Day 21

Today we went wine tasting. Since I don't drink, I was rather bored but the location was gorgeous. You could see hills and lots and lots of green. Just to say I had wine in Italy, I had a small sip. I guess it's an acquired taste because I absolutely hated it and wanted to spit it out. Afterwards, we had lunch at the winery. 

We had a very long bus ride back in which we all slept. We didn't get back until 7:30pm and we had to walk down a ton of stairs in the rain to get to the tram! That was quite an experience. For dinner, my friend Lauren and I went to our favorite pizza shop. I have gone here almost every day and the guys all know me now! 

We also went to our favorite gelateria where they also know us! 

I can't believe tomorrow is my last full day here. Where does the time go?

Ciao for now! 

Day 20

Today our group went to Florence. We took a 2 hour walking tour with our fabulous guide Marco and got an idea of where we wanted to go during our 6 hours of free time. I particularly enjoyed seeing the replica of the statue of David, since its so famous. Maybe if/when I come back to Florence I will see the real one. 

During our free time, Allison, Lexi and I went to Leonardo da Vinci's museum. We got to touch most of his inventions, so it was fun! I sat in some device that helped pull heavy weights.. Talk about girl power! 

I also pretended to be Mona Lisa! 

From there, we ran into our friend Sebastian so we expanded our group. I enjoyed this because I had never talked to him before and I feel like I made a new friend. Once he joined our group, our day became very interesting. We ran into some teenagers from Spain who were participating in a contest where they had to take pictures with different people at different sites. We all formed the Eiffel Tower with them and then they were on their way to the next site! From there, we went to a tie store where we gave girl advice on formal shirts and ties. Since the store owner liked us all, she gave Sebastian a discount and told him to treat us all to gelato (which he did!) 

We also went to a euro only store (a 99 cent store) where we saw a gypsy steal some makeup. It was a very interesting day indeed. 

Ciao for now! 

Day 19

Today we left our apartments at 6am for our weekend trip to Tuscany. Everyone was super tired and grumpy, so the bus was nice and quiet! After about an hour and a half, we arrived in Siena. I had never been there before, so I was pretty excited. There was only one problem....I had the worst stomach ache/nausea. During our three hour walking tour, I sat down in the shade and didn't really hear anything the tour guide said. After the tour was over, I immediately went to get food and a coke which made me feel a little bit better. Two of my friends and I went to a local Italian restaurant where we had the best mushroom risotto EVER! I had fun ordering in Italian-- that's definitely something I will miss in LA!

After lunch, we went to our hotel 2 hours away. The hotel isn't in a great area and there's nothing to do. Maybe we will actually be able to study for our last exam on Monday! On a side note, I can't believe this trip is almost over. I'm sad to be leaving Italy but I'm happy to return to my family! Only a few more days until I never have to complain about transportation again! Haha.

Ciao for now!

Day 18

Today was our politics final. No matter how much we studied, we still felt unprepared. The test consisted of multiple choice, true/false and an essay. The information seemed to be more of the minor details so it was harder to remember facts. Oh well! 

After our final, my friends and I decided to go therapy shopping. We took the bus to Vatican City, where we shopped around stalls. It was suuuuuper hot, so we didn't stay long! For dinner, we had a goodbye dinner with our Italian professor. We went to the Jewish ghetto, which was cool but veeeery expensive! 

Most people went clubbing after dinner but my friends and I went back to the apartments. Now, we are painting our nails and doing each others hair. A girl has to be pampered every now and then right? 

We are off to Florence tomorrow and we have to wake up early so... 

Ciao for now! 

Day 17

Are you ready for the shortest blog entry yet? Because this is it (mainly because I have to study for my politics exam tomorrow). 

Today for art history we went to multiple churches. It was our last class so it was hard to concentrate, but I somehow survived the three hours. I feel confident enough with the information to do well on the final, so I'm not too worried. Too bad THAT final isn't tomorrow!

