Kimberly and Chris finally arrived today!!
We ended up going on another walking tour of the city after they got settled in the hotel. We got Kim and Chris some paninis at the corner bar, and then walked down Via Nazionale toward the Victor Emmanuel Monument. We stopped by Trajan’s Forum and the AIRC and then went in Piazza Venezia to look down Via dei Fori Imperiali toward the Colosseum. Then, we walked past Trevi Fountain toward Via Rasella, where I used to live. We stopped to get some gelato at Valetino’s on the way. (Strawberry and Limone, yum!) Then, we walked back toward our hotel near Termini.
We relaxed for a bit, then went to dinner on the corner ristorante. Our waiter was so friendly and the food was delicious! Haha, but they were playing really loud American music videos on a TV in the room where we ate. Kind of distracting.
Kim and Chris started to get really tired during dinner – I’m surprised they lasted so long today. They’ve been trying to get here for three days, so I expected them to be a lot more tired.
We’re planning on seeing the Colosseum, Forums, Pantheon, and some churches tomorrow. Should be a really busy, but fun, day!
Ciao,
Ashley
PS - We have AC in our hotel. I really missed AC for a month, but now it's just making my toes cold. :)
Monday, June 29, 2009
This past weekend...
On Friday evening after exams, Alex, David, Harvey, and I headed back to the apartments on Via Rasella. We relaxed and showered and got ready for our farewell dinner that the AIRC had organized for us. Around 7, we headed toward Piazza Navona, where the ristorante was. The dinner was absolutely amazing – it had six courses. We had bread on the table the entire meal; prosciutto; a cold pasta; a warm pasta; salad; dessert (kind of a light mousse with sweet crackers). I might be forgetting a course, but it was all delicious!
The dinner was also great because KG and Dr. Aria and Linda were all there to say goodbye to us. It was really great to get to talk to them all one more time before we parted ways. (So sad.)
After dinner, we all rushed back to say goodbye to Alex and Stephen and Kristen (a friend that had was going to Greece with them). Their train left at midnight from Termini, and Alex hadn’t packed yet (silly Alex). Also, Meagan had already left before the goodbye dinner – it was really sad, but she gets to go on a cruise now! So yay!
After Alex, Stephen, and Kristen took off, the group headed to the boys’ apartment to hang out for a bit. Then, we buzzed the apartments of some people in the other AIRC group, and we all met up to go to The Abbey, our favorite pub. It’s an Irish pub, so it’s kind of strange for us to be in Italia and like that pub so much, but it was always a fun time. Anyway, we had a few drinks at The Abbey (near Piazza Navona), and then some of us headed to our favorite club nearby. We all had a GREAT time dancing, and, before we knew it, it was three in the morning. We slowly made our way back to Via Rasella and quickly went to bed.
By the way, I will not miss going to Italian clubs and getting too much attention from Italian men. American boys have a much bigger sphere of personal space. Which I love.
I was REALLY excited to see Mom, Kim, and Chris in the early morning!
I randomly got a call in the middle of the night, about fifteen minutes after I had headed to bed. My dad was calling, telling me that my sister’s plane had been cancelled. So, I called Kimberly, thinking that I was dreaming. But, in fact, I was not dreaming, and their plane had been delayed about 24 hours. Sad story!
I woke up in the morning to go get Mom from the airport. Her flight was supposed to arrive at 8 in the morning, so I left Via Rasella around 720 just to make sure that I was there to meet her on time. Oh, and Vicki met me downstairs before I took off for the airport to say goodbye. She had written a very sweet postcard to say goodbye – I adore you, Vicki Chang!
On the way to the metro, I called Kim just to check up. She was doing fine and told me she would call later that day with her new flight information.
I took the metro to Termini, where I caught a train to the airport. On the train to the airport, I met the sweetest girl from the Midwest who was also on her way to pick up her parents. She had been studying abroad in Madrid for the semester, so she was really excited to see her family. We stuck together on the train and on the way to the arrival gate. (She didn’t speak any Italian, and she was pretty overwhelmed. Not that I know much Italian at all. But it was good to be able to speak American to each other.) We got cappuccinos and croissants together while we were waiting on our parents to arrive.
Mom’s flight had been delayed about two hours, so I bought a British Cosmo magazine to read after my friend had met her parents. Turns out, they use quite different lingo than we do in the US. So, I had no idea what they were talking about in the articles. It was actually pretty funny.
Oh, one woman and her daughter had a ten hour layover in Rome and wanted my advice on what they could do in the city. I gave them a few options of fun things they could do, and they were really appreciative. I’m not sure what they ended up doing – they kind of disappeared while I was buying my Cosmo.
Also, there were some American high school boys who sat down next to me while I was waiting for Mom. They kept talking about hockey to see if I was impressed. I wasn’t. They were probably from Alaska and big fans of Sarah Palin.
