Italia 2006

So I havent written in about a month...sorry, but what can I do when Im having the time of my life every weekend and trying to focus on school during the week...life isnt easy haha. Well, I left off with my return from the Amalfi coast, what an adventure. The following weekend was much less stressful and probably one the best weekends I have had abroad. September 28,2006. I set off on my journey to Munich, Germany, for Oktoberfest. I had no idea what to expect. Having heard a lot of crazy stories about this festival from my other friends who went on the previous weekends I knew that I would be seeing some drunk people and be eating alot of Bratts and Sourkrout (spelling?) but I never expected this. I arrived at the futuristic airport, probably the cleanest airport I had ever seen. From there I met up with my friend and we left to our hotel. We were both so anxious to see what this festival was all about, so we dropped off our stuff and headed straight to oktoberfest.

Arrving at the festival, I was in absolute awe with what I found: rollercoasters, food stands (amazing food, may I add), theme park games, and of course the dozen gigantic tents full of singing people clanging their pints of beer together. The tents were so packed that you had to wait at least an hour just to get into one. Well, being me, I didnt feel like waiting. I walked behind the building and stood at a door that no1 was by. At that time the door opened and the man looked at me and said "sei italiana?" (are you italian?) and in a bit of shock I responded "Si!" He looked at me again and then said "vieni" (come in) and with that I was in the tent. Talk about being the right race at the right time. The tent was absolutely incredible. There were people all dressed up in their old german outfits singing german songs and some random American songs. It was such a blast. The night ended pretty late and my friend and I strolled home, avoiding walking in barf and laughing at the people who had passed out in the street. I was actually surprised to find more italians there than Germans. We headed straight for bed knowing that the next morning was going to be an early one.

In order to get into the good tent without waiting you had to be at the tent by at least 8 am. We woke up at 730 and headed straight to the tents bright and early. I wasnt even able to get breakfast or anything so you can be sure that I wasnt the happiest camper there. I had to wait on the drinking but still had a blast watching the fun and excitment that surrounded me. People singing their nations songs, the sounds of the pints clanging together, the smell of the bratts and roasted chicken, and of course the surprisingly good taste of the beer. In the tent I met up with a bunch of friends from school and for most of the day we stayed in the tent singing and going along with the oktoberfest fun. For the rest of the day we took it easy and went on the rollercoasters and tried all the delicious foods oktoberfest had to offer, such as a chocolate covered strawberry kabob, AMAZING!!! Overall I couldnt have asked for a better trip. I was surrouned by people I love and experiencing a life sooo unknown to me. Germany was so unlike anywhere Ive ever been before, and let me tell you...they sure know how to drink.

Im sooo far behind on my writing, but Im going to try my hardest to fill you in on the latest news. In the last entry I described my adventures in the Amalfi coast, but I wanted a new entry just to tell you about our journey home. Well now it has been 2-3 weeks since my trip to Amalfi, but not even a year from now will I have forgoten this eventful day.
We started our day early, leaving our hotel at 1030 to get on the bus to the Capri center. On our way we came across a little shop that sold handmade sandals. There my friend and I bought a pair of gold hand made sandals that the little old man (who looked like Gipetto) molded to our feet. After our exciting purchase we continued to the bus stop. Little did we know that there was a marathon that day, and because of that we had to wait an hour in a long line to get on the bus. By this time we decided just to go straight down to the port, since we had not yet purchased our train tickets. After a windy nauseating 30 minute drive down the hills of Capri we arrived at the port and got on the next boat to Napoli. The boat ride was not as bad as I thought it would be, but it took a good hour to get to the port of Napoli. As soon as we got to Napels, I was shocked with how dirty the city was. Supposively its the most dirty and unsafe city in all of italy, so you can understand why we wanted to get out of there fast. We found our way to the bus that took us to the train station and took a 20 minute drive on a filthy tram. We arrived at the train station at 2:00, and the next train to Florence was at 4:30. We bought the tickets and headed over to McDonalds to get lunch and to wait for our train. At 4:00 we headed over to our bin and waited for the train. 4:25 rolls around and our train has yet to come, and there are hardly any people at our bin. Suddenly we realize the bin must have changed, and run to the schedule to see where our train was-we were right the bin had changed. We started running to the changed bin, but when we got there it was just leaving. I wanted to scream, but then again, at the same time, I wasn't surprised that this would happen to us. Frusturated we went to the desk and asked if we could exchange our ticket for the 5:00 train-full. The next open train was at 6:45 and we would have to pay 30 extra euro. Fed up we agreed and waited another two hours. To make sure we didnt miss this one we got on the train 40 minutes before its departure. After a two hour ride we arrived in Florence. The next challenge- finding my bus. At the train station we seperated, me not knowing where the heck I was supposed to go. The last bus out was at 11:25 and it was now 11. Panicking I looked everywhere for my stop. Finally I found it, and of course, it was right next to all the gypsies. Guarding my bags and waiting anxiously, I saw my bus approaching. Finally. The rest of the way was smooth sailing and I arrived home around midnight. The whole day was an adventure, but I learned alot about public transportation in Italy.

