OK, food, continued.
Eating in the town of Cortona by popular restraunts that I went to (there's more, you know).
The Despar:
Sells: Meats, cheeses, breads, cookies, chocolates, wines and laundry detergent. They make sandwiches and have a special deal for students, buy ten get one free. At first I liked them, but I got sick of them after a while. Go here once in a while for lunch.
The Pizza Place:
Sells: Pizza and focchacia (sp?). Good for a pizza by the slice, quick and cheap meal, can also buy whole pizzas. Definately not as good as southern pizza, but better than North American. Cheap.
FuFluns:
Sells: Lunch and dinner. Pizzas, pastas, salads, etc. Reputedly good burgers, Delicious pizzas and ... that other thing which is like a pizza but folded over. Can't remember the name, but good.
Mario's:
Sells: Pasta and some other stuff. Dinner only. Try the gnocchi al fumo. Apparently the best tiramisu in town.
Bar Sport:
Sells: Well, it's a cafe. So coffee and such. Also lunch. A great place to do homework over a latte. A great place in general.
Dolce Vita:
Sells: Gelato and Nutella crepes. Ok gelato, but your only option until Snoopy's opens. Nutella crepes delicious but messy.
Snoopy's:
Sells: The best gelato in the world. Go there for the best gelato in the world. Sadly, it only opened for the last couple weeks of the term.
Cocoa:
Sells: Pastries and chocolates. Alessio loves the Canadian students and will give you a discount. Go there and try some of his pastries. They're delicious, and great for having a snack during a class break, since they're right across the street.
The fruit store:
Sells fruit. Go to the one on Piazza della Republica, not on via Nationale. Buy fruit here to make up for the lack of fruit in your diet.
Anyway, there are other places to eat too. But these were the ones I personally visited on multiple occasions.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
The Rest of the Sotry Bit by Bit Part II:
So, the weekend after Venice I spent doing something exceptionally cool (or dorky, depending onwho you ask), but either way not doing anything particularly Italian. So I will take this edition of the rest of the story to tell you my thoughts about Cortona, the town. This is for the information of anyone who wants to know what life is really like in Cortona.
The food:
First off, the hostel, where I ate four out of seven times a week (though I hear that next year the students may be living somewhere else). The food was good, great, delicious, depending on who you asked. Some people were impressed, others found something to be desired. As for me, myself, personally, I rather liked it. It was good. In general, you'd get a pasta plate for a first course, which would consist of one or more types of pasta every evening. The pastas included tomato (tomato), carbonara (egg, cheese and bacon), pesto (this green stuff made from basil or something), creamy tomato, zucchini, ragu (meat sauce), garlic and oil and, not a pasta but sometimes still a first course, soup. Personally, there were some pastas that were absolutely delicious, and others that I would rather pass on. But generally, if you don't like what you're having one night, then at the very least, you can be assured of not having it the next day. Every night we'd get also a jug of table wine for the table. And, though it's nothing special as far as wine goes, it's not completely undrinkable. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed taking wine with my meals, and intend to continue doing so once I get home. Anyway, there is also water available for drinking for you non drinkers out there. For our second course, we'd get, in general, a meat dish with a salad. This includes things like roast chicken breast, pork, and quarter roast chickens. If the pasta we had for a first course had meat in it, however, we'd have caprese salad, which is tomato, mozarella/gorgonzolla and lettuce. We were fans of the roast chicken (especially since this is when Mama did her chicken dance) and a little iffy on the caprese, though I personally liked it. And for dessert, we would have tiramisu, puddings, or ice cream. And there was always a bowl of fruit at each meal. I liked the food. I like Italian food. It was good. It was by no means gourmet, so if that's what you want, go to a restraunt, you silly person.
Breakfasts at the hostel were ... well, they left a bit to be desired by North American standards. They included two types of cereals, various cakes, breads with various jams and spreads, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. A lot of students would just go out and buy either fruit or yoghurt to have at breakfast.
Ok, I'm tired, I'll continue this later.
Good night!
The food:
First off, the hostel, where I ate four out of seven times a week (though I hear that next year the students may be living somewhere else). The food was good, great, delicious, depending on who you asked. Some people were impressed, others found something to be desired. As for me, myself, personally, I rather liked it. It was good. In general, you'd get a pasta plate for a first course, which would consist of one or more types of pasta every evening. The pastas included tomato (tomato), carbonara (egg, cheese and bacon), pesto (this green stuff made from basil or something), creamy tomato, zucchini, ragu (meat sauce), garlic and oil and, not a pasta but sometimes still a first course, soup. Personally, there were some pastas that were absolutely delicious, and others that I would rather pass on. But generally, if you don't like what you're having one night, then at the very least, you can be assured of not having it the next day. Every night we'd get also a jug of table wine for the table. And, though it's nothing special as far as wine goes, it's not completely undrinkable. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed taking wine with my meals, and intend to continue doing so once I get home. Anyway, there is also water available for drinking for you non drinkers out there. For our second course, we'd get, in general, a meat dish with a salad. This includes things like roast chicken breast, pork, and quarter roast chickens. If the pasta we had for a first course had meat in it, however, we'd have caprese salad, which is tomato, mozarella/gorgonzolla and lettuce. We were fans of the roast chicken (especially since this is when Mama did her chicken dance) and a little iffy on the caprese, though I personally liked it. And for dessert, we would have tiramisu, puddings, or ice cream. And there was always a bowl of fruit at each meal. I liked the food. I like Italian food. It was good. It was by no means gourmet, so if that's what you want, go to a restraunt, you silly person.
Breakfasts at the hostel were ... well, they left a bit to be desired by North American standards. They included two types of cereals, various cakes, breads with various jams and spreads, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. A lot of students would just go out and buy either fruit or yoghurt to have at breakfast.
Ok, I'm tired, I'll continue this later.
Good night!
Friday, March 14, 2008
The Rest of the Sotry Bit by Bit Part I:
Ok. I'm really really sorry. But I'm sure that at least 90% of you are (or were) university students. And thus you should know, that being a student equals a lot of homework. Now don't get me wrong, the profs didn't all go and bog me down to no end, but when you're doing weekend trips every weekend, there tends to be less time to do actual homework.
So. Last thing I told you about was Cinque Terre. So, the weekend after that was kind of a big deal in these parts. A little thing was going on called Carnivale. Do you know what Carnevale is? It's pretty much this great big party everyone has (supposedly it's a Christian thing, but everyone's allowed to join in the fun) ... a big party before the sombre occasion of Lent, that period that comes before Easter. Now, if you don't know what Easter is, I will have to point you in the direction of the nearest church, Bible, or wikipedia entry (the latter is probably the most accessible to you right now, considering you are on the internet to read this). Anyway, the point is, that for quite a few days people will party it up, right up until Fat Tuesday/ Martedi Grasso / Mardi Gras (pick a language), the last day before Lent begins with Ash Wednesday.
So, the point of that long schpiel (it could be longer), is that, if you can, you should one day tromp out to Venice, where you buy a mask from a vendor on the street if you're cheap, or a nice once from a store if you're not, and wear it every night, when the ... ahem. "celebrations" take place.
