"My hands are my heart"

I GRADUATED!

2010-05-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about the opportunities that will come and all the possibilities that lay before me. Ask me what I'm going to do next and I'll say, it's all a mystery, but I'll know it will all work out. :)

My new love....

2010-04-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

Antonio Frasconi.

I've been working on some relief prints for my class and a week or so ago our class went to the Achenbach Gallery at the Legion and I saw a beauty. A beauty by the name of Frasconi. Antonio Frasconi.

It was a color block print of a hanging slab of beef. I know....beef how exciting (not) but if you have ever seen Rembrandt's "The Carcass of Beef" maybe you could understand. So although I can't for the life of me find this specific piece, you're just going to have to trust me....and check out these other prints.

the train

2010-03-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

grey blue sky kind of day,
where nothing seems clear.
I fall asleep to the sweet voice singing

where the lyrics blend

like the graphite on paper

and the soundless waves

spread out onto my head

endless like the sea

I awake suddenly

eyes wide open

I am surrounded by my dream

the sea around me

a song on repeat

and everything for once

makes sense.

Vija Clemins, "Untitled (the Ocean)"

trying to capture a moment, a feeling, the things I was seeing. If you've every taken the train from San Francisco to Sacramento, maybe you know the beauty.

What doesn't kill us....

2010-02-06T22:30:00.000-08:00

only makes us stronger.

It's the second week of school and I'm home on a Saturday doing homework. It's a lot of reading....and writing....and working, but so far, I'm not complaining. Despite the crazy schedule, things feel complete, complete in the sense that my classes are challenging but they all meld with each other. It's weird to think that this is my last semester and I just want to take advantage of that. Granted, if you were to talk to me on Wednesday, I would have said I wanted to drop out....and I'll probably say that every Wednesday. But at the end of the week, it all feels worth it. I couldn't imagine dropping a class because when I think about it, I think about all the things I could have learned, funny that I'm not that way when it comes to going to bar or something, I never feel left out that way, but thats just me.

no sleep.

2010-01-22T02:51:00.000-08:00

It's been like this the last few nights....and I don't know why. Sometimes I get like this, but it's like there are to many things happening in my head. I just want to be like "sshhh brain! stop thinking" but it just keeps going. So here it goes, I translated my favorite Italian song, and the lyrics are kind of weird but I still love him. Especially the part about have vertigo...

Jovanotti "Mi Fido di Te" (I trust you)
Case di pane, riunioni di rane
Houses of bread, meetings of frogs
vecchie che ballano nelle cadillac
old ladies dancing in cadillacs
muscoli d'oro, corone d'alloro
golden muscles, laurel crowns
canzoni d'amore per bimbi col frack
love songs for children wearing a tuxedo
musica seria, luce che varia
serious music, varying light
pioggia che cade, vita che scorre
rain falling down, life elapsing
cani randagi, cammelli e re magi
stray dogs, camels and Magi

Chorus:
forse fa male eppure mi va
perhaps it hurts but I like
di stare collegato
to be connected
di vivere di un fiato
to live in a hurry
di stendermi sopra al burrone
to lay down on a ravine
di guardare giù
to look downwards
la vertigine non è
vertigo is not
paura di cadere
fearing to fall down
ma voglia di volare
but wishing to fly

mi fido di te {x4}
I trust you
io mi fido di te
I trust you
ehi mi fido di te
eh, I trust you
cosa sei disposto a perdere
what are you ready to loose

Lampi di luce, al collo una croce
flashing light, a cross hanging at the neck
la dea dell'amore si muove nei jeans
the goddess of love is moving in jeans
culi e catene, assassini per bene
"bottoms" and chains, well-behaved killers
la radio si accende su un pezzo funky
the radio turns on with a "funky" song
teste fasciate, ferite curate
bandaged heads, healed wounds
l'affitto del sole si paga in anticipo prego
you have to pay in advance the rent of the sun please
arcobaleno, più per meno meno
rainbow, "plus" multiplied "minus" yelds "minus" (algebra, + x - = - !!!)

Chorus

mi fido di te {x3}
I trust you
cosa sei disposto a perdere
what are you ready to loose
mi fido di te {x2}
I trust you
io mi fido di te
I trust you
cosa sei disposto a perdere
what are you ready to loose

rabbia, stupore, la parte, l'attore
anger, astonishment, the part (role), the actor
dottore che sintomi ha la felicità
doctor, what are the symptoms of happiness
evoluzione, il cielo in prigione
evolution, the sky in jail
questa non è un'esercitazione
this is not training
forza e coraggio
strength and courage
la sete, il miraggio
the thirst, the mirage
la luna nell'altra metà
the moon in the other half
lupi in agguato, il peggio è passato
wolves lying in wait, the worst is over now

Chorus

mi fido di te {x3}
I trust you
cosa sei disposto a perdere
what are you ready to loose
mi fido di te {x2}
I trust you
io mi fido di te
I trust you
cosa sei disposto a perdere
what are you ready to loose

missing in action

2009-12-18T22:24:00.000-08:00

but I have a good excuse (I know I'm always making excuses...so maybe I just suck at blogging, what are you going to do?) Anyways, school has been keeping me busy and now...on my first free day, I had no idea what to do with myself. Ok, that's a lie too, I had to many things to do but limited myself to only the best...if only everyday was as tasty as today.

