tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13294172783501598062024-03-07T23:58:11.074-08:00a room with a viewKathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-74140059674395309062014-05-26T13:13:00.000-07:002014-05-29T10:50:42.509-07:00genève<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">caves ouvertes - a vineyard in satigny, switzerland</span></div>
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i am not quite sure where to begin this time because there was no real break point between exams and starting the internship of my dreams. for those of you who have heard me say this a million times, i swear this is the last time that i will repeat the refrain: my last exam was on thursday, sam's graduation was on friday, i got on the plane on saturday, landed in geneva on sunday and started work on monday. </div>
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so now that i have had my second monday at the office i can assure you all that i feel like the luckiest person in the world. the work that we do every day is incredible. every single one of my projects will ultimately (hopefully) improve someone's life somewhere. the picture below does not do the office justice, for my desk view is an incredible picture of the lake. this time, although i do not have the same "room with a view" from my bedroom like i did in fiesole, i have it a million times over at work.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">palais wilson</span></div>
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i will explain in a later post more of the details of the united nation's office of the high commissioner for human rights (OHCHR). i have been learning a startling amount about the UN itself every day, so it will probably be in everyone's interest if i hold off for now. </div>
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what i can tell you about with plenty of clarity is how much fun i had on saturday. all of the interns that i have met at work have been amazingly friendly and welcoming, and this past weekend more than confirmed that for me. i had been dying to do "caves ouvertes" (or open caves) since a friend who lived in geneva had told me about it in february. the premise of the event is simple--you buy a wine glass for 5 franc, and then you go from vineyard to vineyard tasting wines. keep in mind, there were 80+ vineyards participating (!). it was a short 10 minute train to the first vineyard, and seemed like it could be a blast. so i posted in the facebook group for the OHCHR interns and mentioned it at work, but i was not sure if anyone other than my friend and roommate jessie (more on her later too) would show up to meet us at the train station. low and behold, we had a motley crew of foreigners waiting for us when we arrived, all excited and ready for action. </div>
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i wish that the pictures could do the scenery justice, but in sum, we enjoyed a beautiful day in a stunning landscape. at one point, we hiked into the hills behind one of the vineyards. plopping down in the grass to eat our lunch, we went around in circles teaching each other new words in different languages. yet, it felt as though we still lacked the words for describing what we were experiencing. alas, life moves on, and so did we--to the next winery! haha</div>
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since the perfect day could not come to an end when the train pulled back into the station, we decided to check out the street fair that we could see from the platform. and what do you know, we stumbled into geneva's weirdest looking crowd. grunge, transvestites and families with babies were for whatever reason all mingling at this random street festival, so we hung around for a few hours, gradually accumulating more and more friends from work and visitors from other countries. fast forward a few hours, and they had finally turned off the music and packed up the speakers at the second stage before we finally managed to peel ourselves away. after our newfound friends convinced us to miss the last bus home, a few of us took the train back to another friend's apartment to sleep on the floor and pass the time in versoix. imagine my surprise to hear that we were mere minutes from a chocolate factory the next morning. if they had been giving tours, we might have had to make a detour on the way home. </div>
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i will add more pictures and posts soon. as i said in my previous blog posts though, please remember that i want to hear from <i>you</i> too. i miss everyone dearly already and would love to get updates whenever possible.</div>
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Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-30815704816385824632012-06-05T16:10:00.000-07:002012-06-05T16:15:41.516-07:00the journey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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hola a todos,<br />
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i hope that you all are doing well! i write you in the midst of exams, presentations and papers, and yet still find myself with little to complain about. sipping coffee this morning in a corner cafe while listening to some classic american blues i could not help but think about how unlike any other exam period these past few weeks have been (and how funny it was that they were playing american blues!)<br />
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the real reason that i am writing though, is because i have been doing a fair amount of reflecting lately. straight up jesuit style. father paulson would be proud! but truly, it has been a rude awakening realizing how little time i have left here. the fact that my eurotrip is coming to an end is a thought that i am simply not yet ready to accept.<br />
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i have decided though, in part thanks to my previous departure experience last semester, that rather than fret and sweat, i ought to just try to enjoy my last month here as much as i can without dwelling too much on the sad aspects of it all. so i have been doing my best! last night that meant making dinner with friends, chatting with spaniards, italians and swiss, and like always, meeting cool, new people.<br />
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one thing that is fun though, is to think of all of the places that i have been over the course of these past nine months. to even start to begin listing them off is difficult, but i am about to give it a go. forgive me if i leave off a small italian town or two!<br />
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italia:</div>
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firenze<o:p></o:p></div>
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fiesole<o:p></o:p></div>
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cinque terre<o:p></o:p></div>
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montepulcino<o:p></o:p></div>
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siena<o:p></o:p></div>
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roma<o:p></o:p></div>
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bologna<o:p></o:p></div>
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milano<o:p></o:p></div>
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verona<o:p></o:p></div>
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pisa<o:p></o:p></div>
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lucca<o:p></o:p></div>
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arezzo<o:p></o:p></div>
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monterchi<o:p></o:p></div>
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urbino<o:p></o:p></div>
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san gimignano</div>
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austria:</div>
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viena<o:p></o:p></div>
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hungría:</div>
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budapest<o:p></o:p></div>
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czech republic:</div>
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praha<o:p></o:p></div>
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suiza:</div>
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geneva<o:p></o:p></div>
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gstaad<o:p></o:p></div>
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inglaterra:<br />
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londres</div>
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marruecos:<br />
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marrakech</div>
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essaouira</div>
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casablanca</div>
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españa:</div>
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madrid<o:p></o:p></div>
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toledo<o:p></o:p></div>
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segovia<o:p></o:p></div>
