some pictures!

hey hey

so I made a Florence album on Picasa...but for some reason the school wont really let me download the full version of Picasa and I have to do the slow uploader thingy...so I have just picked some of my favorites so far! Hopefully I will get other albums up from the other amazing places I have been but for now here is the link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/laura.mohead/Florence

And there is also a link down on the side with my other links!!
Enjoy!

"...a gastronomic tour of Italy" and the Duomo!

So my I am loving my classes! My Food of Italy class is totally a cooking class! I didn't really know what to expect going into the class just based on the description. But when I located my "classroom" I walked into a fully stocked kitchen and was quite pleased! My teachers name is Stefano and he is the nicest, cutest Italian man...he seems very dad-like. There are only 7 people in my class so it is great! On the first day we had a lecture about the olive oil that is grown in different regions of Italy. We tasted different kinds then made 3 different dishes with olive oil (including a yummy pasta that I recreated for my roomie and myself last night!) Yesterday for class we went on a tour of the neighborhood and tasted different things from different places. Stefano is a Florentine so he basically knew everyone everywhere we went! It is soo great! Oh and my textbook for the class is basically a cook book!! I am so happy and I cannot wait to learn all the other stuff about different Italian dishes! Don't worry, I will cook for everyone I can as much as possible when I get home! This is going to be so much fun!

Today in between classes I went with 3 other friends to the Duomo and we climbed up the dome!! We went up 463 stairs, inside the dome, then out to the top and had a breathtaking panoramic view of the city!! It was so cool!! I did feel slightly claustrophobic in the tiny spiral stairway, but it was totally worth it once we made it all the way to the top. Here are a few pictures of that adventure:

street level view of the duomo! it is a beautiful cathedral that was the biggest church in christianity before st. peter's was built!

this is the tiny spiral stairway!! ahh!

view out of one of the tiny windows on the climb up!

that is a loooong way down!!

FLORENCE!! OK i took a whole lot like these up there, but I will spare you! haha

the very very top!

me on the top of the Duomo!

climbing...

my name written on the wall!! I promise it was already there!

rainy...

today was my first day of class...I am in between classes right now, actually I am about to go to my second class really soon! But I am in the school's internet place and just thought I would do a quick post!
It has been raining all morning...and I guess I can deal with it, because I am in Italy..but it sucks! haha it is not just rain. it is hard, cold rain! But it is still much better than being hot! So I am ok with it. But I went to class without anything, and then it started after we were in class. So I bought an umbrella on the street and ran back to my apartment after class. I was quite proud of myself also today because I went to the Duomo all alone to meet up with Jananna and Kelly (friends from UTC that are backpacking through Europe!) It was really great to see people from home!! We got lunch and visited for a while.
Then my friend Anna Margaret and I went on a quest to find our textbook for our class. There was one specific store we were instructed to go, so we were searching with the map, in the rain, throughout the streets of Florence. We finally found it and got out book!
Oh yeah, the thing about cobblestone streets in the rain, they puddle up...everywhere! So my toes are basically icicles right now...but it is OK! haha
Well off to my last class of the day and then a Lorenzo de Medici (my school) welcome dinner!! Yay for free food!!

Wonderful Weekend!

WOW!
Italy is seriously amazing...but I have been running around and packing as much as possible into each day that I am exhausted!! This weekend was great though! Yesterday a group of girls and I took the train to Pisa! It was my first train ride ever and I was quite excited!!
Pisa was beautiful. It was a much calmer and seemed to be less touristy city. It was crowded around the tower and Miralce Square but after we explored there for a while, we wandered other streets and it was so fun! The tower was in fact, still leaning and I realy was impressed with it!
While we were wandering the streets and checking otu shops, etc. we passed a street vendor that had several brightly colored carved animals. I spotted a really cute little owl and was pumped! I asked the vendor how much. He told me 12 euro...I said No grazie and walked on...he quickly told me he could drop to 10 and I still said No! He asked how much I had and I lied and told him I only had 5 euro. He quickly put the owl in a bag, handed it to me and said OK 5! I sheepishly pulled out my 10 euro bill, reminded him he said 5, we both laughed and he gave me change for the owl!! I was soo excited about my first heckling purchase! My friends were impressed too! haha
Today we went to an English speaking church and it was exactly what I needed! It was such an amazing diverse congregation! I loved it! The church itself was so pretty! The time during the service where we recited the Lord's Prayer was particularly special. Everyone spoke the prayer in their native language, and I was just completely moved! I felt God so much at the moment in that amazing church with so many people with different backgrounds and stories. It was quite refreshing!
Speaking of refreshing, it rained today and we really needed it! It helped cool things down a lot!
We went to a soccer game this afternoon too!! It rained on us for a little while, but eventually let up! The game was soo great!! THe fans here are so intense!!
AHH ok, the internet cafe card i have just told me i only have 5 minutes left so I am going to have to close...
but I will post again soon with more details and pictures!!
Oh yeah class starts tomorrow and I am really excited!!
Ciao!!

