David Bertschinger is a KWC junior majoring in physics. He is spending the Spring 2010 semester studying in Rome. He will be providing regular updates to KWConnect. Click here for an aggregate page of all his posts through the semester (newest posts at the top). View a larger gallery of his photos on KWC’s Flickr channel.

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“In restless dreams I walk alone, narrow streets of cobblestone.”

Paul Simon penned these words over forty years ago in the immortal classic ‘The Sound of Silence,’ but they have resonated with me over the past weeks I’ve spent on the other side of the Atlantic. Until today, I have been walking through a dream, always expecting to walk around the corner and see a distinctly American world once again.

However, there is no America to be found. Even the McDonald placard has been replaced with McItaly. The narrow streets, alleys and tall ancient buildings box me in like an architectural canyon. I let the flat, snow-covered farmland of northern Italy remind me of Illinois as the endless bus rides ship us from destination to destination. Every new stranger’s voice takes me farther from home as they chat in a language
that is still mostly gibberish to me.

Now, walk down the cobblestone, breathe the air and see Italy from the ground up with me.

The biggest difference between Italy and the United States … isn’t. Everything is smaller here. The streets, the cars, the stores, the restaurants, even the bathrooms are all notably diminutive. The average American driver would tremble at the thought of navigating the narrow and packed lanes of traffic that spider-web through the cities of Italy.

But even our coach (private tour buses) drivers deftly maneuver amongst the Fiats and Alfa Romeos through tight corners and roundabouts. Pedestrians have to be as fearless as the drivers when crossing streets, for they have no right-of-way but what they boldly claim for themselves by stepping into the crosswalk.

Off the streets, the stores are built into the old architecture of the city and some could not even fit 10 people who have no personal space issues. Not to be alarmed — there are many comfortable sit-down restaurants, café’s and bars where standing elbow to elbow is not required. However, you will get acquainted with those you sit with, as playing “footsie”, bumping arms and tapping knee caps is unavoidable at the small tables.

Public bathrooms are generally engineered so that there is enough room for the door to open inwards and just miss the fixtures, and no more. Getting in one requires mild contortionism at times.

Although, as a future engineer and overall practical person, I cannot solidly object to this efficiency of space.

Italians take great pride in their work. The squares (piazza) in Firenze house many street merchants and outdoor markets, where shop owners set up stands to display and sell their goods. While there are many souvenirs stands, others mainly include leather goods (jackets, gloves, wallets, purses) and scarves. When you barter with any of the store owners, they always detail the products and sing their praises as fine craftsmanship. They are eager to say how many generations have been in their business and to make you appreciate their work.

The culture, history and very atmosphere of Italy are vibrant and rich, but different from anything we’re used to in America. The true sights of a country are not found at the tourist-touted landmarks, but right on the street, feet on the cobblestone, walking through the dream of seeing the world.

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KWC ’s 2010 Winter Term (Jan. 4-22) included a class called Leadership Through Sailing. Veteran sailor and criminal justice professor Ken Ayers took three students (Ian Clark, Tyler Curran, Dustin Staves) to the Virgin Islands for the trip of a lifetime. We’ll be posting some of the students’ observations over the next few days. Click here for a compilation of their updates and photos.

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Intro:
– More than a lesson in sailing, this course was a lesson in life. It was a once in a lifetime chance to leave the comfort of your home and go to a place like no other and live a life most have only dreamed of. To experience a new culture, a new way of life, and an enlightenment that only these islands and sea can provide. Following in the wake of these old pirate trails, our sailing catamaran was our sea chariot to swashbuckling adventure. – Ian

On Learning to Sail:

– Having absolutely zero experience sailing a vessel of any kind, this was a very humbling experience. I soon realized that sailing is no joke and timing is critical; if something is done improperly or too slow, the result could be disastrous.

When I first set foot on the Caribbean Soul, I knew very little to none of the sailing terminology or the anatomy of the boat. I also had zero knowledge of tying knots. This was my first experience on a sailboat and I was going to have to listen carefully and learn quickly. Like a kid on his first day of school, I was wide-eyed and trying to absorb every bit of information that my brain could handle.