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la granja<o:p></o:p></div>
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trujillo<o:p></o:p></div>
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mérida<o:p></o:p></div>
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cáceres</div>
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granada<o:p></o:p></div>
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sevilla</div>
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ávila<o:p></o:p></div>
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valencia</div>
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salamanca</div>
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i am actually positive that i am forgetting at least a few little italian towns, but will have to just go through my papers when i get home. what matters more now though, is how i am excited to keep going! if i have learned one thing this year, it is that i love to travel, and never want to stop. so rather than soliloquize and make you all endure cliched reflections, i will list where i will be going next. tengo ganas ya!<br />
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españa:</div>
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santiago</div>
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a coruña</div>
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león</div>
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barcelona</div>
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suiza:</div>
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wengen</div>
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-42252496812907783352012-05-15T08:33:00.000-07:002012-05-15T08:35:07.066-07:00stolen pics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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hello everyone!</div>
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thank you so much to everyone that forwarded along some serious law school wisdom regarding my last post. i registered for the lsat last night and am ready to get going. now the law school search begins in earnest!<br />
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here in madrid we had another puente because today is el día de san isidro, the patron saint of the city. so not only did i not have class yesterday or today, but we got to see a fun music coordinated fireworks show last night over the lake at retiro park. the turnout was absolutely crazy and we could barely move once we got there. what was most fun though was afterward when we ran into a spanish guy from my class. after a more than convivial guitar/sing along session we ended up palling around with him and his greek friends, and still managed to pick up even more people along the way. what is truly amazing though, is how often i have made numerous random friends like that here in madrid. whether it be an evening out or just an afternoon stroll, i more often than not end up meeting some really interesting characters.<br />
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for now though, i shall leave you all with pictures both of and from some of my friends. as i have been lagging on my picture uploads, i thought that i would share some of the theirs to supplement my own. it is fun to not be the photographer sometimes!<br />
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maddy y yo at the beach in essaouira</div>
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scrumptious breakfast falafel sandwiches & the honey covered moroccan toast equivalent</div>
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everyone at las fallas in valencia</div>
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photo credit goes to ben holtzmuller and kat light. gracias, amigos!</div>
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pues, hasta luego!</div>
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<br /></div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-40629880670456448982012-05-02T04:25:00.002-07:002012-05-02T04:25:17.490-07:00el rechazo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
dear friends and family,<br />
i need not tell you all that per usual, i miss you all dearly. i do however, feel that it is necessary to emphasize the fact that this post seeks neither pity nor kind words.<br />
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i am writing to tell you all about my desire to go to law school. ultimately, i want to go to the hague and fight for human rights. i want to help bring about justice.<br />
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in order to pursue this goal, i applied to georgetown law´s early assurance program. i was rejected.<br />
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what does this mean? that instead of getting a pass, i now simply have to put my head down and study like mad for the lsat just like everyone else.<br />
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my questions for you all here then, are what advice do you have for me about the lsat? about law school in general? about how to prepare for a big test? if anything, i view this as a blessing in diguise in that over the course of the past 48 hours i have been forced to consider whether or not i would go out west. or whether or not i would head up to new york. earth-shattering questions!<br />
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i assure you that i am not trying to jump the gun. all questions are pending the results of that infamous 3.5 hour long test. nevertheless, i am almost positive that unless my score is absolutely abysmal, now that i have the opportunity, i would like to take the gamble. even if i am "below the median" (picture wincing face of advisors here jaja,) i think that i would like to try for the nation´s top law schools. worse comes to worst they reject me. been there, done that.<br />
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so this is a please, a por favor, a per favore, you all are the ones that know me well. in fact, sometimes much better than yours truly. where do you guys see me spending three years of my life? what advice can you give about getting myself there? any and all words of wisdom are welcome.<br />
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one of my favorite quotes is a winston churchill "if you are going through hell keep going." since i currently feel as though i am waltzing through a blissful vacation, continuining on ought not to be too hard :)<br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-39466067952700248142012-04-28T04:31:00.001-07:002012-04-28T04:35:00.583-07:00las fotos: semana santa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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my computer crashed right after i uploaded the pictures from sevilla, so i feel incredibly lucky to be able to share them with you. time for a new computer!<br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-76844541425904241562012-04-28T04:25:00.003-07:002012-05-02T04:27:31.007-07:00semana santa parte dos: sevilla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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after a severe bout of culture schock, joelson, margo and i paused for a night in madrid and then somehow caught a bus down to sevilla on thursday. madness then ensued.</div>
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i kid, i kid. it was an awesome time though, to state it simply. i absolutely fell in love with sevilla. in between spurts of rain, we were lucky enough to catch a few glimpses of the sun. these pictures come from the magnificently impressive plaza de españa.</div>
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among other things, we also went to the alcazar, which is the spanish answer to the linguistic problem posed by a proliferation of royal residences. it is funny too, that the spanish have a word that means a castle/palace/fortress, because alex and i actually had a running joke in italy about trying to figure out what to call the million and one "palazzi" that we saw. </div>
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i only took a few pictures inside because i knew that i could never do it justice. in fact, sometimes i really do prefer to just leave it up to the professionals and procure a few postcards. this was definitely one such instance. the inside of the palace was positively breathtaking, as were the gardens though too! back in the day the catholic king commissioned muslim artists to decorate the palace in the elaborate style using a type of painted plaster, and the results are truly magnificent. i would even go so far as to say that i liked it better than alhambra. blasphemy?</div>
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the modern architecture in sevilla was also impressive, and between late night and early morning processions viewings, we popped over to this structure, which coincidentally gave me a taste for waffle fries that haunted me all day.</div>
