Amsterdam- the culture clash

The weekend of March 11th I met Haley and Cammie in Amsterdam for what I would call the culture clash weekend. When we first arrived, I met Haley at our hostel which we knew before that it was a Christian hostel. They were lenient with no curfew but no alcohol so no bar in our hostel, but that was totally fine. Our room was dorm style, bunks beds and a sink but a communal bathroom down the hall. After a night there, Haley and I decided it was Camp Mattakeesett which was our Catholic Camp we went to when were younger. Bible studies around every corner, hymns sung in the cafe, and spiritual walks offered every hour. A lot different than I thought Amsterdam would be, which I found out I was right. If you took a direct right out of our hostel, there was a Thai Massage sign...not Thai massage. The Red Light District was literally 10 ft away from our Christian hostel which I found to be pretty ironic.

Anyways! We decided to go to the Heineken Experience on Friday but we were up so early we got there at 11:30. We decided it was not acceptable to drink before noon (even though there was many exceptions) so we wandered a really cute market behind it. One man was selling chocolates in the shape of boobs and penises which were comical and delicious (obviously we had to buy one)! Then we went to the Heineken Experience on Friday and it was literally like a Disney ride.
We walked through the history and brewing process and there was one part we stood on a platform and "became a beer." They splashed water on us and the platform dropped a little and rumbled when we were the barley being ground and the bottles being capped. Also, I got to crush the barley so I hope they use it in a beer! We spent a lot of time browsing there and by the end we were ready for dinner. We went out for sushi because we were right next to the essential China Town, but it was really all types of Asian food. That night we went to a club/bar called The Grasshopper with three floors. The bottom floor was a a smoking room, the middle a bar and the top a club. The thing about Amsterdam is the smoking rooms are not for tobacco. Ironically, you are not allowed to smoke tobacco or any mixed tobacco product in those rooms because "you are endangering your neighbor" so only weed is smoked there, an tobacco can only be smoked outside. Definitely a different policy than America.

The next day we went to an outdoor market and sniped a ton of free samples, which we decided the cheese was the best. Our plan was to go to the Anne Frank House next, but the line was long so pancakes came first. Amsterdam and the Netherlands are known for their pancakes which were like a slightly thicker crepe. I had a bacon and apple one and it was to die for. We added the traditional Stroop syrup, but only slightly because it is so sweet it resembles a condensed maple syrup or molasses. The Anne Frank house was very humbling and an amazing experience. Her quarters were a lot larger than I expected but I could never live in darkness as she did, nor in hiding. Her eloquence for 13 was astounding and I am definitely going to reread the book. Then we walked through the Red Light district because we figured we had to see it. It was definitely a shock, because I thought the girls would be ugly but they were really pretty but I was still disgusted. It was not somewhere I would want to be regularly. That night oriental was on the list again and we had Thai food, which I found out later the Netherlands is known for its Asian cuisine so I didn't feel that guilty.

Sunday the I AMSTERDAM sign was on the list, but the permanent one was really far from our hostel, so we settled for the moving one right next to us. After an extensive photoshoot, I really wanted to see a windmill so we walked to a brewery within a windmill. The tours were closed but we stopped for a beer which none of us liked but it was still an experience.
We also went to eh Sex Museum, which was disappointing in our eyes because it was just a bunch of porn through the ages, but still interesting I guess. We had a jam packed day every day and finally going home was amazing. I really liked Amsterdam but found the clash of weed/prostitution and windmills and pancakes to be interesting.

AS Roma V AC Milan! and little shopping

Last Saturday, after BC left Rome (sad), we thought we would use our time wisely and go to a soccer, calcio, game. AS Roma is our team, colors conveniently maroon and a goldish-yellow, and they were ranked 3rd in the league and AC Milan (which Beckham plays for) was ranked 2nd and whoever won this game would be in 2nd. We luckily found tickets for only 12.50 euro, which was a steal compared to my other friends who paid 45. As we walked into the stadium, it was just like an American one, but there were glass barricade separating sections, especially the the rounded part on the ends from the sides. The purpose of these were made very clear later in the game. As we walked in we headed up the stairs and asked where our seats were, assuming nosebleeds for the price. Surprisingly, we were directed down to the third row directly behind the net!! To me, these were great seats because I was close, but apparently to real soccer fans, they are crappy seats because you can't really see the action. Glad I was naiive because I was pumped!! Around us were all the Italians, who I learned in my class later were the Ultra. The Ultra are the most fanatic fans, usually violent and very vulgar. They are the ones who bring in flags and banners to try to intimidate the other team and they are very rambunctious. Luckily they weren't violent where we were, only we heard lots of Italian profanities the entire time.

Because this game was such a big one, the entire stadium was packed!! We cheered along with the Italians, and figured out some of the songs and chants for our team. One song they italians sing is Roma, Roma, Roma, which is equivalent to Sweet Caroline at the Red Sox games, but it was a lot slower and kind of boring compared to what I was expecting. I couldn't figure out how to add this link or post it as a video because I am computer challeneged, so if you're interested check out the song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xigDH384K0

So after all our cheering and the excitement that we saw Beckham play, it was a 0-0 game. No goals...so pretty anticlimactic. Regardless it was still a ton of fun and can't wait to go to another one!

