Athens is a very different part of Greece then Corfu. It is a large city, and fairly dirty compared to some other cities I have been to in Europe. When the bus arrived at 3:30am, I was so delirious, and still groggy from the Tylenol PM I had taken joust 6 hours before. We unloaded the bus and shuffled down the block to the hostel. The city was still very much awake and alive at this hour of the night, which most of us were pretty surprised to discover. When we reached the hostel, Mel and Jess and Alex and I got the key to our room and made out way to the beds. It was a very clean hostel, with two sets of bunk beds, (MY FAVORITE!) and threw our stuff to the corners of the room. I decided to take a shower because I was so yucky feeling from all the travel and knew that there would be no hot water in the morning when everyone else decided to shower before the walking tour of the city. After the shower, which was interesting because there is no curtain or glass, just a little lip in between the sink and toilet where the drain is, so its hard not to get water all over the bathroom. But there was good water pressure, and it was hot, so I was happy. ☺
After the shower, I passed out in the top bunk above Melissa and slept like a baby until 9am. We woke up, ate breakfast in the hostel, which was toast and hard-boiled eggs. After some much needed food in out bellies, we all got dressed and met Mike, the tour guide from Bus 2 Alps, downstairs for the walking tour of Athens.
It truly is ancient Greece, this part of the country. It is filled with an intense amount history, much of which has been destroyed in their several wars following the years after Christ. The Acropolis, which is the most religious site in Athens, is very neat to see, and quite a bit still stands after all the invasions of Ancient Athens over the last several hundred years. This was also the day of Independence, so there were celebrations going on in the city, which was neat to be apart of. We hiked to the top of this lookout point and watched the navy planes fly over the city in celebration. It reminded me of fleet week, which is held in San Francisco every year where the US Navy planes fly over the bay and do tricks. I have been a few times, and really enjoy watching the planes in the sky, so I was excited to watch it in Greece as well. I also took some pretty cool pictures of this; hope to someday get the pictures on here working again. ☺
After the walking tour was over, we went through the outdoor market in the city, where I bought some pretty neat things for some of you back home! I am very excited about them! We also had lunch at this little Greek place; Melissa and I shared a gyro and a salad, very tasty!
Nap time!! We all passed out back at the hostel for a little siesta, all the traveling and walking sure takes a toll and creates the need for lots of sleep and rest. I read my book for a little while, and then woke up to the pages pressed against my cheek, so apparently I feel asleep without putting my book down. Typical Carlyn. That night we all went to this restaurant for dinner, the entire group of 87 sat on the street outside in the spot where there were tables and chairs and enough space to accommodate us all. 13 Euros for a huge meal and unlimited wine. It was great! After dinner, some groups split off and went back to the hostel, the girls and I went to a club nearby and the music was loud! The drinks were a little expensive and the majority of us were ready to head back to the rooms since it was almost 2am by this point, so all of us except Molly and Jessica went back to the rooms. The two of them were into staying out and dancing. We took a taxi back to the hostel because the city is very, very unsafe at night and none of us were willing to chance anything. It was only about 7 Euros for all of us to get back, so it was worth it.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Greece- Day 3 and 4
Monday was a great day in Corfu! We woke up in the morning, ate breakfast in the lounge, which consisted of toast, eggs and some sliced meats and cheeses. I asked for yogurt, and was unpleasantly surprised to find its consistency to that of sour cream, and the taste similar too. After breakfast, we decided to rent quads for the day and ride the island. We were told the quads were all cooked for the day and would have to try again on Tuesday, so we put bathing suits on instead and went down to the beach to lay in the sun. It was by no means HOT outside, which is what everyone was hoping for during spring break, but nice enough to lay out without clothes on and soak up some vitamin D. After a few hours of this laying out, Alex and I walked up the path to have lunch, and get changed for the beach hike that the boys asked us to join in on. We hiked along the beach, which was a little unnerving because it’s not sand, but rocks, which are all about the size of a squished plum, and a little bit hard to walk on. I fell pretty hard at one point, scratching my knees and elbows, and also putting a few marks on my brand new camera, which was enough to turn my smile to a frown. The hike was about an hour each way, and when we reached out destination, there were some pretty amazing views!! Lots of pictures.
