Not much to say for today; we had a free day, so it was nice to sleep in. I almost forgot what a Saturday was like; sitting around in pajamas and eating breakfast at 10am? Getting on Facebook and reading in bed? Even when we have free time it feels like you need to take up as much time as you can and just soak up the traveling. But today, I decided I would chill out, and that's what I did. I finished The Fault in our Stars a few days ago, and now I'm onto The Lucky One- I'm not sure why, but I'm in a nick sparks kind of mood, and I need a good junk food book. On the way to Germany on Monday I'll be moving onto the Virgin Suicides. Always looking for more suggestions from the peanut gallery- even though I'm enjoying all the sites, I'm also taking the opportunity to do more reading and having me time. This is one of the last times I will ever have a complete lack of obligations, so I need to take advantage of that, too.
After I got up I went shopping on my own, which is a liberating experience in itself. I used to hate it, but now I'm seriously loving the me time. I look at what I want, skip what I have no interest in, and just enjoy some Paige. I bought myself some leather boots for 75 euros- I got a deal for being a student, and then for buying shoes for my last day in Italy (I exaggerated) and then I bartered down some more for the final price. Originally it was 145, so I was pretty pleased. My father taught me well. Also, I used all the Italian I knew, which got me some bonus points. Parla englese?
I bought some presents for people back home, and got myself a really nice leather journal- Florence is to leather as Venice is to glasswork. I was feeling satisfied with my purchases, and I think I have everything I need before leaving Italy, but I got another gelato just to be certain. Then on my way back to the hostel, I stopped at my pastry shop, where the man asked me if I wanted a white eclair like yesterday. In less than a week I've managed to make myself a regular :) The man at the counter rang me up for 4.50, but then the guy I usually talk to said something to him in Italian, and he brought it down to 3. I love Florence.
After more lounging (I love free days, seriously) Meghan and I went out and about for an errand for her,and then stopped at a restaurant we liked, but it was closed. Everything here opens for lunch, and then closes usually between 2-6, and then reopens for dinner. Most retail stores close during lunch, then come back in about an hour. On our way back, we saw a very drunk man pushing around a woman. It was kind of scary, but other people got involved and we didn't feel like it was our place to do anything.
After we went back for pizza when it was open, we came back and had some journal time out on the patio. Now we're inside, drinking wine a high school math teacher brought with him. He's a little eager to hang out with the coeds, but he brought red wine and interesting stories. It makes for an interesting end of the Italy trip.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Growing pains
I am really struggling to keep up with my blog while I'm in Florence. I think some of it might just be the repetition; I'm still in Italy, so there are still a lot of similarities, and I'm not going to keep describing the churches and art galleries because I need to leave you with some mystery or no one will want to look at my pictures when I go home. So I'll try and stay interesting, but brief.
We started our day at the monastery of San Marco, which I thought was really cool. The bottom floor showed how the monks used dyes to write the manuscripts. The top floor showed all the monk rooms. Each one had a painting on it, usually pretty graphic, that sometimes monks would faint from meditating on the violence. Most of them are some type of crucifixtion scene, but I saw one that looked like cartoon Jesus throwing open a door and stomping on devils who were flattened by it. Silly monks.
We wanted to go to the academia to see David, but the man working there was super salty and didn't speak much English. We have the fancy card that's lets us through all the gates, but he didn't understand that, or something was lost in translation, and we ended up just leaving and being angry. Now we are supposed to just go by ourselves, which I hope to do on Sunday. Marc and Ted did take us to a gelato place and bought us all gelato, which was so nice. They're the best.
We went to Santa Croce and saw the Pazzi chapel. We were also there in time to hear the bells chime, which I managed to catch some video of. The bells here are so pretty- I can't wait to get to Notre Dame and hear them. We ended up sitting out in the sun for almost an hour and just enjoying the really nice scenery; almost all of the buildings open up in the middle to a small outdoor area with a fountain.
Since we spent all our free lunch time in the sun, we skipped right on to Santa Maria del Carmine to see Masaccio frescoes (specifically, tribute money and expulsion from the garden). Everything here seems peach and orange and beige; the buildings, the paintings, the ground. Everything. It will be interesting to see the color schemes of other cities. It's not something I'd ever thought of before.
For dinner we went to a place down the street that did pizza to go, and so Meghan and I split the four cheese. Then we all just bonded outside on the patio and had quiet time, which is so valuable here. A few hours later we had some sloppy sallys, so I went to help take care of that and tried to find Doug before ASIg initiation.
It just reminds me of little things I'm missing; if I were at school, I would have gone overboard with cupcakes and cookies all showering my favorite men on campus with baked goods. But then again, if I weren't in Europe I would be in Franklin, cheering on my brother and Alec and Tyler and everyone else at broadcast. This is the first one ive missed since elementary school, and it seems even worse that it's harry's senior year and he's half the show, from what I've heard. I know everyone will do so great, and I'm so proud of all of them, but I am a little homesick and sad that I can't be there.
Karimah says every time things get hard while we're here, it's just a growing pain. She couldn't be more right.
We started our day at the monastery of San Marco, which I thought was really cool. The bottom floor showed how the monks used dyes to write the manuscripts. The top floor showed all the monk rooms. Each one had a painting on it, usually pretty graphic, that sometimes monks would faint from meditating on the violence. Most of them are some type of crucifixtion scene, but I saw one that looked like cartoon Jesus throwing open a door and stomping on devils who were flattened by it. Silly monks.
We wanted to go to the academia to see David, but the man working there was super salty and didn't speak much English. We have the fancy card that's lets us through all the gates, but he didn't understand that, or something was lost in translation, and we ended up just leaving and being angry. Now we are supposed to just go by ourselves, which I hope to do on Sunday. Marc and Ted did take us to a gelato place and bought us all gelato, which was so nice. They're the best.
We went to Santa Croce and saw the Pazzi chapel. We were also there in time to hear the bells chime, which I managed to catch some video of. The bells here are so pretty- I can't wait to get to Notre Dame and hear them. We ended up sitting out in the sun for almost an hour and just enjoying the really nice scenery; almost all of the buildings open up in the middle to a small outdoor area with a fountain.
Since we spent all our free lunch time in the sun, we skipped right on to Santa Maria del Carmine to see Masaccio frescoes (specifically, tribute money and expulsion from the garden). Everything here seems peach and orange and beige; the buildings, the paintings, the ground. Everything. It will be interesting to see the color schemes of other cities. It's not something I'd ever thought of before.
For dinner we went to a place down the street that did pizza to go, and so Meghan and I split the four cheese. Then we all just bonded outside on the patio and had quiet time, which is so valuable here. A few hours later we had some sloppy sallys, so I went to help take care of that and tried to find Doug before ASIg initiation.
It just reminds me of little things I'm missing; if I were at school, I would have gone overboard with cupcakes and cookies all showering my favorite men on campus with baked goods. But then again, if I weren't in Europe I would be in Franklin, cheering on my brother and Alec and Tyler and everyone else at broadcast. This is the first one ive missed since elementary school, and it seems even worse that it's harry's senior year and he's half the show, from what I've heard. I know everyone will do so great, and I'm so proud of all of them, but I am a little homesick and sad that I can't be there.
Karimah says every time things get hard while we're here, it's just a growing pain. She couldn't be more right.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Pisa
Day trip to Pisa
We were up and ready to go by ten of 8 (which took us a week to figure out meant 7:50) to walk to the train station to hop a ride to Pisa. It's about an hour ride, which isn't bad at all. I have a picture from us during the ride, but I'm not sure if it posted. The Internet is pretty sketchy here.
We walked about 30 minutes from the train station to get to everything we would see; it's amazing how long walks seem so much shorter when 1.theres a lot to look at 2. Youre in good company and 3. You're at this point completed used to this kind of walk. Seriously, after having to walk back and forth from the hostel all the time, it seems like nothing. Especially when you just don't have any other means.
The leaning tower of Pisa...leans. Really. It's only like a 3 degree tilt or something small, but it seems crazy. You have to see it though, because I'm sure my pictures look like all the other ones I saw before the trip. It's always different in real life.
We went to the Baptistry, which Is the largest one in Italy. It also is known for having great acoustics; while we were there, everyone got quiet so a woman could go out in the middle and just sing one note, and let it resonate, and then belt out another; it was so pretty, and as always, I wish I had gotten video. I'm starting to get better about that.
Next was the cathedral. It seems awful, but they're all starting to run together; honestly, this trip is like cramming for a test. You remember some really significant stuff,but a lot of it you forget a few days later. 4 churches a day for two weeks is a lot of remembering altars and frescoes. This one had the christ in majesty mosaic though, I can tell you that, and at some point during the 1600s there was a fire in it, but it's been restored.
Everything is all within this area called the "field of miracles ", which you aren't allowed to walk on. It was so nice to just see grass though; at one point there was a lawn mower going and you could smell the freshly cut grass, and everything was peace.
People were tromping through to take their tourist pictures, though. It was so funny, how many people were standing there pretending to be holding up the tower. I actually snapped a picture of a bunch of people doing it; the huge groups of people you find is comical. Meghan took hers, but I restrained myself. I'll probably regret it later.
Our last sight was the composanto cemetery. The whole thing was bombed during world war 2, and they never point any fingers, but it is weird to think that it would have been the allies doing the bombing on Italy. Actually, it was specifically the Americans on July 27 (my brothers birthday, that's how I remembered).
Anyway, its this huge monument with marble halls; but it all opens to the outside, where there's a stretch of grass that holds the dome for the background. It's hard to explain, but again, I'm sure you could look it up. The whole thing had these really great frescoes, but they're all gone now and in the process of being restored. The graves are there though; they just look like plaques, but they're on the ground. Some were as recent as 2009. When they built the monument, they shipped in a bunch of dirt from the middle east so that it could be built on holy ground, since many of the people buried there are Important church figures.
We broke for free time, and checked out the shopping. I ended up finally getting a blazer that was on sale. It's always flattering when a person working at a store comes up to you and starts speaking Italian, especially in touristy areas, because a lot of the time they can pick out Americans from miles away. When they don't immediately start with English (which happens a lot) it can be terrifying, but it also means you're starting to blend in, which just feels like a huge accomplishment.
When we came home we sat next to a British couple, and it was fun listening to the same language with different semantics (instead of "where did you put it?" the statement is "where have you put it?"...its probably just the accent, but it still sounds cool). It made me wonder what it would be like, to come to a country as an English speaker but without the stigma of being an American. I wanted to ask them about it, but I could always just talk to the obnoxious high school kids from London in our hostel. More like hostile... We have not been getting along.
We found this restaurant called Astor, which apparently the cast of jersey shore went to, but all I really cared about was the Americanized cheeseburger. It was like a nice night club, but all the food was very American. They knew who they were marketing to. It was so delicious though; and even in Italy, they use Heinz ketchup. It was nice comfort food to end the day with.
We walked around at night, which was really pretty. We hung out on the bridge over the river for a while, and it amazes me that even a year later and a continent away, I still can't really enjoy the beauty of a river since Molly. It's not that I can't stand being on one, but it just leaves me kind of sour and bitter. I know I can't go around being salty at every waterway I walk across, but for now I'm not going to deal with it.
Tomorrow is our last full day of scheduled activities; Florence is going by so fast! It's hard to believe that this is the 2nd week- each day goes by so slow, but the weeks go so fast. This time next week I'll be leaving Germany for Paris. Crazy.
We were up and ready to go by ten of 8 (which took us a week to figure out meant 7:50) to walk to the train station to hop a ride to Pisa. It's about an hour ride, which isn't bad at all. I have a picture from us during the ride, but I'm not sure if it posted. The Internet is pretty sketchy here.
We walked about 30 minutes from the train station to get to everything we would see; it's amazing how long walks seem so much shorter when 1.theres a lot to look at 2. Youre in good company and 3. You're at this point completed used to this kind of walk. Seriously, after having to walk back and forth from the hostel all the time, it seems like nothing. Especially when you just don't have any other means.
The leaning tower of Pisa...leans. Really. It's only like a 3 degree tilt or something small, but it seems crazy. You have to see it though, because I'm sure my pictures look like all the other ones I saw before the trip. It's always different in real life.
