May 1:... Oi. Today Gwen and I embarked on our first non-professor-aided trip abroad, to Florence. We figured we knew the city pretty well, so the challenge would simply lie in making connections.
THE DEPARTURE: was amazing. Our train was at 10:30 am, and we left the convent at 10-ish. I'd scrambled to buy bus/funicular tickets, and we both pulled out some money, then ran to the Duomo to catch a bus. We got there at 10:15, and waited until 10:20, then caught the bus, and got to the funicular station at 10:25. Amazingly, we timed it just right and got down to the train station 2-3 minutes before departure time (actual departure time was 10:33). We had no tickets, but there was no line, so we bought tickets and caught our train a couple minutes later. Perfect.
FLORENCE: was good. We arrived and as we had no clear plans, we wandered around looking fore something interesting. We ate at La Botteghe di Donatello (VERY slow service and salty pizza, plus the sinks in the WC didn't work...) and we later got gelato in enormous cones that we later fed to the pigeons (the cones, not the gelato.) Gwen got herself some pins she'd wanted, but none of the stores we'd wanted to see were open. Labor holiday. Go figure. When we encountered a demonstration parade up main street, we went to Santa Maria Novella and hung out on the lawn for a while before going back to the train station to return to Orvieto. We had some time to kill in the station, so Gwen used the toilet and I bought a (rather expensive) magazine. Then we hopped on our train and were off.
THE RETURN TRIP: was nothing like the departure trip. Somewhere before a town called Figline, we had our tickets checked. No big deal, right? Our tickets had both a 'partenza' end and a 'ritorno' end, so they must be good for both ways, right? Wrong. The bigliettaio said they were no good. We'd used them going to Florence. So we tried to buy tickets on the train, but didn't have enough money. (Dang magazine!) So we got off at San Giovanni to either buy new tickets or pull out more money. We ended up doing both, because we had to catch the next train. Well, the next train would have made us very late ( it didn't depart until 9:40) so we decided to call Skillen and let him know that we'd be late. To do that, we needed a phone card. Well, all the Tabbachi were closed. Dang Labor Holiday. So, we waited for the train and, after we passed Arezzo, we borrowed the cell phone of a kind stranger and called. Skillen agreed to meet us at the station and pick us up.
So, finally, our stop comes. It's 11:30, we're on time. We go to the doors to get off. The doors don't open. We freak out as the train pulls away from Orvieto with us still on it. Frantic, we rush through cars until we find a uniformed fellow in a green coat. His name is Fabio, and he speaks English. He calls around to see if there is a last train back to Orvieto. There is one. If it were on time, we'd usually miss it. However, luckily, it's delayed. So we arrived at a stop called Orte, and we catch the train back to Orvieto. By now, it's 12:15- 12:30. We stand next to the manual-opening door for the whole trip, hoping the train will actually STOP at Orvieto. It DOES, thankfully, and another nice stranger helps us get the door open, and we get off at Orvieto. It's 12:45. We buy a phone card from the cafe in the station, which is still open, amazingly, and call Skillen, who has by now gone home. He comes back to pick us up, and we sit on a bench under a tree, eating gummies, waiting. We go home, he lets us into the convent, and luckily the corridor door is still open. We crash for the night, exhausted.
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May 2:... A thankfully uneventful day. I made up and crossed off a long list of things to do, including writing my paper, showering, journaling, finishing a drawing, etc. Found a truly hideous Renaissance painting. Other than that, and the pancake dinner at Skillen's place (mmmm... kiwi with maple syrup!) nothing really happened today.
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May 3:...
Gwen's birthday!! At pranzo, rather than getting lovely but liquor-soaked layer cake, she got lemon-flavored sponge cake and candy bars, and I do believe she's the first to blow out all of her candles in one breath.At 4:30, I sprung her birthday quest on her, and other than the fact that she broke her cup handle, missed the necklace, and broke my dagger, all went well. Julia bought Gwen some castles at Alberto's shop, and Alberto gave her a clay rose. After, I took her for gelato, and Will came.
GAH!! Almost forgot the crisis of the day. Today, a watermain broke and the entire city was short of water. (Of COURSE it's the day I start my period...) After Alessandro's late seminar, seven of us (Tommy, Joseph, Peter, Will, Jessica, Gwen and I) went to dinner for Gwen's birthday. We had a change of plans as far as location, thanks to the water crisis, but she still got to eat boar like she wanted. After dinner, she opened up her Viennese cake and Smirnoff Ice (I know... I'm stunned too) and shared with us. Crazy thing is, other than the carbonation... she liked it. It was a surprisingly tasty way to end a very good day. And the water is back on too. *grin*
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May 4:... Finished my seraphim today. Weather's blustery as all heck. Didn't do a whole lot. After the storm subsided a bit, Gwen and I went out to gather some props for our presentation (replace my dagger and buy juice) and I got to pet a lovely shiny black kitty whose name, I think, was 'Blu'. After, we practiced a bit, had dinner -- mmm, fish sticks -- and Gwen went off to watch Monty Python while I -- Loathing Monty Python as I do -- stared at my sketchbook for a while, danced to a CD a bit, and went to bed.
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May 5:... Did our Italian presentation today. I only stumbled on one line. Go me. Otherwise, highly uneventful. Bought a magazine and cut it up. Later, mom called. (She says I have a car!!)
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May 6:... Got up early and headed out to Rome as a class for our second try to get into the Vatican Museum. (Gwen and I bought copious gummies for the trip). We actually got in this time, and spent most of the afternoon looking at artworks that most people only see on postcards. It downpoured as we left, but the return was smooth. Later, Gwen and I investigated a strange smell in her room, to no conclusion.
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May 7:... The most pointless day in the history of Ever. Breakfast was spare and lean. Took a nap. It hailed a little. Lunch was no better. I couldn't eat any of it but the dessert. Didn't accomplish anything in the afternoon either. Got no dinner. Watched X2 and went to bed.