Hi Everyone!
I wanted to let you know that I will be blogging during my 45 day trip to Europe which starts in less than 9 hours! You can follow that blog at: http://romeingaroundeuropeagain.blogspot.com/
Thanks,
Mike
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Home
Ciao Tutti,
Long time no talk. I have already seen most of the people following this blog, but figured I should write one final post. It is hard to believe that I have been stateside for over a month already. Time has flown and, contrary to what I have been told, I have not experienced "reverse culture shock" once. Call me crazy, but maybe I actually like it when public transportation runs on schedule and when everything is accessible. Don't get me wrong - I do miss Italy a lot. The food was great, the people were amazing, the sites I visited gave me goosebumps and learning the Italian language was a challenging and wonderful experience.
I tried to make the most of my time in Europe and think I accomplished that. I lived in the city that was the birthplace if the Western World and Western culture. I walked down the same paths that Julius Caesar and other great minds of the world traveled. I chanted "Forza Roma" at a soccer game where I learned just how crazy Italians can be. I lit a candle in the Duomo, rubbed the Boar's snout and crossed the famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence. I went to Barcelona (by myself) and walked the entire La Rambla and learned about Catalonian pride. I attended a Carnivale parade in Nice, played the slots in the world famous Monte Carlo Casino (and walked out of it in the black) and saw where the world famous Cannes Film Festival takes place. I climbed up to the top of a mideviel village called Enz. I had the best spring break of my life - 5 cities in 12 days. I saw the astronomical clock, Prague Castle and learned about the Velvet Revolution in the "City of 100 Spires". I walked the streets of the city that once divided and then reunited Europe, crossed over the remnants of the Berlin Wall, and saw Checkpoint Charlie. I rode a boat through the canals and experienced the liberal and welcoming people of Amsterdam. I sipped some wine and ate a French baguette as I watched the Eiffel Tower light up, saw Notre Dame and went to the Louvre in Paris. I took the Chunnel from Paris to London where I stayed in the courthouse that inspired Oliver Twist, met family that I had never met before and saw Big Ben. I sailed along the Grand Canal of Venice, crossed the Rialto Bridge, saw a glass blowing exhibit in Murano and walked through the lesser known fishing village of Burano. I walked in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius through the erie city of Pompeii. I stayed in a five star hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and walked along the streets of Sorrento, walked down the hills of Positano, sipped limoncello in Amalfi, and took in the breathtaking views of the Amalfi Coast from a villa in Ravello. I learned that the pizza in Naples was not overrated at all. I explored a Roman Emporer's castle, went white water rafting and drank from a waterfall in Croatia. I saw the square where the Palio takes place in Siena, toured a wine farm in Tuscany, had the world's best gelato in San Gimignano and took the cliche picture with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I made great friends that I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life.
Now that I am back in the USA, I am spending a lot of time with my family and coaching baseball games. I traded in my and interning with JP Morgan in New York City. Life is good. I have less than two months left before I head back to Happy Valley for my senior year - the last football season, the last basketball season, the last THON and the final two semesters before my "real life" starts.
Thanks to all of you for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Ciao,
Michael
Long time no talk. I have already seen most of the people following this blog, but figured I should write one final post. It is hard to believe that I have been stateside for over a month already. Time has flown and, contrary to what I have been told, I have not experienced "reverse culture shock" once. Call me crazy, but maybe I actually like it when public transportation runs on schedule and when everything is accessible. Don't get me wrong - I do miss Italy a lot. The food was great, the people were amazing, the sites I visited gave me goosebumps and learning the Italian language was a challenging and wonderful experience.
