Author: evwils25

Ciao a tutti and welcome back!

I hope you all are doing well! I know it’s been a minute since I last posted, but as any student knows, the last month of a semester is always the busiest and hardest. And unfortunately, my time here in Florence, Italy is now coming to an end. So as the semester slowly finishes, I want to wrap things up by writing a series of blogs on my favorite happenings over the semester.

On today’s addition — the time I stayed in 3 countries over the course of a week!

What originally started as a calm week filled only with a short class trip to Naples, quickly turned into a long but exhilarating week of travel when I decided I wanted to try traveling as much as possible before the semester was over. Especially after my first solo trip to another country that I talked about in my last blog (Bruges, Belgium) was a success, I was way more comfortable booking more solo trips — even back to back. And so my chaotic week of travel began.

I started in Vienna, Austria, a city I had wanted to go to for years and had heard such amazing things about.

This city was unlike any other I have been to. It was perfectly clean, had beautiful architecture, and had “green spots” everywhere. As much as I love Florence, the city doesn’t have much nature to appreciate unless you take a bus outside the city center. Vienna had greenery and grassy areas to sit at almost every corner of the city.

Visiting Vienna was so much fun because of how big the city was and how much there was to see. Its public transportation system was also so perfect and easy to use that I never had any issues trying to go from one place to another. While in Vienna for 2 days, I visited Belvedere Palace, the Natural History Museum, Neue Burg, the Austrian Parliament building, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Schönbrunn Palace, and my two personal favorites, the Spanish Riding School and Café Central.

If you know me at all, you know I love horses. I have been riding since I was 5 years old and horses have always been, and will always be, a huge part of my life. So of course, when I remembered that the Spanish Riding School was located in Vienna, I immediately booked a ticket to see a morning practice session. Unfortunately, they didn’t allow photos to be taken during the practice itself, but I was able to take some of the exterior of the building and of the practice ring before it began.

If you’ve ever been to Vienna before, or even seen travel brochures/magazines/social media posts about it, you know that Cafe Central is one of the most popular cafes to visit. Famous for its apple strudel and Sacher torte, Cafe Central is one of those touristy places that you just have to brave the line for. I waited in line for about 25-30 minutes and it was one of the best cafe experiences I have ever had. I ordered the melange, a Viennese coffee drink similar to a cappuccino, and, of course, the apple strudel.

The service, the interior architecture, the apple strudel — everything was amazing. 10/10 would recommend if you ever find yourself in Vienna, Austria!

After two long and full days of walking around the beautiful Austrian city, it was sadly time to head back to Florence, where I would have my next adventure of the week.

My program director, Lucia, had planned an amazing trip down south to Naples, Italy for my entire class, and after a very quick day of repacking for our two-night stay in Naples, I left my house a day after my return from Vienna to embark on a 3-hour train ride.

Going to Naples as a class was an amazing cultural experience. We learned how different language and culture can be in different cities even if in the same country. It was nearly impossible for us to understand the Neopolitans because of their thick accent and different dialect, which was really interesting to experience in person. We also got to try the famous Neopolitan drink, limonata, which is a mix of lemon juice and sparkling water with a spoonful of baking soda mixed in at the last second. The goal is to try and drink the entire cup in one go without spilling anything, which obviously isn’t very easy when the baking soda causes the entire drink to quickly fizz and bubble up. Our entire class, including our director Lucia, completed this challenge and the experience was really fun.

We stayed at a hotel about a 30-minute walk from the ocean, and the views from the shore were amazing. As someone from southern California, I see the ocean almost every day at home, and after months of staying in Florence, which is situated in the middle of Italy and nowhere near an ocean, I was starting to feel nostalgic and homesick. So when I got to see the sea up close for the first time since I came back for the semester, I was instantly content.

My absolute favorite part of this trip happened during our free time when my classmates and I decided to take a ferry to the island of Capri. We spent several hours on the island, visiting the town of Marina Piccola and then hiking back up the island to get back to the ferry. Even if the weather was slightly gloomy when we went, the water and hills were amazing and we had so much fun having a “beach day.”

And before we knew it, it was time to head back home — and on to my next adventure.

The day after returning from Naples, I headed to the airport to catch my flight to Nice, France, where I would then take the train to the second smallest country in the world — Monaco.

I have wanted to go to Monaco for years, mainly since I became obsessed with Formula One (F1) and found out there is a Grand Prix in Monaco, so when the opportunity to visit the country came up, there was no way I could pass it up.

