Roma, Ti Amo

Our sojourn into Rome could not be described with a wider array of adjectives: exciting, exhausting, entertaining, eye-opening, awe-inspiring...the list goes on. Most of us left early Friday morning, some Thursday night; either way, almost everyone was traipsing through the Eternal City by Friday afternoon. On Friday alone, we climbed the Spanish Steps (la Scalinata di Piazza di Spagna); made wishes on coins dropped into the Trevi Fountain (la Fontana di Trevi); stood beneath the oculus of the Pantheon (il Pantheon); and saw the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine (il Colosseo e l'Arco di Costantino) in all their breathtaking glory. After all of that, we went to the Hard Rock Café for as American a dinner as we could get, then a few of us saw Sex and the City 2 in a very Italian theater. Did you know that you could purchase cappuccino, espresso, wine, and cocktails, cake and gelato, as well as hotdogs, popcorn, and nachos in an Italian theater? And very much like an airplane and a first-class Eurostar train, they give you assigned seats.

Saturday was a hectic day - most of us were touring the Vatican and the city at large. Just a recap: the Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign state within the city of Rome, and the capital of Catholicism. I Musei di Vaticano - the Vatican Museums - house innumerable works of art (including Raphel's "School of Athens," Perugino's "Madonna and Child with Saints," and Giotto's "Stefaneschi Triptych" -- shout out to Marcia Cooper for Art History 116!), as well as the legendary and magnificent Sistine Chapel (la Capella Sistina). Over 4 million people visit the museums each year.

And let me tell you, that statistic isn't lying.

Gorgeous and unforgettable though the Vatican museums and gardens were, it was a long, hot, sweaty, crowded, hurried, exhausting trek through the beauty, art and history of hundreds of years. That isn't to demean the experience itself; that is just to say, make sure you have stamina and a lot of water.

I'll leave you with this, as I have to head over to the other apartment for dinner. Here is a grocery list of what I learned in Rome:

1. Crazy Roman drivers trump crazy New York drivers any day.

2. Asking for crepes in Rome is bound to be an adventure.

3. Everyone is going to sell you something.

4. Nobody cares if you're in the way.

5. Sneakers will be your best friends and taxi cabs the luxury you wish you could afford.

6. Learn to haggle.

7. Police officers are no help. They don't know where they are anymore than you do.

8. There will always be more people than hairs on your head.

9. You will always feel like you smell. Don't worry, everyone else does too.

10. Though chaotic, tiring, loud,  crowded and ridiculously large, Rome really IS as beautiful as everyone says.

Buona serata! :]

 xoxo Ashley 

Meeting with the high school students.

Today we had our first Italian quiz. Before Mrs. Clewis gave us our quiz we were broken up into two seperate groups to go and talk with the Italian students from the high school. I was in the first group so I was told I would be taking my quiz later. When we went into the classroom all of the students looked at us and smilied like we were famous. The teacher then told us we could have about a half hour to converse with the students about things we wanted to know about them and things they wanted to know about us Americans. We all sat in a circle and we introduced ourselves in Italian. The students were very impressed with the way we could introduce ourselves and I was happy that finally someone could understand me. To my surprise the Italian students were just like us. They had difficulties in school and lived the same life as us. One of my questions to the Italian students were about if they atteneded a prom or not. I was told that there was no such thing as a prom. They instead celebrate something to finish off the end of the year. I also found out that the students had a choice of what kind of school they wanted to attend after they were finished middle school. I asked one Italian student, "Why did you choose this high school?" She responed with, " I really like to study and I really would like to attend the Catholic University after Liceo which means a classical high school. These students are pushed to their highest limits to be successful in their studies. Overall I really enjoy studying Itailian in this school building and I am at ease to know we are accpeted in their school.  =)

~Amanda

Gardaland!

My favorite day so far has definitely been the trip we took to Lago di Garda and Gardaland! We heard from the local high school students that Gardaland is an amusement park equivalent to our Disney World, so we
decided to check it out. From 2:00pm to 6:00 pm the park has a deal allowing people to enter for only 15 euros! Now, it wasn't quite as big as Disney World but we still had an awesome time. The view from the top of the roller coasters is absolutely breathtaking, it even stops at the top in order to let people enjoy the surroundings. At the
top you don't see the typical amusement park rides as you would in America but one gets a view of  the gorgeous lake as well as the surrounding mountains. I had a wonderful time in Gardaland; it was a nice touch of home with an Italian twist.

-Kristin

Another Crazy Adventure In Italy!!

Earlier this week a group of us who are studying in the medical field had the opportunity to experience a clinic in Brescia.  We went to the Poliambulanza clinic where the Director talked a little bit about the differences between health care between the U.S.A and Italy.  It was very interesting to see how the U.S is adopting some aspects of the Italian healthcare system and how Italy is also adopting some aspects of our healthcare system.  They still think theirs is better though.  The Clinic also has a laboratory where they are conducting experiments with placentas and stem cells.  They are one of the many labs studying this throughout the world.  It was also quite an experience getting to the clinic!  Since it is easier and cheaper to take the bikes, we did that.   We had to ride on some pretty busy roads and I thought I was the one that was going to end up in the clinic as a patient.  Italy has lots of circles in their road system.  Where we live in the U.S we have regular intersections, so riding a bike through those circles is pretty frightening.  But we eventually made it in one piece.    

