Thursday:
The third city I visited over spring break was Dublin, Ireland!  Luckily, the flight from London to Dublin was NOT at 6:30 in the morning, instead it was around 10 AM.  It was misty when we arrived (what’s new?) and we took a city bus to Camden Street which is the area where our hostel was located.  We stayed at the Times Hostel (average 21.25 euro a night per person) which I would recommend.  It has a great atmosphere with nice staff and accommodations.  We stayed in a private room with a bathroom in our room instead of a shared bathroom, like many hostels I have seen.  Once we were settled in, we ate lunch at a local pub called Devitts.  I got the sandwich and soup combo for 6.50 euro: a hot stuffing and chicken sandwich, mushroom soup, and coleslaw.  It was a delicious meal!  We then set out for the day to explore the city. We walked around, did some shopping, and ate dinner at a cafe. This was not a “local” style meal – I got breakfast for dinner (again, what’s new?) – but hey, it was the first time I had pancakes in months! That night we went back to Devitts because they had some live music and it was a very convenient location for us.

Here are some pictures from Thursday:

A walk through St. Stephen’s Park.

This scene reflects on the potato famine.

This was a band playing on Grafton Street, a big shopping area in Dublin.

Inside a shopping center – very pretty!

The Molly Malone statue.

Friday:
Friday morning we ate breakfast at the hostel (breakfast is included in the price, although we had to pay for towels). At 11 AM we went on a walking tour of Dublin to see the major historical and cultural sites. After the tour we were hungry and ate lunch at a pub to have some beef stew. The stew had slow cooked beef and Guinness – it was so delicious! To make the experience better, we ate lunch with a Brazilian we met on the tour named Fabbiano and there was a live band playing classic Irish music. It was a two person band – one guy singing and playing the guitar, and one guy playing the accordion. Afterwards, we split up and two roommates and I set off for the Guinness Storehouse. We walked along the river, a little too far I might add, and after a few correctional turns finally made it to the storehouse. We walked through the storehouse-turned-museum and settled in at the top level where you get a “free” pint of Guinness and are able to see a panoramic view of Dublin. I can’t say I enjoyed the beer since I don’t really like beer, but it was an experience none the less, and the view was cool! On the walk back we picked up some groceries for dinner and made a simple meal of linguine with tomato sauce, garlic bread, and carrots and green beans. After dinner, we went on a walking ghost tour of the north side of Dublin. Although it was not quite what I expected, I still really enjoyed it! There was one building in particular (an abandoned industrial type building) that was really creepy – lots of glass windows. I will say it was really cold on the walk (which lasted about 2 hours). Unfortunately, I think that caused me to get sick for the next week or so (nothing too serious, just cold-like symptoms for a bit and a cough), but it was worth it.

Here are some pictures from Friday:

Dublin Castle – the first site on the tour.

A mosaic on the floor of the city hall.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral! Apparently one side of the church is sinking.

Dublin’s Wall of Fame!  Most prominently on the upper left (although cut off in my picture) is U2.

At Temple Bar (which is actually an area of Dublin, not just one bar as I falsely thought!).

The slow cooked beef stew made with Guinness beer was divine!

The two person live band – they were really good!

A view overlooking the river (divides the north from the south side).

On the way to the Guinness Storehouse!

The five senses of Guinness.

Finally made it to the top!

A view of Dublin from the top floor of the Guinness Storehouse (called the gravity bar).

Another view of the city.

Proof I finished my glass!

Saturday:
We woke up early to catch an 8:30 AM flight to Brussels. We ate breakfast at the hostel, which they might have put out especially early because of our early departure (it was very nice!). Similar to the previous morning we had toast (with butter or jam), cereal, coffee/tea, but this day we were early enough to also have fruit and some cheese and ham. We also randomly had bought a breakfast loaf the night before which was a glorified yule log (yes, a yule log). We consumed most of it, but it was too sweet to eat in the morning in my opinion. Unfortunately, we had to eat very quickly to be on the shuttle in time (the hostel called it for us) to get to the airport.

Overall, I really enjoyed Dublin and wish I had more time to see the rest of Ireland, including the amazing Cliffs of Moyer.

