I made it to Salzburg! This town in so cute. It looks as though it were made for little dolls who wear wooden clogs. Unfortunately its been raining practically since we got here, but I'm hoping it won't stop me from exploring.
The past two days have been about getting situated. My dorm room is tiny, but nice and its perfect for one person. I have my own bathroom, which is fantastic!
We had our first class with Justice Kennedy this morning and I actually enjoyed it. I don't know why I was so surprised, but he was funny and engaging and interesting to listen to. This is such an amazing opportunity to be taught by someone with so much experience and knowledge...although, he could assign a little less reading.
I've been running twice since I've been here. Austria is a very walker/runner friendly town. There's a path that goes along the river and there are a ton of cyclists and walkers/runners that use it.
I may get to go to a soccer (actually football) match on Wednesday. We just have to figure out how to get tickets and where the game is being held. We're also going to try and go to one of the open-air Mozart concerts soon, probably once it stops raining. We have a planned trip to vienna with the group this weekend and we're going to tour the parliament there.
Not much else to report yet...should get back to my reading.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Ciao italy
Greg and I spent the last couple of days in italy just relaxing and eating gelato. We slept and ate mostly. On thursday I was dying for television. The only thing that I could find was some movie with Ben affleckm Paul Giamatti and Uma Thurman. Unfortunately they were all speaking italian, so I had no clue what they were saying, but it was sorta comforting to see something relatively familiar.
We left Residence le Ferriera early this morning. We drove down a one-way road in florence and finally found the car rental place. Afterwards we stopped at two paticerriere (however you spell that). We stocked up on plenty of carbs for the road...greg had two croissants and we each had what looked like a mini-bearclaw-shaped-chalah with raisins. It was tasty! I also got us each a pizza for the road. I don't know what kind of food they'll have in Salzburg.
At the trainstation I spent 17.50 euro for two american magazines and we waited for them to announce our bin number...about 8 minutes before we are supposed to depart they finally listed the number and everyone then starts running...
The weather in salzburg looks shitty. 60 something degrees with 88 percent humidity and the rest of the week its supposed to rain. I hope this class is interesting.
Ciao!
We left Residence le Ferriera early this morning. We drove down a one-way road in florence and finally found the car rental place. Afterwards we stopped at two paticerriere (however you spell that). We stocked up on plenty of carbs for the road...greg had two croissants and we each had what looked like a mini-bearclaw-shaped-chalah with raisins. It was tasty! I also got us each a pizza for the road. I don't know what kind of food they'll have in Salzburg.
At the trainstation I spent 17.50 euro for two american magazines and we waited for them to announce our bin number...about 8 minutes before we are supposed to depart they finally listed the number and everyone then starts running...
The weather in salzburg looks shitty. 60 something degrees with 88 percent humidity and the rest of the week its supposed to rain. I hope this class is interesting.
Ciao!
Florence by bike and the David...finally
Wednesday we went on a bike tour. We met our group by some car dealership and then followed them to the garage. There were two other families, both were from California. For the most part everyone was in decent shape. I hadn't been on a bike since I was a kid (not counting the cruiser I coasted down a mountain in jamaica on). The ride was a total of 15 miles, but it was all up hill, or at least it felt like it.
Our guides name was Per, like the fruit, he was from sweden. He led us through the hills and gave us little snipits about the things we were seeing. We rode past the house where the filmed the movie "Room with a View.". We kept riding and had lunch at a restaurant that overlooked all of florence. It was beautiful. We ate a ton of pasta and had cappucinos and then hopped back on our bikes to a family run farm/winery.
Per gave us a tour of how they make wine and olive oil and then we got to hike around a bit. The weather was very strange...cold and windy and almost about to storm. It cleared up for the ride home though.
After the ride we all stopped at a fruit stand and each got a slice of "cocomorro" which is watermelon. It was like going to a bar, except instead of serving alcohol they seved watermelon. It was one of my favorite things!
After the bike tour and the cocomorro greg and I finally the saw the David! He was beautiful, and much taller than I expected. Definitely worth the hype. The detail was really impressive.
All in all, I think the bike tour and the watermelon was one of my favorite things that we did on this trip.
If you're interested, the group is called I bike italy. www.ibikeitaly.it, I think. Or google florence by bike.
Our guides name was Per, like the fruit, he was from sweden. He led us through the hills and gave us little snipits about the things we were seeing. We rode past the house where the filmed the movie "Room with a View.". We kept riding and had lunch at a restaurant that overlooked all of florence. It was beautiful. We ate a ton of pasta and had cappucinos and then hopped back on our bikes to a family run farm/winery.