That Sunday, all my roommates were away except Anastasia, so she and I woke up early and went to the flea market called Porta Portese. We met up with our guy friend Steve and spent hours shopping a browsing. Its one of the largest markets in Europe and has everything you can imagine. There are a lot of tables with piles of clothes, and anything on that table is only 1 or 2 euros. I thought that was kinda gross but apparently its totally acceptable and kosher. They have shoes, antiques, jewlery and furs. You can get fur for so cheap I am considering buying one, but haven't yet. I bought a ROMA t-shirt because I didn't buy one at the game before. Also, I was looking for a leather jacket and found a pretty cute camel colored one that fit me really nicely. With a little bargaining we brought the coat from 25 down to 15 euro, so obviously I bought it! It was totally a steal and has been awesome for the newly spring weather we are having. The market is something we have in America, but it is a totally different experience in Rome. I think Dad would really like it, it has a lots of antiques and the atmosphere is just buzzing. I am going to try to go more, but it ends around 1 which I am not usually up for on Sundays or I am traveling. Hopefully next time I can find some great deals again!

Tivoli Rejects Us

On Friday we decided to be ambitious and go one a day trip to Tivoli. Tivoli is a rustic town an hour to the east of Rome with beautiful gardens and great Roman culture to see. Seeing we went out the night before, we were a little late at starting, but I'm organized enough that I got us going and on a train by 2. As we arrived into Tivoli we started weaving through the mountains where the town is located. There was a beautiful view of the waterfall, but as luck would have it I miss the picture, but here is my attempt. It was a beautiful ride and then when we arrived, it obviously started raining. We first tried to find a tourist information booth to get a map, and when we finally found it I'm not sure if she was out to lunch or what but no one was there. But there was an enormous castle in the middle of the city so we figured we would try to go there...Tivoli was not feeling that either because it was closed for renovations. So we asked a native where to go next and he said Villa D'Este which is a Renaissance villa located in town and is renowned for the beautiful gardens, especially its water fountains. At this point it had started torrential down pouring so we stopped for a crepe until it stopped..which it never really did. At Villa D'Este we walked in and it was 6.5 euro for entrance. However, the fountains, pictures of which lined the walls of hte entrance, were not currently running due to technical difficulty, so the man at the desk advised against us going. So two strikes on tourist attractions but we still had the main one left. Hadrian's Villa, which was a 15 min ride from the center of the city. It is the villa of one of the greatest emperors of Rome and is just as grandiose that he probably thought he was. Because we thought it was going to close soon, we called a cab, which happened to be a Mercedes van ( I guess cabbies are loaded in Italy) and made it in time to buy tickets and rent an audio guide. Hadrians villa was very hard to visualize without the guide, because it is all ruins but nonetheless amazing ruins.
We had a lot of fun walking around but by the end we were cold, wet and miserable. I definitely recommend going to Tivoli at some point to everyone but I think you might want to check the weather first, and maybe more in the summer or spring when you can really enjoy the gardens!

BC Invades Rome Part 2

The second half of the BC crew arrived on Monday. It was about time they got here after a three day delay! I picked them up from the train station on Monday morning and 17 Gerald was finally reunited!! In Rome! There were five of them total and only three were supposed to stay with me and the other half with our other roommate Jen who is also studying in Rome. However, Jen's roommates were mad at her from some friends there the night before and refused to allow her to have anyone stay, so they all checked in to the Lindsay Hotel. I felt badly because once they arrived I had to give them a quick itinerary so they could see most of the sites like Colosseum and Forum because three of them , Sinead, Laura and Lauren were all leaving for Paris on Wednesday. I brought them to a favorite pizza place where we met quickly with Haley and Cammie before they had to leave for their flight that morning. We all had some fabulous Roman pizza, and they liked it so much they went they went back in for a second piece before they left. I sent them to see all the sights and gave them perfect directions so no one got lost. That night I couldn't even hang out with them because I had a midterm the next morning, so they went out to dinner with our other roommate Jen while I studied. The next day I sent them all to the Vatican and was excited because I would finally get to go out with all of them. That night we went to dinner at Fraschetta, a very local restaurant that was very authentic and has great food! I got spaghetti alle vongole which is spaghetti and clams and we drank the wine tat is especially made for the restaurant. After dinner we we wanted to do something different than the normal bar scene or club scene so we all went to Ice Bar Roma. This bar is made completely of ice, the bar, the seats and the cups. When you walk in they give you a cloak that makes you look like a moon man and gloves so you won't completely freeze. We bought a special deal where it was all you can drink for as long as you are inside. They really know what they are doing because they know you won't drink that much since you get too cold too quickly. We only survived about 2 hours before we couldn't feel our toes. Some people ditched out earlier and went next door to a coffee shop and warmed up with cappuccinos. After that we went to Campo De Fiori which is a square of bars and clubs and we just let them all lose. There were so many of us there was no way we could all have been in one place.
The next day I had class all day and Sho, Laura and Lauren left. Candice and Caroline went back to the Vatican to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel and took some illegal pictures of the frescoes. That night we were so exhausted and jet lag finally caught up with them so we fell asleep by 11:30. Thursday I sent them vintage shopping by Piazza Navona and they found some great things like new leather boots and a coat resembling Kate Hudson's from Almost Famous. Thursday we went to am amazing restaurant near the Pantheon which Caroline's parents paid for as a thank you for me putting them up. We ordered a nice bottle of Chardonnay and a prosciutto and salame plate and artichoke a gratin. The artichoke was unbelievable and I would go back there just for that. For dinner I got a filet marinated for 5 hours with herbs over roasted vegetables. It was so nice to have steak for the first time over here not to mention it melted in my mouth! For dessert we had a English torte and chocolate souffle, both were decadent. That dinner was one of the best I have had so far in Rome. That night we went dancing which is always fun with these girls!! The next day we planned a day trip to Tivoli which I will write about later!

