Thursday March 26, 2009
After class on Thursday, my friends Lizzie, Jess, and I went straight to the airport to catch our flight headed to Dublin. We landed in Dublin around 8pm local time. We found our hostel, called Barnacles, easily, and settled in. We were staying in a 10-bed hostel room. We shared the room with girls from England who were in Dublin to celebrate one of their 18th birthdays. Our hostel was in a great location, central to many of the tourist spots. The city itself isn’t very big, at least in comparison to Rome, so we were able to navigate on foot. Thursday night we went to a few local pubs, near our hostel. Everyone we met was so friendly, and their accents were great, wish I had one!
Friday March 27, 2009
On Friday, we caught an 8 am bus to Galway. The bus took about 4 hours and had stops in various towns along the way. I slept for the first two hours or so, and then the rest of the time I enjoyed the gorgeous rolling hills with many sheep, cows, and stone walls. It rained on and off, one minute it would be sunny, the next down pouring, it was sort of unpredictable. One of the locals we spoke to told us they call it the schizophrenic weather system. When we arrived in Galway, we dropped our stuff off at the hostel. We were staying at the sister hostel of Barnacles, where we stayed in Dublin. This time we only had 1 other roommate, a girl from LA who was studying in the Netherlands and in Ireland for the weekend. We spent the day walking around, poking in and out of shops, taking pictures, exploring the town. We went into a cathedral, I think it was the Galway Cathedral, but not sure! It was interesting to see the differences between the churches in Ireland, and compare them to Italy. Italy has much more intricate and elaborate décor, while Ireland is mostly stone, with modest decoration. The town of Galway itself wasn’t very big. For lunch, we had delicious soup and sandwich. I also really liked the coffee, it was like American coffee – something you can’t find in Rome! While in one of the shops, I bought some Walsh memorabilia. I am half a Walsh, from my mother’s side. While paying, the cashier informed me that Walsh is a good strong Western Ireland name. In Clifton, a town west of Galway, she informed me that there is a fantastic bakery, run by a family named Walsh. I know I had some relatives from Clifton come to the US – guess there are still some in the town running a great bakery! It was too far to try and make it, but someday I’ll go back! Also included in my purchases was a real Irish wool sweater – it’ll be perfect for the cold Vermont winter. For dinner we went to a local fish and chips place that we had a recommendation for.
Saturday March 28, 2009
Saturday we were up early again to catch a bus back to Dublin. The bus ride back was very sunny, and pretty, we lucked out with our weather. Saturday was a perfect day to walk around Dublin, no rain, and a nice breeze to keep us cool. We ended up in the same hostel room as Thursday night. This time we shared it with a young German couple, an older Irish couple, and twin brother and sister from Toronto. All were in Dublin for various reasons, it was interesting to hear everyone’s story, and swap travel stories.
In Dublin, we took a self-guided tour of the city. With our maps in hand, we found the big spots to see. We knew we wanted to go to the Guiness factory that closed at 5 so we had to get everything in before then! We first walked to the Trinity College Campus. The campus was gorgeous, very well maintained and manicured. The campus is host to the Book of Kells, a handwritten and hand illustrated bible completed by monks in the 9th century. Unfortunately I couldn’t take pictures inside, but it was beautifully done – it must have taken ages to complete. Also on the Trinity College campus is the Trinity College library which holds the oldest and most famous Irish manuscripts. It smelled very musty!
Next, we walked to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It was impressive from the outside, but too expensive to go in, so we enjoyed it from the outside! We continued our walking tour by Christ Church Cathedral, and on to Dublin Castle. We didn’t do enough preliminary research, so I don’t know much history; just know they are famous in town! I’ll have to do some post-travel research and learn about what I saw.
Last stop of the day was the Guinness factory. The tour itself was self-guided and set up in an uprising circle. We got the history, saw how Guinness was made, saw how the advertising has progressed, and pretty much everything else you would want to know about Guinness. At the top of the building we reached Gravity Bar which is a glass enclosure with views of Dublin and a free pint of Guinness. I took the pint glass as a souvenir!
