Oktoberfest!

I jetted off to Munich, Germany last Thursday to partake in one of the greatest festivities known to man: Oktoberfest; otherwise known as a weekend filled with beer drinking, hearty eating, fun-loving Germans, and shenanigans galore. Let me start off by saying how much I LOVE Germany. From the moment I landed in Munich I knew there was something about this place that felt like home (being in a country filled with blondes helped a little in that department). Minus a few setbacks such as not being able to speak German, this weekend was absolutely amazing. Oktoberfest itself was one of the happiest places on earth, and the fact that everyone from age five to ninety five donned a dirndl or lederhosen for the occasion made it even greater.

Once I arrived in Munich I was reunited with four of my girlfriends from DU who I had been planning to take on Oktoberfest with for quite some time. I hadn't seen most of them since we left Denver this past June, so I was BEYOND excited to see them and catch up for a weekend while we're all living in different cities across Europe. We stayed at Hotel Rheingoldhof, an adorable bed and breakfast in Neubiberg, a quiet suburb about a thirty minute train ride away from the central station in Munich.

We woke up early Friday morning ready for the festivities to commence; and after indulging in some delicious free breakfast at our hotel and headed off to Oktoberfest bright and early at around 7 am. We waited in line at our first chosen "tent" for about an hour before we were let inside the massive beer hall. Because the weekends get insanely crowded, Friday was a great day to just hangout and explore the the grounds at Oktoberfest. We mainly stayed in the Augustiner-Brau tent that day, so on Saturday we set up camp at another well known beer hall, Hofbrau Festzelt. When the beer maidens came around we ordered liter steins of beer, half chickens (wies'n hendl), and Käse Spätzle which is a really yummy macaroni and cheese dish with small fried onion rings on top. I think it's pretty safe to say that we ate and drank our way through the weekend.

I can't even explain how much fun we had. We got to meet and talk to so many people from around the world, many of whom were some of the most hilarious people I've ever met. I really hope that I get the opportunity to return to Munich and experience Oktoberfest again at some point because I absolutely loved everything about it; the atmosphere, the people, the food, the beer, the drinking songs, the list goes on and on. So cheers to another great abroad experience, or as they say in Germany, prost!

DU girls take on Oktoberfest!

Hannah, Vanessa, Cara, Amanda, and Me

Guten Morgen, have a liter of beer and a pretzle!

Mmmm half chickens and Käse Spätzle

Borrowed this picture from the internet to show how crazy and fun Oktoberfest is!

Back to Italy! (I think I'll go watch the Sound of Music now...)

Pisa, Lucca, & Cinque Terre

This past weekend was incredible! It was so exhausting... I'm still recovering... But it was beyond worth it! I saw some of the most beautiful parts of Italy all in just two days. Bright and early Saturday morning I was off to the towns of Pisa and Lucca with SACI where we spent the day in churches, museums, and walking around the beautiful cities. It was really fun to see the leaning tower of Pisa in person, and although it was full of tourists the atmosphere was laid back and enjoyable. It's really easy to get from Florence to Pisa so I will definitely be going back!

Sunday was an early morning as well, heading off to Cinque Terre on the Italian coast with the tour group Bus2Alps at 6:30 am. We took a two hour bus ride to Riomaggiore, the first of the five towns that make up Cinque Terre (Five Villages). From there we got on a train that took us to the second town, Manarolo, where I had the most delicious focaccia bread with cheese in preparation for our two hour hike. We hiked through Corniglia and arrived in Vernazza worn out and were ready to indulge in the regions specialties: pesto, seafood, and white wine. YUM! After wandering around and exploring our options we decided on Ristorante Ciak La Lampara. We looked through their street level window and saw fresh seafood being prepared by cooks wearing sailor hats... I was sold. I ordered their gnocchi with pesto, and tried the mussels that my friends had ordered. Although tt's hard to compare meals here because the food is so amazing wherever you eat in Italy, but this has got to be my favorite pasta dish so far.

After lunch we walked to the last town of Monterosso, where we relaxed on the beach, swam in the ocean, and drank piña coladas until it was time to leave. Che Bello!!

Pisa!

Lucca!

Cinque Terre!

... After the hike

Pesto Gnocchi

Cheers!

