tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62463802517578802642024-03-19T03:43:31.045-07:00When in Rome...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-11908716728403736852013-12-09T03:18:00.000-08:002013-12-09T03:18:08.155-08:00Cinque TerreFor my last weekend in Italy Jenna, Shelby and I went to Cinque Terre for the weekend. We stayed in Manorola which is one of the 5 cities. We had a couple of difficulties with the train on Friday morning one of which included Shelby and I buying tickets for the wrong days. We figured it out and we finally made it to the city around 4, just in time to check into our hostel. That night after putting our stuff down we went and watched the sunset from the top of a hill in the city. All 5 cities rest on hills and in between are mountains with hiking trails. After sunset we walked around the town and went down to the water where there were a couple people fishing. Because we had been traveling all day we were all exhausted and starving, so we got dinner earlier than normal and then went to bed. For dinner we got pasta with pesto which is really famous in cinque terre. The next day we were up early to shower (hot water available from 7am-10am) and we were on our way hiking a little before 10. It was such a nice day out that we could've been wearing shorts while we were hiking. Even though I'm afraid of heights, and not the best hiker, it was definitely worth it for the view every time you reached the top of a peak. We went from the second city where we were staying to the fourth city. About halfway in-between the third and fourth city there was a man who lives in the mountains who had an area for people to come and rest and fill up their waters with fresh spring water. He had an excellent view of the water and he had made a lot of crafts that represented cinque terre. It was so cool and a very nice place to take a break. When we got to the fourth city we decided to go down to the water and take a break because we knew we wouldn't be able to hike to the fifth city before dark. So we stayed in the fourth city for a while and watched the sunset again. While we were there we ran into these two girls who we met at dinner Friday night. It was really funny realizing that we knew someone there (kinda). After we had taken a break we took the train to the fifth city where we got pizza and calzones for dinner. For dessert we had foccacia and nutella. It was so good even though I was a little worried about how it was going to be served. Foccacia is another thing that is famous in cinque terre and we were told we had to try it. By the time we got back to our hostel we were exhausted from all the hiking we did but we stayed up for a little bit just to hang out and reminisced about all of the good times we've had in Rome. Our last day in cinque terre we were carrying around our luggage so we took a train to the first city and hung out in a bar until we had to leave to catch our train. It was nice to sit and relax while having a cappuccino after such a long weekend. Our train ride back went a lot smoother than the train ride there and we were all able to get some studying done for our finals this week.<br />
Going to Cinque Terre for the weekend was definitely a great way to wrap up the study abroad trip. Hiking through the mountains gave us time to reflect on everything that has happened and everything we are looking forward to when we come home. Just a few more days left in Rome and then I'll be on my way home! Can't wait!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-78928836623752099292013-12-09T02:41:00.000-08:002013-12-09T02:41:04.988-08:00Another winter day, Has come and gone away, In even Paris and Rome & I wanna go home<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I can’t
believe that this semester is coming to an end. I have been doing so much since
I have been here and I am so thankful for how much I’ve been able to travel! A
couple weeks ago I went to my favorite place in the world, Paris, and it most
definitely lived up to my expectations. My friend Adam, his parents and I went
on the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first night there
(Thursday) we went straight to the hostel to go to bed and we slept in the next
morning. During the day on Friday we went to the Eiffel Tower and went all the
way to the top! The view left me speechless and freezing. At the very top we
bought a glass of champagne to celebrate. We bought tickets to take the stairs
most of the way up and then took the elevator when we had to. I enjoyed walking
to the top because you could take your time and enjoy every level and see the
view. It was so cold up there but I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for
it. After we went to the Eiffel Tower we got a small lunch and then we took the
metro to the Arc d’Triumph. The Arc is on the Champs Elysees, which is this
beautifully lit up road with shops. After taking the necessary pictures of the
Arc we made our way down the street and stopped into a view stores. At the end
of the street there was something set up that looked like a Christmas Festival.
There were a few kids rides, a giant slide and lots of shops that you could buy
scarves, ornaments and random things as well. At the very end of the road there
was a Ferris wheel and ice-skating. Adam and I went ice-skating while his
parents went on the Ferris wheel and it was so much fun because I never thought
that I would ever be ice skating in Paris! After such a nice day we got a brief
dinner and went to bed because we were all exhausted. On Saturday we spent the
day at the Louvre, and when I say we spent the day I mean it. We spent six
hours in the museum. The place is so huge that even though we were there for so
long we still didn’t see everything. My favorite part about the museum was
finally being able to have Starbucks. Other than that there were a couple
pieces that I really did enjoy. One of the first things we saw was the Mona
Lisa and that was incredible. Its so funny that something that seems so simple
can be so popular. We also got Ben & Jerry’s in the museum and that was
another highlight of course. After the Louvre, Adams parents were exhausted so
they headed back to the hostel while Adam and I stopped at a random metro stop
to get dinner. When we got of the stop we came across the Galeries Lafayette,
which is a huge mall in Paris. There were so many stores so we just walked
around and watched the tree light up. Afterwards we got on the metro again and
found another stop to get dinner at. Dinner was delicious our waiter was great
which was a relief because the night before our waiter was nothing special. On
Sunday we had our flight at 9pm so we took our luggage with us to do some sight
seeing for the day. First we went to the Notre Dame Cathedral and walked around
while there was a mass going on inside. The music was my favorite part aside
from the façade of the cathedral. The inside wasn’t well lit so it was
difficult to just walk through and see everything. After the Cathedral we went
to the lock bridge, which was probably my second favorite thing about Paris.
For anyone who doesn’t know, the lock bridge is a bridge in Paris that is
covered in locks (which seems self-explanatory) but the meaning behind it is
that people will go to this bridge, place a lock on the bridge and then throw
the key in the Seine to symbolize everlasting love. I promised myself that when
I go back to Paris in the future I will definitely put a lock on the bridge.
After the bridge we got lunch and then Adam and I went into Saint Chappelle.
What was interesting about this church was that the first floor is extremely
boring. We were really disappointed at first because we had paid to get into
the church and there was nothing there. We made our way upstairs and realized
what it really was that we paid for. There were a series of stain glass windows
that told the stories from Genesis, Exodus, etc. The room used to be a
reliquary but all of the relics are now kept underneath Notre Dame. Once we
left there we made our way to the airport to catch our plane. While I was in
Paris I was able to try all of the foods I wanted to which was my main goal in
going. I had wine, cheese, bread, chocolate croissant, and a croque-monsieur
(ham & cheese). I was very sad to go but now I can’t wait to go back!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The weekend
after Paris, Sinead and I went to London for the weekend. My dad says it was
only a day trip because we were only there from Friday afternoon to Sunday
morning. Even though we didn’t get there until the afternoon on Friday we were
still able to see Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the Seeing Eye. The Seeing Eye
is the third largest Ferris wheel in the world and you get a great view of
London from the top. During the ride there are touch screens where you can look
up information about all of the sights around you. This was really helpful
because Sinead and I didn’t know a lot about London except for a few things.
When we got back to our hotel it was already late so we took a quick nap and
then headed out for the night. Friday night was probably my favorite part about
London because we were able to meet two girls from the small town we were
staying in and they took us to another irish pub nearby. It was so much fun
being out with them because it was so different from going out in Rome.
Everyone there was out to have a good time, there was great music and everyone
was so friendly! The next day Sinead and I had a few places we wanted to see
before we went to Winter Wonderland at night. First, we went to the London
Bridge but then we were a little disappointed and wanted to find out what the
nicer looking bridge was on the other side. On our walk there we came across
the Towers of London and then continued walking toward the Tower Bridge (the
cooler bridge). After seeing those sights we made our way back to Big Ben and
went to go into Westminster Abbey, which was right near it. Unfortunately
Westminster Abbey was closed to sightseeing so we were not able to go in. From
there we found directions to go to Buckingham Palace and by the time we reached
there it was darker out so it was lit up but there were no fancy guards outside
the building. From there we decided we would start walking in the general
direction that we thought Winter Wonderland would be in. Eventually we came
across it which was fantastic because the entire weekend we were having such
great lunch finding things and trains being perfectly on time. Even though it
was free to get in there was such a long line because of how many people were
already inside Winter Wonderland. Sinead and I had no idea what to expect when
we went in but it wound up being this giant carnival with tons of rides and
games and booths selling the same sort of things that they were selling in
Paris. It was a little chilly outside but it was so much fun to be there! While
we were there we got hot chocolate with baileys, we went on a couple of rides,
and just enjoyed being there. It was a good thing we left early because it was
so packed that when we did leave people were still trying to get in even
thought it closed in an hour. On our way to the metro to get back to our hotel
we came across the Hard Rock in London! We didn’t go to the restaurant but we
did go inside the store and bought a couple of souvenirs. We were so happy that
the entire weekend we kept coming across awesome things rather than seeking out
everything. The next morning we were up really early to catch our flight and
once again I was sad to leave, but mostly because London reminded me of Boston
and it made me miss home more. AND they spoke English… that was probably the
best part. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This past
Thursday was our last day of classes and now I am off to Cinque Terre for the
weekend with Jenna and Shelby. One last trip before I go back home! It is also
a nice distraction from finals but thankfully they are not as bad as I thought
they would be. We already finished Italian earlier in the week so now once I
return to Rome I have three finals, packing, buying a few more souvenirs and
then I’m heading home! This Study Abroad experience was without a doubt the
best choice I’ve ever made and the best experience I have ever had in my life.
