OKay, so I have been super busy and havent found time to write, actually j'ai eu la flemme (I was too lazy:) )
Friday (the 18th) I went to New Moon with Olivia and Justine and two other girls I dont really know. Here they call it Twighlight 2 or Tentation. It was in English with French subtitles. Then on Saturday I woke up early to go the the small Montchat market with Claire (I also realised a couple days ago I have been spelling it Monchat, when its really Montchat..oops!) I really like the market because everything is fresh and its like a little piece of the country in the middle of a big city:) That night Michel and Claire went to a party and Laura and I stayed home and ate a dinner of ravioli (but with the flower of a courgette (zucchini) in the middle) freshly bought from the market that morning, and watched the Davinci Code (in English because Laura had never seen it and wanted to understand it). Sunday morning I wrote a french essay on the life in Alaska, and then we (Claire, Michel, Laura and I) picked up Claires mother and drove to a small town called Anthon to eat lunch at a restaurant that serves grenouille (frog). It wasnt bad, but we ate off the bones and there were bones of the frogs spine and that was a little gross. Other than that it was good, the restaurant was the Rhone river, thought the scenery wasnt extremely beautiful because the day was pretty grey.
Monday I had three classes and then went to Lauries house to eat lunch. We started to watch Seven Pounds (an American movie with Will Smith) but it stopped working about half an hour in. So we watched tv and talked and Anne Sophie came over after a little while.
Tuesday, there was supposed to be a teacher/student strike so some of our teachers didnt show up, but we were prewarned. Early Tuesday morning someone sent out a mass text saying there were riotors in front of the school, but we I got there with Ingrid and Chloé, nobody was there. It was dissapointing:( Because 2 of my teachers werent there, I ended up having 3 hours for lunch, so Ingrid Chloé and I came back to my house and ate lunch and then went over to play a game at Ingrids house (she lives on the same street as me) which is similar to the Wii, but she left the camera thing in her moms car, so we played babyfoot (fooseball) until it was time to go back to school.
Wednesday I had four hours of school and then came home for lunch. After that, Michel left to visit a friend who is sick near Marseille. I went to the store and bought some things for Thanksgiving. Though I ended up making evaporated milk and puréing my own pumpkin for pumpkin pie. It turned out good though, I am eating a piece right now:) Then I went to dance class and we finished learning the dance to Men In Black and started another one. I have never seen Men In Black, so I think I should probably watch it soon!
On Thursday, I had school, but my Chem-Physics teacher was absent so I ate a kebab with Ingrid and Alexys. A kebab here is not the same as in America. Or at least not what my vision of a kebab is. I think of a long wooden skewer with meat, cheese, maybe fruit poked onto it. Here, a kebab it a ginormous pita pocket filled with lettuce, onions, tomatos, and shredded meat. Then we went to Ingrids house and played the Wii-like game. It was cool because the camera (she had forgotten the other day) hooked onto the tv and then we appeared on the tv and played in the games! Then I called my parents because it was Thankgiving morning in Alaska!! They told me they had just gotten snow, while here there is no chance of snow for a very longgggggggggggg time. Normally it snows once or twice a winter here, though someone told me that it didnt snow at all last winter! Luckily I am going into the Alps for Christmas, so there will be snow there! It was strange going to bed knowing my family was going to be celebrating Thankgiving soon, and then wake up and know that it was over. It was like I had missed the whole thing twice; once by not physically being there, and again by not being awake while it was going on!