During politics, we had a guest speaker. He was far more engaging than our actual professor and I loved his insights. Unfortunately, that information will be on our final tomorrow. Tonight we watched a documentary on the cons of living in Italy. The film was pretty interesting but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it hadn't been the night before our final! The directors were also there, which was pretty cool. 

It is now past 9pm and I need to study so... 

Ciao for now!

Day 16: Exactly One More Week

Today was one of the longest days yet. We left the apartment by 7:45am to get to class at the Vatican by 9:30 (public transportation takes THAT long). Luckily, we didn't have to wait in super long lines like everyone else. We did, however, have to take notes for art history-- lots of them. We analyzed specific paintings, rooms and eventually the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel was beautiful and since I had never seen it before, I was very excited. The rooms were hot and crowded and class was over 3 1/2 hours today, but I had fun nonetheless. 

The above painting isn't in the Sistine Chapel but I love all the detail... So, I decided to post it!! 

Afterwards, we had free time. My friend and I went on a quick gelato run while waiting for the bus (that seems to be the usual routine on hot afternoons). I guess the buses don't run as frequently here because we were waiting for a good 45 minutes. We then had to wait another 15-20 minutes for the tram! I will never complain about public transportation in LA, or anywhere for that matter, ever again! 

Ciao for now! 

Day 15

Today was a big day. In the morning, we had our 3 hour Italian class where we learned how to ask for directions. An hour after class ended, we had our first ever college final!! The test was very simple (actually easier than our workbook) and I think I did really well. To celebrate, my friends and I went to a local coffee shop to grab a quick coffee before heading off to the Senate of the Republic!    

Once at the Senate, we took a tour around the building. Our first stop was the chamber and we got to walk on the actual ground floor! We also saw where major politicians sat, including Mario Monti. As we were walking ou of the chamber, we met Renato Turano who represents the United States! He was very friendly and told us today they would be discussing ways to get more job openings for the young. Outside the Senate, we saw an increase in security and military as the senators were arriving. We stuck around for a little bit to get a glimpse of all the senators walking in!! We didn't recognize anyone, but the experience was one of a lifetime. 

After our visit, we had free time. Some friends and I decided to go shopping in local areas (mainly because you can bargain!) We also went to Conad, the grocery store a block away from us. I'm surprised how cheap groceries are here compared to the US. Here, you can buy 14-16 items for less than 20 euros! 

Ciao for now!

Day 14

Today we took a day trip to my favorite place in all of Italy: Pompei (that's the Italian way of spelling it!) The weather was much better than I was there in 2008, so I wasn't dying from the heat as much (though it was humid!!) However, we had to take a 2 hour tour (with a guide) so I didn't get to see what I hadn't already seen. Aside from that, I enjoyed wandering around the city and looking at everything that was still preserved. We saw bakeries, bodies, vases, mosaics, and marble tables. You'd think more would have been ruined after all those years of being covered in ash!    

After our tour, I was too hot to wander around Pompei so my friends and I went shopping. On our way down the stairs, a vendor thought that me and two of my friends were Nick's three wives, and we went along with it!! Needless to say, we had quite a laugh. I spent two hours looking for cameos, since I never got one on my first trip, and I finally found some I liked! I got a ring (the base is a shell) and an earring/necklace set (the base is polished lava rock from Pompei). The vendor loved Americans and had a friend from California, so I got a really good price! 

Well, our "vacation" is now over and it's back to studying for my first college final tomorrow. It's been fun, Sorrento.

 Ciao for now!

Day 13

Today felt like a vacation. In the morning, our group caught a ferry from Sorrento to Capri. Feeling adventurous, my friends and I decided to take an hour long boat tour around the island-- where you could jump off the boat as well! We explored caves, swam, and enjoyed feeling like we were on a luxury boat (though really we should be studying for Monday's final). The water was really blue and our tour guide was fabulous.        

 (That's not the boat we took but I like this picture!!!!)

