Long time coming!!!

So here it is February 24th and I have not written in 3 full weeks.  I have been really bad about this but have been emailing much more and school is starting to pick up!  So here is a recap of the last few weeks.

The weekend after Tuscany we went to London to meet up with all the ND kids in the London Programme.  All of us knew at least a few people studying there so it turned out to be a big reunion and was a lot of fun.  We didn't get to do much sightseeing, I'm not really sure why because we were there for 3 whole days, but I loved London!!! The city was amazing, and I have to admit I went in with very few expectations.  I am so glad I went, it was a nice combination of Europe and English but it was so so so strange not to be walking into a cafe (their pubs are the equivalent I think) and ask for a cappuccino and cornetta in Italian.  

Stefanie and I went out to lunch on our own that Saturday to the restaurant called Little Bay where they were experimenting with "you pay what you think our food is worth." I'm not even kidding, they charged us for drinks and we were on our own.  I got a cheeseburger (I miss American food sometimes) and Stef got foie gras (sp?).  It was pretty decent, there was actually a London news team in the restaurant filming everyone so in terms of a relaxing eating experience, Little Bay kind of failed.  Still, something unique in every city.  I loved London and I can't wait to go back sometime.

I stayed in Rome the weekend after that, and it was so nice because we literally have not spent a weekend in Rome since we have been here.  I did some sightseeing, had Valentine's Day dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe Roma with my roommates (one of which bought us all roses!) and really just caught up on work.  Apparently not enough, midterms week is almost upon us and as it turns out, we actually have to do work while "studying abroad."  Yet I am blogging right now. Funny how that works.  

This past weekend we went to Venice for Carnevale. It was absolutely amazing and gorgeous, we literally had the time of our lives.  It was a weekend of excess to be sure (as noted by my most recent facebook album title) with fabulous food, costumes, colors, people, scenery, just everything.  We haven't quite determined what Venice does to keep the city afloat (no pun intended) besides Carnevale as their tourist industry.  There is nothing there except beautiful buildings, bridges, canals, bars and churches.  And we hardly saw anyone on a gondola ride because it costs 80-100 euro. It was ridiculous, but definitely an experience I am glad I had.  Thus far, Venice is the most unique city I think I have been to.  Our train got in at 5:30 AM Friday and so we watched the sun rise over Piazza San Marco amidst the beginnings of lavish costumes and professional photographers by the bay.  We took a water taxi around the island (very very cold!) but the views were unbelievable.  I took way too many pictures, had some Bellini (the signature Venice drink) and bought a Carnevale mask.  I wasn't sure quite what to expect for a European festival but it was truly unbelievable.  We have to laugh when we just casually throw into conversation here "Are you traveling anywhere this weekend?" "Yeah, we are actually going to (random European city)."  It's so easy, this is so once in a lifetime.

Wine country!

I wrote this lovely, lengthy entry this morning and of course the internet connection died, so here is try numero due..

Last weekend we took a two-day trip to Orvieto (in Umbria) and Siena (Tuscany). Gorgeous.  It was a little chilly both days but sunny and beautiful.  And quiet!  Outside of tourist season things are very relaxed and there are no lines for the incredible views we got to see.  This was, however, a weekend of stairs.  We literally climbed 1,000 steps in two days, and both towns were pretty hilly.

Orvieto is a small town on top of a mountain, so we had to take a tram to get up there.  Apparently it isn't exactly a tourist destination so in general the place was silent.  It was one of those places where things shut down for a few hours every afternoon and people go home, rest, lunch, do whatever it is that Italians do during their siesta.  So while everyone was in, we were walking around mostly empty streets just taking in views and the Italian town life.  Like a lot of cities here, Orvieto is centered around a huge duomo, a church that looks like it really didn't belong among all the small buildings.  Again, the architecture and even the shops and apartments are something you just can't find in the states.  We then climbed to the top of the bell tower (total: 173 steps) backpacks and all.  It gave us amazing views but we definitely had to stop once....or twice.  Little did we know what was in store for us with all the stairs the next day or so.  Afterwards we went down to the bottom of a huge well...which was great until we had to climb back up. But we came out of it overlooking the land down below and you could see the Italian countryside for miles (kilometers!) every way.  

We took a train to Siena during the evening and our hostel was right off of the main Piazza del Campo.  The centerpoint of the piazza was the city hall building with another bell tower (total: 400 steps) and we also went and saw a panorama of the city where once again there was the contrast between Italian town and countryside.  The clear day definitely made all this worth it.  That night we ate at this restaurant that apparently made an appearance in the NY Times. Basically we paid 20 euro for a 5 course meal....pasta, a meat course, contorno (side dish), coffee, wine, water, dessert.  All the food was homemade, and apparently during tourist season it's impossible to get in to eat there because there are literally 5 tables in the entire place. 

We ate breakfast on the piazza the next morning and wandered around Siena all day, did a wine tasting where we sat out on a terrace built into this fortress for an hour or so in the sun, had Sienese salame, cheese and bread, and just chatted about life. I love the charm and small-town feel of the Italian towns and also how relaxed and quiet the European pace is.