Barcelona!

Ciao!

I know this is way overdue, but here are the long lost tales from Barcelona...

Once Upon a Time,
I decided to travel to Barcelona by myself to meet up with a friend from back home. This was my first experience traveling alone and let me tell it plenty lessons were learned and mistakes made, but its that what the first time is for anyways?

Lesson One: Travel Arrangements

I started looking into purchasing a flight to Barcelona about a month before the scheduled trip, this was a good idea. I found many deals on flights that ranged from 15-30 euro, good deal! However, I hesitated and for whatever reason did not book my flight when I first laid eyes on this deal: BAD IDEA. Instead I waited and when no new deals appeared I settled for a decent flight, but no fantastic deal with the dreaded ryanair (WOSRT IDEA).

Time to Leave:
The day before my trip I looked online at the train schedule from Florence to Rome, since my flight was leaving from one of the two airports in Rome, and found a 'slow train' that left at 6am and would allow me to get to Rome and travel to the airport with a reasonable amount of time: GOOD idea. So I went to sleep with my phone alarm set, ready for a long day of travel, and my alarm did not go off! So when I woke up, two hours after I was supposed to depart, I rushed from my apartment to the station hoping to find a, more expensive, 'fast train' ticket to catch my flight, Decent idea. Thankfully I found a scheduled train that would arrive a the same time the original 'slow train' was supposed to and so without hesitation jumped on board and headed to Rome.

NOTE: CHECK AVAILABLE TRAIN STATIONS BEFORE LEAVING!
Once in Rome, I attempted to find another train or bus to get me to the airport. Thankfully it was not to difficult to find one, and the airport train would only take 20 mins, somehow making me now ahead of schedule: Good idea! However, I now had to purchase another train ticket, if I had checked beforehand I would have seen that you are allowed to purchase a ticket straight to the airport for the same price as getting from Florence to Rome...

TRAVEL LESSON ONE: ALWAYS CHECK TO SEE IF THERE IS A CLOSER, FASTER AND MORE CONVENIENT OPTION TO GETTING TO/FROM THE AIRPORT!

In Barcelona!
WOOO after all the stress I finally made it to Spain, and I actually had a pleasant flight where I may or may not have flirted my way into checking my bag for free ;) Barcelona conveniently has a bus that takes you from the city center to the airport and back, so I hopped on knowing that from the city center I had directions on how to get to my hostel. In the city center of Barcelona a lovely metro system awaited me ready to carry me to my hostel, which had advertised itself as being only 100meters away from the metro stop. Finally almost done. I get off the metro (thankfully I really like metro's and think they are the least confusing method of transportation) and find that I am now in, what appears to be, the middle of nowhere. There are no street signs and no evidence of a hostel nearby at all. OOOH FUN FACT! This is when it started to rain: hard. I walked across the street to a small cafe to attempt to do two things; 1. Remember any Spanish 2. Ask for directions to the hostel. As I tried to speak a mix of Spanish, English and of course Italian snuck in there, I got the guys at the cafe to point me in the right direction of the hostel; which was straight up a hill. Scratch that straight up a mountain. I kid you not I had to climb up a crazy steep winding, some-what paved road to get to the hostel. As I climbed I reached a clearing that I assumed, don't assume anything in travel, was the hostel. Of course it was not and I then had to turn and continue my trek up this now river flowing mountain. Finally I arrived and that night I witnessed one of the most beautiful night skies I have ever seen making my entire rainy stressful day worth it. Unfortunately my camera had died and there are no pictures of that night.

Day 2:
Once settled, Marc (my friend from back home whom I was meeting up with in Barcelona) and I set out to explore the city center, and what better way to do that then to rent some scooters!
--> Pre-departure I had discovered a website that had scooter rentals and tours of Barcelona and needless to say both of us were extremely excited to ride scooters around town.
As we toured around this beautiful city we spotted a "castle" in the far distance up a mountain, so we made the rest of our trip about attempting to get to the castle. We took off on our mo-peds and zipped through some hills in hopes of reaching the top to see this Disneyesque castle. At the top of one mountain we found a great tapas place were we stopped for lunch and enjoyed an awesome view of the city, which was awesome in itself and proved to be the highlight of the day since the castle remained out of reach that evening.

