Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri and Napoli!

Time is ticking and there is only 2 more weeks left in Rome.  I feel like I just got here, it is insane how fast time has gone by.  With such little time left in this ancient city I want to spend it exploring everything I can...Over this last past weekend was our last class trip.  This trip consisted of Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri and Napoli.  When we got to Pompeii we did a quick tour of this ancient city.  It was crazy to see how preserved everything was and what happened to the city.  We even saw two preserved bodies in the position they were found in when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. Supposedly Mt. Vesuvius  is due to go off again within the next ten years but scientists are watching carefully so Pompeii 2 doesn't happen.  Unfortunately we couldn't stay there long and headed to our hotel in Sorrento.  The hotel was amazing, each couple of people got a big room with a balcony overlooking the beautiful view of the coast.  That night everyone went out, including Dr. Dawson, to sing karaoke at a bar.  It was the best night yet, everyone was enjoying themselves and we all bonded of Dr. Dawson's wonderful singing of "my heart will go on".  The next morning we had time for a free day so my friends and I headed to Capri.  We took a ferry over to this picturesque and beautiful place.  We got a boat tour that showed us all the important caves then we took the a train to the top of the hill.  I even saw a friend from high-school on the boat tour, what a small world! After the boat tour we went to the top of Capri.  There was little shops and restaurants overlooking the whole city.  We continue to see more great views, with white houses surrounding the crystal clear water.  At the end of the day we had to take the ferry and headed back to Sorrento.  The next day on our way back to Rome, we stopped in Naples.  Naples is very different then Rome in its lifestyle.  The people seem to be more carefree and just go about their day doing whatever they want.  People in Napoli also use their space differently then those in Rome.  One place could literally be a parking spot, a sidewalk, and a picnic place all in one.  For that reason, the city was also very dirty.  Because each spot is utilized so much, there was bags of trash everywhere.  It even made NYC seem spot clean.  When we got free time we went to "michele pizzeria".  This pizzeria is famous from the movie "Eat Pray Love", when Julia Roberts stuffs pizza down her face, realizing that she can't worry about counting calories and needs to stop feeling guilty for what she eats.  In the movie she claims to be having a relationship with her pizza and after trying it for myself, I agree. The pizza was amazing, it even tops Roman pizzas.  After eating that whole pizza I had to definitely take in the words of Julia Roberts, because I couldn't stop feeling guilty, but it was so good! After lunch we explored a few more sites and headed back to Home Sweet Rome.  I couldn't have asked for a better weekend trip, spent with all my classmates!

Benedetto!

On Wednesday, we all received tickets to go to the papal audience.  I wasn't sure what this entailed but I didn't want to give up such a great opportunity and"When in Rome".  So on Wednesday morning we got up at 630 am and headed to the Vatican.  We waited online till 8, when they opened the doors.  We had to go through quick security and then were able to sit in the fourth row (since we got there so early).  At 1030 the ceremony started. The Pope rode in on the Pope-mobile and waved his hands through the crowd, as everyone chanted his name "Benedetto".  Once the Pope took his place on the stage, he said an opening prayer. A few bishops got up to the podium and spoke in all different languages.  Then the Pope said a few prayers.  After, one bishop called different groups names out-loud if they were present.  Some groups would stand up and sing or play a song.  When he said "students from Loyola University Maryland", we all stood up and cheered and the Pope gestured the blessing hand movement towards our direction.  At the end of the ceremony, he blessed the rosaries and other religious objects we brought with us.  Seeing the Pope was such a great opportunity and I'm so glad I was able to go.

"This is what dreams are made of" Tivoli Gardens

For all of you who've seen the Lizzie McGuire movie, that movie became a reality for me this past weekend.  You know in the movie when Paolo sneaks out with Lizzie to show her these beautiful gardens with waterfalls, I was there! (Minus the Italian boy holding my hand, running through the waterfalls singing "This is what dreams are made of") Tivoli is a small town about an hour outside of Rome.  It looks like a mini version of Rome.  After getting off an hour ride train we explored the town and found the Tivoli Gardens.  The gardens were beautiful with waterfalls and fountains all over.  We walked through the park and sat down for a picnic next to one of the fountains.  Seeing the movie with these gardens in a scene, made seeing them that much surreal.  There's so many things you never think you're going to see, that when you see them its literally "like a movie".

