KT Says

Hello everyone!

This weekend I went to Paris with my friend Amber from our group, and I have discovered one of the most amazing cities in the world. I don’t want to knock Florence, because I love it, but Paris has all the magic that everyone says it has. I was not disappointed at all! Our flight was on Thursday night, October 16th, at 8:50 from Pisa airport, so Amber and I had to rush out of Italian at 5 to catch a bus from the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence to Pisa. We made it through and got on the plane, but we hit some turbulence while we were in the air. That was a little scary because it lasted longer than 5 minutes, and I’ve never experienced turbulence like that. Poor Amber was really freaked out because she’s only flown a handful of times in her life, including our flight to Italy! We made it in one piece though and because we really had no idea where our hostel was, we decided to get a cab. It was only 14 euro between the two of us, and we thought that was pretty good considering the location of the airport and all (we flew into Orly Sud in Paris). Our hostel was a little weird–the people were very nice and we didn’t feel unsafe or anything, but it was very old and it smelled old, kind of like mothballs. We had our own room and bathroom though, so we couldn’t complain too much.

This is the street our hostel was on: Rue Magenta de Strasbourg, I think it was called. I swore I took a picture of our room, but apparently not so maybe I’ll steal some from Amber if she took any . Anyway, we crashed the first night because we were exhausted from the flight and getting to the hostel, and we had a huge day planned for Friday.

Friday morning we were up and out of the hostel by 9:30 am, and found a nice little bakery down the street from us . Needless to say, I certainly took advantage of that and bought a pain au chocolat for breakfast. It was the perfect way to start our day off in Paris! We had a plan for Friday: Eiffel Tower, Musee d’Orsay, the Louvre, Champs Elysees, and the Arc de Triomphe, and we were going to stick to it! So, the both of us went to the nearest metro station and asked a nice lady at information for directions to Le Tour Eiffel, and she couldn’t have been happier to help! We made it to the stop she directed us to in no time and we emerged from underground into a cold, crisp, sunny morning. We looked and looked for the tower but we couldn’t find it, but finally we turned a corner around a building and there it was, in all its glory.

I have to say, the Eiffel Tower is the best monument I’ve ever seen. It’s amazing–tall, beautiful, majestic…just absolutely amazing. We were both speechless at the sight of it, literally. Since I’ve been taking French for so long I’ve always dreamed of going to Paris, and this was the culmination of all my dreaming. We absolutely couldn’t take our eyes off of it for a long time. We quickly got in line to go to the top of it, and that was totally worth the 12 euro.

You don’t get views like that from just anywhere! We had a nice lunch at a snack place inside the tower and bought a few cute souvenirs (I was cheesy and touristy and bought Eiffel Tower stud earrings ) before we headed down the Seine to our next destination: the Musee d’Orsay.

Our friends Cara and Bailey went to Paris over Fall Break and they both said the Musee d’Orsay was worth seeing. We went in and saw all kinds of Impressionist paintings, from Degas to Manet to Renoir to Toulouse-Latrec, and I love the Impressionists. I was in my heaven, and that was before we went downstairs to see the Rodin sculptures the museum had. They were all amazing! I never appreciated sculpture before I came to Florence and now I have a love for it. Also, I saw a painting there that may be my new favorite painting ever: it’s called La naissance de Venus by William Adolphe Bouguereau. I fell in love with it and couldn’t believe I had never seen it before! I like it better than Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus because the figures are so much more substantial and alive in this painting. I can’t say I don’t still love Botticelli’s painting though–I’ve lived in Florence for too long to not appreciate the Italian artists .

After the Musee d’Orsay, we headed a few bridges down the Seine to the Louvre. We crossed the Seine and were wandering around trying to find the museum and discussing that we would probably know it when we saw it since it’s a pretty big building, and sure enough the giant building we had been staring at the entire time was the Louvre! It’s an absolutely breathtaking building: I took 5 or 6 different shots of the building to try to convey just how big it actually is. I completely understand now why a tourist couldn’t see the whole museum in a day…or even a week! It’s huge.

