Last weeks in Rome and Amalfi Coast

These past weeks have been extremely insane. There have been a lot of us saying "When in rome..." an incredible amount. We shouldn't go out tonight...but when in Rome. I shouldn't eat this pizza...but when in Rome. I shouldn't buy this dress...but when in Rome. I shouldn't have this extra beer...but when in Rome. I shouldn't go out to dinner...but when in Rome. And I have been living up this saying to the max. Last week was a mixture of gym, sleep, studying and partying...and not really anything else. I haven't had time to go grocery shopping or do laundry or pack or even think about leaving. Then on Thursday night we left Rome for Sorrento at 11pm. We got there at around 3am and got immediately into our beds at our hostel. It was a really nice place with a cool bar and courtyard area and the beds were quite comfortable.

Friday morning we got on a bus to Positano, a coastal town, and took a winding road on the coast all the way there. It was pretty scary and we all feared for our lives at one point, but we made it there safely. Unfortunately the weather wasnt too great and it was raining on and off, but this was okay for me because I got to shop! The first thing I bought were turtle salt and pepper shakers that say Positano on them for Block Island! They were so cute I had to have them. Then we looked at all the beautiful coral jewelry and lemon shaped/smelling things. There were GIGANTIC lemons there. So naturally they had everything lemon- perfume, bowls, soap, napkins, mugs, towels, literally everything you could think of had a lemon on it. So then I went to this adorable dress shop and bought Jess, Mom and I some great beach dresses! After we bought those we went to a wine tasting in this little shop called Vini and Panini. It was so cute and I got a delicious turkey sandwich and met a really nice German Shephard named Nando! We tasted one red wine which was incredible and then a white wine that was the 2nd best wine in all of Italy! Then he let us taste local limoncello, and usually I hate limoncello because it's too strong, but this was DELICIOUS! Homemade is definitely better. So I bought the bottle of red wine because it was really delicious. We then ate dinner at a local pizzeria, and the waiter thought I actually spoke italian because I was the one who walked in and asked to see the menu and told him there were 8 of us to sit down. So then whenever someone didnt understand him, he spoke to me in rapid italian thinking I was the only one at the table who spoke fluently. OBVIOUSLY I DONT! But I played along and heard some of the words and got the point accross. So I felt pretty cool. After dinner we went home and went right to bed because we were exhausted.

Saturday morning we woke up at 7:00 and left at 7:45 to get to the ferry boat to Capri. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was so happy to be on a boat again! We went around most of the island and tried to see the Blue Grotto but it was closed because of rough seas. But the island was beautiful and the cliffs were incredible to see. Then we pulled into Marina Piccolo and walked up this long long path that had to take us up 1000 feet to Augustus's garden where we had a beautiful view of Southern Italy. It was also a very well-kept garden and I know Mom and Jackie would have loved to see it. After the garden we walked through the town of Capri, and WOW. Prada, Gucci, YSL, Louis Vuitton, Longchamp, Swarovski...need I go on? The stores were insane. The hotels were gorgeous and there were flowers and beautiful courtyards everywhere. Obviously this is a place where really really rich people come to stay. We then took a bus to Anacapri. The bus brings us up to the top of the mountain and people were freaking out because of how high we were and how fast the bus driver was going around the corners. It was really like the road to Hanna in Hawaii. In Anacapri they make homemade sandals right in front of you, but the prices start at 60 euros so I said no thank you. But some of them were very beautiful. We also tasted more limoncello, including meloncellon which is SO delicious I might have to bring a bottle back to the states. Then I found what I had been looking for my whole time in Italy...a ring! It is silver wireing wth a peice of red coral wrapped in silver and then a little silver starfish on it. It is so cute and it was a really good price. I was really happy to have finally found a ring I loved.

After that we took the bus down to the beach and layed on the beach for 3 hours. I drank two of the best pina coladas I've ever had in my life and lounged in the sun. Then it got cold and I had to wrap myself in everyones random clothes. Then we got back on the boat and saw a bunch of caves and more incredible cliffs. When we got back to Sorrento we got ready to go out to dinner. Then we brought our bottles of wine up to the roof top terrace and it was AMAZING! We watched the sunset on cushion couches listening to the best of American music and drinking delicious italian wine. And of course I introduced all my friends to screaming "UUUNNNN YELLIIIMONNN!" at the top of their lungs as the sun goes down...a Fisch family tradition. Then we went to dinner and I had some delicious swordfish and more wine. After dinner we went back to the hostel because we were again exhausted.

This morning we went to Pompeii, the town that was covered in lava by Mount Vesuvius. The town is HUGE! We didnt even see it all and we were walking around for an hour and forty five minutes. It's really incredible the things that are preserved. Then there was a little market outside the walls with a ton of vendors. Those Italian sellers are EXHAUSTING. "English?" No I'm not english. I am American and I know you already know that because you are bothering me to no end. They don't let you walk away! "I give you very good price" Yeah okay no you won't. I have no time for haggling, give me the straight price and I'll buy it if I agree. If not I am walking away, let me walk away. Ugh god it was horrible. I'm getting so sick of it. But at the end of the day I decided to work my magic and got a 25 euro sweatshirt for 15 euros. I had my army of girls with me and it worked out perfectly. I also got some earrings and a necklace made of Cameo, which is the local jewelry of southern Italy. Then I drank a lemon slushy because it looked like a Del's Lemonade.

We got back on the bus and came back to Rome and got home at about 8. Now I have to study, and clean, and pack, and cry, and party, and take exams, and go to the gym, and eat my heart out, and party, and study, and take finals and then my family gets here! And all my friends go home :(. This week is going to be tough but I am going to plough through it and make it go as fast as possible because I don't want to dwell on anything. But I am excited for the family vacation, it should be a ton of fun.

Pictures: The Green Grotto (cave in the water), Augustus's Garden, View from the bus at the top of Capri, Two rocks that are in a lot of calenders haha!, Me and Laird in Positano, Me having a great time in Capri drinking a delicious Pina Colada, and Me sitting on a 2059 year old toilet in Pompeii!

Munich!

Munich was so awesome. It was right up there with Prague. We went for Frughlingfest, the same as Oktoberfest but in the spring time and I don't think as big. We left at 8 pm from Rome and I slept until we stopped for a break and snack and then I slept until we got to Munich THANK GOD. We ate a REAL breakfast with eggs at our hostel then we took a bike tour of Munich! I forgot how much fun it was to ride a bike and Munich is pretty flat so it wasn't that hard. We went through this beautiful gigantic garden and stopped at a beergarden for lunch. It was beautiful out and I ate a gigantic pretzel and had some beer. We saw this place in one of the rivers where there is constant wave, like the kinds they have on cruise ships, and we saw people surfing there! It was crazy. Then we went through this English garden which is called that because one time the ruler of Munich or someone important was pretty unliked by the city. Then he comissioned this huge garden in the style of English gardens(which was considered the most beautiful kind at the time) and said that the citizens of Munich can drink beer and party and be naked in this park. So how could anyone dislike someone who made this possible? So it is still very beautiful and there were a lot of people hanging out there but they made it legal to be naked in only one section of the park and it actually says on the map that it is the "nude park". And yes we saw a naked man. It was gross. Then we saw this big palace with a beautiful courtyard with purple and yellow pansys. After the bike tour we drank some really delicious beer and went shopping. And I got a traditional German bar maid outfit! Its black and red and has a black blouse under it and a red apron. Its really hard to put on but actually quite comfortable.

