So I finally had my first day of classes. No more Italian for 2 1/2 or 3 hours, a variety of classes for once.
Now, I'm used to killing myself at Butler when it comes to number of classes. I had three requirements I needed to get plus I had to take Italian. That means I'm only taking four classes (a total of 15 credits) making my day wonderful. My Italian class is three days a week for an hour and a half (some Fridays are for three hours though and the others we have off for a long weekend), my two other classes are for an hour and fifty minutes twice a week, and then I have 0-2 lessons a week for an hour depending on my horn teacher's travel schedule (this week I do not have a lesson, but some weeks I have two).
So, my beautiful schedule is the following:
MONDAY:
9-10:30 Italian 100
1:35-3:25 Finding the Author: Masterworks of 20th Century Italian Literature in Translation
3:35-5:25 Music Performance workshop
TUESDAY:
9:05-10:55 Music Performance Workshops
(2:00 lesson some weeks)
WEDNESDAY:
9-10:30 Italian 100
1:5-3:25 Finding the Author: Masterworks of 20th Century Italian Literature in Translation
THURSDAY:
No Classes!! Woot! (except the occasional 2:00 lesson)
FRIDAY:
9-12 Italian 100 (but only some weeks)
So, since I have every class (minus lessons) on Monday I've now been to all of them.
The shorter time for Italian was super nice and I'm very excited for our field study on Friday where we are going to learn about wine, cheese, and other products of Italy at this wine club type thing which includes a tasting!
My literature class seems interesting. Although all my classes are taught in English they are taught by Italians so that makes it very interesting. I'm excited to have some new stuff to read, especially as I've realized that I've read very little by Italian authors (the only one I can think of is Primo Levi who we are reading in the class).
I've actually been attending my Music Performance Workshop already but things seemed a little more structured today. He is planning performances and I'm supposed to get Strauss no. 1 ready by the end of October or beginning of November. I better kick it into high gear.
I also found out that we have a lecture series that I will have to attend a few of. It seems pretty exciting and is followed by a themed aperitivo after. My literature teacher planned the first one which is salumi e pane which is going to salami and bread from all over Italy. I'm rather excited.
It was great to have a variety of classes and to have a much freer schedule this week! Can't wait to see how all my classes pan out.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Bello Valle d'Aosta
I just spent the weekend up in the Italian alps and it was beautiful.
We had no classes on Friday as this trip was sponsored by our group, IES, and we left Friday morning from Milan by bus and headed north. It took probably about two hours before we were in the region of the Valle d'Aosta and went to Forte di Bard, an old military base that is up and hill. We took this round, glass elevators up three times to get to the top and explore. There were some beautiful views and the history of the fort is very interesting. It was rather old but Napoleon destroyed it when he captured the Aosta region and it was rebuilt later by those who felt it was important to have. It was converted into a museum in the 1900s.
We went into the museum which had these very odd videos at the beginning but after there were many interesting things about the mountains. However, everything was in Italian and French, no English. I was able to pick out a few things and enjoyed the mock-ups of different alp dwellings throughout history. Sadly I could not take photos in the museum.
After that we got back on the bus and headed to lunch. We were treated to a common dish of the area: venison with polenta. It was very yummy and I enjoyed it a lot. There were all these little, old Italian ladies running around serving us and they especially liked the boy at the end of our table who kept eating. It was very cute.
We got to the village of Aosta and wandered around. Sadly it started pouring rain. I lost my umbrella already in Milan so I decided then was a good time to buy a new one. Apparently I got my four euros worth a few minutes after purchasing when my umbrella caught a huge gust of wind and broke. However, we found a very cute little church on accident and saw some other nice sights.
Saturday morning was the Aosta guided tour. All of our tours on IES trips are done in Italian with translation into English after. It made it very interesting to me because I could try and pick out words and phrases that I did understand. However, it also made the tours rather long.
My favorite part of the Aosta tour was the Roman Theatre. Aosta was controlled by the Romans for a very long time and set up like a Roman town. They had an amphitheater and a theatre and a forum. Everything a good Roman town needs. The theatre is still there a lot, although the amphitheater is so gone that we didn't even go to see it. One place I was sad we did not get to was the Cathedral but it wasn't for lack of trying. We went and it turns out that there was a wedding going on that day. However, under the cathedral you can see the hidden passageways that they had in Roman towns. They were basically underground roads people would walk versus walking outside and also held meetings and functions. It was super interesting to see.
After the tour we had some lunch and then my roommate for the trip, Allie, and I observed siesta from 2-4 where everything closes and people relax. In Milan not everything closes as it is a big city, but in Aosta (which is much smaller and has a lot more families) pretty much everything was closed down.
Following siesta we headed to Aosta's archeological museum which was free for the day. We saw a special exhibit on what I think was Renaissance symbolism that was inspired by Roman artifacts (everything was again in Italian and French). Then we headed to look at the normal exhibits and were directed by a guy who obviously worked there to check out the basement. Under the building are Roman ruins that you can see. It was some sort of building and it was super interesting. Allie and I spent a good amount of time wandering around down there. We enjoyed the other parts of the exhibits, mainly artifacts from life in Aosta, before heading out. Allie wasn't feeling well and dinner was approaching so we got some gelato and people watched. There are way more families and babies and larger dogs in Aosta than in Milan. It was really interesting how many of them knew each other and we loved the little Italian ladies gathering on the street for what I assume was gossip.
Sunday was probably the best day of the whole trip. We headed out of Aosta about 9 and we went to Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc in French) which is, I'm pretty sure, the tallest mountain in the Alps. We took three gondolas (which is also a word for a type of ski lift, not just a boat) to get to the top and I took so many pictures. It was gorgeous up there. It was below 0 in Celsius which is still pretty cold for Fahrenheit. There was a small crystal museum at the top and you could also cross the border right into France. It was pretty fun.
Afterward we only took two gondolas down and hiked the last portion. It took a little over an hour, had breathtaking views, and was rather steep. I had a great time and I think that hiking Cinque Terre last weekend definitely put me in shape for this hike. I have not felt any pain yet but we'll see how that goes in the near future.
Once everybody had made it to the bottom (some people did not hike and just took all three gondolas back down) we went to a small town nearby for lunch and then headed back. We made a quick stop at a castle that is in the area which was not open but I got some lovely pictures of the outside, before we made it back to Milan.
It was great to get into the fresh mountain air and be away from the city before starting all of our classes on Monday!
We had no classes on Friday as this trip was sponsored by our group, IES, and we left Friday morning from Milan by bus and headed north. It took probably about two hours before we were in the region of the Valle d'Aosta and went to Forte di Bard, an old military base that is up and hill. We took this round, glass elevators up three times to get to the top and explore. There were some beautiful views and the history of the fort is very interesting. It was rather old but Napoleon destroyed it when he captured the Aosta region and it was rebuilt later by those who felt it was important to have. It was converted into a museum in the 1900s.
