So I have officially moved into my homestay. It has been beyond interesting. My roommate and I headed out yesterday via taxi to reach our new home. We are staying with Anna Michelin, a single woman who is a school teacher. She came down and met us and brought us up to her flat. It's a very nice house; we have a nice big room with a huge armoire and so much more space than in London. Anna was smiling, helpful, and cheery, a genuinely good soul. Only problem is that she speaks ZERO English. None at all. Zip. Zilch. Terror and panic quickly set in once Eryn and I realized that we too spoke ZERO Italian. Yes, I will learn Italian much more quickly this way, but my goodness, this is going to be a challenge. It gets pretty mentally exhausting to constantly be struggling to understand one another. We had to guess what she was saying to us all night. We think her mother goes back to Padua in a month. Do we really know? Nope. No clue what the dog's name is (an adorable little brown thing). Thank goodness I have a partner in this. No internet. Expensive phone use. Very isolating. The shower situation is scary. You have to hold the nozzle above your head and there are no doors so it's very hard not to spray water everywhere. And it was a really cold shower. Okay, panic and whining over with. I swear the experience is certainly not miserable just a major adjustment.
Positives: Really fantastic dinner of pasta, fruit, salad, potatoes, chicken, bread, wine. YUM. Anna is very patient with us and eager to help us. She seems really relaxed and sweet. I will learn a ton of Italian this way. We figured out the bus situation with relative ease. I got a new sim card and my cell phone is up and working. I might be buying internet. I think I might have to. We have plenty of options in the city but it's not all the time and wouldn't be at home. So, I might drop a chunk of change on that. It might save my sanity. Florence is good so far. I need to do more exploring but we have major class all day long so that might have to wait til the weekend. GELATTO IS AMAZING! and cheap! and delicious! Yay for Italian food!
Florence is an entirely different experience than London. Worlds different. But I'm learning and adapting. Slowly but surely. Heck, I've only been here for 3.5 days. I'll give it a chance before making final judgement.
Buona sera. (or Buona notte if you're reading this after 11 pm or buon giorna if reading this before 1 pm. Silly Italian rules!)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Overwhelmed in Italy
At the moment, I am sitting in my hotel room in Florence, Italy. I have the room to myself, as my temporary roommate Hannah, has gone out for the night. The quiet is amazing given that I was staying in a 13 person hostel room for the past week. So much has gone on since I last blogged that I don't really even know where to begin. I think I'll update you on my day first since it's so fresh in my mind and then back track a few days. Today was my first full day in Florence. While in Florence, I'll be doing a homestay, but we don't move into our homes until tomorrow so we are staying in a hotel until then. Today was crazy. I had orientation at 10 am which lasted for a couple of hours. My professors bombarded me with information, dates, times, locations, requirements, cultural adjustments, rules...etc for nearly two hours. My head was spinning in so many different directions trying to retain all of the info. I hadn't been in Italy for 24 hours and was just seriously overwhelmed by the number of things being thrown my way. After that we grabbed some lunch and headed back into the Linguaviva (a big building where I'll be taking my in-class classes). I had my first Italian class ever. The professor spoke mainly in Italian and it was seriously a struggle to keep up. He kept calling on me and I got progressively more frazzled. It was hard because I was concentrating on discerning what he was saying in English here and there and kept getting confused. While I am absolutely thrilled to be taking an Italian course, the first one definitely had me a bit jumbled. After class we went to pick up bus passes due to the fact that most of the homestays are located outside of the city walls in Florence. So I'll be taking the bus into class most days. I am pretty lost in the city so far; I tried to walk about and check out the sights for a bit today. I found an adorable leather purse that I'm probably going to go back and buy tomorrow. So tempting... People look like me in Florence, or rather I should say that I look a bit like an Italian and when I am not walking with other Americans I'm blending in quite well with my surroundings which is pretty cool. We had dinner at a delicious restaurant and went out for gelatto afterwards. I walked around the city at night with a couple of friends and it is pretty beautiful. There was a woman singing opera with a giant crowd around her and I took some video of the performance which I'll post on facebook. Right now, I'm pretty tired and am looking forward to moving in with my host family and settling down for the rest of the semester. Traveling is exhausting I'm beginning to find out, especially when you don't know the language at all. I'm confident that I'll start to figure everything out in no time and things will come easier. Just a bit anxious that's all.
