IRELAND!

I have always dreamed of going to Ireland and envisioning everything around me to be emerald green. I was slightly disappointed when I tried to look up flights to embark on my Ireland adventure only to find out that flights only went to and from Florence to Ireland on tuesdays and saturdays. I had pondered it for quite some time because I would have had to miss two days of classes, but finally came to the conclusion, when would I ever had the opportunity to fulfill one of my dreams like this again. Needless to say me, Deanna, Megan, and Mia took the risk of missing classes and were headed to the land of the green! Our flight left out of Pisa left at 6:45am, which only meant we would have to get up at the crack of dawn in order to get to Pisa on time for our flight. Unfortunately, the trains from Florence to Pisa do not start that early so we came up with other scenarios. We traveled through the streets of Florence  as the dirty stayouts walked the streets at 3am in order to catch the bus at 3:40am to Pisa. I do not even think I slept for an hour the night before we left or for the rest of the trip for that matter. For the 5 days we were in Ireland we all toughed it out with just a backpack full of whatever we needed so we did not have to pay and check our bags. Upon arriving at the airport we went through customs and patiently waited at our gate for our plane to Dublin to board!  The flight was really smooth and I was able to see a beautiful sunset out the plane window. The views that I saw out the window of the plane while landing were absolutely incredible.  Once in Dublin, it was quite pleasant to hear people speaking English for a change and the Irish accents just made me melt into a bowl of mush.  We took the local bus to the temple bar area where our hostel was situated. 

Our hostel may not have been the best accommodations, but let's face it all we were going to be doing there was sleeping. After checking in we headed out to start exploring Dublin. But, our first stop was breakfast! We found a cute little cafe and had a traditional irish breakfast of eggs and coffee. Our next stop was Saint Patrick's Cathedral, which reminded me very much of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in NYC. We walked around the streets and headed to the Guinness Factory! The Guinness factory is the largest brewery world wide. The original lease for the building was signed for 9000 years for a site at the Saint James bridge. That sounds completely absurd doesn't it?  When you walked into the Guinness factory you were standing in the largest beer stein in the world. The  beer stein could hold 14.3 billion pints of beer if it was entirely full. There is over 3 million pints of beer are produced a day in the factory.  Guinness beer is enjoyed in over 150 countries world wide where the original recipe is still used! It was really fascinating to walk through the factory and museum to see how the process is done, what ingredients are used, and how long the entire process actually takes. Along the way  you had a guinness tasting and when you reached the top gravity lounge you enjoyed a pint of beer to yourself! When the bar tender handed me my pint of guinness he drew a shamrock in the foam that remained in the top of my glass. The view from the gravity lounge was an incredible overlooking all of Dublin. The room slowly rotated so you go a complete 360 degree view. After spending most of our afternoon at the Guinness factory our next stop was Trinity College where we saw the book of Kells.  After walking around Trinity College campus for a bit, we headed back to the hostel to freshen up before dinner. We walked around till we found an irish pub to eat dinner in and to listen to live irish music. For dinner we all enjoyed shepherds pie with irish cider beer as we listened to the irish band play guitar and sing along. After dinner we were on an Irish high and continued to walk through the temple bar area. We finally came across a pub called Oniel's where there was a live band coming on at 10. We found a table to sit and listened to the band. One of the members played a guitar and the other played a flute. They of course picked us americans out and continued to joke around with us throughout the night. Megan and Mia enjoyed Irish & Bailey's coffee. Deanna and I enjoyed some traditional Irish beer which  some nice Irish men kindly bought for us. The bar tender allowed us to sample several different beers before we chose which one we actually wanted. We were practically falling asleep at the table, but every time we would try to leave another good song came on or the band made another comment towards us. The night concluded with an irish river dancer showing us how to irish step dance and the band teaching us a traditional irish song. Needless to say, by the time we left the pub we had fallen madly and deeply in love with Ireland, the pub scene, and the Irish people. 

