Today was the final group excursion of the semester--a long and rainy day in Germany. In the morning we went to Monschau, a small, quaint town just across the border that has a small Christmas market set up in their main square offering little gifts and traditional German food. There's a beautiful stream that flows through the middle of town and lots of trees and hills in the surrounding area. We only spent a couple of hours there, walking around and exploring the picturesque streets. However, the fact that it was pouring rain the entire time kind of detracted from the beauty.
After Monschau, we drove about 20 minutes to Aachen, a larger city that also has a Christmas market. Their Christmas market is on a completely different level--it stretches for blocks, with hundreds of stands selling ornaments, wooden creations, jewelry, German food, etc. It is also quite famous for its hot wine, called gluhwein. We had quite a bit of time to explore this market, which for the first time all semester made me feel like Christmas is approaching. There was even a band of, shall we say, musically uninclined children playing Christmas music. We also got a tour of their Cathedral, which is not only beautiful but also steeped in history. Charlemagne, who was a powerful emperor of the Middle Ages, lived in Aachen and ordered the Cathedral to be built. Inside you can see what are (supposedly) some of Charlemagne's bones, which is not only a little creepy but also slightly controversial, as there is strong but not definitive proof that they belong to him. You can also see Charlemagne's throne, which is surprisingly not ornate and consists of concrete blocks brought to him from Jerusalem. In fact, he was so honored by these concrete blocks that he ironically never actually sat in his throne, because he did not want to ruin what was to him a prized treasure.
It was fun to travel to Germany again, as I had only spent one weekend there in early October, because the region is gorgeous, the food is amazing, and the markets are vibrant. Eventually I would like to see more of Germany, since I have really only seen the Western edge of it. Despite the fact that it was raining all day, it was still nice to see two beautiful towns. The mood was rather sad among kids in my program though, as it is dawning on us that this amazing experience is coming to an end shortly. Our lifestyle, which we are so grateful to have and is now so routine, is shortly going to be brought back to reality, and that's tough to swallow. Thus I'm going to try to make the best out of my last couple of weeks here!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Paris
Yesterday, I returned from a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend in Paris with Marcel, Ana and Marco--my uncle, aunt, and cousin for those who don't know :). It was great to see them; I was quite happy that they were able to fly from Sevilla for the weekend just so we could meet up! We stayed in an apartment in the middle of a square that was filled with restaurants--much nicer than the usual youth hostel accomodations that I have become accustomed to on my previous trips. It was great to be able to come home, hang out on a couch, sit around a table, etc., as opposed to a hostel room which basically just has a bed in it.
Besides eating plenty of French pastries, we saw some sights too! On the first day we went to the Eiffel Tower and walked up the stairs to the first observatory deck. Although you can take an elevator all the way to the top, our view was actually perfect because we were at the height of the tallest buildings and you could see for quite a ways over the beautiful city of Paris. It's obviously a very touristy attraction, but it is simply one of those buildings that you have to see! We also went to the cathedral of Notre Dame, famed for its large gargoyles and other adornments on the outside. Situated right along the Seine, the inside is gorgeous and spacious: it is easy to see why it is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Europe. However, while visiting its interior you are essentially herded through like cattle, which takes away from the experience.
The next day, we had quite the adventure. In the morning we saw the Sacre-Coeur Basilica, another famous church located on a hill. Despite the fact that it is more modern (finished in the 20th Century), it is still impressive to consider its architecture. Near the church is a really cool square that at one point was the home of famous artists, but is now filled with artists selling their wares, most of whom specialize in painting portraits of customers in only a couple of minutes. The entire neighborhood is beautiful to walk around--and the weather was perfect to do so!
The other highlight of the day was visiting the Louvre, easily the most daunting museum on the planet. It literally stretches for a couple of city blocks, and according to our guide book, it would take about 9 months to view all 30,000 works of art inside it. Because there are so many paintings, we decided to see a couple of the famous ones and then concentrate on some smaller areas. We saw the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo sculpture, and walked through several galleries, the most interesting of which was one of Spanish and Italian painters. There are some famous and impressive works, but the museum is so large and intimidating that after an hour or two, it becomes almost undesirable to stay any longer.
