A Postcard for you, from Genoa, Italy

I can't send postcards to all of you. Honestly, I've bought postcards from almost every city I've been in, but haven't sent any. Hopefully I'll get around to sending them all before I leave Europe. However, if I could send a postcard to each and every one of you, it would look like this:

The back of the postcard would read something along the lines of:

Disclaimer: If you happen to receive a postcard from me, the handwriting will not be as nice as the one above.

I spent the weekend with seven lovely ladies. Dana, Marin, Megan, Ashley, Annie, Justine, Jenny and I booked a trip three hours south of Lugano, in Genoa, Italy. Genoa is the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. We stopped by his former residence on Friday evening.

The eight of us stayed in the penthouse of an apartment overlooking Porto Antico. This was my first time booking through AirBNB and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. We stayed in a very spacious apartment with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and exclusive access to the rooftop balcony. This was a major upgrade from the hostels we've been staying in, at almost half the cost.

We settled in and made our way out for an early dinner around 5:30. It wasn't until we arrived at the restaurant that had been recommended to us that we realized most restaurants do not open until seven each evening. We explored the city a bit, before finding the Hofbräuhaus Genova, a smaller version of the original we visited in Munich. We spent about an hour there, before heading to dinner.

Pesto was invented in Genoa. While pesto usually contains pine nuts, I was hoping to find a restaurant that served a nut-free pesto, and I did. Unlike most restaurants, Tratoria Ugo did not have a menu. They serve different dishes each night. The options were simply listed out by the waiter. Marin and I enjoyed a delicious, nut-free pesto ravioli while the others had the traditional pesto.

On Saturday we made our way to Portofino, about forty minutes from Genoa by train. We spent the day in the sun and enjoyed lunch on the water at a restaurant frequented by George Clooney and Andrea Bocelli called Jolly. It was there that I had life-changing gelato. The chocolate gelato was the most amazing frozen dessert I have ever had. I couldn't help but stop at almost every other gelateria in Portofino that day.

Following a relaxing lunch we made our way to the beach. Unlike in the United States, the beaches in Italy are primarily rocky. While the temperature was in the mid-sixties, all of the locals were wearing heavy jackets. The girls and I however, did not hesitate to sport bathing suits and enjoy the weather while we could. We certainly stood out, and I got a few strange looks for jumping in the frigid water of the Ligurian Sea, but it was well worth it.

We returned to Genoa for dinner, where we stumbled upon a lovely restaurant called Cibaria. Our dinner was the perfect end to a perfect day. The food was some of the best I have ever had. My meal started with a artichoke and pepper bruschetta, followed by a spinach ravioli, and a fruit fondue that challenged the gelato for best dessert of the weekend. Champagne and wine made a few appearances in my glass throughout the night as well. The owner, Luca, was very passionate about his restaurant. If you're ever in Genoa, you can't pass up a meal at Cibaria.

On Sunday, we made the most of our last day in Genoa by going to the beach, again. Just a few minutes from our apartment, we were able to relax completely. The weather could not have been better. In case this blog post hasn't made you hungry already, I'll let you know that the margarita pizza crêpe I had with strawberry, banana, and chocolate gelato went well with the gorgeous scenery.

The fun didn't stop in Genoa. On Monday night, a few of us decided to take advantage of the perfect weather that followed us back to Lugano. We made our way to Stadio Cornaredo to cheer on our home team FC Lugano. We've been playing soccer with the locals a few times a week, but it was nice to sit back and watch with the hardcore fans of Lugano. The crowd chanted LU-GA-NO after the home team scored, what would be the game winner, late in the second half. We're hoping to make it to a few more games this season.

I've had the song "Another Postcard" stuck in my head since I started writing this post, and since I rocked a Barenaked Ladies shirt in Genoa, I can't help but end this blog with a video:

Next weekend I'll be venturing to Brussels, Belgium for a waffle-filled adventure. Ciao!

