Buenas Sera my friends.
Well Happy Weekend to you all! I heard about the storms in MO at least, hope everyone is okay!
Well update as of this Saturday gloomy : ( morning..
Yesterday was BEAUTIFUL! CINQUE TERRE was gorgeous! Shelley got sunburnt again……but not near as bad as in my beloved soon to be hometown of Sicily.
Well, Thursday night, we did end up going to Spera’s, the pizza place that won the world’s best pizza in 2002 I believe. It was okay, but we all agreed that it was not better than Gusta’s. Chelsea and Lindsey however mixed up the dates that they were coming, so they were unable to go. However, I told them I would rather have them go to Gusta’s anyways! So then we wanted desert…….Canoli? Day 4? I think so.. So we went to the place where Trish and I found that delicious chocolate filled canoli last week and Ainsley, Amy, and Haleigh all got Nutella crepes…..(not better than my place!) and I got my precious day 4 of canoli! HOWEVER, I did realize this place has freeking chocolate chip cookie gelato and oreo gelato. What have I been doing all semester that I am just now realizing this!?!?!?!?! SO then we all went home and I went to bed to wake up bright and early at 5:30 to get ready for Cinque Terre day trip with the school that I paid for.
So I met the bus at 7:30, hard to find the bus let me tell ya. Almost thought the trip was cancelled or something. Usually we take huge coach buses, but I guess since like less than 12? People signed up for this they took a mini bus. It was such a cute little bus and luckily I found it! Haha
So then we made into La Spezia and caught the next train to one of the 5 parts of Cinque Terre (hence the cinque—means 5). So then we made it into town and the place was so cute, so full of color! Everyone knows how much I love color! Esp. lots of orangy colors and yellow! This part was considered to have the best beachy area and since it was so nice out they had told us to bring our swim suits and towels! (Ooh yes, Shelley walks up to the bus and looks around {since I didn’t know anyone going!} and was like oh crap,…..I am in my swim suit and shorts…..everyone else is in jackets and pants……no shock there considering I ALWAYS dress the wrong way here half the time for the weather!) So the 2 leaders we were with told us we had some free time since the hike we were going to take was closed due to safety construction since you would hike so high up! So they gave us an extra hour since this place had the best beach. So I looked around for a bit and then met this girl named Andrea who didn’t know anyone either and we ended up hanging out everywhere the rest of the day! She was super nice and I am so glad I met her!
So then after looking around everywhere, I went and met Andrea to lay out on the beach. It was so pretty out and I am still working on building my tan back up! I caught some color with a partial sunburn! But it doesn’t hurt NEAR as bad as Sicily! Haha
So then we had to meet everyone at the train station to go to the next part at 1. So we went and met everyone and made our way to the next stop so we could look around and grab some lunch. This next part totally reminded me of Portofino because it was so small. Andrea and I looked around for a while and really weren’t craving anything in particular but we stumbled upon this pizza place with pesto pizza that looked delicious. (Cinque Terre is known for their pesto and foccocia bread!) So we knocked out 2 birds with 1 stone and got pesto pizza, which was on foccocia bread! Even though it wasn’t hot, it was still really good! So we took the slices of pizza and went down to the harbor type area where a bunch of rocks and boats were and sat and chatted while eating our pizza. We had time still to look around and so we went up to the other last part of town pretty much and stumbled upon this bakery. We wanted gelato, but really we’d probs go for anything sweet. So we walked in and they had the canoli shells…….my mind went crazy and I was like FRESH FILLED? WHAT!?! So her and I were going to get the fresh filled canoli, however they were 4 euro which was so not worth it cause they really weren’t that big of shells! However, they had these fresh fruit seasonal granitas, so Andrea got this strawberry granita topped with whipped cream. I don’t like whip cream, so I was looking at the pastries and found these 2 croissants that one was filled with ricotta and chocolate (make-shift canoli!?) and then one filled with nutella. Me wanting canoli, got the croissant filled with ricotta and nutella! IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!!!!! Def. an idea because I could so make those at home! Andrea loved her granita as well!! We both loved that we stumbled upon the place and the waiter guy was so funny and kept calling us both beautiful! Haha
So then we went back down to the harbor area and laid out for a bit more before we had to go to the next stop. Then we met back up with everyone and caught the train to the next part. This was supposed to be where we were going to hike I think, but since it was closed we weren’t able to. However, our leaders got their times mixed up and it was going ot take like 20 minutes to walk into town and then we’d have to take another 20 to get back down. We didn’t have that much time cause we had to catch the next train so everyone kind of just walked around and looked around the train station area after we took a group photo. Andrea and I however walked down to the water area kind of stop, which was really pretty before they called us to come back. We really were surprised when they called us! Haha! So then we met back up with everyone and caught the train to the next stop!
