Hey Juliet

This past week went by so fast! After getting back from London, we had a full week of activities to look forward to. After doing massive amounts of laundry on Sunday afternoon, along with everyone else in Florence, we went across the street to the Red Garter to watch the Steelers vs. Titans game. Jenny, one of my roommates, is a diehard Steelers fan, while I love my Nashville Titans. We reserved a table right in front of the game and got dinner and watched the game. After the Titans (and Cowboys) suffered losses, we went back to the apartment to catch up on some homework.

Tuesday was my 21^st birthday! Although I had a paper due in my fashion marketing class and a public relations quiz, I looked forward to dinner at our favorite restaurant, Francescovini, right in our neighborhood. Fabio and I had emailed all week making plans, including ordering a cheesecake for my birthday cake!  We invited all the girls and had the whole room to ourselves!

Dinner at Francescovini

My class on Thursday got cancelled, so I’ve basically had a 4 day weekend. Thursday night, Pam and I checked out the beer festival right in the Santa Croce Piazza. If we weren’t going to make it to Oktoberfest, this would have to do! There were people in all sorts of outfits and from all over the world. While Pam, Jenny, and Noelle were off on a fieldtrip to Pienza on Friday, I started my day off at the Ferragamo Museum. There was a special exhibition on Greta Garbo, a Hollywood star and Ferragamo inspiration. The exhibit focused on her minimal and essential style, showcasing pieces from her personal wardrobe. After the museum, I headed up Via Tornabuoni to check out Gucci. For my Fashion Marketing class I had to chose an Italian brand and visit its store to do a marketing analysis. After working with Gucci and their PR a lot this past summer at my internship, I decided it would be a great option. This was my second visit to the store, as I had to add a couple final points to my paper. I then did a little shopping at H&M and Zara (they are amazing and do not compare to the states what-so-ever) in attempt to make my wardrobe a little more “euro.” I headed over to the computer lab and finished my paper, before taking a nap and awaiting the girls to come back!

Yesterday, Noelle, Jenny, Pam, Lindsay and I decided to do a last minute day trip to Verona. Ever since falling in love with the movie “Letters to Juliet,” Verona was on my must see list. On Friday night, we looked up train times, ultimately deciding on a 9:30am train. Upon getting to the train station, we found out the direct train went out of a different station on the other side of town. It was nearing 9:20 and we were getting nervous about making the 9:30 connecting train. After finding an English speaking assistant, we ended up booking a ticket for a 10 o’clock train that connected in Bologna. This gave us time to get a cappuccino and magazine (im never paying 7 euro for a magazine again). Pam, Noelle, and I had to book the last 3 standing room seats, leaving Jenny and Lindsay no choice but to book first class tickets. While those two were probably sipping champagne in their car, Pam, Noelle, and I had to sit on the ground by the bathroom of the car. Hey, at least it was carpeted and the ride was only 30 minutes.

After connecting in Bologna, we had an hour and a half ride to Verona. When we finally arrived, it looked more like South Norwalk than what we pictured Verona to look like. It happened to be that the center of Verona was a 20 minute walk from the train station. When we finally got to the heart of Verona, it was a lot larger than we expected, it was still very historic and quaint. Using Lindsay’s guidebook as our map, we found a place to grab a bite to eat before heading off to the Torre dei Lamberti. The tower consists of 368 steps, and we climbed every single one to the top! From here, we had a great panoramic view of all of Verona. 

View from the top of Torre dei Lamberti

After climbing down the tower, we headed to “La Casa di Guilietta,” or Juliet’s house from Romeo and Juliet. Talk about a tourist trap. It looked so different from the movie "Letters to Juliet"- with hundreds of people and tour groups shuffling through the corridor to the courtyard to see Juliet’s balcony. We heard the other side of the river was nice, so we decided to catch a break from all of the big tourist groups and go across. We walked along the river, enjoying the scenery and saw some ruins of a Roman theater, before walking back across and having a Spritz (typical Italian aperitivo drink) at a restaurant overlooking the river. Our time went by so fast, and it was finally time for us to head back to the train station. We stopped at a bakery on our way out of the city and grabbed a tasting of goodies to go. We came to the conclusion that they speak a lot less English in Verona, as there was quite the language barrier when ordering at the bakery, resulting in getting different items than requested.