After our boat tour, everyone was feeling very relaxed and happy. Our group then separated into two smaller groups. Me and some girl friends went shopping (even though Capri is super touristy). After frustrating price tags, we proceeded to the beach where we enjoyed swimming, talking and laying out on the rocks (yup, no sand). I'm having a blast over here, but I think we are all starting to get sick of each other. My friend group keeps changing, but I'm really happy with the girls I hang out with! 

Ciao for now!

Day 12

Today we woke up early to leave for Vesuvius. After the 3 hour bus drive, we finally arrived. Lucky for us, it wasn't sunny... At all! However, we did get rained on! The hike up was hard because of the gravel, but the view of the crater was beautiful!! We had another hour ride to our hotel in Sorrento, and everyone was sleeping.           

Once we got to our hotel, my friends and I went swimming in the pool! This feels like a vacation.. But we have finals next week. Ugh!! The Internet is super bad (I actually have to go to a cafe to get on the Internet) so I may seem nonexistent until Sunday night when we get back. I'm currently eating a hamburger (soooooooo Italian, right?) Tomorrow, we are going to Capri and I am SO excited! I may even go snorkeling! Hope the weather is good!

 Ciao for now! 

Day 11: the Halfway Mark

Wow. Has it really been a week and a half since I left? That means my journey is halfway over... And exams are rapidly approaching!    

Today we had our art history class at the Colosseum and the Church of San Clemente. At the Colosseum, we observed the transition between the classical world and the Christian world. Both the Arch of Comstantine and the Colosseum represent the classical, transitional period. I learned that the Colosseum was built on top of Nero's boating lake and that the Colosseum was named after a "colosseus" (large statue). From there we went to the Church of San Clemente. Originally it was senator Clemen's house, but he eventually opened his house to other Christians as a place of worship. We went down through the layers of time, exploring the 5th century church layer and the streets below. 

For politics, we took a tour at the Chamber of Deputies-- basically an equivalent of the House of Representatives. The tour was okay (mainly because we were all tired and our feet were hurting) but we sat in on a floor meeting, which was very special! Since it took us over half the class to explain our reservation, I'm not too concerned about our final-- we really haven't done much! 

As a side note, I am off to Pompeii and Capri tomorrow and may not have Internet. So if there aren't blog updates then, expect entries for those days when I get back! 

Ciao for now! 

Day 10

Today was a good day-- with a ton of exercise. Why was it more than the norm? Our art history class was in the city and we walked all around Rome for three hours!! (the heat was a great addition). Our goal for today was to recreate the route of the ancient Romans. We started on Tiber Island and proceeded to the Temple of Portunus, Monumental Gateway, and the Capitoline Hill. I preferred this class as opposed to the last class because we learned more about architecture and mythology-- my two favorite subjects of the ancient world.     B

After class, we had free time for the entire afternoon. My friends and I went to the university to pick up our weekly stipend and went to a local coffeeshop afterwards. I strayed away from the Italian food today and ordered a panino with chicken. I bet you didn't know that a sandwich is called a panino, NOT a panini!!! If you asked for a panini, you'd be getting more than one. Silly Americans!! After a quick lunch break, my friends and I went shopping for hours! Although I didn't buy anything, I looooove wandering the streets of Rome. 

Above is my newest discovery-- frozen coffee! It almost tastes like a slushy and/or ice cream. (It sounds gross but it's fabulous!) 

Tonight, we had a mandatory movie night. This movie was far better than the other one we watched and it was even humorous! When the movie ended, it started pouring (no surprise there!!!) Now, it has rained 5 times this week. Crazy, right? It's always fun standing on a tram with slippery floors. At least now I have my tram legs! 

 Ciao for now!

Day 9

Today was a fun day. Why? Because we had Italian. How's that fun? Because I know it all! It's crazy to think that we only have one more class before our final on Monday. Where is the time going?? We didn't do too much in class, however. We spent half the class analyzing the movie we watched last night!! During our quick class break, it was time for a much needed coffee break.... Crema di Caffè!!    