Per gave us a tour of how they make wine and olive oil and then we got to hike around a bit. The weather was very strange...cold and windy and almost about to storm. It cleared up for the ride home though.
After the ride we all stopped at a fruit stand and each got a slice of "cocomorro" which is watermelon. It was like going to a bar, except instead of serving alcohol they seved watermelon. It was one of my favorite things!
After the bike tour and the cocomorro greg and I finally the saw the David! He was beautiful, and much taller than I expected. Definitely worth the hype. The detail was really impressive.
All in all, I think the bike tour and the watermelon was one of my favorite things that we did on this trip.
If you're interested, the group is called I bike italy. www.ibikeitaly.it, I think. Or google florence by bike.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Colds
Yestersay we went to cinque terre. I think it maybe one of the most beautiful places I have ever been! We hiked three of the trails between the towns. Italians really have a way with stairs...cheese and rice those things are rough.
I have developed a cold which I'm none too pleased with, but there will be time to relax later...today we are off to do a bike tour in florence/tuscany and then finally to see the david.
*cheese and rice=jesus ch--st
I have developed a cold which I'm none too pleased with, but there will be time to relax later...today we are off to do a bike tour in florence/tuscany and then finally to see the david.
*cheese and rice=jesus ch--st
Monday, July 2, 2007
Bryan Adams
So, part of our apartment overlooks the restaurant. I think they only have one CD. Everynight around 7:00 we start hearing Bryan Adams "Everything I do, I do it for you" blasting into our apartment. Then Madonna starts going...its funny. We think its on repeat.
I look like a doofus!
Greg felt that his hair made him look like a doofus, so he insisted on chopping it off. The only scissors we had were kitchen shears, but they worked just fine. We were going to give him a mullet, but decided against it. He know has short hair again and feels much better.
The Italian Stars Hollow
Greg and I are staying in a small town about 1/2 hour outside of florence. The place is beautiful! Our apartment overlooks a warerfall and is situated on a lake. I don't particularly care for the girl that runs the place...she always looks at me like I'm a retarded person or like I'm bothering her. Greg thinks its a language thing, I think she's annoying.
When we arrived she was eating lunch and wouldn't tell me where the bathroom was, we arrived around 1:30 and this is siesta time. They take siesta's very seriously! The whole town shuts down from 1:00-4:30...
Last night we made dinner and then walked down to the center of town to watch a band play. Everyone from the town gahtered to watch this band, which is somewhat famous and from lorro ciuffena. Greg said it was like we were staying an italian stars hollow (from gilmore girls).
When we arrived she was eating lunch and wouldn't tell me where the bathroom was, we arrived around 1:30 and this is siesta time. They take siesta's very seriously! The whole town shuts down from 1:00-4:30...
Last night we made dinner and then walked down to the center of town to watch a band play. Everyone from the town gahtered to watch this band, which is somewhat famous and from lorro ciuffena. Greg said it was like we were staying an italian stars hollow (from gilmore girls).
Friday, June 29, 2007
Tracy Morgan for reals this time
So, tonight I saw a guy on a bike that looked like Tracy Morgan with dreadlocks and I thought "I miss Tracy Morgan...". I am starting to miss a few things from home I think.
Also, we've seen several celebrities considering we're in a foreign country. 1st we saw Kanye West in the airport in london, he's a small dude! Much smaller than I expected. Then they were filming some movie or something in the train station in Florence. I didn't see a famous person, but maybe they will be famous someday after they release whatever it is they are filming. Then, tonight, we saw the skinny, dorky dude from "Roadtrip" and he was in some other stuff, but we couldn't remember. He's even more odd looking in person...:e looks like he could be a little wooden boy, only taller and smoking.
Another weird thing about Florence is that it smells funny and people just seem to ignore it. We went into several shops today and they sorta smelled like poo and everyone just ignored it. It would be like sitting in a room with strangers and someone farts and you know they farted, but everyone pretends like it didn't happen...its odd!
Something happened with the museums today and the tourists weren't happy. We had reservations to the Uffizi at 9;30 today and we woke up late and didn't get there til 10:30 and the people with 8:15 reservations hadn't even been let in yet. We got in around 11:15, but can you imagine if we had been there on time? Yikes! The artwork was amazing, however it was hard to look at everything with all of the people around us.
