Lessons Learned:
1. Jason's name is "Hason" in Spanish.
2. Tapas are really not that great. UGH! Maybe we didn't find the best places.
3. Gelato is awesome!
4. No right on reds in Spain! Right Jason!?!?! Red means "Stop, no go!" as our hotel person told us.
5. Always pay a toll when there is someone in the booth. We don't have Easy Pay in Spain...right Jason?!?! HA!
6. Getting lost can be fun! I have never laughed so hard when we ended up at a campground in the woods when we were supposed to be on the beach! HA!
7. "The Never Lost" can get lost.
8. In gelato stores, they will "double dip" your tasting spoon if you want to try more than one flavor. Gross.
9. Dogs walk around with no leashes and are very well behaved. They just follow their owner.
10. There is a new hairstyle that will soon hit the States. It's shaggy on top, long layers, bangs, and all over the place. All the chicks have it. Not me though. No, I'm not coming home with a new "do".
11. Jason takes long showers. Wendi and I get ready quicker than he does.
12. I went through security at the airport with a fork in my backpack (why I had it I don't know???) but it was noticed at the Palace Real in Madrid. We laughed when we saw it on the monitor.
13. Kids play outside all day and night long.
14. Never ever sleep with a "humpy blanket, pillow or sheet". The humpy blanket, pillow nad sheet are the ones that are the top layer in a hotel, they never get changed...who knows what goes on on the humpy stuff. Poor Jason, we made him sleep with it in Madrid.
15. Wendi put her hand in poop in front of the Palace Real...it stained her hand. I have to upload the pictures. Poor Wendi. Of course Jason and I laughed.
16. Jason thought the ironing unit in the hotel room was a mini treadmill. I told him that I would put his pants in the mini treadmill to take the wrinkles out while he got ready. Thank goodness the mini treadmill/iron didn't work so well because I forgot about his pants for about 15 minutes. YIKES! They were still wrinkled.
17. I miss trapeze
18. I miss softball
19. I miss chicken sandwiches with bbq sauce!
20. I'm still not homesick. Sorry Mom, but I'm not.
21. I'm very excited for my upcoming adventures....
- Club Med (hopefully)
- Meeting Marisa in Germany and then traveling to Stockholm together
- Traveling in Ireland and Scotland with Steph and Catherine. Steph and I are getting a real local tour from Catherine.
- Mom visiting me in Austria
- Dani/Meghan/Jen coming out over Labor Day to visit outher Italy and Greece!
- Stacey and Karen...coming out sometime too too, I hope!
I miss everyone! Please keep the emails and postings coming. I love receiving them.
It seems every time I finish a blog, I'm going to eat...well...it's happening again...going to get pizza!
Ciao!
Leslie
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Today is Tuesday, June 24 and let's hope I get to Club Med!
Hi, it's Tuesday, June 24 and I'm back in the same Internet Cafe in Florence. I went for my normal run, did laundry and now I'm here.
I am taking a 6:40p.m. flight from Florence to Catania so I can hopefully get to Club Med. I called Club Med about their shuttle to pick me up and they said "No shuttle at that time, take a taxi." Yikes! After all of my crazy travel, I have to take an expensive taxi.
My adventure to get to Club Med is a riot...I hope it's worth it. I'm very excited to go...to fly, to relax on the beach and to try new water sports! I have never been to Club Med but have only heard wonderful things.
I can't wait to do trapeze again. Stop laughing....I know my non trapeze friends are laughing at me.
Fingers crossed...let's hope I get there tonight!
I am taking a 6:40p.m. flight from Florence to Catania so I can hopefully get to Club Med. I called Club Med about their shuttle to pick me up and they said "No shuttle at that time, take a taxi." Yikes! After all of my crazy travel, I have to take an expensive taxi.
My adventure to get to Club Med is a riot...I hope it's worth it. I'm very excited to go...to fly, to relax on the beach and to try new water sports! I have never been to Club Med but have only heard wonderful things.
I can't wait to do trapeze again. Stop laughing....I know my non trapeze friends are laughing at me.
Fingers crossed...let's hope I get there tonight!
Crazy Adventure for me! I never made it to Sicily, Club Med!
So, I did not make it to Sicily nor to Club Med (yet). Let's hope I get there today, Tuesday, June 21. I was supposed to fly direct from Madrid to Palermo (an airport on Sicily) then rent a car and drive to Club Med.
Well....here's what happened...
1. My flight was not non stop as it said it was on the internet. It went to Florence first was supposed to continue to Palermo. I thought...okay, one stop, not a problem. HA!
2. We were flying to Florence but had to land in Bologna due to high winds.
3. Awesome...I didn't know Bologna, I didn't have a hotel room, I was not making it to Club Med and I was not picking up my car. FUN! I was very calm and was a little excited for this adventure. I knew I'd figure it out.
4. What I did...I called Hotel Bellitini in Florence and booked a room. They remembered me from when I stayed there earlier, called Club Med to change my arrival to the next day and then booked a new flight to Catania (not Palermo) for the next day. Catania was closer to Club Med so I would not need to rent a car.
EASY DONE..ALL FIXED. Good practice for the Amazing Race.
3. The airline then took everyone on the flight by bus from Bologna to Florence. I made friends with a nice woman who spoke little English nor Italian (only Spanish) and her little girl. They had a lot of luggage so I helped them. We became friends and her daughter held my hand for safety.
