Thanksgiving Weekend: Rome, Italy

It has been quite some time since I last wrote and let me tell you, I have learned a lot.

Things Learned:

- Italians love their strikes

- Cops care more about their dress than enforcing the law

- I miss an American meal more than I thought

- Rome is my favorite Italian city so far

- Life would be boring without gelato

My trip to Rome started out full of excitement (sarcasm) as we discovered that there was a national train strike planned for the Sunday we needed to get back to Paderno… by train. After some quick last-minute decision making, a group of fourteen students hired a bus to pick us up and take us back. Annoyances: 

The bus ride that was only supposed to take five hours took more like seven.

Instead of paying 40 euro for a train that would get us back much quicker, we were forced to pay 80 euros for the slow bus.

That being said, after sitting down and thinking about the situation, I realized that I was annoyed by something that was out of my hands. – Not to mention the fact that I am in ITALY! It was pretty much ridiculous for me to have been upset in the first place…

On a lighter note, the Roman police confirmed my long-lasting impression that police in Italy care more about the way they look than actually enforcing a law/rule. Prime example: The Sistine Chapel. After being told that I was not allowed to take any photos inside the Sistine Chapel, I entered to see countless tourists openly snapping shots of the ceiling. The officers in charge of enforcing the “strict” rule were standing around having conversations with each other. The funniest aspect of this situation was that the officers only seemed to care about the photos when the noise level inside the chapel became too loud for them to hear their own conversations. “Sshhh, no photos” was the only thing they would say. After about two seconds of quietness, the tourists and officers were back to their old ways. Luckily, I took advantage of this opportunity and was able to snag some shots of the ceiling using my iPhone!

A four day trip to Rome was just enough time for me to decide that Rome is officially my favorite city in Italy thus far. It was beyond cool seeing the giant Colosseum sitting in the middle of such a major city. The Trevi fountain, Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica all add to the allure of this amazing city. An added benefit of visiting Rome is the ability to get a great American meal. While there, my friends and I stopped in at the Hard Rock Café to get a super-sized meal. It was delicious. I cannot wait to get home and have some of my favorite dishes!

A view of St. Peter's Basilica from a bridge. 

A view from inside the Colosseum. 

The beautiful Trevi Fountain. 

It is hard to believe, but this is my last week here at CIMBA in Paderno del Grappa, Italy. – My last full week in Italy, too. This semester has gone by more quickly than what I anticipated. I feel like I just touched down in Venice last week knowing only two girls from Tech that were joining me here in Italy. I now have friends from many different universities around the country and countless states, spanning from Oregon to Maine! The time has come to buckle down and prepare for finals. I am happy to report that there are still many things to look forward to in my final week. First, our last formal dinner is being held tomorrow night. The food, wine, and conversations with friends are always great. Secondly, I will be traveling for a week after the program ends with the opportunity to visit three new cities. I will be jetting off to Barcelona, Dublin, and eventually Berlin before heading back to the States. I am excited to visit all three of theses cities, but even more excited to head to Berlin.  I came to Europe and stayed with a great friend of mine, Hendrik Schur, in Hamburg, Germany before my study abroad program began and get to leave Europe after exploring Berlin, Germany with him. – Great times in the beginning, great times to come!

I feel so blessed to have had this amazing opportunity and I fully expect the remainder of my time here in Europe to be just as great.

Ciao for now! 

Travel Week #2: Budapest and Prague

This past week I traveled to Budapest, Hungary, and Prague, Czech Republic. Both of these countries are located in Eastern Europe, meaning they both have very recent historical significance.

Budapest: 

I had not given much thought to visiting Budapest, Hungary before I came on my study abroad trip. That being said, I am very happy to have done so. The Hungarians are a proud group of people, which is not surprising seeing as how they were once one of the great powers of Europe. Something I learned while in Budapest is the city is actually comprised of three separate cities: Buda, Obuda, and Pest. In November of 1873, the three cities were unified into one giant metropolitan region that occupied both sides of the Danube River.

