My last weekend of January I spent in Madrid. Going to Madrid helped me learn about Barcelona’s regional culture and how they believe they are culturally different from the rest of Spain and most of the Barcelonan’s believe that Catalunya (region that Barcelona is in) should be a separate identity then the rest of Spain. It was extremely interesting to compare these two societies. Stating my trip with visiting the Royal Palace, the different plazas and learning about the importance the events that happened there in history, to visiting La Plaza de Toros and learning about its importance in history to society in Spain. It was has been a cultural education. With ending my weekend by visiting El Parque del El Retiro, and going nuts taking pictures of this once private royal garden, I could only imagine how one day I had to go back.

Hasta la próxima

Its been a couple of weeks since I settled here in Barcelona. From visiting Park Guell, Arc de Triomf, Las Ramblas, Plaza Espana, Montjuic, I feel like I still haven’t even explored half of Barcelona. I’ve been on unexpected graffiti tours, to going inside of some of Gaudi’s breathtaking architectural structures like Sagrada Familia, and Casa Milà ( La Pedrera), and exploring some of Barcelonas creative Caffe/bar locales. Barcelona offer infinite variety of activities. Absorbing all the culture that I can, i’ve been learning about things I would of never have imagined (like about how graffiti art has so much meaning and significance to the artists). With time going by so fast, I can only go on for the ride and enjoy as much as I can of it.

Till next time

Before starting your amazing journey abroad, being nervous of the unknown is totally expected. Starting off with what to pack, it’s extremely important for you to do your research about the weather in Barcelona. Known for its amazing beach life, one would imagine to bring spring/summer clothing. Much to my surprise January through the end of March are still pretty chilly. Barcelona may be in the south of Europe, but they still have some winter weather. Keeping in mind the luggage limits for your airline, it’s important to pack smart instead of packing more. It’s ideal to pack clothes that can be mixed and matched, and especially bring layers. Barcelona can be very cold in the mornings but by the afternoon the sun tends to be almost hot.

Once settled into Barcelona after the extremely stressful process of packing and flying in, and finally across the globe with a bit of jet leg, it’s time to explore the beautiful city of Barcelona. Of course the first thing you want to do after your first steps here is walk on the the sand of the Mediterranean sea, and try Spain’s famous Paella. But DO NOT eat the paella on the beach!! Don’t eat at any restaurants with pictures of paella outside their doors. From my experience and advise of our orientation leaders, those restaurants usually have frozen paella, and not the original fresh cuisine that you are expecting. Paella takes hours to cook properly, so typically only the pre made and frozen versions will be sever along the beach. Save your paella adventures for something home made or in Valencia, the true home of paella.

Also, eating hours here are insanely different, lunch is served at 2pm and dinner usually at 9pm. So don’t be expecting restaurants to be open till at least 8pm. Keeping in mind that water is not free here. As like the rest of the world except for North America, water is charged, and is against regulations to give customers water from the faucet. Occasionally you will find places where the water is free with your alcoholic drink or juice, but do not assume it is free.

Abrazos 

Ciao tutti-

Last weekend was a very exciting weekend for me, as it was the weekend of my 21st birthday. As part of my celebration, I decided to venture to Modena, a city in the Emilia-Romania region of Italy where the racing company Ferrari was born.

After a few hours of travel, I finally arrived to the city. What was unusual about this particular day, however, was the fact that there were several inches of snow on the ground. Although I am used to the snow from being from the Midwestern United States, this was an abnormal occurrence for the people in this city; as such, travel and walking was incredibly difficult. Nonetheless, I was ready to explore the town.

My first stop, of course, was for lunch. Because many restaurants were closed due to the snow, I was forced to eat at a hotel restaurant. Though a bit overpriced and not the best food I have had in Emilia-Romania, the food and service was still quite good.

Before I even ordered anything, the wait staff brought me a free glass of prosecco, some bread, and prosciutto cotto (aka bologna). For lunch, I ordered a piece of bruschetta alla Modenese, lasagne alle Bolognese, and some Chianti red wine. Although the lasagna that I had in Bologna last semester was much more flavorful, I still preferred this lasagna over the lasagna from our orientation trip, as I prefer lasagna with a meaty ragu sauce instead of a mostly tomato-based sauce. The bruschetta antipasto was very flavorful; it was a combination of rosemary, cheese, balsamic vinagrette, and parma ham. Overall, this was a very good restaurant for an otherwise rainy and snowy day.