But let me update you on the last couple of days in France. On Friday, Anna and I went to Grasse, which is where they have lavender fields and perfume factories. It turned out to be a beautiful day so Anna and I enjoyed walking about the tiny town and then headed into a museum/operating factory for perfume. It smelled pretty wonderful in the building. We got a tour of how perfume is made and bought some fantastic smelling soap for pretty cheap. It was a pretty lovely day in the mountains. After that we had dinner back at Nice. It was our only dinner out all week and man, it was delicious. Red wine, croque madame, frites, sparkling water, YUM. At this point, Anna's friend from Sheffield had joined us and we had a really nice dinner and conversation. Later that night we went out on the town and wound up in this bar called The Bulldog or something. We walk in and theres a tiny stage and sitting room. A guy is playing guitar and singing beautifully. The ambiance was pretty perfect so we hung out, had a pint, and enjoyed being surrounded by locals. Pretty awesome.
On Saturday, we went to Cannes and Antibes. The weather was supposed to be really warm so we headed straight to the beach in Antibes. But the wind was pretty cold and we couldn't find the really nice beaches so it turned out to be a bit of a dud. So we hopped on the bus and headed to Cannes. Cannes is BEAUTIFUL. I totally get the appeal and why they have international film festival there every year. The shoreline was awesome. We headed over to where they had the festival and took pictures of handprints and had a good time letting the wind blow through our hair. Really good people watching too. A stifling 2.5 hour bus ride later, we headed back to Nice and our hostel to pack up our things. I had a really lovely time in France. Everyone was genuinely nice and patient with us. I think the French get a bit of a bad wrap, but then, I'm not one to judge. I'll just say that we had a wonderful time with the French. Good food, spectacular views, good friends.
I love hostels for a number of reasons, but never more so than yesterday when I had 3 trains to catch to make it from Nice to Florence. I say this because during the week we got to meet so many interesting people. One of then, Frederick from Sweden, just so happened to be taking the same trains as me until he moved past Florence to Rome. Frederick was great and made the traveling experience with my giant bag much more doable. I'd stay and watch our bags while he checked platforms so I didn't have to go up and down the stairs with 70 + pounds of weight dragging behind me. He showed me how the seats were assigned and showed me where to validate my ticket. So helpful. I had been pretty nervous about making my connections and traveling alone, so God was seriously looking out for me yesterday. And then once I got to Milan before boarding my train to Florence, I once again ran into Hannah and Charlie, two kids from my program that had stayed at our hostel in Nice for a couple of days completely randomly. What are teh chances? So crazy. But nice since we were able to find our hotel together and Charlie helped me lug my suitcase up two flights of stairs. We had a group dinner that night and shared spring break stories.
So now I think we are all caught up. I seriously can't wait to meet my host family tomorrow. If you want to send me any snail mail (always appreciated) you can send it to:
Emily Lauten
c/ o Linguaviva Scuola d'Italiano
Via Fume 17
50123 Firenze ITALIA
As the Italians say: Buona Notte, Goodnight my friends.
But let me update you on the last couple of days in France. On Friday, Anna and I went to Grasse, which is where they have lavender fields and perfume factories. It turned out to be a beautiful day so Anna and I enjoyed walking about the tiny town and then headed into a museum/operating factory for perfume. It smelled pretty wonderful in the building. We got a tour of how perfume is made and bought some fantastic smelling soap for pretty cheap. It was a pretty lovely day in the mountains. After that we had dinner back at Nice. It was our only dinner out all week and man, it was delicious. Red wine, croque madame, frites, sparkling water, YUM. At this point, Anna's friend from Sheffield had joined us and we had a really nice dinner and conversation. Later that night we went out on the town and wound up in this bar called The Bulldog or something. We walk in and theres a tiny stage and sitting room. A guy is playing guitar and singing beautifully. The ambiance was pretty perfect so we hung out, had a pint, and enjoyed being surrounded by locals. Pretty awesome.
On Saturday, we went to Cannes and Antibes. The weather was supposed to be really warm so we headed straight to the beach in Antibes. But the wind was pretty cold and we couldn't find the really nice beaches so it turned out to be a bit of a dud. So we hopped on the bus and headed to Cannes. Cannes is BEAUTIFUL. I totally get the appeal and why they have international film festival there every year. The shoreline was awesome. We headed over to where they had the festival and took pictures of handprints and had a good time letting the wind blow through our hair. Really good people watching too. A stifling 2.5 hour bus ride later, we headed back to Nice and our hostel to pack up our things. I had a really lovely time in France. Everyone was genuinely nice and patient with us. I think the French get a bit of a bad wrap, but then, I'm not one to judge. I'll just say that we had a wonderful time with the French. Good food, spectacular views, good friends.
