On January 9^th, I embarked on a weeklong journey to Paris, France and Rome, Italy with the St. John's University Catholic Scholars program.

This trip, which was called the “pre-session," involved us staying on the Paris and Rome campuses for three and four days, respectively, and having plenty of opportunities to explore all that these cities had to offer. We did some activities as a group, such as a visit to the Musée de Louvre, home to the famous Mona Lisa, and we were also granted free time (as well as Metro tickets and meal vouchers) and recommendations of various monuments, museums, and restaurants to visit during our trip.

One of the first places I visited in Paris was the Eiffel Tower, which left me in complete awe. I thought it was absolutely beautiful and wondrous, and I thought to myself, “Is this how people feel when they visit New York City for the first time?” Visiting the Eiffel Tower was one of my favorite parts of my trip– I visited it three times total (it’s even more enchanting at night with its dazzling lights) and even had the opportunity to take a lift up to the second floor (the top was closed due to construction, but the view from the second floor still left me breathless– that, and climbing down the stairs).

While in Paris, we also visited the Notre Dame Cathedral, St. Vincent Chapel, Musée de Louvre, and took various walking tours and river cruises around Paris, which is the most charming at nighttime, in my opinion. And of course, I had the chance to have some delicious foods and desserts. Although France isn’t necessarily known for its food, we were able to find restaurants that served delicacies such as lamb rib, gnocchi and herbs, steak, and fondue. The perfect way to finish off these meals was with a sweet dessert, my favorite being the Nutella and banana crepe I had on my first night in Paris.

On January 13^th, we took an afternoon flight and arrived in Rome for dinner, which consisted of pizza that is even better than New York City’s greatest pizzerias, a walking tour of Rome at night, where everything sparkled and dazzled, and last but not least– authentic gelato.

Over the next few days, we visited the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square, and North American College. We were blessed enough to follow Latin Mass in St. Peter’s Square with Angelus with Pope Francis– even though he spoke in a different language, being in his presence was a surreal and amazing experience. We went on the Scavi Tours and saw the tomb of St. Peter and the Necropolis under the Vatican Basilica.

The food was delicious. I am Italian, so of course, I was ecstatic about getting to eat nothing but Italian food for four days straight. Pasta, pizza, gelato… The Italians know how to serve the best meals that keep you feeling full and satisfied.

We were allotted quite a bit of free time in Rome, so my friend Carolina and I decided to make a bucket list of all the places we wanted to see, visit, explore, and photograph during our stay. We went to the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Vittorio Emmanuelle III, Trevi Fountain (and we made wishes!), Piazza Navona, and we climbed St. Peter’s Basilica’s Dome, a 600-step journey to reach the highest point in Rome. It was exhausting but, as you can see in the header, the astounding view was worth it. The whole experience was breathtaking, no pun intended.

Although I wish I was able to explore more of Italy and France, I am incredibly grateful for the time I spent there. I hope to go back soon because this trip was quite an experience and I was able to see so much beauty in such a short amount of time.

To those studying abroad in these countries, or anywhere outside of the United States for that matter– I hope you have the most amazing time and enjoy every second of it. I know I did.

“J’adore Paris, Io amo Roma.”