Friday I had a full day of school and then I went to buy sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner, because I hadnt had any luck finding yams. I went to a small épicerie (veggie and Fruit shop, I think) and asked for sweet potatoes. The lady then asked me if they were for Thanksgiving. I told her yes (though a little confused, because no one here celebrates Thanksgiving) and that I am American. She then laughed and said 'I know!!'...I had forgotten about my accent:)
Saturday I pretty much cooked all day:) Though Claire helped me a lot! I made the pies first thing in the morning (pecan, pumpkin, and chocolate cream). For the crust, I used all butter, because apparently shortening doesnt exist in France, so they gave me a little trouble, but they were fine in the end. Then I made stuffing (farce in French), sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, mashed potatoes and gravy (which was not lumpy fyi Uncle John!:) ), the turkey of course, rolls, and cranberry sauce. Everyone really LOVED the rolls, they thought it was hillarious we eat bread that doesnt really have a crust on it! We ate at 9:30 pm because when I told Claire we normally eat Thanksgiving dinner at 3 or 4 in the afternoon, she said non, non c'est pas possible! (no, no thats not possible!) Haha, no one ever eats dinner here before 8 pm. Justine, Ingrid, Anne Sophie, Chloé, and the god-mothers of Victor and Théo ate dinner with us, and we finnished at about 11:30! It was very differnt than in Alaska, but a good experience. Though next year, I will be extremely happy to make some pies and be done!!
Sunday (yesterday) I slept in til 11 and then tried to understand my math homework (barycenters, and now derivitives) but I didnt get very far. Then we ate a lunch of leftovers and biked to an art exposition. It was of dinner ware, jewelry, furniture, baby clothes, just lots of random booths. They had some cool stuff, but everything was really expensive. Then we biked to a movie theater and watched Vincere which was about the first wife of Mussolini. It was all in Italian with French subtitles. It was easier to understand with the subtitles in French, than with just people speaking in French because I could read the words and look at the actors' actions and pretty much understand the entire story. Then we came home (though it was raining so Claire picked us up with Michels car) and ate dinner in front of the tv and watched another movie. Though this one was not as serious; Le Diable S'habille en Prada (The Devil Wears Prada) :)
Today I went to school for four hours and then came home and ate a lunch of Thanksgiving leftovers with Laurie because she really wanted to eat Thanksgiving food but wasnt able to come on Saturday. Then we watched part of Seigneur des Anneaux (Lord of the Rings). We now have less than three weeks until vacances de Noel (Christmas vacation)!
30.11.09
18.11.09
I always think of a million things to write in here during the day, but when I finally make it to the computer, I have forgotten all of them:)
So Tuesday I had an oral test in Euro-Anglais which is the physics-class-in-english and before that test I had a 1/12 for the entire trimester because the teacher counts the times that we talk in class (because the class is for progressing in English, not really to learn a subject) and I wasnt talking because I already speak English and didnt want to take up the other students time to talk. However, the teacher informed me that I have no excuse and should be talking all the time, so on Monday I talked a lot, so hopefully I have a better grade now. I went to Lauries house for lunch and ate cauliflower and brought some fudge for her. Her brother (I think he is ten) was home too because he is sick with the swine flu. Then I had to write an essay on if I think litterature reflects real life or not in French class. The teacher also gave me an essay topic to write about, 'How I feel about life in Alaska', so I will do that this weekend. I also learned Tuesday that it is completely normal to throw trash out the window. Somebody in my class threw gum and then paper out the window!! When I asked him what if it hit somebody, he said it was the french way and they should be careful where they walk!!:)
Today I had two hours of math. Right now we are studying barycenters and I dont understand anything. All the teacher says is vecteur AB plus vectuer MG égal (=) vecteur PA...ect. I have no idea where she gets all these letters from, I think she makes them up:) Then I had two hours of badmitton, which was fun. Then school was over and I came home and ate lunch with Laura (who has been sick for two days), Michel, and Michels friend Gilles. Claire went to Paris for the day to attend a teacher workshop. After lunch I tried to start that French essay, but only wrote down a few ideas. Then I went to dance class, and this time, there were more kids there my age. Its pretty cool, we are actually learning a dance and the teacher is really nice. I think we are preforming the dance(s) (maybe we will learn more than just one) at the end of June. After dance class I rode home with a bike I borrowed from Michel, in a tanktop, and its the middle of November!! It has been super warm here lately, about 55 or 60 degrees F, I think is what 13-16 C translates to. This weekend hopefully I will be able to complete the list of ingredients I will need for Thanksgiving dinner, and then have Claire look at it and see if I can find all of them.
