Being from a place that believes that time is everything and you must not waste a minute on anything, Firenze can be a horrible place to live. Just when you think you will lose your mind at how slow the service can be one day you open your eyes and realize that maybe this is the right way to do things. From the restaurants, to the supermarkets you can bet you will be waiting at least 30 minutes when you ask for the check or a drink or your food. The Italian culture is very laid back. They believe that they should work to pay their bills and necessities and have enough for a small vacation. Many businesses do not put business hours on the door because they open and close whenever they feel like it which can make things difficult when you are looking for something.
The restaurants hire servers and pay them minimum wage, sometimes even more. The result of this means that the Italians do not tip when they go to a restaurant but instead pay a service charge which is around 1 euro per person at the table. This is completely opposite from how we do it in the states because as a server you rely on your tips. The better service you give to a customer the better the tip is. In Italy this means that since the server is not getting tipped they only have to do the minimum to get by because they are getting paid regardless. The average American sees this as being a terrible business model but after living here for over a month we see that the average business owner and it's employees are perfectly content. I noticed that all of the servers help each other out because you do not have 1 server but numerous ones who take your order and bring out the drinks and food.
So when you are out and about at your local restaurant remember, if your server takes a few minutes to bring your drink it could be worse so just deal with it. Oh and if you ain't tipping you ain't sipping as we say in the bar industry.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Paris Part Deux
Hey guys, this will be a short one because I just got internet and it is about 2 in the morning in Paris. We are all having a great time. The group got to see the Louvre which was awesome. For anyone who has ever read the Davinci Code or has any bit of education you will understand why this is an amazing thing for someone to see. When I came to Paris there was two things I wanted to see: The Eiffel Tower and The Louvre. I was able to see both of them so that was two checks off of my bucket list. Hopefully once my camera decides to work I will upload the pictures to this blog and the previous one.
Oh and P.S. the metro wasn't so bad out here which kind of makes up for the 12 hour train ride gone wrong.
Oh and P.S. the metro wasn't so bad out here which kind of makes up for the 12 hour train ride gone wrong.
Friday, June 24, 2011
The life of public transportation part deux/Paris minus the pictures
Hey guys, it's Friday night and I just wanted to check in and let everyone know how Paris is going. Wednesday night we had our movie night for our management classes. It was pretty fun especially knowing that we were leaving for Paris right after. After the movie was over we rushed home and grabbed our bags and after talking with the kebab guys and waiting 30 minutes for a taxi we were finally off to the La Stazione de Firenze. Our train had a slight 10 minute delay and at around 10:30 we left the station for Paris. The group found our cars and made friends with our new bunk buddies for the next "12" hours.
We finally fell asleep and woke up around 8:00. We were all excited until we realized that the stops were running late but figured it wouldn't be more than an hour of a delay. Yeah well after about 5 hours of a delay we finally arrived in Paris. Our train was supposed to get there at 10:15 but when we checked our watches it was about 3:00. Once again the train failed us, but we were just glad we had finally made it.
The group immediately rushed to the hotel and dropped our bags off and went walk around the city to get our bearings. After grabbing dinner we decided it would be a perfect night to go see the Eiffel Tower. I must say that the amount of money I have spent on this trip was well worth being able to see the sights I have seen so far including the Eiffel Tower.
We found us a place on the grass and planned on staying until the sun went down and it lit up. Some gypsies were running around selling bottles of wine and champagne so we all hustled them and each bought our own bottle of wine. Little did we know the sun does not set until 11:00 P.M. in Italy. The four hours of sitting down drinking wine was well worth it once the tower lit up. After watching it for a few minutes the wine finally wore off and we were all freezing which meant it was time to head home back to the hotel.
I will edit the blog with pictures so check back later tomorrow.
We finally fell asleep and woke up around 8:00. We were all excited until we realized that the stops were running late but figured it wouldn't be more than an hour of a delay. Yeah well after about 5 hours of a delay we finally arrived in Paris. Our train was supposed to get there at 10:15 but when we checked our watches it was about 3:00. Once again the train failed us, but we were just glad we had finally made it.
