Ciao. Welcome back to the work and school week.
So, if you haven’t already seen on facebook.. Sam and I had the day from HELL yesterday and HELL is an understatement.
Friday and Saturday were fantastically amazing and I wouldn’t take the weekend back for a second because I am in LOVE with Sicily and would move there in a millisecond if I could. Just prep yourself for this blog. It will be long, it will have many twists and turns, may have a bit of complaining for clearly obvious reasons, but as I stated above I would not take back the weekend. In this, summary is basically every possible transportation issue that could ever arise happened.. every day.. BUT Sam and I are champs and made it back to Florence with our brains and sanity in tact and alcohol wasn’t even involved to get us through it ( sadly :/ )!
Well let’s start up the weekend, Thursday night we all went out for Apertivos and it was so good! I ate so much, but it was so good! I finally got to eat meat too : ) !! Then we all went home and I needed to get a good night of sleep.
So Friday-- woke up, showered, and packed. Then I ran to school to use the internet to send an email to my study away advisor for what classes to register me for (FOR MY LAST SEMESTER OF CLASSES….bahhhhhh!!).. Then I ran to meet Sam at the train station for our 10 am train to Pisa.
Transportation mistake #1:
Well, we were under the impression the second Pisa stop was the one for the airport because there is a train station right when you walk out of the airport. However, there are 3 Pisa stops I guess and you have to I think get off at one of the 2 stops and get another ticket to the airport stop. However, Sam and I got off at the second stop in like the middle of nowhere and couldn’t find the airport. So we found someone to ask where the airport was. These 2 boys told us we needed to get back to Pisa Centrale and catch this bus to the airport. Therefore, we jumped back on the train praying they wouldn’t check tickets and made it to the bus stop. Didn’t have to pay for the ticket, we don’t know why. Not complaining. SO we made it to the airport and checked in and got in line and boarded the plane.
Found a place finally to put our bags and sit next to each other (On RyanAir, they don’t assign seats- it’s run and find a seat!) So we chatted and took a little nap and landed in Palermo. Then we went to the info desk and found out how to get to our hostel.
Transportation mistake #2:
Little did we know how far away our hostel was. We thought we could walk. BAHAHA ya right. So we found out what buses to take to get to the hostel.
Transportation mistake #3:
We were in line for the bus, next 2 to finally get on and the guy says the bus is full and we must wait for the next one.
So we got on that bus eventually, got off and caught another city bus. Didn’t pay for the city bus, we don’t know why, not complaining. We asked the bus driver where the stop was and he didn’t know we think and he ended up calling like 2 different people to find out. Such a kind sir! Our hostel ended up being the last stop on the bus route and so we walked up to it and it literally was on its own little “street” with a hotel across the street and a hill up from the actual city. We were a little sketched out because it didn’t look like a hostel. Anyways, we paged in and it ended up being our hostel and so we checked in and got our keys and found our room. The hostel was not all in one like a hotel; they were like little cabins with like 3 “rooms” attached to each other. It was really neat. How in the heck we paid $30.30 euro each for 2 nights with the view we had, we will never know. A view like that in the states would be over $500 dollars or so a night guaranteed. It was ridiculously amazing….not complaining. I was obsessed with Sicily so far. So then we walked down to the desk to ask the questions we had and then walked outside to see the rest of the view. We were literally right next to the water. I highly advise you to check out my photos on facebook, then book a flight to Sicily and I will gladly meet you there or you can come visit when I move there May 14.
So then Sam and I walked down the hill and went back into the city because we wanted----- what is Sicily known for of course? CANOLI!! So we literally walked the whole boardwalk and then took a random turn and found this bakery and asked if they had canoli.. Turns out they had the shells but they were not filled. SO guess what!? We ordered 2 canoli and they fresh filled them!!!! It took awhile, but we weren’t complaining.. They were being fresh filled!! So then we walked down to the water area and sat down to enjoy our fresh filled canoli. Absolutely insanely amazing and I highly doubt Valenti’s or The Hill will ever be able to compare. Heartbreaking. SO then we walked some more down the boardwalk and asked these nice Sicilian ladies where to go for dinner. They were so sweet (Let me add, I don’t know what I would have done without Sam this weekend for more reason than 1, but for example she speaks Italian so much better than I do!!). They really liked us and told us where to go! I wish I would have gotten a photo with them! I wanted to take a photo with a lady that looked like Sophia from Golden Girls, but I never found one : ( !!
