awalzy9-blog

[awalzy9-blog]

[awalzy9-blog]

Buon Compleanno to my wonderful sister, Ashley!  I awoke to my alarm however, I didn't sleep very well due to our loud neighbors and our paper thin walls.  As I packed up my final belongings and texted with my Italian amicis, I realized I was going home.  For the first time on this trip, I was quite excited.  I am so excited to see Maggie, my family, not have to pay for water, have my car and see my friends.  Yet, I always love the adventures of traveling but eventually its nice to go home.  I still have mixed feelings about leaving but I have spent more money than I am earning so I really need to go home and work.  Plus, as my amico says I have to start new.  I am so thankful for him and all my Italian amicis.  I really have learned so much about myself and have created a better version of myself.  We made it to the airport and got on the flight without paying for an extra bag or extra weight which we both had.  I have had an opportunity to watch four movies on this flight, One Day, which made me cry like a baby.  I don't cry with movies.  I swear Italy has brought the softer side of me out and I just was trying to tell Terri about the movie and I was crying non-stop.  It was about friends that met in college and they saw each other on and off and always remained friends throughout the years and they finally realize their destiny and decided to be together.  I also watched the Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  I wrote in my journal as I watched Frozen again which is a fantastic movie.  Now, as I have two hours left in my journey home, I type and watch The Croods.  I can't believe this trip is over.  I have nothing but joyous memories and I hope to continue to create new as my friend suggested I do.  Today, I am thankful for Italy, Spain, friends, family and the last three months!!

[awalzy9-blog]

A morning starting off right running through the streets of Barcelona.  I wanted to see another one of Gaudi's work that we weren't able to see the day before so I headed that direction.  It took me along the Barcelona working district.  There are bike lanes everywhere and I love love that about Barcelona.  I felt like a local running through the town and seeing parts of the city I haven't yet seen.  The morning was cool and a perfect day for a run through the city.  I ran to Gaudi's first important work Casa Vicens.  It was Gaudi style for sure and I am glad that I ran to it.  I hopped on the metro and took it back to our "casa" for the last four days.  I really felt like a local and could envision myself living in this city.  I know I have mentioned it multiple times but I truly love this city and all it has to offer.  It has a plethora of exciting treasures to offer and I want to take advantage of it.  It has inspired me to learn Spanish.  After the run, I packed up and got ready to leave.  I wondered around in a direction of town I had yet to see and I had a couple of euros left.  I went to buy a croissant which was a euro.  I went and sat on a park bench right off the main road the diagonal and read my book while eating my breakfast.  A perfect way to end my time here in Barcelona.  We jump into the cab and Terri realizes the the tickets I bought for the train in a hurry yesterday was for a week from today.  Shiza!  Panic mode hits me and I start thinking of the millions of options and potential ways we could possibly get to Madrid.  I found out once we got to the train station that because I bought the tickets on RailEurope; I was unable to transfer the tickets.  So, 110.40 euros later we got tickets for the 11:40 train.  We had so much luggage and its a miracle we are able to carry it all.  I already sent a suitcase home with Aunt Libbo and I still bought an extra suitcase.  Lord how I get myself in these predicaments.  I went off to buy lunch, sangria and a Barcelona book.  I was able to find them all and we were off to catch the train.  We got on the train with some trouble.  As I sit here on this train listening to Bob Marley Trentown Rock, I realize how much I love traveling and how lucky I am to have experienced this trip.  I wouldn't change a thing and don't regret anything I bought or money I spent.  It was all worth it and I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.  I hope to live in Barcelona.  I am not kidding because I am inspired to learn Spanish which I never wanted to learn in high school because it was too hard.  However, with a place like Barcelona to live, I would love to learn and be here for some time.  A wonderful town that I love dearly.  It's actually my top city I have visited that I would see myself living.  Terri and I scheming to figure out a way to live here.  We arrive in Madrid on time despite the delay.  Somehow between getting on the train and the time we got off, my cheapy Chinese store suitcase lost its wheels.  I just pray it gets me home to Atlanta.  A taxi is now necessary to transport us to the hotel because there is no way I can carry this suitcase on the train without wheels.  It's so heavy.  I don't know how I accumulated so much stuff.  Our hotel in Madrid is called Gran Atlanta which is fitting for our last night in Europe.  The concierge was wonderful and gave us suggestions on what we must see in our few hours in Madrid.  I was thinking as we put our stuff in the room that I needed to text Katie and ask her what the most important things we needed to see in Madrid.  As soon as I connected to the internet, I had a text from her telling me the sites we needed to see.  It is like our minds are connected and she knew what I was thinking.  So great!  Terri wasn't feeling good and my feet hurt so we set off on our attempt to see as much as Madrid as we could by metro and foot.  We had a map but no direction to where we were going so we just picked a direction and walked that way.  Upon us we saw the Cathedral which was so intricately decorated and absolutely stunning.  The Cathedral was absolutely beautiful however, nothing like the Sagrada Familia but still wonderful in its own way.  The ceilings were patterned with vibrant reds, greens, oranges, yellows and blues.  After the Cathedral, we wondered through some parks and saw the Royal Palace just beautiful as well.  Sometimes when you are exhausted as we were, everything we see is beautiful but its hard to take it in when you don't know the history of it all.  Because Barcelona took so much out of me, I didn't research Madrid much so I didn't really know what the city had to offer me.  My apologies because I know the city has so much to see.  We saw some beautiful gardens and more parks.  I tell you the Spanish city planners know how to do it right with park galore.  We kept walking and made it to the Temple on accident but so glad we did.  It had hieroglyphics from Egypt that was transported to Madrid in the 1960s.  Further on from the temple was a view of Madrid that was breathtaking.  This city really does have a lot to see.  More time is needed to explore but I am glad we decided to spend the extra days in Barcelona.  As it was, I didn't think we had enough time.  From there we wondered our way to shopping row, we found a shop that we both walked by then turned around to go in.  She is as bad as Nina is about encouraging me to shop.  I found a beautiful gold/blue scarf, a navy long skirt, and a Hawaiian skirt that I love for under 25 euro.  From there, we had these grand plans to see more sites that were recommended but we were so hungry that food became our next feat.  We found a noodle house in lieu of the recommended restaurant.  Terri loves Asian food and was ecstatic to eat here.    The food was wonderful and the Spanish white wine was amazing.  From there, we headed back to the hotel to shower and get ready for the next day.  This trip has been more than I ever hoped it would be and so for tonight, I am thankful for traveling, Terri and all the lessons I have learned throughout this adventure.  Thanks for allowing me to see the world in a new light!

