Renee Mason - Blog Abroad
Blog #1
January 2026
Blog #2
I’ve been in Rome for a few weeks, and I’ve been finding some less touristy spots that I would recommend for anyone visiting. Finding local places where I am able to slow down and connect with my surroundings has helped me feel more settled in Rome. My ultimate goal while I am participating in this study abroad is to understand a different viewpoint on life, and to see Rome for more than what it is famous for. February 2026
Blog #3
I took a day trip to watch the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, where I got to see Women’s Ice Hockey, France vs. Sweden, during the opening week of the games. I did not know that the Olympics would be taking place in Italy during my study abroad semester, and it was not something I planned on or anticipated doing. However, once I learned that it was happening, it became one of my bucket list items to do while I am out here. Being able to see one of the events in person is something I will forever remember about this semester. This experience has been incredibly meaningful, as a few months ago, all I knew was that I would be living in Rome. I had no idea that I would be attending the Olympics. Since I had to travel from Rome to Milan, this was my first experience with the train systems. I took an Italiarail train that departed from Roma Termini, stopped in Bologna, and then arrived in Milan. It was about a three-hour journey one way, for about 6 hours of travel total. Because this was only a day trip, I had to be mindful of the timing between my arrival, the Hockey match, and the departure of my train back to Rome. It was a long day, but well worth it. This trip was a good introduction to the train system, and I feel more comfortable using it. I plan on taking more day and weekend trips to different parts of Italy. After arriving in Milan, I walked around the city for a bit. I saw the Duomo and grabbed lunch before heading over to the Milano Rho Hockey Stadium. I was expecting there to be larger crowds for the game, but the Milano Rho Hockey Stadium had a capacity of 5,700-6,500 people. The facility itself was still under construction. This made the experience of finding my seats and navigating the stadium much less stressful than other large events I have attended, such as concerts. Experiencing the Olympics was surreal, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to attend. February 2026
Blog #4
Today I went to the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere. This church is still an active Catholic place of worship. It is one of the city’s oldest churches, and it is estimated to have been built in the 3rd century. It is also assumed to be the first official place of Christian worship in Rome. It is full of mosaics depicting Jesus and the Virgin Mary. One of the more famous is the "Life of the Virgin by Pietro Cavallini. There are also stained-glass windows and depictions of other saints throughout the church. This church has an active bell tower that rings the hours. I normally hear these from my apartment and in my classes throughout the day, making it a constant in my life, even though this was my first time visiting. I was stunned by the beauty the moment I walked through the wooden doors. It is free entry, and you can attend services as well. It is covered in mosaics, and the appearance changes depending on the time of day and the light filtering in from outside. Like many churches in Italy, the ceiling is ornate, with artwork and golden accents. The exterior has four statues depicting saints, as well as a mosaic scene of the Madonna breastfeeding Jesus, with rows of saints on each side. As long as there is no service taking place, you are free to sit in the pews and take in the mosaics and artwork surrounding the altar, or to wander around and observe some of the art up close. There is a hushed energy inside, which was a welcome break from the busy streets. I also stopped by the gift shop and got a postcard and a bookmark for about $1. I stayed in the church for about 30 minutes, taking in all the art before leaving. It is only a six-minute walk from my apartment and is well worth the visit. Whenever I visit things like this, it makes me appreciate how well the history was preserved, and that it surrounds me in daily excursions.February 2026
Blog #5
