Day 18-23

Ciao tutti!

I apologize for taking so long to post about my travels as well as not sharing photos sooner. The last week or so I've done a bit, so between adventures and classes, I sort of let the blog fall to the way-side. Over the past week or so I went to a market, Sforza Castle, saw a play in English and much more. I'll mostly just summarize so this post won't be too long, but I'll try to capture the important stuff.

Last Saturday, June 20, I ended up having a free day all to myself. I was going to go to a cookout/pool/boat thing with my roommates but there wasn't enough room so I couldn't go. Instead I decided to go on an adventure. I had to clue what to do, so I looked up some shops and markets in the city. One of the markets I found included a farmers market and I made that my first stop. I was near Navigli (the canal district) and so I explored that afterwards. The canals were absolutely gorgeous and music was playing, everything from Another Brick in The Wall to Tenerif Sea. 

In addition to lovely views of the canal, there were these odd art fixtures: giant snails. This picture doesn't give you a great idea of the scale though. They were maybe 7 feet tall and massive. There were about a half dozen at the end of the canalin blue, purple, yellow, orange, etc.

After walking around Navigli for about an hour, it got rather hot. To cool of I went into a cute little gelato shop. My roommates and CA had all said that the best gelato was in Navigli, so I had to try. I had the best Mango gelato there, and it was such a cute shop that I had to photograph that and not the gelato itself.

I also tried a few thrift, consignment or vintage shops. Vintage shops were no luck on a college budget, and unfortunately I had no luck with the other stores either. Still, it was a fun way to spend an afternoon.

For my lunch of champions, I had fries from Chipstar, an Amsterdam fries fast food shop (literally that's all they have). They gave you so much for 2EUR and they were delicious! 

On a healthier food food note, I bought zucchini and figs from the market. The figs were so fresh and sweet, and all of it was less than 4EUR. I'll definitely have to go again.

For most of the week, I just had class and work. During the break in my Tuesday morning class, I got an espresso from the vending machine. Italian vending machines give you cups of espresso, hot chocolate, etc. The other vending machine had water and mixed nuts. There was nothing unhealthy there at all. It doesn't even seem like a vending machine, but it was so great. Cheap too!

On Tuesday afternoon, Karen and I went to Sforza Castle, which you can see here in the background. The Sforza family was a rich and powerful family in the 15th century and they were the tooks of Milan until they were overthrown. They were patrons of the arts and hired Leonardo Da Vinci for 10 years. During that time he worked as a military architect, desgner part of the Duomo di Milano and painted the Last Supper. As some trivia, Da Vinci wasn't payed for the Last Supper because he tried a new fresco technique that didn't work. Who would have thought that the 'failed' practice would be one of his most famous. 

One of the most interesting things inside that castle itself was the Rondanini Pietà, Michelangelo's

unfinished work. While it was slightly underwhelming just looking at it, it was worth seeing. You often here that sculptures can see the piece inside the rock, and this is the first piece I've seen where I understand that at all. 

At the end of the evening we had dinner at Rost Eat. I found this place doing a google search of places to eat on a budget, and I don't regret it. The food was amazing and cheap, and the atmosphere was really nice. The atmosphere was similar to a city deli in the US, and MTv was playing on a tv in the corner. 

The highlight of my dinner there was the arrostcini, or grilled lamb kebobs. I used to never eat lamb, but after trying some at a few turkish places, I've started to liked it. I figured it I liked it prepared in a Turkish style, I should try it the Abruzzo way (a region of Italy). It was delicious, flavorful, and tender, but not something to have on a diet because boy was it dripping with fat. It was absolutely delicious and a must try if you are ever in Milan.

Dessert was a popsicle for 2EUR. I tried the strawberry and loved it. Alexa, it almost rivaled Las Paletas, and pric-flavor ratio it did. Again tasty and these popsicles with chunks of fruit and no extra sugar are amazing. Too bad they don't have them in the states like the do here.

