Dear Blog,
I just got back at 1:30am from the Swiss Alps where I went skiing for the first time ever! It was difficult, I'm not going to lie, and I basically slid down three mountains, but by the end I think I got the hang of it. We took a 12 hour bus up to Interlaken where we skied for two days and by the end I was, and still am, really sore. I was also with a group of intermediate skiers, but I held my ground. It was definitely the coldest I have ever been in my entire life though! And word to the wise: ski-shoes hurt like nothing else. So does falling with your ski hitting the middle of your back but that doesn't happen to everyone. Haha. But we had the best hot chocolate ever and I took the best pictures. Honestly Switzerland has got to be one of the prettiest places ever! On sunday before we took the 12-hour bus back home to Rome, we walked along the lake and the homes on the mountains.
Here is a link to my facebook pictures: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3126304831906.2150228.1093219883&type=3
So far this week in Rome I have been very busy. Today is Valentine's Day and to celebrate I had my first Mars Bar ever. :) My friend from Oxford is visiting Rome this week and I'm planning on seeing her tomorrow or Thursday at some point.
Today I went to get my permisso (spelled something like that), or permission to stay and live in Italy. It's something I never had to for England which is interesting. We had to go to the Police Station and wait around for a few hours so that they could take our fingerprints. So yes very tired tonight, but planning to go out for Valentine's Day to this bar called The Abbey.
Yesterday I had my Onsite Theology of Pilgrimage class and we visited the first church of Rome--San Giovanni Laterano, the Scala Santa, and Santa Maria Maggiore! It was a wonderful experience. In one of the churches there was a copy of the Holy Shroud. So awesome!
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Monday, 6 February 2012
It is snowing in Roma!!! Supposedly it's the first time the snow has stuck in thirty years. I have finally gotten my White Christmas..just two months later. This is the third time I have seen snow in my life. Everyone here from Chicago are already over it, but I think it's beautiful. I just got in from playing around in the snow and trying to build a snowman. :)
Speaking of snow, some friends and I went to AMSTERDAM this past weekend and it stands as one of the prettiest cities I have ever seen in my young life. And yes, there was snow! It was cold, but manageable. We stayed at the StayOkay Hostel and it was alright, not the best hostel I've ever stayed in, but not the worst.
The first night we wandered around the city exploring stores and all the food places. We had two dinners that night. As it turns out, Amsterdam, Holland has the best pancakes ever! I got a gigantic pancake with caramel sauce and powered sugar. At one of the stores I tried on the wooden iconic Holland shoes. They hurt my feet way too much to get a pair, so I settled with a shoe magnet and then bought an Amsterdam spoon, of course.
This past Saturday we got up really early so that we could get to the Anne Frank House. It's a good thing we did because as soon as we left, the line was wrapping around the side of the building. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. I had actually forgotten that Amsterdam was where the Franks had hid. Seeing the actual rooms where the families had hidden together was an emotional experience. The rooms surprised me in that there was more space than I had imagined from reading Anne Frank's Diary back in high school. I never thought I would be able to visit the actual rooms. Made my trip.
Next we visited the Van Gogh Museum and saw all four floors of his amazing artwork. Some beautiful stuff. Then we went to the Heineken Experience where we saw how they make their popular beer. Every bar in Amsterdam usually had a Heineken sign outside. I got a bottle with my name on it as well as a sporty Heineken shirt which I wore last night when we watched the Superbowl! It came on at 12:30am here, so even after traveling some of us stayed up to watch it until 4am. The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots within the last minutes of the game!
Overall, it was a great trip and made me realize how great the weather really is in California. Even with all the snow, people were still riding their bikes everywhere and just leaving them in the snow. Those must get so cold. :/ We did have to wait for our flight in Amsterdam when returning home for about four hours because it never snows this much in Rome and people were going crazy. We were lucky we got a taxi back.
This weekend is skiing in Switzerland and I'm super excited and nervous. It's going to be even colder...
Here is a link to my facebook pictures: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3068647710514.2149303.1093219883&type=1
Speaking of snow, some friends and I went to AMSTERDAM this past weekend and it stands as one of the prettiest cities I have ever seen in my young life. And yes, there was snow! It was cold, but manageable. We stayed at the StayOkay Hostel and it was alright, not the best hostel I've ever stayed in, but not the worst.
The first night we wandered around the city exploring stores and all the food places. We had two dinners that night. As it turns out, Amsterdam, Holland has the best pancakes ever! I got a gigantic pancake with caramel sauce and powered sugar. At one of the stores I tried on the wooden iconic Holland shoes. They hurt my feet way too much to get a pair, so I settled with a shoe magnet and then bought an Amsterdam spoon, of course.
