a few broken bones, concusion, and an overall amazing trip... :)

SKIING!! number one- i love skiing
number two- i love snow
number three- i love lodges with hot chocolate and cappuccino
number four- the Italian Apennines mountains are LEGIT


We went skiing for three days in Abetone. It was a BEAUTIFUL bus ride!! I am telling you there is nothing ugly about Italy. You can see in my pictures (which look like paintings) that the countryside is breathtaking. I felt like I was in a fantasy world! It took about two hours to get there, and we were on the mountain by eleven. It was a little icy the first day, but it was still awesome. The sunshine was out, hardly any wind= perfect ski weather. I had a blast! We didn't get off the mountain till about 4:30. The next morning we all got up and had breakfast at 7:45 and hit the slopes by 8:30 haha. We were skiing till 4:30 again. It truly was a dream come true. Everyone had so much fun. I skied with Brett the second and third day, and he was great! Oh and the lodges are super nice! I had a pannini for lunch the second day and a cappuccino and pastry for a snack :) The last day Harding paid for our lunch. We picked out a pasta, meat, drink, and desert ( i got fruit mom :) ) One of the girls broke her tibia and fibula around three and she is going back to the states tomorrow. Probably the worst story in the world. My friend Rosie got a concussion. While we were there three people (Italians) died!! Oh and the Italians are all great skiers! But is was a pretty dangerous place if you didn't know what you were doing- alot of cliffs...


On another note

I have a NEPHEW!!! YAY!!! he is absolutely gorgeous and I wish I could be there to kiss him and hold him, but I will just have to wait...


Tonight we are going to an opera!! I am so excited!!

I have to go get ready now!!

A Domani

St. Valentino :) 14 Febbraio

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!! this morning we had classes boo.. but we were told to dress up, so we all knew something good was coming..so we were all not paying attention but awaiting the surprise to come...at lunch!!
Mona and the cooks put petals all over the ground of the dining room and decorated it with candles, chocolate, little hearts with sweet nothings, and we had champagne glasses (haha got ya...they just had red punch in them ) ! Spaghetti and meatballs was the first course (Lady and the Tramp style!) and we had our favorite bread, salad, cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, and fresh fruit of course! We had assigned seats and the boys were missing...

We started eating, and then they all came in, dressed up with roses in both hands. They all had a verse from the bible about love it was adorable! then they gave us our roses and an italian kiss...Brett had my rose of course :) and he gave me a kiss on each cheek and a cute one on the lips. then we all ate ...WAY too much ahah. after lunch we got our espresso like everyday...and then Brett and I played ping pong...I'm getting alot better, watch out forest gump..

tonight Brett is taking me to dinner at mom and dad's favorite Florentine restaurant :) I am super excited..it's our first Valentines..haha


:)

A domani

I wish it was brighter...itsn't it beautiful though!

The courtyard :)

Tessa and Kels in the courtyard of Sante Croce

This is where Michelangelo (my hero) is buried!!! use your x ray vision..

Sante Croce

Santa Croce and the Bargello

Today started off.. early, and I did not get enough sleep..haha no matter, I still had to be alert and ready to learn :) It is getting harder and harder to take notes in our moleskin. I just want to look at the art and study it and listen, not keep my head down so I can put my pen on the line..but I know I will thank Robbie later for making us do it.. Sante Croce is beautiful of course! There are tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machievelli, and Rusini and a commemorative tomb for Dante. It was freezing today by the way... side note... the best part of Sante Croce to me is the courtyard, it is absolutely beautiful. We were very rushed today so it is kind of a blur, I am trying to remember everything and it is super hard..The Bargello was an>awesome. It is the museum for sculptures and bronze statues.. it's like walking into a marble stone, haha. Donatello's David is there ( really weird and historians are starting to think it is not actually david...) and many others of his works..all supernatural and breath taking.. Michelangelo also has many things on display there. My favorite sculpture today was probably Donatellos Amore-it is a bronze little boy with wings, a tail, snakes at his feet, he is smiling, and they are not sure what he represents- that is the cool part- he has so many hidden meanings in the cute boy. He looks so real you could just pinch his cheeks and hear his little giggle. Donatello is known for his realistic work.. I really enjoy his art.

Lunch


ALL of us got to eat at a very nice restaurant. two types of pasta, two types of meat, salad, fried veggies, icecream with melted dark chocolate, and espresso :)

then Jonathan, Nicole, and I stayed in Florence and went to the San Lorenzo market to get sunglasses. I found some ridiculous yellow ones :)

now its time for homework...

:) ciao

San Gimignano! The only modern things = cars..

Inside my favorite church in Sienna. I call it Santa Zebra :)

The Duomo of Sienna

Looking out over San Gimagnano

starting off the day :)

San Gimignano e bella bella Sienna

Today was a LONG and exciting day. We left the villa at 8, got on our charter bus, and made the trip about 40 minutes to San Gimignano. I had no clue what to expect, but I was not let down at all. This town is one of the most medieval towns I have ever seen. Nothing has changed hardly, I felt like I was walking around in the 12th century...which is a pretty cool feeling... all the doors are tiny and the buildings are ancient. First thing we did ...I bet you can guess

went to a cafe for cappucino and pastries :) all on Harding..haha well all on us from tuition..but its still awesome when you think its free
The town is known for their leather and beautiful ceramic. My favorite part about the town was the view on top of La Rocca. The streets got more narrow, and we entered a courtyard...which looked like what I think the Garden of Eden would resemble..and climbed up a tower and looked over miles of beautiful rolling Tuscan hills...it never gets old. We ate real fast, I bought a ceramic mug...and ran to the bus...I wish we had more time..or that I could go back.


Then...we went to Sienna.



I am still catching my breath.



Sienna was and is the rival city of florence. The people of Sienna are very wealthy. the houses there are very expensive, but you can't tell from the outside...it looks ancient and somewhat run down but still beautiful..this is because they are supposedly very humble, and don't like showing off..

There are many freaking sweet things about Sienna...I wish i could tell you all of them. The most famous perhaps is it being the only city that still has the Palio horse race... look it up, it's pretty wild. I found my favorite church (I will probably say that ten more times this trip..haha) It is different because it has alot of pagan art in it..also...it is filled with stripes..haha I will put pictures and you'll see what I mean. Sienna is home to the most famous road to Rome, so it had many different cultures coming in and out. The most exciting art is also on the floor...the church is totally decorated, and your eyes never stop moving.. I am so tired haha I will have to fill you in on more stuff later.
dinner at the villa was awesome to come home to.
and i have a new favorite fruit that I have almost everyday

kiwi

Caio