Monday:
As soon as we landed in London we heard the classic Ryanair recording that starts with some startling (if you’re still sleeping that is, or slightly out of it) trumpets followed by “You’ve arrived in yet another on time Ryanair flight! La da da.”  As we exited the plane I was surprised at how cold it seemed outside and inside the airport, although it likely wasn’t that cold in reality compared to many places.  I slept pretty much the whole plane ride but was still tired after not getting a full night’s sleep the night before.  From Stansted airport we took a bus to Liverpool station – the ride was over an hour, so again, we all pretty much passed out for the ride.  As soon as we got off the bus we stumbled upon a free yogurt stand which was a very pleasant surprise!  We each got a free blueberry and strawberry yogurt so it was a good way to start off in London.  My mood went from very positive to somewhat crushed when I almost lost an earring (I have a strange sadness when I lose things).  My dad will remember this as the same earring I almost lost at home and texted him about (which he found!).  A few hours later, after being situated, the earring appeared again on the apartment floor… it must have been caught in a tangle in my scarf or something because I really don’t know how I got it back!  Our apartment was located in the White Chapel area of London and was very nice with two bedrooms (with large, comfy beds), a living room that also had a dining area, a kitchen, and a bathroom.  Our landlord for the weekend provided us with some helpful information and maps, which was very nice of her.  After putting our stuff down and settling in a bit, we ventured out for the day!

The weather was chilly and damp, but it was still exciting to be in London. We took a lot of trains while in London (specifically the underground) and were easily able to navigate. I was surprised at how fast paced people are in London when compared to Italy. Usually I am a pretty fast walker, but I felt slow when compared to the locals! We saw a few big name sites on Monday including Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus but there were smaller sites I enjoyed as well. Something very simple was just seeing the red double-decker buses that are a constant reminder you’re in London. Also, it was interesting to go grocery shopping and see the foods offered in London that I wouldn’t normally see like digestives. While there, I bought some cheddar cheese since they don’t have it in Italy and I certainly missed it!

It’s always nice to return to a comfortable place after a long day of walking and being underground (on trains, of course). We settled in, made delicious pizza, and relaxed for the night. Unfortunately the only thing remotely interesting on TV was Bitchin’ Kitchen (really, Food Network?) which was amusing albeit bizarre. By 11 PM we were almost delusional from lack of sleep, so we went to bed early!

Here are some pictures from Monday:

Buckingham Palace!

In front of the gates!

The square in front of the palace.

The Wellington Arch!

Facing Kensington Palace.

In Hyde Park! Right by Kensington Palace.

Oxford Street – a big shopping area in London.

In Piccadilly Circus! We had to take pictures here!

Tuesday:
In the morning I almost made the mistake of waking up an hour early (there’s a 1 hour time difference between London and Perugia) but luckily I realized it and went back to sleep. One of my roommates wasn’t so lucky! It was a misty morning weather-wise but it certainly cleared up in the afternoon. We first went to the National Gallery area where (right in front of the gallery) there is Trafalgar Square! I was way too excited to see this place, but it was in one of my Tony Hawk games from way back when so it felt like I had been there before! We went inside the National Gallery (which is free) to see some paintings – I was most interested in the impressionist works. Afterward, we went to King’s Cross Station to take pictures with the famous Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter and eat lunch. For the rest of the afternoon we went to the National History Museum (also free!). I really liked this museum because it had a lot of different but interesting exhibits. It had dinosaur exhibits (my favorite part) along with several other interesting rooms like one focusing on homo sapiens vs. neanderthals and their interactions. Around 5:30 PM we headed back to our apartment for a quick snack and to change because at 7:30 PM we went to a broadway show at the Prince Edward Theatre in London! Ironically we saw Jersey Boys, but it was a great show and a lot of fun. The woman in front of us was having an especially fun time, dancing in her seat to most of the songs – it was great.

Of course there’s always some awkward moments on these trips and London was no different. There was a couple sitting a few rows down from us and we had about 15 minutes before the show started. The man of the couple, perhaps in his 50s or 60s, turned around and stared at us – actually stared at us – for about 30 seconds with disdain. Yes we were talking, but it was well before the start of the show and we were not being especially loud or anything, alas it was a very awkward moment!

We headed back to the apartment after the show to make dinner at 11 PM (I guess we were still on Spanish time!). On the train we attempted to solve some crossword puzzles, but apparently our knowledge of British slang is minimal so we were quite unsuccessful in our efforts. Once we arrived back at our apartment we got in with relative ease (relative is a loose term here). The first night we struggled hardcore getting in (there were 4 locks: 2 outside door, 2 inside door), but there was a definite learning curve.

Here are some pictures from Tuesday:

I did a double take on this one!

Trafalgar Square!

My roommate and I – she also played Tony Hawk and could share the excitement with me!

All of us together!

See you at Hogwarts!

I loved the architecture of the station.

The front of the National History Museum.

The inside of the National History Museum – really a beautiful building.

A t-rex and triceratops head!

Sorry it’s blurry – but here we are in the theater before the show!  The man right in front of me was the staring culprit.

