Yesterday Jessica and I woke up to find more rain and cold weather... yay! After we finished getting ready we took the Metro to Trocadero, which is the stop where Rachel works (and it's also right by the Eiffel Tower). Rachel was nice enough to take us to lunch at a small cafe by her office and then she showed us the way to Trocadero, which is the main viewing point for the Eiffel Tower. We took some pictures (of course) and then Rachel left and Jess and I walked down to the tower. I honestly forgot how giant it was, so it was a lot of fun to be able to go back and see it again!
Our initial plan was to climb the stairs to the top, but we decided that that might not have been the best idea in the freezing rain. When we made our way to the ticket line, it didn't take long to discover that only one of the four elevators was operating. We ended up having to wait two hours in line just to get our tickets and get up to the second floor, so we were not happy campers to say the least, especially because it was about 50 degrees and pouring rain. Thankfully Rachel gave us her umbrella to use otherwise we would have been absolutely miserable. When we finally got to the second floor we had to get into another line to get on the elevator to the very top of the tower. We were a bit delirious at this point, but it was kind of fun to be able to play random games and look at all of the people around us who were just as miserable.
Once we got to the top of the tower we were very happy to see that not many people were outside taking pictures. After being outside for about two seconds we quickly realized why there was no one else there... it was FREEZING and ridiculously windy. Unfortunately the rain clouds made it almost impossible to see much of the city, so it was a pretty big letdown once we were finally at the top. After only about ten minutes of looking around the city from the top we had seen enough and decided to head back down to the ground. Once again, there was a ridiculous line to get on the elevators so we waited another hour to get from the third floor to the ground level. All in all, our experience on the Eiffel Tower was pretty miserable so after we left our first stop was a warm cafe for hot chocolate and pastries.
When we finally made it home after a long day of wet and cold weather we were happy to relax for a few hours. When Rachel and Xavier came home from work around 8 they took us to a great French restaurant that was literally right across the street from their apartment, which was very convenient considering it was pretty much monsooning at this point. We all had a great meal and it was nice to be able to sit and enjoy food in the dry, warm restaurant. All of us were exhausted from a long day, so after dinner we headed home and all went straight to bed.
Jess and I slept in this morning so we could enjoy our last night in a bed for a while... Once we were finally up and ready we walked around an open-air market at the Bastille, which was just down the street from Rachel and Xavier's apartment. It was great to be able to experience the market in the SUNSHINE! The weather finally cleared up today, thankfully, so we were very excited to walk around and explore the area.
After we finished at the market Jessica and I walked around the Le Marais area, which is one of the biggest Jewish communities in Paris. We stopped to get falafel sandwiches for lunch, which were delicious. The sunshine made everything so much better and it was nice to finally be able to walk around and enjoy our surroundings!
Once we were done with dinner we took the Metro from the St. Paul stop back to Trocadero where Rachel works because Jessica wanted to buy some macaroons to bring home for her dad and Rachel knew of a great pastry shop in that area. We also were able to pick up my contacts from Rachel's work that Mom shipped a couple of days ago, so that was a big relief! After getting the cookies and contacts Rachel, Jess, and I walked back to Trocadero to take pictures at the Eiffel Tower in the sun!
After saying our goodbyes to Rachel, Jessica and I headed back towards the tower and walked through the gardens (even though at this point we have some pretty bitter feelings towards la Tour Eiffel). In the gardens we saw a wedding, lots of people sunbathing, and also two policemen bust some street vendors for selling miniature Eiffel Towers... it was pretty exciting! We then walked past the Military School and got back on the Metro and headed towards the apartment to get our things together for our long trip home.
Rachel has already scheduled for a taxi to pick Jess and I up from their apartment and take us to the bus stop outside of the Opera. Once on the bus, it's about an hour ride to the airport and then we have to check in and wait until our flight at 9:30 tonight. We arrive at the Malpensa airport in Milan at 11:30 PM and then we're going to be waiting there until our flight to Atlanta at 10 AM the next morning. Our flight home is 11 hours, so that combined with a bus right, another flight, and a twelve hour layover means that we're going to be very happy to get home on Friday afternoon.
It's so weird to think that our trip is already over and that we'll be home so soon. The time I've spent in Italy and Paris has been so memorable and even though I am looking forward to coming home, I am also very sad to go. This has been such an amazing experience and I'm so fortunate to have had the opportunity to study and live in another country for a month. I hope you all have enjoyed keeping up with my travels through this blog, but sadly, it looks like this is the end. Ciao!!!!! I can't wait to see you all very soon! Love, Mariel
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Notre Dame de Paris
Thankfully the rain stopped for a bit yesterday morning so Jess and I were able to walk from Rachel and Xavier's apartment to Ile Saint Louis. There are two islands in the middle of the Seine: one is Ile Saint Louis (a rich and fairly snobby neighborhood) and the other is called Ile de la Cite (where Notre Dame is located).
Since the weather had cleared up a bit we went in and out of shops along Ile Saint Louis and then ate lunch at a cafe. The restaurant had poulet and frites (chicken and french fries) so we both got an order and it was so delicious... the closest thing we've had to American food in a while.
After lunch we walked over the Seine onto Ile de la Cite and made our way towards Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris). Even though I visited the church a few years ago and I knew what to expect, I was still in awe. It's such a beautiful place and the cafes lining the streets make it such a picturesque area. After taking some pictures of the outside we walked inside and spent a good hour or so admiring the stained glass and huge ceilings. Notre Dame is so different from San Pietro in Rome, but they are by far the two most beautiful churches I have ever seen. Spending time in Notre Dame took me back to Mr. DeVastey's class at Lakeside when we watched the play 'Notre Dame de Paris' with Garou playing the Hunchback of Notre Dame... I really want to watch it when I get home!
Once we finished looking around Notre Dame, Jessica and I crossed the Seine again and walked back down Rue de Rivoli, towards the apartment. On the way we stopped at Hotel de Ville, which is essentially Paris's old city hall, and other random shops along the way. We planned to walk around an area called Le Marais, but the rain started to pick up again so we quickly changed plans and made our way back towards the apartment.
