Author Archives: Katie F.

First Stop: Italy

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My love for Italy grows each time I get the opportunity to visit. The people are kind, the food is delicious, and the history is abundant. The first two stops of my Easter break included Rome and Florence.

In Rome we stayed in a nice little hostel, Starlight, close to the city center. We were in the Italian capital for a total of two nights and three days, but we checked almost everything off of our to-see list!

Starting with a necessary pizza stop!
And then some night time sight-seeing.
Making a wish in Trevi Fountain.
 Touring the Colosseum.
Lots and lots of gelato stops…
Our time in Rome was short, but it was so much fun. We weren’t quite ready to say goodbye to pizza and gelato, so thankfully our next stop was the Italian city of Florence.
Lots of sleepy travelers!
 Fish & chips & locally brewed beer. Yummm.
 This building is covered from top to bottom with fake dollar bills. Makes me cringe thinking about my very “college student” budget…
 The inside of the Brunelleschi’s Duomo. Incredibly detailed and well preserved.
The 414 steps to the top of the bell tower proved to be very worth it!
Everyone was right when saying that Italian men are sharp. Just look at this handsome guy.
 And this is the result of five people fitting into one very small photo booth.
I feel very lucky to have been able to see so much of Italy. Our next stop: France! Paris, France to be exact. That post will be coming shortly :)
Kisses,
Katie

The Island Life

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The Island Life

     A little taste of the Island life was just what I needed before my classes began to pick up speed. Two weeks ago I visited the island of Mykonos and last weekend I visited the island of Hydra. The season for tourism on the islands is just beginning to heat up. More of the tavernas and shops are open which made these two islands very enjoyable. A lot of the activities on the island consist of relaxing, eating, and exploring; a few of my favorites!

Here are some pictures from Mykonos…

And onto Hydra!
Trying to be a mermaid…
This past week has been full of studying, writing, and tests, but today I will set off on my two week Easter break! Today we fly to Rome and from there we will see Florence, Paris, and Berlin. I look forward to all of the adventures ahead as I near the end of my time abroad :)

Naples, Italy

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My first trip to Italy was everything I could have imagined and more. Aurora and I spent five days with her Aunt and Uncle who graciously hosted us in Naples. Our time was spent eating, exploring and relaxing on the balcony. The weather was a beautiful 60-70  degrees all weekend and we took full advantage!

 

My first gelato experience!

 

An entire rainbow of espresso choices.

 

 

A very American breakfast of pancakes and eggs. Oh how I missed this.

 

 The excavated site of Ercolano (once under 60 ft of volcanic ash).

 

 

 

 

The frescos at Ercolano are incredibly well preserved because natural elements weren’t able to reach the ash-covered city.

 

 

 

My first Italian pizza. It was love at first sight.

 

 

 Our hosts set up an elegant dinner at a restaurant literally built on top of ancient ruins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Fiat 500 that stole my heart. I’ll be back for you, love.

 

 

Exploring the site on the other side of Mt. Vesuvius: Pompeii.

 

 

 

 

Mt. Vesuvius erupted so quickly that people were cast in stone before even being woken up. This is a man that was sleeping when the volcano erupted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The view of the Amalfi coast while heading to Positano.

 

 

 

 

 And my favorite part of the trip: Positano!

 

 

 

 

 

Aurora and I had such a nice time in Naples and we are thankful that there are people like Don and Dorinda, who welcomed us into their home with open arms. Their hospitality was heart-warming.

 

I am counting down the days until I return to Italy. Next stops: Rome and Florence.

Santorini and Naxos

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It still doesn’t seem real that I was lucky enough to spend an entire week with my family on the Greek islands of Santorini and Naxos. We rented a car on each of the islands and made the most of our time. Santorini was smaller than Naxos and had tons of beautiful houses, churches, and beaches. Naxos was equally incredible, but a bit less touristy and offered unique landscapes filled with local farms. We enjoyed each island immensely, and I can’t wait to see these goofballs again in May.

 

 

I will begin with some pictures from our time on Santorini:

 

 

 The front of Atlantis Books (a very cute bookstore worth the search).

 

 

 

 

We toured a wine museum which turned out to be a pretty creepy experience…

 

 

 

 

Complete with talking (and moving) characters.

 

The wine tasting at the end made up for the whole creepy side of the museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anne Marie found a snail!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although the weather was a bit chilly, Anne Marie convinced me to hop in the infinity tub with her. We stayed in for about 3.5 minutes before running back to our villa.

 

 

 

 

And on to Naxos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed at Naxos Resort which was beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I miss my family so much, but the trip was a great reminder of how close they will always be to me. This past week I was in Naples, Italy and I will try to put up a post soon! Today is Greece’s independence day and I have the day off from classes. Aurora, Ashley and I went to a parade and tonight we are going out to dinner with friends. Miss you all!

 

Kisses, Katie

 

 

 

 

 

My First Greek Island- Zakynthos!

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     This past weekend the roommates and I packed our bags and jetted off to our first Greek island; Zakynthos. Many thought we were crazy for wanting to go to an island so early in the semester (the weather is still far from tropical). Although we knew the island was going to be quiet, we decided to make the most of the short time that we have in Greece and booked the trip anyways! Our hotel was in the port of Zakynthos and just a short walk from Solomos Square. Carnival is being celebrated over all of Greece at this time and the town of Zante held a small festival in celebration. Floods of families, food vendors, and games popped up around Solomos Square. It was really fun seeing the kiddos in their costumes and we strolled around the square trying to avoid being covered in silly string and confetti. The island was beautiful, the people were welcoming, and the food wasn’t too shabby either. I envy those who get to visit Zakynthos in the summer season!

