al di la' dello stagno

I'm off!

2007-07-29T14:26:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well tomorrow morning we say goodbye to London and then we're off on our week-long trip of northern England and Scotland! I'm not sure what kind of internet access we'll have this week, but if nothing else I will look forward to seeing you all again when I get back. The summer has simply flown by - I can't believe I'll be home in a week!

Thanks again for listening :)

Love and baci,

Bekah

Meeting Mr. Darcy - again!

2007-07-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

So last night I went to see a play called The Pain and the Itch at the Royal Court Theatre, and guess who I met afterwards? Mr. Darcy in the flesh (i.e., Matthew Macfadyen)!

And let me tell you - he was ever so much more agreeable than the marble bust version! I was taken aback (but pleasantly surprised!) by how down to earth the actor was, not to mention remarkably friendly. I thanked him for doing justice to my favorite literary hero of all time in Pride and Prejudice, and he thanked me quite humbly for the compliment and said he was glad that his performance had been Darcy-worthy.

Tomorrow my Jane Austen sensibilities are going to be further delighted by a day trip to Bath! If I'm lucky, perhaps I'll bump into Henry Tilney, or Captain Wentworth while I'm there :) I'll be sure and fill you in on any future sightings of Austen heroes.

Cheers!

Bekah

Last days in London and details for next week

2007-07-26T06:28:00.001-07:00

Hello!

This will probably be my last post in London because on Monday we leave for our last week of travel and internet access will likely be very limited. However I wanted to fill you in on my activities of this past week and let you know what next week holds as well!

On Monday Hillary and I visited the Tower of London and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves despite the cold and semi-rainy afternoon. We toured the old armory and then got to drool over the crown jewels ... magnificent! Tuesday was a full day - Hillary, Joy, Melissa and I took off for the Imperial War Museum after classes and spent a good three hours there. In light of the museum's size, we contented ourselves with walking through the World War I and II galleries and the Holocaust exhibit, which included special rooms like "The Blitz Experience," "The Trench Experience," and "Auschwitz." Very powerful.

After the museum Joy and I made our way to the National Theatre were we saw St. Joan by Bernard Shaw - probably the most incredible production overall that I have ever witnessed. We got to see it in the Olivier Theatre (one of three within the National complex) and the set, lighting, acting, music, and choreography were just phenomenal. I wish I had time to do the play justice with my descriptions!

Then yesterday Cathy Rodgers took our Modern Drama class (which consists of Joy, Meredith and I) on a tour of the National Theatre - we got to go backstage and everything! After the tour, Cathy, her son Chip, and I stayed and saw a production of Gorky's Philistines - which was very good, but not as wonderful as St. Joan had been the night before. I'm afraid she stole a bit of Gorky's thunder!

Today has been a catchup day for me. It's been overcast and downright gloomy, so it seemed a good day to stay in and get work done. As tomorrow is our last day of classes, final papers and projects are on everybody's minds right now - and I know we're all excited about the prospect of sight-seeing with no outside work involved! This afternoon we are having an ice cream social with the nuns, and then later tonight I am going to see The Pain and the Itch (a satirical play on many absurdities in American culture that originated in New York and has been a big hit over here) with Hillary.

Tomorrow I am going to tour Westminster Abbey and hopefully the National Portrait Gallery as well. It will also be a day of journaling, laundry, and (sniff of woe, sigh of dread) packing. I don't even want to think about how heavy that humongous backpack is going to be ...

Then on Saturday the group of us is riding a bus up to Bath for the day! I am soooooooo excited about spending a day in the location where scenes from several of my favorite Jane Austen books take place. We're all hoping for blue skies and warm, sunny weather! But even if it rains I'm sure Bath will be delightful anyway. It's supposedly so gorgeous that it is banned from the annual most-beautiful-city-in-England ... to give the other cities a fighting chance!

On Sunday I am attending a service at St. Paul's Cathedral and then hopefully catching a tour at Shakespeare's Globe that afternoon before I see Love's Labour's Lost that night. I can't wait to step foot in the theatre and see it with my our eyes for the first time. It's something I've been looking forward to all summer, and I can't think of a better way to spend my last night in London.

Monday morning we leave the Maria Assumpta Centre via bus and head to York. Our next stop is Durham, then two nights in Edinburgh, Scotland and then the following back in England for a day/night in the Lake District. Then from the lakes we head for Manchester for a day and then the next morning we fly out of Manchester (at 6 AM no less!) for HOME! The flight schedule is as follows - Manchester > Munich, Munich > Charlotte, then Charlotte > Raleigh. I should be arriving at RDU Sunday afternoon!

Well if I don't write again, thanks for listening! It's been a wonderful summer and I'm so honored you have tuned in for my updates. I can't wait to show you all my other pictures :)

See you soon!

Hugs and baci -

Bekah

Ireland has captured my heart - and I don't want to leave!

2007-07-21T13:55:00.001-07:00

Hello again! Here's another quick update on my latest travels outside of London. I would write about London too, but whenever I'm there I am too busy experiencing it to actually find the time to write about it! But I promise to catch you up on everything once I get back ... if I can find the time before school starts up :)

I took off on my adventure to Ireland on Thursday just after noon. I hopped on the tube and rode the Piccadilly line all the way to the Heathrow Airport terminals with no problem. Once I got to the airport I checked myself in on the machine, checked my backpack at the Aer Lingus desk, and then zipped through security and made my way to the Gate 84. There I had to wait for a little bit because my seat was in row 5, so I was one of the last passengers to board. About a half hour later I was on the plane sitting between an older woman with a semi-grumpy appearance and a thirty-something man with tattoos and a savage looking earring in one ear. Tattoo man was actually quite polite, though very quiet, but the older woman in the window seat kept her earplugs in the whole time and never even gave me the chance to make eye contact. One thing they held in common was their notion of armrest rights because they both seemed to think that they had a higher right to the armrests than I did. That's the hard thing about sitting in a middle seat - you get the leftovers.

Thankfully, I was so elated over the fact that I was on a plane, by myself, and on my way to IRELAND - that I didn't mind the lack of armrests. I was also rather pleased with how well the trip had gone so far. Before leaving I was extremely excited, but very nervous because there was a lot to remember and I was on my own. I had planned everything myself and was responsible for getting myself there on my own, so it was very liberating and thrilling, but there was a bit of "oh man, what if I _______ or forget to ______ ?" going on in my head too. But by the grace of a very great God the flight and every step before it ran very smoothly and I arrived in Cork about an hour later with nothing to peeve me except my lack of aerial pictures. The grumpy lady next door did not look like she wanted to be spoken to much less leaned over for a few shots from above, so I but my tongue and gazed out the window longingly, promising myself that the next time I came I would make sure I got a few pictures from the airplane. The view was just spectacular!

Christina and Anna Hartley were there to greet me at the airport after I had grabbed my baggage from the check point. Anna Hartley had grown so much since I last saw her, and was all smiles despite the fact that she had no clue who I was! From the airport we stopped by a Tesco (grocery store) that was attached to a small shopping mall.

I took Anna Hartley for a spin in the stroller while Christina stocked up at the Tesco. A.H. wasn't entirely sure I was qualified for driving a stroller, but as you can see that didn't stop her from propping her feet up and relaxing!

She was a great shopping buddy! I took her all over that mall and she rambled on in baby language like she and I were having a real conversation. It was relaxing for me to just enjoy some baby time and drink in the everyday views of Irish culture around me. Everyone was so friendly!

The next day (Friday) we headed west and made a day out of our trip to the Cliffs of Moher. At times the weather looked a bit iffy, and we got some way on the trip over, but when we finally reached the cliffs just after lunchtime, the sky was beginning to look quite hopeful. Anna Hartley was great about going straight from car seat to stroller - she was a real trooper that day!

It was definitely a trek to reach the actual cliffs, but between the two of us Christina and I were able to push/drag the stroller all the way up to the top! The sights were breathtaking - a few minutes and any remainder of my heart that was avoiding full surrender was gone.

I don't know if I can possibly describe with adequate words just how stunning the Cliffs of Moher were to see in person. If ever you are in Ireland and have the slightest possibility of going to see them, by all means go! They were absolutely magnificent - and so very rich a green - and the water was wild and free down below the jagged rocks, untainted by human touch.

Then a few minutes after we'd been there the sky really began to clear up, even sunny in certain places. There was a gentle breeze to keep us cool, but in general it was a very mild day and perfect for viewing the beauty all around us.

And Anna Hartley was certainly happy to get out of that stroller! She was cheerful throughout the day and so patient with Christina and me as we dragged her around from sight to sight. One thing that did not fit into this trip were the Aran Islands, which you can see in the distance below if you look very closely (it's more of a distant shadow):

The Arans are supposed to be some of the most beautiful places in the world by all accounts, and I would love to make it there the next time I travel to the green hills of Ireland. This trip was a fabulous way to show me a glimpse of just how gorgeous and full of sights this country is, and I since there is still so much left for me to see, I guess I'll have to plan a return trip :)

That evening Christina and I had quite an ordeal getting back! Traffic was pretty back in Limerick, and then when we tried to find a dinner place we got all turned around only to discover the place was right near our parking deck - but closed. So we made do and picked up some bread, cheese, etc. at a nearby Tesco then hopped back in the car and ate on the road. I sat in the back and kept Anna Hartley happy, which wasn't very hard since she was either sleeping ...

... or goofing off with blanket!

We made it home safely that night, happy about the side of Ireland we had discovered for the first time, but pretty tired from all the traveling. Today was a lot slower and more relaxed. Christina and I had breakfast and discussed the wonderful complexities of the Jim/Pam relational dynamics within the T.V. show The Office while Anna Hartley had her morning nap, and then the three of us headed out to downtown Cork to look around and do some shopping. You know, girl time :)

I absolutely loved Cork! Not only was it colorful, clean, and happily bustling, but everyone I met along the way was remarkably kind and friendly! (I took lots of pictures, but will have to post those when I get back to London.) One of the highlights of my day was when a young British woman came up to me and asked if I could point her in the direction of a good coffee shop - I was so flattered! To be mistaken for a local is quite a compliment for me, so you can imagine how excited I was when it happened again an hour later! I was in traveler's bliss!

After a few hours out and about around the town, the three of us had had our fill so we headed back to the house for lunch. Then Christina and Anna Hartley took naps while I laboured feverishly over my Chatsworth blog update (see below if you haven't read that update yet!) and caught up on email. It was nice to have some downtime before the hectic days that await me this week! Tomorrow morning I fly out of Cork bright and early at 7:30 am and head back to London by 9. I'm very sad to part ways with Ireland, but so thankful that I had the opportunity in the first place.

Ireland has truly taken my heart! Not to lessen the wonder and happiness I felt in the other countries, or downplay the other gorgeous sights I have seen this summer (each one was special and unique in its own right!), but I have never felt more at home in any place as I have in these few days in Ireland. I don't know what I'm going to do about this newfound attachment, but if I could guarantee a return to anywhere I've been so far, Ireland would be the place I'd want to ensure I visited again.

I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the summer. I can't believe it, but this trip is getting close to reaching its conclusion! I return on August 5th, but will certainly do my hardest to blog at least one more time before I come home. We are going to Bath next weekend (Hello Jane Austen World!) so hopefully I will be able to blog about that before we leave London the Monday after.

Much love and many many baci! I can't wait to catch up with all of you when I get back to the States. Again, if I have not responded to your emails please forgive me! Oftentimes they come in herds at a time when I cannot respond, but then by the time I have a few minutes to catch up on email they have gotten pushed down the inbox and I forget to go back and respond! So all that to say, don't think I'm purposefully neglecting you! Each and every one is a blessing and I really do love getting emails!

Take care!

Bekah

Catch-up post: Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire

2007-07-17T04:22:00.000-07:00

Well I think it's safe to say that last two weekends have provided a few of the most wonderful experiences of my entire life! Yet again, I apologize for my long absences during the London half, but I've been so very busy that blogging has had to take a backseat to homework and journaling when I get a bit of free time. But now that I have some time this afternoon, I will do my best to get you caught up on my past two weekend trips.

A few of us went to the Derbyshire area last weekend and toured the Chatsworth estate (where they filmed part of the newest Pride and Prejudice movie) and this weekend I am in Cork, Ireland visiting Christina Marrow, who attends Christ Covenant with me back in Raleigh. Her husband Dave was transferred to Cork for the next year or so, but he is actually back in the States for a couple of weeks for training. So this weekend it has just been Christina, myself, and little Anna Hartley, who just turned one. I think I've taken more pictures of Anna Hartley than I have of Ireland! But before I talk about Ireland let me catch you up on Chatsworth ...

Joy and I left London Friday afternoon to make our way towards St. Pancras station and hop on our Chesterfield-bound train. Yet the tube ended up taking longer than we anticipated, so despite our mad dash from the tube station to St. Pancras, we missed our train by ONE minute. It was quite a disappointment, and for a few minutes we thought we were going to have to either forfeit the trip or buy new tickets, which would be pricey. Yet the ticket lady took compassion on us in our flustered state and allowed us to catch a later train to Sheffield (which passed right through Chesterfield) with no extra charge. So we waited in the station for about an hour and then hopped the train and were finally on our way. Thankfully, we found empty seats and were able to sit too.