The rest of the week was pretty typical, so I won't repeat to much more other than homework, class, work, cooked dinner, etc. I'll post about this last weekend tomorrow, but I need to get my homework done now. Until then!

Read more

Days 10-15

Ciao!

The last week has been both busy and a ton of fun. I had classes, I went to the Expo Milano, I finally started writing a little bit for my internship, and I tried sushi in Italy. Overall, a very good week. Look below to see what has been going on.

First off, I love Italian gelato. I love it. There's no other reason to explain why I've gotten gelato 4 times this week. Twice I got what you see above, which is a "coppetta piccola", or small cup, with Super Dark Chocolate gelato and Stracciatella gelato. These are both good flavors anywhere, but Cioccolati Italiani is the best place for it, because all the chocolate is fresh and amazing. Also, as a lesson for those who don't know what Stracciatella is, it's a milk gelato where chocolate is pured into the churning gelato and then harden into amazing, melt in your mouth goodness. Chocolate Chip Ice Cream has nothing on Stracciatella.

Next order of business? During the week I had to get an Italian phone number so that my boss could call or text me without ridiculous fees. Some of the girls in our apartment from past semesters had left cheap phones there, so all I had to do was renew the plan. Now I have enough minutes, texts, etc. for whatever I need here. It's not a huge amount, but I got the smallest plan (10 EUR) since it's not really used much. It's so weird using a flip phone though. It reminds me of one Dad used to have for work. The only flip phone I had was a Katana and that was flat and cuter.

On June 12 I lit a candle in memory of my cousin Ryan who died on that day in 2010. I think he would have appreciated it, since I know he liked the tradition and flames. Ryan, I miss you!

On Saturday I went to the EXPO Milano. Most of y'all have heard of it I'm sure, but here's a refresher. Every few years there's an expo (the used to be called "World Fair's") where countries meet to discuss pressing issues and what they see as a viable solution. This years theme is "Energy and Sustainability for Life", or basically food and sustainability. 

The first exposition that I'm showing is the USA's building. It was massive, had a rooftop bar, and there were food trucks in the back. It looked very neat and definitely covered important aspects of American food culture. On the ground floor it had a room that talked a little bit about the different food styles around the country as well as showing the different state welcome signs. It made for an interesting photo opp. and interestingly enough this was the first time I took a photo next to a VA welcome sign!

However, little most things in the US, it was also not very information rich compared to other Big 7 Nation's booths and it was obviously sponsored by Walgreens. Overall though, it was very good. Something you can't tell from the photo? Michael Jackson and other similarly iconic signers were playing in the background =D

I figure I should put a picture up of Russia's building as well, or at least the entry way. Their building was very impress, but also dimming lit. They focused on grains, other plants, and the elements (periodic table). They got points for content and for a free sample of Kvas, which is a non-alcoholic grain drink that is tasty. However, it was not as open of a place for relaxing, and it got a bit crowded.

Next, I am ashamed to say that I went to McDonalds. First I must clarify that they are the only place in the end of the Expo (5km long) that took credit card. Next, I was hungry and they had okay portion v. price ratios. I'm suprised to say this, but the McDonald's there was actually pretty good. I know that some places online say that McDonald abroad is better than home, but it's actually true. Plus? Prettiest McDonalds I've ever seen.

The last place that I visited was the Czech area. I saw this sign there and had to take a picture to share with all the Pilsner Urquell lovers in the family, amongst them my Dad and Uncle Mickey. I actually considered getting one, but it was 5 EUR, 9pm, and I was about to get on the metro. Still... Dad? Drink one for me instead.

For dinner I went to the UK exhibition. It was yet another place that took card, and it had no lone. The fish and chips you see above are the best I've ever had. And icing on the cake? The Malt Vinegar actually tasted malty. It was great! 

What was lacking? The UK booth with the focus on bees. I'm guessing that's a UK thing, because its been a topic in DW episodes, BBC, etc.

By the time I left the EXPO, it was 8:30pm and I had been there for almost 11 hours. Over the course of the day I had visited 18 exhibitions, sampled free chocolate and kvas, took roughly 300 or so photos, and totally killed my feet. The next day I basically slept, ate, and did Italian homework.

