Playing Catch Up

How beautiful is Rome!?

Hey y'all!!!

American Embassy!

Sorry it's been so long since I last updated.  I kept waiting until I had a lot of things to say at once, but now I have four or five days that y'all need to catch up on!  I've also had a lot of homework to work on (I hope you are all proud), so that took up a lot of time this weekend, as I was recovering from my cold.  Sorry that this is going to be so abbreviated, and hopefully more photos than text; I will be much more diligent with the blog from here on out :)

Kat and I!

I'll start with Monday Funday.  This Monday, Kat and I had big plans to find the Pasta Museum.  I was hoping they would have free samples...We read the directions online, but we all know that I am not the world's best navigator, so we ended up getting off the metro and walking several blocks the wrong way.  As fate would have it, we ran right into the American Embassy.  I felt like I was at home.  I also needed to send in my request for an absentee ballot this week, so this was just like killing two birds with one stone.  Kat and I walk up to the front door, past the military out front, and to the guards.  I just wanted to run in, get a form, and have them send it so I didn't have to pay for postage.

So we saunter up to the front and they ask for ID.  No worries, I am very responsible and I always carry a copy of my passport with me....except today.  Because of course, I purchased a merlot-colored Longchamp (very in for fall, and VERY cheap in Europe--saving you money, Dad), and forgot to switch my paperwork over.  "It's OK", says the guard, "a license will work." Of course that would be in my desk at school.  The guard's eyes get real big and she asks if I have "any sort of identification on me."  That would be a big negative.  They let me in anyway.  Score.  Don't worry y'all, I have lots of copies of ID on me in every bag now.  We're good.  So we go inside and I start filling out the form....which of course needs a license or passport number to complete.  But I have a copy of my passport on my phone....which they confiscated.  Kat is a little more responsible, but she is having to use their phone to call to find out her social security number.  It was a hot mess in the Embassy.  Luckily we are both getting absentee ballots now.  I know you're proud that we are doing our civic duty.

After that, we shopped around for art in Piazza Navona, and found this amazing gelato place that Kat loves.  Y'all, it's amazing.  The flavors are so intense.  Each flavor is a combination of one or two different things.  I had a cup with four little samples.  Lavendar and plum (tasted like lotion, but it was still really good), cherry and cheese (my favorite, surprisingly), cream, and wine and dark chocolate.  It was so intense.  They had a lot of other flavors as well; strawberry, watermelon, white peach, grape, etc.  Sooo delicious.

San Giovanni!

Scala Sancta

Tuesday (yesterday!) was a PACKED day.  It started with three churches in the early morning for my religion class.    We saw San Giovanni, which was just beautiful!  We also got to see the Scala Sancta, or the Holy Stairs.  They were brought from Jerusalem in the 4th century, and are supposedly the steps that Jesus stood on before his trial.  People are only allowed to ascend them on their knees.  It was pretty special to see!  I love my on-site classes because it's nice to go to these old buildings/churches/monuments, and really be able to understand why they are important as opposed to reading it out of a guidebook. And of course, I love my religion professor because he says that our trips are our pilgrimages.  And if I'm a pilgrim, I probably shouldn't be bringing notes/books to class.  That's nice.

After class, I headed back to campus for more class and lunch.  I took a two hour nap, which I really needed because we were getting ready to hit the town for my friend Avery's 12:01 for her 21st birthday!  We had a late dinner in Trastevere (which is probably my favorite neighborhood so far), and had a blast just being with friends.  We went out afterwards and we had a great time helping Avery celebrate.  I thought I would be back home around 1am.  Lies.  All lies.  I stayed out way too late (but for all intents and purposes, I was back in bed at 12am because nothing good happens after midnight.  Right, mom?)  Seeing Rome lit up at night is just magical.