The rest of our time was spent relaxing, enjoying some French cuisine (especially crepes!) and walking around squares like Centre Pompidou. On Sunday before we left, we checked out what is supposedly one of the largest flea markets in Europe: while a part simply contains stands selling what appear to be knock-offs of just about everything, there is also a large portion selling antiques and other homemade goods which are pretty cool to check out.
Overall, it was great to see some family (the first people I've seen since I've been here whom I knew previous to coming to Europe) and our weekend was very laid back and relaxing--just what I needed before I write the 20 page paper I have due this week. Paris doesn't get its reputation as a beautiful city for no reason--it's definitely one to check out!
Sadly, my blog posts are going to start to dwindle. I have plenty of adventures in Brussels which I haven't really shared here, since there are too many to write about, but other than a day trip to Germany next week with my program, I have no more excursions planned. I leave for Minneapolis in 23 days, and those days are going to fly by with all the school work I have to do before then. Its amazing how fast 4 months can pass.
Nonetheless, I will still keep you guys updated with whats going on in my last 3 weeks!
Besides eating plenty of French pastries, we saw some sights too! On the first day we went to the Eiffel Tower and walked up the stairs to the first observatory deck. Although you can take an elevator all the way to the top, our view was actually perfect because we were at the height of the tallest buildings and you could see for quite a ways over the beautiful city of Paris. It's obviously a very touristy attraction, but it is simply one of those buildings that you have to see! We also went to the cathedral of Notre Dame, famed for its large gargoyles and other adornments on the outside. Situated right along the Seine, the inside is gorgeous and spacious: it is easy to see why it is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Europe. However, while visiting its interior you are essentially herded through like cattle, which takes away from the experience.
The next day, we had quite the adventure. In the morning we saw the Sacre-Coeur Basilica, another famous church located on a hill. Despite the fact that it is more modern (finished in the 20th Century), it is still impressive to consider its architecture. Near the church is a really cool square that at one point was the home of famous artists, but is now filled with artists selling their wares, most of whom specialize in painting portraits of customers in only a couple of minutes. The entire neighborhood is beautiful to walk around--and the weather was perfect to do so!
The other highlight of the day was visiting the Louvre, easily the most daunting museum on the planet. It literally stretches for a couple of city blocks, and according to our guide book, it would take about 9 months to view all 30,000 works of art inside it. Because there are so many paintings, we decided to see a couple of the famous ones and then concentrate on some smaller areas. We saw the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo sculpture, and walked through several galleries, the most interesting of which was one of Spanish and Italian painters. There are some famous and impressive works, but the museum is so large and intimidating that after an hour or two, it becomes almost undesirable to stay any longer.
The rest of our time was spent relaxing, enjoying some French cuisine (especially crepes!) and walking around squares like Centre Pompidou. On Sunday before we left, we checked out what is supposedly one of the largest flea markets in Europe: while a part simply contains stands selling what appear to be knock-offs of just about everything, there is also a large portion selling antiques and other homemade goods which are pretty cool to check out.
Overall, it was great to see some family (the first people I've seen since I've been here whom I knew previous to coming to Europe) and our weekend was very laid back and relaxing--just what I needed before I write the 20 page paper I have due this week. Paris doesn't get its reputation as a beautiful city for no reason--it's definitely one to check out!
Sadly, my blog posts are going to start to dwindle. I have plenty of adventures in Brussels which I haven't really shared here, since there are too many to write about, but other than a day trip to Germany next week with my program, I have no more excursions planned. I leave for Minneapolis in 23 days, and those days are going to fly by with all the school work I have to do before then. Its amazing how fast 4 months can pass.
Nonetheless, I will still keep you guys updated with whats going on in my last 3 weeks!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Prague
Yesterday I returned from a wonderful weekend in Prague, Czech Republic with several friends from my program. Although there are many cool things to see, Prague is also an amazing city to simply wander around and explore. It has an eastern European vibe, which is kind of hard to explain but noticeable, especially coming from Brussels. The architecture is beautiful and different from most places I've been in Europe. Prague is also cool because, at least from what we could tell, it has a lot of young people, especially in the areas where there are many bars, clubs and restaurants.
Our hostel was pretty centrally located but in a really quiet neighborhood, making it an ideal place to see. It was also by far the highest-quality and cleanest hostel I've ever stayed in, and because the Czech Republic is not on the Euro, but instead on the Koruna (crown), the hostel (along with everything else) was really cheap. It's really confusing to convert though, because, for example, a U.S. dollar buys about 17 Korunas, and a Euro buys 25, so we would have dinners that literally cost 2,000 Korunas. Their smallest bill is a 50!
