Selfies Abroad

The Basics: I traveled to Greece (Athens and Nafplio), Italy (Rome and Florence), and Switzerland (Zurich and Interlaken)...from April 7-April 23. With one backpack, one tote, and my purse. I am the ultimate packer now. 

Breaking Down the Trip

GREECE: We arrived in Athens in the evening and headed to our hostel, right in Plaka, the older, prettier, more touristy part of Athens. We could see the Acropolis from our balcony (yes, we had a balcony at our hostel...who knew?) and decided to get some dinner and go for a little walk around the neighborhood. I ended up having stewed meatballs, which are apparently a Greek specialty, and they were delicious: so flavorful and just fell apart in your mouth. I could tell then that Greece would be a good eating location. We walked around for a bit and ended up getting drinks at a bar with a decent view of the Acropolis...although, you can pretty much see it from any part of the city. It was a great, relaxing first night. The next morning we woke up pretty early since we wanted to do the touristy, historical part of Athens...so after wandering to Monastriraki Market for some fresh fruit for breakfast, we walked to the Acropolis and headed up. The whole site was cool, and they are still excavating some parts. It was interesting to see that work being done, and that the site is still very much alive with new history to be discovered. The view from the top was incredible...both looking down at the city and up at the Parthenon itself, which is just massive and beautiful and inspiring. I could have stayed up there for a few hours. We hiked back down and walked through the Ancient Agora and saw the Temple of Hephaestus, then had our first gyros for lunch. I was very pleased and had been looking forward to maximizing my gyro consumption during my time in Greece. After lunch, we wandered back to our hostel and then headed to the grocery store to pick up dinner, which we took in picnic form to the top of Philoppapou Hill to see the sunset. It seemed like every hill in Athens offered breathtaking views of the city below, and every view was different. Also, seeing the Acropolis basically at eye level all lit up was fantastic. On our last day in Athens, we decided to hike up Lycabettus Hill. After sweating and burning, we grabbed gyros again for lunch and walked towards the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Arch. We also explored the Panathenaic Stadium, where both ancient Olympic games were held and where the first modern Olympics took place. I felt inspired and also a little sad that I will never be an Olympian. We had a relaxing dinner by the hostel and got ready to head to Nafplio the next day.

Our trek to the bus station involved the Athens Metro, which was very clean and had many artifacts that were discovered while they were building the train system, which of course, I wanted to read about. Our bus ride to Nafplio was a little scary, since none of us knew the general direction of where we were going or if we had gotten on the right bus, especially since we kept pulling over and stopping in remote locations. Finally, we arrived in Nafplio, and I was immediately charmed. It was a quaint little beach town, with stairs everywhere and beautiful buildings and squares. After dropping our bags off at the hostel, we decided to go straight to the beach. The beach was surreal: the first sight of the water actually took my breath away. The water was so blue and clear, and the cliffs and mountains surrounding the beach made me wonder if we were in heaven. No, really. The beach didn't have any sand; it was basically just rock that you could lay out on. We didn't mind, we lounged and ate and drank and barely were sunburned. We also saw a guy pull out a live octopus, kill it, and start tenderizing the meat right on the rocks. I suggested we follow him for dinner, since I don't think food gets much fresher than that! After lounging, we climbed 857 steps to reach the top of Palamidi Fortress, a 17th century fort that overlooks the water. The views of the ocean, surrounding towns, and mountains were something I will never forget...nor will I forget the soreness in my body the night and days after. We had a lovely dinner (I had chicken souvlaki: chicken shishkabob, basically) at a place where no one really spoke English...in my mind, a sign of true authenticity. The next morning, we had our breakfast at the hostel, meaning I had the best Greek yogurt of my entire life, with honey, toast, and orange juice. Delicious! We went back to the beach and I actually jumped in the water...it wasn't too cold, but considering the octopus man from the day before, I didn't want to spend much time just chilling in the water. After a few more pictures, we headed back to Athens and on to the next legs of our respective journeys. For me, it was onto Rome to my family! 

