La Côte d'Azur

Bonjour!!! The other weekend I went to the French Riviera with a few of my friends. We went through a program called EuroAdventures, which I would highly recommend. They set up tours for the group, but you, by no means, have to go on them. We basically just used them for the transportation and the accommodations. We left Thursday night last week and came back Sunday night. My three friends and I ended up just spending a very relaxing weekend in Nice. The first day we were there, we took a short 15 minute train ride to Monte Carlo, Monaco, where we were able to see the Prince's palace, a Ferrari store, and the enormous casino! We also enjoyed a Monaco beverage at a cafe next to the station. We then met up with my friend's cousin in Nice and she took us around the city, bought us some chocolate, and then took us to her house to hang out with some of her friends.

The next day, we walked around Nice for most of the day, just enjoying the French culture and the beautiful city of Nice. Apparently Nice was first an ancient Greek city named Nike (meaning victory) for over a millennium. We were able to eat some absolutely delicious food that I think was the best food I've had in the last two months (sorry Italia). It was pretty sad when we had to leave the next day to go back to Firenze. Not one of us felt that the trip was nearly long enough, but we are already planning a trip to Paris in December, allowing us to once again immerse ourselves in the French culture!

It was probably one of the most fun weekends I've had yet in Europe and I'm so glad that I was able to practice my French and meet some really great people, while spending it with some really great people.

Now, as far as Firenze is concerned, I was able to spend a weekend here recently, which was extremely nice and relaxing considering I wasn't on a bus, train, plane, or boat travelling somewhere! I was able to go out to many of the local bars and of course practicing the Italian that I've been learning. Unfortunately, however, it is midterm week this week, which is stressing everyone out...quite a bit! Unlike "midterms" in the US, there is only ONE actual week of midterms and each class only has ONE midterm, which I am grateful for. Normally, I have a "midterm" almost every week starting from the third week of school up until the week before finals. On an extremely bright note, I will be leaving on a week long cruise to Croatia and Greece in approximately four days! I am going to be taking the train to Venice, where we leave, and our first stop is Split, Croatia. The next 6 days are spent "island hopping" every day on a different island in Greece and Crete. When I get back, I will then be taking a short three hour train to Interlaken, Switzerland, where I can, hopefully, enjoying some skiing and other activities as it is the adventure capital of Europe! I'm sure my next post will not be up until after I get back from Croatia/Greece/Crete/Switzerland, so until then! Ciao! 

P.S. I took a picture of this little boy playing in the rock fountain! He was so adorable!

Rome!

Buongiorno! My weekend in Rome was incredible! We saw as much as we possibly could have and still needed more time to explore. What we did get to see was amazing though.

First we went to the Musei Vaticani and spent hours walking around taking it all in. I was SO excited when I walked into one room to see Raphael’s School of Athens right there on the wall, it was awesome. While there, we checked out the Sistine Chapel which was absolutely beautiful, and St. Peter’s Square and Basilica.

. Just walking around Rome was so much fun as well, the Trevi fountain was great to hang out around and getting to walk into the Pantheon was unreal. There are museums everywhere and luckily I was able to visit quite a few of them and learn a lot about the art and artists. One of my favorite places this trip was the Villa Borghese, a huge heart shaped park that I walked through on our way to some museums and the metro. It was the first time since I’ve been in Italy that I’ve been surrounded by trees and it was a perfect fall day, smelled incredible, and reminded me so much of home—I loved it! We couldn't miss out on visiting the Colosseum and Forum, so before we caught the train back to Florence we spent a few hours climbing up, down, and around the Colosseum which is absolutely enormous, and the Forum. Seeing those ruins in person was so amazing and I took so many pictures. Hope you enjoy them!

This week is midterms week at FUA, but once we get through all that it’s Venice and then Greece!! Here in Florence it’s just starting to get chilly out, so some warm sun and swimming will come just in time. I’ll post more pictures soon! Ciao!

Amalfi Coast!!

This past weekend I visited the Amalfi coast and spent a day each on the island of Capri, in Positano, and exploring Pompeii and Vesuvius. Let me start with Capri: awesome. We got to our hotel in Sorrento Thursday night, and by Friday morning we were on the ferry to Capri. We stepped off the ferry in Marina Grande and right onto a smaller boat that took us all on a tour around the island. Somehow I snagged a seat right at the tip of the bow and it was incredibly fun seeing the island and being on the almost rollercoaster boat ride due to the waves. Circling the island gave us amazing views of the cliffs and beautiful villas perched on them. I feel repetitive, but I can’t stress how BLUE the water is here! The rest of the day was spent trying to find the bus to the town of Capri, finally getting there, and then hiking our way to Marina Piccola on the opposite side of the island for some swimming. My friend Christina always remembers to bring her goggles so we got to check out the underwater flora and fauna as well. Before leaving to return to our hotel we fit in some limoncello and chocolate tasting—the orange flavored chocolate was SO good!

