It's been a while....

So it has been quite some time since I have posted anything.  Things here have been CRAZY!  I am teaching full time (finally) and then I have this dreaded Teacher Work Sample to do, which thus far is 37 pages.  I have not even started my portfolio which is due the end of April.  So, in between planning, typing and trying to see Europe as well, there hasn't been much time.  Since I last posted I have been to Venice (Carnevale), Austria, Nove( cermanics place), tons of restaurants, the biggest cave in the world in Trieste, a castle and who knows where else.  I know I am missing some places but I can't think. 

So, I have been a busy girl! School has been quite time consuming, so that is where most of my time goes.  

During Carnevale, I did get a chance to go!  It was SOO Much fun!  We took the train in to 

The biggest cave in the world that I went to was a ton of fun! I went with the Outdoor Rec. group.  It was 500 steps down into the cave and 500 steps back up and out of the cave.  It was in no way as cool as the ones I saw in VA, but it was just HUGE!  Then we went to a castle.  The castle was right on the ocean and it was beautiful!  This guy built it for his daughter and then she never even went there.  Such a tragedy, these poor spoiled kids!

I'll continue this later! Gotta run for a bit...

Amazing weekend on the Mediterranean sea!!

                                    This is a road that zig zags all the way down the cliff on the   Almafi coast 

                                                  This is at Positano 
                                                        Also at Positano 
                                                              Beautiful streets.. more of Positano (which is where Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed.. fyi)

                                                            I just loved their signs.. too cute!!

                                                           Church...
                                                             This would be our tour guide.. Elio.. crazyy Italian..
                                                   Me.. obviously.. at Capri... one of the most amazing places EVER..
                                 We're at the top of Capri looking down.. boy was the drive up here scary!
                                                               Beautiful!!!!!
                                                          I just liked the tree!
                                                      Bus we took to get to the top of Capri
             My newly acquired friend, Megan and I getting the best seats in the house on the bus.. Up FRONT!
                                                         Pics from the bus ride.. yea we were that close to the edge!

                                             Funny pic... so the guy in the mirror is our bus driver and he was awesome!! He looks just like Robert Romano off of Everybody Loves Raymond!!!!! Awesome guy!!
                                                            Bottom of Capri, which is Anacapri
                                                         The rocky Mediterrean coast... 

                                                     just off the ferry in Capri
                                                                  Naples!
                                                             You know me... I love takin' pics of myself! lol
                                                     "Pistachios.. Pistachios... Cashews.. "
                                                            Castle behind the port of Naples
                                                    Bus that brought us from Aviano to Naples

Pics.. GALORE!!!!

          Little over board with the garland.. or whatever that is.. I thought it was cool though!
                                         The Italian MACHO man!!!!!! OHHH YEA!!
                                      Don, look at that.. why isn't our wood stacked like that??? :) 
                                           Loved the view.. 
                                                            AWESOME BOATS!!!!
                                                       Awesome tree!!!
                                            Too MUCH FUN!!!
                                          Dirrty Elephant Ride!!!!  
                           Look at that CRRRAAZZYYY GIRL!!!
                                             HAAHAAHHAA... what can I say????

Breathe it! Live it! Love it!

                                                       Walkin'  the plank.....
                                                                Scaredy Cat!!!!!
                                                  We couldn't pass up a romantical moment!! lol
                                                             I'm gonna do it!!!!!!!!
                                                  
                                                 Yes... we're laying on the random ground!!!

                                                    Awesome DOME!!!!

                                              Crystal was obsessed with the manger scene!!!
                                                           The water is TURQUOISE!!!!  
                                                                         AMAZING!!
                                                    Small town... and a windshield wiper.. haha
                                              Crystal and I...  we're on top of the WORLD!!!
                                              I do believe I can see all the way back home!!!
                                                Wouldn't want to be under that THING!!
                                    That's more snow than SC has seen in all my years of living!!
                                                          

                                                          Another Amazing dessert!!!!
So.. what I have been doing??? That is a great question that is been plaguing the minds of ones for years upon years... Anywho.. I've been meeting more people.. which is great!  This past weekend I went to Barcis where they have this awesome lake where the water is turquoise!!! It was amazing!  The weekend before that I went to Piancovala (I'm sure I didn't spell that right).  That place was also AmAzInG!!!  I went to the top of the mountain that I have pictures of all over the place! You could see forever and it was awesome!  Crystal and I had a great time!  Ok pictures..  

My Adventures Outside of Aviano and such....

