school?

After far too much time wasted, I finally finished the two papers that were due this week. I realized that for the past two weeks I haven't gone out because of schoolwork and traveling. I got a little frustrated because this time of the year is such a beautiful time in Florence. I want to have more free time to get out during the evenings. The Christmas decorations are out and the weather's still pretty nice. I did get out to a pizza dinner this evening, and Christmas music was playing in Piazza Republica. It was great. I'm starting to fall for this city and time is flying a little too quickly.

It should be a great weekend and I'm really looking forward to it. I bought a really cheap eurojacket at Ciao Ciao and I'm starting to blend in with everyone else. Well, not really, but it's worth a try. Plus the mornings are starting to get a little bit cold. But it's still what October weather would be back home and the sun is still shining. I can't complain.

Buona notte!

11/22-11/26: Ireland

The trip to Ireland was a pleasant one. The guys staying there this semester seem to be doing well. They are scattered in a few townhouses in a complex not too far from town. Though school over there is difficult, they've maintained good grades and have stayed quite healthy. Baker broke 10 minutes on the 2 mile a couple days before we arrived. Boussie's lost some weight. Berg is in touch with his emotions more than ever, and he's not afraid to have a good cry every now and then. I think they've enjoyed Galway's nightlife, but only in moderation. They showed us some great pubs and clubs, but we didn't stay out too late since they all had upcoming finals...

Before taking our late flight up to Galway on Wednesday, His Thompness and I decided to spend the day in Venice. Our flight left from there, so we figured we might as well experience it if we had to buy a train ticket up there anyway. I found Venice to be one of the most interesting cities I've ever seen. There are absolutely no cars in the main town, which is very nice. I loved the canals and all the tiny sidestreets. It was confusing to navigate and we got lost as we wandered around. A lot of times, we knew where we had to go but couldn't because you can't cross a street made of water. We caught a great sunset from their Old Bridge and then grabbed a bus to the airport. Venice was well worth visiting.

We finally arrived in Galway at 2:45 a.m. Irish time. I couldn't get over the Irish accents, though they were speaking English, it often sounded like a completely different language. Berg and Baker greeted us at the bus stop and we got settled in and caught up on things until the early hours of the morning.

The next day was all about getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. We had around 25 people getting together for the feast, and we baked two turkeys, two sacks worth of mashed potatoes, and a bunch of other food. We had an absolutely epic feast followed by the biggest game of flipcup I've ever seen. It was awesome to be together with so many close friends for Thanksgiving.
On friday we explored the town of Galway. The dudes gave us a great tour and we finished it off with a beer at a local pub. We shared some great stories from our year so far and reminisced about the old days back at GU. That night we had a lot of fun at some different bars and nightclubs. Galway is a college town with tons of international students. It's a lot more developed than Florence; there are bigger grocery stores and shopping centers and American restaurants like Papa John's and Subway. But you can still enjoy the Irish culture. I'd say that the living situation there is much more like back in America compared to ours in Florence. The townhouses reminded me of larger Burch apartments.

Saturday was our last full day there, and it was a great one. We walked along the river and saw some of the countryside. Ireland is so green and we even saw the ruins of a castle covered in ivey. We then played a game of football on a rugby pitch with the river, green countryside, and old castle in the backdrop. It was a very Irish experience.

We made lots of pasta for dinner and went out for one last hoorah together until May. We went to this club called Karma which was awesome.

It was really tough to say goodby to everyone on Sunday morning. If there's one thing I learned from this trip, it's that the destination isn't nearly as important as the people you're with when you get there.

As I write this, it's 12:30 a.m. Sunday night and I'm sitting at a McDonald's in Milan with His Thompness. No, this was not the original plan. The plane couldn't land in Venice because of the fog so we had to land in Milan. We then had to take a bus from Milan's airport to the central train station. By the time we got there, all the trains to Florence that night had already departed. So we have to wait until 5:30 a.m. for the next train. What's going to eventually happen is that we're going to arrive at the Florence train station and then head directly to school for morning classes. I won't be able to sleep until 3:30 p.m. Oh well. IT was worth it.