After we arrived at the apartment we spent a couple of hours relaxing at home and packing for our trip home until Rachel arrived from her business trip in Spain. Once she got home around 8:30 the girls all went to eat at a Moroccan restaurant that was just down the street from the apartment. We had a great time at dinner and the food was great-- we all got a different dish and split everything so it was really fun to be able to try so many new dishes. We were even more excited than usual because Italian food doesn't have much variety, so it was a nice change to eat couscous with chicken, eggplant, raisins, and cinnamon instead of pasta and cheese. We ended up staying at the restaurant and talking for about 2 hours... it was so much fun! Rachel has been so many places in the world and she's lived in Chicago, Florence, Costa Rica, and all throughout France. She also knows English, French, Spanish, and Italian... she's definitely a world traveler! Spending time with her was great and she gave a lot of good advice about things to take advantage of after we graduate from college, so that was helpful. On top of all of that she even paid for our meal! It's ridiculous how generous Rachel and Xavier are... Jessica and I really hit the jackpot with being able to stay with themon this trip!
I've actually got to run because Jess and I have a big day planned, but I'll write back soon. I can't believe I only have two days left before we make our way home!
Since the weather had cleared up a bit we went in and out of shops along Ile Saint Louis and then ate lunch at a cafe. The restaurant had poulet and frites (chicken and french fries) so we both got an order and it was so delicious... the closest thing we've had to American food in a while.
After lunch we walked over the Seine onto Ile de la Cite and made our way towards Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris). Even though I visited the church a few years ago and I knew what to expect, I was still in awe. It's such a beautiful place and the cafes lining the streets make it such a picturesque area. After taking some pictures of the outside we walked inside and spent a good hour or so admiring the stained glass and huge ceilings. Notre Dame is so different from San Pietro in Rome, but they are by far the two most beautiful churches I have ever seen. Spending time in Notre Dame took me back to Mr. DeVastey's class at Lakeside when we watched the play 'Notre Dame de Paris' with Garou playing the Hunchback of Notre Dame... I really want to watch it when I get home!
Once we finished looking around Notre Dame, Jessica and I crossed the Seine again and walked back down Rue de Rivoli, towards the apartment. On the way we stopped at Hotel de Ville, which is essentially Paris's old city hall, and other random shops along the way. We planned to walk around an area called Le Marais, but the rain started to pick up again so we quickly changed plans and made our way back towards the apartment.
After we arrived at the apartment we spent a couple of hours relaxing at home and packing for our trip home until Rachel arrived from her business trip in Spain. Once she got home around 8:30 the girls all went to eat at a Moroccan restaurant that was just down the street from the apartment. We had a great time at dinner and the food was great-- we all got a different dish and split everything so it was really fun to be able to try so many new dishes. We were even more excited than usual because Italian food doesn't have much variety, so it was a nice change to eat couscous with chicken, eggplant, raisins, and cinnamon instead of pasta and cheese. We ended up staying at the restaurant and talking for about 2 hours... it was so much fun! Rachel has been so many places in the world and she's lived in Chicago, Florence, Costa Rica, and all throughout France. She also knows English, French, Spanish, and Italian... she's definitely a world traveler! Spending time with her was great and she gave a lot of good advice about things to take advantage of after we graduate from college, so that was helpful. On top of all of that she even paid for our meal! It's ridiculous how generous Rachel and Xavier are... Jessica and I really hit the jackpot with being able to stay with themon this trip!
I've actually got to run because Jess and I have a big day planned, but I'll write back soon. I can't believe I only have two days left before we make our way home!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
A Rainy Day in Paris
Yesterday Jessica and I left the apartment and immediately went on a search for lunch. The weather is absolutely DISGUSTING in Paris, so when we finally found a place to eat it was hard to motivate ourselves to leave and step out into the cold, rainy weather. When we finally left the restaurant we realized how unprepared we were for the weather, so we immediately went back to the apartment to change into coats, scarves, and closed-toe shoes.
After we were warm and dry, we headed towards the Metro station and made our way to the Louvre. It was so gross outside that we figured it would be nice to spend a day in a museum, but unfortunately every other tourist had the same idea because the museum was PACKED. We spent three hours looking around and only covered about 1/3 of one wing of the museum... the thing is massive! It wasn't as exciting the second time around, but even so it was amazing to be able to see the Mona Lisa and Venus di Milo in person, along with hundreds and hundreds of other paintings and sculptures.
We planned to stay and look around the Louvre for longer, but the museum kicked us out around 6 PM so we decided to walk around the Jardins des Tuileries, which are just outside of the Louvre. The gardens were beautiful, even in the rain, so we walked up to the Place de la Concorde to get a better view of the Arc di Triomphe, the Champs-Elysses, and the Eiffel Tower. We didn't stay for too long because it got too cold and wet, so we got back on the Metro and headed to the Bastille stop, which is the closest to Rachel and Xavier's apartment.
It was about 7 at this point so Jessica and I decided to stop in a supermarket on the way and grab stuff to make sandwiches for dinner. Fresh food here is so cheap compared to everything else, so it was great to be able to get a baguette, fresh brie and mozzarella, salami, red wine, and vegetables for a salad for only 8 euro. The meal was great and as we were eating Xavier came home and offered to take us out for a drink since Rachel was in Spain for the night on a business trip. We only had to walk outside the apartment building and down the street to find a huge road full of bars. Surprisingly, all of the bars were packed, even on a Monday night, so we settled on a small Cuban bar and had drinks there. We didn't stay out too late because we were so exhausted from a long day, but it was great to talk to Xavier and find out more about him. He even treated us to drinks, which was very nice considering how much he's already done by letting us stay at his house!
