My First Solo Vaca: Santorini, Greece!

Last week, I went on my first solo trip in Europe! I went to Santorini, Greece for four days and it was incredible. I left wednesday late at night and arrived in Athens around 1 in the morning. A mere 6 hours later I made my way down to the port and boarded the ferry. It was nothing like I was expecting, it was more like a cruise ship, with open areas and cafes on the main levels. There were also cabins for large groups and families who were taking long trips. It was a longgg 7 hour ferry ride. It was also stormy and raining that day so I slept most of the way there. I arrived around 5 pm and wandered around the town Thira, where my hotel was. It was beautiful and the main town of Santorini. I had dinner on the cliffs and had some great mousaka!
The next day I walked to the bus stop to go to Oia! It is the northern most town of Santorini, known for their incredible sunsets. I met another girl who was spending the day alone as well, so we teamed up and walked up and down the little streets together! It was nice to have someone take pictures for me haha! It was so windy this day that I thought I might get pushed right off the edges of the cliffs! They were 50 mph winds so it was a little chilly. Later, we parted ways and I stayed to watch the sunset, and it was so beautiful, it is definitely famous for a reason! When it finally sank, everyone cheered and clapped and yelled "Yeah nature!!!" haha It was probably my favorite part of my trip.

The next day was Saturday and my last full day. I spent it by myself walking around Thira and really exploring the town. I went into the prehistoric museum there and the catholic and orthodox churches which were beautiful. I walked up a portion of the stairs coming from the port and I was passed by a line of donkeys! I wanted to ride one so badly but I couldn't bring myself to do that to them :(
I bought myself some cheap jewelry and found a bench in the sun and took a nice nap. It was a perfect day actually.
Sunday, was the most beautiful day of my trip there and unfortunately I had to leave. I took a cab down to the port and spent an hour and a half writing a paper for my class waiting for the ferry. I wasn't happy to be doing homework, but I was in Greece and couldn't complain much.

Most of them spoke English, but I couldn't read anything! It was such a strange feeling after being able to figure out most languages from my knowledge of Spanish and Italian. Everyone I talked to was so helpful and I think the Greeks are the friendliest people I've met on all of my trips so far.

I am so proud of myself for having the courage to spend 4 days in a different country. Greece was definitely one of my favorite trips!

Tips and tricks for Rome and Europe in General

With less than a month left here, I've accumulated some great experiences. I have a good number of friends who are also coming to Europe this year (yay!) and I'd love to share my discoveries! Everyone asks me for my recommendations and tips for traveling abroad in Rome especially so I thought instead of writing out a new list for every person, I'd put it all down here for everyone!Who would've thought that I'd be giving advice on Rome.. crazy!

First, I made a small list of things in Rome, then a few general Europe travel tips at the bottom.
If you have any questions, ask me!

Rome

Sites:

Obviously all of the big things: Coloseo, Roman Forum, Vittoriano Monument, Pantheon, The Vatican & St. Peter's, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps & Via del Corso. You can actually do all of them in a day excluding the Vatican, of course you'll be walking a lot! 

The Vatican and the Basilica I would advise doing a separate day. For the Vatican, Wednesdays he arrives in the square in his pope-mobile and does a blessing outdoors (which is incredible!) but you won't be able to get into the church until the afternoon. Sundays he does the Papal Angelus, which is the blessing from his apartment window which is equally incredible. This day the church remains open through it. To get into the church, on any given day there is usually a line approx. 1 hour long but on Sundays and such obviously it will be longer. IMPORTANT:: Don't listen to what the people say about paying to skip the lines!!! My friends tried and it was a total scam!

If you haven't seen it yet, I would try to do both the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica (don't forget to climb to the top of the dome!) The view from the top of St. Peter's is absolutely stunning and you can see everything in Rome. Absolutely amazing.

