Last Days in Roma...

Last night was a complete crazy mess!  It was the best night out I had in Roma and couldn't have chosen better company!

Delicious vino, vodka jaeger bombs, tequila shots, and me running Cuyler into a brick wall pretty much sums up the evening.  We had a blast!  Cuyler needed a little assistance getting home, and fortunately my other apartment mate, Little Jake, was there to help me out and get Cuyler home.  This is an evening that I will NEVER forget!

Today started out by me and Cuyler laughing about last night and saying, "Man, that was an epic night!"  I went to school and took my last final - Abnormal Psychology - at 12:00 Noon.  I was ticked that the school made me take a final on my last day in Roma, so I decided to be classy and sip vino while I was taking the exam.  No one knew, I got a buzz, it was all good!

After my final, Cuyler and I went to Carlomenta and had a final meal together.  We then came back and packed and hung out until the Farewell Dinner.  The food was iffy at the Farewell Dinner, the it was nice to see everyone once more.  I thanked Amy and Lisa for an amazing semester - they rocked!

Most of us ended up at Scholar's tonight for one last night out.  I said "see you later" to Cuyler before I left and it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.  I am so thankful that I found one of my best friends while studying abroad in Roma.  Both Cuyler and I know this is not goodbye, but it is merely see you later.  We both said to each other tonight, "Friends for life".  I'm really going to miss him.

"Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to" - I took my leap of faith this semester and I'm so glad I did, but alas all good things must come to an end.  I have fallen in love with Roma - it will forever have a piece of my heart.  Grazie Roma per le memorie.  Ti amo.  Ciao bella Roma...Hello United States

Last Week in Roma...

Well, this week has been awesome at best!  It is the last week in Roma, and even though none of us want to take finals at all, we ended up finding time to still have fun!

Monday I studied all day in the apartment.  I went over all of my classes and got a lot accomplished - not that exciting of a day.  Cuyler and I watched the Dark Knight before we went to bed.  Spending time with your good friends is always an awesome time.

Tuesday was quite the exciting day in Rome.  The parliament was taking a vote of confidence or no confidence in Italy's Prime Minister, Berlusconi.  Berlusconi is a crooked man and is doing absolutely nothing to help Italy's economy, unemployment rate, or promote growth.  We were warned by JCU and SAI to stay away from Via del Corso and Piazza Venizia (about a mile from campus) during the day because the government was expecting 50,000 people to show up to protest against Berlusconi.

Well, there were riots all through the city but mostly in Piazza del Popolo.  People were beaten up, cars were set on fire, and the riot police were everywhere.  Public transportation was shut down or routes were shortened to avoid the target areas.  My friends, Kelly, Amy, and I had to walk to school to take our Italian 101 final because we couldn't take the tram.  Berlusconi won the vote of confidence by three votes.  May believe the votes were payed off.  It was not a happy day in Roma at all.  Cuyler and I went out to dinner with our roommate Peter because it was the last night all three of us were going to be together.  We kind of were like the three amigos all semester, so it was sad to say goodbye.  Peter was taking one last trip to London before he leaves for the USA.  He is coming back Saturday afternoon, after Cuyler and I leave for home, so we weren't going to see him again.  1st goodbye down.

Wednesday I had my History of Modern Europe final at 9:00 AM.  I was not able to function so early in the morning.  That was a rough exam.  After I finished that, I got back to the apartment and Cuyler and I went wandering around Rome for the afternoon to avoid studying for finals.  We went to Piazza Navona to see some of the Christmas market and then wandered around on Via del Corso.  We made a pit stop at Scholars to day drink a bit and hung out at the bar for a couple hours.  Typical us.  We got back to the apartment and I studied for History of the Catholic church with Kelly and Amy.  We took a break so Cuyler and I could go have our final taco dinner with Casey, Bliss, Kristen, and Breonna.  We had a blast and as usual, it was heaven for dinner.  I finished studying with Kelly and Amy after dinner and then Cuyler and I watched Ladder 49 before going to bed.

Today, I had my History of the Catholic Church final at 12:00 noon today so Kristen, Breonna, Kelly, Amy, and I started studying in the university cafeteria at 10:00 AM.  The exam wasn't too bad.  Now, I just packed up most of my life into two very overweight suitcases and am getting ready to go out and party one last night in Roma!!!!

