Someday I'll Be Living in a Big Old City...Oh Wait I Am

I spent this weekend in, which is why I do not have a huge post about how crazy my weekend was. I did go out Friday, but I didn't enjoy myself really. I think because I was still not feeling well.

But now that I have had two consecutive nights of 8 hours of sleep, I feel so much better. I started running again-- I slacked off during Fall Break-- and nothing gets my endorphines pumping like sprinting to new Taylor Swift. After nearly an hour on the treadmill, everything seemed farther away, my worries about my classes this semester and the stressful course load I'll have next semester. I made a deal with myself, after my huge Women's Studies paper was turned in, I would let myself have a little fun. I'm not going to waste my time focusing on stupid mistakes and worrying over little grammatical mistakes in my papers. I'm in Rome, I need to remember it's more important to see the Parthenon as much as possible, to walk down via del corso, to order vino della casa and have a great conversation with my new friends.

When did it become so important to believe that what other's thought of you was more important than what you thought of yourself? Why am I still convinced that people will think badly of me if I say something stupid or make a mistake in a class? I know this isn't something that I should be worried about. You can write "I am beautiful" a million times in a notebook, but you will look in the mirror and still see your flaws. The most important question is why do I care while I'm Italy. I don't need the Carabinieri to look at me with those piercing blue eyes for validation. Yes, it is nice and it makes you put a little more swing in your walk. But the most important thing is to make sure you feel beautiful, for yourself.

I'm thinking of Taylor Swift's song "Mean" when it says "Someday I'll be living in a big old city and all you'll ever gonna be is mean. Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me, and all you'll ever gonna be is mean." I would post a video but I can't find one that doesn't have the sound pitched or is just a clip of the song. But I like that line nevertheless, It reminds me so much of what got me through my school years, from 6th grade through senior year. I knew that soon enough I would be in a big city far away from all the drama and catty behavior of all the girls in my school. I would dance around my room with my hairbrush singing anything from Spice Girls to Kelly Clarkson and even Taylor Swift--knowing that I was going to be busting out of St. Paul, Minnesota soon enough.

And here I am, over 5,000 miles away. I am studying in Rome and I live and go to school in Chicago. Looks like my dreams did come true.

Ciao Bella

Homesick? Not Quite...

I love Rome. After 10 days away, I have fallen back in love with this city. And there is a part of me that knows I could be happy living and working here, or any where in Europe for the rest of my life.


That said, after skyping with my best friend Abbie in Chicago (silently, because she was on the silent floor of the library so we typed out our conversation...yep this is our friendship) I do miss the old and very comfortable routine of my life in Chicago and Minnesota. Minnesota will always be home, my house in Cottage Grove will always be the place I feel the most comfortable. Even in Chicago, I have grown so accustomed to the city that it has become my second home. I know Rome could become my second home. But...I miss my real home a bit.


Not in a way that will ever regret this decision and I love living here. I will continue to live every day like it is a special gift. But I don't know, talking to Abbie and then my parents- a small part of me wanted to be sitting across the table in the IC with Abbie, and chatting on the phone with my parents.


Maybe I'm feeling melancholy because I have not been feeling well, causing me to be slightly sleep deprived. Because last night I was in love with this city and my friends and I had a great time.


This is just the few thoughts that I have been having, and a reminder to my readers, that although I love Rome, I still miss home. Life is not always a crazy adventure everyday. Sometimes I just want to watch a movie in sweatpants. Maybe that's why I miss Chicago, where I felt like I wasn't missing out on something new and exciting when I stayed in. I'm the kind of girl who loves having saturday nights to do absolutely nothing.


What I'm trying to say is that, even in Rome, it's ok to do nothing. And you are not weak and hating your study abroad experience if you have days where you really miss your family and friends. I think you would be kind of heartless if you didn't.

Anyways, I need to rest because I need my energy up for Michael Buble in Barcelona next weekend. 


It's always good to have something to look forward to.




Ciao Bella

Bonjour Paris!

3 years ago in July was the first time I went to the magical city of Paris. For these past 3 years, I could close my eyes and imagine walking up the steps to Sacre Coeur, putting my foot on point zero, and just the smells of fresh baked bread and (oddly enough) fish and other things cooked in butter. As I was walking out of the Gare du Nord early in the morning I could see the fog slowly dissipating  and the first sliver of Notre Dame while riding the metro. Even the first time I said "Je voudrais un carnet s'il vous plait" to a french person was like coming home. I knew from looking out the window of the train, when I just saw a building with that specific Parisian architecture, I was back in Paris.

We got off the metro and walked to our Hostel, it's called Oops. We dropped off our bags and checked in. We had plans to meet one of my best friends from home, Krista, at the Louvre. Before we headed to the Louvre, we walked to the Latin Quarter and the Luxembourg Gardens. Oddly enough, on my first full day in Paris we did that same thing.  We walked around the park and headed towards the Palace. Because we wandered around a little longer than we expected, we were late getting to meet Krista. Then we couldn't find the metro stop. I was getting so stressed because I couldn't wait to see her! 

Krista!!

The entire time on the metro I kept having flashbacks to when we were standing in the parking lot of Caribou by the Maplewood Mall jumping up and down because I was leaving for Rome. That was August 24th, and here it was October 15th and we were reunited, at the Louvre no less! It's crazy to think that our friendship has lasted so long, though difficult times and some of the best of my life. Being with her reminded me of this last summer and how much fun we had together. Driving around blasting Katy Perry, watching her skydive, and her coming to my work for moral support when I quit my job. This girl has been through thick and thin with me. We talked about how much we missed all of our best friends from home. We wished that we could all be in Paris together laughing and talking about the good old times in high school. It's amazing to think how far we have come. From the first few days of 7th grade, when I first met my best friend Kayla because we looked like twins and both played basketball. To meeting Andrea, having fake "cat fights" in the girls locker room before gym. I remember bonding with Liz in psychology class because we always discussed Grey's Anatomy on fridays. And getting to know Jess so much this past summer, and bonding at Andie's Cabin. These are the girls that I love so much, and even though I'm in Rome, Krista is in Paris, Kayla is in New York, Liz is in Illinois, and both Andrea and Jess are in Minnesota, but hours apart. But we are still together. We keep in touch. Thousands of miles won't stop these friends.

