Tuscany!

Well, I am back in Milan and am happy to say that I had a wonderful trip in France & Spain. However, before I write about that trip I am going to write about my road trip through Tuscany, like I promised. The great news is that I have taken close to 1500 pictures in the past 2 weeks so today you will get to see A LOT of them. The bad news is that it might take you a while to see them all.

Our trip began on Friday morning with a bus ride to the airport to pick up the rental cars. We rented a Volvo station-wagon and a Ford Focus. Both cars turned out to be great but the GPS system that we rented ended up not working too well in the remote parts of Tuscany! In total there were 10 of us and we were a pretty diverse group! There were 5 Swedes, 3 Norwegians, 1 Dutchman, and a Colombian-American (me, of course). Our first stop along the way was in Parma, where we had lunch. Parma is most famous for its prosciutto di Parma, or raw ham, and Parmesan cheese. For lunch I had a pasta but then I made sure to also get a panino (sandwich) so I could try their famous prosciutto. Our 2nd and final destination for the day was Firenze (Florence) and I was especially excited to see the city because I had heard it was extremely beautiful countless times. We stayed in a hotel roughly 200 meters from the Duomo so we couldn't have asked for a better location. After we got settled into our apartment we headed out to see the city and eat dinner. It was really nice to walk around after sitting in the car the whole day, but we made the mistake of paying 9Euros for an awful gelato near the center of the city. For dinner we ate at a restaurant right in the Piazza della Signoria which is in front of the Palazzo Vechio. It was really beautiful and peaceful but we were surprised when a huge procession of people marched into the piazza to celebrate Good Friday singing Catholic hymns. After dinner the girls headed to their apartment/hotel and we all went to bed so we could get up early.

The next morning we got up early (as planned) and got breakfast. Afterwards we walked next door to the Duomo to see it during the day and then we were back on the road. Our first official stop of the way was the medieval walled town of San Gimignano, but we stopped several times while driving to admire the rolling Tuscan hills we saw along the way. Some of the sights we saw looked like they were out of a movie. San Gimignano was also extremely beautiful and had a very medieval feel to it, like at any moment a group of Roman soldiers could come marching over the hills to invade the town. The highlight though was easily the gelato that we had. There is a chance that I will never try another ice cream THAT good the rest of my life. I had a combination of Mango, Strawberry, and Nutella and all 3 flavors tasted better than the real thing. It is hard to put into words, but the mango tasted more like mango than a real mango does (I know that sounds confusing).

Our final stop of the night was in Siena where we were staying on a farm which was a 15 minute drive from the city. This was our first night of a real Tuscan experience because we stayed in a little house outside of the town and we were all excited to be staying closer to nature for the night. I was also excited because as you know, I had already been to Siena and absolutely loved the city. We went into the city for dinner at a restaurant and the Piazza del Campo was just as beautiful as I remembered it to be. After a wonderful dinner together we all headed back to the house and played Mafia (fitting for Italy right?). I had never played the game before, but essentially, a couple people get randomly assigned to be the mafia (using a deck of cards) and everyone tries to guess who it is without trying to get killed. It is A LOT more fun to play than it sounds and we literally played until 4 in the morning. Everyone except for one person had never played it before so it was fun and I definitely think we will continue to play it this semester. 

