Lake Garda

Ciao ragazzi!
Good news, I did very well on all of my mid-terms....and now that they're over, I can go back to doing 0 work during the week. Classes here are still pretty much non-existent. Teachers don't really care, so those of us that do put in the effort end up doing really well. Needless to say, I'm having a very easy semester.
Bad news, I'm sick. The flu's going around and pretty much everyone at school has a variation of it. Hopefully, it will go away soon...
This weekend was awesome. My friend Sarah and I went up north to the Lake region. I know everyone has heard of Lake Como, but I found a different place. We went to Lake Garda, which is the largest lake in Italy and is surrounded by the Dolomite Mountain Range. The cliffs come right down to the green, clear water. It is a stunning landscape. I loved being back in the mountains. It took awhile to get there, as all the good places are far away, but we arrived in a little town called Riva del Garda. The towns around the lake are focused on water sports, parasailing, windsurfing, scuba diving, sailing, etc. Riva is one of the biggest towns, with a large port and long beaches. It was pretty deserted, since the winter season has officially started. Sarah and I checked into our hotel(very very nice upgrade from the hostels) and walked around town. We spent most of our time down by the water, taking pictures and relaxing. The mountains were just so dramatic and the snow topped peaks made me smile. We went out for a very long dinner Friday night. It was delicious as usual.
On Saturday, we roamed the town and parks in the morning, then took a boat ride to the town of Limone. While the town obviously does grown lemons, it was actually named after a Latin word meaning 'border'. Don't worry, I won't bore you with that now. Limone was a very cute little town. Stone walkways and pink flowers everywhere. We wandered through the town, had a picnic lunch in an olive grove, and took more pictures. The boat ride was definitely worth it, seeing the mountains from the water was spectacular. Saturday afternoon, we strolled around Riva some more. Really just taking it in and enjoying the peacefulness. Unfortunately, I was still feeling sick, so we went in a little early.
On Sunday, we started the journey home, which should have been fairly short, but....leave it to the Italians to go on strike. We ended up stuck in Verona for 4 hours, trying to find any train that could bring us home. We finally took a train towards Venice, stopped in Padova, then took a train to Bologna, then home(14 hours later). It was stressful, but I guess just one more thing that you have to get used to in this beautiful country :-)
I am definitely returning to Lake Garda in the summer. I would love to go sailing and windsurfing, not to mention hike in this beautiful landscape. I feel like every weekend I return to Rome knowing that someday I have to return to the place I explored that weekend. It's never enough time to see it all. Everywhere I've gone has amazed me. There is so much beauty.
This was my last weekend trip on my own. Next weekend is Florence with school, then my parents for 2 weekends, then I'm saying goodbye to Rome for the last 2 weekends. One of my goals for this trip was to see as many different regions of Italy as I could. Out of the 14 regions(including Sicily), I have been to 10. I'm pretty pleased with that, but you can trust I'll be back someday to finish it off....
Ti voglio bene(I love you)

