Barcelona

Similar to our Venice trip, Eric and I didn't arrive in Barcelona until 11:30pm. The good thing was our hostel for the night was located off of La Rambla street. The down side, our hostel was not the greatest. The room was in a separate building from the main building and the room didn't have any lockers to store our valuable things. Luckily, we only had one night there.

April 20th

In front of Arc de Triomf

Eric and I woke up early in the morning so we could get to the apartment a family friend of his was letting us borrow. When we arrived at the apartment, it was a huge step up from the hostel. We were located a few blocks from the Sagrada Familia, had our own rooms and bathrooms, and the best part was we had a balcony with an awesome view! After getting ready, we started our adventure around the city with the goal of getting to the beach. On our walk to the beach we passed Sant Joan Park, went into Salesians Church, Jetuan Square and Dr. Robert monument in Jetuan Squar. One of the bigger sights we saw was the Arc de Triomf and the Liuis Company's Passage. By continuing on our path we ran into the Ciutadella Park. In the park, we saw the National Zoology Museum, Gaudi's Cascade, and a lake. After walking for an hour, we finally made it to Barceloneta Beach. Eric and I sat along the boardwalk eating our lunch and enjoying the view. Before we left the beach, I made sure I stuck my feet in the Mediterranean Sea.

Feet in the Mediterranean Sea

Once we were done at the beach, we decided to hike up a large hill to get to the 1992 Olympic Stadium. On our way to the hill we saw the Gate of Sana Madrona and the Monument of Colon (Columbus). Eventually we made it to the hill and began our hike. At one point we lost track of the path so we ended up taking a nature path. Once we reached the top of one section we were greeted with a magnificent view of the city. 

View of the city from the hill

Olympic Stadium

After spending some time enjoying the view of the hill, we continued on our mission to find the Olympic Stadium. When we finally reached the stadium we walked around for a little. Even though both of us were tired, we continued our adventure around the city. Some of our other destinations included the National Art Museum of Catalunya, Placa d' Espanya, the Font Magic (Magic Fountain), and the Nou Camp Stadium (where FC Barcelona plays). After spending most of the day on our feet, we made our way back to the apartment to take a break before beginning our evening. Once we were a little rested we walked around the area to find a place to eat dinner. For dinner, I had a strange combination of foods. My dinner consisted of a kebab, a sunny side up egg, and salad. Since the FC Barcelona and Madrid game was on that evening we stayed in the restaurant for a little to watch the game with the locals. The rest of the evening we sat on the balcony eating cake, drinking wine and enjoying our view of the city.


April 21st

My day started with a Fat Tire Bike Tour. I did a tour like this in London and loved it so I wanted to do another one. Before our tour started, I was really excited about riding around Barcelona and for the fun to come. At the beginning of the tour, our tour guide told us if we ring our bell 3 times and people don't move we can run them over. I'm sure he was joking...I think. Our tour started in Sant Jaume Plaza, which is one of the most important squares in Barcelona. Other stops included Rei Square, Palau de la Musica Catalana, Barcelona Cathedral, Parc de la Crutadella, and Placa de Toros Monumental (where bull fights are put on). One of the bigger sights we saw the Sangrada Familia. Here our tour guide told us the church isn't finished. The city would like to have it done by 2026, but most people know that won't happen. Being added to the church is more towers so there will be a total of 18. Gaudi, the man who designed the church, said it would take 200 years to complete Sangrada Familia making the completion year 2092. After spending a few minutes there we rode to our last few stops. The last few stops were Port Olympic and Barceloneta beach. At the beach, we had a break to eat. Another girl and I decided to split a few drinks of delicious sangria. What a great way to spend the day. Enjoying the warm and sunny weather on the beach with some sangria. At 4pm our tour was over and I met up with Eric again.

Fruit stand at Boqueria Market

We went to Boqueria Market to look at all the food vendors. At the market, we enjoyed a fresh bowl of fruit. From the market we walked along La Rambla and the neighboring streets to find somewhere to eat for dinner. Next, we went back to the apartment to relax before dinner. On our way home, we stopped at Torre Agbar. Once we were somewhat rested, we started our walk to downtown for dinner. During our way we sawy Gaudi's Casa Mila La Pedera, Gaudi's Casa Batllo, Casa Amatller and Catalunya Square. That night we ate dinner at the restaurant  Les Quinze Mity in Reial Square. We had to wait an hour to get in, but we had plenty of entertainment in the square. There was a couple ballroom dancing and a woman playing the violin. The man called the Aaron Experience was the best. He juggled up to 5 bowling pins, did tumbling, and balanced kids from the line on his shoulders. Plus, his song he performed to was very catchy. Once we made it into the restaurant, Eric and I ordered Fideua a traditional Catalan dish. 

