Happy 2011!

I haven't posted in a while, and lots of great things have happened. First off, my Christmas trip to Italy with my mom and sister was amazing. Once we all actually got to Italy, that is. First, the Great European Snowpocolypse of 2010 prevented my family from getting to Edinburgh, and they instead spent a night in France and headed to Italy early where they crossed their fingers and hoped I would make it to them. Luckily my flight to Florence connected through Gatwick and not Healthrow, thus I got to Italy with only minor delays. Florence was lovely (and kind of warm!) and we had fun roaming around, checking out the different museums, and taking in the Italian lifestyle. The highlight of Florence, and the whole trip, was our cooking class where we first shopped for all the ingredients in a local market and then learned how to prepare bruschetta, chicken meatballs, home-made pasta with a light tomato sauce, and tiramisu. Cooking and eating are two of Carly and my favorite things, so we had a blast!

After a few days we hopped on train and headed north to a very different Italian city, Venice! As I'm sure you know, the city consists of little ally-ways and squares connected by bridges with large canals separating different areas making it necessary to board a boat to get almost anywhere. To be honest, the city is kind of reminiscent of what would happen if a corn maze met a flash flood. Well, that but a lot more aesthetically pleasing! Although at this point in our trip we all had some version of a cold/flu, we took on Venice by foot and by boat and had fun exploring the beautiful city and of course eating delicious food. From St. Marco's Square to the first Jewish ghetto in Europe, there was a lot to see and we saw a lot of it. Next it was back on the train and we ventured west through the Northern Italian countryside to Verona. We ate dinner next to the famous Arena and visited Juliette's house and enjoyed being in a smaller city that seemed like less of a tourist spot. The last day my mom and sister left early in the morning and I lounged around the hotel until heading to the airport myself. I made it back safe and sound to Edinburgh with some nice little trinkets I picked up along the way, including a real leather wallet from Florence that is already being put to good use!

I got back to Edinburgh, nursed my cold for a few days, and then it was time for the three day New Years Eve "Hogmanay" celebration in the streets of Edinburgh! On the 30th, a group of friends and I took part in a torch light procession that marched from the Royal Mile to the top of Calton Hill where they burned a huge Viking ship and set off a bunch of fireworks! It was a great night; it was a fun event and it was really nice to see everyone again after people had been away/home for Christmas. New Years Eve was also a blast - picture the main street in a city completely blocked off to serve as the venue for a huge outdoor street party with different vendors and huge stages for free shows. There was also a big ticketed concert in the Gardens that could be heard and viewed on screens around the party. The midnight fireworks were great, rising from behind the Castle and illuminating the city! After the party my friends all went back to a friend's flat where we all enjoyed a few celebratory beverages and laughed long into the night. A great way to ring in the new year abroad!

Hope everyone had a great NYE and is having a grand start to the year as well! I am currently finishing up my term papers (yes, still) and cannot wait to turn them in on the 10th. My father flies into Edinburgh on the 12th and then we are off to Amsterdam the 15th-17th. Traveling never ends, and I am loving it!