Chocolate & Family & Snow?

Tuesday: It snowed in Florence. The snow didn't stick but it was definitely snowing and then later turned to a cold, wet rain. It was also freezing outside, I would say it was the coldest its been since we have been here. They say that March in Florence can be like this though, 60's one day and 30's the next. So after meeting Emily for lunch at Ganzo (I had pork ribs and they were good but nothing like at home. BBQ ribs with extra BBQ sauce will definitely be my first meal upon arrival back in the U.S.) We decided to hibernate in our beds for the rest of the day because it was so cold, I watched a movie and ended up falling asleep for a few hours. Emily's mom's cousins were in town (Ronnie and Ernie) for their early honeymoon and offered to take us out to dinner. The dinner was so nice, it was at a trattoria (typical Italian restaurant) that we had never been too. Actually.. we haven't really been to many restaurants because we're college students and of course we are on a tight budget. I had pasta, tripe, beans, and homemade tiramisu! It was a nice long dinner and we were very thankful that they took the time to take us out.

Wednesday: I woke up early for an optional field trip to the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence. The Four Seasons Hotel is one of the nicest hotels in Florence and rooms run over 500 euro a night. My marketing teacher is friends with the owner of the hotel. He has owned the hotel for 33 years and he lectured us about how the market is changing. It was actually quite interesting because 33 years ago when he first starting, things were obviously very different. Guests who wanted to stay at the hotel sent letters a year in advance and they would include extra postage. He could then pick and choose which guests he wanted and mail them back confirming their reservation for the following year. Then came the introduction of the telefax and phone operating system used to make reservations still which the reservations were made 6 months to a year in advance and the hotel owner was still setting the prices as he wished, the highest rack rate. The use of computers and Internet has changed this though where the consumer now sets the price of the hotel room, is able to shop around, and can compare competitor's prices. This man has been in the business for many years and is very knowledgeable but times change things and so he must change with the times. Hospitality is a growing and thriving business but the economy is slightly dampening that right now. The hotel originally was just a few rooms, like a bed and breakfast but he began expanding and buying the surrounding buildings and building and attaching to create a bigger and bigger hotel which now has 82 guest rooms. We were able to tour a few of the rooms, all of which are completely different from the shape of the room, to the bed, to the bathroom, to the furnishings, and decor because they were are all additions. The hotel is very unique and boutique like. Their target market is upscale 40-60 year old. We were even able to view the roof top terrace. Check it out: http://www.fourseasons.com/florence/

My day continued with the dreaded marketing class. I did manage to stay focused though which was a plus hence midterms are coming up this week. After class, I began thinking about midterms and attempted to study but completely failed. I realized that I really have done no school work since December, it's very different here. The course load overall is a lot lighter but our grades are based completely on one midterm, one paper and presentation, and one final so it's really important to do well on all three things. I'm going to attempt to study again this weekend. Please wish me all luck because I really will need it!

Later Wednesday night, I met Emily at this bar (The Joshua Tree) which actually has a sister bar in Boston. Emily is in a Conversation Exchange program where she meets her Italian match once a week for an hour and half the time is spent talking in Italian and the other half of the time is spent talking in English because they each want to learn the other language. I, on the other hand did not become involved in this program because I know very little Italian. Well, anyways... I met them there and talked with them for a bit and was very lost but I was able to understand some things. We were also just watching the soccer game on TV when suddenly we hear a loud BANG! and we thought somebody fell but what actually was happening was girls fighting (yes, GIRLS) well, they were probably in their twenties. It was two girls and then another one jumped in and then two guys jumped in to try and break it up, and one was strangling the other and there was screaming and it was very scary! For a few minutes, I was terrified of what was going to happen because they were really going at it. The bouncer was finally able to jump in and drag two of the girls outside the bar but the screaming continued through the glass and the girls had to be restrained. I have never seen a fight in Italy but yes, the first one was between girls. I have no idea what it was about but it must have been about something more than just the soccer game on TV.

Thursday: Chocolate class was a disappointment. Not only was our favorite teacher not there but we also didn't get to eat any chocolate. We had a two and half hour lecture by a guest speaker about the chemical composition and properties of chocolate. We learned about the nutritional aspects of chocolate and how it actually is good for you. Except if you eat 4 kg of chocolate in one sitting, you would probably die of chocolate poisoning! The class is called from Therapy to Pleasure and we learned that chocolate is both a stimulant and an anti-depressant. Chocolate can truly turn your mood around and make you happy! and I strongly believe in this as I am addicted to chocolate and it can make everything better!