Then we went to Frughlingfest! It was a big carnival with rides and food and tons of people. The first thing I did was buy chocolate covered strawberries and then we went on a really crazy scary fun ride. Then we went into the beer hall which was disgustingly smokey and really really crowded. We found our friends and got liter beers in gigantic mugs for 8 euros each. There was a live band that played all types of music and a lot of American music. There were people of all ages there, parents and grandparents and even teenagers. There was tons of pushing and creepy guys but once I got up onto the table i was okay. So I was dancing and having the time of my life! Until someone starts looking at me and starts making a 3 sign at me. So i went over and I was like "What do you want" and they go "Can we have 3 beers?" and I was like " I AM NOT A REAL BAR MAID!" These people must have been really drunk because I was dancing in the same spot for like an hour next to them before they asked this. Would a bar maid be doing that while she worked? No. They were running around like mad women back and forth with beers. So it was funny but annoying because it happened a lot throughout the night even though a TON of girls were dressed in the traditional garb. And a lot of boy shad the liderhosen on. Then out of nowhere I saw this kid Brandon who I went to high school with! So funny. So we met these Germans and one of them could yodle! I took a video of it because it was amazing. And then I met my future husband and the love of my life but then I met his pregnant wife. Oh well. If I was pregnant I would not be at beerfest so obviously I would make the better wife. Then the beer hall started closing at 11 and security guards came and kicked us out. But they were SO NICE about it! I was really confused. One of them actually helped my friend find her crutches! And their coats say Security in english, not German so I asked them why! And they said they had no idea! They all spoke great english. I assume that its just that they usually have to kick out the Americans the most because the Germans understand when to leave? I dont know but we were definitely the last ones in the beer halls. Then we went back to the hostel and went to Burger King which was right near the hostel. It was the best Burger King I've ever had in my life. Then we went to bed because we were exhausted and had a big day the next day.

Saturday we went to Dachau concentration camp which is something I've always wanted to do. Dachau was the first concentration camp and stayed in commission throughout all of World War II. It was a really different experience seeing the whole camp. It was weird because it was a beautiful day and there were flowers everywhere. Not exactly how I pictured it. We went to look inside one of the two standing baracks and found it was just full of museum things and photos. However, guess what I saw in there? A gold menorah that looked like an EXACT replica of the one we have! I know its really old but I dont know where it came from but this one looked exact like the one we have. It was insane. The worst part of the camp was the ovens. There were gas chambers but they were actually never used and they know it wasn't for humane reasons they just never used them. The Nazi's willingly sent prisoners off to other camps to be gassed but they didnt do it at Dachau. It was incredible to go there and see everything and the museum and I'm so happy I went.

That afternoon we went to a beer garden in the city and it was soooo beautiful. The place was incredible and I ate some weird Germany food. It was like a pizza but with brie and gouda cheese and spinach. It was sunny and beautiful out and I got a little color by sitting there. The inside of the place we went was a really cool club also. The inside was impeccably decorated. Then we went to Frughlingfest again and I got dressed up again. And again we danced on tables and had a really awesome time.

So Munich was awesome and I would definitely live there. It was voted the #1 city to live in based on standard of living. Germany was great and Munich changed my entire view on the country. This week has been crazy because its our second to last week and we've been cramming in a ton of things as well as studying. I've also been trying to go to the gym which is going pretty well. Tomorrow we're going to the beach and Saturday I'm going to go to St Peters, Castle Sant'Angelo and Villa Giulia which are places I havent actually been yet but would like to go to. I can't beleive this is my last weekend in Rome. I still love it and am not sick of it at all but I do miss my parents and Jessie and my big bed. But I'll be home soon enough. Still having the time of my life!

Still Loving Rome

There's only a few weeks left and I'm already getting homesick. I've been trying to cram as much in as possible whenever I get a chance. I joined a gym last wednesday for the last month because I got a deal for being a student and I'm really starting to get fat. Plain and simple. So my friend Leah and I did this total body class and if I ever complained about Italians smelling on public transport, I had NO idea what I was talking about. Try being in a room with 30 Italians, men and women, sweating like dogs in an exercise class. Now THAT smells. But then sometimes I'll be on the bike and this girl will come over with perfect hair and make up, sit down next to me on the bike and REEK of perfume. So much that it gave me a headache. But the class was really fun and definitely full immersion into real Italian life. And then there are a bunch of old Italian ladies, like over 75, that go to the gym and they scream at each other in the locker room! I don't know what they're talking about but it is hilarious.

So last week I found out I got a 95 on my finance exam. Which is awesome. On Wednesday night it was our friend David's 21st birthday so Leah cooked him a souther dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. Then we had apple pie. It was really really delicious. Then we all went out together and it was a great time having all of us together partying in one place for his birthday. ON Friday, I went to the beach with Caroline and Leah but it was cold and I slept most of the day and got sunburn on my face. On Saturday, Caroline, Melissa and I took a day trip to Lago Bracciano which is a lake town a little north of Rome where supposovley Tom and Katie got married. It was a really cute cliche Italian town and we ate a delicious lunch with a gorgeous view of the lake, which is surrounded by mountains and hills. I spent the entire day on Sunday writing an 8 page paper for my Art History of Rome class because it is 30% of my grade. Then today I woke up and it was beautiful and sunny, except when I walked out the door I realized it was raining! It was so weird. Then while I was in Italian class it started thundering and then hailing! This earth is getting a little ridiculous with it's volcanoes and earth quakes and tsunamis.

So I've been thinking about some things that I'm going to miss a lot about Rome and here is the list: BLOOD ORANGES!!! I hated oranges before I came here but I eat about 25 a week of the blood oranges. Free and pretty reliable transportation (except between the hours of 2 and 7...not that I know). THE PIZZA. THE ZUPLIES.ALL THE FOOD. The fact that wine is cheaper than water. No really it is. The open markets like Porta Portese and Campo Di Fiori. The Cappuccinos are to die for. The parks like Villa Borghese and Villa Pamphili, they are gigantic and beautiful and very well kept. There are fountains everywhere and they are all beautiful. The Coke is a million times better because it is made with real sugar. The hookah bars are awesome. There are the most random beautiful buildings in places you never would think. You can drink in public everywhere (not that I have done this). The drinking age is 16 as it should be. The clubs and bars play the BEST of the American music...a huge medley of oldies and 90s and todays and its always the best. Sweet Home Alabama comes on almost every night no matter where I am...dinky bar or fancy club and everyone goes crazy.

