Kilts and Bagpipes

Scottish accents are a TRIP!

After spending two days back in Oxford, Nadine and I hit the road again. And 9 hours later on a night bus, we arrived bright and early in Glasgow, Scotland. Our first stop after leaving our luggage at the hotel was breakfast. A cute little bagel shop catered to our breakfasting needs beautifully. We did a little shopping around, and I bought another layer because Scotland was significantly colder than I had planed for. In fact, it was fairly cold and rainy the entire time, which probably didn’t give Nadine too good of an impression of the UK. However, we got out of rain when we went to their modern art museum. Of course, I don’t understand all modern art, but I love how unique and out-of-the-box a lot of it is. But the most epic thing of all happened after the museum. Get ready for this—we found MEXICAN FOOD!! That may not seem significant to you, but I haven’t had good Tex-Mex in 4 months, so this meal soothed the soul. Nadine hadn’t had Mexican food since living in the states either, so we split a huge plate of nachos with cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, jalapeños, and grilled chicken. And then we got chicken fajitas with grilled veggies. It was a very worthwhile splurge! Back to the beginning of the story, you might have thought that sleeping on the night bus to Scotland was a pleasant experience for us, but you would be wrong. Our cramped little bodies didn’t get the sleep we needed, so after lunch, we took our full bellies back to the hotel and napped. Post-nap, we found a neat looking old cathedral on the opposite side of town. While we were over there, I spotted a Celtic necropolis up on the hill. I don’t mean for this to sound creepy or weird, but I actually like old cemeteries a lot. It’s so peaceful, and I like imagining the different lives each person might have lived based on what’s written on their gravestone. Some of these graves were marked from the 1600’s—really old—and the view from the top of the necropolis was stunning. When we got back into the city, I made us stop at a fish and chips stand because Nadine couldn’t come to Britain and not try fish and chips. Our meal was only 2 pounds-something (really cheap), and they were some of the best I’ve had over here. I was happy to see Nadine enjoying them because I feel responsible for her liking the UK as if it were my own country. The last stop we made was to an old palace. We walked through the park and stopped at the largest surviving terra-cotta fountain in the world on our way home. Goodnight, Glasgow.

Kilts!

In the flowers by the cathedral

Our glorious Tex-Mex meal 

Celtic cross in the necropolis

Me by the terra-cotta fountain

Scotland: Day 2

Arthur's Seat

In the morning, we woke up and had breakfast in the hotel. I think Nadine was a bit freaked out by the English breakfast of eggs, toast, baked beans, bacon, fresh tomatoes, potato scones, and tea; the baked beans still make me do a double take every time. However, it was a good breakfast, and we were on our way to Edinburgh by 11. Our hostel was incredibly centrally located, and we dropped off our luggage there before hitting the town. This day just happened to be Mom’s 50^th birthday, so I gave her a call to wish her happy birthday while we still had wifi in the hostel. On important, fun days like that, it’s weird not being home. The next thing we did made up for my feelings of homesickness, however. We went to the National Museum of Scotland, which is an interactive, science museum. It’s like the Natural History Museum in D.C. with lots of stuffed animals on display, but it also had a few Scottish artifacts as well. One area in the museum had a scale that people could stand on and it would tell them which animal weighs the same as they do. I stepped on the scale and my match was with the giant anteater. That’s attractive—not! Maybe it means I ate too much gelato in Italy. After the museum, we went to what is called Arthur’s Seat, and it’s a large mountain that people can climb to get a great view of Edinburgh. We brought a picnic dinner up there and ate on the top of the world (or so it felt). It was interesting because we could see the coast to one side of us, the city in front of us, and mountains to the other side. Such a lovely landscape. Once we made the trek back down, we did a little Harry Potter tour. When J.K. Rowling wrote the first two Harry Potter books, she was living in Scotland, and we got to see a few places that inspired her. First of all, there’s a graveyard in town that has the names McGonagall, Tom Riddle, and Granger in it, and this place inspired her use of these names. Next to the graveyard is an old private school that Rowling said was her inspiration for Hogwarts. And nearby both of these places is a café called The Elephant House where she would go to write the stories down on napkins when she was poor. I’m a Harry Potter nut, so I thought it was awesome to see the places that inspired the books. Even though we only had about half a day in Edinburgh, I knew immediately that I loved this place.

