Conclusion!

Overall, I had an absolutely amazing, one-in-a-lifetime experience while abroad. I have learned so much about myself, about other cultures, and other countries.

Some general observations and conclusions after my 10 weeks abroad:

1. Every night is a drinking night, especially in London. In fact, binge drinking is not only acceptable, but highly encouraged.
2. Everyone loves to hate London. Whether it is complaining about the weather, how everything is over-priced, or annoying tourists, even Londoners complain. Except it is ironic that they wouldn’t live any other place.
3. Londoners are quite, and as Americans, we take that as being rude. No one talks on the underground- everyone just avoids eye contact all together. They don’t apologize or say, “excuse me.” They just run into you. So, while we thought they were just being rude, I think it is their normal way of life.
4. Everyone smokes in Europe. Everyone. Old, young, pregnant. It doesn’t matter. They thought that it was so strange that NO one, out of the 6 of us, smoked. I guess they aren’t aware of the risks?
5. Just because it is not raining now and it is sunny, doesn’t mean it won’t rain in 5 minutes.
6. In London, they do not refrigerate many dairy products including eggs, and everything in the grocery store is either expired or about to expire in a day.
7. Children are terribly behaved, but dogs are so well trained they don’t even need leashes. In fact, children are not welcome anywhere, but it is perfectly acceptable to bring your dog with you wherever you go. Especially the bar.
8. If you are not from California, NY, or Florida, you can bet that most people do not know where you are from in the US. In fact, they will just make fun of the word “Missouri” or “Ohio” and repeat it several times while laughing.
9. Everything in London closes early and is not open on the weekends. In other countries, store and restaurant owners “holiday” for weeks at a time and just close their entire store or restaurant. No questions.
10. Nothing is free at a restaurant. Just because they bring out bread and water to begin with, you better believe you are paying for it.
11. The US news and events have such a huge impact on Europe, especially England. They know all about what is going on in the US, from Barack Obama to celebrity gossip, but Americans know almost nothing about news and current events in EU.
12. Europeans do not drive pick-up trucks. In fact, they think that they are hilarious.
13. Public restrooms are coin operated. Seriously.
14. It is nearly impossible to find a trashcan, or rubbish bin, in London. Apparently they are not around to minimize the number of places people can place bombs. So, we would have to go to great lengths to throw away trash.
15. You are on CCTV at all times.
16. All faucets have different hot and cold taps. So, one you burn yourself, and one is freezing. It is nearly impossible to wash dishes!
17. European body odor smells much different than American. Americans sometimes smell too, but NOT like they do it Europe.
18. Australians are just as loud as Americans.

Things that I missed the most from the states: Football and baseball, reliable internet service, ice cubes, stores that are open from 9-5 and on the weekends, bathrooms, cold dairy, normal peanut butter, low-fat or light food and beer, hot and long showers, flat sheets on the bed, airline seats that lean back, electrical outlets in bathrooms, prepackaged cookie dough, drinkable tap water, Target, garbage disposals, large portions, bagels, and unlimited ketchup.

Things that I miss the most about Europe: fabulous public transportation, being referred to as “darling”, easy travel between countries, cheap airfare, the incredible history and architecture everywhere, the concern for the environment, fashion that is waaay ahead of the US, not needing a car, the amazing food in Italy and Greece and France, good and cheap wine, outdoor cafes, markets, and coca-lite.

One question I get ALL the time is: “What is your favorite city?” Honestly, that is almost impossible to decide and here is why:

London was absolutely amazing. There is so much culture and so much to do in London. I was in love with the entire city.

Paris was absolutely marvelous and such a dream. It was beautiful and romantic, we had great weather, we had amazing food, and was so much fun. And, I love the big city, which is one of the many things that Paris had going for it.

Italy was fabulous. Amazing architecture, AMAZING FOOD AND WINE, great weather, and Venice was one of a kind.

Greece, or at least Santorini, had a little bit of everything. It had the beach (which is my favorite), some of the best food, a great nightlife, wonderful weather, and breathtaking views. I would go back in a heartbeat.

So, those were my favorite four places, all of which I would love to go back to someday. Other places I really want to visit are: Southern France, Italian coast, Rome, Germany, Copenhagen, Prague, Amsterdam, and Istanbul..,just to name a few J

Overall, this trip has given me a completely different outlook on life. I am so much more open and receptive to people of other cultures and ways of life. I am amazed at how naive I would have considered myself before the trip, compared to everything I know now. I have so much more respect for all of the places we have traveled, people we have met, and cultures we have experienced. This trip has really opened my eyes. I am so impressed with how 6 girls successfully traveled around Europe. This is the first time that we didn’t have our parents to take care of things, so while it was often tough, each challenge we faced was well worth it. We learned so much about our capabilities and personalities!