One thing about me is that I cannot be productive without a fun little study drink. With midterms looming, I made it a mission to find some good coffee and tea spots to give me motivation to study. The first slide is starting off strong with Starbucks. My go-to order is an oat milk shaken espresso, and I won’t be changing that any time soon. This location is a bit out of my way, around a twenty-minute walk there and a twenty-minute walk back. Because of this, it is not my go-to spot, and this was my first time visiting. I will absolutely go back for a good iced coffee, as most of the places closer to me serve hot coffees such as cappuccinos, macchiatos, and espresso shots. The vibes inside were really nice, and I loved the mermaid art on the wall. This location has plenty of tables, so this will be a good place to sit down and study outside my dorm. My favorite part about going to this Starbucks is that the Pantheon is on my way. Every time I walk by it, I’m blown away by the size and amount of history. The next place I tried is ChaCha Lab. This place is closer to me and has a large variety of boba, coffee, and matcha. I got a matcha with strawberry purée. I love an aesthetic drink, and it tasted as good as it looked. The bonus for me is that this place is only a 10-minute walk from my apartment. 10/10 I will absolutely be back. This is more of a grab-and-go place, as there is not a lot of room to sit down. The last place I tried is the Corner Juice Lab. Pictured above is an Iced Matcha with honey. I’ve tried a few drinks from them, but they are not my favorite spot. I do love that they offer different sweeteners and flavors for their coffees and matchas, but the caffeine content isn’t strong enough for me. They do have fresh juices, which I plan to try when I am not cramming for exams. The café itself is really cute, and they have great food and breakfast options.March 2026
Blog #6
I went on a weekend trip organized by John Cabot University. As a group, we left Rome by bus, traveled to Pompeii and Paestum, and finished at the Amalfi Coast. April 2026
Friday, we left Rome and took a guided tour of the Pompeii ruins. It was incredible how well the city is preserved. I didn’t have any concept of the size of the ruins or how well-preserved Pompeii is. There were still frescoes on the walls, and living quarters that I could walk around in. After Pompeii, we drove to Paestum and toured a pasta factory. I was not able to get any pictures of this, as we had to leave all our personal items outside the kitchen area for sanitary reasons. Lastly, we headed to the hotel, got dinner, and went to bed.
The next morning, we had breakfast and a tour of Tenuta Vannulo, a buffalo milk farm that specialized in dairy products such as mozzarella and ricotta cheese. After that, I had a few hours of free time, and I chose to spend them at the beach. There were hardly any other people there. It was much too cold to swim, but warm enough to sit on the sand and watch the waves. Then we went on a guided tour of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world. They are even better preserved than the temples in Greece.
Sunday morning, we drove to Salerno and took a ferry to Amalfi. This was my favorite destination of the weekend. The weather was so nice, and I loved having the free time to walk around and explore, deciding what I wanted to do and see. It was a beautiful city, and I loved the colors and houses set in the mountains.
If you are considering studying abroad at JCU, I highly recommend looking into the trips and activities offered. I feel that the daytrips and weekend trips are well worth the money. On this specific trip, there were 2 group meals covered by the money paid for the trip, and breakfast for the two days we were at the hotel was free. For me, going on the trip with JCU took the stress out of having to plan travel and accommodation, and allowed me to enjoy the experience.
If you want to see some video clips from the weekend, look here:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWpfRoWCfb7/?igsh=Nzg1M2lqd2pjOGlp
Blog #7
Starting the day early, I took the 5:35 am train from Roma Termini to Venezia San Lucina, arriving at 9:34 am. If you are traveling by train, make sure you are arriving at Venezia San Lucina. Venezia Mestre is on the mainland, not the island, adding another step before you get to start wandering through. I started my day at Sallaluna, a café/bookshop right off the canals. There was a little bit of a wait to get a table outside, but I highly recommend it. I got the Luna Rossa juice and the pear and Truffle Gorgonzola Toast. I had booked a ticket to Saint Mark’s Basilica at 11:30, so that was my next stop. Pro tip: always check if there is a student discount, as I got my ticket for 5 euros. After that, I went to Doge’s palace. Both were beautiful and an amazing experience. I stopped at I Tre Mercanti Venezia for some tiramisu, and then I went to Liberia Acqua Alta, the floating library. If you are a book lover, this is definitely worth checking out, and perfect for a souvenir! I also recommend getting your postcards here, as they have such a wide variety. I left with an Italian copy of Alice in Wonderland, a postcard, and a magnet. I booked a thirty-minute gondola ride through Get Your Guide. If you are traveling with people, it is definitely better to book at an official Gondola Station, as they charge 90 euros per boat, so you can split the cost. Since this was a solo trip, it was cheaper for me to book through a guide company. Before leaving, I