When I think about leaving it is bittersweet because I will miss the experience
itself, but I am positive that I will return to Italy. Maybe not Rome, but
definitely Italy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-7531598640337047982013-11-21T04:30:00.002-08:002013-11-21T04:30:52.510-08:00Three wishes...My bag is packed, my essay is sent in and all that stands between me and going to Paris is lunch! This weekend is something that I have been looking forward to every since I was a kid. Going to Paris will make all of my french classes worth it (hopefully) and I will be the happiest person on the planet. These past couple weeks have been amazing and it keeps on getting better. This whole experience has been incredible and there is still more left! A couple weeks ago my parents came to visit me and I missed them the second they left. I was so excited for them to be here and to finally see them after what felt like forever. We did a lot of touristy things and ate at wonderful restaurants. My mom was here for her birthday and so for her birthday I planned a trip to Chianti in Tuscany and we had a blast! Luckily the weather was great the entire weekend even though it was supposed to rain the entire time. The same thing happened when my aunts were here the following weekend. It did rain a little bit but not enough to keep us inside! With my aunts we traveled to Venice and it was absolutely amazing! I didn't have any expectations for Venice because I knew that whatever I would come across would be something new and beautiful. I could not get over how much water there was! It is literally a city on water. The trip was definitely worth the long train ride and the three of us had such a great time. While my aunts where here the school went on a trip to Scansano where we visited a winery and had a delicious lunch. While I was there my aunts traveled out and about in Rome by themselves and even though they got lost they said it was worth it. It was so much fun to be able to eat out at nice restaurants while they were here and I am so thankful that they treated me to such nice dinners! Last weekend the school took a weekend long exertion to Urbino where we stayed at the University of Urbino. My favorite part about the trip was being around people my own age. We were situated in a real college environment and that is something I miss having while I am here. We took a trip to Assisi while we were in Urbino and then were able to do whatever we wanted for the rest of the trip. We spent a lot of time relaxing which was perfect because relaxation has been something that is much needed recently with the semester coming to an end. While we were in Urbino we did come across some rain and cold weather but a little rain never hurt anybody. Every time I went into a church one of my three wishes was for good weather during the trip just like when my aunts and my parents were here. I made the same wish recently for my trip to Paris but I don't even care if it rains the entire time. I just can't wait to be in Paris!<br />
Now that you are finally caught up with everything that has been going on I now have to go eat lunch and catch a plane! Au revoir!<br />
p.s I will post pictures next time for the past trips I've had!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-67256777852735054252013-10-21T15:00:00.000-07:002013-10-21T15:00:55.851-07:00Napoli, Capri & PompeiiCiao!<br />
This past weekend we took a group trip to Naples. We stayed in a small hotel on the same street where Prof. Balena lived. Every morning we had a cornetto and cappucino at the same cafe same restaurant every night. For lunch, we were given bagged lunches from another place down the street. It was so nice to be in Naples because we were with our professor who is from the area and he knew everyone! It reminded me of the tv show Cheers! when Norm walks into the bar and every one screams his name. Wherever we went with Prof. Balena everyone would scream "OTTA!!!". Everyone in the area was so friendly and we definitely made a lot of friends during this trip. We got to Naples around 7 on thursday night and had dinner around 8. I'm still so full from all the food we ate this weekend. Neapolitan food is amazing but they serve so much food! Thursday night we had seafood which was excellent! Naples is on the water which was what made the city beautiful. Everyone that we talked to before our trip told us to watch out for people trying to steal from us and not everyone said they liked the city. Naples doesn't have a very good reputation but Prof. Balena would always talk about how everything is better in Naples. After this weekend I have nothing negative to say about the city. Everything is definitely better in Naples. Maybe not the trash filled streets and graffiti, but everything else was amazing. After dinner thursday night we got our first experience of the city by walking around at night and seeing a lot of the history behind the city and seeing just how beautiful Naples night life is right on the water. We walked for a very long time and were all extremely exhausted when we got back to the hotel. Friday we went to Capri... which i'm going to save until the end to talk about because I have to save the best for last! Friday night we went out to dinner again and had lots of pasta and fried food. Once again, so filling. Afterwards the adults knew how tired we all were so we were able to go to bed right after dinner. Our visit to Pompeii was on Saturday and that was incredible. I had heard very little about Pompeii but remembered the most important stuff. Pompeii is full of ancient roman ruins that were uncovered after the entire city was destroyed when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. The lava didn't reach the city but the ashes and gasses killed everyone in the city immediately. Something that I still haven't gotten used to since I've been in Rome is how old everything is and imagining everyone that has walked before me in the exact same spot. Ancient emperors and kings have been to the same places I have and that astonishes me. What was extremely overwhelming in Pompeii was seeing the remains of the people that lived there. When the people perished what remained was cavities that were later found and archaeologists pumped plaster into these cavities and in certain places in pompeii you can see these plaster filled cavities. You are able to see the last seconds of a person's life and that is a very depressing sight to see. On the upside, it was very exciting to see ancient ruins and picture a lively city that was there thousands of years ago. While we were in Pompeii Prof. Balena didn't have anything to cover his bald head and so instead of having to hold a map over his head I lent him my scarf to wear as a turban. It was definitely a sight to see (I will post a photo). After Pompeii we went back to the hotel and napped before dinner. After dinner, Prof. Balena and a few of his friends took us out around town in their cars to see more of the city night life. We went to the top of a very big hill to see the city all light up. It was a gorgeous place. He told us that he was taking us to one of the most romantic places in rome. I also learned that there are two different ways to say "I love you" in italian. Prof. Balena is not only a generally happy person full of information but he is also a big romantic, which makes sense because he has a huge heart. In italian, "ti voglio bene" is what you would say to a friend or family when you wanted to say that you love them. In a relationship (boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife) you would say "ti amo". He further explained the three different ways the greeks used "I love you" but that was very confusing. Sunday we didn't have anything planed but Prof. Balena's friends took us out around the city again to show us Naples during the daytime. His friend that owned the cafe that we had been eating at opened up just for us on Sunday so we could have breakfast. For lunch we finally got to have Neapolitan pizza. To no surprise the pizza was huge and delicious. I was unable to finish mine after eating so much this weekend but I loved every bite. It was very sad to leave on Sunday and I am already looking forward to going back in the future (WHEN i get the chance, not if).<br />
