Easter Break

With every wrong turn, there’s a lesson learned. Well, we certainly learned a thing or two this past weekend over Easter break. Kelsey, Kim, Megan, Shannon and I toured all over the Napoli area; we visited Pompei, Capri, Positano and stayed in Sorrento. Similar to my other travel breaks, a major part of the trip is just getting to the destination. A couple of days before the travel break, we went to the travel agency to purchase our train tickets. We didn’t notice until we were on the bus that the time for the train was wrong. We had accidentally purchased a ticket for a 1 p.m. train when we needed the 3:05 p.m. train.

Upon arriving at the train station we immediately went to the ticket office to ask the proper procedure for having the wrong time. The man informed us to board the train and we would have to pay an eight euro penalty fee. So, the five of us get on the train and it is completely full; all the compartments are filled, people are piled in the aisles with their luggage. We had to resort to standing in the area by the bathroom. About two hours into the trip, the ticket checker came around and asked to see our ticket. She immediately noticed we had the wrong time. She kindly explained to us that since the train was so full due to the vacation, a fee of eight euro needed to be paid. She also told us if we had gotten to the train station an hour after our incorrect time, we could have exchanged the ticket for the correct time for a fee of three euro. So now, we know better for next time. If the train time is incorrect, it must be changed within an hour after the printed ticket time. After standing for nearly two hours, fold out chairs in the aisle became available for all of us and that’s where we sat for the remainder of the trip. Upon arriving we took Circumvesuviana, the commuter train, to get to our hostel in Sorrento. That ride was about 90 minutes and then we walked fifteen minutes to the hostel. So little recap to get to our final destination it took a bus, train, commuter train and walking; it was quite a journey.

We checked into our hostel about 10 p.m. on Thursday night. It was very modern and well decorated. We stayed in a room with ten other females. Since it was fairly late, we decided to eat dinner in the hostel; the bottom level was complete with restaurant and a bar area. There was even an option to sit outside under umbrellas on couches. I ordered gnocchi sorrentina style; it was spectacular and I have now found a new favorite type of pasta.

The next day we took the commuter train to Pompeii; it was about a 45 minute ride. The main attraction was the ruins. Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and completely buried the city; it wasn’t until 1592 that it was accidentally found again. After excavation, Pompeii is now one of the most accurate examples of life during the Roman Empire. After spending close to three hours walking around the ruins, we had lunch. In addition to the ruins, Pompeii is known for its lemons and oranges. Nearly everywhere we went had lemons for sale; some lemons were even larger than my hand. After lunch, I treated myself to a lemon slushie that was delectably fresh. After walking around for a little while longer in Pompei we headed back to Sorrento to explore the center square. There were incredible shopping opportunities; however, I behaved myself and only bought a pair of sweatpants and a magnet to add to my collection. The magnet was from a family owed shop that has been in operation for over 50 years. I like how all of my magnets from each of the cities have a special meaning that I will remember for the rest of my life.

For dinner, we followed Rick Steves’s advice and went to a little restaurant off the beaten track that was located on the waterfront. We ended up being very lucky and the recommended restaurant had a spaghetti special of 3.5 euro that night. So we had a magnificent view of the ocean as well as a delicious and inexpensive dinner. We were heading back to the hostile when we came across the Good Friday procession. There were hundreds of people lining the streets. We found a place to stand and joined the crowd with anticipation for the procession. With the celebration commemorating the death of Jesus Christ, it was an ill-omened experience. It lasted nearly two hours and had hundreds of participates of men and children wearing black robes. The main elements of the procession portrayed the 12 Stations of the Cross from Christ being condemned to death to being laid in the tomb.

Upon returning to the hostel, we noticed a special offer for a boat trip to Capri. It would cost fifty euro for a private boat ride over to Capri complete with lunch, beverages, tours of the main caves and blue grotto. We signed up to participate in the boat trip the following morning. The next day we were on the boat departing Sorrento by 9:30 a.m. We spent the next three hours riding around looking at different caves. Our captain even stopped at one cave and told us we could climb up the mountain and go inside the cave. He told us that we should only do it if we are “adventurous” because we would have to walk through the black tunnel in order to get into the cave. We all decided to go into the cave. The captain pulled the boat as close to shore as he could and we hopped off. We climbed up the rocky stairs built into the mountain, through the black tunnel (that really was completely dark) and into the cave. It was certainly an experience to remember. After a few quick pictures we got back on the boat and headed to the two rocks that are the symbol of Capri. The next part of the tour allowed us to enter the blue grotto, if we wanted. It was high tide so boats were not permitted to enter; however, if an individual wanted to enter he/she could swim. The water was too cold for me so I opted out of that activity.