Up on the mountain

The school that inspired Hogwarts

Scotland: Day 3

Happy Easter! Being away from home on Easter was weird, but we definitely made the most of it. In the morning, we went to an Easter service at the famous St. Giles Cathedral. Those high church services are fun to go to every once in a while because I’m not used to all the pomp and formalities, and it really creates an awe-inspiring atmosphere. After church, we had about an hour to kill, so we went up Carlton Hill. This is where David Hume and other philosophers would go to think and ponder life, and it houses an abandoned acropolis. We got to walk around there for a bit before it was time to head back down to go on a free walking tour. This tour was one of the best tours I’ve been on in my life; the guy was funny, personable, and interesting. He told us lots of Scottish tales and fables that are local and not touristy. If you get a chance, you should totally ask me about some of the stories because they’re incredibly interesting. He took us to see the Edinburgh Castle as well as a variety of other destinations. For the whopping price of free, it was well worth our money! The tour took the better part of the afternoon, and before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye and go home. I enjoyed getting to spend time with Nadine, but I had been living out of a backpack for the last three weeks, so it was great to be back home. Unfortunately, I had a 10-page paper to write when I got back home, and I had a lot of trouble focusing. I was able to lots of productive things like organize my drawers, clean my room, trim my hair, shower, Q-tip my ears…you get the point. Thankfully, I’ve been able to relax a little bit since then, and life is good! I’m so incredibly blessed to get to do all the travel I’ve done this semester. 

St. Giles Cathedral

View of Edinburgh from Carlton Hill

They were giving away chocolate eggs in the park

Saw Dolly, the first cloned sheep

I tried haggis :(

London Bridge Didn't Fall Down

On the subway

Last year, my family in College Station had a girl from Germany live with them for 11 months. Nadine and I coordinated this semester how we could meet up on her home continent. She said that she’d like to go to London and Scotland and get the UK experience. Thus, I met her in London the day after I got back from Italy to do mostly the touristy things. I accidentally took the wrong train to meet her, and I ended up in the Hamptons. So by the time I got to London, we didn’t have much time to do anything in the day. Our hostel was suspiciously located when we started looking for it. The directions took us to a sketchier part of town, and told us to go in a pub. I walked in the pub, and asked if there was a hostel around here. The bartender said I was in the hostel; our rooms were right up the stair inside the pub. Our room was actually pretty nice—just the two of us—and now I can say that I’ve slept in a pub! My friend Mary Lou Hudson messaged me earlier this semester and told me about something called Secret Cinema that happens in London. Basically, every month, this company puts on shows that are set in a time period, and people come to watch a themed movie and dress up. I don’t know about you, but that sounded like a blast to Nadine and me. This month’s theme was set in the 20’s, so I went out and found a pair of elbow length gloves and a 20’s outfit from a thrift store in Oxford for the occasion. I thought we looked pretty dressed up, but when we actually got to the Troxy in London, we were some of the most underdressed people there. Flapper dresses, feathers, and beads were everywhere, and they took the theme very seriously. The people we talked to would only respond in accents, and they would really get into the show. After the show part was over, we all watched a 20’s black-and-white movie together, and it kind of felt like we had been transported in a time machine back 100 years. Cool, one-of-a-kind experience.

Sipping on my milkshake!

View of the stage where they performed

On London Bridge

Crown Jewels

London: Day 2

Our touristing began in Trafalgar square. Since we only had one day, we thought we might do a tour bus thing, but it turned out that those things were expensive. Instead, we decided to do our own tour for a fraction of the price. We went to Big Ben, Wesminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, David Cameron’s (the British Prime Minister) house, and ended up in Piccadilly Circus. Of course, we weren’t able to go inside of everything, but we did get to do and see a lot. I still have to go back and see the British museum, but I’m dedicating an entire day to spend there. I had planned with friends before I left to meet in Piccadilly Circus to go see the play, Les Miserables. We bought tickets ahead of time online, but when we got to the box office, they weren’t there. The woman offered us standing tickets, however, for only 10 pounds. Other people were paying the equivalent of $100+ because this is a world-class performance, but we only had to pay a little bit of money (albeit we did have to stand). I have to say that it was an amazing play, and I would recommend for everyone to see it at sometime in his or her life. The play was so superbly staged that it actually felt real, and it really drew in the emotions of the audience. Fun fact again: Eddie Redmayne (my movie star from Florence) is going to be in the new Les Mis movie that comes out this year. Guess who’s going to be in that theatre on opening night?? This girl!!!

London Eye, Big Ben, and Westminster Palace

Les Mis!

