Sunday, April 12, 2009
Happy Easter from Paris!
In spite of no Easter Bunny coming to the hostel, it turned out to be a great Easter in Paris. Nikki, Eldon, and I went to Notre Dame cathedral for Mass this morning. It was completely packed with people sitting and standing, with not even room for everyone to enter who wanted to, but it was neat to see so many people celebrating Easter Mass at once. Notre Dame was beautiful, especially the gardens outside of it. All of the flowers here are in full bloom, and the colors are just magnificent! I can definitely see now why people flock to Paris for Easter. After Mass we went for a picnic in a big park not far from our hostel. It turns out we had the right idea as far a picnic on Easter, as the park was just packed with Parisans enjoying picnics and strolls. When I go back to the States I will definitely miss the European habit of taking long leisurely strolls and relaxing in public parks on weekends. After our picnic we went to the Montemarte district of Paris, which is an area where many artists live and there are lots of little cafes. Lots of people were out and about in this area as well, and we followed the crowds and ended up on some steps that look out over the whole city of Paris. There were a couple guys singing and playing guitar on the steps. They were performing popular American acoustic songs, and they were really good! I am definitely worn out from the day, but it was a great day. Tomorrow night I leave Paris and head for Florence to meet my mom and brother. I probably won't have wireless for a while after this, but I will update you all when I have the chance.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Paris at Eastertime
I arrived in Paris this afternoon, and Eldon and I met up with our friend Nikki who was studying with us in Florence. She has been in Poland for the last week or so, and it has been very interesting to hear her stories. After checking into our hostel and getting situated we went to the Eiffel Tower at night. I wasn't quite sure if the Eiffel Tower would be all that it is hyped up to be, but it turned out to be AMAZING when it is lit up in the dark! It really was breathtaking. Tomorrow we plan to go to Easter Mass at Notre Dame then go on a picnic for Easter lunch. Paris is really busy with people visiting for their long Easter weekends, but the atmosphere is very festive. I am definitely glad to be here, but of course it is a bit strange to be celebrating Easter away from home. I doubt that the Easter bunny visits hostels. But, on the upside, in just two more days my mom and brother are coming! I've been counting down the days.
Ireland
04/09/2009
Within the past few days I believe I have spent more time riding public transportation than on the ground. Ever since leaving Munich on Monday, life has pretty much been constant travelling. When Eldon and I got to London from Munich all we had time to do was find our hostel, check in, walk around trying to find an ATM, and go to bed. The next morning we woke up at 7:00 a.m. to get an early start on our journey to Londonderry/Derry in Northern Ireland where our friend Katie is studying. We thought that we’d be able to arrive in Derry the same day that we left, but our expectations were thwarted. Our train left at 9:10 a.m. from London, and our ferry did not get into Dublin until around 6:00 p.m. The bus from Dublin to Derry takes about four hours, and the next bus did not leave until 7:45 p.m. That would mean that we’d get into Derry around midnight, and our hostel did not accept check-ins after 10:00 p.m. I guess we were just spoiled by Italy’s public transportation system. So we ended up having to cancel our hostel in Derry for the night and got a hostel in Dublin. In Dublin I did get to experience some Guinness and “chips” in an Irish pub, but that’s about all I did besides sleep in the hostel. The next morning (Wednesday) we got up early again to catch a 7:15 a.m. bus to Derry. I slept most of the way to Derry, but when I did open my eyes I was able to see the beautiful Irish countryside. It is obvious why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle because everything is a vivid shade of green. I also saw two rainbows during the bus ride, which called to mind Irish leprechauns and pots of gold.
When we finally did get to Derry we found out that our friend Katie didn’t get off work until 5:00, which is pretty much what I expected. I decided that I needed some major alone time, so I went for a long run in the rain (it seems to always be raining in Ireland) around the medieval city walls that enclose the city center. We finally met up with Katie around 5:30, and she took us back to her dorm to make dinner. Eldon and I had brought pasta and wine from Italy so we could make a nice dinner, and it was really nice to be able to cook again and to just be with an old friend. Katie is one of the friends who I’ve known since freshman year of college, and she is going to be one of my village-mates next year. I’ve come to really appreciate the group of friends that I met freshmen year, and after being away for a semester it is really nice to reconnect.
Today (Thursday) Katie had to work until 5:00 again, so Eldon and I took a day trip to Giant’s Causeway, which is a national park area on the northern coast of Ireland. It is a really beautiful area and contains a lot of volcanic rock formations that are really something to see. Ever since I saw Katie’s pictures of the area I had wanted to go, and I really enjoyed this day. After we got back we met back up with Katie and went out to dinner. It was one of her roommates’ birthdays, so we celebrated by going out to an Italian restaurant. It was kind of strange to eat Italian food in Ireland, as it wasn’t at all like the Italian food in Italy. It was still good food…just different. We also did some laundry, which was much needed for me. I have a limited supply of clothes, since I am living out of a backpack, and I must admit that certain articles were getting pretty foul smelling. It will be so nice to have clean clothes to wear again!
Tonight I am not staying in a hostel. Instead we are catching the 12:45 a.m. bus from Derry to Dublin, which gets into Dublin at 4:10 a.m. Then we take an 8:45 ferry and get into London around 3:00 p.m. It will be a long day, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. I am definitely looking forward to getting back to Italy next Tuesday and being with my mom and brother and doing some things that I am familiar with. It has been challenging to figure everything out during this week or so of travelling, but it has also been a great confidence booster. I feel like I could travel anywhere now and get along alright, and I really feel like I have developed an ability to think on my feet and to stay calm in stressful situations. These are two traits that you really need to have when you travel. You just have to trust that everything will be okay, and you also have to use your resources and ask for help when you need it.
Within the past few days I believe I have spent more time riding public transportation than on the ground. Ever since leaving Munich on Monday, life has pretty much been constant travelling. When Eldon and I got to London from Munich all we had time to do was find our hostel, check in, walk around trying to find an ATM, and go to bed. The next morning we woke up at 7:00 a.m. to get an early start on our journey to Londonderry/Derry in Northern Ireland where our friend Katie is studying. We thought that we’d be able to arrive in Derry the same day that we left, but our expectations were thwarted. Our train left at 9:10 a.m. from London, and our ferry did not get into Dublin until around 6:00 p.m. The bus from Dublin to Derry takes about four hours, and the next bus did not leave until 7:45 p.m. That would mean that we’d get into Derry around midnight, and our hostel did not accept check-ins after 10:00 p.m. I guess we were just spoiled by Italy’s public transportation system. So we ended up having to cancel our hostel in Derry for the night and got a hostel in Dublin. In Dublin I did get to experience some Guinness and “chips” in an Irish pub, but that’s about all I did besides sleep in the hostel. The next morning (Wednesday) we got up early again to catch a 7:15 a.m. bus to Derry. I slept most of the way to Derry, but when I did open my eyes I was able to see the beautiful Irish countryside. It is obvious why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle because everything is a vivid shade of green. I also saw two rainbows during the bus ride, which called to mind Irish leprechauns and pots of gold.
When we finally did get to Derry we found out that our friend Katie didn’t get off work until 5:00, which is pretty much what I expected. I decided that I needed some major alone time, so I went for a long run in the rain (it seems to always be raining in Ireland) around the medieval city walls that enclose the city center. We finally met up with Katie around 5:30, and she took us back to her dorm to make dinner. Eldon and I had brought pasta and wine from Italy so we could make a nice dinner, and it was really nice to be able to cook again and to just be with an old friend. Katie is one of the friends who I’ve known since freshman year of college, and she is going to be one of my village-mates next year. I’ve come to really appreciate the group of friends that I met freshmen year, and after being away for a semester it is really nice to reconnect.
Today (Thursday) Katie had to work until 5:00 again, so Eldon and I took a day trip to Giant’s Causeway, which is a national park area on the northern coast of Ireland. It is a really beautiful area and contains a lot of volcanic rock formations that are really something to see. Ever since I saw Katie’s pictures of the area I had wanted to go, and I really enjoyed this day. After we got back we met back up with Katie and went out to dinner. It was one of her roommates’ birthdays, so we celebrated by going out to an Italian restaurant. It was kind of strange to eat Italian food in Ireland, as it wasn’t at all like the Italian food in Italy. It was still good food…just different. We also did some laundry, which was much needed for me. I have a limited supply of clothes, since I am living out of a backpack, and I must admit that certain articles were getting pretty foul smelling. It will be so nice to have clean clothes to wear again!
Tonight I am not staying in a hostel. Instead we are catching the 12:45 a.m. bus from Derry to Dublin, which gets into Dublin at 4:10 a.m. Then we take an 8:45 ferry and get into London around 3:00 p.m. It will be a long day, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. I am definitely looking forward to getting back to Italy next Tuesday and being with my mom and brother and doing some things that I am familiar with. It has been challenging to figure everything out during this week or so of travelling, but it has also been a great confidence booster. I feel like I could travel anywhere now and get along alright, and I really feel like I have developed an ability to think on my feet and to stay calm in stressful situations. These are two traits that you really need to have when you travel. You just have to trust that everything will be okay, and you also have to use your resources and ask for help when you need it.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Kudos to Obama...I couldn't have said it better
President Obama recently spoke before the Turkish parliament during his tour of Europe after the G20 convention. During his speech he discussed repairing ties between the U.S. and the Islamic world and also Turkey's desired accession into the E.U. One of the main holdbacks from Turkey becoming an E.U. nation is their failure to acknowledge the Armenian genocide. There are also issues in Turkey with freedom of speech and the treatment of Kurdish citizens. Obama's words on this matter are especially relevant to my last post about Dachau and coming to terms with one's national history while taking a stand on human rights.