After arriving in Chesterfield (a very wet one at that!) we pulled out our umbrellas and hailed a taxi to Beeley, a small village about 20-25 minutes from Chesterfield. Our taxi driver was wonderful (though he drove a bit too fast on those small country roads and there were times I feared we would slip off the road and into a ditch!), and because we were a bit unsure of where to go once we go to tiny little Beeley, he made sure we knew where we were going before he left us. He even knocked off a few extra pounds that had accumulated on the meter while we were looking for our exact destination - and all this in the rain too!

We finally found the de-consecrated Methodist church where we would be staying and after a bit of a battle with the old iron keys we made our way inside and were delighted with what we saw. Dr. Webb had kindly asked some old friends of hers if we could stay with them for the weekend, and John and Janet had generously opened the guest half of their home for us!

The inside of the church was completely remodeled into a home, and we were staying in the half that used to be the Sunday school room. It was deliciously quaint and cozy, and all around us there were remnants of the room's old purpose, such as prayer books, old Bibles, and chairs with shelves on the back where the children would keep their books. I just loved it! The decor had a rustic farmhouse feel to it that I would love to mimic in my own kitchen someday. Everything was so wonderfully old, but at the same time it was neat, clean, and surprisingly modern. The perfect blend of new and old if you ask me!

As we walked in the door we were greeted by a pretty little black cat with white "mittens" who was later introduced to us as Norma. Now I'm pretty allergic to cats and have been for many years, and as is usually the case, Norma took to me especially - the allergic one! Go figure! I am not a cat lover, but I will admit that I was quite taken with this sweet little cat and I really wished that I was not so allergic so that I could cuddle with her like she wanted me to! Thankfully I made it through the evening with nothing more than a very stuffy nose, and Janet was kind enough to make sure Norma was out of the room while we slept.

The next morning however I woke up with the tell-tale signs of cat allergies in my eyes. I washed my face and tried my best to stay away from little Norma until the rest of the girls arrived, but I was ready to get outdoors and away from the cat fur as soon as possible! When Hillary, Maggie, and Meredith came in from London it was getting close to 11 o'clock, so I dosed up on Benadryl (compliments of Meredith) and then hurried everyone out the door and towards the Chatsworth estate. John and Janet had given us directions for where to walk, and we were about as excited about the sights we would see while walking as we were about seeing the house itself!

As we stepped off of the paved roads and into the first of many fields, the scenery was so beautiful my heart raced at the sight of its simple elegance. The wild, English countryside in Derbyshire is truly one of the most serene places I've ever been, and yet, even in the midst of all its majesty I felt at home. The greens and blues were warm and inviting, and scattered throughout the fields were cows (pretty ones no less!) and fluffy little sheep with black faces. Some of the sheep were all white, but I think the ones with the black faces and feet are much cuter.

Walking through the estate with the sun gleaming down and the cool occasional breezes really made me feel like Elizabeth Bennett when she walks three miles to Netherfield to visit Jane who is sick at Mr. Bingley's house. I kept expecting her to pop out from behind a tree at any moment!

Upon reaching sight of the house a few of us lost it in our utter excitement. We couldn't believe we were there, the real-life Pemberley! The only thing that would have made the visit any better would have been Regency style period clothing. If I had been wearing one of those dresses then I could have really felt like I belonged there, and pretending to be Lizzie Bennett would have been much easier.

When I reached the house and looked up I felt just like the young heroine when she realizes just how grand Mr. Darcy's estate really is. It was so well-kept and the grounds were just gorgeous. I don't even want to think about how much money it takes to run that place!

In real life the estate belongs to the Duke of Devonshire, who died about a year ago (his son now maintains the family estate). After eating lunch at a small cafe on the grounds of Chatsworth we went in for a tour of the house, which ended up being even more incredible than I had imagined it would be. I even discovered an elephant just outside the main entrance!

The artwork outside, inside, and around the home was quite impressive (there were a couple of pieces from the 1st century!) and the beautiful staircase seen in Pride and Prejudice (when Lizzie is touring Pemberley with her aunt and uncle) was even more lovely in person. And amazingly, we were allowed to take pictures of any and everything we saw!

One of the security guards even let me go behind one of the roped off parts and take pictures from a distant window (see below).

From that view I was able to get a shot of the grounds from underneath the veranda that overlooks the large fountain seen at the end of the film (when Mr. Darcy calls Lizzie "Mrs. Darcy"). It was so cool to be that close to the location where that scene was shot - I got goosebumps! Here are a couple more shot of the same location from an upstairs window:

The last room of the tour is the sculpture gallery, which is the same one Lizzie walks through in the movie!

Maggie and I were near-ballistic before we walked in. Magnificent nerds that we are, we listened to the accompanying soundtrack from that particular scene as we toured the room (Maggie had brought her iPod along). Fans of the movie - you will recognize a few of these:

So there we were, seeing everything as Lizzie does in the film, listening to "The Living Sculptures of Pemberley" on Maggie's iPod and gawking at the gorgeous works of art that were easily recognizable from watching the movie so many times, when all of a sudden we turned at the exact same moment and our jaws hit the floor.

There he was ... Mr. Darcy.

We couldn't believe it! We ran over to the opposite end of the room, squealing and giggling like idiots as we said over and over, "It's him! I can't believe he's actually here!"

Correction: Matthew Macfadyen was not there in the flesh impersonating Mr. Darcy as he did in the film (although Maggie was lucky enough to get her picture taken with him after seeing him perform in a play last week in London), and Colin Firth was not haunting the site either. But the marble bust of Matthew Macfadyen that appeared in the movie was still there in the sculpture room, so we experienced the same moment of awe/surprise that Elizabeth did when she saw it for the first time.

We (of course) then proceeded to take quite a few pictures ...

This is my "I am in total shot because Mr. Darcy is standing right next to me" face.

And this is a more composed "keep it together you crazy English major" face.

And then this is my "I don't care what the other visitors think - I'm head over heels for you!" picture. Needless to say, finally meeting Mr. Darcy face-to-face was certainly one of the highest highlights of my weekend :)

After a tearful goodbye we exited the sculpture room and were led into the gift shop, where I was sorely tempted to purchase both a new copy of the book Pride and Prejudice and the complete works of Jane Austen in a single volume (which I have been wanting to get for ages, along with the annotated version of Pride and Prejudice as well). But thankfully I had just enough common sense to resist temptation - all I had to do was imagine adding the extra weight to my already exceedingly heavy backpack, and think about just how unbearably heavy it would be with the books added to the back. So I contented myself with postcards and ice cream, which was a reasonable trade-off, but hardly took the place of a new copy of Pride and Prejudice. I'm not sure why I was so close to buying a new one. I mean, I already own at least two copies, three if you count my Italian version, but there's something about a new copy with a different cover that just begs to be bought. I'm afraid I am a terrible Jane Austen freak, and living in England this summer has only intensified my obsession!

Now that our tour of the house was complete it was time to tackle the grounds ... or at least, a part of the grounds. I really don't have the time or space to do them justice with photos here, but if you visit my Picasa site (type in: http://picasaweb.google.com/bekahabroad) you can scroll through my pictures documenting the grounds and gawk like I did!

According to their website, the Chatsworth Estate is made up of 35,000 acres, spreading throughout and beyond Derbyshire! The park (part of which we walked through to get from Beeley to Chatsworth) is about 1,000 acres and sits at the edge of Sherwood Forest. The spectacular gardens cover 105 acres. If anything, I think it's fair to say that the land was even more impressive than the house - which shows just how appropriate a choice Chatsworth was for the location of Pemberley, since Mr. Darcy's estate was said to have a fine house, but truly magnificent grounds.

Below is a shot of the outdoor scene where Elizabeth hastens away from the house after accidentally running into Mr. Darcy and his sister (when they have that awkward conversation and then she refuses his offer of a carriage and runs away across the fields!):

As we walked through the wide open lawns, primly trimmed bushes, colorful flower gardens, and even a large maze, I was blown away by the scale and beauty of the estate. I got some great shots of the front of the house, and as the sun slowly began to descend from above to beside the hills, the house and lands grew even more beautiful!

And later that afternoon Hillary even got to meet Mr. Darcy's horse!

We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring as much of the grounds as we could, and then walked back through the fields towards Beeley. That night we ate out at little pub in Beeley and had authentic food of the area. Absolutely delicious!

Later that night we got settled in and watched Pride and Prejudice. It was so cool to see the movie after visiting the estate because everything was so much more real after seeing it in person!

The next morning we said goodbye to Beeley and rode the Chesterfield train back to London. We were sorry to go, but I am really hoping to make it back there for a return visit someday!

I will do my best to post again tonight and update you all on my visit to Ireland. I won't be able to add Chatsworth pictures to this post until I get back to London, but you can view them all at this site: http://picasaweb.google.com/bekahabroad

Bye for now!

Bekah

More Wales!

2007-07-11T03:32:00.000-07:00

On to our last day in Wales! We began the morning with plans to catch Bus #28 and return to Cardiff Bay, but when we got to the station we realized that (being a Sunday) the bus intervals were much longer than normal and we had a good 45 minute wait until the next bus came along. So then the question arose of what to do while we waited. Thankfully, Hillary's inquisitive nature kicked in and saved the day! Peeking around a corner, she discovered what looked like a park, so we decided it wouldn't hurt to wander around a bit while we waited for the bus. Little did we know what awaited around the corner ... an enormous rose garden!

Within the walls of Roath Park there had to have been over fifty varieties of roses! We couldn't believe our eyes! We instantly set about snapping pictures of each and every kind, attempting to capture the rainbow of color that surrounded us. Here are a few of my favorite varieties ...

"Golden Beauty"

"Tintlnara"

"Twice in a Blue Moon"and "First Love"

As we hopped around the flower beds like we'd never seen roses before, an older woman resting on a park bench struck up a conversation with me. Then she asked if I knew about the lake ahead, and told me there were ducks and swans, and gardens, at which point I asked, "Which way?!" I ran over to where Hillary and Melissa where snapping pictures and told them about the lake. All three of us quickly reached a consensus: Forget the bay, let's say and explore all that Roath Park has to offer! So we deserted our plans for Bus #28 and enjoyed the entirety of the rose garden at our leisure. I think I took almost a hundred pictures in that portion of the park alone!

Next we followed the signs to the lake where we were entertained by the inhabitants, particularly the adorable little ducks. They would upend their little bottoms and wiggle their tales in the air as they nibbled at their dinner below the surface. It was so cute!

The bridge was full of local onlookers and there were almost as many children as there were swans! At first the sky looked pretty threatening and we worried it might rain, but then the sun beat out the clouds and we knew a beautiful day was here to stay.

After getting our fill of the view from the bridge, we walked over to the docks to inquire after the paddle boats (or as the Welsh call them, pedal boats). The price was great so we hopped in a bright green vessel and took off toward a huge herd of swans. Do these young ladies look a bit devious or what?! By the end of the ride they had been dubbed "Hillary the Swan Killer" and Melissa, Swan Slayer" ... although in reality I think the swans scared us more than we ever scared them!

As I was the designated photographer in the backseat, I was helpless when the swans came right up to the boat and in for the kill. All I could do was yell "Pedal faster!" Yet all in all it was a delightful ride and as the weather was gorgeous we got a great view of the lake. It was warm and sunny and the best accidental discovery I've had on this trip!

After our boat ride we had lunch at the lakeside cafe and then headed back to our hostel to pick up our bags. Then it was back to the train station and on the road back to London! I would love to go back and see more of Wales someday - it was a fantastic weekend and definitely worth the trip if you are ever in the area!

Well I need to run now ... it's a dreary day and I'm trying to wrap up my homework for this week because tomorrow we are spending the day in Canterbury and then on Friday I am traveling to Derbyshire and visiting the Chatsworth House (Mr. Darcy!!!). I can't wait!

I'll post all about it when I get back :) Much love and baci!

Bekah

A Williams Returns to Wales ...

2007-07-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

It's Monday evening and I've had a very busy day (including a tour of the parliament chambers and a visit to the War Rooms and the Winston Churchill Museum), but despite the piles of homework that await me this evening I thought I would tell you all about my trip to Wales since it has been far too long since my last halfway decent post. Please forgive my lack of commentary over the past two weeks - every minute is precious and I can already see just how quickly our month in London is slipping away!

Well as you know, last week was a bit rough. It was an adjustment period for me and it took a lot longer than I anticipated, but by Friday I seemed to be back on my feet and ready for action. I attribute the turning point greatly to the helpful guidance of Dr. Webb.