I would definitely 100% recommend going to the Knights of Malta hidden keyhole on the Aventine hill. It's a tad hard to find but totally worth the great unobstructed view of St. Peter's. Not many people know about it and its right near the Forum and Vittoriano so you can hit it on the way to other things!

Basilica de San Paulo - This is the gorgeous Basilica of St. Paul. You can get here from the B line metro and it is definitely worth going to! It's beautiful and off the beaten path for tourists. It is built differently than other churches and I love it. Outside there is a cute cafe that has THE BEST cappuccino con Nutella. The cup is lined with Nutella.. it's actually life changing. 

Villa Borghese is great for a beautiful sunny day. You can rent the 4 person bikes with the canopy and ride around all day, it's really big and a lot of people like to run and exercise there!

The Trastevere Area in general- if you have time to wander, this is the place to do it. I still haven't explored everything and I fall in love with Rome every time I turn a corner! Its beautiful and picturesque and an amazing area. 

The Jewish Ghetto- If you have time, this is pretty cool to see. The museum inside the synagogue is cool and they give you a free tour. Also, outside there is a bakery that is known for the sweet pizza. Not really sure what it's called but if you Google jewish ghetto bakery, one should come up that talks about how rude the lady's who run it are... this isn't a joke. But the sweets are to die for!

PSA for the sites!

The first Sunday of every month is FREE to get into the Coloseo and Roman Forum and a few other cool things you usually have to pay for. 

As for churches, you can literally stumble upon one walking down a back side street and it'll be gorgeous. Dress conservatively or carry a small cardigan with you to be respectful.

Restaurants::

Okay, I can't even remember how many great places I've been to at this point, but here is a list of my absolute favs in a few categories:

Breakfast: 

They prefer a light, small breakfast. Usually a cornetto con nutella/marmalata and a cappuccino. 

Once it is past 2 or 3 pm though, they frown upon ordering a cappuccino!! Stick with a latte or plain cafe (espresso).  

Aperitivo (Appetizers / Happy Hour)- usually had around 5-6 pm.

Gusto - Has amazing drinks and a really fun atmosphere! It was 10 euro for all you can eat aperitivo buffet and a drink. We went and they had live music too!

Dinner -  usually had between 7-9 pm.

Dar Poeta- This is a great little hole-in-the-wall place. Every.Single.'Za.Is.Great. You seriously can't go wrong with anything. 

Pizzeria Da Buffeto- I think this is my favorite pizza place so far in Rome. Its so tiny and there is always a huge line, so get there early! The Buffeto pizza, the first thing on the menu was AMAZING. That's my personal recommendation, but again you can't really go wrong here.
Bar del Fico- This place is quirky and hip and I loved it. It has an open kitchen where you can watch them make your pizza! Loved the atmosphere here. 

La Cucaracha (Mexican) - if for some reason you're craving Mexican this is the place! 

Gelato- ANY TIME OF DAY :)

Gelato is amazing. That is all.

Della Parma- this baby has 150 flavors of gelato goodness. Also, it has soy gelato for lactose intolerant people! (personally I suffer through and get the normal kind because gelato will change your life). Here, my fav is the Nutella gelato! Its the best nutella gelato I've had yet.

Giolitti- The atmosphere is so cool here, its very old and its got character. Great gelato all around! The fragola (strawberry) is amazing here!

Frigidarium - (right around the corner from Pizzeria Da Buffeto... perfect!) Our recent personal favorite! 

PSA: Please please stay away from the restaurants surrounding any piazza, if it has pictures of the food on it's menus or if it has Christmas lights on it's patio umbrellas. TOURIST TRAP. The food is never as good and its so much more expensive. If you wander down a road away from a central piazza, you'll find where the Romans eat. Much better food, and way cheaper.

Also, they don't drink in excess. For college age Americans, this somewhat of a strange concept.
Camp di Fiori is infamous for being the spot for study abroad students to go out and get wasted on 1 euro shots and drinks. This isn't authentic Rome. Most Romans look down on this behavior. Instead take the time to search for other clubs if that's what you want for the night! They aren't hard to find and so much more fun than being around other annoying Americans! Scholar's lounge is also very American but it has karaoke on Tuesdays (and who doesn't love a good karaoke night). 

