One Last Thing Before I Go: Trastevere

Like I did with Bologna, I wanted to assemble an unofficial guide to Rome. However, Rome is a huge city and I don’t feel confident giving recommendations for the whole thing. While I’ve done all of the tourist things – the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, etc. – I spent the majority of my time this summer in one particular neighborhood: Trastevere. I lived next to the Roma Trastevere train station, on the border of Monteverde and Trastevere. I worked in Trastevere. It is fair to say I know something about this neighborhood. Therefore, I decided to put together a guide for the part of Rome I feel the most comfortable with – Trastevere! 

Trastevere is on the west side of the Tiber River (in fact, the name “Trastevere” comes from the Latin trans Tiberim meaning “beyond the Tiber,” thanks, Wikipedia) and south of Vatican City. Most of the activity in this neighborhood centers around the two main piazzas, Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere and Piazza di San Calisto. Shockingly enough, the first piazza houses Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, a gorgeous church that is definitely a must-see feature of this neighborhood. Similar to Bologna, there aren’t a lot of activities in Trastevere. Wandering through the winding streets is an adventure unto itself and the local artisans, jewelry stands, boutiques, and fruit markets are definitely worth checking out. 

As far as really good restaurants go, Trastevere has no shortage. For sit down meals I recommend Ivo a Trastevere (known for their pizza), Dar Poeta (the best Roman style pizza ever), Cafe Baylon (which has tons of vegetarian options), and Grazia e Graziella. There are so many more restaurants that I am sure are wonderful as well, but I didn’t eat in them. General words of advice when picking a restaurant: avoid places with tourist menus (they’re a ripoff), avoid places with waiters out front trying to lure you in (they’re annoying and pushy), keep an eye out for a Trip Advisor or Lonely Planet sticker, and stick to traditional menu items – Rome is the home of Cacio e Pepe, a delicious and simple pasta dish that you can’t go wrong with at any traditional restaurant.

If you don’t have time for a sit down meal or are looking for something “porti la via” (takeaway) Trastevere has plenty of options! La Renella is hands down my favorite – I went there for lunch at least once a week, usually more. La Renella is a bakery that specializes in amazing pizzas and breads. I recommend the margherita pizza. Scrumptious. I Suppli is another great snack stop. The little shop is famous for it’s suppli, which are fried rice balls with cheesy mozzarella centers containing vegetables, marinara, or meat. Other places for a snack include Eat and CdP (Compagna della Pane). For a fun drink, try Freni e Frizioni; their menu is extensive and they have great outdoor seatng for summer nights.

You know I won’t end this without discussing gelato. My favorites in Trastevere are Fonte Della Salute (they have amazing fruit flavors with tons of vegan choices!), Bar San Calisto (possibly the only 1 euro gelato in Rome PLUS free whipped cream), and Fior di Luna (just… beautiful). If you venture ourside of Trastevere, you won’t walk too far before you stumble upon Gelateria del Teatro, which was recently named one of Buzzfeed’s 27 Ice Cream Shops You Need to Visit Before You Die. Also on that list was Giolitti’s, a gelateria and bakery near the Pantheon. The green awnings signifty too many flavors to choose from and insane crowds, but this place is worth it! Just don’t forget to pay before you go get your cone! Finally, Frigidarium, also near the Pantheon, is probably my favorite gelateria in all of Rome. Incredible. They dip your entire gelato in either dark chocolate or white chocolate, which makes eating it a delicious challenge (Emma can attest to this). Try their namesake flavor – “Frigidarium.”

I mentioned before that in Rome, I lived under a bakery. I’d like to elaborate on that: I lived under a heavenly bakery called Il Maritozzaro, famous for thier maritozzi pastry. While I never tried a “maritozzi,” mostly because it just looked like a hot dog bun filled with whipped cream, this place is supposed to be the home of the BEST maritozzi in the whole city. It’s definitely a hike from anything else, but I think a visit to Il Maritozzaro superceeds any other plans you may have had for 11pm. Why 11pm? Because this bakery has weird hours; they’re closed all day but open all night. Honestly, their bombe con nutella (a nutella filled donut, essentially) is worth it. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW AMAZING THIS BAKERY IS; PLEASE GO GET A PASTRY. 

The bakery is right by the Trastevere train station, so taking a bus (lines H, 780, 3, and 8 will take you from the center of Trastevere to the station) or the number 8 tram is super convenient. You have no excuse. 

