Mid-Terms, Fall Break Planning, & the Shultz

This week was the wonderfully horrible Mid-terms! In Italy, grades only come from the mid-term and the final, a few other small things but nothing compared to what I have in classes at home. I was so stressed out about them that last week, I spent hours in the library preparing before Eurochocolate. Once monday came around, I looked over all my notes again and realized I knew everything. I literally had the most laid-back mid-terms week ever.

Don't worry mom and dad, I didn't stop studying, I kept looking over everything but I've always been such a big procrastinator and this time I wasn't and the pay-off was huge! I'm not saying I aced everyone of my exams but I went into them a lot more comfortable than previous years. It was awesome and the best feeling was walking out of them, knowing I did my absolute best.

I just finished my italian final, and it wasn't easy but I'M DONE! Mid-terms are over and it's time to CELEBRATE! YAYYYY!!!

In two days, I'll be off for Fall Break to Paris for 4 days, Dublin for 2 days, London for 2 days, and Pisa for a day. I'm so excited for this big journey I'm about to go on and a bit nervous! I woke up this morning not freaking out about my italian mid-term but rather freaking out because I have to plan for Fall Break and I haven't done anything yet! I'm always packed and ready like a week in advance so I had to get moving.

Besides Mid-terms and Fall Break, I went to church last night and it was just awesome. Mark and Kate Shultz are just fantastic people and the church is growing. We had so many more people tonight. One lady came up and introduced herself and she was just the sweetest old lady. She was a teacher and we got to talking about that and apparantly she used to teach in Chicago and is from Wheaton. Small world!

But Mark and Kate have been so welcoming and they remind me of my young life leaders or people I look up to in Young Life. It's really nice to get that vibe from someone. They've also invited Jessica (my roommate) and I to come over and cook dinner for them haha. I think we're going to do that once we get back from Fall break, which should be so much fun!

Well I have to get back to planning for the week.

P.S. It's FAT TALK FREE WEEK so love the genes your in :]

EuroChocolate!

Yesterday I went to a chocolate festival in Perugia and it was so delicious :]

I went with a travel agency called FlorenceForFun and my friends, Britni and Kaitlyn. We recieved chococards that gave us free samples and discounts at some places. When I got there, the set-up was basically a lot of booths with all sorts of different chocolates lining the streets of Perugia. It was like a modern day portion of the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory. I sampled truffles, chocolate popcorn, chocolate covered bananas, hot chocolate, a chocolate sandwich, and chocolate tortillini. It was all so delicious. I'm surprised I held myself back from buying all the chocolate I saw. It was a pretty chilly day so the three of us decided to ditch the festival and venture around Perugia for the time we had left. We found a nice warm Irish Pub tucked away on one of the streets and went in there for some snacks. The people in there were all so nice and they were playing the best oldies music. We had a great time.I came home with lots of chocolate samples and even though I'd like to make it last, that just isn't going to happen. I'll probably finish it all today. I'm off to eat my chocolate delights :]

Montepulciano

Vampires and the Volturi.

Edward Cullen & Bella Swan.

When I went to Montepulciano where they filmed part of New Moon, (yes I'm a dork who loves Twilight) I was very excited to see some of the places in the movie. But besides the vampire part of this town, Montepulciano is on the tallest hilltop in Tuscany and beautiful like all the rest of them. We again had to hike through the town to reach the top. Along the way we saw so many posters about New Moon being filmed there and pictures from set.

Once we reached the top, we saw a market going on and around it there were four doors that could've been the door where Edward stood revealing his sparkly skin as a vampire but we didn't know which one it was. Unlike the film, there were no red-hooded extras standing around or a giant fountain that Bella had to athletically sprint through to reach Edward in time. Instead there was a market, and four doors that looked like the one in the film. We were puzzled. So we ventured around, took pictures of all the doors so we could compare with the movie later on. BUT fortunately our tour guide, Luca, told us we could climb to the top of the Bell Tower for a better view. So as we did we saw posters inside the building claiming that this was where the scene was filmed, we figured it out! It was very cool and creepy climbing up those stairs. They weren't like the other places where you have a lot of space and the steps are all the same. These were made of wood and each one was slanted this way or that. They definately needed an update. But the view from up there was incredible. You could see all of Tuscany from up there and we had a lot of fun looking around.

