Sleepy Hollow in Lugano

Friday April 19 couldn't haven come soon enough! One of my best friends from home, Allie, was arriving in Milan and I could not wait to see her! However, I couldn't get too excited as I had a final that morning. Once complete, I headed to Milan to meet her and two of our high school friends, Matt and Eric. They were able to work it out so that we all ended up in Milan for Friday night, as Eric and Matt spent the week prior in Rome. When we woke up Saturday it was a down pour, which put a slight damper on our morning in the city. However, we didn't let that stop us and we headed to the center of the city to visit il Duomo, shop at Zara and grab lunch. After lunch, Allie and I said goodbye to the guys and headed home. Although short, it was great to see them and catch up!

Eric, Matt, Allie and Me at dinner

Sunday was still rainy and damp and with little open, Allie and I headed to the Alprose Chocolate Factory just outside of Lugano. Although small, I think the chocolate factory is a necessary stop for all Swiss visitors. After our tour we ended up in the gift shop where we were able to try some free samples and Allie was able to buy local Swiss chocolate to bring home. 

Outside of the Chocolate Factory

The following day the weather was beautiful and the sun was finally out! We started our morning with breakfast at Al Porto, my favorite Cafe, and Allie was instantly hooked.

First breakfast at Al Porto!

When I came to Lugano as an abroad student, one of the places that I didn't get to see was the village of Gandria. I knew that if I ever returned to Lugano I would have to go as everyone says it's a must! Inaccessible to cars, Gandria is a small village on the northern side of Lake Lugano, complete with narrow and winding walkways. Having Allie here was the perfect opportunity so after breakfast we started the forty-five minute trek on the Olive Path, a trail that winds around the lake. It was a beautiful little city and so much fun to explore.

Exploring Gandria

The following day with the sun still shining we headed to Lago Maggiore! Shannon picked Allie and me up in the morning to begin our journey. On our way there we stopped at the Verzasca dam, the fourth tallest dam in Switzerland. It was made famous in the opening scene of the James Bond GoldenEye movie. Today, it is the second highest bungee jump station in the world, but no worries parents- we didn't jump! 

We then continued to Ascona, a small Swiss city nestled on the lake shores of Maggiore. The city buildings are beautifully painted and many little cafes line the shore. We wandered around the city, walking in and out of stores and taking in the view. We then found a small restaurant to enjoy lunch outside, as the weather was perfect! After lunch we headed back to Lugano and later that afternoon Allie and I enjoyed some Gelato outside.

With Lago Maggiore Behind us and at lunch

Beautiful streets in Ascona

Wednesday morning came and I headed up to class for a full day and Allie went to explore the city. She navigated the windy streets like a champ and ended the day on the Lido. We met up after and headed to Ana Capri for a delicious pizza dinner with sweeping views of the city.

I've been here for a year and haven't driven once. Therefore, it was time to rent a car and get over the fear of driving in Europe. In preparation for my year abroad I learned how to drive a stick last summer and having not driven since January- I was nervous! I knew it was all in my head and that I was making a way bigger deal then it actually was but with no real reason to rent a car, I never did. Having Allie here gave me a very valid reason and I bit the bullet and rented a car to take us to Lago di Como.

Road trip ready

Thursday morning we set off to Como. Allie and I spent a good part of the day enjoying and taking in a new city. We wandered around the lake shore, people watched at a cafe and enjoyed lunch on a piazza. We ended our day in Lugano with some more gelato, something that you can never have enough of, and a home cooked meal for two!

Lago di Como

Delicious Gelato

Our last full day together came way quicker than we wanted it to! Friday morning we went back for one last breakfast at Al Porto and then wandered around Lugano before I had to head up to class. We enjoyed a great last dinner out together reminiscing about our trip.

Lake Lugano

Allie took a bus to Milan Saturday morning and safely arrived home Saturday afternoon. This past week was one I will always remember! Allie is truly a great friend and I am so grateful that she came over to visit me here in Lugano. Over the week we were able to see and do so much. It was truly a wonderful week and I could not be happier that I got to spend it with her. See you on the other side of the pond!

13.1 and done!

April 14 Jeannie and I ran our first half marathon in Edinburgh! We have been training since December and crossing the finish line was one of our greatest accomplishments. We have both always wanted to run one and with each others support and motivation throughout the training and race, we were successful. However, the tragedy of the Boston Marathon hit close to home and my thoughts and prayers are with all who ran it and are affected by it.

