Over The River And Through The Woods... To Ljubljana We Go

Erika and I made our way to Ljubljana this weekend. It was a last minute decision I will never regret. There are no trains that travel from Italy to Slovenia, which made it difficult for planning. We had to take train from Trieste to Gorizia in Italy, walk 30 minutes to the boarder of Slovenia then get on the train from Nova Gorcia to Jesenice, transfer trains and then head to Ljubljana. We partially thought that we were literally going to have to hop the fence from Italy to Slovenia but we just had to continue following the sidewalk. In Nova Gorcia we waited for the train for about an hour and at the time of departure we had to run across the tracks to get to our train. In a weird way, I could tell that I was no longer in Italy. Thirty feet away was the familiar Italy and here in Nova Gorcia, everyone was speaking Slovene. Once on the small regional train in Slovenia, we could feel the cold drifting the train by the condensation on the windows. Until the dreary fog rolled into the Alp’s, we were able to see the perfectly clear rivers rushing down the mountainside. The river was turquoise. After four hours of train we finally arrived in Ljubljana, the capitol of Slovenia. We had no idea of what to expect. We began our journey to our hostel when stumbling upon old town Ljubljana. It was decorated like the North Pole. Little street booths covered the street with homemade food and handmade gift. The smell of hot wine filled our nostrils. Christmas lights covered every tree and deep blue lights illuminated the building facade. We stayed at the Sax Hostel, which was in the attic above a small jazz bar. We headed back out into the town after we left our bags behind at the hostel. Our stomachs gurgled for anything to devour. We had only eaten croissants and cappuccinos that morning. We found a street vendor selling giant hamburgers, only they weren't the typical "American hamburger." They smothered mustered and onions on top of the greasy sausage patty. It was phenomenal. We couldn't wait any longer to eat. After enjoying the sights and sounds, we decided to quench our thirst with the hot wine that we smelled earlier. 
The following morning consisted of street shopping and enjoying the traditional Slovenian dish of beans and sausage called "Pasulj s

Klobaso" with Kuhano Vino (belo/rdece) with lemon. I think Ljubljana was a lovely surprise. It was definitely a city I could see myself returning to in my future traveling excursions.

To view more photos from Ljubljana please view Hannah Swick Photograpraphy- Ljubljana, Slovenia

That’s a bunch of Turkey….Just kidding it’s Bologna

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This Thanksgiving I was in Bologna, Italy spending it with two friends from back home. While Thanksgiving obviously isn’t celebrated outside of the States, most exchange schools put on a dinner for the Americans. Miguel, Ashlynn and I had dinner at a restaurant that made a “Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner”. They first brought out bruschetta, olives and other Italian foods. Next, came the pizza! I know, it sounds like I didn’t have Thanksgiving dinner at all, but that was just the appetizer.  Finally, after two hours of eating Italian foods and chatting with Americans and Italians, the turkey came out with an American flag sticking out of it along with sparklers. It might have been the most American turkey out there! Spending time with my friends on Thanksgiving was fun!Friday morning we woke up early to head to Florence. Miguel and Ashlynn had never been there, so I showed them around. We climbed to Piazza de Michelangelo and visited the basilica San Miniato al Monte. It was beautiful. The basilica overlooks the entire city of Florence at one of the highest points. The Romanesque basilica is said to be one of the most beautiful churches in Italy and I can confirm that it is my favorite so far. Although it is not the biggest, it is the most decorated by far. Geometric shapes cover the tiled floor and stripes are on all sides.

Every church that I have visited in Italy has unique characteristics. Some are simple, some are extravagant and some are big and some are small. What I love about Europe is that everything is old. We have very few places in the States that have such beautiful architecture and nothing is as old, clearly because we are the “New World”. I am lucky to have been able to see the east coast in the States. I’ve seen Plymouth Rock and Jamestown. The States has a different beauty that I love.

Being the adventurous person that I am, I led Miguel and Ashlynn through the streets of Florence not knowing where I was going. As we strolled thru the streets, we stumbled upon a Synagogue and decided to see what one was like. I have never been in a Synagogue before the one in Florence. There were palm trees in the garden in front of it.

Being thankful for family is something that I appreciate more now that I couldn’t spend time with them this year.

A Pisa Me

We were only in Pisa for less than 24 hours. Clearly we wanted to make sure that we made all the goofy photos like every tourist has to do. We saw the Battistero di San Giovanni, Santa Maria della Spina on the Arno River, Piazza dei Miracoli,
Keith Haring’s mural called “Tuttomondo“ and some of the smaller streets of Pisa when we were walking to the train station. We arrived in Pisa pretty late in the evening from Cinqueterra. Our hostel was named “Hostel Pisa Tower” and we could see the tower from our window. That was pretty remarkable.  We tried taking some night photos at the Tower with us being giants, but they didn’t turn out so well, but I was able to get some night photography in which I thought turned out amazing! Although our time was short, you really only needed one day in Pisa, unless you wanted to make sure to go to all the different churches but I would say my 16 hours spent there was perfect!

