Spring Break 2010: Where do I even begin?

10 days of traveling throughout northern Europe leaves one exhilarated yet exhausted, satisfied yet eager to see more, and excited to tell stories-- but unsure of where to begin. Here's what I'll do: I'm going to do this piece by piece, writing one blog piece for every day of spring break. It will be lengthy- but I don't want to forget anything (so when I'm old and forgetful I can come back on here and remember things I did when I was a young pup).

With that....

DAY ONE: Florence-Bologna-Stansted-LONDON!

Woke up to the sound of rain on the terra cotta roofs. Rain and humidity, the arrival of the earliest signs of spring. With a lunch consisting of two candy bars, some saltine crackers, and a hefty bag of peanuts packed in my bag, I set forth from the Villa Corsi Salviati to the Sesto-Fiorentino train station, inconveniently located a sopping 20 minutes away. Fearing that my brand new Lonely Planet guide books would drown in the downpour, I scurried along the sidewalks, dodging in and out of traffic and booking it much faster than my travel companions, who struggled behind with rolling luggage (Thanks for the hiking backpack Santa!)

Arriving at the station, we took a 4 minute train to Prato Centrale, to catch a train to Bologna. This was perhaps the most critical time window of the day- if we missed the train to Bologna, we would likely miss our flight to London. With seconds remaining on the shot clock, we bursted on the bus to Bologna. Relaxed and refreshed, I took a big handfull of peanuts and crackers and proceeded to have an early lunch.

When the train arrived at the always chaotic Bologna Centrale station, we had to push through mobs of people also attempting to get to the Bologna airport. Thankfully, I remember the lessons that my middle school basketball coaches taught me about dispersing a crowd- pivot a lot and swing those elbows!

With little hassle, we made it to Bologna airport, taking the luxurious Ryanair to Stansted, an airport approximately half an hour from nothing, a good hour from the London outskirts. This is the catch about Ryanair- if a flight says 50 euro, you can bank that you'll have an expensive bus or train ride to actually get where you want to go. Anyway, we finally made it to London, though I was nervous the entire time about our driver (And all the other drivers on the road) driving on the wrong side of the road. Someone should've told him he was being unsafe! Passing such London icons as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, and numerous Starbucks cafes, we finally arrived at London's Victoria Street station (which mercifully was just down the road from our hostel).

Seeking immediate immersion in to a new culture, we did what any American should do- and headed for an American fast food chain. But wow did I need that 6 inch tuna sub on hearty Italian! (which by the way is not actually Italian bread)

Upon arrival at our hostel, we quickly unpacked and set forth for the city of London (we were actually staying in Chelsea, a 30 minute walk to the closest point of interest, Westminster Abbey). Following a leisurely stroll on the banks of the Thames, passing Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, and lots of red phone booths, we enjoyed a dinner of England's finest dish, fish n' chips! This would be the first of seven fish and chips dinners over the course of spring break.






After dinner, we walked to Piccadilly Circus, the "Times Square" of London, and home to some fantastic theatre. Our show for the evening was the comic sensation "Avenue Q." Basically, I would describe "Avenue Q" as Sesame Street for college kids- full of twisted, irreverent humor and numerous pop culture references (Gary Coleman, for example, is one of the play's characters). Yet at the show's core are some deep social themes. Though songs like "Everyone's a little bit racist," "If you were gay," "It sucks to be me," and "The internet is for porn" seem to be exclusively for the purposes of gut wrenching laughs, they touch on the challenges of life in modern American society- the economic troubles, the difficulty getting a job in today's world, the pressure to find a steady and rewarding career right out of college, and more. I dare say I actually learned a thing or two while I was bawling hysterically from what was easily the funniest musical I've ever witnessed (though I wouldn't bring the little kids to this one!)

After the show, we headed to an english pub for a bit and enjoyed the music of U2, before turning in for the night. Back at the hostel I met fellow travelers from all over the United States- from Connecticut to California. There is a unique bond between youth travelers. One can strike up a conversation anywhere at a hostel with just about anybody. The sense of community created by overstuffing an already undersized room with college students is truly a unique phenomenon.

The next day, to be continued tomorrow (off to bed... just watched Team USA fall to Canada... what's the world coming to?)!

