I AMsterdam

For the second half of my fall break, I traveled with Jordan, Ben, and Spencer to Amsterdam from London. Allaire and Chelsea were meeting us there later. We took a flight out of Londontown and headed to Holland! When we got there, we were greeted by Jordan's long time friend named Robert, who Jordan used to work with at a soccer camp in Maryland. We was nice enough to pick us up at the airport, and allow us to stay with him for the weekend. It couldn't have worked out better. When we got there, he surprised us with tickets to an Ajax soccer game. We stopped at his house to drop off our things, and then took the subway to the stadium. The fans are.. NUTS. They were all singing loud songs on the subway with Heinekens in hand. It helped that we were with someone who was from the area and spoke Dutch so no one would bother us. It is extremely difficult to get tickets to these games, especially for Americans, and you need to have a member card. We were extremely lucky to be able to go to this game. The quality of playing was outstanding, and the atmosphere was incredible. I loved being at the game, especially because Ajax walked away with a win. 2-0.


Robert's place was really cool. It was right on one of the canals in Amsterdam, and the place was about three stories tall with little winding stairs that were very scary to walk up. We had the top 2 floors of the place to ourselves. On Friday, we explored the city. It is such a unique and beautiful city. The buildings are all different colors and the canals running through the city were just really cool. The red light district was kind of shocking, and the descriptions I had heard before were definitely true! We also went to this outdoor market and a vintage shop. We also had Thai food for dinner. It was a relaxing day, and we were saving all the tourist attractions for the next day!

On Saturday, we all woke up early and got bagels and coffee. It was a rainy day, but we didn't let that stop us! We ventured to Rembrandt's house. We listened to an audio tour and the house was decorated as it would have been when he lived there. After that, we went to the Van Gogh Museum, which was probably my favorite art museum. I am not a huge art person, but seeing his paintings in person was unbelievable. I had never seen any of Van Gogh's paintings in person before, and I did not realize how detailed and textured they were and I was mesmerized. I didn't want to leave!

Next, we went to the Heineken Factory. The whole place was interactive and included a ride and beer tasting. There was also a section where you could watch commercials that dated all the way back to the 1950s. We even created a video of all of us singing a song in Dutch. Here it is.. video. It was a lot of fun and we had a great time! We also accidentally found the sign that says "I AMsterdam" which is in a lot of commercials at home. It was HUGE.
The next day we went to the "Jordaan" part of the city, after we got another bagel since they are rare in Florence. It was really pretty and quaint, with nice shops and restaurants. We couldn't stay long because we had to catch our flight, but we did get some exploring in. It was a really fun weekend and I had a great time. I was sad to leave, but excited to get back to Florence for the last leg of my semester.

Covent Gardens and Buckingham Palace: London Part 3

On Tuesday, Emily and I woke up and got coffee at a cafe on Warwick Ave. We then split up because Emily was meeting some family for lunch, and Devon was going to Stonehenge with her family. I decided that I wouldn't waste the day, and I set out on my own! I took the tube to Convent Gardens, which is a section of London with some great shopping. I walked around and went into a few shops. It reminded me a lot of Faneuil Hall in Boston. I then took the tube again and went to Oxford Circus and went to the biggest store I think I have ever been in called Top Shop. It was like an Urban Outfitters, but more Euro-like. It was so big there was even a cafe and salon. It was really cool, and extremely overwhelming at the same time.

After my window shopping day by myself, I met Emily at St. Paul's Cathedral. It was really expensive to enter, so we admired it from the outside. Then we continued on to Notting Hill, where we ended up spending the rest of the day accidentally. It was just such a beautiful, quaint neighborhood with awesome boutiques. Emily and I browsed for a few hours, and then went to dinner at a bar which was great. We had quesadillas, which I was extremely excited about since it is one of my favorites foods and I have been deprived of them (I say that as if I am eating horrible food in Italy, which we all know is not true at all). After that, we went back to the apartment and met Jordan, Spencer, and Ben who had just arrived from Barcelona. We went to a sports bar with them that night, and I even got to watch some of the Yankee game. All in all, it was a fun day, even when I was alone.

The next day, Emily and I got up and met with her cousin Alex who is our age and goes to "university" right outside of London. She doesn't come into London that often, so she was up for doing some tourist things with us for the day! First, we got Starbucks (we had to take advantage of it while it was there!) and then went to Buckingham Palace and Green Park. Green Park is the park right outside of Buckingham Palace and it was beautiful because the leaves were all changing colors and it was one of the first times I really felt like it was fall. Buckingham Palace was just as beautiful, but I really wish I could have gone inside!

After that, we went to Knightsbridge to go to the best department store in the whole world: HARRODS. I could have spent hours in that place. It had the world's best everything, including clothes, food, and toys. It is completely mesmerizing to walk through that place and you could literally get lost in there (which did happen to me a few years back when I went with St. E's). Alex, Emily, and I wandered to the gelato bar (we just couldn't wait to get back to Italy), and we ordered a HUGE ice cream sundae that was worth every overpriced penny, or pence.

