Dreamland....

Ciao ,
Hello all ! Sorry I haven't updated in a few days I have been on the go ! But I have so much to tell...this weekend I went on another trip to yet another GORGEOUS place ! The pictures do not do the beauty of Lake Como or Switzerland any justice. This is a place you have to visit to know what I mean.Being in Switzerland was like a fairytale, I could just imagine how much more beautiful it looks when it snows. Lake Como is a place where the rich and famous travel to. It is such a nice little place, the scenery is just WOW. George Clooney lives in Lake Como. We went to the Bellagio which was a little place with all the shops, and a cute little flower garden. Everything was on a hill, so in order to shop around we had to climb up stairs and go down more stairs. BUT I have to say Switzerland topped Lake Como for me, it was just breath taking. So during the trip we took a bus ride to Lake Como, we got off in Como and had lunch. My roommates and I had lunch at this cute little place; I had a hot chocolate which was so thick almost pudding like. Then I got a dessert which taste similar to a lemon cream cake. Great lunch right? In the morning on the way to the bus I had a bagel and cream cheese so I wasn't too hungry. After having lunch in Como we had time to take a few pictures and then off we went onto our journey to Switzerland, we made a little pit stop on our route. The bus driver pulled over and made time for us to take some pictures, Oh man when we got off the bus was it nippy lol. But I was prepared I packed some leggings and put them on under my shorts...I wasn't pleased with my outfit but I wasn't freezing so that was a sacrifice I was willing to take lol. So back on our journey, When we got to Switzerland we were supposed to stop and show all of our documents...funny thing is the Swiss police were not on duty lol. So we just rode right across the border into Switzerland. The scenery was just amazing, the grass is the greenest I have ever seen in my life. The view of the Alps was just amazing, I am not even someone who loves the mountains but this is hard not to love. We drove up a winding mountain, it was so nerve racking our huge bus on this small little road. But our bus driver got us to the top safely. We stayed in St. Moritz, Switzerland. This is actually a place where a lot of Olympic athletes come to train. We were served a nice dinner, with a million courses lol and then the rest of the night was ours to explore. The town was dead, we realized it is more of a winter place to vacation. We found somewhere to go a pub of course (american college students lol). The next morning we had a buffet style breakfast and then got started with a tour. Susie was our tour guide and let me just tell you her accent was so thick ! When actors and  actresses pretend to have these accents they are dead on, deep deep voice and alot of caaa sounds lol. She took us around St.Moritz, the town was so much better in the day time. We went around to different landmarks...passed by the town center where of course all the Louis and Guccis were. I need to be rich because my heart aches every time I can't purchase something at one of these stores. Its just the fashionista in me.Susie took us to a little chocolate shop, where we got to taste two different pastries...sadly I did not like them. But I did get some chocolates that I enjoyed. I am more of a candy girl (skittles, starburst). After this we went to the train station, this was the greatest train ride i have ever been on. It was a panaramic train, the window actually opened up and we rode through snapping shot after shot because everything was so amazing. The views from the train looked like paintings, i caught a few good ones on my ipod(my freaking camera died mid trip) and they looked like someone painted a scene from the sound of music lol. This trip was great, not only because it was so beautiful but it made me realize how so many different places have different kinds of beauty. I thought I loved the beach scene or hot tropical areas, but I loved this trip just as much as The Amalfi coast trip. This is definitely a place to see. So happy I chose to go !

 this is my dinner I made :)