Fashion's Night Out

Tuesday transformed Florence into even more of a fashion lovers paradise than it already is. I had Italian Fashion Design in the afternoon, and at night went out to enjoy the atmosphere of the first ever Vogue Fashion's Night Out in Florence! The event is held every year in major cities around the world (in Italy it happens annually in Milan and Rome), but starting this year and going forward it will also be held in Florence. As I've stated before, Florence was the fashion capital of the world (not Paris) in the 1950's, when many of the major Italian fashion designers got there start so it's fitting that this celebration of fashion has finally come here.

My fashion design professor Annaluisa Franco is still very much involved in the fashion scene, and told us about an event at Emilio Cavallini's store (her friend, and a major designer it just so happens). She says he was the first to invent jean leggings or jeggings as their known, and being a friend of his at the time, she was the one that would try them on as he adjusted the design.

We sauntered around Florence throughout the evening enjoying free champagne, snacks, samples, live music, and best of all - people watching. The outfits were incredible, and, combined with the stores staying open until midnight, I was having a hard time restraining from going on a major shopping spree. It was such a fabulous night, and I still can't believe that I had the opportunity to experience Florence on an evening with the ambiance such as last night! My personal summary of the evening, in short: I absolutely must get a Burberry trench coat, there IS such a thing as consuming too many free snacks, and I need to buy heels that are more appropriate for cobblestones... if they exist.

Elizabeth, Abbey, Jessica, and Elyse at our first stop of the night

Emilio Cavallini 

 Parmesan cheese - from Parma! Best cheese I've EVER had.

Free gelato and fashion... What could be better?

Red vino and THE cheese - heaven.

Piazza della Repubblica - alight with fashion lovers!

Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia

(photo by Elyse DiBartolo)

Coming up this weekend: a day trip to Pisa and Lucca on Saturday, and hiking in Cinque Terre on Sunday!

Ventuno

Buon compleanno a me! I turned the big 21 yesterday and got to celebrate in beautiful Italia of all places!! The day started at 8 am when we departed Florence for the second field trip of the semester. We drove for about an hour through Tuscany to the small town of Vinci where the great Leonardo da Vinci was born. This was a required field trip for my High Renaissance class, but about 30 more students signed on to take the free day trip so I got to spend the day with great friends in a truly stunning place. We started out at the Leonardo da Vinci museum then drove a few miles to the house where he was (allegedly) born, up in the hills. We snacked on free samples of honey provided by an adorable old man with a honey stand, and some figs that were growing right outside the now museum. From there we took a bus to three different Medici villas which took up the rest of the day. The gardens at each villa were breathtaking and the frescoes, oil paintings, and lavish rooms we explored were absolutely stunning as well.

We visited the last villa around 6 pm, where we were greeted by a beautiful view of Florence in the distance, about an hour before sunset. It truly was an amazing birthday, and the fun had only just begun. We got back to Florence an hour later, where my roommates surprised me with a gelato cake from none other than La Carraia, only my FAVORITE gelateria in the world! It was a great treat after such a long day of walking and barely eating with anticipation of a big dinner at Quattro Leoni.

The entire menu at Quattro Leoni was in Italian and we were all pretty confused on what to order, but I had heard that their pear ravioli was to die for so I went with that for my dinner. I had a great insalata to start with avocados, pesto, gruyere cheese, and pine nuts. I ordered a bottle of their house white wine for the table, and enjoyed my first sip as a legal adult (weird!). The waiter brought out a slice of cheesecake for dessert (YUM!), complete with a single pink birthday candle and a chorus of happy birthday from my friends.

The night was filled with great birthday fun, and, with a stop at Florence's "Secret Bakery" my birthday was topped off with a fresh baked, just out of the oven, STILL WARM, nutella filled chocolate croissant. Getting a late night pastry from that top secret secret-bakery I had heard so much about had been on my list since I arrived in Florence and I couldn't have asked for a better end to my evening.

Although I wish I could've celebrated with my family, as well as my friends scattered across Europe and back home, I had one of the most amazing birthdays imaginable. Getting to spend my twenty-first birthday in the beautiful countryside of Tuscany, with a classic 21st birthday celebration at night in the city of Florence was unforgettable.

 Walking to Leonardo da Vinci's House

Figs!

View of Florence from the Last Medici Villa We Visited

Birthday Dinner!!

Secret Bakery Goodness