After the blue grotto attempt, we headed to Capri and we were given three hours to walk around and explore the island. Capri was incredibly beautiful and had some amazing shops. I didn’t purchase anything but it was still enjoyable to look at the stores that were all very extravagantly decorated. One of my favorite shops was a home décor store. The table settings were beach themed: compete with coral and clown fish center piece, crab napkin holders and turtle candles.

For dinner that night, we followed Rick Steve’s advice again and went to a seafood restaurant by the water. Bruschetta, an appetizer included in the cover charge, was actually my favorite part of the meal. For the main course, I shared seafood pasta with Shannon. It certainly was fresh and some of the shells still had sand in them. After our dinner, we took the commuter train back to our hostile and settled in for the night.

Positano was our destination for Easter. We had to purchase a special type of bus ticket for the ride down to Positano. We arrived at the bus stop thirty-five minutes early and the line for the bus was incredibly long; there were already about fifty people in front of us. We waited and hoped to get on the bus whenever it arrived. Luckily, there was enough room for us but there were no seats; we had to stand in the bus aisles and hold on to the rails as the bus swirled up the mountain to Positano. Despite the tight conditions on the bus, the views were stunning. The mountains mixed with the community life of colorful houses and made for some unbelievable pictures. We spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach and absorbing the sun.

The bus ride back to Sorrento was even more hectic than getting there. We were waiting at the bus stop for nearly forty minutes before it finally came. During the time waiting, we met a family from Dublin and a family from Baltimore. When the bus arrived twenty minutes late, everyone in line went crazy. The line no longer existed and everyone was pushing to get on the bus. The man from Baltimore blocked the entrance and allowed his family to enter then said “Come on North Carolina.” He made sure we got on the bus because he knew how long we had been waiting. It was very generous of him to look out for his family, as well as our group. The bus ride was very crazy and I felt like a sardine. I cannot even begin to imagine bus rides in the summer.

So as you can see, my Easter holiday was spent very differently than normal. I continue to miss my family and I missed them even more on Easter day; I have never experienced a holiday without being with my three siblings and parents. My mom still included me though in our family traditions; she sent me pictures on Easter Sunday of my family before church and she even still hid an Easter basket for me to find whenever I return to the States. Thanks Ma Mere!

Next weekend I plan on a return visit to Florence with Kim. Looks as though rubbing the snout of Il Porcellino, the bronze 'Little Pig' in Florence's Mercato Nuovo, really does predict a future visit…

Everything from Foreigners to Breakfast: A Mixture of Italian Life

One of the most interesting aspects of studying abroad in Europe is how easy it is to serendipitously meet individuals from other countries. For instance, while walking through the Pantheon in Rome I heard people speaking Italian, French, English, Spanish and another language that I could not identify. It’s incredible that the culture is significantly varied. I saw this diversity again while looking for the train back from Rome, when Kelsey, Kim and I met a French woman. We ended up sitting in her compartment and I talked with her for nearly the whole ride. I have taken French since 6^th grade so I was more than excited to be able to communicate with someone from France. From our conversation, I learned her name is Julie and she is twenty-eight years old. She lives in Italy now and she travels on weekends to check up on her family. Her grandmother lives in Rome with her brother, who is a priest. Her mother is still in France and Julie wants to visit her more often. In Italian class, I frequently combine French and Italian; this was the most ideal situation for me because Julie’s primary language was French but from living in Italy she has picked up a little Italian. Additionally, she spoke hardly any English but I was still able to communicate with her. Having a full conversation in another language made me feel very accomplished and I really enjoyed this chance encounter and I hope to be able to meet more people on our next adventure.

