tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43216653161269894952024-03-14T03:37:58.563-04:00In Search of PastaTravelling in Italy and SwitzerlandBetsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-44546012492227810572011-08-03T17:58:00.001-04:002011-08-03T17:58:12.357-04:00Back Home<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a3a3a3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">The journey home from Italy was tiring, but I have already adjusted to jet lag well. I left my hostel at 7:00 AM, took a 7:45 bus to the airport, and took off at 12:30, since my flight was running an hour late. I flew into Chicago and felt happy to be home. It was strange to realize that Chicago felt like home. Being abroad made me think of all of the United States as home, whereas before I had always thought of Connecticut as home (and now Virginia). Ordinarily Chicago would feel far from home, but coming back from Europe it felt like a familiar place to me. It felt nice to be home after traveling for 45 days. I went through customs, which was a breeze because I ran off the plane before everybody else and was among the first people in line. The customs officers chose not to inspect my bag and so I walked through without any hassles. I even got through TSA security very quickly and so I had nothing to do in the airport for about 4 hours while I waited for my connection. My first purchase in the United States was at a Starbucks, where I bought some banana bread as a midnight snack, although it was only 5 PM in Chicago. When I landed in Richmond I was tired since I had barely managed to sleep all night and to me it was 6 in the morning. Luckily mom was waiting right outside the door for me and the drive home felt fast since we had a lot to talk about. As soon as we were talking I didnt feel tired anymore and ended up staying up until almost 3 in the morning.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a3a3a3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
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<div style="color: #a3a3a3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I have been home for a day and a half and am relaxing before I have to finish my Monroe Research project and then head back to school. My facebook friends will probably already have noticed that I uploaded my favorite photos to my profile. I also ordered prints of my favorite shots today and will pick them up soon. If I have time I plan to put them into a scrap book along with some of my ticket stubs, and put a few into frames. I hope to finish my Monroe research project soon so that I have time to relax before going back to school, but knowing me I will probably keep working on it up until the deadline anyway, perfecting the final product rather than taking it easy.</div><div style="color: #a3a3a3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a3a3a3; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Last night we had ribs with barbeque sauce and mashed potatoes, an all-American meal that I haven't been able to enjoy for a long time. I missed my mom's cooking for sure. Tonight we will have fish since the seafood available in Perugia never looked very appetizing to me. I thought it was strange that the grocery store always offered octopus as an option, but my mom told me that octopus is a typical food in Italy. I may have been in Italy for over a month, but I clearly haven't learned all there is to learn about Italy. I guess I will just have to go back some time!</div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-86119328046830779332011-08-03T17:57:00.002-04:002011-08-03T18:08:07.447-04:00RomeI really enjoyed Rome a lot. On my first day in Rome I saw the Trevi Fountain, which I thought would be sort of deserted at night time but which was completely packed. I couldnt even get near to the fountain, and gave up on the tradition of throwing a coin into the water because there were just too many people.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-djMzQj61TBA/Tjm5YQt0lmI/AAAAAAAAAEU/pC8qn0a6o1Q/s1600/Europe+2011+613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-djMzQj61TBA/Tjm5YQt0lmI/AAAAAAAAAEU/pC8qn0a6o1Q/s320/Europe+2011+613.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were so many people at the Trevi Fountain that I decided to take a picture of them!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-750NCF0Eb9c/Tjm6V32SiuI/AAAAAAAAAEc/7pSrKxjVliI/s1600/Europe+2011+609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-750NCF0Eb9c/Tjm6V32SiuI/AAAAAAAAAEc/7pSrKxjVliI/s320/Europe+2011+609.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I also found my way to the Quirinale before the sun set and took a photo of this monument</div><div><br />
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The next morning I decided to get up early to get in line for the Pantheon. I arrived at the Pantheon shortly before 8, only to find that it did not open until 830 and that there was no line whatsoever. It turned out that I was wrong and that people do not stand in line for the Pantheon but that you can just go in whenever you want. While I waited for the Pantheon to open I went to the nearby Piazza Navona, which is shaped like an oval and used to be used to track meets in ancient Roman times. Now there are three beautiful fountains in the piazza, and it is also known for its art market.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0reI_SYuJiA/Tjm6RpfQ_yI/AAAAAAAAAEY/g43EZCBfG1M/s1600/Europe+2011+637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0reI_SYuJiA/Tjm6RpfQ_yI/AAAAAAAAAEY/g43EZCBfG1M/s320/Europe+2011+637.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza Navona is not very busy in the morning, which allowed me to enjoy the fountains by myself. The statue in the background is the central statue and also the biggest. It has four men who, according to my guidebook, represent the four corners of the world: Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Each man was not labeled and I had a hard time telling which was which.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gjvk2fN6zXA/Tjm6gEf6oFI/AAAAAAAAAEg/M2jK_ET6N0Y/s1600/Europe+2011+636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gjvk2fN6zXA/Tjm6gEf6oFI/AAAAAAAAAEg/M2jK_ET6N0Y/s320/Europe+2011+636.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The left-most statue relative to where I entered Piazza Navona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I also went to Campo dei Fiori where there is a fruit market. I bought a huge peach bigger than my fist and a croissant for breakfast. The peach was expensive but I was glad I bought it when I bit into it and tasted how sweet and delicious it was. After, I went back to the Trevi Fountain, which by then was deserted except for some workers cleaning the coins out of the fountain. I wonder if they sweep the fountain each morning of each week. There were a lot of coins in the fountain.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oH9QZnWVnIA/Tjm8JICGruI/AAAAAAAAAEk/tuYxQXFmxWw/s1600/Europe+2011+623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oH9QZnWVnIA/Tjm8JICGruI/AAAAAAAAAEk/tuYxQXFmxWw/s320/Europe+2011+623.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the Trevi Fountain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>By the time I got back to the Pantheon it was open and several people were inside, but only a few. It was silent inside and every little sound echoed on the inside. The atmosphere inside was really great and I am glad that I got to see it without a crowd.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tyYZlIHrbM4/Tjm8kaDdt-I/AAAAAAAAAEo/NI_swVClv44/s1600/Europe+2011+626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tyYZlIHrbM4/Tjm8kaDdt-I/AAAAAAAAAEo/NI_swVClv44/s320/Europe+2011+626.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the Pantheon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MSY8LpoA0u4/Tjm8n5Dc7CI/AAAAAAAAAEs/B1UsVbVSsOU/s1600/Europe+2011+641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MSY8LpoA0u4/Tjm8n5Dc7CI/AAAAAAAAAEs/B1UsVbVSsOU/s320/Europe+2011+641.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is difficult to understand just how big the Pantheon is until you see a person standing next to one of its enormous pillars</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nd5roTlUz04/Tjm8rnevF1I/AAAAAAAAAEw/07WgYB19mx0/s1600/Europe+2011+644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nd5roTlUz04/Tjm8rnevF1I/AAAAAAAAAEw/07WgYB19mx0/s320/Europe+2011+644.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning sun was on the right side of the dome. The dome is 7 meters thick at the bottom and 1 meter thick at the top and made of progressively lighter materials</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AtYbTG9NZ7c/Tjm8y1yRdBI/AAAAAAAAAE0/g5f_dTnlCVM/s1600/Europe+2011+647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AtYbTG9NZ7c/Tjm8y1yRdBI/AAAAAAAAAE0/g5f_dTnlCVM/s320/Europe+2011+647.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The painter Raphael is buried inside of the Pantheon slightly to the left of this photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After going to the Pantheon I found the Vittorio Emmanuele monument at Piazza Venezia. The outside of the monument was impressive and entry was free, but the inside was rather dull. There was a flag display in the front part of the museum and some military relics. The roof was the most interesting place because it had a great view of the city. I found the monument only when I was lost looking for the Colosseum, which I could see from the roof of the monument and helped me find it later that afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lM3YkDaKUAQ/Tjm9vXmqNAI/AAAAAAAAAE4/kmO2wFE0fwA/s1600/Europe+2011+666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lM3YkDaKUAQ/Tjm9vXmqNAI/AAAAAAAAAE4/kmO2wFE0fwA/s320/Europe+2011+666.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Vittorio Emmanuele monument from the outside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-61RN_TI_UKw/Tjm90xKWXzI/AAAAAAAAAE8/23A2N9baoSA/s1600/Europe+2011+688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-61RN_TI_UKw/Tjm90xKWXzI/AAAAAAAAAE8/23A2N9baoSA/s320/Europe+2011+688.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the Colosseum from the roof of the Vittorio Emmaneuele monument</td></tr>
