Catuscaritan

The title is pretty simple to explain. This weekend was our chill weekend basically. No trip planned aside from a day trip to Tuscany on Sunday. Somehow it managed to be filled with a lot of really great things, as basically every day does in Italy. The title Catuscary. Catacombs, Tuscany, and the Procession of Mary and an additional update on the Vatican. My weekend in short. For all of you who need the basics, there it is all summed up.

For those of you who are brave enough to continue on. The extended version. So Friday were midterms and there were a lot of things that went on. In the end I had to make decisions about school and classes. After thinking about them a lot I'm confident I made the right choice for me and I'm happy about it. All in all you just need to enjoy it here and I can't worry about little things. That's always been a rough concept for me but I'm working on it. In Italian we watched a movie called L'uomo Perfetto. I am determined to get this movie, I really loved it. Small note to myself to buy it. That night I went out with Rosa and Maureen to Campo di Fiori (where all the bars are) and we had some drinks and Moscatello (my new favorite wine). It was a good time, I called Megan and left her the coolest message ever I'm sure hahaha. That really sums up Friday. Not too much going on.

Saturday I actually got to sleep in. It hasn't happened until then in Rome. This for sure is a record for me because I love sleep, but here I try to do everything and see everything I can. That means getting up far earlier than I really want to. I don't regret it because I've seen so much, but it was SO nice to sleep in. Francesca and I woke up and got around and headed out to meet Justyna, Annie, and Rosa to go to the catacombs. There are something like 11 different catacombs in Rome and they're all outside the city. We chose The Catacombs of Saint Callixtus...I think. I can't remember, it's the Christian catacombs where 8 Popes were buried. It's a long trek and they closed at five so we were rushing to get there. We made it though.

It was definitely a good choice. It happened to be very hot that day (shocker I know) and going underground was awesome. No pictures were allowed so unfortunately I can't show you how it was, but I'll try to describe. It was so cool, literally. At first it was a little eerie being in a place where so many people were buried, then I just became really fascinated with it. There were no actual bones there, I guess most of them are in this church I'm going to tomorrow. You could just see where they were buried, it was a really strange thing. To just know how many people have been buried there, people were murdered there. It's just...very moving. St. Cecilia (my confirmation saint!!) was also buried there. We heard the story of her death and how they found her. She wasn't decomposed when they opened her tomb. A sculpter was there when they opened it and he made a statue of her exactly the way she was. Lying down with a rag covering her head (she was beheaded) and her hands in a specific way. One hand had one finger pointing and the other had three, meaning 1 god in 3 different bodies. That was by far the most incredible thing to see there. Mostly we saw hollowed out holes in the walls where people (mostly children) were buried and alters that they used and still use for church services. It wasn't a long tour but there was a definite overwhelming feeling when you were there. After seeing that I really want to see the ones in Paris now!! So that's a plan for that last week. After that we went and waited for an extended amount of time to catch the bus back. I still don't understand the bus system here, it's basically when ever they want to arrive they will.

About to go into the Catacombs

That night we had a roommate dinner with Rosa and Annie on the balcony. Rosa brought some wine, Jessica made some type of baked pasta, Justyna and Francesca made an amazing salad, and I made a peach dessert. Francesca, Annie, and Justyna all dyed their hair and we just sat around enjoying everything. It was one of those nights that you end up loving for too many reasons to count. And so that ended on a high note.

The next morning we had to be to the bus at 7:30 in the morning. We were running late and of course were the last ones so Stephanie (read up on her from the Cinque Terre post) was over joyed to see us. It was about a two hour bus ride to Tuscany most everyone slept the whole way there. 7:30 in the morning is pretty early. We arrived at Pienza around 11. It's a BEAUTIFUL town that you can walk around the whole way and look out over the Tuscany fields and mountains and....other tuscan things. It looks just like it does in pictures. Usually I think postcards always make something look a million times better, but in this case they look the same. That should tell you just how beautiful it really was. My roommates, Jerry, Rigo, Alexis, Cole, and other JCU kids got some Cafe' and crepes to start off our day. Then we did a short amount of exploring before we had to leave for the other town.

The Roomies


Tuscany

Literally under the Tuscan sun. It's hot.

This time we went to Montepulciano. For all you Twilight lovers out there this is where New Moon was shot. There was a see the Twilight sights tour that I opted out on because I'm not a fan. I don't regret that really hahaha. Instead the rest of us got a head start on the tour of where they make wine, and the best part wine tasting!! Not just wine tasting, but olive oil tasting (on bread) and cheese tasting too. I tried at least ten different wines and decided I do not like dry wines. That's something I learned. I also learned that no matter how terribly disgusting a cheese may look or smell it still could taste good. I don't know if I like that, but I ate some pretty delicious stuff. I did a little bit of shopping then we had to get on the bus again. It was only a ten minute drive this time to a family owned restaurant. And by restuarant I mean huge place where they serve food, make wines and cheeses, give tours, and have a lot of other really cool things. We, however, were there for the food. We got served a five course meal which was AMAZING but at the end we were all struggling to breathe. If I remember correctly the first course was different meats and cheese with artichoke and spices. The second course was spaghetti (probably THE best spaghetti I've had here, which is seriously saying something because I eat a lot of it). The third course was a sald. The fourth course was chicken. The fifth and final course was biscotti dipped in wine liquor, which is a very thick dessert wine that I don't know if you could really drink. It's great with the cookie though!

Wine :-)

I know it doesn't look like it, but I actually kind of liked this.

MMMM Spaghetti!!

