So in the time between Carnival and now Spring has definitely sprung. Milan is warming up and things are getting a lot better. So we decided to head to Torino and skiing for the weekend before it got too warm.
Torino was the center of the celebration for 150 Years of Italian Unity. It was like gameday for Italy. Everyone has their faces colored with the Italian flag and people were draping and waving the flags all over the city. We spent the day walking around Torino and just taking in the massive crowds. There were so many people lining the streets and in the main piazza. We walked into the Duomo and saw the Shroud of Turin along with some gardens and walked based the Tower of Torino. But for me, the highlight of Torino was the pistachio salami pizza at 11 a.m. It was glorious.
That night we headed out to Bardonecchia, which was an hour outside of Torino. It was the sight of the 2006 Snowboarding Olympics. We pulled into the mountains just as the sun was setting and it played a purple sky over the Italian French Alps. It was so exciting to see.
We had a fantastic ski chalet for the weekend. 2 stories and only 20 euro a night! :) IT was more than enough room for all 5 of us. The next morning looking off our balcony was amazing. It was a sight I have rarely seen in my life. Huge mountains covered in snow glistening in the sun. We headed out to get a our ski passes and we were off to the slopes. As soon as I put my skies on I knew what trouble I had gotten myself into. Beginner Alpine Skiing is in no way beginner.
The snow was scary. It was very icy in some parts. But the course itself wasn't difficult (even though there were no barriers to protect you from exploding off the side of the mountain) but it was the steepness and the incline. I had no idea how to manage my speed or stop very well yet. It was only my second time skiing ever. And this was the alps! So I took it slow at first, collecting my ganas at each plateau. But then I went for it. Explosion! epic. I lost my two skies and poles. But it was nice to get the scare of the first crash over with.
The rest of the way continued to be very steep and intimidating. Not to mention there weren't any beginners on the slopes at all! So we took it down one slope at a time.
K and I were on the same level. Kiki, Matt and David were all pretty advanced. So K and I pretty much stayed together for the rest of the day. We kept on trying mountain after mountain and not really giving up even though were were terrible and exhausted. On our last lift, one that you have to hold onto and put under your butt, was the most epic.
I went on first and K followed. I managed to start just fine and climb a bit, when I realized K had an explosion at the start. It was hilarious to look back and see him sprawled out on the floor, but then I realized I had to climb this thing alone. I kept turing around and looking for K but he never seemed to come over the slope. I realized it was just me. Going up this 90 degree angle on this mountain by myself. I was so scared to fall in the middle of nowhere. I had to get to the top. It was a beautiful and quiet ascent.
So I hung on and hung on. The lift was so steep at some point my elbows were touching my knees and I was hanging on so tight. But then the slope leveled out quickly and I had to much slack. But I was holding on so tight that I just fell on my face. I sat there, in the middle of deep snow, having to pee incredibly bad, alone. all alone. I managed to fall directly on a hill/bridge, which I tumbled down onto the blue/easy slope path. Easy my ass. I was not only scared again but by myself. I had so much left to do on this trip I didn't want to seriously injure myself.
So I skied a bit down, then took of my skis and began to carry them down the steepest part of the slope. It was hell. A nice couple came by and took my skies and said they would leave them at the lift/restaurant below. Far below. The walk was actually pleasant and amazing. It was nice to take things slow and take in the view. When I got close to the lift, I heard my name and it was K. He survived his fall! He fell in the middle of nowhere and had to trek his way back through dense snow to any path lol.
We decided we tried our best, went up to the deck of the chalet with the most amazing view of the mountains and did some tanning. rested and relaxed. Then we took the the lift down to meet the other around 4:30pm and the day was over.
We were exhausted. So tired we couldn't make dinner. Wine, cheese and bread. that's it.
The next day I could barely move. It was like if I had pulled every muscle in my body. I knew there wasn't much for me to do on the lifts the second day, because I just wasn't advanced enough. So Me Kiki and K explored the town of Bardonecchia. It was nice and quaint. Then we went back up the slopes and mountain, with our shoes!, to meet the boys for lunch at the ski chalet. Boxed Wine, bread and brie with one of the greatest views of my life. The sun was shining and and some point it was snowing! But I was breathtaking. my words will never be able to do it justice. We had some of the best hot chocolate I have ever had. On top of the Alps.
