Madrid

Buenos Dias.

This past weekend my program took all 70 of us to Madrid. It was very nice having flights, hotels, food, and tours all paid for!

In Madrid we visited the art museums El Prado and La Reina Sofia. El Prado has many works by El Greco, Velazquez, and Goya, including the famous "Las Meninas" by Velazquez. The Reina Sofia has more modern works by artists such as Dali and Picasso, including the famous "La Guernica" by Picasso. Unfortunately, El Prado did not allow for photographs.

We also visited El Palacio Real, the royal palace of Madrid. Although the royal family does not live there today, some state business still takes place. Also, twenty or some odd rooms are on display with furnishings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Once again, pictures were not permitted.

Other sites visited included La Plaza Mayor, La Catedral, and La Puerta del Sol.

Besos.
ry


Madrid is one of the greenest capitals in the world.


the art museum El Prado.


La Plaza Mayor.


The Cathedral.


the colorful ceiling of The Cathedral.


The Cathedral (just completed in 1993).


me inside the gates at El Palacio Real.


outside of El Palacio Real or "The Royal Palace".


La Guernica by Picasso at The Reina Sofia.

Roman Holiday

Bongiorno,

This past weekend two Fordham friends and I spent the weekend in Rome meeting up with some other Fordham students studying in Rome. There was much gelato, pasta, Roman ruins, churches, and vespas.

Once again, the world proved to be smaller than originally thought. I ran into yet another MSJA alum in Rome.

Besos.



ready to go!

Day 1: Rome by Metro

My first day in Rome was spent wandering. Rome is completely filled with monuments and ancient ruins. Just by wandering through the streets and from stop to stop on the metro, you will come across some pretty amazing things.

Day 2: Vespa tour of Rome

My second day in Rome was spent on the back of a vespa. My friends and I rented them for 24 hours (I, of course, opted NOT to drive in order to spare lives). From the vespas I saw almost everything in Rome (once, twice, or three times). We got lost ... alot. Getting lost, however, was probably the most fun and the best way to see the city!


vespa-ing.


Trevi Fountain.


Spanish Steps.


Tiber River.


Colosseum.


Me & The Colosseum.


Inside Colosseum.


Inside Colosseum.


Roman Forum. The very first palace.


Vespa-ing the streets of Rome.


Pantheon.


I'm so Euro.

Day 3: The Vatican

Even though set a day for The Vatican, it still wasn't enough time. It's unbelievable the wealth of history that belongs to The Catholic Church. Unfortunately, I did not get to see Pope Benedict. But I did pick up some Pope bottle openers!



St. Peter's Square.


St. Peter's Basilica.


La Pieta in St. Peter's.


Ceiling shot of St. Peter's.


Dome of St. Peter's.


The Vatican Museum.


hundreds of ancient sculptures.


ceiling shot in The Vatican Museum.


The Vatican Museum.

Tarragona

Hola Familia.

Classes are now in full swing. My schedule for the semester includes a full load of five classes. Three classes in Spanish-- Advanced Grammar, History of Catalonia through the Arts, and Barcelona: Past & Present-- are taught by teachers through CIEE (my study abroad program). Therefore, these classes are with other American students. The two classes in English -- Marketing Management and International Trade II -- are taught by ESCI ( Escola Superior de Comercial Internacional) teachers. ESCI is a specialized international business school for international students that are fluent in English. Therefore, these two classes are a mixture of American, Spanish, and international students from all over the world.

The world, however, is not that big! A girl that was in my class at MSJA is in my Marketing Management classes (seriously, what are the chances).

Besides classes, this weekend we took a trip to Tarragona with CIEE. Tarragona is the capital of Tarragona, one of the four provinces of Catalunya along with Barcelona, Lleida, and Girona. The ancient city of Tarragona dates back to 218 B.C. and ancient ruins fill the city. Julius Caesar even had a brief stay of two years in Tarragona while conducting a war with the Celts in northwestern Spain in the early 1st century A.D.

Following are some pictures!

Besos de Barcelona.
ry.


Las Muralles. The ancient walls of the city.


The Cathedral.


Roman vaults.

The amphitheater.


Inside the amphitheater.