We went into the museum which had these very odd videos at the beginning but after there were many interesting things about the mountains. However, everything was in Italian and French, no English. I was able to pick out a few things and enjoyed the mock-ups of different alp dwellings throughout history. Sadly I could not take photos in the museum.
After that we got back on the bus and headed to lunch. We were treated to a common dish of the area: venison with polenta. It was very yummy and I enjoyed it a lot. There were all these little, old Italian ladies running around serving us and they especially liked the boy at the end of our table who kept eating. It was very cute.
We got to the village of Aosta and wandered around. Sadly it started pouring rain. I lost my umbrella already in Milan so I decided then was a good time to buy a new one. Apparently I got my four euros worth a few minutes after purchasing when my umbrella caught a huge gust of wind and broke. However, we found a very cute little church on accident and saw some other nice sights.
Saturday morning was the Aosta guided tour. All of our tours on IES trips are done in Italian with translation into English after. It made it very interesting to me because I could try and pick out words and phrases that I did understand. However, it also made the tours rather long.
My favorite part of the Aosta tour was the Roman Theatre. Aosta was controlled by the Romans for a very long time and set up like a Roman town. They had an amphitheater and a theatre and a forum. Everything a good Roman town needs. The theatre is still there a lot, although the amphitheater is so gone that we didn't even go to see it. One place I was sad we did not get to was the Cathedral but it wasn't for lack of trying. We went and it turns out that there was a wedding going on that day. However, under the cathedral you can see the hidden passageways that they had in Roman towns. They were basically underground roads people would walk versus walking outside and also held meetings and functions. It was super interesting to see.
After the tour we had some lunch and then my roommate for the trip, Allie, and I observed siesta from 2-4 where everything closes and people relax. In Milan not everything closes as it is a big city, but in Aosta (which is much smaller and has a lot more families) pretty much everything was closed down.
Following siesta we headed to Aosta's archeological museum which was free for the day. We saw a special exhibit on what I think was Renaissance symbolism that was inspired by Roman artifacts (everything was again in Italian and French). Then we headed to look at the normal exhibits and were directed by a guy who obviously worked there to check out the basement. Under the building are Roman ruins that you can see. It was some sort of building and it was super interesting. Allie and I spent a good amount of time wandering around down there. We enjoyed the other parts of the exhibits, mainly artifacts from life in Aosta, before heading out. Allie wasn't feeling well and dinner was approaching so we got some gelato and people watched. There are way more families and babies and larger dogs in Aosta than in Milan. It was really interesting how many of them knew each other and we loved the little Italian ladies gathering on the street for what I assume was gossip.
Sunday was probably the best day of the whole trip. We headed out of Aosta about 9 and we went to Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc in French) which is, I'm pretty sure, the tallest mountain in the Alps. We took three gondolas (which is also a word for a type of ski lift, not just a boat) to get to the top and I took so many pictures. It was gorgeous up there. It was below 0 in Celsius which is still pretty cold for Fahrenheit. There was a small crystal museum at the top and you could also cross the border right into France. It was pretty fun.
Afterward we only took two gondolas down and hiked the last portion. It took a little over an hour, had breathtaking views, and was rather steep. I had a great time and I think that hiking Cinque Terre last weekend definitely put me in shape for this hike. I have not felt any pain yet but we'll see how that goes in the near future.
Once everybody had made it to the bottom (some people did not hike and just took all three gondolas back down) we went to a small town nearby for lunch and then headed back. We made a quick stop at a castle that is in the area which was not open but I got some lovely pictures of the outside, before we made it back to Milan.
It was great to get into the fresh mountain air and be away from the city before starting all of our classes on Monday!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Cinque Terre
So I am going to preface this post with just saying that I had never heard of the Cinque Terre until I got here and I will never forget the Cinque Terre. It is fantastic and I would recommend it to anybody who enjoys good views and hiking.
For those that don't know, the Cinque Terre are five villages (that's what Cinque Terre translates too): Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterossa set right along the Gulf of Genova (the northwest side of Italy at the top of the boot). They are connected by hiking trails and there is swimming, and vineyards, and very good food. They are absolutely beautiful (there are 581 pictures I took to prove it).
FRIDAY:
We got into Monterosso about 5 o'clock and headed down on the train to Riomaggiore where we stayed. There were four of us and we met up with one of the guys in our group's girlfriend and three of her friends as well. We basically took lots of pictures of Riomaggiore and then ate dinner, had some gelato, and went to bed.
SATURDAY:
Now, this is the big day. We were told to walk from Riomaggiore north to Monterosso on the trails (opposite of what most guidebooks say but I think it was better). We started about nine am and finished about five pm so here it goes:
RIOMAGGIORE TO MANAROLA:
This section is the Via Dell'Amore and it is the easiest part to hike because it is flat and paved. It has beautiful views of the water and there are all these love words engraved on the walls in marble set into the cliffs. There is a lot of love related graffiti (they also like to carve their names into cacti we discovered) and people put locks up to represent their love. It was all very touching and a very nice warm up to the beginning of the hike.
We explored the town of Manarola which has a very nice marina and I bought some foccaccia bread which the Cinque Terre are known for. It was fantastic and a great snack for as I got hungry.
MANAROLA TO CORNIGLIA:
So, this part of the trail was closed due to risk of landslides. Apparently this is common. This also means I need to come back so I can hike this portion. However, we took the train to Corniglia and it turns out to get into the city center (and the rest of the trail) from their train station you have to climb 382 steps. I didn't count, they congratulate you at the top with a sign.
Corniglia is beautifully set out on a small peninsula and, like all the Cinque Terre, a cute little town. We went to this panoramic view area to get some great shots before continuing on our adventure.
CORNIGLIA TO VERNAZZA:
This is the hardest part of the entire hike. The paved paths were gone and we were left with stone paths, lots of steps, and beautiful views. Although it also took us pretty far from the coast compared to the rest of the hike. This portion took us over two hours, despite the fact that it says it should only take an hour and a half. However, we stopped for water a lot, and to take pictures. The sun was coming out at this time (the morning had previously been overcast and the forecast predicted rain all day) which made things pretty but it was also hot. I took a lot of trail pictures so you should check those out. Pictures are worth a thousand words in this case.
However, Vernazza may have been my favorite of the Cinque Terre. It's set almost like a pier coming out of the coast (it also has a pier coming out of the coast). It was 1 when we got in so we had lunch at this place called Blue Marlin. I had Trofie pasta with pesto (Cinque Terre is known for pesto!) and it was fantastic. Probably one of my best meals so far and well priced. We spent a good amount of time in Vernazza because we were so tired. We went out to the pier area, took some pictures, and relaxed on these big rocks for awhile. It was quite nice, but it was onto the final leg.
