Yes you’re lovely,
With your smile so warm,
Soooooooo. This weekend, I am afraid I haven’t anything new and exciting to report. Meg has visitors in town and is staying with them at their hotel, so it’s just been me and the Hardoys (and their psycho grandson Matteo – I’m kind of beginning to wonder if his parents want him anymore). On Thursday night, Maggie, Jess, Erik, Keagan, Meg, Drew, Kendel, Emily, Shan and I went to a bar called Joshua Tree. It was a fun night, and I decided to stay at Jess, Erik, Keagan, and Maggie’s apartment because I wasn’t in the mood to forgo my lifesavings for a cab ride home. We slept in (and I really mean in – 130pm!), grabbed a bite to eat at this really good Ecuadorian restaurant Ebby’s, and walked around a bit. We went to the bookstore, read for a while, and I bought some toothpaste at the farmacia down the street. All in all, I’d say it was a successful shopping jaunt. Back to the apartment we went, where Jess, Maggie, and I proceeded to watch 5 consecutive episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. I seriously don’t even remember time passing. That show is so freaking good – I think Caela tried to get me to watch it for a while. I guess it took living in Florence for me to appreciate quality American TV. Anyways, I’ve decided to kind of re-evaluate my possible career choices and become a surgeon, but only if I can be guaranteed an attendee like Dr. Shepherd.
Today (Saturday), I wrote an English paper, bookmarked my art history images in my textbook, watched Mulan, and listened to Frank Sinatra Greatest Hits on repeat. I also ventured down to the Duomo for a bit, and then ended up back in the bookstore. Books are universal and I wanted a bit of home, so there you go.
I know what you’re thinking – what the heck are you doing watching movies on the weekend – you are in Florence so go and do something. Guess what? This was the first weekend I’ve had to relax, and I took full and complete advantage. And right now, guess what I’m going to do? I’m going to go to bed. And it’s only 9pm. You should commend me for thinking ahead though, as I expect to be jarred awake by darling Matteo kicking his soccer ball against my door at 7am. Next Saturday is his birthday. I think I’ll buy him a muzzle. Ok, I’m sorry, I’ll stop complaining.
I guess I might as well try to provide some sort of cultural blib – I know Mom will appreciate it. The bus has become my second home. I know route 17 like I know the route to South Coast Plaza, and have become especially accustomed to smelly armpits in my face. There are certain things I’ve kind of picked up about riding the bus in a sort of trial and error experience. You enter from the front or back doors, and you exit from the middle. You purchase a student monthly pass, rather than spending 1,20 EURO each time you board. You step out off the curb to signal to the bus driver that, yes, you would like to board this specific bus, and no, you weren’t just standing there for fun. You try not to touch anything until you absolutely have to, and if you absolutely have to, you wash your hands as soon as you get off. You do not sit in the lowest seats closest to the bus driver. These seats are for older people, and you will always have to give them up. When you board the bus, your fate is sealed depending on the mood of the driver. Some drive reckless, some never level the bus out, and some consider stop signs mere suggestions. Some are always in a bad mood. Some are really nice (kinda). Some are creepy. And some decide not to show up at all. Usually, the bus is good enough for me.
But Dad, about that Vespa.
Lovely, don’t you ever change -
Keep that breathless charm,
G e n e v i e v e . L o r r a i n e . D e v a n y
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Monday, October 09, 2006
Venice and Ravenna Pictures
San Vitale 1. The picture is poor, but look closely. Everything is covered in beautiful mosaic!
San Vitale 2.
We found Lenny's home! Jess is only kinda excited.
Ok, bye guys.
I don't think Erik knows...
These pigments reminded me of you, Mom!
Another Venice picture.
I told Erik and Jess they may want to tone it down a bit, seeing as we were guests in another country and all, but they insisted and I, well, I relented.
The streets of Venice.
These shoes have walked everywhere I have.
Sick.
How I was able to capture one of these horrid birds by itself, I have no idea.
Beautiful Venice.