Wednesday:
Each place that we go we like to have a “local” (to the best that we can) food or specialty – something that the people eat there. So in the morning on Wednesday we went to a diner called Poppie’s Diner and ate a full English breakfast. This consisted of (at least the one I got) an egg, sausage, bacon, beans, tomato (cooked), toast, and coffee – although I realize to be more English I should have gotten tea. It was delicious! We needed a good breakfast because today would be pretty much all walking (whereas the previous two days we took the train a lot, buying the 1 day zone 1 and 2 travel day pass). So we walked down to the Thames river and proceeded to see sight after sight with a lot of walking in between. It was cloudy but as the day went on it got sunny – although still chilly. We each brought a bagged lunch (mine was a sandwich, chips, and an apple) which we ate on the side of the river facing the London Eye (we found a spot in the sun!).

What would the day be without a strange event – so here goes. We were in a park and I noted the signs saying not to feed the birds/animals etc. (not that I really would anyway). About 10 feet away, of course, a mother and what I assume was her daughter were feeding the animals. Okay, you might say, that happens a fair amount probably. Well, those animals must have been hungry because pigeons were flocking ONTO the girl’s arm where the food was and a squirrel casually walked onto her mom’s arm! It’s not everyday you see that, luckily I was armed with a camera.

Our walk concluded at none other than my favorite place, Trafalgar Square, where we again went into the National History museum. This time though, we didn’t look at any art but instead went to the bottom floor where there are bathrooms, a gift shop, and best of all… couches! We actually stayed there for quite sometime, maybe 2 hours or so. While we weren’t being the perfect tourists, we didn’t seem to be bothering anyone – we were just so exhausted! Around 6 PM, we finally got up and started our walking journey back towards White Chapel. Earlier in the day we had found a promising pub where we would not pay a ridiculous amount for fish & chips so we made our way over there for dinner (12.75 euros for a fish & chips and a beer). We each ordered the fish & chips – 2 of my roommates got a side salad, and 2 of us got the “mushy peas.”  While I really didn’t enjoy the minty taste of the mushy peas, I figured I had to try them! One of my roommates loves spicy things so she asked for some sort of hot sauce, which she got, and I made the mistake of trying. She warned me at its spiciness and dipped the end (very minimal dipping) of a french fry for me to try. I temporarily turned into a fire breathing dragon, so needless to say I won’t be trying that “hottest sauce in the world” again! They really did claim that title on the bottle.

After our yummy meal, we walked back along the Thames. Seeing London at night was beautiful! The bridges light up with lovely colors and seeing the buildings at night was also beautiful. Our last stop, at the recommendation of our landlord, was The George Tavern. This pub apparently marks a spot where Amy Winehouse made her debut and Justin Timberlake shot a music video. The place had a nice atmosphere with candles (in old alcohol bottles – which was pretty cool) and music. A band was setting up, but being that it was a (not so) hopping Wednesday night, they weren’t the, how I should I say it, Grade A band. Once they started playing it was honestly more of an art performance than music. The had a slideshow projected onto the wall and were essentially playing interpretive music to the abstract images shown. At one point I thought the Mothman from Mothman Prophecies would show his ugly self – really, some of the instrument sounds resembled creepy satanic whispers. So while we weren’t necessarily the best crowd to be in that bar, at least on that night, it was certainly an experience. At the end of the night, we headed back to our apartment (no Bitchin’ Kitchen tonight) and packed for our morning flight to Dublin!

Here are some pictures from Wednesday:

My full English breakfast!

The Tower Bridge!

An adorable inn we saw while walking.

A classic red telephone booth.

The city hall! An interestingly shaped building.

St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The cathedral from a different angle.

A double-decker red bus!

Silhouette of the London Eye on the left and Big Ben to the far right.

The London Eye again – you can see the weather already started to clear up some.

Roomies in front of Big Ben!

In front of Westminster Abbey.

At the park! There were some cool animals here.

Animals hanging out on the arms of people… the usual?

Official fish & chips and mushy peas at a pub! The pub was fairly close to St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Walking back along the Thames at night!

The Tower of London at night.

Outside of The George Tavern!

Last week was my spring break and 3 of my roommates and I decided we would try to pack a lot (reasonably) into our 10 day break. The first stop was 3 nights in Madrid! Our flight was at 6:30 AM on Friday 2/22 from Rome so we took a train down from Perugia to Rome the night before. Our flight left from Rome’s Ciampino airport (smaller than Fiumicino) because we flew Ryanair. We stayed in a lovely, quite comfortable place overnight: a corner of the arrivals (open 24 hours) section of the airport. We had luxurious accommodations such as a clean floor (I’m actually really impressed with how clean it was), and well, that was about it. I tried falling asleep using my coat as my mattress, blanket, and pillow around 11:00 PM and slept very lightly until about 4:40 AM when we headed over to the check in area. I would wake up and random parts of my body would have pins and needles – but hey, it was free! What can I say, it was an experience. There were many others who were more prepared than us with sleeping bags or blankets, but still there were many such as ourselves who only had their luggage or the clothes on their bodies.