I tried to make the most of my time in Europe and think I accomplished that. I lived in the city that was the birthplace if the Western World and Western culture. I walked down the same paths that Julius Caesar and other great minds of the world traveled. I chanted "Forza Roma" at a soccer game where I learned just how crazy Italians can be. I lit a candle in the Duomo, rubbed the Boar's snout and crossed the famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence. I went to Barcelona (by myself) and walked the entire La Rambla and learned about Catalonian pride. I attended a Carnivale parade in Nice, played the slots in the world famous Monte Carlo Casino (and walked out of it in the black) and saw where the world famous Cannes Film Festival takes place. I climbed up to the top of a mideviel village called Enz. I had the best spring break of my life - 5 cities in 12 days. I saw the astronomical clock, Prague Castle and learned about the Velvet Revolution in the "City of 100 Spires". I walked the streets of the city that once divided and then reunited Europe, crossed over the remnants of the Berlin Wall, and saw Checkpoint Charlie. I rode a boat through the canals and experienced the liberal and welcoming people of Amsterdam. I sipped some wine and ate a French baguette as I watched the Eiffel Tower light up, saw Notre Dame and went to the Louvre in Paris. I took the Chunnel from Paris to London where I stayed in the courthouse that inspired Oliver Twist, met family that I had never met before and saw Big Ben. I sailed along the Grand Canal of Venice, crossed the Rialto Bridge, saw a glass blowing exhibit in Murano and walked through the lesser known fishing village of Burano. I walked in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius through the erie city of Pompeii. I stayed in a five star hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and walked along the streets of Sorrento, walked down the hills of Positano, sipped limoncello in Amalfi, and took in the breathtaking views of the Amalfi Coast from a villa in Ravello. I learned that the pizza in Naples was not overrated at all. I explored a Roman Emporer's castle, went white water rafting and drank from a waterfall in Croatia. I saw the square where the Palio takes place in Siena, toured a wine farm in Tuscany, had the world's best gelato in San Gimignano and took the cliche picture with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I made great friends that I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life.
Now that I am back in the USA, I am spending a lot of time with my family and coaching baseball games. I traded in my and interning with JP Morgan in New York City. Life is good. I have less than two months left before I head back to Happy Valley for my senior year - the last football season, the last basketball season, the last THON and the final two semesters before my "real life" starts.
Thanks to all of you for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Ciao,
Michael
Friday, May 20, 2011
Arrivaderci Roma!
Ciao Tutti,
I'm up and about to leave for the airport! It feels like I just got here yesterday, but these have definitely been the best four months of my life. I'll have a lot of time to reflect on the airplane.
My next (and final) post will be from the USA!
Ciao,
Michael
I'm up and about to leave for the airport! It feels like I just got here yesterday, but these have definitely been the best four months of my life. I'll have a lot of time to reflect on the airplane.
My next (and final) post will be from the USA!
Ciao,
Michael
Last Day in Roma!
Pictures Coming Soon
-----------------------------------------------------
Ciao Tutti,
Today was my last full day in Rome. I have been planning on making the most out of this day for the past few weeks. I woke up early in the morning and went to Saint Peter's Basilica.
Then, I went and had gelato at "Old Bridge Gelato" by the Vatican. It is one of the places that has the "Best Gelato in Rome," thus I had to try it. For 1.50 euro, I got a cup of gelato bigger than anything I get for 2 euros. They also give you three flavors instead of two for their "small size." I picked chocolate and nutella and asked the guy to give me whatever he recommends. He gave me a ricotta flavored gelato - it tasted just like ricotta. Normally I like ricotta, but ricotta gelato did not exactly sound right!
After gelato, I went to my favorite panini shop in Rome to grab my last panini. I ordered a turkey, eggplant, and sundried tomato panini with a pesto sauce. Then, I went to Piazza Navona and had a picnic. I listened to the street musicians and people watched. So many people looked at me with sandwich envy - it was great! Then, I walked around Piazza Navona for a bit. They were setting up a stage for a concert, it looked pretty intense.
Then, I went to grab an espresso at the coffee shop with the "Best Espresso in Rome," Caffe Sant'Eustacio. It hit the spot...as usual!
Then, I went to the Pantheon to see it one last time. The huge gaping hole in the ceiling never gets old!
After the Pantheon, I walked to the Trevi Fountain. I threw the coin over my left shoulder to ensure my return to Rome (again, for good measure).
