Ciao Firenze!

Il Duomo

During my first week here in Europe, I traveled to Firenze, Italia (Florence, Italy) with Aron and his parents. What an amazing first impression! Firenze is stunning. She's beautiful, she's classic, and she has lots and lots of character! The city lies along the Arno River, with Il Duomo (the Dome) cathedral as the main focal point.  Everything about the city oozes culture and sophistication. Regardless of which part of the city you visit, it's likely you'll discover some important historical building, statue, or artifact.

We were only there a total of three days, so I definitely want to go back when I have more time to really explore the city. This trip was focused mostly on getting that authentic Italian experience: i.e. the food. For Aron's mother Gigi, Firenze is like a second home, so she was the perfect tour guide, taking us to the best of the best hole-in-the-wall family-owned restaurants and beautiful terraces overlooking the sea of red rooftops for drinks. I was even surprised with Aron, whom seemed to know the city fairly well, and translated beautifully for me whenever I needed to communicate more than "grazie," or "dove," in Italian.

From Fiesole, overlooking Firenze

The market in Firenze was absolutely mouth-watering. The entire place was brimming with prosciutto, cheese, freshly-baked breads, chocolate, and basically every other delicious Italian food. Though we went to several shops, my favorite was the last we visited. The man who worked there made sure we tried a variety of his best prosciutto and cheese, and even poured us each copious amounts of complimentary wine. Mmmmm. I think it was one of my favorite experiences in Firenze.






I opted out of visiting some of the more popular tourist attractions like The David this time around since I only had three days. I figured spending time exploring the city and tasting the food would be better use of my time than waiting in lines for hours and hours. And, I'm happy with my decision. Just getting the chance to walk through a place of such huge importance to not only art, but culture, and history throughout the world was rewarding enough.










For more pictures from my trip to Florence, please visit my album "Ciao Firenze!" on Facebook.

View from the monastery in Fiesole.

The Arrival

Sali (sah-lee) Everyone!

View of Solothurn from the Weissenstein

That's how they say 'hello' in Swiss German! I arrived in this beautiful little country late Monday morning in Zürich last week. My flight took me right past the Swiss Alps, over small country-side farms, ancient looking buildings, tiny villages, and miles upon miles of lush green forests. To say that this place is beautiful is an understatement: it's breath-taking, gorgeous...just downright amazing!

Happy Cows.

The first few days were spent at Aron's house getting adjusted to the time difference. Aron showed me around his town of Solothurn which included cobble-stone streets lining the crystal-clear waters of the Aare river, little shops and cafés along its bank. It's everything one would expect of a small European village-and yes, the cows really do wear bells around their necks!

We also drove to the top of the nearby mountain, the Weissenstein, where Aron went paragliding and I relaxed in the grass, enjoying the view, the cows, and the fresh air. Later that evening, Aron and I cooked pasta from scratch for his dad Urs.

So far, I have made several observations about the Swiss culture:

° Breakfast should always include bread, cheese, and prosciutto. A side of granola and yogurt is also optional.

° Say hello to everyone: This includes of course friends and family, but don't forget the cashier at the supermarket, the concierge at the front desk of the hotel, the stranger walking by in the street, and of course anyone else in your general vicinity.

° When greeting someone, don't forget to kiss them three times, alternating cheeks.

° Lunch and dinner should always be enjoyed with a glass of wine.

° Make sure to say 'bon apetit' before every meal.

° The sun does not set until 10pm. I have been totally confused of the time of day since my arrival because of this. Not really a cultural thing at all...but noteworthy.

°Be punctual: The swiss are all about being on time...seriously. When the departure time on the train ticket says 21:00, you had better be on that train at precisely that time, no questions asked. This can be applied to all other situations as well like leaving for the grocery store, running errands, etc. There is no 'Ok, I'll be ready in a few more minutes.' There is only 'I'm ready and walking out the door right now.'

° Swiss chocolate is the best chocolate. Period.

For a look at all my pictures, see my album 'Swiss Miss' on Facebook.

Switzerland Fundraiser!

Aloha to all of my family and friends, and welcome to my new blog! 

 As many of you may already know, I am making a HUGE move to Geneva, Switzerland on May 17th of this year (that's only 3 weeks away)! This will be my main means of keeping all of my family and friends up-to-date with all my Swiss adventures!

In June, I will be starting up French courses so that I may pass the French Language Examination required to gain entrance into the University of Geneva. The University of Geneva has a reputation as being a world capital for sustainable development, and is known for its eco-consciousness and environmentally protective endeavors, which makes it an ideal place to complete my BA in Environmental Science.

I have been lucky enough to be offered a job as a live-in nanny for a wonderful Swiss family that lives just outside of the city. Unfortunately though, I won't be starting until September, so all living and educational expenses for the summer have to be obtained before my arrival, as foreigners cannot hold a "real" job. Though I have saved up quite a bit already, I'm asking for the help of my family and friends to raise just a bit more for my move and education expenses. If you want to help me out, follow the simple instructions below!

If you use PayPal, you may donate by signing into your account at paypal. Click on the "SEND MONEY" tab. You will be taken to a screen where you can enter my email address: NFRAZIER@HAWAII.EDU along with the donation amount. Be sure to select "gift" under the "personal" tab for the purpose of the transaction. 
If you do not have a PayPal account and would like to donate,  please send me an email at NFRAZIER@HAWAII.EDU In the subject line please write "Donation" and in the body of the email the amount you wish to donate plus any personal message you'd like as well. I will then send you a link via Paypal requesting the transaction. 
 

All donations will be going directly to my educational fund are greatly appreciated! I can't tell you how much it helps! Mahalo nui loa from Hawaii (for now!).