So Tuesday I had an oral test in Euro-Anglais which is the physics-class-in-english and before that test I had a 1/12 for the entire trimester because the teacher counts the times that we talk in class (because the class is for progressing in English, not really to learn a subject) and I wasnt talking because I already speak English and didnt want to take up the other students time to talk. However, the teacher informed me that I have no excuse and should be talking all the time, so on Monday I talked a lot, so hopefully I have a better grade now. I went to Lauries house for lunch and ate cauliflower and brought some fudge for her. Her brother (I think he is ten) was home too because he is sick with the swine flu. Then I had to write an essay on if I think litterature reflects real life or not in French class. The teacher also gave me an essay topic to write about, 'How I feel about life in Alaska', so I will do that this weekend. I also learned Tuesday that it is completely normal to throw trash out the window. Somebody in my class threw gum and then paper out the window!! When I asked him what if it hit somebody, he said it was the french way and they should be careful where they walk!!:)
Today I had two hours of math. Right now we are studying barycenters and I dont understand anything. All the teacher says is vecteur AB plus vectuer MG égal (=) vecteur PA...ect. I have no idea where she gets all these letters from, I think she makes them up:) Then I had two hours of badmitton, which was fun. Then school was over and I came home and ate lunch with Laura (who has been sick for two days), Michel, and Michels friend Gilles. Claire went to Paris for the day to attend a teacher workshop. After lunch I tried to start that French essay, but only wrote down a few ideas. Then I went to dance class, and this time, there were more kids there my age. Its pretty cool, we are actually learning a dance and the teacher is really nice. I think we are preforming the dance(s) (maybe we will learn more than just one) at the end of June. After dance class I rode home with a bike I borrowed from Michel, in a tanktop, and its the middle of November!! It has been super warm here lately, about 55 or 60 degrees F, I think is what 13-16 C translates to. This weekend hopefully I will be able to complete the list of ingredients I will need for Thanksgiving dinner, and then have Claire look at it and see if I can find all of them.
15.11.09
No Title
After Armistice Day, Thursday and Friday were long school days. Yesterday I got up late and went to Carrefour to look for Thanksgiving ingredients with Laura, while my host dad went biking, and my host mom went to the theater for 11 hours!-(Though I am not really sure why). I found marshmallows and that was about it! Though I wasnt looking very hard because apparently, that is the place to be on a Saturday afternoon-there were so many people there you could hardly walk! Last night I made fudge with the marshmallows I bought, (I guess I will just have to buy more for the sweet potato cassarole:) )though it didnt turn out right, maybe because I couldnt find the evaporated milk, though my family said they liked it.