4. We arrived in Florence and then I waited in line for a taxi to go to Hotel Bellitini. They were happy to see me. It's nice to feel like you have a home. I felt very comfortable in Florence and at the hotel.
5. Bed for me! Long travel day!
Well....here's what happened...
1. My flight was not non stop as it said it was on the internet. It went to Florence first was supposed to continue to Palermo. I thought...okay, one stop, not a problem. HA!
2. We were flying to Florence but had to land in Bologna due to high winds.
3. Awesome...I didn't know Bologna, I didn't have a hotel room, I was not making it to Club Med and I was not picking up my car. FUN! I was very calm and was a little excited for this adventure. I knew I'd figure it out.
4. What I did...I called Hotel Bellitini in Florence and booked a room. They remembered me from when I stayed there earlier, called Club Med to change my arrival to the next day and then booked a new flight to Catania (not Palermo) for the next day. Catania was closer to Club Med so I would not need to rent a car.
EASY DONE..ALL FIXED. Good practice for the Amazing Race.
3. The airline then took everyone on the flight by bus from Bologna to Florence. I made friends with a nice woman who spoke little English nor Italian (only Spanish) and her little girl. They had a lot of luggage so I helped them. We became friends and her daughter held my hand for safety.
4. We arrived in Florence and then I waited in line for a taxi to go to Hotel Bellitini. They were happy to see me. It's nice to feel like you have a home. I felt very comfortable in Florence and at the hotel.
5. Bed for me! Long travel day!
Back to Madrid, back to NYC for Hason (Jason) and Wendi, and onto Silcily Club Med for me
We drove back to Madrid...we made it without getting lost....YEAH! We went back to our favorite hotel, Hotel Meninas and then of course went to eat again. This time we had great tapas and of course gelato at Nice Cream.
The next morning, we returned the car and then went to the airport to catch our flights. Wendi went to her gate and then Jason and I found our gates.
I'll miss them. It was great to have friends visit.
Guess what...they are back in NY now and I'm am STILL NOT IN SICILY! HA!
The next morning, we returned the car and then went to the airport to catch our flights. Wendi went to her gate and then Jason and I found our gates.
I'll miss them. It was great to have friends visit.
Guess what...they are back in NY now and I'm am STILL NOT IN SICILY! HA!
More pictures from San Sebastian
So, it looked like we really didn't get pictures of the gorgeous athletes! Sorry!
Our last day in San Sebastian
Wendi and I woke up early again and went for our last run. We went 3 days in a row! YEAH! Jason slept. Oh, forgot to tell you...when making reservations we used Jason's name but they all called him "Hason", so that's his new name...."Hason".
We were so surprised when we woke up...there was a Triathalon happening! It was so exciting. Wendi does a lot of triathalons back home so we wished she could have been a part. We watched the start of the swim, some of the run, some of the bike but I think our (well for Wendi and me) favorite part was watching the gorgeous men come out of the water and start to take off their wet suits to start the ride. No doubt...these were the most gorgeous men I have seen in Spain. wow!
After watching the triathalon for a while, we walked around and went into our favorite Olive Oil gift shop. They had a little bit of everything. It was a wonderful store. We made friends with the owner, Peter (that's his English name). He talked with us for a while and then said he was going for a drink and invited us. So we joined him. He told us about his life...he was a banker in NYC, then London, married to a model that made him crazy (loco) and the decided to settle in San Sebastian for a much better life. He was so interesting. We enjoyed 2 ciders with him then he went back to work.
We finished our touring, walking, eating American food and gelato...time to go back to Madrid.
We were so surprised when we woke up...there was a Triathalon happening! It was so exciting. Wendi does a lot of triathalons back home so we wished she could have been a part. We watched the start of the swim, some of the run, some of the bike but I think our (well for Wendi and me) favorite part was watching the gorgeous men come out of the water and start to take off their wet suits to start the ride. No doubt...these were the most gorgeous men I have seen in Spain. wow!
After watching the triathalon for a while, we walked around and went into our favorite Olive Oil gift shop. They had a little bit of everything. It was a wonderful store. We made friends with the owner, Peter (that's his English name). He talked with us for a while and then said he was going for a drink and invited us. So we joined him. He told us about his life...he was a banker in NYC, then London, married to a model that made him crazy (loco) and the decided to settle in San Sebastian for a much better life. He was so interesting. We enjoyed 2 ciders with him then he went back to work.
We finished our touring, walking, eating American food and gelato...time to go back to Madrid.
The Rolling Stones in San Sebastian!
It was an awesome show. We walked there with everyone else. We had some horrible tapas, some yummy beer. Wendi and Jason had to eat something else, so they found a Greek place and had a gyro. As you can tell...finding good food in Spain was a challenge so far.
We walked to the stadium with beers in hand and thought we had plenty of time because the opening act wasn't even on stage yet. As we were strolling with beers, we saw the lights go out, and the music started...there was no opening band, the Stones were starting. We ran, trying not to spill our beer and quickly found our seats. We had great seats...again...remember they were only 73 Euros. WOW!
We walked to the stadium with beers in hand and thought we had plenty of time because the opening act wasn't even on stage yet. As we were strolling with beers, we saw the lights go out, and the music started...there was no opening band, the Stones were starting. We ran, trying not to spill our beer and quickly found our seats. We had great seats...again...remember they were only 73 Euros. WOW!
