Saturday, September 30, 2006

9/30: Cinqueterre Day 2

I woke up sometime between 2:30 and 3 a.m. this morning. There we were in paradise, sleeping under the stars on top of the Meditteranean in the middle of nowhere. But I woke up for a minute and heared footsteps coming down the trail. I know they were human steps because I could hear the rubber of the shoes against the trail. But they didn't keep moving down the trail. They just stopped. So I just laid there in my sleeping bag, waiting for whoever it was to come up to the platform we were on. I wanted to wake up Miller but didn't want to make a noise. And even worse, I had forgotten to sleep with my knife nearby. So I waited for probably about three hours until the sun finally rose. Nothing else happened, but my heart was beating until it finally got light outside. I still don't know what it was that I heard, and I don't even really want to. I didn't tell the others about it until we were on our way back to Florence. After that, everything was alright. We watched the sun rise over the ocean. It started raining pretty hard but it was still warm out. We gathered up all our stuff and headed down that hill. It was still raining down in Monterosse when we got there, but we had to get into the Meditteranean. The water was warm and a very deep blue. It was so salty that you didn't have to do anything to float. We stayed in there for a long time because it was warmer in the water than it was on the trail. We finally hit the road and the rain stopped. The first stretch was the hardest. There were a ton of steep steps and most of it was uphill. I sweat to the point that my rain jacked was soaked through. I had to wifebeat it up a quarter of the way up the trail because I was hot and I wanted to represent my country. The views of the ocean, the cliffs, and the four villages ahead of us were incredible. When we finally got to Vernazza, it was hot out. Miller and I used our cheap goggles that we bought at some tourist store to check out the fish. there were lots of fish but nothing too spectacular. The water was beautiful. We ate the regular poor man's Italian lunch, and as I was washing my knife in the sea, I cut my thumb pretty bad. Luckily someone had a bandaide and I was able to patch things up.I should mention that my backpack now weighted about 70 pounds. It was so heavy that I would sweat after about 10 steps. I didn't eat that much on this trip and I probably lost at least 10 pounds. No joke.
The third town, Corneglia, was up in the hills overlooking the sea. The hike there was probably the toughest but well worth it. We passed a very nice beach that Matt and I thought would be perfect to camp out at. However, we decided as a group to trek to the 4th and 5th towns. We were hoping we'd find a nice beach at one of the last two towns to crash at, but we had no luck.
The trail to the last two towns wasn't too hard, but neither town was as cool as the first three. We finished at Riomaggiore, the final village of Cinque Terre. I liked this one, but it was way larger and more spread out. There were no good beaches to camp at, as it was built on a steep cliff. So we tossed up the idea of staying at a cheap hostel and asked around for advice. Some lady recommended that we stay at Plaza Mama Rosa. She said that Mama Rosa was a little crazy but nice nonetheless. We had to meet there at 7 p.m. to set up our rooms.
However, after further deliberation, we decided it would be best just to take the train back to Florence that night. After all, we didn't plan on staying late on Sunday and the train was leaving at a convenient time. But as we went to the booth to buy our tickets, an old Italian woman rushed to the front of the line and brushed me aside. "Non possono partire," she said to the guy selling the tickets. They cannot leave. She went on to ask him if we could refund our tickets and stay an additional night. He said no. She turned out to be Mama Rosa, and she really wanted us to stay at her hostel. She wasn't too happy that we had made other plans.
We got some quick food and then got out of there as quick as we could. I was a little worried that Mama Rosa would put snakes on our train, but let's face it, the closest thing she probably had was spaghetti. After a long train ride home, I finally dropped my heavy bag and fell asleep in the comfort and safety of Savonarola.

9/29 Cinque Terre Day 1


The great thing about this trip is that we winged it. We bought our train tickets and that was about it. No other planning was involved. We headed out to Monterosse, the northernmost of the five villages. We heard about this abandoned church that Gonzaga kids have camped out at in the past. Not too many people go to it because it's located in the opposite direction of the five towns.
It was already getting pretty dark when we hit the trail, and I was nervous because we had no idea where the church was. The trail was very steep and the three girls we went with were lagging. I was sweating bullets with my 60 pound backpack on. 45 minutes later, in the afterglow of the sunset, we came to the ancient church. It was the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life. The church sits on top of a bluff overlooking the Mediterranean. Looking out, all you can see is pink clouds and blue ocean with the sliver of a moon shining over them. WE sat out there and ate bread and meat and drank wine. I have never sat in front of such a beautiful view. I know that someday I will be back to this spot because as of now, it's the most amazing sight I've ever seen.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Mi piace Firenze

