Oh yeah Siena & San Gimignano almost forgot, Ha!

This is me and a friend Rachel looking from the large, historic filled earth we live on down at you and asking, is there really people who have never seen these things?  

Get on a plane and get here, this is amazing!

A view from a back alley, when have you had a million dollar view like this down any alley we know?  

Have you ever seen strawberries look like this?  Yeah they smelled like they did when I was five years old and stole them from my mommies garden, they were bursting!  Never had better!  These definately top organic whole foods!

The most memorable travels so far, I mean besides Paris, all of Tuscany including Firenze, Chianti and the gorgeous mountain side hills outside my bedroom window, above all that I almost left out the two greatest!  

Sometimes there are no words to convey what it really looks like!  Just know I am having the time of my life!

I feel like the wicked witch of Italia!

These are my new wheels!  I traded in the prius temporarily for a great new bicicletta while I'm here in Firenze!  It even has a cute bell to warn pedestrians that I am coming!  Move out of the way!  

Chianti, Shmianti, love love love it!!!

Okay so I return to my faithful abode to recap the day from my wonderous adventures in Chianti!  I had a magnificent trek up the winding roads, and I mean car sick winding roads for about an hours time with all my fellow peers.  We took a bus and meandered our way through the narrow streets of the hills to Chianti, and so narrow that the bus had to stop for like ten minutes for a good half a dozen cars to back up a two-way street just so we could make the corner.  Of course there were 3 italian women giggling on the sidewalks because the bus made it by just about an inch.  Once we reversed and got lost a bit, we landed at our final destination, and the sight was breathtaking.  We arrived at a castle upon a hill, atop the great region of Chianti.  We got a tour of the castle that is still occupied and ventured into the wine cellar filled with ginormous barrels of wine and then into the dungeon where they stored their many bottles of wine and extra virgin olive oil.  

Quick lesson in extra virgin olive oil, pretty much don't drink, use, spread, go near anything else olive unless it says Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the label.  The process he explained to us pretty much frightened me into followt his 3 very strict rules about Olive Oil.  

1) Label must always read Extra Virgin Olive Oil, you want acidity to be at .1-.3, most labels don't state this but if it is a good reputable source you can ask or check label.

2) the thicker and the darker the bottle that contains the olive oil the better

3) the younger the better, if one label says november 2008 versus november 2009, take the 2009.  Olives are harvest in mid october to november so usually they are available by dec!

Follow these rules and you will achieve the healthiest results known to mankinds of the hills of Chianti!

Okay so did the dungeon and then we were all lead to the main dining hall, where they had prepared a typical Italian lunch for us.  They used the extra virgin olive oil and the wine we got to taste.  I of course shipped as much as I could afford home to mom and dad and drank what I could while on the hills.  After lunch we took a hike through the vineyards, apple and pear trees.  I couldn't convey the beauty in the photographs alone, I hope you enjoy them.  

Tomorrow is Sienna so hold tight to your seats that is going to be another notch to add to my beautiful vista lists!  There will be many photos to come!  I hope to update you soon after my travels.

Ciao!

Time for Travel!

Okay boys and girls the end of the academic week is upon us and the travel bug has hit me.  I will be hitting two if not three magnificent places here in Toscana this weekend!  I have been brushing up on my Italiano and studying my maps!  Quite the task let me tell you.  Tomorrow is a guided tour to a wine vineyard in Chianti.  I know it sounds very Italian but really that's my day tomorrow in a nutshell.  Saturday following Chianti I am visiting Siena for it's magnificent views and glorious history.  I will have many pictures to show you all and hope to post a few blogs about my experiences amongst the cities.  Hold tight to your bike handles and come along for the ride because I am sure there will many adventures!  Ciao!

COOKING IN ITALY

Menu for my six cooking lessons in Firenze Italy:

Focaccia con cipolle Focaccia with Onions

Pasta e Ceci Pasta Soup with Chickpeas

Tacchino in Fricassea Turkey Fricassee

Fagiolini in Umido Stewed Green Beans

Crostat di More o Fichi Blackberry or Fig Torte

Peperoni Marinati Marinated Sweet Peppers

Tagliatelle ai Funghi Homemade Pasta w/ Mushroom Sauce

Coniglio Arrosto in pentola Roast Rabbit

Tiramisu' Tiramisu

Crostini Toscani Tuscan Pate'