Morning/Afternoon
slept in, mmmmm tasty
panettone french toast and eggs, mmmmm more tasty

Later....
bus bus bus....miss my bus stop....bus bus bus
turn in library books, mmm the library....dusty.
grocery shopping
bus bus bus
BAKING, mmmmm.....triple ginger cookie.....mmmm triple tasty :)

(listen to Lucinda Williams, Fruits of my Labor....it was my theme song for the day)

DATE NIGHT with my BFF4FL

2009-11-08T22:41:00.001-08:00

SO, I don't get to spend to much time with my best friend but I cherish the moments we do. Friday night was date night and we made our first stop at EROS, a wine bar somewhere off the N. Wine of course is always good, the food was very nice. They had a really good mushroom risotto (top ten on my list of food I love/last meal items) and then we made our way over to chachachas, how convenient it was just a few blocks away! So of course we HAD to have a small pitcher of sangeria and then we made our way by muni and got some cheesecake. I know....it sounded like a good idea BUT probably wasn't cause then we had to roll our ways back home. But of course, we met some very nice people on the Muni....sometimes I love the muni.

I love Glady, not only because she loves food almost as much as I do, but she's always there to dry my tears, lend an ear, make me laugh, (and trust me we did all of that in one night) but above all I know that she is always there for me. No matter how busy our life gets I know I give her a call. <3

"The Chain"

2009-10-25T21:01:00.001-07:00

I think Ingrid Michaelson has a beautiful vocie, I especially like this song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu2gxZDquzA

A year later....

2009-09-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

A little more than a year ago I left for Italy. I can't exactly say I was super excited for the experience...to be honest I just wanted to go somewhere else. And well I took a few semesters of Italian and I am an art history major so Italy just seemed like it would be the best fit. The whole week before I left though, I was stressed, I was nervous, my stomach was making all sorts of twists and turns, I, Sara Gorrell could not eat...I mean that's how nervous I was, I think about food 24/7, so the fact that I couldn't eat, is well a big deal. But that first week quickly turned into a month, and before long things were getting easie I truly began to love Italy for what Italy is. It's not just Michelanglo and Leonardo but it's about eating outside with your friends, going to apertivo, buying your food from the market, learning all the bad words, and trying to make sense of everything going on around you...trying to figure out how you fit in this world and understanding there is there is the huge world and what you know, is only a small percentage of a percentage.

And now I'm back in San Francisco, a worldly city in it's own and trying to figure out again how I fit in, a sort of cultural shock in my own country. But now I know, it is a big world out there and there are so many things left for me to learn and it is good to know that wherever I go I am home.

Sorry ya'll

2009-06-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

I've been doing very poorly at blogging lately...but I have a very good excuse because I have been without internet these last 2 weeks. Now that I'm back in the real world, I'll be updating you guys on my trip to Sicily.

Preview: IT WAS AMAZING!!!!....

Almost over....

2009-05-28T00:59:00.000-07:00

Technically, today is my last day of school. I finished most of my finals yesterday but I still have to go to final critique for figure drawing today. I can't believe it's almost over.... this year has gone by to fast. :(

I'm a mess....

2009-04-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

This whole week I've been out of it, literally.

Sunday I woke up from my nap and decided that I wanted to open my window (you know see if it's raining...)and I'm leaning on the glass with one hand and pushing the shutter open with my other and just my luck....my entire hand goes through the window. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty freaked out, not only was there glass and blood all over the place but I was didn't know if anyone was home. So I run into the kitchen shaking with my cell phone in one hand (I have no idea what I'm going to do) but luckily Gaby was home and she cleaned me up very nicely (as well as calmed me down and made me dinner :)). I have a few cuts on my hand but nothing to bad, i have a small cut on the outside of my wrist and that one is pretty deep so maybe I'll get like a cool scar or something, at least I would have a good story.

And then yesterday, I was in the library on the ladder getting some travel books for Sicily and Spain and I must have been really excited or just plain out of it cause I took one step down and then decided (without looking) that I was close to the floor and I reached down with my other foot and straight up fell. Now looking back I probably had like 5 more steps on the ladder until I actually was close to the ground to reach for the floor, so when I fell I fell HARD....and on my ass. Again I didn't really hurt anything, my butt just hurts a lot.

So I'm thinking...that these next few days I should take it easy (maybe lock myself in my room) because with my current luck I'm gonna get hit by a bus or something. :(

Spring break was all about our search for the sun...

2009-04-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

and we found it.

Above all the best part of Puglia was all the great people we met. From the pescatore in Gallipoli to the Alessandro from Conversano, Puglia would not have been half as amazing as it was without the warmth of it's people.

Pragha, It was like a dream...

2009-04-06T02:11:00.000-07:00

....a really good one.

I left with Sarah and Katerine from Florence around 7:30 by bus and didn't get to Prague until around 9:00 the next morning. The bus was uncomfortable and I kept going in and out of sleep. So when we finally arrived in Prague it was like I was sleep walking. Once we arrived we took a quick tour around the city. There were quite a few special markets (because of easter)so we looked around a bit at the arts and crafts and food. After, we walked over to the astronomical clock which is famous for the "special shows" that happen on the hour. We had just missed the show so we continued our walk toward the river walking past the Jewish district and then ending the tour at the river.

It was so hot in Prague, and we were so tired that we laid in the grass and enjoyed the sun for a bit. We took our time walking back looking though the markets and stopping to get our first beer of the trip. Afterwards we went back to the astronomical clock to watch the "walk of the apostles" and then eventually ventured back to our hotel where we napped until dinner. For dinner we joined the rest of the group for a traditional Czech dinner at U Fleku, the oldest beer hall/brewery in Prague. The place was a little touristy but they had great food and tasty beer. Dinner started out with a soup and rye bread and then I had roasted pork with bread and potatoe dumplings and sauerkraut all washed down with a big (and cheap) beer. And then after all that....We got apple strudel :)

After dinner, we walked across the Charles Bridge and checked out the castle at night. Wandering around we found a "jazz club" which actually played only Funk music but it was a lot of fun. Enjoying the music....I drank yet another extremely cheap but tasty beer and when we finished we walked back across the bridge to this five-story dance clup which had different music genres on each floor. We spent most of our time on the dance/techno floor and danced until the early morning. It was amazing.

