Turko's Travels

A Great Find

2008-04-29T04:24:00.000-07:00

Now that I am three months into my study abroad experience and I have gotten all of the tourist-y things out of the way, I am starting to find really great finds around Italy. This past week I stumbled (no pun intended) along the Art Bar on my way home one night. It is a small bar that serves smoothie-like drunks topped with fruit of all kinds. One of the things I miss most from home are smoothies from Jamba Juice, and these drinks are a close second! take a look!

Firenze VS. Palermo

2008-04-25T02:50:00.000-07:00

FINAL SCORE
Fiorentina 1
Palermo 0

Capri, Sorrento, and Pompei

2008-04-15T03:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the BLOG SURGE all of a sudden, things have gotten really busy with school projects and I haven't had much free time to get on the internet. Also, everyone is still tyring to upload pictures from spring break and whatnot and this slows down the internet here in Florence. Pardon my tardiness...

Two weekends ago I went on my last school-provided field trip to the Almalfi Coast at the southern tip of Italy. We visitied three major cities; Sorrento, Pompei, and the famous island of Capri. Luckily we had sunny weather (as the forcast has been very unreliable these days)and spent two days on 'tourist mode' visiting these places. We visited Mt. Vesuvius and the infamous city that was destroyed by the erruption of the volcano. We were able to spend some time roaming the restored village and then indulged in some of southern Italy's most famous beverages including: lemonade, lemoncello, and blood-red orange juice. YUM. We then went to Sorrento which is a very quaint and upscale little town on the port across from Capri. Here we stayed in a really nice 4-star hotel and feasted a four course traditional Italian meal. They serve a lot more fish around these parts, and there was a clear difference between the pizza in the north and the south. The next day we jumped on a ferry and went to l'isla Capri. Capri is known for its expensive boutiques, beautiful views, and blue/green/orange Grottos. We took a boat tour around the island and got to see all of the caves with glowing blue, green, and orange waters. We then went to the town of Capri, shoved our faces with calimari and pizza and then headed to the top of the island. We took a bus and then chair lift to the highest point of the island and took in the view. This island is world renowned, and I know understand why.

It is already more than hanf-way through my time her in Florence, and it only feels like I've been here for an extended weekend...or two! Time flies when you're having fun, right?

"My Humps"

2008-04-15T01:57:00.000-07:00

Fez, Morocco

Words from the Wise

2008-04-15T01:43:00.000-07:00

"Experience the culture like a local-you'll spend less money and have more fun. And at the end of the day, you'll know that you used your time well, spent your money without regret, and had some unforgettable adventures along the way."

-Rick Steves, Travel God.

On My GAUDI

2008-04-15T00:50:00.000-07:00

Park Guell, Barcellona

La Sagrad Familia, Barcellona

Antoni Gaudi, Architect.

Breaking Spring

2008-03-31T04:18:00.000-07:00

Spring Breaks don't get much better than this.

I had this past week off from school to go traveling for spring break. Initially I knew I wanted to go somewhere exotic and warm because back in the states we are used to typical resorts like Palm Springs and Hawaii, but I wanted to do something different. I started off looking at locations around Europe that were easy and cheap to fly to. Through websites like easyjet.com and ryanair.com students under 25 years old can find flights that are as cheap as 0.01 euro cents through these companies! My friends and I were able to find roundtrip tickets from Milan to Barcelona for 40 euros, so we couldn't pass those by. We wanted to see Spain but we also wanted to go somewhere out of the ordinary...and that led us to AFRICA! Good ol 'Mama Africa' as they call it in Morocco. We found a small flight from Barcelona to Fez, Morocco (The capital of the country/Republic of Africa). So we planned for three nights in Barcelona, three nights in Fez, and then we picked a small costal city north of Gerona, Spain called Callela where we stayed for the last three nights. Now let me begin...