Ciao, Italia!

This week has been filled with an abundance of studying (for midterms in art history and Italian) and planning for Spring Break!
Though it's been busy and at times hectic, I've still had time to enjoy the unique pleasures of living in Italy. On my run yesterday, I ascended 25 minutes into the mountains, following tourist signs to an elusive etruscan grave. Though I never reached the ancient tombs, I found a truly spectacular hill top monastery. From its parking lot, one can see over the entire city of Florence and throughout the valley. Because of the clear conditions yesterday, I had an unobstructed view of both the Cathedral and Giotto's tower.

In terms of weather, yesterday morning was the best we've had all semester. A balmy 65 degrees with bright blue skies made for a perfect morning of relaxing in the Villa's garden. This was the first time I've been in the garden without shivering from the cold! I can tell that the garden will become a very popular hang out and study spot once everyone returns from Spring Break.

This morning I went back to the convent of San Marco with my art history class. Home to an extensive collection of art by Fra Bartolomeo (or Fra Angelico as he is known, post-beatification), the site is a dream to anyone with an interest in religious history and renaissance art. Especially interesting were the dormitories of the friars- small six by six cells, each adorned with a masterpiece from Angelico for the purpose of meditation and reflection. Though it was my second visit to the convent, I can easily foresee a return trip within the next few weeks (especially with my free museum pass!)

So tomorrow morning at 6:45 am, I'm shippin' off to Boston!

Ok, not Boston. But it's a catchy Irish tune and I've been jamming to Irish music all week in anticipation of my real destination, London and Dublin!

Here are just a few of the highlights to tantalize your curiosity:
- Tour of all the sites made infamous by Jack the Ripper
- Chinese New Year festival in London on Sunday
- West End production of Avenue Q
- Midnight Comedy Club show on Saturday night
- Visit to the Guiness factory!
- Visit to the Cliffs of Moher, Wicklow National Park, and hopefully Celtic country!

Shall be a wee bit of a grand adventure!

Until I have a chance to update this after break...
Arrivederci!

Martedi Grasso!

When I walked in to the middle school I teach at this morning I was asked by a suspicious office worker in a rapid flurry of Italian where I was going. The fact that I understood her shows that my Italian is getting better. But I was most proud of the fact that I gave a response that she understood. "Insegna inglese con la professoressa in primo piano."

Though I had a rough lesson plan for the day, the students had a slightly different idea. Last week, I had shown them pictures and labels of American foods, and described all of them to the students. This week, they created the same activity, but with Italian foods. I can never resist learning about food. But to learn about Italian food from a group of very excited middle schoolers just makes learning so much more enjoyable.

Among the items they discussed were standard fare like pasta carbonara, torta Fiorentina, Florentine steak, minestrone, and pasta al ragu. Cappuccino was also on their list. When they came to this item, the teacher jokingly asked if I would like some cpapucino. Jokingly, I replied I would. So she ran out of the room and returned with a very creamy, very rich cup of the frothy beverage.

Also, since today was Martedi Grasso (or Mardi Gras en francais), I also got to learn a bit about their customs and traditions for Carnivale, the grand celebration leading up to Lent. The students brought in a number of local Carnivale specialties, including Chiacchiere (pictured second- literally translates to "rags"- fried dough with confectioner's sugar) and Fritelli (pictured second; similar to a jelly doughnut but double the cholesterol and triple the flavor). Both are heavily fried, liberally sugared, and imbued with the very richness of flavor that one might imagine from seeing these images.




Martedi Grasso is very different from the images one imagines of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Instead, it is a family holiday where relatives gather to eat from a grand selection of fried, fatty, and scrumptious local delicacies. On the weekends that bookend Martedi Grasso, smaller towns have parades that include large floats caricaturing major political figures.

Anyway, as I write this, I am stuffed with delicious Italian fried food. I'll have to postpone my mountain run- don't want to throw this up!

Off to study more for an exam this afternoon, then planning for England/Ireland!