It’s such a gorgeous, gorgeous building, much like all of the structures in Paris, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. We decided to go in to see La Jaconde (The Mona Lisa) and the Crown Jewels. After walking for what seemed like 15 minutes, we made our way up many flights of stairs to the "first floor" where she was sitting on her own glass-encased wall in the middle of a huge gallery. There was a rope around her so we couldn’t get closer than a few yards to her, so it was tough to see since the painting isn’t that big to begin with. It was still wonderful to be in Paris, in the Louvre, one of the most popular and well-known museums in the world, looking at probably the most well-known painting in the world. It blew my mind! Oh, and she really is smirking .

The crown jewels were very beautiful too, and the room itself was gorgeous! I’m glad we chose only a few things to see, otherwise it would have been too overwhelming to try to take the whole museum in at once.

After the Louvre, we walked back down the Seine to the Pont Alexander III (I think) to go up past the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais (which are now museums) to the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. That was really neat! The whole street is completely lined with trees and shops and restaurants, and it was a great experience to be there and to see it. We stopped at a pizza place (go figure…) and got a nice, cheap, filling dinner before continuing our long walk towards the Arc de Triomphe. It was so nice to just stroll after walking hardcore all day. Oh, and that big circle around the Arc is really crazy and dangerous! There are no traffic lights or any sort of direction, and it’s just pandemonium! There were a few times where Amber and I just looked at each other and had to say "We’re in Paris, we’re staring at the *insert famous monument here*" to keep us focused. We were in awe the entire time!

On Saturday, we woke up early again and set out to see Notre Dame. We walked straight down a street by our hostel for about 20 minutes, and then we saw it looming above the buildings on the Seine. It was such an experience to just stand in the square in front of Notre Dame and just stare at it; it is such a beautiful church from the outside that I couldn’t imagine what the inside looked like.

We went inside and there was choir music playing, and it was just an amazing place to be at the time. I sat down in front of the altar for awhile just to take it all in, despite the large groups of noisy tourists wandering around. I guess that’s the problem with beautiful churches–you’ll always have crowds of people inside them no matter what. After Notre Dame we headed to the metro which took us to the train station where we caught a train to Versailles! I never imagined that during my weekend trip to Paris I’d see the Palace of Versailles, but it’s only about a 20 minute train ride from Paris. We walked down the street from the train station, and there it was!

I was a little disappointed because there was work being done on the palace and there were tarps over parts of it, but it is still a gorgeous building. We bought tickets for the palace and for Marie Antoinette’s estate, which is separate from the palace itself. We walked through all the rooms and I can’t believe that people actually lived there! There are some rooms which are fairly small, and then there are huge expanses of rooms, like the hall of mirrors or the chapel, which have high ceilings and beautiful artwork. Before going to Marie Antoinette’s Estate, we took a walk outside to the gardens and they were BEAUTIFUL!

You couldn’t see the gardens in a day, because there are different parts and mazes and fountains all over. Because it was such a beautiful day, we took our time making our way to the end of the Versailles gardens, where it turned into a public park, and made a right to get to the Estate. It was very small, but very pretty. Marie lucked out with that deal .

After Versailles we ran back to the train station so we could get to Sacre Coeur and Montmarte in time for the sunset. The church and the steps of Montmarte sit on a hill and that’s where people go for the sunset–it’s like a big party. Some people bring food, some bring wine and beer, and there is live music and dancing and everyone just sits, talks, and has fun. Amber and I watched a few guys dance and sing to their own music for awhile before moving up the steps to where these two guys had amps and microphones plugged in so they could play their guitars and sing. They played "No Woman, No Cry," some Greenday, and other American songs, plus some French songs. It was so much fun! When we got too cold to sit there anymore, we went to a cafe down the street and had some hot chocolate and a croque monsieur. That was SO GOOD! Overall, I’d say I had the best weekend that anyone could have. Paris is the most amazing place in the world and I can’t wait to come back with family or anyone who wants to see it–I’d glady show them .

