Sempre in Italia: churches, stairs and coffee!

Well hello there, English and full vocabulary…nice to see you again! After two and a half days straight of communicating solely in Italian, it’s refreshing to be able to express myself completely coherently and with more sophistication than a five-year-old! But despite the difficulty of a weekend 99% English-free (I cheated with words like “peanut butter” and “sword fish” and “syrup”) I absolutely loved the fact that with this foreign language, a language I just began learning a year and a half ago, I was able to communicate with and get to know my relatives in Campania! What a feeling it is to realize you understand these strange-sounding syllables and that you can express your thoughts and feelings back with them, without using any of the vocabulary you’ve relied on for 20 years.

This weekend was by far one of my favorites of this entire semester so far. I feel lucky to have been able to experience it. A weekend with relatives from across the world, exploring the Amalfi Coast and communicating entirely in this foreign country’s native language…it was an amazing combination. Kind of a surreal experience. I still can’t get over the fact that I didn’t speak English, and that I didn’t hear any English spoken.

For those who don’t know, the relatives I visited are related to my Grammy (great grandmother) Palma, and they live maybe a half hour from where she grew up, in the region called Campania. Rosalia is the great-granddaughter of Grammy’s Aunt Palma (the woman she was named after), if that makes any sense to anyone! I had to have it explained like five times and see the family tree that they have at their house, before I could halfway understand. Another way to put it would be that Marisa and Emanuela (Rosalia and her husband Mimmo’s two daughters) and I share a common set of great-great-great grandparents. Despite this rather distant connection, the family welcomed me into their house in Baronissi with open arms and treated me like a guest of honor.

I took a 5 hour bus ride from Perugia to Pompeii on Friday, where Mimmo, Rosalia and Marisa picked me up. Then we drove over to a nearby town called Cava, where I got to eat my very own authentic Neapolitan pizza. Obviously it was amazing—thick crust, mozzarella di bufala, flavorful tomato sauce—and as per usual in Italy, it was one whole pizza per person. A funny Italian pizza quirk is that the pizza is never precut—you always have to fiddle around with your fork and knife to cut your own slices, and it’s not easy! But the delicious reward when you bite into that first morsel of piping hot pizza is so worth it.

Marisa and I have been communicating by email in Italian for the past 8 months or so, so I had warned her in advance that I would probably make a ton of mistakes speaking the language. She and Mimmo know a little bit of English, but definitely less than what I know of Italian…so lucky for them, they didn’t have to call upon their English vocabularies during the weekend! Marisa was prepared Friday night with a dictionary, but we only used it once—to look up “peanut butter.” I think she was pleasantly surprised with my ability to communicate! Out of everyone in the family, she was most able to understand the meaning of my words and my pronunciation mistakes, and she was very patient with me! When her parents didn’t understand something I was trying to explain, she always got it and was able to communicate the meaning to them.

Throughout the weekend as I was fumbling through my Italian sentences, I came up with an analogy (as anyone who knows me well can attest, I’m always coming up with random analogies). Well here’s one for you: communicating in a foreign language to native speakers is like trying on a crazy outfit—something that’s totally not your style—and wearing it in front of people without being able to see yourself in a mirror. You’re sure you look absurd, but you have no way of being able to see and judge for yourself. You’ve just got to trust that you’re not making a complete fool out of yourself. Because if I speak Italian anything like the English I hear some Italians try to speak now and then, I’m sure I sound ridiculous. But I appreciate that despite how I sounded, my relatives were very understanding and willing to converse with me in public!!

