Ciao Roma!

Today I leave Rome and begin my journey around Europe for the next seven days!

Onto Venice, Vienna, Prague, Munich, Amsterdam, Paris, and then home! I am super excited to see the world and am doing it in record pace. I will miss gelato and paninis and walking past the Colosseum on a daily basis, but I am ready. It has been an interesting seven weeks and I have no regrets at all! I would recommend anyone who is interested in history, art, architecture, religion, food or even just travel in general to spend a few days in Rome. It is a great city and will be dearly missed!





Image taken from: http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5377649,00.jpg

Ciao to the People of Rome!

Sadly enough, I think I might actually miss the different characters I have seen walking along the streets of Rome. What will I do walking down the streets back home without seeing a gypsy on the ground begging for money? Or a group of tourists crowding the sidewalk? Or even hearing the occasional "Ciao Bella!" coming from a creepy middle-aged Italian man? I suppose it is just an adjustment that I will be forced to make, because these characters just can't be found back in my hometown.

I would say more than anyone though, I will miss the street musicians. As an avid music lover, the contemporary sound of a man playing an accordian , playing two recorders with his nose, or even the man from day one that I saw lip-syncing to Pavorati is music to my ears. For now though, I must say my goodbyes and maybe I will be back again!

Ciao Via del Corso!

Today, I took what could be my last walk down the Corso. With only two more days left in Rome, I knew my chances of returning to the Corso ever again would be slim. Since the day I arrived in Rome I have walked down Via del Corso almost every single day. We had class in the Piazza del Colegio Romano (which is right off the Corso) every day during the week. It was not only for class though that I would walk along my favorite street.

The girls and I would always go souvenir or clothes shopping in stores such as Zara, Le Group, and H&M. Often we would grab gelato at a local gelateria on the Corso in between classes. I have visited its' several museums, such as the Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj. One night I even ventured to the movie theater along the Corso. It is easily accessable to go to Villa Borghese, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps from the Corso as well. Throughout my stay Via del Corso has acted as the beginning point of many adventures I have taken throughout Rome. I will miss it dearly, but my time here is up and I must say my goodbyes.

Barcelona v. Rome

This weekend we traveled all the way across the Mediterranean to Barcelona, Spain! I had the time of my life and I am super-excited to travel around Europe starting on Friday!! There were several things I liked about Barcelona that just aren't around in Rome.

1. Dunkin' Donuts AND Starbucks
2. 50mL Coca-Cola ... $.80
3. Cheetos
4. TAPAS (mmMMmm)
5. great seafood collection ( I tried octopus, sea bass, mussels, and squid)

These are just a few things in Barcelona that made me smile. I know a lot of the items are from back home, but it was nice being able to eat something besides pasta, paninis, and gelato for once.