la extranjera

Hiya friends!!

I promised you about two months ago that I would have a new post up within a week or two. Well, as my mother so kindly pointed out (see comments of previous post), that didn’t exactly happen. So here I am, mid-late November, finally writing to you again. Ohhh how I’ve missed thee. 

Here’s the bad news. This is not the grandiose, life-changing, philosophical summary post that I promised you all. No, that may never come. 

However, I do have good news! This post is going to be rather exciting, and quite helpful for anyone thinking about going abroad in the future… I’m looking at you Jacqueline and Meredith… 

During my four-month stint abroad, I traveled quite a bit. Well, that’s an understatement. I traveled quite a LOT. A lot a lot a lot a lot. (Allow me to introduce you to my friend, the Alot monster: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html) Because my friends and I were novice travelers, we often made use of what else, TOURS! to help us see the magnificent cities of Europe. Some of the tours were free, some were not. Some involved walking, others riding in buses, still others biking. Thanks to these tours, I saw monuments, parks, beaches, buildings, and much much more that I probably (definitely) would have missed had I relied upon my own map-reading and time-management skills. All in all, they were pretty dang phenomenal, and you can thank them for the majority of the beautiful pictures I posted on Facebook last May.

And so, without further ado, I’d like to present you with the top # tours I took in Europe:

1. We Hate Tourism Tours!!: Lisbon, Portugal

Guys, this was freaking amazing. An open-Jeep tour of beautiful Lisbon, Portugal + surrounding cities, led by a native Portuguese- pastries, beaches, castles, sunshine… need I say more? Seriously, do this tour. You won’t regret it. 

http://wehatetourismtours.com/index.aspx

2. Galway Tour Company: Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, Ireland

This was quite possibly the best bang for our buck. Our tour bus picked us up from Dublin and drove us all the way cross-country to the Cliffs of Moher near Galway and back in one day. Phew! For anyone traveling to Ireland- the Cliffs are NOT to be missed, and this is the best way to see them. Trust me, you’d never make it through the Burren on your own. They throw in an adorable, elderly leprechan-like tourguide for free, too.

http://www.galwaytourcompany.com/gtc/daytours.jsp

3. Scavi Tour: Vatican City, Italy

If not the coolest thing I did all semester, it was pretty darn close. Yes, you have to make a request to the Excavation Office of Vatican City to get on this tour. Yes, it is kind of a secret. Yes, it takes you underneath St. Peter’s Basilica to see up-close and personal many of the original Catholic catacombs. I don’t care if you’re Catholic or not. Seeing the alleged bones of St. Peter is spine-tingling.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/uffscavi/documents/rc_ic_uffscavi_doc_gen-information_20040112_en.html

4. Fat Tire Bike Tours: Paris, France

Okay, let’s be real. Who hasn’t dreamt of riding around Paris on a bicycle? It’s just sOoOoO romantic! Yes, it was freezing cold, but it was also awesome and hilarious and probably the best way to quickly see much of the city. If small children could do this tour, so can you!

http://fattirebiketours.com/paris

5. Viator: Cinque Terre, Italy

The Cinque Terre is absolutely the most beautiful place on earth. I’m certain of that fact. If you travel to Italy, you’re not gonna wanna miss these five cities. Yes, you have to hike between them (or you could take the tram teehee), so why not have a guide to help you along and to point out the best gelato shops? I guarantee I would have been lost in the CT without this tour.

http://www.viator.com/Florence-attractions/Cinque-Terre-tours-tickets/d519-a54?pref=02&aid=g1826

6. The Original London Sightseeing Tour: London, UK

When you think London, what do you think? If  you said double-deckers, then you’re right! If you said something else, well, it better have been fish n’ chips. This tour was sweet mainly because a) We got to see the city from two-stories up, and b) It was hop-on-hop-off 2 days for 1, which was exceedingly helpful when the student protestors stopped traffic and the cab drivers refused to take passengers…

http://www.theoriginaltour.com/

7. 100 Highlights Tour: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is quite possibly the most difficult city in the world to navigate. Not kidding. There are beautiful canals everywhere, and the city offers so many sights, but it’s hard to find them without help. Take this super-inexpensive boat tour, and you won’t miss out!

http://amsterdamcitytours.rezgo.com/details/3490/100-Highlights-Cruise

8. Sandeman’s New Europe

This company offers free walking tours of 14 major European cities. Yup, you read that right. FREE. ABSOLUTELY NO COST TO YOU! (save your aching feet) We took advantage of these tours in Dublin, Ireland and in our very own hometown Madrid, Spain, and they were well worth our money! Ha ha, get it? FREE. In all seriousness though, this is such a great thing they have going, and I urge you all to jump right in!

http://www.neweuropetours.eu/

9. And last but not least, I just want to give a shout-out to the tours put on by none other than St. Louis University. During the first two weekends that I traveled I was able to attend four day trips to Spanish cities (Salamanca, El Escorial, Toledo, and Segovia), all thanks to the university. It was the perfect way for me to ease weekend travels, and was a great way to see more of my home country, Spain.

Well, that’s all folks! Let me know if you have any more questions about the tours!

Welp, after a seemingly endless flow of oceanography preparation, I finally did it. The test is over! Cellllllllllebration! It was a little different than I was expecting, but nothing too challenging. I think I’d have to do pretttttty terrible to not get a good grade in the class. I’ll tell ya it sure did feel fantastic to throw my papers in la basura, though!

Soooo… now it’s FRIDAY! Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday; everybody’s looking forward to the weekend; partyin’ partyin’ fun fun fun! (If you don’t get this reference, good for you. You haven’t wasted four minutes of your life on the terror that is Rebecca Black) But seriously, tonight is Spormal! Yee-haw!! I’m not exactly sure how it’s going to work trying to get tons of kids together for pictures and shenanigans that involve traipsing around Madrid, but we shall see!! It’s going to be a great night with the Madrid clique anyhow!

