Fireworks over the Papal Palace

I arrived this evening just in time to witness Viterbo with a makeover! Flowers lined the streets of the usual grey medieval area for San Pellegrino In Fiore. (It’s kind of like a celebration of spring when flowers are put out and many are for sale) Vendors were set up, people were out and about and many shops were open! This is very rare for a Sunday here. (Usually the town shuts down on Sundays). I grabbed my camera and took a walk inside the walls. After getting gelato from my favorite place I walked through the crowd and took in all the color as the sun was setting.

I ended up at the Papal Palace were the crowds were congregating. I found out that there was to be a fireworks show…so instead of returning to my room to study for finals, I stayed for the fireworks! And they were amazing! It was such a great way to spend my last Sunday evening here. I’m going to miss this enchanting place!

Croatia!!!

Just a while ago I visited a country that I had honestly never heard of until coming to Europe. Croatia is becoming a hot spot for tourists here in Europe, but I was lucky enough to travel there before it becomes more touristy.

We took an overnight ferry from Ancona, Italy to Split, Croatia. It was quite nice, but the ferry was rocking. Sleep didn’t come easy that night. Our first sight of Croatia was the beautiful clear blue water…and rain! All morning in Split it rained! I packed an umbrella, but my two traveling buddies didn’t. So after they bought some we were able to walk around. The Diocletian’s Palace was great with its walls, ruins and underground mazes. That afternoon we took a ferry to Brac Island. I got an amazing view of the mainland and the large island. After docking we walked through the small town of Supetar. It was so picturesque and quite there! Some of the old houses were a little run down but had so much character! Later we played on the pebble beach. I have never seen anything like this! The water was blue, teal, clear and so beautiful! For lunch I had a tuna steak while overlooking the ocean.

The next day was a long one, but wonderful nonetheless. I woke up at 4am to be ready to catch the 6am bus to the Plitvice Lakes National Park. The bus ride was 6 hours!...but the view was awesome as we rode along the coast for a long time. Upon arriving (we really didn’t know what stop to get off at) I found out that we were a 4km walk from the place we were staying. Luckily the guy who we are renting a room from was able to get us. He was a nice old man…but his place was only worth the 15 euros we paid. That afternoon we went out for our adventure at the lakes. We spent about 6 hours just walking along the paths at the lakes. A bus took us to the top lake and we started walking from there. The path was mainly wood planks that weaved through countless waterfalls of numerous sizes. The lakes they filled were blue, green and teal. The nature here was so beautiful and peaceful. I absolutely loved it here! At some points the small waterfalls overflowed onto the walkway. I climbed many steps to peak into a cave and to get a bird’s eye view of the lakes.

The next morning the nice old man made us breakfast and took us to the bus stop. After another 6 hour bus ride we were back in Split for the evening. We ate a nice dinner (7.2 kuna = 1 euro) and finished in time to catch our over night ferry back.

I really like this country and all it’s diversities!

French Switzerland…and France!

How can I be so fortunate to visit so many beautiful places?! True beauty is what I found in Switzerland. My friend here, Casey, had a friend living in Geneva and she invited me to go with her to visit! On the flight there we went over the island of Sardegna and the snow topped Alps. Erin, Casey’s friend, lived in the dorms and we were able to stay with her for about $8 a night. This is very cheap for Swizerland! The first night we got to eat fondue out on Lac Leman. It was so good!

Erin had class our first day there so I got to see a friend from K-State in Lyon, France. It was an expensive 2 hour train ride there, but way worth it. The scenery paid for the trip! Lyon was a very nice city and I had a great time with my friend. She is practically fluent in French and had been to Lyon numerous times, so we had a stress free day. We sat for a long time on these Roman ruins there taking in the sun and catching up.

The next day we traveled to nearby Montreux also on Lac Leman. This is one of the most beautiful places I have been. The lake was so clear and the snow-capped mountains around just set a wonderful scenery. The air there was so clean…it’s like I could smell the clean. (True mountain fresh scent!) Flowers were in bloom around the lake and there were also palm trees. We ate a picnic lunch out on a doc and were visited by one of the many swans. Later we took a nice long stroll along the lake to visit Chateau de Chillon, a palace that sits right on the water. It was like a true castle with a moat, prison chambers, and a weapons room. On the walk back we stopped to look at some of the characters of the move Ice Age that were created from some sort of tree branches. We had some amazing ice cream on the wait for the train. It gives me hope that there is life after gelato.

The last day there we just walked around Geneva and enjoyed the nice clean city. On the lake is Jet d’Eau, Europe’s highest fountain! Also there we enjoyed Swiss hot cocoas and watched the swans. I also spent too much money on Swiss chocolate. I bought some to bring home…and it is actually still here!