For dinner in Dublin, we got Chinese food. We knew we didn’t want Italian food, we can get enough of that in Rome, and ironically, we nearly every other restaurant was Italian cuisine. Couldn’t get away!
Sunday March 29, 2009
Our flight out of Dublin was at 7 am, so we were up early again to get to the airport. Travel went smoothly, and made it back to my apartment in Rome around 1pm. I had a great weekend in Ireland. Out of all the places I’ve been so far, Ireland is definitely a country I want to visit again. The people were very friendly, and there are so many places to see and things to do! 3 days was not enough.
This week is pretty busy again, with exams and other school work. On Friday, our spring break begins. There is a group of 12 of us going to Greece for the break. We are spending time in Mykonos, Santorini, and Athens. Can’t wait!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Weekend to Naples, Pompeii, Capri
Kyle (aunt) and Kirsten (cousin) arrived in Rome last Wednesday morning. I spent the morning with them touring the highlights of Rome. Thursday we spent the day exploring the Roman forum, where the ancient city center ruins are, took a tour of the Colosseum. As long as I’ve been here, this was my first time in either of these historical sites. Kyle, Kir and I tried a couple new restaurants, all were delicious! Can’t say that I’ve found a place I don’t like..
My program had a trip planned for the weekend to Naples, Pompeii and Capri. We left early Friday morning by bus, and drove down to Pompeii. Our group spent the afternoon touring the ruins of Pompeii. It was pretty cold and overcast, but we were able to see the highlights of the dig. We saw the ancient streets, where shops and houses used to be, along with their amphitheater and other key town buildings. We saw the room full of the bodies, pots, and other instruments they have discovered. It was pretty sad to see it all, the city was buried by the volcanic eruption. We then got on the bus again, and drove to Vico Equense, the town our hotel was in. This small town just happened to be the town Jackie and I were dropped off in by the German tour bus just a few short weeks ago.. go figure!
Saturday morning we were up early and bussed into Naples to visit the National Archaeological Museum. This museum holds many artifacts excavated from Pompeii ruins. We saw paintings, mosaics, and other house décor used in the ancient times. After touring the museum for a few hours, Jackie, Lizzie, and I went out for some real Neapolitan pizza. We didn’t have much free time in the city, so we weren’t able to do too much walking around. Our group boarded the buses again to go to Mt. Vesuvius. The bus drove us up as far as it could, then the group hiked to the top. It was very cold! The views were beautiful and we saw into the volcanic crater, there was even steam coming out! It was really cool knowing we were on top of an active volcano. We returned to the buses, and went back to our hotel.
Sunday, we were up even earlier to catch the ferry to Capri. We had free time all day. Jackie, Lizzie, and I spent the day wandering through the narrow streets, looking through shops, enjoying the beautiful island. The island was pretty ritzy, nearly ever designer had a shop there. In the afternoon, we took an hour boat cruise around the island. Unfortunately, the sea was too rough, and the tide too high for us to go into the blue grotto. The tour was awesome, got to see the whole island. The day went by too fast, wish we had more time! We took the ferry back to Naples, then bussed back to Rome.
This week is pretty busy for me, I have 2 exams. On Thursday after class, I’m off to Ireland with a few friends. We are spending two nights in Dublin, and one in Galway. Should be fun!
I’ve put up pictures from this weekend – check them out!!
My program had a trip planned for the weekend to Naples, Pompeii and Capri. We left early Friday morning by bus, and drove down to Pompeii. Our group spent the afternoon touring the ruins of Pompeii. It was pretty cold and overcast, but we were able to see the highlights of the dig. We saw the ancient streets, where shops and houses used to be, along with their amphitheater and other key town buildings. We saw the room full of the bodies, pots, and other instruments they have discovered. It was pretty sad to see it all, the city was buried by the volcanic eruption. We then got on the bus again, and drove to Vico Equense, the town our hotel was in. This small town just happened to be the town Jackie and I were dropped off in by the German tour bus just a few short weeks ago.. go figure!
