Morocco, Africa -- A Weekend I'll Never Forget

To attempt to put this past weekend into words is impossible because I simply can not.

My program includes a four-day trip to Morocco, Africa. This trip is something that I've been looking forward to the whole semester so we were pretty pumped to go.

7 a.m. Thursday morning, 28 of us hopped on a bus to the Port of Tarifa, the southernmost part of Spain, to catch the Ferry to Tangier, Morocco. We then met our leader for the rest of the weekend--Allen, a middle-aged man who is one of the head honchos for Morocco Exchange (the program we went through). Allen lives in Madrid and has been taking students to Morocco for the last 9 years. Allen was a character to say the least.

So Allen is taking 28 females to Morocco...obviously he whips out a "Snack bag" within the first five minutes we get onto the Ferry. It's full of cookies, chocolate, chips and all sorts of junk--definitely his scheme to keep us happy and quiet for a while (worked for me). Minutes after everyone devours the snack bag, we embark on the ROUGHEST 45 minute ferry imaginable. People were puking everywhere. Meanwhile, I am taking some videos and dying laughing at this scenario. It was like a bad scene from a movie. We finally got to Tangier and settled into a 15 passenger van which would be our travel means for the next three days. The trip was planned PERFECTLY. We would spend time in one city, then drive the van around to different locations and through the countryside to another village or city. It was the best way to see as much as we could in the short amount of time there.

First, we went to the Darna Center for Girls in Tangier. It was basically a place that provides safe and stable temporary daytime communal learning environments, with an education in job skills. This was our first interaction with Moroccan people. We met two girls and a guy who were roughly our age. Over lunch we had a discussion about our different cultures. It was pretty incredible. They also spoke beautiful English. One girl, Nora, wore her jibab covering her hair and we asked her why she wore it. She responded that it was something personal to her and her way to be modest and preserve her beauty. That when she meets a guy they like her for who she is and not for what she looks like. I thought that was outstanding. They basically told us about their lives in general and how they pray a lot. Mostly the men go to the Mosque to pray because if the women go, they stay to the back because they may distract the man's mind and he needs to be completely focused on his prayer. Also, they can't really date, only in private. Girls don't really go to bars or drink at all in their Muslim culture. This was our first time trying their mint tea which was delicious but SO sugary. They love sweet things and have one of the highest rates of diabetes. They even eat their desserts first sometimes (which I believe is the right way to do it).

We then rode some camels. Unfortunately it was in the middle of a monsoon so it was only for a short time but it was really fun. We walked around another city with a lot of cool street art. After, we took our bus over to the capital city of Rebat. Oh yeah and not only did I drink one glass of the tap water that you aren't supposed to drink...I drank TWO by accident. I was fine, though. We then were assigned to our homestay family for the next two nights and Florencia and I met our woman, Johanna (we think). We had the best time with her. The first words she says to us is, "AH.. My princesses. My girls. I treat you like princesses." In Morocco they speak Arabic and French mostly. She spoke a bit of English. After everything she said she would use "my love" at the end in a whisper. First, she comes into our room with tea and cookies and pours the tea from like 3 feet above and motions us to eat her cookies, "Have more of my cookie...Please, my love." HAHA Everything we ate she would give us more and more. At night, we had a chicken dish with some sort of sauce and vegetables. We notice that there is not any silverware on the table. She then showed us 'how to do it' and reached into the big dish with her hands and started to eat. She then continued to pick up food and put it on our plate. It was quite the experience. Since I'm the worst person when it comes to laughing in serious situations, I had to kick Florencia under the table so many times to help me. She would always eat her own food and be the first one to say, "Ahhh delicious." If we ever said how good it was, or laughed at a joke of hers, she'd say, "AHHH I love you. Please stay with me." Another funny thing she would always say is, "Ah yes, You're welcome." For example, I'd say, "Oh I think it's going to be sunny today." She would respond, "Yes, yes you're welcome," haha This may really not be funny but next time I see you, I'll reenact her voice. (I'm sure it STILL won't be funny but..)

Florencia is gluten-free, so of course all we were offered was bread and foods with wheat. We actually had to pocket some bread at times (horrible, I know.. desperate times, desperate measures) We really had an awesome experience with her. The last night we stayed there, she was telling a story and she started laughing hysterically. Next thing you know, the three of us were crying laughing for about 10 minutes. One of the coolest things about being abroad has been my experiences with the locals. It's like no matter where you're from or what language you speak, we are all the same and think the same basic thoughts--like what's funny or not (obviously with room for variation). I am sitting around a table in Rabat, Morocco, 3,600 miles from home with a women in a hijab and a girl from Seattle I just met 3 months ago (who is one of my very good friends now, might I add. Hey FLO) and we are so comfortable and just laughing about God knows what. I feel like this everyday with my host family. THAT is one of my favorite things about being over here. After an exchange of contacts and a plee for us to move to Morocco, we said goodbye to Johanna and Rabat.