Now, I haven’t complained about Mercedes’ cooking in awhile (at least not on my blog), but tonight’s meal deserves a shout-out. We walk into the kitchen and see three huge plates full of green mush that could be likened to baby food. Welcome to lentil puree, ladies and gentlemen. Yummmm. Okay, so it really wasn’t THAT bad once you got over the look… and the texture… and the taste. Good thing we’re outta here in a few days!

Well, it seems that I’ve got a weekend of Spanish (essays) and sunshine ahead of me. Last weekend in Madrid. I don’t even wanna think about it! I’m gonna live it up and keep the fiesta going til Wednesday morning..

These last few days (weeks?) since Italy have been a whirlwind of busyness and excitement. We officially finished classes yesterday (whoo hoo!!), and are now in the homestretch, otherwise known as finals week. Or torture. While the weather is nice and pretty and sunny and tempting and Retiro is softly calling my name, I’m stuck inside the library with about 200 of my closest friends- bear in mind the library probably only holds about 100- staring at our computers until our eyes become jelly masses of oblivion and our brains complete mush. I mean really. Can’t they just hand us a pretty ribbon or plaque or something and say “Congratulations! You survived four months in a country where they don’t refrigerate milk. You are now free to run and play as you please,” instead of forcing us to cram and regurgitate information we didn’t really learn the first time around? (Sorry Mom and Dad- I promise my tuition money’s going to good use…) It’s not that I don’t love school, it’s just that COME ON. Why make the last impression we have of this magical wonderful place a demon pit of Hispanic authors and zooplankton? I’d much prefer to remember the sunny days on the quad and the oh-so-frequent tapas dates with friends. Alas, suck it up we must. I suppose we are in “college” and trying to earn a “degree” and all. I digress…

Although I have been studying my brains out recently (watching every single episode of Modern Family), I have managed to squeeze in some fun. Last Thursday was our dance recital, which was a big hit. Our costumes sparkled and swayed as we shimmied our way across the stage and into the audience’s hearts. Our class put on quite the show and I must say that we all deserve a pat on the back. I was really really proud of us!

After the show we continued the fiesta by going out salsa dancing with our teacher, Susi which was a blast. Susi said to us “You all got to be sexy during the show… now it’s my turn!” Man I love her. 

With no homework to do other than studying, my friends and I have been exploring the Madrid nightlife a lot recently. We’ve gone to O’Neills, el Doblon (a pirate-themed bar!), and several other hotspots. Here are some pictures of my friends and I doing fun things… yay college!

Back in America my sorority does something every year called “Zeta Day.” It’s basically a day where all of the SLU Zetas pack onto a bus at 5am to drive to some designated location where we reunite with other ZTA chapters in the area for a day of bonding and game-playing. However, it’s really more of a scam as it’s real purpose is to convince poor college students to donate money to the ZTA Foundation. “Anyone wanna play BINGO!? It’s just $2!” Basically Zeta Day has become this huge running joke amongst my friends and I, and so the Zetas who are studying in Madrid with me decided to organize our own little Spanish Zeta Day. Gotta keep the silly tradition going… We met in Retiro Park last Friday for picnicking, rowboating, and sisterly love <3

My flight back to the United States leaves in exactly one week from today. Crazy! This semester has absolutely flown by, and I’m having such mixed feelings about leaving. Part of me is so ready to get home to see my family, friends, and loved ones (and eat Taco Bell), while part of me doesn’t want to close the European chapter of my life. It’s been such a fantastic past four months, and I’m going to be sad to part with all of my new friends and traveling adventures…

On a completely unrelated note, I saw Mercedes topless again today. She was in the hallway, not her bedroom, which means I am taking absolutely no blame for this one. Just a normal day in Madrid…

Let’s go to Venice! On Saturday morning the girls and I took a verrrrrry early (4:30am) train from Florence to Venice. Now normally my hat comes off to the excellence of European trains, but this time it was a nightmare. Trenitalia crowded way too many people onto this train, so that people were standing in the aisles face to face, babies were screaming, there wasn’t room for luggage, fights broke out… it was a disaster. Luckily I was able to find a tiny niche on the train where I could pop down and sit on my backpack to read. (I was so addicted to the Hunger Games series) Unfortunately it was a pretty long ride, and my legs were quite achey by the end… 

Relieved to be in Florence, my friends and I found our way to our last Italian hostel- another Camping Plus area. This time Dani and I were put into a trailer/windowless jail cell together which was actually a welcome relief from the Florence tents. After freshening up, we took a bus back into town and then started to walk. 

The first thing that I noticed about Venice was that it is quite a sleepy little town… you could almost say a ghost town. There were practically no people walking the streets, many of the buildings seemed dilapidated, the city wasn’t bubbling with usual Italian energy… it was weird. Perhaps it is the fact that Venice is a sinking city. It was originally constructed on essentially a bog, and all of its buildings have concrete and granite foundations. The sinking effect + global warming = a city going down… literally. I heard somewhere that it is predicted to be uninhabited in fifty years- yikes! Well, I could certainly feel the desperation of the Venetians. It’s such a beautiful city that leaves its inhabitants feeling stranded and hopeless… how romantic. 

We were able to enjoy the sights of the city, however, and very much enjoyed the gorgeous canals, ornate churches, and incredible glass stores. Venice is home to the Murano glass factory, and it was clearly a point of pride for the city- everywhere we turned there were hand-blown colorful glass jewelry and nick knacks. For the majority of the day we hung out around the Piazza San Marco.  

