meghanmcconnell's posterous http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com Most recent posts at meghanmcconnell's posterous posterous.com Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:37:00 -0700 happy trails http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/happy-trails http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/happy-trails

I can honestly say that I have made some lifetime friends while on this trip.  It is a big accomplishment on all our parts that we were able to survive here, in a foreign country, by ourselves, away from our parents and everything that’s familiar to us.  There is no doubt in my mind that the friends I made here and the experiences we shared will last me a lifetime, but I also could not have had so much fun here with out them.  As we have only a limited number of days left, I am a little worried to go home and live without them.  I will no longer have Katie to make me breakfast while I read the anthropology textbook out loud to her, or Victoria, Haley, Hayley and Mic upstairs to bother when I’m bored.  Or seeing them everyday.  No more figuring out what we are doing for dinner since we are incapable of eating without one another.  These things that have become so normal and habitual are about to cease and we go right back to the same old routines at home.  Though those were once “normal” are they really going to be “normal” any more?  They are going to seem so mundane and so boring.  Ew, and I’m going to have to drive to Safeway when I’m hungry, not just walk down stairs to the kebob shop.  Well, there are no kebobs in America either, great.  I don’t want to go home : (

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Side note: I GOT INTO UCLA!!!!

 

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Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:28:00 -0700 happy travels http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/happy-travels http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/happy-travels

It is very hard to leave the beautiful city of Firenze, and all the wonderful people I have met while being on this trip. I could easily do another 3 months here. But I am very excited that I will be continuing my European adventure and traveling for another 7 weeks. This Friday, Victoria and I leave for Munich where we will enjoy the tail end of “Springfest”. I have heard wonderful things about it and am excited to see more of Europe, as this has been my first time here. From there we are flying down to Greece and working our way all the way up, hitting Croatia and eventually Prague and Budapest. Planning this trip has been enough in itself. We thought the Eurail was the way to go, and it totally it, but the trains still takes forever. From Split in Croatia to Budapest it is a 28-hour train ride. Yikes. Finding relatively cheap accommodation is another thing. Hostels are a great way to do it but they sometimes are a little sketchy. From there we are going to Amsterdam where Victoria departs from at the end of May. I will be meeting my mother a few days later in London and we are going to see Ireland and Scotland. Should be interesting… Regardless, I am very lucky and excited to be able to see so much of the world at such a young age, this really is a once in a lifetime experience.

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Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:51:00 -0700 Untitled http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/49997485 http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/49997485

Monday April 18, 2011

The streets are starting to fill up with tourists.  As the cafe’s get more and more crowded each day, I can’t help but be grateful that I have lived here for 3 months.  Even though each day I find a new hidden treasure, such as a restaurant or a cafe, I am no longer wandering the streets with my head looking up at all the beautiful buildings.  Sometimes I don’t even notice the Ponte Vecchio because I have become so accustomed to seeing it every day.  And just lately, seeing all the tourists with their backpacks and cameras, I no longer feel like a tourist, and am starting to feel like I actually live and belong here. The checkers at Il Centro recognize me, and the baristas at Pazawski’s and Astor know my name and order.  But all good things come to an end, just when I am starting to feel like I belong here, it’s just about time to pack up and leave.  I always felt comfortable here, and I never once missed California (though I do miss dill pickles and Mexican food which are few and far between here) but when I leave Florence and travel to places like Spain over spring break, or Rome for the weekend, I fell a little homesick for my beloved, problem-prone, closet of an apartment on “Piazza Salvemini, quindici” with the seven best roommates and the five best friends that I could have asked for.  And when I’m feeling down, I know that the old men on the street corners playing their hearts out on their accordions will be there and still, sometimes, I stop and watch for a second, because I know that there is nowhere else in the world like that.  Nowhere like Firenze.