Ciao Ciao 

Vintage

Ciao amici ,
Today was just another day of classes for me. I had an Italian quiz this morning, I have a feeling I did well. I am not going to lie my mind kept thinking of Spanish numbers as i had to fill in the numbers in Italian. Then i had my history course, this class is probably my least favorite...the teacher is nice but all we do is read and listen to lectures not my kind of class. But at least i am taking it in Italy which makes everything better :). The other day on one of my walks alone around Firenze i stumbled upon a little vintage shop. The shop was amazing, I have always wanted to find a little shop like this. So happy i found it, the window display was so cute, their was vintage Chanel ties, Gucci purses, Fendi glasses. I couldn't help myself and had to go in, so I walked in and was greeted by a very nice lady who explained to me how everything was organized. All of the items from the boutique had tags on them, one side had the year the item was from and the other side the price. Let me just say i seen so many cute dresses from the 60s and 70s i could picture my grandmother rocking. The glasses case was to die for, all the frames that are now so in were all laying in the case from the 50s-60s. Chests of ties and beautiful silk scarves were around the shop. It was just like a boutique you see in magazines or movies, strands of pearls hanging from furniture and lamps. So I looked around and seen all the different brands of clothing and silhouettes and in my head tried to guess the era they came from. I stumbled upon this one shirt and I fell in love, It resembled a shirt that has now been appearing on the runways of designers like Versace so of course I had to try it on. Thank goodness the price wasn't too high, so of course in true shopaholic style i purchased the shirt. I have to go back and get some shades ! Or maybe when i revisit when i have a full time job I will be back for those bad boys !

Thanks to my lovely roomie Rachel for the mini photo shoot xoxo
Ciao

Odds & Ends

As promised here are some photos from Brunch & Futbol...

As I was reading some of my previous blog posts I realized I have only shared good experiences. I love Firenze BUT there is definitely some things that have been annoying. In order to picture my full experience I think i should tell all. So here it goes....hahaha.
1. The sidewalks are so small, literally one person can walk on it at a time, this might not sound like a problem but because the sidewalks are so small and I live on a small street...cars ride up on the whole curb as they turn corners !
2. Everyone rides a Vespa or a bike, thats great and all but those people think they can just ride in the middle of the street, and ring their bells lol. The driving here is so crazy my poor toes have come close to getting ran over so many times !
3. I know this might sound crazy but the bugs are KILLING ME. I must have some sweet blood because everyday i wake up with millions of bites (i even have one on my ear lobe.)
4. Nobody smiles here...I have learned that once you do smile at someone this means you want to initiate conversation, this makes it so easy to figure out who is Italian or not (all the americans are always smiling lol)
5. People are rude...No one moves out of the way. This is awful when the sidewalks are narrow because you are forced to walk in the street when no one moves.
6. OLD LADIES ARE NOT LIKE YOUR SWEET LITTLE GRANDMAS AT HOME.
Well those are the few minor things that have been driving me crazy while here...but I am adjusting and even with those little things I STILL LOVE FIRENZE (Florence). Ok i'm done being a drama queen...Ciao xoxo!
Actually I forgot to mention how I dropped mu ipod :( My ipod has been my main source of communication since i have been here because i have figured out I can text and video chat for free ! But of course it slipped out of my hands and BAM, fell and shattered. Good thing is I can still use it but it looks awful, but beggers can't be choosers happy to say I am still using it !

[F]ashion [N]ight [O]ut

Buonasera....

Last night was FABULOUS !!!! I really enjoyed myself at [FNO]. For those of you who don't know what Fashion Night Out i will explain, it is basically a public fashion event out on the town. All the stores in the center are opened later, where there are DJs playing music, drinks being served, and appetizers on hand. This event is free for all, everyone came in their Sundays best (dressed to impress). As a fashion lover it was just a great feeling to see all the different styles and outfits people were rocking. Not going to lie I was expecting to see a celebrity and that didn't happen, BUT the night was so much fun. I strolled the streets of Firenze like i have been living here forever....in my chiffon skirt, mint crop top topped off with my scarf turned turban. Everyone looked gorg ! It felt like NY but a million times better, I'M IN LOVE. This city is a melting pot for fashion, everyone is so unique but effortlessly fashionable. I couldn't help myself and even asked a few people if I could take their photo. Here are some photos from the night....

Can't forget about my bag, I purchased a gift bag because I figured who knows how many times I will be at Fashion Night out in Firenze ! The gift bag was a cute canvas tote with FNO written on it, with a exclusive Tshirt inside and a Vogue Italia Magazine. What better items to take home right ?

 ciao bella gente.....signing off DJ Ray on the 1s&2s .....