According to Tuesday's Financial Times:
Mr Obama said "the United States is still working through some of our own darker periods" - slavery, its treatment of native Americans and human rights abuses during the "war on terror."
"I say this as the president of a country that not too long ago made it hard for someone who looks like me to vote," he sid. "But it is precisely that capacity to change that enriches our countries ... Every challenge that we face is more easily met if we tend to our own democratic foundation. This work is never over. That is why, in the United States, we recently ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, and prohibited , without exception or equivocation, any use of torture."
...
"Each country must work through its past," he said. "I know there are strong views in this chamber about the terrible events of 1915...The best way forward for the Turkish and Armenian people is a process that works through the past in a way that is honest, open and constructive."
End quote.
Obama is quite the man of words, and he knows how to use his words sensitively to inspire people to action. I am very grateful that we have a president who can communicate respectfully with other nations and can begin to repair international relations that have been strained in recent years. Hopefully with this leadership Americans can begin to recognize mistakes made in the nation's recent past and can address the damage done as a result of these mistakes.
According to Tuesday's Financial Times:
Mr Obama said "the United States is still working through some of our own darker periods" - slavery, its treatment of native Americans and human rights abuses during the "war on terror."
"I say this as the president of a country that not too long ago made it hard for someone who looks like me to vote," he sid. "But it is precisely that capacity to change that enriches our countries ... Every challenge that we face is more easily met if we tend to our own democratic foundation. This work is never over. That is why, in the United States, we recently ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, and prohibited , without exception or equivocation, any use of torture."
...
"Each country must work through its past," he said. "I know there are strong views in this chamber about the terrible events of 1915...The best way forward for the Turkish and Armenian people is a process that works through the past in a way that is honest, open and constructive."
End quote.
Obama is quite the man of words, and he knows how to use his words sensitively to inspire people to action. I am very grateful that we have a president who can communicate respectfully with other nations and can begin to repair international relations that have been strained in recent years. Hopefully with this leadership Americans can begin to recognize mistakes made in the nation's recent past and can address the damage done as a result of these mistakes.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Munich: I think I could live here!
As I prepare to head out for London, I can't help but think that my time in Munich has gone by way too fast. I haven't had much time to blog during my time here, so I'll take you through day be day to let you know what I've been up to.
Friday:
We arrived in Munich at 6:30 a.m. and couldn't check into our hostel until 1:00 p.m., so, although we were tired, we went on a free walking tour of Munich. Our guide, named Luke from England, was really good; he was humorous, yet very informative on historical matters. We learned a lot about the history of Munich and how Hitler came to power here. We also saw the infamous glockenspiel! I really like the layout of the city of Munich. The streets are wide, people follow traffic laws, and it is very friendly towards bikers and pedestrians. This all probably has something to do with the fact that Munich is a fairly modern city, with much of it being rebuilt after WWII. It is actually very similar to a U.S. city, but after Italy it is nice to get back to some sanity.
Saturday:
During our tour on Friday Luke really encouraged us to make a visit to the Dachau concentration camp memorial site during our time in Munich. He was leading a tour today, so we decided to go on it. It was a very informative experience, and actually being inside a concentration camp made that history I have always learned about seem more real. It is just unbelievable what humans can justify doing to other humans. We say that we would never let something like that happen again, but there are gross human rights violations going on in many places in the world right now, but we turn a blind eye. Our tour guide made it clear that Germany is one of the best countries in the world as far as recognizing and coming to terms with their dark past. Many countries have had similar things happen in their history, but many do not even admit it, let alone memorialize it. Think of the Armenian genocide in Turkey or even Guantanamo Bay for example. Those things just tend to get pushed under the rug. There is no doubt that the Holocaust was one of the worst events in the recent history of the world, and for many years Germans were ashamed of this history. Just recently have Germans began to show pride in their country again. For example, last year's world soccer cup was the first time Germans have waved their flag proudly in public since WWII. Overall Dachau was an experience that really made me think about things that are hard to think about but must be thought about nonetheless.
After getting back from Dachau we went to the Hofbrauhaus, the most famous beer hall in Europe. It was sort of touristy, but there were still lots of Germans there, including many wearing leiderhosen. Munich is the home of leiderhosen, so we have seen quite a bit of it since being here. The beer was really good at Hofbrauhaus, probably the best I've ever had! German beer is very strong though--about three times the strength of American beer by volume--and it is served by the liter! After getting back from the Hofbrauhaus we spent some time at the bar in our hostel, and it was a really great time. I am really enjoying the hostel experience. At the bar I met people from all over the world and some from the U.S. It is really interesting to hear stories of people's travels and just to meet some new people. I talked to a German guy for a while, and he gave us some pointers on what we should see in Munich.
Sunday:
Today we started the day with Palm Sunday Mass at the Munich cathedral, and, let me tell you, it was quite the ceremony. The Mass began with the entire congregation outside of the church, and the bishop and priests processed in and said a few words. Everyone in the congregation was carrying pussywillow branches for some reason unknown to me. After the bishop blessed the congregation with holy water, there was a little parade with a brass band, children singing, men carrying a large wooden cross, and men and women dressed in traditional German wear (inclduding leiderhosen). The entire congregation joined the parade and processed around the church, then filed into the church. The entire cathedral, which is huge, was filled, and people had to stand in the aisles. The mass was projected up on big screens on each side of the church. The whole ceremony lasted two hours, which is a testimony to the German Catholic tradition of always using the long reading (as Fr. Meyer always used to say).
After Mass we headed to a castle called Nympfenburg, which is a place the German I met at the bar last night recommended we see. It was a really neat place, with huge grounds which have been converted into a park where lots of people walk. I will put up some pictures on facebook for you to see later. It turned out to be a very nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.
After spending a few hours at the castle, we went to the English Gardens, which is another place the German recommended to me. The English Gardens is a huge park in Town, but it is so huge that it feels like you are outside of town. There are lots of deciduous trees, and there is a river that flows through it. Overall, the landscape here reminds me a lot of Minnesota, and I can definitely see why many Germans chose Minnesota as their place of residence when immigrating to the U.S. In there English Gardens there is a huge beer garden. When we got there it was absolutely packed with Germans enjoying their evening beers. This seemed like a much more authentically German experience than the Hofbrauhaus. I had a drink called a Radler, which is beer mixed with lemonade. It sounds really weird, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. It is especially good with food. To eat I had a bratwurst, sauerkraut, and a giant pretzel...now that's my kind of meal! As we ate a brass band played in a nearby tower, and it was just a really great atmosphere.
Monday:
Today has been a pretty low key day. We packed everything up and checked out of our hostel this morning, then we went to climb up St. Peter's tower, which is a tower attached to a church. This was yet another recommendation of the German guy, and I am very thankful that I talked to him because this ended up being another great experience. We climbed up 306 stairs, and at the top we could see the entire city of Munich. It is a very flat city, so we could see the whole thing. There seems to be a lot of industry here, which is different than Italy where the main commerce seems to be fashion. On our way back from the tower we saw some street performers doing some traditional Mongolian singing and instrumental performance. They could make crazy sounds with the voice boxes, and it was really something to see. There have been many great street performers in Munich who have provided lots of free entertainment for us.
Now it is almost time to say goodbye to the homeland of my ancestors, but I really hope I get the chance to return here someday. I think I could live here and fit in just fine if I learned German. I don't know if I ever will, but I could definitely see myself here more so than I could ever see myself in Italy. Italy was just getting too hectic and touristy for me, and this has been a very much needed reprieve from that.
Friday:
We arrived in Munich at 6:30 a.m. and couldn't check into our hostel until 1:00 p.m., so, although we were tired, we went on a free walking tour of Munich. Our guide, named Luke from England, was really good; he was humorous, yet very informative on historical matters. We learned a lot about the history of Munich and how Hitler came to power here. We also saw the infamous glockenspiel! I really like the layout of the city of Munich. The streets are wide, people follow traffic laws, and it is very friendly towards bikers and pedestrians. This all probably has something to do with the fact that Munich is a fairly modern city, with much of it being rebuilt after WWII. It is actually very similar to a U.S. city, but after Italy it is nice to get back to some sanity.
Saturday:
During our tour on Friday Luke really encouraged us to make a visit to the Dachau concentration camp memorial site during our time in Munich. He was leading a tour today, so we decided to go on it. It was a very informative experience, and actually being inside a concentration camp made that history I have always learned about seem more real. It is just unbelievable what humans can justify doing to other humans. We say that we would never let something like that happen again, but there are gross human rights violations going on in many places in the world right now, but we turn a blind eye. Our tour guide made it clear that Germany is one of the best countries in the world as far as recognizing and coming to terms with their dark past. Many countries have had similar things happen in their history, but many do not even admit it, let alone memorialize it. Think of the Armenian genocide in Turkey or even Guantanamo Bay for example. Those things just tend to get pushed under the rug. There is no doubt that the Holocaust was one of the worst events in the recent history of the world, and for many years Germans were ashamed of this history. Just recently have Germans began to show pride in their country again. For example, last year's world soccer cup was the first time Germans have waved their flag proudly in public since WWII. Overall Dachau was an experience that really made me think about things that are hard to think about but must be thought about nonetheless.
