lunedì 31 agosto 2009
sabato 29 agosto 2009
Early morning walks, interesting people, amazing horse shows... Oh My!!!
So this morning began with an 8 a.m. walk with the also infamous John Rose whose escapades into the here and yon are legendary. Said walk lasted 2 hours and I got some beautiful pictures which will be posted at a future date. Although the hour was early, the weather was so nice. After the walk I came back and crashed for about an hour and a half. Then a bunch of us watched Casanova which is set in Venice (how very appropriate, don't you think?). Afterward, Sam, Vi, Jenna, and I made our way over to the PAM (grocery store) where we met a local man who spoke a little English and highly enjoyed speaking to us even if we didn''t exactly return the fervor. Oh well. Lastly, I saw one of the most amazing things tonight. There was an equestrian show in the piazza that was totally wicked. I mean they did things that would make me faint. One guy was riding a horse and had a massive jump rope THAT WAS ON FIRE AND THE HORSE WAS JUMPING OVER IT! THE HORSE WAS SKIPPING ROPE WITH A MAN ON HIS BACK AND BURNING FLAMES UNDER HIM!!!!!!!!!! Holy. Woah. They were bowing and dancing and playing dead and all kinds of crazy mess. Speaking of crazy messes, I need to sleep now. Ciao!
venerdì 28 agosto 2009
Classes...
...have begun and I am glad of it. I have found that learning is something I really enjoy. We will have Italian Monday through Friday for two hours (9 - 11) and then on Mondays and Wednesdays I have Travel to Learn and Learn to Travel with the infamous Dr. Betty Webb (11:15 - 12:15). Tuesdays and Thursdays Sara teaches Italy Today (11:15 - 12:15) which focuses on the history, politics, and economics of Italy. Sara is our Italian contact and is the one who leased the palazzo for us. She lives here in Sansepolcro. At 12:30, we have lunch which is ALWAYS mmh, mmh good. Then on Mondays and Wednesdays I also have Art History from 2 to 5. Art History will last only until the middle of the semester and then I will switch over to Science and Society Monday through Thursday 2 to 4. Confusing? Yes. Exciting? Most definitely.
Tonight, a bunch of us girls went out. Passeggiata is basically where everyone comes out at night and walks around. It's Friday which means that the market is going to start soon and many of the stalls set up early. It was extremely crowded tonight because August is almost over (August is national go on vacation month, I swear the entire country goes on a break) and there are several things going on this weekend, including an equestrian show which I am super pumped about.
I also bought a bike today. For only 45 euro, I got a good mountain bike with a basket and lock which I will be able to sell to the next crew who come over. It's great to have a bike here because there are so many places to go and the weather is so hot that a good bike breeze is lovely. Oh, and it's neon orange which means that I cannot possibly be missed. I am the orange bike kid ;) Other than that, my purchases have been limited to gelato which is so cheap and so addicting. Not a good combination.
Tonight, a bunch of us girls went out. Passeggiata is basically where everyone comes out at night and walks around. It's Friday which means that the market is going to start soon and many of the stalls set up early. It was extremely crowded tonight because August is almost over (August is national go on vacation month, I swear the entire country goes on a break) and there are several things going on this weekend, including an equestrian show which I am super pumped about.
I also bought a bike today. For only 45 euro, I got a good mountain bike with a basket and lock which I will be able to sell to the next crew who come over. It's great to have a bike here because there are so many places to go and the weather is so hot that a good bike breeze is lovely. Oh, and it's neon orange which means that I cannot possibly be missed. I am the orange bike kid ;) Other than that, my purchases have been limited to gelato which is so cheap and so addicting. Not a good combination.
Everything is in Italian...