</tbody></table>At the Coloseum I met a man in line who is a high school teacher of ancient greek and latin and who had come to see the exhibit. We became friends and he gave me a tour of the inside, telling me some of its history in Italian. He was very nice and we exchanged names so that we could be facebook friends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oG07QnIkRRA/Tjm-VvL3QOI/AAAAAAAAAFA/j51ov1GS_Eg/s1600/Europe+2011+709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oG07QnIkRRA/Tjm-VvL3QOI/AAAAAAAAAFA/j51ov1GS_Eg/s320/Europe+2011+709.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Colosseum</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6x7qmaWLeA/Tjm-fXDgOAI/AAAAAAAAAFE/ulhyFDDPTAs/s1600/Europe+2011+736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6x7qmaWLeA/Tjm-fXDgOAI/AAAAAAAAAFE/ulhyFDDPTAs/s320/Europe+2011+736.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A giant arch near the Colosseum</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHBwYDnusuc/Tjm-jIxH18I/AAAAAAAAAFI/vKMTZS_TJ9c/s1600/Europe+2011+751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHBwYDnusuc/Tjm-jIxH18I/AAAAAAAAAFI/vKMTZS_TJ9c/s320/Europe+2011+751.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the Foro Romano, which was part of a combined ticket with the Colosseum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I also went to the Foro Romano and the Palatine Hill. The day before there had been a strike and the Palatine Hill was closed, but luckily it was open because I enjoyed walking around and seeing the Roman ruins. After the Colosseum I headed towards the river, hoping to find something to eat for lunch and a bench by the river. The region over the river is known as Trastevere, which means "over the Tiber," but there was not much there. I did manage to find an alimentari and so I ate a mozzarella and prosciutto crudo panino by the river and walked along the river, enjoying the views.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LyPeFJWHcC4/Tjm_ebJRMyI/AAAAAAAAAFM/NpAlAbh26qA/s1600/Europe+2011+763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LyPeFJWHcC4/Tjm_ebJRMyI/AAAAAAAAAFM/NpAlAbh26qA/s320/Europe+2011+763.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the Tevere from the retaining wall where I ate my lunch. The river was very quiet and had some bridges that only pedestrians could cross</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I returned back to my hostel where I met some boys from Poland who ate dinner with me and told me about Eastern Europe and asked me about America. One of the boys had been living in England and so his English was quite good. They made me curious to travel to Eastern Europe some day. The next morning I woke up early to get in line at the Vatican. Normally the Vatican museums are closed on Sunday but since it was the last Sunday of the month, they were free. I met my apartment mate Ping there and we saw the Pio Clementino and the Stanze Raffaelle and the Sistine Chapel. There were so many scultures and so much rich artwork that it was difficult to take it all in. It struck me that the Sistine Chapel was much smaller than I expected, although the word "Chapel" rather than "Cathedral" perhaps should have given me a clue as to its size. It was very crowded and very loud inside. I saw several people get thrown out for trying to take photos or videos. It's a shame that people were being disrespectful, but I still enjoyed it very much. Ping had some information on the artwork with her and we read about Michelangelo's frustration while making it. Apparently blue paint was very expensive then and he painted large portions of the walls in blue in part because he was angry about all the criticism. I also remembered from my European History class in high school that many of the figures had been covered with clothes although Michelangelo originally intended for them to be nude. The Sistine Chapel was great, but one of the parts of the museum that I enjoyed a lot was the hall of maps, because it inspired some great conversation among Ping and I as we talked about the places in Italy we had been to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hyXs7biOR8o/TjnBla3i59I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/V2Brup1zQww/s1600/Europe+2011+771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hyXs7biOR8o/TjnBla3i59I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/V2Brup1zQww/s320/Europe+2011+771.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of the Laocoon in the Museo Pio-Clementino. He tried to convince the Romans not to accept the Trojan Horse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmSDngHrVPE/TjnBm4mgCTI/AAAAAAAAAFU/cKHAZuslgqw/s1600/Europe+2011+781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmSDngHrVPE/TjnBm4mgCTI/AAAAAAAAAFU/cKHAZuslgqw/s320/Europe+2011+781.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hall of maps. The ceiling was also intricate and beautiful and in this photo looks like it is made of gold. There was gold on the ceiling, but it was predominantly covered in art work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7C7KuTvGVnU/TjnBoWx_9oI/AAAAAAAAAFY/EGbezgIK9wQ/s1600/Europe+2011+783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7C7KuTvGVnU/TjnBoWx_9oI/AAAAAAAAAFY/EGbezgIK9wQ/s320/Europe+2011+783.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in front of the map of Umbria. Perugia, the city where I lived for my month long study abroad, is found in Umbria. Umbria is one of 20 regions in Italy and is the only one that does not touch the sea</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HFZ5-GvYgLE/TjnBpj0HNxI/AAAAAAAAAFc/Hh28zAir0wo/s1600/Europe+2011+790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HFZ5-GvYgLE/TjnBpj0HNxI/AAAAAAAAAFc/Hh28zAir0wo/s320/Europe+2011+790.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stanze Raffaelle were impressive. They were covered with paintings on all walls. Even the floor was an ornate mosaic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ping and I went to the Basilica of San Pietro after the Vatican Museums and saw the Pieta' and listened to the Pope give a sermon. We ran into Helen from the University for Foreigners, who was in Rome along and was glad to have some company. Together Ping, Helen, and I saw the Trevi Fountain again, where I finally threw in a coin and made a wish this time, and we went to the Pantheon, which was interesting to see again since the light was shining to the left now in the afternoon. We also went to the Spanish Steps, where some street vendors tried to get us to buy roses insistently and tried to put the rose in my purse so that I would have to pay for it. Helen and I went to the Castel Sant-Angelo and Ping had to catch a train, and she told me she had been accepted to a Masters Program with scholarship at the best university in Estonia called Tartuf. She is very proud to be from Estonia and told me that many people who visit do not expect much but leave very impressed. I also heard her speak Estonian to some strangers from Estonia that she ran into and it sounded very beautiful. I hope some day I can return to Europe to travel in Eastern Europe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rDrXlxCcm8Y/TjnDmVQNrUI/AAAAAAAAAFg/FQeOEklVLrE/s1600/Europe+2011+811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rDrXlxCcm8Y/TjnDmVQNrUI/AAAAAAAAAFg/FQeOEklVLrE/s320/Europe+2011+811.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Ping (Singapore), and Helen (Estonia) at the Spanish steps</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A01u8QTnNHU/TjnDnqyBiuI/AAAAAAAAAFk/Fi0Nneu3V5E/s1600/Europe+2011+816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A01u8QTnNHU/TjnDnqyBiuI/AAAAAAAAAFk/Fi0Nneu3V5E/s320/Europe+2011+816.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Castel di Sant'Angelo turret. The castel had a long and interesting history. At one point it was a fort, at another a prison, at another a home to the Pope, and now is a museum.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was glad to spend my last day in Italy with great company. It was a great coincidence that we ran into Helen in Rome because I think it made her day much more enjoyable as well!Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-51625509185326045252011-07-25T06:25:00.001-04:002011-07-25T06:25:52.642-04:00Island of Elba<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="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jmxGDxLTVJk/Ti1CEr8CYqI/AAAAAAAAAEM/rT-BnC7APwk/s1600/DSCN0740%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jmxGDxLTVJk/Ti1CEr8CYqI/AAAAAAAAAEM/rT-BnC7APwk/s320/DSCN0740%255B1%255D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessica (Germany) and I on the traghetto (ferry)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The weather was forecasted to rain all weekend in Perugia, and when we set out at 5 AM on the bus for Elba the sky looked gray. Luckily, Elba is off the coast of Toscana a few hours north, and as the sun rose and we continued to drive the skies looked clear and blue. We took a ferry to the island, which is the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardegna, but which is much smaller in comparison. I explored the island with Jessica, a girl from my Italian class from Germany, and Rodrigo from Brazil. They both speak English but we spoke Italian just about the whole time, which I enjoyed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q0-Ch_WpflA/Ti0_x9KfhRI/AAAAAAAAAD8/M_ADXw4G7Eg/s1600/DSCN0730%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q0-Ch_WpflA/Ti0_x9KfhRI/AAAAAAAAAD8/M_ADXw4G7Eg/s320/DSCN0730%255B1%255D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me behind Napoleon's house on the Island of Elba. He had a beautiful house that also serves now as a museum. The view from his garden was beautiful<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CNELj1t56DA/Ti1CRU27SbI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/JJJ3AJ-SinA/s320/DSCN0716%255B1%255D" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A room inside of Napoleon's house</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The beaches were rocky with a small sand beach in the part of Elba that we chose to visit, but there was also a sand beach elsewhere on the island. I found Elba to be very different from Capri, which surprised me a little. ELba is far less of a tourist trap. On Capri everything is catered to tourists and on Elba the island is perhaps not as cute but it looks more lived in and there seem to be mostly locals on the island rather than mostly tourists. </span></div><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="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SA_douRPjTc/Ti1AksA8yhI/AAAAAAAAAEA/OvbMpWC1CWg/s1600/DSCN0728%255B1%255D" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SA_douRPjTc/Ti1AksA8yhI/AAAAAAAAAEA/OvbMpWC1CWg/s320/DSCN0728%255B1%255D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Moby Lines tragehtto and a tiny sailboat. I would have liked to find someplace to rent a small sailboat but I couldnt find one at the beach we went to. Instead I swam and suntanned (and burnt)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The temperature of the water was cooler and the tide was not as strong as it was at Capri. I liked that the waved were gentler at Elba and that the town seemed more like a normal town.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach at Marciana Marina with Italian flags in the background</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-77849455335478422272011-07-18T10:05:00.003-04:002011-07-18T10:22:03.130-04:00Umbria Jazz and AssisiOf course I had to go to Umbria Jazz at least once while in Perugia. While I didnt pay to see Prince or Lisa Minelli, I did go to a free concert. The group was from Tennessee or Kentucky so it didnt feel all that exotic to me, but the setting was fantastic and mellow and it was easy to see and hear everything.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JOvqUACo0pc/TiQ6z8uep1I/AAAAAAAAADo/HvhrmfykTfM/s1600/italia+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JOvqUACo0pc/TiQ6z8uep1I/AAAAAAAAADo/HvhrmfykTfM/s320/italia+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crowd wasnt too big and the weather was perfect for a night time concert. I bought a slice of pizza caprese at a pizza shop and watched the show from the middle of the crowd.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>This weekend I went to Assisi, which is where Italy's patron saint Saint Francis lived. I was expecting Assisi to be exactly like Perugia but it was quite different. Assisi was brighter with wider streets, very clean, and seemed more modern than Perugia. Perugia has steep stairs, climbs, aqueducts, and arches throughout the city, and while Assisi is also hilly it is relatively flat in comparison. I can understand now how Perugia is considered a larger city compared to a small city like Assisi, where I feel that I was able to see just about everything in about half a day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v-Wjjtp9Vhw/TiQ72lBJKcI/AAAAAAAAADs/3xc0Vs7IqEg/s1600/italia+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v-Wjjtp9Vhw/TiQ72lBJKcI/AAAAAAAAADs/3xc0Vs7IqEg/s320/italia+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Basilica of San Francesco. The inside was beautiful, but unfortunately no pictures allowed. There is a mcuh smaller, more humble church which is the one where San Francesco knelt before a cross. Notice how green the grass is and how blue the sky is. This is why Assisi is so pleasant.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>Although Assisi is a famous pilrimage destination, there were also interesting secular sights. Two of note that I saw were Rocca Maggiore and Monte Subasio. Rocca Maggiore is an old fort. It was used in medeival times in its rivalry with surrounding cities like Perugia and Siena.It is situated startegically on the highest ground in the city and has a great view. It featured the innovative (at the time) fire tower system so that people from far away could signal danger to one another. It also featured a double door gate, which was a solution to the problem that gates were the weakest part of forts in Medeival times. There was a small room in between two gates so that if the enemy broke into the first gate, they couldnt get through the second gate once bodies had piled up in the small space between the two gates. Gory, yes, but also effective.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OIePOB1Is8A/TiQ8sol_a0I/AAAAAAAAADw/_kq3AHXFdkw/s1600/italia+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OIePOB1Is8A/TiQ8sol_a0I/AAAAAAAAADw/_kq3AHXFdkw/s320/italia+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the Rocca Maggiore.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S5N86R4SzFc/TiQ87EH10gI/AAAAAAAAAD4/jrM79xisYnk/s1600/italia+004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S5N86R4SzFc/TiQ87EH10gI/AAAAAAAAAD4/jrM79xisYnk/s320/italia+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on Mount Subasio. I hiked up for 30 to 45 minutes. If I had kept going I would have found the monastery somewhere, but I didnt have time, and really just wanted to see the view. Mount Subasio itself isnt very tall but the map listed some long hikes, so it must extend back far.</td></tr>
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</tbody></table>I recently bought some frozen burger patties thinking they wouldnt be so bad, but after cooking the first I realized it had no taste and dreaded eating the rest. But I had a great idea to make the burger taste delicious using just a few ingredients: the last portion of pesto that needed to be eaten today, two bread ends to finish off a loaf, butter, garlic, a frozen hamburger patty, and green beans. I melted butter on the stove and added in some garlic. Then I toasted the bread ends in the butter while also boiling the green beans and cooking the hamburger. I made some pesto pasta on the side to go with it all and voila! Pesto-garnished burger on garlic-butter toasted bun with green beans, pesto pasta, and aranciata! It sounds like it should be on a restuarant menu.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vW4BblrgmOc/TiQ84vIQrmI/AAAAAAAAAD0/Kn4cjN8yPXs/s1600/italia+005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vW4BblrgmOc/TiQ84vIQrmI/AAAAAAAAAD0/Kn4cjN8yPXs/s320/italia+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have been getting more and more innovative and am particularly proud of this lunch I made today.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-16992237979009424172011-07-12T07:07:00.008-04:002011-08-03T18:07:26.433-04:00Perugian LifeOn request, I will now post some photos of my apartment in Perugia. I already posted photos of my bedroom, which can be seen in a previous post. The bathroom has a tiny shower and it is impossible not to splash water everywhere, which explains why there is a bit of mold. If I was living here longer I would be more concerned about the mold, but Im not sure what the laws are in Italy and I dont know whether the landlord is responsible for the mold or if the tenant is. There is also a washer in the bathroom (no dryer) which has two unlabeled knobs on it and which my apartment mate and I cant figure out how to use, so we both have been washing our clothes by hand. I am glad I brought some woolite with me! There is also a bidet in the bathroom which my apartment mate and I are baffled by and dont use.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kFXMc3-HpMg/ThwmKTa0XjI/AAAAAAAAACw/yi2KIRHOVuY/s1600/Immagine+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kFXMc3-HpMg/ThwmKTa0XjI/AAAAAAAAACw/yi2KIRHOVuY/s320/Immagine+023.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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There is also a living room where I like to eat dinner and where I sometimes watch a bit of Italian TV. The fridge is also in the living room.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3hcjVgYLpd4/ThwmhQ4yShI/AAAAAAAAAC4/3dsnQH7P-fQ/s1600/Immagine+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3hcjVgYLpd4/ThwmhQ4yShI/AAAAAAAAAC4/3dsnQH7P-fQ/s320/Immagine+025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2PvCe9toFq4/ThwmsJ5R8zI/AAAAAAAAADA/iMUJtGCqJFA/s1600/Immagine+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2PvCe9toFq4/ThwmsJ5R8zI/AAAAAAAAADA/iMUJtGCqJFA/s320/Immagine+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The kitchen has two stoves in it. I use the brown one and Im not really sure why there is also the white one. I think the white stove hasnt been hooked up to anything for a long time.