Venice and Rimini for the weekend :)

Just got to the Residence after a fun weekend in Venice and Rimini!

As I was telling Lizzy and Lanier, we've learned a lot in the past few days:

1. Do NOT take the 92 bus home from Campus Pub in Verona! Most everyone went out Thursday night (despite our 8 a.m. classes). I was planning on staying in and catching up on my Strategic Intelligence reading, but the whole "we have to make the most of our study abroad!!" element got the better of me.. There was American music, though a few months late arriving to Italy (though the Italians seemed to enjoy it, and so did I!) The bar scene over here is different from home. No one really dances, and if they do, it's kinda of a strange, jumping dance. At least that's what it's like here in Verona!

2. You must get your train ticker "authorized" before switching trains. Otherwise, you get a 44 euro fee.. thank God for being an ignorant, apologetic American girl!

3. ALWAYS lie about what you're really up to. In Venice and especially Rimini, women but especially men would come up and talk to us because (not to sound arrogant or anything, but..) we kind of stand out. In Rimini, mostly native Italians, Russians, and other Eastern Europeans vacation there. The woman who check us in to our hotel said we were the first Americans she had ever seen at her hotel! Anyways, you get the point. Men ask what you're up to.. and you should ALWAYS come up with some random story that is exactly the opposite of the truth. "Beautiful girls, are you going out to the discotequa tonight?" "Uh, no.. actually we've gotta catch our train at 7.. See ya!"


Nonetheless, it was a relaxing weekend all around. Venice was beautiful. It took awhile to find our hotel, but we really lucked out! Waterway view with high ceilings and comfy beds:

After resting for a bit, we ventured out for some dinner near the Rialto Bridge, a beautiful white bridge. Dinner was mediocre surprisingly, but sipping Bellinis and meeting Italian Navy cadets later made up for it! See Lanier Roberts' photos on facebook!

We spent all day Friday in Venice mostly walking around and looking down the many canals and passageways. We tried to go inside the main church in the Piazza San Marco, but got turned down due to our tank tops and/or strapless dresses. Oops..

Later that evening, we made our way to Rimini by train. Strangely, we found a great English pub (the first ever opened in Italy, apparently!) right on the beach. We sang aloud to all the old American songs they were playing (Eagles, Police, and the like). They even played some country songs! Yet when I went up to ask if the musician would play "Dixieland Delight" he somehow thought I was requesting "Holy Santa Maria," whatever that song is. Then I asked if he knew any American music. He said no.. Hmm..

Saturday was spent laying out and playing beach volleyball for 7+ hours. Beach volleyball is pretty big over here and definitely male-dominated, so I was a little nervous to ask to join a game. Also adding to the intimidation factor is the fact that most of the volleyball courts are adjacent to the fitness gyms located right on the beach. So basically after working out, all the "Jersey Shore"-esque dudes use volleyball as a way to relax and loosen up.

Fortunately, a short but buff guy by the name of Marco asked if I wanted to play 3 on 3 with him and his buddies. While I definitely felt out of shape compared to everyone else, I feel like I played pretty decently. I was just happy to physically active after a week sitting around studying and eating in Verona.

'twas a lil bit windy in Venice, but still beautiful!

Rimini

That's all for now.. Ciao!

a visit to lake garda.. and first day of class

Yesterday we went to one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Lake Garda is a large alpine lake about an hour outside of Verona, and it is absolutely gorgeous. We went for a boat ride across the lake, had a leisurely lunch in the town of Lemonello (where lemons are growing all over the place!)

Martin (our fearless group leader) told us an interesting tale about the lake. There's a small island in the middle of the lake that used to be an arsenal for the Italians during WWI. After the war, the soldiers had no use for the weapons but didn't now how to dispose of them, so they simply dumped them in the lake. Years went by, and eel harvesters/divers realized that the local eel population became very concentrated around the submerged weapons, so naturally they began to dive there, where they could catch more eels. Well, this wasn't such a good idea.. Several divers were killed when the weapons that were thought to be inactive exploded. A cleanup effort was begun decades later after the island became off limits, but even then people were killed trying to remove the weapons from the lake bottom. Today the island is a prohibited area, but local teenagers still make the trek over there occasionally..

vineyard on the way to Lake Garda

the three L's in Castellano (I think that's how you spell it!)

the AWESOME medieval castle we looked around. pirates lived here!

Lizzie and I got married, haha! There was a wedding set up on a balcony inside the above castle

Lake Garda view from the top of the castle

As you can see, we also went inside a medieval castle that was well worth the 6 euros we paid to go inside. 