Noon

Spent the weekend in beautiful Paris with beautiful Marion!
I had an incredibly wonderful time. This weekend was all about seeing my sister from another mister. For those who don't know, Marion Destoop stayed with my family my senior year in high school as an exchange student. She's from Lille, France and is one of my most favorite people in the whole world. We haven't seen eachother in over a year, so it was so nice to have a whole weekend together.
I got to Paris early Friday morning and met Marion at the station. We took the train to Versailles, since we were able to stay with her sister and her sister's husband, Fanny and Alex. Fanny and Alex's flat is literally 5 minutes from Chateau de Versailles. It is such a beautiful town and their flat was extremely comfortable. We were very lucky to have stayed there. After dropping our stuff off, we went back into Paris and out to lunch. Just stopped at a random cafe and had delicious food. After that, we treated ourselves to a few hours at a hammam at the Mosquee de Paris. The hammam is a sauna, turkish style. There are 3 rooms, progressively getting hotter. The middle room has little niches you can lay in and the most beautiful mosaics. On Friday, only women were allowed, so it was really nice to just have a bunch of women hanging out and purifying their bodies. The hottest of the saunas was almost unbearable. It made your eyes and throat burn when you breathed in deeply, but it felt so good. After the sauna, we went for a walk through the Luxembourg Gardens, then I went and got my nose pierced(I like it a lot). We went back to Versailles and had a very nice dinner with Fanny and Alex.
On Saturday, we woke up to fresh chocolate croissants. Marion and I spent the morning at the Musee d'Orsay with all of the Impressionists. We had a picnic lunch in a park, and did a little shopping in the afternoon. That evening, we got dressed up and went to the Opera Garnier!!!! We say Joyeux(Jewels), a ballet with three acts: Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds. The ballet was so graceful and the Opera Garnier was more than I imagined. I thought the Phantom would appear at any moment. We went out for a lovely dinner after and to the bars.
On Sunday morning, once again we were greeted by croissants. We stuck around Versailles, went for a walk, and had another delicious lunch with Fanny and Alex. It was raining out, but we still went to Montmarte and Sacre Coeur.
It was such a good time. Fortunately, Marion and her parents are coming to Rome in a few weeks, so I get to see her again!
It's a rainy week here, but that's ok, because I still live in ROME!!!!!!!

Week of Hell is Finally Over!

Very Very busy week. Mid-terms are finally over. It was weird actually having to do work again. I haven't written a paper or studied since May and all of a sudden it was piled on....oops. It went alright I suppose, I know I got a few A's already. Unfortunately, I also had to deal with some fraud in my checking account this week. Thankfully, my dad caught it quickly and I was able to cancel my card. Lame, I'll just have to go without cash for awhile. I leave for Paris in the morning, I'm beyond excited to see Marion. I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all. (p.s. 21 days until my parents come) Love you!

San Sebastian

I had the most relaxing weekend imaginable. I went to visit my best friend Dan, who is studying Spanish in Salamanca, Spain. We met in San Sebastian, which is located in the Basque country in Northern Spain. It is a beach resort back-dropped by the Pyrenees(aka awesome).
On Friday, I had to deal with the frustration that is Italian transportation. The air traffic controllers were on strike and, therefore, my flight was delayed 3 hours. It was maddening trying to figure out my connecting flight, but also rewarding knowing that I could handle traveling in foreign countries. I got there at 1am Saturday morning and pretty much just passed out.
The next day, Dan found a restaurant that served a big American-style breakfast. I got to eat bacon; I was very happy. Then we went for a very long walk along the beach, harbor, and one of the mountains that overlooks the city. It was great to just relax and talk. The weather was incredible, sunny and in the 70's. San Sebastian is a beautiful port town with a long white beach. There were several kayakers surfing the waves...I was very jealous. The entire town seemed centered around the water, which made sense because it was so beautiful.
After our walk, we went to the spa :-) La Perla is a saltwater spa located right on the beach(www.la-perla.net). On the first floor are hydrotherepeutic baths designed to massage different parts of your body. There is also a waterfall and a huge jacuzzi surrounded by glass that overlooks the Atlantic. Downstairs, it is dark except for the underwater lights that give a nice glow. There, the pools have underwater work-out machines and there are a few saunas. I could have spent days sitting in those pools. At one point, I was stupid enough to listen to Dan and we ran into the Atlantic before jumping back into the jacuzzi....the water's cold over here too.
Saturday was definitely one of the most relaxing days I've ever had. On Sunday, Dan and I did some walking and talking, then I headed home.
Now that I'm back to reality, mid-terms have started. It's going to be a busy week, but I get to look forward to Paris and Marion on Friday. Ciao miei amici!

It's Been Awhile....