Italian Chef for the Day

One of my favorite things I have done here was a cooking class.  Aurora (one of our program directors) approached us with this opportunity to get cooking lessons from a chef from Le Fate (meaning the fairies- an organic restaurant in Trastevere).  We had to pay 30 euro to attend, which is a lot cheaper then the 60 it usually cost.  There was about fifteen of us who signed up.

We got there, put on our aprons and headed to the kitchen.  The chef's name was Andrea and he told us that we would be learning recipes that are all do-able at home.  We made home-made pasta with Bolognese sauce, a meat dish and a strudel.  Everything was so easy to make, with the exception of the home-made pasta.

During the class, Chef Andrea really emphasized that the most important thing to do is to get fresh ingredients.   He told us that instead of going to the grocery store, we should get our ingredients from the markets.  In Rome you can really tell the difference between grocery store products versus the market products.  All of the produce from the markets taste so much fresher.

The day after the class, I actually made the strudel again for my host family.  They loved it and thought it was better then the strudel they have eaten before.  I was so excited because I was nervous to impress them.  We even had extra dough and were also able to make cookies and a pie.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn about Italian cuisine and how they cook here. After the class, chef Andrea emailed all of us with the recipes so that we could try them again.  I plan on impressing my family with the same exact meal when I get home.

“…But I can’t even touch my toes!"

On Thursday I went to a Yoga class with Michele.  Our host brother Niccolo is a yoga teacher and invited us to come to a class.  He teaches free classes at this anti-government establishment.  I was really nervous to go to the class because I had no idea what I was doing.

He gave us directions and we ventured out to this place called the “cinodrome”.  From the first impression this didn’t seem like the safest area in Rome.  We got to the building and there was artwork hanging all around.  We went outside, where there was a field and gardens in the process of being created.  Nicky is planting a garden to grow vegetables and fruit.

There were about 10 other people there.  We began the class outside with the sunset, then we moved inside when it got a bit colder out.  Inside we did the yoga accompanied by some Indian music and incense.  It was similar to a yoga class I attended at home but without the music and incense.  It was an interesting experience to see the difference between this class and one at home.  

Is this real life?!?!

This past weekend Michele, Angela and myself went to Venice.  Venice is really expensive, so instead of booking a hotel we got two overnight trains.  We left Friday from Rome at 10 pm and arrived in Venice at 530 am…yikes right?  This obviously wasn’t the ideal situation but when on a budget, you do what you have to.  We got there and were delirious (to say the least).  We walked around for a bit then found a café to get coffee.  After coffee we walked around for a bit.  Once it hit 9 am, more things started to open.

The way the streets were narrow and windy reminded me of Tuscany.  It is such a quaint area, but surprising is also very populated.  Venice is also very touristy, hence the really expensive prices.

Around mid day, we took a ferry to Morano (a small island that specializes in glass making).  The island was so beautiful and full of so many glass shops.  I bought a few pieces of jewelry as gifts for my friends.  One shop we went into let us watch how the glass was made.  I had no idea how much work and craftsmanship has to go into even just a tiny glass ring.

After Morano we went to St. Marks square and saw the Basilica.  St. Mark's Basilica somewhat reminded me of the basilicas we see in Rome.  It was very elaborate and beautiful, decorated with gold structures and frescoes.

After the Church, we took a gondola ride.  Even though they were expensive, it was an opportunity we couldn't give up.  Our gondola driver (Andrea) took us around St. Marks area and showed us some of the interesting sites to see. The water was calm and the streets were quiet, it was a very serene and relaxing experience.  After the gondola, we got dinner and then got back on the night train at 11 pm and arrived back in Rome in the early morning.

I’m really glad I had the chance to go to Venice.  Even though it was very tiring, it is one of those things you have to see in Italy.  The whole environment felt like it was out of storybook.  When I was sitting on the gondola looking at everything all around me, I realized that I was actually on the canals of Venice. It is still (3 months later) so hard for me to realize that I am actually in Italy.

BRRRRRR....

Recently I went to “Ice Bar” with a few of my friends.  We heard about this place and it obviously sparked our interest.  So many bars in Rome are very similar to ones back in Baltimore on York Road.  We wanted to try something new and different.  We took the metro to the Coliseum and walked from there.  We walked down a tiny side street and eventually found it (I have a tendency to take an hour to get somewhere that should only take 10 minutes).  We paid 25 euro to get in and have one free drink.  They gave us these coats and gloves to wear, which were made special for the bar’s environment.  The bar was about 15 degrees Fahrenheit.  Everything was made out of ice; even the drinks were given to us in ice cups.   I couldn’t stay there too long because it was getting too cold, but it was definitely a new experience. 

