Importantly: I have added a couple entertaining pictures to previous blog posts! IE, my computer has come magically back to life. I'm obviously doing something quite right to please the Mac gods. Scroll, scroll on if you wish to view them. Also, check flickr in the next few days as I will be uploading the "best of" since the Rome trip (Rome picture, Cinque Terre, Southern Italy).
I suppose before I talk about my girly weekend in southern Italy over the last few days, I'll mention my Florence weekend LAST weekend. It was my first fine settimana "home" in perhaps a month or so, and it was very Florentine indeed. A group of us headed out to Teatro del Sale, a dinner theater that offered all you can eat, all you can drink, all you can watch spectacular. The chef really did look like God and made equally Godly ambrosia-like food. And a LOT of it. I was just mostly excited about all the water (ahem wine) we got. The show was good too, I'm sure (various feminist monologues). I think we're going back next weekend actually for my (and two other girls') birthdays. Oh yeah, I'm turning 21 soon! It's incredibly difficult to process. I guess I'm officially in my 20s. Ma, dai!! Accidenti!!!! Madonnnnnaaaaaaaaaa!!! (expressions of exasperation).
The next day was Florence vs. Sampdoria, and we completely demolished them. I finally went to San Lorenzo (touristy market) to buy a maglietta viola (purple jersey) for the game (in the rain). Then I led the group to Badiani, our side of the city's best gelato. It was one of the first times there was a gathering in my zona (Campo di Marte train station) and I was plenty excited.
Later that week we took a trip to Prato with our art class, which was great. The modern art museum is there, and it really put into perspective where Italy's priorities lie in terms of which art they are willing to support. It was a really, really cool looking museum, but incredibly run down and incredibly out of money (the tycoon who funds it ran out of cash, I suppose). For goodness sakes, the permanent collection was not visible to the public, it was in such a state! It made me a little sad inside. The stuff we did see was really exciting, and a refreshing departure from statue after oil after fresco of Madonnnaaaaa. Plus, we got Chinese afterward (score). Prato, where Jacopo--the host brother--works, is FULL of Chinese. You'd think the peanut sauce would be better, but I was a wee bit disappointed. BUT they did give me free chopsticks at the end.
Ok, and then it was off to Southern Italy. It was a great group of girls that went. It was really nice to go without boys this weekend; girls in general are more on top of it and/or considerate of others. We got to Naples, gross. Napoli is one smelly city! Also, the boys are bad at soccer, and I got hit right in the butt with a ball. Owie! After eating a HUGE (albeit delicious) pizza, we took off for Pompei. What an incredible city! Ruins, ruins everywhere! I think I would have gotten much more out of it had I not been in a deep pizza coma. Accidenti! We packed up and off to Sorrento to check into the hostel. Sorrento was a delightful little town. After being roped into about 3 limoncello themed stores, we made it to a really good restaurant with some of the cheapest food I've had in Italy. I had gnocchi alla sorrentina, really really good stuff, and we of course had to go back the next night. It's becoming apparent how much I'm going to miss Italian food. Oh, dio.
Scheduled for the next day was Capri to see Blu Grotto, a cool ocean cave thingy that's naturally bright blue. Unfortunately, Capri decided to be incredibly expensive to get to, and Southern Italy decided to open up the heavens on us with a deluge. Scratch Capri. We went instead to Positano, a cute town that reminded me a lot of Cinque Terre. The best lemon granita I've ever eaten. We also took a boat ride out to the "emerald grotto." This entailed a 5 euro, 10 minute boat ride around a green water filled cave with a man that told us to "Looky LOOK!!! A miracle!!!!". Oh, also, there was a nativity scene settled underwater at the bottom of the cave, illuminated by "natural" green light. OH, AWESOME, A MIRACLE!!! LOOKY LOOK!
The next day we shopped around (hello, 1 euro scarves!) and headed back to Napoli. We saw the national museum of archeology which shed a lot of light onto Pompei. Also, the people of pompei were really perverted. I'll probably upload a picture of "la sala segreta" soon. The ride home was one of the highlights of the trip. Lots of games of 10 fingers and girly talk and such. I am well pleased. Ok, now I should probably get to working on finals. Silly finals are getting in the way of my last couple weeks abroad. Oh dio.
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