Juliet's Balcony

We took the direct train back to Florence and met up with some girls from Furman than Pam, Jenny, and Noelle know. The girls are doing a program elsewhere in Italy, but were in Florence for the night. We brought them to all of our favorite places and eventually ended up at a club called Space Electronica. Everyone who has been to Florence told us we had to go, so Pam and I successfully led 20 people or so to Space, acting as tour guides. As always, we found an elevated surface to stay away from the creepy Italian men. We met up with the girls again this morning for lunch and said goodbye, pointing them in the direction of the leather market. We are getting excited for our trip to Sicily next weekend with our program! More to come!

xx

Winning London

Its hard to believe that just one week ago, Pam and I were on our way home from (a freezing cold) London. Our first traveling weekend was definitely a success. We flew to London last Thursday night for an early birthday celebration with my parents, our two friends Carolyn and Lauren from home, and Carolyn’s mom, Mrs. Toll.

After jamming our carry ons with a weekend’s worth of clothes, Pam and I headed off to the airport. For future reference, don’t expect there to be an electronic self check-in station like there is at LaGuardia. Even though we weren’t checking bags, we had to wait in line with everyone else who was checking luggage for our flight on Meridiana Air. This was quite the procedure that made us appreciate our airports in New York (who would have thought that we’d ever say that?)  After getting our seat assignments (another thing we didn’t like about airport check in: getting assigned middle seats) we got a quick snack at the snack bar and a bag of M&Ms to share on the flight. Mom, they don’t have peanut butter M&Ms over here thank god! We followed everyone upstairs to the security check point, where Pam got full body searched and proceeded to get her beloved Chi hairspray and Aveeno facewash confiscated. We then went straight to the gate. We had only been sitting down for two minutes when another security guard asked Pam to do another security check. What a joke…she didn’t even ask her to bring her carry on to check, but just her purse (which included a stuffed animal…embarrassing)  Finally, we boarded the plane and were off to the UK!!

Upon our arrival in London, we quickly realized that we were not dressed for the weather. Both in shorts and flip flops, everyone around us was wearing pants, boots, and jackets! We can't help it we have sunny, 80 degree weather everyday in Florence ;) When we finally got to the hotel around 11 that night, all we wanted was some food and sleep. We ordered some room service and settled in with some London broadway preview TV (it was either that or Arabian television).

After an amazing night’s sleep, we met my mom and took the tube to reunite with Carolyn, Lauren, and Mrs. Toll! It was so good to finally see people we recognize over in Europe! After a round of hugs, we set off to see Carolyn and Lauren’s room and classrooms in South Kensington (or South Ken as the Brits call it). The girls’ room was adorable, looking like it was straight out of the pages of Pottery Barn Teen. With a polka dotted rug and beautiful view, it’s hard to call it a dorm. Pam and I envied the girls’ spacious (and clean) kitchen. After seeing where Carolyn and Lauren lived, we set off to the London Eye. It was the number one attraction on our London to-do list. While crossing the bridge to the London Eye, we even made a friend! We think she thought we were British and wanted a picture with some locals! 

New friends in London

Wilton on the London Eye!

We boarded the Eye in no time and spent the full 30 minutes taking pictures and taking in the view. We were so lucky to have such a sunny and clear day and Carolyn and Lauren pointed out all of the landmarks like pros. After deboarding the Eye, we decided to grab some lunch at Harrods! Of all the restaurants in the store, we chose a quaint café and had some sandwiches and salads before touring the store. My favorite section was definitely the ball gown room, complete with gorgeous floor length gowns. We also tried to sneak a peek at the wedding dress section, but it was roped off for appointments only. Maybe Harrod’s can be my first stop when looking for a gown? (kidding).

After a quick run through Top Shop, it was time to head back to the hotel and get ready for my birthday dinner! We made a quick pitstop at Boots pharmacy to get some blister band-aids because our feet hurt from walking around all day. There was no time to rest, as we quickly showered and threw on our dresses and heels and met my parents downstairs. We took a cab to Notting Hill and headed straight to Beach Blanket Babylon for our dinner. Upon our arrival, my mother insisted on pictures outside of the restaurant. Talk about personal paparazzi. We were taken to our table on the second floor, heading up a windy staircase and traversing a drawbridge, all in heels, to get to our crescent shaped table. As the Tolls arrived, we had a toast of champagne with strawberries and contemplated the choices on the menu. For those of you who know us well, we already knew what we wanted to order because we looked up the menu online prior to dinner. After some bread, risotto, and vino, our dinner concluded with a decadent chocolate cake and fresh fruit. We then parted ways with the parents, opting to go back with Carolyn and Lauren so they could do a quick shoe change and then go out in Picadilly Circus! We ended up at a bar I went to in July when I visited Melissa, which wasn’t very crowded, but allowed us to chat and dance. I requested my favorite song (Dynamite, obviously) before deciding to call it a night!

