La Primavera a Roma: Piazza di Spagna

Piazza di Spagna is one of the most visited places in Rome with its beauty, history, views of the city and world-famous shopping. After two months of passing the famous Spanish Steps everyday, I never once saw the sight that frequents postcards and the prints being sold in Piazza Navona. I had waited almost four months for the azaleas to blanket the steps and brighten the busy piazza.

The Spanish Steps without the spring flowers.

 The signs of spring were everywhere one Friday afternoon in Piazza di Spagna. The warm golden sun beat down on the swarming tourists and the gypsies were selling more irrelevant trinkets than ever before. As I made my way from the Spagna Metro stop to the Spanish Steps, a sea of fluorescent pink and snow white azaleas blanketed the Spanish Steps that had been so bare the week before.

The smell of roasted chestnuts swept across my path as I felt the heat from oven on the corner as I passed by the vendor. All around me I could hear the murmuring of different languages and the high pitched beeps of digital cameras snapping memories of the widest staircase in Europe. Never have I seen the Spanish Steps so crowded before. People were sunbathing on the sunlit parts of the steps and others were posing in front of the floral displays.

The Spanish Steps decorated for spring!

The flowers of the Spanish Steps are a true indicator that spring has arrived in Rome. The bubble gum pink petals mixed with the cotton white buds displayed a floral paradise against a cloudless bright blue sky. The banana yellow sun rested peacefully in the sky above the Trinita dei Monti church at the top of the steps. This was by far the most beautiful representation of spring that I had ever witnessed.

Picturing Ostia Antica

The city of Ostia Antica was once a thriving and largely populated city located right outside of Rome. Its prime location at the mouth of the Tiber River made it a seaport city, granting it power and control over the use of the river, placing it above most cities.

A visitor to the Ostia Antica excavation site may just see an ancient city with no life and only uncovered buildings and structures. Without hearing the history behind the city and a vivid description of how the city once appeared and operated, a visit here would be as valuable as traveling around Rome with your eyes closed.

Dr. Corrado, the history professor in the Rome program, brought us to each structure and vividly described the purpose and appearance it once had. We had a three-hour tour of using our imaginations to recreate this abandoned city and have it come to life once again.

My dad standing at a "fast food" counter

I pictured myself walking down the wide main road made of large stones embedded into the ground, causing everyone to carefully look down while walking to avoid a spill of any sorts.The brick buildings, while not in their entirety, were at one point tall and complete. I pictured what a home would look like, a square structure made of brick located on a road with other homes.

As we entered the forum, the city center, I completed the church's structure and connected the piazza together, imagining people of the time walking throughout and engaging with each other. The store spaces that lined the streets had windows and counters that resemble what our typical fast food restaurants look like today. Painted and preserved pictures above the counters show a "menu" of what was once sold and consumed at these various establishments.

Menu at a "fast food" stand

The most interesting part of Ostia were the Roman baths. The bath complex was a major element of the city and used by most of its residents. Even in the 7th century B.C., the Romans developed the technology to create heated floors and walls for the various bath rooms. As I sat in the different bath rooms I pictured myself moving from the warm room to the hot room and finally into the cool room and socializing with everyone else that visited the baths daily.

Sitting in the Roman baths

It is amazing how a city founded in the 7th century B.C. is still standing and visited today. I could not believe how Ostia had once resembled how most cities look today. When I left I didn't feel like I saw only a excavated city, but one that is still alive today in every visitor's imagination.

The Men in Suits Will Get You

On a cold snowy day in Rome a few friends and myself decided that a trip down to Sicily for the Easter weekend was more than necessary. Some beach time, sunshine and tropical blue water were certainly in order after such a cold Roman winter.

The month of April and my last planned trip had somehow snuck up on me. The final weeks of my abroad adventure were here and I was determined to make the most of them, beginning in Sicily.

Even though most people travel to Rome for Easter, I had decided to take the Roman approach and leave the city and influx of tourists for the weekend. We were determined to make this trip a relaxing one with no preplanned sightseeing except for some beach time, cannolis and tanning.

We stayed at the Mondello Palace Hotel located in the Mondello Beach area of Sicily near Palermo. Mondello is known for its beautiful beaches and seaside town full of seafood restaurants. The best part of the hotel was the included breakfast. After over three months of the typical Italian breakfast (a cornetto and caffe) we were ready to indulge. Scrambled eggs, bacon, cereal, yogurt, cornettos, juice, coffee, fruit and more filled out plates every morning. It was all worth waking up early (by a college students standpoint) before 10 am on vacation just to get our fill.

 Cefalù

On our first full day we set out to explore Cefalu, a nearby city known for its beaches and tourist attractions. Without a warning, we hopped on the bus that stopped right in front of our hotel, all dressed in beach attire while the Sicilians were wearing full jackets, boots and scarves. Unable to buy tickets we rode the bus anyway, figuring that it was just like Rome where it is very rare that officials check tickets, until three men in matching suits and ties came onto the bus and asked to see our verified tickets. Thinking we could escape them we ran off the bus only to be caught and reprimanded in Italian for trying to cheat the system.

After what felt like a march to "transportation jail," the men in suits brought us to a ticket window and explained that we would be fine 135 Euro each for not having tickets (keep in mind that a ticket only costs 1.30 Euro). After explaining in our best Italian that there was no where to buy tickets the man behind the window let us free as long as we bought bus tickets for the remainder of the day.