2 Tablespoons of Como and a Pinch of Switzerland

Lake Como with the Alps in the background

Lake Como

Today we headed out at the crack of dawn for Lake Como. Unfortunately, I was in a terrible mood when by the time we arrived because I had to pay an extra 85 euros on the train for a new ticket. Somehow my ticket had gotten switched to the next day, so when I was on the train, a very unpleasant woman forced me to pay for another ticket even though I’d already bought one. Needless to say, I didn’t arrive in Como in high spirits, but my bad mood didn’t last long. Lake Como is set in a basin where it is completely surrounded on all sides by the Alps. As you can guess, it’s completely spectacular. Fun fact: George Clooney has a villa right on the lake with his Italian model girlfriend. Despite how much I love every one on this trip, being in Como gave me some much-needed alone time. After each of checked into the hostel and changed into swimsuits, we headed down to the beach. Lake Como isn’t a highly touristed area, which means that we were the only people on the entire beach. It also meant that the city was a more authentic Italian town than more of the huge cities we had been in. I really enjoy the feel of the smaller cities like Assisi and Como. 

Stacy and me with our sandwiches

Naptime took place on the beach, and I got to remember what sun feels like. Living is England is wonderful, but I haven’t seen much of the sun in 4 months, so it was nice to soak up some Vitamin D. Once we woke up, we went for a walk around the city, and Stacy and I stopped at a grocery store to grab some dinner. I love traveling with Stacy because she is cheap and doesn’t want to go out to eat every meal like some people do. Instead of eating at a restaurant for 8 or 9 euros each, we bought a fresh loaf of bread, some brie, and sliced tomatoes onto sandwiches. We also bought juice for us to drink and sugar croissants for dessert—all for less money than one of us would have spent in a restaurant. As we sat by the beach, we had a wonderful heart-to-heart and bonded. The sunset was beautiful over the lake, and spending time with friends is always a good way to end any day.

Lake Como: Day Two

This is one of my favorite pictures of the semester--
absolutely gorgeous!

After eating breakfast in the hostel, I went out and read a book out by the water for a couple of hours. I could have just read all day on that beach listening to the waves and enjoying some peace and quiet. I found out at breakfast from the receptionist that it was possible to go to Switzerland from where we were by bus. I though “So, for 15 bucks round trip, you’re telling me that I can go to another country? Yep, I’m down.” Thus, I let everyone know that I was going, and of course, most of them were down to go too. After about 40 minutes, our bus pulled into Lugano, Switzerland. Oh my word, it was absolutely gorgeous there—but for a price. Switzerland is famous for being one of the most expensive places, and I can attest to the truth of that stereotype. A value meal at McDonalds costs the equivalent of $16 (even though their currency is in francs). To keep up with this high cost of living, we met a guy who told us that the men who pick up trash on the streets make $20 an hour (A.K.A. the minimum wage is extremely high). It’s a very wealthy place, and it became a game for us to count the number of Ferraris we saw—total count was 27!!! Another crazy thing was that the mannequins in the store windows were live models who would smile and wave at you. Basically, this was just a ritzy, classy place. There were gorgeous botanical gardens right by the bus stop, so of course we had to stop and take a million pictures. I’ve never been in a more beautiful city park in my whole life, and it was almost impossible to take a bad picture since every inch of the place was photogenic. After pictures, we were lucky enough to find a sandwich stand that was cheap to eat at, and while we were there, we met a guy in line who taught in the American school. He showed us the college up the hill after we ate, and told us a few things about Switzerland. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay in Lugano all day because the last bus left at 6, so we headed back to Como in time for dinner. Basically, the two days we spent on Lake Como involved a whole lot of relaxing and spending time with each other away from the hustle and bustle of life. Travel can be absolutely exhausting, so it was a blessing to be able to rejuvenate ourselves before starting back up with school again. The Italy trip was a booming success. 

Fountain in Lugano

Live mannequin in the middle. She gave me a thumbs up
and a wink when I took her picture. 

Alex and me in Switzerland

Canals, Concertos, Cathedrals--Oh my!!