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Parc Guell was the first destination in our adventures today.  However, we got off on the wrong metro stop and ended up being far from the park which we had to walk for almost a hour to get there.  We were so excited to finally make it.  Things are much more challenging without internet.  We had to hike up some rough terrain to get to the parc but it was absolutely worth it.  As we go to buy tickets to the park, we discover they only allow people to come in in 30 minute time slots.  Luckily, the next time available was 12 and it was a little past 11.  I saw this cross situation on top of the mountain from a distance so we headed there while we waited to enter the exclusive part of the parc.  At the parc's highest point Gaudi built a stone hill crowned with three crosses.  From this peak you can see across Barcelona and it's another example of Gaudi's tribute to his faith.  I found out later it was called the Station of the Crosses.  The photographs taken up there were amazing.  Parc Guell was originally supposed to be an exclusive town built for wealthy residents where everything they needed was in this little city center on the hill.  The plots did not sell and the government bought the land and turned it into a national parc.  The large public square of Parc Guell was decorated with benches covered with remains of tiles, plates and bottles forming a colorful collage outlining the parc.  The vibrant colors and flowy lines are truly special.  You can also see spectacular views of the city.  We walked down the stairs to find the leaning columns with dome shaped ceilings.  From there, we were greeted with the huge dragon which is covered in ceramic fragments.  I just love the vibrant colors that surround the parc.  Then, we went down the monumental stairway which leads to the parc entrance.  We stopped at a random food shop down the hill to grab a cheap lunch because our plan was to have an expensive nice last dinner in Barcelona before we left.  I had a chorizo sandwich that was fabulous with their local beer (Estrella).  I also had finally had the most amazing chocolate baklava since I have been in Spain.  So good in fact, I made Terri try some.  She is not big into sweets but she even said it was yummy.    Our plan was to go to the hotel regroup then head to the Picasso museum but we realized the train tickets hadn't been bought yet by accident.  The transaction never went through so I frantically found tickets and bought them.  We were planning to go to the Sagrada Familia in the morning before we left for Madrid but our train tickets were at 11 and there wouldn't be enough time to go to the church.  The church was more important than Picasso (sorry Picasso) so we made the executive decision to head to the Basilica of Sagrada Familia church.  I did not know what we were in for when we stepped into the church but the moment was surreal.  Holy cow the church was like nothing I have ever seen before.  The church moved her and the artistic craftsmanship was unlike anything I have ever come across.  The church is characterized by its stylized towers (100 m high) with crowned pinnacles covered in ceramics.  This church has been a work in progress since 1882 and Gaudi worked on it for 40 years.  The biggest part of the church the dome (170 m) tall is still in progress.  Scheduled completion date is year 2025.  Terri and I decided if the church ever finishes in our lifetime; we will come back to Barcelona together to see the church again.  The outside of the church has carved in facades regarding Jesus.  The history regarding this church is unreal.  The stain-glassed windows all through the church allows light to shine through and make the church that feels like serenity and peace so people can worship God.  The colors and spiral columns are unreal.  Just absolutely stunning.  A work of an art that words could never describe to give it justice.  Even the pictures only capture an ounce of beauty that actually exists in this cathedral.  The back of the church displays a nativity facade that is multicolored sculptural series of God that has a large number of humans and animal figures.  This places is a Godsend.  Maybe the point of building such a place so beautiful and euphoric is so when you meet God this is how you would feel.  Who knows but it was an incredible place that I would love to see again when it finishes.  After this treasure, we went back to the hotel to recharge and get ready for dinner.  We decided to try the El Callejon place from the night before.  Our hotel made reservations for us at 9.  The "real" Rambla was our next site to see which is one of the most lively streets in Barcelona according to the guide book and my parents.  However, I was unimpressed.  Maybe in the summer its more street vendors and less touristy shops.  But, tonight it was full of shops to buy magnets and cheap souvenirs.  It's a huge pedestrian zone covered with big green leafy plants and surrounded by shops and restaurants.  There was a huge food market that reminded me of the spice market in Istanbul with tons of fresh foods (sausages, seafood, fruits, vegetables, meats and any kind of food).  Then, we saw some real artists where I was hoping to find a painting of Barcelona.  I really don't know what I was looking for but I couldn't find it and I know if I came across it I would know.  I assume its bigger in the summer time.  We made our way back down the random side streets to our dinner destination.  At dinner, we had garlic prawns, beef tenderloin with chimmychurri sauce, brava potatoes, garlic mushrooms in this cute little Spanish restaurant in the old town.  The food was so good.  I was glad we were able to come back that night.  Terri and I had a wonderful last dinner in Barcelona talking about life, traveling, just everything.  I love conversations like that.  Just contemplating life and discussing whats important to us.  It never intends to go that way but I love when it does.  The night was a wonderful way to end our stay in Barcelona.  The next day we head to Madrid.  I can't believe these three months have gone by so fast.  I remember PT orientation when Professor Cline spoke about the opportunity to potentially go to Italy for an internship.  I went up to her after she spoke saying I wanted to go.  And now, I have gone, conquered, enjoyed and unfortunately, wrapping up my trip.  I really have tried to take it all in and appreciate everyday.  I have been reminded how much I love to travel and how much I need to do the things I love and keep myself happy because there is so many wonderful things to live for.  So many sites in the world to see.  So for this day, I am thankful for traveling, Gaudi, the wonders of Barcelona, and the opportunity to see the world one city at a time.  Adios.