Fashion::

They're pretty conservative but they always look amazing. Black is their favorite color for clothes. They don't wear shorts really, but more sundresses and skirts. Obviously when it's hot in the summer wear whatever you're most comfortable in, especially if you're going to be walking a lot. Tennis shoes are a must. The cobblestone is hard to maneuver in anything else! 

General awesomeness of Rome:

Technically you're supposed to pay for the buses, but no one checks and you can hop on and off for free! The metro is amazingly easy and pretty cheap (1.50) per ride and there are only 2 lines.

Terrevision is great for getting from both Fumicino and Ciampino airports to Termini for 4 euro.

Bring a water bottle with you everywhere!! They make you pay for water at the table, and I've found myself very very dehydrated a few times. A water bottle you can easily fill up at one of the many fontanellas (little fountains) on almost every street. 

EUROPE TRAVELS IN GENERAL

I took my first solo European vacation a few weeks ago and I was terrified. I had never been to this place and I was alone. My friend gave me the best advice that was so simple.
ASK QUESTIONS
If they don't speak the language, usually they can direct you to someone who can. Authority, such as police, hospitals, churches might seem intimidating but if you need help they are there. Local shop owners or hotel staff know their towns and are usually more than willing to help you out as well with directions or advice.

Apps:

Skyscanner is a free app and it searches for the cheapest flights. A great place to start looking for flights. When you fly RyanAir, they ask you always print out your boarding pass. If you don't, you'll pay the at airport for them to do it for you.. 

Viber/WhatsApp-  I would recommend downloading both before you get here because they require a text message confirmation. People use both and it's better to have them just in case.

Uber- Uber is huge here! Way way better than taxis and usually cheaper!

Hola- For your computer. This download allows you to search the web and use Netflix and YouTube as if you were still in the United States! 

Translate- This one is obvious. If you don't speak the language, its a life saver.

CityWalk- I found this one in Greece. They have both free ones and ones you can buy premium for around 3 euro. Its an app with self guided tours in cities all over Europe that doesn't use data! Cool!

When you exchange your money, do it at the airport. Also try to exchange all of it at once. There is usually a fee and you'll get the best deal this way. Everyone mostly uses cash, and ATM's aren't hard to find. I would make sure you know what your bank's policy is for taking out cash overseas so you aren't hit with crazy fees! On that note, notify your bank you're traveling so they don't think your info has been stolen!

Try to figure out the metro/bus system wherever you are. So much cheaper and probably faster!
However, BE AWARE OF BEING PICKPOCKETED. It is a huge problem. I had my wallet stolen so I know first hand. Wear your backpacks on the front of you and make sure your wallet is in your front pockets as well. Also keep your phone in your hand or in your sight at all times.

Spain, Greece and Italy all use the same shaped plugs.

Phones & Data
I kept my smart phone and bought a SIM card from a phone store here called Wind. It's alright for within Italy but I haven't been able to activate it internationally. My friends have been able to though, so I'm not sure if it is just my phone with issues..  Vodafone has stores every country I've been to so that might be another option.
I know T-Mobile has a GREAT international plan so if you can, check into that. 

If you're only staying for a few weeks to a month, I think getting an international plan through your company on your existing phone would be the best and cheapest option, it's not fun to have 0 data in a foreign country...


If anyone wants recommendations in other countries, I've been to:
Italy (obviously)- Rome, Lake Como, Milan, Florence, Naples & Calabria
Great Britain- London
Spain- Barcelona, Valencia & Seville
Greece- Santorini

Buy experiences not things!

Be smart. Think logically.Safe travels. Have fun!
  

