Vlogging-- just like blogging only lazier.

Hi all,

Only 6 days left in my Roman Holiday. I am exhausted from my trip to the BEAUTIFUL Capri this past weekend so en lieu of blogging tonight I decided to put up a few vlogs (Video Logs) from throughout my trip. Lazy? Yes. Entertaining? You betcha.

So pop some popcorn, sit back and plug in those headphones. After all, we all hate that awkward moment of scrambling to mute the speakers as you are frontally assaulted with sound because the idiot that used the computer before you just had to turn his Jonas Brothers mix up to eleven to prove how cool it is... buuut I digress.

Oh, and my apologies for the quality/any shakiness/random drifting off of focus. I could blame the camera but that would be unfair to such a fine piece of equipment. Totally my fault. Now you all know what its like to live in my head :).

Alright, I have more but I will spare you for now! Buona Notte, i miei amici.

Venice, Italy: “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving."

As with any person that has work piling up, I have been reacting to the accumulating load with the only natural response—by shoving it in the corner and pretending it does not exist. Totally the healthy way to deal with things, don’t you agree?

So with only two weeks left in my Italian Adventure it is high time that I start recapping some of the things I have been up to over the past few weeks.

This past weekend, I went to Venice. It was spectacular to say the least. Aside from channels coursing with exotic sea-creatures, Venice is the home of Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Basilica, and Torre dell’Orlogio. Its residents are friendly and laid-back; leaving the pace of the trip completely up to the individual visitor. While tourist-oriented, it lacks the annoyance of tour-guides clamoring for your attention as with Rome and the Americanized feel of Florence making it an ideal place to visit.

I especially enjoyed the small-town feel of Venice. While eating lunch, locals stopped in to say ‘hello’ to the owners and happily chatted back-and-forth for a bit. At one point, a neighbor had brought the woman working behind the counter a bag of fresh grapes. After washing them off, she kindly offered us some before eating a few. Venetians (as with most Italians) are extremely hospitable.

As I said before, the experience of a visit to Venice is completely up to those planning the trip. If tourist stops are number one on the list, the big must-see things are extremely easy to see as many of them exist in the same place: Piazza San Marco. Right outside of the train station, there is an information center that will gladly help you plan your trip to ensure you see what you like.

Noelle and I prefer the more relaxing (although at times hazardous) form of tourism: getting completely lost with only our cameras and a 2 euro map. While it’s not the greatest way of making sure you see the touristy places (since there are very specific visiting hours), it is a fabulous way to get off the beaten pathway of the average tourist. By getting lost, we really got to see the life of the town and some beautiful, under-rated areas of the city.

We also stumbled upon a rather interesting Art Gallery which parodied famous works by adding a pop culture twist. Some examples include Adolf Hitler with Playboy Bunny Ears, A painting of Mary holding a cloth with Jim Morrison's face on it, and this little gem:

Unfortunately, we did not take a gondola ride. At 40 Euros each for an hour it was a bit outside a student’s price range but we enjoyed the canals nonetheless as we walked around them freely and even sat on the banks for a twilight dessert before heading back to the train station.

Our travel plans were once again very… interesting? Noelle and I have discovered that, as with most bad things, all of our travel plans are destroyed in threes. This time was no different:

1. Our intended train out of Rome was sold out so we had to wait an hour for the next train. I was lucky enough to get a second class ticket. Noelle was not so fortunate and had to shell out some extra cash for a first class ticket.

2. We missed the last train back to Rome Termini due to the “train schedule on the Trenitalia webpage being incorrect”. (So we were told, anyway.)

3. After training to Venice Mestra (the station on mainland Venice), we found out that we had been given the wrong information and that the schedule was in fact correct but that train was skipping the Mestra stop…. Fabulous. Thankfully, the 3:11 am train was not completely booked and we were able to get on that.

(Side note: Sorry, Mom. I didn’t want to worry you and I know you are probably freaking out reading this.J)

But we are young and as they (whoever they may be) say:

“It’s not the destination, but the journey.”