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byeXbQyCmio/ThwnCh_PPgI/AAAAAAAAADE/M-tEtD6JfoQ/s1600/Immagine+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byeXbQyCmio/ThwnCh_PPgI/AAAAAAAAADE/M-tEtD6JfoQ/s320/Immagine+029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HB05mQ4_EY8/ThwnEdse1PI/AAAAAAAAADI/TCCdZOER2nE/s1600/Immagine+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HB05mQ4_EY8/ThwnEdse1PI/AAAAAAAAADI/TCCdZOER2nE/s320/Immagine+030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Here is the street I live on. My room looks out over a hill and has a much more private and nice view. Speaking of the view from my room, I have an interesting story about that. As I mentioned earlier there is no dryer in my apartment, instead it is necessary to hang clothes out of the window. The second time I laid my laundry outside of the window to dry, a breeze must have blown up because two shirts fell down onto the ground a few stories below. I walked around the back of the building to go get them (I cant lose 2 shirts because I only brought 6), I realized that the plant covered area behind my apartment was actually a raised garden surrounded by a high wall that was completely inaccessible. The only opening was a tiny fence on the property of a bar that is on the other side of the field. The bar is just an outside area with tables and a bar, and right next to the bar is a stone fence. I asked the owner of the bar if it was OK if I could go retreive my clothes, and he said okay as long as I didnt actually come back with jewelry and gold. So I jumped the fence, only to find that there was yet another, higher wire fence. It would have been impossible to get over this fence if it werent for a small tree that I climbed to jump over the fence. Then I was in the plant covered yard, but had to go through the prickly plants all the way to the back where I live to get my clothes. This would have been impossible if it werent for my long pants and closed toed shoes because I was pricked even through my clothes. The owner of the bar thought it was all terribly funny when I came back and invited me to come back any time to his bar. I was glad he thought it was funny because I felt somewhat nuts for going back there. But the good news is that I have my clothes back and that I know for certain that no one is ever going to rob me through that window if I leave it open at night!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perugia hills</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Across the street. The view from my kitchen window</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Via del Bulagaio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-3908922201446270412011-07-11T10:57:00.002-04:002011-07-12T06:42:56.724-04:00Napoli, Pompeii, Capri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This weekend I went to Napoli, Pompeii, and Capri with a school organized tour. I liked going on the tour because there were other students and, unlike in Florence and at the Palio, I wasnt alone. In Napoli I stuck with the tour guide and he showed us around the city. We saw piazza del plebiscito where there are buildings and monuments from many different time periods next to one another. We saw a church (in the photo below) and went in briefly but a wedding ceremony was about to start so we had to leave. There are buildings from the period of French, Roman, and byzantine rule. The tour guide said that it is rare to have all of these buildings with different styles coexist among one another because in many cities it was typical for old buildings to be torn down when a new leadership came in.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><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;">Piazza del Plebiscito in Napoli<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti is typical in Napoli. Here is a statue facing the Mediterranean. I didnt have a chance to put my feet in until the next day in Capri</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>One of my favorite sights in Napoli was the Castel del uva (Castle of the Egg), which is called that because of a legend. In the legend, Virgilio came to Naples and brought with him an egg and said that as long as the egg didnt crack that the castle would remain standing. The owner of the castle hid the egg and the castle remained standing although most others in the same area were destroyed throughout time in various wars, especially during world war two. The egg is said to still be hidden inside the castle, which explains why it has never come under attack despite its vulnerable position by the sea. Another interesting part of Italian history I learned about was the destruction of Pompeii. At the time when the Vesuvio erupted in 79 AD, Pompeii was one of Southern Italy's richest cities. The Vesuvio erupted during the night and the flowing lava was not louder than running water, so many people were killed in their sleep. Other people heard the eruption and tried to scape by sea or to run away, but were killed by toxic fumes. It was sad to learn about the destruction of Pompeii, because I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been. The ruins of Pompeii are really interesting though and, although I didnt see any of them, apparently some skeletons still remain in the destroyed houses.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at the ruins in Pompeii. The population was killed by volcano lava in 79 AD</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the tiny blue grotto opening. We had to duck!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In Capri I took a boat tour around the island, which had straight rock cliffs on just about every side. Capri is known in Italy to be the expensive resort island of the stars. We saw the houses of Giorgio Armani, Sofia Loren, and previously of Mussolini on the island. We went into the blue grottoes, which are blue because of the way that sunlight reflects through the tiny cave opening, but which are more expensive to enter into than the Uffizi and the Accademia combined in Florence. I think that seeing the blue grottoes was a once in a lifetime experience though, so I am glad that I went in. There were other interesting natural features around the island that we saw, including rocks that had gaps in them as a results of wind. Our boat drove directly under an arch formed out of rock that I remember seeing on the Visions of Italy DVD my grandfather advised me to watch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the blue grotto, about to leave. I took a video of the inside as well. The rower was singing O sole mio</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CAWDsQJ4uF0/ThsODBRDu-I/AAAAAAAAACo/eYDKqYGtLjU/s1600/Immagine+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CAWDsQJ4uF0/ThsODBRDu-I/AAAAAAAAACo/eYDKqYGtLjU/s320/Immagine+010.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took a sneaky photo of this boy at the beach at Capri. The beach was mostly rocky. This was taken from the rock jetty.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The beaches at Capri are rocky although there was a tiny patch of sand on one part of the island. I went swimming in the Mediterranean, which I thought was the perfect temperature but which my friend from Estonia thought was too warm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some friends from the University for Foreigners. Sofia (Mexico), Rodrigo (Brazil), Scella (Brazil), Me, Helen (Estonia) </td></tr>
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</tbody></table>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-75333440876588473942011-07-07T08:34:00.000-04:002011-07-07T08:34:09.217-04:00Classes BeginClasses began on Tuesday and because I was placed into the B2 level (which means high intermediate), my classes where not in the University for Foreigners but in an overflow location on Viale Roma in a middle school. The building was very nice but about a 15 or 20 minute walk from my appartment. The walk is beautiful and I didnt mind the exercise even in hilly Perugia, but I am glad I went to find it the day before classes began because the street indications here are sparse and it took me at least an hour to find.<br />
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I liked my professors a lot. My first professor in the morning was a woman and lead a speaking session. We did introductions and then my second professor taught a lesson on the conditional tense, which was a review for me. He mentioned the topics that we would be studying in the course, many of which are tricky and I am certainly not perfect at, but which I have already studied. Most people seemed bewildered by what I saw as a review, so I talked to to professor and my suspicion that I had been placed into one level too low was confirmed. I switched into C1 (beginning advanced) level and immediately noticed a large difference. The other students in the class speak nearly fluently and the grammar is very challenging. I will definitely need to supplement the course with my own studying, whereas in the previous course I would have had a very easy time. I am glad that I switched because I am here to learn as much as possible. If I leave this course with a barely passing grade but a much improved student of Italian, I will be very happy. So far I have been taking everything in and my speaking has already improved a lot. I cant believe I have only 3 more weeks here!<br />
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Living on my own truly (without housing provided by WM, without a meal plan, in a foreign country) has been very informative. I negotiated a good contract on my apartment, and have experimented in cooking a few things. On Wednesday night I made chicken and mashed potatoes but had a few difficulties. First, the stove is absolutely ancient and must be manually plugged in, turned on, and lit with a match to work. To those more experienced with appliances this would have been simple, but it took me about 15 minutes to figure out how to get the stove and oven going. I made the chicken, but meat in Europe is different than in America, and I had to figure out how to clean the meat myself, which wasnt too difficult. My next big problem was confusiong concerning temperature scale. Since I am in Italy, the temperature scale is of course in Celsuis. I dont even know what temperature to cook potatoes or chicken in the oven at home, but I could take an educated guess. Here I set the dial to about the middle at around 150 degrees Celsius and put some chopped potatoes with olive oil and salt on the into the oven since I think I remember seeing my mom do this before in the kitchen. I wasnt sure whether the olive oil was supposed to go on before or after I had cooked them, but I used my instincts and they must have been right because I checked back every few minutes and it took probably about 30 minutes for them to cook to a nice, tender golden brown. In case the oven potatoes didnt work, I also boiled a pot of water on the stove and threw the other half of the chopped potatoes until they were tender and squished them with a spoon and added butter, milk, and salt. Is this how mashed potatoes are supposed to be made? I dont know, but they turned out pretty tasty (but not as good as my moms and definitely less creamy). Both varieties of potatoes turned out quite good with my invented, Celsius recipes. The chicken I put in a pan and cooked until it was tender.<br />