I love hostels for a number of reasons, but never more so than yesterday when I had 3 trains to catch to make it from Nice to Florence. I say this because during the week we got to meet so many interesting people. One of then, Frederick from Sweden, just so happened to be taking the same trains as me until he moved past Florence to Rome. Frederick was great and made the traveling experience with my giant bag much more doable. I'd stay and watch our bags while he checked platforms so I didn't have to go up and down the stairs with 70 + pounds of weight dragging behind me. He showed me how the seats were assigned and showed me where to validate my ticket. So helpful. I had been pretty nervous about making my connections and traveling alone, so God was seriously looking out for me yesterday. And then once I got to Milan before boarding my train to Florence, I once again ran into Hannah and Charlie, two kids from my program that had stayed at our hostel in Nice for a couple of days completely randomly. What are teh chances? So crazy. But nice since we were able to find our hotel together and Charlie helped me lug my suitcase up two flights of stairs. We had a group dinner that night and shared spring break stories.
So now I think we are all caught up. I seriously can't wait to meet my host family tomorrow. If you want to send me any snail mail (always appreciated) you can send it to:
Emily Lauten
c/ o Linguaviva Scuola d'Italiano
Via Fume 17
50123 Firenze ITALIA
As the Italians say: Buona Notte, Goodnight my friends.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Vive la France
I have a new goal in life: To become an old French woman. Sound crazy? Unrealistic? Just damn silly? Probably all of the above, but nonetheless it's true. I love the old women in France. They are always very dressed up, high heels and stockings on to go to the grocery store. Their make up is well done and heavy; their hair some faded shade of dye that no one is buying as natural. They go about their business walking up and down the massive hills that this part of France has without showing any sign of extra effort. Meanwhile, we walk by huffing and puffing our way up to our hostel. The old French women here are pretty fabulous.
So what have I been up to the past couple of days? On Tuesday, there was a major transportation strike so getting around was made extremely difficult. So we decided to explore Nice. We walked down to the Fruit and Flower Market in town, enjoying the smells and variety that the market had to offer. I really wanted a couple of trinkets that reminded me of people at home, but I reconsidered given the already overly heavy status of my luggage. After that we walked down to the beach and ate lunch. It was beautiful out and both Anna and I got some serious color in only about an hour. The beaches here have stones not sand so that was pretty interesting. We walked up to this chateau that provides an amazing view of the city. I am going to have great legs by the end of the week. We have done nothing but walk stairs and inclines since we got here. The view proved pretty gorgeous and the warm weather made it pretty perfect. Anna and I decided that we need to own a yacht though, to truly take advantage of our surroundings. A girl can dream... We then walked through old town which is a really cute area with shops and plazas. We got some gelatto and settled down in the square and people watched. Next, we headed over to the Contemporary Art Museum and took a look around. I don't really get contemporary art. Some is pretty cool, others just plain weird. There was this one display with pigs that I didn't realize had formerly been alive and were now stuffed that sent me over the edge and booking it in the opposite direction. We headed back to the hostel, made some dinner, and had a chill night.
Yesterday, we went to Eze Village and Monacco. Eze Village is this medieval village high up on a hill. Google it to see some pretty incredible pictures. It was sooo cool. This place was straight out of the history books. There were these tiny little shops everywhere and you could buy coffee and sit on a cliff overlooking the Mediterannean Sea. We found our way into a little restaurant and got come brown sugars crepes. Pretty much amazing. We spent the day with two roommates from Texas who proved to be really fun travel companions. We caught a bus to Monacco and decided to explore. Meh, that's how I feel about Monacco. It was okay. We couldn't find the beach and settle for a cement platform by the waves. Super wealthy, super beautiful port but not some place I'll probably find myself again. We saw the casino but it was too early to go in. I think that in order to experience Monacco properly you need to stay in a beautiful hotel there, spend some time on a yacht, and shop in a story like Gucci without blinking an eyelash. Then it would be pretty awesome. The sights were still lovely, and hey, I still got to get a tan next to the Mediterranean so I'm not complaining. We went out with some fellow hostel friends for a drink at a place called Wayne's. It caters to an international crowd and was a really good time.