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Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:47:00 -0700 Untitled http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/49997421 http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/49997421

Such a lovely day in Sorrento, and what a wonderful weekend it was with Katie and her parents, I hate to leave so soon!  But today is Monday afternoon and I have class in an hour and a half.  Though as I sit here looking out the windows on the Eurostar racing past the lush green fields of the Tuscan countryside, I feel like I am in paradise.  The stress of school and finals and presentations subsides.  The sun, finally out and shining brilliantly is calming and the small farm towns are quaint and look inviting.  Ahh, the simple life.  The monitor says that Florence will be up to 18 degrees Celsius today (whatever that means) but there is a bright yellow sun next to it so I know that means good things!  I’ve been watching and listening to these three adorable, old Italian ladies for some time, talking and laughing and enjoying life.  Exchanging stories about their grandchildren and life it self.  One of the ladies gave the others a leaf from an olive branch.  The two recipients were very grateful and happy.  I assume it is of some importance as many of the children in Sorrento were carrying olive branches around town.  My guess is that it has something to do with Pasqua, or Easter and the olive branches represent luck or good fortune or something of the sort… Time for some research!

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Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:43:00 -0700 anacapri http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/anacapri http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/anacapri

We finally made it all in one piece after the not quite so normal adventure up the mountain to Anacapri.  The town was a cute little beach town with white buildings and tunnels of azaleas growing down walk ways.  Much like Sorrento, there were lemon trees after lemon trees growing all throughout the town.  We were recommended to stop at this garden called Gardin di San Michelle di Axel Munthe.  Munthe was a Swedish physician who became world reknown.  He was the first physician to treat the patient, not just the illness.  He would not accept payment from the people of Capri for the treatment he gave them but his wealthier patients gave him more money than he knew what to do with.  As he gained popularity, he became the Swedish Queen Victoria’s private physician.  She suffered from bronchitis and he recommended she spend her summers at Capri, and she did.  Starting the 1910 she spent a few months of the year in Capri living with the physician. 

The physician, Munthe, built a spectacular house and an even more spectacular garden.  Munthe had many helpers around the estate and while he paid them no wages for their services, he provided them with everything the needed.  The garden was in full bloom when we visited on that warm Satuday afternoon in April.  The view from the perimeters of the estate is incredible and shows the whole town of Capri below. 

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Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:28:00 -0700 road. trip. http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/road-trip http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/road-trip

Saturday, April 16th 2011

We woke up to a wonderful complementary breakfast at the hotel La Favorita in Sorrento, Italy.  The weather was just beautiful and the hotel had a roof top terrace with a swimming pool.  We hung out on the roof for a few hours in the morning and then decided to go over to Capri when the weather started to turn.  We hopped on the ferry and took a 20-minuet ride to Capri.  When we disembarked, we were hoping to be able to see the famous Blue Grotto but unfortunately, the weather would not permit us to do so.  So instead we took a bus ride up the mountain to Anacapri.  The bus ride was, anything but normal.  To start, we were jam packed like sardines in a can and we were inches from the cliff looking down a good thousand feet and winding back and forth all the way up to the top.  If you know how Italians drive, I’m sure you’ll understand when I say that I closed my eyes basically the entire time.  The road was very narrow, not big enough for two cars but, of course, there was on coming traffic.  We narrowly missed collisions on multiple occasions and even scrapped the side of the bus on the rock wall, but all the Italians obviously used to this type of driving carried on like nothing happened.  Do I even need to say that every American on that bus was on the verge of a heart attack?  That is definitely one thing I do miss about America, not feeling like I am about to die every time I get on the road.

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Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:54:00 -0700 Forza Viola! Forza Fiorentina! http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/forza-viola-forza-fiorentina http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/forza-viola-forza-fiorentina

Sunday April 10th, 2011

I have to say, I’ve never been much of a futbol fan but after attending the #1 AC Milan – #10 Fiorentina game, I’ve been converted!

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After a few pre-game dinner, and drinks at the Lions Fountain with the whole gang and Katie and Kevin’s parents, we trekked over to the stadium and found the whole AIFS group sitting down in the Ferrovia section.  Maybe its just Italians and their pride and their sense of “campanalissmo” that makes the games so entertaining and exciting, or maybe its going down to the local stadium sporting Fiorentina apparel with my friends that makes me feel just that much more part of the culture here.  Either way, that experience was like none other that I have had here in Florence.  Sitting in a sea of purple watching in person what I only seldom (if ever) watch on television back in the states was exciting and transforming.  Being the naturally competitive person I am, sporting my purple and white-stripped polo complete with a Fleur de Li, I really got into the game.  Everyone had so much fun together, all rooting for the same team in unity. 


