On our last day in Italy, we went to visit the Cripta Capuccini, which is a crypt decorated with the bones of 3,700 monks that have passed away. This crypt is a reminder of our own mortality. It had to have been one of the creepiest sights I’ve ever seen in my life. I wish … Continue reading Monk Bones, the Feast Day, and Missing Italy
Oh Florence, where do I begin? We got up extra early this morning and took a private bus to the train station. Unlike other public faculties in Rome, bus drivers do not mess around if you are late! Luckily we were not. We then took a train to Florence. More on the train later on … Continue reading Day 8 – A Day in Firenze
Saturday felt very different considering that we didn’t have class that day. In the morning, most of us made our way down to the Bocca Della Verita, the “Mouth of Truth.” This was a very exciting tourist destination, as many waited in a long line just to get a picture with the thing! The legend … Continue reading Day 7 – Downtown Rome
Saturday we had a major disappointment. Something was going on in the Pantheon and we couldn’t even get close to the doors. However, before that happened a few of us went to visit the Mouth of Truth which is supposed to bite off a dishonest persons hand. It was fun and we got to see … Continue reading Day 6: Pantheon and Spanish Steps
On Friday, we visited the Vatican Museum, the second largest museum in the world! While we were there, we saw legendary works such as Michael Angelo’s Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s School of Athens, and countless other gorgeous pieces. My favorite piece was the “Celestial Globe” painted by Giovanni Antonio Vanosio in 1567. The globe is … Continue reading Rome: Musei Vaticani
June 26th was our last day of class, so we had plenty of free time before our trip to the Vatican Museum later that night. We decided that we would like to go back to St. Peter’s Basilica to look at some of the embalmed bodies that were on display, and also to look at … Continue reading The Vatican Museum, the Last Day of Class, and the Sistine Chapel
How to explain the Vatican Museum? In one word- astounding. By far this is my favorite place in Rome at the moment. The Vatican Museum is the second largest museum in the world falling behind the Louvre, which is no surprise, but this is something I didn’t know beforehand. One of my favorite pieces is … Continue reading Vatican!
Friday was our last day of class. A bittersweet day. I am going to miss the view of the Vatican from my class window, the Pontificia was a truly beautiful place to study. Today was mainly a free day because at 6:00 we had to meet up with our tour guide at the Vatican Museum … Continue reading An Evening in the Vatican Museum
The agenda for our last morning in Rotorua, New Zealand consisted of many different activities that included the Hobbilton Tour, Kiwi Park, and the Agro Adventure Park. I attended the Agro Adventure Park. Afterwards, the group set off for a three hour bus ride back to Auckland. The bus stopped at Mata Mata for a … Continue reading Rotorua to Auckland
You read the travel blogs, attend the meetings, poll your friends, and research on your own. You have a solid plan. Great! From my experience though, the best things happen outside those comfort zones — the parts you can’t prepare for. I think it’s best when you set intentions for what you want to gain … Continue reading Expect the unexpected