Pappa al Pomodoro Tomato Bread Soup

Frittata di Porri e Zucchine Leek and Zucchini Fritta

Patate Arrosto Rosemary Potatoes

Biscotti di Prato Almond Cookies

Antipasto Siciliana  Sun-dried Tomato Spread

Risotto alle Zucchine Creamy Rice Dish with Zucchini

Petto di Pollo al Limone Lemon Chicken

Melanzane alla Parmigiana Eggplant Parmesan

Salame Dolce Sweet Fake salame

Torta di Ricotta e Spinaci Spinach and Ricotta Potpie

Spaghetti alla Carrettiera Spaghetti with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Involtini con Carciofo Artichoke Beef Rolls

Fagioli Toscanelli Tuscan White Beans

Macedonia di Frutta Fruit Salad with Lemon and Wine

Crocchette di Mozzarell Mozzarella Balls

Minestrone di Verdura  Vegetable Soup

Sogliola alla Fiorentina Sole with Spinach and White Sauce

Bignole all' Arancio Orange Cream Puffs

Spumante For a toast to the last meal!

this is a blurb from the menu I will be creating in my cooking classes while in Firenze!  I am sure to bring home all the recipes!!! Enjoy

Italy it is!

"Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.  Look at the sunny side of everything & make your optimism come true.  Think only of the best, work only for the best & expect only the best.  Forget the mistakes of the past & press on to the greater achievements of the future.  Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.  Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side as long as you are true to the best that is in you!"

Okay so it begins, well not really, it began like four days ago, but it begins the adventures in Italy.  It is Day 5 officially and I am already taking a day of rest.  I am enjoying my time here in Florence tremendously and very much excited to start classes tomorrow at school.  Everything you hear about Italy is absolutely true and so much more, the sites the narrow streets, the crazy drivers, the nuns walking down the streets, tiny tiny cars, bruschetta and espresso everywhere and of course sleazy Italian men.  To be honest it has not been so difficult to adjust to the culture here so far.  I have tried to not force anything and just let everything comes as it will since i've been here and I am envious of these Italians whom have lived their lives like this forever.  If it's not available today then hell with it, maybe tomorrow, and if not then either, it'll work out eventually.  I love that!!!  

so of course I have included some pic's so that I can get some of you off my back!  Please enjoy, there will be more to come for sure and many stories of adventures as well, already had so many but it's too early to organize my thoughts!  Ciao tutti!

HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY!

Yeah I get it, it's a big mighty mouse, but hell I have reason to sing in a deep voice like i am fronting the line of a great marching band...why you ask...because I got the gig! I got the cash flow, I got the luggage, I got it all and I am going officially, officially introduce to you the new and improved Ms. Italianooooooo!!!!! Yup you guessed it boys and girls, clean out your fridge, sock drawer and braid your hair because we are going to Italy!!!

I know it's been a bit, and hell have I been hearing it, but I'm back, i'm back and I'm bad, bad to the bone because hello I'm in Italy mode now, too much of a snob, hell---o I am Italian you know, like my whole family is, well like half, well like a quarter, whatever I know things and am excited to be busting my but over to good old Florence!

So let me recap a bit, due to my absent-tee-ness! So finals, yea yea yea blah blah blah, drained me from life. Literally cut off all communication with the outside world and hiberating in the flea infested library and studied by beegeezes brains out. everything went well and was successful, glad to hear yes i know (insert bowing noise here). So since my great departure from university I have been well, enjoying my summer.....NOT...I've been working. I don' t think it was until this past week that I had two days off in a row since finals! I dont' count time off for exams as time off, so let's just say maybe since christmas. So yea you can imagine what i didn't do on those two days. (run around like a crazy woman, making lists, reading as many non-educational fluff books, crosswording, making lists of playdates and dinner dates and shopping dates and target runs....I was doing all that I possibly could and then i passed out)

so needless to say it's been eventful. now I hope to color my italy 2010, sounds a little will & grace, "just jack" but yea color my blog with lists for packing, the incredible stock of macaroni I have to consume before I move and how to properly pack my life in just one month. it should be interesting I am sure. I hope to include all the photos, pending my new purchase of a brand spanking new camera I am sure (maybe the 'rents will follow thru) and will chronical as much if not everything possilbe in the great city abroad and my journey preparing to get there.

so until i get another five minutes to breathe, maybe later tonight, I worked the morning shift, then I will be in touch and hope to return with many stories about my adventures preparing for this journey. ENjoy the sunshine!!!