At an Adventure's End

Ciao everyone! I am now safely back home and have time to write my final blog with some final thoughts and what happened in the past week.

On Sunday, I ofcourse got gelato and hung out with Mel and we eventually ended up at Scholars. The next day I had my last class for Michelangelo in Rome before the final. We visited Sant Agostino and San Luigi, two very famous churches that hold the works of Caravaggio. I made sure to get some more gelato that day as well.  The next day I had my Italian class where we reviewed for the final. I still can't believe how much Italian I've learned in such little time! Later in the evening a few of us headed over to the San Lorenzo area by the Termini train station, which was a lot different than our usual hang out spot, but a lot of fun nonetheless.

On Wednesday I took a final and met up with Mel to go to Mama Eat for the last time, a place where one can get gluten free pizza (I got the normal one, but the gluten free one doesn't look too bad either!) Afterwards, we walked to the Vatican and had a little photoshoot, which was a lot of fun. Later that day I went to a restaurant in Monte Mario called Cucina Romana and had some bruschette, pizza, and french fries along with some wine. It was delicious!

Thursday was my legit last day in Rome, which was very sad. I had to take my last final, Italian, which I think I did pretty well on. Afterwards, I got gelato for the second time that day at my favorite spot, Della Palma where they give you huge servings of gelato such as nutella and chocolate fondente. Later, we hung out at our favorite bar in Trastevere, sipping some coffee and mourning our soon departure. In the evening, Claudio made Mel and I dinner and we went to Scholars for the last time. At Midnight, it was Mel's birthday, so we celebrated for a few hours until I had to leave to go home and pack.

What a sad day it was to leave! I didn't even bother going to bed- I took a taxi to the airport, and then had to go through a thousand and one steps to actually get to my gate. At first, they couldn't find my name on the computer and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get my ticket to fly! It worked out, and I flew ten hours to New Jersey, sleeping only a couple of the hours on the plane. Once I got to Jersey, I had to wait 3 hours for my layover, and we finally boarded. However, the plane couldn't take off, so we had to get off and wait another 2 and a half hours for a new plane that wasn't having mechanical issues! By the time I got home, it was 10 pm STL time, 5 am Rome time. So basically a 24 hour trip!

It's nice to be at home I suppose, but I really miss Rome and my friends there. It was definitely an experience to remember, and I wish I could go back tomorrow, but alas. Thanks everyone for reading my blog! This will be my last post. I'd like to end with a little something I did similar to the beginning of the semester when I talked about the things I missed in America. Only this time, you can guess it will be a little different.

The Top Ten Things I Miss About Italy:

10. Zara! OMG the shopping! This store in particular store my heart and wallet with all of their trendy clothing. I think in the end I bought around 8 dresses here! Amazing! Someone told me there's a Zara in Chicago, so maybe someday if I get the urge I can go shopping there again. Maybe it's a good thing it's so far away from me...

9. The Walking - Okay, maybe my feet didn't like all of the pressure, but the rest of my body sure did! It was wonderful to walk around and be able to feel the fresh Italian air. I will definitely be walking more around the neighborhood atleast this summer.

8. Living in a Big City - the convenience alone was amazing! I liked using public transportation most of the time and being so close to everything. It also meant I could walk a lot more.

7. The Foreign Language- Anyone who knows me knows that I love learning languages, so getting to be immersed in the Italian language was a gift!

6. The Homemade Italian Meals - getting meals cooked to you by Italians is pretty legit, you have to admit. I have eaten so much pasta and pizza, it's insane!

5. THE PIZZA! Whether it was thin crust Roman style of thicker Neapolitan, it was all amazing. I am still not sick of pizza and could in fact eat it today probably hahaha.

4. The Art and Culture - this doesn't need to be explained, honestly. All of the art I've seen in Italy overall is overwhelming! Caravaggio, Titian, Botticelli, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael... I could go on and on and on...

