Day 60: Paris

The 4th and final day of Paris started promptly at 8:30 on Halloween. I had some cereal, showered, packed my thigns up, deflated the air mattress, and then headed out.

I first went to the Musee d'Orsay and saw some of the great artists that I remember studying, and that you probably undoubtedly have heard of. Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and Cezanne pretty much controlled the top floor of the museum. I saw the famous Bedroom by Van Gogh, and some of the figure studies by Monet. I walked around the rest of the museum and saw some realist painting that I really liked. I love realisim in painting and the way that the artist can create an environment that seems so real. It has always fascinated me.



I met up with zach at 12:30 and headed to the Pantheon. We ate at a small cafe before going inside. The pantheon is a massive structure that seems to suck you in. The floorplan is open, no pews or alters, with just frescoes and some sculptures. We saw the pendulum which miraculously gives the exact time. It is something that has to be seen in person to full appreciate the science behind it. We went down to the crypt and saw the various tombs of our history as well as the amazing architecture that was present even under the church.



Zach and I separated and I headed to the O'chateau Wine Tasting. They taught us varous techniques for how to properly drink and taste wine. There three ways to handle wine: through sight, through smell, and through taste. The guide taught us a way in which we can get more flavor out of the wine by doing a sort of gargling procedure which allows the wine to diffuse throughout one's mouth. We tried three wines: 1 white and 2 red which all tasted so much better than the wine I've been drinking thus far (perhaps the amount I spend on the wine has something to do with it?).

I went back to the apartment afterward, picked up my things, said my goodbyes and thank yous, and headed to the Metro for my last journey of the 4 day expedition towards Bercy station. As I arrived I was shocked to see so many people waiting in such a small lobby for the train. It has been delayed 15 minutes, but since I arrived 45 minutes early, I had to wait an hour to board. I finally did and shared the cabin with a French man and his two daughters. We chatted a bit and then I read before falling into a relaxing slumber.

Day 59: Paris

I woke up at 8:30 and did the usual routine. I left the apartment and stopped first at the Arc de Triomphe. I climbed the stairs to the top and took some pretty nice cityscape photographs. It was cold but the weather was clear enough to see pretty well. As I descended to leave, I was told that I had to wait for the procession that was taking place to end before I could head down to the Metro. The cop told me 10 minutes, which actually took about 30 minutes. It was so windy at the procession and the cold decided it did not want to let up.



Finally, I took the Metro to the RER train and headed to see Corbu's Villa Savoye. I just took a Modern Architecture course last semester so it was exciting to see a house that we studied up close and to actually walk through it. The house was located in zone 5, however, so I had to buy separate bus passes and a different train ticket back (which doesn't really make sense considering you pay so much for the Paris Pass which is supposed to include the travelcard, but it only covers zones 1-3).



Before boarding the train back, I stopped at a cafe and had a chicken club on a panini sub with a hot chocolate. I took the RER back and then transfered back to the Metro and headed to the Grevin Museum (which is a wax museum). I saw all the celebrity wax models but was also interested to see some important historical figures such as Da Vinci, Dali, Hitchcock, and Hemingway.



I met zach at 4:30 at the Eiffel Tower. It was raining and freezing but she still bought tickets to go to the top. The view was amazing and it was well worth it. I remember back in the summer telling my parents that I was going to go up on top even though I am (or maybe I just was) afraid of heights. We went in the evening so it was pretty cool to see the transition from daylight to night and witnessing all of the lights turning on. We met a few kids from Canada up there who were traveling through Europe and also got to witness a proposal.

We headed back to Zach's apartment and then the unthinkable happened. I ate McDonald's. It was the only option, truly, and as long as I don't have McDonald's in Italy (which would be ridiculous to do with such lovely food to make) then I'll be okay.

I watched American Psycho with Christian Bale for the first time ever and then went to bed.

Day 58: Paris

My first true day of visiting the sites in Paris began at 8 am. I showered, ate some cereal (which I had purchased last night before going back to the apartment) and headed to the Louvre.



I took the Metro and actually ended up directly underneath the Louvre. I walked out of the gate and saw the inverted pyramid and it suddenly hit me that I was there. It was surreal seeing it. It must have been amazing for others because a ton of people were taking pictures. I walked through the line and presented my Paris pass. My first target: Mona Lisa. I weaved through the crowds and walked towards the room that Mona lives. On the way I passed a Cimabue panel that we had discussed in class. I said hello to it and carried on my mission. As I walked in the room there was a crowd of people surrounding the painting. I made it to the front and was suddenly let down by how anticlimactic it was. It was small; way smaller that I had ever thought. It was also pretty far away since they roped the crowd off. It was also placed behind glass which made it awful to photograph. I tried anyway though, as did the rest of the room.

I continued to walk around the Louvre and view some pretty amazing 19th century paintings. I tried to find the Renaissance hall but instead found a room full of rugs with gold striations. Let down, and hungry, I left for the food court located near the museum. As I ate, I planned my next few stops. I took the train for about 20 minutes to visit the Dali Museum. It was amazing, but more so was the town that it was located in. It consisted of a lot of little shops and had many artists set up hoping for customers for them to paint portraits of. This area also marks the first time I tried the Crepes.



I went back to the center of Paris and headed towards the Cathedral of Notre Dame. I got to view the monumental size of the church from the inside and see all of the French Gothic architecture that provides its structure. I tried to look for the crypt but after many failed attempts of asking where it was, I gave up. I had dinner near the Cathedral and then headed back to the apartment. I was exhausted from the long day and even though we through a movie on, I was asleep within 10 minutes.

Day 57: Paris

I woke up at 4:30 am. I got some last minute things together, ripped of the sheets from my bed, and checked out of the hostel.

I got to the station and went through security before boarding my Eurostar train towards Paris. I slept for about an hour of the trip. I woke up and got a muffin and water from the concession on the train and read some more of the book.

I arrived to Paris at about 9:30 am Paris time (8:30 am London time) and began my trek to find the Hard Rock Cafe to pick up my Paris Pass. I asked a few Parisians for some assistance and they seemed happy to help. This dispelled the preconceived notion that Parisians hated Americans. So that was good. 30 minutes of walking and I finally strolled through the Hard Rock doors. I picked up the pass and then used the wireless internet to plan some of the things I wanted to do and got to chat with my mom on gmail. I ordered a hamburger and fries and then borrowed my waiters phone to call Zach and let him know I was in town.



I took the Metro (the Parisian equivalent to London's Underground) to meet up with Zach and his roommate, Matt. We took a few trains to get to their apartment. The apartment is extremely small, but has a lofted area that has enough room for one of the beds. The other bed is located in the living room/kitchen/dining room area. I dropped of my bags and Zach and I ventured off into the center of the city. We saw the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Notre Dame. We met up with a couple of his friends and went to eat at 'Creperia de Cluny.'



After eating, we went back to the apartment. I was given an air mattress (which was amazing considering I had assumed I'd just be crashing on the floor). I registered for my spring semester classes back at Bowling Green and then watched Caddyshack.

I went to bed.

Day 56: London

I woke up at 8 am.

I took the bus to Oxford Street and went inside a giant Borders Bookstore. I looked through the new Eminem book, and thought about buying a couple new novels. I didn't though. Instead I got a couple magazines and went to the Starbucks located in the bookstore. I got a Venti Mocha Cappuccino and looked through the mags. The weather was rainy and cold, so it was relaxing to sit indoors with the coffee.

