Honestly, tonight has been my slump night.
I knew it was coming - but it hit me like a ton of bricks. We walked from our apartment in the Vatican in to Campo Di Fiori only to decide the bars were just too crowded and that we were all home sick. We got gelato on the way home - I got fragola (strawberry) and it was really quite good. It brought me up a little bit. I also uploaded my pictures onto my computer, so photo posts are coming soon!
We did our permesso de soggurno today (our permits to stay) and do the Italians LOVE their paperwork!
Lorenzo our land lord came over today to fix the breakers and say "ciao!"
I also signed up for soccer try-outs! They're on monday and im really excited! I hope I make it!
The SALDI (sales) are BEYOND AMAZING here - I can't wait to get some tall black and brown boots I scouted out yesterday. It'll be nice to have a relaxed day tomorrow - everyone in the apartment definitely needs a relaxed, wake up whenever, day drink kind of day before we make the trek back out the the Campo Di Fiori -- until then, I'm probably watching UP on my laptop and trying to fall asleep with just my Lufthansa blanket.
Gelato Flavor of the Day: Pesca (peach) and Fragola (strawberry) -- I know. I stopped for gelato twice today! Homesickness calls for Fragola gelato from Old Bridge.
CAIO!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Correction!
For Alicia's birthday, we're not going to Rome or Napoli - we're going to Paris or Napoli - our first out of Italy experience!
ok,
CIAO!
ok,
CIAO!
Rome in one day...
So, today was eventful to say the least. The girls and I from the apartment went looking for the Trevi Fountain after Orientation and well... We found the Pantheon, The Colosseum, The Roman Forum, Etruscan Ruins, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We must have walked so far today. It was amazing, but I just felt like I crammed it all too much, and wanted to spend more time at every monument.
My favorite place was the Pantheon, I got Mango gelato and ate it on the steps of the fountain right outside the Pantheon. GORGEOUS. So the sales here are so fabulous - I'm going back to get a pair of black and brown boots tomorrow - they were only 35 euro!
The Colosseum was breathtaking - and came out of nowhere! We crossed the street, turned the corner, and there it was. The Colosseum. I can't wait to go inside it, but heard that it was expensive. :( Oh well! When in Rome!! (We also discovered the Colosseum Bar Crawl - it starts at midnight and follows all the bars around the Colosseum, you end watching the sun rise on a hill overlooking the Colosseum - we're planning that soon, I'll let you know!!)
The Roman Forum was crazy. Seeing all those statues was just so crazy. Knowing they've been there for so long. Its breathtaking.
There are Etruscan Ruins EVERYWHERE. They're so gorgeous. The bright green grass under the fallen columns. So gorgeous. As we were standing there admiring them, a man came up with the most beautiful scarves I've seen ever! I didn't want to buy the first scarves I saw though.. So I said "no - grazi" and kept walking (we later found another stand and I indulged myself in two GORGEOUS scarves - one green and one pink.) All I need to know now is how to tie a scarf like an European!
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was also breathtaking, and in the middle of a city. I love how Urban Roma is (except for the graffiti EVERYWHERE). It was so beautiful.
We also walked through the Vatican again before we realized that we would be walking through St. Peter's Square EVERY DAY ON THE WAY TO CLASS. It makes me so happy. I also realized that on the way back from dinner, all the pictures I show and all the explaining I do will NEVER serve the Vatican at night justice. Its so gorgeous. I can't wait to just stand and look, and become familiar with the Vatican.
I bought my first bottle of wine today - only 5.50 euro! (I'm sure a massive hangover will ensue).
We also started talking about where we wanted to travel first. Alicia's birthday is next Friday, and we're most likely going to Rome or Napoli. I can't wait.
I ordered my first gelato and dinner in full Italian today. It was so exciting! When I bought my scarves I also only spoke Italian. Its just so real, I'm here. I've seen all these things, and I can interact with the locals. It makes me so happy to see what I can accomplish.