Unfortunately gondola rides are very expensive, and my friends and I decided to opt out. Perhaps one day when I’m rich and famous I can return and be sung sweet to by a Fabio in stripes… On a more positive note, the weather was quite lovely, and my friends and I were able to enjoy cappuccinos in the sunshine and people-watch. We ate dinner at an American-Irish pub, then headed back to the hostel for a night of bonding in the other girls’ cute log cabin. 

Sunday was Easter (Alleluia!), so my friends and I went back into Venice for Mass. We then walked around the city a bit more, and realized a pretty hilarious truth. Apparently Saturday we took a wrong turn and ended up in one of the non-touristy parts of the city. Whoops! We were all laughing when we realized we’d missed the majority of Venice’s heavy-hitter tourist attractions, but then eventually made our way over to see them. We saw the Campanile di San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, San Giorgio Maggiore, and the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge). 

After lunch (and one last gelato), we went back to the hostel to gather the Big Mamas, then caught a bus to the train station. From there we took an evening/night train to Milan- the cheapest city to fly in and out of in Italy. There we spent our LAST European night in an airport (yayyy!), and then flew home to home sweet Madrid Monday morning. PHEW!! Italy was by far the most exhausting trip of the semester, but it was also probably the best. The cities in Italy are just astoundingly beautiful, and the history incredible. My one complaint would be that the majority of the people are not very friendly- they’re loud, rude, unhelpful, and arrogant. I guess you can’t win em all though. Maybe the Italians should just keep their mean opinions to themselves and just do what they do best- make food. (Was that too harsh?) Seriously though, Italy had hands down the best food in all of Europe. I’m pretty sure I gained about 40 pounds over ten days… lovely. You can’t blame me though… I was in the land of pizza, pasta, and gelato!! VIVA ITALIA!!

Thursday in Italy was probably the group favorite. We went to a place called the Cinque Terre, which is a series of five small cities on the coast of the Italian Riviera. The five “lands” are Monterosso al Mar, Vernazza, Corniglia, Maranola, and Riomaggiore, and they are absolutely beautiful. It seriously has to be one of the prettiest places on earth, and it is easy to see why it has been so well-preserved and undeveloped. 

Although it is possible to hike between the five cities on your own, due to recent landslides (and map issues), it is difficult. Therefore we signed up for a tour, which picked us up on a bus in the early morning from Florence. After about a two and a half hour bus ride we arrived at the first of the five cities. We then hiked from the first to the second, and then took a train from the second to the third. In the third city we were treated to a delicious traditional Italian meal of pesto pasta and a variety of fishes- YUM! After lunch we embarked upon the long part of our journey, the hour and a half rigorous hike from the third city to the fourth. It was definitely a challenge keeping up with our tour guide, who effortlessly mounted huge rocks and seemed to bounce down the rocky cliffs. Along the way we saw olive trees, huge cacti, and lots of beautiful Italian wildlife. Needless to say, I was pretty tired by the end of trek. In the fourth city I treated myself to some scrumdiddlyumptious strawberry, lemon, and coconut gelato (kind of like sorbet), and enjoyed the beautiful pier and ocean view.

 We then took a train from the fourth city to the fifth, where we were able to enjoy a beautiful sandy beach and the city’s unique gift shops. From the fifth city we took a water taxi back to the first, quite a relaxing and rewarding experience. As beautiful as each of the cities looks from the inside, there is no way to describe how incredible they appear from the water. Each little town is full of cute and colorful buildings, quaint churches, and charm. I could see myself living there…

Finally we returned to the second city where we took a stroll down the famous “Lover’s Lane,” a narrow pathway that winds around the mountain and is supposed to be a romantic walkway for lovers… of course my friends and I held hands the whole way…

Seeing the Cinque Terre is quite possibly my favorite thing that I’ve done this entire semester. The little cities were just so full of character, and it felt incredible to be outside hiking between them and enjoying the surreal view. This is a MUST-DO for anyone traveling to Italy. I cannot even describe how glorious it was. I’d love to go back at some point in my life. 

Friday was a pretty lazy/peaceful day in Florence. We woke up pretty early so that we could get in line at the Academia to see Michelangelo’s “David,” which turned out to be a good idea as the line quickly grew very long. Mr. David is quite a vision, and his beauty has not been overrated. (Neither has his perfect derrier.) 

After our tour of the Academia we took yet another walking tour of the city, and eventually hiked our way back up to the hostel, where we stopped at the Piazza Michelagelo- a lookout that offers the best view of Florence. It’s quite breathtaking, if I may say so myself. 

The rest of the day we hung out on the hostel terrace, which also provided a great view of the city. It was so nice to sit and enjoy the beautiful sunshine, fresh air, conversation with friends, pizza (of course), and books. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt so at peace… For staying in tents, our hostel wasn’t so shabby after all. 

On Wednesday morning of the Italy trip Lexi and I took a morning train from Florence to Pisa. It was only about eleven euros round trip, and we figured we couldn’t very well be in Italy and not see the Leaning Tower. It was a lovely little morning trip and was well worth it. Considering there’s not much in the city of Pisa other than the tower and cathedral, we spent an hour or so just goofing around and taking pictures. 

None of the other girls we traveled with had any interest in going to Pisa. Instead, they decided to camp out at the TRL Awards Show stage. A friend from Madrid tipped us off and told us that Lady Gaga would be performing (for free!), possibly alongside Rihanna, Katie Perry, and the Black-eyed Peas. WHAAAAT!? My friends started their camp-out at about noon, and we met up with them at 2ish. However, quickly after our arrival, we received devastating news. It turns out the show was the Italian TRL Awards, aka. NO AMERICAN CELEBRITIES. We knew it was too good to be true… what a bummer. We ended up spending the rest of the day wandering around the beautiful Florence touring the Basilica di Santa Croce where lie the bodies of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Rossini, shopping at the leather market, eating gelato, reading reading reading- we were all addicted to our books all spring break, and enjoying the sights. 