Canals in Murano 

Blown glass sculpture

Venetian sunset

Gondolas

Today was one of the best days of the trip. In preparation for going to Venice, Stacy and I went to a bookstore in Florence to learn what we could from travel guides. The thing that kept popping up was "Go to the island of Murano where the hand blown glass is made." Thus, our plan for when we got to Venice was to take a waterbus over to Murano. However, our train didn't leave Florence for another couple of hours, so we went to the market. I caved, yet again, and bought another tapestry. You'll have to see it though before you judge me--it's stunning. Woven thread that you hang on a wall or put on a pillow just has a weird fascination for me. After the market, we went to the grocery store, and bought a huge baguette and brie for us to share on the train. Our Florence hotel was located right next to the Brancacci chapel where Masccio's Expulsion and Tribute Money frescos are. I got to go in for free, and I’m glad I popped in, even if it was only for a second. I didn’t have much time because we had to catch a train, but I would have regretted not going in at all. When we arrived in Venice two hours later, our breath was taken away. I was in Venice with my family when I was 13 or 14, but for some reason, I didn't remember it being this wonderful. Our hostel was right on the Grand Canal, so our view was incredible. The whole city smells like an ocean breeze, and everywhere you go, you're surrounded by water. It might be that we love this city so much because it's so incredibly different than anywhere we've been on this trip. Then again, it could also be that Venice is just amazing. Stacy and I got on a waterbus and headed to Murano around 4:30. The ocean air whipped our hair around while we stood on the deck of the boat, and we got off the boat in glass central. Everything was made of glass. Beautiful hand blown figurines, jewelry, beads, vases, and chandeliers filled dozens of shops. Sometimes I exaggerate the beauty of something, but being in Murano actually felt like I was walking around a dream or something. Speaking of incredibly surreal moments, Stacy and I saw a sign for a grocery store and decided to follow it. Okay, that doesn’t sound surreal, but stick with me. We followed a long hallway lined with fantasy pictures of unicorns and gnomes, which were illuminated by fluorescent lights, and let us into a casino. Men everywhere were playing slot machines and drinking. Oops, looks like we went the wrong way. Nope! Signs still pointed us to a grocery store...upstairs. By this point, we decided that a brothel had to be upstairs. I mean, we were in a casino, and who's ever heard of a grocery store upstairs, right? The moment of truth comes when we open the door and hear the Mexican Hat song being played...in a grocery store. Turns out that there actually was a grocery store upstairs, above the casino, on the island next to Venice. Stacy and I joked that we stumbled upon the lost city of Atlantis up there because there was just no way it could all be real. Anyways, once we left the island, we took the waterbus back and decided to just get off a random stop that seemed fun. We ended up in a residential district where the people of Venice actually live, and we walked down the streets where laundry was hanging out to dry on clothes lines and people were sitting down to dinner in their living rooms. I felt like I was getting a sneak peak into the lives of real Italians since we weren’t in a touristy area like we usually are. I loved being in neighborhoods and getting a less commercialized and more authentic look at Italy. We grabbed sandwiches by the park and ate them while we walked around town. For those of you who don’t know Stacy, she is a professional quality violinist, and at one point we passed a sign for a Vivaldi concert that night. Vivaldi is well loved in Venice as well as by Stacy, so we were hoping we could go to the symphony that night. Unfortunately, the tickets were really expensive, and our college kid budgets couldn’t accommodate. As we were leaving, we could hear music coming out of the side door where the musicians were warming up. We decided to linger by the door and listen to them play since we weren’t going to the concert. A few guys where smoking by the door where we were listening, and they told us we could walk inside the door a little bit to hear better. They talked to us about music and instruments for a few minutes before they said, “Well, we have to go in and play now. Would you like to come in and listen?” They were the musicians! Of course, we said we’d love to, and they took us through backstage and led us right into the concert hall. We had just gotten into the too expensive concert for free as guests of the musicians, and we sat on the third row! I’ll never forget how absolutely epic that moment was. This symphony was the best I’d ever heard in my entire life—they played with so much passion and joy that watching them was as beautiful as hearing them. And it felt like they were playing for us because throughout the songs, they would look up at us and smile or give us a wink and make sure we were enjoying it. Stacy and I were in absolute bliss. After the concert was over, they came up to us and asked us how we liked it. We told them it was absolutely spectacular, and it was cute to see how happy it made them to know that we enjoyed it. Then, Stacy and I walked back to the door where we heard them playing and took a picture by “the door that changed our lives.” Yes, I guess you could say that we had a pretty good day. ;)

Happy to be in Venice!

Venice: Day Two

Even though Stacy and I’d had such a dazzling night the previous day, Venice didn’t disappoint on the second go-around either. After we woke up and got ready, (by this time we’re with the rest of the group) we decided to have a chill day and just go wherever we want without a checklist of places to go. We just talked and laughed while walking alongside the canals. Turns out, we ended up hitting lots of the places we wanted to go just by stumbling upon them. I like the “stumble upon” method because we aren’t running around frantic with maps in front of our faces like all the other tourists; instead, we get to enjoy where we are when we’re there. Also, when we’re off the beaten path, we’re able to find other things that aren’t just tourist places. St. Mark’s square was one of the places we wanted to see, and when we arrived there, it seemed like a nice place to grab some lunch and gelato. I took some pictures of this beautiful cathedral on the coast after lunch, and then, we found a free waterbus that would take us out to another island. When we got on the boat this time, there were open seats right at the very front of the boat, so we had an incredible view the entire way. 

