I can't believe I am actually done!

Well, so much for writing a blog the next day. So much has happend in the last couple weeks that I can't even remember it all. It's crazy how fast time flies here. Today was my last day of school and after 4 finals and one log day of classes, I can't believe I have just a weekend left. Where did the time go? It is so weird to think some of the people here will actually be back in the states on Monday.

Last weekend was so amazing. Our group took a 2 hour bus ride to the loverly town of Parma where we went to the Parmigiano Reggiano factory and saw the whole process of how they make parmecean cheese! It was so cool to see and we spent over an hour just watching the guys make cheese and starring and rows beyond rows of wheels of cheese. We even got free samples of parmecean after we were done and during the tour we got the pleasure of wearing neat little plastic coats, shoes, and hats! But needless to say, when I found ou the wheels went for 800 euro each, I did not buy one! It was crazy and when I get pictures up you can maybe see a glimpse of what I experienced!

After Parma, we headed to Modena where we saw the process of proscuita. Standing in a frezzer with claws of pigs legs hanging down from you made me feel like I was in a scene from Texas Chainsaw Masacre. The smell I could get use to but it was definitely an experience hearing the owner talk in only Italian and then our Chef, Pierluigi, translating for us! I could make out only a few words so it was something I had never gone through before. We then went upstairs to an outisde table set up for us to enjoy a nice lunch with the hills in the background. The view was amazing but we were all shocked when they brought out a whole plate full of proscuita and when we tried to share it, they explained that each one of us was getting our own plate. I could not eat all of it with the bread and cheese to go with it (and of course the wine), but then they went on to ask us, after most of us had finished our plates of meat, if we were ready for the pasta. So they then proceed to bring out plates full of ravioli filled with parmecean cheese. To continue this feed, they also brought out platers of dessert bites to try and yes, we did ask for seconds on everything!

We got back on the bus and continued on our way to the hotel where we just hung around, trying to catch up on sleep since we had to leave at 5:30am, and then went to dinner at the hotel. Three course meals consist of so much food and yet dinner was spectacular. The pasta was delicous and the veal cut like butter. The dessert was a berry torte and I ate it all, along with seconds on dessert and bread. It was amazing how much food there was and so afterwards we walked around the town and surprisingly enough, I ended up getting a cute little shot glass of gelato!

The town was beautiful and we eventually called it a night. The next morning we had an amazing breakfast at the hotel, pastries aglore, and after stashing some of the bread and fake nutella in our purses, we checked out and got back on the bus. We headed to the Balsamic Vinegar factory and took an hour tour of the place. It was beyond hot in the attic where they keep the vinegar to ferment but it was very cool to see. We then headed back and though we had to take an hour in a half detour dur to chef's luggage being left at the Parma factory, we finally made it home.

That night, us girls decided to hit the town and enjoy one of our last nights out in Firenze before the trip ended. Rylie and I stayed up talking and finally around 3:30am we fell asleep.

This last week went by so fast and with wedneday being San Giovanni day, we waited all day to watch the fireworks! Some of us girls went to the park across the street and attempted to, but did not succed, to study for our finals the next day. Though we didn't accomplish a lot, it was good to chat with my housemates and enjoy the sunny day in the park, people watching and looking at the fountain in the middle of the pond. The cutest thing was watching this dad try and teach his little girl to ride a bike. He would help her get on, then let her ride, and after making it about halfway around the pond, she would fall over and you would see him running towards her, ready to help her back up. They continued like this for an hour or so and it was the cutest thing!

We headed back to our apartment, and as the night went on, Rylie and I became lazier and lazier. Our originial plan was to take the bus up to Fiosole ( a town about 20 minutes away which overlooks Firenze) and watch the fireworks from there. Then we decided to just head to the river to watch them and quickly that idea changed to watching the fireworks from our balcony. The idea seemed like a good one and so Rylie and I made the last of my pasta (a whole bag full), complete with meat sauce and a box of beans. We sat on our balcony, soaking up the sun, enjoying the view, and talking away as we ate our meal. We ate it all, our tummies were stuffed, and then the guy in our group told us we could eat his gelato. Therefore, we proceeded to eat the whole container of his gelato with cornflakes and fake nutella mixed in. We were so full it was unbelieveable, and when the fireworks started and we couldn't see them, Rylie got the genious idea to run to the river and try to catch them. Well, we did just that! We ate a ton of food and then ran...ran for about 2 miles on and off (you know me, I don't run) and attempted to see the fireworks show. Well, with all the people there we could somewhat see it, my view was obstructed from the buildings, and then made our way back home.

