Entry 5: June 19, 2008

We have arrived in Lugano. It is beautiful here! Everything is clean and convenient. We have an amazing housing situation at Franklin College. We all have our own rooms, with our own bathrooms, and kitchens. It is absolutely fantastic. It is like a mini-apartment! We have actually managed to cook meals every day and it is quite a treat. Our little group has a volunteer chef for a specific night and the rest of us enjoy a home cooked meal. It is so exciting! I will not have a night, but that is a good thing. My cooking skills have to be worked on a little.

We went on a boat ride to Mercote. Lake Lugano is beautiful! We spent a couple of hours, seeing a church and a cemetery, and then we got a very nice treat. Gelato! We all sat beside the lake and ate as much ice cream as we could. It was quite relaxing and fun. We then took the boat back and ended up heading out for some well deserved shopping. We all headed back to the dormitory and had fantastic dinners.

I really love Switzerland! The one thing I have noticed that is a little confusing is that they speak Italian here in Lugano. It's like we never actually left Italy, but only a bit. We still hear enough German and some French as well. The culture here is quite interesting and highly intriguing. Off course, we aren't going to be here long. We will be heading out to Paris next week and that's going to be amazing! We have been to so many countries! This is one adventure I will never forget. Until next time...Ciao!

Entry 4: June 14, 2008

We are currently in Interlaken. This place is gorgeous. We unfortunately had to leave Sansepolcro and head out to Cinque Terre. It was beautiful and the beach was fantastic. We spent a couple days there and then we headed out to Interlaken. We had a great time and met many college students and others that are backpacking across Europe.

We then headed up to the Swiss Alps and stayed at a marvelous place. We also hiked the Swiss Alps and loved every minute of the tedious hike. We got to see Switzerland at its finest. Switzerland is absolutely gorgeous and pretty much one of the cleanest places in the world. It is nice to speak English to the locals again, but I still find myself thanking people in Italian. I miss Italy but Switzerland is equally beautiful and enticing, so we are still having a blast.

We spend the night here in Interlaken and get on the train to our next home, Lugano. It is so exciting to jump into another culture again. I definitely felt at home in Italy and I am sure that Switzerland will be the same. The travel break has been awesome and we are trying to enjoy every bit that is left. With that being said, it is time to head out and have some fun in Interlaken. I can't wait for Lugano! Until next time...Ciao!

Entry 3: June 5, 2008

I just got back from Venice and it was pretty much amazing. We spent three nights in that gorgeous city and loved every bit of it. On the first day we shopped and awed at the beauty of the Rialto Bridge and the fantastic view. We loved the theatre masks and Sheryl and I definitely purchased our favorite. We also got to eat on the Grand Canal. We got into a gondola and took a glorious classic tour of Venice. We saw Marco Polo's house and many other hidden treasures of Venice, and off course, it was all while being serenaded by the gondolier. It was beautiful. We headed to Saint Mark's Square and danced to the orchestra's music. We took many pictures and videos.

The next day we went to Vicenza to see the first proscenium arch theatre. Andrea Palladio created this masterpiece. The Teatro Olimpico was magnificent. It was covered with statues and glorious paint work. The five imaginary streets\exits were painted with the best one point perspective. It was absolutely unbelievable. That was definitely a highlight. We had a fabulous dinner once again and called it a day.

Our last day we headed bright and early to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. It was glorious. There were so many fabulous artists whose works were displayed. It was simply amazing. The Picassos were so much more intense in person. Jackson Pollock was simply perfect. His work was gorgeous and breath taking. It was amazing to see the art of my two favorite artists. We had to leave Venice and that was sad. But, we got to come home to Sansepolcro and that's always an exciting time. We are off to Switzerland after a short travel break next week. I can't wait!

Entry 2: May 29, 2008

Greetings! I would like everyone to know that Italy is one of the most gorgeous places. I have fallen in love with all the cities and little towns. Sansepolcro has become a home away from home after our first travel break. We headed out to Rome on Monday after lunch. The excitement was crazy on the train to Rome. When we got there we all separate and checked into our hotels or hostels. Our place was fantastic and was close to the train station.

On Monday my little travel group headed to the Pantheon. The Pantheon was one of the biggest domes until the Renaissance and it was turned into a church after the fall of Rome. It was also the burial place of the first two kings of Italy. It was absolutely gorgeous and definitely covered with frescoes and statues that were fantastic. We headed out for a magnificent dinner and then walked straight to the Trevi fountain. The fountain was completed in 1762 by Nicola Salvi. He was hired by the pope to create this masterpiece. My little travel group threw our coins in together in hopes that the folk tale would come true. It is said that if you throw a coin into the fountain you are guaranteed to return to Rome. It was one of the most beautiful sites in Rome. We then walked to the Spanish steps. They have been there for 300 years. The area around the Spanish steps was also the home of John Keats and Lord Byron, two fantastic poets.

The next day we got up uncommonly early and headed to the Vatican City. After walking across Rome we finally arrived. My favorite part of the Vatican was the Sistine Chapel that housed Michelangelo's masterpiece. The ceiling is covered in frescoes that tell the story of creation. This man, at the age of 33, spent four years on his back painting the ceiling of this chapel and it is one of the world's greatest works of art. And we got to experience it. It was quite surreal. We then toured St. Peter's and definitely made a stop to see Michelangelo's Pieta. It was absolutely gorgeous. He made it at the age of 24. The canopy done by Bernini that covered St. Peter's tomb was gorgeous. The church was simply amazing and it is quite interesting that no other building is allowed to be taller than St. Peter's.

My little travel group then traveled on to Pompeii. It was 95°F and our sun tans are scary. The ruins were amazing and being that it was in existence way back in 79 A.D we definitely felt like we were existing in another world. It was magnificent. My favorite part was the body casts that were done by archaeologists after the volcano eruption. There was one in particular of a pregnant lady that brought tears to my eyes. It was simply beautiful.

Sorrento was gorgeous and we got to spend the night in a hotel that had the view of the marina and the Island of Capri. It was a beautiful evening and unfortunately we had to leave to head back to Sansepolcro. It was surprising and exciting that we all were so ready to get back home to Sansepolcro. It was fantastic that we are already considering this home and I am not sure if we will be able to leave it soon. I know I am definitely not ready to leave this beautiful town.

Entry 1: May 21, 2008

We are finally in Italy! This has already been an amazing experience. It was a pleasure to be there to experience some of the ladies' first time flying. It was an amazing, overwhelming feeling of excitement when we landed in Roma. When we got to Sansepolcro my breath was taken away by the beauty. The Servi is absolutely amazing! The food is absolutely delicious!

Piero della Francesca is an exquisite artist who was born in Sansepolcro. Visiting the Museo Civico was an artist’s dream. The life sized paintings are absolutely nothing compared to the copies and pictures. The Casa Buitoni is one of my favorite places now. It has a lush history and a view of the Tuscan skyline that is to die for. This house is a dream and it's amazing to know that it was run by a powerful woman at one time. The pasta was amazing and lunch overlooking the garden was absolutely fantastic.

Gelato is an amazing invention and should be experienced by everyone. It is one of Italy's most hidden secrets, I am sure. The people of Sansepolcro are friendly and love having us. I am loving every moment of it!