I’ve heard it said before that you know you’ve picked up on a language when you’re able to make jokes (and understand ones you hear) in that language. If that’s the case, then I’m doing pretty well. I feel like the weekend was full of laughing, jokes and even sarcasm (yep, I’ve mastered a little bit of Italian sarcasm!), all in a language other than English! I especially loved getting to know Marisa and Emanuela, because they are both close to my age, and it was kind of like meeting the girl cousins I’ve never had! They both had tons of question about life in America (as did Mimmo and Rosalia) and it was really fun for me to try to explain different customs and exchange pieces of our two very different cultures. I just loved that they so genuinely wanted to get to know me, and I thought it was so sweet that they had such a sincere desire to spend time with someone who shares far away roots on the family tree

So what sights did I see with my relatives, you might be wondering? Well on Saturday Mimmo took Marisa, Emanuela and me to a place called Paestum. It was kind of like a mini Pompeii (which I’d seen back in high school), with ruins of temples and ancient buildings. But this settlement was originally Greek and then transferred over to the Romans. I learned all about the ruins from my two tour guides, Marisa and Emanuela, who have been to Paestum many times on field trips. Emanuela is studying art history, so she was able to offer insight about the style of the remains of the buildings. I felt very glad that the weekend before, when I was in Rome, Lindsay and I took the tour of the synagogue in the Italian language. Because that’s essentially the tour I had of Paestum! It was a beautiful day, almost summer-like, and later on we went together with Rosalia to the historic center of Salerno, about 15 minutes from their house. Salerno is a really pretty town, right on the water, with a nice boardwalk and a main street with tons of high-end shops. The historic center reminded me a lot of the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona. It was really adorable, and I’m excited to explore it more when I go back with my parents, Melissa and Aunt Dianne in May. I also went inside Salerno’s duomo, another beautiful Italian church, and saw a small art museum with paintings by artists from Salerno. The relatives also made me try a “Baba,” a typical Salernatino (I hope that’s a word) dessert, kind of like a fried cream puff of sorts, but with an assortment of sweet fillings to choose from, depending on your preference. I went for the Nutella-filled one.

Here’s are some photos of Paestum and the Salerno coast viewed from above:




That night we stopped by Rosalia’s father, Tomasso’s, apartment. I was able to meet him and his wife, as well as his son Palmo and his wife and son (the son is also named Tomasso Canzolino…lots of repetitive names in this family!). We sat around the table and looked at old photos of the family, and Tomasso gave me some to take back to Grammy. He asked if Grammy still plays the piano, because he remembers when she would call and play “Oh sole mio” on the piano for him. I told him yes, she still plays! They also all got a kick out of Grammy having a boyfriend, John. It was a night filled with lots of Italian and laughs, and we got a picture of the family all together.



Saturday morning Marisa and I woke up early to make my mom’s famous pancake recipe. Yep, I really did bring pancakes to Italy. It was Marisa’s idea to make them, because we were talking about the things she liked the best during her two-week trip to New York two years ago, and we got on the subject of American breakfast food. Before I knew it we were emailing my mom for the recipe, and the next morning we attempted to convert it into Italian measurements (and Italian words). Despite leaving out the whole-wheat flour, using shavings and chopped bits of chocolate instead of chocolate chips, and not having syrup, they were a success! Marisa is definitely saving the recipe and using it again in the future. Before I know it pancakes will be spreading all throughout Italy, and the days of cornetti and coffee for breakfast will be no more!

After breakfast the whole family got in the car for a drive halfway through the Amalfi Coast, from Salerno to the town of Amalfi. We endured the endlessly twisting, stomach-flipping road that curves around the mountainside, because any amount of stomach-flipping would be worth it to get a glimpse of the beauty that is the sparkling blue waters below those cliffs. I had to step back and realize how lucky I am—this was my SECOND time on the Amalfi Coast, and I’ll be there a THIRD time in May. Seriously, if someone finds themselves at this paradise once in their life, they’re lucky. I’m not even 21 and I will have been there three times. I can’t help but appreciate how rare and special that is.

We stopped at a town called Ravello and toured the Villa Cimbrone, an old estate that offers breathtaking views of the water, as well as pathways through gardens and past sculptures.





Then we drove a little bit up the coast to the town of Amalfi itself, where we ate lunch by the water. I tried the coast specialty, lemons, in a cream sauce over penne pasta. But of course, this being an Italian lunch, and therefore the largest meal of the day, a dish of pasta could never be the sole entrée consumed. Rather, after the pasta a huge assortment of seafood and vegetables (and French fries for Marisa and Emanuela) were delivered to the table. Needless to say, I had no room for gelato at the end of this feast. Even by Italian standards this was a huge lunch—Marisa explained that they definitely don’t eat like that every day!


