Arezzo

View from Our Balcony

Kara and I

Our Room and Kara's bed

Our room!

Hallway

Cute little Kitchen

Unpacking!

Entrance

My first meal that I cooked! (Gnocci and fish)Before the sauce was done

Trying to find out which is our mailbox

I'm finally in Arezzo! In my apartment with Kara! Yesterday I left Castel Fusano and my classmates to meet up with all of the OU people at the airport where we had a shuttle that took us all the way to Arezzo, which was so nice because switching trains with lots of luggage is not the best.

When we got here we went to each apartment to drop off all of the students. Our apartment was the 3rd stop and after seeing where the other students are living I decided that I really like our location best!

Today my legs are killing me!! There are 87 stairs to get to our room with no elevator, and yesterday Kara and I had to take up 6 pieces of luggage (4 of which were mine...lol). We've decided this will be a good thing though considering how many carbs we will be consuming here.

Our apartment is great! Above us we have a terrace where we can hang laundry and sit outside and look over Arezzo. Our room is super cute and very bright. I was expecting it to be sort of old but instead everything is very new and I'm pretty sure from Ikea.

When we finished getting all of our stuff up the stairs Kara and I went to the grocery store and brought back food for the next week, then I had to cook! A scary thought, but even though I don't cook much, my Grammies and Mom's persistence of showing me how to do what there doing helped me remember how to prepare a good meal! I boiled gnocchi, fried fish in a pan and.... used store bought sauce because I'm not THAT good yet. But by the end I bet I will be able to.

I won't lie though... I sort of forgot that you need to thaw the fish before you put it in the pan, so it practically exploded in the pan and a battle between me and the fish ensued where I ended victorious after removing it, rethawing it, and then cooking it again.

Next, Kara and I walked all over Arezzo seeing the main sights and getting gelato. We were pretty content. We feel pretty lucky to be here and have this experience in such a gorgeous little town.

After eating we cleaned up, unpacked a bit, and then met up with Kate to get my other bags that my mom and I had left with her. Then even though we were tired and icky we decided to go have a little dinner and a glass of wine at a great little restaurant. The food could not have been any better and so we decided that that will be our spot for every other Wednesday from now on!

I had gnocchi again, but it had some sort of meat in it and it blew mine out of the water but I decided that that is ok for now. After having 2 pastas, chardonnay, and chocolate mousse with raspberry we decided that it probably could not get any better than this!

Studying Italian in Castel Fusano

With the cutest little nuns from Indonesia at the Vatican

My room here!

Again!

So now my mom went home and I am studying Italian just outside of Rome at a camp site/ "country club" called Castel Fusano. It is all younger people and italian families and basically I am the only American here now. There was one girl before me who is in the nun picture with me but she went back to Boston now.

My roommates name is Svetlanna and she is from Russia. Actually, all of my classmates are Russian which has been very interesting since I haven't met very many in my life and now I live with one! They're all very nice but only 2 of them speak English, so now I'm learning a little Russian too on my Italian class breaks!

Since there is a metro connecting us to Rome I have gone back with Ariana (the other American) once because she still hadn't seen the Vatican since she'd been here. So we headed out to Rome, souvenir shopped, ran into some friends, and then went to the Vatican.

When we were there we saw these tiny nuns and I couldn't figure out how old they were so we walked up to them and they were taking pictures of each other, so I offered to take one for them and found out they were from Indonesia, which I thought was interesting considering that that is mainly a Muslim country. Anyways, they were so sweet and after they asked to take a picture with us, I laughed and said I wasn't dressed appropriately but then they laughed and asked me again so we took one and now I'm so glad because look how cute they were! It made Ariana and I so happy!

Later we went to eat then caught the metro home where everyone goes to the "Chill Out" at night. Basically it's this sort of awkward place where a huge group of teenage germans go and dance with each other and then the older people sit in a different area and talk, so there I have met a lot of interesting people and had fun conversations! There is also a club which I try to avoid since it's full of really young kids, but I went once and it was interesting!

I've also realized as my Italian improves my English is getting worse and I find myself forgetting words or leaving them out of sentences and sort of talking the same way the Russians speak English. It's pretty funny!

I have classes every morning and my teacher is really great. Everything is in Italian but nothing has been too hard yet so I've really enjoyed it. Tomorrow the same language program in Rome has excursions and I will go to a seminar about wine tasting which should be cool! They have something most days and I am going to try to attend as many as possible.