VERNAZZA TO MONTEROSSO:
This part was not as hard as the previous leg, but it was the second hardest and the most treacherous I think. I was so glad we started in the south though because our trip had a ton of steps at the beginning going up and then was pretty gradually downhill plus some small uphills. Meaning coming the other way it was a lot of uphill instead.
The trail here got pretty narrow for awhile and it had started to rain which made the stones that marked the path rather slippery. It rained for about an hour but it was refreshing since we were so hot from hiking the other two legs (particularly the first leg). My friend Allie almost fell down a hill from slipping on the stones, luckily there was a railing at that part (some parts do not have railings, this is not for anybody bad with heights).
This part goes through a lot of vineyards at the end which was fun to see. The grapes looked gorgeous.
The very end part of this was a TON of steps downhill (hence why I was glad to go down, not up). The rain had stopped but some were still slippery. We got into Monterosso and were so proud of ourselves for taking the 2 hours they say it takes to complete that leg that we celebrated with, what else?, gelato!
We ended up not exploring Monterosso but heading back to our hostel (which was really nice, much improved over last weekend) and showering before finding some dinner in Riomaggiore. I had gnocci stuffed with tomato and mozzarella which was fantastic. We wandered Riomaggiore's main street a bit before heading back up to our hostel (we were rather high up on the hill). We talked a bit before more or less passing out from exhaustion.
SUNDAY:
We slept in until about 9, and packed to leave by 10 (check-out time). Three of us headed back to Vernazza to explore the Castello Doria which had fantastic views of the area. We had lunch at Blue Marlin again because we loved it so much and I had anchovy pizza. Allie stared at me through my whole first piece since she thought I was crazy for having anchovies on pizza. We then headed onto Monterosso to explore for once.
The biggest thing with Monterosso is there is beach access. So we walked a little but we were so tired that we ended up wading into the Gulf of Genova (part of the Linguarian Sea) for a good amount of time.
We finished our trip with some gelato and our three hour train ride back to Milan thoroughly tired but with beautiful memories and pictures of the Cinque Terre!
For those that don't know, the Cinque Terre are five villages (that's what Cinque Terre translates too): Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterossa set right along the Gulf of Genova (the northwest side of Italy at the top of the boot). They are connected by hiking trails and there is swimming, and vineyards, and very good food. They are absolutely beautiful (there are 581 pictures I took to prove it).
FRIDAY:
We got into Monterosso about 5 o'clock and headed down on the train to Riomaggiore where we stayed. There were four of us and we met up with one of the guys in our group's girlfriend and three of her friends as well. We basically took lots of pictures of Riomaggiore and then ate dinner, had some gelato, and went to bed.
SATURDAY:
Now, this is the big day. We were told to walk from Riomaggiore north to Monterosso on the trails (opposite of what most guidebooks say but I think it was better). We started about nine am and finished about five pm so here it goes:
RIOMAGGIORE TO MANAROLA:
This section is the Via Dell'Amore and it is the easiest part to hike because it is flat and paved. It has beautiful views of the water and there are all these love words engraved on the walls in marble set into the cliffs. There is a lot of love related graffiti (they also like to carve their names into cacti we discovered) and people put locks up to represent their love. It was all very touching and a very nice warm up to the beginning of the hike.
We explored the town of Manarola which has a very nice marina and I bought some foccaccia bread which the Cinque Terre are known for. It was fantastic and a great snack for as I got hungry.
MANAROLA TO CORNIGLIA:
So, this part of the trail was closed due to risk of landslides. Apparently this is common. This also means I need to come back so I can hike this portion. However, we took the train to Corniglia and it turns out to get into the city center (and the rest of the trail) from their train station you have to climb 382 steps. I didn't count, they congratulate you at the top with a sign.
Corniglia is beautifully set out on a small peninsula and, like all the Cinque Terre, a cute little town. We went to this panoramic view area to get some great shots before continuing on our adventure.
CORNIGLIA TO VERNAZZA:
This is the hardest part of the entire hike. The paved paths were gone and we were left with stone paths, lots of steps, and beautiful views. Although it also took us pretty far from the coast compared to the rest of the hike. This portion took us over two hours, despite the fact that it says it should only take an hour and a half. However, we stopped for water a lot, and to take pictures. The sun was coming out at this time (the morning had previously been overcast and the forecast predicted rain all day) which made things pretty but it was also hot. I took a lot of trail pictures so you should check those out. Pictures are worth a thousand words in this case.
However, Vernazza may have been my favorite of the Cinque Terre. It's set almost like a pier coming out of the coast (it also has a pier coming out of the coast). It was 1 when we got in so we had lunch at this place called Blue Marlin. I had Trofie pasta with pesto (Cinque Terre is known for pesto!) and it was fantastic. Probably one of my best meals so far and well priced. We spent a good amount of time in Vernazza because we were so tired. We went out to the pier area, took some pictures, and relaxed on these big rocks for awhile. It was quite nice, but it was onto the final leg.
VERNAZZA TO MONTEROSSO:
This part was not as hard as the previous leg, but it was the second hardest and the most treacherous I think. I was so glad we started in the south though because our trip had a ton of steps at the beginning going up and then was pretty gradually downhill plus some small uphills. Meaning coming the other way it was a lot of uphill instead.
The trail here got pretty narrow for awhile and it had started to rain which made the stones that marked the path rather slippery. It rained for about an hour but it was refreshing since we were so hot from hiking the other two legs (particularly the first leg). My friend Allie almost fell down a hill from slipping on the stones, luckily there was a railing at that part (some parts do not have railings, this is not for anybody bad with heights).
This part goes through a lot of vineyards at the end which was fun to see. The grapes looked gorgeous.
The very end part of this was a TON of steps downhill (hence why I was glad to go down, not up). The rain had stopped but some were still slippery. We got into Monterosso and were so proud of ourselves for taking the 2 hours they say it takes to complete that leg that we celebrated with, what else?, gelato!
We ended up not exploring Monterosso but heading back to our hostel (which was really nice, much improved over last weekend) and showering before finding some dinner in Riomaggiore. I had gnocci stuffed with tomato and mozzarella which was fantastic. We wandered Riomaggiore's main street a bit before heading back up to our hostel (we were rather high up on the hill). We talked a bit before more or less passing out from exhaustion.
SUNDAY:
We slept in until about 9, and packed to leave by 10 (check-out time). Three of us headed back to Vernazza to explore the Castello Doria which had fantastic views of the area. We had lunch at Blue Marlin again because we loved it so much and I had anchovy pizza. Allie stared at me through my whole first piece since she thought I was crazy for having anchovies on pizza. We then headed onto Monterosso to explore for once.