An adventure I forgot to mention in my last blog was a trip to Deruta. This afternoon excursion was two weeks ago. We ate paper bag lunches on the bus that consisted of four different sandwiches, fruit, water and juice; Margarita’s meals are always exceedingly satisfying. After a short bus ride of about ninety five minutes, the first stop was the Maioliche Originali Deruta. This is a family owned factory that produces a variety of original ceramic pottery for sale. The pieces range from everyday use items such as plates, cups, salad tongs, etc. to elaborate and large works of art. I looked at each item with appreciation, knowing that it was handmade and individually painted. After looking around the showroom, we had the opportunity to see how the ceramic process was begun and completed. We watched as one of the workers “threw” five different pieces on the potter’s wheel in less than ten minutes; it was unbelievable. He certainly made it look easy; I took a ceramics class last year and I personally know how difficult throwing pots on potter’s wheel can be, especially when trying to make each piece a consistent size. The potter told us how he can make close to two hundred pieces a day; he is undeniably talented. After our visit to the factory, we went to a ceramic museum. This museum was designed like a maze; it was not just a straight walk, there were a lot of twists and turns getting to each of the different rooms. This made for a very unique experience because I wasn’t able to predict what was coming next. The contents of the rooms ranged from older broken pieces of ceramics to more modern colorful pieces. After the museum we were given the opportunity to walk around the town. I took a few pictures in the park then ventured on in hopes of finding a ceramic piece for myself. The town comprised of various ceramic shops so there was a lot to choose from. Dr. Webb, Bekah, Dr. Bailey (art history teacher) and Megan accompanied me to one of the side streets where we found a smaller ceramic shop. We looked around and I purchased a pink ceramic jewelry holder that was made in the 1950s; it is perfect for me: pink and an antique!

In addition to classes, every Monday I go to the elementary school for my service learning component of the curriculum. I have always considered becoming a teacher and this is experience has pushed me even further in that direction. I have two classes at the elementary school, which is only about a five minute walk from the palazzo. The first class is fifth graders. For this class, I have to individually test each child on his/her English; I use a version of the standardized test the children will take at the end of April. I enjoy working with the kids and it is very helpful that they want to learn. The first Monday I tested about four kids and this past week I tested six. The teacher hopes I will be able to test each child twice before the exam. I grade the children on a scale of 1 to 5; most children know the colors, introductions, and vocabulary. A common struggle for almost all the children is verbs. At 10 o’clock, the children go to a different classroom to have a snack and then I have a new class.

I enter into the new class’s snack room where I get the opportunity to just talk to the children. This past Monday I talked to a girl named Asya. We talked about our love for High School Musical; we even sang a song together from the movie. She was very impressed that I knew all the words. After a fifteen minute snack break, the new class goes back into the teaching classroom. This class contains fourth graders. This class structure is different from the first class and my lesson plans are new topic each week. This past week I explained to them what I do for Easter in English then asked what vocabulary words they recognized. I then repeated the paragraph in Italian, my pronunciation is not that great but the children were more than willing to help me. Near the end of class, I gave the kids an Easter word search and before I left they turned the papers into me. To help me with my Italian on the word search the children wrote the Easter words in both English and Italian. The children really enjoy helping me learn Italian; it is more than adorable. It wasn’t until I got back to my room in the palazzo that I looked at the papers and a couple of the children wrote Ti Voglio Bene on the top of their papers. This means I love you for a friend or I like you a lot. The kids are so cute and I love them too!

This weekend’s excursion was to Assisi. In my art history class, we learned about St. Francis of Assisi and this knowledge provided the foundation for the trip. St. Francis was very humble person who loved to talk to animals, especially birds. The basilica in Assisi contained twenty seven frescoes of Saint Francis’ life by the artist Giotto. The “Serman to the birds” was a fresco that really stood out to me. The fresco is very simple with a gray background; the foreground is Saint Francis caring after the birds; this is a large contributing fresco to his life because the communication with the birds is what St. Francis was known for. Later I came to find out that this fresco is actually one of the most famous and most often reproduced pieces of the Giotto series. In addition to all the frescoes, the church had two levels and the lower level contained the tomb of St. Francis. Whenever I went to visit the tomb, the entire room was nearly filled with people sitting and praying. St. Francis was a very famous saint who still has a great amount of respect today. After touring the basilica, the group went and ate lunch then headed back to Sansepolcro. Due to the thunderstorm that appeared to be coming, our hike was canceled. Instead we went to one of Saint Francis’ favorite sites; Castello di Montauto was very close to Sansepolcro and nestled on the top of a mountain. All the surrounded area was covered trees, it was very peaceful. I understand why Saint Francis enjoyed being there; the whole atmosphere was very serene. It was interesting to see the bed where Saint Francis used to sleep. It didn’t even look like a bed, but rather a hole in the wall made of rocks. Saint Francis was certainly a modest man who wanted to be as natural as possible; he didn’t support living a life of luxury.