We got a really good night of sleep last night, but woke up again this morning to more rain and cold weather. We just ate breakfast, showered, and we have plans to go visit Notre Dame and Ile Saint Louis for the day, but the bad weather is sure to change our plans a bit, unfortunately. Paris is as beautiful as I remember, but I wish we were here to see even one day of good weather! The forecast says the weather is going to be cold and rainy until Friday, which is the day we get back to Atlanta... :(
After we were warm and dry, we headed towards the Metro station and made our way to the Louvre. It was so gross outside that we figured it would be nice to spend a day in a museum, but unfortunately every other tourist had the same idea because the museum was PACKED. We spent three hours looking around and only covered about 1/3 of one wing of the museum... the thing is massive! It wasn't as exciting the second time around, but even so it was amazing to be able to see the Mona Lisa and Venus di Milo in person, along with hundreds and hundreds of other paintings and sculptures.
We planned to stay and look around the Louvre for longer, but the museum kicked us out around 6 PM so we decided to walk around the Jardins des Tuileries, which are just outside of the Louvre. The gardens were beautiful, even in the rain, so we walked up to the Place de la Concorde to get a better view of the Arc di Triomphe, the Champs-Elysses, and the Eiffel Tower. We didn't stay for too long because it got too cold and wet, so we got back on the Metro and headed to the Bastille stop, which is the closest to Rachel and Xavier's apartment.
It was about 7 at this point so Jessica and I decided to stop in a supermarket on the way and grab stuff to make sandwiches for dinner. Fresh food here is so cheap compared to everything else, so it was great to be able to get a baguette, fresh brie and mozzarella, salami, red wine, and vegetables for a salad for only 8 euro. The meal was great and as we were eating Xavier came home and offered to take us out for a drink since Rachel was in Spain for the night on a business trip. We only had to walk outside the apartment building and down the street to find a huge road full of bars. Surprisingly, all of the bars were packed, even on a Monday night, so we settled on a small Cuban bar and had drinks there. We didn't stay out too late because we were so exhausted from a long day, but it was great to talk to Xavier and find out more about him. He even treated us to drinks, which was very nice considering how much he's already done by letting us stay at his house!
We got a really good night of sleep last night, but woke up again this morning to more rain and cold weather. We just ate breakfast, showered, and we have plans to go visit Notre Dame and Ile Saint Louis for the day, but the bad weather is sure to change our plans a bit, unfortunately. Paris is as beautiful as I remember, but I wish we were here to see even one day of good weather! The forecast says the weather is going to be cold and rainy until Friday, which is the day we get back to Atlanta... :(
Monday, June 8, 2009
Ostia Antica, Rome, and PARIS!
Since I haven't updated this in a while it's going to be a fairly long post... I'll start with where I left off.
Saturday, June 6
The night before we went to the Trevi fountain with some bottles of wine and it was a great way to say goodbye to Natalia. Our friends from the hostel (John, Vanessa, and Tony) joined us and we had a great time people watching and enjoying how BEAUTIFUL the Trevi fountain was. We even got to see a proposal there, which was really neat! Just as we were about to leave and head back to the hostel we started talking to a group of professional rugby players from the UK. Natalia wasn't ready to go home at this point, so our new friends from the hostel headed back and Jessica, Natalia, and I stayed to hang out with the 'Stoner Pups,' which was the name of their rugby team. After hanging out at the fountain for a bit we left to find a nearby Irish Pub... so fitting. We ended up making it home around 2, even though we initially wanted to make it an early night, so Natalia definitely had fun waking up the next morning for her 7:35 train ride.
On Saturday Jessica and I didn't have any big plans, so we decided to head to an old Roman port city called Ostia Antica with our friend John from the hostel, who is also from FL. It was only about 30 minutes away, so we took the train and made it there in great time. The city itself wasn't very big, but according to our Rome guide book it's one of the top three most preserved ancient Roman towns. We got to see the ruins of the city, including the forum, all of the sailors apartments, and a huge amphitheatre. Funny enough, I ended up running into my friend Daniel MacNamara from LHS at the almost-deserted amphitheatre and it was a real treat! I can't believe I have now randomly run into two people from high school while on my trip... it's such a small world.
After visiting the ruins we grabbed lunch and gelato and took the Metro to the beach in Stella Pontale. It was really neat to see the ocean, but it was overcast and ridiculously windy so we didn't stay for long. We headed back to the hostel after a long day and Jessica and I made a delicious dinner... orecchiette pasta with pomodoro sauce, balsamic drenched onions, and lots of veggies. It was probably one of the best (and cheapest!) meals I've had since being on this trip... the food here is so fresh it's really easy to make great meals! We had lots of leftovers so we were also able to feed two other people in the hostel, which was fun. After dinner Jess, John, Tony, and I walked in the direction of the Pantheon to a famous gelateria called Gelateria della Palma. The gelateria is known world wide and it has 100+ flavors... so delicious! We did have gelato twice in one day, but the gelato at Gelateria della Palma was by far the best I've had in Italy so it was worth it.
Sunday, June 7
This morning Jessica and I woke up early, got ready, packed our bags, and headed to Mass at the Vatican. Mass started at 10:30 and even though we were only 5 minutes late, San Pietro was PACKED by the time we got there so there was only room to stand. The service was in French, but it was really crowded and we were so far away that it was really difficult to understand anything. After a while of standing two seats opened up so Jessica and I pushed our way through the masses and got to sit for the majority of the hour and a half mass. Even though we had already visited San Pietro and the Vatican, I was still in awe of how beautiful the church was, especially during mass. The acoustics in the church were amazing and I'm so glad we got to experience it. Jessica also was able to take communion, so that was really neat!
After we left San Pietro we were surprised to discover that the Vatican City was PACKED with people. We had no idea what was going on, but it didn't take us long to find out that the Pope was about to come out to speak to the crowd! We were so lucky to be able to catch his speech from a tiny window in a building beside San Pietro... definitely a memory of a lifetime. Even though we could only see a tiny white blur from a distant window, it was amazing to be able to hear the Pope's voice echo throughout the Vatican in at least 10 different languages and to see the thousands of people there for him.