Day 2 in San Sebastian
Wendi and I went for a great run, again. Jason and I went to the beach and Wendi toured around town. It was a perfect beach day. Wendi came back with some purchases. She bought some very cool orange boots. I wanted them too so I went back and bought them. We decided that we would BOTH wear them to the Stones show that night. Losers! We did wear them.
We went for lunch again, NO tapas, we found a place that served burgers and chicken sandwiches. We were very happy. Of course we had more gelato!
Great day in San Sebastian but the best was yet to come....The Rolling Stones!
We went for lunch again, NO tapas, we found a place that served burgers and chicken sandwiches. We were very happy. Of course we had more gelato!
Great day in San Sebastian but the best was yet to come....The Rolling Stones!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
More to come....today is Sunday the 24th....
Hi, today is Sunday, our last full day in Spain. Jason, Wendi and I are in the Internet Cafe but about to leave to go eat...again.
I´ll add many more photos, stories and lessons learned once I get some more free time. Lots to come....
Thanks for reading the blog, making comments and emailing me. I love it.
Spain was great! I miss everyone!
Adios,
Leslie (Jason and Wendi too)
I´ll add many more photos, stories and lessons learned once I get some more free time. Lots to come....
Thanks for reading the blog, making comments and emailing me. I love it.
Spain was great! I miss everyone!
Adios,
Leslie (Jason and Wendi too)
Our first full day in San Sebastian
Wendi and I went for a great run. Wendi is much faster than I am, but she ran with me the entire way. Jason slept...of course.
It was not a sunny day, so we toured....walked, ate and drank. Shocker...sounds like all of my days. We asked the front desk about any "shows, plays, etc..." going on in San Sebastian while we were there. She said, "No, nothing really, it´s a disgrace...we don´t have anything. But...The Rolling Stones are playing tomorrow, but that´s about it."
WHAT????????????? The Rolling Stones!!!! Was she kidding? I´m embarrassed to say but none of us have seen them in the U.S. so why not see them in Spain? We asked if tickets were still available and she said yes.
We went immediately to get tickets...no line to get tickets (we were amazed) and we got 3 GREAT seats for only 73 euros each. We thought it was not real. We were really going to see The Rolling Stones in Spain!
So, after we bought our tickets, we toured more....ate more, drank more and decided that we did NOT want any more tapas! They were really not as good as people said they were. UGH! We did enjoy gelato though.
We took a hike up a small mountain and got some beautiful pictures of San Sebastian. San Sebastian is a great little beach town. It´s a perfect size, has some wonderful shops, restaurants and the people are very friendly. We all loved the town.
Towards the end of the day, we were hungry again, of course, NO tapas, so believe it or not, we had pizza and french fries.
It was not a sunny day, so we toured....walked, ate and drank. Shocker...sounds like all of my days. We asked the front desk about any "shows, plays, etc..." going on in San Sebastian while we were there. She said, "No, nothing really, it´s a disgrace...we don´t have anything. But...The Rolling Stones are playing tomorrow, but that´s about it."
WHAT????????????? The Rolling Stones!!!! Was she kidding? I´m embarrassed to say but none of us have seen them in the U.S. so why not see them in Spain? We asked if tickets were still available and she said yes.
We went immediately to get tickets...no line to get tickets (we were amazed) and we got 3 GREAT seats for only 73 euros each. We thought it was not real. We were really going to see The Rolling Stones in Spain!
So, after we bought our tickets, we toured more....ate more, drank more and decided that we did NOT want any more tapas! They were really not as good as people said they were. UGH! We did enjoy gelato though.
We took a hike up a small mountain and got some beautiful pictures of San Sebastian. San Sebastian is a great little beach town. It´s a perfect size, has some wonderful shops, restaurants and the people are very friendly. We all loved the town.
Towards the end of the day, we were hungry again, of course, NO tapas, so believe it or not, we had pizza and french fries.
Our first night in San Sebastian
We arrived around 11pm and we were starving. Oh, before I forget to tell you...Jason almost hit 2 surfers on a scooter. We were trying to find a parking lot in San Sebastian and Jason decided to make a left from the right lane, not a good idea, the 2 surfers were next to us and Jason did not see them or hear them until they yelled "oh!!!!!!" Jason did not hit them, luckily.
So, we checked in and had to find food immediately. We found a place around the corner from our hotel and had some tapas and some cerverza. Yum....tapas...yeah, yum for one night.
We went to bed after our yummy tapas. We wanted to enjoy the next day in San Sebastian. BEACH!
So, we checked in and had to find food immediately. We found a place around the corner from our hotel and had some tapas and some cerverza. Yum....tapas...yeah, yum for one night.
We went to bed after our yummy tapas. We wanted to enjoy the next day in San Sebastian. BEACH!
Almost there...
We were getting closer and closer to San Sebastian and we were so excited...yeah, beach town! We had about 3 miles to go and we were instructed by "Saaaandi" to exit, so Jason followed the instructions. After a few minutes, we heard, "You have arrived!" HMMM????? I thought San Sebastian was a beach town....if it was a beach town, why were were in front of a camp ground in the woods???? We didn´t see a beach anywhere.
We were lost, shocker!!!! Even with "never lost" we got lost. Again...I´m not sure how well we´re going to do in The Amazing Race???!!!!!