Valentine's Day in Paris

London and Dublin exceeded expectations, and my long awaited return to Paris was sure to be a good one. I stayed with my long time friend Murphy on my first night in Paris. She is studying abroad in Paris through NYU. When walking to school with her Thursday morning, I realized that she lives about two blocks from the Eiffel Tower. It seemed to appear out of nowhere as we walked through the city.

I took a cab to my hostel. After wandering around a bit to find it, I realized I was dropped off in the completely wrong part of the city. I found a pastry shop and had a delicious breakfast, before getting another cab to the correct area. Ironically, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 was playing in the cab when I got in.

Nick, Melina, Jordan, Katherine, and I made our way toward the Eiffel Tower for lunch. We took a few photos, to take advantage of the blue sky, before grabbing a fantastic lunch. After a late lunch we visited the Musée d'Orsay. It was there that we saw paintings and other works of art from artistic geniuses including Monet and Van Gogh. I made my way down the Champs-Élysées after visiting the museum, where I peaked into a few shops, enjoyed a quiet dinner, and got a few pastries for dessert from Paul. I ventured to the Eiffel Tower to see it lit up, before meeting back up with the rest of the Hokies.

On Valentine's Day morning we went to the most grand palace in all the land, Versailles. Caroline, Megan, Kaitlyn, Nick, and I explored the palace. It was magnificently covered in gold, and far larger than I imagined. The gardens were endless, although not nearly as extravagant as they are in the summer. While the fountains were off and the flowers hadn't bloomed yet, the gardens were still a sight to see.

After spending several hours in Versailles, we made our way back to Paris to prepare for the Avici concert. Kaitlyn, Caroline, and I made a quick stop on the Champs-Élysées for some last minute preparations, and Valentine's Day pastries. I couldn't help but purchase a heart shaped baguette at Paul when passing by.

About thirty of us had tickets to the Avici concert and had dubbed Valentine's Day "Avici Day" weeks before, in preparation. Somehow, Ashley, Alex and I managed to have tickets that were not valid and were not actually able to get into the concert. We made the most of our evening however, by joining Courtney, Kelsey, Molly and Cat at the Eiffel Tower for crêpes. As the clock struck midnight, the already lit tower sparkled as additional lights flashed for five minutes. We all sang "Happy Birthday" to Cat as her 21st had just begun. Around 1:30am we made our way to a restaurant, which was surprisingly crowded for that time of night, and ordered crêpes. It was a great way to end the evening.

On Sunday morning, Nick and I ventured to the Louvre to continue use of the all access museum passes that my awesome friends back home got me for my birthday. With the pass we had free access to every museum in Paris and got to cut all the lines on our way in. Shout out to my friends back home (below) for making my trip even more enjoyable!

The Louvre is overwhelming. There is so much to see, I could spend a week there and not see half of it. I did my best however, and made sure to see the classics including the Mona Lisa. Nick and I also visited the Musée de l'Orangerie later in the day.

We met up with the a bunch of other Hokies after lunch to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. While waiting in line, someone bumped into me. We both turned, as if to apologize, and I realized it was my cousin Sam! He's studying in Rome and happened to be visiting Paris for the weekend as well! I still can't believe we ran into each other. Following a brief reunion, we climbed the steps all the way to the top of the tower. While I had been to the top before, it was great to do it again. We were there just before sunset, and were able to see the entire city from the top.

As we made our way to get dinner, we got stuck in a heavy hail storm only minutes after reaching the bottom of the tower. We sprinted to the nearest restaurant, and treated ourselves to crêpes before dinner as we waited out the storm.

A group of the Hokies were staying in an apartment they rented for the weekend. All thirty of us joined their apartment prior to going out for the night to celebrate Cat's birthday. Just as we were preparing to leave, we heard screaming from the kitchen. Trip's shirt had caught on fire! It turned out that while he was leaning on the stove, the gas was turned on. Luckily, Logan and Nick noticed and helped tear his shirt off and put the flames out, and Trip was unharmed. It was the start of a very interesting evening.

