Mom and Brenda left at 5am!!! Mucho sad to see them go, but I shall be seeing them again soon enough as I come home in 12 days!!!!! :D :D :D
I love Italy, and I LOVE the experiences I have had here, but I am ready to be among 24 hour conveniance stores, english TV, radio, texting, unlimited nights and weekends, the US dollar, work (hopefully), and MEXICAN FOOD!!!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Northern Italy
Venice!!
Oh, how I love this city. In the days of Shakespeare, Venice was the place to be….not much has changed. The paved streets are busy with activity, as are the murky blue canals. People are chatting everywhere, shops glitter with the famous Murano glass, waiters beckon you into their particular cafes, and the magnificent domes of San Marco loom over all of it. It is beautiful. Some day, I have to come back.
We arrived after our 8 hour bus ride in only semi high spirits. We had to be up at five to make it here on schedule. I slept the entire way here, and thus never noticed the time go by. We dropped our stuff off at our hotel and went on a walking tour around the city with the various members of staff that were with us. EVERYONE came on the Northern Italy trip. Dr. Hatile, Dr. Flusche, Dr. Waterman Ward (and family), Professor Blue (and family), etc.
It seems like Venice would be a place where one could easily get lost (I nearly did a thousand times), but thankfully it isn’t really that bad. The Basilica of San Marco is just about the biggest central area you could hope for, and signs all over the city lead you right to it. If it’s too far to walk to wherever you need to go, you can always take a water taxi!!!
Venice is expensive, no denying that. I don’t even what to THINK about how much I have spent on gifts so far!! It is going to be a FANTASTIC Christmas!!!!!
After our walking tours, we had free time for awhile. Most of us wandered around the city and met back at the basilica for mass, then went to dinner. The entirety of a cute little trattoria was rented out for us for dinner both nights.
I was dead beat after dinner and so went back to the hotel, showered, and passed out. I brought TWO books with me on this trip and haven’t so much as touched one yet. If the rest of this trip continues to be like day one I doubt I will get an opportunity to read anything more than a dinner menu!
Day two in Venice was just as busy as the evening before. We woke up at about 7:30ish, had breakfast at the hotel, then split up in various groups depending on whichever tour we signed up for the previous week. I signed up for all the tours on this trip based on the prof. that was leading them. Flusche first thing!!! She was taking a group on a tour of the Basilica. I won’t say another word about it, except you MUST experience it for yourself some day. It is a real hodgepodge of architecture. There was a lot of byzantine influence on its construction, so it looks a lot like an eastern church. It is chock full of glittering mosaics, which are absolutely dazzling. The body of St. Mark lies underneath the main altar as well. Go see it, people!
After the tour, I walked around a bit, did some shopping, had a calzone, then hopped on a boat to go to the island of Murano and see the glass blowing factory there. That’s where I did the majority of my gift buying. I really couldn’t help myself. I just saw so many things that reminded me of people back home. Seeing glass blown is extremely interesting. There is no school where you can learn to do it. It is a tradition that must be passed down through a family. To become a master glassblower, you have to practice for about 25 years. Talk about a lifetime profession!!
Professor Blue’s little girls, Hannah and Cora were having a BALL watching the glass being blown. I picked Hanna up and had a front row seat! She was so cute!! VERY well behaved little girls in a room full of glass. When I was their age I probably would have given my parents a heart attack.
We made our way back to the hotel to drop our stuff off and then Lindsey and I went for bellinis before dinner. After dinner I decided to call it an early night and get a shower and crash. I am absolutely beat AGAIN!. Will I ever have enough energy again? I feel old.
Denise isn’t back yet, but I really hope I hear her knock before I pass out…..
Ciao!
Florence!!
I like Florence, don’t get me wrong, but it hasn’t got the romance that Venice does. It is very Americanized and very much a student center. The place is literally CRAWLING with American students studying abroad. It’s no wonder, as there is lots to see.
The first day we checked in, unpacked a bit, cleaned up, went on another guided tour of the city led by Dr. Hatlie, went to mass, went to dinner, and had some free time. Florence is famous for its leather market, which stretches all the way around a church and down the street. I got a leather jacket---still expensive even after some haggling. It is incredibly soft and definitely worth it.
The next day we had mandatory visits to the Ufizzi Museum (did I even spell that right?) and tours with different profs. I went with Blue to hear him talk about Machiavelli. I was a little disappointed. I think I am just museum-ed out, to tell the truth. It was pretty awesome seeing Botticelli’s Birth of Venus though. I’m a fan. After that, not a lot went on. A bunch of people did go to a bar that night that was apparrantly serving 5 shots for 5 euro, but that sounded a little ridiculous to me so I skipped out and sort of wandered around the city for awhile.
The next day, we went to the Academia Museum to see the David and then we took off for Assisi. We haven’t been here long, but I can already say I love it here. It is a very quaint little town. Unfortunately Franciscan churches are not renouned for their beauty—they are usually very starkly decorated. I didn’t go on the guided tour (which was thankfully optional this time), but instead wandered around a bit on my own. Everyone here is very friendly, and it isn’t too expensive. The hotel we are staying in is quite nice too. I did pop into a church too see the garments of St. Frances of Assisi and the body of St. Claire.
Dinner time!!
Ciao!
Assisi!!!
This small town winds and bends all over the hills of Northern Italy. It is impossible to get lost, bored, or hungry here.
Our first night, I wasn't in the mood for the guided tours, so I spent a lot of time on my own just walking around the place. I bought a cannoli and munched on it while I watched the sun go down over the city....the city itself then proceeded to light up like a christmas tree. it was beautiful.
After that I started feeling like a loner, so i made my way to dinner and attempted to be social...no go.....the wine tasting that Monsignor put on for us helped a lot.I spent that evening traipsing around assisi, picking up a few small souvineers, eating gelato, stopping into a few churches to pray, and then going to bed.
The next morning, we woke up early, went to the Basilica of St. Francis, listened to a lecture from Dr. V. and had a few hours to walk around some more (optional tours were available but declined) before lunch. I bonded a bit with some of my suite-mates from back on the Rome campus. Lunch was uneventful, as was the bus ride home....where I now sit writing this.
So much to do tonight!!! classes start up again tomorrow, paper due thursday and exam friday. shoot me.
CIAO!!!!
Oh, how I love this city. In the days of Shakespeare, Venice was the place to be….not much has changed. The paved streets are busy with activity, as are the murky blue canals. People are chatting everywhere, shops glitter with the famous Murano glass, waiters beckon you into their particular cafes, and the magnificent domes of San Marco loom over all of it. It is beautiful. Some day, I have to come back.
We arrived after our 8 hour bus ride in only semi high spirits. We had to be up at five to make it here on schedule. I slept the entire way here, and thus never noticed the time go by. We dropped our stuff off at our hotel and went on a walking tour around the city with the various members of staff that were with us. EVERYONE came on the Northern Italy trip. Dr. Hatile, Dr. Flusche, Dr. Waterman Ward (and family), Professor Blue (and family), etc.
