POTD

Why am I so behind? Here's a summary of my life for the past couple of weeks.

Enjoy.

26 April 2012  Boboli Gardens

Today was my very last class for the semester. I have to exams and a paper left. I can't believe how fast it's gone. I still have many of my mom's pictures to take. I got one today and headed to the Boboli Gardens to find two more. I spent an hour walking around them and didn't find either. I can't believe how expansive the gardens are.

25 April 2012  Fiesole

I have wanted to visit Fiesole all semester. I finally got to Wednesday on Italian Liberation Day when we didn't have school. Jessica, Kate and I took the bus up to the small town on a hill for dinner and the sunset. It was so peaceful. 

23 April 2012  Finals

The title says it all.

22 April 2012  Venice

We had about three hours of free time Sunday. It started to storm for it. I couldn't even be mad after the two gorgeous days we had despite a forecast of rain. And even storming, this city is beautiful.

21 April 2012  Venezia

In between a couple of visits to churches/museums, I got to wander through the city. I never stopped being amazed by it. I don't think I ever will be.

20 April 2012  Gondola

It stopped raining. I was in Venice. I rode in a Gondola. What else do I need to be happy?

18 April 2012  Rain, rain go away. Come again when I'm in the USA.

This is the only picture I took between my weekend trips, but it's a pretty accurate description of the entire week. It just rained and rained and rained.

15 April 2012  Pompei

And this lovely weather was the perfect cap to our rainy weekend in Amalfi. It may have been from under an umbrella and while looking like a wet rat, but at least we got to see Pompei and Mount Vesuvius. 

14 April 2012  Reggia di Caserta

We were supposed to go to Positano today. Due to the thunderstorms predicted for the entire day, we switched our itinerary. We saw a castle and ate a meter of pizza instead. Fair enough trade.

13 April 2012  Capri

This wasn't exactly what we had in mind when we headed to Capri.

11 April 2012  Piazza della Santissima Annunziata

For class today the Italian composition class took us to Piazza della Santissima Annunziata. They told us about the area in Italian. I only caught about 25 percent of it. I wish I could speak Italian well. It started pouring as we walked back home — a good preview of our 

Diversity Diary #10

Friday the 13th
 I’m not a huge believer in luck. I’m not really much of one at all. I prefer the idea that I make my own path. Consequences come from my own decisions. I’m not going to rely on some distant unattainable magic to get results.

Subsequently, I’m not fazed by superstitions. Bring on the black cats, broken mirrors and ladders. I dry my umbrella open inside, what’s it to you?

Friday the 13th has always seemed ridiculous to me. I forget it’s even an issue until people start blaming everyday mishaps on this black voodoo that clouds the date.

Italy isn’t lacking in this superstition. But it’s not Friday the 13th that gets them in a tizzy — Friday the 17th.  bum bum bummm.

I was in Capri Friday the 13th and heard plenty of my fellow travel companions blaming the unfortunately crappy weather on the date. I asked a shopkeeper her opinion. She just stared at me with a confused look on her face until I remembered that Italy’s unlucky number is 17.

I think it’s funny that each culture has this dark date, but the fact that they’re different numbers here and in the states makes it feel all the more arbitrary.

Still it’s fun to realize/find differences that are actually the same idea, just with a twist.