Golly...what now? So, Wendi decided to check the address she entered and oops it was not exact. One little error...we had the wrong address for our hotel. Wendi reprogrammed it and we were back on our way....let´s hope we find the beach this time.
Yeah...we found it, about 15 minutes after we started our journey again.
We were lost, shocker!!!! Even with "never lost" we got lost. Again...I´m not sure how well we´re going to do in The Amazing Race???!!!!!
Golly...what now? So, Wendi decided to check the address she entered and oops it was not exact. One little error...we had the wrong address for our hotel. Wendi reprogrammed it and we were back on our way....let´s hope we find the beach this time.
Yeah...we found it, about 15 minutes after we started our journey again.
The adventure of driving from Madrid to San Sebastian
So...we rented a car from Hertz and decided to drive to San Sebastian. We decided to get "never lost" from Hertz so it would make it easier for us. Not a problem...easy we thought. We named our "never lost" Saaaandi...(after the girl in my Italian class...they have the same accent). Jason was the driver and I was trying to navigate. Oh no...we all know what happened last time we tried to do this. Wendi was very content being the passenger in the back seat. Wendi´s job was to program Saaaandi. She did the well....we thought. HA!
We were on our way.....onto San Sebastian. So...it took us a while to get out of Madrid...after Jason made a right on red (which is NOT legal in Spain). We were following Saaandi´s instructions but missed a few turns and ended up going around the circle in front of the Prado Museum a few times. It was a riot. We laughed...of course.
Then...we finally made it out of Madrid onto the main highway. Easy drive for the next 3 hours. Jason was doing great. I was happy in the passenger´s seat playing DJ and Wendi was napping a little bit.
We were on our way.....onto San Sebastian. So...it took us a while to get out of Madrid...after Jason made a right on red (which is NOT legal in Spain). We were following Saaandi´s instructions but missed a few turns and ended up going around the circle in front of the Prado Museum a few times. It was a riot. We laughed...of course.
Then...we finally made it out of Madrid onto the main highway. Easy drive for the next 3 hours. Jason was doing great. I was happy in the passenger´s seat playing DJ and Wendi was napping a little bit.
Tourist day in Madrid
We woke up and decided to play tourist all day. Wendi and I did not run as we thought we would. Oh well! We toured the Palace Real. It was gorgeous. We were shocked that there was no line to buy tickets. We learned a little bit about the Palace, the rooms and the entertaining. We learned that King and Queen do not live there, they live in the country but they come for a few days a week.
We walked around the city after our tour....of course we ate, drank a little bit and then ate some more. We walked for a long time and saw many parks, muesums, gardens, and beautiful architecture. It was a great day!
Our favorite place in Madrid was "Nice Cream"...it was a place to get gelato. It was delicious. We went a few times!
After our touring...it was time for our adventure...renting our car and driving to San Sebastian...a little beach town in the northern part of Spain. It was about a 5 hour drive.
We walked around the city after our tour....of course we ate, drank a little bit and then ate some more. We walked for a long time and saw many parks, muesums, gardens, and beautiful architecture. It was a great day!
Our favorite place in Madrid was "Nice Cream"...it was a place to get gelato. It was delicious. We went a few times!
After our touring...it was time for our adventure...renting our car and driving to San Sebastian...a little beach town in the northern part of Spain. It was about a 5 hour drive.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Our first dinner in Madrid!
We went to a place that had delicious food and also had a Flamenco Show! It was awesome! We ate a lot, drank a lot and watched an amazing show! Jason took a lot of videos but it would take too long to download onto this blog. I´ll show everyone when I get back home or Jason can show you when he gets back to NYC.
Off to bed we all went....tipsy and all. We wanted to get a good night´s sleep so we could enjoy a day in Madrid and be well rested for our 5 hour drive to San Sebastian...a beach town in the northern part of Spain.
Off to bed we all went....tipsy and all. We wanted to get a good night´s sleep so we could enjoy a day in Madrid and be well rested for our 5 hour drive to San Sebastian...a beach town in the northern part of Spain.
Jason and Wendi arrive in Madrid!
I woke up early and thought about going for a run, but I decided against it. I went and had my typical breakfast and then actually took the "underground" to the airport to meet Wendi and Jason. They are arriving within a few minutes of each other.
The underground was so easy. It´s much cleaner than the NYC subway (well, that´s not hard to do) and it was very simple to navigate.
I arrived about half and hour before they arrived. Jason was arriving first so I was waiting outside of his baggage claim area when all of a sudden my phone rang and it was Jason saying "Bonjour". I said, "Where are you? I´m waiting outside of your baggage claim." He replied..."Still in Paris, I missed my connection." Oh well....I told him just go meet us at the hotel when he arrived in Madrid.
I then ran over to meet and greet Wendi. Wendi arrived on time! Yeah. She looked perfectly rested and happy! I was so excited. We took a taxi to our hotel and then walked around a little bit. Wendi´s good friend, Jose, gave us many recommendations of places to see, food to eat and restaurants to enjoy...he grew up in Spain. We had a lot to accomplish in 2 days!
Jason arrived around 7pm and then the 3 of us got ready and went to dinner! Yeah, Jason arrived! We were ready for a night out in Madrid.
The underground was so easy. It´s much cleaner than the NYC subway (well, that´s not hard to do) and it was very simple to navigate.
