It's Not a Goodbye, It's a See You Later

     As I write this, I am sitting at my desk in room 223 for one of the last times. Today, I finished my sophomore year of college--in Rome. These past four months have been unforgettable. The good times, the bad times, the scary times, and the adventure. I wouldn't have changed one thing. As I write this, I can tell you all that this study abroad experience has changed me for the better.

     While my journey in Europe is far from over, I have to leave some of my closest friends in a day. We have been through so much together. All of us just a couple of kids trying to see the world. And we did it right. We got each other through some of the hardest times during these past four months. We shared some of the best laughs these past four months. And, we made memories these past four months that will last a lifetime. I know i have made friends here that will be my friends forever.

     While I am sad to leave my friends, I am about to embark on one of the greatest journeys ever with my older brother. We are literally (and I mean literally) backpacking through Europe. This is something I have wanted to do since I was little. I would listen to my parents talk about their six week adventure in Europe after college with their siblings, and I wanted nothing more than to have my own experience. I know that this trip is going to be interesting at times, funny at times and extremely fulfilling in the end. 

    So, while  my time at John Felice Rome Center has come to an end, my journey has not. I can not wait for the next month, at the end of which my whole entire crazy, Italian family will be coming to visit in Italy. I could not be more thrilled.

Baci,

Nikki

I Love You A Million Red MnM's

    These past ten days have been some of the most fun, unexpected and memorable in my entire study abroad experience. My mom and grandma came to visit. They came at the perfect time. Just as I was starting to miss home, the best piece of home came to visit.
    Seeing my grandma and mom for the first time in three months was the best. As soon as I hugged my mom, I started balling like a baby. It was so nice to know that for ten days I had them all to myself. My grandma had never been to Rome before, so it was fun for me to be able to take her around and show her all of the things that I have seen and learned more about everyday for the past three months.
    My favorite part about my family visiting was that I was able to experience Rome with my mom. For any of you who know me and my mother, you know that we are best friends, and she is the closest person on this earth to me. When she came to Rome, it was like a vacation, but not one that I have ever experienced with her before. I have never been able to share a glass of wine with my mom, show her the streets that I walk everyday among the ancient town of Rome, or take her for chocolate shots at the heart of Trastevere with all of the college students. We talked, we shopped, we shared some of the best pasta ever and we made memories that will last both of us forever.
      Both my mom and grandma spoiled me endlessly while they were here. For a college student trying to save money everywhere she can, having your mom and grandma come and pay for wonderful meals, insist on getting a cab instead of walking in the pouring rain and let you wear all of their new clothes was the best!
     Luckily, they were also here for Easter, so we were able to go to Easter Mass at the Vatican and see Pope Francesco. After, we had a wonderful dinner and a relaxing evening. My brother and I loved having them here. It was a nice break from school and helped with us missing home.
    My mom and I have a thing were we say "I love you a million..." Being the girls we are, usually it revolves around candy. I will forever remember hugging my mom goodbye the night before she left after having spent an amazing ten days with her. She hugged me tight, kissed me twice and whispered "I love you a million red mnm's."


Baci,

Nikki
   

White Smoke

     Last night, I was lucky enough to witness one of the most religiously significant events in history. After having received a text from my godmother, reading "White Smoke! Are you there?", I grabbed my coat, told my friends and started running. Our school is up on a hill, about three miles away from the Vatican. We knew that public transpiration was out of the question, and traffic was so bad that we would not make it if we took a cab either. So, we ran. Fifteen of us in a group. All headed to see the newly elected pope.
     When we arrived inside of the walls of the Vatican, we could not move. People we packed shoulder to shoulder, pushing and screaming and sweating. My friends and I could not see anything, and we were worried we were going to miss it. All of the sudden, the crowd broke and people started sprinting. Naturally, we followed. In a matter of two minutes, I went from being pushed and elbowed by people to standing about 500 feet away from the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica. At this point, we had all been separated, and the only people left with me were my brother and my friend Lauren. We looked at each other in amazement, all thinking the same thing, "How did we get so lucky?"
     Five minutes later, the crowd roared as the Pope stepped out on the balcony. Pope Francesco gave his speech, blessed the audience, and lead everyone in prayer. We could not believe that we were experiencing such an event. Just as Pope Francesco wrapped up, I looked into the crowd of people behind me and saw hundreds of flags waving in the air. Flags of every different country, coming together to celebrate such a wonderful day.
     We decided to let the people clear out and stay in Saint Peter's square to take pictures. Through all of the crowds of people, we found the rest of our group. After taking some pictures and meeting a group of high school Danish students, we walked to a restaurant. We drank wine, ate pizza and made a memory of one of the best experiences of our lives.