This past Saturday we got up really early so that we could get to the Anne Frank House. It's a good thing we did because as soon as we left, the line was wrapping around the side of the building. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. I had actually forgotten that Amsterdam was where the Franks had hid. Seeing the actual rooms where the families had hidden together was an emotional experience. The rooms surprised me in that there was more space than I had imagined from reading Anne Frank's Diary back in high school. I never thought I would be able to visit the actual rooms. Made my trip.
Next we visited the Van Gogh Museum and saw all four floors of his amazing artwork. Some beautiful stuff. Then we went to the Heineken Experience where we saw how they make their popular beer. Every bar in Amsterdam usually had a Heineken sign outside. I got a bottle with my name on it as well as a sporty Heineken shirt which I wore last night when we watched the Superbowl! It came on at 12:30am here, so even after traveling some of us stayed up to watch it until 4am. The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots within the last minutes of the game!
Overall, it was a great trip and made me realize how great the weather really is in California. Even with all the snow, people were still riding their bikes everywhere and just leaving them in the snow. Those must get so cold. :/ We did have to wait for our flight in Amsterdam when returning home for about four hours because it never snows this much in Rome and people were going crazy. We were lucky we got a taxi back.
This weekend is skiing in Switzerland and I'm super excited and nervous. It's going to be even colder...
Here is a link to my facebook pictures: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3068647710514.2149303.1093219883&type=1
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
So here is my second post and already it's my third week in Rome, Italy. It's true that time goes really quickly while here. With my six classes and a trip so far every weekend, I have had little time to relax!
The first week here was syllabus week and so far, my classes have been fun and interesting. I have two on-site classes: Theology of Pilgrimage and Writing in Rome. Those two are my favorite so far. I had class in the Vatican last Monday and that was seriously cool. For my writing class, we read short stories writeen by soem of the greatest writers and then visit those sites they describe in their stories. I can't say my Sculpture class isn't fun though, but seriously messy. Theatre also looks like its going to be fun. We will be performing a musical type play called The Frogs written by the Ancient Greek playwright. Aristophanes. Fancy stuff. My professor is actually from LA and went to school at Berkley and Oxford. Small world in the end. :)
For the first weekend we travelled as part of our Orientation to the Amalfi Coast, part of Southern Italy. We bused it down to the cities of Sorrento, Salerno, Agropoli, and Positano, where we visited a mozzarella farm where we watched the bulls line up to get milked, tasted fresh mozzarella, and even saw the leather store right next door. Those poor bulls. After, we visited a lemon farm where we had a limoncello tasting. It was a great trip, regardless of the long bus ride. All these cities are all really close to Naples, home of the pizza. Needless to say, we ate amazingly the entire weekend. The waiter at one of the restaurants kept bringing us more and more pizzas even though we tried to tell him we had already been served! Never too much pizza in Roma (said with an Italian accent)! The Italian performers and the dancing between courses made the meal special as well.
After going out on the streets of Rome almost every night this past week to places such as Piazza Campo de Fiori and Piazza Novona, my friends Paige, Hannah, Giuliana, and I travelled to Florence where I had one of the greatest weekends of shopping, eating, and touring in my life! We ate about four meals a day and its the season of sales there and so I bought new boots (since their leather is the best) a new scarf, and a change purse. On top of it all, I got to meet up with some of my Delta Zeta sisters, since a lot of them are studying abroad there right now! I even got to spend the last meal there with my big Delaney where I had a calzone that was as bigger than my head! I have just been informed that it's snowing there right now too. I always just miss the snow!
But soon I will have snow cause I just finished booking my skiing trip to the Swiss Alps! It will be cold which I will not be use to being a wimpy southern California girl. I also ended up booking my Germany trip at the end of the semester! That and Amsterdam this weekend and Tunisa during Spring Break and now I am all set. Although I still need to sneak Venice in there somewhere too.
There is something very important I have to do at every place I travel to. I have to get a spoon in every special city. I have been collecting spoons since I was in Middle School. I now have thirty or more spoons that have the name of the special city/picture I have visited. Now that I am in Italy I have been to a total of seven different countries and that number will be growing, even by this upcoming weekend, so I must not forget to get a spoon wherever I go...can't forget!
So much has already happened!
The first week here was syllabus week and so far, my classes have been fun and interesting. I have two on-site classes: Theology of Pilgrimage and Writing in Rome. Those two are my favorite so far. I had class in the Vatican last Monday and that was seriously cool. For my writing class, we read short stories writeen by soem of the greatest writers and then visit those sites they describe in their stories. I can't say my Sculpture class isn't fun though, but seriously messy. Theatre also looks like its going to be fun. We will be performing a musical type play called The Frogs written by the Ancient Greek playwright. Aristophanes. Fancy stuff. My professor is actually from LA and went to school at Berkley and Oxford. Small world in the end. :)
For the first weekend we travelled as part of our Orientation to the Amalfi Coast, part of Southern Italy. We bused it down to the cities of Sorrento, Salerno, Agropoli, and Positano, where we visited a mozzarella farm where we watched the bulls line up to get milked, tasted fresh mozzarella, and even saw the leather store right next door. Those poor bulls. After, we visited a lemon farm where we had a limoncello tasting. It was a great trip, regardless of the long bus ride. All these cities are all really close to Naples, home of the pizza. Needless to say, we ate amazingly the entire weekend. The waiter at one of the restaurants kept bringing us more and more pizzas even though we tried to tell him we had already been served! Never too much pizza in Roma (said with an Italian accent)! The Italian performers and the dancing between courses made the meal special as well.