Right outside of Trastevere (some may argue that it’s a part of Trastevere) is Isola Tiberina. While it may not seem like much, this tiny island on the river has a lot to offer. The bridge that connects it to either side, Ponte Sisto, is full of local artists and the occasional musician. I found some really amazing paintings on the bridge. The island itself has a gelato shop (with excellent Panna Cotto flavored gelato – thanks to my roommate for that tip!) and quiet places to sit and people watch. It’s a beautiful location with great views all around. The best location for a late afternoon break.

During the summer, the city sets up tents and makeshift restaurants on the riverwalk to create a fun, festive night scene. The concept is called Lungo Il Tevere (Along The Tiber) and spans from June until August. All sorts of exciting thingss pop up – from bars, shops, and concert stages. My roommates and I watched one of the World Cup games at a Mexican (it was far from Mexican) restaurantright next to the water! Their website is in Italian, so it probably won’t be much help, but basically it just lists all the vendors and upcoming events.  

So, I hope this guide helps you with any Trastevere and/or food related questions you may have! I can’t believe my time in Italy is over. It was such a wonderful journey!

Con affetto, 

Sara

Sicilia e La Seconda Conferenza

After a quick week, my boss, Flaminia, and I headed to Erice, a tiny town up in the hills of the island of Sicily, for a special event called Fly for Peace. The organization Fly for Peace hosted panels for dialogue on peace, an air show, and various events to support the peace and justice process in Israel and Palestine.(I would link their website, but it’s all in Italian – essentially the organization is an alliance of Mediterranean countries supporting Israel AND Palestine.) Flaminia moderated one of the panels on Friday and we attended other events throughout the weekend.

We arrived in Palermo, Sicily on Thursday evening and were driven an hour away to Erice, which sits at the top of a mountain overlooking the sea and cities. I have never seen a place like this before! The island of Sicily is absolutely astounding and I hope I can go back and explore it again someday!  We arrived at our hotel, a converted monastery, after experiencing the beauty Sicily has to offer. Dinner on Thursday night was with the other guests in town for Fly for Peace. I met an awesome priest from Kenya, Fr. Benedict. He was one of the few English speakers at the conference so we got to know each other quite well throughout the weekend. Fr. Benedict is a Capuchin Franciscan based out of Rome, he went to NYU for college after bing ordained in Kenya, and he is heavily featured on the Roman Capuchins’ website.

Friday was a very long day; the dialogues began at 9 am and continued until 7 pm. There was a break for lunch, which was delicious, and dinner was provided at our hotel. I ate my fill of the amazing Sicilian lunch so I wasn’t particularly hungry at dinnertime. Instead, I went for a long walk up through the mountains. It was fantastic! I went into town and checked out the local color, so lovely. I got to see the sunset over the sea – truly spectacular.

On Saturday, there were more dialogues in the morning, followed by lunch back at the hotel. I was lucky enough to find a table with predominantly English speakers – Fr. Benedict among them! The panel that Flaminia had moderated included Ashraf al-Ajrami and Benjamin Rutland, two members of an organization called the Geneva Initiative that works to promote communication and understanding between the Palestinian and Israeli majorities for peace. As both speak English, I spent a lot of the weekend conversing with them about their lives and their work in Israel and Palestine. And, of course, I ate lunch with them on Saturday!

We were rushed to the opening of Torre Pepoli after lunch. The vision behind this ancient castle renovation falls perfectly in line with the Fly for Peace mission – the goal of Torre Pepoli is that is stands for peace and light throughout the Mediterranean region. The inside of the tower was totally redone and transformed into a multimedia, interactive museum and meeting space for cross cultural, political, and interreligious dialogue. A truly beautiful sentiment! 

They fed us after this, and let me tell you – I was really excited for the table of goodies in front of me. Now, I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen Italians dive into a buffet but let me paint you a picture: Italians don’t understand the concept of lines or queues to begin with, add in a two hour presentation and the excitement of reopening a building that had been closed for decades and you have some very impatient people. When it was time for the aperitivo, I watched, astonished, as people DOVE headfirst into the food. I made several attempts to reach sandwiches and fruit, but was LITERALLY rebuffed as I tossed in the sea of hungry Sicilians. While I managed to grab two mini sandwiches, some fruit, champagne, and a dessert pastry, others had mountains of snacks on their plates – MOUNTAINS. Apparently, moderation does not exist in Sicily.

The feeding frenzy gave way to another hasty exit as the Saturday night festivities heated up. In the town of Trapani, down the mountain from Erice, a giant outdoor event featured my friends Ashraf and Benji, an Italian astronaut, and a famous Italian journalist. There were interviews, musical guests, and a rhythmic gymnastics show. In true Italian form, the whole event ran an hour and a half behind schedule and I finally was able to get a ride back to our hotel at midnight, before the final performance was even over.

Flaminia and me!