T-shirt, bib and medal!

Early Friday morning, Jeannie, Patrick and I made our way to Edinburgh and spent the day wandering the streets. We had rented an apartment right on the Royal Mile, putting us in a perfect location, with the major sites in close proximity.

Scottish Bagpiper

Saturday morning we started the day early and went to visit the Edinburgh Castle. The fortress dates back to the 12th century and sits atop volcanic rock, dominating the city's skyline. Starting as a royal residence, it was turned into a military base and garrison in the 15th century and thus much of it's history is centered around war, battles and sieges. Today, the fortress pays homage to this large military history. We were able to walk around the grounds, visit the military prison, the war museum, the Scottish National War Memorial and St. Margaret's Chapel, the oldest building on the grounds, dating back to 1251.

Me, Jeannie & Patrick outside the Castle

Jeannie and I then went to pick up our race packets that contained our bibs for the race! It made the approaching race so much more real and the excitement and butterflies soon began! For lunch we headed to the Balmoral Hotel to have a traditional four course High Tea, as it is referred to in Scotland. Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford is thought to have begun the tradition of afternoon tea in the early 19th century. Since dinner was often served so late, she would order tea, bread and cakes in the early afternoon to hold her over. It soon caught on and is now thought to be the quintessential English tradition. Our first course was a cauliflower soup taster, which was delicious. We then enjoyed our pots of tea with typical tea sandwiches (ham and mustard, cucumber and cream cheese, goat cheese and rocket, egg salad, and salmon- which I didn't partake in). The next course were plain and raisin scones and lastly dessert. The tea was very filling and a fun experience.

At the Balmoral for Afternoon Tea

In the afternoon we headed to King Arthur's Seat, located in Hollyrood Park, which is also where we would be starting our race the next day. King Arthur's seat is a dormant volcano reaching 822 feet above sea level, making it the highest hill in Edinburgh. The top gave great views of the city and the sea allowing us to see all of Edinburgh. We then ended the day with a tour at the Queen's Palace, located at the base of Hollyrood Park.

At King Arthur's Seat

RACE DAY!
Sunday morning we woke up to the pouring rain and howling wind, however, the bad weather didn't deter us and we headed down to the race start. The wind was so strong, our umbrellas broke and the white tents and porta potties set up were blowing over. It wasn't until after the race that we found out the wind gusts were up to 37 mph!

Braving the weather

Rainbow teasing us in the distance

A little past 9am freezing and soaking wet we began our run. At some points the rain pelted down stinging our faces as we attempted to fight against the wind. The very hilly course brought us past all the sights, so now after 13.1 miles I think I can say I've seen it all! We finally looped around and ended our run back at Hollyrood Park! This was definitely not my last half marathon and I look forward to the next one!

The last stretch...we did it!

After the race, we went and got a well deserved lunch at a cute cafe. Later that afternoon we headed to The Elephant's Cafe, better known as the Birth Place of Harry Potter and finished our weekend at The World's End Pub.
Monday morning we had a 7am flight back to Lugano and the massive amount of work the end of the semester brings.

Buona Pasqua!

Pretty Swiss Chocolate Easter Eggs!

The past few weeks, since Valentine's day really, Lugano has been prepping for Easter. Over the past year it's amazed me how the entire city really gets into the spirit of the holidays and decorates everything. It makes the city even prettier than it already is! This weekend Lugano held "Easter in the City" a festival in the center of the city with live music, children's activities and tons of vendors selling handmade and homemade goods. I was able to get some homemade strawberry jam, although not as good as my moms, it's still delicious! In Switzerland you never need a reason to enjoy chocolate, but it seems as if for Easter there was so much more of it. I've never seen as many chocolate bunnies and eggs in my life!

Hazelnut Milk Chocolate and Stracciatella Bunnies

So many Chocolate Bunnies and so many flavors

The flowers are also beautiful. Manor, a department store and grocery store, has a mini flower shop outside and it is so nice to finally see spring flowers for sale! After a long winter, I can't wait for the tulips and other spring flowers to pop up around the city!