The group immediately rushed to the hotel and dropped our bags off and went walk around the city to get our bearings. After grabbing dinner we decided it would be a perfect night to go see the Eiffel Tower. I must say that the amount of money I have spent on this trip was well worth being able to see the sights I have seen so far including the Eiffel Tower.
We found us a place on the grass and planned on staying until the sun went down and it lit up. Some gypsies were running around selling bottles of wine and champagne so we all hustled them and each bought our own bottle of wine. Little did we know the sun does not set until 11:00 P.M. in Italy. The four hours of sitting down drinking wine was well worth it once the tower lit up. After watching it for a few minutes the wine finally wore off and we were all freezing which meant it was time to head home back to the hotel.
I will edit the blog with pictures so check back later tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
2 weeks to go...
Hey guys this will be a short one because no much has happened this week. We got back at about 12 Sunday from the Amalfi Coast. Monday morning we had Italian class and our management class. I realized in class that I have learned more about Ethics and Economics in this one semester than I have learned my last three years at UL. It is weird that when you come to a new country it is easier to learn things taught in a classroom. The reason for this is because the course is designed to be taught with examples in everyday Italian life.
Monday night we went to a Mexican restaurant. Who would have thought it would be some of the best Mexican food we had. Last night we had Sushi at Mr. Sushi which was not bad.
You would think we would be eating all Italian but it gets a little old having it every day and night. Plus the best pizza I have eaten in my life is probably back home in Louisiana haha.
I'll be in Paris for the next 4 days so I will probably not be able to talk to anyone so see you guys Monday morning at 7.
Monday night we went to a Mexican restaurant. Who would have thought it would be some of the best Mexican food we had. Last night we had Sushi at Mr. Sushi which was not bad.
You would think we would be eating all Italian but it gets a little old having it every day and night. Plus the best pizza I have eaten in my life is probably back home in Louisiana haha.
I'll be in Paris for the next 4 days so I will probably not be able to talk to anyone so see you guys Monday morning at 7.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
"Wait, your out of internet?" Welcome to Sorrento
Sorry I am so late Mrs. Pat but we literally just got back into Florence a few minutes ago.
Continuing from the other post, we met Florence4Fun at the train station and after traveling all day we boarded another bus for a 7 hour trip to the Amalfi Coast. On the way there we came to the realization that we were probably the most mature people on the trip. Most of the "kids" were aggravating but I won't go into detail because we are trying to forget them. This bus trip was the most grueling 7 hours of our lives but we kept a smile on our faces and we finally made it to the hotel at 3:00 in the morning. The best part about this was we had to wake up in 4 hours to eat breakfast then board the bus for the Island of Capri. It was pretty amazing especially the Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto is a cave on the shore of the island that only has two sources of light which lights the water up, the entrance and from the a whole in the bottom. We had to board a different smaller boat that we were on and lay down in it so we could get pulled through this small hole. It was definitely an unforgettable experience.
The next day arrived and we were well rested and off to the beach town of Positano. The group had a free day of shopping and beach time and by the end of it we were all ready to get back to the hotel so we could get ready to go out in Sorrento. They took us to the heart of Sorrento which looked like an upscale Bourbon Street. We all hung out at a bar called the English Inn which was awesome except for the Italians creeping on the American girls. A few drinks and shots later it was time to head home.
Today was our last day and we were headed to Pompeli. The story behind the city is very interesting. In the year 79 AD it was a thriving Roman city. One day out of nowhere the famous Mt. Vesuvius volcano exploded. The smoke, ash, and gas flooded the city within hours and the city was buried under 9 ft. volcanic ash. The city was found by archiologists and was excavated and they found that almost the whole city was preserved including humans and pets. This is a must see for anyone traveling to Europe.
The weekend finally came to an end and we were on our way HOME once again.
(Sorry for any misspelling. Been up for way to long.)
