Journey to Milan
Autumn and I caught a train into Milan from Varese on Tuesday night (6/20). We were arriving in Barb's car as the train was approaching, and literally had to race beside the train to make it on time! The train we were on was very old, had velvet red seats and the windows opened completely! It was awesome, but very hot without the Air conditioning.
Arriving in Milan
We made arrangements to stay with a girl named Sara, a couch surfer, for 2 nights. When we arrived to Milan, we had a difficult time finding her street because the street signs are extremely hidden. If there is a sign at all, the street name is engraved into cement on the side of a building.
Finally, after 20 minutes of searching within a 2 block radius, we found her apartment -- and it was extremely close to Central Station! She lives on the 3rd floor of a no-elevator building, so it was a very hot walk up to her "flat" (as they call it here).
Sara was extremely welcoming! She greeted us with a warm smile and was so nice during our entire stay. She shares her apartment with one other girl & it is set up very nicely! Everything was white, with accents of color throughout each room! It was so much fun and a very different scene from the farm we have been staying at!
First Night in Milan
After changing clothes, Sara took us to a Sicilian pastry shop with one of her friends. They introduced us (and treated us) to Sicilian Granite (similar to a slushie with ice, but a much stronger flavor). Autumn and I tried Coffe & Chocolate flavor. It was pretty good, but very strong! Also, we tried a pistachio cannoli, which was REALLY delicious!
After dessert we headed to dinner with more of Sara's friends! We went to a trattoria (a special type of italian restaurant). Autumn and I got two dishes to share: a steak dish and an ear-shaped pasta dish with crab meat. Both were fantastic! Dinner lasted for a little over an hour, and then we headed to "Porta Ticinese."
Porta Ticinese is a very lively street in Milan. It was crowded with people late on a Tuesday night, mostly college students and at each end of the street there is a giant cement arch. We walked around, dodging both people and cars on this busy street! Eventually we made it to the Canals. It was really nice to walk by the water & there were even some fish!
At the end of the night, we took a tram home. It was really cool & similar to the "T" in Boston. Basically, it is an above ground train that uses the roads. For me, it was fun to be on the train and have cars driving right next to it.
The first night was unbearably hot. Mosquitos were worse in Milan than they are on the farm! Autumn and I didn't get much sleep that night. We tried to avoid mosquito bites by sleeping under a sheet, but that made us too hot!.. So, we ended up spraying ourselves with bugspray at 4:00 a.m. so we could sleep in peace. Let's just say it was HORRIBLE!
First Day in Milan
We slept in until about 9, and were able to check our email in bed! We were so grateful to finally have an internet connection! I was also able to skype with alyssa (best friend) for almost an hour! (We are in the process of signing the lease to an apartment in NYC and it has been difficult without internet for me).
We then headed to the Duomo, a famous cathedral & plaza. The cathedral was very large and beautifully detailed. Around it was a plaza with shops, vendors & its famous galleria with designer stores. We browsed around in the strong heat for a while, then paid €8 to ride an elevator to the top of the Duomo Cathedral! It was awesome at the top because we were amongst all of the peaks, basically walking on the roof! We were also able to see out over Milan which was really awesome. We stayed up on the roof until we couldn't bear the heat any more, then headed down & back to Sara's to get ready for the concert at night
The Concert
When we first arrived in Italy, Autumn and I bought tickets to see Paolo Nutini and Florence & the Machine in concert. They played at the Civic Arena in Milan. We arrived at 630 and waited for about an hour in line to enter. Finally, once we got in, we found seats & bought ourselves each a €5.00 beer! (the one and only for the night!). It was an outdoor arena, and as the night progressed, mosquitos multiplied & annoyed us! The concert was great though! It was my second big concert EVER (my first being John Mayer & Ben Folds Five in Milwaukee a few summers ago).
Florence had a very beautiful voice & great stage performance. She wore a flowy white dress that blew in the wind while she danced around stage! It was really cool.
