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!