Today, I got up and tried doing some homework, though didnt get any done. Then my host dad asked if I wanted to go biking with him, and (stupidly) I said yes. We started off from our house at about 2:00 pm, so no driving this time, and then found what is probably the one dirt trail with rocks in Lyon...not sure why he likes those so much! But, again, the view was really pretty. The trail went along side the Rhone canal, and then on the way back the actual Rhone river and a really big park with huge trees sporting really pretty, colorful leaves. We got back after dark at about 6:00 pm. Along the way, we stopped at Michels brothers house. The whole family was there (Michels brother, his wife and their three kids). The youngest kid is a girl and only 15 months old, she is super cute!! Then they have a boy whose about 5 or 6 and another girl whose 10. I also found out that the 6 year old boy can speak better French than me!:)
I actually started this post yesterday, but didnt have time to finish it, so now it is Monday. Today I started school at 9:00 because our first class is a 'demi-groupe' class, which means only half the class attends it, and then the next hour the other half of the class has the same class with the same teacher who teaches the same subject, seems like a waste of time to me, but we changed the group who stars first this week, so now I get to wake a little later each Monday. Or at least until we change again. So the first class I had was math, then french, then math again, and then the English assistant. Then I came home and ate french toast and nutella for lunch:)
Today, I got up and tried doing some homework, though didnt get any done. Then my host dad asked if I wanted to go biking with him, and (stupidly) I said yes. We started off from our house at about 2:00 pm, so no driving this time, and then found what is probably the one dirt trail with rocks in Lyon...not sure why he likes those so much! But, again, the view was really pretty. The trail went along side the Rhone canal, and then on the way back the actual Rhone river and a really big park with huge trees sporting really pretty, colorful leaves. We got back after dark at about 6:00 pm. Along the way, we stopped at Michels brothers house. The whole family was there (Michels brother, his wife and their three kids). The youngest kid is a girl and only 15 months old, she is super cute!! Then they have a boy whose about 5 or 6 and another girl whose 10. I also found out that the 6 year old boy can speak better French than me!:)
I actually started this post yesterday, but didnt have time to finish it, so now it is Monday. Today I started school at 9:00 because our first class is a 'demi-groupe' class, which means only half the class attends it, and then the next hour the other half of the class has the same class with the same teacher who teaches the same subject, seems like a waste of time to me, but we changed the group who stars first this week, so now I get to wake a little later each Monday. Or at least until we change again. So the first class I had was math, then french, then math again, and then the English assistant. Then I came home and ate french toast and nutella for lunch:)
11.11.09
Armistice Day
Today is Armistice Day in France. We dont have school, and most people dont work, though some large stores are open. Armistice Day (aka Remembrance Day) became a national holiday to remeber the armistice treaty signed between France and Germany at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month (11:00am on November 11) in 1918. This day is celebrated in the US also, though known as Veterans Day.
Last Saturday, I woke up too early to take the train to a small town called St. Etienne for the AFS day. This time, the Rhone Alpes Region of AFS kids was split in two because there are about 35 people total. The other half of the kids went to Grenoble. First, we walked through an old coal mine, had lunch in a different building that one of the parents had prearranged for us, and then went bowling. It was fun to talk lots of English and see how everyone else is doing. Most people were fairly happy, with just minor problems with their host families. One girl from Switzerland is getting ready to leave (in two weeks), because her program is just for three months! Then Laura and I took the train back to Lyon and the bus back to our house. Saturday night we at a TV dinner, though no, not one of the frozen ones, we just had dinner in front of the TV because there was a movie on that Michel wanted to watch, though I forget the name and what it was about:). Sunday I slept in until about 10:30 which is pretty late for me here, though in Alaska it would be really early:) Then I went to a movie with Michel and Claire which was very strange, even for a French movie. Michel told me afterwards that he had no idea what had happened:) Then I called my parents in Alaska, and then went to sleep.
Monday, I had a math test, though halfway through it my stomach started hurting really bad. I finished the test and went to an hour of French and then decided I better go home (the only classes I had left that day were one more hour of math and one hour with the English assistant, which I figured I could miss). So I went home and slept, and when I woke up, I felt completely normal. Which was good!
