WELL I HAVE RETURNED SAFELY FROM MY FALL BREAK TRIP AND IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! I TRAVELLED FROM BARCELONA TO ROME TO GENOA TO CINQUE TERRE AND THEN ONTO MILAN. IT WAS A BUSY 10 DAYS!!!!!

WE BEGAN OUR TRIP BY FLYING INTO A SMALL TOWN OUTSIDE BARCELONA CALLED REUS....IT WAS VERY PRETTY ALTHOUGH WE ONLY SPENT THE NIGHT THERE. WHEN WE ARRIVED IN BARCELONA ON FRIDAY WE DISCOVERED THAT OUR HOSTEL WAS OUTSIDE THE CITY UP A GIGANTIC HILL, BUT IT HAD AN AMAZING VIEW. WE HEADED TOWARDS LAS RAMBLAS---THE MAIN TOURIST STREET IN BARCELONA---THEY HAD PERFORMERS, VENDORS, CAFES, EVERYTHING YOU COULD IMAGINE ON THIS STREET. WE SAT DOWN AND HAD SOME PAELLA--NATIVE TO SPAIN--AND SOME SANGRIA. WE MADE OUR WAY DOWN TO THE MEDITTERANEAN AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. NOW I HAVE SEEN THE OCEANS, BUT THE SEA WAS DIFFFERENT. WE WERE DOWN THERE AT HIGH TIDE SO ALL THE SURFERS WERE IN THEIR WET SUITS OUT IN THE WAVES. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. THE NEXT DAY WE WALKED ALL AROUND THE CITY AND SAW THE VARIOUS CHURCHES AND LANDMARKS AND WE HEADED DOWN TO THE BEACH FOR SOME RELAXATION. OF COURSE IT WAS TOO CHILLY TO GO IN THE WATER, BUT STILL IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY. WE MADE OUR WAY UP TO OLYMPIC PARK---WE SAW THE OLYMPIC SIZE SWIMMING POOL AND WE HAD A VIEW OF ALL OF BARCELONA. IT WAS SPECTACULAR. WE WALKED TOWARDS OLYMPIC PARK AND PEEKED IN AND THEN WE WENT TO THE ART GALLERY AND OVERLOOKED PLAZA DE ESPANA. WITH ALL THIS WALKING WE BECAME VERY HUNGRY SO WE FOUND A PLACE TO EAT AND HAD SOME MORE PAELLLA---VERY GOOD BUT FILLING. AFTERWARDS WE HEADED OVER TO MCCARTHYS BAR--YES AN IRISH PUB IN BARCELONA--AND WATCHED SOME OF THE RUGBY MATCH. BARCELONA WAS AN AMAZING CITY--I WISH WE HAD MORE TIME THERE.

WE HEADED ONTO ROMA SUNDAY MORNING---WE BASICALLY HAD NO SLEEP BECAUSE OF THE EARLY FLIGHT WE CHOSE TO LEAVE--OH WELL THATS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT SO WHEN WE ARRIVED IN ROME WE WERE EXHAUSTED AND HUNGRY BUT IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY. WE HAD SOME FRIENDS COME AND MEET US AT THE AIRPORT AND THEY SHOWED US AROUND A LITTLE AND DIRECTED CAITLIN AND I TO OUR APARTMENT. THE JCU KIDS LIVE IN THE VATICAN LITERALLY A BLOCK AWAY FROM ST. PETERS----IT IS GORGEOUS. WE RIGHT AWAY GOT SOME PIZZA FOR LUNCH--I HAD BEEN LOOKING FORWARDS FOR WEEKS TO EATING ALL THIS ITALIAN FOOD!!!! WE HAD ABOUT A 25MIN WALK TO CARA'S APARTMENT BUT ALONG THE WAY WE SAW SO MANY THINGS AND I WAS JUST IN AWE. WE WALKED ALONG THE TIBRE RIVER AND WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE APARTMENT THE FIRST THING WE WANTED TO DO WAS SHOWER AND NAP.CAITLIN AND I HEADED OUT LATER THAT AFTERNOON TO GO AND DO SOME EXPLORING---IT IS SUCH AN EASY CITY TO WALK AROUND--NO MAP IS REALLY REQUIRED BECAUSE YOU BASICALLY CAN STUMBLE UPON SITES--LIKE WE DID WITH THE COLLUSSEUM. WE WALKED UP AND DOWN STREETS AND LOOKED AT THE VARIOUS CATHEDRALS AND BUILDINGS AND RESTAURANTS AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. OF COURSE BECAUSE OF OUR EXHAUSTION CAITLIN WIPED OUT IN FRONT OF THE COLLUSEUM AND THATS WHEN WE DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO CALL IT A DAY. WE ATE SOME WONDERFUL PASTA AT THIS LITTLE ITALIAN PLACE ACROSS THE STREET AND DRANK THE FINEST RED WINE. NOW IM NOT A HUGE WINE DRINKER BUT THE WINE IN ITALY IS TO DIE FOR---THEY DONT ADD THOSE SULFITES TO IT WHICH GIVES IT A BETTER TASTE. AFTER OUR HUGE DINNER WE CALLED IT A NIGHT.