After leaving the bookstore, I walked to Renior Cinema. I got a ticket for the film Burn After Reading starring Pitt, Clooney, and Malkovich. I was surprised that the film was included as part of the London Pass, so I jumped at the opportunity to see it. It was pretty funny and even hilarious at parts. I also went to see Ben Franklin's house. I got a tour of it and learned that the owner before Franklin was a doctor who had thrown the bodies of his experiments into a pit and buried them. They recently discovered the graves and had some of the bones on exhibit. The tour guide also showed us some of the rooms of his house. Each looked very similar, meaning that they were all square and shape and included a fire place.

My fourth day in London was pretty laid back because I had seen so much in the first three days. I went back to the hostel after Franklin's house and got everything together. I ran to the train station to pick up my Eurostar train ticke to Paris and then talked to Mark, one of the roommates at the hostel. He told me about how he lives in India now and basically spends his days meditating. He was explaining, as best he could, about spirituality and told me some of his own stories. He wasn't preaching about it, though, just merely telling me of his experiences and said that its different for everyone.

I went to sleep.

Day 55: London

I woke up at what I thought was 8 am, but since it was daylight saving's time in London, it was really 7 am. I had breakfast, showered, and got ready for the day.



My first stop was the Houses of Parliament. It was raining and since I had left earlier than I thought, the houses weren't open. However, I saw them from the outside and got to shoot some photos of Big Ben, so I was happy nonetheless. I also saw Westminster Abbey before taking a bus towards Hyde Park. When I got off the bus, I went right rather than left and ended up cutting through Green Park. This worked out beautifully though because I stumbled upon Buckingham Palace. Just as I arrived, they were doing the changing of the guards.



I then made my way in the proper direction towards Hyde Park. It is a beautiful park with gorgeous gardens of flowers and plants. I saw a poor rat that was sick or something on the way because he was just sitting on the sidewalk, but anyway, I digress. I walked along the trails and found an amazing tree that's branches grew up and then bowed down towards the ground on all sides. Thus, you can walk into the tree and be totally engulfed by its limbs. As I continued on, I came across the Princess Diana Memorial Walk and walked along the Serpentine lake. There were some interesting looking birds by the lake that would dive into the water and catch crawl dads, or crawfish, or as one british person told me: yebby.

Next, I went to the Royal Albert Hall. This space is used for many things, but most frequently is used for concerts. We got to a tour of the entire building and learned a little bit of the history. For instance, although Albert had planned the creation of the hall, he had died before it could be built, so his wife built it in his honor. Throughout the staircases of the hall you can see a lot of A's located on the railings to further exemplify her love for him.

After Royal Albert Hall, I stopped into the science museum and looked through the store at all the little trinkets before taking the bus to my next location. When I got off the bus, I stopped to eat. I had a piece of pizza and some cheesecake (this was the first time I've had cheesecake since beginning my European journey and it tasted so good). After eating, I went to the Museum of Brands, Packaging, and Advertising. I got to see the transition of various packaging designs over time which I found to be extremely interesting. I also saw memorabilia spanning from the early 20's all the way to present day. I took the bus back to the center of town and on the way must have dropped my travelcard.



I had to buy a 1 day bus pass for the rest of my traveling for that day. I went to a theatre called Curzon Mayfair in SOHO. I saw an Italian film (english subtitles) called Caos Calmo. It was pretty good, but the fact that I was watching the film in London added to the excitement. After the film, I was exhausted and took the bus back towards the hostel. I bought some ravioli from a little supermarket to heat up at the hostel. I showered, read some of my book, and then went to sleep.

Day 54: London

I woke up at 8 am, showered, and went downstairs for the free breakfast. Choices: cereal and bread. I had a bowl of corn flakes and some toast with jelly. I left at 9 am and began my first true day of London sightseeing.



First, I went to the London Eye. It was a beautifully sunny day and I thought that I should seize the opportunity to check out the view. The eye continuously moves and takes 30 minutes to travel around the entire thing. It is similar to a ferris wheel, however the capsules allow you to stand and are entirely closed in, with enough room for 20 people comfortably. The views were great and I was able to see a lot of the major landmarks. The London Eye wasn't included as part of the pass and costs 15 pounds to go up.

After the Eye, I took a ride on a boat in the Thames River Cruise. The guide pointed out a lot of landmarks along the way and it was cool to be able to be on the Thames. After getting off the boat, I visited the Tower of London. I went through the very parts of the tower, and read about the history of what it was used for and its expansion in size and shape throughout time. The tower of london is more of an army base than a single tower, and includes many small towers with a larger portion in the center. I also viewed the the Crown Jewels which included alot of the crowns and other pieces of garment that the Royal families have had thoughout history. After the Tower of London, I ate a sandwich and potato for lunch and headed to the Tower Bridge. Inside there are videos giving the history of the bridge and its means of construction. It only takes 1 minute for the bridge to lift in order for ships and large boats to pass into the port easily. I also viewed the steam engine that is used to propel the bridge to raise so effortlessly.



I went to the design museum. It wasn't covered with the pass, so I spent a while looking through the bookstore which had a lot of fascinating things. Many intriguing books and little things that were interesting. For instance; salt and pepper shakers that hug eachother. What is a trip without a little bit of danger and forced reckoning of safety. I looked to the left (as taught before crossing a street) and went to cross and then, instinctively stopped and put up my hands and in doing so a bus had barely grazed the tips of my fingers. Not a normal bus. A giant, red, scary bus. I was instantly in shock and frozen with fear. I stepped back to gather my composure. My heart was racing so bad and I couldn't help but think about if I had decided to jog across to the road rather than walk. It was crazy.

However, I did brush this off and regain my ability to think. Why does London have to have streets that are opposite what I'm used to? Huh?! I head to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. I get my ticket and walk around the gallery and read a little bit of history about the Globe. After about 30 minutes, I meet in the lobby with others to begin a tour. We are told about the construction and how the current Globe is really the third version and wasn't actually built until the 20th century by a filmmaker who wanted to pay hommage to Shakespeare.

Next up, the Tate Modern museum. Needless to say, I was pretty tired by this point, but was excited to see works by Picasso as well as some pretty neat cubist statues. I walked through the floors and examined the works that stood out to me most. I was a little frustrated that I couldn't get into some of the exhibitions and that they wanted more money to see some. However, It was definitely worth seeing what I did. I walked along the Millenium Bridge, which is a pedestrian bridge that is very cool visually. I saw the St. Paul Cathedral and then took the Underground (the subway system in London) back to the hostel.



I got online and checked emails, talked to family, and then showered. I wrote in my journal the events of the day so that I could easily type them later for the blog. I went to bed at around 11:30, after talking to another one of my roommates, a girl from Italy, for a while.

Day 53: London

I woke up at 5:30 am.

I got dressed and got to the station by 6:15 am.

The train departed at 6:30 and I was on my way to the Pisa Airport. I slept a little on the train, waking up once and freaking out because the kids behind me on the train who had earlier been talking about going to the airport for the London flight as well, were no longer audible. I turned around and couldn't see them. It wasn't until I stood up and saw them slouched over sleeping that I was finally able to breathe again.



We arrived to the airport at about 8:15 am. I checked in and got my boarding pass. I then ate a flanti and went through security. I got the passport stamped and then sat in the terminal. The expected departure time was 10:10 am, but it got delayed 40 minutes and we weren't able to actually board the plane until 10:50 am. The plane wasn't as small as I imagined it would be. I was able to get a window seat even though I was close to the last one to board. I ordered a snickers for 2 euro and finally landed at London Stansted at 12:45pm.