Guinness Factory

First Guinness

Ain't That The Truth

O'NEIL

The next morning we went on a tour of Wicklowt National Park. We were greeted by our tour guide Eamon, who was the cutest little old Irish man. We intently listened to him speak with his accent and when he tried to teach us some of the traditional Gaelic language. On our drive to the park, he gave us some history about Dublin and the land that we would be exploring for the day. Dublin has a population of 1.2 million people. Ireland has 3000km of coast land and 40,000 hectares of natural environment.  There are five national parks throughout Ireland. On first stop on the tour was an area of land which used to be an ice age valley from 12,000 years ago. The rolling hills went on for miles, as streams flowed through them, and wild flowers covered them. I have never seen so much green in my life. It was everything I had imagined it to be and more. As we drove through the park,  we made stops along the way and Eamon would enlighten us as to what we were looking at. Wicklowt National Park has been used to film a lot of movies due to the good tax regime. The movies that have been filmed within the park are Braveheart, Excaliber, and P.S. I Love You. I actually got to sit on the bridge where the movie had been filmed! Unfortunately, there were no "wild" irish dogs and a Jerry to come and save me. It was really cool to see that, considering Deanna and I had watched to move to prep ourselves for Ireland. We made a stop along a stream where we enjoyed coffee, tea, and cookies that Eamon had packed in a thermos for us to enjoy. After exploring some more we stopped for some lunch in an Irish pub. We enjoyed beef guinness stew as we sat around the fire place to get the chill out of our bones. Once our bellies were full it was time to explore some more! Next we stopped in Glendalough where Saint Kevin is believed to be buried. The remains of the church where he once was still stand there today. There is an old Irish myth that Saint Kevin is believed to be buried underneath the cross that remains there. If you stand facing towards his tower, wrap your arms around the cross, and try to have you fingers touch it is believed that you will be in contact with him and receive good lucky. Needless to say, I tried to do it and my short little arms were almost able to do it. There was also the rock that Saint Kevin used to sit upon where he would pray and look over Glendalough, the monastery, and the people. He prayed so hard that his finger prints are in the rock. Many people used to come to the rock on pilgrimage in order to place their hands where his once were.  Of course I placed my hands where his once were. Some of the views that we saw on the tour were some of the most beautiful landscapes that I have ever seen. The pictures that I took does not even do it justice. After a long day of venturing and hiking we headed back to the hostel to get ready for the Ingrid Michaelson concert! The concert was at a small theater in Dublin. Her opening act, Gavin James, was your typical red headed irish man who had the most beautiful voice. Ingrid Michaelson is a great performer and crowd pleaser too! She was really funny and even gave a shout out to her fellow Americans. Once the concert was over we got to meet the opening act Gavin James & got his autograph too. After the concert it was bed time because in the morning we were headed to Galway!

Wicklowt National Park

Tea & Cookies By The Stream

Gazing At The Beautiful Landscape

The Bridge From P.S. I Love You

Saint Kevin's Cross

Saint Kevin's Finger Prints

Meeting Gavin James

Ingrid Michaelson

Early the next morning we boarded a 7:00 bus from Dublin to Galway. I think I slept the entire way and woke up when we reached the bus station in Galway where Conor greeted us. While in Galway we were staying with some friends from SJU. Conor led us back to his apartment where we would be staying. After dropping our bags off we went to get breakfast sandwhiches at a little cafe. Galway is a tiny little fishing village on the west coast of Ireland. After breakfast we walked along the bay near the Galway light house. We spent hours walking along the shore line and writing things in the sand. After spending time on the beach we went to a coffee shop to have some bailey's cheesecake and a cup of tea to warm up. The weather was quite chilly in Ireland compared to our 65 degree whether in Florence. After warming up we walked through the quaint little town and went in and out of all the shops. After a day of exploring we headed back to Conor's apartment and all went out for dinner together. After dinner Conor and Andrew showed us a night out on the town Irish style. We pub hopped throughout the night and had a great time! The people at the bar kept calling me and Deanna leprechauns because we were so short haha! We got up early the next morning and headed to the Cliffs of Moher. Unfortunately, the weather was not in the best conditions for it. It was cold, rainy, and foggy, but the view was still absolutely incredible. I felt as if I were standing on the edge of the world. Standing on the Cliffs of Moher was the closest I have been to home since I left in August. I stood on the edge and called across the Atlantic Ocean to everyone at home. My voice just carried and blew in the wind. We also stopped at a family farm that overlooked the valleys of Galway. We concluded our final night in Ireland at a pub drinking bailey's and irish coffee while listening to a traditional irish band. After a long few days we headed back to the apartment to pack up our stuff and head home to Florence in the morning. We woke up early saturday morning and took the bus to the Dublin airport. The flight home went well and we were welcomed by the warm florentine weather once stepping off the plane. We headed back to our apartment in order to prepare for all our guests that would be visiting during thanksgiving week!

