Ciao!
Sorry for the lack of blogging. Nothing too exciting has happened since my last post. The last few weeks I have been working on my research papers and studying for tests. I wrote three of my final papers on: Italian Cinema: the representation of women in the diva genre; Ancient Rome: the Roman baths; and Classic Mythology: tragedy.
I also went on a field trip with my Mythology class last weekend to Tarquinia, Italy. We visited the ancient Etruscan tombs and a museum. It was a beautiful day to spend on the country side. Although we were in and out of tombs all day, the town was very pretty and peaceful.
I've been here for 88 days already, but it only seems like 10. I've been having the time of my life here, but I am looking forward to home. I know I will definitely go through culture shock when I get home. There are some things that I can't even remember what they're like!
I've been thinking of some things that I'm really looking forward to. They may seem silly to you, but when you're gone so long you start to miss the little things in life.
I miss...
-My family and friends
-driving a car
-a queen size bed
-not having to separate the garbage
-the English language
-wearing colors and summery clothes
-getting my hair cut
-sushi
-Qudoba
-skittles
-my cat
-having my jeans fit, wishing they wouldn't stretch every time I wash them
-being thinner
-going to formal and other Pi Phi events
-sun tanning outside
I'm going to miss Italy so much, but I look forward to the summer! I haven't enjoyed a Wisconsin summer in such a long time!
Only 14 days until AMERICA!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Days 65-69 The Euroadventure to Croatia?
Caution: Anyone going to study abroad in Europe, do not use Euroadventures for any vacations...
I'm going to make this blog short because I just arrived back from Croatia today and I'm sick of complaining of the company Euroadventures.
My friends and I booked a weekend trip to Croatia through Euroadventures, which is run by 4 young men who were once American students who studied in Europe. The company is based in Italy, but they do trips all over Europe.
Even though I am a little bitter about the organization of the trip, I had a wonderful time in the beautiful Croatia. However, because of false advertising and lack of organization from our event planners we took a 4 hour bus ride to the Italian port, then took an 8 hour overnight cruise/ferry ride to Croatia, then another 3 hour bus ride to the coast (there and back). Long story short, they falsely advertised our transportation creating an idea that it was going to be luxurious, fabulous, and a ton of fun. Instead, it was out of the way, not worth the money we paid, and generally lead terribly with our drunk "guides."
Our hostel was really cute though, and put together well. But our guides never gave us the keys so we always had a hard time getting into our hotel. Luckily there was always someone there to hear us banging on the door. It was just inconvenient.
But our time at the beach was much deserved and despite the chilly weather for 2 of the 3 days, it was still nice to lay in the sand and play in the ocean! Sadly, I didn't get a tan, but I can say I experienced a new country and a new culture and that's what I wanted!
But Euroadventures should be dreading tomorrow because all 120 of us will be responding with mad emails and refunds!!!
I'm going to make this blog short because I just arrived back from Croatia today and I'm sick of complaining of the company Euroadventures.
My friends and I booked a weekend trip to Croatia through Euroadventures, which is run by 4 young men who were once American students who studied in Europe. The company is based in Italy, but they do trips all over Europe.
Even though I am a little bitter about the organization of the trip, I had a wonderful time in the beautiful Croatia. However, because of false advertising and lack of organization from our event planners we took a 4 hour bus ride to the Italian port, then took an 8 hour overnight cruise/ferry ride to Croatia, then another 3 hour bus ride to the coast (there and back). Long story short, they falsely advertised our transportation creating an idea that it was going to be luxurious, fabulous, and a ton of fun. Instead, it was out of the way, not worth the money we paid, and generally lead terribly with our drunk "guides."
Our hostel was really cute though, and put together well. But our guides never gave us the keys so we always had a hard time getting into our hotel. Luckily there was always someone there to hear us banging on the door. It was just inconvenient.
But our time at the beach was much deserved and despite the chilly weather for 2 of the 3 days, it was still nice to lay in the sand and play in the ocean! Sadly, I didn't get a tan, but I can say I experienced a new country and a new culture and that's what I wanted!