Paolo Nutini was really great too! He has such variety in his music, and the rythm was different with each song he played! I really enjoyed it. He was pretty drunk on stage though, and when he spoke between each song, we couldn't understand what he was saying!
When we got home that night, Sara had left a fan out for us! THANK GOODNESS! We were so grateful to have it, because it was too hot the night before!
Second Day
We woke up at 7:30 to get breakfast with Sara's roomate & two neighbors before they went to work. We ate at a small cafe down the street called "Danys Bar." I tried my first european, chocolate croissant (SOOOOOOOOOO delicious!!) and a cappuccino. We sat at an outdoor table, so we enjoyed breakfast with a cool morning breeze!
After relaxing back at the apartment, we decided to explore a bit around Center Station. We first headed to a famous Pizza Place called "Spuntino Pizzeria." They serve only Margherita Pizza & Lasagna, and they serve it well! We each got a big slice and enjoyed every last bite! The pizza dough was soft and the cheese melted over was so delicious! YUM!
We walked around town, window shopping and admiring all of the shoes that we couldn't afford to buy! After a few hours, the sun was too hot, so we headed back to Sara's to pack up, check our email and meet up with her at the train station.
At the train station, Sara greeted us on her cute red bike with a smile and a bag in her hand! She had picked up a quick dinner for us -- pancerotti (basically soft, fried dough filled with pizza sauce & melted cheese!!) It was so tasty! She also took us to an amazing Gelateria called Chocolat, which was very close to the station. We enjoyed our last gelato with Sara, and it was possibly the best gelato in italy so far! I got chocolate chip/vanilla and chocolate! It was really nice.
We sadly said our goodbyes at the train station, and headed back to Varese.
Of course, the train was running slowly, and we arrived in Varese just minutes after the last bus to the farm had departed! What luck we have! So, we called up joe & enrico who came to pick us up in the rain! While waiting (and playing rock, paper, scissor for the first shower), we ran into two Missionaries from Las Vegas & Seattle. We made small talk and left them on their way.
over all, Milan was awesome! We had a wonderful time & can't wait to return for our last night here in Italy!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Lumberjack's Fault
So, I haven't been able to update my blog in a while because a couple of weeks ago the internet stopped working. Some lumberjacks were working behind the house cutting down trees and a tree fell onto the phone & internet line.
For the past 2 weeks, the family has been calling the company to come fix it, however italians are slow and they still haven't come. I hope they fix it before we leave!!
It has been hard without it, but we finally found an internet cafe for €1.50 per hour. We can only come into town a few times per week, but it is enough to check our email and do the most necessary things on the web.
I hope to update more on my blog as soon as possible!
For the past 2 weeks, the family has been calling the company to come fix it, however italians are slow and they still haven't come. I hope they fix it before we leave!!
It has been hard without it, but we finally found an internet cafe for €1.50 per hour. We can only come into town a few times per week, but it is enough to check our email and do the most necessary things on the web.
I hope to update more on my blog as soon as possible!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Weather Forecast
Throughout the past week, the weather has been all over the place. During the day its unbearably hot (80-90+ degrees). It is too hot to stand outside, let alone work -- so normally we get the afternoon to relax, out of the sun.
Crazy Thunderstorms
There have been 2 crazy thunderstorms, although one was crazier than the other. The first, and crazier one, was a few nights ago around 3 AM. The sound of the thunder woke me from my deep sleep. It was like I had my ear pressed up against the ground (from below) and a train was passing right above. Each rumble was equally loud, surprisingly long and very frequent. The lightening lit up the sky like a constant stream of flash photography. It was so bright that I could see it with my eyes closed in bed! The rain was pouring down onto our porch like a bottomless bucket tipped on its side. The wind blew so violently you could hear it whistle amidst the rumbling thunder. It was awesome! I stayed awake watching & listening until I naturally fell back asleep.
The next morning when I woke up, the plants were knocked over & it was obvious something had passed through. Barbara told me it was worse in the town. Supposedly there was grape-sized hail mixed in with the rain that had damaged cars and windows. It was incredible!