After lunch we made our way to the town’s center, where we toured a beautiful cathedral.



Sempre le chiese, le scale e il caffe in Italia, we kept on joking! Always churches, stairs and coffee in Italy! The stairs we kept climbing to get to monuments, viewpoints, anywhere, and we couldn’t help making fun of how ubiquitous they are in Italy. This is how you work off those three-course lunches! The churches—well that’s self-explanatory. Every town has its own important “duomo,” and they’re all beautiful and unique. When in Italy, a person begins to lose count of how many she’s seen and walked through. But yet they really are worth visiting…there’s such a sense of peace to be found in Italian churches. The coffee part—that we kept laughing about, because Rosalia and Mimmo had to stop for a coffee break maybe five or six times every day. For them it’s totally normal. As an outsider, it was quite a phenomenon to observe! The Italians and their coffee…

Saying goodbye to these relatives after such a wonderful weekend together was really difficult, but it would have been much more sad if I didn’t know I’d be seeing them again in less than two months! I really can’t wait to be back there and spend more time together. And I hope that sometime in the not-too-distant future they’ll come to America so I can offer them the same hospitality they gave me! I’d love to show them around Washington D.C., Longwood Gardens, Brigantine, and for them to meet the rest of the family there. Hopefully one day!

Now that I’m back here in Perugia, I’ve unfortunately come down with a nasty cold—and I want it to go away ASAP because I am supposed to visit another relative, Pasquale, this weekend in Milan. Let’s hope I feel much, much better in the next 48 hours so I’m well enough to see him Friday! The plan is for me to stay there one night and then spend part of Saturday and Sunday in Verona, a Northern Italian town that’s supposed to be really charming, and is, of course, the home of Romeo and Juliet.

Perugia, Orvieto and Ro-ma-ma

Today is an absolutely gorgeous day in Perugia. Not a cloud in the sky, temperature in the mid 60’s, light breeze in the air, birds chirping. I’m sitting in my room with the doors and shutters to my “balcony” wide open, so I can see the sunlight and smell the spring air while I write this blog entry. Finally the rain and clouds are gone, as well as the cold, blustery air, and I can truly enjoy being outside here in Italy!

This morning, after Italian class, I decided I couldn’t resist my craving for a cappuccino and a cornetto con cioccolatto (essentially a flaky pastry filled with nutella and chocolate…yummm) so I headed to a café off Via dei Priori that I’d been passing and wanted to try. Outside was a sign for a breakfast special: a cappuccino plus a pastry for 1.80 Euro. Deals like this are not uncommon in Perugia, and through traveling to other cities I’ve come to recognize the bargains I take for granted here! Even in America, imagine getting a big, delicious pastry at Starbucks AND a cappuccino for about $2.30. You’d be lucky to get the pastry by itself for that price.

The café turned out to be run by this sweet middle-aged lady who, in typical Italian style, directed me to sit down at a table and enjoy my cornetto while she made my cappuccino. Sit down and relax and enjoy my breakfast, and pay for everything afterward, of course. When I went to pay, she asked me in Italian where I was studying, and before I knew it I was having a real conversation with her in her native language. I told her why I am studying Italian (because of my Italian heritage and wanting to communicate with relatives) and about the trip I have planned this weekend to visit relatives who barely speak English. She told me that she sees lots of Umbra students in her café and we talked about how most of them come in not knowing any Italian. Having this conversation with her in Italian was just so fulfilling, because little by little over these past few weeks I’m starting to notice just how much I’ve improved with this language. Yes, I still have my strong American accent, and yes, sometimes I need people to repeat things or speak more slowly, but had I been put in these same situations three months ago and been asked to have a conversation, it never would have happened! Last semester in Italian class I had to plan responses to questions in my head before I could say them aloud, and when typing e-mails to relatives I’d always have to open up freetranslation.com to figure out certain words or phrases. Now I’ll just type the e-mails without hesitation, and spontaneous conversations in Italian are a part of my everyday life! I can credit living with a roommate who speaks no English for the fact that I feel I’ve improved so much. Being in this situation forces me to take part in casual conversations and be quick on my feet with the language…and I’m finding that my comprehension of Italian is getting stronger and stronger.

