Photos taken by Taylor Cameron (University of Virginia), Student Correspondent for CET Siena, Summer 2023
Rome, Italy
After spending the weekend in Siena for the Palio, I traveled both within and outside of Italy for the next two weekends. My first weekend trip was with other CET students, and we started out with 24 hours in Rome. We packed as many sights as possible into this short amount of time. Our first stop upon our arrival was seeing the Colosseum that night.
The next morning, we woke up at 4:30 am to start our day early. My CET friends and I first walked to the Trevi fountain, which at 5:00 am was significantly less crowded than usual. I threw a euro over my left shoulder into the fountain, a tradition to ensure I would return to Rome!
Then, we went to see the Colosseum from the inside. While the line to get in was long and the heat was scorching, it was worthwhile to see a monumental piece of history and learn a bit about the story behind it. With our tickets to the Colosseum, we also received tickets to see the Roman Forum. We first strolled through the ruins before climbing some stairs for a view from above; this was my favorite sight in Rome.
After a jam-packed day in Rome, we traveled by bus a few hours south to Naples, where we spent some time in Sorrento. This was one of my favorite towns that we’ve visited, with stunning views and crystal-clear water.
CET Art Activity
Photo 6: In-between weekends, I attended our weekly CET event. This week’s event was one of my favorites; we participated in an art-class. Using clay, we each created pots, shown here by my CET friend Megan.
Barcelona, Spain
After a short week in Siena, I took a solo trip to Barcelona to meet one of my best friends who is studying abroad in the city. While I was nervous at first to travel alone, it all went smoothly. I saw as much Gaudi architecture as I could, starting with Park Güell which had a stunning view of Barcelona and is well-known for the mosaic benches shown here.
Next on my list of Gaudi architecture to see was to see some of his most famous works, the 3 Houses of Gaudi. Shown here is Casa Batlló, my favorite of the three with dragon-like scales adorning it.
The next day, I visited the Sagrada Familia, which interestingly has been under construction for the past 140 years. The inside is just as beautiful as the outside, with colorful stained glass and more unique Gaudi architecture.
I ended my weekend in Barcelona by trying paella for the first time. This was one of the things I was looking forward to most in the city, and it did not disappoint! It was the perfect end to my time in Barcelona. After these past few busy weeks, I’m now looking forward to my last few days in Siena and eating as much Italian food as possible before I travel home.