On our first full day, we explored the Prague castle complex, which is easily visible in beautiful views from across the river that cuts straight through the city. We went into their astounding main cathedral, which again has a much different architecture on the inside when compared to churches in, for example, France or Italy. We also explored the Old Royal Palace, which is where the Royal Family used to reside and still conducts occasional business. The coolest thing in the Palace is that you can see the crown jewels of the Czech Republic, which are kept in a cabinet that is basically filled with super expensive jewelry. We also walked into some of their famous squares, which are hopping with people, stands selling delicious and cheap Czech food, and vendors selling jewelry and other trinkets.
On our second full day we spent most of it exploring the Old Jewish quarter, which has the oldest synagogue in Eastern Europe and many cool shops and quaint houses. In addition, you can stroll through a humongous Jewish cemetary, which is obviously not the most uplifting thing to walk through but still memorable to see. One of the most interesting aspects of Prague, which is noticeable in this area of town, is that, despite the fact that much of the city is modern and beautiful and the Czech Republic is a member of the EU and NATO, they are less than 20 years removed from a Communist regime. Thus, seemingly randomly there are really run-down buildings or areas, or sectors of the city that just appear dismal. While this is true for any large city, there are many visual reminders in Prague that it is not a city with an extremely strong economy.
Prague was not a place I had expected to go, so I was really happy that I got to see it, especially with a few friends from my program. It is by far the most peaceful large city I've visited in Europe. There are lots of pedestrians, lots of cool shopping streets, and many beautiful, quiet neighborhoods. In addition, the river that passes through the city adds to the nice vibe. Most of the time I had to remind myself that I was in a huge city, because things are so quiet. However, despite the fact that it's so quiet, there are tons of fun bars and restaurants to go to. For example, one night we went to a 5-story club which is easily one of the craziest places I've ever been. It is certainly a city that I recommend seeing!
Stay tuned as I go to Paris this weekend!
Our hostel was pretty centrally located but in a really quiet neighborhood, making it an ideal place to see. It was also by far the highest-quality and cleanest hostel I've ever stayed in, and because the Czech Republic is not on the Euro, but instead on the Koruna (crown), the hostel (along with everything else) was really cheap. It's really confusing to convert though, because, for example, a U.S. dollar buys about 17 Korunas, and a Euro buys 25, so we would have dinners that literally cost 2,000 Korunas. Their smallest bill is a 50!
On our first full day, we explored the Prague castle complex, which is easily visible in beautiful views from across the river that cuts straight through the city. We went into their astounding main cathedral, which again has a much different architecture on the inside when compared to churches in, for example, France or Italy. We also explored the Old Royal Palace, which is where the Royal Family used to reside and still conducts occasional business. The coolest thing in the Palace is that you can see the crown jewels of the Czech Republic, which are kept in a cabinet that is basically filled with super expensive jewelry. We also walked into some of their famous squares, which are hopping with people, stands selling delicious and cheap Czech food, and vendors selling jewelry and other trinkets.
On our second full day we spent most of it exploring the Old Jewish quarter, which has the oldest synagogue in Eastern Europe and many cool shops and quaint houses. In addition, you can stroll through a humongous Jewish cemetary, which is obviously not the most uplifting thing to walk through but still memorable to see. One of the most interesting aspects of Prague, which is noticeable in this area of town, is that, despite the fact that much of the city is modern and beautiful and the Czech Republic is a member of the EU and NATO, they are less than 20 years removed from a Communist regime. Thus, seemingly randomly there are really run-down buildings or areas, or sectors of the city that just appear dismal. While this is true for any large city, there are many visual reminders in Prague that it is not a city with an extremely strong economy.
Prague was not a place I had expected to go, so I was really happy that I got to see it, especially with a few friends from my program. It is by far the most peaceful large city I've visited in Europe. There are lots of pedestrians, lots of cool shopping streets, and many beautiful, quiet neighborhoods. In addition, the river that passes through the city adds to the nice vibe. Most of the time I had to remind myself that I was in a huge city, because things are so quiet. However, despite the fact that it's so quiet, there are tons of fun bars and restaurants to go to. For example, one night we went to a 5-story club which is easily one of the craziest places I've ever been. It is certainly a city that I recommend seeing!
