the floating city, that's sinking???

And we're off... to Venice that is! Thursday morning the trip began. The Euro Star (our train) and two hours later we had arrived in the floating city of canals and you guessed it... gondolas! As soon as we walked out of the train station, it hit us. We really were in a city surrounded by water. We were welcomed by a beautiful pedestrian bridge crossing the main canal. And by the way, did you know that Venice has the most bridges out of any city in the world??

Our first stop for the day was purchasing a 12 hour vaporetti pass. A vaporetti is much like our version of a bus, however, in Venice it is a large boat. These boats serve as the main form of public transportation throughout the city. Please note that these things are by no means fast. It took us approximately forty-five minutes to get from the train station to the San Marco area across town. With small canals and numerous boats, speeding is kept to a minimum. Also note, cars are nowhere to be found in this city. Venice is composed of narrow footpaths, making traveling with any form of wheels next to impossible. We enjoyed this.. Being able to freely stroll the streets without having a car or vespa honk at us to get out of the way, quite nice.

After purchasing our vaporetti pass, we headed over to the Piazza of San Marco which serves as the principle square of the city. The square is famous for it's architecture and pigeons. Yes, pigeons. There are everywheerrreee. St. Mark's Basilica and St. Mark's church tower along with the Doge's Palace define the square. St. Mark's Basilica is one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture and is pictured below. Unfortunately we weren't able to visit inside, the line was extremely long. So instead, we played with the pigeons. Jaclyn ended up having a photo shoot with these peculiar birds. Check out the images...

We paused for a lunch break and then went to the Accademia, an art museum consisting of pre-19th century art in Venice. After an hour or so in there and a gelato break, we headed to the most anticipated part of our trip... the gondola ride. Yes, we must admit, we HAD to do it. Even though it's a tad pricey, who can say they came to Venice without riding a
gondola??? "Gondoliers" as we call them, are everywhere, well at least in the target touristy areas. They're easy to point out. Just look for a man in a horizontal striped blue or red shirt, solid navy blue pants and a straw hat with a ribbon matching the color of their shirt. We both found our perfect gondoliers, talked them down to 70 euro and hopped right in. Check out the interior of these tiny boats. Pretty stylish.

Our afternoon closed up with a little bit of shopping along the waterfront. We had hoped to go the Murano glass island but missed the last vaporetti headed out there. Instead we all purchased a few goodies and headed back to the train station. Around 9:30 we arrived back in Firenze where we closed the night out by watching fireworks along the Ponte Vecchio. June 24 is Saint John the Baptist's birthday and is celebrated in the city of Florence every year. The town is filled with many activities throughout the day and ends the day with a full out firework celebration in the Piazza Michelangelo. Hundreds of people lined the streets along the Arno to watch the thirty minute display.. not a bad way to end a day.

Since Venice is a wee bit different than your average city we decided to share a few facts with you all..
- Only three to four Gondolier licenses are issued annually. To qualify, applicants must be able to finish an extensive training after passing a rigorous exam. There are only 400 licensed Gondolas operating in Venice today.

- There's a lot of research going in to whether or not Venice is sinking. We encourage you to google it and found out a little more about it!

- Did you know that Marco Polo was born in Venice? In the year 1254 to be exact!

Excerpts from our journals:
" Small bridge, small kiss... Big bridge, big kiss...." (Our Gondolier during our tour of the town.. you can only imagine)

" Is is bad that we find ourselves strolling through the San Lorenzo market for a nice ego boost? " (Our reaction to the attention any girl receives when wondering through the market)

This weekend we have been laying low in Florence, getting goodies for our friends back in the States, cleaning up our apartments, and beginning to pack up. Monday we will have our final feast at the La Tancia Winery and Tuesday Duncan's class is making a visit to Sienna for the day. Just a few adventures left before our exciting journey comes to an end. My oh my how time flies. Until our next blog,

Molto Amare,

Jack and Jenn

CIAO!!!

the city. of lights.

Bonjour from Paris, the city of lights!! My oh my we have so much to tell!! Let the weekend begin.

Our exciting journey began on Friday afternoon with a plane ride from Pisa to Paris. Our airline, Ryan Air, is an extreeemely cheap airline which caters to European travels. They do things quite differently.. after all, we did pay around 80 euro for round trip so we can't complain. Ryan Air has many rules. First off, one bag. This means your purse, computer, and carry on all go into one small bag which must meet airline restrictions. Next, there are NO assigned seats. This means everyone on your flight is crammed into your gate trying to be the first to board. Needless to say, it gets a little cozy in the waiting area. And last but not least, this airline has found a way to make their money by operating much like QVC. Perfumes, calling cards, snacks, and drinks are just a few of the items up for grabs on Ryan Air.