Before I came to Italy I never had such an intense interest in language and communication between cultures, but after being here and working with Italian high school students, I am so drawn to it. I don’t know how I will incorporate my fascination with foreign languages into my life or my career after this semester, but I’m glad that I’ve connected to it here. It’s something to keep in mind for the future.

This past weekend I stayed in Perugia on Friday, and traveled to Orvieto and Rome on Saturday and Sunday. During the day Friday I forced myself to get out of bed semi-early and not waste the day and the good weather. I wandered through some streets I’d never been down, found the University of Perugia campus and a park on the premises, and tried out a new café and an amazing Neapolitan-style pizzeria that had been recommended by my school. Looking out over the Perugia skyline from the university’s park, I realized I’ve truly traversed the entirety of this city. When I first looked across the sea of rooftops and churches from different vantage points, I’d wonder what lay on the other side, what each building was. Now I can look across and recognize places I’ve been, streets I’ve found during random wanderings through town. I’m proud of myself for having really taken the time to learn the backstreets and random passages of Perugia, and for getting out of bed on free days when I’m here and making the most of the place where I am. Here’s a photo from my adventure on Friday:



On Saturday I took a daytrip to an Umbrian town called Orvieto. The reason I journeyed to this specific town is because I just finished an excellent book called The Lady in the Palazzo that takes place there. It’s a nonfiction memoir of sorts by an amazing author, Marlena de Blasi. I’d never heard of her or this book before, but in my search for novels related to Italy and Perugia, I stumbled upon it at Borders before I left home and decided to buy it. Great choice. De Blasi has such a talent for making the characters, the place, and even the food she describes come to life. I highly, highly recommend this book, even if you have no interest in Italy. Her way of looking at the world is really inspiring and invigorating, for lack of a better word.

** Interjection: I just saw a lizard crawl up the side of the building next to my apartment. Ahhh. God forbid a lizard ever crawls into my bedroom, you’ll never hear the end of it. ***

So…I took a train to Orvieto on Saturday and found the palazzo where the author of the book still lives, and where the story took place. It was pretty amazing to be right there in person, at the scene of the story I felt like I knew so well. I didn’t see the author (I read online that she’s very reclusive and doesn’t seem to enjoy when her fans bombard her on the streets of Orvieto) but I snapped some photos of her house and her nameplate next to the doorbell.




I also tried the gelato place she’d mentioned in the book, called Pasqualetti. Delicious, of course. And besides visiting sights important to the novel, I soaked up the beauty of the town itself. It had literally breathtaking views of the countryside below, as the city is hoisted up on what they call “tufa rock.” Basically slabs of earth from volcanic eruptions and the like formed below the town and placed it up above the surrounding area. You take a funicular from the train station to reach the center. Right at the funicular’s drop-off point was a beautiful park with pathways extending over the view. Here are some shots I took there:





I also climbed La Torre del Moro, a big tower in the town center, to see some more gorgeous panoramas. Then I made my way over to the town’s Duomo, the major attraction in the city and one of the most beautiful duomo’s in all of Italy.



The town is also known for its mysterious underground passageways. There was a tour being offered, but I opted out (didn’t feel like spending an hour underground with annoying tourists on a beautiful, sunny day) and went instead for a quick self-guided tour of a smaller section of the underground passageways, called Pozzo della Cava. Seeing the ruins, a huge well, and the remnants of storage areas, pottery kilns and Etruscan “trash cans” was actually really cool. I ended the day by climbing up and down Pozzo di San Patrizio (St. Patrick—how appropriate I should mention his name on this day), an enormous underground well and engineering feat, designed so that donkeys carrying pails could climb up one side and down the other without bumping into each other.

As much as you’d think no one would know about this random town called Orvieto, it’s apparently a major tourist mecca, and everywhere I went Saturday I saw American travelers and heard English. A lot different than in Perugia, where occasionally I see groups of travelers, but not on that kind of scale! I thought it made a great daytrip, though, and the views from the edge of the town were just unbelievable.

