Rome Study Abroad

Barcelona and a Cruise (Part 1)

For "Fall Break" (which is awesome because we don't get one of those in America), some of my friends and I decided to go on a cruise leaving from Barcelona, Spain. It was the 5 of us SHU kids and a friend from Northeastern. When the decision was made and the cruise was booked six weeks ago, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

First, we had to get to Barcelona. We took a flight there, without worrying about the fact that we didn't book a hostal. When we landed and got our baggage, the search began. We walked around a little bit, enjoying the warm weather and beautiful buildings until we decided to actually find a place to sleep that night. We got in two different cabs and went to different hotels looking for a room for 6 people. Finally, we gave up, got out of the cabs, and walked more until we found a hostal. Finally, we found a cheap place to stay with amenities and dropped off our luggage.

 

We decided to explore the area we were in. Luckily, one of us (Danny) had been to Barcelona before and knew his way around. We brought us to a park to look at all the pretty statues and floral sights. As we were walking around, we noticed some people rowing boats on a pond. Of course, me being the one to get excited over things like this, I begged everyone to see how much it would be to rent a boat and if we could do it. The fee was inexpensive, so we got in two boats and rowed away for half an hour. We got up close and personal with ducks and turtles, which made the experience even more fun.

 

The next thing we did was go to the beach and eat some lunch/dinner. We were looking at the Balearic Sea, and it was gorgeous. The water was freezing, but the food on the beach was delicious. People build sand structures here for a living, and some of them were gorgeous!

That night, we walked down the main street in Barcelona, Nou de la Rambla, and saw some pretty interesting things. First, we encountered a woman screaming, hitting, and spitting at policeman. They just stood there, without paying attention to her; of course there was a crowd giving her the attention she wanted. We then stopped at KFC for a taste of America! The next crazy thing we saw: the people dressed in costumes on the side of the road. For some reason, in touristy areas of Europe, I've noticed several people who paint themselves and stand on the street in costume all day collecting money. They pretend to be statues, disfigured beings, or even willow trees and babies in cradles. When we got to the end of the street, we found Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona and went in for a visit. When we left, we were walking behind a man who would go up to cars dancing and singing, but act totally normal when police would walk by. We made the decision to go back to the hostal and get out of the wild streets of Barcelona. When we walked into our room, a stranger was sleeping in one of the empty beds. Needless to say, the girls weren't too excited. Some of the group (the boys) was comfortable enough to sleep in the beds, but for the other half of us (the girls), we "slept" in our clothes, on top of the sheets. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that night.

When we woke up the next morning, we were all ready to get out of the hostal and on our way to the cruise. We stopped at Starbucks (which was the highlight of my morning) before we walked to the port to get on the cruise! When we finally got to the ship, we waited in line for a long time, they took our passports, gave us ID cards to use for the week, and we boarded! We were off on an 8 day cruise around the Mediterranean Sea!

Part 2 coming soon!

Until next time,

Ciao!

City of Ruins

On October 17th, I went on a day trip to Pompeii. It was awesome! To see Mount Vesuvius was one thing, but to be able to walk around the city that it destroyed was another. The streets, the houses, the cafes...even the imprints in the concrete and the scratches on the walls were still in tact. Walking through homes and looking at their paintings and touring their bedrooms and living rooms makes a tourist imagine the life of these people.

Interesting things to see in Pompeii: brothels, castes of people caught in the volcanic eruption, and all the vases you can imagine. And lets not forget the Dog of Pompeii, struggling to get away from the lava but was trapped by his leash. 

Overall, Pompeii is one of the most interesting places I've visited. The views everywhere in the city are amazing, and it is an exciting place to walk around. The size of the uncovered city is huge. There are stadiums, theaters, and meeting places for the townspeople. In these, if you stand in a specific spot addressing the audience, when you speak, you can hear yourself as though you are speaking into a microphone. And people think technology is advanced today...

Until next time,

Ciao!

A Sad Day at AUR

This morning I received an email from AUR announcing that one of the professors here has passed away. Sadly, Professor Terry Kirk was my Art of Rome professor. His class being the most intriguing class I'm in, this loss greatly saddens me. Unfortunately for all future students, you missed out on a very enthusiastic professor who loved and knew his job well. For those students who have had Professor Kirk, I encourage you to say a prayer for this sudden loss, as we all know how awesome of a person he was. 

Riposo in Pace, Professor Kirk.

Don't take the Buses in Capri

Ciao! Last weekend was the AUR trip to Capri, Italy. Since I am determined to see as much as I can while I am in Europe, I attended the trip and had a great time. Plus, my mom kept telling me how blue the ocean was...I wanted to see what color aqua water was supposed to look like!