The biggest thing with Monterosso is there is beach access. So we walked a little but we were so tired that we ended up wading into the Gulf of Genova (part of the Linguarian Sea) for a good amount of time.
We finished our trip with some gelato and our three hour train ride back to Milan thoroughly tired but with beautiful memories and pictures of the Cinque Terre!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Milano Happenings
Here's some various things that have been going on since I've been in Milan:
Italian Class:
I have this every week day for 2 1/2 hours. It's pretty cool and we learn a lot, I feel decently comfortable ordering a bar (bars in Italy are for many things besides alcohol such as breakfast food or lunch food). One day we went in groups to Cattolica (the university) and had to ask Italian students (in Italian) various questions about themselves and about different Italian hand gestures.
I've also moved myself up when people ask me things in Italian outside of school from saying "non parlo italiano" (I don't speak Italian) to "non parlo italiano bene" (I don't speak Italian well). I think it's an improvement.
Wednesday, September 8th:
I went shopping for the first time! I discovered OVS which is a well priced, quality store that I've decided I love. I got two shirts, two sweaters, and a scarf to expand my wardrobe some since it's pretty small (I got here in one suitcase, remember?).
Thursday, September 9th:
It was Vogue's Fashion's Night Out in Milan so I headed to go see some of it. I only spent about an hour there and apparently we missed out on the awesome area, but the part we went to the stores were open later than usual and had DJs and other fun things going on. I ended up getting a bag for carrying books and such in at this place called Carpisa which I've seen a lot of women with. It's very well priced and I can say I bought something at Fashion's Night Out in Milan!
Friday, September 10th:
Well, you can read about Venice below, but I had my first horn lesson! My professor's name is Ermes Pecchinini and he seems very nice. He was complimentary about my playing and wants to work mostly on expression (which I expected since Italians are very expressive with music). I don't have another lesson for two weeks because of his traveling but I'm looking forward to it and am motivated to practice, particularly my expression.
Tuesday, September 14th:
My 4 euro for fruit last week was a rip off. I got two kilos of fruit (these yellow things I can't name and nectarines) for 3 euro! Yay!
Wednesday, September 15th:
I decided to culture myself and toured the Brera which is an art museum made mostly of Italian masters from the Renaissance to very early Impressionism. I enjoyed it a lot. They also have a small modern collection which was donated including a Picasso painting. I saw many Madonna con Bambino (Madonna and Child) and tried to count for my dad but, alas, I lost count. There had to be at least fifty and the museum wasn't tiny but it was a lot smaller than the Art Institute of Chicago.
We went out for aperitivo again. I love this tradition. Especially because we do it the student way where we stock up on lots of finger food/appetizers and count that for dinner. For a buffet of finger foods and a drink it was only 9 euro which is great since the drinks were 7 euro alone.
Thursday, September 16th:
Registered for classes! Yay! I have 4: horn lessons, Music Performance Workshop, Italian 100, and a literature class called Finding the Author: Italian Masterworks in Translation which I'm actually rather excited about. I'm also excited that I have no classes on Thursday and I'm done at 11am on Tuesdays. Time to explore Milan? I think so! I've already started my lists. If you've been to Milan before let me know what you liked and I'll try to get to it! Suggestions are always welcome!
~
Other observations about Milan:
-It is not touristy. After the visit to Venice I've realized how much I love that most people in Milan are Milanese. Of course, we do get tourists. Often times they come up to people in the program to help them get somewhere (they're normally really bad at the metro). But it's much more real here with the fewer amounts of tourists.
-Speaking of the metro...it's crowded. And, apparently prone to striking. Oh joy. At least they still operate during the morning and evening rush hour (I can't even imagine how crowded it will be then)
-Even though I know the euro is more than the dollar, things (at least food-wise) seem cheaper here. At the market especially (see above) but at the grocery story we go to there are really good prices on pretty quality food. I buy a lot of pasta. Good thing I walk a lot and always take the stairs.
-They LOVE their dogs. And I love them for it. I see golden retrievers sitting on the metro with us and on the way to Venice this long-haired dachshund had its own seat. It was rather adorable. However, I'm unsure if it's in good Italian manners for me to pet a dog if I happen to be near it. Right now I'm just hoping for a dog to approach me first so I don't feel weird. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to strike up a short conversation in Italian with the owner!
Italian Class:
I have this every week day for 2 1/2 hours. It's pretty cool and we learn a lot, I feel decently comfortable ordering a bar (bars in Italy are for many things besides alcohol such as breakfast food or lunch food). One day we went in groups to Cattolica (the university) and had to ask Italian students (in Italian) various questions about themselves and about different Italian hand gestures.
I've also moved myself up when people ask me things in Italian outside of school from saying "non parlo italiano" (I don't speak Italian) to "non parlo italiano bene" (I don't speak Italian well). I think it's an improvement.
Wednesday, September 8th:
I went shopping for the first time! I discovered OVS which is a well priced, quality store that I've decided I love. I got two shirts, two sweaters, and a scarf to expand my wardrobe some since it's pretty small (I got here in one suitcase, remember?).
Thursday, September 9th:
It was Vogue's Fashion's Night Out in Milan so I headed to go see some of it. I only spent about an hour there and apparently we missed out on the awesome area, but the part we went to the stores were open later than usual and had DJs and other fun things going on. I ended up getting a bag for carrying books and such in at this place called Carpisa which I've seen a lot of women with. It's very well priced and I can say I bought something at Fashion's Night Out in Milan!
Friday, September 10th:
Well, you can read about Venice below, but I had my first horn lesson! My professor's name is Ermes Pecchinini and he seems very nice. He was complimentary about my playing and wants to work mostly on expression (which I expected since Italians are very expressive with music). I don't have another lesson for two weeks because of his traveling but I'm looking forward to it and am motivated to practice, particularly my expression.
Tuesday, September 14th:
My 4 euro for fruit last week was a rip off. I got two kilos of fruit (these yellow things I can't name and nectarines) for 3 euro! Yay!
Wednesday, September 15th:
I decided to culture myself and toured the Brera which is an art museum made mostly of Italian masters from the Renaissance to very early Impressionism. I enjoyed it a lot. They also have a small modern collection which was donated including a Picasso painting. I saw many Madonna con Bambino (Madonna and Child) and tried to count for my dad but, alas, I lost count. There had to be at least fifty and the museum wasn't tiny but it was a lot smaller than the Art Institute of Chicago.
We went out for aperitivo again. I love this tradition. Especially because we do it the student way where we stock up on lots of finger food/appetizers and count that for dinner. For a buffet of finger foods and a drink it was only 9 euro which is great since the drinks were 7 euro alone.