There are many reasons why I saved Capri for last but the most important one is because you save the best for last. Capri was the highlight of my weekend and I don't think I ever stopped smiling. The second we got off the ferry I fell in love with the little town. The whole place is on a hill so there was a lot of going up and down hills but I didn't mind at all. The view from the top was gorgeous and normally this is when I would be speechless but I could not stop talking about it. I kept talking about how I had never seen water so clear and so blue before. We went swimming right when we got there and it was the last thing we did before we headed home. When we were about 20 minutes away from having to meet everyone someone said "are you going to remember the time you were cold on a ferry because you were wet, or are you going to remember the last time you swam in the Mediterranean sea". I already wanted to go swimming again but that made it even more convincing. The water was so perfect that I never wanted to leave. I was acting like a child on Christmas morning the entire time I was in the water. I will still appreciate the beaches in Scituate, but nothing could come even close to how perfect the water was in Capri. The beach itself was rocky but I couldn't care less about that. One day was not enough to soak up all of the beauty in Capri. I thought it was funny because the night before at dinner we were all talking about our "best day ever" and I couldn't think of just one. Now I definitely have a best day ever. I can't think of much else to say about Capri other than the fact that it was the happiest place I have ever been in. Before I left for Rome I was told to go to Capri and I think that even if it was a scheduled trip I would've found my way there. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have been given while I am here and this was a trip that we all worked for. We cleaned our entire building from top to bottom for a week to pay for this trip and every second was worth it. I brought back with me many memories of both Capri and Naples. In Capri I bought a pretty dress for only 15 euros and in Naples I bought an infinity ring for 5 euros. I also have an obscene amount of photos from the weekend which I have gone through multiple times. On the boat ride back you could see the moon on one side and the sunset on the other side. This was the perfect ending to the day because both sides were gorgeous. I have never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life. My only wish would be to show everyone in my life Capri and hope that they would enjoy it just as much as I did. I will always remember Naples and Capri because it was extremely sentimental coming from someone who lives on the water. When we went to the beach in Capri I sat at the end of the jetty for a little bit like I would do at the Scituate Lighthouse and it had the same feeling of knowing that I was in a place that felt like home. Now that I have gone on and on about how much I loved Capri I think its time for pictures! Also, here is a link to my facebook photo album of all my pictures from italy. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.528592480560531.1073741826.100002293525612&type=1&l=80970ad35b<br />
Ti Voglio Bene!<br />
One more thing I want to add... On top of enjoying this weekend so much it was also a good weekend to reflect on everything that I am thankful for in life and I hope that everyone can take time out of their day to appreciate what they have and who they have in their life that care about them. Don't ever take a day for granted and make the most of everything!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDWYoFE-DdtoTQou3ZS5G6DNu_-2PZYKbteOTwPxvSnmjrskToQXmzQozNVBYpwLZFo4OJVeg_m8YQwqQSZTEyrIY3uD-UaqM42ElW4S5_PUWAkFQ-z_Z9VJ-J6pbPWDcnV41amctqsE/s1600/IMG_3197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDWYoFE-DdtoTQou3ZS5G6DNu_-2PZYKbteOTwPxvSnmjrskToQXmzQozNVBYpwLZFo4OJVeg_m8YQwqQSZTEyrIY3uD-UaqM42ElW4S5_PUWAkFQ-z_Z9VJ-J6pbPWDcnV41amctqsE/s320/IMG_3197.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capri!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQ9VvfaqNQAGT04rN0N5iIbeRm1JT92DchMuG6vPBKV7j78TbYvovXrZIhhU0tK_IT-7e_HQUBpAQS8m0d7GcBdg1GGXMI8WHyNZfsmc8tXVYoNTkXTCzS8tyT4YilX6Aa08s5tEd_Uc/s1600/IMG_3212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQ9VvfaqNQAGT04rN0N5iIbeRm1JT92DchMuG6vPBKV7j78TbYvovXrZIhhU0tK_IT-7e_HQUBpAQS8m0d7GcBdg1GGXMI8WHyNZfsmc8tXVYoNTkXTCzS8tyT4YilX6Aa08s5tEd_Uc/s320/IMG_3212.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at the top of a hill in Capri</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wyulNBrk-gpN_rLvaBf8xIHbdRursmg2ER5Qaai8_bDtqFW1a7xgKT6Sc3h6y7lji9X-0yXG7yHooDFgLEsjtWJ2YGMbyTie1fiI9ByVENlbko_GEbncFX7pv7jgL1svhWaeiEdHB-U/s1600/IMG_3217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wyulNBrk-gpN_rLvaBf8xIHbdRursmg2ER5Qaai8_bDtqFW1a7xgKT6Sc3h6y7lji9X-0yXG7yHooDFgLEsjtWJ2YGMbyTie1fiI9ByVENlbko_GEbncFX7pv7jgL1svhWaeiEdHB-U/s320/IMG_3217.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from another hill in Capri</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjeLNo8fnD-dCKsuOCTx-uCMoUUv08hYPMwYQyTJu8Yk9RjYwm1vVHxBKASMzJiGwaLeBaYAA8ziBnMal8ZwdwXHvkBOKJmbipBJT5mUmZVGAdGNz9U8HJQnp4UYs_BPiPMsscPIKGoM/s1600/IMG_3221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjeLNo8fnD-dCKsuOCTx-uCMoUUv08hYPMwYQyTJu8Yk9RjYwm1vVHxBKASMzJiGwaLeBaYAA8ziBnMal8ZwdwXHvkBOKJmbipBJT5mUmZVGAdGNz9U8HJQnp4UYs_BPiPMsscPIKGoM/s320/IMG_3221.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">look at how blue the water is!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRxDf75oycDLdyE2pBQQyfcVkh4tIFOKfDs4il3VpzInNB9frRCBo1taynnOC497hRP_eohqLtEhWlIhzSkxxo__gLJOTm0snAas9pJs8rLsc-Apm2b20c_cPf9mwRtWssJgtBKJRLJo/s1600/IMG_3262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRxDf75oycDLdyE2pBQQyfcVkh4tIFOKfDs4il3VpzInNB9frRCBo1taynnOC497hRP_eohqLtEhWlIhzSkxxo__gLJOTm0snAas9pJs8rLsc-Apm2b20c_cPf9mwRtWssJgtBKJRLJo/s320/IMG_3262.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more pictures from capri</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfktvVvHuYjmWiIKVPdE3TnvzU7dBAxtGq_yR55t8pvR4OpnYiVWJXskxHYADIdBYINnDuVHsFXirIhKGL1807bNMY-cdQO2Uv86QaMvn1CEVhLZZV_HSrcEMgNhikvgW8WEaLUsnvw4M/s1600/IMG_3264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfktvVvHuYjmWiIKVPdE3TnvzU7dBAxtGq_yR55t8pvR4OpnYiVWJXskxHYADIdBYINnDuVHsFXirIhKGL1807bNMY-cdQO2Uv86QaMvn1CEVhLZZV_HSrcEMgNhikvgW8WEaLUsnvw4M/s320/IMG_3264.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capri from the port</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocn0fhNzlMJg83O3rz5-F52XrTKWEPq__X4F0ChDMrOhgDYLYdMCKowOya6KB5w88XqowI_qTNgr-gXQCPcIPYklop3G8oo1_sTsBbhm8Ny1nNUgXjwV3qoScYjx0s3G5OWEoVTfF9YA/s1600/IMG_3266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocn0fhNzlMJg83O3rz5-F52XrTKWEPq__X4F0ChDMrOhgDYLYdMCKowOya6KB5w88XqowI_qTNgr-gXQCPcIPYklop3G8oo1_sTsBbhm8Ny1nNUgXjwV3qoScYjx0s3G5OWEoVTfF9YA/s320/IMG_3266.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ti amo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosYh36C164PszOhcqKfGQAnxqu891ojpAwPgPZRYZeP3UpUNUPu1v7WAJe0803ZU6Tb6MVtNfvyMegF1pvCOdaoVxJxiqb7J4dY3Z-2ek1dh7R_mXoxfGJNac8HoDrbOZtU4aSs_OMUA/s1600/IMG_3306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosYh36C164PszOhcqKfGQAnxqu891ojpAwPgPZRYZeP3UpUNUPu1v7WAJe0803ZU6Tb6MVtNfvyMegF1pvCOdaoVxJxiqb7J4dY3Z-2ek1dh7R_mXoxfGJNac8HoDrbOZtU4aSs_OMUA/s320/IMG_3306.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the forum in pompeii</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXPlnDfi-LBxtgYNaYNDIuKUaqWgZ266MRsFV0m8L7-5JKaW-DyjpeCU_rC-s7bK8kjgqFDtO-HvpAEUqtkcbBneMEzbN7oPnVpYfccUCs7O4Qz2iYiVxLpitAE84UMY1SdRAhhYjCSo/s1600/IMG_3315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXPlnDfi-LBxtgYNaYNDIuKUaqWgZ266MRsFV0m8L7-5JKaW-DyjpeCU_rC-s7bK8kjgqFDtO-HvpAEUqtkcbBneMEzbN7oPnVpYfccUCs7O4Qz2iYiVxLpitAE84UMY1SdRAhhYjCSo/s320/IMG_3315.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">plaster cavity in pompeii</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i couldn't believe how well preserved the frescos were!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pompeii amphitheater </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naples at night! View from the top of a hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwIPLAYNqJqqvdP6sR4jywWuEi6hSX2ukY0uduJ-AWQxAE0_E2jYvV7uRqemgAjrMsOZZSBVuFPTrpxrWs1vQ194iVjlAXx-3WCoNm-ixNNgHyH3YCiFAgpHykJId-OLdcizKKtZv0X8/s1600/IMG_3392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwIPLAYNqJqqvdP6sR4jywWuEi6hSX2ukY0uduJ-AWQxAE0_E2jYvV7uRqemgAjrMsOZZSBVuFPTrpxrWs1vQ194iVjlAXx-3WCoNm-ixNNgHyH3YCiFAgpHykJId-OLdcizKKtZv0X8/s320/IMG_3392.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the gang with the woman who owned the cafe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4RNCE5SoBZy-4-FVOrJZ03MC2L7qIoiTyt8MEGyjOj6G630oBjoAvFwA7h5xutnzRgj86ugj9n0WOz5yEUJtwWpuVhepQger7spUyjIQBPGnlOYWa8otgQro094kGJVMZqEwSGfPis0/s1600/IMG_3402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4RNCE5SoBZy-4-FVOrJZ03MC2L7qIoiTyt8MEGyjOj6G630oBjoAvFwA7h5xutnzRgj86ugj9n0WOz5yEUJtwWpuVhepQger7spUyjIQBPGnlOYWa8otgQro094kGJVMZqEwSGfPis0/s320/IMG_3402.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was too anxious to eat it that I forgot to take a picture at first....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk16an9B19aXZRnSvARYrjT_9vqLQGZG40bITEJSqV936GNY8DBV2JDPtHxBfWl_dOjnlQ_AGXW4dT6KEAUUW8rACfT2fhoihgd9LQMXPE9RMmOlmFAjV828ayyBqFG-GYPCS82OxlAng/s1600/IMG_3301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk16an9B19aXZRnSvARYrjT_9vqLQGZG40bITEJSqV936GNY8DBV2JDPtHxBfWl_dOjnlQ_AGXW4dT6KEAUUW8rACfT2fhoihgd9LQMXPE9RMmOlmFAjV828ayyBqFG-GYPCS82OxlAng/s320/IMG_3301.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prof. Balena</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-45962362240488043002013-10-15T15:52:00.000-07:002013-10-15T15:52:41.007-07:00Taking a breather...