So to tell you the truth, I didn't pay much attention to the Louvre. Of course I had been there before so I didn't mind too much. I tried to take a picture of the Mona Lisa and failed because of the crazy crowds and everyone pushing each other. I saw winged victory and venus de milo. We walked around and saw Hammurabi's Code. But I just loved catching up with Krista!

After the Louvre, we took the Metro to the Latin Quarter to have lunch and see Notre Dame. We all had sandwiches and talked about Paris and how lucky we all were to be living in Europe. Soon enough though, Krista and I had to say goodbye. She had to get back to her school and we had a lot of sight seeing to do! It was tough to say goodbye, but we knew in a matter of months all of us would be meeting at Liz's houses and catching up!  Since we were in the Latin Quarter we didn't have to walk far to get to Notre Dame. As we walked towards it, that thousand year old church that everyone knows about it will still take your breath away no matter how many times you see it. 

We walked around and snapped some pictures in front of it. We also put our foots around Point Zero and took a picture. Point Zero is used as the point to measure distances to Paris. And the story goes that if you put your foot on it, you will come back to Paris. I did it the first time I was there, so it must be true! Sooner or later, I'll be back in Paris. I'm wearing the brown boot, in case you were wondering. Boots are necessary if you want to feel stylish in the fall in Europe, well I guess the US too. Mine have a tiny heel, but they way they click on the pavement make it sound like high heels, it always puts a little bounce in my step. We walked through the church, I lit a candle for my dad (he asked me to light a candle in the different churches I travel to, I'm up to 16 churches) I also got prayer cards, which come out of a vending machine after you pay a euro. I just don't think that is classy. But hey, they need to make money I guess. After, we went towards the back of the church to see the flying buttresses around the back. We sat in the park there for a while before we decided to get back to the hostel and get into our rooms and change before heading out to the see the Eiffel Tower.

We took the metro to the Eiffel Tower, as we got to the stop we were walking down there stairs, and I was hit with a flash back, I had been that that exact metro stop before- when we were leaving the Eiffel Tower after the fireworks on Bastille Day. When there were thousands of people leaving the Eiffel Tower. It was one of the many flashbacks that I had in Paris. 

It had started to rain as we walked to the Eiffel Tower, but we were determined to walk there and see it sparkle. It was another shock, it seemed so much bigger than I remembered. This amazing structure that provokes such a strong reaction in the French, both of love and hate for  it. But you have to admit it is quite astounding. Once you get past all the people trying to see you cheap metal keychains, stupid light up things they fly in the air, and even crappy bracelets and other jewelry, you are still in awe of this amazing structure.

We walked from the Eiffel Tower to the Arc de Triomphe that is at the beginning of the the Champs Elysee. It actually is not that bad of a walk, if you are willing  to do it. Sometimes that is the best way to see a city. If you take the metro, or the tube for that matter, just to the stops to see these major monuments and then get back on to the next, you miss the essence of the city. You don't get the chance to just walk around, and see parts of Paris that you would never see otherwise. It also helps because with a map you learn the plan of the city, it makes you feel like you know it. As we walked to the Arc de Triomphe Elizabeth and I discussed how we would be afraid of living and working in Paris because it would lose some of its magic. But I guess that is something that you might have to deal with in any city. You are no longer a tourist, you live there. Which means the tourists are no longer cute, they are just an annoyance. You have to deal with the crowded metro day in, day out. And that alone can test your patience. You just need to remember, no city is perfect, they all have their faults. And you begin to learn about more faults the longer you are there.

We took the metro back to our hostel, it was around midnight. We got a chance to relax for a bit before heading to bed. We knew that we would have a lot see the next day.

I think the exhaustion of 10 days of travel was getting to us, because after breakfast, while Ryan was getting ready, Sarah, Elizabeth, and I fell back asleep for a half an hour. But soon enough we were headed to the Musee d' Orsay. It's a renovated train station that has become the museum for all the impressionist works. Monet, Manet, and even some Van Gogh. They had moved a lot of the Monet to a different museum for an exhibit, I was actually really upset. But thankfully we got in for free because we are students in Europe and therefore temporary citizens of the European Union (pretty cool right? I have a permesso di sorggiono and everything). But we did see the personal portrait of Van Gogh, that was pretty cool. It was much more relaxed in this museum compared to the Louvre, but there were a lot of groups around the Van Gogh- but you can blame them, it's amazing to see it in person. They do not allow photos in the Musee, so I don't have any pictures to post. But it's a pretty amazing building, directly across from the Louvre. So don't forget about it the next time you are in Paris.

We stopped at a take away cafe and got Croque Messieurs (Plural form of Croque Monsieur) and walked to the Place de la Concorde, where Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and Robespierre  along with who knows how many other people during the French Revolution. But now it is a symbol of peace (Concorde) and it is the start of the Champs Elysee ending at the Arc de Triomphe. 

We walked along the entire stretch of the Champs Elysee stopping to get a crepe avec nutella. which was really good. We walked past all the famous shops, and had to wait in line to get into the Louis Vuitton store. I looked at a cute keychain that I wanted to buy, it was 200 euros. Needless to say I didn't buy it. But soon enough, I'll buy a purse from there. We walked to the Arc de Triomphe and went underneath the round-about to get a closer look. It has the names of the important French generals, quotes from Charles de Gaulle himself, and also the tomb of the unknown soldier. The Arc has become more than just a triumphal arch for Napoleon. (even though to be a true Roman triumphal arch it needs to be on the Via Sacre in Rome, but thats semantics, Napoleon wanted to emulate the Roman Empire). 