Venice is pretty much the place to celebrate Carnevale. So when you're there, you will see (as I did), strolling down the confetti-strewn streets a great deal of people dressed to the nines (and I'd daresay tens). They have these elaborate, elegant but somehow comical gowns, getups and costumes. And they just walk around and let you take their pictures. It was, to say the least, very cool.
And then, at night, everyone would stick on their masks and troop down to Piazza San Marco for a light show and acrobats and just general good times.
Now, the generalizations covered most of my trip, but, in general, Carnivale celebrations do not involve having a beer bottle chucked at your head whilst you are getting a ride with a somewhat shady gondolier in the dark, backwater canals of Venice. I think it is fair to say that that was a unique experience.
Obviously, this is all of what I did that weekend I went to Venice to celebrate Carnivale. It was highly fun, and I very much reccomend it if ever you get the oppertunity.
That's all I will say, since my last post was to the point of unforgivably long, and since now, school being done, I will possibly have time to add more posts. As long as the hotels I'm at have internet. Which, of course, is not at all likely. But in any event, it will get done.
So. Last thing I told you about was Cinque Terre. So, the weekend after that was kind of a big deal in these parts. A little thing was going on called Carnivale. Do you know what Carnevale is? It's pretty much this great big party everyone has (supposedly it's a Christian thing, but everyone's allowed to join in the fun) ... a big party before the sombre occasion of Lent, that period that comes before Easter. Now, if you don't know what Easter is, I will have to point you in the direction of the nearest church, Bible, or wikipedia entry (the latter is probably the most accessible to you right now, considering you are on the internet to read this). Anyway, the point is, that for quite a few days people will party it up, right up until Fat Tuesday/ Martedi Grasso / Mardi Gras (pick a language), the last day before Lent begins with Ash Wednesday.
So, the point of that long schpiel (it could be longer), is that, if you can, you should one day tromp out to Venice, where you buy a mask from a vendor on the street if you're cheap, or a nice once from a store if you're not, and wear it every night, when the ... ahem. "celebrations" take place.
Venice is pretty much the place to celebrate Carnevale. So when you're there, you will see (as I did), strolling down the confetti-strewn streets a great deal of people dressed to the nines (and I'd daresay tens). They have these elaborate, elegant but somehow comical gowns, getups and costumes. And they just walk around and let you take their pictures. It was, to say the least, very cool.
And then, at night, everyone would stick on their masks and troop down to Piazza San Marco for a light show and acrobats and just general good times.
Now, the generalizations covered most of my trip, but, in general, Carnivale celebrations do not involve having a beer bottle chucked at your head whilst you are getting a ride with a somewhat shady gondolier in the dark, backwater canals of Venice. I think it is fair to say that that was a unique experience.
Obviously, this is all of what I did that weekend I went to Venice to celebrate Carnivale. It was highly fun, and I very much reccomend it if ever you get the oppertunity.
That's all I will say, since my last post was to the point of unforgivably long, and since now, school being done, I will possibly have time to add more posts. As long as the hotels I'm at have internet. Which, of course, is not at all likely. But in any event, it will get done.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The Many Adventures of Frodo and Sam
It has been a couple weekends since I last posted. Sorry about that. You know, being in Italy can be very time consuming. Before I get to the main story, here's a quick rundown of stuff before this last weekend.
January 19 - 25
Let's see. First we had a field trip to the Roman Forum. It was pretty interesting. But, if you've been an astute reader of my blog, you'll know that I have already seen much of what Helena showed us. But that didn't stop it being interesting. The whole Classics 479 is really very interesting.
On the Saturday, (the 19th, we're at)
Bobbi, Barb, Fi and myself made a little trip and did some minor shopping. Nothing major, I swear. Really, honestly, I promise. We hardly bought anything. It was almost a waste of a day. I can hardly remember what I got. We certainly didn't find any discount stores. Or anything even remotely related to any sort of designer whatsoever. Really. I promise. But we had a lot of candy. mmmmm ... candy.
And that's about it for interesting stuff. The Sunday through Thursday following were nothing spectacular. I mean, I'm in Italy, and that's pretty awesome. But you already know that, so I have nothing new to report.
Then, on Friday the 25th, our Art History class went on a field trip to Assisi and Perugia, where we saw some cool frescos in absolutely freezing churches. Of course, rumour has it, that the weather here is about 50 degrees above what you guys back home are enjoying. So, I guess I shouldn't complain. But still, the churches were cold, and the art was pretty interesting. It's nice having a prof to explain paintings to you. They're a lot more interesting that way. We went to Perugia to a museum, and there were more paintings. It was also cool. But not as cold as the churches. It was a filed trip you had to be there to enjoy. But I did enjoy it. Really. Anyway, that's about it for everything else, now onto the main article.
Our story starts with a rumour. A whisper from the darkest corners of the hostel. Rumours about a fiercesome strike looming in the future. A train strike whose vast consequences would reveberate through plans for weekend trips. Yet the rumour was weak. Cunning chance, or an especially cunning enemy denied the rumour. And certain fated weekend trips were not forgotten, were not lost, but remembered, and commenced by two unsuspecting individuals.
These individuals were not tall, hardened men of the south, but a peaceful folk. Their greatest love was food. One we shall call Kor - Frodo, and the other is known as Fi - Sam. Frodo and Sam new that they were to set out on a journey, a journey to a mythical place, know to many as Cinque Terre, a famed and mythical land of the north. Its fame came from its peace, from its lush, green forest paths and tiny fishing villages, remote from the rest of the world, but in perfect harmony with the sea, its closest neighbour, and the earth, its mother.
Frodo and Sam, despite the whispered rumours, knew they were bound to set out before dawn on Saturday morning. So they took care to stock up with supplies. The journey would be long and hard, and so they went to the local grocer's to purchase provisions for their journey. Among such stock matterials as cookies and water, another provision, one they had not anticipated, came into their possesion. It is a famed thing, this possession, known through the years to bring ruin to those that sought its power. I speak now, of the One Nutella, forged deep under a mountian in the days of old. Yet innocently did it come into the possession of Frodo and Sam. They even believed that it would help them on the way.
And so, in the light before dawn, Frodo and Sam set out. Their journey would take them across many roads, and to innumerable train stations. And it was while they were on their journey that they began to comsume the One Nutella, or rather, the Nutella began to consume them.
Yet it was while they were on their journey that they leanred the true purpose to which they had been set. It was their enormous task to destroy the One Nutella. A fiercesome task this seemed at the time. Little did they know just how fiercesome it would become.
When they arrived at Cinque Terre, they immediately set up camp outside a village called Riomaggiore. Try as they might, they continued to comsume the One Nutella, and it continued to consume them. They thought that, if they could reach the village shaman in the fifth village, the final of the set, called Monterosso, he would help them to destroy the Nutella. So, after a short lunch, Frodo and Sam set out on a long and arduous journey.
They followed narrow paths carved into the sheer rock face that fell to the treacherous sea bellow. And surrounded though they were by lush greenery, Frodo and Sam were wary, because they knew that dangers could be lurking in every patch of undergrowth, in every shadow behind a beam of sunlight, below every rock, and in the bottom of every crevice. At one point they even saw a giant poisonous lizard, and had to crawl away with utmost care in order not to disturb it from its sleep. The path was long and hard, and the thought of the One Nutella weight heavily on both their minds.
