Before heading off to Napoli, we had received many warnings: don’t wander aimlessly, don’t lose track of your belongings, don’t go down any empty streets, don’t leave the leave the touristy areas and don’t go to the touristy restaurants on the waterfront. By the end of the day we had done most of these things – and had a day to remember.
It is hard not to fall into a deep, heads over heels love for Rome. In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are a few of my favorite things about my new home:
On only our second weekend in Rome, two of my roommates and I decided to use Italy’s well-connected train system to see Tuscany. We decided to spend a day and a night in Pisa, and then take a quick train to Lucca, a small, picturesque town.
We had an incredible time in Pisa, partially due to the cloudless blue skies above the Piazza dei Miracoli, which houses the famous leaning tower. We climbed up the tower-battling vertigo and unsteadiness-and were rewarded with sweeping views of the town.
1. Explore on my own
I’ve never traveled further than down the East Coast without my family or a school group. It will be a challenge for me to explore on my own without being afraid of getting lost or stuck in a situation with a large language barrier. I look forward to leaving the apartment armed with only my sense of adventure.
Wow, what a week! After exploring Santa Cruz Island more, going to Floreana Island and ending the week with four amazing dives, I am happy and exhausted. I savored the moments and I now feel like going back to the US in a week wont be as hard.
Last Sunday I participated in the performance art piece Hamish Fulton did in collaboration with Modern Art Oxford. It took place on a narrow footpath behind Christ Church. Volunteer performers and Fulton himself lined up along both sides of the road, evenly spaced out so that one would be standing at the midpoint of the distance between the two people on the opposite side.
Budapest, Hungary
How do I love Hungary? Let me count the ways:
1. The Heroes' Square is one of the most stunning plazas I've been to in all of Europe. It's a true monument to important figures in Hungary's history, and its sheer size was astounding. It's even beautiful at night, since all the monuments are lit up and shine like the glorious sights they are.
Vienna, Austria
As a fan of cheap alliteration and the word penultimate, we have sadly come to the penultimate post I will be making. As I've spent the semester focusing on what I've been doing in and around London I thought I could use this post to give a little highlight of my time spent further abroad. As is a big part of any study abroad program, I didn't spend every weekend in London. I also made my way to Barcelona, Prague, and spent a week after the program in Venice, Florence, and Rome.
A bit more of my last bout of travelling, this stop, Amsterdam. While in Amsterdam I got to travel to Keukenoff to see the tulip fields/gardens, and spent a lot of time walking around the city with my friend Tara as a tour guide, who is studying there for the semester. The city was beautiful and we had great weather for the whole trip. I got to try some native dutch cuisine, dutch pancakes, which were incredible.