Bologna

On the Monday following our trip to Rome, we all went as a group to Bologna. Bologna is a beautiful city, filled with arch covered sidewalks, and narrow cobblestone streets. There, we met up with our tour guide, who showed us where the Jewish Ghetto in Bologna used to be located before taking us to the Museo Ebraico. Close to the ghetto, are the two towers of Bologna, one of which is leaning even more than the tower of Pisa. It was a really cool sight to see, especially since we had not been to Pisa yet so it was my first leaning tower experience.

After that we saw the many areas throughout Bologna that were significant to the Jews in the Renaissance. I found it interesting to learn that Bologna was an important sight for money lending in the Renaissance. This had a lot to do with the fact that even back then, Bologna was a big University town just as it is now. Students benefited from the money lending business which helped keep it alive and flourishing in those times. We then arrived at the Jewish Museum, or the Museo Ebraico, where we saw different Jewish artifacts. We saw ancient Torahs as Torah covers, and other important pieces of Jewish history.
Following the tour of the museum, we went to the old University, where we sat in an old medical classroom. The marble table in the center was used to dissect cadavers. The room itself was absolutely beautiful, with its wooden benches and ornately carved wooden walls. I found it hard to imagine that much work going into adorning a classroom, but I can imagine it would make it feel like a very special place to learn.
Following the tour we had a group lunch with Randall and his friends. It was some of the best food I had out of my entire time in Italy.

ROMA!

On the Sunday following Cinque Terre, we took a trip together to ROMA! I was very excited to see Rome and all of its history. Our first stop was the Colosseum, which while it was still an incredible sight, was smaller than I had envisioned it. We walked around inside of it, and Randall gave us a picture in our heads of what it used to be like. We saw where the king and queen used to sit, and where the nobles and poor were allowed to be. It was incredible; it made me want to go back in time and see what it was like to be there before it was falling apart and when it was packed full of people.
Next we explored the forum and the rest of the ancient city. That was incredible experience, everything looked to ancient and made me feel like I wasn't in the middle of a large crowded city, but as though I was physically experiencing history. We walked up the Palatine Hill and saw he view of the entire ancient city. The view from there and the garden inside was beautiful.
We then walked around the city and saw other sites such as the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. One thing that I found truly fascinating about Rome is how the city just seems so ancient. Judging only by the crowded streets and abundance of stores and people rushing around, you would think you are in New York or another big city that is dirty and overly industrialized. However, in Rome the architecture is all so ancient and beautiful, as if you are walking around a museum. It blew my mind how such beautiful and historical architecture mixed so well with the hustle and bustle of a big city.
One of my favorite parts about Rome was seeing the Trevi Fountain. It was something I had always wanted to see, and it was even more beautiful in person than in pictures that I have seen. I wish we could have gotten to spend more time in Rome in order to really experience more of the city, but I am so happy that I got to see what I did of it.

Cinque Terre a.k.a HEAVEN

Before coming to Italy, I talked to several of my friends who had been abroad in Europe for the past semester. Some were in Italy and some were scattered around Europe, but the ones who had either studied in or visited Italy gave me advice about where to go, what to see, where to eat, etc. One place I was told that I MUST go is Cinque Terre. I went with some of the girls on our first weekend, and I must say it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I knew that it was 5 small towns on cliffs and that it was on the coast, but that is about all I had to expect. When we arrived and I looked our off the side of a cliff over the ocean, I knew why everyone was telling me to go there. I was not however, prepared for the 6 kilometer hike that was ahead, but it was all worth it.
In the first of the towns we climbed down in the cliffs and laid out on the rocks, which was an incredible experience. While we were laying there the waves were crashing against the rocks, and it felt so surreal. After that, we walked from the first town to the second town, which was a nice walking path along the cliffs. After the second town we continued on to the third and fourth towns, which we didn't know at the time, included a strenuous hike over the entire mountain. We watched all of the other people walking by us in hiking gear as we climbed in our bikini tops and flip flops, and even though by the end we were exhausted and our legs were convulsing, we were all so proud of what we had just accomplished. The hike itself was incredible. The view of the ocean was extraordinary and the scenery that we were walking through on the mountain was beautiful.
After we made it to the fourth town we treated ourselves to lunch and took the next train down to the 5th of the towns, where the beach was. The beach was awesome, and it was a perfect end to a perfect day. Visiting Cinque Terre was definitely an experience I am so happy to have had and was one of my favorite places in Italy that I have seen.