The two adventurers wound their way through long, hard paths, and passed through the three other villages of Cinque Terre, growing ever nearer to their destination. Finally, as the sun set, they reached the village of Monterosso, only to find it a strange place, different from all the other villages. When they arrived, it was dark, and most respectable shops had already closed. But they knew they had to find the wise shaman. And then they found him. On via Elrond lived the wise shaman known as Bar Davi. Bar Davi welcomed the two adventureres after their long journey, and fed them a fulll hearty meal and provided them with a magic healigh elixir, know to the locals as Cioccolata Calda. And then he advised them on their quest. He assured them that the One Nutella must be destroyed at a far away place, on the very top of a mountain, from whence it came. Furthermore, Bar Davi confirmed that it must be Frodo and Sam that did it.
So Frodo and Sam left Bar Davi on via Elrond, scared for the task that was before them, and uncertain how to proceed. They knew they must, and so they headed to the train station. There, they caught a train. As it rolled in front of them, the screech of its breaks make a horrible gurgling sound. And the chugging of the engine hissed out "golum ... golum ... golum." Repulsed as they were to get assistance from something so loathesome, Frodo and Sam knew they must accept help from the writhing train. They allowed the train to take them back to their camp. There they rested for the night, after a long and trying journey, uncertain of what the future held before them, but certain of their frightful task.
In the morning, the two companions took their time getting ready. They were quite tired of this whole adventure thing, and quite ready to go home. So in a rebellious fit, they left far too late. They went to the train station, once more aware that they would be forced to leave their fates in the hands of the train that gurgled "golum" as it rolled down the tracks.
But the train was a treacherous thing. The rumours of a strike came to fruition, and the train abbandoned them in La Spezia. For four hours they waited for their connection, unsure if it would ever arrive, unsure if it would lead them straight, or take them to even more unceratin ends, and trap them in a foreign land, far from the comforts of home. But with the steady patience bore out of their natures, Frodo and Sam waited for their connecting train, and did catch it to Pisa, to Florence, and then to Camucia. After many long hours in the prescence of the train golum, it left them at the very bottom of the great mountain - the mountain at whose peak they were to destroy the great Nutella.
Tired and weary after many long hours of travel, after the treacher of the train golum and still with the heavy weight of the One Nutella, Frodo and Sam set out on their final journey, one that would take them to the top of the mountain that stood before them. Here, at the foot of the mountain, they had a final meal, a supper of unleavened bread, and the remainder of the meat and cheese. And then they began to climb.
Though the way was long and the road was dark, Frodo and Sam continued to climb streadily, keeping alway in mind the nearing end of their journey. And the Nutella weighed heavier still. They climbed and climbed until, very near the top, they were uncertain that they could go any further.
Luckily, just then, chance smiled upon them, and they met a kindly stranger named Cocoa, and he offered them a ride up to the top of the mountain, and to the end of their journey. Grateful but weary, the travellers slid into the backseat of his car, and he drove them to their final destination. They reached the top of the mountain.
And just then, when the moment was finally ripe to rid themselves forever of the Nutella, their hearts grew weak. They had come to love the sticky, soft concoction. And so they stayed at the top of their mountain, to the end of their days, relishing in the One Nutella, that slowly consumed them, as they slowly consumed it.
mmmmm Nutella....
The End. Moral of the story? Nutella is yummy. Take it with you on all your weekend trips.
ps. Sorry for the typos. I'll try and fix it later. Also, sorry for the extreme length of the post. But I hope you liked it.
January 19 - 25
Let's see. First we had a field trip to the Roman Forum. It was pretty interesting. But, if you've been an astute reader of my blog, you'll know that I have already seen much of what Helena showed us. But that didn't stop it being interesting. The whole Classics 479 is really very interesting.
On the Saturday, (the 19th, we're at)
Bobbi, Barb, Fi and myself made a little trip and did some minor shopping. Nothing major, I swear. Really, honestly, I promise. We hardly bought anything. It was almost a waste of a day. I can hardly remember what I got. We certainly didn't find any discount stores. Or anything even remotely related to any sort of designer whatsoever. Really. I promise. But we had a lot of candy. mmmmm ... candy.
And that's about it for interesting stuff. The Sunday through Thursday following were nothing spectacular. I mean, I'm in Italy, and that's pretty awesome. But you already know that, so I have nothing new to report.
Then, on Friday the 25th, our Art History class went on a field trip to Assisi and Perugia, where we saw some cool frescos in absolutely freezing churches. Of course, rumour has it, that the weather here is about 50 degrees above what you guys back home are enjoying. So, I guess I shouldn't complain. But still, the churches were cold, and the art was pretty interesting. It's nice having a prof to explain paintings to you. They're a lot more interesting that way. We went to Perugia to a museum, and there were more paintings. It was also cool. But not as cold as the churches. It was a filed trip you had to be there to enjoy. But I did enjoy it. Really. Anyway, that's about it for everything else, now onto the main article.
Our story starts with a rumour. A whisper from the darkest corners of the hostel. Rumours about a fiercesome strike looming in the future. A train strike whose vast consequences would reveberate through plans for weekend trips. Yet the rumour was weak. Cunning chance, or an especially cunning enemy denied the rumour. And certain fated weekend trips were not forgotten, were not lost, but remembered, and commenced by two unsuspecting individuals.
These individuals were not tall, hardened men of the south, but a peaceful folk. Their greatest love was food. One we shall call Kor - Frodo, and the other is known as Fi - Sam. Frodo and Sam new that they were to set out on a journey, a journey to a mythical place, know to many as Cinque Terre, a famed and mythical land of the north. Its fame came from its peace, from its lush, green forest paths and tiny fishing villages, remote from the rest of the world, but in perfect harmony with the sea, its closest neighbour, and the earth, its mother.
Frodo and Sam, despite the whispered rumours, knew they were bound to set out before dawn on Saturday morning. So they took care to stock up with supplies. The journey would be long and hard, and so they went to the local grocer's to purchase provisions for their journey. Among such stock matterials as cookies and water, another provision, one they had not anticipated, came into their possesion. It is a famed thing, this possession, known through the years to bring ruin to those that sought its power. I speak now, of the One Nutella, forged deep under a mountian in the days of old. Yet innocently did it come into the possession of Frodo and Sam. They even believed that it would help them on the way.
And so, in the light before dawn, Frodo and Sam set out. Their journey would take them across many roads, and to innumerable train stations. And it was while they were on their journey that they began to comsume the One Nutella, or rather, the Nutella began to consume them.
Yet it was while they were on their journey that they leanred the true purpose to which they had been set. It was their enormous task to destroy the One Nutella. A fiercesome task this seemed at the time. Little did they know just how fiercesome it would become.
When they arrived at Cinque Terre, they immediately set up camp outside a village called Riomaggiore. Try as they might, they continued to comsume the One Nutella, and it continued to consume them. They thought that, if they could reach the village shaman in the fifth village, the final of the set, called Monterosso, he would help them to destroy the Nutella. So, after a short lunch, Frodo and Sam set out on a long and arduous journey.
They followed narrow paths carved into the sheer rock face that fell to the treacherous sea bellow. And surrounded though they were by lush greenery, Frodo and Sam were wary, because they knew that dangers could be lurking in every patch of undergrowth, in every shadow behind a beam of sunlight, below every rock, and in the bottom of every crevice. At one point they even saw a giant poisonous lizard, and had to crawl away with utmost care in order not to disturb it from its sleep. The path was long and hard, and the thought of the One Nutella weight heavily on both their minds.
