When in Europe the UK and Beyond: Journey to Rome

I awoke this morning in a rather groggy mood, as I did not sleep very well due to my anticipation for my upcoming trip to Italy. After getting all of my things together, I took an Uber to the Victoria Underground Station, from which I took the Gatwick Express Train straight to the airport.

Once I got through security at the airport I had a solid 2. 1/2 hours to kill. I found a sit down breakfast place and very mellow like, I ate my two pancakes and sipped slowly on my hot chocolate.  I still had an hour and a half to kill until it was time to board my plane. I wandered around the airport for a bit looking at the various stores within. I got pretty bored after about twenty minutes of doing this so I sat down and read a book I had brought for the next hour or so.

Then after what seemed like an eternity later, it was finally time to board the airplane. As people boarded the plane I took note of a very interesting aspect of the plane. Music was playing in the background as people got settled in. What was interesting about this music was that when you listened to the lyrics closely enough, they all talked about being happy or being blissful in ones endeavors. For the most part everyone seemed really happy to be on the plane and I found it very fascinating that Vueling Airlines played this kind of music.

While we were in flight towards Rome, I struck up a conversation with the couple sitting next to me. As it turns out we literally had the same itinerary as one another, as we will be traveling to each city on the same days. At some point we might meet on up and grab a meal.

The highlight of the flight had to be seeing the Swiss Alps, as we flew in from London. They were by far one of the most extraordinary sights I have ever seen from the view of a plane. Their snow tipped peaks seemed as if they were cutting their way through the clouds, as they reached for the heavens above. It almost seemed like if you extended your hand you could touch them.

Interestingly enough as we were landing music began playing yet again, but this time about arriving in a destination that was like no other; a paradise..... This made me begin to wonder about the psychological implications of playing music that evokes particular emotions, and how this correlates to how people behave on the plane or feel about the airline....

When we had landed we were transported to the passport control via a bus. When it came for my turn to get called through border control, I made it through in literally 6 seconds if that. The border patrol

policeman just stamped my passport without even looking at me and I was through.

It was pretty self-explanatory of where to get the tickets for the train. The kiosk however, was only in Italian so I purchased what I thought was a train ticket and made my way to the train station. Although the ticket itself had a printed specific time, it didn't make a difference as long as you got on the train that same day, not one wince of an eye.

The train ride to Rome was very fun. I enjoyed amazing views of the different villas and different style trees that I haven't ever seen before. Most of the villas had gardens on top of their roofs or on their patios.  There were also a lot of abandoned buildings that were pretty much just foundations that were left behind.

My hotel was literally only a few meters away from the Roma Termi Train Station so it wasn't hard to find at all. When I checked into the hotel, I had to leave my passport behind so that way they could do some paper work with it. This made me feel very uncomfortable, but it wasn't unexpected because when I had been doing my research ahead of time, I read about it.

In about twenty minutes after I had settled into my room, I went and grabbed my passport and made my way to the Pantheon. The bus ride to the Pantheon would take 40 minutes and it closed in 1 hour. So rather than risk missing it for the day, I walked very fast towards the Pantheon with a half hour to spare. With what little breath I had left by the time I got there was quickly taken away by the beautiful architecture from within.

The central dome had a large circular opening in which the sun shined into at a 45 degree angle. The floor was made of a white marble and there were various religious paintings and statues lining the interior walls.

  

The exterior was clearly extremely old. You see that the building was falling apart brick by brick. Meanwhile the city of Rome was steadily trying to keep the building from falling apart. Moss was growing up the sides of the building and various cracks were forming along the walls as a result.

I then made my way towards the Trevi Fountain which was in direction I had come from. When I was nearly a block or so a way I could hear the Trevi Fountain in the distance, I almost mistook the sound to be some sort of waterfall.

At the fountain itself there were a ton of people crowding around it in every which way you could see it from. I wiggled my way through the crowd to do the tradition of throwing the coin into the fountain. It is said that if a person throws a coin into the fountain, it will guarantee a return trip to Rome someday.

The fountain itself was far larger than I had imagined it. The figures on the fountain where easily ten feet tall. All of the figures looked extremely realistic and one could sit there for a while and just enjoy the craftsmanship. I however, being a bundle full of energy moved on to the next attraction.

I did not know what I wanted to do next so I just started roaming in a random direction to see what I could find. As I was crossing the street out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the Altare della Patria. This monument which closely resembled the Brandenburg Gate, in terms of a similar charioteer on the top of the monument while still very impressive, I felt like it was copying the Brandenburg Gate in a similar fashion.

