Monday, September 24, 2007

The Past Three Weeks in a Nutshell

Milan
So Milan was better then I thought. The people were not quite as posh and snobby as everyone told me they would be, which was nice. There were a lot of cute clothing shops that were cheap and I had my first pizza in Italy at the cute little pizzeria. I took a very touristy bus tour so I got to see just about everything "important." I also spoke to people in Italian for the first time! Yay!

Cinque Terre
I think Cinque Terre was my favorite place that I went. The first night I was there the small town I was staying in had a dance. I met some Americans that were studying abroad in Architecture and had come here for a weekend and we all went ot a bar and then to the dance. At first everyone was a little bit hesitant to join in with the dancing because the Italians were kinda doing their own thing. But then this old man came up and grabbed my arms and we started dancing! After that everyone else joined in. This cute Italian kept asking me to dance. About halfway through the night they pulled out Limbo! I lost of course but it was a ton of fun. I met these two Italian girls as well. I really liked them even though we couldnt communicate very well. The night ended with everyone jumping up and down on the dance floor. Ages 3 to 80 were there jumping. It was fantastic. Hands down the best night of the month that I traveled.
I did a hike in Cinque Terre across all 5 towns. I met some Australian girls hiking and walked with them. In between towns we would rest and lay on the beach. The towns were all goregeous and so quaint. I felt like I saw more real Italians here then anywhere else.
My last day there I wanted to go kyhaking but the water was too rough so I just sat down and draw. Someone walking by offered to buy my drawing! They asked me in Italian though and so I was confused and said no. As they were walking away I figured it out but it was too late. I still found it flattering... I would have sold that ugly thing for a euro!

Venice
I looooved Venice. I really want to go back some day with a lover. Oooo-la-la. I met James in Venice (a cute Australian guy) and we jung out my first day there. The second day I met up with some friends that I met in my hostel in Cinque Terre and we all took a gondola together! It was sooo much fun. I thought it was worth the 17.50 each it ended up being.
I saw a glass factory as well. They made a glass pitcher and horse in about 3.5 seconds! They made it look so easy. I was impressed.
I also went to a movie premiere in Venice! I saw this one girl talking on TV and I saw a TV in a shop showing her as she was talking! It must have bene live. I met this nice English woman who married an Italian and was out with her friends. She and I talked while we waited for the actors and actresses to come out. I saw the premiere for Nightwatching. I saw Mike Freeman (I think that is his name). He is in Love Actually and Hitch Hickers Guide to the Gallexy. They also had this huge dance floor and so I went there and met some other people traveling (two English boys from London who invited me out there to visit while I stay here)and danced. Venice was awesome.

Florence
Florence was so artsy. I met two people from UNT! One of them lived in North Richland Hills and the other lived in Grapevine! Small world. I went to a mexican resturant during happy hour and drank some wonderful pina coladas and talked (rather poorly) to some brazilians in broken Spanish and Italian. They told me where they worked (an ice cream shop) and wanted me to come there the next day so they could give me free gelato but I was leaving the next day for Sorrento. What a shame!
In Florence I got to see David and Botticelli#s Birth of Venus and La Primavera, plus about 100 other works that just about change your life when you look at them. I was in a gorrible mood when I went into the Uffizi (a museum that rivals the Lourve), but after seeing all of the beautiful art there I was giddy. It was amazing. I made so many friends in Florence. I met this one American guy and his brother from Chicago. He was a language conservationist. I thought that was pretty cool. We drank some wine together and chatted basically alllll night. I could live in Florence. Easily.

Sorrento and Capri
I don't remember Sorrento as fondly as I should because my Hostel was about a mile up hill. I sat down with my pack on and I couldnt get up. I died getting there. It was awful. The actual hostel was really nice though. It was on a huge hill and it overlooked all of Sorrento and the ocean. If I were on my honeymoon this is where I would want to go. Infact, I think there were people on there honeymoon there. It was a nice place too, no dormatories or anything. I had a private room, which was bliss.
I didn't spend a whole lot of time in Sorrento because during the day I went to Capri to go on a boat trip. The water was soooo blue! Look on facebook! I think that was my favorite thing that I did all trip. They just took us around the whole Island and told us about the history and showed us the most important things... and that water. Sometime when I go to sleep at night I think about it.
When I was leaving Sorrento and waiting for a bus to come pick me up to take me to the train station a cute guy stopped infront of me on his scooter. "What is your name?" he asked twice, but I didn't tell him. As the bus was coming up behind him I pointed to it and he said " Don't go there. You come get on my scooter now," and he patted the back for me to get on! I thought that sort of thing only happend in movies! I thought it was so funny. I just went on the bus, of course, but I did day dream about having a movie like experience with him... and then about what horrible thing could have happend as well.

Pompei
Pompei was ok. I got honked by an old man who kept driving in circles and honking at me. I was really confused as to why.
There were a lot of abandoned dogs which made me sad. I bought some salami for lunches but I ended up giving it all to them. Some of them seemed too tired to eat. It was very depressing.
On a lighter note the ruins were lovely and I made more friends that I went out to dinner with.

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