[awalzy9-blog]

Another day full of adventures where we saw Barcelona by bike. A great way to see and experience this city!!  Before our biking adventure, we walked to Sagrada Familia to see if we tour the church and the line was around the block.  Instead, we strolled the neighborhood before our 11 bike appointment.  We stumbled upon a hospital Gaudi designed and it was so delicately beautiful.  It was another gorgeous day with fabulous weather so it was perfect for a bike ride.  We started off in Barcelonata then rode our way through the marina and up the local's La Rambla.  From there, we found a huge outdoor market with everything from antiques to clothes to food to cookware.  Terri and I found an Emma shop.  A booth with all neutral colors and nice sweaters and t-shirts.  Needless to say, we spent time and money at that shop and we both left with more clothes to stuff in our suitcases.  I am wearing the poka dotted shirt in a later picture.  The market was huge but after our shopping extravaganza at the one shop, we decided to continue our trek around the city.  Our next stop was Parc de la Ciutadella which led to some amazing discoveries such as the fountain which was huge (pictured above) with a sandwich shop and tables to enjoy the view and the huge wally mammoth both pieces designed by Fontsere with some influence from Gaudi.  This city keeps surprising us wherever we go.  I love that Barcelona is full of kilometers upon kilometers of parcs and whoever did their city planning was a genius.  They are all over the city.  After riding through the parc, we found the entrance where there was the Castle of Three Dragons and beyond that, we stopped at Arc de Triomphe which is very different from the one in Paris.  Our brief stop made us realize that we were hungry and as we were off to see more of Gaudi's work, we scouted for a restaurant. It's just amazing the amount of works of art on street corners and huge fountains every couple of streets.  Atlanta needs to step up their game with art.  I feel as though you could make these things art projects for students.  Young fresh minds can come up with some great art hence the Bean in Chicago was an art student's project.  Now, its a sight to see in Chicago.  From there, we headed up to Rada de Sant Pere to Passeig de Garcia to see more works of Gaudi, who was a genius inspired by nature and boundless imagination.  Casa Batllo was one we had seen before when we came up from the train station the first night in Barcelona.  The building was glorious lit up at night.  This road was shopping central and all the high end stores were located on this street which also meant lots of people too.  We were unable to ride our bikes through the people and it was too difficult to ride in the streets.  Our next Gaudi site, La Pedrera, was disappointedly under renovation so we were unable to see it but we turned on that street anyway to find lunch.  We discovered this organic French restaurant called "Le Pain Quotidient".  We shared a bottle of organic Rose and hummus.  Some of the most fresh delicious hummus I have ever had.  I had a big salad with avocado and prawns.  It had a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing that was delectable to the tongue.  From lunch, we headed west toward Parc Juan Miro who was a surrealist artist (from Terri's art history background) which had this pyramid like structure similar to a ropes course and we both climbed it.  It was fun and I felt like a kid again.  Then, it had a tire swing hanggliding toy.  Oh, there are also dogs everywhere and off the leash.  It makes it fun for Terri and I who are both dog lovers (Terri probably more than me if possible) so we always can make a stop to pet the little ones.  I can't tell you the feeling I get imagining living in this city.  It's big enough to meet my city needs but small enough that its not overwhelming.  At this point, we had about 30 minutes left of our bike time so we headed back to BornBike shop.  We made it just in the nick of time.  Terri and I went to the local store to pick up some apple ciders (Strawberry lime, Mango) and took off for the beach.  We wanted to enjoy the sunshine on the beach for a little while drinking our ciders.  I am telling you this trip has been so amazing with lots of relaxation time and time to just be.  There really is something to that.  I headed to dip my feet in the Mediterranean from the Spanish side.  I also enjoyed the sand because it was thicker and didn't stick to everything like really fine sand does.  Next to the beach was the cable car that took us across the ocean to Mount Montjuic (magic mountain) which was open and offered to die for views of Barcelona.  Once we crossed over to the mountain, the sun was setting and it offered so many incredible views.  I honestly have seen a lot of sunsets on this trip and tonight was one of the best we have seen.  Terri and I travel so well together because we are both so easy and go with the flow just wondering to find whatever treasures are around the corner.  There was a huge parc that had tons of trails and we discussed how fantastic this city would be to train for a marathon in.  There are so many trails all of the city with hills and flat depending on the part of the city you are in.  Terri and I kept chasing the sunset attempting to capture it on camera but as usual, the pictures just never can do the sunsets justice.  The sun set just behind the National Museum of Art of Catalonia which is the region of Spain we are in.  It's a huge building that is appealing to the eye.  The museum itself is a piece of art and looks like a palace.  This mountain is also the home to many of the Olympic sites.  As we meandered our way to the museum, we saw this water fountain that started flowing and changing colors.  We thought this was the magic fountain however, it only comes on at night friday, saturday and sunday in the offseason.  Wish we had known that and we would have tried to make a trip over to the fountain on Sunday.  I should have done a bit more research regarding the sites and things to see in Barcelona before coming.  At this point its close to 7 at night, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up and go to the old city for dinner.  Terri found a restaurant with great reviews on tripadvisor in the old city so we were off to find it.  After much walking around, we finally found it only to find out it was closed.  At this point, its after 9 and I am starved.  There were tons of restaurants around but none were appealing to the eye except this Kabap place.  Terri is all about different types of food so we decided to go in.  Barcelona has every food you could want from all the countries.  I have seen so German restaurants.  It's interesting.  In Italy, it was rare to see restaurants with different types of food.  Granted, we were in a bunch of small towns but still.  We thought it was a place to grab the food to go but they took us to the back room where there was a brick room with tables.  I had a turkish beer Efes which is so good and I loved that beer when I was in Turkey.  For dessert, I had a chocolate baklava.  They have them all over this city and I always try them because they are one of my favorite Turkish desserts.  After dinner, it was 10 til midnight.  Apparently, the metro stops running at midnight which we didn't know.  So we walked our way home which only took about 30 minutes or so.  It was a nice evening to walk.  I was literally so exhausted when I got home that I went straight to bed.  Another wonderful day in Barcelona!  Tonight, I am thankful for city planning, parcs, bike lanes and a wonderful friend to share it all with.