5 Days Left In Roma...

I made another list

Top Ten Favorite Places in Rome…

1.  Piazza Garibaldi on Gianicolo Hill 

2. Campo De’Fiori 

3. St. Peter’s Square 

4. My apartment balcony - Viale di Trastevere 221 Apt C7 

5.  St. Peter’s Basilica 

6. Piazza Navona 

7. Ponte Garibaldi at night and being able to see St. Peter’s Dome all lit up 

8. Piazza del Popolo 

9. San Giovanni in Laterano 

10. Via del Moro the street running in between the two campuses of JCU

The days are winding down and Finals Week is in full swing.  Classes ended last Thursday.  We had class Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.  Wednesday, December 8th, was a public holiday in Rome since it was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in the Catholic Church, so the university was closed.  All public holidays in Rome are Holy Days in the Catholic Church.  Cuyler and I have been hanging out a lot and it has hit both of us that we need to move out soon.  We have been chilling in the room, studying for finals and making dinner in the apartment a lot this past week.  My finals don't start until Tuesday and then they go until Friday.  I'm not too thrilled about my schedule, but that's life.  

We started watching the movie Hitch on Saturday night.  It has kind of become our movie.  I introduced it to him a couple weeks ago and we think it's hilarious!  We better finish it before we leave on Saturday.  Last night Cuyler and I were woken up around 3:30 AM to some random Italian man yelling at the top of his lungs in the street.  We checked with each other to make sure we weren't dreaming, and when we realized we weren't dreaming it freaked us out.  This man seriously sounded possessed.  It probably didn't help that Cuyler and I had watched old creepy episodes of Unsolved Mysteries recently to avoid studying for finals.  It helped us avoid studying, but didn't help us when the rabid Italian man awakes in the middle of the night.  

Italian Final tomorrow!  Wish me luck!  See you all soon

Top Ten Favorite Places While Traveling Abroad

Top Ten Favorite Places While Traveling Abroad

1. Piazzale Michelangelo (Florence, Italy) 

2. Nonno & Nonna Bono’s Apartment (Sciacca, Sicily) 

3. Chateau de Versailles (Versailles, France)

4. Basilica San Calogero (Sciacca, Sicily)

5. Römer (Frankfurt, Germany)

6. Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris, France) 

7. Monastiraki Square (Athens, Greece) 

8. Big Ben & British Parliament Building Grounds (London, England)

9. Main Tower Observation Platform (Frankfurt, Germany)

10. Athens Flea Market (Athens, Germany) 

Each one of these places made an impact on me when I was traveling.  I will remember these places forever.  They are all amazing for different reasons.  I'm so lucky to have been able to go to these places.  

"God Save The Queen" - A Weekend in London, England

This blog post is really late, but that's okay.  No big deal.

Last weekend, December 3-5 we took our final weekend trip to London, England.  We weren't exactly sure if we were going to be able to go or not because Britain had gotten a lot of snow earlier in the week and Easyjet was canceling tons of flights.  Luckily, Easyjet let our flight, and only our flight go to London on December 3rd.

Our flight was pretty delayed and we didn't end up leaving Rome until 4 PM in order for us to land in London during a clear spot in the weather.  The flight crew was pretty funny.  First of all, they spoke ENGLISH which was like music to my ears.  They also tried to keep the flight humorous because of all of the delays etc.  When the lights went out in the plane to prepare for our descent into London, the main flight attendant said, "If you are scared of the dark, scream now or press the light above your head."  That gave Casey and me a good laugh.  Since the airport had been shut down for the previous two days, it was PACKED, so it took us a while to get through.  Since London wasn't used to getting so much snow as they had gotten in the past few days, the trains were running slow too.  We waited outside in the freezing cold for our train to Victoria station in London.  We finally got to Victoria station and then hopped on the "Tube" or underground to go to our neighborhood, West Kensington.

Since we got into London so late, we didn't get to our hostel until like 9:00 PM.  All of the pubs were closed for dinner, so Casey and I ended up finding this really good kebab restaurant and we got take out.  They gave us a lot of food for the price we payed, but we were starving, so it was fine.  Before we left the restaurant, I asked the guy behind the counter for plastic silverware.  He looked at me really confused and then asked, "Are you from America?"  After I responded yes, he said, "I could tell because here was call it plastic cutlery" with a smile.  Casey and I got a laugh out of that and then we went back to the hostel.  We had a little picnic in our hotel room and then went to bed so we could get up early the next day to got and see the sights.

