[P] Amalfi Coast. September 24th - 26th. Sicily. October 1st - 3rd.

Over the span of two weekend trips I visited the south of Italy and experienced many of the classic Italian stereotypes, both good and bad. Amazing food, mafia type shenanigans, Italian stallions, and both Napoli style strikes and pizza.

The weekend of the 24th I headed down to the Amalfi Coast with several of my roommates and other Study Abroad Italy students. Our weekend of sun and surf was unfortunately interrupted by rain but we still managed to have a good time. A bus drove us down the coast to Napoli, which is known for its dangerous streets, garbage strikes,  and as the home of pizza. We experienced a little of this when Mt. Vesuvius' workers decided to go on strike and the part of our group planning on hiking the volcano had to change their plans. We also got to see some taxi cab-bus driver coordination that gave us a further taste of the South. Our first stop was the island of Capri. We used it as a home base and traveled by ferry to the coastal town of Sorrento and later back to the bay of Naples. Back on the mainland, we traveled to the ancient of Pompeii and even stopped at a Buffalo Mozzarella factory on the way home.

 

 

The next weekend I headed to the island of Sicily to spend the weekend in Siracusa. Continuing the theme, we stayed in the historic center called Ortigia, which is an island within the island of Sicily. It is an extremely interesting area historically. Founded by the ancient Greeks it has been under, among others, Byzantine, Norman, Roman, and Spanish control. Saturday morning we toured and tasted our way through a fresh market and spent the afternoon on a farm riding horses at the base of a mountain. Sunday was spent at an archeological park that included an ancient rock quarry, the Ear of Dionysus, and probably the biggest Greek alter. However, our true activity was eating. I have never had so much delicious food in my life, not to mention the best lemon gelato I have ever tasted. Sicilians have a different take on traditional Italian cuisine with refreshing takes on pasta and lots of seafood. They are also the original cannoli makers! I am officially obsessed.

Soundtrack to Europe.

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Waka Waka - Shakira.



We No Speak Americano (Pa-Par Americano) - Yolanda Be Cool.



Stereo Love - Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina.


Edward Maya - Stereo Love
Caricato da tarantulaaa. - Guarda gli ultimi video musicali selezionati

Alors on Danse - Stromae.



Call on Me - Eric Prydz. Warning: Explicit video.



Enjoy!

[P] Rome. September 1st - 18th.

 A very delayed first impression of Rome:

 
We arrived at the Eternal City on the first of September. Alex and I said our goodbyes as he made his way to Siena, Italy and I joined my fellow study abroaders. We were taken to our new home in Trastevere, an up and coming neighborhood that still maintains a bit of a bohemian vibe and has been compared to New York's Greenwich Village. The main square, Piazza Santa Maria, boasts cobblestone streets, picturesque buildings, and one of the oldest churches in Rome. This is also where my American-style school, John Cabot University, is located near the river. Across the Tiber is the old Jewish Ghetto and Campo di Fiori. All in all, a great neighborhood to be in, even if our apartment is further away from the hub and has more graffiti than cobblestone. I live with seven other girls from all over the States and share a room with a great girl from California. Despite the Real World-esque of it all, its worked out quite well.

At school I am taking four classes, fewer than normal, that are all taught in English except for my language course. On Mondays and Wednesdays I have Intermediate Italian (Italian professor), Western European Politics (American professor), and International Economics (Italian professor). On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have International Affairs (Bulgarian professor). And, luckily, on Fridays we have no class! The university, like all things in Italy, is much more unorganized and can be quite frustrating at times but has been a good experience.

My first couple weeks were spent adjusting to my new home. And to be honest, I had a very difficult time. While Rome continues to grow on me, it can drive you crazy. I've learned that its necessary to retain a sense of humor but it took me awhile to get past the lack of efficiency and organization, and get used to the slow pace (bus drivers getting off to take a coffee break), dog poop littering the side walks, and the smell of urine in certain places. For an idea on how Italy measures up to the rest of Europe watch the video below. As my dear friend Antha put it, "Italy is like the crazy cousin with the tattoo and the tendency to scream secrets when drunk [about] Europe".



Trips during this time included a welcome trip to Ostia Antica, a preserved Roman city similar to Pompeii, an amazing four course lunch at Borgo di Tragliata organic farm, hiking Monte Catillo, and a beach day with the roommies.

Also some typical Roman sightseeing including: the Pantheon, an ancient temple dedicated to all of the Roman gods now used as a Catholic church;  the Trevi Foutain, as seen in La Dolce Vita and where tradition has it that you throw a coin in and wish to return to Rome; the Spanish Steps; the hated Victor Emmanuel monument, which destroyed part of the Roman Forum; and, of course, the Colosseum.