<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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After a very busy weekend I can honestly say it is so wonderful to sit in a comfy chair and watch game 3 of the playoffs. It might not get over until late but I don't mind. This weekend the Dean of Students came to visit the Rome campus and she came with us to Orvieto on Sunday. Orvieto was gorgeous and it was such a nice day out! Definitely another one of my favorite places we have visited. She brought with her candy and peanut butter which was the best gift imaginable. Also this weekend we went to HomeBaked which is an American breakfast place nearby and it was delicious! We will definitely be spending more time there. After our trip to Orvieto we came back and went out for a really nice dinner. During the second part if the first course (more pasta) they gave us bibs to wear! I'm still not sure if it was a joke or if everyone at the restaurant gets bibs if they get a certain type of pasta. Once we got back we all had to get to work on our homework and we were all up very late. This Thursday we leave for Napoli and we will be visiting Capri while we are there. I am so excited to go! Prof. Balena cannot stop talking about how amazing Naples is and I'm sure it will love up to expectations. For now I wanted to be able to share some photos from Orvieto and bring you up to date on my busy busy life. Sidenote: 16 days till my mom and dad come to visit!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLiMflODHByXYNF_OafkIBmmA7_ZhnxjZLoMK9xN0fYm-9z30bcrFFF5SLl5_dHpUJmOH4Q35f6eWsQ6oHkaxACa8ZXtnegTKohnvI4FU5PZzMUIeoTSKx9uRqDCcu8O4ZhoXZpWiQMs/s640/blogger-image-712235322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLiMflODHByXYNF_OafkIBmmA7_ZhnxjZLoMK9xN0fYm-9z30bcrFFF5SLl5_dHpUJmOH4Q35f6eWsQ6oHkaxACa8ZXtnegTKohnvI4FU5PZzMUIeoTSKx9uRqDCcu8O4ZhoXZpWiQMs/s640/blogger-image-712235322.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being able to watch the red sox was a highlight of my day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPH3JEm1RoHI2mp9E9PO1MWEspFpYaohkzCqn2lR-pxSKevnPDoLFaqYN4N2AXayAoK0JPPYfA7AjVk-i9mFrYIc42kJYD1b5DCxTGFiiLf0a6Bz-etEKycH2F7UlBJfRD2c39MkblAoY/s640/blogger-image--1961114616.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bibs at the restaurant!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duomo Di Orvieto</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKVNjUPFti4Np5x9ohcuUXDpQCeS8Bv3S1hP3oLing2T57wK0zTt82fhNQC0GAjyKeRnXTazom7RalaVPH3u1omjMdjdAsmZZHX-GJrSrwcmZQyZlCIV0Zl7oujZAwWBckYRDvgzhGYU/s640/blogger-image-1523770951.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want to live here!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzbZA-HV0dUnD1gXc0z6Le3-sxyJ-xisSu5hogKyxlnd055vCfBIT4-fb_aagjFb3EucyNSPD9uaFQ8qlpgWcaPzHn0Wr8G8DACxP2PWPDnmfLrEy2CfdCuN4UQCtGyS0-egZbKRWzqc/s640/blogger-image-382514628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzbZA-HV0dUnD1gXc0z6Le3-sxyJ-xisSu5hogKyxlnd055vCfBIT4-fb_aagjFb3EucyNSPD9uaFQ8qlpgWcaPzHn0Wr8G8DACxP2PWPDnmfLrEy2CfdCuN4UQCtGyS0-egZbKRWzqc/s640/blogger-image-382514628.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic of Orvieto countryside</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-64645484112572605662013-10-10T10:50:00.000-07:002013-10-10T10:50:10.366-07:00My week in a nutshell...I can't believe it has almost been one month since I got here! It seems like time is flying by but I'm still enjoying every second of it. Between visiting St. Peter's Basilica twice this week, a midterm exam and napping I have had zero time to sit down and reflect on the past week. I will definitely have more time this weekend to think about everything but for right now I wanted to share a couple of things that has happened recently. <div>
Today: I knew I had to post something today after hearing something during class. Prof. Bonanno is away at a conference this weekend so we had Prof. Balena teaching us lit this morning. He was talking about Dante and Boccacio and mentioned a quote in italian. I do not remember the italian but it translated to something like this "Love comes to those who are gentle". I'm pretty sure thats what he said. He reminded me of when he told me that he saw me as a very motherly person that has plenty of love to share and that love comes easy to me. I really appreciated hearing this because it reminded me of my own mother. Every night before I go to bed I see my favorite picture of my mom and I from when I was a baby and it makes me so happy to think that some day I will be just like her. This thought process really had nothing to do with the Decameron that we are reading in class but it didn't matter to me. Later today we went to St. Peter's Basilica for the second time this week and it was just as thrilling as if I were seeing it for the first time. Today we focused on the religious aspect of the church rather than the art in the church like we did yesterday. Luckily the rain held off while we were waiting in line to go through security. The line was crazy! You don't have to pay to get in but you do have to stand in line for a very long time to get into the basilica. Even though I was able to sleep in last weekend I will definitely need to sleep in tomorrow to catch up for this past week. Saturday we have a day trip to Orvieto which should be fun because the Dean from Assumption will be visiting! I will post lots of pictures and post about it sometime this weekend.</div>
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Yesterday: Between Italian class and Renaissance Art class yesterday was a very LONG day. We were at our Italian class from 9:30-1 and then had a bag lunch because we were meeting our art professor at 2 at the Vatican Museum. We got back to our building around 5:50 or 6. The museum was really cool but unfortunately we had to jog through it like most of our visits to museums. The art work is absolutely stunning and I could spend hours there! After the museum we went to the Sistine Chapel. It was nothing like I expected but every single inch of it was painted and it was stunning! There were so many people there so it wasn't as quiet as expected but I was still able to appreciate being there. After that we went into the basilica which like I said earlier, was absolutely beautiful. There is so much artwork to appreciate in Rome and not one piece looks alike. One of my high points of yesterday was being able to understand everything in my Italian class. It was the first time I did not feel so lost and I loved every second of it. However, my favorite part of yesterday was last night after dinner I was talking to Prof. Balena about teaching and I finally found someone who feels the same way I do! He talked to me about how everyone has knowledge, but it is about making learning exciting and inciting people to want to learn. Talking to him about education was making me so excited for the day I finally am able to begin teaching. I want to ask him if he could email me a page he wrote about teaching because I would really like to share it and read more about the Socratic method of teaching he was talking about. It made me so happy to have someone to talk to about it!</div>
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Tuesday: For Ethics class we went to the <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em;">Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna. When you first walk into the museum the first room has a floor entirely made up of cracked mirrors. I loved this effect because it showed how things are without any distortion done by the artist. You see yourself for who you really are while standing next to beautiful statues. The first statue I saw was of Eve and I probably stared at her for what felt like hours. She was stunning and so life like and was right there in front of me. She was looking down and so in the mirror you could see her distraught face. It was titled "</span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Eva dopo il peccato" (Eva after the sin).</span><span style="line-height: 1.2em;"> There </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em;">was an </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">immediate</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em;"> connection I felt with her and couldn't look away. I didn't take a picture of her myself because I felt like it would ruin the moment but I will find one and post it here. Just like going to the Vatican Museum we were rushed on this trip but I plan on going back because I could've spent hours in that museum. One of the paints we saw was called "Grande Rosso" and it reminded me of reading the play <i>Red </i>in my Romanticism class last semester. Its hard to explain what the artwork was but it was very modern and stuck out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em;">Monday: We didn't do much monday besides go to Italian class and then we stayed inside for our Renaissance Art class. So out of this whole week monday was the most relaxing but I was able to face time with friends from home which made me very happy! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em;">I am so happy now that I have finally been able to share with you everything that has happened this week. I feel like I am always so busy and never have a second to share my experiences! Hopefully I will get into a better routine shortly. Enjoy the pictures!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimEz_UYDP6EARS8OUwsVnoIcEs4X3ProdGib0vihU4C7Sh0rVSw1QRBlOyGTyauihBfqiYTkh9WJDKb6w4X0o5rEvbjxoefh-C2jruEC0PRdY8R3uh4OXuzNs2sUbPGyfAylQaiA1FUU/s1600/IMG_3028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimEz_UYDP6EARS8OUwsVnoIcEs4X3ProdGib0vihU4C7Sh0rVSw1QRBlOyGTyauihBfqiYTkh9WJDKb6w4X0o5rEvbjxoefh-C2jruEC0PRdY8R3uh4OXuzNs2sUbPGyfAylQaiA1FUU/s320/IMG_3028.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joke from Italian class "tonight we stop United States"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Vatican Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Vatican Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Peter's Basilica</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Peter's Basilica</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eva dopo il peccato</span></span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-11494180065004721922013-10-05T02:35:00.001-07:002013-10-05T02:35:12.439-07:00Free weekend!Ciao!<br />