I took a bus in which I had previously booked called Terravision to the center of London. The bus ride was over an hour long and difficult because I had to carry the bag on my lap and hot because the air conditioning vent was messed up. I finally made it to the heart of the city at 2 pm. I bought a 1 day travelcard since my London Pass was only good for 3 days, and I am spending 4 days there. I took the underground (oh what a beautifully crafted system of travel) to King's Cross Road. I spent 20 minutes trying to find my hostel before finally stumbling upon it. The hostel was called Clink Hostel and I checked in, went upstairs and dropped off my bag in the 8 person room. I then began my next adventure: to pick up my London Pass. I took the bus this time and ended up kind of near the London Travel office that I needed. I walked for about 15 minutes and went inside. The time was now 4:43 pm and I remember vividly the time because the door said that the office closed at 4:30. I ran upstairs and asked if I could please pick up the pass and thankfully was allowed. I then went to Planet Hollywood to look at the pass and the sights that are included within it, and to eat. I ate a hamburger and fries and mapped out some of spots to go to on Saturday.



Wireless internet wasn't free, so I bought 30 minutes worth of time for one Great Britain Pound. I emailed the family and looked up some more information on what I should see. I went back to the room and met three kids around my age from Iowa. They are each stationed on an American base in England for the semester and traveled down to London. We all went to a club and spent a few hours there. I finally made it home around 1:30 am and went to bed.

Fifty Two

Today began at 7:15 am. Brutal. I need to stop staying up so late when I know that I have to get up early the next day. The excitement of ordering the plane tickets distracted me though, and it was worth it.

I showered, got dressed and headed for the Duomo. We got to climb to the top. Over 400 steps led the way. It was more tiring than I thought it would be because most of the steps were spiral and seemed to take forever and almost seemed steeper than it should have been. The view at the top was amazing. I was able to see for miles in all directions. I remember trying to pinpoint where my apartment was but with no luck. Helen taught a few things about the structure, reinforcing repeatedly that it will appear on the final exam. Note taken. After descending the stairs once more, we went to the Hospital of the Innocents. This hospital was used as a place where mothers who could not take care of their children, could dispose of them. The hospital, or orphanage, would then raise the children, which led to many of them staying around to look after the new arrivals. The heartbreaking thing, though, is that some mothers would place a bracelet around the child's arm, while keeping a matching one for themselves, in the hope that they will someday be reunited with eachother.

After class, I went back home for a while and had a sandwich for lunch. I took the bike to the design center to work on my identity before class started. In class we went over each of our projects and our plans for our last. My idea is to turn this blog into a book, including each entry, and also including photographs in the back that give a visual representation of my journey. After design class, I went to SACI to pick up Libby's laptop that she was letting me borrow for fall break so that I could use the internet during my trip. While there, I paid Sam for the Venice trip that will take place in a couple of weeks. I paid 186 Euro since I used my Eurail pass to save money on the trip.

I finally made my way back home and did some cleaning up so that my room would be in some kind of order when I return from my trip. I did some more planning for London and Paris. I ordered the London Pass and Paris Pass, which both seemed like the best deal at the time. Both passes also included travel cards which allowed me to travel freely on the subways and buses. I then shoved all my clothes into my suitcase and headed for the laundry mat. When I arrived, the washers were occupied so I had to wait for 20 minutes before I could even begin. I took the book I've been reading and also met a couple of people from New York. After the drying was complete (even though it wasn't actually dry, it never is it seems) I went back to the apartment. I packed my backpack with 3 outfits, then got my 4th outfit (the one I'd wear) ready to go. I showered and then went to bed at around 1:30 am.

The 51st

Today I woke up at 10 am and got ready for the day. I showered, of course, obviously. I did some last minute touch ups to my books for an event that will occur later today. I made a mortadella sandwich for lunch, with mayo and mustard, fresh tomato, pepper, and cheese, and undoubtedly bread.

I got my things together, grabbed some supplies, and headed off to book arts. I began class today at 2, rather than 1, because we just had to go in for an individual critique with Patricia. I showed her all my books and made some suggestions for how I may improve some of them. I really enjoy the class and can't wait to expand into some more techniques.

After the critique, I went to SACI to pick up the camera and ran into Brad. He was also taping at the Design Center so I scheduled to meet with him at 5:15 to switch cameras. I arrived to SACI a bit early and talked to Libby for a bit and checked in on the class that I was supposed to tape. However, they were just sitting around talking, chatting rather, so I felt it unnecessary to waste the tape on it. Since I was at the design center already, I worked some more on my Identity. However, the program kept quitting and I wasn't able to get some of the things I wanted to get done prior to the critique which is going to be tomorrow.

I went back to SACI to film the Film Series that is offered through SACI, in which Italian films are shown to students weekly in the evening. I spoke to the woman presenting the films and she recommended to film the film shown next because it is more discussion based and she was thrown off a little and kind of felt put on the spot. I put the camera away and ran upstairs to meet up with Brad. He is doing a photograph series in which he places wet clay/water mixture onto the faces of people and takes close ups. I was selected as one of the lucky winners. It was actually pretty fun. Afterward, I rinsed off my face in the sink and ran back downstairs to watch the film from the Film Series. The film was 'Down by Law' and it was surprisingly funny. It was mostly in English (which was nice) but the acting was pretty noteworthy as well.

After the film I went home and did some research for fall break. I also ordered Greg's plane tickets to Scotland. It's finally happening!

I went to bed around 1 am.

Day 50!!!!!

Today I woke up at 10:15am, 2 hours after what my alarm was set for. The batteries died in it, making me miss one of the video shoots I was assigned. Perfect way to begin the day, I'd say.

I got up and showered, ate some cereal, and read emails. I was shocked to receive some comments on the blog from some people. Cinque Terre left me a comment for example, and Mr. Anonymous left a comment concerning Eurostar, yet I can't get a real representative to answer the phone. I left for my design class at 12:58.

In design, I worked some more on the Identity project. It's a large project but I'm having a blast putting it together. I also checked some train times. After class, I came home for a sandwich and then borrowed Antonio's bike to go to the train station. I booked the overnight train from Paris to Florence as well as the Venice trains. I stopped by SACI to try and find Sam, the receptionist, but he was gone for the day. I rode the bike to the design center to work some more on the Identity. I tried to print some things off for printmaking, but once again the printers failed to do what they're made to do.

I went home and made dinner; spaghetti with spices and a weird meat that my roommate bought. It's almost as if it wants to be a salami or peperoni but with a unique flavor. I also made garlic bread by rubbing olive oil on the top of the bread and sprinkling garlic powder and pepper on top and baking it.

After dinner, I did some more research for my fall break trip. I booked the hostel that I'm staying in in London as well as looked into some of attractions. I helped Greg book his flight from Edinburgh to Florence and back. I then talked to some friends I have that have been to London to get their input. Now, It's late and I'm tired from looking at the computer for so long today.

Goodnight!

7 squared

Today I woke up at 8am, showered, grabbed some book arts utensils and headed to SACI. I had to film the High Renaissance class today that dealt with Michelangelo. Afterwards, I planned the trains that I'd need to go to Venice and talked to Sam, the receptionist about them. I wrote a couple of blog entries to catch up from the weekend, and then went out to try and find a post office to mail my absentee ballot. Sam mentioned that I'd be able to get a stamp from the tobacci shop, but I had no luck at the two I tried.

On the way back to SACI, I stopped to get an apple juice. Not a little mini mone like from Vernazza either. A giant box one. It was delicious. I then went to art history. Today, Helen discussed Brunelleschi and some of his pieces including the Florence Cathedral and its dome.