Friday:
Once we were in Madrid the next challenge was finding out the best transportation to our apartment. Luckily one of my roommates is fluent in Spanish and another one of my roommates is a master navigator – I’d say we did well for ourselves! Using airbnb.com, which I highly recommend, we had found an apartment in the center of Madrid with a bedroom (double bed), living room (corner sofa turns into double bed) with a small dining area, bathroom, and kitchen – all for only 14 euro a night per person. The apartment was very clean and cozy with a really great location. We unloaded our things then ate a delicious lunch at a local corner cafe/restaurant. Spain food is quite amazing I have to say, it was very hard to choose between all the options (that is, after I had my roommates translate what they actually meant for me)!

After lunch we set out to explore the city. During check-in, the apartment owner gave us a map and circled and explained all the best places to see in Madrid. He gave us great advice and the map really came in handy!

While exploring during the day, we stumbled upon a very small outdoor market. A man offered us samples of some sort of food which we ate. I was holding a coffee at this time and he spoke something to me in Spanish. I asked my friend what he had said and she responded hesitantly, and a little confused, that he had asked for some of my coffee. He repeated himself and she again translated saying that he was asking for some of my coffee since he had given me a sample. The bizarre thing was… he was serious! He considered it an exchange I suppose. He had a completely serious face and as I mumbled something unintelligibly because I don’t speak Spanish, and then walked away, my roommate said that he called me cheap! I didn’t ask for the sample, he just gave it to me! But anyway, either different cultural behaviors or he was downright strange.

Friday continued with more site-seeing and, unfortunately, rain. Luckily most of our plans were for the next two days. We bought groceries for our stay (preparing most of our own meals saved a lot of money!), a benefit of having an apartment with a kitchen, and prepared dinner (linguine with tomato sauce, garlic bread, broccoli and carrots). It was incredible to sleep in a real bed again, let me tell you!

Here are some pictures of Friday:

Our corner of the airport.

On our first flight! Our first of 5 over the course of the week. We didn’t have nearly this much energy for our last flight.

Madrid advertising?? Yikes.

In Plaza de Espana!

The back of Monumento a Cervantes (I’m not sure we realized this wasn’t the front – oops!).

At the Palacio Real!

Saturday:
This was a big walking day. We saw a lot of sites! In the late morning we ate churros with hot chocolate (so delicious!). Later, after more walking, we ate our bagged lunches in the Parque del Retiro. It was quite nice to be surrounded by trees again and although it was chilly, it still felt like spring with the sun shining. Walking, more walking, more walking and finally we headed back to our apartment. The apartment owner invited us to the vinoteca (wine bar) where he works so we went there for some wine and tapas – again, delicious! On the way to the vinoteca I had another odd sort of incident. It all lasted about 10 seconds, but it was memorable! We were turning a corner and a woman, out of nowhere, approached me (not anyone else in my group who all might look more Spanish than me) and asked for directions in Spanish. She was speaking so fast that my hands just shot up in the air, similar to the “hands up!” signal (except not that dramatic and hands only to about my shoulders), and again I uttered unintelligible sounds trying to convey that I had NO idea what she was saying! Alas, the troubles of a traveler. Finally, we sought out to eat dinner at a normal Spanish time…10:30 PM. We found the perfect place though, and ate paella de marisco (a traditional rice and seafood based dish). I would try to recreate that dish if I could! I highly recommend it.

Below are some pictures from Saturday:

In Puerta del Sol!

A famous statue of the bear and tree.

In Plaza Mayor!

Again, Plaza Mayor.

The front of Palacio Santa Cruz.

Churros (technically porras) and hot chocolate! Sooo yummy!

Outside of the Museo Nacional del Prado.

Outside of the Palacio de Cibeles – such a beautiful building against the blue sky!

While we were in Madrid there were several protests going on – this was one of them. Apparently this day 40 people were arrested during the protests.

Delicious wine and olives at the vinoteca!

Delicious tapas! One was guacamole with a type of meat and the other was cheese and octopus.

Paella de Marisco at 10:30 pm (a normal Spanish dinner time) sooo yummy!