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After an extremely crazy and hectic week we finally made it to our first free weekend. Yesterday after getting a REAL American breakfast (pancakes, eggs & bacon) I headed towards sperlonga for a day trip. It's a beautiful little town that has a great beach but unfortunately the weather wasn't so great so we didn't really go to the beach. But I did out my feet in the Mediterranean Sea! On our to sperlonga it took us forever to get there because we kept running into issues. For example, the bus to the train station had to take a detour and then she we got to the train the doors were closing as we were trying to get on. Luckily the train comes every hour. Then when we got to sperlonga we had to wait a bit for the bus to the town. It was definitely worth it though! Such a gorgeous town. We made it back later last night and had my second fast-food meal in 2 days. You gotta do what you gotta do. We don't eat a lot of meat in our house which a couple of us our struggling with so we got subway the other day for lunch after barely eating anything and last night I got mcdonalds. It hit the spot. It's so nice to have a weekend to relax after a long week. The weather isn't that great but I'm sure we will make due. Hopefully I will be able to go for another run now that I have found a beautiful park to run in. Enjoy your weekend! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sperlonga! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mediterranean Sea</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This cat was everywhere!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry its blurry- I was running</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-68096385952404521082013-10-01T02:42:00.000-07:002013-10-01T02:44:51.852-07:00Tuscany (speechless)Buongiorno!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florence</td></tr>
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I am very displeased that I haven't been able to post anything about my trip to Florence this past weekend. Since I've been back I have been either doing my homework or going to class. Yesterday we were also working on cleaning the building from top to bottom. In class this morning after reading Day 2 of the Decameron we were talking about Fortune. I can honestly say I have been gifted with Fortune after this past weekend. My fortunes ranged from seeing The David to being in a small town called Certaldo where Giovanni Bocaccio lived. I wish to begin with my favorite day of this weekend which was Saturday. Saturday morning we went to the Uffizi museum in Florence. One of the things that stuck out to me in the Uffizi museum was the painting by Botticelli "Primavera" (spring). I was unable to take a picture but I will post one that I found online. The people in this painting are Mercury, Venus and the Three Graces. I really liked this because I had never heard of the Three Graces before and seeing as there are three Grace daughters in my family it was very close to my heart. After looking it up I found out that the Three Graces are the goddesses of charm, beauty and creativity. Afterwards we got lunch and headed towards Certaldo. Once we were there I was taken back by the beauty of this small town. There are no words to describe the scenery and the overwhelming feeling of comfort that I had while I was here. A couple of us sat down to enjoy a bottle of wine and then went about looking all over the town. There was a "Boccaccio Party" happening because it is the 700th birthday of Boccaccio so there were many different markets set up to purchase goods. I didn't purchase anything while in Certaldo but I did get gelato at "Bocaccio's Gelato". I was sad to leave here but once we got back to Florence we went out for a very nice dinner for the second night in a row. After dinner Saturday night we went to one of the piazzas nearby and got gelato and Prof. Bonanno played his guitalele for us. Friday night we had a huge dinner with people who normally didn't eat with us and it was delicious! It was so nice to enjoy a meal after an extremely long day with friends. The food here always leaves me speechless because there is no way to describe the delectable food that we are fortunate to have. During the day on Friday we were with our renaissance art professor from 10-6 going all over Florence visiting different historical places. Friday afternoon we saw Michelangelo's David and I could've stayed there for hours starting at this masterpiece. There was a copy of The David in the original place where it stood but it simply did not have the same effect as the real one. Unfortunately we were only able to stay in the museum (Academia) where the David was because we were pressed for time. In most of these places we were unable to take photographs but I very quickly got a photo of The David before I was caught by the camera police. The whole time we stayed in Florence we stayed in a convent with the sisters of the Assumpzionisti who were very kind to us. Thankfully after the first night I was able to fall asleep the next two nights because of how exhausted we all were after long days of walking around. Friday night and Saturday night we went out to dinner, like I previously said, and both nights were full of laughter and great conversation. Almost before every plate we did a toast and it always reminds me of how lucky I am to be here and have these experiences. Every morning we were up early which made the trip extremely exhausting and we barely had any free time. The ride home on sunday was spent sleeping or trying to relax. I say trying to relax because it was down pouring on our way home. Before we went back to Rome we stopped in Sienna where PRof. Bonanno did his study abroad trip when he was in college. Even though it was raining it was still a beautiful place and I wish to return there to enjoy it more. Everywhere we went this weekend is definitely some place that I have to go back to. When leaving Certaldo I said that if I never return to tuscany before I die I will be extremely disappointed. With no more words left to describe this trip I think its time for pictures... (I will probably think of more things to say as the day goes on but for now I really wanted to post about my trip in Florence because it was too remarkable to keep to myself) Enjoy!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florentine Cathedral</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2dH4uM6piasPditIXEo9c3yty5djSI0f7AvrN6kNTf-873UFpIs73CrPOdwu1va1CeZfkrPX0J1g_sN2yehwA1CnjuuxtESmTH3wfSUIqFa7VEjity3ZrQYXqSs9zq1WdDiX7zDGYa8/s1600/IMG_2877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2dH4uM6piasPditIXEo9c3yty5djSI0f7AvrN6kNTf-873UFpIs73CrPOdwu1va1CeZfkrPX0J1g_sN2yehwA1CnjuuxtESmTH3wfSUIqFa7VEjity3ZrQYXqSs9zq1WdDiX7zDGYa8/s320/IMG_2877.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little boy's face is priceless</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1G_3sEhlrItkmbQew7V6SCaPArRSiTMbt5OymqJXChyFQh3TzgcEGyztTdJ54K5QY_FHRGRNSg8xLKFt2M7O7pp3xBDIkYiL1RpnkjgaFwPd4M1LAxNJP_wc64LlbAIWEB0Sgog25ps/s1600/IMG_2889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1G_3sEhlrItkmbQew7V6SCaPArRSiTMbt5OymqJXChyFQh3TzgcEGyztTdJ54K5QY_FHRGRNSg8xLKFt2M7O7pp3xBDIkYiL1RpnkjgaFwPd4M1LAxNJP_wc64LlbAIWEB0Sgog25ps/s320/IMG_2889.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic of Florence</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQ-vPClK4KMXV-DT1U5HjVwCcyjVqALPk2DB89GU81W2yEvKUcJr5Ipb8O6GMY-gIvvfHavK8Zce6gfaT2haNI_BSvnIlngedVlFNnwc4J84KP7RJk1Odra5lAxlAjAXhpuSuZJnOI9k/s1600/IMG_2829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQ-vPClK4KMXV-DT1U5HjVwCcyjVqALPk2DB89GU81W2yEvKUcJr5Ipb8O6GMY-gIvvfHavK8Zce6gfaT2haNI_BSvnIlngedVlFNnwc4J84KP7RJk1Odra5lAxlAjAXhpuSuZJnOI9k/s320/IMG_2829.