Meg and her latest fashion YES - the map of Venezia.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Venice and Ravenna
Ciao,
How’s everyone doing? This weekend was a packed one, with trips to Venice and Ravenna. It was also filled with much time spent utilizing public transportation. Oh how fond I am of the transit system in Italy! Especially when they go on strike. It’s not a random and spontaneous strike, however. They post fliers and inform you when exactly you should expect to be inconvenienced. Isn’t that nice?!
On Thursday night, Shan, Jess, Erik, Kendel, Emily, and I met Shannon’s mom for wine and cheese at a restaurant next to the Duomo named B Gallo. It was fun to see Ms. Nancy Green, and she paid for our 56 EURO bottle of wine that Shan had nonchalantly ordered without specifying a price range. Apparently, “Vorrei un bottiglie di vino rosso,” translates into, “I would like your 2nd most expensive wine on the menu.” It was very nice of Nancy and we thanked her profusely. Afterwards, we went to a nifty little bar named Joshua Tree, and had a fun Mater Dei reunion with Frank and Malia who are also studying in Florence through Gonzaga University. It is so great to see familiar faces abroad! It was a fun night, but a long night, and I got close to 3 hours of sleep.
The next morning, Meg, Jess, Erik, Kendel, Emily, and I took the train to Venice. Well, we attempted to take the 6:30am train, and then the 8:35am train, but then ended up taking the 9:10am train. On the train, Jess, Erik, and I were in a separate cabin than Meg, Kendel, and Emily. I have no idea what those guys did to pass the 3 hour train ride, but we definitely laughed till our stomachs ached taking turns doing MadLibs. We finally got there, a bit discombobulated but ready for an adventure. It was a beautiful day, and I unintentionally wore a stripped shirt (how very tourist of me). We spent the day exploring the city, ambling down narrow streets, and taking in the window displays of colored blown glass, jewelry, art galleries, and chic designers. We were enlightened in Peggy Guggenheim museum, and nearly attacked by sickly, diseased pigeons in Piazza San Marco.
The Peggy Guggenheim was really neat. Her home was converted into a museum and then opened to the public so that we may enjoy her personal art collection. Her collection is amazing, and my most favorite part was that much of the artwork was hung in the same place as when she lived there. I pretended I was her, breezing through my dining room (glancing at Max Ernst), traipsing down the hall (saying hello to Dali on my right), and settling down in the parlor, sipping tea and taking in the beautiful Venetian view (and not forgetting to give notice to Picasso). And Jess told me not to forget about Jackson Pollock, because he made an appearance serveral times. We were planning on going to another exhibit, one featuring Jeff Koons, that Erik and Jess were most excited about, but it had closed a few days before. We did get to see the GIANT fusia balloon animal, made from aluminum and placed on a platform on the water. It looked extremely out of place - that was the most interesting part!
Piazza San Marco was probably the funniest thing about this weekend. Tears were falling I was laughing so hard. The pigeons were so disgusting, I can’t even begin to describe them. Ok, I’ll try. Picture one pigeon. Multiple that by 50 thousand. There you go. And the worst part was, they weren’t scared of anything! Jess has this great video of a pigeon bobbing up to her camera with it’s big orange eye – I would describe it as “curious,” but I really doubt they are smart enough to be anything, one way or the other. There were several people who thought they’d take advantage of the opportunity to pose with hundreds of pigeons perching and pooping all over them – I took advantage of them taking advantage and snapped a few photos. All in all, it was pretty gross.
We took the train back, and arrived at the station around 12:30am. Yes, you guessed it, the buses were on strike and the taxis were few and far between. It took us forever to get home, and when we finally did, we crashed, eager to get every minute of sleep before our Ravenna adventure the next morning.
Waking up early and getting to school by 7:30am, we boarded the buses and headed to Ravenna, where we visited the breathtaking San Apollinaris cathedrals, the Galla Placidia, and San Vitale. Ravenna is famous for their mosaics. I really really really recommend visiting Ravenna if you can. The mosaics are so intrinsic and so detailed and so beautiful. Most of the mosaics were used as propaganda for the emperor at the time, as well as for religious purposes. The most shocking mosaics were those completed in gold and midnight blue. I tried to take a few pictures, but the lighting isn’t that great – look closely if you can. We breaked for lunch, ate at a great restaurant down one of Ravenna's darling streets, and then got back on the bus and headed home. An accident on the autostrade resulted in a bit of a detour, but I got to see more of the beautiful Italian countryside – something I don’t object to.