After class, I went through the central market to try and get some good angles for one of my books in book arts. I grabbed a sandwich on the way to class. I got to book arts, which was a work day, and began the last of the 11 books that we've made so far. It's a long process, and I'm still not done. The critique with Patricia is on Wednesday, so I'll work on it tomorrow to do the finishing touches.

After class, I went home and checked emails. I had some leftover pasta from last night for dinner and then read some news stories and talked to some friends from back home. I went to eurostar dot com to order my train ticket from London to Paris when the unthinkable happened. I ordered the ticket, paid for it, and then, at the last possible minute, the point of no return, realized that the date was wrong. I had purchased the ticket for the 21st (tomorrow) instead of the 28th. I started to panic. I emailed eurostar and got an automated response stating that it would be 14 days until they could get back to me. I couldn't believe it. I consulted my mom about the situation and there wasn't much I could do. She recommended to try and call my credit card company to cancel the charge, but when I did, they informed me that they already gave the authorization to eurostar. They recommended to call in a couple of days and try and dispute the charges, but the ticket I purchased said non-refundable. I'm hoping that they'll understand that it was purely accidental and that I must change the date, and hopefully can do so without facing a penalty fee.

After the ordeal, I also talked to Papaw. I told him of the situation and he informed me that there's nothing that I can do now, that its out of my control. We talked about some other things too: politics, my trip to Cinque Terre, food. I got off the phone with him a little bit ago. Mom told me that her and Greg are carving pumpkins. I can't wait to see! Also, happy birthday Tony!! It's time for bed.

Buona Notte :]

[48] ... continued

I woke up at 9am. We got dressed, ate some granola bars (no 4,50 euro breakfast this time), and headed downstairs. We were told we had to check out by 10 am, so we ran back upstairs and grabbed our bags. We ripped the sheets off the bed, grabbed our towels, and headed back down. We were given back our deposits and charged for the room and breakfast. They allowed us to store our bags in the cafeteria, thankfully.

We headed out for the second day of our hiking expeditions. We walked to Riomaggiore and was able to see the town during the day. We walked through the various stores, and then down to the marina. We got some strawberries and ate them while we walked around. We spent about an hour there before boarding the train to go to the opposite side of Cinque Terre, to the fifth town: Monterosso. I forgot to mention that when we arrived in Corniglia the day before, we found pieces of bamboo that we used as walking sticks. Also yesterday, we left the bamboo sticks outside the restaurant in which we ate the anchovies and mussels. So, before we actually got to Monterosso, we stopped in Vernazza to get our walking sticks. We had to wait an hour for the train to get to Monterosso (sure, we could have hiked, but rumor had it that its the most treacherous, and takes 2 hours, and we were sore, and, and...) Upon arrival, we were pleased to see a sandy beach. The weather was perfect for the beach too. I didn't feel the water but it surely looked refreshing. We ate at a small cafe there. I got bruschetta and a panini with proscuitto (ham) and olive sauce. We walked around for a bit longer and then, once out of money completely, headed back to Manarola. It was around 3:45 when we returned to the hostel, however they were closed until 4. Once they opened, we grabbed our bags, said our goodbyes, and headed down to the ocean. Alonzo watercolor painted and I sketched the town. I read a little bit more of the book and then we headed to the train station to go back home.

We left Manarola at 5:46pm and headed to Pisa for a 10 minute layover. We then got on the train to Florence and I again read. Oh, I've been reading a book by Nick Hornby called How To Be Good. I'm diggin' it. We arrived to Florence at about 8:30. We each went to our respective apartments. I stopped at the supermarket on the way home to get some much craved apple juice, as well as some cereal and milk. I got home at about 9, and made dinner. Pasta with tuna and mayonnaise mixed with various spices. I checked my emails, talked to Greg about the Scotland trip, said hello to some friends, said goodnight to Mom and then went to sleep.

[47] ... terre ...

I woke up at 8:30 am. We headed downstairs to the breakfast that cost us 4,50 euro. It consisted of bread, croissant, cereal, banana, and orange juice.

I went upstairs to shower and get ready for the day because everyone is kicked out of the hostel by 10am. We left the hostel at 9:30 and began our day.

First, we walked down towards the place where we had the beer and looked at the ocean. We walked around the trail and saw the city of Manarola from the perspective that you'd see if, if you were to ever google it. We continued on walking towards the next town over, Corniglia. We saw on a sign that a trail card is needed to proceed through the towns. At the checkpoint for those cards, we purchased ours. A two day pass costing 8 euros each. We figured that Corniglia was close. An hour later we arrived. We climbed the 382 steps that must be done while at Cinque Terre. While there, we had lunch. I had a piece of pizza and a water. We went through various shops and said ciao to everyone. All the people we came across were very nice.

We hiked on, and came across a less traveled trail to our right. We followed it, of course. It led us to an abandoned structure, resembling the foundation of a house, however; the archway in the front was still intact. We took photos in front it. Inside, we found a pitchfork. Again, more pictures. As we were leaving we found a friend. His name was Mr. Praying Mantis, and he was excited to see us, as apparent from the stance that he took when we got close. I took a picture.

We found our way back to the main trail and followed it for about 3 minutes before finding a sign for the beach. We could see the ocean from the trail and knew that the beach was about 150 meters below us, but we followed the trail anyway. We went down, around, down, across a path that was about 1 foot wide, if that, down, to the side, around some plants, down, through a vineyard, down, down, through an abandoned tunnel, around, down and finally made it to the beach. It was a rocky beach, full of a smooth round rocks made of multiple colors. We spent about 40 minutes down there, looking at them all, relaxing. I took my shoes off and stood in the water, even though it was cold. It was amazing to have no worries, to just stand there and contemplate.

We finally made our ascent back to the trail, exhausted and thirsty. We were hopeful that the next town would come soon, yet again we were fooled. 2 hours later we arrived in Vernazza. The trail to get there consisted of mostly downhill stairs. I felt sorry for the people walking from Vernazza to Corniglia because they had to ascend them all. We arrived to Vernazza at around 3:30pm. We made a reservation at this restaurant that is supposedly well-known for tourists who travel there. They didn't open til 7. We walked around for a while, checking out souvenir shops and local markets. We then sat for a bit, and each of sketched. It's pretty amazing how much I've been sketching again while I've been here. I guess Italy brings out the art in everyone. As we sight saw, we found a restaurant that had the same things we were going to get at the other (we looked at the menus...and prices) for less. We then canceled our first reservation. I got some local wine from the area. A white wine that the lady described as dry, in which I though 'ew,' in which I bought because it was the cheapest bottle that had the name of the area.

We finally sat down for dinner at around 6:30. The host took our drink orders. We asked for apple juice, and he brought back a bottle of about 8 ounces. 3 euro. The owner of the restaurant brought us each a surprise. Rice mixed with cheese and baked, cut into squares and served to us. I think that's the proper name of it. They were good and it was nice that he did that. And now for the main event. Anchovies in a lemon sauce. When ordering, I was hesitant. But, I love trying new things and anchovies are popular in Cinque Terre. They looked just like minnows that I used to fish with growing up. They tasted better than they looked. The sauce in which they were cooked made them tender and the olive oil, pepper, and tomato that accented it, made the experience even better. Next up, and the second dish in which I was a virgin to, stuffed mussels. They were so incredibly good. Definitely not what I expected in terms of texture. A great dining experience. Even though it was expensive, it was well worth it.