Early Friday morning, twenty something of us took a bus to Napoli, where we were to board a ferry to get to Capri. What was great about Naples is that I have family roots there, so I got to see the town in which they live. Hopefully I can make it back there to visit my long distant relatives before I go home. In Napoli, we saw a castle and made a quick stop for coffee, and were on our way to the island.

When we got on the ferry, I (of course) got a little seasick. However, I pushed through it and got excited for Capri...despite the rainy weather. When we got to our hotel, we immediately dropped off our bags and went to 'Marina Grande' to find a boat tour. We met a man named Gianni and off we went, to the 'Verde Gratto'. It was chilly on the boat, but the water was so blue and the mountains were so monumental that we barely noticed. We took the boat for an hour and then some people got out to swim. I personally am petrified of the ocean, so I only got in half way before jumping back on the boat.

 

After the boat tour, we found our way back up to the hotel for a nice three course dinner. Then, everyone showered and changed, and we went to a bar named Red. It was "Fashion Night" that night, so professional Runway hairstylists were doing hair for free! The woman that did mine put green and red spray paint in my hair, along with zip ties and bobby pins. Needless to say, it wasn't fun reversing the look, but it was exciting to have it done.

The next day, we took a ski lift (minus the snow) up to the top of Capri. It was a twenty minute ride, and it was beautiful. The views from on top of the mountain were unbelievable. Looking over the cliffs weren't even scary they were so surreal. The sights were like a dream- was the water really that blue? Could we really be so high up? Is it possible to actually see the entire island from right here?

After the adventure, we had the whole day to ourselves. This would have been so much fun if we didn't spend half the time waiting for buses! Eventually, though, we did make our way back to the same man for a boat ride, only this time we got an upgrade. The boat this time was nicer, and we had the owner of the family business as a captain. He took us all around the island, and when it was time to go swimming, I was ready to go. Unfortunately I had a bad case of seasickness that prevented me from jumping in-but I really was going to do it! Papi, as we called him, let some of us take over steering the boat for a while on the way home while he relaxed and enjoyed the views with the rest of us.

When we got home, we got off the boat and made our way back to the ferry. It was going to be a long trip back, but the two days in Capri were well worth the exhaustion. I can't wait for my trip next weekend to Pompeii!

Until next time,

Ciao!

Under the Tuscan Sun

As the weeks go on, Italy becomes more and more amazing, and my study abroad experience becomes more and more enriched with cultural wonders. Last weekend, I went on a trip with AUR to Tuscany for three days.

We left early Friday morning and drove to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. While it wasn't as tall as I had always imagined it, the tower was remarkable--it really does lean, and it really isn't going to fall over. This was definitely something I had always wanted to see. We took a tour around the "square of miracles" and learned the history of the Tower. 

After the tour, we had a few hours to explore. We walked around, did some shopping, and had some pizza, gelato, and wine. Finally, we got to our hotel that evening and ate a delicious dinner...and went straight to bed.

On Saturday, we again woke up early to head to Florence. This was the day of REAL shopping-everyone knows Florence is famous for their leather. We got to the town and had a tour. We saw several museums and statues. We saw a replica of the David by Michelangelo, a statue of Neptune, and more. Three hours after the tour was over and we perused the open markets, we decided to go see the 4th largest church in the world: Santa Maria Del Fiore Cathedral. Wee took 463 steps up to the very top to see all of Firenze; the view was amazing. Mind you, we had to take the same amount of steps down, but it was good exercise, and a great time. I felt like I was in a castle with the skinny hallways and winding staircases.

After the Cathedral, we continued shopping. Finally, we loaded the bus and went back to the hotel for another great meal. This time, however, most people on the trip went out to have a good time. We went to an outside bar where they had music and futbol on TV. When we went back to the hotel, everyone went to sleep in order to prepare for the next day's activities.

Sunday we had a wine tasting in Trequanda, a beautiful vineyard high up in the mountains with a view you can't beat. When we arrived after the two and a half hour bus ride, we had a tour of the winery. We saw the wine cellar (which is actually outside due to CO2 gases) and learned how the wine is made. After the tour, we got to taste four different types of wines and we learned how to tell the age of the wine, how complex the wine is, the proper way to smell the wine, and what wines to eat with which meals.

After the wine tasting, we watched an Italian chef make spaghetti. He taught us how, and then we got to try it ourselves. It is more difficult than it looks! I wrote down the recipe, and I plan to practice the art until I perfect it! Unfortunately, we didn't get to eat the spaghetti we made.