After the hike, it was time to shower and get ready for dinner number two. Also, this night was the toga party, so everyone at the palace was rented a toga, pink, mind you, for the night. It was quite a show to see, and so much fun! The girls and I danced and drank the night away, which was a blast! There is nothing better then ending the day with several guys wearing satin pink togas, ha-ha!!
Tuesday morning, Alex, Melissa, Jessica and I got up very early to make sure we would be able to rent quads for the day. I wanted to make sure that there would be some left so we got in the like at 8am to insure spots. We enjoyed breakfast after signing up for the safari quad ride and went to our rooms to get changed. At 11:00am, we met down in the garage area to get lessons on the quads and helmets fitted to out heads. There were about 40 students all renting quads, so it took quite a while to get everything situated and organized. After that, we were off. It was so much fun, riding along the streets of Corfu with the cute little kids playing in the street and waving frantically as we rode by. The town is so quaint and simple, and all the people are very friendly. We also rode the quads off-road, which was also so much fun! At the top of this giant lookout was an amazing view of the island and the beaches, all with beautiful crystal clear water from the Adriatic Sea.
That night, we loaded up our belongings and boarded the night bus to Greece. It was a long ride, but most of us passed out the sound of the movie Old School on the TV’s throughout the bus. It wasn’t until 3:30am on Wednesday morning that the bus pulled into the very awake city of Athens.
I really enjoyed Corfu, and will go back there again at some point in my life.
Ciao Bella
After the hike, it was time to shower and get ready for dinner number two. Also, this night was the toga party, so everyone at the palace was rented a toga, pink, mind you, for the night. It was quite a show to see, and so much fun! The girls and I danced and drank the night away, which was a blast! There is nothing better then ending the day with several guys wearing satin pink togas, ha-ha!!
Tuesday morning, Alex, Melissa, Jessica and I got up very early to make sure we would be able to rent quads for the day. I wanted to make sure that there would be some left so we got in the like at 8am to insure spots. We enjoyed breakfast after signing up for the safari quad ride and went to our rooms to get changed. At 11:00am, we met down in the garage area to get lessons on the quads and helmets fitted to out heads. There were about 40 students all renting quads, so it took quite a while to get everything situated and organized. After that, we were off. It was so much fun, riding along the streets of Corfu with the cute little kids playing in the street and waving frantically as we rode by. The town is so quaint and simple, and all the people are very friendly. We also rode the quads off-road, which was also so much fun! At the top of this giant lookout was an amazing view of the island and the beaches, all with beautiful crystal clear water from the Adriatic Sea.
That night, we loaded up our belongings and boarded the night bus to Greece. It was a long ride, but most of us passed out the sound of the movie Old School on the TV’s throughout the bus. It wasn’t until 3:30am on Wednesday morning that the bus pulled into the very awake city of Athens.
I really enjoyed Corfu, and will go back there again at some point in my life.
Ciao Bella
Greece- Day One and Two
Off for the week in Greece. Seven days of spring break and the girls and I decided to take a trip with a group called Bus 2 Alps. It was quite a week, and the girls and I has such a great time. Melissa and Jessica are still here, so they also went on the trip to Greece.
We started by meeting at the train station in Florence at 9:30 Saturday morning, the 21st of March. We were all so excited, with way too much luggage, and our own individual expectations on how the week would pan out. We loaded the two-story bus for the 4-hour ride to the town of Ancona where the ferry was meeting us. Most slept on the bus, earphones and backpacks spread like thick jam on toast. We all stood outside the ferry, wearing jackets and hoods, which was not the normal attire for a spring break vacation. But our hopes were high. We walked about 20 minutes to load the ferry, which was described as a cruise ship to us in the itinerary for the week. Not kidding, we watched around 20 full sized semi-trucks load the bottom of the ferry, so needless to say, this ship was HUGE! After shuffling up the stairs with our luggage and pillows, Alex and I got keys to the cabin we pre-booked. This cost was 25 Euros round trip, which was very worth the money because otherwise we were sleeping on the floor in the bottom floor of the boat with all the other students on this trip. The cabins were tight, with little room to spare. There were two other girls in out room, both studying in Rome for the semester. They were very nice, and we exchanged stories from our adventures so far this semester.