While wandering the streets of Budapest, you can see the remnants of a more recent era of communist control. All of the bridges connecting the two parts of the city were completely destroyed when the communist party was fleeing the region. The House of Terror Museum is located in the same building that was once occupied by the State Security (Hungarian version of the KGB). Once you look past the darker, more recent past of Budapest, you are able to appreciate Budapest for its very own, unique Hungarian history. The architecture is much different than what you would see in other European cities such as Paris or Italy. The people living within the city have moved on from their dark past and are focused on the future. There are countless buildings being remodeled and prepared for new, more modern industries. There are World Heritage sites seemingly around ever corner to explore.

Looking across the Danube River at the House of Parliament 

Prague: 

Prague was one of the cities I had wanted to visit most during my study abroad trip. I had heard that it was a great city with a lot of cool things to see and do. The city definitely did not disappoint! 

The city of Prague is inhabited by over a million people, not the biggest capital city but good-sized. I was amazed at how clean the city was compared to other cities I have had the opportunity to visit while in Europe. Just like Budapest, Prague has seen its fair share of change. According to our tour guide, if you were a middle-aged Prague citizen, you would have lived in seven different countries. - A tumultuous past to say the least! The country has been taken over, reclaimed, and taken over again by multiple countries throughout time. The country of the Czech Republic is actually only eighteen years old. If I were to have lived in Prague since I was born, I would have gone from living in a tightly controlled communist country to living in a newly formed Parliamentary Republic. 

I cannot even being to describe how much there is to see and do in this city. Between the historical sites and nightlife, a person could spend months experiencing new parts of the city. My travel group definitely tried our best to fit in historical and leisurely time while in Prague!

The results of our crossbow shooting tourney-Ainsley won.

I am back on the CIMBA campus now, preparing for the final 14 days of class. Yes, I only have two weeks left of class before finals! I cannot believe how quickly this study abroad experience has gone by! That being said, I am looking forward to traveling to Barcelona, Dublin and Berlin for the week after classes get out and then heading back to Lubbock to see my friends! 

Stockholm, Sweden

This past weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Stockholm, Sweden. One of the greatest aspects about this trip was the fact that Ryan Air offered roundtrip flights for only thirty euro!

Cold, breezy, and beautiful: 

These are the three words that come to mind when I think about my experience in Sweden. If you are a little lost geographically, Sweden is situated in Northern Europe between Norway and Finland. Being from the Southern part of the United States, I am not a person who handles cold weather well. Part of me felt like I was in Lubbock, Texas during the weekend because of the constant breeze. The actual temperature in Stockholm was not unbearable, but the breeze chilled me to my core! The drive from the airport to Stockholm took about an hour by bus. That amount of time sounds like a lot, but believe me when I say this, the countryside is amazing. The trees were many different shades of green, yellow, and red. - The perfect scene for a Fall movie. Additionally, the city of Stockholm is a perfect mix between old and new. Walking down the streets, you will see buildings that are hundreds of years old sitting next to buildings that look as though they belong in some futuristic city. 

A picture from the bus as we drove towards Stockholm.

Absolut Ice Bar:

Visiting the ice bar was at the top of my list of things to do while in Stockholm. I have a few friends that had gone to ice bars in other places and said they were really cool. Having the opportunity to do so myself, I can now attest to the fact that the Absolut Ice Bar is awesome! Upon entering, you are given a parka along with some gloves. The actual temperature in the bar is around -5 degrees fahrenheit. The entire room is comprised of ice, including the glass your drink is placed in! The group I was with spent about an hour in the bar before we headed out to explore other pubs in the area. If you ever have the chance to go to an ice bar, I would definitely recommend it. 

"Guns Up" at the Absolut Ice Bar.

We have all heard that the Scandinavian countries have the prettiest people. This statement was confirmed this weekend! I felt like I was walking next to somebody from Vogue almost constantly. The people in Stockholm were very well dressed, to say the least. The men and women both seemed to be very interested in fashion. Every other store in the city was a clothing store of some sort. All I can say is marry a Scandinavian if you want to have some ridiculously good-looking children!