We made pasta at Jess and Erik’s apartment, looked at pictures from the weekend, and headed home determined to sleep in.
Lucky for us, Matteo was up and about and screaming his lungs out at around 8:40am. Isn’t that sweet? Anyways, I’m at school right now, trying to figure out if it’s worth downloading the entire second season of Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve also got a bit of Art History and Italian homework to get done. I’d better be going.
Next weekend, I may just stick around Florence, do a bit of exploring, maybe head over to Boboli Gardens, maybe buy a coat or something, I’m not sure yet. On Sunday, I’m thinking about taking the train to Perugia, as the Chocolate Festival is in full swing!
Miss you all,
Genevieve
How’s everyone doing? This weekend was a packed one, with trips to Venice and Ravenna. It was also filled with much time spent utilizing public transportation. Oh how fond I am of the transit system in Italy! Especially when they go on strike. It’s not a random and spontaneous strike, however. They post fliers and inform you when exactly you should expect to be inconvenienced. Isn’t that nice?!
On Thursday night, Shan, Jess, Erik, Kendel, Emily, and I met Shannon’s mom for wine and cheese at a restaurant next to the Duomo named B Gallo. It was fun to see Ms. Nancy Green, and she paid for our 56 EURO bottle of wine that Shan had nonchalantly ordered without specifying a price range. Apparently, “Vorrei un bottiglie di vino rosso,” translates into, “I would like your 2nd most expensive wine on the menu.” It was very nice of Nancy and we thanked her profusely. Afterwards, we went to a nifty little bar named Joshua Tree, and had a fun Mater Dei reunion with Frank and Malia who are also studying in Florence through Gonzaga University. It is so great to see familiar faces abroad! It was a fun night, but a long night, and I got close to 3 hours of sleep.
The next morning, Meg, Jess, Erik, Kendel, Emily, and I took the train to Venice. Well, we attempted to take the 6:30am train, and then the 8:35am train, but then ended up taking the 9:10am train. On the train, Jess, Erik, and I were in a separate cabin than Meg, Kendel, and Emily. I have no idea what those guys did to pass the 3 hour train ride, but we definitely laughed till our stomachs ached taking turns doing MadLibs. We finally got there, a bit discombobulated but ready for an adventure. It was a beautiful day, and I unintentionally wore a stripped shirt (how very tourist of me). We spent the day exploring the city, ambling down narrow streets, and taking in the window displays of colored blown glass, jewelry, art galleries, and chic designers. We were enlightened in Peggy Guggenheim museum, and nearly attacked by sickly, diseased pigeons in Piazza San Marco.
The Peggy Guggenheim was really neat. Her home was converted into a museum and then opened to the public so that we may enjoy her personal art collection. Her collection is amazing, and my most favorite part was that much of the artwork was hung in the same place as when she lived there. I pretended I was her, breezing through my dining room (glancing at Max Ernst), traipsing down the hall (saying hello to Dali on my right), and settling down in the parlor, sipping tea and taking in the beautiful Venetian view (and not forgetting to give notice to Picasso). And Jess told me not to forget about Jackson Pollock, because he made an appearance serveral times. We were planning on going to another exhibit, one featuring Jeff Koons, that Erik and Jess were most excited about, but it had closed a few days before. We did get to see the GIANT fusia balloon animal, made from aluminum and placed on a platform on the water. It looked extremely out of place - that was the most interesting part!
Piazza San Marco was probably the funniest thing about this weekend. Tears were falling I was laughing so hard. The pigeons were so disgusting, I can’t even begin to describe them. Ok, I’ll try. Picture one pigeon. Multiple that by 50 thousand. There you go. And the worst part was, they weren’t scared of anything! Jess has this great video of a pigeon bobbing up to her camera with it’s big orange eye – I would describe it as “curious,” but I really doubt they are smart enough to be anything, one way or the other. There were several people who thought they’d take advantage of the opportunity to pose with hundreds of pigeons perching and pooping all over them – I took advantage of them taking advantage and snapped a few photos. All in all, it was pretty gross.