Then, I walked to the Spanish Steps and sat on them as I called my Dad for 10 minutes.
Then, I took the Metro to the Colosseum. I didn't go in, but I walked around it.
After the Coloseum, I saw the Arc of Constantine.
Then, I walked up to a lookout point that has a view of the Roman Forum.
After, I went to the Campidoglio which was a piazza that Michelangelo designed.
Then, I went to take a picture in front of the Wedding Cake (aka "Il Vittoriano) at Piazza Venezia.
Then, I went to my second favorite church in Rome (next to Saint Peters Basilica - yes, I know its in Vatican City), Chiesa del Gesu. It was the first Jesuit church and has an amazing painted ceiling that looks like it is made out of sculptures!
After, I went to Largo Argentina to see those ruins for one last time.
Then, I went to Teatro del Gelato for my final gelato in Rome. It is my favorite gelato in Rome, too, which is good because it was right by my apartment!
Then, I went home to relax for a bit and pack. Up to that point, I walked 10.2 kilometers or 6.34 miles! I call that going out with a bang!
After relaxing for a bit, I went out to my favorite restaurant, Monte Carlo Pizzeria, for my last meal in Rome. Monte Carlo is the first restaurant my Dad and I ate at when we were exploring Rome when I first got to the city. Talk about bringing it full circle. I had a potato croquette, pizza, tirimisu, coke, and some wine. It was great!
After dinner, I walked to Piazza Navona to say good bye. It was having a political rally for gay and lesbian rights with a band. It was the first time I've seen an actual band with special effects performing in Piazza Navona.
Then, I went and took some pictures of Castel Sant'Angelo and Saint Peters Dome at night before finally heading back to my apartment to finish packing.
I leave for the airport tomorrow morning at 6:45 AM. My flight is at 10:20 AM and gets in at 1:55 PM. It shouldn't be too bad.
Ciao,
Michael
-----------------------------------------------------
Ciao Tutti,
Today was my last full day in Rome. I have been planning on making the most out of this day for the past few weeks. I woke up early in the morning and went to Saint Peter's Basilica.
Then, I went and had gelato at "Old Bridge Gelato" by the Vatican. It is one of the places that has the "Best Gelato in Rome," thus I had to try it. For 1.50 euro, I got a cup of gelato bigger than anything I get for 2 euros. They also give you three flavors instead of two for their "small size." I picked chocolate and nutella and asked the guy to give me whatever he recommends. He gave me a ricotta flavored gelato - it tasted just like ricotta. Normally I like ricotta, but ricotta gelato did not exactly sound right!
After gelato, I went to my favorite panini shop in Rome to grab my last panini. I ordered a turkey, eggplant, and sundried tomato panini with a pesto sauce. Then, I went to Piazza Navona and had a picnic. I listened to the street musicians and people watched. So many people looked at me with sandwich envy - it was great! Then, I walked around Piazza Navona for a bit. They were setting up a stage for a concert, it looked pretty intense.
Then, I went to grab an espresso at the coffee shop with the "Best Espresso in Rome," Caffe Sant'Eustacio. It hit the spot...as usual!
Then, I went to the Pantheon to see it one last time. The huge gaping hole in the ceiling never gets old!
After the Pantheon, I walked to the Trevi Fountain. I threw the coin over my left shoulder to ensure my return to Rome (again, for good measure).
Then, I walked to the Spanish Steps and sat on them as I called my Dad for 10 minutes.
Then, I took the Metro to the Colosseum. I didn't go in, but I walked around it.
After the Coloseum, I saw the Arc of Constantine.
Then, I walked up to a lookout point that has a view of the Roman Forum.
After, I went to the Campidoglio which was a piazza that Michelangelo designed.
Then, I went to take a picture in front of the Wedding Cake (aka "Il Vittoriano) at Piazza Venezia.
Then, I went to my second favorite church in Rome (next to Saint Peters Basilica - yes, I know its in Vatican City), Chiesa del Gesu. It was the first Jesuit church and has an amazing painted ceiling that looks like it is made out of sculptures!