After a really late night (and less sleep due to losing an hour to daylight savings time that night) we dragged ourselves to breakfast, which ended at 10am, and then headed into Siena once we were all packed up. The weather was perfect and it made the city even more beautiful, which I didn't think was possible! The highlight for me was when we went to the top of the tower in the Piazza del Campo and got spectacular views of the city and surrounding countryside. That day, Siena was hosting Genoa in a soccer match so there were people everywhere and it was a really fun atmosphere. After spending a few hours walking around the city and eating lunch we hit the road again and didn't stop (except to take pictures) until we got to Montalcino. Montalcino is known worldwide for its Brunello di Montalcino red wine. It is recognized globally as one of Italy's best and most expensive wines. The town itself was modest in size but was built on hills and had a very nice downtown area. In said area, I made what turned out to be a fantastic purchase when I bought a yellow plastic soccer ball for us to play with on our trip. The ball, which became known as my baby, was used whenever we weren't in the car and we all had a lot of fun kicking it around. I also got the nickname of being the baby of the family because I was the youngest person by like 2 years, with the oldest being person on the trip being almost 5 years older! After leaving Montalcino we headed to our lodging for the night and none of us could believe our eyes. The little farmhouse we stayed in was literally in the middle of nowhere in the heart of Tuscany and we didn't have any neighbors for miles. Compared to this little house, the farm we stayed at the night before was like staying in midtown Manhattan. It literally might have been one of the most secluded places I have ever been and it was also one of the most beautiful and peaceful. Milan is actually a pretty loud and busy city so I hadn't really heard complete silence in months or years! I can't remember the last time I have been outside somewhere and heard absolutely nothing. It was a PERFECT place to go on vacation. After we all got settled in we drove to the nearest village for a nice dinner and then returned for another exhausting night of mafia.

Wow! When I woke up the next morning the first thing I did was look outside and was blown away but the view. Nothing but rolling hills for as far as the eye could see. It was the epitome of what I had always dreamt Tuscany would look like. After a small breakfast we loaded up the car and left our cozy cabin for the last day of our trip. We had all been looking forward to the last day because we headed back to Montalcino to a vineyard for a wine tasting! The vineyard was very historic and the original family was very well known because 2 of the children went on to be Popes of the Catholic Church. Before we got to taste the wines, Mario, whose worked at the vineyard for decades, gave us a tour of the museum and also explained the process of how the wine is made and showed us the production facilities. Oscar and I spoke the best Italian so we translated for Mario because he didn't speak any English. Mario was incredibly nice I loved talking to him. He was living proof that the best and easiest Italian to understand comes from Tuscany! The fun part started when we got to try all of the different wines and we tried them all in order from youngest to oldest which turned out to be the same as worst to best! We also tried a Vinsanto and a Grappa which are more like liquors and they were both interesting. I bought 3 bottles of wine for myself (the best ones I tried) and am very excited to have them with a nice meal. I think I am going to save the best one for when my brother Francisco is here to visit. After the vineyard we all walked around the area and then headed home but it was a fantastic experience and we all had an incredible time.

As I am sure you can tell, I had an amazing time in Tuscany but the best part was getting to know the group of friends I was with better. This was a trip I won't ever forget.

Peace and Love,
Camilo Andres

TOSCANA: Road trip through Tuscany

This post is going to have to be brief because I have to wake up in a little more than 4 hours for my trip to Paris. I will upload pictures and a longer post later.

However, you should be excited because I had an amazing trip. This past weekend a group of 10 of us rented 2 cars and drove down to Tuscany for 3 nights and 4 days. It was absolutely incredible and we all had a lot of fun. The first night we stayed in the heart of Florence near the Duomo, but the other 2 nights we stayed in 2 different cabins in the rolling hills of Tuscany with no other cabins or stores within a 15 minute drive. It was easily the most peaceful experience I have had so far in Italy and it was a perfect way to start my spring break! Some of the highlights were eating the best gelato I have ever had (by far), playing soccer, going to the top of the tower in Siena, going to a vineyard for a wine tasting, and getting to know a great group of people even better.

I am going to be in Paris from tomorrow until the 6th of April and then Madrid until the 9th. Once I am back in Milan I have to study for my midterm on the 14th but then I am going to Palermo that evening until the 17th. Needless to say, I am very lucky have the opportunity to travel to such beautiful places. Waking up in Milan everyday reminds me of how lucky and blessed I am.

Goodnight!

Rome 2

Our 2nd full day in Rome was just as fun and hectic as the first but another thing they had in common was the terrible weather! After our breakfast was brought to our room and we were done eating, we headed to the Metro (subway) station to go see the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Right before we got out of the Metro station I told Lilian "I hope the Colosseum won't be hard to find", and we were both caught off guard because it is literally the first and only thing you see when you get out. It is like the size of a professional soccer stadium so it was an incredible and surprising sight.