So then we walked some more and all I could think about was that canoli! Haha! But then we happened upon this little island thing with a bunch of cool things like old boats, this cave looking thing that had a cross on top of it, and then a bunch of other things. It was really neat! Then we turned around after literally walking I think like the whole boardwalk! We then walked onto this little boat port thing and walked up the wall thing and met these 3 kids who we talked to for a bit and asked them where to go for dinner too. They liked us and they were so funny! We made a 10 year old little boyfriend. Haha! He was so excited to answer all of our questions!
So then the kids left and we took some photos with this awesome boat we wanted that looked like a pirate ship, but we were a little too sketched out to walk on the rocks nearby. So then we went back into town and looked at the places the kids told us to go for dinner. Looks like their parents pay for them obviously because the meals were all like 27 or 23 euro and had like 3 courses each with no other menu. So we were like ummmm…… No! So then we walked and looked for other places to eat and checked out other bakeries for more canoli! We finally stumbled upon a place where I got shrimp pasta and Sam got shrimp pasta too but the shrimps were so much bigger and still in the shell! Everything was so good though! I almost got this seafood pasta that had mussels, sea urchin, and shrimp in it but it came with a cream sauce and I hate cream sauce and I was very sketched out for the sea urchin and I have never tried mussels!
Well then we were a little too full to go get more of our canoli and plus it was a little late. We had been told by Haleigh, Briana, and Amy not to walk in Sicily too late at night, so we listened. We found a grocery store to get some stuff and happened upon more mob dogs (We called all the dogs mob dogs; dogs were everywhere so we figured they are used for protection!! Haha!).
Then we made it back safe and sound to our hostel and met a girl from Finland who we talked to for a while! It was so neat to hear about her experiences and travels. So then we checked on bus and train times to get to the island the next day and then Sam and I played cards for a bit and then went back to our room to go to bed.
Saturday we woke up and got ready to go to the island. Time for Shelley to try and be tan again : ) !! Took the bus into town and then hopped on the other bus to get to the train station. Again, didn’t pay for either bus, we don’t know why we didn’t have to.. Whatever, not complaining. Then we got to the train station and found a place to buy water and caught our train to Cefalu; Amy, B, and Hal recommended the island to us. Totally worth the hour or less train!! So we made it and found our way to the beach!!!! It was gorgeous outside and the view was phenomenal! I had not been on a beach since senior year trip to Panama!! I was so excited! We then found a spot to lay out a little ways down from the creeper boys!
So we called it a relaxing day and just laid out until like 5 or so just staying hydrated and enjoying the sun! Water was a tad bit cold, but it was okay. We finally got up and wrote stuff in the sand! Of course I had to devote a spot for the new golden girls!! Haha!
I got a little sun, okay a lot of sun, okay A LOT of sun. I was pretty burnt, let’s not lie. Probs going to have to wear headbands every day now due to my headband line! Haha We finally decided we better get back to town before the trains and buses stopped running. We never really ate lunch cause we were too lazy and passed out for a bit (advice: don’t nap in the sun! : ) )!! So we went up and found this pizza place where we split a pizza that was so good and only 4 euro and was so big! It was awesome! Sicily was pretty cheap in general! Then we went up to the train station and of course our hostel gave us the wrong train times—transportation mistake #4: so we bought our tickets and I convinced Sam to go find a bakery cause we needed some canoli in our lives. (Me especially, I was already in so much pain!! Haha) So we found this place and each got 2 canolis, NBD! They were so good and fresh filled as well! They were not as good as Friday’s but it was totally okay! Still so worth every bite. We were only in Sicily basically till Saturday so it was our last chance for canoli really! So then we went back and caught our train back to Palermo and caught the bus real quick back to go to the other bus stop to get back to our hostel. We were both in dresses and our swim suits so by the time we got back to the other train stop, I esp. was freezing. We waited and waited for the bus, but transportation mistake #5—so we waited and these guys kept offering me their coats haha! I made a Sicilian mob boyfriend too, at least Sam and I think he has some connection! Haha! So then we were so scared because we thought it was 11:08 and the gates for our hostel closed at 11:30 since we didn’t get the key (we didn’t think we’d need it!). We were so far away still. Plus we had to book the airport car and check out since the desk wasn’t open at 7am! So we called and then I looked at my phone and realized it was 10:08 and not 11. So we were fine! Haha! Finally the bus came and I mean FINALLY. Didn’t have to pay for any of that transportation either, we don’t know why, not complaining. So then we finally made it back to our hostel, booked the car, learned what to do to checkout, went to our room, and got ready for bed. Early morning was awaiting us!