San Giovanni In Fiore

After returning from Spain and before leaving for San Giovanni in Fiori for Easter, I had the opportunity to go see Il Papa again! I went with two friends here in my program and watched him come through all the crowds through his pope-mobile! Honestly, I still pinch myself that this is my reality for another month or so, I can go to the Vatican any day I want to see the Pope.. crazy!
But the next day I left for San Giovanni!
I arrived in Crotone on Thursday (4/2) and was met by my cugina (cousin) Altea and zio (uncle) Franco at the airport! I was a little nervous, because the last time I saw them I was around 12. But they were instantly welcoming and wonderful :) When I first saw Gianclaudio I was in shock! He is only 14 and already taller than I was! Haha a huge change from the last time I saw him!
That day we just hung out at the house at first and had lunch with Gino and Mariuch! Then they drove me around to show me the town and then I went to watch Altea's volleyball practice.
The next day they took me to the cemetery where my grandma's family is buried and then they showed me the house my grandma grew up in! It was all so surreal and a little overwhelming to be there without her or my parents because I know they would love to be able to come back. We went and got our nails done, and then that night while Altea was at her volleyball practice, I went with her friends to a birthday party! It was kind of nerve racking to go without her but everyone was very friendly and was so interested in my life that I wasn't nervous for long. Everyone wanted to know about me but only knew a little English, I'm sure it was funny to watch them ask questions in Italian and me answering in English! That night the family and I went to dinner and then Altea and I went to watch a reenactment of the Passion of the Christ in the center of town. It was beautiful!
Saturday we hung out at home and then Altea and I went out with her friends to La Prima, a popular street where the young people of the town go out before and after aperitivo. I was surprised though at how many people smoke! Everyone was smoking! (Not gonna lie, I was concerned about second hand smoke lung cancer..lol) But it was so much fun meeting all of her friends.
Easter Sunday was very casual, we stayed in our pajamas while we ate our Easter lunch- antipasta, lasagna, lamb-cooked two different ways, fish, fruit and dessert. SO MUCH GOOD FOOD! They were so nice and got me a necklace that is popular in southern Italy and Mariuch got me a beautiful crystal necklace too! I also got a hugeee Kinder chocolate egg with a surprise inside!

Overall the weekend was amazing and I am so happy I was able to spend time with them! Tiziana made me feel so at home, she took such good care of me! It was so nice to be around family when I haven't been for so long. Even after only 5 days I feel so close with them and I hope I'll have the chance to go back soon!  <3

Spring Break 2015 -- Spain!

The first leg of our spring break consisted of Barcelona! Woo! Finally I was in my element! I love the Spanish culture- music, fashion and food! And I would finally be able to really understand, speak and read the language for the first time! (or so I thought)-- I didn't realize that Catalan is the primary language there.. with Spanish as the second. All of the street signs were in Catalan and the locals all spoke Catalan. I thought it was a weird mix of French and Spanish.. haha so that took getting used to. Anywayy..
We got to Barcelona on Thursday morning (3/26) and met a lady to give us the keys to our AirBnB apartment. It was right in the center of Barcelona very near the main street La Rambla. We set our stuff down and went exploring! We found the famous La Rambla market right down the street. It was huge! Stall after stall of fresh fruit and zuma (juice) which we bought every morning for breakfast. There were also so many fresh meat, vegetables, nuts and seriously everything else you could think of. There were also stalls with fresh empanadas. OMG. These are one of my favorite things about Spain I think. They stuff the empanadas full of everything you could think of and every single one I tried was delicious. We walked around more of downtown Barcelona and then made our way down to the Sagrada Familia. This church was INCREDIBLE. This is my favorite church out of every one that I've seen (which is saying something, living in Rome..) The architecture on the outside alone is amazing. We got to the Sagrada Familia around 4pm which was the perfect time because the sun was shining so brilliantly through the colorful stained glass windows making the inside look so magical!

At one point after walking around, I sat down in a pew and tried to take it all in. So beautiful.