Then some few feet around the monument was the Colosseum. When I saw it my heart skipped a beat. I wanted to go run over and take a closer look at it. However, I told myself, the Colosseum and Ancient Rome is for tomorrow's adventures. It was really hard to pull myself a way but I was able to force myself to do so.

I then started walking in the other direction and came upon some Ancient Ruins. What was weird about these ruins was there were cats everywhere. As I got closer I came to find out it was a cat sanctuary. This is a pretty strange place to keep cats if you ask me....

Then my plan was to go back to my hotel and relax for a bit and then go back out and explore further. However, these plans got spoiled when halfway on my walk back to my hotel it started down pouring. Not just any rain storm, literally like a monsoon of rain came down all at once. Drenched from head to toe I slowly made my way inside my hotel room pretty miserable from being soaking wet. I dried off, and although I did not go back out for the rest of the night aside for a quick Gelato run. Despite the ending of the day, I had a very good first day overall in Rome and I look forward to seeing what else Rome shall hold!

When in Europe the UK and Beyond: The Flaneur Project

Although there is no one single word that the French word Flaneur can translate into English, it simple means the man who wanders the streets.
This man pays extra attention to what is around him and takes down notes and observations about the world around him, which most people do not choose to pay attention to.
In my travel writing class we were given this project to go out and pay more close attention to what was around us.
This assignment led me to a revelation I had not seen ever before.
I went into central London the other day with a more open eyes and I began to notice things that I had not before.
The last time I had been in this section of central London I had been with my parents as a tourist.
I was so focused on getting so many photos the first time I went through London that, I really missed out on some of the small details around me.
I never paid any attention to the architecture or how people interacted with one another.
It truly has given me an enlightened perspective on the city of London.
While a picture can last a lifetime, it can't take in all the senses of every moment.
So next time you go somewhere new, I challenge you to put away your phone and or camera and just breath in and listen to the area around you.
In doing so will only enhance your experience while there.

When in Europe the UK and Beyond: Predepature to Italy

Ever since I was in 7th grade, I have become absolutely fascinated with Ancient Rome. If you name any movie that has to do with Ancient Rome and gladiators odds are I have seen it.  In less than a week and a half this childhood dream of mine to go and see the Coliseum will be fulfilled. Other sites I have planned to go and see are: Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, the Pantheon, Vatican City, Castle San-Angelo just to name a few!

I will then move on to Florence the heart of the renaissance! I do not know much about the renaissance other than the fact that it was the birth of new ideals and artwork. I feel that Florence will give me a deeper appreciation for art then I have ever had before.  While in Florence I will take a half day trip to Pisa to go and see the leaning tower!

The final destination of my voyage will be Venice the city of love! I am most excited to see the Venetian masks as well as just take in the ambiance that Venice has to offer. It will definitely be interesting experiencing going from place to place via boat. One of the main things I would like to do in Venice is see Marco Polo's house. I might also try and do a Gondola ride if possible. I would just have to find someone to go with because it is very expensive. The rest of the time I just want to wander the streets and get lost in the Venetian Culture.

I also look forward to the food. I am a very big pasta person; it is all I usually eat. However, I am going to force myself to have other foods other than pasta while there. I think by doing so I will go off the beaten path as to what I normally eat.

The biggest challenge of this whole experience is that I am going on it alone. From this experience I am confident that I will grow immensely as a person and I look forward to reflecting upon the whole journey. Stay tuned in the coming weeks to hear about this adventure I took and how it changed me as a person!

When in Europe the UK and Beyond: The Imperial War Museum and the Natural History Museum

After arriving at Waterloo Station in Central London, I made my way to the Imperial War Museum. Once inside I was enthralled by the sheer size of the interior. When you walked in there was a massive fighter plane hanging from the ceiling. From the main entrance you had a variety of ways you could go. I choose to start on the second floor.

On the second floor you had various exhibits about World War II. These exhibits took you through World War II in an immense amount of detail. There were also various war machines and vehicles that you could observe. What I thought was rather interesting was that no one cared to read the sign that said not to touch or sit on any of the vehicles or war equipment. Instead people were putting their hands all over them, like these were some kind of interactive object.

The third floor was the most impressive. On this floor there were two exhibits that really stood out to me, the Holocaust Exhibit and the Art Exhibit. I started first in the Art Exhibit, these were a collection of paintings done after the war, to show the sacrifices that the brave men and women had to endure. One that stood out to me the most was a helmet with an inscription on it. It read: "Gun kills...." various sets of tall marks and then "personal kills" and various sets of tally marks. It goes to show how much war can change a person.

