Bologna and Castiglione

Some of us went to Bologna for the day and toured around.  It is a pretty small city.  We went to some piazzas, churches, and museums.  We had an incredible lunch at a pizzeria that Jen found in her Italy Guide.  I really enjoyed my time there. I was able to reflect and spend some time being still in one of the churches (time like this is hard to find in a group this large). 

As a group we went to the beach in Castiglione, but I forgot to take pictures... Fail. It was a restful day after a sleepless weekend.

(Sorry this post is short... there's not too much to report)

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Welcome to Siena!

We finally arrived in Siena on Sunday.  It felt so good for all of us to arrive and settle in a bit. We unpacked, got groceries, and set up our mini apartment and kitchen with all of our things.  I am living with two lovely ladies named Jen and Missy. I am enjoying getting to know them and all my other classmates.




I am in a class with four other students. One is a 30 year old from Seattle, one is with our group from UIC, and the other two are with College of Dupage.  I love our morning teacher, Guisanna.  She is young, fun, and speaks less English than I do Italian, but that has made our classes challenging and worthwhile.  We are constantly speaking in Italian, making mistakes, but learning from them. I have never enjoyed learning a language more. :)

Siena is beautiful.  It's been REALLY hot here recently, but today it "cooled down" to 83 degrees. Ha. We are surrounded by rolling hills and beautiful view of the countryside. Siena has more gelato than necessary, but I'm NOT complaining. Our walk to school is about 10 minutes, and the walk to the nearest plaza is 2 minutes.  We are close to everything: markets, grocery stores, gelato, coffee... and so on.

Sunday night we had dinner with some Italian ladies from a nearby university.  We had dinner with them at a beautiful outdoor restaurant, complete with incredible food and wine.
Monday most of our classmates came over to our apartment, hung out, played cards, and ate gelato.  Gelato is a theme, if you haven't noticed. This day I bought an espresso maker and I have been making my own coffee since. I am very proud of that (though it's not hard at all so I should not take any pride in it).
Tuesday we had both of our classes (Italian Language and Italian Culture) and were invited to a dinner at winery with some of the locals we had met on Sunday.



Wednesday was laundry day.  A bunch of us went out for Chinese and gelato and ended up sitting in Piazza Del Campo for the evening people watching and star gazing.

Life is simple but sweet. I am glad we are settled in Siena for awhile.  No longer am I living out of a suitcase. I am getting more comfortable with getting myself around Siena and the main Piazza.

When in Rome

Aye, Rome was intense. During summer Rome is visited by a lot of people. The streets become extremely crowded and the weather is extremely hot. Everyday was exhausting, so needless to say I am happy to be reporting from Siena.

The first night in Rome we had a welcome dinner with the whole group and walked around the city. We went to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.

The second day we went to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and St. Peter's bascilica and dome.  We climbed 551 steps to get to the top of St. Peter's to see a view of the entire city. It was breathtaking in more ways than one (if you know what I mean). We were exhausted.  However, there are absolutely not enough words to describe how beautiful that bascilica is. I felt so blessed and honored to be inside and around the Vatican, simply because of its beauty.



 
 
The third day we went to the Vatican Museum which includes the Sistine Chapel.  All the art in the museum was incredible because it was as if every part of the museum was a masterpiece (including the walls, windows, floor, ceiling, and installations).  The Sistine Chapel was not at all what I had expected. The ceilings are much higher and every inch of the walls and ceiling are painted.  Because it was such a busy time in Rome I had to keep hearing "Shhhhh" and "Stop taking photos" every minute while inside.  I was quite distracted, but it was still an incredible site.

The rest of the day was on our own.  My roommates, Jen and Missy, and I went around the city on our own trying to find things to do. We went to the "Mouth of Truth." Later that evening our whole group went out to dinner and some of us parted ways to experience Rome's nightlife. We all laughed a lot, even through the exhaustion.

The next morning we left for Siena and visited this tomb on the way there:

I am really enjoying my time here, and I am very happy to finally be in Siena.

aRoma

The last few days in Naples consisted of packing, laundry, a trip to downtown Naples' historical sites, family time, and a lot of sun. It was so nice to be there with my aunt and uncle, but the time has come for me to begin my study experience abroad.

On the way, to the school I'll be staying for a few days, I met up with a dear friend, Maggie, who was studying abraod in Amsterdam all semester. I have missed her a lot and it totally just worked out that we got to spend some time together.  We grabbed lunch, ate gelato, got kicked out of a couple places, and visited a beautiful Bascilica. It was a lovely afternoon. Maggie, I love you!

I just arrived at my home for the next few nights (Dad, I'm safe!). I am still very much loving Italy. My orientation in Rome begins in 40 minutes. Gah! I can't believe it's already here. I just feel bad for most of my classmates that are totally jet lagged and napping at 3pm.

Much love to all.

Mola Di Bari

June 9-10th
So, what you should first know about Mola Di Bari is that this town is where my grandparents are from. I have extended family still living there, and it has been my dream to visit since I was small.

My uncle and I left Saturday morning and it's about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Pozzuoli. Once we got there I was embraced by Giuseppe, my grandma's cousin.  I remember meeting him at a wedding in New York.  He is a vivacious man with a lot of spirit and love. We followed him up to his aunt's (Zia Giovanna) apartment.