Here we go folks, SUNDAY. Oh freeking Sunday. What a day we didn’t know what it would become.
So we woke up and caught the car that was picking us up at 7am to bring us to the airport that the hostel offered as a 25 euro service. Little did we know that 12.50 each would go to waste soon enough.
The buses didn’t run that early, so our only option was to take this car. Sketch to the max. The car went the most sketch ways and through so much fog (Apparently the driver said it is not really ever foggy in Sicily!), but then again Sicily is kind of sketchy in general. The whole time I was thinking TAKEN. I kept looking at Sam and told her when we got to the airport how nervous I was the whole time! I seriously was like OMG thankfully we are together doing this together!
We finally made it to the airport and had to go through the whole issue of getting the driver change. (If there is one thing different than the states besides the euro when it comes to money, it’s the fact that SEPARATE checks at restaurants is so easy and it’s so much easier to make change in the states!!)
So then we checked in and went to our gate. The airport was so small and the gates were not spread out at all so everyone was like huddled together.
There was an 8:20 flight to Pisa and then our flight was at 8:40 to Pisa from RyanAir.
SO we waited and waited and our flight was clearly delayed. Then people got ready to board, turns out they were boarding at our gate for Bari too. So then our flight was clearly delayed more. No one really knew what was going on.
So then we kept looking at the gate times, but it kept saying delayed and so was the 8:20 flight. Finally the announcer came over the intercom saying our flight was cancelled. So everyone RUSHED to the info desk to change flights and get refunds. But Sam and I were kind of late to the game cause we didn’t know what to do. Our flight was still saying delayed on the screen so we went back up to security to check and they said to go to the info desk and as we were walking back down, everyone from our flight was rushing back upstairs because turns out moron announcer announced the wrong flight was cancelled. So we all mobbed our way through security back to the gate and waited again. (Bad time to not be able to use metal detectors!) Everyone was like yelling at the flight attendants but no one really knew what was going on. So then we waited for like another hour or so and the flight attendants kept saying we had to wait on word from Dublin (RyanAir’s headquarters is in Dublin). So we also met these other 5 Americans and made time pass by talking to them. Clearly I guess I look like a soccer player cause people have been asking lately if I play! Haha. Not that I mind cause I still dress like one! Haha! They were really nice and trying to get to Florence too! So we all waited and waited together and at some points just wanted to yell like the Italians were so we could fit in! haha
So then finally they announced our flight was cancelled and Sam and I clearly didn’t have a clue what to do. Clearly miss I don’t fly over here didn’t know what to do……aka me. I was at a loss, I was so nervous cause I didn’t know what to do. So then we all mobbed it down to the info desk to change flights and get refunds.
Our flight was still saying delayed, but they clearly said ours was cancelled this time. So we all waited in line together and were calling friends to get on the internet to look up flights for us and train times. We found out there was a train from Palermo to Florence at 2:30 and 3:30 that was a 16 hour train. At that point it was our main option. So then we made friends with these other 3 girls, which one of them has class with Sam, so now there were 10 of us and we were thinking maybe we would get a group rate for 10 of us on the train. Haha! But the 5 of them got in line before us and the line was taking forever but 5 of them got flights switched to Verona at 5:25, so that’s what the rest of us were going to try and do. We finally aggressively made it to the front (Italians like to butt in line!) and the 3 people we were with got their flights switched to Verona, but of course once again, I was standing there and I was like I know this girl is going to say the flight is booked when me and Sam give her our passports and yes sir-y that is what happened!! What am I on like transportation mistake # 6? So then we were like what’s our other options, so she gave us the flight to Venice at 7pm. It was the only other option. With 2 flights to Pisa getting cancelled, we were pretty much out of luck. So then we were calling friends to make sure there were trains to Florence after we got into the airport. Transportation mistake #7: No trains passed like 7 or 8 to Florence out of Verona or Venice. SO we were all screwed. I knew there was a chance we would still have to take a bus from the train station to the airport anyways too, because that is how Milan and Rome both are! So we didn’t know what to do. So Sam and I got back in line and the lady couldn’t change anything for us and said we would have to get refunds online from the website. We were pissed and ready to cry! So the only 2 options we had was take the 7pm flight and take a 3am train back to Florence or take the 16 hour train. I had a 9am class I couldn’t skip and we wanted to sleep, so we picked the train. We are pretty sure the other 8 of them took the 3 am train or whatever early time it was out of Verona that they had the option for.