got some pasta from Pasta Go Espresso and ate it in a public square. I walked back to the train station and sat by the canal for a few minutes before boarding my train back to Rome. I left Venice at 7:26 pm and arrived back in Rome at 11:32 pm. I do recommend giving yourself some extra time when planning anything, as I found Google Maps and Apple Maps were not 100% accurate when it came to bridges and walkways by the canals. I had to go off route and let it reroute me. Keep in mind, Venice is instituting a city entry fee of 5 euros on certain days. Be sure to check if it applies during your visit! If you want to see a short vlog, look here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXVGae9CuSr/?igsh=MTcwcG1vbWw2b284bA==April 2026
Blog #8
I made a return trip to Florence because there were a few things I regretted missing the first time around, such as the Uffizi Galleries and Galleria Dell ’Accademia. I started out my day at the Uffizi galleries. I went specifically to see the Birth of Venus by Botticelli, but I spent a good 3 hours there. I am sure you could spend longer looking at all the work. They have works by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci as well. This was a beautiful museum, and I absolutely recommend visiting. After the Uffizi gallery, I headed to the Ponte Vecchio and wandered around window shopping until my ticket for the Galleria dell'Accademia. Again, I had a very specific goal in mind for this museum, and that was seeing Michelangelo’s David, but the gallery is another large museum hosting a lot of beautiful works. I was in awe seeing the David statue. I’d heard that the detail is incredible and the work is so much larger than you expect, but nothing could have prepared me for seeing it for myself. The museum was obviously packed with people, but I felt so drawn into the sculpture that I didn’t even pay much attention to them. I skipped the leather markets this time around. After the museums, I went to Maccheroni Broz for a quick bowl of pasta. I got carbonara, tiramisu, and an Aperol. I love this place because they aren’t too packed, and I don’t feel weird as a solo diner like I do in some other sit-down restaurants throughout Italy. The next stop on my list was the Guinti Odeon Cinema. This is a bookshop and movie theater combined. You can shop while a movie plays or purchase tickets to go watch it from the mezzanine. I loved the atmosphere and spent a little time browsing the book options. Before heading back to my train, I went to watch the sunset by the Ponte Vecchio. Crowds of people love to sit on the bridges, socialize, and take pictures. It was the perfect way to end my day. I walked back to the train station and took the train back to Rome. This is my last trip of the semester. I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the different places I’ve visited.May 2026
Blog #9
This post is going to be about my favorite places in Rome that are not the main tourist attractions. The Villa Borghese is an enormous park, and it is so beautiful. My favorite thing to do there was to rent a rowboat and take it out on the lake for 20 minutes. It only costs 5 euros per person and was such a fun experience. The Borghese Gallery is on the same property. It is a beautiful museum, and tickets sell out fast. I was barely able to get some, and I only succeeded because I bought some for a free entry day that drops 10 days prior. Roma Charm Bar is a great place to get an Italian charm bracelet at an affordable price. The first jeweler I checked out for the bracelet was way out of my price range, with single charms costing around 30 euros, but I paid 47 euros total for one bracelet. Plus, the environment is so cute, and they have so many options to choose from! Mammo’s is an American-style restaurant super close to my dorms. I wish I were joking when I say I probably visited them every single day of the semester, if only to get a cappuccino. Il Paiolo Magico is a Harry Potter-themed restaurant that was only a thirty-minute walk from my dorm. I found this restaurant through Instagram, and had to go check it out. As soon as you step in, you are transported into the world of Harry Potter. The entire setting is decorated, and there is a Harry Potter figure at the door. The bathroom has a Troll in it, and there are figures throughout the dining area, such as Voldemort and a Death Eater. The whole restaurant is filled with references you will get if you’ve watched the movies, but I honestly think it can be enjoyed even if you aren’t a Harry Potter fan. The food was amazing, and actually not super overpriced. I got a Butter Beer to complete the experience, but they have all sorts of fun themed drinks and desserts. As the semester ends, I’ve collected postcards from all the places I’ve travelled around Italy. I unfortunately don’t have any from these places in Rome, but that doesn’t make them any less important to me.May 2026
Blog #9
May 2026
