Interlaken, Switzerland
February 8th, 2010

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After talking with people who were in Europe for a semester last year, I knew I had to go skiing somewhere in the Swiss Alps. They all said it was an unforgettable experience, despite the high cost. Six of my friends and I decided to go to Interlaken, Switzerland for a weekend through a student trip company called Bus2Alps. Interlacken (German for “between lakes”) is a nice little town at the base of the Alps, a twelve hour bus ride from Rome.

In addition to excellent skiing, the area is known for it’s extreme sports scene. When I saw “canyon jumping” on the trip website, I knew I had to do it. After arriving early Friday morning, six of us went on the jump trip. The crew drove us deep into the mountains to a canyon with platforms set up for all of the adrenaline junkies who like to jump off of things. Biff, the jump expert, and Grizzy, the photographer, are ski bumbs who clearly get a kick out of helping people jump off of a cliff. After a hike up to the top and a brief setup, the jumping began. Fourth in line, I was both scared and excited to jump. I never do things like this but figured if there’s any place to do it it should be Interlacken. Biff tied my harness up and pushed me to the edge of the platform where my toes hung over the edge of an 85 meter (279 foot!) drop to a river below. A quick five second countdown and I was airborne. After the brief thrill of jumping, my head quickly turned down. The rush of wind and gravity scared me to death. I thought for a brief second that I was literally going to die. The free fall is probably only three or four seconds but it feels like the rope should catch after only one or two, creating the panic. If only you could see my face. Just as quickly as I fell, the rope caught me and I swung to the other end of the canyon. I can’t describe the feeling of flying through the air like that. It was the most thrilling few seconds I’ve ever had. I let out yells and screams and was on an incredible adrenaline high. After a minute or two more of swinging, another crew member hauled me in and untied me. For hours afterword I relived that fall. To the average person it may not seem like a big deal but for someone like me, who never does crazy stunts, it was an incredible experience.

[Video of jump coming soon]

After a post-jump beer (Rugenbrau) and a dinner at Hooter’s we went out to a hostel bar and ate late night bratwurst. The next morning we all woke up early and headed over to the ski shop to rent gear and get the day going. Although Interlacken is very close to the mountains, it takes quite a trek to get to the actual mountain top. The bus, two trains and a gondolla took well over an hour but we finally made it to the top of the mountain. The views were indescribable.

After four or five years of no snowboarding, I was a bit rusty. On my first run I participated in a high speed, face first crash into the ground. It was quite painful. After a few hours I got the hang of it and had a wonderful time on the mountain. The weather was sunny and warm, perfect skiing conditions. After my friend Brittany and I fell off the T-bar lift, we got seperated from the group ad spent the rest of the day being burried in fresh powder. At the end of the day we met the rest of the group and made the long trip home.

Although I wanted to eat fondue, one of the most famous Swiss dishes, we couldn’t afford any of the restaurants in the area. Instead, we found a great Thai place called Sirinya’s Thai. Our small group of seven was all alone in the restaurant with the waiter and the chef. It was an amazing and memorable dinner. During my first trip to Italy eight years ago, my family ate a wonderful, many-course meal at a small restaurant in Montepulciano. We still talk about how great that was. I have a feeling I will remember this meal and night just the same. The chef could not have been nicer, the food could not have been better, and most of all I could not have had a better time with my friends.

The next morning we awoke early for a quick walk to a lake and then boarded the bus for the long ride home. The trip was unforgettable. Despite the large expense, I would do it again ten times over. I don’t know it I’ll ever be back, but I sure hope I can.

Vatican Museum
February 3rd, 2010

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Part of my program includes excursions to parts of Rome unrelated to class. Today, we were given a guided tour of the Vatican Museum which contains many religious works of art as well as the Sistine Chapel. Our tour was given by Stefan, a Dutch man who was very knowledgeable about the Vatican and all of Rome. He had many interesting little notes about every aspect of the area.

The museum is what could be called a depository for various gifts given to the church as well as a canvas for many famous artists of the Renaissance period. Heads of state from all over the world give the Pope gifts ever year and they usually find their way into the museum. For example, President Richard Nixon gave Pope Paul VI a few slices of moon rock from the Apollo 11 mission and a Vatican flag that was taken on the shuttle. The real highlight of the tour, however, was the Sistine Chapel, much of which was painted by a sixty year old Michelangelo. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed but it was certainly a site to see. After fifteen years of cleaning and restoration, every inch of the chapel is breathtaking.

Vatican City, although a tiny country, is actually quite large and contains beautiful gardens and courtyards. The one pictured above housed a number of pieces from various places in Italy. We didn’t have much time and could only see a fraction of what the museum and the grounds have to offer. Hopefully I can go back soon and discover more.

AS Roma vs. Siena
January 31st, 2010
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My friends and I decided from day 1 of the program that we wanted to see a futbol game while we were in Rome. One of the more popular teams in Italy is AS Roma, Rome’s main team. They play in Serie A, the highest level of Italian soccer. At 15 euro, the tickets were a steal. Although the game wasn’t supposed to be very good (AS Roma is third in the league while Siena is dead last) we still wanted to see them play. We started the day with futbol block at our apartment and trecked all the way to Stadio Olimpico on the north side of Rome (the trip included 2 busses and a tram).