Thursday, September 16th:
Registered for classes! Yay! I have 4: horn lessons, Music Performance Workshop, Italian 100, and a literature class called Finding the Author: Italian Masterworks in Translation which I'm actually rather excited about. I'm also excited that I have no classes on Thursday and I'm done at 11am on Tuesdays. Time to explore Milan? I think so! I've already started my lists. If you've been to Milan before let me know what you liked and I'll try to get to it! Suggestions are always welcome!
~
Other observations about Milan:
-It is not touristy. After the visit to Venice I've realized how much I love that most people in Milan are Milanese. Of course, we do get tourists. Often times they come up to people in the program to help them get somewhere (they're normally really bad at the metro). But it's much more real here with the fewer amounts of tourists.
-Speaking of the metro...it's crowded. And, apparently prone to striking. Oh joy. At least they still operate during the morning and evening rush hour (I can't even imagine how crowded it will be then)
-Even though I know the euro is more than the dollar, things (at least food-wise) seem cheaper here. At the market especially (see above) but at the grocery story we go to there are really good prices on pretty quality food. I buy a lot of pasta. Good thing I walk a lot and always take the stairs.
-They LOVE their dogs. And I love them for it. I see golden retrievers sitting on the metro with us and on the way to Venice this long-haired dachshund had its own seat. It was rather adorable. However, I'm unsure if it's in good Italian manners for me to pet a dog if I happen to be near it. Right now I'm just hoping for a dog to approach me first so I don't feel weird. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to strike up a short conversation in Italian with the owner!
Gioca Jouer
So, these Italian classes are 2 1/2 hours long. Therefore, our teacher needs to entertain us. We wrote down all the words we could figure out from this song. And had a lot of fun watching our teacher do the dance (then we did it ourselves!)
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Venice and Verona
My first time traveling for more than a day trip!
On Friday after my horn lesson (post on that later) eight of us headed to Venice. We took a train and got there in the early evening. We had a bit of an issue checking into our hostel (more like a camping ground, it was interesting) because some people didn't realize they needed their passport. However, things worked out, we got our stuff into our "house tents" and headed back to the main island of Venice (it's a lot cheaper to stay on the mainland area) to find some dinner. We got to pass San Marco (St. Mark's) in the evening which was pretty.
Saturday was our whole day in Venice. We started at San Giorgio which overlooks the rest of Venice and was very pretty. Then we headed to get some lunch on the mainland and while wandering (always keeping in mind where the Grand Canal was) we actually ran into the church were Antonio Vivaldi was baptized. That was pretty awesome so we poked around there a bit. We got some lunch and headed to see San Marco's.
This is when it got interesting...turns out that since Venice is sinking, at high tide Piazza San Marco floods. We had to take our shoes off and wade to a higher area and then only one entrance to the church was open since it wasn't being flooded. We had to walk in on these raised platforms for the entry areas. Luckily the actual church area does not flood.
After San Marco's our group decided to split up (we discovered that going around with eight people is really difficult) and my group spent time looking in at all the Murano glass stores around the Duomo area, getting gelato, and then heading over towards the Rialto.
The Rialto was the first bridge still standing to cross the Grand Canal and was the only bridge to cross it for about three hundred years. It's really pretty and has good views down the Grand Canal. The area was also the first populated area and we wandered around the market area. Finally, we headed about halfway down the Canal toward San Marco, got a nice drink before dinner, and then met up with the other group to go to dinner. I had a really good pizza with prosciutto on it which was really yummy.
After dinner we walked up the Grand Canal some, crossed the Accedemia bridge (the second bridge built to cross the Grand Canal) before getting on a vaporetto (a water bus and our main form of transportation) and head back to the bus stop to catch our bus back. It was great but I'm glad I know I'll be visiting Venice again because there's so much more I want to see.
The next morning we headed out of Venice and took a train to Verona. Verona is gorgeous and very quaint. It made a fantastic day trip and we had a really good time. We split up again and I started by heading to the castle that is there which reminded me a lot of the Castle Sforza in Milan, it's called the Castelvecchio. Attached to the Castelvecchio is the original defense system bridge the Ponte Scaligero. The bridge was actually bombed out in WWII and the city of Verona loved the bridge so much they went to enormous lengths to rebuild it.
We headed down the river and back across to see Verona's Duomo. The outside is beautiful but we didn't go in because there was an entrance fee. This is the first I've seen of an entrance fee to get into a church. We walked through the town some more (stopping for some gelato of course) and headed to the Piazza Erba which is a market place area and just down from the Casa de Guilietta (Juliet's House). We of course headed there next.
All I can say about Juliet's house is that a lot of people were there. I got some pictures in but we all decided it was nice but we wanted out.
We headed to the center of the city to see the Arena which is like a mini-Colosseum. Unfortunately they'd just stopped selling admittance tickets because they were having a concert there (they often stage operas and have concerts) so they were closing down early. There was a festival going on the area and we listened to some drummers and walked around. I went with two girls back before the rest of the group because we wanted to save money by eating at home and have time to shower and relax before going to bed.
The weekend was wonderful and I can't wait for more like it!
On Friday after my horn lesson (post on that later) eight of us headed to Venice. We took a train and got there in the early evening. We had a bit of an issue checking into our hostel (more like a camping ground, it was interesting) because some people didn't realize they needed their passport. However, things worked out, we got our stuff into our "house tents" and headed back to the main island of Venice (it's a lot cheaper to stay on the mainland area) to find some dinner. We got to pass San Marco (St. Mark's) in the evening which was pretty.
Saturday was our whole day in Venice. We started at San Giorgio which overlooks the rest of Venice and was very pretty. Then we headed to get some lunch on the mainland and while wandering (always keeping in mind where the Grand Canal was) we actually ran into the church were Antonio Vivaldi was baptized. That was pretty awesome so we poked around there a bit. We got some lunch and headed to see San Marco's.
This is when it got interesting...turns out that since Venice is sinking, at high tide Piazza San Marco floods. We had to take our shoes off and wade to a higher area and then only one entrance to the church was open since it wasn't being flooded. We had to walk in on these raised platforms for the entry areas. Luckily the actual church area does not flood.
After San Marco's our group decided to split up (we discovered that going around with eight people is really difficult) and my group spent time looking in at all the Murano glass stores around the Duomo area, getting gelato, and then heading over towards the Rialto.
The Rialto was the first bridge still standing to cross the Grand Canal and was the only bridge to cross it for about three hundred years. It's really pretty and has good views down the Grand Canal. The area was also the first populated area and we wandered around the market area. Finally, we headed about halfway down the Canal toward San Marco, got a nice drink before dinner, and then met up with the other group to go to dinner. I had a really good pizza with prosciutto on it which was really yummy.
