But as for right now, I don’t want to spend a great deal of time on this entry. There are tears to be shed and hugs to be given, and goodbyes to be said. Its so incredible how very fast this summer flew by. I can’t believe it at all. But it really was the most amazing summer of my life, and I will always remember it.

I just want to say thank you again to my parents, my grandparents, and all my other family members who supported me emotionally and fiscally. It means so much to me. Also thank you again to ISE, the Scudder Family, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars for making this dream a reality.

I really can’t say enough how much this summer meant to me. I feel changed, and I’ve seen so much that it’s impossible for that change to not be real. I will miss the ship and the community here. I will miss being able to run to my class in two minutes. I will miss staying up far to late to hang out with people that mean the world to me. I will miss my classes and the ability to actually see things in action. I will miss having my bed made everyday by a sweet and incredibly hardworking steward, Shane. I will miss being able to hear the crashing of the ocean outside my window. I will miss studying while overlooking the vast and beautiful ocean. I will just miss so very many that it’s impossible to write about it all.

But I need to thank the MV Explorer, Semester at Sea, and all of the faculty, staff, students for making this journey so amazing, and something that I will never, ever forget.

Thank you all for following my blog, and I hope you still check back for my other entries. I plan to write about the last three countries, as well as write a reflection piece. I was also named a Global Ambassador so I will be able to update you all about Semester at Sea in times to come, since I will be conducting presentations to support Semester at Sea.

Thank you all yet again!

Ciao for now!

Yes, I was told it was going to be beautiful.
Yes, I thought it was going to be cheap.
Yes, I thought that there wasn’t going to be a lot to do.

Boy was I wrong. Except for the first one. It was absolutely beautiful there. I mean whenever our ship pulls into a port, usually we’re met by a dank area that is clearly just meant to be a parking space. Not so in Croatia. All around us were picturesque houses, which in combination with the crystal clear blue of the water made for a spectacular sight. Everything about this place seemed magical and straight out of a story book. This is partially because of the history of the country. A great deal of it was rebuilt within the past few years since much was destroyed during the terrible war that occurred here in the 90s. We were constantly reminded of this war by guides, and pictures around the city. It was straight in your face at all times. Thus the people, whose city had greatly suffered during the bombings, were forced to rebuild their nation up again-and boy did they do a beautiful job. Although many of the buildings are no longer original, the way they were rebuilt definitely held onto that long-ago charm that made the country so incredibly lovely.

Now as to how I spent my days in this lovely country.

Day 1-
As you can probably tell by now, Liz and I had become great friends. And now my friend Eric was starting to become one too. We set out all three of us, a little after the ship cleared customs, to explore. In traditional Liz and Kristina fashion, we wandered around aimlessly, and Eric followed along. Of course in traditional Liz fashion we stopped in a cute little store. I didn’t buy anything but she found a great cheap top that looked spectacular on her. In traditional Eric fashion, he stopped in a little food place and grabbed some sort of traditional Croatian ham and cheese breakfast sandwich. Out came one of my lactase pills so I could try it, and eventually split it with him since it was that delicious!

We continued to wander with the hope of reaching the famous city walls. We walked through narrow pedestrian streets, up and down stairs and hills, always in search of the walls, as well as little views of the marvelous ocean below. By the time we did make it to the walls, it was time to hop on the bus back to the ship, since both Liz and I had trips, and Eric was hoping to hop onto the same trip I was doing. A rather uneventful bus ride later, we managed to drop off our purchases on the ship, and then hop onto our trips (Eric didn’t make it on since other people took the extra seats, but he went on a boat ride instead which kept him occupied).

My trip was one of my favorite experiences in Croatia. I even used it for an assignment here on the ship (which I may eventually post). It was to a local village called Osojnik, where I not only experienced this captivating village, but also got to partake in a traditional folk show.

Our trip began with a bus ride over a small, yet pretty suspension bridge, and then a trek up the mountainous countryside. Our quirky tour guide would often allow the bus to stop so we could capture photos of the country, and ask any questions we had. At one point we were dropped off by a river and were allowed to take a bundle of pictures. It was all very beautiful. Especially those views from further up the mountainside.

Eventually we arrived at the Osojnik village, where we were met by our host, as well as his wife and sister-in-law. He was dressed in traditional Croatian garb, made up primarily of the colors red, black, white and gold. I particularly liked his little red hat. You could tell he was a man of wisdom and generosity just by the way he stared at us and welcomed us. He was just as curious about us as we were him- though perhaps not as fascinated by our outfits. He welcomed us, and his wife told us in her limited English that she was awaiting our arrival over in her home. She, as well as her sister-in-law were dressed entirely in traditional clothing as well. Long black dresses with a white frock was their attire, and it along with their warm welcome told us that this would truly be an experience unlike any other.

We were told by our guide that we were a little early for dinner and show, so he decided to show us around the town a little longer. Of particular interest was when he showed us the local church. He discussed how it had been destroyed during the war, and that our host, who was a brick layer, along with the entire town rebuilt it from scratch. He took this time to also discuss the long lasting effect of the war on the people, and thoroughly showed how very nationalistic this fledgling country had become. After our visit to the church he showed us through other portions of the village. Many students, including myself, were particularly taken by the two donkeys held in by a stone fence. They along with the local chickens made for an interesting sight as we walked the village streets. It seemed so strange to see such quaint living next to new modern telephone wires and a random garden gnome that was definitely imported from china. Such a mixture of the modern and traditional would be a theme for the evening.

We eventually arrived at the house of our hosts, and boy did they give us a welcome that was right on code with American culture. As I have previously discussed, Americans don’t tend to dance easily. We need to warm up to an unfamiliar situation before we let ourselves loosen up. Well a surefire quick way to warm up American college students is through alcohol. Well, we were met with Croatian moonshine, and some fruits to chase the shots down. This was followed shortly after by some water and then some village wine, which was absolutely delicious. Thus by the time the folk show began we were all feeling rather loose and happy.

The show consisted of our host playing a tune on what I believe is called a lijera. This little instrument reminded me of a cross between a guitar and violin. Anyway, he played and his wife and sister-in-law danced traditionally before us for a few minutes, and then invited us all to join-which we did. I captured the scene on video before I jumped in, and now I love reflecting on it. The Croatian women kept picking out various boys to dance with, and they responded cheerfully by putting their hats and sunglasses on the women. It was an exchange of cultures and just a good time by all. After a bit of dancing we were handed skewers as a means to eat our appetizers-traditional ham and meat and bread. We roasted them over barbeques, and ate these along with the wine to our hearts content.

By the time dinner rolled around a number of us were feeling thoroughly at ease. Dinner consisted of a delicious salad as well as other traditional foods. Though I did not always know what it was that I was eating, I definitely tried all, and enjoyed most of it. The setting for our meal was equally interesting. It was set inside a cave-like structure, and had to very long table parallel to each other. The room felt more like a medieval banquet hall, rather than a person’s home.

After eating we wandered through the village for a little bit longer, and then departed back to the ship. All in all it was one of my favorite experiences this entire trip.

Shortly after my return from the trip, my friends and I decided it was time to explore the Croatian nightlife. So we ventured back to the very outskirts of the city walls via bus, and managed to arrive at a club called Fuego. We were a little early at first, yet this gave us time to talk to some of the other foreigners that were frequenting the place. My friends Liz and Katie particularly enjoyed talking with some lads visiting from London. Finally SASers began to arrive, and we had fun dancing the night away until late at night.

Day 2-
Sleepy and tired I left the ship the next morning around 9am. This time it was Liz, Katie, and me who ventured out on our own. We wandered the pier until we found a travel agency that was selling ferry tickets, and got a round-trip ticket to the island of Lokrum (I think that’s how it’s spelt). Our ferry left about 45 minutes after, and it took us about an hour to arrive. In the meantime I was pretty quiet since it seemed exhausting to even talk. Yet, I did manage to bond a little more with Katie, and our friendship really started to take off.

