Varsity

So, from what I've gathered from my time spent in the UK thus far, there are no real college teams, but rather everything is a club and is run through the student unions. That being said, today was pretty much the equivalent of homecoming here in Cardiff. There were multiple events with varsity games going on all day against Swansea, culminating in the men's rugby match held at Millennium Stadium in the evening (which is like the stadium of Cardiff - it was passable as far as stadiums go). I actually went and it turned out to be an interesting match. Apart from the rugby, there was a streaker, a flasher, and some guys who decided to throw their beer on everyone around them. Let me just say that security was prepared for that streaker, tackling him like a rugby player. Anyways, Cardiff was reminiscent of the Nats, what with having the lead in the beginning and then just losing 13-21. It was disappointing, but I'm happy to say that I was able to understand what was happening in the game. Thank you one semester of rugby at W&M! It was really fun to watch and I recommend going to see a rugby match if you ever find yourself in the UK. Oh, I made oatmeal raisin cookies at some point since my return from Italy (as a tangent from sports). The raisins I used, flame raisins, really expanded in the oven. 'Twas quite strange, but they were delicious. In all, things are mellowing out here now, what with exams coming up. Time really has flown.

London

HA RYANAIR! HA!

I started this leg of my journey with a large breakfast. I then made my way to Bologna's airport via public transportation (bus) and I almost lost my ticket! Thank goodness someone noticed it had fallen out of my pocket and chased after me. Ryanair would have charged me to have it re-printed because it was less than an hour before the flight by the time I got to their

Bologna, Venice, Ravenna, oh my!

San Luca walk

My time exploring Bologna was limited because Bologna was more of my base to visit other places due to its central location. From what I saw of Bologna though, it seemed to have a lot to offer in the gastronomy and shopping departments. It was a lot more gritty than Florence for sure, with graffiti being prominent pretty much everywhere and a lot of dog poop. I just tell it how I see it. Bologna did have its charms though. When I arrived via train it was raining and my umbrella was wedged somewhere in my backpack. Bologna though, has this whole system of porticoes that basically make having an umbrella unnecessary for the most part. They're also very picturesque when you look past the graffiti and people begging.

All roads lead to the Duomo in Firenze

Panorama of Firenze

Man oh man do my feet hurt. I've done nothing but walk! Walk and take pictures and eat gelato! Rough life, I know. So, my first full day in Florence (Firenze) I went to the Uffizi Gallery where I saw numerous Madonna and Child/ Madonna Enthroned works and a lot of Greek myth stuff including Caravaggio's Bacchus. Now, if you are going to Florence, I highly recommend that you take a renaissance art history themed class before going. I happened to take such a class last spring so it was interesting to see all of the actual works I had worked so hard to memorize.

Momentous Occasions

Fatto in casa (home made)

Corn & bean salad

Holy guacamole! Spring break has started and I leave Cardiff for London on Thursday (03/28) for a 6:30AM flight on Friday to ITALIA! Now, I didn't make guacamole this week, but I did make my own bread and corn and bean salad on Monday. It was a bit lonely being by myself in the flat this week, and a tad creepy too. Gosh darn my active imagination. So, in an attempt to keep myself occupied I decided to make bread. I think it turned out okay for my first attempt, nothing artisanal or spectacular though. Kind of misshapen and a tad lopsided, actually. But it tasted good if I do say so myself.

Weird Weather

You know, it's like the weather here is against me or something. After spending the majority of the past two weeks cooped up ironically researching sedentary lifestyles in Prehistoric Britain among other things, I decided it would be good for me to get some fresh air, get away from the computer that I have been glued to for the past two weeks researching vikings, Merlin, and sedentism, and perhaps venture outdoors. Maybe a bit of physical activity, like a run or something. So I lace up my shoes and head out the door into the partially sunny courtyard and I start running. But then it gets really dark, really fast, and it starts raining. No matter, I think to myself, I like running in the rain. I'm pretty sure the

Old Lady Hair and History

The first of March is St. David's Day here in Cardiff. Saint David is the patron saint of the city and is known for his saintly doings around the area. Some people get dressed up in their "traditional" Welsh clothing (a made-up tradition to instill national pride) and others opt for a simpler demonstration of pride, pinning daffodils to their shirts or just painting red dragons onto their faces. It was fun to see everyone march down the street dressed up. There weren't any floats or anything too elaborate but it was still fun to watch.

Kitchen Experiments

I can cook! Kind of. I mean it's nothing fancy and tends to be carb heavy (lots of pasta and bread), but I am officially making my own food! Sorry I'm not sorry that this post is a bit self-congratulatory. Sadly, I didn't take pictures of my puppy chow, poached egg, scrambled eggs, grilled cheese, experimental quesadillas, and some other stuff, but I am still able to present you with delicacies that were  thoroughly enjoyed by moi.