Photography Project

I am taking a digital photography class at JCU. Our assignment this week was to use a high enough shutter speed to capture flowing water so it appears still. I took this picture of Bernini's fountain in Piazza Navona. 

Sunset

This evening was a beautiful time for picture taking. Walking around taking pictures is one of my favorite things to do. There is so much beauty to capture in so little time!

Street Art

Street art is everywhere here. Although some of the street vendors can be pushy towards Americans, every once and awhile I come across a genuine artist. If only I could pack art in my suitcase home!

View from the Top

This photo was taken at the top of the basilica in Vatican City. 

Tiber River

Getting Lost on a Run

I decided to go running outside my first week in Rome. Little did I know that running around Rome makes it extremely easy to get lost. What I've learned is that getting lost is one of the best things you can do here - you always stumble upon something beautiful that you might not have seen otherwise. 

Cobblestones

Florence, Italy (Firenze)

I spent this past weekend in Florence. I think of Florence as a "mini Rome." It was nice to get away from Rome's hectic city and see the Duomo, David, and the Ponte Vecchio. 

The Roman Colosseum

Seeing the Colosseum in person inspired me and my roommates to watch Gladiator!

The Vatican

Going to Vatican City is like stepping outside of the city of Rome for a moment. On our trip we climbed to the top of the Basilica and were rewarded with a magnificent view of Rome.

Ostia Antica, Italy

My first excursion outside of Rome was to Ostia Antica, Italy. It is located about an hour outside the center of Rome and contains a rich history. Ostia was a prominent harbor town that acted as a center of trade for the larger city of Rome. Ostia was in many ways a smaller version of Rome. We were given a guided tour of the ruins.

Italian food - Molto Bene!

Lemon Gelato

 Asparagus Lasagna from Baccoco

Gnocchi from aperitivo at the Pantheon


My favorite part about Italy so far? The food. I fell in love with Italian cuisine my first dinner out  - we went to a popular restaurant called Tony's. 

The Plane Ride

After a long day of traveling already, I boarded my eight hour flight to Italy. The first thing the flight attendant did was offer me wine in Italian. This got my nerves going - what did I get myself into exactly? I fell asleep after watching a few episodes of New Girl and awoke to the worst turbulence I have ever experienced. I felt as though we were going to crash for sure. A nice older man sitting next to me told me not to worry and that this happens sometimes when you fly over the ocean and encounter bad weather. He had been traveling back and forth from the US to Italy for the past fifteen years. This made me feel a little better. I looked back at my friends who were either sleeping through the bumps or just as terrified as me. I thought-  this definitely couldn't be a good sign - this is not the right way to start my semester abroad. When we landed in Italy, however, my excitement returned and my journey abroad began.