After that we headed home, did a small sing-a-long on the bus (yes we were THOSE people) and fell into a food coma. We got back home and right before we got on the train I noticed there were all these people gathered around the bridge. SO being me i had to go check it out, so I did. I found these young spanish people (because I'm pretty sure they were the only ones who spoke English) and found out there was going to be a procession of the Madonna (or Mary) on the Tiber River. It's a traditional Italian ceremony that hundreds of people go to. So I ran into Tony and his friend and we found a spot on the bridge and waited. And waited. We watched the sun set on the river (my first official sunset in Rome, sad I know) and waited some more. Finally the procession started. All these boats came down the river one with a statue of Mary with a light on it. Also on the boat were different priests singing songs. Apparently everyone in Italy just knows these because all the hundreds of people around the river started singing too. It was so crazy to watch all that and hear so many unified voices. Candles were handed out so I lit one and just tried to take it all in. I had time to realize how wonderful Rome is. How much I love it, and how much I really am going to miss it. After a while we left and I ran home and changed. I met up with my roommates, annie, jerry, rigo, alexis, and cole and we headed to St. Angelo castle to go out. All along the Tiber they have tents set up that you can go to to get drinks, food, or anything in between. It was a really fun time and an interesting night, but that's what makes it fun.

The Procession of Mary

Now to discuss something that wasn't part of the weekend. I know that's kind of cheating, but I'm going to break some rules for the good of the blog. Last night Francesca and I went out at night to go see the colosseum, the Trevi fountain, and the spanish steps all lit up at night. It was our super awesome night time tour and SO worth it. If you're ever in Rome, even if you've already seen those sites, go out again and see them at night. They have a totally different feel to them then. We sat at the Trevi fountain and just people watched and thought about life for a while. I think that may be my favorite place in Rome. I came home and after a quick ichat with the parents (they're learning technology so fast hahaha) I went to bed.

The Trevi Fountain


The Colosseum

The Spanish Steps

This morning Francesca, Justyna, and I left the apartment about 9:30 which is still early and went to the Vatican. This is one of those things that you have to really see when you're in Rome, especially if you're Catholic. I had already been there for the Pope like I've posted about earlier, but this time we went to tour the museums, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican itself. We ran into this woman who was recruiting for tours and we took the opportunity. It's better to know what you're looking at and I think it made the whole experience better. First we toured the museums, which is the largest art collection in the world. If you stopped at every piece of art for 60 seconds and didn't stop to eat, drink, sleep, or anything else it would take you 12 years to see everything. We obviously didn't get to look at too much but we did see some amazing things. We saw the Pieta by Michelangelo, we saw the hall of maps, nero's bath tub. Monumental stuff. The paintings were amazing, a lot of time I thought the ceilings or walls were sculpted but it was just the effects they did with their paintings. All of it was awesome. Then we hit the Sistine Chapel. I know I've used the words amazing, awesome, beautiful, breath taking all before. This was none of these. It was better. It was unfortunate it was so crammed but still to look at these paintings and think about the history there left you in awe. It only took Michealangelo 5 and a half years to paint that ceiling which seems impossible to me. I don't think talking about it does it justice at all, unfortunately this is one of those things you honestly have to see in person to truly understand.

This is painted on not sculpted! I think it's amazing.

Next we went into the actual Vatican itself. I'd been in once just for a second but this time I got to look around. I can't believe how beautiful a single building can really be. Everywhere you looked there was some huge work of art or a relic. It humbles you. Especially as a Catholic. I'm not in any means a spectacular Catholic. I could improve in many ways, but I'm happy with my spirituality. However, here it's amazing how overwhelmed you feel with religion. It's all a personal experience obviously but the thousands of people that see this place in a week all seem to be feeling the same way. Justyna, Francesca, and I all took some time to kneel at one of the many alters and pray for anyone we felt we should. I definitely took my time here because how many times do you get to pray at the Vatican. After that we headed down below the Vatican to see where all the Popes were. We stopped for a while at John Paul II's as did many, MANY other people. It's truly amazing how much that man was loved. Then we stopped again at St. Peter's tomb which is mind blowing to think of how old that is as well. I mean he was a diciple of Jesus. Just take some time to think about that. It's weird how crazy emotions are in the Vatican you leave kind of tired and drained but overall I felt great. It was something I'm SO glad I did. I'm not sure how much sense that makes to everyone reading this, I'm sure a lot of it depends on what you believe. But just in general being surrounded by all the art, tombs, and people does something for everyone. That just happens to be my personal experience.




The Vatican

The girls

Inside the Vatican. The throne for Christ's return.


That I believe is most of my weekend\week. I know it's SUPER long this time. School has been crazy and with time winding down I'm trying to fit in everything I can. This weekend I head to Capri, Sorrento, The Almalfi Coast, and Pompeii! I hope to update soon-er for those. Katie, Travis, and Jordan are here next week!!! AHHHH time is flying!! Only one week of school left.

Ciao!
Anna

When In Rome...Post A Cliche' Title.

Tiny cars. This will come into play later. It's random I know. Just like this specific blog.

I've been wanting to do this specific blog for a while now. It's not on any of my travels, although I did go to the opera Tosca on Tuesday at the Roman Baths and that was really, really cool. I could easily write a blog devoted to that. I think though, that this one is not only more interesting but more important.I want to write about Italian culture the differences and similarites. Since it is my blog and I want to write about that, I'm going to. Now. It's just as long as others, because I guess it's not possible for me to not write something so long. I'm learning to accept this hahaha.

When I first decided to go to Italy I knew, obviously, that it was going to be different. For one there's that language barrier thing and it's a different country so I prepared. Once I got here, however, I realized that whatever I thought I was doing to get ready didn't prepare me for this at all. Even right now this keyboard is different and I STILL struggle with this. I'm not saying that everything is so different that I couldn't handle it. I'd name some similiarties right now, but Rosa just pointed out to me that really there aren't that many that are easily written. The easiest way I can put it is that I didn't feel like a complete alien but I definitely felt different. This blog really isn't devoted to me trying to tell you that it's similar to America though. Again, that would be a lie, it isn't. This paragraph is all kinds of confusing Iguess, so let's just jump into Italian culture and hope that we're all on the same page.

