A Random Assortment of Adventures

This past weekend there was a German festival in Piazza di Santa Croce. I went there Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights with friends and we just walked around and had some delicious food.  There were stands from Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, France, and various Scandinavian countries.  One stand was making fresh macaroons and there were several that had these suspended grills covered with all different types of sausage and other meats.  It was the same thing every night but each time was just as fun as the previous.

German Festival Pictures

On Friday Julia, Chris, Emily, and I went to go hiking in a mountain town called Abetone. When we got off the bus in Pistoia to change buses we realized that we would not have enough time to go so instead we hopped on a train to a small town call Pescia.  The weather was crappy and it rained on us almost the entire time we were there.  It was light rain until we hiked to the top of this hill to check out a church then the sky let loose on us and we became soaked.  However the rain did not stop me from taking pictures.  The town is beautiful and set right in the Tuscan hills.  We spent a few hours walking around and ate some lunch at a small cafe in the city center.  After walking throughout the town, we decided that it was time to go since we were soaking wet and cold.

Pescia Pictures

On Saturday Dustin (my roommate), JB and a different Emily and I all went to Lucca for the afternoon.  We got there too late in the day to really do anything but it was nice to get out of the city.  We walked around looking for a bike rental place but when we finally found it we didnt have enough time to rent them so we walked on the wall that surrounds the city and got to see an amazing sunset.

Lucca Pictures

Sunday was a lazy day.  We just hung out in the apartment then around sunset Jon, Emily, and I went to Ponte a S. Trinita, a bridge just to the west of Ponte Vecchio.  From there we sat on these outcroppings that stick off the bridge and look towards the Ponte Vecchio.  After that we just went home and cooked dinner.

Bridge Pictures

On Monday my Italian class met at my teacher's apartment and she and her mom taught us how to make pasta and sauce from scratch and how to make schacciata d'uva, which is kind of like a grape cake.  We ate lunch and had a lot of fun.  I dont think I will have a learning experience that will top that.  My teacher's mom only speaks Italian so I had to try to understand her when she was instructing me on how to make the cake.

Tomorrow I leave for Interlaken, Switzerland.  It is the outdoor adventure capital of Europe and I plan on skydiving and maybe some other activities.