We made our way to Paris after an hour and a half bus ride from the airport. Jennifer's parents met us at the bus station and within a short time we had checked into our hotel located a block off from the Champs-Elysees and around the corner from the Arc de Triomphe. A night stroll along the Champs-Elysees and with the Eiffel Tower setting the backdrop... life couldn't get much better. We called it a semi-early night and headed to bed.

Bright and early, we woke up to the sound of the local bars across the street. Parisians party a little differently than those in the States. 10 a.m. and they were still hanging around? That's just straight mind boddeling. Our first stop of the day was the Notre Dame Cathedral, known for its splendid gothic architecture. Flying Buttresses and gargoyles defined the exterior while rose windows illuminated the interior of the cathedral. After Notre Dame we headed over to Conciergerie (the prison where Marie Antoinette was held captive) and Saint Chapelle (the palatine chapel built to house the precious relics of Christ's Crown of Thorns). The afternoon consisted of a visit to the Louvre. And like all other tourists in the world, we headed straight to the Mona Lisa. After a 5 million dollar renovation, the Mona Lisa rests on a wall all by itself protected by a glaring glass. It's rather small and dark, but thanks to our friends, we had anticipated this. The pic shows our personal view of Da Vinci's most famous artwork, we apologize for the poor quality. The night finished with a climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, providing us with a spectacular view of the area we were staying in.

Sunday was beyond busy, including much anticipated museum hopping. We began with the Orsay, which houses some of the most famous impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces including the works of Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, and Renoir. Hands down, the highlight of our trip. We had been looking forward to seeing these works for quite some time and because of this, we decided to purchase the 5 euro audioguides (Perhaps the best 5 euro we have spent on this trip). After spending almost three hours studying these works we decided to head over to the Orangerie which houses Claude Monet's water lilies. The building was recently renovated in 2006, and designed specifically to house Monet's collection known as the Nympheas. Oval rooms reveal his artworks stretched from wall to wall and illustrate the view of these water lilies from sun up till sun down. Extraordinary architecture and extraordinary artwork... we were both in awe. Final stop of the afternoon before the Eiffel Tower... the cemetery. And no, this is not just your typical cemetery. It is now home to the late Jim Morrison, Chopin, Oscar Wilde and Victor Noir to name a few. Over 3,000 individuals are buried in the Pere Lachaise, which is covered by beautiful greenery and sculpture masterpieces. Our final stop for the day was, yes you guessed it, the Eiffel Tower. Constructed in 1889 and designed by Gustave Eiffel, the tower is the single most visited paid monument in the world (thanks to our contribution :) ). Two quick elevator rides up and there we were, 1,000 feet in the air and surrounded by the city of lights. Our view, stretching 37 miles out, is one beyond description... Perhaps the pictures can give you some ideas. The combination of the height and the windchill took our breathe away. What a perfect way to end our evening in Paris.

As tradition goes, we'd like to continue sharing with you all the things Italians do quite differently in this country. For starters..

- Fresh produce. Italians take a lot of pride in their produce display. When shopping for these fruits and vegetables, do NOT, I repeat do NOT touch these with your bare hands. If you dare, you will be scorned by an old lady at the least or perhaps shooed away.

- Mopeds, Vespas, Bikes, Scooters.. these are all common forms of transportation. With the medieval city layout, roads are narrow and parking is hard to come by. These devices allow the Italians to travel from place to place with much ease and little gas. We would loooove to have one of our own. Just think of the extraordinary gas mileage on these things...

More excerpts from our journals:
" We've been from yes to si to oui within this past month. Unbelievable." (Jaclyn in reference to our many languages between America, Italy, and France).

" Look at the flock of idiots who came to see this one painting, oh wait... I am one of them." (Reaction to the Louvre and the Mona Lisa. Don't let us kid you, we truly did enjoy Da Vinci's masterpiece.)

Today we had our last lecture for Collier's class and ended the evening by cooking for Jennifer's parents. Somehow we managed to NOT burn the apartment down, mission complete! We leave for Venice in the morning, 8:30 to be exact. We are hoping to get acquainted with the gondoliers, wish us luck :) Until our next blog..

Molto Amare,

Jack and Jenn

CIAO!!!

p.s. We just want to send a special shout out to Marsha, our biggest fan. Without your comments, we would think no one read our blog.... merci!!!

463... steps that is.

463. Yes, Four Hundred and Sixty-Three... steps that is, to reach the top of the Duomo. This morning, bright and early we rushed down to the Santa Maria del Fiore to beat the crowd and began our ascent. The Duomo, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, sits atop the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Brunelleschi defied engineering odds and defined architecture as he designed this dome. Today it remains the largest brick dome ever constructed (in the wooorld).

