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!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
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!
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.
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.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
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!
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!
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!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
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)
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)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
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!)
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!)
Monday, April 7, 2008
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.
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!!
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!!
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