Hey guys,
I've been putting this post off for awhile because I didn't really know what to write. These past two weeks have been filled with every emotion possible. I have known great joy and experienced wonderful things, but it has been overshadowed by a tragedy that I will never forget. This will probably be a very long post, so bear with me. I'll start with the sad and try to end with the happy.
On Thursday, October 8th, a friend of mine in the Arcadia program was struck by a motorcycle as she crossed the street. The motorcyclist was going full speed and did not see her. She sustained massive injuries. On Saturday night, she was pronounced clinically dead. Her mother and brother were able to fly over to say their goodbyes. Shalinda Toney was from Virginia, she was in her junior year at college, and she had a strong faith in God. Her parents are incredibly strong and most of their strength comes from their faith that Shalinda is where she was meant to be. It is hard to type this even now, as it does not seem to be real. It was a terrible accident that never should have happened and it will stay with me forever. Shalinda was an incredible person and an incredible friend. I feel very privileged for having known her, even if it was for such a short time. Shalinda saved six lives with her passing. She was willing to donate her organs, and ultimately saved six stranger's lives. The transplant doctor came to the service that Arcadia held for her and told Shalinda's mother that all six patients were doing well. With this death, I want everyone to know how much I love them and how much they mean to me. Life is fragile and hard, but it is also beautiful and full of strong people and love. I will miss Shalinda.

It is awkward now to type of the wonderful things I have been experiencing, but Shalinda's mom told us not to be afraid because of this death and that we need to use our study abroad experience to the fullest as her daughter had been doing.

Two weekends ago, I went to Abruzzo National Park. Abruzzo is to the east of Rome and is a hidden gem in Italy. Very few people go there, I only heard about it because I was scouring the country looking for good places to hike. I went for the day with my friend, Tia. It took a very long train ride and beautiful bus ride to get up into the hills, but it was well worth it. The trees are all turning colors and the pastures are full of bright green grass and white limestone. We strolled through the country, following old pasture roads. It wasn't an arduous hike because, unfortunately, our time alotted didn't leave us with much room to explore. I would go back there in an instant and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good hike, bike, or ski. The trails are very very extensive and really well maintained.
The next day I went on a school trip to Sorrento and Pompei. Sorrento left a little to the imagination. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day and there were two cruise ships docked at the harbor. Therefore, it was crowded and definitely catered towards the tourists. We got to shop around a little, but I seem to be getting a little snobby about my locations, for I have seen places much more beautiful.
Pompei, however, was a Classic's major's dream. The ruins are amazing! This city is perfectly preserved, frescoes and all. We had about 4 hours to explore the hidden shops and alleyways. It was so amazing to see this city, that had been completely demolished in 79 AD. If anyone, ever, wants to know about Pompei or Mt.Vesuvius, please ask me....I love talking about it.
Last week was long and hard, but it brought the group together and I learned a lot about the people here. I have become very close with some of the people, it's nice to have this support.
Last weekend was very good. On Friday, we went to Ostia and checked out the ruins. This city is almost as cool as Pompei. It wasn't excavated until the late 1900's, so it is also preserved very well. the day was beautiful and my professor was full of information. If you don't have time to go to Pompei, definitely go to Ostia, it's smaller, but still insightful into the Roman world.
On Saturday, I did every girl's dream....I went to the Eurochocolate festival in Perugia. I ate my weight in chocolate, not even kidding. Every producer of chocolate in Europe was at this festival, with every type of chocolate. Let's see, a list of what I sampled: several chocolate bars, the best hot chocolate I ever had, a chocolate covered banana, chocolate crepes, truffles, chocolate covered fruit, Milka chocolate, nutella in fried dough(best thing ever!), chocolate covered apple, lavender chocolate, etc.....don't worry, I shared it with a bunch of my friends. I don't think I've ever seen so many happy people in one place. I would go every year if I could :-)
Finally, we've arrived at this week. Mid-terms are next week, so I'm busy studying. This weekend I leave for Spain to meet my best friend in San Sebastian. Life is rough as always....Ciao ragazzi!