Now for today..

My morning class was a little rough. 8 a.m. is no fun. My first class is Post-Industrial Democracies with Dr. Ornston. Come to think of it, I should be doing the reading right now.. 

After we got out early (wahoo!) I took a shot of espresso from the hotel breakfast room then went to Strategic Intelligence with Dr. Johnson. VERY cool class! I paid attention for the entire 2.5 hours. 

This evening we had a special treat: Martin's son owns a wine shop here in town, and he (Martin's son) put on a wine tasting for all of us! The wine was delicioso, the prosciutto amazing, and the pasta magnifico. Whenever we eat with the group, we eat well. It's experimenting cooking in our kitchen here at the apartment that doesn't turn out the best grub. Hopefully our skills (and kitchen cleanup skills.. really entire apartment cleaning skills..) will improve soon.

That's all for now. Ciao!

getting acquainted with my home for the next month!

Ciao!

Isabella has arrived in fair Verona!

Today, we woke up late and just made it to our orientation for classes. This is really weird, but I really like the rooms where our classes are being held. They are big, have open windows, a view of the river, and lots of travel books.

Martin (our trip director) then took us on a walking tour around Verona, showing us where the grocery stores, pharmacies, etcetera were.

THEN Lanier, Lizzy, and I went to the grocery store. Haha, what an experience! Of course, we stand out like sore thumbs ("silly American girls..") and don't speak ANY Italian! Still, we managed to buy the essentials (cereal, pasta, sauce, vino), and everything was fairly cheap!

After returning to our humble abode (and really.. it's humble), I researched some places for us to travel. I'm thinking either Croatia or Nice, France this upcoming weekend, Munich/Zurich/Salzburg/Geneva the second weekend, and Cinque Terra (on the Western coast of Italy) the last weekend. Still, I'm taking suggestions :)

I really enjoyed walking to the main part of town this afternoon. We all sound outside and lingering over our drinks, of which mine was super strong (it's legal over here, okay!) We then wandered through a wine festival, of which my friend Chris sampled a little too much wine! Finally, we made our way to a restaurant that took awhile but we were glad to eat. It's kinda funny.. the Italians seem to gawk at us! And I'm not even that blonde, nor do I like to think of myself as a dunce? Who knows..

While I didn't take any pictures today (after all, we will be here for two weeks), I will leave with this Bing image of what our evening stroll home to the apartment looked like:

FINALLY in Verona!

Wow, what a week! I apologize for not updating my blog sooner. The internet connection at our hotel was a little sketchy..

Nonetheless, I met my study abroad group on Monday and said goodbye to Mom and William. I was a little nervous about how the group dynamics would work out, as I didn't know anyone going into the trip! However, I've been so lucky to have already made a good group of friends. The group is a good size, too, (~50 people) where I still have plenty of people to get to know.

Here's a quick run down of what we did this week:

MONDAY- Tower of London (my third time..)

TUESDAY- the London Eye! SO cool. Great view of London from the banks of the Thames River. Lanier, Lizzy, and I then went to Harrod's and the London Aquarium (I never thought I'd find anyone who wanted to do that with me!) Of course, it's no Georgia Aquarium, but they did have Gentoo penguins and different species of sharks I'd never seen before.

WEDNESDAY- Westminster Abbey. I never realized how many people were buried inside the Abbey! And of course, we saw where Prince William and Kate got married.

THURSDAY- Probably the most fun day of the week! We went to Stonehenge in the morning. Very mysterious and cool to see. Got some good photos that I will post later (I'm too tired to go find my memory card reader!) It was a b-e-a-utiful day in the English countryside.

We then journeyed to Bath, where in ancient times, the Roman soldiers would take vacations and spend long afternoons lazing around in the hot baths that used to be there (hence the name, Bath). We ate lunch at a pub, where they served us fish and chips (I'm definitely a chips fan. Fried cod.. not so much).

That afternoon we spent in Windsor Castle, which was probably one of my favorite things I've done while in the U.K. Windsor Castle is where the royal family spends their summers, and it is absolutely exquisite. We toured the main state rooms, comprised of banqueting halls, dressing rooms, bedrooms, etc. My favorite room was a sort of reception room where the Queen initially receives visitors. All the walls are decorated with gold paint, and the view to the back of the castle is beautiful.