After dinner we walked up the Grand Canal some, crossed the Accedemia bridge (the second bridge built to cross the Grand Canal) before getting on a vaporetto (a water bus and our main form of transportation) and head back to the bus stop to catch our bus back. It was great but I'm glad I know I'll be visiting Venice again because there's so much more I want to see.
The next morning we headed out of Venice and took a train to Verona. Verona is gorgeous and very quaint. It made a fantastic day trip and we had a really good time. We split up again and I started by heading to the castle that is there which reminded me a lot of the Castle Sforza in Milan, it's called the Castelvecchio. Attached to the Castelvecchio is the original defense system bridge the Ponte Scaligero. The bridge was actually bombed out in WWII and the city of Verona loved the bridge so much they went to enormous lengths to rebuild it.
We headed down the river and back across to see Verona's Duomo. The outside is beautiful but we didn't go in because there was an entrance fee. This is the first I've seen of an entrance fee to get into a church. We walked through the town some more (stopping for some gelato of course) and headed to the Piazza Erba which is a market place area and just down from the Casa de Guilietta (Juliet's House). We of course headed there next.
All I can say about Juliet's house is that a lot of people were there. I got some pictures in but we all decided it was nice but we wanted out.
We headed to the center of the city to see the Arena which is like a mini-Colosseum. Unfortunately they'd just stopped selling admittance tickets because they were having a concert there (they often stage operas and have concerts) so they were closing down early. There was a festival going on the area and we listened to some drummers and walked around. I went with two girls back before the rest of the group because we wanted to save money by eating at home and have time to shower and relax before going to bed.
The weekend was wonderful and I can't wait for more like it!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Friday Adventure, Market, and Pavia
My first Italian class went very well. My teacher's name is Linda and she will run off in Italian and then tell us just to try and understand what we can. I think this might be a pretty effective way for me to learn actually because it helps me to hear it a lot if I'm trying to speak it. The class lasts two and a half hours but we get a fifteen minute break, ours ended up being half an hour (Linda gave us the return time). Despite being a beginning Italian class we are expected to speak in Italian as much as possible. Luckily she taught us a bunch of classroom phrases we may need, such as asking her to repeat something or ask what something means.
After class a group of us got some sandwiches for lunch and then we embarked on a journey. We headed for to the Castello Sforzesco (known as the Sforza Castle in English) which is where the ruling family of Milan (the Sforzescos) once lived. It is gorgeous and I took tons of pictures (they are up on facebook and Google - links on sidebar). We then walked through the park that is by the castle (apparently the second city park in Milan) to the Arco de Pace which is similar to the Arc de Triomph in Paris.
We then took the metro over to the Duomo and I finally climbed to the top! Okay, well, not the total top because there is renovation going on and I believe normally you can go higher, but I was on top of the main roof. It was beautiful up there and there were amazing views of the city. Again, many many pictures. We spent a long time up on the top, just relaxing and looking over the city (our feet also hurt and needed a break).
Yet, we continued on our awesome tour and took another metro out by my apartment to go to Cimitero Monumentale (or Monument Cemetery). Basically, it's the huge cemetery and everybody buried there has some elaborate tomb or grave with this beautiful statues and engravings. There are some famous people of Italy buried there although I did not knowingly find any of their graves. The place was huge and I wanted to stay longer but we needed to head out (plus it was closing soon) so I must make a trip back and see even more. I saw a picture of one that reminds me of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and I want to go see that one. I took a ton of pictures of everywhere we went and it was a fantastic time.
On Saturday morning I got up and went to the market on our street. We saw them setting up on Tuesday (the other day of the week for market) but could not go. I wandered around the whole thing (it goes a few blocks past my street as well) and saw everything there was. I bought a bag to carry my books in for school (so my horn can go on my back). I also bought fruit and for four euro I got a kilo of these yellow fruits I've tried and liked but cannot name for the life of me, two peaches, and then he threw in a bunch of green grapes. I had held off buying fruit at the store so I could go to the market and it was so worth it.
Then I met some people at the train station and we went to Pavia which is a half an hour south of Milan and has the third largest duomo in Italy (I guess it's bigger than the Milan Duomo). Pavia is also a very ancient city. Besides seeing the Duomo we saw a restored bridge that had been bombed out in WWII, more churches, and some of these torre medaevile (medieval towers) that are all over the city. And of course we got some gelato...yum!
We also wandered a bit (aka, got slightly lost, but Pavia is a small town) and ran across a European market. It seemed to be a special event and I got to eat some yummy Sicilian pasteries (according to my RA, Sicily has the best food - she's originally from Florence but her boyfriend is in Sicily and she has been to visit him). Then, we started heading back towards the train station and ran across the equivalent of Civil War reenactments in Italy...I think (after research) that it was a reenactment of the Battle of Pavia in like 1525 or something like that.
Sunday is going to be my day of relaxation after all this craziness. But don't worry, more is already planned!
After class a group of us got some sandwiches for lunch and then we embarked on a journey. We headed for to the Castello Sforzesco (known as the Sforza Castle in English) which is where the ruling family of Milan (the Sforzescos) once lived. It is gorgeous and I took tons of pictures (they are up on facebook and Google - links on sidebar). We then walked through the park that is by the castle (apparently the second city park in Milan) to the Arco de Pace which is similar to the Arc de Triomph in Paris.
We then took the metro over to the Duomo and I finally climbed to the top! Okay, well, not the total top because there is renovation going on and I believe normally you can go higher, but I was on top of the main roof. It was beautiful up there and there were amazing views of the city. Again, many many pictures. We spent a long time up on the top, just relaxing and looking over the city (our feet also hurt and needed a break).
Yet, we continued on our awesome tour and took another metro out by my apartment to go to Cimitero Monumentale (or Monument Cemetery). Basically, it's the huge cemetery and everybody buried there has some elaborate tomb or grave with this beautiful statues and engravings. There are some famous people of Italy buried there although I did not knowingly find any of their graves. The place was huge and I wanted to stay longer but we needed to head out (plus it was closing soon) so I must make a trip back and see even more. I saw a picture of one that reminds me of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and I want to go see that one. I took a ton of pictures of everywhere we went and it was a fantastic time.
On Saturday morning I got up and went to the market on our street. We saw them setting up on Tuesday (the other day of the week for market) but could not go. I wandered around the whole thing (it goes a few blocks past my street as well) and saw everything there was. I bought a bag to carry my books in for school (so my horn can go on my back). I also bought fruit and for four euro I got a kilo of these yellow fruits I've tried and liked but cannot name for the life of me, two peaches, and then he threw in a bunch of green grapes. I had held off buying fruit at the store so I could go to the market and it was so worth it.