This morning we got up after what can only be called a short nap in order to go to the papal audience to see the pope! I am so glad I went!  It was LONG to wait for him (I fell asleep) and then to hear the mass because the reading was done in six or seven languages, and they called out specific groups to tell the pope where they had come from.  They recognized our school, which was awesome.  It was awesome seeing the pope in person.  We aren't Catholic, but he's such a well-known figure that I couldn't miss the chance to  see him in real life.  He was so cute and I could have just given him a hug!  I'm sure they would have shot me; not worth it.  But it was a wonderful experience.  I need to brush up on my Catholic knowledge though because at one point I leaned over to tell my friend Adam that "the men in the pink were my favorite."  They were the cardinals.  I need to get out more.

trying to look alive at the papal audience!

the pope

Add caption

Little nap before the pope arrived!

Some friends and I went to this really hip little restaurant afterwards to grab burgers.  They were so good after not having much more than a banana for breakfast and waiting over four hours in St. Peter's Square for the pope/mass.  Now I'm back at school catching up on emails/finally updating my blog.  I wish this was more detailed, but I think these are the highlights! :)

Miss y'all!

Ciao! (and I WILL update again soon!)

Art in Rome

The Pantheon!

Hey y’all!

Pantheon!

Here’s a recap of the last two days.  I’ve been pretty sick (or as I like to think, withering away on my death bed), so I haven’t been doing much except sleeping and going to class….and reading beach-reads on my kindle…I guess you know the quality of the book isn’t the same when it’s free…Even being sick, I have seen some pretty great stuff this week!

Thursday I went to my on-site art class.  I love this professor.  He knows so much about so much; I keep asking him for museum recommendations.  He’s on top of attendance, though.  This is not like any other class where you could sneak in late, or skip anonymously (not that I have ever missed a class in my college career…)  But the man is on top of things.  He gives a handout at the start of every class with our names already written on top, and you can’t leave class until you give back your headset and walkie-talkie, so you couldn’t ever skip out early.  He’s sneaky.

Dome in the Pantheon

We headed to the Pantheon (not to be confused with the Parthenon, in Greece) and the Ara
Pacis……

The Pantheon is awesome because historians are still amazed at how it was built--and how it has stayed standing for so long.  That's partly because it was turned into a church in the 7th century, and it is still a church today.  It's dome weighs something like 5,000 tons.  I was a little concerned standing under it, but I figure it's been standing for this long, so the likelihood of it falling onto me wasn't too great...

The Ara Pacis is an altar to peace, built in honor of Augustus.  I spent most of my time here being yelled at by security about sitting/leaning/standing on things that I wasn't supposed to, but that aside, the  Ara Pacis is really pretty.  The structure is half real/half recreated.  I love this class because I love art, but I love it because I use it as a personal tour of Rome; even though today he did say "class, this is not a tour group.  Put your cameras away."  Oops.  

Ara Pacis

Today, (Friday), we had the same class again.  We normally don’t have Friday classes, but since we have a papal audience on Wednesday, we had a makeup class today.  I was so glad I went! (Not that I would have ever considered missing, Mom).  We saw three churches and each one was better than the last. 

We had to get up at 7:30 to take the bus, to the metro, to walking, to find this first church.  The morning had a rough start when we got to the bus stop just as the bus was pulling away.  That was OK, because we were early and another would arrive soon.  The next bus came 10 minutes later and we got up and held out our hand so he would know to stop.  The little bus driver saw us, looked me in the eye, and kept driving.  The nerve.  The next bus was 20 minutes away—but we kept ourselves busy by watching how many parents had two or more children stuffed on a moped on the way to school.  We were appalled.  On another note, I don’t know a lot about car seats, but I am pretty sure you aren’t supposed to put one in the front seat facing forward; but they don’t seem to have rules about child car safety here.  Jenny and I are trying not to give ourselves anxiety by worrying about the children of Rome.   At least most of the kids on mopeds wear helmets…

We decided it had to be pretty great for a trek this early.  We were not disappointed. 

