Submitted by Dylan O’Keeffe on the 2013 fall semester program in London, England…
Despite possibly gaining ten pounds due to the mass consumption of pasta and pizza, Italy was one heck of a place to spend fall break. Nine days in Italy was truly an experience of a lifetime. I could not have asked for anything better. The weather was perfect and the food was unbelievable. One of the best dining experiences I had was a family style dinner in which platters of delicious food came to the table for everyone to share. The food was great, but the experience was even better.
The trip started with four nights in Rome. The group of fellow Blue Hens I traveled with decided to stay in a youth hostel. This was a great experience because it allowed us to interact with people our age from all over the world. We did not hesitate to see the sites once we arrived. We made our way to the Coliseum and Roman Forum. This glimpse into antiquity was incredible. Over the next three days, we enjoyed many of the classic sites Rome had to offer including the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, and Trevi Fountain. The final day in Rome, we took a tour of the Vatican Museum. It was here where one of my favorite sights of the trip existed. The famous Sistine Chapel was a wonderful sight. I must have spent an hour admiring the work of Michelangelo.
A quick train took us to our next destination, Florence. We were all very excited to take in the sites in the new city. Fortunately, some of my fellow UD students had friends studying in Florence who showed us all around the city. The first place we visited was the Duomo, which was only a two-minute walk from the hostel. This massive chapel contained stunning paintings including the inside of the dome, standing several hundred feet off the ground. Besides the Duomo, we had the opportunity to admire Michelangelo’s David, to be part of a rowdy Florence soccer crowd in an important league match, to watch a beautiful sunset at the Piazza Michelangelo, and to take a tour of the magnificent Italian countryside.
The final stop on our trip was Cinque Terre. This picturesque area on the coastline contained five quaint towns cut out of mountainous terrain. We were told the proper way to soak in the sites was to hike from the third town to the fifth. I was excited to do any form of exercise to start working off all that pizza consumption. It took a total of three hours and it was by far my favorite part of the trip. It was a great way to end the trip. The finish line places you right next to the Mediterranean Sea and my roommate and I could not resist jumping in. One more delicious dinner with my very close UD family and it was back to London the next morning.