Sunday was short – just mass in the piazza in Trapani and a quick lunch before Flaminia and I hurriedly escaped back up the mountain to gather our things and head to the airport in Palermo. It was a great experience, traveling with Flaminia. Once again, I was reminded what an excellent personal assistant I would make (although, thankfully, I aspirations are a bit higher). Overall, it was a challenging weekend, in that I had to be really on my game with my language skills. All of the panels were in Italian, most of the participants only spoke Italian, and I was the only American in attendance.

not over it.

What will stick with me forever, among the awesome people I met and gorgeous scenery, is the food. Sicily is famous for their dolce, or sweets. Let me tell you, the pastries are real. I cannot wait to get home and attempt to make buccellatti.

 I am so grateful for this opportunity!

Con affetto,

Sara

Napoli

After the conference on Friday and Saturday, I took my final trip with the lovely and talented Emma. I will reiterate how blessed I am to have had Emma with me these past months! She was the perfect travel companion and, as always, an excellent friend. I am extremely glad we got to reconnect here in Italy and I know that we will continue to keep in touch now!

On Sunday, Emma and I visited Naples, the town credited with inventing Italian pizza as we know it. For us, self-proclaimed foodies and overall appreciators of fine cuisine, Napoli is Mecca. Personally, if I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be pizza (Chicago style, New York style, Roman, Napolitano…anything REAL and not cardboard). So, pizza capital of the world? An absolutely necessary field trip!

We began our day by missing the train from my apartment in Trastevere to the main train station, Roma Termini. Typical. At this point, we were quite worried, seeing as we tend to have bad luck with transportation and I live pretty far away from Roma Termini. We hoped on a bus that would take us to the Metro which we could take directly into Termini. However, the timeline was as tight as a new pair of jeggings, so every time the bus stopped for passengers or red lights (or for the driver to talk to a friend….WHY DIDN’T HE UNDERSTAND?!), Emma and I exchanged exasperated looks and prayed for speedy delivery.

We made it to our train with ten minutes to spare because we are mavericks. The train ride was actually really fun! It was two hours of us in a compartment with an Italian family going on vacation and a Spanish man. The Italian family was a 12 year old boy, Adamo, a 13 year old girl, Lina, and their mother. Adamo was so funny, quizzing Emma and I and forcing us to eat cookies. It was fun to see a family interact and it was exciting to be included. We spent the entire two hour train ride speaking with the Spanish man, the mother, and the kids. Very fun!

Once we arrived in Napoli, we had a plan: visit Sansevero, get hazelnut coffee, get pizza, go up the funicular, get gelato, maybe see the sea. I’m pleased to report we accomplished all of our goals, with the exception of seeing the sea.

We began with Sansevero, which is a mausoleum and chapel from the 16th century. The chapel is home to one of the most exquisite sculptures I have ever seen – The Veiled Christ. The absolutely stunning piece of art depicts Jesus, after being taken down from the cross, covered in His burial shroud. The detail on the work is insane; it looks as though Jesus could wake up, shake off the dust of death, and walk out of the chapel at any moment. Marvelous!

After getting our fill of this amazing marble piece, we were fully prepared to visit Brandi, the restaurant that claims to have invented margherita pizza. Wandering around Napoli, we had no idea that our lives were about to change forever. Brandi, a very typical Italian restaurant, has expanded over the years into two shops – one on either side of the street. There is an official city plaque that reads “Birthplace of Pizza Margherita – 1889” right outside the restaurant, just in case you were wondering how seriously Naples takes its pizza.

Beer with pizza, never wine

THE PIZZA

Obviously last weekend was a pretty big weekend for me – I met a Nobel Peace Prize winner, I helped organize a big seminar on economic inclusivity, I nearly burst into tears upon shaking hands with the Pope… but the excitement did not stop there. This pizza was barely three notches below meeting the Pope. It was REALLY GOOD. Words fail to describe how perfect it was. The crust was soft, but still crispy. The sauce was simple and elegant. The cheese melted perfectly and carefully stretched with each bite. It was unobtrusive, modest, but completely extraordinary. I can honestly say it was the best meal I have had in my time abroad.

After the pizza, THE pizza, we went looking for the famous café, Del Professore. Beyond pizza, Naples is known for a hazelnut coffee drink called “caffe con la nocciola” and Del Professore claims to be the original caffe con la nocciola bar. (Napoli is very concerned with “the original” whatever… I’m sure it would have been great anywhere, but when in Napoli, be Napolitano.) I’m glad we had the coffee after pizza because it was like dessert! Very delicious, reminiscent of a Starbucks drink but without all the fake sugars and sweetners. I highly recommend trying caffe con la nocciola!