 

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It was interesting to see the crazy Italian Fiorentina fans cheering because for them futbol is a way of life.  It was cool to be in such an atmosphere like that similar to die-hard Raider fans or Giants fans back at home, who paint their faces and cheer on their team like its going out of style.  Unfortunately, AC Milan took Fiorentina 2-1 but it was nevertheless and eventful night and a great game with great entertainment and even better company!

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Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:32:00 -0700 pizza... Napoleon style http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/pizza-napoleon-style http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/pizza-napoleon-style

I never thought I could possibly get burnt out on pizza in Italy, but after two straight weeks of my roommates having visitors, I think I can safely say, I've had enough pizza... until next week.  The first week we were here, Victoria, Hayley and I found this little pizza shop (don't know the name) that makes around thirty different kinds of Napoleon style pizza fresh when you order it.  The pizzas are massive, but, naturally, we each finish our own individual ones.  I order the "Ligure" which is pesto, tomato and mozzarella, mmm!  Its delicious!  It is by far the best pizza I have had in Italy, thus the best pizza I have had... ever.  The owner is always there working and he definitely knows us by now.  

The first day Lizzy, Katie's sister, got here, we took her to the pizza place and she loved it! And so, since she would only be in Italy for a short time and wanted to indulge, we went back two more times while she was here!  By the time Micaela's friends got here, I was already starting to be burnt out, but we trekked back to the pizza place with them and ate there two more times.  Katie's parents get here tomorrow, so I'm mentally preparing for another visit to the pizza place.  Though I'm burnt out on pizza, I'm definitely still looking forward to it. : )

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A picture of Katie's pizza! YUM

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Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:15:00 -0700 Madrid-> Barcelona http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/madrid-barcelona http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/madrid-barcelona

Monday, March 16th and Tuesday, March 15th 2011

On Monday we tried to see the Prado and the Thyssen but to just our luck, all the museums were closed.  We had planned to take an overnight bus to Barcelona that night but we decided we couldn’t come to Madrid and not see the Prado.  So we decided to stay one more night, see the museums in the morning and catch the bus to Barcelona around one.  I was a little disappointed with the Prado, I think mainly because I didn’t understand the culture and the history behind it.  I’ve learned European history but it mainly has been about the Renaissance and Middle Ages, etc. so I can appreciate the artwork I see in the Uffizi or Pitti Palace more so than the Prado.  The Thyssen had paintings done by Picasso and Diego Rivera, more a modern art collection but nevertheless exceptional. 

We caught an eight-hour train to Barcelona and all was going well until we got to the first rest stop.  The whole bus got off to have a snack and the bus driver said we had twenty minuets.  We went in and had some paella but before we knew it the room had cleared out and people were starting to get back on the bus.  Katie and I, not realizing this, took our sweet time, using the rest room one more time and buying snacks.  When we went outside, we couldn't recognize our bus so we started hoping on random ones and seeing if we could find our friends.  By the third bus we realized something was probably wrong, and then all the sudden we see our friend Victoria sprinting towards us yelling at us to hurry.  The bus had started to leave!  And was still leaving without any of us on it!  Victoria ran in front of it so he'd have to stop and let us on.  Luckily, we got on the bus and although it was very embarrassing walking to the way back of the bus after that fiasco, we made to Barcelona.  I found this event interesting because in America, a bus would never leave without all it's riders and we certainly would not have had to chase after it. 

 

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Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:53:00 -0700 Madrid http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/madrid http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/madrid

Friday March 11-13th, 2011

Our hostel in Madrid was located right in the heart of the city, Sol.  The first day we were there we wandered around, doing a little shopping here and there and began to get our bearings.  The next day we went over to the Reigna Sofia museum where we saw lots of modern art including some paintings by Pablo Picasso.  The museum was huge and I got lost from the group for an hour wandering by myself, entranced by the paintings on display.  Tired from our travels, we went back to the hostel to take a siesta before dinner.  We found an awesome tapas bar right night to our hostel and had a delicious meal of pallae, garlic shrimp, calamari and sangria. 