Its chilly outside, but we don't care - we're going out.
Gelato flavor of the day: Mango
CIAO!
(I know I promised pictures today, but I need my camera for tonight, so I'll either upload tonight after the bars, or tomorrow morning.)
Ok,
CIAO!
My favorite place was the Pantheon, I got Mango gelato and ate it on the steps of the fountain right outside the Pantheon. GORGEOUS. So the sales here are so fabulous - I'm going back to get a pair of black and brown boots tomorrow - they were only 35 euro!
The Colosseum was breathtaking - and came out of nowhere! We crossed the street, turned the corner, and there it was. The Colosseum. I can't wait to go inside it, but heard that it was expensive. :( Oh well! When in Rome!! (We also discovered the Colosseum Bar Crawl - it starts at midnight and follows all the bars around the Colosseum, you end watching the sun rise on a hill overlooking the Colosseum - we're planning that soon, I'll let you know!!)
The Roman Forum was crazy. Seeing all those statues was just so crazy. Knowing they've been there for so long. Its breathtaking.
There are Etruscan Ruins EVERYWHERE. They're so gorgeous. The bright green grass under the fallen columns. So gorgeous. As we were standing there admiring them, a man came up with the most beautiful scarves I've seen ever! I didn't want to buy the first scarves I saw though.. So I said "no - grazi" and kept walking (we later found another stand and I indulged myself in two GORGEOUS scarves - one green and one pink.) All I need to know now is how to tie a scarf like an European!
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was also breathtaking, and in the middle of a city. I love how Urban Roma is (except for the graffiti EVERYWHERE). It was so beautiful.
We also walked through the Vatican again before we realized that we would be walking through St. Peter's Square EVERY DAY ON THE WAY TO CLASS. It makes me so happy. I also realized that on the way back from dinner, all the pictures I show and all the explaining I do will NEVER serve the Vatican at night justice. Its so gorgeous. I can't wait to just stand and look, and become familiar with the Vatican.
I bought my first bottle of wine today - only 5.50 euro! (I'm sure a massive hangover will ensue).
We also started talking about where we wanted to travel first. Alicia's birthday is next Friday, and we're most likely going to Rome or Napoli. I can't wait.
I ordered my first gelato and dinner in full Italian today. It was so exciting! When I bought my scarves I also only spoke Italian. Its just so real, I'm here. I've seen all these things, and I can interact with the locals. It makes me so happy to see what I can accomplish.
Its chilly outside, but we don't care - we're going out.
Gelato flavor of the day: Mango
CIAO!
(I know I promised pictures today, but I need my camera for tonight, so I'll either upload tonight after the bars, or tomorrow morning.)
Ok,
CIAO!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Home at Last!
What an adventure the last couple hours has been. Since getting on a plane in O'hare (there was no one famous afterall), I took an 8 1/2 hour flight to Munich. Waited in the Munich airport, took a flight into Italy, moved into my apartment, almost got killed A MILLION TIMES by the taxi driver driving like a maniac, had some delicious pizza at a Trattoria and Pizzaria, from there my four roommates and I walked 10 minutes to the Vatican, and I was amazed by its beauty. Just the size and magnitude of it. Its awe inspiring. I can't wait to see it in the daylight with hundreds of thousands of people there. After taking a million pictures in the Vatican (my third country today), we went to this fabulous hole in the wall Gelatoria. I had the Nutella flavor. It was so good.
But here's a little more:
Munich:
-Observations-
1. Germans are tall
2. I am short
3. Adelholzener bottled water is pretty spectacular
4. The terminals are like 2 miles apart.. and I was wearing heels..
Also in Munich: Matt you would have LOVED the outfits the German police wore. They were like brown sweaters with dark green pants, it looked pretty hilarious.
Rome
-Observations-
1. Everything is relatively cheap
2. ASK THE WAITRESS FOR THE CHECK!!! (If not, you could get stuck at your table for over an hour, in your coat, with your money in your hand - they will ignore you if you don't ask.)