For dinner we did something very special. My friend Grace’s grandparents are Italian and visit Florence from time to time. Every time they’re in town they go to the same little restaurant, where they have become friends with the owner and chef. We were able to track down the address and find the restaurant with success. It was a truly delicious meal and super precious when the chef came out to meet Grace- he was so cute!!

After dinner we decided to check out the awards show for a bit after all, which was actually pretty fun. Even though we couldn’t understand the majority of the songs, it was cool to feel the energy of the show and listen to some live music. Turns out the Italians’ taste in music isn’t so bad after all!

Monday in Italy was a day of relaxation and travel. We allowed ourselves to sleep in a bit on our last day in Rome, and then caught a mid-morning/afternoon train to Florence. Once in Florence we checked into our hostel. Except it wasn’t really a hostel at all. It was a camping ground for RV’s, and we were in tents. Literally, tents. Granted they did have hard wood floors and metal framing, but they were total canvas Boy-Scouts-Little-House-on-the-Prarie-the-Bathroom-is-Called-a-Latrine-Let’s-Make-S’mores-Tents. It was hilarious. Well, it was funny until that first night when we realized how ridiculously cold it got. I’m pretty sure I ended up wearing about nine different shirts, leggings, a dress over my legs, towels, and the hostel wool blankets. Brrr!

Tuesday we decided to see the sights in Florence. Immediately after stepping off the bus we ran into the infamous Florence leather market, so naturally we took a peeksy. You would’ve done the same thing. We then wandered the beautiful streets of Florence and saw the Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, the Campanile (bell tower), Il Duomo (a huge cathedral and dome), The Baptistry of St. John the Baptist, and the Pitti Palace. We also saw Florence’s two largest museums: Galleria degli Uffizi and Galleria dell’ Academia. Michelangelo’s “David” is housed in the Academia and although we attempted to wait in line to see it, the museum’s computers were down which led to a 4 hour line/delay. Yikes! We decided to reschedule for a different day. After a short gelato and cannoli break (haters hate on), we explored Florence’s shopping bridge, a bridge that actually has shops on it. While the bridge used to be covered in specialty shops, it is now home to only expensive jewelry stores. Most people just wander up and down the street window shopping, but I decided that I wanted to actually go inside one of these oh-so-haute stores. When I walked in, an employee asked me “Can I help you with something?” Automatically I snapped into actor mode and in my best pretentious Pretty Woman voice replied “Oh no thank you. I’m actually looking for something specific” and gently rubbed my ring finger. My friends thought it was hysterical. 

We also encountered some chain fences covered in locks. As many of you probably already know, it is a European tradition for lovers to put locks on chain fences, bridges, etc. in order to secure their love and relationships. How sweet!! 

Later that afternoon my friends and I found an indoor/outdoor antiques market where we not only found jewelry and post cards, but also our friends!! We ran into the same group of girlfriends that we saw in Rome! What a small world! On an unrelated note, while we were all sitting and chatting some boys came up to me and told me that they were art students in Florence. They then told me that I was the most beautiful work of art they’d seen and that I looked like Marilyn Monroe. Sheesh! These European boys- they never quit… My friend Erinn got a kick out of it, at least. 

My friends and I also went to check out a stage that was being set up in front of a church for nothing but… the TRL Award Show!! How exciting!! (I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow).

We ended the night with an outdoor meal from a roadside vendor by our hostel that provided us with cheap and delicious paninis, pasta, pizza, and nutella crepes. I’m pretty sure we ended up going to that same stop at least three times before leaving Florence… the old man working came to love us seven American girls. 

The weather in Madrid today is pretty rainy and cold. Yuck. With the pressure of finals creeping up everyone’s starting to get anxious about leaving Europe. All of a sudden our entire study abroad class has been going out together every night and having a good time. We’re all trying to hold on to that last little bit of Spanish magic… I never want to leave!

I’m so sorry that I wasn’t able to write a post yesterday, everyone! Our dance show was last night, and I didn’t have a chance to get on my computer all day. I’ll have you know that the show went swimmingly though! We all nailed it, and everyone in my class had a great time on stage. The audience (mostly comprised of SLU kids from America) loved it (us). 

Back to the Italy trip! Sunday morning we went back to the Vatican for Palm Sunday Mass which was just incredible. It was amazing to see so many people together in one place to praise the lord and celebrate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. The weather was beautiful, the olive branches (not palms) were plentiful, and oh yeah… I SAW THE POPE. Yup, big man Benedict XVI himself. (He’s precious) I could not stop crying. We didn’t stay for the entire 4-hour Mass because we were standing on cobblestone and some of the girls I was traveling with aren’t Catholic, but for the time that we were there I was just straight waterworks. It was so beautiful and moving. It sounds silly, but never have I been prouder to be a Catholic.

 Following the Mass we met up with Erin who took us to a “secret bakery” nearby. When I say secret, I basically mean that it’s hidden down in the basement of a random building and that they sell nutella-filled doughnuts for 40 euro cents a piece. AWESOME! Let me just tell you that anything warm and sugary and nutella-filled is going to be delicious. You can bet I’ll be bringing that tasty habit back to the US…

After the bakery we went on a mission to find some outdoor markets. However, on the way we got on a very crowded bus which became more and more crowded at each stop. It was literally the most uncomfortable situation I have ever been in in my life. We could not move a muscle. Anyways, there was an “incident” on the bus that I’m not going to discuss in this blog, but will briefly mention- both my friends and I were violated and almost robbed by a very creepy older man. Luckily the only real casualty was my leather jacket (sad), which in hindsight may have just been dropped in the confusion. Mom and Dad, I’ll tell you the whole story when I get home. 