It seems like Venice would be a place where one could easily get lost (I nearly did a thousand times), but thankfully it isn’t really that bad. The Basilica of San Marco is just about the biggest central area you could hope for, and signs all over the city lead you right to it. If it’s too far to walk to wherever you need to go, you can always take a water taxi!!!
Venice is expensive, no denying that. I don’t even what to THINK about how much I have spent on gifts so far!! It is going to be a FANTASTIC Christmas!!!!!
After our walking tours, we had free time for awhile. Most of us wandered around the city and met back at the basilica for mass, then went to dinner. The entirety of a cute little trattoria was rented out for us for dinner both nights.
I was dead beat after dinner and so went back to the hotel, showered, and passed out. I brought TWO books with me on this trip and haven’t so much as touched one yet. If the rest of this trip continues to be like day one I doubt I will get an opportunity to read anything more than a dinner menu!
Day two in Venice was just as busy as the evening before. We woke up at about 7:30ish, had breakfast at the hotel, then split up in various groups depending on whichever tour we signed up for the previous week. I signed up for all the tours on this trip based on the prof. that was leading them. Flusche first thing!!! She was taking a group on a tour of the Basilica. I won’t say another word about it, except you MUST experience it for yourself some day. It is a real hodgepodge of architecture. There was a lot of byzantine influence on its construction, so it looks a lot like an eastern church. It is chock full of glittering mosaics, which are absolutely dazzling. The body of St. Mark lies underneath the main altar as well. Go see it, people!
After the tour, I walked around a bit, did some shopping, had a calzone, then hopped on a boat to go to the island of Murano and see the glass blowing factory there. That’s where I did the majority of my gift buying. I really couldn’t help myself. I just saw so many things that reminded me of people back home. Seeing glass blown is extremely interesting. There is no school where you can learn to do it. It is a tradition that must be passed down through a family. To become a master glassblower, you have to practice for about 25 years. Talk about a lifetime profession!!
Professor Blue’s little girls, Hannah and Cora were having a BALL watching the glass being blown. I picked Hanna up and had a front row seat! She was so cute!! VERY well behaved little girls in a room full of glass. When I was their age I probably would have given my parents a heart attack.
We made our way back to the hotel to drop our stuff off and then Lindsey and I went for bellinis before dinner. After dinner I decided to call it an early night and get a shower and crash. I am absolutely beat AGAIN!. Will I ever have enough energy again? I feel old.
Denise isn’t back yet, but I really hope I hear her knock before I pass out…..
Ciao!
Florence!!
I like Florence, don’t get me wrong, but it hasn’t got the romance that Venice does. It is very Americanized and very much a student center. The place is literally CRAWLING with American students studying abroad. It’s no wonder, as there is lots to see.
The first day we checked in, unpacked a bit, cleaned up, went on another guided tour of the city led by Dr. Hatlie, went to mass, went to dinner, and had some free time. Florence is famous for its leather market, which stretches all the way around a church and down the street. I got a leather jacket---still expensive even after some haggling. It is incredibly soft and definitely worth it.
The next day we had mandatory visits to the Ufizzi Museum (did I even spell that right?) and tours with different profs. I went with Blue to hear him talk about Machiavelli. I was a little disappointed. I think I am just museum-ed out, to tell the truth. It was pretty awesome seeing Botticelli’s Birth of Venus though. I’m a fan. After that, not a lot went on. A bunch of people did go to a bar that night that was apparrantly serving 5 shots for 5 euro, but that sounded a little ridiculous to me so I skipped out and sort of wandered around the city for awhile.
The next day, we went to the Academia Museum to see the David and then we took off for Assisi. We haven’t been here long, but I can already say I love it here. It is a very quaint little town. Unfortunately Franciscan churches are not renouned for their beauty—they are usually very starkly decorated. I didn’t go on the guided tour (which was thankfully optional this time), but instead wandered around a bit on my own. Everyone here is very friendly, and it isn’t too expensive. The hotel we are staying in is quite nice too. I did pop into a church too see the garments of St. Frances of Assisi and the body of St. Claire.
Dinner time!!
Ciao!
Assisi!!!
This small town winds and bends all over the hills of Northern Italy. It is impossible to get lost, bored, or hungry here.
Our first night, I wasn't in the mood for the guided tours, so I spent a lot of time on my own just walking around the place. I bought a cannoli and munched on it while I watched the sun go down over the city....the city itself then proceeded to light up like a christmas tree. it was beautiful.
After that I started feeling like a loner, so i made my way to dinner and attempted to be social...no go.....the wine tasting that Monsignor put on for us helped a lot.I spent that evening traipsing around assisi, picking up a few small souvineers, eating gelato, stopping into a few churches to pray, and then going to bed.
The next morning, we woke up early, went to the Basilica of St. Francis, listened to a lecture from Dr. V. and had a few hours to walk around some more (optional tours were available but declined) before lunch. I bonded a bit with some of my suite-mates from back on the Rome campus. Lunch was uneventful, as was the bus ride home....where I now sit writing this.
So much to do tonight!!! classes start up again tomorrow, paper due thursday and exam friday. shoot me.
CIAO!!!!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Things are winding down and winding up......
One more month to go, approximately, and I will be on American soil again.
I am excited, but there is no denying that this semester has been incredibly amazing, and has taught me a lot. That is NOT me being sappy, that is plain fact.
I have learned a lot about myself and the people around me. Some things are not so nice, some are fabulous. Ive made new friends and discovered new things about old friends. I can get around the world pretty well on my own, I can order coffee almost anywhere in Europe, I can figure out public transportation, I can eat onions without wanting to throw up....really, a lot's changed.
Things on campus are buzzing again. We leave for our northern Italy trip tomorrow bright and early at 6:30am. An eight hour bus ride will take us to Venice where we will spend a couple days seeing all the city has to offer. From there we will go to Florence, and then Assisi. It should be beautiful and informative. Dr. F and Dr. H are BOTH going with us. We have lectures and tours everywhere, and, in keeping with tradition, it is supposed to rain the entire time. Woot.
After we get back from northern Italy, we have a pretty hectic week. Papers due, exmas, a soccer tournament. Then, my mother and sister are coming to see me. I can't wait!!!! I miss my family a lot. Who can blame me, really, they are pretty awesome. I am going to spend Thanksgiving break showing them around Rome and telling them all I've learned. I think my mom deserves a pretty awesome guided tour considering the tuition this oh so wonderful school charges. Hopefully my notes wont let me down....eep!!
Everyone here is just trucking along through the rest of the semester. Tempers seem to run high in my part of the dorm, though I don't quite understand why some people are so pissed off all the time. Nor do I understand why my mere existence seems to constantly offend and irritate.