The Saturday Morning of our Spring Break we took a train from Florence to Milan (where our plane was leaving from because the Florence airport is much too small) and spent the day in Milan before we took off that night for Barcelona. We spent the day window shopping (because none of us can ACTUALLY AFFORD any of the clothing ONE because of the euro conversion [which is up to 1.71 dollars now] and TWO we are all poor at this point in the trip). We also took some pictures around the gothic Duomo in the middle of the city. Other than that Milan has a huge name but not much to live up to besides its famous fashion week. We spent a few hours walking around and then got ready for our flight. The flight from Milan was only 2 hours to Barcelona. We arrived at the BCN Hostel in the center of the city which was already so much different from Florence. I was glad I was able to use the Spanish I learned from high school, but I realized I was starting to confuse my Italian and Spanish...which is no good. Our hostel was a very hip and trendy place to stay (for a very reasonable price) and were helpful with suggesting places to visit and sights to see. We took our first day to see a lot of the big sites like Gaudi's Park Guell, Sagradia Familia Cathedral and Gaudi's house in the city. He is truly an amazing artist and architect. He seems to have taken a very avant-guard approach in his designs that are very elaborate, colorful, and full of movement and expression (see pictures). His cathedral was his second big project in Barcelona (his favorite city) and had been in construction for over 120 years and only half way done. It is truly and incredible sight. Barcelona is also known for its nightlife. After we took a short siesta in the middle of the say, we walked around the city for a while and then went to dinner at 11:00 pm. This might seem late, but is actually very normal because most people don't hit the discoteca's until about 1:00 or 1:30am. We went to a couple bars with free shots for US students and then went to one of the most popular discotecas in the city. Lets just say we were out until 8:00am! Definitely and night to remember...or NOT remember in some cases. HA. We spent the rest of our time in Barcelona eating traditional food (including churros con ciocolata) laying on the beach and exploring the Spanish markets. Then before we knew it, we were off to Morocco!

Morocco was only an hour away from Spain with a one hour time difference (because we crossed the equator). Fez welcomed us with beautiful weather and sunny skies. Some of my group that I traveled with were a bit weary about visiting Morocco because of all the terrorist attacks and whatnot in the country, but we really got no feel of that AT ALL...until we got into a taxi cab. haha. We got into the car and there were immediately three very evident bullet holes in the front windshield. My friends and I were kind of scared at first, but when our cab driver offered us all a piece of chocolate...we knew it would be alright. We stayed in Hotel Batha which was one of the nicest hotels in the city. After we checked in we took at 5 hour tour (for only 12 US dollars) and took a tour of the Medina (walled in city). We got to see tanneries where they make leather goods, Muslim spas, mosques, rug markets, spice producers, bakeries, and craft shops. Walking though the medina was like living in the movie Alladin. no joke. Everything was incredibly cheap so I couldn't resist buying a couple things and everyone was so nice. Bargaining is a MUST and really helps develop good relations with those around you. That night we had an amazing three course meal for the equivalent of 7 euros...not so bad! In Morocco it is customary for entire families to own stores so we would always be sure to buy candy bars for the small children that would serve our drinks or clean our plates. The next day we woke up early in the morning and took an 8 hour private van to the desert to ride camels. Along the way we stopped for breakfast and lunch while also visiting a fossil site, traditional family for tea, palace ruins, desert oasis, among other beautiful sites and small towns. We finally arrived in the Sahara desert and rode camels into the sand doons and watch the sun set. The whole thing was absolutely beautiful and I felt like I was living inside of a National Geographic Magazine. It was absolutely amazing and will be something I will always remember. BY FAR the most beautiful place I have ever been. We rode the camels back to a hotel (near the locations where the filmed the movie Babel) and had another huge feast and danced to Moroccan drums. We showed the young people that worked at our hotel our iPODS and they loved our music. We danced some more outside by a campfire with thousands of clear stars shining above us. Truly an amazing experience. We spent the next day saying goodbye to the friends we had made and went back to the airport. On our way we stopped by a forest and fed the monkeys that were there. There was a group of about 30 monkeys that we fed snickers bars and cookies to. It was a surreal experience feeding monkeys and not just looking at them through a cage at the zoo. It was so sad to leave Morocco, and I cant wait to go back and visit!

We then took the last part of our trip to relax and stayed at a small village known for its beautiful beaches and good food--Calella. Calella is like Catalina Island, very quaint and comfortable. We stayed in a nice hotel and took long naps on the beach and hiked up mountains to see the 'tourist postcard' views of the ocean. It was unfortunately overcast during this part of our trip, but it was still really fun. We spent most of our time eating (surprise, surprise) and got some great palella (seafood risotto) and tapas (appetizers).