The two adventurers wound their way through long, hard paths, and passed through the three other villages of Cinque Terre, growing ever nearer to their destination. Finally, as the sun set, they reached the village of Monterosso, only to find it a strange place, different from all the other villages. When they arrived, it was dark, and most respectable shops had already closed. But they knew they had to find the wise shaman. And then they found him. On via Elrond lived the wise shaman known as Bar Davi. Bar Davi welcomed the two adventureres after their long journey, and fed them a fulll hearty meal and provided them with a magic healigh elixir, know to the locals as Cioccolata Calda. And then he advised them on their quest. He assured them that the One Nutella must be destroyed at a far away place, on the very top of a mountain, from whence it came. Furthermore, Bar Davi confirmed that it must be Frodo and Sam that did it.
So Frodo and Sam left Bar Davi on via Elrond, scared for the task that was before them, and uncertain how to proceed. They knew they must, and so they headed to the train station. There, they caught a train. As it rolled in front of them, the screech of its breaks make a horrible gurgling sound. And the chugging of the engine hissed out "golum ... golum ... golum." Repulsed as they were to get assistance from something so loathesome, Frodo and Sam knew they must accept help from the writhing train. They allowed the train to take them back to their camp. There they rested for the night, after a long and trying journey, uncertain of what the future held before them, but certain of their frightful task.
In the morning, the two companions took their time getting ready. They were quite tired of this whole adventure thing, and quite ready to go home. So in a rebellious fit, they left far too late. They went to the train station, once more aware that they would be forced to leave their fates in the hands of the train that gurgled "golum" as it rolled down the tracks.
But the train was a treacherous thing. The rumours of a strike came to fruition, and the train abbandoned them in La Spezia. For four hours they waited for their connection, unsure if it would ever arrive, unsure if it would lead them straight, or take them to even more unceratin ends, and trap them in a foreign land, far from the comforts of home. But with the steady patience bore out of their natures, Frodo and Sam waited for their connecting train, and did catch it to Pisa, to Florence, and then to Camucia. After many long hours in the prescence of the train golum, it left them at the very bottom of the great mountain - the mountain at whose peak they were to destroy the great Nutella.
Tired and weary after many long hours of travel, after the treacher of the train golum and still with the heavy weight of the One Nutella, Frodo and Sam set out on their final journey, one that would take them to the top of the mountain that stood before them. Here, at the foot of the mountain, they had a final meal, a supper of unleavened bread, and the remainder of the meat and cheese. And then they began to climb.
Though the way was long and the road was dark, Frodo and Sam continued to climb streadily, keeping alway in mind the nearing end of their journey. And the Nutella weighed heavier still. They climbed and climbed until, very near the top, they were uncertain that they could go any further.
Luckily, just then, chance smiled upon them, and they met a kindly stranger named Cocoa, and he offered them a ride up to the top of the mountain, and to the end of their journey. Grateful but weary, the travellers slid into the backseat of his car, and he drove them to their final destination. They reached the top of the mountain.
And just then, when the moment was finally ripe to rid themselves forever of the Nutella, their hearts grew weak. They had come to love the sticky, soft concoction. And so they stayed at the top of their mountain, to the end of their days, relishing in the One Nutella, that slowly consumed them, as they slowly consumed it.
mmmmm Nutella....
The End. Moral of the story? Nutella is yummy. Take it with you on all your weekend trips.
ps. Sorry for the typos. I'll try and fix it later. Also, sorry for the extreme length of the post. But I hope you liked it.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Rain, Rain, Go Away
Hello my blog-a-licious readers. I love getting your comments, but every time I get one, I realize just how many people are reading it, which is cool but a bit intimidating. Anyway, why do you care about that? Let's get on with it.
Last time I skimped on my classes, this time I'll give you a short rundown of my opinions.
Art History: The prof, who's Italian, is really nice and really enthusiatic, if a bit rambly. But it's ok if you like art. Heavy reading but I think I'll learn a lot.
Classics: So I pulled a last minute switch (a typical Kori move for university, it seems) and am now in Classics 479 which has to do with the history of gladiators and violence in Roman society. It's very interesting, and the class consists of a Wednesday lecture and a Tuesday discussion held where else but in a cafe. I really feel like an accademic student from the old times. And the discussions are completely enthralling (if a bit heated). I'm very excited to see how it turns out.
Comp Lit: This class is great. I've been reading the books for it, and catch myself feeling guilty for reading a book when I should be studying, until I remember that the reading is homework. Woot!
Italian: So, I'm not in Ital 111, which is nice. But everyone that's taking it is a little bit freaked out by the breakneck speed. It makes me worried, because I'll be jumping in midstream for 112. We'll see how that goes. But starting Monday I get an Italian lab partner (a Cortona high school student) with whom I get to practice my Italian, and who gets to practice his/her English with me. I'm really excited for that part.
That's pretty much classes. I think I'll be doing a lot of reading. But, that's ok. Reading is fun (fake smile and super enthusiastic thumbs up here)!!!
Life in the hostel:
I am absolutely certain that it would be a very easy thing to fall into a bout of complaining and ranting and being angry at my roommates (does that have two m's?). I know it's easy, because certain people have, ahem, expressed some small ... dissatisfactions with certain aspects of our living situation. I had a short moment where I was less than happy. So I said, Kori, go to your happy place. And then I realized Italy is my happy place. What right have I to complain? My theory is: it's easy to complain and be miserable. But if you can keep on being cheerful, you realize that all the little things really don't matter all that much.
Other than that, sure there are things about the hostel that aren't five star hotel quality, but I've found that if there's something really bugging you, Sergio, Laura, or Helena will try their best to make it right if they can. So life is good. I like it. I'm happy.
Ooh, on an exciting note, I was listening to a conversation between Laura and Mama, and I pretty much understood it! That was exciting. I still can't speak Italian very well, but, I think I must be improving.
In the typical Canadian fashion, I'm going to mention the weather. Since we've come to Cortona, there have been a couple nice, sunny days. A couple. The rest have been cloudy and drizzly and overcast, or else foggy. Or else pouring rain. I mean, rain's ok, and it's sure better than snow, but, I mean, a little bit of sun would be nice.
Today was really cool, though. It was completely and utterly foggy. We were stuck in a cloud all day. The mist was thick and the fog rolled about and you couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of you. And the other day, Cortona was just overtop of a cloud, so we'd go out to the ledge by the bus stop (how do I explain that?) and it was like we were in a town suspended in the clouds. Or else like we came right to the edge of creation, and that the universe just stopped where the earth fell into a cliff. It was beautiful.
On one final note, there are some cats that sit on the wall on the way up to the hostel. That's all they do, all day. They look down on the passerby, and will return your glance with a beady glare of their own. To see them sitting on the walls in the mist, they felt like they were waiting for spirits to emerge, or else that they knew of some secret hidden in the fog. It was unearthly and creepy, but in a cool, ghost story type of way. I can see why the Egyptians revered them.
I don't know what else to say. I'm going to Rome again tomorrow. It seems like I can't stay away from that place for more than a week. Which is fine by me. Anyway, I'll have to tell you about that later. So, goodnight! Buonanotte!