This boat ride was a total of 14 hours, but a good chunk was overnight, so it wasn’t too bad. After a few beers and an expensive boat meal, Jessica, Melissa and I found ourselves in the boat discotecca, dancing away. It was a bit creepy, seeing as how the majority of our school group was females, and the rest of the people on board the ship were old, hairy, smelly Greek truck drivers. Ha-ha. I didn’t stay on the dance floor for too long.
After a not so good night sleep, but sleep nonetheless, we woke to getting our bags back together and off the boat. When we reached the shore, we boarded another bus, ½ hour ride to the Pink Palace! And what a palace it was! Not to mention, everything truly was pink!! Even the color of the ouzo, which is a popular Greek hard alcohol that was being passed out in shots all around. After checking out the rooms, which were very nice, and had ocean views!! we decided to wonder around and check stuff out. I was starving at this point, so we went down to the little lounge and I had a tuna sandwich that was so tasty!! I have been missing tuna; it is a little expensive at home in Florence, so I have not been buying it. After sandwiches, we unpacked in our rooms and Alex and I took a nap. It was much needed and was helpful for the rest of the evening.
That night at the palace, we played cards for a few hours, and enjoyed happy hour, which lasts for 5 hours at the palace. The drinks are cheap, with beer and shots only being a euro each, so everyone is having a good time. Dinner was served at 8:30, lots of great food and lots of hungry college kids to clean the plates. Dinner ended with a night of dancing with a DJ; there is a huge dance floor in the Rec. hall at the palace. Bed time was late that night, and sure felt good to sleep in a bed that wasn’t rocking due to the ocean beneath it.
We started by meeting at the train station in Florence at 9:30 Saturday morning, the 21st of March. We were all so excited, with way too much luggage, and our own individual expectations on how the week would pan out. We loaded the two-story bus for the 4-hour ride to the town of Ancona where the ferry was meeting us. Most slept on the bus, earphones and backpacks spread like thick jam on toast. We all stood outside the ferry, wearing jackets and hoods, which was not the normal attire for a spring break vacation. But our hopes were high. We walked about 20 minutes to load the ferry, which was described as a cruise ship to us in the itinerary for the week. Not kidding, we watched around 20 full sized semi-trucks load the bottom of the ferry, so needless to say, this ship was HUGE! After shuffling up the stairs with our luggage and pillows, Alex and I got keys to the cabin we pre-booked. This cost was 25 Euros round trip, which was very worth the money because otherwise we were sleeping on the floor in the bottom floor of the boat with all the other students on this trip. The cabins were tight, with little room to spare. There were two other girls in out room, both studying in Rome for the semester. They were very nice, and we exchanged stories from our adventures so far this semester.
This boat ride was a total of 14 hours, but a good chunk was overnight, so it wasn’t too bad. After a few beers and an expensive boat meal, Jessica, Melissa and I found ourselves in the boat discotecca, dancing away. It was a bit creepy, seeing as how the majority of our school group was females, and the rest of the people on board the ship were old, hairy, smelly Greek truck drivers. Ha-ha. I didn’t stay on the dance floor for too long.
After a not so good night sleep, but sleep nonetheless, we woke to getting our bags back together and off the boat. When we reached the shore, we boarded another bus, ½ hour ride to the Pink Palace! And what a palace it was! Not to mention, everything truly was pink!! Even the color of the ouzo, which is a popular Greek hard alcohol that was being passed out in shots all around. After checking out the rooms, which were very nice, and had ocean views!! we decided to wonder around and check stuff out. I was starving at this point, so we went down to the little lounge and I had a tuna sandwich that was so tasty!! I have been missing tuna; it is a little expensive at home in Florence, so I have not been buying it. After sandwiches, we unpacked in our rooms and Alex and I took a nap. It was much needed and was helpful for the rest of the evening.
That night at the palace, we played cards for a few hours, and enjoyed happy hour, which lasts for 5 hours at the palace. The drinks are cheap, with beer and shots only being a euro each, so everyone is having a good time. Dinner was served at 8:30, lots of great food and lots of hungry college kids to clean the plates. Dinner ended with a night of dancing with a DJ; there is a huge dance floor in the Rec. hall at the palace. Bed time was late that night, and sure felt good to sleep in a bed that wasn’t rocking due to the ocean beneath it.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Food For Thought
This is what I do for living, think of food. How totally awesome is that!? This week has been so hectic, with midterms and some friends fro California coming to visit. I am so glad they are here, and can't wait to go to Greece on Saturday and get a little vacation in. Relaxing on the white sand will be quite a treat!
