Vacation

Photos from my 2 weeks of spring break...

I spent the beginning with Emma -- there are only a few photos from that:

Emma's Visit

The rest of the time, I spent with my parents:

Sharing Italy with my Parents

Updates

So now it's time to update my collection of Picasa photos, since I know that I've been lagging in doing that.

From my neighborhood in Milan and around the area:

Around the neighborhood

Next -- from the 10 days that I spent with Anna and the trips we took:

Anna R and Anna K Take Italy by Storm

More to come soon!

Ciao,
Anna

Is Spring Here Yet?

So March has come and gone, and it's hard to believe that April is almost over, also. The weather has been pretending to get nicer, but for the past few days rain is just a constant theme in Milan. That hasn't stopped me from going to class, working at my internship, and continuing my day-to-day life here, though. My two weeks of vacation, which were practically extended to three if we take into account visitors (aka Anna) are sadly over, and it's back to real life.

Switzerland and more

My thoughts from a few weeks ago that I never got around to posting...

The weather has been getting much nicer recently, but Milan had several days of rain that felt like several weeks. The city becomes quite gloomy and dark when it rains, but the sun has been shining in the past week or so. Meanwhile, when I arrived in Bern, Switzerland, many weekends ago by this point, it was actually snowing. I was astonished, but as I walked around the city on Saturday, the sun was out and I was able to take full advantage of the day. Speaking of which, I feel like my weekend in Switzerland was very well spent. I went alone, and I had a great time. I spent practically all day Saturday in Bern; I charted out my route and saw so much that I think I basically covered the entire city. On Sunday in Zurich, I started out at 10 in the morning and did not stop until 7 that night, when I felt that I had finally worn myself out enough and got on a train back to Milan. One thing that really stood out in my mind in Switzerland, which I know is funny, is that they actually let pedestrians cross the street there. It’s just a huge change from Milan, where they just barely let you and go and drive around you. I’ve been so close to getting hit many times, but it’s just something I’ve gotten used to. Similar to the smoking, which is absolutely everywhere. Its practically impossible to escape it. To see my own guided tour of Switzerland, check out my photos:

Weekend in Switzerland

A few more observations about Milan... it takes a lot of balance to live here. I mean physcial balance. I don’t know how people do it – I haven’t gotten quite used to it yet. Balance is needed most on the public transportation, particularly the buses and trams, which I use often. The problem is that the trams and buses move very quickly and usually stop abruptly, due to traffic, pedestrians, or just because the drivers think that it’s fine to slam on the brakes at the last second. So you have to hold on, and hold on tight. People sway around the bus or the tram, and it’s usually so crowded already that you end up bumping into everyone who surrounds you. Holding on is pretty much essential because not holding on means either just falling or falling into someone. That’s my two cents about that. There was one other thing that I wanted to mention – models. It’s a fascinating thing, because I feel like I see models all over the city. It is Milan, after all -- the fashion capital. I have learned to recognize them because they are typically male, dressed very casually yet stylishly, with a persistently aloof look on their face. The last and most obvious indicator is the large map hanging out of their back pocket – the dead give-away. It’s actually the same map that each of the students on my program was given at orientation – it’s an amazing map of the city, and it would have otherwise cost € 5 – that is not a small sum for a college student studying abroad!

Here is another album, just of photos I've taken around the city of Milano -- no captions, but just some artistic and inspired shots:

Una passeggiata a Milano

Skiing in the Alps

I think that with these photos, I am finally caught up with my uploading. For now.

From my weekend skiing in the Alps of northern Italy with my program:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaufman.anna/WeekendInValtellinaSkiing?authkey=Gv1sRgCPnftNjDj-mSwgE&feat=directlink

Ciao,

Anna

Most Recently Uploaded Photos

In the midst of cooking for myself, going to class, beginning my internship, doing homework, exploring the city, and sleeping, I have still found the time to upload new photos onto Picasa and even give them captions.

Here's the latest:

Weekend in Nice and Monaco

Ciao,

Anna

More Photos

Photos from my weekend in Germany:

http://picasaweb.google.com/kaufman.anna/WeekendInMunich?authkey=YuGwqEzK5hQ&feat=directlink

Check it out!

Also, happy birthday to Masha. Love you!

Ciao,

Anna