After getting back from Dachau we went to the Hofbrauhaus, the most famous beer hall in Europe. It was sort of touristy, but there were still lots of Germans there, including many wearing leiderhosen. Munich is the home of leiderhosen, so we have seen quite a bit of it since being here. The beer was really good at Hofbrauhaus, probably the best I've ever had! German beer is very strong though--about three times the strength of American beer by volume--and it is served by the liter! After getting back from the Hofbrauhaus we spent some time at the bar in our hostel, and it was a really great time. I am really enjoying the hostel experience. At the bar I met people from all over the world and some from the U.S. It is really interesting to hear stories of people's travels and just to meet some new people. I talked to a German guy for a while, and he gave us some pointers on what we should see in Munich.
Sunday:
Today we started the day with Palm Sunday Mass at the Munich cathedral, and, let me tell you, it was quite the ceremony. The Mass began with the entire congregation outside of the church, and the bishop and priests processed in and said a few words. Everyone in the congregation was carrying pussywillow branches for some reason unknown to me. After the bishop blessed the congregation with holy water, there was a little parade with a brass band, children singing, men carrying a large wooden cross, and men and women dressed in traditional German wear (inclduding leiderhosen). The entire congregation joined the parade and processed around the church, then filed into the church. The entire cathedral, which is huge, was filled, and people had to stand in the aisles. The mass was projected up on big screens on each side of the church. The whole ceremony lasted two hours, which is a testimony to the German Catholic tradition of always using the long reading (as Fr. Meyer always used to say).
After Mass we headed to a castle called Nympfenburg, which is a place the German I met at the bar last night recommended we see. It was a really neat place, with huge grounds which have been converted into a park where lots of people walk. I will put up some pictures on facebook for you to see later. It turned out to be a very nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.
After spending a few hours at the castle, we went to the English Gardens, which is another place the German recommended to me. The English Gardens is a huge park in Town, but it is so huge that it feels like you are outside of town. There are lots of deciduous trees, and there is a river that flows through it. Overall, the landscape here reminds me a lot of Minnesota, and I can definitely see why many Germans chose Minnesota as their place of residence when immigrating to the U.S. In there English Gardens there is a huge beer garden. When we got there it was absolutely packed with Germans enjoying their evening beers. This seemed like a much more authentically German experience than the Hofbrauhaus. I had a drink called a Radler, which is beer mixed with lemonade. It sounds really weird, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. It is especially good with food. To eat I had a bratwurst, sauerkraut, and a giant pretzel...now that's my kind of meal! As we ate a brass band played in a nearby tower, and it was just a really great atmosphere.
Monday:
Today has been a pretty low key day. We packed everything up and checked out of our hostel this morning, then we went to climb up St. Peter's tower, which is a tower attached to a church. This was yet another recommendation of the German guy, and I am very thankful that I talked to him because this ended up being another great experience. We climbed up 306 stairs, and at the top we could see the entire city of Munich. It is a very flat city, so we could see the whole thing. There seems to be a lot of industry here, which is different than Italy where the main commerce seems to be fashion. On our way back from the tower we saw some street performers doing some traditional Mongolian singing and instrumental performance. They could make crazy sounds with the voice boxes, and it was really something to see. There have been many great street performers in Munich who have provided lots of free entertainment for us.
Now it is almost time to say goodbye to the homeland of my ancestors, but I really hope I get the chance to return here someday. I think I could live here and fit in just fine if I learned German. I don't know if I ever will, but I could definitely see myself here more so than I could ever see myself in Italy. Italy was just getting too hectic and touristy for me, and this has been a very much needed reprieve from that.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Pictures from Follonica, Orvieto, and Roma!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026095&id=173301949&l=bb3971b193
The last week: a whirlwind!
I don't even know where to begin to start describing the time in between my last blog entry and now. When I last wrote I was in Orvieto, getting ready to head to Rome. On the train to Rome on Monday I finished my last final, so I have been done with schoolwork since then. I am finally a senior, and I'm glad to have made it this far with all the hard work I have put into everything. But I also have mixed emotions because this means that I only have one year left at St. Mary's, a place that I've grown to love. But I don't really want to dwell on that part right now. I am in Europe having a great time, and I am looking forward to returning home and starting my job at Whitewater State Park.
Now, for a brief synopsis, becuase that's really all I think anyone can handle, of Rome. I was in Rome for three nights, four days, and during that time I saw so much. Every night I was just ready to collapse! My first day in Rome I saw St. Peter's Basillica, Hadrian's Tomb, Bridge of the Angels, and the Spanish Steps at night. The highlight of the day was the Spanish Steps at night. There were tons of young people around our age there, and Rome had just won a soccer game, so they were doing lots of soccer cheers. Also, Nikki and I got to speak to some of the Swiss guards at the Vatican in order to pick up our tickets for the Papal Audience on Wednesday. Despite their ridiculous outfits, Swiss guards manage to be very attractive for the most part. Most of them are young, and it is required that they be single, fluent in at least four languages, be of a certain height, and be Catholic. So, in other words, they pretty much have to be perfect :-)
On Tuesday I went to the Trevi Fountain, the Coliseum, Palatine Hill, and the Forums with a bunch of people from our group. We got a tour for the Coliseum and Palatine Hill, and I learned a lot about the history behind these ancient ruins. Palatine Hill is where the Roman emperors used to live, and the Forums are where the Roman government, worship, and markets took place. Also, the Vestal Virgins lived in the Forums.
On Wednesday we had the Papal Audience with Pope Benedict. There were tons of people there for this. We got there over two hours before the audience began, and we still had to wait in line for almost a half hour to get through security! There were people from all over the world there, and everything was spoken in Italian, German, English, Spanish, and Polish. Groups were welcomed in special announcements, so Saint Mary's got its name mentioned. Our group, being the group we are, actually cheered for the wrong St. Mary's college, as there was another one from England. So we actually ended up cheering twice. The ceremony itself got kind of long, as everything had to be said in so many languages. The Pope spoke about his recent visit to Africa and the Catholic Church's place in Africa. After the Papal Audience I went to the Pantheon, the oldest building in Rome that is still in use today. It was originally a temple for the worship of all Roman gods, but now it is a Catholic church, of course. Much architecture has been based on that of the Pantheon, including any building that employs a dome ceiling! After the Pantheon I went to go spend a little more time in St. Peter's alone and to look at the tombs of the Popes. It was very crowded for some reason, and I was kind of disappointed because many people were not respecting the holy significance of these areas. Also, there was a lot of set up going on in St. Peter's for a memorial Mass for JPII to occur the next day, and there was much confusion among the security guards, who all seemed to have different versions of where visitors could and could not go. Some were even turning visitors away from Mass, which really bothered me. Everyone should be able to attend Mass if they so desire! I even saw them turn away a nun! I hope my experience in St. Peter's is not representative of the experience of the majority of visitors.
On Thursday I went to the Vatican Museums with a few others. Once again, we had to fight the crowds. I guess April is just not the best time to be visiting Rome if you don't like huge crowds of people. The Sistine Chapel was really something to see and worth the effort it took to get there. I still really don't see why the Church needs so much treasure. I guess it all has to do with power. The more I learn about the history of the Church, the more I see why many people condemn the Church and why Martin Luther took the actions he did. However, I am Catholic, and I am not going to change this because of past mistakes of the Church. Almost every government and religion has dark things that happened in their past. The important thing is to learn from these mistakes so that they don't happen again. You cannot flee from an organization because it has made mistakes—that is the cowardly thing to do—you must accept your place within that organization and work to make it better. (Just a side note—I am not calling Martin Luther a coward by any means, but I just realized that what I just said could be read like that. Luther himself did not advocate splitting from the Church but desired to make public the flaws in the Church so that we may work to change them.) We cannot deny that the Catholic Church accumulated much of what they have in the Vatican through actions that do not live up to Christian standards. Since the Christian religion was at first solely practiced through the Catholic faith, all Christians have their roots in the Church. These are roots that we can choose to accept or deny, but the truth is that they are a part of all Christianity, and all Christians, Catholic or not, can learn from their Christian past through the history of the Catholic Church.
Okay, enough of my rambling. I am now in Munich, after arriving here at 6:30 a.m. on a night train from Rome. Eldon and I went on a walking tour of the city today, then checked into our hostel to get some rest. So far I really love Germany. It is so much more organized and clean than Italy! It actually reminds me a lot of Minnesota, and I can see why so many Germans chose to immigrate to Minnesota. Tomorrow we will be touring Dachau...another dark part of history that must be recognized nonetheless. For now I am going to get some much needed rest. That night train was quite the experience, just let me say that.
Now, for a brief synopsis, becuase that's really all I think anyone can handle, of Rome. I was in Rome for three nights, four days, and during that time I saw so much. Every night I was just ready to collapse! My first day in Rome I saw St. Peter's Basillica, Hadrian's Tomb, Bridge of the Angels, and the Spanish Steps at night. The highlight of the day was the Spanish Steps at night. There were tons of young people around our age there, and Rome had just won a soccer game, so they were doing lots of soccer cheers. Also, Nikki and I got to speak to some of the Swiss guards at the Vatican in order to pick up our tickets for the Papal Audience on Wednesday. Despite their ridiculous outfits, Swiss guards manage to be very attractive for the most part. Most of them are young, and it is required that they be single, fluent in at least four languages, be of a certain height, and be Catholic. So, in other words, they pretty much have to be perfect :-)
On Tuesday I went to the Trevi Fountain, the Coliseum, Palatine Hill, and the Forums with a bunch of people from our group. We got a tour for the Coliseum and Palatine Hill, and I learned a lot about the history behind these ancient ruins. Palatine Hill is where the Roman emperors used to live, and the Forums are where the Roman government, worship, and markets took place. Also, the Vestal Virgins lived in the Forums.