[awalzy9-blog]

The Reggae band that played "No woman, no cry!" A wonderful day of great music, incredible weather, fresh yummy foods, fabulous shopping in my new favorite city, Barcelona!!! Thankful for everything!

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Barcelona graced us with another glorious day. So great, we decided to take a morning walk to scope out our neighborhood. Just two blocks from our hotel, we had one of the biggest gems of Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia masterpiece.  I can't even imagine what the inside looks like if the outside is so decorated with such delicate detail so easy on the eyes.  Last week was draining on us so we were slow to get ourselves going on the exploration of the city.  Our plan was to head down to Barceloneta and check out the world bordered by the sea.  They had this fabulous Sunday market but it was put on hold to find a place for food.  The good thing we both are always hungry and love food.  Eating never is a problem for either of us.  The waterfront was beautiful lined with tons of boats and sunshine shining down on the water making for a lovely afternoon of exploration.  We stumbled across a Reggae band that was playing "No Woman, No Cry" and I taped the performance due to their obvious talent.  I will posted the video next.  In addition, to a jewelry/trade market on one side of the marina, there was a food market with fresh fruit, juices, and all different types of food.  Terri and I shared a kebap that was so delicious.  We sat upon the stairs overlooking the water just soaking up our surroundings enjoying every moment.  After we fed our bellies a little something, we were off to take a stroll along the water to find a restaurant to eat lunch at. There were people everywhere and we came across a marathon earlier that morning so there were tons of finishers hobbling around the oceanfront.  Along our walk, we ran into a gypsies folk band that had 7 people and 7 different instruments.  They were awesome.   After Terri scoped out restaurants along the water, she and I both had a feeling about Opium.  They had a table right along the boardwalk facing the water.  A trendy lunch place turned into dance club later was the perfect place to spend the afternoon people watching, drinking Cava (Spain's sparkling white wine, the equivalent of Italian's Prosecco) and eating delicious fresh sea bass salad and a famous Spanish dish, paella.  The sunshine and beautiful breeze made us fall more in love with Barcelona.  All day we kept talking about how we could live in this city and how much we love it.  As we were enjoying our surroundings, Opium had an afternoon band play random house music and contemporary rock.  It's been a day of all types of music and I have loved it.  It was getting late and we had a techno dance party to attend later so we decided to head back to the jewelry market.  Lots of treasures found there.  I bought a few woven tiny bracelets that are very popular in Barcelona and I love the look.  My favorite purchase of the day were some real silver three hoop earrings that remind me of me and my sisters.  Terri had a semi conversation half English, half Spanish with the artist.  I also received an art/metalworks lesson on how labor intensive it is to make earrings like mine.  It made me appreciate the earrings so much more and allowed me to feel okay about spending more money on the earrings then I typically would.  They really are fantastic and you can see them in the last picture from the techno club.  Barcelona has art everywhere and for a girl that knows nothing about art, I seem to love all the styles that color the city.  Tonight was my first techno concert.  Terri and I danced for hours and it was awesome.  The music was loud and intense but fun to dance to.  I have to say its the first time that I have danced by myself the whole night and I loved every minute of it.  The music spoke to my body and I was having a ball trying to feel the music.  We left the club on a dancing high and went to scope out food.  It's amazing how much time and energy we spend looking, eating, figuring out where our next meal is coming from.  We stopped at this random Chinese restaurant that was open past midnight on our way back to our hotel.  Randomly, they had a frankfurt on the menu and I ordered it.  There seems to be a ton of German restaurants in Barcelona.  Terri had an Asian situation and I had a German sausage with a German bier!!  Oh so delicious.  A great way to end our first full day in Barcelona.  This city just has so much to offer and I am so excited we have two and a half more days in this city.  Tonight, I am thankful for amazing food, Sunday Funday street markets, music from all different genres, Barcelona and a great friend, Terro, to spend it with!!  