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what were perhaps the most significant parts of this trip though, were the moments that i, of course, do not have pictures of. the hostel that we stayed at, for isntance, was by far the nicest one that i have ever stayed at, and we eneded up meeting some cool spaniards there. i would also hate to forget the nights that we went out and came home with crazy stories each time. the first night that we got to sevilla we saw the some of the biggest processions of all of semana santa. picture hundreds of people dressed up in dark hooded outfits carrying candles and hundreds of pounds worth of ornamentation. the processions lasted hours, and while i still do not think that i fully understand them, it was incredibly powerful to experience them at least for a moment. </div>
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then there was the night that we went out super late, still on tiempo madrileño. after a delicious meal, a few bars later maddy and i had managed to make friends with flamenco guitarists and locals inviting us back to sevilla for feria, another great big spanish party. </div>
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the next night though, was the kicker. i was determined to watch some flamenco while in southern spain, so with a super nice spanish girl from our hostel we set out to do just that. upon asking a local for directions though, we discovered that the better deal would be to see a less "guiri" or touristy deal and just look for a wandering guitarist in the local bars. not more than an hour later, the four of us found ourselves in the middle of a truly neighborhood affair, squeezed into a closet sized bar listening to a singer and her guitarist play some of the best flamenco music that i had ever heard. there were no costumes, no frills or gimmicks, just locals singing the lyrics to the songs that they all knew by heart. it was perfect. it did not take long for us to make friends with everyone there either, as it was readily apparent that we were the only four that did not live within 5 minutes. needless to say, we closed the bar taking shots courtesy of the guitarist who had fallen in love with me. this is chicago blues right?? he asked as he played something not even remotely close to blues. bravo! i replied and smiled at maddy.</div>
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the night did not end there though. the fabulously entertaining gay bartenders insisted on taking us to the next bar, which was alright but not exactly the club that i had been looking for. so i sidled up to the bar, and started making conversation with the older man next to me. i liked his glasses. how could i have known that he was one of the most famous toreros in all of spain? it was only after a few minutes of talking that i turned around to realize that everyone was awestruck. he is a famous bullfighter! maddy whisper/shouted at me. so i turned back and jose tomas went on talking about his son and showing me pictures on his iphone.</div>
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then we went to a club. jajaja. </div>
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for me though, one of my favorite experiences in spain was walking alone down the river at dusk. there was a true spanish botellón taking place, and for as far as the eye could see, groups of spaniards sat listening to music, drinking with friends, watching the world go by. in this particular instance though, i was the one walking on by. it was that moment that i knew that i would come back to sevilla. </div>
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-41073278485414705312012-04-15T13:41:00.006-07:002012-04-19T08:54:04.915-07:00semana santa parte 1: marruecos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">morocco was unbelievable. i anticipated a mind blowing experience. what little did i know.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">morocco was utterly overwhelming. the sights, smells and sounds were enough to take your breath away. snake charmers and monkeys dotted the main square. drumbeats rumbled across rooftops late into the night. snail vendors pitched their fare at while smoke billowed from the grill stands. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">in casablanca, marrakech and essaouira i discovered a world unlike any that i had seen before. riding camels on the beach at sunset, trying delicious new flavors at sketchy looking street food stands and haggling for hours with vendors all proved exceedingly fun. more significant though, were the experiences that sound so much less glamorous and exciting. riding the bus between towns, for instance, felt at times like watching a slow motion horror film. for the first time in my life i saw a population that lives in huts and scrapes by for a living hustling on the side of the streets. i also though, was able to marvel at the beauty that is the moroccan countryside and reflected on how lucky i am to be able to afford to travel to other countries. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">after a day´s rest in madrid, my friends maddy, margo and i migrated south for the rest of semana santa to watch the processions. more to come on that later. for now, shokran! (thank you in arabic) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-16558093638040819692012-04-11T07:18:00.002-07:002012-04-11T07:20:33.853-07:00valencia dos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">i thought that you guys might appreciate a few more pictures from valencia that i stole from the ever gracious hope morrill's facebook album. they are decidedly more tame, but still fun.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5wpyI5vaMBI/T4WROCP1RwI/AAAAAAAAATc/n7Td5WPO9zM/s1600/blog.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5wpyI5vaMBI/T4WROCP1RwI/AAAAAAAAATc/n7Td5WPO9zM/s400/blog.1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">paella in valencia was a must, despite the fact that we arrived a few hours late jaja</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">waiting for the grand finale</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2PIgn7DwDPA/T4WRmmkCpSI/AAAAAAAAAT0/ggkvIUlzKmE/s1600/blog.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2PIgn7DwDPA/T4WRmmkCpSI/AAAAAAAAAT0/ggkvIUlzKmE/s400/blog.4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">which was more than worth the wait!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">i promise that fotos from semana santa are on their way. i just have to whittle them down from the 1000 that i took!<br />
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</div></div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-20586951464607440972012-04-09T14:40:00.001-07:002012-04-09T14:40:56.876-07:00segovia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">olvidé segovia!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1795704609823.2044520.1155930919&type=1">http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1795704609823.2044520.1155930919&type=1</a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-43055467973009761372012-04-09T11:23:00.000-07:002012-04-09T11:23:06.309-07:00las fallas y semana santa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">fotos y descripciones coming soon! i also have to post quickly about valencia in the meantime, so here are a few shots.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-11677057438129496932012-03-28T10:58:00.001-07:002012-03-28T10:59:19.138-07:00comida y cultura: londresone of the highlights of my trip to london was without a doubt the food. my plan was to try to find the right balance between serious ethnic food and native english food. i think that i succeeded.<br />
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the first morning i had the pleasure of stumbling upon a visually stunning outdoor food market along the river. it was there that i was faced with the daunting task of deciding what to get.<br />
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after enjoying a shockingly good piece of aubergine stuffed kibbeh, i decided to indulge and procure a small piece of baklava. the guys making it were actually syrian, after all (the unibrows confirmed). although it was only the first of 3 pieces that i tried that day (i was on vacation, shush!), it was definitely the best of them all. i am currently drooling over the recipes on their website. it is worth a glance.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.arabicafoodandspice.com/index.php/recipes/recipe/78/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.arabicafoodandspice.com/index.php/recipes/recipe/78/</span></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">from there, i was deposited into the capable hands of my friend´s friend, who as it turns out is from chicago, and just as big of a foodie as i am. por eso, he took me to borough market, and i think that i just about died. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LGGulQ40SNI/T2tiYbDp-sI/AAAAAAAAASI/mgiSVLKwefg/s1600/blog.borough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LGGulQ40SNI/T2tiYbDp-sI/AAAAAAAAASI/mgiSVLKwefg/s400/blog.borough.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.travelstay.com/attractions/Borough_Market_Hotel_List.htm"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.travelstay.com/attractions/Borough_Market_Hotel_List.htm</span></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">i had heard it described as a foodie heaven before, but alas, my skepticism prevailed right up until we walked up to the first stand. from there, it was destiny.