OPA!

The crew! Andy, John, Connor, Shaun, and Erika

Sunshine, donkeys, cruising, tanning, sleeping, relaxing, reading, cooking, and stargazing are all but a few words to describe my spring break in Santorini, Greece. I have been dreaming of going to Greece since the 8^th grade when I saw the movie “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and Lena rode a donkey up the Greece cliff. I have been looking forward to this trip for years and Santorini exceeded my expecations beyond anything I could imagine. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my entire life and is really just a slice of paradise. I spent the week with 5 other friends in the most gorgeous villa with a terrace overlooking the entire caldera.

Sunsets from our Terrace

We arrived on Friday to the warm Santorini breeze and a beautiful sunset to welcome us. The island is still in the off season as it is not very warm yet so it was deserted. Shops and restaurants were closed and greek people were just starting to repaint their homes in preparation for summer. The lack of crowds played in our favor and it felt like the entire island was our own. We made French toast our first morning, which for someone who has been eating an Italian breakfast of espresso and toast, it was a big deal. We spent the first few days relaxing, just laying on the sunbeds of our terrace reading and relaxing and soaking up the fact that there was nothing we had to do. No museums we needed to see or sites we had to make it to. 

ATV cruisin' with Erika

This has been my first trip where no agenda was necessary, I could just relax and be at peace. A vacation from studying abroad…pathetic I know. But so incredibly wonderful and beautiful. We rented ATVS and cruised around the island, going to the beaches and different towns. The houses were all white and churches topped with blue domes. The Greek people were so friendly and sweet, probably the nicest people I have met in Europe. Each night we made dinner, college student style most of the time with grilled cheese and tomato soup. Being able to cook was so much fun since I haven’t been able to use a kitchen for 7 months. My favorite day was when we took a hike on this trail along the cliffs to Oia to watch the sunset. Along the way we passed several donkeys and walked along a view that never felt real.

Campfire on the beach!

One day we rented a car and drove to the red beach, a little secluded beach that was tucked away around a cliff. We packed the car with snacks and blankets and spent the day on the beach and at night had a bonfire and stargazed. Returning to the car was a bit difficult because none of us had thought to bring a flash light. Luckly we had a someone’s ipad to guide us up and over the mountain safely to the car.

Donkey riding with Erika

Another day was spent on a boat ride to the volcano. We hiked the volcano and then swam in the hot springs nearby. They were more like warm springs covered in mud, but it was fun none the less. 

After the boat ride we took donkeys up the hill, proving to be my favorite part of the entire trip. Erika and I shared a donkey and screamed the whole way up almost falling off 10 times. Each night we watched the sunset and one night we slept outside under the stars. The weather was gorgeous and just warm enough for shorts and a tshirt. I loved everything about santorini and the Greek people. Greece has now entered my top 3 favorite countries and I never wanted to leave.

I’m back in Florence now with about 3 weeks to go! I can’t believe it’s almost over and I will be home so soon. The mixed feelings are beginning to set in and the fact that my time abroad is slowly becoming a reality. I can’t wait to be home with my family and my puppy and to then go up to Spokane and see my friends, but I also cant imagine leaving my pensione and the beautiful city of Florence, the place I have called home for what will be 8 months. The next few weeks are filled with all the last minute necessities from climbing the dome to seeing Pisa to eating as much pizza as I can. Two trips left, one to visit my cousins in Jesi and one to Croatia for Easter weekend! I’m just trying to soak it all in and enjoy the last bits I have. La dolce vita! 

Day Trips in Italy

Siena! 

This semester I haven’t done as much traveling outside of Italy so my blogs are few. The last month I took day trips every weekend around Italy, which has been one of my favorite parts of travel. I went to Siena at the start of the semester and spent the day relaxing, climbing the tower, and having a picnic in the large piazza there. The next weekend Erika and I went to San Gimignano, a small medieval town with over 10 towers. It was beautiful and relaxing and we spoke Italian to each other all day. Then I went to Venice for Carnevale with Hallie and Erika. Carnevale is a celebration that last 2 weeks before lent starts. Everyone wears masks and costumes and it is one big party. 

Confetti in Venice! 

The day we went had to the coldest day of the entire year, but we made the most of it and had a great time. We wore masks, threw confetti and drank wine juice boxes to keep us warm. As for my time in Florence, I have gotten more involved this semester. Once a week I volunteer at Casa di Anziani, a retirement home. I go with two other girls and we play games and just hang out with the old folks. They speak no English so I get to practice my Italian and they are all so kind and happy to see us. I absolutely love going and wish I had done it last semester as well. I also am doing a program called English for Pasta where I go to an Italian family’s house with my friend Mark once a week. We play with their two kids who are 7 and 9 and help them with their English for an hour and a half. Then we all eat dinner together and they help us with our Italian. The family is so sweet and we eat the most wonderful food. Other than that things in Florence continue to be the same. Time is dwindling, only a month and a half until I am home! It is the perfect amount of time and I know I will be ready to be home by then.

