Since my last post, I have traveled to Prague, Czech Republic; Nice, France; Barcelona, Spain; and of course I have been exploring Florence a little bit more. From these travels I have realized that food is just as much essential to the culture as art and history. Thankfully, I was able to experience the culturally significant cuisine in all of these places and here is what I found:

Prague knows its street food.

To me, Prague embodies a big beautiful, modern city that was taken right out of a Disney fairytale. The architecture is colorful and traditional while mixed with rows and rows of stores and restaurants. I found that the easiest way to eat good food while still being able to explore Prague was to get the street food. The first street food I tried was a trdelnik. If I could have one dessert for the rest of my life it would be a trdelnik. It is a hollow cylindrical pastry that can have fillings like Nutella or ice cream and are dusted with sugar, nuts or cinnamon. You can find them almost anywhere in the city being made right before your eyes.

It was pretty fishy in Nice.

The beautiful coast of Nice

Nice (pronounced like niece) sits on the coast of France and is one of the most beautiful cities. Surrounded by blue water and breath taking views, there is no place quiet like Nice. While not wondering the beach, I splurged on a local cuisine: seafood. From salmon to haddock to crab, Nice is a fish lovers dream. My first French fish experience was with a seafood spaghetti. Noodles covered in marinara sauce were paired with plenty of scallops, shrimp (that still had the eyeballs attached) and muscles. It was a meal that many Americans are probably familiar with, but not many have been able to experience the taste of fish from Nice, which is unlike any other.

Crazy for paella.

If you’re the type that likes to have an early dinner and be in bed before nine, then Barcelona is the yin to your yang. Barcelonans enjoy large late night dinners, which is paired with staying o
ut until 6 a.m. In between midafternoon naps, the people of Barcelona enjoy a big skillet of paella. Paella is typically rice cooked with fish, meat and an assortment of vegetables. It’s salty, savory and so filling that you want to roll out of the restaurant.

The more the merrier.

My favorite course of grilled vegetables

While in Florence I had the opportunity to experience a traditional five-course meal for a class that I am taking on food and culture. Our teacher took us to restaurant that is Chianti, an area in Tuscany that is known for its many wineries. Once at the restaurant we were seated and immediately served warm bread to start the meal. For the first course, we had a crepe that was filled with radishes and cheese. Once we were finished, we were served a creamy and thick risotto that had pieces of asparagus. Our third course was penne pasta with meat sauce and peas. Our last course before dessert was grilled vegetables with a smoked cheese (my favorite course). And lastly, we were given a dessert that looked like a piece of cake that was made out of ingredients for a cannoli.

If you think this sounds like an extreme amount of food, then you’re right. As Americans we aren’t used to eating this many courses at one sitting. But if you ever get the chance to experience a five course meal I highly suggest it!

Food has been one of the best parts of my study abroad journey. If you’re thinking about going over seas, I suggest preparing to indulge in the delicacies of the world by bringing loose fitting clothes. You wont regret it.

Location: Florence, Italy

After 12 years of Kirchnerism an American president finally makes an official visit to Argentina. With a newly elected president, Mauricio Macri, the United States is stretching its arms in acceptance. Mauricio Macri was elected in November, preceding Cristina de Fernandez Kircher, a member of the Peronist party with anti-American sentiments.

Obama arrived to Buenos Aires on Wednesday at 2 a.m., I can tell you with certainty because I heard his very loud entourage by my window. The president made his way to the American embassy in Palermo, a new and hip neighborhood in Buenos Aires.

My host mom and host brother were ecstatic with Obama’s visit, perhaps even more than some Americans in Argentina. Argentina is very polarized, therefore with Obama’s visit there was both anger and joy from the people. President Obama came during an interesting time in Argentina, on Thursday it was the Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice. That national holiday serves as an anniversary of the beginning of the Dirty War and dictatorship in Argentina where thousands of people “disappeared”; they were tortured and  killed by the military. Many people believe that the United States allowed and helped the dictatorship thus resenting Obama and the U.S.

During his visit the president attended the memorial for victims of the Dirty War with Macri. The president and the first lady also attended a state dinner where they both danced tango. Michelle Obama also made a visit to a group of girls with Argentine first lady, Juliana Awada, and made a speech about girls education and her humble background. The family ended their visit in Bariloche, a town in the south of Argentina where many American presidents have previously stayed.

Location: Plaza de Mayo

I remember when I got on a plane two months ago, listening to ‘I Have Confidence’ from the soundtrack to The Sound of Music and wondering if I would make any friends during my five months abroad with eighty strangers. Today it seems silly to me that I ever even worried, as I pack to go to Ireland for a week with two girls who were complete strangers to me before I landed in Germany. To make things stranger, these two girls go to Penn State! Studying abroad is without a doubt the coolest and best experience of my life, and I’m only halfway through! Meeting people who go to the same school as you, yet you have no mutual friends with and have never even seen before is special, and it’s something that you can’t get everywhere. As frustrating as it is that the three of us didn’t meet two years ago at freshman orientation, being part of Penn State in Europe has given us a shared bond and allowed us to become very close friends, with a very important common denominator that is blue and white!