After a few hours of waiting in the airport, I went to the place from where arrivals uscita (exit) to wait for Mom. She looked absolutely stunning when she walked out, despite the fact that she had been traveling on airplanes for about a day. I was so excited to see her!
I explained the Kim and Chris plane fiasco to her, and then we went to go buy tickets for the train to Termini. We called Kim to check up on her and let her know that we had met up in Rome.
When we arrived at Termini, we went straight to our hotel to check in. The room is beautiful! Except, we reserved a room with a king-sized bed and a fold-out couch. Turns out, the fold-out couch is more of a fold-out armchair that can only comfortably sleep one person. Haha, it’ll be an adventure. (We actually ended up getting two different rooms. Now, we fit much more comfortably.)
After checking in, Mom and I headed down Via Nazionale toward the AIRC and the forums. I explained a little bit about Trajan’s Forum, the AIRC, and the Victor Emmanuel Monument. Then, we walked to Via Rasella (past Glass Ristorante) to pick up my stuff. We walked past the Trevi Fountain – so beautiful!
Mom helped me pack up my stuff in the apartment. I had done most of my packing, but we had to figure out how to get everything in bags to carry to the hotel. After packing up, we got all my stuff to the hotel room.
After relaxing for a bit, we got a Panini from down the street and ate it in Piazza del Repubblica, near the Baths of Diocletian. We went into the Santa Maria church in that piazza – so beautiful! Then, we headed to Santa Suzanna for Mass in English.
After Mass, we headed back to the hotel, where we crashed. I had gotten like two hours of sleep the night before, and Mom was pretty jetlagged. So, it was nice to get to bed early.
So, I got a call on my cell phone in the middle of the night again. It was Kim, telling me that their flight had, once again, been canceled. I’m pretty mad at Delta right now. Anyway, they were going to get on a flight to Chicago the next day and fly directly into Rome. (Currently, Mom and I are in the lobby waiting. They should be here any minute.)
Also, because their trip has been delayed two days, they are staying the last two days with me in Rome! So, we will all be on the same flight coming back to Atlanta. Yay!
Yesterday, Mom and I slept in quite a bit. After getting ready, we headed toward the Spanish Steps. On the way, I showed her Piazza Barberini, where I had been catching the metro and buses in Rome.
Oh, on the way, Mom and I stopped for her first cappuccino. So delicious!
In Piazza Barberini, we met up with a South African mom and daughter who asked us how to get to the Spanish Steps. So, we just walked with them. Rome’s streets are so complicated – it was easier to just walk there instead of trying to explain how to go.
After seeing the Spanish Steps, Mom and I walked along the streets, looking at the upscale, designer shops that are nearby. Then, we took Corso north to Piazza del Popolo (Piazza of the People). We sat there for a bit (so beautiful!), and then headed down a different street toward the Ara Pacis Museum and the Tiber River. We walked past the Ara Pacis Museum and looked at the river, and then we headed back toward Corso.
We walked to the Pantheon and went inside to admire the oculus in the dome. Then, we got gelato at the place with 100 flavors. Mom and I each got two flavors – so we both got to try banana, mint chocolate, strawberry, and Bounty bar. It was a lot better than the first time I went to that place. Haha, now Mom really likes gelato.
After getting gelato, Mom and I headed to Piazza Navona, my favorite piazza. We walked around the different artist booths there for a bit. Then, we headed back east, toward our hotel.
We stopped at Piazza Venezia, in front of the Victor Emmanuel Monument for a bit to sit down. We could see all the way down Via dei Fori Imperiali (thanks, Mussolini) to the Colosseum. It’s impressive, even from that far away.
Then, we walked all the way up Via Nazionale to our hotel. We got paninis and then relaxed in the room for a bit. Around 8, we went to Despar (supermercato) to get some snack food for when Kim and Chris arrive.
Then, we, once again, headed to bed really early.
It was the first time in three nights that I didn’t get a sad phone call in the middle of the night. So yay!
Mom and I woke up around 9 this morning to head to breakfast in our hotel. It was delicious – they had both European and American foods.
Now, we are in the lobby of our hotel waiting for Kim and Chris to walk in the door. I had a lot of blog writing to catch up on – sorry this entry is so long.
I’m excited for us to all finally be here together. I would have been so sad if all three of them had been on the messed-up flight, and I had been in Roma all by myself for two days.
Today, we’re probably going to walk around for a bit to show Kim and Chris some Roman sites. Then, we’ll probably head back to the hotel early to plan what we want to do the next five days that we’re all here together before Mom goes back to Texas.
We’re going to be seeing the Vatican, the Campo de Fiori Markets, a lot of piazzas, the Colosseum, the forums, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Lots to do, but it will be so much fun!
We all send our love to y’all in the States!
Ciao,
Ashley
PS – I have less than two weeks left in Italia. It’s passing by way too quickly! Oh, except I’m really excited to get back to Mexican food!!