When all I really wanted to do was take a nap, she encouraged me to go visit the National Gallery - in essence, fighting the exhaustion with a task while giving me a taste of the marvelous galleries and museums for which London is so well known. Then the next day I was off to Wales - accompanied by my two friends Hillary Morgan and Melissa Staley. We hopped on the tube, got off at the Paddington train station, and then boarded a relatively crowded train headed to Cardiff, Wales. It was so crowded that all three of us had to split up and sit next to strangers, which for me has almost always led to an interesting ride. My thoughtful seat mate (a young man in a navy blue pinstripe) was kind enough to take up the entirety of the armrest for himself, which made the already cozy seating arrangement even more cramped for yours truly. However after about 45 minutes into the ride Melissa's seat partner got off at her destination, so I looked over at my neighbor (who was now asleep with his mouth hanging open a bit) and stealthily slipped over and up to sit with Melissa - startling my semi-dozing friend in the process!

After about two hours total on the train we reached our destination and excitedly made our way out of the Cardiff station and over to the bus terminals. It was exciting to note that everything was in both English and Welsh, even down to many of the advertisements.

We found Bus #28, were thrilled to discover it was a double decker, and clamored our way up the stairs as giddy as ten year-old school girls! The ride was a bit rambunctious at times, but we made it to the hostel okay!

Hillary and I each have a bit of family heritage in Wales, so it was very romantic to think about visiting the homeland of our ancestors and seeing a glimpse of our past firsthand. After settling in at the hostel and freshening up a bit from the train, we set out to find dinner and get a closer look at the surrounding area. On our walk we discovered a beautiful cemetery, but to our dismay we found that it was locked for the night. We then contented ourselves by taking pictures through the gates and straining to see tombstones in case there might be a Williams or Morgan nearby! (There weren't.)

We walked around town, looking at the shops and the neat little strands of houses tucked in as tight as they could be. Then we finally settled on a Chinese restaurant where I ordered a delicious duck dish. By the way, my new favorite meat is duck (along with another that will not be mentioned because a member of my family is quite fond of them).

The next day we caught the 28 back into the center of town and immediately made our way down the streets, peeking in shops and finally walking into one.

There Hillary and I found a wealth of Welsh history, traditions, and trinkets, not to mention numerous items that flaunted both of our last names! I was particularly delighted with the Welsh spoons, a traditional gift of love, betrothals, marriages, or anniversaries. In the past young Welsh men would carve these wooden spoons and present them to the girl that they loved, and his message would dictate the design of the spoon handle. For example, a heart indicates love and affection, Celtic chain links indicate faithfulness, or life-long love and devotion, and a key (or keyhole) stands for provision (aka, "I will provide for you, build a house for you, etc). The list went on! Every design was different, some of them stacking multiple symbols to create a string of love messages to the beloved. They were so beautiful, and, romantic that I am, I just couldn't resist buying a piece of jewelry to commemorate this unique tradition. I even felt more Welsh after I put it on :)

After our final purchases had been made we crossed the street and took a tour of Cardiff Castle, a magnificent fort that was converted into a private residence around the 19th century. There were stone walls, steep stairs, towers, peacocks, grassy lawns, narrow windows ... everything a princess would desire in a respectable castle.

To top it off the weather was positively gorgeous - our first truly picturesque day in the U.K. - so that made the entire site even more delightful to behold!

After saying hello to the Welsh dragon we found sunbathing on the lawn, the three of us took a guided tour of the magnificent home (though unfortunately photography was not allowed) and then we had a delicious lunch in the cellar, the oldest part of the house. I had Welsh cawl (a meaty broth with meat and vegetables that you dip chunky bread in) and my own little pot of real Welsh tea. I was delighted :)

Then we exited the castle to climb the highest tower and explore the keep. From the top we could see all of Cardiff and beyond - which was certainly well worth the hike (below is a shot of just one of a series of steep stairways!).

As I looked above my head and saw the Welsh flag flapping in the wind I couldn't help but feel a bit proud - it was so hard to believe I was actually in Wales, a place where I actually had some history. It was a special moment!

Our next adventure was a less physically draining one. We climbed on the upper deck of another double-decker and sat back to enjoy a whirlwind tour of the beautiful city of Cardiff.

We were eventually dropped off at the bay to look around for a bit, and it was there that we saw the opera house, a multitude of boats, and some phenomenal scenery. There was also a gorgeous church that stood out again the bright blue of the sky in a vibrant brick red. I loved seeing the seaside again, and was sorry there wasn't time to catch a ride on a boat!

After riding the bus back to central Cardiff, we found a neat little Indonesian/Polynesian/ something else -esian that I cannot recall the name of and had a wonderful dinner before heading back to our hostel. While we waited for old bus #28 to come pick us up, we were harassed by a few local drunks and unpleasantly noticed by almost every male that passed by - and it wasn't even getting dark yet! It was quite an experience, but a good lesson on how to respond in those situations. Ignoring the undesirable attention almost always did the trick, but the one time it didn't, a good shove accompanied by a firm tone got the message across. Needless to say, we were thankful to get back to the hostel!

That's all I have time for now ... I will post on my last day in Wales and the events of today tomorrow afternoon if all goes as planned :)

Love,

Bekah

P.S. Happy Birthday Michael! I can't believe you're ten years old today!

Off to Wales!

2007-07-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I'm so sorry my blogging has been practically nonexistent since I've been in London, but the adjusting has been more difficult than I anticipated :) I'm still really worn out from all the traveling of last week and upon our arrival in the U.K. we've really had to hit the ground running, so there hasn't been a lot of time for me to catch up. I will try to do better - I'm hoping next week will be much easier because by now I have a better idea of how to use my time efficiently.

In about an hour I am heading to Wales for the weekend (Cardiff to be precise)! I am traveling with two friends - Hillary and Melissa - and am particularly excited because I've got a bit of Welsh blood in my veins. Return to the homeland!

I will do my best to post after I return Sunday evening. Please pray for safe travel and that we will feel good about our hostel reservations. You never can tell what you'll get in the way of a hotel or hostel, and there have been several times where the descriptions on the internet were entirely misleading and we did not feel as safe as I would like :)

Much love and baci - I look forward to telling you all about Wales!

Bekah

I made it to London!

2007-07-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been so long since my last update. Thank you for your prayers during the trip! It was full of challenges and surprises, but it was evident that God was clearly taking care of us every step of the way. Our week of travel took a lot out of us - and once we got to London we had to hit the ground running! I wanted so badly to write a big long blog detailing all of our adventures during our travels through Switzerland, Italy, Austria, France, and England, but there is simply no time at the present. If I did that I would get so hopelessly behind on my London posts that it would be impossible to get everything in, so I have thought long and hard and finally come up with a nice compromise.

Now that we have a Meredith laptop set up in our mini-library here, I can upload hundreds of my pictures via Picasa and then post them online in albums. You wouldn't believe how much time this saves - and that way, you can view so many more than I could ever get posted on my blog (where I have to upload them one by one). So, I have divided up the trip by location into albums from our trip to Austria through my first few days in London. That way you can peruse my long travel break in the form of pictures and I can fill you in on the details when I return. Thankfully pictures can often speak for themselves - but the ones that don't will just have to wait until I get back for further detail!

To view my photos, visit the site below:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bekahabroad

If the hyperlink doesn't work, just copy and paste the link into your browser and you should be able to assess the site just fine.

I will post again sometime tomorrow afternoon to fill you in on London - Lord willing. At the moment I'm just trying to keep up with homework and rest up so I can get as much as possible out of the next five weeks.

Oh, and happy 4th of July! You have no idea how weird it is spending our Independence Day in the nation we gained independence from ...

Ciao!

Bekah

Hello from Luzern!

2007-06-28T01:27:00.000-07:00

Well we've had a wealth of unforgetable adventures that I cannot wait to tell, and TONS of pictures that will give you a far better feel for the experiences than I ever could with words, but unfortunately I can't go into detail at present because I'm using a computer shared by the entirety of our hotel's guests :)

I just wanted to drop in and say thanks for all of the prayers and messages! We have seen evidence of God's goodness - and His hand of guidance and protection - over every single leg of this trip, and when you hear the stories, you'll see it too!

Hopefully I will be able to do some serious updating either Sunday or more likely Monday. But until then, much love and molti baci!

Bekah

Travel Week Here I Come!

2007-06-24T04:30:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Well papers, projects, and my near-novel of a travel journal are all turned in and I am now homework-free for a whole week! My biggest projects right now are finishing up all the food in my fridge, working on laundry, and packing up. But during my "week off" I will also be doing some serious traveling through Austria, Switzerland, and France on my way to England, and I wanted to fill you in on where I will be when since I'm not sure how much internet access will be feasible.

Early tomorrow we depart beautiful Lugano (sniff!) and will be saying goodbye to most of the half-program participants (double sniff!).

Crystal, Joy and I will then hop on a train and head west toward Salzburg, Austria - which is supposedly a nine-hour plane ride - where we are staying through Tuesday morning. From there we are riding back to Switzerland and staying in Lucerne for two nights which is especially exciting for me because so many people back home have told me how wonderful it is - I can't wait! Thursday morning Crystal will head to Zurich to meet up with the rest of the half-program students while Joy I will catch a train from Lucerne to Paris. That will be a difficult parting! Friday will be our day to see as much of Paris as we can, and then later in the afternoon we will head to Calais for the night. On Saturday Joy and I will catch a ferry and cross the channel to England (!!!!!!), arrive in Dover, then make our way to London and meet up with the London half participants.

The difficult part is going to be balancing sight-seeing and relaxation/sleep. We are soooooo tired, but who wants to sleep in when there are sights to be seen? My plan of action is to sleep as much as possible on the trains so I will be able to see as much of Europe as possible. Thankfully I can sleep just about anywhere ...

... even the cement platforms at train stations :) Hillary snapped this one when I fell asleep at the Arezzo station after our train ran 55 minutes late. I was out!

Anyway, I am not sure what kind of access I will have over the next week, but in London we will definitely have easy access so I will post pictures and share travel stories then if not before. Strangely enough, I am feeling quite good about all the traveling we'll be doing next week and have become quite comfortable with my newly obtained world traveler skills. I am certain it will be full of challenges and unexpected complications, but I know that I am in God's hands and look forward to the incredible corner of His creation that I am about to witness firsthand!

Love and baci!

Bekah

Another attempt at dinner ... and some silliness!

2007-06-22T02:30:00.001-07:00

Well I've made two more dinners since my last attempt and they've been much more successful! The first was a regular pasta dish with pomodoro (tomato) sauce and basil. Finding Parmesan cheese was a life-saver! That bowl of pasta was so tasty I refused to put it down to snap a picture :) Then the night before last I tried pesto again (this time I did not attempt to crush my own basil) and it came out wonderfully. I restrained myself enough this time to take pictures before digging in ...

What really gave the dish a kick was the grilled salmon Hillary contributed. I've loved how much fish and seafood I eat over here! I topped of the plate with a picturesque trio of basil leaves for aesthetics. Miraculously, nothing went wrong and the dinner was a success!

And I had my Tide To-Go pen ready when I dropped pasta on my shirt! Saved by the pen once again - that thing has been one of the best purchases I made before leaving :) It has rescued me from pizza sauce, chocolate gelato, diet coke, and now pesto sauce.

Besides improving my culinary skills, I have also been hard at work on final projects for my art class (I can't wait to show them to you all when I get back!) and enjoying the city of Lugano whenever I get a spare moment (which isn't often, but I'll take what I can get!). Yesterday Hillary and I went shopping and I bought my first clothing items of the trip - be proud! I had withstood the many temptations for over a month and since the Swiss franc is worth about 85 cents in U.S. dollars, I was also getting more for my money. We had a blast trying on foreign fashion and I got some fun new clothes to breathe new life into my now well-worn wardrobe. As silly as it is, just adding a few new fun pieces to the mix excited us more than I can express!

And finally, here are a few shots that express just how tired we are - and how much fun we have when the tiredness reaches new levels!

I love my hall mates (L-R): Joy, Lizzie, me, and Hillary

That's all for now - more later!

Baci,

Bekah

An afternoon on Lake Lugano ...

2007-06-20T02:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon Dr. O took us on a boat tour of Lake Lugano, which took us us all the way out to Morcort where we saw the Chiesa da Sant Antoni. When the time came for the boat to take off, seven of our girls hadn't yet made it - they had hopped off on the wrong bus stop and were frantically running towards the dock to make it. We didn't see them until the boat had already taken off, and sadly waved back at their disappointed faces. Then to our utter astonishment (I mean, we were in Switzerland, a land of timeliness and efficiency!) the captain turned the boat around, circling back to the dock to rescue those those left behind. It was then that we remembered just where we were - Switzerland yes, but the Italian region of the nation. It was so neat to get a firsthand taste of how different values are between the two countries - and yet how wonderfully they sometimes combine in Lugano (Switaly!).

Upon our arrival we literally climbed a mountain to take a gander at the beautiful church along with the accompanying baptistery and cemetery.
As each person stumbled up the last few steps, a natural drinking fountain awaited to revive every parched traveler. It was probably some of the clearest and most refreshing water that I have ever tasted!

After that we went inside the church for a while to take in the details around us. The dark, stone interior was cool and inviting after our sweltering hike up the mountain, and I was happy to sit down on the smooth, wooden pews and tilt my gaze upwards. Intricate frescoes abounded, but because the chiesa was much smaller than many of the enormous duomos and cathedrals we have seen, it was much easier to take them all in and enjoy what I saw piece by piece.