After dinner, we boarded the train to head back to Manarola. Upon our stop, though, the door didn't open to let us out. We ran through the cabin to the other door and were too late. We were taken to the first town, Riomaggiore. We then walked to Manarola which was about a 20 minute walk. So in the first day, we hiked 4 of the 5 towns. We made it back to the hostel at about 9:30pm. I showered, read some of my book, put the ipod on, and was asleep by 11:15.

[46] cinque...

I slept til noon. I got up, had a salami sandwich, and began packing for my weekend trip to Cinque Terre. Once I was packed, I also placed everything from the floor of my room on my bed so that the cleaning person could easily vacuum. I also checked the mail and finally received my absentee ballot!

At around 3:30pm, I headed down to the train station to once again try and reserve seats for the train. After waiting in a ridiculously long line for 30 minutes, I approached the window. I already knew of the time that I wanted to switch too, yet the clerk assigned us a time that was 30 minutes less than what I told Alonzo. I called him to inform him of the change and he said that he could meet me at SACI. I went to SACI to try and find a lock for the lockers at the hostel, as well as print out my hostel reservation email. The printers didn't work and there were no locks available. I went to the store to grab a water and then met up with Alonzo.

We got to the station and the bin in which the train was expected to arrive. As the departure time approached we went searching for answers. We found out that the train in which we were given wasn't coming and instead we had to take the 5:26pm train (the one that I had asked for from the clerk). We got on a train that headed towards Pisa Centrale and were forced to stand the entire way because of how crowded it was. I assume because of the combination of the train MIA and the fact that there was a strike. Because we had to get on this other train at the last minute, we didn't have the proper ticket that said our itinerary. Once we got on the train in Pisa, we ended up sitting in the first class section, unscathed. The seats were nice, lots of padding, plenty of leg space and, well, first class.

We arrived to La Spezia and ran into a couple of people our age. We asked there where they were going and they told us Monterosso, which is the last of the 5 towns that make up Cinque Terre. We found our train to Manarola (the second of the 5 towns) and boarded. It was completely empty which made the 10 minute commute to our destination eerie and exciting at the same time. We finally made it to Manarola.

Once we arrived, we went through a long tunnel and came out at the base of a steep hill. There, directly in front of us, was a small cafe still open thankfully. We each got a piece of pizza some chips and a tea and sat on some steps outside the cafe. After refueling our bodies, we made the hike up the steep hill previously mentioned. A 150 meter walk, I presume. We found the hostel, checked in, got our keys, and headed to the room. The room was completely empty (much like the train, odd, huh?). We made our beds and since it was only 9ish, we decided to see what all was happening in the town. We asked Ricardo, the desk attendent, if he had any suggestions. He told us a small cafe in which people sometimes play guitar. On the way we found the ocean and spent a while looking at it, and the hill with the houses from google images that I've seen countless times. We went into the cafe afterwards, ordered a couple birra moretti's and relaxed. Ricardo was correct, some people did play the guitar, nothing inparticular, just strumming. Alonzo and I discussed art (ironic, I know) and gave our interpretations of what certain things mean, etc etc.

We went back to the hostel around 11:30 and did a little bit of sketching before finally being manually placed in the dark at midnight when the lights went out. I slept.

the 45th

Today began at 6:45am. I woke up to study a little bit more, you know; the last the minute cram session. I made a bowl of cereal, obviously. I then got dressed and headed to SACI for the first art history exam of the semester. I was nervous.

The exam began at 8:15 am. In part one had 9 slides in which we were asked to list basic information including: artist, title, date, original location, location now, patrons, description, and analytical analysis. Part two consisted of 2 slides, with two pieces of art on each. We were asked to list all the information above as well as compare and contrast between the two works. The third part asked us to write an essay describing how the Romanesque and Gothic periods served as a proto-renaissance for Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting in Florence, Siena,and Pisa. I finished the exam at 11:25.

Next, I went straight home. Threw off my shoes and fell into a comatose-esque power nap that just made me more tired. I had a salami sandwich for lunch and then gathered my things to go to graphic design. We were given a work day and I completed a couple more aspects for my Identity system. I left a little early and headed to Heather's to do one load of laundry. I washed the clothes there, then carried them to a local laundry mat and dried them. They came out damp though, but I folded them anyway. I met a woman at the laundry mat who arranges and plans trips for middle aged women to visit Florence and the surrounding cities. Pretty interesting.

Afterwards, I went home. I did a little bit of planning for my Cinque Terre trip and then made some dinner. I had some tortelini pasta. Later in the evening, Antonio let me borrow his bike to ride to the train station to try and reserve a new seat, because of a train strike that was taking place during our original departure time. They were closed.

I rode the bike home, which was refreshing as the wind bounced off my face. I talked to friends for a little bit then fell into a much needed sleep.

44

I woke up at 9:45, ate some cereal, and continued studying. I showered the night before because Paolo said he'd still be working on the apartment. I studied until nearly 1pm. I dropped the laptop off at Heather's so that she could use it to call home.

I then went to book arts. We critiqued our first project. Mine is a photo-booklet that reveals the seven parts of the central market: meat, cheese, bread, pasta, fruits, vegetables, and fish. After the critique, Patricia gave us a demo for the next project. I then went to pick up my laptop and headed home for dinner. I made chicken and had green beans (mashed up, of course).

After dinner, I got back into studying. I went through each slide on the powerpoint, quizzing myself verbally. I'm sure I sounded weird to the roommates, but it helps. I then had the powerpoint reveal slides randomly and totally blanked out. I panicked and freaked out a bit. Memorizing 120 slides isn't so easy. I decided to take a shower and a break from studying. After the shower, I went through the slides one more time and then went to bed at around midnight.

dia 4 3

This will be fast. I'm mid studying, in the zone, and have to get back to it.

I woke up today at 8:30am because Paolo, the landlord was coming to fix the heating in the apartment and needed us to be out of the bathroom by 9 am. I straightened up my room, ate some cereal, and headed to Heather's. I dropped of my laptop so that she could use Vonage to call home. We then went to our Tuesday meeting for video to distribute the week's tasks.

I went to design class. We had a guest speaker, Andrea Rauch. I taped his presentation. I left design a little bit early to take the camera back to SACI. I then went to Heather's to pick up my laptop. I ran to the supermarket and got a few things. For dinner I had chicken with fried potatoes. I began cutting out flash cards at around 6:30 pm. I got them all cut out and organized. They are just the powerpoint slides, scaled down to flash card size. I've spent the rest of the night writing details of each of the 151 flash cards on the back. I'm tired, crashing from the coffee, but determined to still study a bit longer before going to bed.

The exam is on Thursday so I will devote most of my day tomorrow to studying and preparing myself for the exam. I must do well.

Goodnight!

42

I woke up today 5 seconds before the alarm went off. I though for sure the alarm battery had died and I'd overslept my art history course. Luckily, I did not. I got up, showered, ate some cereal (frosted flakes with cut up banana) and packed my bag to leave for class.

We met at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. We spent 2 hours inside, looking at various works from the early renaissance era. Class went a little late, so I made a quick dash to my book arts class directly after. I worked on my first assignment, which is going to be a photo book that deals with il mercato centrale, the central market in San Lorenzo. I have all the pages and covers done, I just have to print out the photos and put the final touches together.

After class, I came home and had a piece of pizza for a late, much needed lunch. I watched the first episode of Heroes which was awesome. I also watched the latest episode of Entourage. I sat around for a bit, and then made dinner: a cheeseburger. I topped it with freshly sliced tomato and pepper.

Now, its 7:15 and I head to SACI for a review session for my art history exam on Thursday. I expected it to be an hour long. However, three hours later, I realized that my prediction was way off. She over every work on the study guide was was really awesome. It was difficult to sit in one seat for three hours, but will be so beneficial in the end.