BC Invades Rome Part 1

This past weekend/week BC had their spring break so everyone who didn't study abroad planned a trip to come visit everyone in Europe,and they all chose Rome as a meeting place! Not only did all these kids come but so did every other BC student who was actually studying in Europe because they wanted to see them too. A total of over 65 Boston College kids were in Rome this past week. A little ridiculous but absolutely amazing. The first weekend my roommates from 17 Gerald we supposed to arrive and the 5 of them were to be split between me and another 17 Gerald roommate jen who is studying in Rome too just at another school. However, there was a blizzard in NY where they were flying out of and their flight got cancelled and they couldn't get here until Monday morning. The big bummer about this was that all my friends who were studying abroad were coming for the first weekend so Haley, her roomates and Jimmy and Dave etc were all coming. But, I guess it worked out because hotel Lindsay was a little less crowded. I only had to host Haley for the weekend but that was awesome! I waited for her on friday night and it was great to see her! We haven't been separated that long ever so it was really nice. We went out to a bar in Testacchio (a neighborhood of Rome) and had a great night meeting up with all our guy and girl friends. My other best friend from high school and college Cammie was there too so it was amazing to be all together again. The next day we had a lot of sightseeing to do so I led her around the main sights in the center of rome like Colosseum, forum, trevi fountain and the pantheon. Because she is coming back when our parents come (yay!!!) we didn't pay to go inside these places since we will definitely with them. . That night we went to Le Fatte with a fixed dinner and had bruschetta with smoked tuna on top, tortellini in a broth and tiramisu for dessert. For 10 euros you can't go wrong and it was very good. That night we went out again and saw even more BC students. I cannon tell you how many people were here,they literally were coming out of the air I had no idea some of them were even coming!! The next day we explored the Vatican and climbed the cupola again. I dont recommend it if you're claustrophobic or fat because you definitley would not fit up the spiral staircase. We had a great time exploring and then we went to a restaurant call Fraschetta for dinner in Trastevere. It was very authentic and I had Fettucini con gorgonzola e speck (like a ham product). It was delicious and we went back again that week when my roommates arrived we liked it so much! That Sunday was the Olympic USA v Canada hockey game so we went to our favorite Irish pub to watch that game. Naturally it was packed and so full with people jumping and screaming USA when we scored to go into overtime. It was definitely sad when we lost but still a great time being with everyone. The weekend was a ton of fun and I can't wait for Haley to come back and play in Rome even more. The rest of the week is to come!

Dave Matthews In Rome!

So if you know me well enough, you know that I am a pretty decent Dave Matthews Band fan. I have seen him multiple times in concert twice of which were at Fenway Park. So when I learned Dave Matthews was coming to Rome, I definitely wanted to go. What were the odds that I was going to be in Rome and Dave Matthews had scheduled a tour date then; this was never going to happen in my life again! The only problem was when I was in America still, it kept redirecting me to an Italian website which I clearly could not maneuver very well and almost bought tickets for his Milan tour date! So the date finally rolled around and I still didn't have a ticket because be then the cheap seats were sold out and only the 110 euro ones were left, no thanks. By some strike of luck however my roommate called me and said she just bought a ticket and that I should come. Granted I had a paper due the next day so I said no, but I was definitely bummed. I had two classes one ending at 5 and the ticket office closed then so even if I could have made it, I couldn't have bought the ticket. Finally luck was on my side again and I showed up to my 3:30 class and it was cancelled. It could no have been more perfect! I finished my paper in that extra time and called a friend who happened to be in the ticket line and bought me one for only 40 euros!! I ran home got changed and headed to the venue. I was impressed Chrissy and I maneuvered the bus system alone and beat the boys who tried the metro (small victory but victory nonetheless). We headed into the concert and found our seats, 5th from the last row. We hung out there for a while taking in the amazing atmosphere and fabulous music. Then we decided to try to move to the floor. I thought it would be like America with people checking tickets, but no. There was a set of stairs with a fence in front but no one was guarding it so we walked down and just walked through the doors to the floor. We were so close and it was just unbelievable. He played my favorite song Grey Street and Chrissy's favorite song Crush (top 5 in my book too) so it could not have been more perfect...oh wait I guess it does! The concert ended at 11:30 so we were able to catch the bus home for free and when we got back Old Moon Bar, the cafe/gelateria by our house was still open and we got gelato! It was a perfect night and I doubt any Dave concert can top this one.