After lunch, I ventured to the city’s main attraction, which was the Enzo Ferrari Museum. Once I got inside, I was warmly greeted by a hostess who gave me my ticket and showed me the entrance. Inside the main car exhibit floor, there were several models of Masseratis, Ferraris, and Fiats. In addition, there was a whole history of the Ferrari company, as well as how involved the town of Modena was in its production.

In addition, there was a side building, where there were more cars, as well as a historical account of the life of Enzo Ferrari, the master behind the “Prancing Horse.” In one exhibit, there was a letter that explained how Ferrari could have entered into a deal with Ford to build a supercar. However, Ferrari wanted to preserve the integrity of his brand, as well as keep the heritage of the company all Italian. Instead, Ford decided to merge with the British car company Shelby; so thanks for Ferrari, the Shelby Cobra supercar from Ford and Shelby was created. If Ferrari had accepted the deal, the history behind the Mustang would be much different.

I was very grateful to see this museum and visit the town of Modena, as I have a great appreciation and love for everything car related, as well as for the food of Emilia-Romania.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog, and I look forward to posting again soon!

A presto,

-I

 

China. It didn’t seem real. As the plane landed, the grogginess of my jet lag, slowly faded away. Am I really here? Is this really where I will be for the next semester? Waves of anticipation and nausea hit me, making my stomach churn. The weeks of preparation and studying, slowly vanished as I took in my surroundings. Swarms of people filled the airport, some visitors, some coming back home. As I sat in the bus, going to what will be my new campus, I felt overwhelmed with sensations. There was so much to look at, so much to do, and so many people to meet. That night, I couldn’t sleep. I felt the excitement of not knowing what was waiting around the corner, where tomorrow would take me. After being in Beijing for a week, I have realized that nothing could’ve prepared me for this wonderful and always surprising country. Its been only a week, and I have slowly realized how little I know of this country. Everyday is a new adventure.  Last weekend, I went tea tasting, and tried almost 40 cups of different teas. The next day I went to a karaoke bar with Chinese students, and sang Taylor Swift. The following day, I had to pantomime to a desk receptionist in order to get my mail. It is so surprising how different, and yet how familiar China can be.  There isn’t one moment of my day, that I’m not experiencing or having another adventure. Just surviving in this country i.e speaking and talking with people, ordering food, taking the bus, buying school supplies, provides new and exciting challenges. Even something so small as doing laundry, is an experience in China. I can’t say that China is anything that I expected it to be, in fact most things are not what I expected. I can say, however, that studying abroad in China, so far, has been the one of the best and most exciting decisions in my life. I look forward to sharing the rest of my journey with you.

Until then, 再见！

Ciao tutti!

Last Friday at 7am, I went with the JFRC to Campania, the province adjacent to Lazio, the province that Rome is in. We drove for about 4 hours until we reached a cliffside restaurant near the town of Agropoli where we had lunch. For lunch, we had lasagna, followed by pork and potatoes. Although the lasagna was good, it was not my favorite, as I still prefer lasagna alla Bolognese. Unlike the ladder, this particular lasagna was more based on a tomato sauce instead of a meat sauce, and had a slightly sweet aftertaste. The pork and potatoes were cooked well, and the pork had a slightly peppery taste to it, which I really enjoyed.

After lunch, we departed for an archeological site in a nearby town.  There, we examined numerous ruins left by the Roman empire that were constructed in a Greco-Roman fashion.  In the middle of the site, there were numerous structures that appeared to look similar to the Parthenon.  Although I enjoyed the tour, it was raining that day, so we had to go under an open air shelter for a bit until the rain subsided.  After, we went to the museum adjacent to the site, where we examined paintings, mosaics, and other works of art excavated from the site that were on display for preservation purposes.

Once we finished at the site, we departed for our hotel in Vietri, a small town along the Amalfi Coast.  After checking in, we had a welcome celebration led by the student life team, followed by dinner.  For dinner, we had a pasta that contained both pork and a mushroom sauce.  Although it was very good, it was not my personal favorite, as I am not the largest fan of mushrooms.  Objectively, though, it was cooked well.  Following the pasta was the second course, which consisted of turkey and potatoes.  Similar to lunch, both were cooked nicely, and the turkey has a slight peppery taste to it.  Throughout the meal, we were served ample wine.  The wine we received was a medium-bodied red, and although it was not as robust as a Cabernet or a Sangiovese, there was still ample flavor.