The views outside the chiesa were wondrous - my pictures simply cannot do the sights justice! As I leaned over the wall and looked at the turquoise waters beneath me I felt closer to home somehow. I'm not sure why - maybe the lake and mountains resembled some views my mind recalled from western North Carolina, or even Colorado.

Whatever the cause, I was once again filled with a sense of awe at where I was and what I was doing. It was difficult to grasp it all - I was standing by a mountaintop church in Switzerland. I was a continent away from everywhere else I had ever seen, and yet, I didn't feel so very far away from home. I could have been an hour or so away and I don't think I would have felt any different - and yet, I was in Switzerland. Wake up and grasp reality Bekah!

Next we exited out of the church and over to the gardens that lead to the baptistery. The grounds were beautifully manicured and overlooked an even more magnificent view!

The sky was clearer on this side of the church (I'm not sure why) and the water below sparkled in richer tones, like diamonds. Again, my camera by no means does the view justice!

Joy, Hillary and I were sweaty - and stinky too - but satisfied :) We had made it up the mountain in one piece and the view was 100% worth the climb!

Another shot of Lake Lugano:

Houses on the hill beneath us (and for clarification - this was not the side of the mountain that we climbed! The other side was much higher up and a lot steeper!):

Flowers from the chiesa/baptistery garden:

I had never seen an iris in this color before ... isn't that shade vibrant?

And what would a flower collage be with a sweet and delicate rose ... I love the pale pink edges that surround the yellows and creams.

Sign leading us to the baptistery ...

Here is a shot from inside the baptistry - it was one of the most aesthetically pleasing baptisteries we've seen on this trip (in my humble opinion). The creamy, white marble was lovely, and as tiny as this one was in comparison to say, the grander one in Siena, I thought it fit the location very well. One of my favorite aspects was the light that streamed in from the side windows - it was very subtle, but added a lot to the visual impact of the room.

And here is the gorgeous ceiling! I appreciated the softness of the colors and thought they meshed well with the purpose of the little chapel.

And here are the views that greeted me as I left the baptistery:

A shot of the back of the church:

Well I need to run soon, but as I'm going to be very busy these next couple of days with final projects and such, I am not sure how much more sight-seeing we will be able to do. I would appreciate your prayers as we all wrap up here in Switzerland and take off in our various directions. Eleven of us are continuing on to England after the final travel break and the rest are going back to the States, so on top of the stresses of last minute due dates we have the knowledge that many goodbyes on are the horizon. And, for those of us continuing on, new challenges, classmates, and cultures are ahead as well.

I miss you all greatly and am sorely regretting that phone calls are so pricey! We just got the bills back for May, and it wasn't pretty, so I'm needing to be very careful and stingy with my minutes - and that's been really hard. I think the communication gap has been the most difficult struggle for me over here because I hate feeling the disconnect from those I love. Please pray that God will use this time to loosen my dependence on family and friends and help me really lean on Christ when I get lonely, frustrated, or upset. It hasn't been easy, but I am beginning to see the deep value in this time of "communication separation." Pray that I continue to do so (!) and that I will persevere and be patient in each little frustration that come my way.

Much love and many, many baci!

Bekah

Welcome to Switaly!

2007-06-19T03:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my earliest pictures of Lugano! I'm off to for a boat ride in an hour, but I wanted to post some pictures real quick while I had some time in the computer lab ...

After we arrived Dr. O took us on a walking tour of the town. I love the combination of the green trees and red park benches.

This spot reminded me of the Old Well in Chapel Hill ... oddly enough, there's a bust of George Washington inside!

Lake Lugano

The stairs of death - but we made it! (L-R): Dr. O, Jamie, Joy and Lizzie

A pretty shot of a nearby park:

The gorgeous park across the street from our residence:

Giresole Residence Hall - our home away from home while we're in Lugano.

Berries! This shot was taken on another one of our rambles about the city:

Beautiful sky and mountains - near the main campus of Franklin College.

Speaking of which ...

The main entrance to the college administration building

Academic buildings on the hillside

Clouds and mountains near the main campus

A pretty little yellow house - I took this picture for my sister Mary! This house made me think of her because she loves yellow :)

Can you tell I love taking pictures of nature more than anything else?

A garden we pass everyday on the way to classes

THE ROOM - We each have our own private rooms!

And private bathrooms ....

And there's a kitchen in the room ...

And a nice big closet tucked away in a nook!

Here is a shot of my first attempt at pasta in my kitchen. To put it lightly, the dish was not a great success. Lizzie did her best to help me, but it was no use. However, I did put basil leaves on top to make it look a little prettier ...

The mess that was made in my attempt ... the clean up almost ended up being more work than the preparation part! Oh well. I've got a few more nights to try again, and there's always cereal to be had if I fail again :)

That's all for now! More pictures and commentary later!

Love,

Bekah

Cinque Terre, Travel Tales, and Gimmelwald!

2007-06-18T02:36:00.000-07:00

Hello again! I have had an absolutely, mind-bogglingly incredible week during my leave of absence from the internet and I have so much to tell but I will do my best ...

After we left Sansepolcro (a very sad departure - I did not want to leave that place!) we made our way to Arezzo to hop a train to Monterosso, on of the five Italian towns that make up Cinque Terre (Five Towns). To complicate things, every single leg of the trip was set back because buses and trains kept coming late, which caused us to miss whatever came after.

It was almost 8 pm by the time we reached Monterosso, but the astounding beauty of everything around us was well worth the complications we faced getting there. Lizzie, Joy, and I made our way to the hotel and crashed, happy to be there and already won by the beauty of the area.

Monterosso is mainly a resort spot, but I forgave it for its touristy feel because enough of the town's natural beauty remained - and I thoroughly enjoyed that part of the town! The views were breathtaking, like something off a postcard.

We spent our first full day scoping out the town and enjoying the local sights, including the spectacular hilltop cemetery. It used to be the site of a castle, but now the lonely hill exists as a place of final rest for the remains of locals. The visit involved a tough hike, but we were glad to have made the effort when we discovered just how beautiful the cemetery of Monterosso was - absolutely picturesque.

Interestingly enough, babies were buried in the midst of others buried there, which is quite different from most of the cemeteries in Italy. Since the nation is predominately Catholic, the issue of infant baptism is quite important when deciding where the child should be buried. Most babies are buried in a separate section from the rest, in an almost "in question" portion of the cemetery.

After trekking back down the mountain we stopped in at a seaside restaurant for a quick bite to eat before continuing on our adventures. I got gnocchi, as usual, but this time it was served in a delicious pesto sauce - and the noodles were shells (how appropriate!).

After lunch we decided to dip our toes in the freezing water before heading back to the hotel to lotion up and get ready for a real beach visit. The intense coldness of the water surprised me so much I screamed and jumped back at first! I snapped a picture of the tiny wave catching my toes by surprise right before I jumped :)

After we had lotioned up at the hotel we ran back to relax on the beach and were happy to discover that the sun had finally come out in full. Later that afternoon we actually went swimming in the icy cold water, but frigid as it was, I will never forget the clearness of that gorgeous water.

The rest of the afternoon and evening included a nap on the beach, nice warm showers in our adorable hotel (we had a terrace that overlooked the entire city!), and then a delicious dinner with a few of our professors who were also staying in town for a couple days. We splurged a bit on that dinner, but it was the first time I've done so and it was very much worth the few extra euros :) We returned to our hotel that night tired, but delighted by our wonderful day.

The day we bid farewell to Cinque Terre, had a bit of a layover in Milan and then finally reached Varenna, a small town off of Lake Como in northern Italy. Again, the trip was eventful and we arrived much later than we had planned, but such are the trains in Italy ... it's just something you learn to live with! Varenna was positively gorgeous - quiet, peaceful, and lovely to look at - and we were disappointed to only have one night there. Lake Como was a sight to behold, and I would have loved to have had more time to enjoy the beauties all around us. Yet it served us well, offering a very pretty place to stop and sleep on our way north to Switzerland.

That night was a bit of a low point for me, mainly because I was so tired and coming up on the month marker of being away from home, but God was very good to me that night and I had some alone time to think and pray and rest. He sustained me through that difficult evening and by the next morning I was ready for the next leg of our journey towards Switzerland - and it was a good thing too! We were totally unprepared for what was in store for us next!

The next morning the three of us woke up early and took off for the train station to ask about the best train to Interlaken. The station had been closed the night before or else we would have made plans then. It was only then that we learned the unfortunate truth ... the Varenna train station was inoperative and the platform itself served only as a passthrough stop for other destinations! Our only option was to ride an hour backwards to Milan and get on a northbound train from there. You can imagine our frustration! We had though Varenna would serve as a springboard for another train, and would never have stayed there if we had known it would waste us that much time! But at this point there was no other option open, so we rode a train to Milan, hopped on another couple of trains to get to Interlaken.

We did our best to maintain an optimistic outlook on the adventure, and for the most part we managed quite well. I pulled out my iPod and listened to Brian Regan (a stand up comedian) to keep my sense of humor alive and well. The funny thing was, I think I worried the Italians in our train car because I went into hysterics a couple of times - in part because he is truly very funny and also because when you are as tired as I was, anything can strike you as hysterically comical!

I also took the time to get caught up on my journal writings for the trip. Our travel journals serve as a huge part of our grade, and are much more than just a personal diary. We are required to write about every place we visit, and academic informational like historical background and detailed descriptions of museums, churches, and art pieces are incorporated as well. It is very time consuming, but I know that it will be one of my most treasured possessions when I return to the States.

When we finally arrived in Interlaken, it was after 5 pm, so we stowed our large backpacks in lockers and made a quick stop at the local grocery store (called the Co-op) before hopping on an adorable mountain train that took us to Lauterbrunnen. From there we got on a bus and made our way to Stechelberg (try saying that five times fast!), and then from there we rode a gondola (not the kind in Venice!) up the mountain to our final destination - beautiful Gimmelwald!

We were very excited about staying in this tiny mountainside town for two nights before heading to Lugano for our final week of classes, but the last leg of the trip was probably the hardest! From the gondola station there were two options: the scenic route, and what I now affectionately refer to as the suicide route. Guess which one we were smart enough to choose?

By the time we finally made it up that treacherous hill to Walter's (our home while we were in Gimmelwald), we were out of breath and anything but a sight for sore eyes! But at the same time we felt like very accomplished travelers and were so thankful to have made it. Plus, the views from the hotel were unbelievable. It was a lot to swallow. I mean, every time I looked out my bedroom window the Alps were staring me in the face! Can you imagine living in a place like that, where you wake up every morning to see the Alps out the window? It was surreal!

The next morning we set off on a group hike to Murren, a town nearby Gimmelwald with the closest grocery store, ATM machine, etc. It was a rainy day, not at all the scene I had desired for our day of hiking, but I did everything I could to keep up the spirits of those within the group and enjoy the beauty around me despite the cold weather.

Dr. Webb (who along with her husband - John Rose, Meredith's president - Dr. Maureen Hartford, and Dr. Hartford's husband - Jay Hartford, had joined us during our last few days in Sansepolcro) proved an invaluable walking partner because she allowed me to pester her with questions about various sights the whole way up! She also walked at a pace more to my liking, for though we were among the last to arrive in Murren, I was able to snap as many photos as I liked on the hike up!

After a bit of gift shopping and lunch purchases, we took another hike even higher up into the heart of the mountains. There were wildflowers, fields, and mountains enough to fill up a world of photo albums, and as you can imagine I had a field day with my camera despite the rainy weather!

Unfortunately, the fog, rain, and other circumstances beyond our control prevented us from reaching the top that day, though the blow was lessened by John Rose's announcement that the rain had wiped out the snow anyway. As a result we got to experience the delight of delicious German soup and hot chocolate (compliments of Dr. Hartford) in a picturesque little mountaintop restaurant to escape the rain and cold. This was yet another example of plans gone awry that turned out every bit as fun and memorable, just in a different way. After a long, cold, and VERY rainy hike back down the mountain to Gimmelwald, many of us climbed back into our pajamas, snuggled under the covers, and took a long nap for the rest of the afternoon while our soaked clothing hung to dry in the rafters of the hotel loft (which was were a good many of us slept).

The next morning we packed up our bags and prepared to leave Gimmelwald. I had John Rose pose in front of the hotel (he insisted that the leftover cheese nobody wanted and his walking stick be in the picture as well!).

As we walked down the mountain towards the gondola station (via the scenic route this time!), the sun was bright and the sky a perfect blue so I got some terrific pictures of the Swiss countryside. Gimmelwald really is one of the most wholly beautiful places I have ever been in my entire life.

The whole time down, I kept wanting to burst into song ("The hills are aliiiiiiiiive ....") and I did once to Joy's great amusement. It was very poorly sung, but she enjoyed the performance nonetheless, and pardoned my vocal chords on account of sleep deprivation :) Here's one final glimpse of the beautiful Alps ...

Before we hopped on the gondola to begin the journey back down to Interlaken, I insisted that Joy and I ride the big slide so we could leave Gimmalwald with a bang. Here is photo documentation of my first ride down:

Ascension ...