We took the train back, and arrived at the station around 12:30am. Yes, you guessed it, the buses were on strike and the taxis were few and far between. It took us forever to get home, and when we finally did, we crashed, eager to get every minute of sleep before our Ravenna adventure the next morning.
Waking up early and getting to school by 7:30am, we boarded the buses and headed to Ravenna, where we visited the breathtaking San Apollinaris cathedrals, the Galla Placidia, and San Vitale. Ravenna is famous for their mosaics. I really really really recommend visiting Ravenna if you can. The mosaics are so intrinsic and so detailed and so beautiful. Most of the mosaics were used as propaganda for the emperor at the time, as well as for religious purposes. The most shocking mosaics were those completed in gold and midnight blue. I tried to take a few pictures, but the lighting isn’t that great – look closely if you can. We breaked for lunch, ate at a great restaurant down one of Ravenna's darling streets, and then got back on the bus and headed home. An accident on the autostrade resulted in a bit of a detour, but I got to see more of the beautiful Italian countryside – something I don’t object to.
We made pasta at Jess and Erik’s apartment, looked at pictures from the weekend, and headed home determined to sleep in.
Lucky for us, Matteo was up and about and screaming his lungs out at around 8:40am. Isn’t that sweet? Anyways, I’m at school right now, trying to figure out if it’s worth downloading the entire second season of Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve also got a bit of Art History and Italian homework to get done. I’d better be going.
Next weekend, I may just stick around Florence, do a bit of exploring, maybe head over to Boboli Gardens, maybe buy a coat or something, I’m not sure yet. On Sunday, I’m thinking about taking the train to Perugia, as the Chocolate Festival is in full swing!
Miss you all,
Genevieve
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Oktoberfest Pictures
Philip Doyle, Shan, and I. Quite the character Mr. Doyle was. And very Irish.
Shan thinks this is brautwurst number 3, but she's not sure. Please don't overlook the Coca Light in her hand. Oh, the irony!
Dancing on stage! Probably the coolest thing ever. Mom, don't lie, you totally would have done this. And you probably would have thrown in a few cartwheels just for kicks.
Ugh. I'm glad to be studying in Italy where wine, rather than beer, is the cultural drink of choice.
We met a group of people from New Zealand. Hilarious.
The girls! How outnumbered we were.
Salute!
The view from the balcony we repeatedly got kicked off of. Reserved shmreserved.
Shan healing her sore throat. I'm fairly certain Ikea is responsible for the Wombat decor.
At Wombats! I loved this lima-beanbag.
Shan, Meg, and I. Trio picture number 1.
Tamara, Shan, and I. Trio picture number 2.
Oktoberfest
Hello,
I hope everyone is doing well at home. I had the best time this past weekend in Munich at Oktoberfest.
Shan and I flew from Florence to Munich early Friday morning, stored our bags in our hostel, and headed over to Oktoberfest around noon.
A really quick word about our hostel, Wombats – it was the coolest place ever run by the coolest people ever. There was a large atrium in the center of the hostel filled with neon beanbags and wicker floor cushions, computers available for internet use, and a super fun bar where we met people also staying at the hostel. On Friday night, Shan’s throat was really really sore, and the nice bartender made her a hot whiskey with lemon – she instantly felt better (I was in awe of how effective it was medicinally – apparently it kills the bacteria causing you to feel sick). We stayed in an 8 person room with 6 other people from USD (Shan’s school). It only cost 60 EURO for the whole weekend – the cost included a pretty decent breakfast every morning. 4 stars for Wombats, I’d say.