I want to find places like “Ice Bar” to go to.  I want to stay away from places that I could find in the U.S. and live like the Italians do.  So many of us here go to Irish pubs and American bars.  "Scholars" is the most popular Irish Bar, they even have a Loyola tee-shirt hanging up on the wall.  While "Scholars" is fun, there's always opportunities to go places like it. From this point on I want to explore other options... "When in Rome...Do as the Romans do" Right?

Picnic on the Ruins

Last weekend many of us decided that we should make mini trips around Rome to see all the sights.  One of our teachers here told us about Ostia Antica, an archeological site of an old ancient city in Rome.  I went with three of my friends to see these ancient ruins.  The site was only a few metro stops away and only cost 3 euro to get in.  We brought a bunch of food and had a picnic in the place where the ancient theatre used to be.  The city was still preserved pretty well, a lot of the ruins still had the street signs on them.  It was so crazy to see where people used to live.  The way the streets all intersected and lead to different other rooms almost reminded me of a shopping outlet, with passages at every turn.

I tried to imagine what life was like for the people that used to live here but it is so hard to imagine.  We are so used to our modern day world that I feel like I don't even know what life used to be like.  The idea that I am studying abroad in an ancient city that is still very much today preserved, is hard for me to grasp.  I could be walking down a street with ATM machines and McDonalds but then take a few more steps and find myself at the Colosseum or a 13th century Basilica.  This is something you can't really find in the United States.  The ancient city was a beautiful day trip, it was so interesting to travel back to see a glimpse of where people lived in ancient times.

Barcelona Sun

After a constant and on-the-go trip to Paris, I was so ready to relax in Barcelona.  To be honest, I had no idea what to expect- I sort of pictured Barcelona to be like Mexico (with music, fiestas and full of life).  After the exhausting 13 hour train ride, we finally arrived in Barcelona.  We got a cab outside the train station and had it drop us off in a Piazza nearby our hotel.  We pulled out a map to try to find our hotel and during that time period two people saw us struggling and pointed us in the right direction- this was pleasantly surprising to us because usually people just keep on their way even if they see people who are clearly lost.

After finally finding our hotel and dropping our bags off we went exploring to Piazza Catalunya and Las Ramblas.  Both places were full of life- shops, bright colors, music playing.  Barcelona had a different atmosphere then in Paris and Rome, the people were much more relaxed and friendly.

Two of the days we were in Barcelona we went to Port Vell and Port Olympic.  The beaches on Barcelona were beautiful, people were just walking on the beach or playing a game of volleyball.  Many people brought their dogs and just let them run loose on the beach.

After four days of exploring Barcelona, I was definitely happy that we decided to make the trip.  Barcelona was a completely new environment than what I had found in many parts of Italy and in Paris. Barcelona was a less stressed and more relaxed environment, where the people seem to have less of a strict agenda.  Being in Barcelona was perfect for the second half of spring break but I still appreciate the different lifestyle that Rome has to offer.

Wait...they hate Americans? Great.

Over spring break I traveled with two of my friends, Michele and Angela, to Paris for four days.  We were extremely nervous because the three of us aren't the best at navigation.  On our way to the airport, we asked our taxi driver about what to expect in Paris.  He warned us that the people there are not the most friendly, especially towards Americans.  This wasn't the first time we've heard this generalization, so we went in with precaution.

After our flight we landed in Paris and bought a metro ticket for 50 euro (everything in Paris is really expensive).  After some struggling we asked a random stranger if we were about to board the right metro and he assured us that it was correct.  To our surprise the man 1. knew english and 2. was very friendly and helpful.  We assumed we were lucky and just happened to find one of the friendlier people in Paris.

One day for lunch, I stopped to get a baguette at a bakery.  It only cost 1 euro but I paid with a 20.  Mistakenly, I left without my change and continued walking down the street.  A few minutes later, an older man came running down the street asking me if I left my change at the store.  I was so thankful, especially because he went completely out of the way to let me know.