Overall I had an awesome spring break and am sad to be back at school. I can't believe I am already halfway through the semester and only have 7 weeks left! It seriously seems like I have been on an extended weekend, not a semester. WOW time sure flies when you're having fun, right? Life continues to treat me well on this side of the globe, and I can't wait for my next trip! Capri, Sorrento, and Pompei (Almafi Coast) this weekend!

Spring Break-ing

2008-03-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

FINALLY SPRING BREAK and I'm off to Barcelona, Spain and Fez, Morocco for 9 days! Talk to you then!

Under the Tuscan Sun

2008-03-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

Siena and Montalcino, Italy

The French Riviera

2008-03-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

Bonjour.
Merci.

THIS is the extent of my French. No more, and no less.

This past weekend I went on a trip to the French Riviera through my Study Abroad Program. It was an already planned trip that was included in the price of the program which really helps, and the euro is rapidly creeping up on my bank account (BAH!). Anyways, we took a weekend trip, by bus, to Monaco, Monte Carlo, Nice, St. Paul de Vence, Cannes, and Eze. We covered a lot of ground in only three days and were always on the go-fast paced, just how I like it.

We started out in Monaco with extremely unfortunate weather, but moved on to Monte Carlo as the rain began to slowly fade away. Nevertheless, both places are extremely beautiful and very extravagant with huge casinos and palaces lining the French Coast. We then drove to Nice where we stayed the night. We stayed in a very nice hotel and dined on a three course meal inspired by French cuisine. It was a refreshing and delicious change from Italian food. In nice we were able to take a couple picture on the beach, stroll through the world renowned flower markets, and pretend to play blackjack in the casinos. At this point in the semester none of us can afford to loose any euros. Every penny counts. We ate late night nutella crepes with gelato (healthy, isn't it?) and went to bed for our early bus ride.

On sunday we headed to Cannes (known for the Cannes Film Festival) and lucked out with great weather. We walked along the boardwalk and then went to St. Paul de Vence, one of the worlds most preserved medieval towns. It was a very quaint and beautiful town located on the top of a hill that looked over all of Provence, France. Our final stop was in Eze known for its Perfume production. We went to the Fragonard Perfumerie and learned about how perfume was made. It was a really interesting tour and we got to smell a variety of different perfume samples. A great end to a wonderful trip.

Things are really starting to get busy with midterms approaching and spring break on the way. Final bookings for hostels and planned day trips consume most of my spare time. More updates to come!

The Hills are Alive with the Sound of... Wind, Rain and Snow

2008-03-04T00:06:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I went with two friends from Chapman to Salzburg and Vienna, Austria. We lucked out and got 'Friend, Family, and More' discounts for the roundtrip train ticket that was 50% off the original price. Not bad! We left on Thursday night and took an overnight train (11 hours) directly to Vienna. From there we immediately took another train to Salzburg where we had the rest of the day to venture around the old city- home of the famous composer, Mozart, and most commonly known for its scenery and sites seen in The Sound of Music. On Saturday morning we stuffed ourselves with the all you can eat breakfast from our hostel (a great find when you can find breakfast included) and headed out directly for the Sound of Music Tour and Saltmine Tour. We were recommended to take the sound of Music tour because it gave a great overview of the city and took you out of the city to see some of the mountain ranges and other discrete locations that are harder to get to by the local metro system. We met our tour guide who was actually a late descendent of Mr. Von Trapp and told us that most Austrians hate the musical movie and don't understand why so many American tourists come to Salzburg solely for The Sound of Music Tour. (DID YOU KNOW: Mr. Von Trapp actually lived in an Austrian colony in Croatia? Maybe we're related..maybe?!) We saw a lot of familiar sites like the 'sixteen going on seventeen' gazebo, the Von Trap House, the Austrian Alps, and many others. Toward the end of the tour our guide was mentioning the fact that a storm might be coming our way, but we didn't really think twice about it. We were overlooking one of the most beautiful sites in all of Austria (see pictures below) when all of a sudden we hear a loud rumbling from behind us and see water pour our way. We all ran into the tour bus and within 15 minutes Austria had become a winter wonderland, completely covered with snow. There were also incredibly high winds that caused huge trees to fall and block roads. After detouring through the hills, we found our way to the oldest pastry shop in Austria and had pretzels and chocolate cinnamon rolls over candlelight (due to the power-outage in the small city).