We went to the Baptistry, which Is the largest one in Italy. It also is known for having great acoustics; while we were there, everyone got quiet so a woman could go out in the middle and just sing one note, and let it resonate, and then belt out another; it was so pretty, and as always, I wish I had gotten video. I'm starting to get better about that.
Next was the cathedral. It seems awful, but they're all starting to run together; honestly, this trip is like cramming for a test. You remember some really significant stuff,but a lot of it you forget a few days later. 4 churches a day for two weeks is a lot of remembering altars and frescoes. This one had the christ in majesty mosaic though, I can tell you that, and at some point during the 1600s there was a fire in it, but it's been restored.
Everything is all within this area called the "field of miracles ", which you aren't allowed to walk on. It was so nice to just see grass though; at one point there was a lawn mower going and you could smell the freshly cut grass, and everything was peace.
People were tromping through to take their tourist pictures, though. It was so funny, how many people were standing there pretending to be holding up the tower. I actually snapped a picture of a bunch of people doing it; the huge groups of people you find is comical. Meghan took hers, but I restrained myself. I'll probably regret it later.
Our last sight was the composanto cemetery. The whole thing was bombed during world war 2, and they never point any fingers, but it is weird to think that it would have been the allies doing the bombing on Italy. Actually, it was specifically the Americans on July 27 (my brothers birthday, that's how I remembered).
Anyway, its this huge monument with marble halls; but it all opens to the outside, where there's a stretch of grass that holds the dome for the background. It's hard to explain, but again, I'm sure you could look it up. The whole thing had these really great frescoes, but they're all gone now and in the process of being restored. The graves are there though; they just look like plaques, but they're on the ground. Some were as recent as 2009. When they built the monument, they shipped in a bunch of dirt from the middle east so that it could be built on holy ground, since many of the people buried there are Important church figures.
We broke for free time, and checked out the shopping. I ended up finally getting a blazer that was on sale. It's always flattering when a person working at a store comes up to you and starts speaking Italian, especially in touristy areas, because a lot of the time they can pick out Americans from miles away. When they don't immediately start with English (which happens a lot) it can be terrifying, but it also means you're starting to blend in, which just feels like a huge accomplishment.
When we came home we sat next to a British couple, and it was fun listening to the same language with different semantics (instead of "where did you put it?" the statement is "where have you put it?"...its probably just the accent, but it still sounds cool). It made me wonder what it would be like, to come to a country as an English speaker but without the stigma of being an American. I wanted to ask them about it, but I could always just talk to the obnoxious high school kids from London in our hostel. More like hostile... We have not been getting along.
We found this restaurant called Astor, which apparently the cast of jersey shore went to, but all I really cared about was the Americanized cheeseburger. It was like a nice night club, but all the food was very American. They knew who they were marketing to. It was so delicious though; and even in Italy, they use Heinz ketchup. It was nice comfort food to end the day with.
We walked around at night, which was really pretty. We hung out on the bridge over the river for a while, and it amazes me that even a year later and a continent away, I still can't really enjoy the beauty of a river since Molly. It's not that I can't stand being on one, but it just leaves me kind of sour and bitter. I know I can't go around being salty at every waterway I walk across, but for now I'm not going to deal with it.
Tomorrow is our last full day of scheduled activities; Florence is going by so fast! It's hard to believe that this is the 2nd week- each day goes by so slow, but the weeks go so fast. This time next week I'll be leaving Germany for Paris. Crazy.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
"Uffizi" makes auto correct unhappy
Today we started at he borgello museum, since we weren't able to go the day before. We saw Donatello's David, which is my favorite of all the Davids (except for David Greene, of course). We also have a fancy "friends of the uffizi" pass, so we don't have to wait in any lines.
Security here is weird. You have to go through a metal detector,but if it goes off no one really cares and you just keep going. Your stuff goes through the X-ray machine like at the airport, but even if the little red bulb goes on, they still don't stop you. Doug gave me this little Swiss army knife set that has been really useful, but I forgot I had taken it out of the room the night before, and it was still in my purse. No one stopped me,and I just waltzed right in. Granted, I wasn't going to be doing much damage with it, but still.
We went to the uffizi gallery next, which had a lot of the stuff we had studied. Megan enjoys herself and tells me all about the paintings I forgot we had learned; but when we get to London, I'm going to be the pro at Shakespeare. I'm pretty excited, even if it makes me a big nerd. There are 6 English majors and around 10 art history people, so we're a bit out numbered.
We had 4 hours of free time before going to the Piazzale Michelangelo, so I perused the clothing stores. I really want to get a cute blazer before we go home, but I also realize I could save my money and buy 5 european cute outfits at home, or 2 pieces of European clothing here. Plus, it was so hot today that it's just no fun shopping for jackets. I did get a nice leather journal though; it's tiny enough to fit in my purse, just so I can jot things down to remember to put them back in here.
When we finally reconvened, we walked up this super large steep hill to the Piazzale Michelangelo, which gives a great view of Florence. I might go back another day to see the sun set, if my feet will allow it. Seriously, this should be offered with hpe credits as well, but Marc and Ted said they tried and it was shut down, because there isn't enough structure. Either way, I'm going to get way more fit than I would in "art of relaxation" class. The other nice thing about being up there was that we finally got rid of the pigeons, which I now know are a universal problem. I just see puppy loving pigeons, but Megan is terrified of birds, and one brushed my face today (like, literally pushed my bangs with its wings during takeoff) so I was ready to get some time away as well.
Now I'm back at the hostel, after a nice peanut butter and jelly sandwhich :) I wish the milk here were satisfying, but it's more like drinking straight cream. Blah. Maybe I can find some and just water it down, but for now I'm sticking to orange juice and water. Everyone else is sipping wine- Ted asked us to be classy and stop drinking wine straight from the bottle in the lounge, so his wife bought us all orange plastic cups. They are too cute. Now the cups are hot commodities, but I've just got a juice box. I've always been the cool kid.
I have a hard time thinking of clever titles
On the itinerary, for our first day incflorence:
Visit Duomo, the Baptistery, Opera del Duomo, and Bargello Museum (closes at 2 p.m.) Afternoon visit of San Lorenzo (Medici tombs and Laurentian Library). Santa Maria Novella for Masaccio’s Holy Trinity fresco.
So we knew we had a lot cut out for us (especially since our hostel is a 20 minute walk away from everything, so there's a 40 minute walking time guaranteed every day).
The duomo was huge, and impressive, but there's an awful painting on the inside that makes the scale seem weird. Hopefully I'll get to climb up to the top on our free day, so then I can see how huge it is. We saw the baptistery, where every florentine is baptized up until a few years ago. I was able to take pictures in there, but I didn't do many- I think Florence is my favorite city, but I just haven't been doing too many pictures. Blogging, either. I'm just experiencing.
We didn't do Bargello museum because we started the day with Santa Maria novella, which took a while. Side note: we don't get continental breakfast in our hostel, so everyone went to the grocery store. I ended up getting these fiber bars that taste like churros. So delicious, and so lucky. Moral of the story, it packs easily, and that's pretty awesome. We had some free time to get lunch, and we ended up at this nice little diner on the top floor, so we could see everything from the patio. My lunch was expensive and awful, but the service was great. She was super friendly, and asked us where we were from, and even told us how to do things so we didn't have to be the dumb Americans- where to pay, if we should leave tip, etc. she even gave me a doggy bag, which they don't really do over here. Another thing I don't think I've mentioned; everytime you go out to eat, you pay a table charge for bread and silverware. You also can't get separate checks, so we're all getting really good at math.
I'll take this time just to talk about money, I guess. A euro is worth 1.3 American dollars, so when you buy a 5 euro sandwhich, it's 6.50 dollars. Stuff you need to remember. Also, they hate big bills here; they would much rather you spend a bunch of extra time looking for exact change rather than giving them a 10 or 20 (this is very inconvenient when the ATM gives you 50s. At the same time, you want to get as much out as you can at once to avoid mas many bank fees as you can.) euros come in cents, in a one euro coin, a two euro coin, and then bills- 5,10,20, etc. so you end up carrying a lot of change, which is pretty heavy and jangly. Also, it's just kind of an awkward dance when you're trying to fish out 2 euro and two twenty cent pieces to pay for your gelato,and then try to get the receipt back in and any extra change and get your gelato out of the way. Weird skills you learn to do as a team.
Anyway, after lunch we went to the Medici chapel and palace and their tombs. The Medici were the rich people of Florence that ran the show- maybe there are lots of good things to be said about them, but from the things I saw, they were mostly big duesches. The tombs were huge and ornate, with big scary statue versions of themselves by Michelangelo staring down from overtop of them. It was insane. There were no photos, or I would have gotten some just to show the ridiculousness of it all, but I'm sure you can find some online. I know they did a lot, but it just seemed way over the top.
We decided to go shopping after all the scheduled activities were over, and theres a cute
Little market where you can barter for nice leather goods and fruit and spices and anything else. We were just looking from afar, because they tend to get a little aggressively eager, which is exactly what happened. Katy ended up getting dragged down an alley so a man could take her to his shop and meet his sister so she could try on leather jackets. I have so many feelings and thoughts about the ordeal that I'll have to wait and share with everyone once I get back. He thought I was Ukrainian (shout out to my big, here!) and Megan was German, which she's been getting a lot. Basically after a lot of touching and hassling and fawning, he realized we weren't going to be getting a jacket, and got really rude about why we wasted his time and why we came to his shop, to which Megan replied that "we didn't, you literally dragged her down here." that was when she and I got thrown out. We had Katy's wallet though, so after some cussing and yelling she came out and he stormed off. His sister came back and apologized, but it was all just very bizarre.
We stopped at h&m for some retail therapy that was closer to home and what we were used to, but didn't find anything good. We decided to go to dinner at this cheap restaurant the profs had told us about. I got spaghetti and the house red wine, which was alright. The wine here knocks me off my ass, so I try to keep pretty light with it, but a quarter of a liter is still a lot. The spaghetti wasn't great either; I know this is probably wrong, but I'm in italy and all I want is my moms perfect spaghetti. Well, and the freedom to put my own cheese on. However, if anyone wanted to learn to make 4 formaggio spaghetti for me when I come back, there would be no complaints.
I forgot, my big news!! I was on the google machine looking up places to by sunscreen, and I came across a site with some important grocery stores noted. One of them was this ethnic cousine store, so that you old buy things that were common in other countries. I tracked it down, and it was a dumpy place in the middle of no where, but it was a dumpy place with PEANUTBUTTER. So I am the happiest of all the little American girls.
We comeback to the hostel for some quiet time, and ended up having a hair braiding party, which was cute. I met some of the new guys that moved into our hall- high schoolers from London that were here with a class to just tour. So cool. They werent particularly interested in us though- I'm learning a lot about style here, but there are still middle school girls that look more put together than most of us do. It's pretty intimidating, but fun.
So that was Florence! Supposedly the toughest day, I guess well see. It seems like this week is going to fly by though, and then well be back in Germany!
Visit Duomo, the Baptistery, Opera del Duomo, and Bargello Museum (closes at 2 p.m.) Afternoon visit of San Lorenzo (Medici tombs and Laurentian Library). Santa Maria Novella for Masaccio’s Holy Trinity fresco.
So we knew we had a lot cut out for us (especially since our hostel is a 20 minute walk away from everything, so there's a 40 minute walking time guaranteed every day).
The duomo was huge, and impressive, but there's an awful painting on the inside that makes the scale seem weird. Hopefully I'll get to climb up to the top on our free day, so then I can see how huge it is. We saw the baptistery, where every florentine is baptized up until a few years ago. I was able to take pictures in there, but I didn't do many- I think Florence is my favorite city, but I just haven't been doing too many pictures. Blogging, either. I'm just experiencing.
We didn't do Bargello museum because we started the day with Santa Maria novella, which took a while. Side note: we don't get continental breakfast in our hostel, so everyone went to the grocery store. I ended up getting these fiber bars that taste like churros. So delicious, and so lucky. Moral of the story, it packs easily, and that's pretty awesome. We had some free time to get lunch, and we ended up at this nice little diner on the top floor, so we could see everything from the patio. My lunch was expensive and awful, but the service was great. She was super friendly, and asked us where we were from, and even told us how to do things so we didn't have to be the dumb Americans- where to pay, if we should leave tip, etc. she even gave me a doggy bag, which they don't really do over here. Another thing I don't think I've mentioned; everytime you go out to eat, you pay a table charge for bread and silverware. You also can't get separate checks, so we're all getting really good at math.