Saturday, we left the hostel around 9:30 AM and took the Tube to Victoria Station.  Outside the station, we bought tickets for a hop on/hop off bus company.  We got on a red bus that had a live tour guide that spoke in English over the PA as opposed to the blue bus which had an earphone system talking in different languages.  The first stop we made was at Hamley's Toy Store - a 7 story toy store celebrating it's 250th Anniversary decked out for Christmas where people can play with the toys.  We got lost in there and dropped some money there too.  Typical.  There were toys all over the place and it reminded me of the store Duncan's Toy Chest in the movie Home Alone 2.

We got back on the bus and stopped in London for some lunch at Pizza Hut!!!  We missed it so much and it was delicious!  They also gave us FREE soda refills!!!  I missed refills so much!  After lunch, we continued on to see Big Ben and the Parliament Building and Westminster Abbey.  The Abbey was closed, so we couldn't go in, but we got to see the outside.  Big Ben was so neat to see up close.  I also got a small film clip of the bell chiming at 4:00 PM.  After we finished there, we walked across the bridge of the Thames River and rode the London Eye - the big ferris wheel on the river.  The line moved pretty quickly, and we got placed in this compartment with about 10 other people.  One revolution takes about 30 minutes, so it's a long ride.  You get this amazing view of London and it is so big and beautiful.

We hopped back on the red bus line after we got off the London Eye and drove past St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London.  We got off at Buckingham Palace and took some pictures.  It was pretty dark out by the time we got there, so we couldn't take an pictures with the fun guards.  We quickly hopped back on the Tube and went to Tower Hill station and bought tickets for a Jack the Ripper tour.  The tour started at 7:30 PM and took us around the city to some of the scenes on the murders and told us the stories of possible identities of Jack the Ripper and left us with the mystery of it never being solved.  It was pretty neat, but was raining the whole time, so that kind of sucked, but it was fun.  The tour guide was great and very into the story!  We got a little lost on the way back to the Tube station, and I refused to ask for directions.  Casey looked at me and said, "Fine, you be a typical man, and get lost.  I'm asking for directions."  Needless, to say she got us back.  I still claim that I would have gotten us back...eventually.

The pub was closed again by the time we go there for dinner, so yet again we ate at the Kebab place.  Casey and I didn't mind because it was so good.

London definitely is a place where you need to spend multiple days - one day to sightsee is definitely not enough!  You need at least four or five days for sure.  I want to go back to London some day because I loved it so much.  It was a blast and a half and a great way to end our weekend trips.

The flight back was typical, but Casey and I both agreed that we were happy it was our last time flying on some crap-ass discount airline for a long time!

The Weeks Are Getting Fewer...

Even though I'm posting this now, this post is going to be about this past week.

After I returned from Sicily from Thanksgiving, it really hit me how little time I had left here in Italy.  Cuyler returned home from traveling with his family on Monday, November 29th in the morning.  Him and I talked a lot last Monday.  We both only have one class on Mondays, so we spent most of the day in the room playing catch up.  Cuyler commented that the days were winding down and then looked at me and said, "Dude, I'm ready to go home."  I told him that I agreed.  Then he continued and said, "I mean, my roommate is a complete jerk" and then he smiled and waited for my reaction.  I just smiled and said, "Really?  Mine too."  He smiled his typical smile and we went on joking.  I'm going to miss living with him a lot.  We have a lot of fun together and are always there for one another.  Later that day, we sat down and watched the movie Hitch.  Cuyler had never seen it before and it is one of my favorites.  It was an awesome way to spend the day - joking and making memories with a good friend.

Tuesday brought a lot of rain and a lot of protesting to Rome.  It rained mostly all day, but that didn't stop people from protesting.  While Cuyler and I got ready for school, we were drawn out to the balcony by the sounds of yelling and cheering in the street.  Down our street came a group of people yelling in Italian, carrying megaphones and banners.  The kept going down the street and stopped in front of the Ministry of Education building.  There were riots and protests all over the city.  The government that day was deciding to pass legislation cutting funds from public education.  Now, the public education system in Italy is terrible and they barely get any money as it is, and the government wants to cut more.  There were students and other people protesting all over the street, so traffic was a mess.  Sirens were going all day long and the streets were jammed.  The trams were in and out of service all day and were evacuated many times.  I just walked to and from school in the rain.  It was better than getting stuck on the tram.  Since it was raining the traffic was two times as worse because the drivers in Italy freak out and forget how to drive any time there is a sprinkle from the sky.