To start. Everyone says 'oh don't worry, everyone speaks english over there.' False. In the tourist-type places yeah the vendors generally do speak some english. Where I live though, on Trastevere, no one speaks english. When we go shopping by our apartment it's all pointing and using whatever Italian we picked up. Even my landlord doesn't speak English. The younger the individual the more likely they are to speak some English, but for the most part people really don't. That's in Rome too, in small cities it's even harder to find English. At first that was really rough, especially because I didn't know any Italian. After a while you pick up key phrases, and taking Italian helps too. It is sort of strange though to be completley surrounded by a different language. It's gotten to the point where if I hear English that's when I start to listen, otherwise there's a lot of time to think to yourself. In America I don't think I realized how much you do listen to what other people are saying, almost all the time. Even if you're not aware of it. Okay so that's obviously the major difference.

In my apartment we had to get used to big differences really quickly too. For instance the voltage over here is different. You need converters and adapters for everything. That can get annoying if you forget to bring one with you. It also sucks when you bring something with you, like a charger, or hair dryer and realize it won't work. Even with a converter. That one though, is generally pretty easy to get used to.

Looks safe.

We don't have dryers. We have a washing machine (in our kitchen) but no dryers. Everytime we do laundry we hang it on clothes lines or drying racks on the balcony. I actually like this difference. It's a cool visual thing to see, and it doesn't take too long to dry the clothes. After we got used to the clothes being sort of stiff (even with fabric softener) it isn't so bad. The washers are a lot smaller here too. The water supply is different, there's not much pressure to it. In America the washers are huge compared to here. In the winter they said if you want hot water in the shower you have to go quick because it runs out so fast. We haven't had to worry about that though because it's so hot here. Maybe that's a good thing. Hahaha, that brings me to my next point.

Air conditioning. I didn't grow up with air conditioning at home, we still don't have it. I'm pretty used to being that hot and only using fans. I'm not used to no establishments having it though. Only very select stores or restuarants have air conditioning becuase it's so expensive. That can be rough. VERY rough. It's so hot here, and not just hot, but humid. I walk out of the apartment and insta-sweat. I'm sure you all wanted to know that, but it's true. Add that on top of the walking. In Rome I walk everywhere. All the time really. I'm used to it now but when it's so hot it doesn't help the sweat issue (hahaha still gross I know). Italians though do not sweat. Hahaha, okay they do sweat but you would never know. It could be 97° outside and they look like it's mid fall. A lot of the men wear long pants and some women too. I think they have a special secret that they're not sharing. It's my goal to figure it out.

Not only is it weird to walk on, it's black and reflects the heat.

Speaking of pants. HAHAHHA...why would anyone start a paragraph that way? I just skimmed through and saw the ridiculousness of that. I'm keeping it in, but still. So ridiculous. ANYWAY. The way Italians dress is so different. I guess I'd say they dress much better. I wouldn't guess, they do. They look stylish, and obviously take time to put themselves together. Especially the women who all have some type of heel on their shoe even on the cobblestone streets. It's one of the more impressive things to watch. A woman walking in a stiletto heel on the cobblestone streets. I respect them. The guy dress well too. There are no sweat pants in Rome. Not any that I've seen anyway. That's an easy way to spot who is American and who isn't, just by the way they're dressed.

Small death weapons

Transportation. I've already talked about the mass amount of walking, and again I attribute that a lot to being in a big city. I usually end up taking the tram two or four times a day. I live pretty far away from school so it helps a lot. I've done the whole bus and metro thing before so in some ways I have an idea of how it works. Here it is definitely different though. I realized really quickly that people don't pay for the bus or the tram. They never check. I've heard one story of tickets being checked so far but have never seen it. I have a month pass (for my class) but wouldn't have gotten one otherwise. It's risky because there is a big fine, but most people I know take the chance. With that, a LOT of people use public transportation. If you hit rush hour here the tram and bus are crazy. In America trams and buses run pretty regularly. Trams especially are every few minutes. Here they run whenever they want to, as a result sometimes a lot of people have to pile on. In America if a bus or train is full you wait for the next one, here they make it work. There have been times where I'm sandwhiched in so tight I can barely breathe. People are pushed up against the doors so that when they open they spill out and have to get on again. It's all a really funny experience, also really dirty and gross. It all depends on the people.

I don't know if this even shows the crowdedness well.

The rest of it is all kind of crazy here. In Rome...in Italy driving is very intense. I thought I saw crazy driving in Chicago or Detroit, but no. Here they mean business. Just because a light is red doesn't mean they will stop. Just because you're crossing the street doesn't mean they'll stop, sometimes they'll swerve to hit you (depending on your location). It's weird to see a tiny car or vespa coming at you so fast. Tiny tiny cars. There's no way American cars would make it here. In most cases they wouldn't fit down the streets. I'll put a picture up because that's the only way to really show it.

Nooo sidewalks.

And now onto everyone's favorite food. Of course the food is delicious here, really amazing. It's all carbs, but we walk a lot so hopefully it evens out. The real difference though is how they eat food. It's a big deal. When you go to eat expect to go for an hour, sometimes a few. You never see people walking and eating here, it's always sitting, talking with friends, and eating. I like this tradition too. This is probably my favorite difference about Italy.


Some smaller things, grafitti. is. everywhere. When I got here I thought that meant there were a lot of gangs. Seriously, haha, I was thinking it was going to be a definite experience. My Italian teacher explained they don't really have gangs here, it's all artists. Trastevere especially is full of aspiring artists. When you look at the graffiti it makes sense too. It's not the type I see at home. It's weird because here there is a LOT of theft. A lot. You need to watch your stuff at all times or it is gone. I thought people were exaggerating it but no. It's pretty intense. However, in Italy it's really hard to get a gun. People don't have them. I like that A LOT. It makes me feel safer. I mean obviously there are still threats out there, but I don't know, it's nice to not have to worry about getting shot. Lol, not that I worry about that a lot.

There are a lot of other differences that I can get into, I realize I've already done a lot. Little things like paying for the bathroom because there are hardly any public bathrooms (not so fond of this). The fact that basically everyone smokes. The fact that church is VERY important here, especially the dress codes and codes of conduct. That it seems like not only does everyone have a dog (even the homeless guys) but they take them everywhere. They take them in stores, restuarants, on the tram. Everywhere. Those are all important differences too, but pretty self explainitory.