Afterwards, we went down to do some wine-tasting. Apparantly, Montepulciano is the place that holds the best red wine in the world. And we were going to try some for free :].

We took a tour through the wine cellar that was, in many people's opinion, the most beautiful wine cellar in all of Italy. And it was. It was candlelit and the barrels were ancient and huge! We then we led into a room for the wine tasting. We got to try three different types. I don't remember the names of each but I do remember the second being my favorite and therefore I had to buy 3 bottles. I'm still unsure what I'll do with them exactly (drink them, I know for all you smart allics out there) but my first idea was as gifts but since getting them back to America might not be so easy, I might have to just drink them on special occasions here. My mom would love to break open one when she comes to visit but we'll see about that mom. I might just figure out a way to sneak them home.

Well the trip was amazing and I fell in love with Tuscany. Good thing I'm not studying there or I actually might never come home.

Pienza

After a wondeful night at Cortona, we loaded up our coach bus once again and headed out for Pienza, another lovely Tuscan Town. We were all exhausted from the night before but after an hours sleep on the bus and a few cappacinos later, we arrived in Pienza ready for day 2.

In Pienza, we mostly just looked at a few places, some scenery and whatnot and observed a large group of traveling motorcyclists. They were all dressed in leather from head to toe, covered. And each had a certain color. I swear they wanted to be the next power rangers by there outfits but they all had that greased back thick black italian hair that a few flipped back after taking off their helmets. Hilarious. Once they all got their lattes in, they hopped back on their bikes and were off again. It was ridiculous, all the smoke and the noise coming from those bikes but funny.

Next as we waited for the bus to come get us, we saw a little brother and sister riding bikes back and forth. I'm pretty sure they were arguing with each other but since I'm lacking in the italian vocabulary I can't be sure. But this little boy was so cute and just yelling in italian, he caused quite the scene.

Before we knew it, we were back on the bus and heading for Montepulciano, the place where their filmed New Moon (you know, the part where Edward reveals that he's a vampire so the Volturi will kill him, but Bella to the rescue stops him just in time...yah that part).

Cortona

If you've ever seen the movie, "Under the Tuscan Sun", Cortona is where it was filmed and Cortona is where I went next. The town is up on a hillside like most of Tuscany and the streets and alleys are all straight uphill, very steep. When we arrived we weren't expecting the hike to the hotel that was literally a 45 degree angle and quite the work-out. We stayed in a 4 star hotel that was previously a convent (weird!). All the rooms were different and mine just happened to be the short ceiling (of course) but they were really nice and cute.

Luca, our LDM professor/tour guide, then took us on a hiking tour of cortona. First we stopped to get some delicious gelato to build up our energy for the hike of course. We then started heading uphill and saw a few churches and beautiful buildings along the way. As we got higher, the more trees and open area we saw. Since it was fall time, all the leaves were different colors and with the bright tuscan sunlight we were getting, it was a gorgeous day. Every bend brought a new sight to see and every corner a fantastic view of the valley below.

Once we finally reached the top, we were out of breath but the view from the top was stunning. I just closed my eyes for a second, thanked God I was there and then opened again.The trees were slightly blowing in the wind, the sun was huge and shining over everything. I could see little towns here and there. All sorts of vineyards and farmland covered the valleys below. To my left I could see what was either the sea or a large lake, to my right more mountaintops to explore. Right below us was the church and to see it from the top was incredible. I couldn't stop looking around and just soaking it all in. It's one of those places you try to take a snapshot in your head to hold onto for those cold stormy winter days. Just beautiful.
We then began the descent down and took a lot of fun jumping pictures with the tuscan valley in the background. I even met a Dad who was visiting her daughter who is a University of Illinois student, small world that got even smaller. One of her cousins goes to St. Charles North. Funny how even though I'm miles away from home, I run into a family who lives no more than 45 minutes away from home.