After lunch we headed back to our place, made a great dinner feast, played card games, drank, and really just enjoyed our cabin and our company.
On Sunday we headed back to Milan on the cheapest 4 hour train we could find. It was one the best weekends. It was so nice to exercise and see some nature. Get out of this bustling city Milano. Fresh Air and Sun. We needed it because the whole week prior it was raining in Milan. So this was the best pick-me-up we could ask for.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
German Karneval
Wow, clearly I'm terrible at updating my blog. It's definitely been a while. I'm putting more effort into updating my facebook pictures than I am updating this blog, but whatever works.
After Venice Carnival, the next weekend I was back up in Germany to celebrate Karneval there. So compared to Italy is was very very different. Italy was way more traditional and seemed to showcase a more cultural celebration. German Karneval was just a mess. Surprisingly there were so many older people there. It's amazing, its like nobody works for 5 whole days.
We took the 9 am train into Cologne on Saturday, our first day there. Drunk by 10. I was supposed to be a sexy pirate. But as we all know, sexy costume pictures never look that sexy in person. You get what you pay for lol. Bertan was a damn adorable Crocodile and Oscar was a bunny, yes a bunny. Not a good start. Running over baby carriages and not knowing how to get into any bars caused for some confusion. So we wandered. We wandered all over that city of Cologne going into random bars and having random drinks. We stumbled upon a great bar with lots of colorful people. When I came out from the bathroom, there was a 25 piece band playing in the bar. I practically had my head inside one of the ladies trombones. It was just a bunch of random costumes and random celebrations. I'm not sure I have any idea what Karneval means historically to Germany, but it sure is a great time. We went all day. All day. Walking and drinking. The best thing about Germany so far is that it is waayy cheaper than Milan. I can actually afford to drink at the bar. Honestly writing this blog two weeks later I can't remember much. We were exhausted so we decided to take Sunday off. On Monday we headed back to Cologne and continued with the same plan. Walk and Drink. Drunk by 11 a.m. again. That is a first. 23 and not slowing down yet...well a bit. Although there was a great parade we could watch. It was great as long as you learned to avoid the candy missiles that were being thrown from the floats. The floats were all sorts of raunchy and controversial, some were even nude floats! They had great costumes though.
It was a great time. Bertan, Oscar, and Liz and their friends from WHU were great company:) By around 11 pm we were just exhausted so we headed back in the freezing cold. We had a full apartment with some other MAIB grad students staying with us. It was nice to have familiar faces around, especially Gators!
I decided to stay till Wed because my classes were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday. Thanks Bocconi. It was nice to stay the extra days with Bertan. We explored the neighboring town of Koblenz and watched movies! I think that may be the most normal thing I have done on this trip so far. It was so nice to just have a couple of days just to chill. The Karnival experience was one I won't forget, the costumes, the chaos, the jaggerbombs. It was just an excuse to party, and a good one at that.
I have some great colorful pictures to illustrate this post. It's difficult to write about it afterwards because so much has happened since. So I'm going to try and be better about posting. (probably not)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Masquerade, Paper Faces on Parade
Venezia Carnivale! what an adventure that was.
So after drinking to much at the Birreria on Wednesday night, I had class 8:45-6 on Thursday. Then came home with enough time to pack, laundry, e-mail. With about 3 hours of sleep, it was off to Venice to catch at 7:00 a.m. train. off to a great start.
Good news, the whole crew made it. 5 of which were boys, so I was impressed! 3 hours later because we pay for the cheap train lol..we arrived. Venice was my first stop when I backpacked through Europe 4 years ago, so it had a special place in my heart. It was just like I remembered it. This time arriving in the sunny midday to see the boats and WATER was so exciting. We checked into our two story hostel, just for us, which was really cool. Then sightseeing the whole day. Off to Doge's Palace, the Basilica di San Marco, and a water taxi ride around the island and down the Grand Canal.
