Painting, Beaches and Vino

I’m finally getting used to being here now. I feel like I will never want to leave when its time too. Italy is beautiful but the Italians aren’t. They are very rude to us because I am obviously not an Italian with my bright red hair and pale skin. Last week I got in trouble for dumping a “bucket” of water out my window. I’m not even really sure I was the one who did it but apparently at 10:30 on Monday morning someone dumped a bucket of water out my window and it almost hit this shop owner and his customer under us. One of the coordinators for the Arcadia school sent us all an e mail saying that whoever did it needed to come forward and admit it and that she couldn’t believe we would do such a disrespectful thing. Later on we found out that it came from our apartment and only 3 of us were home at the time, Sara, another girl and me of course. Sara was in the shower at the time and the other girl was making food so I was the only one in our bedroom when the “bucket” was poured. We had been keeping out window open and I’m thinking I put someone on the window sill and it fell over but I didn’t purposely do it like the shop owner said I did. So I had to come forward and confess to something I’m not sure I did. But I figured someone had to come forward before the incident was exaggerated even more and someone else was accused or even evicted because the landlord was not happy. So I had to apologize to everyone but it ended up being not that big of deal. But things seem to be exaggerated a lot more once people find out we are American students. Which makes sense I guess since most Europeans do not like Americans, so I have started telling people I’m a Canadian when they ask!

Yesterday we went to Cinque Terre, A beach city on the west coast of Italy. It’s about 3 hours from Florence when you take 2 trains and it’s beautiful! We woke up at 5 am and walked to the train station to get on the 6 am train to La Spezia and then from there we hung out for an hour and got on another train to Cinque Terre. We all swam in the Ocean all day and then laid on the beach and watched a bunch of old people publicly change into their swim suits right on the beach. Then we went to dinner and went for a hike up the hill to take pictures before getting back on the Train home. I got into Florence at 10 pm so I was a long day, but totally worth it. Next weekend we are planning on taking the train to Pisa. We have decided that every Friday (since we don’t have class on Fridays) we will try to go somewhere or just go somewhere in Florence for the day. I also went to the Uffizi Museum and saw a bunch of famous artwork. I saw Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith beheading Holofernes which is my favorite painting from Art History and then I saw the Laocoon, my favorite marble sculpture too. It’s so amazing to walk up and look at the REAL thing and not a slide of something. All of my classes are good so far. I have the same drawing and painting teacher and she liked to make us do a lot of work. I have to do a painting a week and then 5 drawings a week, Along with Italian, Art History, and photography homework as well. My photo class is interesting. I found out that most of the students are design students so they all use digital cameras. Which would be just fine except I have to use film since that’s what I use at Cornish and I won’t be able to get into photography 3 at home if I don’t use film. We have a dark room but I can only use it in class whenever we have free time which won’t be very often. So instead of developing and printing my own photos I have to go to this photography shop and have them do it all for me. That will be interesting when I go because I doubt they speak English. But I am open to trying it and seeing if I like having someone else develop my photos or not. At least they are professionals and there’s a less likely chance that they will mess my stuff up.

I will right again probably after Pisa! Miss you all! Bouno Sera!

First week here...

We finished our first week of school today! It was a lot more stressful and tiring then I thought it would be. I already have to do a painting by Monday, 5 complete drawings by Tuesday, and a bunch of reading and studying for Art History and Italian. The cool thing about taking classes in Florence is that you can go walk 5 minutes from home and see the art you are studying about in art history. You can learn something in Italian and then use what you learned at the store. And you can go outside and draw the Doumo in real life instead of getting a picture off the internet. All this makes going to class more fun. I like all of my teachers. The majority of them are Americans who moved to Italy in their 20s. In my photo class I am the ONLY American, and the only one who doesn’t speak Italian. Which is kind of nerve racking but my teacher speaks English and she translates for me and most of the other students understand and speak a little English too.  

On our first day in Italian we were all put in 3 different classes based on how much Italian we knew. I was in the easiest class which really wasn’t that easy. Our teacher only spoke to us in Italian and threw us into learning verbs right away, apparently the hardest thing we will learn in the class. Then at the end of class she told us that she did that to see who should and shouldn’t be in the class and how much Italian we really did know. I am starting to understand more and more every day though. It’s hard to use it in Florence though because all the people here speak some English and they almost prefer you to speak to them in English, not Italian. I will buy something and then when I say “grazie” the man says “your welcome” back instead of “prego.” They also don’t like it when you hand them money directly they want you to put it in a tray in front of the register. And they get really irritated if you don’t pay them in exact change too because Italians are always afraid they will run out of change.