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florence</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZEOmJN-haP6yrkWMcfnThVKH7S3qI9QdoIoo9drnbWAx75lIkKf5pVTeKgw0twl8hPhU3pjLQJouolmyZVTTn-d62de96v9FOSb49Kmc8ETp4qMcR6OtpQvNfxrb1KSeQEAWUhiUb9o/s1600/IMG_2876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZEOmJN-haP6yrkWMcfnThVKH7S3qI9QdoIoo9drnbWAx75lIkKf5pVTeKgw0twl8hPhU3pjLQJouolmyZVTTn-d62de96v9FOSb49Kmc8ETp4qMcR6OtpQvNfxrb1KSeQEAWUhiUb9o/s320/IMG_2876.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The David!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9KG2eQczWn3Nk0uGMVaLTXACn0Jd3bdL83tMzWZtFRht7EyrbnWi5v0ysUcz8lFBEX23may84WprqblDl8yqoiaz9sNOgxOosSxpKU3_idOT3kbfoa-P0eZfgHrlDwB-zjiI-wDQOtI/s1600/IMG_2881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9KG2eQczWn3Nk0uGMVaLTXACn0Jd3bdL83tMzWZtFRht7EyrbnWi5v0ysUcz8lFBEX23may84WprqblDl8yqoiaz9sNOgxOosSxpKU3_idOT3kbfoa-P0eZfgHrlDwB-zjiI-wDQOtI/s320/IMG_2881.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: Marisa, Me, Sinead, Jenna, Devan & Shelby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ENutUu6hrRLQSEbT2obOiC7Xu0RtR7AUG1iXMSE8QI35hBjkfmo8ecTz39SxWNF9cKuwWHmyRKPPnXXH2RxG4lk5GjuHSqRxI1qiPGa3ElJRS5fToScjBn4Kae79kqtmtFnalB4uSaI/s1600/IMG_2897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ENutUu6hrRLQSEbT2obOiC7Xu0RtR7AUG1iXMSE8QI35hBjkfmo8ecTz39SxWNF9cKuwWHmyRKPPnXXH2RxG4lk5GjuHSqRxI1qiPGa3ElJRS5fToScjBn4Kae79kqtmtFnalB4uSaI/s320/IMG_2897.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuscany</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJVZdhduVjD_4-Ah_70lRekcsyv9YFrbsixLV5tDMgl89y5JMx8akc4RvmOUSbq5t1FqyYgMX4zNYgyoJXo89gSWp0Bq-pdHv4MZd5oya0WxnonIxYHDr-WcdYFXJ0PalNFvX7DBr41M/s1600/IMG_2912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJVZdhduVjD_4-Ah_70lRekcsyv9YFrbsixLV5tDMgl89y5JMx8akc4RvmOUSbq5t1FqyYgMX4zNYgyoJXo89gSWp0Bq-pdHv4MZd5oya0WxnonIxYHDr-WcdYFXJ0PalNFvX7DBr41M/s320/IMG_2912.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my pictures don't begin to capture the beauty</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg9cU6OSIjSQBNAANJSvkolR9ckHVB9UVtbPM_gwLrqs6Mbpe7RA2CH67T24KoLKxjeQ079-E4PUy-6lTiuiYAT5VEWh-cTQqAGtRBmRk8HD-tX_OMw3OLMxK3kszyIU3-Ge9zuQBFgg/s1600/IMG_2913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg9cU6OSIjSQBNAANJSvkolR9ckHVB9UVtbPM_gwLrqs6Mbpe7RA2CH67T24KoLKxjeQ079-E4PUy-6lTiuiYAT5VEWh-cTQqAGtRBmRk8HD-tX_OMw3OLMxK3kszyIU3-Ge9zuQBFgg/s320/IMG_2913.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Certaldo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2Ia-toRO1Ppb7APL7vQKlwkbVQCkvheEoWeWE7ZFLx8owormu-mDf0S7br6UxrhjOiX0T_3paeLoscXjh2Bjz7rf-VQVs3TQm3sD3Imgvxau7L0kpSVk4kXKVFM_rpnsQ2bvXievpHk/s1600/IMG_2925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2Ia-toRO1Ppb7APL7vQKlwkbVQCkvheEoWeWE7ZFLx8owormu-mDf0S7br6UxrhjOiX0T_3paeLoscXjh2Bjz7rf-VQVs3TQm3sD3Imgvxau7L0kpSVk4kXKVFM_rpnsQ2bvXievpHk/s320/IMG_2925.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chianti Red Wine (Certaldo)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXDTJWnHRNQ6m-UZk-nFe82hwdCkhSxFZ77LTJAT0XsEOX4W6Leg9lRYE6bY69YPZ7luTHsfB4nf1Ku5yNIuxUxV6ulj05jlwcfYQJdKXFUIRj9tw3tSY8A5DlbEfrV2IZw8M7z0R1Go/s1600/IMG_2928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXDTJWnHRNQ6m-UZk-nFe82hwdCkhSxFZ77LTJAT0XsEOX4W6Leg9lRYE6bY69YPZ7luTHsfB4nf1Ku5yNIuxUxV6ulj05jlwcfYQJdKXFUIRj9tw3tSY8A5DlbEfrV2IZw8M7z0R1Go/s320/IMG_2928.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Certaldo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aJ6PwNQnFy0dxQpvpR76BhHECcDrQ-URpY-JNvp_OV-aeVrWDBTIte-XXYSmEBFrXCQvC2iwpmP8rCxeBIuFYimRpgIBN2zGCgiOFhyphenhyphenXvmbFDelw1MF2F92uRnJ5pOJU2BMvOSb0u0k/s1600/IMG_2952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aJ6PwNQnFy0dxQpvpR76BhHECcDrQ-URpY-JNvp_OV-aeVrWDBTIte-XXYSmEBFrXCQvC2iwpmP8rCxeBIuFYimRpgIBN2zGCgiOFhyphenhyphenXvmbFDelw1MF2F92uRnJ5pOJU2BMvOSb0u0k/s320/IMG_2952.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sienna</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_K2HtEV4XzteLSWLpwMgcMys_h9eYjRjadOmpCl9YyaUgbjNLYeMlaVNraQjdOw5sPZF6BUnyo5BaS4hNLLsELjYSjNEM6jkylgC180ONct7al7NX7iEiNhsQDhVsJNWcV3_bbeX9Ys/s1600/800px-Botticelli-primavera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_K2HtEV4XzteLSWLpwMgcMys_h9eYjRjadOmpCl9YyaUgbjNLYeMlaVNraQjdOw5sPZF6BUnyo5BaS4hNLLsELjYSjNEM6jkylgC180ONct7al7NX7iEiNhsQDhVsJNWcV3_bbeX9Ys/s320/800px-Botticelli-primavera.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Botticelli Primavera</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguIUDOGc_3leth8h4ywtey-rKW-TS1CM3xR3NcFSabpUAUt50CXmnV6h3KCb4McJCOnNopdLvuJsj5oqQ_KA87XXyoF3j6uZiuxNwmERc6M5wvliDjqhyphenhyphen8kxJDO1Vbdi2wEdaTIvpynI/s1600/IMG_2830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguIUDOGc_3leth8h4ywtey-rKW-TS1CM3xR3NcFSabpUAUt50CXmnV6h3KCb4McJCOnNopdLvuJsj5oqQ_KA87XXyoF3j6uZiuxNwmERc6M5wvliDjqhyphenhyphen8kxJDO1Vbdi2wEdaTIvpynI/s320/IMG_2830.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Argo River</td></tr>
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Sorry that this post is a little all over the place- I wasn't sure where to begin!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-16681085748322580592013-09-25T13:09:00.001-07:002013-09-25T13:09:21.074-07:00L'acqua fa male, il vino fa cantare..."L'acqua fa male, il vino fa cantare..."<br />
"Water is bad, wine makes you sing"<br />
One of the first days in Rome this was said to us by one of the professors staying with us Prof. Balena. I can definitely say he is one of the most interesting people I have met since we have been here. We all met him at Logan Airport and he traveled with us to Rome. He is originally from Napoli and always enjoys telling us about his life growing up. Every day he gives me something to laugh about and he is always a happy person. For a couple of days he went back to Napoli to visit his mother who is sick and he brought back to us mozzarella di bufala. This is mozzarella made from water buffalo and was probably my favorite thing I have had since being here. It was our main meal for dinner and we ate it with the most delicious tomatoes (another one of my favorites). The director, Prof. Bonanno, kept telling us that we were going to be transported once we ate some of this and I don't recall a single person complaining about this meal. Il formaggio (cheese) is so delicious here but this particular mozzarella is unlike any other. When we go to Napoli for a weekend excursion we will definitely be getting more and I cannot wait.<br />
The reason for my quote earlier was not only to introduce Prof. Balena but also to share with you one of the "little things" that I have learned since being here. We don't usually have wine with dinner every single night but for some people, Balena, that is very different. Balena actually said "water makes you rust, wine makes you sing" which I find to be more funny and accurate. Since I've been here I haven't had many opportunities to try different wines but I definitely want to start trying something new. So far, I can't complain about any of the wines I have tried. Anyways, back to my main reason, the little things. The way I interpreted this quote was that if you keep doing the normal and boring day-to-day things we are just going to rust, or get old without anything interesting happening. However, if we spice things up or try something new than we will go through life singing and full of joy. You are more than welcome to interpret the quote any way you like, but that is simply my opinion. I thought of this today when I was sitting down to lunch after coming back from my italian class and we were having bruschetta (pronounced brusKetta) for our meal and it was probably the most perfect thing ever. In the US when you order bruschetta you order it as an appetizer. This bruschetta not only had tomatoes and parsley, but there was also bruschetta with cheese and anchovies, and then bruschetta with cheese and prosciutto (ham). I LOVED IT! I didn't know that it was anchovies at first and I probably wouldn't have it again but this tiny meal was exactly what I needed after having italian class. I would have never eaten this at home but here I am forced to try new foods and I am enjoying every second of it. Besides the fact that we have water with every meal, the bruschetta today was my "wine" of the day. It was my something new that made me sing and I have been looking for those moments every day since I've been here and I hope you do the same!<br />
Bounasera!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-58239590084497471802013-09-24T10:50:00.002-07:002013-09-24T10:50:27.930-07:00Second week has begun...After a very long weekend it was hard to get back into the swing of things on monday and have classes. Italian has definitely been getting better thankfully and then after italian we had lunch and then met our Renaissance Art professor for class at the Colloseo metro stop. This was the third time we got off at this stop and I am still not used to seeing the Colloseo the second I get off the metro. This excursion with our professor was not as rushed as the one to the Colloseo but it was still interesting. This trip was the one I previously mentioned about S. Clemente. After class we came back home and got straight to homework. There has been a lot of reading assignments we have had to do for class and it is extremely hard to stay awake while reading them. Eventually I was done and could go to bed after another long day. Today we had every class downstairs in our "lecture hall" which is right now our kitchen table because the desks for our classroom have not arrived yet. It was somewhat nice because it wasn't as exhausting but I still like to get out of the building every day. The reason why I decided to start my blog TODAY was because of something we learned in philosophy class today. We read about Hume for homework and Hume believes that we should focus on emotion rather than reason and give into our passions. Everything that I have done here has made me incredibly happy and I wanted to share those moments with whomever would like to read about them. This way, I can share my passions with you.<br />