 These are two pictures taken from the plaza outside La Scala. If you don't know what it is, Google it. The statue is of Leonardo DiVinci, who was an adopted Milanese due to the patronage of the Sforza family. On the right is La Scala, proof that in Europe, famous building aren't necessarily huge. However it is deceiving because inside is the world's largest stage.

Last night one of my roommates, Kyla, had a craving for Salmon, With that in mind, we went out to eat at Sushi Box, a tasty japanese sushi restaurant. The prices weren't amazing for sushi, but they weren't horrible either. I got tuna, miso soup, and a lemon soda for 9.60 EUR. After that we went to get gelato at Cioccolati Italiani, the only gelatario that was open around 10pm. I got the same pick that you saw in the first picture, and I absolutely to not regret choosing something different. 

As an aside, the last few days people have started planning weekend trips more. One of my roommates works at a travel agency/tour type place and told us about a great trip for around $30 with thermal baths, dinner, live music and transportation. With that our travel plans commence. I'll keep y;all posted with what my plans and trips are, plus plenty of pictures to make you wish you were here. Enjoy!

Read more

Days 7-9

Ciao!

The last few days have been fairly busy, or just long, so I haven't posted. Instead, you'll get a bit longer of a post to make up for it, including a video!

I pretty much always take the metro or bus to where I'm going. On my way to work, I saw these guys get on the bus while little speakers on a trolly and their violins. They started playing to Michael Jackson and I just had to record it. I don't really know how the video/sound quality is, but enjoy!

On Monday, I met my boss for the first time. Each day since then I've gone to the office for a few hours and started both the research portion of my job, and I've started typing up his teaching notes. Let me tell you, felt tip pen should NOT be your first choice for teaching notes. Still, they are really well organized and interesting to read and type. It does make life more interesting when the keyboard is for a foreign language because almost a quarter of the time is spent looking up shortcuts for arrows, the delta symbol, accents, etc. On the bright side? They have a Nespresso machine and plenty of coffee. So far the Dulcao blend is my favorite, but only when hot. Tomorrow I'll see my boss again and be able to ask him some of my questions from research as well as check some handwriting interpretations from his teaching notes.

Yesterday for lunch I got some sandwiches on the way to the office. There was a minimum charge if you used a card, and I was maybe 0,50 EUR short, so I needed to get a tiny bit more. The lady at the counter recommended these to me, and they're great. I don't know their name, but there's similar to mini pizzas. They're the size of your fist, flat, cheap, and tasty. Overall a yummy combination.

On the topic of food, a tried/invented a new recipe. First I'll give you some background information. The food at the grocery store is either really cheap or really expensive, with meat being on the expensive side. Because of this, last time I was at the store I bought a big bag of dried chickpeas to have a protein and overall tasty snack. My roommate Lauren showed me how to cook them, and then made a chickpea soup out of it. She made hers the day after she made the beans, so it was pretty much beans, water and salt. However, I made the soup with the beans, so I was able to add the stock created from cooking the beans. Here's the recipe in vague terms for the soup I made.

Simple Chickpea Soup

1/3 small bag of dried chickpeas

1 full carrot, cleaned

salt

pepper

mysterious dark green Italian seasoning

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. First you have to prepare the chickpeas. Start by soaking the beans in a pot for between 4 and 12 hours. When that's done, scoop the white foam off the top. Be aware that the chickpeas will have at least doubled in size.

2. In the pot the chickpeas are in, pour in enough water that the chickpeas are covered plus about an inch or too. Then put the pot on the stove and set it to boil.

3. Keep cooking the beans for at least 2 hours. (Lauren prefers about 1.5 hours, but that's really al dente) As the beans cook, white foam will form. Just scoop it off. It's the starch from the beans, and less will appear as you keep cooking the beans. Also, keep refilling water so the beans are covered.