We spent most of our time in Madrid wandering the streets, eager to see what we would stumble upon.  We found a lovely park with a man-made lake in the middle, perfect for paddle boating.  While we were at the park it started sprinkling so we booked it home since none of us brought umbrellas on spring break! 

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My friend from high school, Tommy, who is studying in Madrid, told us about this market that we had to go to.  It is the biggest outdoor market in Europe and had things from fur coats to DVDs.  We pushed our way through the hoards of people, bought yummy meals, and my roommate even ended up purchasing a beautiful fur coat! 

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That night we went to a club Tommy recommended called Kapital.  The club is seven stories and has a different type of dance music on each level.  It was insane, and naturally being the wanderer I am, I got lost and failed to find my friends until I got back to the hostel at 6 am.  Needless to say, we slept in late the next day..

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Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:09:00 -0700 spring break set back #2 http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/spring-break-set-back-2 http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/spring-break-set-back-2

Woke up today feeling a little better and super excited that its finally spring break and we are about to be in Spain!  Everything was running according to plan, I was packed, I woke up early to get ready and make sure everything was in order and even cleaned the apartment before we left.  Unlike myself, my roommates are always late and collectively we can never manage to be places on time.  So when we walked out the door, running late, we realized that no one had the address of the hostel we had booked for that night so I ran back upstairs to get the information off my email.  I left the keys in the door and set my clutch on the kitchen table while I restarted my iPhone and refreshed my mailbox.  Finally I found the email in my junk folder and ran out of the apartment in such a haste that I completely forgot about the clutch on the table.  We headed over to Santa Croce with all our bags to catch a cab to the airport.  It wasn’t until I was at the check in counter that I realized my clutch was missing and consequently so was my passport.  On the verge of tears, I had no choice but to pray I had enough time and hop back in a cab to take me home to grab my passport and take me back to the airport.  Luckily, I made it back to the airport with 20 minuets to spare only to find that our plane was also delayed an hour.  Needless to say, I was not a happy camper but we made it to Spain and my eardrum is still intact! 

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Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:06:00 -0700 spring break eve http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/spring-break-eve http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/spring-break-eve

Thursday March 10th, 2011

So it’s the day before we’re supposed to leave for Spain for spring break and I just got back from eventful visit to the doctors office.  Dr. Kerr, the English-speaking doctor in Florence, put me on five different medications in hope to make me feel better over night.  I have been feeling subpar since the third week of the semester and today I was finally convinced to see the doctor out of fear.  A friend told me that if I flew when my ears weren’t popped, I could blow out my eardrum and go deaf.  Since I had all the symptoms to a sinus infection and an ear infection, I practically ran to see the doctor after class.  Professionally he had to tell me not to board that plane tomorrow, but personally he said he would do it because; “Barcelona is amazing”.   He wrote my prescription for five different medications and I went downstairs to the pharmacy and picked them up.  I am all packed and ready to go to Spain to have the best spring break of my life, but I am genuinely scared about flying while I’m sick.  What if my eardrum blows out!  I’m going to bed hoping I will feel better the morning.  It’s hard to sleep because I am anticipating delicious Spanish tapas and sangria.  One of my friends from high school is studying abroad in Madrid and although he will coincidentally be in Italy while we are in Spain, he wrote us a list of things we have to do and places we have to see. 

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Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:24:00 -0700 When in Rome http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/when-in-rome http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/when-in-rome

Saturday March 5th 2011 and Sunday March 6th 2011

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Such an eventful two days of sightseeing in the spectacular city of Rome.  From the tranquil setting of the Fontana di Trevi to the antiquated ruins of the Coliseum to the intricate paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Rome is laden with art and architectural wonders from across the centuries.  On Saturday we saw Trevi Fountain and, as all tourists must do, tossed a coin in over our shoulder and made a wish. 

