Journeyproud.

Today is going to be crazy. It kind of already has been. I got up extra early this morning, had a cappuccino downstairs (our coffee guy now knows we like cinnamon in our cappuccinos, so we don't even have to ask anymore. win.), and walked to school. It took me a full half hour to check in for all my flights for fall break. Apparently RyanAir's check-in process isn't exactly streamlined. By the time 8:50 rolled around it was time to head to class, but after 10 minutes of sitting there we find out from the weird kid (who somehow has the prof's phone number) that class is canceled. So after another hour of somewhat frenzied planning and booking and reserving, I'm now sitting on the roof terrace of AUR and sort of studying for my Italian midterm this afternoon. My history class was canceled for today too, but I actually had prior warning from that professor. On the bright side, I'm excited for fall break. We leave bright and early tomorrow morning for Barcelona, then Dublin, then London. I'm meeting up with old friends in all three cities, so I'm really excited. There was a slight crisis last night during which I tried to check in for my Barcelona flight only to find out that somehow my payment hadn't gone through and I didn't have a reservation at all. So $200 later, I now have the flight I thought I had in the first place and the day was saved.

Anyways, I won't be posting much (if at all) this next week, but I'll keep a journal while I'm traveling so I won't forget anything and will have TONS to blog about when I get back next Sunday. Let the adventures begin.

Currywurst.

One last glimpse of Berlin. No words necessary.

Ich bin ein Berliner.

East Side Gallery.

   I'm tired. Berlin was really cool, but damn if it didn't wear me out. We were only there for two days since Alex and I both have really busy weeks coming up -- I'm just two midterms and one art class away from fall break. Although after this weekend, the prospect of 10 days of travel (Barcelona, Dublin and London) seems rather daunting. Oh first world problems. So yes - Berlin was cool. I'm not sure what I was expecting it to be like, but it definitely wasn't like any other city I've seen so far. Come to think of it, we booked this trip so last minute and last week was so crazy that I don't even think I had time to form any expectations. I just sort of found myself in Berlin at 1 a.m. Friday morning.

 Our hotel was an awesome bargain - only 68 euros apiece for three nights. It was in a quiet neighborhood, very close to a main metro stop. But I swear the moment we stepped into our room we went straight back to 1975. Specifically, a yacht from 1975. Picture blue carpeting, dark wood panelling around the beds, a dark wooden ceiling in the tiny (although private - such a luxury) bathroom and a super old school TV, radio, and bedside lamp. The overall effect was unmistakable, if at first a little sketchy.
The hallway on our floor didn't have lights for some reason, so it was hard not to think of all the horror movies that start with a dark hotel corridor, but after the first night it was more funny than frightening. Thank God for iPhone flashlight apps, though. Overall the place was nice enough for two poor college students, even if we did keep our socks on at all times. But there were clean sheets and the beds were pretty comfy, so I was satisfied. It's not like we spent any real time there anyway. We spent most of the trip in museums, walking to museums, or taking the underground to museum. There are a lot of really great things about Berlin, but their public transportation system is the best of all. Having an underground system that was easy for (urban-challenged) people like me to understand AND ran on time made the trip so much better. We were only there for two days, so we didn't have time to be lost or confused like we constantly are in Rome. Additionally, Berliners seem to have a much better sense of appropriate personal space than Romans. That was nice.
                                   
Our Berlin weekend was dominated by museums. The city has a million of them, so we only made it to a tiny percentage - the Pergamon Museum, the Neues National Gallery (which was sadly under construction), the Jewish Museum, and the East Side Gallery (which is really just a stretch of wall, but it counts). The Pergamon Museum was really cool because there was a temporary installation that was this huge panorama of what the ancient metropolis looked like. Their permanent exhibition has thousands of artifacts and statues and a huge altar that they've reconstructed inside the museum, so you can see it, walk on it, sit on it and feel like an ancient Pergamonian. Sort of. It was also nice because the ticket lady gave Alex and me the student discount even though one of us (not me) forgot our student ID. 