South of Italy

Just two weeks ago I traveled with the program group to southern Italy. It was my first time to be in this area and I could definitely tell a difference. The first stop was in Naples (Napoli). The crime rate is higher here, so we were strictly instructed to be aware of our belongings and to not draw attention to ourselves (well, try our best…we do look like foreigners no matter what we do). We got a tour of Palazzo Reale there. It had fancy rooms, paintings and statues. Also we had some free time for lunch to try out the original pizza! I definitely had the best pizza in Italy here. The bread was thicker and the sauce and mozzarella cheese was so yummy!

During our long weekend trip we stayed near the coast in Sorrento. Our hotel restaurant overlooked the ocean and we got a great view of Mt. Vesuvius. Outside my window was the area where they grew lemons and oranges; the ones they gave us to eat. Lemons, and other citrus fruits, are prevalent here. The lemons were huge and some were bigger than coconuts! It was common to see every area of land being used to grow something. If a house had a small extra area, something was being grown there. The area here has a very Mediterranean feel.

The next day we went to visit the ruins of Pompeii. It was so sunny and warm! The ruins were awesome to walk through. They are still excavating. It was built in 9-8th century B.C. There were remains of a forum, houses, market areas, fast food places of the time, and theaters. The people in the city didn’t know that Mt. Vesuvius was a volcano until 79 A.D. when Vesuvius erupted covering the town with meters of ash within a few hours. That afternoon I went with a smaller group to climb the only active volcano on mainland Europe. The bus actually took us up a good part of the way, but it still was a workout walking up the sand-like steep mountain. I had a blast up there! The view was great and the volcano was fun to play around on!

Day 3 brought on a beautiful drive along the Amalfi Coast. I’ve never seen anything like this. It was completely picturesque. The cliffs were beautiful with the blue-clear water crashing into the coast. I honestly don’t thing I can describe it with justice! The windy, vespa sized road showed us charming white housed built into the cliffs. In Amalfi we visited a church and got some more free time to explore. The streets here were typical to many Italian towns and were small with lots of character. Colorful clothes were hanging from the windows and people had small lemon and fruit stands. Here I ate a seafood lunch and had swordfish and mussels. (very good!) I got to play in the crystal clear ocean for a little bit and see the cliffs up close. That evening a few friends and I watched the sunset over the coast in Sorrento.

On our way home the last day we stopped in Caserta to see La Reggia “The Versailles of Naples.” It was very similar to Versailles in France. The rooms were elegant and the gardens were beautiful too. It took a good 40 minutes to walk from the palace to the end of the gardens. Along the way were fountains and pools filled with fish. It was a very open area with plenty of grassy areas to rest in.

Southern Italy is a beautiful area and is a place I would love to go back too. I didn’t get to visit Capri or Ischia so maybe that will be on the itinerary for next time!

Studio Art

It’s been three years since I’ve taken an art class…so, when there was an opportunity to take one here in ITALY I took it! This has become one of my favorite classes and I quickly realized how much I missed making art. We meet once a week for a couple of hours. Our teacher, Ferdinando, doesn’t know much English, but with the little bit he knows and the little bit we know of Italian, it works! The class started out with doing sketches. We went through more classic styles and ended the semester with contemporary art. We were studying frescos and got to paint landscapes with eggs and natural pigment. (We used coal for black). A few weeks ago we painted to music for contemporary pieces.

Some of my favorite classes are when we traveled around different parts of Viterbo to sketch or paint. Near the large open area of Piazza del Commune is a palace with many rooms of frescos that tell the stories of Viterbo and this area. I sketched faces of the people in the paintings here. We also made water color paintings in a park near the walls and sketched buildings that date back to medieval times.

Ferdinando is such a great teacher and his broken English just makes the class so much more fun! He invited our class out to dinner our last week here.

Austria

This was our last country to see on our 10 day adventure. After a night in Prague we caught a morning train to Salzburg. (fun fact: Salz means salt) The scenery was picturesque with the mountains, small houses and green hills. I ate breakfast in the dinning car and it was fun (I had never done that before)! Soon upon arriving in Salzburg we went on the Sound of Music tour. Honestly I couldn’t remember the story, but the tour description said we would get to see Salzburg and travel to the lakes and mountains. Our tour guide was eccentric and fun and excited to show us all the places from the film. There is a beautiful lake practically in Salzburg and from there we got a great view of the white fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg) high on a hill. On the tour we got to go into the Alps and stopped at a glacial lake with snow capped mountains in the background. What a picture opportunity! Music from the movie was played on the bus. From there we stopped the little town of Mondsee. This is where they filmed the wedding scene. It was a very small town near a lake and at the foot of some mountains. Here I got warm apple strudel with vanilla sauce and vanilla ice cream! (Austria uses the euro and is a pretty expensive place.)

Once we got back to Salzburg we walked around the Mirabell Gardens and passed Mozart’s residence. Salzburg is a small town of 100,000 or so, but sees a population of 300,000 during tourist season. It was a beautiful town and I liked just wandering around. We ate at Seran (recommended by Rick Steeves) and I had apple strudel again.