I suppose the best I can do is let them work through whatever is bothering them and back off......until they are more pleasant to be around that is.
What would be the use of snapping back? To make things more stressful for everyone around us.
I think not. Plus, I don't quite know if I could purposefully take my anger out on people quite like that...I was raised better.
PS. I work very hard for every grade I get. My religion, or "ability to bullshit" has nothing to do with it. I just wanted to put that out there because it happened to be on my mind.
Peace, out.
Mira
I am excited, but there is no denying that this semester has been incredibly amazing, and has taught me a lot. That is NOT me being sappy, that is plain fact.
I have learned a lot about myself and the people around me. Some things are not so nice, some are fabulous. Ive made new friends and discovered new things about old friends. I can get around the world pretty well on my own, I can order coffee almost anywhere in Europe, I can figure out public transportation, I can eat onions without wanting to throw up....really, a lot's changed.
Things on campus are buzzing again. We leave for our northern Italy trip tomorrow bright and early at 6:30am. An eight hour bus ride will take us to Venice where we will spend a couple days seeing all the city has to offer. From there we will go to Florence, and then Assisi. It should be beautiful and informative. Dr. F and Dr. H are BOTH going with us. We have lectures and tours everywhere, and, in keeping with tradition, it is supposed to rain the entire time. Woot.
After we get back from northern Italy, we have a pretty hectic week. Papers due, exmas, a soccer tournament. Then, my mother and sister are coming to see me. I can't wait!!!! I miss my family a lot. Who can blame me, really, they are pretty awesome. I am going to spend Thanksgiving break showing them around Rome and telling them all I've learned. I think my mom deserves a pretty awesome guided tour considering the tuition this oh so wonderful school charges. Hopefully my notes wont let me down....eep!!
Everyone here is just trucking along through the rest of the semester. Tempers seem to run high in my part of the dorm, though I don't quite understand why some people are so pissed off all the time. Nor do I understand why my mere existence seems to constantly offend and irritate.
I suppose the best I can do is let them work through whatever is bothering them and back off......until they are more pleasant to be around that is.
What would be the use of snapping back? To make things more stressful for everyone around us.
I think not. Plus, I don't quite know if I could purposefully take my anger out on people quite like that...I was raised better.
PS. I work very hard for every grade I get. My religion, or "ability to bullshit" has nothing to do with it. I just wanted to put that out there because it happened to be on my mind.
Peace, out.
Mira
Monday, November 2, 2009
TEN DAY
DAY ONE
Today turned out to be an absolutely amazing day. We left the Rome campus at about 5:55pm, got on a bus, and went to Champino airport. There are about 16 of us who went from Rome to Dublin straight away. The plane ride is a little hazy to me, because I slept through most of it. Apparently some woman passed out. It didn’t seem to take too long, and I survived another Ryanair flight.
The Dublin airport is HUGE. Walking through it seemed to take forever. I was in awe of the English and Gaelic signs everywhere. One thing I learned today was that Gaelic or “Irish” as they refer to the language, is taught in schools much like Spanish is taught in American schools (aka DRILLED into the minds of students everywhere, who promptly forget all of it). It is still spoken in the very north and south bits of Ireland. It went a little out of style, and they are trying to bring it back. At Trinity University, they have a dorm where you can speak ONLY Irish.
We checked into our hostel----VERY nice place called the Marlborough Hostel (NOT named after the brand of cigs) and went out to try and find an open bar. We were all thirsty.
We did find one, although I don’t remember the name of it. 10 Euro and two pints later, Denise, Shelsea, Lacy, and I had all made a new friend. His name was Gary (pronounced Gah-ree). He introduced us to some friends of his, and we spent the whole night chatting at Burger King. They like BK a lot in Europe….strange.
That is another thing. PEOPLE ARE SO FRIENDLY HERE. They hear us talking from a distance, pick up on our American accents, and LOVE US IMMEDIATELY.
Gary is a college freshman with braces and skater boy hair. He is a very deep kid and I was impressed. He introduced us to his friends, one of whom is named Fee. I am in LOVE with her name. She and I have the same birthday. By the end of the night we all had our named scribbled on her arm for Facebook purposes. We all just chilled and talked about all things Irish and American. Then we went home. We are SUPPOSED to go out with them tomorrow night, but that is IF she remembers to facebook friend one of us and give us directions to this pub. Hopefully she will, I really like her.
That’s about it for tonight. It is 5am and I am exhausted. CIAO!
DAY TWO
We did NOT get a lot of sleep last night. Waking up this morning was hell, but we managed it. Showered and out the door by 11:30. Went to a souvenir store called Carrols—interesting place for gifts and stuff. Cheap.
We were starving, so we stopped into this small pub for some lunch and a pint. It was only 11am and people were already drinking. Whyyyy am I not surprised!?!?
Men are very forward in this country. They like to come up to you and tell you about how in love with you they are. They aren’t too touchy which is FINE with me. They smell fermented.
Obama is extremely popular. They even have t-shirts with his picture on it. I am keeping my mouth SHUT
After eating, Shelsea and Lacy headed to visit the Guinness Brewery while Denise and I walked around town.
We stopped in at Trinity College, a few stores, walked down the river, etc. We didn’t do a whole lot, really. Mostly, we just took in the city. People watching in Dublin is fantastic.
We did go to the Jamison Whisky Distillery and got a tour. It was fantastic, and I discovered my new drink---yes, it is mine: Jamison and cranberry juice with lime. It rocks. There was a whisky tasting after the tour----I don’t like whisky straight up. We did get a chance to compare Scotch, American, and Irish whiskies. I need to convert my father from Scotch to Jameson—I think he would like it. Another great combo with Jameson is Jameson and ginger ale. Denise declared that one her own. It’s yummy.
We ran into Lacy and Shelsea at the distillery and we all headed out for dinner. Mushrooms and garlic, burgers and chips, and bread pudding……so so cooking. We went out for drinks afterwards (I got my Jameson Cranberry) and, after one drink we headed back home for sleep. We are all zonked. Denise and I walked about two triangles all around the city…whew!!!
Tomorrow, we head to Cork!
CIAO
DAY THREE
Woke up super early and showered at the hostel in Dublin. Went and got some last minute gifts. Had coffee and waited for our bus. Bus ride from Dublin to Cork is lovely—about four hours. Arrived in Cork STAVING. It is a charming small town. We are here for less than 24 hours, and don’t have a lot of time to sightsee. Walked around town. Went to eat REALLY expensive dinner. Went to a pub and had an interesting convo with two drunk Irishmen. They said they love Dallas and that Tony Romo is crap. Denise and I just sort of smiled and nodded and inched away. We saw movie---the couples retreat one. HILARIOUS. Internet not working. Pooh. Sleep time.