Next, we went to the Tower Bridge, which is another beautiful London site. After that, I split up from Emily and met Colleen and Tim Kearney, family friends who live in London, for dinner. I got lost on the way there, but I eventually made my way there with the help of Tim, and had a great dinner with them. They were so nice and great to talk to. I was so grateful that they took me out, especially Colleen who is expecting, and I had a great time! After dinner I met up with Emily and Alex and we went to the Ice Bar in London. It was really cool and like no other place I had ever been. Everything was made out of ice, including the cups and even the bar itself. When you go in, you have to wear eskimo gear. It was so fun, but you are only allowed to be there in for 45 minutes. Alex, Emily, and I had such a fun time all together and it was a great way to end my time in London!

Alex is a professional photographer, and took a lot of pictures of our day in London. Here is the link to view some of the shots! Alex Beadon Photography

Afternoon Tea and Les Mis: London Part 2

Monday in London was one of the most eventful days of my fall break, so it deserves a post of its own.


We woke up early on Monday morning, and Emily and I got breakfast at a local cafe called Raouls. After that, we met the rest of the crew which now consisted of Devon, Brandon, Jonathan, Barrett, and Barrett's friend Max, and headed to Leicester square to get half-priced tickets to a show. We ended up agreeing on Les Miserable, which was great because I had never seen it before. Emily and I then broke away from the group and decided to do our own touring for a few hours. We went to Traflagar Square and walked past the National Gallery, and then continued towards Parliament Square, walking past the Prime Minister's house on Downing Street. When I went to London with St. E's four short years ago, Big Ben was my absolute favorite site. I, once again, got really excited when I saw it from a distance on this walk. Emily couldn't stop making fun of me because of how genuine this excitement was, but I just couldn't help myself! It's just so pretty. Anyway ...We then went to Westminster Abbey, which is a beautiful church on the outside.

We then took the tube to Picadilly Circus to meet Devon, her brother, her cousin, Barrett and Max for afternoon tea at Fortnam and Mason, a famous department store. On the top floor there is formal tea and finger snacks served. It was really cool. They had so many different types of teas to choose from, and the finger foods were hardly small; they were more like an entire meal. There were different kinds of sandwiches, scones, and desserts. I chose the Earl Grey tea. Classic, but still excellent. It was a really fun cultural experience, and I felt really proper and elegant while doing it. We made some tea purchases (a must) and then set off on our next destination: the London Eye.


We took the tube once again, but this time to South Bank to ride the London Eye, a big ferris wheel with large capsules that hold about 20 people, and shows amazing views of the city. It was a really great way to see everything, and really fun too. We went at a great time of day because the sun was just setting. We then stopped to eat at a place called, none other than "Eat," which was more like a grab and go place before we headed back to Picadilly Circus for Les Miserable. I liked the show, but it was a little different than I expected. At first I was confused and wasn't a huge fan, but by the end I thought it was really good!


After the play, we went to Devon's favorite local pub called O'Neills (not quite like Matt's last name, but close enough!). We had cheeseburgers and some beer and talked about our day. It was a great way to end the most touristy day of my entire semester. All in all, it was a great day in Londontown!

Mind the Gap: Fall Break in London Part 1

On Saturday morning, October 17, Emily and I got up early to take the train to the Pisa airport, and then a plane to the London-Gatwick airport. Emily has family in London that she has recently been reunited with, and was thrown a curve-ball when we got there: her cousin was waiting at the airport to pick her up and bring her to their country home in Malvern, UK. Originally, Emily and I were going to travel together to meet our friend and sorority sister, Devon, who is studying abroad through Elon in London. I then ventured on my own (Sorry Dad, I know I am not supposed to go alone but I had no choice) and took one train and 3 separate tube lines until I got to Warwick Avenue on the Bakerloo line with my huge luggage in tow. I am not a light packer. I found the tube system to be extremely easy, much easier than New York City, and I really had no problem getting there.

When I got out of the tube station, Devon met me with open arms. It was really exciting to see her after all this time. We had dinner and caught each other up on everything that has been going on the past few months we have been apart. She introduced me to one of her friends on the trip named Barrett, who also had a friend visiting. They were really nice and we all got along really well. Devon and Barrett then took me to a few of her favorite pubs in the area and then we retired to bed.

The next day we all went to breakfast at Clifton Gardens and ordered a traditional English scone and tea. It was delicious. Then, Devon got a phone call from her brother, Brandon, and her cousin Jonathan, that were backpacking through Europe and said they were on their way to see Devon. Devon was ecstatic, but I was nervous about what the day ahead of me was to bring. Luckily for me, Barrett took me under her wing and brought me to an outdoor market called the Spitalfields Market, and was located right near Liverpool Street. I wasn't sure what to expect because the markets in Florence consist mostly of leather goods, ceramics, and jewelry. This market was extremely cool and hip. There were stands selling everything from scarves to oysters. It was unbelievable and I felt like the market went on forever. There were even upcoming designers trying to get their name out there. It was a really cool experience and we spent most of the day walking around there. There was even a time where I got lost from the group and thought I would never find my way back.