Saturday morning we were up early and bussed into Naples to visit the National Archaeological Museum. This museum holds many artifacts excavated from Pompeii ruins. We saw paintings, mosaics, and other house décor used in the ancient times. After touring the museum for a few hours, Jackie, Lizzie, and I went out for some real Neapolitan pizza. We didn’t have much free time in the city, so we weren’t able to do too much walking around. Our group boarded the buses again to go to Mt. Vesuvius. The bus drove us up as far as it could, then the group hiked to the top. It was very cold! The views were beautiful and we saw into the volcanic crater, there was even steam coming out! It was really cool knowing we were on top of an active volcano. We returned to the buses, and went back to our hotel.
Sunday, we were up even earlier to catch the ferry to Capri. We had free time all day. Jackie, Lizzie, and I spent the day wandering through the narrow streets, looking through shops, enjoying the beautiful island. The island was pretty ritzy, nearly ever designer had a shop there. In the afternoon, we took an hour boat cruise around the island. Unfortunately, the sea was too rough, and the tide too high for us to go into the blue grotto. The tour was awesome, got to see the whole island. The day went by too fast, wish we had more time! We took the ferry back to Naples, then bussed back to Rome.
This week is pretty busy for me, I have 2 exams. On Thursday after class, I’m off to Ireland with a few friends. We are spending two nights in Dublin, and one in Galway. Should be fun!
I’ve put up pictures from this weekend – check them out!!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
UVM comes to Rome
This week was spring break week for UVM, and 7 girls came over for the week. They packed in as much as possible! In between classes I was able to walk around with them and do some sightseeing. I had a great time with them, I hope they had fun too!
Kyle and Kir come Wednesday morning. Can't wait to show them around Rome!
I'm putting up a few more picture albums today. They include photos of my Italian apartment, my class trip to the Vatican, and a day visit to the coastal town of Sperlonga.. Enjoy!
Kyle and Kir come Wednesday morning. Can't wait to show them around Rome!
I'm putting up a few more picture albums today. They include photos of my Italian apartment, my class trip to the Vatican, and a day visit to the coastal town of Sperlonga.. Enjoy!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Cooking Class, Almalfi Coast
Monday March 2, 2009
Our program offers activities for students pretty frequently and on Monday, I attended the cooking class. For the class, we go to a family’s house in Rome and the wife teaches us new recipes, then eat our makings. There were 5 other students there with me. The family was extremely nice and friendly. The husband is a photography professor at the University and a free-lance photographer on the side. They have an 11 year old daughter. When we go there, it was hands-on right away. The menu consisted of a pasta dish with gorgonzola cheese sauce, beer battered chicken with a delicious gravy, and a fruit and chocolate roll for dessert. I was in charge of flouring all the chicken pieces, and there were a lot. It was pretty much 2 whole chickens just chopped up, bones and all. We all had different tasks, bringing our meal together. We dined and talked with the parents, the daughter studies English at school, so she practiced her language skills with her, and we practiced our Italian with her. It was interesting talking to local Romans who had grown up in the area and to hear about things changing in the city and their outlook, and the food was delicious!