A Tale of Two Bus Stops

Last night I ventured downtown to catch up with my roommate from last semester, currently traveling through Italy with a group of American students studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence. After hanging at a very fine restaurant for dinner (though I had already eaten at the villa, and filled up with the most superb tiramisu), we checked out a few bars in the Santa Croce area. The televisions at the bar, luckily, were showing luge! Having had an itch to watch any olympic sport for several days, I was pumped to watch men slide down a track of bare ice at hundreds of miles per hour. Ah, the winter olympics- a grand
celebration of going downhill fast!

Following the bar, I headed back to the train station to take the bus (l'autobus ventotto) back to the villa and be asleep by midnight. But for some reason, all of the bus stops had been switched. The 2 and the 28, or the busses that serve Sesto-Fiorentino, were nowhere to be seen. Luckily we weren't the only ones perplexed. Several Italians, who happened to be our age, were in the same situation (though I should preface this by saying they had consumed massive quantities of alcohol during the day's Carnivale festivities). Luckily for them, we found the new bus stops directly outside of McDonald's. I'm definitely proud of my Italian skills from last night. I talked to a woman who asked me what time it was in the united states, and I said seven hours behind. I was also asked by someone "Aspetta il ventotto?" And I replied, "Si." I'm getting the hang of this!

After the first hour of waiting for the bus, a guy who looked to also be my age asked me (in english) if we knew where Florence's other train station was. Apparently, he had missed his earlier train to Venice, and now needed to go to the obscurely located Rifredi Station (not even listed on a map) to catch a train at 2 am. Though I couldn't help him locate the station, he did find out that he could take the 28 bus to the neighborhood he needed to go. He was from Egypt, traveling through Italy as part of an internship with ISIC. With him was another college student, this time from Brazil. I sure hope they're in Venice by now. They were so pleasant despite being totally screwed on their travel situation. If only I could learn that skill!

For the record, last night was the first time in my life I had met three different people from three different continents at the same place, in the span of one hour.

Benvenutu al'Italia.

Perugia- not to be mistaken with Purdue-gia

This story begins, as all tales of adventures through Italy should, with gelato. Friday afternoon I ventured into Florence to visit an American bookstore (conveniently located a few blocks from the Duomo), but I wound up stumbling upon a culinary gem. GROM, Gelato per una Volta, features an impressive array of flavors that are smoother, creamier, and in all honesty better than all other Gelateries in this area of Tuscany. After I finished my dish of half caramel, half apple (thus caramel apple), I felt obligated to purchase "una ciocolatta calda con pane," or a hot chocolate with cream. Hot chocolate in Italy just isn't the same as back home. It's just so much better. It's like eating Creme Brulee, mixed with the goodness of Tiramisu, Cheesecake, and Babcock Dairy Milk. So thick, so rich, so perfect.

After a day of exploring Florence, it was off to Perugia, the capitol city of Umbria, a province directly to the south of Tuscany. The train ride featured spectacular views of mountains and rolling hills for roughly 30 minutes, before the fog prohibited seeing more than five feet out the window. This made us a bit weary, both of missing our stop, and of having our plans to explore a seemingly spectacular hill town derailed (hopefully not literally) by the weather. When we arrived in Perugia, this was the view:




I should add that with the Cathedral bells ringing in the background, I felt like I was in London (see you there in FIVE DAYS!).

Surrendering to the thick, musky fog that the snowman from Rudolph would easily dub "Pea Soup", we headed for a caffe to sample more hot chocolate. Now, the hot chocolate in Firenze is good, and is arguably better than anything you can get in the states. But Perugia is a city known for its chocolates and sweets. Predictably, the cup of "ciocolatta calda con banane" was even more delectable than it's Florentine counterpart:




But the hot chocolate didn't dissipate the fog. So we proceeded to walk up and down the medieval streets of Perugia, over cobble stones and under Etruscan arches, until we found this place:




Frenky Banana, the 70+ year old restaraunt owner, donning a three piece red suit complete with pocket square, promptly escorted us to our table. Immiediatly, we noticed that above the table hung a picture of him and Don King, the American legendary boxing promoter. There were many other pictures of Frenky Banana next to legends of boxing. It turns out that this man, who was now cooking us Tortellini and Lasagna, is a former Italian boxing champion. The parallels with the movie "Rocky Balboa" were simply unavoidable. What a character! A seventy year old man with the ability to swiftly knock your teeth out or cook you a hand-rolled, hand-stuffed plate of Tortellini con Carne!