We decided to go to Montmartre and see Sacre Coeur. As we walked up the hill, I saw the Carosel that I have a picture of from the last time I was in Paris. I was just amazed by how many little things I remembered from the last time I was there! We stopped in some shops, and we bought some post cards. Then we headed up the hill to see Sacre Coeur. It warmed up and the sky was blue again. And we had an amazing view of Paris. 

We walked into Sacre Coeur and I lit another candle. We walked around the church and then we just took some time to just sit in the pews. The only thing I found annoying was that there were nuns walking around dumping out the euros from the vending machines where you can make little souvenir medallions. There were hundreds of people in the church, many of them praying- and they choose this time to dump all of the money they made that day into like burlap sack. I just thought it was tasteless. I looked up at the Apse where there is a painting of Jesus (you weren't allowed to take photos) and I kept thinking, is this what he wanted? Vending machines and candles for sale in the church? That you have to walk through the gift shop before you leave? Sarah leaned into me, and she said she was reminded of the story in the bible where Jesus gets so upset that the temple was being used as a marketplace. That is exactly what I thought too. It may be a tourist attraction, but it's still a church, and not only should the visitors act accordingly, but the people who work there should too.

We had dinner in Montmatre and slowly made our way back to the hostel. We stopped at Fragonard, a perfume company that I visited when I was in Provence in 2007. I found the same perfume I bought before, belle du nuit, but I decided on a different one. Ryan also bought some cologne for himself. You could spend 80 euro on some Dior eau di toilette (less potent) or I spent 35 on perfume, they make the best perfume, I believe. The "Le nez" knows. (The nose knows) The Le nez, creates the different perfume and can only work for a half an hour every day. Fragonard knows their perfume! That's all I'm saying. 


We made the rather heartbreaking decision to stay in after some chocolat chaud at a nearby cafe. We were exhausted and Sarah and I were both getting sick. It kind of sucked, but we had a wonderful fall break. But we were ready to head back to Rome. 

Now if only we had 10 days to sleep to recoup from the 10 days of travel. But nope, I had a midterm Monday morning and a huge paper due next week. Well no rest for the weary I guess!

I'm staying in Rome this weekend, I'm ready to relax. But Halloween weekend I'm heading to Barcelona! Stay tuned!

Au Revoir! 

London Calling

Once we got to the Dublin airport we soon realized that Ryan was not on the same flight as us to London. We got  to the airport before 7, our flight left at 9 or so. Ryan's didn't leave until 2 in the afternoon. He was then forced to stay in the airport for about 7 hours before he could get on his flight to London. We had to separate. If he bought the ticket to our flight it would be another 235 euros, and we couldn't change our flight either. It sucked, but we knew he could handle getting London because there is no language barrier.

Once the girls (Sarah, Elizabeth, and Me) landed in London and boarded our shuttle to the Earl's Court we were so excited! The first time I saw the double decker buses I knew I was in London. I pulled out my Ipod and listened to "London Calling" on repeat. I have wanted to go to London so bad, and once I knew I wouldn't go to Greece for Fall Break, I hoped I could get a group together to visit London. And here I was, on a shuttle with the driver on the wrong side of the bus, driving on the wrong side of the road, with all the craziness and history of one of the greatest cities in the world.

London takes the best of Chicago and New York, adds in some European flair and some great accents and creates the best city I've visited. Now, I love Rome, the city is so full of history. But London has the metropolis feeling Rome lacks. It has the such an efficient public transportation system, and a city that meshes it's history so well with its modern lifestyle. It's the city that I would live in if I had the chance. I would be a short flight away from everywhere-- France, Spain, Germany, Italy. It's so easy to travel in Europe. (And the fact that they speak English helps a lot too).

Now, we got our Oyster Cards at Earl's Court. It's a tube card that cost 28 pounds for a week. (yeah double that- that's about how much it cost in dollars..) But, it was worth it. It was unlimited travel in zones 1 and 2 of London, basically everything we wanted to see. We could tap and go on all the tube lines and buses. I felt like I lived there with it. We got to the Astor Museum Inn, our hostel that is located across the street from the British Museum, off the Holburn stop on the Piccadilly Line. We were so hungry so we stopped at Pret-a-manger (ready to eat in French) to get some soup and sandwiches. The sun was shining and it was so warm. We just walked towards Leicester Square and Convent Garden looking at the shops and stopping in Marks and Spencer which reminds me of a target. 

Before we knew it, we walked to Trafalgar Square, named after the battle of Trafalgar. Seeing the National Gallery and the London Eye popping up above the buildings- I was just in shocked that in the morning I was in Dublin having breakfast, and for lunch I was in London. We snapped some pictures and made our way towards St. James' Park and Buckingham Palace. Elizabeth and I planned a picnic in St. James' Park the next day. 

There was also a free concert going on in Trafalgar Square, but it  was no one we knew so we decided to keep walking around.

As we walked through St. James' Park, we caught our first glimpse at Buckingham Palace. The only bad thing I could say about it was the crazy tourists around us. The Guards were marching around the Queen Victoria Statue and mobs of tourists were sprinting around the palace trying to get a good spot to view them. I understand that it was a pretty cool sight. But that doesn't mean you need to be dragging your children through to street to see some British guards!

All in all it was a pretty cool thing to see.

After walking all the way from our hostel to Buckingham Palace, we decided to take the tube back to our hostel to wait for Ryan to get into London. What we didn't realize was that he got to the hostel about 10 minutes after us, but by then we were already asleep in our dorm room-while he was waiting for us in his! I guess we really need the sleep because we slept for almost an hour. Sarah and I then had to search the hostel trying to find Ryan. We ran into him in the kitchen and we were finally reunited!

