Hello all!
Last week the Behlendorf's came to Rome.. I showed them around, and while I was in class they did some exploration of their own. Happy to see them :) Contact Shawn for the details.. she'll be happy to share the story with everyone. (sorry mom! you can probably tell the story better than i can)
Jackie and I left Rome last Thursday night for a weekend in the French Riviera. Our bus left Rome around 7pm, drove to Florence to pick up some more travelers. We arrived in Nice around 5am Friday morning. Long bus ride! We were able to sleep some, watched movies, went by faster than expected.
Friday we visited the medieval town of Eze. It was very small and cute, with beautiful views of cliffs over looking the water, with nice cars everywhere! For the afternoon, we went to the small country of Monaco. Everything was elaborate and dripping in money. After touring the Monte Carlo casino and admiring the cars driving around out front, we saw the harbor, and did a walking tour around the casino. Jackie and I went to the pennie slot machines and started betting. Jackie had better luck than I did, but in the end we both lost all 5 euro that we had put in.. oh well! We then sat our in Cafe Paris next door to the casino and drank a glass of wine while watching the rich and famous drive their expensive cars to and from the casino. Lots of fun! We returned to Nice to our hostel and had dinner at our hostel.
Saturday we visited Antibes. This is a large port town that had cute artisan shops and a big antique market. We then went to Cannes, host of the annual film festival. It wasnt quite the ideal beach day - but we were adament about sitting on the beach in the French Riv! It was windy, sand got everywhere, and it was a little cold for a bathing suit, but so worth it. After, we warmed ourselves up with some authentic French Onion soup. Delish!
Sunday was very rainy. We visited the small town of St. Paul de Vence. Then another 10 hour bus ride back to Rome!
Less than two weeks till I return to the USA!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Updates
All the pictures from Spring Break are up.. enjoy!
Dont forget to read Jackie's Blog as well (jackieinitaly.shutterfly.com) she'll have details that I may have forgotten!
Also, I took down some slideshows from the blog, hoping the page will load more quickly. You can still view all the pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/mbehlendorf
The family arrives tomorrow, can't wait to show them around Rome!
Dont forget to read Jackie's Blog as well (jackieinitaly.shutterfly.com) she'll have details that I may have forgotten!
Also, I took down some slideshows from the blog, hoping the page will load more quickly. You can still view all the pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/mbehlendorf
The family arrives tomorrow, can't wait to show them around Rome!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Santorini
Tuesday April 7, 2009
When we woke up, weather was a little cloudy. We got news of the earthquake that had devastated Italy, but unfortunately all news outlets were in Greek, so we could only see the pictures. Later in the day I was able to purchase an international newspaper in English to get updated information. My area of Rome was unaffected, with only feeling a little rumble.
Our hotel offered a boat tour to the volcanic island off-shore. I took a chair-lift down the cliff to the dock with the boat. We sailed over to the island, and climbed around the volcanic cliffs. Our guide was very helpful in explaining the rock forms and different volcanic activity. We then cruised around to another part of the island that had natural hot springs. In the summer, these are like a hot tub, but early in April, not very warm. A few braved the water, I chose to stay dry and on board, watching the others freeze. When we arrived back to the mainland, we all took donkeys up the mountainside. It was pretty scary, but lots of fun! The donkeys felt the need to race and walk right along the edge of the cliff, only adding to the drama. All in all, made it to the top safely!
In the afternoon/evening, we took our ATVs for a ride around the island. The first destination was Oia, known for its sunsets, and its where Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was filmed. On the way there, Jackie and I were followed by a local stray dog. It was quite the experience. The dog wouldnt leave us alone, and looked ready to attack! I kept changing speeds and directions trying to get the dog away, but it was persistant with styaing with us. The locals we drove by were laughing at the site of two girls riding an ATV with our feet in the air, screaming, trying to get this dog away.. Luckily the dog was distracted by another group of ATVs, and we drove away as fast as possible. The town of Oia was cute, similar to Mykonos town. We then went to Pygros for dinner. The restaurant had a beautiful view of the sunset and town. I had baked feta and pork souvlaki for dinner.
Wednesday April 8, 2009
Finally a sunny day for the beach! We took the ATVs to the south end of the island, to a beach called Perissa. This beach had black sand from the volcano. We spent the day frying ourselves in the warm Grecian sun, it was a great last day on the islands. We drove around the island a little more in the afternoon.