The first church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  I know that everyone is supposed to think that St. Peter’s is the most beautiful church; but this is my favorite in the city (that I’ve seen!)  Words can’t even begin to describe the inside, and the photos do not do it justice….at all.  It was just spectacular.  The ceilings are made of gold, the floors are patterned intricately, and the art is simply perfect. The story goes that Christopher Columbus brought the gold back from the New World and Spain then donated it to this build church.  The mosaics spread all throughout the church were so beautiful.  I decided this is the place where I will get married.  And Dad, the church is decorated so wonderfully inside that we won’t need to decorate, which saves you money.  You’re welcome.

Piazza outside the Pantheon

The only downside was that all the nuns kept smiling at me.  This wouldn’t be an issue except that Jenny told me they probably wanted to take me away to the convent.  How rude.  I would be kicked out faster than Maria in the Sound of Music.  And if I was a nun, I couldn't get married in the pretty church.  That would be a shame!

front of the church!

Jenny and I at the crack of dawn....

gold coffered ceilings!

The second church was beautiful, but at first glance it couldn’t compare with St. Maria Maggiore. However, there was entire chapel made of mosaics hidden away in the corner.  You could pay a euro and have lights illuminate the art.  I want to go back every single day.  Everything I see here is more magnificent than the last.  The whole city is a piece of art, but I love that the most beautiful things here are hidden in the most unlikely places.   Our professor had to practically drag me out of this church.  I was in the gift shop trying to find a postcard for my little collection…oops.  You’ll be happy to know that Jenny and I are still the caboose of any tour we take.    

Mosaics--the photos don't do it justice!

Mosaics!

The third church was one of the oldest churches in Rome.  It was hidden away (typical Rome) in a little courtyard down a small street.  There was an Orthodox mass going on, so we weren’t supposed to go in, but they let us sneak inside the back to peek at the mosaics.  The professor let us go early, so we headed out to grab some lunch before going back to school.  We walked until we found somewhere local and quiet to sit down for awhile.

We ordered pizza as per usual, and took in the view of the side street. 

This weekend I will be around Rome, so expect an update! J

buona notte!

Tea Time!

Hey y'all!

This post is going to be pretty short today, but I had to share about my first tea time in Rome!  Since it was Monday Funday, Kat and I planned a trip to Piazza Spagna (the Spanish Steps) to an adorable tea place that we had both seen on separate occasions.  So we put on our sundresses and pearls, and headed out for a classy lunch.  

The tea room was called Babington's, and it was so beautiful, inside and out.  It has been around since 1893, so I can only imagine how many people have enjoyed themselves there--including us!  For how crowded the Spanish Steps are (to the right), the teahouse was surprisingly mostly locals.  We were lovin' it. 

 

We ordered High Tea, and feasted on the scrumptious sandwiches, fresh fruit, and little desserts, as well as lots and lots of tea!  This was one of the times that I was thrilled to not rush through a meal, and instead, sit for hours like an Italian.  The cheese sandwich and the salmon were my favorite. 

 

After we had tea, we headed to Via dell' Corso....the shopping street.....again.  Have I mentioned that I've been there once or twice?  Anyway, I didn't buy anything (Mom, can you believe your ears?)  We worked up an appetite (and a workout) lugging racks of clothes through Zara, so we felt that it was only necessary to split some chicken nuggets at McDonalds.  I would promise this is the last time I will set foot in that establishment...but I'm not 100% sure I can keep that promise.  The McDonald's here are so much nicer than in the States....does that help my case?  Anyway, it was two extreme dining experiences in one day.

 Today I just have classes and homework, and running to the gym to try and recover from the cold I have come down with, so not much to report here.  Right now I'm running off to Skype with one of my best friends, Libby, to plan a time to get together!!  She's studying in Barcelona.  Tomorrow my art class is being held at the Pantheon, so stay tuned!

Ciao!

Amalfi Coast!

Alright y’all.  This post is a little long, but I’ve had a lot of adventures in the past few days. 

This weekend I headed South to the Amalfi Coast for a little September sun!  It was so beautiful.  I brought Jenny along with me, and we had quite the adventure.