My midterms have gone pretty well, I think. I HOPE! Wine was so hard, I think that I am just not cut out for the scientific way of tasting wines. I enjoy them, and love to try new wines, but when it comes to telling you what the aromatics are, or where the grape originates from. I just don't have that palate. Maybe I will get better if I practice, but the blind tasting as part of my midterm was very hard!!
Italian was possibly the second hardest, although wasn't really too bad. I went over the verbs in my head for hours, and practiced saying them outloud, which always helps to get down the spelling of the words, so I am hoping I did well on that exam. All the others went well, its amazing how much fun it is to study and take notes on information and ideas that I really care about. I LOVE to read my text, to learn about different creative pasta uses and where certain mushrooms are grown. Its interesting to read about other chefs creative use in the culinary world, cheese parings and new sauces. I often just sit at night in bed and read, till all hours of the night!! I can't wait to put all this new knowledge to work with Riverview Farms Catering and really dive into this passion of mine! Who knows where the food will take me!!
Melissa and Jessica got here yesterday, they pulled up to the front of our apartment building and I heard the taxi door close. I stood up and screamed out the window, I was so excited to see faces from home! We got their bags upstairs and we decided to walk around the city. The girls wanted gelato so we stopped at this little place on the street just down the street from the Duomo. After choosing our flavors, licking our cones and happy campers, we went inside to pay. The cashier, ever so politely, said " Nine Euros Each, please." I was SHOCKED!! Thats what we get for not paying attention to how much the scoops were, and even though it was soo soo good, but not worth the nine euros. I am not eating the rest of the week, as I am on strike for paying so much for gelato.
We leave for Greece on Saturday morning, the bus leaves from the train station at 9am and we are on it for close to 5 hours. We then reach the port where we board the cruise that takes us to the islands. This is a 14 hour cruise, so it should be fun. There is a movie theatre and restaurants aboard the ship!!
I will wrote more when I return back to Florence. Miss you all, ciao bella
My midterms have gone pretty well, I think. I HOPE! Wine was so hard, I think that I am just not cut out for the scientific way of tasting wines. I enjoy them, and love to try new wines, but when it comes to telling you what the aromatics are, or where the grape originates from. I just don't have that palate. Maybe I will get better if I practice, but the blind tasting as part of my midterm was very hard!!
Italian was possibly the second hardest, although wasn't really too bad. I went over the verbs in my head for hours, and practiced saying them outloud, which always helps to get down the spelling of the words, so I am hoping I did well on that exam. All the others went well, its amazing how much fun it is to study and take notes on information and ideas that I really care about. I LOVE to read my text, to learn about different creative pasta uses and where certain mushrooms are grown. Its interesting to read about other chefs creative use in the culinary world, cheese parings and new sauces. I often just sit at night in bed and read, till all hours of the night!! I can't wait to put all this new knowledge to work with Riverview Farms Catering and really dive into this passion of mine! Who knows where the food will take me!!
Melissa and Jessica got here yesterday, they pulled up to the front of our apartment building and I heard the taxi door close. I stood up and screamed out the window, I was so excited to see faces from home! We got their bags upstairs and we decided to walk around the city. The girls wanted gelato so we stopped at this little place on the street just down the street from the Duomo. After choosing our flavors, licking our cones and happy campers, we went inside to pay. The cashier, ever so politely, said " Nine Euros Each, please." I was SHOCKED!! Thats what we get for not paying attention to how much the scoops were, and even though it was soo soo good, but not worth the nine euros. I am not eating the rest of the week, as I am on strike for paying so much for gelato.
We leave for Greece on Saturday morning, the bus leaves from the train station at 9am and we are on it for close to 5 hours. We then reach the port where we board the cruise that takes us to the islands. This is a 14 hour cruise, so it should be fun. There is a movie theatre and restaurants aboard the ship!!