After, I went to Largo Argentina to see those ruins for one last time.
Then, I went to Teatro del Gelato for my final gelato in Rome. It is my favorite gelato in Rome, too, which is good because it was right by my apartment!
Then, I went home to relax for a bit and pack. Up to that point, I walked 10.2 kilometers or 6.34 miles! I call that going out with a bang!
After relaxing for a bit, I went out to my favorite restaurant, Monte Carlo Pizzeria, for my last meal in Rome. Monte Carlo is the first restaurant my Dad and I ate at when we were exploring Rome when I first got to the city. Talk about bringing it full circle. I had a potato croquette, pizza, tirimisu, coke, and some wine. It was great!
After dinner, I walked to Piazza Navona to say good bye. It was having a political rally for gay and lesbian rights with a band. It was the first time I've seen an actual band with special effects performing in Piazza Navona.
Then, I went and took some pictures of Castel Sant'Angelo and Saint Peters Dome at night before finally heading back to my apartment to finish packing.
I leave for the airport tomorrow morning at 6:45 AM. My flight is at 10:20 AM and gets in at 1:55 PM. It shouldn't be too bad.
Ciao,
Michael
Thursday, May 19, 2011
IES Farewell Dinner
Ciao Tutti,
I had a great day yesterday. I had no exams, but exams continued until 2:15 PM on Thursday. I took advantage of my free time by going to the beach with a group of my friends for one of my friend's, Tahli's, birthday. The beach is about a 30 minute train ride from Rome and the train ride is part of the public transportation system, so it only costs 1 euro to go. We met at our school at 10:30 AM and got to the beach by 12:00 (we had to take a bus to the train station). Once we got to the beach, we met up with one of the Italian students who is a member of a private club on the beach. He took all six of us into his club!
The sand was so hot that I thought my feet were on fire when I had to walk on it! I didn't fully go into the water because it was so cold, but I sat along the shore and let the tide cover my waist. The water was so blue and it was so refreshing. The beach was a perfect way to relax after a week of finals, Tahli definitely had the right idea for how to spend her birthday!
I only stayed at the beach for three hours because I needed to get back to my apartment early and weigh my bag (I borrowed a scale from one of the people that works at IES). I made it back to my apartment by 4:15 PM. After weighing my bag, I found out that it was exactly 23 kilograms which is the limit - talk about luck!
I straightened up my room a bit and threw out some things I'm not taking back to the US. Then, at 6:00 PM our "IES Farewell Dinner" began. It started off with the screening of the two movies that our film class made in front of an audience of our peers. As director, I introduced one of the films. I think the students liked our film - it is kind of funny watching people you know on screen acting as people they are not!
Then, the two people who run our program gave out four awards to the student body - Best Comprehension of the Italian Culture, Most Motivated, Most Inspiring, and Best Full Year Student. I won the "Most Inspiring" Award. I was completely surprised! The director of the program, Octavio, said that he got a call two years ago from Penn State saying that they had a student who was determined to study abroad in Italy. Octavio also mentioned that I made it clear that I was going to have the time of my life over the past four months. He commended me for my rigorous travel schedule and also said that I was not ready to go home, which was true! The award came with an Amazon.com gift card as well.
After the award ceremony, we had a dinner on the school's terrace. The buffet was absolutely amazing. I filled my plate to the brim!
Then, we all started making rounds to say bye to everyone which was kind of premature because everyone met up late last night at one of the favorite hang outs for students. I stayed out until about 12:15 AM before calling it quits. It took me a good half hour to make my rounds and say my final good bye to everyone. I have met so many people over here that I think I will stay in touch with when I get back to America. I already have a few people from other Big Ten schools coming out to Penn State football games.
It was bittersweet night last night in Rome. Pretty much all of the students had flights out of Rome early this morning - I was only one of a few students who is staying late.