Friday March 6, 2009
Since we don’t have classes on Friday, Jackie and I decided to have an adventure day. Jackie has family from Almalfi, so we made it our goal to make it to the town. We did some preliminary research, but decided we could sort of wing it, and it would be fun for a quest through the Italian countryside. We started the day at 6:30 am and headed to the train station. From the Rome Termini train station we took a train to Naples, buying round-trip tickets. We made a rookie travel mistake though. On the roundtrip ticket we bought it to take a 10:00 train home, forgetting that Italy uses the 24 hr time system, so it was a 10am ticket, NOT a 10pm like we thought. Therefore we bought a ticket back to Rome the very same time we would arrive to Naples. Jackie realized our mistake on the train, and we were able to get a different ticket for the ride home. Upon arrival in Naples, we got on another train to go to Sorrento. This train was more of like an above-ground subway, not as comfortable as the last train. Once we arrived in Sorrento, we asked around for the way to Almalfi. We were instructed to hop on a blue bus and we would be taken there. So we got on the blue bus, driving toward Almalfi. Driving on the roads in this part of Italy is scary, but so gorgeous. The water was a color blue I’ve never seen, almost turquoise in color. The road curves around the cliffs of the landscape, and the driver was not very cautious, whipping around the corners. All of a sudden, the bus stops, the driver tells us the road is closed and we must walk 1km for another bus. Jackie and I start walking, in the rain, to find this other bus. After about 20 min of walking, we come across some locals. We ask where the bus is, and the man guarantees the next bus to Almalfi will come in 10 minutes. Meanwhile, it’s still raining, and these men begin to barricade the road off, not letting any cars through. After about 40 minutes of waiting, and no bus, we realized we needed a new plan. With the road barricade, there was a string of cars and one tour bus lined up. Jackie gets brave, and asked the tour bus driver if we could hitch a ride with them. The tour leader was very friendly and said they were headed toward Sorrento and would be happy to have us aboard. So Jackie and I boarded this tour bus to get a ride home. Almalfi was sort of out of the question at this point, it was about 12 miles away, and we had no real way of getting there. The Italian public transportation system is not always reliable, and this tour bus was a sure thing. So on board, we find ourselves amongst a tour of German senior citizens, none of whom speak very much English, and they had very German music playing the entire bus ride. Since the road was blocked, the bus had to go up and over the cliffs. The ride was gorgeous. Jackie and I got a free tour of the Almalfi coast with this tour, we were out of the rain, and we knew we could make it back to a train station. The tour leader was very friendly and was able to drop us off right in front of a train station that would take us back to Naples. At this point, we were starving, and found the closest restaurant and got a large pizza to split. After eating, we went back to Naples, then took a train back to Rome. While we never quite made it to Almalfi, we certainly had quite the adventure.
Saturday March 7, 2009
UVM spring break began today, and 7 of my friends flew over for the week. Lizzie and I picked them up at the airport, then got them all settled in Rome. Can’t wait to show them all around!
Our program offers activities for students pretty frequently and on Monday, I attended the cooking class. For the class, we go to a family’s house in Rome and the wife teaches us new recipes, then eat our makings. There were 5 other students there with me. The family was extremely nice and friendly. The husband is a photography professor at the University and a free-lance photographer on the side. They have an 11 year old daughter. When we go there, it was hands-on right away. The menu consisted of a pasta dish with gorgonzola cheese sauce, beer battered chicken with a delicious gravy, and a fruit and chocolate roll for dessert. I was in charge of flouring all the chicken pieces, and there were a lot. It was pretty much 2 whole chickens just chopped up, bones and all. We all had different tasks, bringing our meal together. We dined and talked with the parents, the daughter studies English at school, so she practiced her language skills with her, and we practiced our Italian with her. It was interesting talking to local Romans who had grown up in the area and to hear about things changing in the city and their outlook, and the food was delicious!
Friday March 6, 2009