Notes on Galway

• Not nearly as many gingers (redheads) as I thought. But I still saw some.
• Irish people are generally really friendly to us and like to have conversations with us. Like I said before, though, I'm not used to the dialect and often I can't pick up on what they're saying.
• Guiness is absolutely huge there and they had a seasonal beer called North Star that's probably some of the best beer I've ever tasted.
• Ryan Air sucks
• The GU guys over there and all their roommates were incredible hosts. Thanks a lot guys.

Snoop Jesus

Piove. Che bella!
It's pouring rain. How beautiful!

Somewhere between Piazza Republic and Piazza Signoria, he waits. Is he blessing an apostle or rolling down the street smokin and sippin on gin and juice? Who knows. I'm talking about Snoop Jesus, a statue that we came across this past Friday night. This statue of Christ, probably created a couple hundred years ago, greatly resembles Snoop Dog. It always provides a good laugh and even greater entertainment on the way back from the bars or clubs late at night. I'll take better pictures later; this one was taken at night when the lighting wasn't as good.

The weather has taken a turn for the worse, but for some reason I love it. The pouring rain reminds me of home. The crashing thunder reminds me how alive this voyage has made me feel. All is well and I'm off to Ireland tomorrow with a short day stop at Venice.

I finally met my Italian conversation partner Donatella today. She's extremely pretty and friendly and definitely made me suddenly forget all the Italian I've learned so far. Not only was I failing at Italian; I was also probably speaking at first grade level English as well. This is an Italian learning experience that I'm really looking forward to.

I'll let you know how Ireland goes. Bousie, Baker, Berg, and Langston await in Galway with Guinnesses in hand. Ciao.

school

I've found that it's really hard to come back from a life-altering weekend trip and sit through a week of classes. All in all, classes are easier here than back in Spokane, but we weren't traveling from friday morning to sunday night every week. We have to do a lot of reading, and most of it is extremely boring. I really think they could've integrated more Italian culture and Renaissance concepts into the core curriculum. Out of my six classes I only have two that have anything to do with Italy, one being an Italian language class. Next semester will be better as I get to learn about the Medici and go on weekly tours of art museums and churches.
For ethics we have to read Pride and Predjudice, and I've done everything I can to avoid reading it while still being able to do well on the quizzes. That means that, unfortunately, Matt, John, and I watched the movie. Che palle! It was one of the most agonizing experiences I've had here thusfar, and only a couple of Fidels each allowed us to survive the battle.
Danny and I had a great dinner with that Castellani family last night. They gave me a Fiorentina scarf as a gift. Fabio was shy the first couple of times we visited, but now he talks a lot. We share a similar passion for soccer. He loves Fiorentina and knows all about the teams and players in Serie A. I've learned a lot by just talking about various teams and looking at all his figurine di calcio (much like baseball cards but with soccer players). I'm beginning to look forward to Wednesday night with the Castellani every week. They're very fun and I can tell that my Italian skills are improving because of them, especially with slang words and phrases.
This weekend I'm staying in Firenze in an attempt to save some money, rest up, and finish a few papers. It should be both relaxing and fun. The picture above is one that Berns took on our epic sunset ride last week in Elba. The picture isn't misleading; the horizon really was that beautiful. I'll post more soon. Ci vediamo!