After class ended, we had the rest of the day/evening to ourselves! Some friends and I decided to go to the Villa Borghese. It was absolutely incredible!! My favorite works were by Caravaggio, since I did a research paper on him last year. I was blown away by the intricate ceilings, and even analyzed the works of art with my friends. Our art history teacher would have been proud.. Can't wait to tell him tomorrow! 

On the way back, we were very confused about how to get to our bus. So what do I do? Ask another cop. In Italian. They're so friendly! Once we finally reached the bus stop, we waited over 30 minutes for the bus to show up (Public transportation is not the quickest here). However, we did meet some American tourists-- man, was it nice to hear English again! I've been on Italian mode ever since I got here!! 

Ciao for now! 

Day 8: Back to Class

After a relaxing weekend, it was time to go to back to school for classes. In the morning, we had Italian where we learned about food and articles. Since we learned about food today, we went to the local market with our professor during class. We walked around for a while and some people bought fresh fruit. Yum!!     

During our politics field trip, our bus was super delayed due to a protest outside the Ministry of Education. I had never seen a protest before, so when I saw cops in bullet proof vests and helmets, I was pretty concerned. Luckily, the protest wasn't violent (to my knowledge) and we were on our way to class in the city. 

But our day wasn't over yet!!! When we returned to campus, we had to watch an Italian movie. Now, I've seen a lot of Italian movies but this one was rather odd (yet funny!!) The movie followed the life of a young boy, the people he met and the mistakes he had made. After the movie, it was all work when we got back to the apartments!! 

As a side note, don't be like me and end up like this while you're trying to study: 

They invented coffee and gelato for a reason!!  

Ahhh, now that I'm restocked on sugar, I can get down to business!!! 

Ciao for now! 

Day 7: the One Week Mark

Wow, have we really been here a week?! I feel like I've lived here awhile now. I already know my way around the city (better than I thought I would). 

Today was a very special day. Our group got to go see the pope! Although I'm not Catholic, this was a once in a lifetime experience and I didn't want to miss it! When we were waiting in line, it was evident just how happy the locals were. Everyone was cheering, chanting, and clapping. 

Once we got inside, I was at a loss of words. Seeing so many people gathered together for one occasion was extremely powerful. The paintings in the Vatican also blew me away. Rafael's painting caught my eye because of his extreme attention to detail and color use. Now, I understand why he was crowned the better painter, as opposed to Michelangelo. 

Here were all the people outside the Vatican-- luckily we were inside! 

A few hours later, during the thunderstorm, our apartment had a very unpleasant surprise-- a flooding sink. When we contacted several different people, nobody seemed to know what was going on, ugh! Now we have to deal with a sink that keeps gurgling up black water. What a day!! 

Ciao for now! 

Day 6

Today was a totally relaxing, much needed beach day!! About 10 of us took the train with other students studying at AUR and we all went to the beach together. It was really hot outside but the water was super cool and refreshing. My friends and I swam out a good way before we decided to sit on some rocks and dive off of them. After returning to shore, we took naps, had gelato and walked along the shore.

 (This entry is super short because I'm going to sleep really early tonight... I have to be ready by 4am for the Vatican tomorrow!) 

 Ciao for now!

Day 5

Today was the most relaxing day. Why? Because we didn't have classes! That meant we could do whatever we want, whenever we want and after a long week, it was exactly what we needed! In the morning, my friends and I took the tram to Campo De' Fuori, where we walked around. From there, we headed to the Spanish steps and surprisingly it wasn't crowded at all! We also went to the Trevi fountain, where we each threw a coin in and made a wish for good luck.

Our next stop was the Pantheon. I had never been inside before and I was blown away by the beautiful paintings and statues. Right outside, a representative for the Opera was selling tickets so we decided to purchase tickets for the July 16th opera! We will be going in the evening when we have free time-- I could not be any more excited. And of course, we HAD to fill our gelato craving when we noticed the gelatoria across the street! 

Since we didn't know how to get back to tram 8, I asked a policeman in Italian! (I've found that locals are more willing to help you if you communicate with them in their local language, no matter how good or poor your italian is!) He was super helpful and we finally found our very crowded tram. Generally,  the buses and trams look something like this (and we thought public transportation in LA is bad?!)