I guess looking back, this picture is kind of creepy. Hopefully, you can look past that.


The interesting ones are the ones you have to look harder to get understand. If you stop and sit for a while, people watch I guess, you quickly see other things that are so different from home. Everyone here is so social. Always chatting and talking. It makes America seem very very closed off in comparison, and in reality it is. My Italian teacher said there's no word for privacy, and that's also so true. It's nice though, being so in touch with other people. Then again, sometimes you miss having alone time.

The pace of life is SOOOO much slower. No one is in a hurry to get anywhere (unless maybe at the train station, MAYBE). It's all a stroll, no fast walks, just very chill. For some reason this took me the longest to get used to. To switch over in such a big was is surprisingly difficult. I wonder if it will be weird at home?

People are much more blunt. Hahahha. They tell you what they mean and show you in body language too, just in case you don't understand. They don't tip here, at restaurants. This makes restaurants more of an experience hahaha. They do not have to be nice if they don't want, it's definitely not always smiling friendly service. If they're upset you know it. That too is surprisngly nice. I mean, me being me I never thought I'd like that. I do though, it's nice to know what people are thinking and feeling. I feel like at home sometimes there is a small fake-ness to things that can be problematic sometimes.

These three things are probably, aside from language, the biggest changes to me. They're not the first I noticed, but biggest in cultural difference. To finish, this blog is mostly for me. I wanted to make sure I got down these things so I don't forget. I think if I get anything out of this experience I want it to be my understanding of another culture, so I don't want to forget this stuff. If you're reading this I still think it's kind of neat (such a quaint little word....neat) to hear about differences. Maybe not. You can always just look at the pictures and make up your own story. Maybe something about clothes and a vespa. I don't know, just make it cool hahaha.

Theeeeeeee end.
Ciao!
Anna

The Weekend of Venice, Florence, and Pisa

This post has the possibility to be very long. I never know how long it will be, but so much happened I feel it's only right to warn all of you potential readers. Once again, good luck.

This weekend I visited Venice, Florence, and Pisa. That's a lot for one weekend, yes, but definitely worth it! I planned a trip out, on our own, for me, my roommates, and matt and brad. I had accidentally booked two extra beds so my friend AnneGray and her roommate joined too. They only went to Venice though. It turned out that everyone had the same idea about this weekend so about 20 John Cabot students ended up going too. In their own groups but it was fun to see them everywhere. Thursday night I went with AnneGray to see Harry Potter. That has nothing to do with the story, I was just excited to see a movie in English. Anyway. We left Friday morning at 6:50. It was much easier to get around the train station this time since we had some practice with Cinque Terre. My roommates bought their tickets that morning and had standing room only seats. So not only did we end up being separated but they sat in the club car for most of it. Trains themselves will have to be a blog on their own. It's a whole other experience. I keep getting off the subject, I'll try to focus more.

Okay so we got to Venice around 12:30 I think. We were all pretty tired and it was SO hot so we decided to go to our hostel first. Alright, when I booked this hostel it didn't say a specific location. We found out at the bus station we had to take a bus about 20 minutes out of Venice though. THAT was a little rough hahahaha. Luckily though the hostel was BEAUTIFUL! I can't even begin to describe. It's a bed and breakfast so that might help with some of the mental image. It had a gate that did that 'open sesame' thing which was a little creepy. Basically though it was a huge garden. It had ivy, fountains, a small bridge, flowers everywhere. The hostels were so clean and modern. Other than the location it really was awesome. Hahaha, my roommates thought we would for sure be murdered there because of the gate hahaha, but we're still alive so the gate is okay. We changed and rode the bus back into Venice. I can't describe Venice, or any of this trip really, in a way it deserves to be described. It has it's own feel and look. Just like the pictures but when you're there it feels so much different. Aside from the heat it was truely beautiful and so romantic. We got a big lunch at this cute restaurant where the waiter kept yelling at us for different reasons which was so funny. Then we all kind of split up to do our own thing. It was a pretty big group and it's easier in small groups.

The girls at the hostel

AnneGray and I went shopping for a while and ended up in San Marco Square. That was one of those surreal places that I keep talking about. It's the famous square in Venice where (if any of you have seen it) The Italian Job starts out. There are pigeons EVERYWHERE and people play with them like they are puppies. I still don't quite get that hahaha but it was fun to watch. AnneGray and I got a water and people watched for a long time. Little kids chasing pigeons, dancers, musicians. It was just. Awesome. 

San Marco's Square....amazing.

We got up to head to the train station to meet the group but ended up back at San Marco Square. I have no idea how. Venice is so far the most confusing place to get around in. We called the rest of the group to have them meet there because that's where the Gondolas were anyway. Because of how confusing Venice is we waited about 2 hours. Again, we didn't mind, people watching is fantastic. Unfortunately, by the time they got there it started POURING rain. Like huge hail and wind and craziness. We all sat and watched for a while. Then we made our way to the Hard Rock Cafe and got dinner. It's been a while since we've had more than just pasta so that was nice. We never did end up getting to ride a gondola, but it was okay. The storm was pretty amazing itself. After that we met Justyna to go home and she bought me a birthday drink hahaha. We went back to the hostels and instantly crashed.

The Storm

The next morning we got up and had a free breakfast. It was delicious breads, meats, and juice. Italian breakfasts are different than American. It's more like sandwhiches than sweets. We went back to Venice and really didn't have time for much else, our train for Florence left at 10:44. I wish we would have had a little more time in Venice, but what we saw was amazing. The train ride to Florence was a lot shorter so we got there around 1 and checked into our hostel. This one was PERFECT. It's called Luna Rossa and was right by the train station. Florence is smaller so it also happens to be right by everything too. Our room was right by the main office and we got free internet, free satellite tv, and free CALLS to the united states!! Francesca and Justyna took a nap and Jessica, Matt, Brad, and I went to get some lunch. After we picked up Francesca and Justyna and went shopping at the open markets. These places are so fun! It's pretty overwhelming because there's so much stuff, a lot looks the same, and EVERY vendor wants you to buy from him. They were all willing to bargain so if you were skilled you could get really good quality things for cheap. Of course Florence leather is what it's about so that's mainly what we bought. I can't belive I just said 'what it's all about.' I apologize for that. Anyway we finished shopping and went back to the room. My phone hasn't worked in a while so I could only call phone numbers I had memorized. I called Elise at Christmas and talked to her, mom, dad, aunt kate, and my cousin pat. They all sang Happy Birthday and I ended up REALLLLLY missing Christmas. I can't explain how much I can't wait for next year. It was great to get to talk to them. I also called Megan and talked to her for a long time. I hung up and yes I missed them all, but I was just so happy to be able to talk to them I was in a great mood.