The next day we went to the Mozart museum. It was very nice and being a piano player I enjoyed it very much! The rest of the morning was spent enjoying the beauty of this area. We left for Vienna that afternoon. Once again the scenery from the train was wonderful! Vienna is a big city with wide open streets. It’s very clean and green. There are many museums and things to see. The next day (the last full day of spring break) was a full day. We walked to the palace of the Hapsburg family. It was very similar to Versailles in France. It was neat to see the place where Marie Antoinette came from after seeing Versailles. I really enjoyed the tour of the palace and the gardens were nice. It was a beautiful day and I could finally be comfortable without a jacket.

I went to Albertina art museum to see a Picasso and Monet exhibit. I liked the change from the renaissance art I’ve been used to in Italy. After that we rented biked to travel around the ring. Vienna’s older part is encircled by two rings of roads and trees. The bike ride was a great way to see Vienna. We rode through a park and saw a carnival. That evening we ate at a restaurant called Centimeter. Many things are sold by measurement! (sandwiches are sold by the cm) We ate typical Austrian cuisine. Three of use split a “Wheel Barrel of Garbage” that had meat, wiener snizel, 3 types of dumplings and fries. It actually came in a mini wheel barrel! It was hard to believe that spring break was over, but I was excited to get back to Viterbo…living out of a backpack is not easy!

Czech Republic: Prague and Plzen.

We took another night train to get to Prague, and instead of getting off at the train station 10 minutes walk to hour hotel, we had a 45 minute walk. Very tiring with a backpack full of stuff! It was a pretty morning there and the view from the bridge crossing the river was perfect. Soon after arriving we went to the close train station to go to Plzen brewery (about 2 hours train ride from Prague). This was a cute community and a very nice tour. We got to taste the famous Pilsen Urquell right out of the barrel.

That evening we were quite tired so we just went to dinner. I tried a typical Czech dish of roasted pork, bohemian dumplings (knedliky) and sauerkraut. It was all very good! The sauerkraut was sweeter than I’m used to. (16 korun = $1) The food in this area is so good!

Sadly we had only one full day in Prague. There is a lot to see here but we made a few choices and saw what we could. Prague is a very beautiful city. The buildings are colorful and the river just makes if wonderful. I have found that cities with rivers are my favorite. There is just something about it that adds extra character. We walked up the river and got a good view of St. Charles Bridge. It’s the most elaborate bridge in Prague and connects the Prague Castle to the old town area. I really liked the old town. It is characterized by windy streets and many shops. There are eight towers in this area. Staromestske Radnice (Old Town Hall) has a cool astronomical clock and we were able to climb the bell tower. From there we got a great view of the main square and the market going on there. It seems that we hit what we like to call “March Market Madness.” I ate fair food there and had yummy roasted pork and beef goulash.

We crossed a bridge to make our way to the castle. Prague has many gardens and we walked though just one of them. The castle area was again like a mini town with restaurants, a church, and many shops…a very pretty area! I bought some hand made wool mittens here! On our way back to the St. Charles Bridge we stopped at a Starbucks. It was nice to be in a coffee shop where I could sit without a fee (like in Italy)! St. Charles Bridge was bustling with tourists, artists and others selling various items. It was cool to look at the art, but I wish it wasn’t so polluted with people. We spent the rest of the afternoon looking at shops and wandering around. I had another great supper. I ate pork again with a creamy mushroom sauce along with some sliced potatoes baked with bacon, cheese and onions. This is arguably one of my favorite meals over spring break.

I would definitely enjoy visiting Prague again!

Krakow, Poland

City number two for spring break was Krakow, Poland. Being the hard core back packers, we arrived in Krakow at 6:30 am from the previous night train, found our hostel, changed clothes and left for the 8:00 am tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. The bus there played a video about the liberation of the camp and it honestly made me question if I wanted to go through with the tour…because of the gruesomeness of it all. We pulled up to Auschwitz 1 and started the tour. It was a dreary rainy cold day which gave the site an even more eerie feel. We passed through the gate that reads “Arbeit Macht Frei” (work will set you free). The long brick barracks are now a home for the museum that holds pictures, diagrams, maps, etc., that explain what happened to the more than 1 million people that died in the Auschwitz camps. One building held mounds of uncountable pairs of shoes, eye glasses, suitcases, hair brushes, and other common items that were taken from the victims when put in the camps. Auschwitz 1 was not how I had pictured the camp. The brick buildings and insides were in better condition that I had imagined, with the exception of the punishment cells. Next we traveled to Auschwitz-Birkenau which is a much larger camp that was built later when the Nazis built a more horrifyingly “efficient” way of killing. The feel of this place is indescribable. There are rows and rows of wooden building with wooden bunk beds. Also there are the remains of the crematoria and gas chambers. The condition of this camp was much worse than Auschwitz 1. The train tracks laid there that brought so many people to the camp had a ghostly feel. As hard as it was to see this I am very glad I did.