Having inhaled our coffee, we wanted to check out the funicular. The funicular turned out to be just a subway that went up the mountain, but we took it anyway figuring we could at least enjoy the view from the top.

Another funicular well worth the trip! Emma and I relaxed and attempted to recover from our pizza-and-hazelnut induced comas while azing over the city and a teeny part of the bay. From here, our plans were very up in the air; we had enough time to get gelato and do something else, but we didn’t know what we wanted to do and we didn’t want to wander too far.

Keeping up with our we-must-try-the-real-original, we headed down to Gelateria La Scimmia. La Scimmia (which means “monkey”) was founded in 1933 but has since had quite a face lift. It’s adorable interior offers dozens of gelato flavors as well as other frozen specialties, like chocolate dipped bananas. I had Madagascar vanilla and salted caramel gelato – both of which were fantastic. Emma got melone, which she was happy to report tasted delightfully refreshing. We sat in the sun, munched on our gelato, and discussed buying a bufalo in order to produce our own fresh bufalo mozzarella back home in the States.

With an hour before our train, we decided to check out briefly the university zone of Naples. It is very interesting to see so many different cities in Italy and note their similarities and differences. Naples was different than any other city we had visited, and yet still so quinessentially Italian. There is graffiti, cobblestones, and classic red roofs situated alongside tall, modern buildings and busy intersections.

All of the wanderings this blondie has encountered lead to a conclusion: a city is a city, no matter where in the world you are; yet every city is different and not every city is for every person. I love Rome, I love Milan, I love Innsbruck, I love Paris, I love Vienna, I love Jerusalem, I love Madrid, I love New York, I love Chicago – I could see myself living in any of those cities someday. They are all so unique but they could all be home. Cliché alert: home is where the heart is. And my heart is still wandering.

 

Con affetto,

Sara

Milano

In typical Sara-and-Emma style, my lovely friend and I headed to Milan for a much needed weekend away. We had been planning this trip since March, when the summer schedule for viewings of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper went up online. We reserved tickets for July 6 and made a weekend out of it! 

We started on Saturday at noon with an adorable meeting in Milano Centrale train station. Emma’s train from Bologna got in first so she found me on my platform right when I got in. We immediately headed to the main square, Piazza del Duomo. Our B&B was about five minutes from the cathedral (Duomo) so we really couldn’t have had a better location for getting around, what with a metro stop and all of the main attractions at our most convenient disposal. 

This weekend in Milan was a special weekend. In fact, it was a special weekend throughout Italy. What was so special? THE SUMMER SALES BEGAN! Ah, yes, the Italian summer sales are a glorious time of year. Nearly every store and designer, from Prada, Dolce&Gabbana, Valentino, and Dior to Zara, Benetton, Moschino, and MaxMara, has amazing discounts – no less than 30% off. Incredible! What I learned, however, was 50% off of a €1000 coat is a €500 coat, and therefore quite out of my price range. I fell in love with a pair of shoes and a pair of pants at MaxMara, but I decided against purchasing them on impulse and waiting to see if the Rome location possibly has the same things. 

On Saturday, we basically walked around and window shopped! We went into the Duomo, which was gorgeous, and ate lunch and gelato before going back to more designer stores. It was fun just to be a part of the excitement, the fashion, and the drama of summer sales. Milan was built on fashion and this kind of thing is the perfect opportunity to visit the beautiful city. 

We spent a good deal of time in Dior, where Emma ended up buying a pair of very classy sunglasses. The sales woman helping us out suggested we check out the Aperol bar for a drink that night and we took up the suggestions. Whenever Emma and I go anywhere, we have a mantra – it’s always spritz-o’clock. Having a spritz in THE Aperol bar was nothing short of destiny for us. The bar is in a building right next to the cathedral and has a terrace that overlooks the piazza. 

For dinner, we went to the Obika Mozzarella Bar, a rooftop restaurant also in the main piazza. Another great view along with amazing mozzarella really tuckered us out and we headed back to our B&B for the night. 

On Sunday, we wanted to check out Castello Sforzesco, but we woke up absolutely starving! Before we made our way uptown, we had brunch at the California Bakery, an American bakery and restaurant. We ate bagel sandwiches and had American coffees. It was weird… but satisfying. 

After brunch, Emma and I went to Castello Sforzesco, the former home of the most powerful family in Milan. The castle has awesome grounds that are reminiscent of Central Park. We strolled and lounged until it was time for our appointment with The Last Supper. The church that houses the fresco is in the same neighborhood as the castle so we only had a short walk. When we got there, we had to turn in our receipt to get our actual tickets and then wait until our actual time. 