I just got home a few minutes ago. I chatted with the parentals, brushed my teeth, and now I'm ready to get a nice night's sleep. Ciao!

the forty first day

I slept in til 1 pm. It was marvelous.

I got up and showered, had some cereal, checked emails and then went to SACI. I got a couple novels, some travel books for London and Paris, and then came home. I talked to Greg for a bit online, then made dinner.

For dinner, I had pasta with meat sauce. It was delish. I wasted some time surfing the net then set up the dining room table with all of my art history stuff. Computer to type, book, supplemental reading, notes, study guide, slides, and a notebook. I began going through the slides and looking up information about each. I drank a redbull because magically that helps the process. After a few hours of that, I decided it was time to sleep. I have a very busy week ahead of me, especially in preparing for this exam, and expect the next few nights to consist of more energy drinks, and four to five hours of studying. Wish me luck.

I will now begin one of the new novels and sleep. Goodnight!

40

I woke up today at 6:10 am, quickly showered, ate some cereal, and headed for the bus. I got to Piazza Indipendenza at 6:45, sans bus. A few students were there, and I realized I could have not rushed so fast. I wanted a window seat though!

The bus arrived and we boarded. We departed at 7:15 am and made a dash for Siena. The next hour is a blur due to falling in and out of consciousness. Helen made an announcement that we made it, I put on my shoes, and got off the bus. We visited: the Domenican church and then headed to the Campo for a coffee break. Before dispersing, Helen told us that each year, twice, they have a horse race in the Campo. The winning team then celebrates for the entire year with banners, flags, and constant partying until the next competition.

For breakfast, I had a croissant and a water. We were told to meet up at 8:55 am at the fountain in the Campo, yet when I went, no one was there. I called Michelle and she pointed me and a few others in the correct direction. We saw the Baptistery, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, and the Cathedral. We saw a ton of works and received some interesting information at each place. For example, Siena wanted to extend their Cathedral to make it a gigantic structure (so as to out do Florence's Cathedral) but lack of planning haulted the project. The facade, however, still stands and we were able to climb it.



Afterwards, we went back towards the Campo and went inside the Palazzo Pubblico (Siena's Civic Palace) and had a guest lecture from Gordan Moran, an art historian whom, along with others, are declaring that a fresco supposedly done by Simone Martini is fake. It was extremely interesting. He said that they have 65 reasons why they believe its fake, and may have discovered a 66th the same day we were there. After this, Helen showed us a few more frescoes and finally let us break off for lunch. I had a giant slice of Sienese pizza with sausage and spicy peperoni. It was awesome. I shared a little bit of it with my friend, Pigeon.



After eating, I walked around the various shops and finally bought a bracelet. After an hour for lunch, we all met back up at Nannini, which specializes in sweets. I bought a cube of chocolate from this giant piece they had.



We all gathered and then headed for the buses. It was a 45 minute drive to San Gimignano which allowed for a much needed rest. When we arrived, we hiked the up and down hills until finally reaching the center of town. We saw some of the towers, which lends its name as the Manhattan of Tuscany, because they resemble sky scrapers.

We went inside the Collegiata and saw the chapel of S. Fina, whom was paralyzed at the age of 10, but spent her years prior to this volunteering and helping the poor. Her suffering was even exaggerated by letting rats nibble at her feet so that she could suffer as Christ did. The fresco depicts her soul going to Heaven and the three miracles of her life, allowing her to become a Saint. We saw some other frescoes within the church before trotting over to the Civic Museum. Helen pointed out a few frescoes, including an unusual one that may depict a brothel. After she had finished we were able to climb the tallest tower in San Gimignano. It had about 10 floors of stairs (added on to the 3 floors of the Civic Museum). The view was breathtaking and so peaceful. The air in both Siena and San Gimignano was very clean, too.



After we all made it back to the ground, Helen took us to a small fort called the Rocca, where she gave us Wild-boar salami and pecorino cheese with some local white wine. It was amazing.

We finally made our way back to the bus, where many kids slept on the way home, myself included. We got back to Florence at 8pm and I walked home. I made a salami sandwich for dinner, talked to mom, and tried to plan a trip in which Greg could maybe meet me in Scotland to golf at St. Andrews, which would be amazing.

I then went to bed.

(all pictures of the trip to Siena and San Gimignano were uploaded to the 'another flickr 2' link on the right)

dia thirtia ninia

Yes, I finally got to sleep in. I slept til 10:30, ate some cereal, and got a shower. I read some articles online, checked gallup for the current poll predictions, and headed to SACI.

We had our first interview for the video today with Mary, the president of SACI. I helped set everything up but could only stay for a portion of the interview because I had class at 3. I met Helen and the rest of the class at the Uffizi and, after 30 minutes of waiting in lines, we finally made our entrance to the museum. We saw works of Ghiberti, Duccio, and Bottocelli to name a few. We were there for three and a half hours, and although it can be exhausting hearing so much information, it was still interesting to see the works that I've seen in books. For example, being able to see the Birth of Venus when its full size is incredible.

After class, I walked with Lauren towards our apartments. She broke off at a grocery store and I continued on. For dinner, I made a pizza that I bought at the store the other day. I had a birra and relaxed for a while. I did some research on paris and the must see things while there. I also looked into some design firms in London, and perhaps I'll be able to stop in and check them out.

I talked to a few friends from back home online, and listened to some music. Now, with only six hours between me and the sound of my alarm, I must sleep. Tomorrow is Siena!

Ciao!

38

I woke up today at 7:20am. I showered, got dressed, ate a pear and headed to the Duomo. We met in between the Duomo and the Baptistery doors and went over the door made by Ghiberti as well as Andrea Pisano. We then went to Orsanmichele and viewed the niches in which statues were placed to represent the guilds of Florence. We got to go upstairs and view the original statues which were awe-inspiring. We then began our small hike through the streets, along the Arno, across the river, and finally ended up at the amazing Brancacci Chapel, which contained frescoes that were restored after a fire, and also represent the beginning of Early Renaissance painting.



Class ended at 10:30, and on the twenty-five minute walk back towards my apartment, I stopped at the supermarket for yet another round of groceries. I got 2 pomodoro sauces, 2 basilica sauces, 2 types of pasta, bread, mortadella, cheese, tomatoes, bananas, tuna, mayonnaise, cereal, cookies, milk, 2 juices, cream cheese, a pizza, and a red bull for the soon to be study session for art history. Our exam is next Thursday and today Helen gave us the review sheet...48 pieces of art that we have to be able to identify, describe, compare, and analyze. Please wish me luck.

I went home, made a mortadella sandwich with fresh tomatoes. I checked emails and then headed back out for my 1pm design class. I worked on the collages that were due a while back, tweaking them. I also worked some more on the Manual while also researching some travel stuff. I went home at 4. I made pasta with tuna, spices, garlic and mayonnaise. It was pretty good and exciting to try something new.



At 5:15, I headed to the train station. I presented my research to the lady behind the counter and she was very willing to help. However, with the eurail pass (that I paid so much money for) only a certain number of seats per train may be used towards it. Therefore, the train from Brussels to Amsterdam and Amsterdam to Paris were both booked. But, I could still pay 160 euro if I wanted. Yeah right. I walked all the way home, upset that things weren't working out.