4. When you have about 30 minutes left, cut the carrot in 2 or 3 pieces and add them to the pot. 

5. When the beans are done, pour them into a food processor with the carrots. Then add the stock from the pot. I put about 3 ladles full, but you can add more or less for the consistency.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.S. It might not look that great, but it was fantastic. And after coming home hungry from work and a lot of walking? Nothing in the fridge looks better. It stores well and reheats in about 3 minutes.

Last night was very eventful... First a few of us from the apartment, including our CA, went to a bar in the park. On of the girls, had gone earlier in the evening with her date and said that it was great, though overpriced, so I figured it was worth it at least to see. On the way there we passed by the massive dinosaur statue that you see above. I had no clue why it was there, and the only sign present that not to climb it, but it was definitely odd to see a massive dinosaur as you approached the center of the park. From the dinosaur area, we could see the bar. Lighting was weird so that's the best picture that I have. Anyways, we went to the bar, ordered drinks and had a seat with some of the other CA's. I got a glass of wine for 5 EUR. It was expensive, and not the best wine, but it was a good evening. However, a word of warning to the asthmatics out there. Italian bars are your lungs worst nightmare. They will launch a protest with a level of determination that would make Italian workers proud. Needless to say, I let early as some of the others went to Le Colonne, a young adult nightlife hot spot. It took awhile to get to bed when I got back because someone had a guest over, but all went well and it was a fun night. However, I ended up getting back around midnight, so no post for y'all then.  

 Probably around once a day I end up near the Duomo, or Milan Cathedral. Today was beautiful weather so I took a few pictures while I was there. At first when I looked up photos of the Duomo on google, they all looked similar to this, and I didn't get it. The angles of the shots all looked the same, which seemed odd to me. However, now that I've been there and tried to take photos of the Duomo, I see why. There's literally no way to get at least most of it without getting it from that angle. The Duomo is huge and you definitely have to see it.

These are a few other pictures from the Duomo Square. I just wanted to point out the massive statue of Vittorio Emmanuelle II, the first unified ruler of Italy, and the tons of pigeons in the square. They were everywhere. It didn't help that a massive group of Indian tourists were feeding them all in one place. Normally they're fairly spread out, but today they were very localized and flew about in massive groups above people heads (as in inches above).

I have no interesting plans for tonight, but two of my roommates are enjoying the grand opening of a Tommy Hilfiger pop-up bar. One of their bosses invited her and friends, so they went. They got all dressed and look really nice. I'm sure they'll have a lot of fun. Instead, I'm listening to music in the kitchen with Marta, our CA. It's nice =D