Then I met some people at the train station and we went to Pavia which is a half an hour south of Milan and has the third largest duomo in Italy (I guess it's bigger than the Milan Duomo). Pavia is also a very ancient city. Besides seeing the Duomo we saw a restored bridge that had been bombed out in WWII, more churches, and some of these torre medaevile (medieval towers) that are all over the city. And of course we got some gelato...yum!
We also wandered a bit (aka, got slightly lost, but Pavia is a small town) and ran across a European market. It seemed to be a special event and I got to eat some yummy Sicilian pasteries (according to my RA, Sicily has the best food - she's originally from Florence but her boyfriend is in Sicily and she has been to visit him). Then, we started heading back towards the train station and ran across the equivalent of Civil War reenactments in Italy...I think (after research) that it was a reenactment of the Battle of Pavia in like 1525 or something like that.
Sunday is going to be my day of relaxation after all this craziness. But don't worry, more is already planned!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Orientation: Days 2-4
I figured I'm going to try and make fewer but longer posts, hoping it'll keep your interest (although, if you're my family you're almost obligated to at least pretend to be interested...)
TUESDAY:
Oh wow...lots of sitting. And people talking. However, they are not metal folding chairs like Blue Lake's orientation so that was at least nice.
We started the morning by going for a real Italian breakfast with our resident assistant Maria. She lives two floors up from us with five other girls in the program and helps us get around and such. I had a wonderful chocolate croissant (brioche) and un cappuccino. It was very yummy.
We have orientation meetings in a large meeting room at the Universita Cattolica (I cannot figure out how to do accents in this thing...) which is the main school associated with IES for those wanting to take either courses in Italian or English business courses (I think...). They also took us on a tour of the Cattolica. We all have student IDs for the school which is good because we can use their library. I learned that Italian libraries to check out a book you look it up, write down the number, and give it to the librarian. They go and get the book for you. I don't know if I'll get to try it but we'll see. We had lunch in the Cattolica cafeteria which was really good for cafeteria food. I had pasta with marinara, some type of fish, a roll, and a pear juice box.
After lunch is was more meetings. Most of us were pretty tired so it was kind of hard to sit through.
The best part of the day was in the evening. Our activity was to go to a spa called Terremilano which is a spa that believes in water doing the healing. They had pools and jacuzzis. There were these relaxation rooms that had different element themes so earth, fire, water, air (and I think I forgot one). Then the basement was what they called the "Wellness course." They had hydromassage jets in a jacuzzi (I really liked the ones that I could massage my feet with), this walk that goes through hot, then cold water to help circulation. There were also multiple saunas including one that smelled like lemon (very refeshing) and one that you took a handful of powdered soap in your hand, held it while sitting in the sauna for about five minutes, and then used the soap. It exfoliated and felt really good. Then you showered off. A lot of people thought that it would be lame but we all loved it, it was very relaxing and they had a "light dinner buffet" for us which was mostly fruit so I enjoyed that. Plus foccacia bread, and little chocolate cookies.
WEDNESDAY:
A bunch of us from the building (and our hard to pronounce street) made it to breakfast and to the Universita Cattolica all on our own without help from Maria (she had to wait for the electrician...I discovered we have two lights in the bathroom actually since he was here). We had more meetings but there were some more tailored meetings than yesterday. I got to attend the music meeting and learn that they have already contacted a horn teacher in Milan for me. He is currently out of Milan on a trip but will be back soon and then we will set up our first "appointment" as Walter refers to them. The music program here has many vocalists and only a few instrumentalists so our chamber groups will be pretty interesting. But I'm excited to start the music class.
In the afternoon we heard from one of the main people at the US Consulate in Milan and he talked about safety in Milan. Apparently Milan is much safer than most cities its size (Milan is a rather large city, it is actually bigger than Florence but Florence is more touristy since Milan is so north). The biggest problems are petty crimes such as pickpocketing and having bags taken when you're not look so he gave us some tips on that. Finally we got to find out our Italian language assignments. As I expected I am in Italian 100 but we have three classes of it since there are so many of us that know very little or no Italian knowledge. We have our first class on Friday and I am very excited to start learning. These next three week we will take Italian only. From 9-11:30 the first week and from 9-12 the third week.
The evening activity was part of what they call Milano "Tuttifrutti." It is generally a cultural experience in Milan and varies. We got to experience a very Milanese tradition of the aperitivo. It is basically a time before dinner that seems like a "happy hour." IES provided us all with finger food at this place called Noon and we each got one free drink. I enjoyed something called a spritza (that might be incorrect) which was prosecco (an Italian sparkling white wine) and something else that I forgot and nobody could translate into English for me. It was quite good. Then I went with a few girls for my first gelato of the trip...definitely two days too late. However it was wonderful and I think I remember where the store was. They had other chocolate fare as well which I must try. We saw them making a crepe with chocolate when we left. Yum!
THURSDAY:
We didn't have anything until 10 and my roommates were out late so I was the only one up when I decided I wanted breakfast so I successfully got my own breakfast ordering in Italian even. However, when I went to pay I didn't know how to say I wanted to pay and ended up saying it in the English. The guy kind of laughed and said a few things to me in English anyway.
At 10 we met at the Duomo for a tour of Milan. We saw the Duomo and the very fancy shopping area next to it. We saw the outside of La Scala and the old medieval meeting area which also used to be a market place. When then got very good Italian fast food which was called panzetta I believe. Mine was mozzarella and prosciutto. It was kind of like a sandwich but looked like a calzone. I enjoyed it very much.
We had a 2:30 tour of the music school so before that a bunch of us went and got gelato and went to one of the apartments that is much closer to the IES Center than mine is. I finally managed to figure out which gelato is dark chocolate and it was wonderful. Then we went to the music school which takes about half an hour to get there. We took the metro and then a streetcar and then walked. Luckily I don't think I'll actually be at the Academia because my lessons with probably be at IES. It is a beautiful building though. It was first someone's villa outside of Milan before Milan grew. Then the Nazi's used it for a base so it was bombed during WWII. The City of Milan (Comune di Milano) decided to rebuild it and they're actually working on the facade still so there is a large scaffolding all of it (so I didn't take pictures).
There was a tour at 4 of two of the oldest churches in Milan, however it took so long for the Academia tour and then getting to and from (plus we left late) that I wasn't able to make it. I will have to make it to the churches on my own (one is the one with The Last Supper but I don't believe they were actually going to see that part, the other is near the IES Center so I will have to stop in after Italian one day these next three weeks). So after I took the metro back to my apartment with two of my roommates to relax a little.