After returning from Saturday’s adventure, we were all pretty tired and went to bed fairly early. The next day was Palm Sunday. The fabulous chefs: Kelsey, Shannon, Bekah and Hilary made a delightful breakfast of eggs, pancakes, fruit, toast, tea and coffee. It was a nice chance because this was not a traditional Italian breakfast since the food was warm. This was also a bonding experience because we sat and talked for nearly two hours; it was lovely to relax and just enjoy breakfast.

Next weekend marks our Easter break and most of us are headed south to the beaches of Capri. I’m really looking forward to some fun in the sun!

Roma, Roma, Roma!

This past weekend marked the second independent travel break; Kim, Kelsey and I traveled to the capital of Italy. Rome was certainly an incredibly unpredictable experience. Our adventure began on Thursday afternoon after classes were over. We went to the bus stop but currently in Sansepolcro, there is a festival going on to celebrate the middle of Lent, with the coming of Easter in two weeks. Due to all the festivities, the bus stop had changed and we nearly missed our bus. We traveled by bus to Arezzo then took a train to Rome. It took about five hours until we were finally in our Bed & Breakfast. We placed our luggage in the room and went out to explore.

While walking around Rome, we visited to the Trevi Fountain. This is my favorite site in Rome because I love fountains. Back at Meredith, whenever I have a bad day or just want to think, I go sit by the front fountain; something about the water flowing is just so relaxing to me. During our visit to the Trevi Fountain, in addition to throwing in a coin and making a wish, Kelsey, Kim and I were bombarded by men wanting us to purchase a picture in front of the fountain. It was a little overwhelming because at one point two men crowded us at the same time but Kim used her favorite word, Basta and they went away. Other than the men with cameras, there was little no people there and I really enjoyed seeing the fountain lit up at night.

We returned to our B&B, called Domus and Betti, and planned for our next day. Our bedroom was covered in pink, from the wallpaper down to the lace on the end tables; I certainly enjoyed all the decorations. The B&B included four rooms: three bedrooms and a bathroom; the bathroom was the most interesting. The shower had a little ceramic panel on the floor with a draping cloth that didn’t touch the ground. Inside the shower was a sign insisting that no water get on the floor, ironically this was nearly impossible considering the base of the shower was the floor. After cleaning up the water from my shower, I went to bed and prepared myself for the next day.

Eugene, an older gentleman, ran the B&B. He was more than hospitable; he offered us maps, magazines and books of Rome. For breakfast, we were given coupons for a café down the street where we drank cappuccino and ate croissants filled with Nutella. Upon arriving in Rome we purchased a EuroPass for 25 euro. This pass was for internet access at local cafes, unlimited public transportation, and entry into our first two museums for free plus discounts at all the other museums for three days. Using our Europass, we took the Metro to our first stop of the day, the Coliseum. It was a picturesque experience; I took about 100 pictures inside and outside the Coliseum. I also overheard a conversation of a tour group while inside and learned there is a rumored secret passage that was made just for royalty to enter into the battles unnoticed and the most interesting part was that it is still unfound. I was interested to see if this statement was true so I researched a little bit about the Coliseum and what I found was slightly different from what I heard. There are secret passages that the gladiators used to reach the arena without being seen in the street; also, the emperors used an underground corridor to avoid the public. There was no mention of other secret passage ways still unfound, but I guess it still remains a mystery.

