After arriving yesterday in Firenze (Florence), I am left in an awe that I haven’t experienced since I arrived in Europe on December 28th. Florence really is a gem here in Europe. I love this city and I am very fortunate to be here to see the awe and wonder that the city gives off.

Today, I woke up in my hotel, had breakfast, and set off to see the rest of the city and the adventure that the city has to offer. I started off walking to the Galleria d'Accademia to see the famous Michelangelo’s David. After walking into the museum, I was inspired by the many masterpieces of famous Italian artists and sculptors. I loved seeing the David and seeing the beauty of Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture. The David seemed so real and so beautiful. I was staring at it for at least 10 minutes just thinking how such a beautiful masterpiece was created with such great artistic precision and perfection.

After the Galleria d’Accademia, I headed to the Duomo and went inside the beautiful Cathedral. It was amazing and the church inside has beautiful art and architecture that can’t be found anywhere in the world. I also had the opportunity to climb the Dome. That was 463 steps, with no elevator, and very small spaces for climbing. Let’s just say it was a huge workout. Afterwards, I dared myself, and of course, I climbed Giotto’s Tower which was 417 steps. The climbing after all was so worth it because the views were spectacular. So spectacular that I saw all of Florence, and I saw the rolling hills and mountains of Tuscany. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

I decided after all that climbing that I should treat myself to a nice lunch. I went to Piazza Della Repubblica and went to a Café called Gilli. Gilli was founded in 1736. 1736! That’s older than the independence of the U.S. and many things that I have seen. It was really nice, and I had a really typical Italian lunch: Gnocchi, Bruschetta (bread, olive oil, tomatoes, and garlic.), a nice glass of Chianti 2004 wine, a nice Flan for dessert with a cappuccino con doppio café (two Italian espressos mixed as a cappuccino). All I can say it was really good.

After lunch, I go to the Ponte Vecchio, the most beautiful bridge and one of the most famous landmarks in Florence. I spent by far way too much money and bought a beautiful 18 karat gold cross pendant on the Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Vecchio and all of Florence are most well known for their gold and leather. Due to that I love jewelry, I bought the gold pendant. There’s one thing you need to learn about Florence….It is a beautiful city, but it can get expensive because sometimes one doesn’t realize how much money one spends.

After the Ponte Vecchio I went to dinner at this beautiful restaurant where I had typical Florentine meat with the best wine from the Montepulciano region. Let me just say, dinner was amazing. Probably the best I have ever eaten in a long time. The meat was almost rare. Florentine meat usually is almost rare, but it was amazing.

After dinner, I went back to my hotel to rest because my day was so action packed with so much stuff. I was really tired, and felt that the whole day was worth it. One of the best days of my life so far ;-)

Tomorrow, I go to Pisa and then return for my last night in Florence, the beautiful historical city of the Renaissance.

Posted by Saint Leo University at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This month has been an amazing one with many surprises and of course culture shock..

I arrived in Rome on January 8th and as I was driving through the city center, I was left in a sense of awe. I cannot believe that the eternal city of Rome will be my new home for several months.

Now, being February 5, 2009, I have been living in Rome for almost one month now. I have experienced a lot here; things that I have never experienced before in my whole life. I have had to adjust and understand foreign things that are not dealt with in the U.S. I feel like I have adjusted to live like a normal Roman. There is one thing I must admit, due to the Italian bureaucracy, everything is slow here. In Italy there is no such thing as customer service, and there is no such thing as having things fast. One of my biggest obstacles so far has been dealing with the transportation system. The distance walking from my apartment to the school is about 45 minutes, and taking the bus is usually shorter. Budgeting time in Rome is a big thing because buses always run late and are very unpredictable and the metro doesn’t run close by the school. Compared to Paris, Rome’s metro system is not as good. Well, like they say, we need to roll with the punches and just keep on going.

My classes are very interesting. I am taking five classes. International Business with Professor Angelo Forte – a very knowledgeable and great businessman. I am also taking E-Marketing with Professor Susan Fuller, Political Economy of Globalization with Professor Steven Colatrella, Business Ethics with Prof. Tom Bailey, and Marketing Management with Professor Alessandro Signiorini. All my classes are really interesting and I am learning so much. By far, my favorite courses are Marketing Management with Prof. Signiorini and International Business with Prof. Forte. They are significantly harder due to that European education tends to be taught in a different manner than at American universities. John Cabot is accredited in the U.S. and is in conjunction with University of Wales standards.

In these last few weeks, I have learned a lot. I have been able to enjoy and savor Rome so much. It’s nice to say that I walk by and take the bus right past the Vatican every day.

Life has been more than amazing in this last week. I got two internship offers. One with the Croce Rossa Italiane (Italian Red Cross) and Strega Marketing Group in Boston. I am so happy that I have landed these great internships. I feel blessed being here in Rome and having to receive these great opportunities. Also on February 16th, I heard Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, will be in Rome. I got a special invitation, and I will be attending!!

Anyway, I am going to have some aperitivo now…Wine and small foods while I do my homework. I will keep you all posted real soon on my adventures and wonderful opportunities.

Ciao a Tutti!!!

What a great view!!

Posted by Saint Leo University at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)