The view of the Vatican where people stand to listen to the pope.

The paintings of the Sistine Chapel within the Vatican.

The Pantheon 

The Colosseum

Ruins from ancient Rome, the time of the Roman Empire (~300AD)

Rome was absolutely beautiful! I was there Friday through Sunday and we saw SO many different sights: the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the old ruins of Rome, the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter's Basilica, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and probably everything in between. The sights were absolutely gorgeous and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

I went with a group through the school, an inclusive, and we had English speaking tour guides and I'd be betting to wager we walked at least 8 miles every day we were there because we walked from each site to the next. It was exhausting, but totally worth it. And the food you wonder? Absolutely amazing. 

On Sunday, before we took our tour, we went to a HUGE market in Rome. It is easily a shopper's paradise ranging from everything to clothes, boots, jackets, jewelry, trinkets, souvenirs, everything you can possibly think of. Needless to say, I left with a pretty blue necklace and a few other things. 

I hope that you like the pictures! There were so many to choose from and I chose the ones of the main sites of the city. Enjoy!

-Alicia

Our trip to Grindelwald and the group was cheering.

The view from our hostel.

Most breathtaking view in Grindelwald, Switzerland. It looked like heaven was behind this alp.

Our hostel we stayed at while in Switzerland. 

Haha, me posing in front of the alp.

Switzerland was absolutely amazing! The views are indescribable and the hospitality in Switzerland was beyond welcoming. We left on Thursday night and we didn't end up getting into Interlaken (where we stayed) until 4:30 Friday morning. Needless to say, it was about a 9 hour bus ride and there were several girls that, for obvious reasons, are not "good" travelers. 

Friday was a blast. My roommate went skydiving and while I decided to keep my feet on the ground while in Europe, I went to a small, quaint town about a half an hour train ride away called Grindelwald. The city was stunning. Probably the most breathtaking moment of the trip for me was when our group was sitting on a terrace having a drink and the sun went behind an alp. It literally looked like heaven was behind the mountain, only adding to the beauty of the city. Friday night we went out in style and danced most of the night away.

Saturday was a snowy day - those from Wisconsin can totally relate. I decided to explore the center of Interlaken to get a better feel for the city. The people here are so considerate and I actually was able to hold a conversation with the owners of a small souvenir shop - in German. The city itself is pretty touristy but once you get to the outskirts of the town, it's very welcoming and traditional.

Sunday we had to head back home but we enjoyed a hearty Swiss breakfast and then got ready to head back home. All in all it was an amazing experience with sights I will never get to see again, unless I head back up to Switzerland. 

Hope everyone is doing well at home and take care! This following weekend I will be traveling to Rome so I will make sure to post some pictures at the beginning of next week.

Alicia B

Pisa and Piazza Michaelangelo

Our first steps on our trek to the Leaning Tower.

The traditional pose in front of the Leaning Tower, yes I really am holding it up haha.

My favorite picture so far of Italy, the colors of the Leaning Tower and the sky are brilliant.

Walking up to see the Leaning Tower.

Our train we took to get to Pisa, only an hour away.

Statue at the top of the Piazza Michaelangelo 

View from the top of the Piazza Michaelangelo

My panoramic view of Florence, absolutely stunning.

Me on the way up to the Piazza

On the way up to the Piazza Michaelangelo.

Pisa was amazing! The leaning tower was really the only attraction in Pisa, besides their amazing pizza and gelato. It still blows me away that I've seen so many pictures of the leaning tower and I just saw it yesterday. 

Piazza Michaelangelo was about a 20 minute walk from our apartment to the top and the view is absolutely breathtaking. I would recommend this walk to anyone and everyone. I've never been so blown away by a panoramic view before, it is absolutely stunning. It made me feel like Simba looking down from Pride Rock. 

Hope these are okay for some pictures! I know that it's been awhile since I've updated, don't worry, I'll try to post some more after this upcoming weekend. We are going to Interlaken, Switzerland so I should be able to get a few good shots in that neck of the woods. 

Other than that, classes are going well, the food is amazing, I'm enjoying the beautiful, warmer weather and I still miss everyone from home :)

Have a great beginning  to the week!

Alicia Brinkman

Ciao!

I hope the states are going great. Italy has been wonderful this week. I started classes and I like them, for the most part, and I had a problem with one of my classes and I ended up switching into another so it worked out wonderfully. 

I had my first market experience yesterday and I successfully bartered my way for two glass bracelets and then went back for some more today and got three scarves :) The weather for the most part has been pretty rainy with a few patches of sun for 30 minutes and then more rain. It has been warm though this week, in the 50's and it supposed to get colder next week but the sun will be out. I'm okay with the compromise.

I experienced two apperitivos this week. The first at Kitsch was absolutely amazing - they had one of the biggest spreads of appetizers in Florence, and for 8 Euro including a drink and unlimited appetizers, it was totally worth it. We also cooked a lot in our apartment this week and yesterday we enjoyed some american cuisine: hamburgers and potatoes.

Our trip to Pisa today was a no go because of the rain but hopefully either sunday or sometime next weekend we can manage to go and see the famous tower that's supposedly leaning.

I met a girl named Julia at apperitivo and she actually is studying in Florence for a year (she was here last semester). She explained how interesting it is seeing the different lifestyles that Europeans, mainly Italians, live their livestyles versus the US. She said that people in Italy are not concerned with material goods, they are just concerned with happiness, whereas we in the United States strive for happiness through material goods. It was intriguing and although the people in America are more inviting and welcoming at first, the people here seem to have their heads more level and center with their thoughts. 

Well that's all for now! Have a great time in the States and I'll try not to smile so often because I'm in Italy :) 

Ciao!

Alicia B

Hi!

Sorry it has taken so long to upload some pictures. I hope these suffice for the delay in putting them up.

My roommate Gina and I standing by the river.

A picture of me in the apartment.

The Duomo

The view from our apartment.

This is what I see when walking along the river.

I will make sure to post some more pictures later. Right now, I am going to go grocery shopping and then probably walk around town for a bit. Tonight I might try yoga at the gym we have here. We started classes today, too. I only had one and our professor was not even there but it seems like it might be a challenging class, we shall see. Hope all of you are doing well and I will hopefully talk to you soon!

Ciao! Alicia B