With our goal in mind to study all day and watch the fireworks at night, we got home and realized we didn't accomplish any of that! Everyone eventually flooded to our room and we all stayed up talking until people slowly filted out, back to their rooms to sleep.

Today, we had 4 finals lined up, Italian (Writen and oral), Italian cuisine (written), cooking final (without the recipe, which we found out an hour before the exam and had to memorize), and then finally wine appreciation. The day was long but we finally finished and 4 of us girls decided to celebrate by using the coupons we got for McDonalds. Buy one get on free for mcflurrys..how could you pass that up! We asked Pierluigi if he wanted to join, and in his Italian accent he replied, "I have too much to do I cannot go. I really love the cheeseburger with the fries, and ketchup and mayonnaise, lot of mayonnaise!" The smile on his face made us realize how badly he wanted to come, but with grading our exams and another of his classes taking a cooking final, he just couldn't escape. We said farewell and then on our way to McDonalds, had the crazy idea to buy him a burger and fries! We did just that and once we got back to Apicius, Rylie sneakingly grabbed a plate and we ended up plating a bacon cheeseburger and french fries. We very badly wanted to get sauces but apparently they cost money here so we had to do without. The plate was hilarious and the 4 of us walked up to Pierluigi and gave him the plate of McDonalds. He could not believe we did such a thing and laughed as he chowed down on his food. We asked if it made up for not knowing the Pesto recipe (which he gave each one of us a bad time for) and he shewed us away!

The funniest part in all of this is when I think about how I gave my Italian cooking Chef, the guy who for the last 4 weeks has taught be fancy, authentic, Italian cuisine, and the last day of school I bring him McDonalds! It was a great way to end my time and school and we said our Ciaos and left!

Tomorrow morning we leave for the Tuscan Hills where we spend our time touring wineries and staying in a villa, Sunday is our graduation feast, and monday morning I meet my mom for a couple days in Firenze, another couple days in Rome, and then 5 days in PARIS!!!

Life is amazing!!

Ciao!

VENEZIA!!!

This last weekend 4 of us and the chef took a trip to Venice! The place was beautiful. I can't even describe the scenery enough to give you a mental image of what I saw, and though the pictures turned out pretty well, it is just something you have to see for yourself.

Walking out of the train station, you right away see the canal with the amazing architecture in the background of buildings from who knows when. Boats and taxi boats are floating along the canal, carrying people too and from the other end of the river and across the town. Are group is hungry by this point and so after puchasing the 24 hour pass on the boats, we hop on and find a nice place to eat near Chef's hotel (which by the way had a secret window leading out to his private balcony)! The restaurant we went to was right along the river and the umbrellas to keep the shade out was a nice touch! The food was good, I had a sandwich, but the banana split Lexi and I split was delicious! We scarfed our food down and set out to tour the town.

We spent the next couple of hours window shopping and seeing what Venice had to offer, and after buying some gelato and water, we finally found a price reasonable enough for the 5 of us, and rode on one of the infamous gondales!!! The ride was amazing, and even though our 'driver' was grumpy and wouldn't sing, apparently only drunk guys sing, the view was amazing and the sun was refreshing! I have always wanted to ride one and I finally got my wish! It was beautiful and over to quickly. He did point out some interesting buildings of places famous people stayed or what not, and though I took pictures, I probably could not tell you now which house is whose!

After the ride, we headed to the island of Barlona (not sure of the name on that). The ferry ride out there was over and hour, but sitting in the back of the boat and watching the town slowly fade into the backgroud was a site to see. The ocean water was cool and the just being on the water was incredible.