11/11: Elba

I've done a poor job of journaling but today was far too great to not write about. We cruised all around the island in our rented vespas. It was a thrilling ride that I never thought I'd get to experience when I came to Europe.
We woke up around 8:30 and got some breakfast. I was feeling pretty stuffed up (I think I'm getting sick) but it felt better when I ate and drank. Then I met up with John and Matt from the other hotel and got ready to hit the road. Our Vespa gang consisted of myself and Danny, John and Berns, Matt and Crouchet, and Conor and Rachel. Our planned route was to explore the west coast of the Island, finding good beaches and cliffs until we reached Marina Campo and met up with the rest of the group.
I figured it would be hot the whole time so I wore only a t-shirt and shorts. However, once we hit the open road it got pretty cold at times. We ripped through green valleys and cruised steep coasts with breathtaking views. Some turns were nerve-wracking, especially with oncoming traffic. I found that riding solo was way easier than riding with someone on the back. But once I got the hang of it, it was so thrilling. Danny was a little nervous at first but I think his faith in my driving skills grew quickly. I'll never own a scooter because of the danger, but they're perfect for getting around an island like Elba.
We finally reached an empty beach that looked perfect. It had white sand and clear teal water. The sun was out and the water wasn't that cold. We swam for awhile and snacked. I saw some fish with my goggles and got stung by a jellyfish. It still stings a little as I'm writing this. The beach reminded me a lot of those I had been to in Mexico.
After that we made our way to Marina Campo. It was a huge beach with a narrow wooden pier. A lot of the group was already there swimming and lounging. There were some waves crashing on the surf so we body surfed for a long time. It was a lot of fun to get to catch waves again. Especially in mid-November.
As it started to get late and some threatening clouds began to move in, we decided to move on to a good spot to watch the sunset. Any beach facing west would do. Little did we know that we'd find the spot of absolute perfection. Danny was driving ow. He was a master at the wheel even with little experience. It seemed early in the afternoon, but at this time of the year the sun sets way sooner. We first came to a beach Jen had recommended, but we felt we could find a better vista farther down the road. Looking at the map, it looked like Inammorita, the beach located at the very end of the road, would be our best bet. So we followed the signs all the way there, catching some great views and hitting some windy hills. We finally reached Inammorita, a coastal ghost town inhabited by more cats than people. There was almost no one there. We explored a little and then hit the beach. We posted up on some rocks above the sand. Even though it was only about 4:30, the sky was already turning pink. We watched the entire thing (or so we thought) for an hour and left after the sun fell below the hazy mountains in the distance.
We got on the bikes and planned on getting back to Porto Azzuro ASAP because we were cold. As we climbed the hil above Inammorita, however, we pulled over and looked out over the sea. Both the water and sky were a deep bright magenta. It was the type of sunset you only see in photos or paintings but you never actually believed existed. We continued on, ripping along the winding coast on cliffs that overlooked the burning horizon. It was the ultimate high. When we finally came to a stop at Porto Azzuro, I asked John and Miller, "How alive do you feel right now?"
The next day, John, Matt, and I woke up before dawn and rolled out on our vespas to catch the sunrise. We sat on some rocks overlooking the sea and watched the sun appear from below the sea and light up the sky. Then we took a scenic route back to Porto Ferraio and then returned our vespas. I already miss the feeling of cruising along the coast at 60 km/hr with the salty wind on my face.

Notes from Elba

• Once again this is another place that I would like to return to in the spring. It will join the list of Capri and Croatia.
• Although last year only one person crashed their vespa (my older knight brother Matt Langedyke), this year I'm guessing about eight damaged theirs. In fact, the majority of people who rented vespas crashed them. Some had to pay fines as high as 400 euro. Mine was returned unscathed, even though three different people were driving it: myself, Danny, and Jen. Way to go guys.