The climb was exhilarating. You see, when you climb the Duomo you are climbing between the outer and inner shell of the dome. Yes, that's correct, one of the reasons this dome is still standing is because it consists of TWO shells which support the weight of these bricks. We were able to see first hand the many reasons why the dome still exists.... For instance, pictures below show the herringbone brick pattern. Word has it that Brunelleschi created over 200 molds so that these bricks could work together to form the perfect dome. After about twenty to thirty ish minutes of stair climbing, we reached the top. The view was simply breathtaking. The best view in Florence, without question. We were able to see Florence stretched out miles and miles to the Chianti countryside, locate our apartments and our meeting places, and begin to fully comprehend the astonishing feat that Brunelleschi had accomplished. We took our time at the top.. that is, for multiple reasons. Catching our breath and taking in the view, we were in little hurry. Before we knew it an hour had passed and we began our climb back down the Duomo.

A few photos below show our descent. The staircases were a little odd.. please note the extraordinarily steep curve. Can you imagine building this structure in the 1300's?.. safety was a wee bit different back then. Needless to say, we hope you can imagine constructing this dome and appreciate the extraordinary architecture and engineering feat it accomplished.


After reaching the bottom, we decided to go to our favorite restaurant, Cocciolo!! before Collier's class. We all ordered "Bombolinis", (the European version of a filled donut) and drinks.. cappucinos, american coffees, soda drinks, and waters completed our order. Since the beginning of our trip we have been visiting this quaint little place. We are guessing one of the waiters noticed.... after thirty ish mintues of chilllaxing he brought us a free plate of mini Bombolinis!!!!!!! What an amazing way to start to the day!


We'd like to continue sharing a few more of the things Italians do quite differently in this country... here we go.
- When you enter an Italian store, it is kind of you to address the worker with a "Bon Giorno" or "Ciao".

- If you order a coffee, cappuccino, or latte at a restaurant, they charge you more if you sit down. We prefer to order and stand :) Be careful because they always encourage you to sit.

Excerpts from our journals:
" What are we going to do when we no longer average an 8 mile a day walk and continue eating bread, pizza, and pasta for every meal?"

"Do you think they will have a vending machine at the top?" (In reference to a young American girl who was climbing the Duomo behind us. Only Americans would be thinking of vending machines 295 feet up in the air.)

"Welcome to Florence ladies." (The Bombolini waiter who surprised us with our mini bombolinis.. how sweet! Literally :) )


We hope to post on our past weekend in Rome tomorrow. The Sistene Chapel, Colisseum, Roman Forum and our first experience at a church in Italy have yet to be told! This weekend we are headed to Paris. ahhhhh!!! So much to post with so little time, hope everyone is enjoying keeping up with our journey and until our next blog,

Molto Amare,

Jack and Jenn

CIAO!!!

when in Rome...

Where do we even begin? Our three days in Rome were packed with site seeing, fine dining, and street strolling. The weekend began with our 7 a.m. train ride to Rome. Collier had thoughtfully bought us the "fast" Eurotrain tickets so within two hours we had reached our destination. Bare with us, this blog is going to be a bit longer than the others. There is just so much to tell!

First stop, the Roman Colosseum. A brief history of this spectacular structure.... constructed in 80 A.D. during the Roman empire, the elliptical amphitheater could seat up to 50,000 people. That's quite a crowd... The structure's exterior was made of solid travertine while the interior consisted of brick, marble, and tufa. Spectators looked down into the arena to view gladiatorial combats and spectacles with wild beasts.
The arena was once made of a wooden floor covered with sand (used to soak up the blood). Today the floor is exposed down to the underground passages where gladiators and beasts awaited their fate. After spending a few hours touring the arena we headed across the street to our next stop, the Roman Forum...

The Roman Forum was a religious, civic and commercial centre of ancient Rome. Over time earthquakes, fires, and invasions leveled the buildings. It was until the 19th century that humans began excavating the area. After an hour or so of visiting these remains, we headed back to our hotel to take a quick "reposa" before dinner and visiting the Pantheon.The Pantheon. Simply remarkable, we credit the images in our history books for causing us to picture this building much smaller than it actually is. One simply can no predict or imagine the size of this structure. The combination of the coffered ceiling tapering upwards, leading your eye towards the heavens, and the beautiful marble floor alternating patterns along with the 30 foot wide oculus hole at the top made this structure one of its own. We'd have to say that this has been by far one of our favorites.The group stayed until closing time. After being kicked out we headed to pick up some supper and then off to our final stop for the night.. the Trevi Fountain. Just like the pig in Florence, Rome has it's own legend. Word on the street says that by throwing a coin over your right shoulder into the fountain, you are promised a return to this ancient city.
An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain every single day... geez louise that's a good bit of chunk change! We ended the night by tossing our coins into the fountain while making a wish. What a perfect ending to our first day in the city.

