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!