Once we got back we rested before our wonderful dinner we were about to have. We all got dressed up and had appetizers on the terrace in the center of town. We were served champaign, mini pizzas, cheese and other goodies. Then we went into the restaurant where I had my first real italian style meal. We had the first course which was some kind of spinach pudding (disgusting). We also got our glasses of wine which were delicious and I learned how to make music with my wine glass!

Then we got the rice, then the ravoli, then the salad, bread, and steak, and then the dessert of some kind of chocolate cake with vanilla gelato. I was so full by the end of that meal. Then some of us went out for the night and had fun in the town of Cortona.

The next morning we woke up and ate a delicious breakfast in the hotel and left for Pienza. Overall I loved Cortona the most because of it's beauty and simplicity.

Arezzo

I just got back from the most incredible field trip in Tuscany! Though I was very sick the few days prior and still pretty sick when we left, I couldn't pass this trip up. We left early saturday morning on a bus with a few friends from the last one and it was already off to a great start!

We arrived in Arezzo around 9:30 am and starting a walking tour of the city. My friends and I like to refer to this trip as the church tour because we literally saw so many churches in this town. They were all so beautiful though! The architecture and the artwork in each church was stunning. I felt so priveleged to be able to see it all. It was also a beautiful sunny day so the light shining through the windows was stunning. A few of the churches were very offended by some of us "americans" because we kept trying to take pictures but it wasn't allowed. One of the priests in one of the churches who was in the middle of a confession came out of the booth to yell at one of the guys in our group who kept trying to sneak pictures. It was pretty funny.

One of the churches we saw was in the middle of set-up for a wedding. As we were looking around, a violinist and pianist started practicing and wow wow wow was the music beautiful in that place. The acoustics were incredible and I felt like I was in a dream!

We then went and ate lunch at the market that was going on in town. They had all sorts of great food. We saw a table with lots of great bread and another with just all types of cheese, one with salami. Britni and I chose to eat the sausage and potatoes and cheesy potatoes. They were so good! It was almost like eating something from home so I loved it. Kaitlyn and I also went and bought some bread that had chocolate baked into it. So so good! After a nice lunch break we then went off for Cortona.

Jam Session

Tonight I went to church and Mark Schultz was running the sermon tonight. Now if you don't know who Mark Schultz is, he's this incredible christian contemporary singer. Check him out on itunes. When I arrived, I had a great little conversation with him about missing the NFL in the states and he shared how his dad has this thing that wires the tv shows to his computer (umm dad you need to get this for me!) and he told me he's performed at Christ Community Church a few times (aka the church my family goes to). He's a really funny guy with a great southern accent! Then Mark led some worship which was incredible. He started off by performing his single, "I Am", and then we sang some songs with him. We then had a great bible study and ended off by singing and jamming to a new song of his that's he's working on here! It was so much fun and very laid back.

P.S. this is my second celebrity encounter!

Orvieto with Sara Humes!