Following lunch, the sun came out. So naturally, the first place we went was an indoor art gallery. The Galleria Nazionale d'Umbria is the region's most comprehensive art museum, featuring works from Perugino, the native early Renaissance painter. Perugino's style is perhaps most identifiable by his floating baby heads. Whenever Perugino paints a religious figure, they are inseparable from a heavenly chorus of baby's heads randomly flying around! The other amazing part of the museum was the setting. Housed inside of the medieval Palazzo Priori, the museum retains its medieval character with modern innovations to give you a perfect balance of the old and the new. Throughout the galleries are spectacular views of the Umbrian hillside and the medieval buildings that surround the palace.


Finally, the time came to walk through the Perugian streets, soaking in its medieval character and delighting in the sunshine that had finally blanketed the city surrounded by fields that would be best described by Sting and the Police. Up and down some steep hills, we heard accordions, watched as storekeepers opened their businesses and swept out the steps, and saw many cats (Il gato e sopra la macchina!)







This tale ends, once again with gelato. Specifically, the same gelato I had enjoyed so much in Florence the day before. Right next to a scenic outlook where once can look on to snow capped mountains and centuries old towers was GROM Gelato. It was too perfect of a way to end the trip.

Or was it?

No, it was not. Because just as we were about to leave for the train station, we heard Miley Cyrus' epic composition "Party in the USA" blaring from an American bar. When one hears Miley's moving melodies and heart wrenching lyrics, it's simply impossible to resistjavascript:void(0) the urge to "nod your head like yeah."

Perfect end to the day.

Spring break 6 days away.... English speaking world here I come!9

Rome Reloaded

Forza Viola!

On Sunday night, many of us took a trip downtown to watch AFC Fiorentina (la viola di firenze) take on FC Roma in what would be an epic soccer match. Our first impression was formed when we got off the train. About ten minutes before the game started, we could hear deafening singing coming from the stadium four blocks away. It's amazing how 40,000 furious fans can all manage to stay together in song. At Wisconsin, we barely manage to keep "Let's Go Red" together for 15 seconds! The game itself was masterfully played by both teams. Knotted up at zero following intermission, Roma scored off a corner kick with 10 minutes left to play. Though Fiorentina mounted a furious comeback they just couldn't crack Roma's defense. The team lost 1-0, prompting a slue of angry and bitter insults in the general direction of the referee (they have a whole song dedicated to insulting a ref!).

Soccer in Italy is rowdier than most sporting events in America. You know the fans are serious about their team when the opposing fans are secluded with bulletproof glass and two rows of armed policemen. You also know fans are serious about their team when you have to pass through a metal detector to get in to the stadium. Though I had no contraband, the guards threw away the batteries for my camera. I guess I could have thrown them at a Rome player. Good call, Per MarItalia!

Following the game (which ended at 11 pm), several of us continued to Florencepub, an American bar that shows football games, for the Super Bowl. The place was packed with many American students, most of whom stayed until the end of the game. As soon as Peyton "pulled a Favre," we bolted to a cab and were home and in bed by 4:30 am. I must say that it's strange watching a Super Bowl without a smorgasbord of dips, chips, candy, and soda. Rather this year, I was sipping Espresso trying desperately to stay awake. Though Europe doesn't have the same ads that America gets to watch, we did get to see the halftime performance of The Who. Though I consider myself a big fan of The Who, I was rather disappointed. Frankly, at the age of 68, Pete Townshend is getting a little old to effectively power strum through Baba O'Reiley!

Tonight I met again with my conversation partner. Tonight he took me to Sesto's local bike store and showed me the top quality bikes that Italians ride on a daily basis. I asked him if he had heard of Trek, the great Wisconsin brand endorsed by tour champion Lance Armstrong and 7th place Waupaca Triathlon finisher Ryan Panzer. While his store doesn't carry Trek, most of the bike shops in Italy are authorized Trek Dealers- good to see Waterloo represented overseas!

Big week here. Several exams and papers. Tomorrow heading back to the middle school to teach kids about American food (including bratwurst and cheese curds, of course!).