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I made myself laugh a bit when I realized that, stereotypically, I am learning how to cook in Italy (although not quite in the way that people mean when they say that they are learning to cook authentic Italian cuisine while in Italy). Also, pasta is very very cheap here and I went a little crazy and bought gnocchi, tortolini, unbricelli, fettucine, fussili, rigatoni, and mezze righe. I am not sure if I will be able to eat all of the pasta that I bought before I leave. I estimate that I bought nearly ten pounds of pasta, all of which cost maybe a dollar a pound. I wonder if the prices here are better than they are at home. I plan to invent meat sauce soon, but it will have to wait until Monday or Sunday since I am going away to Napoli this weekend.<br />
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The University for Foreigners offers weekend trips and I signed up for an overnight tright to Napoli, Capri, and Pompeii. I am excited to see southern Italy, especially because I didnt think I would be able to see southern Italy while I am here. One of my friends from school said that as a kid she always wanted to take a trip to Pompeii as a kid, which sparked my curiosity. I will take plenty of photos. I am also excited about Capri and hope that we get to see some of their famous grottoes.<br />
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Apartment living is great here in Perugia. My Russian apartment mate moved out and currently only one other person lives in the apartment in the other room. She is from Singapore and named Ping. Ping is really nice and for the past few nights we have talked and talked for hours. She speaks Chinese and also perfect English. We tend to speak English together because she is a low intermediate Italian speaker. I have not really spoken Chinese with her since my ability to converse in Chinese is still very restricted, but we have had many conversations about Asia and she has recommended Shanghai to me over Beijing, but said that the Shanghai accent is not standard while the Beijing accent is. William and Mary has a program in Beijing rather than Shanghai, but maybe I will have time to visit Shanghai if I also choose to do a study abroad program in China. Kids here are also really friendly.<br />
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I feel like I have never met such friendly people before, and I think its because we all dont know anyone and we all want to practice language skills, so we are very willing to talk to each other. I met some kids from VCU, one of whom happens to be from the Richmond area, and who is going on the Napoli trip this weekend. Perhaps I have found someone to practice Italian with in the states! Also, I was looking for a gelateria yesterday that my apartment mate Ping recommended to me when I ran into Aya, a girl from Japan who shared a hostel room with me during my first night in Perugia. We both had no plans so we walked together and spoke in Italian the whole time. I was relieved to find a student who is both as advanced as I am and also not a speaker of English. She is really nice and seems to have had aharder time than I have here getting situated. Her first apartment was in an unsafe area and she switched after she felt someone following her home one night. Her next apartment is very close to mine now, but she says they are over charging her a lot. I also met a girl from Russia and was completely surprised at her views on Russian politics. Her perception is that most young Russian people want to break away from the Communist past, and she was very complementary of how free America is in respect to Russia. I was surprised to hear this, but also realize that at a place like the University for Foreigners I will inevitably tend to run into foreigners who are open minded and friendly to different ways of thinking.<br />
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I have been on the lookuot for news of Berlusconi and the Amanda Knox case but the news stands here do not seem to carry the mainstream newspapers such as the Corriere della Sera or La Reppublica. I am a bit embarassedto say that while getting settled here I havent looked very hard for these newspapers. I am not really sure where I should buy a newspaper but that is the next thing on my list of things to do. While here I hope to accomplish some research for my Berlusconi Monroe project, although its completion certainly does not depend on my working on it while in Italy. Rather, I think that gaining the Italian perspective would very valuable to my research, so now that I am settled I will make sure to keep up with the news.Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-18370100603015323862011-07-04T04:43:00.000-04:002011-07-04T04:43:06.755-04:00FlorenceFlorence was great. I got up early and got in line at the Accademia before it opened. There I saw statues and art, including the David statue. The statue is really impressive in person and you can see all the details like the veins in his hand and and his muscles. The statue was larger than life and really great. I spent a lot of time in Accademia and luckily didnt have to wait in line long to get in since I got there so early.<br />
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I also made sure to go to the Uffizi, where I was the Annunciation, Primavera, and the Birth of Venus, among other famous artwork that I didnt necessarily recognize. It was interesting but by the end I was getting a bit tired of art (I spent probably 5 hours in museums that day by then). I decided not to stay in Florence for the night and spent my last 45 minutes walking along the Arno and touring the piazzas sight seeing. It was really beautiful and I wish that I had my camera battery working to take some photos.<br />
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Today I am going to do some errands in preparion for class starting tomorrow. I am excited to start!Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-35261582929779935112011-07-02T18:27:00.002-04:002011-07-11T10:50:07.825-04:00Il PalioToday I got up at 5 30 to go to the Palio in Siena, which is a horse race that takes place in a piazza called the piazza del campo. I had a delay getting to Siena, but once I got there I saw that the center of the city is old and adorable. The flags and souvenirs of the contrade were all over the place and I decided to support Bruca, the caterpillar, because the colors are yellow and green. The piazza closes at about 4 30 but I was worried about getting a good place so I went in at 2 30 after seeing Sienas Basilicatta and also buying some gifts. I strategically chose the highest ground in the piazza and a place quite near the fence. The piazza was very uneven, so from a high point I realized that I would be able to see more than half the track even with everyone standing, but people on the lower part probbaly couldnt really see the high part well. Im not sure if my theory about their view is correct, but mine was quite good and only a patch behind me was invisible where I couldnt see over peoples heads.<br />
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First there was a parade which began at 5 and ended at 7 30. The parade became monotonous after awhile so I sat down to read a bit. I may have mentioned that I bought a copy of the Portrait of Dorian Gray translated in Italian. When the race started the horses had to line up twice because the first time one of them spooked. Everyone was being very quiet because the horses get scared easily. Not all 17 contrada compete in the race and I was pleased to see that Bruca was one of the 10 or so that did. When the race started all I could see was that Bruca had made a break for the front. It was exciting because at the first half lap he was about 5 horse lengths ahead of the pack. Unfortunately, Bruca was also the first to fall off his horse. Rideless horses are allowed to finish and win the race, but this was so early on that he didnt stand a chance. The other jockeys passed easily, but by the end at least 4 horses finished without riders. One of the conservative riders ended up coming forward, Oca, the Goose, to win.<br />
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I was worried about getting back to the train because I needed to check into my hostel by midnight unless I wanted to be homeless, and the race had started later than I expected. I followed an aggressive lady out of the piazza and the exit we left from we were literally next to the horse. Three steps and I could have touched it. The jockey was crying and being hoisted into the air and somehow I was suddenly in the middle of it. I think only the media beat me and the lady onto the track, since most people were being wary of whether they were allowed to leave yet I think. I whipped out my camera and took some chaotic pictures. At that point people were crying and singing and I was swept into the victory parade, which is seemed that all the fans from Siena were a part of. I felt a bit out of place since I hadnt even been routing for Oca, but I pretended to sing along and went with the crowd, hoping it would take me to the bus station. I saw such emotion and excitement in the victory parade that I can only imagine I was walking with the locals. Tourists, like myself, just chose the symbols they preferred for the most part. The horse walked into a church and the piazza in front was filling when I left the victory parade.<br />