When Shan and I arrived at the fair grounds, we headed to the Houfbrau House and pretty much camped ourselves there all weekend. Our SCU friends had arrived earlier and we joined them, right under the large stage where the German band played traditional German songs. They also played American pop-culture songs, like “Be My Girl” and “YMCA” and “I Will Survive.” Picture thousands of people from all over the world singing and dancing to these songs. It was so odd but so entertaining. The songs were instant unifiers – whenever the band played an American song, everyone sang along, picked up their gigantic steins, and swung them those nearby. They were so gigantic though, that by the time the steins were 1/3 full, the beer had warmed and didn’t taste that great. I do admit that I like beer now, but it has to be cold.
The days were filled with German beer, bratwursts, pretzels, roller coasters (a HILARIOUS Irish guy took Shan and I on almost all of the rides on Saturday night – it was a blast), and incredible people. There were Germans, Irish, English, Australians, New Zealanders, Italians, French, and Americans. I sincerely feel that Oktoberfest may be the one place where world peace is even a remote possibility.
We ran into my friend Ashley Law on Saturday at Houfbrau. Shan, Ashley, and I went to high school together – it was great having a little Mater Dei reunion all the way in Germany. After cheering for the band on stage (and by cheering I mean Shan making googly-eyes at the singer), we were invited up to dance. Throughout the entire weekend, no one was allowed onstage, and we felt pretty gosh darn special to be invited up. We danced to “Be My Girl.” It was so crazy – there must have been well over 1000 people, all dressed in lederhosen and the traditional German get-up, cheering and singing and looking up at us. This was one of my most favorite memories from the weekend.
Another favorite memory was spending the weekend with Shan. We had a ball and laughed a ton, especially when recounting what Shan ate. Try this on for size – 6 bratwursts, 2 small chickens, 2 donuts, and a chocolate chip cookie from Subway. It was HILARIOUS, and I can say for a fact that she never wants to see/smell another sausage ever again.
I’m so glad I decided to go, as I was hesitant to book travel plans at first. I have so many great memories (and yes, I do have memories thank you very much), and I met the most incredible people. I loved every minute.
As of right now, school’s going okay. I am quite fond of my Creative Writing class – we are reading great literature relating to Italy, such as E.M. Forester’s Where Angels Fear to Tread, and Henry James’s Daisy Miller. My art history site visits are very interesting (today we met at an archeological site in Fiesole, where we saw a Roman theater and bath house dating to 1st Century B.C.). However, two hours of Italian, four days a week, and a three hour marketing class every Wednesday have become slightly exhausting. Not to complain or anything. Too late. I’ve been told that while spending time abroad, it’s quite normal to experience ups and downs. We’ve been here for a bit over a month now, and as I write this I find that I am distracted by my Art History homework, my Marketing project, and the fact that I can’t go for a run today, as I won’t make it home in time to shower before the water pressure dissipates. Although these moments are extremely rare, I sometimes want to curl up in my bed at home, watch Princess Diaries, and indulge in a big fat dose of familiarity.
This weekend I’ll be in Venice on Friday, Ravenna on Saturday, and catching up on homework/emails/possibly this blog on Sunday.
Like I said before, I’m having a wonderful time. Don’t let that little blib about familiarity startle you. I do miss you all, though! Please keep me updated with anything new and exciting going on in over there (and by “there” I mean anywhere that’s not Italy). CNN.com takes a century to load and I’m not always the most patient person. Speaking of “anything new and exciting”, thanks for filling me in on the TomKat/Suri Vanity Fair cover. I can’t believe no one thought it necessary to suggest that I run as fast as I can to the nearest negozio and pick up the magazine. And I call you my friends.
I’m totally kidding.
Yours till Niagra Falls,
Genny-enny-dots
I hope everyone is doing well at home. I had the best time this past weekend in Munich at Oktoberfest.
Shan and I flew from Florence to Munich early Friday morning, stored our bags in our hostel, and headed over to Oktoberfest around noon.
A really quick word about our hostel, Wombats – it was the coolest place ever run by the coolest people ever. There was a large atrium in the center of the hostel filled with neon beanbags and wicker floor cushions, computers available for internet use, and a super fun bar where we met people also staying at the hostel. On Friday night, Shan’s throat was really really sore, and the nice bartender made her a hot whiskey with lemon – she instantly felt better (I was in awe of how effective it was medicinally – apparently it kills the bacteria causing you to feel sick). We stayed in an 8 person room with 6 other people from USD (Shan’s school). It only cost 60 EURO for the whole weekend – the cost included a pretty decent breakfast every morning. 4 stars for Wombats, I’d say.