Day 2 in Rome: The Vatican Museum (Sistine Chapel) and St. Peter's Basilica. Early morning we headed over to the Vatican to see the works of Michelangelo, Raphael, and soooo many other magnificent artists. Saturday night... my oh my how Collier had us a special treat. Supper time or as the Italians say, Bon Appetito!! The meal, we would say, was about 7 solid courses. The food just kept on coming, and the vino... Octopus, sausage, calamari, squid, risotto, shrimp, prawns, fish, salami, bologna, these were just a few of the items up for grabs. We called it our own version of an Italian buffett with everything being brought to us on large platters for us to self serve. With so much food and wine, our group was beyond toasted and many lasting memories were created. Here are just a few: Our waiter kissing Duncan's (our teacher) head; Duncan busting out a mini rap and Joannah giving a toast to the group; The owner coming in every so often, lowering his hands and raising them up for us to all yell in unison; The waiter bringing in our final course with a smirk on his face yelling "Sprite, Fanta, and Coca-Cola Light" (it was more like extremely concentrated liquor). The night ended with all the ladies receiving a red rose, we had a quick photoshoot afterwards. Check out the photos below.





Day 3 in Rome: Church, Spanish Steps, and a littttle bit of shopping :)Sunday morning a group of us decided to get up a little early, jump on the Metro and walk a few blocks over to this "English-speaking" Presbyterian church. It was, by far, the best decision we have made on this trip, and for us a little piece of home... We were welcomed by the pastor from Edinburgh, Scotland (note the quote below) and by two men who passed us a hymnal and Bible. The choir surrounded the piano singing some classic hymns, people from every country and every ethnicity. We thoroughly enjoyed being half way across the world and worshiping with such a diverse group of people. The church was small, but delightful. With the windows open, we felt as if the streets were being filled with the sweet sound of our voices. And here in Europe, Father's Day was last week. The cute little children helped pass out little hankerchiefs to all fathers in the crowd.. After the sermon, we were all feeling refreshed and excited about exploring Rome the rest of the day. Below is a link to the church we visited and a few pics. Enjoy!

http://www.presbyterianchurchrome.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=34

We'd like to continue sharing a few more of the things Italians do quite differently in this country... here we go.
- In America, the waiters will kindly separate your checks for you so that everyone can pay individually. Not so in Italy, it's more like an act of Congress.. we don't even try to ask anymore. However, we have greatly improved our math skills tallying up the checks for everyone.

- Water here comes in 2 forms, natural or frizzled... You must specify that you want

- Most restaurants here put a "coperto" charge on your tab... the nicer the restaurant, the higher the coperto. This usually covers the food they bring out as an appetizer which is traditionally bread. It's also somewhat like an add on tip. In Europe you don't normally "tip" your waiter when paying your bill, guess this is their way of covering the charge.

Excerpts from our journals:
"I'm guessing you guys are from somewhere over the Atlantic. There's a small island over there, covered in oil I believe."

"When I wear these shorts, I'm going to look like a plumber." (Hannah in reference to the weight she has lost and the thug shorts she wore)

"If this was America, we would have a vending machine to get food for the koi pond" ( From the fountain pond in the Oldest Botanical Garden"

Tomorrow morning we are heading to Paris!!! the city of lights! Lots of territory to cover, as always, but we are soo excited about the weekend trip. Tons of good blogs coming soon, Eiffel Tower coming right up! Have a great weekend everyone and until next week....



Molto Amare,

Jack and Jenn

CIAO!!!

Bon Appetito!

We're back again, after another adventure filled weekend in Rome! We kicked off the weekend on Thursday night with our first ever "Italian" cooking class.... Mamma Mia! We were in for quite a treat! After drawing class we headed across the Ponte Vecchio towards "In Tavola", the place where we would be learning Italian cuisine for the next 3 hours.

The night kicked off with us being welcomed by Ricardo, our fabulous chef for the night. As soon as we arrived Jennifer asked where the "water closet" was.. Ricardo was oh so confused and finally responded "ooooohhhh, the W.C.". Needless to say Jennifer's name for the rest of the night was W.C.. After everyone arrived we began preparing our dinner. First duty: making dough... that is, without a blender. Whisking the eggs with two varieties of flour created a fabulous dough which we would use to create our ravioli. I should probably note our meal for the evening: First Course- Gnudi di Ricotta e Spinaci (they referred to this as "naked" ravioli... a Spinach and Ricotta cheese blend without the surrounding pasta shell). Second Course- Eggplant & Ricotta Ravioli (a magnificent Ravioli stuffed with eggplant). And for the Final Course/ Dessert- Panna Cotta (much like Flan, the Mexican style dessert). The pic shows Roberto helping us out with the Gnudi di Ricotta e Spinaci... Theodora took most of the photos for the night and will be e-mailing us the pics soon. We apologize for the lack of photos but hope you enjoy!