But Euroadventures should be dreading tomorrow because all 120 of us will be responding with mad emails and refunds!!!
Days 59-64 Family Vacation in ROMA
MY FAMILY FINALLY CAME TO ROME!!!! One of the best weeks of my life! Sharing my new life here with my family was an amazing experience. It was exhausting but unforgettable.
There was so much traveling! I'll just give the main details:
Friday: My best friend Hannah from UW-Madison was already in town, so my family, Hannah, and I went to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. I was their tour guide because I had class already in the Colosseum and the Forum so I was already an expert!
Saturday: We said our goodbyes to Hannah, and headed off to the Tuscany area to Lucca, to visit our Quilici family (My Grandma's family). Our train was very early, but we got to Lucca in the afternoon and spent the whole day with our family. I decided to study in Italy mainly because I wanted to learn more about my heritage, and meet my relatives. Even though my Italian is very limited, and only 3 of our relatives could speak a little bit of English, we all connected and bonded because we are FAMILY. It was one of the most amazing experiences. It truly made me feel Italian :) Lucca was so beautiful and very different from Rome. We walked around the town and had lunch with our family. Then we went to two of our relatives' homes, and visited the house that my great-grandpa grew up along with my other relatives. The house was on our family's olive vineyard and land. Words can't explain how wonderful I felt being able to spend time with my family, my Italian family, and to step in a house that has been in my family for multiple generations....it was breathtaking.
Sunday: After visiting our family we spent the night in Florence, and then spent all day Sunday touring Florence. We climbed the Duomo, saw the Ponte Vecchio, and spent a lot of time shopping at the leather market. We were all exhausted by the end of the day and all slept on the train home to Rome.
Monday: Dad came to Rome to go to a conference so for part of the day he was at a conference. So Mom, Sam, and I went to the Campo di' Fuori market and bought fresh food and made lunch for when Dad came back. Then the rest of the day, I showed them some of the special places in Rome...Villa Borghese, the Spanish Steps, Piazza di Popolo, the Trevi Fountatian, and the Pantheon. Going to Rome or any large tourist city with a Roman or someone who lives in the city, is key, because we know all the secret side paths, and the non-tourists places to be-- which can sometimes be the most special.
Tuesday: While Dad was at work, Mom, Sam, and I did some tourist shopping. Let me tell you...that was exhausting! Being an actual tourist here is so tiring! I definitely recommend spending over a week here to get everything done!
Wednesday: Our family went to the Papal Audience/Mass with the Pope. Even though the Vatican is currently going through a huge scandal that is very sad and terrible, we decided that going to a mass with the Pope would be a once in a lifetime experience. The mass was very exciting! People were going crazy over the Pope! There were a lot of different groups or organizations that attended mass. I think we were sitting next to a children's Communion group from Italy, but there were many different groups from all over the world. The Pope delivered mass in multiple languages, everyone was able to enjoy it. Before announcing the language, a priest would introduce the mass with a welcoming of many of the registered groups. Surprisingly, one of the groups there from the U.S was...UW-MADISON!! WE WENT CRAZY! How unique is that?!?
After Mass, we went on a Vatican tour with the organization Roman Odyssey. It was great, I would recommend that company for anyone going to Rome, they do tours everywhere!
Thanks Mom, Dad, and Sam for coming to Rome! I loved showing you around, Rome is amazing and thanks for the wonderful opportunity to travel, learn, and find myself!
Sempre con amore,
Hannah Marie Rizzo Peltier
There was so much traveling! I'll just give the main details:
Friday: My best friend Hannah from UW-Madison was already in town, so my family, Hannah, and I went to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. I was their tour guide because I had class already in the Colosseum and the Forum so I was already an expert!
