Athena Blogs

So remember when I said how much I loved Florence, and that part of me never wanted to leave?

Well, apparently Florence listened. The city had its first major snow in 10 years this weekend. The odds of it snowing this hard in Florence are just as great as Los Angeles's, hence the city did not know how to handle such conditions. With that, ALL flights out of Florence were cancelled. Ours to Zurich included.

This news was not recieved well. We had been up all night, praying that our flight would not be one of the ones cancelled. We had called a cab around 3:30am to pick us up out of paranoia that a cab wouldn't be able to come due to blocked roads. We arrived around 4:00am to have our flight cancelled around 6:30, three hours before we would have taken off. Feeling helpless, we got in line to wait and see what Swiss Air had in store for our fate.

We stood in line for...wait for it....

SEVEN HOURS.

Seven hours of standing on our feet. We had not slept that night. We had not ate anything. We had all of our luggage under the watch of some other stranded travelers. Oh, and did I mention that we were at the front of the line for three of those hours? Finally, we practically assaulted a representative to get an answer as to how long we would have to wait. And do you know what he told us?

"Let me get a number for you to call Swiss Air."

Oh. Hell. No. Homie. Do you not think that us and our loved ones had been on hold with Swiss Air for hours? Oh, and do you know what Swiss Air told us?

"Stand in line to wait to reroute your flight."

So once I told this guy that this answer wasn't good enough, we FINALLY got somewhere. So at this point, IF the weather stays good, we will be flying to Zurich tonight, spending the night there, flying out tomorrow afternoon to Munich, and then flying straight to LAX from there. If all goes according to plan, we will be back in Los Angeles at 7:10p.m.

I am sitting in a hotel lobby in a city outside of Florence. I am tired. I am bored. I am exhausted. I am running out of Internet minutes (6 euro for an hour?! REALLY?!).

I just want to go home.

Hopefully the next time I blog to you will be from California. Keep all of us in your prayers! Everyone had a rough day yesterday. Ugh.

Love,

The Stranded Traveler,

Kara

My experience in Europe has been full of amazing memories. But there are just some that stand out above the rest. Here are my top 10 most epic moments from my time abroad!

1. Climbing to the Top of the Duomo

Florence, Italy

439 steps ascend to the top of Brunelleschi's Dome, which leads to the most stunning view of Florence. I am really glad that I did this at the mid-semester point, because I was able to recognize all of the sights in Florence. It truly felt like "my town." I loved sharing this moment with my parents!

2. My night at Copper's

Dublin, Ireland

This was probably my favorite night of going out, not only in Ireland but in all of Europe. From the fireworks-filled Dart ride, to my Slovakian stalker Tibby, to being hit on more times than ever before, to dancing to the Riverdance song with my Knott's coworkers, to waking up in a leopard-print onesie, the night was fantastic to start to finish. And was an indicator as to why I love the Irish so damn much.

3. Oktoberfest

Munich, Germany

Sometimes, I dream about returning to Germany's biggest party. The beer was amazing, and the atmosphere unmatched. I will be back someday. Or who knows...maybe every year.

4. Seeing the Trevi Fountain at Night

Rome, Italy

Before I came to Italy, one of the only monuments I desperately wanted to see was the Trevi Fountain. I had seen it in movies, in my history book, in photos...I had to see this piece of art in real life! The way it lights up at night makes even the most cynical person's heart melt (ahem). And best of all, I ate some amazing gelato in front of it with two dear friends. Could life get any better at that moment? Now to see if my wish will come true :)

5. Playing Tourist in London

London, England

When I see a famous building or monument, I get starstruck. It's as though these places were a figment of my imagination beforehand. So being able to see the London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament, and Buckingham Palace all in one day absolutely blew my mind! It wasn't too shabby doing it in a double decker bus with the amazing Jenny Driver either!