Fideua

When we finished dinner we decided to walk to the Magic Fountain to see if it was one. Of course after walking 30 minutes, the fountain wasn't on like it should have been. Oh well. The rest of the night was walking around the city. 

April 22nd

Sagrada Familia

Our last full day in Barcelona. Even though part of the day was rainy, we didn't let that stop us. We started our day with the Sagrada Familia. Once we made it in the church we were in aw. The interior was stunning and huge! We spent a while looking at everything in the church before we went to the Gaudi Nature exhibit and museum located below the church.

Afterwards, we walked along the Passeig de Gracica before going to La Rambla Street. Once on La Rambla we went to see Gaudi's Palau Guell house. Park Guell was our next stop for the day.

Hill leading up to Park Guell

Getting to the park was a bit of an adventure. Along with taking the metro we had to hike up hill. Luckily, Barcelona installs random outdoor escalators. In the park, we went to see the terrace and houses designed by Gaudi. 

Main entrance to the park

The rest of our evening consisted of walking through the modern parts of the city, seeing Hospital de la Stant Creu and Sant Pau, Barcelona Cathedral,St. Maria Square, St. Maria de Mar Church, and sitting around Reil Square. Since it was our last night in Barcelona we figured there was no better way then to enjoy sangrias and crema Catalana (a traditional dessert). 

Before we went back to the apartment one last time, we enjoyed the street entertainers on La Rambla and walked past the Sagrada Familia. 

My time in Barcelona was wonderful. I really enjoyed the city and would have to say it is one of my favorite cities I have visited. 

More pictures of my trip can be found here

Venice

After spending 5 wonderful days in Rome, I continued by stay in Italy by heading off to Venice. While the Rome trip started and ended smoothly, the Venice trip didn't start smoothly. Our flight to Venice was supposed to depart at 8:30pm. As my friend and I reached the gate, we were informed that our flight was delayed 2 hours, which caused a small problem. Since we were staying at a guest house, we were told to try and be there by 11pm. Obviously getting there at 11pm wasn't going to happen. Next step was to call the guest house. When we called, I was greeted by an Asian man who didn't understand English very well. Luckily everything worked out. Around 10:30pm, we were off to Venice. After walking the empty streets of Venice, my friend and I made it to our hostel around 1am.

April 17th

St. Mark's Basilica

After the start we had to our trip, I was ready for what our first full day in Venice had to bring. That morning we met the 2 other people staying in our room, which gave me another reason to think how small the world is. Turns out one of the boys was from Purdue University and his roommate went to my high school. After Eric and I were ready, we started our long day. The first thing we visited was the Rialto Bridge since we were a 10 minute walk from it. After we headed over to St. Mark's Square.

At the square, we tried to go into St. Mark's Bailica, but it was closed. Instead, we walked around the square, looked at Campanile, and looked at the gondolas along the water. After, we continued our day of walking. Since we didn't have a map, we walked along the main tourist path. Our walk led us through many of the main shops, which we stopped in to look at Murano glass items and masks.

 

Once we found a map, we were able to find the other major sights we wanted to see for the day. Our walk provided us with views of many picturesque canals and old homes. We continued along our original path since it lead us to several sights. Some of the sights we saw included the church of Santa Maria of Giglio, The Museum of Music: Artemino Versari Collection, Campo S. Stefano (square), the church of San Vidal, and a garden near the church of San Vidal. Eventually, we reached a bridge that over looked the Grand Canal so we stopped for a few minutes to take pictures, enjoy the sun, and enjoy the view. We then continued on our adventure through the streets of Venice. As we continued walking through the beautiful streets we continuously stopped into shops and took pictures of the endless canals. Another sight we saw was the  Bucintoro Rowing Club Museum. Inside the museum we saw several items, such as the Duchess of Genoa's Cup (the first major award won by the Bucintoro Rowing Club), photographs, trophies and the social banner. After spending a few minutes in the museum we continued on our tourist path. Our path led us to the church of Saint Maria of Salute. We walked around the area near the church, which had a statue of a naked boy holding a frog and enjoyed being surrounded by water. We had hoped to go into the church, but it didn't open for a few more hours. To pass time, we headed back to St. Mark's Square to go in Doge's Palace. 