ITALY: Arrived in Rome and was picked up by my mom's cousin, Massino. I only took one year of Italian, so immediately there was a little bit of a language barrier, but we found ways to communicate. We got into the city and headed home, where Marcheta, Massino's wife, was excited to see me. My first dinner was enormous (as were most of my meals): tortellini, bread, cheese, meat, and salad. I think the best food of the trip happened in Italy. The next day, Massino, Gabriele, and Giulia took me to Hadrian's Villa and Villa D'Este. Hadrian's Villa was an Ancient Roman villa (if you could have guessed, it belonged to the Emperor Hadrian) and was absolutely massive. There were baths, libraries, public spaces and buildings on buildings. It was pretty cool to visit, especially because I remembered learning about it and Hadrian back in Latin class in high school. Villa D'Este was a Renaissance era villa, complete with ornate fountains, beautiful sculptures, and colorful tiling. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like to live there. Dinner that night was spaghetti, salad, and meat, again incredible. I need to take a second to talk about my breakfasts in Italy: this amazing simple yogurt cake that Marcheta made that didn't look like much, but was moist and not too sweet and so, so good. And espresso. She was surprised that I liked mine just black, since most of my family members put sugar and milk in theirs. But, my breakfasts were perfect every day of my stay. The day after, I walked around the neighborhood with Giulia and relaxed at the house. It was nice to have a break for a bit! We went to Janiculum Hill and the Bocca della Verita (Mouth of Truth) before dinner. Then, Pino, my mom's other cousin and Massino's son, took me for a ride around Rome on his scooter. Think less Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday and more like if Bridget Jones ever rode on a scooter. That was me. I was TERRIFIED because apparently traffic laws don't exist in Rome and neither do speed limits. Definitely one of the scariest things I've ever done, but to see Rome the way you're "supposed to" was pretty fantastic. For dinner, my other cousin Anita made risotto with asparagus, meat and rocket greens, and this awesome strawberry cream cake. I continued to be well fed and loved! On my last full day in Rome, Gabriele and Daria took me to the Capitoline Museum, where I got to see Ancient Roman artifacts and art, many, many marble busts, and other famous Roman statues. It was a giant museum, and I thought it was beautiful and cool. For dinner, I went across the hall to my cousin Clelia's, where her husband Antonio made Pasta Amatriciana, which my sister, Shannon, is pretty darn good at making herself. I was in food heaven, yet again, and I don't know when I'll eat like that again. I know I'm forgetting other details of my trip to Rome, but the next day, I got on a train to Florence to meet my friend Dan.

And so began the Florence leg. That night, we went out for dinner at a famous pizza place, and I was so happy to be eating pizza for a change! I haven't eaten it that much over this semester, and this pizza happened to be perfect and beautiful and delicious. Then, of course, we got gelato and chilled by the river. My friend, Jen, was also visiting Dan, so I was glad to see her as well. The next morning was a struggle to wake Dan up, since I had to creep into his room and accidentally woke up his roommates. I walked to the Specola, or the Natural History Museum, while Dan was in class. The museum was really cool, but I was pretty creeped out by all of the bug specimens they had. I really liked the fish part of the museum. The last part of the museum, and what it's know for, are life-size wax models of the human anatomy. They were made in the 17th or 18th century, made for medical students to learn about the human body without needing a cadaver. Well, they sure looked like cadavers and freaked me out thoroughly. I was ready to be back outside in the fresh air after that part of the museum. As I was walking back to Dan's, I randomly ran into my friend Olivia from AU. She was traveling with her sister, but I had no idea she was in Florence when I was going to be there. Talk about weird and crazy coincidences! That night, we grabbed some pretty good wings (pretty good - I was surprised that you could get good wings in Florence) and went to the Piazzele dell Michelangelo, which overlooked the river and all of Florence. For the record, Italy is gorgeous. In the morning, I headed to the Uffizi to absorb some more museum and art time. I'm so glad I got to go, and I kind of liked going alone, since it was just me and the artwork. And the million other tourist groups who were there, but still. After the Uffizi, I met up with Dan and we went to the Palazzo Pitti, the former Medici palace. And I mean, palace. The place was enormous and swanky and filled with rooms of art, sculpture, and extravagance. By the end of the visit, I was pretty cultured out. However, I had one more day, which we spent climbing to the top of the Duomo and walking around Florence. I was so happy to see Dan and get a feel for what his semester was like, compared to mine, and to just see a familiar, friendly face who wasn't trying to shove food down my throat or speak at me in Italian and/or Greek. The next morning, I hopped on the train to Zurich to meet up with Maggie for the final leg of my trip. 