An hour-long taxi drive filled with techno and American oldies music later we arrived to the coastal town of Cefalu where we parked ourselves on the beach for the next three hours. Beautiful blue crystal clear water and soft white sand welcomed us along with the strong shining sun. Eager to obtain tans we laid out, sans sunscreen, and certainly paid the price with sunburns all over. Afterward, we walked through the town to escape the sun for a bit and found charming shops and restaurants along the coast. We stopped for a quick drink and snack at a restaurant with stunning views of the water before heading back on a train to Palermo.

Mondello

Mondello Beach is a popular beach destination for Italians during the summer months. Since we were visiting right before the summer season the town was not very crowded. It was nice to escape the busy city of Rome and the large tour groups for a quiet and peaceful weekend. Most of my time was spent walking through the town and hanging out with everyone on our balcony taking in the beautiful view. Easter Sunday attracted many families and couples to Mondello who were strolling along the water and taking in the beautiful weather. On Easter we braved the rainstorm that evening to go out to a group dinner where I tried clams for the first time and actually liked them!

Italian Fashion

Rome is a city that is famous for its history, beauty, food, and supposedly its fashion. I expected to see women dressed in the latest fashion and men sporting the laid back European look. There is a Roman style of dress that is very distinct and not what I expected.

No matter the weather or the season Romans love one thing: Puffy Winter Coats.
Want to get an idea of what to wear today by looking out of your window? Don't. All you'll see are black puffy coats, scarves and boots, even though it's 70 degrees outside.

All day, everyday.

Want to wear nice sandals because it's 80 degrees outside? You'll be the only one, unless you find yourself in a touristy area where all of the other Americans will be sporting strappy sandals. Romans wear boots, athletic sneakers and heels no matter the weather or where they are going. Sandals are not popular and are a sign that you are a tourist.

Want to wear shorts on a warm afternoon? Better think twice and opt for a skirt or dress (in a dark color of course) because most Romans do not wear shorts or brightly printed sun dresses. Wearing any of these will result in excessive stares on the Metro and on the streets.

Do you love the bright and new spring colors? You should buy them to wear somewhere other than Rome. Romans wear dark color clothing in all temperatures. I am not sure who actually buys the beautifully patterned and brightly colored clothing in the store windows because there is no evidence on the streets.

American themed clothing in Brandy Melville

Stars and Stripes
The most surprising fashion trend in Rome is the American scarf phenomenon. Every market has at least one scarf stand that sells American flag scarves and other products with the United States' flag on them. Young people wear them everywhere in the city. The scarf is not the only accessory sporting America's stars and stripes; earrings, bracelets, phone cases and sunglasses all have the patriotic colors and symbols that represent the United States. Every market was a great opportunity to sock up on patriotic clothing for the 4th of July.

Stores, such as Brandy Melville and Subdued, sell clothing with American flags draped across the front. I found it very ironic that the American flag apparel was so popular in Rome. Along with the America flag apparel is the faux-Starbucks phenomenon where coffee cups and the a recreation of the Starbucks logo are screened onto sweatshirts, t-shirts and purses.

The strong influence of American culture was very surprising to me. I did not expect to see the American flag printed on sweatshirts and Starbucks cups appear on t-shirts. I found it ironic that the Italian flag and its colors were not as popular in contemporary clothing stores as the American flag was.

Family Week in Rome

After three months I could not wait for my parents to visit in Rome. It is a city that they have always wanted to visit and I was excited to show them all of the beautiful sites, delicious tastes and charming qualities that the Eternal City has to offer.

There is nothing more exhausting then having your family here for a short amount of time. We were up early everyday and would return home late after a day full of walking, exploring and eating. I made sure to take them to every major monument and all of my favorite places to eat.

 Here is a brief list of what we did:

Sunday: dinner in Campo di Fiori

Monday: pizza at Pizzarium, Colosseum, Palentine Hill, Roman Forum, Spaghetteria Archetto

Tuesday: Florence day trip

Wednesday: Villa Borghese, Piazza del Poppolo, Spanish Steps, dinner at Tony's, Scholars

Thursday: Ostia Antica, dinner with my host mom

Friday: Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peters

Saturday: Assisi day trip

Sunday: Palm Sunday Mass at the Vatican, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Pan-Loyola dinner

It wasn't until my parents came that I realized how much I knew my way around and about the city. I successfully taught them how to use the buses and metro and how to order food. My dad really liked going to the bars and ordering us cappuccinos and cornettos, a traditional Italian breakfast, in the morning. 

One of the best memories from my family's visit was when my host mom invited my parents over for a home cooked meal. They finally got to meet the wonderful woman who has been taking care of me since January. My host mother Nicoletta cooked a four course meal and welcomed my family into her home. They loved her and finally understood all of the great things I had to say about her.  My real mom got to meet my Italian mom, and nothing meant more to me than having them meet each other and seeing where I come from and where I have been staying.

L'Ultimo Viaggio

It is hard to believe that I just returned from my last trip of the semester. The school Bay of Naples trip seemed like a world away this entire semester and now that it has passed the reality of my semester abroad coming to an end is finally a reality.

View of the Bay of Naples from our hotel balcony.

The Bay of Naples is an area known for its picturesque views, aqua blue water and Mount Vesuvius. Unfortunately the dark storm clouds decided to roll in just in time for our trip there, and boy did they bring buckets and buckets of rain.

The ancient city of Pompeii, known for being buried by Mount Vesuvius's eruption, is a place that I had always dreamed of visiting since I was in elementary school. All 70 people from our program braved the rain in an army of umbrellas to see what was excavated in this city. The weather gods must have felt bad for us, so they stopped the heavy rain so we could explore the ruins with Dr. Corrado, the history professor in our program. 

