Entry 5: June 20, 2008

We have been in Lugano for a couple days now. The first few days it rained, which does not surprise me because I think the rain is following us. Today it is clear and hot outside. The lake has an area for people to lay out at, so we laid out yesterday and will be returning today. We are staying in apartment style dorms at Franklin College, and it feels so weird to actually be studying at a college. We see other students walking around, many of them speaking English. Lugano is a beautiful town and has tons of wonderful shops downtown. One of my favorites is the store, The Manor. The bottom floor is the grocery store and then there are six other floors with everything you could possibly need. We have spent hours just walking around looking at everything.

We have only a few days left here and then we will be making our way to Munich and Paris. After our travel break, I will be heading to London on the Chunnel and starting the second half of the program!

Entry 4: June 16, 2008

I am finally in Switzerland! Italy was great but Switzerland is the most beautiful place I have ever been. We stayed in a small hotel in Stechelberg and the view out of our window was incredible. I could see mountains, green fields, and at least four waterfalls. We hiked up to Gimmelwald one day and got to buy Swiss army knifes.

When we left Stechelberg, a group of us headed to Interlaken. Interlaken is known for their extreme sports and since we were there we had to do something. We decided to go whitewater rafting even though it was freezing outside. They gave us full wetsuits and a helmet to wear, which were very attractive. After they went over instructions, it was time to get into the water. The water that we rafted in was from melting glaciers that were making their way downstream. Needless to say, it was freezing but it did not stop us from having the best time! I am so glad that I had the opportunity to whitewater raft in Switzerland. It is something I will never forget!

Entry 3: June 6, 2008

This afternoon we sang at a nursing home right up the street. I had mixed feelings about it but as soon as I walked in I was excited to be there. When we started their faces lighted up; some of them even started crying. It was a wonderful feeling to brighten someone’s day, even if it is a group of American girls singing in a language they cannot understand.

We only have a few more days left in Sanscepolcro. I am sad to leave Italy but excited to experience a different culture and try new things. Before I go to Switzerland, I will be traveling with a group of girls to Lake Como and Interlaken. We are hoping to see George Clooney (we hear he has a house at Lake Como) and whitewater raft. Italy has been an amazing experience, and I will never forget it!

Entry 2: May 30, 2008

This past week I visited the most beautiful place on earth, Capri. Capri was absolutely wonderful. The food and the people there were extremely nice and welcoming. We stayed at a hotel that looked like we were in the middle of paradise. The girls that I went with were amazing. I think Capri will be my fondest memory on this trip.

On the only full day we had in Capri, we did everything you could imagine. In the morning we lay by the pool and relaxed. Then we walked, which is more like a hike, up to Anacapri where all the shops were. While we were walking, we found a shoe store that sells only shoes that this man makes. When we were talking to him he told us that Gwyneth Paltrow had been there the week before! We even got to watch him make our sandals.

Our next stop was the chair lift that took up to the top of the island. Natalie and I were the first ones to arrive at the top, and we were scared for our lives being up that high. After a while we got used to it and made our way around to take pictures.

After lunch we decided it was time to go down to the beach, which is Capri. We took a convertible taxi, and we all felt like movie stars riding down the mountain. The beach was all rocks, which killed our feet, but we got into the clear blue water and floated around. All the locals had been telling us to swim in the Blue Grotto, so that was our next stop. When we finally made it, we realized that it was not a smart decision to be swimming into a cave at high tide and there was a sign that said, "Swimming in the Blue Grotto is Strictly Forbidden."

Natalie was the leader and jumped in first and after climbing back out and jumping back in, Julia, Whitney, and she were the first ones to venture in the Blue Grotto. When it was my turn to get in, I dove into the freezing water scared that something was going to come bite my legs off. I swam over to the chain with the other girls and slowly made my way into the cave. When I looked down it was beautiful. Even though I was terrified the entire time, I can now tell people that I swam in the Blue Grotto.

My travel break was wonderful and I am so glad that I went to Capri.

Entry 1: May 21, 2008

It has been almost a week since our arrival and every morning I wake up and think to myself, I cannot believe I am actually here. Sanscepolcro is absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to see more of Italy.

Already we have done so many things and we have not even been here for a week. The most enjoyable experience so far has been our visit to the Casa Buitoni, which we did Monday, May 19th. The hike to the Casa was quite a workout but once we got to the top we realized it was definitely worth it. When we arrived to the Casa, we rushed around taking pictures outside of the beautiful view. The Casa sits on top of a hill that overlooks all of Sanscepolcro. After we were done taking pictures, we were taken on a tour of the house. We got to see the kitchen were chefs experiment with new recipes and one of the chefs talked to us about his work and then we got to ask him questions. Then we walked up many flights of stairs to the floor with the bedrooms. We got to see two of the bedrooms in the Casa, which were beautiful. The last floor we went on was the top floor. I have to say this was my favorite floor in the Casa. On the top floor there is a sunroom with a balcony on either side. The view was breathtaking and I did not want to leave. When we finally had to go back down to the first floor, we took more pictures while waiting for lunch to be served. We ate lunch on the back patio under white linen umbrellas. During lunch it started to rain but it did not stop us from eating the delicious food that they served us.

Next week I will be traveling to Rome and Capri with a group of girls. So I will be updating you with that experience in my next travel journal.