My Wonderful Weekend in Venice

                                                                         Venice, Italy

  This weekend my friends and I had a free weekend in Arezzo, so we decided to go to Venice! Venice is a city on the water! There are no streets for anyone to drive on, they get around by walking or using their boats on their many canals throughout the city!

   The first thing we had to do was look up train times to see what time we could leave for Venice. You do this by looking on the trenitalia schedule online. (https://www.lefrecce.it/B2CWeb/search.do?parameter=searchOutputViewer&cFID=mFuH3oMwblGd) They have multiple train stops in Venice so before we left we had to find out which one was closest to our hotel! Once we got into Venice we had to get a taxi to our hotel! It was hard finding a taxi for fourteen people, so we had to split up into four different taxis. 

  We stay in a hostel in Venice called Camping Village Jolly. A hostel is a type of cheap hotel that people use when they're traveling, sometimes a hostel can be unsafe so you must always research and look at the reviews before you book a hostel. Camp Jolly was very safe! They had different options for our stay, you could stay in a tent on the grounds that had bed, or you could stay in a small mobile home that had beds and a bathroom. 

  We had to take a public bus in order to get into the city center of Venice. The bus was super crowded and very hot! The bus dropped us off at Piazzale Roma which was about a thirty five minute walk to Piazza San Marco! We decided to get an all day pass on a water taxi that took us through the canals of Venice instead of walking! (http://www.venicewatertaxi.it/en/index.html)

(http://cruisebuzz.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/water-taxi-by-DislOck-580x385.jpg)

  We ended up going to the two islands off the coast of Venice called Murano and Burano! 
Murano is know as the glass island, because people who live on the island create glass blown items, and give glass blowing demonstrations. We were able to see a glass blowing demonstration. Seen below. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassblowing (here is more information on glass blowing) 

Burano is known as the color and lace island. Burano was full of colorful houses, the colors of the houses ranged from pink to green to blue to red, any color you could think of a house was painted that color! They also had beautiful lace pieces that were sale. Many individuals on Burano created the lace clothing items themselves and decided to sell them!

 To end our day three of my friends and I went on a gondola ride! Gondola rides are a must in Venice. A gondola is a small wooden boat that fits up to six people, and using the currents of the water and a Gondolier who steers the boat cruises you through the canals of Venice! It was so beautiful and the gondola ride we went on had someone who serenaded a group of gondolas with Italian songs! 

     
  

Caffe in Italia

Ciao! My name is Sterling and I am lover of all things coffee related. Back in America, I drink coffee every morning, brewed right at home. I usually drink it with flavored coffee creamer, milk, and a little bit of sugar. Sometimes I get ‘coffee’ type drinks from Starbucks. My favorite drink from there is a Mocha frappuccino, which actually just has espresso with sugar and mocha flavoring. So when I came here to Italy, I found quickly that coffee here is quite different!

My favorite thing to drink here now is a cappuccino. Bar Stefanos has my favorite cappuccino so far, and I get one every morning. Most cappuccinos are served with ⅓ espresso, ⅓ foamed milk, and ⅓ regular milk. Want to see how a cappuccino is made?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ao5b6uqI40

Now, a cafe is very different than a cappuccino. A cafe is just straight espresso. You can order is larger so there is more water and weaker, or possibly get a double shot to really wake you up! Here is what a typical espresso looks like here in Italy.

So how do I pay for my cappuccino? Do I sit and drink it like in America or down it and go? This article has some great tips of how we can try to blend in with the locals!

http://www.eurocheapo.com/blog/italian-coffee-culture.html

There are so many other types of coffees and drinks available at a Cafe that I wasn’t able to  cover all of them. This blog provides a wonderful list of other types of drinks you can order.

http://blog.studentsville.it/top-10-tips/everyday-life/10-types-of-italian-coffee-decoded-and-pronounced/

Sometimes designs are created using cinnamon or sugar. These designs can be leaves, hearts, flowers, or many other options! Baristas are very creative and use the cappuccino as their canvas. Here is a picture I took at the local Crepes De Lune.

I love coffee and am so excited I get to keep trying different flavors and types while here in Italy! Ciao!

Pisa

Pisa, Italy

( http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-55036/Pisa-Italy? )

   Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital city of the Provence of Pisa and is located slightly north of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

 

Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower (the bell tower of the city's cathedral). However, the population of Pisa is 89,940 residents. It contains more than 20 historic churches, several medieval palaces and various bridges across the River Arno.

( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisa ) 





This video gives more specific details about the Leaning Tower of Pisa
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pDtMb4KzHXc

Alongside the leaning tower of Pisa (bell tower), there are four additional historic sites which make up the Camp dei Miracoli or Piazza dei Miracoli which translates in English to the Field of Miracles.






The first building constructed at Campo dei Miracoli, Pisa, was the cathedral, or Duomo di Pisa, which rests on a white marble pavement and is an impressive example of Romanesque architecture.

The next building that was constructed was the baptistery just west of the dome.

 The last historic site in the Piazza dei Miracolis is the cemetery, Campo Santo.

" The Campo Santo,cemetery, is a gracefully elongated cloister enclosing a burial ground with earth reputedly brought back during the Crusades from Golgotha." ( http://www.towerofpisa.org/)

Young Adult Fashion in Arezzo!

When you hear "Italy", you might think of all the food and history, but you may also think of fashion.

Having studied abroad in France two years ago, I knew that the young adults were going to dress more chic than anything that I had in my closet. However, I knew three things going into it

1. Neutral colors
2. Not a lot of skin
3. Fashionable, but comfortable

And that is exactly what I have seen here in my time in Arezzo!

                                               !!TREND ALERT!!

           

Platform and Converse/Adidas shoes!

You can see these types of shoes anywhere and everywhere!

As you can already see in a lot of the pictures, black is probably the most common colour worn. While the main colour is black, Italians do like to add a pop of colour here and there to accentuate the outfit.    

                      

                    

One of the things that I found interesting about Italian fashion is that everyone's outfits are really nice, but then they wear walking/tennis shoes with these nicer clothes. I guess it is just because of all the walking that is done around the town or that Arezzo is very hilly. The only time I saw heels was on the weekend when people were out to the bars and discotheques!

Well that is all for now!

Ciao bellas!

Hotel Cecco

HOTEL CECCO

 So let me show you a little of where we get to stay in Arezzo, Italy!

 When you first arrive in Arezzo and if you take the bus or train station you will head north on Corso Italia (this is the oldest street in Arezzo! Click here for a virtual tour). You will happen upon Hotel Cecco in no time and you will see the hotel street entrance just like the picture.

 You will be greeted with a "Ciao!" from the family that runs Cecco, then be handed a room key. Here they use actual keys rather than the electronic key cards you may be used to.

This is a typical room inside the hotel with two twin size beds. However some can come with a only one or even up to four beds. The rooms also have variety of dresser sizes and even really big wardrobes where you can hang up clothes too! Every room has a window, but my room even has a beautiful balcony that overlooks the street! 

The bathrooms are all really nice! They all even come with a small hairdryer. The showers are a little bit small, but work out for our short stay.

Overall I love where we get to stay in Arezzo. It is a great location, surrounded by food and shopping stores (there's multiple gelato places super close). We are also very close to the train station, making it easy to get to when we want to take trips. If you would like to find our hotel and see everything around us click the link below!

Google Maps to Hotel 

Here is another link to Hotel Cecco's own website

Link to the Hotel website 

Would you want to come stay with us here too!?

Picture Credits:

http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/cecco.it.html

A Day In Cortona, Italy

A Fun Day in Cortona, Italy!

     The University of Oklahoma set up a day trip to Cortona, Italy on Sunday, May 22. This was open to anyone who was interested in going. A few friends and I decided we wanted to go spend the day together in Cortona. Here is the breath taking view we got to see for the entire day. Cortona is known for their country side. Watch this short video that I took to get a feel of how beautiful Cortona truly is. 

     Many years ago the movie Under the Tuscan Sun was shot in Cortona, Italy. I watched this movie with my mom right before I left for Italy. This movie prepared me for what all I could see in a day when visiting Cortona. The movie captures the country side and all the amazing buildings in Cortona. Here is the movie trailer for Under the Tuscan Sun. Watch it now to see all the beautiful opportunities that you could experience one day in Cortona. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdJGMZDY0-8

     My friends and I met up with the University of Oklahoma and the other programs that they offered in Arezzo at the train station around 9:15 AM. We purchased our train tickets then we went to track 3 to catch the train. We had to go underground to get to track 3 from the side that we were originally on. Before getting on the train do not forget to validate your train ticket. Here is a link to walk you through the process of validating a train ticket.  https://www.italiarail.com/italiarail-faq. Scroll down to where it says, "What does it mean to validate a pass or ticket?" It will explain the steps you need to go through when validating a train ticket.

