Posts by irenehardy

In honor of the final day of the French Open, I wanted to re-visit my fabulous trip to the city of light by sharing all different pictures. I just wish I could have squeezed in a visit to Roland Garros.…

Since Florence is so close to Cinque Terre, my dad and I decided to spend a day there.  I definitely did not mind returning to the Italian city of leather goods.  The trip was bittersweet, however, as it was my…

Cinque Terre, which translates to “five lands,” describes a strip of coastline in Northern Italy in which five fishing villages are carved into cliffs.  The area is considered a national park, and many hiking paths connect the five towns.  I…

After four relaxing days in Mykonos, we took the ferry to Pireaus, the port of Athens.  Our hotel was near the port, so we simply took a cab into the city to see the major sites. Our hotel in Pireaus…

The beginning of April is most definitely the low season for tourism, especially in Greece.  The low season has some downfalls, such as fewer ferry routes (resulting in our Santorini trip falling through), and fewer shops and restaurants being open,…

Study abroad involves a lot of trip planning in a little time.  Unfortunately, sometimes the details slip through the cracks.  I am referencing this past weekend where a small little detail like a train reservation, prevented us from traveling to…

Traveling through Europe in a semester is incredible.  Study abroad is a once in a life time opportunity, and I am thankful for every moment.  Study abroad is also similar to a marathon.  To combat fatigue, a few of us…

On Saturday we pulled a Diane Lane and went on a bus tour of Tuscany.  Throughout our day under the Tuscan sun we visited San Gimignano, Siena, Monteriggioni, and Chianti. Our first stop, San Gimignano, was a small town surrounded by…

Florence was amazing.  I loved the old world charm, laid back lifestyle, and rows of leather stores.  I also really enjoyed exploring the whole city on foot.  Most importantly, however, the shops in Florence ended up having the most incredible…

For the second break, we headed to Barcelona to soak in the sun and the Spanish culture. The architecture throughout the city, especially Gaudi’s, was intriguing.  The sun and the sand also gave me a nice little glimpse of summer,…