Once the Pope was done speaking we left to get lunch and then headed back towards Ivanhoe hostel to retrieve our bags. Jessica and I each have a backpack and two huge bags, so it wasn't fun hauling our 60 lbs worth of stuff up lots of stairs and through ridiculously long and crowded Metro and train stations. It was a very stressful and exhausting trip, but once we finally got on the plane to Paris it was a huge relief.
We made it to Paris last night around 10 PM and Jessica's cousin, Rachel, and her husband, Xavier, were there waiting for us. They carried our bags all the way to the car (Xavier even asked if we were carrying dead bodies because our bags were so heavy) and then gave us a quick driving tour of beautiful Paris. When we finally arrived at their apartment in Montmarte we were in for a huge shock. It is definitely one of the nicest places I have ever stayed and it is HUGE, especially by European standards. Jessica and I have our own room and bathroom and everything is so fancy and new... it's amazing! Rachel and Xavier are so generous and they gave us a bunch of maps and Metro tickets and even our own sets of keys and a cell phone to keep in touch with them while we're here. We definitely have the hook up with this place...
Monday, June 8
Last night Jessica and I had the best night of sleep (especially after being in the hostel) and we finally feel rested and ready to explore Paris today. It was a relatively slow morning (mainly because our bodies ache so much from hauling luggage), but we're off to get ready and enjoy the city! Au revoir mes amis!
Saturday, June 6
The night before we went to the Trevi fountain with some bottles of wine and it was a great way to say goodbye to Natalia. Our friends from the hostel (John, Vanessa, and Tony) joined us and we had a great time people watching and enjoying how BEAUTIFUL the Trevi fountain was. We even got to see a proposal there, which was really neat! Just as we were about to leave and head back to the hostel we started talking to a group of professional rugby players from the UK. Natalia wasn't ready to go home at this point, so our new friends from the hostel headed back and Jessica, Natalia, and I stayed to hang out with the 'Stoner Pups,' which was the name of their rugby team. After hanging out at the fountain for a bit we left to find a nearby Irish Pub... so fitting. We ended up making it home around 2, even though we initially wanted to make it an early night, so Natalia definitely had fun waking up the next morning for her 7:35 train ride.
On Saturday Jessica and I didn't have any big plans, so we decided to head to an old Roman port city called Ostia Antica with our friend John from the hostel, who is also from FL. It was only about 30 minutes away, so we took the train and made it there in great time. The city itself wasn't very big, but according to our Rome guide book it's one of the top three most preserved ancient Roman towns. We got to see the ruins of the city, including the forum, all of the sailors apartments, and a huge amphitheatre. Funny enough, I ended up running into my friend Daniel MacNamara from LHS at the almost-deserted amphitheatre and it was a real treat! I can't believe I have now randomly run into two people from high school while on my trip... it's such a small world.
After visiting the ruins we grabbed lunch and gelato and took the Metro to the beach in Stella Pontale. It was really neat to see the ocean, but it was overcast and ridiculously windy so we didn't stay for long. We headed back to the hostel after a long day and Jessica and I made a delicious dinner... orecchiette pasta with pomodoro sauce, balsamic drenched onions, and lots of veggies. It was probably one of the best (and cheapest!) meals I've had since being on this trip... the food here is so fresh it's really easy to make great meals! We had lots of leftovers so we were also able to feed two other people in the hostel, which was fun. After dinner Jess, John, Tony, and I walked in the direction of the Pantheon to a famous gelateria called Gelateria della Palma. The gelateria is known world wide and it has 100+ flavors... so delicious! We did have gelato twice in one day, but the gelato at Gelateria della Palma was by far the best I've had in Italy so it was worth it.
Sunday, June 7
This morning Jessica and I woke up early, got ready, packed our bags, and headed to Mass at the Vatican. Mass started at 10:30 and even though we were only 5 minutes late, San Pietro was PACKED by the time we got there so there was only room to stand. The service was in French, but it was really crowded and we were so far away that it was really difficult to understand anything. After a while of standing two seats opened up so Jessica and I pushed our way through the masses and got to sit for the majority of the hour and a half mass. Even though we had already visited San Pietro and the Vatican, I was still in awe of how beautiful the church was, especially during mass. The acoustics in the church were amazing and I'm so glad we got to experience it. Jessica also was able to take communion, so that was really neat!
After we left San Pietro we were surprised to discover that the Vatican City was PACKED with people. We had no idea what was going on, but it didn't take us long to find out that the Pope was about to come out to speak to the crowd! We were so lucky to be able to catch his speech from a tiny window in a building beside San Pietro... definitely a memory of a lifetime. Even though we could only see a tiny white blur from a distant window, it was amazing to be able to hear the Pope's voice echo throughout the Vatican in at least 10 different languages and to see the thousands of people there for him.
Once the Pope was done speaking we left to get lunch and then headed back towards Ivanhoe hostel to retrieve our bags. Jessica and I each have a backpack and two huge bags, so it wasn't fun hauling our 60 lbs worth of stuff up lots of stairs and through ridiculously long and crowded Metro and train stations. It was a very stressful and exhausting trip, but once we finally got on the plane to Paris it was a huge relief.
We made it to Paris last night around 10 PM and Jessica's cousin, Rachel, and her husband, Xavier, were there waiting for us. They carried our bags all the way to the car (Xavier even asked if we were carrying dead bodies because our bags were so heavy) and then gave us a quick driving tour of beautiful Paris. When we finally arrived at their apartment in Montmarte we were in for a huge shock. It is definitely one of the nicest places I have ever stayed and it is HUGE, especially by European standards. Jessica and I have our own room and bathroom and everything is so fancy and new... it's amazing! Rachel and Xavier are so generous and they gave us a bunch of maps and Metro tickets and even our own sets of keys and a cell phone to keep in touch with them while we're here. We definitely have the hook up with this place...