Sunday:
In the morning we walked to the biggest flea market in Europe called El Rastro. It was quite impressive, spanning many streets – although I wasn’t so much a fan of it being on a hill. We were actually early to the flea market so they were still setting up when we got there. It was interesting to see that people were actually flocking to certain tables, trying to find treasures among piles of old objects. There were many items on sale at the market once it was up and running. These ranged from clothes to DVDs to antiques to household items to jewelry and more (typical flea market style). We ate lunch with friends of one of my roommate’s parents who are living in Madrid. They were so sweet! Lunch consisted of a variety of small plates that we all shared – a kind of Spanish ham (similar to Italian prosciutto), cheese, chorizo (one of my favorites), olives, and more. Afterward we went to a pastry shop and ate pastries with hot chocolate or coffee. Afterward we were feeling full and tired, so we took a bit of a siesta. One movie and a half later, we left to go to a flamenco dance show. This was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip and probably my favorite part of Madrid. There was a singer, a guitar player, and three dancers. I was right next to the stage and I could feel every time they stomped their feet on the stage – it was a great experience! That night we had dinner (rice, chicken, and an assortment of leftovers) at around 11 pm. I can’t say that we really went to bed that night so much as took a nap because we had to be out at 3 AM to catch a bus to the airport for our 6:30 AM flight to London! It was gorgeous in the morning because the moon was almost (or actually) full and combined with overlooking the city from the plane – just beautiful.

A building I particularly enjoyed at night because of its colors.

At the flamenco show – this is the singer and guitarist.

The three dancers.

The first of the three dancers to perform.

The second dancer.

And the third dancer.

Me and my roommate enjoying the show!

Notes:
Unfortunately I still don’t know where and when it is appropriate to tip at restaurants or bars.

Yes, I am in fact referring to Valentine’s Day. While I did not get free Baci (the famous kind of chocolate in Perugia which were apparently being given out for free… I was not aware!), it was still a very fun day. My roommates and I decided we were going to make a homemade dinner – homemade gnocchi with a Bolognese sauce, green beans, and some steak (that ended up having a makeshift sauce to go with it). For dessert, we made cookie “bark” – so essentially chocolate cookies cut up and then put into more chocolate. Needless to say it was a delicious meal. I’m especially impressed with our homemade gnocchi and plan on making it again!

First step was to bake some potatoes!

We scooped out the inside of the baked potatoes and riced them into a pot (we actually ended up moving it all to a bigger pot than this one).

We then added flour and eggs to make the dough.

Finally we made the gnocchi! This is only a portion of what we made.

Making the sauces! Also, in terms of cooking the gnocchi, after refrigerating them some, we just dropped them into some boiling water until they were floating – perfect texture!

Our delicious meal!

And dessert! Trust me it tasted much better than it looks.

Dinner wasn’t the only cool thing that happened on Valentine’s Day though. There was also a flash mob on the main street in Perugia. It was for One Billion Rising – a global campaign to end violence against women. Many cities around the world participated in this global flash mob. I found a video of the one in Perugia on Youtube that captures it better than my photos will. Click here to see it. It’s not the best quality but you can get a good feel for it. I was standing not too far from where this video was taken on the left side (I didn’t learn the dance moves in time). Before the dance there were people speaking as well – it was a pretty powerful event!

This weekend I decided to do a solo trip to Genoa, Italy!  I chose this city rather randomly at first.  Honestly, I recognized the name from the salami I buy back in the states, although after some research and actually being in Genoa I realized that Genoa salami is actually American salami, albeit delicious.  But anyway, after looking into the city more (with something other than a fake salami origin) this port city intrigued me enough to actually make the leap.  I was there from Friday-Sunday and it was a great trip, I would recommend it to anyone!

Friday:
I woke up early to catch the 8:05 AM train from Perugia. It was the first of four trains I would have to take to make it to Genoa! My second train was unfortunately late by around 14 minutes… I only had 12 minutes in between my second and third train. Needless to say I missed my train from Florence to Pisa – but not to worry! After some serious initial panic and semi-frantic questions asked in Italian to Trenitalia employees, I discovered another train that would leave in time for me to make my fourth train from Pisa to Genoa. I arrived in Genoa around 3:30 PM and, thanks to some very nice directions given by the owner of B&B Delfino Blue (the bed and breakfast I stayed at) via email, I arrived at the B&B in around 10 minutes. After checking in with Fulvia (the very helpful owner) I sought out to explore the city.

I quickly learned that either my sense of time was off or google map’s directions were much slower than my walking speed. Needless to say I was very pleased that I would not have to pay for metro or bus tickets, but I could instead walk everywhere! I sought out the Galata Museo del Mare, Acquario di Genova, and the main shopping areas in the older part of the city. I walked around until about 7:30 PM and then decided to eat dinner. I got a special for 12.50 euro: Genovese pasta with Genovese pesto, mixed fried fish (shrimps, calamari, and more), salad, bread and wine.