Well, it turns out that the outdoor markets were closed because of Palm Sunday, so we ended up doing a bit of wandering and sight-seeing instead. We hung out at Piazza Navona and looked at all of the art, we sipped cappuccinos in a cafe, we saw the mini castle/fortress where the Pope can run to for safety if the Vatican is under attack (Angels and Demons anyone?), watched a street performer put on a dancing puppet show with his fingers, shopped for souvenirs, and of course, enjoyed even more pasta and pizza. We also returned to the Trevi Fountain to see it all lit up for night, which was just beautiful. If it’s a sight to see during the day, it’s a spectacle at night. Of course I made a second wish for those of you who were wondering…

Overall it was a very relaxing day in the gorgeous city of Rome (minus “The Incident”), as well as a day of girl friend bonding. It was around this time that my friends and I began playing “Questionnaire,” a game in which we just took turns asking and answering deep friend questions. Call us cheesy, but it was very cute and made us all even closer. Sometimes we just all need some emotional cuddling. L@w1z

Saturday we hit up the big-shot sights of Rome. Lucky for us it was the end of Rome’s “Culture Week,” so we were granted free access to pretty much everything. We first met our Rome study-abroad friends Jana and Erin at the Colosseum, which was incredible. It is so huge and OLD!! I can’t believe it’s still standing, and standing well at that! The Colosseum is a monument I’ve seen in history books since I was little, but is sooo much cooler in person. It definitely inspired me to want to be a gladiator!

After a lovely picnic lunch on the lawn outside the Colosseum we went to the Roman Forum, which is also awesome. It went on and on and on- I’m pretty sure we could’ve spent hours in there. There’s a cathedral (not religious), some houses and warehouses, lots of columns and pillars… basically a lot of old stuff. It’s so great. Seeing the ruins definitely fueled my love of philosophy!

After the Colosseum came the Pantheon (well, gelato at the 2nd best place in Rome first), yet another really neat ancient architectural piece. While it used to be a pagan temple, it is now a Catholic church (go figure), and the resting place of the wife of one of Italy’s kings- the woman for whom Margherita pizzas are named. I’m a fan! Interestingly enough, the top of the Pantheon is actually an open hole, so when it rains, it floods. Who’da thunk it?

The history in Rome is just so rich and endless. It is truly amazing. One of our bus drivers mentioned to us that “the metro is always closed because they keep finding new ruins. No really.” I love love love it! What other city can lay claim to some of the oldest ruins in the world!?

We then trekked to the Spanish Steps, which are just gorgeous. Way to go homeland; great gift! We were all pretty smitten with the fact that we were Spanish girls on the Spanish Steps… lame? Nah. Apparently the steps are where everyone hangs out at night in Rome- forget Sol! On the way over we happened to run into another group of our girlfriends, and then when we were on the steps we ran into some of our guy friends. Yes, it’s a small world. And yes, everyone from SLU went to Italy for spring break. 

Following the Spanish Steps came the beautiful Trevi Fountain. It was really crowded, but we all got to toss in our coins and make a wish! How Italian (or touristy?) of us!! We then enjoyed a lovely Italian dinner with Erin at a cute little outdoor cafe, where we were treated to bruschetta, salad, pasta (cannelloni for me!), and wine. Yummm!

Tired from a full day of sightseeing (and walking on cobblestone), we made our way back to the hostel for another night of Internet at the bar and peaceful sleep. 

After a packed granola bar breakfast at our Rome hostel, the girls and I were on an 8:30am tram to the Flaminio train station. From there we took a train into the city, where we were supposed to catch the metro to Vatican City. However, we weren’t so lucky. The metro strike was still going on, so we had to switch to Plan B. We started reading all of the bus stop signs, looking for any that might point us towards the Pope. After talking to a few strangers we eventually found the right bus, and hopped on. We were guided all the way there by a super sweet girl clad all in denim who worked in film production. As we walked towards the Vatican she said to us “I have a secret. This city is magic! It has given me everything I could ever want- love, friendship..” She was beaming and we all couldn’t help but “awwwh” at her sincerity and happiness. She also let me share her iPod on the way!

Upon arrival at the Vatican, I was floored. It was every bit as majestic and wonderful as I’d imagined. I’m sure that the beautiful architecture and immensity were impressive to all of the tourists, but for me as a Catholic, it was inexplicably comforting. I felt so blessed to be in the heart of Catholicism, to walk where the Pope walks. I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to experience such a place. 

Only a few minutes later, my friends and I were reunited with my friend Jana from SLU America, who is currently studying abroad in Rome. Needless to say I was quite excited to see her (she lived across the hall from me freshman year), and our reunion was a blissful and shriek-filled one. After introducing us to her friends we stood around in St. Peter’s Square catching up on each others’ lives, all grateful to see familiar faces. And then one of the greatest moments of my study abroad experience happened- Way back in early February Lexi made reservations for we girls to go on what’s known as the Vatican Scavi Tour. At 11:00 we were allowed to pass the Swiss Guards and enter a back building of the Vatican, where we met our tour guide. For the next few hours he led us down underneath St. Peter’s Basilica, where we got to see the excavations that lie beneath. It was all very humid and dank, but incredible. We were allowed to see several mausoleums and tombs that had been uncovered, many of which were marked with the Chi Rho. The first Christians. We were then led to a different room where we were able to peer through rock and see the alleged bones of St. Peter himself. WOW. It was incredible. Although scientists are not 100% positive that the uncovered bones are from Simon Peter, there is significant evidence to prove that it is. Our guide told us to make of it what we will, and I for one was convinced. It was so amazing to me to think that this man, Simon Peter had interacted with the actual living man, Jesus Christ, and that he had eventually come to be the cornerstone of the Church. It was by far one of the most moving things that I have experienced as far as my faith. Our tour ended in the grotto of St. Peter’s Basilica, where many past popes are buried, including John Paul II. I’ll admit it- I was fighting back tears. It was definitely a worthwhile tour, and it’s something that I’d recommend to anyone looking into a trip to Rome. It was just amazing. 