On Wednesday we had the Papal Audience with Pope Benedict. There were tons of people there for this. We got there over two hours before the audience began, and we still had to wait in line for almost a half hour to get through security! There were people from all over the world there, and everything was spoken in Italian, German, English, Spanish, and Polish. Groups were welcomed in special announcements, so Saint Mary's got its name mentioned. Our group, being the group we are, actually cheered for the wrong St. Mary's college, as there was another one from England. So we actually ended up cheering twice. The ceremony itself got kind of long, as everything had to be said in so many languages. The Pope spoke about his recent visit to Africa and the Catholic Church's place in Africa. After the Papal Audience I went to the Pantheon, the oldest building in Rome that is still in use today. It was originally a temple for the worship of all Roman gods, but now it is a Catholic church, of course. Much architecture has been based on that of the Pantheon, including any building that employs a dome ceiling! After the Pantheon I went to go spend a little more time in St. Peter's alone and to look at the tombs of the Popes. It was very crowded for some reason, and I was kind of disappointed because many people were not respecting the holy significance of these areas. Also, there was a lot of set up going on in St. Peter's for a memorial Mass for JPII to occur the next day, and there was much confusion among the security guards, who all seemed to have different versions of where visitors could and could not go. Some were even turning visitors away from Mass, which really bothered me. Everyone should be able to attend Mass if they so desire! I even saw them turn away a nun! I hope my experience in St. Peter's is not representative of the experience of the majority of visitors.
On Thursday I went to the Vatican Museums with a few others. Once again, we had to fight the crowds. I guess April is just not the best time to be visiting Rome if you don't like huge crowds of people. The Sistine Chapel was really something to see and worth the effort it took to get there. I still really don't see why the Church needs so much treasure. I guess it all has to do with power. The more I learn about the history of the Church, the more I see why many people condemn the Church and why Martin Luther took the actions he did. However, I am Catholic, and I am not going to change this because of past mistakes of the Church. Almost every government and religion has dark things that happened in their past. The important thing is to learn from these mistakes so that they don't happen again. You cannot flee from an organization because it has made mistakes—that is the cowardly thing to do—you must accept your place within that organization and work to make it better. (Just a side note—I am not calling Martin Luther a coward by any means, but I just realized that what I just said could be read like that. Luther himself did not advocate splitting from the Church but desired to make public the flaws in the Church so that we may work to change them.) We cannot deny that the Catholic Church accumulated much of what they have in the Vatican through actions that do not live up to Christian standards. Since the Christian religion was at first solely practiced through the Catholic faith, all Christians have their roots in the Church. These are roots that we can choose to accept or deny, but the truth is that they are a part of all Christianity, and all Christians, Catholic or not, can learn from their Christian past through the history of the Catholic Church.
Okay, enough of my rambling. I am now in Munich, after arriving here at 6:30 a.m. on a night train from Rome. Eldon and I went on a walking tour of the city today, then checked into our hostel to get some rest. So far I really love Germany. It is so much more organized and clean than Italy! It actually reminds me a lot of Minnesota, and I can see why so many Germans chose to immigrate to Minnesota. Tomorrow we will be touring Dachau...another dark part of history that must be recognized nonetheless. For now I am going to get some much needed rest. That night train was quite the experience, just let me say that.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
The sea and a symphony
I just thought I should give a quick update on what I’ve been up to lately. I am now in Orvieto, a small village built on a plateau. I arrived here today after spending four nights in Follonica, a small resort town on the coast. In Follonica our hotel was right on the coast, and our rooms had balconies that looked out over the sea! While we were there we took most of our finals. I still have one more to take tomorrow, but after that I am all done with school work for this semester…yay! There wasn’t much to do in Follonica other than spend time on the beach, so it was a really good place to be with minimum distractions for finals. My daily schedule went like this: wake up, go for a run on the beach, get ready for the day, eat breakfast, study a bit for my upcoming final, take my final at 10:30, spend a couple hours relaxing on the beach, study for a few hours for the next day’s final, then go to dinner in the hotel at 7:30. I loved spending time on the beach, and I actually got a tan! Also, the dinner at the hotel was wonderful. We had a choice of what we wanted, and I usually chose seafood. I can’t imagine a better place to take finals. In fact, I think St. Mary’s should take all of it’s students to the beach for finals each semester.
Today in Orvieto I did a bit of exploring, and when we went to the cathedral we were pleasantly surprised to find a symphony orchestra practicing. We found out that they were offering a free concert at 5:00, so we decided to go. I just got back from it, and it was amazing. The setting inside the cathedral was perfect, and the acoustics were great. When we arrived at 4:40, there was standing room only inside this huge cathedral. It turns out the band conductor used to be the conductor for the New York Symphony Orchestra, and he is world famous. What a day to pick to come to Orvieto! Then, as we were walking back to our hotel, a marching band came right by us on the street. They were citizens of Orvieto in an antifascism group. So, all in all it was a very musical sort of day.
I will be staying in Orvieto tonight and tomorrow night, then we depart for Rome, where I will be staying for three nights.
Today in Orvieto I did a bit of exploring, and when we went to the cathedral we were pleasantly surprised to find a symphony orchestra practicing. We found out that they were offering a free concert at 5:00, so we decided to go. I just got back from it, and it was amazing. The setting inside the cathedral was perfect, and the acoustics were great. When we arrived at 4:40, there was standing room only inside this huge cathedral. It turns out the band conductor used to be the conductor for the New York Symphony Orchestra, and he is world famous. What a day to pick to come to Orvieto! Then, as we were walking back to our hotel, a marching band came right by us on the street. They were citizens of Orvieto in an antifascism group. So, all in all it was a very musical sort of day.
I will be staying in Orvieto tonight and tomorrow night, then we depart for Rome, where I will be staying for three nights.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A busy, yet relaxing weekend
As I mentioned before, I went on the Amalfi Coast tour this weekend. On Friday we spent the day in a small fishing village called Positano. While there I got in a good couple hours laying on the beach reading my book, even though it was overcast and not very warm. I have discovered that I really love the sea. I love the sound of the waves rolling in, the feel of waves washing over my feet, and the far-off horizon of water. Ashley and Bailey were there as well, but they went out for lunch, and I decided to just stay by the water. It was nice to get some alone time, something that has become quite the rarity on this trip. The downfall of the day was that it started getting really windy and raining heavily in the afternoon. It definitely wasn't the ideal day to spend on the coast, but I am grateful for the time that I did have on the beach.
Yesterday we spent the day in Capri, a small island off the coast of Italy. Capri is sort of a jet-set vacation destination. Some really famous stars have villas there, including Mariah Carey, so it is quite the expensive place. It was a nice place to spend the day though because it is beautiful and really clean without too many tourists around. We rode a ferry from Sorrento, where our hostel is, to Capri. It was sunny, but, once again, it was windy and cold. I really wanted to swim in the ocean for the first time during this trip, and I brought my swimming suit along. It wasn't looking too good for swimming as we made our walking tour to the beach. Even with jeans and a windbreaker I was freezing! However, once we got to the other side of the island it warmed up a lot, and the beach was sort of blocked from the wind. I decided I would brave the cold and jump in. After all, I have jumped into Lake Superior in October in the rain, so what could be colder? So Bailey and I changed into our swimming suits and jumped in. The water was cold, I will admit, but I've definitely been in colder. The water was really clear and blue, and, once again, it was just beautiful. It was very cold once we got out of the water, but I was still glad I did it. That was the highlight so far of this trip!
Today we go to Pompeii, which lies inland in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. It 79 A.D. Mt. Vesuvius blew up, and the lava covered Pompeii. The houses and buildings were preserved exactly how they were in that time. Later archaeologists discovered the city, and now you can go on tours of the old buildings. I hadn't really heard too much about Pompeii before this trip, but the more I hear about it, the more excited I get about it.
Yesterday we spent the day in Capri, a small island off the coast of Italy. Capri is sort of a jet-set vacation destination. Some really famous stars have villas there, including Mariah Carey, so it is quite the expensive place. It was a nice place to spend the day though because it is beautiful and really clean without too many tourists around. We rode a ferry from Sorrento, where our hostel is, to Capri. It was sunny, but, once again, it was windy and cold. I really wanted to swim in the ocean for the first time during this trip, and I brought my swimming suit along. It wasn't looking too good for swimming as we made our walking tour to the beach. Even with jeans and a windbreaker I was freezing! However, once we got to the other side of the island it warmed up a lot, and the beach was sort of blocked from the wind. I decided I would brave the cold and jump in. After all, I have jumped into Lake Superior in October in the rain, so what could be colder? So Bailey and I changed into our swimming suits and jumped in. The water was cold, I will admit, but I've definitely been in colder. The water was really clear and blue, and, once again, it was just beautiful. It was very cold once we got out of the water, but I was still glad I did it. That was the highlight so far of this trip!
Today we go to Pompeii, which lies inland in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. It 79 A.D. Mt. Vesuvius blew up, and the lava covered Pompeii. The houses and buildings were preserved exactly how they were in that time. Later archaeologists discovered the city, and now you can go on tours of the old buildings. I hadn't really heard too much about Pompeii before this trip, but the more I hear about it, the more excited I get about it.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Pictures!
I just put up some pics from my birthday. If you'd like to see them, go to: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025711&id=173301949&l=88b64cbf2a
Update
Since it's been so long since I've had Internet, it's hard to know where to start with this post. Tomorrow I leave for one last weekend trip, this time to the Amalfi Coast, Capri, and Pompeii. This is another Florence for Fun trip, so it will be like the one I took to Interlaken. The part I am most excited to see is Capri, which is an island off the coast of Italy. I've heard that it is just beautiful. I am just hoping for good weather, as the forecast calls for rain.
