american.

What's the most perfect way to act festive & American on the eve of July 4th? 

Hike up to 11,000 feet to: 

AMERICAN LAKE

Well... I guess scarfing down ice cream afterward is pretty American too... 

which we did...

Anyway, today we got ready for the parallel universe to Cathedral Lake, which we did last week.  American Lake runs along the opposite valley as Cathedral & is completely beautiful in a different way.  The trail began with about a billion rather steep switchbacks through fields of the whitest aspen trees, quivering in the wind, & wild flowers growing up in the pockets of sunlight between the trees.   

My aunt calls it Oz, but I call it Home. 

      

The steep switchbacks eventually gave way to a pine forest that smelled like Christmas (the best holiday... I can say that because I am Jew-"ISH," emphasis on the -ish).  Nature smells so good in Colorado.  It might not smell that good on me after a 5 hour hike, but it sure does smell better than the Floridian nature... if you can call it nature.  Another great aspect of the Colorado nature is how much pride people take in it.  Wilderness & National parks are used everyday & people are outside staying fit everywhere.  Like I said the other day, hiking Aspen Mountain is a morning exercise for the locals.  The Floridian morning exercise is just walking outside & sweating.  Somehow all that fresh mountain air & lack of humidity truly make a difference.  You just want to be outside here; respecting & taking advantage of nature at its finest.

Allora, the pine forest curled up higher into the alpine, where a giant scree field emerged overlooking the entire valley.  Pine trees as far as the eye can see spread into the other mountains & right up to American Lake.  American Lake is a beautiful crystal turquoise clear body of water that reaches out to the base of a mountain face.

Although Cathedral also ended at a beautiful mountain lake, American Lake was just mesmerizing.  The wind danced over the water, the sky hovered protectively around its mountains, & the trees raced up their rocky faces.  There was a totally different ambiance at American Lake.  Is it because the 4th of July is tomorrow & I'm just feeling patriotic?  Or is it because I just love America so much?  Or... I will never know, it was just perfect.

After the trek back down, the sun receded behind the clouds & it provided a perfect cool down.  We were all pretty exhausted, so we resorted to ice cream.  We have 0 shame... we hiked this morning & we our proud of it.  Plus, we were celebrating our American roots!

Have a great evening everyone!  And Happy 4th of July Eve!  Ciao!

colorado colors.

Colorado literally comes from the Spanish word meaning, "colored red."  The name is basically derived from the deep red sandstone that cakes the mountains during the summer time.  However, when I think of Colorado, I see so many other beautiful & bright colors that play a major part in what makes everything so perfect.

Such as the color WHITE in the winter...

Or the color YELLOW in the valleys...

 
Or the color BLUE in the sky...

Or the color GREEN in the trees...

 Or the color PURPLE in the flowers...

And, of course, the colors ORANGE & BLUE everywhere for both the Broncos & my Gators...

I am a Gator Girl

Colorado is the land of colors.  Not only does red appear in the sandstone on the mountains, but in the Indian's paintbrush on the hillsides, the Aspen leaves in autumn, & in my heart all year long!

"Home is where the heart is, & my heart is in Colorado."    

one word: chiaroscuro.

GIORNO DICISETTE

My hazelnut cappuccino from this morning!

It's important to start the day off right... that is why I started mine off with a hazelnut cappuccino and a turnover from my favorite caffe, CHIAROSCURO, which literally means "light dark."  I don't know the significance behind the name, but I find that interesting... it is a symbol for the ways you can take you coffee?  Either light or dark?  If it had been the other way I would have thought you go from dark to light from drinking coffee... but I don't know.  AP English really making me look too far into this one I suppose.  There was even a heart in my cup this morning when it was given to me.  I think that's a good omen for the day, right?  I will tell you... it was a delicious to eat as it is to look at!

After cafe and gossip time with the girls we headed to class where I did my thing, speaking in Italian.  We learned about how to give directions, specifically in the imperative or demand form.  Once I can start demanding things and telling people what to do, Italian life will get pretty easy.  I packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and ate it as Carrie and I walked to wine class today.  It wasn't as difficult to keep my eyes open today, and the class at least went by more quickly... but I was worse at the blind wine tastings.  Sometimes I just can't tell what region a wine is from.  The white wines are easier to configure because the lighter the shade of yellow, the more likely the wine comes from the north.  There is no telling with a red wine... you just have to tell by the taste.  It is so hard!  Sometime next week we have a quiz too... I will actually be studying this weekend (happy mom?).

After class, Carrie and I stopped by the Florence for Fun office so she could book her trip to the Almafi Coast as well!  It is going to be so amazing!  I am excited because this weekend is going to be so fun and different!  Tomorrow, Christina and I are heading to the Uffizi Museum, Saturday we are going to Chianti for horseback riding and wine tasting, and then Sunday we are going to CINQUE TERRE!  I almost also strongly thinking about visiting Bologna on Monday and eat at the Nutelleria.  It just sounds like a good idea!  All I can say is that I am glad it is weekend time because this weekend is going to AMAZING!


One of the things I remember most (most meaning I barely remember anything so this is pretty amazing) about my trip with my parents to Italy in 1999, were the sunflower fields all throughout the countryside of Toscana.  They were so beautiful, as you can see from the pictures!  Since it has been unusually cold here in Italy, the sunflowers have yet to bloom... I hope that sometime before the end of my six weeks here that I can see the sunflowers!

Anyway, after that, Carrie, Emily, and I mulled over where we would go for dinner tonight and settled on Kome, which is a sushi place.  Unfortunately, when we got there it was closed until seven (a lot of the restaurants and stores here go on a sort of "siesta," where they close between three and seven), so we decided to go to this other place around the corner, called Buio.  Of course it was apertivo, which is always a good idea.  Carrie and I both ordered Bellinis, which luckily weren't half bad.  (At least they weren't as expensive as the ones Christina, Tarah, and Savannah bought in Venice... sixteen euro, uh no.)  The apertivo had interesting items, including this delicious salad.  You don't realize how much you crave greens and salad until they are piled high in front you looking all delicious.  Salad buffet... yes?

What is better than drinking bellinis and enjoying a wonderful Italian evening outside a restaurant?  Bubbles in Piazza Santa Croce the size of a small bambino (baby)!  Seriously... these bubbles were so large.  I felt like a little kid chasing them because it was just me and a little four-year-old boy chasing them through the piazza.  It was so fun though!  It was a cold but great night here in Firenze!

Besides the exciting day trips we have planned for today, Tarah and Savannah's parents and sister are here in Florence for the long weekend and will be hanging out with us during all our adventures!  Danielle went to Switzerland to visit some friends... jealous of her!! Bring me back some chocolate and I will love you forever? If you are reading this, have fun in Switzerland, make good choices, and don't do anything I wouldn't do!
              
In the words of Ellen Degeneres, "Be kind to one another."
Ciao-Ciao!