Once we crossed the street and found our way into the Colosseum we had to wait in line to buy our tickets. Each ticket was like 15EUROS and then we paid an additional 4.50EUROS for the audio-guide because of the great experience we had with them at the Vatican. The system they had in place for distributing the audio-guides was absolutely horrendous and I think a 5 year old could probably organize something more efficiently. The "tour" began on the 2nd level of the arena and once we were inside it was really hard to believe that such a large structure was built so long ago. I wonder if the Roman's would have guessed that these buildings would still be standing after thousands of years! The floor of the Colosseum is no longer there besides a small section that was restored to better depict what it used to be like, so you can see directly down into the tunnels that housed the warriors, wild animals, and machinery. Hearing the stories of the epic battles that took place in the Colosseum made me want to watch the movie Gladiator again. In fact, Francisco, you should watch The Gladiator and Angels and Demons before coming to visit (or better yet, bring them with you so we can watch them together). After we made our way back down to the bottom of the arena and finished the tour it took forever to return the audio-guides due to their terribly inefficient system and then we couldn't figure out how to leave! We weren't the only ones lost so they really need to run the whole place more efficiently! Overall it was amazing to see and be in the Colosseum though.

After the Arena, we crossed the street and headed to the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is basically the center of the ancient Roman Civilization and you can still see some of the ruins and structures standing. The area is very large and we spent at least a couple of hours walking around the complex and seeing everything. At this point it started to rain but we both fortunately had our umbrellas! It was also funny because while we were walking around I heard someone say my name and I turned around and saw a couple of my friends from Milan who were also in Rome that weekend. I didn't know they were going to be there so it was a huge coincidence and we shared a good laugh.

After we left the Forum we were hungry so we started walking back toward the Vatican and other parts of the city we hadn't been to before. However, after walking for 10 minutes we began to recognize things we saw on our first night when we were searching for things to eat. The historical and touristy parts of Rome are all very concentrated and you can probably walk from the Vatican to the Colosseum in like 45 minutes (on our map that's like across the city), it would probably take longer to walk across St. Cloud, Minnesota. Wanting to see something new we crossed the Tiber River and walked along it all the way back to the Vatican which was really scenic. I could probably spend an entire day walking through an old city and not mind if I don't see any "attractions" because seeing all of the old streets and houses is very peaceful and fun.

After we walked around half of the city I decided to buy a watch to replace the one I am going to return. I decided to buy it with a metal band because it is more versatile and I can wear it with anything. It was a bit more expensive, but I think it was a good investment. Worst case scenario, I can always resell it right?

That afternoon we got back to the room and I took a 2 hour nap before finally meeting Maria and her boyfriend for dinner. Maria was the daughter of our next door neighbors when we lived in Colombia and they moved to Italy when we moved to the US but her parents were always best friends with my parents. I couldn't remember her from when I was little but I definitely remember her parents. When we finally met her she took us to an aperitivo and it was a lot of fun to hear her tell stories about my parents and Grandfather. She remembers my Grandfather really well because he moved into our apartment in Bogotá after we moved to the US. Sharing stories with her was a lot of fun and after we ate they showed us around the city (most of which we had walked already) and it was one of the most fun nights I have had in Italy. When Francisco comes to visit we will definitely need to go to her house so we can see her parents! The last time they saw us we were seven so they'll be super excited to see us again!

Overall, our trip to Rome was incredible and I cannot wait to go back and visit again this semester! The highlight of the trip would definitely be seeing the Sistine Chapel and seeing Maria again. My spring break is coming up so I need to start planning my trips! I am thinking of going to Madrid and Paris so I will keep you updated. This week is super busy for me school-wise so wish me luck with everything!

Cool picture of a candle I took!

Lilian's Visit + Rome 1

Wow!! This past week literally flew by. I don't know where to start. To begin, I am starting to feel better. I can't remember whether I blogged about it but I've had a pretty serious cold since last Thursday. Finally, after a week and a half of taking medicine I am starting to feel better, which is great news.