The Jewish Museum was really good too, even though we only had about two hours to see it. It was especially interesting for me after taking a Jewish history class at Rice last spring, so I could actually make connections and learn something instead of just walking around and looking at stuff like I usually do in museums. The one downfall of the Jewish Museum is its architecture. Really cool to look at from the outside, but there were a lot of zig zags and turns and the exits weren't clearly labeled, so it was like trying to get out of a maze. 
Saturday morning we took the metro out to the East Side Gallery, my second favorite part of the whole trip. The "gallery" is a stretch of the Berlin wall that's just under a mile long that's been painted by all these different artists. It was so nice to just stroll along the wall on a cold morning, drinking coffee and looking at some really cool art. We ate our blueberry muffins at a pleasant spot along the river and Alex even got her passport stamped a little shop (since they never stamp your passport at airports anymore). 
My favorite part of the trip was finally meeting Gudrun, my Aunt Pam's friend who I've been hearing about my whole life. She lives up to the hype. She and her family had us over for "kaffeeklatsch," which including coffee, cakes, and conversation. It was so pleasant to sit in their adorable house in a quiet part of East Berlin (that looked like it could have been West U in Houston) and just talk. Gudrun and her husband Hansjorg both speak English really well, and their children (who are only 8 and 11) are also well on their way to being fluent already. The thing that struck me most was a lot of the similarities between Gudrun and Pam, which made me like her that much more. Her intelligence, her huge garden, and the books that were scattered all over her house all reminded me of my aunt. We ended the evening by taking a walk to a little castle nearby, and it was nice to walk outside without the chaos that you get in Rome. 
Alex and I went straight to bed after Gudrun drove us back to our hotel, but the combination of caffeine and stress over getting to the airport alone the next morning kept me up all night. I may have gotten 30 minutes of sleep. Maybe. So by the time 4 a.m. rolled around, I was just ready to get up and go. We checked out, called two separate cabs and were on our way. I still feel really stupid for not realizing we book flights out of different airports. The best part was that Alex's flight was 50 dollars cheaper and HER flight left on time. Mine was delayed an hour and a half for pretty much no reason. So by the time I got back to the apartment it was noon. Such is the life of a jet-setting study abroad student I guess. I did wake up on the plane long enough to snap a picture of the alps, though. That was a cheerful little moment.

More from the East Side Gallery:

these are a few of my favorite things

I haven't had a bad tomato since I've been in Italy. They are always perfect.

And they make perfect pizzas like this one.

Dark chocolate and mint gelato in old Trastevere at night. 

Water fountains all over the city that run with cold water from one of the surrounding mountains.

The view from the terrace at AUR where I eat lunch every day.

Art that actually speaks to people like me who don't understand art.

snuffles talks soccer.

Somehow, despite excessive amounts of Vitamin C and positive thinking, I've managed to get sick. I'm a little stressed out about Berlin (by the way, I'm going to Berlin tomorrow) and school, and I'm just plain tired, so motivation to blog has been hard to come by these past two days. I have a philosophy midterm tomorrow which should be interesting. And I realized this morning that Alex and I booked different flights coming back to Rome from Berlin early Sunday morning. They both leave at 7:15am, just at different airports. Oh boy.

[Sidebar]: Apparently my body thinks it's funny to get sick the day AFTER I make a delicious pot of hot chicken soup. What the hell, man.











In older news, the Roma vs Lazio game was insane. Stadio Olimpico was packed, and the entire experience was unlike any sporting event you will ever attend in the United States. First of all, history major Liz was going crazy over all the fascist statues and symbols around the outside of the stadium - pretty much talking Alex's ear off until I realized she really didn't give a crap. Also, the stadium was big, but not as big as I had expected, so we had a surprisingly good view of the pitch. The ultra - and even the regular fans - definitely lived up to their reputations. They were lighting things on fire, setting off smoke bombs, and throwing things at the field when the game took a turn for the worse. (Fun fact: in Italy, whistling is the preferred method of expressing disapproval. I was so confused at first as to why the Roma fans were whistling for Lazio, but then I figured out whistling is like booing. Weird.) I really wish I spoke more Italian so I could understand/join in with their songs and chants. Although I did find myself gesturing like an Italian by the end of the first half and yelling Italian profanities at the ref. What can I say? It's fun.