[awalzy9-blog]

Arrivederci Italia! Hola Barcelona!!  Due to the food options, pizza was the only thing in airport that looked appetizing.  Cin Cin to our last day in Italy and we are excited that our travel journey continues to Spain.  We managed to get all of our suitcases and bags on the airplane without any extra charge or overage fees.  A miracle.  The flight was uneventful and we took a train into the city.  As we walk out of the metro station, we were greeted by one of Gaudi's famous buildings, Casa Batllo.  It was all lit up and beautiful!  We stayed at Hotel Europa which we were pleasantly surprised at how great the location was and how nice the room was.  The hotel concierge was so helpful and recommended this fabulous restaurant, Ciutat Condal (Cuidad Condal), that was delicious and relatively inexpensive.  The seating inside was a hour wait list and decided to eat outside where we waited for 40 minutes.  It was so great to eat tapas, drink sangria and people watch the lively streets of Barcelona.  While I loved my Italian wine and food, after 10 weeks, I loved eating some fresh seafood and spanish food.  The weather was perfect in the high 60s and we had a great walk home.  Today, I am grateful for all my memories in Italy and for Spanish drinks/food (sangria/tapas).      

[awalzy9-blog]

Our day of “see you later” continued as I don’t like saying goodbyes.  Terri and I had another adventure after work as we had to get the car cleaned in order to return it domani (tomorrow).  The place we went was at a gas station/bar which was quite interesting.  They had Prosecco on tap and the cutest little puppy that entertained us while we waited for the car.  Almost two hours later the car was in tip top condition and we were off to my parents Italian casa for dinner.  My parents were able to visit the wineries I mentioned below that we were unable to get to and they opened some wine from those wineries as a celebratory dinner of almost being doctors of physical therapy.  My parents were able to spend time with a patient of mine who is so gracious to show them around the Umbrian region.  My dad who rarely gives compliments told me my patient and her husband kept telling them how great of a therapist I was and a lovely fine woman.  It meant a lot for my dad to tell me that.  I am not always the best compliment receiver but I try to accept gracefully.  I definitely always appreciate the compliments.  My parents are so wonderful and it was nice to have a good meal prepared for us after a long day of goodbyes and I always enjoy spending time with my parents.  From there, we went to Dream Bar to meet Mihaela for a goodbye which lead to a night out at this local pub in Umbertide that we never knew about.  We had a wonderful time talking about old memories and how our friendships have grown so quickly in the last 10 weeks.  Hopefully, Terri and I convinced Mihaela to come to the states to visit us because she loves to travel as much as we do.  The next day was a beautiful sunny morning in Umbertide and the “see you later” continued at Laghi di Faldo.  The pictures above are with our neighbors, Stefano and one of his daughters, who helped fix anything we needed during our stay at Laghi.  One more time, we visited dream bar to get one more picture with Mihaela, get one more expresso for the road, and get one more hug with our dear friend.  Silvia we missed you.  From there, we were off to FCO to head off our next adventure to Spanga.  Umbertide, you were an amazing home for me the last 10 weeks and will always be like a home to me.  I have enjoyed all my experiences (good and bad), the people I have met and the wonderful little town that I was lucky to call home.  This post is dedicated to every person I met throughout this journey in Italy, all the people that helped me along the way whether it was help ordering at a restaurant, help with a patient or help with directions, the constant adventure that awaited me every day, the beautiful landscapes that I was able to enjoy and run through and the friendships I made along the way.  This place will always be special to me.  I am grateful for Italy, Prosperius, Umbertide and all the special bonds I made with my new friends (you all know who you are)!!  Arrivederci!!