We got so used to having chocolate every Thursday morning that we just had to have our chocolate so we stopped at a cafe and enjoyed hot chocolate and a chocolate croissant. Also, all Italians drink their coffee/ eat their pastry while standing up at the bar which is very different than America. You know you are a tourist when you are sitting down drinking your coffee. Emily wanted to sit at a table but I told her that we were standing because they charge you more if you sit, it's actually like an 1 extra euro for sitting at a table for a few minutes! I'll stand, thank you!

We then went to Cultural class where we met at an old school which is now used as exhibition center. We were visiting a 20th Century Florence photo exhibition and we also had the opportunity to meet with Italian seniors and discuss the photos. Each Italian senior told their life story and history although they only spoke Italian so our teacher had to translate all of what they are saying. They then all sang a serenade to us and they wanted us to sing them a song and we could think of to sing was "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" so we sang that to them and it made them so happy! I love old people, they always seem so happy and content with life!

After class, Emily's FAMILY arrived! Her mom, dad, and sister arrived in Florence! It's soooo great to see people we know from home! We proceeded to walk around the city with them for the afternoon even though it was freeeeeezing! It was early to bed because we had to be up at 4 AM on Friday morning for a field trip!

Pizza & Focaccia Flat Bread!

Focaccia Flat Bread before:

Foccacia Bread after cooking. It is soft bread with olive oil, rosemary, and salt.

We loaded up the pizza with peppers, onions, olives, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. We cooked it for a few minutes. Then took it out and then added the mozzerella cheese and cooked it again.
This is the finished product. It was delicious!

Napoli, Sorrento, Capri, & Pompeii

The pizza in Napoli.