My friend and fellow McLean graduate Sam Nelson, is also studying in Lugano through SMU. He joined us for the weekend in Paris. Trip, Sam, and I made our way to the Frog & Princess Bar in Paris to meet up with Murphy before rejoining Cat and company for her birthday. It was great to spend more time with Murphy and meet some of her friends. If I had been told a month ago that I'd be spending a night in Paris with three friends from middle school, I would not have believed it.

At the Frog & Princess I tried a beer called the Darke de Triumph, in honor of the famous memorial at the end of the Champs-Élysées. My cousin Sam joined us at the bar and we all made our way to what we were told was the best club in Paris, Showcase. Showcase is located underneath the Alexander III bridge. Frankly, it reminded me of a club that would be recommended by SNL's Weekend Update correspondent, Stefon. The line was quite long, but we made our way in rather quickly as we were on the guest list. Once inside, we tried to find our friends, only to find out later that they never ended up going to the club. While the club was bizarre, I ended up having a great night. While there, I was informed that the two DJ's who were playing the music, none of which had any words I might add, were two of the most famous DJ's in the world. Whether or not that's true, I'll never know.

I had an incredible first spring break! Classes started back up on Monday, and we're hustling to cram a 15 week class into three weeks. I made my way to Italy this weekend to visit Genoa during the Pesto World Championships! Updates coming soon!

Au revoir Paris! Ciao Genoa!

Cliffs of Moher and More: Dublin, Ireland

The people of Ireland have hearts of gold. Of all the cities I have visited so far, I haven't met a group of people as friendly as the Irish. It seemed as though everyone I met had a smile on all of the time and it was contagious! We arrived in Ireland around noon on Monday. I started the trip with a traditional Irish meal, potatoes, cabbage, beer, and more potatoes. After lunch we visited the Guinness Factory. The museum within is shaped like a gigantic pint of Guinness. Inside we learned of the history of the brand and how to pour the perfect pint. I am proud to announce that I am an official graduate of the Guinness Academy. We explored the city more after our tour, and settled down for a nice dinner and live music.

Tuesday was my favorite part of my entire trip to Europe so far. Over thirty of us woke up for a 7am cross country bus ride to the Cliffs of Moher. I have never been somewhere more beautiful. The view from the top of the cliffs was astonishing. The cliffs overlook the Atlantic Ocean which was a crisp, clear blue. On our 3 hour trip to the cliffs, it rained and hailed for about 2 hours on and off. Upon arriving at the cliffs, the weather seemed to magically clear up. We suddenly had blue skies and winds strong enough to knock any of us off of our feet. Being blown off of the cliffs was a legitimate concern. Words and pictures give you an idea of the scenery but until you go there yourself, you haven't seen beauty.

On our way back we stopped a few times at other smaller cliffs and eventually made a stop at what was described as the party capital of Ireland, Gallway. Gallway is a small town with a great atmosphere. While we only spent about an hour there, I enjoyed every second. While there I learned of the history of the famous Claddagh Rings that originated in the small town. To make the trip home even better, our tour guide played U2 music the entire way home. It was indeed a beautiful day.We returned around 9pm and made our way to an Irish pub soon after. The live music in Ireland made the experience even more enjoyable.

Wednesday morning I explored Dublin on my own a bit before our plane to Paris that evening. My first stop was Trinity College, home of the Book of Kells. The campus was very enclosed and well designed. After a tour through the University's vast library, and the Book of Kells I made stops at Dublin Castle, St. Stephen's Green, and Christ Church Cathedral. Dublin Castle originally served a defensive role, it is now a major government complex. St. Stephen's Green is a public park in the city center, with over a dozen monuments dedicated to the lives lost during the famine. Christ Church Cathedral was established in the year 1030. Needless to say, it was incredible to be inside. I want to go back to Ireland as soon as possible.

