European Tour: Cinque Terre, Italy

A little background on Cinque Terre, Italy. It's on the Italian Riveria, and it's name is translated "The 5 lands." Its a strand of 5 villages (Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore) that go up the coast-line, each getting higher and higher up as you go. You have the option of taking a tram from each place, or walking along the hilly coastline.

Group, hanging out outside the restaurant

We only had a short weekend (travel there on 9/15-come home 9/17) so we decided to stay relatively close to Riva and go to Italy. We arrived into the train station, and then had to take a bus up to the hostel we were staying at. I get car-sick SUPER easy, and I almost lost my cookies a couple times as we circled and circled going up the mountain side. We finally arrived there, and I managed to hold everything together, to realize that the hostel we were staying at gave us a 4 bedroom hostel. Which was ideal, because then we just had to share with people we know and you don't have to sleep clutching your backpack.

Me with the puppy

Karaoke time

As we walked around where our hostel was, we found it was very different from the other places we had stayed. There was no one here, minus the local people, and they were hiding in their houses. So, we went to one of the only restaurant within walking distance of our hostel. We decided to stay there after dinner and move the party to the outside bar, where there was Karaoke. While we were out there, the dog that belonged to the restaurant owners came to join us. We all know that I'm a sucker for a "stinky" so of course, I played with him :) Not sure why I look like Shirley Temple in this picture...my hair is naturally curly, but that's pretty bad.

We, of course, dominated the Karaoke machine. I don't remember what songs we sang, but we were up there all night. Along with our helpers...some random guys we met that were from Australia, who were also visiting Cinque Terre the next day.

Monterosso al Mare

The next morning, we took the bus from the hostel down to Monterosso al Mare, which is the first village in the line of 5. It's the closest one to the sea (hence the name) and definitely different than what we had seen before. It's a fishing village, so lot's of boats, houses close together and built up and into the hills.

The picture shows better than I could describe the landscape of all the villages of Cinque Terre. There is limited space, because they all back up to the sea...so they need to build wherever they can find land. That is usually within the hills and mountains that surround them. So their very bright and colorful houses line the coast and the hills of Cinque Terre.

Walking from village to village is possible on a little foot path that runs along the ridge of the hills. And when I say along the ridge, I mean, one wrong step and you plummet to your death on the rocky coastline...not to be dramatic or anything. So, with my fear of heights and dying a tragic death...I didn't take too many pictures along our hike throughout the villages. I did manage to get this one, its a picture that is looking up to Manarola from the path.

View of Manarola

Beach on Vernazza

Vernazza is known for  it's beach, so when we got there some people got into their bathing suits and decided to test out the water. I declined to get into the cold water of the Italian Riveria (it was also a cloudy day, adding to the cold water) but the ones who did look like they enjoyed it.

Riomaggiore was our eating destination, we stopped in the town for some gelato (obviously) and walked around the shops for a little bit.

After our hiking adventures, we got back on the bus to go back to the hostel. We once again, ate at one of the only restaurants up in the little nook of a town where our hostel was. It was definitely a homey feeling space, and we met even more people from Australia, who we hung out with for the rest of the night. 

Girls sleeping

The next day, we took the bus back down to the train station...I came prepared with a puke bag this time. We were excited because the train that we were on had seats that folded down into beds (it's really the little things in life that make it wonderful). Here's an example of how collective sharing works out for everyone involved :)

To be continued...Next Up: European Tour: Budapest

Lots and lots of *stinky's

Stated below, Richie recently had to put his dog, Charlie, down. Once you have a dog, you can never go back to not having one (or so I've heard) so he and Christy decided to adopt a puppy. Not to replace Charlie (which would be impossible) but to begin again. Enter Brodie. He's 8 weeks old. Lab mix. And has one of the cutest stinkin' faces you'll ever see. I can't wait to cuddle, love and spoil him like he's my own :)

Brodie, hanging out with Richie

My mom also adopted another cat this past week. She (the cat, not my mom) showed up in the yard, skinny and scared. Mom left food/water out for her and sat with her on the porch, where the kitty decided it wanted to cuddle. The rest is history. The cat had my mom wrapped around her finger. Mom took her to the vet, got her spade, de-fleaed, etc. And now Bailey is home. I think it will be interesting to see what the 2 idiots (our affectionate term for the cats we already have) do in reaction to the new kitten. She's quarantined right now and supposedly for the next 10 days, while we make sure she's not sick with anything. And then we'll let her loose into the world...