Inside the cathedral

My rose from the grocery store

Even though we had just recently eaten lunch, our snaking selves got hungry again. There was a grocery store on the island, so we popped in to grab some snacks and drinks. At checkout, the coolest thing happened though. The lady handed me a free compact mirror and a long stem red rose. Huh? I asked what the occasion was, but it was just because they’re nice apparently. I love Venice!! So we walked until we found a gorgeous, huge, sandy beach where we sat down and had a little picnic. With my flower and snacks on the beach, I was a very happy person. I took off my shoes and enjoyed some sand between my toes while I wandered around looking for seashells. Yes, I’m 20 years old, and yes, I collected handfuls of seashells. They’re still pretty when you’re older too, okay? I was having such a great afternoon, but we promised to meet the rest of our group on the mainland for dinner, so we had to leave much earlier than I wanted to. However, the island of Lido did us well, and I’ll always have very pleasant memories of that place. For dinner, we found a restaurant that served lots of good seafood. I split the seafood pasta, sea bass, potatoes, and tiramisu with Stacy. Mmm it was yummy. 

And you may not know, but when I got to England, I found out that I had no memory card for my camera. Oops! That rendered the whole camera completely useless. Thus, I’ve been using my iPhone for pictures this entire trip. The quality on the iPhone camera is actually pretty good, so this hasn’t been too tragic or anything. However, I got to borrow my friend Steven’s very nice camera for the night in Venice, and I’d forgotten how nice it was to take pictures on a real camera. I literally took 200 pictures over the next hour and a half of the beautiful scenery and my beautiful friends. Venice is an absolutely gorgeous place, and it may have been my favorite place of the semester because of the great, relaxing time I had with my friends there. 

Sculptures, Florence, Action

Crumby picture, but it's still of Eddie and me

I have two words for you. Eddie. Redmayne. This man is from my favorite TV mini series, Pillars of the Earth. It's based on the book, and he plays a sculptor named Jack from the Middle Ages. Because this was the best day of my life, I'll give you a second by second replay of the moment. I was walking across a bridge in Florence, and he was walking the other way. As we passed each other, I recognized his face immediately. Gasping, I told my friends "I just saw my favorite actor ever!" Then, I turned on the spot and began following him. He was walking with his arm around a girl (unfortunately, ha), and I was debating whether or not I should talk to him. I did. I said, "Excuse me, but are you from Pillars of the Earth?" (even though I already knew the answer). He turned around, smiled, and replied in a British accent "Yes I am." I asked, "I know you're on a date, but would you be willing to take a picture with me?" He graciously replied, "Of course." Then he asked me what my name was, and I told him it was Katie. However, in my frenzied excitement, I completely forgot his name and I said, "I'm sorry, but I only know you as Jack." I wanted to slap myself in the face because I do absolutely know his name, but I was too excited to remember. However, he politely introduced himself as Eddie. His date took our picture, he said it was a pleasure to meet me, and then we parted ways; a simple yet unforgettable moment. I'd rather not mention this part, but I may or may not have cried out of pure joy after he left. The excitement was too much for my body to contain, so a little bit of happiness had to be squeezed out of my eyes for me not to explode. Okay, I’m being dramatic, but I’d never met a movie star before. This was a cool moment for me.

View of Florence from the Duomo

Gelatooo!!!!

This morning, we got up early, so we could beat the crowds and go up the Duomo. It was an architectural masterpiece in its day, and it has a spectacular view of the city. After 500 steps up through the church, we reached the top and had a spectacular view of Florence. We all took plenty of pictures of the view as well as each other, so hopefully they show up on Facebook soon. When we got back down, we headed to the Academia and met up with the rest of the group. Inside the Academia is one of my top 3 favorite sculptures--Michelangelo's David. It's not just because David is particularly nice to look at (although that's part of it), I am just so impressed by the skill and time it took to create something like that. I could literally see the veins in his hands and arms, and it was almost as if there was actually someone in there who had been covered in plaster or something. Every time I see this statue, I think that if I could create one thing as beautiful and spectacular as Michelangelo has done, my life and legacy would be complete. We'll see if that happens, but it's a bucket list thing. Lunch was in the covered market, and I found two wonderful things there. First of all, I saw Inca Cola there, which is what we drank when we were in Peru, and I hadn't tasted it in over 4 years. I let the people I was with try it, and we decided that it tastes like cream soda mixed with bubble gum. Tastes better than it sounds, so don't knock it until you try it. Second, there was a dried fruit stand, and this guy had everything. Dried cherries, apples, pineapples, mango, coconut, passion fruit, and peaches to name a few. I bought a bag of mango and coconut, and they were phenomenal. Actually, I should say they ARE phenomenal because I'm still munching on them days later. Great, healthy, and tasty find. After lunch, we soaked up a little sun and lay down in the grass right in the center of the piazza. Tired and warm, we took a little nap before it was museum time again. At the Ufizzi are a couple really famous pieces. Botticelli's La Primavera and Birth of Venus are probably the most famous two, and they really are beautiful. There were a few paintings by Da Vinci along with other classic art history pieces. I actually felt like I was walking around my old art history textbook; pieces I'd spent weeks studying were right in front of me. A bit surreal. To finish up the night, we headed out to dinner at a great little family run place. A man and his 10-year-old sons served us bread, drinks, gnocchi, and grilled chicken all for a reasonable price--especially because it was homemade by a great little Italian family. It was one of the best meals I had all semester--I may also just be missing homemade food. Of course, we had to get gelato after (fruiti di bosco), and we ate under a bridge by the river. And when you get lots of college students and give them sugar, they might potentially start a dance party under the bridge. Sorry ACU, it wasn't sanctioned dancing, but it was incredibly fun. Hopefully, that makes up for our illegal dance party. Dancing under the bridge created nice closure to our wonderful time in Florence.