We then went to palazzo vechio and toured around the palace. I can't believe people used to live in those places!
We tried to go to the Accademia to see the David but becuase of the late opening the wait was 4 hours long. I hope we get to see the David before we leave.
Last thing before we head off to the country...if you're still reading this, tell me who in Europe has been spreading the rumor that mullets are ok? Greg and I have seen far too many mullets and most of them are not on Americans, not that it would make it any less ridiculous. I shouldn't make fun of other people especially becuase I walked around in my running shoes and my dorky shorts today, but that's because I have blisters between my toes from wearing new sandals and walking nine hours a day. That's so not the same as going to a hairdresser and either asking for that haircut or letting the hairdresser do that to you...either way, its bad.
Ciao!
Also, we've seen several celebrities considering we're in a foreign country. 1st we saw Kanye West in the airport in london, he's a small dude! Much smaller than I expected. Then they were filming some movie or something in the train station in Florence. I didn't see a famous person, but maybe they will be famous someday after they release whatever it is they are filming. Then, tonight, we saw the skinny, dorky dude from "Roadtrip" and he was in some other stuff, but we couldn't remember. He's even more odd looking in person...:e looks like he could be a little wooden boy, only taller and smoking.
Another weird thing about Florence is that it smells funny and people just seem to ignore it. We went into several shops today and they sorta smelled like poo and everyone just ignored it. It would be like sitting in a room with strangers and someone farts and you know they farted, but everyone pretends like it didn't happen...its odd!
Something happened with the museums today and the tourists weren't happy. We had reservations to the Uffizi at 9;30 today and we woke up late and didn't get there til 10:30 and the people with 8:15 reservations hadn't even been let in yet. We got in around 11:15, but can you imagine if we had been there on time? Yikes! The artwork was amazing, however it was hard to look at everything with all of the people around us.
We then went to palazzo vechio and toured around the palace. I can't believe people used to live in those places!
We tried to go to the Accademia to see the David but becuase of the late opening the wait was 4 hours long. I hope we get to see the David before we leave.
Last thing before we head off to the country...if you're still reading this, tell me who in Europe has been spreading the rumor that mullets are ok? Greg and I have seen far too many mullets and most of them are not on Americans, not that it would make it any less ridiculous. I shouldn't make fun of other people especially becuase I walked around in my running shoes and my dorky shorts today, but that's because I have blisters between my toes from wearing new sandals and walking nine hours a day. That's so not the same as going to a hairdresser and either asking for that haircut or letting the hairdresser do that to you...either way, its bad.
Ciao!
Florence and Tracy Morgan
Florence is magnificent! We arrived yesterday around 1:00. I paid .70 euro to use the bathroom at the train station and it was so strange because there was a blacklight in the stall. Maybe to see all the gross stuff better? I don't know...
Our hotel is really unique. It has nine rooms and a litt court yard where they serve breakfast and coffee in the morning. Its really hidden on the street and you need two keys a password to get in.
After we dropped our stuff we headed to the Duomo. The building is amazing, of course. I can't get over the amount of detail and how old it all is. We then climbed 414 steps up Giotti's Tower and looked out onto the entire city. It was beautiful, but I have to admit when I thought about how old the structure was, I got a little scared of heights. We then climbed back down the 414 steps and marched along the street towards ponche vechio. Just us and few 1000 of our closest friends.
There are tourists everywhere! Sometimes it feels like I'm at Disneyland because the scenery is so extraordinary and there are people from all over the world surrounding you...its somewhat comforting to be able to find an american wherever you go, but also frustrating because I'm in italy and I shouldn't be able to speak so much English...
Along the bridge we saw some of the most beautiful jewelry I have ever seen. Everything is old and beautiful, even the boxes are unique.
After the bridge we hiked up what felt like another 4000 stairs and hills to the top of pilazzo michelangelo where we watched the sunset and looked out onto the city. It looked exactly like the pictures I've seen in the books, except it was real and it was mine.
Afterwards we walked down to a small wine bar on the street and sat with the locals eating bruschetta and drinking wine. It was perfect.
Our hotel is really unique. It has nine rooms and a litt court yard where they serve breakfast and coffee in the morning. Its really hidden on the street and you need two keys a password to get in.