Since we don’t have classes on Friday, Jackie and I decided to have an adventure day. Jackie has family from Almalfi, so we made it our goal to make it to the town. We did some preliminary research, but decided we could sort of wing it, and it would be fun for a quest through the Italian countryside. We started the day at 6:30 am and headed to the train station. From the Rome Termini train station we took a train to Naples, buying round-trip tickets. We made a rookie travel mistake though. On the roundtrip ticket we bought it to take a 10:00 train home, forgetting that Italy uses the 24 hr time system, so it was a 10am ticket, NOT a 10pm like we thought. Therefore we bought a ticket back to Rome the very same time we would arrive to Naples. Jackie realized our mistake on the train, and we were able to get a different ticket for the ride home. Upon arrival in Naples, we got on another train to go to Sorrento. This train was more of like an above-ground subway, not as comfortable as the last train. Once we arrived in Sorrento, we asked around for the way to Almalfi. We were instructed to hop on a blue bus and we would be taken there. So we got on the blue bus, driving toward Almalfi. Driving on the roads in this part of Italy is scary, but so gorgeous. The water was a color blue I’ve never seen, almost turquoise in color. The road curves around the cliffs of the landscape, and the driver was not very cautious, whipping around the corners. All of a sudden, the bus stops, the driver tells us the road is closed and we must walk 1km for another bus. Jackie and I start walking, in the rain, to find this other bus. After about 20 min of walking, we come across some locals. We ask where the bus is, and the man guarantees the next bus to Almalfi will come in 10 minutes. Meanwhile, it’s still raining, and these men begin to barricade the road off, not letting any cars through. After about 40 minutes of waiting, and no bus, we realized we needed a new plan. With the road barricade, there was a string of cars and one tour bus lined up. Jackie gets brave, and asked the tour bus driver if we could hitch a ride with them. The tour leader was very friendly and said they were headed toward Sorrento and would be happy to have us aboard. So Jackie and I boarded this tour bus to get a ride home. Almalfi was sort of out of the question at this point, it was about 12 miles away, and we had no real way of getting there. The Italian public transportation system is not always reliable, and this tour bus was a sure thing. So on board, we find ourselves amongst a tour of German senior citizens, none of whom speak very much English, and they had very German music playing the entire bus ride. Since the road was blocked, the bus had to go up and over the cliffs. The ride was gorgeous. Jackie and I got a free tour of the Almalfi coast with this tour, we were out of the rain, and we knew we could make it back to a train station. The tour leader was very friendly and was able to drop us off right in front of a train station that would take us back to Naples. At this point, we were starving, and found the closest restaurant and got a large pizza to split. After eating, we went back to Naples, then took a train back to Rome. While we never quite made it to Almalfi, we certainly had quite the adventure.
Saturday March 7, 2009
UVM spring break began today, and 7 of my friends flew over for the week. Lizzie and I picked them up at the airport, then got them all settled in Rome. Can’t wait to show them all around!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
End of February in Roma
Well I had a busy week here in Rome. First off – my cell phone was returned to me! I had left it in a taxi, and the driver called one of my friends from the phone, and we got reconnected. I was very lucky! Classes are going well, I have the first round of quizzes coming this week, and I had a presentation to do in my marketing class on Thursday. My presentation went well; it was on Kodak and their sort of downfall since the late 90s. The longer I live here, the more I love Rome. The people are pretty laid back, the city is beautiful, and the food is delicious. I have nothing to complain about!
On Friday, my Art and Culture class had a day-long field trip to the Vatican. We started in the Vatican museum, which houses works by Bernini, Caravaggio, and Rafael. It was much more meaningful to have learned about these pieces before seeing them, it definitely left more of an impact on me. We then saw the infamous Sistine Chapel. My first reaction was the size, I picture it much bigger! While it was still a large chapel, it was not as immense as I had pictured. We studied the ceiling, which of course was painted by Michelangelo, and learned the progression of the works. I was able to sneak a couple of pics! For the finale, we entered St. Peters Basilica. The sheer size left me in awe. It was huge, the largest Catholic church in the world. Around the sides there are a couple of deceased Popes whose bodies have been preserved and put on display. This was really eerie and creepy to see. There are many sculptures and statues. There are no paintings though, everything is made out of a mosaic or sculpture. Everything was gorgeous inside.
Saturday, 5 of my friends and I took a train to Ostia Antica. This was a small town with ancient ruins about a half hour from Rome. It was a sunny, warm day, so it was perfect for walking around. We saw the ruins, and then headed to the beach! While it was not quite bathing suit weather, it was comforting to sit by the water. We went to a local diner for lunch, then headed back to Roma.