Monday, June 8
Last night Jessica and I had the best night of sleep (especially after being in the hostel) and we finally feel rested and ready to explore Paris today. It was a relatively slow morning (mainly because our bodies ache so much from hauling luggage), but we're off to get ready and enjoy the city! Au revoir mes amis!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Last night Natalia, Jessica, and three girls we met at our hostel (Vanessa, Spencer, and Lindsay) all headed to the Spanish Steps to meet up with the pub crawl. The pub crawl was relatively expensive, but it gave us free drinks at three bars, entrance to a discoteque, and a t-shirt, so it really was a good deal. There were also about 120 people who had signed up, so we got to meet people from all around the world, which was a lot of fun in itself! We ended up having a great time and Natalia's friends from UGA were hilarious and a lot of fun to hang out with. Initially we planned to come home relatively early, but we ended up getting to the hostel around 4 AM, so obviously we had a pretty slow start this morning.
Even with only a few hours of sleep we somehow managed to get ready and out the door by 10:30 AM. Natalia, Jessica, and I immediately hopped on the Metro and headed to the Vatican City, grabbing a quick bite to eat on the way. When we got to the Vatican our first stop was the Basilica di San Pietro. It was a bit of a struggle to get in the church because the guards said Natalia's skirt was too short, but we used our few resources to make it work, thankfully. When we finally got inside the basilica we all were in awe; it was by far the most beautiful church I have ever seen in my life. The church was HUGE and there were so many statues and paintings we could have spent days in there.
After leaving the church and exploring more of the Vatican City we headed to the Vatican Museum down the road. The main thing we were interested in seeing was the Sistine Chapel, but of course we had to travel the entire length of the museum to get to the main attraction. We were very exhausted at this point, but when we finally made it it was worth the wait. The chapel was absolutely beautiful and every inch was covered in amazing paintings. It's incredible to think that Michelangelo painted the entire thing lying down! It was great.
When we finished at the chapel we ate and talked for a bit at a small cafe by the Vatican. We also got to see an army parade on the street during lunch, which was so cool!
We'e back at the hostel now and about to go find some dinner. Tonight we have relatively low key plans, which I'm excited about considering last night was so crazy. We've met a bunch of really great people at our hostel and we're all planning on heading to the Trevi fountain with some bottles of wine and spend the night there, just talking and enjoying the scenery. Natalia leaves at 7 AM to meet up with her friend Meryl tomorrow, but I think Jessica and I are going to spend the day exploring with some of our new friends from the hostel. Everything is great here... I can't believe I'll be home in a week. It's definitely a bittersweet feeling.
Even with only a few hours of sleep we somehow managed to get ready and out the door by 10:30 AM. Natalia, Jessica, and I immediately hopped on the Metro and headed to the Vatican City, grabbing a quick bite to eat on the way. When we got to the Vatican our first stop was the Basilica di San Pietro. It was a bit of a struggle to get in the church because the guards said Natalia's skirt was too short, but we used our few resources to make it work, thankfully. When we finally got inside the basilica we all were in awe; it was by far the most beautiful church I have ever seen in my life. The church was HUGE and there were so many statues and paintings we could have spent days in there.
After leaving the church and exploring more of the Vatican City we headed to the Vatican Museum down the road. The main thing we were interested in seeing was the Sistine Chapel, but of course we had to travel the entire length of the museum to get to the main attraction. We were very exhausted at this point, but when we finally made it it was worth the wait. The chapel was absolutely beautiful and every inch was covered in amazing paintings. It's incredible to think that Michelangelo painted the entire thing lying down! It was great.
When we finished at the chapel we ate and talked for a bit at a small cafe by the Vatican. We also got to see an army parade on the street during lunch, which was so cool!
We'e back at the hostel now and about to go find some dinner. Tonight we have relatively low key plans, which I'm excited about considering last night was so crazy. We've met a bunch of really great people at our hostel and we're all planning on heading to the Trevi fountain with some bottles of wine and spend the night there, just talking and enjoying the scenery. Natalia leaves at 7 AM to meet up with her friend Meryl tomorrow, but I think Jessica and I are going to spend the day exploring with some of our new friends from the hostel. Everything is great here... I can't believe I'll be home in a week. It's definitely a bittersweet feeling.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
ROMA!
My last day of school was very emotional. It was hard to say goodbye to all of the kids, especially when they were all crying and begging me to stay in Italy with them. I got pretty emotional just because it was so much to handle. After leaving school I had 2 hours to eat lunch, shower, pack, and get to the train station to catch my train to Rome. Lunch with Simona and Valentina was great (homemade gnocchi!) and Simona helped me so much with packing all of the gifts I brought during my time in Modena. The family also bought me a beautiful Swarovski crystal necklace to say thank you (even though I'm the one who owes them the thanks!) and it was such a sweet gesture. I said goodbye to Fillippo earlier in the morning, but Simona, Valentina, and Matteo all drove me to the station. Matteo even asked to be checked out of school early to see me off, which was HUGE because he's been so hesitant to open up to me during my stay. Matteo, from VLC, also came to see us off, which was very nice. Saying our goodbyes was sad, but Simona and I plan to keep in touch and Matteo is coming to visit UGA in November, so it wasn't goodbye for forever... hopefully not anyways.
After a 4 hour train ride Natalia, Jessica, and I finally arrived at the Rome train station. Our hostel was only a little ways away from the station so we chose to walk instead of taking the metro. It was a bit confusing since it was nighttime, the streets weren't marked well, and we had all of our luggage, but we finally made it to the hostel around 10 PM. Once we got there we buzzed in the office from the street and were surprised to hear blaring techno music coming from the speakers. A guy then came on and told us to come up, so we were buzzed in. Some really nice people were coming in at the same time as us and offered to help us bring our bags up the stairs, which was a huge help. When we finally got into the Ivanhoe hostel we were in shock; it looked like a discoteque, with black lights and techno music blasting from the stereo. It was hilarious. There was also an open bar with free, delicious Sangria, which we definitely took advantage of because drinks are so expensive here! Jessica and I stayed in an 8 bed mixed room with six guys from Canada who are backpacking around Europe. Natalia stayed in an 8 bed all-girl room with people from China, Singapore, and Thailand. Staying in a hostel is definitely an international experience!