 Boomer and President Boren are off to Cortona for the day! 

     We then waited a few minutes for the train then we hopped on and we were on our way to Cortona. The train ride was about 20 minutes from Arezzo, Italy. Once getting to Cortona we took a taxi to get up the hill. The taxi was around 15 euro for all 8 of us. Here is a link with numbers to call when you may need to call a taxi in Cortona. http://www.cortonaweb.net/it/cosa-fare/27-tour-e-attivita/428-tuscan-private-driver?gclid=CIe7gNWI8MwCFQ5mGwodDp4P7w. Once getting up the hill to the city of Cortona there was a look out spot to see the beautiful country side view. My friends and I took lots of photos from this look out spot. Here is one of the photos. 

          After taking many pictures and looking at the view we walked around the city of Cortona, Italy. There was an Antique Fair going on while we were there. It was fun to sort through all of the beautiful antiques. 

      Cortona is known for their Palazzo Del Consiglio Comunale. Here is a link to learn more about the history of this building and it's significance to Cortona. http://www.cortonaweb.net/en/history/14-cortona-civic-palaces. After walking around we of course enjoyed lunch by the view and had gelato afterwards. It was yummy and cute!! 

We had a wonderful time in Cortona, Italy!! 

I would suggest you go someday too!! 

Tuscany's Wild Boars

Ciao! My name is Kelly Ewing and I am a senior at the University of Oklahoma. The state I was born in was Virginia, but I grew up in Edmond, Oklahoma. I am studying Early Childhood Education and I have a minor in International Studies. My passion is to work with children overseas. Currently, I have been investing these past 4 years in Kenya, Africa where I have travelled to 5 different times. In Kenya I volunteer my time with a local NGO from Oklahoma. Besides working with children and primary schools in Kenya, I have volunteered in an after-school program in a local slum near Pune, India. It is my desire to teach abroad and that is how I ended up with this program in Italy. My goal is to experience different cultures, observe various schools and teaching approaches across the globe, and learn about the global community. Traveling to Italy with OU's College of Education was the perfect opportunity for me!

TUSCANY'S WILD BOARS

Here in the Tuscany region, there are many wild boars. There are so many wild boars, or cinghiales, in this region that the boar has become a local emblem and an national dish. Wild boar meat is very popular in the Tuscan region. This dish is called the Pappardelle Cinghiale. 

(Pappardelle pasta)

Although there are many cinghiales in the Tuscan region, they will not be found roaming Arezzo's streets. These wild boars are most commonly found along Tuscany's countryside and at dusk. Where you can find wild boars in Arezzo are within the tourists shops. There many stuffed animals, postcards, magnets, pens, paintings, etc. with wild boars represented on them. Hunting wild boar in the Tuscan region is a very common hobby and passion for Italian's. Although it varies from year to year, the season for hunting wild boar spans from September to January or February.

In Florence, Italy there is a bronze statue of a wild boar done by the artist Pietro Tacca (1577 - 1640). This statue is called the Porcellino, or piglet, and it has become a tourist attraction. Visitors to Porcellino will place a coin inside the boar's jaws and rub it's snout for good luck. Because of this tradition, the snout of the boar is constantly being polished and shined. You can see in the image above that the pig's snout is gold while the rest of the color on it's body has become dull. So, if you are ever visiting Florence you now know you will need to stop by the Porcellino statue and rub it's snout for good fortune! 

Photo Sources:

Porcellino Fountain

Pappardelle Pasta

Wild Boar

For more information:

Article on The Porcellino Statue 

Article on Tuscan's Wild Boars

Recipe for Pappardelle Cinghiale

Words in Italian!

Ciao! or Hello!

Italy is beautiful! Whether it is the land, the towns, the food, or even the language! 

Italian is a very romantic language. It is actually called a 'Romance language' because Italian was formed from Latin, which was the language of the Romans long, long ago. It is also a very smooth and beautiful language. In Arezzo, there are thousands of people speaking Italian all the time. There are some who know English, but we still need to know some Italian words! Especially when we are trying to order food. One of my favorite dishes that I have gotten here in Arezzo is: Tortellini con Prosciutto, Crossanti, y acqua Naturale. ....in english please?? This translates to: Tortellini with Prosciutto, Crossanti, and Natural water. 