Dr. Corrado brought us through the entire city, explaining how the debris falling from the sky after the eruption buried the city, and how so many things such as pottery, tools and art were preserved because of how the city was covered. Since Pompeii was not located right next to the volcano the lava did not destroy it, instead, the ashes and rocks projected that into the air are what caused the damage to the city.

The Loyola Rome group in Pompeii. (Photo credit to Dr. Snow)

After Pompeii we took a very windy drive along sky-high cliffs to our hotel in Sorrento that overlooked the Bay of Naples. My friend Alyssa and I stayed in a triple room that had two balconies, a living room and a gigantic bathroom. We nicknamed it the “Kapua Suite” (in reference to Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and found out that we had a very luxurious room compared to everyone else’s. A three-course meal brought everyone back together that featured gnocchi a Sorrento, chicken with roasted potatoes and vegetables, and torta limone (lemon cake).

After dinner everyone walked into the main part of Sorrento for a night out lead by Dr. Dawson himself. We decided to check out the karaoke bar, complete with Dr. Abela and his wife singing a duet for everyone. (Dr. Abela is one of the professors from Catholic University teaching in our program this semester).

A brief moment of clear weather in Capri.

The second day of the trip was left unplanned for everyone to do whatever they wished. We had the choice to climb Mount Vesuvius, visit the island of Capri, explore the Amalfi Coast or stay in Sorrento. Most of us decided to head to Capri and experience its beautiful views and luxurious town. Due to the recent rough weather the ferry ride over to the city proved to be very difficult and uncomfortable for many of my friends. Luckily I have spent a lot of time on boats and was able to power through the constant rocking of the boat and uneasy ride that made many people sick. As soon as I stepped off of the boat it began to rain and my umbrella split into two pieces. After the very necessary purchase of a light blue and flowered umbrella a bunch of us decided to hike up to the center of Capri and not take the funicular (which would have been the more intelligent choice).

It is said that whichever way you face in Capri a stunning view of clear aqua blue water and high cliffs await you. I would have loved to see this on a clear and beautiful day sans rain and dark ominous clouds, but I still was able to see some beautiful sights during the scarce periods of no rain. Around lunch time we found a small restaurant tucked away on a small side street that promised a home cooked meal and it was probably one of the best decisions that we made all day. The caprese salad was so fresh and delicious featuring fresh red tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella with a vingarette glaze. Afterwards we followed our noses (literally) to a gellateria that made homemade waffle cones that were simply amazing.

Naturally as soon as we disembarked the ferry back in Sorrento the blue sky and bright sun emerged from behind the dark clouds to reveal a colorful rainbow over the bay.

Dinner and a show, thanks Loyola!

That evening Loyola treated us to dinner and a show in Sorrento. We were greeted with glasses of champagne before heading to our private tables that sat above the stage. Everyone dined in style splitting bottles of wine, enjoying a four-course meal, and sipping on limencello during the live show featuring traditional Neapolitan songs and dances.

Our final day of the Naples trip was spent in some of the oldest parts of Naples. A school-sponsored trip led by Dr. Dawson would be incomplete with at least one trip to a church, so naturally we visited the Duomo of Naples. We then all enjoyed a fully paid lunch at a pizzeria that sold “Pizza Vera” where I enjoyed a margarita pizza and Coke. When looking to experience pizza in Naples it is important to look for the “Pizza Vera” signs that have the stamp of approval from the government that authentic pizza is served at the restaurant. Pizza was invented in Naples and originally was only bread and sauce, no cheese! The margarita pizza was created years later when the queen Margarita wanted cheese on her pizza, and as a result, the margarita pizza was developed.

Roamin' Around Rome or Roamin' Around Europe?

After reading through my posts have noticed something that I apologize for, I have been writing about my European adventures but not about my Rome ones! I titled this blog "Roamin' Around Rome" and have barely written anything about the city that I have been living in and exploring everyday.

An important aspect about study abroad is really getting to know the city that you are staying in for the semester. Traveling might seem like your number one priority, but it is important to remember that you are already in an amazing city with already so much to see! More blog posts about my time in Italy and Rome are to follow.

Proof that I am living in Rome!

Girls Trip to Prague

My trip to Prague was my visit one with a small group and I honestly loved every minute of it. I have learned that traveling in a large group comes with many obstacles, and for once I wanted to avoid such obstacles. Big groups bring about a wide range of opinions, agendas, needs and budgets. One person may have a set plan to see all of the sights while another wants to just sleep in and start his or her day around 3pm. I tend to be more of the person that wants to see as much as I can while in a city that I probably won't ever revisit again.

Prague is truly a storybook city. Gothic castles and colorful buildings ornamented with elegant moldings along the scenic river makes the city look as though it belongs in a fairytale. The sun gave everything a golden glow.

Prague Easter Market

Czech Easter Eggs

The day we arrived the Easter Market in the middle of Old Town Square opened for the Easter season. About one hundred vendors opened up shop selling homemade crafts and fresh food. As soon as we saw it we knew where we would be spending the day. The most popular item we saw were hand painted eggs with any type of design you could imagine. They were all so delicate and intricate that I could not help but pick one up as a souvenir. These eggs were sold all over Prague and are a Czech tradition for the Easter season.