After the Coliseum, we went to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Rome was built on seven hills and Palatine Hill is the middle hill. This central location is one of the oldest sites in the city, it overlooks and connects to the Roman Forum. We spent nearly two hours walking around, getting lost and taking pictures in the Forum/Palatine Hill. The ruins are quite impressive on their own but the beautiful blue sky made for some unbelievable pictures. After taking another 200 pictures in combination with all the walking from the morning required a lunch break, we stopped at a sandwich vendor and I ate a delectable tuna sandwich.

Our next stop of the day was to two out of the three National Museums of Rome. I particularly enjoyed the first museum, Palazzo Massimo, because of the historical artifacts that are housed on the bottom floor. The gems, jewels and coins in the collection were very intricate with detailing. What I thought was most appealing was the connection to art; there were sets of jewelry paired with a portrait of the owner wearing it. I have definitely refined my interests from all the museums I have experienced in Italy; I now know my interests can be focused specifically on how individuals used to live. I enjoy seeing where the items come from, who owned them and how they were used.

After three historical places and two museums, we trekked on to the Pantheon. When we arrived, we found a lot of construction being done on the front of the building, but the inside was still able to be explored. The interior was intentionally designed to symbolize the arched vault of heaven; I discovered later that Pantheon means “Every God” in Greek. The structure was very impressive but there were so many people inside that it limited the amount of time I spent looking around.

Our total now ranked to five historical sites and two museums in less than two days, it was now time for a recreational break. We each treated ourselves to some gelato; I chose coffee, chocolate and strawberry- this was my favorite combination yet. After, we decided to walk around Rome with no specific location in mind and see what we could find. Luck seemed to be on our side, as I was able to find souvenirs for my brothers, my sister’s birthday present and I even found the perfect magnet to add to my collection. Can you guess what it is? The Trevi Fountain, of course!

After a text message dinner suggestion from Megan, we went to the Hard Rock Café. The wait was two hours. In the time it took for a table, we met Megan’s mom, I purchased a Bon Jovi Rome shirt and was given a rose. The food was well worth the wait, I haven’t had a real hamburger in what seems like forever. Plus, at the Hard Rock Café on the table was Heinz ketchup, which is only made in Pittsburgh (a nice taste from my hometown). The ultimate icing on my cake was in the restaurant there was a shirt Jon Bon Jovi himself wore in concert, it was framed and hanging on the wall. The thought crossed my mind a couple of times during dinner to ask how much the shirt would be to purchase but I restrained myself.

So after a very long day we headed back to our B&B and planned for the Vatican Museum the next day. We had every intention to be in line before the Museum opened, but fate had another idea. We were informed by Eugene that morning he had overbooked the B&B, which meant we had no where to stay for the night. We spent the morning trying to figure out what to do and if there was anywhere else to stay on such short notice. The result was that we had to leave Rome a day early because we couldn’t find anywhere else to stay. Eugene felt very sorry for the inconvenience he caused and he offered to lock up our bags while we went out that day, he printed us the train schedule, and made us espresso while explaining to us that whenever we come back to Rome he will give us the largest room. It was a slight let down to have to leave early but we did have a few hours left in Rome and we spent nearly half of that time waiting in line for the Vatican. Yes, we had also spent the same amount of time waiting for dinner the previous night. A word to the wise: whenever visiting Rome be prepared to wait. However, this waiting in line could have been prevented if we would have reserved tickets online a week in advance. Now, we know better for next time.

Just as for dinner, the wait for the Vatican was well worth it. We spent about two hours inside and I could have easily stayed longer if we didn’t have the time limit of having to catch the train. Surprisingly, my favorite part of the Vatican was not the Sistine Chapel but rather the hallway before it. This area was called Galleria Delle'Carte Geografiche and as we were walking through I heard someone say, “I could spend a week looking at all these paintings and I could still probably miss something.” This is a very true statement; the frescoes were incredibly detailed and covered every inch of the hallway. The Vatican was the perfect way to end our journey to Rome. Even though we weren’t able to make it to St. Peter’s Basilica as originally planned, it gives me all the more reason to return to Rome!

Pictures from Roma Adventure. Enjoy!!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032551&id=1397160099&l=3842c6a209

Woahhh, We are Halfway There...

