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.