Friday (Napoli/ Sorrento): We awoke before the sun rose and made the twenty minute hike to the bus stop where we supposed to meet at 6:45am but as I have learned (They tell you to be there at least a half an hour before the bus actually leaves because there are always those slow pokes). Needless to say, we finally departed at 7:15am. The bus ride was not too bad and I tried to sleep because I do not know if I have mentioned or not but I do not sleep anymore. I am sleep deprived, I have even tried natural sleeping pills and those still do not work. :( I can usually fall asleep but only sleep for a four or five hours and then I am wide awake and then often toss and turn until it's time to wake up. Oh, well... I had the aisle seat on the bus and I forgot my neck pillow hence, I did not sleep at all on the bus. The weather on the ride to Naples was beautiful but as soon as we got there, it started to rain and a really nasty, cold rain too! We were suggested a restaurant on the water for lunch, 15 euro for fried food appetizer, pizza, and a drink. Sounds like a deal, right? NOT. The pizza is supposed to be the best in Naples but I really didn't think the pizza was all that special. I mean... anything that is mass produced for a crowd is really not going to be that good. The whole group didn't go to the restaurant but a majority did, those who didn't go.. walked in the rain and found delicious 8 euro pizza. I have learned my lesson. We then proceeded to get a walking tour of Naples which had the potential to be good because the rain stopped but our tour guide was horrible. She talked as soft as a mouse so you had to be practically on top of her to hear what she was saying but really she didn't say much at all and she hates kids, hence the fact she was very brief on our tour. It was a nice, short visit to Naples but now I can say that I went. We got back on the bus and drove a couple hours to Sorrento. Since there were so many people signed up for the trip, there were 2 buses and also 2 hotels so after we checked into our hotel (it used to be a hotel, now it's just an upscale hostel!) We met up with the other bus for dinner at a restaurant in town. The bread was amazing, the gnocchi was delicious, but I am not a fan of veal. Thus far, I have liked everything I have tried but I am definitely not a fan of VEAL and especially Veal with lemon sauce. Sorrento is known for their lemons so proceeding the second course, we also had a lemon dessert which was not too bad. We contemplated going out that night but decided we were wayyy too tired and wanted to be rested for Capri the next day so we decided to go straight to bed. I got the best sleep ever in Sorrento. I am starting to think it's just my bed in Florence that I can't sleep in!
Don't you love my new Sailor sweatshirt?Saturday (Sorrento/ Capri):We awoke the next morning for a little breakfast in the lobby which consisted of bread, rolls, muffins, and more rolls, bread, and muffins. Italians really do not know the meaning of breakfast. We walked to Piazza Tasso which is the town center and gather point for tourists and visorts. On one side of the piazza, there are stairs which lead down to Marina Piccola, the port from which ferries depart to Capri and Naples. From the port, we got on a ferry (a big ferry that even holds cars) and took the 30 minute boat ride to the beautiful island of Capri. Now, in Italy it is still not tourist season (the island was pretty empty, not many shops were open, and the weather was quite chilly) but in the summer, 50,000 visitors a day flock to Capri not only to spend money in the designer shops, souvenir stores, and cafes but also to visit the island's famous Blue Grotto. The initial plan was to take a boat tour to the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) but if the sea is rough and/or there is a high tide, it is not possible to enter the grotto. Unfortunately, it was high tide when we arrived so we were not able to go. We decided to take a a bus up to the city center where we then decided to roam around and ended up take an hour hike up to the top to Villa Jovis where there are ancient villa ruins. I got some great pictures and the hike was awesome. We were starving by this time so we decided to stop at this little cafe near the top. The place was empty but the sign said there was paninos for 5 euro so we decided to give it a try and it was well worth it. The panino was amazing and we sat outside to enjoy the view even though it was freezing, but we ended the meal with a nice frothy cappuccino! We were the only ones at this little cafe (owned by a mother and son, she said they had been there for 23 years). They were so kind to as we were probably going to be there only business for the day, although I am sure they are packed in the summertime. We roamed around for the rest of the day and even took another bus to Anacapri which is the village furthest from the port (in the past, there was not even a road until 1872 that connected the two villages), it is thought of as more rugged, rural, and down to earth. But Anacapri now has as many visitors as its rival (Capri) and many shops and pricey restaurants. At the end of the day, we headed back to Sorrento with time to freshen up before dinner. The restaurant from the night before was overbooked so some of us (including myself) had to go to another restaurant where the bread was even more amazing, and the pasta with spinach was also very tasty but I did not eat the second course as you guessed it... VEAL again! :( The dessert was disgusting too as it was soaked in butterscotch or alcohol or something. Nobody ate it, it was that disgusting. After dinner, lots from the group went to this little Irish Pub owned by a Mom & Pop who were having a great time with all of us American Students. They were playing old school music and everybody was a having a great time. The picture below (the bartender) by the end of the night was very drunk, in Italy.. it's not illegal for the bartenders to drink so everybody just has a great time all the time.
The old pop bartender at the Irish Pub in Sorrento!
Brittany, Me, & Emily at the Irish Pub.
Sunday (Pompeii): We had our Italian breakfast in the hotel lobby and then quickly boarded the bus to Pompeii which is only about an hour from Sorrento. We had a fully-guided 2 hour tour of the ruins. Pompeii was really cool and we could see Mount Vesuvius which was 9 miles away from the re-covered city which is the touristy part that everyone goes to see today. After the tour, we grabbed a sandwich for lunch and boarded the bus for the 6 hour drive back to Florence, luckily this time I was able to sleep for part of it. Traveling is so much fun and I am always so much happier to return to Florence after traveling. The Amalfi Coast is beautiful and I wish that everyone could see it and I definitely hope to make it back there sometime in my life. A picture from Pompeii

Chocolate Ravioli?

Ravioli Ripieno Di Mousse Di Olio Extra Vergine, Fonduta Di Grana, Radiccho Di Chioggia is what we made in Chocolate Class today. We made like ordinary pasta except for 10g were cocoa powder instead of flour, hence the chocolate flavoring. The inside of the ravioli was olive oil which we made into a gelatin mold with gelatin leaflets. We stuffed the ravioli with the olive oil gelatin and closed them. We then proceeded to make a Parmesan sauce to pair with the ravioli which was just a pinch of nutmeg, milk that had been boiled, and Parmesan cheese all blended together. I initially thought that chocolate ravioli would be delicious but the taste was not all that great and the texture was weird so I was sadly disappointed. :( Although, we are going to attempt to make chocolate ravioli again, although Emily suggested that we fill them with butternut squash and add some cinnamon.

For lunch we went to Ganzo and I had squid stuffed with pureed peas which was pretty good but again I was sadly disappointed by my salmon because it was barely even cooked. :( I understand that they were busy but they could have at least cooked my salmon all the way. It was not a good day in the food department.

My other roommate and I decided that after 5 weeks of being here, it was time to hit the gym. After running yesterday, and gym session today I have realized that I am so out of shape. I actually have officially not worked out in 2 months, which is an ultimate record for me for those of you who know me and know that I am obsessed with working out and it kills me to even skip a day. I was just so busy with working, internship, and now traveling that I have not had a moment to spare to work-out. The pasta, bread, and gelato is finally catching up with me. As long as my knees will support me, I plan on running a few times a week. Not only is running great exercise but I will also get to see more of the beautiful city of Florence and may even stumble upon something new.