I had the perfect little get-away today when I visited my third session summer staffer/friend Sara in Orvieto. It was a foggy morning but when I arrived I took a tram up to the top cliffs of Orvieto where she lives in a monestary surrounding the upper village. There were so many trees and grass which was wonderful because I've been living in the concrete jungle for the past month so the scenery was refreshing.
I got there a little earlier than expected so I didn't expect to see Sara for another half an hour. I wandered down a path that led me to a well I could explore. For a few euro, I went on a spiriling adventure down to the bottom of St. Peter's well. It was very cool with so many windows as you walk down so you can look up and down as you make the journey. Not going to lie, at the bottom of the well it was a little creepy so I climbed up quickly (quite the work-out).
I met up with Sara and it was so great to see a familiar face from the summer! We walked around the outer edges of the town where they have a lovely walking path surrounded by extra large trees. If I lived there, that would be my ideal running path! We walked in towards the center of town and came into the market. For some great deals, we saw a lot of coats, fabrics, foods, and more which was fun to rummage through and catch up with Sara.
We then headed further into town with the intentions to see the Duomo when a side street caught my eye. It was very pretty with leaves and pretty flowers hanging about and I saw a couple of cute shops to check out. Sara had never been down there before so neither of us knew what to expect. All the more fun! We came across a store with a woman weaving beautiful scarves and sweaters and bags and more. It was all extrodinary but very expensive so we went up to the next shop which held all sorts of hand-made leather products. I've seen some leather stuff before but nothing like this. It was all so nice. They had purses, wallets, photo albums, hats, masks, bracelets, coats, and even a real snake skin wallet. All beautiful leather. I wanted it all but again the prices led me out. We then walked into a hand crafted olive wood store. Even more beautiful trinkets to look at! There were chess sets, tables, kitchenware, picture frames, and more. The most beautiful wood and so nicely crafted. I wanted it all. Each of those stores had something so unique that I'd never seen around other parts of Italy or anywhere else before. If I have some money left over (highly doubt it) by the end of the trip, I'll probably have to head back and buy a few italian hand-crafted items.

We then went towards the Duomo. The courtyard around it is beautiful and so clean and the Duomo itself is stunning. We went inside and again I was blown away by the artwork that covered every corner of that building. All the pictures told such amazing stories from the bible and the beliefs of people at that time. Sara had gone there a few times and knew some info about the pictures we saw in there. It was like having my own tour guide!
Next we went to see her monestary where she is staying for the semester. Nuns used to live in it but now it's a place for students from all over the U.S. to study. They take all their classes there and live in a dorm-like setting with an R.A. It was really nice and they build a really great community.

After meeting some of her friends we went to lunch at a local pizzeria. I learned a little bit about the town at this point. They have a very set structure and the people all know each other and live by the same timeframe. The shops are mostly open in the morning and then from about 1-4 everything closes but a few places to eat. Some places are only open in the morning or at night and usually at night the community has a social walk where everyone in town walks around and just socializes with one another. It was so neat to hear about a community like that that holds such strong traditions.

I caught up with Sara a bit and talked a lot about life in Orvieto and my life in Florence, the summer at castaway, and stuff like that. We then had some cappucinos at a really cute secluded cafe and then climbed the bell tower to get a 360 degrees view of Orvieto. The fog had cleared by then and it was stunning. Not as big as Florence but just beautiful with mountains and vineyards everywhere.
I loved Orvieto because it had a nice suburban feel. It was nice to get away from the city for a day and catch up with a good friend from the summer and see a new place very different from Florence.

living the tourist life

Florence holds so much art that I didn't even know about! Today I went out into Florence with a friend to see some of the famous sights of Florence. First we climbed up to the top of the Duomo Bell Tower, which was quite the work-out but so worth it. It was a foggy morning but Florence is still so beautiful up there. We then went and stood in line for a little over an hour to see the famous David. The hype is real, he's huge and the sculpture is absolutely stunning. There was a lot of amazing art in the Accademia and the David just steals the show. His expressions and the detail Michaelangelo put into his work is stunning. We also saw a lot of strange old sculptures in a room of head sculptures, it was kind of weird but still pretty impressive.
Next we went to the Uffizi museum. I walk by there all the time and have never gone in. And it just took my breath away. The artwork is so beautiful and there's so much detail. We walked into a big open hall and there were just huge paintings covering the walls and sculptures lining the walls and then we walked around and the artwork in that museum is great. Definately worth it.