The island is one I can barely put into words of what I saw. The colors are amazing and every house has a different one! The town is something you would want to see in a picture and you can't help but smile because of how bright it is. Something must have been going on in Venezia because the town looked like a ghost town. No one was to be seen except a few people and almost half the places were closed. The nice thing about it was that most the people on the island were locals! We found a nice little pizzaria and sat down for some more food! The townspeople were drinking some kind of spritz`and so we decided to join in the fun and see what al the fuss was about. The drink was good and the food was even better! After a lot of walking, food was just what we needed, and so we sat for a couple hours, enjoying our meal and the company!

We decided to head back to Venice since it was getting late, and not knowing the boat schedule, we ended up circling some of the other islands and riding the boat for a couple hours! It passed the time though and we eventually made it back to Venice! Chef checked in for the night and the four of us wondered the town!

Note to self: not booking a hostel/hotel before arriving = not smart!

We wondered looking for a cheap place to stay, and after everyone turned us away fbecause they were full, our original plan of staying up all night took effect. We were so tired and yet didn't know what to do. Therefore, we got back on the boats and decided to ride on it while staying warm, enjoying the view. Some night ferries were out and about for the art show, and so for a little while we enjoyed to Italian music complete with an artsy ferry that passed us by. We people watched for a while and then headed to the back of the boat where we watched the sunrise.

Note to self: staying up all night on a boat in Venice = worth it!!!!

The sunrise on the boat was indescribable! Imagine this...you're sitting on the end of a boat, outside, the smell of water and fresh air is filling your nose. The sun slowly comes up in the distance and puts an array of colors on the water. Pinks, reds and purples fill the sky with a hint of blue, and the town in the background makes it seem like a postcard picture. Then, the boat goes into the town and as the sun rises even more, you get a selection of more colors but this time they reflect off the water and sneak through the cracks of old buildings built years and years ago! I know that is so hard to imagine, but the view was unbelievebale! I cannot even descirbe it and the pictures I have will not do justice. If you are a morning person and ever go to Venice, I suggest getting up at 4am and getting on the boat to see this. If you are a night person, then just stay up all night, just for one night, because this is something you have got to see!! Certainly worth getting only 4 hours of sleep in 2 days!

The next morning, Sam and I stuck around waiting for the markets to open while the other two went back on the train. We met some people from India while waiting for the McDonalds to open and had a nice chat about why they were here and what they were doing. After giving up on the McDonalds, Sam and I went to a local restaurant that had just opened up and enjoyed a nice english breakfast, complete with a grilled ham sandwich , hot chocolate, and orange juice (which was actually red)!! I bought a chocolate pastry thing to go and we headed out to shop in the markets.

The jewelery they make is amazing, and the glass is incredble! We spent the next hour or so shopping before catching our train back to Firenze! The weird thing about traveling on the weekends is that by the end of it I find myself saying, "I just want to go back home, to Firenze." It's weird. Who ever thought I would be saying I want to go home to Florence? It happened in Rome to. What am I going to do when I leave here for good?! Firenze now has a special place in my heart and will definitely be missed when I go. I can't believe I have just a week in a half left.

Well, for now that is all. Maybe I can write another blog tomorrow to tell you about this week of classes!

Con amore da Firenze!!

Ciao!

An incredible day just had to be shared!

So yesterday was a good day!

In class we cooked two different kinds of pasta! Both delicious! And both homemade of course, I wasn't too good at making the shapes but "It's okay!" according to Pierluigi! Then we went off to wine class where we paired 3 different cheeses, pecorino, asiago, and goat cheese, with a white and red wine! The 2 hour class went by so fast and once it was over, the week of school came to an end. Just 2 more weeks left. I still can't believe it!

After relaxing a bit in the apartment, a few of us went to a fancy 3 course meal with the chef, Guissepa, who is the chef of Christopher Melino right now. He knew everyone in the restaurant and yet he was sitting with us! It was such an experience! When first arriving, we were served champagne and appetizers! I felt so business like, standing up, drinking my champagne, and chatting with the people. I have never been to a place where they serve champagne before even sitting down! The meal was all on pairing food with wine and the Chef really knew his stuff. All the food was fish, which was a little hard for me to handle, but I tried everything, and liked most! The first course was squid with potatoes, followed by ravioli stuffed with blue fish, and then finally tuna filet! The dessert was a strawberry filled cake and sweet wine. Three different wines were served for each of the meals and though some of the pairings didn't seem to work, it was all incredible. We even got a discount on the meal. Though this meal is pretty much my souvenir, the price we received was shocking. At the end of the night, I found out the champagne we were drinking before the meal went for $1200 a bottle! Can you imagine? No wonder it was so good! I can't even begin to think of how much the rest of the food and wines cost and we only paid 35 euro for the whole thing! It was possibly a once in a lifetime chance and I wasn't going to let it pass me by!