After we got Elizabeth up, we asked Jeremie who works for the Astor Museum where to eat. He told us about Shakespeare's Head, a pub nearby, that has good cheap food. Exactly what we were looking for! I got a hamburger (I know, I know! But it had been a while since I had one!) and an Irish cider. It wasn't too expensive, as long as I didn't think about the exchange rate. After dinner, we hopped on the tube to Piccadilly Circus. As I walked up the stairs of the underground station and I saw those huge screens with ads on it. I just though of Bridget Jones' Diary,when she is walking through London having one of her internal monologues about how life will finally turn around and she'll stop smoking. I had to smile. It didn't really remind me of Times Square though, it just wasn't as big and the buildings are not as tall. But there were street performers and we stopped at a Starbucks and stopped in a huge souvenir store, We had to be a bit touristy once in a while. 


Our first plan after Piccadilly was to go see Buckingham Palace at night. But I got everyone to change the plan to go down to the river and see Big Ben and Westmeister Abbey. Big Ben was the main thing that I wanted to see in London. It’s that big monument when you go- WOW I’m really in London. It reminded me a lot of the first time I saw the Colosseum, you turn the corner and you see this amazing structure. Now the Colosseum was built in about 2000 years ago, and obviously Big Ben and the Parliament building is newer- but really you are comparing apples to oranges here.


I'm getting off topic here, and I've got 5 full days in London to write about! Let's get moving!

Ryan and I on Westmeister Bridge

Day number 2! It start out with a little picnic in St. James' Park near Buckingham Palace. We stopped at the grocery store by our hostel. We picked up some wraps, pasta salad, and some red wine to round out the meal. Ryan and Sarah decided to do a tour of Buckingham Palace. I would have liked to go in too- but it was like 15 pounds and I couldn't justify spending that much money. I laid in the grass in the sun with my ipod playing Sara Bareilles and I fell asleep. It was the first opportunity in a long time where I was able to just relax, enjoy doing absolutely nothing. Elizabeth read a little, but I just enjoyed the sunshine. 

Abbey Road

Ryan and Sarah met up with us in St. James' Park and we took the tube to go to Abbey Road. We say the cross walk where the Beatles were photographed. It was still pretty cool to see the crosswalk and the studio where they recorded the album. There is a white wall in front of the building where you can write something on it. Some of my favorites were, "Some may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. " "Take a sad song and make it better" and finally, "money can't buy my love." I wrote on it too. I wrote, "All you need is love" Along with my initials and the date.

My handwriting is a little off- its 2 inches off the road
and there had to be 10 layers of paint on the wall!

The thing that surprised me the most about Abbey Road was the lack of tourists. Sure, there was about 2 other groups at the cross walk. But it wasn't covered with tourist. Also, the road is quite busy. There were buses and a lot of cars. 

Abbey Road

So if you want to go to Abbey Road and take a picture, I would have one person stand by a statue that is at the corner and have the rest of the people cross the street. But don't stop!! Keep walking, it's supposed to look natural, and then the cars won't be as pissed because you are not holding up traffic. It's still pretty cool that we got a photo, I didn't think that we would get one that turned out so well! It needed a little cropping, but we are all in sync while we walked. I was saying, "Right, Left, Right, Left" So everyone would be on the same foot!


After Abbey Road, we got on the tube and headed to 221b Baker Street, where Sherlock Holmes lived. It's actually not at the correct address, because the address never existed. So it's a couple houses down, but it has a museum and a gift store. We didn't do the museum, because it was kind of expensive, but we looked around the gift shop and I wanted to buy one of the books. But I couldn't accept spending 15 pounds on a book. I wanted to buy a letter opener for my mom- but I wouldn't have been able to bring it on the airplane home from Paris because I didn't check any luggage.  So I had to nix that idea. 


We headed back to our hostel to get changed for the night ahead. We booked tickets for the London Eye when we were still in Rome, and our appointment time was at 8pm. We had plans to go to Walkabout at Temple after to meet up with some of the workers of the hostel. It was a student night there (It's right by King's College) and we got in for 3 pounds and drinks were a pound fifty! But anyways- the London Eye, well worth the 10 pounds we paid (it was discounted for students and booking online) it was so cool to see London from so high above. We had a great view of Big Ben and Waterloo Station. It was such a cool view I almost forgot that I was so high in the air! The diameter of the rim is 400 feet! It was one of the coolest things to see!


 After the London Eye, we walked across the river to Walkabout. I was a little hesitant when we walked in because there was a soccer game going on, and like in most places in Europe- no one is really talking during soccer. But the game finished and they put music on and we ran into the people from our hostel. Soon enough, Sarah and I just had to get on the dance floor! They played Single Ladies, and that is so my jam at the club! It was a great time to let loose with my friends and party it up in London. And because we had a full 5 days in London, we knew that we could sleep in a bit the next day. We left Walkabout around midnight so we could catch the tube back to Holborn. Soon after we were ready for bed.


Day 3 was for the British Museum. We woke up around 9:30 had breakfast and before heading across the street to the museum. It is free to get in, so that was pretty cool, we walked around the Ancient Rome and Etruscan section, up to the mummy section, and ending with the Acropolis sculptures. That was the coolest thing for me to see (besides the Rosetta Stone- which deciphered Hieroglyphics into Greek) I have been to the Acropolis and I remember my tour guide saying that the Greek government was upset that the British Museum refused to give back the Acropolis sculptures. They had a pamphlet at the British Museum saying that, "Greek culture transcends just Greek History and it should be enjoyed by more people, and the number of people who have seen them at the British museum is so high that losing them would be detrimental." I don't know if I believe that. I think they do belong to Greece, and the British Museum just doesn't want to give them back. Nevertheless, it was still pretty cool to see the original sculptures.