Essentially we spent our day on a beach relaxing, and swimming when the heat got too extreme. Yet we did enjoy some Croatian pizza, which was delicious. I also had some extremely fresh mussels for dinner that night. They were so fresh that there were still barnacles on them. Absolutely delicious! We were also glad that this was a relatively cheap day all in all, since for the most part Croatia had turned out to be super expensive. Yes the Kuna’s exchange rate was 5 kuna to a dollar, but this didn’t mean that goods were cheaper. In fact it was pretty much the opposite. But for the most part this day was very nice and not too expensive and just so simply relaxing.

I felt that Liz, Katie, and I absolutely required a day like this at this point in our trip since we were just so burnt out from all of the constant traveling and school work. And how could you not relax on this island!? It was simply so beautiful. The water was so clear that you could see your feet, and it had such slight waves that you could simply float in the waters for hours if you so chose. We opted instead for an occasional swim, sun soaking, and ball playing. We stayed until around six, and enjoyed every second of our lazy. Overall nothing consequential really happened. I did see a really cute yellow lab that was just hanging on the beach, and playing with anyone who would give him attention. I also saw tons of tourists from all over the world just catching some rays. I also saw people of all shapes and sizes rocking bikinis and speedos like there was nothing to it. They weren’t self conscious at all, even though people with their particular body shapes would usually never dare to wear anything like their attire in the states. Yet overall my observations were limited to such things.

Our ferry ride back was equally relaxing, and took relatively the same amount of time as did the arriving ferry. When we arrived back at the ship, Katie and Liz decided not to head out for the night and to keep inside. Yet I was ready to head out, but no one was around. Luckily I ran into my friend Brandon, and joined up with his group for night. We headed to a bar called Skybar, which was relatively low-key. There I tried the local Croatian beer, which was extremely good, and talked with a bunch of other SASers. Afterwards, we went to a club called East-West, which was extremely cool. Not many people were dancing, yet the atmosphere of this lounge/club was great. I especially loved the fact that there were tons of places to sit right next to the ocean. It was really beautiful. Once again I turned in relatively early, and slept so I would actually have energy for a more cultural exploration of this great nation.

Day 3

I had planned on exploring the city walls that day on my own, but lucky for me, but not so much for him, Eric ended up oversleeping for his trip to Montenegro. So, since he had nothing to do, he came with me to explore the famous City Walls of Dubrovnik.

We jumped on the bus to Old Town and shopped for a bit first. It was during our shopping excursion that we came across a few interesting things. For starters, Eric found a bathing suit shop and bought a European bathing suit that he plans to rock in Connecticut when he gets home. It’s not a speedo, but super duper short shorts. He was excited. Secondly, we passed by a gallery of a local artist. On the side of his studio he had pictures of the destruction of the Old Town that occurred during the war, as well as a description of what happened to him and his family during and after. This description was written in both English and Croatian. Eric and I took time out to read it, and peak into his store.

After we sufficiently wandered and shopped we made our way to the entrance for the walls. I loved walking all around them, even though it was plenty hot out. The walls were very very long, and rather high up, since they acted as a protective fortress for the Old Town. As you walked along them you were transported back to a time where cannons and guards walked these walls in armor. Eric and I took a few pictures with a couple of the old canons, and in a few of the lookout towers. We spent a good two hours just taking in the spectacular views from the walls. All around you were the beautiful Croatian old town homes, as well as other amazing scenery. I made sure to take extra pictures of the ocean, as well as a few people cliff jumping. Eventually we allowed ourselves a much needed rest, and visited a little cafe inside a part of the walls. There we treated ourselves to freshly squeezed orange juice. Now everyone back home knows how much I LOVE orange juice. But can I just say that this whole freshly squeezed orange thing that is so big in Europe should really catch on in the states, because my gosh is it good! I drank it much faster than I wished, but that was just because I couldn’t resist!

After our little orange juice break we wandered a little bit more, then headed back down and to the local bus. Both of us napped and then met up with some friends for dinner. Pretty much everyone we met was getting ready to go out and experience the fireworks and music festival going on in old town. So around 9pm we ventured off the boat once more, and realized that since the buses were free tonight for the festival, it was basically impossible to get on one. Thus a cab ride later, we found ourselves outside of old town once again (no cars are allowed inside). I entered with Eric, Liz, Katie, and a few other SASers. It was so incredibly beautiful. Imagine a medieval looking city with torches lit along the walls, and fireworks shooting off into the sky. Absolutely incredible to see. I loved it!

After the fireworks we decided to party like the Croatians that night, and have a great time. First we went to a popular local place-could you believe it’s called the Irish Pub? Well that’s where we went. At least for a little while. I was lucky enough to meet with my roommates there, and we had a great time chatting. We all wanted to go back to East-West that night, but heard that people were having trouble getting in, so off we went once more to skybar. Here I actually managed to meet some Croatian locals, and talked to them a little bit about New York, and they about Croatia. However, we didn’t stay there very long. Next we went off to Fuego once more where I unleashed a little of my Spanish heritage on the dance floor as I danced with Liz. Yet, the club was so packed that our group got split up. Eventually it was me, Eric, and our friend Ross. That’s until Eric saw his friend the Captain who had driven him around the first day. The Captain took us to a local Croatian bar (though Ross opted to just catch a bus back). There we talked with him and a few of his friends for a while. Such a long while that the sun began to rise, and I told Eric that it was probably best that we head back.

Now here is when one of the funniest moments of my trip occurred. Eric was a tad bit inebriated at the time. I mean the captain was a very good host! Anyway, we’re walking away from the bar and there is a little Pekingeses dog. A tiny little dog, and it growls and barks at Eric. Well he decides that this dog needs to quiet down, so with a flourish of his hand- and I mean an actual flourish- he pulls out a 5 kuna coin. Basically the equivalent of one American dollar, and places it with another flourish right in front of the dog and shushes at it. The dog just stared at him for a second and then continued to bark and growl, as Eric strutted away. I then yelled at him and told him we needed that kuna for the bus, but by the time he walked back to the dog, an old Croatian man next to the dog took it and said what kuna? No kuna. It was just such a funny moment that I just needed to record it for posterity’s sake. I guess you probably had to be there. But just imagine it. Here’s this tiny little dog no taller than a foot, growling and barking at a 6 foot 4 American. It’s a really funny image. Boy I wish I had it on tape. Oh well!

Anyway, we made it to the bus just as the sun was completely risen. Eric had another funny moment when he asked a Croatian girl, in front of 2 other SASers and 2 staff members, his now famous pick up line. How do you say bonita in Croatian? Obviously we all laughed and made fun of him. Yet, apparently bonita is a universal word according to him. With that line we got off the bus and made it back to the ship around 6am. A very fun yet random Croatian night.

Day 4

Suffice it to say we were all rather tired after such a crazy night. Thus our last day consisted mainly of souvenir shopping right near the port, as well as using internet at a local cafe to book our hotel for Greece. Katie, Liz, Eric, and I all met up mid-afternoon and booked the Holiday Beach Resort for two nights in Santorini, Greece. While doing so, we enjoyed a last bite of Croatian food, and I managed to find a few great souvenirs for family back home.

I also had a few extra kuna to spend so Eric and I ventured to the grocery store Konzum, right by the port, and I stocked up on a few necessities. Yet I still had the equivalent of American dollars left over, but since the line was so long I just passed those kuna back to other SASers, just as one had done for me right before we paid. It’s nice having a group around when you traveled. I know people sometimes think of semester at sea as a glorified cruise, but it really is so much more. We really do learn so much, and honestly I don’t know if I would have had the courage to travel as I have if I didn’t have the little bit of help Semester at Sea provided me at first. It’s just so nice to have that crutch to help you stand up originally. Then you can totally walk on your own. And it’s also great to travel with 700 other students since you know that even if you don’t know a person, if you really need help one of them will definitely step in to help you out. It’s like a big extended family.