And one of the coolest things about Italy is that BARELY ANYONE SPEAKS ENGLISH! Now you might think this is a bad thing....but no. This means that when someone is staring at me on the train I can say "Why is that person staring at me do I have something on my face or are they just being a gigantic jerk?" to my friend and the Italian who is starring at me has no idea what I said! Also we can talk about WHATEVER we want ANYWHERE we want without getting dirty looks. Okay we might get dirty looks but it will not be because of the subject of our conversation. And the meat here is a million times better than at home too. I mean the good in general is just better. And also I love it here because I can wear heels to class. I never have, I never would and I'm not going to but its cool to know that if I EVER wanted to...I could. But I'm not going to. Oh and also all the doggies everywhere. They are an awesome addition to my life. And of course the beautiful Italian men that are in the most random places such as bus drivers. A hot bus driver you might say? Yes! For real! And my friend saw a handsome dirt shoveler. I don't know what a dirt shoveler really is but I guess that is what he was doing. Of course there are about 5 greasy, creepy Italian men to every 1 polite, gorgeous one but hey, at least its not fratty american boys.

So I love it here and really don't want to leave. I really just want to see my family, but I feel no real need to come home. My homesickness is for the people, not for the place. But Mom and Dad and Jess will be here in 4 weeks and I have a jam packed itinerary for them in Rome, then we can cruise through Italy and have a great time together! I hope. I'm really excited for them to get here and show them my new city!

PS: The pictures are of me and my art history teacher, Danielle. Wait until you hear me do her accent, Lairds even better at it. It is HILARIOUS. But shes the nicest. Me and my friends who made the southern dinner. The view of Lago Bracciano. And then me with a sweatshirt that says Nantucket. WHY IS THERE A NANTUCKET SWEATSHIRT ON A RANDOM SHOP IN ROME?

Prague

Prague was incredible! It’s kind of like Boston only much prettier and with a lot more history. We took the 14 hour bus ride overnight from Rome and got to Prague at 10:00 to have our first real breakfast in Europe! They had eggs and granola and toast and coffee! NO hostels we have been to yet had an actual breakfast like that. So we ate and showered then we met up with the group for a walking tour of Prague. Our tour guide was awesome and really funny. We took the metro to get to the main center of the city and while doing so we went down the LONGEST escalator in all of Europe! The metro stop is called Namasti Miru and it was a really really long escalator. But thank god they had it because I definitely could not climb up that many stairs! First we went to Old Town Square which is where the Astronomical clock is and two other important churches. Because it is still close to Easter there were a ton of booths up selling souvenirs and different kinds of foods. The Astronomical clock is really cool with a ton of different hands on it for zodiac signs and different stages of the moon and stars. Every hour there is a little show where some puppets move their heads and music comes out. It is kind of like a gigantic cuckoo clock, but it was made in the 14th century so it must have been really cool back then.

Then we sat in this park where there were a few trees, almost like a courtyard and it turned out it was the location of the only building blown up by the Nazis. Now there is a memorial there and they won’t ever rebuild something on that spot. Then we continued walking through Prague and saw a lot of churches and different architecture. Every building there is beautiful and detailed and freshly painted. There is no graffiti and no litter! So then we got to this main square named after the patron saint of the Czechs and saw the National Museum. This is the site where a 21 year old, Jan Palach, doused himself in Kerosene and lit himself on fire as a protest against communism. Pretty intense. We later saw a memorial for him near the river. For our break we stopped at a place called Bohemia bagel and had a beer and a bagel! Then we went to the Jewish quarter after seeing a statue of Franz Kafka who lived in the Jewish quarter, called Josefov. My roommates and I went into the Holocaust memorial Pinkas Synogague which is not a synogague anymore. The walls of this temple are covered in names of Czechs who died in the Holocaust and it’s really stunning. It has their last name, first name, date of birth and date of death. There is something like 77, 000 names on the walls and some of them don’t have death dates meaning it was not documented. Then upstairs there is a room dedicated to the drawings that children made while in the concentration camp Terezin, just outside of Prague. There was a woman named Freidl Dicker-Brandeis who stole crayons, markers, pencils and paper and gave them to the children for art therapy after witnessing their depression from being extracted from the families and lives and put into a death camp. It was really amazing seeing what the children drew; some of the pictures were happy and some were horrifying, but most were of roads leading away from camps or into a field with signs saying the name of the childrens hometowns. Some of the drawings were really wonderful considering the age and lack of materials the children had. Some of these pictures were the only things on the face of the planet that proved these children ever existed.

Behind that synogague was a Jewish cemetery that had a really unique story to it. Because the Jews had been confined to one area of Prague for over 600 years, they only had one place for a cemetery. Once the cemetery filled up, they started putting coffins on coffins and started bring dirt in to raise the level of the cemetery. In some places there are 12 coffins buried on one spot and the crowding of tombstones is really ridiculous. I have never seen such a crowded cemetery and I’m not sure if one exists that looks like this one! After the Jewish quarter we got to the river and saw the Charles Bridge which was built by Charles IV in 1357 and is still standing today! Across the river you can see the Prague castle which can hold something like 12 football fields. It is HUGE! Also across the river is a gigantic pendulum on top of a hill which replaced a giant statue of Lenin years ago. After the tour we shopped in some of the markets and I bought some small paintings of Prague and a t-shirt. The night we went on a bar crawl which was a ton of fun and there were a lot of different people on it. I met a few HILARIOUS English guys that I laughed so hard with. Too bad I didn’t get their names.

The next morning we went on another tour of Prague to see the things we didn’t on Friday. We went to the castle first and saw the giant cathedral which was so beautiful. But was had to walk up really far to get there and then once we saw it we climbed back down and that was difficult. After that we went to see the Kafka museum but we didn’t go in. On our way to the Lenin wall there is a bridge right in front of a water wheel on Velkoprevorske Namesti (that’s the name of the street) that people put locks on to proclaim their commitment and love for their partner. There are about 17 bridges like this in the world where people put locks on. So I had a lock in my purse so I put it on the bridge for Mom and Dad. Now they can never get divorced because they will have to go to Prague and crack the lock.

The Lennon Wall/Hunger Wall is a wall that people used to write protests against Communism on. The police would come paint of the graffiti but people just kept coming back and writing on it. It happened for a long time until the 1990s when the police stopped painting over the wall. Now it is really brightly colored and has Beatles lyrics all over it and is a symbol of peace and love. Real hippi-ish. But it was cool to see all the different works of art and lyrics all over it. Then we walked over the Charles Bridge which was packed with tourists. There were a lot of important statues on the bridge, but they were taken and put in museums all over the world so now the statues are just copies. After the tour we went to Old Town Square to do some more shopping. I got a traditional Czech pastry that is round and like fried dough with cinnamon and sugar, and it was delicious. We did some more shopping in the markets and I got some jewelry, more artwork, and some hats. Then we met up with the group at this place called the Beet Factory where they have taps right on the table and the beer is really cheap. That night we went with our tour guide Amanda and some friends we made to an 80’s dance club called Lucerna. The place was packed with all people of all ages and weirdness. IT WAS AWESOME! We heard two songs from Grease, I Will Survive, Madonna, Cotton Eyed Joe, Barbie Girl, Sweet Dreams and so many other awesome songs. We saw some really weird people like an old man with a braided beard without a shirt on….that was gross. And also a mid forties woman with way too tight a shirt on dancing up on stage by herself. But hey, they’re harmless just trying to have a good time. It was so much fun.

