whoops...2 months of recap

So clearly I've been doing a great job at keeping up with this... In all fairness, my best friend from high school and I decided to start a blog together as a way to keep in touch while I'm abroad, so I've been much more faithful to that blog than this one (although we've kind of let things slip in the last two weeks...). Since it's been so long (just hit the two and a half month mark!), I figured I'll just hit you with the highlights and then add a bunch of photos (everyone enjoys those so much more anyways).

In Bologna:
Orientation for my program was a BLAST! We had one language class that met for two and a half hours each day. Tuesdays were almost always reserved for day trips and on Wednesdays we usually had a cultural excursion in the morning followed by a cultural lesson in the afternoon. Day trips included a trip to the Tenuta Bonzara (a vineyard just outside Bologna) for a pasta making tutorial and dinner (with wine, of course) and a hiking trip up a nearby hill for a picnic with a spectacular view of the whole city. We also went on longer Saturday trips to Ravenna and Urbino, both cute and quaint towns.

During this time, we were in a hotel for the first two weeks until we found apartments. My time finding an apartment was a challenging one. I found one I loved; however, at 2:00 p.m. the day before we had to check out of the hotel, the landlord told me that they actually would prefer someone who could stay in the apartment until the end of September 2014. HUGE disappointment! I mildly panicked, jumped on the website where apartment listings were posted, made an appointment for 4:00 p.m. at another apartment, and by 4:30 I was confirmed to live there. Fast-forward a week to when I've already moved in. I come home from a Saturday night out with friends. My two girlfriends walked with me home on the way to their own. When we approached my door, there was a group of people hanging out on my doorsteps. Apparently there is a garden right across the street where cocaine is often sold and this group of five could not wait to experience their new purchase. Yup, they were snorting cocaine off the actually steps of my house. I asked them to please take it elsewhere and then proceeded to call the cops once I was safely inside my room. Let's just say I immediately starting looking for a new home and moved out 3 weeks later. I now live in a lovely apartment with a fashion stylist (SCORE!). I have the entire second floor to myself and it is in such a nice and convenient area. Definitely worth all the aggravation.

Now, I have definitely settled into life here and am enjoying time with friends. Classes have been alright (it's hard to compare to Mount Holyoke). Most classes only last 5 weeks and then you wait until the final, which is self-scheduled and can be taken as many times as you would like until you achieve a satisfactory grade. This means that I am already done with one class and the classes I am taking through my program finish in the next two weeks. I have a lot of reading ahead of me, so I'll definitely be on the lookout for some good study spots in town!

The vineyards of Tenuta Bonzara

We learned how to make tagliatelle, but the teacher demonstrated a few other shapes

Our turn!

Munich:
At some point in your life, everyone needs to experience Oktoberfest. The first week in October, two friends and I boarded a plane for a weekend of beer, laderhosen, and bratwurst. It was so much fun! I'm not a huge beer drinker (gotta blame that one on parents who love wine), but German beer is definitely better than others I have tried (I don't think I can ever be a Bud or Bud Light kind of girl). Although beer might be the star of the festival, the atmosphere was by far the best part. People would stand on tables to demonstrate their skills (or lack there of) at chugging beer and everyone chants drinking songs in unison. Plus, when everyone is tipsy to wasted, making friends is so easy. We met people from all over, including (surprisingly) many Italians. Saturday was filled with festivities, but my group decided to have a quieter Sunday before our flight, which included more German food and lots of sightseeing!

Once you get into a tent, you never leave because the lines are so long. We spent all day at Hofbrau House.

So much beer -- it took me like an hour to finish that!

Munich Town Hall at night

English Gardens

Florence:
Florence is only a half an hour away on the train, making it the perfect day trip! We went with the intention of shopping (hello leather!) and enjoyed (mostly) perfect weather for walking around and haggling (it was supposed to rain all day, so we were thrilled when it didn't). The only cultural experience of the day was a stroll inside the Duomo, but we have already promised a trip back to hit up the museums.

On the Ponte Vecchio

My friends, Sarah and Elizabeth, heading towards the Duomo

Ceiling of the Duomo

Rome:
Boston and San Francisco will forever be my favorite cities, but I have found my new international love: Rome! The art and architecture are unparalleled and the food was delicious (I found a new favorite go-to meal in cacio e pepe). We took the train in Friday night and enjoyed a nice, long meal in Trastevere. Saturday was jam-packed with activities! We started at St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican and afterwards moved on to the Spanish Steps. We ate lunch nearby and walked down to the Colosseum, hitting several more stops on the way. In total, we calculated that we walked 12 miles! I definitely earned my gelato for the day!

Madeleina and Elizabeth's Italian roommate said we look like a girl band in this photo. I think we just look like goofballs :)

Madeleina, Elizabeth, and I in front of the Trevi Fountain! We went twice -- once during the day and again at nighttime.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Sorry I've been so absent -- my goal is to post a lot more frequently!

Baci,

Morgan

P.S. Click here if you'd like to check out me and my friend's blog!

P.P.S. Click here if you'd like to check out a map of all the places I've been. I'll be adding to it as I go on new adventures!