Doge's Palace

Doge's Palace was awesome. Of course, there were signs saying not to take pictures. Did I pay attention to those rules? No. Guess I've learned to be extra sneaky. During our tour, we saw the golden stairway, the Grand Council Chamber, Senate Hall, Hall of the Council of Ten, Hall of the Compass, Voting Hall, and the Chamber of the Great Council. My two favorite rooms in the palace were the Chamber of Great Council and the Council Chamber. Both rooms had ceilings adorned with gold molding and large paintings. The Chamber of Great Council is the largest room in Doge's Palace and one of the largest rooms in Europe. This room also holds the largest canvas painting. Our tour also led us through the old prisons. Near the end of our tour, we walked through the Bridge of Sighs. Looking through to the other side was awesome. At the end, our tour led us to the courtyard near the Giant's Stairway.

Council Chamber

Inside the Bridge of Sighs

Once we were done at the Doge's Palace we headed back to Saint Maria della Salute to view the inside of the church. Inside was very pretty. Once we were done walking through the church we took a gondola ride across the Grand Canal. As we continued our day of walking in the wonderful weather, Eric and I saw the church of Saint Moise, the Museum of St. Marko Square, the boardwalk, the Sighs Bridge, and the Arsenal. 

Bridge of Sighs

After spending about 9 hours of walking, we headed off to dinner at a restaurant suggested to us by a museum helper. On our way to dinner, we walked through the lesser known streets of Venice. The less toursity streets helped me enjoy Venice even more. I had the chance to really see how the people of Venice lived. Plus, we saw many more picturesque canals. Once we arrived at dinner, the atmosphere at the restaurant was exactly what I needed after a day of walking. We received a complementary dinner drink and sat along a canal, which provided us with an enjoyable view. 

Canal we saw on our way to dinner

When we finished dinner we ventured back to St. Mark's Square to see the view of the square and water at night. Like the rest of the views we had seen during the day, our evening view was just as picture perfect. After spending some time in the square enjoying the live music being performed by restuarants, we went back to our place. Of course, stopping at the Rialto Bridge to take a night photo. I can say that after 12 hours of walking around, the first day in Venice was a success and very enjoyable.

Rialto Bridge

April 18th

Murano Island

Our morning started off with taking a tour of St. Mark's Basilica. The basilica was stunning. Adorning the ceiling was gold and mosaics. After we finished walking around the basilica, we began our day trip to Murano Island. Since the island is know for its glass, we spent most of the time on the island looking at the shops along the main canals. After spending several hours looking in shops, we left for the main island in the early evening.

Man working in his shop

Once we were back on the main island, we tried to go see if the Arsenal was open. Sadly, it was closed again. On our way to dinner we decided to walk through more side streets. The rest of the night was dinner and walking around Venice.

April 18th
Our last day in Venice. Originally, the hostel said we weren't allowed to keep our bags there once we checked out. Luckily, Eric's Chinese came in handy. He asked the woman in charge of the hostel if we could keep our bags there. Once she found out he understood Chinese she said we could keep our bags there. Thank goodness. Carrying around a 20 pound backpack through the narrow streets of Venice wouldn't have been fun. Since we had seen most of Venice, we only had a few places to stop. Our day consisted of going to the church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, the church of San Rocco, a public garden and walking along the streets near the Rialto Bridge. Around 4pm, we left Venice to continue our spring break in Barcelona. While Venice is one of the smaller cities I have been too, I enjoyed my time there. Of course, I had to end my trip the Italian way by eating gelato.

Pictures from my trip can be found here

Rome

From April 9th to April 25th was my spring break. Of course days off meant traveling. My first destination: Rome. For as long as I can remember, I have always dreamed of traveling to Rome. I wanted the chance to throw my coin into the Trevi Fountain, see the Colosseum and St. Peter's Basilica, and enjoy the Italian cuisine. Due to my Classical and Renaissance Rome course, I had the opportunity to travel to Rome from April 11th to April 16th. 

April 11th

In front of the Trevi Fountain

With my backpack filled to the max with everything necessary for 2 weeks, my adventure began early in the morning. Around 1pm, our class landed in Rome. On our bus ride to the hotel, one of the first major sights we saw was the Colosseum. As we passed it, I was in aw. I couldn't believe I was in Rome finally living one of my biggest travel dreams. Eventually we made it to the hotel to drop off our bags and begin our tour of the city. Since we were staying a 10 minute walk from the Trevi Fountain our first stop for the day was the fountain. As we walked up to the fountain I was in aw again! I couldn't have been any happier. I was in Rome with warm and sunny weather and seeing some of the most well-known sights in the world. Our next stops for the day were the Column of Marcus Aurelius and the Pantheon.