The really big news for me though, is that my friend Lilian came to visit me during Penn's spring break for an entire week. Saturday night I went out and stayed out much later than I intended too (4AM) but the next morning I was up at 8 so that I could be at the airport in time to pick Lilian up after her flight. I was able to get to the airport without any problems and finally seeing her was great. We then headed to the train to head into the center of Milan and then to my apt. Unfortunately when we got on the subway in the center of the city, it was so packed that I had to use her big suitcase (she packed almost as much as I did for 6 months for her 1 week visit) to push people in so that we could fit. I was relieved when we got out of the subway so that we could breathe again and thought the worst of it was over, until Lilian realized that her wallet wasn't in her purse. Yes, she literally got pick-pocketed within 15 minutes of arriving in Milan!!!!

We knew there was no use worrying about it because there was no way her wallet would ever be found but this was definitely not the best way to start a vacation. Later that day I took Lilian to see the Duomo in Milan, along with the big castle near the center of the city and Via Monte Napoleone so that she could get a sense of the importance of fashion in Milano. I ended up buying a light jacket for the spring and a watch with a brown band. Unfortunately, when I got home I realized that the ticking of the watch's seconds hand is super loud so now I need to return the watch. I normally would not mind but I can literally hear the watch while it is by my side. We also drank an espresso so that she could taste an authentic one, and as you can see from the picture below, she thought it was a little bitter! For dinner I took Lilian to a pizzeria near my apartment so that she could have her first real Italian pizza and we both thought it was delicious.

The following day I had class all day but I only went in the morning so Lilian wouldn't have to be alone for as long. After I got home from class we went to the grocery store and bought food because Lilian wanted to cook a special meal. She decided on making steaks and I tried to pay attention to the recipe because it was delicious!!  The next day Lilian came to classes with me and it was funny because in class I answered a question and got a free loaf of bread from Princi, one of the best bakeries in Milan. As soon as we got home we tried the bread and it was certainly as good as was promised. In between classes we came home to find my french roommate almost having a nervous breakdown because we had not washed the floors in nearly 3 weeks and the shower was broken so I spent a couple hours vacuuming everything and scrubbing the floors and even some walls in my room, the kitchen, foyer, and kitchen. Later in the day, our landlord had our shower fixed and it ended up being 100x better than before it broke. It wasn't the most exciting 3 hours of my life but it's always good to do some spring cleaning and someone has to help keep the American-French relations peaceful. That evening, Lilian outdid herself in the kitchen again with the chicken she made and after a pleasant meal we planned our trip to Roma!

 Fortunately, my Italian roommate, Federica, was home and was able to call the bed and breakfast in Rome to make the reservation and make sure the place seemed legitimate. After everything was booked we all sat and shared stories until like 3am over a bottle of white wine. The wine and spirits here in Italy are incredibly inexpensive compared to the US, so having a glass of wine for dinner is about as common as eating pasta here.

On Wednesday, I had to go to class to take a quiz before we could leave to Rome and it was shocking. I had heard that cheating was common practice in Italian classrooms but I never imagined it could be THAT bad. I was wrong. Students were literally talking aloud to eachother and even shouting to friends across the room. I finished as quickly as possible and left because there were like 7 people trying to copy my answers. The professor kept pretending to be upset but she never actually did anything to stop everyone an it was a really dissapointing experience. There is a chance that I did the worst in the class since everyone else cheated but I don't care because I can atleast think for myself.

After my quiz Lilian and I ran to the train station to depart for Rome. Unfortunately when we got there we found out our train had been cancelled due to the weather (it was snowing) so we left 2 hours later than we wanted. I think I brought the bad weather to Italy with me but I don't mind bringing bad weather wherever I go because I think I also bring a lot of humor and laughter with me too! The train itself was delayed once we got on it so we didn't get into Rome until 9 at night. The man sitting next to me was from Rome and I talked to him for most of the 2nd half of the trip. At first I didn't want to bother him because he was like 50 years old and looked tired but then he looked bored so I figured my attempts to speak Italian would at least be entertaining for him. We ended up speaking about our love for soccer and I told him about the trips I have taken and I also learned more Italian so it was great. Those kinds of things are what makes traveling fun. 