WE SET OUT FOR A FULL DAY ON MONDAY---OUR FIRST STOP WAS ST PETE'S BASILICA WHERE THERE WERE CROWDS OF PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE TO GET IN---IF WE HAD MORE TIME WE MAY HAVE WAITED---WE SAW WHERE THE POPE RESIDES AND HE WAS IN TOWN. AFTER THAT WE JUST WALKED ALONG AND DECIDED TO HEAD OVER TOWARDS THE PANTHEON. ALONG THE WAY WE SAW SO MANY BEAUTIFUL CATHEDRALS AND EACH ONE WAS SO ORNATE INSIDE AND OUT. THEY PRIDE THEMSELVES VERY MUCH ON THE VARIOUS CATHEDRALS. WE WALKED UP AND DOWN TINY LITTLE STREETS--SAW RESTAURANTS, CAFES, SHOPS, EVERYTHING. ITS ONE OF THOSE CITIES THAT YOU DONT WORRY ABOUT GETTING LOST IN BECAUSE THERES SOMETHING ON EVERY CORNER. WE SAW THE PANTHEON THAT DAY---TREVI FOUNTAIN---THE SPANISH STEPS---EVERYTHING. HOWEVER IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FREEZING--WE STOPPED ALONG THE WAY AND CAITLIN BOUGHT A JACKET AND ANNIE BOUGHT SOME BOOTS. WE ONCE AGAIN HAD A HUGE ITALIAN DINNER---I HAD SOME OF THE BEST SPAGHETTI AND BREAD. TUESDAY, WE DECIDED TO SLEEP IN A LITTLE AND HEAD OVER TOWARDS THE COLUSSEUM TO DO A TOUR OF BOTH THAT AND THE ROMAN FORUM. IT WAS A LITTLE WARMER AND A CLEAR DAY SO WALKING THROUGH THE COLUSSEUM WAS PRETTY COOL. LOOKING UP INTO THE SKY WE TRIED IMAGINING WHAT IT WAS LIKE SO LONG AGO---SPECIFICALLY WE WERE THINKING OF THE MOVIE THE GLADIATOR. WE WALKED THROUGH THE ROMAN FORUM AND THEN WE GRABBED SOME GELATO---HMMM---IT WAS SO GOOD!!!! WE HAD A BIG DINNER THAT NIGHT WITH SOME OF THE JCU STUDENTS AND THEN MORE GELATO AND WE WENT TO GO LOOK AT THE PANTHEON AND TREVI FOUNTAIN AT NIGHT. THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL. ROME AS A WHOLE WAS A BEAUTIFUL CITY AND THE THING THAT STRUCK ME MOST WAS HOW ANCIENT IT HAS MANAGED TO STAY. THEY HAVE NO BIG BUILDINGS---ITS ALL CATHEDRALS, HISTORIC SITES-RESTAURANTS-CAFES--IT TRULY IS SPECTACULAR.