Per Sempre Viola!

After quoting Anchorman 1000 times, the phrase "When in Rome" is still quite funny.

This weekend was the program's trip to Rome. At 7:15 Friday morning, we boarded a bus bound for the Eternal City. The four hour ride was made much more tolerable by my film choice- GLADIATOR! Nothing like seeing the Colosseum as it actually was, before actually seeing it a few hours later!

The weekend began with a walking tour of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. At first I was very surprised by the immense size of the Forum and all that has been preserved. Though the building are all in ruins, you really get a sense of the grandiosity and enormity that was Rome. As you wind your way through what was once the world's capital, you walk upon cobblestones still grooved by chariot tracks from thousands of years ago. One can't help but imagine what it must have felt like to spend a day relaxing in the forum, playing cards, watching the chariots zoom by, listening to senators gripe about the Emperor's power, etc. The more memorable sites included the sight of Brutus' funeral oration, the spot where Caesar's body was burned, and August Caesar's Basilica. The weather could not have been more perfect for the tour- bright blue skies, high puffy clouds, and lots of sunshine. I couldn't have asked for better photographic conditions. Here are a few of my favorites:







(The picture of the large mound of dirt adorned by flowers is the funeral pyre of Caesar, fyi)

After the forum, we ascended to Palatine Hill, the location where the Roman Empire was supposedly founded. On top of the hill we had spectacular panoramic views of St. Peter's Basilica, the Circus Maximus, and the Roman skyline. Though Circus Maximus has decayed in to what is now a very popular dog park, it was easy to imagine the 300,000 spectator complex home to the most vicious of racing sports. I personally think that the world should bring back chariot racing- enough with NASCAR and Formula 1. They pollute the environment and have far too few fatalities!




From the Palatine Hill we descended to the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine. The Forum is of course off limits to those without a ticket- so it's very non-touristy. However, the area around the Arch and the Colosseum is just packed with souvenir hawking merchants and tackily dressed Roman soldiers who will give you a photo op for five euros a piece. However, once you enter the Colosseum, you instantly feel transported back to the Empire. The stadium itself sat up to 60,000 fans, who would watch animal fights, naval reenactments, gladiatorial jousts, and the Italian national soccer team. Excavations beneath the Colosseums' floor reveal a series of winding cooridors, where Gladiators awaited fights in the arena. Contrary to popular myth, most fights were not to the death. Slave owners didn't want to see their investments fly out the window- they were very careful to give the gladiators a long run in the colosseum, letting the crow decide when to finish them off.






We completed our grand tour around the ancient part of the city with stops at the Pantheon, a pagan temple turned Christian shrine, at Piazza Navona, home to caffes, artists, and splendid baroque architecture. At this point, many of us were feeling quite exhausted. However, I decided to press on, to see the Trevi Fountain. The fountain is home to more gypsies and tacky-souvenir shops per capita than anywhere in the world- second only to Wall Drug, South Dakota. However, the fountain itself is so beautiful that one becomes lost in the clear cool water and marvelous stone horses. As was tradition, I threw two coins over my left shoulder, making a wish, and buying in to the legend that those who throw coins in to the fountain will return to Rome in their life. Conveniently, there are several gelaterias located just down the road. Nothing like a bowl of tiramisu gelato to cap off day number one!





Day number two began with a visit to the tiny nation of Vatican City. I wonder if any of the Vatican's 700 residents have ever tried to qualify for the Olympics... Anyway, though the Pope tried his best to keep me from getting in to his museums, I did manage to get through security (which is stricter than any airport I've ever seen). The complex is just enormous. It takes a good seven hours to get through all of the museums. The topics range from Roman and Etruscan art and archaeology to a Vatican car museum (of the Popemobiles). There's also a tapestry museum, a modern religious art museum, and an enormous Egyptian/Syrian collection. The biggest draws of Vatican City, however, await at the end of the complex, in the Borgia Apartments and the Sistine Chapel. The Borgia apartments are home to several frescoes by the painter Raphael, whose famous depictions of the coronation of Charlemagne, the ancient philosophers, and the Old Testament are standards in any art history text. Compared to the reserved style of medieval art, Raphael's frescoes are brilliant and enlightening, with intense emotion, thoroughly investigated perspective, and 3D looking characters. The Sistine Chapel is the most magnificant of the Vatican's art- if not of all the art in Italy. The chapel itself is far bigger than what I had imagined. And the panel of God touching Adam is only a small fragment in a intense network of masterpieces. Interestingly, one half of the chapel features rather small and less stylized figures- as you move across the ceiling, the figures get bigger and more exaggerated. You can really see the development of Michaelangelo's statue over the fresco, which took several years to complete. He nearly went blind painting the ceiling, since so much paint dripped in to his eyes. Also, he had a very bad neck at the end, from constantly craning it around his scaffolding. I was definitely impressed by his depictions of God- active, strong, intelligent, powerful, and interested.