We had a conversation with a girl from the Peace Corps in Morocco. We thought we were going to get a spheel to join the cause, but she was real with us. She said everything is to the extreme, that she has had some of the best of the best days and the worst days were some of the worst of her life. She said that the men in the streets were the worst part for her. It was awesome to hear about her time there. A mission is 27 months and she said that some people leave the first day. She has been there for two years now and I completely respect that. If it wasn't 27 months long, I would strongly consider doing something like the Peace Corps.

All of us girls really wanted to get a taste for the culture so we went to the "Hammam." It's basically just a public bath. I won't go into detail about that one but it was definitely an experience to say the least haha. 

We went to the Hope for Sale house. We met some really cool people.We asked one of the girls at Hope for Sale if she had the option to choose faith or freedom what she would choose and she instinctively said, "Faith because my faith allows me to be free." We also asked if she thought, as a woman in a Muslim country, that she was free. She said she thought she had complete freedom. After this and all of our preconceived notions on how oppressed Muslim women were, we were reallllly questioning things about women in the Muslim society. 

Shanty Town

We first stopped in a little town to get some tea and food for lunch (and to replenish the snack bag, of course.) The snack bag was a running joke because we would eat SO much and then being the typical women we are...we were all mad at Allen for getting so much junk food. We blamed the weight we gained/how much we ate on him (Fellas, you can never win!) Probably one of my favorite moments of the trip was when we rode the bus up this crazy steep mountain side to a small village to visit a family. We had a nice conversation about their lives and what not (with a translator, of course). They were SO hospitable. There were three women there. One was 26 years old with three children, another was 17 years old with a baby, and the other was 20 years old. We helped them to prepare lunch and played with the kids. It was just really cool to see the lifestyle in which they lived. We asked what was the worst thing about living in this village and the father responded, "Nothing. There isn't a bad thing about living here." I had chills after that. This was a family who didn't have a toilet, some of the rooms didn't even have a roof, they lived over an hour from the closest city, and so many more "unfortunate (to us)" things. I was completely thrown off and humbled when he answered that. Reallly, really puts things into perspective. Us girls had a discussion after about how we always want to save these people from their situations but in reality some are really happy/don't want to be saved. Sometimes as Americans we think that everyone who doesn't have as much as us envies us, when in reality many people are completely content with the lives they lead. I actually envy them a little bit. Although they work hard during the day, they have just a simple lifestyle. Someone also asked the father what he wanted for his daughters when they grew up and he said whatever they want to do as long as they are happy. We also asked one of the women if she would ever like to leave the village and do something different with her life. She responded that it's in the hands of Allah and whatever is meant to be will happen. It was really incredible how much faith they had.

The 20 year old woman was not married and I think she really wanted to get out of the village and do something with her life. In an exchange of some hand motions, we proposed switching lives. Although we couldn't communicate, I really had an affinity for her. I felt bad that the two other women had husbands and children, and I could tell she really wanted more. Right before we left, I gave her my "Pursue Happiness" bracelet. I figured she needed it more than I did. It was an awesome experience. We actually almost hopped on the other trip back the village the next day. 

We then were off to Chefchaoeun for our last night. It was a fantastic city. We walked around and shopped for a while. You are supposed to do some bargainning but as you can imagine...I'm not too good at that. We then got henna tattoos and had a nice meal in this Aladdin restaurant. We went back to our hostel and kind of wrapped up the weekend. Then as a perfect end to the weekend, we sat up on the terrace that overlooked the city and the mountains. It was SO beautiful. That night a few of us sat and talked for a while with our new Moroccan friend, Bachir. It was beautiful

We took a nice morning hike before we left. A complete influx of blue and white buildings. I definitely didn't want to leave. We then took the bus back to the border. We got out of the van and walked across the border which is pretty cool thing to have done. We crossed the Ceuta border fence, which is the barrier between Morocco and Spain. We also got to see the Rock of Gibraltar from a distance. Luckily the ferry back was much smoother.

The weekend was crafted perfectly. We got to interact with so many awesome people and learn a lot. It was one of the best trips that I've taken so far. I can't wait to go backkkkkkkkk!

