Chapter Three: Pizza, Pasta, Gelato, and Brioche - The Summer of Weight Gain

Lunedi, Monday, 26 Maggio 2014

I woke up from another much needed 9-hour sleep with a huge pain in my stomach. Unfortunately, as I had already been getting used to, the breakfast in Italy leaves a lot to be desired. The small croissants or brioche, aren't quite as filling as the eggs and toast with cereal I have become accustomed to at home. I woke up, not needing to go to work until 11, and went down to a pasticciera to grab something quickly before returning to get ready for work. As I walked down the cobblestone street to the shop, I couldn't help but take in all of the beauty around me. What have I done to possibly deserve this blessing? I am taking in the beauty with every waking moment...as I think back about my summer on Mackinac, I remember sitting and writing knowing that it would all soon be over, as it was. Now time has flown 8 months and I sit here thinking that one day I may read this in forty years and wonder where the time went. I don't want to have any regrets...that's why, for now, sleep is secondary.

Anyway, I arrived at the pasticciera and they only had one brioche left. Only silly a
Americas wait until 10 in the morning to eat breakfast. What was I thinking? I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least, when I found the custard filled center. Yum.

An hour later, I was on my way to my first day of work. I didn't feel at all nervous, because my friend Elisa had taken a job there a month previously, and we would be working together there as well as my roommate Maria. I felt comfortable going in, and I think my confidence showed. By the end of the day, I was helping scan guests passports, becoming familiar with the check-in process, and escorting guests to their rooms by myself. Every time I would begin walking down the stairs from dropping off a guest, I would look around me, seeing the unimaginable beauty of the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, and close my eyes and thank God he didn't listen to my plan. However badly I wanted to work at the world's number one hotel, the Villa D'Este, I now know why I am here. This hotel fits me perfectly, and I am eternally thankful that I have a dean at my school who understands me more than I do. I love it here, and I love my job.

Heads up, I am probably never coming home.

After work,  met up wit the other American students and our Italian friend, Dani, at the sporting club for a drink, followed by a trip to the wine bar, and then the beach bar (where I drank water, for good measure). Afterwards, I got to go to the Hotel DuLac to skype with my parents for the first time since I've been here, although, due to a huge storm here, we had a lot of technical difficulties. I will say one thing; I don't think Mazie (my dog) misses me. :-(

Martedi, Tuesday, 27 Maggio 2014

Today I woke up and met Elisa for breakfast down by the water. We met when she came with the Italian students this fall to Niagara University, my school, for the exchange semester for our summer here in Italy. She told me the first thing she did when she got back from America was "drop off my bags and then go to get a cup of coffee." ...It's really not the same. I'm not quite sure what it is that we drink in the US, but there is no way Maxwell House is real!

Later on Elisa and I were talking in Italian, and then I told her how to pronounce someone's last name in Italian. She looked at me and said, "Oh. I forgot you are American!" - Goal accomplished!
In general, work has been wonderful. I hope for days that drag, so the summer won't fly by too fast, but I know my hopes are in vain. In the meantime, if there is something you've been waiting to vicariously do through me, let me know! Days off are Thursday and Sunday this week, and I can't wait.

What more could I possibly ask for out of a summer?  Well, maybe just to be surrounded by a little less gelato. I'll be coming home twice my original size, and, as my dad would say, "there will be a lot more Lizzy to bring home."

Chapter Two: Fun in Firenze

To begin the story of Florence, I should first begin where I last left off: club Lido.

How amazing this place is! We spent the few hours before going to Lido in several different bars, chatting and having a few glasses of this and that. When we finally decided to head over to Lido, it was cold and I was not particularly excited, as one who does not much enjoy this type of night life. I was taken by surprise when we entered this huge place to see half of it, easily 400 sq ft., was set up as a restaurant, but had a slightly different atmosphere with people dancing on the tables. The other half inside was a bar, with another bar outside on the upstairs patio. Below the patio was a huge beach, three bars, and an enormous dance floor. All of our new friends came to join us and we danced the night away until I finally left around 2:30.