As my third solo trip, Monaco did not disappoint. It was probably the cleanest, safest, most advanced, and most high-end country I have ever been to. I stayed in an Airbnb just outside the border in Beausoleil and, of course, my first course of action was to visit the famed Casino de Monte-Carlo. Although I didn’t get the chance to go inside, the outside of the casino was no less extravagant. It was exactly what you’d expect — high-class cars leisurely driving by and locals dressed to the nines with luxury brand accessories.

As an avid Formula 1 fan, I absolutely had to visit the famous Hairpin Curve, which, for those of you who don’t watch F1, is the world’s most famous bend, driven during the Monaco Grand Prix. The curve, located just a few steps away from the Monte Carlo Casino, is probably the most popular place for F1 travelers to visit, some even being lucky enough to see F1 drivers like Charles Leclerc or Lando Norris driving through it on a random weekend.

Even though I didn’t see Charles Leclerc, or any other celebrity, I loved visiting the Hairpin Curve and was able to tick seeing it in person off my bucket list. I also was able to see the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, hiking up a huge hill to see some of the best views of a city I have seen.

And after another 2 full days in a different country, I finally returned home. Even though this chaotic and busy week had me spent, I wouldn’t have changed it for anything. I got to see three different cities I had wanted to see for years, saw amazing sights, had delicious food, and created an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.

As always, grazie for following along and stay tuned for my next “special addition” update!

A presto!

Vinnie

Ciao a tutti and welcome back!

Today, I am excited to share with you that I went on my first ever solo trip to Bruges, Belgium and it was amazing!

It was a little daunting at first, but thankfully the universe was working with me instead of against me and gave me the smoothest and easiest international trip. I planned my trip using Google Flights to find the cheapest and easiest flight from Italy to Belgium and was able to get a perfectly priced flight to Brussels, Belgium with a short layover in Munich, Germany. Then from Brussels, I took about an hour and a half train to the fairytale-esque city of Bruges.

 

For a first solo trip, especially as a woman, Bruges was the perfect city! It was small and easily walkable, allowing you to see the entire city in a day, and everyone spoke English and was super friendly. I arrived Thursday around noon and after checking in to the cute, cozy, and economical room I booked at Hotel Biskajer, which was only a 5-minute walk from the center of the city, I made my way to the Market Square in search of Belgian fries.

After eating a fulfilling lunch of Belgian fries with mayonnaise and Belgian sauce, (both popular European condiments,) I began my trek through the city. But instead of having set destinations in mind, I chose to wander through the medieval buildings down whichever streets I felt had something to show — which I feel is a great way to see a new city if you have time to kill!

Some main attractions I had to chance to visit were the Belfry of Bruges in Market Square, St. Salvator’s Cathedral, Rosary Quay, and De Burg.

The next morning I decided to have a late start because the weather was extremely windy, slightly rainy, and cold, but around lunchtime, I knew I had to venture out to taste some famous Belgian waffles.

I headed to the famous House of Waffles restaurant where I had some of the best waffles I’ve ever had. There were so many options to choose from, I almost didn’t know what to get. But I decided on the Classic Waffles — crispy Belgian waffles topped with powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, warm chocolate syrup, and whipped cream.

After successfully trying some Belgian waffles, I headed out to a few different shops to taste another famous Belgian delicacy — chocolate. I decided on three popular chocolate shops: Chocolatier Dumon, La Belgique Gourmande, and The Chocolate Line.

There were so many good options to choose from, but ultimately my favorite was Chocolatier Dumon where I bought two chocolate bars — the first was a classic milk chocolate, and the second was a dark chocolate with chocolate Smarties.

As my first solo trip, Bruges was definitely the perfect city! It was small enough to easily walk everywhere, but still big enough to explore the whole day. If you ever have the opportunity to study abroad or even just visit Europe, and decide that you want to travel, I would definitely recommend Bruges, Belgium! It’s a great “starter-city” with a rich abundance of history, amazing architecture, delicious chocolate, and a fairytale atmosphere.

And with that I’ll leave you with a few extra photos of my time in Bruges.

Grazie ed a presto!

Ciao a tutti and welcome back!

Today I want to recap my first week back in Florence, including two amazing and fun trips my classmates and I took over the past few days—the first to Fiesole and the second to Venice!

On Tuesday, led by our amazing Florence Program Director, Lucia, we took a 25-minute bus ride to Fiesole, Italy. The weather was perfect and the view was just as great—even if there was some smog—and we could see all of Florence!

While in Fiesole, we saw the San Francesco Convent and the Fiesole Cathedral before stopping for lunch at a small but popular restaurant called Vivandro Vino e Desco Molle. There, I had an amazing pasta dish of spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella.