It really struck me tonight, in the midst of the chaos occurring in Brussels and my packing for spring break, how truly fortunate I am to be where I am, and have the friends that I do. Receiving so many texts from friends and family asking for my safety and wellbeing was comforting, considering that we were only in Brussels 3 weeks ago, and were mainly based in the area where the bombs took place. The Malbeek metro stop was one of our staple stops.

What was just as reassuring as receiving texts of good will was the aura of camaraderie around my fellow classmates and myself. We all felt the removed shakiness of the attack, especially since many of us had been in/near Brussels the past weekend, or were planning on going there tomorrow for a layover or a stopover for spring break. The feeling we all shared was one of sadness, but not of fear. It is evident that being abroad has already been shaping our perspectives on travel and relationships. With spring break starting tomorrow, we all realize that danger exists everywhere, both in places where we have come from and in places where we have yet to go. What is important is that we stay together and stay smart, a fact that we have all taken to heart many a time. These occurrences only strengthen relationships with your friends while abroad, and experiencing history in the making (at least for a history nerd like me) is jointly terrifying and exhilarating. I feel safe with my friends here, and vice versa. In my opinion,  attacks like these shouldn’t deter you from studying abroad or trying new experiences. Life is scary. People are scary. Bad things happen. But great things also happen too. I cannot even describe how truly happy and blessed I feel, and how close I am to this group of fellow students I met two months ago. And no act of violence can take that away.

Location: Freiburg, Germany

~This will be a short post on Lucerne, since the pictures do it much more justice than my words ever could!~

On Friday, five of my friends and I took a day trip to Lucerne, Switzerland. One of us had heard that Lucerne was very picturesque, and with Lucerne only being two hours from Freiburg, we thought ‘why not?’ (a typical abroad attitude!). Boarding an 8am train, we headed south through the alps and into Switzerland, which, with Friday’s excursion, has become the prettiest country we have visited, in my opinion.

A view of Europe’s oldest covered bridge!

Sculpture in rock face of “Dying Lion of Lucerne”; symbolizing the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss people

Buildings on the water

Lucerne’s levy system: check out how clear the water is!!

Charming Lucerne

The weather on Friday was a huge plus; not a cloud in the sky! When we arrived in Lucerne the morning clouds were still hanging around the peaks of the mountains which loomed around the city, but the sunshine was able to burn most off my midday. The views by lunchtime were breathtaking:

The weather on Friday was a huge plus; not a cloud in the sky! When we arrived in Lucerne the morning clouds were still hanging around the peaks of the mountains which loomed around the city, but the sunshine was able to burn most off my midday. The views by lunchtime were breathtaking:

Gorgeous alpine views and rolling green hills surrounding Lake Lucerne

Swiss flag and stunning blue skies from the boat tour

There isn’t so much to do in Lucerne as there is to see… We walked across the oldest covered bridge in Europe, saw the huge rock sculpture “The Dying Lion of Lucerne”, and went for a panoramic boat tour of the lake! It was a picturesque day; not a cloud in the sky and the lake water was the clearest that I’ve ever seen. We finished off the day by watching twilight set in over the alps from atop the old fortress wall overlooking the city. Switzerland, you are expensive, but breathtaking.

View of the town and the lake from the old fortress

Dusk settling in over the Alps

Location: Lucerne, Switzerland

I have come to the realization that saving money while on this trip is just impossible. Last week was just like any other week; I went to class all week. I had exams all last week and so going out or on a trip was not convenient. However, this weekend I had the chance to go to Barcelona.

I left to Barcelona using a Blablacar around midnight on Thursday. I have to confess I was a bit scared going into a car with three random strangers, but it turns out they were super nice. I got to Barcelona around two in the morning with hopes of going out and experiencing some of the Barcelona nightlife everyone talks about. To my luck, we didn’t make it to anywhere. During the day I visited La Sagrada Familia, which was definitely worth the fifteen euros one has to pay to get in. I also learned that construction should be finished in about ten years. (over 130 years in construction). I also had the chance to go to Bunkers El Carmel, which is basically a leftover bunker from the Spanish Civil War. This bunker sits at the top of a hill and overlooks all of Barcelona. It was quite a hike getting up there, but the view was absolutely worth it.

Sagrada Familia…and some Starbucks with my misspelled name.

At night we went to a famous bar and had a few drinks before venturing into the nightlife of the city. I think that Barcelona is the equivalent to New York; it’s another city that doesn’t sleep! I would definitely love to visit this city again in the near future.

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Ciao a tutti! Come state?