Wednesday night was fun because it was my friend Megan's 21st birthday.  She goes to St. Mary's in California, and KI met her at the beginning of the semester.  She got a bunch of the group together and Cuyler and I went with the girls from her apartment, plus other girls from St. Mary's to dinner at a restaurant by school.  We got a bunch of pitchers of wine, pasta, bread, and pizzas.  It was so good and we had an absolute blast!  Then, we of course went out to the bars and clubs for drinks and dancing.  It was definitely a late but awesome night.  A little drama ensued between the girls - as usual when alcohol is around - but it was settled by the time we all got home.  

This week was a good week, and it was our last full week of classes.  I went to London this weekend, but more on that soon....

I'm coming home soon, and it is truly a very bittersweet feeling.

Sicily - Day 3

November 28, 2010

            This morning started out the same as yesterday. After I showered and got ready for the day, Nonna had put out breakfast cookies, toast with orange jam, fruit, and coffee.  We had a good breakfast and then Nonno and I watched some more soccer on TV.  Around 10:00, Nonno asked me if I wanted to walk around Sciacca and stop at a bakery.  I said yes, so I grabbed my camera and off we went.  We walked around all of these little streets and climbed up winding staircases.  Nonno is a great tour guide and was telling me all about the town square where they have a flea market.  He said, “When the flea market is happening, and I want to get through…Forget about it!  Not gonna happen!” 

Nonno and I walked down to the port and had an Espresso in a café and I took a lot of pictures.  The town square was filled with the locals chatting in little groups on a Sunday afternoon.  Nonno told me it was a typical Sunday in Sciacca.  As we walked farther, we saw a few more churches that Nonno pointed out.  Mass was going on inside, so we didn’t stay inside long.  The main streets of Sciacca were are already decorated for Christmas.  Garland, ornaments, and small lights are all hanging above the street.  We finally made it to Nonno’s favorite bakery and he bought a bunch of sweets for the week.  The try was piled high with Italian goodies and it all looked so good!  As we made our was home, Nonno pointed out one of five old town doors that would shut at night and lock the city in.  It’s not in use anymore since the city has grown, but it still is neat to look at.  Nonno said that was part of the route of a parade that happens twice a year in honor of the Blessed Mother.  Many men volunteer to help carry the statue of the Blessed Mother through town without shoes on.  Nonno said it’s a big deal and a lot of people come to watch.  It was getting hot out, so Nonno and I had to take a rest on the walk home.  He kept sweating and looked at me and said, “It’s so hot out.  Oh my God!” 

When we got home, Nonna had put out lunch and was waiting for us with a smile.  She saw the amout of sweets Nonno brought home and went, “Mamma Mia!  Oh my God!”  I laughed.  Nonna had left overs out on the table for lunch.  We of course has olives, bread, cheese, and dried sausage to start.  Then, we ate some pizza, chicken, potatoes, and French fries from the other night.  I also has two of the sweets Nonno brought home.  Nonna kept putting food on my plate and saying, “Mangia, mangia!”  I was so full by the end it was not even funny. 

Nonno told me he got his nephew, Fabio, to drive us to the airport later today.  He said Fabio would pick us up around 4:00 PM.  Nonno then said, “Now, it’s 12:30 PM.  At 3:00, we eat again, then go to the airport. Va bene?”  I responded, “Si, va bene” as I clutched my stomach. 

Nonno and I watched mor soccer this afternoon and Nonno was yelling at the TV again.  Nonno was putzing in the kitchen and then it was time for me to go.  We didn’t eat again before I left because we had eaten so much earlier.  Fabio came to pick us up and I said goodbye to Nonna.  Fabio had a really nice car.  He drove like a typical young Italian, swerving in and out and driving pretty fast.  I decided when I was in his car on the way to Palermo that I would never survive driving in Europe.  I said Grazie to Fabio and Ciao and Grazie to Nonno as we got to the airport around 5:00 PM.  I managed to entertain myself in the airport until the plane took off.  We had some trouble getting off the ground on time because the dippy Easyjet employees had their passenger count wrong. Way to go!  

So, I got back to Rome around 11:15 PM and hopped on the train back to the apartment.  I'm wiped from the AWESOME weekend I had in Sicily!

I absolutely love Nonno and Nonna.  They will forever have a special place in my heart.  I want to go back and visit them someday because they are awesome and Sciacca is beautiful!  Nonno and Nonna are true models of generosity, love, and simplicity.  I love them so much.  This was by far my favorite trip this whole semester.  I had an awesome weekend!