Oh yeah, we are in a room with about 7 others---mostly men. When we got here there was a dude taking a nap. We woke him accidentally and he got out of bed wearing NOTHING but some tiny underpants. Ick! Denise thought he was cute. hahaha I love her. Tomorrow, my favorite: LONDON. (groan $$)
DAY FOUR
Woke up in hostel in Cork. Missed breakfast. Missed the bus to the airport by five minutes. Had to wait two hours for the next one. Very boring—there really isn’t much to do in Cork unless you know a local or have more time to research, not to mention more time in the city itself.
Finally left for the airport. Not a lot of time to dawdle. Found a West Cork coffee mug. Made me very happy.
Plane to London about 1.5 hours. Very boring AGAIN.
Once we got to London we had a hell of a time finding our hostel. Had to take train to Victoria station. From Victoria station we had to go to Piccadilly. From there went to Russell Square. Our room has 18 people in it~!!~~ HOLY CRAP. After awhile it smells bad and people snore. *sigh…you get what you pay for, I think.
The beds are like barracks with little curtains pulled over them. I sorta like it with the curtains. The showers are crap. You have to continuously push down on this button thingy for water to come out, so only one handed showers are possible.. ….crapppp.
Ate at this interesting restaurant. We weren’t too hungry so we had olives, hummus, red pepper dip, pita, and chocolate cake. Yum yum! After that we went to a pub and watched the Dallas cowboys play Atlanta. With our Jameson of course.
Spent an hour at the pub trying to convince a group of Austrians on holiday that socialized medicine was a bad idea. They weren’t buying it. I will not even get in to how frustrating that convo went.
I love Europeans.
Came home early. The next two days are going to be jam packed with sightseeing.
I HAVE SPENT A MILLION DOLLARS SINCE I LANDED IN LONDON. This town is expensive…REALLY expensive. I mean….SERIOUSLY EXPENSIVE
Watch out.
I can’t think about it anymore. It’s depressing.
CIAO!!
DAY FIVE
Slept pretty well in the bed with the curtains. We woke up, got dressed, and went to breakfast in the hostel---shockingly we made it on time. Breakfast consisted of toast and a cup of cereal----didn’t quite do it for me, but whatever.
From there we took the tube to the area near the National History and Science Museums were—we made it through the National History one and then had to bail, the lines were too long. There truly is something to be said for the British’s ability to queue. They are REALLLLLYYY good at lining up. Whereas the Italians and the Spaniards (and even the Americans at times) just sort of crowd around an opening, the English really do it properly…..and never once leave their spot in line. Very impressive.
The museum was pretty interesting—lotsa stuff about monkeys and minerals.
After the museum we walked in the general direction of Harrods, stopping for lunch at this pub. Denise had some bangers and mash—I tried it—it was ok. I had BBQ chicken, mostly because I haven’t had BBQ sauce since early August. The English managed to screw it up of course, but I was starving so I didn’t care. The Brits aren’t really known for their cooking,
Harrods was fantastic, of course. I got some coffee mugs, a magazine, shot glasses, tea, etc. to distribute as gifts (only to a lucky few, as I am poor).
After Harrods we were really sleepy—I think it was the bottle of red we drank at lunch. Anyway, we sort of gave up—we are such sissies. We headed back to the hostel for a nap which turned into a pretty serious snooze..It’s now about 11:30pm. I am going to drag Denise out to a pub for a snack and a drink soon. We need to do something.
CIAO!
DAY SEVEN
Woke up insanely early---3am to shower and check out.
Got on the train. Ate cold crumpets and honey that we got the night before.
Slept.
Got to Paris.
Dumped stuff at the hostel.
The hostel is awesome fyi. It is called St. Christopher’s. It is very clean, there are only girls in our room, the showers are nice, the people who work there are friendly, there is a bar/café downstairs, and it is in a great location. I CANNNOT speak any better of any hostel anywhere.
Went to Eiffel tower. Had a hot dog under that.
Went on a boat tour.
Walked to the Louvre.
Walked around the Louvre.
Saw the Mona Lisa, among other things that we learned about in class back in Rome. It was fun to see these things up close.
After the Louvre we went souvenir shopping. I got yelled at for throwing my water bottle in the trash can of a shop. What the heck!? *sigh, the French….
Went and had some dinner. Got train tickets for 6am tomorrow. I am really not feeling well….
Went back to hostel. Showered. Chatted with English chick and Mexican chick. I had so much fun translating Spanish….that language is so simple!
Went to bed. Still not feeling so hot, which is probably why this entry is getting so choppy….
DAY EIGHT
Woke up super early to catch the train to Brussels. Neither Denise or I is in a good mood. Both of us are tired and I feel really sick. My throat is killing me.
Once we got to Brussels, we walked around the city, got some food, saw all kinds of chocolate EVERYWHERE, including Neuhaus, which made me a little nostalgic. I did not buy any Neuhaus chocolate out of principle, but I did get some Leonidas Chocolate—good stuff.
What is the deal with this peeing boy fountain thingie? It is everywhere!!! I don’t think it is very appealing, but everyone here loves it. There are even chocolate models of it! Maybe I am just ignorant, but I really don’t understand it at all.
The city is really lovely and quaint. The people are friendly and our hostel is SUPER nice. Denise and I have a room to ourselves.
Both of us are feeling icky, so we will go to bed early.
CIAO!
DAY NINE
Getting from Brussels to Munich was hard on us; we are both in pretty bad moods. I think Denise handles frustration of any kind a little differently than I do. She is a little more….um…..vocal about it and lashes out a little more. I hope I didn’t get on her nerves too much.
Needless to say, we both wanted to get to the hostel and chill. Me because I was feeling like crap, and her because she was tired and wanted to see new people.
There is a tradition that Romers meet up at the Hoffbrau House on the last day of ten day if they can. We planned to see who was gonna show up…..EVERYONE DID~!
The first night in Munich was interesting. We walked all over the city center, ate sausages for lunch, ran into some UDers. I went out for some soup with some people really late then went to bed.
The SECOND day in Munich was Halloween. We went to Dachau Concentration camp. It was definitely intense, though not so much as I thought it would be. I didn’t cry, though I was pretty disgusted the entire time I was there. There is a tense feeling about the place. Visited a Russian Orthodox Church (open but mostly roped off) and did some thinking. Conclusion I came to: What a waste of life over something so stupid and unchangeable. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Made me a little angry. Thank God we figured it out. As a population we can be so thick.
Didn’t take any pictures; it didn’t feel right to. Disrespectful, you know?
After the concentration camp we rested a bit, ate some more German food, and went to the Hoffbrau. Everyone was congregated there and getting pretty drunk pretty quickly. I still wasn’t feeling well so I just got a pretzel and a beer or two and decided to chill. Tried to chat with people, but my voice is GONE. Yikes.
