Buon Appetito!

I am becoming more and more obsessed with food.  Thankfully, my portions are under good control (because I never want to be full when there is always an opportunity to eat!).  Here are some of my favorites in no particular order:
1.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil- There are so many different types!  It's necessary for almost every meal.  I can't wait for fall break when I get to help with the harvest!
2. Vino- Red, white, pink, sparkling, flat, it is all delicious and compliments any meal.  One of my professors says it's customary to drink red wine with a ham sandwich for breakfast, but I might pass on that.  It also magically satisfies me so that I do not crave seconds or dessert.
3.  Tomatoes- Sadly, I heard that they are going out of season.  Perfect for sandwiches, soups, sauces, or salads.
4.  Zucchini- Very different here, prickly and sold with their 'flowers,' but a nice easy vegetable to make.
5.  Black cabbage- Not sure how to describe this, but it adds a nice flavor to sauces and soups.
6.  Cheese- Mozzarella, Parmigiano, Percorino, and many others are such good quality here.
7.  Fresh pasta/gnocchi- Other than having these in restuarants, I didn't have much experience with these, but I bought fresh pasta in the market this week which is amazing, and I made gnocchi in my cooking class which was fabulous.
8.  Gelato-  The more I eat it, the more I crave it.  So many flavors to try and so many favorites, pistachio, dark chocolate, baccio, nutella, ricotta and fig, stracciatella...
9. Salami- Can't stand the smell at home, eat it plain here, some of it has a nice touch of fennel.
10. Yogurt- Simple exceptional snack.

La Dolce Vita

Wine Tasting

The best way to describe this last week is picturesque.  Despite the 15 minute Italian presentation I had on Tuesday, I went to a wine tasting with my professor and a few classmates on Monday evening.  My history professor wants all of us to know Florence well; she is always telling us where to buy leather, where to get a panino, and where to find cold medicine.  On Monday, she brought us to a wine tasting in an adorable wine cellar which used to be an old jail holding Machiavelli.  We learned how to note a good wine and how to turely appreciate the many flavors.  We tried a white wine and two reds, one of which was a Chianti Classico.  All three were fantastic.  We paired them with prosciutto, salami, bread, cheese, and tried different olive oils and balsamic vinaigrettes.  Most wines in the grocery stores only cost 1-5 euros and are decent, but now I want to splurge on more expensive ones to pair with dinners.
I had a few field trips last week to different churches and museums including the Palazzo Vecchio which I pass everyday but had never been inside.  The Medici family has to be the weathiest family in the history of the world. 
Thursday I spent some quality time by myself, enjoying a cappuccino far from the touristy city center and then sitting outside doing some sketches for my art class, updating my journal, and reading my history textbook.  I sat there in a sundress getting a bit of a tan while Italians walked by in their leather jackets and scarfs.  It was 80 degrees.  Even if I understand Italian fashion, I won't be comfortable wearing it until the end of the season, too hot!  That evening I went to visit the Italian family I have been paired with, and I had a lot of fun practicing my Italian and teaching one of the little girls English.  Their home is amazing and I am so happy every time I visit.  They are a 10 minute drive from my apartment, but it's like they live in the country.  They offered me fresh grapes on my first visit when we went to pick tomatoes.  Along the way to the tomatoes, they offered me my first fig from one of many trees, and we walked by olive, hazelnut, and walnut trees.  It's so refreshing to escape city life.

Manarola

Hike to Vernazza

Friday, Christine, Amelia, and I went to Cinque Terre.  It was their first time and I was very excited to see it again.  First we did the Walk of Love, Riomaggiore to Manarola, and then we did a hiking trail from Corniglia to Vernazza.  All of us enjoyed the beautiful landscape and it was fun to share the experience with people who were so excited about it.
Upon arrival in Vernazza, we heard music coming from the church.  We debated whether or not to go in wearing our hiking clothes, but the music was so beautiful we could not resist.  The second our feet crossed the threshold, before seeing the beautiful altar, Amelia and I started crying.  Not sure why, but the wonderful day and moving choir practice sparked intense emotions; it was an incredible moment.  Shocked at ourselves and thankful for the day and beautiful world we live in, the three of us sat down for a prayer and to listen more to the music.

Gelato by the sea

Regaining composure, we enjoyed the beautiful coastline of Vernazza with a gelato and our feet in the water.  After playing with a few crabs and hermit crabs, we caught a train to Monterosso where we enjoyed a delicious dinner.  We ordered trofie and pesto (a typical dish of the region) and fish ravioli with a zucchini sauce.  I had a delicious Cinque Terre white wine to accompany everything.  And then we did what we had been wanting to do all day.  We went for a swim.  By this point, the sun was setting, but the water was still rather warm and felt good after a long day of hiking.  Scared we would not catch the last train home, we eventually dragged ourselves out of the water.