Noelle and I went crazy that night. We had our moments of panic and doubt; our moments of fury; and, as with anyone lacking sleep with a long night ahead of them, we went a little loopy.

We Dougied on Platform 7. We (over)analyzed the difference between American Twix and Italian Twix. We named the train station monitor Juan Carlo and even made him his own theme song.

Needless to say we have never been so happy to see our cot-like beds at the Residence when we collapsed into them after the 7 hour train ride at 11 am.

All in all, Venice was my favorite thing about the trip so far and I would love to go back and visit (or live) there soon! Not to mention the BEAUTIFUL gondoliers… by far some of the best looking Italian men we've seen here. Complimenti....

The Pope in the (Vatican) City

On Wednesday, Noelle and I were in the papal audience for Pope Benedict XVI's weekly mass. In order to attend the mass, you must apply to reserve tickets ahead of time and pick them up in advance. On the day of the mass, it is rec commended that you arrive 2 hours ahead of time to get your seats as the area tends to fill up fast. There is also a dress code that dictates all visitors must have covered shoulders and knees.

The mass began at 10:30 AM when the Pope rode around all of the aisles in the pope-mobile (which is a white G-class Mercedes by the way) and lasted for 2 hours.

When the crowd first spotted him, you would have thought the world's hottest celebrity had just entered the vicinity. The reaction was reminiscent of the audience at Europride upon Lady Gaga taking the stage. The scene began with restless onlookers scanning every possible entry point for some sign of the mass's start to excited cheers and slow build of clapping, whistling and for some, tears of joy.

The mass was said in 7 languages:

-Italian

-French

-English

-Spanish

-German

-Polish

-Portuguese

It consisted of the general opening (in Italian), a gospel (at which point a Cardinal would come up and read it in one of the languages listed above, a homily (in Italian) and then a few words from Pope Benedict in each language thanking all of those in attendance, giving a summary of the homily and extending a blessing to those present and their families and friends at home. The mass ended with a singing of the Our Father in Latin and a blessing (in Latin as well).

It was unbelievable to hear the praying all around you in each different language. I also commend Pope Benedict on his ability at captivating an audience even when what is being said is not in their native language.

I have several videos I would like to upload; however, as per usual, Blogger is being sassy. I suppose I will have to try again later! Going to Venice tomorrow so I best head to bed. Buona Notte!

BRB Rome, I've got class in five...

While writing an e-mail today about my experience in Rome so far, I came to the realization that I have neglected to blog about the reason I am here: to study abroad.

I am currently enrolled in Italian I and Roman History. This may not seem like the most intense course load to the untrained eye, however, we have to bear in mind several factors. Let's crunch the numbers:

1. The maximum number of credits you can during a summer session is 8-- I'm taking 7.

2. We are squeezing a course that normally takes 18 weeks to complete into a period one-third of the time. (That's 6 weeks for those, like me, who refrain from doing math unless forcibly made to at gunpoint... if then.)

On Monday through Thursday from 1 to 3 pm, I attend Italian 1. My professor, Cristiano, is a hysterical Roman that gets as much of a kick out of his students (a class of 9 American girls-- IMAGINE!) as we get out of him. He does a fantastic job at keeping us engaged in a lesson with his key teaching techniques which include but are not limited to:

-Winding up to punch us

-Pretending to shoot those that get a wrong answer

-Hiding behind the white board when he is feeling overwhelmed by our silliness.

-Kicking our desks.

-Mouthing curse words. Silently. In Italian.

-Feigning anger when we insult his "Holy Language". (Pronounced "Olee language")

Mind you, he has no problem praising us when we do well with shouts of BRAVA! and BELLISIMA! accompanied with the occasional wink or I love you if your answer includes a compliment directed toward him.