Post-spaghetti making, lunch was served. This was our first REAL Italian lunch. We had four courses: Antipasti, which was meats with bread and cheese, Primi piatti, which was a pasta with Bolognese sauce, Secondo piatti, which was baked chicken and potatoes, and finally, Dolce, blackberry pie. The meal was so delicious and intricate that it took two hours, and we didn't eat dinner at all afterwards.

The trip home took a few hours, but thankfully the bus had movies playing the whole time. This weekend was unbelievable, and I can't wait for the next AUR trip to Capri this weekend!

Until next time,

Ciao!

Settling In

Now that classes have started, time is flying by even faster than before! Luckily, I haven't had too much homework yet, but I have had a lot of reading to do. Classes obviously take up most of my time Monday through Thursday, but as soon as I get out, I am busy with other things.

We don't have a cafeteria here, like Flik or Outtakes, so we are on our own for food. This week we did a lot of grocery shopping, which led to a lot of cooking and a lot of experimenting in the kitchen. Lighting a stove: scary, but doable. Lighting an oven: terrifying, but I conquered the task the night we made a macaroni casserole. We have had chicken several nights this week, but while we are getting in the swing of things, it's okay.

Last Saturday, we went to the beach on the Tiber River. It was so much fun! It was hot, and the beach was crowded. It took a while to get to the beach, but the traveling wasn't so bad, since we got seats on the tram.

On Sunday, we went to the Vatican. EVERYONE needs to make this a goal on their life list of things to do. It doesn't matter what religion you are, the Vatican is the most gorgeous building I have ever seen. And it is only 20 minutes from our apartment. Standing in Saint Peter's Square made me feel like I was in a dream, a movie. I watch the Pope on TV standing on his balcony... and there I was, looking at it. I searched for the pipe where the black and white smoke comes from, but was unable to find it. I will see it before I go home.

After we took pictures of the outside, we got in a very long line to go inside. Surprisingly, the line moved very quickly, and we went through security and walked inside. Literally, the ceiling in the foyer took my breath away. The details of every single aspect of the Vatican are amazing.

There were so many statues, sculptures, and paintings of Popes past, Jesus, Mary, saints, angels... absolutely amazing. All of a sudden, a mass began IN the Vatican. I rushed over to sit in. I didn't understand the majority of the mass, because it was in a different language, either Italian or Latin. I did, however, understand "dopa la cena", so I think it was Italian, because that phrase is "after the supper" in Italian.

I would love to post every picture I took of the inside of the Vatican, but there are too many! I will be going back this Tuesday to see the museums of the Vatican in my Art of Rome class, so I'm sure I will go camera crazy again.

This weekend should be pretty relaxing as we have no travel plans. Instead, we are going to explore our neighborhood and stay local, because for the next few weeks we are traveling! Next weekend is the AUR trip to Tuscany. We will be wine tasting and seeing the great sights of Tuscany, I can't wait! The weekend after is another AUR trip to Capri, which I have heard only good things about. Before I left, my mom told me to make sure I see Capri, it's the most beautiful part of Italy. At this point, I think all of Rome is gorgeous, so I can't imagine anything better!

Until next time,

Ciao!

100 Days

One of my roommates did the math, and we have 100 days left in Rome. Only 100! That sounds like such a short amount of time to explore this amazing country and it's surrounding lands. We have been here just over a week, and I already feel like it is going by too fast.

The first week of classes is over, and I didn't have to adjust my schedule. Several people did, and a lot of people that I've met aren't getting credit for their classes they are taking here back home. I feel so lucky that I do!

I am taking five classes, but most study abroad students seem to be only taking four. While I could do that and still graduate in time, I'm going to stick with the five. Something to remember is that just because I am in a new place, I am still in school and this is not the time for me to slack off. Plus, I really like all of the courses I'm taking.

Italian is fun, because my goal is to be able to speak the basic language before I go home.

Art of Rome is absolutely amazing. We only meet once a week,but it's a three hour class. We meet on site at historical places and learn about them. This week we went to the Pantheon. I had already been there with the girls, but we were asking each other what the Pantheon even was, and what it meant to history. Now I know, and it is so amazing! Did you know Rafael, the famous painter, is buried there? And the amount of work and years put in to building this place for the Gods thousands of years ago... it is just so hard to grasp the meaning of it. And to think, I have so many more places to visit for this class!

My Advanced Writing class is very engaging, and I love how abstract it is already. New Media is probably the most fun class I am in, because the professor is so knowledgeable and so interested in the subject it excites me about it too. I have this professor again for European Mass Media, so I enjoy this class too.