Bailey, smiling for the camera

*A stinky is an affectionate term given to anything that is warm and cuddly.

European Tour: Paris, France

The trip to Paris came after our first final, yes...a final after less than a month of class. We once again hauled our bags and ourselves the half mile to the train station. We arrived in Paris early in the morning and had to make our way to the hotel bright eyed and bushy tailed. 

This was our first lesson in European elevators. Some people had brought suitcase/rolly bags (I carried a back-pack) and didn't want to lug their suitcase up the stairs. However, European elevators are not the same standard as American ones. You can fit 2 or 3 people on one at once, and if those people have bags...2 at the most. And that's if you really like the person and are willing to stand thisclose to them for as long as it takes the elevator to get to your floor. So I was definitely grateful for having my backpack that I could just lumber up the stairs with and not have to wait in line for the elevator.

After a quick change and freshening  up, we ate breakfast in the hotel. The traditional "European" affair. Fruit, pastries, breakfast meat, hard-boiled eggs. My favorite was to take the croissant and put ham and cheese on it. My own version of the McDonald's biscuit.

After breakfast G-Rod (I will introduce our professors, and how the school part of it actually worked later) gathered us around and gave us our train tickets, and our tickets to the Louvre, Notre Dame and the classic Paris sights. He was even nice enough to walk us to the museum before cutting us lose with the orders "Be in the hotel lobby by 6 to walk to dinner." As you will later find out, G-Rod did not mess around. If you were not there on time, your butt got left to fend for yourself. We broke off into groups (where the cliques started forming) and explored the HUGE museum. I don't think a week is even enough time to see everything this place has to offer. But since we only had a limited amount of time, we decided to see the "big" things. Like the Portrait Gallery (including the Mona Lisa), Winged Victory (the picture in the far right bottom corner and in the middle with the girls standing in front of it), and the Venus De Milo (the unfortunate woman with no arms).

After spending the entire morning at the Louvre, we (Me, Kathryn, Katie, Tamara, Monica and Molly) moved onto the other famous Paris sights. First up? Notre Dame. We walked around the inside, seeing St. Peter's Chapel and the famous stained glass window. It was our introduction into the churches of Europe (we were destined to see hundreds more...at least that's what it felt like).

Notre Dame

Me, in front of the Arc de Triomphe

Second Stop: Arc De Triomphe. Insert funny story here: The Arc de Triomphe sits in the middle of an eight lane roundabout. There is (apparently) a tunnel that goes from the sidewalk, under the lanes of traffic and pops up at the Arc. We, being our first time in Paris, did not know about said tunnel. So we said a little prayer and ran across all the lanes of traffic...horns blazing and all.

Looking back, it makes WAY more sense that there would be a tunnel, cause that's a lot of people having to run across traffic. But not knowing how to ask in French, we just rolled with it. You can see the cars driving behind me in this picture...really gives you a sense of the danger and the stupidity we had.

The spiral staircase

Walking up the stairs

As if car dodging wasn't work out enough, we then climbed up 1.3 million stairs...well, not really but that's what it felt like. There was an elevator option but considering the food we had been eating (once again, we were obsessed with food) we decided it would be the better thing for our health to walk up the stairs. And I'm pretty sure we saw a grandma doing it cause Kathryn turned to me and said "If she can do it, so can we." So we did.

View from the top of the Arc

With Eiffel Tower in the background

The view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe was totally worth the walk up the stairs. You can see all of Paris from the top (including the Eiffel Tower). It definitely provided us with some good photo-ops. The street in the picture is the Champs De Elysee, the famous Parisian street for shopping.

 
After the Arc De Triomphe, we did head down to the Champs De Elysee for some window shopping. One of the stores included Louis Vuitton, where one purse costs more than my car. So we stuck with the window shopping, made a pit stop by McDonald's for a drink and broke even more laws. I present exhibit A: Molly and I, crossing the street (using a cross-walk this time though) and we decided we needed to have our picture taken right then. Well, me, really. Notice my beautiful self-shot that I have.  You can even see the Arc de Triomphe in the background...

Yummy

We went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner, cause remember G-Rod will leave you behind. And why would you want to pay for a meal when it's on the house? We walked from our hotel (as a group) to the restaurant. It was amazing food, but would you expect anything less from a restaurant in Paris, France? I tried escargot for the first time. I'm a pretty picky eater, but I will try anything once (I just don't usually like it). But I actually really like the escargot, then again, the only thing I really tasted was the garlic butter. This picture was proof to my parents that I actually tried it. Looking back on it, I should actually be eating them...but I promise I ate them!