The next morning, we met my parents at breakfast downstairs before heading to Buckingham Palace. We took plenty of touristy pictures before deciding to head across the river to the Tate Modern. The Pope was in town, so we were redirected to another tube station to get there (bring on all of our blisters from walking). We finally got to the museum and Pam, our designated art history major, gave us her two-cents on the exhibits. To continue on with our day, we took another tube over to Notting Hill, as my mother insisted on going to the Portabello Market. We wandered the streets of Notting Hill (yes, it looked exactly like the movie) and browsed cute antique shops. Pam and I decided that in the future, we need to pack half as much in our carry on luggage so that we have room to shop! After the market our stomachs were growling, so what better way to satiate our hunger but with some tea and sandwiches? Our recommendation for tea was at the Orangery Restaurant, in Kensington Gardens. Little did our concierge know that the restaurant was closed that day for a private event, so we were panicked and asked a local where their favorite spot to get tea was! We ended up at Liberty, a department store with a tea room on the 2^nd floor. We had to wait a half hour, but boy was it worth the wait. We had tea sandwiches, scones, and desserts galore. Needless to say, we left very satisfied.

Buckingham Palace

We had to rush back to the hotel yet again to change for “We Will Rock You,” an award winning musical in London. As an avid “Bohemian Rhapsody” fan, I was very excited to hear this song performed on broadway. We took our seats just in time before the play began. Although the first act was very “out-there” and difficult to follow, the second act made up for it, including all of the well known hits from Queen. We felt as if we were in the front row at a rock concert, with people waving their hands in the air and clapping along. After the show, it was time to part ways, as Pam and I had an early flight out the next morning. We were sad to say goodbye to Carolyn, Lauren, Mrs. Toll, and my parents, but it was definitely a weekend filled with plenty of memories! We hope to see Carolyn and Lauren in Florence soon so we can continue our euro-adventure together!

Under the Tuscan Sun

CIAO FROM FIRENZE! (Pam and I finally learned how to say this correctly today- you pronounce the “z” as a “c.”)

We apologize for taking so long to update our blog with our travels! After a week of harassing the internet man, we finally received internet. Now, we’re all up and running!

Here’s a play by play of our adventures in Italy thus far!

Last Tuesday, we touched down in Zurich airport. During our grueling 8 hour flight to Switzerland, I slept half of the time, while Pam closed her eyes for 45 minutes and proceeded to watch “Thelma and Louise.” After touching down, we found a café in the Zurich airport to have “Welcome to Europe” mimosas and did a much needed wardrobe change. Upon boarding our connection flight to Florence, Pam looked out the window and noticed that our bags were not being put on the plane, but were just hanging out on the tarmac. As we pulled away from the gate, we said “Arrivederci” to our luggage and couldn’t stop thinking what we were going to do without our 200 pounds of luggage. The second we touched down in Florence, we went straight to the luggage counter (thanks dads for making us smart travelers) and put in a claim for our “lost” luggage. Boy were we lost in translation. Our bags were going to be put on separate flights that evening and the next morning. All we wanted to do was take a cold shower with our own towels and shampoo. Pam wouldn’t be doing that until 2 days later. Yet, I couldn't wait until then and used my T-shirt to dry off.

We boarded a bus that took us to check in and received our welcome packets and keys. A cab then dropped us off right in the middle of the street in front of our apartment. Thank god we didn’t have our 4 huge suitcases, because not only were we not on the 2nd floor, as we were told, but we were on the 4th floor, up 11 short flights of stairs. We met our 6 other roommates, 2 of which go to Furman with Pam, and decided to grab a quick bite across the street at “The Red Garter,” an American restaurant. How ironic. We got into bed at 9pm and were awoken by “Dynamite” blasting on the streets at midnight. Apparently, we live on the party street of Florence. For those of you who know how light of a sleeper I am, this is an issue. Where was this music coming from you ask? The “House of Sizzle,” partnered with “The Red Garter” of course! We climbed out of bed and opened our window to see a huge party flooded out on the street. Knowing we had orientation the next morning, we got back into bed and put pillows over our heads, eventually falling asleep when the party died down (3am) before waking up to the street cleaners (6am).