I talked to mom for a while online, did some new research and came to the conclusion that I will just spend my fall break in London and Paris. I talked to Ashley and she told me of an apartment she is staying in while in Paris for 4 nights. I emailed the landlord and inquired for my own stay lasting from October 28 - November 1. The cost is 180 euro for 4 nights, so split evenly, will work out to only 22 euro a night. This is amazing to me, since we'll have our own apartment and won't have to worry about sharing a room in a hostel.

The time is late, and I want to get a nice night's sleep for once this week. I will talk to you all tomorrow. Ciao!

thirty-seven

I woke up today at 9:20 am. I showered and headed to SACI for a video meeting. We went over the week calendar and viewed some of the videos we've shot. We set up the interview room for Friday's interview with SACI president Mary Beckinsale.

After class, I grabbed a salame toscano sandwich, and then headed to book arts. After class began, I ran to my apartment to grab some money, then went to Salvini to get some paper for my next book. I'm making a photo book to correspond with our first individual projects.

I went home after class and ate some leftover spaghetti for dinner. I found that the flight to Scotland was only 30 euro round trip today(40 if you include a 10 euro fee for checking in at the airport [huh?] and 10 for using my credit card to book it). I booked it. I'm so pumped up to be able to play golf there. I was reading about the different holes of the Old Course at St. Andrews and they seem to be pretty crazy. I can't even shoot well on an easy course, so this should be interesting.

I talked to my mom online during the research of the trip. I also found a hostel for 20 euro a night. I can't wait. I took a little nap but am pretty exhausted still. So, even though its early, I must get some rest for my busy day tomorrow.

Ciao!

Day 36

I've been waking up before my alarm clock. This has been awesome because I get to sleep longer than I feel I would otherwise. I got up today at 8 am, showered, and headed to SACI to log sheets for the videos I've shot so far. The rest of the team then met at 10:30 am to discuss the next week and to get video assignments.

I went to design class at 1, and worked some more on my Identity Manual. During class, I also did a bit of research for my future travels. I have a pretty packed schedule with traveling but I'm so stoked about it. I'm making the most of my time here, for sure.

After design, I met at SACI with the advanced painting class. I was in charge of filming their meeting with the Santa Maria Nuova hospital. The class will create tiles that will comprise the work of the bathroom of the new hospital that is being built. It's pretty cool to see that some SACI student's will have their work showcased permanently in the same city as so many other great artists.

I went home, stopping along the way to get something for dinner. I got ravioli. I made a cheesy tomato sauce to top it and a glass of milk to accent the composition. A yogurt was also enjoyed for dessert.



After dinner, I talked to Mom for a second and then talked to Greg. We discussed a bunch of things. Once such thing being the idea of going to Scotland to play golf at St. Andrews. I began doing some research as we were talking and got pretty excited at the possibility. Although it may replace Nice, I think that the experience will be a more memorable one for me.

It's been a very long day and I've been up now longer than I anticipated. I'm going to get a good night's sleep (hopefully mosquito-less) and prepare for tomorrow.

Goodnight!

treinta y cinco

the alarm seemed to take forever to go off, and then when it finally did, I didn't want to get up. I did, though. I jumped in the shower and froze. The water was hot but the air around me was not, and so turning the actual hot water off to dry took a lot of strength. I got dressed, grabbed a water, and went to SACI.

I arrived to SACI, got the tripod from Libby, got the video camera ready, and went in to Helen's High Renaissance art history class to film. She had the blinds mostly down and so the only option was to film the slides on the screen and record her audio. After filming, I ran to an art supply store to buy book cloth. It cost 5,76, a perfect match for my six euro. On the way, I cut through a street and was surprised to see some kind of demonstration. I saw a lot of Firenze flags and cops, so I snapped a quick photo and left. I went back to SACI and ran into Libby again. Since I spent my money on book cloth, I borrowed 2 euro from Libby and got a ham and cheese sandwich before class.



Class began at 11 am, and this time I was on the student side of things, listening to Helen speak about Donatello and Ghiberti. It was quite an interesting lecture, and even though I was tired, I was fascinated by it all. Donatello was the man. He is cited as inspiring Michelangelo himself. Donatello also created Florence's first David (and Ironically, Michelangelo created the last, and the most well-known).

After class, I walked towards book arts. I ran into Nicki on the way and mentioned a new Itinerary for fall break. I then headed to class. Today we made the shell for the japanese stitch books that we made last wednesday. I have pictures!



After book arts, I went home. I was pretty hungry and so I made good old fashioned spaghetti. I mixed two sauces, added some spices, and cut up fresh tomato for the sauce. I drank some pineapple juice with it. After dinner, I did some research for fall break and another trip I want to take to Cinque Terre. It's a beautiful area composed of five towns that all stretch along the Riviera coast.

Now, the plan is to shower, read some of my art history book, and avoid mosquitos at all costs. Ciao!

day thirty four

I woke up at 5:30 am, on the train still. I asked Alonzo the time, went to the restroom and then waiting 30 minutes until the train stopped in Florence.



It felt so good to be home. I walked back to the apartment, still cold. I tried to get online to inform my parents that I was home, but the keyboard wasn't working in order for me to put in my password. I went to sleep. I slept until 1:30 pm before waking up for a shower and lunch. For lunch, I had chicken cordon bleu which tasted amazing because it was the first meal I'd had since the fries.

After lunch, I called Papaw and Mom to tell them about my day. I recounted everything that I've written in the last few posts. I then went to do laundry to wash the urine out of my jeans. I got back from laundry and made dinner. For dinner, I had vegetable soup. I then called home and talked to Greg, Mom and Justin on the speakerphone. I told them about the weekend, and had them cracking up and what I had to go through.

I then bought some plane tickets. A ticket to London for fall break and a round trip ticket to Barcelona in December. The tickets cost 135 euro. After ordering tickets, I got out my notebook and wrote these 3 entries. It's been a very long, exhausting, exciting, fun trip.

I'm now off to bed. Oh, what a beautiful bed. Goodnight!

[33] ...fest

And so the true adventure began. . .

12:25 am - We went to the top of the staircase and Alonzo, Dana, and I laid down. I was exhausted and was happy that we were inside, opposite the cold of the Munich night.

1:30 am - I was awakened, unfortunately, by the sensation of being wet. Dana had peed her pants and the puddle thought it'd be kind enough to make its way to me. The urine soaked the back pocket of my jeans, near the waist and extended to the back of my knee. The bottom of my sweatshirt also fell victim. After the immediate shock, and the fact that it was disgusting, I changed into a pair of gym shorts.

3:15 am - We slept for what seemed like 2 minutes longer, and i was again awakened. This time by an employee of the hotel staring at me. I instantly jumped up, explaining that we were trying to contact our friends, which I'm sure he didn't care to hear. He was kind, though, and just asked us to leave. As soon as we went through the round doors of the lobby, the bitter cold hit me head one. Now, only in gym shorts and a jacke,t I began shivering. We walked a block over and entered the train station.

3:30 am - To our relief, there were a lot of people sleeping here. We found a decently warm area, inside a locker room. We literally stuck our bags and our upper bodies into the locker. This would prevent anyone from messing with us or trying to take our bags. I heard laughs, a lot of them, because of our position. However, this didn't matter. Their laughs were so minute compared to the sleep that I needed.



5:00 am - As soon as I got comfortable enough to begin dozing off, the police walked through the locker room, waking everyone since the businesses were opening soon and people would be using the lockers.

5:20 am - Next up, the underground subway. We sat on the benches for a while, trying to sleep sitting up. We finally agreed to lay down on the ground away from the flow of the general traffic, beside the staircase.

7:30 am - We were again awakened by the police, but the reason was due to Dana throwing up over the side of the platform on to the tracks. They asked if we needed an ambulance for her, but we said no. Dana was saying that the reason she was throwing up, she felt, was due to some food she must have eaten.