I really like thunderstorms, so long as I am safely inside! Its especially nice at night :-)
Crazy Thunderstorms
There have been 2 crazy thunderstorms, although one was crazier than the other. The first, and crazier one, was a few nights ago around 3 AM. The sound of the thunder woke me from my deep sleep. It was like I had my ear pressed up against the ground (from below) and a train was passing right above. Each rumble was equally loud, surprisingly long and very frequent. The lightening lit up the sky like a constant stream of flash photography. It was so bright that I could see it with my eyes closed in bed! The rain was pouring down onto our porch like a bottomless bucket tipped on its side. The wind blew so violently you could hear it whistle amidst the rumbling thunder. It was awesome! I stayed awake watching & listening until I naturally fell back asleep.
The next morning when I woke up, the plants were knocked over & it was obvious something had passed through. Barbara told me it was worse in the town. Supposedly there was grape-sized hail mixed in with the rain that had damaged cars and windows. It was incredible!
I really like thunderstorms, so long as I am safely inside! Its especially nice at night :-)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Gardaland Waterpark Adventures!
On our day off, we decided to venture into Milan to find a waterpark!
The Journey to Find the Waterpark
Long, and difficult. We arrived in Milan by train (40 minute ride) and began asking for directions to "Gardaland." Everyone we asked responded with something different, so we became easily confused. Finally, one bus agent clarified the difference between "gardaland" and "gardaland waterpark," which are in two different towns. He wrote down the directions for us in broken english for the subway/metro and we bought a subway ticket for 1 euro. We took the subway to a town in Milan called "Primatoccia." There, we waited for the public bus in hopes it would take us to the waterpark. When we got on the bus I asked the busdriver what stop we needed to get off, he mumbled something I didn't understand and I took a seat. After a few minutes, I realized I should probably clarify and asked him again. Our stop was next!
When we got off the bus, we looked around at the very empty, residential/nothing town around us. We were in the middle of nowhere! We began walking, ran into a chicken on the road, passed a very stinky barn and eventually ran into a dead end with a highway! We looked to the right of the highway -- Nothing. We looked to the left of the highway -- Gardaland Waterpark Sign!
Our Day at the Waterpark
Tickets were 12.50 euros for a half day (we arrived at 3 p.m.). We were greeted with a smile upon entering and directed to the "dressing rooms" to change (small closet sized stalls outside). We checked our bags in the "guardaroba" for 3 euros and headed to the park! It was awesome! There were so many different pools, lazy rivers, crazy rivers, water slides, tubes, a children's pirate cove, singing & dancing... everything you can imagine! [click for photo] We started by cooling off in a pool and headed right to the first waterslide. Much to our surprise, it was faster than it looked and we slid very quickly to the bottom with no way to slow down and water in our noses! It was fun, be we opted for a slower, more windy slide next time around. We spent a few hours just swimming, going down the slides, being splashed by giant buckets of water, and using the tubes to go through the crazy river! It was such a fun day :-). We also bought some ice cream while we were there because we just couldn't resist haha.
The Journey Home
After all of the confusion in finding the park, we figured it should be easier to get back. We were directed to a different bus stop by someone at the waterpark, we hopped on and it stopped for 25 minutes at the next stop! It was the end of the loop, so we had to wait for it to turn back towards Primatoccia where we got on. From there, things worked out smoothly until we got to the Milan train station. We arrived and bought our tickets only moments before the train was to depart at 7:30 p.m. We waited and waited and waited on the train until it finally departed around 8:15 .. It was delayed because of a train ahead of us having problems. So, when we finally arrived into Varese at 9:15 we were shocked to find that our bus to the farm was no longer running! The last pick up was 8:58 and its the only bus that passes the farm! So, we asked some strangers to borrow their phone & called barbara to see if someone could pick us up in town! Thankfully, her mother, Rita, came to get us & we didn't have to even walk down the mosquito-filled, dark, rocky driveway! Yay
It all worked out in the end and the day was wonderful :-) I'm so happy we made it to the waterpark! :-)
The Journey to Find the Waterpark
Long, and difficult. We arrived in Milan by train (40 minute ride) and began asking for directions to "Gardaland." Everyone we asked responded with something different, so we became easily confused. Finally, one bus agent clarified the difference between "gardaland" and "gardaland waterpark," which are in two different towns. He wrote down the directions for us in broken english for the subway/metro and we bought a subway ticket for 1 euro. We took the subway to a town in Milan called "Primatoccia." There, we waited for the public bus in hopes it would take us to the waterpark. When we got on the bus I asked the busdriver what stop we needed to get off, he mumbled something I didn't understand and I took a seat. After a few minutes, I realized I should probably clarify and asked him again. Our stop was next!
