A gesture of good faith

Tis been a near fortnight since I posted last. Believe it or not they actually make us do school work over here and there happens to be a good amount of school work in front of me write now. However I have adventures I need to inform you (the reader...not you specifically) about. I have but two weeks left in Florence and three left in europe. I  have the goal of completing an account of my adventures while still in Europe, cause lets be honest, if I write about my time In Germany while i'm sitting at my kitchen table in PLacerville Califnornia its not quite as cool. Its like Neal Armstrong bloggin about the moon while he is chilling at cape Canaveral. He needs to be doing that crap on the dang lunar module!

But I post this short post as a gesture of good faith. Stick with me for roughly four more days and i'll have a legit new post up talking about Switzerland. I'll post these pictures and song just to keep you here and keep you reading. The attempted mind control will come later (expect it in three posts... maybe) But just keep an open mind about it...

Trapped in my Mind- Kid Cudi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8EH1_jZBl4

Behind the Iron Curtin

Two weeks ago I made the trip to Prague. First off Prague is not in Czechoslovakia, it is now the Czech Republic...news to me. Also there isn't really a physical Iron Curtin separating eastern Europe from the rest of Europe buuuuut I already knew that. However the effects of communism are still easily seen in Prague. The rule of the communist was a very defining period for Eastern Europe and its effects have been lasting. The Czech Republic is still a developing country but they seem to be very motivated compared to Italians. It seemed that these people had learned to appreciate a free market economy and were trying to take advantage of their new (comparatively new) economic and personal freedoms.  This was just one of the many differences between The Czech Republic and Italy.

I meet my friend Shawn and his friends from his program in Prague. They came from Austria; I had to endure a 12-hour bus ride overnight to get there. However the overnight bus was worth it when I got to watch the sun rise over the Czech countryside, I didn't get a chance to snap any pictures of that or the Austrian Alps on the way home. But trust me when I say the scenery was exceptional.

As I said before Prague was completely different than Italy. Different culture, architecture, history, food, different everything. It was also my first time in a country where I had no basis of the language spoken there. Czech was like nothing I've ever seen. There was no way I could have began to grasp the language in a weekend. Thankfully English sufficed for the weekend.

Fun Fact: The Czech people drink more beer per capita than any other country in the world (Czech yourself Deutschland before you wreak yourself) and I can understand why. Every local fare that I tasted was very smooth and very delicious. Even the dark beers (beers as dark as Guinness) were very smooth and sweet. Its fair to say that wine fell about the wayside with the Czech people. But I assure faithful reader it is with good reason the Czech people stick to their brew. To go with their beers the Czech people enjoyed heavy foods. After 2 and half months of pasta and lean meats you know I was in heaven munchin on some sausages and dumplings. I even sampled some beef kulash, a traditonal Czech food...no complaints, but I'm sure I

 Recommend it. 

Prague was a city full of things to see; the St. Charles Bridge, the national museum, The Prague Castel and the Jewish quarter just to name a few. The gothic architecture was awesome, very unique and just a fresh perspective on what I have been seeing in Italy. I also spent some time in a Salvador Dahli exhibit. THAT was interesting. He was a very weird dude. I would argue to say that the hipster culture could find their roots in the character of Dahli. Just look at a picture of him and tell me I'm wrong.

In the end Prague was an interesting break from Western Europe. I enjoyed the Czech culture but can't say that it is really for me. What I can say is for me is the exchange rate from the Czech crown the to euro. It was 24 crown to one euro. An average beer cost 55 crown, you do the math. If you have the chance to see Prague I suggest you do. It is widely regarded as the gateway to Eastern Europe and it upholds that duty well. There are many things to see and do in Prague. But I must note this, if you have to choose between Austria and the Czech Republic I recommend Austria. I mean you can't wrong with the homeland of Adolf Hitler right???? I'm sure everyone in Austria would greatly appreciate you reminding them of that fact.

Be on the look out for a post about Montreux Switzerland. T'was a good trip and I’ll be a postin about it soon.

Bulls on Parade- Rage Against the Machine (very anti-government, goes with the anit-communism of Prague)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-58-36lSqG4

For those who aren't in to the 90's rock/rap group here is a famous former resident of prague

Piano Concerto no.21  - Wolfgang Amadues Mozart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df-eLzao63I&feature=related

A second Journey to the Five Lands

I have mentioned it previously on my blog but I will restate this fact. Studying abroad is not easy. You have to eat new foods, drink new drinks and you are forced to travel to far off lands. Unfortunately I was forced to revisit cinque terre. Like I said being abroad is not easy. 