After relaxing I went with some girls in the building and we found the very cheap (yet good quality) grocery store we can get to on one of the streetcar things. I'm glad to finally have food in the apartment. We went back to the apartment upstairs and Maria made what they call "student pasta" which is pomodoro sauce (tomato), tuna, and pasta. It was so good. I never would have thought to put tuna in pasta but it's good. It's also very cheap, hence the name. We talked and had a lot of fun making and eating dinner, even if we didn't eat until 10:30. I'm still getting used to eating late, but hopefully I'll adjust.
If you don't have facebook I've posted the pictures on Google Picasa too. The link is on the sidebar, someone let me know if it doesn't work.
Next adventure: 1st Italian class!
TUESDAY:
Oh wow...lots of sitting. And people talking. However, they are not metal folding chairs like Blue Lake's orientation so that was at least nice.
We started the morning by going for a real Italian breakfast with our resident assistant Maria. She lives two floors up from us with five other girls in the program and helps us get around and such. I had a wonderful chocolate croissant (brioche) and un cappuccino. It was very yummy.
We have orientation meetings in a large meeting room at the Universita Cattolica (I cannot figure out how to do accents in this thing...) which is the main school associated with IES for those wanting to take either courses in Italian or English business courses (I think...). They also took us on a tour of the Cattolica. We all have student IDs for the school which is good because we can use their library. I learned that Italian libraries to check out a book you look it up, write down the number, and give it to the librarian. They go and get the book for you. I don't know if I'll get to try it but we'll see. We had lunch in the Cattolica cafeteria which was really good for cafeteria food. I had pasta with marinara, some type of fish, a roll, and a pear juice box.
After lunch is was more meetings. Most of us were pretty tired so it was kind of hard to sit through.
The best part of the day was in the evening. Our activity was to go to a spa called Terremilano which is a spa that believes in water doing the healing. They had pools and jacuzzis. There were these relaxation rooms that had different element themes so earth, fire, water, air (and I think I forgot one). Then the basement was what they called the "Wellness course." They had hydromassage jets in a jacuzzi (I really liked the ones that I could massage my feet with), this walk that goes through hot, then cold water to help circulation. There were also multiple saunas including one that smelled like lemon (very refeshing) and one that you took a handful of powdered soap in your hand, held it while sitting in the sauna for about five minutes, and then used the soap. It exfoliated and felt really good. Then you showered off. A lot of people thought that it would be lame but we all loved it, it was very relaxing and they had a "light dinner buffet" for us which was mostly fruit so I enjoyed that. Plus foccacia bread, and little chocolate cookies.
WEDNESDAY:
A bunch of us from the building (and our hard to pronounce street) made it to breakfast and to the Universita Cattolica all on our own without help from Maria (she had to wait for the electrician...I discovered we have two lights in the bathroom actually since he was here). We had more meetings but there were some more tailored meetings than yesterday. I got to attend the music meeting and learn that they have already contacted a horn teacher in Milan for me. He is currently out of Milan on a trip but will be back soon and then we will set up our first "appointment" as Walter refers to them. The music program here has many vocalists and only a few instrumentalists so our chamber groups will be pretty interesting. But I'm excited to start the music class.
In the afternoon we heard from one of the main people at the US Consulate in Milan and he talked about safety in Milan. Apparently Milan is much safer than most cities its size (Milan is a rather large city, it is actually bigger than Florence but Florence is more touristy since Milan is so north). The biggest problems are petty crimes such as pickpocketing and having bags taken when you're not look so he gave us some tips on that. Finally we got to find out our Italian language assignments. As I expected I am in Italian 100 but we have three classes of it since there are so many of us that know very little or no Italian knowledge. We have our first class on Friday and I am very excited to start learning. These next three week we will take Italian only. From 9-11:30 the first week and from 9-12 the third week.
The evening activity was part of what they call Milano "Tuttifrutti." It is generally a cultural experience in Milan and varies. We got to experience a very Milanese tradition of the aperitivo. It is basically a time before dinner that seems like a "happy hour." IES provided us all with finger food at this place called Noon and we each got one free drink. I enjoyed something called a spritza (that might be incorrect) which was prosecco (an Italian sparkling white wine) and something else that I forgot and nobody could translate into English for me. It was quite good. Then I went with a few girls for my first gelato of the trip...definitely two days too late. However it was wonderful and I think I remember where the store was. They had other chocolate fare as well which I must try. We saw them making a crepe with chocolate when we left. Yum!
THURSDAY:
We didn't have anything until 10 and my roommates were out late so I was the only one up when I decided I wanted breakfast so I successfully got my own breakfast ordering in Italian even. However, when I went to pay I didn't know how to say I wanted to pay and ended up saying it in the English. The guy kind of laughed and said a few things to me in English anyway.
At 10 we met at the Duomo for a tour of Milan. We saw the Duomo and the very fancy shopping area next to it. We saw the outside of La Scala and the old medieval meeting area which also used to be a market place. When then got very good Italian fast food which was called panzetta I believe. Mine was mozzarella and prosciutto. It was kind of like a sandwich but looked like a calzone. I enjoyed it very much.
We had a 2:30 tour of the music school so before that a bunch of us went and got gelato and went to one of the apartments that is much closer to the IES Center than mine is. I finally managed to figure out which gelato is dark chocolate and it was wonderful. Then we went to the music school which takes about half an hour to get there. We took the metro and then a streetcar and then walked. Luckily I don't think I'll actually be at the Academia because my lessons with probably be at IES. It is a beautiful building though. It was first someone's villa outside of Milan before Milan grew. Then the Nazi's used it for a base so it was bombed during WWII. The City of Milan (Comune di Milano) decided to rebuild it and they're actually working on the facade still so there is a large scaffolding all of it (so I didn't take pictures).
There was a tour at 4 of two of the oldest churches in Milan, however it took so long for the Academia tour and then getting to and from (plus we left late) that I wasn't able to make it. I will have to make it to the churches on my own (one is the one with The Last Supper but I don't believe they were actually going to see that part, the other is near the IES Center so I will have to stop in after Italian one day these next three weeks). So after I took the metro back to my apartment with two of my roommates to relax a little.
After relaxing I went with some girls in the building and we found the very cheap (yet good quality) grocery store we can get to on one of the streetcar things. I'm glad to finally have food in the apartment. We went back to the apartment upstairs and Maria made what they call "student pasta" which is pomodoro sauce (tomato), tuna, and pasta. It was so good. I never would have thought to put tuna in pasta but it's good. It's also very cheap, hence the name. We talked and had a lot of fun making and eating dinner, even if we didn't eat until 10:30. I'm still getting used to eating late, but hopefully I'll adjust.
If you don't have facebook I've posted the pictures on Google Picasa too. The link is on the sidebar, someone let me know if it doesn't work.
Next adventure: 1st Italian class!
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