View from the top ...

And doooooooown she goes ... ewwww!

But did I let a soggy landing dampen my spirits? Of course not!

Joy resisted my persuasions at first, but after she saw how much fun I had (and realized that I had cleared any moisture from the slide's bottom with my own) she agreed to go down in choo-choo train fashion as long as she could be the caboose.

And then John Rose went down to show us how the job is really meant to be done - nice and easy, like floating down a river ... he was far more professional in his sliding style than we were! But then again, he's had years of practice on that slide.

And then we said "Auf Wiedersehen" to Gimmelwald and made our way towards Interlaken then on to Lugano. I already miss the simple beauties of Gimmelwald, and hope to make it back someday when it's not rainy so I can experience a good old fashioned snow fight on the Alps!

I don't have time to talk about the many wonders of Lugano now (which Joy has playfully named Switaly since it is within the Italian region of Switzerland), but I can't wait to fill you in and post more pictures (hopefully tomorrow afternoon). It is absolutely gorgeous and our accommodations at Franklin College are heavenly - we each have a private room that includes our own bathroom and kitchen! Tomorrow, weather permitting, we are going to take a boat tour around Lake Lugano, so hopefully I can post pictures from that as well.

Much love and baci! Thank you so much for the continued prayers and uplifting emails! They mean more to me than you could ever imagine!

Bekah

Saying goodbye to Sansepolcro - and hello to new adventures!

2007-06-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will be a day of mixed emotions! We are leaving our beloved Italian home in Sansepolcro and taking off in smaller travel groups to visit other parts of this beautiful country before making our way to Switzerland.

The first two nights Joy, Lizzie and I will be staying in Cinque Terre, more specifically, the tiny town of Monterosso. It has a beach (WAHHHOOOO!) and is supposed to be one of the most delightful places in Italy. Then on Wednesday night we'll pay a visit to Lake Como (where George Clooney supposedly has a house) and on Thursday we will head to Interlaken to catch a train to Gimmelwald. We'll spend a few days there enjoying the beauties of Switzerland (including, I believe, an intimate visit with the Alps!) and then arrive in Lugano on Sunday where we will spend our last week of classes before the group parts ways for our long travel break.

Crystal, Joy and I will be starting off our long trip in Salzburg, Austria for two days (a Sound of Music tour is definitely at the top of our priority list!), then we'll travel west back to Switzerland to spend a couple of days in Lucerne. From there Crystal will make her way to Munich and then fly back to the States with the rest of the Italy/Switzerland half students, while Joy and I will continue on to Paris for a day, then catch a ferry from Calais, cross the channel to Dover, and finally end in London on July 1 for the second half of the program. Other whole program students are spending extended time in Germany and France before meeting up in London for five weeks in the U.K.

My internet access will likely be extremely limited (as in none) until we reach Lugano next Sunday, so I will say goodbye for now and look forward to posting an update when I get the opportunity. Prayers for safe travel and good attitudes within each of the groups would be greatly appreciated. Thank you again to all of those who have been emailing me and sending me words of encouragement. It has meant the world to me and I wish that I had time to reply to each of them in an adequate manner!

Well I'm to our farewell dinner at the Servi. All the Italian families are coming for a big banquet and it will be sad, but wonderful!

Love and baci!

Bekah

Our day in beautiful Siena!

2007-06-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Today we left Sansepolcro around 8 a.m. for a day trip to Siena, another Tuscan jewel only about two hours away. The ride was amazing. We had a charter bus so it was much quieter and more spacious than most of our travel modes, and the scenery along the way was amazing. Unfortunately the window glass always messes up pictures I take on the rode - or else I would have taken some shots of the majestic views I saw all morning. Who would have thought bus rides could be so romantic and aesthetically pleasing.

Upon arriving I immediately fell in love with the place. There were trees everywhere - something I have missed greatly of late, for Sansepolcro, with all its beauties, is lacking those big, tall, richly colored trees that I love so much back home within its city walls. There is plenty of greenery to be had, but it mostly consists of flowers in windows and vines on walls. Lovely, but not the kind of greenery I'm most especially fond of. There's nothing like a big leafy tree for company on a summer afternoon - it's the best place to read, journal, think, etc.

But I digress ... one of my favorite first looks of Siena was of a gorgeous fountain surrounded by shrubs and stoney pavement. It was already getting to be a warm day, and the splashes of the water provided a delicious sound for the ear.

As we got closer to the heart of the city, the magnitude of its hilly terrain became more and more apparent. To my right I could look out and see the tops of the highest trees, but if I looked a bit lower a huge drop revealed a small family garden and mountainside homes in the distance.

After a brief bathroom break, the group carried on to the main piazza in Siena, passing delightful little alleyways and tiny shops at every turn. Some side roads offered peeks of new wonders yet to come, including a shot of the Duomo and several glorious churches. However we had to keep our wits about us and not get too sucked into the beautiful views because like most Italian towns the cars are free to ride through the streets like bicycles!

Before long we reached the piazza - which, according to travel guru Rick Steves, is the most beautiful piazza in Italy. I only wish my photos accurately explained just how enormous it is, or at least, how vast the wide open space is in comparison to most piazzas.
Locals and tourists alike sat down on the bricked pavement and just soaked up the beauty of the morning. In the background local school kids splashed each other with water, chasing and laughing and goofing off to celebrate the end of the school year.

Our next stop was Siena's immaculate Duomo, similiar to the one in Florence but even more beautiful in certain ways. While the Florence Duomo was far more arresting and dumbfounding, the smaller Siena version had a charm and simple beauty to it that was more inviting. I loved the green doors :)

I was in awe yet again at the incredible ceilings the Italians were able to construct. I craned my neck to take in as much as I could, fighting to find places with good lighting so I could get a decent picture (flashes are almost never allowed because they aren't good for the paintings and are obtrusive in a holy place).

After the Duomo our tummies began to rumble so we decided to take a break and eat some lunch. By then it was getting so hot that ice cream was absolutely necessary to get us geared up for our next challenge ...

... the Museo dell'Opera with its tall, winding staircases that led all the way to the top of the lofty building. Hillary, Joy, Gesina and I all made it to the top in one piece (though it got awkward whenever we had to pass the people making their way down - it was a tight squeeze for one person much less two!) and thoroughly enjoyed the glorious views that awaited.

As you can see, it was well worth the effort! It's hard to tell in the picture, but from atop the museo we could see for miles and miles, and the beautiful Tuscan mountains and valleys made for a breathtaking view.

We also got a great look at the Duomo, a next door neighbor to the museum. Too bad that stupid crane ruined the shot! I wanted to push it out the way for my picture! And as you can see, the clouds, once again, were positively gorgeous.

If you think clouds are the same all around the world think again - the ones that float above Italy blow ours out of the park. The skies are also much bluer and the horizons more expansive. You haven't really seen a sunset (or sunrise) until you've seen one in Tuscany!

Here's a shot of the piazza and a good portion of central Siena from the very top of the museo tower. Unlike Sansepolcro, many of the building are of similar colors, mainly tans, browns, and whites, and all of the rooftops look the same. Isn't that bell tower gorgeous? Sansepolcro had one (as most piazzas should), but it was bombed during the second World War. We almost climbed it, but ended up being too short on time (plus it cost 7 euro just to climb it!) to actually attempt the trek to the top.

To top off our marvelous day, we were joined by Rebecca Lewis, a fellow Meredith sister (and English major) who is spending her entire summer in a nearby castle - yep, you heard me right, castle! She is living with a family and working an awesome summer job - teaching their two children English! We were excited to get to spend a couple of hours with her and exceedingly jealous of how well she fits in with the natives.

I asked her what I could do to fit in more and her first suggestion was, "Dye your hair brown!" While that would of been helpful had I done so a few weeks back, it would be a dumb move to pull right now since we'll be heading to Switzerland and Austria at the end of next week :) I should fit in much better over there! However, I might make use of her suggestions the next time I visit ... the constant stares are now officially old. You'd think they had never seen a blonde-haired human being before!

Well that's all for now ... Joy and I need to get working on the reservations for Austria, Switzerland, and France!

Much love and many, many baci!

Bekah

Venice and Verona

2007-06-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hello all! We just got back from our travels to Venice and Verona yesterday evening and I have all sorts of stories to tell! The group left Sansepolcro Monday afternoon just after lunchtime and grabbed a bus to the Arezzo train station. From Arezzo we rode a train to Bologna and then caught another train that took us all the way to Venezia. Below is one of my first looks at Venice (we spent a lot of time walking by this particular canal as we searched for our hotel).

Because we didn't arrive until evening, each travel group headed straight for their lodgings to settle in, eat dinner, then call it a day. However, my group (which consisted of Crystal, Joy, Hillary and myself) was not so fortunate in our choice of hotel. First off, the location was obscure and difficult to locate. The information desk at the termini had given us directions but those led to a sketchy dead end down a dark, creepy alley. Needless to say, we turned right back around and called the hotel to get help. Well that phone call ended with both Crystal and I being yelled at over the phone by a grumpy voice on the other end demanding that we stay right where we were to wait for him to come and find us. Not fun. Figuring we were safe in our number, we followed his advice and waited for fifteen minutes without any appearance of the "gentleman." By this point it was almost dark, we had no clue where we were, and as four young women in a strange city without any means of getting where we needed to go, we felt quite vulnerable!

Finally we decided that he must have been unable to find us - the hotel was supposedly just around the corner, and as it was almost dark at this point we decided to take action. We asked a few waiters from a nearby restaurant for the location of our hotel, and they politely pointed us in the right direction and told us where to turn. We were there in about two minutes! We got there and knocked on the door, then peeked in the window to discover a delightful little establishment - but no one was there. The desk was empty, the door was locked, and there was no one in sight. Unsure of what else we could do, the four of us just waited in the alleyway for the owner of the grumpy voice to appear.

A few minutes later, appear he did - a tall, thin old man with a face that frowned from his brow to his chin and a pale blue jacket that looked cold and hard instead of happy like the blue skies from which it seemed to be inspired. He was so thin that I think I could have blown him away if I tried. We must have passed him on the street - and we still wonder how he could have missed four young American women with umbrellas and overstuffed backpacks - and naturally, tired as we were, found the entire situation highly amusing. Mr. Blue Coat on the other hand did not. His first words were (in what could have been a deliciously thick Italian accent but came off as overwhelmingly mean and positively dripped with sarcasm): "Nice, girls ... that was very nice of you!"

After a few more disparaging comments, he took off in angry Italian berating us with many an unkind word ("stupidoso" was one word I heard repeated a time or two). After we got inside he yelled at us about how we hadn't waited for him and told us to shut up everytime we tried to explain our reasoning for leaving our vulnerable position by the canal. It was horrible! The yelling continued for a good five minutes but felt like an hour. Hillary started to get really angry but managed to say in calm, firm voice, "Sir, we'd like to check into our room please ..." After she had repeated this two or three times he finally stopped his verbal rampage and asked for our passports. Then, instead of showing us to our room and filling them out later, he made us stand there with our bags while he took at least ten, maybe as many as fifteen minutes to fill out our paperwork and check us in to the hotel. To top it off, he demanded that we pay him for the night on the spot - 50 euros! - without our having seen the room. He had obviously never heard the motif "the customer is always right," and had his own ideas about how customer relationships should work.

After all the preliminary work was completed and the bill paid, he pulled out two keys - one for the front door and one for the room. He explained that he didn't stay at the hotel past nine, so we would have to let ourselves in after dinner and lock the door behind us. The silence was deafening and the concept of us being alone in a "hotel" (which was really more like an old house with extra rooms) without anyone around if we needed help was a new one for us to swallow. Then he marched us up the stairs and showed us how to unlock our door with the old skeleton key before leaving us to shake our heads at what had just happened. By this time Hillary was piping mad and Joy and I were in shock, but all of a sudden Crystal fell on the bed and burst into hysterical laughter. She couldn't believe that grumpy old man had just yelled at four people about to give him 50 euros apiece ... the nerve was absolutely mindblowing, but so funny after the fact! I calapsed on the bed in giggles and Joy broke into her infectious smile while Hillary declared (though with a bit more good humor than before) that Mr. Blue Coat's parents had never been married ...

Later that night, after a delicious dinner and some gelato to cheer us up from the lashing we'd just endured, we returned to the hotel, locked the front door, and then attempted to get into our room. Five minutes and four different attempters later, we were sprawled outside the door wondering how our gentlemen would react if he returned in the morning to find us asleep in his hallway. Thankfully we didn't have to find that out - a few more tries proved a charm and we made our way into the beautiful little room that in no way betrayed its owner's sour disposition. Yet we ran into another hitch when we tried to lock ourselves in for the night. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't seem to get that door locked! In the face of unknown terrors we had to resort to second best ... propping an old red velvet chair under the door handle.

We were a bit unnerved by the entire evening and got to bed as soon as we could. While Joy and Hillary conked out almost as soon as their heads hit their pillows, Crystal and I could not get over the fact that we were alone in a hotel in Venice with a door that refused to lock. Unaware that the other was having the same misgivings, we continued laying in bed in silence until a sudden banging was heard downstairs. I ignored it the first time, telling myself that it was only my overactive imagination that is always driving me crazy with dreadful visions of potential horrors. But the second time I heard banging my heart began to race, almost pounding right out of my chest.

