Jessica's Summer Abroad

Venice

GoalDigger — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:37:16 +0000

the busy canals!

Venice 5-0

St. Marks Cathedral

Doge's Palace

Celyn and Iambulancebuildings are sinking!Piazza San Marco Clock

Cinque Terre

GoalDigger — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:01:53 +0000

Vernazza

our destination is finally in sight!

the trail

Monterosso

Cinque Terre was an awesome little day trip that we took a couple weeks ago. It is a group of five little villages that are just tucked right into the cliff side along the coast. Cinque Terre is famous for the beautiful views seen from the trails that connect the 5 villages together. If you were to hike from village 1, Riomaggiore, to village 5, Monterosso, it would take you about 5 hours. We decided since we only had the day that we would do the hike between village 4, Venazza, and Monterosso. Despite hearing rumors of that being the most difficult trail of them all, we were up to the challenge. and it was tough. really really tough. It took us about 2 hours to go about 2.5 miles. We climbed almost 500 feet above sea level. Unfortunately, we picked the hottest time of the day to do the hike, sunny bright early afternoon. It was definitely a work out and we all worked up a pretty good sweat. Although it was a bit painful, the hike was gorgeous. The views of the water we amazing, the cliff-side was full of little vineyards and farms. Finally when we arrived in Monterosso, it was straight to the water!! It was a rocky beach so we rented out some beach chairs and umbrella’s, took a dip in the Mediterranean and relaxed with a fun tropical drink in hand!

The Amalfi Coast

GoalDigger — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:52:16 +0000

Approaching the Coast

getting closer!

The cliff/sea side town of Positano

Positano

ferry ride to Sorrento

beautiful day two

the most gorgeous water I have ever seen!

the arch

The Green Grotto - about to swim through!

I made it!

swimming in the crystal clear water

: Captain Diego and our boat!

So, I know I keep saying that everywhere I go is absolutely amazing and beautiful so on and so on but the Amalfi Coast has definitely been BY FAR the best, my absolute 100% favorite! If there is one place out of all the places I have been so far, I would recommend going to the Amalfi Coast. One of my roommates describes it as lake scenery on steroids. It is a number of cliffside villages that are situated along the coastline of the Gulf of Amalfi, part of the Mediterranean Sea. The mountainous landscape that tucks away adorable little villages directly on the sea provides for breathtaking scenery. We departed early Saturday morning, to catch our 6:40 am train to Naples ( yes Dad, I was awake at that time). The train ride was about 3 1/2 hours and then we had to hop on another train once we got to Naples to make our way to Sorrento (about an1 1/2 ride). There are many little towns that make up the Amalfi Coast, we got to visit Sorrento, Positano and the island of Capri. As soon as we checked into our hostel, which turned out to be more of a hotel, we immediately made our way to the village of Positano. The best way to travel around the coast is by ferry but the next one to Positano wasn’t for awhile and we were eager to get to the beach, so we hopped on the bus! The bus ride was an experience in it’s self. If you get car sick, do not take the bus. It was about an hour ride up and down the windy and tiny road along the cliffs. The driver seemed a bit to confident…going a bit too fast with the edge of mountain to my right wasn’t the most comforting. We ended up getting off at the wrong stop at the VERY top of Positano. We had to walk about a million stairs down to the beach. I’m surprised we found our way. Finally, we made it! The beach wasn’t sandy but instead little pebbles and rocks. The weather was beautiful and after our long journey we threw our stuff done and jumped in the water. It was the perfect temperature. I guess I could say a bit on the chilly side but I found it to be refreshing. We just spent the day hanging out around the beach, tanning, swimming and shopping. We were able to catch the ferry back to Sorrento which was a perfect way to get a great view of Positano. After dinner we just crashed, we were so tired from the long day of traveling and soaking up the sun. We needed plenty of rest for Sunday’s boat tour!

My favorite part of the trip was the boat tour. It began at 9:30 am and we got to see all the sights of Amalfi and Capri via boat. We made our way to the island of Capri were we got to see this amazing caves and coves that exist all around the island. We arrived at the Green Grotto, which is a cave known for it’s piercing blue-green water color. Our captain asked us if we wanted to get out an swim through the cave and I think before he even finished the question we were in the water. I don’t think I have ever laughed and smiled as much as I did while swimming through the Green Grotto, I think I can safely say it was one of the most happiest moments of my life. We continued the boat tour to discover more of the beauty of Capri stopping at the Blue Grotto, a another famous cave, but chose to not swim through this one as it has been commercialized and you have to pay to swim through the cave (seems kind of silly). The rest of the day we sort of cruised around the island and then found a spot to anchor and swim around and snorkel. The tour ended by taking us to the island of Capri dropping us off to explore and then catch our ferry back to Naples to get our train back to Florence.

