European Vagary

Today was a day of soccer and ponti (bridges). We weren't able to make the deadline to buy the soccer tickets, so we ended up going to a bar to watch the game on TV. The bar was really cool and we were able to sit upstairs and drink beer while we watched the game on the TV which was actually hung up where we were, here's us at the bar: After that bar, we all hung out on Ponte Sisto while Lina ran around taking pictures of us: It was fun to hang out on the bridge just drinking Peroni (that's the thing to do here): After a while we went to the apperativo for dinner which was really yummy Mediterranean food that was kind of a departure from the italian that we've been eating every day. Very nice. Then we all went to Robbie's apartment and hung out for a while and I read the Economist and drank this weird stuff that everyone else despised but I really didn't think was that bad (something made of herbs and mint...?). Then we just wandered around and went to another b...

So I slept in until 11:30 this morning. I got back really late last night so that didn't even equate to that much sleep, but that's ok. Lina and I then got lunch and walked around Monteverde (our neighborhood) and just kind of explored. The place we went to lunch was a place that we had been to before and they have this really good, salty bread that Lina was dying for. They also had good pizza, so I was happy. I absolutely LOVE the pizza here. I really cannot get enough of it. After that, we went to our respective apartments, siesta-ed and then met back up for dinner. Ashley came with and we all went out to this random restaurant in Trastevere that was super busy but relatively cheap. My pasta was good, but I really should have ordered pizza. I should always order pizza. Anywho, so after a long dinner, Lina and I parted ways with Ashley and while she went home, we went to Campo di Fiori, which is a nightlife hotspot with a bunch of bars and young people. We met a big ...

So yesterday morning I was very productive. I did my laundry here for the first time which was interesting because I had to line dry my clothes: I also went grocery shopping by myself and even had a small conversation in italian with a lady who asked me to read the expiration date on something for her. Fun fun. Then I had to study for my big test yesterday... kind of a joke. I got a perfect score on the written portion and then when I took the oral exam, my teacher asked me 2 questions and then we started talking in italian about how I'm bored in my current class because I already know everything and how she really thinks that I should move up a level. It was reassuring to know that she thinks that I'm good enough to be in a class that's pretty much full of people who have already taken italian classes in school. She wants me to go to that class on Monday morning to see what it's all about and if I like it. However, I'm still not entirely sure that I want to do it b...

Today was very regular: woke up, ate breakfast, did homework, got ready, read book, left for class. Class was boring, and then we had a really easy dialogue to write. After class Lina, Robbie and I talked to one of the advisors of EAP and he had some good insight to offer us on what we should do this weekend. Apparently there's a cool pool by the Colosseum where young people like to hang out, so we might check that out on Saturday. That or the beach again. Sunday we're planning on going to the Vatican in the morning (it's free) and then Sunday afternoon possibly La Villa Borghese? We haven't solidified anything yet, except really the Vatican. Dinner was really yummy today, she made gniocchi (sp?), salad and some meat and zucchini. It was soooo good. I love having home cooked meals. I'm really glad I did a homestay. There was a really cute kid on the train today (un bambino carino). He kept running around and he was about the same age as my 3 year old broth...

So today started out somewhat poorly. I woke up and talked to Eric for a few minutes, but he was in a bad mood because he had had a bad day, so that already started me off on the wrong foot. I wasn't able to shower this morning because I had to leave for school early so that I could get my name on the list for trips to Pompei and Orvieto. Then, on my way out the door, I realized after walking down 5 floors that I had forgotten the ATM card necessary to go to the bancomat (italian ATM) to get cash to pay for the trips. So I walked back up the 5 floors, grabbed the card and was late to the tram to meet Lina. Then on the tram, I accidentally stepped on some lady's foot and she looked like she was going to kill me. Then the bancomat wouldn't give me all of the euros that I asked for, but at least I was able to get enough to pay for the trips. I was already beginning to write off the day as one of those anomalies where things just keep going badly, but things started looking alr...