Here are some pictures from day 1:

A statue commemorating Christopher Columbus.

It was approaching sunset looking out over the harbor.

Another view overlooking the port.

I’m not really sure if this building has a purpose or not but I thought it looked cool!

The San Lorenzo Cathedral!

Saturday:
I ate breakfast at the B&B (croissant, yogurt, coffee, orange juice, toast with jam, orange) and met two other people who were staying there. At around 10 AM I left the B&B to start my day. I bought a combo ticket for the Galata Museo del Mare and the Acquario di Genova and saved a few euros (I wanted to go to both places anyway). First I went to the sea museum which is a large museum – 4 stories tall with several rooms on each level. It had paintings, boat replicas (big and small), scenes with wax figures, and much more. My favorite parts were the large boat replicas that you can actually board and look around as well as some of the equipment (cannons, weapons, armor, etc.). Each room has a few “summary” posters of what is in the room and background information, so going through the museum was like reading a story. I will say though that I wish more of the specific exhibits had English translations – my Italian is only so good! Especially with random sea/port vocabulary.

At around 1:30 I left the museum to grab lunch relatively quickly. I found a sandwich shop with a big crowd in front of it that had really good prices for paninos so I bought a tuna sandwich for lunch. I had water and trail mix in my small backpack I was wearing to supplement the sandwich for lunch. It was a beautiful day, as it was all weekend, with the sun shining brightly (although it was a bit chilly right on the water because of a breeze). Despite someone trying to sell me trinkets from Kenya while I was checking information about the aquarium (so I couldn’t walk away), it was a successful lunchtime.

I then went to the Genoa Aquarium just in time to see a small show with dolphins. I found it to be really cool since I had never seen dolphins in person before. They were doing many tricks and always appeared to be “smiling” (I know, likely just how they’re face always looks) – I just wish the show went longer! The pamphlet I had said they usually last about 20 minutes, but it only lasted about 8 minutes. The rest of the time I explored the rest of the aquarium, adding manatees to the “first time seen in person” category. With the manatees, I really liked that on the top floor you can go into an area and look down into their tank and see them without a tank in the way. While I loved the aquarium and all the different fish and other creatures I saw, I do wish that there was more “no tank” visibility. For instance, at the New England Aquarium the penguins are not in a tank so you can hear them and see them clearer. Overall though, a good experience!

After the aquarium, I explored some more. Sidenote: in case you were wondering, the sea gulls in Italy (at least in Genova) are different than the ones in the US because the sound they make is more of a squawk than anything else. I also found a sandwich ship called Gran Ristoro that’s pretty famous (I had tried going there for lunch but couldn’t find it). I also stumbled upon the most famous piazza in Genoa, Piazza de Ferrari, which is further away from the water but is right next to a large shopping area (more big name stores than the area I explored on Friday). On my way back, I found an outdoor market selling products such as meat, cheese, and honey. I particularly enjoyed a band that was playing music at the market.

Here are some pictures from day 2:

The outside of the Galata Museo del Mare.

A painting of Christopher Columbus. There was a room dedicated to him because of his connection with Genoa.

One of the ship replicas.

A neat scene – the people seemed so real I thought one of them would start moving.

On the last floor of the sea museum there is a lookout over the city – it was beautiful! So I asked someone to take a picture of me with the city.

One of the dolphins!

One of the manatees eating and looking straight at me!

This fish knows who’s boss.

Piranha!

Jellyfish!

I spy with my little eye: Nemo!

I sat in this spot for awhile as the sun started to set. A man probably in his late 70s came over to me, proceeded to tell me a joke or story in Italian he found quite humorous, then walked away once he realized I didn’t understand (not my fault, he was speaking mumbly!), and started to dance right there on the sidewalk with an ipod in hand.

A dinosaur sculpture made of used tires!

Piazza de Ferrari! In between those two big buildings is a main shopping street.

Sunday:
I ate breakfast once again at the B&B and met an American who is living in Germany. After breakfast, I immediately left to catch the 9:47 AM train to Pisa. Unfortunately, I again missed a train (by about 2 minutes!) – the one from Pisa to Florence. Luckily there was another train going to Florence that worked out timing-wise. I made it back to Perugia in the afternoon.

Genoa was a great trip!

Yesterday I went on a day trip to Spoleto, Italy!  We had a “places to go” list but we ended up wandering around on our own, somehow discovering most of the places to visit by chance which I found very impressive since we did not have a map or directions (very prepared for the trip, I know).  It took about an hour by train to get there (round trip cost: 10 euro) and then we walked to the older portion of the city.  Personally I loved that there was so much “green” around – it felt like spring!  It was also the perfect temperature for walking around and enjoying the area.