[awalzy9-blog]

I woke up this morning to a beautiful, foggy sunrise typical of Umbertide and I wouldn't want it any other way.  I can't believe this is my last day of my Italian clinical internship IV.  I walked to work this morning with so many mixed emotions of happiness and sadness.  Terri and I bought food for the therapists at Prosperius as a small token as our appreciation for everything they have done in the past 10 weeks.  My mom made lemon cheesecake squares which were a big hit among the therapists.  It was difficult to say goodbye to my patients but they are in good hands with Carrie taking over my caseload.  At lunch, I spent a few minutes on my beloved rooftop listening to "One more time" a lunchtime ritual that Katie and I developed over the last couple of weeks at Prosperius.  It was a glorious day with the sun shining so bright.  Then, Gabriela brought in Prosecco for a little goodbye celebration.  Most of the therapists came and gave multiple hugs, kisses, grazies, and "in bocca al lupo" which translates to "in the wolf's mouth" which is their version of good luck!  Emanuele told me earlier this week that "Prosperius was going to cry on Friday because I was leaving!"  If you know anything about Emanuele, this is a huge compliment and really touched my heart.  The day ended with hugs from everyone including Emanuele which is another big deal and some happy tears.

"If joy allows you to walk a yard above the ground, nothing will cause you to trip." - Baci Chocolate. That's how I feel about this internship. It has brought so much joy to my life that for the last 10 weeks that I really feel as though I have been living this amazing dream where I listened to music I have never listened to before, attempted to learn another language and culture, treated patients through our main method of communication - gestures, and learned more about myself and the person I want to be.  This internship has allowed me to grow as a culturally competent therapist and as a person.  It provides the opportunity to work in a distinctive setting that combines acute, inpatient, and outpatient therapies in one place.  The constant translations, questions, advice/suggestions for treatments, dinner or new places to visit, batti cinques (high fives) and the friendships that led to a unique clinical experience that you would not be able to experience anywhere else.  Not only did I learn a different healthcare system and way to practice physical therapy but I also learned a lot of lessons that can't be taught in a classroom or at any clinical in the states.  In addition, you have the opportunity to travel and see the world without the constant stresses at home (jobs, friends, family, etc.) to get in your way.  My clinic IV was an experience I'll never forget.  I am the most thankful for the Italian culture/language, patients that allow students to treat them, daily lessons at work, laughter and high fives between the staff, new friendships, wonderful CIs/mentors, seeing a new place every weekend and unforgettable memories that I will hold in my heart forever.

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Montevibiano ( March 13) was a great first wine tasting for the new students and last wine tasting in Italy for Terri and I.  It was recommended my by wonderful CI, Emanuele, who is a fountain of knowledge on physical therapy, cameras and life.  This little gem was about 40 minutes south of Umbertide and just past Perugia.  Some other winery suggestions from Emanuele was La Spina (five minute drive from Montevibiano) and Tenuta Castelbuono.  My parents were able to try those wineries and spoke highly of the wine quality.  Montevibiano does a vineyard tour twice a day and we just missed it as we arrived at the vineyard.  However, I would recommend to do that if time permits because the lady described the tour and it sounded very cool.  We were able to watch the sunset while enjoying some of Italy's finest red wines and delicious cheese.  It was a fun afternoon getting to know the new students, Carrie, Steph and Logan, as well as giving advice to them regarding their upcoming clinical.  It's always difficult for me pass along responsibilities to new people whether it was the cheerleading captain position back in high school or my graduate assistant position or my patients.  But, I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to share my wisdom and shed some fear or apprehension regarding the clinical experience if there was any to begin with.  I know we are leaving our Prosperius patients and family in good hands.  After a wonderful afternoon of wine tasting and driving through the Umbrian Italian countryside, I had a date at my beloved Dream Bar with the CPI.  This is the evaluation tool we use for clinical rotations to evaluate our performance.  It can be a lengthy or time consuming process.  That's why I am ever so grateful to the Italian CIs (especially Emanuele and AK Giacomo) for filling out this evaluation.  It's long and comprehensive and for them in another language.  So, tonight I am thankful for the new students and wishing them the best experience at Prosperius, the CIs for filling out the CPIs, and for the opportunity to share our knowledge of the past 10 weeks!

[awalzy9-blog]

It's hard to believe that its the last week of this internship. This week (March 10-14), I have tried to make all my last days count and see all the things I wanted to before I left. Terri and I made a trip to Arezzo last Friday and we discovered some cool churches and probably my favorite clock tower yet so I wanted to return. My parents had not visited Arezzo yet so we had a fun family road trip to Arezzo on Tuesday. But, this trip involved no shopping due to my Dad's presence but that's okay because my bank account needed a rest anyway. We wondered through the city to find a huge park on the top of a hill that overlooked the Italian countryside. The sun was setting which made it all the more beautiful. I have a wonderful camera and thanks to Emanuele he has taught me how to use it to take better pictures. However, the shades of colors of the sunset can never truly be captured with a camera although, I will always keep trying. We had great family time walking through the city and chatting away about their upcoming travels and mine as well. I loved having my parents here while I was in Italy and I loved being able to show them around. They really are the best parents a girl could ask for. After their month in Umbertide, they head north to Basel, Switzerland and catch a cruise that goes up the Rhine River and ends in Amsterdam. Just in case anyone wondered where I got my travel genes from. I do believe there could be some genetic predisposition to my travel bug. I couldn't leave Arezzo without returning to Istanbul Kebap. It was heaven in my mouth the first time around and I needed to go back for me. The lady remembered me and gave me some Baklava on the house. Clearly, I made an impression on her the first time I came when I ordered two wraps. Baklava is my favorite Turkish dessert and I was so excited to eat them. Anyone who ever goes to Arezzo must eat at Istanbul Kebap, I promise you won't be disappointed. On wednesday, Terri and I were eating dinner with Elisa and her cousin in Sansepolcro and before we met them for dinner, we decided to head to Montone. It's a tiny town mere minutes from Umbertide and we heard good things so we went for another Terri and Alyssa adventure. We arrived at sunset and its another tiny hilltop mountain town. Terri and I wondered into a random door that led to stairs that led to an open area park at the highest point in the town which offered us incredible views of the surrounding area. It was a quick trip but I was glad we made it to Montone. From there, we had a delicious dinner with Elisa and Danne, her cousin. It's really fun eating dinner with the locals and getting a taste of their lives in Italy. It was great company and it was really sinking in that I was leaving. I really am going to miss all these people. We have shared many laughs, questions, confusions, new words, tears, hugs and batti cinques. We passed a bar called Carpe Diem which means Seize the Day. That is what I have been trying to do this whole trip. So, tonight, I am thankful to the wonderful Italian friends we have made, little towns in Italy and to Carpe Diem!!

