Italy – Valpo Voyager

Tag: Italy

The Streets of Florence

Author: Marianna Guerrieri

Program: CIS Summer in Florence

There are many hidden gems within the streets of Florence. There are many different open markets throughout all of the city, and when you happen upon one, you know you will find something great. Fresh pasta, Italian clothing, and fresh fruit and flowers. The locals are extremely helpful and you can always make a deal. There is so much variety and uniqueness in these markets; they are a great way to see the locals and find out what they have to offer.

Florence – History in Architecture

June 1, 2016 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Marianna Guerrieri

Program: Summer in Florence

Italy is know for its historic buildings that are admired all over the world. These buildings have been modified to fit the needs of the current population and residents, but the look and history is still the same. I captured a few ways that the architecture has changed a little for the new residents, such as flowers, but also the street art that has been added. Some is harmless while most of it destroys the historical look of the building. While I admire some of these artistic releases, it is very sad that it had to be on these beautiful buildings, but just as well interesting how the buildings can remain intact and still function well for the residents.

Big Break Part 2: Italy

November 12, 2014 / stephanieblack / 0 Comments

The second part and majority of our ten day break was spent in various towns in Italy. From Barcelona, we flew into Milan where we spent a day. We walked around and saw the Duomo (which is just a really big cathedral), and walked around the city. We didn’t get to do a whole lot else, because our train to Venice was that night, but that was perfectly fine with me.

Venice was by far my favorite city in Italy. When we were planning our trip, I was pretty indifferent about everything we planned to do in Italy. However, I am so glad that I went along because Venice was one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. It was a gorgeous day outside, and we spent an afternoon eating gelato and taking a gondola ride down the canals of Venice. Venetian glass is one of the biggest , and there were at least three shops down every little street. It was a wonderful day of relaxing and browsing the stores.

From Venice, we visited Florence. We went into the museum that houses Michelangelo’s statue of David, and saw the Duomo in Florence. My favorite part of our day in Florence was when a few of us climbed up to Michelangelo’s plaza, which was on top of a hill that overlooked the entire city of Florence. It was a long walk, but worth the trip, because we got to see the city at sunset and watched all of the city lights come out.

Florence

After a quick stop in Pisa to see the leaning tower, we made our way to Rome. There are a thousand and one things to do in Rome. Everywhere you turn there is some ruin, cathedral, or plaza that houses something of interest. We were quite disappointed, because both the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain were under construction and we couldn’t live out our childhood Lizzie McGuire dreams of throwing a penny into the fountain and then riding on the back of some Italian guys motorcycle to go off and become a pop star. Oh well, you can’t win them all :).

We still got to see a lot of things, like the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Hadrian’s Temple, and Trajan’s Market, just to name a few. The coolest thing to see was the ruins of the Roman forum. We had a really good tour guide through the area, and that made it all that more interesting. These ruins are surrounded by modern city buildings, and if they weren’t there, it would have been impossible to know that the Romans had once conducted business there. It was one of those moments where I felt like I was going back in time and stepping into a historical moment.

The Colosseum

The Roman Forum

We also spent a day in Vatican City. The Sistine Chapel was beautiful, but the best part was seeing St. Peter’s Basilica. First of all, this church is massive. I have never seen a church so big in my entire life, and I have seen quite a few cathedrals. Second, it was absolutely stunning. The painted ceilings were so intricate and well kept, and the statue of Mary holding the dying Jesus is also there.

Our trip was definitely worth the time and effort we put in to planning it. Coming soon is our weekend trip to Scotland, to Edinburgh and Inverness!

The Best Things I Ate: The European Tour

May 9, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

It’s time for the last installment of “The best things I ate.” Check out parts 1 and 2 if you haven’t yet. This time, instead of dishes from Germany, I’ve collected all of my favorite meals from various countries I visited over spring break. Since this post required extensive research, it will be rather long, but I have to share these things because they are such an important part of why I love travel, and they are what inspire me to create new recipes of my own. Whether I’m at home or halfway around the world, I try to branch out and try new things, as well as authentic classics, and here, you’ll see a good mix of both, organized by city.

Prague:

This was the first dinner I had in the first city of break, and it was a great way to kick it all off! It was roast pork with horseradish mashed potatoes and a gorgeous gravy. It was classic Czech food with a little added elegance. Another reason to love Prague is that even fancy restaurants are ridiculously cheap because of the exchange rate!