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">everything was delicious.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">the fact that anthony goes almost every week and knows all of the stands by heart undoubtedly augmented my experience. guided by a voice of foodie reason, i tried everything under the sun. spicy curry, fragrant olive oils, chewy sausages, tart jams, intriguing compotes, roasted nuts and stinky cheese abounded. and then there was the goat milk ice cream. what? yes, goat milk ice cream. i honestly do not know what i was more happy about, the fact that i was able to thwart my lactose aversion while enjoying one of my favorite foods, or the fact that it was absurdly good and PISTACHIO flavored. (in my opinion pistachio and chocolate are by far the most complex flavors to master in ice cream form. now imagine executing either one of them superbly, in GOATS MILK). i am trying to exercise restraint with the use of capitalization here, but want you to know that i am really struggling. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">after an afternoon of absolute bliss then, i felt as though there was nowhere to go but up. oh london, though. unfortunately, the beer there is terrible! after meeting up with my friend craig, the three of us went to a pub in an attempt to recreate what i had envisioned as the quintessential london experience - drinking in a pub. well, that we did, just not happily. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">leaving the liquid dissatisfaction behind though, let us return to the focus at hand - comida y cultura.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">the next day i went on a whirlwind tour of the city. i took on the:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>tate modern</li>
<li>london eye (the big ferris wheel)</li>
<li>churchill war rooms museum</li>
<li>westminster</li>
<li>parliament</li>
<li>big ben</li>
<li>the national gallery</li>
<li>trafalgar square</li>
<li>buckingham palace</li>
<li>hyde park</li>
</ul>and more. but phew, right! along the way i managed to pick up more surprisingly well done middle eastern food, and then FISH AND CHIPS. i was resolved to eat it, and damnit, it was actually quite good. the batter on the fish was light, the chips were good and crispy, and i was happy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">though i have much more to report on españa, i am off to morocco in a few days and need to get my ducks in a row before i go. hasta luego!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-67164422936417627902012-03-14T09:16:00.002-07:002012-03-14T14:01:57.786-07:00londres<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">londres era interesante. la verdad es que tengo sentimientos mezclados. había muchas cosas que me gustaban mucho, pero otros que no. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">those mixed feelings about london aside, the culture there was absolutely amazing. little did i know that i would visit a foodie paradise one day and see breathtaking works of art the next. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">i will have to post more about the art and food later. for now, suffice it to say that the historical significance of what i saw helped me get past the culture shock/massive departure from mediterranean life that greeted me upon arrival. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>in my defense, the first day a rather miserable tone of gray insisted on coloring my mood. coming from a country and a way of life that both literally and figuratively bask in the sun, the prospect of marching out into the gloomiest day that i had seen in weeks necessitated a serious gulp. (every picture posted here is from the second day.) miraculously though, my palette remained entirely unscathed thanks to the wonders of a beautiful place called borough market and the proliferation of delicious mediterranean food.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">for more fotos, pinchar aquí:</div><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1771772131526.2044049.1155930919&type=1">http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1771772131526.2044049.1155930919&type=1</a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">voy a escribir más sobre la comida y el arte pronto. i hope that you all are doing well!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-77959246990189590872012-03-13T14:10:00.002-07:002012-03-13T14:18:03.419-07:00toledO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3fggoPX4kdw/T1zpgbNShQI/AAAAAAAAAOw/1zxCniMRmAI/s1600/toledo+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3fggoPX4kdw/T1zpgbNShQI/AAAAAAAAAOw/1zxCniMRmAI/s400/toledo+014.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>porque me hace preocupada un poquito el montón de tarea que tengo que hacer, voy a sólo cargar unas fotos. es obvio que también quiero mejorar mi español más rápidamente ahora que he vuelto a españa de nuevo? tengo que parar a usar tanto inglés!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">un convento muy bonito</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">en el puente saliendo toledo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gGI7uIyTSEw/T1-4N-CCzUI/AAAAAAAAAP4/MjlLkBvvBLc/s1600/blog.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gGI7uIyTSEw/T1-4N-CCzUI/AAAAAAAAAP4/MjlLkBvvBLc/s400/blog.2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">el techo del convento</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-47YUXrZTl4I/T1-4ji7zBJI/AAAAAAAAAQA/tBaUrOHRyb4/s1600/blog.3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-47YUXrZTl4I/T1-4ji7zBJI/AAAAAAAAAQA/tBaUrOHRyb4/s400/blog.3.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">el catedral de toledo, una antigua mezquita</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-60309192953444824202012-02-25T01:40:00.003-08:002012-02-25T01:42:28.214-08:00las fotos: la granja y extremadura<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">there were festivals, castles and memories that i will hopefully never forget. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">para más fotos del viaje, pinchar aquí:</div><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1752702774804.2043767.1155930919&type=1">http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1752702774804.2043767.1155930919&type=1</a> <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">for now though, i am back to life in madrid and absolutely loving it. exploring always yields interesting results, not the least of which being varios sitios for spending the afternoon reading, drinking red wine and eating olives. tough work, my friends.</div><br />
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i just wish that you all could come visit! to those of you who cannot, send me a line, por favor!<br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-23505247888260568592012-02-19T13:12:00.002-08:002012-02-19T13:54:30.575-08:00extremadura, parte unohola todos!<br />
<br />
i miss you all dearly but am absolutely loving spain thus far. please forgive the lack of updates. i have literally just decided on my classes after a relatively harrowing matriculating/language crisis/what am i doing with myself in another foreign country process.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>who am i kidding?!<br />
<br />
i am still fully aware that anything mildly stressful here does not detract from the fact that i am extremely lucky. in fact, this past weekend was the perfect manifestation of that. although i was slightly concerned by the fact that i had and still have a number of things to get done this weekend (hence the blog post procrastinating jaja), we made our way to the region of extremadura to visit mérida, cáceres y trujillo. each city was beautiful, and i was so glad for the impetus because i definitely would not have visited otherwise. extremadura is often overlooked as a destination, and even our spanish "mentores" had never been before because it is simply not on many people's radars.<br />
<br />
though i do not have time to post pictures from the trip yet, i will include a picture of these muy muy ricas galletas que se llaman perrunillas. they were to die for. was all of that gravity defying light texture perhaps a product of the artful use of lard? could it have been that the recipe has not changed since the sixteenth century? who knows.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a9spWbbuY2I/T0FlCrsScnI/AAAAAAAAAN4/vkc7ky1i5ik/s1600/perrunillas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a9spWbbuY2I/T0FlCrsScnI/AAAAAAAAAN4/vkc7ky1i5ik/s400/perrunillas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://webosfritos.es/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/WMG_8518_F.jpg">http://webosfritos.es/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/WMG_8518_F.jpg</a></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">(probably the super cute little nuns that sold them to us through the gate of the convent)<br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-2922464525823159412012-01-29T08:12:00.000-08:002012-01-29T22:49:40.845-08:00suizaaaaaand we are back. after five days of chocolate, cheese and the beautiful mountain vistas, i can assure you that i now feel thoroughly readjusted to the european lifestyle. i loved seeing some of you all over the break, and missed those of you that i could not dearly, but trips like this poignantly reinforce how lucky i am to be back on this side of the pond.<br />