After I get back from my weekend excursion, I will only have two more nights at Villa Bonelli, then the whole group heads out next Tuesday for Follonica, Orvieto, and Rome. During this time Bob will administer our finals to us, but we will not have classes other than that.
On April 2nd I am completely done with my study abroad program, and Eldon and I have finally got all of our necessary train and plane tickets and reserved hostels for each night. It all seems like quite the whirlwind right now, so I am looking forward to having this weekend just to relax and get away.
After I get back from my weekend excursion, I will only have two more nights at Villa Bonelli, then the whole group heads out next Tuesday for Follonica, Orvieto, and Rome. During this time Bob will administer our finals to us, but we will not have classes other than that.
On April 2nd I am completely done with my study abroad program, and Eldon and I have finally got all of our necessary train and plane tickets and reserved hostels for each night. It all seems like quite the whirlwind right now, so I am looking forward to having this weekend just to relax and get away.
Last Italy Editorial
This is this month's editorial for the Cardinal:
It’s hard to believe that it has been another month in Italy, and soon my time here will draw to an end. It will definitely be hard to leave, even though I really do love Minnesota. As I reflect on the time I’ve spent in Europe, I cannot help but come to the conclusion that everyone should study or travel abroad at some point. Not only have I had some of the best experiences of my life in Italy, I have also learned so much about being a citizen in today’s globalized world. My time in Italy has been a series of many “live and learn” moments, and each of these moments has given me confidence.
Before travelling to Italy, I had never been outside of the United States. I will admit that I was pretty scared and lost when I first arrived at the Minneapolis airport. I now feel confident finding my way through airports and train stations, and I know I can go into a foreign city where I don’t speak the language and find my way around. If I had not had the opportunity to study abroad, I don’t know how I would have gained this confidence.
It has recently come to my attention that Saint Mary’s intends to significantly change the Florence study abroad program to allow students to study a greater variety of subjects with a more diverse group of students and to live more independently while studying abroad. I agree that these changes will improve the SMU Florence program as a whole.
However, along with these positive changes comes a negative side. Since SMU will no longer operate its own program in Florence, students will only be able to apply $2,000 of their SMU scholarships to studying abroad in Florence. Previously, students wishing to apply their scholarship of more than $2,000 to study abroad could choose between the SMU programs in Florence and London. Now it appears that the only choice for these students will be London.
Studying abroad would not have been possible for me if I had not been able to use my full scholarship from SMU. It saddens me that other SMU students may miss out on this valuable experience because of monetary issues. I sincerely hope that the university will continue to realize the value of studying abroad and make this opportunity available to as many qualified students as possible.
It’s hard to believe that it has been another month in Italy, and soon my time here will draw to an end. It will definitely be hard to leave, even though I really do love Minnesota. As I reflect on the time I’ve spent in Europe, I cannot help but come to the conclusion that everyone should study or travel abroad at some point. Not only have I had some of the best experiences of my life in Italy, I have also learned so much about being a citizen in today’s globalized world. My time in Italy has been a series of many “live and learn” moments, and each of these moments has given me confidence.
Before travelling to Italy, I had never been outside of the United States. I will admit that I was pretty scared and lost when I first arrived at the Minneapolis airport. I now feel confident finding my way through airports and train stations, and I know I can go into a foreign city where I don’t speak the language and find my way around. If I had not had the opportunity to study abroad, I don’t know how I would have gained this confidence.
It has recently come to my attention that Saint Mary’s intends to significantly change the Florence study abroad program to allow students to study a greater variety of subjects with a more diverse group of students and to live more independently while studying abroad. I agree that these changes will improve the SMU Florence program as a whole.
However, along with these positive changes comes a negative side. Since SMU will no longer operate its own program in Florence, students will only be able to apply $2,000 of their SMU scholarships to studying abroad in Florence. Previously, students wishing to apply their scholarship of more than $2,000 to study abroad could choose between the SMU programs in Florence and London. Now it appears that the only choice for these students will be London.
Studying abroad would not have been possible for me if I had not been able to use my full scholarship from SMU. It saddens me that other SMU students may miss out on this valuable experience because of monetary issues. I sincerely hope that the university will continue to realize the value of studying abroad and make this opportunity available to as many qualified students as possible.
Cinque Terre
My Internet finally works again, allelulia! When everyone found out that the wireless was on, it honestly sounded like midnight on New Year's Eve out in the lounge. Anyway, here is what I had to say about Cinque Terre:
03/15/2009
People always seem to ask, “Was this your best birthday ever?” And usually out of politeness, I respond yes. But after this weekend, I can say with all honesty that my 21st birthday was my best birthday ever! Cinque Terre was beautiful, the weather was amazing, and my friends put a lot of work into making it a great celebration.
I will begin with Friday the 13th, the day before my birthday, which, in some ways, lived up to its unlucky reputation. The unlucky part came in the morning when we were headed down to the train station. Eldon and I had left before the rest of our group so that we could obtain our train tickets for Munich. When we were on the bus it was stopped by a police officer who told the driver that he could not take his usual route passing the Duomo. I’m not sure if there was an accident or a special event or what, but a ride that usually takes about a half hour took almost an hour, so I was very worried about the rest of our group missing the train to Cinque Terre. When we got the train station I called Villa Bonelli right away to warn the group, and I found that they had already left for the bus. What a relief! And that was the end of the unluckiness for Friday the 13th, because from there on out the day was fabulous!
It was about a three hour train ride to Cinque Terre, so it was around 4:00 p.m. when we arrived in Monterossa, the town we were staying in. Our first mission was to find Manuel’s Guesthouse, where we would be staying for the next two nights. I had directions that the guesthouse had emailed me, so I guided the group. I was pleasantly surprised when a man outside a wine bar asked us what we were looking for. When I told him we were looking for Manuel’s Guesthouse, he shook my hand and said, “I am Manuel,” then he directed us up the stairs. Manuel is an artist, and he paints outside in the plaza outside the wine bar in Monterossa. He lives in the guesthouse he runs and rents out his extra rooms for guests. Talk about living the dream! The guesthouse was a very authentic place, almost like living in an Italian home. We had to climb over 100 steps to get up the house, then Lorenzo, Manuel’s employee, showed us to our rooms. The rooms were nothing fancy, but they did their job. Just as the website promised, there was indeed a terrace that overlooked the sea, and on that terrace there was indeed a bar and grill. It was kind of strange because there was rarely anybody around, so we just had free range of the place. It ended up being the perfect place for our group, and I would definitely stay there again.
After getting settled into the hotel, we all went down to have a look around town, and we all ended up at the beach. I was just going to wade, but I ended up going in up to my hips and getting my jeans soaking wet. That wasn’t nearly as bad as what happened to Lorenzo, a member of the SMU group. He was standing in the water, about up to his knees, and I came up behind him. I was just going to push him a little to scare him a bit, but he ended up going in all the way. Luckily nothing in his pockets was ruined, and he decided to go for a swim after that anyway, so I didn’t feel so bad.
Our group decided to go out for a fancier dinner on Friday night, then grill out on my birthday. So we found a nice restaurant with an ocean view and went there. I had a caprese salad, a swordfish steak, and some great white wine. Many people in our group had seafood, which was served in some interesting ways. Ania and Ashley had fresh cod, and it came as a whole fish, head, skin and all. The waiter filleted them right there at the table. Allyson and some others had shrimp that came with the shell and antennas still on. Some people were a bit grossed out by this, but I guess its all part of the experience.
After dinner we all just went up to the hotel and sat on the terrace for a while with some wine. A group of us ended up going back down to the beach around 10:00 p.m. We climbed way up on a rock that looked over the sea and just sat there for a long time. We ended up ringing in my birthday on the beach when it turned midnight…what a way to start the celebration.
On my birthday we all got up fairly early to get started with our hiking, and we received some disappointing news from some others staying at the guesthouse. They went hiking the day before, and they said the majority of the trails were closed for maintenance. The ironic thing was that it was also one of the girls’ 21st birthday in their group on Saturday as well. But, anyway, we decided to try the hiking and see what we found. We bought our train and hiking pass at the train station, and we found that the trails were truly closed. The only stretch that was opened was from the first town to the second, a section called “Via di Amore,” or “Lover’s Lane.” So I reconciled myself to an easy hike and decided to just take things slowly.
I think it actually worked out better that most of the trail was closed, because it would have been difficult for our whole group to stay together given the size, and this way we could just sort of relax and take it all in. We stopped frequently to go down to the ocean and dip our feet in. At one point there was a bar along the trail, and Ania bought me my first drink of the day, a Pina Colada, which was very good, I must say. After we got to the end of the open section of trail, we took the train to the next town and walked around there for a while. All of the towns in Cinque Terre are just adorable. They are painted in pink, yellow, and salmon colored stucco, and they are all built right into the sea cliffs. There was one town we did not get to because it was getting late, and we were all ready to go back and grill. I would like to come back to Cinque Terre sometime when the trail is open, as I think it would be a very nice way to experience the towns.
After we got back to Monterossa, we all went to purchase our meat and other food. To buy the steak we went to this local butcher shop, and the owner working behind the counter did not speak English. There was basically a whole side of a cow lying behind the counter, and we weren’t quite sure how to ask for seven steaks. We finally figured it out, after we pointed to the wrong type of meat, and the owner made pig noises, indicating that the meat was pork, not beef.
