Amalfi Coast

This is my last week in Florence! I should be studying for my oral exam tomorrow but I would rather post these pictures. I took a group trip with Bus2Alps with a group of girls from my program down to the Amalfi Coast. We stayed in Sorrento in a hotel by the beach and did day trips to Capri, Positano and finally Pompeii. Capri was beautiful. We had a boat tour around the entire island. We couldn't go inside the blue grotto due to the tide but they pointed out the green grotto, the white grotto, the elephant rock, the faraglioni, and Denzel Washington's house. After that we hiked and took buses up to Ana Capri where we had lunch. After that we took a small chair lift up to the very top of the island, which was covered in fog so we just went back down. We then hiked all the way down to the beach where some people went swimming (I sat in the sun and drank a beer). The next day we took a bus to Positano where we got onto boats which took us to a place to cliff dive (I had a beer instead) and cave swimming (which I actually participated in). I really don't like cold water but I had a really nice time despite the fact that I couldn't feel my extremities. As soon as we got back to the beach it began to pour down with rain so we took shelter in a cafe and had some cake before doing some shopping and heading home. I had probably the best kebab I have ever had in Sorrento that night. On our way back to Florence the next day we stopped in Pompeii for a couple of hours. I did the tour where we got to see a typical house, the grain storage, the fish market, the forum, the spa and a brothel. It was incredible walking around the city and seeing how well preserved it is. Apparently brothels were a big deal in Pompeii and there are penises all carved into the sidewalks and onto the side of buildings to point out the way. We ended the trip with some pizza and then sat in traffic for a couple of hours. I think that overall the trips that I've done in Italy have been my favorite. I loved the Amalfi Coast and when I return to Italy (someday) it's going to be the first place I go. I finally have my travel plans figured out for after the program which I will post this week! 

London + Paris

For the long Easter weekend I went to London and Paris. I spent a day in London with my lovely cousin Sophie who came down from Oxford to spend the day with me! We walked in the park and caught up and then did some shopping. After which I dragged her to the Natural History Museum which was filled with children. We had some coffee in the Covenant Gardens and then went to a really nice restaurant called Beagle. Where we had some really great food and the best cocktail I have ever had. The next morning I had a full english breakfast with some girls from my program and then hopped on the Chunnel! It was really fun and they served a full dinner with salmon and wine. I then arrived in Paris! I stayed with my good friend Zoe and her housemates. (Big shout out to Zoe for hosting me!) I had a wonderful time and I got to have a very personal tour of Paris. The first night we went out and had delicious crepes and then saw the Eiffel Tower! It was really incredible. The next morning we ate brunch at home and then walked around Paris. I saw some of the major streets and ate macarons. We also went into a beautiful church and into a really cool artist colony. Later we hung out in a park and listened to live opera and talked. The next morning we went to a bakery that was voted to have the best baguette in Paris. It was delicious. The Louvre had an enormous line so we went to l'Orangrie which was designed by Monet. It was really beautiful and it also had a really cool exhibit of some sketches. After that we met up with Ryan (who also goes to UCSC) at Angelina's which was Coco Chanel's favorite place for hot chocolate. After that we did some shopping and walked into another really cool old church. We had ramen for dinner which was delicious. I haven't had a break from Italian food for a long time and it was so nice to have different kinds of food for the weekend. We met up with some more friends from Zoe's program and had a drink before going home. The next day Zoe and I went to 4 different bakeries for breakfast. I had a chocolate eclair, a raspberry tart, more macarons (passion fruit and praline) and the flakiest croissant I have ever eaten. After which I hopped on my last RyanAir flight (yaaaay! never again!) and came back to Florence. I had a great time exploring and I can't wait to start traveling after my program! 

Amsterdam

 I went to Amsterdam about 2 weekends ago but my life has been a little hectic lately so I'm just now posting my pictures! I loved Amsterdam. The food was great, the people were so friendly and it was just a beautiful place to be. It was a very relaxed trip minus the part where I lost phone-less Nika. Luckily I found her and her friend Olivia at the hostel. We went to the Van Gogh Museum which was really nice. Out of all the exhibits I've seen the Felix Vallotton exhibit in the Van Gogh Museum has been probably my favorite. The next day we woke up early and took a bus to Keukenhof which is the big tulip garden right outside Amsterdam. We spent close to 3 hours walking around. It was perfect weather and the flowers were beautiful. We had some coffee and lunch in a little outside market and then walked around in the Vondelpark  which was also huge. We later took a red light district tour which was really interesting. They explained how the district is run and what what to expect from each neighborhood. Overall it was a really nice trip and I would really like to go back and spend some more time there. Also some of the photos near the end I borrowed from Nika. If you would like to see some more pictures of europe adventures check out her photo blog: http://nikaphotoblog.tumblr.com.

She's a fantastic photographer! 

Travel Plans

Hello! I just wanted to update everyone on my travel plans for after the program. I only have less than a month left of my language program which is crazy! Time really flew by!
So far I have Istanbul and Greece booked. I'm definitely going to Portugal afterwards - still need to buy my ticket.
Then my current plan is Oslo to Stockholm to Saint Petersburg to Copenhagen to Berlin to Oma+Opa's house and then back to California. Too crazy? Maybe just a little bit. If you have any suggestions of places to visit or not visit please let me know! All suggestions are welcome :)

Barcelona: The Rain in Spain does not Stay Mainly in the Plain.

Last weekend I went to Barcelona and I loved it. The first day we walked around and saw a lot of Gaudi architecture which was fantastic. We walked up to the top of the apartment building which was really cool. Unfortunately the Sagrada Familia was under construction and I didn't get very good pictures. I did a lot of walking and eating. I feel like I only explored a small part of Barcelona and I really want to go back. I'm thinking of traveling around Spain after my program in Italy ends. On our last day it poured with rain all day and I was sick so we took refuge in the airport for most of the day. 

And then Klaus came to Firenze

Last weekend Klaus came to visit! It was really fun! We sped through the Galileo Museum (they have a couple of Galileo's fingers in glass jars) and then visited the Palazzo Vecchio where we pretty much ran up the tower. We drove to Pisa and went up the leaning tower. It was bizarre walking up the tower because it feels like you're walking down but you're going upstairs. We ate way too much at dinner (I had steak for the first time in months - thanks dad!). The next day we walked up to the Piazza Michelangelo and then Klaus drove back to France.  I've been missing my friends and Emma and Choco a lot lately so it was really nice to have part of home here. Thanks Dad!