Last of October

10/31/08
Today I woke up like a champ at 7am and got ready to go to Roma. We had a sandwich for breakfast and slept on the train to Roma. When in Roma we went to my roommates place and then straight to the forum and coliseum. I loved the look on my mom's face when she first saw the coliseum when she first saw it. We got a tour of the Coliseum, the Palantine hill, and the Forum. I learned a lot more since the first tour I took. It was really cool to see my mom especially when she was experiencing something new like the subway or a train here. I think that she felt like a little kid.
We ate at a really cool little restaurant near the Coliseum. I had some awesome cannolini, my brother got some lasagna and my mom something I can't remember. But the point is we all liked what we got. The setting was awesome too. It was outside under a canopy and it was raining so there was a nice buzz in the air which was really nice. When we were done there was no rain so we went to see Trajan's Forum the Vittorio Emanuelle Monument and the Capitoline hill. We then called it a night after that.
But not for me!! It was Halloween so my roommate and his friends were going out and I wasn't about to stay in so there I go. It was raining so I was all wet but it was worth it because I honestly had one of the best nights out. Nick and his friends were so much fun, they were dancing drinking, and singing. Then we went to Campo di Fiori and that place was crazy cool. Basically, it was a plaza with a bunch of bars/cafes ALL around it. It was a lot of fun, and then it started to pour cats and dogs!! We were under a canopy, but that was slowly leaking so I moved around a bit. I talked to a couple from Sardinia and that was cool because I have developed the sufficient confidence in myself to communicate in Italian all the way. Matter of fact they said my Italian was good so I was all happy to hear that!! I met someone from my school that was cool. We then all went home after a while. But bar none that night was the best social night out that I have had in Italy.

10/30/08
So today we went to the Pitti Palace and it is officially my favorite museum!! I loved seeing all this non religious art!! It was only about 300 years old but still amazing and fun to decipher. A funny thing that happened was that on our way to the palace my brother wanted some gelato and he goes to the first stand he sees. Well it turns out that we were about 3 shops down from one of the most famous bridges in the world...so needless to say it was a tourist trap. The server lady was so eager to serve us and insisted that I get something when I didn't want one. They offered us waffles and the works. When it came to pay it turned out to be 14 Euros when I was expecting it to be like 7 or something like that. I was taken aback but we already got the "gelato". We figured out what real gelato was like though and we got a good laugh from it.
We spent a large part of our day at the palace then we went to a restaurant and had some pizza. Another funny story is that when we were ordering we wanted a pizza with pepperoni...well pepperoni is bell pepper in Italian. So my mom got a bell pepper pizza and I was fooled too. It was alright though. We got a good laugh about that too.
Afterwards we went for a walk and went to a 500 year old or so farmacia/pharmacy that was founded by some monks back in the day. It was really cool and interesting to see all the stuff that they had in there. We got our tickets at the train station and then went home.
We had a reservation at the YAB club and we skipped the line and just walked right in. It was really cool. Once we were inside we realized that there was not a single tourist in the place besides us AND we had colored clothing. No joke everyone okay okay if you count gray as a color, but about 95% of the people in this joint had black or white combined somehow. It was nuts to see this, and my brother comes in with a light orange shirt and I had an unfashionable white patterned collared shirt. We were obviously the odd balls of the place, but that didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves. After the second drink we were feeling good and comfortable among all these colorless locals that had the latest in fashion. We had a Becks beer before we got in the club and then had a coke and rum I think. Then we finished it and he ordered a Caipirinha which was really good but really strong. I was done for the night. We got to see a lot of good looking girls all of which spoke no english and that didn't want to dance. But whatever I had fun because it was the first time that I could drink at a club with my brother. It's funny that he had to come all the way over here. Anyways we left and come home starving so we ate some leftover pasta.

10/29/08
My school, the academia, and the game
Today we went to my school and I got to show them around where I have my classes and everything like that. We called home to check in as well. After that we went to the Academia museum to see the David by Michaelangelo. All the hype it gets is truly well deserved because it is a an amazing piece of work. It embodied humanity with such a realism that it makes you feel like your in the moment that he is in. You feel what he is feeling. Physically he looks like a real person not too big not too small with the perfect muscle tone and dimensions. We were all amazed by this work of art.
Afterwards we went home cooked cooked up a storm one of my brother's recipes from some food that we picked up at the market.
Then we went to the soccer game!! It was so cool to be able to see and feel a game in person. I used to always say that I love to play soccer but never really watch it, but this is a completely different feel. I was so into it and it was so cool to be able to see the crowd and its actions/reactions. My mom had a blast and I was really happy to have been able to show her all this. The game was 0 to 0 but there were a lot of close ones that made the game exciting.