Anyway, we got back on the ship around 17:30, just shy of the 18:00 on ship time. From there we studied and prepared for another 2 days of classes prior to arriving in Greece. I will be writing about Greece shortly! Once again thanks so much to everyone following my adventures! And thanks again for your patience with my postings! We will be arriving in Egypt in two days, and I have two papers due tomorrow, but hopefully I can at least post about Greece before getting to Egypt. Though let me just warn you, I have so much to write about for both Greece and Turkey already. Turkey is actually vying really strongly with Spain right now as my favorite stop on this trip. It was just so incredible. Anyway I really need to sleep now since its about 1am my time. So love to you all!

Ciao for now!

We arrived in Naples at about 7am the next day I believe. It wasn’t nearly as nice as Civitavecchia, yet I wasn’t going to spend much time in port. I had an excursion to Pompeii bright and early, and hoped on the bus around 8:30am. Even though I hated waking up so early, it was still nice since I knew that the Italian heat would be horrendous later in the day.

Boy was I right. It got so hot in that ancient site. But boy was it worth it for an archeological buff like me. The city was so incredible! And sooo much bigger than I imagined it would be. We walked for what seemed like ages, but luckily we had such a great guide who made the trip so interesting and fun. She always had a fun little spin to put on the history of the place. She especially understood her audience of college students. She was sure to point out the ancient brothels, complete with frescoes of various positions on the menu that you could choose if you were illiterate. We also enjoyed the various phallic symbols that were scattered throughout the city pointing the way to the local brothels. Apparently they were really popular. Our guide said there were more brothels than any other kind of building in the city. Well I guess there wasn’t much else to do back then.

Anyway another favorite part she pointed out was the ancient fast food joint. It consisted of a stove like structure on a few of the corners in the city, where you could drive up or come pick up your favorite food.

Everything about this city was amazing. Especially the clay casts of those who perished as a result of the eruption (which by the way wasn’t from mount Vesuvius, but rather the now smaller mountain right next to it that shrunk massively in size when it erupted in AD 79). The casts were exact depictions of what occurred at the time of these individuals’ deaths. They poured the plaster into the holes left by the people, and were able to have these exact models. There was one of a person spread out on the floor trying to escape. There was a poor dog that was clearly chained and tried to escape but couldn’t. There was also one pour soul crouched in the fetal position. All of these casts were both breathtaking and sickening to see- for obvious reasons. Yet these casts, along with the rest of the preserved city and the amounts of other artifacts on display made for a very eventful visit. However, by 12:00 I was ready to return to the air conditioning of the ship.

Which is exactly what we did around 13:00. But prior to this I saw Liz, who had been on another bus for the trip, and thus was with another guide. She introduced me to a friend she met on the last day in Rome. Her name-Katie, and she would soon become one of my best friends here. We had that traditional first meeting-hi, what’s your name, where you from, cool, where you go to school, what do you study, etc. After this little intro, I browsed the shops around the site, and then hopped on the bus back to the ship.

Ahh, that air conditioning felt good. Yet, I wasn’t on the ship for too long. I met up with my friend Eric and Claudenia as well as a son of one of the faculty who wanted to go out an explore Naples. So that’s what we did. We wandered around, and explored a grocery store. We also looked into different shops, and eventually made our way to the major street in the area. Eric went a little crazy and finally bought some stuff. He came on this trip with hardly any t-shirts, so I made sure he got a few. He also bought a long sleeved jacket, which was funny since he would never need it on the trip but he couldn’t resist. I picked out a shirt for him that he bought which said I still live in my Mom’s house-so go back to your own apartment. It fits him perfectly-both literally and figuratively. Haha! I also happened to see another Disney store! And this one was JUST LIKE the one in Roosevelt Field Mall. The exact same set up, with the exact same decorations down to the mickey face as you walk in. Well, the Roosevelt field store is now getting redone, but it looked just like how it used to anyway. I loved it, but I held myself back from buying anything.

Anywho, after shopping for a while we finally found a bar to get a beer and some traditional Italian pastries while watching the Argentina soccer game. I believe they were playing Germany. Either way they were creamed, and we decided to leave early. We shopped for a little longer, and then returned to the ship. At this point I was forced to shower and take a nap. I was just so exhausted. Eventually I did roll out of bed, and headed out into Naples with my two roommates, Julie and Tina, as well as a bunch of their friends. Walking through Naples was an interesting experience. It was a tad bit dirty, what with all the cockroaches that greeted us as we walked. But the tavern we walked to was nice enough, and we enjoyed some delicious house wine, bruschetta, and pizza. However all of us agreed not to stay out too late since practically all of us had early morning trips the next day. So with this consensus in mind, we returned to the ship around 01:00- absolutely ready for a good night’s rest.

Italy Day 6

Once again my day started bright and early-08:15 bus ride meet up. Not exactly my favorite thing to do. Yet once again I knew it was a good thing since we would avoid the harshest point during the day when the Italian sun was sure to provide ample opportunities for skin cancer to develop.

This time the reason I was getting up was because I was to make my way to Herculaneum-another site destroyed in AD 79 by the eruption. However, it was far smaller, and also much better preserved in a lot of ways.

Although Herculaneum didn’t boast any phallic symbols, or have brothel frescoes to highlight, it was still a fascinating place to visit. The frescoes here were so beautifully preserved it was incredible! You could even see stencils of future frescoes that because of the eruption never had a chance to be painted. Absolutely incredible! Other interesting highlights from Herculaneum included a few skeletons on site. The voyage photographer, who happened to be on this practica with us, asked me to pose with these skeletons, so look for me in the audio-slide show of Italy, I might be there! I haven’t had a chance to check yet though! Those poor people though died because their heads exploded from the pressure of the gases from the eruption. Not a nice way to go.

Anyway, I really loved Herculaneum. It also helped that it wasn’t nearly as hot there that day as it was in Pompeii. However, when I got back to the ship I was once again ready for a nap. So that’s what I did until around 15:00 when Liz met up with me, and off we went to pick up ferry tickets to the little island of Capri.

Now everyone has heard of Capri pants, or capri-sun no? At least one of those. Well they come from this island off the coast of Italy that is a great tourist attraction. Liz and I decided to do a short day/evening trip there. Our ferry ride lasted about an hour and cost about 14 euro one way. When we arrived on the island, we explored for a bit, and then began to climb the hills and stairs leading to the top of the mountain this island is based around. It was a decent work out, but very beautiful all the while. We climbed amidst traditional Italian Mediterranean houses, flowers, and crops. It was a beautiful sight.

Once we reached the top we treated ourselves to fresh juice, and then decided to shop for a little bit. We met with a few Semester at Sea friends randomly walking about the tourist area we were now at. They told us about the beauty of the Blue Grotto, and we were sad that it was too late for us to go and visit it. But we still wanted to make the most of our visit. Liz did just that when she bought a great bathing suit. And we both loved our visit when we made it to this incredible Italian restaurant that was tucked away amongst residences. Inside this restaurant was a great terrace that overlooked the ocean and a great deal of the island. This view, in combination with our delicious meal, and the live music that was playing, made for an unforgettable evening. We loved every second of it.

After our dinner we made our way down to catch the last ferry back to Naples. Apparently a ton of SASers were doing the same-in a very inebriated manner. My god were they loud! The Italians definitely didn’t appreciate their loud yells and drunkenness, especially when they all attempted to sing the star spangled banner. It was the forth of July, but perhaps not the best time and place to do it. The drunken outrageousness lasted for the whole journey back. Liz and I found it both funny and horrifying. We were embarrassed to be associated with all of them, but we also couldn’t help laughing at them. I don’t mean to put a negative picture together of SASers. Yes, the majority do enjoy partying in port, but we’re college students, it’s to be expected. But the majority of us are respectful, and are also here to absorb the culture. It was just this particular group that gave us such a bad image. Oh well. Liz and I tried our best to deal with it, and show that not all Americans are like that.

We arrived around midnight back to the ship, and instantly passed out- ready for a 07:15 meet-up time for our trip in the morning.

Italy Day 7

I napped on my bus ride to Mount Vesuvius. Thus I missed a lot of the surrounding scenery. Plus I didn’t realize until I awoke that my ears had popped. We were a couple of thousand feet in the air when we arrived at the tourist drop off for the hike. I didn’t mind. I knew that my level of athleticism preferred it to be this way. We paused to use the facilities, and stock up on water. Boy was I glad to see my old friend blue powerade waiting in the fridge of the little store right by the entrance of the mountain. Powerade and water bottle in hand I began the hike with my two roommates.

