For 8 weeks this summer, I will be studying abroad in Venice, Italy. Canals, colorful markets, adorable shops filled with things I'll never need (but that I will of course buy), music, art, architecture: just a few of the things I haven't been able to get off my mind. It has been a while since I left my once-home of Sicily, Italy, and I am oh so excited to return. While the beginning of each week will revolve around my classes, the weekends will be free for exploration. Here are just a few of the many images that have been teasing me these past few weeks.
ITALY
Venice - Rome -Verona - Milan - Cinque Terre - Tuscany - Florence - Naples - Sicily
There's lots to see in beautiful Italy.
BUT WAIT, there's more.
Flying to Europe is the most expensive portion of the abroad experience. So naturally, I will be taking advantage of cheap travel within Europe and doing a mini-Eurotrip for three weeks after my program ends.
While these plans are tentative, aspects of them are becoming more and more solidified by the day. Let's begin with the not-so-sure portion:
Phase 1: Munich, Germany --> Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany --> Salzburg, Austria --> Innsbruck, Austria
GERMANY
AUSTRIA
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Here is where tentative becomes yesthisisactuallyforsurehappening.
Phase 2: Lake Como, Italy --> Interlaken, Switzerland
A quick run down: Basically, my roommate Kate gets out of her Aix-en-Provence, France program around the same time my program ends. Was I going to let her go home before adventuring with me for a couple days? Hell no. Hence, we are going to meet up in Lake Como, Italy for a couple days of miniature-town hopping before heading off to hike through the Alps and take in the beauty of nature.
ITALY
SWITZERLAND
Now, back to tentative.
Phase 3: Copenhagen, Denmark --> Stockholm, Sweden
Kate will be headed back to Boston after our tour of the Alps; I'll be continuing onward. My big, Brianna, is going to be in Copenhagen for 3 months this summer doing thesis research (ask her about it - just ask her), so I figured it would be nice to go someplace that feels like home in the sense that it has one of my favorite familiar faces. Stockholm is a 5.5 hour train hop away from the area, so why not drop by?
DENMARK
SWEDEN
Here is where it gets interesting.
Phase 4: Athens, Greece --> Santorini, Greece --> Amalfi Coast, Italy --> Paris, France --> Barcelona, Spain
Morgan Groom, freshman roommate and softballer extraordinaire, will be joining me for the last two weeks of my trip. We both listed our top places to see, and we have finally narrowed it down to this Greece - Italy - France - Spain quad.
GREECE
Plan: lie around in a little white villa for 3 days.
ITALY
Postiano, Amalfi, Sorrento, and Capri are all so close to one another, making it the perfect stop on our tour.
FRANCE
Yes, that pink castle is Disneyland Paris.
SPAIN
Last but not least, we will make our way down to vibrant, colorful, Barcelona. The perfect place to wind down from our travels, we'll stroll through the many sites, relax at the beach, and eat many, many, many tapas.
If you plan on being in Europe this summer or want to join (and I know you), message me. But actually, the more the merrier.
Summer 2014, I await you impatiently.