We finally left the restaurant around 1am and walked the town for a bit before finally calling it a night!

The things I get to do here is so amazing and I am excited to see what will happen next! Tomorrow is Venice so I will let you guys know how it goes!

Ciao for now!

School is in Session!

Sorry it's taken me so long to write another blog. My schedule is crazy now and I can never find time to get to a computer.

Last week we started classes though, and I love them all! We start off at 9am with an Italian class and Nada, our professor, is hilarious. "Ciao, oh Ciao!" She is so enthusiastic and I have already learned a great deal. Supposedly we will be going to a coffee shop sometime in the near future to practice what we've learned and put our Italian to good use! At 10:30am we have a cooking lecture with Marcella and she really knows her stuff! So far we have learned about the history of Italian cuisine and some of the speacial foods, such as truffles and olive oil! We then get a lunch break and continue on our way with the cooking lab! Pierluigi is my favorite of them all! He is hilarious and the food we make is delicious! His grammar is a little off so some of the things he will say just makes me laugh. We started off by making duck breast and have gone on to make complete meals practically everyday! Once we have filled our bellies with goodness, we head off to wine class where Massimo teaches us his way! We have 3 glasses of wine everyday and learn how to smell and taste them the proper way, and really appreaciate the beauty of Italian wine!


The classes fill our day, from 9-5pm and afterwards we are all exhausted. However, twice a week, monday and tuesday, I work at the Apicius restaurant, Ganzo. From 6-10pm, sometimes 11pm, a few of us will work front or back of the house serving the people or cooking the food! It's a great experience and my first time working in the kitchen last night was a blast. Max, the executive chef, and Nate, the American who finished studying and just couldn't leave, were hilarious together and really let you get hands on with the food! It's incredile and even though it is so tiring to be busy from 9am-11pm, it is certainly worth it!

This last weekend, the majority of the group went to Roma, and enjoyed a nice relxing weekend exploring the city! Seeing all the major sites, such as the colleseum, Vattican City, St. Peter, Sistine Chapel and more was so incredible. I still do not understand how they built the buildings they did during that time. Sunday morning Chef and I went to a nearby church and enjoyed listening in on an Itailan service. The church was amazing and beautiful, and hopefully gets a lot of donations for charity with all the money they put into it, but it was so neat seeing people from other countries, worshiping God, or so I think!

With only 2 1/2 weeks left of class, Venice this weekend, Parma the next, and Tuscany to follow that, the next few weeks are going to fly by! Hopefully I can write sooner than this last time!

Oh, and did I mention? Christopher Meloni is here taking some private lessons! I see him eating lunch everyday, sitting at the table next to him enjoying my sandwhich, while he is eating a 3 course meal! Kind of sad seeing all these star struck girls though, wanting pictures with him and trying to make small talk. You can tell there are times when he just wants to be left alone. So therefore, no, I have not talked to him or got my picture with him. Sorry! It's pretty random though!

Ciao!

Weekend Fun!

The 29th of June we woke up bright and early to take a tour of the Uffiza! Basically, it was a tour of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! This is ranked one of the top 3 I believe, for museums of the world. Here we saw works of Michaelangelo, DaVinci, Rafael, and more. The art work was incredible and I have found a new favorite artist. One of the paintings Michaelangelo did was amazing. Not only was the painting itself incredible, but the frame that surrounded it was stunning. I can't even begin to describe it but just knowing he can sculpt and paint, makes him my favorite! 