"Crystal?" I said.
"Yep."
"Did you hear that banging?"
"I did," she replied.
"I'm not going to be able to sleep until we lock that door."
"Me either!" she whispered, "I was hoping you hadn't fallen asleep yet!"
"Let's try the lock again then," I replied, and with that we both scrambled out of bed and headed toward the door.

Silently praying that Jesus would allow the key to perform its duty and secure the lock, I slid the key into the hole as quietly as possible and slowly began to tinker with the lock. Crystal obtained a nearby flashlight and pointed the beam into the hole. A few moments later a small click caused a wave of relief to flow through my pulsing nerves. "Thank you Jesus!" I squealed! After we double-checked the lock to make sure it had really worked, we climbed back in bed and tried to calm the adrenaline rush spawned by our fright. Needless to say, we were supremely thankful for that little skeleton key, but I'm afraid I will never be filled with a romantic sensibility for them again. They are pretty and enchanting in movies and books, but in real life they can be a real pain.

The next morning a new adventure ensued. Hillary, who had been feeling a bit under the weather before, woke up with a full-fledged case of strep throat. Thankfully, she had an Italian nonna (grandmother) to take care of her. The woman in charge of breakfast (whether she was Mr. Blue Coat's wife - heaven forbid - sister, or of no relation we do not know) took sick Hillary under her wing and made her drink warm tea to soothe her throat. She spoke very little English, but I was able to converse with her enough to aquaint her with the problem. It was so cute! She kept feeling Hillary's head, exclaiming in Italian, and checking back to make sure she was taken care of that morning.

Meanwhile Crystal went down - brave girl! - to ask Mr. Blue Coat for directions to the nearest pharmacy so we could get Hillary a prescription (acquiring drugs is different in Italy). Ignoring her protests he dragged Crystal down to the pharmacy with him (which was kind but abruptly handled in what seems to be his only mode of speech) and got the prescription himself! We had no idea that it had happened until Crystal turned up with the medicine!

We were out of the hotel by 10:30 - a deadline we were reminded of at least three times that morning - and relieved to be out of the establishment for good (though we would miss our Italian nonna's kind ways and endearing spirit). We hopped on a vaporeto (the equivalent of a bus in any other city) and road the canal down to St. Mark's Basilica, the only site we had decided to see in light of Hillary's illness.

The water was not as clean as I had anticipated, and to be honest the city as a whole was abit disappointing. Unlike all the other old cities we had seen, Venice did not seem as well preserved and came across as being quite run down. It also felt very touristy and I nearly suffocated from the lack of genuine Italians.

While the idea of a city floating on water was highly appealing to my romantic sensibilities, I'm afraid my own imagination spoiled Venice for me. My visions of it had been quite different from the real thing, and while I see how it could be very enjoyable for those traveling with their soul mate with nothing else to think about, the city was not pleasant to me as a student interested in genuine Italian culture. This trip has taught me just how much of a city girl I am not, and showed me how greatly I value the small towns and real Italian hospitality that I have seen in places like Sansepolcro and Anghiari.

Yet despite its flaws, the city did possess some truly grand sights. Though I was thoroughly grossed out by the tourists who ventured among the masses of pigeons in St. Mark's Square (even letting them perch on heads and arms and bags!), I was awed by the beauty of both the square and the basilica.

St. Mark's Basilica was breathtaking with its walls and walls of mosaics. The entire structure is covered with them inside and out and the effect is remarkable. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but I bought postcards from the giftshop of the inner walls and look forward to showing you all when I get home!

As I took one last look at Venice I was filled with mixed feelings. As unimpressed as I may have been, I know that the events surrounding our hotel mishaps and Hillary's illness affected our impressions of the fair city. I would love to go back sometime in the future (along with a second visit to Rome, Florence, etc) in the hopes that my first impression might be changed by a more pleasant second experience.

Now, on to pictures of VERONA ... a far more pleasant visit! Again, I'm running out if time, but I will post brief captions and then hopefully be able to update them later.

Verona is the town where Romeo and Juliet supposedly took place, and the town has capitalized off of that legend greatly! Yet it was a delightful town to visit and I wished we'd had longer to take it all in! Strangely enough, it felt a lot like Raleigh to me ... just Italian :)

The arena was similiar to the Colosseum of Rome but much smaller and better preserved. In fact, the city still uses it on a regular basis for concerts and other entertainment events.

Hanging from the arch is a whale bone that will supposedly fall only when someone who has never lied walks beneath it (and as Joy said, killing the truthful individual - not much insentive to be lieless!). As you have probably already surmised, all of us are alive and well and have not had any whalebones fall on our heads ...

We also visited Juliet's house - obviously a fake, but fun to visit regardless, especially since all four of us are English majors!

Juliet's balcony

Me and Will

The four of us on Juliet's balcony - we asked an older Greek man to take our picture and he literally pushed everyone else waiting in line out of our way for us! Embarrassing at the time, but hysterically funny to witness. We kept apologizing to the other people in line - he would not listen to our attempts at reason and politeness!

A few from Juliet's upper window ...

Me sitting on a gnome stool - this picture is for you Catherine Davis!

Another shot of the arena ...

The grande piazza in the evening ...
The beautiful fountain at the center of the piazza ...

Me and my girls on a bench resting our feet ...

The ride home on a bus that leaked like mad ... note the umbrella! I've never had to use one inside before!
Post-travel laundry madness! Isn't our drying method lovely?

That's all I have time for now! More later - I hope!

Much love and baci -

Bekah

Even more pictures from Rome ...

2007-06-03T09:38:00.001-07:00

Well here I am yet again to pick up where I left off earlier this afternoon. I'm sorry my technical complications have made for such a broken up trail of blog posts! Anyway, back to Roma ...

On our way to the ruins and Colosseum area, we passed the building where Mussolini spoke (and eventually he was killed there too). The little balcony on the side of the building is where he stood:

Next we came across the Roman Forum - which, due to time and impending rain we were unable to actually tour - and I fell in love with the beautiful ruins. The overcast sky and scattered bits of sprinkles from above gave the ruins a purpleish hue that was gorgeous against the green of the trees. The beautiful hills in the distance were lovely ... I only wish the weather had allowed us to climb them!

And then at last came my favorite sight of the day: the Colosseum! When it first came into view I became absolutely giddy with excitement ... this was the real deal! I think that moment marked the first time reality actually sunk into my brain. I'd told myself again and again, "You're in Italy Bekah - you are in ITALY!" but it wasn't until I laid eyes on the outer walls of the ancient structure of the Colosseum that the surreal feeling passed and I fully comprehended where I was - Italy!

On our way inside we caught sight of the tall figure of the Arco di Constantino (see below). It was breathtaking to behold - so detailed, so regal - and left quite a memorable image imprinted on my brain.

Thanks to the RomaPasses we purchased (a must have for students on a budget with only a couple of days to tour the city) we didn't have to wait in any lines to make our way into the Colosseum. By the time we reached the site the sun had returned and brought more of that gorgeous Italian sky I described earlier.

It was breathtaking to be there, surrounded by thousands of years of history. I couldn't keep the early Christians that were persecuted there out of my head. One of my favorite books of all time is Quo Vadis - which is a must read! - the fictitious tale of a young tribune and his encounters with the early church. I kept picturing the events of the book in my head and imagining what it must have been like to live in that time. It was an amazing experience.

I'm running out of time so my commentary will be brief from here on out until I can get back to a computer! In the picture above you can see where they are beginning to reconstruct part of the flooring to help visitors visualize what it would have looked like. Below is a shot of the lovely ladies I had with me ...

A cumulative view of the Colosseum, Arch, and ruins ...

The Circus Maximus - imagine Ben Hur racing his chariot here! It felt like a park and felt so peaceful, a stark contrast to what it was actually used for all those years ago.

And here is a shot of the lovely plate of lasagna I had for dinner that night. Note the heart made out of cheese at the center ... long but funny story (to come!)!

Yet for all our marvelous travels I can't tell you how happy I was to come back to Sansepolcro ... my Italian home! Here's a shot of me with a package of Italian pastries:

Gotta run to dinner! I'll enhance the commentary later tonight if I get the chance. Ciao!

Bekah

More Rome - finally!

2007-06-03T07:18:00.001-07:00

Here they are! On the eve of my journey to Venice and Verona I'm at long last able to add more pictures from Rome! And FYI, I did go back and update my initial Rome post a few days back by beefing up the commentary, so if you're interested in more background on the first set of pictures be sure to check it out.

Our second full day in Rome was an excellent one. We began the day by sleeping in until 8:30, enjoying a lovely breakfast provided by the Hotel Joli, and then taking our own sweet time to get ready for the day. That was such a luxury and we loved it!

After venturing outside into the beautiful Roman sunshine we did a little "window shopping" before hitting the sight-seeing trail again. Our first tour of the day happened quite by accident. The Castel Sant'Angelo was the nearest building in sight when it began to rain a bit, so we decided it looked quite interesting and ran inside (and boy were we glad of our accidental discovery!).

Built in 139 A.D., the Castel Sant'Angelo was constructed as a tomb for Emperor Hadrian and was later used as a last resort hiding place for the pope in times of trouble. There was even a tunnel constructed that connects the castle directly to the Vatican itself! From each window a spectacular view of Rome awaits:

The structure now exists as a delightful museum that feels like a storybook fortress. As we climbed the staircase that wound about the entirety of the fort's cylinder shape, I remarked to Joy that this would be the perfect place to be held captive and then rescued by a prince in shining armour :) Its bowels were full of ancient prison cells and mysterious hidden chambers - my imagination was positively reeling!

In the upper level rooms of the castle we were able to view some magnificent works of art, mainly paintings and sculptures. But the real treat was reaching the top of the fortress, where a 360 degree view of Rome took my breath away. A beautiful sculpture of Michael the Archangel greeted us upon arrival (see above); by then the sky had cleared and the clouds displayed themselves proudly against a baby blue sky.

We had fun taking pictures against such a majectic backdrop! Check out the whole gang in the picture below hanging out in Hillary's shades:

By the time we left the castle it was past lunchtime and our stomachs were alerting us to the fact loud and clear! We figured out the direction of the Pantheon and kept our eyes peeled for a quick place to grab food along the way. We found a place with terrific pizza (which I proceeded to spill all over my purse because I have never been good at eating and walking at the same time) and then sallied forth towards the Pantheon. Along the way we got a bit turned around and ended up at - of all things - a cat sanctuary (hundreds of cats living together in a designated square of old ruins ... it was quite a sight to behold!). While the others labored over the map I struck up a conversation with a nearby British couple who looked like they knew what they were doing. The delightful old gentleman guided us in the right direction while his wife laughed about men, women, and their methods of remembering - and giving - directions.

When we finally reached the Pantheon I was overcome by a surreal sense of awe. I was in Rome - and the Pantheon was right before my eyes! There were tons of people about lobbying for a place to take pictures, but by the time we got inside there was a bit more room to enjoy the remarkable structure.

My favorite aspect of the Pantheon was by far the open dome at the height of the ceiling. It was so massive and perfect. There's just no other way to describe it. I stared until my neck rebelled and said I had looked long enough! One interesting thing about the Pantheon is that they still conduct mass within its walls. None of us had any idea it still functioned as anything but a tourist site.

As we left the Pantheon with Roman ruins, the Colosseum, and Circus Maximus in our heads, the weather began to take a turn for the worse. We never let it dampen our spirits though - after all, we were in ROME!

And now my camera battery has declared itself low and refuses to unload any more pictures ... the brute! Right before I posted about the Colosseum too! If I can I will run back later this afternoon to post a few more ... sorry about the abrupt stop.

Baci!

Bekah

Grazie mille!

2007-06-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

Dear family and friends,
I just wanted to thank you all for the wonderful emails of encouragement! I was beginning to feel the tugs of homesickness and I can't tell you how much the emails from home cheered me up.
I love you all so much - thanks again!
Bekah
P.S. I should be able to post more Rome pictures and commentary tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait to show you snapshots from the rest of my trip!

grrrrr ....

2007-05-31T07:47:00.000-07:00

So the connection at the internet point I've been posting at just fine so far is running VERY slow today and costing me a fortune! It has also refused to post any more pictures for me, so my Rome post will have to be continued at a later time. Sorry about that!

Baci,

Bekah

La mia vita in Roma!

2007-05-31T06:19:00.000-07:00

Well I've just returned from the wonders of Rome and am utterly exhausted - but I wanted to post more pictures because I want to share a humble glimpse of those wonders with all of you! Again, forgive the lack of profound commentary ... hopefully I can add that in before long. But for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the beauties of one simply amazing part of our world.

DAY ONE: Views upon arriving - our first evening in Roma:

The Roma Termini (a great point of reference during our stay). We arrived in Rome late afternoon on May 28 and immediately sought out our hotel, the Galli. The termini was huge and a bit overwhelming upon arrival, but we soon got the hang of it!

