VACATION! Budapest, Vienna, Prague

At the beginning of February, I finally got out of Florence for a real vacation!  It was a very welcome break from being very busy at work.  I flew into Budapest and met Tamarin there.  It was great to see her. We spent two days in Budapest, took the train to Vienna for 2 days there, and then took the train to Prague for another 2 days.  We saw a lot of beautiful and historical things and learned some important history – such as who Sisi is, Maria was a popular name, Budapest was part of the USSR, and a little about all the kings and their constantly changing empires.  The weather was a little cold but we got used to putting on the thermals, the coat, the gloves, scarf and hat every morning and it was worth it to see it in the winter with less people and great ambiance.

		Budapest VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Budapest was by far my favorite city.  It was absolutely enchanting – and a little Disneylike, especially with all the lights at night. We visited the market, the castle, the Parliament, the House of Terror, the Old Bridge, took a Danube cruise, and walked most of the town. It snowed the first day, but that just added to the beauty.  The second day we spend a magnificent afternoon at the Szechenyi thermal baths – with indoor/outdoor baths of various temperature, water jets and sauna. It was heavenly!  
Vienna was our next stop.  It was a town with some pretty architecture and lots of history.  We saw the Schombrunn and Hofburg palaces, learned that Sisi is to Austria what Sound of Music is to Americans, watched the disciples come out of the clock, and saw a concert at the Orangery where Mozart performed. 

		Prague VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Prague was also beautiful – if I hadn’t been to Budapest first I would have been very impressed.  The river with the castle situated on the hill and the wide streets with beautiful buildings and churches and the famous Charles Bridge were great.  We saw an unusual Black light show and ate the best food.  All in all, it was a fantastic vacation!

A New Year! Welcome 2011!

Christmas VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Buon Anno!  It’s amazing that another year has somehow passed in an amazingly short amount of time (I’m sure it was much less than 365 days).  I am looking forward to a new year and to a new opportunity to accomplish good things, learn and experience new things, and enjoy the many things that will come to pass.  (Picture note: not Laura’s house but hers is just as cute, it was Laura’s b-day the 26th, and look how amazing our Christmas table and dinner was).
I had a great Christmas and New Year’s.  For Christmas I visited Laura and her family in Sweden.  They were super nice, as always, and I enjoyed playing with her kids, eating lots of good food, seeing snow every day, learning about and appreciating Swedish traditions, and being with such a great friend that I have known forever.  Thanks a lot Laura – it meant a lot to me to be with good friends at Christmastime and to be so welcome.  I missed my family and missed being able to see them and to be with them but this was a very good second.   

The Koch’s VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I went into Stockholm one day and braved the cold and snow to visit the Skansen – a park/zoo that has old buildings and is modelled after an old Swedish 1800s town.  It was beautiful and there were lots of Christmas displays.  Some Swedish Christmas traditions – gingerbread cookies (mmmm), pigs, mandarins, stars, candle-lights in every window, gnomes.  Even though it was only light for about 6 hours during the day – with all the Christmas house and window lights and street lights, it almost seemed brighter and night with the glow and reflection off of the snow.  I don’t know – maybe I could live in the snow (it is beautiful and even better when you rarely have to leave the house). 

I flew back to Florence on New Year’s Eve and welcomed in the New Year with friends here.  There were lots of fireworks and firecrackers and a huge mass of people converged at the station to watch and hear the band.  My friend lives right next to the station so we got to watch it all from her balcony and stay safe from all the crazy firework maniacs.  We ate lots of good food, dances and had a good time.
So welcome 2011!  It should be a good year with good friends, travel, teaching, and lots of new things to learn and experience. 

LET IT SNOW!!

Che bella la neve!!  It snowed here in Florence last Friday!  And not just a little bit – it snowed for about 6 hours starting at 1PM.  Even though the paper the day before forecast snow, everyone here obviously didn’t believe the weathermen (they usually are wrong).  But this time they were right – snow and lots of it!!  It was beautiful! I dressed for the weather with my thermals and brought along my camera just in case – and sure enough, it was a sight to see.  It started snowing just as I left school to walk to the bus stop and wait for the bus to the business school on the outskirts of town.  After waiting a while and watching only one bus pass at about 5 mph, I called the secretary and she said they were going to cancel school or we would never be able to get back to the center after class and the students needed to get home as soon as possible.  So I took a stroll around the center and enjoyed the beautiful snow, watching people walking their scooters home or waiting hopefully for a bus that wasn’t going to come, and watching the snowball fights that ensued.  I moved up my last lesson so I finished at 5 – still snowing – and walked home.  Since I usually walk to and from school it was nothing special but it was a little slower going with all the snow coming down pretty hard, plus the occasional stops to enjoy how beautiful Florence is when covered with snow.  The main streets were a mess as everyone was trying to get home somehow, cars were sliding, buses just pulled over and stopped on the side of the road, and lots of people walking.  It’s incredible how a little snow can immobilize an entire city and all of Tuscany!