6:00 a.m., Friday I was up, packing for Florence, with a boat to catch at 6:45. I suppose we shouldn't have been so surprised that half of our Lido group from the night before didn't catch the boat, and our good (albeit new) friend Daniele drove them to meet us at the train station in Como. We transferred from Como to Milan, heading to Florence on a train traveling 180 kilometers per hour, and made it to the city in time to trek over to our hotel to drop off our things, head across the city for lunch, and then go to the Duomo where we climbed over 300 feet, or 462 stairs, into the sky to see Firenze from a view I think no one but God himself could possibly imagine. You could see the whole city from the top of the church, spanning out into the Tuscan countryside of rolling hills, stucco houses, all tightly built but beautifully architectured. It was an absolute blast. We left the Duomo for dinner, where some friends and I split a Margherita pizza like nothing I've ever had before, and I ate half of the thing in less than 5 minutes. We shared a bottle of wine and enjoyed a two or so hour dinner without once being bothered by a waiter or offered a check...truly this is one if the things Italy really has right compared to the States. On our way back to the hotel, we found a leather shop, and although I swore I wanted nothing to do with a leather jacket, I agreed to go in nonetheless. After trying on a few jackets, and finally finding one that was audibly calling my name, I agreed on a price at the same time as my friends Jeff, Emily, and Kaila, and an hour later we all left with heavy, cow smelling bags swinging in our arms. :-) it was a pretty successful trip. 

I am proud to say that after this I went back home and got nine hours of sleep that night! Many of you are asking whether or not I have been sleeping, and the honest answer is, no. The previous thee nights combined I got about twelve hours of sleep, so this nine was much needed and appreciated.

The following day, as we roamed around Florence, got a two hour walking tour where we learned more about the Duomo, the city buildings, the golden hog that you're supposed to rub for luck, and some key places named in Dan Browns Inferno, and then wandered off to do some more shopping, where I made out with a few post cards, and this gorgeous spoon rest decorated as a sun flower with a picture of David and several other famous Florence sights, for only 5€!

Although we stopped and stood in line for the Accademia, we decided there wasn't time enough to see the original statue of David, and had to head back to the hotel, and then to the train station.

Another thing that may be worth mentioning is the hot Italian man that you're all waiting for me to bring up! I was actually lucky enough to meet him before coming out here, so while I am visiting his homeland, my Nick is waiting for me back in the states. Not being able to talk with him or my family has been difficult, especially because of the time difference, but I'm adjusting well and really enjoying my time here. Despite that it is hard at times to accept everything I am missing at home, including the weddings of two close friends.

But, back to Italy stuff, I will close with my new favorite thing: a long term love of my mother's - the cappuccino. I tried my first one this morning at a cafè. As I sit here at the Hotel DuLac writing to you, I am sipping on my third of the day. I may not sleep tonight, but it will be worth it! Plus the work schedule came in and I'm not due until 11:30 tomorrow...hello sleep!

So, work does start tomorrow. I am nervous but more than that, really excited. After all, this was the goal right? Hope you all enjoyed. Ciao for now!

Chapter One: Feeling Prepared

Doesn't exist. Here's how the day was planned:

Arrive in Italy after a long, seven hour sleep on the plane, without any jet lag because I had slept so soundly on the way. Next, we would take the bus to our hotels, where we would relax and then meet up later. Next, we would have a nice dinner, hang out, see Como, get our phones and take the bus home, and upon arriving we would have a full night sleep.

Here's how it actually played out:

Italy is gorgeous! Although, as comfortable as I am with the language right now, adjusting isn't easy. The weather was very dark and rainy and cool, but despite that, the lake was the most beautiful place I've ever seen.  However, only getting two hours of sleep on the plane ride over certainly didn't set us up for a completely successful first day... (but hey, we are in Italy, that's a heck of a silver lining).  We arrived in Milan, but did not see any of the city because the airport is far outside of the city center and we immediately got on a bus for the hour ride into Como after landing. The first stop was for two purposes: to drop off the professor who had planned and organized the whole trip for us, and to scare the living daylights out of all of us as we went to go meet our hoteliers without an introduction.

We were, however, pleasantly surprised and happy to find out that one of the Italian students who was at Niagara in the fall, Federica, was also there to take us to each of our hotels. Unfortunately for a very tired Elizabeth, Bellagio was the last stop, preceeded by an hour long bus ride through the winding, bumpy, road that, in my opinion, we were going way too fast on.  After we set down our bags, we got right onto a boat and went back to Como for a long, cold, and beautiful ride through the city.  It was amazing, but it was raining, and we hadn't slept in over 24 hours, when we got on the bus to come back to Bellagio. 