Stay tuned as I go to Paris this weekend!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Italy, Part 4
Our last stop on our trip was to Venice, one of the coolest yet weirdest cities I have ever visited. As I'm sure most of you know, Venice is an island, on which no cars are allowed, because most of the streets are canals. Most homes and shops face a small canal on one side. These canals are navigated by boats, including the famous gondolas, which somehow manuever through the super narrow waterways. We were lucky enough to have a hostel in the midst of it all. The street our hostel was on, to give you a sense, was literally too narrow for an umbrella to fit down.
Venice is another one of those cities that doesn't have a ton of attractions, but is more fun to simply wander through. Several times we intentionally tried to get lost, but it is almost impossible. The winding streets and seemingly endless canals create one of the most bizarre yet beautiful places I've seen. We walked for a long time along the river at the edge of town, from which there are beautiful views and a fresh whiff of the sea, which I don't get too much of in Brussels (or Minneapolis!). We also found a park at the very edge of town, which was cool because there weren't any tourists there and it had some gorgeous views of the water.
Unfortunately, it was raining for a majority of our stay, so it was hard to get motivated to explore too much in Venice. However, we did visit the famous St. Marco Piazza, which has a beautiful church and a humongous square that is beautifully lit at night. Particularly when it rains, and when there is high tide, the square floods, leaving people to either wade in rain boots through the 2-foot deep water or walk on temporary boardwalks that the city puts up every day. It is one of the strangest things I've ever seen: hundreds of people balancing on these boardwalks so they don't fall into the flooded square. In addition, none of the shops along the square seem to think its wise to shut their doors while it floods. Even the church on the piazza floods. What other city's central square floods on a regular basis? Venice is really cool, but it has to be one of the most unwisely constructed cities in the world.
Overall, the trip was amazing. Italy was one of the countries I had most wanted to visit, and I got to go there with 3 of my best friends from my program. I also was pretty much in heaven on the culinary front, as I had A LOT of pasta, pizza, and gelato. And a little red wine too :). It was interesting to see the metropolis (Rome), Tuscany, and then some moderately sized cities in the north, because while they all have similarities they are all really different too. Unfortunately, I'm now back in the real world of school, tests, and papers, but this weekend I'm going to Prague so stay tuned for details on that adventure!
Venice is another one of those cities that doesn't have a ton of attractions, but is more fun to simply wander through. Several times we intentionally tried to get lost, but it is almost impossible. The winding streets and seemingly endless canals create one of the most bizarre yet beautiful places I've seen. We walked for a long time along the river at the edge of town, from which there are beautiful views and a fresh whiff of the sea, which I don't get too much of in Brussels (or Minneapolis!). We also found a park at the very edge of town, which was cool because there weren't any tourists there and it had some gorgeous views of the water.
Unfortunately, it was raining for a majority of our stay, so it was hard to get motivated to explore too much in Venice. However, we did visit the famous St. Marco Piazza, which has a beautiful church and a humongous square that is beautifully lit at night. Particularly when it rains, and when there is high tide, the square floods, leaving people to either wade in rain boots through the 2-foot deep water or walk on temporary boardwalks that the city puts up every day. It is one of the strangest things I've ever seen: hundreds of people balancing on these boardwalks so they don't fall into the flooded square. In addition, none of the shops along the square seem to think its wise to shut their doors while it floods. Even the church on the piazza floods. What other city's central square floods on a regular basis? Venice is really cool, but it has to be one of the most unwisely constructed cities in the world.
Overall, the trip was amazing. Italy was one of the countries I had most wanted to visit, and I got to go there with 3 of my best friends from my program. I also was pretty much in heaven on the culinary front, as I had A LOT of pasta, pizza, and gelato. And a little red wine too :). It was interesting to see the metropolis (Rome), Tuscany, and then some moderately sized cities in the north, because while they all have similarities they are all really different too. Unfortunately, I'm now back in the real world of school, tests, and papers, but this weekend I'm going to Prague so stay tuned for details on that adventure!