Writing In The Sand

Galway Bay

Sloncha!

The Farm In The Valley

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

I'm On The Edge Of The World!

Galway Bay

I would probably have to say that Ireland has been my favorite trip that I have taken thus far. The landscapes were absolutely beautiful. Every single person I met was cheery, happy, and friendly. Not to mention that their accents just swooped me off my feet. It was nice not to have a language barrier for a change. The pubs, the dancing, and the live music made the trip so enjoyable! As they say in Gaelic, Slancha, which is there version of cheers! 

Halloween Italian Style!

The night before Halloween Deanna, Michele, Cait and I entered into a pumpkin carving contest at the bar we were attending for a Halloween party the following night. If we placed we got free entrance to the club, free drinks, and free t-shirts! We tried to use our heads to come up with a clever idea that would allow us to place! It was a lot of fun to be able to take part in some fall festivities! After the carving was complete we had to alert the media to like and share the photo of our pumpkin on Facebook. The winner would be chosen by whoever received the most likes and shares on their photo. The polls open at midnight on tuesday and closed at 7pm on wednesday. After class on wednesday Deanna and I went to the market to purchase venetian masks to wear for the Halloween party that night! When it finally came time for the polls to close we had taken first place in the pumpkin carving contest! Halloween night me and my friends attended the halloween party and had a spooktacular time!

Our 1rst Prize Pumpkin

Me & Cait

Thursday night Julianne came to visit from Madrid, Spain! On Friday we showed her the most perfect Florentine day! 

Lunch at Gusta Pizza!

Hanging in the Boboli Gardens!

Riding the Carousel in Piazza Republica

Friday night a group of about twenty of us went out to dinner to celebrate both Mary and Trevor's birthday! Saturday during the day, Deanna and I took Julianne to  Pino's to get a true italian panini. After lunch we headed to the leather market to do some shopping. Julianne was able to buy lots of souvenirs to take home! Saturday night, we had a girls dinner for Mary's birthday. Our dinner consisted of lasagna, garlic bread, and salad accompanied by wine. We then headed out for a night on the town to celebrate the beginning of Mary and Trevor's twenties!

The Girls

Me & Steve

On Sunday morning, Deanna and I took Julianne to one of my favorite places in all of Florence the Piazza di Michaelangelo. After making the hike up there we rewarded ourselves with a fresh fruit popsicle and a canoli! It was a blast to show Julianne around Florence! This week I am embarking on  another trip to add to the list.... IRELAND! Once I return from Ireland, my family will be here for me to share my Florentine experience withe them!

Fall Break: Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris

Now that midterms were finally over it was time to kick back, relax, and head out for a ten day euro vacation! My roommates and I packed up our suitcases and it was time to head to Santa Maria Novella train station, where our bus would be picking us up! Luckily, Deanna and I decided to split a big suitcases for the 10 days that way we could take turns lugging the suitcase everywhere we went. It was probably the smartest idea we could have comp up with and made traveling a lot easier for us! Upon arrival at the train station the bus2alps tour leaders checked us in and gave us wristbands for the week. There was an overwhelming amount of students gathered at the train station waiting to board the bus for the experience of a lifetime that awaiting us in the ten days ahead. Finally we boarded the bus, and we were en route to our first stop!