I can’t believe we are already half-way through the semester. My class schedule changed this past week. It seems just as we get used to the schedule it changes. I will continue to have Justice & Liberty, Italy Today, Italian and service learning. I will no longer have Travel to Learn and Art History. Art History was an accelerated class and it surely kept me busy. I’m looking forward to having more time to focus on my other classes.

As a part of our service learning here in Italy, we must teach at a school in Sansepolcro. I’m am teaching elementary school children. My first class has about fifteen 5^th grade children and the other class has about twenty-five 4^th graders. The children have a standardized exam in April to test each child’s basic English language knowledge. I was given a booklet with the specific topics that will be on the exam. I will go to the school every Monday to help the children enrich their English vocabulary. My first lesson is to teach the class body parts and months of the year. The children speak mostly Italian and are more than helpful with trying to explain what they are saying. It’s really adorable.

On my first visit to the school I already learned a lot more about the Italian culture. Each student has a supplies trapper with scissors, colored pencils, crayons, erasers and pens. For the most part, the girls had pink High School Musical trappers and the boys had superhero trappers with Superman or Spiderman. I find it fascinating these American themes have spread all the way to Italy, even to the children. Another surprise is that one of the children asked me if I have ever met Chuck Norris or Johnny Depp; they all assumed since I was from America I would know at least one celebrity. The children were also very interested in asking questions about mio ragazzo, my boyfriend. I wear his class ring and they thought that meant I was married. I tried in my best Italian to explain that many studenti di comprare gli anelli per celebrare il completamento della scuola superiore (students buy a ring to celebrate completing high school). They wanted to know if they could get a ring once they went to middle school. So the children got to ask me several questions in Italian; it was very beneficial for me to learn more vocabulary. It was then time to focus on their English. I was surprised at how well many of the children spoke English. Most were able to say introductions, feelings, days of the week, months of the year and use various other vocabulary. It was very impressive. I’m looking forward to going back next week.

This past weekend I went with Shannon to Venice to meet up with her mom. We left on Friday afternoon after our Italian midterm. Due to our class schedule, we missed the only InterCity (IC) train of the day in Arezzo by a couple of minutes. IC are the cheaper trains and tend to take longer getting to one’s destination. So we both had to pay an extra twenty euro for a Eurostar (ES) train. It was certainly a new experience. The train is a little more modern with electronic screens announcing each stop. The section we stayed in had sections of four with a table. The bonus on this train was that there were outlets to charge computers. Other than that there was no huge difference from IC trains. However, ES trains are normally faster, but since we had a stop in Florence with a forty minute wait, the overall trip was not faster than an IC train would have been. Final conclusion: IC trains are little to no different from EuroStar trains; but now at least we know. Plus, we can say we’ve ridden an ES train…it’s always good to look for the positive in a situation!

Our journey took about six hours. We left Sansepolcro at 12:45 for a bus to Arezzo then waited an hour for our train to Florence. We had a forty minute wait in Florence for our ES train to Venice. We arrived in Venice at 6:33 p.m. After walking to our Bed & Breakfast to drop off our luggage, we had an Italian dinner at 8 o’clock. The restaurant was called Agli Artiste. I had the most delicious fettuccini alfredo. This is one of my favorite meals in the whole world; so it surprises me that it took me about a month and a half to have alfredo in Italy.

The following day’s big adventure was to the Doges’ Palace. For the people of Venice, this building has always been the symbol of the state: the residence of the Doge, the supreme leader of the city, the place where government and the court of law met. This three floor building has Gothic architecture exterior. I learned in my Art History class that the Gothic style evolved from the Romanesque period during the 12^th century. My favorite part of the palace was the main staircase; it was covered in gold plating and marvelous frescoes. The Chamber of the Great Council was spectacular and it was the largest room. I found it most interesting how much detail went into the main rooms and how basic the prisons were. I understand that the prisons were for criminals, but by just going down a set of stairs, I found a completely different atmosphere. The main rooms were very large and elegant whereas the prison rooms were gray, very cold and miserable.