We also had an interesting halftime experience when the bald Italian man sitting in front of us (and his son and daughters and eventually everyone else in our little section) took an interest in the American girls and started trying to play matchmaker between Alex and what we believed to be a Hungarian boy. Between our limited Italian and everyone else's limited English, the only words we deciphered were "atomic bomb" and "top-shelf chocolate." Although in hindsight that really doesn't make much sense.

We didn't stay to the end of the game, since getting caught in a mob of angry Roma fans - one that was about to clash with a bunch of celebrating Lazio fans - didn't seem like the best idea for us. On the bright side, we got to ride on uncrowded metro lines, had time to stop for gelato during our hike down Via del Corso, and were in bed by midnight. Baby's first Serie A match = Success.

  

Derby della Capitale

peace, love, and chocolate.

Umbria.

Rome was on fire yesterday. A bunch of morons decided to protest capitalism or something, and it got violent - riot police were firing tear gas, buildings and cars were on fire, people were generally just going crazy. It's all incredibly stupid. It actually pisses me off a lot, but what can you do? Luckily we already had plans to take a day trip to the chocolate festival in Perugia yesterday, so we weren't even in town when all this went down. The festival was fun. It was a good last day of Ian's visit, even though I already miss having him here. I guess I have to get back to reality now, even if my reality (being in Rome, traveling every weekend, etc.) still doesn't feel real.

 Perugia is about three hours away by train, and Italian transportation is stupid, so even if you paid for your ticket and followed all the rules, you may still have to stand for the entire three hours like we did. Contrary to popular belief, I am a very patient person most of the time, so it wasn't actually too bad. The region of Umbria is beautiful and the weather was windy and cold. It was kind of a nice change from Rome, which is just beginning to cool down a little. The festival was a lot bigger than I had expected. There were vendors and tents everywhere selling and giving out samples of chocolate in every form imaginable. We tried everything from chocolate-covered fruit and chocolate muffins to chocolate cream cheese and chocolate salami. We headed back to Rome around 2:30, and it took us a while to get back. We thought we'd just jump on the next train we saw, which we did, and when the conductor checked our tickets and saw we were on the wrong train, he gave us the option of staying onboard and paying the difference and getting kicked off at the next stop and waiting for our actual train. For some reason, we chose the latter option, so we didn't get back until around 9:30. Oops.

Not that I would know or anything, but these were delicious.

Disappointed Bentley. Free muffin = tiny muffin.

Truffles. 

Sausage and grilled vege sandwich - the perfect antidote to a chocolate OD.

Thursday night starts the weekend.

It's really strange not having Friday or Monday classes this semester. Strange, but incredible. (Makes me wonder why everybody doesn't just establish the three-day work week.) I was in such a good mood yesterday afternoon. Done with classes for the week, three more days to spend with Ian, and an amazing weekend coming up. We went out for yet another incredible meal last night at a place in old Trastevere, by far the best neighborhood in Rome. We walked around for a good half hour, browsing menus and peeking into restaurants before we found a winner. They had a "menu turistico," which included bruschetta, prima piatti, secondo piatti, and dessert, all for 14 euros. Add a liter of the best house red wine I've ever had and a liter of still (not yucky sparkling) water, a great waiter and a sassy gay couple sitting next to us and you have one hell of a dinner. The food was perfect. A garlicky tomato and arugula bruschetta followed by way too much of the best spaghetti carbonara ever, then the main course of perfectly roasted chicken with side salad and bread and topped off with creme caramel for dessert. This was the dinner I've been wanting to have since I got to Rome. When we finally left, Ian and I were both amazed to realize we had been there for almost three hours. Time flies when you're having fun I guess.

Anywho, I have many exciting things coming up this weekend. Tomorrow we take a day trip to Perugia for their chocolate festival and Sunday (after I get over the sadness of Ian leaving), we go to the Derby. Roma vs. Lazio. One of the craziest - if not the craziest - soccer matches in the world. I'm stoked.

On an afternoon in Roma...