After leaving the Sistine Chapel we explored the Basilica of St Peter's and St Peter's square before enjoying a pizza lunch and a seven mile stroll around the entire city, that included stops at the Spanish Steps and the famous Mouth of Truth (that will supposedly cut the hands off the dishonest clear off!) Though it was raining the entire day, and gypsies were selling umbrellas about every fifteen feet, it was a memorable day and an experience I'll never forget.



After an apertivo (appetizers and a drink) dinner, several of went on a night hike found in a Rick Steves guide book. The hike took us around the Pantheon, back to the Trevi Fountain, and to the Spanish Steps, the most relaxing and beautiful late night spot in all of Rome.



The final day included two art museums- the famous Villa Farnesia and the enromous Villa Borghese. Villa Farnesia was the party mansion of the Popes during the 15th century. They would literally come to the villa (often with their concubines) for a day of celebration, eating, and conversation. Villa Borghese is home to some of my newly found favorite sculptures by Bernini, the same guy who designed St. Peter's square. Though the art at Borghese was astounding, it couldn't keep me from succumbing to enormous fatigue (>20 miles walked over 3 days). That night, I slept sounder than I ever have before.

I see that the Badgers beat Michigan in 2 sports yesterday- basketball and hockey. Nice job RED!

Tonight, off to see AFC Fiorentina play Rome... followed by an epic super bowl party at a local bar. I'll be up until five, but it should make for an exciting and unforgettable night!

I really wish I could make a sarcastic comment about how beautiful this place really is... but I can't.

Sunday was supposed to be a trip to Perugia, the capital of Umbria, 3 hours south of Florence. But due to fatigue and rain in the forecast, we decided to sleep in until ten, eat free meals, and chill in Florence (literally, chill. Coldest winter in Florence history).
Instead, we picked up the number seven bus and ascended to Fiesole, an ancient Etruscan hill town, now home to a few famous churches, more noted for its panoramic vistas overlooking the city. The city, like almost all towns in Tuscany, is not exactly "flat." The eight brownies I munched on at brunch were exchanged for a calf busting stroll up cobble stone lanes, separated from a potentially lethal fall by a thin, flimsy fence.






Among the highlights of the panorama were the unobstructed views of the soccer stadium, "Stadio Artemio Franchi." Sunday night, most of us from the villa will be heading to the stadium to watch AFC Fiorentina battle Roma! After the game, we're heading to Florence Pub, which is fast becoming my favorite bar, for an epic (12:30 am kickoff!) Super Bowl Party!

Today was a very busy day- headed downtown for art history to visit a monastery turned art museum, as well as the Museo San Marco. San Marco was a famous Dominican monastery, famous for Savanorola, a fire and brimstone church reformer. He met an unfortunate fate when he was burnt at the stake while being hung for criticizing earthly indulgences in the clergy and papacy. Again, I can only imagine what they'd do to me! 500 years later, the church finally pardoned this poor guy.

Tonight was the first time I met with my conversation partner. He is a 40 year old doctor for Sesto Fiorention, specializing in Respiratory Medicine at Florence's largest hospital. Though he is under the wrongful persuasion that Lance Armstrong is on roids, we got along great. He's very patient with my lack of Italian skills, and speaks perfect english. Also, he's an avid cyclist- might hook me up with a bike store later in the semester!

After the meeting, had a couple hours of orientation for Rome this weekend... Ah, the times to come!