Italy, Part 3
After Siena we arrived via train in Florence. Once again, Florence had a completely different feel to it than Rome or Siena. We completely lucked out with our hostel, because although it was a little weird on the inside, it was literally smack dab in the middle of the city. We had 3 full days of exploring there.
On the first day, we went to the Duomo of Florence, which rivals that of Siena. What is most interesting about it is its interior, which has striped stone patterns that are really similar to churches I've visited in Sevilla, Spain that have a huge Arabic influence. I've seen so many churches in the past three months that many of them blend together, but the Duomos in Florence and Siena are unforgettable.
Another highlight of our stay in Florence was seeing the famous statue of David by Michelangelo. Unlike my impression of the Sistine Chapel, I was very impressed. It is an unbelievably accurate sculpture, and much larger than I expected. Within the same museum are some other cool works of art, notably unfinished marble sculptures also by Michelangelo. These were cool to me because you could see the process that he went through in making his sculptures, and it was easy to imagine what his famous David statue must have looked like as it went through all these stages.
On our second day in Florence we visited the house of the Medici family, one of the most important social and political families in all of Europe during the time of the Renaissance. Needless to say, the "house," if you can even call it that, is ridiculous. It seems like a museum due to its size. Not only is it absurdly large, but every single room is ornately decorated with expensive and luxurious furniture, paintings, sculptures, wall hangings, etc. It's almost disgusting how nice the house is. However, one of the rooms may have been my favorite thing in all of Italy, although most people will probably just think I'm weird when I say it. It was a room featuring huge maps (made during the 15th-16th centuries) of every part of the world that had yet been discovered. The room easily had 40 maps. In the center of the room was a huge sculpture of a globe, which you had to walk around to view each of the maps. Maybe it's because I'm a geography loser, but the maps were so detailed, and it was super interesting to see how close (or far off) these mapmakers were. It is incredible because even places like the Caribbean, which was fairly unknown to most Europeans at the time, was pretty accurately mapped out.
We also had one day to relax in Florence, which I personally feel is important on a vacation! It was rainy out, so we all sat inside and read and just hung out. It seemed to fit the lifestyle in Florence as well, which was much more laid back and slow compared to the bustling nature of Rome. After our day of relaxation, we took a train to Venice, our last stop on our Italian tour and the subject of my final blog post.
On the first day, we went to the Duomo of Florence, which rivals that of Siena. What is most interesting about it is its interior, which has striped stone patterns that are really similar to churches I've visited in Sevilla, Spain that have a huge Arabic influence. I've seen so many churches in the past three months that many of them blend together, but the Duomos in Florence and Siena are unforgettable.
Another highlight of our stay in Florence was seeing the famous statue of David by Michelangelo. Unlike my impression of the Sistine Chapel, I was very impressed. It is an unbelievably accurate sculpture, and much larger than I expected. Within the same museum are some other cool works of art, notably unfinished marble sculptures also by Michelangelo. These were cool to me because you could see the process that he went through in making his sculptures, and it was easy to imagine what his famous David statue must have looked like as it went through all these stages.
On our second day in Florence we visited the house of the Medici family, one of the most important social and political families in all of Europe during the time of the Renaissance. Needless to say, the "house," if you can even call it that, is ridiculous. It seems like a museum due to its size. Not only is it absurdly large, but every single room is ornately decorated with expensive and luxurious furniture, paintings, sculptures, wall hangings, etc. It's almost disgusting how nice the house is. However, one of the rooms may have been my favorite thing in all of Italy, although most people will probably just think I'm weird when I say it. It was a room featuring huge maps (made during the 15th-16th centuries) of every part of the world that had yet been discovered. The room easily had 40 maps. In the center of the room was a huge sculpture of a globe, which you had to walk around to view each of the maps. Maybe it's because I'm a geography loser, but the maps were so detailed, and it was super interesting to see how close (or far off) these mapmakers were. It is incredible because even places like the Caribbean, which was fairly unknown to most Europeans at the time, was pretty accurately mapped out.
We also had one day to relax in Florence, which I personally feel is important on a vacation! It was rainy out, so we all sat inside and read and just hung out. It seemed to fit the lifestyle in Florence as well, which was much more laid back and slow compared to the bustling nature of Rome. After our day of relaxation, we took a train to Venice, our last stop on our Italian tour and the subject of my final blog post.