Not only did I fall in love with Ireland, but I fell in love with an Irish girl for a few minutes as well. I made a stop into the Disney store, a territory of the Happiest Place on Earth, in order to double check my flight time. While there I was helped by a lovely employee, about my age, named Sinead (pronounced Sha-need). She was very pretty, her accent was adorable, and her kind nature instantly made my day. On my way back to my hostel, I passed by a florist. I stopped in, bought a bouquet of flowers and then made my way back to the Disney store and delivered the bouquet to Sinead. She was shocked and confused, with good reason, but was incredibly appreciative of what I told her was a random act of kindness. I then returned on my way to the hostel, knowing well that I likely won't ever see her again. Regardless, it felt nice to put a smile on someone's face, just as she had mine.

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare thanks to delays caused by rain. While a little later than anticipated, we took off for Paris around 9pm. Updates from Paris are on the way!

Dublin in a photo.

Beannacht!

Muggles in London

Twenty-four of us left Lugano on Thursday February 6th for the first leg of our spring break. After taking a train, a plane, and a bus, we arrived in London nine hours later. We ditched our original plan to sleep in the airport, and made our way to a hostel for the evening.

On Friday morning, we took a walking tour of Westminster and became acquainted with the royal side of London. We heard stories of the security flaws of Buckingham Palace, and how Big Ben is not actually the name of London's iconic clock tower. Nick, MaryKate, Kaitlyn, Molly Rose, Cat and I spent the remainder of the day exploring London. They tried fish & chips for lunch and we made our way to the National Gallery. There are four major statues outside the National Gallery, each representing different aspects of British military tradition and history. One of the statues is replaced each year by a new statue of significance. This year, the square is home to a giant blue rooster that stands out among the other large bronze statues. According to a British man we met on the double-decker bus, the statue is highly controversial.

After a lovely dinner at a small pub we made our way to Piccadilly Circus, a part of London reminiscent of Times Square with bright lights and people everywhere. We enjoyed a night out and reminisced upon the good times we had and the good times to come.

Buckingham Palace

On Saturday we woke up early to see the changing of the guard. We followed the soldiers as they moved from Prince Charles' estate to Buckingham Palace. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Nandos. Nick and MaryKate were literally jumping and screaming in excitement when they found it. The primarily chicken based Portuguese restaurant was surprisingly vegetarian friendly and allergen aware. The menu included three different veggie burger options. I enjoyed a unique chick pea, pumpkin seed and lentil burger with mango-lime salsa and mashed sweet potatoes. Our next stop was the British Museum, home of the Rosetta Stone. The museum seemed never ending as we made our way through exhibits featuring Ancient Rome, Egypt, and Japan. I also enjoyed a special exhibit on ancient Persian currency as well as the exhibit on Iran which featured remains found in Persepolis.

The changing of the guard

The Rosetta Stone

We eventually found the Rosetta Stone, and made our way back across the city to the London Eye, one of the largest Farris Wheels in the world. The structure, which was originally meant to only be up for a year, has now been a part of London's city skyline for about a decade. The view from the top that night was gorgeous. The sky cleared just in time as our hour long walk from the museum to the wheel drenched us to the bone. Umbrellas were no help to us, as the wind blew in every direction.

We met up with the other eighteen Hokies for dinner before splitting up as most restaurants couldn't handle twenty-four customers entering at once. Nick, MaryKate and I enjoyed Thai food before we all met up again to go to the pubs. We ended the night at Chocco Matte, one of the coolest restaurants I've ever been to. It was a cross between a Japanese steakhouse, a bar and a neon light show. I felt incredibly underdressed for this James Bond-esque restaurant.

The walls inside Chocco Matte.

Sunday morning we jumped on our broomsticks to King's Cross to catch the Hogwarts Express into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter through Platform 9 3/4.

Hufflepuff didn't make it through the platform. Typical.

After an entertaining photo shoot and a few Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, we went to Camden Market. The market was my favorite part of London. Thousands of people crowded around to bargain and shop for all sorts of knickknacks. Lunch there was incredible. I couldn't decide what to eat. Seemingly every nationality was represented at the market. My Vietnamese noodle dish alongside a chocolate filled churro was a bizarre but divine combination. Somewhere along the way Molly Rose, Kaitlyn, and I got separated from Nick and MaryKate. We looked for them but finding them without cell reception was virtually impossible. We're fairly confident Nick and MaryKate ditched us, but they claim otherwise.