Besides being very attractive, the people of Sweden were extremely friendly. After the Absolut Ice Bar, our group found a local pub and decided to have a few drinks. While enjoying the music and conversation, we ended up meeting a young couple from Stockholm. A few exchanges of "hello" led to an hour-long conversation with this couple. We were both interested in the culture of one another and had much to talk about-- ranging from politics and education to Americans and Swedes in general. I was surprised by the fact that the Swedes had such a positive view on Americans. In contrast to other countries such as Italy, the Swedes viewed Americans as friendly, helpful, and for the most part, well-educated. It was nice to know that we were understood, liked, and respected by another country. 

School is in full swing this week. I have a lot going on and am ready for the weekend! This weekend I will finally visit the island of Venice. In addition to Venice, Sunday I will be traveling to Milan to watch a futbol game between Inter Milan and Chievo Verona. After this weekend, I have a pretty intense week of school but then I am off to Budapest, Prague, and Vienna for my second travel week!!

Travel Week #1

This past week I traveled to London, Paris, and the French Riviera. - Just one of the many benefits of studying abroad!

London: 

Absolutely astounding! I had heard from multiple people that London was great, I have to agree. For being such a massive city, the streets of London are quite clean. Londoners have a personality and friendliness that reminds me of Lubbock (Southern hospitality with a British twist). When I needed a cab from the airport at one in the morning, my driver was beyond friendly and advised me on the sights to see while in the city. This may or may not have been because of the 150 pounds he was making off the cab ride, but hey, I am gonna assume it was just him being friendly. During my stay, I was able to see some of the most famous sights known to man. The Tower of London, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, etc. I was amazed at how history was integrated within the new, more vibrant side of London. - The city is in the process of updating the subway systems and roads, among other things, in anticipation of the 2012 Olympic games.

When traveling to London, I recommend being accompanied by a parent. This city is expensive! I was grateful that my mom was there to cover the cost of wining and dining.

Tower Bridge

The world famous, Harrods.

Paris:


Just hearing the word "Paris" ignites romantic thoughts of walks along the Seine River, dining atop the Eiffel Tower, or perhaps, the age-old tale of Quasimodo. These are just a few aspects of the city boasting a population of 2.2 million people.

Having traveled to Paris both my Freshman and Sophomore years of high school, I had an idea of what this city was like. That being said, fours years apart has changed the way I see Paris. I seem to recall the majority of Parisians being unfriendly or just outright rude when I was in high school. After revisiting the city, I have a much different opinion of the people. While Parisians may not be the most warming towards foreigners, notably Americans, they are mostly willing to lend a helping hand with translations or directions when approached. It was my experience this past week that Parisians are much more willing to converse with you if you at least attempt to speak in French. Simply saying bonjour when entering a restaurant or store can go a long way. - Do not be the ignorant American everybody expects us to be!

As far as the city goes, the sights and sounds of Paris were just as amazing as I remembered. There was not a single time that I passed by the Eiffel Tower without being amazed. Not only is the tower a great piece of architecture, but its warm glow at night leaves you in a daze. I enjoyed visiting the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame again as well!

Paris has yet to leave me disappointed. It is unquestionably one of the great cities of our world.

A side view of Notre Dame. 

The Eiffel Tower glowing at night. 

The French Riviera:


The last part of my week-long trek was spent along the French Riviera! If you know anything about me it is that I love board shorts, t-shirts, and sandals. It should come as no surprise that I considered myself in paradise the last few days. I visited the cities of Avignon, Cannes, Juan les Pins, Nice, and Monaco. My two favorites of the cities were Avignon and Monaco. Avignon is not quite part of the "French Riviera" but I still considered it part of the riviera because of its beauty. The area of Southern France where Avignon is located is famous for the vast fields of lavender that paint the horizon. The town had a wonderful square where multiple restaurants and shops were located.

My favorite place, if only second to London, is Monaco. Ever since I was little, I had always wanted to visit the world's second smallest province (just slightly bigger than the Vatican).

Monaco: Just like Beverly Hills only about 1000 times better and right alongside the ocean.