The next morning we got on the bus at 11:00am and didn’t get back to Rome until 3:30am the next morning…it was bad. It was also pouring when we got back and we had to find a taxi but we had no euros on us. But the weekend was incredible and Prague was awesome. It is so different than Italy because it actually has Starbucks, KFC’s, convenient stores and other corporate America things. It was a beautiful city and I felt like I was in a fairy tale the whole time. I hope I get to go back someday because this weekend was such a blast!

The Vatican, The Zoo and the Beach!

So this past week was Easter week in Rome and it was pretty crazy. Last Wednesday we went to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel for Art History of Rome. Why our teacher planned this field trip right before Easter, I'm really not sure. The place was PACKED. I'm sure the Vatican is always busy but this was just ridiculous. It didn't take away from the beauty and incredible artwork but it was a little irritating. I saw a lot of paintings that I remembered from AP Art History senior year of high school. After the museums, I thought we were in the Sistine chapel about 1,842 times because I kept seeing long hallways with paintings on the ceilings and walls. Turns out you have to walk down this really long hallway, then turn left and go down another hallway, then go down some stairs, then go up some stairs, then down a long hallway and THEN you've made it to the Sistine Chapel. Inside there are guards that are screaming 'NO PHOTO!' and "SILENCE!" which I was kind of insulted by because like why are they saying it in English? Is it only Americans here? Are they under the impression that only Americans are the ones who talk in the Sistine Chapel? But I let it go. We got some great pictures anyways. Then on Thursday night I went out with my friends Melissa, Leah, Cara, Amanda, Ashley, Joe and Laird to a Thai restaurant and that was a ton of fun. The only thing that wasn't fun was that I ordered coconut milk vegetable soup (which is my fav) and it was really good but I bit into something I THOUGHT was a green bean...IT WAS A JALAPENO PEPPER!!! WHY ARE THERE JALAPENO PEPPERS IN THAI SOUP????? So I was dying and crying and it really wasn't funny because it lasted for about 7 minutes. I didn't know what to do I kept shoving rice in my mouth. So that was kinda funny but I hope it never happens again. Then on Friday Cara, Annaleise, Amanda, Joe, Laird and I went to the zoo! The zoo is in the Villa Borghese which is this huge beautiful park and none of us had been there yet. But the zoo was so much fun they had every animal we could think of. They had this really big exhibit for monkeys and they were so much fun to watch. One would squeak and then ALL of them would squeak! It was hilarious. Then we went to see the lion and he was sleeping but then as we walked away we heard this weird grunting noise and we thought it was the elephant but it turned out to be the lion!!! The lion was roaring and it was so incredible! I never thought I'd hear a lion roar in my entire life! It was insane. And then also when we were watching the elephants, one of the elephants started banging on the door with his foot! Very lightly as if he was knocking on the door. He kept doing it and we think its because he wanted food, but it was really hilarious. Then Friday night we went to the hookah bar and just chilled out there for a while and had some great conversations about politics and religion. On Saturday morning we woke up very early and went to Lido beach! We got there at like 10:30 so it was kind of cold, but there was sea glass everywhere! I felt like I was on the Cape! Laird and I walked the beach for 2 and a half hours finding sea glass and I got a TON of it. Then we went back to our spot and we all fell asleep. I slept for about 20 minute and my entire back side of my body was burnt. The backs of my legs were really pink and I had a weird tan like from my bathing suit tie! But the beach was beautiful and it was nice to sleep in the sand for the first time in nine months. After that we went to this mall in the suburbs which we had tried to get to before but couldn't. Things are not well marked on the outside of Rome and the busses are ridiculous and no one helps you find anything. It is so frustrating, but we got there and walked around the mall and got free chocolate and I bought a bathing suit for when we go to Sorrento and Capri. Then that night we tried to find this Jazz club, but it ended up being closed so that was a bummer. Then on Sunday I studied a lot for my Finance exam and then we had an Easter dinner of penne vodka, lemon chicken, asparagus, tomatoes and mozzeralla, and french bread. Our friend Joe is a really really good cook and he made some excellent penne vodka. And I have to give Laird credit for the asparagus because it was his first time making it and it was delicious. After that about ten of us went to a different hookah bar and had a jam session with a bongo and a guitar, it was a lot of fun. We did all this to spend time while waiting for the Sox Yankees game to come on because it came on at 2am our time. So after the hookah bar we went to Scholars, an irish pub where we knew the game would be on and it was FULL! They weren't letting anyone in! Not even me! So we went to a different bar called On the Rox and watched it there. After the second inning, a Sox fan punched a Yankees fan and his head split open and there was blood everywhere! It was gross and I felt really bad. Boys can be so stupid. But they all got kicked out and the hurt kid got in an ambulance and everything was fine. But I think it is hilarious that the first place I witness my first Sox Yankees brawl is in Rome. I've been going to school in Boston for three years and have yet to see a fight! But that night was a lot of fun even though I didn't stay up long enough to see THE SOX WINN!!!! And then Monday I spent the whole day studying for this stupid Finance exam. So things are going well, but I'm almost ready to go home. On our way to the beach, Leah Joe, Laird and I made a list of difference between Rome and Boston. Here's some of the main ones: no one blesses you when you sneeze, a ton more old people, if you do not have exact change to pay for something they give you major attitude, people have no inhibitions when it comes to staring they will stare at you all day long even the children, pedestrians do NOT have the right of way, everyone has a Louis Vuitton even regular soccer moms, people have weird like REALLY weird haircuts, no over the counter medicine, and of course they freaking smell bad. I mean take a shower. Sometimes taking public transportation is unbearable. But there are too many things to list that I love about Rome but maybe I'll make that list this week and put it on the next blog. Can't wait to see everyone when I get home!