All for now!

Sorrento/Capri/Pompeii

Pompeii

My food was staring at me!

Really cool rock formations!

Capri!

From the top of Capri

On the boat

Outside our hotel in Sorrento

Sorrento was the perfect place for my mom and I to end our Europe trip. After rushing around to see all of the sights in every big city we were ready for a slower pace.

We flew from London so we had a very early flight and arrived in Naples around 11:30. Then we had to get on a bus that took us about 2 feet around the cliffs to Sorrento. We got to our hotel and it was so beautiful! Our room had a great view of the water and all of the orange and lemon trees. It was pretty different than all of our other hotels I would say!

We got changed and walked around the town which was so cute. It is not big so you can basically walk everywhere and there are shops on every street with lots of lemons and pottery. We ate at a cute outdoor restaurant and then were too tired to do anything else so we just went to bed.

The next morning we had a private Capri tour so we were picked up at 8:30 and again driven over the scary cliffs to a marina where we were picked up by our guide Francesco with a few other couples to go on our tour. The weather was gorgeous so mom and I sat on the front of the boat and enjoyed the waves.

When we got to Capri we were dropped of for 3 hours so we bought tickets and took the funiculare (basically an uphill bus) to the top of the island where we did a little shopping and had lunch right on the edge looking down at the island.

We ran into a nice british couple who spoke italian on the way up and chatted about the differences in the school systems. Then Francesco came back and got us and we boated around the island, swimming in caves and climbing up the sides of rocks. Some guys were cliff diving and it was cool but also pretty scary!

We were on the boat for probably around 5 hours and mom wasn't feeling well when the boat wasn't moving so by the end she was glad to be back. We also think she may be allergic to mussels because after she ate them she started having a lot of problems with her allergies. When we got back we showered and went out for another great meal in town.

The next day we went to the beach nearby and layed out all day. The chairs were really cool because they had an extra piece that went over your head so that you would only get sun where you wanted it. They had a restaurant on the beach so mom and I ate there and I was able to try all of the local fish which were great!

On our last day we took a tour to Pompeii where we saw all of the city and burned up in the heat! It was worth it though to see how well preserved everything is and actually experience what a town like that would have been like. Our guide was a funny italian man and his commentary in English was cute.

After Pompeii we had the best lunch at the quaintest little restaurant by our hotel where above the tables was covered in vines with real flowers and grapes growing on them. It was incredible and like something out of a movie! I had the best homemade gnocchi there and mom had more of the local fish.

For our last night we bought some souvenirs and I answered all of my emails and found out that I had an official offer from the American Embassy in Rome for the Public Affairs Office and so I accepted and am now just waiting for security clearance!

Today I left my mom at the airport in Rome and it was very sad knowing that I won't see her again until April, but we had an amazing trip and something we will remember forever!

Now I am in Castel Fusano, just outside of Rome by the beach for a 2 week intensive Italian course before I start classes in Arezzo on the 28th!

London

At the Ballet!

On the road to Buckingham Palace!

Cutest Cupcake shop!

At the Royal Ballet

Big Ben!

Buckingham Palace!

Westminster Abbey

Tower Bridge!

We woke up after our last night in Paris and walked to Gare du Nord which was right by our hotel. Since we were going to London we didn't realize till a little bit later that they have a whole customs area set up on the 2nd level and we had to go get our bags checked and go through passport control like in an airport! That was the first time I had ever dealt with that but luckily mom and I had allotted a lot of extra time.

The EuroStar train goes through the Chunnel (Channel Tunnel) and was almost a half mile long because so many people take these trains everyday. It was about 2 hours to get from Paris to London which was basically no time at all after our 6 hour train ride from Munich to Paris.

When we got to London we walked to our hotel in Camden, but they weren't ready for check in so we went to have lunch. I obviously had to get fish and chips and when it came out my mom and I were wishing we had shared because it was the biggest fish I had ever seen.

When we could finally check in we got settled and changed then went to plan out what we wanted to do. While we were planning I got a call from the woman I have been in contact with at the American Embassy in Rome for a potential internship in the Spring so before we went anywhere I had a long and lovely conversation with her and we will see what comes from it later!

Our first activity was to go see the tower bridge. I have never worked the London metro before so I was a little confused but after one trip I figured it out and luckily my mom was happy enough with their metro that we only took one bus tour!