I'll take this time just to talk about money, I guess. A euro is worth 1.3 American dollars, so when you buy a 5 euro sandwhich, it's 6.50 dollars. Stuff you need to remember. Also, they hate big bills here; they would much rather you spend a bunch of extra time looking for exact change rather than giving them a 10 or 20 (this is very inconvenient when the ATM gives you 50s. At the same time, you want to get as much out as you can at once to avoid mas many bank fees as you can.) euros come in cents, in a one euro coin, a two euro coin, and then bills- 5,10,20, etc. so you end up carrying a lot of change, which is pretty heavy and jangly. Also, it's just kind of an awkward dance when you're trying to fish out 2 euro and two twenty cent pieces to pay for your gelato,and then try to get the receipt back in and any extra change and get your gelato out of the way. Weird skills you learn to do as a team.
Anyway, after lunch we went to the Medici chapel and palace and their tombs. The Medici were the rich people of Florence that ran the show- maybe there are lots of good things to be said about them, but from the things I saw, they were mostly big duesches. The tombs were huge and ornate, with big scary statue versions of themselves by Michelangelo staring down from overtop of them. It was insane. There were no photos, or I would have gotten some just to show the ridiculousness of it all, but I'm sure you can find some online. I know they did a lot, but it just seemed way over the top.
We decided to go shopping after all the scheduled activities were over, and theres a cute
Little market where you can barter for nice leather goods and fruit and spices and anything else. We were just looking from afar, because they tend to get a little aggressively eager, which is exactly what happened. Katy ended up getting dragged down an alley so a man could take her to his shop and meet his sister so she could try on leather jackets. I have so many feelings and thoughts about the ordeal that I'll have to wait and share with everyone once I get back. He thought I was Ukrainian (shout out to my big, here!) and Megan was German, which she's been getting a lot. Basically after a lot of touching and hassling and fawning, he realized we weren't going to be getting a jacket, and got really rude about why we wasted his time and why we came to his shop, to which Megan replied that "we didn't, you literally dragged her down here." that was when she and I got thrown out. We had Katy's wallet though, so after some cussing and yelling she came out and he stormed off. His sister came back and apologized, but it was all just very bizarre.
We stopped at h&m for some retail therapy that was closer to home and what we were used to, but didn't find anything good. We decided to go to dinner at this cheap restaurant the profs had told us about. I got spaghetti and the house red wine, which was alright. The wine here knocks me off my ass, so I try to keep pretty light with it, but a quarter of a liter is still a lot. The spaghetti wasn't great either; I know this is probably wrong, but I'm in italy and all I want is my moms perfect spaghetti. Well, and the freedom to put my own cheese on. However, if anyone wanted to learn to make 4 formaggio spaghetti for me when I come back, there would be no complaints.
I forgot, my big news!! I was on the google machine looking up places to by sunscreen, and I came across a site with some important grocery stores noted. One of them was this ethnic cousine store, so that you old buy things that were common in other countries. I tracked it down, and it was a dumpy place in the middle of no where, but it was a dumpy place with PEANUTBUTTER. So I am the happiest of all the little American girls.
We comeback to the hostel for some quiet time, and ended up having a hair braiding party, which was cute. I met some of the new guys that moved into our hall- high schoolers from London that were here with a class to just tour. So cool. They werent particularly interested in us though- I'm learning a lot about style here, but there are still middle school girls that look more put together than most of us do. It's pretty intimidating, but fun.
So that was Florence! Supposedly the toughest day, I guess well see. It seems like this week is going to fly by though, and then well be back in Germany!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Pictures...
I have another one of me in Florence, but these are me in front of the Tuscany landscape, and my groceries for the week (less exciting, unless you're into italian Cheerios)
Flirting with Florence
So today we packed up at 8 and went on our way to Florence, via private coach. Way less stressful than the bus, and for the first time we were all in an enclosed space with just us; inside the bus, it was America, even if we were driving through Italy. Our bus driver took out a stop light on the way out of Rome, because everyone drives like a crazy person and the roads are tiny. We ended up being a little behind schedule because we had to stop for the ticket we got, but we still made it to sienna on time.
We stopped at a gas station, which was another experience. These are things you just don't think about, but yes- in Italy, they have rest stops. This one was pretty typical;bathrooms, food, magazines. I got some crackers because my stomach was just not feeling it today,but it only helped a little. Past Paige takes care of future Paige though, and I had some apple juice saved for just such an emergency.
We made it to siena, which is SO pretty- ill post a picture of the Tuscany landscape. Lots of hills, but just beautiful countryside and vineyards. The houses are adorable too, and when you get into town you have to park and walk in, so it's a lot slower paced.
We went to a church that I didn't really like, and then to the square for lunch. The weather was perfect,and we just laid out and enjoyed some vitamin d before going into the big city hall type building. Not much to say about that either; it was pretty small, at least the parts we got to see. We did make it out to the patio on the top, and while we were taking pictures a man from the ground (we were like 4 stories up) started singing to us. It was so fun and impressive, and he bowed for us and then did an encore. It's probably not interesting to read about, but it's the most exciting thing that happened during the day trip, and the video is funny.
After we packed back into the bus, we drove for another hour into Florence. Our hostel is nearly hotel standard- we have our own bathroom, the rooms are largeish, and there's cute patios to hang out in. We also have wifi, obviously. The towels are more like sheets, but I hear they still get the job done.
On our walking tour, it took about 20 minutes to get into the city. We have a grocery store nearby and a nice bar that has pastries nearby, but for the most part were in the middle of nowhere. We got into town and over the bridge, where we found the duomo and baptistery. The Medici palace was just down the street from there. It seems like everything is pretty condensed,even if it's a walk to get to, at first. I'm starting to get heel spurs, which just seems ridiculous, but my feet are not happy with me.
I got the worlds most heavenly doughnut, stopped at the grocery store for some breakfast, and now I'm back in my room ready to learn how to master a new shower. We start early tomorrow morning, and I can't wait; it seems like this week is going to go by super fast. There's so much to do, and everyone is so friendly; I'm pretty sure I'm already falling in love with Florence.
We stopped at a gas station, which was another experience. These are things you just don't think about, but yes- in Italy, they have rest stops. This one was pretty typical;bathrooms, food, magazines. I got some crackers because my stomach was just not feeling it today,but it only helped a little. Past Paige takes care of future Paige though, and I had some apple juice saved for just such an emergency.
We made it to siena, which is SO pretty- ill post a picture of the Tuscany landscape. Lots of hills, but just beautiful countryside and vineyards. The houses are adorable too, and when you get into town you have to park and walk in, so it's a lot slower paced.
We went to a church that I didn't really like, and then to the square for lunch. The weather was perfect,and we just laid out and enjoyed some vitamin d before going into the big city hall type building. Not much to say about that either; it was pretty small, at least the parts we got to see. We did make it out to the patio on the top, and while we were taking pictures a man from the ground (we were like 4 stories up) started singing to us. It was so fun and impressive, and he bowed for us and then did an encore. It's probably not interesting to read about, but it's the most exciting thing that happened during the day trip, and the video is funny.
After we packed back into the bus, we drove for another hour into Florence. Our hostel is nearly hotel standard- we have our own bathroom, the rooms are largeish, and there's cute patios to hang out in. We also have wifi, obviously. The towels are more like sheets, but I hear they still get the job done.
On our walking tour, it took about 20 minutes to get into the city. We have a grocery store nearby and a nice bar that has pastries nearby, but for the most part were in the middle of nowhere. We got into town and over the bridge, where we found the duomo and baptistery. The Medici palace was just down the street from there. It seems like everything is pretty condensed,even if it's a walk to get to, at first. I'm starting to get heel spurs, which just seems ridiculous, but my feet are not happy with me.
I got the worlds most heavenly doughnut, stopped at the grocery store for some breakfast, and now I'm back in my room ready to learn how to master a new shower. We start early tomorrow morning, and I can't wait; it seems like this week is going to go by super fast. There's so much to do, and everyone is so friendly; I'm pretty sure I'm already falling in love with Florence.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Final thoughts on Rome
Alright, so at this point it's no secret that Rome is probably not going to be my favorite city on this trip. I feel like it was a destructive relationship; I just wanted to love it and belong, but it never thought I was good enough.
I really did try. Big cities intimidate me, but I learned to navigate. I can now confidently use public transportation, and I have my big city attitude to get through all the street vendors and creepy men. I even went shopping, found sales, bought groceries. I people watched, to try and fit in.
I toured! I saw all sorts of things. I appreciated. I went to a mass, I went out to eat, I talked with the concierge. So there were lots of nice things about Rome. I can't say a bad thing about our hotel.
But being treated so rudely all the time is hard. In Venice, I was irrelevant; here, I'm dirt. People talk sbout you and laugh on the subway, and all you can do is ignore it; they yell at you on the streets, so you just keep walking. They serve you cold pizza, and you smile. You dodge all sorts of garbage, and litter, and dirt, but then you step in vomit. And even then you just try to ignore it and wash it off.
So I tried. I did. But I left Venice wanting to come back, after being challenged and rewarded. I'm leaving Rome just feeling exhausted and ready to get to Florence. But I still learned a lot, and I'm glad for the experience- I'm just not ready to vacation back here any time soon.
I really did try. Big cities intimidate me, but I learned to navigate. I can now confidently use public transportation, and I have my big city attitude to get through all the street vendors and creepy men. I even went shopping, found sales, bought groceries. I people watched, to try and fit in.
I toured! I saw all sorts of things. I appreciated. I went to a mass, I went out to eat, I talked with the concierge. So there were lots of nice things about Rome. I can't say a bad thing about our hotel.
But being treated so rudely all the time is hard. In Venice, I was irrelevant; here, I'm dirt. People talk sbout you and laugh on the subway, and all you can do is ignore it; they yell at you on the streets, so you just keep walking. They serve you cold pizza, and you smile. You dodge all sorts of garbage, and litter, and dirt, but then you step in vomit. And even then you just try to ignore it and wash it off.
So I tried. I did. But I left Venice wanting to come back, after being challenged and rewarded. I'm leaving Rome just feeling exhausted and ready to get to Florence. But I still learned a lot, and I'm glad for the experience- I'm just not ready to vacation back here any time soon.
The never ending week of Rome
Yesterday, after my nice nap and blog time, the group of us that had wanted to go out to eat split up with the idea that we would meet up again at 6:45 by the trevi fountain, and then from there walk together to our restaurant for our reservations at 7.
Instead, what happened was Megan and I frantically running around rome trying to find the bus, and finally giving up. Then we just dashed from street to street with occasional help from the policia. We ended up being 10 minutes late, but the other girls in our group found us and we got to the restaurant a few minutes late.
It ended up being one not entirely fond of Americans, but by the end of the night they warmed up to us. I had a four cheese spaghetti, which ended up being the macaroni and cheese of the Italian spaghetti gods. Fantastic. I had a little of their red wine, but my head was hurting so I stayed away from the alcohol.
Then we went and took pictures at the fountain, which hopefully I'll be able to upload soon, and stopped at the gelato store so one of the girls could see her italian fling while we creeped on how adorable they were. Back at the hotel our desk guy was telling us about Italians love passionately, and just one rose is never good enough; you always get the expensive bouquet, and pamper your woman. It made me miss Doug a little, but even from a continent away he treats me like a princess.
I came back and skyped mom and dad to say happy birthday to him, and watched a little of the Cosby show in Italian before going to bed. Needless to say, I didnt really pick anything up from up, but I tried.
Today started with a mass at 11 in Santa Maria Maggiore. Our daylight savings time was tonight, so we moved forward putting us at a 6 hours difference now instead of 5, which womps. But by the time I'm In London it'll be 5 again, and thats only about 3 weeks away. But the moral of the story is, it's hard to wake up on time, but I did. I think maybe I need to retnk this whole religious pilgrimage thing though; while the music is so pretty, the service doesn't do much for me when I don't speak the language.