To view more photos of Pisa please view Hannah Swick Photography- Pisa

Santa Maria della Spina is a small Gothic church in the Italian city of Pisa

Keith Haring’s mural called “Tuttomondo“

Now That's a Bunch of Bologna!

B-O-L-O-G-N-A

Now that the song is stuck in your head, you just pronounced the name of the town Bologna completely wrong. I traveled to Bologna to see my friend Miguel in the town that he is studying abroad in. A month ago he traveled to my town of Trieste to visit and now it was my turn. Bologna is beautiful. It is the largest city in the Emilia-Romagna Region in Northern Italy. The city of about 300,000 people dates back to 1000 BC and was first under the rule of the Etruscans then later Romans. Over 40-km-long  porticoes make the city of Bologna one of the most unique cities in Italy. There are over 600 arches in the city lining the streets. It is a beautiful site. Good thing I have a friend who lives here to be my tour guide. Bologna was once walled in and still parts of the wall is present here today. It is interesting to think that people would wall in their cities for protection. Could you imagine your hometown with a giant wall around it, letting only people who were from the town to enter. I only spent a brief time here in Bologna, but I enjoyed the time visited. To view more photos from Bologna please view Hannah Swick Photography- Bologna

Porticoes

Leaving Bologna to head to Cinqueterra!

-Ciao

Firenze: Going back in time to the Renaissance

The one place I have always wanted to go was Florence, Italy. Many years ago Florence was the center of medieval European trade and was the wealthiest cities at the time. The Medici family was a political dynasty and ruled during the late 14^th -18^th centuries. The Medici produced four popes for the Catholic Church and two Queens for France. Today, you can still see their presence in Florence. As I was in Florence from October 23^rd- October 26^th, I walked the footsteps of famous Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo, Ghiberti, Raphael and many more. I felt that I slipped back into time. I went to the Uffizi Gallery and the Academia and was able to appreciate the hundreds of masterpieces finished by famous artists. I was in awe when I saw the Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli.

Inside Battistero di San Giovanni, Florence, Italy.

Our hostel we stayed in was very close to Piazza della Repubblica that has a beautiful carousel all year near the arch of the Piazza. We walked over Ponte Vecchio which is a Medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge that crosses the Arno River. The river reflected beautiful lights from the nearby buildings onto Ponte Vecchio at night. One of the most exciting things I saw was the Roman and Renaissance sculptures in the Loggia dei Lanzi off the Piazza della Signoria. Benvenuto Cellini’s 1545 bronze sculpture of Perseus with the head of Medusa was the most impressive to me. What is great about Florence is that there are so many beautiful sites you can see for free. Yes, a lot of the art that you want to see are in the Galleries that you pay for, but by walking around you see so much art on the streets. The view from Piazza Michelangelo was remarkable.  I could see the entire city of Florence by night. The lights of the city made everything look like a background. I am glad that I was able to finally travel to a historical city that I have only read about in my art history book. 

View from Giotto's bell tower, Florence, Italy.

Of course the grand site in Florence is the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo.  It was finished in 1436 by Arnolfo di Cambio and Filippo Brunelleschi. The architecture period was Gothic-Renaissance. When I was standing in line to go inside the basilica, I thought that it was going to very crowed but that was the biggest open structure I have ever been in! What was really interesting that I found about the basilica was that under the flooring, you could go down stairs and see the original flooring and structure of the basilica when it was first built. It was persevered very nicely along with the frescos on the walls. I climbed 463 stairs to reach the top of the Duomo and 416 stairs to reach the top of the tower next to it. Total, in one day I climbed up and down 1,758 stairs that didn’t count climbing the stairs in our hostel that was on the fifth floor. To say the least, I was very tired by the end of the day. Florence is as grand as everyone says that it is. I am actually returning back to Florence in a few weeks to visit a few more things before I have to leave this beautiful country. 

To view more photos from Florence and some from Tuscany please view
Hannah Swick Photography- Tuscany 
Hannah Swick Photograph- Florence

Me at the top of the Duomo, Florence, Italy.

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

At Piazza Michelangelo, from Left to Right, Me, Bryan, Keaton

Piazza della Republica, in Florence, a carousel with 20 horses and two gilded “king's carriages."