I had a great day yesterday. I had no exams, but exams continued until 2:15 PM on Thursday. I took advantage of my free time by going to the beach with a group of my friends for one of my friend's, Tahli's, birthday. The beach is about a 30 minute train ride from Rome and the train ride is part of the public transportation system, so it only costs 1 euro to go. We met at our school at 10:30 AM and got to the beach by 12:00 (we had to take a bus to the train station). Once we got to the beach, we met up with one of the Italian students who is a member of a private club on the beach. He took all six of us into his club!
The sand was so hot that I thought my feet were on fire when I had to walk on it! I didn't fully go into the water because it was so cold, but I sat along the shore and let the tide cover my waist. The water was so blue and it was so refreshing. The beach was a perfect way to relax after a week of finals, Tahli definitely had the right idea for how to spend her birthday!
I only stayed at the beach for three hours because I needed to get back to my apartment early and weigh my bag (I borrowed a scale from one of the people that works at IES). I made it back to my apartment by 4:15 PM. After weighing my bag, I found out that it was exactly 23 kilograms which is the limit - talk about luck!
I straightened up my room a bit and threw out some things I'm not taking back to the US. Then, at 6:00 PM our "IES Farewell Dinner" began. It started off with the screening of the two movies that our film class made in front of an audience of our peers. As director, I introduced one of the films. I think the students liked our film - it is kind of funny watching people you know on screen acting as people they are not!
Then, the two people who run our program gave out four awards to the student body - Best Comprehension of the Italian Culture, Most Motivated, Most Inspiring, and Best Full Year Student. I won the "Most Inspiring" Award. I was completely surprised! The director of the program, Octavio, said that he got a call two years ago from Penn State saying that they had a student who was determined to study abroad in Italy. Octavio also mentioned that I made it clear that I was going to have the time of my life over the past four months. He commended me for my rigorous travel schedule and also said that I was not ready to go home, which was true! The award came with an Amazon.com gift card as well.
After the award ceremony, we had a dinner on the school's terrace. The buffet was absolutely amazing. I filled my plate to the brim!
Then, we all started making rounds to say bye to everyone which was kind of premature because everyone met up late last night at one of the favorite hang outs for students. I stayed out until about 12:15 AM before calling it quits. It took me a good half hour to make my rounds and say my final good bye to everyone. I have met so many people over here that I think I will stay in touch with when I get back to America. I already have a few people from other Big Ten schools coming out to Penn State football games.
It was bittersweet night last night in Rome. Pretty much all of the students had flights out of Rome early this morning - I was only one of a few students who is staying late.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Finito!
Ciao Tutti,
I'm official done with my finals and am a college senior! Kind of scary, right? I had three finals this week (hence the lack of posts) and was cramming ever since I got back from Tuscany. I had no classes on Monday (it was a study day), one final and one class on Tuesday, and two finals on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, I had my architecture final. I studied a lot for it and it paid off. It was the easiest final I have taken in college! Tuesday afternoon, I had my last film class. We put the final touches on our film and watched everyone's for the final hour of class. The big public screening is tomorrow night at the IES Farewell Party!
On Wednesday, I had two exams. My first one was for Italy and the European Union. It was challenging, but I think I did all right on it. My second one was for my Memory and Conflict course. I felt very prepared for that final and think I did well on it!
Now, I am done! I am going to Saint Peters' Basilica early tomorrow morning to see it one last time. Then, it is my friend, Tahli's, 21st birthday and a bunch of us are going to go to the beach to celebrate it for a few hours. Afterwards, we are all going to come back and go to the IES Farewell Dinner. It is kind of scary that I am already done with this semester. It feels like I just got here yesterday! It flew by!
On Friday, I am going to do as much of Rome as I possibly can in one day. I hope to see the main sites one last time before I head home early Saturday morning! I can't wait to get back to America, step foot on familiar soil, and see all of my family and friends. It is going to be a crazy and amazing next few days in Roma!