When we got back to Manuel’s we discovered that using the grill, which also doubled as a stove, would be a bit more difficult than we intended. Plus, we wanted to ask permission first, but no one was around to ask. Manuel finally came home and helped us out, and the cooking began. Ania and Allyson prepared a pasta and vegetable dish for the entire group, and it was delicious! Lorenzo did all the grilling, and the steak was tender, juicy, and rare, just the way I now like it. It was the best birthday meal that I could have asked for. Everyone ate out on the terrace, and after we were done Ania, Allyson, and Bailey brought out a slice of birthday cake with candles on it. They also got me a beach ball and water wings, which, unfortunately I haven’t used yet. Hopefully next weekend…more about that later. I also received a couple of other gifts which were very suitable for a 21st birthday…I’ll leave that up to your imagination. Needless to say, we had quite the celebration.
We went down to the beach later that night, and I saw my birthday out the same way I brought it in, on the beach. I could not have asked for a more perfect weekend, and I am very thankful for everyone who helped to make it so great for me. I hope to go back to Cinque Terre again sometime when the trails are open. In fact, I have already decided that I am bringing my mom and brother there, although they may not know it yet. For anyone who ever plans to travel to Italy, I would definitely recommend putting Cinque Terre at the top of your list of places to see. It is just a very authentic Italian experience, and the natural beauty of the area cannot be compared to anything else.
03/15/2009
People always seem to ask, “Was this your best birthday ever?” And usually out of politeness, I respond yes. But after this weekend, I can say with all honesty that my 21st birthday was my best birthday ever! Cinque Terre was beautiful, the weather was amazing, and my friends put a lot of work into making it a great celebration.
I will begin with Friday the 13th, the day before my birthday, which, in some ways, lived up to its unlucky reputation. The unlucky part came in the morning when we were headed down to the train station. Eldon and I had left before the rest of our group so that we could obtain our train tickets for Munich. When we were on the bus it was stopped by a police officer who told the driver that he could not take his usual route passing the Duomo. I’m not sure if there was an accident or a special event or what, but a ride that usually takes about a half hour took almost an hour, so I was very worried about the rest of our group missing the train to Cinque Terre. When we got the train station I called Villa Bonelli right away to warn the group, and I found that they had already left for the bus. What a relief! And that was the end of the unluckiness for Friday the 13th, because from there on out the day was fabulous!
It was about a three hour train ride to Cinque Terre, so it was around 4:00 p.m. when we arrived in Monterossa, the town we were staying in. Our first mission was to find Manuel’s Guesthouse, where we would be staying for the next two nights. I had directions that the guesthouse had emailed me, so I guided the group. I was pleasantly surprised when a man outside a wine bar asked us what we were looking for. When I told him we were looking for Manuel’s Guesthouse, he shook my hand and said, “I am Manuel,” then he directed us up the stairs. Manuel is an artist, and he paints outside in the plaza outside the wine bar in Monterossa. He lives in the guesthouse he runs and rents out his extra rooms for guests. Talk about living the dream! The guesthouse was a very authentic place, almost like living in an Italian home. We had to climb over 100 steps to get up the house, then Lorenzo, Manuel’s employee, showed us to our rooms. The rooms were nothing fancy, but they did their job. Just as the website promised, there was indeed a terrace that overlooked the sea, and on that terrace there was indeed a bar and grill. It was kind of strange because there was rarely anybody around, so we just had free range of the place. It ended up being the perfect place for our group, and I would definitely stay there again.
After getting settled into the hotel, we all went down to have a look around town, and we all ended up at the beach. I was just going to wade, but I ended up going in up to my hips and getting my jeans soaking wet. That wasn’t nearly as bad as what happened to Lorenzo, a member of the SMU group. He was standing in the water, about up to his knees, and I came up behind him. I was just going to push him a little to scare him a bit, but he ended up going in all the way. Luckily nothing in his pockets was ruined, and he decided to go for a swim after that anyway, so I didn’t feel so bad.
Our group decided to go out for a fancier dinner on Friday night, then grill out on my birthday. So we found a nice restaurant with an ocean view and went there. I had a caprese salad, a swordfish steak, and some great white wine. Many people in our group had seafood, which was served in some interesting ways. Ania and Ashley had fresh cod, and it came as a whole fish, head, skin and all. The waiter filleted them right there at the table. Allyson and some others had shrimp that came with the shell and antennas still on. Some people were a bit grossed out by this, but I guess its all part of the experience.
After dinner we all just went up to the hotel and sat on the terrace for a while with some wine. A group of us ended up going back down to the beach around 10:00 p.m. We climbed way up on a rock that looked over the sea and just sat there for a long time. We ended up ringing in my birthday on the beach when it turned midnight…what a way to start the celebration.
On my birthday we all got up fairly early to get started with our hiking, and we received some disappointing news from some others staying at the guesthouse. They went hiking the day before, and they said the majority of the trails were closed for maintenance. The ironic thing was that it was also one of the girls’ 21st birthday in their group on Saturday as well. But, anyway, we decided to try the hiking and see what we found. We bought our train and hiking pass at the train station, and we found that the trails were truly closed. The only stretch that was opened was from the first town to the second, a section called “Via di Amore,” or “Lover’s Lane.” So I reconciled myself to an easy hike and decided to just take things slowly.
I think it actually worked out better that most of the trail was closed, because it would have been difficult for our whole group to stay together given the size, and this way we could just sort of relax and take it all in. We stopped frequently to go down to the ocean and dip our feet in. At one point there was a bar along the trail, and Ania bought me my first drink of the day, a Pina Colada, which was very good, I must say. After we got to the end of the open section of trail, we took the train to the next town and walked around there for a while. All of the towns in Cinque Terre are just adorable. They are painted in pink, yellow, and salmon colored stucco, and they are all built right into the sea cliffs. There was one town we did not get to because it was getting late, and we were all ready to go back and grill. I would like to come back to Cinque Terre sometime when the trail is open, as I think it would be a very nice way to experience the towns.
After we got back to Monterossa, we all went to purchase our meat and other food. To buy the steak we went to this local butcher shop, and the owner working behind the counter did not speak English. There was basically a whole side of a cow lying behind the counter, and we weren’t quite sure how to ask for seven steaks. We finally figured it out, after we pointed to the wrong type of meat, and the owner made pig noises, indicating that the meat was pork, not beef.
When we got back to Manuel’s we discovered that using the grill, which also doubled as a stove, would be a bit more difficult than we intended. Plus, we wanted to ask permission first, but no one was around to ask. Manuel finally came home and helped us out, and the cooking began. Ania and Allyson prepared a pasta and vegetable dish for the entire group, and it was delicious! Lorenzo did all the grilling, and the steak was tender, juicy, and rare, just the way I now like it. It was the best birthday meal that I could have asked for. Everyone ate out on the terrace, and after we were done Ania, Allyson, and Bailey brought out a slice of birthday cake with candles on it. They also got me a beach ball and water wings, which, unfortunately I haven’t used yet. Hopefully next weekend…more about that later. I also received a couple of other gifts which were very suitable for a 21st birthday…I’ll leave that up to your imagination. Needless to say, we had quite the celebration.
We went down to the beach later that night, and I saw my birthday out the same way I brought it in, on the beach. I could not have asked for a more perfect weekend, and I am very thankful for everyone who helped to make it so great for me. I hope to go back to Cinque Terre again sometime when the trails are open. In fact, I have already decided that I am bringing my mom and brother there, although they may not know it yet. For anyone who ever plans to travel to Italy, I would definitely recommend putting Cinque Terre at the top of your list of places to see. It is just a very authentic Italian experience, and the natural beauty of the area cannot be compared to anything else.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Internet Down
The wireless internet router exploded at my hotel, so that's why I haven't published anything about Cinque Terre yet. I'll tell you now that it was a wonderful weekend and the best birthday of my life! Hopefully I'll be able to get my post up soon.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
It's been a while
Dear faithful readers, I am sorry it has been so long since I have last posted a blog. I know there is not a valid excuse for such an action, but, to my defense, I have been pretty busy during the past couple weeks. As I mentioned last week, I am in the process of making travel plans for April, and I am glad that I have so much free time here, because it is taking more time to plan all this than I expected. Now I see why people still hire travel agents. But I am slowly getting everything figured out, and I'm sure it will all come together. I guess my main goal right now is to secure transportation from point-to-point for the eleven days that I'll be travelling before my mom and brother arrive in Florence.
Aside from all that, I have also spent a portion of the week planning the last minute details of my birthday weekend in Cinque Terre. We leave tomorrow and will not be back until Sunday, so, once again, you won't hear from me for a few days. The weather is supposed to be just beautiful in Cinque: 57 degrees and sunny all three days!
The weather is another reason for my not writing the past few days. Suddenly spring has hit northern Italy full force! The days have been sunny and warm, flowers are in full bloom, and everything is even more green than it was when we arrived! I have been going on some long runs and just trying to soak it all in. Sorry to make all of you back in Minnesota jealous, but I'm loving all this sun in March! I don't even have to worry about snow on my birthday, and that's the first time in my life that's happened.
Other than just enjoying the weather, I've done a couple other interesting things this week. One was for history class we went to the Medici chapels and to a museum that featured the inlaid marble art that is common for this area. I really like looking at the inlaid marble because it emmulates reality so well. You wouldn't think that you could make a realistic picture by piecing together marble, but often times the marble version of a scene looks even more realistic than a painting of the same scene. It is such an intricate art, and it is so strange to think that they did it all before the days of laser cutters and computer technology. It was all just painstaking work, and the results are beautiful.