As in any other city that I have visited, I had to try to local food. We started off with some spun fried dough sprinkled with sugar crystals that surprising tasted more like a pretzel than the friend dough we were used then. After dessert we decided to eat lunch from a stand in the market. Chicken skewers with onion, peppers and ham were served fresh off the grill alongside big Pilsners right from the tap. As we ate we listened to the trumpeter play at the top of the clock tower at the turn of the hour.

Suggestion for students traveling to Prague: do the pub crawl! We did the Prague Pub Crawl our second night in the city. It was a really great deal (20 Euro) for an open bar, free t-shirt, entry to 3 different bars and a 5-level club. We met a lot of people that night and got to see a lot of the city as we made our way with the group. For more information click here.

Frittes, Waffels and Sensation White

Inside Sensation White

Tens of thousands of people form a sea of white and flood through the gates into an all-night techno music and light concert. They pour into an arena completely transformed to house some of Europe's most famous DJ's and their biggest fans from all around the world. Large round balls illuminated with neon light drop from the ceiling and dangle above the crowd, changing colors with the rhythm of the music. Illuminated water fountains perched above the crowd spew out what looks to be colored water, sparking in the darkness. What I see in front of me is unlike any concert venue I'd ever seen before. It is a magical and mystical light show constantly transforming into something else as the music continues into the early hours of the morning.

To get a taste of what the concert was like watch this: Sensation White Belgium 2012 Post Show Video

Sensation is a famous techno concert that is held in various European cities throughout the year. It is known as a study abroad "must" for many American college students and a place where friends abroad can come back together for a night of live techno music, bright neon lights and dancing. The concert has a very strict dress code of white only. Accessories and shoes can have color, however a majority of your outfit must be white. This was very difficult to shop for in Rome since most of the Romans wear all black or dark colors.

Afrojack was this year's big headline performer in Brussels. The concert was held in Hasslet, Belgium, about a one hour train ride from Brussels where I was staying. We took what felt like the "Sensation White train" to Hasselt, everyone dressed head to toe in white anxiously waiting to arrive at the arena. In just the one car I was sitting in I met so many American students who had friends that went to Loyola or knew some friends from home. This proved to me that it really is a small world.

Belgian Waffle

The rest of my time in Belgium was spent exploring the city and trying out the "cusine," aka frittes and Belgian waffles. Almost everyone was walking around the city with huge cones of crisp golden fries. We picked the place with the longest line, taking it as a sign that this was where we would get the freshest, crispiest and most delicious fries. They were such a hit that we decided to go back on our last day before heading back to the land of pizza, pasta and gelato.

The Belgian waffles were also an event in themselves. The smell of fresh made waffles flowed through the streets of Brussels luring tourists to the many waffle places claiming to offer the best delicacy in the city. Strawberries, bananas, whipped cream, chocolate, Nutella and what ever else you could imagine could be placed on top of a warm golden waffle.

Manneken Pis dressed for St. Patrick's Day

One of Brussels’ most famous attractions, the Manneken Pis, is located at the end of a cobblestone street lined with chocolate shops and waffle stands. I expected to see a large bronze statue of a young boy peeing into a fountain. What did I find? A very small statue dressed up as a leprechaun for St. Patrick’s Day. I was a little disappointed at how small the statue was, but found it hilarious that the little man was dressed for the day’s holiday.

This trip was more about relaxing and letting loose at the concert rather than planning out an intense weekend of sightseeing. I hope more of my trips carry out in this fashion. I need to learn to take more time to just explore by walking around rather than rushing from attraction to attraction, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the places that are very different from home.

A Typical Day in Rome

Being in a city so rich in history and amazing food on every corner has made each day a possibility to learn and discover something new.

Here is an example of a typical day (Monday/Wednesday) for me in Rome:

8:00am: Wake up in my Italian apartment and get ready to commute to school.

St. John's University Rome Campus

8:45am: Wait at the Via Oslavia bus stop for the 224 or 280 bus (this is always a gamble)

8:55am: speed walk to school because the bus did not come

9:00am: Philosophy class with Dr. Snow at St. John's (or meet somewhere out in Rome for Theology)

11:00am: Ethics class with Dr. Snow

12:30pm: explore the Prati neighborhood around school for a new place to eat, or if all else fails, head to Pizza Colonna for some pizza al taglio

1:30-4:00pm: explore Rome, hang out in Villa Borghese, try out a new gelateria, relax in the courtyard, walk through the street markets, visit a museum, or simply just wander and see where we end up!

4:00pm: stop in a random bar for a cappuccino break


5:00pm: head back to my apartment for a nap or to begin some homework

8:00pm: eat a delicious 3-course meal cooked by my host mom and talk about what we all did that day and what is on the news

9:00pm: do laundry, finish up some homework, Skype with my family and friends or get ready to meet up with some friends out in the city

London

My trip to London was the last leg of my spring break trip. Even though I was exhausted from all of the sightseeing in Paris and Dublin, I was ready to take on London and see all of the famous sights.

This was my first experience staying in a hostel. Not only was I staying in a hostel, but in a ten person shared room where my group of friends and I did not know the three strangers staying in the room with us. The bunk beds with curtains and wooden safes below our beds added to my uneasy feelings about my hostel experience for the next three days.

Hostel situation aside, my first full day in London consisted of seeing Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Abby. The Parliament building’s architecture was beautiful with its golden façade and intricate details. I chose not to pay to go inside Westminster Abby but admired it from the outside, replaying the Royal Wedding in my head (I’m a big William and Kate Fan!). After studying in Rome and seeing countless churches for free, we decided that to pay 13 pounds to see the inside of a church was just out of the question.