After visiting the Sagrada, we headed home and got ready for dinner. We walked down the main shopping street at night which was all lit up and walked past the Gaudi Casa Batllo. Another gorgeous building built by Gaudi. For dinner we went to La Rita which was amazing- definitely recommend!The next day we woke up and went to the market again for our zuma! We spent most of the day at Park Güell which was incredible! We explored the Gaudi house and then waited for the park to open for free to the public. While we were waiting, we hiked up to the top of Colina de las Tres Cruces (Hill of the Three Crosses)  and we had a beautiful view of all of Barcelona! Finally the park opened at 6:15 and we literally ran for a spot on the bench that still had a teeny patch of sunlight. It was pretty funny to see three girls sprinting across the overlook but we got our pictures!

The park was beautiful! 

Our final day in Barcelona we decided to hit up the beaches! After a nice walk down La Rambla, we ended up at the water and it was gorgeous. The sky didn't have one cloud and the water was bright blue! We couldn't wait to hit the sand. On the boardwalk nearby there were tables of old men playing dominoes (they were precious). We spent the rest of the day on the beach, we got burned, but it was a great day. At night we walked by a group of musicians playing and dance students dancing in a square and eventually all of the people watching -young and old- joined in and it became a huge dance mob- authentic Spanish style. Next is the saddest part of my trip because unfortunately my wallet was stolen which was very very stressful and irritating. I was able to get emergency money from a branch of my study abroad program in Barcelona to last me the rest of my trip. So Barca didn't end on a good note, but the majority of it was fun :)

The next morning we caught a train to Valencia! I was so excited for Valencia as well because it was south (aka nice and warm) also because Rachel is studying here in May! So it was cool to get a tiny glimpse of where she’ll be living for 2 months this summer! Our hotel was right in Old Town Valencia and it was so beautiful! The architecture of the old buildings is so cool and very different than Rome! It reminded me a lot of Pirates of the Caribbean for some reason, with the French-like style and the palm trees… haha I don’t know. It was Palm Sunday that day and everyone was dressed in church attire and had their palms!

Unfortunately we weren’t able to make a mass. We went to the beach and explored the shopping district a little at night. The next day we started chocolate and churros!! So delicious! We were served a plate of churros and a whole coffee mug full of melted chocolate! After being sent into a sugar coma we went to the Cathedral – where the Holy Grail is kept! From there we decided to walk all the way to the beach via the Rio Turia—a dried up river bed converted into a huge park! It was very cool the way the city incorporated it into a green space for outdoor activities! We also walked by the City of Arts and Sciences the really cool outer space-looking building! We eventually made it to the beach where we found many women tanning topless. A bit of a culture shock but nothing we couldn’t get over haha (we couldn’t say the same for the American boys laying next to us..)

Overall I LOVED SPAIN! Thankfully I’m headed back in a few weeks to go to Sevilla! 

Pope's blessing, London, and FLYING!

Its getting progressively more difficult to stay on top of the blogging now that classes are in full swing and I'm traveling every weekend, so here is the highlights of the past 3 weeks!

Three weeks ago now, I had the privilege of going to the Vatican and standing in St. Peter's Square as the Pope gave his weekly Papal Angelus, or blessing. The square was packed full of people from all over the world, waving flags of their home countries. When he came out of the window, the crowd erupted with noise and joy for the Pope. At the beginning of his speech he welcomed everyone and when he didn't receive the response he wanted when he asked how we were, we asked again jokingly like a teacher does when talking to a class, which was pretty funny. He acknowledged each group present in the crowds, Brazilians, Argentinians, Grecians, Spaniards and more. He spoke of loving our neighbors and letting God into each situation and part of our lives. He spoke about the threats from Isis and other terrorist groups as well as other goings on in the world. He moved into the blessing and he closed the speech with "Have a blessed Sunday, now go home and eat lunch!" Haha he was very light hearted and joking which was great to see and experience. He spoke slowly enough in Italian where I could understand much of what he said which was awesome! At one point during the blessing I became aware of what exactly I was witnessing. I was watching the Pope, in person, bless ME and hundreds of other people. Not everyone gets this opportunity and I was so moved by that feeling, is is something I will never ever forget.