We didn’t get their until nearly halftime (whoops) when the score was tied at 1. Italian soccer fans are absolutely insane. There was a small Siena contingency not far from our section. To say that they were heckled would be an understatement. Expletives and obscene gestures were in constant use. It seemed that everyone in the stadium was wearing an AS Roma scarf and heavy winter coat while furiously puffing on a cigarette and insulting the other team’s mothers. It was hilarious and couldn’t have been more different than a US sporting event.

In the 87th minute (near the end of the match) Okaka, a player more than a year younger than me, scored an exciting goal to put Roma ahead. The stadium went ballistic. It was one of the cooler sports moments I’ve experienced in a life full of them. With little time left, Siena couldn’t tie it up again and Roma won 2 – 1. The game was quite the experience. I always knew soccer fans were crazy, but not that crazy. Everyone needs to watch a soccer match in Europe at some point. The level of passion the fans have for their team is unmatched.

Florence
January 26th, 2010
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During our first week of school we quickly planned a weekend trip (Friday morning to Sunday night) to Florence, arguably the center of the Renaissance period and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. 18 of the 32 kids in my program went and stayed in one of the nicer hostels in the area. It would be safe to say the hostel was nicer than my apartment in Rome. After an early morning train ride we found the hostel and decided to explore the city. We first went to the church of San Marco, Piazza Republica and various other smaller piazzas. Next was the Santa Maria duomo, probably the most famous church in Italy outside of Rome. The inside is enormous and beautifully painted. The highlight, however, was the climb to the top of the copula where you can there are 360 degree views of the entire city.
The rest of the day consisted of Ponte Vecchio, a colorful bridge with shops built on top. The bridge used to consist mainly of butcher shops but as Florence flourished during the Renaissance and became one of the wealthiest cities in the world, all of those shops became gold shops and remains the same today.
That night we all went out to an American style bar and eventually a night club called Twice. After a late start on Saturday we all went and explored the markets of the city. After a long deliberation period, I bought a nice leather jacket. It was a bit on the expensive side, but it was a deep discount from what it normally would be and I’m sure it will last for years. Later that day we got a private tour of Palazzo Vecchio, the oldest palace in Florence. Marco, our tour guide, explained the many intricacies of the secret rooms. After a quick stop at the statue of David, we ate at a nice place called ZaZa and drank their house wine. That night we had a great time drinking and telling stories before going out. It was a blast.
The next morning we walked to Piazzella Michelangelo, a hill on the south side of the city. From their, we could see the entire area. After a long search for lunch, we found a great restaurant with equally awesome views. We ended the trip with a visit to the Uffizi museum which houses a number of recognizable paintings by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Although the trip was very expensive, it was worth every penny and then some.
Rome
January 26th, 2010
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My experience in Rome thus far has been nothing short of incredible. After a long flight to Zurich and a quick hop to Rome, I met the other people in my program and our program coordinator, Carla, at the Fuimicino Airport. We loaded up a coach bus and drove to the city where the bus was unloaded and each group was showed to their apartments. To say my apartment is “basic” would be an understatement, but I shouldn’t complain. We live in an area of Rome called Trestevare. We’ve been told by Carla and other program coordinators that it’s a very trendy area with lots to do at night but we haven’t found exactly what they were talking about yet. With that said, our particular apartment is only one block from the Tram which we take North to school every day.
Our school, Scuola Leonardo da Vinci, specializes in teaching language to foreign students from all over the world. It’s located in a cleaner area of the city with lots of shops and nightlife. My particular program is called “Rome Food and Culture”. Italian 101 is taught by an attractive young woman named Marlena. Food and Media (focusing on the media aspect of the food industry) and Food and Culture (food science, wine and cooking lessons) are both taught by Fredrico, a food journalist and sommelier. Italian Society and Culture focuses on tying the history of the Roman empire with more recent history of Italy. That is taught by the very expressive and funny Andrea Barchi. Last but not least, Layers of Rome, a class which teaches us ancient Roman history on location throughout Rome. It’s taught by our only non-Italian teacher, Dr. Gwynne. He is a Englishman who is very funny and looks exactly like one would picture a history professor from England. Our first excursion took us to Tiber Island, near the place where Rome was founded in 753 BC. He explained the founding all the way through the decline of the empire as we sat at the base of the island and listened. He is extremely knowledgeable and will be a great guide to other monuments and culturally significant places in Rome in later classes.
Throughout the semester the program calls for various activities not related to any specific class. For example, our second day in Rome we were given a typical Mediterranean four course meal. I had the pleasure of sitting next to the director of the school and the attached cooking school/cafe, Pierre Alberto. Although he majored in political science, his passion has always been food and wine, which prompted him to open the school and the cooking program. He was very gracious and explained many things about the meal and italian life in general to my table.
In between classes my friends and I have been exploring the city and finding many neat shops and eateries. It seems as if every small back street has something new and interesting to offer. There’s so much to see, both obvious and hidden. My four months here seem like a long time now but I’m sure they will fly by faster than I want. I am excited to see as much of the city and country as is possible. In one short week I have had an absolute blast and have made a lot of new friends. If the rest of my experience is a fraction as good as it has been so far, I will be one lucky guy. Ciao!