Our last night in Paris we had to board a night train that would take us to Barcelona.  We were a little worried about what to expect because none of us have ever been on one of these trains.  We got a cabin with four beds and we were praying that the fourth bed would be empty.  We didn't want to awkwardly room with a French person that we didn't know.  And of course with our luck we had a roommate.  Her name was Solee, a 22 year old french women, who was married with a baby on the way. At first it was really awkward because she didn't know any English, but then we used a little Spanish, hand gestures and an american magazine to communicate with her.  We talked about the celebrities in the magazine and all of these American shows that she knew (Gossip Girl, the OC, Beverly Hills).  It was so interesting that we could speak completely different languages but yet have things in common and could talk for hours.

I really thought that people in Paris were going to hate us because we are Americans.  Everything that happened over our break proved this to be completely untrue.   This generalization about the people in France was completely a stereotype.


Our Trip...

The Eiffel Tower

Notre Dame

Versailles

The Louvre

...And on that farm there was a buffalo

So this past Saturday there was an optional trip for everyone to go to a buffalo mozzarella farm.  The majority of everyone went and it only cost 30 euro.  So about 50 of us took a bus to this farm that was close to Napoli.  It was about a 3 hour drive, which wasn't too fun.  We got to the farm at around 12 and were given a tour of the farm.  We saw the place where they make the buffalo mozzarella (which kind of smelt bad but was interesting to see).  After that we got to pet the buffalo.  It was so weird.  Normal mozzarella uses cows milk so buffalo mozzarella takes a little different, its creamier.  Some of them were really friendly and others wanted nothing to do with us.  One of them sneezed on my friend and I screamed and ran away.  From there we went to see the little baby buffalo, which were way cuter.  They were kinda like dogs and just wanted to lick our hands which was gross!

After petting the buffalo we sat down for the biggest meal of our lives.  First were the appetizers: an assortment of bread, cheeses, meats.  Then more appetizers came out like potatoes, artichokes, etc. Then came two types of pastas, sausage, more potatoes, and dessert.  Everyone was so full that we all had to walk around the farm after eating that much.  While exploring we saw some dogs, chickens and some goats.  It was a beautiful farm with so many cute animals!  After we jumped back on the bus to head back and three hours later were back in Rome.  It was a lot of traveling for such a short trip but it was so interesting to see how everything was made.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Tuscany is beautiful!

We left Saturday at 8 and took a bus to Siena.  We visited many churches and had some free time to explore the town and to of course, take pictures!  After Siena, we got back on the bus and went to Arezzo.  We checked into the hotel and ate dinner as a group (It was funny because the hotel gave us french fries, must've known the American students were coming).  The next morning, we took a tour through Arezzo and stopped at some more churches and saw many frescoes.

Later that night we left to go to the Castle of Trebbio.  At the castle, we were given a tour and then went....WINE TASTING.  We had appetizers and then all ate dinner as a group.  Then we headed toward their store, where everyone bought olive oil and wine to bring home to their families.  When we got back to the hotel, everyone was exhausted.  The next morning we checked out of the hotel and drove back, stopping in two very small towns (Pienza and Orvieto).  Both towns were very quaint but had great views!  It was so interesting to see how the people in the country live versus the busy streets in Rome.

I couldn't have asked for a better trip.  The food, the views and the weather were all so great.  Mi piace Tuscany!

A little taste of home

So I've been here for 3 weeks and time is flying by...it's crazy to think that our time in Rome is 1/5th over.  During the week DDV warned us that this is the time most people get home sick and that we should all hang out together and do things that remind us of home, so what's better then stuffing our faces with American food!  Don't get me wrong the food is AMAZING here.  Nunzia's and Nicky's cooking is really really great...but some of us needed a break from the ridiculous amounts of pasta we eat on a daily basis and get a little taste of home.

So myself along with 8 others went to the HARD ROCK CAFE!  There aren't many american places here, (besides McDonalds and Burger King) so when we heard there was a hard rock we were so ready to go.  We all met up at our Italian school in Piazza di Spagna and walked over together.  After anxiously waiting for half an hour, our buzzer finally went off and they were ready to seat us.  Everyone ordered burgers, except I got a salad and fries.  Within like 10 minutes, we all devoured our food.  It was fantastic to have some american food and is something we want to do a few times when were here and when we miss home.