Today Anna and I were supposed to go to Marseilles to meet her friend. But once I found out that the ticket was going to be about 30 euro round trip and realizing that I have some stuff to take care of for school, I bailed on that plan. Instead, her friend is coming to meet us in Nice tonight so that should be fun. Anna and I explored the Matisse Museum this morning. I'm a fan of his sculptures, but not so much his sketches. They also had a temporary display of work by Robert De Niro Sr. because apparently their use of line is similar. They had some vintage pictures of Robert De Niro Jr and Sr which were pretty cool. Now, I'm trying to get some work done and we might try to go the beach in a bit so I'm going to get to work. I think tomorrow will be another beach day and we are trying to go to Cannes and Antibes on Saturday.
With love from France.
So what have I been up to the past couple of days? On Tuesday, there was a major transportation strike so getting around was made extremely difficult. So we decided to explore Nice. We walked down to the Fruit and Flower Market in town, enjoying the smells and variety that the market had to offer. I really wanted a couple of trinkets that reminded me of people at home, but I reconsidered given the already overly heavy status of my luggage. After that we walked down to the beach and ate lunch. It was beautiful out and both Anna and I got some serious color in only about an hour. The beaches here have stones not sand so that was pretty interesting. We walked up to this chateau that provides an amazing view of the city. I am going to have great legs by the end of the week. We have done nothing but walk stairs and inclines since we got here. The view proved pretty gorgeous and the warm weather made it pretty perfect. Anna and I decided that we need to own a yacht though, to truly take advantage of our surroundings. A girl can dream... We then walked through old town which is a really cute area with shops and plazas. We got some gelatto and settled down in the square and people watched. Next, we headed over to the Contemporary Art Museum and took a look around. I don't really get contemporary art. Some is pretty cool, others just plain weird. There was this one display with pigs that I didn't realize had formerly been alive and were now stuffed that sent me over the edge and booking it in the opposite direction. We headed back to the hostel, made some dinner, and had a chill night.
Yesterday, we went to Eze Village and Monacco. Eze Village is this medieval village high up on a hill. Google it to see some pretty incredible pictures. It was sooo cool. This place was straight out of the history books. There were these tiny little shops everywhere and you could buy coffee and sit on a cliff overlooking the Mediterannean Sea. We found our way into a little restaurant and got come brown sugars crepes. Pretty much amazing. We spent the day with two roommates from Texas who proved to be really fun travel companions. We caught a bus to Monacco and decided to explore. Meh, that's how I feel about Monacco. It was okay. We couldn't find the beach and settle for a cement platform by the waves. Super wealthy, super beautiful port but not some place I'll probably find myself again. We saw the casino but it was too early to go in. I think that in order to experience Monacco properly you need to stay in a beautiful hotel there, spend some time on a yacht, and shop in a story like Gucci without blinking an eyelash. Then it would be pretty awesome. The sights were still lovely, and hey, I still got to get a tan next to the Mediterranean so I'm not complaining. We went out with some fellow hostel friends for a drink at a place called Wayne's. It caters to an international crowd and was a really good time.
Today Anna and I were supposed to go to Marseilles to meet her friend. But once I found out that the ticket was going to be about 30 euro round trip and realizing that I have some stuff to take care of for school, I bailed on that plan. Instead, her friend is coming to meet us in Nice tonight so that should be fun. Anna and I explored the Matisse Museum this morning. I'm a fan of his sculptures, but not so much his sketches. They also had a temporary display of work by Robert De Niro Sr. because apparently their use of line is similar. They had some vintage pictures of Robert De Niro Jr and Sr which were pretty cool. Now, I'm trying to get some work done and we might try to go the beach in a bit so I'm going to get to work. I think tomorrow will be another beach day and we are trying to go to Cannes and Antibes on Saturday.
With love from France.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Parle-vous francais?