The only thing that I don’t like about Italy though is the bugs. They are everywhere. I have at least 40 bug bites on my arms only. They are red little bumps and they take forever to go away! But compared to other people I know mine are nothing. Sara has huge bites on her arm that look like blisters but they are only on the left side. A lot of us have had to go to the doctor for bites.

We are going to Sienna and Pompeii this weekend with the school. And it looks like maybe Paris and Croatia some time too!

Finally have internet in Italy!

So I have been here about a week so far and tonight we finally got internet! I don’t think I have ever been so excited for internet in my entire life. We also started school today. My Italian class was ridiculously hard, she only spoke to us in Italian and started teaching us verbs right away when most of us don’t even know more then 5 words Italian as is. But I’m picking it up pretty quick so hopefully it won’t be too awful. I also started Painting today which is a class with Sara, one of our roommates and me in it…and that’s it haha.


Still can’t believe I’m in Europe, Let alone Italy. It’s too hot here and our fan is broken so we have to keep the windows open and there are people always outside. Florence is a pedestrian city so everyone walks and there are only a few cars, mostly taxis. There are always people outside and the streets are crowded with tourists. Everything is within walking distance here. There are so many museums and old art everywhere. The streets are narrow and the buildings are crammed together but the apartments are still very roomy. Everything is miniature in Italy, tiny tic tac containers, tiny buses, and tiny UPS trucks! We are all trying to plan a couple of trips while we are here, we are going to Rome with the group and a few other places but we all want to go places on our own. Everyone is talking about going to Oktoberfest in Munich but it’s too expensive and most hotels were sold out months ago. Sara and I want to go to London or Paris, I really want to go to Ireland and Scotland but I think it’s too far. We have 3 day weekends but we don’t have any more time off from school. We are all talking about going to Venice and maybe Milan and Rome a few times, and there are also big trips to Morocco and Greece. So hopefully we can at least go a few places while we are here!

We went to a winery over the weekend in the Tuscan hills and stayed at a villa. The place was amazing and so was the food. The whole winery is owned by a 4th generation heiress and her family and she made us a home cooked meal. Then we went for a midnight swim in the freezing cold pool. At sunset we got up to take pictures of the sunrise which was amazing and in the morning we had breakfast and then went on a tour of the winery. And then at lunch we learned how to properly pour and taste wine, I think I am an expert now.

Finally in Florence!

I've been in Florence for 2 days now and its been great so far. I dont have internet yet and I wont until monday evening so i have to rely on internet cafes which dont work very well it turns out. i cant get into my facebook for some reason so that is why i havent been on lately. I dont think i will be able to get on until then either so i guess everyone will just have to rely on this!

I'm sharing an apartment with 6 other girls which sounds like a lot but the place is huge! we could easily  fit 10 more people in. the ceilings are huge and so are the windows, there is a resturant right below my window which gets very loud in the middle of the night. it is so hot here and humid and its rained several times already. My flight wasnt too bad, i only slept 2 hours the entire 30 hours it took to get here but I still lasted most of my first day. We went to the Doumo which is a famous building in Florence. it was its 714th birthday so they opened the rooftop terrence and we all got to go up for free, they only do that one day a year so that was really special. i will try to be on later but my time is running up! miss everyone!

Before I leave...

I'm leaving tomorrow morning at 6 am for Italy! I am flying to New York first from Seattle to meet a group flight. From there I fly to Munich and then down to Florence. I'm going with my friend Sara, a girl I go to Cornish with. She and I will have 2 other roomates in our apartment in Florence who I dont know yet. I am going to study painting and photography while I am there along with Italian, Art History and drawing. Ive never been to Europe or out of North America so it will be interesting. Ive also never traveled alone but once I make it to New York I will be fine.

My biggest concern before I leave is packing. I'm allowed 2 checked bags and a carry-on. Which wouldnt be a problem at all except I have to bring all of my art stuff with me as well, including 2 very large cameras, one digital and one film. Im going to be there for a little over 3 months so I need a variety of clothes for the different seasons. But besides that I think I'm ready. I still cant believe I am actually going! So the excitment hasn't really hit me yet. I will probably be homesick for the first week or so...I've never been away from home that long. But I'm still pretty excited, once I get there I will probably never want to come home...