Saturday we woke up late, had breakfast and walked over to the castle. We walked around a bit, stopped to eat some lunch (embarissing story: the belt loop on my pants got stuck in the chair and I could NOT get out. I kept trying to get up but the chair would follow me....and then Sarah tried helping and the waiters kept coming around asking if we needed scissors. Sarah finally got me out. I laughed so hard that I cried, it was amazing!) and then exploredaround the castle some more. The place was huge and the cathedral was amazing. The inside was closed but walking around it was an experience in it's own sense. In size, it completely towers over everything and the gothic style is unbelievable. Definately is one of my favorite buidings in Europe. After walking around with the girls, I adventured off by myself for a while because I had a different ticket... but after I left Sarah and Katherine all the sights were closed so I walked out into the plaza where they were setting up with Obama's speech. Then I walked to St. Nicholas Church at Malostranske Namesti and checked out the inside. The church was beautiful and I was able to walk up to the second floor and look at the at the church below and the fresco's above.

Afterwards I walked back across the river where I waited for the girls and watched a protest agaisnt the creation of a US base in the Czech Republic. When Sarah and Katherine came over, me and Katherine decided to get a Thai message which like the beer was extremely cheap but amazing. It was like a cross between yoga and a message because they move and stretch out your body while placing pressure on your muscles. It was relaxing and rejuvinating with the exception of popping my toes and fingers (I really can't stand the sound it makes). Afterwards we walked back to the hotel, rested a bit and we decided on getting some good thai food....but we were easily sidetracked when we passed a Mexican restraunt across the street from our hotel. and because none of us had had legit Mexican food since being abroad (I've been here for 7 months by the way...) and we were desperate. Our eyes were definately larger than our bellies and we ordered tons of food: tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream (OMG they had real sour cream!!!!), quesadillas, a burrito, rice and beans, margaritas....and I ate it all! I don't know how I did it, but I did and I was so full that if our hotel wasn't uphill you could probably rolled me home.

Sunday we woke up extemely early (4:50) so that we could make it to the castle to get good spots to see Obama. We waited and chilled until 10 when he came on. It was the amazing and surreal. I have been in Italy since late August so I did not experience the excitment of the election, sending in my ballot, I felt a little removed from the whole experience. And being here I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have a chance to see our president speak. So when we found out Obama was going to speak in Prague at the same time we were going to be in the city, I knew we had to go because when would I ever get the chance to see our president let alone see him speak aboad. It was amazing, exciting, and extemely moving. Watching Obama speaks makes me believe again. He makes me believe that we can change our act around and things can change. This is important because since being in Italy I have seen how foriegners view our country and although it was negative with Bush being in the crowd during Obama's speech in Prague with thousands of people....Americans, Czechs, Austrailians, Brits, and Italians (and I'm sure many more countries...but these were the only ones I talked to or reconized by language) proved that many people support us once again and have hope for the future.

It was the perfect ending to my dream in Pragha.

Obama's Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwYzAp7QV3U&feature=related

and 900+ photo's later.....

2009-03-29T05:44:00.000-07:00

I've finally updated my shutterfly, so check it out. http://postcardsfromitaly.shutterfly.com/.

MILANO....

2009-03-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today we took a nice long train to Milano for a field trip for my 20th Century Art in Italy class. So I know you are probably thinking, "20th Century Art and Italy....really?" and I don't blame you, cause it's so freaking hard for Italians to move on from the Renaissance but there seems to be at least one exception. Exactly 100 years ago, 1909 Futurism was born....a movement started by Italians (but again because of some "moving on" issues, actually began in Paris). The idea of futurism is machine....it's very anti-classicalism and ironically very anti-museum. Marinetti the father of Futurism said, "We rebel against the spineless worshipping of the old canvases, old statues, and old bric-a-brac, against everything which is filthy and worm-ridden and corroded by time". And with that, came Futurismo, the most famous modern art history movement to come out of Italy.

During the 1900's, Milan served as the home for many Futurists of the time and today, in honor of it's 100th anniversary, they had a pretty amazing exhibit that gave a nice overview of the art work as well as music, furniture, costumes, books, magazines, and set design. It was pretty sweet. These were some of my favorites....

A lot has happened....

2009-03-01T05:17:00.001-08:00

Since I last updated you all. We finished finals which was a bit of hell but worth it because it meant vacation!

For semester break I left Florence at 3 in the morning to embark on my first adventure outside of Italy. First stop.....Amsterdam. Some highlights: pancakes, coffeshops, good food (that isn't italian), canals, rain, snow, Anne Frank's house, an AMAZING metro, english speakers (really weird), sex shops, red light district, rjiksmuseum, Van Gough Museum, big hotel beds, sneaking my 2 roommates into our hotel room, Ben and Jerry's.

Next stop on a train to Paris....

Half Way

2009-01-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

My study aboard school year is more than half way over, it came quietly, and as a suprise because things have been going by so fast. I can't say that I have enjoyed every second but I can say I would never do anything differently. These last 5 months I've learned a lot. Not only all that school stuff (cause thats the "real"reason I'm here, right?), but I know myself even more. I mean there is still more to see, do, taste, touch, hear, and learn but it is kind of sad to think that this whole experience is almost over. I mean in many ways Florence is my home, I could never see myself living here forever but then again I could never see myself living in Elk Grove again, yet "the Grove" is more of a home than anywhere else.

I don't think you realize until you've gone away how much you miss home. But many times here, when I go away whether it be a short weekend trip or a week long trip how much you miss home, and many times the "home" I can't wait to get back to is my home in Florence. And I think that is something many people miss out on because they only go away for a few months and it is just a really (really) long vacation. But I'm no longer on vacation, because Florence in many ways has become another home for me.

