Guiselle Ramirez Lema
"My Amazing European Adventure"
By Guiselle Ramirez Lema
|
Well, this was an amazing experience overall... I was able to be an ambassador of HERLIFE DC Metro Magazine for the initial portion of my trip with a beautiful group of young women to compete representing the USA. What a proud moment indeed. Although this was not the first time visiting a European country, it was my first time in Italy. It's quite a beautiful place and certainly has many beautiful people too. I was very surprised at the fact that my native language Spanish was a great help to communicate with Italians. Calabria is a small town in southwest Italy, it occupies the "toe" of the country’s boot-shaped peninsula. It's a sun-baked region of rugged mountains, old-fashioned villages and dramatic coastline with many popular beaches. Coastal Reggio Calabria, its largest city is home to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale and its Riace Bronzes, a famous pair of Greek warriors dating back to the 5th century B.C.E.Capital: Catanzaro.
Flag of Italy
|
|
It was easy to make friends on my adventures around the castle . The hotel where we stayed was really nice, unfortunately the weather wasn't helping to enjoy the beautiful blue ocean ...so I was lucky enough to leave the HERLIFE group and travel off on my own to the country of Sweden where I feasted my eyes on the clear and clean beauty of the city. The people were very open and welcoming and I felt like a special vistor. I also loved the fact that they use a bicycles as their major form of transportation...from a mother shopping for groceries to a lawyer getting commuting to work. I could not help from noticing how most people were in very good shape. I'm pretty sure the food helps too and by the way, the food was delicious. I had the great opportunity to visit this one one restaurant that just blew my mind ...wow!
~Stockholm~
|
I started my day with a delicious omelet and coffee in small coffee shop before began my adventure. First I fell in love with a colorful fruit stand at Stermalms Fukt in Ostermalm . As I walked along Strandvagen by Nybroviken Bay, on a street along the water, there was a beautiful view that mesmerized my soul. At Lunch, Later, I got more coffee and my free salad and bread at Dramatiska tavern before I visited (The Royal Dramatic Theatre , it's Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788.) As I was walked gleefully, I told myself how much I wanted to share the great things was experiencing. I was blessed enough to travel to 3 different countries in a short amount of time and enjoy every minute of it .
Overlooking Nybroviken, a small bay in central Stockholm, Sweden. Nybroviken separates the city district Östermalm from the peninsula of Blasieholmen. |
National Flag of Sweden
|
~Rome~
After a few memorable days in Sweden, I travelled back to Rome. I felt like such a lucky girl to have a friend of the family pick me up from the airport. I stayed in their comfortable house just outside of Rome. The family was an amazing group of people that treated me like a member of the family. Later I took a quick shower and ran off to view some awesome scenes around the city of Rome. My first stop was the famous Vatican museum, there were so many fact that I learned about in this sacred place. The Vatican is actually its own country – and the smallest in the world. This fact is not new to most people, but were you also aware that there are only about 800 residents of this tiny nation with even fewer citizens? The Vatican citizenship is not guaranteed by birth, but by appointment, and is terminal, ending when a citizen discontinues residency. The Vatican Museums contain one of the largest art collections in the world, with over 9 miles of pieces, which could wrap four and half times around the Vatican walls. Its 1,400 rooms, chapels, and galleries. After a long walk in the rain we took many pictures and continued to my next stop in JANICULUM (IL GIANICOLO). If you hear talk of the “8th Hill” of Rome, don't be surprised. Janiculum is one of the highest hills, even though it isn't one of the Seven Hills of the “Eternal City”. But it is famous for being one of the most charming corners of Rome . I stood on a balcony with breath-taking views over the expanse of churches, piazzas, and monuments below, with the meandering Tiber taking centre stage.
At this point I was so exited to keep admiring this gorgeous views and I couldn't have asked for better company my host shared some great information about my surroundings.
At this point I was so exited to keep admiring this gorgeous views and I couldn't have asked for better company my host shared some great information about my surroundings.
So my next destination was Plaza de España is one of the most popular meeting place in Roma it's also one of the most visually pleasing square . The combination of a monumental staircase ( the famous Spanish steps ) a obelisk and a beautiful church.
I continued my day Visiting La Plaza del pueblo - Piazza del Popolo is a large urban square in Rome. The name in modern Italian literally means "People's Square", but historically it derives from the poplars after which the church of Santa Maria del Popolo . After a couple other places we visited one of my favorites...The Roman Colosseum or Coliseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, was commisioned in AD 72 by Emperor Vespasian. It was completed by his son, Titus, in 80, with later improvements by Domitian. The Colosseum is located just east of the Roman forums was built to a practical design, with its 80 arched entrances allowing easy access to 55,000 spectators, who were seated according to rank. The Coliseum is huge, an ellipse 188m long and 156 wide. Originally 240 masts were attached to stone corbels on the 4th level.
Just outside the Coliseum is the Arch of Constantine (Arco di Costantino), a 25m high monument built in AD315 to mark the victory of Constantine over Maxentius at Pons Milvius.
I continued my day Visiting La Plaza del pueblo - Piazza del Popolo is a large urban square in Rome. The name in modern Italian literally means "People's Square", but historically it derives from the poplars after which the church of Santa Maria del Popolo . After a couple other places we visited one of my favorites...The Roman Colosseum or Coliseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, was commisioned in AD 72 by Emperor Vespasian. It was completed by his son, Titus, in 80, with later improvements by Domitian. The Colosseum is located just east of the Roman forums was built to a practical design, with its 80 arched entrances allowing easy access to 55,000 spectators, who were seated according to rank. The Coliseum is huge, an ellipse 188m long and 156 wide. Originally 240 masts were attached to stone corbels on the 4th level.
Just outside the Coliseum is the Arch of Constantine (Arco di Costantino), a 25m high monument built in AD315 to mark the victory of Constantine over Maxentius at Pons Milvius.
~Paris~
~Copa
(Layout by Rodney Wayne Branche)