WEDNESDAY-CAITLIN AND I HEADED OUT OF ROMA BY TRAIN AND ONTO GENOA. IT WAS A FIVE HOUR TRAIN RIDE AND ALONG THE WAY WE COULD SEE VARIOUS TOWNS AND THE SEA. WE ARRIVED LATER IN THE DAY AND ONCE AGAIN OUR HOSTEL WAS ON THE TOP OF THE HILL WHICH OVERLOOKED THE CITY AND THE PORT. IT WAS ANOTHER AMAZING VIEW. THE WEATHER WAS KIND OF CRAPPY SO WE WENT FOR AN EARLY DINNER AND THEN WALKED AROUND. EVERYONE SPOKE ITALIAN SO WE HAD A HUGE LANGUAGE BARRIER---WE SIMPLY WOULD SMILE AND NOD AND SAY GRAZIE OR NO GRAZIE OR PREGO. WE WERE QUITE THE PAIR. THURSDAY WE DECIDED TO TAKE A DAY TRIP TO CINQUE TERRE AND HIKE ALONG THE MEDITTERANEAN. IT WAS KINDA A GLOOMY DAY BUT IT GOT BETTER AS THE DAY WENT ON. CINQUE TERRE IS AN AREA COMPOSED OF 5 DIFFERENT TOWNS---WE TOOK THE TRAIN TO THE LAST TOWN IN THE AREA CALLED RIOMAGGIORE AND BEGAN FROM THERE. THE FIRST PART WAS FAIRLY EASY IT WAS A NICE VIEW--FROM ONE TOWN TO THE NEXT WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF LANDSLIDES AND THE OTHER HIKE WAS AT YOUR OWN RISK. OF COURSE WE PAID 5 EUROS WE WERE GONNA DO OUR HIKE. WE WERE WITH OTHERS SO THAT WAS A BIG HELP AND THE WHOLE GROUP OF US THAT DECIDED TO GO ALL SPOKE ENGLISH. THERE WAS AN AUSTRALIAN COUPLE--A BRITISH FAMILY--AND SOME AMERICAN STUDENTS. WE BEGAN THE REAL HIKE BY WALKING UP 365 STAIRS--TALK ABOUT A WORKOUT--I DONT KNOW HOW SOME PEOPLE CAN LIVE THIS HIGH UP. THAT WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING WE WALKED UP AND DOWN TRAILS AND ROCKS AND MUD AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME OVERLOOKING THE SEA. IT WAS BREATHTAKING AND I CANT BELIEVE I DID SOMETHING LIKE THIS. IT WAS DEFINITELY A ONCE IN A LIFETIME THING. WE WERE HOLDING ONTO ROCKS AND WALLS HELPING EACH OTHER DOWN---I DONT KNOW HOW FAR WE ACTUALLY WENT UP BUT IT WAS AS FAR AS YOU COULD GO AND WE OVERLOOKED VARIOUS VILLAGES AND LAND AND THE SEA. IT TOOK US ABOUT 2 HOURS TO DO AND WE WERE EXHAUSTED AFTERWARDS BUT OH WAS IT WORTH IT. THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THE TRIP!!!!

WE HEADED TO MILAN ON FRIDAY AND IT WAS NICE ENDING THERE BECAUSE IT WAS A CITY SETTING AND AFTER TRAVELLING IN THE COUNTRY AND BEING IN SMALL TOWNS IT WAS NICE TO FINISH THERE. OF COURSE WHAT DID WE DO BUT SHOPPED. I FOUND THE CITY TO BE PRETTY AND I THINK IT OFFERED A LOT. WE WENT TO THE DUOMO ON SATURDAY AND CLIMBED TO THE TOP AND OVERLOOKED ALL OF MILAN AND WE COULD EVEN SEE THE ALPS IN THE DISTANCE. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY THERE AND THEY HAD SO A MUSIC FESTIVAL GOING ON. AS SOON AS WE HAD FINISHED SHOPPING AND WALKING AROUND THE CITY WE FOUND THIS STAGE OF ITALIAN SINGERS SINGING AMERICAN SONGS---IT WAS AWESOME!!! THEY WERE SINGING SONGS FROM JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR--GREASE---CABARET--JAMES TAYLOR--ARETHA FRANKLIN--THE BEATLES--AND SO MANY MORE. WE MUST HAVE SAT IN THIS PLAZA FOR 2 HOURS LISTENING TO THEM--THEY WERE SO GOOD AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY. OUR TRIP HAD COME TO AN END AND WE WERE RETURNING TO LONDON ON SUNDAY MORNING!!!

I HAD AN AMAZING TIME ON MY TRIP---I DONT THINK ALL THE WORDS IN THE WORLD COULD EXPLAIN ALL THE FUN I HAD. IT WAS FUN TRYING TO SPEAK SPANISH IN BARCELONA- AND FRUSTRATING TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ITALIAN BUT WE MANAGED AS WE ALWAYS DO. WE EVEN MET SOME PRETTY GREAT PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY. IN GENOA WE MET A GUY FROM THE STATES WHO WAS WORKING AT THE PORT FOR THE WINTER---WE MET SOME REALLY GREAT GIRLS IN THE HOSEL IN MILAN FROM POLAND CANDA AND THE US. THEY WERE STUDYING IN FRANCE FOR THE SEMESTER AND WE ALL GOT ALONG. USUALLY YOU KEEP TO YOURSELF IN THE HOSTELS--BUT IT WAS GREAT---AND WE FELT SAFE AT ALL TIMES IN THEM TOO!!! IM GLAD TO BE BACK IN LONDON--AFTER AWHILE I COULDNT EAT ANYMORE ITALIAN FOOD AND I FINALLY EVERYONE SPEAKS ENGLISH---BUT MY TRIP WAS UNFORGETTABLE!!!!