About that sickness thing: I went to a “health professional” and she basically looked at me like I was a plague victim while I described to her what was wrong. She said it was probably tonsillitis (AGAIN!) and gave me some stuff. She said I needed these things OUT and did I want to do it in Germany. I bailed.
Will call dad and get that arranged. I am sick of being sick.
Going home soon. I mean…Rome
I am pretty done travelling and ready to not move for awhile.
Today turned out to be an absolutely amazing day. We left the Rome campus at about 5:55pm, got on a bus, and went to Champino airport. There are about 16 of us who went from Rome to Dublin straight away. The plane ride is a little hazy to me, because I slept through most of it. Apparently some woman passed out. It didn’t seem to take too long, and I survived another Ryanair flight.
The Dublin airport is HUGE. Walking through it seemed to take forever. I was in awe of the English and Gaelic signs everywhere. One thing I learned today was that Gaelic or “Irish” as they refer to the language, is taught in schools much like Spanish is taught in American schools (aka DRILLED into the minds of students everywhere, who promptly forget all of it). It is still spoken in the very north and south bits of Ireland. It went a little out of style, and they are trying to bring it back. At Trinity University, they have a dorm where you can speak ONLY Irish.
We checked into our hostel----VERY nice place called the Marlborough Hostel (NOT named after the brand of cigs) and went out to try and find an open bar. We were all thirsty.
We did find one, although I don’t remember the name of it. 10 Euro and two pints later, Denise, Shelsea, Lacy, and I had all made a new friend. His name was Gary (pronounced Gah-ree). He introduced us to some friends of his, and we spent the whole night chatting at Burger King. They like BK a lot in Europe….strange.
That is another thing. PEOPLE ARE SO FRIENDLY HERE. They hear us talking from a distance, pick up on our American accents, and LOVE US IMMEDIATELY.
Gary is a college freshman with braces and skater boy hair. He is a very deep kid and I was impressed. He introduced us to his friends, one of whom is named Fee. I am in LOVE with her name. She and I have the same birthday. By the end of the night we all had our named scribbled on her arm for Facebook purposes. We all just chilled and talked about all things Irish and American. Then we went home. We are SUPPOSED to go out with them tomorrow night, but that is IF she remembers to facebook friend one of us and give us directions to this pub. Hopefully she will, I really like her.
That’s about it for tonight. It is 5am and I am exhausted. CIAO!
DAY TWO
We did NOT get a lot of sleep last night. Waking up this morning was hell, but we managed it. Showered and out the door by 11:30. Went to a souvenir store called Carrols—interesting place for gifts and stuff. Cheap.
We were starving, so we stopped into this small pub for some lunch and a pint. It was only 11am and people were already drinking. Whyyyy am I not surprised!?!?
Men are very forward in this country. They like to come up to you and tell you about how in love with you they are. They aren’t too touchy which is FINE with me. They smell fermented.
Obama is extremely popular. They even have t-shirts with his picture on it. I am keeping my mouth SHUT
After eating, Shelsea and Lacy headed to visit the Guinness Brewery while Denise and I walked around town.
We stopped in at Trinity College, a few stores, walked down the river, etc. We didn’t do a whole lot, really. Mostly, we just took in the city. People watching in Dublin is fantastic.
We did go to the Jamison Whisky Distillery and got a tour. It was fantastic, and I discovered my new drink---yes, it is mine: Jamison and cranberry juice with lime. It rocks. There was a whisky tasting after the tour----I don’t like whisky straight up. We did get a chance to compare Scotch, American, and Irish whiskies. I need to convert my father from Scotch to Jameson—I think he would like it. Another great combo with Jameson is Jameson and ginger ale. Denise declared that one her own. It’s yummy.
We ran into Lacy and Shelsea at the distillery and we all headed out for dinner. Mushrooms and garlic, burgers and chips, and bread pudding……so so cooking. We went out for drinks afterwards (I got my Jameson Cranberry) and, after one drink we headed back home for sleep. We are all zonked. Denise and I walked about two triangles all around the city…whew!!!
Tomorrow, we head to Cork!
CIAO
DAY THREE
Woke up super early and showered at the hostel in Dublin. Went and got some last minute gifts. Had coffee and waited for our bus. Bus ride from Dublin to Cork is lovely—about four hours. Arrived in Cork STAVING. It is a charming small town. We are here for less than 24 hours, and don’t have a lot of time to sightsee. Walked around town. Went to eat REALLY expensive dinner. Went to a pub and had an interesting convo with two drunk Irishmen. They said they love Dallas and that Tony Romo is crap. Denise and I just sort of smiled and nodded and inched away. We saw movie---the couples retreat one. HILARIOUS. Internet not working. Pooh. Sleep time.
Oh yeah, we are in a room with about 7 others---mostly men. When we got here there was a dude taking a nap. We woke him accidentally and he got out of bed wearing NOTHING but some tiny underpants. Ick! Denise thought he was cute. hahaha I love her. Tomorrow, my favorite: LONDON. (groan $$)
DAY FOUR
Woke up in hostel in Cork. Missed breakfast. Missed the bus to the airport by five minutes. Had to wait two hours for the next one. Very boring—there really isn’t much to do in Cork unless you know a local or have more time to research, not to mention more time in the city itself.
Finally left for the airport. Not a lot of time to dawdle. Found a West Cork coffee mug. Made me very happy.
Plane to London about 1.5 hours. Very boring AGAIN.
Once we got to London we had a hell of a time finding our hostel. Had to take train to Victoria station. From Victoria station we had to go to Piccadilly. From there went to Russell Square. Our room has 18 people in it~!!~~ HOLY CRAP. After awhile it smells bad and people snore. *sigh…you get what you pay for, I think.
The beds are like barracks with little curtains pulled over them. I sorta like it with the curtains. The showers are crap. You have to continuously push down on this button thingy for water to come out, so only one handed showers are possible.. ….crapppp.
Ate at this interesting restaurant. We weren’t too hungry so we had olives, hummus, red pepper dip, pita, and chocolate cake. Yum yum! After that we went to a pub and watched the Dallas cowboys play Atlanta. With our Jameson of course.
Spent an hour at the pub trying to convince a group of Austrians on holiday that socialized medicine was a bad idea. They weren’t buying it. I will not even get in to how frustrating that convo went.
I love Europeans.
Came home early. The next two days are going to be jam packed with sightseeing.
I HAVE SPENT A MILLION DOLLARS SINCE I LANDED IN LONDON. This town is expensive…REALLY expensive. I mean….SERIOUSLY EXPENSIVE
Watch out.
I can’t think about it anymore. It’s depressing.
CIAO!!
DAY FIVE
Slept pretty well in the bed with the curtains. We woke up, got dressed, and went to breakfast in the hostel---shockingly we made it on time. Breakfast consisted of toast and a cup of cereal----didn’t quite do it for me, but whatever.