We wandered back to the hotel, and then I switched into a different group that went off to look for food. We went to a place for take out that we had gone a fe times before, but this morning they were not excited to see the American tourists in their shop. They more or less threw cold pizza at us and charged extra from the day before, so it was a less than friendly experience and now im feeling a little gross.
Apparently there is a huge mall somewhere outside of Rome, so we were going to adventure to find it (Alex, Kaitlin, and Dominique). We took the metro way out of the city, and then stood around this downtown area for a while and looked at bus routes. Either the mall doesn't exist, or our directions were lacking, but either way we ended up just turning around and going back to Rome. There was a beautiful park, and it seemed pretty residential, so it was nice to see everyday life, at least.
I went to h&m and got two tops, nothing special. On my way back to the hotel I found St Paul in the wall, which is the Anglican church that was hiding not even a block away. A little bummed I missed it, but the service this morning was nice too. Can't wait to get to England where hopefully I'll trip over episcopal churches everywhere.
About laundry...I wish there were video, but I am officially knowledgeable in the art of washing clothes in the bathroom sink. It helps that we have a b'day (how do you spell that? I feel like this whole trip is on big spelling test nightmare), and a little extra floor room. I didn't do all of it, but I got the important stuff, and I felt accomplished by the end of it.
Did a few journals...hung out in the lobby...and then met up with Megan, for gelato time. Only what would have been a 15 minute walk turned into an hour, because of one stupid wrong turn. Luckily we got to enjoy some live music and do some window shopping, but the cold and the rain that finally caught up with us was making it a lot less fun to be lost than it normally is. We also had a man try to get us to sign up for a bar crawl, and when we ignored him he yelled down the street that we were dressed like idiots. His words, not mine. So the mood was just down. We did find our way back though, and got some gelato the size of my head. Straticella is my favorite. On the way back in the dark we either stepped in pee or vomit, (we didn't want to look) so we washed our feet in one of the springs (picture a fire hydrant, but a drinking fountain) by our hotel. I just got out of the shower, so I'm feeling a little better, but all in all, I'm done with Rome. Tomorrow we leave for Florence, and I can't wait!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Saturday in Rome
Alright, it's a lovely Saturday in Rome with a nice breezy 73 degree high. However, we would not be taking advantage of this, because we were going to the catacombs today. There are only 5 that are able to be toured, so it's pretty exciting that we were able to go to one, but still. Dark, cold, and damp is my least favorite.
We had a british tour guide that took us under, where we saw tombs called "locallys" and then the fancier ones for families, and then the ones where saints were placed. Picture a supermarket, with aisles of bread. Now picture that being in a cave, and those shelves of bread are shelves of dead people, that goes up to 15 miles under the ground. Ok, there were no bodies, but still, a similar idea of general creepiness. Weird way to start the day, that's all.
It ended at an altar, where priests would hold communion in secret so Christians could gather (the catacombs were a place for Christians to be buried, as they weren't allowed within the walls of Rome. We had to take a bus and the metro to get there). I guess they still hold services for people that come on a religious pilgrimage to honor the saints and remember the dead, which I think is really cool.
We broke for lunch, and I just had a little croissant while Megan had some noodles at this little cafe (I had some food back at the hotel, but I am so sick of nutella. I can't decide which I want more my first day back; peanut butter, or Doug. Such cruel irony).
Then we went to the capitaline museum, which wasn't a far walk, but you could tell everyone was dragging. My feet are mostly healed from death march day, but you can only walk around so much before you start to get tired, and it seems like everyone was at their breaking point today. Venice was a lot calmer and more peaceful, with boats as transportation, than hilly Rome. That being said, I don't think any of us got much out of the museum. It's sad, but I still got to see an exhibit about restoration of the Vatican, and there was a great view of the forum. Everyone had just checked out though. We went to walk home, and it started raining, which was just kind of indicative of everyone's mood. We talked to the man at the desk about restaurant reservations, and there was talk of going shopping, but tomorrow is our free day, so I'm guessing a lot of people are just planning on sleeping (my roommates are napping now). Me, I need to learn how to do laundry in the sink. Some girls are going on a pub crawl, but I honestly think I would die. I would love to find a theater playing the hunger games, but it's been a fruitless search so far. Maybe in London, well see.
For now, I'm just going to do some reading and a few academic journal entries, and see what happens for dinner! It's almost 5 here, which makes it noon at home. So strange, for my day to be practically over and everyone else is just beginning. The days are so much longer when you wake up earlier too, haha.
Friday, March 23, 2012
I'm really too tired to be clever
Today is another short one, since a lot of what was done is more visual, and I want to leave people with some mystery as to what I've been doing. Otherwise, no one will look at my pictures!
We started with Sunday trip to Ostia antiqua, which is this old roman village that was deserted but still kept intact. Picture like a cheap, obscure Pompeii. Lots of very well preserved ruins. The weather was perfect for it,and we ended up spending about 3 hours exploring under arches and into houses. Sunny, but not too hot, with a little breeze. Perfection. I was also able to get some pictures of the lizards, bugs, and flowers for that biology nerd I like to date. I also may or may not have found some excellent ancient rocks.well see if they make it back to the states.
We came back to the hotel for a short break, which I used to say hello to the boyfriend before he goes on a weekend long conference, and get some gelato from our gelato man. I'm nervous, because Florence and Munich might not have wifi, so it could have been the last time I got to talk to Doug in 2 weeks, but the fact that it scares me so much is probably an indication of how much I need it.
Then we walked to the Bourghese museum, which was a nice walk through the ritzy part of town. The gardens in front of the museum were beautiful, and there were couples scatted all throughout it. I love how everything here is so cliche romantic, but matter of fact. Girls walk around with bouquets of flowers, men kissing women's hands... Italy is making me a hopeless romantic.
The museum itself was alright, but too stuffy for my taste. You couldnt have a purse in case you tried to sneak a camera in, and everything just seemed very possessive. It's a private collection, so I guess that may be why, but the fact that we had to have an appointment time when we bought the tickets just made it all feel very art snobby. The sculptures were great though; it was worth it, to see some of the Bernini pieces.
When we got back, our hotel had arranged champagne for all of us to try with some chips and biscotti. It was so sweet. The people here are so nice and helpful, and can always tell you where you need to go for the best gelato, restaurant, pharmacy- at one point, the concierge told us he could show us where an 80s theme bar was that's very popular. But it was sweet of them to be so generous with us. So if you're going to Rome- I recommend the corona hotel. It has my stamp of approval.
Now I'm back in the hotel, after a pizza run. Everyone is just wiped out today, and we've been dropping out of the lounge to go to bed since 8:30. I'm probably going to do some reading and fall asleep early, too. We're almost done in our time here in Rome, but I can't help feeling a little homesick, even so. I'm making a list of things I miss that I need to appreciate more when I come home. So all you Americans out there; go have a sip from a water fountain for me, and utilize some public bathrooms.
We started with Sunday trip to Ostia antiqua, which is this old roman village that was deserted but still kept intact. Picture like a cheap, obscure Pompeii. Lots of very well preserved ruins. The weather was perfect for it,and we ended up spending about 3 hours exploring under arches and into houses. Sunny, but not too hot, with a little breeze. Perfection. I was also able to get some pictures of the lizards, bugs, and flowers for that biology nerd I like to date. I also may or may not have found some excellent ancient rocks.well see if they make it back to the states.
We came back to the hotel for a short break, which I used to say hello to the boyfriend before he goes on a weekend long conference, and get some gelato from our gelato man. I'm nervous, because Florence and Munich might not have wifi, so it could have been the last time I got to talk to Doug in 2 weeks, but the fact that it scares me so much is probably an indication of how much I need it.
Then we walked to the Bourghese museum, which was a nice walk through the ritzy part of town. The gardens in front of the museum were beautiful, and there were couples scatted all throughout it. I love how everything here is so cliche romantic, but matter of fact. Girls walk around with bouquets of flowers, men kissing women's hands... Italy is making me a hopeless romantic.
The museum itself was alright, but too stuffy for my taste. You couldnt have a purse in case you tried to sneak a camera in, and everything just seemed very possessive. It's a private collection, so I guess that may be why, but the fact that we had to have an appointment time when we bought the tickets just made it all feel very art snobby. The sculptures were great though; it was worth it, to see some of the Bernini pieces.
When we got back, our hotel had arranged champagne for all of us to try with some chips and biscotti. It was so sweet. The people here are so nice and helpful, and can always tell you where you need to go for the best gelato, restaurant, pharmacy- at one point, the concierge told us he could show us where an 80s theme bar was that's very popular. But it was sweet of them to be so generous with us. So if you're going to Rome- I recommend the corona hotel. It has my stamp of approval.
Now I'm back in the hotel, after a pizza run. Everyone is just wiped out today, and we've been dropping out of the lounge to go to bed since 8:30. I'm probably going to do some reading and fall asleep early, too. We're almost done in our time here in Rome, but I can't help feeling a little homesick, even so. I'm making a list of things I miss that I need to appreciate more when I come home. So all you Americans out there; go have a sip from a water fountain for me, and utilize some public bathrooms.
One week, really?
It's officially been one full week since we left home, and it feels simultaneously like a lifetime and only an hour. Wow.
We went to il gesu, which is a church,and campo dei fiori, which is also a church. If you're interested, look them up, or just wait to see my pictures. (today is a boring day as far as blogs, because describing them just won't translate to what I saw)
Then we walked to the Vatican for our free time in that country. We went through the museum, and saw all sorts of things that I won't bore you about. It ends with the Sistine chapel, bt first you have to get through this corridor. Everyone is rushing to get to the chapel so quickly they aren't even looking at what their passing; I saw some Salvador Dali paintings, but I don't knows hat I missed before that.
I have mixed feelings about the Sistine chapel. It is very,very beautiful. It is still kept fairly sacred,as far as dress and photos (although you do have to pay to get in). We had to eas a book about it though, and basically Michelangelo was grouchy about having to do it because he really just wanted to sculpt, and so I just kept thinking about how pissy he was while he was painting it (standing up, btw. He didn't lie on his back, common misconception I kept hearing people talk about).
St peters basilica had a huge line, but we knew we had to see it so we just jumped right in. It went by really fast though; I'm not entirely sure of the purpose of metal detectors here, since people don't get stopped even when the alarm does go off. Weird.
The church was HUGE. One of those places where people tell you it's big, but until you see it in person there is just no way you can fathom the big honkin hugeness that is st peters. Again, it's something that I can explain, but just like when it was explained to me in class, you just can't get it. It throws off your sense of scale to everything, though. We also do the Pieta, but it was in a glass case. It's the only work Michelangelo ever signed, and some crazy ran up to it and started chipping at it one day, so they had to keep it contained and safe.
Since those were the only events planned for us for the day, we came back for dinner at the restaurant we were originally looking for last night. The Italian man there was just fun and cute; at one point, a girl ordered a coca cola, and when he poured it for he called it the "champagne of Americans". Everyone was just very friendly and patient, which goes a long way. Make one student happy, and you easily get 29 more seminar in Europe participants in the next day. I had the ravioli, which was pretty good. The first restaurant set the bar pretty high though. Also, I need to start going out with red wine people, because white it just not cutting it.
Then we just came back to the hotel and chilled; I think everyone is feelings trained, and getting to that breaking point. I know it's starting to get to me, so I'm trying to allow myself some quiet time by myself in my room. I need to stop feeling guilty about not being out always, so I can prevent the grumpiness that makes it harder to enjoy being out. Sometimes, people would prefer you just take the time for yourself so they don't have to deal with your moods, and Id rather make that decision for them then to start bickering a week into the program. So I'm off to bed!
We went to il gesu, which is a church,and campo dei fiori, which is also a church. If you're interested, look them up, or just wait to see my pictures. (today is a boring day as far as blogs, because describing them just won't translate to what I saw)
Then we walked to the Vatican for our free time in that country. We went through the museum, and saw all sorts of things that I won't bore you about. It ends with the Sistine chapel, bt first you have to get through this corridor. Everyone is rushing to get to the chapel so quickly they aren't even looking at what their passing; I saw some Salvador Dali paintings, but I don't knows hat I missed before that.
I have mixed feelings about the Sistine chapel. It is very,very beautiful. It is still kept fairly sacred,as far as dress and photos (although you do have to pay to get in). We had to eas a book about it though, and basically Michelangelo was grouchy about having to do it because he really just wanted to sculpt, and so I just kept thinking about how pissy he was while he was painting it (standing up, btw. He didn't lie on his back, common misconception I kept hearing people talk about).