Our next stop was the Basilica of St. Mark. The architecture of this cathedral is very different from the Doges’ Palace. The Basilica has more of a Byzantine architectural influence; this style has a great emphasis on a gold pattern. This church has three different naves and very impressive architecture both inside and out. Once inside the gold altarpiece on the great altar caught my eye. It really has superb craftsmanship, which was first created in the 10^th century and later enhanced with details in the 14^th century. I have noticed that many historical artifacts in Italy pay particular attention to detailing and I appreciate the quality of workmanship that is not comparable to that of today.

I was entranced with the architecture, history and art of Venice’s past; and now it was time to climb the Torre of St. Mark’s Square. It turned out that this tower is not for climbing but rather to reach the top by elevator. It was a huge let down to me because so far in almost every city the group has climbed a tower. It cost eight euro to be lifted to the top. Granted, I note this is very considerate of people who are not able to climb stairs; this service allows them to be taken to the top in a matter of seconds. However, I’m love the thrill of walking up the stairs hoping the view is worth the burn in my legs; then reaching the top, having the feeling of conquering the tower with the reward of a spectacular view. The lift was a definite disappointment but the view was incomparable; I really enjoyed seeing all of Venice from the water to the many buildings.

The rest of the day was spent having a delicious lunch, walking over the Rialto Bridge and searching for the perfect present for my brothers. The next day was travel day back to Sansepolcro. We ate breakfast at the hotel where we met a group of older people from Britain. It is very interesting to stay in a smaller hotel because it encourages one to meet new people from all over the world. Shannon and I spoke to our new friends and found out that they had just visited friends in Bath, where John Rose is from; what a small world after all.

A traditional gondola ride costs one hundred euro during the day and one hundred and fifty at night. However, the water taxi, that happened to transport us from our hotel to the train station, cost only about seven euro and toured the Grand Canal. I took about a hundred pictures and it was the perfect way to end a visit to Venice.

Next weekend marks another independent travel break. Where to this time? Kim, Kelsey and I are headed to Rome. I’m really looking forward to climbing a tower or something during my next adventure to make up for my little misadventure elevator ride in Venice. But also to explore the Vatican, throw a euro in the Trevi fountain, scale the Spanish steps, discover the Pantheon and so much more!

Oh Romeo, Romeo Wherefore art thou, Romeo?

From start to finish, what an adventure I had this past weekend, which marked our first independent travel break. Kim, Shannon, Megan and I all ventured to the city where Romeo first met Juliet: Verona. The group went to the travel agency a couple of days before the trip and purchased our train tickets. After comparing many options on hostileworld.com, we found a lovely Bed & Breakfast for about 23 euro a night. With bus tickets, train tickets, and a place to sleep, we thought we were prepared for our first solo trip…who knew a little word oveste could throw us for a huge loop.

So we knew we had to go to binario seven but our train was at seven west (oveste means west in Italian). We didn’t realize how large the Bologna train station was so there were multiple binario. We ended up missing our train because we were not at the right seven. We had to make new arrangements and call the bed and breakfast to inform them that we were going to be late. To counteract our little mishap, we treated ourselves to a much needed American cheeseburger. It was a nice change from all the Italian pasta and pizza we’ve been eating.

A few hours later, we found our correct train and made our way to Verona. The MapQuest directions were accidentally left back at the palazzo, so I thought it would be a good idea to take a picture of the map in the train station and use that. Turns out it didn’t have all the small street names on it so we ended walking around in the dark on a highway at about eleven o’clock at night. Being four college girls alone in an unknown city, we were a little paranoid of other people walking on the sidewalk at the same time as we were; so every time we saw someone walking towards us in the distance we would cross the highway so we weren’t on the same side as a stranger.

After walking around for about thirty minutes we finally found a business that was open. We went inside the café and there were three older adults playing cards. The older man, named Giovanni, looked at our map and explained how we didn’t even have the street name of the B&B on our map. He offered to drive us two at a time to the B&B’s road. Shannon and Kim left first and I stayed with Megan so I could keep her safe with my intense karate skills. After about seven minutes without any update on location, I called Shannon to see where they were and make sure they were safe. Giovanni came back to drive Megan and me to the other girls; it turned out he was really nice, drove us there safely, and I had nothing to worry about but you can never be too sure. It’s never a bad thing to be cautious. Once on the street, the B&B host came to show us where we were staying.

