TIJUANA THURSDAYS

only the best day of the week, except i'm in a strange freezing sugary coma. Tijuana's is definitely one of my favorite places in Firenze. 5 euro nachos or 3 euro chips and salsa, bomb.

THAT TIME WE CASUALLY WENT OUT ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT

It was last Wednesday, kind of been slacking on the blog posts, but I guess that just means life has been good to me and kept me busy.


So after a harsh week a few of us decided to go out on Wed to Club 21. So Katie, Jade, Melissa and I get together chill for a bit a head to the club at 11:30 to find this..

Yeah... it wasn't open yet. You'd think be now we'd know the right time to get to some places. So we then went to one of our favorite places Old Stove Porcellino, where we are pretty much regulars and have a ridiculous relationship with one of the bartenders Antonio (who definitely hits on Katie and some of the Stonehill girls). Antonio always charges us less (scoreee) and it's always a nice place to start off the night. I can't recall if I have mentioned this before, but the first time I went I was tired of my usual Vodka Lemons and Strongbow or any beer is 6 euros (not worth it) and looked at the menu and saw there was a drink called the "Sexy Motherfucker" so I got it and now Antonio refers to me as the sexy motherfucker, but it was so damn good look it up whats in it. The lime is what got me initially, but damn. Become a regular at a bar in Florence, CHECK.

So then we get to Club 21 a hour and a half later and it is far from popping, but we stay to enjoy it and then it does get packed. The highlight of the night was DEFINITELY when these two Spanish guys and this European biddie were roaming around the club trying to get people hyped for Spain and would drunkenly wander in and out. Hot messes to the fullest. Biddie Florence completely ate it on a mini flight of stairs. Then 10 minutes decided to try to get all up in my personal space, to then ask Katie and Jade if I was a good guy... Katie responded with a quick he's gay.. then the biddie squandered away in the funniest motion, DEUCES sorry hun.

Then I left around 2, because I have to wake up at 6 to make it over to Firenze SMN to pick up Tara and Amy from the train station!

#STUDYABROADPROBLEMS

waking up early to do an entire 7 page art history research paper on tarot cards in the 9 hours I can before the printer room closes... to then draw yet another nude model for my pastel class.

study abroad has destroyed all motivation I have for school work, im too busy thinking how I will be going to FRANCE again next weekend to visit Melissa (Trish) in Cannes!

THROWBACK SONG OF THE WEEK

Houston featuring Chingy, Nate Dogg & I-20 - I Like That

I heard it in a Venice shop casually after Ciara's 1,2 step. Loving the 2004 throwbacks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdclkOJqaRw&ob=av3e

QUICK UPDATE

Tara Cantwell and Amy Plouff are officially the best guests ever. Having an amazing time in Firenze with them, and I have the night and a full day tomorrow too? Sweet deal.

SAN GIMIGNANO AND WINE TASTING AT CASTELLO DI VERRAZZANO

So... (I realize I start all my abroad story updates with so.. probably should stop that)

Anyways, On Saturday with my program GSE we went to visiting the city of San Gimignano and then drove about an hour from there to a region of Chianti called Greve in the hills of Tuscany for a wine tasting day.

The chronicles of horrible walking tour guides continued with San Gimignano... damn you GSE for these tours. Though I am gaining random knowledge and seeing things I would have just walked past, I retain no information from boring tour guides that drown out a city. Tell me 5 interesting facts and point some things out, I'll remember that. Instead I only remember how weird my German tour guide said the word babies and how weirdly that word came up into discussion so often, oh and her horrendous blue eye shadow that dominated half her face. The views of the Tuscan hills were incredible from this city though.

The city was very quaint, typical walled Italian city, though with an abundance of stone towers, apparently just your average my tower is bigger than your tower so I'm more powerful mantra in San Gimignano. 

Streets of San G.

Love that I could actually see Fall happening, natureee.

Olive trees everywhere

Nature exists again!

The well in the town center, random tourist please feel free to donate your euros to the David Girvan is hella broke fund instead.

Frescos are definitely not as easy as they look. 

Towers galore in Italy with accompanied swarms of birds that felt like they could swoop down and attack at any given moment.

Hey not real life.

Jess and I!

The right page is dedicated to a list of different chocolate gelatos...

Gelatos in. I got rosemary raspberry (SO GOOD) and my usual staple of tiramisu.

The Castello di Verrazzano grounds

GRASS EXISTS IN ITALY oh how I never realized I would miss it. I feel like I will roll down Donahue Hill of enjoyment over the existence of grass when im back in the States... wait nevermind it'll be subzero New England with a side of 2 feet snow.

"Free wild boar breeding we thank you for respecting the peace" So they raise breed and slaughter some boars, nbd.

In real life the views an unreal, through photos the views are not even half as good.

Drying grapes

Quiet the wine is sleeping.

Each fits roughly 4,000 bottles of wine

And now cue the incredible 5 course Italian meal we got (fo freeee) with a bunch of different wines included. The bread with the homemade olive oil from there was TO DIE FOR! Oh and I have fully determined that I hate wine, I've tried far too many times and I just cannot stand it. If I would ever come to like wine it would be in Italy, and it only made me realized how much I think it is disgusting. Red, white, I can handle pink but its not like I plan on going out my way to buy wine ever. I won't even take the free wine, and I love all things free.

I wanted to run through the hills through the lines of grapes.. Unfortunately didn't have time slash didnt want to get yelled at.

Stonehill ladies. 

From left, Kat, Melissa, Katie, Courtney, Jade, Lengel, Ali, Jess, and Alex

5 seconds after Jess almost breaks her wine bottle on the fence, Courtney drops her wine bottle and hilarity ensues.

oh but don't worry, there was a grate on the roof so it wasn't raining il vino

ABROAD SONGS OF THE WEEK

Preface: switching all further blogposts to Helvetica font (aka my favorite behind Myriad Pro.. yeah I'm a Graphic Design nerd, deal) How did I not bother to change the font, I hate times new roman.


Who You Are - Jessie J
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2WWrupMBAE


My business psych class is giving me some serious life perspective (a post dedicated to that class coming soon) and I just love the lyric: 
"Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart.
Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,
Just be true to who you are"

Glad You Came - The Wanted

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ggzxInyzVE

I don't know why all these random new boy bands are showing up, but I'm not hating the music. Thanks Europe.

Lessons In Love feat. Neon Trees - Kaskade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI0mYRDQaXc

Just another beat the beat club banger, the usual house music I'm all about.

No Light, No Light - Florence + The Machine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOB3G6WeZrQ

Florence + The Machine are back with a new album, and it doesn't disappoint