My opening tour spending cash supply has just about come to an end. It lasted a lot longer than I expected it to, and I'm impressed that I was able to live off of it for so long. Florence is an expensive city, especially in the tourist areas. Gelato and expensive restaurants can get you. But I think my main weakness will be those Italian suits that I see in the shop windows on my way to school every day. I really want one. Italians are very stylish. Even their sirens have a cool rhythm and sound nice.
Here's my basic day in Florence: I wake up around 7:30, eat breakfast at the pensione (bread, jam, hot chocolate, OJ), head to class, go to class from 8:30 to 11:45, and then go back to the pensione for lunch at 1. Lunch is the biggest meal, with pasta, bread, and some sort of meat dish. Then I either do homework or nap and then go to class in the afternoon. Dinner's at 7, and it's usually just a salad and pasta. So far I've found myself still full from lunch every time dinner rolls around. Evenings consist of either homework or walking around town, and possibly going to the Triangle Bridge or the bars. Cheap wine is my substitute for expensive beer for the very few nights I decide to drink. Tonight I'm going to take part in a traditional Tuscan dinner at some restaurant downtown. Apparently it's as many courses and all the wine and water you want.
I found a good running route on the street right in front of Savonarola that's the perfect distance. Plus running's getting a little easier because I'm starting to lose weight and I'm always loaded up on carbs. This weekend it's off to Cinque Terra to swim in the Mediteranean. I'll keep you posted.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006


not much new here...just school school school. lots of reading already, and it's hard to concentrate in this c/m environment. At Dooley and Burch, I could always buckle down and get things done when I needed to. But here, it's a little more difficult because people are always coming in and out of the room. Plus, since people go traveling on weekends, weeknights don't really matter out here. All my classes are fine so far with exception to sociology, which may be difficult because it's very disorganized so far. All I know is that I got three 30 page packets today; what I'm supposed to do with them, I'm not sure. I'm officially going to Cinque Terra on Friday and it looks like the weather's perking up again. I went on a quick run today, but the air quality on the streets is so bad that it hurts to breathe. I'm sure I'll eventually get used to it. Tonight we're off to the Triangle Bridge once more. Should be fun. I just got elected as Pensione rep for Savonarola, so I'll be representing our pensione at the meetings and kicking it with P Burke even more. Nice.

school strikes back


not much new here...just school school school. lots of reading already, and it's hard to concentrate in this c/m environment. At Dooley and Burch, I could always buckle down and get things done when I needed to. But here, it's a little more difficult because people are always coming in and out of the room. Plus, since people go traveling on weekends, weeknights don't really matter out here. All my classes are fine so far with exception to sociology, which may be difficult because it's very disorganized so far. All I know is that I got three 30 page packets today; what I'm supposed to do with them, I'm not sure. I'm officially going to Cinque Terra on Friday and it looks like the weather's perking up again. I went on a quick run today, but the air quality on the streets is so bad that it hurts to breathe. I'm sure I'll eventually get used to it. Tonight we're off to the Triangle Bridge once more. Should be fun. I just got elected as Pensione rep for Savonarola, so I'll be representing our pensione at the meetings and kicking it with P Burke even more. Nice.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

first weekend in firenze


Today I was all over the place. I really wanted to get a good feel for the city on my own and try to finally figure out the streets. So I took my camera and went on a jog across town and then around the Piazzale Michelangelo. I took some great pictures of the city from up there. I was gone much longer than I thought, and by the time I got back to Savanorola I was dying of thirst and hunger. I hit up the supermarket and pulled off a shopping routine that I'm pretty sure I will pull off many times this year: cheap bread, cheap salami, cheese, and the cheapest thing of pasta sauce I could find. Oh yeah, and a few boxes of half-buck chuck, or Mezzo Euro Carlo in Italian (seriously, the wine is 44 Eurocent and not too bad either). I made a pretty good sandwich for lunch and was hoping to do the same for dinner but got conned into going out with a large group of people to some restaurant. Luckily my meal was really cheap and also delicious. After that, I went with a small group of people to the Triangle Bridge to hang out. This is by far my favorite spot in Florence so far. On the Ponte S. Trinita, there are a a few large triangular pillars that hang out over the guardrail and are perfect for hanging out at. We brought our wine there and just stared at the Ponte Vecchio and talked about all sorts of things. The view was spectacular, and I wasn't even there at sunset. I think I'll be spending a lot of time there this year.
I got a little frustrated after that because I feel that people are starting to hate on Public House. It may not be the best bar, but it is a great place to gather and meet up with everyone from the program. People are really talking up The Joshua Tree, which is a cool bar but way too small and more expensive. I'm sure everything will work out in the long run though. Today Danny Christianson and I are going to try to catch the Fiorentina game at a pub. It should be a lot of fun, and since I don't have a TV this year, I actually already finished all my homework. That's a new record for earliest completion of homework on a weekend. Though I do miss sitting around Burch all day watching MTV reality shows.