[awalzy9-blog]

My favorite song and new motto... "Baby, don't worry bout a thing... Every little thing gonna be alright"! The Original Wailers are so amazing live!!!

[awalzy9-blog]

This Sunday Funday (March 9) was started off just nice with me watching the sunrise from our little casa writing in my journal. Once Terri woke up, we decided to hike some of the many Umbertide hills we have driven by so many times while we have been here. The first photo is the hill that I ran down with the sun shining in my face and running in the middle of the field in Umbertide gave me pure bliss. I wanted to lay down and roll down the hill like a child but the ground was still wet from all the rain we have been having. After that hike, we picked up my Dad and headed to our next adventurous hike up the mountain where we always saw the castle from Laghi. Due to the mud and poorly marked path, we had our work cut out for us. Unfortunately, our hike ended when we realized we might be on private property. Later, we found out that the castle is privately own which is why there is no direct path to the residence. After getting 10K steps in (Dr. Lorio's projects), my parents, Aunt Libbo, Terri and I met a friend and her husband (from the hospital) at a local place called Da Mimma. The place didn't look like much from the outside but inside was quite nice. They had some old brick architecture in the foundation of the building which made it very different inside and beautiful. It's amazing how some old ruins can make everything more appealing to the eye. The meal was wonderful but the company was even better. Everyone was chatting and we were learning the stories of Marianne and Andrew and their experiences in England and Italy. The conversation was never dull. They helped us navigate the menu and told many old historical stories. They continued to give helpful hints to my parents regarding their stay and tons of restaurant recommendations. Truly lovely people. What a great couple together. I tried a seafood risotto which was excellent but their house white wine was fantastic. It was sparkling and not as sweet as prosecco plus it was 6 euros a liter. I am going to miss these wine prices when I return home. I just sat at the table at one moment and listened to everyone chatter and felt so special that we were all together because of me and everyone was having a great time. How cool to meet people in Italy at your work then go to eat with the locals. I just had a moment where I really was truly amazed with myself and how far I have come in my life. The lunch was a special experience and I was glad to be able to see them one more time before I head home. That's the thing about traveling. You never know who you are going to meet and how they will impact your life and how or if you change theirs. Sometimes you will never know but I do think everyone we meet has a purpose. I was so lucky to have met them. They were great to me and continued to be great to my parents. After the wonderful lunch, Terri and I went to our beloved Dream Bar to work on the next adventure in our Europe trip, Spain! Let's just say Terri did most of the work and I just agreed. My mind was a little distracted to say the least. So thanks Terri for that! I had seen a sign in Foligno yesterday about Bob Marley's The Original Wailers playing in Perugia tonight and I had to go. It didn't start until 23:00 but I was determined to see them live. I contacted a good friend from work Andrea and he said I could join him and his friend. Again just trying to live it up my last days in Italy for this trip. I met him in Perugia and he took me to an authentic Perugian restaurant, Testone, with local food that was so delicious. From there, we met his friend and we were off to the concert. I have to give a quick shout out to Andrea because the car ride over to the concert, he continuously translated the conversation between him and I to his friend that spoke some English then his conversation between him and his friend to me which I spoke little Italian. It really meant a lot because I know it's a pain to translate all the time and I appreciated him taking the extra time to translate the conversations for both of us. The concert was oh so amazing! I never knew how much I loved Reggae and The Original Wailers until I got to see them live. It was such a great experience. I even ran into my old friend Chiara. I took a video of my favorite song. I will post that next. Sunday Funday was one of my favorites since being in Italy. Tonight, I am so thankful for the people I am lucky enough to meet on this trip, Reggae music and good friends!!!