Walking around, there were so many signs of Easter. In every grocery store they sell dyed hard boiled eggs, in such bright and vibrant colors. Eggs are apparently a forbidden food during lent (who knew?!) and because of that, in the olden days they were hard boiled to preserve them until lent was over. Also, since eggs symbolize life, they were given as gifts at Easter. Why we began to dye eggs isn't certain. However, the dying of eggs can be traced back to Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt and Persia where they were dyed for spring festivals and to Medieval Europe where the decorated eggs were given as gifts.

Hard boiled eggs at the grocery store

Easter Sunday, Jeannie and her fiance, Patrick, invited me to his parent's house for Easter lunch. The food was amazing and I was able to enjoy a Swiss Easter lunch including, pumpkin Gnocchi, venison, artichoke, mushrooms and more! It was so good and so nice to have an Easter meal! For dessert, we had Colomba di Pasqua, a traditional Italian Easter cake. Colomba (which means "Dove") is similar to panettone, but does not include raisins and is usually topped with sugar and almonds.

Mini Colomba di Pasqua

Hopefully, now that Easter has passed and we're entering into April, we will see some beautiful spring weather. On my run this morning I started noticing that the flowers are beginning to bloom! Here's to hoping that Spring is here to stay! 

Spring in bloom

Cooking in Como

After two weeks of Academic Travel, we came back to Lugano ready for some great Italian food. And what better way then to make it ourselves in a cooking class on Lago di Como? Tuesday morning Jeannie, Stephanie, Chris and I headed to Varenna, Italy, a small but beautiful town located on the eastern side of Lago di Como for a day filled of laughter, cooking and fun at Ristorante il Caminetto. In order to get there we drove to Menaggio, Italy and hopped on a 15 minute ferry ride to cross the lake.

Crossing Lago di Como with Menaggio behind us

Once in Varenna we were met at the ferry by Rossela, who brought us up to their small family run restaurant situated in the cliffs. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Moreno, the chef and owner, who would be our amazing instructor for the day!

Over the next few hours we watched and learned as he went step by step showing us how to make the dough for fresh pasta, fresh gnocchi, gorgonzola cream sauce and an amazing vegetable sauce.

Moreno making the pasta dough

We then donned our aprons and assembled around the wooden table to learn the proper steps of forming our pasta and gnocchi. We were each given a piece of both the doughs and were walked through the steps of rolling, cutting and forming our little gnocchi pillows and tagliatelle pasta!

Rolling out the dough for the Tagliatelle

Making Gnocchi

After a full day of cooking and anxiously waiting to try everything, at around 2pm lunch was served! We were able to enjoy all the food we made by hand with a few additions, made by Moreno. Throughout the day we were able to enjoy:

• Cappuccino and panforte (a traditional Italian fruit & nut cake) served upon arrival
• Meat & Cheese platter, Before we started cooking, we had a little snack to hold us over
• Gnocchi in a Gorgonzola cream sauce
• Tagliatelle in a fresh vegetable and basil sauce
• Vanilla gelato with strawberries reduced in sugar and orange juice, brandy and balsamic vinegar

Pasta with veggies, meat & cheese snack, dessert
& gnocchi with a gorgonzola cream sauce

Stuffed and content, we left Moreno's Ristorante al Caminetto armed with three pasta and sauce recipes and a certificate of completion from his class. His five hour class went by so quickly, as he filled it with stories and jokes, making everyone feel right at home. If ever in the Milan or Como region, I would most definitely recommend a day trip to his restaurant, to spend cooking and enjoying an authentic taste of Italy! Moreno and Rosella make you feel right at home and will cater the class specifically to your wants and needs. All four of us thought the class was a great experience and it is something that I will always remember. I can't wait to attempt to recreate the gnocchis back in NY! 

After our cooking class in front of Ristorante il Caminetto

Dubai (Academic Travel Part 1)

Sunday March 10, my class and I left for Academic Travel, a 2 week trip visiting Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur to look at the Global City. We left Milan in the morning to fly to Dubai for 5 days and arrived late Sunday night. Dubai was a whirlwind! Monday I had two meetings for a business plan that I am writing, one in the morning on the Palm Island and the second in the Dubai International Financial Center. In between meetings I was able to meet my brother-in-law for lunch. He took me to the cafe at the top of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. We were on the 122nd floor and were able to see all of Dubai. The view was incredible and I was able to see the Palm Islands and the World Islands from above. It was so great to be able to meet up up with Chris in his new hometown and catch up! That night a group of us saw the Dubai Fountain Show. The fountain is the largest in the world and every half hour they have a fountain show choreographed to different music. We watched one to Michael Jackson. After we got dinner at Lebanese restaurant which began our juice obsession for the rest of the trip.