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy

-Ciao

The Collio Hills and More

Today was the first time I have ever been on a motorbike. I could tell that I was a little cautious, leaning with my driver slightly, feeling the wind blowing through my hair, giving a fresh breath of air in my helmet where I had to lift the protectant plastic when we stopped so I could breathe again. The view was magnificent. Nothing separated my view with the breathtaking landscape of The Collio Hills but the little plastic that covered my eyes to protect me from the massive amounts of air blowing at my face when I leaned over the shoulders of Iacopo, my wonderful Italian friend.  I could finally understand why my high school IB English teacher made us all read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values our senior year. I cannot only understand how the author describes being on a motorcycle, but also the “quality” of writing (for me the quality of writing about it). My experience today was something I can try to describe, but the words traveling through my brain on the 4 hours we traveled were lost every time I thought about how dangerous this was for me. I am not a person to take risks. I plan everything step by step, train ticket to hostel. For me, this was something I had to do while I was here and luckily I had an opportunity that was given to me.

Autumn is finally here. Burgundy, gold, oranges and a slight hint of brown with still many areas of dark greens filled the Collio hills. Vineyards raced for miles. Once again, all I could do was breath. The air was fresh. The sky was clear and all I could think about was how lucky I am.

We started our ride from Pieris and traveled through the town of Gorizia, in Friuli – Venezia Giulia, to ride through the Collio Hills. We took a back road called the street of wine “strada del vino.” The first place we stopped was in San Floriano Del Collio, where I was able to get off the bike the first time to stretch my legs and of course shoot the lovely wine country.

After traveling through the Collio Hills, I could only imagine what Tuscany will look like this coming weekend when I travel to Florence on Wednesday. In the afternoon we arrived in Grado, a small town off the coast of Italy. We walked through the old cobble stone streets named “Calle” which reminded me much of the labyrinth roads of Venice. This area in Grado that we explored is named “Grado Vecchia” which means old Grado. The seaside was spectacular. The soft blue covered the horizon making it difficult to see where the sea ended and the sky begin. It looked almost like a painting I have done last semester. The beach was empty and the pier had a few quiet footsteps occupying the space.

 

Once the blue became dark, and the streetlights appeared, we drove to a small town named San Martino d’Aquileia to partake in the Pumpkin Festival where an area of the town brought back the look of medieval times.  The smell of fire and food filled the crisp air of fall.

I had a brilliant Saturday.

To view more photos from my day please visit Hannah Swick Photography- Collio Hills

-Ciao

Breathe

Inhale…

Exhale…

Sometime all you need to do is breathe. To me, the most relaxing thing to do is taking a breath of fresh air in and holding it as long as you can. Feeling the oxygen traveling through your body, calming every nerve cell and telling yourself that you are amazing.

Now imagine yourself sitting on top of a mountain, no one is there but you. What is there to do? Think about life. Think about family. Think about breathing.

Watching the sunset with my newest friends was like breathing. It was relaxing and all I could think about was inhaling the fresh sea air and allow it to travel through my body, calming all my worries and all my thoughts. I am blessed to be here. Able to travel. Able to walk. Able to enjoy life not just in one city or one country, but one world. We are all the same. Although we do not speak the same language, we still communicate with smiles, tears, laughing, and breathing. No one knows how much they are living on the edge until you travel somewhere you have never been and have to meet new people and those people you can then call friends.

Next time you don’t know what to do, just…

Inhale…

Exhale…

Just Breathe.

-Ciao

Sailing Away : Barcolona 2013

Being someone who has never grown up with the water by their side, I can honestly say everyone is missing out. The beauty of the sparkling sunset over the horizon is breathtaking, especially when you are sitting with friends talking about how blessed we are in life. I would never take back my experience here in Italy, not for all the missed wifi, family, movies, cars, or anything else in this world that I am lucky to have back in the states. Being abroad now for 40 days, I do miss home, but the places I have seen and the friends that I have met make everything seem like my new home.

For everyone following my blog, I wish I could write more, but the internet takes me a few hours to upload any photos, I'm trying my best!

This weekend was Barcoloana here in Trieste, Italy. It is a sailing race where people from all over the world come here to race. It was a beautiful sight. I found two boats from Florida and I was just excited to know someone else here is a foreigner! Photos cannot show at all how beautiful the sea is when it is full of Sail Boats!

Trieste is a place where something is always happening. Every weekend I have been here something has been going on. One weekend there was a festival about Austrian rulers back with Trieste wasn't a part of Italy. This weekend was Barcolana. Cruise ships stopped here to let people enjoy the beautiful sites of Piazza Unita and all the other shopping areas to visit. This place is a busy place. People are always coming and going. Even I feel like I always traveling throughout the city, finding new places to go. I didn't stay in Trieste all day to watch a race that you can technically not see since its in the Adriatic Sea, but I was there for the start of the race and also was able to view the city and the race above off the side of a road where there were other spectators who wanted to see the race from a different view. Looking out over the water and seeing hundreds of tiny triangles floating around, wondering if they are actually moving or not, is a beautiful sight.  One of the boats from Florida was named "True Love" and I believe the sailors on that ship know exactly what it means to love to travel. They can go anywhere the water cant take them.

Please enjoy the Beautiful photos from Barcolana 2013 here in Trieste, Italy

-Ciao