We spent the afternoon in Fira, the town we were staying in, shopping, and just walking the streets. It was a very cute town, perfect location for us. We were close enough to the beach, but right in the middle of the town life, with close restaurants and things to do. For dinner, we went for a traditional Greek dinner. I had a Greek platter sampling - you'll get to see a picture of it!
We took an overnight ferry back to Piraeus, the port near Athens. The boat left a little after midnight and arrived around 6 am.
When we woke up, weather was a little cloudy. We got news of the earthquake that had devastated Italy, but unfortunately all news outlets were in Greek, so we could only see the pictures. Later in the day I was able to purchase an international newspaper in English to get updated information. My area of Rome was unaffected, with only feeling a little rumble.
Our hotel offered a boat tour to the volcanic island off-shore. I took a chair-lift down the cliff to the dock with the boat. We sailed over to the island, and climbed around the volcanic cliffs. Our guide was very helpful in explaining the rock forms and different volcanic activity. We then cruised around to another part of the island that had natural hot springs. In the summer, these are like a hot tub, but early in April, not very warm. A few braved the water, I chose to stay dry and on board, watching the others freeze. When we arrived back to the mainland, we all took donkeys up the mountainside. It was pretty scary, but lots of fun! The donkeys felt the need to race and walk right along the edge of the cliff, only adding to the drama. All in all, made it to the top safely!
In the afternoon/evening, we took our ATVs for a ride around the island. The first destination was Oia, known for its sunsets, and its where Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was filmed. On the way there, Jackie and I were followed by a local stray dog. It was quite the experience. The dog wouldnt leave us alone, and looked ready to attack! I kept changing speeds and directions trying to get the dog away, but it was persistant with styaing with us. The locals we drove by were laughing at the site of two girls riding an ATV with our feet in the air, screaming, trying to get this dog away.. Luckily the dog was distracted by another group of ATVs, and we drove away as fast as possible. The town of Oia was cute, similar to Mykonos town. We then went to Pygros for dinner. The restaurant had a beautiful view of the sunset and town. I had baked feta and pork souvlaki for dinner.
Wednesday April 8, 2009
Finally a sunny day for the beach! We took the ATVs to the south end of the island, to a beach called Perissa. This beach had black sand from the volcano. We spent the day frying ourselves in the warm Grecian sun, it was a great last day on the islands. We drove around the island a little more in the afternoon.
We spent the afternoon in Fira, the town we were staying in, shopping, and just walking the streets. It was a very cute town, perfect location for us. We were close enough to the beach, but right in the middle of the town life, with close restaurants and things to do. For dinner, we went for a traditional Greek dinner. I had a Greek platter sampling - you'll get to see a picture of it!
We took an overnight ferry back to Piraeus, the port near Athens. The boat left a little after midnight and arrived around 6 am.
Mykonos
Friday April 3, 2009
Spring Break week! 13 students, including myself, flew to Greece to enjoy a week of travel, sun, exploration, and relaxation. Our flight to Athens took off about an hour late, but didn’t affect our travel plans. Once we landed in Athens, we hopped on a bus to reach the port of Piraeus, to take a ferry to Mykonos. I had my first gyro (pita wrap with your choice of lamb, chicken, pork and tzatziki (yogurt sauce with cucumber and garlic), and onions. So delicious! Gyros are a cheap good meal as well, running around 2 euro. The ferry ride was about 5 hours long. Our ship reminded me of a cruise ship, comfortable seating, open areas for dining, and other activities. We made one stop at another island. During the 15 min stop, men came on the ship with big baskets and just started yelling. At first, I was a little concerned, not sure what was going on, and couldn’t understand Greek. A man, who could speak English, sitting near us explained the situation. These men were bakers/candy makers and they get on when ships stop and sell their delicacies. I even got to try one! It was covered in powdered sugar, and was sort of like a gummy, with a caramel flavor. Nothing like anything I’ve had before! I spent the rest of the time reading and catching up on some sleep. Once we docked in Mykonos, our hotel owner, Maria, picked us up. Maria was so nice and helpful, and so cheerful. She explained everything we would need to know, pointed out restaurants to try, sights to see, etc. When we arrived at Villa Vasilis (name of the hotel) I was pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful layout of white buildings set in the countryside of Mykonos. The hotel was located about halfway from town to the beach. I shared a room with 4 other girls, it was sort of like having our own little suite, the room wasn’t connected to anything else. The first night surprised us with how cold it was! We had been expecting (and hoping for) warmer temps, so our packing wasn’t very appropriate!