2 Month mark & Beach house in Huelva, España

Two weekends ago was awesome for a few reasons: 

1.) It marked my two month mark of officially arriving in Spain.

2.) A few friends and I traveled to a city just an hour out of Sevilla to our Spanish friend's beach house.

3.) It marked the day that I fully realized how ridiculously lucky I am to be here.

2 months?! (now almost 3) Get out of town-- It seems like just yesterday I was sitting around a table with three strangers, eating strange food, who were rambling strange words. People are typically a little reluctant to choose the home-stay option, but I'm so happy I did. I really lucked out with my family. They are SO sweet and patient. I really wanted to do something nice for them for the two-month mark, but I wasn't sure what was appropriate for a husband, wife, and little kid. I ended up buying my host mother a bouquet of flowers. When I gave them to her she was so surprised and grateful that she almost cried. "Por qué, Nicole (knee-cole)?!" What for Nicole? (It's really not common to do that here, I guess). They actually are still on the table, slowly dying haha. SO.. two months was a crazy reality check. And not to mention thinking about the fact that I have only known my friends here for a little over two months? It truly feels like years. (They are great and there shall be a post about my family and friends soon, I promise). 

Thursday and Friday were just awesome days-- walking around the city and such. Finally tried this one restaurant we've been dying to go to, Eslava. Super good. Stumbled upon this little place one night and it was the most perfect, tranquil night ever. The reflections of the Plaza de España on the water were crystal clear. Pretty breathtaking. 

The Cathedral, Eslava, and mi amigo Jon

Islantilla Beach- Huelva, Spain

On Saturday morning, my friends Alex and Nicole, and I went to our friend's beach house in Huelva, Spain. When we arrived, we were extremely excited! It was like a little resort right on the beach. The best part about it was that it was so peaceful and empty because it's March and the summer weather isn't quite here yet. Also, I didn't have my phone or any connection to the outside world which it made it even more of an experience. 

So it was us Americans with four Spaniards from Sevilla. We pretty much only spoke Spanish the whole time, which was very fun/interesting. Half of them know English so they really tried to help us practice and learn different things. It was SO much fun. Of course we thought that we were pretty much fluent when we left. Alvaro made us some delicious Paella, a typical Spanish plate. We then went down to the beach and relaxed. It was a gorgeous day. We also walked around the little town and it was so quaint and cute, it kind of resembled the Lake George village area. 

Later that night, we had burgers and relaxed on the balcony area. We played some games and spoke a lot more Spanish. Alvaro then took out his guitar and played a bunch of new Spanish music that we LOVE. I told them about my nickname, "Coco," and they loved it. They even dedicated a song to me, naming it, "Cocquito's song." It was great. We really wanted to learn some Spanish dances, so Carmen taught us how to dance Sevilliana, a typical dance from in Seville. We had a great time.

How often can you really say that you packed up a car and went to your Spanish friend's beach house when you were abroad. We were so happy we went. Not only did we have a ton of fun and practice our Spanish, we really got a taste of the true Spanish culture. I'm so glad I got to do that. We love our Spaniard friends!

Most importantly, there shall be a post on my complete manifestation with Seville! 

Dublin, Ireland! PC Edition

So the following weekend I made the trek up to Dublin! February 28 was a holiday for us here in Spain, El Día de Andalucía, so I was able to make a long weekend out of it. Megan and Dodie are studying at the University of Dublin and Meg so graciously hosted me (Thank you). I was super excited to see them. Annnnnd not to mention...Michele and the girls were coming for PC's spring break! 

It was just SO nice to see them, it didn't matter where we were. Of course, it felt as though we never even left each other. It was great to catch up with everyone throughout the trip. Also, I love that I've gotten the chance to see the lives my friends lead abroad! 

Meg and I did a ton of exploring throughout the city. Dublin is pretty much just as I pictured it! Everyone is SO sweet and willing to sit and have a conversation with you, or physically walk you in the direction you need to go. It was great. At one point Meg and I were walking down the street and I had sushi rolls in one hand, soy sauce in another, my camera hanging on my shoulder and my bag pretty much open. An Irish man stopped us and said, "Where abouts in America are ya from? I got to give ya some advice, ya need to be careful." Is it SO obvious we are Americans? Not to mention, he was definitely the person who would be stealing your stuff. He said, "Especially if you're disorganized, and this one looks like a mess." And pointed to me haha. We were dying. (definitely one of those funnier-at-the-time moments)

Downtown Dubin is so much fun! There were so many shops and restaurants. There was also live music on the streets, which will always be a plus in my book. And some real good Irish music at that! The River Liffey is the river that runs through the center of Dublin. All the coolest cities have rivers :)

River Liffey

So we went to the Old Jameson Distillery, which was really fun and interesting to see how it was made and how much they pride themselves on their whiskey. They constantly made jabs at Americans, saying how the types that are too weak for the Irish would be way too strong for us. Had my first real Irish Coffee, yum!