Burj Khalifa

Tuesday we toured Dubai because our professor had gotten us the hop on hop off bus tickets. It was my first time using a tour bus and although we had some difficulty finding the stops at the beginning by the end of the day we had figured it out. The bus was good in the sense that it brought us to all the sites but I don't think I'll use one again. We got to see the gold and spice souks, the Dubai Mall, the Palm Island, the Burj al Arab (the world's only 7 star hotel) and more. We ended the day at dusk on the beach, with our tours in the Arabian Sea!

Gold Souk

Me, Jeannie & Shannon on the beach with the Burj al Arab behind us

On Wednesday, we left for Abu Dhabi where we met with NYU Abu Dhabi and then with masters students from the Men's College of the Higher College of Technology. The last visit was interesting because we got to speak to Emiratis about their experiences in the UAE and learn more about their lives and businesses. My favorite part of the day was our trip to Masdar City, a zero carbon, zero waste and totally sustainable city that Abu Dhabi is constructing around 15 km outside of the city. The construction is around 80% complete and currently, people are living there, business are operating and they have a masters and phd program. We had a guided tour of the city which started with a ride in the magnetic cars to the city center. We saw their solar panel farm which consists of 87,777 panels and their wind tower that helps cool the city. Their residential apartments are brown colored and the facade is made from sand. They use slanted windows and proximity of the buildings to help cool the city to around 10 degrees cooler than Abu Dhabi. Having studied Masdar city at Colgate it was so interesting to go there in person and was definitely a highlight of our visit to the UAE!

Masdar City!

The following day Jeannie, Shannon and I headed to the Dubai Mall for some speed shipping! We spent the morning in the mall and had lunch before heading back to the hotel to go see some camels. We were told we were going to see the races but the races are at 7am so we went to a camel dairy farm instead, which smelled disgusting. We fed the camels some carrots for some prime photos and then went to the camel milk shop, appropriately named "Camelicious." They sell camel milk and camel milk chocolate, and we were able to try both. For dinner the entire class went on a boat cruise on the Dubai Creek, a nice ending to our trip first part of the trip.

Dubai was definitely a very interesting city, and I'm so glad I had the chance to visit. They had everything written in both Arabic and English so it was cool to see both side by side to understand what it was. It was interesting to see first hand the attempt to balance the large expat population, around 90% of Dubai, with the Arabic culture and Islamic law. The built environment is unreal and they're continuing to build it up. It would be interesting to go back in 10 years to see how much it will change. The food was delicious and their fresh squeezed juices were out of this world. Being in the UAE is definitely a cultural experience I will never forget!

Singapore (Academic Travel Part 2)

Sunday, while in Kuala Lumpur, we were free so Jeannie, Stephanie, Chris and I decided to head to Singapore for the day. It was only an hour flight so we left extremely early and arrived around 8:20am. Singapore is an independent city state south of Malaysia. The city is extremely clean, there's no litter or graffiti, the public transportation system is on point and their crime rate is one of the lowest in the world. Singapore is known as one of the best run Asian countries due partly to some of their crazy laws. Such as:

• Selling gum is illegal
• Eating or drinking on the metro or anywhere in the metro stations is illegal
• When getting on the metro you must stand to the sides of the doors until the exiting passengers get off
• Failure to flush a public toilet is a public offense which can result in caning or large fines
• Connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots is considered hacking
• If caught littering 3 times, one must pick up trash on Sundays wearing a bib that says "I'm a litterer"

Not breaking any rules in the metro!

Therefore, we made sure not to break any rules in order to make it back to Kuala Lumpur! Our first stop was the Singapore Botanical Gardens, where we were able to see some of the native plants to southeast Asia.

After, we had lunch at Newton Food Center, an open air market known as a great place to go to sample the many local cuisines of Singapore. We had a great Indian lunch from a small stand, but since it was Sunday, a lot of the stands were closed so we didn't get the whole experience of the market. However, it was worth the trip for the great, inexpensive food.