Today, we heard some screams coming from the street after our English class and Danny, the guy who mans the desk at CAPA, told us that high school and university students in Florence are protesting a law that was recently passed that cut funding for the teachers, among other things. They protested and have been occupying the schools for a few weeks now, which basically means they don’t go to school and hang out in the building having parties. Some of the kids really care about the issues, but some are just in it for the party. But anyway, Kelly, me, Abbie, and Cara ran down the street and were greeted by a HUGE crowd of students chanting, holding signs, clapping, and singing. There were groups and groups of them floating down the street…it was really neat to see and to be a part of. There were police there just watching them…I guess they can do stuff like that in Italy and nobody can do anything about it. Amazing! Okay…I don’t have anything planned for this weekend, but Halloween weekend is Dublin! I can’t wait. Oh, and only five weeks until I come home! I can’t believe how fast it’s going….

Ciao!
~Katie

PS-Here is the link to the slideshow of my pictures: Paris Pictures If you can’t read some of the captions, just hold your mouse over them and they will appear in a little box so you can read the whole thing. Enjoy!

Here I am again! This time I’ll be talking about my lovely stay in the French Riviera.

We stayed in a hostel called Villa Saint Exupery in Nice and we traveled to Cannes, Monaco, Antibes and a little town called Eze–it was BEAUTIFUL! (By we I mean me, Kelly, Caitlin, Will, Abbie, and Amber) We went with Bus 2 Alps again, like we did for our trip to Capri, and it worked out so nicely because our fee covered transportation to the hostel and back to Florence on a bus, some transportation between the towns, the hostel itself, and two guides or leaders who were knowledgeable about the area. We arrived Thursday night around 11 pm at the hostel and just passed out, but the next morning we left at 10 am to go to Eze and Monaco. It was a beautiful, warm day and I took the best pictures while I was there!

We only stayed at Eze for a little while we waited for the bus to Monaco, but the town was beautiful! It’s very small and we had to climb up a hill to get there (much like EVERY place in Europe–you want to get somewhere? 95% chance it’s uphill), but the views were worth it. Kelly and I took our time and window shopped as we passed the tiny shops that seemed to be carved into the walls of the medieval town, and by the time we reached the top we had spectacular views of the Mediterranean.

After an hour we hopped on the bus to Monaco and I think that was my favorite place, besides Nice, that we went to on the entire trip. There were pictures of Princess Grace all over the place there and you could tell the people really loved her. Also, we saw Monte Carlo and just the architecture on that building was beautiful! I didn’t gamble but some of our group did, and Abbie gambled with 70 euro cents . That’s about our budget over here, ha-ha. We walked down to the harbor and had quiche for lunch (delicious!) before walking uphill (surprise) through botanical gardens to see the royal palace.

That was so neat! By the time we got to the top we got some beautiful pictures of the harbor below and the Mediterranean. Also, we walked around the small streets and stopped in some tourist shops to do souvenir shopping. It was a very nice experience to see a place I never would have thought to go to on my own. Like I said, Monaco was my favorite place besides Nice, and it might have been because the weather was good or because it was the first day and we weren’t all tired and angry yet (ha-ha), but it really was beautiful.

On Saturday we woke up and hopped on the bus to go to Antibes and Cannes. I liked Antibes better than Cannes I think because Antibes seemed less touristy. There were so many palm trees around and I think I got some of my best pictures in Antibes by the water.

We walked around a lot and passed the Picasso Museum, which was closing for two hours for lunch so we couldn’t get in to see it. I think I like the way Europeans think (what, with their siestas and all) except when it interferes with my need to get into places, especially on Sunday!!! It’s rare that anything is open on Sundays, but that’s another story. Anyway, after Antibes we went to Cannes where the film festival is held. That was really neat, but really crowded.