After our tour we met up with Jana again who led us to the most delicious sandwich shop I’ve ever been to. (Sorry Tienda Verde) Never have I had such fresh mozzarella, basil, and cherry tomatoes on a baguette- it was just as scrumptious as I expected Italy to be. 

Following lunch we walked back to the Vatican and toured St. Peter’s Basilica. It. Is. HUGE. The cathedral itself is just incredibly beautiful, as it is decorated in the elaborate and somewhat over-the-top Baroque style. We also decided to pay the couple of euros and climb the 551 stairs that lead to the cathedral’s dome. It was a somewhat exhausting climb, but truly worth the trouble. Seeing the inside of that golden dome up close was just amazing, but the view of Rome from the outside was even better. From the top I could see the city of Rome stretched out before me, a beautiful city teeming with history and detail. I once again found myself speechless, unable to convey just how lucky I felt. Seriously someone pinch me- this can not be my real life!!

To complete our Italian cuisine experience Day 1, Jana took us to what is supposed to be one of the two best gelato shops in all of Rome- Old Bridge. I have to be honest when I say that prior to spring break I didn’t really understand the difference between gelato and ice cream, but oh man do I now!! Gelato is like a softer, creamier, richer ice cream. It is heaven on earth. Not to mention the fact that most places allow you to choose three flavors for the price of one- AH. MAY. ZING. I think that after ten days of trying different flavors I decided that Nutella is my favorite. 

Our last Vatican stop of the day was of course, the Vatican Museum. It was a truly glorious and impressive museum filled with some of the world’s finest art. I know what you all want to hear about though… the Sistene Chapel. Yes, it is GORGEOUS. Yes, it is HUGE. Yes, it is detailed as can be. Unfortunately, the guards inside the museum tend to rush people through it, which was a shame. My friends and I just learned to veer towards the outside of the crowd so that we wouldn’t be ushered past too quickly. Also, I did not disappoint you guys- I illegally snapped a picture so that I could share the wonder with you all (:

Following the museum we went in search of dinner and ended up a a cute pizza and pasta restaurant… how typical. Now I will tell you, it is in no way an exaggeration when I say that pizza and pasta are all that Italians eat. Literally every restaurant that one finds has an extensive pizza and pasta menu, with a much smaller and more expensive meats/other dishes menu in the back. If I had chosen to study abroad in Rome, I would absolutely be obese right now. I would stand no chance against that tantalizing food. My first meal was a spinach and ricotta stuffed tortellini, which was just melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Viva Italia. 

After our usual “stumbling around like idiots trying to figure out where the heck we are” routine, my friends and I eventually found our way back to Rome and to our good ole train station. One more tram ride and were home to the camping grounds. Though pretty darn exhausted from our first day of touring, we decided to play around in the hostel bar for a little while, where we were able to access the Internet. Contacting our families and loved ones- always a priority. 

I was in a different room than the other girls, so before hitting the sheets I chatted up the two girls staying in my room, who were studying abroad in Granada- cool! (I always think it’s a good idea to be-friend your hostel roommates: less likely they’ll steal from you.)

All in all, our day in Vatican City was just exquisite, and a must-do for any Italy tourist. Random traveler’s tip: My friends and I were very concerned about having our shoulders and knees covered in the Vatican, so we all went out and bought long dresses and tights and whatnot. Turns out the rules have slackened considerably, as there were tons of people in blue jeans- what!? I also saw two boys in sweat pants and a girl in shorts… make of that what you will. 

Wow! I can’t believe I’ve been gone from my blog for so long! It seems like forever ago that I was packing up and leaving Spain for the beautiful Italy. So there you have it- if you didn’t pick up on my oh-so-unsubtle hints last post, I can now reveal that my friends and I spent the last ten days in Italy for our spring break. It was truly an incredible trip, and I have so much to write about! It’ll probably take awhile to record it all, so you’ll have to be patient with me. Here goes…!

The girls and I finished packing Thursday afternoon, then headed to the airport for our trusty dusty EasyJet flight to Rome. Because we were spending ten in Italy, we decided to check two large suitcases between the seven of us- we usually just bring our backpacks as carry-ons. First obstacle of the trip- both suitcases weighed over the allotted 50 pounds, so we had to work to cram extra weight from the suitcases into our carry-ons and onto our bodies. It was definitely a struggle, but we managed to get everything on to the plane- phew! Obstacle #2: Our flight, which was supposed to leave at 4:55, was delayed an hour and a half after two gate changes. Eventually we took off and landed though… journey part one completed. After picking up our bags we called the hostel to warn them that we’d be checking in a little late. The seven of us stumble out into the dark and rainy night in search of our first bus. After asking a few strangers we found the bus to the center of town. We then stopped briefly for a to-go pizza dinner in a tiny joint by the metro station. This is where the fun begins! The directions to our hostel required us to take a bus, an underground metro, an aboveground metro/tram, and a shuttle. Well, not a single one of those buses was easy to find, the metro line we needed was closed due to a strike we were not aware of until after lugging our newly-deemed “Big Mamas Bessie and Bertha” up and down several flights of stairs, strangers had no idea how to help us and sent us on a few wild goose chases, the bus stops were unclear and twice did we stumble off of one with the Mamas only to realize we were wrong and clamber back on… Well, I can’t really describe to you the hilarity and pathetic-ness of the whole situation, but I can tell you that our flight landed at about 8:30 and we didn’t make it to our hostel until 12:45. Our last bus literally dumped us in the seemingly middle of nowhere, on the side of the road in a field, where we had to call the hostel and have one of the employees come pick us up in a van… Well, I guess that’s what we get for booking 11 euro/night “tents” through Hostelworld.com…

Our backpacks were just a little full… Grace is expecting any day now

Bottom line is, we did eventually make it to our hostel- praise Jesus. My roommates and I were not put in a tent after all, but in a pretty normal dorm room. The other four girls were assigned a trailer/mobile home which was pretty darn funny. We can’t complain too much though- we had beds and hot showers, and at that point, that’s about all we needed. After a long day of school and travel, we all collapsed into sleep. 