Pantheon

Being at the Pantheon was surreal. To be at a building that has been around since 126 AD was awesome. We had a few minutes to look around inside. The interior was stunning, which was intensified by the lighting coming from the central opening of the dome. Inside were monuments to kings, alters, and Raphael's tomb. Next, we went to Bernini's elephant on Piazza Minvera.Then we headed over Largo di Torre Argentina. This used to be the location of 4 Roman republic temples. It is also known as a cat sanctuary. After, we had time for lunch. During lunch, my gelato intake began. I know it may sound a little ridiculous, but I pretty much had gelato twice a day for the whole duration of the trip. Well worth it though. Once lunch was over our tour continued. Other sights for the day included the Tiber River, the Tiber Island and Temple of Aesculapius, Campo de Fiori, the oldest bridge built since the Roman Empire, and Piazza Navona and the Fountain of the Four Rivers. The last spot our professor showed us was Della Palma: the store with 100 gelato flavors! 

Only a small section of the 100 flavors

After our professor showed us the shop, we were free to do what we wanted. Now being right next to one of the largest gelato shops in Rome, the most logical thing to do is stop in. My friends and decided to make a mental note of the place so we could come back multiple times. The rest of the day involved walking around with friends, making a stop at the Spanish Steps, a group dinner, spending time at the Colosseum, and getting gelato. First, day in Rome was a success.

April 12th 
Main destination for the day: The Vatican! Once we arrived at the Vatican Museum we received a 4 hour tour. During our tour we saw a lot of different items, such as the painted marble copy of Augustus Prima Porta, the Vatican Gardens, Pine Cone Courtyard where the pine cone from the old St. Peter's fountain is located, the Statue of Triumphant Perseus, the Laokoon Group, Belvedere Torso, rooms painted by Rafael, and Rafael's The Academy in Athens. After our 4 hour walk through the museum we made it to the best part of the tour: The Sistine Chapel. 

A portion of the Sistine Chapel

As I walked into the Sistine Chapel I was greeted by a funny sight. The first thing I see is security off to the side, a ton of people holding up cameras, and a sign that says "No Photos." Clearly the rule was not enforced well. The Sistine Chapel was stunning. Sometimes there are things you hear about how grand they are, but when you see them you can be a little let down. The Sistine Chapel was not one of those moments. Every where I looked there was something to see. The paintings were amazing!! Well worth the 4 hour tour through the museum. After our tour ended, we had time on our own to walk through the museum so a friend and I looked at Roman antiques, which included armor, chariots, jewelry, and amphoras. 

View from the top of St. Peter's cupola

Our next stop for the day was St. Peter's. The square was amazing!! Once we arrived in the square, we were on our own. A group of us decided to climb up 551 steps to reach to top of the cupola. The climb was well worth the view! From the top, we could see most of Rome! After spending some time enjoying the view, we went to look at the interior of St. Peter's. Like the rest of St. Peter's the interior was stunning!!

View from St. Peter's Cupola

Bernini's bronze baldachin in St. Peter's

Italian Dinner

After spending some time in St. Peter's a group of us walked around the area, got gelato and then went to rest for the night. That evening my friends and I went out for a delicious Italian dinner, gelato and a walk through the sights.

April 13th

The day was filled with looking at ancient Roman architecture. The first stop was the Colosseum. Standing inside something built during 69-70 AD was unbelievable. We had some time to look around the Colosseum, which was awesome. After the Colosseum, we headed over to the Forum Romanum. During our time at the Forum, we had to sketch the ruins. For the most part, none of us can sketch. At one point, my friend and I couldn't stop laughing because of our sketches. The amount of stares we got from people only added to our laughter. During our time at the Forum, we saw the Temple of Vesta, The Arch of Severus, The Curia, Temple of Castor and Pollux, House of the Vestal Virgins, Temple of Divus Romulus, along with many others. The end of our tour was atop of Palatine Hill, which provided another great view of the Forum! Other sights of the day included the Imperial Forias (Imperial Caesar, Imperial Augustus, and Imperial Trajan), the Trajan Market, the Presidential Palace, Sant' Andrea al Quirindle Church, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, and Fontana del Tritone in Piazza Barberini. Once we ended our tour at the square, we had the rest of the evening on our own. A group of us went to Capuchin Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception. The crypt has 6 rooms that are filled with the bones of 4,000 individual monks. Later that evening I went out to eat with friends to the restuarant Fraschetteria Beltramme, which supposedly has the best carbonara in town. The rest of the evening was gelato and relaxing.