<div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-15Q4CMi8flU/TyVgl4AXlLI/AAAAAAAAANc/EfyzSg-mJ3U/s1600/cooking.switzerland+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-15Q4CMi8flU/TyVgl4AXlLI/AAAAAAAAANc/EfyzSg-mJ3U/s400/cooking.switzerland+075.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hkcv5z6tGkQ/TyVbX1a4gnI/AAAAAAAAANU/-RHIVh5Zj_I/s1600/cooking.switzerland+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hkcv5z6tGkQ/TyVbX1a4gnI/AAAAAAAAANU/-RHIVh5Zj_I/s400/cooking.switzerland+046.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br />
</div><div>in gstaad we skied the swiss alps (i survived and it was <i>so much fun</i>!), dined on the local food and then toasted our days in front of the fireplace. i can barely begin to describe how beautiful it was, but suffice it to say that gstaad is truly breathtaking. </div><div><br />
</div><div>it was an interesting experience, observing how a country blends three distinct cultures to form its own national character. i am not entirely certain as to what my thoughts on the matter are, but can tell you that the culinary result is extraordinary. though the abundance of cheese was more than a little worrisome, with the help of some lactase the fondue and raclette were fun, delicious meals that were made all the more meaningful by the company and conversation. let us not discuss how much chocolate i consumed after those meals...</div><div><br />
</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-90qTvS_OkGw/TyVtopPAzCI/AAAAAAAAANk/s7djTOMtPrw/s1600/cooking.switzerland+087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-90qTvS_OkGw/TyVtopPAzCI/AAAAAAAAANk/s7djTOMtPrw/s400/cooking.switzerland+087.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P17178lCriM/TyVuy9FXniI/AAAAAAAAANs/f6lMIH3rlzI/s1600/Copy+of+cooking.switzerland+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P17178lCriM/TyVuy9FXniI/AAAAAAAAANs/f6lMIH3rlzI/s400/Copy+of+cooking.switzerland+067.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div>as we kick into high gear with the orientation/language struggles/cultural mishaps, i am sure that i will have much more to report back on soon. start sending me your updates and emails, por favor!<br />
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</div><div><br />
<div>and here is the link to the accompanying facebook album:<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1717610537520.2043397.1155930919&type=1">http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1717610537520.2043397.1155930919&type=1</a> <br />
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<br />
</div></div></div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-27129911885770365472011-12-21T22:27:00.000-08:002011-12-26T21:40:45.878-08:00i ricordiciao tutti,<br />
i am pleased to report that i am currently writing you all from the comfort of my very own bed. and boy is it nice to be back. since being home i have indulged in numerous delicious foodstuffs, enjoyed the company of friends and spent quality time with the family. tonight, for instance, my mother recreated thanksgiving dinner for me, and then an old friend popped over to decorate a gingerbread house. not a bad night, if i may say so myself.<br />
<br />
it has been weird being able to buy beer (312, of course), and go to bars. i cannot say it is terribly exciting, particularly after a semester abroad, but it definitely makes life easier. tonight was funny though when my mother had me try two different kinds of wine to decide what to drink at dinner. ultimately, i ended up deciding that i did not want to drink as my liver is in dire need of una pausa and i still need to reacquire my affinity for wine after italia.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pxqFerhumFc/TvLHjt-v6nI/AAAAAAAAALg/IQ4qTDAPy0s/s1600/ricordi.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pxqFerhumFc/TvLHjt-v6nI/AAAAAAAAALg/IQ4qTDAPy0s/s200/ricordi.2.jpg" width="108" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/312_urban_wheat/16.php"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/312_urban_wheat/16.php</span></a> <br />
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</div>speaking of, i miss the damn country already. after a nightmare of a time getting home, as excited as i was to be back, i also immediately knew that i was really going to miss italia. if anything, telling people stories about it only makes it worse too.<br />
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in the spirit of everyone's obnoxious habit of looking back and reflecting then, (who am i kidding i love reflecting), i give you the following compilation of some of my favorite photos and memories from the semester:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xiKKu2Dmns8/TvLHQoMaD3I/AAAAAAAAALU/i26s-YsYY2s/s1600/ricordi.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xiKKu2Dmns8/TvLHQoMaD3I/AAAAAAAAALU/i26s-YsYY2s/s400/ricordi.1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">outside of a beautiful abbey on our italian field trip. </div><div style="text-align: center;">this was also the day that i tasted the best cheese in my life.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rw9v5-3cvtw/TvLIJBHvwII/AAAAAAAAALs/-OOvilnGfi4/s1600/ricordi.3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rw9v5-3cvtw/TvLIJBHvwII/AAAAAAAAALs/-OOvilnGfi4/s320/ricordi.3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">praha, where i was all too happy to recreate the outdoor sausage from a cart eating experience that we had had in vienna just a week before. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-emHq6mKrH4o/TvLI5Mkd6yI/AAAAAAAAAL4/FWTkHOsGc88/s1600/ricordi.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-emHq6mKrH4o/TvLI5Mkd6yI/AAAAAAAAAL4/FWTkHOsGc88/s400/ricordi.4.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">the cafe that freud used to frequent that we stumbled upon in vienna. the sachertorte that you see pictured to the right was to die for. seriously.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vQLHSoO0DGU/TvLJzHf-2_I/AAAAAAAAAME/C8n8SfGEQr8/s1600/ricordi.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vQLHSoO0DGU/TvLJzHf-2_I/AAAAAAAAAME/C8n8SfGEQr8/s400/ricordi.5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">the under the university dorm club that we went to with our friend kenny in budapest on a tuesday night. </div><div style="text-align: center;">one word: polinka.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vW2Ly6OKAL0/TvLKRyyMKdI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/0rfVmMvCGuE/s1600/ricordi.6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vW2Ly6OKAL0/TvLKRyyMKdI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/0rfVmMvCGuE/s400/ricordi.6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">the spectacular view from the top of buda looking at pest</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mk2EZCqBOdo/TvLKn_CuN6I/AAAAAAAAAMc/YG7aFKXYsz8/s1600/ricordi.7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mk2EZCqBOdo/TvLKn_CuN6I/AAAAAAAAAMc/YG7aFKXYsz8/s400/ricordi.7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">also a stunning view, this time of firenze from piazza michelangelo</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JUQKEPGlgkk/TvLLE2ehprI/AAAAAAAAAMo/G6ggypb0-7E/s1600/ricordi.8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JUQKEPGlgkk/TvLLE2ehprI/AAAAAAAAAMo/G6ggypb0-7E/s400/ricordi.8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">a night out sitting at the steps of santo spirito drinking wine</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5OeiMUuv4rE/TvLLvp-f14I/AAAAAAAAAM0/DJOY1cq5EQ8/s1600/ricordi.9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5OeiMUuv4rE/TvLLvp-f14I/AAAAAAAAAM0/DJOY1cq5EQ8/s400/ricordi.9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">and finally, a typical night at jj's, the bar of our little home town just outside of firenze called fiesole</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">if the past few days have been any indication, this break promises to be one chock full of activities and food, but then again, what more did i expect. no complaints here though, thus far it has been awesome to be stateside again. i must concede, however, that the travel bug got me, and i am already itching to get to switzerland for a few days before the semester in madrid starts. for now though, i have to settle for trips to michigan and florida, aka food and the beach, respectively. hopefully pictures to come from those trips soon. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">in the meantime, the baking/cooking log update stands at:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>pumpkin bread french toast</li>
<li>white chocolate bark with pistachios, dried cranberries and apricots</li>