Ciao,
Mike
I'm official done with my finals and am a college senior! Kind of scary, right? I had three finals this week (hence the lack of posts) and was cramming ever since I got back from Tuscany. I had no classes on Monday (it was a study day), one final and one class on Tuesday, and two finals on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, I had my architecture final. I studied a lot for it and it paid off. It was the easiest final I have taken in college! Tuesday afternoon, I had my last film class. We put the final touches on our film and watched everyone's for the final hour of class. The big public screening is tomorrow night at the IES Farewell Party!
On Wednesday, I had two exams. My first one was for Italy and the European Union. It was challenging, but I think I did all right on it. My second one was for my Memory and Conflict course. I felt very prepared for that final and think I did well on it!
Now, I am done! I am going to Saint Peters' Basilica early tomorrow morning to see it one last time. Then, it is my friend, Tahli's, 21st birthday and a bunch of us are going to go to the beach to celebrate it for a few hours. Afterwards, we are all going to come back and go to the IES Farewell Dinner. It is kind of scary that I am already done with this semester. It feels like I just got here yesterday! It flew by!
On Friday, I am going to do as much of Rome as I possibly can in one day. I hope to see the main sites one last time before I head home early Saturday morning! I can't wait to get back to America, step foot on familiar soil, and see all of my family and friends. It is going to be a crazy and amazing next few days in Roma!
Ciao,
Mike
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Tuscany
Ciao Tutti,
I took my final trip of the semester on Saturday. I woke up at 4:30 AM (after getting an only an hour of sleep) to catch a bus to take me to the train station so I could catch a 6:15 AM train to Florence. I got lucky and caught a night bus at 5:00 AM which had me at the train station by 5:15 AM. It was way too early, but the night buses in Rome run even more sporadically than the normal buses do - now that's saying something.
I had an hour to get some breakfast, so I had an espresso, orange juice, croissant, and doughnut. I ate my breakfast and watched the train station come alive with tourists of every nationality, social class, and different purposes of travel. It was interesting to people watch.
After my breakfast, I got on my train and headed towards Florence. I started a new book that my father brought me when he visited me a month ago (it is so good!) and listened to my iPod. We arrived in Florence before I knew it - I love bullet trains.
After arriving in Florence, I checked into my tour and got onto the tour bus. The tour started right on time and I sat next to an older woman from New Zealand, Sue. We got to know each other quite well throughout the day. She was on a six week tour of Europe after selling her vineyard back home. She visited some family in England and decided to see Europe while she was over here.
Our first stop was Siena. Our tour guide was very concerned that I would not be able to keep up with the group tour as Siena is very hilly and wanted to call me a taxi at my own expense to take me to the city center. That would have meant that I would also have missed the tour! He said he needed to keep the tour moving and couldn't wait for me. He was also afraid I would get lost and not be able to find my way back to the bus. After about two minutes of telling him that I was a study abroad student who traveled across Europe the past semester and I would be fine, he still was very concerned. I finally told him that he could leave me behind in Siena if I missed the bus and I would find my way back to Rome or Florence. He reluctantly agreed. Lets just say that I think he was impressed when I rode the five escalators to get into the city with no problem. I would say I impressed him again when I was constantly in the front of the pack navigating the hills of Siena with more ease than most of my tour group.
Siena itself was a beautiful city. It reminded me a lot of Split, Croatia and the older part of Barcelona - both were built by Roman emperors, so I was not that surprised. Our first stop was one of the gates of the city.
Then, we saw the oldest surviving bank in the whole world, Monte dei Paschi. It was located in a beautiful courtyard.
After the bank, we passed by a few cars that were decorated in a style that looks very "redneck." Apparently, Siena has a huge student population and they hold "car battles" at the end of every academic year. The cars looked really cool.
Then, we went to the most famous part of Siena, the Campo Square. It is one of the nicest squares I've been to in Italy. It is sloped down towards the Siena government buildings and people lay out on the square and sunbathe or just talk. It is so inviting!
The square is also home to the famous Palio horse race that takes place twice a summer. The Palio is a horse race in which all 16 neighborhoods of Siena compete. The horses are randomly assigned to a lucky 10 neighborhoods (the other 6 do not participate in the race). The neighborhoods can pay a jockey any amount of money to bring whatever horse they receive to victory. If your neighborhood wins, mass chaos erupts and people start crying. It sounds like a great event and is another example of how serious Italians take their sports!