Friday, September 22, 2006

firenze

Wow, Florence. What an incredible city. Today the entire group went up to Piazza Michelangelo for the big group photo. The view was stunning. Last night was a blast. We had dinner in the park as a group. Everyone brought their own wine, which is practically free here. Then we headed to Public House, which is the bar of choice for Gonzaghini. It has been for the past few years, but to be honest, I don't see why it's so special. I had fun there, but it's all Americanized and can get pretty crowded. It is pretty nice to see so many people in one gathering though.
After hiking up to Piazza Michelangelo today, we headed back home via the Ponte Vecchio. I took a decent nap, but I recently developed a problem in which I sleep with my eyes open. It's bizarre and I don't know why all of a sudden this has happened. I hope it's not an ongoing thing.
I had an excellent dinner with Kate and Danny at some restaurant on Via Cavour and then briefly met up with some people at this pub called the Joshua Tree. We found out that Fiorentina plays on Sunday so I'm looking forward to watching my first game at some pub. I'm a little overwhelmed because it there are SO MANY opportunities here. In our orientation meeting today, they talked about conversation partners, community service opportunities, yoga, reflection groups, and even getting a competitive soccer team together with a pro coach. I don't even know where I'm going to start, but I'm loving it so much already. I'm really hooked on the language already, and I love practicing it on the streets and in the stores. I hope I'll be able to communicate well and confidently by the end of the year.
Tomorrow I'm gonna go on a run and check out some of the countryside and then meet up with John to continue our scavenger hunt. Julie Berry and Alli O'Brien left us a clue in the mailroom that said to find our next clue at a place where people put messages, and we spent about an hour searching the campus for that. But later that night we stumbled across that next clue when we were at Public House. It was written on the bathroom wall where people from the summer program and past years leave notes for future Florence students. Our next stop: the triangle bridge. The hunt has been pretty fun so far.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

9/21: Firenze

I slept through most of the train ride, but they had us in those coachettes with 6 bunk beds. It was a little crammed and the train got really hot when we stopped moving and no air came in. I swear we spent at least an hour in the verona train station at like 5 a.m., but all I could hear was an automated voice reading off train numbers in Italian. That did get me pretty excited to finally be in Italy. Then we moved into our pensiones. I'm in Savonarola, which is big and connected to another pensione, Hotel Pallacio. So there's a lot of GIF kids living here...I call it the C/M of Florence, or Ci Emme if you will. I like it a lot so far. Our host is a young man named Mateo who seems pretty cool. He hung out with Matt and I for a while today and read my Maxim magazine. Our room's pretty big, but the bathroom's bizzare. The toilet is literally in the shower. When you take a shower, the entire bathroom fills up w/ water. And you could literally use the toilet while taking a shower. Miller loves it. We took a quick tour of the city this evening. How beautiful. The Duomo took my breath away. Just walking through the city, I get this powerful feeling of how special this place is, both culturally and historically. I can't wait to explore it more.

9/19: The trip home

Today was a good day. A lot of driving, but a lot of excitement as well. Prague was tons of fun. Props to Bombay, which was my night club of choice. Two nights of fun there on a Sunday and Monday. Not too bad. We took off fairly early this morning, and I didn't enjoy the bus ride as much as I did in the past. But Nurnberg was pretty neat. It was Bavarian and had cool streets and great views. They gave us a really good lunch there too. I didn't get to see too much of Munich, but dinner was awesome. Dinner was the exact same as lunch: pork and potatoes. We were a little upset at first because we kind of felt like they were trying to steer us away from Octoberfest. But pretty much everyone on the trip bought a couple beers (i got 3) and we all hung out in the huge dining hall. The Germans go for both quality and quantity with their beer. Great beer in beer steins that are so big that they hurt your arm when you drink them. It was fun just to kick it with everyone before we took off for Florence. Things got pretty crazy, and there was a lot of cheering. Burke even stood before us and said some stuff in German and did a cheers. He was in prime form, just flat-out being the man. I got him to tell me a few good stories about Granddad.
Then we headed to the train station. Here's where things got a little exciting. A bunch of us had to use the bathroom pretty bad, but as usual, it was a toll bathroom at the station. One full Euro. With my huge pack on and all, I decided to jump over the gate and go straight in. The Garman lady came after me and demanded the fee. I gave her about 30 Eurocent that I had scrounged up from girls. A few of my buddies and I decided it would be the best idea to make the most out of our expensive bathroom break. I had my entire cosmetic bag with me, so we brushed our teeth and washed our faces with Proactive (both phases). I then shaved. I'm pretty sure the lady wasn't happy, but we had time to kill and wanted to get our money's worth.
The train ride's kinda cool. It's a random coachette, with five dudes and one girl. But it's comfy and I'm tired.
On another note, last night on my way home from Club Bombay, I came across a hedgehog. It just curled up in a ball when I approached it, so I spent some time petting it. I can add it to my interesting wildlife list along with the dog with glasses I saw in Krakow.
The ratio of girls to guys is over 2:1, which at first seems really cool. But at times, it can be a little overwhelming. I feel bad for the girls because they don't have as much to choose from. But I can't complain too much. It's been a blast so far and I can't wait to get to Florence.
Lowlights of Opening Tour
  • Culture shock
  • Long bus rides
  • Food wasn't so good
  • Dude got murdered in our hostel
  • Paying to pee