SWITZERLAND: The train ride through Italy and Switzerland may have been one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. Mountains, lakes, hills, greenery...it was all serene and gorgeous. Finally, I arrived in Zurich and Maggie and I headed for our hotel. After dropping off our stuff, we headed out for a quick dinner and walk around the city. This was Easter Sunday, so we didn't have a lot of options and the city was basically dead. However, once we got to the lake, people began to appear. The views of the old city and the mountains behind the lake astounded us, and Zurich as a city seemed friendly and charming. Although we were only there for a few hours, Zurich might be one of my favorite cities that I have visited.

The next day, we hopped on a train to Interlaken. This trainride was also spectacular, just carving right through the mountains and peaceful hills of Switzerland. Interlaken was one of the coolest places I've visited in my life. It was a pretty small town, but exactly how one would picture Switzerland. Chalets, bike paths, and little shops all surrounded by mountains. Our hostel wasn't even really a hostel, it was basically a hotel but certain rooms had multiple beds. We decided we had to do something adventurous in Switzerland, so we chose canyoning. Canyoning is a combination of rock climbing, jumping, sliding, and rappelling all down a wet canyon. Outfitted in wetsuits, jackets, helmets, and lifejackets, we did all of those things without getting hurt, and for me, only one instance of sheer panic! It was definitely one of the coolest and most terrifying experiences of my life, but I'm so glad we did it. The day after canyoning, our bodies still tired and sore, we took the train to Lauterbrunnen to do some hiking. Because how to you go to Switzerland without hiking?? Well, the "moderate" hike that was suggested to us consisted of 2 hours STRAIGHT up hill, then 45 minutes of level ground. But the hike was worth it: the Alps surrounded you and every view looked fake. Like, I was questioning whether or not the mountains were real at this point. But they were: enormous, awe-inducing, soaring, snow-capped glory. I wish we could have done every hike. On our last day in Interlaken, we were sore and just wanted to relax, so we did a bit of shopping before heading to the Basel airport to fly back to Dublin. 

WHEW!  What a whirlwind of a trip. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to travel to places I never thought I would, and may never get to return to again. The people and memories I made while traveling have made studying abroad such a worthwhile experience. Now, I'm back in Dublin, and after a visit from my parents, friends, and sister, including the Guinness Storehouse, Jameson Distillery, all around Dublin for yummy dinners, Dublin Zoo, Howth, Killiney, Dalkey, and Bray, I actually have to sit my final exams. Yuck. I can't believe how quickly this semester has flown by (I know, that's a cliche) and I cannot believe I return home in one week. I've had some of the best times of my life in the past few months, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I'll probably do one last text post the day before I leave (or maybe when I get back. Who knows. I am the least consistent study-abroad blogger ever.) But. Thanks for reading, if you've been keeping up, and I'll check in in a few days! 