I will wrote more when I return back to Florence. Miss you all, ciao bella
Monday, March 16, 2009
Bologna and Ferrari
Ciao a tutti!
Saturday, Alex and I spent the day in Bologna. The Ferrari museum was awesome! There were several different models of Ferraris, including the first model ever built, cars that were raced in Formula One, and the owner of Ferraris customized car that is only in the museum for the month of March. We had a guided tour and an explanation of all the different cars that are kept on display. Only one car in the whole museum was not red, and it was a specific model witch is built as a four sweater and the paint is customized to each owner.
After the museum we got back on the bus and went into the town of Bologna to have lunch and walk around the town square. We decided to climb the tower just outside the main square, and there was a fabulous view from the top. For lunch, there was a little restaurant that we stopped in which was very tasty. I enjoyed some Bolognese sauce with pasta, which is something that the town is famous for, and then had gelato afterwards.
Back on the bus, we went to this church on the top of a hill just outside the town. It is a famous monastery, which was beautiful, and overlooked all of Bologna. Mass was being held while we were there, so I stayed inside for a very short time because I have a hard time being quite for long amounts of time. ☺
The bus ride back to Florence was a blur, I was listening to Dane Cook on my iPod with Hunter, a friend from Alabama, and both of us passed out. I was so tired from walking everywhere, and my belly was pleasantly full with pasta and wine!
Sunday, I slept until like 1pm, which felt amazing because it had been so long since I had slept for more then 4 hours at a time. When I got up, I decided to go for a run, which was a perfect choice because the weather was beautiful outside. I ran into this park that is a few blocks from the house, and there was an outside “junk sale” going on, which was interesting. Tables upon tables with people selling stuff they don’t want anymore. I love places like this, it’s so fun to see what people are trying to get rid of, and better yet, the stuff people will buy!
I got home, did some abs and legs work out and then jumped in the shower. Molly, my roommate from New Hampshire, has a cousin that just got here for the week to visit, so all of us went to a Food and Wine festival in a large convention center nearby. We tasted wines, cheeses, olive oil and balsamic vinegars, German beers, chocolates, breads and cured meats. It was very fun, and filling!
Now its down to the nitty gritty. I have midterms this week, not so much fun, but I am working hard to just get through the next few days until spring break, and then we go to Greece for a week!! And Melissa is coming on Tuesday to visit for two weeks witch will be great!
Miss you all. Ciao Bella
Saturday, Alex and I spent the day in Bologna. The Ferrari museum was awesome! There were several different models of Ferraris, including the first model ever built, cars that were raced in Formula One, and the owner of Ferraris customized car that is only in the museum for the month of March. We had a guided tour and an explanation of all the different cars that are kept on display. Only one car in the whole museum was not red, and it was a specific model witch is built as a four sweater and the paint is customized to each owner.
After the museum we got back on the bus and went into the town of Bologna to have lunch and walk around the town square. We decided to climb the tower just outside the main square, and there was a fabulous view from the top. For lunch, there was a little restaurant that we stopped in which was very tasty. I enjoyed some Bolognese sauce with pasta, which is something that the town is famous for, and then had gelato afterwards.
Back on the bus, we went to this church on the top of a hill just outside the town. It is a famous monastery, which was beautiful, and overlooked all of Bologna. Mass was being held while we were there, so I stayed inside for a very short time because I have a hard time being quite for long amounts of time. ☺
The bus ride back to Florence was a blur, I was listening to Dane Cook on my iPod with Hunter, a friend from Alabama, and both of us passed out. I was so tired from walking everywhere, and my belly was pleasantly full with pasta and wine!
Sunday, I slept until like 1pm, which felt amazing because it had been so long since I had slept for more then 4 hours at a time. When I got up, I decided to go for a run, which was a perfect choice because the weather was beautiful outside. I ran into this park that is a few blocks from the house, and there was an outside “junk sale” going on, which was interesting. Tables upon tables with people selling stuff they don’t want anymore. I love places like this, it’s so fun to see what people are trying to get rid of, and better yet, the stuff people will buy!
I got home, did some abs and legs work out and then jumped in the shower. Molly, my roommate from New Hampshire, has a cousin that just got here for the week to visit, so all of us went to a Food and Wine festival in a large convention center nearby. We tasted wines, cheeses, olive oil and balsamic vinegars, German beers, chocolates, breads and cured meats. It was very fun, and filling!