This was where we were going to walk to the next stop along the walkway. This also is where all the locks are in Cinque Terre.. The walk is basically considered like the walk of love or something. People sign their names (like couples do) and then the locks are hung. However, this is the story I didn’t know cause I am pretty sure the same rule is here in Florence. It is illegal to put the locks on unless you properly ask the town and have the little ceremony. Apparently there, you have to get permission from the town and then you have this little ceremony with people around and the couple professes their love and then everyone walks down from the church to this walkway and the couple puts the lock on together and locks it. Cute? Ya, I think so. If you are caught putting a lock on without permission I am pretty sure you may get a ticket, but I think for sure they cut it off. So we walked aound there for a little bit. It was so funny cause there is this long wall where couples sign their names and everything and one of our leaders was just there a few weeks ago and put her and her boyfriend’s name on the wall, but they had painted over the entire wall. We don’t know if they do that once the wall is full or what! But no one new had really signed anything on the wall so no one knows! My leader was pretty upset though because she was joking that it may be omen and that her and her boyfriend are destined to break up now. Haha! So then we kept walking till the end of the trail and stopped every so often to enjoy the view. The view was spectacular overlooking the water! So pretty!
So then we got into the next part of Cinque Terre and walked around for a little bit, but it was very small and then we just stood around and chatted and waited for the train to go back to La Spezia and meet the bus.
So we caught the train and took the bus back into Florence! Luckily made it through no traffic as far as I know unless I was asleep! Haha
So I called Chelsea and Lindsey, starving……And made a meeting point so we could grab a quick dinner! KEBABS!
So I raced home, changed into warmer clothes, and booked it down to the river. I seriously have MASTERED the art of powerwalking.. Like MASTERED. I make record time now all the time to get places. So I met up with the 2 of them and they also had met this guy Matt who was in Amsterdam with them as well and now staying at the same campsite they are. (Yes, they are LEGITLY camping!) So I told them I was going to bring them to the best kebab place obviously! So we went and got kebabs! They all loved them of course! Then we walked down to my gelato place, aka the BEST gelato in Florence I think. They all loved the flavors they got and they loved my cheesecake gelato I always get! I was so happy to be reunited with my cheesecake and cookie gelato!
So then we all went back home and caught up on our sleep! It was kind of raining which stunk! But I was so exhausted, so I raced home to bed!
So then I woke up yesterday and cleaned our apartment and then met up with Chelsea and Lindsay after I started writing this. I was supposed to go meet Julie and Debbie at 1:20 at the train station, so we didn’t have much time. I was going to bring them to my sandwich place, but I decided to make a change. Haleigh, Amy, and Briana swear by the sandwich place Haleigh found. The place she goes to is 50 cents more, but with the same bread used and more of a sandwich variety to choose from and it’s made fresh. SO I decided to give it a try. We all got the Turkey Best.. The sandwich was quite smaller and more square shaped than mine, but it came with roasted eggplant, peppers, cheese, turkey, pesto, tomatoes, and spinach! It was very good, but the bread was a little too crunchy after they toasted it for a while. It wasn’t burnt, it was just thin bread. My place lightly toasts them to a perfect texture, mild crunch and mild softness with thicker foccocia. However, I did really enjoy the added ingredients for this sandwich! Chelsea and Lindsay enjoyed their sandwiches as well!