Saturday: We said our goodbyes to Hannah, and headed off to the Tuscany area to Lucca, to visit our Quilici family (My Grandma's family). Our train was very early, but we got to Lucca in the afternoon and spent the whole day with our family. I decided to study in Italy mainly because I wanted to learn more about my heritage, and meet my relatives. Even though my Italian is very limited, and only 3 of our relatives could speak a little bit of English, we all connected and bonded because we are FAMILY. It was one of the most amazing experiences. It truly made me feel Italian :) Lucca was so beautiful and very different from Rome. We walked around the town and had lunch with our family. Then we went to two of our relatives' homes, and visited the house that my great-grandpa grew up along with my other relatives. The house was on our family's olive vineyard and land. Words can't explain how wonderful I felt being able to spend time with my family, my Italian family, and to step in a house that has been in my family for multiple generations....it was breathtaking.
Sunday: After visiting our family we spent the night in Florence, and then spent all day Sunday touring Florence. We climbed the Duomo, saw the Ponte Vecchio, and spent a lot of time shopping at the leather market. We were all exhausted by the end of the day and all slept on the train home to Rome.
Monday: Dad came to Rome to go to a conference so for part of the day he was at a conference. So Mom, Sam, and I went to the Campo di' Fuori market and bought fresh food and made lunch for when Dad came back. Then the rest of the day, I showed them some of the special places in Rome...Villa Borghese, the Spanish Steps, Piazza di Popolo, the Trevi Fountatian, and the Pantheon. Going to Rome or any large tourist city with a Roman or someone who lives in the city, is key, because we know all the secret side paths, and the non-tourists places to be-- which can sometimes be the most special.
Tuesday: While Dad was at work, Mom, Sam, and I did some tourist shopping. Let me tell you...that was exhausting! Being an actual tourist here is so tiring! I definitely recommend spending over a week here to get everything done!
Wednesday: Our family went to the Papal Audience/Mass with the Pope. Even though the Vatican is currently going through a huge scandal that is very sad and terrible, we decided that going to a mass with the Pope would be a once in a lifetime experience. The mass was very exciting! People were going crazy over the Pope! There were a lot of different groups or organizations that attended mass. I think we were sitting next to a children's Communion group from Italy, but there were many different groups from all over the world. The Pope delivered mass in multiple languages, everyone was able to enjoy it. Before announcing the language, a priest would introduce the mass with a welcoming of many of the registered groups. Surprisingly, one of the groups there from the U.S was...UW-MADISON!! WE WENT CRAZY! How unique is that?!?
After Mass, we went on a Vatican tour with the organization Roman Odyssey. It was great, I would recommend that company for anyone going to Rome, they do tours everywhere!
Thanks Mom, Dad, and Sam for coming to Rome! I loved showing you around, Rome is amazing and thanks for the wonderful opportunity to travel, learn, and find myself!
Sempre con amore,
Hannah Marie Rizzo Peltier
Days 51-54 Copenhagen
After a week of midterms Gail and I headed off to COPENHAGEN! The farthest North I have been (in Europe).
We took a late flight into Copenhagen, Denmark and met with Gail's best friend Joey for some drinks in Copenhagen Central. Our hostel was right in the center of town! The nightlife was very different from Rome -- well I guess everything was different from Rome. It was cold and a little rainy, the fashion was different, the language was very different, everyone spoke English which was nice for once, there was a more variety of food (Italy usually only has Italian food, which doesn't have a lot of variation), and the city was much more modern than Rome or Italy itself. We planned out our weekend tourist attack at a cute urban cafe/club and tried some authentic Copenhagen drinks. Once we got settled, Gail and I made our way back to our hostel for a good nights rest. We were surprised to find out that there were 18 people in our room! The bunk beds had 3 bed on it! I slept above an Australian guy, about our age, and Gail slept in the bed above me! It was crazy! But the hostel was very cool despite the living situation. We had a huge lounge, great breakfast, and a TV!!! (something we don't have in Rome, and it was even in ENGLISH, with most American television shows!), and fast internet!