When Shan and I arrived at the fair grounds, we headed to the Houfbrau House and pretty much camped ourselves there all weekend. Our SCU friends had arrived earlier and we joined them, right under the large stage where the German band played traditional German songs. They also played American pop-culture songs, like “Be My Girl” and “YMCA” and “I Will Survive.” Picture thousands of people from all over the world singing and dancing to these songs. It was so odd but so entertaining. The songs were instant unifiers – whenever the band played an American song, everyone sang along, picked up their gigantic steins, and swung them those nearby. They were so gigantic though, that by the time the steins were 1/3 full, the beer had warmed and didn’t taste that great. I do admit that I like beer now, but it has to be cold.
The days were filled with German beer, bratwursts, pretzels, roller coasters (a HILARIOUS Irish guy took Shan and I on almost all of the rides on Saturday night – it was a blast), and incredible people. There were Germans, Irish, English, Australians, New Zealanders, Italians, French, and Americans. I sincerely feel that Oktoberfest may be the one place where world peace is even a remote possibility.
We ran into my friend Ashley Law on Saturday at Houfbrau. Shan, Ashley, and I went to high school together – it was great having a little Mater Dei reunion all the way in Germany. After cheering for the band on stage (and by cheering I mean Shan making googly-eyes at the singer), we were invited up to dance. Throughout the entire weekend, no one was allowed onstage, and we felt pretty gosh darn special to be invited up. We danced to “Be My Girl.” It was so crazy – there must have been well over 1000 people, all dressed in lederhosen and the traditional German get-up, cheering and singing and looking up at us. This was one of my most favorite memories from the weekend.
Another favorite memory was spending the weekend with Shan. We had a ball and laughed a ton, especially when recounting what Shan ate. Try this on for size – 6 bratwursts, 2 small chickens, 2 donuts, and a chocolate chip cookie from Subway. It was HILARIOUS, and I can say for a fact that she never wants to see/smell another sausage ever again.
I’m so glad I decided to go, as I was hesitant to book travel plans at first. I have so many great memories (and yes, I do have memories thank you very much), and I met the most incredible people. I loved every minute.
As of right now, school’s going okay. I am quite fond of my Creative Writing class – we are reading great literature relating to Italy, such as E.M. Forester’s Where Angels Fear to Tread, and Henry James’s Daisy Miller. My art history site visits are very interesting (today we met at an archeological site in Fiesole, where we saw a Roman theater and bath house dating to 1st Century B.C.). However, two hours of Italian, four days a week, and a three hour marketing class every Wednesday have become slightly exhausting. Not to complain or anything. Too late. I’ve been told that while spending time abroad, it’s quite normal to experience ups and downs. We’ve been here for a bit over a month now, and as I write this I find that I am distracted by my Art History homework, my Marketing project, and the fact that I can’t go for a run today, as I won’t make it home in time to shower before the water pressure dissipates. Although these moments are extremely rare, I sometimes want to curl up in my bed at home, watch Princess Diaries, and indulge in a big fat dose of familiarity.
This weekend I’ll be in Venice on Friday, Ravenna on Saturday, and catching up on homework/emails/possibly this blog on Sunday.
Like I said before, I’m having a wonderful time. Don’t let that little blib about familiarity startle you. I do miss you all, though! Please keep me updated with anything new and exciting going on in over there (and by “there” I mean anywhere that’s not Italy). CNN.com takes a century to load and I’m not always the most patient person. Speaking of “anything new and exciting”, thanks for filling me in on the TomKat/Suri Vanity Fair cover. I can’t believe no one thought it necessary to suggest that I run as fast as I can to the nearest negozio and pick up the magazine. And I call you my friends.
I’m totally kidding.
Yours till Niagra Falls,
Genny-enny-dots
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