that I wasn't allowed to come home unless I went to Paris, which wasn't really on my list before I left. I called her, or rather she called me, while I was in the city waiting to meet up with a friend from high school by Notre-Dame. "Aren't you glad you took my advice and went?" She asked.
Yes, mom. I am glad I took your advice (Mom-1, Peter-0).
In the way that London felt so globally-connected, Paris did too. But what London lacked in a sense of culture, Paris had. This is, Paris feels like a cosmopolitan metropolis that is distinctively French. I ate crepes and drank a dark and tangy Bordeaux red. I walked through the city without hesitation by the little French I know. I ate macaroons...well I devoured them. Haesung took me to the best falafel place in the city. I spent a solid 6 hours at the Louvre (Dear Mona Lisa, you are not that great...). Haesung and I went to the touristy places, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysee, etc.
Then I went to Versailles. Despite the crowds of people in the chateau, I got some excellent views of all the royal and incredibly lavish bits from French history. I walked all around the gardens. My favorite place, though, was Le Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette's escape from the court. The style is more French countryside and there is more consideration to motifs of natural elements like flowers and leaves. The farm area is very cool to be in, although I thought I was in a mini-golf course for a hot-second. I also fed a goat...and then was yelled at in French by someone who works there.
And all the while in my head I was playing scenes from Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, which kind of lessens the historical significance of one of the most important political locations in Europe, but entertained me immensely.
Paris, I will definitely come back.
My mom essentially said to me countless times that I wasn't allowed to come home unless I went to Paris, which wasn't really on my list before I left. I called her, or rather she called me, while I was in the city waiting to meet up with a friend from high school by Notre-Dame. "Aren't you glad you took my advice and went?" She asked.
Yes, mom. I am glad I took your advice (Mom-1, Peter-0).
In the way that London felt so globally-connected, Paris did too. But what London lacked in a sense of culture, Paris had. This is, Paris feels like a cosmopolitan metropolis that is distinctively French. I ate crepes and drank a dark and tangy Bordeaux red. I walked through the city without hesitation by the little French I know. I ate macaroons...well I devoured them. Haesung took me to the best falafel place in the city. I spent a solid 6 hours at the Louvre (Dear Mona Lisa, you are not that great...). Haesung and I went to the touristy places, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysee, etc.
Then I went to Versailles. Despite the crowds of people in the chateau, I got some excellent views of all the royal and incredibly lavish bits from French history. I walked all around the gardens. My favorite place, though, was Le Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette's escape from the court. The style is more French countryside and there is more consideration to motifs of natural elements like flowers and leaves. The farm area is very cool to be in, although I thought I was in a mini-golf course for a hot-second. I also fed a goat...and then was yelled at in French by someone who works there.
And all the while in my head I was playing scenes from Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, which kind of lessens the historical significance of one of the most important political locations in Europe, but entertained me immensely.
Paris, I will definitely come back.
24: Cortona
Dear Frances Mayes,
If you are reading this, hello, I'm Peter. Your book, Under the Tuscan Sun, (and movie...) drove me to place Cortona on the top of my list of places to visit in Italy. I was not disappointed. So, thanks.
P.S. Sorry for the angry shout out in Post 22...or 21, I forget.
Cortona is a little jewel nestled into a typical Tuscan hillside. It's much smaller than Siena, but still has that same feeling that if you wander down the winding small streets you're probably going to end up finding something magical, like a great view or a perfect restaurant (both things Carolyn and I found). There's a lot of quiet-living that happens in Cortona that I loved instantly; nothing like in Florence where there's a clear city-sense.
Cortona's main attraction is a steep walk up the hill that takes you past 15 futurism mosaics by Servini that depict something about Jesus (I don't really know what it is though, I'm jewish). Oh, by the way, Happy Passover! So after Carolyn and I dragged ourselves up the walk to find a beautiful church (and a nun. I love nuns), we took in the view.
Cortona shouldn't be missed! Also, I took a photograph of a bunch of the places they filmed Under the Tuscan Sun so I was a pretty happy camper even without the amazing lunch, spectacular views, and iced coffee.
If you are reading this, hello, I'm Peter. Your book, Under the Tuscan Sun, (and movie...) drove me to place Cortona on the top of my list of places to visit in Italy. I was not disappointed. So, thanks.
P.S. Sorry for the angry shout out in Post 22...or 21, I forget.
Cortona is a little jewel nestled into a typical Tuscan hillside. It's much smaller than Siena, but still has that same feeling that if you wander down the winding small streets you're probably going to end up finding something magical, like a great view or a perfect restaurant (both things Carolyn and I found). There's a lot of quiet-living that happens in Cortona that I loved instantly; nothing like in Florence where there's a clear city-sense.
Cortona's main attraction is a steep walk up the hill that takes you past 15 futurism mosaics by Servini that depict something about Jesus (I don't really know what it is though, I'm jewish). Oh, by the way, Happy Passover! So after Carolyn and I dragged ourselves up the walk to find a beautiful church (and a nun. I love nuns), we took in the view.