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(me and the girls in front of Trevi Fountain)

We then continued walking to the Pantheon and then up to the Spanish steps.  The steps weren’t as tough to get up as they looked and the view from the top was spectacular!  Then we went over to the Coliseum.  I was simply baffled by how such a structure, so massive, could possibly have been constructed.  It was very interesting to see the ruins of ancient Rome, buildings and things that have been there for centuries.

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(Katie and I in front of the Coliseum)

Sunday we visited the Vatican.  The Sistine Chapel is a place of beauty, a spectacle for sore eyes and was well worth the forty-five-minuet wait to get in.  One of my favorite paintings, Rafaello’s “La Academia de Atene”, was hanging in the museum, which was quite a treat to see!  In the Sistine chapel we were able to get a seat on the bench so we could stare up in awe at the images painted by the famous, Michelangelo.  After the museum side, we ventured into the Vatican city and saw the inside of St. Peters Basilica.  There was a mass going on inside the Basilica so parts of the church were roped off. 

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(Just some holy water from St. Peter's Basilica)

We brought along a little picnic and had lunch in anticipation of seeing the Pope who was to come speak at noon.  Right at noon he appeared at the window and gave a speech in Italian.  Seeing the Pope speak really was a once in a lifetime experience of which I will remember forever.

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Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:00:00 -0800 rough morning http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/rough-morning http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/rough-morning

Friday, March 4th, 2011

I woke up Friday morning feeling absolutely awful.  Naturally, we had train tickets to Rome for the weekend and I could barely lift my head from the pillow.   After complaining to Katie about how lousy I felt, I managed to grab a few mismatched articles of clothing, shove them in my backpack and trek to the train station.  Thomas was leading the pack and managed to take us on the most illogical path to the train station, which ended up taking almost double the time it normally takes.  We made it with a minuet to spare and literally ran to our train, which took off 30 seconds after we had boarded.  I passed out the entire train ride to Rome and woke up feeling a little better.  I still had body aches but my headache and fever had subsided.  Since we failed to book a hostel prior to embarking, we weren’t exactly sure where we’d be sleeping that night.  My friend, Tommy, from high school is studying in Madrid and is currently on spring break in Italy.  He happened to be in Rome that weekend so we checked into the hostel he said he’d stayed at the night before.  We had our own six-man room with bunk beds, a private bathroom and shower.  Everyone, pretty much exhausted and cranky, fell asleep until 8pm.  Realizing we had just wasted an entire day in Rome and not seen a single thing, we decided just to go down to the bar at the hostel and meet Tommy and have an early night so we could wake up early the next morning.  I probably should not have gone to Rome feeling as awful as I did… I’m pretty sure I have a sinus infection and an ear infection now but, when in Italy…

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Mon, 07 Mar 2011 07:57:00 -0800 Piazza Michaelangelo http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/piazza-michaelangelo http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/piazza-michaelangelo

February 27th, 2011

"What a view!" we exclaimed as we finally reached the top of the summit.  Thomas decided to take Katie and me on a run since we had been feeling rather gross due to the massive amounts of carbs and fats in the form of bread and pasta we had been consuming.  While going on a run with a guy may seem like constant motivation to keep running, that did not seem to help the fact that we are severely out of running shape.  Honestly, I was surprised I made it up all those stairs to the top.  When we finally stopped running my legs could not stop shaking!  I would think I’d be in great shape for going up stairs since it seems that all I do here is climb stairs.  Despite the pain and exhaustion, the view was spectacular and we could see the entire city of Florence.  Luckily it was a nice day, which made for a better view and a little relaxation in the sun. 

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We could spot the important landmarks such as the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, the house of the Medici and almost our apartment!  The view reminded me of the view from Twin Peaks in San Francisco, just a little thought of home to add to the pensive mood.  I like to sit and lookout at the view and just think when I find spots like this.  They put things into perspective, just how much is really out there and how much there is to explore.  The view from Piazza Michaelangleo is definitely a place to find a cure for those “just one of those days” days.