Day 3:
The day before when attempting to take a scooter tour we were informed that you needed to make a reservation for a tour, so we made a reservation for the next day and just roamed on our own the first day. So today we set out for our tour hoping our guide would be able to take us to the castle. When we arrived at the scooter place we found the guys and no scooters. Apparently they had forgotten about us and lent out all the scooters! So they borrowed a scooter from a friend (which apparently was a really sketch guy, I never saw him but Marc filled me in) for Marc to drive, and I got to ride around on the back of a quad with the tour guide driving. After about 15minutes of small talk, our guide figures out that we are from California and his first question/statement was, "You guys smoke a lot of weed huh!?" Little did I know California was a state internationally known for smoking pot. I found this guy very entertaining in a slightly nervous as to what might happen kind of way. On out tour he took us to see Parc Guell, Catedral, and through the Gaudi district as well as up the mountain to see the castle. Parc Guell was my favorite place because it was like real life candyland. On the way to the castle we discovered that it was some sort of theme park with a roller coaster and everything, but has been closed for some time now due to a few deaths. On the way back from our 4 hour tour we asked our guide for a good local place for some dinner and he gave us his card telling us a restaurant to go to that would give us great food and a discount for knowing him. I was determined to try real Spanish paella and I wanted it to be from some place awesome so around 7pm we set out for this local dinner spot. The place was pretty awesome and apparently the paella was delicious, Marc ordered it and I took one bite and almost spit it out, I just cant seem to get into seafood, but my steak and patatas was just as delicious. Towards the end of the night we wandered up and down the Ramblas and strolled through the giant open market and eventually made the trek back up the epic hill to go home.

Back to Florence:
The night of departure I went online to check what time my flight was the next morning, only to discover the shocking news that my flight had been cancelled! It was currently 12:30am and I needed to get back to Florence that day! Scrambling I had to book a new flight, thankfully it was into Pisa making things a little more convenient, but the stress of crappy European airlines being able to cancel on you last minute without warning or re-booking is just enough to make you want to punch someone/something. Eventually I made it home and now I have finally transposed my tales here for you all to read, and upload my pictures to Flckr for you all to admire. I am attempting to get more of these out quicker, but as a student being in Europe easily distracts me and bog posts sometimes come at odd hours and times.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59996287@N04/sets/72157626514603436/

Italian Gluten Free Amazingness

So in almost all 'famacia's" in Italy they sell at least a few gluten free products. I found one pharmacy that sell many breads and cooking supplies (gluten free flour) and have been testing out their products over the last few weeks. Every week I buy a new type of bread and cookie or cracker to hopefully taste them all eventually, and every week I expect, like most gluten free products to to taste very "gluten free" HOWEVER! I have been so pleasantly surprised every time! These products are delicious, I have never had such a good gluten free sweet product as their cookies and the bread actually tastes like real white/wheat bread without needed to be toasted. So with all my success in finding these awesome Italian products, i joked that I was going to stock up and ship them home with me, but then I go to thinking, "i wonder if they have a website where you can order these amazing products?" and sure enough they do AND they ship all over the world! So here is the website order away ciliacers! and i hope that you can enjoy these products as much as I do :)




Schar Online Store
Schar Online Store

When in Rome

I am in LOVE with Rome! We went for 2 days two weeks ago and it was love at first sight. The same feeling I got when I first went to New York. The feeling where everything seems to make sense and the vibe and atmosphere of the city was just so amazing, it made me feel like I was in some alternative universe. Some crazy place where ancient worlds met modern marvels. Maybe I am over-reacting to the beauty of this place because Florence has been cold and gray and Rome was sunny and warm, but either way the trip was so refreshing! The art, the architecture, the energy. Sorry to say mom, but I could totally see myself living here one day. Two days was not enough to see the city but in the short trip we saw a good chunk of Roman culture. I think i took almost 200 picture, and for those of you who know me you'll know that that is insane! (I hate taking pictures because it leads to looking/feeling touristy...which is why I signed up for a photography class that way I am forced to come back with photos) In Rome however, I couldn't help myself. Since I can only upload a few pictures on here I have created a Flckr account as a dumping ground for my many pictures. So feel free to enjoy and fall in love with Rome!!

Italian Cooking

After being in Florence for approximately 2 weeks I took a cooking class with the group I came here with (GSE). I was super excited and nervous, the whole gluten allergy makes food here a little difficult, thankfully our ‘advisor’ informed the school of my allergies along with the allergies of another girl here. Any way, I got a chance to learn how to make traditional Italian dinners as well as gluten free versions! Here are the recipes and directions for you guys I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Vegetable Millefoglie (my favorite)

1 Large Eggplant

2 Zucchini

1 Boiled potato

3 Fontina slices (cheese)

* Salt and Pepper

* Extra Virgin Olive Oil

* Oregano

OVEN TEMP 200 F

Cut the eggplant into thin slices lengthwise. Mash the potato with a potato masher. Dice the zucchini. Put the mashed potato and the zucchini into a bowl and dress with salt, pepper, oil and a large pinch or oregano. Mix well.

Line a baking dish with parchment paper and place the eggplant slices in the dish with a few centimeters between each other. Top with some of the zucchini mixture and a slice of Fontina. Make another layer with the eggplant slices and zucchini mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 25minutes. Once out of the oven let rest for a couple of minutes and Enjoy!