A Day in Siena

Our trip to Siena started off somewhat rocky. The bus ride was a little rough and once we arrived and I attempted to fight off motion sickness while praying that I found some Dramamine before the ride home. However, I pulled myself together and made it through the town. The first sight was the Piazza del Campo, in the center of the city. It was pretty nice, and it was interesting to see all the people laying out or picnicking on just a large brick floor. After getting a look at the Piazza we met up with our tour guide who showed us the synagogue and the location where the Jewish Ghetto began. It was definitely interesting to see how narrow the street was and how tall the walls were. It gave some sense of what it was like to live in the ghetto and how crowded and closed in it must have felt. The synagogue was also very interesting to see. The seats were set up in a square surrounding the beema, which is very different from the shul I attend at home which is set up with rows going back from the beema which is in the front of the room. I thought that the synagogue itself was very quaint and the decoration was beautiful. I loved the bronzed doors and just the overall atmosphere. I have to say though, I found seeing the old texts up in the women's section to be the most interesting part. I find old documents like that, which are still in tact, to be incredible. They were written by the people who lived in the city and prayed at that synagogue so long ago.
The rest of the day in Siena was alright. Lunch was good, although we got separated from the group. We were tired so we ate, explored the city and got to see some amazing views of the countryside beyond the city walls, and hopped on a bus home, just to arrive into shambles in our apartment. But that, is another story entirely.........

Duomo

Our first Wednesday in Florence we all went on a lovely group trip to the Duomo in the center of the city. As we learned in our walking tour the first weekend here, the Duomo has an incredible amount of history in Florence; from simply the construction of its massive dome, to the historical events and the assassination between rivaling families that occurred there. It is truly a magnificent sight to see, even just from the outside. However, going inside is a completely different and unforgettable experience. After seeing the Duomo and how beautiful it is from the outside, I was under the impression the inside would be as well. Once we got inside and started climb up the first set of stairs, I thought this won't be so bad. It wasn't until we got to maybe the 50th step and all I could hear was Nick saying "oh my God" around each turn that I started to get worried. Then we finally got to the level below the dome, looking down over the Church below. the second i stepped out onto that ramp the first leg of the journey was worth every stair. All I could see above me was a beautiful massive painting. Seeing how large it was up that close was incredible, I was in awe and just stared at it. The view down below was just as incredible. Being able to be up so high and look down at how big the inside of the church actually is was very cool. I also found it interesting to be able to get somewhat of an aerial view of the set up of the seats to look like a cross.
It was now time for the last leg of the journey up the never-ending staircase. The rest of the climb was pretty brutal, as A.J. claimed to have a heart condition, but we made it to the top. The view was insane. You could see the entire city of Florence. It was absolutely beautiful. The rainy weather made the walk around the top of the dome a little scary, as I was in flip flops, which do not mix well with wet, slippery marble floors. However, I did not slide off of the roof of the Duomo, so all is well. All in all, the Duomo was definitely an incredible piece of historical Florence that I am truly happy that I got to see and experience.

Arrividerci America!

The trip to Florence was quite an interesting one. Shortly after arriving at Dulles, I met Ana, Samantha, Hayley, Ilana, Rachel, Joe, and AJ. We all patiently awaited our departure and got to know each other while discussing our expectations for this trip. We then got on the plane, everything was going very well and we were all having fun. A few hours into our flight we hit turbulence, and things took an odd turn. I made a wonderful first impression on my fellow classmates and new friends by fainting in the aisle of the plane. After I was alright and everyone had a good laugh at my expense, we arrived in Munich. With our short layover time we had to make a dash through the airport, and finally got on our plane to Florence. The plane was very small, hot, and playing an odd assortment of American music; not to mention that is was delayed. We finally took off on the final leg of our trip into Florence.

Upon our arrival i realized that I had lost a bracelet, and when Ilana told me that one of the flight attendants had found it but ran off with it, I spent my first 20 minutes in Florence hunting down the German Lufthansa stewardess who had my bracelet. Unfortunately I was unable to find her, so we left in the pouring rain to go to our hotel. Finally, we got to the hotel, and we were officially in Florence. All of the mishaps that happened are now just something to laugh at because being in this incredible city has made it all worthwhile.