Continuing from the other post, we met Florence4Fun at the train station and after traveling all day we boarded another bus for a 7 hour trip to the Amalfi Coast. On the way there we came to the realization that we were probably the most mature people on the trip. Most of the "kids" were aggravating but I won't go into detail because we are trying to forget them. This bus trip was the most grueling 7 hours of our lives but we kept a smile on our faces and we finally made it to the hotel at 3:00 in the morning. The best part about this was we had to wake up in 4 hours to eat breakfast then board the bus for the Island of Capri. It was pretty amazing especially the Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto is a cave on the shore of the island that only has two sources of light which lights the water up, the entrance and from the a whole in the bottom. We had to board a different smaller boat that we were on and lay down in it so we could get pulled through this small hole. It was definitely an unforgettable experience.
The next day arrived and we were well rested and off to the beach town of Positano. The group had a free day of shopping and beach time and by the end of it we were all ready to get back to the hotel so we could get ready to go out in Sorrento. They took us to the heart of Sorrento which looked like an upscale Bourbon Street. We all hung out at a bar called the English Inn which was awesome except for the Italians creeping on the American girls. A few drinks and shots later it was time to head home.
Today was our last day and we were headed to Pompeli. The story behind the city is very interesting. In the year 79 AD it was a thriving Roman city. One day out of nowhere the famous Mt. Vesuvius volcano exploded. The smoke, ash, and gas flooded the city within hours and the city was buried under 9 ft. volcanic ash. The city was found by archiologists and was excavated and they found that almost the whole city was preserved including humans and pets. This is a must see for anyone traveling to Europe.
The weekend finally came to an end and we were on our way HOME once again.
(Sorry for any misspelling. Been up for way to long.)
Pisa and Lucca... Minus Lucca
Hey guys, so Thursday we woke up early and headed to the train station so we could bored the bus with our class and go see the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. After a rocky bus ride there we finally arrived. The outside of the city did not look to pleasing, but when we got inside of the walls we all took a breath of relief. The tour guide grabbed us and instantly we were off. She explained to us that the tower is not the only thing in the square of importance although most people think it is.
The square also has a baptistry, church, and mausoleum. This was interesting because she explained that it symbolized a circle of life where Pisians are baptized, live life, and die all in one central place. The way of life here is very interesting because the Tuscan region often views the people of Pisa as though they are mean and arrogant. Our tour guide was definitely a very sweet lady and she has lived in Pisa her whole life. By the time the tour was over it was time for the "four best friends that anyone can have" <hangover> to leave the group and head back to Florence so we could get ready to leave again and head for the Amalfi Coast.
The square also has a baptistry, church, and mausoleum. This was interesting because she explained that it symbolized a circle of life where Pisians are baptized, live life, and die all in one central place. The way of life here is very interesting because the Tuscan region often views the people of Pisa as though they are mean and arrogant. Our tour guide was definitely a very sweet lady and she has lived in Pisa her whole life. By the time the tour was over it was time for the "four best friends that anyone can have" <hangover> to leave the group and head back to Florence so we could get ready to leave again and head for the Amalfi Coast.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Day of the Creatures
So it has been a couple of days since my last blog post and that is due to the busy schedules we have had. Monday and Tuesday were filled with classes and more classes which were actually full of new ideas that can be used in the every day world. I want to take the time to compliment our teachers, Vanessa and Patricia, on overcoming the task of teaching "boring" things and actually taking the information and pairing them up with examples that we are learning in our everyday lives in Florence. OK, now I gave them their 10 seconds of fame on my blog so I will move on to other things, me. Today has been a long day and still isn't over with. We woke up at 6:00 this morning to go to the train station to book our tickets for Paris. Immediately after we came home and finally found 2 hotels after 2 weeks of searching. We were all ecstatic because it was starting to look like Paris would never get to see these 6 crazy Cajuns.
After this we went off to Italian language class and learned our numbers and ABC's, well not really, it just sounded good. It felt like kindergarten all over again. Right after this we went take a tour of the Ufizzi which contained many famous works of Michelangelo. Our tour guide was amazing and even called an Asian man a "creature" as she said it. We had a last laugh with her and by this time we were starving. We decided it was time to go get a Kebab from our favorite shop Mesopotamia Kebabs. Do not let the name fool you because the owners Mustafa, Billy, and Tommy give you dinner and a show. After three weeks they know our names, somewhat, and pretty much everything about us.