Murphy's Madrid

Have you ever heard of Murphy's Law? What can go wrong will go wrong? Well that is exactly what happened on my trip to Madrid. My friend Julie and I left early on Thursday for our class, caught a train to the airport and were there with about an hour and half to spare. This should have been a good thing, but when we looked at the Departure board, and next to the departing flight for Madrid was a giant red CANCELED! Of course that would happen to us, but we tried to remain calm because we saw another flight that left 5 minutes after. We got in line to talk to the company about getting on another flight. When we finally reached the front, the lady told us nicely that all flights were booked through her company and all flights going out tonight were too. Unlike America, where they would automatically book you a flight or help you find a flight with another airline, EasyJet makes you find your own flight. She told us to go upstairs and go on the internet (which you had to pay for) and book our own flight which we would be reimbursed for at a later time. This seems awesome because we could have booked a $2,000 first class flight and get our money back, but none of use had that kind of money to front or to even charge. So we gave up trying to find a flight out that night and took EasyJet's offer of a hotel for the night (which was actually very nice) and free dinner. We got to the hotel and ran to the computers to try to find a flight out in the morning. I paid the 5 euro on my debit card to use the internet for a half hour and then found a flight. However, when I tried to book it my card was denied. What can go wrong, will go wrong. Luckily a friend has enough money to put me on his card too but i was getting very frustrated!!We had dinner which was pretty gross but we were so hungry and it was free so it didn't matter. At this point we began to read the fine print on the sheet EasyJet gave us about our rights as passengers and one clause says that if your flight is cancelled then you get compensation of 250 euro!! yay!! one thing went right! this made my trip essentially free so I was very excited about that. We kept looking at the positive since we got free dinner, free breakfast, a great night sleep and free money!
The next morning we got on the plane and finally made it to Madrid. I went to go visit my roommate Allison and friend Lena, and it was so amazing to see them! We walked around for a while and got food at a place that serves American hamburgers ( I guess some people crave them, I will never be one of them). I was surprised at how much Madrid reminded me of New York, with Starbucks every 100 yards and lighted billboards and very american stores. The architecture was definitely prettier and older but much more of a city than Rome is. We then saw Plaza Mayor which was beautifully painted with murals and reminded me of San Marco's Square in Venice with the columns that surrounded it. We saw Plaza de Sol which was pretty as well with a statue of a bear and tree which is the sign of Madrid. At this point I realized I forgot my camera in the room, so no pictures from day 1. We went back and got changed for dinner which we decided to try the Mexican place by their dorm/hostel thing they live in. I guess i sort of thought Spanish food would be Mexican food but apparently very wrong. I brought my camera to dinner and turned it on...or more like didn't turn it on because the battery was completely dead. Murphy's Law strikes again. I knew that I had charged it but it must not have been plugged in the whole time so when the light was out I thought it meant it was done, but really it just wasn't plugged in, oh well. At dinner we had a Fresalada drink which was a strawberry pina coloda in essence and nachos, quesadilla and some other crepe dish. The crepe dish was good in theory but awful in taste. That night we met up with the boys at a few bars/clubs and enjoyed the Spanish nightlife.
Day two we slept very late because we had traveled all the day before and went to bed late. Lena told us we had to shop that day because everything closes on Sundays. So we went shopping and surprisingly I didn't buy anything. After a full day of shopping we went back, napped and then had dinner at their house/hostel. Because it is technically a dorm but also a house, there is a women who cooks dinner every night so they can go get any meal they want for free. So we saved money and had a spanish twist on breaded chicken cutlet, rice and green beans. We then went out for the night and were hoping to go to this 7 story club which has a karaoke floor and a mohito floor! When we arrived, they asked us for IDs...which in a all of Europe has yet to happen to me so far. Even though you only had to be 18 to get in, they still needed proof so we were out of luck (murphy's law). We found a fun Irish bar and then another club but I still wish we could have gone to the 7 story one!!
On to day three, we woke up late again and went to go on the telefornico which is like a gondola ride that goes over the city Madrid. On the way, I gave into my American habits and got a skim iced white mocha from Starbucks and I have to admit it was everything I wanted. The gondola was amazing and the views were great, I just wish I had my camera!! Because it was Sunday and we were leaving early the next day (7:30 so we had to get up at 4:30 to be there early and make sure it wasn't cancelled again), we decided to go to El Tigre for Tapas and giant mohitos. The bar has no tables, just stools and some shelves to put your tapas on. We walked in and it was totally packed so we pushed our way to the front to start the fun. We order mohitos which were literally the size of my head for 6 euro, I couldn't hold it with one hand! This 6 euros also got us all the tapas we could eat so dinner was served. There were roasted potatoes with a special spicy sauce, ham and cheese on bread (apparently ham the only thing they eat in Madrid, they are famous for it), tortilla patate which was a potato like cake thing on bread, churiso on bread, prosciutto, deep fried creamy potato like croquettes with bacon..the list goes on and on. We stuffed our faces and really couldn't stop but finally realized we needed to get some sleep before our flight and went to bed. Overall, Madrid was an amazing time and I was so glad that I experienced Spain and its differences from Italy. I must say I still like Rome the best but that may change! Gracias (with a lisp) for reading!