Until tomorrow, hopefully!

~~~~~~~~~

2 days until I go to the Expo.

Read more

Day 6

Today was my first day with my internship, and it wasn't like I expected. I met my supervisor/boss, a professor here in Milan, and his almost graduate research assistant. We went out to lunch and then he showed me around his offices and the surrounding area. 

The first thing we did was eat. We went to California Bakery, an American style restaurant right near the campus for Universita Cattolica. This bakery had really weird versions of American classics like chopped salad, club sandwiches and bagels. The food was good, but it makes me wonder what Italians think of the Italian restaurants in the US. The Italian food is better here than at home and American food is better at home. That's expected and all, but a little weird on the other side. Food aside, I found out something very interesting about the research assistant and my direct supervisor. He will be going to UNC-Chapel Hill to get his MBA at the Kenan-Flagler business school. He's leaving in mid-July, so he'll be in Chapel Hill before I will! We actually talked a bit about UNC because he's never visited and wanted to know about the campus, weather, best grocery stores, etc.

After lunch, we went to the university and I was shown around both the off campus and on campus offices. The off-campus office is where I will spend about 90% of the time. My office is tiny and in its own room, but it is so well decorated. It has a huge mirror, dark walls, and dark wood furniture. They kept saying it was the bad office, but it was better than I was expecting. Its style trumps Leah and my cubicle and the Gov't. Center =D 

The weird part when he showed me around was actually where we didn't go. When I did the "Rush Hour Test Run" last week, I was told to go to a specific address. I went, took the picture, and followed all of the instructions given, and fully expected that the address was correct. However, after going to the two offices today I asked my boss about the first address and he didn't even know where it was. Now I'm really confused about why I got that address.

On a different note, I discovered something a little different about Italy today. It can be raining outside, you can hear thunder in the distance, and yet you can't tell this by looking out the window. When I took this picture, all of the above was happening, the lights flickered a little bit, and yet this was my view. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trivia:

A Moccachino (basically translates to 'Moroccan') is an Italian beverage. It's made with cafe (espresso), chocolate, and sometimes a little bit of milk. It's actually where the term 'mocha' comes from, at least when referring to coffee drinks. 

Also, moccachino is pronounced mo-ka-ki-no, not mo-ka-chee-no like the mochaccinos in the US.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a last comment, some people (Alexa and Leah) finally guessed about the architects obsession from Day 4. The actual obsession was sex. The design is supposed to invoke the image of ovaries, vaginas, penises, etc. throughout the entire building. He was able to do it in such a well executed and subtle manner that no one complained. Also, it's a hotel for one of the most expensive Italian chains

Read more

Day 5

Ciao tutti!

Today I am now 20 years old, and the day trip we had was an amazing way to celebrate.

We got up early this morning because we had to meet at the train station at 8am to take the train to Stresa, a town on the edge of Lago Maggiore. The Lombardy region, where Milano is, has many lakes and is somewhat similar to Michigan in that regard. Anyways, the train ride was about an hour. We had second class tickets, but I think we may have sat in first class on the way over. Either way, the seats were nice and there was a tiny bit of AC (a rarity in Italy).

 After getting off and walking into Stresa from the station, we took a small boat to the first of the 3 islands we visited today. The three islands, in the order we visited them, were Isola Madre, Isola Pescatori, and Isola Bella. These islands are known as the Isole Borromee (Borromean Islands) because they were owned by the Borromeo family for centuries and still are owned and maintained by them. The Borromeo's are a famous Italian family of aristocrats in the same league as the Sforzas (Da Vinci's patrons) and Visconti's.

Isola Madre is most known for its botanical gardens, though the villa there is quite beautiful. The walkways were filled with beautiful flora and fauna, while in the distance you could see the Alps and on into Switzerland. The building seen above isn't the main house, but it's one of the main buildings there. It holds a cafe, gift shop, and offices, and it sits near the port.

In addition to the beautiful trees and flowers, the Borromeo family had exotic birds brought to Isola Madre. The most magnificent of these birds is the white peacock, which you can see here. While I never saw any of the many peacocks bring all their tail feathers up, they were beautiful. They wondered around freely, so I have pictures of them going near the cafe, the main villa, and over various walkways. 

After the wonderful stroll through the gardens of Isola Madre, many of us from the program were hungry. While we were going to have lunch next, it was hot, and gelato was only 2 EUR for the size you see above plus a few bites. I got the Lemon and Frutti di Bosco (fruits of the forest) flavors, and they were both absolutely amazing. This was literally the best gelato I have ever had. However, I didn't just get the gelato as a nice treat. For my Italian class, part of my homework was to record myself ordering from a cafe or gelateria 'solo in Italiano', or 'only in Italian'. I did just that and so I reaped my rewards twice, once for class and the other for my taste buds. 

The next island we went to was Isola Pescatori, where we had lunch. My friend Karen and I sat at a table together, shared a 1/2lt. of wine (we should have gotten 1/4lt.), and each got the 'Mixed Fried White Fish Plate' which you can see above. While I don't know exactly what the tiny fish are, they are similar to minnows. Regardless, they tasted good and not unlike fishy french fry style treats. Altogether, the meal was 16 EUR and with it I learned an important lesson about Italian food: first plates are tiny and second plates are huge.

The last place we visited was Isola Bella, a very aptly named island. The house was absolutely beautiful, though the Borromeo's had an odd obsession with puppet theaters (3 rooms!!!). In the back of the villa were a large garden and a massive fountain style structure that you can see here. There are pathways up the sides and in back, and there is a beautiful pond at the base near where the people are standing.

In the back was a patio type structure. And by patio? I mean massive stone space large enough to hold a HUGE reception or feast. Anyways, the view was beautiful, so some of us decided to sit on the ledge and take pictures. It was a lot of fun, though this picture makes me look like I may fall because my hands aren't actually on the ledge. I actually sort of felt like that at one point too, though I assure you I am in one piece.

Last but not least, the cafe past the exit to the gardens on Isola Madre is gorgeous. The peacocks were walking around, small potted lemon trees decorated the walls, and everything was made even better by the amazing view of the lake and surrounding hills. I took this picture there, loved it, and it's now actually the background of my phone. While it's not the most specific to my trip or activities, I loved it and wanted to share it with everyone.