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Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:57:00 -0800 Lesson learned... http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/lesson-learned http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/lesson-learned

Saturday February 26, 2011

Saturday night all my friends and roommates decided to go to the Crookers concert and considering the fact that concerts aren't really my thing and I haven't the slightest idea who the Crookers are, I decided not to go.  Big mistake.  They all left around 7:30 and I went down around 8:00 to have dinner with Karl.  He ordered take out and we went in the back room of Lions Fountain and ate.  He got my a salad but unfortunately, the only form of dressing he had was olive oil and salt.  Ew.

After dinner I went back up to my room to get ready to go back out with some girls I had only recently become friends with.  While I was waiting to meet them I started skyping my best friend from back home and I was so happy to talk to her I completely lost track of time and by the time I realized it I was already 20 minuets late!  I left in such haste that, as I would realize latter that night, I left my keys on the kitchen table.  We went back down to Lions Fountain and hopped from bar to bar for a while.  When it was time to return for the night I reached into my purse to grab my keys and... they weren't there... On the walk home I tripped in my heels on the cobblestone and completely scraped up my knee.  The Crookers concert wasn't even ending until 5 am so I ended up sleeping on my friends couch.  I woke up at 5 because I was freezing and saw I had a text from my roommate wondering where I was.  Realizing they were back, I left to walk home... also a big mistake.  I had no idea where I was but I started walking, looking for the Duomo since I live right near there.  I ran into a group of Italian students trying to find their way home as well and asked them for directions.  They had no idea where to go either so we started walking together.  I finally found a building that I recognized and was able to find my way back home.  The second group of roommates got home minuets before me because they weren't able to get into the first cab on the way home and as it turned out, they had ran into the same group of Italians as I did!  As soon as I got buzzed in I went straight to bed and slept until noon.  Saturday night was a disaster.  Note to self: never let my keys out of my sight, and never go anywhere without my roommates.

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Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:14:00 -0800 Sienna and San Gimignano http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/sienna-and-san-gimignano http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/sienna-and-san-gimignano

Friday February 25, 2011

It was definitely hard to wake up at 7am Friday morning after thursday night Kareoke at Lions Fountain in which we stayed up all night singing loudly and proudly to some of the classic songs from the past.  Katie woke me up, and I jumped out of bed, as I do every morning, confused and not knowing what time it was due to our solid wood shutters.  She had already made us breakfast potatoes and eggs which were waiting for me on the kitchen table already salted and doused with ketchup, just the way I prepare them every morning.  After enjoying our breakfast, we scrambled to get ready to meet the AIFS group at the train station by 8:15.  As usual, we were running late and didn't leave until 8:05.  We walked so fast, almost in sprint to the train station and of course, no one really knew where we were going.  The whole way up I kept saying we need to go this way and no one would listen.  Eventually we made our way (to exactly where I said we needed to go) and got there just in the nick of time!  We hopped on a bus which took us to Sienna.  Sienna is a beautiful medieval city with tall buildings and narrow, tunnel like streets.  We took a short tour around the town and then were released to wander.  I have never eaten so much in such a small period of time.  For lunch we each had a slice of pizza that was 1/4 of the entire pizza, numerous doughnut holes, and chocolate.  Then, trying to kill time since we had pretty much seen everything during the tour, we did a little shopping.  

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We met the group back at the Piazza a few hours later and proceeded to San Gimignano.  San Gimignano is a very small town in the outskirts of Tuscany.  With beautiful views and not very much to do.  We tried to get some gelato from the "best gelato place in the world" but unfortunately it was close so we settled for the place right next door which was also very delicious.

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We did a little shopping in San Gimignano also and I bought a purse from one of the little leather shops! It's so cute, I love it!  It was very interesting to see a town like San Gimignano, I hadn't seen grass since I've come to Florence and the views of the rolling hills were spectacular!