3. Traveling - It was so much easier to travel in Italy when you are so much closer to all of those different cultures and countries. Seeing Barcelona, Paris, and the rest of Italy was really a treat and much more convenient compared to living in the states and traveling from there.

2. THE GELATO! I like how I capitalize the foods. But OH MY GOD THE GELATO! I don't know how I will live without that creamy, marvelous dairy product. Chocolate fondente, I will never forget you. Nor will I forget you, nutella.

1. The People I've Met - This definitely deserves the number one spot. I've definitely met some people I will never forget, from students from my program to people outside. I got a new best friend, Mel, who is going to (or better be!!!) visit me in Missouri sometime this summer. I also met Claudio, a guy I will for sure never forget. All in all, I met a lot of friends and hope to see them again sooner rather then later.

Ciao ciao!

 Plane Ride Home. On Boeing 767

 One last view of the Tiber in Rome.

 At the Vatican

 Oh I forgot to mention this! Hahaha I was trying to get into my house, but the key broke so I had to call the doorman and it took two hours for us to get into the place. What a fun evening that was!

 Alas, we could not enter the threshold. 

 Trastevere Train Station - I spent quite some time here.

 Some of Caravaggio's work in the two churches mentioned above.

Once again everyone thanks for reading. It's been a blast!

Last Weekend in Rome

They say all good things have to come to an end.

Unfortunately this semester, I have learned the bitter truth to this phrase. As I'm coming up at the end of my trip, I can't help but look back and already miss this place which I've called home for the past three months. Granted, I still have 4 days left or so, but I am sure they will pass just as quickly as the first 100 or so.

This weekend has been a lot of fun! On Thursday, I had a final in my High Renaissance art class, which I am now done with! I also had an Italian oral exam which I actually didn't do too badly on. Unfortunately, I didn't feel well afterwards and spent most of the day in bed. A friend of mine took care of me, and I really appreciated it! I am not good at being sick!

On Friday, I felt a lot better. Claudio and I met up with Mel and Zacheriah and we got some gelato in the Monte Mario area, a residential area Northwest of Rome. I got a cup of chocolate fondente and ferrero rocher (delicious), no panna of course. Mel and I went back to her place, and we got felafels. Mel and I went to DJ bar and then later Scholars, which turned out to be a lot of fun!

The next day, I slept in and didn't really get up until 3 pm. After hanging out for a bit, all of us met up to go to Zacheriah's place where he made homemade pizza for us- delicious! Later on we went to Scholars again and just hung out and relaxed.

Today, I met up with Claudio and we had lunch together, pasta with tomato sauce, garlic, and pepper. I will missing having Italians cook for me! Soon, I plan on trudging through the rain to Melissa's flat so I can get some gelato with her.

The next four days or so, I plan on visiting the Vatican again, getting some souvenirs for folk back home, and maybe seeing a few more sights. I have two finals left, and I will be done on Thursday. Thursday evening will probably consist of me sitting in a corner crying!!!!

Miss you all at home, but I will see you very soon!

Ciao,

The Beach, Studying, and the Concert

Hi everyone!

It's been a busy week here! On Saturday, I finally got to go to the beach with Mel in Ostia Antica. The weather was perfect and it wasn't very crowded, so it was nice! We sat and relaxed for a few hours and then walked along the shore. It was a very relaxing day. Later we got falafels and then had eggplant parmesan with a few other friends of ours.

The next day, I had to write a paper for my Michelangelo class on his Last Judgment fresco in the Sistine Chapel. I also had a final to study for in Ancient Art history. It wasn't a very exciting day, but work has gotta get done, even while studying abroad.

On Monday, I went to class, got some pizza and gelato, then took my test. Afterwards I had to go to the Wind store, to renew my internet and phone credit since my three month plan was finished. I can't believe I've been here for that long! Afterwards I had a great dinner and chilled after a stressful day yesterday.

On Tuesday, I slept in a little, and then went over to have lunch at a friend's house with Mel. Afterwards, we headed to the biggest concert in Rome that is free, the First of May Concert. A bunch of Italian bands played and some American ones too. It was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed myself.