The abundance of wealth in this province is somewhat shocking. I have never seen a place with more extravagant homes, cars, or yachts! Additionally, Monaco as a rich history just like most other parts of Europe. The province of Monaco has been ruled by the Grimaldi since 1297. The area became famous later on as the premier destination for multi-million dollar (and billion-dollar) gamblers. Casinos provided the majority of wealth for the Grimaldi family until real estate became a big money-maker beginning in the 19th century. Now, in addition to being known for its extravagance, Monaco is famous for the world-renowned Monte Carlo race, which takes place annually.

I had a blast in Monaco and it was a great way to finish of my week-long journey.

One of the smaller yachts in Monaco Harbor.  

The main center of Monaco. 

Just enjoying the view. 

For now, I am back at CIMBA and ready to knock out this four-day week of classes. On Friday, we get to take a trip to Trieste, Italy and then it is off to Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday for me and a group of eight others! I'm excited to see another new country!!

La Dolce Vita: The Sweet Life

Ciao!


Beyond the obvious charm that Italy exudes, there is a certain, often indescribable, magical appeal to "The Boot." I experienced this during my travel break to Tuscany this past weekend. The most quintessential Italian villas and vineyards one would expect to see in Italy were more beautiful than any movie or picture can represent. Between Florence and Siena the atmosphere changes dramatically. On one hand, the grandeur that Florence boasts with its ancient cathedrals and timeless works of art engulf your thoughts. Standing in front of these breathtaking objects forces you to reflect on the history of Florence (once considered the center of the world). Knowing Michelangelo once walked on the same street you stand on is a crazy feeling. On the other hand, the country-esque, small town vibe that Siena provides creates an entirely different feeling. Walking the narrow streets of Siena under the warm Tuscan sun while sipping on their world-renowned Chianti creates a feeling of old-world simplicity. The atmosphere of these two ancient cities is connected through their history, yet they undoubtedly own their own piece of the historical pie. 

This weekend, Kate, one of my fellow CIMBA peers turned the big TWO ONE. Since she was traveling with our group to Tuscany, we figured a night out in Florence was appropriate (as if we needed a reason). There was a club offering a free bottle of Prosecco (if you do not know what this is, you're missing out) to Kate on her birthday. So on Saturday night, our sharply dressed group of ten went to Club 21 to kick of the celebration. This club was not exactly the craziest/busiest operation in town so we got the free bottle, toasted to Kate, and quickly moved on to the next place. The next club we went to was recommended by a bartender we met earlier in the evening. One word: outrageous. This club was packed with people dancing to techno/house/dance music that included popular songs of today. The night ended up being a blast! 

Celebrating Kate's 21st birthday

Touring the different sites of the Tuscan region provided a fascinating look into the ancient world. The architecture that man was able to create thousands of years ago is amazing. The outer cathedral walls are composed entirely of different colored marble. The statues represent some of the biggest names in old-world history. That being said, my trip was not entirely centered around history and the arts. If you know anything about me, it is the fact that I enjoy food more than most things in life. Over the weekend I discovered a Turkish dish called the kebab. No, not the typical "kebab" you would grill at home, but rather a burrito-like concoction of roasted chicken, lettuce, tomato, hummus, spices, and potato. While the dish varies from place-to-place, I never once ate a kebab that was not absolutely delicious (minus a slight onion condition on my first try). And yes, I did eat four kebabs in two days. 

Statue of David

The delicious kebabs

Overall, this weekend was a success! I am excited for the next two weeks for multiple reasons. First, we have our first formal dinner tonight. We get to wine and dine with our professors at one of the finest restaurants in the area. After this week concludes, I am off to London, Paris, and the French Riviera to travel with my mom. I'm looking forward to seeing some amazing places and not having to pay for anything! Gotta' love parents. 

"For us to go to Italy, and to penetrate into Italy, is like a most fascinating act of self-discovery, back, back down the old ways of time. Strange and wonderful chords awake in us, and vibrate again after many hundreds of years of complete forgetfulness." --D.H. Lawrence

Cinque Terre: The land of pesto, beautiful water, train strikes, and shady Mizzou students.

Ciao!