That afternoon, my friend Athena and I went to Wieliczka to venture into the salt mines. To my surprise the mines seemed like a small village made of salt! Everything was of salt and our guide said it was very good air to breathe in the mines. Statues, walls, floors, and a chapel were all made of salt!! It was a fun place to visit after a somber morning.

Krakow has a small town feel, especially in Old Town. It was very cute and had lots of character. The Wawel Castel was enormous and sat on a hill. The entrance to the chapel was marked with “dragon bones.” It was cold in Krakow too while we were there. It snowed. Twice.

Food in Poland is some of the best I’ve had on my trip!!! When we asked a local what time we should eat (typical meal times), he said anytime! They eat breakfast, dinner at 4pm, supper from 7 to around 9 or so, and snacks in between. I knew I would like this country! Bagels began in Poland. Bagelmama had magnificent bagels with homemade cream cheese. I ate my first pierogi, Polish dumplings, and enjoyed them very much! The potato soup I had had a drop of mashed potatoes and was delightful! One place we ate at offered cow tongue so I had to try their style. Not as good as mom or dad does it, but tasty nonetheless. I had 3 courses and a drink for less than $10. I like how cheap Eastern Europe can be. ($1 = 2,25 zloty)

Buda + Pest = Budapest, Hungary

This was our first stay for the spring break adventure. This city reminded me of a cleaner Paris and was definitely a beautiful city! Buda (west of the Danube River) and Pest (east side) were joined in 1872 to become Budapest. Hungary isn’t using the euro yet, so I got to try out some new currency. About 160 forint = $1.

The first morning we went to Grand Market Hall that had two floors and 2 ½ acres of stalls for venders. I spent a good chunk of the morning just looking at the never ending rows of fruit, vegetable and meat stands and moved up to the top floor to look for souvenirs. For breakfast there I ate a round piece of fried bread with strawberry marmalade topped with powdered sugar. By this point I decided I definitely liked the food of Eastern Europe.

The morning was cold and rainy, but since we had a limited time here we decided to walk around anyway. We crossed the river to the Buda side to Varhegy (Castle Hill). From the height I got a great view of the river, unique bridges and the massive Parliament building on the Pest side. The castle area was quite a beauty and the streets were colorful and quiet. Underneath all this are the Castle Labyrinths. I’m not sure of the purpose of the underground tunnels, but it was fun to walk through. The lights were dim and there were themed rooms and statues. The Labyrinth of Courage consisted of a completely dark room with only a “thread” to guide you. I hesitantly went in to prove my courage…but only with the stipulation that my friend had to let me hang on to her. I don’t like the dark!

The rest of the day was spent wandering the streets and walking through a market near the town center. We think this market was an Easter celebration. It was open all day and throughout the night selling various items and food. The night view of the river was wonderful.

The next day (our last day there and Easter Sunday) proved to be a quiet morning. After an omelet breakfast we went to the House of Terror museum. The museum sits on 60 Andrassy and held prisoners of the Nazi and Soviet regimes. It was a documented memorialized the lives lost there and what the country went through during this time. It was a very moving and informative museum. That afternoon, we went to the famous baths that have been operating since 1565! The thermal pool was a great way to relax. Old men there were playing chess in the baths!
That evening we hung out at the market area again and caught a night train. (We each got a bed! Great sleep!)

Bratislava, Slovakia

As I was planning to travel Europe, Bratislava was not a place that came to mind. A group of 4 of us chose to travel Eastern Europe for our spring break and Bratislava is where we decided to fly into. I only spent a few hours here and around the train station was not the best place to get a feel for the city. It was actually pretty dark and depressing there, but I have seen pictures of the town center and it’s quite nice. They have a bridge with a UFO looking thing and it has a rotating restaurant in it. (It’s supposed to give a great view of the city and the surrounding countries.)

This city gave us our first taste of Eastern Europe. We ate a good meal for very cheap. I ordered broccoli soup and it was so tasty!!! The chicken and rice that accompanied it wasn’t anything special, but it got me looking forward to the change from a pasta and pizza diet.

I had purchased a travel backpack for 10 euro in Florence and…well…it was worth 10 euro. My backpack was already falling apart by the first day! The straps were ripping, seams breaking and there was some serious unraveling going on.

We caught a 3 hour train to Budapest.

K-State in Italy!

Students from the food science program at K-State came to Italy for their spring break!!! They had a wonderful itinerary…one I was quite jealous of. They got to see Milan before making their way to Tuscany near me! I had arranged with them to meet up in Siena. I was very excited to see familiar faces and Siena again.

Because the train schedules didn’t fit with my schedule, I decided to rent a car. This is something I initially had no desire to do, but after hearing successful stories from other students I thought I would give it a try. Cars here are generally standards and finding Americans who can drive those can be quite difficult. I talked two of my friends here to go on this adventure with me and one of them could drive a stick too!

Renting a car really gave us freedom to explore the country side. We had an uneventful and safe drive…about 2 hours. One friend drove there and I drove back. It was great to behind the wheel again!