The next morning, we were woken up very early by staff, after which, we had breakfast and then went to both a bufala mozzarella farm and a winery.  We toured both facilities, followed by a tasting from each.  The bufala mozzarella was served in a water bath, so that when you bit into it, you could taste the freshness and richness of the mozzarella cheese.  Unlike other types of cheese, this particular cheese contained 9 percent milk fat, which meant that it was incredibly flavorful.  After the farm, we went to the wine tasting, where we sampled both a white and a red.  As you can tell from my blog, I prefer red wine outright to white; this particular white, however, was very full-bodied and was not too harsh.  To me, it tasted like a more refined, smoother pinot grigio.  Additionally, the red tasted very good as well; however, unlike the wine tasting in Umbria, it was not nearly as robust in its strength.  However, there was still flavor, and although fruity, it was not overwhelming.

After the wine tasting and lunch, we went to the town of Agropoli, where we climbed to a fort at the highest point in town.  From there, we saw spectacular views of the Southern Amalfi Coast.  We got a couple of hours to freely explore the town, have coffee, and shop.  Although I chose not to participate in the community mass, many people did, and those that attended it got to go inside a church situated on a cliff.  Once it came time to go, we boarded the busses and went back to the hotel for dinner.

Once dinner was almost over, a musical group from near Vesuvius came out of nowhere.  All of a sudden, the room went from moderately loud chatter to a room filled with excitement, music, and dancing.  Almost immediately, I found myself being yanked up from my seat onto the dance floor, where I danced with a member of the band.  I was a bit intimidated at first, seeing as I am not the best dancer; however, I got into the rhythm of the music, and after a while felt much more relaxed.  After the dancing, we enjoyed the rest of the night with new friends looking out over the water.

Although very tired the next day, we were, yet again, woken up very early to eat breakfast, check out, and board the buses.  Our last sight that we visited was a monastery situated on top of a very large hill just north of Naples.  We toured the compound, which included a museum, and were able to spend time taking pictures, talking with friends, and reflecting on our experiences up to this point.  It was a very peaceful environment, as for the first time in almost two weeks, I was able to find a place where I could be in complete silence and think about the many thoughts and experiences I have.

We then left the monastery, went to lunch, and departed back to Rome.

I know this blog was longer than usual, but I felt that there was a lot to highlight from this experience.  Unfortunately, the wifi is very bad in Italy, so I do not have the pictures right now for this blog.  In the future, once I find a solution, I will make sure to add pictures to the site!

Grazie per leggere, e a presto!

-I

 

Ciao tutti!

As you can see from the title of this blog, I have returned back to Rome from a month break in the United States. Although I enjoyed spending time with old family and old friends, by the time the temperature dropped to close to -15 degrees Celsius, I was ready to return.

Upon returning to Rome, I found myself feeling many conflicted feelings about my return. On the one hand, I was returning to a world that I had once known: familiar teachers, co-workers, even many full-year students with whom I had been waiting to become reunited with. On the other hand, there were close to 200 new faces that I found myself in contact with, which, in-and-of itself, was more than 100 greater people than last semester’s population. So while my experience back to Rome was a return home, it was also the start of a new adventure.

This past week I had taken part in orientation, and although many events were the same, such as visiting the Colosseum, as well as exploring this vast city with a new group of friends, unlike last semester, we went into the mountains yesterday for a day excursion into Lazio. While on this excursion, we visited two mountain towns: the town of Bagnaia, which was close to Viterbo, as well as the town of Capararola. In the first town, we visited a large villa and some gardens. The villa had been in the town for centuries, even surviving the hardships of the Second World War.

After seeing the villa in Bagnaia, we had a community lunch in a mountain top park. For lunch, we had pasta cacio e pepe, roasted chicken with potatoes, as well as a liquor-saturated sponge cake. The pasta was very flavorful, albeit a bit al dente for my taste. The chicken and potatoes, on the other hand, were cooked perfectly. The chicken was moist, flavorful, and tasted of rosemary, while the potatoes were seasoned perfectly. In my opinion, the cake was the best part of the meal; it was a chocolate cake with a sponge-cake top that was saturated with a dolce liquor.

Once lunch was completed, we ventured to the town of Capararola, where we saw an old manor that at one point had been converted into a fort. This particular site had been around for centuries, and contained many different pieces of exquisite art work. Upon completion of visiting the site, we returned to Rome.

Well that is all I have for now. Over the next few weeks I will update you with my findings and observations as I continue to travel throughout Rome, Italy, Europe, and beyond!