^^This is a picture of the meal. The Crossanti is like an appetizer. It is toasted bread with different spreads on top! They were delicious!! Prosciutto is Italian dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked. You also have to asked for "Acqua Naturale" which is natural water. They serve natural and fizzy/bubbly water, and I don't like fizzy water so i ask for the natural water. 

(Link to image: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/37/13/f3/3713f366046128b4ddb0baff9dd07e82.jpg) 

This is an image of some other food that you might find in Italy! P.S the gelato is amazing! 

So what if you what to take a trip from Arezzo to Florence? Well, the easiest way it to go bay train. If you want to know where the train station is you would need to ask someone: "dove si trova la stazione ferroviaria?"

Here are two videos explaining the process and translating the Italian words into English: 

This website will give you important phrases and words that you will need to know when going to train station. It also has a recording of each saying so you can hear how the sentence is pronounced! 

https://www.italiarail.com/important-phrases-italian-train-travel 

Another important phrase to know is "Quanto Costa?" This translates to: How much does ___cost? The seller will then tell you how many Euros it costs. "Euros" in Italy are like "Dollars" in America. It is their form of money.

If you were wanting to buy some pizza the conversation would be:

You: "Quanto costa la pizza?" --> how much does the pizza cost?

Seller: "Tre euro" --> three euros 

You: "Due fette si prega" --> two slices please

You: "Grazie"--> thank you 

Seller: "Prego" --> you're welcome 

It is important to let people know how you are feeling. For example, if you are tired or sick you need to be able to let someone know so they can help you. This is a list of descriptors that would be useful when describing your feelings to someone.  

"Love" --> "amore"

"Hate" -->  "odio" 

"Worried" --> "preoccupato"

"Angry" --> "arrabbiato" 

"Sad" --> "triste" 

"Afraid" --> "impaurito" 

"Happy" --> "felice" 

"Bored" --> "annoiato"

"Tired" --> "stanco" 

"Beautiful" --> "bello" 

"Sick" --> "malato" 

It can be difficult going to a new country not knowing the language. While some people know English not all of them do. It is important to try and learn the language or at least some basic words of the langauge. If you are interested in learning more about Italian this link will show you some basic words: http://www.langage.com/vocabulaire/learn_italian.htm

Also, If you ever need help translating English to Italian or Italian to English, go to: https://translate.google.com/  

CIAO! or BYE! 

How to write/mail a postcard:

How to write/mail a postcard in Italy:

After being in Italy I have found that the process of mailing a postcard in Italy is a little different compared to mailing a postcard in the United States. In the United States you can either go to the post office and drop the letter in the outgoing mail box, or you can drop the postcard in any outgoing mailbox anywhere. In the United States there are mailboxes located in many different areas, rather than just at the post office. I have found that when you are in Italy trying to mail a postcard, you have to take it to the post office for it to be mailed. The process of mailing a postcard in Italy is easy.  Once you have found a fun postcard that you want to send, the process of writing and mailing the postcard is a very fun experience. Below is the process of how to write/mail a postcard.

Tips:
-Cost = Around 50c
-How to say "How much does it cost?" - quanto costa
                     "I want to mail a letter" - voglio spedire una lettera

1st:
The first thing you need to do is go to a shop and find a postcard that you would like to send to a family/friend.
For example..
Boomer wants to send a postcard from Italy to a friend at Oklahoma. Boomer chose this postcard to send to his friend David L. Boren.

2nd:
Once you have a postcard, you will write your message to your family/friend.

3rd:
You will need to write their address on the right side of the postcard like shown below.

4th:
Get a stamp! Place it on the top right hand corner.

5th:
Go to a post office and put the postcard in the box that says outgoing mail like shown below.

Boomer is on his way to mail his postcard to DavidL. Boren.

Here are some tips on how to write a great postcard to your family/friend.
http://m.wikihow.com/Write-a-Postcard

Below is a link to a website that shares some interesting facts about how postcards have changed throughout the years.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postcard.

This is the route Boomer’s postcard will travel all the way to David L. Boren in Oklahoma.
http://geology.com/world/world-map.shtml