The beauty of the mountain is indescribable. It’s very difficult to put into words how very nice it looks. There are small shrubs everywhere, and no tree is very large. Tiny little lizards swarm the various wildflowers of mostly pinks and yellows. Great yellow bees flit from one flower to the next, while butterflies fly around you and tease you as you try to take their photographs. The caldera, or the hole in the middle of the mountain created by the volcano, is massive and beautiful in its own right. It’s sheer size is so impressive! I was sure to take plenty of pictures.

As to the hike itself? It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. Mostly because we paused a lot for pictures. Yet the hike down was probably more difficult. The gravel path made it very hard to grip, and I tripped a little bit. But I am happy to report that I managed to complete it just fine. I met Liz at the top and she helped me climb down. We even had a half an hour to spare-so I took advantage of the opportunity to nap. We got back around 12:30pm. I was too tired to venture out once more before on ship-time, which was 18:00. So I just showered, cleaned, and then met up with my friend Eric to study for our global studies midterm that occurred the next day. It was horrible to study for, but I ended up doing just fine. It also helped that my international marketing teacher postponed my other test so that we had more time to study. Honestly, I don’t know how I would be able to do well in any of my classes if it wasn’t for the professors on this voyage. They clearly understand that flexibility is so greatly needed throughout. Anyway more to come shortly I hope. My next entry will be about the amazing surprise that was Croatia.

Till then, ciao for now.

I’ll update soon!

Ciao for now!

Thus marked the central emotions of my first venture into Rome, Italy. An amazing place where I spent 4 days, explored countless years of history, gained a few pounds, and took far too many pictures.

The crowds didn’t seem to oppressive as we stepped off the train. My heavy pack was filled to the brim with items that I didn’t necessarily need but still “needed.” That was something I quickly learned during this trip. Anyway, Termini was my first true Roman land where I stepped foot. The gleaming station was marked by countless shops, and hints of smells of food to come. A smaller version of Penn Station, and rather cleaner, Termini would soon become a sort of home for me in Rome. Or at the very least a guidepost that would lead me in the right direction as I ventured onto the metro.

A group of 14 or so of Semester at Sea students accompanied me and my friend Liz to our hostel. Using Liz’s superior sense of direction, we eventually arrived at our destination-the Hotel Lella. More like a little portion of a condo complex in Rome. It was fairly close to Termini as well as an other metro station for the blue metro line. Our room wasn’t ready yet so we decided to drop off our luggage, and escape into the city. After some brief wandering we came across a nice restaurant that was fairly inexpensive, I’ll try to remember the name later. We stepped inside to what looked like a giant pastry shop and pizzeria. All around us were “frescos” on the walls, pushing us into the roman mentality. A quick glance at all the choices around us and our decision was easily made. We sat down, and after a little bit of difficulty communicating, we sat down for one of the best meals of my life. Essentially it was just a little bit of prosciutto and then some incredible margarita pizza with extra tomatoes (there’s a particular name in Italian for it but I can’t remember it). One bite and my taste buds were ignited! It was all so incredible! I’m so glad I got pictures of everything (which I will eventually post)!

It was at this restaurant that I experienced my first “real” international toilet. I didn’t even know how to use it! There was no toilet seat on it, and you sort of had to squat. Doesn’t sound too difficult, but believe me, it’s not too fun. Also, there was a pattern throughout Italy of lack of toilet paper. Thank goodness some Semester at Sea alums had tipped me off to this little issue, and I had my Charmin to go at hand when I needed it. Lucky for me.

Anyway, after our nice little lunch we continued to explore a little more. We made the decision to eventually walk and see a few of the famous sites of Italy. Our first real stop was the Spanish steps. It was so strange to see things you’ve seen in movies come alive before you. Yet, ironically, truth be told they weren’t nearly as impressive as I thought they would be. There they stood, the colors of the square creating a picturesque scene all around them, but I noticed that in movies it all seemed so much more daunting. Yes, it was tiring to climb them rather quickly, but not too much so. Not nearly as much I thought. However, they were still rather beautiful, but I was more interested in seeing the Trevi Fountain, which was our next stop.

A short walk away for the square surrounding the Spanish Steps, we came across the Trevi Fountain. Although it also seemed smaller in “real life” it was in fact very beautiful. All around the fountain were tourists  from all over the world and it was incredible to hear and see the mixture of cultures in a city so ancient and unique. Of course we took a number of pictures, including the quintessential picture of me throwing a coin over my shoulder into the fountain and wishing. After our cameras were thoroughly exhausted we decided to move onto the Pantheon. Yet, distractions kept us from that destination for quite a while, since we decided to stop at a number of shops, including a gellateria. Unfortunately I no longer had a lactase pill in my bag, so I had to make due with watching the others enjoy their gellato-and boy did they ever. They devoured it, and it was exactly the pick me up they needed in the scorching Italian sun.

finally, we did reach the Pantheon, only to uncover that since it was a religious holiday, it was closed to tourists. Thus we were forced to take just a few pi8ctures right outside, and to then sit and relax in one of the only public areas that provided relief from the heat. Never have I ever before appreciated shade so much!

Anyway, after the Pantheon we decided to make our way over to the Colosseum. The walk over was also rather eventful as we saw other sites that although didn’t seem to be very popular, were so incredibly beautiful. My particular favorites included the various archeological digs around the country.  Each was so amazing to view since it made you really realize how very young the US is in relation to the rest of the world. Me being an anthropology buff couldn’t take enough pictures or read enough signs. However, the Colosseum was calling us so we continued further.

Now traveling in a large group can be fun in many ways, but at the same time it poses difficulties. For example, all of us had different wants and needs for our little trek, so by the time we arrived at the Colosseum and took pictures of the outside, half the group wanted to leave to go back to the main train station to get tickets to Florence. While me and my friend Liz wanted to go inside the Colosseum and experience it completely. By the time the decision was made to split up, the Colosseum had closed. Liz  and I just decided to return another day, and to instead make the walk home to meet with our two friends who were also sharing our hostel room with us.

Now Liz’s nickname up to this point (and still further on in our trip) was “maps.” with her spicy attitude that was never afraid to ask for directions, and her aptitude for knowing where she was, even in a foreign location. So she stated that it seemed that our hotel was within walking distance of where we were. I was super happy to hear that since I was overly tired and overheated. However, she was a tad off. About an hour and 5 minutes off. Here’s what happened. We traveled to Palermo street. We were supposed to go to Pallazo. Woops. And so we walked and walked thinking that we were doing a spectacular job, and that we should be so proud of ourselves for our profound sense of direction. Yet, upon arrival at Palermo street, our hopes were sufficiently slashed, and we knew we were in for an interesting and tiring adventure. To top it off, our two friends had called us and we told them we were 5 minutes away. Well we were-plus another hour or so. Anywho, we traveled and walked around and asked people for directions. However, not many Italians we met in this off-the-beaten path area spoke proper English. So we were misdirected, and pushed around. We did see a lot of Rome though. Just not the parts we were so longing to see. Yet, eventually we were met by a nice tall Italian man walking with his mother. She clearly didn’t speak English when we asked her, but her son helped us so much. The sweet mother and son directed us so perfectly, and with such kindness that we were more than grateful. They made sure to send us along paths that were clear of any known “sketchy” areas. So nice, and we were so incredibly grateful.  Through their directions we knew to hop on the metro, and change in termini, where we caught the blue line, which dropped us off about 5 minutes from our hotel. Thank goodness. When we finally arrived we apologized to our friends, and took a much needed shower.

After freshening up we decided to say a quick hello to the rest of our large group before heading out in our smaller one for dinner. We went to a small cafe near the hotel, and enjoyed some delicious pasta dishes as well as pizza, and of course some amazing Italian wine. Everything was so good, and I knew then and there that most of my budget for Italy would be spent on food. I think it was well spent.