<li>christmas shortbread cut out cookies with a chocolate ganache</li>
<li>helping prepare a recreation of the family's thanksgiving dinner. yum.</li>
</ul>whether or not the daily workouts will continue to fend off the aforementioned culinary activities, we shall see. the goal is not to gain back the weight lost in italia!(?)!<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">ciao for now!<br />
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<br />
</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-81880373646798934182011-12-07T11:29:00.000-08:002011-12-07T11:46:24.470-08:00la violaas always, this past weekend was an eventful one and in spite of the weather's recent turn, proved to be quite fun. on saturday we went to the opera to see a rendition of la boheme, and after a very italian dinner followed by a delicious gelato, it was a splendid performance. the fact that i was able to understand some of the lyrics projected above the stage was a lovely added bonus.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>on sunday, braving torrential rain, the majority of us marched down to il stadio to see firenze play roma. wanting to have a genuine calcio experience, i decided to this time just go for it and get one of the traditional salsiccia covered in fried onions and peppers. it was amazing. the smell of my breath probably could have killed someone for the next four hours, but that is besides the point.</div><div><br />
</div><div>the mood at the game was awesome, and it practically gave me goosebumps to hear everyone jumping up and down cheering "giallo e viola" in the pouring rain (yellow and purple are firenze's colors). we sat in the curve, which basically amounts to the student section where the especially rowdy fans sit. thankfully this time no one on our side lit anything on fire, although there were a few flares set off. </div><div><br />
</div><div>what was really cool was when at the end of the game, winning 3-0, everyone suddenly looked up to see that the sky had temporarily cleared and taken on a distinctly purple hue with the sunset. we all decided that it had turned viola for la viola.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/27775/purple-sky-cloud-lightening.jpg" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" width="400" /> </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/27775/purple-sky-cloud-lightening.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/27775/purple-sky-cloud-lightening.jpg</span></a></div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-88172879400446131872011-12-03T02:23:00.000-08:002011-12-03T02:23:53.960-08:00le fotoif you all are interested in seeing more point and shoot attempts at photographic documentation of my semester, god bless you. <div><br />
</div><div>pictures from the beginning of the semester can be found here:</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1580045658484.2041123.1155930919&type=3">http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1580045658484.2041123.1155930919&type=3</a></div><div><br />
</div><div>from fall break:</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1616197042246.2041925.1155930919&type=3">http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1616197042246.2041925.1155930919&type=3</a></div><div><br />
</div><div>from my trip to roma:</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1634688584523.2042167.1155930919&type=3">http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1634688584523.2042167.1155930919&type=3</a></div><div><br />
</div><div>and from my most recent wanderings:</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1647341540839.2042285.1155930919&type=3">http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1647341540839.2042285.1155930919&type=3</a></div><div><br />
</div><div>send me emails/messages/what have you and tell me how you all are doing too please!</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-52847265279784434122011-12-03T02:09:00.000-08:002011-12-03T02:13:27.235-08:00un piccolo viaggiolast weekend i decided to take a day trip to pisa and lucca, two small italian towns an hour from florence by train. the weather was beautiful, the food was fabulous as always, and i got to see the leaning tower of pisa!<br />
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</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1z9hTpjUZcE/TtnxoLCa0zI/AAAAAAAAAKM/4B69sRrriuc/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1z9hTpjUZcE/TtnxoLCa0zI/AAAAAAAAAKM/4B69sRrriuc/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+149.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pda-7hIAYng/TtnyazSuySI/AAAAAAAAAKc/ifjwVZby5Zs/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pda-7hIAYng/TtnyazSuySI/AAAAAAAAAKc/ifjwVZby5Zs/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+172.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the cathedral of pisa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TKvxGGefUso/TtnyAeT7jmI/AAAAAAAAAKU/73GPYcvCb8s/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TKvxGGefUso/TtnyAeT7jmI/AAAAAAAAAKU/73GPYcvCb8s/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+154.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">the baptismal font</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lLv97vLJqHE/TtnzlkYlMEI/AAAAAAAAAK0/9zXGgyiozoY/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lLv97vLJqHE/TtnzlkYlMEI/AAAAAAAAAK0/9zXGgyiozoY/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+187.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">lucca's medieval walls</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mq9LnfnnTbs/Ttnz_4jU9KI/AAAAAAAAAK8/60UUtmcnQg8/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mq9LnfnnTbs/Ttnz_4jU9KI/AAAAAAAAAK8/60UUtmcnQg8/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+189.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-03klmhR9eJw/Ttn0cVvexbI/AAAAAAAAALE/e18Qahqg9Fc/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-03klmhR9eJw/Ttn0cVvexbI/AAAAAAAAALE/e18Qahqg9Fc/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+197.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
you can walk/ride your bike around the top of the walls. this was the only quiet spot that i saw. everywhere else it looked like the entire town was out for an afternoon stroll. at one point, old men were of course playing chess and dominoes </div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-13987638655789817202011-12-01T13:02:00.000-08:002011-12-03T00:50:22.724-08:00a casathings are finally wrapping up around here and i absolutely cannot believe it. the first of december means that i have all of 17 days left in this beautiful country, and my god am i going to miss it. over the course of but a few short months i have truly developed a serious affection for italia. its people, food, culture, they all really mean something to me now. i am certainly going to relish my last few weeks here.<br />
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in the meantime, i thought that i might tell you all some of the other things that i have been up to. thus far, i have really focused here on my travels, as they have been some of the real highlights of this trip. that being said though, i have also had some amazing experiences five minutes from the villa here in fiesole and just down the "road of the ancients" in florence.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iS_uuF2TvCI/TtfaEEI8PfI/AAAAAAAAAJE/6bScaIHmUvo/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iS_uuF2TvCI/TtfaEEI8PfI/AAAAAAAAAJE/6bScaIHmUvo/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">view along the walk down to florence from fiesole</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div>one of our courses is called city of florence, and the entire purpose is to compel us to connect meaningfully with the city. the premise of it was that we would have four group meetings, involving lectures, trips around florence (to one of the many medici villas, for instance) and an individual project that came with 100 euro of discretionary funds. awesome, right? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fCl9O8ahdN0/Ttfclkn_-9I/AAAAAAAAAJM/Q6GszhOmleM/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fCl9O8ahdN0/Ttfclkn_-9I/AAAAAAAAAJM/Q6GszhOmleM/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+059.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the cathedral of florence</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">i chose to focus on the musical character of florence, and therefore had a wonderful time spending my funds on such activities as:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>the tuscan orchestra, twice. think strauss, shubert, part, mozart.</li>
<li>a jazz piano concert, held of course in the room of an old monastery, complete with original frescoes. also of note is the fact that we sat with one of the villa professors and his artist friends.</li>
<li>a sunday morning at the fiesole school of music featuring the fiesole quartet</li>
<li>a spanish guitar performance at the biggest wine festival in tuscany</li>