~~~~~~~~~~

Last but not least, on my last post I asked y'all to guess the obsession of the architect. No one guessed, so I won't share it today. Once someone guesses, then I'll post. Please just guess something, because our guesses were hilarious, and the third guess was correct (surprisingly)!

Read more

Day 4

Ciao! Today was a great and random day. Lauren and I explored Milan this morning, despite waking up later than expected.

The first thing we did was go on a walking tour. We woke up only an hour before we left for the tour, so we had a quick breakfast then ran out the door. Our meeting place was at the Duomo, which you can see in the pictures above. Again we didn't go in, but it's definitely on the list of things to do!

The first thing we did was get something to eat at Luini's, a panzerotti place. For those of you who don't know, a panzerotto is like a mix between a calzone and a sandwich, a very delicious mix. I got a spinach and ricotta one for 2,70€, but the mozzarella and tomato one was the most popular, at only 2,30€. Regardless, they were and tasty and cheap treat that I will definitely have to try again. I had actually seen several reviews for this online, especially on Pinterest, before I left. I had been curious why it was so popular when I first saw the posts, but now I'm liable to be making the same reviews. If you ever make it to Milano, go to Luini's.

After getting something to eat, we went into Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II, an extremely popular and very old mall. According to our guide, it was part of the inspiration for malls in the U.S. However, what it's most popular for is a sort of myth or superstition. When the mall was first opened, the architect was making finishing touches to the octagon, or giant glass domed ceiling. He fell to his death, and since then the octagon has been considered bad luck. To counteract it, it's considered good luck to go to the mosaic of the bull, the symbol of the first ruling family, and turn in a full circle with your heel on the bulls balls. While no one in our tour did this, I got a picture of someone else doing it. Even more trivia? This tradition wears the mosaic down so much that a small pit forms and it has to be replaced ever few years.

Next we explored some of the streets past the Galleria. When we passed by this hotel, our guide told us that it was made by an extremely famous architect. In order to persuade him to design the hotel, he was given complete freedom in both design and costs. After creating it, he was asked what his theme or explored idea was. He simply replied that the theme was his obsession. Anyone care to guess what the obsession was? Feel free to guess in the comments below. I'll post it tomorrow.

We explored more of the city throughout the afternoon and we were reminded to always look in courtyards. In government and major political cities, the fronts of buildings are grandious and very expensive. In trade cities such as Milano, however, the fronts are plain and often  mostly contain contrete and small embellishments. Richness isn't shared because it can cause conflict, either socially or as in theft. As was proven throughout our walk throughout the city, courtyards can definitely be gorgeous, even more so than the street and/or store windows, as you can see in the picture above. 

Last but not least, here's a picture of an artist working in San Babila, a small piazza in Milano. You can't see the church he's drawing because it's to his left, but it looks just like his drawing. I always love seeing artists working, and I felt the urge to share it.

In other news, tomorrow I'm going to Lago Maggiore, which is exciting. What else is exciting tomorrow, you may be asking yourself. Well, to satisfy your curiousity, I'll tell you. Tomorrow is my 20th birthday. While it will be so weird not spending my birthday with the other June 7 babies, Alexa and my mom, spending my birthday at the lake should be pretty amazing. I'll let you know how it goes!

Read more