Baci,

Nikki
   

Spring Break Part 2: Lisbon, Portugal

     My brother and I arrived in Lisbon around 11:00am. We had no idea what to expect, and we were very excited. My wonderful parents paid for us to stay in the Fontecruz Marriott Hotel. Having stayed in only hostel since we've been abroad, this was paradise. I walked into the lobby and almost fainted. It smelled clean, looked like a hip nightclub and I knew it promised a great stay in Lisbon. We checked in, but our room was not going to be ready until 3:00pm. So, we decided go explore Lisbon a little bit.

     The weather was supposed to be rainy all week. We thought the best way to see the city was to take a covered, double decker bus. It was a two-day, hop on, hop off pass. This ended up being one of the best decisions we made. We were given headphones when we purchased the tickets, and a narrator explained the historical significance behind every building and street that we passed. The bus took us to the "must see" spots in Lisbon. We saw the Tower Belèm, the April 25th Bridge (almost identical to the Golden Gate Bridge), the monastery, the basilica, the prison and so much more. More importantly than the specific sights, the bus dropped us off in some of the most authentic neighborhoods of Lisbon, which we had read about in all of the guide books. My brother and I were able to get off in an area that we wanted to further explore, and then get back on the bus when we were done. 

    For lunch, we got off near the basilica and found this hole in the wall tavern. The menu was completely in portuguese, making it a surprise meal because we pointed to an item and told the waiter to bring it. Portuguese is a mixture of French, Italian and Spanish, but sounds like Polish. We were completely lost, and it was so much fun. A few minutes later the waiter comes to our table with two plates. He put the fish and vegetables in front of me and the fried egg, french fries and sausage in front of Tommy. Anyone who knows us can see how I felt as if the chef personally knew what each of us liked. It was a great first impression of Lisbon.

     At 3:00, we went back to the hotel to get our room and nap after a long morning of travel. I walked into the room, expecting a typical Marriott room. I almost fell on the floor when I saw this room at FonteCruz. The bathroom alone was bigger than my dorm room in Rome, the shower head was as big as a 12-inch pizza and the beds felt like clouds. The room alone was an experience.

     After a great nap and a long (extremely long) shower, my brother and I got ready and went to find a place for dinner. We walked down to the square closest to our hotel and found a little restaurant with no name on the outside. This is how we knew it was going to be good. We walked in to an ice bar with fish that was caught that day. We shared clams, fresh salad and octopus for dinner. Restaurant Leòn was the perfect way to end our first day in Lisbon. 

     The next day, we woke up to the sun shining. This was so exciting, as it was supposed to rain the entire time we were going to be there. We quickly went to Starbucks (have to get it where I can) and then got on the bus. We saw the remaining sites and then hopped off to get on the cable car. The cable car is another way to see the city, but it takes you up on the hill of Alfama the Castel de San Jorge is. My brother and I got off in Alfama and walked to the Castelo. The castle seemed like nothing compared to the view it offered. From inside the castle's walls, we had the best view of the city. Lisbon is right on the water, and its buildings are all different colors, ranging from yellow to pale pink. I felt like I was in the Bahamas. 

     After walking around the castle and taking 500 pictures, trying to capture the view, we went to find lunch. Our lunch experience was one of my favorite parts of the trip. My brother found this little restaurant on the hill that served grilled sardines, so of course he said we had to go. We shared a chickpea and cod fish salad and grilled sardines. We also met two couples from Ireland, who were curious to know what we were doing in Lisbon. We talked with them for a while, and then went on our way to continue exploring the shops and sights of Alfama.

     The next day, we walked around on our own. Tommy found a little place for lunch, so we ate there and then continued shopping. For dinner, all of the guide books recommend seeing a fado show, which  is Portugal's version of belly dancing. It is a live music show with dancers and singers. So, we decided to go and experience it. 

     The fado restaurant was in Baixa, the downtown area of Lisbon. While we were eating, performers were doing traditional dances and singing. After we finished our food, one of the performers came to our table and pulled my brother and I on stage! I was laughing so hard I was crying, and I'm sure all of the other people eating dinner thought I was insane. I will never forget that night!

     In the morning, we said goodbye to Lisbon and returned to Rome. For the next four days, my bother and I explored the city that we have been living in for the past three months. We saw museums that we would have not seen otherwise, had a picnic in Circus Maximus and had wonderful meals in new restaurants. After a spring break like the one I had, I realized how truly lucky I am to be traveling the world and experiencing all that I am. And for that, I am thankful.