The anticipation certainly built up, but seeing the fresco was totally worth it. I cannot even describe how awestruck I was by the fabulous piece of art. It lived up to every bit of hype and truly exceeded my expectations. Words do not do it justice. It is a must-see. 

Our weekend was almost over following The Last Supper, but we made time to create our own custom ice cream bars at the Magnum ice cream bar. Mine was dipped in dark chocolate and topped with pistachio, rose petals, and wafers with white chocolate drizzled on top. Yum!

I am so glad that Emma and I had the opportunity to fit in another trip. I’ve been quite stressed out lately so a little vacation was exactly what I needed! Next weekend, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, aka my summer employer, is hosting a conference on global inclusivity. The conference is Friday and Saturday, so on Sunday Emma and I are going to Naples and Pompeii for the day! It will be the last trip of my Italian adventure!

 

Con affetto,

Sara

Lavora

After a solid week and a half in Roma, I finally began work at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace this past Monday. Last Friday, I went into the office just to meet everyone and get a sense of what I’m doing for the summer but my first official day was Monday, 23 June.

My first impressions are very favorable. Everyone in the office seems friendly and enthusiastic. Of course, everyone also speaks Italian. Taking a few weeks off from the language certainly hasn’t helped my fluency at all, but I can still pick up almost everything (even if it does take an excessive amount of time to respond to anyone). Lucky for me, most of the people I’m working with are great at English as well. Between to two languages, there haven’t been any major misunderstandings yet, just a few minor ones (they were easily remedied).

I’m working for Dr. Flaminia Giovanelli, the Under-Secretary of the Council and the highest ranking woman in the Vatican and Catholic Church – a fact I was unaware of until just a few days ago. It’s very inspiring to see a woman breaking barriers in the boys’ club that is the Church. We always hear about the glass ceiling in the business world or assumptions people make about women in the medical field, but no one ever talks about the Church being guilty for the same prejudices. Seeing what an amazing job Flaminia does keeping everything in order makes me think I could work for the Church someday (a career path I have to admit I was slightly avoiding).

So far, Flaminia has been so helpful! I really hope I’m making a good impression. I like to think I’m a responsible, respectful, and time-efficient worker – hopefully the Council sees this as well.

My first project with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace involves a conference hosted by the Council in July. Essentially, I’m putting together the program for the event which includes biographies and photos of the participants. Meaning I got to email some very important people’s assistants. Exciting stuff! I have to say I have quite a bit of experience in this kind of project, considering it is exactly what I do when I work in the University Relations office at Notre Dame.

My work schedule is a little different than it would be if I were in the States this summer. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the office is open from 9 am until 2 pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s open from 9 am until 6 pm with a substantial lunch break around 2 pm. Boy, do the Italians like their breaks! There’s an 11 am coffee break and the 2 pm lunch break that lasts about an hour. One of the women I work with, Pamela, always checks in on me to invite me to take a break. It’s adorable.

This work schedule is great, but I’m definitely not used to it yet. On my first day, I assumed someone would let me know when I could leave. No one did so I ended up working until 4 pm at which point I turned around to see all the lights in the hallway off and the door to the main office closed. I panicked a bit, assuming I’d been locked in, but managed to make my way out as if nothing had happened. On Wednesday, I worked until 2:30 pm and then headed out for the day. Unfortunately, I was locked. I ran around the office checking every other door out I could find until finally one was unlocked. Note to self: stop over-achieving.

Tomorrow, there is a Pontifical mass for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patrons of Rome. Yesterday, a priest walked into my office and asked if I wanted a ticket to the mass. UM YES PLEASE! So, I get to see Pope Francis tomorrow!

 

Con affetto,

Sara

Bologna: A Beginner’s Guide

As a nearly official Italian, I’ve been getting lots of questions from family and friends about traveling in Italy. While I am glad I got to see quite a bit of Italy, I only feel solidly confident giving advice on what to do, what to see, and where to eat in the lovely town of Bologna! I’m sure by the end of the summer, I’ll feel the same about Rome, but for now I have a beginner’s guide to BOLO!

Bologna is awesome! However, it was not necessarily designed for tourism. It does have museums  (I love the Archiginnasio and the Jewish History Museum) and the “Seven Secrets” of Bologna. The Bologna Museum of Modern Art (MAMBo) also gets rave reviews, but I never got the opportunity to check it out.

