Study Abroad Blog: May 2011

It's a bit unreal to say that I just arrived "home" to Paris, but it's true! I just came home from an amazing 2 week vacation throughout the continent. 5 cities and 4 countries later, I did the impossible- stuffed my life into my Northface backpack and lived out of it for 2 whole weeks. I always wondered what the allure of backpacking for an extended period of time was, and I was a definitely weary of ruffing it in hostels the entire trip, but now I know that it is completely worth the experience. Be prepared for a long blog this time, there's just too much not to talk about!

Amsterdam:

Forget every stereotype you have of Amsterdam. Okay, prostitution is legal and marijuana is tolerated (it's technically illegal, the police just look the other way), but it is SO much more than that! The architecture is absolutely charming, like rows and rows of gingerbread houses, and a series of canals runs through the entire city. In fact, Amsterdam is often referred to as a "Little Venice," but more to come on the real mccoy later! We did so much sight seeing in 3 days- the Heineken brewery, Anne Frank House, Van Gogh museum, the IAmsterdam sign, and took a 4 hour long walking tour of the city, including the Red Light district! Ironically, the Red Light district surrounds a large, 14th century church, and is one of the coolest areas to visit, even at night! No pictures though! If the girls catch you photographing them, they will chase you and destroy your camera (they take their "jobs" pretty seriously..)!

We left crêpes behind and devoured typical Dutch street food- fries with mayonnaise and fried croquettes. We also realized (the hard way) that the rumors about bicycle traffic are 100% true in Amsterdam. Bikers have the right-of-way, and if they hit you, they can sue you! They are vicious. I was also shocked by the number of Dutch who spoke flawless English. They definitely put the French to shame when it comes to English grammar and vocab.

Casually trying on a pair of Dutch wooden clogs.

We learned that thousands of bikes are taken out of the canals each year!

The famous tulips!

We visited a floating flower market where thousands of bulbs are sold

Berlin:

Although our visit to Berlin was the shortest of our European "tour," we managed to see nearly everything! We discovered a great company in Amsterdam called New Europe which provides free walking tours throughout several cities in Europe. We loved our tour so much in Amsterdam that we decided to take one in Berlin and were not disappointed. We saw several interesting historical sights throughout the city, from WWII to Cold War and more. We were able to see the sight Adolf Hitler's underground bunker, where he committed suicide. It is now a parking lot with only a small sign to indicate what once existed there. We saw the Berlin Wall, including the East Side Gallery where artists from all over the world were invited to cover the wall with paintings. After the tour we visited the Jewish Museum which I found to be an amazing memorial to Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Several of the exhibitions were designed by American architect Daniel Libeskind and were set up to evoke the feelings of those persecuted during the Holocaust, both mentally and physically. I think it might have been the most interesting museum I have even visited.
In our short time, I was able to have my fair share of German cuisine, including schnitzel, currywurst, and of course, German beir! But after leaving, I had a bit of an identity crisis. As you all hopefully know, I am the proud daughter of an Italian American family. You might not know that I am actually 50% German, which we tend to "forget" from time to time. But after briefly seeing what German culture had to offer and trying some delicious German food, I am starting to inch closer and closer to considering myself both Italian and German. I still think I'd prefer a good spaghetti with Nona's meatballs over schnitzel or currywurst, but I'm workin' on it!

In front of the Berlin Wall

Famous square where the Brandenburg Gate is located.

It was a focal point during WII but was totally abandoned during the Cold War.

Checkpoint Charlie- US crossing point between East and West Berlin

East Side Gallery

Berliner Pilsner at a German bier garten

Prague:

Prague was the city that I had heard the most about but knew the least. It certainly does live up to the hype. The architecture is gorgeous- I loved the cream colored buildings and terracota roofs. Like Amsterdam, Prague seemed like a city straight out of a fairytale. The history there is also unreal, although a little complicated once you get into geopolitics :)

We did another New Europe tour in Prague and saw former Communist buildings and cubist architecture (apparently Cubism took Prague by storm in the early 1900s, as did déco art). We saw the Old New Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter, which is the oldest active synagogue in Europe! We were also able to go inside the famous Astronomical Clock and hear the trumpet player play at the start of the hour. Hundreds of people gather in the main square each hour just to hear the few notes that he plays. We spent several hours in Prague Castle, an amazing structure overlooking the entire city where the President actually lives! Talk about a room with a view!

We arrived at the perfect time, the week before Easter, to see the amazing Easter festival in the main Old Town Square. There were vendors throughout the square putting off an amazing display of Czech culture- traditional cuisine, artwork, etc. I couldn't help myself when I saw women painting Easter eggs by hand, I had to buy a few! Lucky for me, Prague is insanely cheap- 200 Czech koruna (pronounced "crown") is about $12.50. Now I know why so many students travel to Prague- you can splurge, even on a student budget. And we definitely splurged, especially on food! I couldn't get enough of Czech goulash with dumplings, or apple streudel, or the delicious street food. I loved "klobasavtesté," a sausage wrapped in dough, pigs-in-a-blanket style, and "trdlnik,"essentially a cinnamon and sugar covered spiral doughnut.

View of the city from inside the Astronomical Clock Tower

Easter festival in Praha

Painting the eggs!