At the bridge we popped around the corned and there it was! What we were surprised about was that the poles are all painted a very strange blue and white color that sort of made it look like a play toy. That was not what I imagined but the bridge itself was. Very big and pretty.

After we got back on the metro and went to see about getting tickets to Mama Mia. They were sold out but we got some good advise to go to a half price ticket shop the next day. So we took the 2 hour bus tour (of course) and saw all of the sights going super fast on the bus. I will have to say this was the best bus tour because we had a live funny guide in front of us and we enjoyed talking to him.

The next morning we woke up and had a huge English breakfast at the hotel. Then we got back on the metro and went to Buckingham Palace where we toured the inside and gardens. This took about half a day and was really cool and I would say comparable to the White House.

Mom was getting tired at this point so we stopped in a traditional English pub and had cokes and potato skins for an hour while we rested then went to Westminster Abbey. It was beautiful but closed once we got there, which was fine because we had to get across town to the Royal Ballet!

I booked this several months in advance but did not realize that it was the opening night of Don Quixote. It was completely sold out and I booked a private table for my mom and I with our meals prepared so it was really nice to show up with our food and wine ready, then dessert at the first interval, then cokes during the second! The whole area was packed and people tried to steal our table a few times but our waitress was sweet and kept people out of it the whole night.

The ballet was AMAZING! I've never seen such gorgeous dancing in my whole life and the seats I booked were perfect. Sitting next to my mom was a huge ballet enthusiast, named Paul, who had gone to every show and showed us where to go get autographs after the performance. He was such a hoot and we enjoyed chatting with him for awhile after the show. Apparently it was a big deal because the ballet normally never gets a standing ovation and there were probably 5 encores so it was a good night at the Royal Ballet!

The next morning my mom and I had a smaller breakfast (because we decided that baked beans and some sort of tomato weren't necessary in the morning) and headed out to buy tickets to a show for that evening. There were so many choices but we finally narrowed it down and chose Chicago. We were able to buy some great tickets for a much lower price for the evening show.

We walked to the theatre so that we would know where it was and found the most adorable cupcake shop I have ever seen on the way. They had muffins that were delicious and even though we had already eaten a lot we could not pass them up. On the way to our next stop the metro was closed so we got off early and ended up running into the changing of that guards.

This was cool for about 10 minutes till I started to feel very claustrophobic and needed to get out! We basically had to go 5 blocks out of the way to avoid the crowds but I was glad that we at least got to experience it! We went to Big Ben and Parliament area after this but didn't go in since it was Sunday.

Next we hopped back on the metro to Notting Hill where we walked down Portobello market past the residential areas from the movie and past some very cute shops. We had lunch at a great local restaurant then about passed out from exhaustion around 4pm. Since we were so tired we went back and napped (for the first time of the whole trip) then got ready and went to see Chicago.

Chicago was an absolute blast!! I love that show so much and know basically every word. My mom enjoyed it a lot too and we met some sweet British people at the show. Now the songs and dances have been stuck in my head everyday since.

Since my mom is flying back out of Rome, we have to get back to Italy so our next stop is Naples and Sorrento for our last relaxing part of our holiday!

Paris

The Louvre

Fun Dinner with Marc and Julie!

Eiffel Tower

Arc de Triomphe

Outside looking at Musee d'Orsay

At our lunch place in Musee d'Orsay

On another tour bus!

Notre Dame

Sainte-Chapelle

I got the rest of the Munich pics up too!

We left Munich at 6:20 to get to Paris around noon. Mom and I were pretty tired and she was not a happy camper when I got us a little lost on the way to our hotel... whoops!

After recouping we got on the metro to go see Notre Dame and Saint Chappelle. I had never been to Saint Chappelle but studied it in class and was a little sad when the best windows were being restored. Still it was really cool and since the weather was bad we were glad to be indoors and it was faster to get in everywhere.

By this time it was evening so we had dinner at a restaurant looking at Notre Dame and had our third pizza of the trip. Mom was not digging the metro in Paris either, so of course the next day we were back on a bus tour! My third of this trip.

The next morning we slept in then went to get on the tour bus. We rode to the Louvre then walked to Musee d'Orsay and we got tickets there. After seeing the whole first floor my mom and I found their amazing restaurant that looks like Versailles on the second floor. We had a long lunch there and met a delightful Irish family sitting next to us. It was by far the best food I've eaten so far and being surrounded by my favorite art didn't hurt.