The bus. 

This was easily the worst three hours of our trip. The four other students in Bellagio and I got tickets for the 7:45pm bus to Bellagio, but, at 7:45 when the bus came and we boarded, it turned out to be the wrong one.  At nearly 8 at night, right before all public transportation stops completely, we found out we were headed in completely the wrong direction.  After explaining ourselves (with the help of a very nice Italian man) to the driver, were pointed in the right direction and got on the right bus just in time. We were all beyond upset and frustrated when we got back to Bellagio, an hour and a half later.  Now pouring rain, we had a mile walk back to our apartment.  After 36 hours of being awake, all I wanted to do was sleep.  Instead, we stayed up for four hours, hanging out and playing cards with out neighbors, who are awesome. Several of them speak English and several do not, so I got good practice translating and speaking Italian. 

The next day, I woke up feeling a little sick, probably from not having a good meal since noon the previous day. There was also no time for breakfast when we met up with our professor and the rest of the group to go on a tour of Bellagio, and the Villa Serbelloni.  We then got on the boat for Como!  After arriving, we went to the University of Insubria to meet the president, the Italian students who went to Niagara last year, and the ones going this coming year, and then presented ourselves in Italian. After the ceremony, I got a ride back to Bellagio in a friend's Audi, going 120 km all the way through the winding roads back to Bellagio. It was probably the most terrifying experience of my life.

As I am writing, I am sitting in a local sporting club with four Americans, a German girl I met at Niagara two years ago and ran into here, and the son of the owner of one of the hotels here. We are eating, drinking, and having a wonderful time. I can't wait for tonight, as we are going to a club here in Bellagio called "Lido," with all of our new Italian friends. 

I think, on a final note, it's also worth saying that I've clearly never had pizza, pasta or ice cream before, and the views here are beyond my ability to describe. 

Italy: The Prologue

In early spring of 2011, my mom and I traveled to Niagara Univesity, the college I would be attending that fall, for an informational meeting of the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management. We were awed after we arrived at the home of the college on the fourth floor of Saint Vincent's Hall, to see that the inside of the building was decorated to look like the inside of a hotel. The college, equipped with a a full kitchen and dining room, provided breakfast for my mom, myself, and all of the other prospective hospitality students before Dr. Praetzel, the dean, spoke to us. In his speech he mentioned many things, including a once in a lifetime opportunity provided to the Hospitality students in which ten students each year are chosen to travel to Lake Como Italy to work at some of the luxury hotels located there. As he finished talking about the incredible experiences of past students, the marketability one gains by working In a foreign country, and the fact that George Clooney has three houses there, I looked at my mom and made one simple statement,

                                                               "I'm going"

Throughout the last three years, after applying six months after that initial meeting and being accepted, I've never forgotten those words. At one point, after going through some struggles with school my Sophomore year, I taped a postcard to the wall which Niagara had sent me which, in addition to a beautiful bird's eye view of Lake Como, read, "Which university offers it's students a chance to work at the number one hotel in the world?" This trip has been the single goal and purpose to my last three years at Niagara. Although with two years notice, it at times was hard to imagine that some day I would actually be going to Italy and working in one of these amazing hotels, the time has passed quickly as I am preparing for my flight to JFK which leaves in 22 hours!  I've felt a range of emotions, from excited to nervous and back again, sometimes forcing myself not to think about it just to avoid the anxiety. But, ready or not the time has come. Despite my anxieties, I have worked hard and am very comfortable with the language, and can't wait to get over there and immerse myself in it. So, today I finished packing my suitcase, which weighed In at a whopping 48 pounds. I'm really hoping to not have to carry it too far! That being said, I'm truly just praying that it doesn't fall into the DELTA Airlines motto of "Don't Expect Luggage To Arrive," as did happen to one student last year. But, luggage or no luggage, at this time tomorrow I will be boarding my final plane (which I am comforted to say is a huge Boeing 767) and will arrive in the land of pizza, pasta, wine and shoes at 7:45 a.m. on. Thursday morning.

I'm extremely excited and nervous for this trip to begin, and look forward to sharing it with you all. I hope that, as I did last summer with "A Summer in Time," I can bring you all on this journey with me, and allow you to experience things as I do - seeing what I see, smelling what I smell, and perhaps drinking a glass of Malbec along with me.

Ciao for now!