Spring Break in Greece

I just retrned from spring break where I went with my roommates Melissa, Leah and Jackie to Greece. We left on Saturday March 20th at 9am and got on a bus for five hours with a group of about 40 other American students studying in Rome. We then got to a port on the east coast of Italy where we boarded a smaller cruise ship for 14 hours. There was a discoteque, two restaurants, small shops and a ton of café areas. In the hotter months there is a hot tub and pool but unfortunately they were not open because Italians and Greeks think that 70 degrees isn’t hot enough to be in a bathing suit. Luckily we had the choice of upgrading to a cabin instead of just sleeping in airplane style seating. I got a bed, thank god, and I got a lot of sleep on the boat. On Sunday we arrived at Iguamentsa, a port on the mainland of Greece where we boarded another ferry for an hour and a half to bring us to the island of Corfu. We took a half hour bus to the Pink Palace, a famous hostel known for its partying atmosphere and fun excursions. Our room was very spacious for a hostel and we had our own bathroom with a tub and shower, which is pretty unusual for such cheap accommodation. We sat on the beach for the first day and ate traditional greek food. I had a veggie pita with cheese which was delicious. That night we ate in a big dining hall called the “Palladium” and ate more Greek food and danced all night and got to see traditional Greek dancers doing crazy dances in ridiculous outfits. It was really a sight. The next morning we boarded a hot pink boat for a “Booze Cruise”. It was a beautiful day, but not that warm, and to get on the boat we had to swim out to it and climb up the ladder! It was freezing but worth it because the trip was incredible. We first went to this huge rock in the middle of a bay. We were going cliff jumping! I was the first one to jump in the water after the tour guide/bartender to follow him up the cliffs. We had to climb up this gigantic rock wall and I had to do it in flip flops and a bathing suit. After I climbed up two feet and I was holding on to barely nothing I started freaking out. I froze and thought I really couldn’t continue. I really needed someone to root for me and cheer me on but the boys in front of me weren’t much help and the people behind me were just waiting for me to go up. It was the SCARIEST thing I have ever done in my life. I was in flip flops and at one point I lost a flip flop and the guy behind me had to put it on my foot. I was hyperventilating when I got to the top and I couldn’t stop shaking. It wasn’t even the height I was scared of. It was pure adrenaline that got me up that vertical cliff and it was the biggest rush I’ve ever felt. On my way up I turned around and yelled down to Melissa “DO NOT DO THIS I AM HARDCORE AND I AM FREAKING OUT IF YOU ARE A GIRL DO NOT CLIMB THIS CLIFF!” and she turned around and went back to the boat which I’m glad about. I was the fourth person to jump off the cliff and it was INSANE! It was okay at first but then I just kept falling! I started screaming about halfway down. I landed okay and pretty straight but something happened to my foot and as soon as I came up for air I yelled “I BROKE MY ANKLE!!!” But I didn’t actually break my ankle but it sure felt like it. I swam to the boat and could barely make it up the ladder. My ankle was throbbing and it really hurt. But it was okay because jumping off that cliff was the most exciting thing I’ve ever done in my life. It was such a rush of adrenaline, I can’t wait to do it somewhere else again! Then after the cliff jumping, we went to a bat cave where usually they let us jump off the boat and swim into the caves and make the bats fly out, but it was too rough and we would have been smushed up against the rocks. Then we went to a private beach accessible only by boat and hung out and played games like charades on the beach there. We finally started heading home and I had to take a quick nap before going to a “Toga Party”! We all rented a pink sheet to make a toga out of and went to dinner where everyone was wearing a toga! The dinner was delicious, but my ankle was throbbing and hurt a real lot so I had to leave and go to bed while everyone stayed up and partied. I guess I missed more greek dancing and plate smashing on peoples heads, but I really needed the sleep and my ankle needed the rest. The next day we rented ATV’s and cruised around Corfu in the rain. We went on this one trail for a very long time and it turned from pavement, to worse pavement, to gravel, to dirt, to mud…and it was a long trail. We kept taking the trail and finally got to the end somewhere up in the abyss of the Corfu mountains. It was a good thing we were with our two guy friends because they had to turn our ATVs around one by one and we had to go back up the other way, but by the time we did this the rain had ruined the trails and everthing was mud. We all got stuck a bunch of times and were covered in mud and I was really surprised no one got seriously hurt or even cried! We really toughed it out but I think I’ll be smart enough to never take a back road that long again. It took us a good hour to get back to a trail that had even gravel instead of mud. That night we ate dinner in the Palladium again and got on a bus at 10:00 to go to Corfu port to get on a ferry for an hour and a half to get back to Iguamentsa, and then take an 8 hour bus ride to Athens. We got to Athens at around 9:00am on Wednesday morning and ate breakfast in the hostel. This hostel wasn’t as nice with two sets of bunk beds in the room and one shared bathroom for the entire floor. We then went on a walking tour of Athens and we saw the Parliament building, Temple of Zeus, Hadrians Arch, and the Acropolis (The Parthenon and temple of Vestas). The view from the acropolis was insane! You could see the entire city and it stretched for miles and miles. I took a 360 degrees video of it because I couldn’t capture it in one picture. Seeing the Parthenon and Temple of Vestas was really incredible because I studied them in my AP Art History class senior year or high school. The walk up the acropolis was really long and I’m glad my ankle was feeling better because there is no other way to get up but to walk. All I kept thinking about was the old men in togas that ran Greece long ago and how they had to walk up so far to go to work every day! Wednesday night we went to this dinner where it was unlimited wine and a 6 course meal for 13 euros which is really good. The first appetizer of four that we got was a Greek salad, the second was grilled Feta cheese which was SO good, the third was these incredible meat balls that I loved, and the fourth was calamari which I didn’t eat because it grosses me out. Then for dinner we had a choice of pork, veal, chicken or eggplant. I got the eggplant but barely took one bite because I was so full. Then dessert was fruit which was really good too. After dinner we went to an area full of bars and clubs. First we went to an authentic Greek hookah bar and that was a lot of fun, then we went to a club called Spirit. But I was exhausted from walking around Greece all day so I went home pretty early with my friend Melissa. The next day we took the metro, then a bus, then the metro again, then a ferry to an island off Greece called Aegina. It really reminded me of Block Island a lot and I got kind of homesick. While we could rent scooters or ATV’s, I just wanted to have a relaxing day on the beach. So first Melissa and I ate at this restaurant and sat in the sunshine and I had a tuna sandwich on a croissant (which was so incredible) and my first pina colada since being in Greece (I had been craving one all week). Then we walked around and I bought a t-shirt that said Greece. Finally we sat on the beach and slept which felt really awesome considering it’s one of my favorite pastimes and I hadn’t done it since maybe last August. That night, after doing some more insane traveling, Melissa and I ate at a local place and ate Kebap. I think it was veal, but regardless it was SOOOO good. I didn’t know something that looked so weird could be so delicious. And the old man who ran the restaurant gave us this excellent bottle of wine from Macedonia which was also very good. The next day we woke up early and walked to STARBUCKS!!! They don’t have any Starbucks’ in Italy so this was really exciting. I got two drinks, a passion iced tea and a French vanilla iced coffee. It was great except the people who worked there didn’t speak a lick of English which was like uh hello this is an American company? Do you even know anything about Seattle? Come on obviously American tourists are going to visit here. Then we got on a 3 hour bus ride to Petras, a port where we boarded a 20 hour ferry to the east coast of Greece. The ferry back was a lot of fun because the entire group hung out together and we all were just hanging out with the new friends we had made. I made a lot of really good friends on the trip, but some of them live in Florence which is sad. But all in all I had an incredible vacation to Greece with a lot of amazing experiences. I have to say that jumping off the 40 foot cliff made the entire trip. Even though it happened on the second day, it really made my life. I’m proud of myself to know I can do something like that and deal with the adrenaline the way I did and I can’t wait to do it again. So today is Sunday and I’ve been in bed all day sick and keeping my ankle propped up. Hopefully it’ll get better and my cold will go away. But I’m so happy I chose this vacation to go on for spring break and I had an incredible time.