Today has been a good day. Who would have thought that Wednesdays would become one of my favorite days of the week here. We got up this morning, got our stuff together (sketchbook, pencils, boyfriend), and headed out to the Gesú Church, which is the most important Jesuit church in Rome. Like every other church I've been to, it's absolutely beautiful. One interesting fact I learned was that Michelango's design for the church was actually turned down, and the commission was given to another man instead. Fancy that. The place was lovely, but I could not find anything in there I could draw. Everything was either too complicated or too far above my head (in the literal sense). I finally settled down to sketch this book sitting on a stand, but then my batty old professor came over and banished me to drawing grapes. Grapes. So much for my newfound artistic confidence. Just kidding. I drew the best damn grapes ever.

Afterwards we went for a nice walk down Via del Corso and did a little window shopping by the Trevi Fountain. We got gelato at San Crispino, which I've had once before and wasn't super impressed with. Apparently it's famous from being mentioned in Eat, Pray, Love, but I think it's a tad overrated. They have really grown-up flavors, but they're also a little pretentious. You can't get your gelato in a cone because it supposedly dilutes the flavor of the ice cream. I mean, come on. Lighten up a little. I only ate half of mine because it's just so rich. I couldn't handle it.

Ian and I then parted ways with Alex and headed off to have a late lunch at a place he'd found in his guidebook, whose name escapes me right now. It's in Campo dei Fiori, and it's this little restaurant with a very big menu. Except you don't get to choose because it's a fixed menu, which I absolutely loved. It's so much fun eating your way through an eight course meal (seriously, eight) and having no idea what the adorable old Italian waiter is going to bring out next. The place is owned by an Italian grandmother who pinched Ian's cheeks more than once - it's the dimples - and cooks like only an Italian grandmother can. We had bread, antipasti, fried cheese, fresh cheese, homemade potato chips, pasta, pork, three kinds of vegetables, wine, water, and dessert. I really thought Ian was going to have to roll me back to my apartment. Overall, great day. Fat day, but great day.

Manly man eat whiskey-flavored gelato. 

Rome + Liz = Diabetes.

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. Ian arrived safely Saturday afternoon and we've been running around Rome for the past two days. Alex took off for Amsterdam on Friday (JEALOUS.) and gets back tonight. I'm incredibly excited to hear about her weekend, but even more excited about the fact that WE GOT TICKETS TO SEE THE ROMA VS. LAZIO MATCH ON SUNDAY. Get ready for that post next Monday. It's going to be crazy. Anywho, you're probably wondering about the title of my post. Well, Ian and I decided to go out and have a little coffee/snack before I cooked dinner tonight, which turned into a pre-dinner dessert. I ordered viennese coffee without knowing what it was (I was hoping for something like a melange), but it turned out to be more like whipped cream and chocolate shavings with a shot of cold espresso. I also gave in to boyfriend pressure and ordered the tiramisu. This was simultaneously the best and worst decision ever. It was the best tiramisu I've ever had, but combined with my already sugar-loaded "drink," it was a lot of sweetness. It wasn't just your average sugar rush. I actually had the shakes. 

Drawing, Rome-ing.

I'm really starting to like this city. It's dirty. It's crazy. It's loud. The people certainly aren't that friendly. But dammit, I like it. I'm finally starting to learn my way around, which is awesome. Although every time I say that, Roman streets decide to move around and I get lost again. I swear they're like the Hogwarts staircases. You think you're headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room and before you know it, you're on the freakin' third floor corridor. The last two weeks, though, we've made it to our on-site art class on time or even early. 

Last week we met at the Church of San Ignazio, which is near the Pantheon. Given that it took us over an hour to find Piazza del Popolo the previous week, we gave ourselves an obscene amount of time to get there. We arrived forty minutes early, so we cruised back down the street (which was quite peaceful in the early morning) to have a cappuccino at a café we'd seen. This was a momentous occasion for Alex and me. Not only did we order in Italian, but we stood at the bar like real Romans AND had exact change. Romans love you when you have exact change. They yell at you when you don't. True story.