Swimming in Monterosso

Saturday the good times continued.  I went with a large group of girls to the Chianti region for some horseback riding.  The views of the country were amazing and I am realizing that I am more of a country girl than a city girl.  I was beaming all day long after being around the horses. 
Following the ride, we went to Monteriggioni for a very large lunch and a wine tasting.  The town was adorable, especially on such a sunny day.  It was a wonderful Tuscan afternoon.

Chianti

After such a busy weekend, it felt wrong to sit around doing homework, so I went to the Uffizi to gaze at the art.  In a sense I was "doing homework" because I did some sketches.  Drawing and taking notes about artwork gives such a new meaning to a museum experience and I might continue the tradition even after this semester.  I absolutely love that museum and all the masterpieces.
Today I got to go to a luxurious Medici Palace during history class, so I think the week is starting off well.

Al Mare

Last weekend I spent some more time by the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.  I went to the Amalfi Coast; we stayed in Sorrento and went to Capri and Positano.

View from top of Capri

On our boat ride out to Capri, we got to visit the La Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto) where we got into little rowboats and had to lie down on the bottom as the rower got us into the cave.  Looking back to the hole where we came in, the light came in and gave the water a beautiful bright azure blue glow.  We had a nice boatman, so had the opportunity to swim in the water (which technically you are not allowed to do).  Of course, I quickly slid off the boat and swam in the dark of the cave looking out to the lit up blue water.

La Grotta Azzurra

Capri

Upon arrival to Capri, we tried Limoncello and some people had a shoemaker make them sandals of their choice.  I had a delicious lunch of pasta with lemon sauce (which was similar to vodka sauce) and shrimp (whose flavor was intensely concentrated).  Then I rode a chairlift up to the top of the mountain for some incredible views.  I kept thinking about how this place would easily inspire Roman mythology, it was unreal. 

Celeb style taxi

After many pictures at the top, we rode the lift down (and I was terrified of falling, having the cables break, etc.), and we took a cab to the marina.  This was a luxury cab ride, a convertible on a sunny day with six beautiful American girls singing along to an old song from Napoli, "Tu Vuò Fa' L'Americano".  Before out boat departed for Sorrento, we spent some time swimming in the very salty and warm water.  That night I almost finished my 10-inch seafood pizza.  It was the perfect meal, seafood from a coastal town and pizza, a food originating in nearby Napoli.

12 foot jump

The next day in Positano was very relaxed, most of it spent floating effortlessly in the water.  The highlight was a boat ride with 10 other girls from my program.  We went cliff jumping and I conquered my fear of heights, going off the 8 foot and 12 foot cliffs.  I was so scared each time that I would come out of the water shaking with adrenaline.  I stayed away from the 35 foot drop, especially considering how scared I was on the 12 foot.  To get to it, I had to hug the rocks and literally let my feet dangle over the rock where I was hoping to jump from. Thankfully, my feet were only about an inch or two from the ledge and the boy in front of me told me I could let go.  Trusting strangers is fun. 

Cave Swimming

Still shaking but smiling uncontrollably, I joined the rest of the boat to go cave swimming.  My inner mermaid was released and I stayed a long while in the cave, enjoying the beautiful colors from reflecting light.  The water color here is more sapphire than the water at home, so seeing it in the cave was very unique.  On our ride back, I spotted a jellyfish in the ocean.  Our driver turned the boat around to see it more closely, nope, to grab it.  He just stuck his hand in and pulled the jelly out of the water.  It was a amber orange with short purple tentacles and was not venomous, so I touched it!  That was a great end to the day.
On our way home the next morning, we stopped in Pompeii where I took advantage of a guided tour.  I was amazed at how smart people were thousands of years ago.  For example, the streets would often flood with water, so there were stepping stones in the streets, spaced so that carts could still travel down the roads.  I expected Pompeii to be a messy archaeological dig site, but it was a whole city.  Once deserted, now full of tourists.  It was massive and we did not get to see everything.  There were preserved frescos and even brick ovens.  These people were brilliant.  I had another pizza in Pompeii (Florence only has a few good pizzerias, so I had to take advantage of Campagnia's delicious pizzas), and I used all my willpower to keep from patting the stray dogs and taking them home.
I thought this trip would be my last time in the ocean this year (aside from when my family comes and we act like crazy people by jumping in the water in November), but thankfully I was wrong...

Pompeii