Midterms are finally over! I have an 8-page paper hanging over my head, but the worst of it is through! Since midterms, I decided to vacation right here in Florence for a solo spring break. Being one of the only students from my program to stay back, I had a lot of time to just enjoy, soak up all the views, breathe, and really spend time falling even more deeply in love with my beautiful home city. I even got to see Michelangelo’s “David,” write about him for Flo’N The Go, a local travel publication, and I caught a glorious view of the sun setting on the Arno. (Had I not accidently locked my keys in the house… there’s know way I would have seen this!) Check it out!

It’s unbelievable that the semester is already halfway through, but I’ve sure made the most of it and been blessed profoundly throughout this experience. Since I’ve been here, I’ve found my friends, my Florence family, and I’ve found my home!

Home

Where’s that, you ask? The Parish of Santi Apostoli’s English speaking community, of course! So, (“allora,”) what is it about Santi Apostoli that I call home?

Well,  Santi Apostoli is a small little community in the heart (“cuore”) of Florence’s historical center (“centro storico”). It can be found right down the street from the Ponte Vecchio and around the corner in a humble, homey city square called Piazza del Limbo. The tiny, Romanesque church (“chiesa”) is a nice change from the massive (although they are gorgeous) Basilicas that adorn Florence. Santi Apostoli is a very, very small church. I would almost compare it to the size of a chapel rather than a church. Another extra special thing about Santi Apostoli is the community that gathers there! It’s amazing how many young, enthusiastic Catholics gather together.

Shocking first impressions

When I first got to Florence, I was shocked by the emptiness at Sunday Italian Mass in the large Basilicas. Once I started attending the daily Italian Masses in the little side chapel at the Basilica di Santa Croce, I found a small, lovely, little community, and the whole room was filled! Everyone is so gracious and I love communicating with them in our broken English and Italian. Now this felt a bit better, but it wasn’t the only thing that God had in store for me!

Since then, I found out that there is an English Mass at the Duomo on Saturdays at 5 p.m.. So, I started attending this Mass! Every time I go to this Saturday vigil, I meet a friend without fail! The first time, I met a girl named Lauren. She approached me afterwards and just said a simple “Hi!” because she recognized me from Santa Croce. I immediately recognized her too, and I just knew deep inside my heart that we were going to be friends. Lauren was the one who first introduced me to the Santi Apostoli English speaking community. She told me about it the same evening we met, and the Santi Apostoli community has transformed my whole world ever since.

An answered prayer… plus some!

Earlier this semester, I had prayed for a Catholic friend. I had all these dreams of visiting places of religious significance! I mean, we’re in Italy for crying out loud! It only seemed right! But, seeing as I come from a largely secular University and then arrived at another University that is largely secular, I didn’t know anyone interested in these things. Not only did God bless me with one friend, but he gave me an entire community! And then again, not only did God bless me with an entire community, but the very next week, when I attended the English Mass at the Duomo on Saturday evening, I met another friend. Her name is Mary Clare.

Now Mary Clare and I got to talking, and I discovered that she studies in Rome and was visiting Florence for the weekend. Mary Clare also goes to a secular University, and we both found out that we desired to travel to places of religious significance. We are now currently planning a trip to visit Lisieux, France, the home of Saint Therese of Lisieux, one of my favorite saints. While we’re in France, we intend to visit Paris, and see the Eiffel Tower as well! Since then, Mary Clare met a friend from Brazil named Jessica who’ll also be joining us! God is so good!!!

Santi Apostoli transforming my world

This week at Upper Room, Kate Capato introduce us to Theology of the Body. Now what’s this Upper Room all about? Well, Upper Room is a youth group that meets on Tuesday evenings at 8 p.m. right after 6:30 p.m. Mass, Adoration, and a free dinner at Santi Apostoli. It was inspired by

I did not take this photo! Just including it for reference.

Something that really struck me was when she analyzed Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” with us. She pointed out that even when God created Adam, He had Eve in mind too. Eve was never an after thought. Can you see her? She’s underneath God’s left arm. See? Right there! Also, that big red cape behind God, Eve, and the angels? What does the shape look like to you? Exactly! It’s the shape of a brain. And the way that God and Adam are reaching out for one another… God’s arm is straight and steadily reaching out so far for Adam. Meanwhile, Adam’s hand is slouchy and kinda, sorta reaching out, but not quite as intentionally as God’s. Kate reminded us that everything God does is absolutely intentional.

Now, Theology of the Body is really neat because it’s the study of how the body speaks of the divine. Men and women were created intentionally, and we were created exactly the way that we are for a profound purpose.

I did not take this photo! Just posting it for reference!

Kate also showed us Da Vinci’s work of “The Vitruvian Man,” and spoke about how the circle symbolizes the divine, and the square symbolizes the human. She pointed out that the center of the circle is the navel of the man, and the center of the square is the man’s genitals. This points to the fact that human beings are created for communion with one another and communion with God. The navel at the divine center shows that we come from human relationship, and the genitals being at the human center show that we are created to be in union with one another with beautiful and good desires.

Anyway, these artists, they were so so so profound! And, I’m so honored to be living here in Tuscany in the middle of where it was all born.