My Crash Course in Rome and A Few Days in Greece

Before I begin, I can safely say that the rainy season in Siena has FINALLY ended and we have seen the most beautiful days of the semester this past weekend. It took forever, but Siena is finally feeling like Spring. After spending most of the weekend lying out either in the Fortezza or Piazza del Campo, and walking around enjoying the sunshine I feel completely ready to start a new week.

Spring Break was both wonderful and exhausting. If you plan to spend only a short time in Rome, I can now assure you that you can see (almost) all of the “important” things in one day. With the sole intention of seeing the Sistine Chapel we decided to spend an afternoon in Rome before we departed for Greece, but when the bus arrived late and the Chapel was closed, we had to find alternatives. As the only one in our group having never been to Rome before, I couldn’t decide what I wanted to see the most, so we then decided to do it all. The Colosseo, the Roman Forum, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and even my first spaghetti carbonara. If you have 6 hours in Rome (or even less) you can accomplish everything with sufficient time for photos and souvenir shopping in between! Also, the metro system in Rome is super-efficient (very New York-esque) and it is so easy to get around.

After making our way to the airport we were off to Athens. The short flights around Europe are great for quick naps during travel. After arriving in Athens and unpacking at our hostel we decided to have our first authentic Greek meal and from the restaurant there was even a nice view of the Acropolis!

We also only had one full day in Athens, so after waking up early we started our journey. We did the entire city in a day starting at an archeological museum and working our way around the Acropolis, the Parthenon, their museums, the Temple of Zeus, the Olympic Stadium, and a few markets. Of course there were stops for delicious Greek food (gyros, Greek salads, and tons of tzatziki sauce) along the way as well as “freddoccinos” which are delicious iced cappuccinos that are incredibly popular in Greece.

Mykonos was next, and after a short 30 minute flight over to the island we were greeted by the owner of our hotel who drove us back and also gave us a map of the island. If you’re ever over that way I completely recommend Aeolos hotel. The staff is wonderful and their recommendations of sights and food were perfect. Mykonos is the kind of place you can relax, shop, and just see beautiful things. The windmills, pelicans, and Paradise Beach were our main stops along with the shops where they have handmade clothing, jewelry, and sandals! The weather in Greece was beautiful - 70 degrees and sunny the entire time! And also the people we encountered the entire time were so hospitable and welcoming. It was truly the perfect place to end a wonderful vacation.

After an intense day of travel home, we arrived back in Siena after midnight on Sunday completely exhausted.  It’s funny because now when we arrive back we feel like we’re “home” as opposed to simply back in Siena, and there is no better feeling than coming home after a busy break away.

Madison Bedford, University of Virginia

CET Siena Student Correspondent

YOSO

        One month left from this coming Sunday. I cannot believe it. Where has the time gone? It seems like I was just arriving here in the 30 degree cold weather and today it was 70 degrees and beautiful outside. Today is also the 3rd Monday of April and in Massachusetts that is synonymous with three things: Spring Break, Patriots Day, and the Boston Marathon. I am fortunate enough to live in the town where the Boston Marathon starts, 26.2 miles from the finish line on Boylston Street. We had just finished up dinner tonight and I was helping my host mom clear the table when I started to tell her about my traditions at home on this Marathon Monday. Shortly after I walked over to my computer to receive a message from my friend at home that there had been a bombing at the finish line on the race just after the elite runners had finished. My heart dropped to hear this news, luckily I have not heard of any loved ones being hurt.

            I sit here now, thousands of miles away, as a tragedy happens at home. This is something I would have never thought I would be experiencing while studying abroad. They don’t teach you this coping skill in your meetings at school before you leave. Yet right away I received text messages on my Italian cell phone from my friends here at CET. It was amazing to feel that kind of support from friends who I have only known for three months, yet know me too and saw how this directly affected me. This kind of support I also did not know I would experiencing abroad. We are all each other’s’ closest thing to home and its incredibly comforting to know that I can count on my 9 new friends and of course our program director, Christina.

            Now on a more positive note, I believe one of the main reasons we are all so bonded is probably due to our traveling seminar to Catania, Sicily. This trip is included in our program fee and a credit of the Italian Cultural History course that is required. Coming from Siena to Catania, the sun and warm weather was just what we all needed. We left thursday morning on a short flight from Florence to Catania and returned home Sunday evening just in time for dinner. I was very excited to go to Catania because, as someone who has focused their travels here in Europe to Italy first and then other countries, this was my opportunity to experience the south. As one might know, il Sud is considered something very different from the rest of Italy. The stereotypes exist that life there is very slow, the dialect is very hard to understand, the mafia control everything, and il pesce is plentiful. I believe that all of these can be true in some respect, but after our weekend in Catania we learned so much more about this beautiful island and culture. While in Catania we were traveling and had free time, yet also attended lectures with the local CET italian cultural history professor. This Sicilian woman educated us on history, culture, and people of Catania. Sicily has always been ruled by foreign powers so you can really see the french, arab, and spanish influence on the culture particularly in the food and language. The food was pleasantly different from that of my beloved Tuscan cuisine. I really enjoyed pasta alla norma and the beautiful antipasto plates they had with delicious veggies.

            My favorite activity of the weekend by far was the hiking of Mount Etna. It was so cool to see the towns that live around an active volcano. You can see the ash from the lava flows all over the buildings. We all had so much fun hiking around and checking out all of the stone with our knowledgeable Italian tour guide, Roberto. What a geologist he was! None of this would have been possible without Christina. She essentially led 10 college students throughout a weekend tour of Catania. We did so much in so little time from the main Duomo, to the fish market, to the delicious food of small, cheap, and delicious trattorie. You Only Sicily Once.

Megan Kessler, Brandeis University

CET Siena Student Correspondent