Then, we went and saw the world famous Siena Duomo. It was absolutely beautiful and reminded me a bit of a smaller scale Florence Duomo.
Siena itself was absolutely beautiful! I wish we had more time in the city to explore it and "get lost." I feel like there is so much I did not see.
We left Siena about 45 minutes after our tour ended and headed to an organic wine farm just outside San Gimignano. We got a tour of the vineyard, stables, and wine cellar. It was quite interesting and so beautiful.
Then, we had lunch and a wine tasting at the wine farm on their terrace overlooking the Tuscan countryside. The food was even better than the view! They started us off with a garlic bread and a white wine. Then, they brought out handmade pasta in a meat sauce and served a Chianti along with it - it was the best pasta I've had in Italy. After, they brought out a platter of cheese and salami and served it with another red wine. Then, they gave us biscotti and an aged dessert wine. That wine was too sweet!
After we ate, I went and bought the first two bottles of wine we had for souvenirs back home for only 11 euros total!
Then, we took a 10 minute bus ride to San Gimignano. We had an hour to explore the town which was very cool. It earned the nickname "Medieval Manhattan" because it had over 72 watch towers in its prime. The watch towers were built by the rich - the richer you were, the taller your watch tower could be. If you became poorer, your watch tower was cut down to an appropriate size.
San Gimignano was another hilly town and it was a pleasure to walk around it. There was a gelato shop that won the World Gelato Championship two times in the past five years. The gelato was amazing! I had a chocolate and a tirmisu and it was the best gelato I have had in Italy!
After San Gimignao, we had an hour and a half bus ride to Pisa. I fell asleep out of exhaustion! When we arrived in Pisa, we boarded a tram that took us into the city center. The three main attractions in Pisa are right next to each other - the leaning tower, the church, and the baptistry. We had 45 minutes in Pisa which was just enough to take your cliche picture and climb the tower (if you wanted to, I did not).
After, we got back on our tram and had a quick tour of Pisa. We then got back on our bus and went back to Florence.
We arrived at 8:30 PM and my train was at 9:40 PM, so I went to a microbrewery by the train station we ate at the first time we were in Florence that had great french fries for only 3.50 euro. They hit the spot!
My train was 10 minutes late, but I arrived into Rome on time. I made it home by 11:00 PM and immediately fell asleep! It was a great trip, but a busy trip. It was a great way to end my semester full of travels!
Ciao,
Michael
I took my final trip of the semester on Saturday. I woke up at 4:30 AM (after getting an only an hour of sleep) to catch a bus to take me to the train station so I could catch a 6:15 AM train to Florence. I got lucky and caught a night bus at 5:00 AM which had me at the train station by 5:15 AM. It was way too early, but the night buses in Rome run even more sporadically than the normal buses do - now that's saying something.
I had an hour to get some breakfast, so I had an espresso, orange juice, croissant, and doughnut. I ate my breakfast and watched the train station come alive with tourists of every nationality, social class, and different purposes of travel. It was interesting to people watch.
After my breakfast, I got on my train and headed towards Florence. I started a new book that my father brought me when he visited me a month ago (it is so good!) and listened to my iPod. We arrived in Florence before I knew it - I love bullet trains.
After arriving in Florence, I checked into my tour and got onto the tour bus. The tour started right on time and I sat next to an older woman from New Zealand, Sue. We got to know each other quite well throughout the day. She was on a six week tour of Europe after selling her vineyard back home. She visited some family in England and decided to see Europe while she was over here.