This little treat is something I grew up eating at home. Kolacky are little Bohemian cookies filled with jelly or cream cheese that come in all shapes and sizes. I saw these at a bakery stand at a local festival and just had to have a real one!

Budapest:

For even cheaper fancy food, this is the place for you! This was my birthday dinner, chicken with beetroot risotto. I’m not really a fan of beets, but I am a huge fan of risotto, so I decided to take a risk and order it. And not only does it look beautiful, it tasted perfect too!

Vienna:

A long time ago, I did an entire post about my favorite foods in Vienna, but one thing I regretted missing out on the first time was some real Wiener Schnitzel. So this time, I found a restaurant that was really popular with the locals and finally had some. Some of my friends got the giant version that was bigger than the plate, but I opted for this one to get the sides. That way, it didn’t look entirely like a heart attack on a plate. At least there was some lettuce.

Venice:

Unlike Prague and Budapest, food in Venice can get pretty expensive. But one thing that’s always a deal is pizza. Honestly, my favorite pizza in the world is still Chicago style deep-dish, but for authenticity’s sake, this one was pretty good too. But it was a struggle to eat with a knife and fork.

Rome:

It was here that I first learned how to eat like an Italian. Apparently, the giant bowl of pasta is only the first course, and you’re supposed to have room for a meat course after that. I usually just picked one or the other, but this pesto was my favorite pasta course, mostly because I believe you can never have too much basil.

Cinque Terre:

As a general rule, whenever I’m lucky enough to go to a restaurant where I can see the ocean from my table, I order fish. And that’s almost the only time I order fish. This was the first time that I ever got one with the head still attached, but after respectfully laying a piece of lettuce over the face, I thoroughly enjoyed this meal.
So far, I haven’t mentioned any restaurants by name, but I feel compelled to for this next one. Based on rave reviews from Rick Steves and Tripadvisor, I had to try Il Pirata in the tiny town of Vernazza. I’m sure all their food is great, but I specifically wanted to go for breakfast.

First, there’s this little cup of wonderful. The owner gave us a little free sample, describing the mix of fresh strawberry slush and whipped cream as “the Italian yoghurt.” That little taste was not enough. And just the fact that this is considered just like yoghurt here is just another reason why I love this country.

Finally, yes, I did order a cannoli for breakfast. I had to do it, and it was the best one I’ve ever had. And now I know better than to order a pre-filled one. These are filled only after you order them so that they stay delightfully fresh and crunchy.

So that’s how I ate my way across Europe. Next week, I’ll write my last post as I prepare to go home for the summer. I’m sure it’ll be bittersweet and super cliché, but hopefully it’s a good final chapter.

Spring Break Part 2: La Dolce Vita

May 6, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

After the first week of break, the first three cities, I already felt like I had seen a lot, done, a lot, and walked a lot. But the Odyssey continued. After one of the longest train rides I have ever been on, we arrived in Venice to start our full week of exploring Italy. Now, Italy was one of the specific places we were “strongly advised”not to go, mainly because of pickpocketing and other issues that past groups have dealt with there. But I’ve always wanted to go to Italy. I know at least a dozen people who have spent extended time there and have never had a problem. And the truth is, there are a lot of more dangerous places to go in the world, places that I actually do want to see someday. So I respectfully ignored the warnings, and guess what! I had a great time with no problems at all, and never once felt unsafe. So my advice is to go to Italy. Be a nerdy tourist and strap your valuables to your body, research good places to stay, don’t talk to strangers, and just go! During the week, we went to Venice, Rome, Cinque Terre, and Florence. Once again, I’ll try my best to sum up all the fun.

Venice:
I loved Venice. In fact, it’s one of my favorite cities. However, this place gets a lot of mixed reviews. People either love it or hate it. I love it because it is exactly as beautiful as I pictured it. It’s just a beautiful city that looks like it hasn’t changed much in centuries. The main thing to do there is just to walk around and get lost in the narrow streets. And you will get lost. There’s really not much point in looking at maps, and it will take you about four times longer to find things than you would expect. Some people don’t have the patience for this, but I found it fun. Instead of rushing around to a million tourist attractions, you can just wander, take your time, and enjoy the views. The public transport system here is the water bus, which is especially fun to ride at night, to see the city light up. One thing I regret missing out on was a gondola ride. People seem to think they are a tourist trap, but in reality, they actually aren’t that expensive. If you get a full group of 6 people, the cost would divide to 13 euros per person. If I had realized this sooner, I would have done it, so I’ll have to come back someday.