As for today, I plan on eating some lunch, then hanging out with Melissa a bit. We might get taught how to make crepes this evening! ;)

Ciao ciao.

 On the train to the beach.

 One wrong turn along the way, but we figured it out.

 Having fun in the sun!

 The beach!

Another Week Gone...

I cannot believe that I only have two weeks left here in Italy! The time has gone WAY too quickly. It seems like just yesterday I arrived in the city which was covered in snow! Luckily, the weather has greatly improved since then and I now have a better grip of how to get around the city. Just in time to leave, ofcourse.

As for this week, I have had to write a few papers which I procrastinated on a bit. This Wednesday was a holiday so I didn't have class then- it was their Independence Day. The other days however I did have class. Nothing too exciting happening there- just preparing for finals, believe it or not.

I have been getting gelato pretty much daily as usual and have been roaming the city. It's going to be hard to leave.

I'm not sure what I will be doing this weekend. Since the weather is warmer, I'm hoping I'll be able to go to the beach sometime!

I will be seeing everyone soon!

Ciao.

Homework!

Ciao everyone! Just a quick update since I'm pretty busy here with homework!

On Thursday, I went to Villa Borghese with my class to see the Borghese Gallery where some of Bernini's most famous sculptures reside. Afterwards, I had some pizza for lunch and then had my Italian class. That night, I had dinner with a friend and we watched a movie.

The next day, I had to go to Viterbo for a school fieldtrip, which is about an hour north of Rome. I went with my classmates and saw Villa Lante and the Garden of the Monsters. It was raining half the time, so that made it a little miserable, but when the weather was nice I enjoyed the visit. Afterwards we got back and Mel and I grabbed a falafel and some pizza. Later on, I also got some gelato and we ended up at DJ bar where we met up with two of our Italian friends.

On Saturday, I hung out with another friend of mine, in which we had gelato and hung out for the day. The weekend flew by, truthfully. It is now nearly 5 pm on Sunday and I need to get working on a paper. I will write more later!

 Small truck!

 Gelato adventures!

 Villa Lante

 Garden of the Monsters!

Weekly Update

Hello everyone!

Let me tell you, time is really flying by here! I honestly do not know where the days go! This past week hasn't been too eventful, I've just had a lot of time to hang out with friends, which is nice. Granted I could have been getting a head start on homework, but who does that while studying abroad?

I will try to be better on updating the blog, because now the past few days have kind of meshed together in my mind and I'm not quite sure what I did on each day. Granted, most days I hang out with Mel and we often get gelato, walk around a different part of Rome, or chill at her place since mine is so far away. We also have a a few Italian friends now who make us dinner!

I have had a lot of different pasta dishes lately. One kind I have had that is common in the states is a simple tomato and cheese sauce. I've also tried carbonara, which is pasta with pancetta and eggs. In addition, I've also eaten a quattro formaggi and panna sauce with tomato, which is a little sweeter then the regular tomato and cheese. I've even had pasta with peas! In other words, I have eaten a lot of pasta lately. When Mel and I go out, we usually get pizza or a falafel, which is something I never tried in the states. It is, according to Mel, vegetarian junk food, fried chick peas, yogurt, spicey sauce, and other things in a wrap. Molto buono!

Enough talk about food! Since coming to Rome, I have found that there are a bunch of distinct areas in the city. The area I live in (well, usually), is called Parioli, which is a ritzier area with wealthier, usually older people. It's mainly residential, and houses a few expensive shops and restaurants. To get to the center of the city, I have to take either a bus (number 52) or a metrotrain south one stop to Piazza Poppolo. Where Mel lives is called Trastevere, which is slightly Southwest of the center of the city. This area has more younger people as well as quite a few Americans who are studying abroad. There are also a lot more reasonable places to eat and shop at around there. One of our favorite stomping grounds is Fior di Luna, a great gelateria. Another area of Rome is the Vatican, where the Pope and his folks reside. That area I would say is less residential and houses more tourist attractions, such as St. Peters, Castel Sant'Angelo, and other museums and monuments. Then you have the center of the city, where Piazza Navonna, my school, Trevi Fountains, and the Pantheon are located. This is actually probably the most touristic area and has a lot of places to eat and shop at and countless things to see. This is also the area overrun by tourists, particularly of the Japanese and American sorts. A little west of Parioli, where I live, is Monte Mario, where most of our Italian friends live. This seems to be an area where less Americans reside and more actual Italians live. To get there from Trastevere we take a train that passes through St. Peter's.