The Trial up the mountain

Our over night trip to Cinque Terre with ISA was one of our ISA excursions and I wasn't about to complain that ISA was making me return to Cinque Terre. There are worse things in this world. This trip to Cinque Terre was slightly different seeing that I was with 30 other American student. I didn't do much the first day I was there. However on the second day I was recruited to be honorary male presence on a hike to vernazza. It was ten girls and me on this hike (there were only 4 guys on the cinque terre trip) I issued a no nagging policy before we hit the trail. 

Monterosso where we started our no nag hike

The hike we made was the only part of the Cinque Terre trails that Marcus and I didn't get to conquer while we were there. So it was all new to me, and it was an awesome section of trail. Wonderful views, slightly challenging at some points and the no nagging policy was not violated. So nobody got pushed off a cliff. We reached Vernazza which is the most famous of the five towns in about 2 and a half hours. We had lunch and relaxed in the Marina. To end the day we caught a ferry back to monterosso. It was an awesome experience. The weather was good and scenery was exceptional. What you expect from Cinque Terre. 

Sweet foot bridge

I also got another chance at some Cinque Terre wine. My recommendation: if you can find it in a store BUY IT. I have enjoyed the wine from Cinque Terre. TIP: don't look for a bottle that says: Cinque Terre, look for one that has a name of one of the five towns (riomaggore, manrola, vernazza, cornliga, monterosso) and you can't go wrong. I should be back in Cinque Terre next weekend, possibly meeting some old friends there. Again; studying abroad is tough stuff. 

doing my thang

Prague post coming soon. Also I’m still deciding on where to go this weekend. I have narrowed it down to Interlaken Switzerland, Trent Italy, or day trips in Tuscany. If you have a suggestion drop me a comment.

Behind Blue eyes- The Who 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfuWXRZe9yA

Throwing up this song for 2 reasons. I'm sure my followers over the age of 30 are getting sick of my new age hip hop, and mixed genre posts. So this is for my faithful over thirty. Also I say a guy playing this song in the metro in Barcelona. (guess who got some euro tossed his way!)

Capri Memory

So its been close to a century since I last posted. The past couple of weeks have been pretty busy with travel a small Internet crisis and the stealing of my beloved bicycle. I have decided to finish my spring break experiences with this post. Something short to hold you hungry barbarians at bay until i can really post about cinque (for the second time) and Prague.

Ceaser doing he thing

The day after Marcus and I hit Pompeii, we took a ferry to the island of Capri. Capri has been a resort island for thousands of years. The first settlements pre-date the Romans and Etruscans. I must say, whomever first decided to row their mammoth skin, saber tooth bone canoe to Capri might have been pre-homo sapiein but had excellent taste for a pre modern human. Capri got its infamous name from the Roman  emperor Nero who had his giants booze filled sex romps at this royal Villa on Capri. Also another emperor who loved capri so much he decided to move the imperial headquarters to capri for the duration of his rule.

misplaced boat


Now my last paragraph presents a valuable lesson; if your name in the history books throw an crazy party, push a few slaves off a cliff, then have all your scribes there with plenty of papyrus to record that crap. ANYWAYS Capri was a nice day overall. The weather was kind and the views were awesome. It was some what of a difficult place to get around by foot but the hikes were worth it. We missed our chance at seeing one of the main attractions of the island the blue grotto (google it) but we didn't take it too hard. Paying some dude named Massimo 22 euro to take us into a giant cave didn't seem worth it. In the end Capri was a great day trip and would be a great place to visit for a while (only if your over the age of 60). Glad I saw, I can mark another world famous site off my list of "things to do in a timely manner"

Be heads up for future posts about cinque terre, prague and wherever i go this weekend, which is currently TBD

Speaking of history books. I turned 21 today. Mark it in your history books. 6th graders will read of my reconquest of the Italian peninsula in one night. It will be part of state curriculum for years to come

Since its a lack luster post I'll give you an exceptional song. check this heat

Ellie Goulding - Lights- (Bassnecter remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUFCzL6aJKU