Our first stop was Siena. Our tour guide was very concerned that I would not be able to keep up with the group tour as Siena is very hilly and wanted to call me a taxi at my own expense to take me to the city center. That would have meant that I would also have missed the tour! He said he needed to keep the tour moving and couldn't wait for me. He was also afraid I would get lost and not be able to find my way back to the bus. After about two minutes of telling him that I was a study abroad student who traveled across Europe the past semester and I would be fine, he still was very concerned. I finally told him that he could leave me behind in Siena if I missed the bus and I would find my way back to Rome or Florence. He reluctantly agreed. Lets just say that I think he was impressed when I rode the five escalators to get into the city with no problem. I would say I impressed him again when I was constantly in the front of the pack navigating the hills of Siena with more ease than most of my tour group.
Siena itself was a beautiful city. It reminded me a lot of Split, Croatia and the older part of Barcelona - both were built by Roman emperors, so I was not that surprised. Our first stop was one of the gates of the city.
Then, we saw the oldest surviving bank in the whole world, Monte dei Paschi. It was located in a beautiful courtyard.
After the bank, we passed by a few cars that were decorated in a style that looks very "redneck." Apparently, Siena has a huge student population and they hold "car battles" at the end of every academic year. The cars looked really cool.
Then, we went to the most famous part of Siena, the Campo Square. It is one of the nicest squares I've been to in Italy. It is sloped down towards the Siena government buildings and people lay out on the square and sunbathe or just talk. It is so inviting!
The square is also home to the famous Palio horse race that takes place twice a summer. The Palio is a horse race in which all 16 neighborhoods of Siena compete. The horses are randomly assigned to a lucky 10 neighborhoods (the other 6 do not participate in the race). The neighborhoods can pay a jockey any amount of money to bring whatever horse they receive to victory. If your neighborhood wins, mass chaos erupts and people start crying. It sounds like a great event and is another example of how serious Italians take their sports!
Then, we went and saw the world famous Siena Duomo. It was absolutely beautiful and reminded me a bit of a smaller scale Florence Duomo.
Siena itself was absolutely beautiful! I wish we had more time in the city to explore it and "get lost." I feel like there is so much I did not see.
We left Siena about 45 minutes after our tour ended and headed to an organic wine farm just outside San Gimignano. We got a tour of the vineyard, stables, and wine cellar. It was quite interesting and so beautiful.
Then, we had lunch and a wine tasting at the wine farm on their terrace overlooking the Tuscan countryside. The food was even better than the view! They started us off with a garlic bread and a white wine. Then, they brought out handmade pasta in a meat sauce and served a Chianti along with it - it was the best pasta I've had in Italy. After, they brought out a platter of cheese and salami and served it with another red wine. Then, they gave us biscotti and an aged dessert wine. That wine was too sweet!
After we ate, I went and bought the first two bottles of wine we had for souvenirs back home for only 11 euros total!
Then, we took a 10 minute bus ride to San Gimignano. We had an hour to explore the town which was very cool. It earned the nickname "Medieval Manhattan" because it had over 72 watch towers in its prime. The watch towers were built by the rich - the richer you were, the taller your watch tower could be. If you became poorer, your watch tower was cut down to an appropriate size.
San Gimignano was another hilly town and it was a pleasure to walk around it. There was a gelato shop that won the World Gelato Championship two times in the past five years. The gelato was amazing! I had a chocolate and a tirmisu and it was the best gelato I have had in Italy!
After San Gimignao, we had an hour and a half bus ride to Pisa. I fell asleep out of exhaustion! When we arrived in Pisa, we boarded a tram that took us into the city center. The three main attractions in Pisa are right next to each other - the leaning tower, the church, and the baptistry. We had 45 minutes in Pisa which was just enough to take your cliche picture and climb the tower (if you wanted to, I did not).
After, we got back on our tram and had a quick tour of Pisa. We then got back on our bus and went back to Florence.
We arrived at 8:30 PM and my train was at 9:40 PM, so I went to a microbrewery by the train station we ate at the first time we were in Florence that had great french fries for only 3.50 euro. They hit the spot!
My train was 10 minutes late, but I arrived into Rome on time. I made it home by 11:00 PM and immediately fell asleep! It was a great trip, but a busy trip. It was a great way to end my semester full of travels!
Ciao,
Michael
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