Right off I was taught how to moor the boat and tie a cleat hitch. Knowing how important this responsibility was, I went over the process in my head repeatedly throughout the day and that night … As time progressed on the boat, I slowly transformed from a completely worthless landlubber who knew nothing about sailing to a novice sailor who could somewhat handle themselves on a sailboat. – Tyler

– The sea is one of the most powerful forces on earth and we were paired toe to toe with it as we learned the basics, and later advanced techniques of harnessing wind in the art form known as sailing. Nothing comes easy in sailing as our group quickly found out while taking to the sea. Some situations take the patience of a school teacher, while others require the tenacity of the warrior. When done properly, the reward was smooth sailing backed by the clearest water in the world and the most beautiful scenery known to man. – Ian

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February 1st marked the start of my first full calendar month away from home and outside the United States. It’s easy to forget that I’m in a foreign country until I step outside and no one is speaking English. School is still uneventful and tiresome. I very much enjoy the first teacher, as she explains grammar concepts very well, and with some English if we need it. The second teacher knows hardly any English and only explains things in Italian. While being immersed in a language is the best way to learn it, no one learns to swim by being thrown in the deep end while someone shouts instructions from the lifeguard stand. That’s what it feels like anyway.

This afternoon, I researched a lot on the ski trip to Interlaken that we’re planning in a few weeks. I’m getting really pumped about hitting the slopes at Jungfrau

Tuesday was one of the best days I’ve had since I’ve gotten here. Class was nothing to sneeze at, although I’m still blowing my nose like it’s my job. After class, we went to the academic gallery and saw the original Statue of David in all his Apollo-esque glory.

The highlight of my day came afterwards though, when I walked with some friends up to Piazza di Michelangelo, a square up on a hill at the northwest corner of Firenze, overlooking the city. It was the most beautiful sight that I’ve seen since being in the duomo. Words and not even pictures can truly describe the view.

 

 The next day, we took another bus trip to a winery near Sienna. The wine tasting definitely was the highlight of the day. We sampled four different wines while we were there, and my table got seconds. The bus ride back was loud…and then quiet.

Thursday saw much rain and cloudiness to cover Firenze, and the extra two hours of class did not help anyone’s mood. Friday was our last day of class. I went to the first session with Constanza to review for our final. That evening we signed forms in preparation for going to Roma, and received a map, more housing info and a bus ticket.

Saturday was one of the longest days I’ve had thus far. I was up early at the usual time to eat breakfast, pack the last few things, and check out of my room. I then headed over to the school early so I could do some extra study for the final. The test itself was very straightforward and I feel confident that I did well.

Kids slowly drifted back to the hotel with food, preparing to leave on one of four buses, departing at fifteen minute intervals. Last night we learned our bus assignments, made in accordance with our housing. I grabbed lunch at a kebob place down the street from our hotel, and enjoyed my last meal in Firenze. The bus ride to Rome turned into the most successful bus nap I’ve had in a while. We parked on the southwestern outskirts of the city, where AIFS coordinators had taxis coming in at a relatively constant flow rate, each designated to take us to our various apartments.

The five of us finally got our taxis and got to our apartment, and it was absolutely the coolest flat I have ever seen. We have two large common areas, a kitchen, and three bedrooms. The walkthrough of our apartment is as follows (skip to the next paragraph if you don’t want to read this): there is a dining room area as the first room when you enter; on the opposing corner, you walk down the hallway, there is a bathroom with a tub and a washing machine on the right, then the kitchen on the right, two steps down the large living room on the left; straight ahead is one of the double bedrooms, and to the right, through the kitchen and left, is the single bedroom; right and into the living room, you walk across the room, and there is a very narrow, very steep, concrete spiral staircase; down just a few steps is a bathroom that redefines the word tiny; the whole room is a small shower, with a sink and toilet included; up the stairs is another double bedroom.

 Through an almost hour-long discussion process that is hardly worth repeating, I got the single room. The five of us unpacked and moved in, something I have been looking forward to for almost three weeks. We then walked down to a local supermarket to buy some groceries – a convenient five-minute trot from our flat. After stocking up, we then tap-danced around each other in the kitchen, fixing our pastas, salads and sandwiches before sitting around our dining room table, eating together as flat-mates for the first and most likely last time.

 After dinner I grabbed a map and plotted a surprisingly short route to the Vatican. Standing in front of St. Peter’s Basilica was one of the most humbling and awe inspiring experiences of my Catholic life. I absolutely cannot wait to go back (as I will many times in the next three months) and even go inside, and assist at Holy Mass there.

 On a side note, “when in Rome” has quickly become the most overused phrase in our group …

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David Bertschinger is a KWC junior majoring in physics. He is spending the Spring 2010 semester studying in Rome. He will be providing regular updates to KWConnect.
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Waking up in Firenze is getting to be very addicting – until I realize that we are still living out of suitcases in a hotel. And, my room is a mess. I assisted at Mass in the duomo on Sunday morning. It was crowed and in Italian, but otherwise relatively impressive.