After the British Museum, we headed to our hostel to grab our jackets because it was getting colder (well more like London should be) and we ended up sleeping for an hour! I guess we really needed a good rest after all the travel and sightseeing! We stopped at the grocery store to pick up food and ate at the Lincoln Fields Park near our hostel. The sun was shining again and there were people all over the park reading and having picnics. It reminded me of Minnesota and when the weather is really nice we are outside all the time trying to enjoy all the sunshine and warm weather, before it gets cold again. 


We walked from Lincoln Fields to the Covent Marketplace, there were a lot of cool stands and even an outlet with some cute clothes. But I decided to save my money again. We wandered around ended up searching for a coat for Ryan. We went into H&M and found him a grey wool coat, we had to talk him into it, because it was 55 pounds- but that's not bad for a wool coat. 


We stopped at a bookstore to walk around. Well, actually I was on a quest- I needed to buy Definitely Dead (The Sookie Stackhouse Novel). I have been waiting to read this one since August! When I finished the one I brought with me to Rome. (I'm sorry MOM! You know you love me!!) I finally found it. I guess I have a thing for Vampires... :)

The next place we went was the other major place I wanted to see in London. The Tower Bridge. You know the bridge I'm taking about. It's usually the next thing you think of after Big Ben when you think of London. It was another smack in the face that I was in London. The Tower Bridge is right by the Tower of London (another expensive admission fee, so we didn't go in) But we did see it. And I remembered that Queen Elizabeth I was held prisoner there before she became Queen. I did a project Sophomore year with two of my friends about Queen Elizabeth I, it was like a Science fair project, but for history. We spent a majority of our sophomore year learning everything about her life, and why she is such a major character in English History. She brought about the greatest growth in economics and the arts England had ever seen. Shakespeare was writing plays during her reign. Her navy defeated the Spanish Armanda. Before the battle, she gave a speech with one of my favorite quotes, "I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king!" She made the decision to not marry, so she could have the power to rule England the way she saw fit. She was fierce, in every sense of the word. I am still in awe of her. I still believe that she one of the major reasons why England had a female prime minster before the United States. Gotta love Margaret Thatcher!

Queen Victoria Memorial

We walked back to the Tube after the Tower Bridge and headed towards Buckingham Palace to see it at night. I thought is pretty fitting. Seeing where Queen Elizabeth I spent so many of her days, then moving on to where Queen Elizabeth II lives. We came full circle. There is also a Queen Victoria memorial in the roundabout in front of Buckingham Palace. Of course that made me happy too. England has had some pretty amazing women lead their country. And all of them have lead the country to prosperity. hmm novel thought. Women can lead a country and not worry about all those hormones or emotions getting in the way of their judgement. (I know, I know- I'm such a crazy liberal).


We headed back to our hostel that night because Ryan was leaving us in the early morning to head to Oxford. And Elizabeth, Sarah, and I had an appointment with Harrod's and Nottinghill Gate!




We woke up and got on the tube and headed towards Notting Hill Gate! But before that, we got off at Oxford Circus and walked around there. We went into TopShop, but I soon realized that I would blow my budget if I bought anything there. If I made money in pounds it wouldn't have been that bad. But add in the fact that I had to double everything to convert into dollars, that 50 pound dress was really closer to 100 dollars. So no- it went back on the rack. 


But back to Nottinghill! I really wanted to watch the movie beforehand- the one with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. "I'm just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her." Oh that quote goes right up alongside, "Love means never having to say your sorry" :) We stopped in a few vintage store while we were there, and stopped at a Starbucks to get some coffee. Elizabeth bought a cute teacup at one vintage store. But Sarah and I were ready to get to Harrods.

We got off the tube and walked the few minutes it took to get to Harrods. Needless to say the building is amazing. It's huge and majestic. I'm even going to say it has nothing on Macy's in New York. You can get lost in that place. I headed straight for the purses, Louis Vutton, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, and every other brand under the sun. If I had a few extra thousands of dollars I didn't know what to do with- I would have bought a purse. But no, I settled for some socks. (I know I'm lame, but if you knew the price...oh man). We didn't have a lot of time to wander around Harrod's. But we happened upon a Champagne bar while trying to find a bathroom, and we had to look at the shoes. There were women in huge fur coats with men putting boxes upon boxes in huge Harrod's bags. I don't even want to know how much they were spending on shoes. I even saw a couple employees shopping for boots, I wonder how much of a discount they get? hmm. 

Notice the small green Harrod's Bag ;)

Since both Sarah and I were kind of disgusted by how much we spent at there, we walked across the street to EAT, to get a quick lunch before heading back to meet Ryan. As we were walking to the Tube, we stopped in Hyde Park to walk around and see the pond there. The atmosphere was kind of ruined by a possible drug bust. But all in all, the park was beautiful. 


We met up with Ryan and decided to go along with some people from the hostel on a pub crawl. It was 10 pounds and we got free drinks and specials including no cover to four different bars and clubs. It was great because we got meet some cool people who were staying in our hostel, including a girl who studied in London in college and keeps coming back at least once a year because she can't stand staying away! She wants to finish her masters in London and that is what she is working on now. She said the easiest way to work in London is to go there for school, because once you have a student visa- it is easier to get a green card to work in England. It's something that I could look into...who knows what could happen in two years??

The next morning, we realized that it was our last day in London. Elizabeth left to meet up with an old friend who took the train in from a town near London to visit. So Ryan, Sarah, and I headed to Camden Town, but we took a little detour to King's Cross. We had a date with Platform 9 3/4. They even have a trolley that is half in the wall so you can take pictures. I learned from my friend that it not the same one they use in the movies. J.K. Rowling couldn't remember the platform numbers, and there are tracks between platforms 9 and 10. So it is impossible to have a platform 9 3/4. So for the movies they pick the spot she was actually thinking of and change the signs. Nevertheless, we had to take pictures there!