Megan, Kathryn and I with the Eiffel Tower behind us

After dinner, we then made our way (as a group) to the Eiffel Tower. It was starting to get dark, and the walk through the surrounding park and seeing the Siene was absolutely breath-taking. At night, the Eiffel Tower lights up, and there's even a little light show that goes on for 5 minutes or so every hour. We showed up just in time to watch. After the light show, we got in line for the elevator to go to the top of the Tower. Taking the stairs was NOT an option this time. Well, it was...but we definitely weren't going to use that option. Once we got to the top, we enjoyed the views of Paris from it's tallest point. The only downside to the top, it's SO windy. Trying to take pictures (especially when you have a wee fear of heights) can lead to panic attacks. Hence, why there aren't any pictures from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Please google images taken by people who are way braver and less prone to height induced panic attacks.

Some people stayed out near the Eiffel Tower to go to the Moulin Rouge, others of us made our way back with G-Rod. We stopped by a local bar/cafe to grab some dessert and wine/beer. G-Rod even paid for us. I then went to bed, so I could be fresh-faced for our adventures the next day.

We went back to the Louvre the next day. Took a tour of what was Napoleon's living quarters...for such a small man he sure needed a lot of space. We then headed over to the Modern Art Building. Running the risk of sounding uncultured, I'm not really appreciative of art...especially when it's really weird. And no one let us know that "Modern Art" = "Really Weird Stuff." Needless to say there were shoes, and bricks, and a huge pink room with hula hoop looking things in them and nothing else there.

After that interesting experience, we went back to the hotel so we could go to dinner and then on a boat tour of the Siene with our group. We walked past the tunnel where Princess Di was killed (the golden torch in the picture), and saw Notre Dame from the Siene. Other sights included the lit up Eiffel Tower, and the minature version of the Statue of Liberty that France gave the USA way back when. We circled the city of Paris, getting to see the version of it from the water.

After docking, some of us decided that it would be cool to go back to the Eiffel Tower and hang out there. When we got there we found out that vendors come around selling bottles of wine and champagne...sounded like a good deal to us. So a couple of bottles of wine later, we couldn't pass up the opportunity for a photo-shoot.

The boys

The Girls

The Group

The next day was spent in more museums and churches (of course churches), and then we spent a casual night at a bar right next to our hotel.

When we went to get back on a train to Switzerland, our plans were changed due to striking railroad workers. People are constantly on strike in Europe...it's how they get things done around there. So we thought we'd have to sleep in the train station, that was not my favorite idea. G-Rod really came through though, and was able to get us on another train to get us back to Switzerland in time.

To Be Continued...Next Up: European Tour: Cinque Terre

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my favorite Riva roommate :)

Kathryn and I lived together (and I mean shared the same room) for 4 months while we were in Europe. We took care of each other when we'd had too much to drink (tequila night for example); kept each other safe in foreign cities; laughed @ the drama; made fun of people; watched Harry Potter re-runs and kept each other's secrets. We don't see each other as much as we'd like to, but when we do...it's just like old times.

So Happy Birthday Kathryn! I hope it's amazing and I can't wait to celebrate with you :)

European Tour: Zurich & Lucerne, Switzerland

The program gave us the opportunity to not only take trips that were schedule and coordinated by the professors, but also an opportunity to take trips on our own.

Our first free weekend, we decided we wanted to stay around Switzerland and enjoy the sights of our own backyard. After morning class, we finished packing and then made our way to the train station. We hopped on a train that was destined for Zurich. Zurich is the capitol of Switzerland, population: 365, 098...big city stuff. It was about a 3 hour train ride, perfect napping time. So some people napped, some people played cards. I, of course, took pictures.

Monica, Trop, Brandon and Katie; Tamara and Jamie; Me and Kathryn on the train

We arrived in Zurich and made our way to our hotel. Which, I must say, I'm pretty proud we made it. Switzerland speaks 3 different languages: Italian in the South, French in the West and German in the North. We had just made our way from Italian territory into German territory. I will say, Italian came a little easier because it sounds a lot like Spanish (which I took for 7 years) but German is the easiest out of all the languages to read as it looks a lot like English (at least to me).