Mid-afternoon, a few tour guides gave us a practical tour of Florence and showed us several sites, including a bridge market, the post office, our language school and the bookstore. Afterwards, I returned to the hotel and turned on my TV to find Forrest Gump. In German. Life is different here.

Monday saw the beginning of intensive language classes. We have class from 0900 to 1330, but it is divided up into three segments, with breaks in between. Our professoressas are very nice. Our grammar teacher mixes Italian and English to help us out but she says that will end tomorrow. Our conversation and vocabulary teacher does knows hardly any English in my opinion. But she engages the class, and we catch on to what she is saying eventually.

After class, my fellow future engineer friend Maria and I decided to get lost in Florence for the next few hours we had until our welcome cocktail at a bar downtown. And lost we got. But Florence is a very hard city to stay lost in forever, as long as you are up for some major urban hiking. We found the residential side of the city, complete with tall apartments and sandstone colored houses.

Our second day of class was more challenging, but I’m still enjoying it despite the stress. After class, I grabbed a quick sandwich (they are very cheap, and amazingly good too) and boarded the bus for our day trip to Pisa. It was rainy and cold once we got there, and we were a miserable crowd. However, we all made the best of it and took our touristy photos with the Leaning Tower, and learned a bit about the history of the Cathedral for which it was built to be the bell tower.

He's gonna push it over!

Wednesday was the first relatively average day I’ve had here. Class went well; it’s very hard to keep up with our second teacher but maybe I’ll pick up Italian through some form of auditory osmosis. Afterwards, Rosanna held an academic meeting in which she discussed our classes in Rome and some of the expectations for them and I found out that I am in all the classes I signed up for.

Our first quiz was on Thursday but I found it encouragingly easy. After class, Maria and I visited the Da Vinci Museum. What an amazing tribute to the original mechanical engineer! They had full scale replicas of many of his designs that he drew, including his tank, both of his most famous one man gliders, and a mechanized suit of armor. There were dozens of models of his many other inventions such as cantilevers, pulley systems, bridge designs, and ball bearings. I was right at home examining and “geeking out” at the hands-on working models, as I’m sure many of you can easily picture.

After dinner was the opera, and, while fascinating on some level, I could not stop from nodding off. I left at the intermission with a huge majority of the rest of those Americans that went.

The five-hour bus ride to Venzia (Venice) gave us a bleak view of a foggy, snow-blanketed Northern Italy. Once in the city, we hopped off the bus and onto boats to head up a channel to our hotel. My colleagues needed reminding that we were in fact “on a boat” but I got everyone connected with their inner T-Pain soon enough.

It snows in Venice once every 10 years ...

Venice is a beautiful maze of calm waterways, meandering sidewalks and tall bridges for the sidewalks to cross the waterways. There was an art gallery tour that fascinated me as I recognized many of the Titian, Caravaggio and Bellini paintings. But after four hours of walking around to different galleries, I was more than sufficiently beat. I grouped up with some friends and went out to a nice restaurant for dinner and enjoyed some delicious Italian pizze (pizza).

A good Italian dinner ...

Saturday, I woke up sick, but I tried to not let it stop me for too long. Another tour departed our hotel this morning (starting with a short but exciting gondola ride!) and we visited several 15th century seats of government, as well as Piazza di San Marco and the cathedral itself. We even went underneath a building to see an old stone prison of medieval Venice. After the tour, I headed back to the hotel for a long afternoon’s nap.

No streets in Venice ... only sidewalks and canals.

I’m very much looking forward to being in Rome, settling into my apartment, and starting a regular class schedule. There has been so much going on, and there is still so much left that we’re doing. I need a break…

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The Winter Term Marine Biology class spent January 7-16 in Belize. The plan was for them to post blog entries of their experiences while they were there, but sketchy Internet access thwarted those plans. Students still wrote down their thoughts and we’ll publish them retroactively each day this week on KWConnect.

For more on the opportunities available through the KWC Biology department, click here.

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January 8, 2010

 –Ben Allen–

Today was our first day on the mainland, after a slightly eventful plane ride in. Clarissa Falls Resort is the name of the place where we are staying – it’s a quaint little place with some bungalows and an outdoor patio dinning area. After a delicious breakfast of local fruits, eggs and some fried pastry, we embarked on our hike along the banks of the Mopan river toward Xunantunich, a Mayan ruin.