Prague: The buses were not your most comfortable accommodations, but I was going to have to make due because this was my form of transportation for the next 10 days.  There was not much leg room to really stretch out, especially when the person sitting in front of you reclined their seat and was practically crushing you. Luckily, the us ride was throughout the night, so I was able to catch a little sleep. The leaders put a movie on for us to watch, but eventually I fell asleep. In the middle of the night, I woke up and looked out my window. I did not know where I was, but the view outside the bus window was incredible. I have never seen so many bright stars at once in my entire life. The overwhelming amount of stars twinkled in the pitch black night sky over the peaks of the mountains. After falling back asleep I woke up again  a very happy girl to see that it was fall outside the bus window. In Florence, there is no grass of tress for that matter. I have honestly and truly missed the fall weather and festivities. The trees on the mountainside were technicolors of vibrant red, yellow, and orange colors! Once making a stop for a bathroom break, the air smelt of fall and crisp fall leaves! Upon arriving to Prague, we checked into our hostel. Unfortunately our room was not ready yet, but to accommodate us they upgraded us to an actual hotel room. Mia, Deanna, and I had a king size bed for the three of us to share with chocolates left on our pillows! We then headed out on a three hour walking tour of Prague! 

Loving the Fall Weather

The first stop on the tour was old town square! In old town square we saw the Astronomical Clock! It is the oldest astronomical clock in the world to still be working! To fully appreciate the clock's intricate construction, join the crowd in front of the tower to observe the procession of the Twelve Apostles: on the hour, every hour, a small trap door opens and Christ marches out ahead of his disciples, while the skeleton of death tolls the bell to a defiant statue of a Turk. You would think that seeing the clocks activity on the hour would be extremely exciting by the overwhelming amount of people who gather in the square on the hour to watch it. The astronomical clock is actually the second most disappointing sight to see in Europe. Next stop on the tour, was new town square. New town square was filled with  restaurants, shops, and food trucks! Food trucks are a very big thing in Prague. One of the most popular items to order from a food truck is Smažený Sýr, or fried cheese. It is a block of fried cheese on a roll, usually served with ketchup. Mmmm mmm good! Throughout the door we also visited the jewish center, the estates theater, wenceslas square, republic square. At the end of the tour, our tour guide gave us some tips about Praha! She explained to us the czech koran currency. She warned us not to get frightened when we received a bill for 400 czech, which is really equivalent to 16 euro. After the tour concluded, we had the rest of the day to explore ourselves! First stop was Starbucks! I had not had Starbucks in quite sometime so it tasted like heaven in my mouth! 

Astronomical Clock

We ventured to the outdoor markets, where vendors were selling fresh fruits and veggies, flowers, tshirts, and homemade trinkets! That night Mia, Deanna went back to new town square for dinner where they were having a food festivals. We enjoyed chicken veggie kabobs, roasted nuts, and hot wine! You would think that hot wine would taste weird, but it was actually delicious and mixed with spices such as cinnamon. Considering how could Prague was considering the 70 degree weather we were used to in Florence, it warmed us up! After dinner we walked along the river. It was so pretty to see the bridges all lit up. While standing on the bridge you could see the Prague castles lit up in the distance. We can thank Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones, who has kindly paid to keep Prague and the castle lit up at night!  After a long day of traveling and walking around we headed back to the hostel to call it a night! 

Charles Bridge & Prague Castle

The following morning we headed out for another full day of tourist activites! Our first stop was the Charles Bridge! It is one of the most visited sights in Prague! The old stone bridge is aligned with baroque statues, musicians, and souvenir vendors on either side. After having time to explore the bridge, it was then time to visit the John Lennon wall! The John Lennon wall was covered it bright colored paintings, Beatles song lyrics, and signatures and quotes of visitors from all over the world! I made sure to sign the John Lennon wall amongst the other thousands of tourists who visit the wall each week. Next, it was time to visit the castle! Upon arriving at the castle Cait and I tried to get the guards to laugh or even smirk, but needless to say it was no luck. The only thing we got out of him was a small wink! The castle and the cathedral were really pretty perched up on the top of the mountain. From atop the mountain you could view all of Prague! It reminded me a lot of the Piazza di Michaelangelo back home in Florence! After all the walking around our tummys were rumbling so we decided it was time for a late lunch early dinner! We found a traditional Czech restaurant where I had beef goulash and bread dumplings! For our last night in Prague we went to Lucerna, which is an 80/90s dance club! We danced the night away to grease lightening, dancing queen, and ice-ice baby! We even danced up on stage! After dancing the night away it was time for some sleep because we were en route to destination number two early the next morning! 