Our group for the evening consisted of Hannah, Joannah, Colleen, Jennifer, and Theodora (our new friend from Bulgaria!). Our first challenge of the night was making the dough for the ravioli. Somehow we were able to make the ravioli dough, without a blender! After an hour and a half of rolling and working the dough through the pasta maker, we were able to stuff the dough with delicious eggplant. Next up, our "naked" ravioli. This was an extremely easy recipe which we highly recommend to everyone. A little egg, spinach, ricotta and parmesan cheese, nutmeg, flour (to bind everything) and vegetable broth and within minutes this course was completed. Magnifico!!! Our final course was simply too easy to make and full of nutritional value (cream and sugar were the main ingredients... yowzaa!). After two hours our meal was complete.... bon appetito! We dined in the lower level of the building and enjoyed getting to know Theodora and learning about the country she grew up in. The picture below shows us all with Roberto in front of our restaurant, he was such a classic example of an Italian chef.

After dinner we strolled through Florence and made a stop by the famous Italian pig in the Straw Market. As legend has it, rubbing the pig's nose after placing a coin in the pig's mouth promises a return to Florence. We shall see about this... The night soon came to a close as we began preparing for our 7:00 a.m. train ride to Rome the following morning.



We'd like to continue sharing a few more of the things Italians do quite differently in this country... here we go.
- When you order french fries from McDonalds in Europe, do NOT expect to receive any kind of condiment. Ordering Ketchup is somewhat of a hassle, and on top of that an additional cost.

- In Italy, tax is already included in the price of the product you are purchasing... Doesn't this make since??? You get to pay the actual price on the "price" tag.

- Ice does NOT exist in this country. No ice, no air conditioning... it's a wonder how these people stay cool in this country.

Excerpts from our journals:
" We can speak six languages: American, British, Irish, Scottish, Australian, and Canadian." (Our response to Theodora, our Bulgarian friend who was fluent in about seven languages.)

" Oh Happy Birthday to meeeee!" "Oh my gosh, this is why I'm hot" "Excuse me, you dropped something... my heart" (These are just a few of the things we here strolling through San Lorenzo market searching for the best buys on Italian leather).


After our trip to Rome we have quite a bit to post... look forward to the upcoming blogs! The World Cup has begun and Italy is a whole new country. We are currently watching Italy vs. Paraguay and this town is a wee bit out of control. Continue leaving us comments, we love hearing from everyone and until our next blog,

Molto Amare,

Jack and Jenn

CIAO!!!!

The link to In Tavola:
http://www.intavola.org/index.html?Pagina=/news/primapagina.asp?idLingua=2&PrimaPagina=X&idSito=1

Cinque Terre. Five Towns, Four Girls.

Cinque Terre, "the five lands", is located along the rugged coastline of the Italian Riviera... It is one of the Mediterranean's best preserved natural areas and is full of rich cultural heritage. The land is full of beauty and charm and is quite famous for its lack of modernization. This past Sunday we were able to explore this magnificent Italian coastline, going from village to village by foot. You see, because of their lack of modernization, individuals are only able to travel via paths, boats, or trains. And since neither of us are owners of a yacht, we chose the path route, allowing us to take in our beautiful surroundings and breathtaking views.

The trip began EARLY Sunday morning, meeting our Florence for Fun group (the organization we booked the trip through) at 7:15 a.m. in front of the Farmacia in the train station. After a few minutes we realized our group consisted of about, hmmmm around 150ish American students.. yowzaa! That's quite a few Americans to be so far from home. We boarded the train, and by we I mean Jaclyn, Jennifer, Colleen, and Hannah and luckily found a seat. Sunday morning must be a popular Sunday destination because the train was booked, with many people standing the duration of the ride. Two and a half hours later we arrived, eager to begin the trail connecting these five lands.