I will probably never be as fortunate to travel like I did this summer, especially considering the length of time I was gone. However, I cannot wait to go back someday. Next time, I would like to spend more than 4 days in some places, travel along the Mediterranean more, and save enough money so that I don’t always have to sleep in hostels!

My advice for others that are preparing for an international experience, would be to take it all in and not take one second for granted. Time will fly by, and the experience will be over just as quickly as it began. Enjoy, don’t stress about spending money, and delve into the culture as much as you can! Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone. It will be well worth the experience and lessons learned.

This experience has only enhanced my academic development. I finally got to see, in person, so many of the amazing architectural works and cities that I have studied and learned so much about. They mean so much more to me now. Traveling has really intrigued me, and I cannot wait to do and see more! I was so fortunate to have this experience, go to school with people from so many different walks of life, have an international outlook on design, and learn from and see both the international classroom and working world. For example, it was amazing to have such a well-rounded and well-cultured professor for studio, and it was great to visit HOK London and speak with two young professionals from the design department.

It has been very bittersweet to be back in the states. Both the US and Europe have to much to offer. I can’t imagine moving far away from my family and everything I have grown to know in the US, but I would embrace every opportunity to go back to Europe and live, work, or travel. We’ll see what the future holds!

Greece aka Heaven :)

Greece was amazing. I want to go back! Actually, I never wanted to leave.

I came down with a head cold (fever, sinus headache, sore throat) right before leaving for Greece, which was no fun. We left at 4am Thursday morning and flew to Athens. The flight was the longest one we have been on compared to the rest of our travels. It was 3.5 hours, plus we lost 2 hours because of the time zone, so we didn’t get into Athens until around noon local time. We immediately hopped on the metro to take us into central Athens. Our hostel was a block away from the Acropolis, so a perfect location.

We got lunch, which was so good! I got a gyro plate and Greek salad, which isn’t served how a Greek salad is in the states. It has no lettuce, and is just veggies and cheese. It was so good- I seriously got one with every meal! I want to go back just for this salad!

Oh, and I had to stop and get some medicine and tissues because I just felt terrible! It was interesting trying to explain to the Greek pharmacist about my symptoms. She gave me something, which of course I could not read, but it seemed to help!

After lunch we put our stuff in our “upgraded” hostel suite and set off to explore the acropolis. One of the first things we noticed were all the dogs–everywhere! Just random dogs sitting and lying around the streets. They looked so sad and mangy, but most had collars and they weren’t super skinny like they haven’t eaten. It was so weird!

We walked up to the acropolis, which is quite the hike. The path is made up of a combination of stones, lose rocks, and large pieces of marble sticking up everywhere. The marble was SO SLIPPERY! I cannot even imagine what it would have been like wet. People were slipping left and right and falling on their butts! It looked painful and so dangerous. Sara slipped down the stairs at one point, but she luckily caught herself.

We walked through the entire acropolis, which was just amazing. We have learned so much about it in history class. It is crazy to actually see it in person. We saw the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus, which was interesting because they were having a sound check for a concert that was going on later that evening. We saw the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena, the Erechtheum, Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike (but there was so much scaffolding from the restoration work it was hard to see it). It was crazy to think that everything was so old- the history there is astonishing. I cannot imagine how they built it- carrying all those stones up that hill. Then we walked through the Agora, to the Temple of Thision, which was virtually all in-tact. All the statues and stones with Greek carvings in them were so beautiful.

After walking through the remains of ancient Greece, we hiked up Mount Lycabettos, which overlooks the entire city. We walked halfway up and then took a trolly thing the rest of the way. Athens is beautiful. The weather was much cooler than we were expecting. It was a bit cold at the top of the hill with the wind! It was pretty much just an overcast day, which was fine. We were glad it was not that hot because we have heard horror stories about climbing the acropolis in the heat.

After Mount Lycabettos, we walked though two of the squares, Kolonaki and Syntagma, and shopped a bit. After all of our walking and shopping we were obviously hungry! So we went to get dinner at this place called “The Restaurant of the Gods”. Dinner was amazing, like all the food in Greece. We got complimentary shots of Ouzo after dinner too!

After dinner we went back to our hostel because it had a rooftop bar with the view of the acropolis. We went for a few drinks, and then headed to bed. I still felt terribly sick, and we had to catch an early plane to Santorini!

