For my YearAbroad starting July 2013.



July 2013 : Paris

September 2013 - March 2014 : Ferrara, Italy

March 2014 - September 2014 : Modena, Italy

30/10/2013

Ravenna.

This is number two out of the places I have visited so far...

We asked around before deciding and lots of people had said that Ravenna was a nice pretty town, similar to Ferrara. As the trains were easy and quick, we thought why not?! Also, this is where Dante is buried so we could get extra cultural points and a good conversation starter for our favorite Italian lecturers back in Exeter. Luciano will be proud :)

We arrived at lunchtime, and so naturally followed our noses to the nearest restaurant which happened to be in the main square. We sat down at a very busy restaurant and again, naturally, waited a good 30 minutes before being asked what we wanted (efficiency at restaurants is not a strong point here although the waiters are generally lovely so you never have the heart to say anything. Couldn't possibly complain of course, we're British) After a lovely plate of pasta and deciding that we wouldn't eat for the next week and the diet would start tomorrow, but we turned the corner to find a gelateria...
would have been rude not to... and WHAT a good decision that was. I'm not kidding it was the best ice cream I have ever eaten. and I have eaten a fair amount in my time, so big claim!

This is the website: Papilla Gelateria

We were definitely full by then as so decided to take a little stroll to find out what there was to visit/see. Ravenna is very cute and there are various monuments/museums but everything cost money and being the stingy students that we are, we decided to just have a look from the outside. We then went to find Dantes tomb which is free!! Yay! We then went to the 'Mosaic museum' where the have a nice terrace/garden but to be honest there wasn't much of a panoramic view! Also, make sure you find the Duomo as its a really beautiful building!


We decided that we really liked Ravenna. It has a really nice feel to it, and definitely felt similar to Ferrara! A great place to visit for the day, but don't be stingy like us! I would pay to have a look around everything, I know I will next time...


Dante's Grave

Mosaic Museum Terrace


Duomo





29/10/2013

Broccoli and Leek Omelette.

I have decided to start writing down and sharing some of the things I cook here in Italy. I am trying to eat a low gluten diet. In Italy. (Yes I do know how crazy that sounds)... Obviously there will be cheat days/moments but I'm only human and obviously find it impossible to resist the fresh smell of a melted cheese smothered pizza... mmmm


So first one on the list is this great quick, YUMMY omelette recipe:

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 leek
A handful of broccoli florets
30g (a handful) of Feta
2 slices of ham roughly torn into pieces
Salt and Pepper
Pinch of parmesan

-Fry the leek and broccoli in a pan in olive oil over a medium heat until golden and tender.
-In a separate bowl whisk eggs with salt, pepper and Parmesan to season.
-Add feta to the broccoli and leeks in the frying pan.
-Immediately pour the egg mixture over the feta/broccoli/leeks
-Add ham pieces to pan
-Wait 3 mins then fold in half in pan.
-Wait further 3 mins
-Serve.

Buon Appetito!

27/10/2013

Bologna.

I haven't written on this blog for well over a month now. Oooops!
But I like to think of this as a good sign as it means that I have just been far too busy doing fun things to write any of it down. But maybe I should start...

So I have fallen into a kind of routine here in Ferrara. A normal day during the week would consist of: run, lessons, lunch, lessons, coffee/pastry, dinner, bar/piazza. Not bad hey?! But all this can obviously be done anywhere (although the setting/scenery wouldn't be quite the same) so I have vowed, along with my pals, to try and visit as many places as we can each weekend.

So far we have been somewhere different every weekend and its been amazing!

 I am going to do a post on each place I have visited. I'll try to give a good idea of what to do/ what not to do after my experience in each place and show you some pretty pictures along the way :)



So first of all we went  to Bologna. That city that everyone in Britain would associate with spaghetti Bolognese, which I didn't even eat there *shock horror* and which isn't even technically what its called. I'm really not sure why we Brits don't just call it Ragu like they do here. It's not like its harder to pronounce...

Anywayyyy, Bologna is only 30 mins from Ferrara, so a 3€ train ride later, we arrived only to be greeted by fog, rain and a McDonalds outside the station. Good start.

Butttt after a walk to the shopping street, a scarf/hat purchase and a Piadina lunch stop, (amazing Italian flatbread sandwiches) we met up with our friends from back in Exeter.  Our B&B was great and the woman who owned it was lovely and because we had taken it over, it felt like we were having a big girlie sleepover at her house! (Although a word of warning, it looks NOTHING like the advertised pictures.)

After a quick change, we went for dinner at this amazing Pizzaria near our hostel with huuuuge pizzas for a bargain (share one though!) and creamy, delicious risotto.
Then it was off out to a 'pub' bar and club in the centre called Kinky's. Enough said about that the better haha.
Jus' Chillin'
Main Piazza


The next day we decided that we should probably
do something touristy and see some of what Bologna has to offer. We started off with a wonder around the main piazza and the smart shopping area behind the duomo. Then, advised by Katie (a friend from Exeter who had already been to Bologna) we went to the Museo Civico
Archeologico which is lovely and they have an Egyptian exhibition with actual mummies and enough skeletons/Roman pottery to shake a stick at!!

After that we had a look around the duomo which was nice and duomo-y. As it was a sunday though, a lot of things were closed and it was very quiet!

Museo
We didnt go up the towers which is a popular attraction because, this may sound strange, but it's Italian superstition that if you go up before you graduate, you will fail your degree.

not taking any chances thankyouverymuch...

That was actually all we found we had time for as without a map we had spent a lot of time deciding what to do and not a lot of time doing.  But I think a part of us, after the night out, was in a hurry to get back to Ferrara, get into bed and warm up/sleep. :/








All in all it was a lovely trip and it was great to meet up with the other Exeter girls. However, I have to say that although parts are gorgeous, in the rain Bologna has probably been my least favourite city. I think we also learnt that it's good to do some research about where to visit and how much things cost as sometimes the places you think would be free, very much aren't.

I guess I'll just have to go back in the summer and change my mind...

 Oh what a pity!!!

 E-numbers? Go on then...
Cutest dog EVER!
Duomo