Saturday was spent in Positano, and immediately upon our arrival at the beach town we climbed down the 700 steps to the shore and rented ourselves a boat. Luckily it came with a driver who took us out along the coast to a private beach where we could just jump right in the water off the boat and go swimming. I had heard of people going cliff jumping in Positano and was so excited to do that, but unfortunately the only “cliff” we encountered was less than 15 feet high. I still had such an amazing time swimming in the crystal clear water and jumping off our rocks. It’s a little unnerving when you can clearly see the rocks at the bottom of the sea’s floor as you’re jumping into it; they seem much closer than they really are! One of the things I really like about studying abroad is how easy it is to meet new people. For example, we needed a larger group before we could rent a boat that day so we just introduced ourselves to new people and went out and spent the day with them and had an awesome time! The beach was made up of black sand, pebbles, and stones, with worn down sea glass sprinkled throughout it—it was beautiful. This place is unreal. Everywhere we go is just more beautiful than the last. I just keep saying to myself “you’re in SCHOOL right now”. That night after dinner we went out, got gelato, and just walked around Sorrento enjoying the bustling nightlife.

Walking through the city of Pompeii was really amazing. Everything was so well preserved that it was extremely easy to get the feel of what life was like for the Romans who lived there. Amazingly enough, the writing on the walls of the buildings was preserved, and you could even see the expressions on the faces of some of the plaster casts made of the people who died almost 2000 years ago. What made the experience even more remarkable was being able to see the volcano whose eruption buried the city in the background the entire time we were walking around. What must it have been like having THAT good of a view of the miles high mushroom cloud of ash and gas? Luckily, the best view I got was only of the calm Vesuvius, but what a view it was. After leaving Pompeii I jumped on the opportunity to climb to the very lip of the crater of the volcano, and it was worth the hike up.

The weekend before this trip my parents, aunt, and uncle came to visit! It was so nice getting to see and hug them in person—skype just doesn’t cut it sometimes. I got to show off my knowledge of the city and took them around to several piazzas and markets, climbed Il Duomo, and then went out to eat at Gustapizza! Luckily I got to spend more than just one day with them and stayed with them at a villa in Civitella in Val di Chiana where we had a DELICIOUS dinner at L’antico Borgo—if you ever get the chance, GO here! The following day we went and explored Perugia, where I had the best cup of hot chocolate ever, and Assisi, which was just as beautiful! That Sunday I had signed up to go on a tour through the Chianti vineyards and do some wine tasting. It was a perfect day and of course my camera died right as we got into the vineyards but the hike was amazing. We went to a private villa for the wine tasting and got an incredible lunch of bread and olive oil, prosciutto, two types of pasta, and biscotti to go along with the wine which was produced by the family whose villa we were in. We also got the chance to taste grappa and ew. This weekend I have plans to go to Rome with a few friends, I’ll post pics soon!

Pictures from Amalfi

House entrance in Pompeii

The chair lift on the way to the top of the mountain in Capri

Wolfie finally at the top of the mountain enjoying the view

This weekend I had the chance to visit the Amalfi Coast. We went to Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, and Caserta. This was my first time at each and every one of these places, and I can honestly say that they all blew me away. In both Pompeii and Caserta we got the chance to go on a guided tour, and contrary to the typical boring guided tour, I was beyond engaged in every word our tour guides had to say. I am really starting to notice how much of a privilege it is to be able to see all of these places, and made the most of everything I saw. The silk covered walls, and the original gold plated furniture really paints a vivid picture of what it would have been like to live in a place of this magnitude, something you just cant imagine from even the most well written textbook.

Pompeii was almost unbelievable. Walking though the entrance of Pompeii was actually like walking into a time machine. As we walked down the ancient streets I actually experienced what life was like in this city. What astonished me the most, was how many things have not changed even after 2,000 years. One of my favorite things I saw was an original political campaign poster, and even then politicians were promising favors for votes, and as a political science major it takes away some of my faith in the future of the political word.

And finally, I don't know how to express how amazing the views were all though out the trip. We took the ferry over to Capri and then a chair lift up to the top of this cliff which was absolutely breathe taking. I will upload my pictures today after class and make another post with all the pictures, make sure to check back!

This weekend I had the chance to visit the Amalfi Coast. We went to Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, and Caserta. This was my first time at each and every one of these places, and I can honestly say that they all blew me away. In both Pompeii and Caserta we got the chance to go on a guided tour, and contrary to the typical boring guided tour, I was beyond engaged in every word our tour guides had to say. I am really starting to notice how much of a privilege it is to be able to see all of these places, and made the most of everything I saw. The silk covered walls, and the original gold plated furniture really paints a vivid picture of what it would have been like to live in a place of this magnitude, something you just cant imagine from even the most well written textbook.

Pompeii was almost unbelievable. Walking though the entrance of Pompeii was actually like walking into a time machine. As we walked down the ancient streets I actually experienced what life was like in this city. What astonished me the most, was how many things have not changed even after 2,000 years. One of my favorite things I saw was an original political campaign poster, and even then politicians were promising favors for votes, and as a political science major it takes away some of my faith in the future of the political word.

And finally, I don't know how to express how amazing the views were all though out the trip. We took the ferry over to Capri and then a chair lift up to the top of this cliff which was absolutely breathe taking. I will upload my pictures today after class and make another post with all the pictures, make sure to check back!

