Octopus and Dorthy

I ate octopus for dinner. minus the suction cup things. i cut those off.

I was thinking last night how IRONIC my life has become.

the two food I dislike the most would be
1. seafood
2. mushrooms

My mom can attest to that.

In Siena my host family eats seafood at LEAST 6 days a week and my host dad is a member of a mushroom club here in siena and loves mushrooms.

needless to say my horizions are expanding.

Yesterday morning our itlaian class was cancelled and humanites was move to 2 oclock so we had all morning to explore Siena. Every WEdnesday moring there is a market in the park and Erika, Jo and I went shopping. I bought a cute purple peacoat jacket for 25 euros such a steal. a sweater and some other stuff. I also found some delicious dried pineapple. As we were walking through the food part of the market there was a stand that had a dried pig on the counter. HEAD and ALL! it was insanse. We just stood there for a moment looking at it..

Results of the market.

Yesterday afternoon I found an atlas in our house and I showed Ben (host dad) that KC was in the middle of hte US and I never had seafood cause we dont have any near us. Then I explained that BYU is like and 18hr drive my KC. He was surprised.
Then at dinner (Erika was at her cooking class) that night he told the rest of the family. I think they thought that KC and BYU were like from their house abnd the 15 min bus ride to Siena. not exactly. Alberto (host brother) realized that he knew Kansas and he kept saing Kansas like Dorthy... YEAH! so he got a funnel out and started to do a little dance and said Guesseppi (host brother) was the tin man.
Alberto found a DVD and we watched a movie that Guessepi had made 2 years ago with his class, he was the tin man. It was the Wizard of Oz and it was so cute! haha


Siena is has the best markets!

p.s. I actually just had a small bite of octopus. But thats practically eating it for dinner... right?

Bad Engineering, Bike Gangs and Home Theaters.

Jo and I in front of a church in Florence

Jo, Me, Chelsea and Alyssa at the top of the dome in Florence

Quick play by play of the week and then I tell you the cool stuff.

Thursday Erika was in Florence so Jo and I just ran around Siena and shopped.

Friday night Erika and I went to the church and watched the testaments with the missionaries! Yeah Friday night movie!

Saturday was amazing. I woke up early and met Johanna, Shannon, Rachel, Erin, and Chelsea at Piazza Gramsci at 6.50. We headed off to Pisa and Luca for the day.

First stop was Pisa.

I AM HAD TO DO IT!

Jo, Shannon and I climbed to the top of the tower for 15 euros which with the crappy exchange rate is 25 bucks… I know but once in a life time… totally worth it. In Pisa we also went into the church and the cemetery.

PHOTO OP!

Then around noon we headed off to Luca. After about an hour bus ride we arrived in the cutest little town. We

found a pizza shop that was recommended by Rick Steves. Then we rented bikes for an hour.

Luca is a small town surrounded by walls.These walls are so cool because you are able to run and bike on them! Its about 2.5 miles around the town on the walls and on bikes you can make it around twice in an hour! This is what we did along with taking a ton of pictures!!! Some guy almost ran into Erin. He slammed on the brakes to miss her and went flying over the handle bars

After riding bikes we walked through the town and found an antique sale in a piazza.

Then we got back on the bus and headed to Florence where Shannon, Jo and I caught a train back to Siena while the other girls took a bus. Overall Saturday was amazing.

Sunday Erika and I went to church and then to the internet café. Jo came over in the afternoon and Erika and I pushed our beds together and the three of us watched Pride and Prejudice. Kiel called in the middle and I got to talk to him for a while then my family called right before dinner! It was seriously one of the best weekends ever.

This week we have papers, test and homework due but the goal for this weekend is another trip out of Siena!

Jo and I eating gelato in Luca

This morning Erika and I found the best present in the fridge. OCTOPUS! Tentacles and everything! ahh hope its not for dinner!

Siena sends Love

Funny quote of the week

First Sunday in Siena we were at church and one of the Elders is explaining all the Genealogy that needs to be done and since there are 24 of us we can do a lot to help. “We just want to take advantage of you while you’re here”

Images

Erika and I at the Panther Contrada Museum. We got special permission to go in there. Usually
tourist aren't allowed but it was part of our cultural experience.


Awesome.

Cheers Mom!



Italian Graffiti.
I LOVE YOU ALL!

Let Dreams Be Dreams

This has been such a good week. Sunday church was really good and after church Erika and I went to the internet café where we e-mail our families and such. Then I took a nap. It was good to be warm and comfy after dealing with rain all weekend. We also found MTV and CNN on the little TV in our room.

Monday we had class then Johanna and I went shopping and I bought a scarf and I found this really cute leather jacket I am keeping my eye on. Then we met Erika at the bus stop and we went shopping at the United Colors of Benton Outlet. I got some sweet European jeans and some sweaters.

Tuesday Peter took the watercolor class to Florence for the day. It was so beautiful, the sun was shinning and the sky was blue. Peter walked us around for a while then took us to a museum (i temporarily forgot the name). Afterward Alyssa, Johanna, Chelsea and I got a quick lunch at this sandwich and wine store. Then we climbed to the top of the Dome. It’s the fourth largest building in Europe. There are only 416 steps not as many at St. Peters 523. Then The 4 of us went to the Ufize museum and I have this super sweet pass where we can just walk into the museum without standing in line. This museum houses Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. I didn’t realize how large the statue was. We turned the corner in the museum and taaaa daaa there David stood in all his glory. It is amazing to me that Michelangelo created this statue at the age of 29.