On Tuesday, yesterday, I had a long day of school. Its strange because when I get out of school at 6:00 its dark outside. Last night we watched a movie about Alaska my parent sent to my host family. My host parents really loved watching the whales swim and parts of the glacier fall into the ocean, though my host dad did ask if we milked caribou in Alaska, like cows!:)
Today, I slept in a little and then had the intention of having a really productive day...so far (is 5:00 pm) that hasnt really happened:) I wanted to make french toast (haha irony!) for breakfast today, but we were out of bread (its a French persons worst nightmare) and my host mom quickly went to the store to get more, but I just decided to eat cereal. Then I read one of the little books in a little kids comic series called Max et Lilli, and then my host mom took Laura and I shopping at a store called Kiabi. I bought a pair of new pants (because two of my old pairs dont fit anymore!) and a sweater.Then we came back and had a big lunch of chicken, a cheesy potato dish, bread (of course), chocolate mouse (made by my host mom), and a apricot and pistachio tart which my host dad bought somewhere earlier today. Then I tried to study for a chemistry and physics test I am going to have on Friday, but I didnt understand any of my notes, and now I am on the computer:) I have also started researching recipes for Thanksgiving dinner which I will make for my family on the 28th (saturday) because I have 10 hours of school on the actual day of Thanksgiving, which doesnt leave much room for cooking dinner! I have not looked in the biggest food stores yet, but I have not found key Thanksgiving ingredients in the smallar ones in Monchat, such as pumpkin purée for pumpkin pie, jello powder for a jello fruit salad, marshmallows and brown sugar for the yams, etc. Maybe this Saturday I will have time to go to a large grocery store to look for all the yummy processed food I need to buy to create my Thanksgiving dinner!:)
Last Saturday, I woke up too early to take the train to a small town called St. Etienne for the AFS day. This time, the Rhone Alpes Region of AFS kids was split in two because there are about 35 people total. The other half of the kids went to Grenoble. First, we walked through an old coal mine, had lunch in a different building that one of the parents had prearranged for us, and then went bowling. It was fun to talk lots of English and see how everyone else is doing. Most people were fairly happy, with just minor problems with their host families. One girl from Switzerland is getting ready to leave (in two weeks), because her program is just for three months! Then Laura and I took the train back to Lyon and the bus back to our house. Saturday night we at a TV dinner, though no, not one of the frozen ones, we just had dinner in front of the TV because there was a movie on that Michel wanted to watch, though I forget the name and what it was about:). Sunday I slept in until about 10:30 which is pretty late for me here, though in Alaska it would be really early:) Then I went to a movie with Michel and Claire which was very strange, even for a French movie. Michel told me afterwards that he had no idea what had happened:) Then I called my parents in Alaska, and then went to sleep.
Monday, I had a math test, though halfway through it my stomach started hurting really bad. I finished the test and went to an hour of French and then decided I better go home (the only classes I had left that day were one more hour of math and one hour with the English assistant, which I figured I could miss). So I went home and slept, and when I woke up, I felt completely normal. Which was good!
On Tuesday, yesterday, I had a long day of school. Its strange because when I get out of school at 6:00 its dark outside. Last night we watched a movie about Alaska my parent sent to my host family. My host parents really loved watching the whales swim and parts of the glacier fall into the ocean, though my host dad did ask if we milked caribou in Alaska, like cows!:)
Today, I slept in a little and then had the intention of having a really productive day...so far (is 5:00 pm) that hasnt really happened:) I wanted to make french toast (haha irony!) for breakfast today, but we were out of bread (its a French persons worst nightmare) and my host mom quickly went to the store to get more, but I just decided to eat cereal. Then I read one of the little books in a little kids comic series called Max et Lilli, and then my host mom took Laura and I shopping at a store called Kiabi. I bought a pair of new pants (because two of my old pairs dont fit anymore!) and a sweater.Then we came back and had a big lunch of chicken, a cheesy potato dish, bread (of course), chocolate mouse (made by my host mom), and a apricot and pistachio tart which my host dad bought somewhere earlier today. Then I tried to study for a chemistry and physics test I am going to have on Friday, but I didnt understand any of my notes, and now I am on the computer:) I have also started researching recipes for Thanksgiving dinner which I will make for my family on the 28th (saturday) because I have 10 hours of school on the actual day of Thanksgiving, which doesnt leave much room for cooking dinner! I have not looked in the biggest food stores yet, but I have not found key Thanksgiving ingredients in the smallar ones in Monchat, such as pumpkin purée for pumpkin pie, jello powder for a jello fruit salad, marshmallows and brown sugar for the yams, etc. Maybe this Saturday I will have time to go to a large grocery store to look for all the yummy processed food I need to buy to create my Thanksgiving dinner!:)
6.11.09
No more vacation
These past two days have seemed super long. 8:00am to 6:00pm both days, but now the weekend is here!