First, we tried to leave an hour before our bus was departing from the Rome train station.  However, the buses were behind schedule because it was pouring rain.  So we had the porter (our security guard) call us a cab.  It was a good thing we did, because it took all of an hour to get to the station.  Our cab driver was a hot mess.  He made a gun with his fingers and pretended to take out every person who got in our way.  He would love the 2^nd amendment.  We scared him to death when Avril Lavigne came on his Italian radio and we started singing karaoke in the backseat.  I think Avril Lavigne is angsty and Jenny said the song reminded her of sad kittens.  I think he thought we were crazy.

We met up with the student tour group we were traveling with.  I am ashamed of what I have to tell you next.  We got McDonalds.  And it was phenomenal.  I can’t even describe it; it was so good.  I never thought those words would come out of my mouth.  After that, we met up with the rest of the group.  Jenny and I are a little…different than everyone else.  You could compare us to grandmas and compare everyone else to….I don’t have words.  Our bus ride was a little rowdy, to say the least.  I think some people thought the Greyhound was their own personal party bus.  Jenny looked at me and told me that she thought we were the black horses of the group.  I took a confused moment and then asked her if she meant black sheep.  That’s what she meant.  But she was right.   

Three loud hours later, we arrived at our hostel.  Which was SO nice.  It was like a hotel.  Some of the girls who we were rooming with weren’t….as friendly as we are.  But that was OK.  Jenny and I try to get along with everyone.  So we went into the dorm-style room with ten beds, only to find out that there were eleven girls trying to fill them.  One girl looked at the two of us, pointed, and said, “THEY were the last two in.  You both can’t stay here.  I’m going to talk to the guide.”  Well, that’s all we had to hear.  We chased her down the stairs and right up to the people in charge.  As she started complaining about us, I jumped on in and said that I would be more than happy to pay a little extra for a private room.  Luck was on our side that day, and we ended up in a private room with a private bathroom—just for me and Jenny—and for free!  Everyone else was in dorm-style.  We felt a little bit like the divas that we are, but the staff was SO accommodating and it was way better than staying with people we didn’t know. 

After we settled into our air conditioned, private room, we headed to bed.  Everyone else was hitting the hotel bar and going out, but we were over it.  We just wanted to sleep and use the free Wifi. 

In the morning, we headed to Capri for a full day.  We took a boat from Sorrento, and wow, was it choppy!  We started on a big boat and switched to a smaller boat to go to the Blue Grotto.  It’s a cave where you can go swimming.  Unfortunately, since it was raining and the waves were so big and rough, they wouldn’t let us swim inside.  That was ok with me; I knew there was no Ashton Kutcher to rescue me Guardian-style.  The views were still wonderful, even in the rain!

Jenny and Mary Jane

When we arrived in Capri, we poked around the town, but we really wanted to go up to Anacapri, which is on top.  Jenny bought the ugliest umbrella that either of us had ever seen.  She thought it was all black, but when she opened it, it was dark green and brown printed leaves.  We thought it looked a little suspicious…so we named her Mary Jane.  Mary Jane the Umbrella was our third friend this weekend and she protected us from so many unexpected rainshowers.   We took a bus up there, around the cliffs.  All Jenny and I could think was that we were either going to die by falling off the cliff in the bus, or from a heart attack worrying about falling off the cliff.  But we made it safely!  The town was SO cute, even in the rain.  Lots of boutiques, restaurants, and gelato.  We found the infamous sandal man, who makes custom sandals.  Anne went here when she was in Capri, and loved it, so we had to go!  It was like dying and going to sandal heaven.  The little sandal man loved us.  We got so many photos with him, and found so many cute shoes!  Of course, we wanted to buy every pair, but we settled on what we really wanted.  Photos to come!   In the shoe store, I ran into a sweet family from Tuscumbia, Alabama.  They were at Tuscaloosa the same time as my Mom, and they were sooo sweet.  She gave me a hug from the south when they left.  Love Southerners. 

After surviving several torrential downpours, we went home and went to bed at 11pm, like the little old ladies we are.  The guides came up at dinner and asked if we were getting on the bus to downtown with everyone, who were all in their club outfits, and we tried not to look too lame as we told her that we really just wanted to watch Under the Tuscan Sun.  It was hard enough to not wear our pajamas down to the dinner table.