Friday, September 22, 2006. Arrive at the train station at 7am. Soon find out that our train we hoped to get on was full. Next train 830. Wait at the train station for an hour. Take the train to Rome, switch trains go to Napoli, switch trains go to Amalfi. Arrive in Vetri Sul Mare (a city 30 minutes out of Amalfi). Train station is completely abandoned...no sight of life anywhere except for the lonely old man working at the train station. He didnt speak english, luckily I spoke Italian. Take a bus to Amalfi. Ride for 30 minutes in a crammed bus on the cliffs of the Amalfi coast...scariest thing ever! 2:00 pm- arrival in Amalfi.

This was just the beginning of our adventure. After arrival in Amalfi, me and my three friends (all Alpha Phis) were in awe with the beauty that surrounded us. Starving, we grabbed a panini and ate outside on a beautiful patio on the port of Amalfi. The atmosphere was amazing. After a satisfying panini and with a gelato in hand, we visited the main sites of Amalfi. Not only was this city right on the water, but its architecture was unforgettable. The Duomo in Amalfi was incredible with over 100 stairs that led up to it. We walked through the city, taking pictures of buildings and panoramas and stopping into the famous limoncello stores that lined the streets. The streets were filled with people speaking in Italian, and the smells of pasta frutti del mare escaped from the nearby restaurants. Although, we were there for only two hours it was something Ill never forget. I really thought it could not get any better, but little did I know what was to come.

5:00 pm- Leave Amalfi for Positano. Take the once again crammed bus for 1 hour. See amazing views and terrifying drops just inches away. Cars zoom around the corners. Almost crash into another bus. Good thing we were not on the side of the cliff. 6:00pm- Arrival in Positano. Bus drops us off at the closest bus stop in Positano. Walk down the hill and remain in shock with the beauty that sits before us. Take it all in. Realize we dont know where our hotel is. Call the hotel. It is a 20 minute walk. One of my friends broke her foot 2 weeks ago. She is unable to do the walk. The hotel owner comes with his car to get us. Cutest old man ever. 6:45pm-arrival at our bed and breakfast aka second host family.

After this amazing weekend I can now say that nothing compares to Positano. It was beautiful when we got there, and its beauty seemed to increase as time went on. Our Bed&Breakfast could not have been more perfect. Although it was a 20 minute walk out of the city it was breathtaking. It was a family owned B&B and the people were so nice. The old woman who owned it was named Gilda, hence the name of the hotel - Holiday House Gilda. She was your typical Italian grandma. Round, wearing a dress, an apron, and those funny mocosin shoes. The moment we arrived she greeted us with hugs and kisses, and couldn't stop telling us how beautiful we were. Right away she showed us to our room. It was an apartment style room with a kitchen, two bed rooms, and a balcony looking over the mediterranean ocean. From our hotel, we could see the whole city of Positano...it made me speechless. After bringing us to our room she made us some coffee and we drank it out on the porch. After a cup of coffee, a glass of water, and a lemonade (all of which we didnt have to pay for), we headed to our room to get ready for the night. Our biggest concern at this hotel was the distance, yet it wasn't a problem. Every time we wanted to go into the city either the father (with the funniest laugh ever) or the daughter (she might have been a lesbian) would drive us into the city. That night the daughter drove us into the city and reccomended the restaurant "Tre Sorelle." She told us that the fish was great, and when in the Amalfi coast you must eat the fish. We took her advice and went to the restaurant. There, we were greated by a very "friendly" waiter named Paolo. He was in love with one of my friends and gave us all bruschetta and limoncello for free. The dinner was amazing, and was probably the best fish I have ever had. It was also extremely entertaing because our waiter would not take his eyes off my friend and she felt completely awkward and embaressed, which made us laugh hysterically. After dinner we walked along the beach being called at by all the waiters at the restaurants...oh Italia. We then went to the coolest bar ever called Music on the Rocks. It is a club built into a rock and it was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. It is a modern club with a dance floor, but it is in a cave. When we got there, there was no1 there because it was ONLY 12am. Supposively things dont get started until 1. But after a long day we decided we were too tired to wait and went back to the hotel. After such an amazing day we didnt know how it could get any better...and it didnt.