The hike was about two miles and was awesome. Along the way we saw many local species including leaf cutter ants, parrots and a variety of cranes. Our guide, Chenna, was the owner of the resort, and was very knowledgeable of the area. Chenna told lots of interesting stories and remedies the local flora is used for, such as the plant that makes castor oil.

Once we reached the park that Xunantunich sits on, we rode a ferry across the river. It was another short mile hike up the hill to the ruins. As soon as you enter the ruin complex you see the main tower standing about 250 feet tall, sticking out of the forest canopy. We all ascended the building – it was pretty intense since there was nothing but a six-inch wide stone step between you and the ground hundreds of feet below. Once you get to the top you can see for miles; the view is breath taking, with Guatemala on one side, Belize on the other, forest all around.

We explored the rest of the ruins seeing the ball courts and the other two temples, which were less impressive but still intriguing. We then hiked back down to the river where we were met with a quick lunch and inner tubes. We proceeded to venture down the Mopan on the tubes. It was very relaxing and we got to see several iguanas sunning themselves up in the tree tops and blue herring fishing. There were some minor rapids that we had to traverse but only a few people flipped, with their pride the only thing hurt. We spent about two hours on the river before arriving at our resort.

We were fed a delicious dinner of some local chicken dish and rice. On the way back to my bungalow I happened upon a large tarantula that happened to be a red rump, which was a species John Grieb had presented on in class. So I captured it in a bag and brought it back to the dinning area where Dr. Rosemier handled it and we passed it around being sure to be gentle so not to get bitten, even though a bite is only like a bee sting. Of course lots of picture were taken.

Well that’s all for today – lots of fun, very tiring, time to hit the sack. Heading to San Pedro tomorrow.

–Christine Spear—

Today was a very full day – we had the opportunity to take a guided walk, go to see the Mayan Ruins, and then tube down a river back to the place we were staying.

When we arrived outside of the jungle area, we had some time to walk around and take a quick look at some of the stores.

To get to the Ruins we had quite a hike. Starting off, the trip was easy – all we had to do was go on a ferry and cross the river. When we crossed the river there was a very big hill awaiting us, and when we made it up the hill there was an even steeper hill waiting for us.

On this hill two girls in our group decided they were going to race up it. This turned out to be quite hysterical because as they were going up they had a good pace then near the very end they both died very quickly. When we finally made it to the top of the hill, the rest was a very gradual incline that made the trip seem not nearly as bad as it was.

We reached a spot where we could buy tickets to enter into the Mayan area, but to our dismay we still had some hiking left to do. When we finally reached the site, it was amazing. The stone buildings were so high and the architecture for that time was very impressive.

So, naturally we all found the tallest of the three areas and started climbing up it. We all got to the top, where it seemed like we were on top of the world. It felt like I could see for forever in every direction. You could easily see houses and fields in the distance; it was quite spectacular.

Then it was time for the descent. Going down did not seem to take nearly as long as going up did. When we reached the bottom, we were able to grab a small snack before we grabbed tubes and got into the river. Drifting on the river was very relaxing and very fun. Finally we got back to the house and rested and grabbed some food.

The trip has been a lot of fun and very interesting. We have learned a lot from the people here and have had the chance to experience many new things.

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David Bertschinger is a KWC junior majoring in physics. He is spending the Spring 2010 semester studying in Rome. He will be providing regular updates to KWConnect. Check the KWC in Rome page for a compilation of all his updates and photos. 

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Tuesday, January 26 

Tuesday, January 19, was the last day I woke up in the United States until this spring. Once we arrived at St. Louis International Airport, I got my baggage checked into United, said goodbye to my parents and headed through security. It was hard saying goodbye, but the reality did not hit me in full until much later. 

The flight to Chicago was uneventful and sunny once we rose above the low cloud ceiling. At O’Hare it was a very long walk to my gate, which was thankfully not in the international terminal. It struck me as I plopped down at my gate, that for all the car, train and plane riding I had done in the past 24 hours, I still had not left the state of Illinois. It also hit me that this terminal was the last sight I would have of America until May. Once on the plane, I got comfortable and was served dinner. The cabin lights were significantly dimmed afterwards, and I slept on and off for the next four hours. 

We were woken up at 0630 GMT (0030 CST) when the cabin lights came on and breakfast was served. Then, as we began our descent into Heathrow International, I watched the plane fly right into the sunrise. It was so beautiful to see the light break across where we were going as we left the darkness behind us. Unfortunately, this sight was not mine to see for very long as our descent took us below London’s thick cloud cover. 