10/28/08
This morning we went to the casine market to stroll around. I was amazed at how economical everything was. Then thankfully at the end of our stroll we were caught under the rain. It started to pour and I was sent to get an umbrella while they waited under the shelter of some little cafe. By the time I got back the rain had stopped. But we were going to use it again and I needed one so it was worth it. I was really wet though. We then came home and cooked up another meal and then went to the Bargello Museum and it was really cool to be able to teach them about what I have learned. That evening we ate at queen victoria which was the place where I had my first Italian meal. Matter fact we ate at the same table so that was pretty cool.


10/27/08
So we woke up late ate breakfast and then scaled the famous Duomo. We got to see some amazing views of the city and my mom was a trooper climbing all those stairs. The views were spectacular. The dome from inside was something special because we could see the paintings up close and it was absolutely impressive. I was fascinated by how all of this was created...the paintings and the dome itself.
We then got on the second bus tour which took us out to the outskirts of Firenze and Fiesole.
That evening we cooked up a meal at my house and then called it a night.

10/26/08
Today we went on a city bus tour throughout the city center. We got to see the major sights and we went to the San Lorenzo market. I wanted to immerse them into what it feels like to be in my shoes. My brother did a great job of filming the San Lorenzo market's peculiarities. I think it was today that we got some coffee too...we got an expresso, a cappuccino, and a cafe latte. I had the expresso my mom the cappuccino, and my brother the cafe latte. That night we were wide awake like owls! It made for nice conversation time with my brother and my poor mom tossed and turned until late hours of the night. Needless to say we woke up late the next day.
We then tried to get on the second bus tour but failed miserably because there was a religious convention/holiday of some sort and the bus route was altered. So we went to an internet point to call home. Then went around to check out what was going on.
This evening we went to a famous pizza place that has the "Best Pizza" of Florence. Well I was trying to take them to the best places but they didn't really find the best pizza all that great. It was too burnt, too thin, but the beer was good. We talked a lot and still ate it though. We then got another gelato from the same place


10/25/08
We walked around Florence and we got to see many of the major sights from outside like the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, and Il Duomo. In the evening we went to a very nice restaurant that served us some very fine Italian food. The best I could afford to take them out. The service was great we had some mozzarella bruchettes, ravioli, and something else. The wine was very good and then for desert my mom had a Tiramisu and we ended with some limoncello (of which I had not had any yet). We then walked back home in the evening and as usual that's when everything is hustling and bustling. We went to my favorite Gelateria called Vivoli and walked around Santa Croce eating some amazing gelato.


10/24/08
I woke up and decided to leave on the train that would give me one hour to get to the airport. I didn't know where or how far the airport bus, but like my project a few days earlier I knew I would find my way.
So I get on the train and go. I arrive in Rome (by the way I returned to Rome without throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain, which they say you'll come back if you throw a coin into the fountain so HA Trevi take that). Anyways, I get off and I am like "Ok where do I go now" I was momentarily lost and then saw a sign with a plane so I followed it. I cross the whole station and at the end I saw this girl ask the same question I was going to ask so I talk to her and we both figure out how to get our tickets and get on the right train to the airport.
She was from Texas studying in Mississippi and studying for one semester in Florence. We talked about our experiences in Florence and about where we were from, it was a really pleasant ride and I learned a lot. When we reached the fork in the road we went our separate ways and that was that. I let her know that she made my ride more enjoyable and that I left meeting her with a whole new perspective on things and for sharing her world with me.
I then had to figure out where my mom and brother were going to be and I kind of wandered listening to that little voice inside guiding me. I eventually found the place and I double checked with someone. I then calculated the expected time of their probable arrival. I would close my eyes and think okay they are probably doing this and should get here at so and so time. Sure enough at the time I expected them to arrive they were there it was weird too because I nailed it.

So I saw them first and I wanted to surprise them of course. So I literally brushed my brothers shoulder and I walk right in front of my mom who was all excited to see me. Their glance was so far ahead that they didn't see what was in front of their eyes. We embraced and rejoiced the moment and it was very special.
We then walked back to the train station and it took me about 4 different places to try to get a ticket back to the main station (that they weren't even going to check). So I finally get one and hop on the last direct trip to the main terminal. We had to run because I thought it was going to leave any minute we end up at the caboose and standing. It was really neat to see my mom in such a different environment from what I am used to.
We got the train to Florence and it was cool to be able to walk with my mom and brother along the same roads that I have walked on so many times. We came home and ate something light and went on quick mini tour of the city and then went home to sleep because they were tired.