St peters basilica had a huge line, but we knew we had to see it so we just jumped right in. It went by really fast though; I'm not entirely sure of the purpose of metal detectors here, since people don't get stopped even when the alarm does go off. Weird.
The church was HUGE. One of those places where people tell you it's big, but until you see it in person there is just no way you can fathom the big honkin hugeness that is st peters. Again, it's something that I can explain, but just like when it was explained to me in class, you just can't get it. It throws off your sense of scale to everything, though. We also do the Pieta, but it was in a glass case. It's the only work Michelangelo ever signed, and some crazy ran up to it and started chipping at it one day, so they had to keep it contained and safe.
Since those were the only events planned for us for the day, we came back for dinner at the restaurant we were originally looking for last night. The Italian man there was just fun and cute; at one point, a girl ordered a coca cola, and when he poured it for he called it the "champagne of Americans". Everyone was just very friendly and patient, which goes a long way. Make one student happy, and you easily get 29 more seminar in Europe participants in the next day. I had the ravioli, which was pretty good. The first restaurant set the bar pretty high though. Also, I need to start going out with red wine people, because white it just not cutting it.
Then we just came back to the hotel and chilled; I think everyone is feelings trained, and getting to that breaking point. I know it's starting to get to me, so I'm trying to allow myself some quiet time by myself in my room. I need to stop feeling guilty about not being out always, so I can prevent the grumpiness that makes it harder to enjoy being out. Sometimes, people would prefer you just take the time for yourself so they don't have to deal with your moods, and Id rather make that decision for them then to start bickering a week into the program. So I'm off to bed!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Death march
Ok, so I've been falling behind, but it has been a seriously jam packed life. Next week, in Florence, I won't have Internet, so you'll just have to wait until I can upload all of them at once!
We started Wednesday with marc telling us it was "death march" day, and that if we got through it we would be through the hardest day of the trip. Honestly, I don't think it was as bad as the brief walking tour, but that's just me. But here I am writing about it a day later, so I survived.
We basically just went to a million churches, that have their own reasons for being interesting that you would learn if you took an 8 week course on them. There was the San Luigi dei Francesi, Santa Maria del popolo, saint Augustine, and a lot more. The latter two had caravaggio paintings in them. Basically, by the end we were extremely churched out, and starting to wear out, so they seemed to blur a lot in everyone's mind.
The problem was my shoes. I was not equipped for a death march. I had bought these (seemingly) fabulous shoes for walking; super cushiony on the inside, lots of tread so I wouldn't be sliding off all these marble stair cases, a strap on top so they wouldn't slide around...but what they did do, was rub and bite at my heels. Literally, chewing on Me. I went through a bunch of bandaids and medical tape that some of my classmates had on them, but nothing would help. I even stopped at a pharmacy and bought super thick blister wraps. The shoes chomped right through those, too. I'm now nursing two blisters bigger than my toe, and 3 more munch marks. It was intense. However, I was really making a conscious effort not to complain; everyone on this trip has something that's hard for them, and nothing I could do was going to make my feet stop bleeding. Complaining was just going to irritate the people that did care. So I sucked it up, and it felt good. Not my feet, but the personal growth.
We saw the pantheon, which was pretty darn impressive, and spent way too much time sitting around the piazza del popolo, which has the four rivers fountain and lots of street performers. The first night there was a magician, but during the day they have people who paint themselves and sit still to look like statues, or people that look invisible, with a floating hat and glasses above their collar. It's fun to sit and people watch,and play the "who is from where" game. It's safe to say, the americans do stand out. But watching some European women is like getting free fashion advice, so that's fun too.
I forgot; we started the day with the trevi fountain, which if you don't know what it is you should look it up on google images ( I still can't get my memory card adaptor to speak with my iPad). If you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, you will return to Rome, so we all threw some change in. Then i found the most delicious gelato I have ever had, so I think later were going to take the subway back and get some more. Yum.
We saw the Aropacus, which is a peace monument that I think is really under appreciated, but it just doesnt fit Rome at all. We went to the Spanish steps, and even though I was a biohazard around my ankles, we went up all of them and came back down.
We ended the day with a restaurant run by a cute little old Italian man. It was the authentic experience we had been looking for. We had lasagna from heaven, pizza, and some other stuff that Matt didn't order but was still good. I'm hoping to go back before we leave. It was exactly what dining in Italy is like; a four course meal, and a table for as long as you want it through the night while you sip wine. The art of conversation gets some serious practice at these dinners, and it makes me appreciate the relationships made that just don't form she you grab something quick at the cyber. I want to hold on to some of these experiences for a lifetime. It's hard to not just leave when you're done, but our dinner wasn't over just because we ate all the food, and it really makes a big difference on how you feel everything else is paced.
We took the metro to the colloseum, and Meghan and I tried to explain Greek life to Matt (who would be an ASIg if he were ever going to go Greek, and either a phi mu or a gam if he was in a sorority). It's fun to talk to people about it that aren't so deep into it. It was so beautiful, and the weather had been perfect and warm all day. Then some French men came and started sexually harassing him, so we ended up leaving. I never thought about it, but he said its hard, because sometimes he's getting hit on, and sometimes it's people baiting him to beat him up. These are things straight middle class white girls don't think of, and we agreed that being gay sounds hard. Understatement of the year.
I was hoping to get the blog done for today (Thursday- officially one week completed!), but it's already almost midnight and sleeping is the most comfortable you get here, so I like to do it as much as I can. Good night, moon!
"Promise me you'll always remember; you're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." -a.a. Milne
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Small girl conquers big city
I can't even begin to explain all the sights we saw today, which I feel like will just be all of Rome. So I'll make a list, and you can decide if it's worth listening to me show off all my pictures when I get back.
Breakfast isn't much more exciting here, but they do have cereal. I thought it would be impossible to mess that up, but I managed to find the milk for the coffee, which was hot, and pour that on my rice crispies, so it was more like taking a bowl of cereal and then microwaving it until it steamed. Gross, but edible. Lesson learned.
We started with the Santa Maria Maggiore, which is this huge majestic church with a ridiculous clock tower on it. There are several buildings in Rome with just mismatching pieces. There was a service going on in one of the chapels, and I even knew one of the songs (even though it was in italian). It sparked a conversation about spirituality and the likelihood of this becoming somewhat of a religious pilgrimage for some of us,and we decided to try to go to some type of service every Sunday (which really, there aren't that many!) after that, we went to st. Pietro in vincoli to see michelangelo's Moses. If you put a coin in a slot, the lights would turn on so you could see the sculpture better, which was a clever way to make some extra change. It also had the chains that bound Christ under the altar, which we saw. I've never seen a holy relic before, and it was just too overwhelming to really fathom, so I think maybe I didn't get the whole experience.
We went to the coliseum, which was literally right around the corner. That's another thing that happens a lot on this trip- you're walking,and then you just run into this huge piece of art, or building, or something you never really imagined actually experiencing. It kind of sneaks up on you and demands your attention, when what you really need is a bunch of signs saying "hold on to your breath, x is a few steps away". We walked around it, and the to the Paletine hill to buy a ticket that would get us into all of ancient Rome for a week. I wasn't sure going into this, but I definitely got my money's worth; it is so expensive to see anything here.
They had gladiators walking around that you could pay to take your picture with; kind of a disturbing version of Disney world, but with Italian men that fought to the death. The whole time touring Rome its hard to ignore the dark history. Going inside the colosseum was amazing, but impossible to not think about how many animals and men were held in these tiny little cages until they came out and entertained people with violence. But then again, they didn't have tv, and we watch the same stuff all the time.
Being in an ancient collapsed city makes you think about how people will look at our society hundreds of years from now. Are people going to be paying to see remnants of the empire state building someday?
We went to Palatine hill, where Megan and I walked for a while, then sat in the shade and observed, then explored some more, then people watched. The whole thing took about 3 hours, but I also ordered myself a delicious pepperoni-ish and cheese wrap, which was pretty satisfying. We went to one more church before being set loose. I went on the subway! It was hardly even scary. In one day, I've gone from being terrified of the city to finding my confident "I'm going somewhere" walk. Then we found our way from the train station to the hotel, with a stop for gelato in between.
I finally got a chance to FaceTime Doug, which was nice. I'm doing a lot better with being homesick, because I honestly just don't have time to be. I'm sure it might sneak up on me again, but like I said- its crazy how much I've grown and changed in such a short time.
Not entirely different, though. We stopped at the market to get some fruit, then wandered around looking at stores. I bought some cute italian shoes, looked at some tops. Then we ended up wandering into a McDonald's, where I got a happy meal :) in case you were wondering, it doesn't taste any different :)
Back to the hotel for some more bonding, then I called home and got to talk to mom, which was nice. Tomorrow we start at 8:30, so I'm going to try to get to bed. Ciao!
Breakfast isn't much more exciting here, but they do have cereal. I thought it would be impossible to mess that up, but I managed to find the milk for the coffee, which was hot, and pour that on my rice crispies, so it was more like taking a bowl of cereal and then microwaving it until it steamed. Gross, but edible. Lesson learned.
We started with the Santa Maria Maggiore, which is this huge majestic church with a ridiculous clock tower on it. There are several buildings in Rome with just mismatching pieces. There was a service going on in one of the chapels, and I even knew one of the songs (even though it was in italian). It sparked a conversation about spirituality and the likelihood of this becoming somewhat of a religious pilgrimage for some of us,and we decided to try to go to some type of service every Sunday (which really, there aren't that many!) after that, we went to st. Pietro in vincoli to see michelangelo's Moses. If you put a coin in a slot, the lights would turn on so you could see the sculpture better, which was a clever way to make some extra change. It also had the chains that bound Christ under the altar, which we saw. I've never seen a holy relic before, and it was just too overwhelming to really fathom, so I think maybe I didn't get the whole experience.
We went to the coliseum, which was literally right around the corner. That's another thing that happens a lot on this trip- you're walking,and then you just run into this huge piece of art, or building, or something you never really imagined actually experiencing. It kind of sneaks up on you and demands your attention, when what you really need is a bunch of signs saying "hold on to your breath, x is a few steps away". We walked around it, and the to the Paletine hill to buy a ticket that would get us into all of ancient Rome for a week. I wasn't sure going into this, but I definitely got my money's worth; it is so expensive to see anything here.
They had gladiators walking around that you could pay to take your picture with; kind of a disturbing version of Disney world, but with Italian men that fought to the death. The whole time touring Rome its hard to ignore the dark history. Going inside the colosseum was amazing, but impossible to not think about how many animals and men were held in these tiny little cages until they came out and entertained people with violence. But then again, they didn't have tv, and we watch the same stuff all the time.
Being in an ancient collapsed city makes you think about how people will look at our society hundreds of years from now. Are people going to be paying to see remnants of the empire state building someday?
We went to Palatine hill, where Megan and I walked for a while, then sat in the shade and observed, then explored some more, then people watched. The whole thing took about 3 hours, but I also ordered myself a delicious pepperoni-ish and cheese wrap, which was pretty satisfying. We went to one more church before being set loose. I went on the subway! It was hardly even scary. In one day, I've gone from being terrified of the city to finding my confident "I'm going somewhere" walk. Then we found our way from the train station to the hotel, with a stop for gelato in between.
I finally got a chance to FaceTime Doug, which was nice. I'm doing a lot better with being homesick, because I honestly just don't have time to be. I'm sure it might sneak up on me again, but like I said- its crazy how much I've grown and changed in such a short time.
Not entirely different, though. We stopped at the market to get some fruit, then wandered around looking at stores. I bought some cute italian shoes, looked at some tops. Then we ended up wandering into a McDonald's, where I got a happy meal :) in case you were wondering, it doesn't taste any different :)
Back to the hotel for some more bonding, then I called home and got to talk to mom, which was nice. Tomorrow we start at 8:30, so I'm going to try to get to bed. Ciao!
Rome, day one!
First of all, big. Not at all like Venice at all, which reassures me that it was in fact one of my favorite places. I thought maybe I would love all of Europe, but I don't think I love rome. It's a big city, with a lot more of the harsh noise and attitude that comes with a big city. It's like the mean older brother of gentle little sister Venice.