I was VERY excited for this trip for a few reasons:

1. I have always wanted to visit the Vatican and see the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.

2. I was going to be able to meet Maria, my childhood neighbor and playmate from when I lived in Colombia, who now lives in Rome.

3. Reading 'Angels and Deamons' made me want to see the city and all of its beautiful fountains and churches.

4. The Colloseum.

5. It's ROME!!!

After we checked into the bed & breakfast and got settled in we picked up a map from the lobby and headed out to find something to eat. I was hoping to find an aperitivo where we could watch the Milan/ Manchester champions league soccer match but we didn't have luck and it didn't seem like too great of a game anyway. We walked around for like 45 mins and it didn't take long to realize how beautiful the city was or how great of a location we were staying in. Our B&B was literally like a 10 minute walk from the Vatican. We decided to eat at a pizzeria and then walked back to get some much needed rest.
Look at the beautiful view of St. Peter's Basilica that we saw!

The next morning we got up at 6:45am because breakfast was brought up to our room at 7:30am since we had 8am reservations at the Musei Vaticani (Vatican Museums). The walk to the museum only took 15 mins since it's toward the back of the Vatican but once we got there we just walked right past all of the lines since we had reservations. Once we got in we also got an audioguide for €7 which I had heard was well worth it. I would definitely recommend it because it makes everything more interesting if you know the history behind it. The inside of the museum was absolutely beautiful and before it was a museum, the Pope used some of the rooms for his offices and even dining areas. Some of the rooms had frescoes painted by Michelangelo so you can imagine what a sight it was. During the tour they definitely saved the best for last. The last room we entered was the Sistine Chapel, which is the Pope's chapel. This is the place where all of the cardinals are locked-in while they vote for the new pope and it is so beautiful that it makes all of the treasures in the museum look like household objects. There are simply no words to describe the Chapel, especially the ceiling which was all painted by Michelangelo. I had heard so much about the chapel that when I first walked in I was almost underwhelmed but the more time I spent admiring the art and history, the more I began to feel overwhelmed with its beauty and importance. As far as art is concerned, there is NOTHING that I have ever seen or heard of that can compare- Not even DaVinci's Last Supper or any of the Monet's, Van Gogh's, or Picasso's I have seen in museums. I could have spent all day admiring it and when I finally left the chapel I basically has goosebumps. Photography is prohibited but I was able to sneak in a couple pictures (everyone was trying to).

After the museums we went to St. Peter's Basilica and Square and their size was very impressive. I bet close to a million people could fit in the square. There were a super long line to get into the Basilica but it moved quickly and it was well worth the sights that awaited us. The Basilica is HUGE (the biggest in the world) but the large square outside makes it appear smaller than it is. Once you are inside though, you really get a feel for its sheer size but it is even more beautiful than it is big. It is a strange feeling to walk on the same floor that so many Popes and even Saints have walked on and it is something that every Christian should experience. Being in the Vatican really made me proud to be Catholic and I made sure to pray while in the Basilica, which was built on top of St. Peter's tomb. After walking aroun the interior we went down into the tombs of the popes and it was really sad especially when we got to Pope John Paul II's tomb. There were at least a dozen people kneeling in front of it praying on the ground and some were even crying. It was a really moving scene.





After we left the tombs we went to the top of the cupolla or the top of the dome of the church. It was pretty tiring and it took a long time to climb up all of the steps but the views from the top were gorgeous. It was quite cloudy but we could still see really far and we could even see the colloseum in the distance! After climbing to the top we left the Vatican an explored more of the city.

Some of the beautiful things we saw As we walked around were:

The Fontana de Trevi

The "Spanish Steps"

The Pantheon

The Pantheon was really cool because of how old it was. Inside are the graves of Italy's first 2 kings and Raphael, the great artist. I don't know much about the Fontana da Trevi but it is beautiful and everyone was throwing coins in for good luck so I did the same!






We headed in and went to bed early that night because we were so tired and had another long day of sightseeing ahead of us.