It was a perfect boat ride as the sun set on such a wonderful fake world. It just seems like this place shouldn't exist. Like a Fantasia, or Atlantis. The canals snaked their way through cracks of buildings, under bridges, and in between boats. It was such an exciting atmosphere. The buildings were all heavily leaning and the architectural design was just amazing.
Surprising, there were only small signs of Carnivale on Friday. Tents and stages were being set up, but nothing crazy. We went to dinner at a quiet seafood place. The owner who had three adorable dogs all joined us for dinner. We returned to the hostel, played mind games while we laughed on wine, and then set out around midnight to discover any stirrings of Carnivale. Nothing! lol. But it was so much fun cruising through the empty streets of Venice at night. quiet, beautiful hidden passageways. It was like we were in a giant puzzle. There were some masked figures. Two white masked figures with capes ascended over the bridge in front of us, I jumped on Moses practically. Everyone had a good laugh, but they were freaky! so quiet, and just to see those things, they said nothing and just bowed passed us.
The next morning, Tourism cascaded over Venice. Thousands and thousands of people had poured in overnight and we could barely walk though the street. We left our baggage at the train station because we couldn't book the hostel for Saturday night, so we opted to take the 5 am train instead. haha...
We ran through the afternoon streets again all the way to the main Piazza San Marco. It was a circus. Thousands of people, crowding over the most elaborate costumes. it was like thousands of paparazzi. The costumes of some of the people were unbelievable, my pictures will only do them justice. The colors were so bright and so many. High hats and huge skirts, frilly sleeves and glittery jackets. I truly had a hard time looking at everything. Even seeing the thousands of tourists in masks was amazing. One of the most visually appealing moments ever.
We spent the rest of the afternoon taking a water taxi to Murano, and island of the coast of Venice famous for their hand blown glass. It was a beautiful small island with amazing glass shops. Afterwards, the fun started. We couldn't leave our bags at the station for much longer and we need a place to keep them/possibly stay overnight for a later train. At the advice of some friends, we opted to book a campsite, one I stayed at when I backpacked. It was such a nice camper from years ago I was certain it would be a great choice, Then, we arrived, and we realized we booked a tent. A TENT. lol we had quite a laugh. a cold, zipper, 2 cot tent. HAHA. So we made the best of it, put on our masks, and pregamed in the tent. We locked up our stuff and headed back to the island. The night was young.
There were concerts in many of the small piazzas with drunk people everywhere. SO much fun! noises and colors! We had our bottles of wine in hand so we were ready! We finally reached the Main Piazza in time for an huge Italian concert. They had a great stage set up with a great light display. This band must have been popular because these people were going nuts. We joined a huge conga line and jumped all the way though the crowd, to the front stage! What a happy atmosphere. People were just enjoying life, so much life. Couples dancing together, just looking at each other enjoying it so much. People just happy. Old, young, drunk and in crazy costumes. It was just everyone enjoying themselves and their loved ones and friends. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
Well we partied until 12:00...lol When everything ended! Come on Venice! We ran to a bar till 1am ish because it was freezing. But then that had to come to an end. I'm not sure about the traditions of Venice, but ending at 12a.m should not be one of them. We were homeless and had to kill 4 hours in the cold. So what else? We huddled in a 7-formation on the corner of a bus stop eating chicken sandwiches. It was so cold. We looked so pathetic. But, extremely funny and memorable. 2am turned to 4am and we headed to the train station, it was open Thank God. Then at 5 a.m. the train looked as if it were going to open. People ran! The train was locked, but that didn't stop people from jumping through the windows to get in the warm cabins. Pretty soon, we were in.
Back to Milan at 8:30am. Back to the dorms at 9:30. Sleep at 11 a.m. whoa...
So after drinking to much at the Birreria on Wednesday night, I had class 8:45-6 on Thursday. Then came home with enough time to pack, laundry, e-mail. With about 3 hours of sleep, it was off to Venice to catch at 7:00 a.m. train. off to a great start.