One of my favorite parts about the city were the colored doors all over! 'Colored Doors of Dublin.' Blue, red, yellow, green. It was fantastic.

So of course just to be that person, I asked Meg if there are really little munchkin leprechauns in Ireland. Of course she starts laughing and calls me crazy. Come to find out, I see about 5 midgets throughout the weekend. The next thing you know, I saw a little leprechaun. So I will validate the myth here--there ARE, in fact, leprechauns in Ireland...

A little Wilde in his hometown

Finally the Providence girls arrived and I was simply thrilled to be with everyone! We had a great time exploring the city and the George's Street Arcade market. I wish I could have gotten to spend more time with them, but I enjoyed seeing everyone. It was so nice to hang out with Dodie, Bridget, Jenna, and Erin because I never get to spend much time with them at school. We had a ball! Michele is just as funny as ever. She was also told that "There are no other girls in Europe quite like her." God I love her.

We ended the incredible weekend at the Guinness factory with sky bar overlooking the city. The band played our song, "Galway Girl" and it was perfect. To say that I was sitting overlooking the capital city of Ireland with two of my best friends is one of the greatest feelings ever.

Just necessary

  "Galway Girl" at the Guinness Factory

Dublin was just awesome. It was everything I pictured and more. I couldn't be happier that everyone is enjoying their respective places around Europe (and down under, Cay) (and the Northeast haha, suckers) I think everyone made the right choice on where to study. I know Dublin is perfect for Megan and that comforts me :) Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me! 


Erin go Bragh!

Granada, España

Ahhh! Now let's get back to the positive posts. I'm sorry I haven't kept you updated on my latest excursions. I've been too busy falling in love with the rest of the world. 

A ver... (Let's see)...

A few weeks ago, my friends and I visited Granada, a beautiful city in Southern Spain. I was pretty excited about this because up until now I have done most of my traveling by myself! I have come to love traveling and I do not mind doing it alone a single bit. However, it is nice to have some company sometimes. A ton of us trained it over to Granada (3 hours) on Friday morning.

Granada was awesome. The whole city was surrounded by mountains, most importantly Sierra Nevada. I would have loved to ski or hike there but unfortunately we didn't have time and the weather was difficult. Up until now I was fortunate enough to have a friend in every city I have visited, so this was my first hostel stay and it was awesome! This one had a cool rooftop area, a bar, kitchen, and outside patio. At night the people made Paella for everyone and people from all over ate together and got to know each other. Then in the morning there were some breakfast food out and you could serve yourself and eat with all different residents of the hostel. Then after you would do your own dishes. Call me crazy but I thought it was cool haha. I'm a nerd. It's the simple things for me :)

Our hostel (Oasis Granada)

So obviously you can't go to Granada without seeing the beautiful Alhambra! For those of you who live under a rock, the Alhambra is a beautiful palace/fortress in Granada and one of the most important sites in all of Spain. There are so many different parts to the Alhambra and it is extra beautiful because it is located on top of a hill and surrounded by the gorgeous Sierra Nevada mountain range. Also, you could overlook the entire city. I am so happy that I got a chance to see the Alhambra while I was in Spain because I've learned about it for years.

Later in the evening, we went to Plaza de San Nicholas. It is a super cool spot to watch the sunset over the city. Take the beauty of this picture and multiply it by 100. The mountains in the background were probably the coolest thing. It didn't even look real. The Alhambra looked like some crazy, Medieval fortress you see in the movies.

I loved the hill-y layout of the city

Rooftop Sunrise in Granada

I had a fantastic time in Granada. Ate lots of Babel, went to a cave bar overlooking the city, stayed in my first hostel, had some 3 a.m. french-fries covered in Kabobs/mysterious sauces, saw a sunrise and a sunset, as well as some of the most spectacular architectural sites in Spain, anddddd got to spend it with all of my new friends (a.k.a. the people that my parents paid to hang out with me for a semester). 

I love Granada.