Highlights of Opening Tour

  • Krakow
  • So many new friends already
  • Kabobs
  • Pilsner Urquell
  • Way too many jokes and memories to list

9/17: Prague

The first full day in Prague has been pretty eventful. Last night I decided to lay low but did make it to the main city square. It's a little bit of a treck from the hotel, but just like in Krokaw, I was amazed when I got there. IT was pretty packe with people, but there's an interesting old sculpture in the middle and many elaborite buildings. There's an amazing cathedral in the middle, and the bells ring every hour. A lady pokes her head out one of the window and everyone cheers. I'm still not too sure why. A bunch of us sat at a cafe, talked it up, and just took in the whole scene. It felt great. Today we went on a tour of the city. We started off in the castle, which is unbelievable. Some of the buildings here are so intricate that you could spend weeks just sitting there analyzing all the art. We then went down into the city, crossed the bridge, and ended up in the square. They say that Prague is the Florence of Eastern Europe. I hope so, because this place is cool.
After the tour, we had room selections for when we get to Florence. As I expected, things got pretty complicated among the guys. It's not like anyone was being difficult or selfish about where they wanted to live. Actually, I think a lot of us are already getting pretty close, and we didn't want our friends left out or screwed over whenit came to rooms and roommates. In the end I think it worked out for the most part. I'm rooming with Miller at Savonarola House, which I hear is very good. There are a lot of people living there, and many more guys than girls. I'm fine with that.
Tonight for dinner we get caviar and salmon. There's no way I'm doing the caviar, and I don't know about salmon in the Czech Republic. All in all, the food so far hasn't been all that good. It makes you realize how good you have it in America.
After dinner we're going out to celebrate Harrison's 21st birthday. It's a Sunday, so I don't know how much is going on, but there are 130 Gonzaga students here, so I don't think it'll be bad at all.

9/16: Next stop Praha

"Hey Frank, you know what's so cool about Europe? It's like the Grind every night."
That was one comment I made during the morning portion of the bus ride from Krakow to Prague. I stayed up ridiculously late last night. The night life in Krakow is full of excitement. Large night clubs with multiple levels and strange music. Even our hostel is a fun place to hang out. They kept the bar there open until 4 a.m. for us last night.
All in all, Krakow was a great trip. It was a little scary to begin with, but after less than two days I felt pretty comfortable there.
I'll miss that big town square, Kebabs, cheap beer, Nathan's Villa Hostel, and everything else that makes this town so unique. I'm really impressed with the way GU has taken care of us so far. We've only had two nice group meals, but they were both awesome. Dr. Burke is a really cool guy. I think the funnest night here so far was Thursday night. We came back from Auschwitz and were treated to a great meal. they had two kegs for our entire group, but our table went to work on them. Zo came up with the idea to play flip cup, and it was a blast. After that we all went out into town and then to a club called Prozak. So much fun.
We're almost in Prague. These all-day bus rides aren't my favorite, but earlier this morning I got this girl I just met to give me a head massage. It was amazing. It hasn't even been a week, but it feels like an eternity has passed since I left. Who knows what lies ahead.