A Grand Adventure

2009-01-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

Today was all about avoiding EVERYTHING (among the "everything" would be reading and writing essays) and I would say I have been pretty successful. It began with cookies, seriously, thats what I made for breakfast and ended with HOOK...the movie!!! We kind of built a magic carpet bed in the middle of our living room and ate fresh bread and played steam roller. Somewhere in between we went on a magical adventure that took us (in the rain) to Piazza Michelangelo then to an old forest and straight out of Florence (we actually walked passed a sign that said "Firenze" and had a fat red line though it!) and then back down the hill to the grocery store and then back home for tasty tasty soup and more cookies.

It was a very good day.

The FIRST post of the New Year

2009-01-14T14:41:00.001-08:00

I feel like my first post of the New Year should be entertaining, I want to keep everyone interested right? Especially since I haven't written in ages.....And anyways I don't want to bore anyone with my New Year's Resolutions (which by the way has nothing to do with this blog, although it would be a great resolution to "blog everyday/every week/on a regular basis...." I can tell you now it would never happen....sorry)

I'm staying at my parent's apartment in Florence until they leave and since my Aunt and Uncle have left there is and extra room which for me is a nice change. So Tuesday morning my parents left the house early to catch a train to Venice and since it was Tuesday and I don't have class until 1:30 I took my time. I made myself some breakfast, got ready at a nice leisurely pace, and talked with Glady on SKYPE. I didn't even consider leaving the house (I wanted to go boot shopping) until around 10:30. Well when I go to open the door find out that the door won't open os I figure ok, I'll just use my key and unlock it from the inside. After messing with the lock for a good 15 minutes I realize my efforts will get me no where....especially since by the 15th minute I am fully pissed and pull off the door handle....at this point I figure I should try another route. I text my roommates who with my luck happen to all be in class and then I text some friends that live around the corner from the apartment on Pepi. I also give the land lady (who is also happens to be my land lady) but she doesn't answer. SO, about an hour-hour and a half later I am finally rescued (THANK YOU SARAH YOU ARE MY HERO) and seriously I felt like Rapunzel. I opened the window and threw down my long blond hair....actually I just threw down my keys and Sarah unlocked the door from the outside. It is a very non climatic ending to my stressful morning.

BUT, afterwards we went to lunch at Tavola Calda da Rocca ("hot table") inside the San Ambrosia Mercato and had a AMAZING (....and cheap) lunch. For 6.50 I got bread, water, pesto lasagna, and creme carmel (and some wine which our very nice booth mates shared with us). It was a perfect "happy ending"....

I'M DONE!!!!

2008-12-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

Well kind of....while everyone in the States have finished Fall semester, I still have about 2 more months after break until we start a new semester. LAME! But I had mid-terms and I still studied like everyone else, I'm just not really done. I am on vacation though and I'm getting ready for my family to come and I'm looking forward to it.

Can't wait to see you all!!!

VASARI CORRIDOR!!!

2008-12-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Ok so I know I have been slacking on the bloggy blog but I have very exciting news... for our Uffizzi Studies Class today we got to walk through the Vasari Corridor. I know many of you may be like "What!?!?!?!" but let me try to explain how exciting it is...

The Vasari Corridor runs from Palazzo Vecchio, through the Uffizi, over the Ponti Vecchio (the old bridge over the Arno), through Santa Felicita, and ends at Palazzo Pitti. It is a completely enclosed corridor that remained a secret until the 1900's but it was built in 1565 for the Medici's so that they could walk from their home, Palazzo Pitti, go to church at Santa Felicita, and get to their offices (the Uffizi) without mixing with the general public. The Vasari Corridor also allowed the Medici's to visit the 3rd floor of the Uffizzi, which was at the time was their private gallery space. In general the Vasari Corridor is closed to the public but the offer special tours for small groups. Today the Vasari Corridor is home to an amazing collection of work, most of which are self-portraits of artist throughout the centuries. The corridor was extremely cold but the views of the street, the Arno and of course the art made it more than worth it. Just to be walking the same secret passageway the Medici's walked centuries earlier made the whole thing surreal...and amazing.

We weren't allowed to take pictures but here are some snaps from the internet:

check it...

2008-11-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

It's kind of like a blog, but for pictures.

http://postcardsfromitaly.shutterfly.com

The Arno at dusk

2008-10-25T06:58:00.001-07:00

"The emperor's gaze traveled past the peacock and the lake, past the court of Herat and the lands of the fierce Turk and rested on the spives and domes of an Italian city far away. 'Imagine a pair of woman's lips,' Mogor whispered, 'puckering for a kiss. That is the city of Florence, narrow at the edges, swelling at the center, with the Arno flowing through between, parting the two lips, the upper and the lower. The city is an enchantresss. When it kisses you, you are lost, whether you be a commoner or a king.'"

Salman Rushdi
The Enchantress of Florence

The "upper"

The "lower"

The Arno

My first calcio game.

2008-10-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

After missing our train to go to the chocolate festival (I know I was pretty sad too) we decided to go with plan B...CALCIO! (aka soccer). This was my first real calcio game and it was between Florence "La Fiorentina" and Reggina. Although, our seats were the nose bleeds of nose bleeds I had a lot of fun, and I even saw my first soccer fight during the the first 5 minutes of the game. It was between these two fans that went after a soccer ball that had been kicked out of the field. It was pretty crazy.

The best part is that Florence's colors are purple, so everyone EVERYONE (except Stephan who definitely stuck out) wores purple....I don't think I have every seen so many men wear purple!