Kelly and I split from the group without really telling anyone to get some crepes (yes!), and we really have to learn not to do that anymore, ha-ha. But, the crepes were worth it and we just walked up and down the red carpet for awhile and by the beach where these guys were doing huge sand sculptures. They were really neat and it was the first beach I’ve been to here so far that had sand instead of rocks! After Cannes we headed back to Nice and went out for a nice dinner. We went to a place that Simon, the guy who’s in charge of Bus 2 Alps, recommended: 12 euro for unlimited mussels and fries. Well, we couldn’t have gotten ready and on that tram faster. It was completely worth it, too–Will and Kelly had never had mussels before and they loved them! They were in some sauce with onions in it and they were just absolutely delicious. After that we walked around downtown Nice for awhile and took in the beautiful town.

I loved Nice because everyone spoke French and were so incredibly nice, it was clean, and the sidewalks were huge! In Florence all the streets are narrow and they smell, but Nice was such a different experience. I really loved it.

The next day we were free to walk around Nice, but since nothing was open we spent a lot of time walking and looking at closed stores. We ended up just grabbing McDonald’s for lunch before getting on the bus and heading home. For some reason, our bus driver seemed like he couldn’t quite drive right because he didn’t stick between the lines or follow traffic laws…we swerved a LOT. We also stopped abruptly and people’s stuff was falling all over the bus, so Abbie said she’s going to call the company to complain. Normally I don’t get involved with this type of thing, but it was pretty scary, especially when we were driving beside huge cliffs.

Anyway, we made it home safely on Sunday night around 11 and had a nice night in our own beds in Florence . I loved Nice so much because I could finally speak French! Also, Cara and Bailey, who spent the last half of their fall break in Paris, told Amber and I that Paris is AMAZING and they didn’t want to come back to Florence. That makes me really excited for me and Amber’s trip this weekend. We leave Thursday night at 8:50 from Pisa Airport and should get to Paris around 10 something. We have two full days there and I want to see everything! I am so excited.

Until next week, Ciao!
Katie

PS-I think this picture summed up our entire Nice trip:

That’s Kelly and I on the bus on Sunday, with Will being silly in the background. I love it!

I had a wonderful time in Ireland! I am so happy that I’ll be going back there Halloween weekend with friends to see Dublin. The people were so nice and they actually spoke English (and Gaelic too, of course), but staying with family was the best part of it all. On Saturday the 4th, I took a Terravision bus from the train station in Florence to the Pisa airport, which was wonderful because I paid less than if I had taken a train and it took less time than a train would have. I waited about an hour before I was able to check in and go through security, but once I was on the plane I started to get very excited about Ireland! The flight left at about 3:30pm from Pisa and arrived in Dublin at 7:30pm (Dublin is an hour behind Italy, so only 5 hours ahead of the U.S.), so it was already dark outside. I could still see through the drizzling rain that the grass was a brilliant green–I could hardly believe it. It was such a change from Florence which is a city with barely any green, even across the Arno where Kelly and I live. Angela was waiting right outside the terminal for me with a sign that said MK Sullivan on it, and as soon as I saw her my face lit up. It had been an exhausting day and I was happy to see someone there for me . Angela is Pop Pop Darcy’s cousin, so somehow she’s my cousin 32 times removed or something like that. She brought one of her daughters with her, Cliona, who is 27 and also a sweetheart. Oh, and another thing, they drive on the wrong side of the road in Ireland! I got a kick out of that, and Angela and Cliona thought it was funny that I had never been in a car with the steering wheel on the right side before.