Forever Changed By Who You Are & What You've Meant To Me

For my avid viewers.. (crickets) If you saw my 'bad news' in my Italy post, let me inform you. I haven't actually let it sink in yet and I don't intend on it until I get home. But I want to remember everything about this trip so it's important. Sorry to get personal.

When I left in January, saying good-bye to my family was hard. However, it was especially hard to say good-bye to my grandparents, as it always is. They are probably my favorite people in this world. This time was particularly hard because not only would I be gone for five months, I'd be halfway across the world. I never imagined it would be a the last time I'd see her. 

So naturally I fell in love with Spain. I would talk to my grandma often and she would always be extremely supportive. No matter what was going on with her or at home, she never wanted me to worry (of course I always did). Since I'm the one in the family who is always away from home (Providence, Spain), my family always tries to hide the bad stuff from me. It's a pretty funny joke because I ALWAYS somehow find out. When I was in Florence, I asked my mom to skype my grandma and she didn't really want me to because she didn't want me to upset me. Of course I insisted on it. That was  the moment when everything changed. My grandma, the person who taught me the art of conversation, could no longer speak. (starting to get emotional) (So happy I was with my friends for this). This was the worst thing that I've ever experienced because I was so worthless from 3,000 miles away. I spent every minute of every day thinking about what I would say if I had one more conversation with her. Out of the millions of conversations we have had, none of the right words came to mind. I wouldn't even know where to start. I could attribute everything I am to her. 

Something pretty special happened that week. My family was by her side at all times and the last few weeks sadly consisted of her not speaking logically/at all. One day I wanted to try to talk to her so I started talking. She then answered me and said, "Hi Nicole I love you so much." She also spoke about Spain. It was this break-through little miracle moment that meant the world to me. She hadn't talked for a while and she remembered ME. It made me so happy.

I knew, however, that she wasn't doing well. My parents booked a flight for me to go home that upcoming weekend because they knew that she didn't have much longer. It was the sweetest thing they could do because they knew how much it meant for me to say good-bye. I know most people may not understand, but I didn't think twice about this. However, just as fate worked in my favor on that wonderful day she spoke, it worked against me that weekend. My flight was for Friday evening but due to the storm I couldn't fly into JFK until Sunday. I arrived on Sunday afternoon and a Lincoln Navigator with a driver was there to pick me up. At first I thought it was strange but my mom is always late so I figured that was it. After some riding around and meeting up with my cousin, my mom and Danielle finally got there. When I got in the car with them to go home I said, "Pheww, I thought something had happened to gram." They looked at me with sad faces and we all started to cry. She passed away that morning. Clearly God had a bigger plan for us because my flight was cancelled and otherwise I would have been there Friday with her.

This was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. It's still not real to me. My parents let me say the Eulogy and this was so important to me. It went really well. A little trembling here and there, but my dad came up halfway through. I made people laugh, think, and cry. According to Jimmy V that is what we should do everyday. 

Here are some bits and pieces of the Eulogy:

"My grandma taught us the art of conversation. You never really take the time to realize how important that is. And not just talking, but more importantly, listening as well. Often times I would admire my gram from afar, the lovely way she would make conversation with ANYONE, anywhere. It truly is a beautiful quality to have. She once wrote in a letter to me on my 16^th birthday.

Be the best in loving- Let your love show in the gracious way you greet everyone; in the smile you give to those you know wand to those you have never met; look people in their eyes when you talk with them and let them know you are interested in them and in what they are saying. Be a listener more than a talker."

"I will say...if I am 80 years old, sitting next to the love of my life and playing cards, then will I consider my life successful. They had the purest, funniest, loving relationship. Nothing warmed my heart more than the two of them trying to take care of each other. They would stay up until 5 a.m. playing Rummy. Of course, my gramp would take 15 minutes in between each turn, but she was always patient. I thank God for the day that the stars aligned and allowed my grandparents to meet. This year would have been their 30^th anniversary, and 30 years ago my gram gave him life again."

"I think the best kinds of people are the kind that inspire you to do and be better. I know that my gram has always had that affect on all of us. In everything we do will continue to work harder, pray longer, and love stronger. We are forever changed by who you are and what you’ve meant to us."