Sunday, after a part-train, part-bus voyage to Rome, I met up with my friend Lindsay from UMD, who’s studying there. We walked though the Jewish Ghetto, a part of the city I’d never been to, and took a tour of the beautiful synagogue there. We opted for the Italian-language tour, and it was so amazing to sit there listening to the guide and actually understand most of what she was describing! The synagogue itself was so pretty, inside and outside. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take indoor photos, but here’s one of the outside:


We ate lunch at a restaurant called Nonna Betta, and I really enjoyed seeing the mixture of Italian and Jewish dishes on the menu. In general, seeing this seemingly odd mesh of Jewish and Italian culture in one place was so cool for me. One of the few places on Earth where both parts of my heritage meet up and form their own unique culture. The bread we were served at the restaurant had a texture and flavor reminiscent of challah, but with an Italian-style crust. And our bottle of wine had Hebrew and Italian written on it.

After lunch we took a walk through Rome’s major sights—the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps. I’d seen them all during my high school Italy trip, but I was pining to see them again, and particularly the Trevi Fountain was even more beautiful than I remembered it. I don’t think I ever saw it during the day before.




One thing I did not enjoy were the hordes of tourists EVERYWHERE. There was just no escaping them. When I finally arrived back in Perugia (after missing the train I had planned on taking due to the Pope’s car coming through an intersection I needed to cross) it was nice to be away from the crowds and chaos of the Roman city center. I may complain now and then about the lack of things to do in Perugia, the lack of tangible excitement, but there are parts of this small city that have definitely grown on me. Being here feels comfortable. The pace of life is slow, the shopkeepers (for the most part) are extraordinarily friendly, and I'm surrounded by architectural magnificence and stunning views 24/7. I definitely miss home and the people that go with it, but a part of me will be very sad to leave my Italian “home” here in Perugia.

A Tale of Two Cities: Barcelona and London

It seems like I haven’t had a moment to sit down and write this blog entry since returning from spring break on Sunday, but right now Microsoft Word is my only option on this laptop. The finicky Internet in my apartment is deciding not to function. No better time to finally update you all on my travels in Barcelona and London!

Rather than going through a run-down of every single thing I did over the course of my 10-day break, I’ll give you my general impressions of both cities and then some personal highlights of my time in each of them. And of course I’ll post some pictures to illustrate my adventures!

I can now say I 100% understand how and why Melissa fell in love with Barcelona. When she first told me she was studying abroad there, I had such a vague impression of the city. To be honest, I’d never really heard much about it. I didn’t picture it being all that beautiful—Gaudi architecture, from what I’d seen of it in photos, could never compare to the Etruscan archways and Roman ruins in Italy, I thought. To me, Barcelona was just this random city on the map, and nowhere I had any specific desire to visit. This is why I now say, thank you Melissa, for studying there. Otherwise I may not have ever chosen to travel there myself. The most amazing and unique thing about Barcelona is how versatile it is; it’s a city with multiple, distinct personalities, each charming in its own way.

There’s the Gothic Quarter, with winding alleyways and stone walls and laundry hanging from verandas. This section is very reminiscent of Italy. Then there’s Mount Tibidabo, near Melissa’s homestay. I didn’t climb the mountain like Melissa has done, but we walked up the hillside to a cocktail bar overlooking the skyline from this section of the city. The mountain area is filled with huge, beautiful homes, lots of trees and open land. Melissa tells me when you’re climbing the mountain, you could completely forget you’re anywhere near a huge city. Barcelona also boasts its own magnificent shoreline, with a sandy beach that I’m sure fills up with tourists during the summer. There’s also a boardwalk and port area that felt a little like the Baltimore Inner Harbor to me. But there were palm trees everywhere, so in a way it felt like Florida or California. And speaking of California, some of the city’s parks, especially Parc de la Ciutadella had a total San Diego vibe going on. Beachy, relaxed, green grass and palm trees and the sun shining…what more could you ask for? And besides everything else I’ve just described, there’s the main downtown area near Plaza Catalunya. From there heading down Passeig de Gracia, where my hostel was located, it was like a Spanish Champs Elysee—tons of high-end shops and restaurants. I love the energy you can feel pulsing through that part of the city…it’s an energy you can feel in any big city, and it’s something I miss living in a smaller town.