After our dinner, we decided to head out together in search of a  little night life. None of us wanted to go too far, but it was Liz’s 20th birthday and we wanted to make sure that we celebrated well enough. So  we caught a beer at the local McDonalds, which was surprisingly good. Then we headed to another Italian bar where we tried a few local drinks. Our interport student on board the ship spoke of the local drink called Limoncello. He said you definitively need to try it when you’re exploring Italy. So we followed his advice and ordered a round. It was absolutely disgusting. Essentially it is a bit of lemon with an absurd amount of alcohol. Not exactly a great refreshing beverage. Yet, we did the deed and partook in that particular cultural experience. After a few more drinks we headed back to our hotel and decided to sleep for the long day to come.

Day 2 -Rome

Traveling can take such a toll out of a person. You don’t even realize it until your body aches, and it’s so hard to wake up. Luckily that’s where Liz came in. After a wake up call from her, and a little pushy push out the door we were on our way to explore more of Rome, and Vatican City. We enjoyed a quick little lunch of pizza before we arrived at the metro in Termini. A relatively quick, yet extremely crowded train ride later, we were in Vatican City. The walls came up around us and showed us the great  extent of this small little country within a country. Thank goodness Liz and I had pre-purchased our tickets and were able to skip the extremely long line that circled the city walls. After a brief foray with security, we entered the Vatican Museum and began our exploration

Now the Vatican museum was extremely misleading. Everywhere you looked it seemed as if the Sistine chapel was just a short distance away. So not the case. We roamed from room to room, thinking that every grand hallway was the entrance way to the most famous of sections of this grand museum. Yet the way to this grand site was more than worth seeing. Beautiful tapestries from ages past decorated the various rooms and hallways. There were so many incredible sculptures and paintings, artifacts, and other incredible things to behold. I especially loved actually seeing works by Michelangelo and Raphael in person. Liz and I decided to rent an audio guide for the day so we could also learn about the various exhibits throughout the museum. The audio guides were great and I believe they were only 7 euro for the day. All you had to do was type in the number of the item you wished to learn about (which was posted next to the item), and then stick it to your ear just like you would with a cell phone, and just like that you’re learning all about the greatness that surrounds you.

I took so many pictures at the Vatican. How could you not! My mom was nice enough to lend me her digital SLR for this trip, and it sure came in handy when flash was not allowed. I captured countless years of history in those photos. I just wanted to document as much as I could so when I am back home I could relive all of the amazing memories. After about two hours we finally reached the final passageway to the Sistine chapel. Yes it was beautiful. And yes I did take a few photos and videos when you really weren’t supposed to. But I must say, it really wasn’t as grand as  thought it would be. Yes the ceiling was extremely beautiful, but I wasn’t overwhelmed. It was just a spectacular ceiling in a smaller chapel than I imagined. After we made our way through we decided that we were so exhausted that we absolutely needed to take a break outside. So out into St. Peter’s Square we went to sit on the bases of the pillars that circle the lovely area. We glanced over at the line leading into Saint Peter’s Basilica, and decided that after a day full of museums Liz had her fill. Thus I decided to come back the next day on my own.

We knew we needed to get some fuel in us, so we stopped for a little snack and then headed back to our friend the metro so we could go to the Colosseum. It was a relatively short journey, and we finally were able to enter the amazing behemoth that was our destination. Once inside we met up with some “SASers” as us semester at sea people call ourselves. They were kind enough to teach us a little bit about the inner workings of the Colosseum so we didn’t have to spend more euros on an audio guide. After their little history lesson, we wandered about and took some amazing pictures once more. I absolutely loved the Colosseum. It was just incredible, and also horrid, to imagine the ongoings of this ancient site. It was also just so insane to see this feat of architecture. I can barely draw a proper stick figure, and yet the ancient Romans, without the use of any modern technology, managed to create this incredible place! I also loved that I knew a little bit of the history for why the Colosseum was there. I had learned in my global studies class about the “bread and circuses” that the Romans used to keep their subjects happy. Well a part of the “circuses” aspect included the gladiator shows that they put on for their subjects. It was just so cool to see something I learned right before me and to incorporate it into my mind. Anyway, after our time there we decided to wander a bit through the forum for a few more pictures, and then we made our way back to Termini where Liz needed some much deserved shopping time. After a bit of retail therapy, we decided to head back to our hotel to meet our friends for dinner.

We ate in another random, but very Italian restaurant. I had the most amazing pasta with seafood. So fresh and so delicious. The bread was especially good, and I loved the bread-sticks we were given. They were prepackaged and had a bit of olive oil on them, which of course made them absolutely delicious. I would love to find some in the states (kelly if you’re reading this find out if Ivarone has them!). Our dinner was really wonderful all around, yet Liz and I were just too tired to venture out again. So we accompanied our guy friends to the store where they bought some nice wine, and me, some white tic tacs. They walked us back to the hotel, and we had fun taking funny pictures with them before they decided to head out. In the meantime Liz and I tried to figure out what we would do the following day. We had hoped to go on some sort of day trip. However, trains to Piza and Florence were very expensive, especially considering hat we’d only be in either location for a few hours. Also, the less expensive non-high speed trains would have us traveling about 8 hours round-trip for the day. So after much deciding we thought of an alternative. A morning for me exploring the rest of the Vatican, and a morning of relaxation and shopping for Liz. Once we came upon this compromise, Liz went to bed, while I attempted to skype and contact everyone from back home. Although the internet at our hostel was less than perfect, it was still rather successful. It was just so nice to share my adventures in person, and too check up on everyone. Although I haven’t been homesick at all since first coming on this amazing adventure, I still do love to talk to people at home. I just wish I had better internet and more time to write my e-mails, or these blog updates for that matter. Lucky for all of you, 7 hour ferry rides back from Santorini in Greece sure come in handy when attempting to catch up with work you’ve fallen behind on. With my skyping over it was off to bed for me, and then another whirlwind day in Rome.

Rome-Day 3

Now Rome was an easy enough city to get around in. However, when it came time to see everything, no amount of easy transportation could let you see the whole city in a short period of time. Just like how Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither can you see it all in a day-nor in four like I did. However, I do feel as if I got a lot done in such a short period of time.

For starters I woke up bright and early our third day and ventured out on my own after checking out of the hotel. I walked to the train station, and headed over to the Vatican. I got there about a half-hour after they opened, and hoped on the line to enter St. Peter’s Basilica. What looked like an hour long line really took no longer than 20 minutes. As I entered I was struck by the pure beauty and grandeur of the place. As far as y9ou could see there were incredibly beautiful paintings. It was just so incredible to see the amount of effort that was put into this place. How many countless hours had been spent to put this entire beautiful church together! If anything you had to admire the Basilica for it’s sheer testament to human patience. I spent my sweet time exploring. I took so many photos, and tried to get quality shots. I also made sure to thoroughly capture the place using my amazing handy-dandy Kodak Playsport camera. I wandered around for a good 20 minutes just documenting the place for those back home. I also made sure to take my time shopping for souvenirs for a few of you readers. The Vatican definitely had a nice gift-shop, but boy was it crowded. Except for the second floor whose staircase was tucked away-out of sight. So when I made my way up there I was free to shop at my leisure. After my shopping was done, I made my way up to the Doumo, I believe it was called. After paying 5 euro for the stairs pathway, I began my climb. I wasn’t aware of the sheer number of steps until I overheard people discussing it on the way up. I’m proud to report that I made it up the first 250 steps or so without any pause. And boy where these steps windy and steep. Great views though. Once I reached the first top, I had to climb a few more steps before reaching the top portion of the basilica ceiling. It was such an incredible view, and I had to take a bunch of pictures of course. After this little venture I decided to climb up to the second portion of the duomo. This consisted of climbing another 250 steps or so. Much steeper, much smaller, much more windy steps mind you. This time I had no choice but to take a short break. During this break I paused to take a few more pictures, since I didn’t know of the opportunity that awaited me at the top. Finally I reached the last staircase portion. It literally consisted of a bunch of  the smallest steps I’d ever seen. And the only way to keep steady was to use a rope that dangled down. Finally I reached the top and the views of Rome were so incredible. So insanely beautiful. Mainly because I was so incredibly high up in the city. I took as many pictures as I could before hurrying back down to meet with Liz, who had called me on my way up.