Once we go to Siena, I started looking for the group. I heard a “hey Julie!” in a normal accent from one of my K-State friends! It was hard to believe they were here!!! I had a great afternoon walking around Siena, going up the bell tower, and catching up with friends. They had many questions and it was rewarding being able to answer from experience. The group reminded me of what it was like for me to first arrive in this new place. I had to sadly say goodbye, but I get to see every one in a few months!

Go STATE!!

Spring Break!!!!

Spring break if finally here! Tomorrow morning I will be headed towards a 10 day adventure in Eastern Europe. Four of us will travel Budapest, Hungary; Krakow, Poland; Prague, Czech Republic, Salzburg and Vienna, Austria; and Bratislava, Slovakia. I have heard these citys are beautiful and each unique. I'm also looking forward to the food my peers have been raving about!!! (pickle soup anyone?)...well...I'm excited about it.

So... I haven't forgotten about you...I'm just taking another adventure and will write about it upon my return! (and a few overdue ones too!)

Ciao!!!

Julie

Venice: Gondolas, Glass and much more!

When I saw Venice it was just as I had imagined and so much more. It is so enchanting with canals, charming bridges, quiet in the absence of vehicles, and all the colors of Venice!

My stay there started off with a dinner the first night there. Seafood is prevalent in their cuisine. I like seafood so I ordered a more typical meal. The first course was small whole fish. The second course was black cuttlefish spaghetti (I didn’t know what this was at the time). It came out with a black ink sauce from the little creatures. It looked like worms, but it didn’t taste too bad…just weird. Next came the mixed fried seafood. My food had eyes and tentacles and made for some great fun playing with it.

The following morning began with a stop by the Rialto Bridge near San Marco square. It gave a great view of the Grand Canal, gondolas, and buildings sitting along the river. The walk there took us over many characteristic bridges above winding canals. San Marco square was so pretty. The large area was lined with classy shops and cafes. The area was covered in pigeons though. Venders were selling corn to feed them and many people were out there among the birds. So…I had to feed them too! It went against all instinct because those creatures are so nasty, but it was such a fun time! We would put the feed in our hands or on our arms and then become swarmed by pigeons…and then shriek.

In the same area was the Doge’s palace. This building had a wonderful courtyard hidden within; it seems to be common of many important buildings. We got a tour of the painted rooms. This is where the government met and made decisions. Connected to the palace is the Bridge of Sighs. I, like many others, thought it was named this because of its romantic appeal. Instead, it was the connection from the palace to the prison and prisoners would “sigh” crossing the canal. The bridge is beautiful from the outside, but inside it is quite gloomy and cold.

That afternoon I visited Murano, the island that makes the famous glass. It was a quiet place, but had many shops displaying glass masterpieces…most out of my price range. There was also a glass blowing demonstration and I witnessed a fish being made. I enjoyed the boat ride to the island and even better was watching the sunset over Venice.

The next day I finally took a gondola ride, and it was so lovely. We went down small canals, under arched bridges and into the Grand Canal and saw the Rialto Bridge from a different perspective. On our short tour of Venice by gondola we saw 700 to 800 year old palaces and even Casanova’s house. It was so peaceful on the calm water in the morning.

Venice made for some good shopping and wonderful sights. I definitely want to come back here again someday…soon!

On Giulietta’s balcony

Verona, the setting of Romeo and Juliet, was a cute and colorful town to see. Not only did streets have a canopy of hearts, the buildings were of yellows, pinks and reds. On our short tour of the town we got to see many wonderful things…

The Casa di Giulietta (Juliet’s House) was a fun place to go. Here is the famous balcony, and I, of course, climbed the stairs for a picture. In the archway leading to the balcony the walls are covered with notes from people professing their love. Now days the walls are covered with white sheets to protect the walls and they are changed every few months. Also here is the poor statue of Juliet. Supposedly rubbing her right breast brings luck in love…and the statue has evidence of attempts. Later we visited Casa di Romeo, home of the Montague family.

The 2,000 year old Roman arena in Verona reminds me of a mini coliseum. An earthquake brought down most of the outer wall, but the town still uses the arena today as an opera house. It was built so a person can’t hear anything happening on the inside from outside its walls. Near the arena is Piazza Bra that has colorful buildings and many bars, restaurants and gelaterias. It’s considered the “swimming pool” because this is where people meet to eat and gossip. Piazza Erbe is home to a statue of Dante and was bustling with many venders. A short walk from there is a wonderful palace complete with a private chapel.

Even though this is a small town of 4,000, it’s the fourth most visited city in Italy. Mi piace Verona!

Toscana: Pisa, Lucca, and Florence

Just last weekend I traveled again to Tuscany, but spent more time in towns doing the touristy things. The first stop was to Pisa to take the cliché pictures of me holding the Leaning Tower and pushing it down. It was really a good time (and way touristy)! The tower is in the piazza called Campo dei Miracoli (field of miracles). Next to the tower is a duomo and a baptistry…and they are leaning in different directions! The tower leans 5.5 degrees and continues to tilt, but is kept stable by cables. All the buildings were beautiful, but other than a great view of the river flowing through the town, there wasn’t much else to see in Pisa.