Speaking of early, we had to get up at 2:30 am, leave at 3:00am, walk to catch a 45 minute bus to the airport for our early flight. We flew Olympic Airlines to Santorini, which was only a 45 minute flight on a tiny plane. Of course there was a screaming baby the entire flight, which was miserable. No sleeping, now for the second night. I was never going to get better at this rate!

Our hotel picked us up from the airport at 7:15 am. We drove to Perissa beach, where we were staying. We couldn’t check in until noon, so we went out on the beach to try and sleep for a bit. Sara and I walked to the 24 hour bakery to try and get some hot tea because my throat was on fire and I was miserable! We got yummy pastries and walked back to the beach to read and take a nap.

It began to rain around 11am. The first rain in 5 months. I guess we brought it from London! We went to lunch, and then decided to go into Fira, the main town to go shopping. The rain was miserable and it was so cold- not what we were expecting of Santorini! We walked around for a few hours. The shops and jewelry were beautiful!

After walking around we went to dinner at Senor Zorbas, a Mexican restaurant that overlooks the Caldera. We unfortunately couldn’t sit outside, but oh well. Our waitress was from the states, and coincidentally, after talking, we found out she was from Cincinnati. She went to The University of Dayton, studied abroad in Athens for a semester, and just graduated in May. She decided to pack her bags and come back to Greece for the summer. She loved it, but he visa was expiring soon so she was headed back to the states. What a small world! Even though it was gross outside, the view of the Caldera was still breathtaking!

After dinner, which was SO GOOD, we started the challenge of trying to get home. We were halfway in between Fira and Perissa beach where we were staying. The weather was gross, and we were past the buss stop, so we had the owner call us a cab. Unfortunately he couldn’t get one, so we just went outside to try and wait to see if a bus or cab passed. Luckily we were able to get home after a bus stopped to help us!

I immediately went to bed because I still felt terrible and I really needed a good night’s sleep. We woke up the next day and it was SUNNY! Wahoo!! We headed out to the beach around 11, got lunch, and then spent the rest of the day at the beach and or pool at our hotel.

We got showered and ready to go by 6 to catch a bus to Oia, the northern most point of the island, where we had to go watch the sunset. We climbed to the top of this building to sit and enjoy. It was a bit windy (and cold), but the sunset was amazing. Pictures do not even do this place justice. You have to see it in person. After the sunset, we walked around Oia to shop a little and try and find somewhere to eat dinner.

We ate a delicious Greek meal, with wine and appetizers, salad, and pasta. So yummy! After dinner we headed back to Fira to go out for the night. We went to a few bars, had a few drinks, and tried to go to a club around 12:30. Nothing was really fun or happening. I guess we were too early- the party doesn’t really start till about 2. Everyone was exhausted, so we decided just to call it a night. We again, had to get up early the next morning.

On Sunday, we woke up to catch a 9am boat cruise around the Island. Before catching the bus we walked to the bakery again to get breakfast. We had the best donuts and baklava for breakfast- breakfast of champions, right? We got on a bus that took us to the port at the bottle of the Caldera- what a LONG, scary, drive down that cliff!

The boat cruise was just a half-day cruise that took us to hike the volcano and then swim in the hot spring. We told them all we had to wear were our sandals, but they assured us that the path to climb the volcano was paved. We should have had no problem. WRONG! It was not paved, and it was a bit of a climb! Luckily the view was worth it. The last time the volcano erupted was 50 years ago, so they said they are possibly expecting another volcano soon! Scary!

We hiked down the volcano and got back on the boat. It took us to the hot springs, which were kind of disappointing. We got out of the boat into the freezing cold water, and we were looking forward to going to the hot springs to warm up. Unfortunately the hot springs were not hot at all. Just dirty.

Then we headed back to the port after going around the rest of the Island. Then we immediately went to the beach to read and get some sun on our last day. The beach was awesome. It was black, from the lava, and the water was so clear. The beach was a bunch of tiny rocks, not sand, but as soon as the water started, there were no more tiny rocks. The entire ocean floor was one big rock that was SO slippery! Luckily we had rafts and so we floated out to sea and just relaxed on our rafts for a while.

We regretfully had to get ready to leave around 6:30pm for the airport. We showered one last time, and got all packed up. Some observations I made in Greece: There is little to no plumbing, so we couldn’t flush anything (not even toilet paper) down the toilet, and there was nowhere for the rainwater to drain. The showers were salt water, so even it soap we didn’t really feel like we were getting clean. Greece has no traffic laws. The drivers were crazy! Also, we felt so out of place because it seemed like everyone except for us was on their honeymoons. There were a million couples, and then us, a group of 6 girls. We didn’t really fit in!