Ciao per ‘ora,

-I

Because I had poorly timed my trip to Belgium, I had an extra day to spare over Thanksgiving break.  Therefore, I decided to not only vacation in Belgium Friday through Sunday, but also to take a day trip to Siena in Tuscany on Thanksgiving Day.  So I got up very early Thursday, boarded a fast train to Florence, and then took a regional train to Siena.

Although I was tired from travelling for three hours, I was very excited to arrive in Siena.  Even with the fog in the morning, there were some stunningly beautiful views from the top of the hill.  Overlooking a magnificent valley, it was very easy to see why people who went on my program’s study trip to Tuscany loved the town so much.

After mindlessly wandering the streets of Siena, I stumbled upon a café in the center of town where I decided to have lunch.  When the chef decided to give me a complementary stew before my meal, I thought the meal was going to be phenomenal, since the stew had so many flavors, herbs, and spices, as well as contained tomato and onion.  However, I was very disappointed with my steak; it was overdone, there was no red in the center, and it came with vegetables that were not that fresh.  I will make sure to remember this experience, however, since it reminds me that when I go on trips and culinary adventures, I should do a bit more research before going.

Once I finished my sub-par lunch, I decided to head over to the Duomo.  Since I had visited Florence the weekend prior, I was able to compare the two buildings.  Even though Florence’s Duomo is larger in stature, the Duomo in Siena is much more ornate on the inside; in fact, it even has a separate room full of art that was done in the same style as the Villa Borghese in Rome.

Upon finishing up at the Duomo, I decided that I wanted to try and stop back in Florence so that I could drink red wine, eat cured meats, and go to my favorite gelato place along the river.  So I boarded a regional train back to Florence, and in less than two hours, I ended up at a wine cellar just off the river in Florence.  There, for 10 euros, I got a glass of Chianti, a meat and cheese plate, as well as some other little snacks.  The wine, of course, was full-bodied, robust, and had hints of oak in it.  Afterwards, I got gelato by the river, walked around downtown Florence, and boarded a fast train back to Rome so that I could travel to Belgium the next day.

Ciao e buona giornata!

-I

 

As I am writing this post, my plane is about to take off For China! I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am. I have already met up with many of my classmates from Loyola & we are eagerly awaiting our future adventure in Beijing. Now I have to post this before we take off, so best wishes & more to fellow.

Matt Kugler

It’s my last night in Vietnam.

Wow. That’s a statement that I’ve been dreading admitting to myself, for a few weeks now. To be honest, I’ve been putting off writing this post for the last few days because I knew it would be strange and somewhat upsetting. I’ve also been touring Vietnam with my family for the past week, so that’s been a good excuse to avoid blog writing too. But even now, as I write this, I’m realizing that this is going to be a little more difficult than I realized.

While I suppose all good things must come to an end, I don’t quite know if I’m ready to leave yet. There is a big part of me that is quite excited and happy to go home … snuggling in warm cotton socks, cuddling with my goofy puppy, snacking on American food. (Oh my gosh macaroni & cheese, brownies, cinnamon rolls, sautéed spinach, delivery pizza, grilled cheese, Chipotle… I have a list, don’t worry!) I cannot wait to see my dear friends too; grab twin lattes at Metropolis and catch up with them. I miss both of my homes, Chicago (of course) and even little Dayton, Ohio. I know that it will be good to go back.

But the other part of me knows how much I will miss Saigon, and this beautiful, peaceful country I’ve been living in. I went back to my dorm today in District 10, grabbed an iced ca phe sua da, sat on the stoop just outside the front gate, and watched the motorbikes speed by. It was weird knowing that Ash wasn’t going to run out to meet me, or that the whole group wasn’t meeting to grab a cab to District 1. While I was enjoying the solitude for a little bit after a long family trip, it was also nostalgic and somewhat heartbreaking. I realize that even if I return here someday, the incredible experience that I’ve had will never, ever repeat itself. Things will change here, and life will go on. Sometimes it’s just a little hard to let go.

I also know that when I arrive home, I will get asked over and over by my lovely friends and family, “Well, how was Vietnam?” … And how do I answer that? I have no clue!! Do I tell them about the craziness of living in Saigon for four months? Do I tell them of my international travels and very sketchy eating all over Southeast Asia? Do I tell them of all the wonderful and hilarious new friends I’ve made? All of the absolutely incredible things I’ve learned? All of that and more, I guess. It’s just a little bit daunting to answer that question in two sentences… to sum up a life-changing semester in just a few minutes of casual conversation.