Fotos!

WOO HOO!! I think I am going to be able to put up a few pictures...just for the record, I have already taken a TON of pictures...like 500...hahaha but I haven't gone through and deleted any yet...and I have about 100 of just random Italian streets that I could probably delete! but I am still doing all of this via internet cafe so I am not going to put up that many.

this was my first gelato in Italy! My roomie and I went strolling through Rome after we napped at the hotel after our flight.

This is the beautiful sunset over Rome as we were walking around after dinner the first night there!

This is the Pantheon...very impressive!!!

This is me in front of the Trevi Fountain!!! haha just had to throw one of these in there...don't worry, I pretty much have a picture like this in front of every important spot in Italy so far!

The very massive, beautiful, historical, and in another country (the Vatican), St. Peter's Basilica!! I have so many more of this and inside too...

Just one shot from inside the Basilica...so pretty!!

Beth and me trying out the Mouth of Truth...I was so excited to find this!! We went on a an adventure on our own (and a few other girls) with a map of the city!

This is my side of our AH-MAZING apartment in Florence!! We really lucked out! It is newly renovated and soooo nice!

The rest of our apartment...and Beth checking out the sweet view! haha

And here is the view from my apartment! It overlooks this cute square with the Mercato Centrale right next door!! We already ate at one of those little places down there!

OK that is all I am putting up for now...because this computer is really slow and I am really tired!! But I hope these give you a little better idea of what my life has been like this past week!! AMAZING!! I love it here! and I love taking pictures haha

OK...update so far!

Well like I said I made it to Florence and I love it so far! We got a walking tour of the city today and it is great! Our lovely tour guide, Francessca, told us many helpful hints about the city. We found many important landmarks as well as our school. We had a LDM orientation today and I feel a lot more informed about the school and classes! Our classes start Monday and we will be with several other American and International students not necessarily with API. I am excited I will have the chance to get to know more peopel!!
Florence is a lot smaller than Rome, but still quite busy! When we were entering the city yesterday one of the API staff members, Ellen, said "I hope you like Florence, it is a really small town...like 500,000 people." That's not quite so small to me!!! And she also said that there are around 90,000 scooters in the city!! haha I totally believe it and I have only been here one day!! The historical center is mostly closed to cars and busses but the scooters still make their way into the streets! You always have to be aware of what is speeding up beside you!
I am really enjoying the people I have met and been spending time with. The girls that I hang out with are a lot like me so we all enjoy our time together. Rome was amazing. The second day of touring we went to the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica. We had a tour guide named Fabrizio and he was great! We walked all over the Vatican and then to Castel Sant' Angelo. These were both so amazing!! Words cannont describe how impreseive the St. Peter's was...wow!
After our organized tours, we had free time in the afternoon and some other girls and I went exploring Rome. I really wanted to find the Mouth of Truth, and that started our 4 hour adventure around the city! We found it and I took many fun pictures! Along our way we also stumbled upon many other great sights. We continued around the city towards the Spanish Steps and again, took many memorable pictures (that I sadly haven't been able to upload, even though we got a tour of the city today including the site of the API office and the Lorenzo de' Medici school, both where we were promised internet access, but found out not until MONDAY!! haha) We wandered through streets and alleys with our one little map of Rome. I was quite proud of ourselves for navigating the city all alone!! There were several highlights of the Roma tour...one in particular that I was completely happy about was that while we were on our way to find the Mouth of Truth we ran into a couple that was from Memphis!! They were chaperoning their daughter's senior trip, but they too were looking for the Mouth of Truth!! So we walked most of the way with them, had great conversation, I told them where I was from, and we tried to find connections we had! It was so cool so hear a little about home so far away!!
Also on the walking adventure I was nearly decapitated by a pigeon...It was scary...We were just walking along a flock swooped by and I just happened to duck in time before a crazy bird hit me in the face!!! Some of the other girls were impressed with my reflexes, but I then explained my fear of birds. It was funny, but at the same time not, because the pigeon was really close to my head!! I literally felt the wings brush against my face!! AHH!!! yes...there are lots of pigeons in the cities here. i do not like it. my friend jean said maybe i will conquor my fear of birds while I am here...I'm not so sure! haha
tonight i had dinner at a great little Trattoria right across from my apartment...it was a lot of fun and I had some great bonding time with my roommate Beth. Everything is just so great right now! I am really loving Italy!
Tomorrow we go on our first excursion on our day trip of touring Tuscany! We will go to Siena then on our way back we will stop in a village and get a tour of an olive oil mill!! I am so excited!! We will get taste the olive oil and everything!! It should be pretty interesting!
OK...I guess I am going to go for now! I hope you all are doing great and I will talk to you soon!
Ciao!