After King's Cross, we finally headed to Camden Town, there were a lot of markets and a lot of cool jewelry and posters. We wandered around there for a few hours, stopping at stalls and looking at everything they had to sell. There were a few clothing shops we went into, but Sarah only bought something for her sister, and we decided that we should get Chipotle for a late lunch. Now I have become addicted to Chipotle every since one of my very best friends, Abbie, took me there because we got a free burrito. So I can solely blame her for my addiction. And having a burrito after nearly 2 months without it was the best thing I have ever eaten. The peppers were a bit different and they definitely make the burritos smaller, but it was chipotle! (Plus, I'm going to ignore the fact I spent nearly 10 dollars on the burrito itself). We headed back to the hostel ready for an early night. We had to get to the train station to take the chunnel to Paris by 5 in the morning. We had to wake up at 4. So we hung out in the common room of the hostel watching Extras. It's a British TV show with Ricky Gervais. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. He is basically an extra on all these different movies but he is trying to be a "proper actor." He is just so funny!


We headed to bed around 10, and we were up by 4 so we could get a cab to the train station.


We left London, sad because we loved it so much, but also so excited to head on to Paris!


I'll get working on the Paris blog soon!


Ciao Bella


Cheerio :)

Dubliners

Thank you so much for bearing with me these past 10 days. I am so full of stories of this amazing fall break, and I can’t wait to write them down and tell them to you.

Dublin

Dublin, Ireland was the first stop on our fall break journey. It was a great first weekend. I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland. We had to leave very early friday morning, before 7 (which would not be that early as the trip goes on), to get to Ciampino Airport to catch our flight to Dublin. Our group consisted of Ryan, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Me. We flew Ryanair to Dublin, which meant that we had to shove our purses into our backpacks because we are only allowed one piece of carry-on luggage. I used the technique my dad taught me: Roll your clothes!! I rolled everything up so nicely that I figured I had enough room for a few souvenirs. After a couple of hours, we were in Dublin!! It was so exciting to pass through customs, add another stamp to my passport and get on the bus to our hostel! We stayed at the Ashfield House, a nice centrally located hostel. We didn’t have much time in Dublin so we headed straight out to walk around. We were lucky, the weather was on our side- we could walk around and thoroughly enjoy hearing English, albeit heavily accented English. 

We walked around trying to find a good pub to get a bit to eat. And this was a big decision and a very difficult one- because pubs are a dime a dozen in Ireland. No one to could pick one! The one we decided on had a sign that said, “Great food! Good Atmosphere!” I was sold and we walked into the dark candle lit pub full of regulars who could tell we were tourist. We just had to swallow our pride and find a table. Our waiter was really nice and we decided on the Traditional Irish Stew with lamb. Which was amazing, it was comfort food that we had been missing with all that pasta. (Not that pasta isn’t comfort food- but the stew reminds me more of a below 0 night in Minnesota wrapped up in a blanket watching TV while the snow continues to dump until our deck is nearly half covered. Oh Minnesota, how I miss you). We also tried Irish Cider, which for the longest time we couldn’t decide if it had alcohol in it because it didn’t taste like anything! But it was great and we all enjoyed our first pint of Bulmer’s.

Trinity College

After our late lunch we walked back towards our hostel to Trinity College. One of the oldest Universities in Europe. Ryan was very excited to see it, because he is looking at doing his masters degree somewhere in Europe. As we walked around the campus- we all missed the campus feel of a college. J-Force is a great place, but everything is in one building-- it is truly just a “center” to study in Rome. It doesn’t bother me that much, but seeing all the students walking from the library to their dorms and out for the night caused me almost miss Loyola. We walked around Dublin some more-until we happened upon a microbrewery that seemed pretty cool. Ireland was playing Russia that night, which meant huge crowds at every pub we went to, and a lot of drunk Irishmen. We all got some cheap pints of beer and found a place to stand to cheer on Ireland! They made a good comeback at about 75 minutes, and they tied it right before regulation. But Russia scored during stoppage time (they had 5 minutes) and Ireland couldn’t come back. It was sad, which just caused the population (and I mean the WHOLE population of Dublin) to drink more. We called it any early night, hey we had been up for over 18 hours. A guy at the hostel made fun of us and tired to make us go out with him, we followed him around for a bit- but I was just too exhausted to get excited about anything. Especially when the drunk Irishmen started yelling and trying to talk to us, even talking about us like we couldn’t hear them. (Be prepared for a rant..in 3...2...1..) What in God’s Green Earth was their problem? Since when did I become an object to be talked about like I am nothing, like I have no feelings or thoughts of my own? That my sole existence is to please them. I might have done my hair, and had been wearing make-up, but that gives them no right to treat me that way.

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

The next day, Saturday, we spent walking around the Temple Bar area, right by our hostel. It’s full of these funky little shops and a lot of young people milling around. It’s right by Trinity so it reminds me of Dinkytown in Minneapolis. There was a temple bar market, selling books, clothes, and food and that was the best part of my trip to Dublin. Give me a chance to buy cheap books and I’m on it! I bought The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I was tempted to buy it in an English bookstore in Rome (yep I found one-sorry mom! I could be buying worse things with my money!) but it was 17 euro, in Dublin it was 5. I can’t wait to get a chance to read it. I just have too much homework to finish this upcoming week! Ryan bought the collection of James Joyce’s short stores, Dubliners- which I found very fitting. And Sarah bought Thanks for the Memories by Cecila Ahern (my recommendation) she is the author of P.S. I Love You. Enough said. We headed to the food market next which smelled so good- full of fresh baked bread, scones, hot dogs, crepes, hot apple cider, and even amazing hot chocolate. It felt so much like fall. I didn’t buy anything but I did try a blueberry scone which was amazing and the hot apple cider had shots of apple brandy in them. Gotta love Ireland. 