6. Hiking Through the Swiss Alps

Trento, Italy

Okay, so maybe it was the Italian side of the Swiss Alps. But still, for someone who loathes hiking, and is not really the outdoorsy type, this experience was incredible for me. I mean, how many people can say that they have hiked even close to the Swiss Alps? Or have even seen them? Yeah, that's what I thought.

7. Daytrip to Venice

Venice, Italy

It was never in my original plans to go to Venice. I was set on my last trip to be to Paris. But when that fell through, I knew that God was telling me to go see the sinking city instead. And oh my goodness, I am SO GLAD I did. Venice is INCREDIBLE. It is exactly what I pictured the city to look like: canals everywhere, beautiful architecture, and sexy gondolier men taking lovers down the river. I had a fantastic seafood lunch, watched a Murano glass blowing demonstration, and explored what I now consider to be one of my favorite cities in the world.

Austrian Christmas Markets

8. Bistecca di Fiorentina

Florence, Italy

When I came to Italy, I promised myself that I would not fall in love. But then the Bistecca Fiorentina walked into the room on a wooden platter and life was never the same. The steak appears to be rare, but in actuality is cooked to perfection. It was the most amazing meal of my life, and I literally teared up when it was over.

9. Cinque Terra

Cinque Terra, Italy

"The Five Lands" of Italy was an awesome experience. The hike was worse than that of the Swiss Alps, but was so fulfilling and worth it. We had excellent weather, despite the rain pouring the day before. Laying on the rocks in Vernazza and floating in the salty ocean was just as close as I came to paradise on this trip.

10. Biking through Lucca

Lucca, Italy

I think the reason I enjoyed my day trip to Lucca so much was because it was simple and easy. There was no stress caused in terms of getting there, the whole day was relatively inexpensive, and I travelled with two very easy-going people. Riding bikes was a blast despite the gloomy weather conditions, and Lucca in itself is such a cute city!

In continuation of my "Rutkin Recap" photo series (yeah, just came up with that right now), here is the next part for all of you who don't want to go back and reread my entire blog:

Places Kara Went in Europe

(Specifically, outside of Italy)

Man, there are so many places I wish I could've gone! I guess I have to develop a bucket list for places I absolutely MUST VISIT when I come to Europe again: Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Prague, Amsterdam, Berlin, Capri, Switzerland...you will be mine someday.

Next Entry: The Food of Europe

I cannot believe this is my last week here. Life has changed so much in the past three months. Heck, I've changed in the last three months! While I miss everyone back home, the idea of returning to what I now consider the "ordinary" makes me want to vomit. Florence has been so good to me, and now I have to just up and abandon it? Not cool.

Well, I guess I better get to studying for finals. I am obviously dreading this finals week for more reasons than usual. Wish me luck!

See you in a week, America.

-Kara

My time in Florence is tragically coming a close. Emphasis on TRAGICALLY. I still cannot fathom that I have been here for over 3 months, and I board a plane to the United States in 9.5 days.

With that, I thought it would be fun to do a photo recap of some of my travels for those of you weren't paying attention :) And that way, I can give a lazy response to that question I'm really looking forward to answering when I come back: "Hey Kara! How was Italy?" Cause honestly...How am I supposed to sum up the absolute time of my life in a conversation with my friends and loved ones back in the states?

Each entry from here on out will feature photos and memories that I never put on the blog, just in case you haven't been Facebook stalking me religiously. The first entry in this series is going to commemorate all the places in Italy that I visited. Let our journey begin!

Florence (duh)

The Italian side of the Swiss Alps/Trento

Pisa

Garda Lake

Verona

Cinque Terra

Sorrento

Pompeii

Positano

Perugia (for EuroChocolate)

Siena

San Gimignano

Chianti Region

Lucca

Venice: Sorry for not doing a full entry on my trip there. It was only for a day. But I will say that out of all these cities, with the exception of maybe Florence...this was my absolute favorite!

Bologna

Venice

The Vatican City

Rome

I love this country.