</ul>yet to be attended are the florentine opera featuring la boheme and an italian band called le luci delle centrale. for a taste of italian music you can check out one of their videos here:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.musicusconcentus.com/default.asp?modulo=events&action=read&id=168">http://www.musicusconcentus.com/default.asp?modulo=events&action=read&id=168</a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">experiencing the florentine musical culture here has been interesting to say the least. last night, for instance, i sat in front of 20 teenagers at the orchestra. certainly not a sight that i was expecting. live music cafes have also been fun here, and typically offer an eclectic mix of covers of american songs and italian rock. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GclEhCoGwWQ/TtfjPqdlQUI/AAAAAAAAAJU/iVlE9DjK9ao/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GclEhCoGwWQ/TtfjPqdlQUI/AAAAAAAAAJU/iVlE9DjK9ao/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+063.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">view from the top of the duomo. the villa is off in the distance.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">amongst other things, i have also:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>eaten at my italian professors house twice. difficult conversation, but seriously delicious food</li>
<li>climbed to the top of the duomo, brunelleschi's architectural masterpiece that never ceases to amaze me</li>
<li>seen the david. enough said.</li>
<li>gone to the uffizi with an encyclopedia/astoundingly knowledgeable art history professor</li>
</ul>and last but not least, you guessed it, continued to eat and drink delicious food, gelato and wine. there really is nothing like a perfectly made cappuccino taken standing at the bar in the local pastry shop, watching the day go by.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_PlfEhG99oU/Ttfo4R7m3DI/AAAAAAAAAJk/NnujVPsgFeQ/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_PlfEhG99oU/Ttfo4R7m3DI/AAAAAAAAAJk/NnujVPsgFeQ/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+088.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OY3mI_p2gtc/TtniqLsDvtI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/YhvSf6bFkRk/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OY3mI_p2gtc/TtniqLsDvtI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/YhvSf6bFkRk/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+114.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8euHjLQflGc/Ttfnou9Ff5I/AAAAAAAAAJc/AIVfAGvU1x8/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8euHjLQflGc/Ttfnou9Ff5I/AAAAAAAAAJc/AIVfAGvU1x8/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+132.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aLk8CrqtAQE/TtfqdA0VlxI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/Ud0kwDCHZYo/s1600/firenze.pisa.lucca+126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aLk8CrqtAQE/TtfqdA0VlxI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/Ud0kwDCHZYo/s400/firenze.pisa.lucca+126.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-87793813427408999132011-11-20T15:49:00.000-08:002011-11-22T08:44:24.757-08:00non ci sono le parole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">tonight i write to you all just having returned from rome. what a trip. over the course of 72 short hours i saw life changing art (do i sound ridiculous? yes! and the worst part is that i am fully aware that i sound ridiculous!), visited amazing sites and monuments and to top it all off, dined spectacularly well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--tkI_GPC9bg/TslinTfjFwI/AAAAAAAAAF0/Fp_vCDjpXfs/s1600/undici.giorni+567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--tkI_GPC9bg/TslinTfjFwI/AAAAAAAAAF0/Fp_vCDjpXfs/s1600/undici.giorni+567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--tkI_GPC9bg/TslinTfjFwI/AAAAAAAAAF0/Fp_vCDjpXfs/s400/undici.giorni+567.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">to run down the highlights:</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">the first night we started at the vittorio emanuele iii monuement, and then went to villa borghese, a serene and peaceful park just at the edge of the city. we then visited the villa borghese, renowned as one of the best private collections in the world. the bernini sculpture that i saw there was undoubtedly some of the most provocative that i have ever seen. and then there was caravaggio's <i>san girolamo</i>. it was an unbelievable way to start off an incredible weekend.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kQTiRpMGWQY/TsljZYcDtEI/AAAAAAAAAF8/eXAYNUROCtY/s1600/undici.giorni+596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kQTiRpMGWQY/TsljZYcDtEI/AAAAAAAAAF8/eXAYNUROCtY/s400/undici.giorni+596.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">the next morning i stopped by the pantheon and marveled at one of the world's finest examples of architectural genius.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RhdXMyKjfFk/TsmOL-7zldI/AAAAAAAAAHk/X_EPArlgdxo/s1600/undici.giorni+873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RhdXMyKjfFk/TsmOL-7zldI/AAAAAAAAAHk/X_EPArlgdxo/s1600/undici.giorni+873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZFbXTMZCos/TsllTcNCQCI/AAAAAAAAAGE/US9vNgMSPv8/s1600/undici.giorni+624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZFbXTMZCos/TsllTcNCQCI/AAAAAAAAAGE/US9vNgMSPv8/s400/undici.giorni+624.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">i then proceeded on to piazza navona</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZD8QMoMeC-4/TsmKuKAQniI/AAAAAAAAAGc/zJv5hE6jJ8w/s1600/undici.giorni+697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZD8QMoMeC-4/TsmKuKAQniI/AAAAAAAAAGc/zJv5hE6jJ8w/s400/undici.giorni+697.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cL2AigDBw9Y/Tso0DtUbFnI/AAAAAAAAAIU/jucIKx0qsUM/s1600/undici.giorni+693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cL2AigDBw9Y/Tso0DtUbFnI/AAAAAAAAAIU/jucIKx0qsUM/s400/undici.giorni+693.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>and then went and saw the widely advertised georgia o'keefe exhibit. was it totally a bizarre coincidence that one of my favorite american artists just happened to be exhibited in rome the weekend that i was there? was it perhaps odd to go see an american artist in rome? was it destiny? i ought to stop asking obnoxious rhetorical questions. regardless of the oddity of the circumstances, i practically danced my way through the exhibit i was so excited. it was spectacular. coincidence or not, i left the museum beaming.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cKQuCHdfl2g/Tso1PoD7KZI/AAAAAAAAAIc/E9RhxHnjgEA/s1600/undici.giorni+779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cKQuCHdfl2g/Tso1PoD7KZI/AAAAAAAAAIc/E9RhxHnjgEA/s400/undici.giorni+779.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">from there, i bounced along to the castel sant'angelo, an interesting fort/mausoleum/castle structure. then there was the vatican. oh man the vatican. the museums, it need not be said, contain some of the world's finest art. despite the fact that it was my second time being there, i was nevertheless stunned walking through each of the rooms. rooms of raphael followed by michaeangelo. 1st century roman statuary. so much magnificent art. i ought to start thesaurus-ing because i think that i am going to run out of superlatives for describing the weekend. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AxxGBbziyx0/Tso2Ew6vlII/AAAAAAAAAIk/oBGmu4AwKwY/s1600/undici.giorni+798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AxxGBbziyx0/Tso2Ew6vlII/AAAAAAAAAIk/oBGmu4AwKwY/s400/undici.giorni+798.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">after touring the vatican museums i went to st. peters, saw the pieta and cursed michaelangelo for a minute for being so darn talented at 23. i then made it up to the top of st. peters right at sunset and saw some amazing views of the eternal city.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q8R7qMCuWy8/TsvORYL447I/AAAAAAAAAIs/bKHfbhueG1w/s1600/undici.giorni+895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q8R7qMCuWy8/TsvORYL447I/AAAAAAAAAIs/bKHfbhueG1w/s400/undici.giorni+895.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0CYS_fbCw2g/TsvPCnIqr1I/AAAAAAAAAI8/aih_DNSZ7mg/s1600/undici.giorni+873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0CYS_fbCw2g/TsvPCnIqr1I/AAAAAAAAAI8/aih_DNSZ7mg/s400/undici.giorni+873.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">the next morning promptly turned into a photo binge at the colosseum as i walked around imaging gladiator playing out before my eyes. i felt rather like a 5 year old boy with an overactive imagination in fact.<br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sCuQCdf_rew/TsvOpSD8zII/AAAAAAAAAI0/GD4goVBpuOA/s1600/undici.giorni+837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sCuQCdf_rew/TsvOpSD8zII/AAAAAAAAAI0/GD4goVBpuOA/s400/undici.giorni+837.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>anyway, after meandering through the roman forum, it was finally time to go back to firenze to the villa that it is somehow appropriate to call my temporary home.<br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UxA-LIfu1Gc/TsmP9COEQwI/AAAAAAAAAIM/ZHv1wlilVUA/s1600/undici.giorni+966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UxA-LIfu1Gc/TsmP9COEQwI/AAAAAAAAAIM/ZHv1wlilVUA/s400/undici.giorni+966.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>oh and throw some of the best food and gelato that i have ever had in the mix and we can call it a trip, alla fine. </div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-12422726877760239822011-10-31T13:38:00.000-07:002011-10-31T13:38:54.260-07:00gli undici giorni: i dettaglii hardly know where to begin.<br />