ITALIA: Roma & Firenze

Ahh my first trip outside of Spain. I kind of just booked this spur-of-the-moment trip to cater to my itch to start my travels, and see my friends! Here's a little recap of my fabulous trip to Italy: 

ROME

Now are you surprised that I tried to do one of the largest cities in Europe in one day? Needless to say, ya can't. So I stumbled in late Thursday night. Al and I decided to go out for a little and we coincidentally saw the girls: Kelsey, Kristen, Christina, Lauren & Sam. I was so happy to be with everyone again! Since it was a long day we decided to go home for the night. Alex decided she wanted me to see a little something before we went back. We went to the Pantheon, and it was AMAZING! Almost 2,000 years old still standing, beautifully. It was awesome at night, and it was so quiet too, which made it 10x better. 

So we awoke the next morning for a day of exploring. I went on the school trip with them to St. John Lateran's Basilica. It was the original cathedral of Rome and the Pope lived there first until he switched over to the Vatican fully. Later, I went with Kels and the girls to some sightseeing. We walked around for a while, then we got to the Vatican city. It was phenomenal. We decided to climb the stairs to the top.. Not realizing the hike that we were getting ourselves into. It was well worth it though. We reached the top of the Vatican and overlooked the city of Rome. It was crazy because we got to see exactly what we learned about all these years studying Art History. All of us girls also got a special gold necklace that was blessed. Really cool.

St. John Lateran's Basilica

Atop the Vatican

Inside the Vatican--breathtaking

I was craving some authentic, Italian pizza so we went to a little place, Dar Poeta, that was INCREDIBLE. We each got our own little pizza. I got this pizza called, "Campagnola" that was unreal. Across the street from this restaurant we found a cool looking, painted doorway a little bit propped open with the light on. Sam looked in and we saw one of the coolest things ever. It was this little Italian guy with a barat, smoking a cig and just painting. The room was filled with all sorts of art, made from different recycled materials and all. It was incredible. We talked about how you would never find something like this in the U.S. Just a sweet old man who had a passion for art and just had a room full of it. He dedicated his time to his work. That was one of the coolest things I saw (The pictures don’t do it justice).

Later that night, I met back up with Alex, Christine, Danielle & their roommates and we ate dinner outside the Pantheon. Still pretty mind blowing. Then we got delicious gelato for dessert! We went out that night and obviously had a ball. We somehow snuck up to the VIP section and were on stage the whole night. Nottttt a clue. I loved Rome and I loved seeing my friends. There is still so much I want to see.

FLORENCE

So I decided to get up and make the trek to Florence on Saturday morning. After some trouble at the train station, I was on my way! I arrived at about 12ish and foolishly forgot to get Lucie’s address. So now I’m in Florence, with no means of communication, trying to figure out what to do. The only information I have of the whereabouts of her apartment is that it's near the Duomo, which is no help at all. It was raining when I got there, but one thing I can say is you know that a city is truly spectacular when it’s pouring rain and it STILL beautiful. So meanwhile, I’m walking down the streets of Florence, in and out of bookstores and cafes trying to find Wifi to call Lucie. Two hours later, I stop in a Café for some Bruschetta and a Cappiccuno and FINALLY get a hold of her! It actually was pretty fun getting lost because it was so nice.

Stumbled upon this guy-- Piazza del Duomo 

The cool thing about Florence is that it is significantly smaller than Rome, so you can walk almost everywhere. That afternoon, Lucie, Emily, Casey and I walked around the city. I loved it. We went to the Piazza del Signoro and saw the statue of David (remake) and other statues. It was SO cool and everything was so intricate. We got some more gelato, obviously. The fact that some of my first gelato experiences were in Italy is somewhat troublesome because I don’t know that anything will ever compare. We walked along the river and Ponte Vecchio.

We went back to Lucie’s apartment with her insane view of the Piazza del Duomo, you can literally throw a stone at it. We hung out for a while and I got some bad news from my mom, but I was SO grateful that I was with my friends.

That night we went out to dinner at Dantes, which has endless bottles of wine. Ummm Okay! Needless to say we had about 12 bottles haha. We had so much fun and the food was delicious. We went to the corner store and got some 2€ boxes of wine (insane). We went out that night and had a ball. The girls were RAVING about this “secret bakery,” which is one of those hole-in-the-wall places that you only know about from word-of-mouth. They said that the workers go in at 3 a.m. to start baking for the next day and they will give you fresh baked pastries for 1€. So we are literally hiding behind a car at 2:59 waiting for them to turn on the light and open the door, like the fatties we are. Someone walks by and goes, “The bakery’s not open on Sunday.” Sooooo that was embarrassing. I'm still pretty upset about it.

It was sad leaving my friends, but they were all SUCH good hosts and I'm so grateful to have them. I most definitely love Italy. I want to see every city. 

I will chalk that trip up as a success!