Next Entry: Places I've visited in Europe

Today is Immaculate Conception Day, so no school! And then tomorrow is my last day of classes before finals. So weird. I don't think I've ever been this sad for a semester to come to an end :(

Peace and buh-lessins...

Kara

1. Wearing heels on cobblestone has to be one of the Top 10 hardest things to do in the world.

2. November=rain almost every day

3. Once a year, they put grass in the Duomo and Baptistery area to recreate the miracle of San Zanobi.

4. Florence decorates almost every street for Christmas, and puts a tree up in front of the Duomo.

5. Florentine shop owners take great pride in their window displays.

6. Along with being the place where Michelangelo is buried, Santa Croce is home to a great bar scene.

7. Everybody smokes. Everybody.

8. Italians obviously do not celebrate Thanksgiving, but are more than happy to provide the foods Americans might need to have their feasts.

9. Order two flavors when you get gelato. I recommend combining a fruity one and chocolate flavor.

10. Rome is unlike any other city in Italy. In fact, it almost doesn't feel Italian.

11. Siena, Pisa, and Luca make for great and inexpensive day trips from Florence.

12. The streets are ALWAYS clean, and street sweepers are out and about all day and all night.

13. If you are a study abroad student, and want a good leather jacket, go to Massimo by the San Lorenzo Market. 50% off for all students! Ask for Igor :)

14. There is a German Christmas Market that comes to Florence for the first 3 weeks of December.

15. The Dublin Pub on Faenza is a great place to sit and chat with your friends over a pint of Strongbow cider or a Guinness.

16. H&M in Florence > H&M in America

17. Apparently, they are building a Hard Rock Cafe here. I do not approve.

18. Pairing Food & Wine is the greatest class I have taken in my 17+ years of education.

19. Pesto has become a staple of my diet.

20. After a weekend away of exploring Europe, it is so cool to be able to walk into Florence, and say, "I'm home!"

     

So I finally made it over to Rome! Geez, it seems like I've had tentative trips fall through about a million times this semester. Okay, not really. But my excursion into the ancient city couldn't have been better! My friend from LdM, Carissa, and I took a train over there on Saturday, where I was once again reunited with the fabulous Jenny Driver! Jenny had been to Rome when she as 13, but was excited to see the city with older eyes.

It is safe to say that Rome is one of my favorite cities in the world. Yes, it's dirty. Yes, the metro system smells like pee. Yes, the weather sucks. But otherwise...what a city! It is so full of life and history. It almost didn't even feel like Italy to me because it was so much more cosmopolitan than that. One minute you are strolling down the street, and then the next...BAM Colosseum. Amazing!

Here are some highlights from the trip. The only thing we didn't get to see was the Vatican Church because the line was MONSTROUS. But otherwise, this was one of my favorite weekend excursions thus far.

St. Pietro Basilica

The Vatican Museum (This painting is called "The School of Athens," and its by Raphael. One of my personal favorites.)

The Spanish Steps

The Sistine Chapel (Another successful forbidden photo taken by yours truly)

The Trevi Fountain at night (my favorite site in Europe to date)

A visit to the Ice Club...a bar made completely of ice!

Arc de Constantine

The Colosseum

Pizza (duh)

The Ancient Ruins

The Pantheon (which was under construction. Lame.)

And the best gelato I've had to date.
Thanks for a fantastic time, Rome! And of course, Carissa and Jenny :)

Whoa...it's December! I only have 2 and half weeks left here. Anyone know how to slow down time? Let me know.

Until then...

Kara

PS: Venice on Saturday :)

Last weekend, I embarked on what will be my last bus journey to another country (Bittersweet, to say the least). This trip was taken to the gorgeous Austria, and I was more than happy to be reunited with the German culture post-Oktoberfest.