**Okay, so I know that this post doesn’t tell you anything about our trip other than getting there, but telling you about Day 1 in Rome is going to take up some space, so I want to save it for tomorrow. Hint- it’s all about the Vatican!**

On a completely unrelated note, I only have three more days of school, and then finals.. eeek!!  

Whoo hoo! I just got back from a run/workout in the park with my roomies and it was wonderful. The sun had just set so the temperature and fresh air were perfect, the streets and park weren’t too crowded, I was jamming to my iPod, exercising with my friends… I love the Madrid life…

As many of you know, I spent this past weekend with my family (minus Sam). Jacqueline and Meredith were on spring break, so my family went to Paris for the first few days, flew into Madrid (where I briefly visited them), took a train down to Sevilla and Granada, and then returned this past Friday evening to Madrid. Their plane left this morning for the United States- everyone pray that they made it home okay!!

Thursday night Lexi, Dani and I went to Joy for a Beyonce tribute, but not before stopping at our friend Alex’s apartment to meet up with he, Dana, and Derek. I don’t care what anyone says about the discotheques- I think that they are great and I had a great time dancing (on stage!) with Beyonce… well, with a Beyonce-impersonator at least. Only in Spain…

On Friday Dani and I slept in then did some work while we waited for Lexi to come home from lab. The three of us then went to lunch at Tropicana (our favorite!!) for 1.90euro sandwiches mixtos and patatas fritas. Tropicana is a little bar in our building complex owned and managed by one man with freakishly blue eyes who just adores us because I’m pretty sure we’re about the only people who ever eat in there. Dani and I then said goodbye to Lexi who headed to Lisbon, and then we ourselves registered for classes next year. (Wow already!?!) We then packed up the UK Snuggie and some books and headed to Retiro Park where we spent the next 3 or 4 hours laying in the sun, eating ice cream, and reading. I’m pretty sure Dani was asleep 95% of that time… Come 7:00 we made our way to Sol where we met my family at their hotel. Funny coincidence- they stayed right across from Joy… oh Lord. The six of us walked down the street a bit before stopping in a cute little restaurant for dinner and bonding. I had a spinach salad with baked goat cheese and raspberry, and it was about the most delicious thing I’ve ever had. After exploring the Sol area for awhile, we all decided to call it a night and D and I walked back to home sweet Mercedes’.

The next morning I met my family at their hotel. We then covered almost the entire city of Madrid in one day. We walked to Plaza Mayor and saw the street performers, to the gourmet Mercado de San Miguel, to Dia (grocery store) where I introduced my family to the glory that is Laughing Cow cheese on a baguette, to the old neighborhoods of the city, to a tour of the Palacio Real where you’re not allowed to take pictures but I snagged a few when the guards weren’t looking, down to SLU Madrid so that the rents could see my humble school, out to lunch at the delicious Pizza Jardin, to snacks and relaxation in Retiro Park, to el Museo Prado (free entrance) which we all decided didn’t require too much time, to the hotel, to Mercedes’ house where she insisted that we sit in the salon and have ice cream cake and basically harassed my sisters and parents, then with Dani to dinner at a place we didn’t realize had a Portuguese menu until it was too late (hilarious) and took an HOUR to bring out both Dani and Jacqueline’s dishes, to classic Madrid ice cream, to a final evening stroll around Sol. Phew!! Okay so that was probably the longest run-on sentence ever, but c’mon. You have to be impressed with our ability to squeeze so much in to one day! It really was so fantastic, and it definitely helped me learn more about my hometown. (I’m pretty sure my dad could navigate Madrid on foot much better than I could!) 

With la Guernica… aren’t they cute?!

Sunday morning I forced my family to wake up early, promising that beating the crazy crowds at El Rastro would be well worth it. Naturally I was right, and they loved the flea market where they were able to pick up several souvenirs. We then went as a family to Mass at a nearby church, which was probably the shortest Mass I’ve ever been to- no singing, to the psalm by 10 after, out of there in 30 minutes. Talk about a marathon Mass! After our Speedy Gonzalez prayer sesh we returned to the hotel to drop off the Rastro treasures, then walked around the Sol area for lunch. We came across a place serving sandwiches mixtos and patatas fritas which seemed great until they brought out the bill- each plate of fries cost 6 euros!!! WHAT!? I felt so bad for suggesting that meal to my family. They quickly recovered though and we went to el Museo Reina Sofia for free-entrance Sunday which was all and well until we got kicked out at 2:30 when it closed… shoot. I’m pretty sure we spent most of our time in their watching a bizarre movie in which a man sliced a woman’s eye open with a razor…uh huh. ART. After the museum we decided to walk to the Botanical Gardens which were not free and so we changed our plan and went back to Retiro instead! Yay! After an hour or so of napping/chatting we went back to the hotel where we watched a good chunk of Blue Lagoon. Great movie. 