The first night was spent eating food and snuggling while trying to translate Greek television.

 On Saturday, we headed out and spent the day exploring the town of Zante.

 

In the middle of our exploration, we came across a horse who looked beautiful and lonely all at the same time. I guess his view isn’t too bad though.

 We played a mid-afternoon game of Uno in a sports cafe. I never thought Uno could get so intense, but you haven’t met my roommates.

Sunday was rainy and gloomy, which brought on some feelings of being homesick. This picture is something that is worth looking at from time to time to help remind myself that my friends and loved ones aren’t gone, just a little further away than usual.

 Aurora noticed I was feeling down and escaped to the kiosk near by for my guilty pleasure; cheetos. While munching on my cheetos and sipping hot cocoa, we played card games and kept cozy while watching the rain. I am so thankful to have been given roommates that are as fun as they are caring.

This is for taking selflies on my phone when I thought you were taking a picture of me… :)

My parents and sister will be here in one week and I couldn’t be more excited! I have decided that they should skip packing and just put my friends and boyfriend in their suitcases instead. Sounds reasonable to me. All of my favorite people in one place!

Kisses,

Katie

A Trip to the Acropolis

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Thursday of this past week was a religious holiday for Athenians which means no school for us! My three roommates and I decided to make a day out of exploring the Acropolis and accompanying Acropolis Museum. The day began around 9am with a short metro ride to the Acropolis entrance. We explored the grounds surrounding the Parthenon and enjoyed some fabulous views along the way. Although thousands have visited the ancient sites before, standing in front of the Temple of Athena, Erechtheion, and the Parthenon took my breath away. After a morning of “ooing” and “awhing” we headed to the Acropolis Museum which in itself is a work of art. The modern and industrial architecture of the museum is a beautiful housing for the ancient artifacts that it contains inside. After wandering through the museum, we decided it was time for some fuel. The Acropolis Museum has a great cafe with lots of yummy dishes. The best part of the whole experience? You can see the Parthenon from your table.

Until next time!

Katie

 

 

Week One: Check!

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After the first week of classes, a scavenger hunt, and finally tackling jet lag I am enjoying my lazy Sunday in Aghia Paraskevi. The week went by pretty fast and my classes are already in full swing (whether i’m ready or not.) Here are a few exciting parts of my week in Athens!

On Tuesday a group of students went out to eat where I ordered my first of many Greek Salads. It was fresh, colorful, and delicious. After dinner we headed next door for some Crepes.

On Wednesday I visited the school cafeteria and was pleasantly surprised. I ordered salmon, an eggplant dish, steamed veggies, and a Perrier. Not too shabby for a cafeteria! In my Art History class we had a surprise guest; one of the campus dogs. Although the dog was previously believed to be old, blind, and arthritic, he opened the classroom door on his own back legs and entered the class to smell around a bit. I was pretty impressed.

After eating a filling lunch, I headed home to do some laundry and catch up on my journaling. I felt pretty dang European drinking my sparkling water and sitting on my balcony. Oh and here is a shot of campus that I took while walking to class!

To show that I do more than just eat food and lounge around, here are a few other pictures from my week.

Tonight I get to Skype my Mom and Dad and then I will do some reading for my classes. It has been a long first week, but I think I am finally getting the hang of things. Hopefully I will be even less clueless by next Sunday. Oh, and one of my favorite parts of the week was getting to Skype with my boys, Caleb and Payton. Look how handsome they are!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kisses,

Katie

 

 

 

 

First Thoughts From Athens

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Yaisas (hello) from Athens! I have only been in Greece for three days, but it has been nothing less than amazing. There is a large group of study abroad and international students at the American College of Greece this semester. Although we are all different, and even from different countries, I have already made many friendships with wonderful people.

On the night of our arrival we were welcomed with a traditional Greek dinner and a few tips to help us settle in. This is the view from my balcony in Aghia Paraskevi!

Friday was our orientation where we were welcomed to our beautiful campus. We received class schedules, a tour, and a few presentations. The Deree campus is breathtaking. On our tour of campus we visited their Starbucks, Olympic training facility, campus dogs, outdoor theatre and more. This is the soccer and track field at Deree. Amazing, right?

Saturday was a tour of downtown Athens! We got to see the National Gardens, Plaka, the Olympic stadium, and the temple of Zeus. At the beginning of the tour we watched the changing of the guard at the Parliament building.

Plaka is the area surrounding the Acropolis which was really fun to walk through. The houses are beautiful and there are tons of stray cats like the one in this flower pot… look closely!

Today I got to sleep in because we didn’t have any organized events. When I woke up, I made a yummy breakfast and ate on my balcony. My roommate convinced me to go hiking with a group of students and I am so glad that I went! It was a little cloudy here this morning, but a hike was the perfect way to spend my Sunday.

 

Well, that’s all for now! I miss and love my family and friends a lot, but I am so thankful for their support that has enabled my study abroad experience!

 

Katherine Fleming