There were also various art works done on newspapers, showing everyday people who contributed to the war effort. I was just surprised that a person could put so much detail into an art work on a piece of newspaper.

The Holocaust Exhibit was a very disturbing and upsetting place. Inside there were extremely graphic photographs of Jews in the concentration camps. As you walked through you could hear recordings of various survivors experiences in the concentration camps.

As you moved further along they had a recreation of a train box cart used for transporting Jews to the concentration camps. Once inside you could see the wood was blood stained and worn. There was barley any space to move around as it was, and the floor boards squeaked with each step you took. It was a very impactful experience.

In addition to the recreation of the train box cart there was also this large glass casing filled with shoes and various other objects that were taken away from the Jews when they arrived at the concentration camp. Mainly shoes comprised this casing, but even the shoes in themselves sent just as powerful impact as the various objects did.

I have always read about the concentration camps, but going through this exhibits has given me a whole new perspective on the event. I learned things about the concentration camps that I did not know before. For instance, the Nazi's would salvage what they could out of the corpses. This could be anything from taking the teeth made of gold that some Jews had, to using the ashes of their corpses as ground fertilizer.

After leaving this exhibit I had to sit down for a few minutes, because I was overtaken by this sadness and anger. I could not believe that people would let this happen.

I then proceeded to the ground floor where there was an exhibit on World War I. Although this exhibit was not nearly as well done as the WWII one was, it was still impressive none the less.

Most notably there was a recreation of a trench in which you could walk through. It felt very realistic walking through the trench.

I would definitely recommend visiting the Imperial War Museum if you ever get a chance!

After I finished at the Imperial War Museum I made my way to the Natural History Museum. This museum was designed mainly for children so I did not find it very appealing at all.  I mean sure there were dinosaur fossils and some really neat crystalized rocks, but other than that it was nothing that special.

I am not sure what exactly I will be doing tomorrow. I might be going into Central for Chinese New Years.

When in Europe the UK and Beyond: Exploring Berlin

Our morning started off by making the trek back to see the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag during the daylight. Although not nearly as impressive, as they were lit up at night, they still were magnificent structures.

We then took our picture with a bear mascot, who is a symbol of Berlin. He was a very nice individual and made taking the picture a lot of fun!

Then we proceeded to the Holocaust Memorial. When we got to the memorial many people were standing atop the various blocks of stones, Max and I agreed that this was very disrespectful to do. The memorial itself was very powerful. As you walked deeper into the memorial, slates of stone gradually get higher until they were above your head. Once you get further in the sound of the city becomes drained out, until all you can hear is your own footsteps and the voices of those around you echoing in your ears. If you are ever in Berlin, I highly recommend visiting this memorial, you will not be disappointed.

Next we walked by Checkpoint Charlie, nothing special to be honest. It was far too glossy and artificial. There is a museum however, that you can check out, although we did not stop in.

Our final stop of the day was East Side Gallery. This was our longest walk of the day and took us several hours to get there. Along the way was when I started to notice the differences between Berlin and other places that I have been:

Graffiti is everywhere, but for the most part is not offensive. Instead it is used as a communication medium; a way to spread awareness of different societal issues. It is also used as a forum of artistic expression.

Berlin is a very clean place, it is cleaner than London.

Public drinking is a normal part of this culture. It is not uncommon to see people walking down the street with various beers or other liquors.

Some restaurants and pubs have smoking and nonsmoking sections. However, unlike in comparison to London where you see lots of smokers, smoking wasn't as prevalent in Berlin.

We then spent about an hour or so walking around the East Side Gallery. This is a section of the Berlin Wall that divided the city during the Cold War. On one side there is various graffiti art, and then on the other side there were various famous paintings such as the "Kissing Men". Underneath this is written "God help me save this death bringing friendship." These two men, one from the GDR and Soviet Union represent a controversial relationship between the two sovereignties.

There was also one of a Trabi, a traditional car found in the GDR. They are unique for their time as they only ran on two cylinders as opposed to four. As a result, they have a very instinctive smell to them. You can still see them all around Berlin, and can drive one around for a fee, if you so desire.

When the day was all set and done we had walked 20 miles! It was unfortunate that we did not have more time in Berlin, but none the less it was a really fun experience. I definitely plan to go back and see more of Berlin some day!

When in Europe the UK and Beyond:Off To Berlin We Go!!!