Next, back on the bus we went to the Champs Ellysee where my mom and I bought matching Gap Paris shirts (so presh) and then went to the Arc de Triomphe. There were a LOT of stairs so my mom wasn't happy when I told her there wasn't a lift. But we had a beautiful view and she got to see the whole Eiffel Tower for the first time.

Of course now my mom was dying to get to the Eiffel Tower so we went to the Trocadero and took some pictures before actually walking up to the tower. My mom enjoyed being by the Eiffel Tower but was exhausted at this point so we took a break and waited for Marc to call for dinner at his place.

He lives on New York Avenue right by the Seine and Eiffel Tower (yes, everyone can be jealous of him). Julie and him made us great food and it was so fun to see them after a year away. We stayed there for awhile and my mom made them take pictures which they had a big laugh about. They were very sweet to have us over because both are studying all of the time for the bar and have no vacation!! My mom and I were very appreciative and she loves their accents.

When we left it was close to 11 so we were able to watch the tower sparkle which my mom loved. Then we found a taxi to go back to the hotel and realized when we got back that we had no cash and could not figure out why! Nothing had been stolen, we were just out! Turns out, when we got back to the hotel we had spent it all and not realized it so our taxi driver was having to drive around to find us an ATM, whoops!

On our last day, back on the bus we went to Gallerie Lafayette! My mom has been wanting a Longchamp bag so we went to the fancy Printemps department store and had lots of fun browsing, not buying anything extra because we have an insane amount of souvenirs as of now!

We had lunch at Printemps then finished the tour with the Moulin Rouge and Sacre-Coeur. When we got back to our hotel, we bought more luggage for our souvenirs and repacked everything. Then we went for the night opening at the Louvre and got to see all of the great art without huge crowds.

It started raining so we took the metro back to our hotel area and.... ate BBQ... in Paris! My mom and I had a good laugh about the cowboys and indians/saloon decor and the menu that was a mix of wannabe Texas Roadhouse meets Paris cafe. It was perfect.

Now off to London!

Munich

HB

Hoffbrauhaus!

Glockenspeil

At the Olympic Stadium

BWM World

A Festival was going on

Moms purchase in Fussen!

After leaving Fussen my mom and I drove through a lot of German countryside until we got to Munich. When we were closer my mom could not figure out why everyone was passing her and going so fast, then I realized we were on the Autobahn and were holding everyone up! I told her to pass a truck and she said that she was flooring it and we could only go so fast. We laughed because that was all our poor little Fiat could handle!

When we got there our hotel check in wasn't for awhile so we planned out what we wanted to do and drove to the Olympic stadium and BMW factory.

The BMW factory was cool but I think I would have appreciated it a lot more if I knew more about cars. My mom and I had seen enough in about 30 minutes and went to the Olympic stadium where there was a huge dog festival going on! When we went to look for food all we found was Purina, Eukanuba, and a hot dog stand. So we had a hot dog and went up the space needle.

When we got to the top and took pictures my mom realized that she was sort of afraid of heights so we didn't stay up there for long. When we got back to the hotel we went to a little italian restaurant next door and the waitor didn't speak English, but he did speak italian so that was fun!

Today we got up and drove our rental car back to the car place. My mom and I were cursing the German parking garage because we could not figure out where to enter it! Five tries later we figured it out and were free of the car, mom was relieved.

Next we went to the train station to take... yet another bus tour. When we got to the fourth stop I knew where we were from last time I went and it was close to noon so I made my mom get out and basically run to Marienplatz so that we could watch the Glockenspeil. We made it in time and since it was noon on a Sunday there were all sorts of church bells with the Glockenspeil so it was really cool.

After that we walked to the Hoffbrauhaus where we had lunch and mom tried the beer. We bought some mugs and my mom was trying to get me to buy everything since it was my initials. I told her that I didn't want to have all sorts of beer paraphernalia so we just stuck with a cute keychain for me.

Mom went to video the musicians and some funny German guys thought she was cute so they tried to get her to have a beer with them, we got it on video and they spoke no English. Very funny!

After lunch we walked around and then went to the English Gardens where we hung out for awhile watching the surfers and then some people watching which was very entertaining!

Now were back preparing to get on our train at 6:20am to go to Paris in the morning!