Along with each lesson, he reserves the last 30 minutes of the class to teach us any phrase we may need to know for daily life in Rome. Such phrases range from how to ask for aloe vera at the pharmacy (drawbacks of the Mediterranean sun) to how to tell off crazy, old Italian women that hassle us on the way to school.

Everything we learn has a measure of practicality and, unlike taking a language in the States, grasping the language is necessary for daily life. Being immersed in it is a nice perk as well.

My first sentence was no more impressive than it would have been uttered in a classroom in Philadelphia:

Il professore ha una cornetto.

Directly translated to say: "The professor has a croissant". Pure gold, right?

Well, in a few short weeks, I have been able to hold my own in line at the grocery store and speaking to the cashier is no longer an issue. That is a lot mor ethan I can say for my slightly less successful attempts at French and Spanish. I'm not saying I'm ready to just up and move to Italy BUT I am proud to say that I am not completely desecrating Cristiano's holy language...

I am also enrolled in Roman History with Professor Gadeyne. He is quite the character as well. He is from Belgium and seems to speak every language know to mankind (and I'm sure a few that aren't) and expects nothing less from his students. This class meets on Monday in the classroom from 3:00 to 5:00 and on-site on Wednesday from 3:30 to 6:30 (or until everyone in the class dies as he likes to say). For our on-site classes, we have explored the Forum Romano, the Field of Mars and both the Capitoline and Palantine Hill. While on our excursions, he loves to remind us of several facts during class:

-He is not on vacation, therefore, neither are we.

-That we are "a bunch of tourists". He hates tourists.

-That we only need water 3 times a day: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

-That his dead Grandmother walks faster than we do.

-That his 4-year old knows more about Roman History. Geography. Life in general-- than we do or could ever hope to.

-And that by taking his class we are getting a deal-- Five classes for the price of one: History, Geography, Foreign Languages, English and Physical Education.

He also pretends to try to commit suicide at least once every class by leaning over a ledge and then deciding against it because "the fall is not high enough to kill him".

He may sound like a nightmare (and in many ways he is) but that's what I like about him. I have learned more from him about all the subjects listed above than I have from any teacher in my lifetime. He is very entertaining and I am actually retaining a lot of what he has taught us!

Well, I suppose I should try to sleep. Buona Notte!

P.S. Oh and I think this everyday on the walk to school but how lucky am I that I get to cross the Tiber River everyday to get to class! How many people can say that?

Upcoming Posts

Upcoming Posts:

Europride 2011

I Gatti dormono a il Largo Argentina.

Palatine Hill/Forum Romano

Mass at the Vatican

Hey, look! Ruins!

Made you look. :D

Under the Mediterranean Sun

Fun fact about Italy: Air-conditioning is thought of as a luxury rather than a necessity as many of us view it in America. So what do you do when school is out and the temperature is on the rise?

Train to the closest beach, of course!

Now, I am blessed enough to live in a town where beaches are easily accessible. Rome, however, is a whole different body of water. In order to get to a beach that offers safe swimming, you've got to plan ahead.

Noelle and I enjoy going to Sperlonga-- a beach town recommended to us by our Italian professor, Cristiano. In order to reach our little slice of sand and surf, we take the metro to Termini (Rome's train station), board a train to Fondi-Sperlonga and nap until our stop an hour and ten minutes later. After de-training, we wait for a bus to take us 15 minutes further to the endless private beaches of Sperlonga.

**All beaches in Italy are private. (In order to take a dip, you must first dip into your wallet but the cost is well worth it as the cover charge provides you with two beach chairs and for a few extra euros a large umbrella.)**

It may seem like a lot of travelling just to lay out but once you kick your feet up on the comfy, mesh beach chairs it is WELL worth it.

We've gone to the beach a few times since our arrival and one thing strikes me each time we go: Europeans are extremely comfortable with their bodies. Noelle and I immediately noted the cultural difference upon arriving on the beach, taken aback at first by the variety of body types in every style of bathing suit imaginable. I have the utmost respect for these men and women and think that American culture should take note. After ten minutes, I felt more at ease than I ever have at the beach and was able to relax (even after practically swallowing my McDonald's cheeseburger and fries whole... I kid you not.)