The dinner was also great because KG and Dr. Aria and Linda were all there to say goodbye to us. It was really great to get to talk to them all one more time before we parted ways. (So sad.)
After dinner, we all rushed back to say goodbye to Alex and Stephen and Kristen (a friend that had was going to Greece with them). Their train left at midnight from Termini, and Alex hadn’t packed yet (silly Alex). Also, Meagan had already left before the goodbye dinner – it was really sad, but she gets to go on a cruise now! So yay!
After Alex, Stephen, and Kristen took off, the group headed to the boys’ apartment to hang out for a bit. Then, we buzzed the apartments of some people in the other AIRC group, and we all met up to go to The Abbey, our favorite pub. It’s an Irish pub, so it’s kind of strange for us to be in Italia and like that pub so much, but it was always a fun time. Anyway, we had a few drinks at The Abbey (near Piazza Navona), and then some of us headed to our favorite club nearby. We all had a GREAT time dancing, and, before we knew it, it was three in the morning. We slowly made our way back to Via Rasella and quickly went to bed.
By the way, I will not miss going to Italian clubs and getting too much attention from Italian men. American boys have a much bigger sphere of personal space. Which I love.
I was REALLY excited to see Mom, Kim, and Chris in the early morning!
I randomly got a call in the middle of the night, about fifteen minutes after I had headed to bed. My dad was calling, telling me that my sister’s plane had been cancelled. So, I called Kimberly, thinking that I was dreaming. But, in fact, I was not dreaming, and their plane had been delayed about 24 hours. Sad story!
I woke up in the morning to go get Mom from the airport. Her flight was supposed to arrive at 8 in the morning, so I left Via Rasella around 720 just to make sure that I was there to meet her on time. Oh, and Vicki met me downstairs before I took off for the airport to say goodbye. She had written a very sweet postcard to say goodbye – I adore you, Vicki Chang!
On the way to the metro, I called Kim just to check up. She was doing fine and told me she would call later that day with her new flight information.
I took the metro to Termini, where I caught a train to the airport. On the train to the airport, I met the sweetest girl from the Midwest who was also on her way to pick up her parents. She had been studying abroad in Madrid for the semester, so she was really excited to see her family. We stuck together on the train and on the way to the arrival gate. (She didn’t speak any Italian, and she was pretty overwhelmed. Not that I know much Italian at all. But it was good to be able to speak American to each other.) We got cappuccinos and croissants together while we were waiting on our parents to arrive.
Mom’s flight had been delayed about two hours, so I bought a British Cosmo magazine to read after my friend had met her parents. Turns out, they use quite different lingo than we do in the US. So, I had no idea what they were talking about in the articles. It was actually pretty funny.
Oh, one woman and her daughter had a ten hour layover in Rome and wanted my advice on what they could do in the city. I gave them a few options of fun things they could do, and they were really appreciative. I’m not sure what they ended up doing – they kind of disappeared while I was buying my Cosmo.
Also, there were some American high school boys who sat down next to me while I was waiting for Mom. They kept talking about hockey to see if I was impressed. I wasn’t. They were probably from Alaska and big fans of Sarah Palin.
After a few hours of waiting in the airport, I went to the place from where arrivals uscita (exit) to wait for Mom. She looked absolutely stunning when she walked out, despite the fact that she had been traveling on airplanes for about a day. I was so excited to see her!
I explained the Kim and Chris plane fiasco to her, and then we went to go buy tickets for the train to Termini. We called Kim to check up on her and let her know that we had met up in Rome.
When we arrived at Termini, we went straight to our hotel to check in. The room is beautiful! Except, we reserved a room with a king-sized bed and a fold-out couch. Turns out, the fold-out couch is more of a fold-out armchair that can only comfortably sleep one person. Haha, it’ll be an adventure. (We actually ended up getting two different rooms. Now, we fit much more comfortably.)
After checking in, Mom and I headed down Via Nazionale toward the AIRC and the forums. I explained a little bit about Trajan’s Forum, the AIRC, and the Victor Emmanuel Monument. Then, we walked to Via Rasella (past Glass Ristorante) to pick up my stuff. We walked past the Trevi Fountain – so beautiful!
Mom helped me pack up my stuff in the apartment. I had done most of my packing, but we had to figure out how to get everything in bags to carry to the hotel. After packing up, we got all my stuff to the hotel room.
After relaxing for a bit, we got a Panini from down the street and ate it in Piazza del Repubblica, near the Baths of Diocletian. We went into the Santa Maria church in that piazza – so beautiful! Then, we headed to Santa Suzanna for Mass in English.
After Mass, we headed back to the hotel, where we crashed. I had gotten like two hours of sleep the night before, and Mom was pretty jetlagged. So, it was nice to get to bed early.