I'm thinking that I should probably go to bed soon because we are off on one of our cultural trips tomorrow to Napoli, Sorrento, Capri, and Pompeii for the weekend and the bus leaves at 6:45 and it's about a 20 minute walk to the bus pick-up so it's going to be an early morning for us all. I'll update you all with pics and news upon return. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend as well! :)

I need to marry a rich husband...

Okay, so I have been meaning to put this in my blog for a few weeks... My marketing teacher talks about this hotel every week because he created/ open/ began this hotel. He showed us it online and it is absolutely amazing and I hope to get there at one point in my life but basically I need to follow the advice from my teacher... "Marry a very, very, very rich husband so that he can take you there because it is so expensive" So, I have come to the conclusion that I must marry a rich husband.
Check it out, Rooms start at about 900 Euro a night and it is located in the French Polynesia.
http://www.relaischateaux.com/en/search-book/hotel-restaurant/letahaa/

Marketing was boring as always. I like to think of marketing class as my "thinking" time.. I get a lot of thinking done during that time. I know that I should pay attention and actually learn something but it is so hard to listen to him and he goes off on to too many tangents and diversions, so it is rather difficult to stay focused for 2 and half hours.

Emily and I decided to go for a run this afternoon. Definitely not the greatest idea because it was rather cloudy and cold and looked as if it was going to rain. We made it about 2 miles and it lightly started drizzling, so we were 2 miles from home with no rain gear, no money, and no umbrellas... it was a very fast run back to the apartment. It felt so great to run again but I will definitely feel the pain tomorrow and probably have shin splints. I really need to find some running trails that will be a little easier on my knees. I have horrible knees but I love running. Oh well. It was quite cold today too, I thought I was done using my gloves but unfortunately I was wrong. :(

Apertivo! An Apertivo is like a mini buffet, they offer them at a lot of the bars/ cafes around town. Basically what it is, is like a pre-dinner but often there is enough food to eat that you could count it as your dinner. You pay a fixed price and get any drink of your choosing and that an endless amount of food. Jackie and I went tonight at Ganzo and it was delicious. At each apertivo, one of the wine classes takes turn and presents three wines so we went to show support for some of our classmates as they were presenting tonight and Jackie and I will have to present in a few weeks. The wines being presented were the wines that we tried this past Monday in class so we learn about the wines in class and then present them to the public/ students at the apertivo to encourage them to learn/ try a new wine and as my wine teacher says, "To have them appreciate wine and stop ordering jack and cokes or vodka tonics." I plan on trying some of the other apertivos in the city in the near future. I heard of one that has sushi in their apertivos on Wednesday, I am definitely trying that one next week!

Peace & Love.

Just a list:

1. I got so excited today when I saw magazines in English, I swore I took a double take before I actually went over to check out the price. 9.50 Euro! Which is like $13.00 U.S. Dollars... I guess I will not be reading any magazines for the next few months.

2. I met a boy today named Kevin, from Portland, Oregon at Ganzo. Sometimes when I meet people, they just amaze me and he is one of those people. He goes to school in California but on the weekends, he travels to Mexico for volunteer work. I volunteer when I can and when opportunities are presented to me but he inspired me that there is really so much more you can do. I would love to spend the summer doing mission work or Haiti Relief work. I have so much to give, I might as well give back to good causes and people in need.

3. I really need to stop jay-walking or I am going to get run-over!

4. I really need to learn how to cook more interesting/ healthy food besides omelets.

5. Italy is very expensive!

6. I have a new found love of Blood Oranges! Do they sell these at home?

7. I miss my sisters! :(

8. I thoroughly enjoyed the sun and near 60 degree weather today although I am not looking forward to the next few days of rain.

9. I really do love to read and Jodi Picoult is one of my new favorite authors.

10. I really want to start running again, if the rain holds out... I am going to start running along the river tomorrow!

11. Kitchens (especially, ours) are disgusting! Ew!

12. Yogurt & Granola... My new favorite breakfast!

13. I feel safe walking by myself 90% of the time but whenever I see the cops nearby, I always feel soooo much safer. The cops always walk in pairs and are always walking around the piazzas and more touristy areas.

14. Heels are not safe to walk in on the cobblestone. I do not wear heels but I saw this lady fall flat on her face, luckily her husband was there to somewhat brace her fall but she fell pretty hard on her face. At first, I thought she was having a heart attack.