Down I climbed down almost as steep steps- at least there were more handrails this time around, since before there were none. I made my way out of the city, taking pictures as I walked, and then proceeded to get very lost on my way to meet Liz. Finally, I saw our meeting place, and she proceeded to tell me about her successful morning. Through her shopping skills, and awesome sense of direction, she brought me back to this amazing bag store where they had incredible Italian leather bags. I finally indulged myself and bought a great souvenir. My tan leather bag was my first and so far only major indulgence purchase on this trip-yet it was still a lot cheaper than bags of comparable size in the US. I had to call my mom afterwards to ask her if she wanted in on such a great deal. Of course she said yes, and will be receiving a nice black bag when I get home.

With our purchases in tow, Liz and I wandered about for a little longer, and then decided to pick up our bags from the hostel. Afterward we went back to Termini to hop onto an hour long train ride back to Civitavecchia. Boy were we exhausted, but so glad to have taken it easy. We fully intended on having a calm and quiet evening. Yet our friend Eric had other plans for us. We were walking up the stairwell headed back to our rooms when we saw him on the stairwell. He said he was meeting two other friends in a half-hour to head out to get some dinner and to taste a few of the local wines. Liz and I decided to join in, and that’s how we found ourselves once again off the ship.

We wandered down the port, past the train station until we came to a local pizza place that served only two kinds of pizza-anchovie and margarita. Our group of 5 ordered 2 pies, and I discovered that I would be forced to eat only the anchovie because I had forgotten one of my lactase pills. Lucky for me the anchovie in Italy isn’t made with cheese. Instead its a mixture of sauce and the anchovies. Normally I’m not a fan of anchovies, but my goodness that pizza was good. So fresh and so delicious. Our group brought our pies over to a local wine cafe right across the street, and we ordered some delicious, yet fairly cheap, wine to wash it down with. For in Italy it is so true to say that the wine is cheaper than the water. It was all so delicious! In the meantime we met some Italians who had previously studied abroad in the US, and talked with them for a bit.
After we had finished our delicious dinner we walked down over to the beach to a little beach bar close to our ship’s berth. It’s picturesque setting made for a nice end to the day. We sipped a few drinks, and then danced to the live music that was being played. Apparently the Italians are fond of oldie American songs, so I twisted my heart out to the twist and a few Elvis songs with my friend Liz. A little while after we called it a day, and each of us made our way back to the ship.

Rome-Day 4
At 8:30am, bright and early, I was on my way back to Rome for the day. This time I was with a Semester at Sea trip that I had bought off of my friend Eric. He wanted to watch the Netherlands soccer game, so I got a lucky deal! This trip was titled Unusual Rome and Catacombs. Essentially the tour consisted of a visit to the catacombs that the first Christians used to bury their dead. It was incredible. The extent of this underground labyrinth took my breath away. It was just an endless passageway filled with holes that had once been teeming with bodies and offerings to the dead. Unfortunately the barbarian invasions have hidden such history from archeologists today. Yet still it was an amazing place to behold. Thank goodness I had a guide however, since I would have otherwise been lost for hours. We viewed some fantastic grave sites and paintings prior to ascending the stairs back above ground.

After our catacombs tour we were driven to another awesome site. Now  I had viewed the chapels of the Capuchin monks on the travel channel before my trip, and I was struck by the insanely creepy atmosphere, as well as the amazing symbolism behind the chapel. It was here that thousands of bones from thousands of bodies were arranged together to create an amazing site. Skeleton Monks bowed down to the viewers, adorned with various body parts arranged in spectacular patterns. I couldn’t take any pictures here since it was a place of reverence. We were also required to cover our shoulders and knees to enter. It was simply a place of reflection upon life. How quickly it comes and goes, and how very equal we all are in the end. I was particularly struck by the words written near the floor in the last section of the display. It basically said “What you are now we once were, and what we are now you will be.” So very interesting to think about in that atmosphere.

Before returning to the ship we had about 4 hours to explore Rome. I was so tired from my past three days,  and it was so very hot that it was exhausting for me to move my feet. My friend and roommate Julie had two other friends on this trip with her so us four decided to find a small pizza place to grab lunch. I had two delicious slices of pizza, and then departed to do some shopping and more exploring. Julie and I walked around for a bit and explored more of Italy-she got in some good shopping time while I tried to hold myself in from spending some more. Finally we decided to hit up the Pantheon so we could actually view the inside of it.

The insides of this great building were truly astonishing. The ceiling was built with giant slabs meters thick that curved inward until they formed a large circular hole in the middle. Information stands around the building told of the rain that is collected into smaller holes in the ground when it falls through the hole. The inside was adorned with Christian pictures, for the Pantheon is now used as a Catholic church. However, its history tells the tourist that it was once a Pagan place of worship. It was just so ironic to see a visual representation of the cultural borrowing that is found throughout Christianity. I was so exhausted at this point that I decided to take up residence in one of the seats in the Church and relax for a while, while Julie and her two friends continued shopping. After a short rest they came back for me and we all decided to make our way back to the meeting point to catch our bus.

Along the way we stopped in a few more stores, including an Italian Disney Store! I was so excited to see it! Inside they had decorated it specifically for Rome with Romanesque Disney characters. I couldn’t resist buying a magnet to commemorate the experience. My friend Julie and I also attempted to get some wifi at a cafe, but the attempt failed when we discovered their internet was down. So we made our way to the bus a little sad not to have contacted home again, but overall happy to have explored another day in Rome.

Back on the ship I decided to rest up a bit before entering the port of Naples. So I took the time to sleep, share pictures and stories with friends, and then study. It was annoying to have to go back to schoolwork again, especially after such an awesome time of adventuring. Yet, I was so very glad to be back onboard. The MV Explorer had definitely become my home away from home-as Disney vacation club members would say, haha! So I spent my night doing those assortment of activities with a few friends, and then resting.

I will post my days in Naples to come. Sorry again for the delay, but I’ve been so busy exploring, and I hate writing stupid entries. I hope you all enjoy the detail I go into here. I do it as much for you as for me. So please have patience! Tomorrow is Turkey Day here on the ship. I have one very difficult midterm ahead of me. Then a day of seminars and fun. Hopefully I can finish my Naples entries by then, as well as Croatia. I really can’t wait to tell you all about the amazing time I just finished having in Greece. All of these updates will come! I’m sorry for the delay! Until then, ciao for now.

For example, as a part of the course requirements for Semester at Sea we have things called FAP and FDPs. Basically they are faculty created programs that you have to complete for a portion of your grade. One of mine was to dine at a Basque restaurant, and describe the experience. Thus my friend Liz and I headed over to one such restaurant and it was incredible. I’ll try to find the card I took from there with the name of it. Anyhow, they basically had baguettes and then put all of these different things on top of them. We decided not to ask what they were until after. The way the place worked you took what you want, and ate it and then they counted how many toothpicks you had on your plate when you were done, and then charged you accordingly. It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. So good. And not too expensive either! Afterward we went to a local bar and had a couple of drinks. And then it was off to enjoy the famous Barcelona night life.

Well not right away. We did get sort of lost, and managed to once again miss private bathrooms in the state because we needed to use the facilities and were forced to buy a little snack in another place so we could. They were super nice there though, and told us we definitely went in the wrong direction, and would need to take the metro. Well suffice it to say the metro confused us as well, and then we opted for a taxi which ended up not to be too expensive. All of this took about an hour. But it didn’t matter since the club didn’t open until one anyway. We went to the famous Razzmatazz in Barcelona, and boy was it huge. Something like 4 or five different big rooms with all different kinds of music. There were also so many people from all over the world there! It was a very fun experience, yet I noticed that the majority of the music played was in English rather than Spanish or other languages. Overall a fun night, yet a long one. We got in around 5 safe and sound, and were proud to not have made fools of ourselves like some other students did. One of my primary goals on this trip in fact is to not be that typical disrespectful American, yes there are some people on this voyage who don’t care, but the majority of students I feel do want to be respectful and enjoy themselves in that manner.