Doing as the Romans Do

At the Trevi Fountain

With our tasty oranges at the market

Italian lovers: Romeo and Juliet at the Vatican 

In the Coliseum 

Rome-ward ho! After breakfast in Assisi, we loaded up the charter bus in the direction of Rome, and a three-hour nap later, we were there. Our hotel was in another converted convent, and a flock of sweet nuns greeted us at the door. We hung outside in the beautiful garden area and pet a cat for a little while before heading out for some lunch. At a little cafe restaurant, I split a delicious spinach and mozzarella pizza with my vegetarian friend Stacy. It tasted very much like a pizza from Brick Oven, but of course it was better because it was made in Italy. Hazelnut and Nutella flavored gelato finished up the meal nicely, and it was eaten in a sunny piazza while a man played the accordion beside us. Absolute bliss. With full bellies, we decided to make the trek up to the highest point in Rome. It was actually only a short distance from our hotel, and the view was spectacular. I love seeing cities from a bird’s eye view or from high up probably because there aren't many mountain view opportunities in Texas. The next cool opportunity we had was that Janine, who used to live in Rome, offered to take us around to a couple Roman hot spots. We met first at the Pantheon, and something I didn't notice the last time I was there is that the painted Raphael is actually buried inside there. I was happy to see and appreciate that monument this time. Next on the agenda was the Trevi Fountain, and I'm pleased to tell you that making a wish in it does actually work because my last wish to come back came true. I plan on wishing there every time because I don't ever want to stop coming back to Italy. The famous gelateria right by the fountain got my business that day, and I ate frutti di bosco and coconut gelato as I people and fountain watched. The last leg of the walking tour was to the Spanish steps. I pictured Audrey Hepburn from Roman Holiday standing there eating gelato while I walked up those same stairs. For dinner we went back to Piazza Navola, and straight to sleep from there. The calculations from our pedometers that day in Rome say we walked nearly 15 miles, and I crashed hard in my bed that night. My little legs didn't have much more to give by that point, so a good night's sleep was just what I needed.

Rome: Day Two

The hotel provided breakfast in Rome was delicious. We woke up to freshly baked croissants, which were eaten with lots of Nutella, and they also served a really good piña colada juice. For coffee drinkers, there was a fully staffed coffee bar, and a nun would make cappuccinos, espressos, or anything to your hearts desire exactly the way you like it. But the absolute best drink was drunk a few minutes later at the market. We walked to a great outdoor market 15 minutes from the hotel and I bought some fresh pomegranate juice. How do I know it was fresh? Well, I watched the man cut two pomegranates in half, juice the four slices in front of me, and then he handed me the cup. That juice was the nectar of the gods, and I think that in heaven we will all drink pomegranate juice and eat gelato. At least, that's what I'd like to do. Then again, maybe it means that Italy is actually heaven because that's what they get to do. I guess we'll see when we get there, eh? At noon, our directors set up a tour of the Vatican for us. We started at St. Peter’s Basilica and headed into the museum. Unfortunately for us, every other tourist in Rome decided to go to the museum too. Feeling a little like cattle, we were herded around to see various Roman artifacts. I did get to see Raphael’s School of Athens painting, and that was worthwhile because I don’t remember seeing it last time (or I probably saw it but didn’t care about it at that time in my life). The Sistine Chapel is still impressive though; so many hours and years of Michelangelo’s life went into that project. He’s a boss. This is totally a first-world problem, but walking around museums is quite physically exhausting. We were bushed and starving when we left the museum, so we stopped at a pizzeria. A friend recommended my pizza to me, and it had artichokes, olives, ham, and egg on it. Sounds weird—tastes great! The next amazing recommendation I got was to go the 110-flavor gelato shop. Oh yes, that’s right. One. Hundred. And. Ten. Flavors. My peanut butter and dark chocolate ensemble didn’t disappoint either. Unfortunately, we took a little too long and had to be somewhere in just a few minutes. I probably looked ridiculous running down the street while licking my ice cream cone; burning calories and consuming them at the same time is a strange feeling. Anyways, we ended up just in time at a museum exhibit called the Secret Archives of the Vatican. This might sound boring, but it was actually one of the best museums I’ve been to all semester. On display were documents that had always been locked up in the Vatican, but in a gesture of openness by the pope, they’re available for view to the public. Because they don’t always portray the popes in the most favorable light, it was cool that these documents were available to see now. Some of the cooler things were letters from Martin Luthor, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon, Charles V, and Francis of Assisi to the respective popes of their day. When Henry VIII petitioned for a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, his letter was up on display there. I’ve never been to a museum like this before, and it was much better than expected. After the museum, the nice people we are, we showed the rest of the group where the 110-flavor gelato place was. Of course, we had to get some more, and the two flavors I got this time were the best in all of Italy. Mango and grapefruit are officially the most amazing flavors I’ve ever had. Ever. The evening was concluded by a spinach calzone and a good night’s sleep. Thanks for a great day, Rome.