After we dropped our stuff we headed to the Duomo. The building is amazing, of course. I can't get over the amount of detail and how old it all is. We then climbed 414 steps up Giotti's Tower and looked out onto the entire city. It was beautiful, but I have to admit when I thought about how old the structure was, I got a little scared of heights. We then climbed back down the 414 steps and marched along the street towards ponche vechio. Just us and few 1000 of our closest friends.
There are tourists everywhere! Sometimes it feels like I'm at Disneyland because the scenery is so extraordinary and there are people from all over the world surrounding you...its somewhat comforting to be able to find an american wherever you go, but also frustrating because I'm in italy and I shouldn't be able to speak so much English...
Along the bridge we saw some of the most beautiful jewelry I have ever seen. Everything is old and beautiful, even the boxes are unique.
After the bridge we hiked up what felt like another 4000 stairs and hills to the top of pilazzo michelangelo where we watched the sunset and looked out onto the city. It looked exactly like the pictures I've seen in the books, except it was real and it was mine.
Afterwards we walked down to a small wine bar on the street and sat with the locals eating bruschetta and drinking wine. It was perfect.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Rome
Greg and I arrived in Italy on Monday night. Our hotel is in campo di fiori, which is a trendy piazza at night and a popular market place in the day. On the first day we visited the vatican, the trevi fountain, the spanish steps, the pantheon and so much more. Everywhere we turned there was something old and beautiful ... everything looked important. We wandered the city for over 8 1/2 hours! Greg;s feet were killing him!
I was really looking forward to the shopping here, however I havenàt found anything that is better than what I have at home, or that I can afford. probably more of the latter. Oh well, I guess that means more money for gilato and pizza!
Today we were supposed to meet our sitejogging trainer at 7:50am, however he was running late so Carolina, the owner of sitejogging, took us a quick walking tour around the piazza and down via giulia, which quickly became my favorite street. Evertyhing looks more beautiful without all of the people and the tourists. It was as if the street was just for us!
Then we walked back to the hotel and met our trainer, however they thought we were supposed to be german and they were so late, Carolina gave us the tour for free! Our trainer was able to do the tour in english, however he struggled just a bit. We ran from our hotel to St. Peters and up the spanish steps and through the city. it was amazing and I really think running through city is the best way to see it!
This afternoon we walked all over again. This time we went to see the mouth of truth from "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, then off to the colliseum, the forum and the Palitone. It was all so unbelievable! I sat on a piece of a roman column! How often can you say that?
After the coliseum we walked through the Jewish Ghetto and saw the synagogue ... itàs amazing how old and well maintained everything is.
We ended the day back around campo di fiori and got my first gilato of the day. Then we watched people in the piazza for a bit and went back to the hotel for a quick cat nap ...
Later we wandered out of the hotel and had dinner in the piazza and then walked to the trevi fountain for our second viewing, but this time at night. Its just as crowded at night as it is in the day, but there is something very romantic about Rome at night ... everything is lit up and people are wanderign the streets, itàs all really beautiful. I ended the night with my final gilato.
Tomorrow we are off to Florence! I hope the city is a little slower paced than rome ... itàs beautiful here, but also quite overwhleming.
Ciao!
Julia
I was really looking forward to the shopping here, however I havenàt found anything that is better than what I have at home, or that I can afford. probably more of the latter. Oh well, I guess that means more money for gilato and pizza!
Today we were supposed to meet our sitejogging trainer at 7:50am, however he was running late so Carolina, the owner of sitejogging, took us a quick walking tour around the piazza and down via giulia, which quickly became my favorite street. Evertyhing looks more beautiful without all of the people and the tourists. It was as if the street was just for us!
Then we walked back to the hotel and met our trainer, however they thought we were supposed to be german and they were so late, Carolina gave us the tour for free! Our trainer was able to do the tour in english, however he struggled just a bit. We ran from our hotel to St. Peters and up the spanish steps and through the city. it was amazing and I really think running through city is the best way to see it!
This afternoon we walked all over again. This time we went to see the mouth of truth from "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, then off to the colliseum, the forum and the Palitone. It was all so unbelievable! I sat on a piece of a roman column! How often can you say that?
After the coliseum we walked through the Jewish Ghetto and saw the synagogue ... itàs amazing how old and well maintained everything is.
We ended the day back around campo di fiori and got my first gilato of the day. Then we watched people in the piazza for a bit and went back to the hotel for a quick cat nap ...
Later we wandered out of the hotel and had dinner in the piazza and then walked to the trevi fountain for our second viewing, but this time at night. Its just as crowded at night as it is in the day, but there is something very romantic about Rome at night ... everything is lit up and people are wanderign the streets, itàs all really beautiful. I ended the night with my final gilato.