The next thing on the list was a speaker from the American Consulate who taught us about what she does. She basically works here in Italy and works with American companies who want to export internationally. It was interesting to find out that only 1% of US companies export internationally and of that 58% goes to Mexico and Canada. These numbers are crazy when you think about how much we import.
Tonight we have cooking class and I do believe it will be an early night because tomorrows schedule goes like this:
For all of you who do not know what a job analysis is; it is a procedure that involves identifying every aspect of how a job is done by interviewing and observing someone doing that job. Now to some of you a relationship/marriage can be a job in itself but when in reality I do not believe this should be the case. People who feel this way probably aren't happy and the relationship/marriage probably will not work. Anyway let me get down to my analysis of my spouse.
I believe that the absolute most important thing my spouse should be able to do is make me laugh and make me happy. As a 21 year old guy looks can be very important right now but as I have learned looks don't mean anything. I say you should find someone who is pretty much your "type" so I don't think I have anything to worry about in the looks department because I mean come on what can I say, hahaha. OK I will get serious because this is a "homework assignment" and I do not want to look like the cynical guy.
My spouse should be someone of intelligence with a brain somewhat bigger than that of a "squirrel". She needs to be able to support our family in case something would happen to me because I do believe I will be able to support the family. Now before all you men haters start getting your horses in an uproar, I am not saying women cannot support a family, I just come from a background of believing that the man should support his family and not have his wife work so hard. I must say though I know many women who support themselves and their kids alone so kudos to you, but I do know many who sit at home and do absolutely nothing. I'm digging myself deeper aren't I.
I look at life this way, and I do own this quote. "If you want something, why not go out and get it. Do not think twice about it and nothing is never impossible. Even if you cannot afford it or it seems physically impossible, there is always a way around it, and if you do not seize the opportunity one day you will look back and regret not doing it." That being said my spouse must have this outlook on life and never be scared to try new things and worry about the consequences later because I tell you what, I have done more things in my life that some people will never do in their life and I owe this all to my family supporting me, although it takes a little bit of convincing sometimes.
In a nutshell I want that sweet, loving, caring, intelligent, never scared, blonde hair, blue eyes wife that everyone dreams of having. OK so the last two are only additives to the rest, but do not have to come with the package.
By all means please do not hate me or think I am cynical in any way ladies. I will be taking applications at anytime so include your resume and I will start the "recruitment process" and then move on to "orientation". This was for you Mrs. Pat.
Once again "love conquers all"...
I am finally done, thanks for bearing with me....
After this we went off to Italian language class and learned our numbers and ABC's, well not really, it just sounded good. It felt like kindergarten all over again. Right after this we went take a tour of the Ufizzi which contained many famous works of Michelangelo. Our tour guide was amazing and even called an Asian man a "creature" as she said it. We had a last laugh with her and by this time we were starving. We decided it was time to go get a Kebab from our favorite shop Mesopotamia Kebabs. Do not let the name fool you because the owners Mustafa, Billy, and Tommy give you dinner and a show. After three weeks they know our names, somewhat, and pretty much everything about us.
The next thing on the list was a speaker from the American Consulate who taught us about what she does. She basically works here in Italy and works with American companies who want to export internationally. It was interesting to find out that only 1% of US companies export internationally and of that 58% goes to Mexico and Canada. These numbers are crazy when you think about how much we import.
Tonight we have cooking class and I do believe it will be an early night because tomorrows schedule goes like this:
- Train for Pisa at 8
- Pisa until about 3
- Train back to Florence
- Pack
- Bus to Amalfi Coast at 6
- Sleep
For all of you who do not know what a job analysis is; it is a procedure that involves identifying every aspect of how a job is done by interviewing and observing someone doing that job. Now to some of you a relationship/marriage can be a job in itself but when in reality I do not believe this should be the case. People who feel this way probably aren't happy and the relationship/marriage probably will not work. Anyway let me get down to my analysis of my spouse.
I believe that the absolute most important thing my spouse should be able to do is make me laugh and make me happy. As a 21 year old guy looks can be very important right now but as I have learned looks don't mean anything. I say you should find someone who is pretty much your "type" so I don't think I have anything to worry about in the looks department because I mean come on what can I say, hahaha. OK I will get serious because this is a "homework assignment" and I do not want to look like the cynical guy.