We found our  hotel, The Crazy Cow, and checked in. They took the "Cow" theme very literally. Our hotel room (which consisted of 3 beds) was decorated by murals of Cows and of course, a Beaver on a cell phone. Because what hotel would be complete without a Beaver on a cell phone. The shower curtain was also covered in cows, just in case you forgot you were staying at The Crazy Cow...they offered perfect little reminders.

After freshening up a bit, we decided to make our way down to the center of town where there was a festival going on. As with much of Europe, in Switzerland, there always seems to be some sort of festival. Not that we complained because there was beer and food readily available.

Group at the Festival

This is where I tried the HOTTEST thing I've ever had in my life. I blame it on the language barrier, but we went to a little shop to grab some food. There was a wrap (we all know how much I love my wraps), so I decided to be daring and try some. I thought my hair was going to catch fire because it was so hot. I fought with myself about "trying new things" especially from another culture, and the fact that I just spent money on the wrap (things are more expensive in big cities). I managed to choke down enough of it...the sad thing to top it off. There are no such things as "free" refills in Europe. You want a refill? That will be another 5 francs please. So not only did the bastards make me want to die, they also wouldn't provide me with anything to quench my thirst until I paid up.

On that note: I had been in Switzerland for approximately 10 days. And for those 10 days I had been deprived of Diet Pepsi, which at that time was my life-line. I didn't drink coffee, it was Diet Pepsi for my caffeine. But since it didn't exist, I stuck with Coca-Cola Light. Europe's version of Diet Coke, but definitely not the same as the US version of Diet Coke. So imagine my excitement when I found a Diet Pepsi. In fact, you don't even have to imagine it...there's a picture to document it.

The next day, a couple of us decided to take a tour of Zurich. Yes, a very touristy thing to do...but we were tourists. We started off in the famous Zurich train station. And then made our way through the city, stopping at the River to have a glass of water. Yes, the water was straight out of the river. No, we didn't die. Switzerland is known for it's clean water, they do weekly checks on their rivers and other bodies of water to make sure it's drinkable straight from the source.

Zurich Train Station

The crazy sculpture in the train station

The River

This is where the fact that I've waited over 3 years to write about this comes into play. I know we went and saw a mock-up of the city, and I know we went to the Clock Tower, St. Peter's Church and walked through the Medieval town. I know we went into the Zurich police station, which is famous for it's decor. And I definitely remember that we were more interested in the hot Swiss Policemen than the ceiling. And I have the pictures to prove it...but I can't remember the names of the places, I guess I should just be happy that I have the pictures.

Clock Tower; Police Station; Winston Churchill Speech Sight; St. Peter's Church

After our tour, we headed back to the hotel to rest, shower and change for dinner and then evening plans.  This is when I discovered that my iPod, which I had left in my bag in our hotel room was gone. I FREAKED out. We were in a hotel room, only people I knew had access to the room and they were with me all day. When I went to the front desk to ask them if they could ask their cleaning staff about it, they magically didn't speak English. Needless to say, I will NEVER stay @ the Crazy Cow in Zurich again.

Anyways, that night we went to eat at the restaurant that was connected to the Hotel. We then made our way to an Irish pub...cause that's where we always seem to end up. We topped off the night with a McDonald's run (have to love those Golden Arches, no matter what country) where we were requested to "Happy Birthday" to someone in English. And of course, we were happy to oblige.

The next day, the group parted ways in Zurich. Some people headed off to do fun outdoor adventure things and the rest of us headed to Lucerne. Some background on Lucerne, we were told that it was "the most beautiful city in the world." It was pretty, but I think the fact that it was rainy and yucky for the day and a half we were there really put a damper on our feelings about it. So I guess I'll have to go back another time and see if my theory is right :)

We're so original

Bottom of the castle

Once we got to Lucerne, we found our way to the hostel that we were staying in.  It ended up being a big room with lots of beds, so we took all our valuable stuff and made our way back into the city. We walked around, admiring the sights. We found a castle, and decided to trek up the stairs to get a good view of the city. After all, who doesn't love a good European castle. After the castle, we went to the old bridge that Lucerne is famous for. We then made our way to find dinner (food was a common theme in Europe). We ended up at a really good pizza place. After dinner, exhausted from all our walking that weekend, we decided to call it an early night. Plus, Lucerne is not known for it's bumping night life. The next day, we hopped back on a train and went back to Riva to start another school week.