Today for art class I finally got to see Michelangelo's real David. This is something that I have been looking forward to since I got here, and it was really a neat experience. I learned a bit about Michelangelo's, Donatello's, and Verocchio's Davids in honors class last semester, and now I have seen them all in person. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Florentine Davids, they are sculpures of the Biblical character from the David and Goliath story. The reason why there are so many Davids in Florence is that they are a symbol of the Republic. I really can't describe Michelangelo's David, and looking at pictures of it doesn't do it justice. I keep having experiences like this, and I just want to be able to communicate them. But really you cannot know until you've been to the Accademia and stood in the presence of David what I am really talking about. To begin with, David is a huge statue, bigger than I ever expected it to be from the pictures I saw. He is probably at least ten times as big as a normal human being, so he just towers over everything. Michelangelo carved him out of a single block of marble that had been discarded by other artists. He is the first David to be depicted before the act of killing Goliath, so you can see that he is in deep thought and poised for action. Michelangelo chose to represent David in this moment in order to emphasize his intellectual capacity and it's influence on his physical actions. It is just amazing to be in the presence of such a meaningful and famous work of art.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll have lots of stories and pictures to post after this weekend. And I'll try to be a good blogger and keep my writing habit up!
Aside from all that, I have also spent a portion of the week planning the last minute details of my birthday weekend in Cinque Terre. We leave tomorrow and will not be back until Sunday, so, once again, you won't hear from me for a few days. The weather is supposed to be just beautiful in Cinque: 57 degrees and sunny all three days!
The weather is another reason for my not writing the past few days. Suddenly spring has hit northern Italy full force! The days have been sunny and warm, flowers are in full bloom, and everything is even more green than it was when we arrived! I have been going on some long runs and just trying to soak it all in. Sorry to make all of you back in Minnesota jealous, but I'm loving all this sun in March! I don't even have to worry about snow on my birthday, and that's the first time in my life that's happened.
Other than just enjoying the weather, I've done a couple other interesting things this week. One was for history class we went to the Medici chapels and to a museum that featured the inlaid marble art that is common for this area. I really like looking at the inlaid marble because it emmulates reality so well. You wouldn't think that you could make a realistic picture by piecing together marble, but often times the marble version of a scene looks even more realistic than a painting of the same scene. It is such an intricate art, and it is so strange to think that they did it all before the days of laser cutters and computer technology. It was all just painstaking work, and the results are beautiful.
Today for art class I finally got to see Michelangelo's real David. This is something that I have been looking forward to since I got here, and it was really a neat experience. I learned a bit about Michelangelo's, Donatello's, and Verocchio's Davids in honors class last semester, and now I have seen them all in person. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Florentine Davids, they are sculpures of the Biblical character from the David and Goliath story. The reason why there are so many Davids in Florence is that they are a symbol of the Republic. I really can't describe Michelangelo's David, and looking at pictures of it doesn't do it justice. I keep having experiences like this, and I just want to be able to communicate them. But really you cannot know until you've been to the Accademia and stood in the presence of David what I am really talking about. To begin with, David is a huge statue, bigger than I ever expected it to be from the pictures I saw. He is probably at least ten times as big as a normal human being, so he just towers over everything. Michelangelo carved him out of a single block of marble that had been discarded by other artists. He is the first David to be depicted before the act of killing Goliath, so you can see that he is in deep thought and poised for action. Michelangelo chose to represent David in this moment in order to emphasize his intellectual capacity and it's influence on his physical actions. It is just amazing to be in the presence of such a meaningful and famous work of art.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll have lots of stories and pictures to post after this weekend. And I'll try to be a good blogger and keep my writing habit up!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wishing I was still in Venice
As I mentioned in my post last Thursday, I went to Venice for the weekend with Ania and Allyson. We stayed there on Friday and Saturday night and returned to Florence on Sunday afternoon. It was a very relaxing trip, and we had beautiful sunny weather the whole weekend. Venice is one of the most unique and beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. To begin with, of course, the streets are canals, so this means that we did not see a car once we entered the city. There are boats instead of cars or trucks for everything--we saw a police boat, a mail boat, and garbage boat, bus boats, and taxi boats, not to mention many gondolas. The city is actually built on a series of islands, so if you walk to the periphery, you can see the sea. There were many tourists there this weekend, and it is easy to understand why. If you'd like to see some pictures, here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025484&id=173301949&l=ab233. I will write a bit about each day to give you a better picture of my time there:
03/06/2009
Today I traveled to Venice with Ania and Allyson. We are going to stay here for two nights. I found a cheap one star hotel (75 euros per night) right in central Venice. We were a little bit worried about what we’d be getting, but it turned out to be great! It took us a long time to find our hotel because when you're walking on the streets rather than riding a boat you come to many dead ends. While we were walking, we paused on a bridge to look at a map and see where we were. This is when we saw a lone Asian woman going for a gondola ride. We were looking at her, wondering why she would go alone, and the gondola driver caught us looking. He yelled up to us, "You know Pokeman?" We said yes, then he pointed to the woman and said "Pikachu!" The woman had no idea what was going on, and we were just laughing so hard. His comment may have been a bit inappropriate, and it just makes me wonder what they say about us in Italian. After that little adventure and a quick stop for gelato, we finally found our hotel. When we entered the room the towels were folded like hearts on the beds! We had a small room with three beds that overlooked a canal. When I first opened the window there were some men outside unloading a boat, and they started calling to us and whistling. After we got settled in the room we walked around the city for a while. Venice just has such a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Aside from the sheer charm and beauty of the canals, people everywhere are friendly and happy, probably because they are on vacation. Today was just sort of our day to get adjusted to the city. We did some shopping at the many blown glass shops and markets then ended up sitting by the seaside for a while. Tomorrow we plan to go on a gondola ride and see the St. Mark’s Basilica. We saw St. Mark’s from the outside today, and I’m pretty excited to go in. St. Mark, the one who wrote the Gospel of Mark, is buried there, which to me is just amazing. Actually knowing where the bodies of the saints are just makes them seem so much more real. The gondola ride should be pretty sweet too…there are some pretty cute gondola drivers in their striped shirts and straw hats.
03/07/2009
Since today was our only full day in Venice, we had a lot to accomplish. I woke up early and read from a guide book that I had borrowed from Bob. I learned all about the city, and picked out the sites that are most important to see. Our first mission of the day was to tour St. Mark's Basilica. The basilica's construction began around 800 A.D., and, although it was sacked and rebuilt a couple times, it has still been around for almost 1,000 years! It is made in the Italo-Byzantine style, which basically means that it uses tons of gold, mosaics, and traditional iconography of the saints. The overall effect is just staggering! You walk in, and you are completely surrounded by gold! It is hard to know where to focus because the whole is just so magnificent. If you look closely at the mosaics, they tell stories of Christ and the Apostles. I also found out today that no one is really certain where St. Mark's body is. His tomb is under the main altar, but during the destruction of the church in it's early years, his remains were lost in the rubble. It is said that a prayer service for the recovery of St. Mark's remains was said during the early days of the new basilica. During this service, it is said that a cracking sound came from a pillar in the back of the church, and St. Mark's entire body came out of the pillar. Who knows, I guess anything is possible with miracles. After we were done touring the basilica we went to have a picnic in the Garden Reali. This is a place that I discovered from Bob's guide book, and I'm really glad I found it. It was a nice relaxing place to take in some greenery and be away from the masses of tourists. There were also these cute little nuthatches that ate bread crumbs out of our hands! After our picnic we went to see the Arsenale, which for many years was the largest harbor in the world. Then, after that, we went to the Piazza Margherita, which was highly recommended by the author of the guidebook. It was not all that he made it out to be, and it was a very long walk to get there. But we did get to see a lot of the city along the way. Oh well, live and learn. After that walk, we were all feeling pretty tired, so we went back to the hotel to rest up for the evening. In the evening we went for a gondola ride, which was amazing! It was quite expensive, but worth it. We went just at dusk, so the moon and stars were visible, but it was not quite dark yet. It was a really neat way to take in the city, and we enjoyed a bottle of wine along the way. Overall, I'd say this evening is an evening that I want to remember forever. Good friends, good wine, and a gondola ride in Venice, what more can a girl ask for?
03/07/2009
Today Ania and I went to Mass in the morning at a church near to our hotel. It was a very strange Mass that did not completely follow the parts of the Mass that I am used to, and there were only about 10 people there, all of them over 65. It was a huge church, but the Mass was held in a side chapel. There are 107 churches in Venice, so I guess they all can't be filled. Plus, during communion there was no choir, so the priest played a song from a tape recorder. Can you say tacky? We should have gone to one of the bigger churches, but oh well. If there's a next time, I'll know where not to go. Other than that, we did a little more shopping, had lunch, then headed back to the train station for our journey home. The train ride home was a bit interesting, as there was an Italian man, probably about 30 years old, across the aisle from me who stared at me for about two hours straight. I was reading a book, and every time I looked up, his eyes were just locked on mine. Finally, I wrote a note to Allyson that said I was going to get up to go to the bathroom, then move into the seat next to her, which faced away from the man. When I got up to go to the bathroom, he turned completely to stare at me as I walked down the train aisle. So creepy! I hate it when this kind of thing happens on a train or bus and I can't get away from the person. At first it was funny, but now it's just getting annoying. I think I'm going to figure out how to say in Italian, "Take a picture, it will last longer!"