A cool sculpture right outside the train station.

The escalators leading up to Rocca Albornoziana – a former papal fortress turned prison turned museum.

A view of Spoleto!

Proof I was there!

Overlooking Ponte delle Torri – a bridge built on the foundations of a Roman aqueduct.

A view from the bridge!

From the other side, looking back.

In Piazza del Mercato.

This is Parrocchia di San Gregorio Maggiore.

The town hall!

We just thought this looked very “Italian” and I wanted to take a picture!

My roommates and I! We wanted to take a group picture but we had been alone the whole time pretty much. Then this jogger came down the hill at the perfect time!

Since I am studying abroad in Italy, it would make sense that I talk about my actual classes! I am taking four classes for 15 credits this semester at the Umbra Institute. I really like them and they each offer something different. What I like most about the classes is that they are challenging me in ways I wasn’t expecting. I have great professors and am looking forward to how the semester progresses.

Below are my classes:

Intensive Intermediate Italian: 6 credits
Monday-Thursday, 10:30-11:50 AM
We had a week of intensive (intensive) Italian the first week we were here – 3 hours in the morning, 3 hours in the afternoon. In the morning we reviewed concepts we’ve learned before to refresh our Italian skills, and in the afternoon we learned “Italy survival” such as going to the supermarket or a restaurant. Now we are doing a mix of vocab, grammar, and speaking each class. It’s an engaging class and I like that it’s my first class of the day – so I don’t have to get up very early like I would at Babson. There are around 11 students in the class.

Sustainability of Food Production in Italy: 3 credits
Monday & Wednesday, 5:15-6:45 PM
I really like this class especially considering my interest in environmental sustainability. So far we’ve talked a lot about agriculture and its origins then we moved to the green revolution and we’re now discussing the effects of it. The class has really challenged some of my thinking on certain kinds of food production, such as organic farming, as solutions for the future. For instance, there are a lot of loopholes with the term “organic” and unfortunately it’s not as pure as we often think it is. There are about 10-12 people in the class.

The Business of Food: 3 credits
Tuesday, 5:15-6:45 PM & 7:00-8:30 PM
Considering I go to business school and I love food this class was a natural option for me to take. The class focuses more on wine than food in general but I find the industry very interesting so it’s still a great class. As you might remember from my earlier blog we visited a winery with this class that we will be working with towards the middle-end of the semester. As of right now though we’re learning about the industry and different approaches to wine marketing. There are around 15 people in the class.

Fair Trade Internship: 3 credits
Internship: Tuesday & Wednesday, 12:00-1:30 PM; Seminar: Thursday, 3:30-5:00 PM
I originally wasn’t intending on taking this class when I came to Umbra but as I learned more about it I decided it could be a great opportunity. It’s a seminar and internship based course. What does this mean? It means that I have a seminar each week where I learn about Fair Trade and its positives and negatives. Then, I intern a few hours a week at Monimbò Bottega del Mondo which is a Fair Trade shop not too far from where I live that sells food, clothes, jewelry, and other fair trade products. The seminar is taught in English but the internship is almost all in Italian. It can be a definite challenge but I’m hoping it’ll be a rewarding experience. So far I have mostly worked in the food section restocking inventory. Yesterday the owner of the store was telling me about the different kinds of fair trade coffees the store sells so that if a customer asks I will know how to respond (exciting but at the same time terrifying!).

None of my classes are pure lecture based which is good. We have a lot of class discussions and we learn a lot from each other in that way. It’s different being in classes with students who are not also business majors (as it is at Babson) so everyone brings a different perspective from their respective educational (and experiential) background. I can’t believe that midterms are already coming soon – time goes by fast!

Today I went on a day trip to Cortona, Italy! It was a beautiful day – although honestly I consider any day that’s sunny to be beautiful now, considering all the rain we’ve had lately. Cortona is a small hill town but it is really quite nice. When you go to the wall of the town you have an amazing view of the countryside that takes your breath away. In addition, there are some nice shops, restaurants, museums, buildings, churches, and other sites to see.

Overlooking the countryside in Cortona!

In Piazza della Repubblica.

An obelisk memorial.

Another view of the countryside.

Next to the city wall, overlooking the beautiful countryside.

And again!

Looking back after we started a trek up the hill towards the top.

A cool mosaic on one of the buildings.

We finally got to the top and reached this church – Santa Margherita. It is beautiful and peaceful inside.

My first spaghetti alla carbonara (restaurant: Pizzeria Fufluns)! So yummy! It’s spaghetti with eggs, cream, pancetta, and pepper (with some sprinkled cheese on top).

Sitting on the steps in Piazza della Repubblica.