Around 2:30 p.m. Max and I made our way to Stanstead Airport. After sitting in about three hours of traffic, we finally got to the airport with about an hour and a half to spare. I had been really worried that we weren't going to make it to our flight on time. I insisted to Max that we leave, at 1 as opposed to 2:30 p.m. but he reassured me that we would have plenty of time. Sure enough we got through check ins and security in under a half hour. It was a much more relaxed airport in comparison to the intensive process one has to go through at Logan Airport in Boston.

When we boarded the plane it was via tarmac. It was a very small jet, a Boeing 737 to be exact. The flight itself was very entertaining. I have been considering going to Scotland or Ireland, and I asked the people next to me about their opinions on the matter. As it turned out the man was from Scotland and the woman from Ireland. They got into a heated debate as to which country was better. On top of this they were both drama teachers so to some extent, I thought they were being a little to mellow dramatic about the subject. However, I have been told that Scotland and Ireland hold some sort of grudge against each other. I am not sure which one I will go to or if I will go to either.  We then talked about various other topics such as politics, other travel destinations and hobbies. I really enjoyed being in their company.

Getting through the border in Germany was a piece of cake. Never have I ever gone through a border crossing with such ease. Usually I am asked how long I will be staying in the country, where I will be staying, who I will be with and what will I be doing. However, I simply showed my passport and thirty seconds later I was through.

Max and I then hopped into a taxi to our hotel. In the main lobby there was a very interesting painting on the wall. There were various famous sights painted throughout, including the Brandenburg Gate the Reichstag and the River Spree. Alongside these sights were various people dressed in various types of clothing. Some of the people were in heavier winter jackets, were as others were in short sleeves and shorts. It was just very interestingly laid out and well done.

The room itself was nothing special. It was two beds, a desk, a bathroom, two chairs and a tele. The room smelt pretty bad, it smelt very old and musty.

Then it was off to a late dinner at a traditional German restaurant. I ordered a currywurst, this is a sausage with curry sauce, tomato sauce and various other spices. It wasn't all that bad to be honest, I would not mind trying another one some time. I also ordered a German Beer known as a Koenig Pilsener, it tasted wonderful.

Next, we made a spur of the moment decision to walk to the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. Granted it was midnight, but who cares????

As we made our way towards the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, not a single soul was around. It felt very strange walking alone in such a quiet city. It felt like it was a scene in an zombie apocalypse movie and at any moment the zombies would pop out of nowhere!!! Okay... maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration....but still it was a very mystic experience.

The first stop was the Brandenburg Tor and it was by far one of the most impressive pieces of architecture, I have ever seen:

The night was still with not a single soul to be heard or found...
I could only hear the sound of my own breath, slowly breathing in and out.
Standing erect before me was the Brandenburg Gate.
It had a sense of mystic power to it.
It was a power of captivation and it gave me a chill down my back.
I rested my hand upon the stone of the gate.
I could feel the cold stone send a shiver up my back.
The stone itself was worn from age in certain sections, yet it was still smooth as a sleek table.
As I walked through the gate itself, I was overcome with an indescribable emotion, almost like a quintessential experience, one of which I will never forget.

About a block away was the Reichstag. We walked around the building till we could see the whole building from a distance. I have some family heritage that roots back to Germany and to see the magnificent Reichstag made me proud to say that I have German heritage.

By the time we got back to the hotel room it was 3am. Granted we were both absolutely exhausted from the day and passed out as soon as we got back. But was it worth it??? Most definitely.

When in Europe the UK and Beyond: Pre-departure to Berlin

Tomorrow I am going to Berlin with my roommate Max. We will be leaving on Friday night and returning Sunday night. I am looking forward to experiencing a whole new culture. I’ve told Max that while in Berlin, I want to try and get something unique out of this experience. While I do obviously want to do some of the touristy things while there I also want to go to a less known area away from the tourist. It is through this experience that I feel I will get a better understanding and taste of German Culture, as opposed to the limits tourism can put on a person’s experience of a different culture.

Some places that we are planning to visit are Alexanderplatz, Brandenburg Tor, Check Point Charlie, East Side Gallery, Jewish Museum, Reichstag and if we have time Schoenberg Palace.

In other news, I have booked a trip to Italy and I will be there from March 5^th-13^th. I will start in Rome and then proceed to Florence and finish off in Venice.   I will be going alone and I think that this trip will teach me a lot about myself. I have always relied on others to guide me as I go from place to place, however, since I have been studying abroad this has changed. Granted everything is written in English here in Britain, but this is not the case in Italy. It will be an interesting experience none the less so stay tuned for updates!