From there we took the tube to the area near the National History and Science Museums were—we made it through the National History one and then had to bail, the lines were too long. There truly is something to be said for the British’s ability to queue. They are REALLLLLYYY good at lining up. Whereas the Italians and the Spaniards (and even the Americans at times) just sort of crowd around an opening, the English really do it properly…..and never once leave their spot in line. Very impressive.
The museum was pretty interesting—lotsa stuff about monkeys and minerals.
After the museum we walked in the general direction of Harrods, stopping for lunch at this pub. Denise had some bangers and mash—I tried it—it was ok. I had BBQ chicken, mostly because I haven’t had BBQ sauce since early August. The English managed to screw it up of course, but I was starving so I didn’t care. The Brits aren’t really known for their cooking,
Harrods was fantastic, of course. I got some coffee mugs, a magazine, shot glasses, tea, etc. to distribute as gifts (only to a lucky few, as I am poor).
After Harrods we were really sleepy—I think it was the bottle of red we drank at lunch. Anyway, we sort of gave up—we are such sissies. We headed back to the hostel for a nap which turned into a pretty serious snooze..It’s now about 11:30pm. I am going to drag Denise out to a pub for a snack and a drink soon. We need to do something.
CIAO!
DAY SEVEN
Woke up insanely early---3am to shower and check out.
Got on the train. Ate cold crumpets and honey that we got the night before.
Slept.
Got to Paris.
Dumped stuff at the hostel.
The hostel is awesome fyi. It is called St. Christopher’s. It is very clean, there are only girls in our room, the showers are nice, the people who work there are friendly, there is a bar/café downstairs, and it is in a great location. I CANNNOT speak any better of any hostel anywhere.
Went to Eiffel tower. Had a hot dog under that.
Went on a boat tour.
Walked to the Louvre.
Walked around the Louvre.
Saw the Mona Lisa, among other things that we learned about in class back in Rome. It was fun to see these things up close.
After the Louvre we went souvenir shopping. I got yelled at for throwing my water bottle in the trash can of a shop. What the heck!? *sigh, the French….
Went and had some dinner. Got train tickets for 6am tomorrow. I am really not feeling well….
Went back to hostel. Showered. Chatted with English chick and Mexican chick. I had so much fun translating Spanish….that language is so simple!
Went to bed. Still not feeling so hot, which is probably why this entry is getting so choppy….
DAY EIGHT
Woke up super early to catch the train to Brussels. Neither Denise or I is in a good mood. Both of us are tired and I feel really sick. My throat is killing me.
Once we got to Brussels, we walked around the city, got some food, saw all kinds of chocolate EVERYWHERE, including Neuhaus, which made me a little nostalgic. I did not buy any Neuhaus chocolate out of principle, but I did get some Leonidas Chocolate—good stuff.
What is the deal with this peeing boy fountain thingie? It is everywhere!!! I don’t think it is very appealing, but everyone here loves it. There are even chocolate models of it! Maybe I am just ignorant, but I really don’t understand it at all.
The city is really lovely and quaint. The people are friendly and our hostel is SUPER nice. Denise and I have a room to ourselves.
Both of us are feeling icky, so we will go to bed early.
CIAO!
DAY NINE
Getting from Brussels to Munich was hard on us; we are both in pretty bad moods. I think Denise handles frustration of any kind a little differently than I do. She is a little more….um…..vocal about it and lashes out a little more. I hope I didn’t get on her nerves too much.
Needless to say, we both wanted to get to the hostel and chill. Me because I was feeling like crap, and her because she was tired and wanted to see new people.
There is a tradition that Romers meet up at the Hoffbrau House on the last day of ten day if they can. We planned to see who was gonna show up…..EVERYONE DID~!
The first night in Munich was interesting. We walked all over the city center, ate sausages for lunch, ran into some UDers. I went out for some soup with some people really late then went to bed.
The SECOND day in Munich was Halloween. We went to Dachau Concentration camp. It was definitely intense, though not so much as I thought it would be. I didn’t cry, though I was pretty disgusted the entire time I was there. There is a tense feeling about the place. Visited a Russian Orthodox Church (open but mostly roped off) and did some thinking. Conclusion I came to: What a waste of life over something so stupid and unchangeable. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Made me a little angry. Thank God we figured it out. As a population we can be so thick.
Didn’t take any pictures; it didn’t feel right to. Disrespectful, you know?
After the concentration camp we rested a bit, ate some more German food, and went to the Hoffbrau. Everyone was congregated there and getting pretty drunk pretty quickly. I still wasn’t feeling well so I just got a pretzel and a beer or two and decided to chill. Tried to chat with people, but my voice is GONE. Yikes.
About that sickness thing: I went to a “health professional” and she basically looked at me like I was a plague victim while I described to her what was wrong. She said it was probably tonsillitis (AGAIN!) and gave me some stuff. She said I needed these things OUT and did I want to do it in Germany. I bailed.
Will call dad and get that arranged. I am sick of being sick.
Going home soon. I mean…Rome
I am pretty done travelling and ready to not move for awhile.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Perusia
--quick break from talking about Greece to tell you about a random trip---
I had known for awhile that Denise was planning on going to Perusia for a chocolate festival with some girls who live down the hall, but I didn't think I was exactly invited and didn't want to intrude. Well, last night at ten thirty pm Karen came into the room to talk to Denise about the trip and looked at me saying, "You're coming, right?"
That was settled. I was going.
At FIVE FREAKING THIRTY the next morning, Denise and I were up and getting ready to leave. We had to catch the 6am-or-something-like-that bus to the train station. I really wasn't registering much at that point. The cool thing about joining a travel group later on is that you can just follow everyone around and follow instructions and are usually not responsible for much. It was a nice change.
We met up with Karen, Tasha, and Emily eventually and got on the right bus, etc.
The thing was crazy crowded and full of teenagers.
I don't like teenagers much, I decided. They are loud and obnoxious. Was I ever like that? Probably. I was such an idiot when I was in highschool......it always makes me laugh when I see the same stupidity reflected in the younger generation these days.
anyway, these kids were being all loud and moving around a lot. We all just huddled together and ate some egg mcmuffins (yeah we sprung for mickey d's) and waited to get some seats. By the end of the trip we were all sitting, but there was plenty of standing time.
The train from Rome to Perusia is only about 2.5 hours. When we got there, we all decided that it was about bloody time we activated our Eurail Passes, and started getting some discounted train tickets. We hadnt done it earlier because we weren't doing much train travel. Plus, we needed to save them for ten day.
From the train station in Perusia we caught a bus to the center of the town and easily found the CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL!
Nothing was free, unfortunately. It went sort of along the lines of "chocolate, chocolate, everywhere, but not a bite to eat".
I didn't buy too much over the course of the day. I was proud of myself. Mostly, I think that has more to do with the sick feeling I get every time I think about my quickly depleting bank account balance than anything else.