API friends on the Charles Bridge

Venice:

It seems fairly obvious that my entire vacation culminated to my visit to Italy. I have honestly waited my entire life to visit the country that my family so frequently talks about, and it was everything I had dreamed of and more.
Venice was the most beautiful city we visited on our trip, and my favorite overall. I love learning historical facts, which is why I loved Rome, but Venice has a charm that is unlike any city I have ever visited. On the first day, we followed the advice of one of the employees at our hostel and simply “got lost” in the city. It was so refreshing to be able to stroll slowly through streets and alleyways, all without ever having to watch out for a passing car. It was so intriguing that the Venetian public transportation is the “vaperetto,” a waterbus. Without cars, things seem so much more relaxed- People take their time in Venice, and I loved that! The other great part about the city are, of course, the canals. Amsterdam was a great precursor, but nothing beats the real thing. Around every turn there seems to be another beautiful bridge lined with adorable buildings, where the doors are literally on the water- you can only get to them by boat!

We were in Venice on Easter and spent the majority of the day in the Piazza San Marco. In the square is a huge palace once belonging to the Venetian Doge, who ruled the city during the 14^th and 15^th centuries. We toured the palace, which was full of amazing pieces of art and rich with political history (right up my alley!). We were even lucky enough to be able to attend mass at the famous San Marco’s Basilica! The church was massive, and the walls were completely gilded. I may not have been able to understand a word of the sermon, but it was an incredible experience nonetheless.

I have found that in Italy, there is no such thing as too much of anything, be it gelato, pasta, or red wine, and I certainly enjoyed all three (don’t worry Mom, I went easy on the wine!). We had an AMAZING meal for Easter dinner: The traditional 4 course Italian meal with antipasti, baked pasta with eggplant, lamb with rosemary potatoes, and a nougat cake for dessert! Check out the foodie section of my blog for some pictures that will make your mouth water :)

On the Rialto Bridge after Easter mass

Authentic Venetian masks, sold virtually everywhere in the city!

Picturesque :)

Pistachio and hazelnut gelato- My first in Italia!

San Macro's Basilica

The flags shown are represent the European Union, Italy, and Venice.

Rome:
Last stop, Roma! Any European vacation would be incomplete without a trip to Rome, especially for this Italian girl (I mean German/Italian..cough cough) The history of the city is almost unfathomable- Even when you are in the center of the ruins of the Roman Forum, it's hard to believe that you are standing where modern civilization began. During our first day, we explored the Roman Forum, which was a short walk from our bed and breakfast. The Colosseum is more massive than I ever imagined. We toured the inside of the amphitheater and learned some cool facts about its history. Just to name a few: exotic animals were a favorite for the games, so it wasn't uncommon to have elephants or hippos inside. There was even a game where hundreds of bears were put inside a wooden whale and then released into the arena. I think one of the coolest facts involves the current state of the structure. I think it's a pretty common misconception that the Colosseum's exterior is attributed to natural damage over time- this isn't completely true. The building was abandoned for some time and stone was removed from the Colosseum to construct other monuments and building in the city, like the Pantheon!
The Forum itself is massive, and it's so easy to get lost amongst the rubble. We spent a good chunk of the day wandering through, discovering what is left of the Temples of Venus, Saturn, and Apollo, the Palatine hill (birthplace of the legend of Romulus and Remus, brothers nursed by "She Wolf"), and also the remains of the Theatre of Pompey, structure where Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March.
We spent the majority of the next day at the Vatican. It seems that timing was our thing this trip, because we arrived the week of the beatification of Pope John Paul II! The Vatican was packed with people from all over the world, celebrating Pope John Paul II's first step towards sainthood. As we later learned, 3 miracles are necessary for an individual to become a saint, and this is the fastest beatification in modern times! It just made visiting the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica that more amazing. There were some pretty scary looking Italian security guards in the Sistine Chapel, but I was still able to sneak some shots of Michelangelo's masterpiece!
We ended our vacation with a meal at L'Originale Alfredo di Roma, the famous restaurant where fettucine alfredo was invented! The restaurant is covered with pictures of celebrities, including JFK, Elizabeth Taylor, and Jimmy Stewart, all of whom are eating with the famous golden fork and spoon. Hollywood silent film stars Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford visited the restaurant during their honeymoon in 1927 and loved it so much that they gave Alfredo a golden fork and spoon inscribed with, “To Alfredo, the King of Noodles." When my parents visited Rome 14 years ago, they dined at Alredo's and my mother was so loved by the waiters (no surprise there) that they gave her the golden silverware to eat with! During my trip, I tried to spark conversation with our waiter by telling him this story. He didn't seem very interested, but I wasn't phased, especially with the anticipation of the feast I was about to have. When our waiter brought out our cheese filled plate and began to mix the pasta and sauce, as is tradition at Alfredo's, I was a bit jealous when he hand my friend Claire her meal saying "For you, the house plate. It brings good luck." And then, all of a sudden... "But for you...." and I see him put a gold fork and spoon on my place setting. If this sounds like a scene out of movie, it's because it felt like one! I still can't believe that I ended my dream vacation eating from some of the world's most famous silverware, following some of the most famous celebrities! I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed that they didn't want my photo to add to the wall, but I'll survive :)