 After walking around some more, we made our way to the Guinness Factory. I would say the biggest highlight of the trip to Dublin. It’s almost a pilgrimage sight for beer lovers around the world. We got in on a discounted ticket because we were students (15 euros, plus a free pint of Guinness!) We started the tour looking at the 9000 year lease Arthur Guinness signed in the 1700’s giving him rights to the water and land where the factory sits. We walked through the tour seeing the process of combining the hops, barley, water, and yeast to create the beer (see you actually learn something) and looked at their advertising campains, including Guinness gives you Strength! (Which I’m sure wouldn’t fly anymore--especially with cartoons) We got our free pints and then sat down to enjoy them. Now I don’t really enjoy Guinness- I’ve decided I’m not a fan of beer, but I had to finish the pint, which really fills you up and does a number on a light weight like me! 

After the Guinness Factory we stopped at a pub to eat and headed out to a couple different pubs before we met up with Mallory, Chana, and Christina who just got to Dublin for their fall break. We ended up at this pub where there were 2 guys playing blues and folk music. We had some cider and talked. We called it a night at about 1am and got ready for our flight to london in the morning! 

Stay Tuned for a long post from London!

No Reservations

I’m a huge fan of the Travel Channel. I watch it like it’s going out of style. I’ll watch Bizarre Foods, Man v. Food, Samantha Brown, and my all time favorite, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. One of my favorite shows on television.

Anthony Bourdain’s “take no shit” attitude to travel and food is intoxicating. He swears, he smokes (until recently), and he has the best job in the world- the opportunity to travel around the world enjoying the food and culture of populations all over the globe.

Before my flight to Rome in August, No Reservations travelled to Rome. I sat enthralled by this hour of television. It was shot in black and white, like a Fellini film. He sported a suit and spoke of the Roman people and their food like it was a religion more important than Roman Catholicism. He went to a Ristorante to try the best Cacio e Pepe in Rome, a simple Roman dish of pasta, pepper, and peprino cheese. It might sound simple, but the balance is the most important factor. Too much pepper could ruin it, or too much cheese, or the pasta could be undercooked. it’s a balance that Roman people do so well. Italians do it well in general. Romans know what is paramount and what to spend their time on-- what is the most important thing in life. Food, Family, and La Dolce Vita. If you have all three you can live happily. There is an equilibrium that the Romans do so well- that I wish I could emulate. 

We didn’t get a chance to go into the Ristorante until after 9, because of this we had a true Roman meal. A chance to sit for over 2 hours, eat pasta and tiramisu and talk about  everything we love about being in Rome. The way of life is so intoxicating, it’s a spell that you are put under the minute you walk off the airplane in Rome, you can feel it in your bones. How can I explain this pasta and dinner. I don’t think it is possible. I know there is a reason Bourdain didn’t give the name of this sacred pilgrimage of Cacio e Pepe. After some clever searching, we found the place. Standing in the Piazza where Bourdain stood, recognizing it from the episode was astounding. I remember clearly sitting on my couch wrapped up in a ball of excitement waiting for my apple tart to bake, amazed at the fact that I will be living there. And here I am a month later, happier than I have ever been. Pretty crazy right? (Oh and no I’m not going to tell you the name of the risortante, I know it, but I’m going Bourdain on this one. You can ask, but I can choose not to tell you. If you really want to know, you have to search for it.)

This doesn't do the view justice. 
But it gives you an idea!

We went out afterwards, we were high on excitement. We had the chance to go out and meet new and old friends. We chatted and laughed, and so many times I sat dumbstruck, completely shocked that this is my real life. It’s a life of romance and adventure. I’m a different person here, it has changed me for the better-and I’ll never be the same. As a close friend took us to a look out near Monte Mario, by Loyola, we gazed upon the Vatican, Vittorio Emanuele, even the Tiber, I knew that I would not and can not be able to live without Rome. Marco, who has lived in Rome for many years, said he is still happy when he walks down the street towards the Vatican, it doesn’t get old for him. He sees it everyday and he is astounded by its beauty. It’s nice to know that even people who walk down the Via del Corso every day still can be shocked by seeing the Victor Emmanuel monument (although they do call it the wedding cake). 

I called this post No Reservations not just for the TV show, but also that while I'm here, while I'm traveling Europe- I don't want to have any reservations. I don't want to over think things. I want to go with my gut, take a chance, break the rules, and have a little fun. So Anthony Bourdain, this post is for you, for making me search for the best pasta in the world, and giving me a lifestyle while I'm here. No Reservations.






Ciao Bella

Firenze is Full of Statues and Stories

Firenze, also known as Florence, wow what a beautiful city. Even when we stepped off the train at 9 in the morning after only an hour of sleep, we knew that it was going to be a wonderful weekend. There is something about walking through Florence in the early morning. It's before the huge groups of tourists come through and people are heading to work or school. The piazza near the Duomo is quiet and the streets are not packed with backpackers and travelers. You can see Florence, not just tourists.

We got to our hostel, Leonardo House (an amazing person, best hostel I've stayed at) our private room was not ready when we got there at 9, but we were allowed to leave our backpacks and head back into the city. Within two blocks we were at the Duomo. We stopped at a cafe and got cappuccini and cornetti and sat on a bench staring at this mammoth building with such an interesting design, that is so hard to explain.


By the time we got to go into the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore there were a lot more tourist, but thankfully the line in was just a big bottleneck and we got in just fine. I feel like I enjoy going into basilicas and churches more because of my Art in Rome class. I know more about the structure and building plan, and also that a basilica form was taken from buildings from Ancient Rome, that Basilica literally means "pertaining to the king" and was used at a court and other public functions. The Apse mosaic was beautiful, something that you just need to stand under and admire. There is a walkway along under it, and end up outside on top of the Duomo, but I didn't do this. It was an extra 8 Euro and we were already going to go to the Accademia the next day to see the David, and that was 14 euro. But I think I'm going to go when I go back in December with my mom.