Baci,

Nikki

     

Spring Break Part 1: Madrid, Spain

     We arrived in Madrid at 9:30 am. Eight college kids ready to have one of the most memorable spring breaks of their lives. We checked into our hostel, and then decided to go eat. We found this little taverna on Calle Mayor. Our waitress, who was also the owner, could tell that we were tired, hungry and American. She made us all an American breakfast, which was much needed after being in Europe for three months.
     After breakfast, we walked to the Egyptian temple, which is up on a hill with a large park. We walked around the park and watched the kids play and embraced the view of the city. The temple was surprisingly small, but nevertheless, amazing. There was writing in hieroglyphics on the walls, tombs and artifacts.
     After walking around the tomb, we decided to go back to our hostel and take a nap. Once we woke up, we went into the city. A friend had told us about this tapas restaurant called El Tigre, so we decided to go check it out.
     We walked into to a tiny restaurant with no tables. It was packed with people, leaning on bar tables, sharing plates and plates of tapas and drinking sangria. My friends and I all ordered sangria. All of the sudden, we have six plates of tapas in front of us and huge glasses of sangria. For each drink that you order, you are given a plate of tapas. Most people in El Tigre were locals, which made us feel even more welcome.
     After finishing our tapas, we walked back towards our hostel, and stumbled upon an outdoor market. From first glance, it looked very similar to the market in Barcelona. However, when we walked in, it was completely different. All of the stands sold already prepared, authentic spanish food. There was a booth with a gigantic pan of paella, people frying fresh churros, and tapas stands everywhere you looked. All of my friends and I decided that we had to come back for dinner the next night.
     The next morning, we woke up and decided to take the free walking tour around the city. The tour guide took us to the cathedral, explained the purpose behind most of the architecture, and showed us the restaurant where Ernest Hemingway would go when he would come to Madrid.
     After the tour, my friend Katie and and I broke off from the group and decided to go shopping. I wanted to see El Corte Ingles, which is a Spain's version of a Macy's. Europe does not have big department stores, so shopping in a store with seven levels was a refreshing reminder of home.
     Once we had fully experienced the shopping that Madrid had to offer, we met the boys back at our hostel and napped. Then, we all got ready and went to the market for dinner. Everyone tried something different, we all tasted each other's food, drank wine and had so many laughs.
     The next morning, we decided to go to the Prado museum of art. At 5:00pm it is free entry, so in an effort to save money for more sangria (or shoes in my case), we decided to wait until 5:00 to go in. We walked around the neighborhood that the Prado is in for a while. A man on the street had a little booth set up where he was making paintings. Being curious, I walked over to check it out. He was making posters for salsa dancing and bull fighting, but he would put your name on the poster as if you were the one to be performing. Naturally, I bought a salsa dancing poster with"Nicole Angela" as the star of the show.
     After walking around and visiting the spectacular Prado, we went back to the hostel. Our hostel roommate, Cynthia, was there. We started talking with her and found out that she is from Argentina. She was traveling alone throughout Europe. We invited her out for tapas with us, and then salsa dancing after. She practiced her english with us, and I tried to resurrect my spanish, speaking to her mostly in Italian. It was a night to remember.
     Early in the morning, Tommy and I left for Lisbon, Portugal. We said goodbye to our friends, who were all splitting off at this point, some going to Sevilla, some going to Barcelona and some going to London. We all couldn't wait to see what the second half of spring break had in store for us.

Baci,

Nikki
   

I belong on the island of Sicily

     This weekend, we went on a school study trip to Sicily. We left Rome Thursday afternoon, took the train to Napoli, and from Napoli, took an overnight fairy to Palermo. On the fairy, we had an overnight cabin with rooms similar to cabins on a cruise ship. It was so fun to be on a huge ship with all of my friends, about to adventure through Sicily.

     Friday morning, we arrived in Palermo. We walked through the streets and had cappuccini in the main square. After breakfast, we visited Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral. Every image in the cathedral was made out of mosaics. From there, we went to the Cloisters, which had a beautiful center garden outside. 

     We left Palermo and headed for Segesta to visit the temples and ruins. We were supposed to see the temples of Selinunte as well, but a major bridge collapsed, so we could no longer get there. Therefore, we walked around the temples of Segesta and then left for Agrigento.

     In Agrigento, we stayed at Hotel Amici. It was a quaint European hotel, with comfortable beds and a homey feel. We went out to dinner as a group Friday night to Trattoria Dei Templi. I was so happy to finally eat fresh fish from the Mediterranean!