03/06/2009
Today I traveled to Venice with Ania and Allyson. We are going to stay here for two nights. I found a cheap one star hotel (75 euros per night) right in central Venice. We were a little bit worried about what we’d be getting, but it turned out to be great! It took us a long time to find our hotel because when you're walking on the streets rather than riding a boat you come to many dead ends. While we were walking, we paused on a bridge to look at a map and see where we were. This is when we saw a lone Asian woman going for a gondola ride. We were looking at her, wondering why she would go alone, and the gondola driver caught us looking. He yelled up to us, "You know Pokeman?" We said yes, then he pointed to the woman and said "Pikachu!" The woman had no idea what was going on, and we were just laughing so hard. His comment may have been a bit inappropriate, and it just makes me wonder what they say about us in Italian. After that little adventure and a quick stop for gelato, we finally found our hotel. When we entered the room the towels were folded like hearts on the beds! We had a small room with three beds that overlooked a canal. When I first opened the window there were some men outside unloading a boat, and they started calling to us and whistling. After we got settled in the room we walked around the city for a while. Venice just has such a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Aside from the sheer charm and beauty of the canals, people everywhere are friendly and happy, probably because they are on vacation. Today was just sort of our day to get adjusted to the city. We did some shopping at the many blown glass shops and markets then ended up sitting by the seaside for a while. Tomorrow we plan to go on a gondola ride and see the St. Mark’s Basilica. We saw St. Mark’s from the outside today, and I’m pretty excited to go in. St. Mark, the one who wrote the Gospel of Mark, is buried there, which to me is just amazing. Actually knowing where the bodies of the saints are just makes them seem so much more real. The gondola ride should be pretty sweet too…there are some pretty cute gondola drivers in their striped shirts and straw hats.
03/07/2009
Since today was our only full day in Venice, we had a lot to accomplish. I woke up early and read from a guide book that I had borrowed from Bob. I learned all about the city, and picked out the sites that are most important to see. Our first mission of the day was to tour St. Mark's Basilica. The basilica's construction began around 800 A.D., and, although it was sacked and rebuilt a couple times, it has still been around for almost 1,000 years! It is made in the Italo-Byzantine style, which basically means that it uses tons of gold, mosaics, and traditional iconography of the saints. The overall effect is just staggering! You walk in, and you are completely surrounded by gold! It is hard to know where to focus because the whole is just so magnificent. If you look closely at the mosaics, they tell stories of Christ and the Apostles. I also found out today that no one is really certain where St. Mark's body is. His tomb is under the main altar, but during the destruction of the church in it's early years, his remains were lost in the rubble. It is said that a prayer service for the recovery of St. Mark's remains was said during the early days of the new basilica. During this service, it is said that a cracking sound came from a pillar in the back of the church, and St. Mark's entire body came out of the pillar. Who knows, I guess anything is possible with miracles. After we were done touring the basilica we went to have a picnic in the Garden Reali. This is a place that I discovered from Bob's guide book, and I'm really glad I found it. It was a nice relaxing place to take in some greenery and be away from the masses of tourists. There were also these cute little nuthatches that ate bread crumbs out of our hands! After our picnic we went to see the Arsenale, which for many years was the largest harbor in the world. Then, after that, we went to the Piazza Margherita, which was highly recommended by the author of the guidebook. It was not all that he made it out to be, and it was a very long walk to get there. But we did get to see a lot of the city along the way. Oh well, live and learn. After that walk, we were all feeling pretty tired, so we went back to the hotel to rest up for the evening. In the evening we went for a gondola ride, which was amazing! It was quite expensive, but worth it. We went just at dusk, so the moon and stars were visible, but it was not quite dark yet. It was a really neat way to take in the city, and we enjoyed a bottle of wine along the way. Overall, I'd say this evening is an evening that I want to remember forever. Good friends, good wine, and a gondola ride in Venice, what more can a girl ask for?
03/07/2009
Today Ania and I went to Mass in the morning at a church near to our hotel. It was a very strange Mass that did not completely follow the parts of the Mass that I am used to, and there were only about 10 people there, all of them over 65. It was a huge church, but the Mass was held in a side chapel. There are 107 churches in Venice, so I guess they all can't be filled. Plus, during communion there was no choir, so the priest played a song from a tape recorder. Can you say tacky? We should have gone to one of the bigger churches, but oh well. If there's a next time, I'll know where not to go. Other than that, we did a little more shopping, had lunch, then headed back to the train station for our journey home. The train ride home was a bit interesting, as there was an Italian man, probably about 30 years old, across the aisle from me who stared at me for about two hours straight. I was reading a book, and every time I looked up, his eyes were just locked on mine. Finally, I wrote a note to Allyson that said I was going to get up to go to the bathroom, then move into the seat next to her, which faced away from the man. When I got up to go to the bathroom, he turned completely to stare at me as I walked down the train aisle. So creepy! I hate it when this kind of thing happens on a train or bus and I can't get away from the person. At first it was funny, but now it's just getting annoying. I think I'm going to figure out how to say in Italian, "Take a picture, it will last longer!"
Planning, and now off to Venice!
I haven't written too much this week because I have spent the majority of my time making travel plans for the 20 days I will be in Europe after my program ends, not to mentions some plans for this weekend. You'd be surprised at how much time is effort is needed in order to make sure your travel goes smoothly, and then sometimes it still doesn't. Beginning April 3 I will be completely on my own for providing food, lodging, and transportation for myself. At first that was kind of scary to think about, but the more plans I make, the better I feel about it. I will spend the first ten days travelling with Eldon and perhaps a few others. We will go to Paris, visit a mutual friend in Ireland, stay in London for a night, then head to Munich and stay there until Easter. After Munich we will part ways, and I will head for Florence, as my mom and brother Matt are coming to visit. They will be here for ten days, and I will essentially be their tour guide. We will mostly visit places where I have already been, so I will know how to get around. I'm looking forward to both of these adventures, and I have been doing a lot of searching for decent hotels and hostels. You'd be surprised how much more difficult it is to book hotels in Europe than in the U.S. Everything is privately run, so there are no Motel 6's or Super 8's or Holiday Inns where you know exactly what to expect and what you'll be paying. The hotels are rated on a five star system, but there is not standard way of deciding how many stars a hotel should receive, so some one star hotels are more like three stars and some 3 stars should be one stars. The prices are also a lot higher here for what you are actually getting. The cheapest hotel I could find in Florence was about 60 euros per night for a triple, which is about $80, depending on the exchange rate. In the U.S. you'd probably be able to get a fairly decent room for that. Here you get the most basic room you can imagine: three beds, that's it, no decorations on the walls, nothing. There is a sink and a shower in the corner, and they toilet is located in the hallway for sharing. Now I don't mind getting by cheaply, as long as the place is safe and clean, but it takes so much research just to find a place that will be suitable. In order to book our hotel in Florence I spent hours checking online rates and reviews, then I went into town to visit the hotel. I guess I could always just go with the blind date method and just hope for the best, but I just prefer having some idea of what I am getting.
On another note, I will leave for Venice tomorrow morning, and I am staying two nights there with Ania and Allyson. I booked a cheap hotel for us near the center of the city, so hopefully it's decent. I'm really looking forward to seeing Venice, as I've heard that it is beautiful. You probably won't hear from me until Sunday, then I'll tell you all about it.
On another note, I will leave for Venice tomorrow morning, and I am staying two nights there with Ania and Allyson. I booked a cheap hotel for us near the center of the city, so hopefully it's decent. I'm really looking forward to seeing Venice, as I've heard that it is beautiful. You probably won't hear from me until Sunday, then I'll tell you all about it.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Ayuto...help...I don't know
I seem to have a knack for coming across elderly people who need help. There was the one old lady I encountered last month who needed help with opening her door, and today I had a bit more extreme experience. I was out on a walk just to get some fresh air, as it had been raining all day today and most of the day yesterday. I walked up the hill to the Franciscan monastery, and I entered the park that is on the monastery grounds. Shortly after entering the park, I saw an old man, probably about 80 from the looks of it, on his hands and knees crawling up the hill. At first I wasn't quite sure if I should say anything. I didn't know what he was doing, and I thought maybe he was a homeless person, as there are a few who frequent the monastery. Upon careful examination, I realized that he was quite nicely dressed in a knee-length wool coat and beret, and his umbrella, journal, and handkerchief were scattered on the ground in front of him. This is when I realized he must of fallen off the approximately two foot embankment on the side of the path. In the most comprehensive Italo-Spanglish I could manage, I asked him if he needed help. We were having some trouble communicating, so I just went down there, and he motioned for me to grab his arm and lift him up. Once I got him up I realized that his injury was more severe than I anticipated. He was not able to put any weight at all on one of his feet, and I could tell he was in a lot of pain. There was no way that I was going to get him over the embankment, so I sat him on the edge and tried to explain to him that I was going to get help and would be back. I didn't want him to think I was just leaving him, but it was so difficult to say what I wanted. I did understand him when he told me to go to the Franciscan brothers though, so that is what I did. The only thing was, I wasn't quite sure where the brothers actually lived. I tried to ask a homeless man who was sitting by the church, but I don't think he understood be because he asked me if I could give him some money for coffee. So I went and rang the nearest doorbell that I could find, and I figured it was the brothers' house because there was a religious crest over the door. Once again, I had to try out my Italian while speaking over the intercom, trying to explain the situation. Finally, a cook came to the door, and he came with me to find the hurt man. When we found the man, the cook started talking to him like they knew each other, so I assume they did. We helped the old man up, each taking an arm. That's when two British tourists came by and asked if we wanted more help. I let the British man take over my position at the old man's arm, and we worked our way back to the brothers' house. There they had a wheelchair, which they put the old man in, and I assume everything will work out fine now. I talked with the British people a little more, then came back to Villa Bonelli and told my friends about my unexpected encounter on my walk. It was kind of a scary experience, but I'm glad I could help the man out and that things worked out in the end.
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