9/14: Krakow and Auschwitz

The women here are beautiful. I didn't see it coming. But I'll get back to that later.
We were all exposed to the dangers of traveling this morning. A person staying in our hostel was murdered in the back alley last night. It was an Australian who may have been out with us the night before. It's unclear exactly what happened, but it showed me that there really is danger out there. They said that they're hiring a private guard to patrol the hostel for the next day, and they also said that the man who died fell out of his window while he was drunk. I'm pretty sure that wasn't the case though because someone in our group saw the body and said it looked more like he was stabbed. Plus I overheard the woman working the desk telling someone over the phone that there had been a murder there. The cops were there all day investigating.
The tour today was pretty fascinating. We saw a variety of large churches and went up into the main castle. We visited JPII's main church. The cathedrals here are amazing. I took some good pics, but there was so much to take in at once. Krakow is how I envisioned old Europe to be like: large Gothic buildings and cobblestone streets.
We ended the tour in the large town square, which has become my favorite spot in Europe so far. Just as we were about to go get some lunch, the most incredible thing happened. A marching band came through the town square, leading a parade. And as it turns out, this was a Miss World parade! Miss America, Miss Colombia, Miss Austria...every country was in it. Talk about being at the right place at the right time!
I got a Kabob, which is like a pita except way better and way cheaper. Everything is cheap here. I love it. This afternoon we're off to Auschwitz. It should be a moving experience.
Auschwitz
Miller and I arrived at Auschwitz at 3:30 p.m., but we were 60 years too late. It was a lot to process, but I left feeling angry and confused. The camps were way bigger than I had ever expected.

Poland

9/13
I love Krakow. The main square is awesome. Cobblestone roads, a pack of horsedrawn carriages, tons of people, tons of pubs.
Tonight I left the discotech alone, which was a poor choice. I tried to rely on my intuition to get me home, but it didn't work. Some wandering and intense map reading eventually got me back to the hostel. Thank goodness. But I cannot wait to explore this town tomorrow with a professional tour guide. It looks like it has a lot to offer.

D-Day

9/10-9/11

I'm in Europe. It's still hard to belive. Surprisingly, the flight wasn't all that bad. I actually enjoyed the longest streth from Minneapolis to Amsterdam. I got to watch 2 movies, play video games, and listen to my iPod. I didn't get to sit by anyone I knew until Matt and I were assigned seats together from Amsterdam to Berlin. The Amsterdam airport was pretty amazing. We were blown away by the high-class stores. It reminded me of Bellevue Square. They sold lots of tobacco, booze, and chocolate. What more could you ask for?

Our last stretch was filled with nothing but jokes about Snakes on a Plane and Band of Brothers. From what I saw from the air, germany looked pretty cool.

Man, my arms are sore from carrying all my bags. Arrival was a little disorganized, but they eventually got us onto the bus and to the hotel. They randomly assigned us roommates...but I was randomly assigned with John. We both thought it was pretty funny how that worked out.

Our room is something else. The first thing I said when I walked in was "Nice" followed by "What the..." The shower is pretty much part of the bedroom and the toilet is in its own room with a flimsy door. I guess the best way to describe it would be very simple yet very modern. Tonight we have a nice dinner and tomorrow we see the town....
Observations
  • Everyone really does smoke here
  • People ride bikes casually in the streets w/out helmets
  • Skeeze would've loved our three Dutch flight attendants on the last stretch

Friday, September 08, 2006

????

What the heck am I doing?!

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

A Valley Like This


The lake is all mine today. It's just me, green water, and an early autumn breeze with Rattlesnake Ledge towering above us. I was pretty disappointed when I found the front tire of my bike completely flat this morning. It was going to be out last ride of the year together. But Andrew's bike held up fine, though he wasn't joking when he said it shifts on its own.
This will probably be my last chance to take in the beauty of this valley before I leave. I'm sad that another summer has come and gone, and I didn't get to do nearly enough of the things that define my vision of a summer. I spent most of my time working. I didn't get down to the river nearly enough, my bike never saw single track, and I didn't do any camping. That's not to say it was a bad summer. I just miss the times when I was free to do anything and everything on my own time.
With Europe approaching so rapidly, the fact that I'll be away for the year hasn't set in yet. Every time I say good-bye to someone, it's as if I'll see them tomorrow. I guess you don't truly miss what you have until it's gone. With all that being said, I cannot wait for what lies ahead.

What I disliked about this summer:
  • Work (especially 14 hour days)
  • Lack of free time
  • US's early World Cup exit
  • Being away from my GU friends
  • Summer weather not arriving until July
  • The fact that the valley has turned into a tourist trap
  • Having to finally face the music: I'm going to be away from the people and places I love for nine months.

What I loved about this summer:

  • Paychecks
  • Riding up to Rattlesnake Lake
  • The river
  • The weekend at the ocean
  • My two trips to Spokane
  • Pick-up soccer w/ the European dudes
  • The Cle Elum River
  • Leavenworth
  • Chelan (especially Labor Day Weekend)