Last time I skimped on my classes, this time I'll give you a short rundown of my opinions.
Art History: The prof, who's Italian, is really nice and really enthusiatic, if a bit rambly. But it's ok if you like art. Heavy reading but I think I'll learn a lot.
Classics: So I pulled a last minute switch (a typical Kori move for university, it seems) and am now in Classics 479 which has to do with the history of gladiators and violence in Roman society. It's very interesting, and the class consists of a Wednesday lecture and a Tuesday discussion held where else but in a cafe. I really feel like an accademic student from the old times. And the discussions are completely enthralling (if a bit heated). I'm very excited to see how it turns out.
Comp Lit: This class is great. I've been reading the books for it, and catch myself feeling guilty for reading a book when I should be studying, until I remember that the reading is homework. Woot!
Italian: So, I'm not in Ital 111, which is nice. But everyone that's taking it is a little bit freaked out by the breakneck speed. It makes me worried, because I'll be jumping in midstream for 112. We'll see how that goes. But starting Monday I get an Italian lab partner (a Cortona high school student) with whom I get to practice my Italian, and who gets to practice his/her English with me. I'm really excited for that part.
That's pretty much classes. I think I'll be doing a lot of reading. But, that's ok. Reading is fun (fake smile and super enthusiastic thumbs up here)!!!
Life in the hostel:
I am absolutely certain that it would be a very easy thing to fall into a bout of complaining and ranting and being angry at my roommates (does that have two m's?). I know it's easy, because certain people have, ahem, expressed some small ... dissatisfactions with certain aspects of our living situation. I had a short moment where I was less than happy. So I said, Kori, go to your happy place. And then I realized Italy is my happy place. What right have I to complain? My theory is: it's easy to complain and be miserable. But if you can keep on being cheerful, you realize that all the little things really don't matter all that much.
Other than that, sure there are things about the hostel that aren't five star hotel quality, but I've found that if there's something really bugging you, Sergio, Laura, or Helena will try their best to make it right if they can. So life is good. I like it. I'm happy.
Ooh, on an exciting note, I was listening to a conversation between Laura and Mama, and I pretty much understood it! That was exciting. I still can't speak Italian very well, but, I think I must be improving.
In the typical Canadian fashion, I'm going to mention the weather. Since we've come to Cortona, there have been a couple nice, sunny days. A couple. The rest have been cloudy and drizzly and overcast, or else foggy. Or else pouring rain. I mean, rain's ok, and it's sure better than snow, but, I mean, a little bit of sun would be nice.
Today was really cool, though. It was completely and utterly foggy. We were stuck in a cloud all day. The mist was thick and the fog rolled about and you couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of you. And the other day, Cortona was just overtop of a cloud, so we'd go out to the ledge by the bus stop (how do I explain that?) and it was like we were in a town suspended in the clouds. Or else like we came right to the edge of creation, and that the universe just stopped where the earth fell into a cliff. It was beautiful.
On one final note, there are some cats that sit on the wall on the way up to the hostel. That's all they do, all day. They look down on the passerby, and will return your glance with a beady glare of their own. To see them sitting on the walls in the mist, they felt like they were waiting for spirits to emerge, or else that they knew of some secret hidden in the fog. It was unearthly and creepy, but in a cool, ghost story type of way. I can see why the Egyptians revered them.
I don't know what else to say. I'm going to Rome again tomorrow. It seems like I can't stay away from that place for more than a week. Which is fine by me. Anyway, I'll have to tell you about that later. So, goodnight! Buonanotte!
Monday, January 14, 2008
The Journey of Eggs
Bongiorno!
So I've had a week of classes, and a weekend Cortona-style. I'll tell you about classes first.
Classes seem ok. They'll be fun. There will be a lot of free time until homework starts to pick up. Now onto my weekend.
Weekends in Cortona are three days long - Friday, Saturday and Sunday. With no homework and three days off, it only makes sense to get out of town for a bit. Don't get me wrong, Cortona's great, but getting away can be nice.
Other groups headed out all over the country: Como, Florence, Arezzo, Perugia and Sienna all got visted. As for myself, Nicole and Christine, we headed back to good ol' Rome. We took the train on Friday, wrangled up an appartment (when we initailly planned on staying in a hostel) then did some late night viewing of the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. We also did some window shopping. At some very nice stores. Then we stopped for some dinner at leonardo's. It was only ok.
Man, I think I'm going too fast. But I think I'm in the fast-paced Rome style of speaking instead of the laid back Cortonese which I've used previously. Anyway, after dinner we went back to the appartment and to bed. It's nice sharing a room with two people instead of four.
The next day, we headed for the Vatican Museums. This time I was actually awake because we didn't climb the dome at St. Peter's first. This time Nicole and Christine had to drag me through the rooms because I wanted to stay and look at the art for longer. But it's still easy to get arted out. By the end we were fairly booking it to the Sistine Chapel. Oh, I forgot to mention that this time we got audio guides. It was great fun, since the man kindly gave us a discount on the guides. What a nice guy. Anyway, we got to the Sistine Chapel, and I had enough energy to keep my head up, and my goodness, it was amazing. Completely stunning and all that jazz. I listened to the audio guide for like ten minutes, about the whole chapel, about the ceiling, about the Last Judgement. It's all really amazing and cool and I think the word amazing wants to retire soon because I keep using it. But it's under contract, so too bad!
My goodness I'm strange today...
Anyway, after the museums, we went and did some shopping. The first store we hit was Prada. There were a few bags in there that wanted to come home with me. But I'm sure my credit card would have been declined. But my god, was it tempting to try! We then hit another designer store, whose name I can't remember. But he is famous. Anyway, there were more bags in there that I could have taken home with me. I actually looked at their prices. They were like a thousand euros each. Ugh. After that, we went to shop in earnest, only everything else after that seemed like cheap junk in comparison. So I ended p getting nothing, although Christine got some Miss Sixty Jeans, and a scarf, and Nicole got a Valentino scarf. Very very nice.
We had originally planned to go back to St. Peter's and climb the dome, but it closed at sunset and it was pouring rain that day (Saturday, that is). We went back anyway, because we'd promised to try and get a picture of something that we hadn't got last time... for those that didn't come back to Rome with us. So we headed back to St. Peter's, had a few laughs, then headed back to the appartment.
Next, we went grocery shooping, because we decided cooking would be cheaper than eating out again. So we bought ingredients for garlic soup, garlic pasta, and a real Canadian breakfast - eggs. So the eggs got carried back to the appartment. Anyway, we had the supper and it was really fantastic, and worked out to about 2.50 each. Woot. Then it was bedtime.
The next morning, we were all ready for actual protein in our breakfast, but we could not could not could not get the lighter to work, so the stove stayed unlit and our egs uncooked. But we decided to take them back to the hostel with us to cook later. It was only as we were preparing to leave, that the guy from another room offered us his matches. Gah!
Our plan for th morning was to go to Termini, leave all our stuff in lockers there, then head to the Vaticanto try and attend mass, and then catch the train to Camucia. Of course, we get to Termini, and storing our backpacks and grovery bags doesn't happen, so we end up taking the eggs on the metro to the Vatican. We get there, and it is then that Nicole realized that it was the day that we remember the slaughter of the innocents, so of course the Pope is baptizing babies and there is no chance of getting inside for mass. So we take the metro back to termini, go and pick up Linday's coat, which she left at her hostel, then sit around for two hours waiting for our train.
