The Aftermath

I have been back from Italy for a month now and I wish I was still there! I miss the food, the people, the adorable accents - everything. I miss packing and unpacking from one hotel room to another. I miss travelling.
Good news is that I finally have pictures to share! A little late I know but forgive me I procrastinate as if it was a day time job.

Lost phones and brilliant professors

The reason I have not been able to upload pictures recently is because I left phone in a cafe in Rome. I know you're cringing but it happened. I called the cafe from the bus going to Florence and all they spoke was Italian. Fortunately I had the professor there to help me. He was so helpful and polite! I could not believe I could respect a man more but I was wrong. Anyway as soon as my phone is shipped to me there will be more pictures!

And on a side note, Florence is absolutely gorgeous and full of history. I want to stay here and learn so much more. And I highly recommend reading Dan brown's inferno before coming here because it gets you very excited to see the city.

Rome

So i just finished an exhausting journey from Rome to Florence , and I have to admit my 5 days in Rome were one of the best I spent in Italy. Our hotel was in the heart of the city and we got to explore campo de fiore and piazza Navona by ourselves almost daily. The atmosphere of Rome , old meets new, was so unique that I want to return. Although my favorite aspect of Rome was Bernini. I am a devout Bernini fanatic and if you don't see a sculpture by Bernini while visiting Rome you are missing out. The four rivers fountain in piazza Navona is mesmerizing and the various sculptures in the borghese gardens are one if a kind. The way that Bernini captures movement is so unique and beautiful it leaves you with a sense of peace. 

The food in Rome is delicious as I expected. The gelato was even better, I think I ate my weight in gelato now. 

On our last day in Rome professor rutigliano joined us for the remainder for the trip, and I he believes in fast walking and talking and learning. Tomorrow should bring some surprises. Picture to come soon. Ciao!

Bernini Italy

Venice and Naples

I have not wifi for a while and I can feel the absence. Venice was the most beautiful city that I have ever seen and I can not wait to go back some day. I only had a day but I have fallen in love. 

Naples has been interesting... We have been cat called a lot and frankly its creepy. I'm trying to decipher the line between creepy and Italian. Pictures to come soon!

San Marino and urbino

Today's day trip consisted of leaving our beloved bologna to take a day trip to urbino and San Marino. After traveling for 2 hours by bus we reached urbino and toured the duke of urbino's castle. It was beautiful in all it's renaissance meets medieval glory.

San Marino has no words to describe it. This one of a kind country inside of Italy stand on top of a hill looking over the Italian hills. The view is breathtaking and the drive there and back is well with every minute of the 2 hour drive. 

San stefano and piazza magiore

Trekking and eating

Wow, what a jam-packed past two days these have been. Bologna is such a beautiful city and it’s hard not to notice and appreciate the culture when we’re only a 5 minute walk away from Piazza Maggiore. Yesterday, we walked further into the city to the Le Due Tuori, two of the few remaining towers inside Bologna’s walls. Tess gave an insightful presentation on the towers’ background and then we ventured inside the taller of the two. We walked up 498 very steep, very narrow, steps to the roof. We ended up looking at one of the most gorgeous, panorama views of the city. Definitely worth the trek. After a nice lunch, and another shot for all of us to try out our Italian ordering skills, we visited the Basilica di San Petronio, which is currently celebrating its 400^th anniversary since completion. The architecture, paintings, sculptures, and stain glass windows were breathtaking. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed inside, so you’ll just have to believe me. Next, we went to Piazza Santo Stefano, whose significance was explained by Therese’s presentation. We ended the day with dinner and a trip to the gellateria, which seems like it might become a nightly tradition.

Today, we walked all the way to the University of Bologna, one of (if not, the) the oldest higher education institutions of the world. We visited two of University museums, the Palazzo Poggi, which contains various scientific collections dating back to the 1600’s, and the Museum of the History of Students in Europe. There was an interesting room in the Anatomy section at Poggi, vividly depicting the various stages and complications of pregnancy and childbirth through models designed by 18^th century doctors for training purposes. Some girls were more interested than others due to variations in squeamishness. Either way, we all learned a lot about the history of science in Italy. After lunch and some free time, we walked and walked some more. We walked 2 km from our hotel to the bottom of the Basilica San Luca, another 2 km to the church at the top, and back again. The walk up the hill is unique because the path and stairs are covered by a portico (typical of Bologna) made of 666 arches. While the hike up the hill was certainly tiring, and we all were glowing (dripping?) with sweat, the view from the top was unbelievable. Not only was the landscape breathtaking but also the elaborate design of the Basilica. I have never been so awed by a piece of architecture, especially one so historic. Seeing the outcome of so much time, effort, and money put into the building of these churches makes one realize the significance that religion played in historic Italy, and how things have so drastically changed today.

All in all, I’d say we’re giving the Peru girls a run for their money in mileage by foot. However, we have no reason to complain. Eating pasta in the Piazza, snacking on gelato at night, and visiting some of the most beautiful and historic landscapes in our world’s history is close to paradise. I’m sure we will never be able to say this enough, but I want to thank all the parents for giving us this opportunity to explore and create lifetime memories. Next stop, Venice!