After our first tour we were taken into the Bavarian Alps for a Saltmine tour. Salzburg is directly translated as Salt City, and is known for its huge supply of salt. On our way up the mountains (the snow and rain had subsided by now) we could see Hitler's Eagles Nest, his winter home given to him by the Nazi regime for his 50th Birthday, set at the very top of the mountains. We then got into white jumpsuits and took a train deep into the mountains and had a guided tour though the mines that outlined the process of extracting salt from the mountains. They had several wooden slides that would take you even deeper into the mountain. Halfway through the tour we actually passed the border from Austria into Germany. So I guess I got a free trip to Germany with admission. Not bad right?

That night we grabbed some Mozart balls (Mozart's favorite chocolates) and headed to Vienna. Vienna is an architecturally beautiful city with huge buildings and world renowned museums. We went into the Cathedral in the middle of the city and took a tour of the catacombs. We saw huge 'grave rooms' full of skeletons and bones where they would bury victims that had the plague. We went into a couple modern art exhibits and then to the largest Jewish cemetery in Austria. It was miles deep and had gravestones toppling over one another. We went right at twilight which gave the cemetery a very eerie feel. Remind me never to do that again...HA. We then hopped on the train and headed home. We had some complications when getting from Bologna to Firenze, but other than that we have a very worthwhile and successful trip!

Can't wait for the French Riviera next weekend! (oh yeah, and classes are good to. HA)

Paragliding in the Alps

2008-03-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

When do you EVER have the opportunity to paraglide over the Swiss Alps?! You only live once...

Living in a Postcard (for the weekend)

2008-02-26T05:28:00.000-08:00

Interlaken, Switzerland

The Secret Bakery

2008-02-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

Yes. Its just how it sounds-a SECRET bakery...in Florence. As you walk the streets of Florence you will come upon hundreds of cafes, bars, trattorias, and ristorantes that are always stocked with delicious, fresh pastries. There are four bakeries around Florence that make the pastries for these shops (unless pastries are made by private owners) so that they are fully stalked everyday. Every night these four bakeries open at 1:30am-3:30am to the public to sell SUPER fresh baked goods (because they bake throughout the night). None of the bakeries have signs (or even addresses for that matter) but simply say "quiet please",in English, above the basement doors. Depending on what the bakers are cooking that night, they will have a variety of baked cookies, fruit pastries, pizza, bread, and my favorite: cornetta con nutella, marmalada, and crema. (chocolate, creme, and marmalade croissants). BY FAR the best croissant I have ever had. And to make it even better, everything being sold during these hours is only .80 euro cents!

The secret bakeries are sometimes hit and miss. If the baker feels up to selling some extra pastries he'll open the door early or on time at 1:30. If people are too loud outside the door, he'll wait in front of the door (you can see his shadow) until everyone quiets down. OR if he isn't in a good mood, he wont open at all.

This is the time when I'm really starting to figure out the 'ins and outs' of the city and find all of the really good deals.

SO GOOD!

When in Rome

2008-02-20T09:23:00.000-08:00

Rome is truly a magnificent city. There are historic buildings and monuments all over that are thousands of years old and that I’ve seen in every history textbook. My friends and I toured the city for three days. Two days we spent viewing all of the sites around the center of the city, and then we dedicated an entire day to Vatican City (did you know it’s a country itself? The smallest country in the world). Rome is much larger than Florence, so we had to get used to getting around by Metro and not just by walking. The first day we took a tour of the city and saw the:
Colosseum
Roman Forum
Pantheon
Piazza Venezia
Circo Massimo
Capitol Hill
Trevi Fountain
Mouth of Truth
Piazza Navona
Spanish Steps
amongst many other sites. It was crazy to actually be in the colosseum and see all of the sites that were featured in the movie, A Roman Holiday. On Saturday we woke up early and went to the Vatican Museum and saw Vatican City, St. Peters Basilica, the Vatican Museum, and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. We arrived about an hour before the museum opened and there was already a line that circled the building. Luckily it went fairly fast, but I can only imagine how long the lines must be during the summer when tourist season really hits. The Vatican and the Sistine Chapel were unreal. Michelangelo’s famous dome left me speechless and St. Peters church really deserves its title as the ‘Most Impressive Church on Earth’. I read in my Rick Steve’s travel guide (my traveling Bible) that if one was to look at every artifact in the Vatican Museum for one minute, it would take 12 years to see the whole museum—it’s THAT big. We obviously didn’t look at everything, but we saw a lot at a speedy pace.