In the end, we caught the train, but we had to go to the bathroom. I was thinking that there were bathrooms on the train, but I couldn't remember much else about them. So Christine heads to the bathroom and decided to wait till Camucia. (Ps, I'm sorry for the ranom tense switching, I don't feel like fixing it). When we got to Camucia, it's 3:00 on a Sunday afternoon, so, naturally, everything under the sun is closed. There was nothing for it but to wait until we got back to the hostel, and we had to wait a while for the bus. Ugh. Anyway, after a long train ride, a long bus ride, and a short hike up a steep hill, we made it back to Cortona, eggs in tact, bladders barely.
To sum it up: the eggs rode the Metro twice, traveled to a different country, walked the streets of Rome, waited for the train, caught the train, wandered around Camucia, caught a bus, climbed the hill in Cortona and are now sitting uneaten in my room. They are officially the most well traveled eggs ever.
Ok, so other stuff happened too, but it would take a year to tell you everything. If you know where Christine's blog is, you can read it. I'm not going to tell you. Anyway, sorry for the poor diction, but, whatever, this is Italy!
Arrividerci, i miei amici e la mia famiglia! Ciao!
On a final note, I'm sorry for not posting many pictures. The internet here is slow.
On a final, final note, while technically, I'm staying in a hostel, I'm only sharing with other students in the program, so it's more like a residence situation than a hostel.
So I've had a week of classes, and a weekend Cortona-style. I'll tell you about classes first.
Classes seem ok. They'll be fun. There will be a lot of free time until homework starts to pick up. Now onto my weekend.
Weekends in Cortona are three days long - Friday, Saturday and Sunday. With no homework and three days off, it only makes sense to get out of town for a bit. Don't get me wrong, Cortona's great, but getting away can be nice.
Other groups headed out all over the country: Como, Florence, Arezzo, Perugia and Sienna all got visted. As for myself, Nicole and Christine, we headed back to good ol' Rome. We took the train on Friday, wrangled up an appartment (when we initailly planned on staying in a hostel) then did some late night viewing of the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. We also did some window shopping. At some very nice stores. Then we stopped for some dinner at leonardo's. It was only ok.
Man, I think I'm going too fast. But I think I'm in the fast-paced Rome style of speaking instead of the laid back Cortonese which I've used previously. Anyway, after dinner we went back to the appartment and to bed. It's nice sharing a room with two people instead of four.
The next day, we headed for the Vatican Museums. This time I was actually awake because we didn't climb the dome at St. Peter's first. This time Nicole and Christine had to drag me through the rooms because I wanted to stay and look at the art for longer. But it's still easy to get arted out. By the end we were fairly booking it to the Sistine Chapel. Oh, I forgot to mention that this time we got audio guides. It was great fun, since the man kindly gave us a discount on the guides. What a nice guy. Anyway, we got to the Sistine Chapel, and I had enough energy to keep my head up, and my goodness, it was amazing. Completely stunning and all that jazz. I listened to the audio guide for like ten minutes, about the whole chapel, about the ceiling, about the Last Judgement. It's all really amazing and cool and I think the word amazing wants to retire soon because I keep using it. But it's under contract, so too bad!
My goodness I'm strange today...
Anyway, after the museums, we went and did some shopping. The first store we hit was Prada. There were a few bags in there that wanted to come home with me. But I'm sure my credit card would have been declined. But my god, was it tempting to try! We then hit another designer store, whose name I can't remember. But he is famous. Anyway, there were more bags in there that I could have taken home with me. I actually looked at their prices. They were like a thousand euros each. Ugh. After that, we went to shop in earnest, only everything else after that seemed like cheap junk in comparison. So I ended p getting nothing, although Christine got some Miss Sixty Jeans, and a scarf, and Nicole got a Valentino scarf. Very very nice.
We had originally planned to go back to St. Peter's and climb the dome, but it closed at sunset and it was pouring rain that day (Saturday, that is). We went back anyway, because we'd promised to try and get a picture of something that we hadn't got last time... for those that didn't come back to Rome with us. So we headed back to St. Peter's, had a few laughs, then headed back to the appartment.
Next, we went grocery shooping, because we decided cooking would be cheaper than eating out again. So we bought ingredients for garlic soup, garlic pasta, and a real Canadian breakfast - eggs. So the eggs got carried back to the appartment. Anyway, we had the supper and it was really fantastic, and worked out to about 2.50 each. Woot. Then it was bedtime.
The next morning, we were all ready for actual protein in our breakfast, but we could not could not could not get the lighter to work, so the stove stayed unlit and our egs uncooked. But we decided to take them back to the hostel with us to cook later. It was only as we were preparing to leave, that the guy from another room offered us his matches. Gah!
Our plan for th morning was to go to Termini, leave all our stuff in lockers there, then head to the Vaticanto try and attend mass, and then catch the train to Camucia. Of course, we get to Termini, and storing our backpacks and grovery bags doesn't happen, so we end up taking the eggs on the metro to the Vatican. We get there, and it is then that Nicole realized that it was the day that we remember the slaughter of the innocents, so of course the Pope is baptizing babies and there is no chance of getting inside for mass. So we take the metro back to termini, go and pick up Linday's coat, which she left at her hostel, then sit around for two hours waiting for our train.
In the end, we caught the train, but we had to go to the bathroom. I was thinking that there were bathrooms on the train, but I couldn't remember much else about them. So Christine heads to the bathroom and decided to wait till Camucia. (Ps, I'm sorry for the ranom tense switching, I don't feel like fixing it). When we got to Camucia, it's 3:00 on a Sunday afternoon, so, naturally, everything under the sun is closed. There was nothing for it but to wait until we got back to the hostel, and we had to wait a while for the bus. Ugh. Anyway, after a long train ride, a long bus ride, and a short hike up a steep hill, we made it back to Cortona, eggs in tact, bladders barely.
To sum it up: the eggs rode the Metro twice, traveled to a different country, walked the streets of Rome, waited for the train, caught the train, wandered around Camucia, caught a bus, climbed the hill in Cortona and are now sitting uneaten in my room. They are officially the most well traveled eggs ever.
Ok, so other stuff happened too, but it would take a year to tell you everything. If you know where Christine's blog is, you can read it. I'm not going to tell you. Anyway, sorry for the poor diction, but, whatever, this is Italy!
Arrividerci, i miei amici e la mia famiglia! Ciao!
On a final note, I'm sorry for not posting many pictures. The internet here is slow.
On a final, final note, while technically, I'm staying in a hostel, I'm only sharing with other students in the program, so it's more like a residence situation than a hostel.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The Town of Cortona
Last time I told you all about the hostel I'm staying in. What you didn't know was that there's actually a whole town outside of the hostel in which I'm staying. Trippy, eh?
First of all, Cortona is absolutely beautiful. It's this little town perched on top of a hill, surrounded by Tuscan countryside. I can look out my window in the morning and see greeen fields and little houses and a lake in the distance. (This is when I look past the little church bell that is right across the narrow street from the hostel.)
