I've Got a Feeling We're Not in Iowa Anymore.: 2012

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Cinque Settimane a Firenze

Its been five weeks since I started class in Florence. It has been extremely busy in Italy. I could write a book on all the amazing things I have done, seen and tasted. A small list includes great views from the hills of Fiesole, 20-30 beautiful churches of the gothic and renaissance style, hundreds of amazing frescoes, a couple of archeological sites and over a dozen art, science and history museums.

I arrived at my host family's house after only one day of Italian class. It was quite a shock when I realized they knew no english. Five weeks later, my roommate and I are have simple, but understandable conversation fully in Italian. Dinner's in Italy are much later than in the United States. A typical dinner at my house starts at 8pm. The dinners are always three courses. First soup or pasta. Then, a vegetable with meat and finally a piece of fruit for dessert. My favorite meal is gnocchi and caprese which is seasoned fresh tomatoes and mozzarella.

The first weekend I was in Italy our program took a trip to Venice. It was hard to believe that Venice could live up to all the pictures, but it did. I got to watch a demonstration on glass blowing, and take a short gondola ride, in which the gondola was almost tipped over by a large man.

Since I can not possibly post all five hundred photos that I have take, I will post my top ten favorite pictures from my first five weeks in Italy.

The City of Florence

Glass blowing demonstration in Venice

Venice

Processional to San Marco during palm Sunday in Venice

The Florence countryside

Piazza Duomo in Florence during Easter

Rainy easter morning

A short video of the view from a tower in Siena

A few from Fiesole

eating gelato on the bridge

Sunday, March 25, 2012

So Many Flavors

I have been so busy in the last two weeks with preparing for my move to Italy and spring break that I did not get a chance to update my blog. So, here is a quick synapses of what has happened since going to St. Andrews.

Finished my final papers for both of my classes.

Took the Chunnel to Paris. Saw Versailles and the Arc de Triumph.

Flew to Rome and saw the Colosseum and The Vatican.

Took the train to Florence and walked around the city.

Took the Bus to Siena and walked around for the day.

Took the Train to Lucca.

Started class in Florence today.

Down the road from my flat in London. (This place has the best carrot cake I have ever had.)

The Hall of Mirrors, inside of Versailles .

The Gardens outside of Versailles.

Versailles

The Arc de Triumph

Wouldn't be Paris without a shot of the Eiffel Tour

The Colosseum

St. Peters in Vatican City

A tiny car in Rome

French Macaroons in every flavor

In the last week I have seen too many amazing things to explain, with histories that are long enough to write a book on each. So hopefully my pictures say a thousand words.

Monday, March 12, 2012

To Many Pictures To Choose From

Monday: Went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and then to the Albert Memorial


Albert Memorial

Giant Easter egg hunt around the city


On Friday I went to see Matilda, best show I saw while here.

Thursday-Sunday A friend and I took the bus to St. Andrews, Scotland, a ten hour ride each way.

The Old Course at St. Andrews. Hole 18

The Old Course, Road Hole (Hole 17)

High tide (around 3pm)

Low tide (8am)

The newest St. Andrews course, The Castle Course


Par Three over the cliff 190 yds into the wind

Sunday, March 4, 2012

A Busy Week

Sunday: We traveled from Dublin to Cork by train so that we could see the countryside and catch our plane back.


Our names above the seats that we booked

Monday: We went to Parliament and got a tour from a member named Dennis Skinner. In the Afternoon we went to The National Gallery to see Georgian period artwork, this included Marriage A-la-Mode, a series done by Hogarth. Later that night we went to see the play Bingo, a show about Shakespeare's life when he returns to Stratford.

Dennis Skinner our Parliament member tour guide

Tuesday: Another busy day, we started the day by going to the Foundling Hospital. This is not a foundling hospital anymore but rather a museum for all of the art that had been donated to the foundling. There was also a exhibition going on by Quentin Blake who is known for his bright watercolors often in children's books by Ronald Dahl. Later that day I went to the British History Museum, which is not really about British history, but rather a history of the world.