The Amalfi Coast

This weekend I traveled with a group of about 30 students to the Amalfi coast. We took a bus to Sorrento where I stayed in a Bungalow with 5 of my other girlfriends. On Friday morning we left bright and early by ferry to Capri which was about 20 minutes long. When we arrived, the port was filled with exquisite yachts and little cafes. We right away headed toward the Capri Centro, this neverending set of stairs that takes you to the top of the island. After climbing for about 20 minutes and breaking a thorough sweat, we made it to the top only to be greeted by Prada, Gucchi, La Perla and every designer imaginable as well as Limoncello shops every couple of stores. The little aristocratic village, as I would probably describe it, was not at all what I imagined would be at the top of all those steps. We continued walking to end of the town and down the backside of the island where we were told was a hidden beach not well known to tourists. Winding down the mountain we saw so many amazing private villas which I was tempted to sneak into but didn't. Finally, when we made it to the beach it was the clearest water I have ever seen. There were stone beaches that turned into sand once you entered the water. Little jumping rocks and natural stone arches were scattered along the beach where we were able to explore and jump off of into the water. The beach was called Piccolo beach and sure enough there were mostly Italians there. We all ordered Caprese salads because we figured this was the place to do it and I have never had such delicious tomatoes in my life and I dont even like tomatoes. After a long day at the beach we climbed back to the other side of the island got on the ferry and came back to Sorrento.

The next morning we took a local bus to Positano which was surprisingly close to an hour but nevertheless beautiful because we were climbing up the side of a mountain overlooking the ocean. Positano is a beach town situated on a mountain leading into the ocean. You have to weave through narrow shop-clad streets in order to make it to the beaches. The Amalfi coast in general is known for its lemons and there are tons of lemon trees everywhere except these lemons are gigantic they are about the size of grapefruits. We ordered a lemon granita (kind of like a slushy but made from fresh fruit) from a street vender and he made it right on the spot. It was very very hot out and so my friends and I decided to go on a boat tour. There were 30 of us split among two boats with 3 very funny guides. They took us to an area where they anchored the boats and we were able to go cliff jumping. Mama and Tato dont be mad but I climbed and jumped off the highest cliff that they said was still safe to do. When you got to the top of the cliff and looked out onto the water you were unable to see where the ocean ended and the sky started. After jumping a few times we got back on the boats and took them to these caves in the water close to the town of Amalfi. There, we were able to explore the caves which you had to swim in but when you got to a certain point were actually able to walk. The way that the sun hit the rocks and then reflected on the water made everything look turquoise. It was hard to believe that all of these tunnels and passages were natural and not part of some adventure water park. By the time the tour was over it was late afternoon and the waters had become pretty rough so our little boats had to go back to the port. At the port we all went shopping for linens and lemons and then ate right on the water, most people ordered seafood and I tried some but I still didn't like it. We were able to see the sun set over the water from the top of the town and during this there was actually an all-while linen wedding occuring on the beach between a Spanish and an Italian noble families. Most of the guests came over on private boats but the town was still scattered with guests in all-white linen. The bus ride home was less than great, it was so crowded that we had to sit on the floor as the bus winded down the cliffs overlooking the ocean, which was a bit scary.

In Sorrento all the study abroad students hung out together, the next day some people went to Pompeii but my girlfriends and I stayed in Sorrento. We shopped around the town which had some very trendy boutiques but also some hole in the wall markets and crafts stores. I loved this town because of that reason, the limoncello shops made all the side streets smell of lemons and sugar which was so unique. The center of town or the square looked pretty trendy but still had some statues as well as a tram. The entire weekend we had perfect weather which was in the high 80's, this was an amazing weekend and I can't wait to come back at some point in my life which I know that I will make a priority to do.

The Tuscan Fairytale

This weekend was full imerssion weekend with our host families. Yesterday Alyssa and I decided to explore the area around our house, we got lost for 2 hours but let me tell you Florence is not a bad place to get lost in. Finally we made it back home and were able to go for a run which is so nice to do because our neighboorhood is at the foothills of Fiesole. Today we went to some small villages in the Tuscan hills outside of Florence. The main town was called Fiesole and it has the most amazing views of Florence. There was a flee market and then we were able to climb up to the church and monastery of Fiesole. Driving up there you see the countryside scattered with olive trees and hidden villas and sometimes even horses roaming the countryside. We then stopped in a tiny litte town named Cambottini where we had potatoe chips and Proseco with our host parents overlooking the countryside, it was so peaceful and quiet. Back at the house I am getting frusterated that I do not know Italian. The little boys Pietro and Dario play with us constantly but we cannot understand them. They sing, dance and tell us stories and all we can really do is smile or make hand movements. Today we attempted to play cards with them but who knew that in Italy the Ace is the lowest card and not the highest. My host mother Caterina made homemade pizza for us tonight. There were four different kinds some with her own housemade mozzarella others with prosciutto and basil, all which tasted amazing. I am slowly learning to cook... mama you will be proud. Caterina has shown we how to make spinach gnochi, homemade pesto sauce and this tradittional Tuscan torte with Uvas (those are grapes in Italian). Tomorrow is my first day of class and I am thrilled to finally start them. I have Italian every morning at 845 but then I finish my day early so that I can explore the city. I am also trying to plan my trips so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Buona Notte,

Tania

The Mediteranean Odyssey

Sorry this has taken so long for me to finally post something but I have finally gotten all settled in with my host family in Florence and set up wireless.

