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.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
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!
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!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
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!
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!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
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 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!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Happy Easter!
Buona Pasqua! Hope everyone has a good Easter today.
On Friday evening, Mel and I went to a place called Mama! Eat, where they had a separate menu for gluten free food. It was amazing, and we each had pizza that was up there in our growing list of favorites! The pizza had a slightly thicker crust which I prefer and Mel could eat hers without feeling too bad! It was a win-win situation. Afterwards, we met up with some friends at DJ Bar and hung out for a bit before retiring.
The next day, we kind of just chilled, getting pizza for lunch as well as some gelato from Ciuri Ciuri, a Sicilian Dessert place. I got three flavors- chocolate nero, setteveli, and stracciatella. In English, I'd call them dark chocolate, hazelnut/chocolate, and chocolate chip. It was delicious! After hanging out for a bit, we decided to go back to Mama! Eat and eat more pizza which was amazing. We called it an early night and slept for twelve hours!
As for Easter today, I plan on eating a falafel. I will probably soon head back to my apartment, do some laundry, do some homework, and get ready for our little trip to Naples tomorrow. We leave early!
Again, have a good Easter!
Ciao
On Friday evening, Mel and I went to a place called Mama! Eat, where they had a separate menu for gluten free food. It was amazing, and we each had pizza that was up there in our growing list of favorites! The pizza had a slightly thicker crust which I prefer and Mel could eat hers without feeling too bad! It was a win-win situation. Afterwards, we met up with some friends at DJ Bar and hung out for a bit before retiring.
The next day, we kind of just chilled, getting pizza for lunch as well as some gelato from Ciuri Ciuri, a Sicilian Dessert place. I got three flavors- chocolate nero, setteveli, and stracciatella. In English, I'd call them dark chocolate, hazelnut/chocolate, and chocolate chip. It was delicious! After hanging out for a bit, we decided to go back to Mama! Eat and eat more pizza which was amazing. We called it an early night and slept for twelve hours!
As for Easter today, I plan on eating a falafel. I will probably soon head back to my apartment, do some laundry, do some homework, and get ready for our little trip to Naples tomorrow. We leave early!
Again, have a good Easter!
Ciao
The Tiber River
Ruins in the Jewish Ghetto
Campidoglio Area
Inside Piazza Venezia
In Piazza Repubblica
Friday, April 6, 2012
Good Friday
Hello all and ciao!
Yesterday, I had my usual two classes. In the first one, we went on quite an excursion! We met at the Colosseum Metro entrance (which is coincidentally right across the street from the Colosseum!) and headed towards San Pietro where Pope Julius II's Tomb is, housing Michelangelo's famous Moses statue. Afterwards we took a subway to visit another church and a famous archway. Although I left my apartment at 8 am, I was sweating it to get there on time in an hour! Just to give you an idea, I walked down Via Flaminia for about twenty minutes, then took a bus on Via del Corso, which dropped me off at Piazza Venezia. From there I power walked the rest of the way. Very stressful! There seem to be a lot of tourists here, thanks probably to Easter.
Afterwards, I went and studied a little bit for my Italian quiz, got some pizza for lunch, then hung out with Melissa for a little bit, getting some gelato in Trastevere, a section of Rome that she lives in. Afterwards, I headed back to class and took my quiz and learned a little bit about direct and indirect pronouns. Once that was over and done with, I met up with Mel again and we got gelato again, this time at a place closer to the Pantheon called Della Palma. We then headed back to my place where I proceeded to pack some things to keep over at her place for the weekend. Once we got back to her place, it was late and we were starving! A friend of ours recommended a place that apparently made really great Neapolitan pizza, which is a little thicker in crust then Roman style. We were not disappointed! It was delicious! Afterwards, we went to Baccanale and enjoyed a bottle of wine. We then realized how much we had turned into our mothers sharing a bottle of chardonnay. Not only are we both left handed like our mothers, but we also prefer the same drinks!
I stayed the night over at her place and we got a late start, but made up for it in sight seeing in central Rome! I got some pizza for lunch, then we got ready to go see this famous monument, but it was too crowded and we didn't feel like waiting to stick our hand in the thing like in that movie, Roman Holiday. We walked on the river a little bit, and then headed to the Jewish Ghetto. After traipsing around, we headed to Piazza Venezia and had a photo shoot! From there we walked to Via Nazionale where a bunch of shops were and basically window shopped since we are both broke! However, there is always money (or atleast meal tickets) for gelato and thus got some on the way back to her place at Giolitti. She actually got something called a Granita di Caffe (I think) which is a coffee drink of some sort. I stuck with chocolate fondente and gnutella ice cream. It was a wise choice.
Afterwards, we took the tram back to her place, and are ready now to go out for dinner! This should be a fun weekend in Rome! We are staying here for Easter, but on Monday we plan on taking a little trip to Naples for spring break for three days where we will eat our weight in pizza.
Stay tuned for more later!
Yesterday, I had my usual two classes. In the first one, we went on quite an excursion! We met at the Colosseum Metro entrance (which is coincidentally right across the street from the Colosseum!) and headed towards San Pietro where Pope Julius II's Tomb is, housing Michelangelo's famous Moses statue. Afterwards we took a subway to visit another church and a famous archway. Although I left my apartment at 8 am, I was sweating it to get there on time in an hour! Just to give you an idea, I walked down Via Flaminia for about twenty minutes, then took a bus on Via del Corso, which dropped me off at Piazza Venezia. From there I power walked the rest of the way. Very stressful! There seem to be a lot of tourists here, thanks probably to Easter.
Afterwards, I went and studied a little bit for my Italian quiz, got some pizza for lunch, then hung out with Melissa for a little bit, getting some gelato in Trastevere, a section of Rome that she lives in. Afterwards, I headed back to class and took my quiz and learned a little bit about direct and indirect pronouns. Once that was over and done with, I met up with Mel again and we got gelato again, this time at a place closer to the Pantheon called Della Palma. We then headed back to my place where I proceeded to pack some things to keep over at her place for the weekend. Once we got back to her place, it was late and we were starving! A friend of ours recommended a place that apparently made really great Neapolitan pizza, which is a little thicker in crust then Roman style. We were not disappointed! It was delicious! Afterwards, we went to Baccanale and enjoyed a bottle of wine. We then realized how much we had turned into our mothers sharing a bottle of chardonnay. Not only are we both left handed like our mothers, but we also prefer the same drinks!
I stayed the night over at her place and we got a late start, but made up for it in sight seeing in central Rome! I got some pizza for lunch, then we got ready to go see this famous monument, but it was too crowded and we didn't feel like waiting to stick our hand in the thing like in that movie, Roman Holiday. We walked on the river a little bit, and then headed to the Jewish Ghetto. After traipsing around, we headed to Piazza Venezia and had a photo shoot! From there we walked to Via Nazionale where a bunch of shops were and basically window shopped since we are both broke! However, there is always money (or atleast meal tickets) for gelato and thus got some on the way back to her place at Giolitti. She actually got something called a Granita di Caffe (I think) which is a coffee drink of some sort. I stuck with chocolate fondente and gnutella ice cream. It was a wise choice.
Afterwards, we took the tram back to her place, and are ready now to go out for dinner! This should be a fun weekend in Rome! We are staying here for Easter, but on Monday we plan on taking a little trip to Naples for spring break for three days where we will eat our weight in pizza.
Stay tuned for more later!
Pizza at Pizzeria Nerone
Ruins of Jewish Ghetto
On Piazza Venezia!
Always a good day for gelato!
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