September Adventures!

Hey Guys! 


Sorry it took me so long to post another blog. Everything has been so crazy here and I finally have some free time before it gets busy again. The last month has flown by, as you can imagine it would study abroad. At some points I look back and cannot realize that I've only been here for a month! On the other hand, I also feel like this semester is flying by. 

As far as my time spent here is concerned, it goes as follows: Monday through Thursday, I get up for class at 8 (sometimes 8:30 if I'm being lazy) to be to school by 9. I normally have class until 5:30 and then I go over to someone's apartment for dinner. Someone I know is always having a dinner party so I just tag along and chip in a little food/cheese/wine as a contribution. Afterward, I do a little homework and then try to convince some of my friends to go out with me to mingle with the locals and dance a little. Friday through Sunday, I'm normally hanging out with as many people as possible and making the most out of the discotheques! There are some pretty good ones in Firenze, mainly Space which is just around the corner from my apartment! 

Two weekends ago we had a group trip to Sicily, which was AMAZING! We took an overnight train, which was an adventure in itself. Some people weren't too happy about it, but I was overly excited. It felt like a slumber party with all of my friends in the same train car. I would wander from compartment to compartment just talking and hanging out with people until finally drifting off to sleep in my little hanging cot. In Sicily, we went to the sea and swam, did a few tours, ate a delicious cannolo, and then swam some more! We had quite a lot of fun on the bus rides as well. 

Then last weekend I went to Roma with a few friends to visit another friend of ours. We stayed in a hotel right next to the Vatican. Roma is a gorgeous city with so much to do and not enough public transportation to do it in just a few days. The views from some of the higher points in Roma were astounding, along with the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain.  The nightlife in Roma is also a must do. We had just as much fun, if not more, at night at the Roman discotheques. There is so much to do and so much to see that you couldn't possibly do it all in any reasonable amount of time, so I would suggest picking out a few things you want to do and see and then make a return weekend trip if you want. 

Now that I have a little time to breathe before midterms, I'm trying to plan out adventures outside of Italy. I am going to Greece and Croatia for Fall Break on an eight day cruise and then Paris and London the second week of December, but I need to fill in the other weekends with some international adventures, hopefully Ireland, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and some Scandinavian country.  

florence's very own oktoberfest

October 4^th

While many ventured off to Oktoberfest for a long weekend of beer, German food, and tents full of strangers, I stayed here in Florence. Much to my surprise right in my own front yard there was my very own German festival. With everything from authentic cuisine, to homemade goods and a great atmosphere. I ate my first bratwurst, which was a struggle to finish because it was so huge. I also shared a huge piece of chocolate cake with my friends and sat on the steps in front of the festival and people watched! It was great because for the first time the square wasn't full of tourists but real Italians everywhere. It was a great place to met people and interact with the locals

This is a picture of one of the biggest food tents at the festival. The grills were really astonishing. There was an open flame in the bottom and the grill was attached with large chains. With this set up they were able to spin the food to let it cook more evenly and also raise or lower it to get just the right amount of heat. They really have perfected their technique which is evident in how good their food is!

my first post

Hi everyone, my name is Alyssa Dwyer, I am a student at the University at Albany, and I am studying at Florence University of the arts this semester through Stony Brook. After all of the rigorous administration process, extremely long and complicated visa process, and the finding and booking the flights, I am finally here in Florence. Living and studying in Italy has been a dream of mine since I was a freshman in high school. Having traveled to Italy with my family that summer, there was something about the culture and the people that I knew I just had to come back. Two years later I returned and spend a month in a small town in the Abruzzi region and stayed with my Italian relatives for a month. Because my high school did not offer Italian language courses my Italian was limited to the few words I knew from my previous trip, and anything that was similar to Spanish, the closest thing to Italian I could take in high school. After the month of living in Italy, I knew that I didn’t only want to but needed to master the language. I started my studies in Italian freshman year of college, and after two years I can hardly say that I am fluent. However, since I have arrived in Florence I have had nothing but great experiences using the limited Italian that I know. Sometimes it is almost too speak English everywhere you go, because the majority of people know at least the basics of English. Nonetheless, I have only been here two weeks, and already feel more and more comfortable using my Italian. I know that many times when I speak with the locals I am nowhere near being grammatically correct; the people here are more than willing to work with what you know and really help you use your Italian.

I really want to focus my blog on the atmosphere here in Florence, everything from the art, the scenery, the way people interact with each other at markets and small stores, to even the differences of the night life. I have only been here for about two weeks, and I have already done and seen so much, I will try and update as often as I can with new discoveries and occurrences here in Florence. But before I go I would like to share one of my favorite things I have done since I have been here. At around 9:30 every evening a really great performers stands at the end of the Uffizi gallery, by 9:35 he has attracted a crowd with atleast 100 people or more. He plays all American music anywhere from, the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel to great bands like U2. The atmosphere is wonderful and it’s easy to meet people from all over the world

I'm going to end it there, but will post again soon with pictures and hopefully some great new stories!