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By the way, for those fans who have noticed a change in my blog, Zurich has been bumped up to the top because I added photos. Im not sure why the others werent bumped up as well to put them back in correct order. I have uploaded a few photos, but they each took over a minute to load, which was 1 boring and 2 costing me a fortune in internet cafe bills, so I will post the rest on facebook later, probably when I get back to the US. I think this is the longest Ive stayed away from facebook since high school and I dont plan to go back now.<br />
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I am in Florence now and it should be beautiful. Unfortunately my camera battery just died and I didnt think to bring my charger with me. I will have to take mental snapshots. Im sure the famous sites that I visit can be looked up online, and many places I go will likely forbid photography anyway.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebration after Oca, the Goose, won. You can see how close I was to the jockey and the man in the front about to cry</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oca winning!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jockey and the man on the left crying of joy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The victory parade. I tried to sing along!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-61937175138557363662011-07-01T12:13:00.002-04:002011-07-01T13:31:04.643-04:00Ups and Downs in PerugiaAfter being here for just 2 days I have already figured out two Italian quirks: The first is that nobody knows what an "internet cafe" is and get confused when I ask. It took me two hours to find this one today because of the second quirk, which is that when people dont know where something is they point in a vague direction and tell you to try that way. I have been literally all over the city today, trying to find this internet cafe and also orient myself to the city at the same time. Unfortunately, like yesterday it started to thunder in the middle of the day. Luckily though I had brought my rain coat because I thought it looked like it was going to rain (I was hoping to be in the internet cafe by the time it rained).<br />
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To be perfectly honest, Perugia has been filled with mishaps ever since I got here. I had been talking to a girl online about an apartment with a single room for a really good price in a good location. She said that she was going to go to Rome in July, so it would be the perfect time to step in. We set up an appointment to see the place and she told me to come back at 5 to talk to the landlord. When I got there at 5 a few hours later, she wasnt sure if she still wanted to move out, and ultimately decided to stay. I rushed back to the hostel and luckily there was space there to stay the night. This morning I went to an apartment agency and decided to just pay the commission to make sure I have some place to live. They suggested a double room apartment under about 15 minutes walk from the University, and I took it. There is another girl living in the apartment named Ana, and the moment I moved in the very first thing she told me about was how terrible the landlords are and how the month before they didnt allow her to see the bills but charged her 100 or more euros for electric, etc. She told me they had lied when they said it would cost about 30 (other landlords have quoted prices of utilities anywhere from 20 to 50 euros so that was what I was expecting). At this point I was panicking that I had made a terrible mistake and I went back to the agency and tried to leave the apartment but ended up finding a different solution, which was to lock in my expenses at 30 euros. The lady who works at the agency then went over and yelled at Ana for telling me this, and said that I was the second person she had tried to keep from coming into the apartment. So my apartment mate (she lives in the other room and I dont have a roommate) probably doesnt like me much, but she is moving out on the 5th of July apparently, so I will only have to live with her a few days. So in summary, I have a place to live, but I had to jump through a lot of hoops to get there.<br />
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I also am a bit disappointed to find that I placed into B2, which means intermediate 2 level. I talked to other people in the level and they said that they have been studying Italian for 2 years, and their original languages are Korean and German, so they have no advantage over me. I have been studying Italian for 6 years and I really thought I could make it into the advanced level. I want to be in the appropriate level for me, but I also want the appropriate level to be advanced. I am going to do my best to switch, but they said the earliest I could try was after two days of classes, which dont start until the 5th for some reason. On the positive side, I was planning to take a trip to Siena to see the Palio tomorrow and spend the night in Florence, and I am now going to try to stay there for one more day since I dont have to be back to Perugia until Tuesday. This will give me time to see more of Florence and maybe Pisa.<br />
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Also, I have met some nice people. In the hostel I met a boy from China who introduced himeself as Sebastiano. I have run into him two or three times at random and he placed into A2 so we wont be in classes together but it is nice to know someone. Also, I met a boy named Wesley from Miami who has been to the University for Foreigners before and helped me get oriented at the University. I also met a girl from Estonia named Helen and we talked in the hostel last night for over an hour. I have been practicing my Italian as much as possible, but most people Ive met who arent actual Italians have a much lower speaking level than I do and dont even want to try speaking Italian. When class starts I hope to really practice more.<br />
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Perugia is beautiful and I am liking it despite all of these mishaps. I bought a copy of The Portrait of Dorian Gray in Italian, a book that Ive already read in English and enjoyed and today and yesterday sat in the Piazza XIV Novembre reading it in the sun. I am really excited for the Palio tomorrow and hope that the weather is nice!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beauiful Perguia hillside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BxW0qQIXImM/Tg4Dk6lYklI/AAAAAAAAAB8/0NH93m98sRc/s1600/Immagine+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BxW0qQIXImM/Tg4Dk6lYklI/AAAAAAAAAB8/0NH93m98sRc/s320/Immagine+067.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perugia sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JXcrzLxjHlU/Tg4DuBnOYxI/AAAAAAAAACA/PN9mop6kjJg/s1600/Immagine+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JXcrzLxjHlU/Tg4DuBnOYxI/AAAAAAAAACA/PN9mop6kjJg/s320/Immagine+073.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new place to live, on the left. There is also a desk, window, and airmoir and the room is quite big with a nice view. The apartment is also very clean and has a nice living room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-31875929262269191102011-06-29T14:59:00.001-04:002011-07-01T13:25:12.042-04:00Last day in Venice and arrival in PerugiaDuring our last day in Venice Nicole and I started to get the hang of how to get around the city, which on the first day was really difficult because the street signs are not helpful at all since many of them are dead ends, are extremely short, very windy, and for all thes reasons you will probbaly never really know what street you are on in Venice and, even if you do, you probably wont ever find it again. Nicole and I went shopping and came across the Basilica di San Marco while we were trying to get back to the hostel. Both of us were really glad we stumbled upon it because it is really amazing, although the line was really long and neither of us went in it.<br />
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Nicole left this morning and I got very sad as I watched the train pull away. It was a lonely feeling to be by myself in Venice with 5 hours to kill before my train was supposed to leave. I found a completely new area that Nicole and I hadnt visited. There wasnt much in the area and I had to look hard for a museum, but I finally came across one. I went into the Scuola di San Rocco and the museum of Leonardo Da Vinci inventions. The first had beautiful and ornate artwork, including originals by Titian and Tintoretto that were beautiful, but would probably have been more interesting if the brochure had explained the stories behind the paintings a bit. The Leonardo museum was small but had a cool concept: people had taken the sketches in Da Vincis notebooks of inventions and actually made them so that you could see what they loooked like in real life. Two or 3 of the inventions wouldnt ever actually work, which I thought was interesting. But he really was a Renaissance man, and it was easier to understand his genius when it was in 3D.<br />
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I got to Perugia and an English speaking couple approached me and offered to help. They were really nice but they didnt realize that their reassurances that they heard tons of people speaking English in the city wasnt what I wanted to hear. I didnt want to be rude and tell them that I didnt want to speak English, so I let them show me to the center of the city, which was very nice of them since this city is very confusing. I managed to find my way to the University for foreigners and the hostel, but on my way back from the University I must have taken a wrong turn and now am lost. I spotted this internet cafe and decided to stop in, use the computers, and ask directions.<br />