This past weekend I traveled with a group of CIMBA students to Cinque Terre, Italy. Cinque Terre is a region along the Italian Riviera composed of five villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The region is a national park as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One word to describe Cinque Terre: Stunning

The group of six students that I traveled with stayed in the town of Riomaggiore, our very first hostel! Quite the experience. The hostel itself was not too bad but the shower was a different story. Apparently, it is acceptable to call a "shower" an enclosed area where a dribble of water flows through a shower head. I am not sure if anybody in our hostel was able to get completely wet during our showers. I guess I should feel pretty lucky if that is the worst part of staying in a hostel. That being said, I have no idea how elderly people manage to make it up the six flights of stairs to their homes. Our group had a hard enough time as it was and we are in shape!

My time in Cinque Terre was spent at the beach. I bought the hiking ticket, yet never made it to the hiking trail. I am still questioning why I bought the ticket when I knew all I wanted to do was lay on the beach and catch some sun. Oh well. My entire afternoon was dedicated to enjoying the crystal clear turquoise water and basking in the Mediterranean sun. - I managed to get a pretty good tan that afternoon! After we packed up and left the beach, we decided eating some gelato was a must. I ended up making two trips to the gelateria because the dark chocolate gelato was so delicious. Afternoon: Success!

After returning to our hostel and enjoying that -amazing- shower, our group of six was anxious to find a nice restaurant to wine and dine. We quickly found a swanky (by Cinque Terre village standards) restaurant to sit down, relax, and converse on the days adventures. The wine and food were both great. I ordered a pasta dish with lobster. I am pretty sure the lobster was freshly caught off the coast that day. After dinner we enjoyed a few drinks and explored more of Riomaggiore.

Sunday morning we were up bright and early to check out of the hostel. If there is one thing I learned this weekend, it is that Italians like to go on strike. There was a national train strike on Sunday, meaning the train that was supposed to take us back to our bus was not coming. After a few hours of waiting in the rain with a mass of other students/tourists trying to get home, we managed to book two taxis to La Spezia (where our bus to CIMBA was). Situation resolved? Nope. Our taxis arrived late to pick us up and when they finally showed up, a group of students from Mizzou tried to steal them from us. They ran towards our taxis and insisted that the taxis were theirs. Ha! Being me, I nicely informed them that they were mistaken. As the rest of our group put their bags in the back of our car, the Mizzou students sprinted towards our other taxi and tried to hop inside. Both taxi drivers had the "what the f*** is wrong with Americans" look on their faces. After some arguing, the taxi driver finally resolved the situation by calling the number that booked the two cars. What a surprise, Ainsley's (student in our group) phone rang. We were finally off to La Spezia. After waiting four ours in the McDonalds at the train station, we finally loaded the bus and made it back to CIMBA.

Today marks our first full week of classes. I am excited to get into a routine again and even more excited for this upcoming weekend.

Agenda: Tuscany region for some wine tasting and to celebrate Kate's 21st birthday.

Sunday morning before leaving Cinque Terre. 

Mt. Grappa

This past weekend a group of us decided to hike Mt Grappa. This task sounded easy enough from what our CIMBA leaders had told us. After walking over an hour just to get to the mountain, we quickly discovered that hiking would be a greater task than anticipated. - This was the epitome of mountain terrain. The "trail"seemed to disappear at some points and was covered with shards of rock that made climbing extremely difficult. Needless to say, we never reached the top of Mt. Grappa and I'm not too sure if that will ever happen..

Other than that excursion, life in Italy has been both fun and relaxing. Saturday night we traveled to Bassano del Grappa. We explored the city, ate some gelato, and ended up having a drink at a very nice bar.  Lesson learned: don't (or for some, do) ask the locals in Bassano for directions to a club. They will lead you to the nearest strip club. Yesterday, we went to a nearby town by the name of Asolo (pronounced Oz-olo). The town is also known as "The City of a Hundred Horizons" because of the amazing views from the top of the mountain upon which the city sits. - The views definitely did not disappoint.

The common saying amongst the CIMBA students has been "When in Rome!" Everybody is ready and willing to experience new things. I look forward to many more fun times in the near future. We are currently booked for a hostel in Cinque Terre for the upcoming weekend and are in the midst of planning a wine tasting/bike tour of Tuscany for the extended weekend that follows.

Just one of the great views from Asolo. 

Break time on Mt. Grappa