Sorrento/ Pompeii

Typical sorrento view

Alright clones. So I just got back from spring break. So I'm going to post on the highlights. Marcus and I set up our base of operations in Sorrento. The unofficial capital of the almafi coast, which is just south of Naples. Sorretno itself is a pretty non-descript town as far as sites go. You go there to eat, shop and lay on the beach. So i don't have many pictures of that town worth showing. The restaurants were very good for the most part. Marcus and I went to one resturant 3 times (we were there only 5 nights) because it was so good and the family that owned it were really cool people. The best thing from sorrento was the limoncello. The Amalfi coast is the birthplace of limoncello, so this was like drinking champagne in champagne France. All other limoncello pales in comparison compared to what passed my lips in Sorrento. But enough about that.

You need to act in an amphitheater so here is me acting like i'm cool

The Second day in Sorrento Marcus and I decided to reconquer Pompeii in the name of our Roman forefathers. Pompeii's defenses did not prove to be an obstacle. Supposedly a volcano buried the city a while ago (i almost erupted with anger..ehh get it..volcano joke) so there wasn't much left to conquer. In fact we were invited into the city (some people know when they are beaten) . The 11 euro they charged us was a clever defense, but it did not stop the might of my wallet (soooo many buy 8 get one sandwich free punch cards!). Once inside the city both marcus and I were blown away. I was under the impression that there would be some buildings roped off and a museum or something. NOT the case. They literally give you a map and let you loose IN the city. You are literally walking through the streets of Pompeii. The preservation of the city was amazing. The history was unparalleled. The excavation site of Pompeii is about 45 acres big with about 38 uncovered and 12 open to the public. However you can easily spend all day walking around the city and exploring everything.

View of Vesuvius from Pompeii's forum

I learned that the destruction of Pompeii did not happen in one eruption. When Vesuvius erupted the first time it just blew out a huge amount of debris and giant rocks. This buried the city in a few meters meters of debris (roughly 6 feet). Many people were crushed by collapsing roofs or falling rocks. However much of the city survived the first eruption and began to dig out the city the next morning. However that's when Vesuvius landed the haymaker. The second eruption was molten material and a fine ash. Most victims had their lungs filled with this ash and suffocated/ had their insides charred. This ash and molten material buried the city in roughly 6 meters (19 feet!!!!) of volcano barf. After that the only thing visible from Pompeii was the tallest parts of the protective wall. The rest of the city was completely buried and wouldn't be discovered until the mid 1800's.

A rut made by roman chariots in the stone street. marcus in the background

 The best way I could describe the view of Vesuvius from Pompeii is haunting. With the luxury of hindsight I know the power of Vesuvius. However the people living in Pompeii in 79 AD had no idea. Half of the rim of the volcano is missing as a result of the eruption, it was an eruption that rivals Mt. St. Helen's and the ancient eruption of santorini. (About half as bad as Mount Doom for all you lord of the rings nerds who are looking for a better reference) The eruption took the city completely by surprise and thus the loss of life was heavy but not complete because there are surviving accounts of the disaster. The written account I heard made the eruption seem unfathomable. Pompeii was a major natural disaster and I believe the destructive nature of the volcano could only be understood by personally witnessing the event. Walking through the city really powered the imagination. You could see how the city must have looked in 79 AD. It was unique to sit on a 2,000 year old sidewalk and try to project the imagine of the living Pompeii onto the street I was on. It really wasn't that hard to do.

Me learning about the dude laying in front of me

My brother and I did see some of the preserved bodies of people who were encased and preserved in ash. It was to surreal. The expressions were still on their faces. It was hard to comprehend what I was seeing. I still can quite wrap my head around it. The two bodies were people who lived almost 2,000 years ago, had normal lives, normal jobs and spoke a common language. Their instant death lead them to thousands of photographs and a plastic display case. I bet those two would never have guessed that they would have ended up like that. Its just an odd thing to see and to think about.

Streets of the city

In the end Pompeii was by far the coolest thing I saw this past week. If you ever get the chance to see it. I recommend sparing no expense. It is totally worth the money and the travel (if reasonable, don't go from Milan to Pompeii and blame me cause it took forever to get there)
I know this was a marathon post but Pompeii warranted such a description and honestly I only scratched the surface of the experience. It was an exceptional experience. We also went to Capri. I'll post about that later.