		SNOW!! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

      Today is Sunday and there is still snow on the ground.  It snowed about a foot – which seems like a little – but you would think a blizzard hit because everyone is kind of hunkered down and it’s still difficult to get anywhere.  About half the buses are running now but school was cancelled yesterday and tomorrow, our Christmas concert tonight was cancelled and the other branch cancelled church entirely this morning (although we, however, had church as usual with about half the people).  It may seem strange, but it hasn’t snowed like this in at least 5 years, and it has been cold enough that everything has turned to ice (amazingly I only fell once walking home from church today).  There are NO snow plows and few people have chains to drive around – but finally something that the motorinos can’t drive through.  Those who live out in the country and hills are better off staying at home than trying to drive their cars on these roads.  It was warm enough today to melt about half the snow but it will probably just make more ice tonight, although it is supposed to rain.  It is suppsed to warm up in the next couple of days and just rain.  As long as all the airports reopen and I make it to Sweden on Friday (cross your fingers).
It has been a fun weekend – a good reason to stay at home and make 20 dozen sugar, gingerbread and chocolate chip cookies (to give away at church).  It ALMOST made me want to live in the snow – but I’m sure I’ll get my fill in Sweden and then be happy not to have to walk in it every day.  Although, I have preferred this freezing cold to the 2 months of endless rain we had before.  But now it really seems like Christmas with the snow!!  I have been missing all things familiar that make up the American Christmas but this has helped..  Merry Christmas!!

BUON Natale!

Christmas is really the best time of year here in Florence!  There are lights strung up all over town – stars, fleur-de-lys, trees, balls, ceilings of lights.  The German market is in town with great food, and fun gifts and booths.  And of course it’s hot chocolate and christmas cookie season!!  I have been on the hunt for molasses and a gingerbread cookie cutter and I am determined to make some gingerbread men!  Who knew cookie cutters could be so priceless? 
I am SO excited for a little Christmas break – although it will only be about 10 days – it will be nice to not have to explain grammar for at least that long.  I have been super busy lately and I think I’ve worked every Saturday for at least 2 months.  At least, this Wednesday was a holiday and I finally got out of Florence for a visit to Siena to see the lights and the festivities.

		Siena VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

   I’m going to Sweden to visit Laura and her family for Christmas and I am excited – should be lots of fun, although maybe just a little cold . 
Buon Natale!  Enjoy those christmas cookies, candy canes, See’s candies, and every sugar-filled American treat!

		Firenze Natale VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Il Giorno del Ringraziamento aka Thanksgiving

I promised my roommates at the beginning of November that if they bought a turkey I would cook them Thanksgiving dinner.  Not that I have ever made a whole Thanksgiving dinner (I usually stick to pies) but I figured it would be a challenge and they were curious to try all the American food.  So I spent a lot of time searching for ingredients here and planning what I could make.  I had to skip the cranberries because you just can’t find them here, the yams mostly because I don’t really like them anyways and without the mini-marshmallows to pick off there’s really no point, and grandma’s jello because there is pretty much none of those ingredients to be found..
But the dinner was a huge success!!  I thought it was all great – everything tasted amazing and came out just right.  Even the turkey which had to be cooked in two separate 2 hour time frames since no one was home for the entire four hours in the afternoon to watch it.  Titti went to the market and came home with a 6 kilo bird (like 13 pounds) freshly slaughtered with some of the feathers still on.  I can’t say that I have ever cooked a turkey but I slathered it with some olive oil, rosemary and thyme and covered the skin with salt, put it in a pan and put it in the oven.  Everyone laughed at me when I asked about finding a meat thermometer because they apparently don’t exist here – so we just trusted the four-hour time frame and it came out perfect. 
Since I had to work until 8 the night before and then the whole Thursday afternoon – I ended up staying up really late and getting up really early but managed to get everything done.  I must point out that EVERYTHING was homemade from scratch – even the pumpkin pie made from a real pumpkin (so much better than from a can!).  I made rolls, stuffing, apple pie, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy and a turkey – most of which I have never done before.  We invited over our friends Erica, Gabriele and Leticia and had a great time eating and talking.  And I tried to explain all about the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving  - at least I think they got the point.  We all reflected on our many blessings and the things that we have to be thankful for (especially such good friends).  It was a day that lived up to its name.                                                                                                                     
“Quando camminiamo con uno spirito di Gratitudine questo attirera` su di noi le benedizioni del cielo".”  President Monson                                    In my translation: When we walk with a spirit of gratitude this will bring upon us the blessings of heaven.