Then Chelsea needed to go to H&M to get jeans, so I went to the market and got my carrots and bananas since it wouldn’t be open today (Sunday!). Then I booked it to the train station and got there perfect time at 1:20 to meet Julie and Debbie. I checked the gate for where the Rome train was coming from and waited at the platform. I literally did not see them, like 5 minutes passed and I was like OMG how am I going to find them- they didn’t give me phone number, neither of their US phones are international (Love my blackberry, apparently those are really the only phones that will go international!), and this train station is pretty dang big. Then finally they came up and were like HEY! And I was like OMG I can’t believe you are here and we were all excited to see each other. It was such like a quick OMG hey, I didn’t even process crying. Haha! But I was very happy they made it safe and sound! Geez, the story they had of getting here. Thank you thank you to Deb’s husband Lee for driving them all the way to Chicago. They had a 1:30 flight to Chicago from STL, but the 11:30 flight got cancelled due to the weather-- so all the people on the 11:30 got put on the 1:30, therefore since they were both on standby they wouldn’t have a flight! So Julie was going to drive, but Lee offered and drove them in that terribe tornadic, hail, torrential downpours of rain, etc. etc. Just HORRIBLE weather. Lee said visibility was probs 0 most of the time and they had to stop I think only once to avoid the hail. Then they finally made it to the airport and of course American Airlines is the only airline that doesn’t fly out of the International gate of the Chicago airport, so then they had to go to a whole other spot! Basically it was hell to get to me! But I am so happy they made it safe and sound and didn’t seem too jetlagged!
So Julie handed me the directions to their hotel and of course the 2 of them know darn well my ability with maps. They both doubted me it seemed like for a bit haha! But, I told them no worries I got this! I did stop at a bakery place just to make sure I was going the right way and the hotel ended up being right around the corner!
So we dropped their bags off at the hotel and then went out in search of food. The hotel they are staying in is SUPER nice though! I told them they were probs going to have a delicious breakfast if it’s anything like the one Ainsley and I had in Vienna and Salzburg at the places we stayed at!
So I guess I just never really am here on Saturdays or what. I mean I wasn’t familiar with the area they are staying in, but like no food places were open. By me, there are places you can stop for food around every corner and as far as I know not many close to take the whole “siesta time” deal around lunch time. However, we finally just stopped at this one place and got food. They both LOVE bruchetta so they had to get that, than they split this meat sauce pasta with Chianti red wine, which they said both were very good.
So then we stopped and picked up some water for them, they were both pretty thirsty after all that traveling! Then we went back to their hotel and hung out for a bit.
STORY TIME> BIG STORY!
I talked to my mom sometime last week and she asked if I wanted her to give them anything to bring me and I said no I am at the point where anything American I will have when I get home so I can savor it more (made the exception for the strawberry water though : ) !! ) HOWEVER, thank you mother and father. My mom sent me a card with some American money : ) (WEIRD to see that!) for Easter and then in the card it said enjoy your……………KC MASTERPIECE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Omg I was sitting at lunch when I read it and was like what!? My mom and dad sent me KC MASTERPIECE? NO WAY! And they were like ya it’s at the hotel. So then I anxiously awaited them to get their bags when we got back to their room. OMG they gave me the bottle and I was like it’s freeking Christmas. Grabbed a spoon, struggled to open it, but got it open and dug in! YES I ate it plain with a spoon. Call me weird-- I DON’T CARE! Haha! That stuff is freeking delicious. I did only take a few spoonfuls so I could enjoy it on some chicken when I cook again! YA!!!! Thanks mom and dad!
But, that wasn’t my only Christmas like present! My friend Bev from work had emailed me saying to be sure to ask Debbie for what she gave me for Easter. She gave me American money too! (I need it for when I get to the airport since I exchanged all mine when I got here!) AND a reese’s peanut butter egg! OMG I love reese’s peanut butter cups!! They were DE-FREEKING-LICIOUS! Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday, and Happy New Year, and Happy Easter to myself and thank you thank you Beverly!!
So then we just sat around and chatteed for a bit and caught up! Of course I have loads of stories to share that aren’t in this blog to tell!
Then it got to be about 5 and I asked them what they wanted to do, they were both exhausted and were just going to stay at their hotel and chat and then sleep! I was like okay and we decided we would meet up today after their Uffizi tour!