I had four full days in Barcelona, and I’m so glad to have had that kind of time (though it doesn’t sound like much) as opposed to trying to fit the whole city in during a two-day weekend trip. I really saw everything a tourist should see when visiting Barcelona. Hopefully one day I’ll get to go back and see even more than the usual tourist sights—I envy Melissa that she can experience what it’s like to LIVE in this city rather than just visit it as an outsider.

Though I’ve gone on about how much I loved this city, I will point out a few negative impressions I formed while I was there: First, I never felt truly safe. Even during broad daylight, and especially during the few times I was by myself, I always had my guard up. I know Melissa’s recent pickpocketing incident had a lot to do with that, but her incident wasn’t an isolated one. She told me one of her friends has been pickpocketed three times so far this semester, and everywhere I went there were warnings about it. In the Metro they kept playing a recording telling everyone to look out for their belongings, and Melissa’s homestay mom, Antonia, kept repeating how we needed to watch our bags. The first day in Barcelona, some random lady came up to me and tried to grab my umbrella away from me. Compared to Perugia, where for the most part I feel very safe, this was discomforting. I also found that people in Barcelona tended to be cold and had very bad manners. On the Metro, people would push and shove into me without saying excuse me. Melissa said Barcelona has a reputation for this and that it’s totally normal, but normal or not, I found it very rude. Also, walking in shops or cafes, people would completely ignore us or stare coldly without saying hello. What a contrast to the warm “Buongiorno!”s and “Arrivaderci!”s I’m used to in Perugia. Everything in Barcelona was all-business, and I guess that’s a city way of life…but still, how hard is it to say excuse me when you bump into someone??

In contrast to Perugia, though, I did appreciate that Spanish men were much less aggressive (the British men were similarly normal) in comparison to most Italian men. I didn’t have to worry about guys gawking at me as I walked down the street and muttering “Bella!” while creepily staring for way longer than necessary. There wasn’t one instance in Barcelona where the Spanish men on the street made me feel queasy the way the Perugian men do. I’ll describe the culture of guys on the street in Perugia in a later entry, but believe me, Barcelona was a breath of fresh air! The weather in Barcelona was also a pleasant change—it was partly cloudy or sunny the whole time I was there, and in the mid-60s. I wore a tank top and flip flops on some days.

Without further ado, here are some of the highlights of my time in Barcelona:

 Seeing Montjuic Park with Melissa. It’s made of several gardens overlooking the city, and it was a very tranquil respite from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area. I also saw the Olympic stadium. At night, from Plaza Espanya we saw a great fountain show with lights and classical music—kind of like Longwood Gardens, except free for everyone and cooler because we were in Spain!

 Barcelona nightlife. Without a doubt, this is something every college student/20-something in this city must experience. Whether you drink or not, anyone would be able to appreciate the unique ambiance of Barcelona bars and clubs. The night I arrived we went to a fairy-tale themed bar, complete with random miniature antique furniture, waterfalls, and tree branches hanging from the ceiling. Saturday night we went to CDLC, a lounge right on the beach. This was my favorite night spot…I don’t know how to put into words the feel of this place. I told Melissa I felt like a celebrity being there, and that’s only way I can describe it. You sit on plush cots with pillows all around you, and you’re served drinks while techno music is playing and everyone in sight is gorgeous and dressed to the nines. All I could think was, who are these people?? Everyone there seemed to not have a care in the world. Being there was just a surreal experience, and I hope there are lounges and clubs in other cities I’ll visit in the future that will compare. After CDLC we headed next door to Opium Mar, a similarly posh club with more of an emphasis on dancing. Once again, another surreal experience. People know that I’m not huge on going out, but at clubs and bars like this, you can’t help but want to stay out all night and “seize the day” (or night—CDLC’s name stands partially for ‘carpe diem’”).