Good news, the whole crew made it. 5 of which were boys, so I was impressed! 3 hours later because we pay for the cheap train lol..we arrived. Venice was my first stop when I backpacked through Europe 4 years ago, so it had a special place in my heart. It was just like I remembered it. This time arriving in the sunny midday to see the boats and WATER was so exciting. We checked into our two story hostel, just for us, which was really cool. Then sightseeing the whole day. Off to Doge's Palace, the Basilica di San Marco, and a water taxi ride around the island and down the Grand Canal.
It was a perfect boat ride as the sun set on such a wonderful fake world. It just seems like this place shouldn't exist. Like a Fantasia, or Atlantis. The canals snaked their way through cracks of buildings, under bridges, and in between boats. It was such an exciting atmosphere. The buildings were all heavily leaning and the architectural design was just amazing.
Surprising, there were only small signs of Carnivale on Friday. Tents and stages were being set up, but nothing crazy. We went to dinner at a quiet seafood place. The owner who had three adorable dogs all joined us for dinner. We returned to the hostel, played mind games while we laughed on wine, and then set out around midnight to discover any stirrings of Carnivale. Nothing! lol. But it was so much fun cruising through the empty streets of Venice at night. quiet, beautiful hidden passageways. It was like we were in a giant puzzle. There were some masked figures. Two white masked figures with capes ascended over the bridge in front of us, I jumped on Moses practically. Everyone had a good laugh, but they were freaky! so quiet, and just to see those things, they said nothing and just bowed passed us.
The next morning, Tourism cascaded over Venice. Thousands and thousands of people had poured in overnight and we could barely walk though the street. We left our baggage at the train station because we couldn't book the hostel for Saturday night, so we opted to take the 5 am train instead. haha...
We ran through the afternoon streets again all the way to the main Piazza San Marco. It was a circus. Thousands of people, crowding over the most elaborate costumes. it was like thousands of paparazzi. The costumes of some of the people were unbelievable, my pictures will only do them justice. The colors were so bright and so many. High hats and huge skirts, frilly sleeves and glittery jackets. I truly had a hard time looking at everything. Even seeing the thousands of tourists in masks was amazing. One of the most visually appealing moments ever.
We spent the rest of the afternoon taking a water taxi to Murano, and island of the coast of Venice famous for their hand blown glass. It was a beautiful small island with amazing glass shops. Afterwards, the fun started. We couldn't leave our bags at the station for much longer and we need a place to keep them/possibly stay overnight for a later train. At the advice of some friends, we opted to book a campsite, one I stayed at when I backpacked. It was such a nice camper from years ago I was certain it would be a great choice, Then, we arrived, and we realized we booked a tent. A TENT. lol we had quite a laugh. a cold, zipper, 2 cot tent. HAHA. So we made the best of it, put on our masks, and pregamed in the tent. We locked up our stuff and headed back to the island. The night was young.
There were concerts in many of the small piazzas with drunk people everywhere. SO much fun! noises and colors! We had our bottles of wine in hand so we were ready! We finally reached the Main Piazza in time for an huge Italian concert. They had a great stage set up with a great light display. This band must have been popular because these people were going nuts. We joined a huge conga line and jumped all the way though the crowd, to the front stage! What a happy atmosphere. People were just enjoying life, so much life. Couples dancing together, just looking at each other enjoying it so much. People just happy. Old, young, drunk and in crazy costumes. It was just everyone enjoying themselves and their loved ones and friends. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
Well we partied until 12:00...lol When everything ended! Come on Venice! We ran to a bar till 1am ish because it was freezing. But then that had to come to an end. I'm not sure about the traditions of Venice, but ending at 12a.m should not be one of them. We were homeless and had to kill 4 hours in the cold. So what else? We huddled in a 7-formation on the corner of a bus stop eating chicken sandwiches. It was so cold. We looked so pathetic. But, extremely funny and memorable. 2am turned to 4am and we headed to the train station, it was open Thank God. Then at 5 a.m. the train looked as if it were going to open. People ran! The train was locked, but that didn't stop people from jumping through the windows to get in the warm cabins. Pretty soon, we were in.
Back to Milan at 8:30am. Back to the dorms at 9:30. Sleep at 11 a.m. whoa...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)