Well, I am down to my last week here in Maynooth. Although there have been ups and downs, it is finally hitting me that I am going to have to leave my amazing, cultural diverse new friends. Leaving is bitter sweet, as I look to the coming month I am excited to see my home away from home, Rollins, again. However, Ireland has taken a special place in my life. I learned how to truly navigate public transportation, I met people from all over the world and was educated about where they come from, I gained knowledge on the problems in different European states and I got to visit the most amazing places I have ever been to.
The last time I checked in was just before our Fall Break, which was over a week long, just enough time to cram in European travels. I got the chance to explore one of my dream destinations, Italy along with Amsterdam and Zürich, Switzerland. Our first few days included Milan, Rome and Florence. Being able to see the culture and history of a city such as Rome which has been thriving for thousands of years is astounding, it truly puts how young America is into perspective. In Rome, I was able to have the best gelato and pizza imaginable, which is great because I LOVE food. But Florence was the city that stole my heart, from going out and enjoying the company of Italians in the bars to seeing a fellow Rollins student at the Piazalle Michelangelo, Florence was an electric experience. When walking through the city and seeing architecture and art that I had learned about in a classroom in Ryebeach Hall, I was able to be the artistic tour guide for my group, after one art history class. It is funny how thrilling it is to be in the presence of something that you learned about, but never imagined you would see in person. On our way out of Florence we got to be ‘true’ Italians as we liked to mention, with our bread and cheese from the market along with bottles of Italian wine and ingredients for pasta, we headed to Zürich. (Photo of me carrying around the bread and cheese from the market in front of the Duomo)
Zurich was a unique city with an interesting character, many things were re-purposed which was interesting considering how expensive and rich the country is. However, as I have come to learn in traveling, there must be a time during a long trip of relaxation, this was done in Switzerland. Other than the reboot time, I was also able to go into the Swiss Alps and find a hidden Swiss treasure, an automatic swiss swing that shows you the views of the mountains. From Switzerland, my group headed to our last stop, Amsterdam. (The Surprise Entertainment in the Swiss Alps)
Amsterdam was an amazingly eccentric city, with a hipster vibe I had never seen anything like it. Although I was not the largest fan of the smell wafting from all the ‘coffee shoppes’ the food culture and city character impressed me. From the markets to the windmills, Amsterdam has something for everyone and is an amazing city. (De Gooyer, the Tallest Wooden Mill in the Netherlands)