It’s disputed what actually qualifies as the OFFICIAL Seven Secrets, but I know them as follows:

1. The vase on top of the higher tower, Asinelli

2. Piccola Venezia

3. The Arrows in the portico over Strada Maggiore (Legend has it that the city was being invaded but a woman in a window distracted the attackers as they released their arrows, leaving them in a wooden portico, one of the oldest in the city)

4. Little Neptune (If you stand behind him in the right spot, it looks like he is very well endowed)

5. The Whispering Walls

6. Panem Vita, Canabis Protectio, Vinum Laetitia in Via dell’Indipendenza

7. From Porta Saragozza to the Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca there are 666 arches in the porticoes

The real fun in Bologna is in walking around Piazza Maggiore and Le Due Torri. There are cute local shops and markets. It’s very colorful! Some of my favorite streets to wander down are Via Caprarie, Via Drapperie, Via Pescherie Vecchie, Via Oberdan and Via Clavature.

Bologna by far has the BEST restaurants! Bologna, “La Grassa” or “the fat,” is in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, otherwise known as the Stomach of Italy.

My personal favorites:

Osteria dell’Orsa on Via Mentana

Banco del Vino also on Via Mentana (specialty pizza!)

Trattoria Mariposa on Via Beritera (pastas and salad)

La Mela on Via de Fusari (right off of Piazza Maggiore, pizza or pasta)

Trattoria del Rosso on Via Augusto Righi

Le Stanze on Via Borgo di San Pietro (great aperitivo)

Osteria Marsalino on Via Marsala (good place for drinks and snacks)

C’era una Volta on Via d’Azeglio

La Tua Piadina on Via Borgonuovo (sandwich place for a quick lunch)

Swine Bar on Via Augusto Righi (also fun for a drink)

Osteria de Poeti on Via de Poeti

While in Bologna you MUST have lasagna and tagliatelle di ragu. Both originated in the town. Other Bologna specialties are tortellini in brodo, which is like tortellini soup, and mortadella, where we get the American bologna. For gelato, avoid Grom, it’s a chain restaurant and therefore less authentic. Cremeria Funivia in Piazza Cavour is awesome, as are Sorbetteria Castiglione on Via Castiglione and Cremeria Sette Chiese on Via Santo Stefano. Most things are closed on Sundays and Mondays (which is very typical of Italy in general) so keep that in mind as you travel!

Most of the bars and clubs are in the University zone of the city. Piazza Verdi, Via Zamboni, and Via Petroni are particularly raucous at all hours of the night. For a drink, I always liked Cafe Paris on Via Petroni, Cluricuane (an Irish pub) on Via Zamboni, and L’Ortica (a wine bar, much chiller scene) on Via Mascarella. Also, Momus in Piazza San Martino is always a hit. They have this amazing (but deadly) drink called the Magic Sam! My plan is try to recreate it in the States, but we’ll see if I can do as well!

The easiest way to get around Bologna is to walk. Within the walls, it takes about 25 – 30 minutes to walk from the west side of the city to the east. There are also buses, but I didn’t mess with the bus system much – they’re notorious for being late.

I hope that Bologna becomes more popular in the future, as it is definitely one of the most unique cities in Italy!

Con affetto,

Sara

Traslocare

Living in foreign country is one thing, moving in a foreign country is entirely another. Yet, here I am, settled into my new home in Rome after moving from Bologna last week.

The process of transporting all of my belonging from Bologna to Rome began when I went home to the US. I knew I had too much to bring with me for the summer, so I did my best to identify what I could live without, crammed my suitcases full, and dragged everything through the Bologna airport back to Chicago. I did a decent job  of packing in the States and only brought one not-quite-full suitcase back to Italy for moving purposes.

However, I may have underestimated the amount of crap I left in Bologna. Meaning I had to stuff a suitcase, a carry-on, a tote bag, a shopping bag, my backpack, and my purse full of everything I had left in my room. Although I lived about ten minutes away, six bags were a lot to carry to the train station. With the gracious generosity of Shelby and Alyssa (thanks, guys!), we managed to get everything onto my train.

After a relatively quick two and a half hour journey, I arrived in Rome! Miraculously, I got all of my belongings off of the train on my own and somehow made my way to the taxi stand to get a ride to my new apartment. That’s when things got interesting. As I waited in line for a taxi, a man came up to me asking if I needed a cab… I tried to wave him off but he was rather persistent and when I finally admitted to needing a ride, he grabbed one of my bags and said, “Follow me.” I felt I had no choice but to follow my luggage, which I did, around the corner to a small white car with no taxi sign and no meter. I watched as the little old man hauled my baggage into his tiny car and figured, if he was trying to do me harm, he could have left the heavy bags behind. (Sorry, mom…)

Never fear, I made it to my apartment safe and in one piece, after a too-expensive cab ride.