The girls and I have been engaging ourselves in a lot of AUR activities, meeting new people, and having a great time. We don't live with Chuck, so when we do see him, it makes everything even better. I have Italian and Art of Rome with Chuck, and Italian with Johannah, so that's also a nice thing to have during the week. The people we are meeting are in the same boat as us, so everyone gets along and is nice to everyone.

I have been considering what students applying to or planning to go on a study abroad trip should know about Italy all week, and these are the things I've come up with:

1. The water on the streets is 30 times better than bottled water. It's well water, and delicious. Also, it's free! It may look disgusting, because of the people bathing in it, the mud and trash surrounding the not-so-pleasant sewers below it, and the fact that it is constantly running from a wall, but it's really not. Don't judge this book by its cover!

2. Try to speak the language, even if you don't know it. Half the time, when I try to speak Italian, people let it go and respond in Italian, or even correct my pronunciation (which I take as helpful, not rude). They also smile and appreciate the effort. If you just use English, they aren't as nice. Especially at the pastry and gelato shops.

3. People don't shower often here, so the city and public transportation doesn't always smell like it does in America. You just have to accept it, and even embrace it, because on a lazy day, it's okay to not shower.

Tonight we made dinner for the first time. We had a stove issue until the other day, so the last time we tried, it was impossible to even boil water. Johannah and I took on the cooking role, and we made chicken parmesan over macaroni. Breadcrumbs from scratch and doctored jarred sauce, the meal was delicious. 

It tasted so much better than it looks! I love to cook, and Italy is the best place to practice. I can't wait for the AUR sponsored cooking night!

Until next time,

Ciao!

Exploring Roma

Buona sera! We have had the chance to explore Rome for five days, and we have already worn ourselves out. Yesterday, AUR had a kick-off BBQ. It was nice to hear American music and a bunch of people speaking English. If our surroundings in the garden weren't so pretty, I would have felt like I was in America. One of the ladies that works at AUR drew us three maps of places to go shopping, and the girls and I took the tram to 'Argentina' immediately after.

The first thing we did was get gelato at a cute little shop across the street from the building that Mussolini placed statues on top of: Il Vittoriano: Monumento del celebrazione (The Victor Emmanuel Monument). Lauren had strawberry/fragola, Sabrina had lemon/limone, and I had half coconut, half hazelnut/meta noce di cocco e meta nocciola. My coco-hazelnut combination was by far the best of the three.

After the gelato, we did some shopping. Of course, I tried my best to pack lightly, knowing I was going to be buying an excessive amount of clothes here, so I went all out. I bought a floral skirt, a pretty summer dress, and a Fall coat (I have a thing for coats). I wanted to buy shoes, but I didn't find any that met my needs and were affordable. But I did see a lot of unnecessary high heels that I refrained from buying. 

Then, we saw a sign that said the Pantheon was close enough to walk to, and we took a shopping detour. When we got there, it was huge! It was right in the middle of a bunch of buildings and restaurants, with a ton of people walking around and taking pictures. There was a mass going on inside the Pantheon, and as a group, we decided we want to go back and try to go to mass there.

After the Pantheon, we continued shopping. Along the route, we found another sign pointing us to something we wanted to see--the Trevi Fountain! We followed the signs (and the people) and found this gorgeous structure pouring water into a big pool, surrounded by tourists taking pictures. There is seating at the Fountain, so a lot of people just tend to hang around, apparently. We all went down to take some pictures, and noticed the amazing detail in the sculptures of the fountain. It's been concluded that something like this can, and never will be replicated, no matter how technologically advanced we become. Of course, we all made a wish and threw a penny in the fountain over our right shoulders.

After the Trevi Fountain, we were starving! We stopped at what looked like a great place to eat called 'Mr. Panino". After ordering what looked like great chicken sandwiches, and Sabrina's caprese salad sandwich, we immediately regretted our decision. The french fries were undercooked and looked nothing like the pictures, the "chicken" was a dark brown and slightly cold, and the amount of mayonnaise on the chicken sandwiches was unbelievable. Apparently, the caprese salad sandwich was also awful. All of us took the sandwich apart and ate the mini-baguette bread, which would have been fabulous, if not for the mayonnaise. We now call this place "Mr. PaNONO." This was our first disappointing meal, and hopefully our last. After the meal, we were pretty sure a gypsy was watching us on the bus home, so we clutched our bags tightly and made sure to watch out for each other. Now we know they really do exist! After we got home, we were craving Italian pastries, and walked around the corner from our apartment to get some. I had a mini cannoli and mini eclair, with a little fruit/cream cup. All three were delicious!