Tomorrow we are off to Florence! I hope the city is a little slower paced than rome ... itàs beautiful here, but also quite overwhleming.
Ciao!
Julia
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Getting Ready to Leave ...
Today I will officially start packing. Greg is really worried that I'm going to over pack and to be honest, so am I. I just don't want to forget anything and I like having options. I'm not really sure what to expect once I get there. I'm looking forward to the food and have big plans of eating my way through Italy. What could be better than pizza and gelato?
Our first stop is Rome. The only set plan we have is a jogging tour. I read about a group that takes you on tours of Rome with a trainer. It sounded perfect for me so we are booked for a 6 mile tour of the city. Our trainer will pick us up at our hotel at 7:30am. I promised Greg that this will be the only time I force him to run with my while we are on vacation. (to see more about our tour go to www.sightjogging.it).
After Rome we are going to Florence. I plan on eating, exploring and hopefully lots of shopping. I keep picturing the movie "A Room With A View" but I won't be traveling with a group of English people and I won't be wearing the giant dresses, so probably less like that movie, but hopefully there will still be some of the same scenery. I just read about the Synagogue of Florence, also known as the Museo del Templo Israelitico. Since Greggie is in the process of becoming a true- Jew, I think we will try and see it. We're definitely going to the Uffizi Gallery, we'll see the Duomo and hopefully we'll get to hike to the Piazzale Michelangelo. Is it bad that I'm excited that everything sounds like pizza? I keep picturing pizza everywhere ... I'm going to come home the size of a house!
After Florence we will head to the country. We are spending a week right outside of Arezzo in an old restored mill. I'm so excited about this place! (to see more go to www.residencelaferriera.it). We're going to take some day trips and wander around the countryside. I'm looking forward to reading something nonlaw-related and again, eating. Are you sensing a pattern here?
On July 7th Greg and I will hop on a train and travel up to Salzburg, Austria. I'll be taking a three week course with Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. I'm looking forward to studying abroad, but I'm a little nervous about taking a class with a Supreme Court Justice! Let's hope he doesn't use the socratic method ... I don't want to be known as the girl that vomitted when Justice Kennedy called on her, that would be bad.
I'm sad I'm going to miss out on spending time with my family this summer, but I know this will be an amazing trip! Too bad I can't fit them all in my suitcase, but I hear that they start charging you for anything over 50lbs, and that would mean less money to spend on food and purses.
Our first stop is Rome. The only set plan we have is a jogging tour. I read about a group that takes you on tours of Rome with a trainer. It sounded perfect for me so we are booked for a 6 mile tour of the city. Our trainer will pick us up at our hotel at 7:30am. I promised Greg that this will be the only time I force him to run with my while we are on vacation. (to see more about our tour go to www.sightjogging.it).
After Rome we are going to Florence. I plan on eating, exploring and hopefully lots of shopping. I keep picturing the movie "A Room With A View" but I won't be traveling with a group of English people and I won't be wearing the giant dresses, so probably less like that movie, but hopefully there will still be some of the same scenery. I just read about the Synagogue of Florence, also known as the Museo del Templo Israelitico. Since Greggie is in the process of becoming a true- Jew, I think we will try and see it. We're definitely going to the Uffizi Gallery, we'll see the Duomo and hopefully we'll get to hike to the Piazzale Michelangelo. Is it bad that I'm excited that everything sounds like pizza? I keep picturing pizza everywhere ... I'm going to come home the size of a house!
After Florence we will head to the country. We are spending a week right outside of Arezzo in an old restored mill. I'm so excited about this place! (to see more go to www.residencelaferriera.it). We're going to take some day trips and wander around the countryside. I'm looking forward to reading something nonlaw-related and again, eating. Are you sensing a pattern here?
On July 7th Greg and I will hop on a train and travel up to Salzburg, Austria. I'll be taking a three week course with Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. I'm looking forward to studying abroad, but I'm a little nervous about taking a class with a Supreme Court Justice! Let's hope he doesn't use the socratic method ... I don't want to be known as the girl that vomitted when Justice Kennedy called on her, that would be bad.
I'm sad I'm going to miss out on spending time with my family this summer, but I know this will be an amazing trip! Too bad I can't fit them all in my suitcase, but I hear that they start charging you for anything over 50lbs, and that would mean less money to spend on food and purses.
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