We all changed into nicer clothes and went out to dinner. We found this amazing little restaurant that not only looked very Italian, had old Italian music playing (like dean martin and every other cliche' Italian song you know), candles at every table, and a singing waitress. It was just perfect. Jerry, Rigo, Alexis, and Tony joined us so we had a party of 10. The dinner was perfect. We had some wine, and they sang Happy Birthday to me over a candle and Jerry bought me a birthday rose hahaha. The waitress heard and brought over a free desert that I don't know the name of but was SO good (like flan I guess? I've never had flan but that's what Jessica said). They also gave everyone a glass of champagne and they sang again. We left the restaurant and headed out to the bars and clubs. From there I'll stop the story hahaha (if you really want to hear it you can always ask), but it was a great night and I had an awesome birthday.

Birthday Drinks!!

The next day I woke up at 8:30 in the morning and joined matt and brad in line to see the David. We waited about an hour with a couple from Chicago and two girls from New York. The wait was so worth it. The statue is MUCH bigger than I thought it would be. Probably something like 20 feet. I think. I suck at that type of guess. Everyone around the statue stood staring up at it with their mouths hanging open. It's great to see something like that and have everyone else be in just as much awe as you are. We left after looking around for a little longer and met up with the roommates and crew to wait in line to see the Duomo. It's this HUGE dome that I guess was the first dome ever built. We waited for about an hour and went it. That's where we found out the dome is closed on Sundays. Bummer. Matt, Brad, and I left and walked to where Galileo and Michealangelo are buried but again couldn't get in because we weren't in church attire (they take that VERY seriously). After that we went to Piazza Michelangelo. It's on the top of this huge hill that overlooks florence. It's a breathtaking view. We took goofy pictures and enjoyed the view for a while. Then headed down the hill.


Waiting in line for The David


Florence

I split off from here and met Justyna and Francesca at the train station. From there we paid 6 euros each way and went to Pisa. Yes. We saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa!! That's really the only thing that's there but to me it was so worth it. For some reason it was the craziest thing to see the tower up close like that!! To be so close to something you've seen hundreds of pictures of. To see how it actually looks. It's...so...yeah. I have no idea why this was such a surreal moment. We took about a half an hour of funny pictures and realized what time it was. We were running late and had to run to our train. I do mean run. It was a long run/walk/jog/sprint. We made it though!!! I'm so so glad we decided to randomly do that.


If you're there you have to take the tourist picture

We got back and I hadn't really gotten to eat a lot so I gave in and got some McDonalds for the train. I got too much and gave my chicken nuggets to a french woman next to me. She was the most greatful person!!! She lovedddd them. I never knew how valuable some nuggets were hahaha. It was a nice ride back.

When we got back we were obviously exhausted but it was such a great trip I didn't really care. It was such a great trip. It's odd to think of how much we saw in one weekend. I FINALLY, FINALLY got my phone charger!!!!!!!!!!! Yay! I haven't had one for two weeks and it's been so tough in that when you're lost in Rome it's nice to be able to call someone. I think it's made me a much better traveler. Hahaha maybe. I also got my camera cord! So hopefully pictures will be up soon! That's the general plan :-) So watch for those!

I think that's probably enough for now. I think I'm going to plan on a couple more this week. There's a LOT to write about for this week. We'll see what happens. So much excitement, and there's only a little time left!

You made it! Congratulations! Go give yourself some type of reward, you deserve it!

Ciao!
Anna

The Adventures of Anna and the place known as Cinque Terre

It's been a while since I updated. Maybe in days it hasn't been that long, but it feels like it has been a very long time. I think it's that I end up doing so much in one day they feel a lot longer. Also I STILL don't have my cell phone charger so my sense of time is completely gone. That, however, is not the point of this entry. If you'd like to see the complete summary of this entry but have little time, please scroll down to the bottom. The very last line, aside from my name, should tell you all you need to know. If you're bored and need something to read.....

The point. Cinque Terre. This weekend my roommates and I along with five other girls went to Cinque Terre. I'd only heard about this trip through Josie who went last summer and absolutely loved it, otherwise I don't know if I would have gone. We woke up at 4:30 am to head to the train station which was a pretty big struggle. Somehow, and I have no idea how, we made it to the train station at 6:30 (which was the time we had to be there). My roommates instantly fell back asleep and we all sat and waited for Stephanie to arrive with our tickets. At 7:10 we decided to call her and make sure we weren't supposed to do something else or were at the wrong place. I called her and it was really obvious she'd over slept. At first she was angry at me, for I guess waking her up then she panicked. She got there though at 7:40 and we made it. It's a four hour train ride most of which we slept for. Then there's a transfer to a local train which is another hour. When we got closer we went through mostly tunnels since we were going through mountains. Every once in a while it'd flash to the outdoors and you'd get a quick view of the Mediterranean Sea, which was to say the very least awesome. FINALLY we got to Cinque Terre.


Cinque Terre is a place on the cost of Italy that is a connection of five cities. The cities are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. We stayed in Riomaggiore for the weekend which I think was a great choice. The cities are connected by several hiking trails. A couple that go through the mountains and another that goes along the coast. As soon as we got there we decided to get our hiking and train passes so we could go whenever we want. The lady at the ticket center informed us that from 9 pm Saturday to 9 pm Sunday there would be a train strike. Not only did this mean that we probably wouldn't be going from city to city, but we might not be able to get home. Again, I called Stephanie who said they happen all the time in Italy and they have to run some trains so we shouldn't worry about it. At that point we were all tired from the train and decided to trust her.