The next weekend, I WENT TO LONDON!! We stayed in this cute little neighborhood called Paddington, right off the tube stops. First of all, THE TUBE is incredibly complex and confusing. Compared to Rome, which has 2 metro lines, London had at least 6 different lines that go every which way. But we figured everything out eventually. We arrived Thursday night around 11pm but no restaurants were open! So we went to subway for dinner, which was actually great because it tasted just like home haha.  Friday morning was one of the best days of my life- I WENT TO THE STUDIO WHERE HARRY POTTER WAS FILMED. Words can't describe my excitement walking through the ACTUAL doors of the Great Hall to a huge backlot full of real props and sets from all 8 movies. I was in heaven and I won't be able to watch the movies the same. I may or may not have started tearing up leaving the studio because I didn't want to leave. But it was a self guided tour so we took our time and saw everything. One staff member said the record for the longest tour was 13 hours!! I loved each and every second of it! (If you haven't seen my pics from Facebook, GO LOOK, it was epic)

Later that day, we ventured over to the London eye. We actually ran into a group of kids on our program there which was pretty funny. We were in line to get tickets for the eye when we spontaneously decided to upgrade ourselves to the champagne experience haha! So the four of us got our own little pod (when the normal pod was packed with around 20 people) and our own personal champagne 'pourer' / person to point out things / photographer! The view was INCREDIBLE from the top of the eye, especially just as the sun was setting. We got dinner that night at a local pub and I had a hamburger which was great, I've been missing them! 

The next day we did everything else in London, we saw the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace! The royal band was playing a Michael Jackson medley which was very unexpected but funny and showed they had a bit of a sense of humor. We got lunch at CHIPOTLE!! AH it was so great! We also saw Picidilly circus, Harrods, The Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, Kensington Palace and had a nice stroll through Hyde Park at sunset. The last stop that night was Kings Cross Station! Of course, where platform 9 3/4 is! There was a huge line to take pictures with the trolley half inside the wall, but it was worth it!!

The next morning before leaving, we visited Abbey Road. It was a bit hard to get to and the traffic was actually pretty heavy (making it difficult to get a good picture and not get ran over!) and there were of course other tourists doing the exact same thing. I think it took us an hour to get pictures we were happy with haha. Our very last stop was Westminster Abbey. Unfortunately, it was closed to tourists on Sunday, so we stayed outside and snapped a few pictures, including the classic telephone booth pic with Big Ben in the background. After that we headed to the airport!

 All in all, it was a crazy fun, unforgettable trip!!  

Alright, I'm pretty much up to date here. Friday we hung out here in Rome. We got dinner at one of the best pizza places in Rome, Dar Poeta! OMG it was great. I had a mushroom, sausage, and cheese pizza. My mouth is watering thinking about it. 

Saturday, was one of the highest points of my trip (pun intended). I WENT PARAGLIDING OVER LAKE COMO.  It was a solo trip which made me nervous but it ended up going great. I left Rome at 7 am and took the 3 hour train to Milan. From there, I took another train to Lake Como. It was a bit cloudy and I wasn't sure I would be able to fly that day. But even in the clouds, the lake was gorgeous with the mountains cradling it, dotted with little villages everywhere. The guy from the company met me at the train station and got me a cappuccino while we waited for his co-worker to report on the conditions from the take-off point. After much back and forth, we decided we would at least try! So, we drove up the winding and VERY steep road up one of the mountains to the take off point. We met his buddy at a local restaurant across from the point and decided to go for it. The family who own the restaurant came out to greet us and to watch us take off! (Side note: The bar was called Viking and the dad had on shorts and wooden cloggs.. not important but very funny). 