So, I got a call on my cell phone in the middle of the night again. It was Kim, telling me that their flight had, once again, been canceled. I’m pretty mad at Delta right now. Anyway, they were going to get on a flight to Chicago the next day and fly directly into Rome. (Currently, Mom and I are in the lobby waiting. They should be here any minute.)
Also, because their trip has been delayed two days, they are staying the last two days with me in Rome! So, we will all be on the same flight coming back to Atlanta. Yay!
Yesterday, Mom and I slept in quite a bit. After getting ready, we headed toward the Spanish Steps. On the way, I showed her Piazza Barberini, where I had been catching the metro and buses in Rome.
Oh, on the way, Mom and I stopped for her first cappuccino. So delicious!
In Piazza Barberini, we met up with a South African mom and daughter who asked us how to get to the Spanish Steps. So, we just walked with them. Rome’s streets are so complicated – it was easier to just walk there instead of trying to explain how to go.
After seeing the Spanish Steps, Mom and I walked along the streets, looking at the upscale, designer shops that are nearby. Then, we took Corso north to Piazza del Popolo (Piazza of the People). We sat there for a bit (so beautiful!), and then headed down a different street toward the Ara Pacis Museum and the Tiber River. We walked past the Ara Pacis Museum and looked at the river, and then we headed back toward Corso.
We walked to the Pantheon and went inside to admire the oculus in the dome. Then, we got gelato at the place with 100 flavors. Mom and I each got two flavors – so we both got to try banana, mint chocolate, strawberry, and Bounty bar. It was a lot better than the first time I went to that place. Haha, now Mom really likes gelato.
After getting gelato, Mom and I headed to Piazza Navona, my favorite piazza. We walked around the different artist booths there for a bit. Then, we headed back east, toward our hotel.
We stopped at Piazza Venezia, in front of the Victor Emmanuel Monument for a bit to sit down. We could see all the way down Via dei Fori Imperiali (thanks, Mussolini) to the Colosseum. It’s impressive, even from that far away.
Then, we walked all the way up Via Nazionale to our hotel. We got paninis and then relaxed in the room for a bit. Around 8, we went to Despar (supermercato) to get some snack food for when Kim and Chris arrive.
Then, we, once again, headed to bed really early.
It was the first time in three nights that I didn’t get a sad phone call in the middle of the night. So yay!
Mom and I woke up around 9 this morning to head to breakfast in our hotel. It was delicious – they had both European and American foods.
Now, we are in the lobby of our hotel waiting for Kim and Chris to walk in the door. I had a lot of blog writing to catch up on – sorry this entry is so long.
I’m excited for us to all finally be here together. I would have been so sad if all three of them had been on the messed-up flight, and I had been in Roma all by myself for two days.
Today, we’re probably going to walk around for a bit to show Kim and Chris some Roman sites. Then, we’ll probably head back to the hotel early to plan what we want to do the next five days that we’re all here together before Mom goes back to Texas.
We’re going to be seeing the Vatican, the Campo de Fiori Markets, a lot of piazzas, the Colosseum, the forums, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Lots to do, but it will be so much fun!
We all send our love to y’all in the States!
Ciao,
Ashley
PS – I have less than two weeks left in Italia. It’s passing by way too quickly! Oh, except I’m really excited to get back to Mexican food!!
Friday, June 26, 2009
School's out for the summer! Again....
Hey y'all -
FINALS ARE OVERRRR!! Yay! No more classes. Which is kind of sad because I really liked them. And I'm going to miss learning about Rome in Rome. And I"m going to miss the people and professors. Aw... now I'm sad.
Last night, we went to dinner at the place with over 100 different pasta sauces - it was sooo good (again)! It wasn't the entire group - just Shyam, Apu, Ishanee, Alex, Kristen, Stephen, and Meagan. Such a fun dinner!
After dinner, we went to our apartments to work on our final outlines. We worked really hard for a while, and then took a break by going DANCING! :) Oh, before we went out, we talked with the people from across the hall for a bit, getting to know them. They are so sweet - I wish our groups had overlapped for longer.
We went to the Abbey Pub for some Strongbow and Long Island Iced Teas - so delicious. The pub is pretty Americanized/Britishized, but it was a lot of fun.
Then, after a few drinks, Meagan, Ishanee, Alex and I went DANCING! Oh, it was so much fun! The club we go to has no cover and the dance floor is really fun. (There are lights in the floor... so cool!) Anyway, we danced for a few hours, and then headed home to bed.
Oh, while we were at the club, a girl from Ohio told us that MJ died. It was so sad. Like, really, really sad. They played Billie Jean, and we danced our hearts out for MJ.
Anyway, this morning, Meagan and I woke up around 9 to go to laundry. It was absolutely necessary. Anyway, my clothes are REALLY clean and soft now. Which I'm excited about.
We worked some more on our outlines and then walked to the AIRC. We just took our finals - my hand is all cramped.