Cortona shouldn't be missed! Also, I took a photograph of a bunch of the places they filmed Under the Tuscan Sun so I was a pretty happy camper even without the amazing lunch, spectacular views, and iced coffee.
23: So Dramatic
I apologize for the semi-melodramatic previous post; I was in one of those moods. A good friend of mine reminded me the other day of what I had initially planned to accomplish with this semester abroad, and she did this by showing me the description of this blog. I am but one person trying to figure out who I am, what I want to do, who I want to be, where I'm supposed to go. Who's to say I wouldn't feel this way back at school in the States? Who's to say that this is all part of the bigger picture, that this semester is the very thing I needed. And yes, I do still feel homesick (and I say that as somebody who has never been fully one to be homesick), but that's part of this, too.
I've tried to figure this out in my head for some time now, and I think I may have come to some sort of sense. Last semester I think I lost myself, or I lost my drive as a student who prides himself on being on top of his game; I lost that entirely and I stumbled through all of my academics trying to get back on track, to find my footing again. Coming to Italy, while I initially would thought would inspire me to snap back into the usual driven me, has actually opened my eyes to a greater understanding of how I function and how I work best. To say that I've found my footing fully is jumping the gun; to say that I've found that spark that made me that driven person is just (although, I've yet to implement said spark...watch out for an explosive me next semester, though).
So, my apologies for that and for being a generally bad blogger. Be forewarned of the onslaught of new posts...
P.S. Mom and Dad, if you're reading this I might have to ship some stuff home...hope that's okay :)
I've tried to figure this out in my head for some time now, and I think I may have come to some sort of sense. Last semester I think I lost myself, or I lost my drive as a student who prides himself on being on top of his game; I lost that entirely and I stumbled through all of my academics trying to get back on track, to find my footing again. Coming to Italy, while I initially would thought would inspire me to snap back into the usual driven me, has actually opened my eyes to a greater understanding of how I function and how I work best. To say that I've found my footing fully is jumping the gun; to say that I've found that spark that made me that driven person is just (although, I've yet to implement said spark...watch out for an explosive me next semester, though).
So, my apologies for that and for being a generally bad blogger. Be forewarned of the onslaught of new posts...
P.S. Mom and Dad, if you're reading this I might have to ship some stuff home...hope that's okay :)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
22: Ugh
Dear Blog,
I am homesick.
I registered for classes for next year today, which prompted me to think about school and then I thought about home and now I'm homesick. It's not that I'm not enjoying Florence, but rather that I miss all the things that constituted "my life" before coming to Italy. And most of my friends that are on other abroad programs are going home in the next week or so; their programs operate on a different time schedule than mine. So, I've got another month really...
On the upside, I'm going to Paris this weekend. That should be fun. I plan on spending a day at The Louvre, a day at Versailles, and a lot of food in between :)
I am homesick.
I registered for classes for next year today, which prompted me to think about school and then I thought about home and now I'm homesick. It's not that I'm not enjoying Florence, but rather that I miss all the things that constituted "my life" before coming to Italy. And most of my friends that are on other abroad programs are going home in the next week or so; their programs operate on a different time schedule than mine. So, I've got another month really...
On the upside, I'm going to Paris this weekend. That should be fun. I plan on spending a day at The Louvre, a day at Versailles, and a lot of food in between :)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
21: ...I have no clever title for this entry...
I'm eating the strangest pasta right now...
I slept in today, a treat to myself for working so hard these past few days, and as a result my eating schedule was all thrown out of whack. I had a really good jam and ricotta sandwich for breakfast (at 1:30), then salad with sauteed mushrooms for lunch (at 5:00) and now I'm eating this funky pasta I bought from a take-away cafe. I'm not sure what's in it...it smells fishy, but there is no sign of fish in it. Whatever, I'll eat it.
Yesterday I went on a stroll around my apartment and found that down one of the side streets there is a Korean Mart!!! I bought a bunch of junk food and ate it all. And now I can't find it. That's Florence, a bunch of side streets with wonderful surprises that you can never find again...
Happy Sunday :)
I slept in today, a treat to myself for working so hard these past few days, and as a result my eating schedule was all thrown out of whack. I had a really good jam and ricotta sandwich for breakfast (at 1:30), then salad with sauteed mushrooms for lunch (at 5:00) and now I'm eating this funky pasta I bought from a take-away cafe. I'm not sure what's in it...it smells fishy, but there is no sign of fish in it. Whatever, I'll eat it.
Yesterday I went on a stroll around my apartment and found that down one of the side streets there is a Korean Mart!!! I bought a bunch of junk food and ate it all. And now I can't find it. That's Florence, a bunch of side streets with wonderful surprises that you can never find again...
Happy Sunday :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)