The trip was hosted by my old pals at Bus2Alps, who I also did Cinque Terra and Oktoberfest with. After a 10.5 hour overnight bus ride (awesome, right?), we arrived in Vienna where we immediately headed to the city center. Vienna is a very modern city, and has a lot of great shopping spots and restaurants. The only downer was it that it POURED rain and my poor new boots got soaked through. Looks like I will be investing in some rain boots soon.

But anyways, some highlights from Vienna were:

The State Opera House

The Sachre Hotel, where we indulged on a world-famous Sachretorte

And a tour of a Schnapp's Factory!

St. Peter's Church

That night, my friend/travel buddy Amy and I went to a traditional Bavarian restaurant where I was reunited with my precious Radler beer (half beer, half lemonade). I ordered meatballs and mashed potatoes, and the waitress told me I wasn't being adventurous enough. I stuck with my guns, because this was the only thing that looked okay in English. However, this is what she brought me:

Someone please identify the "balls" in this meat (hehehe). But it was delicious, nonetheless. Salty as heck, though. The German's love their deep-fried salty goodness!

That night, we headed to the Bermuda Triangle (not the tropical one, right Amy?) for a night on the town. They have some AWESOME bars and clubs down there, and there are a ton to choose from.

By the way...Austrians like their tequila shots with cinnamon and an orange slice. Weird, huh?

The next day, we spent our final hours in Vienna at the Schonbrunn Palace. However, we were able to participate in a very unique event that had just started in Austria that weekend: The Christmas Markets!!!

Yup, these markets feature everything CHRISTMAS!! You can find them all over Austria, and they have all your needs for the holiday season: nativity sets, ornaments, decorations, snowglobes, creepy stuffed woodland creatures...they've got it all! Austria is GORGEOUS with all the Christmas decorations up, and I felt so lucky to be a part of their holiday festivities!

Oh, and I am currently lucky enough to be in possession of a friend of the family's Flat Stanley. He also enjoyed our visit to the Palace and its gardens :)

Our next stop for the weekend was Salzburg, home of the "Sound of Music," Mozart, and Red Bull. Our Bus2Alps guide described Salzburg as looking like a birthday cake. I couldn't agree more. The city is so dang charming, and you can't help but feel giddy walking through it. The Christmas decorations and markets made the city look all the more magical. It made me completely forget that Christmas was more than a month away. (SUPER bummed I'm missing Thanksgiving, by the way.) I like how Christmas seems less commercialized in Europe, and more about making the city look awesome and spending time with the family. Could use a little more Jesus though :)

After some souvenir shopping at the Christmas markets (get excited, my loved ones backed home), we had dinner at the Augustiner Brewery. Oh, German beer halls...how I had missed you. And German beer...I missed you even more. Going back to Keystone and Bud Light is going to be impossible.

That night at the hostel, we participated in the strangest event I had ever been to. It was called "Demon Night."

The next day, we took part in the world-famous Sound of Music tour! I was pretty much raised on this soundtrack, but was shocked when I realized I had never seen the movie in its entirety. I also forgot that the Von Trapps were a real family singing group. But alongside of the sing-a-long moments and seeing all the places that the movie was shot at, it was cool going into the countryside of Salzburg. Everything there is so lovely, and you feel like you have walked onto the Sound of Music movie set. Oh wait....we did :)

It is safe to say that I am officially in love with Austria. Better yet, I'm in love with Europe. Why must life separate me and my beloved in 4 short weeks? UGGGGGH I DON'T EVER WANT TO LEEEEAVE!

This weekend, I am off to Rome to reunite with Jenny Driver! Can't wait to see what new adventures await me :)

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye!

-Kara

Hi everyone!

As of Thursday, I only have a month left. Holy CRAP. Where did the time go?!? My emotions are so mixed right now. I seriously have about 42149 million thoughts spinning through my brain. Allow me to let you in on some of them...