We changed into our bathing suits, got some food, and went to the beach. When I say beach I don't mean sand, I mean rocks. Giant slabs of rock and marble that were in the water. You had to climb very carefully over and around rocks to find one big enough to lay out on and not so slanted you'd slide off. It was actually pretty cool. Something very different. I went with two girls named Suzie and Sarah and it took us a while to find the right one, but it was worth it. It was right over the water so that when waves hit occasionally it would mist you. We layed out for a few hours talking and sleeping. At one point I just looked out over the water with my head phones on playing some music. It was absolutely perfect. Just perfectly peaceful.


The Rock Beach

After a while we got up and got some food and, of course, gelato. Then we went back to the rocks to watch the sunset. This time I was MUCH cooler and wore flip flops. I slipped on a rock and almost fell between two into the abyss but caught myself. My shoe was not so lucky. I recovered and we watched the sunset over the mountain, into the sea. Again, I don't think I can really explain how peaceful and amazing it was. We went to bed early because we wanted to get up and head out at 8 to hike.


The Sunset

We ACTUALLY got up at 8 and went out to hike. Hahhaha, Suzie, Sarah, and I grabbed a quick breakfast and started when it was still cool out. From the first city to the second it was all along the water, which was bright blue and completley clear. I think I'll refrain from amazing because that word is getting old. It was such an easy trail I wasn't too worried. The second to the third city was pretty much the same, those two flew by. The third to the fourth started out the same except we got to a bunch of stairs. At the top it says something like 'congratulations you've just climbed 382 stairs' I wasn't as pumped as the sign was. We made it though and were still on a roll. That's when they get you. You start going up the mountain, not on stairs but more like random rocks. Then you'd go downhill on the same type of rocks hoping you wouldn't lean to much and trip. Unfortunately mom, this trail was not for you. I kept thinking about that the whole time. I don't really know why. There was a LOT of time to think. We got to the fourth city and were exhausted. It was about 12:30 so it was really hot. We took a break there and got lunch and cooled off a little. At the time that was a great idea. When we started for the fifth city I regretted that instantly. It's always hard to start going again and in this case it was instantly straight up the mountain. That part for sure was the hardest. I'm not saying this because it's me and I'm out of shape with a knee that no person or...thing should have hahaha. Everyone was struggling. We'd stop for a second to catch our breath or get water and so would everyone else. We met a LOT of people from all over the world that we would see repeatedly on the hike. That was really cool. We were bonded by the fact we were all dying together. It was weirdly nice. The last part of the hike was all downhill. That sounds nice but it's hard to keep your balance on those stairs and it's a long way down. At that point the trail was wide enough for maybe one person to walk on so there was a lot of concentration going on. We made it though. The whole way. I know on the inside we were MUCH more excited about that than we looked on the outside. We took the train back, showered, and napped. I got dinner with Francesca where a creepy old Italian waiter was hitting on her. I thought it was funny, she didn't. Suzie, Sarah, and I met up again and got pina coladas, nutella cake, and sat out by the water. Again...*insert amazing word of choice*. I went to bed early because I was tired. That's reason enough.


Sooo many stairs


Totally worth it.

Sunday we woke up and realized the trains definitely weren't running. The hostel place told us our cheapest option would be to call two taxis to take us. It would be about 40 euros each taxi. I called Stephanie again to ask if this is what we should do and if we could get reimbursed for the taxi ride since we had already paid for our train ticket (and also calculated we paid a 50 euro service fee to her to plan this trip and handle things like this). She was NOT happy about this. She basically just got very defensive and was upset with our whole group. We got our own taxis and when we got to the train station, called her again to talk to her about it. This time she was just yelling at me so another girl talked to her and was much more forecfull. It was all kind of upsetting. In the end she made everyone VERY unhappy with her service. We loved Cinque Terre but just not the service we got from our travel agent. I think if she simply would have been apologetic or at least somewhat professional we would have understood but she was neither of those things. It made me understand how important it is to treat people with respect. Not that I didn't know that before, but just saw how especially in stressful situations it's so important to keep calm.

Other than the travel agency I absolutely loved the trip. I know the other girls felt the same way. I think Cinque Terre is one of those places that not many people know about but is something everyone should see! It's not very expensive and I honestly would recommend it to anyone. I know that sounded like a sales pitch, but it really was so beautiful and all together great.

This weekend all my roommates and I along with a lot of other JCU students are heading to Venice and Florence. It should be a great time! I doubt I'll get another chance to update this week, I have an exam and lots of catching up to do. I do get to check my facebook a lot so if you do want to get a hold of me that's a great option. Which is nice!

To sum up. I loved my weekend.
Anna

The Pope. Italy's Rockstar.

A forward. I wrote this early part yesterday, pretty much right after I came back from the Vatican. Then there was an opportunity for gelato and it was important that I took it. SO half way through this becomes a day later, which makes the beginning sentence of this next paragraph a half lie. I apologize. Continue on.

I know it's only been one day but this morning I have a lot to report on. I woke up at 6...am. My roommates went to the bar last night and were supposed to join me, but sleep was very needed. So I headed out on an adventure by myself. This adventure is one I like to call 'Pope Bound 2009'. I went to the Tiber River stop on Trastevre and walked down the river. I hadn't been to St. Peter's Basilica before and was getting worried I was lost. My brave little phone has been hanging on for 7 and a half days now. I left the charger at home and my parents are sending it to me, my phone however couldn't make it that long. It did, however, allow me one last phone call to the tour guide to ask where to go. I got directions and then the phone died. The tour guide informed me we weren't meeting anymore and apparently didn't need tickets so I was severely on my own. It was a pretty sad moment. I made it to St. Peter's pretty easily. Every once in a while stopping to ask Italians if I was right by signing the cross and pointing. Hahaha, that was actually pretty cool. I got there though!! A little victory for me.