My spouse should be someone of intelligence with a brain somewhat bigger than that of a "squirrel". She needs to be able to support our family in case something would happen to me because I do believe I will be able to support the family. Now before all you men haters start getting your horses in an uproar, I am not saying women cannot support a family, I just come from a background of believing that the man should support his family and not have his wife work so hard. I must say though I know many women who support themselves and their kids alone so kudos to you, but I do know many who sit at home and do absolutely nothing. I'm digging myself deeper aren't I.
I look at life this way, and I do own this quote. "If you want something, why not go out and get it. Do not think twice about it and nothing is never impossible. Even if you cannot afford it or it seems physically impossible, there is always a way around it, and if you do not seize the opportunity one day you will look back and regret not doing it." That being said my spouse must have this outlook on life and never be scared to try new things and worry about the consequences later because I tell you what, I have done more things in my life that some people will never do in their life and I owe this all to my family supporting me, although it takes a little bit of convincing sometimes.
In a nutshell I want that sweet, loving, caring, intelligent, never scared, blonde hair, blue eyes wife that everyone dreams of having. OK so the last two are only additives to the rest, but do not have to come with the package.
By all means please do not hate me or think I am cynical in any way ladies. I will be taking applications at anytime so include your resume and I will start the "recruitment process" and then move on to "orientation". This was for you Mrs. Pat.
Once again "love conquers all"...
I am finally done, thanks for bearing with me....
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Home Sweet Home- In Florence That Is
Home sweet home is not a mistake guys. Florence is really beginning to feel like our new home because every time we go away for a couple of days and get back it is like a sigh of relief. I know you guys are thinking, "Is he crazy, he was in Rome why would he be happy to be back in Florence.". I will try to explain. After only 2 and a half weeks in Florence we pretty much know the streets, neighbors, and the shop owners making it feel like we have been here forever. When we leave on the weekends we are going to a new city/country and we know absolutely nothing about it so it takes almost the whole time we are there to get used of it, therefore we enjoy it for a couple of days then you are ready to leave and head home
I left off yesterday just waking up from a nap and going to grab a bite to eat. Some of us decided to go get a bottle of wine then eat and on the way out some other UL students told us about a pub crawl that was taking place at 9. None of the roommates wanted to go.... Needless to say I skipped dinner and joined the pub crawlers and I have to say this was no mistake. We all had the greatest time. The first bar we went to we had an open bar and after an hour and a half we were headed to the next bar and feeling great. The group had to take a bus to the next bar which ended up being 30 minutes of mayhem and just plain fun. We knew it was time to leave when a certain someone (not gonna say any names because I am sure our wonderful teachers are gonna read this) decided he was going to accidentally throw a glass down, but it was not that serious. We all looked at each other, laughed, and headed for the exit. This was probably the funniest moment of the trip. We headed to the next bar where we stayed for 20 minutes got our T-Shirt and headed back to the hotel.
This morning my roommates decided it was a great idea to wake up at 7:30 and go on an adventure around Rome. I am glad they drugged me out of bed because the Pantheon was amazing. We got there and had five minutes to look around before they kicked everyone out to set up for the mass. Next on our list was the Spanish steps which we climbed up and took pictures from the top. We then went eat lunch and headed back to the hotel because by 1 we were ready for a bed but had to wait. The group just got back and I must say that Rome was amazing but when we got off of the train in Florence everyone had a smile on their face because all we wanted was food, wine, and Our Home.
By the way, Mrs. Pat this is for you and all those times you hassled me ;)
I left off yesterday just waking up from a nap and going to grab a bite to eat. Some of us decided to go get a bottle of wine then eat and on the way out some other UL students told us about a pub crawl that was taking place at 9. None of the roommates wanted to go.... Needless to say I skipped dinner and joined the pub crawlers and I have to say this was no mistake. We all had the greatest time. The first bar we went to we had an open bar and after an hour and a half we were headed to the next bar and feeling great. The group had to take a bus to the next bar which ended up being 30 minutes of mayhem and just plain fun. We knew it was time to leave when a certain someone (not gonna say any names because I am sure our wonderful teachers are gonna read this) decided he was going to accidentally throw a glass down, but it was not that serious. We all looked at each other, laughed, and headed for the exit. This was probably the funniest moment of the trip. We headed to the next bar where we stayed for 20 minutes got our T-Shirt and headed back to the hotel.