Sunday morning, Jackie and I went to mass at St. Peters. Mass was at 10:30. We arrived around 9:45, went through quick security, and were seated in pews by 10am. We were lucky to get there early, there weren’t very many seats left in the pews. When mass started, the procession walked in, lead by incense or some sort of smoke. It immediately filled the church with a heavy scent, kind of like walking into a yankee candle store and being completely overwhelmed. The Pope was surrounded by nearly 30 priests, and several altar boys. The mass began in Latin, continued in Italian, and I heard some French for one of the readings. During the 1st reading, the elderly gentleman sitting next to me fainted. It was quite the ordeal. One of his family members ran to get a medic, then a man in front of us said he was a doctor, and wanted to help. The medic came followed by a dozen men in suits. They tried to pick the man up, who was in and out of consciousness, but in the mean while, he fell on me. Finally, they got him situation lying on a pew. Meanwhile, mass continued, but most were distracted. About 6 pews of people needed to be cleared out, pews moved, and a stretcher brought in, and the man was carried off. It was very scary, and I felt awful for the family, but the Vatican had a good team of people to help him. Mass continued as normal. Communion took a little while, and you could tell there were some tourists who had never been to a Catholic mass before and didn’t know what to do. I was surprised to see that in the communion line, people were taking pictures as they walked up. This made the mass seem a little bit more of a performance than an actual service. When the mass ended, Jackie and I were able to shift over a pew and were very close to the Pope! Got to see him up close and personal. After mass, we enjoyed some pizza from a local stand, then shopped for a little while. It was rainy out, and we figured it was a good day for the movies. Slumdog Millionaire was playing in English with Italian subtitles, so we went to see it. GREAT movie! If you haven’t seen it, definitely go, it deserved all those awards in my opinion!
On Friday, my Art and Culture class had a day-long field trip to the Vatican. We started in the Vatican museum, which houses works by Bernini, Caravaggio, and Rafael. It was much more meaningful to have learned about these pieces before seeing them, it definitely left more of an impact on me. We then saw the infamous Sistine Chapel. My first reaction was the size, I picture it much bigger! While it was still a large chapel, it was not as immense as I had pictured. We studied the ceiling, which of course was painted by Michelangelo, and learned the progression of the works. I was able to sneak a couple of pics! For the finale, we entered St. Peters Basilica. The sheer size left me in awe. It was huge, the largest Catholic church in the world. Around the sides there are a couple of deceased Popes whose bodies have been preserved and put on display. This was really eerie and creepy to see. There are many sculptures and statues. There are no paintings though, everything is made out of a mosaic or sculpture. Everything was gorgeous inside.
Saturday, 5 of my friends and I took a train to Ostia Antica. This was a small town with ancient ruins about a half hour from Rome. It was a sunny, warm day, so it was perfect for walking around. We saw the ruins, and then headed to the beach! While it was not quite bathing suit weather, it was comforting to sit by the water. We went to a local diner for lunch, then headed back to Roma.
Sunday morning, Jackie and I went to mass at St. Peters. Mass was at 10:30. We arrived around 9:45, went through quick security, and were seated in pews by 10am. We were lucky to get there early, there weren’t very many seats left in the pews. When mass started, the procession walked in, lead by incense or some sort of smoke. It immediately filled the church with a heavy scent, kind of like walking into a yankee candle store and being completely overwhelmed. The Pope was surrounded by nearly 30 priests, and several altar boys. The mass began in Latin, continued in Italian, and I heard some French for one of the readings. During the 1st reading, the elderly gentleman sitting next to me fainted. It was quite the ordeal. One of his family members ran to get a medic, then a man in front of us said he was a doctor, and wanted to help. The medic came followed by a dozen men in suits. They tried to pick the man up, who was in and out of consciousness, but in the mean while, he fell on me. Finally, they got him situation lying on a pew. Meanwhile, mass continued, but most were distracted. About 6 pews of people needed to be cleared out, pews moved, and a stretcher brought in, and the man was carried off. It was very scary, and I felt awful for the family, but the Vatican had a good team of people to help him. Mass continued as normal. Communion took a little while, and you could tell there were some tourists who had never been to a Catholic mass before and didn’t know what to do. I was surprised to see that in the communion line, people were taking pictures as they walked up. This made the mass seem a little bit more of a performance than an actual service. When the mass ended, Jackie and I were able to shift over a pew and were very close to the Pope! Got to see him up close and personal. After mass, we enjoyed some pizza from a local stand, then shopped for a little while. It was rainy out, and we figured it was a good day for the movies. Slumdog Millionaire was playing in English with Italian subtitles, so we went to see it. GREAT movie! If you haven’t seen it, definitely go, it deserved all those awards in my opinion!
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