We headed to the airport to find that our flight was delayed. This was the first time we had dealt with a flight delay- of course on the only legitimate airline we flew, and for the most expensive flight of the whole trip! Luckily we had a long layover in Athens, which turned out not to be long at all. As soon as we got the airport we had to run to the gate to catch our flight to London.

The flight was 3.5 hours and we arrived in London at 12:30am. By the time we got through customs and got home it was 2am. We were exhausted! I was anxious to get a good nights sleep, and not ready for class in the morning!

Overall, Greece was amazing! Magical. It was exactly what I thought it was going to be and more! I loved every second of it. I was in heaven with the beach, the amazing views, the sunshine, and the yummy food! If I only would have found a Greek boy…

Back to London, and back to reality. I am starting to feel a little better although I do not sound like it! The head cold has drained into my chest, so I have a nasty cold and no voice. I live on hot tea and some strange Greek cold medicine.

It is crunch time for school. I have my final studio presentation a week from tomorrow (AHH!!). I still have so much to do for it!

I went to HOK London today for a visit. I met with two young girls in the interiors department. They were so nice, and were working on some cool projects. They showed me around the (new) office, which was beautiful! It was fun to see the office and chat with them about design, office operations in the UK, and the differences between Europe and the US.

We have class tomorrow, and then on Thursday Sara and Emily and I are going to Edinburgh, Scotland just for the day. We found cheap flights (40 GBP roundtrip, which is $65). We are going to see the castle and the city, and then come home. It will be a quick trip, but it should be fun. Then Saturday we are going to visit Cambridge.

I can’t believe I only have about a week left. I am depressed just thinking about leaving and going back to school in Cincinnati…

2 weeks in LONDON!

It has been nice not having to travel. We have been in London the last 2 weekends, which has been awesome. There is so much to do in London and not enough time! We have been attempting to use our time wisely over the past few weeks. Even without traveling very far, we have managed to keep our schedules packed with sightseeing, homework, day trips, and going out. Since Barcelona, here is all we have done:

Monday Sara and I went to see Stomp. What a cool show! It is amazing how the do it… I couldn’t believe the talent! There was not a word spoken and no music, but it was such an entertaining show!

Tuesday we went to the Tate Modern Museum, which was really cool. Lots of good art, but the collection is small considering the size of the massive building! Regardless, it was still really good to see. St. Martin in the Fields Church was next. The inside was BEAUTFIUL. The ornament and detail was amazing. It was a smaller church, and not made of stone like most of the churches we see. The inside was elaborately carved in wood. Also, the crypt was really cool- it had an amazing stone ceiling made up of all these arches. Highly recommend walking into this church. And, the best part was that it was free!

On Wednesday, Caroline and Emily’s moms came in town to visit. I was so jealous, and I wished my mom would have been able to come over and visit too! We went to see Parliament, which was awesome. Such a beautiful building with so much history! After the tour, Sara and I went to Westminster Abbey.

Friday was Kate’s birthday so we went out Thursday night to celebrate. Then Friday during the day we went to Kensington Palace and Gardens as well as Buckingham Palace. Kensington Palace had the Royal Dress collection, which was cool to see. Especially all of Diana’s dresses! Buckingham Palace was absolutely amazing. The Queen is on holiday in Scotland, so we got the “full” tour. Each room was more beautiful than the next! I want to live in a palace…

Then Friday night we went to this yummy Italian place for Kate’s birthday dinner. Then we went out to this bar/club called the Zoo for some drinks and dancing. It was a really fun night, and I think Kate had a good 21^st birthday.

Saturday, we took a day trip to Wales, which turned out to be VERY interesting! Basically, we were on a bus for 9 hours, and only out in Wales for 2. We drove 4 hours there, had a half hour bus tour of the capital, Cardiff, and then we had one hour to get out, eat, and be back on the bus. Then we went to Caerphilly Castle, which was really just a ruin of a castle. It was really pretty, but I am not sure it was worth the drive! We got a short tour, and then we had to be back on the bus again to come back to London! Kind of a waste…I wish we had more time to explore!

Sunday we went to NottingHill Carnival, which was nothing like a carnival at all. In fact, it was basically just an excuse to drink. It was a GIANT, Caribbean themed block party where everyone was just dancing, drinking, and eating. It was fun, but, not my idea of a “carnival”. We had really good Jamaican food though!

Monday we didn’t have class because it was the Late Summer Bank Holiday. So, Sara and I took a day trip to Brighton, hoping it would be better than the Wales trip! Brighton is just south of London on the coast. The weather was kind of cloudy in the morning, but we walked around the cute town, went out of the pier, and got a tour of the Royal Pavilion. Then the sun came out, so we headed to the beach to read and relax for a few hours, get lunch, and then head home. It was beautiful, and a MUCH better day trip than the previous one!