For lunch we met up with some of our friends and went to the Borough Market where we ate warm sausage sandwiches and mulled wine. Afterwards we explored the Tower of London where we got to see the crowned jewels, Torture Chamber, and the armor and weapons from past kings and war heroes. A display that stood out to me was a case with three embellished guns inside, one being completely covered in diamonds that was designed by Tiffany & Co. I could not imagine putting so many beautiful and colorful diamonds on a handgun!

 After a spicy and delicious group Mexican dinner some of us decided to go to an English club where we met some really nice people and danced the night away. We made up a few dance moves, one being the elephant that actually caught on to the people around us!Needless to say this became a signature move of ours, we have since brought it to Brussels, Rome and Sorrento.

My last day in London began with frantically rushing to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards ceremony to only find that there was no ceremony scheduled that day. I then headed to Harrods where I gazed at some of the most luxurious products in the world, only dreaming of one day being able to return and actually buy something. Alyssa and I then rode the Underground for what seemed like hours, unsuccessful in finding Abby Road.

I concluded my stay in London with one of the most stressful experiences that I’ve had in Europe thus far. With a 6 am flight back to Rome, meaning a 4am arrival to the Stanstead airport (approximately 1 hour from London), a few friends and I decided to book a hotel room to sleep at before heading to the airport. It took us over two hours to find the bus stop in London for the airport shuttle that would take us to our hotel. We lugged our luggage around the busy and dark streets of London until finally finding the bus stop, all three of us nearly in tears. A three hour nap in the hotel later (the most expensive nap I’ve ever taken) and we headed to the airport to return back to home to Rome.

Good Company, Good Beer, Great Memories

A tell-tale sign that Dublin was going to be a great choice for spring break was the bagel place in the Dublin airport. With many New Yorkers and people from New Jersey, the big sign that read "Fresh Bagels" swept smiles across everyone's faces. After a re-energizing bacon, egg and cheese bagel breakfast we were ready to take on the Irish city.

We stayed at Jury's Inn, a big hotel located in the Viking area of Dublin, right across from the Temple Bar area. We could not have had a better location! My uncle works right down the street from the hotel so he offered to show me around before grabbing lunch with my aunt and cousins. It was great to have an local connection to the city. One of the best pieces of advice that he gave me was to eat breakfast at The Queen of Tarts, a charming bakery right down the street from our hotel. This bakery was adorable and served the most delicious chocolate chip scones and cappuccino!

My Irish cousins Joe and Ned

Meeting with my family was my favorite part of my entire spring break trip. I only get to see them every other year when they visit the United States and could not wait to see how much my cousins have grown. They always greet me with big smiles and warm hugs and ask me hundred of questions in their Irish accents. My aunt and uncle were so welcoming, I always love seeing them. It felt so nice to finally be with family after almost two months of being away from home.

The Temple Bar area is a popular place for tourists and is known for its pubs, live music, and atmosphere. We decided to try out the Temple Bar on our first night. The live band there was so fun and played famous Irish and American songs that got the whole audience singing and dancing. The atmosphere in Temple Bar was so welcoming, as if nobody cared where you came from or who you were, they simply invited you into their night out.

It was very windy when we stopped to see Guinness Lake!

My second day consisted of a daylong tour of Wicklow country, located just outside of Dublin in the countryside of Ireland. We had a charming tour guide who told us all about our destinations and played us authentic Irish music. We drove up through the high hills to see Guinness Lake, a famous monastery and some of the places where Love Actually and Leap Year were filmed. While touring the monastery in Wicklow we encountered sunshine, rain and sleet all in about two hours. The five-minute hail storm was a total surprise for all of us.

The event that we had all been waiting for, the Guinness Factory tour, had finally arrived on our last day in Dublin. I learned how Guinness is made, the history behind the brand and how to pour the perfect pint. I had no idea how specific the pouring instructions are in order to produce the perfect pint. I find myself now watching bartenders pour Guinness checking to see if they are following the proper steps.

Learning how to pour the "Perfect Pint" at the Guinness Factory

I admired the pride and history behind the famous Guinness name. The company has a strong family bond and a very involved CEO who was incorporated into almost all of the videos throughout the tour. My favorite aspect of the Guinness brand was its initiative to make St. Patrick's Day the "Happiest Day of the Year." We all signed the pledge to help Guinness raise its goal of signatures before St. Patrick's Day.

Dublin has certainly been my favorite city so far. The friendly people, beautiful green countryside and relaxed atmosphere were all a breath of fresh air for me. This was the first city that I didn't feel like I was on a schedule to see everything and exhausted by the end of the day. I hope to go about my future trips this way. Traveling should be relaxing, fun and more of an adventure rather than a schedule.

I left Ireland already planning to revisit in the near future. I want to spend more time with my family and revisit some of the most famous parts of the country that I saw years ago. Visiting a place once is not enough for me.

We Don't Speak French, but We Can Speak Italian

Spring Break
I can remember when I started planning my spring break trip with a few friends in the St. John's computer lab. I was so excited to finally start traveling, but was sad to realize that the trip wouldn't be for another month and a half.

All of a sudden midterm week was upon us and the light at the end of the tunnel consisted of a nine-day trip to Paris, Dublin and London. Needless to say my mind frequently wandered off to planning what I wanted to do in each city rather than focusing on the liturgical developments of the fourth century.

The Eiffel Tower Light Show

For some reason, on a random Sunday afternoon in January, my friends and I thought that taking early flights to each of our destinations would be a good idea. We began our spring break trip with a 4:30 am shuttle from Termini train station to Ciampino airport. From this point on I realized that sleep was going to be as scarce as the money in all of our pockets.

