Entry 1: June 16, 2009

We went to Venice on a travel break this week. It has been my favorite place I have seen on the whole trip. The city itself is so beautiful! There are no cars, only boats. Water taxis, or Vaporettas, are the only means of transportation with the exception of the train. The city is lined by a grand canal and small canals wind throughout. Gondolas can be seen slowly drifting through with lovers as the passengers. It is so romantic.

On our first full day there, we took a ferry to Murano, an island about 30 minutes away that is known for its glass production. The ride there was easy and scenic. Once we got off of the boat, we went to a glass factory where we watched men making glass goods. One man sculpted a glass horse right in front of us in about less than a minute. It was amazing. The factory gift shop had some of the most amazing chandeliers and vases I have ever seen. After the factory we went to the glass museum, which featured pieces from the first century. It was pretty neat to see such ancient work. For the last hour or two that we spent in Murano, we did a little shopping and had some lunch outside at a restaurant.

We then took a ferry from Murano to Burano, an island that is known for their lace production. Burano is very quaint, but beautiful. All of the buildings and houses are different colors. It is so vibrant. The lace shops are also pretty. We mostly wandered around in Burano, got some gelato, and saw their church bell tower, which actually towers in the air at a lean. Before we left, my roommate and I bought some watercolor paintings for our apartment next year.

When we got back to Venice later that afternoon, three of us took a gondola ride for 20 Euro each. I hadn’t planned on riding one because I had heard that they were a bit pricey, but I am so glad we did it. Our Gondolier was great and he told us some interesting facts about Venice and some of the buildings we floated past.

This day was my favorite in Venice. Other things we did while we were there included eating at the Hard Rock Cafe, visiting the Peggy Guggenheim Museum of contemporary art, and visiting the Basilica in the San Marco Square. It was a great travel break!

Entry 1: June 8, 2009
Italy is great! Sansepolcro, the town we are staying in, is quaint and beautiful. I think one of my favorite things about it is the architecture. I also enjoy being able to walk outside of where I am staying and have ice cream (gelato) within five minutes. Other necessary things, such as the grocery store (pam) are also within walking distance. One of my other favorite things here in Sansepolcro is the Casa Buitoni. It belongs to Nestle Tollhouse and it is beautiful. It’s on top of one of the mountains behind town. We walked up there one day, got a tour, and were fed a very filling meal. It was amazing.

I am really enjoying my Italian experience. So far we have been to Florence, Sorrento, Capri, Rome and other smaller towns surrounding Sansepolcro. Capri was my favorite simply because of its coastal beauty. We took a chair lift to the top of the mountain and took some amazing pictures. Rome was busy, but it was worth the exhaustion seeing all that it offers, including the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, some of my personal favorites.

I am going to Venice on my next travel break. I hear it will be more relaxing than Rome. I am looking forward to buying some of the glass that is blown in Murano. Another group went there on their first travel break and the things they came back with were beautiful.

So far this experience has been exciting! I cannot believe it is already halfway over. I really look forward to seeing Switzerland. I hear it is breathtaking.