We went by train, which was a new experience for me, but i actually really liked it. I might try to go somewhere via train while at home, we'll see.
We found our hotel, which is a lot nicer and has free wifi. Most importantly, there are more common areas for us to hang out, so I'm hoping our group gets a little tighter (were sitting here now, playing cards and chatting). We even have tv, and we can watch American cartoons in Italian. Maybe it'll help us pick something up? It at least will help us out with the weather.
We found a little sandwich shop, and I wasnt hungry enough to make myself deal with the busy Italian speaking waitress. I'm more likely to make myself uncomfortable by not eating than by ordering things in a foreign language. Luke actually dragged me back across the street and ordered one for me, which made me feel bad about not being independent, so probably the last time that will happen. I ended up with a raw bacon and cheese wrap, slightly warmed. It wasnt bad.
We walked around for a "brief" walking tour that eventually turned into about 10 miles during 4 hours. Pretty killer, but it was like getting the Buffett of Rome. We saw the forum, big monuments (one is known as the cake topper of Rome. According to dr. Vincent, everyone hates it). We went up capitaline hill, and saw more ruins. We wandered over to the Vatican, and spent some time looking around. All of it was very brief, but all together it took forever. At one point Ted called us all together to say something about a building, and then exclaims that "a bird shat on me!" it defused a lot of tension that everyone had built up, and we all had some giggle fits.
Bri, Olivia, Megan and I went with Luke to find food, since we had run out of fumes to be running on. The further south you get in italy, the less they love americans, and it was pretty obvious t the restaurant. We were so hungry we didn't care a whole lot, but it is uncomfortable to have so many glares for no reason. We were quiet and polite, and spoke in Italian to order. We left a nice tip. But still, clearly not so excited about our business. I got an omelette with cheese, which was way different then if I had ordered it in America, but still amazing and exactly what I needed.
We came back and just hung out, used some wifi, and spent some time talking about the next few days with more of the group. I found out one of the girls who I knew from a class before lives in new castle, and her dad actually works at the upmc hospital in Franklin. It was exciting to find someone who not only knew bw home, but could talk about Pennsylvania's hills. Tomorrow we start early for everything though, so I am off to bed!
We went by train, which was a new experience for me, but i actually really liked it. I might try to go somewhere via train while at home, we'll see.
We found our hotel, which is a lot nicer and has free wifi. Most importantly, there are more common areas for us to hang out, so I'm hoping our group gets a little tighter (were sitting here now, playing cards and chatting). We even have tv, and we can watch American cartoons in Italian. Maybe it'll help us pick something up? It at least will help us out with the weather.
We found a little sandwich shop, and I wasnt hungry enough to make myself deal with the busy Italian speaking waitress. I'm more likely to make myself uncomfortable by not eating than by ordering things in a foreign language. Luke actually dragged me back across the street and ordered one for me, which made me feel bad about not being independent, so probably the last time that will happen. I ended up with a raw bacon and cheese wrap, slightly warmed. It wasnt bad.
We walked around for a "brief" walking tour that eventually turned into about 10 miles during 4 hours. Pretty killer, but it was like getting the Buffett of Rome. We saw the forum, big monuments (one is known as the cake topper of Rome. According to dr. Vincent, everyone hates it). We went up capitaline hill, and saw more ruins. We wandered over to the Vatican, and spent some time looking around. All of it was very brief, but all together it took forever. At one point Ted called us all together to say something about a building, and then exclaims that "a bird shat on me!" it defused a lot of tension that everyone had built up, and we all had some giggle fits.
Bri, Olivia, Megan and I went with Luke to find food, since we had run out of fumes to be running on. The further south you get in italy, the less they love americans, and it was pretty obvious t the restaurant. We were so hungry we didn't care a whole lot, but it is uncomfortable to have so many glares for no reason. We were quiet and polite, and spoke in Italian to order. We left a nice tip. But still, clearly not so excited about our business. I got an omelette with cheese, which was way different then if I had ordered it in America, but still amazing and exactly what I needed.
We came back and just hung out, used some wifi, and spent some time talking about the next few days with more of the group. I found out one of the girls who I knew from a class before lives in new castle, and her dad actually works at the upmc hospital in Franklin. It was exciting to find someone who not only knew bw home, but could talk about Pennsylvania's hills. Tomorrow we start early for everything though, so I am off to bed!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Last day in Venice
We got to sleep in for an extra hour, which was much needed. Then we did the same type of Breakfast before cramming ourselves in the sardine can that is the water taxi. I don't notice any personal space differences until were traveling like that, in which case there really isn't much of a choice, so it never bothered me.
We went to murano, which is the island where glass blowing is famous for. We only had an hour, which probably wasn't enough. I still don't think I understand how Venice works, with all the little islands. We were supposed to go out to the lagoons, which I'm bummed we didn't, but murano was AMAZING, and probably the best part of the trip.
Megan and Erin and I wandered around looking for someone that would let us watch glass blowing. Thank god for Erin, because She has been here before, and was just fearless. We wandered through back alleys again and found this little workshop garage type deal that we popped our heads in. The man working was really gracious and gestured for us to come in, and we found out that he worked for a shop that we had come in through the back of. We sat down and watched him work for a while, which was so impressive. You have to know exactly when to cool it and move it and how warm it is...he made a unicorn figurine and a vase, and then another man came in that spoke english and tried to explain some of it to us. We left him a tip, and then found the shop he worked for and bought a few trinkets.
We walked around a little more to buy some souvenirs for people, and then met up at a huge bridge and took some pictures. That was the end of our schedule; they told us how to get back to the main land, and that we should try to find the basillica San Marco. We decided to stop and get food before we left, which ended up being a hot mess.
We went to the restaurant by our hotel called "pizza Aeoche" which had wifi, and ended up spending more time trying to find family than talking with each other, which is something I need to be more aware of. I got spaghetti alle cabanera, which was really buttery with pieces of ham in it. It was really delicious, but my body was not ready for all of that after a few days of not eating much. In Europe, they don't do split checks, and they charge a surcharge and the tip. When you have a group of 8 people, it makes splitting all that tricky. We were definitely a pain for our waitress, but we figured it out.
We ran to the basillica because we were worried about making it on time, and I'm so glad we did. I don't know that I would say I'm on a religious pilgrimage by any means, but I am definitely expecting some spiritual moments and I found one there. It was so big, and it just felt all encompassing...there aren't any pictures, but that's because i approached it as a church, and not as an art gallery. Then we went to the top, where we went outside (the pictures I posted yesterday) and could just see everything. It was really cool, and I think we ended up staying for almost a half hour.
We only had about a half hour so we dashed to the correr museum (there was a lot of hurrying today. It makes you wonder about the validity of the stereotype of Americans always walking fast; maybe there's just too much to do). We weren't terribly impressed, but I'm glad we went, just so I know what I would have missed. On our way out one of the employees stopped us and asked how to say hello and goodbye in English, which was just some cute communication with an adorable old Italian man.
We found some other students in the program and split up to see the rialto bridge. There were a lot of fancy jewelry shops, and once we got to the top there was a fabulous view. A group of students from Oklahoma took our picture at the top, and we talked about our experiences. Not even a few minutes later a group of Hispanic students asked to take our pictures for a school project. It was exciting, because I was speaking some spanish to them, and they were speaking some english to us, all in the middle of italy.
Bri, greg, and megan all got sandwiches at a shop, but I wanted to get some fruit so we stopped at a grocery store. It was so stressful, but I'm glad we went so it won't seem as scary next time. The lines were so long; it all seemed really inefficient. I had a nice conversation with an Italian man in front of me about the lines, even though he spoke no English. You can get a long way with facial expressions and a few pleases, thank yous, and your welcomes. We had to weigh our fruit, which we didn't do right, so the cashier helped us out. It was nice, but it explained why the line would take so long. It just seems like no one is ever in a hurry to get anywhere.
Megan and I ended up back in our room for a few hours to just relax and chat, which was so nice. It gave me a chance to wind down and bond with her, which was really good for both of us I think. Then we went to the Brecht Cafe, mostly for the free wifi.
I got a glass of wine for 1.1euros, but one was more than enough. Everything is so strong here, and I have zero tolerance anyway.mwe spent some time trying to connect with our families, which is just addicting. The concierge at the hotel came in to the wifi room at one point and told us that Italians have 24 hours in a day, and they are so involved in each other. Americans have 50 hours, and then he listed everything off like school and meals and Internet was just like having two times at once. Its so true, and if giving up the computer and Facebook will make my relationships with people like the ones I've seen in Venice, it's definitely worth trying. Even now, I've spent two hours on the train typing up this blog, and the only things I will think back on is the conversations I've had and the few times I've looked out the window. Right now were going through bologna, and I almost missed it because i was so busy trying to document yesterday.
Anyway, we went out and got some gelato, and my second time was a lot better, so I feel like I got what I needed. Then we ended up just staying and talking in the room for a few hours and looking at the itinerary. We left for Rome via train this morning (monday) at 8, and should be there by noon. We only have a brief walking tour of the city then they let us loose, so I'm excited to get out and explore!
We went to murano, which is the island where glass blowing is famous for. We only had an hour, which probably wasn't enough. I still don't think I understand how Venice works, with all the little islands. We were supposed to go out to the lagoons, which I'm bummed we didn't, but murano was AMAZING, and probably the best part of the trip.
Megan and Erin and I wandered around looking for someone that would let us watch glass blowing. Thank god for Erin, because She has been here before, and was just fearless. We wandered through back alleys again and found this little workshop garage type deal that we popped our heads in. The man working was really gracious and gestured for us to come in, and we found out that he worked for a shop that we had come in through the back of. We sat down and watched him work for a while, which was so impressive. You have to know exactly when to cool it and move it and how warm it is...he made a unicorn figurine and a vase, and then another man came in that spoke english and tried to explain some of it to us. We left him a tip, and then found the shop he worked for and bought a few trinkets.
We walked around a little more to buy some souvenirs for people, and then met up at a huge bridge and took some pictures. That was the end of our schedule; they told us how to get back to the main land, and that we should try to find the basillica San Marco. We decided to stop and get food before we left, which ended up being a hot mess.
We went to the restaurant by our hotel called "pizza Aeoche" which had wifi, and ended up spending more time trying to find family than talking with each other, which is something I need to be more aware of. I got spaghetti alle cabanera, which was really buttery with pieces of ham in it. It was really delicious, but my body was not ready for all of that after a few days of not eating much. In Europe, they don't do split checks, and they charge a surcharge and the tip. When you have a group of 8 people, it makes splitting all that tricky. We were definitely a pain for our waitress, but we figured it out.
We ran to the basillica because we were worried about making it on time, and I'm so glad we did. I don't know that I would say I'm on a religious pilgrimage by any means, but I am definitely expecting some spiritual moments and I found one there. It was so big, and it just felt all encompassing...there aren't any pictures, but that's because i approached it as a church, and not as an art gallery. Then we went to the top, where we went outside (the pictures I posted yesterday) and could just see everything. It was really cool, and I think we ended up staying for almost a half hour.
We only had about a half hour so we dashed to the correr museum (there was a lot of hurrying today. It makes you wonder about the validity of the stereotype of Americans always walking fast; maybe there's just too much to do). We weren't terribly impressed, but I'm glad we went, just so I know what I would have missed. On our way out one of the employees stopped us and asked how to say hello and goodbye in English, which was just some cute communication with an adorable old Italian man.
We found some other students in the program and split up to see the rialto bridge. There were a lot of fancy jewelry shops, and once we got to the top there was a fabulous view. A group of students from Oklahoma took our picture at the top, and we talked about our experiences. Not even a few minutes later a group of Hispanic students asked to take our pictures for a school project. It was exciting, because I was speaking some spanish to them, and they were speaking some english to us, all in the middle of italy.
Bri, greg, and megan all got sandwiches at a shop, but I wanted to get some fruit so we stopped at a grocery store. It was so stressful, but I'm glad we went so it won't seem as scary next time. The lines were so long; it all seemed really inefficient. I had a nice conversation with an Italian man in front of me about the lines, even though he spoke no English. You can get a long way with facial expressions and a few pleases, thank yous, and your welcomes. We had to weigh our fruit, which we didn't do right, so the cashier helped us out. It was nice, but it explained why the line would take so long. It just seems like no one is ever in a hurry to get anywhere.