3. Everything is so laid back.
4. Its stunning. No where else in the world will you hear the sound of a choir singing in the Vatican at midnight, and a car horn blaring right behind it
5. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING in Rome is graffiti'd.
6. If you speak a little Italian here and there, the Italians will love you.
7. The Vatican is gorgeous
Gelato Flavor of the Day: Nutella
Thats it for now. I'll upload the Vatican pictures tomorrow - its 1 am and I'm sleepy.
CIAO!
But here's a little more:
Munich:
-Observations-
1. Germans are tall
2. I am short
3. Adelholzener bottled water is pretty spectacular
4. The terminals are like 2 miles apart.. and I was wearing heels..
Also in Munich: Matt you would have LOVED the outfits the German police wore. They were like brown sweaters with dark green pants, it looked pretty hilarious.
Rome
-Observations-
1. Everything is relatively cheap
2. ASK THE WAITRESS FOR THE CHECK!!! (If not, you could get stuck at your table for over an hour, in your coat, with your money in your hand - they will ignore you if you don't ask.)
3. Everything is so laid back.
4. Its stunning. No where else in the world will you hear the sound of a choir singing in the Vatican at midnight, and a car horn blaring right behind it
5. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING in Rome is graffiti'd.
6. If you speak a little Italian here and there, the Italians will love you.
7. The Vatican is gorgeous
Gelato Flavor of the Day: Nutella
Thats it for now. I'll upload the Vatican pictures tomorrow - its 1 am and I'm sleepy.
CIAO!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Someone famous??
So they're taping down cords and setting up cameras and lights in the terminal next to me.
Someone famous coming in? I'll keep you posted!
Someone famous coming in? I'll keep you posted!
Sitting in O'hare
So, I got here 4 hours early - just to be safe. It was a pretty smooth start, except that my bag as 3 km overweight - they gave me a cute little Lufthansa box (apparently its only United Airlines that only lets you check one bag, under 23 km) so anyway, I got through security and got to my gate. B16 - until I saw that the Gate said: Dubi.. Umm, not right. I went up and asked - they only said, yes of course, your just 4 hours early. So I sat down, hopped on the internet, and am writing! Its dark outside, except the blinking lights of planes out on the runway. I'm still not nervous. I think it might hit me as I sit in the airport in Munich.
The terminal is completely empty, except me, and a young asian mother feeding her baby a bottle, and some guy that just walked by me with a bag of McDonalds fries. Yum.
Mom called on skype, already comforting to hear her :)
The terminal is completely empty, except me, and a young asian mother feeding her baby a bottle, and some guy that just walked by me with a bag of McDonalds fries. Yum.
Mom called on skype, already comforting to hear her :)
Monday, January 11, 2010
1 day left
I woke up this morning knowing I still have so much to do.. but now, there is so little time to do it all. As I was packing, it hit me. I am leaving for Rome tomorrow at 8:55 pm. Its been so far away for such a long time, that now that its tomorrow, I'm just getting a little nervous. Can I do this? Can I be independent of everyone here? Of course I can - I have to. At this point, there really isnt a choice.
This is it. Roma.
I am so excited for this, but as always, my fear of looking like a tourist, and not knowing the language is making me nervous as well. So is the fact that I am about to embark on a journey of a lifetime. All by myself. I can't wait to get into Rome, see everything, just soak it all in, then get to my apartment in the Trastevere neighborhood.
Ok, I still have a lot to do today, so I'll pick up with this later.
CIAO!
This is it. Roma.
I am so excited for this, but as always, my fear of looking like a tourist, and not knowing the language is making me nervous as well. So is the fact that I am about to embark on a journey of a lifetime. All by myself. I can't wait to get into Rome, see everything, just soak it all in, then get to my apartment in the Trastevere neighborhood.
Ok, I still have a lot to do today, so I'll pick up with this later.
CIAO!
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