chianti

when we drove through tuscany for the first time (seven SEVEN weeks back) it was nothing but flat land full of fields and fields of dead sunflowers. i think we all had a mini heart attack of "oh no! pinterest lied!" so when we got to chianti we were pretty stoked to see the picturesque rolling hills of tuscanny. 

chianti is where they make chianti wine. just trying to keep you all educated. 

anyway we took an hour bus ride to chianti and began the day with a two hour hike through some vineyards. we got to steal some grapes off of the vines. they were the best grapes i have ever had, naturally. so it was fine when our very attractive tour guide, in all of his italian-ness, looked at me and said "you are a grape stealer." after the hike we had lunch and wine tasting at the villa of the Sassolini Familiy. We had pasta, prosciutto, salami, and white beans. We had two types of red wine, chianti classico and a merlot mix, a white wine, a dessert wine and grappa. i bought two bottles to take back home as gifts. hopefully i don't drink them before my flight. 

bringing fall to florence

i miss fall in new england a whole bunch. its one of those things you don't realize you love so much until its gone (oh wow emotional). apple picking, pumpkins, and apple cider doughnuts just aren't a thing here. not to mention sweater weather isn't really happening yet (its still around 80 degrees everyday). that's not to say i don't love florence in the fall (because i really really do a whole bunch). cider doughnuts have been replaced with chocolate filled bombolone (you're welcome) and apple picking has turned into crisp evening walks around the city. not to shabby.

deprived of fall desserts, we decided to solve this problem by making apple crisp. which brings me to the point of this post. just kidding there is no point other then the fact that i want to remember this apple crisp forever and ever. even though we burnt the bottom (#italianovenprobs), the smell of fall wafting through my apartment almost brought real tears to my eyes. i'm not kidding. have a nice day.

i'm also blaming the burnt-ness on the cheap ikea pan

typical white girls 

thanks for the slippers ma&pa

around florence: the diner

you guys i had french toast. i can't even remember the last time i had french toast or a real american breakfast. i don't know if it is because i haven't had it in a while but oh my gosh this french toast was amazing. 

we finally got around to trying "the diner," which is one of the few places in florence that has a real american breakfast. its open all day and you can get anything from pancakes and bagels to salads and burgers. they have a "special offer" for students (nine meals get the tenth one free). with only 11 weeks left (WHAT?!) i'm not sure we will be able to accomplish that. regardless, this place definitely hit the spot.

around florence: galleria dei uffitzi

on wednesday we used our museum pass to explore the uffizi gallery. our pass allows us to enter countless museums for free. we even get to bypass the line! shoving tourists out of the way and flashing your pass at them is super fun and makes you feel real important. i'm not really a fan of staring at art amongst thousands of tourists but the building is seriously gorgeous. the bar on the top floor has a spectacular view over looking the duomo and the rest of florence. obviously we had to stop and have a snack.

wednesdays are good to me

this post is probably really silly but somehow i deemed it extremely important.
wednesdays are my favorite. we don't have class all day so it is dedicated to eating, exploring, and shopping. we usually start the morning off at fedora, the pastry shop on campus. we sit and have our cappuccinos and pastries before wandering around florence. today we walked through the central market and i found the hat of my dreams. if you know me, you know i have been wanting this hat for awhile. however, every time i find one its either too big, too small, or too something. of course i happened upon the perfect one while roaming the streets of my favorite place.

thanks, wednesday

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my taste buds..

food posts with nothing but pictures of food are probably my favorite things in the world. so here you go.

[not in any order]

chocolate truffles filled with rum, hazelnut, and pistachio

fried chicken: our favorite

red onion soup

penne with meat sauce 

my breakfast this morning: croissant filled with hazelnut

one of my faves: banana moyo

chocolate filled croissant from a bake shop in prague

some sort of traditional czech cheese spread on bread

beef sirloin with cranberry sauce, cream sauce and bread dumplings

potato soup at lunch in prague

where we had lunch

yes- the same meal as the night before. beef sirloin with cranberry sauce, cream sauce and bread dumplings

czech street food: trdelnik (thanks, nar) 

giant pretzel from oktoberfest

chocolate covered banana (get yours minds out of the gutter) 

"red sun" from ganzo: a raspberry mouse desert

pork blade and veggies

pork over veggies

pasta with zucchini and pesto 

gelato filled with jelly and dipped in chocolate