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it might be best to just try to breeze through some of what we did, in the hopes that along the way i will recall the major points. we did so much that it will be difficult!<br />
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to start off with, we got to verona thursday night and toured the city. it was beautiful. the fact that shakespeare was inspired to write romeo and juliet there makes perfect sense.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SNAjZUUdzVA/Tq8CmPIpSpI/AAAAAAAAAE8/yv-gUhWjKVo/s1600/undici.giorni+202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SNAjZUUdzVA/Tq8CmPIpSpI/AAAAAAAAAE8/yv-gUhWjKVo/s400/undici.giorni+202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>then friday morning, at an ungodly hour, we had a bit of a fiasco at the airport but somehow made it to vienna. my god the culture there is amazing. to say that vienna is a city of culture does not even begin to describe how much there is to see, do, hear, eat and drink. as with each of the following cities, we literally walked vienna into the ground trying to take advantage of our time there, and i think that we can safely say that we did.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">what we saw:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">the vienna secessionists at the leopold museum, where i picked up a new artist of note: koloman moser. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS444US444&gcx=c&q=koloman+moser&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=709&sei=%205oeuTs_dFMyWOtjunN8P">http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS444US444&gcx=c&q=koloman+moser&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=709&sei=%205oeuTs_dFMyWOtjunN8P</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UWEyifLeEbY/Tq8B50ceOtI/AAAAAAAAAE0/K9X5B_cRbY8/s1600/undici.giorni+152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UWEyifLeEbY/Tq8B50ceOtI/AAAAAAAAAE0/K9X5B_cRbY8/s400/undici.giorni+152.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>the hapsburg summer residence, aka the biggest palace i have ever seen</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">extravagantly decorated churches</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">and free concerts everywhere we turned<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SzYyG1azH3g/Tq7_coCMfoI/AAAAAAAAAEU/xWZxenJkrm0/s1600/undici.giorni+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SzYyG1azH3g/Tq7_coCMfoI/AAAAAAAAAEU/xWZxenJkrm0/s400/undici.giorni+075.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>then after a wonderful evening aperitivo in milan (an apertivo is an ingenious italian institution that requires a post of its own, more to come on that later), we took off for budapest monday morning, and boy was it a departure. our friend kenny informed us that it is considered a major faux pas to describe hungary of the czech republic as eastern europe, but so-called "central europe" is definitely no western europe. stepping off of the plane and getting into the soviet era metro cars alone was enough culture shock to knock your socks off. the fact that we could no longer even decipher the language (the german of austria is slightly discernible despite its proliferation of syllables) only compounded our sense of unfamiliarity. to be cliche, it was a definitive "we are not in kansas anymore" moment. as noted yesterday, i unfortunately do not have pictures from our brief time there because it was raining, but will post some as soon as catherine and alex post theirs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">budapest is oftentimes described as a smaller version of vienna and indeed the cafes there were just as splendid as those in vienna. the turkish baths though, a distinctly budapest institution, were wonderfully different and unique. to be able to sit in a heated pool outside at the end of october and after a long day of walking was blissful, to say the least. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
after budapest we spent a full afternoon and evening in milan, and of course enjoyed another amazing aperitivo. while rather aesthetically underwhelming, milan definitely has a distinctive character. just walking down the streets you can tell that it really is a young, cosmopolitan city. in fact, we flew in and out of there because it is significantly cheaper than anywhere else in italy. you can literally get anywhere from there, and for a reasonable price too.<br />
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although it was really nice being back in italia and being able to understand the language, prague the next day was the an absolute blast. in total we spent three days in the city, and it was a great way to end the trip. between the partying, the touring and the eating, it would probably be best not to say which consumed the most time, but it was undoubtedly a fun city!<br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-73337172022331584272011-10-30T15:13:00.000-07:002011-10-31T04:10:55.836-07:00gli undici giornibuona sera tutti,<br />
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</div><div>i am pleased to report that i am still alive and made it back in once piece from an absolutely unbelievable 11 day trip through europe. and here is the kicker: in spite of some harrowingly (i am fully aware that i am making up words here) close calls, we actually managed to make every single bus, train and airplane. quite the feat when you consider that we took 6 flights, 4 buses, 3 trains and an array of local buses, trams and old soviet era metros! </div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">where we went:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">verona</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">vienna</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">milan</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">i wanted to add some scale here</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">budapest, which i unfortunately have no pictures from because it was raining. i will be borrowing pictures from alex and catherine soon though.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">and prague</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">more details on the trip to come tomorrow!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1329417278350159806.post-88153683368561371602011-10-18T15:06:00.000-07:002011-10-18T15:08:45.992-07:00un buon viaggio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UOy_YI6AcqA/Tp33nt1RlTI/AAAAAAAAACo/PIy8cRh5dNo/s1600/italia+356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UOy_YI6AcqA/Tp33nt1RlTI/AAAAAAAAACo/PIy8cRh5dNo/s400/italia+356.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>ciao amici!<br />
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long time no see! my computer charger finally arrived yesterday so i am back in business, just in time to leave for an 11 day traverse across eastern europe. along the way i will hopefully make it to verona, vienna, milan, budapest and prague. were i not currently imbibing copious amounts of information that has thus far remained neglected (non e colpa mia!), i would provide you all with a more thorough description of the past three weeks' activities, but alas, a brief list will have to suffice for now:<br />
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<ul><li>la madre visited for a weekend!</li>
<li>we field tripped to san gimignano, the frozen in medieval times italian city state that still boasts 13 towers</li>
<li>much running through the italian hills, perhaps more on that to come later</li>
<li>an italian field trip aka no english day, to 3 different famous yet tiny italian towns as well as an 8th century monastery that practices gregorian chants</li>
<li>a substitution of a lesson on how to chant gregorianally instead of class :)</li>
<li>an art history field trip to siena, many pictures to come at a later date</li>
<li>a trip to the largest chocolate festival in the world in perugia. oh, my, chocolate.</li>
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i am currently in the process of attempting to upload a smattering of the 700 pictures i uploaded to my computer yesterday, yet it looks like facebook is feeling uncooperative, so no promises, but here is the link to ze italia album again:<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1580045658484.2041123.1155930919&type=3">http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1580045658484.2041123.1155930919&type=3</a><br />
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</div>Kathleen Bush-Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01946596606107306525noreply@blogger.com0