John Lennon Wall

John Lennon Wall

Beef Goulash with Bread Dumplings

80s & 90s Dance Club

Berlin: At 9 o'clock the next morning we boarded the bus and headed for Berlin! The bus ride was about 6 hours long before we arrived in Berlin. By the time we arrived in Berlin we checked into the hostel and headed out to find something to eat! We were starving so we literally went to the first restaurant we could find. We found an international restaurant where you could watch them cooking in the kitchen on a TV above your table. I had pasta with chicken in a peanut butter, coconut milk, chili, lime, and pineapple sauce. It sounds like a weird combination, but it was delicious! After dinner we walked around and decided we wanted to climb to the top of the Berlin TV tower. The tower was constructed by the former German Democratic Republic administration and was intended to be a symbol of Berlin. It is the tallest structure in all of Germany, and the fourth tallest freestanding structure in Europe. We rode the elevator up to the tope of the tower. From the top of the tower you can look out at all of Berlin. It was exquisite to see Berlin all lit up at night. We even saw a boat parade, as the lights flickered from the bows of the boats. For the rest of the night we walked around exploring to see what the rest of Berlin had to offer! 

Berlin TV Tower

The next morning we had walking tour to show us the historical city of Berlin! The tour began in Pariser Platz where the Brandenburg Gate is located. The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most well known landmarks of Berlin and holds great significant meaning. It is the only remaining gate of a series in which was used to enter Berlin. The US Embassy is located directly next to the Brandenburg gate. Also in the Pariser Platz is the hotel from which Michael Jackson first held his son up over the balcony and showed him to the public! Next stop on the tour, was a Holocaust Memorial. The memorial contained 2711 cement blocks which left many people filled with emotions and different interpretations.  Next was the place where Hitler's bunk once was. The bunk where he once stayed was filled in with swamp land and has never been on display. It was really scary to think that I was standing once where a major tragedy throughout world history once occurred. The tour continued with visits to Check Point Charlie and the original Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was not what I expected it to be. It was a lot smaller than I had envisioned it. It was interesting to listen to the tour guides stories of how many people tried to escape over the wall, but only a select few were successful in doing so. My favortite story is of a man who worked in a building adjacent to the Berlin Wall. Very early one morning he snuck his wife and his children into his office and hid them there. When the time was right, they zip lined across to the other side of the Berlin Wall. When the tour concluded we had the rest of the day to explore for ourselves! Deanna, Mia, Cait, and I decided to learn how to use the train and head to the East Side Gallery! The East Side Gallery is remaining pieces of the original Berlin Wall stretching 1km and has been painted by professional graffiti artists! Some of the wall paintings were powerful and expressed vivid strong messages to the viewers. It reminded me a lot of the John Lennon Wall in Prague! That night for dinner we met up with our entire bus2alps group and went to a traditional German beer garden for dinner where I ate zucchini schnitzel! After dinner we headed back to the hostel in order to drive through the night to head to destination number three! 

Berlin

Brandenburg Gate

Hotel Where Michael Jackson Held Up His Son 

Holocaust Memorial

Original Berlin Wall

East Side Gallery

East Side Gallery

Traditional German Beer Garden

Amsterdam: Luckily, we traveled throughout the night and did not have to waste any day time to travel. we arrived in Amsterdam at about 6am so needless to say after checking in we went back to sleep for another 3 hours! Once we woke up again we had breakfast and then headed out for guided tour! I honestly did not know what to expect when I visited Amsterdam. Did you know that Amsterdam has more canals than Venice? Because I did not know that. We set off on our walking tour to learn all about what Amsterdam has to offer. Most young people who travel or move to Amsterdam do so for the sole purpose of two things: sex and drugs. In Amsterdam prostitution and smoking weed is legal. Amsterdam was the first place world wide to legalize gay marriage. Our tour began walking through the red light district. To be completely honest it was kind of uncomfortable walking around seeing girls in windows belittling themselves as that to make a living. It was interesting to hear and to see that most people in Amsterdam get around by way of bike instead of car. It was funny to see more bike traffic than there was car traffic. Our tour concluded at the Anne Frank house. Deanna, Mia and I decided to wait online to gain access into entering the museum. Going into the museum was extra interesting considering everything I had just learned in Berlin. The museum was the actual house that Anne Frank and her family had hidden in for such a long time. Her original diary was on display and other pieces of writing from that time. Walking through the museum left me filled with emotions knowing what the family had gone through. After visiting the museum we went to a little cafe on a canal for a bite to eat for lunch. After lunch we decided to walk around in hopes of finding the IAMSTERDAM sign, but it was a complete epic fail. Since we were unsuccessful we headed back to the hostel to meet up with Cait and Michele. Three times a year there is a giant fair filled with rides and food stands in the middle of town. Luckily, the weekend we were in Amsterdam the fair was there! We spent part of the night walking around the fair and eating stroop waffles! At 7 o'clock at night we went on the red light district tour. The red light district is the are of town in which all the prostitutes stand in their windows waiting for customers to come aknocking. It was really interesting to learn the history of it and how it came to be legalized in Amsterdam.