Venice part two...in a nutshell

So day two in venice was just a beautiful and somehow we managed to wake up bright and early and start sight seeing again. Luckily we had done most of the main sights yesterday because everywhere was packed with people. We forgot that Friday is not a weekend for everyone so Venice was crawling with people. We decided to go to Murano which is a part of Venice which is famous for the glass. So we hopped on a water bus which was expensive for 6.50 euro but it was the only way there so they must have figured that out and jacked up the price. Once in murano we found a place to see them blow glass. Literally every shop was just glass and glass products so it was easy to find. The man who blew the glass made a famous murano glass horse in maybe 45 seconds tops. It was unbelievable how he just pulled the legs and shaped the head to make a horse right in front of us. Then he made a fish or maybe dolphin which was really beautiful too. I didn't think I waged to buy anything like a trinket or anything becuase glass can look very cheesy especially some of the lamps and vases they had. So I looked for earrings in every store and just couldn't find the pair that I imagined so I just didn't buy anything. After walking around murano we headed back to San Marco to find a gondola. After a little bit of haggling we got one man to let us have 7 ppl when most only allow six and let us shorten the ride to make it 15 euro a person. This was a pretty good price considering it was carnevale and Saturday and at sunset. We piled in and took amazing pictures and passed Marco polo's house! We also saw a place where the Italian Casanova stayed and obviously took beautiful pictures of the sunset. We went out again that night to enjoy our last night of carnevale. The next day we took a train home which was a another 7 hours but luckily not that bad. We survived Venice yay! Next time illnpost about Madrid!

Carnevale!!

So sorry for the late blogging but I have been very busy!! This weekend my roomates and I teamed up with some of the boys and traveled to Venice for Carnevale! Everyone told me before I left, if I go to Venice you have to go during Carnevale, so I did! We figured it would be best to try to take the train because flying could be a hassle trying to get cabs to our hotels etc so we decided on a night train. Now this was also when we had a hostel reservation. After we made the reservation, the company changed management and dropped ours, so it was a fiasco trying to find a new one, but we did luckily with some help! Anyways, we left at 10 at night and took the night train to Venezia, arriving at 5:00am. At first I was excited because it was like the cars in Harry Potter with seats facing each other in little cabins. That excitement wore off very quickly when we realized we were going to be in the cabin with a random Italian and our seats sat straight up with legs running into each other. Our fantasy train ride was pretty awful but we made it there in one piece, with very little sleep for fear of having anything stolen and not to mention the minimal comfort factor. We arrived at 5 am and walked around the terminal with nothing open. Chrissy and I went to check in our hotel which they allowed, but they said our room wasn't ready yet and since nothing would be open til 9 we headed back to the train station to camp out. Luckily by 5:30 McDonalds had gotten its act together so we sat there and just chatted and fell asleep like homeless people in the fast food joint. Finally at 7:30 we tried again and were allowed in. We went up and freshened up and rather than wasting the day we headed into Venice. We were staying in Mestre which is a 5-8 minute train ride. Walking out of the train station is a wild view because there is a large bridge and a river in front of you with boat, beautiful colored buildings and no cars. That was definitely one of the best parts of my trip was no cars. We walked everywhere and no motor vehicles added character to the already interesting sinking city. Our main goal was to buy masks to wear for the day for Carnevale!! But one our way we did some sightseeing and stopped at the Rialto Bridge which had a beautiful view.

After that we kept looking for masks and I of course was indecisive and was the last to decide, but when I finally did it was totally worth it and I love my mask. I wanted to make sure that I knew it was made in Venice and was handmade so I had the lady who made it sign it! She thought I was crazy and protested because she wasn't famous but I don't care. After finding masks we looked at the Friars church which is the resting place of Titian and painter and also the home of the Ascension by him. Being in the presence of such works is always very humbling. Then we made it to Piazza San Marco. It is beautiful and so many people were walking around along with pigeons and people dressed fully in costume. We walked all through Saint Marc's church which was covered in gold mosaics and then we went to the museum and saw the original horses that are on top that apparently have traveled the world over centuries. From the top of Saint Marc's there is a beautiful view of the sea so we stopped for some photos.

Then we did the Doje's Palace which is right next to San Marc's and its huge! It holds the largest oil painting in the world which was pretty impressive, especially since its so old its hard to believe no one has outdone it. After this we were cold and exhausted since we decided we didn't need a nap but we trucked through. We went out to dinner with the boys near the canal which was nice but nothing too exciting. Carnevale was the best part of the day because everyone weird comes out then. People were in full costume with no skin showing and no one talks in costume. They also move very slowly and elegantly which actually really creeped me out especially since I was afraid of things like that when I was younger ( and still a little now). Some people were in all black cloaks and these large white masks with white beaks, and there were a lot of them almost in a parade which to be honest was very very scary. I preferred the more colorful people in hoopskirts but I guess whatever floats your boat! Day two will be posted soon!