For the second part of spring break, Anna and I are spending 7 nights in Nice. The idea being that we set up home base at a hostel and travel by train, bus, tram, etc. around the south of France. So we got into Nice last night around 8:30. We then took a bus to Terminal 2 where we then took a bus to the middle of town, where we then found a payphone to call the hostel to send the free shuttle that then picked us up and brought us to our final destination, the St. Exupery Hostel. This hostel is pretty amazing. It's got a huge common room with a bar, flat screen computers, and a very nice kitchen. It's a converted monestary. Not only is it huge but the place is packed with young people from all over. It's been nice because most speak English which is convenient considering the rest of the country doesn't. We settled in and met some very nice girls from Texas who live in the same room as us. It was late at this point so we just settled in.
Today, we got up and tried to decide on a plan. It was supposed to rain all day so we couldn't quite decide what to do. Anna and I decided to explore Nice a bit, but we ran into our Texas roommates who (per suggestion by some guy at a hostel) were going to walk around a peninsula nearby. This sounded like fun and we joined them. The views were spectacular. But what was expected to be a 2 hour walk became a 5 hour hike. It was totally worth it. We walked right along the coast for miles and miles. We walked up and down countless hills. I don't know that I've ever seen anything so beautful. Stunning. Pictures to be posted soon although pictures just don't do it justice. We completely skipped lunch do to the fact that the walk was longer than expected and so around 4 pm we were famished. We finally found some place to eat and grabbed a bite. At this point we had been walking around in the rain for a long time and Anna and I decided to head back towards home. We hopped a bus to the tram station, took a tram into town, and stopped to pick up some groceries for the week. We get a free breakfast at the hostel and are going to steal bread to make sandwichs for lunches which will majorly help our student sized budgets. We came back to hang out, I blogged about Belgium, and we settled down in the common room. We met an Australian and a British guy who made for interesting conversation and just hung out for the rest of the night.
Oh! And coincidences of coincidencees my roommate in London is staying in the same hostel with another friend from my program. She didn't book anything til the last minute so we had no idea we were staying in the same place. It was good to see her and we will probably go out together tomorrow night. Now, it's off to bed. Tomorrow there's a transportation strike and so it will be nearl impossible to get around at all. We wanted to go to Eves and Monacco but that might have to be pushed back. We think we might go to the Matisse Museum and continue to explore Nice within walking distance. We'll see what the day brings.
Bonsoir mon amies.
Today, we got up and tried to decide on a plan. It was supposed to rain all day so we couldn't quite decide what to do. Anna and I decided to explore Nice a bit, but we ran into our Texas roommates who (per suggestion by some guy at a hostel) were going to walk around a peninsula nearby. This sounded like fun and we joined them. The views were spectacular. But what was expected to be a 2 hour walk became a 5 hour hike. It was totally worth it. We walked right along the coast for miles and miles. We walked up and down countless hills. I don't know that I've ever seen anything so beautful. Stunning. Pictures to be posted soon although pictures just don't do it justice. We completely skipped lunch do to the fact that the walk was longer than expected and so around 4 pm we were famished. We finally found some place to eat and grabbed a bite. At this point we had been walking around in the rain for a long time and Anna and I decided to head back towards home. We hopped a bus to the tram station, took a tram into town, and stopped to pick up some groceries for the week. We get a free breakfast at the hostel and are going to steal bread to make sandwichs for lunches which will majorly help our student sized budgets. We came back to hang out, I blogged about Belgium, and we settled down in the common room. We met an Australian and a British guy who made for interesting conversation and just hung out for the rest of the night.
Oh! And coincidences of coincidencees my roommate in London is staying in the same hostel with another friend from my program. She didn't book anything til the last minute so we had no idea we were staying in the same place. It was good to see her and we will probably go out together tomorrow night. Now, it's off to bed. Tomorrow there's a transportation strike and so it will be nearl impossible to get around at all. We wanted to go to Eves and Monacco but that might have to be pushed back. We think we might go to the Matisse Museum and continue to explore Nice within walking distance. We'll see what the day brings.
Bonsoir mon amies.