Italy, Part 2
After Rome, we took a train to Siena, in the middle of Tuscany, where we spent one night. It is amazing how just a couple hours on a train can take you to a totally different area. In stark contrast to Rome, Siena is a fairly quiet town, surrounded by a beautiful countryside. The streets are lined with quaint shops, and it seemed to be a good time of year to go there because there were few tourists. There are not many attractions to see; it's just one of those places you go to wander and get the vibe.
However, we did go into the Duomo of Siena, the main church that is absolutely gorgeous. It is incredible that a town of its size has such an impressively-built church. We also climbed to the top of a lookout-tower which has an amazing panoramic view. On one side was the relatively undeveloped countryside of Tuscany, and on the other was the village of Siena, with the red rooftops of the homes stretching quite a ways.
Siena did lead to one little adventure, too: it was the only night of our trip that we hadn't booked a hostel, which needless to say, is a poor idea. When we got to the city, it just so happened to be pouring rain as well. So, while trudging through the darkness and pouring rain, we had the job of finding a hostel in a fairly small town on a Monday night. Luckily, we found a tourism stand that helped us book an extremely nice hostel (it even had a tv, which is virtually unheard of in hostels) so it was fine. But, even though we had good spirits throughout the trek, it was a little disheartening to end up in a city, completely lost, with no place to stay. Thank goodness that was the only night we had to do that though!
After spending a morning exploring Siena, we took a train to Florence, the subject of my next post!
However, we did go into the Duomo of Siena, the main church that is absolutely gorgeous. It is incredible that a town of its size has such an impressively-built church. We also climbed to the top of a lookout-tower which has an amazing panoramic view. On one side was the relatively undeveloped countryside of Tuscany, and on the other was the village of Siena, with the red rooftops of the homes stretching quite a ways.
Siena did lead to one little adventure, too: it was the only night of our trip that we hadn't booked a hostel, which needless to say, is a poor idea. When we got to the city, it just so happened to be pouring rain as well. So, while trudging through the darkness and pouring rain, we had the job of finding a hostel in a fairly small town on a Monday night. Luckily, we found a tourism stand that helped us book an extremely nice hostel (it even had a tv, which is virtually unheard of in hostels) so it was fine. But, even though we had good spirits throughout the trek, it was a little disheartening to end up in a city, completely lost, with no place to stay. Thank goodness that was the only night we had to do that though!
After spending a morning exploring Siena, we took a train to Florence, the subject of my next post!
Italy, Part 1
Last week was our fall break off from classes, so a couple friends and I decided to travel to Italy for 10 days. It was an absolutely amazing trip. I could ramble on and on, but I will try to make it concise. Our first stop was Rome, which we flew into on Oct. 29. There we stayed at a great hostel located right in the center of the city. Our host there was extremely generous: he upgraded our room, served us free breakfasts, gave us two free bottles of wine, and helped us navigate the city by pointing out where to go. It was a refreshing stay, since most hostels are far from being that accomodating.
On our first day in Rome we went to Vatican City, where we spent an hour standing in line just to enter St. Peter's Basilica. It was actually quite impressive to see that many people dedicated to getting in on a seemingly random Friday in late October. Once we entered, we realized what the wait was for. St. Peter's Basilica, although not surprising as it is the seat of the Catholic Church and where the Pope regularly holds mass, is by far the most astounding church I've ever been in. It's quite hard to describe, but basically, it could easily be a castle due to its size, and every little nook has a super elaborate painting, sculpture, or other work of art. It would be quite easy to hold mass in 10 different locations within the church. We paid to climb to the top of it, which is about 550 steps through a, shall we say, harrowing passageway that is at times completely slanted. I could barely fit through some of the hallways. But the view is astounding, with the square directly in front of you and the city of Rome beyond it. You can also get a bird's eye view of the gardens and fountains that surround the basilica. Afterwards, we got to walk through the catacombs which house the tombs of many previous popes, including the most recent, John Paul II.
Later that day we also went through the Sistine Chapel, which is world-renowned for its incredibly detailed paintings on the ceiling. Personally, I found the paintings to be impressive but very over-hyped. I've seen better. Like I said, it was definitely cool to see, but it was not the most amazing artistic display in the world. Part of it is that they make you walk through all these hallways of art before you get to see the famous ceiling, and I think by the time I got there I was simply disinterested.