We have a farewell dinner tonight, and then we're going back to the club for dancing tonight one last time! :)
It'll be fun to see everyone one last time before most people take off. I'm going to miss these people!
I'm excited to see family in a few hours! I can't wait to see them all!
Ciao,
Ashley
PS - Only two weeks left before America? What? I'm so not ready for this.
FINALS ARE OVERRRR!! Yay! No more classes. Which is kind of sad because I really liked them. And I'm going to miss learning about Rome in Rome. And I"m going to miss the people and professors. Aw... now I'm sad.
Last night, we went to dinner at the place with over 100 different pasta sauces - it was sooo good (again)! It wasn't the entire group - just Shyam, Apu, Ishanee, Alex, Kristen, Stephen, and Meagan. Such a fun dinner!
After dinner, we went to our apartments to work on our final outlines. We worked really hard for a while, and then took a break by going DANCING! :) Oh, before we went out, we talked with the people from across the hall for a bit, getting to know them. They are so sweet - I wish our groups had overlapped for longer.
We went to the Abbey Pub for some Strongbow and Long Island Iced Teas - so delicious. The pub is pretty Americanized/Britishized, but it was a lot of fun.
Then, after a few drinks, Meagan, Ishanee, Alex and I went DANCING! Oh, it was so much fun! The club we go to has no cover and the dance floor is really fun. (There are lights in the floor... so cool!) Anyway, we danced for a few hours, and then headed home to bed.
Oh, while we were at the club, a girl from Ohio told us that MJ died. It was so sad. Like, really, really sad. They played Billie Jean, and we danced our hearts out for MJ.
Anyway, this morning, Meagan and I woke up around 9 to go to laundry. It was absolutely necessary. Anyway, my clothes are REALLY clean and soft now. Which I'm excited about.
We worked some more on our outlines and then walked to the AIRC. We just took our finals - my hand is all cramped.
We have a farewell dinner tonight, and then we're going back to the club for dancing tonight one last time! :)
It'll be fun to see everyone one last time before most people take off. I'm going to miss these people!
I'm excited to see family in a few hours! I can't wait to see them all!
Ciao,
Ashley
PS - Only two weeks left before America? What? I'm so not ready for this.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
So sad!
Hey y'all -
My presentation went really well! It was more like Isis story-time than anything else. :) Haha, Isis was pretty legit, and she got mixed up in a lot of crazy stories. (Seriously, if you get bored this summer, look her up. She makes me laugh.)
Anyway, all we have left for school are two finals tomorrow afternoon. And then class is over. I'm so sad - I can't believe that my peers are leaving Roma as early as tomorrow.
BUT, on the other hand, I'm so excited to see Mom, Kim, and Chris!
Oh, I finally got stamps for the postcards that I wrote my first weekend here! So, I'll mail those off either tomorrow or Sunday. :)
Ciao bellas,
Ashley
My presentation went really well! It was more like Isis story-time than anything else. :) Haha, Isis was pretty legit, and she got mixed up in a lot of crazy stories. (Seriously, if you get bored this summer, look her up. She makes me laugh.)
Anyway, all we have left for school are two finals tomorrow afternoon. And then class is over. I'm so sad - I can't believe that my peers are leaving Roma as early as tomorrow.
BUT, on the other hand, I'm so excited to see Mom, Kim, and Chris!
Oh, I finally got stamps for the postcards that I wrote my first weekend here! So, I'll mail those off either tomorrow or Sunday. :)
Ciao bellas,
Ashley
I saw dead people.
Hey y'all -
Last night was great! I went with some people (Alex, Kristin, Vicki, Stephen, David, Chris, Meagan) to Da Baffeto Pizzaria, and then we went to Frigidarium for gelato. It was delicious - and we had a great waiter. Well, he started out really funny. Then, he got borderline a little too friendly with Alex. Poor girl. Haha, it was really fun, though! And so yummy.
After gelato, we hung out at Piazza Navona for a bit. It's still pretty cool that I can randomly go hang out at Piazza Navona in Roma, Italia. :)
We walked back past the Pantheon to the boys' apartment, where we just hung out for a while. We played games, chatted, and I got the most amazing back massage of my life. Which was awesome because my back is tired from all the walking of the past month. :) Yay for cobbled streets!
Today, we met up at Barberini metro stop with KG. It was our last class day today. So sad. Anyway, we went to go see Jewish Catacombs first. KG got us special permission to visit them - they were on private property in the middle of the beautiful Italian country. Anyway, they were really, really creepy. I mean, they were fun. But they were creepy, too. There were so many spaces where the dead used to be placed - I was terrified a dead body was going to pop out every time I rounded a corner. After like ten minutes of initial freaking out, I calmed down and started to enjoy the experience a lot. There was still some wall decor up, and that was really cool to see. Oh, and it was freezing down in the catacombs. Also, lots and lots of menorahs.