Now its down to the nitty gritty. I have midterms this week, not so much fun, but I am working hard to just get through the next few days until spring break, and then we go to Greece for a week!! And Melissa is coming on Tuesday to visit for two weeks witch will be great!
Miss you all. Ciao Bella
Monday, March 9, 2009
Camera
AAHH!! My camera broke today, just quit working and won't focus at all. I am pretty bummed because it is the same amount of money to fix it in Europe as it is to buy another one in the U.S. I really liked the little bugger too, so there will be a proper burial service when I get home. You can send contributions for a new camera to 430 Riverside Ave Ben Lomond California 95005. HAHA
Oh well, there are lessons in life, sometimes it takes a while to figure them out. But for now, it is still just another day in paradise.
Ciao Bella ti amo.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Welcome Home Sun
The sun shines on this Saturday afternoon in Florence, and it is 12:45. A nice time of day to get out and explore. This means I must peel myself away from the computer and these papers to enjoy the city without the rain.
I have been sitting in front of this computer for too many hours in the last week, but for a few reasons. One, its been raining outside, and this makes it hard to get motivated out the door and on my feet. Instead, I make hot cocoa and hibernate. Two, I have three 6 page papers due in the next six weeks so I have been trying to get a jump start on them before Melissa comes to visit, spring break comes, and we go to Greece.
Paper #1- BORING!! 6 pages on Gluten. Now, don't get me wrong, I love that I am writing on something other then gay marriage, gun control, abortion or the summary of a college read novel, but it is hard to talk about protein structure for pages. I am trying though, and it will be successful!
Paper #2- much more interesting, if I do say so myself. Flavor combinations, the five flavors themselves- Salty, Sour, Sweet, Bitter and Umami. This is more up my alley, and really is a large part about what separates one chef from another in the world of creativity. I am also assigned to discuss the importance of planning the flavors on a plate, and what are the rules to be followed when combining one flavor with another. :)
Paper #3- This paper is for my Tradition of Italian Foods course, which is very interesting, and tasty!! This papers is to include discussion on as many or as few of the traditional ingredients to Italian cuisine. Such ingredients may include Prosciutto, Truffles, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, Parmigiano Reggiano, and many others. But wait, for the best part..................I am to write a recipe, Italian style, and take pictures of the product!! Pretty exciting!
So, now that I have dipped my toes into all three of these assignments and have notes of research spread from one end of the kitchen table to the other, I part this Florence apartment to soak up the Vitamin D. I think a nice run will do the trick!
All my love, hope the weather is sweet where you are as well.
Ciao Bella
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Idea for One Block West
Ok chef Ed, this one is for you!
Today in class, we made the most interesting combination that was very good. I wasn't able to take pictures because I think my camera is out of service for the time being, so imagination is needed.
First, take olives, kalamata would be great, the ones we used today were random. Make sure the seeds are out, and finely chop them up. Spread them evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dust the top op the olives with powdered sugar. Roast in a 200-225 degree over for about 45 minutes, until the olives are dried out.
Next, temper white chocolate. Once the chocolate is tempered, spread with an offset spatula onto parchment paper and sprinkle the olives on top. Flash freeze, or refrigerate until the chocolate is hard.
Gorgonzola cheese is next. Cut into small cubes and place on individual tea spoons. Take a piece of the chocolate and place on top of the gorgonzola. Serve!
This was such an interesting combination of flavors, and I was very nervous about how the flavors would work, but I was pleasantly surprised. Ed, I am not sure which wine would be pared well with this, but I know that your knowledge will lead you in the right direction. It would be great for a tasting menu or as an amuse. Let me know what you think!
As for the rest of you readers, school is amazing, to say the least. I am enjoying this so much and really interested in the next day when today is over. I look forward to class, read my text with enthusiasm and can't wait to share all this food with the ones I love.
Ciao Bella
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Dislikes in Italia
OK, so besides the fact that the three main smells in Italy are cigarette smoke, dog poo and exhaust, I have discovered my second dislike in Italy
One word. Thunder. It is sooooo loud in Italy!!!! For those of you who know me well, know that I am not a fan of thunder and lightning. I know that it can't hurt me, that it will not come out of the sky like a scary rhinoceros as in the children's movie James In The Giant Peach, but nonetheless, I still find it scary. It keeps me up at night, and makes me run home from class.