I arrived about half and hour before they arrived. Jason was arriving first so I was waiting outside of his baggage claim area when all of a sudden my phone rang and it was Jason saying "Bonjour". I said, "Where are you? I´m waiting outside of your baggage claim." He replied..."Still in Paris, I missed my connection." Oh well....I told him just go meet us at the hotel when he arrived in Madrid.
I then ran over to meet and greet Wendi. Wendi arrived on time! Yeah. She looked perfectly rested and happy! I was so excited. We took a taxi to our hotel and then walked around a little bit. Wendi´s good friend, Jose, gave us many recommendations of places to see, food to eat and restaurants to enjoy...he grew up in Spain. We had a lot to accomplish in 2 days!
Jason arrived around 7pm and then the 3 of us got ready and went to dinner! Yeah, Jason arrived! We were ready for a night out in Madrid.
My first day and night in Madrid, nothing too exciting.
My first day and night were night in Madrid. I explored the area and found places to go with Jason and Wendi when they arrive. I actually went to bed early so I could be ready for my days with Jason and Wendi!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Where I am today and what´s next......
I made it to Madrid safely...after my 60 Euros fee for my overweight suitcase. The flight was easy and the cab ride to the hotel was also pretty simple.
I spoke to my cab driver in Italian and of course he just stared at me. He did actually understand me a little bit. We laughed and laughed but we did understood each other and had a conversation. I made it to my hotel safely and then they told me I had been "walked". That means is that the hotel is oversold so they made a reservation for me at another hotel down the street. I went to my new hotel, only 2 blocks away and checked in. It´s a nice hotel. Now....I´m in an Internet Cafe. Sorry I can´t upload pictures yet. I´ll try to do it soon.
Jason and Wendi arrive tomorrow. I´m so excited!!!!!! YEAH!!!!! We will be in Madrid for 2 days then we are going to San Sebastian. This should be an adventure. It will be great footage and practice for The Amazing Race! Jason and I are really going to try out this time! I can´t wait to see Wendi and Jason!
After they return home to NYC, I am going to Sicily...to Club Med. I miss trapeze! Okay, don´t laugh too hard, but I am renting a car once I get to Sicily and I´m driving 4 hours to to the resort. Yes, I know...I´m not too good with directions, but I´ll figure it out. I can´t get too lost, it´s an island! For those friends that were in Florida for Jeff and Elena´s wedding....If I "go west" I´ll end up in the water.
I miss everyone a lot! Please email and post comments! I hope you´re doing well and enjoying your summer!
Love,
Lester
I spoke to my cab driver in Italian and of course he just stared at me. He did actually understand me a little bit. We laughed and laughed but we did understood each other and had a conversation. I made it to my hotel safely and then they told me I had been "walked". That means is that the hotel is oversold so they made a reservation for me at another hotel down the street. I went to my new hotel, only 2 blocks away and checked in. It´s a nice hotel. Now....I´m in an Internet Cafe. Sorry I can´t upload pictures yet. I´ll try to do it soon.
Jason and Wendi arrive tomorrow. I´m so excited!!!!!! YEAH!!!!! We will be in Madrid for 2 days then we are going to San Sebastian. This should be an adventure. It will be great footage and practice for The Amazing Race! Jason and I are really going to try out this time! I can´t wait to see Wendi and Jason!
After they return home to NYC, I am going to Sicily...to Club Med. I miss trapeze! Okay, don´t laugh too hard, but I am renting a car once I get to Sicily and I´m driving 4 hours to to the resort. Yes, I know...I´m not too good with directions, but I´ll figure it out. I can´t get too lost, it´s an island! For those friends that were in Florida for Jeff and Elena´s wedding....If I "go west" I´ll end up in the water.
I miss everyone a lot! Please email and post comments! I hope you´re doing well and enjoying your summer!
Love,
Lester
My last night in Grado
My last night was Monday, June 18th. I didn´t have class so I did errands...laundry, shopping, packing, and found some time to sit at the pool.
My classmates decided that they wanted to make me dinner for my last night. Very nice of them. I went to Saaaaandi and Fabian´s apartment at 7.45pm as planned but they were not ready. Sandi asked if I could come back in about 10 minutes because she was having problems putting Leon, her baby, to sleep. So, I left, went for a glass of wine, then went back in 15 minutes.
When I walked into the apartment, I realized that my classmates surprised me with "brunch for dinner". They knew that more than anything....I was missing NYC brunch and egg white omellettes (you can´t find omellettes anywhere in Italy)...so they made an entire brunch....omellettes, french toast, fruit salad, crepes, etc...You name it, they made it. They had a huge spread! It was so amazing. It was the nicest gift ever. I got very sad (and happy) and had to hold back the tears.
Mia also made me a collage of my trip photos on a DVD. She even put music to it. My friends also bought me peanut butter (another food you can´t find), and an English newspaper. I was amazed. I thought we were going to have pasta again...but no...I had the brunch that I have been dreaming about for weeks now.
I made some wonderful friends in Grado... my 2 weeks would not have been the same without them!
To Mia, Matt, Timmie, Saaaaandi-Fabian-Leon, Mark and Heather....Thank you for a fabulous last day, it was the best present ever. Good luck in school and please stay in touch! I will miss you!!!
My classmates decided that they wanted to make me dinner for my last night. Very nice of them. I went to Saaaaandi and Fabian´s apartment at 7.45pm as planned but they were not ready. Sandi asked if I could come back in about 10 minutes because she was having problems putting Leon, her baby, to sleep. So, I left, went for a glass of wine, then went back in 15 minutes.