Rome:

I wanted to love it, I really did. I liked it, but in the end, I think it fell a little short of my expectations. Don’t get me wrong, there are a ton of things in Rome that everyone should see in their lifetime, but now that I have seen them, I feel like I can just check this place off the list. Experienced travelers recommend that if Rome is “too much for you” you shouldn’t go further south, implying that it is one of the more intense tourist destinations. While I do think that it was a little much for me, this wasn’t because it was somehow too intensely Italian. It was because of the hoards of crazed tourists. There were just too many people in town. I’m sure it had a lot to do with the fact that we were there right after Easter, but still, I’ve never had a stronger urge to shove people in my life. It’s a shame because the museums, the ruins, and the Vatican are beautiful. I probably would have loved it if it were February. Go to Rome, but book museum tickets in advance, and remember to bring extra patience.

Cinque Terre:
This area is a slice of heaven. Formerly known as “Italy’s Hidden Riviera,” it has now been discovered and become a top destination (Thanks, Rick Steves.) It’s five tiny, quaint towns along Italy’s western coast, linked together by hiking trails and trains. Unfortunately, the trials were closed when we were there, and the train system could use a lot of help. But if someday, they can fix it, so that it doesn’t take 2 hours to go 5 minutes up the road, this place would be absolutely perfect. I may seriously consider learning Italian, moving here, and opening up a bed and breakfast. It would be a good life.

Florence:
I really enjoyed Florence, the birthplace of the renaissance. Some people I know may take offense to this, but I thought of it as a more manageable, mini version of Rome. There are plenty of museums and attractions to see, but it maintains a somewhat relaxed atmosphere. And it’s walkable, which is always a plus. Aside from admiring all the renaissance art, my favorite part of the day here was walking up to Piazza Michelangelo, where I took this photo:

So that’s Italy. I loved it, and am so glad I decided to go after all. I’m proud of myself for getting through over two weeks of intense travel. Each of these places challenged me. I clearly wasn’t in Germany anymore, but I learned a lot. I learned how to read a map and not get lost, how to get lost and be okay with it, how to get by in places where I didn’t speak the languages, and how to get up every day and look for adventure. But as much as I loved all the places we went over break, the most important thing I learned is that Germany is my home, and I can’t ever take it for granted. I now have a greater appreciation for the fact that I know how things work here, that I can speak German, and that this is also a very unique and beautiful country. It’s good to be home!

Unexpected Twists part two

May 1, 2012 / sarahtiemann / 0 Comments

After our unexpected detour in our plans in Marseille, two days later in Milan, Italy, another hiccup happened in our plan. In some hotels in Europe, they charge by the amount of people staying in the room rather than just the room itself. We thought we could sneak around this system and have three people stay in a room instead of the two people we had told them were going to stay. We came up with the idea that two of us would check in and bring in all the luggage and then the third person would just be visiting us later. But like any good mischievous plan, karma set in.

The first night went according to our plan so we woke up and toured around Milan. We visited the famous cathedral and were able to walk on top of the roof. We also walked around their “central park” and of course window shopped at the designer stores. After a long day of touring around the city and geeking out because I was able to see DaVinci’s “Last Supper,” we were ready for some delicious Italian food. So we attempted to beat the system again and went to a bar where they serve free appetizers when you order a drink. We ended up eating enough to make a dinner out of it, we headed back to the hotel. While we were relaxing around our room, we suddenly got a phone call and as we slowly answered it, we were asked how many people were staying in our room. And our cover was blown. A few seconds later we had a knock on our door and one of the workers started talking to us in rapid Italian implying that only two people are allowed in the room and visitors were not welcomed. So as our trio soon became a duet, we frantically searched for any hostel that was open and was available. When we finally found one, we ever so discretely took down a third of our luggage all while being watched by the workers.

In the end everyone had a bed to sleep in (whether it was extremely sketchy or not) and we were happy to check out of our hotel that morning. Though at the time it was quite stressful trying to figure out whether or not one of us had to sleep on a park bench, we know look back on the whole story and just laugh still trying to figure out just what the worker was telling us. All I can really say is, don’t try and outsmart the system because the system will win.