After the Jewish Catacombs, we went to go see the Christian Catacombs. These were public - the San Callisto Catacombs. It was a completely different experience - much less creepy. There were so many people in our tour that we were just kind of herded like cattle. Not as cool of an experience since it wasn't as creepy and scary. :)
Class was done around 1, so I went back to my apartment to shower and finish preparing for my presentation on Isis and the Virgin Mary - about to happen in a few minutes. I did some reading for class, and we're at the AIRC right now about to have a discussion.
We have finals tomorrow - then the program is over. We have a goodbye dinner tomorrow night, but I'm not ready to say goodbye to everyone!
I'm glad I'll be staying in Roma for an extra week! Thank goodness!
I get to see family in two days! So exciting!
Gotta go - class is about to start!
Ciao,
Ashley
Last night was great! I went with some people (Alex, Kristin, Vicki, Stephen, David, Chris, Meagan) to Da Baffeto Pizzaria, and then we went to Frigidarium for gelato. It was delicious - and we had a great waiter. Well, he started out really funny. Then, he got borderline a little too friendly with Alex. Poor girl. Haha, it was really fun, though! And so yummy.
After gelato, we hung out at Piazza Navona for a bit. It's still pretty cool that I can randomly go hang out at Piazza Navona in Roma, Italia. :)
We walked back past the Pantheon to the boys' apartment, where we just hung out for a while. We played games, chatted, and I got the most amazing back massage of my life. Which was awesome because my back is tired from all the walking of the past month. :) Yay for cobbled streets!
Today, we met up at Barberini metro stop with KG. It was our last class day today. So sad. Anyway, we went to go see Jewish Catacombs first. KG got us special permission to visit them - they were on private property in the middle of the beautiful Italian country. Anyway, they were really, really creepy. I mean, they were fun. But they were creepy, too. There were so many spaces where the dead used to be placed - I was terrified a dead body was going to pop out every time I rounded a corner. After like ten minutes of initial freaking out, I calmed down and started to enjoy the experience a lot. There was still some wall decor up, and that was really cool to see. Oh, and it was freezing down in the catacombs. Also, lots and lots of menorahs.
After the Jewish Catacombs, we went to go see the Christian Catacombs. These were public - the San Callisto Catacombs. It was a completely different experience - much less creepy. There were so many people in our tour that we were just kind of herded like cattle. Not as cool of an experience since it wasn't as creepy and scary. :)
Class was done around 1, so I went back to my apartment to shower and finish preparing for my presentation on Isis and the Virgin Mary - about to happen in a few minutes. I did some reading for class, and we're at the AIRC right now about to have a discussion.
We have finals tomorrow - then the program is over. We have a goodbye dinner tomorrow night, but I'm not ready to say goodbye to everyone!
I'm glad I'll be staying in Roma for an extra week! Thank goodness!
I get to see family in two days! So exciting!
Gotta go - class is about to start!
Ciao,
Ashley
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
So, clubbing in Roma is fun.
Hey beautiful people!
Before I forget, I just want to say that I'm SO excited to see Mom, Kim, and Chris in less than THREE DAYS!! :) I can't wait to hang out with them in Roma and Venice for the next few weeks.
That being said, I'm really sad that I have only one day of class left. This program has been amazing - I've learned so much and had a lot of fun doing it.
I've missed blogging the past few days... Here's what I've been up to!
On Monday evening, I went to dinner at That's Amore near Via Rasella (our apartments). Meagan, Chris, Ishanee, Apu, and Shyam and I ate some really really delicious food! I had a calzone with broccoli in it. Honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of broccoli, but I was feeling bold and decided to try something new. It was so delicious. Now, I like broccoli, so congratulations for making the impossible possible Italia! :)
After dinner, we all went to write (in my case, edit) our papers that were due Tuesday. Then, Shyam and I went to a little bar/cafe near the Barberini metro station for a congratulatory drink for finishing our papers. I had my first cosmopolitan, and it was absolutely amazing. We ran into Chris who was working on his papers at a table in the bar/cafe, and then Shyam and I went up to the second floor where there were tables with a great lookout of the piazza. Shyam and I chatted for a while, swapping stories about life, and then decided we should go to bed. These early mornings are starting to make me sleepy. :)
Oh, we had the most amazing waitress! She was hilarious, and she kept teasing Shyam and I for leaving "our other friend" (Chris) downstairs reading and writing while we had fun upstairs. Haha, she was hilarious. Oh, and there was a REALLY drunk guy sitting upstairs who was talking to himself for about twenty minutes. Then, when he left, he came up to us and said "I really like Americans! Americans are good!" Gooood times in Roma.
So, Shyam and I went back to our apartments to go to bed. I chatted with Apu and Ishanee for a bit, and then climbed into bed, exhausted.