The Vatican

At eight in the morning St. Peter's is so quiet. I bought three rosaries and went through security to get a quick peek at the Vatican before going to the Audience of the Pope. It's beautiful, stunning really. I want to go again in the morning when I can spend more time. It's a good thing I left when I did because the line was already OUTRAGEOUS. Here is the part where I'm going to digress a little. Today I learned to appreciate ropes and single file lines. I learned waiting in that line is not nearly as annoying as I used to think it was. In fact, I might go find a line when I get home and wait in that just to show the US system how much I appreciate it. Italian lines are NOTHING like ours. In fact, line not even the right phrase. I'd call it more of a mosh pit. Everyone just rushes the entrance so you have to squeeze your way through and it's only so long before everyone stops and waits. If you are clostrophobic or hate being touched do not do this. Ever. I was completely sandwhiched the entire time. Surrounded by a mass amount of people who were pushing as hard as they could to get a little closer. At one point I literally could not move anything but my head, not because of what I would touch, but because it was that tight. I learned quickly to keep my hands up and my bag in front of me and be aggressive. Hahaha, I'm normally not that aggressive of a person but here you had to be. If you showed any hesitation, you lost your spot to 5 ready people. The worst culprits of this were, of all people, the nuns. Man they were on a mission for sure. I think if I would have fallen it would have been death by nuns. Anyway, I'm sure I'm being repetative here but I just cannot describe how crazy these lines were.

Sooo many people!!

So skip 45 minutes and I'm inside. I think it was actually not so bad that I was alone. For one we for sure would have lost each other in the line, but also I got to sit at the very front of the general section because there were open single seats. There's still the reserved section ahead of that but it's not very big. I could see really well. I guess I should tell you what I was going for hahaha. The Pope was giving a blessing today, to people there, and any religious items you had (hence the rosaries). I got in at about 9 and it didn't start until 10:30. It was packed right away though with people from all over the world. It felt just like a rock concert. People were doing chants and those annoying hand clapping patterns. A children's group from columbia brought instruments and were playing Spanish music. Cameras were everywhere and people were just freaking out with excitement. Mostly the older women. I imagine they did the same for Elvis...or Frank Sinatra..or some foreign super star. I was sitting next to a small family from Argentina. I can't believe how much Spanish I remember. I had a small conversation with them about where I was from and where they were from. Why they were here and they asked me how to say a few simple things in English. It was really cool.

The lady behind me kills me in this picture, so I put it up so you all could laugh too.

Then it finally started. The Pope came out and it was a huge roar or applause and cheering and whistles. Chants started soon after that and I was kind of confused. I figured that everyone would be really reverent because it's a bunch of catholics in front of THE catholic. You don't normally see a lot of craziness, but it's totally different there. There were a bunch of...bishops maybe or cardinals or whoever wear the red caps, I can't remember on the side. Each one spoke a different language so for the readings we went through it for each language. The ones I remember are French, German, English, Latin, Italian, Spanish, Polish, and maybe Russian. I didn't know the last one. So everything took a long time. 

The Pope. THE Pope.

Halfway through what I think was the Polish one I took time to look around. To kind of take in the moment I guess. It's amazing to see people's faces at an event like this. For this part I truly cannot describe anything. Maybe it was dumb to bring up. But I personally just want to try and remember the emotions I saw. That experience alone was enough for me.

The Pope speaking in one of the many languages

This is where that forward at the beginning comes in to play. Overall I'm sure that going to see the Pope, no matter how early, was a great decision. I don't think it even matters what you believe really, well I'm sure in some ways it does. But there's a LOT of self reflection that goes on and a lot of thought that happens (at least in my experience). If anything I learned that it's good to take advantage of as many opportunities as you can because they can lead you to some amazing things. That could be related to anything I guess. I just saw, first hand, a prime example of that. Even if I did have to wake up at 6 am.

That's really all there is to report for now. Tomorrow (Friday) we don't have school. It's a mon-thurs week. So my roommates and I are going on a trip through JCU. It's a three day trip to Cinque Terre and Portofino. I'm really excited about it but exhausted right now. I'm slowly figuring out these are all probably going to be long. I write a lot. So just skim, read what you want, whatever seems right. Hahaha. If you have gotten to this line, congratulations, maybe you should take a nap too. I'm sure you're tired. More later at some point.

Ciao!

Anna

The Thing About Study Abroad is There's Studying Involved

Alright so it's been a little bit. I finally found some time to do this, so that is the plan. I've done a lot since I last posted. Friday night I went with Rosa (to recap my GVSU RA) and some friends out to Campo di Fiori which is where all the bars are and a lot of Americans. I guess it's a pretty dangerous place but it was a large group, it was fun, and I didn't die so I'm satisfied with my decision. Saturday morning I met up with a few friends I met the night before and we went on a walking tour of Rome. Our tour guide was a speedy little guy so it was more like a sprinting tour of Rome. We saw the Pantheon, the Trevi fountain, the olympic stadium, the fountain of four rivers, lots of different embassies, and many other things that were also very interesting. However, it was REALLY hot. I don't think I can explain how hot it is here during the day. We all just sweat a lot. I'm sure you all love knowing that but it's true. The Italians though have some sort of trick that I don't know to looking like this is nothing. Maybe because it is nothing to them. That could be it. Anyway, the tour ended on the Spanish steps and he just left us. We had no idea how to get back and were too hot to search right away so we went to a restaurant and had lots of food! That helps, until you get back outside. It's still hot out there. After a total of five hours I got home. I mini celebrated by taking a shower and a nap. Then woke up and met up again with friends and went to the Tiber River. At night they have tents set up all along it. Some are restaurants, some are shops, and a couple are carnival tents. It's really pretty cool.

Sunday was awesome. There was an organized trip to Sperlonga that my roommates, matt, brad, sid, and maureen (new freinds hahaha) and I went on. It was a two hour bus ride there but so worth it. It's a beach town on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It's surrounded by mountains and a town that looks like it could be Greece. The houses are built into the hill on top of each other. Maureen and I swam in the sea (which was 75-80 degrees) which was sooo nice compared to how hot it was. It was really just the perfect beach day, so relaxing and gorgeous. The drive back to Rome was 3 hours though, and that was prettttty long. Then we went to McDonalds. I'm not ashamed, it was delicious.