This was our view, supposibly this overhang is an architectural miracle (but I have no idea why)

hehe

OUR FIRST POTLUCK...

2008-10-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

was a success! We didn't have to much food, but the food we did have was amazing. Gaby of course made rice pilaf, pasta carbonara, and tasty tasty creamed spinach, Avery made some bomb cheese bread, Sam made her famous Panzella, and me and John made ICE CREAM SANDWICHES (with Nutella!!!). There was also some pasta salad, grilled veggies, and Ribollita (tasty!!!!) It was pretty amazing.

Here's the mates at the end of the night.

Passing out the AMAZING ice cream sandwiches (the secret....cookies, a layer of nutella, and gelato.)

Sam taught us how to belly dance, it was probably the most ridiculous thing. I definitely can't move my hips that way. Haha.

John decided to take pictures of EVERYONE at the potluck with his dorky glasses. It makes for some very nice pictures but I think I take the award for be the biggest dork.

The Sickness

2008-10-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't written in like a week (or maybe two) but I've been a little sick (lying on my death bed sick....hehehe not really, but sick) and I decided TODAY, or actually.....technically yesterday, that I was sick of being sick so I tried to make myself better by making brownies and mexican food but that only kind of worked, it made me happier and a little better but I'm still sick and now I can't sleep. It's like 5:00 in the morning and I think I may have that sickness, like the one in 100 Years of Solitude when everyone get insomnia because the little girl has insomnia and then everyone starts forgetting things, like what they use a cow for so they have to make symbols on the cow so they remember but then they forget what the symbols are and now I've forgotten how everyone gets better so I am going to go watch the office, and maybe take a nyquil and hopefully....eventually, I will be able to go to sleep. And also I am going to buy real medicine tomorrow because obviously the brownies and mexican food only partially worked.

Ok and writing this only makes me a little crazy....I'm just really tired. :)

NIGHT!

Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire...

2008-10-05T02:46:00.001-07:00

I'm not going to lie, but this mini-adventure was all about finding the H&M in Bologna... and nothing else. But it ended up being so much more, it was a chance to not know where we were going and a chance to get lost and discover new things.

So of course, the first place we stopped in Bologna was H&M where I got new coat, gloves, and cardigan for the cold winter that is quickly approaching. After H&M we walked over to the church where they were having a festival for the patron saint of the city. The church was open to the public so we walked inside to check out the service and the POPE was there!!! no just kidding, we thought it was the Pope (papa') but it was a new cardinal which was still pretty cool. He was giving service in Italian and I actually understand part of what he was saying. He was talking about the family and how we were all family. After listening a bit we checked out the artwork in the church, the frescos and sculptures all which were so different because each chapel, each different area, was designed for all the different families. It was pretty cool. Also what was really cool is on the floor inlaid in the stone is a line that cuts through the church almost at diagonal. It is the meridian line and was calculated and designed by the famous astronomer Geovanni Domenico Cassini.

After the church we let our noises do the wandering and we found this roasted chestnut stand (which we could smell a block away!) and me and Gaby bought a small bag of roasted chestnuts. It was the first time I have ever had a chestnut and let me just say they were the most wonderful little things ever. Still incredibly warm they had a very meaty, kind of sweet, kind of garlicky taste that was amazing. We ate as we walked and when we finished the bag we ended up in front of a pizza place that like the chestnuts, smelt amazing. It was amazing and cheap. We both got two slices which were put on top of each other like a sandwitch and continued our walk to the next and final destination. Now of course our final destination (according to the Gelato Rule) was Gelato. I don't really remember the flavors I ordered, one was chocolatey and the other carmelly, but they were both delicious and a great end to the most inexpensive and filling meal I have had in Italy. Being very well feed we walked back to the station to catch the last train home. It was a very nice day :)

Rosh Hashanah

2008-10-03T06:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was Rosh Hashanah and because two of my roommates are Jewish (as well as their art studio teacher, Marsha) we hosted a semi-traditional Rosh Hashanah dinner/potluck/get together for all the art studio students (and me) who have been super busy with their Academia exams (not me). We had the traditional matzo ball soup, "brisket", latkas, kugal as well as corn bread, salad, wine, limoncella and several desserts.

Gaby did a lot of the cooking, and as usual it was amazing! I think out of everything my favorite was the matzo ball soup and latkas. Tasty!

Latkas...which were delicious. We don't have a cheese grater so we sliced potatoes so the looked like the came though a cheese grater :)

Gaby singing while making Lataks

I'm just really excited about all the food. I was jumping for joy.

our oil can, I just wanted you guys to see how big this thing is. It's huge...I mean's it's bigger than John's head!

All the amazing desserts...there was even homemade fudge :)

MEXICAN FOOD!!!

2008-10-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

Yes Mexican food deserves it’s own topic. As a person who live(d) on rice, beans, salsa, and tortillas in California, moving to Italy has been somewhat of a culture shock when it comes to food. I knew it was going to be hard and I knew I was getting myself in a tough situation but I can successfully say that I have lived a whole month without eating Mexican food. No burritos, no rice and beans, no quesadillas, no salsa,…NOTHING. But tonight (September 29, 2008) I had “Mexican food” or what people in Europe consider to be, “Mexican food”.

We went to this place called “Tijuana” and bought strawberry margaritas and burritos. The margaritas were actually very tasty (the highlight of our night) but the burritos on the other hand well, I don't want to complain to much but the flavors didn't taste right. Honestly at this point all I cared about was the fact that it wasn't pasta. Anything but pasta at this moment is AMAZING.

But I still miss
MEXICAN FOOD
and brownies
and Thai food
and peanut butter
and In-and-Out burger
:(

an Italian "Mexican" burrito.