Wednesday we had double class because we didn’t have class on Monday. It is kind of a weird concept that they make us make up the class that we got off on a holiday. Oh well. We got to go to the Serpentine Gallery for the second half of class. The exhibition was by an artist/sculptor, Jeff Koons, who does really cool stuff. He makes sculptures that look IDENTICAL to large blow up toys or balloons, but they are really made out of aluminum. Check out his stuff if you can.

Thursday we took a day trip to Windsor Castle, where the Queen spends most weekends. Again, she was on holiday in Scotland, so we got the “full” tour. The Castle was beautiful, peaceful, and SO HUGE! It went on and on… The town was really cute. There were all sorts of antique and vintage shops to go in.

Thursday night Sara and I went to see Lion King. What a spectacular performance! The set and costumes were just so amazing. The music and dancing was breathtaking! After the show we met the rest of the girls out for a couple drinks.

Friday we went on a day trip to Oxford and Oxfordshire. We saw Blenheim Castle, where the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough live. It is also the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Then we walked around Oxford, which is a cute college town. We saw Christ Church, where some scenes from Harry Potter were filmed.

Saturday we went to Portobello Market in the morning. Then we met Emily at Edinboro Castle, a cute pub that has an outdoor barbeque. We got burgers and beer and then went back home to change for the football game. We went to Wembly Park to see the England vs Slovenia game. England won 2-0. It was a really cool experience. The stadium was awesome, and HUGE! After the game we went out for a drink, and then called it a night. We were all exhausted!

This week will be consumed with lots of homework! It is getting close to the end of the term, so we are preparing for finals. Ugh!

We are off to Greece at 4am on Thursday morning, so we have to work hard this week to get everything finished before we leave!

I am so excited for Greece, for the beach, for warm weather, and the sun! It has been COLD here- like 45 degrees! I feel like its fall already, and I am not ready for that!

Off to bed! Next Post... GREECE! So excited...

Barcelona

On Thursday, August 20 we (Emily, Sara, Carol, and I) left at 4am for the airport. We got to Barcelona around 10am and immediately took the bus to Placa de Catalunya and walked to the hostel from there. We checked in at the hostel and got our beach stuff out and ready. We packed up and left to go meet some of our UC friends (Adam, Andrew, Kyle) at their hostel on the beach.

We walked down La Rambla, which is CRAZY! So much going on, so many people, and weird people doing tricks and selling strange things. On the way, we walked into Marcat de la Boqueria (Sant Josep) and got smoothies. This market was HUGE and had some of the nastiest cuts of raw meat. But the fresh fruit was awesome! We continued our walk along Port Vell until we got to the tip, which is where the boys were staying. Their hostel literally walked out onto sand.

We had lunch and a beer with the boys, and then went to lay out/sleep on the beach for a few hours. The beach was crazy busy! So many people, lots of topless women, people walking around selling stuff, and wanting to massage you. Barcelona was HOT- at least 95, and the sand was unbearably hot to walk on. The water felt amazing, but it was SO salty.

After a few hours of sun we walked back to the hostel, through La Rambla again. We made dinner reservations at The Attic, which was recommended by a friend. At the hostel we showered and got ready for dinner, Then we went to The Attic, on La Rambla, and had a really yummy meal. After dinner we went back to the hostel to meet up with some people we met before we went out. We stayed and drank a little at the hostel and finally headed out to this bar called Dow Jones. It was all based on the stock market, and the cost of drinks changed throughout the night depending on supply and demand. Kind of a cool concept. We didn’t stay too long because everyone was tired, but it was fun!

Friday we woke up and got ready. We met Caroline and Kate at the hostel around 11am. We walked to this “amazing” lunch place- but it was closed because the owners were on Holiday. So frustrating. So we decided to go ahead and go to Montjuic to the Fundacio Joan Miro museum (a famous Spanish artist) and try to find something eat there. All we could find was nasty expensive sandwiches, but we were desperate.. After the museum we took the Metro back to Barceloneta beach. We laid on the beach for a few hours, got margaritas, and enjoyed the sun.

On the way home we walked back through La Rambla, stopping at Marcat de la Boqueria (Sant Josep) again and got smoothies and candy. We went back to the hostel to shower and get ready for dinner. Then we went to dinner at Cerveceria Catalana, and got delicious tapas, sangria, and dessert. After dinner we went to this shot bar, that had a selection of over 300 shots! We each just got one, and then headed home to try to get some sleep.