Paris

Flying Ryanair, while cheap, served to be very inconvenient, since nearly every plane we took (except when flying into Dublin), landed at an obscure and distant airport at least one hour away from the city we planned on visiting. Aboard the plane the flight attendants also planned on disrupting any kind of sleep a passenger planned on getting by making announcements every six minutes and trying to sell you cigarettes, scratch-off lottery cards and non-complimentary drinks. (I apologize for my Ryanair rant. It is a decent airline, however, I would not recommend it to anyone other than college students.)

The weather in Paris was cool, windy, and periodically rainy. On the first day we found a Starbucks, something that some of my friends had been dreaming about since leaving America. After a quick American caffeine fix, we headed to Versailles where we ran through the non-bloomed gardens and managed to get into the palace during the final minutes of admittance.

This trip was my first time visiting a country (besides Italy) since being abroad that I did not know the language. All but one of my friends had no French background at all. Our solution? We tried to speak Italian everywhere.Fresh out of our Italian final we were all feeling more confident than ever in our speaking skills. (This quickly faded once we traveled to Dublin and London where we were in our glory speaking English!)

Palace of Versailles

The next day was an intense sight-seeing day. We went to the Louvre, where we saw the somewhat underwhelming Mona Lisa, thousands of paintings and sculptures, and Hammurabi's Code. I liked Hammurabi's Code the best; it reminded me of the fifth grade when I learned about the Babylonians and the discovery of Hammurabi's Code.We took the mandatory tourist pictures of the giant pyramid at the museum with our second Starbucks of the trip in hand.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame was our next stop. For those of us in the Liturgical Art and Architecture class, we felt compelled to point out every gothic element of the church, demonstrating how much we still remembered from out midterm from two days prior. After about an hour in the cathedral we ate in the Quasimodo Cafe where we ordered quiches and french onion soup.

After a steep and windy climb to the top of the Eiffle Tower, a visit to Laduree for amazing macaroons and a stop at the Moulin Rouge, I indulged in a fresh buttery croissant and shared a warm, fresh out of the oven baguette with some friends before finishing my up my last night in Paris. When we returned to our friend's apartment that we were staying at we looked out her window to watch the Eiffel Tower light up. This moment, while may not seem too important to others, was magical to us. We watched the Eiffel Tower gradually light up with a warm golden light and then sparkle with its hourly light show.

Laduree Macaroons

Some of my last moments in the "City of Lights" can be characterized by one word: cuisine. Our entire group managed to find a restaurant with a three-course dinner meal all for about 11 euro! Our table was filled with french onion soup, escargot and beef bourguignon. Naturally we found a creperie after dinner that made one of the most delicious desserts I have ever consumed. A large, fresh crepe filled with chocolate and bananas was the perfect way to conclude my time in Paris.

Buffala, Mozarella, e Cibo!

A popular piece of advice that I had received before going to Rome was to go on the mozzarella farm trip. I am very happy that I did, not only because the trip was fun, but that the food was absolutely amazing!

The buffalo were camera-ready at all times!

There is nothing like spending a day out in the countryside after being in a busy city like Rome. On February 18th I visited a mozzarella farm in a small town near Naples. We received a tour of the facilities where the fresh buffalo mozzarella is made daily. We then were brought outside to visit the buffalo, who despite their muddy pens and strong odors, we very entertaining and charming.

The antipasto course was a
big enough meal on its own!

After some time spent outside with the buffalo and other farm animals it was time for the legendary meal that I had been prepared for since I arrived in Rome. The four-course meal was one that will forever be remembered. The antipasto course was large enough to be the entire meal by itself. Fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, a variety of cheeses, polenta and bread filled out plates and made us forget that we still had three more courses on the way.

Three additional courses and some wonderful conversation later, the group made their way outside for some fresh air. Some of us stumbled upon a playground where we relived some of our favorite childhood memories. It was the first time I had played on playground in front of a beautiful mountainous background.

Tour de Toscana

The Tuscany region of Italy is associated with marvelous wine and beautiful countryside. After spending three days in Tuscany I can say that both of these associations are true...especially in the snow!

After Rome's major snowstorm the school-sponsored Tuscany trip was canceled, but luckily, it was rescheduled for the following weekend. I had been looking forward to this trip since I heard about it at one of the Rome information meetings at Loyola. We planned to experience four cities: Siena, Arezzo, Pienza, and Orvieto. (February 12-14, 2012)

Siena

In front of the Duomo of Siena.

After three long hours on the bus we finally arrived in Siena. Siena is the home of St. Catherine of Siena and the beautiful Duomo of Siena. After getting our typical theology and history lesson from Dr. Dawson about the city we walked through the city to find the Duomo of Siena. This is my favorite church that I have seen in Italy so far. The outside has beautiful colorful detail and the inside has spectacular black and white striped columns (black and white are Siena's colors). The ribbed barrel vaults had beautiful detailing and reminded me of a starry night.

Afterwards we had some free time to get some lunch and try some of Tuscany's signature cuisine. Dr. Dawson reccommended we try the wild boar sauce, which was very similar to bolognese or ragu, just a bit saltier. We then met up with the group to look at some religious art, went to mass and headed to our hotel in Arezzo for a delicious three-course meal.

Arezzo

Some wine and food at Castella del Trebbia.