There were so many things to see---even a dude in a yeti costume!
Milka was sponsoring a good chunk of the festivities, along side other chocolate companies whose names I don't remember. Neuhaus was not present...strange....
We were all in heaven, and ambled up and down the streets looking into booths and seeing all we could. The center of Perusia is really a cute area, without the festival. There is a huge cathedral and the center is all the way on the top of a hill. The view was spectacular, and there were plenty of shops to pop into once the cold became too much.
Denise got really excited to find a Body Shop. I must admit, she is slowly converting me...I like their stuff.
It was SO COLD!! I am really worried that I didn't bring enough warm clothing to Rome with me this semester. I think by the time ten day comes around, I will be wearing every ounce of clothing I own. It is parka weather!
Mira was not wearing a parka.
Burr!
I had known for awhile that Denise was planning on going to Perusia for a chocolate festival with some girls who live down the hall, but I didn't think I was exactly invited and didn't want to intrude. Well, last night at ten thirty pm Karen came into the room to talk to Denise about the trip and looked at me saying, "You're coming, right?"
That was settled. I was going.
At FIVE FREAKING THIRTY the next morning, Denise and I were up and getting ready to leave. We had to catch the 6am-or-something-like-that bus to the train station. I really wasn't registering much at that point. The cool thing about joining a travel group later on is that you can just follow everyone around and follow instructions and are usually not responsible for much. It was a nice change.
We met up with Karen, Tasha, and Emily eventually and got on the right bus, etc.
The thing was crazy crowded and full of teenagers.
I don't like teenagers much, I decided. They are loud and obnoxious. Was I ever like that? Probably. I was such an idiot when I was in highschool......it always makes me laugh when I see the same stupidity reflected in the younger generation these days.
anyway, these kids were being all loud and moving around a lot. We all just huddled together and ate some egg mcmuffins (yeah we sprung for mickey d's) and waited to get some seats. By the end of the trip we were all sitting, but there was plenty of standing time.
The train from Rome to Perusia is only about 2.5 hours. When we got there, we all decided that it was about bloody time we activated our Eurail Passes, and started getting some discounted train tickets. We hadnt done it earlier because we weren't doing much train travel. Plus, we needed to save them for ten day.
From the train station in Perusia we caught a bus to the center of the town and easily found the CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL!
Nothing was free, unfortunately. It went sort of along the lines of "chocolate, chocolate, everywhere, but not a bite to eat".
I didn't buy too much over the course of the day. I was proud of myself. Mostly, I think that has more to do with the sick feeling I get every time I think about my quickly depleting bank account balance than anything else.
There were so many things to see---even a dude in a yeti costume!
Milka was sponsoring a good chunk of the festivities, along side other chocolate companies whose names I don't remember. Neuhaus was not present...strange....
We were all in heaven, and ambled up and down the streets looking into booths and seeing all we could. The center of Perusia is really a cute area, without the festival. There is a huge cathedral and the center is all the way on the top of a hill. The view was spectacular, and there were plenty of shops to pop into once the cold became too much.
Denise got really excited to find a Body Shop. I must admit, she is slowly converting me...I like their stuff.
It was SO COLD!! I am really worried that I didn't bring enough warm clothing to Rome with me this semester. I think by the time ten day comes around, I will be wearing every ounce of clothing I own. It is parka weather!
Mira was not wearing a parka.
Burr!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Olympia
Now, then, to describe the Greece trip!!! --a much more worthwhile pastime than studying for my Literary Tradition midterm tomorrow, I can tell you.
When we arrived in Olympia, most of us were pretty tired from the journey, but excited to be in Greece. We checked into our hotel--three or four to a room (Denise and I lived with Lindsay Hurt), had mass and dinner and walked around for a bit. Olympia is a pretty touristy place--there are souvenir shops left right and center. One cool thing about Greece--you can HAGGLE! It's fun--and much easier if you happen to be a girl. he he he! success.
I used the shopping opportunity to get the two things I ALWAYS get in EVERY city we have traveled to thus far--postcards and a tacky coffee mug. As of right now I have 53 postcards to ship (my apologies to those of you waiting on them) and mugs from Rome, Barcelona, Olympia, Delphi, Nafplion, and Corinth. No idea how I am going to get them home, but they have kept this far, so good luck to me.
I was originally going to collect shot glasses from my trip, but I decided coffee mugs would be more useful-- I drink a LOT more coffee than I take shots, so there you go.
Anyway, I got my stuff and made my way back to the hotel to pass out. It was dark, and there wasn't too much to see in the immediate vicinity of our hotel without straying too far and missing curfew.
That's another thing. We have a midnight curfew when we travel on group trips. It blows, but I see the point now. Over the course of the Greece trip we had plenty of people get lost and miss it. It's a good way of keeping track of all 108 of us.
The next day, we made our way to a museum (snore) and to the ancient Olympic Staduim and training grounds. This was the cool bit: we raced!
There was a boys race, a girls race, a mixed relay, and a staff race.
I got to start the boys race! Ready?! Set! GO!
I have never experienced 50 men running at me as fast as they could before, but it was a nice thing to see before I die. I booked it out of the way. Mike McEwan won the boys race---amazing, considering he has chain-smoked since the age of 14.
The girls race was won by Claire Rendoni, and I have no idea who won the other races. I ran it at a jog---I didn't have running shoes on and am a professional klutz. I didn't feel like chancing a broken ankle for any ancient anything.
It took forever to get back to the hotel, mostly because Mr. Rutherford left his camera case COMPLETE with his passport in it back at the stadium and, realizing this half way home, had to go back. I met him on the road looking flustered and asked if he wanted me to go back with him (remembering how he was there for me when I lost my wallet). He nodded and we power-walked all the way back. Nice exercise. It was still there, no worries.
The food in Olympia wasn't so good--at least, not the stuff we got in the hotel for dinner. Thankfully, it got better throughout the trip. Gyros are generally about 2 euro in Greece and are nothing like the ones we make here. Meat (usually pork), cream stuff, seasoning, tomato, onion, FRENCH FRIES, and you're good!
Greeks love potatoes. My aunt, Devon would have a field day here. She is, after all, Ms. Spud.
We all already know that the Mira loves fries. I was in heaven.
BAKLAVA
everyone needs to have it
often.
I tried making it from scratch last year...not enough honey!
Another thing we got to see in Olympia (on the outskirts) was the Orthodox church of St. Nicholas. I got an icon there.
Since I go to a Roman Catholic school, many lectures had to be given in advance about the difference between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, practices, and teachings. Thankfully, we have a great Western Theological Tradition prof who didn't SLANT his information to make us look like schismatic heathens. I was uber appreciative.
There are only two Orthodox peoples in the whole class: myself and a guy named Anton, who is Russian Orthodox.
We got a lot of questions in the Greek churches. It was sorta fun.