Okay, moving quickly past my gross negligence of this blog...hello! The 2+ past months after Reading Week (my last text post) have been packed and busy and amazing! About Reading Week (February 20-March 1)...my cousin Marissa was here and we did WORK...chilling in Dublin for a few days, then traveling to Galway, Connemara, Cong, Waterford, Dungarven, Cork, the Ring of Kerry, Killarney, and then back to Dublin. Probably one of the best weeks of my life filled with incredible food, lots of drinks, and so many awesome memories! From collecting glassware to ordering "Deep Fried Brie Cheese," it was a week that I will never forget and there are honestly too many stories to recount. My favorite might have been our night in Waterford, where this 85-year old Irish man bought us Jameson and Ginger Ales and told us "Life is to be enjoyed,"...among other things! I'm so glad Marissa was able to come and have the trip of a lifetime with me! 

After Reading Week, I had a paper due, then the next weekend (March 7-9) we traveled to Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland. Scotland was very cool and young, although the hostel we stayed in was probably the most adventurous feat I've accomplished on this trip. I liked Edinburgh A LOT, maybe because of the Harry Potter relevance or the old feeling of the city. Definitely one of my favorite visits! 

After Scotland, we had a couple weeks of normalcy. Back to classes, papers, tutorials, and real schoolwork, until the big weekend: St. Patrick's Day!  (March 15-17) St. Patrick's Day in Dublin is pretty much what you'd expect: tens of thousands of American and European tourists flooding the streets drunk, clad in green and orange, fulfilling every nasty stereotype imaginable while the Irish hide inside. Dublin was decked out, decorated, and very fun for the weekend, but I was disgusted by the amount of garbage that piled up in the streets...you almost had to wade through it. There was a cool little carnival close to Trinity for the weekend, and you could see all of Dublin from the top of the Ferris wheel. The St. Patrick's Day Parade itself was complete chaos...very cool, Irish floats, but also American collegiate marching bands playing "Blurred Lines." But, we had to go, because we were in Dublin for St. Patrick's Day! 

The weekend after St. Patrick's Day (March 20-21), my friend Dan came to visit from where he's studying, in Florence. I took him around Dublin for the day, and then we took a half day trip to Howth, a coastal town with great hikes. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and the hike was tiring and refreshing. 

FINALLY, I took a trip to London (March 28-31) to visit my friend Kim, who's studying abroad at King's College. To say we ate and drank our way through London would be an understatement...I think I had 5 meals on the Saturday that I was there. London was so cool and big and we did so much...from market hopping, to seeing Captain America 2 in IMAX (HIGHLY recommend...sorry, Iron Man 3.), to exploring all over, it was such a fun time. We also went to Oxford for the day, to pay homage to my friend Sarah, who had studied there for a year, and to see all of the Harry Potter sights. Honestly, all of Oxford felt like Hogwarts, and I would definitely go back in a second! 

And now, all of my classes are OVER! All of my papers are turned in...Trinity Ball, attended. (April 4) (A note about Trinity Ball: it was super fun, loved the vibe/energy. I was underwhelmed by the music, but pumped about the accessibility of fried foods within Front Square. Also, I was a little alarmed at the number of passed-out bodies I saw lined up next to buildings. The Irish really do go hard for this thing. But I'm so glad I went!) 

Tomorrow morning (April 7) I begin my 18-day European trek/vacation/dream trip! Flying into Athens for 3 days, bus to Nafplio, back to Athens. Flying to Rome to see my family, then taking the train to Florence to see Dan. THEN taking the train to Zurich to meet my friend Maggie, then taking a bus to Interlaken to hike/bungee jump/adventure for 4 days! Greece --> Italy --> Switzerland! I'm so excited for this trip and I've been looking forward to it since February. But, it's definitely the longest trip I will have ever been on in my life, so I'm a little bit nervous about all of the travel and connections! But it's going to be incredible...I can't wait! 

After I return from my trip (IF I make it...fingers crossed!), my parents, sister, and friends are coming to visit, then I have my finals, and then I go back home to do who knows what? I can't believe that my time abroad is almost over. As each day passes, I'm so much happier that I chose to study abroad and I wouldn't do it any other way. 

Okay, I think that's about it for almost 3 months of not writing! Be prepared for a MASSIVE post after my big trip (if I can muster up the energy)...

Happy Spring!