San Gimignano!

Currently my grandparents are visiting and this past weekend they took me to my great grandparents hometown of Grumento Nova. We stayed with relatives and spent the entire weekend eating. I have never eaten so much in my entire life, and Italian’s don’t understand (or care) when you say you are full and do not want anymore food. We just ate and ate and ate and ate. I learned to make homemade ravioli and I was the house my great grandpa grew up in. It was a lot of Italian, as my relatives and no one in the town speaks English, but it was a lot of fun and I’m so happy I got to experience that.

Eating gelato with Hallie and Erika in Firenze

What’s up next: In two weeks I’m off the Santorini, Greece for 9 days for my spring break. I’ve been looking forward to this trip since before I came abroad and I can’t wait to lay on the beach and just relax. After that I’m visiting my cousins in Jesi one more time, then Croatia for Easter weekend, then finals, then HOME! I can’t believe how fast this semester is flying by. I’m soaking up this last little bit of time and enjoying everything as much as a I can. The weather is finally getting nice again and we Hallie and Erika and I relaxed on the bridge with some gelato the other day. 

Turkish Delight

Jumpin around with Erika and Victoria

Last weekend I went to Istanbul, Turkey! Easily the most memorable trip I have been on in my entire time abroad. Istanbul has always intrigued me, as it is so different than every other country in Europe. Erika, Victoria and I left Thursday with smooth travels the entire way. We arrived late Thursday night and took a shuttle to our hostel. We knew our travels had been too smooth all day because when we drove to our hostel our Turkish driver who spoke no English got lost for over 45 minutes driving in circles asking every single person on the street where to go. In that time we managed to hit a car, drive on the wrong side of the road, encounter over 30 cats, and almost be dropped off at the wrong hostel. We laughed our way threw the disaster finally arriving at our hostel at 1:30 in the morning. Our hostel was not exactly what we expected, but it offered us a very “cultural” experience with friendly and helpful staff.

Grand Bazaar!

Our first day we spent wandering around, trying to get our bearings. The whole weekend we sang and danced around the city, mostly “Istanbul (Not Constantinople) and “A Whole New World” from Aladdin because of all the magic carpets. We were all experiencing a bit of culture shock with the extreme differences in food, language, atmosphere, and Muslim traditions of prayer over a megaphone 5 times a day. Victoria’s friend Natalie arrived that afternoon and we all went to the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is basically a huge flea market with everything from fake designer attire to cultural carpets and bags. With over 5,000 shops and shouting Turkish men we were a little overwhelmed, but mostly excited. That night we went to dinner at a rooftop restaurant, which turned out to have absolutely horrible food. I took us 3 days to learn that you need to spend more than 10 lira (5 dollars) to get decent food. Despite the bad food the first few days we loved the apple tea and drank it in bean bags at least 2 times a day.

Palaces with Erika

Day two we crossed the river to the modern part of town. We walked down the main drag and tried Baklava and Turkish Delight, two of the most famous desserts of Turkey. We shopped that day and among all of us bought bags, pillowcases, shoes, shirts, jewelry, tablecloths and much more. We went a little crazy because the currency was so cheap and we couldn’t get enough. We walked back over to the historical side where we were staying. On the bridge there were hundreds of men fishing and so many people walking by, honking horns, everything loud and overwhelming. We stopped in the Egyptian Spice Market briefly where Victoria bought some tea. It was one of the most crowded areas I have ever been in and we all held tight to each other as Turkish people shouted across the way. That night we went to a Belly Dancing performance, which we absolutely loved. It had traditional dancing and was a lot of fun to see. We belly danced our way home that night eating Baklava on the way. In honor of Aladdin we took a magic carpet ride with the carpet in our room before we went to bed.

Mosques with Victoria, Natalie, and Erika 

Our last day was spent seeing the Mosques and the Palaces. The Mosques were beautiful and so unique. I liked seeing them at night because they looked like lit up palaces. The Muslim culture was a little overwhelming at times with the women covering their heads and facing and the loud speaker going off every few hours with Turkish chanting. Definitely very different from the world I know, but all very interesting. The palaces were beautiful and made me wish we were in Agra Bah in Aladdin. That afternoon we signed up for a Turkish Bath which is suppose to be like a spa from the Roman Empire. 

Inside the Hagia Sophia 

We heard incredible things about them and were told we must go. Well it turns out we signed up for the wrong one and we canceled our appointment and went out to a nice dinner instead. Finally on our last night we had amazing Turkish food and delicious desserts. We left early the next morning and headed back to Italy, where we missed so much. The word to describe the weekend: memorable. Everything seemed to be overwhelming and off and things constantly went wrong but we laughed our way through and had an incredible time!