Even after this full day, Lizzy and Lanier and I felt we had to make the most of our last night in London. After cleaning up at the hotel, we took the tube to Notting Hill to meet Lizzy's cousin and her friends. I enjoyed talking her cousin and her expat friends. It's always cool to hear the different paths you can take after college. After a yummy pizza and wine dinner, we went to a small bar. Even though the music was kinda Euro-pop, they did weave in some Rihanna and other American music. I enjoyed dancing! I did NOT enjoy how forward drunk London men are. After an encounter with a particular drunk, I stuck by Lizzy's cousin's male Australian friend from Perth for the rest of the evening!

Now here we are in fair Verona. Today was pretty much a blur, because we did so much traveling. I was asleep for most of it, too! Our apartment is fairly small, but of course, I am an American, so most rooms seem smaller in Europe. Still, I'm sure we'll get used to it. I can't wait to go shopping for our kitchen and get my bearings tomorrow.

Lizzy, Lanier, and I jumping for joy in front of Stonehenge!

The town of Bath

A tower within Windsor Castle

Katie and I in front of Windsor Castle

Catching up after Two Full Days

Wow we've done a lot in the past two days! Where do I begin?! I guess with, well.. yesterday!
We slept in fairly late, then made our way to the South Bank of the Thames to visit the Imperial War Museum. We spent a good deal of time there. One of my favorite exhibits is the submarine exhibit, where you walk through a sub as if you really lived on it. The bunks are cramped, the food is bland, and the head (that's the sea name for the toilet) STINKS! Literally, they had an actual odor coming out that reeked.

Down below the museum, we walked through the trenches of WWI as if we were an actual soldier. There were guns and bombs going off, radios calling, wounded men being tended to.. as gruesome as it was, I still found it pretty cool! William enjoyed all the tanks on the main floor and observing the various fighter planes suspended in the air.

Entrance to the Museum. Guns.. and more guns

Inside a Halifax bomber.. attempting to navigate?

After the war museum, we took a looooonnggg bus ride through south town to Greenwich, where the National Maritime Museum, Royal Navy College, and the Greenwich demarcation line is (the line that separates the Eastern Hemisphere from the Western Hemisphere). While I enjoyed the war museum, I REALLY enjoyed the National Maritime Museum.

I'm not sure why, but I've been fascinated by the ocean and anything within it, be they living or nonliving, for my entire life. This museum had several exhibits featuring the British navy accomplishments and explorations around the world. There was interesting information on the slave trade, as dark of a history as that has been. There were several maps of major trade routes through the 1600-1700s, involving a "triangle" from the U.K. to Africa to the Americas.

Unfortunately, I was really looking forward to seeing the exhibit on modern deep-sea exploration, but sadly it had closed for renovation.

"The Dauntless?"

Mom observing some (old) navigation equipment

I've always wondered what a boat's "black box" looked like ever since I read "A Perfect Storm." I guess now I know!

We also got to stand on the Prime Meridian at the top of the Royal Observatory! Now William and I have been to both the Equator (we went to Ecuador on a school field trip at Lovett) and the Prime Meridian. Perhaps both the North and South Poles next..?

A view from the Observatory, courtesy of William's awesome (?) photography skills..

Now for DAY TWO (TODAY!):

We woke up and made it to the changing of the guard at 11:30. Very.. ceremonial, of course. I was hoping we could go inside the Palace, but I forgot they only give tours when the Royal Family isn't in residence. We say the balcony where Prince William and Kate were married just a few weeks ago!

We also toured the Queen's Gallery. I thought it was kinda cool because I understood a lot of the myths behind the artwork, but other members of my party (mostly the tall, curly haired boy) didn't want to stay there long!
Mom and I really enjoyed the Royal Mews, where they keep the carriages and horses for the Royal Family. The carriages are grand and the horses are spotlessly clean and well-cared for.

This afternoon, we had lunch/afternoon tea at the Orangery, which I loved (Good suggestion, Hailey)! We dined on tea sandwiches, sweets, and of course, English tea. It was splendiforous! After the Orangery, we went through Kensington Palace. A lot of the Palace was closed off for construction, but we got to follow the stories of the seven princesses who had lived there. Diana, herself, actually lived in the Palace.

The Three Amigos outside Kensington Palace. Or, alternatively.. two Brits and an Austrian!

On the way back to our flat, we took some fun photos along the way:

William trying out his modeling skills at H&M

The Lamborghini that lives across the street from out flat

Whew! If you got through this update, you're awesome and mean a lot to me! Please feel free to post a question/comment. That's all for now! I meet my Verona group tomorrow :)

A Long but Adventurous Day..

What a day. What DIDN'T we do today in London? Well, a lot actually. There's still a lot to see in this awesome city. But that's beside the point. I'm here to tell you about what we DID do!