Today was relaxing. Just woke up, did homework, got ready for class and met Lina at the tram stop to go to class. I'm getting quite fed up with the ticket machines on the trams not working. I can't wait until September so that I can buy a monthly pass and not have to worry about buying tickets daily. We grabbed some food and tried to buy a cell phone for me, but they were out of the cheapest cell phones and I really don't want to pay any more than I have to for a phone that I'm only going to be able to use for 4 months. So I'm just going to wait until they receive another shipment of the cheaper phones. Class was fun, we played pictionary. It's really easy for me because I already know EVERYTHING, that we're doing in class. Makes it decidedly boring, but I'm sure there's some legitimate reason for putting me in the beginning class. Plus, homework takes about 2 seconds to complete and I'll faint if I don't get an A. So at least it'...

Today was my first day of beginning italian class. It was fun because the teacher (insegnante) spoke in italian the entire time and I was able to understand her, so I was quite proud of myself. Class went by relatively quickly, aided by a gelato break in the middle. After class, Lina and I had to RUN back to our homestays in order to drop off our books and change into nice dresses and RUN back to the centro in order to make it to the group dinner on time. We were still late. But not too late and the dinner was really good. The girls that we were sitting with were really sweet and fun to talk to, so that made the dinner go by quickly. After dinner, we decided to go to Trastevere as a large group just to hang out. Here's a picture of the large group as it was: After a few minutes, the group dwindled down to this: We hung out as this particular group for most of the rest of the night and then it got even smaller. We had a fun night though, drinking wine on the cheap and experiencing T...

This part of the post is dedicated to Ashley: There was this hilarious little Asian kid at the stop for the tram today. He kept glaring at me in the same way that my little brothers do when they're trying to intimidate me (as in-not effective in the least, but amazingly adorable). So I'm cracking up, and then this kid starts doing some Dragonball-Z, ninja-style moves. Ashley snapped a few pics so here they are: Funny kid. Anyway, we were at the tram on a Sunday because we went to the beach today. It's a beach called Ostia. We had a fun time trekking through the city trying to find the piramide train station but we eventually found it, here's a pic: Then we go on the train and it took us to the beach. We were going to get off at Lido Centro (the main stop in Ostia), but then an italian guy on the tram told us that we should wait to get off so that we could go to a part of the beach that all of the italians go to, instead of the part filled with tourists. So we went the...

Another fun day. Ashley, Lina and I went to the centro and grabbed lunch on our way to the colosseum. We met Peter there and a group of us went on a tour of the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and the Colosseum. Here's a picture from the Colosseum: Here's also a cool picture that I took of the Temple of Vesta. I love the story of the vestal virgins and the power they held in ancient Rome as well as the rules they were forced to uphold. So seeing this temple in person was fascinating to me: After our tour, Ashley, Lina and I broke away and decided to grab dinner. We had pasta and wine at a bistro we found, it wasn't the best food but the wine was great. Then we decided to go to the Trevi Fountain and I bought an imitation Prada bag which is really cute. The guy asked for 40 euros but I haggled him down to 20 (it helped that that was all I had on me in cash). So now I have a big gorgeous black leather "prada" bag. I love it and the leather's so soft. The Trevi Founta...

Today was a Friday, always a wonderful day. On the tram this morning, Ashley and I met a girl named Lina who recognized us from the program. Turns out, she is living in a homestay about a half a block away from us. So we chatted on the tram on the way to the centro and then when we got off, we met up with a guy name Peter who apparently lives a couple of stops closer to the centro than we do. The four of us spent the day together, comparing notes on homestays and getting to know one another. It was really nice to make new friends during the trip. Ashley and I were worried that we wouldn't be able to make new friends because we are on the other side of the city from most of the rest of our program (those staying in Residence Candia which are the dorms and those staying in apartments, most of which are near Residence Candia). But meeting Lina and Peter was great. We got lunch together at a great restaurant, my lunch was only 2.50 euros! That's really good for lunch that you buy o...