• First of all, there are sooo many places I want to travel to, but time is not allowing it. I don't want to leave here with any regrets, but I don't want to leave with bad grades either. I already know I'm leaving with no money (more on that later)! I'm extremely bummed cause my friend Amy and I were planning a trip to Paris our very last weekend here, but then we found out that we have to be in Florence for the final class project for event planning. So we are going to do our darndest to just go for a few days the weekend before. I NEED TO SEE PARIS! Also, I HAVE to go to Rome. It would be so pathetic if I didn't! Hopefully that will be happening over Thanksgiving weekend. I'm sad because I don't think I will be making it over to Venice or Milan. Both places are really expensive to travel to from Florence, and I'd want to spend more than a day there. Sign :(

• If I could turn back time, I would have made a budget sheet for the semester. Cause seriously, money is going so fast. I still have three more trips to supply money for, two that still have to be booked, Christmas presents/souvenirs to buy, my leather jacket to purchase (maybe), and oh yeah, I might want to eat here and there. It sucks, but I've had to force myself not to go out to bars and restaraunts as much anymore. I will be honest...a lot of my money was blown on drinks and nice dinners within my first few months here. So I'm doing my best to cut down on that kind of stuff because A) It's what's making me fat and B) It will help me dwindle down on bad habits I've developed. Plus, partying in Florence is kind of getting old. I'd rather save my money for going out in cool cities, like Vienna and Salzburg. Did I mention I'm going there this weekend? :)

• After my parents left, I developed major homesickness. It was hard seeing them, only to have them leave again. Also, I'm really starting to miss home, my friends, and my family. But I had to promise myself something...I CANNOT be counting down the days til I fly home. I will regret it otherwise. Cause let's face it...all the stuff I miss is going to be there for a very long time when I get back. When will I ever get too live in Florence again? Probably never. So I'm sucking it up, and just saying NO to homesickness.

• I'm about to register for my final semester of college. Ever. Next semester is going to suck sooooo bad, and I need to cure any signs of senioritis I may see. The homework habits I've developed over here are NOT good ones. And even though I got A's on all my midterms, this behavior will NOT FLY next semester. I gotta step up my game, cause believe it or not, I have a ton of final projects and papers to do within the next few weeks.

• Other reasons to dread coming home: No job, no internship, no money. Cool!

This entry is really whiny, I know. But it just goes to show that life isn't always glamorous for the study abroad student. There's so much to think about! I just wish I could stay here forever, and have all the money in the world.

I will give a quick shout-out to the weekend's events. I stayed in Italy, cause my bank account and I needed a travel break. I decided to hang out with people that I wanted to get to know better. So on Saturday, I went to the adorable city of Lucca with my friends Ayla and Kassie. We rented bikes and rode around the walled city. It was really fun, and these two ladies were excellent day trip buddies :)

On Sunday, my friend Carissa invited me to go to Bologna with her roommates. And Bologna really lived up to its name...it was pure bologna. I was REALLY underwhelmed by the city. We knew that it was a college town, and supposedly had the "best food in Italy." Umm, okay says who? I guess if we would've done an olive oil tasting or something like that it would've been better, but we spent too much money on the train ride there. The only cool things were an archaelogical museum, complete with a real Egyptian mummy, and this outdoor market that, I kid you not, did not sell anything over 20 euro. It was MAGICAL. I got two pairs of earrings for 2 euro!!

But note to other study abroad students: Bologna is not worth the travel cost, unless you are going on a field trip or something along those lines.

I know that this entry was simply me rambling and complaining. But hey, I'm entitled to an entry like that, aren't I? But do not let that detere you from the fact that I am having the time of my life here, and am going to live this last month to the fullest!

Hopefully, my Austira entry will compensate for this one ;)

Ciao for now!

-Kara

One of the amazing things (amongst the thousands of other reasons) about studying abroad is that you get to live the life of a jet setter. If you want to go somewhere, you just do it. So I decided that I was going to visit my fellow HB Oiler softball alumni Jenny Driver in England for the weekend. The reason? Just because :)

Jenny is studying abroad in Bristol, which is a city in South West England. She attends the University of Bristol, which could very well double as Hogwarts.