After a very quick lunch break, we met up with Andrea at the school where we continued on our way to a tour of local restaurants! We started off by going to the local market where we had a basalmic and oil tasting, and then went on our way to the next place, passing by a Trippa stand along the way. After a little convincing, the group got me to eat some and I practically gagged as the rubbery, slimy stomach lining was being chewed in my mouth. Not eating that again! From there we went to a couple other restaurants, one which we went back to later that night (Aqua Al 2), which had plates from famous people all around who signed them and placed them on their walls. One being HSM though I'm pretty sure it was the Italian tour group! We finished off by going to a gelato stand and after a hot day, the majority of us got granita, a slushy drink. Mine was Melone, compliments of Apicius! The experience made us all realize the work enviornment Italians deal with and we were all surprised when we saw how tiny the kitchens were which they may need to serve 100s of guests. 

A reception for all students took place that evening and after finding the Ganzo restaurant, which is where we will be having our internship, we enjoyed nice company and good food! Afterwards, most of the WSU group and one of the California girls and Chef, went to a Scottish pub, where we enjoyed a nice evening of chatting and getting to know one another! We walked to town for most the night and when the rain started, none of us had umbrellas except Chef!

The night was an interesting one and the people we would ran into gave us a laugh! It was a very relaxing, enjoyable evening and I know more are to come! 

The next day, saturday the 30th, most the group took a day trip to Pisa followed by the Vereggio Beach! After missing the first train due to not getting our tickets stamped in time, we patiently waited for the next one, which was to leave in 20 minutes. Once arriving, we found a pizzaria and enjoyed pizza in Pisa! We then found our way to the Leaning Tower and took the classical pictures or holding up the statue!

The sun was finally coming out, and we made our way back to the train station, ready for the beach! Once at the station, we noticed our train was getting ready to leave in 2 minutes and so we ran as fast as we could in hopes to make it. Keep in mind, one of the girls has a broken foot with a boot on it and therefore was hobbling along, trying to keep up! We barely made it, and as soon as we were on, the train took off. We made it to the beach and quickly found out they were all private. We found an opening, and headed towards the water where we sat and relaxed for several hours, soaking up the sun and listening to the ocean! 

We found a nice place to eat dinner and since no one spoke English, we found it hard to communicate with the waiters. One of the cooks spoke Spanish though and we ended up ordering in Spanish, getting our first real experience of the Italian language. The guys working were hilarious, dancing and singing, having a good time as they worked. Kareokee started at 9pm, and though I wanted to stay and sing in Italian, we needed to get back to catch the last train out of here, back to Firenze!

A guy on a moped was obviously hitting on us, thinking he may crash into another car because his head was completely turned around, we pulled Chef close to our side. This gave the wrong idea and we all got a laugh when he pointed to Chef, and then gave the signal or "you, with all these girls, how?!" 

The train ride home was rather interesting and after being on the wrong one and having to get moved to another one, creepy people walking up and down the aisle, stopping every 5 minutes for people to get off, and a bathroom which consisted of a hole leading to the outside, we made it to Firenze! The train ride may have only took an hour in a half to get to the beach, but it took close to 2 in a half hours to get home!

We stopped to get some gelato on our way back to our apartment, I got limone and fragula (strawberry), and then went to bed. Rylie and I once again stayed up talking, and finally fell asleep around 5 am!

The day was exciting and will be one I will never forget!

Sunday the 31st, I woke up to a phone call to Rylie, I had to look at my phone twice making sure it actually said 13:30. We slowly got ready and then Rylie, Lexi and I met up with Chef to walk to the town. We ate a small but delicious dinner at a nearby restaurant, and then mingled on our way to a bakery, where we found dessert. The chocolate cake was scrumptuous! A few days earlier, we heard a magnificant girl singing opera and hearing she was back, we stopped to listen for quite some time. The crowd she draws is amazing. You hear her voice and think of some one in you mind, then when you see she is just this tiny woman, with her husband playing the accordian, you can't help but stop and listen. 

Thinking of calling it a night, Chef quickly changed our minds when a magician was out on the town, and was one we had to see! Lexi and Chef got pulled up to be part of the act, and Rylie and I could not stop laughing the whole time! 

After a couple hours of cheap entertainment, we headed up so we could get some sleep before our first day of class!