Our second day in Tuscany began with a walking tour of Arezzo. We once again looked at some religious art in a church and had a lot of free time to explore the city. We managed to find a french park that revealed a spectacular view of Arezzo and the Tuscan countryside. We spent most of our time there until our assigned time to visit the church. Afterwards we found a delicious resteraunt that served amazing lasagna. We were then off to the most anticipated activity of the trip: the castle wine tasting!

The wine tasting at Castella del Trebbia was located in the beautiful countryside with vineyards and mountains in every direction. This private estate was surrounded by some of the most stunning scenery I have ever seen. We had a tour of the family-owned castle and of the wine cellar. We then had the opportunity to learn the proper way to enjoy wine and taste one white wine, two red wines, and one dessert wine followed by a delicious three-course meal.

Pienza

The Tuscan countryside as seen from Pienza.

The last day of the trip was spent in the cities of Pienza and Orvieto. Pienza is a beautiful, small city that is famous for pecorino cheese. After Dr. Dawson's theology lecture in one of the churches we were able to explore the quaint city that was blanketed with snow. Everyone stumbled upon one of the most beautiful views of Tuscany. Mountains dusted in snow and a bright shining sun warrented for beautiful pictures and an opportunity to simply take in the beauty of Tuscany.

Orvieto
Orvieto, a city in the Umbria region of Italy, was the last stop of the Tuscany trip. It was surprisingly difficult to find a restaurant to eat lunch at, but after an hour of searching side cobblestone roads, we finally found a place where I ordered a delicious pesto and chicken pizza. I toured the city with some friends and eventually met up for the final church tour of the trip. Before heading home some of us decided to warm up with some hot chocolate, which was basically melted chocolate, that was absolutely delicious!

Once it was time to head back home to Rome, everyone was excited to return back to their homestays. For the first time, I felt as though my homestay was really my home here in Rome. There was nothing more enjoyable than walking into my apartment with my host mom waiting with a large smile on her face.

Carnivale and the Sleeper Train Experience

Venice scenery

This past weekend was certainly one for the books. In less than 24 hours I experienced Carnivale and then headed off on a trip through the Tuscan countryside with the CUA program. I was about to go to two places that I had always dreamed of going.

I have been learning about Carnivale since I started taking Italian classes in the 7th grade. The masks, food, celebration and the beautiful city of Venice were always things that I had hoped I could one day experience myself. On Saturday February 11th, Italiaidea was brave enough to take about 60 Loyola and CUA students to Venice for Carnivale.

Carnivale enthusiasts

Venice is a city where roads are replaced with waterways and where the heart of the Carnivale season can be found. The city is absolutely spectacular and the spirit of Carnivale is everywhere. With this being a very cold winter for Europe in general, Venice was absolutely freezing and windy. The weather did not hold us back from exploring the city and celebrating Carnivale. After being guided through the city to St. Mark's Square, a group of us weaved though the crowds of people dressed in masks and elaborate costumes. We ran into some Loyola students who have been studying in the Belgium program. Sometimes I cannot believe how small the world really is when I run into friends from home while studying in Europe.

Loyola students in the Carnivale spirit

To prepare for the parade that was to pass through St. Mark's Square, we bought masks to wear throughout the city. I bought a white one with a large feather and proudly wore it until dinner. We managed to get warm, eat a delicious lunch of what other than pizza, and watch some of the parade. Afterward we attempted to take some of the classic "LOYOLA" pictures in front of some gondolas.

My sleeper train bed.

After some more exploring, shopping and another delicious dinner it was time to return to Rome. We managed to experience Carnivale in less that 24 hours and were about to experience the "luxury" of an Italian sleeper train. Rooms of four beds were set up for us to sleep in during out 6 hour train ride back home. These private rooms had one thin sheet and pillow per person as well as no heat whatsoever. Everyone slept in there full outfits, jacket, gloves, hats and scarves included. I don't think I have ever been so cold in my life and happier to wake up at 6 a.m..

Us zombie-like students made our way back to St. John's to prepare for the rescheduled Tuscany trip.

Neve!

This past weekend the city of Rome experienced some very unusual weather. For the Americans living in Rome, the snow fall seemed very normal for the beginning of February. The Italians, however, were in awe of how much snow was falling from the sky and how it was actually sticking to the ground. On Friday, February 3, 2012, the biggest snowfall since 1985 blanketed Rome with beautiful white snowflakes.

Via Marcantonio during the snowstorm.

Snow is not unusual during the Roman winters, a few flurries about twice a year is common. Snow that actually sticks to the ground is a different story. The 4-5 inches of snow that blanketed Rome on Friday was not shoveled, salted or plowed until a day or more later. The city simply sat back and watched it accumulate rather than remove it from the streets and busy sidewalks.

For those who experienced the Snowpocolypse in Baltimore in 2010, you know that the city of Baltimore is not the best at handling snow. I can understand that 3 feet is a lot of snow and a lot of problems come with large amount of snowfall, however, Rome got a mere 4 inches and went into panic mode. Bus routes were shut down and stores and restaurants closed for the day assuming that people were staying indoors and away from this strange weather. For some, this was the first real snow they had ever seen in Italy (that is if they were born after 1985).

Prati neighborhood under a blanket of snow.

This snow, while beautiful, canceled the Tuscany trip that our program had planned and paid for this past weekend. The bus that we were supposed to take was snowed into the parking lot and many of the main roads were closed. Luckily, Dr. Dawson was able to reschedule the trip for the following weekend. The positive side of this was that we still had Monday off from classes even though the trip was canceled. I can't say that I opposed to the extra sleep I got that weekend!