Midterms Week

So this past week has been crazy with studying. I have an oral exam for Italian and Business Law exam Tuesday, an art history of rome exam Wednesday, and a major Italian mid term Thursday. Not to mention we leave for Greece on Saturday, so the entire household is either not eating, on a detox, or running their butts off every day. I'm doing a little bit of all of it. But the food is just so good here its hard not to eat! I've been obsessed with artichokes and I've had spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and artichokes sauteed with olive oil and garlic powder plus chicken or pasta for the past five nights... its just so good I can't get enough of it. So Friday I walked around Rome with Joe and Laird and then was so exhausted from 6 hours of that I passed out on friday night at 10 to the dismay of a lot of people wanting me to come out and party. I slept until 2 on Saturday (meaning I definitely needed the sleep) then I ran from our apartment to Argentina, a central location, which was about a 3.5 mile run. It was great except I tripped and fell on a grate in front of Oviesse, a department store) and ripped my knee apart. So that really stunk and is not going to look pleasant in Greece. Saturday night I made dinner for Joe and Laird (yes the same dinner I ate five nights in a row, and yes they loved it too) and then we went to Drunken Ship and Bloom, then my friend Darcey and I broke off and went to Mood to see some of our friends. It was a lot of fun and it was a kind of early night too which helped me Sunday when I had to study my butt off for all my exams. So I am so excited for Greece and I keep looking at the pictures from when I went with Mom and Dad and Jessie. They say it won't be swimming weather, and maybe not bathing suit weather, BUT I AM TOTALLY FINE WITH THAT. We're going to go sea kayaking and maybe cliff diving! I am so excited. So the next time I post a blog, I will be DONE with midterms and back from my vacation in Greece! Then its off to Prague April 8th, Munich April 22nd, and Sorrento and Capri May 6th. Then Mom and Dad and Jess come, and I will cry because A) I miss them B) i never want to leave my friends here C) I never want to leave Rome. I have a feeling I'm going to cry the whole 8 hour plane ride, but we'll see. Hope everyone's good in the States! Miss yall!

First Week of March

Hello! This past week has been very crazy. It was Northeasterns spring break so everyone had visitors in our apartment. It was hectic and messy and a lot of fun! I also had two midterms last Tuesday, both were worth 25% of my final grade, and I did really well on them! I got an 87 on my finance midterm and I don't know about the business law exam but I'm very confident I did great. On Thursday, my friend Terri came in from Boston to spend the weekend with me! She took a tour of the Vatican while I was in class Thursday afternoon and then we went to dinner at this great little restaurant in Trastevere. On Friday we did a lot of siteseeing and I brought her to the Roman Forum, Capitoline Hill, the Pantheon, Trevi fountain and Via del Corso. I got to use my Art History of Rome knowledge and tell her everything I learned from that class! Friday night we ate at this incredible restaurant called Carlo Menta. Besides the fact that it was dirt cheap, it was the best food I've ever tasted in my life. To start I got an artichoke Roman style, which is basically a marinated artichoke and it is TO DIE FOR and she got foccacia bread with rosemary and sea salt. The foccacia came out like a pizza, only with know cheese or sauce. It was delicious. Then she got this dish called Pasta Carlo Menta and it was almost like carbonara but more delicious. It was like sweet pasta with some kind of meat and peas. I got rigitoni gorgonzola and wow it was incredible. For dessert Terri got the tiramisu and I got panna cotta with raspberry sauce. It was soooo good. So I am definitely going to go back there for dinner one night. Also last Tuesday I actually played in a soccer game and I did okay! For never having played before coming to Italy I was pretty proud of myself. So I am still having the time of my life and really love it here, but I'm starting to miss my doggie :(.

Last Week of February

Hi Everyone! This week was just as great if not better than the preceeding weeks in Rome. The weather has been continuously getting better and it has stopped raining every day, all day. Its been about 50 degrees in the shade and 60 in the sunshine. We get really hot on our 1.3mile walk uphill to classes. On Friday Melissa, Jackie, Laird, Joe, Joey and I went sightseeing and saw the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. On Friday night we made dinner for our Italian friends and the menu was homemade American hamburgers, Grandma Janes macaroni salad, buffalo chicken dip, and apple cobbler. I think the boys really enjoyed it and we had a really great time hanging out together playing cards and eating and eating and eating. On Saturday night Jackie, Leah and I went to a club called Sky Bar, which wasn't as cool as it sounds because I figured it would be on a rooftop outside...but it was not it was just the top floor of some dumb building. On Sunday, my roomates and I went sightseeing again and went to St Peters Sq and the Jewish Ghetto. There was a sign in the Jewish Ghetto that said "October 6th 1943 - Deportation of all Hebrews in Rome" and I thought it was very interesting. There were a lot of Kosher restaurants and we ate at one and had "Jewish Artichokes" which was like a friend artichoke and it was really good. But they didn't have matzah ball soup, or borscht, or bagel chips, or bread pudding, or latkes, or blintzes! Needless to say I was pretty upset because I figured I was getting a homecooked authentic jewish meal, come to find out that food is American Jewish food. But the food was good anyways and I bought some little Jewish star earrings from this cute silver shop to match my star of david ring I bought in Israel. Other than that I've been going to classes and studying because I have to midterms coming up. One thing I have to say is there is an excess of two things in Rome: old people and dogs. I'm talking about really old people. Like over age 75. I have no idea what they do except walk very slowly down the streets pushing their shopping carts full of food, get really bundled up to go outside even if its unusually hot for February, and ride the busses and trams all day long. There is also an excess of dogs which is the greatest thing ever because I love dogs and you can't stay in a bad mood if you see 15 dogs on your way to class. I started running and its a little awkward because A) no one really excercises here B) the old men stare at you when you run C) the old people walk so slowly down the street D) there is dog poop everywhere because there is no law that says you have to pick it up. But hopefully the pasta won't get to me and I'll be able to not turn into a gigantic blob of Italian food before I return to the states. Tonight Melissa and I are going to a calcetto team dinner so that should be fun. Everything is great here and I love it and I am so happy I took this opportunity.

Interlaken!