So Sam and I then spent the money to go back to the train station on the bus we took Friday. The train ticket was 70 euro, but we didn’t know what else to do. So we bought our tickets and got some McDonalds and other stuff to eat later for dinner.
Hopped on the train and had our own little cabin to ourselves and ate our food. I ate my lunch and dinner all at once cause I was so pissed, bored, and didn’t care worth crap. I kept looking at Sam like this isn’t happening, like it cannot be. Then at some stop this lady had a seat in our cabin and she was so rude at some points and when her brother was around she was kind of nice. She was from Nigeria and spoke partial English but kept getting on the phone and talking so loudly in some other language and kept putting her feat up on my seat and wouldn’t move them even when I scooted over. SO annoying.
SO me and Sam sat there and talked, tried to sleep, listened to our iPods, or Sam read her book (Totally wish I had a cookbook to read the whole time or Eat, Pray, Love so I could start that!!). Finally I looked at Sam and was like lets play a car game! Haha! So we played the game of movies A-Z after picking a letter out of my head and then we played the game my friends and I play while we’re prepping at Qdoba where you give 2 clues to a movie and you have to guess the movie! I am horrible at movies as mostly everyone knows and I had to add to the game, give the theme! So we played that until this other lady joined our cabin. She was taking the 20 hour train back to Milan she said she takes usually. Such a trooper. So we talked to her for a bit and again, luckily Sam knows some Italian! She was really nice. Then another younger girl had a seat with us, but she really was never in our cabin till we went to bed. She was mainly standing around with her guy friends the whole time.
We kept stopping and didn’t know why. I made friends with this guy named Roberto when I was trying to find water, he happened to be on our supposed to be flight and spoke English and Italian and loved American girls! Haha. He was so prim and proper it was funny! He even had like orange pants on! haha So he kind of helped us out if we had questions and then we ended up talking to him later because he works for the hotel industry and is going to California in a few months!
Okay now this story, about the devil child. There was this 10 year old or so girl who was roaming freely on the train cause her parents were so naïve and didn’t care what she was doing. Most people know my opinion on children who are left unattended. Well this little evil child for one would spit at our window if the door was closed. Then if the door was open, the one time she came in and kept taking my headphones and trying to listen to my music and then tried to put the headphones in her mouth and hit Seig’s speed dial on m y phone. I don’t think the call went through though, otherwise I would have made the child pay me. Then she started doing the most evil thing ever. POKING MY SUNBURNED LEGS! She poked me the one time and I was like NO! She only knew Italian and the lady across from us kept telling her no go back to mama I think and she wouldn’t listen, then she’d come in and do it again. I kept putting the makeshift pillows over me and it clearly failed. It was so annoying. Then we ended up taking a FERRY! Yes, our train got onto a ferry to go across and back on land. I was in desperate need of water and luckily the ferry had a bar area. So we went up to the bar and got to see the awesome view and then that stupid little girl literally came up and poked the heck out of my leg and OMG I wanted to scream at her. Sam was like Shelley hold it in, and boy did I have to hold it in. I have never been so annoyed by a child.
Then we went back and sat on the train. The lady from Nigeria had her brother in another cabin so I kept telling him to block the door from that evil child. Worked at some points! SO we all kind of just chatted the best we could and finally the lady came around and took down the beds for us to sleep on. There ended up being 6 beds!! So Sam and I actually were going to be able to sleep!
SO then we all set up our beds with these small pillows and light sleeping bag type sheets! It was like 9:30 pm but we didn’t care because we were so bored. I honestly don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have Sam with me. I could not have done all of this alone.
So we all got into bed and tried to fall asleep. I put my earplugs in and played with my blackberry and looked through photos on my camera.
(SIDE NOTE: everyone knows my blackberry and I are BFFS. SO if there was ever a time in my life where I missed my ability to text and call people it was on that dang train. NOT EVEN LEGITLY KIDDING. It was killing me to have that phone in my hand and not be able to text or call people. I hate tmobile for more reasons than 1, but esp. because they don’t have like any international plans.)