When we got off the bus, we looked around at the very empty, residential/nothing town around us. We were in the middle of nowhere! We began walking, ran into a chicken on the road, passed a very stinky barn and eventually ran into a dead end with a highway! We looked to the right of the highway -- Nothing. We looked to the left of the highway -- Gardaland Waterpark Sign!
Our Day at the Waterpark
Tickets were 12.50 euros for a half day (we arrived at 3 p.m.). We were greeted with a smile upon entering and directed to the "dressing rooms" to change (small closet sized stalls outside). We checked our bags in the "guardaroba" for 3 euros and headed to the park! It was awesome! There were so many different pools, lazy rivers, crazy rivers, water slides, tubes, a children's pirate cove, singing & dancing... everything you can imagine! [click for photo] We started by cooling off in a pool and headed right to the first waterslide. Much to our surprise, it was faster than it looked and we slid very quickly to the bottom with no way to slow down and water in our noses! It was fun, be we opted for a slower, more windy slide next time around. We spent a few hours just swimming, going down the slides, being splashed by giant buckets of water, and using the tubes to go through the crazy river! It was such a fun day :-). We also bought some ice cream while we were there because we just couldn't resist haha.
The Journey Home
After all of the confusion in finding the park, we figured it should be easier to get back. We were directed to a different bus stop by someone at the waterpark, we hopped on and it stopped for 25 minutes at the next stop! It was the end of the loop, so we had to wait for it to turn back towards Primatoccia where we got on. From there, things worked out smoothly until we got to the Milan train station. We arrived and bought our tickets only moments before the train was to depart at 7:30 p.m. We waited and waited and waited on the train until it finally departed around 8:15 .. It was delayed because of a train ahead of us having problems. So, when we finally arrived into Varese at 9:15 we were shocked to find that our bus to the farm was no longer running! The last pick up was 8:58 and its the only bus that passes the farm! So, we asked some strangers to borrow their phone & called barbara to see if someone could pick us up in town! Thankfully, her mother, Rita, came to get us & we didn't have to even walk down the mosquito-filled, dark, rocky driveway! Yay
It all worked out in the end and the day was wonderful :-) I'm so happy we made it to the waterpark! :-)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Lago di Como & Bellagio!
Today I woke up at 5 a.m. to get ready for a day at Lake Como! We arranged for Enrico to give us a ride to the bus terminal, and had to be ready by 7 a.m. because he leaves for work at that time, and our bus to Lake Como leaves at 8 a.m.
It was an hour long bus ride to the the lake, and upon arriving we headed right to the ferry port so we could get to Bellagio!
Bellagio & the ferry ride [click for photo]
It was about a 2 hour ferry ride to Bellagio, making stops along the way. We sat inside this time because the sun was so hot, but we could see everything out the window! Lake Como is very similar to Lake Maggiore in that there are amazing sights along the shoreline. We also saw a beautiful hotel called "Grand Hotel Tremezzo," with a pool floating on the lake! We later found out its about 400 euros per night to stay there! [click for photo]
When we finally arrived to Bellagio, we wandered through the streets and shops. [click for photo] I found a lot of cute, yet expensive, things that I wanted to buy.. like leather bags and jewelry, but I refrained. We were there for about an hour before taking a 1 hour bus back to Como.