Let’s just hope it stays that way.

Liz and I woke up pretty early the next morning though in search of a churro breakfast and free internet to book our plans for Italy. On the way to the churro place we got sidetracked by a potential lunch date with our extended family onboard. We were supposed to meet them in front of the Barcelona Cathedral, but we couldn’t find them at noon like we were supposed to. Why? Because at the time the traditional dance was going on there. I forget what it was called, but I did record it and it was very cool to see. Essentially for many many years a number of people gather every Sunday at noon to do this dance in a circle. It is rather expressionless, as well as rather simple to watch. Though I’m sure I’d have trouble doing it. Groups gather together in fairly large circles and just dance to the live band playing. It was such a cool sight to see and I hope to upload the video if I can soon.

After this we managed to get some churros and internet. Liz also got chocolate with hers. Me not so much since the very smell of any kind of chocolate has always disgusted me as many of you know. However, I got some sort of fruit drink instead that reminded me of a smoothie and it was also delicious. After me booked our hostel for Italy, Liz and I shopped for a bit. Then grabbed a fresh smoothie from a store so we could sit. And then returned to the ship in time for on-ship time, thoroughly exhausted. Yet, I could already tell I would miss Spain. Since I’m writing this post Italy I can say that Spain is definitely still my favorite, despite all of the incredible Italian foods and museums. It’s just something about the spirit of the country and its pure beauty. I love it. And absolutely cannot wait to go back there someday.
Well that’s all I have time for now on Espana. Hopefully pictures will come soon, because they really are amazing.

The next few entries will be about Italy!

Hopefully I’ll get them all done by Croatia, and will be caught up! Here’s hoping!

Ciao for now!

Yet, one aspect of the program that might not be too amazing is the lack of time to do everything. Especially on the boat. Hence why my updates haven’t come too readily. I apologize to all of you back home. But today is a pretty free day for me. No exams. No major planning to do for Croatia. Just catching up on stuff and absolutely enjoying the most memorable experience of my life.

But time to multitask and take notes while also actually posting about Valencia. Followed by another brief Barcelona entry. Then followed by the craziness of Italy day followed by Rome, Civitavecchia, Naples, and ship life yet again. Including the prospect of laying out and de-reflecting-lightifying later.

Clearly I have a lot of catching up to do.

Here goes nothing.

Valencia, Spain

Bus ticket in hand, a huge pack on my back and I was rushing out the door at around 8:30am with a bus at 10am. I was so nervous that I wouldn’t get there in time. Yet, taxis were waiting outside of the port, and I was there in 10 minutes and 10 euro lighter.

After getting a little confused in the terminal, I grabbed breakfast, and then hopped on my bus. Sleep came shortly after. Yet, I did see some of the countryside before Mr. Sandman came. I remembered a lot from Professor Gilmore’s lectures from Anthro of the Euro Med. I could clearly see that the majority of Spain was indeed settled in huge city like settlements. The countryside was nearly bare. So strange to see such ruralness just minutes outside of a huge city like Barcelona.

Eventually sleep did come, but I was awoken about 2 hours into the journey. Worry came over me when I saw our bus pulling into a station. I thought are we here already!? Did I get on the wrong bus?! Should I call Armando? Well, a few seconds of observation showed me that this was just a rest stop. So I jumped off and ran to the bathrooms. And can I just say Spain’s bathrooms are way nicer than Italy’s. Sorry to all you Italians. Anywho, I jumped back on the bus, and slept some more. Two hours later I was pulling into Valencia, a little later than the schedule predicted. Yet, there nonetheless.

I waited my turn to exit the bus, and Armando spotted me right away. He later said he could tell it was me because the Diaz in me was so apparent haha! He greeted me warmly, and led me to Monica and Maria Jose. Maria Jose made me a beautiful welcome drawing, and together we journeyed to the car. I was immediately struck by their kindness and warmth. As we drove, Armando pointed out sights to me in his impeccable English, and also began to challenge me with Spanish. After a short drive we arrived in their town just outside of Valencia. Their apartment was on the second floor, and was beautiful and spacious.

Probably the best part initially? The AMAZING lasagna that Monica had made for me. So incredibly good! I was also greeted by Geluchi and Miguel. So sweet and kind, and pretty funny as well. They asked me questions, and then Maria Jose shared some pictures with me. I tried to share a few with her before my computer died. Afterward I used their computer to call my mom, dad, sister, and abuelita back home. My mom told Maria Jose to only let me answer in Spanish, and her to me in English. Ah! Rough but I guess it was good, though I did embarrass myself plenty.

Anywho, after my phone calls we ventured out in the family car and I was shown all around the city. I must have taken a million pictures, and saw the majority of the city. I was extremely struck by the contrast between modern and historical in Valencia. Some of the buildings seemed so old, especially some of the Roman aspects I was shown. And yet there were also huge buildings that were so very modern in appearance. I will hopefully be able to post pictures in an internet cafe in Croatia. I would love to show you all what I saw and explain that way. Plus it’s easier for me to remember names that way.

Favorite parts of my first day included sampling some traditional snacks at a street cafe. As well as visiting some amazing churches and other beautiful buildings. Geluchi showed me around the inside, and manged to explain to me some of the history and particular aspects of them. That night’s dinner was also so great. So plain and simple in that it was just an assortment of meats, and bread and I tried them all. And I liked all of them! Armando asked me which was my favorite and which was my least favorite, and I honestly had a hard time picking my least favorite since they were all so good. I picked the salami because it was the one closest to other things I had already tried back home.

I also particularly LOVED the street fair they took me to at night. Boy can the Spanish party! They clearly know how to have fun, and love to dance! Why can’t we Americans pick this up? Rarely will you see boys in their 20s dancing sans being absurdly drunk the states. Not the case in Spain. Yes, people were drinking, but very moderately. And on multiple occasions I was told to slow down drinking my beer. Mahou by the way. Very yummy. I was really surprised by the reprimands, just because I feel that I wasn’t drinking very quickly. In fact at home I’m often told to hurry up. Yet, from my own personal observation I could tell that everyone only sipped their drinks, and they lasted quite a while. Drinking was actually a social tool it seemed. Meaning that the people didn’t need it to talk and lighten up. They already were. It was just a fun thing to do while enjoying company. Such a contrast from Americans of all ages I feel. It made me realize that drinking is done to get drunk in America. I know I know. Obviously. But in comparison to so many other people my age that were at this fair, we are party animals. No wonder the world thinks we’re loud.

Anyway that was just one thing that struck me. I loved the street fair. The music, and the spirit that emerged from it really showcased the beauty of Spain. I also loved Miguel’s spirit (who by the way also speaks incredibly good English since he lived in Jersey for I believe eight years). Two of my cousins that I met have muscular dystrophy, a debilitating disease of the muscles. Other members of my family have also struggled with the disease, but in a different manner than Miguel. Yes, his walking may now be limited as are other physical acts we take for granted in daily life. Yet, he made his point clear that he doesn’t let the disease bring him down. He lives life, and enjoys it. I was really inspired by him. He was so funny, and lively, especially at the fair. He had Monica’s sister Angela Maria wheel him over so he could dance with her children as well as Maria Jose, her and me. And Miguel, despite being in a wheelchair, definitely had more rhythm than pretty much all of the people dancing. And there were a LOT of people.

I also got to witness the teenagers dancing together, and saw the awkwardness of the teenage years in Spain. All of it was so interesting. I especially enjoyed talking to Angela Maria about Spain’s culture. She walked me around the local area for a bit and spoke to me of Spain’s way of life, as well as the ethnic differences and political issues that were most prominent. I asked her about the ETA since I had just done a presentation about them in class two days before. Her answers were insightful, and so eye-opening.