It all happened so fast! I got into my harness as he set out the parachute and he clipped our harnesses together and said "When I say walk, you walk. When I say run, you run. Okay?" and we took off! I maybe got four steps in before I was no longer touching the ground and we were in the air. I JUST WALKED OFF A CLIFF! It was a crazy incredible experience to fly. We were around 1200 meters in the air and the scenery was breathtaking. It would have been better had there been sun, but I was in awe of the beauty of it all even in the clouds. After about 10 minutes he told me to hang on and we'd be doing acrobatics! Of course I said yes! We tilted from side to side in huge swoops and then all of a sudden we started spiraling into a nose dive about 100 kmh (or around 65 mph). 

We straightened out and landed softly and without issues next to the lake at the bottom of the mountain. I was actually very proud of myself I didn't chicken out and I would do it again in a heart beat! 

Next week I'm headed to Venice! Woo!

Its been a crazy few weeks

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been so busy with class (yes actual real classes) and exploring more of Rome. Since we traveled to Florence, a lot has happened. That next weekend, we chose to stay around Rome and explore a bit. Thursday, I went to my first professional European soccer game!! It was AS Roma vs Parma. From what I understood, Parma is one of the worst in the league so Roma should have won.. but it ended in a 0-0 tie. The Roma fans afterward were SO mad they were yelling and screaming at the players! It was crazy!The Roma Roma Roma Anthem!  Start the video at the 1:00 mark and that is the anthem of AS Roma. The entire stadium sang it together, it was definitely an awesome experience (of course I got one of the scarves).

The next day we went exploring and walked up the Aventine hill to the gate of the Knights of Malta. The keyhole in the gate that opens into the headquarters of the Knights of Malta has a perfect view of St. Peters Basilica. (Yes, I took this picture, it's not fake!)

 Next we explored Villa Borghese. I was beyond excited to walk the ground of the Borghese Pope and his family. After learning so much about him, his family, the scandals and drama involved during his time as Pope in the 1400s in a documentary I watched before coming here, I was pretty psyched I was able to walk where he did. We weren't able to go inside the Villa, but the grounds were gorgeous and so extensive! It was a beautiful Valentine's Day and we saw a proposal and a few minutes later we saw wedding photos being taken!
That weekend we also went to one of the most popular open markets in Rome, called Porta Portese. It seemed like it went on forever! There was a mix of clothes, jewelry, furniture and everything in between. All of the vendors would yell at you as you walked by, which got a little annoying but it was a cool experience.

The next weekend, one of my classes, called Communications and Social Transformations had a field study in Milan! We left Friday morning very early and took a 3 hour train ride north to Milan. We went straight to a Public Service Studio called Rai, and we watched a taping of an episode of a show called TV Talk. We got to go behind the scenes of the studio and they explained a lot of how everything works. From there, we went straight to a Rai radio studio in the same building. There, we were able to sit in the radio studio while they were live on air! It was a very cool experience, and I found I actually understood about 75% of what they were saying! That night our professors took us out to eat, which was delicious, then we all went out to a bar and got to relax. The next day, we woke up early and we found a bagel shop!! It was heaven! I didn't realize how much I missed bagels and cream cheese haha. We then went up to the top of the Duomo, which was beautiful, even in the rain. After, we stopped by another radio studio, a local one called Radio Populare, which was more of a smaller community radio station. We got on the train home later that afternoon!  That night back in Rome, my roommates and I somehow managed to get into a fancy private club without being on any guest lists and had a blast!

It's been a crazy awesome few weeks!
Below: Duomo in Milan in the Rain

Firenze!

Everyone I've talked to in my program so far has had a "Wow, I'm in Italy, this is incredible" moment, either in San Paulo Basilica, overlooking the old city from the Aventine hill at night, or visiting the Vatican. I finally had my moment this past weekend in Florence. But I'll recount our adventures chronologically first and get to that part later.