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Sat, 19 Feb 2011 03:33:00 -0800 the art of cooking http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/the-art-of-cooking http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/the-art-of-cooking

February 10th, 2011

 

So now that I live on my own... I have to cook for myself.  As pathetic as this sounds, that is a bit of a shock for me.  Not only have I always had the luxury of a homemade meal prepared for my by my parents every night, I am also highly unskilled in the kitchen.  It was starting to look like I would be eating pasta and bread for the next three months.  Distraught by this notion, my roommates and I signed up for a cooking class in which we prepared a three course meal.  We met with the group and trekked to this unassuming little hole in the wall kitchen.  It was deep in the side streets of Florence, and it would have been easy to miss as the door lacked any sign of what takes place behind it.

We started off by making a dessert called "chocolate salami"- and it looked just as it sounds.  We crushed up gram crackers, added some cocoa, sugar, butter rolled it together and put it in the fridge.  Then we began preparing the starter, eggplant mozzarella. We cut up some eggplant, sauteed it, then cut up slices of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes and put it in the oven.  For the main dish, we made homemade gnocchi.  I was in charge of pulverizing the boiled potatoes which was no easy task.  After the potatoes were all cut up we added flour, egg yoke and a few other ingredients mixed in.  The chefs who were teaching us were very particular about how we rolled the gnocchi's and he called ours "American gnocchi" because they were too big... and ugly.

After we finished preparing our meal we sat down and enjoyed it!   

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 Everything was so delicious!  We cleared the plate!  Hopefully I picked up on a few things because I'm making dinner tonight.. that should be interesting...

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Sun, 13 Feb 2011 04:30:00 -0800 pisa e lucca http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/pisa-e-lucca http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/pisa-e-lucca

Saturday, February 5th 2011

For those of you who were wondering, yes, the tower in Pisa is still leaning.  This architectural feat started in 1173 took 177 years to build.  The tower began to lean because the soil it was built on was marsh like and soft.  We learned that soil has been removed from the base and the tower is said to be stable for at least 200 years more years.

Last weekend, we went on a day trip to Pisa and Lucca.  We started out in Lucca and walked along the top of the wall that surrounds the ancient city.  It was only a 2.5 mile walk around but my feet were dead.  

While we were wandering we found a flea market that we shopped around in... way cheaper than Florence, thats for sure.

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 (view of the flea market from above)

Then we made our trek to Pisa where we saw the Duomo of Pisa (Duomo is a general term for the main church of a city), the Bapistry and Leaning tower.  What a site for sore eyes; the weather was fantastic and the buildings were amazing!  Naturally we posed in front of the tower holding it up.  Such tourists but I couldn't go to Pisa and not take one!

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 We came home, exhausted... and my feet have never been so swollen.  Note to self, buy some sensible shoes.

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Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:14:00 -0800 Conversations http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/conversations http://meghanmcconnell.posterous.com/conversations

February 4th, 2011

I was next door at Mesopotamia Kebob earlier (surprised?) and I met this guy from Australia named Alessandro.  He asked to sit down with me since it was crowded and we were both alone.  We became fast friends and we ended up walking to a caffe and having a cappuccino together.  He doesn't speak English very well, but we both speak some Spanish so we managed to have a part English, part Italian, part Spanish conversation for two hours!  He was helping me with my Italian and I was helping him with his English.  When we couldn't communicate in Italian or English we would try to explain things in Spanish, and it worked!  I had so much fun and actually learned a lot!  I realized my main problem is that I am not confident with speaking in Italian so I usually shy away and pretend I don't understand.  It's an incredibly beautiful language and from now on I decided I am going to be more confident when I am speaking.  

In one of the first workshops we participated in we talked about culture shock and what exactly it is.  At first I didn't know what culture shock was and didn't understand it.  They said we'd feel lost and have all these severe emotions, which I had yet to feel.  However, after communicating with Alessandro in three different languages all at once, I began to realize just how culture shocked I was.  Shortly after I went into the grocery store to grab a few things and I felt so stupid that I couldn't talk to the cashier like I would at home.  I started realizing how awkward I had been feeling in situations that are so habitual and normal to me at home, like ordering coffee or shopping.  I feel awkward because I don't know what the social norms are and what behavior is appropriate or considered normal here.  I definitely need to be more perceptive and aware of how the locals act in these situations.

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