Haji Lane was next, a small shopping street, located in the Muslim quarter. They are known for their small, colorful, independent shops and we spent some time wandering in and out of the many stores.

We then headed down to the Marina, where the Financial Center is located. We walked through part of the Financial Center to the Marina and got drinks at Sky on 57 at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. The view was stunning and we could see for miles. We had views overlooking the city and the water. Singapore is busiest port in the world, which was not surprising considering the shipping vessels waiting off shore.

View from Sky on 57

Our day ended with a ride on the Singapore Flyer, the world's tallest Ferris wheel. The ride lasted around 30 minutes and we were able to see all of Singapore. There is so much to do there that we barely touched any of it. While we saw what many say are the main attractions, we all saw other places we would like to visit. However, it was time to return to Kuala Lumpur for the rest of our travel!

Jeannie, Me, Stephanie & Chris on the Flyer

Kuala Lumpur (Academic Travel Part 3)

March 15, the group left Dubai and headed further west to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for our last week of travel. We arrived late Friday night after a long day of traveling. Malaysia is home to three main ethnic groups, Malay, Chinese and Indians. Therefore, although their official language is Malay, their unofficial language is English. Malay's will usually speak Malay and English while the Chinese will usually speak Mandarin, Malay, English and sometimes another Chinese dialect. The three cultures keep their customs and languages but also seamlessly mix adding to the charm of Kuala Lumpur. It's a beautiful city with a lot of urban green interspersed between the old and the new, creating a vibrant city.

Saturday, Jeannie and I were able to meet up with some old Sleepy Hollow friends. We spent the day touring Kuala Lumpur with Jeya, who brought us to a great restaurant for breakfast called Lotus. We had a traditional breakfast of roti, coconut rice and noodles. Jeya then took us on a tour of the city and we saw sites such as the the old British Prime Minister's Mansion, the old Palace and Putrajaya. Putrajaya is a planned city outside of Kuala Lumpur that now serves as the federal administrative center of Malaysia. The name symbolizes the success of the Malay government, combining Jaya, which means success in Malay and Putra, the name of the first Malaysian Prime Minister. For lunch we went back to their house where they had prepared a fantastic meal for us. Jeya taught us so much about Malaysia and it was great to see her and her family again!

The Old Palace

Monday morning, the group went to meetings in Cyberjaya, a key part of the Multimedia Super Corridor in Malaysia, which aspires to be the next Silicon Valley. The talks were on how Malaysia is staying competitive in both the Internet and Green Technologies. We learned about their current activities and future plans in order to stay competitive while continuing to grow and advance.

Tuesday we left for a canopy walk in the forest preservation. The canopy walk was a suspension bridge that didn't seem so stable, the walkway consisted of ladders with 2x4s laying over them. There were zip ties holding some of the boards to the ladders, however most were broken. Although, the view was very pretty, I was glad to be back on solid ground!

Jeannie's view from the Canopy

We then headed to the Batu Caves, a limestone hill which houses one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside of India. To reach the temple you climb 272 steps up to the caves. Once in the caves there are multiple shrines built and dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu God of War and Victory. At the base of the caves, there stands the largest statue of Lord Muragan at 42.7 meters high!

Entrance to the Batu Caves

After we stopped at a store that specializes in hand make batiks, cloths made using a wax resist dying technique. Batik prints are associated with Malaysia and Indonesia. The textiles are produced by applying liquid wax to the cloth, then dyed, the wax prevents the dye from seeping through to the fabric. When finished the wax is removed with boiling water which also fixes the colors onto the cloth. The designs were beautiful and each print was unique since each is done by hand.

Batik Prints Drying

Our last stop of the day was the Thean Hou Temple, a six tier Chinese temple dedicated to the Goddess Tian Hou, the Heavenly Mother. The temple is one of the largest in Southeast Asia and represents aspects of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. The architecture showcases the traditional Chinese design and was absolutely stunning!

Our last day we visited Taylor's University, a private Chinese University in Malaysia. We met with some students and learned about the Malay education system. The students took us for a tour of their campus and over lunch we were able to share our experiences. For dinner Jeannie, Stephanie, Chris and I went to a Malay restaurant called Bijan. The food was amazing and it was a great way to end the trip!

Last night at Batik!

Kuala Lumpur was an amazing city and I would love to one day return!