Spring Break Part 1: Brussels, Belgium
My spring break officially began on Friday and Anna and I boarded our flight to Brussels. We both fell asleep immediately and therefore were only awake for about 20 min of the ride. That's my kind of flight. After getting off the plane we hopped a train to the center of town. Nancy Koeppel met us at the train station and we took a tram over to her flat. We stayed at the Koeppels for the weekend and they were the best hosts a couple of girls could ask for. After settling in to our guestroom and getting plane stink off of us we headed out for lunch. I had the most amazing chocolate truffle thing ever for desert. SO GOOD. And only the start of the amazing culinary experience Brussels would prove to become. After a lengthy getting-to-know-one-another lunch convo we headed back and with Nancy's help tried to organize our France trip a bit. Then we headed to a wine bar with Nancy and had a really good glass of Chianti. Yum. A girl so so get used to this. After a drink we headed to a really nice Italian restaurant where Jeff Koeppel, former neighbor of Granny and Pupup's, met us. We had sparkling water and white beer and red wine again. So good. There was a HUGE plate of antipasta and the best tortellini I've ever had in my life. We were so well taken care of on this trip it's not even funny. After dinner, Anna and I headed to a jazz bar and the Koeppels called it a night. The music was great and I've never seen that many white boys with dread locks in my life! We didn't stay long due to very little sleep the night before. A very good introduction to Brussels.
On Saturday Annna and I had the day to explore. I bought my train tickets from Nice to Florence, which was a big relief to get done. We walked all over town. We saw the grand place (plaza), the royal palace, and the inside of countless chocolate shops. And then Anna and I decided to indulge in some local treats. For lunch we got Belgium frites (french fries). Apparently they are cooked twice or something which makes them utterly delicious (and artery clogging). And for desert we had Belgium waffles which are considered desert here. I had mine covered with ice cream and choclate syrup. Anna had one covered in fruit sauce. Again another culinary success! We then went to the Musical Instrument Museum which was really really cool. They give you headphones and then every time you approach a display of instruments music plays that could have been made by the instruments you are looking at. A multi-senses experience and totally unique. After a full day of exploring we headed back to chill. Then we went in search of dinner. We found a really cute pizza lace and split a pizza and some red wine. We had a long and luxurious meal and walked about the neighborhood for a bit. We called it an early night and headed back to the Koeppel's flat.
On Sunday we got up and went out to brunch with the whole Koeppel crew at this place called the Milkbar. iT had this crazy 50s diner feel including bright pink walls and a Marilyn Monroe statue. I ordered pancakes, real fluffy pancakes! My first in 9 weeks! YUM. Mr. Koeppel insisted that it was not to early to have a milkshake, so with his encouragement we got milkshakes for brunch. Again, SO GOOD. We had a really pleasant time continuing to get to know this generous and lovely family. After brunch, Anna and I packed and headed to a coffee shop. I attempted to write a blog but shotty internet killed it. By the time we got back, we said our goodbyes. The Koeppels had a car drive us to the airport and we headed off to Nice, where I'm currently sitting in the coolest hostel ever typing this.
Some things to know about Belgium:
1. They speak Flemish and French. Brussels is considered a bilingual city and have both languages everywhere. It turns out that the little high school French I remember is actually coming in handy big time. I had no idea I would remember so much. But it certainly helps when ordering at a restaurant.
2. They are seriously understaffed everywhere. If you're looking for a job come to Belgium. Anna and I witnessed on more than one occasion a very stressed solo worker in a restaurant packed with people. These guys work hard!
3. There's a definite grunge style going on here. All of the young people we saw had an early 90s America grunge vibe going on. I kind of dig it.
4. The architecture is beautiful! And totally unlike anything I've seen before.
I thought of many other things to add to this list over the weekend but now can't seem to remember them. I'll add them as they come. Brussels was a great experience. We had the most wonderful hosts and I cannot thank the Koeppels enough for letting us stay for them, treating us to dinner, and generally letting us encroach on their live for a bit. So so wonderful. Such a great way to start spring break!
Also, I recieved some wonderful news over the weekend. My best friend since the third grade, Beth, got engaged to her boyfirend of 6 years Mike! I'm so excited for them and for those who know them you have to get Beth to tell you the proposal story, so cute! So congratulations to Beth! I love you so much!
France updates to come.
On Saturday Annna and I had the day to explore. I bought my train tickets from Nice to Florence, which was a big relief to get done. We walked all over town. We saw the grand place (plaza), the royal palace, and the inside of countless chocolate shops. And then Anna and I decided to indulge in some local treats. For lunch we got Belgium frites (french fries). Apparently they are cooked twice or something which makes them utterly delicious (and artery clogging). And for desert we had Belgium waffles which are considered desert here. I had mine covered with ice cream and choclate syrup. Anna had one covered in fruit sauce. Again another culinary success! We then went to the Musical Instrument Museum which was really really cool. They give you headphones and then every time you approach a display of instruments music plays that could have been made by the instruments you are looking at. A multi-senses experience and totally unique. After a full day of exploring we headed back to chill. Then we went in search of dinner. We found a really cute pizza lace and split a pizza and some red wine. We had a long and luxurious meal and walked about the neighborhood for a bit. We called it an early night and headed back to the Koeppel's flat.