Wednesday was our first day of orientation. It basically lasted all day- everything they said; however, was online and in our packets, so Pam and I played brickbreaker on our phones for a while (I beat my high score!!) and tried to track down our luggage via bbming and emailing our moms and calling numbers that didn’t exist. That afternoon, we heard a rumor floating around that our luggage was downstairs in a room. Pam and I ran downstairs only to see our luggage awaiting our arrival! Instead of waiting in the line for a cab (we’re so impatient), we decided to drag our luggage down the street to our apartment and unpack! That evening, we had a welcome reception with our program at The Palazzo Borghese. There were lots of Italian foods to sample in this gorgeous building!

Jenny, Pam, Noelle, and I at the Palazzo Borghese!

On Thursday morning, Pam and I went to the market called “Meta.” This is no Village Market, but it will do for our months here. We walked around analyzing every item in the store, using our Google translator to help us decipher body wash from dish soap. That night we went to dinner at a local place down the road with our roommates. I got a great tomato and mozzerella salad and Pam got tuna (nom)! We told the waitress we were new on the street and she absolutely loved us (we think its also because she works with our program)!

Girls of Via dei Benci

Friday was another day of orientation, including sitting in a room filling out our “Permit of Stay” forms. Talk about another language barrier. What could have been a 5 minutes process was a 2 hour long ordeal. That long day called for a night of Sushi! Pam and I went to dinner on our street at a restaurant called Kome. Sushi is really big over here (thank god). The restaurant had a revolving conveyer belt that had all different kinds of sushi going around, usually 2-3 pieces per plate! They have the system down: every plate is a different color and has a different price. While Pam and I each had 5 or 6 plates, the couple next to us had a record 22 plates stacked up. Who knew these skinny Italians could eat THAT much!

On Saturday we crossed the Arno and went to the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. After asking a local woman in a linen shop for a recommendation for lunch, we grabbed a bite to eat and wandered down the street to the Gardens.

Yesterday, Pam, Jenny, and I took a day trip to the beach, Viareggio. We woke up bright and early, put on our swimsuits, and headed over to the train station. After passing several McDonalds (supposedly they’re nicer over here because of the standards for meat, but no family, I still refuse to eat there), we got to the train station. Pam and I both agreed that buying tickets here was even easier than Metro North! There was a touch screen kiosk in English that was fool proof. After validating our tickets (shout out to Chandler- thanks for telling us!), we boarded the hour and 45 minute train to paradise. Upon exiting the train,  we decided just to follow a group of teenagers our age, assuming they were going to the beach. Sidenote: we were told that when Italians wear flip flops, its only when they go to the beach or shower, and therefore should not wear them to avoid looking “American.” We came across a beach club called “Balena 2000” aka an amazing beach club with 5 pools, a rooftop sunning deck, beachside service, and a restaurant (see our vacation pictures below). For 15 euros, this was quite the deal. We knew our parents would definitely approve of this place and went straight to the beach. We pulled up 3 chairs under an umbrella, put on our shades, and got our ipods out. All of the sudden, a shadow came over me and I heard someone saying “Excuse me!” Assuming it was a beach vendor trying to get me to buy a fake Gucci bag, I didn’t open my eyes until the a woman’s voice said “Where’s your ticket.” Supposedly, we were led in the wrong direction and our wristbands that we were given were only good for the pool area and didn’t include umbrellas on the beach. We didn’t want to make the Italian woman or the 2 Italian lifeguards she dragged over mad, so we got up and walked to the rooftop deck and got our tan on. Midmorning there was a water aerobics class in the pool (Mom- remember the one in the Dominican Republic? Well, this one was worse). We watched from above, deciding not to join in because of the Italian regulation that you must wear a swimcap in the water. We laid out, literally “under the Tuscan sun”, until late afternoon, before making back to our beloved Florence to get a goodnight’s sleep before the first day of class.

Study Abroad?

Today was our first day of classes! We were anxious to start classes, as we both knew zero Italian before coming over here. We only knew our favorite words (Pam’s: scusi and mine: arrivederci). These two words weren’t going to get us very far! Plus, when we would try to speak in Italian, people would immediately speak back to us in English. I guess I don’t look very Italian. Pam, on the other hand, has the Euro look down. On our first day, the Italian professor taught us 14 common questions and responses, rapidly firing them at every student. Our hearts couldn’t stop beating, not knowing if he would call on us next! Our professor has an odd method of teaching (including playing music in the background, such as “Build me up Buttercup” and other American oldies), but this class was just what we needed to gain more confidence in attempting to speak the language.

We’re off to dinner! More to come on our euro adventures! Ciao! 

xx Britt