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This weekend (March 7-9) was off to a good start with Terri and I making a trip to Arezzo. One of my PT buddy’s at work (Giulia) recommended going to Arezzo because the town has wonderful shopping. Oh it did!! We were surprised with a bigger Virginia Highlands shopping district with big beautiful churches, old buildings/ruins, and squares with clock towers in the middle of it all. I found some goodies when shopping including a fabulous brown/black two toned purse that I absolutely love and it was only 20 euro. Terri had found Istanbul Kebap on Tripadvisor and it was the number 2 rated restaurant in Arezzo. It was the best gyro I have ever had. The ingredients were fresh and the beef was delicious. I loved it so much that I bought round 2. I guess Terri and I made an impression on the owner because she gave us little treats to go. That was one of the cheapest and most delicious dinners we have had in awhile. Our short trip to Arezzo was worthwhile and we both had a great time with each other. The next day we agreed to meet my family in Spoleto for lunch. As Terri and I were headed to Norcia, Terri told me to get off at the Foligno exit and I cut across traffic to make the exit. So glad that I did. We have two therapists that live in Foligno and we pass it whenever we go south so we decided it was worth a visit. This saturday morning they had a fantastic market plus a whole square that had all antiques. It’s such a cool little Italian town that had treasures for Terri and I to find. I found a beautiful purple ring (I know I love purple) and a metal necklace. Where Terri found some old old magazines for an artist friend. The rain hit and that’s when we knew our time in Foligno was up. Time to make our way to Spoleto. Umbria is full of all these wonderful cities that have so much to offer to the eager Americans like ourselves or anyone just wanting to see the world. Spoleto was another beautiful hill top city that had a beautiful duomo and castle to offer. We had a delightful lunch and because it was the day of the woman (festa di donne) we were given 15% discount and some beautiful yellow flowers. We need to adopt this holiday in the states. From Spoleto, Montefalco was on our way home and my Aunt Libbo really wanted to do some wine tasting. After three failed attempts to get into wineries, we had success at Arnaldo-Caprai which offered us some of the finest wines of the region. Although this region is famous for the Sagrantino, the montefalco rosso was my favorite from this night. It was so fun spending the afternoon with my parents, Aunt Libbo and Terri in Italy just traveling around. A very surreal feeling. In addition, we were lucky enough to witness the most gorgeous sunset over the winery with light just glowing from the hills. What a wonderful day without a plan finding treasures in little towns and an evening of wine tasting to finish it off. After wine tasting, we spent the rest of the evening at my parent's Italian casa to hang out and it turned into a night of reminiscing my chilldhood and old family stories. Love nights that turn out like that. Tonight, I am thankful for little Italian towns and family.

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Today is a sad day because the Maroon 3 lose one of its own and the 5 Americanos become 2 before the next group comes on Saturday. The pictures are a compliation of photos from that day and some of my preferiti pazienti (favorite patients) that are being discharged this week at the same time that the SLU girls are leaving. It's always good that they get to go home but its bittersweet not to see their faces everyday. The top picture is of my CI for the last couple weeks who is so smart and one of the best fisioterapista at Prosperius in my opinion. He is a manual therapy genius. I stumbled upon the rooftop at Prosperius which often gave me some fresh air and prospective when I needed it. It became a hangout for Katie and I after lunch when the sun was shining. On her last day, we went up to the rooftop for "one more time", to share our favorite chocolate bubbles with carmel then to have a dance party in the rain to "One More Time" one of our theme songs for this trip. She really has become a great friend to me and is always ready for an adventure. I can count on her to talk, listen, and for a good laugh always. I appreciate her positive attitude and hunger for traveling. The next photo is of a lot of the fisioterapistas at Prosperius with some of the wonderful CIs who have done more for us on this internship then words can describe and more than they will ever know. We appreciate their constant help, translations, and guidance throughout this internship. The other therapists were also wonderful and helpful to us throughout this amazing experience. We are so grateful for everyone at Prosperius. AK Giacomo was my CI for the first half of the internship and Katie's CI for the last half so we shared a lot of the same patients hence the many photos of all of us together. Hence, AK Giacomo's nickname (Alyssa Katie's Giacomo). The last picture is a photo of Katie and I before we spent our final wednesday night at a rock party in Perugia. She was always up for anything and my partner in crime. I enjoyed our countless walks to work and sunday morning walks around new cities with talks about everything and anything. I am so lucky to have met all these wonderful people and I can't believe I only have one week left at Prosperius, a place where I have learned more than physical therapy. I have learned many life lessons and a new meaning of cultural competence. Today (last Thursday March 6), I am thankful for everyone at Prosperius, the SLU girls for making this internship fun and exciting, Maroon 3 and Katie for becoming a great friend of mine!! Ti voglio bene!!!

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Carnevale Italian style 2014!!! What can I say other than it was an amazingly fun day at work with patients and therapists dressed up. It is always nice to see the more relaxed fun side of your fellow co-workers. There were so interesting costumes but my favorite I think goes to Giacomo who was Mario from the Mario Brothers (pictured in the post below). The fiesta for Carnevale took place at Adamo in Umbertide. Originally the 5 Americanos were going to attend at the Spice Girls but it ended up just being Katie and I so we settled for the 80s work out girls. The most creative and cheap costume we could come up with in 24 hours. Terri's artistic side came out again and decided to take a photo shoot of us on my bed hence the crazy photos above. There were a big showing of work friends and it is so nice to see everyone outside of the work environment. There was a live band and we danced for many hours. Much laughter, good food, and dancing was the perfect way to spend Carnevale. Tonight, I am thankful for Carnevale, Katie who is always ready for an adventure, and all the Prosperius people that we were able to see in a new light tonight. Wahoo to Carnevale 2014!!!