On Sunday we got up and went out to brunch with the whole Koeppel crew at this place called the Milkbar. iT had this crazy 50s diner feel including bright pink walls and a Marilyn Monroe statue. I ordered pancakes, real fluffy pancakes! My first in 9 weeks! YUM. Mr. Koeppel insisted that it was not to early to have a milkshake, so with his encouragement we got milkshakes for brunch. Again, SO GOOD. We had a really pleasant time continuing to get to know this generous and lovely family. After brunch, Anna and I packed and headed to a coffee shop. I attempted to write a blog but shotty internet killed it. By the time we got back, we said our goodbyes. The Koeppels had a car drive us to the airport and we headed off to Nice, where I'm currently sitting in the coolest hostel ever typing this.
Some things to know about Belgium:
1. They speak Flemish and French. Brussels is considered a bilingual city and have both languages everywhere. It turns out that the little high school French I remember is actually coming in handy big time. I had no idea I would remember so much. But it certainly helps when ordering at a restaurant.
2. They are seriously understaffed everywhere. If you're looking for a job come to Belgium. Anna and I witnessed on more than one occasion a very stressed solo worker in a restaurant packed with people. These guys work hard!
3. There's a definite grunge style going on here. All of the young people we saw had an early 90s America grunge vibe going on. I kind of dig it.
4. The architecture is beautiful! And totally unlike anything I've seen before.
I thought of many other things to add to this list over the weekend but now can't seem to remember them. I'll add them as they come. Brussels was a great experience. We had the most wonderful hosts and I cannot thank the Koeppels enough for letting us stay for them, treating us to dinner, and generally letting us encroach on their live for a bit. So so wonderful. Such a great way to start spring break!
Also, I recieved some wonderful news over the weekend. My best friend since the third grade, Beth, got engaged to her boyfirend of 6 years Mike! I'm so excited for them and for those who know them you have to get Beth to tell you the proposal story, so cute! So congratulations to Beth! I love you so much!
France updates to come.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Farewell Lovely London
My time in London is officially over. I'm sitting in Nancy Koeppel's (a family friend) guest room in Brussels, Belgium. I'm surrounded by books and art and fresh flowers about to begin a day of exploring the city. Anna is in the shower and I will shortly take her place so this post will be brief and then I'll elaborate on my Belgian adventures later this weekend.
My last 24 hours in London were a bit of a blur. I studied for finals, woke up early to take my finals (grabbed a Krispy Kreme donut for "energy" along the way), took one easy and one insanely difficult final, and headed back to 270 to pack. It was once again an insanely beautiful day. So I made lunch and sat in my backyard, soaking up the rays and sadly musing that time here was running short. I read some of my current book, Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential (which I love because I think Anthony Bourdain is insanely funny, a bit of a jerk, but a funny and honest jerk). And then I started to pack. This became a 2 hour long process and at many moments I sincerely wished mom was here to help me pack up like she did for the original trip to London. That seems so long ago! Anyway I survived and went to our farewell dinner at the Pembroke, a local pub. We said our farewells to professors and to each other. It's kind of weird that we won't see each other for a week, a long time in our acm bubble of togetherness. Anna got in around 10ish and we hit the sack.
I have loved my time in London. I love how easy the Tube system is. I love that I can get anywhere with ease. I love that British people read books on public transportation. I love free museums and wondering around them with my headphones on. I love staring out onto the Thames river at night from a bridge and seeing London lit up. I love a pub on every corner. I love the insane amount of history everywhere. I love perusing the markets and finding the greatest grilled cheese sandwich ever. I love the British accent. I love Hyde Park. I love the immense amount of theater. I love the grandeur of the churches. I love that there is always something to do. I love that London has left me wanting more.
I have learned so much during my time in London. More than I could have imagined. I've learned so much about British culture and history. I've learned so much about myself. London was my first real experience being abroad (as I don't think Canada counts). It was my first real experience being entirely on my own. I cooked for myself and figured out that I can walk around London solo and have a wonderful time. And I think I've taken advantage of it. So thanks, London. You've been a real pal, a real eye-opener. But now it's time to say goodbye. I'm off to Belgium and France and finally to Florence. I'm certain to have an entirely different experience there. I'm sure it will be amazing, but parting is always such sweet sorrow.