Megan and I ended up back in our room for a few hours to just relax and chat, which was so nice. It gave me a chance to wind down and bond with her, which was really good for both of us I think. Then we went to the Brecht Cafe, mostly for the free wifi.
I got a glass of wine for 1.1euros, but one was more than enough. Everything is so strong here, and I have zero tolerance anyway.mwe spent some time trying to connect with our families, which is just addicting. The concierge at the hotel came in to the wifi room at one point and told us that Italians have 24 hours in a day, and they are so involved in each other. Americans have 50 hours, and then he listed everything off like school and meals and Internet was just like having two times at once. Its so true, and if giving up the computer and Facebook will make my relationships with people like the ones I've seen in Venice, it's definitely worth trying. Even now, I've spent two hours on the train typing up this blog, and the only things I will think back on is the conversations I've had and the few times I've looked out the window. Right now were going through bologna, and I almost missed it because i was so busy trying to document yesterday.
Anyway, we went out and got some gelato, and my second time was a lot better, so I feel like I got what I needed. Then we ended up just staying and talking in the room for a few hours and looking at the itinerary. We left for Rome via train this morning (monday) at 8, and should be there by noon. We only have a brief walking tour of the city then they let us loose, so I'm excited to get out and explore!
Night in venice
We wanted to find some shops that we had seen, so we rode the water taxi down the grand canal only to find that everything was basically closed. We wandered around and found ourselves lost in back alleys, which just feels creepy no matter how safe people tell you it is. We ended up in residential areas, and were starting to get nervous until we finally found another stop and got back to civilization. It was really impressive though; we turned the corner and this huge church was just right there. We dont know the name, but it was one of those moments where you just forget to breathe. I think I have pictures from the water taxi.
We ended up making friends with a family from Maryland who needed some extra help, so we chatted about what we were doing. Because it was st pattys day and we were hungry, we ended up at an Irish pub. It was way too crowded for tired little me though, so I left the group and wandered a little on the main street by myself, and found some pizza.
I think there is this profound fear of being alone, which makes sense since its only the third day. It makes for really incompatible grumpy college kids though, because everyone wants to get all their experiences that THEY want in, but not by themselves. So when your best friend doesn't want to go with you, it feels like she is impeding your exploring and keeping you from everything you want to get out of this trip. I'm hoping it won't take long for everyone to realize they can do what they want alone, and to take more responsibility for their own experience. Everyone's SHOULD be different, or at least thats how I feel.
We have our own little terrace to our room (it's so Italian, back to the things I was expecting) with a lattice garden and a little table. Our roommates and some other girls came down and we listened to music and chatted about what we saw. It was nice to wind down, and I even had bought my own mini bottle of Bellini to try. It was really sweet, and you couldn't really taste anything but fruit so I liked it. then we went to bed and passed out.
We ended up making friends with a family from Maryland who needed some extra help, so we chatted about what we were doing. Because it was st pattys day and we were hungry, we ended up at an Irish pub. It was way too crowded for tired little me though, so I left the group and wandered a little on the main street by myself, and found some pizza.
I think there is this profound fear of being alone, which makes sense since its only the third day. It makes for really incompatible grumpy college kids though, because everyone wants to get all their experiences that THEY want in, but not by themselves. So when your best friend doesn't want to go with you, it feels like she is impeding your exploring and keeping you from everything you want to get out of this trip. I'm hoping it won't take long for everyone to realize they can do what they want alone, and to take more responsibility for their own experience. Everyone's SHOULD be different, or at least thats how I feel.
We have our own little terrace to our room (it's so Italian, back to the things I was expecting) with a lattice garden and a little table. Our roommates and some other girls came down and we listened to music and chatted about what we saw. It was nice to wind down, and I even had bought my own mini bottle of Bellini to try. It was really sweet, and you couldn't really taste anything but fruit so I liked it. then we went to bed and passed out.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Is not quite as much fun when it's crowded and cold. But still very, very pretty.
I can't even begin to explain all the things we did today. We started at 9am and had breakfast, which was our first real culture shock. We got tiny cups we could put juice in, yogurt, and bread. There was also proccitto (i have no idea how to spell it, but it's like raw bacon that looks like salami) and slices of cheese. Then came the croissants! They weren't as good as I was expecting, but maybe that's my fault.
We went to ducal palace, which was just huge, and ill show pictures of later. We crossed the bridge of sighs to get into the prison, which was freezing and creepy but really interesting. I'm curious what kind of crime a person would commit to get there. This all took about 2 hours, so we were pretty hungry. We had some free time to sit on the dock, and a bunch of the group ended up joining us to sit in the sun. We walked to the arsenal, which was pretty complicated. Everywhere in Venice is either waterways or back alleys, and it takes some getting used to to feel comfortable Just wandering through dark corners in foreign countries. More on that later.
Megan and I wandered around trying to find food, and while I'm getting more comfortable just exploring, ordering food is still pretty scary to me. Especially because we try to find
Places with less touristy areas, but then we end up with people that don't speak Italian. The man we ordered from was not happy about all these English speaking people in his store. I need to start bringing more snacks around with me, If I want to save money.
We got to l'academia, which is a big art gallery that used to be a school for artists. We got to see feast in the house of Levi, which was HUGE. I won't give a history lesson, but I was excited to find it. I have a picture of my favorite painting from the gallery that I'll post someday when I learn how to do that- one step at a time.
We went to the school of San roco (I'm totally not spelling that right, but it's 1am and my roommates are sleeping and I don't have any way to check) which we referred to as "Tintoretto-ville" since it was just a huge room of his frescoes. They actually give you mirrors so that you can look at all the paintings on the ceiling without craining your neck. We also saw his crucifixion painting, which was pretty moving.
The scheduled events of the day ended with the Church of friari, which was an incredibly spiritual place. It's one huge church, with what seems like hundreds of altars and sculptures and tombs. A lot of us ended up praying, which i think is important. This art was designed to help aid ones spiritual journey, and I think people like seeing it still bring used that way.
We were Freezing at this point, so before Megan Marietta Erin and I went anywhere else we went back to the room to change. Then Jackie came over and we decided to try and find some shops. This was around 7, so it was starting to get dark, and we were going to keep our eyes open for food, as well. That's when some antics started that I'll have to finish up with tomorrow!
I can't even begin to explain all the things we did today. We started at 9am and had breakfast, which was our first real culture shock. We got tiny cups we could put juice in, yogurt, and bread. There was also proccitto (i have no idea how to spell it, but it's like raw bacon that looks like salami) and slices of cheese. Then came the croissants! They weren't as good as I was expecting, but maybe that's my fault.
We went to ducal palace, which was just huge, and ill show pictures of later. We crossed the bridge of sighs to get into the prison, which was freezing and creepy but really interesting. I'm curious what kind of crime a person would commit to get there. This all took about 2 hours, so we were pretty hungry. We had some free time to sit on the dock, and a bunch of the group ended up joining us to sit in the sun. We walked to the arsenal, which was pretty complicated. Everywhere in Venice is either waterways or back alleys, and it takes some getting used to to feel comfortable Just wandering through dark corners in foreign countries. More on that later.
Megan and I wandered around trying to find food, and while I'm getting more comfortable just exploring, ordering food is still pretty scary to me. Especially because we try to find
Places with less touristy areas, but then we end up with people that don't speak Italian. The man we ordered from was not happy about all these English speaking people in his store. I need to start bringing more snacks around with me, If I want to save money.
We got to l'academia, which is a big art gallery that used to be a school for artists. We got to see feast in the house of Levi, which was HUGE. I won't give a history lesson, but I was excited to find it. I have a picture of my favorite painting from the gallery that I'll post someday when I learn how to do that- one step at a time.
We went to the school of San roco (I'm totally not spelling that right, but it's 1am and my roommates are sleeping and I don't have any way to check) which we referred to as "Tintoretto-ville" since it was just a huge room of his frescoes. They actually give you mirrors so that you can look at all the paintings on the ceiling without craining your neck. We also saw his crucifixion painting, which was pretty moving.
The scheduled events of the day ended with the Church of friari, which was an incredibly spiritual place. It's one huge church, with what seems like hundreds of altars and sculptures and tombs. A lot of us ended up praying, which i think is important. This art was designed to help aid ones spiritual journey, and I think people like seeing it still bring used that way.
We were Freezing at this point, so before Megan Marietta Erin and I went anywhere else we went back to the room to change. Then Jackie came over and we decided to try and find some shops. This was around 7, so it was starting to get dark, and we were going to keep our eyes open for food, as well. That's when some antics started that I'll have to finish up with tomorrow!
San Marco pictures
This is out of order because im on my iPod in a cafe, so I don't have the note I wrote up for yesterday's entry... I'll get to it once I get Back to the hotel! 
Saturday, March 17, 2012
End of travel day 1
End of day 1
So after finally getting on the flight to Venice, I was put between these two men who were speaking Italian, completely aware I wasn't understanding and going so far as to push around me to speak to each other. Awkward. We did, however, get complementary milka bars, which is quite possibly the most delicious chocolate I have ever consumed, and I fully intend on bringing a case of it home with me.
We had to wait at the Venice airport for the other bunch of travel companions, which took about an extra 40 minutes. A bus picked us up, which took us to a surprisingly normal looking Venice. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but definitely not palm trees and stop signs. We did finally get to the marshy lagoon area, and it started looking more...Italian-y?
We got dropped off a few blocks away from the hotel, and I was ready to prove how independent and strong I could be so I showed those cobble stone streets who was boss. Then we reached this huge bridge that went over a canal...made entirely of stairs. I was intimidated but determined, when a nice Italian man came over and helped me by picking up half my luggage so it wasn't dragging. At first I thought he wanted money, or he was just going to take my bag and run, but nope. Just a friendly man helping a wandering tourist.
Our hotel is small, but nice. We fit four cots in our room, but not much more, and our bathroom takes some maneuvering, but it's clean. We also have a doorway to the most adorable little terrace; I'll try to post pictures sometime. It's completely out of place, but on e you get out there it's the Venice-y feeling I was looking for.
Then we took a boat taxi around the city and through all the canals. This has to be the most beautiful city. I'm constantly in awe that this is real life, and that I'm really here. I love this atmosphere, the culture, the scenery... Everything. Where else do you see couples gazing into each others eyes, sipping wine on the side of the dock... I totally understand the Romanticism of Italy. I'm sure there's much more to see, but I've already decided this is my favorite city.
We toured on foot for a while, until our professors got us sufficiently deep enough into the city and explained that we could watch the signs and find our way out. It was our first task in being alone. I managed to get money from an ATM, find a restaurant, order dinner, and find my way back to the hotel and then explain to the concierge that I wanted to buy a hour of wifi. I was feeling like a champ. Maybe I like this traveling thing.
I had a chance to send a few emails, call mom and dad, say hi to Doug, and check the weather before heading back to the room. I conquered the tiny shower, made friends with the roommates (one of them is my sister, so that doesn't count) and got ready for another day of traveling. Now I just need to convince my body that it's 1am instead of 8pm...
So after finally getting on the flight to Venice, I was put between these two men who were speaking Italian, completely aware I wasn't understanding and going so far as to push around me to speak to each other. Awkward. We did, however, get complementary milka bars, which is quite possibly the most delicious chocolate I have ever consumed, and I fully intend on bringing a case of it home with me.
We had to wait at the Venice airport for the other bunch of travel companions, which took about an extra 40 minutes. A bus picked us up, which took us to a surprisingly normal looking Venice. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but definitely not palm trees and stop signs. We did finally get to the marshy lagoon area, and it started looking more...Italian-y?
We got dropped off a few blocks away from the hotel, and I was ready to prove how independent and strong I could be so I showed those cobble stone streets who was boss. Then we reached this huge bridge that went over a canal...made entirely of stairs. I was intimidated but determined, when a nice Italian man came over and helped me by picking up half my luggage so it wasn't dragging. At first I thought he wanted money, or he was just going to take my bag and run, but nope. Just a friendly man helping a wandering tourist.