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I have been taking a lot of photos and wil try to post some soon. Tomorrow I will take a placement exam, which I am really nervous about, and I will have to find an apartment because I only made hostel reservations for one night, but the hostel doesnt seem full so I can stay tomorrow if I have to. Perugia is beautiful and as soon as I have a home and learn to navigate my way around I think everything will go smoothly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me by the gondolas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bYN6alX0q3E/Tg4CSWN_f9I/AAAAAAAAABw/QdPAO8B9Dd8/s1600/Immagine+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bYN6alX0q3E/Tg4CSWN_f9I/AAAAAAAAABw/QdPAO8B9Dd8/s320/Immagine+051.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a bridge over the canale grande</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in front of the Basilica di San Marco, which Nicole and I found by accident</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-35907374998068227362011-06-27T19:29:00.001-04:002011-07-01T13:17:32.530-04:00Milan and VeniceNicole and I arrived in Milan in the late afternoon and started the day off by finding the famous Scala opera house, which we tried to find a show for but none were playing that night unfortunately. We also saw and went into the Duomo, where mass was taking place but we were still able to appreciate the artifacts and stained glass. It was beautiful inside and the 3rd largest cathedral in the world. Another interesting fact is that it took nearly 500 yrs to build: it was started because someone wanted to please the Gods to get a male heir and was finished under orders by Napoleon.<br />
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In Milan I ordered a classic Milan dish: osso buco alla Milanese and was too scared to try the bone marrow but it was delicious. We also met a friendly Irishman who was working on his masters and glad to find some english-speaking company. He showed us around a bit which was nice of him.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VNUKGrEL3TY/Tg3_FNX4RwI/AAAAAAAAABo/JtfWx7GFJkk/s1600/Immagine+043.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VNUKGrEL3TY/Tg3_FNX4RwI/AAAAAAAAABo/JtfWx7GFJkk/s320/Immagine+043.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
This is an example of one of Milans fancy shopping streets<br />
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We also took a tour of the famous shopping district, where some streets were quite literally made of marble and beautiful tile work. We even bought some clothes, though in the fashion district rather than the high fashion district. We thought the regular fashion district was also quite nice and much more affordable. It is true what they say about Milan: Italians there are dressed impeccably. They all look like a million bucks.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w0fMHdn7DME/Tg3-5SPchsI/AAAAAAAAABk/-QAGjcdzDsM/s1600/Immagine+038.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w0fMHdn7DME/Tg3-5SPchsI/AAAAAAAAABk/-QAGjcdzDsM/s320/Immagine+038.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Me in front of Milans Duomo<br />
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In Venice yesterday we met up with some of Nicoles family and they gave us a place to stay for the night, which was great. They were well-traveled and had some good stories to tell and their kids were very sweet. Nicoles Aunt Jess showed us how to bargain and Tim showed us how to get around.<br />
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Today Nicole and I went on a kayak trip through the canals of Venice. quite honestly we thought it was all a hoax for a minute when we saw how deserted teh island was, but eventually found the place and set off for our tour. I really enjoyed the sit-in type of kayak and liked it far better than the sit on top kind that I have used in the past. Some of the canals were very busy, like Canale Grande with its vaportettos speeding by, but others were narrow and serene. In some we had to pull aside to let boats and gondolas pass, and in one we had to paddle with our hands because the passage was too narrow for paddles. It was amazing to see the city from water level. We got to see so much more than we would have on foot and everything looked so different. We saw the old bricks under the bridges, which are as much works of art as they are functional, and we got to see piazzas and monuments and learn about one of 3 remaining gondola shops that still make gondolas by hand in the traditional manner with no 2 pieces symmetrical,all made by hand. I dont think the shop could have been approached on foot, so that was really unique and fascinating to see how the boats were being made.<br />
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We have met some fascinating and friendly Italians. Our waiter in Milan serenaded us and tonight our waiter decided to become Nicoles new boyfriend after asking us whether we had boyfriends. He, like everyone else, thought she was a real Italian by appearance, and he asked if I had Irish ancestry. I do have a healthy tan by now, but I guess Ill never quite blend in. I think it is funny how many people think Nicole is the real Italian since she does have Italian ancestry, but Im the one who loves languages.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNsqQ6bruI8/Tg3-ty02NTI/AAAAAAAAABg/SNev04RRMXQ/s1600/Immagine+044.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNsqQ6bruI8/Tg3-ty02NTI/AAAAAAAAABg/SNev04RRMXQ/s320/Immagine+044.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Nicole and I in Venice<br />
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Sorry for the long pause between posts. I didnt have a computer for a few days. Even now Im breaking hostel rules by using this one: its free but im not supposed to use it past 1130. But one more thing: I thought gelato was going to be underwhelming, but it is delicious! I had 2 gelatos today, thats how great they are.<br />
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ArrivederciBetsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-56969707015747213032011-06-24T15:52:00.001-04:002011-07-01T13:05:46.595-04:00Luzern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><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;">Nicole and I outside of the Musegg Wall I believe it was called in Luzern, which we stumbled upon when trying to find our hostel</td></tr>
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Sorry for the short post last time. The hostel gave me two internet tokens worth less than 20 minutes total and the directions to everything was in German so I had difficulty figuring out how to use AOL to talk to my potential landlord in Perugia and then update my blog. I didnt even notice the zs in all of my words until now. The z and the y are switched on Swiss keyboards for some reason so I am just not used to it.<br />
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Interlaken was really fun and I wish I had had more time to talk about it. In Luzern yesterday Nicole and I went to a modern art museum which was kind of out there but which we ended up spending an hour and a half at and I ended up really enjoying. We walked into one room with paintings that seriously just looked like white canvases, which was something we had been joking about before we went to the museum as the stereotypical modern art that anyone could do. As it turned out the room with the white canvases turned out to be my favorite because if you looked at the painting you could actually see some amazing scenery and Nicole and I were both impressed that the artist could do that. It sounds crazy, but maybe you just have to see it to understand it.<br />
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I have been eating a lot of Swiss chocolate and have been sure to buy at least one bar a day. My favorite was Ragusa dark chocolate with macadamia nuts in it because the inside tasted fudgy and delicious. Nicole and I also went to an authentic Fondue restauarant and had cheese fondue, which I was surprised to find out had white wine in the ingredients, but was very good and was nice for a surprisingly cold day.<br />
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Both days in Luzern have been pretty cold, today and zesterday I wore long sleeves and capris and brought a raincoat with me everywhere and was chilly if anything. Nicole and I went on a boat ride across lake Luzern to Mount Rigi I believe and took the worlds steepest cog wheel train to the top. It was disappointingly cloudy but was still cool to appreciate just how high we were up since we were literally in a cloud. We took a gondola ride a little bit down the mountain, which was below the cloud line and could see a lot from there.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7px_cTpH88M/Tg39rBd2VZI/AAAAAAAAABY/hrjDHQiyHR4/s1600/Immagine+030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7px_cTpH88M/Tg39rBd2VZI/AAAAAAAAABY/hrjDHQiyHR4/s320/Immagine+030.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> <br />
At the top of Mount Pilatus (not Rigi as I mentioned earlier)</div><br />