 Eating tapas. I ate at tapas restaurants three times during my stay, and all were delicious and relatively inexpensive. These small appetizer dishes were a refreshing change from the Italian pizza and gelato diet, and I gorged on smoked salmon, brie cheese, seafood salads, and patatas bravas.

 Parc de la Ciutadella. Melissa sent me here on my own while she was in class, and it was filled with palms trees, a quaint pond with paddle boats, and a magnificent fountain with golden sculptures that I couldn’t stop taking pictures of. It was also near Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf, Paris’ counterpart.

 Catching up with my friend Nikki from Maryland. She is studying in Barcelona this semester and we hung out twice during my stay. It was so wonderful to see a familiar face and to exchange study abroad stories! We had a lot to catch up on, and we were each able to share insight on our experiences abroad so far.

 My hostel experience. Rather than being scary and disgusting like I worried it might be, staying in the hostel by myself was just fine. During my stay my five random roommates changed a few times, as people came and left, but everyone I stayed with was friendly and interesting to talk to. I had roommates from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, England and Japan. I particularly liked my British roommate—she was the most social out of them all, and we had a lot of fun discussing study abroad experiences and travel!

 Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia, and the beach and port areas. All of these are top spots on the tourist itinerary, and I was able to spend ample time enjoying each.

 The celebratory dinner Antonia hosted for me at Melissa’s homestay. She cooked what Melissa says is her signature potato omelete dish, along with a ton of other food, champagne (cava, I think she called it?) and dessert. She was such a cute little old lady, and I was surprised at how much of her Spanish I could understand! Even though I can barely speak a word of it, my high school Spanish knowledge is still lying dormant somewhere in my brain.

 Seeing Melissa!!! After being away from all things and people familiar to me for two months, it was amazing to finally spend time with my sister. She was a wonderful tour guide and took time out of her busy midterms week to show me the “real Barcelona.” I was sad to have to leave her at the end ☹ but we will see each other again in less than two months!










I could go on more about Barcelona, but then no one would ever have the patience to read about London. If you’ve read this far as it is, I’m grateful. Just as I am with writing assignments in school and for internships, it’s so hard for me to pick and choose what to say and what to leave out. I just want to include everything! But in this case, I really can’t! So London…being in London, it was like I got my “fix” for almost everything I’d missed from home. First, I got to see Erica, one of my best friends from school who I had missed incredibly. I got to stay at her (what I think was) luxurious downtown apartment and she got up bright and early with me every day to show me the top sights in London, some of which she was seeing for the first time! I basked in the glory of a world where English was the common language. It was so strange but amazing to be able to go up to a counter and order my coffee in English—and at a Starbucks no less. I ate almost all of the food I’d miss from home (see details below) and at times felt as if I was walking through Georgetown in D.C. The parts of the city I saw were very clean, wealthy and just overall classy. With “tube” stops with names like “Piccadilly Circus,” “Paddington,” “High St. Kensington” and “Notting Hill,” how could London be anything but proper and adorable?

The city as a whole felt much, much safer than Barcelona. Like any city, you’ve got to have common sense, but here I felt like I could relax and not have to clutch my purse to my chest for dear life. There were two strange quirks to London, though: first, everything closes early. If you want to go shopping at 7 p.m. on a Friday night, you’re out of luck. Even in the busiest, most touristy sections of town, the lights are out. And if you’re hungry for something to eat at 11 p.m. on a Saturday, your best bet is McDonalds. There are pubs open then, but they don’t serve food at that hour. And even the pubs shut down by midnight. Quite a contrast to Barcelona, where people as a general rule eat dinner around 10 or 11 at night. Another odd quirk in London was the quiet demeanor of the locals. In a crowded tube car during peak traffic times, you could hear a pin drop. People don’t speak. And if they do, they whisper. Erica told me her orientation director warned people about this in the beginning of their program, because it’s such a contrast to American (and of course, Italian) loudness in public places. With my naturally loud volume, I had to remember to keep myself in check ;-)

Some highlights from my three-day tour of London:

 The London Tower Museum. Erica and I paid 15 pounds to get in here, but it was well worth it. The museum is the remains of a castle and fortress that’s been in use for somewhere around a thousand years, maybe more. Kings and queens and all kinds of royalty have slept there and done all kinds of crazy things. Scandalous murders and disappearances have taken place on the property, and people were held political prisoners in some of its towers. Inside the castle we also saw the “crown jewels,” the magnificently glittering crowns adorned by kings and queens of the past, and the diamonds and other precious accessories that went along with them.

 Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, and a view of the London Eye. The must-sees of London, easily within walking distance of one another.

 Covent Garden and Portobello Road. Erica took me to these two quaint shopping districts during my visit, and unfortunately they were both closing down in typical London fashion when we arrived, but I still got a feel for the ambiance of the neighborhoods. They were charming, Georgetown-esque districts with cute little boutiques, vintage stores and some high-end clothing shops mixed in next to English pubs and restaurants.

 Harrods. This is the mega-department store filled with every item a person could ever want, including Maine Coon kittens, a 1 million pound (money pound, not weight) pool table, and dozens of restaurants, along with clothes, furniture, washing machines and who knows what else. Nothing cheap, of course, but it was an experience walking through it. Like a modern day museum. The inside reminded me of what the Cheesecake Factory tries to be. The highlight of our trip to Harrod’s was afternoon tea at the fancy restaurant on the top floor. Our four-berry tea, scones with jam, tea sandwhiches and pastries were absolutely delicious and necessary for the full British experience.

 Borough Market. London has lots and lots of weekend markets to choose from, and this one was fantastic. Tons of free samples that Erica and I took full advantage of, different kinds of cheese, bread, dipping sauces, jams and desserts. It was an experience for all the senses, just taking in the scent of barbecue and fresh food and watching the crowds of people make their way through the different stalls. I bought myself a huge, fudgy brownie.

 Speaking of food, I got my fix for Chipotle (well a Chipotle knock-off, but it did the trick), Chinese food, a good hamburger, buffalo wings (at Rainforest Café, where I got to meet up with Karina from UMD…once again, great to see a familiar face!), Starbucks, Whole Foods (Erica and I shamelessly devoured every sample available) and I don’t even remember what else. I also got my fix for American television and movies…and got a sampling of British TV, which is a cultural experience in itself. I thought American reality TV shows were bad, but reality shows in the U.K. are an all-time low. I’ll never forget “Hotter Than My Daughter,” “Snog, Marry or Avoid,” or “How to Look Good Naked.”

 The Tate Modern Museum and Kensington Palace and Gardens. Two very different sights that I saw at different times, but they were both cooler than I expected. Erica and I thought we’d walk in for five minutes since it was free admission to the Tate Modern, but we stayed a lot longer. The art by Monet, Matisse, and other top-notch artists of their time was a sharp contrast to the medieval and renaissance art I’ve seen in Italy and Paris. And it was refreshing, in a way. Kensington Palace, the former home of Princess Diana, was beautiful and surrounded by a big park with a pond full of geese and lots of paths for running and biking. If I were studying in London I’d be there all the time once the weather got warmer!

 Last, but not least, Erica and I saw a show in Piccadilly Circus called “39 Steps.” We got discount tickets less than an hour beforehand, and our seats were great—what a deal! The show was a comedy spin-off of Alfred Hitchcock movies, and it had references to Rear Window, Vertigo and Psycho. Some of you may know that I’m a big Alfred Hitchcock fan, so it was the perfect show for me!











After an incredible spring break seeing friends and my sister, all who I’d missed so much, it was tough leaving and coming back to my quiet Perugia apartment! But in some ways it was nice returning to the familiarity and comfort of Perugia, where shopkeepers recognize my face and greet me with a hearty “Buongiorno!” every day, and I can sort of get by speaking the language, as opposed to my Spanish in Barcelona. I discovered a once-a-month organic market in the town center Sunday, and I had fun chatting with people at the booths in Italian, and buying locally made ricotta cheese, bread and bruschetta. This weekend I’m going to stick around the area and maybe do some day trips. I’ll keep you posted!