Back at the house, I met Herb (Angela’s husband) who is the nicest man. He had finished making dinner while Angela and Cliona were picking me up at the airport, and let me tell you, it was the best meal I’ve had in a long time (not to say Maria’s cooking isn’t fabulous, but it was just something DIFFERENT!). We had stuffed pork wrapped in bacon, rice, and vegetables with soy sauce. It was so good!! They offered me wine and we sat and talked about my study abroad experience and it was just nice to be around family. On Sunday, Angela and Cliona and I took a walk on the beach by their house (they live north of Dublin airport) and I loved it! It was a beautiful (but windy) day, and Angela said I brought the good weather with me, which was fine with me! We headed home for an early dinner after that. Young Imelda (Pop Pop’s father’s sister Imelda’s daughter…is that confusing enough?), her husband Tom, and their two children Dervla and Cahill (spelling?) came over to eat and it was a great dinner. It felt like Sunday dinners at home with the family and I really enjoyed that. We had corned beef and cabbage and it was AMAZING! We also had carrot cake for dessert and I ate entirely too much, but I told myself that I was on vacation and it was okay .

Herb and Angela are so knowledgeable about Ireland and I’m very thankful for that, because the next day they took me to Glenndalough in County Wicklow, which is a national park with the ruins of an old monastic community that St. Kevin started in the 800s. I was absolutely amazed that these old stone churches, gravestones, and buildings are still standing. The landscape was beautiful too, and it reminded me of Pennsylvania with all the trees and mountains and greenery.

We walked around for awhile and I took in all the scenery and history before we headed to Dublin so Angela could show me around (we drove down Hollywood Road, which runs next to the place where Braveheart was filmed..that was pretty cool to see!). Herb dropped me and Angela off, and we headed to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells first. Wow, is all I can say. It was amazing to see that book, and I think when we come back for Halloween I’ll suggest getting a guided tour. I think we would all get so much more out of the experience with a guide who knows more than we do. After that we went to the National Gallery to look at some art and it was really nice to see some Irish artists as well as some others I already knew. Also, art museums are free to get into in Dublin and I think that’s a great idea. Then we walked around Dublin for awhile and I got a picture with Molly Malone off of Grafton Street. I told Angela I knew that song about Molly, and she seemed thrilled. I told her Pop Pop got me into Irish music .

After that, we went home and had a nice dinner, and Angela and Herb’s son Nile stopped by with his fiancée whose name I can’t even begin to spell because she’s Belgian. They brought Belgian chocolate over and it was delicious–I think word spread pretty fast that I like chocolate. That was fine with me! We talked about Florence and traveling and how much I’m enjoying my time here. They are wonderful people.

I woke up on Tuesday and Angela and I took a bus to the airport and had a coffee together before I got on the plane. I got a little choked up when I left! Herb and Angela and Cliona were wonderful to me. I really enjoyed every second of my stay in Ireland; every day was nice and I actually learned so much about my family and the history of Ireland that I wouldn’t have heard normally. Tomorrow I plan on going to the post office and getting some stamps so I can send them a postcard to thank them for taking such great care of me while I was there.

This past weekend, to finish up my fall break, a bunch of us went to Nice, Cannes, Antibes, and Monaco. I’ll save that for another entry tomorrow because I’m very tired of typing right now! I hope everyone enjoys the pictures, and I miss you all!

Ciao!
Katie

Hello everyone!

So Oktoberfest never happened for me and my friends because the bus Florence for Fun (the agency we bought the trip through) rented broke down. Apparently they couldn’t find another working bus in all of Tuscany, so we just didn’t go. We got our money back on Monday, of course, but it was a disappointment all the same. Kelly and I stocked up on so much food that day–cookies, crackers, Pringles, and water. So now we have a grocery store in our rooms . Luckily, we found peanut butter in the grocery store the other day, so my outlook on life is very much improved!

I wanted to update before I left for fall break. I’m going to Dublin on October 4th until the 7th, and then we may go to Venice for a day on the 8th, and then a big group of us are going to Nice and the French Riviera the last weekend of break–October 9th until the 12th. I think it’s going to be lots of fun! Expect many pictures, and I’ll post in two weeks about my adventures!

Ciao,
Katie

PS-I’d love to get cards or letters here, so if anyone wants to write my address is:

MaryKate Sullivan, c/o CAPA
Via Panfolfini, 20
Florence, Italy 50122