Life As A Roman

Sorry about the epic fail with trying to blog consistently. I have a mild case of ADD which leads me to why it takes me forever to remember to post as well as finish what I started. This week, my roommates and I had our first discoteca experience. It was pretty much like what it sounds like, disco mixed with techno. There was low lighting, colroful lights and dancing. The dancing was a lot of fun especially early in the night when we were clearly discotech rookies and arrived earlier than 1, so naturally it was empty. So one's first move when they enter a bar or discoteca is usually to buy a drink. Well, apparently things were not expensive enough in Europe because one beer in this discoteca was 10 Euro (about 15 US dollars)!!! So needless to say we didn't buy any. We had a lot of fun meeting some of the neighboring schools students and ran into some friends from BC which was nice too! The rest of the weekend was a lot more sightseeing and such. We went back to Piazza Venezia and walked around the Monumento di Vittorio Emmanuele (which seems that every Italian is named after). Around the back is a beautiful view of the roman forum and the Colosseum. It is always so surreal when I see it because it amazes me how real it is but how old it is!
We also went exploring to the Spanish Steps which are beautiful, but a little anticlimactic. I don't really know what I was expecting, but there aren't as many steps as I thought there would be. However, the way they are laid out is pretty and the church at the top had some of the most beautiful niches on the sides. Every church inside seems to look the same, but so different because of how intricate all the designs are. From the Spanish Steps we walked to Piazza Del Popolo which is at the far end of Via Del Corso (the main shopping street) and it was very large and pretty. There are a lot of obelisks around the city which is fascinating because they are from Egypt. I haven't quite figured out the history behind them yet but I think the first emperor Augustus brought them, but those facts are to be checked later. We went shopping some more for the rest of the weekend and I only bought one shirt! I was very proud at my restraint, but it is very hard since all the sales are only here for a few weeks. Every store has a sale during the end of January and beginning of February so they should be leaving us shortly. I guess it is good that I didn't buy anything because when I tried to use my credit card today to buy books (an actual necessary expense) I was mortified when the booksale lady told me it was denied. I knew no one had stolen it because I was trying to use it! I guess between the hour and half of my last class and the book buying attempt, my mom had emailed me to warn me that my bank had called saying there was a purchase on the credit card. It was actually my flight to Madrid that I booked and they probably thought I stole it and was trying to flee and leave the country. But if they had paid attention to the hour I spent on the phone with them before I left, they would know I was abroad and would be spending a lot of money traveling! Well it really isn't a big deal because I have another card! and another day to buy books, so hopefully all will be well by the time I wake up in the morning. I will try to post again soon and get better with my posting habits!

First Week Of Classes

So I don't really know what I was expecting when it came to classes here at AUR, but I was pretty surprised at what it is really like. My first class was Italian Media and Pop Culture which seems really interesting and my professor seems like a lot of fun. I think the material will keep me entertained but we do have some homework and stuff that is almost like busy work...anyways then I had my Italian reading and composition. According to BC, after completing Intermediate you are supossed to take CCR. Well I was clearly out of my league when everyone stood up and was speaking fluently. I literally wanted to run and hide because it was so over my head, not to mention the placement test that I BOMBED. At least I knew I was completely wrong in trying to take it so I ran down to the computer lab and looked up a new class as soon as possible. Sadly, but maybe luckily, the only class that fit into my schedule was Intermediate I. It may seem like I'm backtracking but essentially it is better than not taking any Italian class which I think will be essential for me to become the Italian linguistic I am striving to be, but to be honest the class isn't really over my head because needless to say I'm very rusty. So finally my schedule worked out but let me tell you, drop/add is not a piece of cake like it is at BC. Instead of anything computerized you go to an office, take a deli number, and wait two hours to get in and talk to them...just to be rejected. I don't know if the school didn't account for the volume of students, but they did not offer as many classes as they probably should have. Whatever though, because I got what I wanted, not to be selfish. The school itself is very small, contained only on one small city block. All classes are in one of two buildings that remind me of changing classes in high school, but I still love it. Yea it seems like I'm complaining but I actually love it a lot. I'm not totally looking forward to classes but it must be done. So I'll leave to go do some homework, because I actually have some!

marathon dinner

Saturday night was our marathon dinner night. Peter, our resident tour guide, took us to a restaurant near the Vatican called Dino and Toni's Hosteria-pizzeria. We first arrived but because its such a small place they couldn't take all 10 of as at 8. So we walked to a random bar to just chill and have a quick drink before the festivities. The boys order Guinesses which looked like thick coffee and pretty gross to me, the girls got Hoegarten because its much lighter. It was a lot of fun just sitting around a table and getting to know everyone. Finally after two hours of hunger pains we finally made it back to the restaurant and sat down at this long table. We sat down and this aggressive italian man started throwing side plates down and wine glasses. Then he asked white or red referring to the wine, we went with white, and then sparkling or flat about the water. Apparently italians don't really serve tap water because the calcium in the water is said to distort the taste so restaurants think it changes the taste of their food if you drink it with it. So we dove into the wine and water, and then the first course, antipasti, which was prosciutto and salami,


and then came more antipasti which fried/stuffed green olives which were really authentic and good. There was a folded over spinach thing and some fried potatoes. Also there was another fried item which was kind of sweet inside and we couldn't figure out what it was but it was pretty good too.



This wasn't even close to the end and these plates whipped on our table as fast as they were whipped off. Most of the plates went away empty, but when we didn't finish one, we got one mean look from the waiter who made us feel pretty guilty about not finishing. More antipasti was the pizza with three divisions, the gorgonzola part (chrissy and I devoured that) broccoli, and margherita.






After the antipasti we were a little nervous about how much food was really going to come, so of us slowing down after three appetizers. Then came the pasta dishes which we all clearly looked forward to. The first was a small penne in almost like a vodka sauce with pancetta and then there was a folded over type large boodle with ricotta and spinach inside and some unknown spice none of us could figure out. There was also a one in a maranara that was a little spicy which most of us really liked and then finally the carbonara served with extra pepper on top and more pancetta.