We'd like to tell you a little more about these five small villages as we walk you through our journey. Cinque Terre consists of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. Riomaggiore, our first stop, is the most southern of the five villages. It dates back to the early 13th century and revolves around 2 main roads.. how is that for traffic! We continued our hike along "Via dell' Amore" or as we would call it, Lovers' Walk. The trail, which connects Riomaggiore to Manarola, is full of locks that couples have placed along the coastline, promising them a lifetime of togetherness... You would be AMAZED with how many people actually do this, well we were at least. Our next stop, Manarola, was a rather small village famous for its local wine, Sciacchtera. The next stop was Corniglia, climbing 365 stairs to reach the town's charming center. With time running short, and an afternoon of sun rays to catch, we chose to skip out on the stair climb (we do that quite a bit with Jennifer's apartment) and took a train to Vernazza. Vernazza is often considered the pearl of the five towns and we would have to agree. The intricate layout of this village with its narrow lanes, steep stairways and bright colored houses made us fall in love immediately. As history would tell it, the homes were painted these bright colors so that fisherman at sea could look back at the coast and identify their home. Note the pic.... they create quite the view. We chose to spend the afternoon on the beach/on the rocks (European beaches are veeery different) and explore the Mediterranean Sea. Pictures below show a little bit of what we got into to... rock climbing, well sort of, and swimming in the Mediterranean. Does life get any better? Our last stop was in Monterossa al Mare. The town is divided into two parts, old town and new town and is by far the biggest of the villages. The beach stretches the entire length of the town, and with perfect weather, everyone was out. The day ended with a train ride back to Firenze, not bad for just another Sunday.


We hope these pictures can help you visualize the majestic landscape and panoramic views. Notice the stunning cobalt blue of the Mediterranean ocean, the steep cliffs, the rocky coastline and take it all in... yes, these places in the world really do exist. Tonight we shall experience our first "Italian" cooking class- we are veeery excited! And off to Rome at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning!! Busy weekend ahead! Continue leaving comments on our blog, we love to hear from everyone and until then...

Molto Amare,

Jack and Jenn

CIAO!!!!

home sweet home.... well sort of

Apartments in Firenze are a little different than what we are used to in the States. With that being said, we'd like to tell you a little about our pads. A few of these things we have mentioned in earlier blogs, but we're going to run through it all again just to make sure you all get a clear picture....

Italian pads are much smaller than the average American home. Beds are smaller, rooms are smaller, bathrooms are smaller... you get the picture. The windows, on the other hand, are enormous. Windows are in every room... it's a must with the no air conditioning. So every morning we wake up to the sunlight (it goes down around 9 at night and is up by 5 in the morning) and go straight to these windows to feel the fresh morning air. Our kitchens are pretty traditional. Refrigerator, toaster, oven and sink. To light the stovetop, you have to press a red button while you turn the knob... For us it takes a good three of four tries. Bedrooms consist of a twin size bed, desk, armoire, and bedside table. In addition, they have a switch on the bedside table which allows you to turn off your lights while in bed..... we're definitely going to miss this when we go back to the States. The bathroom is probably the biggest difference. A shower is common, rather than a bathtub, and for Jaclyn's pad, the bathroom is quuuuiiiiiittttteee unique. And don't forget you must open the window after showering to prevent mold from growing on the walls. They also have a bidet, allowing you to wash your feet after a long day roaming Italy's medieval cobblestone streets. Laundry rooms differ in both of our apartments, and remember, dryers do not exist and the average washer run is approximately two and a half hours. Jennifer had her first experience with hanging her laundry on clothes pin outside her window.. within an hour her towels and clothes were dry, remarkable! Can we say energy efficient? We'll continue to discuss in more detail below with a brief description of each of our pads... hope you enjoy!

Jaclyn's Pad: Jaclyn's apartment resides in a wooonderful location, in the Piazza of Santa Maria Novella which is a hop, skip, and jump away from the Duomo and surrounded by delicious restaurants (A piazza is an open square or public place, very common in Italian cities and the Santa Maria Novella is the first Dominican church in Florence, absolutely beautiful). We love to sit in the midst of the square in the late afternoon, watching the tourists and businessman roaming the streets. To us, we think of Jaclyn's apartment as a traditional Italian villa. Small and quaint with the most unique bathroom anyone could ever witness. A bidet, sink, toilet, and shower all within a 3'x6' space (make sure to check out the quote below for a better description). We hope you can imagine bathing within this space, perhaps the picture below can do it a little justice. And up above is Santa Maria Novella, Jaclyn's neighbor.. does life get any better?





Jennifer's Pad: First and foremost, Jennifer's apartment is a solid 105 steps up. We get quite a workout everyday just trying to get to the top floor of our building. Although its quite the climb, we must admit the view is worth every step. We must also note that our pad is located about a solid twenty minute walk outside of tourist central. We admit that it is a pretty lengthy distance, however, we are so blessed to be able to walk past the world's oldest botanic garden, The Accademia (home of Michelangelo's David), and The Duomo on our way to class everyday. The morning we arrived in Florence we received the keys to our apartment (4 keys to be exact) and they are by far NOT the traditional American keys. They do, however, make us feel quite special, especially the giant skeleton keys. Below is a picture of the GIGANTIC entrance doors to our building, our version of an Italian bedroom, and the view from our bedroom windows.