Ciao for now!

Day 4

Happy Fourth of July! Today was a busy day over here in Rome. We had our 3 hour long Italian class in the morning, which was really fun. Our lesson today was about ordering food so right after we finished the exercises, we went to a local cafe and ordered coffee in Italian... I absolutely love all the hands on learning that we have been doing! I ordered a crema di caffe, which is basically a coffee milkshake. SO good! 

During our lunch break, the American University of Rome hosted a BBQ so all the Americans could celebrate the Fourth of July! As much as I love Italian food, hamburgers and chips were a great change!! Here is part of our group (photocred to AUR) 

After lunch we had 3 hours of Italian Politics, which went a lot better than I was expecting! The professor is very nice but is sometimes hesitant with her English. Following class, we all cooked Italian food-- bruschetta and pasta (and a fruit salad but that doesn't really count!) 

On our way back to the apartment, we had quiiiiite the adventure. The tram in front of us broke down so our tram couldn't move forward! Luckily we weren't too far away, but we had to get off and walk the rest of the way (Thankfully the rain had stopped!) 

Ciao for now!

Day 3

This morning was one of the most hectic days of my entire life. All 22 of us crammed onto an Italian bus that was already standing room only.. I don't even know how we did it!! I'm sure you're thinking "how bad can it be?" Well, imagine a super crowded bus then multiply that by at least 20. 

ANYWAYS, today was the first day of our Art History class and it was so great! The class is set up so that we meet at the university and then go out into the city for hands on learning! Today we went to the Aqua Paola, an aqueduct that revitalized the city of Rome. It also served as a boundary between Rome and the Estruscan city-states. From there we went to Church of San Pietro where we learned about how geometrical and numerical terms are used to analyze architecture. We also went to the Mausoleo Ossario Garibaldino where we explored in groups and were given an assignment. Our assignment was to list classical elements and their significance to the Italian culture. For example, my group noticed that Romulus, Remus and the she-wolf that nursed them was carved into spoglia, marble that is reused.

After class, we had over 4 hours of free time and walked waaaaay over 7 miles! My friends and I went to the Campo de'Fuori, the Tiber River, and from there, we walked all the way to the Vatican. At the Vatican, we walked around for awhile before heading off for gelato to cool us down.

We then walked way back to the tram stop (and we didn't get lost like many other kids who go out by themselves do!) And as the saying goes... When in Rome, do as the Romans do! So when I saw a fountain of water from the aqueduct, I had to fill up my water the Italian way! 

For dinner we went to a small local Italian place. The food was fantastic but the meal itself took over 4 hours. So far, that is the only thing I don't like about the Italian culture! It is now 12:20am and I have to be ready for class by 8:30am so...

Ciao for now!

Day 2

Today was our first day of class at the American University of Rome! Today we studied Italain, which was very easy considering I have taken it for the past three years. Our professor is super nice and I'm having a lot of fun practicing my Italian with her. The university is super small but absolutely adorable. There are a few different buildings and there are many local coffeeshops nearby. After our orientation my friend and I went up to the terrace of the university, which overlooks the entire city. I have not seen a more beautiful site! 

After class, we walked back to our apartments which is about a 30 minute walk. In our little groups we stopped for, you guessed it, pizza!! (I am never going to want pizza again). When we arrived back at the apartments, we had quiet time-- a concept that is totally foreign to us. Apparently, Italians love a little siesta about midday and Italian law states specific hours in which one MUST be quiet. We could use that back at home! 

In the evening, we ventured out in our groups yet again. We took a bus to the university, where we met our AUR guides and from there we went downtown. We drove by the Circus Maximus on the way, and walked to the Collosseum. Some of us even made a pyramid! 

Regardless to say, I can definitely relate to Juvenal's phrase "most sick men here die from insomnia" because Rome is full of energy and life, even at late hours. Don't worry though, we still have PLENTY of studying to do (and homework!) 

Ciao for now!