Rome: Day Three

Beautiful flowers at the market

I hate my bank. They’ve frozen my account at least 5 times over the semester even though we repeatedly tell them that I’m overseas. It was hard not to have any access to money all day, but thankfully, my friends came through and let me borrow from them again. And I ended up spending said money at the flea market that Janine took us to in the morning. I got lots of gifts for people there, and I like spending my money in locally supported places like that rather than at chain stores. Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the Bernini sculpture, The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, but it’s awesome. I fell in love with it in history class when we studied it, and turns out, it’s in Rome. Nobody else had ever heard about it or wanted to go see it—except for Ron, my professor. He and I agreed to meet at 2:30 in the Piazza Colona, which was a couple miles from where the flea market was. So after the market with my friends, I ventured across Rome all by myself. It was broad daylight, so I wasn’t scared; instead, I felt super independent maneuvering around the Italian streets: just me and my map. Ron and I had some nice professor-student bonding time while we waited for the church to open up. I really love Ron and Janine over here, and maybe because they remind me so much of my own parents. Both couples are movie lovers, professors, have two daughters, etc. There are lots of similarities. Anyways, the statue was absolutely worth the walk over. Bernini deserves a prize for this one; St. Theresa’s clothes look incredibly realistic, and her expression is timeless. I could have stared at it for hours. Next, Ron and I met the rest of the group at the Coliseum. We had a short devo inside before we explored and took pictures. A blessing in disguise happened next; it started pouring rain and soaking us. Sounds crumby, right? Well, it was for about 10 minutes, but we stuck it out, and when it stopped raining a few minutes later ALL the tourists were gone! Everyone fled in the rain, so we had the Coliseum and the Roman Forum almost completely to ourselves. No shuffling past people to get a picture or see something. Great timing. We also went through with Ron, Janine, their daughter, and her boyfriend, and they told us about some of the things we were seeing in the forum like the Temple of the Vestal Virgins. For dinner after, I tried these pasta/potato balls called gnocchi. They were baked in a creamy zucchini and cheese sauce, and they were some of the best things ever. I mean, it’s a combo of three of my favorite foods—pasta, potatoes, and cheese. Doesn’t get much better than that. I also ate an entire pizza with that meal, but I justified it by not getting gelato afterward. Oh man, my body isn’t going to like me after this trip, but I’m still young. I’ll enjoy my high metabolism while I still can!