Our group consisted of 3 of my roommates and 2 other girls from our program. Our train had been delayed by 2 hours leaving Rome, so we sat and enjoyed some drinks at the train station. We finally left Rome at 10:30 pm and arrived in Florence around midnight. We knew our hostel was only ten minutes walking distance, so we weren't too worried. However, walking into the hostel was a different story. It was pretty dingy, VERY smelly, and tiny. That night was pretty rough, and  I actually slept with my coat over my head because the smell was horrible! Thankfully, my roommate Katie told her mom about it that night and by the morning her mom had booked us a new hotel for the following night. The next morning we packed up our stuff and left around 9 am to check into the new hotel. After putting our stuff in our new room, we headed out to explore the city. 

First, we visited the Duomo. We went all the way to the top, 432 steps! And obviously the views were amazing! After taking a multitude of pictures with everyone, we made our way back down, and decided to go to see the Ponte Vecchio, the picturesque bridge full of little shops. They were mostly very expensive jewelry shops :( but it reminded me of something out of beauty and the beast, or a little quaint town in France.. just a very cool and unique place! We decided to walk to Piazza di Michaelangelo, a square that overlooks Florence in its entirety. We climbed up a series of steps that had the stations of the cross along side with the Tuscany countryside in the background. 

These steps led us to the square up on the hill, and this was when I had my "Oh my gosh, I'm living in Italy. I'm living in this beautiful and historic place" moment. I was absolutely in awe of the view.

 I can't even appropriately describe how breathtaking it was, to see the elegant and timeless countryside existing right next to the city of Florence, with its orange rooftops cramped together and gathered around the Duomo and the surrounding cathedrals. It was something I had only seen in pictures, and I knew I was very blessed to have the opportunity to visit the historic and magnificent city and take it all in for myself. It was a truly humbling experience, one that I will absolutely never forget. 

After being blown away by the view, we made our way back down the hill, and decided to climb the tower right next to the Duomo. This tower had 416 steps and we felt every single one. It was a pretty rough climb (we're all extremely out of shape given all the pasta consumed so far) but we made it! It was so windy up there, we didn't stay too long. Just enough for a few more pictures. After that, we were pretty burnt out so we headed back to the hotel and picked a place for dinner. We went to a place right on the river which had a great view of the Ponte Vecchio, needless to say it was full of carbs and chianti which were both GREAT.  That night, we explored a few local clubs where the students go and had a lot of fun all together!

The next day, we visited the local leather markets and vendors and explored some backstreets before visiting the David. The detail and the size of the statue was incredible, I still can't believe how he created that! It was so impressive! We got lunch at Gusta Pizza near the river and it was the best pizza I've had so far, HANDS DOWN.  Holy moly it was delicious, I highly recommend it!

All in all, my step counter said we walked over 20 miles on Saturday. My calves are still burning from all the stairs (~1700 steps in total). It was an exhausting, but very fun and amazing weekend. We ended up getting back to our apartment in Garbatella around 10 pm.  

Today after Italian class, I had my At Home in Rome class, which is a culture & history class about the city of Rome. It is basically a 3 hour block every week touring the city with our own tour guide     ( aka professor K. ). She is an amazing story teller and I've already learned so much history about the city. We went to so many places! We went to the Vittoriano, also known as the wedding cake because of its appearance, to Piazza Navona which was featured in Angels and Demons, which has the fountain where a cardinal was almost drowned. However, the fountain isn't that deep and it couldn't have happened.. haha. We saw Piazza Fornese and Piazza Argentina. That is where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death! Finally we saw the Pantheon. Did you know that the Pantheon currently standing is the 2nd version built in 118 a.d because the first was destroyed? Me either! 

I swear, I learn more in a 3 hour span on a tour of the city, than I would in a month in a classroom back in Michigan. 

I love this place more and more every day. 

Although, it would be nice to understand the language and be able to efficiently communicate with locals. I can't wait to go to Spain and finally be in my element with the language and my love of Spanish music. Hopefully I'll make it there soon!

Buonanotte!