     Saturday morning, we woke up and headed to see the ruins of Agrigento. The temples and ruins were surrounded by gardens, and the weather was perfect. We ate lunch in a pizzeria near the temples and then left for our third town of the trip, Taormina. On our drive to Taormina, we saw Mount Etna, the volcano. It erupted a few days before we arrived, so we were able to see the lava flowing down the side of the volcano! I felt like I was in a movie.

     We arrived at Hotel Andromaco Palace around 7:00pm. We quickly got ready for dinner and headed to Ristorante La Piazzetta. Our walk to the restaurant was on of my favorites. Even though it was dark out, I already knew I was in love with the town of Taormina. The architecture, the little streets, the culture and the people rope you in and make you feel Sicilian.

     Our dinner at La Piazzatta was one of the best meals I have had in my life (tied with my cousin's cooking). We had pasta con melanzane, brasciola con palate, gelato and endless pitchers of house wine. It was a meal that I will remember forever. 

     Sunday morning, we woke up and ate breakfast on the balcony of our hotel, overlooking the Mediterranean. Then, we walked to the ancient Greco-Roman Theater. This theater had a perfect view of Mount Etna and the Mediterranean Sea. 

     The theater was our last group site, and we had free time after to walk around and explore Taormina. We shopped and walked down the picturesque streets, stopping at a trattoria to have lunch. After snapping some last minute pictures, we left Taormina for the airport in Catania. I was so sad to leave Sicily. In my opinion, Sicily is not talked about enough as one of the places to visit in a lifetime. I had the time of my life and hope to come back and visit one day.

Baci,

Nikki

A quiet weekend in Bologna

     Over the weekend, my brother and I packed our bags and went to Bologna to visit our cousin, Nico. Nico is a culinary arts student, and is interning in a small town about an hour outside of the city called Porreta Terme. We left for Bologna at 6:30 am from Rome Termini train station, which was an experience in of itself! From Termini, we took the Frecciarossa high-speed train straight to Bologna. It only took about two and a half hours for us to get there.
     Once we arrived, we had about four hours to fill before catching our next train to Porreta Terme. What to do with four hours in a big city with tons shopping and cafes...? We had a cornetto and caffe and waited for all of the shops to open. Bologna has a long street of shop after shop that eventually empties into a big Piazza. We walked up and down this street, wandering into any shops that caught our eyes. My brother ended up buying a tie made in Italy from a little old lady who owned her own store.
     At 2:00pm, we made our way to Porreta Terme to see our cousin. The train ride took about an hour. When the doors opened, Nico was waiting for us. All three of us had the biggest smiles on our faces. For students studying abroad, it is comforting to see a familiar face.
     We walked out of the train station into this little town that was nestled in the mountains. Nico took us to our Pensione, which happened to be owned by a friend of his boss. Then, he showed us around the town. It took us all of twenty minutes to walk around the entire town. Porreta Terme is one of those places where everyone knows each other, and everyone knows that the two Americans walking around in awe are definitely visiting.
     For dinner, we were able to eat in the nicest restaurant in town, which just so happens to be the same place Nico is working in. My brother and I were so excited to eat a meal made by our cousin. He recommended that we start with a shrimp appetizer, Tommy order the Veal Osso Buco, and I order the homemade Ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese and radicchio. I can honestly say that this was the best meal I have ever eaten in my life. After Nico got off of work, we met him at the only pub in town for a drink before heading to bed.
     The next day, Tommy and I woke up and walked around the outdoor market. I found a shirt that had Nicole C. on the tag, so I figured I had to buy it. Then, we went to Nico's restaurant again for lunch. It was a fixed menu. I had pasta arrabiata and a types of cheese with vegetables. Once again, everything was fantastic. At lunch, we learned that Nico is learning from the same chef that taught Mario Batali. No wonder all of our food was so good.
     After lunch, my brother and I took the train back into Bologna to shop around. When we returned, we went for dinner to the restaurant owned by the man who also owned our Pensione, who was the nicest man. We had pasta bolognese because we thought it would be a sin to go to Bologna and not order bolognese. After dinner, we met Nico at the other drinking establishment in this small town, La Sete Enoteca. We sat in this wine bar for two hours, laughing and telling stories.
     Sunday morning, we left. We ended up taking the intercity train home. It took twice as long, but was worth it. The towns we passed on our way to Rome looked as if they were straight out of a movie. Little walled cities on top of mountains, yellow brick buildings, and old ruins everywhere. My brother and I had our own private car, just like in Harry Potter! We joked and laughed the whole way home, taking in the scenery, and trying to get used to this life we have been living for the past two months.
     This trip was a restful and enjoyable weekend. I was so happy to be able to see our cousin and experience all the culture that Porreta Terme had to offer.