Next I went to Lucca; a small town close to Pisa. I and a friend walked along the 4km path on top of the walls surrounding the city. The grass was so green where the moat was and really contrasted against the gray walls…that is how I had always pictured the castles in England and Ireland. We got another great view of the countryside and then headed for Florence for the rest of the weekend.

Florence is another great city to see. Of course it had a duomo and it was another beauty. This one was very extravagant on the outside but very simple inside. We climbed the 414 steps of the bell tower next to the duomo to get a great view of Florence and the countryside surrounding. Next we spent a few hours at the Uffizi gallery. This museum is home to works by Botticelli, Raphael, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and many more. It was very neat to see paintings I had learned about in art history!

The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence. A once home to butchers and tanners that polluted the river, it is now lined with jewelry shops. It a very interesting bridge with colorful house looking things on the outside. All over Florence are leather shops as it’s known for its leather…and just had to go check them out! Later that same evening we walked by a stand that was selling warm waffles topped with gelato. So…I forked over the money for a nutella gelato and waffle treat! When in Rome, right?

Also while in Florence we visited the Accademia to see the famous David by Michelangelo. The detail of this statue was so precise. I was amazed by it and could have studied it for hours. Also there are some unfinished works also Michelangelo. They too were so interesting. In the Piazza della Signoria is the Fountain of Neptune that no one likes….Michelangelo didn’t even like it…I really don’t understand why. The group of us later made pb&j sandwiches outside Palazzo Pitti where the Medici family once lived. It was such a warm and sunny day and it was nice to relax a bit before the train ride home.

Tuscany is known for fresh vegetables, olive oil and simplicity in their cooking methods, but they are not vegetarians by any means…they consume lots of meat too! Some of the best food I have eaten came from these trips. I go to try pasta with a wild boar sauce in Siena, and in Florence I ate bistecca alla fiorentina twice! It’s a t-bone steak from Chianina cattle that originated in Tuscany. The steak is sold by the kilogram. I of course ordered a half kilo. Other typical meats consumed are pork, poultry, hare, liver and spleen. It was nice to have a change from pasta, bread and pizza!

Toscana: Siena, San Gimignano, and Chianti region

I don't think a person can go wrong picking any area of Italy to see. Even though I haven't traveled all of Italy yet, I think I have my favorite region picked out...Toscana (Tuscany). Of course there isn't just one thing that makes this region majestic; it’s the combination of rolling hills, Cyprus trees, patches of vineyards, quaint and quiet hill towns, amazing food, good wine and the fact that it’s home to the renaissance.

One weekend a small group of us traveled to Siena, San Gimignano and the Chianti Classico region. Siena is a beautiful town with a quite famous piazza, Il Campo. It’s very large and open and is lined with shops and cafes and a very tall bell tower. Twice a year this piazza is transformed into grounds for a horse race around the border of the piazza. Siena’s duomo is one of the few real gothic cathedral south of the Alps. When planned in 1339 it was to be the largest Christian church of it’s time, but the black plague of devastated the working population in 1348. It is still a sight to behold and reminded me a lot of the duomo I saw in Orvieto.

A walk through San Gimignano is like walking back in time. Citta delle Belle Torri (City of the Beautiful Towers) is what it’s called. It is surrounded by medieval walls, perched on top of a hill and is, of course, famous for its many towers. Today only 14 of the original 72 towers remain. I can’t imagine what it looked like with all 72! Over the wall is a great view of the Tuscan countryside. Also famous from here is one of the few Tuscan white wines; Vernaccia. I had the opportunity to taste this in my cuisine class and really liked it!

Tuscany is known for its wine and I was fortunate enough to find a wine tour I could afford! Me and a friend toured two wineries in the Chianti region around Siena. A tour guide picked us up at the hotel and drove us around the country to the wineries. It was nice to see everything from a car and not a train. The first stop was to Castello di Meleto. There is actually a 13th century castle of the family that used to own all the land surrounding…as far as one could see. At this stop we didn’t learn a lot about wine production but got to taste some! We tasted Chianti Classico, a Chianti Classico Reserve, another red and a desert wine with dry cookies. Also along with the wine we ate some snacks, which allowed us to taste their locally made olive oil. It was so good! (bought a bottle)

The next stop was Rocca di Castagnoli. This place was like it’s own little village. It was a little fancier than the last but still had a welcoming feel. Here we actually toured the cellars and was told a bit about wine production in this region. Some of the barrels were so big! Later at the tasting we were taught how to evaluate a wine; what to look for, what to smell, etc. We tasted the same types, but they were a little different than Castello di Meleto.