We then decided to go upstairs in the train station to the Burger King and at least be in an area that wouldn't have more cops waking us up. Dana slept some more, and I brushed my teeth and walked around the train station. It cost 50 cents just to use the restroom, but it felt good to brush my teeth and atleast try to wake up. I bought a couple bracelets in the store.

9:30 am - Alonzo finally got a hold of the girls who got the hotel. It turns out that they had gone to another hotel while we were in the restaurante and when they called, miscommunication led us to the original hotel.

10: am - Alonzo and I went to the hotel and immediately laid down on the bed. We slept until 11:45. I showered, and again put on the gym shorts. We left there at noon.



We went through the train station, I got some potato wedges, and we tried to find a locker for all of our bags. They were all full. We finally began walking to the festival, which was about a 10 minute walk. We found a table that mostly empty and asked if we could join them. There were three of them, older gentleman, who were also Italian. We had a couple beers there before walking around and then eventually going to another beer tent. At the second beer tent, we ran into some other SACI students. We spent only a few hours here, and then we were off to the train station. As we were leaving, Nicki realized that she didn't have her wallet. We went back, looking for it, but to no avail. We headed for the train, finally boarded, and got to sleep on the couchettes.

[32] oktober...

These are from the notes that I scribbled in my notebook throughout the journey. Read them. Love them.

___

- Woke up at 6:40 am, showered, gathered last minute things (water, packed the toothbrush) and left for Santa Maria Novella train station.

- Got Eurail pass stamped.



- Waited for train to Bologna. Boarded at 9:40 am. My first train experience. I loved it. It was nice viewing the landscapes pass me, blurred colors and a smooth ride.

- Got off at Bologna. Ate a proscuitto con provolona sandwich. Sat around for train to Munich. Talked to a girl who is traveling Europe for two months. She told me that Switzerland is super expensive. We talked for a while and finally the train came 25 minutes late.

- Our seats on the train are in their own cabin. There are six seats. 4 of us, 1 other person, and an empty seat. Dana and I both split three seats allowing us to spread out. I finished the novel. It was amazing. On the train, we met a kid from Austria (born in Croatia) named Marco. He invited us to go snowboarding in Innsbruck, Austria. He also told us some german beer that we should try.



- After seven grueling hours, we arrived in Munich. I was instantly rejuvenated with a new found energy. We walked to the festival. On the way, we met some weird Italians that kept hitting on the girls. There were five of us that went: Dana, Nicki, Hallie, Alonzo and I. The Italians were incredibly drunk but nice. They bought us a round of beers. Beers cost 8,20 euro. Alonzo and I split a cigar. I drank two beers during the 3 hour stay at the festival. On the way out of the tent, Alonzo and I asked our waitress if we could keep our glass. She said yes, but to put them in bag so no one sees. Awesome.



- Dana got sick after leaving the festival, so we went hotel hunting. The first hotel wanted 190 euro for 1 person. It was crazy. We tried a few othrs and finally came up with a plan.

11:40 pm - Nicki and Hallie went and got a room. Dana had to use the restroom so we went into a nearby restaurante while the girls were inside. They called us and then we snuck into the hotel and went to the room numbers they told us: 353 and 357. We knocked on the doors but no one answered. We tried calling the girls but we couldn't get any reception. We decided that, instead of trying to leave and call, we would camp out.

And so the true adventure began. . .

Thirty One

Today began early. I woke up at 7:40, surprisingly energized. I got ready, gathered my things, and headed to art history. I met Heather and Libby outside of SACI, and was informed that I missed a meeting yesterday. I felt awful about the fact that I missed it, and upset at myself for being so careless.

I sat through the art history lecture, which started off fine, yet became increasingly difficult as the time went on. Towards the end of the two hour class, my stomach became to growl and it seemed that the clock was going slower than it should have. Class dismissed at 10:30 and I went home, had a bowl of cereal, and read before my one o'clock class. I went to design, and worked on my identity and some of the corresponding parts of the regulations manual.



At 4, I traveled back to the apartment, excited to try a new sauce that I found for dinner. It was a pesto that combined ricotta and almonds. It didn't taste as I imagined, and so with the help of spices, tomato sauce, milk, and cheese, I finally created something that I thought tasted decent enough. After dinner, I again read. I've become so encompassed in this book. I'm 365 pages deep since Monday and have experienced one of the most prolific books I may have ever read.

Francesca came over this evening as well. She came to collect rent, but also to drop off the receipts that I requested. Although I sent her the amount she wanted for the first month's rent and security deposit back in June, she claims that she didn't get 40 euro of it. This is so because, I imagine, she was charged some kind of international tax or fee for receiving a wire transfer. So now, she expects me to pay this amount, when I've already paid once the amount she wanted. It's ridiculous and I tried to explain my point, many many times. Not only did I have to pay a fee to wire the money, but now she expects me to pay a fee that SHE was charged.

I talked to a few friends and family about my weekend plans. I leave tomorrow for Munich and will spend 2 nights away from Florence. I'm so excited about the trip and am even more thrilled to be able to travel to a country that, a year ago, would have been make believe. I look forward to telling you guys all about the trip when I return. It is now 12:21 am, and after getting some things together, I will sleep until 7 am. I will shower, get dressed, and then begin my Oktoberfest Journey.

Ciao and Auf Wiedersehen

The Big 30

30 days in, already.

I woke up at 10:30 am, got ready, and read some articles. I made scrambled eggs and had toast with jelly for breakfast. I grabbed my ipod, backpack, and headed to book arts. Today was a work period and I finished my five books. We are making a case for them on Monday so I kept the books in the classroom. I really like them and can't wait to show you guys the final product, case and all.

After class I ran to the supermarket and got a few necessities: stuff for dinner, milk, fruit, juice, etc. I came home, emptied the contents from my backpack to the fridge, and checked emails. I talked to mom, erin 1 and then began making dinner. I made pre-made chicken cordon bleu, with corn and bread. With it, a glass of white wine. Duhlishuss.

After dinner, I talked to erin 2 for a bit, and then called Papaw to tell him some stuff about the apartment. I have requested receipts from my landlord, and to her various attempts to avoid giving me them (long story, but she isn't renting this apartment legally and so she is afraid to give receipts that actually state that I'm paying her for rent, whatever) Anyway, she sent an email claiming that the lease document was 'good enough' to prove my housing; however it is not. I insisted that I must receive the receipts before I pay her the next month's rent. At the sight of this, she quickly agreed to giving me receipts... we'll see if they are what I asked for or if another lame excuse will try and replace them. She is doing a lot of shady stuff in an effort to get as much money as she can out of me. She must think that I'm some stupid foreigner unable to see through the illegal things she is trying to do. Anyway, I digress.


After talking to Papaw, I read for a while and then I began planning the train routes that we'll have to take for our fall break trip. The plan, as of now, is to hit up Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Bern in a sort of European Loop over the 10 days that we have to travel. It took a while to lay everything out, time wise, but after 2 hours of checking timetables, I believe I have a pretty decent Itinerary. Paris from Friday to Sunday. London from Sunday to Tuesday. Amsterdam for Wednesday and Thursday. And, finally, Bern from Friday to Sunday. It will be intense, but well worth the experience. If any of you have any recommendations for 'must see' places in any of those cities, please let me know.

After doing the planning, I took a shower. It's easier to take them at night because of the 8:30 am class tomorrow. So, now, with less than 8 hours to go before that class starts, I must sleep. Goodnight!