So let me tell you a little bit about Greece. After many hours of traveling with the group of 30 of us including Professor McClean whom we call Alick and our TA Sarah we came to the town of Sounion. This is the location of the Temple of Poseidon and is located on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We went swimming in the crystal clear water where the beaches are at first rocky but then turn into sand once you enter the water. A bunch of us had dinner on the beach and this is where I had my first authentic greek salad, which by the way dont have lettuce! The next day we visited the towns of Mycenea and Epidaurus, Mycenea is where the tombs of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra are located along with the city of the Myceneans which is located on a hill that we had to climb. Epidaurus had a theatre where when you stood in the middle and yelled upwards the entire stadium heard you. Here fig and olive trees surrounded you in this location for healing during the ancient times. We stayed in the port city of Nafplion, which I did not know but was a former capital of Greece. The next morning we woke up at 5 am for a grueling and terrifying bus ride up the side of a mountain to the town of Bassae. I forgot to mention that traveling with us as tour guides and aides were our bus driver Dimitrios and his wife Rebecca who translated in all the small towns we visited. No one spoke English in this little town which only had one road going through it. Goats and sheep roamed freely because of the remote location of the town. We drove to the top of the mountin where the Temple of Apollo at Epidaurus was located. There we were actually able to work along side the local masons and restore a few parts of the temple. The next stop was Olympia where we sprinted in the stadium and were able to see the Temples of Zeus and Hera. We had our first real gyros and baklava in the town which itself was very touristy. Athens was the only real city we visited... it is pretty dirty and a bit rundown but the ancient sites really make this place so fascinating. We saw every site possible including the Parthenon on the Acropolis. Greeks are very welcoming in general but at times Athens seemed a bit dangerous. My favorite part of the seminar was our trip to Naxos the largest of the Cyclades islands in Greece. We took a 5 and a half hour highspeed ferry here and when we arrived at the port all we could see was what I imagned Greece would look like... the blue ocean and the white houses with blue shutters. All the streets were cobblestone and wound up the hills in a maze like fashion. We had a tour of the town which had beautiful flowers everywhere and incredible views. We went swimming on an incredibly warm and sandy beach which had a shelf that extended so far into the water. At night we attended a cultural fesitval where there was greek music, dancing, and culture which was amazing because for the first time I did not feel like a tourist but instead part of the general population. I was surprised at how similar some of the greek music was to Ukrainian... literally i was able to humm along with some of the tunes. The ferry ride home from the island was extremely sad but we were heading to Rome for a day and then finally to Florence. Rome was exciting as always and I do believe that I had the best espresso, or caffe as the refer to it in Italy of my life.

What I wrote above does not give justice to the amazing time that I had in Greece but I just wanted to update you and give you a quick summary. Now onto my first 3 days in FLorence. Syracuse's campus is five buildings located at the Piazzza Savanarola. They have gorgeous architecture and a garden between them where all the students hang out. I have registered for my classes and start on Monday!

My host family is more than what I could have asked for. I live about a 20 minute walk from campus in a stone townhouse built by my host mother's grandfather in 1935. It is at the foothills of Fiesole and is on Via Augusto Baldesi. I live with my host family the Meluccis on the 3 and 4 floor the second floor is rented out and the first floor is occupied by my host mother's parents whose father was a professor of Economics in Princeton and Berkley. The basment has my host mother's brother and his two boys who are the same age as my host mother's children. And next door are my host mother's cousins who are hosting students from Syracuse as well. My host mother's name is Caterina and she is a graphic designer who speaks fluent English. Her husband is named Alberto and he works but I dont know what he does but climbs mountains in his free time. They have two boys Pietro who is 6 and Dario who is 4... they do not speak any English but make sure to teach me things in Italian and have me play with them any chance they get. My roommate Alyssa and I have our own wing in the house with a spacious bedroom, our own bathroom, and an extra room to hold our belongings. I am really so happy and enjoying myself in Italy and cannot wait to start my classes and get into the groove of things.

Sorry for the long message but alot has happened in the last two weeks. Pictures are coming soon!

Ciao and with love,

Tania