When I walked into the apartment, I realized that my classmates surprised me with "brunch for dinner". They knew that more than anything....I was missing NYC brunch and egg white omellettes (you can´t find omellettes anywhere in Italy)...so they made an entire brunch....omellettes, french toast, fruit salad, crepes, etc...You name it, they made it. They had a huge spread! It was so amazing. It was the nicest gift ever. I got very sad (and happy) and had to hold back the tears.
Mia also made me a collage of my trip photos on a DVD. She even put music to it. My friends also bought me peanut butter (another food you can´t find), and an English newspaper. I was amazed. I thought we were going to have pasta again...but no...I had the brunch that I have been dreaming about for weeks now.
I made some wonderful friends in Grado... my 2 weeks would not have been the same without them!
To Mia, Matt, Timmie, Saaaaandi-Fabian-Leon, Mark and Heather....Thank you for a fabulous last day, it was the best present ever. Good luck in school and please stay in touch! I will miss you!!!
Lessons Learned part 3 and other random thoughts...
1. One cup of coffee in Italy is so strong, it´s like having 2 or 3 cups in NYC.
2. No one takes coffee to go.
3. I have seen more speedos and skimpy bathing suits in 2 weeks than I have seen in the past 20 years. I´ve seen a lot of naked boobies too. People just change from street clothes into bathing suits on the beach. Hello...naked people.
4. The people in Grado, local and tourists, have a much better body image than Americans. They do not care what they look like in their bathing suits. Too skinny, kinda big....whatever....it doesn´t matter...they are happy and walk around with confidence. It´s nice. We should be more like that.
5. Caramella means candy...I went into a candy store to buy some gummy bears and chocolates but the caramella stores don´t sell chocolate. odd. No chocolate in caramella stores.
6. When going to the beach, you have to pay for a chair or else you can not sit on the beach. The beach patrols will find out and will make you buy a chair, but they bring it out to you and will set it up. Only 5 euros for the entire day.
7. It doesn´t take long for clothes to dry outside. I was a local and did some laundry in my sink and let is dry on my balcony.
8. Life is Beautiful, the movie, is amazing to watch in Italian, even if you can´t understand all the words.
9. When ordering a ¨"fish plate" find out what types of fish are on the fish plate. Frightening sometimes. I had no clue!
10. One night, I thought I was ordering so well in Italian... I ordered a plate of mussels for the table, for 3 of us to share, but we ended up with 3 orders of mussels for the 3 of us. Oh well, we ate all of them anyway.
11. The overweight luggage fee can be almost as much as the cost of the airline ticket itself. My suitcase was overweight and it cost me 60 euros. YIKES! The small, inexpensive airlines have awesome ticket prices yet very strict restrictions. Mom, I´m mailing some things home!
12. Don´t forget to take the expesive sunscreen out of your carry on. Oh yes, my expensive sunscreen was in my carry on and I had to throw it all out. I forgot to take it out. How many times have I flown in the last few months? DUH!
13. Italian men do know how to "woo" American woman. No details...my mom reads my blog on a regular basis! HA!
2. No one takes coffee to go.
3. I have seen more speedos and skimpy bathing suits in 2 weeks than I have seen in the past 20 years. I´ve seen a lot of naked boobies too. People just change from street clothes into bathing suits on the beach. Hello...naked people.
4. The people in Grado, local and tourists, have a much better body image than Americans. They do not care what they look like in their bathing suits. Too skinny, kinda big....whatever....it doesn´t matter...they are happy and walk around with confidence. It´s nice. We should be more like that.
5. Caramella means candy...I went into a candy store to buy some gummy bears and chocolates but the caramella stores don´t sell chocolate. odd. No chocolate in caramella stores.
6. When going to the beach, you have to pay for a chair or else you can not sit on the beach. The beach patrols will find out and will make you buy a chair, but they bring it out to you and will set it up. Only 5 euros for the entire day.
7. It doesn´t take long for clothes to dry outside. I was a local and did some laundry in my sink and let is dry on my balcony.
8. Life is Beautiful, the movie, is amazing to watch in Italian, even if you can´t understand all the words.
9. When ordering a ¨"fish plate" find out what types of fish are on the fish plate. Frightening sometimes. I had no clue!
10. One night, I thought I was ordering so well in Italian... I ordered a plate of mussels for the table, for 3 of us to share, but we ended up with 3 orders of mussels for the 3 of us. Oh well, we ate all of them anyway.
11. The overweight luggage fee can be almost as much as the cost of the airline ticket itself. My suitcase was overweight and it cost me 60 euros. YIKES! The small, inexpensive airlines have awesome ticket prices yet very strict restrictions. Mom, I´m mailing some things home!
12. Don´t forget to take the expesive sunscreen out of your carry on. Oh yes, my expensive sunscreen was in my carry on and I had to throw it all out. I forgot to take it out. How many times have I flown in the last few months? DUH!
13. Italian men do know how to "woo" American woman. No details...my mom reads my blog on a regular basis! HA!
Close friends....Mia and Radu (from Hotel Fonzari)
I just realized that my last few paragraphs all start with...¨"Mia and I". Yes, she and I spent a lot of time together....class, lunch, pool time, dinner, after dinner drins-coffee, etc... I made a new, close friend...19 years younger than I am! I hope I´ll be invited to her college graduation. HA! I´ll miss Mia!