And then the greatest event of my entire life happened. We had invited Mercedes to Sunday-night dinner on Friday, and we stayed good to our word. We picked Mercedes up at about 7:00, then walked about what should have been a 15 minute walk away to a pretty famous Madrid restaurant called Casa Mingo. Well, it was an adventure. Being the polite Southern ladies and gentlemen that we are, we all took turns walking Mercedes to the restaurant, which probably took a bajillion times longer than it should’ve. Then when we finally sat down at the restaurant Mercedes spoke really quickly to the waiter and told him not to mind us as we were all Americans. on a positive note, the food at Casa Mingo was SO good and pretty inexpensive. Dani and I tag-teamed all night as far as entertaining/distracting/putting up with Mercedes. The real drama happened on the way home though- apparently the ramp going up the big hill from the river to Mercedes’ house was out, so we had to help her CLIMB A HILL. As in, a really really huge hill. It was ridiculous and we were all dying laughing. Meredith took a lot of good pictures of it- I’ll be sure to post them later. It was literally the funniest thing I have ever seen. Never a dull moment… We finished the night with some scrumptious churros y chocolate and kisses goodbye to my family. It was a really amazing weekend, and I felt so blessed to be able to see my family. Can’t wait to see them all in exactly one month from today!!

The beautiful hot sunshiney glorious makes you want to vomit unicorns and puppies and sing and dance and twirl like a child or a Footloose dancer weather of Madrid that we were promised in November is finally here!! It reached 80 degrees today. I had on a t-shirt and shorts. Everyone was out soaking up the sun and socializing on the quad between classes. There were ice cold soda sales. Life. Is. Good. 

Yesterday was pretty darn wonderful too. Dani and my first class (2:30 Hispanic Literature) was canceled, so we decided to have a date day! We walked over to the Gran Via and Sol area where we enjoyed yummy doner kebabs (our favorites in case you haven’t caught on), shopped for a few hours- our goal was to find Vatican-appropriate outfits, then sat in the sun with some happiness-in-a-cone (yup, you guessed it. ice cream. our other favorite). Eventually I had to make my way over to school for my “really really serious and professional fourth grade science fair poster presentation,” where my friend Hayden and I displayed our lovely lime green poster about illegal turtle egg harvesting in Costa Rica. Yeah, I go to a real school. 

I finished the night with Bokatas, a program I am falling in love with. The past few weeks have just been great- bonding with the volunteers and homeless people alike, spending my time doing something meaningful, getting that warm fuzzy feeling afterwards that comes with doing good… I’m really glad that I decided to join Bokatas and will definitely be recommending it to the SLU youngins who dare to study abroad in Madrid next year. 

Dani and I attempted to walk to school for the first time today with our friends Katie and Erinn. The other girls insisted that they knew the 40 minute route to school, but they ended up getting confused so we got a little lost and ended up having to take the metro to school in the end. Ah, well. It was a beautiful walk and it felt great to get some fresh morning air. 

My parents and sisters are returning to Madrid tomorrow evening (they’ve been in Paris, Granada, and Sevilla), and I just cannot WAIT to see them!! It’s going to be such a wonderful weekend. I just love Madrid. It’s heartbreaking to think that I have to leave this paradise in just over one month- eek!!

See you all tomorrow, la extranjera

(I’m sorry that this post was a day late. My family came in to Madrid yesterday, so I spent my free time snugging them.)

I’m baaaaack! This past weekend I got to go with my oceanography class to Alicante, a beautiful beach city located on the Mediterranean. It was a fantastic trip. It was hands down one of the best trips I have been on this semester, and I miss it already!

After sharing a few tapas with my friends on Thursday afternoon, I  left with my class at 2:30 on a good ole Yolcar bus for Alicante! We arrived at the Hotel Masa at about 8:30 and after a quick check-in and fresher-upper, we enjoyed a lovely multi-course meal in the hotel banquet hall. It was so cute- white tables, lots of elderly locals, a beautiful ocean-view… my friends and I decided that we were livin life, and proceeded to talk about how lovely our Mediterranean “cruise” was. I ordered mussels and sea-bass, which was super delicious, but also super delicious because the fish came out whole. Head included. I decided to name mine Carl before diggin in. My friend Gretchen and I finished the night with a little Pearl Harbor, then promptly passed out. 

We woke up early Friday morning and headed down to the Alicante Marina. We got to watch some fishermen bring in the day’s catch- a variety of little fishes- and then we toured the inside of a WWII submarine! We all live in a black submarine…

For the next three hours or so we spent time on the water switching between kayaking, riding dinghies, and laying out on a cruiser. It was absolute bliss! The weather was absolutely incredible and it felt amazing to be enjoying the ocean from boats. We also got to watch the marina workers release a turtle that had been rescued back into the ocean. He was all the way from Florida and so cute! From the way he was angrily flapping his arms when they held him up like Simba though, I’m pretty sure he was not enjoying all of the attention! 

After a lovely lunch in the sun of bocadillos, they gave us some free time to lay out in the sun. Of course we all got FRIED, but soaking up the rays was so worth it! We all felt so lucky that laying out was part of a mandatory field trip. Score! After our sun-siesta we went to the Alicante fish auction, where every fisherman’s daily catch is laid out on a conveyor belt and bid on by local restaurants, grocery stores, and the like. It was pretty amazing to see how quickly the bidding happened, and even more amazing to see how expensive some of the fish cost- some of the grouper went for 25 euros per kilogram!!

In the evening we returned to the hotel for a delicious buffet dinner. Looking for a fun finish to the night, my classmates and I made our way down to the club in the basement of the hotel where we danced the night away to Spanish music with the locals. I’m pretty sure some of the older people thought we were insane when we all started screaming to “Waka Waka”, but they were just tickled pink when we whipped into our dance-class-mode and pulled out some salsa and bachata moves. Chicka chicka yeah! Groovin and movin the night away to Spanish music was the perfect ending to a great day in Alicante.