Blog 2: First Impressions

I have been having an amazing experience in Cagliari! I’m thrilled that we have such a great group of students from Northeastern - everyone is friendly, fun, and eager to experience  the island and culture together. This past week, we chose 5 words to sum up why Cagliari is a great city to live in - here are some of the words we chose (and some of my own) to describe  my experience thus far:


Weather (Clima) - The weather has been absolutely beautiful during our time here. Perfect for wandering the city, beach days, and our hike to Devil’s Saddle :)


Beach (Spiggia) - I love the beach, and the beach here has certainly not disappointed (so much so that I went 3 times in my first four days!). The water feels amazing, there are excellent views, and it’s easily accessible via bus. 


Food (Cibo) - I have wholeheartedly embraced immersing myself in the Italian culture by enjoying the food as much as possible. I’ve had excellent pasta, pizza, gelato, cappuccinos, traditional Sardinian dishes, and more in my time here thus far. I was pleasantly surprised at how affordable meals have been in comparison to back home, and look forward to trying lots more!


People (Persone) - I know very little Italian (currently training on Duolingo!!), and appreciate that people have been very understanding and considerate in communicating with me as I navigate the language barrier. Everyone I’ve interacted with has generally been kind and helpful, and helped me to feel more comfortable here. At the university, I met students Alexandra and Julia (who are both from Poland), Andrea, and Daniel. They were all very friendly, and excited to learn about us, Boston, and Northeastern. It was really cool to learn about Poland from Alexandra and Julia, learn about Sardinia from Andrea, and talk about the things we all have in common. I’ve run into Alexandra and Julia, as well as a few other university students, multiple times since meeting them, and they’ve continued to be incredibly friendly!


Architecture (Architettura) - It’s been amazing to explore Cagliari and take in the architecture, landscape, and history.  At both the archaeology museum and on our tour with Paula, I enjoyed learning about Sardinia’s rich history, and its ties to various empires, nations, religions, etc. It’s interesting to see how a variety of influences have impacted Cagliari’s architecture. I’ve enjoyed wandering the city and seeing the alleys, street art, and flora throughout (and the cats!). I explored the botanical gardens, which are home to lots of interesting vegetation and a few turtles! I look forward to seeing more of the natural landscapes and architecture as we venture to other parts of Cagliari.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog 1: Expectations

I am incredibly excited to travel to Italy! This is my first time traveling outside of the United States, so I don’t have any previous experience being in another country and immersed in their culture. Because I am not a practiced traveler, it might initially be a bit difficult to adjust and navigate typical travel difficulties, such as the language barrier, cultural understanding, and just jet lag. However, I am very open and eager to try new things, and hope to gain as many new experiences as possible. I look forward to trying new foods, exploring Sardinia, and learning about the language and customs. I am especially excited to engage with various people and hear their stories. Beyond our group excursions, I hope to explore the landscape by going on runs around Cagliari. I will actively seek out opportunities to venture beyond tourist experiences and learn about Sardinia’s lifestyle, history, and culture. As far as my expectations and preconceived notions about Italy, I have heard am
Read more

Blog 4: Sulcis and Carloforte

Image
My, my, my.... where to even begin!  Ou r first weekend trip was absolutely incredible. We started off strong with the land rover ride - our carpool energy was UNMATCHED. We made our way through 2000s classics (Baby is still stuck in my head), country (Annalisa's fave), Spanish music (thank you Ian!), and more. Here's a pic of the band (first album coming soon): Voices tired and spirits high, we got off the rovers at our first stop - a mining complex named Montevecchio of the Medio Campidano province in the Arbus/Piscinas area. This complex was central to mining in south-west Sardinia, and is now a UNESCO world heritage site. We got a glimpse of the mining lifestyle (the 6-person lift system, the tools involved, the minerals - lead and silver - in demand, the associated dangers, and more). Then we channeled our inner 7 dwarves/District 12/Minecraft energy, donned our hard hats, and ventured down into the mines to explore: After our underground adventure, we hopped back in the r
Read more

Blog 6: Sinis & Bosa

Image
 Aaaaaand we're back from another wonderful, mind-boggling weekend adventure! Last weekend was a hard one to follow, but it (somehow) has been topped! Here's what we we've been up to: First up, a bonus beach! Not technically apart of our weekend excursion, but we went to Chia on the southwest coast on Saturday! Snorkeling, exploring the rocks, and swimming for a few hours made for a lovely start to June: The next morning, we were off to Bosa on the western coast. We wandered the pretty streets, popped into some cool artisan shops, stood in tiny doorways, and met some friendly cats - all while listening to rock music from the "Bosa in Rock" festival along the river. We had a nice lunch along the Temo River (accompanied by a Kiss cover band) and walked up to the Malaspina castle at the top of the hill to get a view of town and the water:       Leaving Bosa to the tune of "Don't Stop Believin'", we headed to the Sinis peninsula area and my favorite
Read more