On the Road to Assisi

View of Assisi from the bottom of the mountain

The courtyard inside San Damiano

View from the top of the mountain

Panna Cotta

First day in Italy! A little background before I tell you about our adventures. In Core, we read The Road To Assisi about Francis of Assisi's conversion and life. Saint Francis lived in and traveled all over Assisi and Italy, and now I am here in Assisi walking the streets he walked on, praying in the churches he prayed in, and seeing the same landscapes he saw. Random fun fact: there are apparently a huge number of Franciscans who settled California, and they named their cities after cities in Assisi (for instance, here we waked on Los Angeles and Sacramento street, and San Francisco is Italian for Saint Francis)! Our first stop here was to the basilica Santa Maria di Algeli constructed in honor of Francis. Beautiful frescos covered the walls and ceilings, and statues of St. Francis' life were scattered around both inside and in the gardens. He's known for his preaching to the birds and flowers, and there was actually a live dove on the statue of Francis today. Maybe there's something to that. After the basilica, we went to San Damiano church. This is the church where Francis saw Jesus speak to him from the cross, and it's also the convent where the female Franciscans lived. We walked around the cloisters for about half an hour, and then at 5, we participated in the evening vespers. Monks and priests led the service with prayers, songs, and scriptures--all in Italian, of course. I didn't understand a word of it, but it was still beautiful. And speaking of beautiful, the town of Assisi is located on the side of a mountain, so by the time we hiked up to San Damiano, we were on top of the world as far as I’m concerned. Our view was incredible from there; the countryside is so green, and the land is scattered with olive trees and vineyards in between the few houses. The clay roofs on all the houses are a great burnt umber color (turns out that the color umber is the color of the dirt in the Umbria region, which is where we are)! The next beautiful thing we did was stop at a gelateria. A hallelujah chorus sang when I bit into that caffe gelato. Why is gelato so much better than ice cream? I don't know, but study abroad gave us 80 euros for food this week, and I have a feeling that it may all go to gelato (possibly some pizza and pasta as well). They're paying for some of our meals this week too. For lunch, we went to a restaurant and had a 4 course meal of lasagna, grilled chicken breasts, salad, and raspberry panna cotta. The panna cotta was our dessert, and it's sort of like a crème brûlée but without the brûlée part. Delicious. Dinner at our hotel tonight was possibly even better, however. We are staying in a convent with nuns, and they're the ones who prepared and served us dinner tonight. Another multiple course meal presented itself, but this time we had shell pasta, a pork roast, salad, roasted potatoes, and fruit. My goodness, it was delicious. Now, I'm very full, very happy, and very sleepy, so it's time for bed. Another fun filled day to prepare for in the morning!

Assisi: Day 2
This morning we went on a three hour tour, not to Gilligan's Island, but around Assisi. Our tour guide Daniella was awesome because she had the best combination of valuable information mixed in with a great sense of humor. First, she took us to Santa Chiara, which is named after the first woman follower of St. Francis. The crucifix that spoke to St. Francis when he was in San Damiano now hangs in this church, but we got kicked out because we didn’t know to cross ourselves before we passes by the communtion table. Apparently, in the Catholic church, that’s a big thing, so the nun ushered us out. Opps, bad tourist move. The tour was not to be stopped however; we still had more places to go to. We left and went to San Francesco church after. It’s a totally cool building that has been decorated by painters like Giotto and Chimabue. These two talented artists painted or oversaw hundreds of frescos all over the church, and some of the pieces we studied in Art History were actually here. This basilica is dedicated to Francis because his tomb is downstairs along with the tombs of his closest followers. I actually got to stand next to the body of Saint Francis! I thought it was really cool. After Daniella took us a few places more, the tour was over. Goodbyes were said, and then it was lunchtime. Cheap pizza greeted us right around the corner, and we were eager to say hello. My pizza had roasted peppers and olives on it and cost as much as a gelato. Winning! However, I still broke even because I got gelato after lunch anyways. Oops. Hey, when in Assisi, right? The coolest thing we got to do today was probably climb a mountain. Yes, that’s right. We heard about some caves up in the mountains, and we decided that we should go check them out. The view was absolutely spectacular from where we were—I could probably see Abilene from up there. I hiked even further up the mountain with a friend, but it was all off trail. On hands and knees, we climbed up that mountain, and it actually took a decent amount of both strategy and strength to get up there. Very worthwhile. After coming down the mountain, we felt like we deserved another helping of gelato. I really do think we burned over a thousand calories on that hike. Back in town, we did a little shopping for gifts for people while we waited for dinnertime. Yet again, the nuns wowed us with another wonderful meal. This time we had rice, meat and veggie kebabs, potatoes, salad, and cake. Those nuns really know how work it. Post dinner was our weekly 9@9 service, and this week was my week to lead. Our focus was on peace—both within us and in the world. I thought it went really well with the teachings of St. Francis whose hometown we were in. After the devo, we all went out to get gelato (Okay, I get that makes three times in one day. Don’t judge me.) with Janine and Ron. First part of the great night was my great gelato--the flavor: fiorre di latte. This translates roughly to "the best of the cream," and it's basically lots of creamy milk and sugar. And what could be wrong with that, right? The next best part of the night was sharing all our hilarious travel stories with Janine and Ron. I laughed harder than I had in weeks that night! I really love our professors, and it's great to get to know them better in Assisi over a cone of gelato and stories of far away places. This is only the first of 5 Italian cities I'll be visiting over the next two weeks, but it may already be my favorite. Then again, it's probable that I say every city is my favorite at the end of each post, but I'll take that as a good sign.