Gail and I made our way around Copenhagen alone during the day while Joey was at school. But it was very relaxing and we just hung around town. We took our time and walked through the King's Gardens, saw the Royal Castle, went to a couple museums, and did a LOT of shopping. Because it was more modern than Italy, there were a lot of cool stores and great shopping. Danish Crones and the money system was a little less expensive than Euros so we enjoyed the price tags :)
After class, Joey met up with us and we went to a place called Christiana, which is right outside of Copenhagen. It is known as a non-tourist Amsterdam (if you know what I mean). It wasn't as beautiful as Amsterdam, but everything was painted with graffiti. It wasn't ugly gang graffiti but rather graffiti murals. There were little markets, shops, a skateboarding park, a couple restaurants, and it overlooked a small lake. The ice was finally melting but it is usually used for ice-skating in the winter and swimming in the summer. There was only a few residents in Christiana, and most of them were squatters and hippies. We hiked through the forest and just looked around, but didn't participate in any 'activities' there because it was a little sketchy, but interesting. After a certain point, people couldn't take pictures in the center because the pictures could contain 'illegal things' in them. In the forest we saw the hippies' houses, and it was incredible how they lived. Their houses were very colorful, very "eco-green," they just lived with nature.
Later that night, Joey, Gail and I went grocery shopping and made Mexican food at Joey's dorm. It was FANTASTIC! While traveling, Gail and I try to 'picnic' or cook at our hostels in order to save money. We had a great time seeing Joey's dorm and meeting his friends. After dinner, a group of us went out and enjoyed the Danish nightlife!
The next day, the 3 of us went to Malmo, Sweden. It was only an hour train ride from Copenhagen. It was a first time for all of us, so we were a little confused about the Danish/Swedish train. Then all of a sudden Joey realized the train that was currently at the station was the train that we NEEDED to be on! So we quickly shuffled to the door...Joey and I got in just fine, but poor Gail was just about to jump on but the doors started to CLOSE on her!!! Joey and I tried to pry the doors open but they shut, separating us from Gail!
(For those who are regular readers, you may remember that in London the same thing happened on the Tube, but instead Gail jumped on the Tube/Metro without telling us and I tried to pull her off the Tube, but the doors closed on us! It was our first day in Europe, and we were so scared! Luckily, Gail got off on the next stop and I jumped on the next Tube to get to the next stop as quick as possible and looked throughout the station looking for her, and were reunited with laughs and tears!)
It's obvious that public transportation for Gail and I have always been a little difficult, and it wasn't the first time that we each faced two separate sides of a metro door looking at each other with fear and trying to scream through the door telling each other what we should do! Hahah, luckily we had cell phones this time around, and Joey and I went only one more stop on the metro and then caught another back to meet Gail at the first station. It was quite funny for all of us because the same silly/terrifying situation happened again!
After that 'bump' in the road (seems like I use that phrase a lot for our traveling "mistakes") we got on correct train to Sweden. Sweden was very similar to Copenhagen. It was very quaint, modern, and everyone was blonde! We mainly stayed in the center of Malmo because Sweden was a little cheaper for shopping than the Euro and Crone. We went to the mall and all the small boutiques. The food was great and spending time in another country was extra-special! Two countries in one day!!!
On our last night, we walked the streets of Copenhagen and look in its beauty. Then we went to Joey's apartment to cook dinner and have some wine. It was a very relaxing weekend. It felt good to just 'hang around' in the city and didn't have to stress about seeing specific tourist sites.
We took a late flight into Copenhagen, Denmark and met with Gail's best friend Joey for some drinks in Copenhagen Central. Our hostel was right in the center of town! The nightlife was very different from Rome -- well I guess everything was different from Rome. It was cold and a little rainy, the fashion was different, the language was very different, everyone spoke English which was nice for once, there was a more variety of food (Italy usually only has Italian food, which doesn't have a lot of variation), and the city was much more modern than Rome or Italy itself. We planned out our weekend tourist attack at a cute urban cafe/club and tried some authentic Copenhagen drinks. Once we got settled, Gail and I made our way back to our hostel for a good nights rest. We were surprised to find out that there were 18 people in our room! The bunk beds had 3 bed on it! I slept above an Australian guy, about our age, and Gail slept in the bed above me! It was crazy! But the hostel was very cool despite the living situation. We had a huge lounge, great breakfast, and a TV!!! (something we don't have in Rome, and it was even in ENGLISH, with most American television shows!), and fast internet!