Then there´s Radu...Radu worked the later shift at the front desk at my hotel. He is a riot. He made me laugh all the time. He has a very dry sense of humor. I would laugh at his crazy sense of humor and he would laugh at my attempt at Italian. Little did I know that Italian was his 2nd language. He is Romanian. He would rather speak English to me. Thank goodness!
Radu was always nice to all of my friends that would come visit and he was always so friendly to me when I would try to figure out some things in Italian. Radu helped me get the driving directions for my Sicily trip. I think he´s scared for me. I do know how to say turn left, right and continue straight. That´s all I need, right? I told him that I´ll call him to help me when I´m driving in Sicily. He said it´s a different language in Sicily so his Italian won´t help. If his Italian won´t help, then what is my Italian going to do? NOTHING! Yikes. (Mom, don´t be nervous...I´ll have ID with me and I won´t talk to strangers. I´ll drive very carefully.)
Radu read my blog and posted a funny comment, of course. I don´t think he has anything to do at work. I bought him a comic book and a book of puzzles. He better do some work. I told him that I would not write anything bad about him...so I won´t. Radu, I´ll miss you. I know you´ll miss me! HA! I´ll write and send postcards and I will be sure to call you when I arrive in Sicily and when I arrive at Club Med! Thank you for making my time in Grado so much fun! Be nice to my friends when they stop by the hotel to say Ciao!
Then there´s Radu...Radu worked the later shift at the front desk at my hotel. He is a riot. He made me laugh all the time. He has a very dry sense of humor. I would laugh at his crazy sense of humor and he would laugh at my attempt at Italian. Little did I know that Italian was his 2nd language. He is Romanian. He would rather speak English to me. Thank goodness!
Radu was always nice to all of my friends that would come visit and he was always so friendly to me when I would try to figure out some things in Italian. Radu helped me get the driving directions for my Sicily trip. I think he´s scared for me. I do know how to say turn left, right and continue straight. That´s all I need, right? I told him that I´ll call him to help me when I´m driving in Sicily. He said it´s a different language in Sicily so his Italian won´t help. If his Italian won´t help, then what is my Italian going to do? NOTHING! Yikes. (Mom, don´t be nervous...I´ll have ID with me and I won´t talk to strangers. I´ll drive very carefully.)
Radu read my blog and posted a funny comment, of course. I don´t think he has anything to do at work. I bought him a comic book and a book of puzzles. He better do some work. I told him that I would not write anything bad about him...so I won´t. Radu, I´ll miss you. I know you´ll miss me! HA! I´ll write and send postcards and I will be sure to call you when I arrive in Sicily and when I arrive at Club Med! Thank you for making my time in Grado so much fun! Be nice to my friends when they stop by the hotel to say Ciao!
Disco in Grado!
Mia and I became friends with Denis, a guy that works in my hotel. He works in the bar-restaurant where Mia and I have coffee and-or a drink. Denis asked if we wanted to go dancing and we said, "Sure!" What was I thinking? I´m not a very good dancer, but oh well...it was my last weekend in Grado so why not?
Denis and his friend took Mia and me took the disco. It was a huge outdoor dance party. It was a lot of fun. The majority of the music was in English and the majority of the crowd knew the words. Strange! We danced until 5am. Yikes, that´s the latest I´ve been out in a long time. It was a great time.
I know you guys are laughing at me...yes, the Lester peguin dance came out. It had to...that´s all I know.
Denis and his friend took Mia and me took the disco. It was a huge outdoor dance party. It was a lot of fun. The majority of the music was in English and the majority of the crowd knew the words. Strange! We danced until 5am. Yikes, that´s the latest I´ve been out in a long time. It was a great time.
I know you guys are laughing at me...yes, the Lester peguin dance came out. It had to...that´s all I know.
A field trip to Udine!
Mia and I went to Udine, a small city about an hour away from Grado, to visit Elisa, our teacher. Elisa lives in Udine and wanted to show us around. Mia and I took the bus from Grado to Udine. Easy!
Oh, can you tell that I do a lot with Mia? HA!
Anyway, we arrived in Udine and cute Elisa met us at the bus station and showed us Udine. Her boyfriend, Alberto, met us too. He doesn´t speak English that well so it was tricky for me to talk to him but I did okay, I think.
We saw the Duomo, the castle and then of course, ate and drank a little bit. It was a great day. It was nice to get out of Grado for a day. Again...I´ll post pictures once I can find a place that has a USB cord for me to use.
As we were about to board our bus back to Grado, Matt came riding up in his biking gear, and took the bus home with us. He went riding all day and ended his ride in Udine.
That night we all went to dinner then Mia and I went out dancing...yes, you read that correctly....I went to a disco...in Grado. Who knew that there was a disco in Grado and who knew I would want to go. That´s a whole other entry. I did the Lester dance in an Italian club...frightening!
Oh, can you tell that I do a lot with Mia? HA!
Anyway, we arrived in Udine and cute Elisa met us at the bus station and showed us Udine. Her boyfriend, Alberto, met us too. He doesn´t speak English that well so it was tricky for me to talk to him but I did okay, I think.
We saw the Duomo, the castle and then of course, ate and drank a little bit. It was a great day. It was nice to get out of Grado for a day. Again...I´ll post pictures once I can find a place that has a USB cord for me to use.