After getting out Oystercards for the London Underground (a.k.a. the Tube), we toured the National Gallery. We saw lots of beautiful paintings inside; my favorites were the Van Gogh and Money paintings. There was also an extensive collection of artwork from the 1400s to the 1600s, as well. We had fun taking photos outside the National Gallery as well:

Taming the Lions outside the Gallery; those things were hard to climb up! Thus, I was relegated to standing next to the beast..

The National Gallery

Mom and William in front of Trafalgar Square

After seeing the fine art, we were ready for a bit of fun so we made our way to the Sherlock Holmes Museum. William really enjoyed the museum as he is an avid reader of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mysteries. Throughout the apartment at Baker Street, there were many objects and wax figures that could be found within the tales of Holmes. The few stories that I recognized were the Sign of the Four, the Adventure of the Speckled Band, and of course, the Hound of the Baskervilles. This story is the cause of weeks of sleepless nights after my English teacher assigned it to us in 8th grade. It involves a blood thirsty hound. Needless to say, the small exhibit on the story kind freaked me out:

Yes, that is a giant hound head on the wall

Holmes (William) and Watson (me) conducting an investigation

After that, we went to the London Zoo (against the wishes of 2 out of our party of 3). Mom and William were not so pleased to be there, but I was fascinated. I love animals! They even had an aquarium! I got to see tigers, lions, Galapagos tortoises, and Komodo dragons. SO COOL

Towards the end of the day, we toured the Tower of London. We heard all the stories about the beheadings of Anne Boleyn and other "traitors." We even got to go in the small chapel beneath which victims were buried AND saw the original spot where the chopping block used to be. So glad I didn't live back then because I don't know if I would have lasted that long!

We also got to see the Crown Jewels (of course). The most impressive, in my opinion, was the "Great Star of Africa," the second largest diamond in the world. Here it is: 

No, that's not me holding it! 

Beefeater leading our tour

Testing out helmets/hats in the Soldier's Museum

Sun setting over the Thames

The Tower at night

Later that evening, we were super lucky to go on a special tour at night, where the Beefeaters lock up the Tower. 

Well, now Mom's telling us to go to bed, so that's all for now!

London at Last!

We have (finally) arrived in London! 


Mom, William, and I had an overnight flight last night across "the Pond." I was reminded of two important realization while in flight:


1. Noise-canceling headphones are a MUST on international flights to counteract the noise pollution given off by small, screaming children two seats in front of you. (This kid literally cried all. Night. Long.)


2. Use Tylenol "Simply Sleep" with caution. I took a full dose and did fall asleep eventually. However, I was a little loopy upon landing!


We are staying in a lovely flat in Knightsbridge. It's very nice for a London apartment..high ceilings and such. Here's a photo of Mom and William unwinding from the day:

We also went to the Victoria and Albert Museum today. Here we are at the Reflection Pool out back:

The V&A had lots of British, Asian, and Medieval art and artifacts. William was particularly fascinated by the suits of armor!

After wandering around the museum, we were pretty tired and so ate dinner at an English pub. Mom and William had fish and chips.. and Beck's!

I guess that's all for today! Tower of London tomorrow :)

Tuesday before departure...

Wow today was super busy!

I spent the morning laughing with Dad and William over coffee at Starbucks. There was a sweet Aston Martin parked right in front of us, and I ALMOST took a picture. Little did I know I would be blogging later!

I met my cousin/BFF Hala for lunch near Piedmont Park. It was hot out, but we had a nice walk through the park. She's been at Tulane all year, and I haven't seen her in forever! 

I picked up a few last minute things around Buckhead, prescriptions and such. I'm going to miss driving, especially with my music blasting (because we all know how hardcore I am!) But seriously.. after I stopped by my lifelong friend Sarah's house this evening, I drove the long way home just so I could, well.. drive! There's nothing like being behind the wheel of a car, even if your family does nickname your gray 2002 Volkswagen Passat, "the Flea."(Thanks Mom and William..)

Anywoo, I guess that's all for now. I promise my posts will become more exciting once I (finally) get to London! 

(This is a photo of William I took two summers ago in St. Andrews. Just wanted to figure out how to post photos on this thing!)

First Post?!

Hello whoever is reading this!

This is my first post in my blog for Summer 2011. I only have two days before I leave for London, UK with my mom and brother. Then I will meet up with my study abroad group on the 16th in London. I'm a little nervous because I hardly know anyone in my group. However, I'm hoping for the best and can't wait for the summer of a lifetime.

I plan on posting photos (I finally get to use my Canon Rebel!) and describing what my newfound friends and I have been up to each day.

I guess that's all for now!

Liz :)