We didn't stay in Olympia incredibly long. Next stop--Delphi!
When we arrived in Olympia, most of us were pretty tired from the journey, but excited to be in Greece. We checked into our hotel--three or four to a room (Denise and I lived with Lindsay Hurt), had mass and dinner and walked around for a bit. Olympia is a pretty touristy place--there are souvenir shops left right and center. One cool thing about Greece--you can HAGGLE! It's fun--and much easier if you happen to be a girl. he he he! success.
I used the shopping opportunity to get the two things I ALWAYS get in EVERY city we have traveled to thus far--postcards and a tacky coffee mug. As of right now I have 53 postcards to ship (my apologies to those of you waiting on them) and mugs from Rome, Barcelona, Olympia, Delphi, Nafplion, and Corinth. No idea how I am going to get them home, but they have kept this far, so good luck to me.
I was originally going to collect shot glasses from my trip, but I decided coffee mugs would be more useful-- I drink a LOT more coffee than I take shots, so there you go.
Anyway, I got my stuff and made my way back to the hotel to pass out. It was dark, and there wasn't too much to see in the immediate vicinity of our hotel without straying too far and missing curfew.
That's another thing. We have a midnight curfew when we travel on group trips. It blows, but I see the point now. Over the course of the Greece trip we had plenty of people get lost and miss it. It's a good way of keeping track of all 108 of us.
The next day, we made our way to a museum (snore) and to the ancient Olympic Staduim and training grounds. This was the cool bit: we raced!
There was a boys race, a girls race, a mixed relay, and a staff race.
I got to start the boys race! Ready?! Set! GO!
I have never experienced 50 men running at me as fast as they could before, but it was a nice thing to see before I die. I booked it out of the way. Mike McEwan won the boys race---amazing, considering he has chain-smoked since the age of 14.
The girls race was won by Claire Rendoni, and I have no idea who won the other races. I ran it at a jog---I didn't have running shoes on and am a professional klutz. I didn't feel like chancing a broken ankle for any ancient anything.
It took forever to get back to the hotel, mostly because Mr. Rutherford left his camera case COMPLETE with his passport in it back at the stadium and, realizing this half way home, had to go back. I met him on the road looking flustered and asked if he wanted me to go back with him (remembering how he was there for me when I lost my wallet). He nodded and we power-walked all the way back. Nice exercise. It was still there, no worries.
The food in Olympia wasn't so good--at least, not the stuff we got in the hotel for dinner. Thankfully, it got better throughout the trip. Gyros are generally about 2 euro in Greece and are nothing like the ones we make here. Meat (usually pork), cream stuff, seasoning, tomato, onion, FRENCH FRIES, and you're good!
Greeks love potatoes. My aunt, Devon would have a field day here. She is, after all, Ms. Spud.
We all already know that the Mira loves fries. I was in heaven.
BAKLAVA
everyone needs to have it
often.
I tried making it from scratch last year...not enough honey!
Another thing we got to see in Olympia (on the outskirts) was the Orthodox church of St. Nicholas. I got an icon there.
Since I go to a Roman Catholic school, many lectures had to be given in advance about the difference between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, practices, and teachings. Thankfully, we have a great Western Theological Tradition prof who didn't SLANT his information to make us look like schismatic heathens. I was uber appreciative.
There are only two Orthodox peoples in the whole class: myself and a guy named Anton, who is Russian Orthodox.
We got a lot of questions in the Greek churches. It was sorta fun.
We didn't stay in Olympia incredibly long. Next stop--Delphi!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Post Greece
Hello Everyone!!
We got back to Rome from a ten day trip to Greece this evening. I am totally zonked! I have tons and tons to write about Greece, however it may have to wait until the weekend. We have to finish up some midterms this week, and I need all the sleep time I can get. Plus, some roommate drama is helping to keep the stress levels super high around here. Life is funny. You try extra hard to steer clear of a situation,and it just seems to creep up on you that much more quickly.
I really have a very low tolerance for that kind of thing.
Anyway, Greece was absolutely lovely. If you have never gotten to experience it, I suggest very much that you try and do so. There is an endless amount to learn from each and every city. We journeyed to Olympia, Delphi, Athens, Nafplion, Mycene, and Corinth. Each was different, each was beautiful, and each deserves a blog of it's own.
To get to Greece from Rome is quite a trek, unless you opt to fly direct. We took a 7 hour bus from campus to Bari, then a 12 hour ferry from Bari to Greece. Another few hours on the bus brought us to Olympia. We traveled by bus throughout Greece, then back to port for a 12 hour ferry to Bari and another 7 hour bus to campus again.
While we were gone, our rooms were cleaned a bit and our bedsheets washed. I am hoping that the bugs cease to be an issue once the temperature drops....who knows. They could just get really really cold and seek MORE refuge in the dorm....eww.
This week we have three church summaries due in Western Theological Tradition, a Literary Tradition exam, an Art and Architecture exam, some random quizzes, and sevveerralll reading assignments.
I think its bedtime.
Next post, OLYMPIA!
Ciao!
Mira
PS. My mother and sister will be joining me in Rome for Thanksgiving!!! I am so so so unbelievably excited and can't wait to show them the city! I only wish my dad was coming too....
We got back to Rome from a ten day trip to Greece this evening. I am totally zonked! I have tons and tons to write about Greece, however it may have to wait until the weekend. We have to finish up some midterms this week, and I need all the sleep time I can get. Plus, some roommate drama is helping to keep the stress levels super high around here. Life is funny. You try extra hard to steer clear of a situation,and it just seems to creep up on you that much more quickly.
I really have a very low tolerance for that kind of thing.
Anyway, Greece was absolutely lovely. If you have never gotten to experience it, I suggest very much that you try and do so. There is an endless amount to learn from each and every city. We journeyed to Olympia, Delphi, Athens, Nafplion, Mycene, and Corinth. Each was different, each was beautiful, and each deserves a blog of it's own.
To get to Greece from Rome is quite a trek, unless you opt to fly direct. We took a 7 hour bus from campus to Bari, then a 12 hour ferry from Bari to Greece. Another few hours on the bus brought us to Olympia. We traveled by bus throughout Greece, then back to port for a 12 hour ferry to Bari and another 7 hour bus to campus again.
While we were gone, our rooms were cleaned a bit and our bedsheets washed. I am hoping that the bugs cease to be an issue once the temperature drops....who knows. They could just get really really cold and seek MORE refuge in the dorm....eww.
This week we have three church summaries due in Western Theological Tradition, a Literary Tradition exam, an Art and Architecture exam, some random quizzes, and sevveerralll reading assignments.
I think its bedtime.
Next post, OLYMPIA!
Ciao!
Mira
PS. My mother and sister will be joining me in Rome for Thanksgiving!!! I am so so so unbelievably excited and can't wait to show them the city! I only wish my dad was coming too....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