Zia is 90+ years old.  She saw me and immediately started crying and repeating, "You look just like your mom" (in Italian of course).  Needless to say, it was a VERY emotional moment.

Giuseppe took my uncle, Luigi, and myself out for wine and little appetizers. We drove around the town of Mola and I got to see the Adriatic Sea.  When I was young, my grandma and grandpa had a painting of a fountain that was in Mola, and it has been my dream to see it ever since I was little.  I got to! It was a really profound moment for me. Then Giuseppe drove us to my grandma's old apartment.  I cannot express the sort of waiting I have experienced to see this place, and I finally got to!



Everyone embraced me with such love and kindness.  Some of the family I had met before, others I was meeting for the first time. There were about 14 of us at lunch on Saturday.  Everyone was speaking in mostly Italian, but they tried to slow down and speak as much English as possible.  And, let me tell you the food was amazing.

After lunch, Giuseppe took us to his home.  We hung out with his daughters, Gaia and Ilaria, and his wife Titi for the rest of the evening.  We went to this place:


And then we had crepes in "Alberobello" (meaning beautiful tree) and walked through this cool town:

The next morning we went to see "Via Vitulli" the street named after my family:

We visited with some more people, ate a lot of figs (SOOOO YUMMY), had homemade wine at 10am, and a lot of espresso. It was a really nice trip, and I am very thankful for the opportunity to visit Mola and I hope it's not the last time.

Ischia

June 8th:

Today I went to the island of Ischia off the coast of Pozzuoli.  I got to the Pozzuoli port and had no idea how to get over to Ischia besides by ship.  But the port is pretty big with a lot of ships and boats.   This couple from Milan named Frank and Eliza had pity on me.  They walked me to two ticket booths and made sure I got on the right boat. Frank was especially pleased to help me when he found out I was from Chicago because his brother opened a restaurant in Chicago.  He clapped and smiled when I told him. He couldn't remember the name of the restaurant though; darn, I would have loved to walk in, ask for the owner, and say, "I met your brother, Frank, in Pozzuoli!"

When I got there I headed straight for the beach.  It was beautiful, REALLY hot, and peaceful.

After some time there I took a bus to another port on the island and walked around there for awhile, too.  It was nice to see other parts of Ischia, however it would have taken days to feel like I mastered it, which is what I am learning about every place and city here.

Late afternoon I took a ship back and my family and I went out for pizza and wine. Don't mind if I do :) They have been so kind and generous to me.  I am thankful for their hospitality and care.

History and Whimsy

Tuesday, June 5th:
I went to the ruins sites of Ercolano and Oplotis.  It was amazing to be in places and touch things that are over 2,000 years old. Both were covered by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. Check out the pics!
Oplontis:

Ercolano:

Best tour guide ever: Aldo!

Nobody does a cappuccino like the Italians.

After dinner, I went out for my first gelato in Italy. I got the tiramisu flavor. So refreshing and good. I love that little shop nearby. It's called "Dolci Momenti."

Then I read on terrace as the sky was turning dark over the sea.  I could see the lights turning on on the islands off the coast. So beautiful.  The sky just kept turning a richer and deeper dark blue. Stars started appearing. I don't think there's a better place/environment to read.

June 6th:
A pigeon joined me for my morning coffee & journaling.

 I went to a rock beach nearby my aunt and uncles house. I made friends with these lovely Italians (and two others). The one on the left (Maria) was my translator for the day. They were SO nice to me and even gave me lunch. I love that they were so open and invited me to tag along in their fun.

 This girl. Can't get enough. (P.S. I bought these sunglasses on the beach from a guy from Senegal!)

 My aunt and uncle play on a softball league. I love that about them! They are great players, too!

 Thursday, June 7th
I went to Pompeii today! I was REALLY tired, and I am not sure why.  It was extremely sunny (and I got a little burnt the day before) so I tried to avoid the sun as much as possible.  But like my experience with Ercolano and Oplontis I was constantly amazed at how old these features are. I am amazed how much was preserved from the eruption.

 Check out that view.

 This body was perserved from the eruption.

Upcoming: Tomorrow I want to go to the island Ischia. Saturday my uncle and I are going to Mola di Bari to visit my extended relatives and see where my grandparents are from!

Rainy day adventures

A promised picture of the terrace (Katie O'dowd). 

A promised photo of my cousin, Maria Giovanna. Isn't she a peach?

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June 4th
I went for a walk to the port, and I sat at a coffee shop to read and journal. I'm pretty sure the blended coffee drink (like a frap) had kahlua in it... language barrier fail (oh well).  I had a mozzarella pizza for lunch (YUM). Then I went to the Flavian Amphitheater. This amphitheater is the third largest in Italy, and it's really close to my uncle's house. So much history, beauty, and whimsy in this place. I'm in love with everything my eyes see.

General First Impressions/Musings

1. my family is amazing. i am absolutely in love with my 5 month old cousin. she is so precious. (more pictures later)
2. the weather. oh my goodness. it's beautiful and sunny here with a gentle breeze.
3. my aunt and uncle have an orange tree in their front yard, from which i can eat.
4. there's a gelato/coffee/pastry shop right down the street from where my uncle lives. life is really hard ;)
5. i have a terrace outside my bedroom that overlooks the mediterranean and mountains.
6. i've already gotten used to espresso (i'm really proud of that).

all in all, i'm going to enjoy my time here in Napoli.