Although I said theology isn't my favorite class today we read an article about an interview with the pope and something I don't need to elaborate on, but just want to mention, is when the Pope was asked <span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="text-align: justify;">Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?"his answer was "I am a sinner". This I felt was something to reflect upon and wanted to share it. Now, its time for dinner and I am starving so I hope its something good! (which it always is) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Bounasera!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: justify;">p.s: just remembered I forgot to talk about the food... theres only really one thing thats needed to be said about the food Monica makes for us. Every meal is the "best meal so far". I'm never going to want American food again! </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-58412098890602690112013-09-24T10:39:00.004-07:002013-09-24T10:39:23.647-07:00First weekend out and aboutMy favorite thing has to be the long weekends. We do not have classes on Friday so Thursday night we all decided to go out as a group. It was a little bit tricky trying to find our way around the city without any help and very few of us speak any italian. It was nice to see everyone dressed up to go out and we had such a great time! We found our way to a Piazza that was outside of a Bar and there was a bunch of people just outside hanging out. It was almost the complete opposite of the club scene which I really appreciated. The only downside to the night was waiting for a bus home for an hour at one of the bus stops. Because of this we didn't make it back home until 4 in the morning... All of us fell asleep immediately when we got back. What I liked most about the night was (buying my first "legal" drink) and experiencing italian night life first hand. Since being here I've realized that the times I most enjoy myself are the times I am thrown into random situations and have to find my way around with no help. This way you are truly immersed in italian culture and learn more about the city. This is exactly what me and a couple other people did on Saturday. We got off at the metro stop that the Trevi Fountain is at and had to find our way to the fountain. It took us about an hour to get there but the journey there was incredible. We saw so many different sights and somehow wound up back at the pantheon after seeing the fountain. Unfortunately, I didn't have my phone on me and have no pictures. FORTUNATELY, I'll be here for a while and have plenty of time to go back and take pictures. Saturday was one of the best trips because none of us had any idea where we were going and we were able to explore the town without an instructor telling us where to go. It is also so great that all eight of us get along extremely well! This trip for me has so far been perfect. New friends, new places, new everything and I love all of it.<br />
On Sunday we went to Appia Antica which is one of the oldest roads in Rome and we rode bikes for about 3 hours. We had a "piccolo picnic" (a little picnic) made for us by Monica and we ate it along the way. Biking was difficult at times because the road was so old and had huge flag stones that made up the road. It was nearly impossible to ride comfortably during those points. Along the way there were many beautiful sights to see and I definitely want to go back to view the scenery more than I could while I was on a bike. After the bike ride we stopped into a church that had a copy of Jesus's footprints at the center of the church. It was so cool! Afterwards we were all very exhausted and I fell asleep trying to do my homework for classes today. Thankfully classes today were relaxing and I could settle down after the very long weekend.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian nightlife</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Appia Antica</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Appia Antica</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copy of Jesu's footprints... and my feet!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">graffiti on our way home</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-25790292397413880092013-09-24T10:01:00.000-07:002013-09-24T10:01:30.332-07:00Week one of classesThis whole excursion is about studying abroad which makes classes a #1 priority in some cases and I respect that coming form the perspective of a student. For me, classes are very important but I would never droll on about classes for too long. The first day of classes was exhausting and extremely overwhelming. Mondays and Wednesdays we have Italian and Renaissance Art. My first italian class I had a placement exam and was placed into intermediate italian. This class has to be the most mind-blowing thing ever. There is never any english spoken and there is not a chance to be distracted or else you will have no idea what is going on in the class which is the reason why I said this day was so exhausting. I think eventually this class will get better once all of my italian will come back to me.<br />
Renaissance Art is a very interesting class. Luckily, we have only had one lecture so far and our other classes took place at the Colloseo and S. Clemente's Basilica. The day we went to the Colloseo was very rushed and not as enjoyable as I hoped it would be. Even though it was rushed, it was still the Colloseo. The second you get off at the metro stop you walk outside and there it is. It was a jaw-dropping sight to see and was absolutely massive! We were able to go inside and walk around and I could only imagine the history that took place there. It left me speechless. After the Colloseo we walked to the Palentino Hill which is one of the many hills in rome and we basically jogged through that. The trip was brief and in no way could compare to the Colloseo. We went to S. Clemente's Basilica yesterday and that was a really interesting trip because there is the church that is there now, the 4th century church ruins underneath it, and parts of Clemente's house that the 4th century church was built on top of. You could go underneath the church and it was incredible. However, you couldn't take pictures which was really upsetting. The church that is there now. St. Catherine's Cathedral is beautiful and has gorgeous paintings throughout the church. In Italy, people are very strict on what you wear to church. There was a sign outside the church that said you could not wear tangtops. They are very strict on covering up, even in 80 degree weather like yesterday.<br />
For my classes on Tuesday and Thursday those are a little bit more of a drag. We have a 9am class downstairs in our building, an 11am class also in our building and then a 3:15pm class in our building. On days like today this is miserable because we never leave the room! However, last week our Ethics professor took us to the Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome and at first I was interested in going but once I got there I was so excited because I found out that John Keats is buried there. After taking a Romanticism class he was definitely a favorite of mine. Nearby the cemetery there was a cat sanctuary and we probably saw 10 cats wandering about the cemetery. I'm not quite sure how I felt about that.<br />
My theology class Catholicism Today might be my least-favorite class... we haven't left the lecture room for class yet and the hour and 45 minute class just drags on forever. I have learned very little so far and I am really hoping it becomes more interesting.<br />
My favorite class might be my literature class, which is a good thing because I'm an english major. Our literature class is focused entirely on Boccacio's Decameron and so far I absolutely love this book. It is a tale about 7 women and 3 men who come together during the plague and find sanctuary in one of their homes. During the day they decide to each tell a story for entertainment. The book consists of 10 days, 100 stories. I am only on Day 1 but there is so much to learn from this book. This weekend we will be going to see Boccacio's home and it is even more important because we are celebrating 700 years of Boccacio. The book takes place in Florence, which is where we will be visiting this weekend.<br />