Then, on June 2nd, we had the day off because it is a national holiday in Italy.  So everyone decided that it would be awesome to go to Lago di Garda!  It was beautiful!!!  Words and pictures could not describe the real beauty.  The view was amazing as you can see from the pictures.  The water was crystal clear and you had a panoramic view of what I believe is the Alps.  Many people come here because it is much closer than the actual beach.  The lake has a small beach but it was all rocks that did not feel so good on your feet!  It was definitely a different experience to be on a beach with Europeans.  I would say most of the men wore Speedos, which is not something that is very common at home.  There were also several women without tops on which is definitely not acceptable at home especially at a family beach.  This just goes to show the difference between cultures.  They are obviously less self conscious and less prudish like many Americans seem to be.  It was an amazing day at the lake and we definitely are going to get back there before we go home!!  Tomorrow we are off to Roma!  Talk to you after!!! Ciao!

-Jonathon

Beautiful Florence.

This past weekend we visited the amazing city of Florence.  There are absolutely no words to describe the beauty of this city.  The architecture and artwork were absolutely amazing and the view from Piazza di Michelangelo was more breathtaking than words can describe.  I'm not going to say too much about Florence because I know that my pictures will do the talking.  I can't wait to revisit this amazing city!

The Duomo.

The Baptistry.

Museo Accademia - Home of the original statue of David.

Santa Croce - Burial place of Dante and Machiavelli among others.

Group picture in front of the Arno River.

This picture and many to follow depicts our amazing view from Piazza di Michelangelo.

The first bridge in the background is Ponte Vecchio - the oldest standing bridge in Florence.

And finally, our trip to Italy would not be complete without making a pit stop to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  And, of course we all had to play the part of the ultimate tourist and "hold up the tower!"

This was a very successful first weekend away!  We learned a lot, we did a lot of exploring and we came home with memories to last a lifetime!  This weekend we are traveling to Rome and I can only expect it to be even better!

-Jenna

Great Weekends in Florence!

This past weekend was my first major trip during my stay in Brescia, to Florence!  I anticipated this trip all last week and had a blast!  Prior to leaving, I met my new guide and friend named Sara, and we got to know each other.  Sara is a citizen of Brescia, but spent a year in England, so we were able to speak to each other very well.  She was very kind.  I knew we would get along great.

I met Sara on Thursday night and we attended some events in the square including live orchestras, clowns, and drummers which were a lot of fun.

On Friday, Sara and I took two trains; one to Milan, the other to Florence, which was a smooth trip overall.  I noticed the train stations in Italy are different than in America.  They were much bigger and appeared much like airports.

I then found and settled into the hotel with Sara, and then it was time to hit the town.  Florence was a very busy, thriving and crowded city, more so than Brescia.  There were lots of things to see and do in Florence with which I was nothing short of amazed.  I witnessed many events and festivals in the squares, including a gelato festival.   I noticed there are lots of festivals in Italy this time of year.  

   

I learned alot about Florence and some of the many buildings from Sara, who had visited Florence once before.  She explained a lot about some of the historical buildings and churches.  I was happy to have Sara with me.  I learned a lot of history during my trip.  

I also did a lot of shopping in Florence, especially in the shopping malls, which were similar to the ones I remember back at home.  I was never really the type of person to get excited about clothes shopping, but shopping in Florence was a different story.  There were many different types of clothes that I have never seen before. 

On Saturday Sara and I did some more shopping, and visit a bridge which Sara said was the oldest in Florence. 

Although I was unable to go inside the museum, I did get some a picture with an actor dressed as a marble statue, so surprising!

In th afternoon Sara and I took a tour of the Duomo Church Dome.  We climb up endless flights of stairs, stopping at several points to see. 

It was a long, hard, exhausting climb to the top.  I was completely sweaty and out of breath by the time I got there, but I was amazed at the wonderful view from the top!  I could see the entire city, plus the mountains!

The rest of  the day was spent walking around the city and checking out shops.  Sara was very helpful to me, especially while in restaurants and in situations where there were some language barriers.  I had a lot of fun with her.  On Sunday morning we left to return to Brescia.   I loved visiting Florence very much.  There were a lot of things I expected and didn't expect.  I enjoyed exploring the old historical sites as well as the new modern ones, and shopping at the stores and markets.  This was definately a weekend to remember as one of my best times in Italy.

-Gabrielle  

We have been officially gone a whole week now.  We have all been through one week of classes (rain and shine), one week of riding uncomfortable bikes, one week of getting lost and familiarizing ourselves with our new surroundings, and one week of gorgeous scenery.  Wednesday, we went to an agricultural high school called Pastori.  Pastori is like a technical or vocational school back home.  Students here learn about more abstract professions and are specifically trained for them here.  Professions include farming, working a green house, social services, and lab work.  In class Friday, we found out the local newspaper was at Pastori for our visit, and we were all in the Brescia newspaper. 

During our Italian class Friday, we also got to spend about an hour with the students and help them practice their English.  It was one American student to a group of 5 or so Italian students.  They were interested in our families, siblings, pets, interests in sports, music and movies, and asked us to compare Philadelphia and Brescia.  They were shocked to find out that most people drive cars, and that bikes are mostly used for exercise instead of a form of transportation.  The girls in my group asked about my flip flops, because they only wear them at the beach.  It was really interesting to compare interests and our backgrounds with the Italian students, because of how similar or different each topic was. 

This past weekend, we traveled to Tuscany to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and spend a day or so in Florence.  I know I was excited!!!

~Katie