Saturday April 4, 2009
The weather was sunny but very windy when we woke up. Jess, Suzanne, Jackie, Lizzie, and myself spent the day getting ourselves acquainted with the island. We walked to Mykonos town, taking pictures along the way, and explored the narrow streets. Many of the shops and restaurants were closed. Mykonos, along with the other Cyclades islands, revolve heavily on tourism. The tourist season in this area starts at the end of April and continues through the summer into early fall. We arrived just before the tourists hit, so the shop keepers and restaurants were all prepping for the inflow of people. Walking along the streets, there was a lot of painting, fixing, and other repairs taking place on the outside and inside of all the buildings. While walking along, we saw a peculiar looking pelican. After further research, I found out that this pelican, named Pietro, is the symbol of Mykonos. The original Pietro washed up after a hurricane, and found a new home on the island. After his death, a new pelican was adopted and continues to live there today. After town, we decided to walk to Paradise beach, where the other part of our group was staying. The walk took about an hour from our hotel, but we got to see lots on the way! We sat on the beach for a while. We took a taxi back to our hotel, which are very cheap on the island, about a euro a person. Much less than Rome! For dinner we went to a restaurant on the waterfront that Maria had recommended. I had stuffed grape leaves and chicken souvlaki. I had never had either of these in my life before, and loved them both! Greek cuisine was much more delicious than I had expected.
Sunday April 5, 2009
The weather was very overcast when we woke up, not nice enough for the beach. Maria had recommended that we rent ATVs and explore the island. We drove around, taking in the beautiful landscape, beaches, lots of white houses, and animals. We even found a Starbucks! It was nice to have a little comfort from home. Rome has no chain coffee houses, relying on all local java cafes. These aren’t my favorite, so it was nice to get a caffe Americano. We rode around for about 4 hours, it was lots of fun! For dinner we went to another restaurant recommened by Maria. I had hummus with pita and Kleftiko – a Greek dish with lamb, feta, vegetables, and potatoes all cooked together in tinfoil, and for dessert the local treat of baklava (phyllo dough, nuts, honey) . So delicious!
Monday April 6, 2009
Our last morning in Mykonos was very rainy. We had made it a habit of going to the bakery around the corner every morning, so we had to have one last stop. This Greek bakery rivaled any that I’ve been to in Rome. Their cookies were wonderful, and they made baguettes with feta, tomatoes, and peppers – all for about 1/3 of the price it would cost in Rome. Can’t beat that! Maria drove us to the port and we said good-bye. She had been so accommodating to us, and very helpful. I highly recommend staying where we stayed with Maria if anyone has future plans to Mykonos! We got on the ferry, had a layover in Paros, another island, then on to Santorini. When we arrived in Santorini, the rain from Mykonos had followed us. Our hotel was great, very plain and clean, located in the town of Fira. Two of our friends had been in Mykonos since the beginning of spring break and recommended we rent ATVs for the duration of our stay to get around the island. Jackie and I split the two day rental, only 30 euro/day for both of us. We didn’t want to travel far for dinner, so went to a restuarnat close to our hotel. I had a greek salad and chicken gyro for dinner. After a long day of travel, everyone was really tired, so early to bed!