After the market, we headed back to meet Devon and her brothers, along with Emily who had returned from the countryside, for dinner at Ben's Thai Restaurant. It was nice to have food that was not Italian, but at the same time I missed it a little. After dinner, we went back to Devon's apartment and planned the ULTIMATE tourist day for Monday. More to come....

Venezia!

On Saturday, October 10, we headed to Venice. My parents, Emily, Spencer, Jordan, and Ben woke up early and took a 2 hour train ride to the 'City of Water.' I have never seen anything like Venice. There were absolutely no cars and the city operated completely on water. Even the bus system was completely on boats, and driveways at people's homes were canals. It was really cool and so unique, even with all the rain, umbrellas, and raincoats. When we got there, we took a water bus on the Grand Canal to the center of the city, Piazza San Marco. It was perfect and felt like a tour because we got to see a lot of the city before we even got to the city.


Piazza San Marco is beautiful, but when we got there, the heaviest rain started. We decided to split up, the girls were going to go shopping, and the boys were going to grab a beer. We walked into almost every store in the square and stocked up on Venetian glass items. The rain continued so we sought shelter in St. Mark's Basilica. It was very different than any church I have seen in Italy. Everything I have seen thus far has been Gothic or Renaissance in style. This was more Byzantine in style, and kind of gaudy and over-the-stop, but still very pretty. Then Jordan, Emily, and I climbed to the top of the basilica and saw amazing views of the city and walked through the museum that was on the top floor of the church. After that, we continued to wander through the city, walk into more glass stores, and just explore. It was just such a cool city and we had a really great time there.

On Sunday, I took my parents to "American breakfast" and the Diner. Then we wandered the city for the rest of the day, packed up some of my things, and said our goodbyes. It was sad to see them go, but I had such a great time with them here and I am glad I got to show them the city that I have started to call my home. I will be back to good ol' New Jersey before they know it!

A week with Mom and Dad

Even though my parents were here, I still had to be a student. While I went to class, my parents did all the 'touristy' things around town like visit the Duomo and Santa Croce. After class, I met my parents for lunch at this random outdoor restaurant that had an accordion player outside. My mom and I were serious about getting salads for lunch to try to be healthy, but as soon as we started reading the menu, we ordered salads AND pasta. We just couldn't resist. We then walked around and I showed my parents some places they probably wouldn't go on their own, like the San Lorenzo market, where we bought a few gifts, walked the Ponte Vecchio, and hiked to the top of Piazzale Michelangelo for the best view of the city. It was a nice afternoon.

That night we had a big dinner with all my friends and my parents. We went to Acqua al Due, which is a famous restaurant in Florence that was recommended by a lot of people. It was a lot of fun and we had great food. We ordered a 'pasta sampler' which included five different pastas on the menu for everyone to share. It was so good. Then we all got a 'secondi piatti' which is usually a meat. We had heard that the blueberry steak was the best thing on the menu, so my mom ordered that and it was actually extremely good, even though I don't like blueberries at all. I ordered the balsamic steak which was unbelievable. Then we all headed out to one of our favorite bar called Kikuya, where we all had beers or dragoons, maybe one too many for my dad, but still a great time. We then ventured to the secret bakery, because my parents couldn't go the entire trip without a visit to this famous spot. It didn't disappoint. All in all it was a really fun night.

On Tuesday night, my parents and I went out to dinner at ZaZa, a great restaurant right by the San Lorenzo market. I had never been there so I didn't know what to expect, but it was great! We sat inside and the decor was really cool. There were a few rooms and each room was decorated differently.


The next day, Chelsea, my parents, and I went to the Chianti region of Tuscany and visited the vineyard of Principe Corsini. Our tour guide brought us around the vineyard and explained the process of making wine, olive oil, and grappa. The grounds of this vineyard could not have been prettier. The house was situated on a hill, and the garden overlooked the hills of the entire vineyard. It was so pretty.



We got to see the barrels with the aging wine and olive oil and the drying grapes. It was really cool, and at the end of the tour, we were able to try a few different types of wine, olive oil, and some prosciutto and salami. It felt like we were getting the star treatment. After we finished our vineyard tour, we went to the center of the Chianti region to a town called Greve. We had some cappuccinos and pastries and explored some of the stores. It was a really fun afternoon. That night we went out to Pizzaiuolo, which is a famous pizzeria in Florence that serves Naples-style pizza.The next night, I had a soccer game. A bunch of students from my school got together and played some pick up soccer games for two hours. My parents came to watch, and I'm sure my dad was enjoying watching soccer when he was missing a big tournament of Samantha's at home. After the game that night, we ordered a bunch of pizzas and got a few bottles of wine and ate dinner as a big group at my apartment, including Will, Chelsea's boyfriend who was visiting for a few days. It was really fun to sit around and talk and we had a good time.


On Thursday, I took my parents to the same restaurant that Lino took me to when he came to visit for some Florentine steak. It was, as usual, delicious. We then met the rest of the group at a Scottish pub to watch the Yankee game. We then realized we locked ourselves out of our apartment, so I ended up staying with my parents that night and had a hearty breakfast before class, while everyone else in my apartment slept at the girls' apartment next store and waited for the landlord to come to open the door. It was an eventful evening to say the least. Next up: Venice!