I could have easily spent a week in the Amalfi Coast but I think we got an awesome experience for only have two days there. I would recommend the Amalfi Coast for families, friends, couples, young people and older people, really anyone. I would not being doing any of this if it wasn’t for my parents. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for making this opportunity of a lifetime happen!

Siena and San Gimignano

GoalDigger — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:02:29 +0000

Siena

Siena was a great city to visit for the day. It was very similar to Florence however they are not very fond of the Florentine’s apparently. We went on a walking tour of the city, which was awesome. I learned a lot. The tour started at St. Dominic’s Basilica. Inside the Basilica we were able to view the head and the thumb of St. Catherine. The Pope was unable to decide where to place her body because she was so important to many cities, so he decided to place different body parts throughout Italy. So that was definitely interesting. We then made our way through the very hilly streets to The Cathedral of Siena which was absolutely gorgeous. It is interesting to learn that during the World War, Siena was a hospital city and therefore was not bombed or destroyed. Many of the buildings, cathedrals etc are all original. We then went to visit the Piazza del Campo to see where they have the famous Palio di Siena (horse races). Siena is much smaller than Florence so spending half the day there was perfect, the tour was great and we got to see all the major sights. It was off to San Gimignano for the rest of the day!

San Gimignano

Wine Shop in San Gimignano

The Wines of Tuscany

right before the rain

San Gimignano has definitely been my favorite little Tuscan town so far. It was absolutely beautiful. The town sits on the hill top of Siena and is most known for it’s production of white called Vernaccia di San Gimignano. After a little taste test, I quickly determined that it has been my favorite wine so far. I decided to pick up a bottle to bring back to share with my family. Although the taste is still growing on me, I also picked up a Chianti wine, which is a red wine, as well. The small town’s medieval architecture, adorable little shops and breathtaking views of the Tuscan hills seemed like it was a setting straight from a storybook.

San Giovanni

GoalDigger — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:48:29 +0000

Wednesday, June 24th was a holiday in Florence called San Giovanni. Florence made Saint John their Patron very early in establishment, back in the medieval times. Saint John the Baptist’s birthday is on June 24th and is always celebrated with a big festival. That morning was a traditional parade that leads to the Baptistery in Piazza del Duomo where there is a candle light ceremony that is then followed by a traditional mass held in the Duomo. The afternoon was really exciting. There was a traditional soccer/football/rugby medieval game that was played and appeared that there are no rules as it was pretty much chaos on the field. As you can see in the picture above, the Santa Croce Cathedral served as a beautiful backdrop for the intense game that was on the field. Later that night the celebration ended with fireworks! That day was also Kaite’s, my roomies, 21st birthday so it was a very fun-filled exciting day!

Pisa and Barcelona!

GoalDigger — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:18:04 +0000

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

YAY FOR THE LEANING TOWER!

Traditional Spanish Dish: Paella

La Sagrada Familia

The Beach

Oh what a weekend! Barcelona was definitely an exciting little vacation. It was a long trek to get there but it was worth it. We first had to take an hour train right to Pisa, which is where our flight was departing from. We decided to make the most of our day and leave a little early to have extra time to check out the Leaning Tower. I wasn’t sure what to expect because many people have told me that it is just a field with a leaning tower….well it was just that. A field with a leaning tower. BUT I LOVED IT!! For some reason…I found it so exciting. I got like a million pictures of me in different poses attempting to make it look like i’m holding up the tower. The highlight was approaching the grassy field in the front because all you can see is tourists everywhere do the exact same pose. very funny. We then made our way back to the train station to hop on train #2 to the airport. Our ryanair flight was a hour late which was a bummer but we soon made it to Girona (we couldn’t fly directly into Barcelona). After an hour bus ride and a taxi cab later we were finally there at our hostel, Sea Point. We couldn’t have got a better location. It was literally steps from the sand! We met our friend Lauren there, who has been studying in Madrid, got ready and went out for dinner and a night on the town. I wasn’t too big on the food, lots and lots of sea food which isn’t really my thing but the sangria was yummy! We spent Saturday and Sunday exploring Barcelona, checking out the sights such as the Picasso Museum, La Sagrada Familia , La Ramble, the Gothic Quarter and of course soaking up the sun on the beach! The trip home (Florence is really starting to feel like home for me) was very long but the trip was a blast!