Afterward we shopped as we made our way back to the meeting spot to return to Siena.

When I got back to our house I saw that I had finally got the package that my mom sent me over a week and a half ago! I was so happy. I had clothes and my camera cord! I couldn’t stop smiling. Tuesday night for dinner, just as I was sitting down the phone rang and Anna answered and gave it to me and it was MOM!!!! Yaye I was so shocked at first to have her call me I didn’t believe it.

Wednesday morning Erika and I had no trouble with the bus Horray!

Florence sends love.

P.S. I had a dream in Italian.

P.S.S. I am going to try and upload a video of our walk to school late this week as well as pictures!

Love you all

They Say Italian Men are Good Looking...

Monday was our first day of school. We had 3 hours of Italian then Tuesday I had watercolor. Wednesday Erika and I had some bus trouble and we were late of Italian. Whoops. It rained all weekend so we didn’t get to see much in the City yet.

Friday night we got delicious hot chocolate in a little café near the Campo.

(the internet wouldn't upload a picture but i'll try again later)

Okay so the menu of the week is crazy.

Monday: Shrimp and Pasta

Tuesday: Clams and Pasta and Curry chicken

Wednesday: Tuna and Pasta

Thursday: Salami

Friday: Gnocchi

Saturday: Swordfish and Champaign Risotto

Sunday: Rabbit and French fries.

So all in all this week was a lot of first for me and the combos of food are definitely different. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday the food was good. The Risotto was good too. Haha we tried not to eat too much with the Champaign.

These guys made quite the pair.

Sweet Mullet Man and Rat Tail Boy

Siena is rainy.

p.s. I ate the easter bunny. Yikes!

Home sweet home

Wednesday we left Roma and drove Herculaneum. There was a ton of frescos and mosaics still there. We left Herculaneum and drove to Menori. Our hotel was seriously a 5 min walk to the beach.

Thursday we went to Pompeii. We had a guided tour at Pompeii and then we walked around for a bit and drew and took pictures.

Me, Erika and Johanna in Pompeii

Once we got back to Menori we went swimming in the Mediterranean Ocean! It was so warm, salty and amazing!

Friday we took a 2 hour boat ride to Capri. Then we took a boat tour around the island. While on the tour we went to the Blue Grotto. Inside the cave was amazing. It was so black but once you turned around the water was electric blue! We finished our tour and sat on the beach and drew. Then we took our 2 hour boat ride back to Menori.
Drawing on the beach in Capri

Saturday we went to Paestum. It’s older than Pompeii and Herculaneum and it is Greek ruins. We were there for about 2 hours drawing. Then we left to go to Siena! We got to Siena around 7 and our host mom and brother picked us up. Anna doesn’t speak any English but Alberto speaks a little. He is 13. We got to their apt and meet Benjamin (dad) and Giuseppe. Benjamin cooked a delicious dinner and they kept offering us wine.

Alberto and Guiseppe, our host brothers.

Sunday we went to church was mostly in Italian. After church we met Guiseppe and Alberto and they took us to their family. We left and went to San Gusme, where we had lunch with some of their family friends. We ate from like 1-3.30. It was so much food. We had:
1. bread- offered alcohol
2. bruchetta/meat/cheese
3. pasta with boar meat
4. lots of red meat and potatoes and mushrooms.
5. biscotti and cookies- we were offered more alcohol
The little town was beautiful and set back in time. It was built in the 13th century.

Siena sends love.

p.s. the views are amazing!

This is how the Romans do it

So it’s Tuesday and still no bags. Delta said they are “off the radar” (whatever that means). It’s okay though, I am just ‘backpacking’ across Europe… well Italy.

Monday we met really early and went to Vatican city (which I can see right now from the balcony of my hotel). I saw the Sistine Chapel- I couldn’t close my mouth. After touring the Vatican we separated and four of us ate lunch at an outside café, then we strolled through streets and I bought some much needed clothes.


View from the Hotel Pacific


Chelsea found this church near the Colossum that had stairs that were brought from Jerusalem around 376 AD. These steps are thought to be the steps that Jesus walked on the day of condemnation. Now they are in a small church in Rome and covered with wood but there are some openings were blood marks were found. We climbed the stairs but you can only climb the stairs on your knees-which we did, all 28 of them! Very cool.

Today we met early again and went to the Villa di Borghese. This was the house of the family of a Pope long ago. Inside there was Canova’s Paolina Borghese statue, Bernini’s David and many Caravaggio paintings. I love Carvaggio. Love it. Afterwards we met Peter at the Spanish steps and he took us on a tour Rome and I got to see my favorite painting by Caravaggio, ‘The Calling of St. Matthew’.


Chelsea, Erika and I at church.



Well that’s about it. We leave for Naples in the morning!
Love and miss you all!

Roma never fell.

p.s. the Pope says hey.