Tuesday, I woke up and got ready. We caught a bus near Barberini going toward a park near the Mouth of Truth. After getting cappuccinos, we went to the park to wait for KG to meet us. It was a beautiful day, and it felt really good to just lay down in the grass before the day started.
We met up with KG and went to go see an ancient meeting place for members of the Cult of Mithras. Apparently, not very many people get permission to visit because there was an intricate system of alarms in place. The alarm system was so good that it went off twice even when the guy who was authorized to open the gates was opening them. The meeting place of the Cult of Mithras was actually really interesting - not like any church that I'd want to attend, but it was cool for an hour or so. :)
After that, we went to Tiber Island to look at the ancient hospital. Our visit there was very brief. (But, Alex kicked butt at her presentation!!)
Then, we went to go visit another meeting place of the cult of Mithras. The Church of San Clemente was really cool - it had a Catholic Church and a bunch of other ancient cult meeting places underneath. Very cool.
After that, we rode a bus back to the AIRC and had a discussion about some of our reading. Most of our discussion was about religion so it was really interesting for me.
Then, Alex, Royce, Adam, and I headed back to our apartments and ate some lunch at a pizza place next door on Via Rasella. Alex and I went to her apartment where I watch HSM 3 (so good!) and some HIMYM. Then, I went to my apartment to take a shower and get ready for the night.
We went to dinner at an Italian place near Termini. The Venice group had eaten there the night they got back to Roma. It was really good - and a lot of people went, so it was a lot of fun. So, I had tortellini last night, and I had forgotten how much I LOVE tortellini. So delicious.
After dinner, we went back to the boys' apartment and hung out for a bit. Then, some of us went out to a bar/club near Piazza Navona. It ended up being Alex, Vicki, Apu, Ishanee, Meagan, Shyam, Chris, and Royce. It was a lot of fun - I miss dancing SO much. We stayed for about an hour and a half, then we had to go home. (Early mornings!) :)
We got to sleep in a bit this morning. Some of us met on our way to the Pantheon and had cappuccinos at a new place - Tazo D'Oro (The Golden Cup). It was really good! Anyway, it was right next to the Pantheon, so we stayed there for a bit and then walked to the Pantheon when it was time to meet KG.
We walked from the Pantheon to the Sant'Ivo courtyard. It was beautiful - a mixture between Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Today, we walked around seeing beautiful Renaissance architecture. We had a guest teacher (Dr. Irene Baldriga), and she was so much fun. Very knowledgeable and passionate about what she was teaching.
We went into a Baroque church (San Andrew), and it was the most beautiful church I've ever seen. Seriously, I was blown away.
We ended class today in Piazza Navona with some gelato (it had been like six days since I'd had gelato, and it was really good). Some of us hung out there for a bit, just relaxing. Then, Alex and I walked back to our apartments with the Three Stooges (Adam, Royce, and Daniel). I promise that's an endearing name. :)
Alex and I worked on some class stuff for a bit, and then I left to go do some shopping. It was a perfect day for shopping. I bought a new scarf, a keychain, an Italia jacket (so cute), and a Roma bag.
Then, Meagan and I went to go hang out with Alex in her apartment for a bit. Because Meagan and I both happened to forget our keys. Oops. Anyway, we all watched an episode of HIMYM. It was the one with the best burger in NYC. So, Meagan and I started really craving a burger. It's embarrassing, but we went with David to go eat at Burger King. So embarrassing. But it was delicious.
After that, I came to the AIRC to work on my presentation (it's tomorrow afternoon) a bit. We had a review session for our HUM class, and now I'm just catching up on my blog!
I'm about to go take a shower and then go out to dinner with some people from the group. We're going to Da Baffetto! :) Yummy pizza.
We're probably going out dancing again tonight - can't forget how to dance while I'm in Europe! :)
I'm sad that I can't watch the CWS tonight - Hook 'em horns! Cheer hard for me, please!
Ciao,
Ashley
PS - FAMILY IN < THREE DAYS!!!
Before I forget, I just want to say that I'm SO excited to see Mom, Kim, and Chris in less than THREE DAYS!! :) I can't wait to hang out with them in Roma and Venice for the next few weeks.
That being said, I'm really sad that I have only one day of class left. This program has been amazing - I've learned so much and had a lot of fun doing it.
I've missed blogging the past few days... Here's what I've been up to!