I'm so very sorry I haven't posted in over a week now.  The internet has been down quite frequently and I've been doing a lot as well.  Last week consisted of lots of dinners and such.  There was nothing too amazing going on.  I went to the chinese place which is called Take Away and it's just like Pagoda at home but 10 times better.  I also had an American Cheeseburger from a restaurant.   The cheeseburger was awesome and when it came out it had an American Flag sticking out of it which I thought was quite comical.  The guy that owns the place commented on my coat.. you the brown black and cream colored one I wear all the time.  He said it looked like something Queen Elizabeth wears.  That turned into a 10 min. conversation about how I had the features to look ritzie and could pull it off.  The guy was American from Detroit, interesting guy but I was flattered nonetheless.  I had some of the most amazing desserts this past week as well.  OMG...Italian desserts are to die for!!!  Here is exhibit A:

                                                           A whole menu for various teas... hmm..

This menu is all chocolate.. you pick your chocolate and they turn it into hot chocolate.. really really rich!!!!!

 This what a typical coffee bar looks like...  FYI if you stand at the bar and drink your coffee or wine you it cost much less than getting a table.

The irrestible "Crazy Sundae"!!!! Oh my......... is all you can say about that!

The Weekend

The weekend was quite interesting as well.  Friday we went to a pool hall in Pordenone.  It had tons of arcade games, pool tables, and all jazz.  That was good fun!  Then we went for toast and coffee (which is the Italian Waffle house bit).  Toast is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and it is delicious!!!  The coffee is macchiato cappuccino. It's the best coffee ever!!!!!

Saturday we left early to go to Montebelluno, which we thought was near Belluno.

There were some detours and they took my advice on directions (b/c I've been here so long) and we

ended up going to Belluno which is almost in Austria! I was so hoping we would go into Austria, but

you have to have like a road tax something or other and we didn't have it. But, the scenery was AMAZING!!

We were in the huge mountains and it was just beautiful! I was so very glad we went an hour and half out of

our way! I took some pics.. of the view.. but they were as we were driving so they aren't the best.

The Weekend

So, this has been quite a fun-filled weekend although it was supposed to be more than what it was, but that's okay.  I have officially been to a movie on AFB.  They one movie a day at one time, very convienent of course!  You also have to stand up for the National anthem and this slide show thing ( I was prepared for that one). I haven't got my ID card to actually go on and off base alone because they messed up my paperwork and all that jazz, but it's okay I'm making friends so that's not such a big thing.  One of my friends I met, rented a car and I drove it to the base, which was quite an experience since I've never driven in Europe before... lol.. good times! On Saturday I went off with my teacher, who is super super super super nice!! She took me to the commissary and Bx.  I got things to make my room more homier and it is!!  I even have a plant now.. her name is Tillie!  We're a perfect match!  Ms. Welke also took me to this store just to look around and I found all sorts of home things.. I love Italian home decor!!!  It's the coolest stuff! I found a blanket that was fairly cheap and it's orange! I also got a mat to go in front of my door that matches... I was super excited about those purchases! I could have bought the whole store, I just loved everything there.  We then went to a winery, and got some wine (my teach can't live w/o her wine of course!)  Funny thing is, the guy who owns the winery is from Kentucky! lol.. who would have guessed??  Oh, the coolest thing I've done this weekend so far is the outting for sushi! When mom and Don come.. this one of the first places I'm taking them(well as of right now)! We went to the next town over to this big mall.. the mall's architecture was pretty amazing in itself but, the sushi place... that was cool.  The sushi comes out on little plates on a conveyer belt that goes past all of the tables.  You just pick what you want as it goes by. It's all you can it for like 17 euro.  It was a lot of fun. What I liked best was that you don't really know what it was cause there are no names, so you just decide if you wanna try it or not.  And there is tons and tons of food. It just goes around and around.  Boy, do you eat a TON of sushi that way.. because of course you want to try EVERYTHING!  I was super stuffed after that one!  

My teacher did take me out to what they call an agriculutral resturaunt, which everything there is organic.  It was a really good place to eat. All of the 'truckers' eat there. I guess that's like delivery guys cause I haven't seen any like 18 wheelers or anything.  I had creps with sausage and mushrooms and a rooster.  It taste like grilled chicken but it was organic!!  I was supposed to go to Venice today and so far I haven't seen my friend who was going to take me.  Maybe we can make this afternoon, hopefully... Anyways, if/when I do make out to Venice, pics will be forthcoming!