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
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
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 v
iew 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 gloo
my 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!
Monday, March 17, 2008
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!
Monday, March 10, 2008
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). N
ext 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!
ext 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!
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!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
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 dest
ination.
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!
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 dest
ination.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!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
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 st
ripes 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.
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 st
ripes 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.
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