Off to start my day. Updates to come.
My last 24 hours in London were a bit of a blur. I studied for finals, woke up early to take my finals (grabbed a Krispy Kreme donut for "energy" along the way), took one easy and one insanely difficult final, and headed back to 270 to pack. It was once again an insanely beautiful day. So I made lunch and sat in my backyard, soaking up the rays and sadly musing that time here was running short. I read some of my current book, Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential (which I love because I think Anthony Bourdain is insanely funny, a bit of a jerk, but a funny and honest jerk). And then I started to pack. This became a 2 hour long process and at many moments I sincerely wished mom was here to help me pack up like she did for the original trip to London. That seems so long ago! Anyway I survived and went to our farewell dinner at the Pembroke, a local pub. We said our farewells to professors and to each other. It's kind of weird that we won't see each other for a week, a long time in our acm bubble of togetherness. Anna got in around 10ish and we hit the sack.
I have loved my time in London. I love how easy the Tube system is. I love that I can get anywhere with ease. I love that British people read books on public transportation. I love free museums and wondering around them with my headphones on. I love staring out onto the Thames river at night from a bridge and seeing London lit up. I love a pub on every corner. I love the insane amount of history everywhere. I love perusing the markets and finding the greatest grilled cheese sandwich ever. I love the British accent. I love Hyde Park. I love the immense amount of theater. I love the grandeur of the churches. I love that there is always something to do. I love that London has left me wanting more.
I have learned so much during my time in London. More than I could have imagined. I've learned so much about British culture and history. I've learned so much about myself. London was my first real experience being abroad (as I don't think Canada counts). It was my first real experience being entirely on my own. I cooked for myself and figured out that I can walk around London solo and have a wonderful time. And I think I've taken advantage of it. So thanks, London. You've been a real pal, a real eye-opener. But now it's time to say goodbye. I'm off to Belgium and France and finally to Florence. I'm certain to have an entirely different experience there. I'm sure it will be amazing, but parting is always such sweet sorrow.
Off to start my day. Updates to come.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Ode to Cheese and Carbohydrates
I was attempting to compile a list of things that I will miss about London and a separate list about what I’ve learned about London. And while these lists are still to come, I couldn’t help but notice how much time I spent talking about cheese. And food in general. So in that spirit I thought I’d devote a blog to cheese and carbs. Because that’s basically what I’ve been living on for the past two months. That and a vast array of grocery store bakery items. So, I’m seriously going to miss British cheese when I leave. Yes, bizarre considering I live about 3 minutes away from the Wisconsin border at home and as such missing British cheese might be considered nearly sacrilegious. I’ll also admit that it took me a while to even try cheese that wasn’t labeled mild cheddar. But there is something divine about Gloucester cheese and Leicester cheese. Oh, and I have learned that there is really no need to be cheese in slices or shredded. Apparently this thing called a cheese grater was invented a while back and it does the shredding for you...Also apparently a grilled cheese tastes just as good with cheesed sliced by a butter knife than coming prepackaged. Maybe tastes a little better even. Haha ohhh the discoveries I’ve made on this trip.
Due to the fact that I leave on Friday I decided it would be best to eat what I had left in the cabinets. What I have left in the cabinet: an entire bag of rice, one half eaten bag of shell pasta, two expiring potatoes, and four pieces of bread. So I’ll be mega carbo-loading for the week. It’s a good thing that I walk as much as I do cuz otherwise I would have to be rolled to Belgium. I wish I had some poetic way to extol my devotion to cheese and carbs. I’ll just say this:
Cheese (and chocolate and red wine) can make just about anything better.
Due to the fact that I leave on Friday I decided it would be best to eat what I had left in the cabinets. What I have left in the cabinet: an entire bag of rice, one half eaten bag of shell pasta, two expiring potatoes, and four pieces of bread. So I’ll be mega carbo-loading for the week. It’s a good thing that I walk as much as I do cuz otherwise I would have to be rolled to Belgium. I wish I had some poetic way to extol my devotion to cheese and carbs. I’ll just say this:
Cheese (and chocolate and red wine) can make just about anything better.
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