Rome and Pompeii

GoalDigger — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:52:27 +0000

off to Rome on the Eurostar!

water fresh from the fountain

Spanish Steps

Throwing my lucky coin into Trevi Fountain

The Pantheon

The Colosseum

The Vatican

Pompeii

This past weekend we took a trip to Rome. It is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been too. The modern lifestyle mixed in with the old world surroundings provides for a fabulous city vibe. Rome is a very large city with a population of over 4 million people. There was so much to see and do, I could easily go back to Rome again. Honestly, I could even picture myself living there! We took the train directly to Rome and it was only about an hour and half so it wasn’t bad at all, it was actually really cool to get to see the Italian country side. After checking into our beautiful hotel, Hotel Torino, our professor took us on walking tour of Rome. We walked and walked and walked. I do not think I have ever walked so much in my life. But it was definitely worth it. The sites we got to see are indescribable. The Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon and of course the Rodeo Drive of Rome were some of the stops along the way. Rome has beautiful fountains all over the city and probably my favorite little part about Rome was that you can drink from any of the fountains! It was tasty ice cold water that was definitely refreshing because it was very hot! The next day we went on a guided tour of The Colosseum and the Roman Forum in Ancient Rome. It was amazing to be walking along the paths that Gladiators would have taken many years ago!! We spent Saturday visiting Vatican City which was truly amazing. I have trouble finding the words to describe the beauty of The Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Basilica. Absolutely breathtaking. Michelangelo worked on the walls of the Sistine Chapel for four years and 15 plus hours a day. It is by far the most divine piece of art that I have ever seen in my entire life. St. Peter’s Basilica had me in awe the entire time. On our last day, we travelled south to visit the city of Pompeii that was basically placed in a time capsule when the volcano, Mount Vesuvius, erupted in 79 A.D. The volcanic matter preserved the city beautifully. Artifacts, paintings, city and building structures has allowed archaeologists to piece together the history of Pompeii, what the people were like and how they lived nearly 2000 years ago! Overall my weekend getaway to Rome and Pompeii was incredible and extremely enlightening. I will definitely be making a second trip to Rome in the future.

This week I am just going to class and resting from the busy weekend. I took an Italian cooking class last night and made a delicious meal and can’t wait to share it with someone! I am reallllly excited for this up coming weekend because I am off to Barcelona, Spain! I will be meeting up with my roommate back from school, Lauren, who is studying this summer in Madrid. I am looking forward to the shopping on Las Ramblas and hitting up the beach..and of course a couple museums!

463 Steps to the Top of the Duomo!

GoalDigger — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:20:51 +0000

Top of the Duomo

Ceiling of the Duomo

On my way to the top!

we made it!

The Duomo was built in the 15th century and is one of Firenze’s top attractions. It is a huge dome that is visible from practically anywhere you are in Firenze. We have learned to use it as land mark to find our way home when we get lost, but we are slowly learning our way around. On our way up we got a close up look at the gorgeous ceiling painted with bright and beautiful colors. It was a total of 463 steps to the top but they weren’t just any steps! They were stone and narrow, spiraled at some points and extremely steep at others. We definitely worked up a sweat making our way to the top but it was well worth it. The view of Florence was the best I have seen yet! Absolutely beautiful. After the work out we decided to cool ourselves down with yummy gelato (I think I have had it everyday since i’ve been in Italy).

VECCHIA and PALAZZO PITTI

GoalDigger — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:45:41 +0000

vecchia

I thought I would introduce to you Vecchia. This simply means old woman in Italian. My rooms’ windows open up to our street, Via San Niccolo and considering Italian streets are quite narrow, we are pretty close to our neighbors across the way. Vecchia has yet to be named, but as time goes on I’m sure Katie (my roomie) and I will find the perfect match. She comes to this window every day in the exact same outfit at roughly the same time and just watches what is going on below.

Palazzo Pitti

Today we went to Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace). It was built in 1457 and was the residence for the Medici family for some time. The palace is HUGE and has a number of museums inside. We visited not all but the Palatina Galleria, Royal Apartments, Costume Gallery and Giardino di Boboli (Boboli Gardens). The Royal Apartments were gorgeous. The paintings and ceilings were incredible. It was fascinating to see the old bathrooms and bedrooms where the Medici family lived. The furniture was extremely extravagant as well. The Renaissance art was interesting and pretty to look at but my favorite was by far the Costume Gallery. We were able to see basically a time line of fashion through the years including a jaw dropping vintage Chanel dress, jacket, heels and purse!

The week ahead looks pretty exciting. In my film class we will be watching Roma, Citta Aperta (Open City) and Ladri Di Biciclette (Bicycle Thieves). My culture class will be preparing us for our visit to Rome and Pompeii which is next weekend, we leave on Thursday, so i’m really looking forward to that. Other than that, I will just be continuing to explore Florence and keep you updated.

Ciao!

London Pictures

GoalDigger — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:55:25 +0000

Make a Smilebox scrapbook