Sicily

After a couple of days of R&R on the Amalfi Coast we flew into Catania, Sicily. Richard, Amy, Mary Susan, and I rented a car and drove to Palermo where we stayed. Driving in Italy was pretty hysterical. We don't know the language, rules of the road, or how to use a roundabout. Richard did great though! We were set up with this Italian American guy that lives in Sicily (and is obviously bilingual) that could show us around the town of our very own relatives.So we drove about an hour and a half outside of Palermo to this little town called Bisacquino. Both of my Mom's grandparents come from Sicily and this town is the place where my grandmother Mama C's family comes from. This whole journey to the homeland was pretty hilarious. We roll into Bisacquino and meet up with Leo, the Italian American, who happens to be cousins of Matt Graffeo! It really is a small world. Leo showed us all around the town from the churches to the cemetery. It was actually really neat going to the cemetery because the names and pictures were on the tombs and I recognized all the names of my Italian Stallion cousins. We had the privilege of going into the home and talking with one of Richard's cousins! Leo translated for us because they didn't speak English. It was so sweet. They were the cutest little Sicilian couple. Sicily reminded me of Spain. Nothing can beat the slow-paced and laid back way of life. The next day in Palermo we went into the catacombs and saw a tons of mummies! Yes, you read correctly. Mummies. It was in the bottom of a church. So strange. 

Pompeii: victims of the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius

Positano

The Cashio's

Blue Grotto

Isle of Capri

Driving around Sicily

Bisacquino

Biagio. Richard's cousin married this man.

Leo Zito

Sicilian boys

I found my roots even though I don't look Sicilian. At all.

Monday, May 23 we began our 22 hour journey home. This was a bittersweet day for me. I wasn't sad about leaving Italy, per se, but I really can't believe my time in Spain is over. It was the greatest experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything.Maybe one day my dreams will come true and I can pick up this blog for round two of me in Spain!
Adios!

Paris to Italy

The overnight train to Paris was great. Mary Susan and I were in a sleeper car with four Asians and a man from Kuwait. Once we got on the train I went right to sleep and woke up 15 minutes away from Paris!

My first trip to France! I really loved it except for a  little mishap that I will speak of later. I could be French, for sure. I wish I could learn that language.
Our hotel was near the beautiful Sacre Coeur, hallelujah for not being in a hostel. We spent an afternoon at the Louvre. The Mona Lisa was a lot smaller than I expected, but nevertheless magnificent. Of course we went shopping on the Champs Elysees, a prestigious avenue in Paris. {As if I have Euros to spend. Take a look at that exchange rate, people. I will clean all of your houses this summer for money.} Of course we went to the Notre Dame Cathedral.  Loved it. We were treated to a fine dinner at a restaurant called Brasserie Mollard. I ate tenderloin steak, Sara ate duck, and Mary Susan ate lobster. Yum, yummm. Those Parisians know how to live. Not to mention I had plenty of cheese, crepes, wine, and french onion soup. Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, we went to a cool bar on the 33rd floor of a hotel that has a spectacular view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. 
After a nice afternoon walking along the banks of the Seine River we decided to go up in the tower. We were waiting in line to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower one night around 8:00. The line was so long so we decided to not go that night and make a reservation for the next day. So all three of us were walking out from underneath the Eiffel Tower without a care in the world. We stopped at one of the street venders selling souvenirs right under the tower. Just when I thought I lived an entire semester in Europe without some sort of crisis, dun dun dun: All of a sudden I heard a loud crash about 5 feet away from me and it was a man. Face down and dead on the pavement right next to me. Mary Susan took off running and brought me with her. Sara followed. The guards with guns started running in and within a minute tons of people had cleared out. After we ran away a second and got over the initial shock we walked back over to see. They had put up a little barrier around the man so that others couldn't see his dead body. Basically, this guy who appeared in his late twenties decided to commit suicide and jump off of this global icon. Right in front of our eyes. Needless to say I was a wee bit shaken up for the rest of the night and a while after. The combination of the noise of his body hitting the pavement and the sight of it sprawled out right next to me and my friends is traumatizing. 

Needless to say, home-girls were ready to get out of Paris. Sara went back to the USA and we headed to Italy to meet the Cashio's! I feel like my right arm is missing without having Sara with me! Best foreign-study buddy I could have ever asked for. Roommates in Auburn and across the pond. My first born child will be graced with the name Sara. 

We have been staying in Positano on the Amalfi Coast. I wouldn't mind retiring here. Everyone google Positano, Italy. That's where I am. Pure Bliss. Thank you to the Cashio family!We had a tour guide for the day who took us around Pompeii and the surrounding towns of Amalfi and Rivello. I learned so much. It is pretty fascinating to be able to see the excavated ruins of an ancient town! Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. and destroyed the city of Pompeii.We also went to the town of Amalfi and we saw some of the bones of the apostle Andrew! Today we took a boat over to the Isle of Capri! Then we took a rowboat inside the cave of the Blue Grotto. It was amazing. Tomorrow we go to Sicily! All that I know is our kinfolk have been warned of our arrival. Ciao!

Guten Tag!

After I cried a river because of leaving Spain, Sunday morning Mary Susan met Sara and I in Munich! How fun to see friends from home!

The first day in Munich we went to Dachau, the Concentration Camp. It was so fascinating as well as sad. It's so hard to believe that the Holocaust happened so recently. Very eye-opening. Later that day we went to the Hofbrauhaus, a famous Beer Hall where Hitler gave speeches but is also a popular spot to go. Everyone was drinking a one liter mug of beer! The next day we explored Munich. We saw the Glockenspiel, took a bike tour of Munich, and went to the famous "Englischer Garten". There were nude people just laying out in the garden! Oh, Europe... We hit up some other Beer Gartens that I can't remember the names of. And we've eaten some good pretzels, like Auntie Anne's, and wienerschnitzel! We took a train to Salzburg, Austria! What a quaint little town. We did a four hour "Sound of Music" tour. A tour guide drove six of us around Austria in a van. Sara's dreams were fulfilled. Today we took a train to Ludwig's famous Neuschwanstein Castle! Disney World was modeled after this, people! Now we are about to get on a train for 9 hours, but we will wake up in Paris! Au Revoir!