Weeks 6 and 7

Hello all!!!
Wow so I am really starting to get bad about updating this! Sorry! I'm trying to get ahead on some work for classes...I have so many 10 page papers in Spanish its crazy! That combined with all the traveling I will be doing/have been doing...it will make for a busy next month! Well, anyways..to recap the past few weeks...the most exciting part was our trip to Italy!!!

We went to three different towns in Italy. First we flew into Pisa. We didn't spend a lot of time here but we did manage to see the leaning tower of Pisa...at one in the morning! haha It was pretty cool really...although it doesn't lean as much as I expected and it wasn't as tall. But it was free and it was still cool! haha We had fun walking around the city and trying to find it. We even randomly met some really nice American guys who walked around with us. I was glad they were around when we were walking back to our hostel at two in the morning in a strange city! After we saw the tower we went straight to bed :) Our hostel was really nice and the beds were so comfortable. but we had to get up way to soon for my preference :) The next morning we got up early and took a train to the Cinque Terre. This is a chain of five small Italian villages on the coast that are connected by hiking trails and trains if you want. We took the hiking trails however :) It was sooo beautiful!! Amazing!!! We walked all day through tiny villages that were painted such bright colors and sitting on cliffs over looking the ocean. The paths that connected them all were so pretty too!! Right along the water, small dirt paths, not too many tourists, and great food along the way :) I have lots of pictures! I really can't describe it well enough!! We had lots of fun hiking together and the weather couldn't have been more perfect! Really sunny but not too hot and a great breeze coming off the ocean! Once we got to the fourth village we found a random little cave/cove. We saw that you could climb around the edge to get to the other side and see more of the ocean. So, Alex and I climbed up and hung off this tiny wire over the water and climbed around the rock to get to the other side...thankfully we didn't fall haha :) We took a little rest here and enjoyed the scenery. We were running out of time and were all really tired after this so we decided to take a train to get to the last city. Once we got there we relaxed, walked along the beach, climbed a big rock, collected rocks, and watched the sun set. :) It felt great after a long day of hiking to take off our shoes and wade in the water and simply relax for a bit!! We then had some amazing Italian pasta at a restaurant right on the beach! It was so great :) That night we had to get to Florence so we caught a train to Pisa. Well, we were supposed to catch another train to Florence...but we ran into some problems. haha great story...but kind of long. So, I will have to tell you all the full details when I get back. But basically 400 Erasmus students (students studying abroad in Pisa) showed up to take our train which held 30 people. We were shoved on like sardines, the police came, we waited for two hours, and eventually they brought another train to fit us all. Mind you none of these students had tickets!! And they were all drinking enough alcohol for the entire country. hahaha We met some very interesting people and have a great story now. haha I loved it...it was one of those things that only happens in a foreign country and that you need to experience. At first we didn't really know what to do...but we figured we just have to go with the flow! We are in Italy!! haha It was so crazy that even the conductor was leaning out the window taking pictures on his phone!! :) Well, after the very interesting train ride...we finally made it to Florence and crashed exhausted into our beds, at yet again another amazing hostel! The next morning we had a wonderful homemade breakfast at the hostel and quick left for our bike tour through Tuscany!!!! Again, beautiful day just like in the Cinque Terre! We toured an old castle that is now one of the most prestigious wineries in Tuscany, tasted wine and olive oil, biked all day through amazing countryside of Tuscany. If anyone ever goes to Italy..you have to do this!! One of my favorite parts of the weekend! As if I could choose a favorite :) haha But the tour guides were so nice and friendly and we met some really nice people that were on the tour with us. It felt like fall there too which we all loved. I miss the smells and sights of fall back home so much, so it was great to be out of a city and leisurely strolling through the countryside! There was one really big hill though...proud to say we went for it and made it all the way! :) The tour guides were kind of impressed with us too...haha It felt great to get some intense exercise in there too. In the middle of the day, we stopped at this Italian restaurant in the middle of nowhere. It was so good! They served us salad, amazing pasta, Tiramisu!! and coffee! It was just an all around great tour! At the end of the day, they drove us back into the city of Florence and we went up to a look out point and watched the sunset over Florence. It was amazing!! After this we went back to the hostel, showered, and cleaned up. We went out for some more amazing pasta at one of the restaurants our guides suggested. Again so great! haha I need to find some more adjectives to describe this trip! But we spent a couple hours chatting and relaxing in the restaurant before we left to have gelato for dessert :) I haven't been putting this in..but we had gelato about three times a day haha Can't pass it up when you are in Italy right?? :) Anyways, we enjoyed our ice cream while wandering around the city and looking out over the river. For our last day in Italy, we went on a tour of Florence. One of our other friends in the program was there too and she had set up a tour with a really well known tour guide. (She toured Hillary Swank around Florence!) We went to lots of different museums, cathedrals, and such. My favorite was the Duomo and the statue of David by Michelangelo!! After another amazing day..we had to leave :( We took a train from Florence to Milan. We arrived at the Milan airport at about two in the morning. And we couldn't check in or board the plane for another two or three hours. So, we took our scarves, made a fort in the Milan airport, and had a picnic under it :) haha The only food we had left were nuts, some dried fruit, stale smacks, and more digestive cookies. haha We laughed so hard and had so much fun trying to pass the time :) Finally we got on our plane and flew into Spain. Overall, we didn't sleep at all and made it back to Granada at three in the afternoon the next day (Monday). I took a really long nap and recovered the rest of the day :) So!!! Long explanation but the trip was great!! My favorite of the semester by far!

Other than Italy, the past two weeks have been pretty uneventful. Lots of homework, hanging out, and what not. Oh but I did start taking a cooking class! haha I'm really excited about that. I have it every Monday night, we get recipes and learn how to cook traditional Spanish dishes! So, when I get back I will cook an amazing Spanish meal for you all :) haha The class is with lots of other students from the program so it’s really fun. Anyways, this next week should be pretty much the same. But Brett Newendrop is coming to Granada to visit this coming weekend and it is my friend Megan's 21st birthday. So, it should be a great weekend of celebrating and showing Brett around Granada!! I'm really excited :)

Well, I think this is all for now...I'm going to do some more homework and then run before I go out tonight :) The program rented a place for all the students to get together tonight. Students are going to read poetry, sing, play instruments, and who knows what else!! It should be really fun :) So, I will try to put up pictures too soon. I have had lots of trouble with it so far. I've been trying for several days...so when ever it decides to cooperate you will get to see my trip to Italy!!

Love you all!!
ME :)