After socializing a bit and grabbing some dinner we went back to the hostel to get ready for bed. It was only about 12:30 at this point, but we were exhausted from a long day of travel. The boys from Canada went to a pub crawl and woke us up at 4 AM, which wasn't fun, but it was hilarious listening to their stories from the night.
We woke up this morning, ate a delicious breakfast at the hostel, and made our way around Rome. Natalia, Jessica, and I basically visited as much as we could in one day, mainly because Natalia only has two days here and wants to see everything. Our list of destinations was HUGE and we walked for forever, but we got to see the Colosseo, Palatino, Roman Foro, Monumenti a Vittorio Emanuale II, Pantheon, Basilica di Santa Maria, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza Barbarini and the Fontana di Tritone, Piazza della Repubblica, and Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. It would take way too long to write about each thing we saw (and I'm paying for my time on the internet), but everything was great. It's crazy to think about how old this city is... I love it!
The most exciting part of the day happened right after we stopped at the Colosseo (The Colosseum) because we ran into some people who Natalia knows from UGA! They're working here for the summer to recruit Americans to come on pub crawls around the bars in Rome and we just happened to run into them, which was great. They convinced us to go on their pub crawl tonight, so hopefully that'll be fun and not to exhausting because we've already had such a long day.
Tomorrow we're heading to the Vatican and San Pietro, so we're all really looking forward to that. I've actually got to run and get ready for tonight, but I'll write back again when I can!
After a 4 hour train ride Natalia, Jessica, and I finally arrived at the Rome train station. Our hostel was only a little ways away from the station so we chose to walk instead of taking the metro. It was a bit confusing since it was nighttime, the streets weren't marked well, and we had all of our luggage, but we finally made it to the hostel around 10 PM. Once we got there we buzzed in the office from the street and were surprised to hear blaring techno music coming from the speakers. A guy then came on and told us to come up, so we were buzzed in. Some really nice people were coming in at the same time as us and offered to help us bring our bags up the stairs, which was a huge help. When we finally got into the Ivanhoe hostel we were in shock; it looked like a discoteque, with black lights and techno music blasting from the stereo. It was hilarious. There was also an open bar with free, delicious Sangria, which we definitely took advantage of because drinks are so expensive here! Jessica and I stayed in an 8 bed mixed room with six guys from Canada who are backpacking around Europe. Natalia stayed in an 8 bed all-girl room with people from China, Singapore, and Thailand. Staying in a hostel is definitely an international experience!
After socializing a bit and grabbing some dinner we went back to the hostel to get ready for bed. It was only about 12:30 at this point, but we were exhausted from a long day of travel. The boys from Canada went to a pub crawl and woke us up at 4 AM, which wasn't fun, but it was hilarious listening to their stories from the night.
We woke up this morning, ate a delicious breakfast at the hostel, and made our way around Rome. Natalia, Jessica, and I basically visited as much as we could in one day, mainly because Natalia only has two days here and wants to see everything. Our list of destinations was HUGE and we walked for forever, but we got to see the Colosseo, Palatino, Roman Foro, Monumenti a Vittorio Emanuale II, Pantheon, Basilica di Santa Maria, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza Barbarini and the Fontana di Tritone, Piazza della Repubblica, and Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. It would take way too long to write about each thing we saw (and I'm paying for my time on the internet), but everything was great. It's crazy to think about how old this city is... I love it!
The most exciting part of the day happened right after we stopped at the Colosseo (The Colosseum) because we ran into some people who Natalia knows from UGA! They're working here for the summer to recruit Americans to come on pub crawls around the bars in Rome and we just happened to run into them, which was great. They convinced us to go on their pub crawl tonight, so hopefully that'll be fun and not to exhausting because we've already had such a long day.
Tomorrow we're heading to the Vatican and San Pietro, so we're all really looking forward to that. I've actually got to run and get ready for tonight, but I'll write back again when I can!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
VENEZIA!!
MONDAY, June 1
We left for Venice on Monday morning at 7:40 AM and arrived around 12 PM. After the group found the hotel and dropped our luggage off, we split off into groups. My group immediately inhaled sandwiches from a cafe and made our way to Piazza di San Marco, which is the main attraction in Venice.
Our first stop at the Piazza was the Basilica di San Marco, which is the most beautiful church I have ever seen. It was HUGE and the interior was just as beautiful as the exterior. Mosaics covered gigantic ceilings and it was amazing. We even got to see the beginnings of a wedding take place as we left! After visiting the Basilica we rode an elevator to the top of the Campanile di San Marco, which is the bell tower in the middle of the piazza. We were able to see the entire city from the top of the tower and it was amazing. I couldn't stop taking pictures! We also stayed up long enough to hear the giant bells ring, which was awesome, but also made us deaf for a few minutes after we got down.
After visiting the Piazza we headed to the Rialto Bridge, which goes right over Canal Grande in the middle of Venice. We shopped for a bit, took lots of pictures by the bridge, and took in the scenery, which was (as always in Italy) beautiful. We ended up going to visit another church after we left the bridge and we also met up with Matteo, Natalie, and Marianna from the trip. One group of six girls (myself included) really wanted to do a gondola ride (we were in Venice afterall), but the others wanted to try and find a local gondola place that only charged €1 for a ride. I was hesitant and unsure if it would work out, so I ended up going with the other five girls in search of a gondolier who was willing to negotiate his prices for a gondola ride. After a short search we found Christian, a gondolier who let us ride for €12 each, which was a ridiculously good deal considering he started out saying it would be €25 a person.