Hi everyone! So we went to Interlaken, Switzerland this weekend. I have never had more fun skiing in my life. Thursday night we got on the bus at 8 and watched some movies and I fell asleep around 1:00. We got to Interlaken at 8:00 and it was snowing and cold. We rented our ski gear and then got on a bus, then a train, then a trolly, and then a tram, to finally get up to Manlichen where me and Jackie, Melissa, Joe and Laird skied together. However, we lost Laird after about five minutes of being on the mountain which stunk cuz we ended up looking for him all day and waiting in a lot of places. But the views and the skiing was incredible. We traveled a little bit to this area where we could make our own tracks in fresh powder! I didn't fall that day but some of my friends did and it was hilarious because it doesn't hurt to fall in the powder. All in all we came home Friday night amazed at the incredible skiing and from the moment I stepped on the mountain I knew I was going to do two days of skiing. Friday night we went to dinner at a Thai restaurant next to our hostel where we got a discount. We met these army guys who were all medics, nurses and pilots and they were from the south and stationed in Germany. Then we went to the bar called Metro that is in the basement of our hostel, Balmers, which is kinda famous. They had a 2 for 1 drink special until 10:00! So I got two Strongbows for 4.50 francs! And the francs were 1.06 to the $ so it was nice not having to convert everything since it was basically equal. We went to bed at about 11:30. The next morning, my friend Joe and I had decided to obviously do another day of skiing, but no one else wanted to spend the money because it was kinda expensive if you aren't an avid skier and don't understand the fact that WE'RE IN SWITZERLAND AND ITS INCREDIBLE. So we woke up at 7:30, took the 8:30 bus to the tram and took the 40 minute tram to Grindelwald where we got on a 40 minute gondola up to First, which is another mountain. The mountain was GIGANTIC. Its so much different skiing than Killington. There is easy skiing right next to very difficult skiing, groomed snow next to pure powder, and no trail names! So Joe is a great skier and we were really compatible and never had to wait for each other. It was a clear blue sky with no clouds and about 25 degrees so the conditions were incredible. The first time we went through some powder it was traversing on this hill and I accidentally fell into the snow and screamed a little. So Joe turned around to look at me and make sure I was okay....but he fell over down the hill onto his head, and fell AGAIN and landed on his feet! Needless to say I have never laughed so hard in my entire life. It was the funniest thing, he looked like a slinky. He was fine of course but I could barely breathe from laughing so hard. So then we skied in a few places where we made our own tracks in fresh powder and that was awesome. Until one time Joe was like "oh go over there!" so I followed him, but i was lower on the trail than he was, and I got stuck in a gully! So I had to walk myself out while Joe laughed hysterically. I have to admit it was hilarious but I was hoping that wouldn't happen to me! So then we took this REALLY long run down the mountain all the way back to Grindelwald and the trail went through the town and through the fields and houses and cabins and it was so beautiful. I think it would be a really nice place to visit in the summer. Then on the last run we met up with some friends from AUR and we went on this run that we had been looking up at all day long. It wasn't really a trail, more like off road skiing. It was really steep and there was a lot of snow that no one had skied in yet. So of course, our last run we all did it together. I went over to the place to make my own tracks and as soon as I started going I wiped out and lost my skis and poles and face planted into the powder. But it was really fun! BUt then I lost one of my skis in the powder....and I couldn't find it at all. So I was on the verge of tears and finally one of the kids we were skiing with found it! So I bought him a drink that the bar Saturday night because I don't know what I would have done if I had lost that ski. But the trail was incredible, and whenever I skied through the powder I couldn't help screaming YAHOO!!!!! the whole way down. Skiing through powder is the most fun thing I've ever done in my whole life. I can't even explain why it is so much fun but its such a rush and feels soooo coool. So saturday night I was exhausted and I went to bed early while everyone was partying downstairs but I'm glad I did because I woke up early and wasn't hung over and we walked around Interlaken. I bought a Swiss army knife and got my name engraved in it! Then we got on the bus at 1 and got back to Rome at 12:00. It was a long, tiring weekend but it was the most fun I've had since being in Europe and I wish I could go back to Switzerland, but I'm sure I will sometime eventually in my life. I would love to go skiing with Mom and Dad and Jessie there eventually. I'm still amazed at the pictures I took and can't believe I was actually there but it was the most awesome experience ever and I'm so happy I did and so grateful for the opportunity to go.

Venice - Carnival

Hi everyone! So last Wednesday I had my first Art History of Rome class and we went to the Pantheon and Capitoline Hill, which is where you can see the entire Roman Forum. My teacher seems really nice but she has a deep Italian voice and she kind of sounds like she is narrating an epic movie when she speaks, but it only makes the class more interesting. Our syllabus is incredible with visits to all the important sites and artwork in Rome. It is basically a field trip every Wednesday morning. So Thursday night was our friend Andrea's birthday party at this club called Mood and it was a lot of fun. But we left early because the next morning we had to wake up early and go to Venice. So Friday morning, we took the bus to Termini Station and got on a 6 hour train ride to Venice. We went through Tuscany and I got to see the real countryside, except it was raining so it wasn't that pretty. When we got to Venice....it was pouring. And of course, Venice is all canals so you have to take a boat everywhere which means you have to sit on a dock and wait for a boat to come. So we figured out how to get to Lido, an island off of Venice where we found a cheap hotel room. We went there and it looks like a beautiful summer resort and a quaint little town, but in the freezing cold rain it isn't much. We also had to buy rain boots and an umbrella because my leather boots just were not holding up. So we went to our hotel to put our stuff down and change and go back to dinner to start Carnival festivities. Well once we got off the boat and walked over the first bridge, I SLIPPED ON THE RAMP AND FELL INTO A HUGE PUDDLE. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard, but it was only 8ish so I was sopping wet the entire night. And also, because of the rain nothing was open, nothing was going on, and no one was anywhere to be seen and we had no idea how to get around Venice so we were out in the rain for about 5 hours straight. Needless to say I wasn't very happy. But then Saturday we went to Murano and saw the glass factory and glass shops. Bubbie always told me about Murano and how cool it is...but it really is something. We paid 2 euro to watch an old Italian man create this glass basket sculpture thing and it was INCREDIBLE!!! I've never been in such awe. Some of the pieces they had in the shop were so detailed and the chandeliers were really awesome. I didn't buy anything on Murano though because I know we're going back in May and I dont want anything to break in my bag. Saturday night it stopped raining and people came out and there were tons of carts with souveniers and masks on them. I bought a black and gold one and a Venice flag. The Venice "mascot" is a winged lion and he's everywhere and I really love it so I bought a flag that is red with gold lettering on it of the Venice lion. Sunday morning we took a 2 hour detour and accidentally got lost on the boat system, but it was sunny out so we didnt really mind, plus I kept falling asleep on every boat we got on . Then we got to Carnival and it was INSANE!!! People everywhere dressed up in costumes that really put American Halloween to shame. These costumes are crazy and so many people are really decked out. And then the kids have the cutest costumes too. My favorites were a little lion and a baby pooh bear, full body suit costumes that 4 or 5 year olds were wearing. There was confetti everywhere and a huge stage in St Marks square and a gigantic lion made out of fruit! Maybe ten feet fall and 15 feet long, he was made out of carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, squash and a ton of other veggies. There were drummers and horns and silly string everywhere. Then we walked around the shops for a while and my roomates and I all found awesome leather bags for great prices. They are authentic from Venice and it took us a while to choose which ones we wanted but in the end I think we each got the perfect one. So last night we took the 11:30 train back to Rome, and I have never been happier to be home. While this weekend was awesome, it was exhausting and very topsy turvy. It was our first weekend traveling and the first and probably the last time we plan everything ourselves. Its much easier to just go with a group or guided tour. I never thought I'd look at the graffitti on Gianicolensi (the street we live on) and think to myself "Thank god I'm home". This weeks sure to be fun too because we have soccer and we're going to Interlaken Thursday night!