Although our trip to Fiesole was definitely fun, my favorite trip so far has been to Venice!

The day after Fiesole, we arrived in Venice around noon to unfortunately very foggy weather. Although it was hard to see past a certain point through the fog, the city was still beautiful and we had so much just walking around for the first few hours throughout the small streets and over canals.

Then we walked to the Basilica di San Marco, one of Venice’s most well-known and historic tourist spots. At the time, the fog was still thick enough that we couldn’t see the basilica very well, but after a tour of the Human Safety Net museum—a global network movement focused on helping others—and a quick lunch at a small pizza restaurant, the sun finally came out and we were able to fully see the Basilica di San Marco.

Unfortunately, by then it was time for us to start heading back to the train station, but with the sun finally out, our last look at Venice was amazing.

And with that, I hope you enjoyed this latest blog and I look forward to telling you more about all of my adventures during this semester!

A presto!

Vinnie

Ciao a tutti and welcome back to my blog!

I am officially back in Florence, Italy for part two of my study abroad experience and since I recently arrived, I decided to make a post about what basics and necessities to bring for studying abroad!

If you decide to study abroad and it is your first time traveling outside of the country, packing can be a scary time. Especially since you’ll be living in a foreign place for months where some things might not be available, not knowing what to bring can cause a panic. But since this is my second semester studying in Italy, I now have a pretty good idea of what items to bring and thought I would share them with you if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.

First and foremost—and most importantly—remember to bring your passport! This might seem like a no-brainer but it is possible to forget, especially if you’ve never traveled outside of the country and aren’t used to carrying your passport with you. And in addition to your passport, bring all of your documents and papers that both Holy Cross and your host school have sent you, including Visa paperwork. I haven’t had to show these papers yet, but in the unlikely event that a situation does occur, it is important to have any and all documents on you that can confirm your identity, US citizenship, and approval for living in your host country.

Next up, adapters and converters. Some people don’t know or forget that the wall power sockets, particularly in Europe, are completely different from those in the US. If you don’t already have one, you will need to buy an effective adapter for charging your phone, laptop, iPad, earphones, and any other items that require a charging cord. I specifically brought two so I would be able to charge my phone and computer at the same time.

Third—a good amount of Euros in cash to bring with you. Of course, you can use a credit/debit card for most transactions, as many European countries are up-to-date with payment systems, but some markets and even cellular carriers when buying SIM cards, like Vodafone, only take cash payments. You can also always go to a bank and withdraw Euros once you get to Italy, but because the conversion fees and exchange rates aren’t always the best, if possible, I recommend just exchanging dollars for euros while still in the States.

Fourth, if you are going into a fully immersive program, I recommend thinking of bringing something for your host family. Your host families put in a lot of time and effort to make your stay perfect, and in my experience they are always extremely grateful to receive even a small gift from their student, especially if it is something native to your hometown or state. For example, being from California, my first semester I brought a box of chocolates from See’s Candies, a chocolate company founded in Los Angeles. And both my host parents and host siblings loved them!

Next—extra room in your suitcase or an extra duffel bag! Even if you think you’re an expert at packing and don’t plan on buying anything while abroad—believe me, you will. Whether it’s clothes, jewelry, souvenirs, presents for friends or family, etc.—you will find something to take home. And I’ve found that the best way to figure out the packing situation for going home is just to bring an extra bag or keep room open in your suitcase. Last semester I brought an extra duffel bag that I stuffed into my suitcase, thinking that even though it would be nice to have, I probably wouldn’t use it anyway. I was very wrong. Both my suitcase and my duffel bag were filled to the brim after I finished packing and I was so grateful I had thought ahead to bring an extra bag. So especially if you’re the type to spontaneously shop, definitely think of bringing an extra bag!

And last but not least, I recommend bringing something from home. This might seem unnecessary at the time of packing, but in my experience bringing a little something from home is extremely helpful. You will get homesick—it’s only natural—and if you don’t then I seriously applaud you. But so far all of my friends, including me, have brought something to remind them of home, whether it’s a blanket, pillow case, stuffed animal, souvenir, book, or pictures. It’s not an absolute necessity, but I do think it helps to lighten the stress and anxiety of moving to a different country.

With all of that said, I hope this blog was of some use to you, and I can’t wait to take you on more journeys throughout my second and last semester abroad in Florence!

Grazie e a presto!

Ciao a tutti, and welcome back to my blog!