Corri La Vita

2008-10-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was the Corri la Vita (http://www.corrilavita.it/home.php), the big breast cancer run/walk in Florence. Unlike previous walks I've done for breast cancer in Sacramento, this walk took us outside the center of the city and across the Arno where we had free admission to several different gardens and churches. It was a pretty low key relaxing walk, I felt like we were all strolling and taking our time rather than speed walking though the course. I had a lot of fun and it was great way to get out and enjoy the nice day.

taking group pictures is hard...this is most of the CSU students that attended the walk.

The roommates before the race.

The view of Florence from one of the gardens we stopped at.

The end of the race!

Gregorian Chanting

2008-09-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we headed to Santa Croce because there was a free Gregorian Chanting Concert. I don't really know how to explain what we saw and heard except to say that it was beautiful and actually, extremely medatative. The environment of the concert itself added so much to what we heard. The chanting took place in the refectory of Santa Croce where they have this increbibly large and beautiful fresco with different stories from catholicism including the Last Supper and the Cruxification.

(http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/images/Firenze/Santa%20Croce/800/Refectory-Jul05-DC3586sAR800.jpg)

With the amazing art and music, the whole experience is something I will never forget.

After the concert we decided to check out a new gelateria around the corner from the famous Vivili's. The gelato I think was a little more icecreamy but the flavors were wonderful. I had a chocolate with pistacio and pepercinos (it was really spicy) and a carmely flavored one. I also had a bit of ricotta and fig which I have to say rates pretty high on my list right now. As we were sitting outside eating, we realized that the Gelateria also had a wonderful window presenting (and teasing us) with all of the other desserts they make. I think one of these day I will buy this....

jealous?

It was bound to happen....

2008-09-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

When more than half of the people your class are sick and half of the people in your apartment are sick you will eventually get sick. It sucks but it was bound to happen. Luckily I'm still in PLP (Prepatory Language Class) so I only have class for 4 hours a day and I was able to sleep it off with some good quality nap time. But Friday, my lovely nap on the couch was interrupted with Nutella sillyness when Sam, Avery, and Gaby came home from Art class. We took some very classy pictures which I hope you all enjoy...just keep in mind I was still sick, and possibly not right of mind....cough cough.

Avery, Gaby, and Sam all showing Florence pride with purple and Italy pride with the Nutella

Me, playing the bongos.

A lion. RAWR!!!

by the way, I'm better now. Just a little congested :)

Adventure #1: Chianti and Salsa Dancing

2008-09-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

After posting "Adventure #2" I realized that I never posted anything about our first adventure. This adventure took place the Saturday before Pisa and Lucca and was just as wonderful....

The Saturday after our big school field trip we decided to wake up super early, try to find the bus station, and go Grieve in Chianti for a wine festival. The bus ride over, of course was beautiful. It was drizziling outside so the ground was wet and the sky grey and cloudy but it was still beautiful. The hills seemed to go on forever and they were filled with every color of green imaginable. I remember taking an art class (or possibly a science class) and the teacher said that the human eye can only recognize a percentage of color because we can only see a certain wavelength or something and I think I decided as we were driving through Tuscany that the hills contained every color green reconziable to man and more. All the shades from yellow green, to moss green, blueish green, green with a little red so that it has shades of brown... every single green you can find on the color spectrum was outside my window. And then there were the houses which were more like mansions, and they seemed to grow out of the landscape and fuse with the hills. It was beautiful.

When we got to Grieve it was still raining and we had no idea where we were going so we just wandered until we found a market where they had fresh fruit, vegetables, clothes and purses. It was like a huge flea/farmers market. It was wonderful, but still drizzing so we decided to find sheltor and we ended up at this café facing the piazza where the wine festival was going to take place. We had arrived at about 9 and the festival didn’t start until 11 so like anyother Italian, we got some coffee and a brioche and just sat and chatted and when we weren’t talking we were watching all the people go by. We ended up hanging out until 11:30 and when we decided wine tasting it was POURING! But its ok, cause we all got a glass of wine, and huddled underneath the little stands talking to all venders and other tourists. By the end of the day, I had tried a lot of different wines, mostly chiantis but it was a good experience because I could compare all the different flavors within one group. I also tried a really good dessert wine that tasted carmely.

After a long day of wine tasting we took the bus back to Florence and napped for a bit and then we all decided (around 10) to go salsa dancing. We all got dressed up: makeup and hair and some how I was convinced by the girls I live with to wear high heel shoes. And you know what I put on my red patent leather high heeled shoes and went out because I looked good and I had been watching all the Italian woman do it here so easily, But soon enough I realized this was a horrible idea because:

1. I am NOT graceful and I am NOT a crazy Italian woman.
2. It was raining
3. Florence is paved with cobblestones which makes walking in tennis shoes uncomfortable.
4. We were walking over to the San Spirtito area, which is on the other side of the Arno, which is also…..ON THE OTHERSIDE OF THE CITY!!!
5. And finally, we didn’t actually know where this place was meaning we were going to get lost.

We ended up spending a good hour wondering around, sometimes going in circles, sometimes just simply going the wrong way. And honestly, after this adventure I can actually tell my grandchildren: I walked in the rain, up hill both ways in high heels to go dancing because at one point, we were actually walking up a dirt hill to NOWHERE! Fully pissed, I was ready to give up when our luck changed and finally someone was able to give us useful directions.

After that, the whole night changed. I ended up having so much fun that I want to learn how to salsa and I want everyone I know to learn how to salsa so we can practice together.

My first Italian coffee and brioche

hanging out in the rain before the wine festival

our awesome goody bags/wine glass holders. Very fashionable.

At the salsa club with the mates

Adventure #2: Pisa and Lucca

2008-09-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we took another adventure to Pisa and Lucca. Our journey started at the train station where like in all good train movies we ran to catch ours just as it was leaving.