Our hotel is small, but nice. We fit four cots in our room, but not much more, and our bathroom takes some maneuvering, but it's clean. We also have a doorway to the most adorable little terrace; I'll try to post pictures sometime. It's completely out of place, but on e you get out there it's the Venice-y feeling I was looking for.
Then we took a boat taxi around the city and through all the canals. This has to be the most beautiful city. I'm constantly in awe that this is real life, and that I'm really here. I love this atmosphere, the culture, the scenery... Everything. Where else do you see couples gazing into each others eyes, sipping wine on the side of the dock... I totally understand the Romanticism of Italy. I'm sure there's much more to see, but I've already decided this is my favorite city.
We toured on foot for a while, until our professors got us sufficiently deep enough into the city and explained that we could watch the signs and find our way out. It was our first task in being alone. I managed to get money from an ATM, find a restaurant, order dinner, and find my way back to the hotel and then explain to the concierge that I wanted to buy a hour of wifi. I was feeling like a champ. Maybe I like this traveling thing.
I had a chance to send a few emails, call mom and dad, say hi to Doug, and check the weather before heading back to the room. I conquered the tiny shower, made friends with the roommates (one of them is my sister, so that doesn't count) and got ready for another day of traveling. Now I just need to convince my body that it's 1am instead of 8pm...
Friday, March 16, 2012
Day 1 (of 2)
Our flight was delayed about an hour out of Cleveland, which left a little less time sitting around in Newark., but the flight was pretty short, and we still had lots of time to get through customs (first number one!) and find me a nice cheeseburger.
Sitting in the Newark airport was tough. I was gone, but still here...walking through the Tarmac onto the plane was a scary commitment I made a year ago. I called home first and cried a little bit, but I am the queen of missing people.
I got a nice aisle seat on the long flight, where i was able to sleep for a few hours. Hopefully that makes today a little easier. Our seats have Tv's and all the fancy hookups, including the channel that shows where the plane is en route, and how high we are/fast were going. It also gives the eta, so I can tell you right now we are 41 minutes away from touching down. It's 5:13 at home, and 10:13 local time, so I'll wait until after my flight from Munich to Italy to call and let mom and Doug know I'm alive and well.
........
So, we missed out flight to Venice, which means some of the girls are going o a flight that leaves at 3, but since we didn't all fit the rest of us are in another one that goes to Frankfurt and then to Venice, so things are a little hodge pose right now. We did get a 10 E voucher for food, so even though it was scary, I bought my first foreign meal. The man at the counter didn't speak perfect English, but he did manage to help me pick out food for the leftover cash I had after I got what I wanted (you didn't get any change back, so he made sure I spent as much as I could. It was very sweet, and encouraging.)
Then I shopped around a bit with my newly exchanged euros, which felt pretty good. Now I'm waiting for my flight, while I do some journaling/blogging/emailing without the wifi, so whenever that day comes I will be able to upload everything at once. it's so frustrating to be half connected, but there are just going to be a lot of adjustments I'll need to make. For now, I'm finally going to enjoy the long awaited John Green
Sitting in the Newark airport was tough. I was gone, but still here...walking through the Tarmac onto the plane was a scary commitment I made a year ago. I called home first and cried a little bit, but I am the queen of missing people.
I got a nice aisle seat on the long flight, where i was able to sleep for a few hours. Hopefully that makes today a little easier. Our seats have Tv's and all the fancy hookups, including the channel that shows where the plane is en route, and how high we are/fast were going. It also gives the eta, so I can tell you right now we are 41 minutes away from touching down. It's 5:13 at home, and 10:13 local time, so I'll wait until after my flight from Munich to Italy to call and let mom and Doug know I'm alive and well.
........
So, we missed out flight to Venice, which means some of the girls are going o a flight that leaves at 3, but since we didn't all fit the rest of us are in another one that goes to Frankfurt and then to Venice, so things are a little hodge pose right now. We did get a 10 E voucher for food, so even though it was scary, I bought my first foreign meal. The man at the counter didn't speak perfect English, but he did manage to help me pick out food for the leftover cash I had after I got what I wanted (you didn't get any change back, so he made sure I spent as much as I could. It was very sweet, and encouraging.)
Then I shopped around a bit with my newly exchanged euros, which felt pretty good. Now I'm waiting for my flight, while I do some journaling/blogging/emailing without the wifi, so whenever that day comes I will be able to upload everything at once. it's so frustrating to be half connected, but there are just going to be a lot of adjustments I'll need to make. For now, I'm finally going to enjoy the long awaited John Green
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Panic Mode, Engaged.
I leave in less than 24 hours.
AHHHHHH !!! ... ???? ... :) ... :'(
and that, right there, is how this day has been going.
at least the weather is lovely, the sisters and brothers are supportive, and the travel companions are friendly.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
my Grammy sent this to me...
I wish I was where you are
Instead of where I be
'Cuz when I are where you am not
it t'aint no place for me
I used to think the world was grand
But now I know it t'isnt
'Cuz you have gone to where I ain't
And left me where you isn't!
Instead of where I be
'Cuz when I are where you am not
it t'aint no place for me
I used to think the world was grand
But now I know it t'isnt
'Cuz you have gone to where I ain't
And left me where you isn't!
Leaving, Painting, and how I learned to Suck it Up
When I was in Kindergarten, if I didn't go to school on the school bus- aka, my routine- I would cry and throw a fit in front of the school, to the point where my principal would come out to the car to get me to come in. My separation anxiety? High. My tolerance for change? low.
So, I thought saying goodbye to my parents at school, the way they would usually drop me off, would be easier. And it was! We unloaded the 28" suitcase and then packed up the rest of my room to go back home with them. Then we had a fabulous lunch, stopped at KMart, and went back to my dorm.
This is when my mother starts to cry. She's about as bad as I am at goodbyes, but I will say with pride that I waited until I got into the building before the waterworks started. Touchdown, Mr. Xanax.
One of the most soothing activities for me is painting (nothing artistic- usually picture frames and vases), and since I had a project I already needed to work on, that was perfect. I just finished, and am now enjoying some quiet time for myself in this beautiful weather. Doug is at work, Maggie is still on spring break, and I am here, being a strong and independent woman who is in no way terrified of being alone and at risk for a mental breakdown at a moment's notice.
Sarcasm aside, I think the most important thing for me on this trip will be to learn how to be independant. Not just doing things on my own (like lifting heavy suitcases), but making MYSELF happy, and not asking others to do it. To be comfortable being alone, and maybe even enjoy it. Yes, I want to learn about other cultures. But I want to learn about myself even more.
“I’m here. I love you. I don’t care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you. There’s nothing you can ever do to lose my love. I will protect you until you die, and after your death I will still protect you. I am stronger than Depression and I am braver than Loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me.”
-Elizabeth Gilbert, to herself (Eat Pray Love)
So, I thought saying goodbye to my parents at school, the way they would usually drop me off, would be easier. And it was! We unloaded the 28" suitcase and then packed up the rest of my room to go back home with them. Then we had a fabulous lunch, stopped at KMart, and went back to my dorm.
This is when my mother starts to cry. She's about as bad as I am at goodbyes, but I will say with pride that I waited until I got into the building before the waterworks started. Touchdown, Mr. Xanax.
One of the most soothing activities for me is painting (nothing artistic- usually picture frames and vases), and since I had a project I already needed to work on, that was perfect. I just finished, and am now enjoying some quiet time for myself in this beautiful weather. Doug is at work, Maggie is still on spring break, and I am here, being a strong and independent woman who is in no way terrified of being alone and at risk for a mental breakdown at a moment's notice.
Sarcasm aside, I think the most important thing for me on this trip will be to learn how to be independant. Not just doing things on my own (like lifting heavy suitcases), but making MYSELF happy, and not asking others to do it. To be comfortable being alone, and maybe even enjoy it. Yes, I want to learn about other cultures. But I want to learn about myself even more.
“I’m here. I love you. I don’t care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you. There’s nothing you can ever do to lose my love. I will protect you until you die, and after your death I will still protect you. I am stronger than Depression and I am braver than Loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me.”
-Elizabeth Gilbert, to herself (Eat Pray Love)
Sunday, March 11, 2012
The Adventures of Anxiety Girl!
So after my packing and unpacking mishaps, it has officially been determined that 28" is too big. Not only can I hardly reach around it, let alone pick it up over my head (for train rides), I also don't want to be "that girl". The whole point of this trip is to learn how to simplify, to go on an adventure and leave the luxury at home.
Also, I don't want to be pathetic and need help carrying things around. I'm tough, damnit, and I will do this myself.
Either way, I managed to convince myself 3 days before I leave for my trip that I need to go buy new luggage, so tomorrow that is what I will be doing. In the meantime I'm texting my big, Suzie, for all of the answers to my weird questions since she went on the trip 2 years ago. In an act of desperation to calm their crazy daughter, my parents put on The Muppets, because nothing can ever go wrong when kermit the frog is in the room. Seriously.
"Someday, we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers, and me."
Also, I don't want to be pathetic and need help carrying things around. I'm tough, damnit, and I will do this myself.
Either way, I managed to convince myself 3 days before I leave for my trip that I need to go buy new luggage, so tomorrow that is what I will be doing. In the meantime I'm texting my big, Suzie, for all of the answers to my weird questions since she went on the trip 2 years ago. In an act of desperation to calm their crazy daughter, my parents put on The Muppets, because nothing can ever go wrong when kermit the frog is in the room. Seriously.
"Someday, we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers, and me."
Thursday, March 8, 2012
One week countdown!
Today marks one week until I leave! Still feeling a lot of anxiety, but I've been eating and sleeping enough to function pretty well.
Yesterday was my farewell to everyone In Franklin, complete with moms spaghetti. I'll be going back on Monday, but I'll be too focused on finishing up with all my loose ends to really see anyone but the immediate family. I'm almost done packing, but I still need to unpack and pack 5 more times to be sure.
For now I'm in Hudson, saying goodbye to the boyfriends family and celebrating our one year. Tomorrow he has something big and exciting planned for the weekend, and Sunday his parents are taking us to the aquarium.
My phone is all set to go global, my mom knows how to use her new iPad to Skype me, and I have all the little shampoo bottles a girl could need (I hope). Let the countdown continue!
Yesterday was my farewell to everyone In Franklin, complete with moms spaghetti. I'll be going back on Monday, but I'll be too focused on finishing up with all my loose ends to really see anyone but the immediate family. I'm almost done packing, but I still need to unpack and pack 5 more times to be sure.
For now I'm in Hudson, saying goodbye to the boyfriends family and celebrating our one year. Tomorrow he has something big and exciting planned for the weekend, and Sunday his parents are taking us to the aquarium.
My phone is all set to go global, my mom knows how to use her new iPad to Skype me, and I have all the little shampoo bottles a girl could need (I hope). Let the countdown continue!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Seminar In Europe: T minus 11 days
In 11 days, I will be departing for quite possibly one of the most life changing experiences in my life.
I'm so terrified, my fear distracts me from remembering what it is I'm worried about. Which is really just inefficient.
I leave Thursday, March 15th, and go from Cleveland to Newark, where I will spend a few too many hours in the airport waiting for my red eye flight to Munich. From Munich, we go to Venice, where my adventure begins.
I return April 27th, leaving from the London airport to Dusseldorf, and 2 hours later will find myself back on a plane to Newark. Then I will impatiently convince customs I am an American, and wait until my flight for Cleveland is ready to take me home at 7:31 p.m.
You can't be excited about coming home until you leave. But I bet I won't realize how excited I was about leaving until it's time to go home.
"I go to seek a Great Perhaps."
Thanks, Francois Rabelais. (and John Green)
I'm so terrified, my fear distracts me from remembering what it is I'm worried about. Which is really just inefficient.
I leave Thursday, March 15th, and go from Cleveland to Newark, where I will spend a few too many hours in the airport waiting for my red eye flight to Munich. From Munich, we go to Venice, where my adventure begins.
I return April 27th, leaving from the London airport to Dusseldorf, and 2 hours later will find myself back on a plane to Newark. Then I will impatiently convince customs I am an American, and wait until my flight for Cleveland is ready to take me home at 7:31 p.m.
You can't be excited about coming home until you leave. But I bet I won't realize how excited I was about leaving until it's time to go home.
"I go to seek a Great Perhaps."
Thanks, Francois Rabelais. (and John Green)
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