We went to a couple Ristorantes and Trattorias to get traditional Roman meals. A very popular meal is veal with mushroom (or funghi) sauce, and let me tell you, its great reputation matches its taste. I also had my first Kebab in Rome, and have found my Mexican food equivalent here in Italy. Cabbage, lettuce, French fries, lamb kebab, and hot sauce all rolled up in a tortilla. Heaven for only 3 euro.

Overall it was a very successful and efficient weekend. I have finally planned my spring break and will be going to Barcelona, Spain and Fez, Morocco (in Africa) at the end of March. My friends and I wanted to go somewhere warm and at the end of March Spain and Africa were the warmest because they are closest to the equator. I cant wait!

Until next time, “caio caio”

Gelato: the Anti-Drug

2008-02-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

This is serious. I think I'm addicted to gelato. Now, I'm not an ice cream or 'fro-yo' fanatic back at home (okay, maybe sometimes) but NOTHING compares to gelato. Gelato, much more caloric and creamy than any ordinary ice cream really hits my sweet spot. Every time I go to a gelateria I try to get a new flavor-as of now my favorite flavors are nutellatta and caffe.TOGETHER.

Some people say they gain the freshmen 15. I think gelato is contributing to my Study Abroad 50.

Pisa and Lucca

2008-02-18T10:53:00.001-08:00

This past weekend some friends and I went to the local towns of Pisa and Lucca for an easy day trip. We wanted to stay fairly local so that we could continue to stay around Florence and familiarize ourselves with the city. We took Tren Italia to Pisa (about an hour away, depending on the number of stops) and found ourselves at the world-renowned leaning tower. Pisa is a small town with not much to do except visit La Piazza del Duomo. I took a couple pictures in front of the tower and then climbed to the top. From the top there was a crystal clear view of the city. I could see all the way to the Italian Alps to the north and Florence to the south. From Pisa we jumped on another train and went to Lucca. Lucca is another small Tuscan town that is completely surrounded by a huge wall that was used as protection and safety during battles. In Lucca we enjoyed some gelato and espresso before we left for Florence.

Some friends and I also decided to do some of the touristy things in Florence before the REAL tourist season hits. First we toured the Duomo and climbed to the top to see the magnificent painting inside the dome, and then climbed some more to see the most beautiful view of Florence. After the exhausting hike up and down the stars we attended and English mass in the chapel. It was a really great experience. The next day we went to the Museo de Accademia to see Michelangelo’s, David. It was truly a sight to see; much larger than I had ever imagined. Believe it or not we saw Hillary Swank in the back corner of the museum getting a history lesson for a tour guide (I’m guessing she was researching for a movie), but it was fun to see.

So far so good, and I haven’t even finished my second week here. This weekend I am going with 8 other friends to Rome. We are staying in the 5th nicest hostel in the world called The Yellow. I’m really excited to finally see the Vatican City and the Spanish steps. I’ll let you know how it goes!

The BEST Deal in Town

2008-02-12T08:15:00.001-08:00

As you might know, things can get quite expensive when comverting from American dollars to Euros. Right now the conversion is about 1.57 euro for 1 US dollar. Now that I am finally familiar with Florence and have ventured beyond all the tourist traps, I have finally found some great deals. Here in Italy there is a meal that comes before dinner called APPERITIVO. This is basically like an appetizer hour before dinner. I found out that many of the local bars and clubs will have a table or full bar of italian appetizers during this time. I found a bar called Moyo that, if you buy a drink (7 euro or more) you get ALL YOU CAN EAT apperitivio until 10pm. Basically you get a drink and FREE DINNER for 7 euro. And I'm not talking about stale meatballs and cold shrimp cocktails. The apperitivio is basically a big buffet with pasta, chicken, breads with dipping, salads, vegetables, and other classic italian dishes. MOLTO BENE!

BY FAR one of my best finds yet!

PICTUREsque

2008-02-07T09:58:00.001-08:00

Come se dice...?

2008-02-05T04:44:00.000-08:00

Today is the second day of class and the harsh reality of the semester actually starting has arrived. Today I had my first italian class (Intermediate 1) and it was, well, interesting. I have taken two semesters of Italian before, but it has been a year since I started. The class today was a bit overwhelming, but I'm really excited to start picking up the language again and start conversation with locals. There are a lot of english speakers in Florence, but it would be nice to be able to order a paninni or gelatto in Italian.

caio!