Inside the termini - people everywhere! I love being in crowded areas like this and getting the chance to people watch. In areas like the termini you not only get a peek at Italians, but individuals from all over Europe and more. It's so much fun to listen in on conversations as you pass by couples, families, groups of teens, etc and try to figure out where people are from ... and wonder about where they are going!

After dumping our incredibly heavy backpacks off at the Galli, we went out in search of dinner and got a great first look at Rome. We had left Sansepolcro rainy and cold, so the beautiful weather was even more welcome than usual. The evening was gorgeous ... check out that sky! I was amazed again and again at how old everything in Rome is, and yet how well it has stood the test of time. The city compiles a beautiful mix of the old and young and the chemistry is breathtaking. I think we were also very fortunate in the time of year that we visited. The weather was in the 60s and - for the most part - free of precipitation; in addition the trees were vibrant shades of green and many forms of wildflowers were still in bloom as well. Granted, Rome was considerably dirty in comparison to our own beloved Sansepolcro, but for its size, age, population and the immense level of traffic that goes in and out of the city year after year, I was impressed by how clean the streets and sidewalks were kept.

DAY TWO: Inside theVatican City! In anticipation of the long waits that generally accompany a trip to the Holy See, the five of us woke up bright and early to beat the crowds. We stopped in at a small cafè to pick up pastries and juice, then braved early morning metro mayhem to get to the Vatican as soon as possible. Riding in the Roma Metro was a bit unnerving for me, but I felt much safer and confident than I had expected myself to feel. I attribute this to the prayers of both myself and all of you - THANK YOU! I also realize just how well Dr. Oatsvall had prepared us for the dangers we might face, such as pickpockets on metros, and to the credit of my travel group they all did a great job of watching one another's backs and "being their sister's keeper" as Dr. O calls it. It was not the most pleasant experience of the trip, but we handled it well and I would do it again without my former trepidations. It was yet another example of a particular fear of mine that was conquered through plenty of prayer accompanied by a good dose of proper preparation and awareness.

Upon arriving at the Vatican museo, we realized that the cold, rainy weather we left behind in Sansepolcro had followed us to Rome! As we sat on our backbacks outside the museum walls we could see the grumpy old clouds growing in the distance. It soon became clear that a storm was unavoidable and would probably catch us before we made it into the museum. Before long the wind started to pick up, the warm sun disappeared, and a chill took hold (and of course, all this happened on the day I decided to wear a skirt and had wet hair thanks to a blowdryer malfunction). Thus, waiting in line for the museum at 7:45 in the morning was cold ...

... and eventually quite wet ...

... make that VERY wet.

But what awaited us inside was well worth the wait! After we semi-dried our now soaking feet, bags, and general persons, we checked our backpacks at the entrance and headed inside to enjoy the magnificence within the Vatican Museo. As exciting as the reality of being at the Vatican was, we were also exceedingly thankful to be out of that rain!

I've noticed that a growing number of my photographs have been those of ceilings. I wish I could post more of them because so many of the different parts within the Vatican had ceilings that were just incredible (not excluding the great Sistene Chapel itself)! I think I took just as many pictures of the museum itself as I did of the pieces inside ...

I was also just so excited that we were allowed to take pictures. As long as we didn't use a flash the museum was okay with it! I can't tell you how nice that was after being told again and again in other places that no pictures were allowed! The beautiful designs and all the incredible effort that went into the tiniest details was amazing to fathom. It only got better and better as we continued through the halls admiring one thing to another. Though they are difficult to see in the picture below, there were some incredible tapestries that lined the walls as we passed through. Most of them included religious stories or themes; some that particularly caught my notice were several that depicted the murder of the innocents that took place after Christ's birth. The desperation and despair written across the face of a mother defending her child as a guard lunged towards the boy with a knife was so powerful and moving. For that kind of emotion to be effectively relayed through an ancient piece of woven cloth really brought home to me the immense level of timelessness that lay within the art I was witnessing.

The picture below captured a really neat moment for me. We were still walking through the halls of the Vatican museum, dodging tour groups and snapping photos at every opportunity when I turned to look out a nearby window and caught a glimpse of the beautiful dome - my first real peek at St. Peter's Basilica. I knew the glorious sights that awaited me there, and the anticipation this little sneak peek provided increased my pleasure of the real thing when I finally entered the cathedral itself.

On a side note, the bowels of the Vatican can be a very scary place for clumsy people like myself. Future visitors beware ...

More pictures to come ... but it will probably be Sunday at the earliest. My apologies!

Bekah

Off to Rome!

2007-05-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

We're off to Rome tomorrow afternoon and won't be back until late on the 30th, so I won't be able to blog for a few days (probably not until Friday). Please keep us in your prayers as we travel through Italy and enjoy Rome. I am pretty nervous about things like getting lost or accosted by gypsies and pickpockets, but I feel prepared and am very excited about all that I will see. I can't wait to tell you all about it when I get back!

Much love and baci!

Bekah

Un giorno od Anghiari e Arezzo

2007-05-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ciao!

I don't have the time to offer much commentary right now, but I will add in more when I get the chance. These are mainly shots of our day in Anghiari and Arezzo - two nearby cities. We spent all day yesterday walking around and visiting various museos and cathedrales. Remember that you can click on the pictures to view a larger image. Enjoy!

One of the many beautiful views of Tuscany from the town of Anghiari:

I thought I could never love a place more than Sansepolcro for its beauty ... but I was wrong! These pictures don't do Anghiari justice. It was the most beautiful little town I have ever seen and I'm really hoping to get in another trip before we leave!

Joy and I in Anghiari ... check out those gorgeous flowers!

Taking a break on a piazza bench ... can we say trouble?

Note the Roman road ...

Sample of an Anghiari citizen's mad parking skills:

The city walls ...

Now on to shots of Arezzo ... a cathedrale

there's something about i fiori in Italia ...

In Arezzo we were lucky enough to see the Grande Piazza, one of the locations where the film Life is Beautiful was shot! If you haven't seen the movie, you need to see it!

Me in the Grande Piazza (note the gelato in hand) ... as soon as I laid eyes on these beautiful buildings scenes from the film began playing out in my head!

Outdoor seating in a nearby ristorante ... bellissimo!

A gorgeous park Joy and I discovered while seeking out a cathedrale:

An Arezzo clock tower ...

A magnificent cathedrale ... and little me. I look like an ant ... a dancing ant!

Another location for the filming of Life is Beautiful ...

After our long day in Anghiari and Arezzo, it was time for late night homework and Italian pastries ...

One of the pastries didn't make it. I call this one "Death of a Pastry." He perished after his fatal fall from my upper bunk ... and I sadly mourned the loss. He was my favorite flavor :(

That's all for now!

Friday's events - including family dinner!

2007-05-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

Dialogue to come ... I'm posting pictures now and typing up posts later to save a few euros :)

My Italian family's beautiful house:

The view from their yard ...

My Italian copy of Pride and Prejudice ... needless to say it was love at first sight.

More to come ...

The wonders of Firenze!

2007-05-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

Ciao! I don't even know where to begin with this post ... Florence was amazing! We began the day by getting up bright and early for our 7:05 bus ride to Arezzo. Believe it or not, that bus ride was one of the highlights of my trip so far. We drove on a winding mountain road for about an hour, and in that brief ride saw some of the most beautiful sights of Tuscany, including the city of Anghiari (see below). I think the walls make it look like a city from Lord of the Rings ...

The sunlight and glare off the bus window made it difficult for me to get great pictures, but it was an hour I will never forget. In Arezzo we got a brief taste of a busier Italian town, and already I missed the quieter feel of Sansepolcro. At the station Dr. Oatsvall gave us another briefing on reading the train schedules in Italy (I'm still working on map literacy) before we boarded our 8:47 train to Florence.

The train ride was an interesting one to say the least! Five of us sat in a boxed set of six seats with an older Italian man, and I decided to try out my feeble language skills again (hoping that this time I would actually get an Italian speaker this time). The conversation that followed (or attempt of one) was a comedy of errors that was both embarrassing and educational at the same time! I realized that while I may be able to speak and read Italian reasonably well, my listening comprehension skills need some serious help! Thankfully he was very patient and in no way made me feel bad about my inadequacy, but I could tell the kind old man was greatly amused at my attempt ... as were the rest of my seatmates.

When we arrived in Florence the first sights we saw were the train station (obviously) and the more modern parts of the city. To be honest, I was highly disappointed! I am not a lover of crowds and big cities, and Florence was overflowing with other tourists, cars, street vendors, and noise. My heart sank. I had to spend a whole day in this? It was all so overwhelming, and all former visions of the city were crushed. This was just a louder, larger, and less beautiful version of Sansepolcro with people, cars, and noise enough to muddle my mind and make me pine for home. I took a deep breath, hoped for the best, and did my best to stick close to the nearest professor in sight.

Then, out of nowhere, the most beautiful building I have ever seen came into view - the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, otherwise known as the intricately designed Duomo. From the heavy stone steps to the tip of Brunelleschi's imaculate dome, the Duomo was perfection. I could have spent the whole day gazing at its beauty. Now that I had discovered old Firenze - the place I had envisioned in my dreams - I was a new woman, ready to see the sights and be awed again and again (which I was).

The doors of the Baptistry were equally astounding to witness. These golden doors, masterfully crafted by Ghiberti, took more than 50 years to create!

Below is a shot of a piazza in Florence - as much of it as I could fit in one shot! Its enormous size makes our own little piazza in Sansepolcro look like a closet, but I can't tell you how happy I was to return to our "closet" of a piazza later that evening. Old Florence was magnificent, but can never steal the place in my heart reserved only for Sansepolcro.

Here is a shot of (l-r) me, Lizzie, Gesina, and Joy in front of the Ponte Vecchio with the the fake version of Michaelangelo's David. We were very disappointed to have missed out on the original, but made do with the time we had by enjoying the copy.

When I caught my first view of the Arno River it took my breath away - I was exceedingly jealous of the homeowners along the riverside. I wish I could wake up to a sight like that every morning!

After that we paid a visit to the Museum of Natural Science. There we saw Galileo's finger (yes, his actual finger) along with a multitude of priceless old globes, weather measuring devices, telescopes, medical equiptment and more. The most striking thing about these pieces was their beauty; even the most simple or practical of devices had delicate engravings or was painted with a intricate design that made it beautiful.

After the museum Joy, Hillary, and I had a quick lunch at a small café just outside the Uffizi. I had a delicious sandwich with a cold bottle of aqua minerale. I have come to greatly appreciate iced water - you have NO idea how amazing truly cold water tastes when roomtemp water is the norm!

Next we were lucky enough to see the Italian president, Giorgio Napolitano. He was visiting the Ponte Vecchio and I caught a snapshot of him walking to his car ... he's the old man with white hair on the second step from the top.

Finally we made it to the Uffizi, part of which is pictured below. It is one of the most famed art museums in th world and absolutely massive! Joy, Hillary, and I spent more than two and a half hours inside, viewing such works as The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, The Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci, and one of my personal favorites - Amore and Psiche.

By the end of the self-guided tour we were completed exhausted, but I was able to sneak a contraband photo of the Arno river from a upper level window before we left :)

After the Uffizi a trip to a gelateria was necessary for us to make the ride home. Both the train and bus rides felt much longer than the ride there because we were so tired, but a delicious dinner in our favorite Sansepolcro restaurant - La Trettoria - made up for the trip. I had my first glass wine (see below) in the trustworthy company of Joy and Hillary, and I must admit that I did not enjoy it very much. After dinner I got a terrible headache that didn't go away until this afternoon, and while I don't know that it was caused by the wine (I was very tired and had spent most of the day in the sun), I probably won't be sampling the delights of Italian vino anytime soon.

Well I need to run but I love you all very much and will do my best to post again tomorrow or Sunday. Tonight we are having our first family dinner (were we are divided up in twos to have dinner with an Italian family in Sansepolcro), so I am nervous, but very excited as well.

Let's hope my attempts at the Italian language go better tonight than my episode on the train to Florence ...

Baci!

Bekah

Another beautiful day in Italia ... and more pictures!

2007-05-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

Today was a long but relatively laid back day. We had the best walk this morning and I got some great shots of the Tuscan countryside. Amazingly, I am still getting up at 6:30 every morning and walking with Dr. Oatsvall - which is nothing short of incredible because I am by no means a morning person!

I can't tell you how much I enjoy these morning rambles. While it is extremely hard to extract myself from the warm soft bed I've grown to love as much as my own, I never regret it once I'm out of bed and out in the cool morning air of beautiful Italia.

Poppies are positively abundant here! They grow likes weeds and pop out in punches of rich color against the predominately verde (green) palate of Tuscany. I think they have become my new favorite flower ... and the next time I spot a particularly pretty one I want to pick it to wear in my hair:)

On this particular morning Dr. Oatsvall led us down an old country road through some absolutely beautiful farmlands and at the end of the road we met with none other than the Tiber River! It was incredible! I've read about the Tiber my whole life, but to come face to face with it on a morning stroll? Amazing!