I'm sure you will all read this and think we are so crazy for getting American food while in Italy :)

Freezing Firenze

The weekend of the 22nd, most of us took our first road trip to Florence.  After a quick 2 hour train ride, we arrived and I've never been more ready to shop in my life.  I heard about all the stores and leather in Florence and I was on a mission.  Huge down side- Florence was so cold, I could barely feel my fingers.  We all got bundled up and headed out into the cold to go shopping.  I bought myself a leather jacket and a leather purse.  The leather jacket has now become my baby, I love it.  Shopping was difficult though because walking through the markets, we got hassled a lot and people were very pushy.

After shopping we saw the major sites (the duomo, the david, etc).  Florence was beautiful and was definitely centered around the arts.  I was really excited we got to see the david- but the experience was also a little traumatizing ... we didn't know you couldn't take pictures and got screamed at when they saw the flash OPS, good thing I knew how to say sorry in Italian...  After endlessly walking through art museums, a few of us went out to dinner at this really cute trattoria.  We all shared a bottle of chianti and had a really great meal (I got bruschetta and pasta fagioli soup).  After leaving dinner we went back to the hotel and then went out at night in the FREEZING COLD.  You have to walk everywhere in Florence, it's not like Rome where you are near 5 metro stops when you turn the corner.  So walking everyone made the cold a little harder to bare.  The next morning we walked around and shopped a little more then headed back to the train station to catch our ride back.  We basically saw Florence in 24 hours, which was exhausting!

I want to go back to florence again, when it isn't so cold because it made it a little harder to enjoy.  Florence is a very small city.  While I definitely enjoyed the trip, it also made me realize that Rome is the place for me.

Ciao Roma!

Ciao!

Sorry this is 3 weeks late, but since we've been here there hasn't been much time so better late then never right???  So here is my crash course in the past 3 weeks I've been here...

So we left January 6th from Newark and arrived 8 hours later in ROMA:) After that rocky and long 8 hours, I have never been more ready to bundle up in blankets and take a nap but of course that didn't happen.  Straight from the airport, Dr. Dawson (our program director aka DDV) picked us up and we carried our suitcases to St. John's (one of our schools here).  Being one of the smallest girls here, it probably wasn't in my best interest to bring the biggest suitcases, one of which was over the 50 lb limit.  So finally after dropping off our suitcases we checked into this small hotel/ ex-monastery place.  We then toured the neighborhood all together.  With a small break in between aka nap we then left to go see some of the sites (DDV was trying to make sure we didn't sleep too much because of the jet lag) So for three hours we learned the metro and the buses, making stops at the coliseum, the spanish steps, the trevi fountain, etc. Everything was so beautiful!

Fast Forward- a few days and it was time to move in with our host families. SO NERVE RACKING.  Michele (my roommate since freshmen year) and I are living together with this super nice family.  The mom's name is Nunzia, her son's name is Niccolo (Nicky) and they have a dog, Margherita.  She also has 2 other sons (Diego and Alejandro) but they don't live in the house anymore, but we've met them at dinners before, also very nice. They are all so sweet and really try to help us out whenever we need! They speak a little english, which is definitely helpful but sometimes the language barrier is really tough.  The apartment is really nice, michele and I each have our own bedrooms and share a bathroom.  Only down side- the apartment is far from the school so the commute is an hour everyday

Fast Forward a little more- Classes started UGH.  Italian class is three hours everyday for 2 months (its like a huge crash course), which is kind of annoying but necessary.  My Italian class is seriously like the UN!!!  It consists of 5 loyola students, a man from brazil, a indian nun, a japanese girl and 2 other women from different parts of the united states.  It is very interesting and very entertaining at the same time.  We switch classes half way through and I'm definitely gonna miss it.  My other three classes meet once a week for three hours. I'm taking a class about papacy, liturgical art and architecture and roman literature. Their pretty interesting and it's nice because for most of them we get lectures for half the time, and the other half is spent visiting churches (so we're exploring the city at the same time).

Fast Forward- Our second weekend here was all about exploration!  Whipping out our huge map, Michele and I explored the neighborhood we live in.  It's a nice street with a lot of stores and bars (not the american type bars, bars here = cafes).  After exploring and of course getting lost, we went to the vatican city with the majority of the students who came here.  The vatican was amazing!  We went inside St. Peter's and DDV gave us a tour.  It's definitely an area i want to visit 100 times when I'm here!