Since we didn't sleep much that night, we ended up back at the hostel and took an hour nap before heading out again. We went to the Accademia to book our timed reservation for the next day. We had to pay an extra 4 euro, but you get to skip the line and go in when you get there. Otherwise, when you need to buy tickets you could be waiting hours to get inside. After we bought the tickets, we headed back toward the river to see Piazza del Repubblica and to see the replica of the David and other sculptures that are on display at the Accademia, but you are unable to take photos of the real ones. But I'll get back to the David later.

Michelangelo's Tomb

The next place we went was the Santa Croce, the large Basilica where if you were anyone in Florence during the Renaissance, you had a tomb there. Galileo, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, and so many others are all buried there. I took so many pictures of different tombs, but I will not bore you will posting them all. The marble floor was covered with tombs of people. Some were so worn down because of all the foot traffic over the centuries through the church. We spent so much time looking at all the chapels and tombs and trying to pick our favorites. Michelangelo was my favorite. It had three statues of women each holding a symbol of one of his trades; painter, sculptor, and architect.  You couldn't get very close to it, but it was still pretty amazing. To be at the final resting spot of one of the most famous painters and sculptors on Earth.

We also made our way to the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence. It was amazing, it's not even a bridge because there are shops on either side, but it is so beautiful. I couldn't picture the bridge in my head before I saw it. Then we turned a corner and there it was. The Ponte Vecchio, I have seen so many pictures of this bridge, it was like a light bulb. "Oh yes! I have seen that before!" And it was beautiful, we just stood by the river looking out towards the bridge. It's one of the moments when you are shocked that you are in Italy. It smacks you in the face, "Oh my god I'm in Italy" was the thought I had the minute I saw the bridge. After over a month in the country, it's nice to know I can still be stunned at the beauty of Italy. Nothing has really become common-place. Even in Rome, when I cross the Tiber river and can see the Vatican I still slow down and stare. It's unreal. I remember getting the email on my phone in January saying From: Rome, with it's subject title "Congratulations" I screamed, called my parents and blasted That's Amore and Pepino the Italian Mouse. I can't believe my biggest dream, to live in Italy, has come true. I am truly grateful everyday.

After wandering around the Ponte Vecchio, we ended up at Palazzo Pici, part of which was the old Medici castle. Everyone was just sitting in front of this massive castle and just hanging out. We sat down and relaxed. We would be silent for a minute and one of us would go, How is it possible we are here right now? Just chilling outside the Medici castle with our Ringo cookies and bottles of water. This is a normal weekend for us. I really do not want to leave. I know everyone says that. But it's true. I feel more like myself, and happier here than I have felt in either Minnesota or Chicago in a very long time. I know that this time must come to an end, but I don't think I can live without Italy in my life. The 2 years it took me to get back here and that was 2 years too long. 


 It is also 2 years too long for some amazing Italian food. We went to Trattoria Anita, a small restaurant down a side alleyway that a friend recommended to us. It was cheap but some of the best food I have ever had. Ever.
And that isn't just hyperbole, I'm being totally serious. The bruschetta was to die for. I had Spaghetti Carbonara and a Cappuccino, all for 15 euro. The vino della casa rosso was great and cheap. (Always go for the house wine). We left that restaurant so happy we were ready for some night-time walking around then some much needed sleep. God know we deserved it!


As we walked back towards our hostel, we stopped to see some street performers. On was a man who was dressed up like Charlie Chaplin, he was funny and drew a huge crowd until became so crude with his humor we all wanted to leave. He took off this man's shirt and a woman's sweater. Everyone was laughing at this, but there was also a 6 year old girl stand there with a ballon he was having her run around and copy his dance. I don't know, but if that was my daughter I would be pissed that he is doing all these crude things to willing participants while a little girl is standing there. Ok, I said enough about that. It was just weird. 

The next group of street performers were amazing. Don't ask me why they were dressed up like the human DNA from the movie Never Been Kissed, but they were a group of musicians, some playing drums, saxophones, and clarinets.


We headed to bed soon after the street performers. We had an appointment with the David at 9am the next morning! And we had to be ready!


Oh the Accademia, what a great museum. We were not allowed to take photos while inside, so I'm sorry that this part of the post will not have any photos to go along with it. It is just one of those things that you need to see on your own I guess! The main thing people go there to see is obviously the David. The huge like 17 foot statute. The detail is impeccable. You can see veins on the arms and neck. The muscles of the torso look like he is really leaning on is right foot. You can not help but stare at this massive work of genius. I'm sure there is so much to know about the way he created it and the artistic terms of it. But I enjoyed just staring at it. I had no interest in listening to a tour guide go through and tell me what I am supposed to see. It is much easier to just stand in awe. 


After the Accademia, we went for breakfast, an American breakfast. We had omelets and toast. Yes, we were actually excited about this. Cornetti are amazing, but sometimes you need a little slice of home. We spent two hours at this cafe eating and drinking coffee and trying to wake up enough to go on with our day. Our train was leaving at 5:13 and it was going to take 4 hours to get back to Rome. We did not take pictures most of the day because we walked around the city and shopped. Oh did we shop! Everywhere you look you find Italian leather. There are huge outlets of designers just outside Florence that we did not get a chance to go to, but I would love to one day. I rationalized my shopping by thinking that I wasn't able to bring that many clothes with me..but the problem I will find in December is trying to bring them all home. Looks like I'm going to make my mom bring another bag with her to Rome!




All in all, it was a relaxing weekend despite the stressful morning and lack of sleep. We made all of our trains on time, we had seats each time and we made sure to validate them. We were back at J-Force at about 11. Just enough time to check facebook and chat before going to bed. Weekends are crazy in Rome, you are running around all over the continent, and before you know it, it is 2am in the morning and you have class at 9:30am Monday morning. But the lack of sleep and the craziness is worth it. This way you can see all the Europe has to offer and see some place most people only dream about. But for us lucky few, it's reality.




Next week is Fall Break. I'm heading to Dublin, London, and Paris. I'll try to post during the trip, but hang with me, I tell you all about my adventures that next week!


Until then!


Ciao Bella