All in all it was a great night. Though one more thing I’d like to add. When I spoke with Angela Maria’s children, they asked me what languages I spoke. I embarrassingly had to reply that my limited Spanish and my English were the only two languages I was familiar with. They were sort of shocked that I had never been exposed to German or French, or at least spoke better Spanish. I was definitely embarrassed and it inspired me to get a move on and at least have a better grasp on Spanish next time I visited Spain.

I went to bed exhausted, and felt terrible about oversleeping the next morning. Yet, we still had some time to explore before my bus. Armando was an incredible tour guide. He showed me some amazing ancient buildings, as well as old beautiful churches. I really loved the Templar crosses that he showed me! I also got to experience a traditional Valencian drink that was short of like a super sweet milkshake (picture to come) and churros! Which by the way are sooo different from the ones back home. They are just plain fried dough, and you put the sugar on them or can dip them into more sugar. So much better than back home for sure! He also showed me the Valencia market which was housed in the massive building that from the outside looks more like the exterior of a pretty shopping mall than a giant food market. There I saw not only incredible fruits and vegetables, but meats of all kinds. Pictures to come I hope. Though you may want to not eat beforehand. There were whole bodies of animals completely skinned and hanging for sale My favorite was a baby cows head. Or perhaps the mouths of what seemed to be bulls. Or how about their hooves? So crazy! So cool though too! So many fish everywhere of all different kinds, and just everything and anything you could imagine! The energy of the place was also amazing to experience! Everyone was just going about their business, but it was just so cool to put myself in that typical Spanish situation. Big props to Armando for showing me this! Thank you!

Anyway after finishing the extensive tour of the city, we returned home for a goodbye meal with delicious white rice that Monica had made for me. One thing we never did at home with the Spanish white rice we’ve had is put crushed up tomatoes into it. And can I just say DELICIOUS! I need to get the recipe for the salad Monica made as well, because the dressing was amazing and she also added things to it that we don’t normally. Such as corn, which made it so delicious!

After lunch came the goodbyes and thank yous. And in case they are reading this now, I just want to say how very blessed and welcomed I felt with all of them. And I feel so very thankful for all that you have done for me! Spain is so beautiful, especially Valencia, and I wouldn’t of learned half as much as I did had it not been for their welcoming me into their home. So thank you so very very much. Also, to mom and dad if you’re reading this can we book a vacation to Spain like pronto!? I so want to go back! Haha!

The bus ride home was perfectly fine, and I knew what to do at the rest stop this time. Another 7 euro taxi ride to the shuttle bus that goes to the ship (so I could save a few bucks), and then I was reunited with my friends who I told all about the awesomeness that is Valencia. You all need to go.

More on my night in Barcelona and my last day there to come.

Ciao for now!

Espana the great!

First of all, I’m so sorry to all of you that it’s taken me so long to write this entry. I’ve had limited internet the past few days, on top of being super busy! But can I please just say that I am having the time of my life here in Europe. It’s so amazing in every way, and I really don’t know how I am going to pick a favorite. If that’s even possible.

So I’ve decided to write these next few entries in parts. Currently I am Rome. I’ve been exploring so much, and thus I’m a little tired. So I don’t want to write minimally detailed entries because of my sleepiness. So I will write what I can, and then return to do another entry.

Here goes nothing.

Espana

Dia 1

No wait. First let me describe the night before.

Excitement. It just penetrated the air. All around the ship you could just feel it. And see it for that matter. Every where you looked you could see faculty, staff, lifelong learners, and especially students rushing all around going crazy attempting to plan. Oh, and did I mention that half the ship was using the limited internet we have at the exact same time? So frustrating! It seemed like I’d stepped back in time to the world of screechy dial up tones. Nuts.

But it was alright. No one really cared too much. Why? We were all just so extremely excited! The extent of my last minute planning included attempting to book tickets to Valencia so I could visit family. My frustration was absurdly high, since the computers were taking forever! But I eventually was able to book a ticket. I went by Alsa bus, and it only cost me about 54 euro. Essentially nearly $70. Thank god the Euro has fallen. At least for me.

But like I was saying, all of the ship was busy making last minute preparations. And then there was laundry to do. I didn’t partake in my first laundry day since it was on the second day at sea. Hardly worth $6 per bag. So that left me with plenty of stuff to hand-wash. O tons of fun! Especially when you’re tired from 9 straight days of classes and orientations. And from staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning meeting and hanging out with new people. And from losing an hour consistently for nearly every one of those days. Yeah, you could say I was sort of sleepy.

Yet, by about 3am I was ready. Ready for an incredible and spectacularly fun and eye opening experience.

Before I go any further, happy belated birthday uncle john! I meant to call you from Spain, but everything got crazy!

Dia 1

First day. Tired. Exhausted really. Yet, once again the adrenaline rush of a first day in Europe led me through my stupor.

I got off the ship at approximately 11am. It took a little while for our shuttle to arrive. It was a bit of a nuisance throughout the trip, since we had to take it to and from the Statue of Columbus because our terminal was under construction. Yet eventually we managed to board the shuttle, and were dropped off just next to the statue of Colon I believe it was called. Since my friends Liz and Julie and I had to make a 1:30 tour back at the ship, we only wandered a little bit. We managed to find a great breakfast place where I had this amazing croissant with cream stuffed inside. It was covered in sugar. So amazing. And then I began my tour of the European Mcdonalds. Had to get some fries (which by the way are sooo salty here, but delicious of course). Got a picture next to the arches as well.

After wards my friends and I wandered a bit more, and decided to shop a little bit. I didn’t buy anything, but my friends got some good deals. Since we were short on time we made our way over to the shuttle so as to return to the ship. Yet, in the limited time we were out and about I managed to absolutely fall in love with the architecture of Barcelona. Everywhere you looked was this classic looking facade, filled with beautiful terraces, accented by vines and flowers. So amazingly stunning.

Back at the ship we jumped onto the ship very quickly to drop off some of our stuff. I was told yet again that I looked like Scarlet Johansonn (I put this in here specifically for Sophie!) by the card checker at the security checkpoint. Anyway, we jumped right back off and began our BCN 03 City Orientation. So worth the $33. They took us all over Barcelona, and the tour guide was a chipper Brit who really knew his stuff. We saw Montjuic I believe it was called. It is a great photo spot that overlooks all of Barcelona. Absolutely spectacular! I loved every part of it. Our guide also pointed out some buildings by Gaudi, as well as a few other cool places. In addition we made it to this great theme park like place (I forget it’s name but will look it up), that was built for an expo I believe. It was comprised of all of the architecture and special characteristics of all the areas within Spain. It was so great to be able to “see” so much of Spain in such a short period of time. By the way Ita and Mom, the Lladro here is still pretty expensive, but so beautiful!

After that we made our way to Sagrada Familia, the church whose plans Gaudi laid down many years ago, and will not be completed until 2020. So incredibly spectacular. Words cannot give it justice. The details, and symbolism are extraordinary. Though apparently Gaudi didn’t like to tell viewers what he meant by his symbols. Instead he wanted you to interpret them. I took plenty of pictures of this amazing site. Hopefully I can get them up on snapfish when I get back so you can see all of them.

The Barri Gothic was pretty much our next stop, and I saw some of the ancient Roman ruins that used to be the city walls. From this point my friend and I signed off and we explored on our own for a while. We enjoyed some shopping and exploring before hitting up a Starbucks with free internet and calling back home. By the time we headed back to the ship we were tired, but thrilled. After a quick change, it was out to dinner at a restaurant we found during our day’s exploration. Great, great meal! Then it was time to live up the young college student within me, and head out to explore some of Barcelona’s nightlife. Pretty great I must say. I went with a group of Semester at Sea students and had a great time hanging out together, as well as with meeting some locals and other students from around the world. Overall great first day in Barcelona. I definitely slept well that night, though not quite as long as I would like since I had to leave around 8:30am to make it to Valencia in time.

Which brings me to dia 2. But right now I’m getting a bit antsy, and sleepy so I will wait to write about my spectacular time at my cousins’ place in Valencia. I really want to give it justice, since they were so great to me. They showed me all around, fed me local food I would never know about, and were just so absurdly kind and generous. I can never thank them enough! Till later then.

Ciao for now