Chianti Classico is the most well know and highest produced at 90 million liters annually. The wine actually made from the Chianti region is marked with a black rooster. Chianti Classico can be made in other places following the guidelines, but cannot put a black rooster on the bottle. Chianti Classico is made with 90% sangiovese grapes. It’s stored in the wooden barrel (from France) for 1 year and in the bottle for 6 months before it’s ready. The reserve is stored in the barrel for 2 years and in the bottle for 1 year. I really enjoyed this weekend in Tuscany!

Bagnoregio "Città che muore"

"Città che muore" literally means "town that dies." Bagnoregio is a town about 30 km north of Viterbo that is...well...dying. The town was founded by the Etruscans about 2,500 years ago when the landscape was a little different. An earthquake in 1695 caused damage to many buildings in the town built on tufa rock, and people started to leave. Throughout the centuries following ground shaking activites brought on a series of landslides causing buildings to tumble off the edge. The town is almost empty, except for a few families who chose to stay there, a couple of stores and a restaurant. I saw pictures of the town 200 years ago and I could notice the size difference. A local here said they do not know when the town will completely vanish. It's a possibility Bagnoregio may not be there in 50 years...they just don't know.

A long bridge connects città che muore to the rebuilt town where people relocated. The view of the landscape walking across the bridge is marvelous. It was so quiet walking through the dying town; almost ghost-like. The church and bell tower still remain of course and many ancient buildings. Looking down a sidestreet gives a view of open land where buildings used to sit.

My experience of traveling to and from Bagnoregio added more excitement to the day. A few small groups in our program all had the same idea to travel to Bagnoregio and the nine of us ended up on the same bus. One of the guys said we should get off at this one town and take a bus to Bagnoregio. (That was the instructions he was given I guess) So we did. The bus to our destination wasn't coming for a while and we had to see the city and be at the bus stop in Bagnoregio to catch the 4:45 ride back home. We decided to walk (8km) to our destination.

I'm sure we looked quite humorous to the locals; 9 Americans walking along the road. The scenery was nice. The funny part is that buses passed us often but would pull over...one carried other people from our program also going to the same place. We finally made it there with enough time to explore the dying town, which of course was on the complete opposite side of the new town.

When it was time to leave we asked a local if we were at the correct bus stop to go back to Viterbo, and he said yes. Well, we saw the bus we were to catch, but it went the opposite direction of us...we were then stranded in Bagnoregio. Here were the options: take a bus to a neighboring town, ride a train to Rome and then hope to catch the train back to Viterbo; stay in a b & b for 25 euro/person and no heat; or stay in the woods and live off of the food we just bought at a local supermarket. Luckily our program coordinators found us a bus back to Viterbo for a minimal fee. The guys we were with made us dinner that night to celebrate our return.

What a day!

Orvieto e Vetralla

Traveling around Europe is definately a goal of mine here, but I've found there is so much to see so close by! Orvieto is a hill town about an hour away from Viterbo in the Umbria region. It was a field trip organized by our coordinators. As we were riding the bus towards Orvieto I could see the ancient town perched on a hill. The duomo and the bell tower were the tallest buildings built on the highest part. This is a characteristic of most towns like Orvieto.

Near the town we visited a very deep well that had spiral stairs leading to the bottom and once we crossed the bottom over the water there was another staircase leading back up. What a work out! Next we toured the duomo. This was the first gothic style cathedral I got to see. It is so detailed and ornate both inside and out. The columns inside had stripes of black and white. The ceiling was so high! Beautiful!

That afternoon we had free time to each lunch at look around at the town. The side streets were filled with little shops. Many had ceramics and craft items. A small group of us ate lunch at a restaurant instead of a bar. I randomly chose the pasta called umbrichilla (I think that's how to spell it). I found out later that it's a pasta specific to the Umbira region. It's similar to spaghetti noodles, but larger and not cooked completely. It was a little crunchy, but very delicious!

Vetralla is a short 10 minute bus ride from Viterbo and home to my culture teacher. She encouraged us to go to participate in an annual fair honoring the town's saint. It was a dreadfully rainy day, but a few of us went anyway. There were lots of street vendors with many unique things to sell. I bought 2 scarfs and a handcrafted bowl. Vetralla was similar to Orvieto in that we had to walk up hill to get to the church and bell tower. I plan to go back to visit when the weather is nicer because like all towns here is has it's own amazing history and great things to see.

"When in Rome"

Last weekend I took my first trip outside of Viterbo to ROME! The day trip on friday was planned for all students interested, but a small group of us decided to stay the weekend. There are truly no words for the beauty and depth of history I experienced in Rome...but I will do my best to tell you about it.

The day began with a 2 hour train ride and a short metro trip to our first stop. The Colosseum was the first thing I saw walking up the stairs out of the metro station. I had another "I'm actually in Italy!!!" moment. It was so massive! It's really hard to believe that it was built more than 2,000 years ago and once had marble decoration.

Next we moved on to the Roman ruins between two of Rome's hills; Palatine and Capitoline. Walking through the porta gave me a breathtaking view of the layered ruins. Ruins in this valley date back to centuries BC to renaissance times. They are still finding more in this area. Temples that were turned into churches are in the best conditions. Temples that weren't were mostly destroyed. Pieces of columns lay everywhere. I saw what is believed to be the cremation site of Julius Ceasar...