This morning my roommates decided it was a great idea to wake up at 7:30 and go on an adventure around Rome. I am glad they drugged me out of bed because the Pantheon was amazing. We got there and had five minutes to look around before they kicked everyone out to set up for the mass. Next on our list was the Spanish steps which we climbed up and took pictures from the top. We then went eat lunch and headed back to the hotel because by 1 we were ready for a bed but had to wait. The group just got back and I must say that Rome was amazing but when we got off of the train in Florence everyone had a smile on their face because all we wanted was food, wine, and Our Home.
By the way, Mrs. Pat this is for you and all those times you hassled me ;)
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Roma
So today is Saturday and we are in Rome. We arrived in Rome yesterday around 10:30, dropped our bags off at the hotel, and went straight to the Vatican. From there we got lunch before starting our 4 hour tour, which was terrible, by the way. The whole tour was amazing and words will not do any justice to how great this place was. I do not even think the pictures will do the justice. It is something that you guys will have to come out and experience in person. After our tour we went to get a "quick" dinner and drink which turned into 3 and a half hours of hanging out with the coolest waiter we have had so far and quite a hefty bill due to the Budweiser's and Corona's that we ran them out of. It was definitely a night to remember. This morning we had to wake up and be ready for 7:45 which was not to fun but everyone was excited to see the Coliseum. Once again the pictures will do no justice. It's crazy to think how the Roman Empire built something so amazing and huge. It was a site I will never forget. I'll be updating you guys tomorrow on our night tonight. ciao
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Happy Happy Birthday
So we are in the second full week of being in Florence and things are going great. After finally getting some sleep Monday night it felt good to be back home at 119 Ghibellina. Nothing really exciting happened this week besides last night. It was Alex Simm's 21st birthday and I must say it seemed like everyone thought it was their birthdays last night.
We all had a blast and it was the first time that almost everyone went out to the same place together. We ended up going to Space which was pretty legit, except for the fact that the laws for bars are completely different here than back in the states. In the U.S. you must be 18 to get into most bars and 21 to drink. Here in Italy you have to be at least 16 years old to get in and you are able to purchase alcohol in some of them. It is really weird that 16 is the legal age around here. Being that I work in a bar I know the major laws that protect innocent bystanders to the immaturity of underage drinking. There are many bars that do not have a "human resource department", but they do have rules and regulations in place that protect the owners and the workers. There are many ways around this for a bartender to be able to sell to his or her underage friends so it comes down to making an ethical decision. Many of the laws in Florence are different especially the traffic laws, in which there seems to be none at all. I plan on keeping my eyes opened for other things that are different and tell you guys about them. We are leaving for Rome tomorrow at 8 in the morning so we decided to take it easy. I will update you guys from Rome.
We all had a blast and it was the first time that almost everyone went out to the same place together. We ended up going to Space which was pretty legit, except for the fact that the laws for bars are completely different here than back in the states. In the U.S. you must be 18 to get into most bars and 21 to drink. Here in Italy you have to be at least 16 years old to get in and you are able to purchase alcohol in some of them. It is really weird that 16 is the legal age around here. Being that I work in a bar I know the major laws that protect innocent bystanders to the immaturity of underage drinking. There are many bars that do not have a "human resource department", but they do have rules and regulations in place that protect the owners and the workers. There are many ways around this for a bartender to be able to sell to his or her underage friends so it comes down to making an ethical decision. Many of the laws in Florence are different especially the traffic laws, in which there seems to be none at all. I plan on keeping my eyes opened for other things that are different and tell you guys about them. We are leaving for Rome tomorrow at 8 in the morning so we decided to take it easy. I will update you guys from Rome.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Welcome to the Life of Public Transportation
Hey guys, just wanted to check in and let you all know about our amazing weekend in Monaco. Thursday night we decided to go have dinner then a couple of drinks. Well as the responsible college students we are a couple turned into a few and we had a blast, except for the fact our train was leaving for Florence at 4:30 a.m.. Needless to say we were in a scramble to pack and make it there on time. We ended up being an hour early and after that hour of searching for the train we found it and we were on our way.