Molly Rose, Kaitlyn and I ventured to Abbey Road to attempt to recreate the iconic Beatles album cover. This was a far more challenging task than expected, as Abbey Road is still a working street with cars speeding by in either direction. Dozens of people were lined up to try to get a picture and drivers didn't hesitate to slam their horn when coming through. Regardless, we didn't leave until we got the shot.

Click Here To Hear the First Song on Abbey Road

After dark Molly Rose, Ashley, Kaitlyn, Susan and I went to Westminster Abbey in hopes of getting a peak inside the cathedral. While we weren't able to go in, we went over to the Tower Bridge. It was lit up beautifully. We had a fantastic dinner at the Bridge House before calling it a night in preparation for our early flight to Dublin in the morning.

Updates from Dublin coming soon. Too-da-loo!

München in Munich

Fourteen of us ventured to Germany this weekend after an exciting week that included another soccer game with the locals, and a snow day trip back to Bellinzona. It took over eight hours, but we finally arrived in Munich around 11:30 Friday night. We explored the town a bit before calling it a night. In the process we found Finespitz's Fine Quality Hot Dog and Eatery, a small establishment that indeed made fine hot dogs. I ordered a veggie dog topped with guacamole and sprouts. It ranks high on the list of best hot dogs I've ever had, bested only by the veggie dog I had in Sweden a few years back which was covered in mashed potatoes and caramelized onions.

We woke up early Saturday for a walking tour of Munich. Our tour guide noted that it was unusually warm in for this time of year, as the temperature reached the high forties. Regardless, I was still cold. Our guide took us through the city showing us all of the highlights, including government buildings, royal palaces, churches, and lots of beer halls. The architecture of the buildings in Munich makes the city look far older than it is, as the city was almost completely demolished during World War II. Very few structures in the city remained in tact after over three million bombs were dropped on the city during the war. Our tour concluded outside of the royal palace, which completed reconstruction just over a year ago. If you have a chance to visit Munich, I highly recommend making time for one of the free walking tours.

Following the tour we got lunch at Augustiner Bräu Munchen where we tried our first German beer. The beer in Munich is incredible. As I learned on the tour, by law Bavarian beer can only contain the following ingredients: water, hops, barley, and yeast. It was delicious.

We explored the city a bit more, passing a NATO protest outside of the Glockenspiel in Marienplatz, before venturing to the world's most famous beer hall, the Hofbräuhaus. About three thousand drunk people fit in the Hofbräuhaus at a time, making the atmosphere unforgettable (or forgettable depending on how much one has to drink). The lederhosen wearing band played German music and the locals stood and chanted as we got a taste of life in Munich, including giant pretzels and beer. Nick & I made a trip back to Finespitz's Fine Quality Hot Dog and Eatery on our way back to our hostel.

On Sunday we visited the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. Nothing I write can explain the atmosphere. Visiting the Memorial Site is an experience that cannot be described. As we took our tour, I couldn't help but think of the poor souls who spent countless days in the same spot being worked to the bone in the frigid cold air. I had read a lot about the camp in school, but being there brought on another level of understanding.

We returned from Dachau with about two hours until our train left. Kyle and I wanted to make the most of our time in Munich, and made a trip across town to another beer hall. We enjoyed a light lunch surrounded by FC Bayern Munich fans who were preparing for the team's 5-0 route of Frankfurt. Everyone in the bar was decked out in checkered red and white.

We caught the train back to Lugano in time for our first ever Super Bowl Monday! At midnight we went to Franklin College down the street to watch the Seahawks and Broncos play for the Lombardi Trophy. Our professor moved our usual Monday morning class to one in the afternoon knowing that we would all be up until around six watching the game. While it wasn't much of a game, it was nice to watch football again.

This week should go by quickly as we prepare for our Italian midterm and Marketing and Consumer Behavior final before getting on a plane to London Thursday night. Next week marks our first spring break during which I'll be traveling in London, Dublin, and Paris.

Ciao!