Also that day I visited Trevi Fountain; the most beautiful fountain I have seen yet. The Pantheon is one of my favorite things I saw in Rome. The structure is amazing and seems almost perfect, like it hasn't changed all these years. Painter Raphael is buried inside.

Saturday was spent in Vatican City. This was a place I underestimated. St. Peter's Basilica is definately a sight to see. I could have spent hours looking at the artwork there. Michelangelo's famous Pietà rests there as well as St. Peter's tomb. The Piazza San Pietro is lined with statues of saints. (This is the area where people gather to listen to the Pope) The Vatican Museums hold paintings, sculptures, artifacts, etc. After walking through a maze of museums we ended up at the Sistine Chapel...marvelous. That evening I went to my first opera titled Tosca. We were in the nose-bleed section, but it was great to be there.

Rome is much busier than Viterbo and quite touristy, even this time of the year. It was nice to come back to quite Viterbo, but Rome is a must see!

Vorrei gelato, per favore!

I would like some gelato!...and more gelato! Adjusting from ice cream to gelato has been one of easiest and most enjoyable things yet! Gelato is made with milk instead of cream, so I can justify the healthier choice. While many gelaterias are not open during the winter months, a few provide the heavenly product year around. My favorite place in Viterbo is in this beautiful building that sadly used to be a McDonalds. While in Rome this past weekend a small group of us actually went three times in one day to get gelato. (we just had to try out all the local places!)

Some of my great flavors I've found so far are cioccolata, frio di latte, crema, limone, and fragola (strawberry). Most places offer many flavors, both fruity and sweet.

All this talk of gelato has me craving it! See ya!

Pizza or Pasta!

Food here has definately been an adventure so far. (especially not being able to communicate) The first italian meal I had was in the hotes we stayed for orientation. We were brought an omelet thing, pasta, bread, chicken and greenbeans, and a dessert similar to chocolate pudding...all in separate servings. We really weren't sure when the food would stop coming. It was very good, and we got a taste of what an italian meal should be like.

Typically breakfast is not elaborate and consists of a pastry (cornetto) and a caffe. This is not like the coffee I am used to. It's basically what we call an espresso; a shot of STONG coffee served in an itty-bitty cup. At cafes or bars (Italians call little restaurants bars and bars are called pubs) you walk in, order, and usually stand at the counter to drink the caffe to avoid a sitting fee. Stefano, the program director, says drinking caffe is more like a habbit and many people go in, drink, and leave on the way to wherever they are headed. Italians drink caffe through the evening hours. Cappuccino is good here too! I had my first real caffe today...it's definately a way to get going in the morning.

Lunch for me is usually a small sandwich or a pizza to go from one of the various bars. Most of the sandwiches I've had were pretty bland. The worst was the tomato and parmesian. Pizzas aren't the same either, but are very good. The first pizza I had came from this long rectangular pizza that the owner cut with scissors. The tomato sauce (if used) is used sparingly and many pizzas are made with olive oil instead of tomato sauce.

Dinner normally starts at around 7:30 or later and can last for a while. Dinner in Italy is not rushed and is meant for good food, good wine and good conversation. You have to ask for the bill (conto) because the waiter will not bring it to you. I have eaten at a few pizzarias and have loved it every time! The pizza are HUGE and usually overflow the plate. The crust is thin, but I still haven't been able to finish a whole one myself like you are supposed to. Some places serve house wine in a pitcher, and I have yet to find a wine I didn't like!

I will be taking a cuisine class and will hopefully learn how to prepare a full course meal. Because of the expense of eating out every meal, I have started to cook in the dorms. It's not as fun as eating out all the time...but it's food!

Viterbo

Ciao! It's already been 1 week since arriving in Viterbo! It's a smaller town of 60,000. A large portion of Viterbo is surrounded by 11th-13th century medieval walls. The streets are cobblestone and are lined with shops and cafes. There is so much history here that I haven't been able take it all in yet. Viterbo is called "City of the Popes" because popes came here to relax and enjoy the many hot springs near by. The pope between 1257 and 1281 actually lived here when it wasn't safe for him in Rome.

Entering the walls through portas (doors) seems to take me back in time. Life is slower here. Everything closes from about 1-4pm everyday for pausa pranzo (lunch break). People are rarely seen after 8pm except for the few nights a "night life" exists. There are many piazzas that each have a bell tower, church and fountain. Each are unique. There is a medieval part of town that I haven’t explored yet, but hope to do so soon!

The people are real friendly...except when driving. I've gone to an open air fruit and veggie market a few times already and will probably make that a habit. The first time I went I had picked out three apples and gave it to the man to weigh. He only put two on the scale and gave me a free one. Stefano, the program director here, said if we go to a stand or even into one of the cafes a few times they will remember us and what we like.

Buona sera!