In Rome, I am living on the south end of Trastevere with my friend Christina, with whom I studied in Bologna, and another Notre Dame girl, Katie. So far, so good! We live below an INCREDIBLE bakery; I cannot express how amazing this bakery is. It has weird hours (or maybe no hours… It’s possible they only open when they feel like it) but the brioche and bombolone are to die for. We like to say we live below heaven.

The apartment itself has had its fair share of problems thus far. We had a hot water issue, bug infestation, and broken washing machine. I think most everything is squared away but we shall see. The good news is, it’s only a few weeks.

Other than that, I haven’t been doing too much. I start work on Friday at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace under Cardinal Turkson.

Con affetto,

Sara

La Casa

Last week, I took a break from my Italian adventure to head back to the States for the graduation of my baby brother, Stephen, and the wedding of my cousin Michael. It was so nice to go home for a little bit before I start my internship in Rome. My plan was to completely surprise my brother by showing up without telling him I was coming, but my family is not so good at surprises and they ended up spilling the beans a week before I got home. It was still fun seeing the look on his face when he discovered me unpacking and getting to take part in his graduation was definitely worth it.
Stephen was awesome and super impressive like the crazy talented brother he is. I cannot stress how excited I am to have him at Notre Same with me next year! Much fun will be had by all.
After graduation on Sunday, I got to make a trip into Chicago to meet up with my friends Alyssa and Ellen, who are from outside of South Bend, IN. We spent the day at the Bean in Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago, some of my favorite places in the City. I nearly cried when I saw my friends for the first time in months! I’ve been anxious about getting back to school since Easter.
The week flew by, filled with check ups and lunch dates, shopping trips and a haircut. I am so grateful I got to spend time with my family before embarking on yet another summer internship far from home. If I’ve learned anything about myself during my semester abroad, it’s that I really enjoy coming home no matter how much I love to travel.
Lucky for me, we had another awesome family event during my vacation at home. My cousin Michael got married outside of Milwaukee on Saturday. Seeing all of my cousins and aunts and uncles was such a blast! We’re a crazy bunch when we’re all together but that made the party all the more fun.
I returned to Bologna on Tuesday after on last sushi meal with my sister, brother, and mother. Now, I’m headed to Rome! It was quite a challenge packing up my life in Bologna; despite bringing a lot home, I still seem to have so much stuff! In any case, I’m ready to move on to the next great adventure!

Con affetto,
Sara

Bolzano, Ziplining, e Innsbruck

Last weekend was my last exciting adventure of the summer! It is crazy for me to think about how long I’ve been away from home and how I’m returning TODAY! That’s right, folks, this blondie is headed home for the shortest summer vacation ever! I will get home on Thursday, just in time to see my baby brother graduate from high school (!) on Sunday and attend a family wedding the following Saturday. Then, I head back to Bologna on the 9th of June to pack up my apartment and move to Rome! Exciting stuff.

Before stressing out about all of that, I got one last excursion this past weekend. Christina, Alyssa, and I headed north for an action packed weekend of train rides, zip lines, and beer.

We started on Wednesday afternoon, taking a train to Bolzano, Italy in the Dolomite Mountains. After arriving and checking into our hostel, (I know, I stayed at a hostel again. Insane.) we walked around town in search of the Anthropology Museum. Why were we so interested in a tiny museum in northern Italy? This museum happens to be home to one of the most naturally well-preserved mummies in the world, Ötzi. Ötzi was found in the mountains around Bolzano in 1991 and has since made his way to Austria and finally back to Italy, where he now remains. He is the oldest known naturally preserved mummy in Europe and the entire museum is dedicated to him, his life, and his discovery. It was really amazing to see how much scientists could uncover from what little belongings were found with the 5ooo year old mummy. They were able to speculate (and in some cases determine) his approximate height and weight, his eye color, his health situation, what he last ate, and how he died. Very cool stuff. We almost missed seeing the actual mummy – the museum wasn’t laid out how we were expecting it to be arranged. We figured the mummy, aka the main attraction, would be at the very end with all the information about his life, clothes, weapons, etc, leading up to him. Not so, Ötzi was one of the first things in the place! We didn’t even notice the sign pointing to him. Thank goodness Alyssa caught it before we rushed by.

After Ötzi, we took a cable car to a tiny town up in the mountains. We kind of assumed the cable car would just take us to a viewing point, but it was actually a real form of transportation. Even so, we managed to see the mountains and valleys from a higher vantage point and it was magnificent.