Thursday I took a SVT test I didnt know I was going to have, so Im pretty sure the grade it horrible. I got my French test back, I got a 7/20, not bad...:). I played with the liver of a pig in SVT with Laurie. Today I learned about the indigenous people of Australia and Canada and how the government treated them a long time ago (they took half caste and quarter caste children from their families for 'their own good') in English. I had two and a half hours of physics and chemistry which, if you ask me, is WAAAAAAAAY too long, I have a really hard time sitting still and pretending to be interested in what the teacher is talking about, especially during physics because I dont know anything about that subject. My history-geography teacher is back too! No more beaver!:) She told us why she was gone for so long: she was really sick and was in the hospital to get two organs (not sure which ones) surgically removed. Even though she went through all of that, and doesnt look like she feels really great, she is still really nice and I think she is my favorite teacher.
I have sort of been slacking on my promise to recount the food we have been eating (because it is such a large part of the culture). The truth is, we dont always eat something homemade or new, so I stopped for a while because I didnt want to keep repeating things. So, my host mom will sometimes buy frozen couscous at Carrefour (the large walmart store, which she recently told me she detests because its so large and hard to find things in:) ) or frozen brocoli or celery purée, which sounds disgusting, but is really good when heated up and spread on bread.
In Italy we ate a LOT of pasta and pizza. That was pretty much the main thing the restaurants served, though you could definitely find meat, I prefered ordering different types of pasta, and because I dont speak Italian, it was always a surprise to see what I ordered. Though it was all very good. I was somewhat disappointed because I think Rome and Florence have such a great population of tourists, there are a lot of tourist fast-food places, and the real Italian home-cooked-meal places are a little more difficult to find.
Back here, we have been eating pretty much the same, lots of lapin (rabbit:( ), llooots of bread, the other night my host mom made a pot of smooshed squash which was very good, poulet (chicken), salad, cheese. Also, the school where my host mom works has a special program for kids who want to cook, so every now and then, she will buy something of what they have made and bring it home for us to eat. Tonight it was a tarte au pommes (apple pie), though they have also made quiche and other dishes.
Tomorrow I am going to a museum and bowling with other AFSers. I am excited to see them again, but not excited to be getting up at 6:30 am on a Saturday morning. Its almost 10:00pm now, so I should really go to bed!
Thursday I took a SVT test I didnt know I was going to have, so Im pretty sure the grade it horrible. I got my French test back, I got a 7/20, not bad...:). I played with the liver of a pig in SVT with Laurie. Today I learned about the indigenous people of Australia and Canada and how the government treated them a long time ago (they took half caste and quarter caste children from their families for 'their own good') in English. I had two and a half hours of physics and chemistry which, if you ask me, is WAAAAAAAAY too long, I have a really hard time sitting still and pretending to be interested in what the teacher is talking about, especially during physics because I dont know anything about that subject. My history-geography teacher is back too! No more beaver!:) She told us why she was gone for so long: she was really sick and was in the hospital to get two organs (not sure which ones) surgically removed. Even though she went through all of that, and doesnt look like she feels really great, she is still really nice and I think she is my favorite teacher.
I have sort of been slacking on my promise to recount the food we have been eating (because it is such a large part of the culture). The truth is, we dont always eat something homemade or new, so I stopped for a while because I didnt want to keep repeating things. So, my host mom will sometimes buy frozen couscous at Carrefour (the large walmart store, which she recently told me she detests because its so large and hard to find things in:) ) or frozen brocoli or celery purée, which sounds disgusting, but is really good when heated up and spread on bread.
In Italy we ate a LOT of pasta and pizza. That was pretty much the main thing the restaurants served, though you could definitely find meat, I prefered ordering different types of pasta, and because I dont speak Italian, it was always a surprise to see what I ordered. Though it was all very good. I was somewhat disappointed because I think Rome and Florence have such a great population of tourists, there are a lot of tourist fast-food places, and the real Italian home-cooked-meal places are a little more difficult to find.