Saturday, September 23, 2006, 11:00am. Wake up and have breakfast at the hotel. There are croissants, fresh fruit, and yogurt. Total cost per person for the room, breakfast, drinks, and rides to and from the city...40 euro.Leave Positano by boat and go to Capri. 11:30 arrival in Capri. Wait in line for the Funiculare- ride that takes you up the hill to the city of Capri. 100 people in line. Meet an older couple from Chicago. Man reccomends we share a cab up the hill. All of the cabs are CONVERTABLES!! Take a CONVERTABLE cab to Capri. Man pays for the cab (25 euro). So far we are lucking out.

Once arriving in the city of Capri we are in shock with how many tourists surround us. The streets are filled with rich older couples and name brand stores...nothing some young 20 year olds can afford. After walking through the city for an hour we stop at a restaurant and share 2 small pizzas costing about 25 euro all together. From there we continue to tour around the city. The views of the ocean were amazing, but I was not too impressed with the architecture. There also weren't many oceans for tanning and swimming, and the ones that were there were far away and filled with people. After walking around the city we decided to head to our hotel and realize that our hotel is Anacapri, not Capri. We take a terrifying bus ride up to Anacapri, which is even further up the island. The buses are the same as in Positano, shooting around the corners and cliffs as if it was nothing. I almost had a mini heart attack on the way up. Finally we arrived in Anacapri, thankful to still have our lives, and began the journey to find our hotel. Lets just say it took us 30 minutes to find the hotel and this place was in the middle of nowhere! My friend, tears in her eyes, was dying because of all the walking on her foot. We were all so pissed because online it said this hotel was near the center of CAPRI! Instead of making a fuss, we dealt with it and started getting ready for the night out. That night we went to dinner in Anacapri at a cute little restaurant in the city. I decided to not do fish again, and instead had the most amazing ravioli. Our waiter was once again a huge creeper. He would keep winking at us and flirting. He was big, bald, and weird and we all couldnt help but laugh when he would flirt with us. I think he thought he had a good singing voice because he kept coming up to us singing the most random songs! He suggested to us a Discotecha called Underground (English name means American people). We headed down to the Discotecha after grabbing the most amazing Nutella crepe at a nearby bar. Once we walked into the bar we didnt know what we got ourselves into. This place disgusting and it was full of American students studying abroad! There were two people there that weren't American and they were both on serious drugs dancing all around the room. It was also ridiculously expensive- 6euro for a coca cola! After spending 30 minutes there and meeting some Americans we headed back to our hotel. It felt soo good to lay in bed, but it would feel even better the next night after a full day of stress and traveling.

2 weeks down...and I am still not homesick. These past 14 days have been unforgettable. When I last wrote I was about to begin my first day of classes after spending a weekend at the beautiful beaches near Tuscany. Since then, I have finished a week and a half of school and have had many adventures along the way. My first 2 days of school went by in a flash. I am taking one course in English and three courses in Italian. My Italian classes seem like they will be a bit challenging. One of them is a Mass Communications class in Italian and the teacher speaks so fast that I dont even think I would be able to understand her if she was speaking English! So basically...I am lost in that class...along with all the other students. I asked her if she would speek slower and since then it has been a little better, but usually I feel as if I am just taking bits and peices from a puzzle and putting it together into something I understand. The other Italian class that Im scared I am going to have trouble with is my Literature class...taught in Italian. That class is going to be a challenge, but hopefully...Ill survive.