Venezia

Ciao ragazzi!

So I had a wonderful weekend :-) It started off Thursday night when I went to the ballet with some of the girls here. We saw Carmen, which was a modern take on the opera. It was really good; a little strange though....it was set in Spain, sung in French, and performed in Italy. Very very fun though, I love the ballet.

Early Friday morning I set out for Venice. I've really wanted to go and no one else in my group got it together in time, so I ended up going by myself. Yep, it figures, I would go alone to one of the most romantic destinations in the world, haha. It was so amazing though. I can't get over how beautiful it was.

I got off the train and immediately got a 'bus' pass, aka a pass to use the water buses. (If anyone every wants to be a bus driver, do it in Venice, it's way cooler to drive a boat) I took the boat around the outside of the island until it came to Guidecca, an island on the south side. There I checked into my hostel, that was actually very nice and set across the canal from Piazzale San Marco. I had an amazing view! The rest of the day I literally just wandered. All the guide books told me that you don't really see Venice until you get lost.....mission accomplished. I wandered down so many back streets and wound myself all around that city. I think I saw a very very vast majority of the city....and it was all beautiful. In Rome, you can walk down a small street, turn and corner and there;s the Pantheon. In Venice, you walk down a small street and find this beautiful canal with a few boats puttering along, old stone buildings covered in flowers and laundry hanging out the windows. It was a very relaxing day, I felt completely free to do whatever I wanted (whether that was eating gelato or shopping for jewelry) I wandered well into the night, checking out a bunch of churches, the Rialto Bridge, and many many piazzas. I took a late boat cruise down the Grand Canal, watching the nightlife unfold. It was so incredible, the water was lit up by a full moon and it was so serene. Very happy moment.

The next day, I woke up early and went to the Basilica di San Marco. The Basilica is Venice's big tourist attraction. The entire ceiling is one huge mosaic, mostly covered in gold. In the late afternoon(I mad sure to go back later in the day to see it), when the sun shines through the windows, the light hits the ceiling just right so that the whole place sparkles. It's definitely worth going to Venice just to see that. After the basilica, I took a boat to the island of Murano where they make their world famous glass. I was able to see several glass blowing studios and tons of beautiful sculptures, jewelry, and vases. I can't believe they can actually make this stuff out of glass. It seems like their big thing right now is horses...there are glass horses everywhere. I spent the afternoon in Murano, wandering again, then took another boat around the island and up the Grand Canal to the train station.

Late saturday afternoon I arrived in Bologna. While I thought that it was a very charming city, it just couldn't compare to how awesome Venice had been. I went to the main square of the city, where there is a very impressive fountain of Neptune. On Sunday, I spent my afternoon in the Archaeology Museum looking at several Etruscan artifacts. And, of course, I had pasta with bolognese sauce, very yummy...

This weekend really was incredible. I'm happy that I went. Now it's just another week of classes :-)

Gotta Have Faith(that song has been sung at least 100 times in this apartment)

Hey. The week is going well. Finally got groceries, so I'm not living off of carrots and pasta anymore...
Class today was really awesome. In Masterpieces, we went to an exhibit on Roman Paintings that just started by the President's house. It was really incredible...it had all of these perfectly preserved wall paintings and frescoes from as late as the 3rd century BC. Rome still blows my mind.
In Mythology, we started reading The Iliad. So basically, it was a perfect day for me. Roman paintings and one of my favorite books :-)
Tonight, as with every Wednesday night, I volunteered with a local group handing out food at the local train station. I really like volunteering. It's a great way to meet new people and practice my italian. Every week, the group gets donations of pasta, pizza, bread, and drinks. The majority of people that we hand food out to are Afghani and Iraqi refugees. I've already been asked by several people to be their English tutor...don't know how good I will be at that, but I might as well give it a try.
So I know this post is extremely boring, but I was happy about volunteering tonight, so thought I'd write about it. Talk to you all soon hopefully :-)