Saturday was out sightseeing day. Because we wanted several days on the beach, we figured we would cram all the sightseeing into one day. So we started early, got pastries from a bakery around the corner from our hostel and began the day! We toured Casa Batilo, which was an amazing Gaudi masterpiece. If you don’t know who Gaudi is- google him. He is awesome. His style is so unique, but he has made such an amazing contribution to architecture. Next we toured La Pedrera apartment complex and roof, another Gaudi building. Then we went to Sagrada Familia, which was absolutely amazing. I had no idea that it wasn’t even finished! Even despite the construction, it was beautiful. So different than all the other cathedrals we have seen. Too bad Gaudi died before finishing it. The East façade, the only façade he finished before his death, is astonishingly detailed. It looks like it is melting, and is so cool. All of Gaudi’s work makes me think that I am in Alice in Wonderland or some sort of fantasy world. It is so cool, fun, yet functional, and whimsical- I cannot even describe it.

After a morning full of Gaudi, we found this awesome lunch place called Barcelona crêperie. We had savory and sweet crêpes, which hit the spot! Next we went to the Palau de la Musica Catalana, but didn’t pay to get in. Then we toured Barcelona Cathedral, and went to the top to over look the city. Next we shopped at all the cute shops on the way to the Picasso Museum. We toured the Museu Picasso, and then toured Santa Maria del Mar, which had a beautiful rose window.

Next we went to the famous Park Guelle- another Gaudi contribution. The park was awesome, and well worth the hike up the hill! We sat on the benches and looked over the city for a while, and then headed back towards the hostel. The place we wanted to eat dinner wasn’t open yet, of course, so we went to this place and got Paella- a traditional Spanish dish, So good! Next we went back to the hostel to shower and get ready to go out

We went out with our hostel friends again, and one Australian said I looked like the actress Tara Reid, so the joke the whole night was that I was “Tour Guide Tara Reid” because I was the one with the map, leading everyone.

We went to this bar that was famous for having large drinks. Large is an understatement. We got 1 drink that was 13 liters of Sangria. It was HUGE! We just used a bunch of huge straws and drank away!

After the bar we went to this famous club, Opium. It was right on the beach, had like 5 different bars, a huge dance floor, and an outdoor area. We had a lot of fun.

We made it home in time to get a little sleep, and then we were back up the next morning to pack up, check out, and catch a train to Stiges Beach. It was 40 minutes away from Barcelona, and it was supposed to be one of the best beaches in Spain.—and it was! Much less touristy (you didn’t need to lay on top of your possessions for once), and the view was awesome. It was mostly a topless beach, which was interesting!

We got lunch at this tapas place right on the water, and layed out all day. It was amazing and so relaxing. In the late afternoon we headed back to Barcelona to shower, pack up, and head out. We had to take a bus to the Girona airport, and then on to London from there.

We got back home around 1am, and I had to finish my midterm that was due for my 11am class. So, I didn’t sleep much! I was too busy the week before trying to plan Barcelona that I unfortunately did not get my whole project finished like some of the other girls. Oh well. It was well worth it!

The midterm went well, and everyone was jealous of our Barcelona tans!

Barcelona was such a fun city. It was once again, unlike all the rest. It was really nice to be able to relax on the beach for once. All of our other trips have been so jam-packed. It was nice to have one full day of touristy activities, and we enjoyed the rest of the time relaxing!

Italy 2: Venice

So, we get to Venice around 3pm.

Let me start by saying that Venice is the most spectacular place. It is one of a kind. No cars. No noise. I have seen a million pictures, but they just don’t do it justice. Unless you see it and experienced it yourself, you will not understand its splendor, beauty, and crazy uniqueness. Words cannot explain. This place is spectacular and charming and absolutely breathtaking. There is nothing else like it.

We checked into our hostel and immediately took a gondola ride across the Grand Canal and back. It lasted about an hour, and was so much fun. It was a great way to see the city, go through the hidden canals, learn a little bit of history, and experience the real Venice. Our gondola driver was awesome. He explained that it takes about 2 years to learn how to drive one of the boats. They are crazy big, and he was such a pro at maneuvering it though the tiniest canals. It is a family tradition, which is the only way you can get in the business. There are a total of 450 different gondola drivers in Venice.

After the ride we walked through the streets of Venice, which, by the way, are impossible to navigate. So confusing! But we finally made it to Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square). It was so beautiful, with the exception of all the nasty pigeons! On the way we stopped at the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) for the view of the Grand Canal and the shops along the bridge. We walked all though St. Mark’s square, looking at the Basilica di San Marco and Palace Ducale. We went to the top of the Campanile to see a view of Venice. It was spectacular!