Anyway, this is exactly why I love my drawing class. It forces me to go out into Rome - usually to places I wouldn't know to visit otherwise - and try do as the Romans do. At first sitting in a public place and drawing for five hours was intimidating. I truly believed that at any minute a passerby was going to see my drawing and laugh at me. Now, though, I'm very much over that fear and really starting to enjoy drawing. I'm not very good, obviously, but I'm getting better every week. And the people who walk by are actually really nice. They always look at what you're doing - funny how predictable us humans can be sometimes - and a lot of times they'll show their approval in some way. The other neat thing is how universal an appreciation for art is. I've had every kind of person imaginable stop to look at what I'm doing. From a shy Italian girl a few weeks ago to the chubby middle-aged Englishman and the young Chinese couple at Piazza Navona yesterday. I am so glad Alex talked me into taking this drawing class. It's given me the opportunity to experience Rome on a much more personal level. Oh, and last night I had a burrito and a margarita. Overpriced and on the other side of the city, but worth it.

Philosophy and Mexican food.

My day is pretty much summed up by those two things. The latter is my reward for surviving the former. I've never written a philosophy paper before, and it sucks. Reading and understanding Plato is one thing, but trying to unravel the logic and jargon of an academic article on Republic is a different story. Give me another two hours and I might actually know what I'm writing my paper about. At least I have tonight to look forward to. We're going to a restaurant tonight called La Cucaracha, which is rumored to be owned by actual Mexicans. If this is the case, I will be ecstatic. I've heard the cure to philosophy-induced headaches is a margarita. Okay, I made that up. But it has to be true.

Back to the salt mines.

My nose is going to be all up on the grindstone this week. Ian gets here on Saturday, so it's safe to say I won't be getting much work done next week. Wish me luck. Alena and Virginia left a little while ago. My parents left this morning. I miss them already, but I have a feeling the rest of this semester is going to fly by. I have so many fun trips planned and so much to look forward to. I think my biggest challenge now is trying not to gain fifty pounds by the time I get home. It's gonna be an uphill battle.
Speaking of hills, I took Alena and Virginia to the overlook at Janiculum Hill this afternoon. You probably noticed my new banner; that's where I took that picture. (Do you like it?) It makes for a pretty picture, but it's even more spectacular in person.

Anybody up for more food pictures?

This is what I had for lunch on Saturday. It's a ball of fluffy yellow rice filled with mozzarella, tomato sauce, and basil and then fried until it's a golden and crispy and delicious heart attack pill. 

My lunch today. On the other side of the health spectrum, but still delicious.

Visitors' Weekend.

I am having the best weekend with my parents and roommates here. Not only is it wonderful to hang out with them, but their presence has forced Alex and me to go out and explore Rome more. Since we've been here, I'm ashamed to admit, we've either traveled on weekends or stayed safely inside our comfort zones. Not so this weekend.

This morning we went back to the Vatican to explore Saint Peter's Basilica, which was pretty cool. It's beautiful, like all churches are, but it was just too big for me. If I were designing my own personal cathedral, it wouldn't be quite so mammoth. We wandered around for a bit and then Alex, Virginia and Alena attended the small mass they hold every hour in the basilica. I waited outside. People watching interests me a lot more than Catholic mass. Maybe it's the whole excommunicated thing, but mass just makes me uncomfortable.

After that, we went took Alena and Virginia to the Church of San'Ignazio, where Alex and I had our drawing class last week. The church is gorgeous. Its ceiling was painted by an American, which means its one of the only art works in Europe that has Native Americans in it. Just look for the feathers. It's really cool. 

I met up with my parents this afternoon at their hotel, which is mercifully closer than the one they stayed at last week and we went back to Dar Poeta. That place has the best pizza I've ever had. My parents were telling me all about their two days in Ravello, and I've decided I'm going there someday. For sure. We ate pizza, we drank wine, we talked, we laughed. Yay parental visits. Just look how freakin' cute they are:

Dad and mom at their fancy dinner in Ravello.

Also, their hotel bed is infinitely more comfortable than the military cot I sleep on at my apartment. I'm so jealous. 

PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME LEAVE THIS BED.