Venice and Carnivale

2008-02-04T08:52:00.000-08:00

This past weekend could have, quite possibly, been the best weekend of my life. Four friends and I took an incredibly spontaneous trip to Venice this weekend to experience the last days of Carnivale. Carnevale is essentially a Mardi Gras celebration that attracts thousands of people from all over the world to eat, drink, drink some more, and celebrate Fat Tuesday.

After purchasing fairly cheap tickets on the train (including one ‘standing’ seat on the return trip), we still had no idea of where we were going to stay because all the hotels, hostels, and budget hotels had been booked as of AT LEAST a year ago. Our options were to either get lucky by finding a cancellation spot, or staying up all night. Either way was fine. Anxiety built up during our three-hour train ride as we began to realize that staying up for over 48 hours in the heart of Venice while it was raining probably wasn’t the best idea. Right when got off the train we took a boat taxi to the center of Venice--St. Mark’s Square to find a hotel. We were immediately bombarded by hundreds of elaborately dressed tourists and found our way to a hotel that was able to accommodate our group in a two story penthouse sweet for half the price! We definitely got lucked out. After going to all the tourist hot-spots around the area we took some time in the afternoon to sit down for a couple bottles of wine. And by a couple, i mean more than 3 or 4 (sorry mom and dad). We then went to the middle of the square and watched huge spectacle performances and live bands performed while joining in on congo-lines and crazy dance moves. Because the nightlife starts so late and it was only 9:00, we were determined to keep going. We went home and took a nap, then returned to Jardini. Jardini. was a huge warehouse that the city renovated for the weekend and turned into a huge club of over 40 rooms. Each room had its own theme, DJ, and live performing band. It was so much fun to see the locals (of all ages 16-75) have so much fun.

We got up early the next morning and took a private boat to the island of Murano to see the glass factories on the island. We were able to watch a demonstration of how glass is blown and then view a glass museum.

Overall I had a really great time in Venice. No gondola due to the weather, but definitely worth while.

Piazza Scarlatti

2008-02-01T03:01:00.000-08:00

Check out my new PAD, yo.

The view From my living room; the Arno River

My side of the room (no, I did not get an option with the floral sheets)

The cucina

I should probably learn to start using this...

Cramped. But it works

A Thing Called JETLAG

2008-01-31T08:06:00.000-08:00

It is 4:05 am and I am currently looking over the River Arno through the window of my apartment trying to take in all that is around me. After a hectic traveling period full of flight delays, switched terminals, and near taxicab collisions—I’m finally here. And I can’t believe it.

Florence is truly a beautiful city. While initially driving into the city, I was actually quite surprised at how rundown the city appeared to be similar to downtown LA or even Mexico. As my cab driver was speeding through tight side streets and roundabouts, the historic city of Florence that I had always imaged began to appear. Exclusive boutiques and fragrant restaurants are located at the bottom of buildings that seem to have been around for hundreds of years. I was dropped off at the Lorenzo De Medici main office and was overwhelmed by lots of luggage and other confused international students. It was all a bit overwhelming at this point, seeing as I had to keep track of my luggage with passport in had while trying to thank my cab driver in Italian, but I knew it would be an experience worth while . After checking in I took another cab to my apartment where I would be staying for the duration of my trip. My apartment is located in a very historic part of town directly on the River Arno one bridge down from the Ponte Vecchio. I think I got lucky with this one. The apartment is located right above one of the most famous restaurants in all of Florence and has a great view of the top of the Duomo and other famous sites. The apartment consists of three rooms (fairly descent sizes) that I share with 5 other roommates from all around the US. We have our own kitchen, two bathrooms, and living area. The apartment is less than 10 minutes walking distance from the school, and is centrally located to all major sites in Florence.

Now that I am finally here I have the anticipation of going out and seeing everything. I have this week free to go explore the city and then get oriented until school starts at the beginning of next week. As of now I will be taking an Intermediate Italian language course, Italian Philosophy, Business Marketing, Psychology, and an oil painting lab. I’m excited to get familiarized with the city, start back up on my Italian (because it been more than a year since my last Italian class) and start traveling and absorbing the culture.

It’s only the first day, and I’m already having a blast! I just need to get over this jetlag…

United Airlines Flight 0924

2008-01-28T23:29:00.001-08:00

In approximately 7 hours I will officially be on my way.