So far, thats all I have to say about classes. Very educational but still somewhat enjoyable of course! I'm never going to want to go back to taking classes in a lecture hall in worcester...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keat's Grave</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colloseo</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-11634983286933229212013-09-24T09:34:00.000-07:002013-09-24T09:34:06.860-07:00Vatican CityI had only been in rome for maybe 48 hours and I was already going to visit Vatican City. On Sundays at noon in the city there is the Angelus. The Pope speaks about current events and blesses the crowd. None of us knew where we were going that day and it was a fantastic surprise! We weren't leaving early but I forgot to set an alarm to wake me up in the morning. We were leaving at 11 and I just assumed I would wake up before then, which I did, but then fell back asleep. Quickly showered and got dressed and was ready downstairs to go. HOWEVER, I did not have anything to eat or drink before we left. It was a rainy day so I remembered my rain coat but it was also hot. Between the heat and having had nothing to eat I almost passed out in vatican city. What a great start to my week. During the middle of the Angelus I began to not feel well and knew I had to sit down. Once I started walking away to find a spot to sit I started to go blurry and couldn't see anything except for white bright blobs of color. Definitely the scariest thing that has happened to me since being here. Fortunately, I was able to have a granola bar and some water and started feeling better. It was until after the fact that I realized what had happened to me. I began to think deeply about everything in my life and how it has affected me, and how I have affected others. I'm not saying it was a message from God, but it was definitely a nudge to force me into reality and see things clearer. Later that night at church, Father John spoke to us about why we are in Rome. He talked about fate and destiny and how everything in life isn't necessarily planned but there is always a reason for why things happen. He told all of us that there is a reason why we are all here in Rome and began mass with an extremely common and simple saying "All roads lead to Rome...". Because I feel like that phrase needs no explanation I will continue on to the first Pizza and Beer night in Rome!<br />
After mass we all went out to get pizza and beer at one of the restaurants nearby. Now, in the US, having pizza and beer consists of picking up a 6 pack and a large pizza to go. Here, pizza and beer is an elegant and classic meal. You eat the pizza with a knife and fork and you get an entire pizza to yourself. As a group we shared a couple beers and at the end we went out to get gelato. This was the second night in a row that we got gelato and I was NOT complaining. I have made it a goal of mine to try a new flavor every time I go get gelato. So far I have tried five different flavors and I have only disliked one. Even still, it was good. Once again, a very long day in Rome but can't complain. Every day here is a gift and I intend to treat it that way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vatican city in the rain</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-38422631355450179372013-09-24T09:11:00.002-07:002013-09-24T09:11:44.481-07:00First DayThis begins my recap of the last 10 days here in Rome...<div>
We landed in Rome in the morning on Sept. 14 and had the entire day ahead of us. Due to jet lag we were all extremely tired but were told to stay up to at least 9:30pm and we should be fine the next day. This definitely had to be one of the longest days of my life but it was so incredibly worth it. We were able to relax and unpack until around 11am, then got an introduction to the program and had lunch at 1:30. I'm still working on getting used to the late lunch and late dinner. When in Rome, do as the Romans do I guess... </div>
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On this first day we were able to see the Pantheon which was totally unexpected and we came upon it in a funny matter. Of course the director of the program knew where we were going but none of the students did. All of a sudden after walking down this small street with probably 5 restaurants and 10 shops we turned the corner and there was the Pantheon! I was taken back with awe and amazement. I had never seen something so rich in culture and history before in my life. Right outside of the Pantehon on the ground there was a Rose and our director had a pause and think about why there was a rose lying on the ground. Rome is a city of romance and since he made that comment every time I see a rose on the ground I wonder why it is there. Is someone missing it? Was someone so upset that they couldn't accept it? No wonder why people say it is the little things in life that matter. Thousands of people walk by the pantheon every day, but one person left a rose. Why? </div>
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Little did I know, was that this was going to happen to me almost every day. Also on the first day we went into a couple different churches and learned a lot about how Italians run their lives. The drivers are worse than MassHoles and DO NOT care about pedestrian crosswalks. Everyone is always moving and there is no such thing as "snack time". However, "nap time" has come in handy a couple of times. </div>
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My main point in telling this story about the first day isn't because of the Pantheon, or all of the other exciting things I saw, but because of something I learned at dinner. When dinner rolled around we had a wonderful meal made by Monica, our personal chef, and all ten of us sat down, said a prayer and dug in. With dinner we had red wine and afterwards there was champagne to celebrate my birthday. However, in the italian tradition, on somebody's birthday they buy drinks for everyone so I opened the bottle of champagne and served everyone. Prof. Balena who is residing with us and is a dear friend of the director (Prof. Bonanno) told us a story about his 21st birthday and how he ran away with his friend because they were both mad at their mothers. They found a place to stay and while they were there an older gentleman asked them why they had run away. When they told the man he said, "La vie commencia a venti ani" (Life begins at 20 years old). Out of everything that happened on that first day I will always remember that dinner and the wise words of that old man that I have never met before. So from here on out, I am only 1 year old and have so much of my life ahead of me than I could have ever imagined. I am free from restraints and boundaries and have only my future to look forward to. It reminded me of the fresh start I was so much looking forward to by coming to Rome. This lesson is the first of many that I have come upon in Rome, and that was only the first day. There are so many more inspirational things to talk about!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the rose</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from my room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pantheon</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6246380251757880264.post-39111648927385313422013-09-24T08:47:00.001-07:002013-09-24T08:47:53.529-07:00IntroAs of today I have been 21 for 10 days, and I have also been in Rome for 10 days! I consider this experience an excellent way to begin a new year of life and start fresh in a completely new place. Since I've been here I have already learned so much and have met so many new people. I currently am a junior at Assumption College in Worcester but am now studying in Rome at the Assumption College Rome campus. There are 8 students here, myself included, and two professors that live with us. We attend 5 classes: Italian (which takes place at italiaidea), Renaissance Art, Ethics, Catholicism Today and Boccacio's Decameron. The most exciting thing about the classes that we take is that they are rarely ever lectures. Most of the time we are told where to meet the professor and from there we will have class. For example, my second renaissance art class took place at the Colloseo. I have also had class at S. Clemente's Basilica and in the Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome. As interesting as these classes are, the most interesting part of this experience so far has been the little lessons that I have learned while getting lost in Rome, or just from sitting down to lunch or dinner every day. That is what I plan to talk about the most, obviously I will mention my classes because even though they are educational, I can't believe how much I am enjoying them! To start, I will recap the 10 days that I have been here so far and from there I will continue to tell stories about my journey in Rome. By doing so I hope to enlighten you on the many lessons I have learned and have yet to encounter. Enjoy!<br />
-Colleen<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04638355284021529216noreply@blogger.com0Rome, Italy41.8929163 12.48251989999994341.5147698 11.837072899999942 42.2710628 13.127966899999944