Verona - Romeo and Juliet

Ever since I saw the movie Letters to Juliet, I have dreamed of going to Verona, Italy. It is the birthplace of Romeo and Juliet. Allie and I stayed at a Bed & Breakfast. We arrived later in the evening, so we went out for dinner, walked around a little, and decided to do all of our sightseeing the following day. We walked to Juliet's house and saw the balcony as well as the statue of Juliet. It was not exactly like the movie, however, people do not stick their letters on the wall outside of the balcony, but instead in mailboxes. I was quite disappointed, but it was still amazing to see it. Unfortunately it was also drizzling, so after a few minutes we decided to have a coffee break. Afterwards we walked around a little more, but there is not too much to see in Verona, so we took a noon train to Milan. When I got back to Spain, I was just dying to watch Letters to Juliet. I saw a few places where they filmed in the movie, so I was elated! I truly enjoyed my time in Verona and seeing Juliet's house. Unfortunately there is not much to report about Milan. Allie and I arrived in the afternoon and walked around window shopping, but nothing too exciting. Then we got up early the next morning and headed back to Spain. I was disappointed to leave Italy, but I was also excited to be going back to Spain. I leave for Morocco on Friday morning and I cannot wait. It is going to be an interesting experience and I can't wait to tell you all about it.

Entrance to Juliet's house

Balcony 

Statue of Juliet

Graffiti covering the entrance to the house

Plaza where we had coffee 

Venice - The City built on Water

After leaving Pisa, we took the train back to Florence and then to Venice, not really the most convenient way to travel. We arrived in Venice in the afternoon and took a bus to our hotel, where we dropped all of our things and then headed across the bridge into the city built on water. We walked around and got hopelessly lost because the map did not have any street names, but I don't even think knowing where we were would have helped. So we wandered around aimlessly crossing bridges and walking along the narrow streets until we happened upon a plaza, where we ate dinner. Luckily the plazas were listed on the map and with a little help from police officers and people in the streets along the way, we found our way back to our hotel. The next morning we had a quick breakfast and then did some more sightseeing. Most of the shops in Venice sold glass and masks. The masks were the most detailed, stunning masks I have ever seen. I cannot believe the variety and the craftsmanship that goes into each mask. The glass was also very unique and is Murano glass, which is a small island near Venice, where all of the glass is imported. We also stumbled into a shop, where the store owner was making jewelry. He has a little torch and was adding bits of colorful glass to earrings. I really enjoyed walking around/getting lost in Venice. It is a very unique city and one of my favorite cities!

View from one of the many bridges in Venice

Gondola 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Allie and I took the train from Florence to Pisa in order to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa of course. It took about 20 minutes to walk to the tower from the train station and you can't actually see the tower until you turn the corner. My first thought was oh my gosh its actually leaning. I know its a bit cliche, but it really does lean quite substantially. We began taking pictures, trying to get our hands exactly right, so it appeared as though we were holding the tower up. A little more difficult than I would have thought. After trial and error, we were finally able to get a few good pictures. Then we sat on the grass and enjoyed the sun. We grabbed a quick lunch and then headed back to Florence. I am so glad that I was able to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I have always wanted to see it and it was definitely worth the trip!

Florence - Birthplace of Michelangelo

On the train between Naples and Florence, I met this elderly Italian man. We began talking (or at least attempting to communicate) he was speaking Italian and I was speaking Spanish, which was quite comical. We talked for awhile and then he left the train a few stops outside of Florence. The following day Allie and I were walking down the street and someone taps me on the back. When I turn around it is none other than my friend from the train. What a small world! Anyways when we arrived in Florence, we went and saw the duomo (cathedral). The carvings on the outside were very intricate and also very colorful. However, the inside was not very impressive and stark in comparison with the outside. Allie and I then headed to the museum where the David is held. It was created by Michelangelo and is truly amazing. We had to wait in line for awhile, but it was definitely worth it. Unfortunately you could not take pictures, but I did take a picture of a replica. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Florence. The next morning we visited the palace and saw ponte vecchio, which is the oldest bridge in Florence. It was the only bridge not destroyed by the Nazi during World War II. There are shops built on the bridge that sell gold and jewelry. Unfortunately it was just a bit out of my price range ;) Next we climbed up to a lookout tower, which overlooked all of Florence. Afterwards we went to the church where Michelangelo and other famous people are buried. There is also a tomb for Dante, but he never returned to Florence. Outside the church was a TRL concert, sponsored by MTV for Italian pop stars. Allie and I watched it for a bit and it was exciting to see live performances by popular artists.

P.S. Other famous people born in Florence are Dante, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Donatello.

Duomo

Replica of the David

Ponte Vecchio 

View from the lookout point

Church where Michelangelo is buried 

Concert

Naples - The Birthplace of Pizza!!!

Allie and I took a train from Rome to Naples and I couldn't wait to see the city where pizza was invented. I mean can you imagine a world without pizza??? We arrived at our hostel, getting slightly lost along the way, but when we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. The hostel was full of color and had a great environment with a friendly staff. The girl at the front desk gave us some ideas of where to go and we were off to explore. We began by seeing the castle and the palace. Then we went inside the most beautiful shopping center. It is located inside an old building, which is very ornate. We got hopelessly lost, but eventually found our way to one of the highest points in Naples, where we had a view of Vesuvius (volcano that buried Pompeii) as well as a 360 degree view of Naples. After a long day of sightseeing, we ate at the restaurant where pizza was born. It was the most delicious pizza I have ever had. I tried a pizza with artichokes on it, which was amazing and my new favorite type of pizza. However, since this pizza was so amazing, the rest of the pizza I had on the trip was kind of a let down :(

Castle 

Shopping Center

Inside the shopping center

View of Naples and Vesuvius 

Palace 

My first bite of pizza!!! 