(courtesy of John, short for Viet Triet)

The trip was about 50 minutes and once we got to Pisa we walked through the city (and through all the beautiful clothing shops) towards the leaning tower. It was a little weird when we got to the tower only because its something you always see photos of and for me it was something I never expected that I would actually see in person. But I did…which is cool, and now I can say I saw the “Leaning Tower”. I can also say, like every other person there and every person that every been to Pisa, that I took some very ridiculous pictures with the tower. The best one is the one with all of us kicking the tower…we’re NIJAS, and we made ninja noises the entire time we were taking the pictures, HIYA!!!!

(photo skills of some random guy with Gaby's camera)

After Leaning Tower pictures Gaby and I wandered off to find gelato…of course, and we found a lot of really cool buildings. My favorite was in the plaza with all the University buildings and it had grey with white pictures painted all over. There were paintings of women, which reminded me of the ladies that are always on the front of the ships.

(courtesy of Gaby)

Some more pictures from Pisa...

After exploring, we found the group and decided to take the train over to Lucca because it was still pretty early in the day. This train ride was a lot more scenic....there were all these cool towers and castle looking buildings in the hills.

The train station in Lucca drops you off right outside of the walls and you walk over a tiny little stream and though some tunnels and then up some stairs to the top of the surrounding walls where there is a walking path that is above the city. We arrived in early evening when everyone was taking their walk and biking around. It was really pretty. I know I say that all the time, but Lucca has been my favorite town so far, it really is beautiful. I actually didn’t take any pictures because it was too beautiful and I didn’t want to ruin it. Sometimes, a lot of the times, I feel like taking pictures ruins everything, because they are never as pretty as what I really see, so sorry guys you’ll just have to visit Lucca for yourself...but I will post a few pictures my friends took, just to tease you.

Our first stop was gelato…again***and after all that wonderfulness we realized that we came to Lucca on the perfect weekend. It was the third Saturday of the month and they were having their monthly antiques fair which was very interesting because different places have different meaning of “antiques”, but in general I think antiques are just fancy junk that can be sold for a lot more than just regular junk and in Italy, compared to America, their junk is usually a lot older.

All around Lucca there were benches with cute little old ladies gossiping like little girls. They were always squeezed on a little bench and while we were waiting for everyone at the antiques fair we sat like little old ladies on the bench. (another picture of John's)

After going through the antiques we realized that Lucca was also having a festival for the famed composer Puccini who was born in Lucca. I admit that I did not know who the heck Puccini was before this night but I will forever remember him because he will be associated with the best festival food I had ever had. So good that Sarah, John, and I got separated from the group because out of the corner of my eye I saw a cute little stand making doughnuts. As I got closer I realized that they weren’t just doughnuts but magic doughnuts dipped in Nutella! Now you have to understand something, I love Nutella (it is brown crack) and it had been banned from our house a week before because we had eaten so much. So seeing this wonderful creation, a doughnut dipped in Nutella, I was in heaven. It was a fresh, right out of the fryer dipped in sugar and then Nutella and passed out while still warm and creamy. It was beautiful mess, We all had Nutella all over our faces when I we were done but it was wonderful and tasty and hit the spot.

(courtesy of John)

Of course after Gelato and Nutella dipped doughnuts we decided that we should actually eat something other than sweets so we walked around a bit and then found somewhere to eat. Always interested in trying something new (and something other than pasta!) I ordered the guinea fowl with oil and grapes. It was very tasty....and a perfect end to our adventure in Pisa and Lucca.

One more picture of the church in Lucca...
(courtesy of John)

***Rule of Gelato: Early on I decided that Gelato is glorious and in order to make the most of my time here I decided that I would try at least one different flavor of Gelato in each city I visited. I consider it a souvenir (an edible souvenir) of all the places in Italy that I go to. If I happen to go to two different towns in a day then according to the “Rule of Gelato” I must eat two gelatos. It’s a tough rule to live by, but it’s something that must be done.

Fiesole

2008-09-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

A week ago (un settimane fa…) we took a short bus ride to Fiesole, which is a small Etruscan town above Florence for Stefy’s birthday. It was a nice afternoon trip with a lot of walking. We visited a cemetery and then walked around the outside of Etruscan ruins. Afterwards we walked up a huge hill to go to the church and see the view of Florence. It was beautiful… but like always, my pictures don’t translate the beauty. It was an overcast day, so the sky was grey but the light was still nice. You could see a lot of the center as well as the countryside that surrounds the city. If it was a clear day it would be a very nice place to watch the sunset, but for us the sun setting over the city was more like a slice of orange in the cloudy sky.

FIELD TRIPS!!!

2008-09-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we had our first field trip of the year to Volterra, San Gimignano and Machiavelli's house. Volterra is famous for being the center of Etruscan civilization, a civilization that predates the Romans in Italy. One of our first stops was an Etruscan museum. The museum had a huge selection of amazing artifacts that were created by a civilization that today still remains a mystery. It was so amazing to actually see all these things, all of the things that have been found... pots, jewelry, coins, things that look like toys, tools, stone carvings...everything, because these were things that weren't meant to be seen in museums but were meant to be used every day. It was a pretty interesting place and the view from the city was amazing.

San Gimignano was a little more turisty, but just as beautiful. The view of the city, as you drive up reminds me of a modern day city but when you get closer, you actually realize that this is not a modern skyline but a medieval skyline with buildings made of stone. It was pretty cool, but by far my favorite part was going to Machiavelli's house.