On a hill in Sperlonga.

Monday started classes. I had Italian which is interesting. It's cool to learn but hard because it's so similar to Spanish they get mixed up in my head so easily. It's probably going to end up being pretty challenging. We go through things SO quickly. They try to put a whole semester into 5 weeks. It's a lot. After my roommates, sid, and his roommate tim and I went to the spanish steps. We saw the Pantheon and Trevi fountain again but this time through a coin into it. If you do that you will some day return to Rome. So that's all set. I threw one in for Megan too. That was she can just go to Rome hahaha. We got to the Spanish steps which is also the shopping district. They only have sales twice a year in Italy, not like the US. Once in the summer and once in the winter, so that's going on right now. Sid and Jessica went to check out Gucci, Prada, Boss, ect and Tim, Francesca, Justyna, and I climbed the Spanish steps. It's beautiful up there. If you go allllll the way up you can see out over Rome. It's...great. We didn't get lost going back this time. We took a new route and got to see where Julius Cesar was said to have been killed. It's surreal standing in some place like that. There are a lot of those moments.


Throwing our coins in the Trevi fountain


Where Julius Cesar died.


Today I had my first class of Ancient Rome and It's Monuments. The class is going to be insanely interesting because it's all on site, but it's also going to be really tough. Lots of reading, two exams, an oral report, and a term paper in a 5 week span. Plus it's a four hour walking class. We just meet at the site, so it's important that I can actually find the site. That's not as easy as it sounds either. Hahaha, overall I think it's going really well. A lot to do, take in, and process, but that's all part of the experience.

This weekend my roommates and I are going to Cinque Terre and Portofino. I'm pumped about that. Hopefully I'll update before then so these entries stop being so small novel like. Until then..

Ciao!
Anna

To Start With

Alright, so I created a blog. This is it. To start with, there could be a lot of spelling errors for a couple reasons. I'm not a great speller and Italian keyboards are different than American ones. You can choose whichever excuse you'd like. This particular post is really long. I like to write a lot and it covers a couple of days. I apologize.Francesca and I waiting at the Detroit Airport!!

To begin with I'm finally in Roma (Rome...if this location was a mystery to you). The flight was pretty long. I watched four movies. 17 Again, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Pink Panther 2, and I love you, man. That's a lot of slightly okay movies. I flew over with Francesca (who goes to CMU with me) and overall there were no real problems aside from lack of sleep. I'm going to blame this mostly on teenager #2 of 35 who sat directly in front of me and would not accept that his seat would go back no farther. We had our layover in Germany and then another hour and a half flight to Rome. That second flight was beautiful, at least what I saw of it when I'd occasionally wake up to snap circulation back into my wrist. We got to John Cabot and went through a very short orientation process and then got shipped to our apartment. I decided that I am not built to drive in Rome. I think I'd insta-cry if I had to do that. If you know anyone who's ever driven in Rome, or if you ever meet an Italian driver give them instant respect. The streets are insane. Rules do not apply here. They are all very small streets with very small cars who know how to park in spaces the car shouldn't fit in. Anyway. We got to our apartment which is about a 30-45 min walk from JCU and a 20 min tram walking combo. I found out I'm living with the two other girls from CMU so that worked out. Also, randomly, my RA from Grand Valley is going here. That was cool. She's not living with me. Do not get confused.

The view from my balcony

The apartment is awesome. It's on the third, which means 4th, floor. It's so big. Two big bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, an entry room, and a living room fully furnished. There's a random weird excersize bike, books left behind, creepy paintings, and other little things that are always fun to find around. Each bedroom has a balcony which looks out onto the street and since we're on a hill you can see for miles depending where you look. There's no TV which is a bummer, but my ipod is saving me which I'll thank Lise for again when I get home.

Last night we went out to find things we needed and get some food. In a matter of five minutes the skies turned from clear to run away dark and there was a huge storm, it didn't last long. Francesca, Jessica (another roommate) and I watched it pour from some steps leading to an apartment. A man, woman, and their bull dog were also there. They didn't speak English but we bonded. Then we bought things we needed with a lot of pointing and nodding and hoping we'd get what it is we were trying to say. I bought a fan from some hong-kong store. It has a foot on it but it's the best investment I've made so far. We went to this little pizza place that was delicious and pretty cheap and at that point any food would have been great. It's so cool to be in a country so different and listening to people talk and not having a clue what they're saying. We all went to bed at about 9 last night and I don't think that was enough sleep. My bed creaks, and not just a little, like it screams if you breathe too hard. I think it's funny. Francesca probably does not. My phone isn't working but random guy selling phones helped me so hopefully I will win and learn how to use it. Which is great because I forgot my charger at home so for a couple hours I'll understand.  

Today is orientation at JCU. We had to find our way with a map they gave us. Somehow we made it here because the street signs are so confusing and the streets don't always look like streets. More like paths that baby cars drive on. I've had a lot of information to learn today. It is still hot. We sign up for trips we can take on the weekend and there's so many choices. I think all my roommates and I are going to do at least 4 of them. One is a trip through Tuscany with wine tasting, one goes through cinque-terre (I know that can't be spelled right), and the last is a private island in the mediterranean. We have 5 weekends and hopefully we can hit venice for one. This weekend we're going to a private beach. I'm not upset about that hahaha. Tonight we're going out which will also be great. We have a meet and greet at 5 at a small bar by JCU, if you were wondering about my future. I think it's awesome that it's at a bar, that the college worked that out for us hahahaha. Okay, I'm sorry this is long. There is air conditioning in here so I took my time.

I do miss home. If I didn't say that. I do. Well, I miss people not so much the location. However, I am in Rome so having fun is working out too :-) I know once I get my phone working things will work out much better.

I'll try to update this when I can. For now ciao.
Anna