Me, on top of the Castle

With the bridge in the background

Maybe it was the fact that it was rainy, or that we were already tired from traveling a lot that weekend. But my opinion is that Lucerne wasn't the "most beautiful city in the world." But like I said, I might have to try again and see what I think then ;)

To Be Continued...Next Up: European Tour: Paris

European Tour: Lugano, Switzerland

To Riva, with almost 3,000 people, the town of Lugano is the "big city." It has 54,437 people, lots of restaurants, Gelato places and most importantly an H&M. We decided we needed to explore Lugano shortly after arriving in Riva.

It was our first experience walking to the train station, buying our tickets and waiting for the train. We had been told that trains in Switzerland are on time, ALWAYS. (However, not true for Italian trains). So if the train is 2 minutes early, that is not your train...your train will be there in 2 minutes, the time they said it would be.

Girls on the train; @ the train station in Lugano; The Capalago/Riva Train Station

After getting to Lugano, we made the discovery of "the hill." Anyone that has taken the train to Lugano knows about "the hill." Not so bad going down, but coming back up...death. It is lined with shops, and places to take a break when you're out of breath, so at least it has that going for it.

The infamous hill

After taking a mental note of how much walking up the hill was going to suck, we made our way down to the Lake Lugano Park. Where we took pictures and stood in amazement that yes, this is where we would call home for the next few months.

Fountain in the park; Men playing chess; Park and Lake; Ladies enjoying the Park

After taking a rest in the park, we made our way to H&M. I know there are H&M's in America, but they're really not the same as the ones in Europe. And it made it even better that with the conversion rate from dollars to Swiss Francs, you got more bang for your buck.

• First ride on a train: check
• Take in the beautiful scenery of Switzerland: check
• Buy cute clothes for less money: check

All in all, a good trip I'd say :) 

To Be Continued...Next Up: European Tour: Zurich& Lucerne

All Dogs Go To Heaven

A disadvantage to being a pet-owner is knowing that your pet will die long before you. 

I'm an animal lover, I run over squirrels and get upset. I love most animals, but cats and dogs hold a special place in my heart...so this post might seem a little dramatic for some, considering it's all about a dog. But pets become part of a family and it's hard to lose one.

This is Charlie. 

My best friend's dog. But I'm not going to lie, I like to pretend he's my dog. I've loved him like he's my own for 6 years now (since Richie and I became friends). He knows me as the treat giver, the snuggler and the girl who always sneezes 700 times because she's allergic to his hair.

Some of my favorite moments with him include the many hours we spent together when we all went to the beach last summer and brought him. I was always the first one up, so I would give him his breakfast and then we'd go sit out on the porch for awhile while I ate. He'd chase the ducks for awhile, get bored and then plop down next to me. Another favorite memory is from a couple Christmases ago. The Bevilacqua's went to church, leaving a plate of cookies on the dining room table. They returned to find that the cookies were all gone...and in Charlie's stomach. They put him outside (knowing he'd be sick later), and provided him with a table covered with a blanket to sleep under (it was raining). When I showed up a few hours later, I found Charlie laying in the middle of the porch, sopping wet. He looked up @ me with the saddest face. I couldn't take the guilt so I barricaded him in the kitchen and living room using chairs and pulled up all the rugs. Knowing that he might get sick but hoping it'd be an easy clean-up with the hardwood and linoleum.

About a year and a half ago, Charlie was diagnosed with cancer. They gave him weeks to live. He lived another year and a half. But then his 13 year old body couldn't fight off old age and cancer. And it was his time to go.

He was a good dog, friendly and loved people. He would always greet you when you came through the door...whether he actually got up or just thumped his tail against the hardwood in greeting.

He was a smart dog. Richie called him all kinds of names: stinky, fuzzy, stink brain, fuzz brain, chicken, bird, and the list goes on. But Charlie always knew those names referred to him.

He became demanding in the last few years of his life. Meaning if I didn't give him a treat within 5 minutes of walking through the door, he would sit in front of me and bark...I would tell him he was being rude, he would continue to do it. He knew I'd break down and give him something.

He was Richie's best friend. Comforting, a sleeping buddy, a warm greeting and unconditionally loving. So thanks Richie for sharing your puppy and best friend with me.

I know some people say animals aren't in heaven. But I can't imagine a heaven that doesn't have Charlie in it. So I hope to see him when I get there some day and I'll make sure to bring him some pig ears.

RIP Charlie. You are very loved and will be missed terribly.