Today, we woke up after siesta. However, we didn't actually siesta, we were all just so tired from the day before that we didn't wake up until the end of siesta. So... 3 pm. After we got up and got dressed, we went back to the same shopping place as yesterday because the shopping was so great. We were afraid most stores would be closed, it being Sunday, but surprisingly, several of them were open. I bought a very nice white summer dress, and a nice top that is also white. We went to a restaurant while we were there, and had a great meal. I had penne with peppers (but it wasn't too spicy). We are home and ready for bed, because classes start tomorrow. Hopefully the day runs smoothly!

Until next time, 

Ciao!

When in Rome...

...do what the Romans do! (We are all definitely trying...)

Yesterday, we arrived in Rome! But before I talk about that...the airport.

When I arrived at the airport, Lauren was right behind us. Her family walked in at the same time as me and we checked in together. After we tried to give our luggage to the airport people, we got turned away--one of my bags was 55 pounds, 5 pounds too much. After the struggle to actually get through security, all of the girls were together. We got to our gate, ate a snack, took a bus to our terminal (this was JFK, it was a huge airport) and finally boarded. Of course, Sabrina and Lauren were sitting together, but Johannah and I were separate, and I was in the back. Thankfully, I slept for 4 of the 7 hours, and finally touched down in Rome.

The baggage was crazy--some advice to future students: bring a strong boy! It was a bit of a walk with our two heavy bags per girl, but we managed. People may say not to bring too much stuff, but honestly, everything I brought was a necessity. We got in the car to go to our apartment (which was ten minutes away), and the driver was 1. in a bad mood and 2. crazy! After our scary ride, we arrived at a street with restaurants, shops, grocery stores, and a fresh fruit market, but we were told we were home. In the middle of the shops was our new home. After going up a very tiny elevator and entering a vault-looking door, we entered our NEW, air-conditioned apartment, furnished with uncomfortable beds but plenty of chairs.

We unpacked, showered, and went grocery shopping. Later, we found a little place to eat and had delicious food-mainly the tiramisu! Then, we went to bed (way too late) to get ready for the next day.

Today, we found our way to the American University of Rome. And by "found", I really mean walked probably three miles and two hours when the school is 15 minutes from our apartment. It was really frustrating because we found the one building school immediately, but then we couldn't get in. So we walked for a few hours until we finally figured it out and got buzzed in to the school. We got our permits to stay and our ID cards, along with agenda books and information.

We all then came back to our rooms, freshened up, and left again. We got a panini and walked back up to school, with no problems this time, and went on a tour of Rome. We saw Roman ruins and fountains, and of course Colosseum. We also walked by a few small restaurants that we want to go back and eat at.  The best part of the tour was the Colosseum, but it was dark, so the pictures didn't all turn out, but it was absolutely gorgeous. 

We are off to dinner soon, and I am craving spaghetti! 

Until next time,

Ciao!

One More Week

The REAL countdown begins: 7 days, and I have just finished packing for Rome. Two suitcases are filled to their max, and I'm sure they are more than 50 pounds each.

Suitcase #1:

Toiletries, books, a fan, shoes, paper towels, and two jackets.

Suitcase #2:

Summer clothes, winter clothes, and an umbrella.

This may seem excessive, but in fact it is very strategically planned. Suitcase #1 will be emptied and the supplies inside will be used all semester, thus leaving a completely empty suitcase for souvenirs and other items I purchase while abroad, like new shoes and coats (my two favorite accessories). I will have no need to bring home empty shampoo and conditioner bottles, or bare paper towel rolls. I also plan to give away my small desk fan to my future favorite baker, at the small store I plan to buy bread from everyday (as soon as I find it).

I have also packed my carry-on. I am bringing Invisible Monsters to read during my nine hour flight. Also, I will have my (new) laptop, a few DVD's to choose from, my iPod, and a small Sudoku book. And let's not forget the most important item; my new journal.

My best friend, Chelan, mailed me a beautiful leather-bound journal to write in. Instructions were to put in little trinkets and objects that I find special while I am away, and I intend to do so. I have already written one entry in the journal, and I can't wait to write more.

Why am I packed so early? I will be spending a week in New York before I leave from JFK, and I leave Wednesday morning from Massachusetts. The other students going to Italy from SHU are Johanna, Lauren, Sabrina, and Chuck. The five of us have been in contact all summer, and more so lately, communicating about what to bring. We all fly out together, and it is going to be so much fun on the plane. I hope I don't forget anything!

Until next time, Ciao!