A much-needed vacation

Things that are new in my life:

• I got my nails painted for the first time by an Italian manicurist. It may have involved safeguarding my hands with a funky aerosol-spray. Italians, you are bizarre.

• The family hamster Alvin is now a suicide jumper, spending his spare time (usually consumed by spinning in his wheel, eating rotten apples, hiding from Angiolina the cat) plummeting from the highest part of his cage. The poor kid is miserable.

• We bought Adair a new bicycle for her 21st birthday (her old one was not exactly mobile) and she reacted with shrieks and smiles as every good 5-year-old should.

• On my walk home from school, I was passed by a parade of black, cars with flags and tinted windows, enveloped in a sea of police motorcycles. Berlusconi, Italy’s 74 year old, womanizing, prime minister has arrived in Florence. Mom, don’t worry.  He kept on driving and didn’t even offer me a ride. Guess my tousled hair and American flip flops don’t quite scream political prostitute.

• I attended a seminar on gelato-making and am now making preparations for my Stateside gelato franchise. Anyone interested in investing in my future (in the form of a 15,000 Euro gelato-machine) can make checks payable to yours truly.

I know that after reading this blog over the past few months, you’re all extremely concerned about my well-being.  It’s clear that I am overworked--Some might even say that I’m stressed beyond belief. 

Don’t worry though... this past weekend, Anna, Lauren, and I took a much-needed vay-kay from the trauma-filled lives that we lead in Florence. 

On Thursday, we boarded a ship destined for Split, Croatia.  After stamping our passports, we realized that we were the only passengers onboard under the age of 65.  Hello, elderly cruise ship.  Commence, geriatric adventure!  

Sure we got stares...  

Sure we felt out of place... 

Sure we closed down the ship’s restaurant when we paid the bill at 9:15. However, at this point, the elderly crowd should be used to us.  We’re certainly used to them. Take a quick peek at the Italian kids studying Modern History with us at the University of Florence...

Someone got dressed-up for class!

   

Just your average undergrads

Anyhow, come Friday morning, we awoke on the other side of the Adriatic!  I’ve said it before, and I can’t guarantee that I won’t say it again: Croatia was one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen.

You’ve probably never thought of Croatia in that light.  When I told my brother I was going there he cringed and asked why.  Why? Maybe because this is what Croatia looks like! 

A view of Split from the ship

Old town, Split

The beach where we spent our last day

From this point on, you’re going to think that I’m writing an article for a travel magazine, encouraging tourists to visit Croatia.  It’s going to sound ridiculous. Repetitive. Fabricated. Too good to be true. 

But I’m not going to stop.

Soooo accept this as my pre-apology. 

It’s actually impossible to do Croatia justice in words and photos alone... I’ll try my best, but let’s be clear-- my friends and I spent the weekend swimming in the clearest of emerald green waters and sleeping within Diocletian’s palace. My life is not real.

Sometimes people tie their dogs to poles when they
run into the grocery store...?

Friday was a day for sun, sand, and trashy beach novels.  (I could also try to sell you the Kindle, while advertising for the country of Croatia, because in case you are unaware, I’m ob.zessed. with my kindle.)  Anyhow, the only thing missing from our beach day was a cabana boy to serve us our strawberry daq’s at the ring of a bell. Just kidding. That would be overboard. Wait, would it be though? The day was perfect... though it did result in some awkward, below-bathing-suit burns and tomato-colored-faces.

On Saturday, we opted for a bit of adventure! Alongside Ivan (our Croatian tour guide) and Martin (a middle-aged Polish cook) we took on Croatia’s finest, white-water rapids! 

Is Lauren looking a little cozy with Martin, or is that just me?

"We just climbed through a cave!"

After reading about how FINE my study-abroad-bod looks after a happy 8-month-long relationship with Italian food, you can only imagine how well a full-body wetsuit and I meshed. Use your imagination... Yup. That well. Throw in some helmets (we christened ourselves “Eggheads”) and Crocs (Oh dear God, I thought I would never see the day) and we were ready for the river!  At one point, we jumped beneath a waterfall, swam through a frigid pond, and climbed through the stalactites of the cave. I do not joke. Also, why in the world has the word “stalacite” appeared twice in the span of this blog? Not real life.

Yeah. That's a real, live scream. 

After resting our burnt skin for a day beneath the aforementioned rafting-gear, we reapplied our sunblock (60+ baby lotion, Aunt Linda!) and hit the beach yet again.  This time, we explored the other side of Split, thanks to Anna’s champion map-reading-skills, and arrived at a beautiful rock beach: sparse in sun-tanners, plentiful in sun. 

It's a green screen background.

Speedo alert.

Our weather was unbelievable... Not once did I need a sweater. (And hey, that’s saying a lot.)  Fortunately, this week, Florence is fighting back with its own sunshine.  Things that I love? Sunny springtime Florence.  Things that I cannot believe? My bellissima vita italiana ends in less than one month.  

I returned from Croatia Monday afternoon and tomorrow, bright and early, the Florence Crew and I are road-trippin’ down the Amalfi Coast.

Hopefully the sun is finding you too, wherever you may be!