Below is another shot of Sansepolcro. I just love these steps. The whole city is full of all this magnificent stone and feels so ancient (which it is!), almost like living in a fairy tale. It's not very hard to feel like a medieval princess when you wake up and walk in a such a setting as this!

And finally, here is a shot of our beloved piazza - the heart of the walled city. It is the location for markets, evening visits and passeggiatas, and the home of my favorite gelateria :) On the right you can see Lizzie and Stacie kindly posing for me in the hot hot sun! The Goblin (my gelato paradise) is just to the left of the tower-like section in the center of the picture. So far I've had gelato every single day ... and sometimes more than once within a twelve-hour period!

Well I've got to run back to my Italian bedroom and get started on some homework (after I stop by and get some gelato of course!), but I hope you enjoy the pictures! Tomorrow we are off to Florence bright and early! I can't wait! I've been looking forward to all the glorious sights of Firenze and I cannot believe tomorrow is finally the day. Hopefully I will be able to post pictures sometime on venerdi (Friday)!

Love to all! Thank you again for all the prayers and emails - I cannot tell you how much they mean to me.

Baci!

Bekah

Pictures!

2007-05-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry it took me so long! You wouldn't believe what I've been through just to get this handful of pics up ... the connection is a bit slow and everything is in Italian!

I uploaded them as small images to save time, but if you click on the image it will enlarge for better viewing. Be sure and go all the way down to the earlier posts because I added some down there as well (to give the photos context). I'm not sure when I will be able to post pictures again, but I'll do my best ... and I can't wait to share ALL my pictures with you when I get back :)

The wonders of Casa Buitoni

2007-05-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

Buongiorno friends and family! It's so hard for me to grasp the idea that back home it is only about 10:30 in the morning. Here it is quattro e trenta in the afternoon and HOT! I got a bit pink yesterday so now I'm a bit OCD about sunscreen. But it was an amazing day!

We were exceedingly privileged to visit the beautiful Casa Buitoni, an old Italian home bought by Nestlè in the late 1980s and converted into a research and development center (including an experimental kitchen!).

The Buitoni family began a small Italian cuisine business and lived in the home during the two World Wars. Nestlè has taken over Buitoni food products and they are slowly being introduced in the U.S. - and supposedly available in Harris Teeters! I would highly recommend them.

Now on to the house itself. It was one of the most beautiful homes I have ever seen! The home rests on the side of the Tuscan mountains, overlooking the cities of Arezzo, Sansepolcro, and Anghiari. The sights were incredible!

We toured the house - including the experimental kitchens - and explored the gardens, then were treated to a delectable meal out on a terrace that overlooked the glories of Tuscany. It was like a dream!

Our "connection" that kindly arranged the visit, an old friend of the program named Andrea, then sang for us as we enjoyed desert. Andrea has performed before the pope himself, so it was a great honor to witness his performance!

I will try my best to log on later this afternoon and evening to post pictures and update this post, but as usual I can't promise how soon that will be! Me and my absent-minded genius forgot ONE piece to the USB hook-up and thus prevented my posting pictures now. Way to go Bekah :)

Our homework load is quite heavy and in reality we go from one thing to another all day long. Please be praying for endurance and a gentle spirit as I get tired and overwhelmed with all the various things that are on my plate each day. I am having the time of my life and wish I had more opportunities to share stories and pictures, but the nature of this whirlwind adventure makes that a bit difficult. Hopefully I will make it back to the Internet point in an hour or so and there will be a computer open ...

I miss you all very much and can't tell you how much I appreciate the emails! Even in the midst of all the excitements of Italy, they truly are the highlight of my day. Again, please forgive me if it takes several days or more to get back to you!

Much love! Baci!

Bekah

Morning strolls and more

2007-05-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

Today was my second full day in Sansepolcro and began equally as early as the first ... but felt much earlier because of our delayed bedtime the night before! Joy, Hillary, Meredith, and I had finished our homework and needed something to eat, so we dove into our Italian crackers and delicious Nutella (which is sort of like chocolate spread with the consistency of peanut butter). It was just what the doctor ordered. We laughed so hard we cried - and by the time we decided to turn in almost all of the Nutella was gone :)

When the alarm went off at 6:30 it took a deliberate effort to get my eyelids open, and I rolled out of the top bunk with a sigh. However within 5 minutes I was wide awake and ready for the walk ahead. Today the group was considerably smaller - I was one of three students - but it was nice to have the professors to ourselves. I was able to ask lots of questions and take plenty of pictures, and the walk was far more like a stroll than the hike we experienced yesterday. Dr. Oatsvall led us through the streets of Sansepolcro, pointing out parks, landmarks, and other points of interest. Tomorrow she said we could walk to the cemetary; I saw it on the way in and it reminded me of the cemetary in the new Phantom of the Opera movie.

Most of the day was spent in class - after all, it is called STUDY abroad - but a lot of our art class time was spent outdoors and the weather was gorgeous. Dr. Oatsvall's Italian class on Italian culture was so interesting; the most surprising thing I learned was how similar the differences between north and south Italy are to those in the U.S. Northerners are marked by their industry, efficiency, and education, whereas the southern Italians are known for agriculture, family values, and hospitality. How funny is that? Italian class was my favorite part. Our instructor, Sarah, was friendly and patient, making the initial rules and phrases easy to learn through games that involved everyone in the room - even our own professors. Since I have already had two semesters of Italian is was mostly review for me, but I appreciated the opportunity to refresh myself on the basics. I am certainly improving through the flood of questions from my fellow students!

That night we went out to get dinner for ourselves and bought pizza at a local pizzeria. Then we high-tailed it back to the gelato shop (they recognize us as regulars now) before heading back home to start planning for our first travel break. I will be traveling with four other girls - Joy Strickland, Meredith Beeman, Hillary Morgan, and Stacie Whitley - and we are planning to spend the three available days in Rome rather than trying to hit Pompei or Capri too. We figured it would be better to take in all we could in one place instead of hopping from one to another without stopping to really experience the site. And Rome, of course, was the obvious choice - although I am pretty disappointed about missing Capri. I guess I'll have to save that for the next time I come to Italy ...

Today we went to mass at S. Giovanni Evangelista Cathedral, which was built sometime in the early 1300s! I had never attended a mass before and had no clue what was going on, so the fact that it was all in Italian complicated matters a bit. However the beauty of the cathedral itself was absolutely captivating. I think I stared at the ceiling for more than half of the service! I couldn't take pictures during the service, so I resolved to go back and take pictures at the next opportunity.

I am going to do my best to get to the Internet point sometime tomorrow afternoon so I can post pictures, but we have a pretty full day. For the first time in the history of this program we have internet access in our Italian home (which I will post pictures of eventually), but the computer is pretty old and has no USB port. Thus, no pictures.

That's all I have time for now! It's almost 1am and I'm getting up at 6:30 to walk with Dr. O again. Thanks for the emails! Please forgive me for taking a while to reply - one computer between all these girls hasn't been easy, but we're managing!

Much love! Hopefully I'll have time for another update tomorrow ...

Buona notte!

Correction!

2007-05-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

I will be brief because dinner is calling (gelato tonight!), but I wanted to explain why I changed my blog title. My Italian professor kindly pointed out that "Sopra lo Stagno" gives the impression that I am hovering over the Atlantic, so he suggested "Dall'altro lato dello Stagno" which is more along the lines of "on the other side of the pond." Thanks for the translation clarification Professore Creech!

And now I'm off to get a really big cup of gelato :) Hopefully I can get back on later tonight and fill in last night's and today's events ...

Baci!

Bekah

I'm here!

2007-05-19T02:36:00.000-07:00

Words can't express my excitement at the moment! I just got back from buying groceries for the weekend with Joy and Hillary and we made off like bandits. We needed to stock up for dinner meals tonight and tomorrow, so we bought a large box of crackers, pineapple juice, apples, and peaches for 4.24 euro! Hillary has Nuttella for us to spread on the crackers :)

I don't know where to begin - my body and mind are still pretty messed up time-wise, but I feel rested and am loving the weather here. The trip over was very nice, particularly the flight from Charlotte to Munich. We flew on a German line called Lufthansa, and the coach seats were above and beyond the first class seats on US Air! The crew were so friendly and considerate, and the food wasn't that bad either. I was especially fond of the mashed sweet potatoes ...

After arriving in Munich we all made it through customs (I had to put my hand lotion and eye drops in a plastic bag because of new liquid regulations) and were soon on our way to Milan. On the flight over I was in the middle seat between two strangers. As we flew over the Alps, I was determined to get pictures, so I decided to harass the guys sitting next to me - and try out my Italian as well. He was very nice and took all the pictures I wanted, but after several failed attempts of me trying to communicate I found out to my dismay that he was French! Oops. Thankfully he knew enough English for us to semi-converse. He was traveling to Milan on business for the day and was from a city in the southern part of France but worked in Germany - or something to that extent. The woman next to me was Italian (And probably laughing at me the whole time) but she kept her nose in a book the whole time and didn't seem to want company.

After arriving in Milan we drove 5-6 hours to Sansepolcro, stopping along the way at a rest stop type of place that was like a mini mall and gas station. I tried my best to stay awake during the drive and take in the scenery, but it was something like 3 AM in NC time and the motion of the bus rocked me to sleep for the first 3-4 hours of the trip. When I finally woke up my first glimpse was of the beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany (see below) - mountains, fields, valleys, rivers - it was amazing. Here's my first view of Tuscany (taken from the bus - excuse the poor quality!):

I lost my heart then and there! I can't describe how in awe and yet at home I felt. It is a unique sensation that has continued in Sansepolcro. I feel different from the Italians, but not unwelcome or greatly out of place. Here is a glimpse of the Tuscan countryside we witnessed on our first early morning walk around Sansepolcro:

And here is a shot of a street in Sansepolcro:

I need to run now because lunch is in thirty minutes and I don't want to be late! I am going to try to drop back by this Internet joint later this afternoon to post pictures and update this post a bit (I don't have my camera output with me at the moment). I have so many other fun stories to tell!

Thank you for your prayers and emails! I'm in the traveler "high" at the moment and set to hit the low within the next 48 hours give or take, so be aware of that over the next week if my posts get homesicky!

Much love!

Baci,

Bekah

Packing up and saying goodbye ...

2007-05-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

'Twas the night before takeoff and all through the house
Were siblings and parents - no room for a mouse.
A daughter was leaving and packed to the seams
A father was hoping she'd spend within means!
A mother made dinner - the best of its make
She even provided a delicious cheesecake.
One sister was ailing, confined to her bed
Another was well to the top of her head;
A brother was decked in his white baseball gear
And quite good at the game in his very first year!

And up in the room where two windows face south
Sat a girl at her bed with a pout on her mouth.
Though glad at the chance to explore overseas
Saying farewell left her weak at the knees.
She couldn't believe that the time was at hand
And her summer this year wouldn't be on the sand.
Yet goodbyes were coming if she liked it or not,
So she wiped off the frown right there on the spot.
As her smile opened wide and heart beat like a drum,
She squared off her shoulders and said:
SANSEPOLCRO HERE I COME!

I cannot express my excitement as I think about what is in store over the next 11 weeks.

Though I'm almost completely packed and well within the 24-hour countdown till departure, the reality of the matter has yet to sink in - and I won't be surprised if the surreal sensation continues until takeoff (or beyond). This trip will be my first excursion outside U.S. borders, my maiden voyage as a "world traveler." I will covet your prayers and emails over the next few months, both for me and my family while I am away. They have all been so wonderful during the whole preparation process and I cannot thank them enough for the hugs, notes, kisses ... and peanut butter Cap'n Crunch :)

Today my good friend Sarah came over to help me pack for the summer and unpack my post-college wreck of a bedroom; honestly, without her I could not have tackled either and come out with my morale in one piece. She kept me moving through my list of to-do's, accompanied me to pick up my supply of contacts (then drove us home when I realized I had removed my driver's license from my wallet in preparation for the trip), and narrowed my superfluous idea of what needed to come along down to a manageable load. THANK YOU SARAH!!!!

The equally difficult task has been saying goodbye to friends and family. I've never been very good at farewells and the past couple of days have been full of them. Today's goodbyes included bear hugs from Sarah, a tearful parting with Amber over tiramisu, and a surprise visit from my aunt who came with hugs and other parting gifts. I don't even want to think about the goodbyes in store for tomorrow. I'm really going to miss these guys ...

As far as communication goes, my access will be limited to brief stints at internet cafes, so I plan to use this blog as my main vehicle for updates. I would love to receive emails! I will do my best to respond, but please don't get angry if I take a while to get back and the response is very brief. Due to the iffy nature of White Rabbit (Meredith's email provider) and a few frustrating battles I've had with Gmail over the past few days, I opened a Hotmail account - bekah.williams@hotmail.com. Please write me at this address instead of my Meredith or Bellsouth accounts as I will not be checking them regularly. You cannot email me too often! Emails make my day :)

Arrivederci i miei amici!

Baci,

Bekah

P.S. For those who live in the Raleigh area, please do me a favor and give my family lots of hugs! I will miss them very much ...