15. I will never take the use of a dryer for granted again. I continually have to plan when I do laundry because you have to allow 2 to 3 days for it to dry.

16. Emily's parents & sister are coming to visit next week, we are very excited! Although, I wish my family was able to see Italy too.

17. I am going to need a few jobs when I get home to pay for this trip. Anybody have any suggestions?! I am willing to travel/ re-locate for work! :)

18. I love walking through the city and accidentally running into my favorite bartenders!

19. We walk so much everyday that we are here, I am starting to wonder what it will be like to return home. Endicott is a very small campus and to think I used to complain about having to walk from my dorm to the library. Never again will I complain about having to walk the short distance across campus.

20. I really dread Wednesdays because I have to sit through 2 and half hours of boring lecture.

21. I am starting to get nervous about midterms coming up in 2 weeks! But on the other hand, I am soooo excited to go to Greece!

22. I hate PIGEONS and PEOPLE BLOWING CIGARETTE SMOKE DIRECTLY INTO MY FACE more than anything else in Florence.

23. Peace & Love is all you need.

March 1st... whatttt?!?!

I cannot believe that it is March 1st already!

The Mediterranean Diet: Carbohydrates are the body's most efficient source of energy. Our body needs carbohydrates in order to keep it running. In America everyone is concerned about carbs and often limiting or cutting them from their diet as a means to lose weight. Whereas, at the bottom (the biggest part) of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid is bread, pasta, rice, couscous, polenta, other whole grains, and potatoes. As I have mentioned before pizza, pasta, and bread is a huge part of their diet here and very rarely do you ever see an overweight Italian. Although carbs are the main portion of their diet, it is important to eliminate white and refined grains from your diet. I feel that my diet has changed a bit since being here because I eat so much pasta and bread which I would never do at home for fear of gaining weight but it's the culture here and I am very much enjoying it. Today in class, we made rich in carbohydrate recipes. We first made Risotto Al Radicchio Rosso (Red Chicory Risotto) although any type of vegetable can be used but it is important to use short-grained rice, Arborio rice is preferred but you can also use Carnaroli and Vialone nano. I have had Risotto at restaurants a few times already while being here and it was delicious but when we made it today, I did not like it as much. The dish is really creamy so you would think that it was made with cream but I discovered today that it is actually mantecatura (fat/ butter, cheese, and air) which provides the dish with its creamy consistency. We then made Orecchiette al Pomodoro which is just a type of homemade pasta of homemade tomato sauce. This was really easy to make and definitely my favorite of the two dishes.

Tuscany & Its Wines: The lecture focused on Montepulciano a region in South-East Tuscany that produces noble wines such as Nobile di Montepulciano and Rosso di Montepulciano. We tried three different (all red) wines in class today from Montepulciano. I know that there are thousands and thousands of different types of wines but you would expect them to taste somewhat similar but from week to week, the wines are continually different. It amazes me how different each of the wines taste. I can't imagine being a wine taster though and tasting all of the wines and being able to differentiate between them all. Some wines have some of the same qualities that I am starting to pick up on but they definitely all have their own unique characteristics. We tried two Nobile di Montepulciano but one was from the Bindella farm and the other from La Braccesca. Now, they were the same type of wine but each one was a little different because they were harvested on different farms. My favorite though was actually the Rosso di Montepulicano La Braccesca because it was not as dry as the other two Nobiles.

I CAN COOK (Eggs, that is): So for dinner I made myself an egg, broccoli, and cheese omelet. So, Mom.. I can cook for myself and am not starving!

Photo Shoot? Picture Day: So, it was like picture night tonight but to the extreme. We all had to go and try and look pretty. They took a group shot (like a class photo) but there are about 40 of us here from Endicott so they had to split us into two groups and then I guess they will photo shop them together or something? Then they took individual shots of all us and they are going to create the first ever yearbook of Endicott College. It's like senior year of high school all over again because we have to fill out a questionnaire with a quote and everything. It is kind of neat though because we get to submit pictures, etc and they are are going to create a yearbook/ scrapbook that we will receive at the end of the trip and a few copies will be displayed in the International Office at school too to encourage other students to study abroad. It was just to the extreme because usually they take one photo for school pictures but these photographers were intense and were taking photos of us sitting and then standing and then they would come really close to your face and take close up photo shots, it was scary and definitely not what everyone was expecting because every time someone came out of the photo room, they looked as if they were traumatized, nobody is used to posing for a camera or having a camera 4 inches from your face. I'm just glad it's over with!