On Thursday, we had an appointment to try out Europe’s longest zipline at noon! The voyage to the starting point was quite eventful. We were instructed to take a train from Bolzano to Fortezza, then another from Fortezza to Brunico. That part went fine. We got into Brunico with over an hour before our appointment. The website then instructed us to take a bus to the little town of San Vigilio di Marebbe. Because there was no bus route or time table listed online, we figured we could get in and ask someone or that it would be fairly obvious which bus to take. WRONG. We waited for about twenty minutes before finally asking someone in the train station if we were even at the right bus stop. They didn’t know anything about the bus we wanted. So, we started asking the bus drivers that stopped if their bus would take us to San Vigilio. If I thought communicating in Bologna was hard, communicating in northern Italy was nearly impossible for us. They don’t speak Italian. You read that correctly, the lovely people of northern Italy don’t speak Italian. They speak Austrian-German and sometimes English. Finally, one of the bus drivers seemed to understand what we wanted. He handed us a piece of paper with “11:08” written on it. So, we waited twenty more minutes until the buses started rolling in around that time. After asking five more bus drivers and getting a few doors slammed in our faces, we got on the right bus.

Was the adventure over, you ask? Of course not! The bus was correct, but we did not get off at the right stop. We got off at a stop twenty minutes away from the correct stop. On the side of the road. In the mountains. There was nothing around except a government building and a pharmacy. So, we went into the pharmacy to ask when the next bus was scheduled to come. Thirty minute wait. At this point, we had already called the zipline office twice. So we called again to let them know the situation. They were kind enough to reschedule us to a 2pm appointment. Eventually we got on a bus back to the correct stop, then had to take another bus to the actual town we were headed to. Awesome.

ZIPLINING WAS AMAZING! I had never been on a zipline before but it was so much fun and so exciting! There were about ten parts to the track, at various heights and lengths. There isn’t much more to say about it, but it was incredible and I’m so glad I did it!

Our next stop was Innsbruck, Austria! My grand return to Austria was grand indeed. I love the country, especially the area closest to Italy. The Alps were spectacular and absolutely awe-inspiring. In Innsbruck, we took another cable car up into the mountains. I cannot even describe it, so I’ll just show you!

The weekend was fantastic and a great way to close out my travels this semester!

 

Con affetto,

Sara

 

Toscana

As a last hoorah with our program, we were treated to a lovely weekend trip to Tuscany! Most of the students in our program piled into a coach bus and headed up to the mountains in Toscana where we explored teeny medieval towns, tasted wine, and hiked through some nature. It was a great way to catch up with the other students in program and say goodbye to those leaving at the end of May.

I enjoyed this trip a lot! We had the opportunity to see some smaller towns I never would have known about and I got to chat with our program director a little bit. Our first stop was Monteriggioni, a medieval town with its ancient wall still in tact. We had a quick stop here with enough time to grab a cappuccino and walk around the inside of the walls. The town was up on a hill and essentially the definition of a “city on a hill.”

Monteriggioni

The Wall

That view

Ancient church

 

We quickly left Monteriggioni to hit the road. Next stop, Siena! I had visited Siena a few weeks before, but I was glad to make another trip there. We got a tour from a friend of the program, had the opportunity to explore on our own, and got to go inside the cathedral, which I hadn’t previously done. Our tour included information about the cathedral and Il Campo, the main piazza in Siena. For lunch, I was lucky enough to make a second trip to one of the restaurants Emma and I had tested out, this time around sharing a pizza and salad with Shelby. Wandering around the city with Shelby, Alyssa, and Christina was so much fun. We’ve all been so busy lately that we haven’t had time for our usual shenanigans but we had plenty of time to catch up and hang out on the trip.

I’m obsessed with these floors

Duomo

Inside

Cathedral

On Friday night, we stayed in a converted monastery outside of Pienza. It was such a cool place! The grounds were gorgeous and we were treated to a wonderful dinner (my program student coordinator even informed the kitchen I’m a vegetarian!). I was so exhausted from the day’s wanderings that I slept like a log under a pile of blankets.

The next day, our first stop was the town of Pienza, another beautiful Tuscan city with perfect views and amazing food. For a makeshift lunch, we grabbed fruit, cheese, and bread from the grocery store while we walked around town. The plan was to get the grub and head on to the next stop – a vineyard. Once we made it to Montalcino, the vineyard, we ate a picnic lunch outside and were treated to a wine tasting. I sampled my first Brunello and even purchased a bottle to bring home.

I have friends! Christina, Shelby, and I at the monastery

Perfect view

Lovely

Kittens at the vineyard!

Finally, we went for a hike around the vineyard. It wasn’t a difficult trek but it did get tricky at parts due to loose rocks and gravel. The scenery was perfect, however, and the company was great! I had such a good time laughing and chatting with the gals.

Lovely

Vines

Tuscany!

Scenery

Back to studying now! Con affetto,

Sara