I finally fell asleep and then woke back up again and finally fell back asleep. Then 3 am came and I had to go to the bathroom and sketchily ran to the bathroom and then went back to bed. 4 am came and that dang lady was talking so loudly on her phone again! I was like you are not the only one in the cabin, so finally I got up and nicely asked her to be quiet, but she wouldn’t. Then I got up again and asked again and she finally got off the phone! I was so annoyed. I don’t know how the other lady on the top bunk didn’t tell her to be quiet.
Then 6 am finally came and I woke Sam up! We were almost back to Florence!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhh! Then the lady came around to wake us up too!
Transportation mistake #8-- All the people we asked had said we were supposed to stop at Santa Maria Novella. NOT! We stopped at a Firenze stop we didn’t even know existed! SO we got off thankfully and didn’t wait till the next stop hoping it be Santa Maria Novella. SO then we had to take a train to Santa Maria Novella, our train station, because the taxis weren’t around. We asked about the taxi numbers at the stand in the train station, but couldn’t get them to work. The man from earlier, Roberto, told us there was another train to Santa Maria Novella Train Station and so we bought tickets. It was like a 5 minute train I think but we got back! I had told Sam when we got back to Florence, I was going to like kiss the ground. Omg we had never been so happy to be back in Florence. We looked at each other before getting off the train like here is my goodbye to you because when we get off this train, we’re sprinting to our apartments. I swear, we both wanted to drink so bad. We deserved a shot or 2, or 3. We wanted to buy wine the night before, but the ferry didn’t sell any we don’t think. We figured it would help us sleep. Haha!
I like ran the best I could back to my apartment and set all of my stuff down and got laundry ready and took a shower. Hadn’t really showered since Friday morning due to the sunburn! Haha
Then I had to get ready for class, so I uploaded pictures to my computer so I could put them on facebook in class. Then I ran down to class and caught Haleigh up on the summary of our Sunday Hell.
Then I sat and caught myself up on facebook. I was so behind and apologies to everyone for my lack of contact this past week or so.
So then I sat through the dreadful class and then went to Italian and told everyone the story too. My teacher was like oh my gosh of course! Haha
Then I booked it back to go workout. I told Sam my workout was going to be hell because I had done so much relaxing and sitting and I was right! But it was so nice to do a stress relieving workout! Can’t wait for Spartacus tomorrow!
Then I booked it back down to my Customer Relations class. Made it through that class trying to pay attention and still work on trying to get my classes figured out for next semester. Why My MSU doesn’t work internationally is beyond me and pisses me off because this registering has been a hell of its own.
So then finally got that class done with. Found an ATM and went and bought more internet-- so hopefully that works!! SO I FINALLY HAVE INTERNET AT MY APARTMENT!
SO then I came home and ate dinner and cleaned up my laundry and started writing this novel. Geez it has taken forever! Told you it be long.
Well, what else is there to say. Never have I ever wanted to cry so badly. It was literally taking everything in me not to cry on my walk home this morning and just walking around today. Yesterday took everything out of me. I still can’t believe yesterday happened.
The weekend was fantastic until yesterday. I guess I spoke too soon when I said I didn’t think RyanAir was too bad even though everyone swears it is like the worst airline. I better get my refund!!
Well we were supposed to spend all day in Pisa on Sunday, but clearly that didn’t work out. SO now I have to fit in a Pisa day trip somewhere. Ughh.. Stupid cancelled flight I swear. Guess I was right when I thought we were supposed to get in late Sunday, but I didn’t mean Monday morning!!!!
Well now, good news, Tricia Stoll is arriving in Firenze so soon : ) to spend a whole week with ME!! We are going to have so much fun and I am hoping I don’t chow down enough with Val and Lola in Baking tomorrow to take her somewhere good for dinner! Haha! She doesn’t get in till 11:30ish so I already need to tell her, I am exhausted and going to bed right when you get here, we will start the party tomorrow. Haha!
Well, I will end on this note today because it has been so long and you are all reading this like when is she going to be done. NOW : )
AND HAPPY FREEKING BIRTHDAY TO MY BEST FRIEND NIKKI AUSTIN!! LOVE AND MISS YOU!!
Hope you all had a nice weekend!
Miss and Love!
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