I'm a wee bit envious of Jenny's experience because she is fully immersed in an English school, while LdM (the school I attend) is specifically for study abroad students. However, Jenny does have to live in a dorm with a bunch of "freshers." So for the first time in a while, I was grateful for my one-bathroom apartment! But I digress.

I arrived on Thursday and Jenny gave me a tour of the city. After, we got ready for what I deemed "One Night in Bristol 2010." I got to meet a lot of Jenny's friends, who were quite literally from all over the world! I hung out with people from Sweden, Austria, France, and of course, England and America. We hit up a LOT of bars and pubs, and had a great time dancing to songs that reminded me of high school prom. I was also introduced to cider, which is now officially a beverage of choice for me. Bristol is an awesome city, and I am glad I got to experience it from a "Uni" student's perspective!

The next day, Jenny's friend Presh was kind of enough to drive us to our hostel in London, where we would be staying for two days. Our hostel was called Palmer's Lodge and is in Swiss Cottage. I highly recommend it if you are traveling to London anytime soon. It has a wonderful staff, clean facilities, and is located very close to a tube station that can get you to central London quickly.

Our night out in London was memorable to say the least. We were recommended by the hostel to check out Piccadilly Circus for nightlife. So after our first tube ride (Can California please get a public transportation system like that? Kthanks.), we arrived and I couldn't believe where I was. Piccadilly is London's equivalent of Times Square in New York (I'm assuming, since I've never been there. Waaaah), and is the home of London's famous West End theater district. Being the Broadway nerd that I am, I just about died seeing all these theaters. My goal is to return here some day, and see a show. Maybe this new Phantom of the Opera sequel?

We weren't really sure how nightlife worked here, so we went into this lounge called Jet. I was prepared for a totally sober night when I read the menu and saw that drinks cost about 10 POUNDS EACH. Um, no. So after giving the club a few minutes, we were on our way out when a man offered to buy us drinks. And when I say man, I mean an old dude. We agreed, and he and his friends provided us and about 5 other girls with beverages throughout the night. I'd compare it to getting bottle service in Vegas. Sadly, I didn't find the British boy of my dreams, but some sugar daddy's in a club didn't seem like a bad solution at the time ;)

On Saturday, we planned on being ultimate tourists. Since I only had one full day in London, I just wanted to SEE things. I didn't need to go in them, because that would take too much time. So Jenny and I hopped on a double decker bus, and saw:

The London Eye (which we rode as well)

Big Ben and Parliament (My favorite)

Westminster Abbey

Buckingham Palace

Baker Street

Tower of London

Tower Bridge

London Bridge (Not that cool)

And the London Dungeon, which is essentially just a Halloween Haunt-esque tourist trap. But fun none the less :)

Overall, it was SUCH a fantastic weekend. Jenny was a blast to travel with, and I wish I could have stayed longer! It is impossible to even dent London in a day, so I definitely plan on returning some day. That is, if I ever have money to again.

Sorry again for the long post...but I'm going to stop apologizing for that, cause people have told me they are actually reading this thing! That makes me so happy!!

This weekend I am staying in Florence, but in two weeks, I'm going to Vienna and Salzburg! Can you say, Sound of Music Sing-a-Long Tour? Ha!

Cheerio!

Kara

Here are some highlights from my parent's positively delightful visit to Florence. I couldn't have asked for a better time with them, and I miss them already!!!! But only 6 more weeks until we are reunited in California :)

During their time in Florence, the Rutkins:

Visited the Uffizi

Saw the David

Took a day trip to Siena

Explored the Boboli Gardens

Gazed at the city from the Piazza delle Michelangelo

Feasted on Bistecca Fiorentina

Did a wine tour in Chianti

Hiked to the top of the Duomo

And enjoyed each other's company more than ever before.