We then found dinner, after the place we wanted to go to was closed- surprise surprise. Then we went back to the hostel to get ready to go out. We enjoyed some Bellini, a traditional Italian drink, while getting ready.

Everyone from the hostel was going to a beach party that night, so we decided to tag along. We walked back to St. Marks to get the water bus. We met all sorts of fun people along the way that were staying at the same hostel with us. The water bus (which is such a strange way to travel) took us to an island, and we had to walk from there to get to the beach party. The party was crazy fun. Lots of dancing and drinks and fun people. We eventually made it home, luckily, because Venice is even more impossible to get around during the night!

The next morning we woke up, got some food, and immediately went to tour the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace), which is Venice’s White House, Senate, torture chamber, and prison all in one. Next we toured the Basilica di San Marco, which was full of beautiful mosaics and views of the Piazza.

We grabbed lunch by the Murano Glass factory and then walked through all the shops nearby. Next was our excursion trying to find the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. What should have taken 15-20 minutes to get to, took about 2 hours to find because the streets are seriously impossible to follow. We met all sorts of lost people along the way that were trying to find the SAME church. Eventually we made it, and made a quick stop at Scuola Grande di San Rocco Church to listen to the choir rehearsal. Then we had to head back to the hostel and get packed up to leave. Again we got lost on the way back, but we eventually made it after stopping for some Gelato. Lastly we walked to the bus station that would take us to the airport. We flew back to London and were home by 1:30am.

Our feet were KILLING us by the end of all the walking. It was one of the most painful experiences of my life. Getting lost 500 times is no fun! I don’t even want to know how far we walked in Italy. Hopefully enough to work off all the pasta, pizza, and gelato! I was making up for all the nasty English food!

Now we only had 3 days to get ready for Barcelona. Oh, and do our Midterm project, and our final for one of the business classes. What a task. Let’s just say we didn’t sleep very much that week. And that is why it took forever for me to blog about Italy! So busy! But no complaints…

Italy 1: Florence

So we (Emily, Sara, and I) leave our flat, as usual at 4am to get to the airport. We arrive in Venice around 9:30 am, and take another cab from the airport to the train station (or as close as they could get). We walked to the train station, picking up some pizza on the way, and get on a 3 hour train ride to Florence. We were teased by even walking though Venice- It was so beautiful and amazing. Pictures do not even do it justice! We were looking forward to coming back in a few days to explore some more…

We arrived in Florence around 2:30 in the afternoon, and we were already exhausted from traveling all day and barely sleeping! My first impression of Florence: IT WAS HOT! 95 degrees +. Our walk to our hostel was a rough one, carrying back packs, rolling a suitcase along the cobblestone streets, and sweating profusely! The walk to the hostel was amazing though because we got to walk right past Santa Maria Novella, the Duomo, and many other amazing buildings. We finally found the hostel, checked in, attempted to cool off (even though we had no air conditioning).

Then we were off to begin sightseeing. First we saw San Lorenzo, one of the many Brunelleschi churches we had learned about in Architectural history class. Based on the outside (very plain brick with little to no decoration), I was shocked at how beautiful the inside was! The Church is based off of a grid, which was very precise and clearly marked out in the floor pattern. Next we walked through the Leather Market, which was right outside the church. The market was HUGE, and we could have spent hours there… but we knew we would be back with the rest of the girls.

Next we went to Santa Maria Novella, which again, we had learned so much about. The Florentine Gothic interior was, once again, beautiful. The art inside was awesome as well. Next was the Baptistery, one of Florence’s oldest buildings. Its foundation dates back to the 4^th or 5^th century! The doors (or at least the replicas) by Ghiberti were amazing and so intricate! It was impossible to get a good picture of them because there were so many people in front of them!

Then we climbed to the top of the Campanile, the tower right by the Duomo. What a steep hike, but well worth the view. The city was amazing. Everything was yellow-ish and had terra-cotta red/orange roofs…such a beautiful view.

After working up quite the appetite, we went to dinner at a place recommended by a friend. We show up, and of course, it wasn’t open yet. Luckily it was opening in an hour and a half (they eat so late in Europe!) Throughout all of our trips we have run into so many closed restaurants and shops because people in Europe go on holiday (vacation) in August. So, we decided to go around the corner to this cute bar/wine cellar for a drink. We got a pitcher of the most delicious frozen strawberry margaritas! The owner of the bar, spoke perfect English, and coincidentally had been to Ohio (Kent University) to visit friends many times. Random. Most people have no idea where Cincinnati is. If you aren’t from California (which is most people’s guess.. maybe because we are blonde?), New York, Vegas, or Miami, then they pretty much don’t know where in the US it is.