We only had to walk 2 steps to the Gelateria next door for dessert! I tried a new flavor called "torrone" without having any clue what it would be. It was so delicious, but I couldn't figure out what the taste was, so I googled it when I got home and found out it was nougat. Yummmy.
It was an hour long bus ride to the the lake, and upon arriving we headed right to the ferry port so we could get to Bellagio!
Bellagio & the ferry ride [click for photo]
It was about a 2 hour ferry ride to Bellagio, making stops along the way. We sat inside this time because the sun was so hot, but we could see everything out the window! Lake Como is very similar to Lake Maggiore in that there are amazing sights along the shoreline. We also saw a beautiful hotel called "Grand Hotel Tremezzo," with a pool floating on the lake! We later found out its about 400 euros per night to stay there! [click for photo]
When we finally arrived to Bellagio, we wandered through the streets and shops. [click for photo] I found a lot of cute, yet expensive, things that I wanted to buy.. like leather bags and jewelry, but I refrained. We were there for about an hour before taking a 1 hour bus back to Como.
Brief Visit in the city of Como
We didn't spend a ton of time in Como due to time, but we did make it to the Cable Car up the mountain. [click for photo] Unfortunately, we couldn't see much on the ride up the mountain, but when we arrived at the top, there were some pretty good views of Como and the lake! We took some pictures and headed back down after an hour. [click for photo]
Before getting the bus home, we stopped in a Pizzeria and had our first restaurant style Italian Pizza! [click for photo] We ordered an Onion pizza and what we thought would be pepperoni, but to our surprise ended up being a yellow pepper pizza! They were both a thin crusted delight!We only had to walk 2 steps to the Gelateria next door for dessert! I tried a new flavor called "torrone" without having any clue what it would be. It was so delicious, but I couldn't figure out what the taste was, so I googled it when I got home and found out it was nougat. Yummmy.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Pool Day!
Today we had the afternoon off and with the weather so beautiful we have been craving to swim. Unfortunately, the pool overlooking the lake has been permanently closed :(.. Joe and Barb searched the internet for a different pool, and after finding a sports/country club, barb drove us all the way there! (so nice!)
It was 9 euros to swim for the day in the 2 outdoor pools (we also could have used the tennis courts, gym etc... ) It was really quiet there because it was a monday afternoon, so we set up two lawn chairs next to the pool and lotioned up with sunscreen. [click for photo]
After heating up a bit in the sun, we jumped right in to the cold water and swam around for a while. The water was unbelievably clean and it was so refreshing to cool off and wet down our hair. We did this multiple times -- heating up then jumping in to cool off. We noticed that a few other people used the outdoor shower before and after getting into the pool and found it so strange; we just assumed it was weird italian culture. We also noticed that nobody else was swimming around like us, except one guy with a swimcap on.
After about 2 hours we jumped in one last time before we would leave. Right after, an empoloyee came up to us and began saying something in Italian that we didn't understand. She then proceeded to nicely say, in english, "You must rinse off at the shower before getting in and if you want to swim around, you must wear a swimcap over your hair." Clearly, we hadn't done this at all the whole day and everyone was watching us. On top of it all, Autumn was wearing her american flag bikini! haha. [click for photo] The whole situation was just funny, and although slightly embarassing, we just laughed it off.
Coincidence:
A few days earlier, Autumn and I were on the bus sitting across from a young couple. The strange thing was, the boy looked to be about 20 and the girl looked to be about 12! I'm sure the age difference wasn't that large, but her young face and tiny body took us by surprise next to an older boy. We ended up staring at them pretty much the whole bus ride. ----- Funny enough, TODAY at the pool, we looked to our left and of all people, the young couple was lounging by the pool! We found it so strange that we had seen them a second time, and I think they definitely recognized us as well. So weird! [click for photo]
The swimming pool was great! It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, especially before the rain comes later this week. Also, we were able to taste some more delicious italian cuisine while working in the restaurant tonight! -- Pasta with mint pesto sauce, delcious chicken veggie stew and homemade tiramisu for dessert! We're writing down as many recipes as we can and will hopefully practice them with barb before we leave this summer! YUMMY.