As we were about to board our bus back to Grado, Matt came riding up in his biking gear, and took the bus home with us. He went riding all day and ended his ride in Udine.
That night we all went to dinner then Mia and I went out dancing...yes, you read that correctly....I went to a disco...in Grado. Who knew that there was a disco in Grado and who knew I would want to go. That´s a whole other entry. I did the Lester dance in an Italian club...frightening!
A field trip to Venice!
Mia, Matt and I decided to go to Venice one Saturday. Easy...¨facile¨we thought since we just finished an entire class on how to buy a tickets, find out the departure-arrival time, how to ask for the track number, etc..
We did it...we asked for the tickets in Italian, found out the bus schedule in Italian and we were ready for our field trip.
We took a bus from Grado to Cervignano then a train from Cervignano to Venice. That was easy, we got there with enough time to have a coffee and a small panini. Then the train to Venice came and we boarded it. Again, easy...boarding was easy....it got a little difficult when the train stopped and the conductor started to say something in Italian and when he finished the other passengers started looking at each other and getting out cell phones and looking nervous.
Believe it or not...Mia, Matt and I understood 80% of the announcement. There was a delay and they were not sure when the train would be moving. Delay...for what???? Oh excellent...a protest across the train tracks because President Bush was in Italy, in Rome. Yikes! The Italians were protesting his visit. Oh well, we still wanted to get to Venice.
We followed others and bought a bus ticket to Venice. That took a while to do because none of us had change and even if you paid me a million dollars to ask someone for change in Italian, I still wouldn´t remember. Matt figured it out and bought 3 tickets.
After 30 minutes of waiting for a bus, the train started to run again. We ran and jumped on it. So now, we had useless bus tickets. Oh well..were were on our way to Venice. We got there and realized we didn´t go to the correct Venice station...so we had to take a taxi to the Venice canals.
It was a gorgeous day. We walked and ate and had a great day. Venice is beautiful. I´ll upload pictures when I can find a place that has a USB cord. The small little streets were so amazing. You could get lost in one second. Awesome place.
One bad thing about Venice...I think there are more pigeons in Venice than in NYC. I was completely freaking out. They were everywhere and people actually pay to have the pigeons sit on their arms, heads, etc... I was compeltely grossed out. Meghan, you would have had a heart attack!
Mia and I decided to take a gondola ride. It was wonderful...for the first 3 minutes that I was awake. I fell fast asleep for almost the entire ride. It was the most expensive nap I have ever had. For those that know me very well...I´m sure you are not surprised. I can sleep anywhere at anytime! Just ask Kristina and Andrew about the time I fell asleep at dinner...in a restaurant. Anyway, Mia said the gondola ride was beautiful. I saw her pictures.
So...getting back home to Grado was easy....the train was on time and then we took a taxi from Cervignano because there were no more buses....oh one mistake we made, we read the bus schedule wrong so we had a take a taxi...no more buses to Grado that night.
We did it...we asked for the tickets in Italian, found out the bus schedule in Italian and we were ready for our field trip.
We took a bus from Grado to Cervignano then a train from Cervignano to Venice. That was easy, we got there with enough time to have a coffee and a small panini. Then the train to Venice came and we boarded it. Again, easy...boarding was easy....it got a little difficult when the train stopped and the conductor started to say something in Italian and when he finished the other passengers started looking at each other and getting out cell phones and looking nervous.
Believe it or not...Mia, Matt and I understood 80% of the announcement. There was a delay and they were not sure when the train would be moving. Delay...for what???? Oh excellent...a protest across the train tracks because President Bush was in Italy, in Rome. Yikes! The Italians were protesting his visit. Oh well, we still wanted to get to Venice.
We followed others and bought a bus ticket to Venice. That took a while to do because none of us had change and even if you paid me a million dollars to ask someone for change in Italian, I still wouldn´t remember. Matt figured it out and bought 3 tickets.
After 30 minutes of waiting for a bus, the train started to run again. We ran and jumped on it. So now, we had useless bus tickets. Oh well..were were on our way to Venice. We got there and realized we didn´t go to the correct Venice station...so we had to take a taxi to the Venice canals.
It was a gorgeous day. We walked and ate and had a great day. Venice is beautiful. I´ll upload pictures when I can find a place that has a USB cord. The small little streets were so amazing. You could get lost in one second. Awesome place.
One bad thing about Venice...I think there are more pigeons in Venice than in NYC. I was completely freaking out. They were everywhere and people actually pay to have the pigeons sit on their arms, heads, etc... I was compeltely grossed out. Meghan, you would have had a heart attack!
Mia and I decided to take a gondola ride. It was wonderful...for the first 3 minutes that I was awake. I fell fast asleep for almost the entire ride. It was the most expensive nap I have ever had. For those that know me very well...I´m sure you are not surprised. I can sleep anywhere at anytime! Just ask Kristina and Andrew about the time I fell asleep at dinner...in a restaurant. Anyway, Mia said the gondola ride was beautiful. I saw her pictures.
So...getting back home to Grado was easy....the train was on time and then we took a taxi from Cervignano because there were no more buses....oh one mistake we made, we read the bus schedule wrong so we had a take a taxi...no more buses to Grado that night.
Overall, it was an excellent day.
Monday, June 18, 2007
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