Back here, we have been eating pretty much the same, lots of lapin (rabbit:( ), llooots of bread, the other night my host mom made a pot of smooshed squash which was very good, poulet (chicken), salad, cheese. Also, the school where my host mom works has a special program for kids who want to cook, so every now and then, she will buy something of what they have made and bring it home for us to eat. Tonight it was a tarte au pommes (apple pie), though they have also made quiche and other dishes.
Tomorrow I am going to a museum and bowling with other AFSers. I am excited to see them again, but not excited to be getting up at 6:30 am on a Saturday morning. Its almost 10:00pm now, so I should really go to bed!
5.11.09
Telephone
I answered the phone today! I understood the person on the other line, and they understood me!!! They were asking for my host mom, who was not home at the moment. Just a little piece of exciting news:)
4.11.09
Italy Pictures
The first picture is of Laura and I at the Roman Colosseum, then the Pantheon, Vespas!, an Italian meat shop, and a bridge in Florence.
2.11.09
Italy
At 8:30 Sunday (the 25th) morning, my host parents, Laura and I headed to Florence, Italy, in my host dads car. We actually got to sleep in a little later than I had anticipated because France has a time change too, and I think all of Europe does (or at least the countries in the European Union). We stopped around 12:30 for lunch at a small Italian town, the restaurant was called Trattoria Del Peso, everyone was served the same thing. That 'same thing' however, consisted of 12 courses! No joking, the meal took three hours. There were also two plates, one bowl, three forks, two spoons, one knife, and three glasses. Throughout the meal, we were served five wines, two were white, one was red, one was a 'cleanser' wine which was EXTREMELY strong and called grappa, and the last was a 'cooked' wine which was sweeter and a redish brown color. After lunch, we continued to drive to Florence and arrived at about 9:00 pm. The hotel we stayed at was called Accademie, and was very nice, though it was like a maze to try to find our room!
Monday we ate a complimentary breakfast at the hotel, then walked through a church, a museum, the climbed up 400 something staires to the top of Campanile di Giotto and took some pictures of the city. Then we walked through about church-turned-museum place, ate some gelatto and returned to the hotel. We went to dinner at a restaurant called Zà-Zà.
Tuesday we first went to a museum, but learned we needed reservations, so we made them for the afternoon, and then went to a really cool authentic Italian market. I bought some Italian olive oil and dried herb seasoning for pasta for my family in AK, though they will have to wait to eat it until July:) Then we walked around in a large chuch and then went back to the same indoor market for lunch, then ate some gelatto, then went to the museum we had previously made reservations for. Side note: my host dad really REALLY likes history and all things that tell it (such as museums, churches, etc.) after about the third church and museum, I think my host parents figured out I dont exactly LOVE them. So Claire said that if I finished walking through the museum early, I could wander around the city by myself and make my way back to our hotel by 6 or 7! So I walked through the museum, though I have to admit I didnt really read the signs much, just looked at the sculptures, and then wandered (and got a little lost:) ) through Florence, and eventually found my way back to the hotel. Then the others werent back yet, so I did some homework. When everyone else got back, we went to a restaurant called La Lampara.
Wednesday we got up and headed straight for Rome. We stayed in a large apartment located a little to one side of the Tiber River. It only took about two hours to drive to Rome, so the rest of the day we walked around the area called Old Rome, and we walked through the Pantheon! Then we ate dinner at a restaurant called Cul De Sac, which is apparently known for their wines, which is why my host dad really wanted to eat there.
Thursday we went to the Vatican! It was a little more exciting to me because I had actually heard of it before, unlike the other museums we had walked through. We first went to St. Peters Basilica, and then to the Vatican Museum which led us into the Sistine Chapel. Then we ate lunch at a pizzaria and then walked up 560 staires to the top of the Cupola.
Friday we went to the Roman Colosseum, ate lunch, then went to two churches, then ate gelatto, then went to another church.