I searched very hard in every tacky Swiss souvenir shop and in regular stores (so to speak) to buy something here but did not succeed in finding anything that either wasnt junk or didnt feel inappropriate to buy in the summer time. I saw a sweater that if I have time I may go back to get, but it feels silly to buy a sweater in the summer that isnt even on sale. Hopefully Italy will have better souvenirs and will be a little warmer than Switzerland. I have really enjoyed Switzerland though and am sad to leave. It is picturesque to be by a lake filled with Swans with mountains in the backdrop. Today there was even a Swiss plane show over the lake and 8 or so planes did loops and dives in synch.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5xUkPlzM4YE/Tg394MFX0YI/AAAAAAAAABc/5aIsr0lGpeI/s1600/Immagine+034.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5xUkPlzM4YE/Tg394MFX0YI/AAAAAAAAABc/5aIsr0lGpeI/s320/Immagine+034.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">The swans here are not shy.</div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-17290344418116366662011-06-22T14:12:00.002-04:002011-07-01T12:59:11.694-04:00InterlakenInterlaken has been great. The hostel is clean and the town is really cute. On the first day Nicole and I hiked up Harder Kulm. Today we went canyoning, which was a really cool experience. We got to slide down natural water slides cut into the rocks by water, jump off of rock cliffs, repel, and zip line. The water was freezing and so we all wore wet suits and 2 jackets over the wetsuits. It was beautiful in the canyon and it is too bad I have no pictures, but for anyone who is curious try on Youtube searching Grimsel canyoning to get an idea of what I did. It was possibile to buy a video but I decided I didnt think I would ever watch it. We also went biking along lake Thunersee and found a park where Nicole went swimming in the freezing cold water and the locals clapped for her because she was so brave. I stayed on dry land but got plenty of photos, one of which captures a sailboat surrounded by a halo of crepuscular rays, which is my favorite photo I have taken so far. We also found some ruins by the lake and biked along a tree lined river, which was my favorite part of Interlaken. Unfortunately, photos do not do this place justice, especially photos of the water. The water is amayingly clear and bright but also has a milky, almost opaque quality. nicole says she heard it is because of the glacier runoff that the water is so clear.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mUo2jMHuWqs/Tg37mVi_VNI/AAAAAAAAABI/9vsX5ZDdpvE/s320/Immagine+014.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nicole and I in a pretty Interlaken field </div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Harder Kulm</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me standing about half way up the climb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-91365365260550290372011-06-20T12:52:00.000-04:002012-01-24T18:17:43.748-05:00Arrival in ZurichMy flight took off yesterday evening at 6:25 PM and landed at about 7:30, which felt to me like 1:30 in the morning. I was one of the first people to board the plane, and so was the man who sat next to me. He was thin, looked about 30 years older than me, and seemed to speak English well but we didn't talk much. The flight itself was not bad considering: they showed a movie and served dinner. I waited for the movie to end at about 9:30 and tried to sleep. I was surprised that they did not turn off the lights until around 11. Luckily I had a sleeping mask and ear plugs (there was a baby three rows up from me), but it was so uncomfortable trying to sleep upright that I didn't get much sleep anyway.<br />
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My first impression when we were descending was that area surrounding the Zurich airport is rural, not suburban, despite the fact that the airport is not far outside of the city. I laughed when I saw on the Zurich airport website shortly before leaving that the airport offers tours of the "picturesque airport property" that last an hour and a half and that cost 8 Swiss Francs, but now I see that the countryside is actually very beautiful, and a tour might be worth the 8 francs on a long lay-over. The airport was extremely modern and clean inside, and it was nearly empty. I thought customs might take an hour or more but it took 2 minutes or less. I wandered around the airport to see what was there and then struggled with the primarily German-language train ticket machine. I was fairly certain when I got on the train at the airport that it was the right one, and luckily I made it to the Zurich main station without any problems.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-24ZYYkj1YC4/Tg32dW0UiJI/AAAAAAAAAAc/7XNugIXqDGs/s1600/Immagine+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-24ZYYkj1YC4/Tg32dW0UiJI/AAAAAAAAAAc/7XNugIXqDGs/s320/Immagine+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> A train passing by the National Museum of Switzerland in Zurich, the first photo I took</div><br />
Right outside of the main station was the Swiss National Museum, which I believe is closed on Monday, but which I took a picture of. I also wandered down Bahnhoff Street to look at the shops and then down to the river, where I took some pictures. I was supposed to take the tram to Jennifer's house, but since I had a map with me and it wasn't very far I decided to walk. I took some photos along the way since the buildings are all so quaint and decorative and even the sidewalks are fancy and clean with cobblestone borders.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UeNVi9Nz244/Tg32_PXrQSI/AAAAAAAAAAg/JZf6k84v6uc/s1600/Immagine+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UeNVi9Nz244/Tg32_PXrQSI/AAAAAAAAAAg/JZf6k84v6uc/s320/Immagine+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Zurich is located along a beautiful lake</div><br />
My first impression of Switzerland is that everything seems orderly, clean, efficient, and designed with attention to the last detail. I noticed a lot of smaller-size cars and bikers, and there were a lot of places where you could pick up healthy fast food like apples and cherries.<br />
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Being in a German-speaking city by myself for the first few hours was a little overwhelming, especially when I was trying to buy my train ticket, use the ATMs, and navigate the tram network. I'm really glad that Nicole and I will be traveling together soon. I think we are going to have a lot of fun.<br />
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I am glad to have a chance to use the computer. The Crowne's have been very hospitable and I feel clean and relaxed since I just took a shower. I am looking forward to seeing the city more later today and wish I had more time to see everything there is to do here, but am also excited to see Interlaken tomorrow.Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-34623347099310179402011-06-19T08:36:00.001-04:002011-06-19T08:36:53.130-04:00Don't Rain On My ParadeI'm packed and ready to go. My mom and I will leave at 10:30 for a 2:30 flight out of Norfolk. I have a connection that leaves from JFK at around 6:30. I will arrive in Switzerland at around 8:00 AM their time. It's a long day of travelling, but it will be worth it.<br />
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I put together a 10-day weather forecast for my trip in the cities I will be visiting:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xRitg-z0TjM/Tf3samT2irI/AAAAAAAAAAY/rlkf8xmaR-w/s1600/tendayforecast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xRitg-z0TjM/Tf3samT2irI/AAAAAAAAAAY/rlkf8xmaR-w/s400/tendayforecast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm hoping it won't be too rainy in Switzerland Tuesday through Friday, but on the bright side Italy should be sunny for our entire stay.</div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-54523456176070635692011-06-15T22:41:00.000-04:002011-06-15T22:41:48.155-04:00Pasta!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2uS8YCgBRxE/TflqkLVFniI/AAAAAAAAAAU/CDk8ghozovQ/s1600/Pasta+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2uS8YCgBRxE/TflqkLVFniI/AAAAAAAAAAU/CDk8ghozovQ/s320/Pasta+026.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I didn't have to search far to find pasta tonight: I made some by hand in my kitchen in Virginia. I made the dough from scratch, rolled it through a hand-crank pasta machine, and put it on a pasta rack to dry. It was delicious!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am excited for the trip but still need to take care of a long list of things before I leave. To mention a few I still have to notify credit card companies I am leaving the country, pack my backpack, and (most importantly) redeem my coupon for a free pastry at Panera, which expires while I am away.</div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4321665316126989495.post-25156528387122658382011-06-09T00:12:00.001-04:002012-01-24T18:13:48.652-05:00IntroductionWelcome to my blog! This is where I plan to post stories, memories, and photos from my trip to Europe that begins in just 10 days. My plane departs on June 19th and will arrive in Switzerland on the morning of the 20th. Once there, my friend Nicole and I will backpack together for ten days, visiting Zurich, Interlaken, Luzern, Milan, and Venice by train before we split up. Nicole will head back to the US and I will stay for a four week study abroad course.<br />
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</div><div>So far a lot of planning has gone into the trip. The first step for me was finding a study abroad program that looked like it was worth my summer savings. The next step was making flight reservations, which I booked in March. In mid-May Nicole and I chose the places we wanted to visit, used raileurope.com to get our tickets and booked hostels. Since then I have bought a good pair of walking shoes, a sturdy travel pack, and am waiting for my travel insurance card to arrive. It all sounds simple, but each step took hours of planning and research to finalize the best itinerary and to get the best deals along the way.</div><div><br />
</div><div><div>I have not thought much yet about what it will actually be like once I am abroad, but I expect the trip to be eye opening, amazing, frustrating (at times), and hopefully the experience of a lifetime. I am excited to leave the country for the first time and, after garnering all the travel wisdom I can from books and blogs, feel ready to test my independence and street smarts. It's not easy to travel on a student's budget, but my friend Nicole and I are going to do just that. Hopefully this blog can serve as a guide for students interested in taking a similar trip.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>More posts to follow,</div><div>-Betsy</div>Betsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16780857507648954219noreply@blogger.com0