The next day we went to the Colosseum, an enormous former arena from the age of the ancient Romans. It was incredible to simply walk around such a famous area, especially when taking into account how intact it is after more than a thousand years. A majority of the original structure still stands. Adjacent to the Colosseum are a bunch of Roman ruins, which literally last for blocks. It is crazy to walk around them and envision what it must have looked like when they were originally built. It was also a beautiful place to wander, since it was 75 degrees, sunny, and much of the ruins are lined with palm trees, which aren't exactly a species of plant you can find in Brussels.
That night my friends and I went out to an area frequented my students in central Rome to celebrate my birthday. It was a pretty fun scene, with thousands of kids my age roaming the streets and enjoying the night life. It's probably the only birthday I'll ever spend in Rome, so I had to live it up!
Our third and final full day in Rome (my birthday!!) was spent exploring some of the free attractions: famous squares, the Trevi fountain (my personal favorite thing in Rome), and some quiet streets and parks. Overall, I absolutely love the vibe in Rome. Maybe it's because I'm a city kid, but I love how there's so many people bustling around at all times of day, and the crazy amounts of traffic just add to the madness. The mix between 2,000+ year old buildings and modern, aesthetically-pleasing museums, restaurants, and office buildings gives the city a cool feeling. Even though it's really busy, there are definitely quiet areas you can find that are surprisingly peaceful and make you forget that you are in one of the largest cities in Europe.
The next day we took a train to Siena...please see the next blog entry.
On our first day in Rome we went to Vatican City, where we spent an hour standing in line just to enter St. Peter's Basilica. It was actually quite impressive to see that many people dedicated to getting in on a seemingly random Friday in late October. Once we entered, we realized what the wait was for. St. Peter's Basilica, although not surprising as it is the seat of the Catholic Church and where the Pope regularly holds mass, is by far the most astounding church I've ever been in. It's quite hard to describe, but basically, it could easily be a castle due to its size, and every little nook has a super elaborate painting, sculpture, or other work of art. It would be quite easy to hold mass in 10 different locations within the church. We paid to climb to the top of it, which is about 550 steps through a, shall we say, harrowing passageway that is at times completely slanted. I could barely fit through some of the hallways. But the view is astounding, with the square directly in front of you and the city of Rome beyond it. You can also get a bird's eye view of the gardens and fountains that surround the basilica. Afterwards, we got to walk through the catacombs which house the tombs of many previous popes, including the most recent, John Paul II.
Later that day we also went through the Sistine Chapel, which is world-renowned for its incredibly detailed paintings on the ceiling. Personally, I found the paintings to be impressive but very over-hyped. I've seen better. Like I said, it was definitely cool to see, but it was not the most amazing artistic display in the world. Part of it is that they make you walk through all these hallways of art before you get to see the famous ceiling, and I think by the time I got there I was simply disinterested.
The next day we went to the Colosseum, an enormous former arena from the age of the ancient Romans. It was incredible to simply walk around such a famous area, especially when taking into account how intact it is after more than a thousand years. A majority of the original structure still stands. Adjacent to the Colosseum are a bunch of Roman ruins, which literally last for blocks. It is crazy to walk around them and envision what it must have looked like when they were originally built. It was also a beautiful place to wander, since it was 75 degrees, sunny, and much of the ruins are lined with palm trees, which aren't exactly a species of plant you can find in Brussels.
That night my friends and I went out to an area frequented my students in central Rome to celebrate my birthday. It was a pretty fun scene, with thousands of kids my age roaming the streets and enjoying the night life. It's probably the only birthday I'll ever spend in Rome, so I had to live it up!
Our third and final full day in Rome (my birthday!!) was spent exploring some of the free attractions: famous squares, the Trevi fountain (my personal favorite thing in Rome), and some quiet streets and parks. Overall, I absolutely love the vibe in Rome. Maybe it's because I'm a city kid, but I love how there's so many people bustling around at all times of day, and the crazy amounts of traffic just add to the madness. The mix between 2,000+ year old buildings and modern, aesthetically-pleasing museums, restaurants, and office buildings gives the city a cool feeling. Even though it's really busy, there are definitely quiet areas you can find that are surprisingly peaceful and make you forget that you are in one of the largest cities in Europe.
The next day we took a train to Siena...please see the next blog entry.
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