Check out more of my photos at https://plus.google.com/photos/113496106333285759017/albums?banner=pwa

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

Italy Round 2: Florence

April 24, 2012 / John McCutchan / 0 Comments

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Before setting out for Easter Break, it appeared that our luck in having a remarkably rainless semester was about to catch up to us: every single day’s forecast predicted rain. During the Italian segment of our journey we had had a light shower in Milan, but by the time we had arrived in Florence the weather was back to mostly dry and sunny.

The first day in Florence actually wasn’t spent in the city of Florence, but consisted of a tour of the surrounding Tuscan countryside. The first stop was Siena, the rival citystate of Florence. The stop included the city’s famous striped cathedral, one of the world’s first (and still functioning) banks, and the famous Piazza del Campo (home of the Palio horse race). After stopping at a farm and winery for lunch (which including sampling two wines unique to Tuscany) the tour took us through the scenic countryside and included a break at the small town of San Gimignano. Our last stop was Pisa; where we saw one of the wonders of the world. It was here that we experienced the only true rain of the journey (and first European thunderstorm). However, I had no difficulty sitting in a cafe with a cappuccino and admiring the leaning tower of Pisa.

Cathedral of Siena Library

The day actually spent in Florence started off with a visit to the Accademia Gallery. We were originally worried about waiting for hours in line, but found out that with a phone call it is relatively simple to reserve tickets and walk right in (it helps if you know someone that speaks Italian, like the friendly owner of our hostel). It does cost about €4 to reserve a ticket, but you will undoubtably spend more than €4 of time waiting in line. The museum’s centerpiece is undoubtedly Michelangelo’s David, so after viewing that and an exhibit on ancient musical instruments it was on to the next stop.

The first thing one notices about Florence is how exquisite all of the cathedrals are. This originates from the fact that Florence was originally a community of bankers (the Florin gold coin comes from Florence). But the bankers wanted more money and began charging exorbitant interest rates. The Church didn’t take kindly to this, and told the bankers they would assuredly be going to hell. Therefore, in order to buy their way to heaven the bankers poured their money into building the most striking cathedrals possible (and adorning the front with their names so everyone would know who was responsible for the structures).

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

The Basilica de Santa Croce is a moderate walk away from the main cathedral, but is was not very crowded. As with many European cathedrals, it is now more of a museum for tourists than a church. Also, for some reason nearly every famous building over the course of my trip has seemed to have scaffolding on some part of it. From tiny watchtowers on the west coast of Ireland to the grandiose Italian cathedrals, all have some scaffolding covering various amounts of the building. However, most places have turned this into a profit by charging an €5 for entrance to see what is behind the scaffolding. It sort of reminds me of the unfinished Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota – it is probably more profitable to never finish. Although in Santa Croce I didn’t pay the extra fee to look at the renovation-in-progress altar, the Byzantine art and other devotional pieces in the Museo dell’Opera still made cathedral a good stopping point.

View from Piazza Michelangelo

The last stop was across the river to Piazza Michelangelo, where an old wall on top of a hill provides what are unequivocally the best views of Florence. After stopping to watch a few street performers, the trip back to our hostel was one of the best parts of Florence. The way back passed several koi ponds, journeyed through the old city gate, and over the Ponte Vecchio. Most exciting: we found the best gelateria in the world on the way back! If you’re ever traveling through the Piazza della Signoria, make sure to stop by Caffe Mokarico Gelateria!

Missed an earlier blog?

Also, see more photos on Picasa or follow me on Twitter!

View from Rialto Bridge

Spring Break Part I: Venice

March 21, 2012 / John McCutchan / 0 Comments

Venetian Sunset

First stop of my spring break: Venice, Italy. This beautiful city was the perfect place for the group of us traveling together to start our trip to mainland Europe. Being a very popular city for tourism, the language barrier is pretty minimal compared to a lot of other places. Also, the city is on an island, meaning that it is impossible to get too lost while wandering around. Everything in Venice is within easy walking distance, meaning we never had to deal with potentially confusing public transportation.

Gondola Ride

The Grand Canal winds through the main part of Venice with many other canals interlacing throughout the city. The local Venetians use boats like most American use cars. In fact, most houses in Venice have two doors, one with an entrance onto the street and another door opening to a canal. Due to the water bound nature of the city “the thing” do to while in Venice is go on a gondola ride. In order to keep the cost of our ride down we didn’t go on a very long one, but we spent over half an hour gliding along the back canals of Venice (which included going by Marco Polo’s house). The countless bridges throughout the city are very scenic, but few have ramps, making transport difficult for those with strollers or wheelchairs.