Then there was the pesce or fish course which none of us really really sure what to expect but I think we all were thinking along the line os a white flaky fish like scrod. Well we were seriously mistaken. First came the fried antchovies which we started out excited about because we thought they were calamari but cleary very wrong. But once again the motto came out and everyone said "when in rome!" so we all tried it. Surprisingly they were really good and not very salty at all which I thought they would be. Then they brought out a very large plate of snails, in their shells.... Let is be said we all had a very good attitude about them. Shockingly enough almost everyone tried them, and I had about 5! Those who did try them had a few too. They really reminded me of muscles without their bellies, very chewy but tasty.




After that we were all pretty curious as to what the carne or meat course had to offer. We got three plates, two with beef or pork, both of which we are still not sure and then meatballs which words cannot describe. One, which I think was pork came with roasted potatoes with rosemary and were so good I kept picking at them until the waiter took them away. Finally we had completed the meal aspect, which I think we were all grateful for because we could barely fit another bite in, that is until dessert came. This is where I started getting sloppy at taking pictures because the food was devoured so quickly I barely had a chance. There was homemade tiramisu which was different from any I had seen before because of the yellowish cream but I loved it. There was a plate of pastries with almond thing and hazelnut thing and coconut thing and I don't even remember what else. There was a white pudding with raspberry which I didn't like too much because it reminded me of flan which was also on the table. And if you know me at all you know that I have to try every dessert, and honestly don't not like any dessert so when I say I didn't like it too much, it was still amazing. My favorite dessert was the granita which is like frozen/icy espresso with whipped cream on top and bottom.


The picture I took was and empty cup because I finished it so quickly in excitement. With all this dessert they served three types of dessert drinks. The limoncello was very good and very nice to sip and very traditonal italian. The Grappa I didn't try because those that did compared it to gasoline...so I passed. We also tried a dessert wine that was almost like someone mixed vodka, white wine and apple juice to give it a very sweet but strong flavor. I really liked everything and could not have felt like I had more of an italian dining experience. It was also nice that I didn't have to speak italian to the waiter ever because they just kept bringing food, no one ordered. If you ever come italy, you have to come here and eat in true italian style!

Holy and Unholy

So its about time I tell you about the nightlife here. Italians don't go out until way later; restaurants don't really start serving until 7 and if you're there at 7 you are clearly a tourist, so naturally we're there around 7. But we really are starting to get to hang of things here, but I still don't think I have adjusted to the time change fully. So we eat dinner pretty late we have gone to many restaurants but are trying really hard to eat at home to save money. I've had fresh salad from the market the last two nights, with prosciutto and such. Its amazing but going out is just as fun! So after dinner, we come back to get dressed. My roommate Chrissy, I'm not sure if I have introduced you to her yet, but she is my equivalent in the fact we have all these weird habits in common, its funny. Anyways! so we get ready to go out, and because its been rainy and kind of cold, we have been wearing jeans but hopefully I'll get to wear a dress tonight! We have to go across the Tiber River to go to the good bars and clubs, so we usually take the tram (like a above ground T) or the bus. Most Americans go to Campo De Fiori, which is a piazza (plaza) that has a bunch of bars. We go to The Drunken Ship which is clearly american oriented because of the name and that they have beer pong tournaments advertised. We also like Giaganti which is more italian but everyone speaks english. The bartenders here love us for some reason and always end up giving us free drinks. I have noticed that the more italian the bartenders are, the more they love americans, so the more free drinks. Drinks are pretty expensive because a beer can be 4 euro which is about 6 dollars and thats the cheapest, so free is good. Giganti is more of a dance bar and the other one more of a hang out bar, but both still fun. A lot of the bars at Campo which we affectionately call it, close around two, so we head over to Scholars which is like an irish pub/american bar. Last night was Beatles night so they had a band that played Beatles songs and then the music switched to 90s hits like the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys. Needless to say our night ended with a HUGE sing-a-long. But, because the nights start so late, they end late and because I think I am still on American time me and no one gets tired til around 4 or 5 and we don't get home til soooo late. This can be kinda of a day killer because we need to sleep alot, but we haven't yet made our days productive. So the late nights and partying had to be counteracted by some holiness...hence our visit to the Vatican today.

We got back kind of late last night so we slept a lot of the day, but we left and headed for the Vatican around 2. I am soooo glad I brought multiple pairs of comfortable shoes because I have never walked so much in my life these last 5 days. We took a bus to the Vatican and got lost a little by walking around this huge fortress which I have yet to the now the name of but will find it out soon enough. We finally made it to the Vatican/St. Peters and it is one of the most humbling things you can see. It is absolutely huge, and even when you're in it you can't fathom how large it is. The letters around the dome on the inside are 12ft high, and looking up they don't seem that large at all but they are! There is this big wooden thing (I know, very unprofessional but I am still reading/learning about all these historical things), in the middle that is supposedly 10 stories high! and it doesn't even come close to hitting the dome part. It is so ornate and every detail is immaculate from the gold everything to the tiny toenail on the statues. The Pieta is there and it was absolutely unreal. Its so unbelievable because I've learned about it in almost every history class that covers ancient history as well as Italian class and Latin so seeing it for real was crazy. I do wish that I had read more about it and the other parts of the Vatican so I knew what I was seeing and knew the exciting and mesmerizing history to it all. Then we went to the Adoration of Christ in the Vatican and it was one of the most humbling experiences. Its in a side cove thing that you have to be silent in and there are curtains blocking it off from the rest of St. Peters. The host is on display and you kneel and pray and its soo humbling, its hte only way to describe it. Then we paid to go to the top of the dome. The best 7 euro you can spend. You go to the top of the dome on the inside and its crazy to see everything from so high and then we took the stairs to the top of the dome and it was a very scary hike. They should really warn you that if you're overweight you won't fit on the staircase. You go up two spiral staircases that are claustrophobic and way too small. I felt like I was in alice and wonderland and if my roommate wasn't in front of me I would have freaked out because you can't tell when it will end and if there is a way out. Then it starts slanting because of the dome shape, so if you were larger, you would get stuck here let alone probly pass out from asthma because we almost did because there were so many stairs! and we took the elevator halfway!!! you could walk! At the top, you can see alll of Rome and its breathtaking!! I will post pictures later and leave you with the thoughts of that view!

