friends are fun

whenever I get sad I stop being sad and start being awesome.

Aperitivo con Carolina, Ilaria, e Valentina 

Tristan and I, enjoying our scarves.

l'ultima cena per CSU! che belle ragazze!!

la casa di Valentina

-We finally made it to Valentina's house for a weekend! Her family lives a little over an hour outside of Florence in the beautiful "compagna" (countryside) of Castiglion Fiorentino. When we pulled up to her house, her adorable grandma was standing on the porch awaiting our arrival. She had been making homemade lasagne noodles for our lunch!! So italian :)

We went inside, ate a little bit of food, and then Vale took us in her tiny little red Fiat "cinquecento" car and we toured her hometown, Cortona, and up to Chiesa Santa Margherita at the top of a hill. Vale's family has a tiny little one bedroom apartment in the historical center of Castiglion Fiorentino, where her dad's family lived when he was growing up-which is where we got to stay :) 

For lunch that day, we had:

-Homemade lasagne

-Chicken and sausage

-spinach, roasted potatoes

-and (if that wasn't enough) gelato with fresh strawberries!!!

 

Italy is COVERED in these beautiful red pop

The next day, we went to a HUGE lake and relaxed in the sun. It was beautiful!! I am so glad that we were able to spend some time getting to know Valentina better, and be able to see her home and her family--things that are so important to her! She is the sweetest girl, and I am so glad that I got to live with her this year. She has helped me improve my Italian so much, and she always is interested in talking and getting to know me. I'm really going to miss her! You can bet that I will come and stay with her when I come back to Italy!!

Valentina and I- such a wonderful girl!!

see you soon

I realized that this year isn't really going to go out with a bang, but with a slow fizzle.
My roommate, Maleesa, just left this morning, and shortly after her people will be parting their separate ways to return back home. So one by one, Florence is di-Californiating and soon enough it's gonna be a couple of us sitting and staring at each other, making the most of our time left.

Anyways, the reason I'm writing this post is because I LOVE Maleesa, and I'm going to miss her so much!! She was my very first friend here in Italy--we shared the same hotel room when we arrived! I have been so blessed to live with such a wonderful person, and it has been such a joy to get to know her.

our first week in Florence, trying to find our way around :)

like children. 

I'm gonna miss you Maleesa!

art show! "qua e là"

So the time finally came that we art students have been preparing for the whooollllllee year: our Art Show!! It was called "Qua e Là" which means "here and there", I suppose to represent the Italian students from "here" and us silly California students from "there". 

There were about 50 pieces in the whole show, and it was absolutely wonderful! We had a huge turn out (pretty sure the free food and champagne might have had something to do with that...at least with getting all the American students there).

I was able to have 6 paintings in the show, which was quite the honor! 

La Bancarella, oil on canvas, 100cmx150cm

Napoli, oil on canvas, 80cmx100cm

Amsterdam, oil on canvas, 80cmx100cm                                 Portone, oil on canvas, 30cmx40cm

my beautiful friends!

don't look too excited to be surrounded by 8 girls Rudy (haha)

new idea for an art show: YOU are the art.

Oh I love that London town.

A weekend in London, visiting my beautiful friend Allison! We have been friends ever since we were little tiny girls in pink soccer jerseys (our team name: The Pink Piranas). And it's been history ever since. Allison and I both went to San Francisco State together, and both happened to be studying abroad this year as well. She is studying at the London Metropolitan University, and absolutely LOVING IT! She has such lovely British friends, and we had such a blast together. 

We went to Camden town which I think is my favorite place in London. We ate Indian food, shopped around, then at a Brazilian churro filled with chocolate, not to mention there was an uncountable amount of free samples we consumed throughout the weekend. 

Saturday, we went to Borough Market where I ate the best veggie burger of my life (with hummus on it) and a berry smoothie :) Later we checked out the Tate Modern Museum.

Both nights we went out with her girlfriends, and had such a great time. 

Such an amazing weekend. I love London, and I LOVE this girl!

a beautiful day in the iris gardens

up on the hillside of Piazzale Michelangelo, it is covered in a rainbow of Irises! After a day of sitting in the sun & painting outside with Brittani, we met up with some friends and walked through the beautiful gardens!!

Cono and I!

forza violaaaa

A bunch of my friends and I went to a Calcio (Soccer) game at the Florence stadium--

Fiorentina vs. AC Milan!