Learned all about transportation today. The method Ashley and I use to get to school is that we take the tram and then walk through the center part of Rome to get to our school building. I saw the Pantheon, the Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain and a couple of other neat plazas and such. It's so different here in the sense that the city is gorgeous. Unlike at home, every building here has old architecture. It's somewhat dirty, but through the graffiti and grime you can see that almost all of the buildings have gorgeous outer walls and inside are stone or tile floors. It's a completely different vibe. I can't wait for the weather to cool down a bit so that I'm able to spend more time outside comfortably. When tourist season ends, I plan on just sitting the day away by the Trevi Fountain, reading and doing homework. I've always been big on doing my homework near fountains and it's like I'm being called home to the mother fountain :) We had our orientation ...

So my hostess cooked our first dinner together for the three of us tonight. Then she came out with a candle, ice cream and prosecco and they sang for me. It was really sweet, she sang in Italian and Ashley sang in English. It was a very unique birthday song. My little brother J and my mom also sang to me today over skype, so I feel extremely loved. J is the cutest little kid in the whole wide world and I just wanted to smother him with hugs. Here are some pictures from the Italian birthday fiesta: The first is of my birthday candle and of the wine and the second is a picture of Ashley and our hostess. Ashley's on the right and our hostess is on the left (we'll call her R because I don't know if she's ok with me using her name). Dinner consisted of spinach and ricotta ravioli and an Italian summer dish of melon and prosciutto which Ashley and I had never heard of. It was really delicious though with the saltiness of the prosciutto balancing with the sweetness of the m...

Okay so I'm finally in Rome. The flight was wonderful and I'm not really experiencing bad jet lag... yet. It might hit me later but I'm crossing my fingers. I haven't let myself take a nap because I want to get my body on the right schedule. My homestay is really quite wonderful. Ashley and I each have our own room and we're staying with a wonderful woman who is going to cook 2 meals a day for us. She's sweet; and she's speaking Italian to us and I actually understand her! I'm so proud of myself. Best news ever? We have internet in our homestay!!! For free!!! I don't have to pay for internet!!! I reeeallly lucked out on that one. Now I'm able to skype and email and blog and facebook to my heart's content. Here's a picture of (Corsica?) one of the islands off the coast of Italy that I took from the plane: It looked really cool from the air. I'll take pictures of my homestay later and post them. Also, today's my birthday! I'm f...

There are a few preparations that I've been undertaking before I leave for Rome: 1) Purchasing necessary toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, etc.). I've been made to understand that deodorant in Italy is a tough find and I refuse to be without this particular hygiene item. I'm also planning on clothes shopping a bit more so that I have enough clothing to cover up when I visit churches and whatnot. 2) Spending time with friends and family. I won't be seeing my bf until around May when he gets back from Iraq. So I'm trying to find as much time with him as possible. This weekend we're going to Las Vegas! I'm so excited and I'll probably post about it, since I wouldn't want to forget (I tend to do that, so this blog might be a good thing for my memory). I'll also be going out to eat with family and going shopping with friends. 3) Packing. Not really a worry with me because I'm a pro-packer. I'm going to start packing and doing laundr...

Alright well here goes nothing. I'm creating this blog in order to give the people who are interested a chance to know about my travels in Europe. I figure it will be easier to create it before I leave, so I won't be fiddling around with the internet when I'm actually in Rome. Blogs have always left me with a weird feeling because I feel that no one could possibly be interested in my daily life. But my mom cares and if nothing else this blog will be something that I can look back on when I get home and remember those daily things that make experiences like these worthwhile. Plus it saves me from having to repeat the same things over and over to my different friends and family (theoretically). So this is my first blog and I will definitely be keeping everyone posted (ha, I wonder how many bloggers have made that joke...)