As my first semester in Florence has come to an end, I wanted to share with you my favorite experiences of the past four months, from the places I visited to the restaurants I ate at, to give you an inside look at my time abroad during the fall semester! And so, in no particular order, here are some highlights of my first semester in Florence:

Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany

As my first trip outside of Italy while abroad, traveling to Munich to experience the world’s biggest folk festival was so much fun! I got to travel with my friends through a program called Bus2Alps, (which is an amazing tool for traveling as a study abroad student,) that took us by bus from Florence to Munich. While at the festival, we had amazing food, met all kinds of people from all over the world, and shared and created memories that will last forever. This trip was definitely a top 10 for me, and if you ever get the chance to participate in a cultural experience like Oktoberfest, don’t waste it!

Trattoria Za-Za

This was one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Florence! Conveniently located next to the Mercato Centrale and close to the Duomo, this popular restaurant has amazing pasta dishes that give you the perfect taste of Italian cuisine. My favorites were the tagliolini with homemade pesto and the spaghetti carbonara. But even if you’re not much of a pasta person or are craving something else, the menu has multiple other options ranging from salads to fish to steak, all of which are amazing!

Castiglioncello, Italy

This small beachside town located about an hour away from Florence by train was such a nice retreat from the busy, bustling city. While the weather was still warm, I traveled with my friends to Castiglioncello for the weekend to stay at a small hotel and swim in the warm Mediterranean Sea. The weather was perfect when we went and the water was an unbelievable crystal-clear blue. We stayed the entire weekend at the beach, enjoying the sun and ocean air one last time before the weather changed, and it was an unforgettable trip!

Ditta Artiginale

Live, laugh, LOVE Ditta Artiginale. If you know anything about the coffee situation in Europe, you’ve probably heard that Europeans don’t really do iced coffees, and they don’t really do the “American idea” of a coffee shop either. Sure, they have plenty of cafès but nothing like a Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts where you can quickly grab an iced coffee and breakfast to-go or stay the day at a table doing work. That’s why my friends and I became so obsessed with Ditta. This coffee shop is basically an American-style coffee shop with several locations throughout the city. It has various meals you can order for brunch until 3pm, a whole case of pastries, great coffee, free Wi-Fi, and you can sit at a table and work for as long as you want (except for on the weekends, but that’s a different story.) After my friends and I discovered Ditta, we could be found at any of the locations almost every day during our free time. Ditta is also largely popular with study-abroad students, making it a great way to meet new people in the same setting and experience as us. And especially because I love coffee, this chain is definitely one of the places I am most looking forward to seeing when I return for the spring semester!

The Santa Croce Christmas Market

If you know me at all, you probably know that I love all things Christmas; decorations, music, movies, pine trees, lights, winter vibes — you name it. So when I learned that Santa Croce was having a Dutch-themed Christmas market right in its piazza, I was ecstatic! My friends and I probably visited the market together about 5 times, and I visited it even more because it was always on the way home for me. The lights, music, and Christmas vibes were exactly what I needed to get into the Christmas spirit, especially since our finals were so spread out during the last couple of weeks and stressful. I’ve never been to a Christmas market before so this was by far my favorite Christmas event I’ve ever been to. Even though I never bought anything but food, drinks, and desserts at the market, it was still so much fun to walk around and enjoy Dutch-themed cuisine, especially at night when the lights turned on.

Miscellaneous

Now without wasting too much of your time, here are a few other photos of various experiences I feel made my first study abroad semester more memorable and that I would love to share with you!

Thank you for reading all the way through my latest blog, I hope it was just as fun to read about as it was to write about it and that you learned something new about Florence! And until next semester, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

A dopo,

Vinnie

Ciao a tutti, and welcome to my first Study Abroad Blog from Florence, Italy!

My name is Vinnie Wilson and I am currently studying abroad through Holy Cross’ immersive program in Florence. I am so excited for you to be here and to follow along as I deliver updates in real-time about my life in Italy!

First, a few quick things about me:

• I am from the sunny Orange Country, California (so I am a long way from home)
• I am double-majoring in International Studies and Italian
• I have been studying the Italian language for two and a half years now (I started my freshman year)
• And I love coffee and am a huge foodie (so I know all the best spots in Florence for a quick drink or a warm meal that will leave you wanting more!)

When I first applied to study abroad in Florence, I only wanted to stay for the fall semester—not sure if I could handle being away from home for even that long. But after having spent an amazing first few months here, I have decided to extend my stay to the spring semester, as well, so I will have plenty to discuss.

I hope you are just as excited to learn about Florence as I am to talk about it, and if you have any specific questions—whether it’s about the academics, a typical day in the life, navigating a foreign city, or dealing with homesickness—please don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

Thank you for reading along and I hope you’ll continue to show up for my next blogs, where I finally get to talk about the “fun stuff”!

A dopo,

Vinnie