After a week of school, I already notice my Italian is improving. I speak it all day at school and when I get home I can only speak Italian, by the end of the night my brain is exhausted. Although my Italian speaking skills are getting better, I have yet to improve my skills on public transportation. I think I have the worst luck ever when it comes to buses. My first bad bus experience happened last week on Friday. I was heading back on the 17 bus from the center, after I had a great lunch with Paolo (who came to visit me for the afternoon), when I realized the bus had driven right past my stop. I rang the bell for the next one, but the bus driver kept driving. Of course, all of the 10 people left on the bus were tourists and didnt speak a word of Italian so I ran to the front and asked him what was going on. All he said was "ho finito, ho finito!" which means IM FINISHED! I was so confused and when he made us get off on the very last stop in the middle of nowhere, my eyes began to water. Here I was lost in this small city, with a map that didnt even have the location where I was on it. I called my mom just and made her sick with worries. After 20 minutes, another bus came and brought me to my stop. Later that day I found out there was a strike and some buses were not in operation. My next bad experience was yesterday. I took the bus from center back home and noticed that the bus I was on was taking a completely different route. In fear that I had got on the wrong bus, I got off near my school. I went to my usual bus stop at school and waited for 5 minutes, when I was approached by a woman who told me that that stop was out of commission. I walked to the next stop, out of commission. I walked for 10 minutes and found one that was in order and waited. I waited there for 30 minutes and still no bus. I was ready to call a cab, when I saw that damn 17 heading to my stop. I got on and rode the crowded bus for 25 minutes on an alternate route to my house. I arrived home an hour and a half after I left the center. The trip usually takes me 20 minutes. Although at the time I was furious, I realize its times like these that make my abroad experience that much more entertaining.

This past weekend offered me a different kind of entertainment. I spent it with my friends in the pouring rain in Firenze. We went to The Uffizi because they wanted to see the statue of David. Their first mistake was to depend on me to know where the statue of David was. I automatically assumed it was in the Uffizi and so we headed there 1 hour before closing. We rushed through the museum looking at the main paintings but mainly trying to find our way to the David. At the end of the museum I was so confused why I had yet to see the statue of David. I asked one of the workers in the museum where I could find it, and the lady laughed. I then found out I was in the completely wrong musuem. Figures.

After a long weekend running into bars, stores, and restaurants, to avoid the rain, I was thrilled to see the sun on Monday morning. It is supposed to stay nice until next week, which is perfect because this coming weekend I head to the Amalfi coast. So far the forecast predicts 82 degrees and sunny. Our plan is to leave Friday morning and arrive in Sorrento at 12. All of Friday we will tour the Amalfi Coast spending the night in Positano. Saturday morning we will take the first boat out to Capri and stay the day and night on the island. I have yet to visit Capri, so I am so excited for this experience. After this weekend I am sure I will have a ton to write about, and you will have a much to be jealous of. haha. Just know that I wish I could be with any of you, getting kicked off of buses, making stupid mistakes, and having these amazing adventures. Until next week, arrividerci.

Wow I cannot believe I have already been in Italy for a week. Seems like it was yesterday that we started. Today is our first day of school and after a magical weekend, reality begins. On Friday, after a long day at registration, our host mom took Brittany and I to the duomo where they had opened the terrace of the dome. I guess they only do this once a year, on the day of the birth of the Madonna. The Sights from the top of the Duomo were magnificent. We tooks tons of pictures and then I started to get queezy because we were so high up and I felt like I would fall over the edge. After visiting the duomo she took us to the town of Fiesole. A village filled with gigantic Villas looking over the city of Firenze. Once again, the view was amazing. After a long day of walking and a huge dinner we went to sleep, anxious for what our weekend had in store for us. Saturday morning, our host mom took us to il mare (the beach). The beach was something you would see in the Caribean. The water was crystal clear, but ice cold. After spending the whole day at the beach we went to our hotel and got ready for dinner. Before dinner she took us to her son's boat where we sat and talked (in Italian of course) about her family. We then went to dinner with some of her friends and her friend's daughter Alice. I can't even tell how cute this little girl was. She reminded me so much of myself when I was little. She was a total actress and would stand on her chair and sing and dance. I was laughing the whole time during dinner. The following day Rita, our host mom, took us to a different beach where the water was less clear but still just as beautiful. At one point Brittany and I were so hot that we decided to go in the water. We were pretty far out and all of a sudden I see a huge fish swimming toward me. Lets just say the whole beach was looking at us because I was screaming and flailing around like this fish was a shark. I swear that thing wanted my toes because it was chasing me around. By the time I was out of the water, my heart racing, Brittany was still in the same spot laughing hysterically...until the fish decided to chase her. She was out within 10 seconds. For the rest of the day we stayed at the beach and around four we left to go to Rita's daughter in laws house in the countryside. After a 2 hour drive up a windy road, Brittany and I thought we were going to vomit. We visited her daughter and her new grandson in their ancient house, built in the year 400! After an extremely long day we headed back to Firenze, where we ate a wonderful dinner made in only 20 minute, mama lugliani style. Basically I could not have asked for a better weekend and Im excited to have more just like it during my stay in Italia.