SO then I left and met up with Chelsea and Lindsay again! I took them back to my apartment and we decided we should go buy wine and drink on the balcony before meeting up with Matt again to go to GUSTA’S! So that is what we did! It was fun and I swear, Chelsea and Lindsay are so much fun! Tricia’s so lucky to have them in Brighton with her! I want to go to Brighton so bad, but I don’t have much time left and flights are pretty dang pricey!
However, I did tell them since I probs won’t be coming to Brighton, I want to come to California this summer, which is where they are from! I originally wanted to go anyways before Valerie (My lab partner in baking!) moves here for good! So now I can go see the 2 of them as well! I realllllllly realllllly want to go so I just have to figure out when that will be this summer!
So then we met up with Matt and I took them to Gusta’s! They had the spinach, mozzerella, and ricotta pizza on special again and since I swore by it, Matt and I split the margherita pizza and the spinach one and Chelsea and Lindsay did the same thing! We all enjoyed every bite as it is like the best pizza we will ever have!
So then they went back to get ready to go out and so did I! My throat kind of hurt, so I stopped by that place Trish and I got the canoli and crepe that one time and got the Chocolate Chip Cookie gelato! It was AMAZING! And then I came home and got on my internet and caught up with people for a bit! Made plans for when I come home too!
So then I got ready real quick and booked it down to meet them at the river!
Then we went over to Amy, Haleigh, and Briana’s apartment and never ended up going out. Ainsley, us, and then Haleigh and Amy all dyed Easter eggs! Matt is from Australia and never has before so he enjoyed it! The eggs are brown on the outside here, so they kind of took awhile to dye but it was really fun!
Today, we are doing an Easter dinner with the 7 of us. I don’t really know the menu yet, but Haleigh was making the shortbread crust for this fruit tart she was going to make! I am really excited! The dough was good!
I still have not seen Kate and the other girls yet, but I am hoping to meet up with them soon! I can’t get Kate’s number to work so I have to rely on facebook!
So then we all went home and it was kind of raining again which stunk!
So then I came home, called my mom and dad since they were at the lake and then went to bed!
Woke up this morning, showered, did laundry, and went back to bed! Pounding headache : ( !! haha
So soon I am going to meet up with Chelsea and Lindsay at least and hopefully the other girls too! Then Julie and Debbie later!
Yes, now where is church on Easter in this equation. I KNOW I KNOW! I tried everyone, but I can’t figure out freeking Easter times! So, I don’t know. I do plan on hopefully just going into one of the churches soon and praying for a little bit. I really and I really do mean this when I say I miss going to Church. I don’t have a very good attention span and if I went to a mass in Italian, I would either fall asleep or not be able to pay attention! Hopefully I will be able to go to mass at the Duomo before I leave at least one time. I usually am just never here when they have the English mass there. It is 2nd thing on my to do list that Sunday I come home-- Haircut. Church. Rec Plex. Tan. Catch up with people. Dinner with Papa and mom and dad!
Other than this, I basically have those 2 papers done! YAY me for how quick I got those done! I don’t have class tomorrow, but the baking paper is due Tuesday!
Also, Julie and Debbie will actually be gone all day tomorrow on this trip Julie booked. They get to go to Pisa, Siena, and Sam Gimnano. They told me I could go, but it’s pricey and I have already been to Siena twice and San Gimnano. Yes, no thanks to that 16 hour train ride mess, I didn’t get to go to Pisa, but I am hoping to talk to Sam soon about when we will go before we leave. However, I will probs end up having Julie and Deb stop to get me some of those cookies I loved so much! I literally cannot find them in Florence! I miss them so much and I would totes go back to San Gimnano just to get those!
Ainsley and I are probs going to end up not going to Sirdinia this weekend. Apparenty it’s really pretty, but to get around you need to rent a car. Like the 2 of us could get around in a car around there! Haha So we are probs going to take a day trip Friday and Satuday to 2 of the beaches we have been told about and then we still need to plan one more day trip I guess! We will see!
So this is getting long and I need to get ready soon, so CIAO for now!
Since I cannot send my usual mass text………Here is my “Happy Easter to you and your families! Hope you have a good one!” Because that is what I would be sending everyone! I know everyone just loves and misses my mass texts! : ) Of course everyone will get one when I get to the Dallas airport! HAHA!
Happy Easter everyone, CIAO!
Love and Miss!
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