The gondola ride was absolutely amazing and probably one of the coolest things I've ever done. Christian was a great gondolier, mainly because he was born and raised in Venice and able to tell us all about the history of the city as we floated along the canals. The other five girls on the gondola with me (Jessica, Elizabeth, Natalie, Chelsea, and Jenny) sat at the end of the boat with Christian, but I sat at the front of the boat alone. It was kind of lame not being able to sit with everyone for pictures, but I also had a better view of the canals, so it ended up working out well. I have so many amazing pictures of the Venice canals and I can't wait to show them to everyone! It was BEAUTIFUL!
After the gondola ride we met up with the other girls, who actually did end up finding the local gondolier and getting a ride for only €1! I was very happy they were able to experience the gondolas for so cheap, but also glad that I didn't take a chance on it in case we wouldn't have been able to go on a ride. Once we were all together we took pictures with the gondoliers (in their typical striped shirts and hats) and then headed back to the hotel to change and get ready for dinner. We found a great restaurant earlier in the day that was very close to our hotel (and relatively inexpensive!) so we had a delicious dinner of pasta, pizza, and Lambrusco right on the river.
Once we were done with dinner everyone was exhausted, but Matteo insisted that we walk to San Marco again to see the piazza at night. We stopped on the way for more gelato (the second time in one day) and some €3 bottles of wine, which ended up being great! The piazza at night was beautiful, but there wasn't much to do so Jessica, Casey, and I decided to dip out early and make our way back to the hotel to get some sleep.
We left Piazza San Marco at 10 PM, walked for 10 minutes, and ended up at the same place where we left from. It was really hard to navigate the city at night on foot because the easiest way to travel is on the water, so we made our way back to the hotel as best as we could. Unfortunately we got super lost because our maps were very unhelpful and the tricky alleys around the canals weren't marked well at all... after an hour and fifty minutes of walking aimlessly around Venice at night we somehow FINALLY found our way back to the restaurant we ate at for dinner. As we walked by we ran into some girls from our program, who were sitting at tables outside of a bar by the hotel, and they said we looked awful. When we told them we'd been lost for almost 2 hours they definitely understood why we looked the way we did! At this point we were EXHAUSTED and so relieved to be in familiar territory that we went straight to the hotel, with the intention of falling asleep immediately. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the hotel there was no one at the reception desk to give us our key (note: in Europe, you usually have to give your key to the reception desk and take it from them when you come in), so we waited for another 20 minutes on the guy to give us our key. When we FINALLY got into our room (after climbing four flights of stairs) we were pleasantly surprised to discover that our room smelled like rotten broccoli and trash can. It was disgusting, but we were so tired and delerious at this point that we couldn't stop laughing at how ridiculous our night had been. When we finally made it into bed after a very long day we fell asleep within two seconds of hitting the pillow...
TUESDAY, June 2
This morning we were woken up at 9 AM by church bells... only in Italy. We got ready, packed our things, and went downstairs to eat breakfast before checking out of the hotel at 10:30. We then went to shop around Venice for a bit before meeting the group at 12:30.
The entire city of Venice is full of shops that sell glass (probably because Venice is the glass capital of the world), so we were on a search for glass goodies all morning. After a bit of shopping we grabbed sandwiches and ate them on the way to San Marco.
Matteo scheduled for the entire group to take a private boat to the islands of Murano and Burano, so we met at 12:30 by the water and made our way to our private boat, which was named Liza. The boat ride to Murano took about 30 minutes, but it was amazing. The weather was sunny and clear and the Adriatic Sea was beautiful. It was also really nice to be able to sit down for a while after a long day of walking!
Once we got to the island of Murano we went to a small glass factory to learn how Venetian glass is made. It was really neat to watch a man blow glass into a huge vase and a Ferrari horse figurine! We then went to look around the shops at all of the glass that was for sale. Unfortunately there wasn't much else to see in Murano other than the shops that sold the same glass we found earlier in Venice. Dr. Tolley was convinced she saw Helen Hunt sitting on a dock by the water in Murano... we never saw her, but she claims she did.
We then got back on the boat and headed to Burano, where lace originated. It was really neat to see all of the handmade lace in the town, but (once again) there wasn't much else to see on the island.
After an hour of wandering around Burano we met back on the back and made our way back to Venice. Kelly, Jessica, Natalie, Jenny, and I got to ride on top of the boat the entire way back, which was great. The sun was out and the breeze was nice-- it was so relaxing!
When our boat driver finally dropped us off by the hotel we only had about 30 minutes to get back to the hotel, retrieve our bags, eat a fast dinner, and get to the train station. After another long weekend of travel we finally made it back to Modena for our last night with our host families. Most of the girls on the trip are heading back to Atlanta tomorrow, so it was very sad to say goodbyes to everyone at the train station.
As much as I'm looking forward to visiting Rome and Paris, I'm a bit jealous I'm not going home with everyone else because they've been talking about how excited they are to get back all weekend! I still can't believe that tomorrow is our last day at the school and in Modena. My host family is dropping me off at the train station tomorrow afternoon at 4:15 to meet Jessica and Natalia and make our way towards Roma!! Tomorrow is going to be hectic with leaving school, packing up, leaving my family, and going to Rome, but I'm also very excited for what's to come!
We left for Venice on Monday morning at 7:40 AM and arrived around 12 PM. After the group found the hotel and dropped our luggage off, we split off into groups. My group immediately inhaled sandwiches from a cafe and made our way to Piazza di San Marco, which is the main attraction in Venice.
Our first stop at the Piazza was the Basilica di San Marco, which is the most beautiful church I have ever seen. It was HUGE and the interior was just as beautiful as the exterior. Mosaics covered gigantic ceilings and it was amazing. We even got to see the beginnings of a wedding take place as we left! After visiting the Basilica we rode an elevator to the top of the Campanile di San Marco, which is the bell tower in the middle of the piazza. We were able to see the entire city from the top of the tower and it was amazing. I couldn't stop taking pictures! We also stayed up long enough to hear the giant bells ring, which was awesome, but also made us deaf for a few minutes after we got down.