As a child, I remember waking up to the sound in the middle of the night and running from my room to my brothers room and sleeping the rest of the night with him because it was the only way I was able to sleep.
Maybe I will someday grow out of this, but for now, it remains on the top 5 things I am most fearful of.
It is raining here now, I am finished with class for the day and am home to make some hot cocoa and read my book. Ciao Bella a tutti
Monday, March 2, 2009
Roma
Hi there! Hope all is well with you all and I am thinking of you daily. My Italian life is evolving and changing so much everyday, it really feels natural to be here now and I am enjoying the culture and different lifestyles more and more. When my roommates and I leave for the weekends, I feel as though I am coming back to something normal, almost like a home, when we return back to Florence. Its a nice feeling.
This past weekend, we went to Rome. Alex, my roommate from Florida, has a brother who is visiting this weeks, so Taylor and I went with the two of them to see the ancient city of Rome. And what a city it is!
Its HUGE!! first of all. Much bigger then Florence, which felt big to me just 6 weeks ago. The is so much to do and see in this city, we were very busy in each day. We got into the Termini train station in the early afternoon on Saturday and headed straight to locate the hostel and to book some seats on a bus tour. We were suggested to do so because the city is so large, and its helpful to have the transportation already in place in order to manage time in between sites.
We booked it to the bus stop in hopes of making it to Vatican City before the chapel and museum closed, but we were out of luck. The Basilica of St. Peter was still open, however, so we spent quite a while in this church. For those of you not familiar, it is indeed the largest church in the world, and is where St. Peter and around 140 other popes are buried. This in itself makes it such a magical place to be, and there is so much history behind the construction and Dome in this church. I can't remember exactly, but somewhere around 40 different architects helped to design the church because nobody was alive the entire time it took to build it. Amazing! We also visited the Pantheon which is another large church in Rome, but what's special is the height of the Dome is the same as the length from the front of the church to the back. Its very special to the city people.
We decided to head back to the hostel at this point, it was getting dark and we were getting hungry! Alex and her brother had to make a trip to the airport because his bags were lost on the flight to Europe, so Taylor and I had pizza at the hostel and then took the metro to the collosuem to see its glory in the night. We had heard from Molly that it was incredible to see it lit at night. SHE WAS SOO RIGHT!! What an amazing piece of history that we have been able to enjoy more then 10 centuries later!
On our walk back to the hostel, Taylor and I talked a lot about ourselves, or relationship history, and some other girlie stuff. Its nice to get connected with the people I am living with while in Italy, I really feel as if these girls will be in my life for a long time
Day two in Rome was packed with things to do. We went to the Vatican again in the morning, and were very excited to see the Pope and listen to his prayer to the people in the square. I took lots of photos, so check them out on facebook.
Next we walked to see the Spanish Steps, Fontana di Trevi ( Trevi Fountain), and went back to the Colosseo (Colosseum) to go inside and take a tour of the ruins. This was very cool, because this is something that Romans are famous for..... GLADIATORS!! Pretty intense to hear the stories of how many people were killed during this popular but very violent part of sports in Roman times. Thousands of people died in a very short period of time, and now serves as a place of prayer for the christians who were burned at the stake during the time the Colosseum was in use.
I came home on the train alone last night as I was the only person with class Monday morning early. It was nice to have a little alone time, I am forgetting that I still need some of that during this exciting semester abroad. I was able to do some journaling and writing a few postcards to some loved ones during the 3.5 hour trip. And or course, to let the hamburger I was able to indulge on while waiting for the train. Red meat has never tasted so good!
Back to school for the week, classes are fabulous and I really am enjoying learning new things everyday. My classmates are great, and friendly, and I will continue to blog as my adventures seem to multiply. Melissa Boynton and Jessica Gollbach are coming in two weeks to visit, and we are going to Greece for my spring break with three other roommates. Very exciting!
Love to you all, your in my thoughts and prayers. Ciao Bella a tutti (a beautiful goodbye to you all)
xoxo
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