Excerpts from our journals:
"I can use the toilet, wash my feet in the bidet, brush my teeth, and bathe all at the same time." (Jaclyn's bathroom experiences)

"You know I don't speak Italian." (Jennifer's reaction to the supermarket cashier after he, for the past 2 nights, had spoken to her for about 5 minutes in straight Italian).


Thursday night we have an Italian cooking class, (yes we shall be professionals when get back to the States) and this weekend we are looking forward to a trip to Rome with the entire crew. So much territory to cover within a 3 day span, but we are confident that we can cover a good bit of ground and share it with you in the upcoming week. We hope to get in an additional post about our trip to Cinque Terre this past Sunday before the end of the week. We love reading your comments and cannot thank the man up above and our parents enough for allowing us to having this opportunity.. forever grateful :) Until then...

Molto Amare,

Jack and Jenn

CIAO!!!!

Climbing a Curve... Day 7

After a busy weekend, we are settled back in Florence for another week of classes. Saturday we hopped on a train, headed for the town of Pisa. As most of you know, the town is famous for the one and only.... Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Hannah, Colleen, and Jennifer chose to climb the 294 steps of the LEANING tower, which, thanks to our apartment, we were already well conditioned for. The climb was quite entertaining. And yes, you most certainly can tell you are in a leaning structure. On the ascent, we found ourselves "leaning" towards the center walls, trying to gain some center of balance. The stairwell was extremely slender, and the higher we climbed, the skinnier the stairwell. Not to mention the steps, which were extremely worn from the thousands of feet that climb the tower every year. After climbing for a weee bit, we reached the first level. We must admit, that high up in the air, on a leannnning structure, we were a little shaky. After a few minutes of capturing the view, we were taken to the second level where the bells were. The excerpt from the postcard below explains a little more about the seven bells. At last, we were taken to the third and final level, located 186-183.3 feet in the air (depending which side you stand on :) ). Breathtaking views, people the size of ants, and a chance of a lifetime experience. We could hardly take it all in... I forgot to mention, on the way up we made acquaintances with a precious Aussie couple. After explaining that we were from Mississippi, the couple immediately replied with a "oh we've been to the Mississippi River", and we loved how they called St. Louis St. Loouueeyyy. Below are a few pics of our spectacular view and the tower..

We found this cute little postcard containing a few facts about the tower that we'd like to share with you...

"My construction was begun in 1173 by Bonano Pisano and finished after 99 years by Giovanni di Simone. Tommaso di Andra Pisano crowned me with a bell- cell. My height is 183.3 feet on the low side. My maximum height is 186 feet. My interior base diameter is 24.2 feet. My exterior base is 50.9 feet. I have 8 floors and 294 steps. I rest on foundations about 9,10 feet. My total weight is 14.732 tons. My leaning is 14.9 feet. In my bell-cell there are 7 bells, 1 for each note of the major musical scale. From my summit Galileo Galillei performed his famous trial about gravitation. For all I said i am one of the Seven Wonders of the World."

We'd like to continue sharing a few more of the things Italians do quite differently in this country... here we go!
- Washing your clothes in America, approximately 50 minutes. Washing your clothes in Italy, approximately 2 and a half hours!
- Bidet, the cute little toilet-looking device located in the bathroom, is used to wash off your feet after a long day of walking on the cobblestone streets.
- We happen to live on the same street as an Italian high school. The students go Monday- Saturday, however, everyday they get out around the early afternoon so they can take a "siesta" or nap.

Excerpts from our journals:
"Scussi, do you mind if we come in and paint in your garden." In reference do Duncan ringing the doorbell of a private garden, speaking in English, in the land of the Italians.

"We've been to St. Loouuueeyyyy."

"I think all of my arteries are going to collapse." (Jaclyn after having an "American" supper at McDonalds)


Tomorrow we are going to share our adventure to Cinque Terre from this past Sunday. Rock climbing and hiking are just a few of the things in store. Until then...

Molto Amare,

Jack and Jenn

CIAO!!!!

Fiesole

Day 6
Our delightful evening began with a quick bus ride uphill to the small town of Fiesole. Fiesole is a quaint town, overlooking the city of Florence and providing breathtaking views of the Duomo and our new home town. It's the kind of town where everybody knows everybody, much like that of Mississippi, and where although the roads might be tiny, the view is anything but. The town does have it shortcomings, however, with extremely inclined roads.... not so good for us Mississippi folks on top of a five course meal of pasta and bread. Below are a few pictures of another divine meal. Please note the 35 euro Bruschetta which we all shared as our appetizer.