Potato Gnocchi

1kg. of white potatos

90 g. of flour (gluten free if needed)

40 g. cornstarch

30 g. durum-wheat flour (remove for gluten free option)

1 egg yolk

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash and dry potatoes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, with a thin layer of coarse salt and potatoes. Boil the potatoes starting in cold water, remove and cool completely.

Peel potatoes and using a ricer mash the potatoes on a lightly floured marble table or in a stainless steel bowl. Incorporate the remaining ingredients and knead the potato dough quickly so that it does not become sticky, adding flour as necessary.

Divide the dough into pieces and, on a floured surface, roll the pasty into a thick string and cut into smaller pieces (about the size of a thumb or 2cm). Be sure to cut the gnocchi the same size as to ensure even cooking. Roll each gnocchi in the palm of the hand and use a fork to create indentations and

puff the ball. Lightly flour.

Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water in small batches for 2-3 minutes (when they float they are done) remove with a skimming ladle.

Serve immediately with sauce. Yummy!

Tiramisu’

2 eggs separated

70 g. of sugar

250 g. Mascarpone cheese

Savoirdi cookie

1 cup Italian coffee

1 Tsp Brandy Liquor

Cocoa Powder

Whip together the 3 parts sugar and egg yolk until well

mixed.

Beat egg whites and 1 part sugar with a mixer until firm but not stiff.

Add Mascarpone cheese to the sugar/egg YOLK mixture.Once incorporated gently fold your egg WHITE mix into the mascarpone base.

Quickly dip the cookies in the coffe/brandy mixture to wet but not soak them. Layer the cookies and crean in small dishes beginning with the cookie and finishing with the cream. Sprinkle on top with cocoa powder.

Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

GLUTEN FREE OPTION:

Opt out of the cookie and layer the cream with cocoa powder. Cream, powder, cream, powder ect…its just as good!

SIDE NOTE : On being Gluten free in Italy...

So when I first discovered my gluten allergy I panicked. Not because I was in a semi sate of depression due to the lack of bread I would now be able to consume, but rather because I had just started preparing (paying) for my semester in Italy, carb capital of the WORLD. To my surprise, upon arrival in Firenze I found this town to be very well equipped with gluten free foods and alternatives. Many restaurants out here have several options or even separate "senza gluten" menus full of delicious pastas and breads! Also to my surprise most grocery stores carry gluten free products for pretty inexpensive prices. Plus I've found the chefs out here to be very kind and helpful when it comes to food allergies. If they don't have an option or gluten free product most of the time they will make me something special to accommodate this sad forced diet. Here are a few places I have found, and really liked, that are gluten free friendly for all of us "Celiacer's" to enjoy!

Golden View Open Bar

Via de Bardi 58, 50125 firenze 055 214 502

Pizza Man

Via dell'Agnolo, 107, 50122 Firenze055 248 0200 ‎

Ristorante Le Botteghe Di Donatello Di Palange Rita & C. Snc

Piazza del Duomo, 28-red

50122 Firenze

055 216678

Spring Break

So the group of girls that I have met here in Italy are all with me in wanting to go to Greece for spring break. How perfect does it sound to simply lay out all day in Santorini and enjoy the picturesque beauty of the Greek Isles? PROBLEMO!!! Spring break is mid March and according to our nifty calculations by weather.com it will barely be 70 degrees the week we wanted to go. So I am hoping that someone has been to a lovely warm place in Europe during March that you think would be a great vaca spot for us. We need your help travelers!

xoxo

Lea

Flight and Arrival

Sitting in the waiting lounge at the Zurich airport I feel like it should be a part of an Ikea store. The flight over here was a little over 11 hours, I think I slept 3. Its snowing out and the entire country seems to be covered in white. I really wish I didn’t check in the bag that has my jacket in it now. At times while in the air the “flight info show” said that the temperature outside was -77. Needless to say there was frost and tiny snowflakes on my window (see)

P.S. I think someone is throwing up behind me…Gross.

Upon arriving in Florence, I met a girl that just graduated from Cal State Fullerton. Bizarre.

--Chelsea, if by any chance you read this I was unable to find you on Facebook so hopefully our paths will cross again before either of us leave

I am very proud of myself because I was able to get a taxi have it take me to my hotel, check into the hotel, and order dinner in Italian. Well, I used some English but for my first night I was impressed. Not even a full day into staying in Florence and my computer has crashed…

Thankfully it was just my chargers converter that died, however finding a place to buy a new one was quite difficult and far. But, I was able to get a taxi and go to the “data port” store buy a European power source and 80 Euros later, voula I now have a working computer. By the way when a taxi drops you off more than 3 miles from your hotel don’t think you know how to get back…you will get lost and freeze your but off! Thank you to the kind lady who helped me get another taxi back :D