It was truly a stress-free day in the sun.

On the train home, we met an American who had been backpacking around Europe for the past three weeks. He is a recent Penn State grad from just outside of Philly who majored in Aerospace Engineering (or Rocket Science as he so humbly stated haha). What a small world. Hope you got back to the States safely, Rocket boy!

A post for post's sake

So I haven't exactly been diligent about posting this week BUT I do have a good reason for my absence: Midterms. Fear not, Wanderers, I am going to the beach tomorrow for a little R&R before my next exam and will be writing some new entries about this weeks adventures!

The weekend is finally here and with that brings Europride 2011!

Europride is a yearly event in Europe (creative how they tied that in there isn't it?) celebrating LGBT communities. Rome was chosen to host it this year and lucky for us, it is this Saturday! The event will consist of many fun celebratory activities including a parade and as the big finish, Lady Gaga has announced that she not only be in attendance but will be performing a FREE concert in the Circus Maximus. Now, I will be upfront with you all and say that I am not a huge Lady G. fan. Well, I'm not being completely forthright when I say that. I actually dislike her quite a bit but I will be in attendance to celebrate all those who are proud of who they are despite of what others may say. Also, Who turns down a free concert by one of the world's most sought after musical artists?

Not this college student, that's for sure.

Alright, so this was a longer post than intended but it happens. How shall I wrap it up? Hm. Well, here's a fun picture of cats sun-bathing in Republican Age Temple Ruins in the Field of Mars located at Largo Argentina in Rome.

See what I did there? I disguised a history lesson with something cute and cuddly. I'm sorry if you feel like you've been bamboozled. But, hey, you learned something there, didn't ya?

Ya did. Buona Notte!

Basilicaholic: (n) person who loves exploring old churches

On Friday, Noelle and I decided to take a church tour of sorts since we are both positively addicted to them since arriving in Italy. So we prepared our maps and our church appropriate clothing (since there are very specific standards here) and off we went!

We took the Metro into the city (always an experience), fighting tooth and nail for a little space to grip onto as the subway conductor recklessly maneuvered the train through the twists and turns in the track. Once the doors opened at the Barberini station we raced above ground into the sunlight. It was a particularly humid day and unfortunately the first church we went to was closed for the siesta hours so we had to head to the next stop on our maps:

1.Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major

This church was elaborately trimmed with gold from ceiling to floor. Aside from being gigantic looking, the outside of the Basilica looked relatively unassuming (for Roman standards, that is) but on the inside it was clear that contributers spared no expense on the decoration. Many of the churches in Rome have the similar feature of being comprised of a main church and several chapels as well as having a covering over the alter of the main church much akin to a gazebo in a backyard (except much more expensive). These coverings are all very beautiful in their own right but they tend to detract from the detailed mosaics painted on the domes and ceilings above the alters. This church was very decorated but not to the point of being overwhelming.

2. Saint Peter in Chains

This church was the definition of simple but gorgeous nonetheless. The entire inside was white-washed with the exception of a large painting in the center of the ceiling that was done in vivid colors depicting the building's namesake. Another of the church's claims-to-fame is the statue of Moses sculpted by Michelangelo. This church also had a large covering over the alter that made seeing the paintings that surrounded the alter and continued up onto the ceiling difficult to view without craning your neck around the monstrosity. In the pulpit, a case contained the chain's of St. Peter for visitors to view. The simplistic decoration of this church made it extremely easy to take everything in and enjoy your surroundings.

3. Basilica of San Clemente

In this church photography was not allowed with the exception of in the courtyard. While we were in the yard, two little boys ran to the fountain and splashed around. It was adorable! I had to snap a few photos. Within San Clemente was an amazing 12th century mosaic surrounding the alter at the front of the church. The colors were very metallic and rich looking consisting of shimmering golds, deep blues and warm reds. The mosaic was created out of millions of little tiles rather than paint as we saw in many of the other churches. This church is especially neat because when it was built in the 12th century, the basilica was put over top of the original church which was erected in the 4th century.

4. Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran

This was the final and the most extravagent church that we have seen since being in Rome. It was only later that we found out this church ranks as the number one church in the world outside of the Vatican and is home to the Pope's throne. The church had about 16 different portions: 2 main churches and several chapels throughout. In one of the main sections there are gigantic statues of each of the 12 Apostles. This basilica was almost too much as beautiful as it was. It was just so much to look at that no person could truly appreciate it in one visit alone. Hopefully, we will be able to get back there before we leave Italy in 4 weeks (*gasp*)! I think we'll manage.

On our adventure, we passed the Colosseum as well. We haven't had time to get there yet but judging by the lines we saw, that may be a day trip within itself!

Tomorrow we are heading to the travel agent to work out our trip to Paris! Best start brushing up on my French...

Je voudrais peanut m&ms, s'il vous plait. Bonne nuit!

Happy 150 years of unity Italy!

Today was Italy's 150th anniversary of unification!

Oh and I saw Michael Jackson rise from the dead and perform in Piazza del Popolo this week. No big deal...

Here is the link:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1841507000728&subj=1462950114

Firenze and Pisa and Roma...oh my.

We spent this past weekend in Florence and Pisa and I spent the past few days trying to recover from the trip. We had a lot of fun but Roma is still number one in our hearts.

The trip began with a four hour train ride at 5:50 AM... meaning that the public transit was not running. Our choices were taxiing to Termini (the train station) or embarking on the hour and a half walk there...

We are poor college students in a foreign country. What do you think we did?

Why, we woke our sorry butts up at 3:30 AM, laced up our hiking shoes, strapped our belongings to our backs and hit the road. As crazed as it was, we got the rare opportunity to see both the Piazza de Popolo and the Spanish Steps completely void of tourists and residents alike. I managed to snap a few photos; however, in my bleary-eyed state, I accidentally deleted my entire photo card. I could kick myself but, thankfully, the only photos lost were from that morning.

I slept the entire train ride to Florence (Firenze in Italian). Upon arriving, we located our hostel. A sprawling campsite located completely across the city from the train station (on the top of a steep incline) next to the Piazelle Michelangelo. Despite the struggle of climbing the hill with all our belongings, staying there was well worth the view of Florence both during the day and at sunset.

During the day, we visited Il Duomo. A centerpiece within the city, that is located in a church. In order to see the dome up-close-and-personal, we climbed 463 stairs and got to view it from a circular platform around the base of the dome (I am hoping to upload the video I took in the next post). Upon continuing the ascent, visitors are able to access the roof exit and take in a 396-degree view the city. It was truly breathtaking but I would not recommend the trek for those that are fear small, dark spaces or heights. As exciting as it all was, Noelle and I were happy to have our feet back on the ground!

Florence is also home to the 3 original David statues. We managed to spot two out of the three!

For the remainder of the day we wandered around and enjoyed the scenery. After that we had our first "wow" dinner since being in Italy at this outdoor bistro. I ordered lamb and roasted potatoes. To drink, Noelle and I treated ourselves to mojitos and then raced back up the mountain to the Piazelle to enjoy the sunset before settling into the tent (yes, us city girls camped... shocking, huh?) for the night.

After a good night's rest, we packed up our things, checked out and headed for the train station at 7 AM. Next stop? Pisa. Once we trekked back to the train station, I took another nap until we arrived at Pisa Centrale Station. I don't really have much to say about Pisa. I came, I took touristy photos, I shrugged and got back on the train. Not too exciting of a place BUT I am happy to be able to say that I have been there.

The train ride home was what made the trip to Pisa worth it. The tracks followed the western coast of Italy and provided for serene views of the ocean.

All in all, it was a very nice weekend!