When In Rome

For Semana Santa (Holy Week), I went to Italy for 10 days. I don't think I have ever eaten more pizza, pasta, and gelato! I began my journey Thursday night on a night bus to Madrid. I arrived at the airport at about 7, where I met my friend Allie. We boarded the plane and headed to Rome. When we arrived, our friend Allison met us at the bus station, we quickly dropped our bags at the hostel, and then we were off to the Vatican. Once inside it is absolutely beautiful with all of the different chapels. The Sistine Chapel was by far my favorite and I couldn't believe I was actually seeing it in person. Afterwards we got the best gelato at Old Bridge, one of the most famous gelato shops in Italy. I ended up running into two of my sorority sisters there, who are studying in Rome and then about 10 minutes later into another sister, who is studying in Spain, but traveling around Italy for Spring Break as well. Quite a small world. On our way back to the hostel, we stopped at St. Peter's Basilica. Once again, I could not believe that I was actually seeing it in person. The inside is gigantic and absolutely beautiful. Afterwards we got ready and then went out for a nice dinner. The next morning we walked to the Colosseum and then to the Trevi fountain. It is by far the most beautiful fountain I have ever seen. It was breathtaking. Of course I threw in some coins for good luck, then it was off to the Spanish steps. We were exhausted after all of our sightseeing, so we took a short nap and then went out for dinner. The following day we walked to the Borghese gardens, where we sat and listened to live music and enjoyed the nice weather. We also saw the Pantheon, which has a huge hole in the center, so when it rains, the water actually comes into the building. It use to be a pagan temple, but was converted to a Catholic church. Overall, I had an amazing time in Rome. I am so happy that I was able to see everything that I have learned about throughout my schooling.

Allie and I in the Colosseum

Trevi Fountain

Spanish Steps

Pantheon 

Hole in the top of the Pantheon

Nerja

My roommate Megan and I went to Nerja, a beach about 2 hours away from Granada, a few Sundays ago. We started our journey bright and early arriving at the beach by 11. As soon as we arrived, we began our hunt for sunscreen. Well being a Sunday in Spain means all of the shops were closed, so needless to say no sunscreen for us. We laid out most of the day, only taking a break to grab a quick lunch and of course some gelato to cool us down. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and very relaxing. Just what I needed before the start of midterms. We hopped on the bus at 5 and headed home. On our way home, I realized I was getting uncomfortably warm and by the end of the ride, I was my own personal oven. I guess not wearing sunscreen all day will do that to you. I ended up looking like a lobster for a few days, which was a lot of fun! I definitely learned my lesson and will be sure to buy sunscreen before I go to the beach next time!! I am hoping to post about my trip with my parents in the next few days and then I will be in Italy for 10 days :) So look forward to more posts soon.

~Elizabeth~

Cordoba

Sorry I haven't blogged in awhile, I have been very busy with midterms and my parents visiting. I went to Cordoba with my program. Cordoba was one of the major cities of the Muslim empire in Spain. First we made a stop at the ruins of the caliph's city. It was a few minutes drive from the main center of town and was built to show the power of the caliph. Foreign dignitaries were invited to meet the caliph and discuss alliances or ask for protection here. It was covered for centuries by dirt and just discovered a few decades ago. They started to rebuild parts of it, however, they are currently waiting to do any further rebuilding. After learning about the history of Cordoba here, we traveled to the city center. There I had a picnic lunch, followed by a paseo around Cordoba. Then we went as a group into the mosque/cathedral. It is the oldest mosque in Europe and when the Catholics conquered Cordoba they built the cathedral inside of the mosque. Usually they would have torn down the mosque and built a cathedral on the ruins, but the people in the city thought it was wasteful to tear down such a beautiful mosque, so they simply built a cathedral inside. When you first walk in, there is an open air courtyard surrounded by the walls of the mosque. The beauty is absolutely breathtaking once you enter the mosque. Then after walking around the mosque, you happen upon the cathedral, which is also amazing. It is mostly white marble such a contrast to the mosque surrounding it. I really enjoyed the mosque/cathedral as well as seeing the ancient city. It gave me a greater appreciation for the history of Spain, especially in regards to the history between the Muslims and Christians.

View from the top of the caliph's city. 

Looking down on the palace of the caliph. 

Entrance to the mosque/cathedral.

Inside the mosque.

Alter of the cathedral. 

Muchos besos,
~Elizabeth~

Madrid

My parents and I had a great time in Madrid. We went to the Palacio Real de Madrid or the Royal Palace, which is absolutely amazing. It is the largest palace in Europe in terms of square feet. I had been there a few weeks earlier, but I really enjoyed seeing it for a second time. We then headed to a large park in the center of the city, which is very similar to Central Park. We walked around the park, which was busy with activity. Then we went to the boat house and had lunch. I am glad I was able to see Madrid a second time because I felt like I appreciated it more the second time around.