After visiting the Piazza we headed to the Rialto Bridge, which goes right over Canal Grande in the middle of Venice. We shopped for a bit, took lots of pictures by the bridge, and took in the scenery, which was (as always in Italy) beautiful. We ended up going to visit another church after we left the bridge and we also met up with Matteo, Natalie, and Marianna from the trip. One group of six girls (myself included) really wanted to do a gondola ride (we were in Venice afterall), but the others wanted to try and find a local gondola place that only charged €1 for a ride. I was hesitant and unsure if it would work out, so I ended up going with the other five girls in search of a gondolier who was willing to negotiate his prices for a gondola ride. After a short search we found Christian, a gondolier who let us ride for €12 each, which was a ridiculously good deal considering he started out saying it would be €25 a person.
The gondola ride was absolutely amazing and probably one of the coolest things I've ever done. Christian was a great gondolier, mainly because he was born and raised in Venice and able to tell us all about the history of the city as we floated along the canals. The other five girls on the gondola with me (Jessica, Elizabeth, Natalie, Chelsea, and Jenny) sat at the end of the boat with Christian, but I sat at the front of the boat alone. It was kind of lame not being able to sit with everyone for pictures, but I also had a better view of the canals, so it ended up working out well. I have so many amazing pictures of the Venice canals and I can't wait to show them to everyone! It was BEAUTIFUL!
After the gondola ride we met up with the other girls, who actually did end up finding the local gondolier and getting a ride for only €1! I was very happy they were able to experience the gondolas for so cheap, but also glad that I didn't take a chance on it in case we wouldn't have been able to go on a ride. Once we were all together we took pictures with the gondoliers (in their typical striped shirts and hats) and then headed back to the hotel to change and get ready for dinner. We found a great restaurant earlier in the day that was very close to our hotel (and relatively inexpensive!) so we had a delicious dinner of pasta, pizza, and Lambrusco right on the river.
Once we were done with dinner everyone was exhausted, but Matteo insisted that we walk to San Marco again to see the piazza at night. We stopped on the way for more gelato (the second time in one day) and some €3 bottles of wine, which ended up being great! The piazza at night was beautiful, but there wasn't much to do so Jessica, Casey, and I decided to dip out early and make our way back to the hotel to get some sleep.
We left Piazza San Marco at 10 PM, walked for 10 minutes, and ended up at the same place where we left from. It was really hard to navigate the city at night on foot because the easiest way to travel is on the water, so we made our way back to the hotel as best as we could. Unfortunately we got super lost because our maps were very unhelpful and the tricky alleys around the canals weren't marked well at all... after an hour and fifty minutes of walking aimlessly around Venice at night we somehow FINALLY found our way back to the restaurant we ate at for dinner. As we walked by we ran into some girls from our program, who were sitting at tables outside of a bar by the hotel, and they said we looked awful. When we told them we'd been lost for almost 2 hours they definitely understood why we looked the way we did! At this point we were EXHAUSTED and so relieved to be in familiar territory that we went straight to the hotel, with the intention of falling asleep immediately. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the hotel there was no one at the reception desk to give us our key (note: in Europe, you usually have to give your key to the reception desk and take it from them when you come in), so we waited for another 20 minutes on the guy to give us our key. When we FINALLY got into our room (after climbing four flights of stairs) we were pleasantly surprised to discover that our room smelled like rotten broccoli and trash can. It was disgusting, but we were so tired and delerious at this point that we couldn't stop laughing at how ridiculous our night had been. When we finally made it into bed after a very long day we fell asleep within two seconds of hitting the pillow...
TUESDAY, June 2
This morning we were woken up at 9 AM by church bells... only in Italy. We got ready, packed our things, and went downstairs to eat breakfast before checking out of the hotel at 10:30. We then went to shop around Venice for a bit before meeting the group at 12:30.
The entire city of Venice is full of shops that sell glass (probably because Venice is the glass capital of the world), so we were on a search for glass goodies all morning. After a bit of shopping we grabbed sandwiches and ate them on the way to San Marco.
Matteo scheduled for the entire group to take a private boat to the islands of Murano and Burano, so we met at 12:30 by the water and made our way to our private boat, which was named Liza. The boat ride to Murano took about 30 minutes, but it was amazing. The weather was sunny and clear and the Adriatic Sea was beautiful. It was also really nice to be able to sit down for a while after a long day of walking!
Once we got to the island of Murano we went to a small glass factory to learn how Venetian glass is made. It was really neat to watch a man blow glass into a huge vase and a Ferrari horse figurine! We then went to look around the shops at all of the glass that was for sale. Unfortunately there wasn't much else to see in Murano other than the shops that sold the same glass we found earlier in Venice. Dr. Tolley was convinced she saw Helen Hunt sitting on a dock by the water in Murano... we never saw her, but she claims she did.
We then got back on the boat and headed to Burano, where lace originated. It was really neat to see all of the handmade lace in the town, but (once again) there wasn't much else to see on the island.
After an hour of wandering around Burano we met back on the back and made our way back to Venice. Kelly, Jessica, Natalie, Jenny, and I got to ride on top of the boat the entire way back, which was great. The sun was out and the breeze was nice-- it was so relaxing!
When our boat driver finally dropped us off by the hotel we only had about 30 minutes to get back to the hotel, retrieve our bags, eat a fast dinner, and get to the train station. After another long weekend of travel we finally made it back to Modena for our last night with our host families. Most of the girls on the trip are heading back to Atlanta tomorrow, so it was very sad to say goodbyes to everyone at the train station.
As much as I'm looking forward to visiting Rome and Paris, I'm a bit jealous I'm not going home with everyone else because they've been talking about how excited they are to get back all weekend! I still can't believe that tomorrow is our last day at the school and in Modena. My host family is dropping me off at the train station tomorrow afternoon at 4:15 to meet Jessica and Natalia and make our way towards Roma!! Tomorrow is going to be hectic with leaving school, packing up, leaving my family, and going to Rome, but I'm also very excited for what's to come!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)