After drinks we proceeded to dinner, which was so good! We got a bottle of wine, bruchetta, pasta, and enjoyed ever last bite.

After dinner we walked along the Arno River, crossed the Ponte alla Carrala bridge, and got some of the BEST gelato! 3 scoops for me- Strawberry, Lemon, and Mixed Berry! Yum Yum. We continued to walk along the Arno on the South side. Then we climbed up with Piazzale Michelangelo to get a great view of the city. We had to work off the gelato somehow!

After the view, we walked back to the hostel and called it a night, for we had a long day ahead of us!

In the morning, we woke up early, grabbed pasteries to eat on the walk, and we began our day 2 in Florence. We walked along the Arno, and it was so beautiful in the morning. I wish I had brought my running shoes! We walked to Santo Spirito to go to church at 9am. Santo Spirito is not open to the public, except for services, so we figured “why not?” It was very interesting going to mass in Italian. I could understand and follow everything going on. I just couldn’t understand the readings or homily.

After church we walked across the Ponte Vecchio, the bridge with all the jewelry shops. It was so cool, and they had some of the most beautiful jewelry! We proceeded to the Piazza della Signora, which is a striking square adorned with statues. The largest statue, Neptune Fountain, is nicknames “the big white man” by the locals because they hate it!

We walked to lunch, a place recommended by a friend, and of course it was closed. So we walked to see if we could get reservations at a place for dinner for Caroline’s birthday. Of course it was not open during the day, so I figured I would just call later.

So we found a pizza place to eat next to Piazza Santa Croce. Next we toured Santa Croce, where Michelangelo and Galileo (among many others) are buried. The church was, or course, beautiful inside.

Then, we went on a search for a cake for Caroline’s birthday. Little did we know that there are pretty much no chocolate cakes in Florence. We searched for probably about an hour, until we FINALLY found one… right before they arrived.

We met the girls at the hostel around 2:30, celebrated with cake and presents for Caroline’s 22^nd birthday, and then continued sightseeing.

We climbed to the top of the Duomo, which was awesome. Such an amazing church! Next we went to the Galleria dell’Accademia to see the Statue of David, along with the rest of the art in the museum. The Statue of David was so cool, and so much bigger than I expected!

Then we walked through the leather market again, looking at all the fabulous leather jackets and purses.

We went back to the hostel to get ready, and I tried to call the restaurant, with no avail, about 30 times. It was constantly busy! So we figured we would just get ready and head over to see if we could get a table.

We walked though Piazza Santa Croce, and arrived at the restaurant. Of course, they were completely booked for the night. Bummer. So I told them that we had attempted to come earlier to make reservations and I had called a million times. I now knew why the line was busy- it was ringing OFF THE HOOK, for just the 15 minutes we were standing there. They told us to come back in an hour and they might have an opening. We figured we would go somewhere and have a drink, and try to come back. We were several (and I mean several) blocks away, and the hostess came running up to us. In her broken English she explained that someone had just called to cancel, and she could get us in right away! We were ecstatic! I thanked her a million times for getting us in, and for running after us! I explained we had heard such great things about the restaurant, and that it was Caroline’s birthday, so we wanted to go somewhere special. So, we got back and they told us to wait a minute to set the table up. Little did we know they were just adding champagne glasses to the table because as soon as we sat down, they popped open a bottle of champagne on the house for Caroline’s birthday. We got a bottle of white wine and a bottle of red to share between the 6 of us. We ordered an appetizer, but before we knew it, they brought out a HUGE sampler appetizer on the house for us to share. It had 6 different appetizers (6 pieces of each), so we each got to have one of each. It was so good! We ate Rabbit liver, bruschetta, stuffed zucchini, grilled veggies, fried cheese, and I forget what else. It was awesome. We all got our meals, which were amazing.

Then, after dinner they bring out a HUGE chocolate cake with lit candles and sing to Caroline. Again, on the house. And lastly, they asked if we wanted anything else, and we were so full and satisfied, we said no. However, they proceeded to bring out an entire bottle of Limoncello for the table, on the house. The waiter poured the limoncello, and said, “enjoy your life!” it was fabulous! The best dinner (and birthday) we could have asked for.

We left dinner, walked by the Duomo at night, and we were off to bed. The next morning I went for a run (in my new shoes), we showered, grabbed pastries for breakfast, and went to the Uffizi Galleria. Then we toured the Laurentine Library by Michelangelo, and lastly walked back through the leather market. We got some pizza on the way back to the hostel, got packed up, and headed to the train station, which was taking us to Venice. What a great trip in Florence!