We were in the square during an off time – a great picture opportunity!

With the countryside at our backs!

Yesterday morning I went on a field trip to a vineyard about 45 minutes away, still in Perugia, with my Business of Food class. The wine company is called Cantina Monte Vibiano Vecchio, but we just call it Montevibiano for short. This winery is particularly interesting because it is the first zero emission winery in Italy and one of the few of the world. It has some amazing technology – some very simple and some more complex – that has allowed it to be so environmentally sustainable.

Inside the winery – the wine is processed and fermented in these large stainless steel containers. White wine doesn’t need to be stored or fermented after this process, but red wine does.

Montevibiano’s red wine is stored in these wooden barrels called barriques to further ferment and to enhance the flavor.

Our tour guide was nice and offered some very interesting information about the company and its operations.

This is the engineer who carried out the company’s green initiatives – he is now taking on more of a marketing role for the company.

At the end of the tour we had a wine tasting in the Green Bar room (newly redesigned – a great space!). We tried Montevibiano’s 1 white wine and 3 red wines – my favorite was the white wine.

About to try their delicious olive oil – they freeze the oil right after production to preserve all of the flavors until use.

The CEO of the company talked to us for a bit at the end of the wine-tasting.

We visited Montevibiano because my class will be working with the company, specifically with the engineer/marketer, to help create a marketing plan for them. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to share the details, but I’m excited!

EDIT: Also check out the blog that was written regarding the field trip and some more about Montevibiano! Here’s the link on the Babson blog.

This past weekend I went to the wonderful Florence, or Firenze. It was beautiful, although chilly, the first day and the second two days it rained unfortunately.

En route to Firenze!

Friday:
We left in the morning bright (actually not so bright because the sun hadn’t risen yet) and early to catch the 7:30 am bus to Florence from Perugia (cost: 10.50 euro). The ride was pleasant since it did not have any stops and it was more like a van than a full size bus so the re-circulated air was not as bad as usual. The bus ride took around 2 hours and we arrived around 9:30 am. I had written down directions so we found Hostel Veronique (where we would stay 2 nights) relatively easily. Despite the horrendous smell in the hallway (think sewage or small animal death), the room we were staying in was nice and clean – the bathroom the first day was questionable, much cleaner the second day. Friday was a huge walking day! We walked around for about 8 hours total – seeing many piazzas, statues, buildings, and markets (both indoor and outdoor). The outdoor market sells a lot of leather products, souvenirs, bags, scarves, and other assorted products.

Here are some pictures from Friday:

The lucky boar of Florence – people rub the nose for good luck!

Overlooking the river.

About to enter Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio.

Standing in the square in front of one of the copies of the David statues.

The Duomo! The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

A view of the tower.

Two of my roommates and me in front of the Duomo.

Inside a large indoor food market – lots of interesting foods both fresh and packaged!

Once the sun came out the river and buildings looked even more vibrant.

A view of the hostel room we stayed in – surprisingly comfortable and we weren’t with any strangers.  The same can’t be said for the bathroom which was shared among several rooms.

A view inside the Duomo.

A view of the inside of the Duomo’s dome.

While at dinner we met a famous Japanese actress! She was filming her experiences in Italy. My roommate even got her autograph.

Fun fact: Friday afternoon I was telling my roommates that I wanted to be one of those people who sees someone from back home in a foreign country. About 20 minutes later I saw a girl from my high school who I haven’t seen in a long time! Then that night, I saw another girl from high school! It was a really cool experience – and I finally get to say that it happened to me.

Saturday: Rain. Unfortunately it rained for the rest of the weekend. We were still able to walk around though, exploring sites and seeing a great view of the city (for free!), although it was quite a hike. Here are some pictures from Saturday:

A view of Piazza della Repubblica. There is a carousel that lights up at night on the bottom left.

Another copy (this one in bronze) of the statue of David.

We climbed to the top of a hill to get the view of all of Florence (for free – yay!).

A close up of the Duomo from afar.

Roomies! Overlooking the city.

Sunday: More rain. Sunday morning we left the hostel, ate breakfast and waited at the train station to take a regional train (cost: 12:55 euros) back to Perugia. I was happy to find some tasty honey roasted (or some kind of sugar coated) peanuts at the train station. The ride back took approximately the same time as going there, but there were stops so we had to be alert to make sure we didn’t miss our stop.

Other notes: It is hard not to spend money when traveling! I highly recommend a budget or at least being aware of finances. I splurged on 1 or 2 meals in Florence but most of my other meals were under 4 euros – that is, I pretty much ate a panino at every other meal. You need to find the balance between experiencing the local food and shops while still keeping an eye on the cash in your wallet!

This one is for my family.