On Monday evening, I went to dinner at That's Amore near Via Rasella (our apartments). Meagan, Chris, Ishanee, Apu, and Shyam and I ate some really really delicious food! I had a calzone with broccoli in it. Honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of broccoli, but I was feeling bold and decided to try something new. It was so delicious. Now, I like broccoli, so congratulations for making the impossible possible Italia! :)
After dinner, we all went to write (in my case, edit) our papers that were due Tuesday. Then, Shyam and I went to a little bar/cafe near the Barberini metro station for a congratulatory drink for finishing our papers. I had my first cosmopolitan, and it was absolutely amazing. We ran into Chris who was working on his papers at a table in the bar/cafe, and then Shyam and I went up to the second floor where there were tables with a great lookout of the piazza. Shyam and I chatted for a while, swapping stories about life, and then decided we should go to bed. These early mornings are starting to make me sleepy. :)
Oh, we had the most amazing waitress! She was hilarious, and she kept teasing Shyam and I for leaving "our other friend" (Chris) downstairs reading and writing while we had fun upstairs. Haha, she was hilarious. Oh, and there was a REALLY drunk guy sitting upstairs who was talking to himself for about twenty minutes. Then, when he left, he came up to us and said "I really like Americans! Americans are good!" Gooood times in Roma.
So, Shyam and I went back to our apartments to go to bed. I chatted with Apu and Ishanee for a bit, and then climbed into bed, exhausted.
Tuesday, I woke up and got ready. We caught a bus near Barberini going toward a park near the Mouth of Truth. After getting cappuccinos, we went to the park to wait for KG to meet us. It was a beautiful day, and it felt really good to just lay down in the grass before the day started.
We met up with KG and went to go see an ancient meeting place for members of the Cult of Mithras. Apparently, not very many people get permission to visit because there was an intricate system of alarms in place. The alarm system was so good that it went off twice even when the guy who was authorized to open the gates was opening them. The meeting place of the Cult of Mithras was actually really interesting - not like any church that I'd want to attend, but it was cool for an hour or so. :)
After that, we went to Tiber Island to look at the ancient hospital. Our visit there was very brief. (But, Alex kicked butt at her presentation!!)
Then, we went to go visit another meeting place of the cult of Mithras. The Church of San Clemente was really cool - it had a Catholic Church and a bunch of other ancient cult meeting places underneath. Very cool.
After that, we rode a bus back to the AIRC and had a discussion about some of our reading. Most of our discussion was about religion so it was really interesting for me.
Then, Alex, Royce, Adam, and I headed back to our apartments and ate some lunch at a pizza place next door on Via Rasella. Alex and I went to her apartment where I watch HSM 3 (so good!) and some HIMYM. Then, I went to my apartment to take a shower and get ready for the night.
We went to dinner at an Italian place near Termini. The Venice group had eaten there the night they got back to Roma. It was really good - and a lot of people went, so it was a lot of fun. So, I had tortellini last night, and I had forgotten how much I LOVE tortellini. So delicious.
After dinner, we went back to the boys' apartment and hung out for a bit. Then, some of us went out to a bar/club near Piazza Navona. It ended up being Alex, Vicki, Apu, Ishanee, Meagan, Shyam, Chris, and Royce. It was a lot of fun - I miss dancing SO much. We stayed for about an hour and a half, then we had to go home. (Early mornings!) :)
We got to sleep in a bit this morning. Some of us met on our way to the Pantheon and had cappuccinos at a new place - Tazo D'Oro (The Golden Cup). It was really good! Anyway, it was right next to the Pantheon, so we stayed there for a bit and then walked to the Pantheon when it was time to meet KG.
We walked from the Pantheon to the Sant'Ivo courtyard. It was beautiful - a mixture between Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Today, we walked around seeing beautiful Renaissance architecture. We had a guest teacher (Dr. Irene Baldriga), and she was so much fun. Very knowledgeable and passionate about what she was teaching.
We went into a Baroque church (San Andrew), and it was the most beautiful church I've ever seen. Seriously, I was blown away.
We ended class today in Piazza Navona with some gelato (it had been like six days since I'd had gelato, and it was really good). Some of us hung out there for a bit, just relaxing. Then, Alex and I walked back to our apartments with the Three Stooges (Adam, Royce, and Daniel). I promise that's an endearing name. :)
Alex and I worked on some class stuff for a bit, and then I left to go do some shopping. It was a perfect day for shopping. I bought a new scarf, a keychain, an Italia jacket (so cute), and a Roma bag.
Then, Meagan and I went to go hang out with Alex in her apartment for a bit. Because Meagan and I both happened to forget our keys. Oops. Anyway, we all watched an episode of HIMYM. It was the one with the best burger in NYC. So, Meagan and I started really craving a burger. It's embarrassing, but we went with David to go eat at Burger King. So embarrassing. But it was delicious.
After that, I came to the AIRC to work on my presentation (it's tomorrow afternoon) a bit. We had a review session for our HUM class, and now I'm just catching up on my blog!
I'm about to go take a shower and then go out to dinner with some people from the group. We're going to Da Baffetto! :) Yummy pizza.
We're probably going out dancing again tonight - can't forget how to dance while I'm in Europe! :)
I'm sad that I can't watch the CWS tonight - Hook 'em horns! Cheer hard for me, please!
Ciao,
Ashley
PS - FAMILY IN < THREE DAYS!!!
Monday, June 22, 2009
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