The town itself is all made of stone, and built on foundations that are millenia old. Sometimes you can just imagine the life of the town 100 200 or even 2000 years ago. It's actually pretty simple since I imagine it to be very similar to how things are today. I mean, yes, the clothing has changed, and maybe some customs, and some of the things for sale in the windows are different, but the feel of the place, the town disposition seems as settled as the stone walls on which it rests. It like a very old cat, who's spent his life chasing mice, and is now too old, too tired but mostly too dignified to do anything more than sleep on top of the refridgerator and lazily twitch his tail in the early morning sunlight. The people just stand around talking all day, saying hello to old friends, doing some shopping, running some errands (though running is hardly a good description--it's more like a stroll) and peacefully going about their lives.
Below Cortona is another town called Cumucia, which seems a bit younger, a bit more antsy, but in the Italian way. They're like a brisk morning walk instead of a late afternoon stroll. It's a bit bigger, it has more traffic, and it's residents are less familiar. But they have more shops and such.
Us students are settling in, adjusting to this different life, where everything we could possibly imagine wanting is not just a quick drive away. But then you realize that what you thought you needed so badly isn't quite necessary.
I absolutely love not having to bus to school. Instead I can stroll, and greet the townspeople I meet with a smile and a "Bongiorno!" Instead of being stuck at the University all day with nothing to do but eat fast food and scramble to finish my homework, I can pick up a sandwich at the market, or buy some bread and meat and cheese and make my own. The homework load hasn't become daunting yet (though I think I will have more to do in the future), but I think there will be plenty of time for it anyway, since we were all jumping out of our skin with nothing to do yesterday. I love not having tv, or perfect internet, or movies, or other mindless distractions with no end.
That's pretty much it. I pretty much love it, and my desire to live in Italy permanently has only become stronger.
First of all, Cortona is absolutely beautiful. It's this little town perched on top of a hill, surrounded by Tuscan countryside. I can look out my window in the morning and see greeen fields and little houses and a lake in the distance. (This is when I look past the little church bell that is right across the narrow street from the hostel.)
The town itself is all made of stone, and built on foundations that are millenia old. Sometimes you can just imagine the life of the town 100 200 or even 2000 years ago. It's actually pretty simple since I imagine it to be very similar to how things are today. I mean, yes, the clothing has changed, and maybe some customs, and some of the things for sale in the windows are different, but the feel of the place, the town disposition seems as settled as the stone walls on which it rests. It like a very old cat, who's spent his life chasing mice, and is now too old, too tired but mostly too dignified to do anything more than sleep on top of the refridgerator and lazily twitch his tail in the early morning sunlight. The people just stand around talking all day, saying hello to old friends, doing some shopping, running some errands (though running is hardly a good description--it's more like a stroll) and peacefully going about their lives.
Below Cortona is another town called Cumucia, which seems a bit younger, a bit more antsy, but in the Italian way. They're like a brisk morning walk instead of a late afternoon stroll. It's a bit bigger, it has more traffic, and it's residents are less familiar. But they have more shops and such.
Us students are settling in, adjusting to this different life, where everything we could possibly imagine wanting is not just a quick drive away. But then you realize that what you thought you needed so badly isn't quite necessary.
I absolutely love not having to bus to school. Instead I can stroll, and greet the townspeople I meet with a smile and a "Bongiorno!" Instead of being stuck at the University all day with nothing to do but eat fast food and scramble to finish my homework, I can pick up a sandwich at the market, or buy some bread and meat and cheese and make my own. The homework load hasn't become daunting yet (though I think I will have more to do in the future), but I think there will be plenty of time for it anyway, since we were all jumping out of our skin with nothing to do yesterday. I love not having tv, or perfect internet, or movies, or other mindless distractions with no end.
That's pretty much it. I pretty much love it, and my desire to live in Italy permanently has only become stronger.
The Rooster Doesn't Say Cock-a-Doodle-Doo
Well, I've slept two nights in the hostel, and haven't started classes yet, but I thought it was about time to give my official report on the place I'll be staying for the next two and a half months.
The hostel looks pretty sweet. It's a mixture between Hogwarts and a hobbit hole, emphasis on hole. The internet is really crappy and the mortal enemy of those trying to upload photos (aka everyone). The rooms are alright, although there was something of a shenanegan in the form of a last minute change in the sleeping arrangements. Whereas before we all had rooms of five, now one of the rooms has been dissolved, and there are some (though not me) in rooms of six. A lot of people were ... displeased with the new situation, as it meant that each girl wouldn't be guaranteed to get her own bunk. But, now that we're all here and settled, I think everything will be alright. Of course, it's really different living in the same room with four or five other people (mostly strangers), but I find it really similar to the cabins at camp. Only, you know, we're not 13 anymore.
In general everyone's pretty laid back and relaxed, and there are those that are here for a two month party, but everyone seems pretty nice, and if things are going to go bad, they haven't yet.
Yesterday I got to have my first hostel shower, and I found it alright, since I was one of the first people up. The only complaint I had (and it's a minor one) is that the water pressure's a little low, but honestly, I don't care that much. Lori, who had a shower the night we arrived, happily discovered that the hot water wasn't turned on, so after a short spell of showering in freezing water, the whole works shut off completely and she was left with conditioner in her hair. Other girls had problems getting the water temperature right, and the ones that slept in had not hot water at all. Hooray!
Anyway, besides that, the place seems a bit dingy, but clean, so it will definately be liveable, with a bit of adjustment and some shopping at Ikea (on Friday). Oh, and it's frezing in the rooms. Everyone has to sleep in their sweaters. But, shopping will fix that too.
The only other thing to tell you about is the food. Breakfast here consists of chocolate cereal, corn flakes, breads with jams and chocolate spreads, cakes, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and "Ace Vitamin Drink" (juices with various fruits and vegetables). Oh, and chocolate wafers and chocolate cookies. So pretty much every morning consists of a sugar rush complete with chocolate, follwed by a crash where you need food and meat and fruit and vegetables like, right away. Lunch has to be on the town, or whatever we buy at the grocery store, and dinner is simply wonderful. Two nights ago we had some salad and some lasagna and some tira misu. It was all delicious. The tira misu was just right. Last night we had some penne with zucchini, and my god, they made the zucchini taste good. Then we had some super salty roast chicken with a "salad" (lettuce leaves, or in my case, the heart, which absorbed the saltiness of the chicken). So, I mean, dinner has its ups and downs, but in general, it's really good, and it's really nice to have some one cooking for you every night.
On one final note, we have own own, personal, real live rooster, who, following the customs of his ancients, crows every morning. And, for the record, roosters do not say "cock-a-doodle-doo!"
The hostel looks pretty sweet. It's a mixture between Hogwarts and a hobbit hole, emphasis on hole. The internet is really crappy and the mortal enemy of those trying to upload photos (aka everyone). The rooms are alright, although there was something of a shenanegan in the form of a last minute change in the sleeping arrangements. Whereas before we all had rooms of five, now one of the rooms has been dissolved, and there are some (though not me) in rooms of six. A lot of people were ... displeased with the new situation, as it meant that each girl wouldn't be guaranteed to get her own bunk. But, now that we're all here and settled, I think everything will be alright. Of course, it's really different living in the same room with four or five other people (mostly strangers), but I find it really similar to the cabins at camp. Only, you know, we're not 13 anymore.