The Canals of Amsterdam

The next morning we woke up and thought what would be better than renting bikes in Amsterdam since it was their main mode of transportation! We went to rent bikes, got our maps, and headed out for a day full of riding! We were on a mission to find the IAMSTERDAM sign, so thats where we rode to first! Luckily, we finally found it! We locked up our bikes and took tons of pictures on the sign. The letters were lots of fun to climb on and made for some great group photos! We then preceded to ride our bikes around to find a little cafe to have some lunch. After lunch we walked around the flea market and did some shopping. We also rode our bikes to the Heineken Brewery and walked around there for a little bit. We returned our bikes around 6pm and then headed for dinner. Amsterdam was really pretty during the day, but turned into some sort of freak show at night. We called it an early night, because in the morning we were headed to our final destination of the trip.

Bike Riding

IAMSTERDAM

IAMSTERDAM

IAMSTERDAM

Paris: Our final destination was Paris! Although I have already had the experience of traveling to Paris, I was excited to see if Paris had anything else to offer me since the last time I was there. In Paris, we would finally be meeting up with our sixth roomie Megan who had been doing some traveling with her parents throughout Italy for the majority of fall break. We arrived in Paris in the later afternoon and checked into the hostel. We purchased metro tickets and headed to our first sight seeing spot just in time for sunset, the Sacra Cour. The Sacra Cour is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris perched on top of a hill. It is one of the highest points of elevation in Paris, in which you can view the entire city including the Eiffel Tower! Since the weather was quite chilly, we decided it was time for dinner and some heat to warm us up. For dinner I had some french onion soup which hit the spot! After dinner we headed to the Moulin Rougue district for the pub crawl with the rest of our program. 

Sacra Cour

Moulin Rougue District

The next day we went on a walking tour of Paris. During the tour we saw Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, the lock of love bridge from Sex & the City, and the Louvre. Once the walking tour was complete we finally found Megan! Then we were on a mission to find CHIPOTLE! It may have taken us a while to find, but it was time well spent. After having a mexican feast, it was time to explore the Louvre. While in the Louvre we saw the Mona Lisa and some of the compositions I have studied in my art class this semester. That night the entire program bought bottles of wine, hopped on the metro, and spent the night underneath the Eiffel Tower. We also picked up french baguettes to reenact the scene from the Mary-kate and Ashley Passport to Paris! The is nothing more beautiful than to see the Eiffel Tower light up and sparkle on the hour for five minutes. We spent most of our time gazing at the tower until we were frozen from it being so cold. To warm up we had nutella crepes and headed home for a good nights rest! The next day we hopped on a train and headed to Palace of Versailles for the day. After touring the palace we headed back to Paris and spent the rest of our day window shopping and browsing on Champs Elysees. Sadly, we then had to return to the hostel in order to pack up and board the bus for a long 14 hour drive ahead of us.

Locks of Love Bridge

Outside the Louvre

Palace of Versailles

Gardens of Versailles

Outside the Palace

Roomies Reunited

As I stood their gazing at the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the night I realized I had just spent the past 10 days exploring more cities than some people may see in a lifetime. Not to mention being able to share this experience with some of my best friends creating memories that I will have and cherish for a lifetime. 10 days, 4 countries, 4 cites... MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! By the time the ten days were up I was beyond ready to head back to Florence! 

Eiffel Tower!

Eiffel Tower!