With a couple layovers in between (Chicago and Frankfurt) I will be en-route to Florence to finally live this whole 'study abroad experience' that I have been dreaming of for the past six months. People keep asking me if I'm nervous or excited...and its a combination of both, but so much more than just those feelings. Its overwhelming knowing that for the next five months I will be thousands of miles away from everyone and everything I am so familiar with. This scares me. The fact that I will be completely immersed in a new culture really excites me. I'm ready for the challenge, and can't wait for this new chapter of my life to begin.

This past week I met up with some of the students that went to Florence last semester and they all said it was "life changing". The thought of an experience like this having the impact to change my life is a bit overwhelming--in a good way. Change is sometimes hard to accept, but this is a change I can't wait to experience.

Have to go finish packing! wish me luck!

(oh yeah, trying to fit MY LIFE in two suitcases and one carry-on is quite the challenge. any tips?)

One Week

2008-01-23T14:05:00.000-08:00

I officially have one more week here in the United States. At this point I'm really excited about leaving for Florence. This past month has been a rollercoaster of emotions-- from sad days I wish I wasn't leaving, to days full of excitement. I have a lot of last minute things to do before I leave, but I can't wait to finally get there.

I got my living arrangements last week and will be living in a flat with 5 other guys (2 per room) on the river that flows through central Florence. I tried finding my apartment on Google Earth, but the Italian addresses aren't like the US, so they are much harder to find. Hopefully everything will work out with short walking distance to school and my other friends around the city. There is no dorm at the school (Lorenzo de Medici) that I am attending, rather, there are apartments scattered around the central part of the city. The city is very small and close in proximity, so it only takes a few minutes by foot to get from one part of town to another.

7 DAYS!

Admissions Update

2008-01-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

This interterm I decided to stay in Orange and work in the Admissions Office before I leave on January 29th for Florence. I am taking this time to catch up with friends before I leave and make some extra cash (if i dont spend it first) to spend while I'm abroad.

The admissions office has been CRAZY lately. The deadline for regular admission for Fall '08 was this past Tuesday, January 15th and we've had buckets and buckets of mail ever since. We have been stuffing lots of acceptance packets that started going out on the 15th, and will be rolling (meaning sending out more letters as decisions are made) from then on. Many students have been asking about late transcripts, teacher reccommendations, and other odd application parts. Just so you know, as long as you have the main portion of you application postmarked by the January 15th deadline you will be considered for admission. We understand that sometime these additional application parts get lost, misplaced, or are forgotten by teachers so we understand why they are sometimes late. Unfortunately we are unable to start reviewing your application until ALL of the application pieces are in our office--so get them in as soon as possible. ALSO, many students have been calling in asking to see if all of their application documents have been received. It takes 2-3 weeks to process all documents (because of the influx of applications this year) so, even though your webadvisor might say you are missing a part of your application, it is most likely in our office and is in the process of being put into your profile--so no need to worry.

Please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions or comment on this blog if you have any further questions!

Climate Change

2008-01-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

I've lived in southern california all of my life. Sunny skies and warm weather ALL YEAR ROUND. A little bland? yes, but definately one of the great things about living in California.

Today the weather in Florence is currently 50 degrees and rainy...and it doesnt look like its going to change anytime soon. I've heard that there are more seasons in Florence, which I'm looking forward to, but its going to be a tough transition.

13 MORE DAYS!

THE plan

2008-01-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

I've been spending a lot of my down time duing interterm perfecting my travel plans during and after my study abroad semester. The semester starts on January 29th and ends May 17th (about the same length as the semester here at Chapman). I will be attending Lorenzo de Medici University in the heart of Florence. During the semester I plan on traveling inside of Italy as much as I can and plan on traveling outside of the Italy once my program is over. After the school semester, I will be sending all of my luggage home and backpack for five weeks with two of my close friends from Chapman. We are starting off with a contiki cruise through the Greek islands then off to Turkey, Hungary, Czech Republic, Croatia, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Spain, and France. There are a lot of plane tickets, euro rail passes, hostels and train passes that need to be ordered, but its definately in the works!

Travel while you're young...right?