In general everyone's pretty laid back and relaxed, and there are those that are here for a two month party, but everyone seems pretty nice, and if things are going to go bad, they haven't yet.
Yesterday I got to have my first hostel shower, and I found it alright, since I was one of the first people up. The only complaint I had (and it's a minor one) is that the water pressure's a little low, but honestly, I don't care that much. Lori, who had a shower the night we arrived, happily discovered that the hot water wasn't turned on, so after a short spell of showering in freezing water, the whole works shut off completely and she was left with conditioner in her hair. Other girls had problems getting the water temperature right, and the ones that slept in had not hot water at all. Hooray!
Anyway, besides that, the place seems a bit dingy, but clean, so it will definately be liveable, with a bit of adjustment and some shopping at Ikea (on Friday). Oh, and it's frezing in the rooms. Everyone has to sleep in their sweaters. But, shopping will fix that too.
The only other thing to tell you about is the food. Breakfast here consists of chocolate cereal, corn flakes, breads with jams and chocolate spreads, cakes, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and "Ace Vitamin Drink" (juices with various fruits and vegetables). Oh, and chocolate wafers and chocolate cookies. So pretty much every morning consists of a sugar rush complete with chocolate, follwed by a crash where you need food and meat and fruit and vegetables like, right away. Lunch has to be on the town, or whatever we buy at the grocery store, and dinner is simply wonderful. Two nights ago we had some salad and some lasagna and some tira misu. It was all delicious. The tira misu was just right. Last night we had some penne with zucchini, and my god, they made the zucchini taste good. Then we had some super salty roast chicken with a "salad" (lettuce leaves, or in my case, the heart, which absorbed the saltiness of the chicken). So, I mean, dinner has its ups and downs, but in general, it's really good, and it's really nice to have some one cooking for you every night.
On one final note, we have own own, personal, real live rooster, who, following the customs of his ancients, crows every morning. And, for the record, roosters do not say "cock-a-doodle-doo!"
Monday, January 7, 2008
The Past Few Days
Hello all. I finally have enough brain cells strung together to write a half-decent blog. Yay! It’s been a few days, so I’ll go by dates.
January 5, 2008On Saturday, I went to the Borghese Gallery, which was completely and utterly breath-takingly amazing. After getting lost and freaking out about Nicole and Barb not showing up (they were a bit late) we got to go inside. And if there’s one thing I love, it’s classical mythology in art. So the whole gallery was amazing, but my favourite part far and away was the Bernini. If you walked into one of the rooms that had a Bernini, you could tell, because his sculptures absolutely owned the room. I mean, they look good in textbooks, yes, but in person, when it’s towering over you, and you can see it from every angle, it’s just astounding. Sorry for ranting so much, but, yes, Bernini is just that good.
Anyway, after we finished, we wandered around the park (Villa Borghese) for a few hours, and it was one of those experiences that you can look back on even after a few years, and just say, yes, that was an amazing, magical experience, and I wish it had never ended. It’s for moments like that that I want to live here forever. I mean, you never feel that way in
Meanwhile, it was pouring rain, so the entire time we had to fend off annoying umbrella vendors. I think after lunch we hiked to a metro stop and then just headed back to the apartment, and did a whole lot of nothing for the rest of the night. (It was pouring rain…).
I’m sorry for the extreme length of this blog. They’ll be shorter in the future, I’m sure…
Friday, January 4, 2008
Vatican City
So today we all went to the Vatican City. We got up bright and early, and we got the place as much to ourselves as is humanly possible (unless you're the Pope). It's huge. Take any chruch in Europe and multiply by 10, or most churches in North America and multiply by 100. It was really beautiful and breathtaking. When we got off the Metro, instead of taking out the maps, we just followed the nun, and she lead us straight! Anyway, after taking about a billion pictures we went to the tombs underneath St. Peter's, and then we decided to climb the dome. So, it was awesome, and at first the 500 + steps didn't seem too taxing. While I was climbing right up to the top, my irrational fear of structures collapsing beneath me woke up, and I was pretty scared. Oh well, the view was simply spectacular. So we made it back down safely, and it wasn't until later that our legs started to burn from the climb. I cringe at the thought of a single staircase.
After a quick lunch at a bar that was quite blatantly a rip off, we finally went for some gelato (mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm) and then stood in line forever to get into the Vatican Museums. The line was really long, but so worth it. If you love art or sculptures, then I'm sure you'd have loved it too. I was in awe, and Nicole was "in heaven." Of course, one mustn't forget that the museum is four miles long. So while the fabulous art continued on in an endless maze, our group got increasingly tired, especially due to the hike up the dome. But Nicole, being a super trooper, took over 600 pictures, which has to be some ort of record. And yes, we went to the Sistine Chapel, and yes, it was amazing. But you climb 551 stairs and then walk four miles down a museum, and see how much energy you have. Still, we managed to sneak some pictures of the chapel, muah ha ha ha.
And that was it. We were exhausted, and we headed back to the appartment, where we chilled, made some more pasta for dinner (this time with some spices), and exchanged pictures. Christine also finally made it, after a really screwed up and bad flight, and Rochelle got one of her bags, so that was ok, I guess. And now I'm in my hotel, too tired to move, but excited for tomorrow, when we're going to the Borghese Gallery.
ps. I think my blog sounds a little funny, but I'm too tired to edit. Sorry!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
When in Rome...
Well, I'm in Rome, in a lovely hotel room. Everything has been going swell.
We arrived in Rome yesterday, after a painful, long plane ride complete with bad plane food and no sleep. Rochelle and Fidelia both had their luggage lost, and Christine's flight got delayed and she had to fly later (she arrives tomorrow). So we got here, mostly in one piece, a few things forgotten, but mostly successful.
The gang all went to their appartment from the airport, while I went to my hotel (really nice, by the way) and Jordan to his hostel (not very nice, but a hostel's a hostel!). Then we all went out to dinner. It wasn't much of a day, but it sure felt chaotic.
Today was more exciting. We started off the day (at noon!) by going to the cafe across the street, where I got to show off my Italian while the barrista answered all my questions in English. woo! Next we went to La Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. It was absolutely gorgeous. It's been a few years, I know, but I think it's the nicest church I've ever been to, which makes me completely unable to imagine what St. Peter's will look like. However, my curiosity has only to wait until tomorrow, when we're all heading to the Vatian!
After that, we all waited at the appartment for Fidelia to get her luggage, and when it finally arived (2 hours late) we all headed out for a stroll to the Colliseum and Roman Forum. I mean, really, how often can you say that? It's completely impossible to describe how big the Colliseum is in words or pictures. You simply must see it for yourself. We took forever just taking pictures of the outside (it having closed already). The Roman Forum was also totally amazing. I cannot imagine how anyone could have built the Basilica Constatino. It's simply too big to have been made by people.
Then we strolled back to the appartment in time to meet Barb, and then found a little shop and bought some pasta etc. for our dinner. The whole thing cost 9.50 in euros. For seven of us. It would have been great, but we forgot to buy spices. So it was pretty much tomato and vegetable mush over top of noodles. But you know, live and learn.
And that's about all. It's been great being here in the off season. The weather's reasonable (like how Edmonton was in October) and it's not very crowded ever. So all in all, my time in Rome has so far been amazing, and I still can't really believe that I'm here.
I miss you all! Happy January in Edmonton!
Love Kori
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