As we strolled to the bus stop after dinner, we came across our new best friends who were singing some old school gospel hymns. The group of about 8 were from all the world, who like us, are studying in Florence for the next month. These individuals were from South Africa, Ethiopia, Canada, Bangkok, Brazil, and Michigan... oh the people you meet in foreign places. To top off the night, they continued sharing their voices with us for the entire ride back.

Excerpts from our journals:
"Italians have it all figured out. For instance, just look at their ever so famous gelato. It comes served in a cone WITHOUT paper and absolutely NO hole in the bottom."

"Not only do we have to look down for holes and uneven cobblestone streets, but we also have to look down to avoid the dog poo poo."

Tomorrow we have a trip to Pisa in store, followed by Cinque Terre on Sunday... Google it because it's gorgeous. We also booked a cooking class for next Thursday. Jack and Jenn in the kitchen, this is gonna get interesting... As always, please feel free to leave us a friendly post! It makes us happy :)

Molto Amare,

Jack and Jenn

CIAO!!!!

"Mammia Mia, the Wine!"

The past two days have been quite adventurous. Class has begun, and we are beginning to feel all settled in this Tuscan Country. Plato once said "Wine was given as a balm, and in order to implant modesty in the soul and health and strength in the body." This fellow is considered one of the greatest philosophers of all time. So to pay tribute to the man, we decided to experiment with a little wine tasting this afternoon, along with the rest of our classmates, in a small winery known as La Tancia.

La Tancia is located in the heart of Chianti, about a thirty minute bus ride uphill from Florence. The Villa dates back to the 14th century and produces some of the best wines, in our opinion, available in Tuscany... not to mention their food and olive oil. Italians do it right, serving a solid four courses for a traditional meal. Primo, the first course, was spaghetti.. heavenly! The Secondo, second course, consisted of bread, cheese, salami and eggplant followed by Contorno, our third course, which consisted of mouth watering Bruschetta. Bruschetta, Jennifer's favorite meal ever, is toasted bread with a mixture of tomatoes and olive oil. To top it all off, we had scrumptious biscotti cookies dipped in Vin Santo, an Italian dessert wine. Below is a few pictures of the delicious meal which we thoroughly enjoyed along with our magnificent vino!!! "Buuoooonnnoooo appetito!!!!"





Now about class. We began our first full day yesterday. Jennifer is taking History of Civilization to 1648, which meets at 10:30 every morning in our traditional spot in The Loggio, in the midst of Piazza della Signoria. The first day of class was interrupted, however, by a lovely orchestra which had blocked off the area celebrating the "Festa della Republicca"- the birth of the Republic... What a way to kick off the month. In the afternoons, Jaclyn and Jennifer are taking Watercolor, and Jaclyn is also taking Figure Drawing. So far we have been sketching in the midst of The Loggio from around 4:00 to 6:30. The atmosphere is surreal.... We shall discuss in more detail on another day.

On another note, our parents would be proud. Colleen, one of Jennifer's roommates, happens to be quite the cook, and we are learning quite a bit in the kitchen. Last night was our first meal at Venezia 4. Supper consisted of salad with a mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing along with "Italian" style potatoes, "Italian" sausage, and scrumptious bread. For dessert, Colleen prepared a deeeee-licious combination of cantaloupe and prosciutto (Italian ham). It seems like this blog has consisted of food, wine, and more food and wine. After all, this is Italy :) Below is a pic of our first attempt at supper.


We'd like to continue sharing a few more of the things Italians do quite differently in this country... here we go!
- Italians drink wine for every meal. Well almost every meal. Because of this, they often mix water with their wine while at the lunch or dinner table...
- As we said earlier, a traditional meal consists of four courses. How do they manage to eat four courses yet still remain smaller than Americans... perhaps no processed foods has a thing to do with it.
- You can get plane tickets EXTREMELY cheap here if flying to the surrounding countries. You can get a ticket from Paris to Pisa for less than 40 Euro, that's cchhhheeeeeapppppp folks.

Excerpts from our journals:
"I swear, if one more Italian hits on me I am leaving the country."

"Ladies, charge your cameras. Tomorrow is going to be a good day." (In reference to the winery)

This weekend we are planning day trips to Fiesole, Cinque Terre, and perhaps Verona or Sienna. We shall see, but this means more posts to come. Please feel free to leave us a friendly post! It makes us happy :)

Molto Amare,

Jack and Jenn

CIAO!!!!

La Tancia Winery