First Week In Roma

Hi Everyone! This week has been a whirlwind. Thursday night we went to my roommates Italian friends house for dinner and met Andrea, Nicola, Diego, Savario, Andrea, Gianluigi and Giuseppe. They made us a delicious dinner of mushroom and octopus risotto. I didn't eat the octopus one though... So then on Friday we had orientation and saw American University in Rome for the first time. It is a beautiful location with orange and yellow buildings and a picturesque courtyard. After orientation, we went into downtown Rome to sign up for local cell phones. There we saw so many beautiful buildings, statues, fountains and historic sites! I saw the colosseum from afar and it was incredible. Friday night we went to a club called Gilda, and Saturday we went to a club called Bloom. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I slept all day long, until like 5:00 here, partly because we were up so late but also because of jet lag. I thought I would be messed up come monday when we started classes, but I woke up at 9:00 and started my day because it was the first time we had seen sunshine in Rome! We walked up to the school which takes about 25 minutes and its all uphill! I had my first Italian class on Monday, and my teacher is great. She is supposed to be the nicest Italian teacher of them all as well as the best. I don't think the class will be very hard because Italian is so similar to Spanish. I have learned so much Italian already! Also our Italian friends I mentioned before are a really big help because they teach us how to say things we say a lot as well as Italian slang and we help them with their English. But I have gotten used to dumbing down my english so our Italian friends can understand us haha. Monday night my roommates and I went out to our first dinner in Trastevere, just a few minutes down the tramline. It was called Le Fate and we got a 3 course meal plus house wine for 10 euros which is very cheap here. First we got bruschetta which was delicious because it was so fresh, then we got pasta pomodorro which had homemade angel hair pasta in it, and then Nutella pie. It was all very delicious. The restaurant does this deal every Monday but switches up the pasta and desert. We plan on going back every Monday. My roommates names are Leah Flacco, Jackie Russell and Melissa Parker. I really like them all and we get along very well. After dinner, we came back to the apartment and planned our trip to Venice for Carnival, which took about 4 hours because we didn't know that the Italian train station site does NOT accept American credit cards....well how were we supposed to know that? So this morning we woke up early again and took the tram and then bus to Termini station and had to buy our tickets in person. It was a pretty big hassle, but it was worth it to learn our way around Rome, see all the historical buildings and there was no way we were not going to Carnival this weekend. So then I had my first International Finance class, where the teacher told us that if anyone hasn't taken macroeconomics or a general finance course they should drop it. Obviously I have so I am going to stick with the class, but I do hope people drop so the class will be smaller. Then I also had my first Business Law class. The teacher of that class is the dean of American University! The class seems really interesting with a lot of conversation and not just lectures. Then the most fun party of my week so far was calccetto!!! It is Italian soccer. My roommates and I figured we'd try out for soccer, even just for the workout tonight. Having NEVER played soccer except for in maybe fifth grade, I did really well! I made 4 goals throughout the whole practice and there was even a goalie in the net! It was a great workout and I'm now exhausted. The only bad part was when I kicked the ball and it went right into the goalies face...who was kind of running the practice because she speaks great Italian and English and our coach only speaks Italian. The poor girl got a bloody nose....I really felt horrible. I thought for sure they'd hate me but then I found out I made the team! I just have to get a physical on monday and pay some money and I get a warm up suit and uniform that I can choose the number and my name! I'm going to make it say "Giulia" because thats how you spell it here and also there is a song called Brava Giulia here by a man who's kind of like Bruce Springsteen. All the boys start singing the song when they find out Julia is my name and it's really funny. Its also a great song. So I'm very excited to play soccer and all the girls seem really awesome and my other roommate Melissa is doing it also. Its only Tuesday night practices and then games. I'm very excited and proud of myself. Tomorrow I have my first Art of Rome class and I have to get shin guards and turf shoes. I'm doing excellent navigating my way around Rome with all the different streets, trams, and busses. I'm happy I have a great sense of direction because if I didn't and followed my roommates directions, we would be lost all the time. So now I'm off to bed because I need rest because this weekend starts Thursday with our friend Andreas birthday at a club, a 10:30 train to Venice for Carnival on Friday, and a night train back on Sunday. I'm so excited!!! I love it here!

First Few Days in Rome

Hi Everyone! I made it to Rome! The flight was okay, I only slept 3 out of the 8 hours. But it was nice to be up about an hour before we landed because I got to see the French Alps out my window! It was so beautiful. I also saw the sunrise over Europe. It was like a rainbow. My apartment is really spacious with tons of storage space and high ceilings and antique furniture. I feel like I barely brought anything because there are 3 two-tiered closets in our room and I only take up about 1/4 of just one of them! I'd say the best part of our apartment is the shower. People kept telling me the showers will not have good pressure and you'll run out of hot water fast, but I was the last one to take a shower last night out of four girls and it was almost the best shower I ever took! Last night we went grocery shopping, which was really hard because everything is in Italian, obviously. We had to get 3 little milks to try them all and find out which one is the one closest to the kind we drink in the states. The carrots are unbelievable here. They are like juicy and sooo delicious. And then I got pizza last night for dinner from a local place down the street and of course it was to die for. I can't wait to try more food here becuase so far the food has been a life-changing experience. We went to a bar called the Drunken Ship last night and met up with a bunch of kids from Northeastern. It was fun but everyone in the bar was American. One time a boy said to me "Ciao" and I said "Ciao" and he tried talking to me in Italian, thinking I was from Italy, and I was like "uhhh english?" and we both had a great laugh about it. Then we went to this club called La Maison where one of the kids at AUR is a promoter so we got a table and met all the bouncers. It was really fun and they played the best American dance music. Only problem was, the shots and beers cost 10 euros each. That is like $15. I was appalled. I drank like 5 cups of water instead and ended up having to wait in the bathroom line a lot. And there was no toilet paper in the bathrooms! You had to ask for napkins at the bar! How rude. They obviously haven't heard about toiletpaperworld.com, otherwise they would know that providing toilet paper for their patrons while saving money on TP would only increase their business! So then we had to take a taxi home because we don't know how to use the bus system yet. I am definitely suffering from jet lag because I woke up at 3:00 today but really it was 9:00 EST time. Its raining outside but it is really beautiful. So far I'm really loving Rome and can't wait to experience more of it!

Two days until take off!

Hello Everyone!

So the brunch today was so much fun! Thanks to everyone who got to come. I have a few emails collected but if you see someone who isn't on the list that you think would like to hear from me, just let me know. I already miss my sister and I really need to get packing. This weekend left me exhausted and sad about leaving my big, wonderful group of family and friends. Next post will be from the Eternal City!

Love,

Jules

Pre-Departure Post

Hi Everyone!

So I'm testing this blogging thing out to make sure it works. I'm very excited to get to Rome! Only problem is my favorite show ever, Teen Mom, is having their season finale on Tuesday at 10:00. My flight leaves Tuesday at 5:45. Oh well, hopefully it will be online and I can watch it when I get off the plane. I'm almost all packed, just have to do some laundry and then put it all in the suitcases. Very excited for our family brunch Sunday and hope a lot of people can come!

I'll post again soon!

-Jules