So we learned a lot before the trip even started. But half the fun is just getting there right? One, make sure at least one person in the group has a guidebook to look up unknown words such as oveste. Two, make sure everyone in the group has maps of the city and phone numbers of the B&B/hotel. Three, it is important to remain calm throughout the whole getting lost period. I was very impressed with our group: even though it was a bad situation we all remained cool, calm and collected; this was a great help throughout the whole process. Four, be grateful for any help that is received. Thank you, Giovanni and B&B host!

After a few lessons learned, we settled into our completely charming B&B. We shared a four bedroom that was decorated with two glass end tables, red flower décor on the wall and a beautiful glass chandelier. The other rooms in the B&B included a living room, kitchen and two bathrooms. The décor at the B&B was so modern yet retro; complete with vintage picture of Paris paired with a Marilyn Monroe picture. The quality of our B&B certainly made up for our crazy journey there. Due to our experience getting there, we formed a plan for the activities we wanted to experience the next day. Each of us said what we wanted to do and that activity was put on the list; I really liked this approach because we each of us were part of the planning process.

Castelvecchio was our first stop that next day. It was located less than a ten minute walk from our B&B; so not only was our B&B charming but it also had a prime location. By the order of Cangrande II della Scala, the Castelvecchio was built between 1354 and 1356. The design was created by the della Scala family to defend against both outside assaults and popular rebellion. Currently, this castle has a unique design; first, visitors enter into the courtyard area with fountains and greenery. They then proceed to a museum portion which leads to an outdoor view of the castle then back to museum. I really enjoyed this layout because we were given the chance to explore the castle while looking at art. My favorite part of the castle was the view over the Roman Bridge. This castle has such amazing views and incredible architecture that the group spent over two hours exploring it.

After a delightful ham and brie sandwich lunch with Coke and lemon, we ventured into the market. I found a lovely magnet. In every city we have been to, I have purchased a magnet: a Carnevale mask from Venice, a sunflower from Florence, an elephant symbol representing the contrada of torre (tower) area from Siena, and now Romeo and Juliet from Venice. These are special gifts that are small enough to travel with, plus whenever I have my own refrigerator it will be wonderfully decorated. In addition to adding to my magnet collection, I also found my Bon Jovi jacket.

After my shopping success, the group went to Juliet’s house. We each wrote our love letter and attached it to the wall. Outside Juliet’s balcony is her statue. For good romantic luck, the visitors are supposed to touch her right breast. I couldn’t bring myself to do that so for my picture I’m pointing instead…plus I’ve already found my Romeo.

The remainder of the day was spent experiencing Verona’s culture. We went to a candy store. We each purchased a bag of different candies then turned into excited little kids as we tried the various flavors. We then sent out for the Roman Amphitheater where assortments of opera concerts are regularly still held each summer. The views from the top of the theatre were once again incredible; it was just about sunset so the skyline was dimly lit and very picturesque.

All the day’s walking was really tiring, so the group headed back for a rest and freshening up before dinner. We ate at a nice restaurant called Il Cielo di Biancaneve. I had a wonderful pasta dish and then grilled chicken, my favorite! For dessert, we found a German restaurant with amazing chocolate fondue that had ten different fruits to dip. This was definitely one of my favorite days in Italy so far.

The second day was also another busy but fun filled day. We explored the Duomo of Verona, Giardeno Giusti and climbed the Torre dei Lamberti. The Duomo was covered in beautiful frescoes and had two large piano organs. The Giardeno Giusti had spectacular greenery, marble statues, and a scenic view of Verona. The Torre dei Lamberti has 386 stairs before reaching the top; it was a hike but climbing towers is just what the roomies and I do. In addition to the activities, we also spent two hours relaxing by a river. This was one event that couldn’t have been planned for but it was a great way to immerse ourselves in Italian culture. Italians are very leisurely about their plans and so we were too; we experienced the unpredictable pleasure that only relaxing by a river on a nice day can bring.

With two activity-filled days in Verona, it was such an incredible adventure. I would love to go back. Even the few bumps in the road at the beginning turned into a learning experience; Verona has to be my favorite city so far!

Pictures from this adventure...Check them out!
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