Today I have two classes, and then later on I might go to a dinner with our school. Tomorrow morning I have to wake up early for my first class which is meeting in Villa Borghese.

Ciao!

Naples!!

So Naples was loads of fun- in summary, we saw, we ate, we conquered!

On Monday morning, we went to Rome Termini station and took the train to Naples Central station which took about two and a half hours and went by pretty quickly. Once we got to Naples, it was around 5:00 and we checked in at the hostel. Afterwards, we searched for one of the more famous pizzerias in Naples, called Trianon. It was really good- the crust almost tasted like a chewy pretzel- delicious! Afterwards, we walked back to our hostel, split a bottle of wine, and hung out for the rest of the night.

The hostel was pretty nice and wasn't too crowded- it was a lot different then the one we stayed at in Perugia. We slept in a bunkbed in a room of about ten which was half full. The next day, we went on a hunt for pastries, which southern Italy is apparently more famous for then their gelato.It took us awhile, but we found a small place and each had a pastry- I had a chocolate cornetto and Mel had a chocolate filled donut. Both were delicious. Afterwards, we walked around the city center, did some sightseeing, and took some photos of famous places.

The thing I first noticed about Naples is that it is a lot less eco friendly then Rome- there was a lot of trash everywhere! Another thing about Naples is that it seemed more crowded and hectic- Mel said it reminded her of a more middle-Eastern city-feel. Not as many people smoked however and you could tell the people there liked to eat! I was probably taller than 90 percent of the folks there as well!

We tried going to Mount Vesuvius in hopes of hiking the entire volcano, but apparently got off on the wrong stop so we got there too late. Oh well! We headed back into Naples and went to probably the most famous pizzeria in Naples, Da Michele. I think this is the place where Julia Roberts ate and where she filmed Eat, Pray, and Love. I think both of us agreed that this place had the best pizza we have yet to taste in Italy! It was huge, the crust was amazing, the cheese was delicious, and the tomato sauce was delicious. Buonissima.

Afterwards, we walked for hours on the seaside, which was gorgeous. I really enjoyed the sights and needed the exercise, that's for sure! Afterwards, we got a bottle of wine, bought another couple of pastries- I think they were called sfogliatelles, something like that- and chilled at a piazza, enjoying the night.

Unfortunately, when we got back, we checked the forecast and it showed rain. We decided that we would leave tomorrow since we didn't feel like walking around in the rain! So today, we searched for more pastries in vain; we tried finding the place we went to a couple of weeks ago with the school, but we were fruitless (or rather, pastryless). After walking around the city center for a couple of hours, we headed towards the train station and took the next train home, to Roma!

Now I am back at Melissa's apartment, where I got a slice of pizza and a kit kat bar and am chowing down. Tomorrow I will try to start eating healthy again ;)

More later!
Ciao

On the train to Naples! 

The menu to one of the most famous pizzerias in Naples. 

What to get, what to get... 

That'll do. 

 A challenge, but I'm up to it. 

The other famous pizzeria.  

The train station to go to Pompeii. 

 The fail of climbing Mount Vesuvius.

Julia Roberts was here! 

A big challenge- and we felt it afterwards! 

On the sea. 

It's not a green screen! 

A tunnel.  

The streets of Naples. 

And the castles of Naples.

Inside the galleria.  

We're not sure where we were, but it looked cool! 

Another castle. 

Naples in its glory. 

Pastries we brought for the train ride. 

Buono!