After three trains, nasty train stations, train bathrooms (A.K.A The Keg bathrooms), and no sleep we finally arrived in Monaco at about 4:30. We were greated by a Mercedes-Benz "taxi cab", because obviously the cabbies only drive really expensive cars, and we made it to our hotel. Friday night we ate dinner and went to sleep finally. Saturday was quite the adventure. We went walk around see our future yachts and shop.
We came across this restaurant/bar that overlooked the port and we made it our home from 1-9:30. By the time 9:30 rolled around the bartenders and servers loved us even after breaking a wine glass. We decided it was time to sleep and took the check. The $10 coronas left us with a bill of $316 which we happily paid because it was worth every penny. On the way home we decided it wasn't exactly time to sleep so we grabbed some wine and went relax at the hotel.
The next morning started off great and our first few trains went great, that is until we got on our last one. It was supposed to take us to Pisa Centrale where we would hop on another one to Florence. This wasn't the case obviously because the train stopped in La "something" and the conductor told us we had to get off because it was the last stop. After arguing for a few minutes we were booted off along with some new friends that were also studying abroad and a couple of other random confused people. We ran to another train that was leaving for Pisa and thought it would be fine, until we got to Pisa only to find out there was no more trains, only a bus coming an hour and a half later. The bus ride was TERRIBLE and we never thought we would be so happy to finally arrive back in Florence.
This was definitely a weekend to remember and I can thank Lee, Robert, Allie, and Hailee for making it bearable. Alright guys, hope you all enjoyed this.
After three trains, nasty train stations, train bathrooms (A.K.A The Keg bathrooms), and no sleep we finally arrived in Monaco at about 4:30. We were greated by a Mercedes-Benz "taxi cab", because obviously the cabbies only drive really expensive cars, and we made it to our hotel. Friday night we ate dinner and went to sleep finally. Saturday was quite the adventure. We went walk around see our future yachts and shop.
We came across this restaurant/bar that overlooked the port and we made it our home from 1-9:30. By the time 9:30 rolled around the bartenders and servers loved us even after breaking a wine glass. We decided it was time to sleep and took the check. The $10 coronas left us with a bill of $316 which we happily paid because it was worth every penny. On the way home we decided it wasn't exactly time to sleep so we grabbed some wine and went relax at the hotel.
The next morning started off great and our first few trains went great, that is until we got on our last one. It was supposed to take us to Pisa Centrale where we would hop on another one to Florence. This wasn't the case obviously because the train stopped in La "something" and the conductor told us we had to get off because it was the last stop. After arguing for a few minutes we were booted off along with some new friends that were also studying abroad and a couple of other random confused people. We ran to another train that was leaving for Pisa and thought it would be fine, until we got to Pisa only to find out there was no more trains, only a bus coming an hour and a half later. The bus ride was TERRIBLE and we never thought we would be so happy to finally arrive back in Florence.
This was definitely a weekend to remember and I can thank Lee, Robert, Allie, and Hailee for making it bearable. Alright guys, hope you all enjoyed this.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Back to school, back to school.......
Hey guys, I know it's been a few days since the last post but that is due to the lack of technology out here in Florence, our internet decided to give out Saturday and well we went crazy without facebook, I mean being able to study. I had a great weekend taking in the sights, shopping, and just hanging out with the new family out here. Friday we went to a bar called Kakulua and made friends with the owners and bartenders. We found out there was a big soccer game Saturday night and decided to reserve a table. It was an amazing experience because everyone appreciates soccer out here and it was really intense, and it was a great night. Monday morning we had to come to realization that we actually had to go to class while we were out here and we had our first Italian language class, which was not to bad and kind of interesting. Yesterday I had the day off from school so we all sat down and planned out our weekend trips. We decided to go to the train station and we bought our first train tickets ever to Monico this weekend, and it should be pretty exciting as we have to leave Friday morning at 4:30. OK time for class, ciao.
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