Gail and I made our way around Copenhagen alone during the day while Joey was at school. But it was very relaxing and we just hung around town. We took our time and walked through the King's Gardens, saw the Royal Castle, went to a couple museums, and did a LOT of shopping. Because it was more modern than Italy, there were a lot of cool stores and great shopping. Danish Crones and the money system was a little less expensive than Euros so we enjoyed the price tags :)
After class, Joey met up with us and we went to a place called Christiana, which is right outside of Copenhagen. It is known as a non-tourist Amsterdam (if you know what I mean). It wasn't as beautiful as Amsterdam, but everything was painted with graffiti. It wasn't ugly gang graffiti but rather graffiti murals. There were little markets, shops, a skateboarding park, a couple restaurants, and it overlooked a small lake. The ice was finally melting but it is usually used for ice-skating in the winter and swimming in the summer. There was only a few residents in Christiana, and most of them were squatters and hippies. We hiked through the forest and just looked around, but didn't participate in any 'activities' there because it was a little sketchy, but interesting. After a certain point, people couldn't take pictures in the center because the pictures could contain 'illegal things' in them. In the forest we saw the hippies' houses, and it was incredible how they lived. Their houses were very colorful, very "eco-green," they just lived with nature.
Later that night, Joey, Gail and I went grocery shopping and made Mexican food at Joey's dorm. It was FANTASTIC! While traveling, Gail and I try to 'picnic' or cook at our hostels in order to save money. We had a great time seeing Joey's dorm and meeting his friends. After dinner, a group of us went out and enjoyed the Danish nightlife!
The next day, the 3 of us went to Malmo, Sweden. It was only an hour train ride from Copenhagen. It was a first time for all of us, so we were a little confused about the Danish/Swedish train. Then all of a sudden Joey realized the train that was currently at the station was the train that we NEEDED to be on! So we quickly shuffled to the door...Joey and I got in just fine, but poor Gail was just about to jump on but the doors started to CLOSE on her!!! Joey and I tried to pry the doors open but they shut, separating us from Gail!
(For those who are regular readers, you may remember that in London the same thing happened on the Tube, but instead Gail jumped on the Tube/Metro without telling us and I tried to pull her off the Tube, but the doors closed on us! It was our first day in Europe, and we were so scared! Luckily, Gail got off on the next stop and I jumped on the next Tube to get to the next stop as quick as possible and looked throughout the station looking for her, and were reunited with laughs and tears!)
It's obvious that public transportation for Gail and I have always been a little difficult, and it wasn't the first time that we each faced two separate sides of a metro door looking at each other with fear and trying to scream through the door telling each other what we should do! Hahah, luckily we had cell phones this time around, and Joey and I went only one more stop on the metro and then caught another back to meet Gail at the first station. It was quite funny for all of us because the same silly/terrifying situation happened again!
After that 'bump' in the road (seems like I use that phrase a lot for our traveling "mistakes") we got on correct train to Sweden. Sweden was very similar to Copenhagen. It was very quaint, modern, and everyone was blonde! We mainly stayed in the center of Malmo because Sweden was a little cheaper for shopping than the Euro and Crone. We went to the mall and all the small boutiques. The food was great and spending time in another country was extra-special! Two countries in one day!!!
On our last night, we walked the streets of Copenhagen and look in its beauty. Then we went to Joey's apartment to cook dinner and have some wine. It was a very relaxing weekend. It felt good to just 'hang around' in the city and didn't have to stress about seeing specific tourist sites.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
