Break in Italia

Hola again! 

First off, Happy Mothers day everyone (especially my mummy, Jessica, Jenna and any other mom's reading this :) Next off, here is my update on the second week of Spring vacations. I went to Italy with my host sister to visit my aunt and her family for a week. Sad thing is, I spoke more Spanish on this trip than I do one week in Spain. That was my wake up call to work harder and take advantage of my last 3 weeks here. (Oh yeah guys, I'm coming home 3 weeks from Tuesday!!! :) Anyways, So Maria and I flew to Pisa and spent the next week touring Siena, Florence, Venice and Pisa. Maria and Kathy saw the only things you can see while traveling with me, meaning me tripping over anything and everything, and I have a few entertaining stories involving guys and train stations... but oh well lol. We walked around Siena and toured their Cathedral, the wednesday market and the beautiful streets. I really love Siena, it's a beautiful small Italian city in Tuscany, what more could you ask for? 

We also spent a day at my cousin's grandmothers house, where I always eat the most amazing Italian food ever! Hand-made pasta, home raised chicken, home-made olive oil. It's amazing! She also has the most beautiful views of the Tuscan country side. After our amazing lunch, we went to the beach with a few of Kathy's friends. It wasn't as nice as my playa española, but it will do ;)

We went to Florence several times, one night for the festival that takes place on the first of May and the second time to wander the city. The festival was a crowded night with free concerts and events going on. We just wandered around, looking and we even watched a weird acting schools performance (which was done in English, kinda weird since we were in Italy, but whatev). We also ran into a native American music group which I found rather amusing, since were in Europe lol. The next time we were in Florence, we wandered around. We barely missed going in the Cathedral, we arrived at 4:10 and it closed at 4, which it only does on Thursdays.. weird schedule. We also went to the plaza with all the roman statue art. They weren't the originals, you had to pay to see those, but I figured they were close enough and less claustrophobic to see. (Ok, not really the same, but one thing I love more than Roman art is free) The thing I like about Italy is that they make sure you see their art, whether you enter the museums or not, and Roman art is one of my favorites. Outside the Palazzo Vecchio was a copy of almost every famous statue in Florence. I had to take a picture of every single one, which my host sister thought was weird, but I'm an art minor, what does she expect? lol 

David

Poseidon

palace of Florence

River with colored lights

The Rape of the Sabine Women

Menelaus supporting the body of Patroclus

We spent two days in Venice. I forgot how easy it was to get lost in that city. I literally had no clue of where we were for almost the entire time we were there. Yay for my lack of direction :) But the city was lovely and sunny too! We wandered over all the bridges, took a 50 cent gondola ride (probably equates to a dollar with the exchange rate nowadays..) climbed the tower in the Plaza de San Marco and visited the island of Burano. We also saw a glass blowing demonstration and because I was there, wandered through many glass shops. Kathy and Maria decided that I had a obsession with glass, but like I said earlier, what did they expect?? haha. The glass in Venice was absolutely breathtaking and it made me miss glassblowing again . Although I could never make what those dudes did haha :) 

All weekend Maria was telling me: Estas una pata aka you're a duck. Which is how they say clumsy :)

My favorite glass pieces in Venice, Goblets with figurine stems, absolutely gorgeous!!

Burano

Other fun parts: when one Italian thought that I was Mexican, haha. I'm still laughing over this. Watching the Italians all throw themselves at Maria, they have a thing for Spaniards apparently. And seeing family, that's always nice :) Well that's all for now, now it's back to school for a week and after that comes finals. Pretty sure I won't fail anything, but I will still have to hit the books this week (ughh). Hasta luego folks! ♥