April 14th

Cemetery at Camp Cestio

Another wonderful day in Rome. Campo Cestio was the first stop of the day. At Campo Cestio we saw the Pyramid of Sestius, the Aurelian Walls, John Keats grave, and Percy Shelley's grave. Our professor also gave us time to look around the cemetery, which was very pretty. Termes of Caracalla, ancient public baths, was our next stop. The baths were huge! Some of the areas still has mosaics.

Termes of Caracalla

Mouth of Truth

The rest of our daily tour included Santa Maria Basilica where the Mouth of Truth is, Forum Boarium, Temple of Hercules, Theater of Marcellus, and Piazza del Campidoglio on top of Capitoline Hil. We also had a tour of Capitoline Museum where we saw one of the few original Roman bronze statues, the statue of Remus and Romulus, marble script of Council names, the real Marcus Aurelius statue, and Capitoline Venus. Also during our tour, we got an amazing view of the Forum Romanum.

Forum Romanum

After the tour through the museum we had the rest of the day to ourselves. My friends and I went shopping in the shopping district, where I bought authentic Italian leather made by the family who runs the store. We also looked around the market at Campo de Fiori, Basilica SS Ambrogio Carlo, Chiesa Di Gesu e Maria Al Corso, Piazza del Popolo, and Villa Borghese gardens.  

Piazza del Popolo

After both of my friends went back to the hotel, I walked around a little by myself. I went into Basilica Parrocchiale Sant Maria del Popola, which has the famous Cerasi Chapel, a few other churches, and walked around the area near our hotel. The rest of the evening was dinner and going out with a group.












April 15th
For most of the morning, our class spent the day at Ostia. Ostia was the harbor city of ancient Rome. During our time in Ostia, we had to sketch more buildings. Our professor also showed us around. The things he showed us included old mills used to ground grain, Roman highrises, bars (where hot food was made), the Ostia Forum, an old fish market, a rich man's house, the Temple of Cupid and Pyske, public toilets, the Theater, and the Square of Corporations. 
After our time in Ostia was over, we had a few hours to ourselves before dinner. My friends and I decided to go to Villa Borghese. Once we were at the park, we decided to rent a bike cart. The hour on the bike cart was so much fun. Each of us took a turn driving. After our hour was up we decided to go to the terrace and get a beatuiful of Piazza del Popola. When I went to ask a woman and her husband to take a picture of us, the woman asked where I was from. I told her Indiana. She then asked what part. I told her Northwest. Needless to say she kept asking more since she has heard of Northwest Indiana. Then her and her husband said they have heard of my town and drive through it. I was stunned. I came all the way to Rome and I find someone who has heard of my town...weird. After our time in the park we went back for group dinner. The rest of the evening was going to the Trevi Fountain to throw my coin in the fountain and going out for drinks with the whole class.

April 16th
Sadly, the last day in Rome. The first major sight we saw for the day was Ara Pacis, Augustus' alter to Peace. After, we ventured over to Castello Sant'Angelo (Castel Sant'Angleo), which is the Pope's safe sanctuary. We took a tour of the inside, but the view from the top was the best part. 

View from Castel Sant'Angelo

View from Castel Sant'Angelo

View from Castel Sant'Angelo

After spending sometime enjoying the view, my friend and I walked over to St. Peter's. We spent some time enjoying the square. 

Once we were done, we met up with the rest of our friends to walk around until we had to be back. We went to the old Jewish Quarter and a few churches. At 4pm, we were back at the hotel to begin our departure. 

My time in Rome was nothing but absolutely amazing!! The weather was sunny and warm. The food and wine were delicious. The sights were magnificent. My time in Rome had to be one of the best trips I have gone on it. Now that I have thrown my coin in the Trevi Fountain, I am looking forward to the next time I go to Rome. For now, ciao bella.

More pictures of my trip can be found in these albums... part 1, part 2, and part 3

Ice Bar

 On April 6th, my friend Ari, Catherine, Alex and I went to the Copenhagen Ice Bar for Alex's birthday. Our 40 minutes in the bar was a lot of fun. As we walked into the bar in our ridiculous looking outfits, we were greeted with a room full of ice sculptures. Almost everything in the bar, except the floor was made of ice. The bar was smaller than we expected, but still awesome. As part of our fee, we got a drink of our choice, which was served in a ice glass. During our time, the only other people in the bar were 3 guys from the UK. They were a lot of fun to talk to. At the end of our session, we got to smash our classes on the bar.

To go into the Ice Bar you are assigned a shift because they don't want too many people in at once. This precaution is to ensure the ice stays in the best condition.