For dinner we drove to the house that Machiavelli lived in when he was exiled from Florence. This is also the same house that Machiavelli wrote his famous book "The Prince" in. The house it's self is beautiful. It's located in the countryside surrounded by vineyards and when we drove up it was just starting to get dark and rain. It was the first rain we have had in Florence and everything smelled wonderful and fresh. After we arrived, we took a tour of the house and the cellar where they actually produce wine. This part was really interesting, but at the time I was incredibly hungary so all I could thing about was food. When we finally sat down we had bread waiting for us and a few minutes later we were served Antipasti (Appetizers). For this course we had about 5 different bruschetta (1 with pate, 2 different olive kinds, 1 with tomatoes, and 1 with a cheese and meat). Being the curious person I am, I tried them all, even the pate...which was I must say very delicious. After a while Primi Piatti (first course) was served. For this we had a very traditional Tuscan soup with beans, spinach, and little pieces of bread. It was a very thick soup, the kind of soup that warms you from the inside out. For Secondo Piatti (Second Course) was had mixed meat: chicken, beef and sausage with a side of potatoes and some house wine. By now, I was getting a little full, but I'm a marathoner, not a sprinter so I'm in it for the long run and the last course, dessert is something I always have room for. Dessert was simple, we had little shot glasses of carmel colored dessert wine and biscotti. The dessert wine was a little to much for me a first. It tasted a little to much like liquor, and not wine but after dipping a few biscotti in it, the flavor grew on me.

All in all, dinner was the favorite part. Just sitting down and taking our time to enjoy the food and the company is something we don't do much in America. Food in Italy is an event and I like food.

the Duomo

2008-09-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

The Duomo is one of the first things you see when you get to Florence because it is HUGE, pictures do not do it justice. I mean the thing is magnificent! Before I came to Florence, before I even knew I was going to study abroad in Italy, my Italian teacher showed us pictures and honestly I was not impressed. I can tell you now though, it's amazing. Whenever I walk by it I feel like a tourist all over again because I am simply in awe with the architecture, the design...everything!

Also, all roads lead to the Duomo. I swear if you look down half of the streets, you will see a glimse of the thing. This is a really good thing because let's just say, I get lost.... a lot and because I don't really like maps, I usually find my way by familiar landmarks (meaning I can't give directions because I don't know street names). So if I get lost in Florence I just find my way to the Duomo and then I know I can find my way home.

Every year on September 9th, the anniversary of the day the first stone was laid, the Duomo allows visitors to climb up to the top. This was an amazing experience because you can see the entire city. Here are a few favorites below...again, compared to seeing it in person (which I highly recommend), these pictures are nothing.

Oltrarno

2008-09-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Oltrarno means the "other side of the Arno" which is the major river that runs though Florence. Although the "otherside" could technically be either side of the Arno, depending on which side you are on, the "otherside" actually refers to the side that is less touristy, the side opposite the center. We didn't explore to far Oltrarno, but from what I hear has some really good Italian food without the crazy prices.

The few pictures I've posted aren't actually mine (but a combination of Gaby and John's)....but I was there, and if I actually remembered to charge my camera, they would probably look a lot like these.

The Arno

The Ponte Vecchio, which literally means "Old Bridge". Today, all the stores that line the streets are these tiny (but completely filled) jewelry stores.

And this one is for Katie Walsh who I will (eventaully) buy this book for...I found it!

My First Days

2008-09-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

The first few days of Florence were pretty hectic, we spent the first week or so in a hotel (if you can even call it that) and stayed busy with school stuff for most of the time. I am now moved into my apartment and after getting lost in the city quite a few times, Florence is starting to feel more like a home than vacation spot.

I don't have any pictures of my apartment yet, but there are some posted on my "landlady's" website, www.florenceapartment.org. Our place is the 1st apartment, and although it doesn't look quite as nice as the pictures make it out to be, it is still quite amazing, in a quirky Italian way. The best part of our place, which we have named "Casttelo Nutella" because of the crazy amounts of Nutella we have eaten in the last 4 days, is the kitchen. It can fit all of my roommates (all five of us!) with 2 people cooking comfortably. I think I lucked out again with the roommate situation because so far they all seem very sane. All four of them, Sam, Avery, Gabby, and John are Art Studio majors planning on studying at the famous Academia (the Academia's gallery is where Michelangelo's original David is located) which is amazing because our house is already starting to fill up with their work. I even have a very nice (and somewhat creepy) drawing my roommate Gabby made for me in her life drawing class. Also, and most importantly, they love to cook and eat. We have already made two family style meals and I have a feeling there will be many (hundreds) more in our future.

All of the roommates eating our first dinner in the apartment (from left to right: John, Sam, Gabby, Avery, Me, and the ghost)

Sam, John and Avery waiting (patiently) for dinner

and by the way did I mention that I live right across the street from the most beautiful synagoue I have ever seen. And if I ever get lost, it's blue dome allows me to find my way very easily....

and right next door to us is the Carabinieri, the Italian military police. I guess this could be both a good thing...and bad thing, we'll see what happens :)

Thank you all!!!

2008-09-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

First off, I just want to thank everyone for the amazing send-off, I couldn’t have wished for anything better.

I've posted a few pictures from my last day at work as well as my going away party.
Last day at work :(

My Poppy making tons of delicious food for the 500 people that attended my going away party.

My wonderful roommate and her very lovely boyfriend.

"Hey girl hey"

My Uncle Tim, who is only going to visit me in Italy so he can see Ferraris, my cousin Billy, and my Grandpa.

The Girls

Uncle Denis, Bob, and Brittney

My Uncle's fighting for the #1 position

Making delicious marshmellowy frosting for my delicious cupcakes.

(one) of my last meals.

And this one needs no explanation...just me, D, and Katie Walsh before I left.

Also, if you want to see some even BETTER pictures from my festa check out Zane’s website at http://www.pbase.com/devonshire/saras_going_away_party.

Love you and miss you all!