I find snow to be beautiful no matter where I am, but there is something about the city of Rome being covered in snow that I will never forget. The city seemed very peaceful and quiet during and after the snowfall which is something that I had yet to expereince. Rome is a very busy city, always awake. It was the first time that I had ever seen a palm tree covered in snow.

Outside of St.John's in the snow.

While the cold weather is something that I dislike everyday (Romans are not known for having a lot of heat in their homes), I am very happy that I got to experience this great snowfall that will certainly go down in Roman history. Every night at dinner my host mother puts on the news, and for the past week, the snowstorm has been the main focus on almost every channel. There is more snow in the forecast for this Friday, however, it is only supposed to flurry...that is what they said for February 3rd as well...

Firenze

On January 28th I took my first weekend trip while in Italy. A bunch of people from my program were headed to Florence for two days. I was excited to start traveling and really feel like I was abroad.

View of Florence from the Bell Tower.

After a short 1 1/2 hour train ride we pulled into the Florence train station. It was freezing when we arrived. Luckily, the hotel that Meghan, Kathryn and myself were staying in was only a 5 minute walk from the train station. We stayed in a small budget hotel where a bunch of other CUA students were also staying. We decided to drop our stuff off and go get lost in the city while waiting for some of our other friends to get settled in. After getting lost and some intense map reading we managed to reach the Duomo and begin checking off the sightseeing we had planned for the trip.

The Duomo was beautiful from the outside and a lot bigger than I had imagined. We went inside and took some pictures but were a little disappointed that we couldn't stand under the actual dome. We then decided to climb the Bell Tower so we could see the city from the top. The 400+ steps it took to reach the top certainly made up for my lack of exercise since being in Italy. The view was absolutely incredible. I recommend for anyone planning on visiting Florence to climb the Bell Tower rather than the Duomo because you can get a beautiful view of the Dome from the top.

View from Piazza Michelangelo right before sunset.

After our climb we felt that we deserved some lunch, so we crossed over the Ponte Vecchio and ate in a pizzeria where we each got individual pizzas and relaxed for a bit. Afterward we braved the cold and climbed up to Piazza Michelangelo. This was my favorite part of the entire trip. The view was absolutely amazing. Before traveling to Florence, a friend told me to go to Piazza Michelangelo for the sunset and I am so happy that I did. We sat on the steps that overlooked the city and listened to a woman perform Italian and American music with the sunset as her backdrop. We were surrounded by other American students studying abroad. I was surprised to hear so many English-speaking people and see so many Americans just hanging out and drinking wine on the steps.

We later met up with some friends to eat dinner. We ate at small restaurant and then went back to our friends' apartment for some wine. The apartment was beautiful and could sleep a lot of people. I will definitely start searching for apartments to stay in while traveling in the future. I decided to call it a night and get some rest after a very long day of walking and sightseeing.

The next day began with an overpriced breakfast and cold walk to the leather market. I managed to bargain a great price on a brown leather jacket in the Mercato Centro area. The rest of the day was more sight seeing around the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio. We did everything that we had wanted to do the day before, so we decided to take it easy and just shop around and enjoy the city. Florence is a very walkable city, which worked out for us, since we didn't know how to use the bus system like in Rome.

I really enjoyed my time in Florence and cannot wait to travel more during the semester!

Useful Information for Visiting Florence:

1. Travel on a Saturday-TrainItalia had a buy one-get one deal for train tickets purchased for Saturday travel
2. Climb the Bell Tower-The top reveals a beautiful 360 degree view of Florence and of the Duomo
3. Buy Leather at Mercato Centro- most vendors have student discounts
4. Bargain!-try to bargain down the price with street vendors, most likely you'll get a better deal
5. Visit Piazza Michelangelo at sunset- stunning views of the city and countryside, beautiful sunset and sometimes live music!

Frogger Anyone?

Today while enjoying my 15 minute "pausa" (break) from Italiaidea I had a revelation. As I was trying to cross the street to get some gelato, I realized that Rome is just one giant, and very real, game of Frogger.

Typical Rome traffic.

For those of you who had the pleasure of having a PlayStation (original) and chose to spend hours trying to cross the busy streets in Frogger, I hope that one day you travel to Rome where you can put your gaming skills to a real life test. For those of you unfortunate people who did not get to play Frogger, you will certainly be at a disadvantage, simply because you did not get to practice crossing a busy street where cars, trucks, and vespas do not stop with the comfort of having 3 or more lives to spare per game.

"Commit to the cross" is one of the first things that I learned in Rome. Dr. Dawson's words of wisdom have been echoed every time a Loyola or CUA student crosses the street.

Frogger

In Italy there appears to be very little concern for the rules of the road. It being a city, it is understandable that traffic will build up, large buses will take up half of the narrow street and drive as slow as they wish, and that pedestrians will choose to dart out in the middle of the street at any given time. In Rome, the absence of lanes and the freedom enjoyed by those who ride a vespa or some form of a motorcycle is frightening when cars weave in and out of other motorists as the small vespas do. Double parking can occur almost anywhere at any time and if the person infront of you is moving too slowly, feel free to drive around them and enjoy some time on the wrong side of the road until you can leave them far behind.

For the most part, cars and motorcycles will stop for someone crossing a street, however one should not take this for granted. Once you have chosen to cross the street, the best approach is "to commit." Stopping mid-cross will most likely result in fear, injury, death, or an unpleasant exchange of words between you and the driver. In most cases, the driver will stop at the absolute last minute while you are crossing, making it a very real thought that you might actually get hit.

My piece of advice: always cross behind an Italian. They seem to know what they are doing.