11/7-11/9: 21 Run and Prize Dinner

Tuesday Night- Since Tuesdays are the new Fridays in Florence, and I turned 21 at midnight, we decided to celebrate my 21 run tonight. I was a little nervous at first because I new it would get intense. Would I be able to make it to 21? If I did, what would I be like when I got there? I had a good day of classes and then did a little bit of homework. At about 6 15 I started with a box of Brichello, the way I usually start my nights here. I won't get into the details, but with the help of John, Matt, Kara, and a few others, I reached nine by the time I got to Lunees. A lot of people showed up at Loonees and since it was 2 for 1 happy hour from 7-9 I got a lot of drinks handed to me. I can't remember the exact timeline, but I know that I was only 3 away with a lot of time to spare before midnight. I chilled out, talked with a bunch of people, and did a lot of dancing. To be honest, I wasn't all that bad. I've been a lot worse. After reaching 20, I only needed one more and it wasn't midnight yet. I told John that I wanted to go out with a bang with the ultimate drink: the Three Horsemen. It's three straight shots of Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, and Jose Cuervo all mixed together in one large shooter. I got fired up for it and took it like a champ, therefore actually making it to 23. I was still good to go, however, and I told people I was down to keep going, but they decided it was best if I stopped. I spent the rest of the night dancing and talking, and made it home late but on my own and in pretty good form. The next day I slept in but didn't feel too bad. Sitting through my hour and a half studies in fiction class was the worse and I started feeling pretty bad. But all I needed was some fresh air and a nap. All in all, the 21 run was a success but I'm glad that it's over. In my opinion I flat-out owned it.
Wednesday night Danny and I went to dinner at the Castellani as usual. We had a great time and I bought gelato for everyone to celebrate my birthday. Though I miss celebrating my birthday with my real family and hardly communicated with them that day, it was nice to be with a family for that day. It was a great conclusion to my 21st.
Thursday Night: Because Matt won the costume contest on Halloween and got to bring a guest to dinner, we got to go out on the town with Jen, Nick, and Federica, the student life coordinators. We went to a part of Florence I've never been to, one that sees few tourists and is rich with authentic Italian culture. We went to an apertivo bar and then to a very tasty restaurant. It was cool to see this new part of town. The Italian women in this part are very attractive and I liked the atmosphere. I'll be back soon to explore it more. Tomorrow we're off to the Isle of Elba for another exciting weekend.

11/4: Bosnia and Croatia

I've done a pretty poor job of journaling lately so here are the cliffnotes from Halloween up until now (Nov. 4):
Miller dressed up like a giant penis and I dressed up as Achilles and we partied at Rotunda and Space E
The next day we had and all day drive and an all-night boatride to Croatia. I really wish I would've brough a sleeping bag for the boatride.
After a ton of busriding we finally made it to Medjugorje.
Bosnia is freezing cold. As soon as entered its borders you could tell it was stil deep in recovery. There were lots of abandoned houses and buildings and trash everywhere. The roads weren't in good shape.
Medjugorje was a lot smaller than I thought. We first settled into our pensiones, which were surprisingly nice. Then we hiked up to the aparition site, saying a decade of the rosary at five different spots. I hiked up the hill barefoot because that's how the traditionalists do it. It wasn't a trail though. I was sharp, steep, and rocky. It was pretty painful and cold, but it was a powerful experience. That night for dinner we went to a restaurant that was very cheap. We had some great food and great conversation. We went back to our pensione and had a sober fun night. We played King's Cup without the drinking. I think the girls had fun but couldn't understand our 205 dialect.
The next morning we headed to Mostar. The ride was short. The town isn't that big but it had a lot to offer. Just driving through you could see several buildings destroyed by bombs. A lot of walls were peppered with shrapnel. We went on a tour through the older part of town with our smoking hot tour guide. She talked a little bit about the war but not much. You could tell that the newer generations are ready to move on, but there is still bad blood.
After the tour we got lunch and then checked out the shops. They sold a lot of vases, pens, and other things made out of mortar and bullet shells. They also sold old military gear, which sort of creeped us out. There was a helmet that looked like it had been blown up. John was looking at a knife that turned out to be a bayonette blade from an AK47. When he pulled it out of its sheat it still had oxidized blood on it.
I loved the river and old bridge. Mostar had a lot of character and I think eventually it will be a prosperous town. That night the pensione gave us a free dinner and a lot of free wine. They're so nice to us here. I stayed in and just hung out with the other people staying in our hotel.
The next morning we drove back into Croatia to the coastal town of Dubrovnik. It's a fortified town with huge sonte walls that overlooks the Adriatic. It was amazing. The Adriatic is as clear as any river I've every seen and you could see fish all the way from the top of the castle walls. I ate a delicious lunch of calamari and then went for a swim even though it was pretty cold out. The water was still warm. Then we just chilled at an outdoor bar overlooking the sea. It was absolutely beautiful and we even saw some dolphins in the distance.
We had another night of fun and then another day and night of traveling. All in all this trip was a very moving and eventful one. I will never forget it. I hate it because after every school trip I want to go back in the spring on my own.