Saturday, we took the train to a beach on the Mediterranean Sea. The beach was really close to the road and it wasnt very pretty because you could see bilboards, etc. The air was cool and the water was cold so we didnt stay long. I brought back a bag of sand and some shells though:) Then we ate lunch and took the metro-bus part way back, but stopped at an ancient sea-port town that was pretty much in ruins. Not many of the brick buildings had roofs and most of the upper parts of the walls were missing. Then we went to an Italian sausage/cheese/pastry shop and I bought some very Italian noodles (the man told me they were very Italian!!) Then we went to a restaurant called Marios, where we were serenaded by a goofy guy playing the guitar and singing.
Sunday we were on the road by 8:30, stopped twice for gas, bathroom breaks (though they say pee-pee even for adults here:) ), and to eat, and made it back chez nous at about 6:40 pm.
Today I slept in because we dont have school again til Thursday, and tonight Laura and I are going to a party our host cousin is throwing and then spending the night at her house.
Monday we ate a complimentary breakfast at the hotel, then walked through a church, a museum, the climbed up 400 something staires to the top of Campanile di Giotto and took some pictures of the city. Then we walked through about church-turned-museum place, ate some gelatto and returned to the hotel. We went to dinner at a restaurant called Zà-Zà.
Tuesday we first went to a museum, but learned we needed reservations, so we made them for the afternoon, and then went to a really cool authentic Italian market. I bought some Italian olive oil and dried herb seasoning for pasta for my family in AK, though they will have to wait to eat it until July:) Then we walked around in a large chuch and then went back to the same indoor market for lunch, then ate some gelatto, then went to the museum we had previously made reservations for. Side note: my host dad really REALLY likes history and all things that tell it (such as museums, churches, etc.) after about the third church and museum, I think my host parents figured out I dont exactly LOVE them. So Claire said that if I finished walking through the museum early, I could wander around the city by myself and make my way back to our hotel by 6 or 7! So I walked through the museum, though I have to admit I didnt really read the signs much, just looked at the sculptures, and then wandered (and got a little lost:) ) through Florence, and eventually found my way back to the hotel. Then the others werent back yet, so I did some homework. When everyone else got back, we went to a restaurant called La Lampara.
Wednesday we got up and headed straight for Rome. We stayed in a large apartment located a little to one side of the Tiber River. It only took about two hours to drive to Rome, so the rest of the day we walked around the area called Old Rome, and we walked through the Pantheon! Then we ate dinner at a restaurant called Cul De Sac, which is apparently known for their wines, which is why my host dad really wanted to eat there.
Thursday we went to the Vatican! It was a little more exciting to me because I had actually heard of it before, unlike the other museums we had walked through. We first went to St. Peters Basilica, and then to the Vatican Museum which led us into the Sistine Chapel. Then we ate lunch at a pizzaria and then walked up 560 staires to the top of the Cupola.
Friday we went to the Roman Colosseum, ate lunch, then went to two churches, then ate gelatto, then went to another church.
Saturday, we took the train to a beach on the Mediterranean Sea. The beach was really close to the road and it wasnt very pretty because you could see bilboards, etc. The air was cool and the water was cold so we didnt stay long. I brought back a bag of sand and some shells though:) Then we ate lunch and took the metro-bus part way back, but stopped at an ancient sea-port town that was pretty much in ruins. Not many of the brick buildings had roofs and most of the upper parts of the walls were missing. Then we went to an Italian sausage/cheese/pastry shop and I bought some very Italian noodles (the man told me they were very Italian!!) Then we went to a restaurant called Marios, where we were serenaded by a goofy guy playing the guitar and singing.
Sunday we were on the road by 8:30, stopped twice for gas, bathroom breaks (though they say pee-pee even for adults here:) ), and to eat, and made it back chez nous at about 6:40 pm.
Today I slept in because we dont have school again til Thursday, and tonight Laura and I are going to a party our host cousin is throwing and then spending the night at her house.
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