Interterm

2008-01-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

It is currently interterm here at Chapman. Interterm is, in essence, a winter session or condensed teaching period during the month of January. During this time students take classes that they might not want to take over the course of an entire semester or have the opportunity to go abroad through different travel classes. (For example, I have a friend in London with the London Theatre Tour. ) Some students also stay home during this time to work or have extended winter breaks. My freshman year I went on the University Choir Recruitment Tour, last year I had an internship with Rogers and Cowan in Los Angeles, and THIS is my first interterm here at Chapman.

Interterm is much more laid back than during the semester. There aren't as many people around, and there is a lot more down time. This interterm I spend my time working in the Admissions Office and catching up with my friends before I leave for Florence. My week consists of lots of dinner-dates and coffee trips. Cherry on Top is also a popular destination. (one of the most popular frozen yogurt stores around the area). I've also been planning side trips while I'm in Florence, and some other travels after my Study Abroad program is finished.

21 MORE DAYS.

A Croatian Christmas

2008-01-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

This past winter break (it is now interterm) I went with my family to my mom's 'homeland', Croatia. I have heard stories about how my mom came over to America from (former) Yugoslavia when she was 9 years old...on a freight boat...blah blah blah. ANYWAYS. After years of stories of her youth, we finally took a family vacation to Croatia to see the sites and meet up with some extended family.

Croatia is located on the Adriatic Coast also called the Dalmatian Coast, across from the Italian 'boot'. It is a series of small and large costal towns that caputre the essence of the european lifestyle. Every meal we had was at least six courses and took up to four hours each--much different from the fast food and 30 minute meals here in the states. All the locals were very warm and welcoming and had a layed-back approach to living.

Ever since 1991, when Croatia finished the war against the Serbians, Croatia has been crowned the 'Jewel of the Adriatic' and has become a huge tourist spot. The crystal clear water is seen as the brightest blue from the moon, and world renowned beaches and wildlife. My family and I went to six different cities in Croatia some with clear. sunny skies on the beach, to the inland captial, Zagreb, at a chilly -10 degrees. Overall it was truly a great experience, and I cant wait to go back this summer!

Split, Croatia.

Dubrovnic, Croatia with the family.

Zagreb, Croatia.

Current Exchange Rates

2008-01-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

Its time to start saving up.

1.47 US Dollar= 1 Euro
1.97 US Dollar= 1 United Kingdom Pound

'Mind the Gap'

2007-12-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

Cheers!

This past summer I interned in London, England through the Career Development Center at the university. I went through an extensive interview process to be accepted into the program, and interviewed with a representative from the EUSA Internship Program to place me in a fitting internship. I was placed with Public Eye Communications, an entertainment Public Relations Firm in central London. Public Eye represented the top leading British personalities (including Sienna Miller, Ewan Mcgregor, Sir Ian McKellan, and other leading actors in movies like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Carribbean, and many others). The company also had a theatre division (shows like Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, Cats, among others), restaurant and club division (Envy, Boujis), fashion division (Diesel, Louis Vuitton, Burberry), and product placement divisions (Moet, Land Rover). I was able to meet a lot of high profile clients and got to attend a number of movie premiers, club openings, fashion shows, opening nights of mainstage productions, and photoshoots. Throughout the 3 months of living in London I was not only able to have an educational hands-on experience of Public Relations, but I also gained a great appreciation of intercultural communications and what its like to work in another country. I made a lot of English friends and got to experience everyday life as a 'London-er'.

This internship in london was the perfect stepping stone for me and my (soon to be) study abroad experiences. Because the English speak (almost) the same lanuage, it was a challenge to adapt with their culture but not too overwhelming of a task. So now...off to Florence!

Throughout my summer I took a series of different trips around and outside of England. Here are some of them!

A weekend in Paris with some friends from Chapman!

In front of the Buckingham Palace.

Trafalgar Square, London.

At the top of the London Eye, overlooking Parliament.

A Little Bit About Me

2007-12-03T10:11:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! My name is Niko Turko, currently a junior Public Relations/Advertising major with a Communications minor here at Chapman University. Throughout the past semester I have been planning and finalizing my plans for study abroad. In exactly 62 days I will be traveling to Florence, Italy to further my studies. After having taken two semesters of Italian here at Chapman, I am excited to completely immerse myself in the Italian culture and learn from this international opportunity. Now that I have my student visa and have completed all of my pre-departure forms, I am ready to go.

Throughout this student blog, I will be keeping up-to-date entries about my travels. From weekend trips to the daily difficulties of living abroad I will be keeping a detailed summary of my experience. Enjoy!