Nadir Kahn - Florence, Italy, March 31-April 2- San Lorenzo Market

On our second day in Florence, we strolled over to the famous tourist site: the San Lorenzo Market. At first, we thought that the stands were going to be filled with tacky touristic merchandise that was made anywhere but Italy, but we were wrong for the most part. Many of the stands featured authentic Italian leather goods and Italian carnival masks, alongside the usual touristy t-shirts that say “I Love Italy” and the abundance of magnets and key chains. Even though the market is open all week long, we were still able to bargain down prices during the markets’ daily close. On our tour of Florence, we passed by the notable Porcellino (Little Pig) Market which is located on the south side of the market. The market features the wild boar fountain, which was created in 1612 by Pietro Taccas. Legend states that if you rub the pig statue’s snout, it means that you will return to Florence.

Amber Sass - Pisa, Italy - March 31

(photo by Liz Weeden)

As we made our way from La Spezia to Florence, we did a drive-by beauty stop of Pisa. We drove around the town trying to make our way to the famous leaning tower. We pulled up to it and all ran immediately to find the best spot to take pictures of us holding up the tower. Everyone took turns getting on top of a stump to take the picture. From certain angles, the tower did not look like it was leaning, but from others it looked as if it was about to fall over. The tower itself was exactly the same as it looks in pictures. The photographs do it justice; this is probably the only structure that this is true for.

TJ Samson - Cinque Terre, Italy - March 29-30

(Photos by Liz Weeden)

Today we hiked the Cinque Terre (Five Villages) in Italy. The Cinque Terre is noted for its beauty. Over centuries, people have carefully built these villages on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. The entire hilled landscape was terraced and used for housing as well as crops for grapes and olives. The traditional sea route for hiking was closed off, so a group of us took the alternative path. This path was much more difficult and went up and down the terraces. It was the best view of the whole entire area as well as an excellent work out. From the top you can see the entire sparkling coast line of the area in contrasts with the rough terrain it engulfs.

Alexi Knock - Geneve, Switzerland - March 27-28 (photos by Alexi Knock)

After staying the night in Anemasse, France, we piled into the vans and took a surprisingly short drive to Geneva, Switzerland. Geneva is home to the Human Rights headquarters of the United Nations, so it was literally the perfect place to learn more for our human rights course. Upon arriving in the city, I noticed right away that most of the people were dressed in business attire. This was because the majority of them are involved in the UN; and for the day, so were we. Our first stop was the UN Human Rights Commission, where a guest speaker spoke to us about his duties with the UN. We learned that the UN is divided into several different departments and is constantly striving for peace and cooperation amongst countries. After the UN Human Rights Commission meeting, we visited the United Nations office of Geneva. Surprisingly, the building was beautiful and had artifacts and paintings donated from all over the world. Because of this, the building itself was a symbol of the unity of the countries. One of the most spectacular parts of the building was the ceiling of the famous Room XX. It was painted by Miquel Barcelo in 2008 and created to look like the interior of a cave. Visiting the buildings of the UN in Geneva was extremely inspiring and strengthened my hope that maybe one day the Declaration of Human Rights will be followed by every country in all situations.

Kirsten White - Carcassonne, France - March 25-26 (photo by Liz Weeden)

Carcassonne, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest existing walled city in the southwest region of France, about one hour from the bustling university city of Toulouse. The medieval city contains narrow cobblestone streets lined with small pastry shops, souvenir stores, and traditional cafes. The giant stone wall on the outside containing a drawbridge originally served as a massive form of defense. Now, the bridge allows for patrons to wander the city by day and residential vehicles to roam back inside by night. In addition to the outside wall, another one stands on the inside, creating a circular blockade which further guards the city. Restored in 1853 through the campaign undertaken by Viollet-le-Duc, Carcassonne’s streets, buildings, walls, and gothic cathedral remain a notable example of a pre-Roman period settlement. As we trekked around the city, I couldn’t help but imagine the Catholic residents defending their fortress through arrow defense as intruders emerged from the surrounding hillside land. The old world architecture juxtaposed with modern day trinket souvenirs and ice cream dispensers proved an interesting experience.

Tom DiBlasi - Barcelona, Spain - March 23 - 24 (photos by Liz Weeden)

On March 22nd and 23rd we stayed in Barcelona, Spain. While there, we visited the famous Sagrada Familia and the Park Guell. Both of these sites were created by the architect Antoni Gaudi. These works of arts have been named UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Sagrada Familia is a Roman Catholic Church that is not comparable to any other church in the world. It was recently consecrated a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI. Gaudi made the structure Gothic and curvilinear but added a combination of Art Nouveau, arches, and columns. The construction of the church began in 1882 and is due to be completed by 2026, the 100-year anniversary of Gaudi’s death. This beautiful work is taking a long time to build because of several interruptions. One of the most devastating events was the Sagrada Familia’s struggle with reliance on private donations. Another unfortunate turn of events was the Spanish Civil War. The Civil War had put construction on hold until 1950. The Park Guell is named after Count Eusebi Guell, after it was an unsuccessful housing site. The park was built between 1900 and 1914. There were two houses built within the park, by Francesco Berenguer. The two houses were occupied by Guell and Gaudi, respectively. The park was built to allow for people to relax and find peace. The terrace above the park provides a great view of the park. Both of these works are unique and similar in design. Gaudi’s work is very distinctive with his creative design.

Michael Dickerson - Monserrat, Spain - March 23

So far on this outstanding Odyssey I have seen so much beauty that it is almost overwhelming. Yet there are still places that are able to take your breath away. We were on our way to Barcelona, but were making a quick stop at a place called Montserrat. About thirty minutes into the van ride a towering unmistakable mountain chain loomed in the distance. The rocks shot up into the sky in a jagged pattern, almost appearing that they were placed there. It is hard to describe my initial judgment when I first saw Montserrat, but it can be largely summed up in a picture of my face with my mouth hanging agape. I have never seen anything like this in my entire life, it was truly unique. As we climbed away up the windy path the power of the mountain grew and grew. Everything about this moment was just simply perfect, even to the R.E.M song “Losing my Religion” in the background. That is especially fitting because Montserrat is one of the supposed locations of the Holy Grail, which is a fitting place for it because there isn’t anyway anyone could find in this behemoth of a mountain. As we got closer in became increasingly more apparent that it would be difficult to find a place to start, but luckily for us I have a secret weapon up my sleeve. This weapon is pity and my fractured foot is my ammunition. After convincing the guard that we needed to go farther because of my foot we arrived at the highest point that the vans could reach. While Montserrat was brimming to the top with natural beauty, the village was slightly disappointing. Dozens of touristy shops lined the streets; it appears that the long arm of capitalism can reach even the hardest to reach places. Montserrat is a natural wonder, but in the world we live in today nothing is safe from the need to make a quick buck. Two hundred years ago Montserrat was a destination for pilgrims and wayward travelers, now it has almost been reduced to another tourist stop along the road. Regardless of what is may have become now Montserrat is a wonder that exceeds words and gives you a glimpse of a more innocent time in the world.