Clearly the majority of us were rooting for FLORENCE, while two were die-hard Milano fans. 

sitting on the steps of Santa Croce waiting for some friends

My Fiorentina jersey!

the stadium

sippin' on some espresso at a soccer game...like true italians.

I was amazed at the rediculously vulgar chants Italians were yelling! I won't repeat them, but lets just say they wouldn't fly in America. haha. Unfortunately we lost 2-1, but we had a great time anyways!

the proposal!

I'm sure most of you have already heard, but to reiterate: PJ AND KELLY ARE ENGAGED!!!

On Thursday we headed out to Castello di Verrazzano, a vineyard out in Chianti in Greve--the Tuscan countryside. We went for wine tasting and a tour of the vineyard, oh yeah and a proposal!! PJ put the ring (Kelly's Grandmother's ring I believe) inside a treasure chest, and I went and hid it in a fountain. The two went on a walk, and, well the rest is history. I creeped behind them secretly and got pictures of the proposal :) Kelly's Aunt, Uncle and their son surprised her by showing up, and we all went to an incredible Italian dinner overlooking the countryside. We spent the night at the Castello.

the proposal. so happy!

the treasure chest

her ring! how beautiful :)

I cannot express HOW HAPPY I am for the two of them. I love you guys :)

new painting ladies and gents!

My most recent painting I am working on is of a bar in Amsterdam. It looked like you were sitting underneath a bunch of giant mushrooms!! I loved the colors and the lighting.

Its not done yet, but well on it's way! 

Oil on canvas, 80cmx100cm

what a beautiful life!

Day ONE in Florence, with my wonderful family! We started out the day with a giant breakfast/lunch consisting of: banana pancakes, eggs with bacon and bell peppers, and potatoes. Breakfast of champions.

I took them all around Florence, showing them all of the wonderful piazzas, churches and streets and I'm pretty sure they loved it :)

Important stop on our tour: The PJ Statue. 

Everyone I know that came to visit and know PJ told me that this Poseidon statue looks 

JUST LIKE HIM. 

I agree.

UNDENIABLY HIM.

PJ and Kelly in Piazza Signoria

Mama and I in front of the Ponte Vecchio

I wanted them to get a good view of the whole city, so I took them to a cafe that sits on the rooftop of a department store in Piazza della Repubblica. We ordered some drinks, rested our feet, and enjoyed the beautiful weather (and view!)

I love them :)

Pops and I 

That night we went out for Pizza and it was delicious, as always. I'm really going to miss the pizza when I go home, it's just not the same back in America.

Ironically, that same night, there was the MTV TRL Awards happening in Piazza Santa Croce, so things were pretty crazy! Florence was packed with young people and there was a huge concert. PJ, Kelly and I met up with my friends later that night. They all absolutely LOVED PJ and Kelly, and kept saying "now that we met your brother, you make so much sense!!!" and "Becca now I see why your so cool, because of PJ!" and another comment from Alessandro (who had an instant infatuation with PJ) "Your brother held me longer on his bosom than my mother ever did"....yeah.

We ended up at Brittani's house, with all sorts of people there. Brittani, the lovely caring giving person that she is, made PJ some food like a true Italian mother.

Oh but this was not just ANY type of food.

It was a Piadina ( a sandwich made with a tortilla). Inside it was:

Prosciutto (ham), formaggio (cheese), rucola (lettuce), cipolla (onion),

and

POTATO CHIPS.

Britt used all her food to cook for PJ because he was "our special guest". :)

That is why we are friends :) such a sweetheart!

let the sun shine

a lovely song by William Fitzsimmons Beautiful Girl

la mia famiglia...in Firenze!

After a two week Euro-trip with my family, I finally made it home to Florence. 

Slept for 13 hours, made some banana pancakes, and now will begin to post some photos of our trip.

So the first night that my family arrived in Florence, my roommates and I made a big ol' italian style dinner for them.

il menu:

Bruschetta

Crostini con sausage and cheese

Pasta primavera

Salad

Vino

....and...

Chocolate covered strawberries!

one big happy family

I have a feeling one of the things I will take with me from Italy is the importance of sharing meals with people you love. Allw we do here is cook for each other, have dinner parties, and...eat!! buon appetito!