...including the internet, so it took me a while to set this up because I could not understand what it was telling me to do. Well, all fixed now so yay! Anyway, I really want to try to write on this everyday or at least every other day...so here it goes. I'll start at the beginning:
August 24, 2009
I arrived in Washington D.C. without a problem. I met up with most of the girls there (Nicole and Amanda had already left for Italy) which was a relief because I didn't want to take an 8 hour plan ride by myself. The plane for Rome was supposed to leave at 6:18 and the captain even came on and told us we would be arriving 10 minutes early. Alas, it was not meant to be. There were engine lights on that were not supposed to be and so we didn't leave until 8:43. And no, we were not allowed to get off the plane.
August 25, 2009
We finally managed to get to Sansepolcro...3 hours late. Dirty, sweaty, and extremely tired but we made it. After we got off the plane and passed through security (where I am convinced the man did not even look at my passport, let alone stamp it) we met up with Dr. Betty Webb and her husband John Rose. Then we had to take a train from the airport to the main train station in Rome (no I did not see the Vatican, we went around the edge of the city) and then had a good two hours before our next train left for Arezzo. We had a bite to eat then slumped against the wall for a little R&R before lugging 50lbs of junk to the train. After placing our luggage we basically all slept on the two hour ride to Arezzo. At Arezzo, we switched to a bus and made the final 45 minute journey to SANSEPOLCRO. Thank heaven, we finally made it. The palazzo is just beautiful. They have done a magnificent job restoring it. My room has three beds (I am rooming with a girl named Samantha who is very sweet) with matching wardrobes and nightstands. Light blue walls and cream colored wood. And then there was dinner. I can't describe it but it was so divine, definitely one of the best meals I have every had. this is going to be good.
August 26, 2009
We had orientation today. We went to different places within the city and visited a couple of cathedrals, one of which is the Servi. Beautiful. Then again, I expect no less from a city as old as this one (it dates back to prehistoric times, no joke). I'm really glad that classes begin tomorrow because I need a routine again. It's amazing here but overwhelming. I don't know where I fit so it's difficult to feel comfortable. The language barrier isn't too hard to deal with because gesturing works really well but I really need to start using what little Italian I know and pick up new words.
August 24, 2009
I arrived in Washington D.C. without a problem. I met up with most of the girls there (Nicole and Amanda had already left for Italy) which was a relief because I didn't want to take an 8 hour plan ride by myself. The plane for Rome was supposed to leave at 6:18 and the captain even came on and told us we would be arriving 10 minutes early. Alas, it was not meant to be. There were engine lights on that were not supposed to be and so we didn't leave until 8:43. And no, we were not allowed to get off the plane.
August 25, 2009
We finally managed to get to Sansepolcro...3 hours late. Dirty, sweaty, and extremely tired but we made it. After we got off the plane and passed through security (where I am convinced the man did not even look at my passport, let alone stamp it) we met up with Dr. Betty Webb and her husband John Rose. Then we had to take a train from the airport to the main train station in Rome (no I did not see the Vatican, we went around the edge of the city) and then had a good two hours before our next train left for Arezzo. We had a bite to eat then slumped against the wall for a little R&R before lugging 50lbs of junk to the train. After placing our luggage we basically all slept on the two hour ride to Arezzo. At Arezzo, we switched to a bus and made the final 45 minute journey to SANSEPOLCRO. Thank heaven, we finally made it. The palazzo is just beautiful. They have done a magnificent job restoring it. My room has three beds (I am rooming with a girl named Samantha who is very sweet) with matching wardrobes and nightstands. Light blue walls and cream colored wood. And then there was dinner. I can't describe it but it was so divine, definitely one of the best meals I have every had. this is going to be good.
August 26, 2009
We had orientation today. We went to different places within the city and visited a couple of cathedrals, one of which is the Servi. Beautiful. Then again, I expect no less from a city as old as this one (it dates back to prehistoric times, no joke). I'm really glad that classes begin tomorrow because I need a routine again. It's amazing here but overwhelming. I don't know where I fit so it's difficult to feel comfortable. The language barrier isn't too hard to deal with because gesturing works really well but I really need to start using what little Italian I know and pick up new words.
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