Once we landed, I met up with my AIFS hotel representative who had already wrangled three other girls, with me being the last on his list to shuttle to the hotel. The drive over there was long, but I enjoyed every minute. London itself is a fascinating city, albeit rainy and cold at the moment. Motorcycles zipped in between and in front of cars, reckless driving by any American policeman’s judgment, but commonplace and very acceptable here. Our hotel is quaint and small. The lifts (elevators) carry on the crisp politeness of its citizens, announcing the floor and door openings and closings. 

After chilling in my room, eight of us set out for some real British food. We found a small pub and enjoyed salad, sandwiches and burgers. There was a meet-and-greet social at the hotel bar/restaurant, which was fun, I met a lot of people and I even remember a few of their names. I met another group of kids and we went exploring the area around our hotel in search of some good London food. 

The typical London tourist photo ...

 Thursday began after a short night of sleep (still pretty jetlagged). The entire group met down in the lobby for a coach tour of London’s main tourist attractions. Our first stop was Buckingham Palace, where the Union Jack flag atop the huge building told us that the Queen was not there at the time. We drove around the city, around Trafalgar Square with its statues, fountains and sizable art museum. Other sites on our tour included St. Paul’s Cathedral, Parliament, Westminster Cathedral, the Tower Bridge and Covent Gardens.

Buckingham Palace

Tower Bridge

Westminster Abbey

 After the tour, we were free to explore London on our own. A convenient all day pass for public transportation (buses and “the tube”) was available for us to purchase, which I did. I bought a pasti for lunch, and it was delicious! Me and a few other colleagues made our way back over to Trafalgar square to get some better pictures and explore the art museum. Afterwards we headed south towards Big Ben and Parliament. After asking a few “bobbies” (policemen) for some guidance, we found the visitor entrance to Parliament and, after going through security and turning over our cameras, purses and cell phones, we were able to sit in on a debate of the House of Lords. Unfortunately, none of us were caught up from jetlag, so sitting in one place for any length of time remained incredibly sleep-inducing. Also, no photography was allowed in either the art museum or any part of Parliament, so I apologize for the complete lack of pictures to go along with this section.

Once outside, we boarded a double-decker bus just for the heck of it, and to find somewhere else random to go. Some of us headed over via London’s Underground to King’s Cross, the train station made famous by Harry Potter as having the magical entrance known as “Platform 9 ¾ .” The “tubes” are extremely crowed at the end of the work day, and I became very “close” to many Londoners on the way back to the hotel that night. And yes, I had fish and chips for dinner.

Going to Hogwarts, anyone?

0430 came was too early and the bus ride over to Heathrow did not afford any extra relaxation. Walking through Heathrow with more sleep under my belt made me appreciate just how modern it looks and how cool it actually is. I believe I have a new favorite airport. Apparently, at Heathrow, they do not list the gate of a flight until under an hour before take off, and even so, the gate is only open for check in for half an hour. The flight to Pisa was beautiful, as I got a clear view of the French countryside and, later, the Alps. The airport at Pisa was small; I was surprised it had ever seen an Airbus 321 like ours before.

First view of the Alps and Italy

 The Italian landscape was beautiful, but I wanted sleep so I took advantage of the two hour ride to Florence. Our hotel is a four star relic, very upscale and very old. My particular room is not large, but has two levels, with one bed and a bathroom on the first floor, and two beds and another bathroom above. The city’s modern stores are housed in ancient architecture; the streets are canyons with solid walls of four-story buildings that range from shops or eateries to offices and apartments.

Saturday morning, we walked to a 17th century mansion where we gathered in a large common room for icebreaker games. Yes, they were lame. However, during the course of this, I met a girl from Kansas State University who is majoring in chemical engineering. It was so refreshing to talk to someone who is both from the Midwest and a major science/math nerd like me. Lunch was an amazing three-course meal, with lasagna, chicken (again) and a delicious dessert that seemed part coffee cake, part pudding. The early afternoon consisted of various members of the AIFS Rome staff going over policy.

Once all this was over, we had the rest of the afternoon free until dinner at the hotel at 8. I went off exploring Florence for the entire time, finding the cathedral, other churches, pastry shops, some yummy gelato, and finally accidentally stumbling across the Statue of David. Time advanced so much more slowly than it ever had for me before. Every time I checked my watch after what should have been over half an hour in my mind, was never over ten minutes. Italy is wonderful…

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