After going out on the streets of Rome almost every night this past week to places such as Piazza Campo de Fiori and Piazza Novona, my friends Paige, Hannah, Giuliana, and I travelled to Florence where I had one of the greatest weekends of shopping, eating, and touring in my life! We ate about four meals a day and its the season of sales there and so I bought new boots (since their leather is the best) a new scarf, and a change purse. On top of it all, I got to meet up with some of my Delta Zeta sisters, since a lot of them are studying abroad there right now! I even got to spend the last meal there with my big Delaney where I had a calzone that was as bigger than my head! I have just been informed that it's snowing there right now too. I always just miss the snow!
But soon I will have snow cause I just finished booking my skiing trip to the Swiss Alps! It will be cold which I will not be use to being a wimpy southern California girl. I also ended up booking my Germany trip at the end of the semester! That and Amsterdam this weekend and Tunisa during Spring Break and now I am all set. Although I still need to sneak Venice in there somewhere too.
There is something very important I have to do at every place I travel to. I have to get a spoon in every special city. I have been collecting spoons since I was in Middle School. I now have thirty or more spoons that have the name of the special city/picture I have visited. Now that I am in Italy I have been to a total of seven different countries and that number will be growing, even by this upcoming weekend, so I must not forget to get a spoon wherever I go...can't forget!
So much has already happened!
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Ciao! Benvenuti nel mio blog! Sono arrivato a Roma ed รจ bellissimo! In other words, I have arrived and ready to dive into the Italian culture. I'm actually not Italian, but wish I was! My spelling could use some work, but its getting there! It would give me an excuse for my eating!
Before arriving into the Eternal City I had to fly into Chicago since I am doing the program at the John Felice Rome Center through Loyola University Chicago. I stayed one night in the city and met up with my friend. I wanted to eat anything but Italian. The next day was the beginning of a longer flight, about seven hours. I couldn't help myself. I watched the Lizzie McGuire Movie on the way. After all, it made me want to come to Rome. Gave in to my inner child. Of course they served wine on the plane...it was practice for my Foods and Wines class.
The first couple of days here were a bit tiring. We went through a lot of orientation stuff. But I finally headed out on the town on Thursday night. We wandered around the Spanish steps. So bella!
This past weekend we visited the Colosseum, the Forum, and the city of Tivoli. Oh, and I signed up for a week trip to Tunisia, Africa for Spring Break!!! I'm getting excited to ride a camel!!! I've already had several of my classes and my professors all seem really nice. I'm taking:
-Italian 1
-Food and Wines
-Theatre
-Sculpture
-Theology of Pilgrimage
-Writing in Rome
I love my schedule!
Yesterday, we visited Plaza Novena where we ate dinner at this adorable Italian restaurant. The owner was so nice that he gave us two free bottles of wine and 10% off our bill. Their hospitality is great indeed!
Overall, a great start to my four month stay in Italy! I will be trying to write a little each week. Check in!
Before arriving into the Eternal City I had to fly into Chicago since I am doing the program at the John Felice Rome Center through Loyola University Chicago. I stayed one night in the city and met up with my friend. I wanted to eat anything but Italian. The next day was the beginning of a longer flight, about seven hours. I couldn't help myself. I watched the Lizzie McGuire Movie on the way. After all, it made me want to come to Rome. Gave in to my inner child. Of course they served wine on the plane...it was practice for my Foods and Wines class.
The first couple of days here were a bit tiring. We went through a lot of orientation stuff. But I finally headed out on the town on Thursday night. We wandered around the Spanish steps. So bella!
This past weekend we visited the Colosseum, the Forum, and the city of Tivoli. Oh, and I signed up for a week trip to Tunisia, Africa for Spring Break!!! I'm getting excited to ride a camel!!! I've already had several of my classes and my professors all seem really nice. I'm taking:
-Italian 1
-Food and Wines
-Theatre
-Sculpture
-Theology of Pilgrimage
-Writing in Rome
I love my schedule!
Yesterday, we visited Plaza Novena where we ate dinner at this adorable Italian restaurant. The owner was so nice that he gave us two free bottles of wine and 10% off our bill. Their hospitality is great indeed!
Overall, a great start to my four month stay in Italy! I will be trying to write a little each week. Check in!
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