The coral!!!

The next day, we went to Positano.  This was definitely my favorite stop.  SO beautiful, and the weather was definitely cooperating that day.  They dropped us at the top of the city and we walked all the way down to the rock beaches.  I wanted to stop in every single linen shop that I saw, but I refrained.  Jenny and I hopped on a local bus to head to another town to find a restaurant that Anne and her sorority sisters love.  We found the restaurant, and Mamma, the proprietor, but she was hosting a cooking class and so she was closed.  We were so upset, but we found Mom’s signature in the guestbook and we left our own.  I also got a picture with Mamma. 

We thought we were going to be stranded in this town; hungry and alone, with no options because it was obviously a residential town and not at all touristy.  Just as I was about to have to hitchhike, the bus showed up!  We headed back to Positano and found the best paninis that we have ever eaten.  Mine had lots and lots of mozzarella, pesto, and prosciutto.  Yum!  We picnicked on the stone beach, and ended up falling asleep in the sun.  Mary Jane protected our bags from the drizzling rain and from anyone trying to snatch our belongings.  We loved her, and we referred to her every ten minutes the whole trip. 

We poked around Positano, getting gelato, and shopping in the little boutiques until it was time to leave.  We got back on the bus and decided that we were probably just going to end up watching a movie again….and we had one in mind.  Backstory: Jenny and I were talking the other night about things we were deprived of as children.  I wasn’t allowed to watch Rugrats because Angelica was too mean to her mother, and Jenny wasn’t allowed to watch CatDog because her parents thought it was unnatural.  We both found a movie we weren’t allowed to see: Crossroads, with Britney Spears.  We both ended up seeing it sneakily at birthday parties anyway.  All we wanted to do this weekend was watch Crossroads, so we rented it on the ipad.  I understand, Mom.  I get it now.  I shouldn’t But it was hilarious to watch it again anyway.  We mostly just made fun of the acting and then the fact that we were lame enough to be watching a Britney Spears movie at 10pm instead of hitting the town.  Then we started hearing fireworks.  I, of course, thought they were gun shots and hit the floor.  What is the world coming to?! 

The next morning, we packed up our new shoes and headed to Pompeii.  I can’t even tell you some of the people we have run into.  A big group of girls said they didn’t want to see piles of dirt, and skipped the Pompeii tour to find somewhere to lay out.  I was dying.  Then I met an art history major.  I asked her if she was taking any art classes in Rome.  She told me that she could “always take art in the States” and “hated having to stare at art and go to museums.”  I’m thinkin’ she may need a major change…

Our guide in Pompeii was amazing!  Enzo.  He was so sassy, but he led a great tour.  At the end, we got into a photo with him.  He told us not to worry because he would keep his hands in plain view.  We saw so many fun things: the oldest brothel, a really nice house with original frescos, an ancient wine bar, recovered artifacts, a few dead people covered in ash.  It was riveting…and creepy. 

We went to a postcard stand so I could get a Pompeii post card for my collection.  The man at the stand told me that “nice girls don’t pay for postcards, so pick out one you like.”  I took my free postcard and left before he could change his mind! Look, Dad, I saved 60cents! I’m so thrifty. 

After Pompeii, we headed back to Rome.  It was nice to be back at our little abode.  I had made plans on Thursday to head to a bar with some friends to try and catch the Titans game.  (OK, they wanted to watch the Giants game and they said they would stay while I watched the Titans.)  What a waste.  As per usual, they let me down.  The bartender wouldn’t even put the game on one of the big screens.  It had to go on a tiny little TV above the bar.  I was very upset. No one can question my loyalty to the Titans at this point.  It was fun because it was a lot of Americans; students, couples, honeymooners, locals, grandparents, etc., who were all just trying to catch the Sunday football games.  But everyone in the bar was making fun of my team. 

American Football Night!

Today is for Monday Funday with Kat.  We are going to a teahouse for lunch!

Ciao!!!