Venice has several notable sights that tourists from all over the world come to visit like Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square. Rialto Bridge was very crowded, but the views of the Grand Canal from the top were amazing. St. Mark’s Square was great to see both at night and during the day.

View from Rialto Bridge

I enjoyed going to both locations, especially St. Mark’s, but my favorite place in Venice was the walkway along the waterside. Of course, there are hordes of street vendors attempting to sell just about everything a tourist could be tempted to buy in every popular location. But because I was traveling during the offseason, most of the others along the waterside were just other tourists like myself looking for a scenic escape from the main part of the city.

Besides its canals, Venice is also captivating for others reasons such as its famous glassware, carnival masks, and real Italian food. I loved the pizza and pasta, but the real treasure of Venice: gelato!

Ponte della Costituzione

Missed a blog or want to see what else is going on in Cambridge? Check out: http://blogs.valpo.edu/studyabroad/category/cambridge-england/

Look at more photos on Picasa at: https://plus.google.com/photos/112463823006344854498/albums?banner=pwa

Follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/#!/CambridgeUKJohn

When In Rome!

March 15, 2011 / hannahbauer / 0 Comments

Leaving England for Ten Days!

From the ground it already appeared to be night time, but as our plane rose steadily above the clouds the sun was just dipping below the curve of the earth and out of our view. The city lights below sparkled amidst the land below, black like spilled ink, and above us the deep blue of twilight was lit by one single star. In between the two, the sun gave its last appeal for daytime and bathed the horizon line in light the color of nectarines still dangling from their branches. And there, on our cheap RyanAir flight, began ten of some of the most beautiful days I have ever experienced.

The Spanish Steps

Our flight got in pretty late so we went straight to our hostel. We had some trouble with the workers not having correct change, but after getting that straightened out and a free drink at the hostel bar we crashed. The next five days were a whirl-wind of Italian craziness! Both days in Rome we walked at least twenty miles to try to get in as many of the sights as we could. Rome is much more spread out than a lot of the towns I’ve visited in the UK and, unlike the London Tube, Rome’s Metro was very limited. We started by seeing the ruins at Palatine Hill which got us a ticket into the Coliseum as well. After that, just as night was falling we visited the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain. It was so pretty because the rain finally let up but the wet streets were reflecting back all of the cities colorful lights. The next day we did the Vatican and walked through a park to an overlook of Rome. What struck me about Rome, and Pompeii the next day, was how old it was. England feels significantly older than America, but Rome is just so much older.

The Ruins at Palatine Hill

The Coliseum

Trevi Fountain

Rome at Night! That lit up building is the Vatican!

Some of the MANY ruins at Pompeii

The Leaning Tower of Pisa!

After Pompeii the next day, we took a train to Florence where we stayed in the most adorable hostel ever. If you could even call it a hostel, it reminded me much more of staying the night at my grandparents’ house. And Marta, the owner, reminded me of someone’s adorable and eccentric grandmother. After sweet dreams of my own grandparents, I woke up and went along with my traveling group to Pisa mostly just to take the cliché, but oh-so iconic, leaning tower pictures. Pisa turned out to be an adorable and picturesque Italian town and I loved it! After returning from Pisa, we walked around Florence and saw many churches and even hiked to a stunning scenic overlook. The hills and overlooks of Europe were a wonderful change from the basic flatness of England.

A Canal of Venice!

Our last day in Italy was quite the experience! After a two hour train from Florence to Venice we realized instantly the sheer number of people there and most of them in costume! Ashamedly, it took us a walk all the way across the city and through the famous square before we started to realize there was no way this was a normal day in Venice during off-season. After a while of contemplating it occurred to me that we were traveling on Ash Wednesday, making that day Mardi Gras! And we were in Venice! I don’t think we could have planned it that well if we had tried! We quickly bought some masks and walked around the city fitting right in. Venice is like a whole different world from England, with no motor cars, only tiny winding streets for walking and grand canals with stately gondolas. After our lovely day enjoying the sun and gelato in Venice we got on a very nice train which took us all the way to Lucerne, Switzerland, kicking off a whole new chapter of our travels with an entirely different kind of beauty. Check back and I will be posting blogs about Switzerland and Germany! And check out all of my pictures here!

Overlook of Florence

Valpo Voyager

Student Stories from Around the World