Adventures

So since I've been here for four days already I have a lot of things to write about so I'm going to skip some of the stupid stuff like exploring the school etc. Yesterday we went on a walking tour of Rome where we saw beautiful views of the city and some of the most unbelievable places in the world!! We went to Piazza Venezia which has an unbelievable Monumento di Vittorio Emanuela which is giant and so breathtaking its unbeleiable. Across from the piazza is Via Del Corso which is the big shopping road like Newbury street kinda of thing. Past Piazza Venezia is the Colusuem. At night the coluseum was amazing it was so shocking to think I was really there looking at this amazing building that has been there for so long and behind the walls gladiators fought and were killed! Its really surreal, its the only way to really describe it. And sadly the my camera does none of these justice because being here is obviously much better, but the flash and such are just not easy to use with these huge open air spaces. So today and yesterday we went to Trastevere which has the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere. It was so beautiful and all the decorations were stunning. After this adventure we walked across the river to the city center and finally got cell phones. Its literally like im in eighth grade when my cell phone was pretty basic...same deal here. It will take some getting used to not having the keyboard on my phone but i guess I'll do it like the romans do? So then we went to the Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) which has got to be my favorite thing I have seen so far. IT IS UNREAL! I threw a coin over my shoulder and there is something like I'm supposed to be ensured that I come back to Rome in 7 years? and if I threw two I would come back in 7 years with my true love. Who knows but I threw only one seeing that I am sure I will be throwing more coins and I don't wanna jynx it by throwing too many. Now don't think we know where we are going, its a little bit harder to navigate than I thought. Luckily, the boys have a roommate from BC who was studying here last semester too so he's knows all the ins and outs of Rome. Peter is our personal tour guide and he is a great sport about it haha After this we went to the Pantheon because it was raining, and the Pantheon is totally just as unreal and amazing. Because there is a hole in the domed ceiling, the rain comes through the middle and reflects the light and its amazing. I feel so bad writing about all these amazing places because I don't even have words to describe them well enough and do them justice. I will be posting pictures eventually when I figure out how to do that. So beyond all the amazing history we saw today, we also got up early to go to the fresh market that is right around the corner from us. Its one of the best places to get produce and meats because it is soooo fresh but it is also very cheap. I bought prosciutto, mozzarella, tomatoes and some apples bigger than my fist and I can't wait to go back for more stuff. The only problem is it closes at noon so you really need to be on your game and get up, which can be extremely difficult when you were out til 4am....(stories of nightlife to come later!). So I'm going to go make my delicious dinner which im really excited for so I'll write again later!

Finally A Roma!

So I'm going to write a blog because I want to remember all the amazing adventures and food! Don't expect anything too exciting, cute or witty, because I am far from a great linguist and I am definitely not that eloquent, but I will try! My time here I plan on living by one motto: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do!" so I'll be trying a lot of new things and having a ton of fun!!

So now IM FINALLY HERE!! I finally made it to Rome after being teased by everyone who was in Europe already. Its just as beautiful as I thought, but a little defiled because there is graffiti everywhere, and apparently no one picks up after their dogs either. When we were picked up at the airport, it was really interesting to see all the cars because the Fiat and Smart Cars are everywhere and there really isn't any SUVS because they're not practical. These cars whip down the roads with zero consideration for people and they are fearless drivers! Not to mention the motorinos which like vespas and small motorcycles weave in and out and go faster than the cars. We squeezed down a one way street with cars packed on either side. How we didnt take off anyones mirror is beyond me. Our apartment is on the 5th floor which is really nice. We have like 5 terraces and two of them are huge and have beautiful views. There are five people from BC in my house and one new roommate who just arrived today (three days in, im a little late starting). My direct roommate is Chrissy who I met before we came and we're like the same person so this is working out nicely! Only issues with our house is that our phone is very testy and doesn't really like to make phone calls and its freezing! The heat is only turned on for a limited amount of time every day in Italy, its regulated by the gov't and our house is so big the heaters are pretty lame. I wish I had more hangers and I wish I had more space to store stuff, some of my stuff is on the floor which for anyone who knows me is NOT ok. But overall, I was very impressed with our apartment.
I have a lot more to talk about the last few days but I need to go to this cute outdoor market before it closes so I'll finish my first three days of adventures at a later time!!