The Funeral - Band of Horses

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

Cudi sampled this song to get his music for "the prayer" Great song by itself.  Think its a bit fitting, seeing that Pompeii was a giant tomb

Taxi- Ft. Mos Def and whosane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOUJOB8kA90

Def's verse is sick. been feeling his music lately. He is a very talented actor/rapper

Closing note: regeristing for classes for the fall while you are abroad is NOT easy. And Thursday is opening day for the MLB. Giants Repeat!!

Global Djs

Here is a recently finsihed production from the one and only "Swoosh Productions. This is the Max Hemington cut. The only thing that wasn't rushed in this production was the editing, and that was still rushed a bit. I post this in anticipation of the vid i'm going to start working on soon. I have alot of raw footage to sift through and hopefully the idea I have will take shape.

However this video isn't too high on my "things to do in a timely manner" list. So don't be sitting on the edge of your seat in anticipation of this video. Anways enjoy this short for the time being despite the terrible upload quality. Let me know what you think. If you like it : cool. If you think its not funny and stupid: 1. join the club 2. haters gon hate

Enjoy

Cinque Terre

Spring Break has hit Italy… although, now that I think about it some Italians seem to treat their life like spring break, even their prime minster takes it easy (backhand slap to Italian politics!) For Spring Break my crew in Florence all went their separate ways for the most part. Dublin, Canary Islands, people going to 4 different cities in a week! Me; I’m roughing it with my brother Marcus. Trip itinerary: 2 days in Cinque Terre and 5 in Sorrento. Don’t let people tell you studying abroad is all fun and games. Sometimes you have to work.

 Its hard to sum up a place like Cinque Terre.

As the name goes Cinque Terre (roughly translated : 5 lands) is made up of 5 major towns, with many small communities of farmers on the surrounding mountains (mountains not hills). The five towns from North to south are; Monerosso: the only town with real beach access and the least compact. Vernazza: the most touristy town and also the most photographed town in Cinque Terre. Corniglia; the town way up on the mountain, Manarola; we kinda just walked through this town and Riomaggio: the town we stayed. Wedged in a very narrow valley. One of the more quiet towns but very picturesque. 

Wating for the train to Monterosso

Most of these towns survive off of three things. Tourism, agriculture and fishing. Thus we encountered many things that coincided with these ways of life. A lot of shop owners spoke decent English. I found it really frustrating when I would try to speak in Italian and they would answer me in English. The local fruit and wine were outrageous. Very flavorful and tasty. The wine was expensive because of the limited quantity, but it was a very unique smooth taste. Much better than what my host mom and I drink at home (southeastern Italian wine: tastes like alcohol and smashed grapes….wait a second…) And because of the local fishing industry most restaurants had mostly seafood; very fresh seafood menus. One night I had a order of fried calamari and French fries.  Understand I have had plates of fried calamari grace my dinner table many a time in my life, but I never tasted anything close to this. I wanted to slap the chef for making a lie. No calamari every tasted that good. I also had half a mind to demand the termination of the waitress who recommended it. They were selling a lie…. The best tasting lie that ever passed my lips (except for the time I told my brother I “forgot” where I put all his Halloween candy).

View of Vernazza from the side of the mountain

For the one full day we had in Cinque Terre; Marcus and I decided we would see it all. The Lover’s walk, which is the easiest path from town to town was shut down because of landslide possibilities, so we had to take the advanced trails that wind through the mountains. I now understand why all of Cinque Terre’s happy couples take the easy way. Our elevation change was so great I had to pop my ears on the way up and down. At some points the hike was downright grueling. But the views, smells and the nap at the end made it all worth it. It was the only way to really see all of Cinque Terre. To get to know and better understand a city or area you need to attack it on foot. There was so much more to be seen outside of the cities. 

Dude is catching the squid I ate that night

Building Cinque Terre had to have taken a big vision and a motivation the size of Cesar’s ego.

Cinque Terre was an awesome place to visit. And I’ll have the privilege of returning one and maybe two more times this term. So I leave with the comfort that I will return and learn some more. For now its off to Sorrento. Expect some posts. I’ll  be milking all I can out of a week with out my Italian class!

Songs for Cinque Terre (some throw backs)

Slow dancing in a burning room (village sessions acoustic version) John Mayer

www.youtube.com/watch?=g-1OieJ9HK0

 Satisfy my soul - Bob Marley (ocean watching music)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8GCc8OhTz8