Firenze!

i made it to the wonderful Florence today! i don't have long right now, so i will do a more complete post tomorrow hopefully!
our apartment is beyond AMAZING!! it was newly renovated so everything is nice and new and clean and fresh! and there are 3 bathrooms for 6 girls! and our kitchen is huge and all brand new appliances! and we have a good size common area! and my roomie and i drew the biggest room! and when i say big i mean huge!! and our window overlooks the busy piazza del mercato centrale...one of the fun markets here. i can literally look out and see scattered ristorantes and random shops...the only thing i would change would be to get a screen for our big window to keep out the vicious pigeons. thats all. but we had a beautiful dinner tonight after our orientation from API on a terrace that overlooked the city. it was so perfect!! i am making great friends with some girls here! tomorrow we get a walking tour of florence and then another orientation for the school!
i am tired and slightly dirty from being all sweaty moving in...yes it is hot here and even though we are on the "first floor" we have to go up 4 flights of stairs to get to our apartments!
so for now i am done and more than likely tomorrow i will be able to upload pictures at the API office!!
bueno sera!
(it is close to 11:00 p.m. here!)
(bueno sera means good night)

"When in Rome..."

Well I've spent a very full day in Rome walking, taking TONS of pictures, learning history, and having fun with new people! Today we went on a walking tour of historical Rome...and we did some serious walking! We went to the Piazza Navona, saw the Trevi Fountain (and yes I tossed a coin in it so I will come back to the city, 2 coins in fact) the Pantheon, and many many more buildings that I took pictures of. Then we got on the bus and went to the Coleseum...wow! It was so awesome to see ruins of these buildings that are THOUSANDS of years old!! After the Coleseum we went on a bus tour to see many more places in the city. Rome is so much bigger than I was thinking for some reason! It is a beautiful place, full of life, and people. I am amazed at just how close the cars get to each other and the crazy Vespas get to hitting pedestrians! I'm learning to fear the annoying buzz of an approaching Vespa! I am still recovering from jet lag I think and took a nice nap this afternoon! The hotel is pretty nice and there are three of us staying in the room. We have an awesome view of a little back alley with a cathedal at the end! I am in an internet cafe currently and am about to go out to dinner with some friends! I will be in Rome tomorrow then head to Florence on Wednesday to get settled in!!

OK I tried to get pictures off my camera but I can't do it here at the cafe...hopefully I will get some up in Florence!! Get ready, because there are some fun ones!
And I hope everyone realized the Anchorman reference for me naming this post...and yes I have already said it outloud and lauged at myself!! I AM IN ROME!! amazing...that's all

oh yeah, and sorry if things are mispelled...I clicked the spell check button and everything was highlighted because it was checking in Italian...oh well, "When in Rome!" haha

tomorrow!!!

OK. So i leave tomorrow. I fly out of Memphis at 12 then to Atlanta then to Rome!! A 10 hour flight across the ocean. I'm kinda freaking out about the packing and the flying. I've never had to pack for this long. I know I'm going to forget something important. What shoes do i bring!!??
Please keep me and my travels in your prayers...I don't do well with flying. Found this verse though and what perfect timing:

"This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Joshua 1:9

Are there lightning bugs in Italy?

I am leaving for my month(ish) long stay in Italy in less than a week. Next Saturday to be specific. It will be my first time flying alone and it is a loooong flight across the globe. I will be taking two classes at The Lorenzo De'Medici School in Florence and will stay in an apartment off campus with 5 other girls. There are roughly 100 other American students in my program, and I do not know anyone, and I'm OK with that.
At this point I am beyond excited about everything! But I have so many questions about so many things...Am I going to make friends fast? What if I get lost in the airport? Are my classes going to be ridiculously hard? Will my apartment be air conditioned? Am I going to get lost in the many unfamiliar streets and alleys? What do I do if I get sick? Am I going to be wired on espresso? What clothes am I going to bring? Where will I wash my clothes? What if all my clothes get lost on the flight over? What if I get stuck by someone who doesn't speak English on the plane? Am I going to have time to just explore? Will I meet the Italian man of my dreams? Am I going to be able to figure out the currency? Will it be really really hot? How much time am I going to actually spend studying? Will I gain lots of weight from all the wonderful food? Am I going to lose lots of weight from walking and sweating everywhere? What kinds of people am I going to meet? Will I learn the language and be able to communicate? Will I have enough room in my suitcase to bring new stuff back? What if I get kidnapped by a family of gypsies? What time will I get up in the mornings? How late will I stay up at night? How much will I be completely on my own? Will I acquire the taste of wine?
Is Florence going to be as wonderful as I'm hoping? Am I going to be taken away by the beauty of the country? How will I interact with all these new people from all over the world? Will God teach me things about myself that I never knew? Where will this adventure lead me? Will I have the courage to really do this? What if I want to stay? Are there lightning bugs in Italy?