Spring Break week! 13 students, including myself, flew to Greece to enjoy a week of travel, sun, exploration, and relaxation. Our flight to Athens took off about an hour late, but didn’t affect our travel plans. Once we landed in Athens, we hopped on a bus to reach the port of Piraeus, to take a ferry to Mykonos. I had my first gyro (pita wrap with your choice of lamb, chicken, pork and tzatziki (yogurt sauce with cucumber and garlic), and onions. So delicious! Gyros are a cheap good meal as well, running around 2 euro. The ferry ride was about 5 hours long. Our ship reminded me of a cruise ship, comfortable seating, open areas for dining, and other activities. We made one stop at another island. During the 15 min stop, men came on the ship with big baskets and just started yelling. At first, I was a little concerned, not sure what was going on, and couldn’t understand Greek. A man, who could speak English, sitting near us explained the situation. These men were bakers/candy makers and they get on when ships stop and sell their delicacies. I even got to try one! It was covered in powdered sugar, and was sort of like a gummy, with a caramel flavor. Nothing like anything I’ve had before! I spent the rest of the time reading and catching up on some sleep. Once we docked in Mykonos, our hotel owner, Maria, picked us up. Maria was so nice and helpful, and so cheerful. She explained everything we would need to know, pointed out restaurants to try, sights to see, etc. When we arrived at Villa Vasilis (name of the hotel) I was pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful layout of white buildings set in the countryside of Mykonos. The hotel was located about halfway from town to the beach. I shared a room with 4 other girls, it was sort of like having our own little suite, the room wasn’t connected to anything else. The first night surprised us with how cold it was! We had been expecting (and hoping for) warmer temps, so our packing wasn’t very appropriate!
Saturday April 4, 2009
The weather was sunny but very windy when we woke up. Jess, Suzanne, Jackie, Lizzie, and myself spent the day getting ourselves acquainted with the island. We walked to Mykonos town, taking pictures along the way, and explored the narrow streets. Many of the shops and restaurants were closed. Mykonos, along with the other Cyclades islands, revolve heavily on tourism. The tourist season in this area starts at the end of April and continues through the summer into early fall. We arrived just before the tourists hit, so the shop keepers and restaurants were all prepping for the inflow of people. Walking along the streets, there was a lot of painting, fixing, and other repairs taking place on the outside and inside of all the buildings. While walking along, we saw a peculiar looking pelican. After further research, I found out that this pelican, named Pietro, is the symbol of Mykonos. The original Pietro washed up after a hurricane, and found a new home on the island. After his death, a new pelican was adopted and continues to live there today. After town, we decided to walk to Paradise beach, where the other part of our group was staying. The walk took about an hour from our hotel, but we got to see lots on the way! We sat on the beach for a while. We took a taxi back to our hotel, which are very cheap on the island, about a euro a person. Much less than Rome! For dinner we went to a restaurant on the waterfront that Maria had recommended. I had stuffed grape leaves and chicken souvlaki. I had never had either of these in my life before, and loved them both! Greek cuisine was much more delicious than I had expected.
Sunday April 5, 2009
The weather was very overcast when we woke up, not nice enough for the beach. Maria had recommended that we rent ATVs and explore the island. We drove around, taking in the beautiful landscape, beaches, lots of white houses, and animals. We even found a Starbucks! It was nice to have a little comfort from home. Rome has no chain coffee houses, relying on all local java cafes. These aren’t my favorite, so it was nice to get a caffe Americano. We rode around for about 4 hours, it was lots of fun! For dinner we went to another restaurant recommened by Maria. I had hummus with pita and Kleftiko – a Greek dish with lamb, feta, vegetables, and potatoes all cooked together in tinfoil, and for dessert the local treat of baklava (phyllo dough, nuts, honey) . So delicious!
Monday April 6, 2009
Our last morning in Mykonos was very rainy. We had made it a habit of going to the bakery around the corner every morning, so we had to have one last stop. This Greek bakery rivaled any that I’ve been to in Rome. Their cookies were wonderful, and they made baguettes with feta, tomatoes, and peppers – all for about 1/3 of the price it would cost in Rome. Can’t beat that! Maria drove us to the port and we said good-bye. She had been so accommodating to us, and very helpful. I highly recommend staying where we stayed with Maria if anyone has future plans to Mykonos! We got on the ferry, had a layover in Paros, another island, then on to Santorini. When we arrived in Santorini, the rain from Mykonos had followed us. Our hotel was great, very plain and clean, located in the town of Fira. Two of our friends had been in Mykonos since the beginning of spring break and recommended we rent ATVs for the duration of our stay to get around the island. Jackie and I split the two day rental, only 30 euro/day for both of us. We didn’t want to travel far for dinner, so went to a restuarnat close to our hotel. I had a greek salad and chicken gyro for dinner. After a long day of travel, everyone was really tired, so early to bed!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Off for Spring Break
I'm off on Spring Break! I will be leaving tomorrow morning to fly to Athens, then head to Mykonos, Santorini, back to Athens, returning to Rome for Easter. Have a good week!
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