It was 9 euros to swim for the day in the 2 outdoor pools (we also could have used the tennis courts, gym etc... ) It was really quiet there because it was a monday afternoon, so we set up two lawn chairs next to the pool and lotioned up with sunscreen. [click for photo]
After heating up a bit in the sun, we jumped right in to the cold water and swam around for a while. The water was unbelievably clean and it was so refreshing to cool off and wet down our hair. We did this multiple times -- heating up then jumping in to cool off. We noticed that a few other people used the outdoor shower before and after getting into the pool and found it so strange; we just assumed it was weird italian culture. We also noticed that nobody else was swimming around like us, except one guy with a swimcap on.
After about 2 hours we jumped in one last time before we would leave. Right after, an empoloyee came up to us and began saying something in Italian that we didn't understand. She then proceeded to nicely say, in english, "You must rinse off at the shower before getting in and if you want to swim around, you must wear a swimcap over your hair." Clearly, we hadn't done this at all the whole day and everyone was watching us. On top of it all, Autumn was wearing her american flag bikini! haha. [click for photo] The whole situation was just funny, and although slightly embarassing, we just laughed it off.
Coincidence:
A few days earlier, Autumn and I were on the bus sitting across from a young couple. The strange thing was, the boy looked to be about 20 and the girl looked to be about 12! I'm sure the age difference wasn't that large, but her young face and tiny body took us by surprise next to an older boy. We ended up staring at them pretty much the whole bus ride. ----- Funny enough, TODAY at the pool, we looked to our left and of all people, the young couple was lounging by the pool! We found it so strange that we had seen them a second time, and I think they definitely recognized us as well. So weird! [click for photo]
The swimming pool was great! It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, especially before the rain comes later this week. Also, we were able to taste some more delicious italian cuisine while working in the restaurant tonight! -- Pasta with mint pesto sauce, delcious chicken veggie stew and homemade tiramisu for dessert! We're writing down as many recipes as we can and will hopefully practice them with barb before we leave this summer! YUMMY.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
BBQ, Country Music & Line Dancing!
Last night Autumn & I helped work at the BBQ that Enrico & his wife Tella were hosting here on the farm. [click for photo of us] There were 34 guests from their country line dancing class (and their instructor was from Missouri!). They set up the patio outside with long picnic tables, bales of hay, a horse saddle and a DJ table! There was also a large space left open for dancing. [click for photo]
The Food
The antipasto plate was a delicious cold pasta salad with bow-tie noodles, basil, coconut flakes, olive oil, cucumbers, red peppers, and some spices (we now have the recipe!) [click for photo]
For the BBQ they grilled pork chops, german hot dogs (wuster), and their home-made sausages [click for photo]. It was my first time trying sausage -- and I didn’t like it so much :-/. However, I did love the german hot dogs! YUM.[click for photo]
For dessert they cut up a giant watermelon (anguria). I love watermelon, and it fit this occasion perfectly!
The Music/Dancing
There was a DJ playing all pop country songs while everyone line danced! [click for photo] It was awesome to watch because everyone was dressed for the occasion and having so much fun! Their instructor is an extremely tall blonde woman, from Missouri, as I mentioned before. We didn’t get a chance to talk to her, but were very curious to find out how she ended up as a line-dancing instructor here in Italy! We were really hoping they would play the watermelon crawl, considering it was the ONLY dance Autumn and I know how to do, but they didn’t :( .
The whole night was a blast (even though we had to work). People danced late into the night until the rain came around midnight. It was very amusing to see how excited everyone was to line dance! I remember learning a few songs/dances in our high school gym class, but I can’t remember them! It would have been fun to join in though!
---------
Monday we hope to make it to Lago di Varese (the lake of our town). Supposedly there is a pool we can swim in next to the lake and the weather forecast looks sunny! yay
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