Fast Forward. Pause. Rewind.

Written this weekend:
November has been quite the busy month with every weekend filled with some adventure or travel. I’m going to leave you in suspense and skip to present. You’ll have to find me when I am back to hear about Venice and Florence. I’m horrible right? Well, just making sure you will still want to hear some stories when I’m back in the states. 

First glimpse of Venice! Beautiful!

Florence

Here and now, I’m sitting at kitchen table drinking some tea (yeah, should be some espresso if I was truly Italian. I still need to teach myself to how to make it) and typing this blog in Word. No internet. One thing is for sure; do not expect to accomplish anything in a timely manner if you are in Italy.  We have been attempting to switch our internet since the first week of school and the modem was finally put in a couple days ago, but we are waiting for the company to connect the internet. In the meantime, the pizza shop below us changed the internet password since we are not paying this month. Now, I am quite a laid back person, but this is a problem. Sad how much I rely on the internet.

Back to the present: I am sitting here waiting for my Mom and Aunt to arrive so we can take the bus to the Appian Way and explore catacombs. Sounds like a creepy, fun day to me. Too bad the rain stopped or it would be the perfect setting for a suspense movie, where we are racing to discover an ancient secret before the Mafia or something similar. I’ll never tell the sun to go away though, even to help my imagination.

So far my Mom and Aunt are surviving even though I am a slave driver of a tour guide. (Sorry Bianca) First day I kept them out until 1 am and the next day would you believe a 7 hour walking tour? There were breaks in my defense. My endurance has increased greatly since September. I might forget what it was like not to walk at least 5 miles a day.

From today: 
Last night, I put my chef's hat on and attempted to cook dinner for 4 of my friends, my mom, and my aunt. 

It turned into quite the production. Far too much cooking need to occur at the same time for me to handle alone, but more than one person in our tiny kitchen turns into chaos. At one point there was cake in the oven, 3 burners in use, bread in the toasters, and veggies being chopped. Utter chaos, coupled by laughter, music from the TV show, Glee, and taste testing. My Aunt said she wished she had a video camera. 

It all came together beautifully though... except the funfetti cake. Apparently I fail at baking in Italy. This country does not understand American baking. I have yet to come across a baking aisle, maybe a baking shelf. Our oven has a dial with numbers 1 through 8 as the temperature options. Please tell me how to convert this into degrees. I choose 4/5. This results in burnt cake in a matter of 5 minutes. One of the best parts of funfetti is the way it makes the kitchen smell. I got burnt funfetti smell. Not quite as a pleasurable. Needless to say, the resulting cake was some sort of cakey, soupy hybrid with crystallized frosting (the attempt to cook it longer already frosted was not successful either). I'm thinking my third try will be the charm, so the next thing I make must be delicious.

Saying goodbye to my Mom and Aunt was sad, but I am happy they could experience everything I do on a daily basis and enjoy the city I call home. It was so much fun to share all my new knowledge and navigate throughout the city. I have a much better layout of the city in my mind now. All the monuments seem so far apart, but they are really very close. It is so easy to take them for granted when you have seen you're 50th obelisk in the day or think you found a new part of the city and then look ahead to see the colosseum yet again. How can I complain? Yes, it is possible to get tired of seeing the Pantheon. I will miss it when I'm gone though. You cannot find a building like that in San Francisco.
Time is passing by far too fast. I wish I could pause and rewind. There are so many restaurants still to try, streets to wander down, churches and museums to visit, and hidden treasures to find. This all feels so normal. Sometimes I forget I am in a foreign country. Every day from here on out is extra precious and I will make the most out of the 32 days left.

Had to take a picture with the Ferrari vespa for my dad!

You've Stolen My Heart!

Locks of love

Last weekend a couple friends and I traveled to the lovely city of Paris. Originally I planned to only visit places I had never been while in Europe, but the pull of Paris was too great to resist. It truly is the most romantic city. I'm not sure it is possible to describe, just felt in the essence of the architecture, people, and art.

The first night, we visited the Eiffel Tower, my favorite monument and the most gorgeous piece of architecture. Seeing it at completely lit at night with a full moon luminous behind it was the ultimate dream. Not to mention the 4 minutes of pure ecstasy when it sparkled on the hour. I might have been a little excited. There's nothing like it. If only my hand grasped a nutella crepe or a glass of rosè, the moment would have been perfection.
The next day we visited my favorite museum, Musee D'Orsay. (Paris contains many of my favorites.) This museum used to be an old train station and the beautiful attention to detail from the past can be seen in the ceiling, walls, and the massive clock on one side. Not only is the atmosphere and layout of the museum lovely, but I love the special attention to Impressionist pieces, such as Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, and Van Gogh. Sadly most of the Monets were on loan to another exhibition. I found plenty of other artists to stand in awe of though. I want to post pictures of them all on here, but it simply won't do them justice. One of my favorite pieces that was not Impressionist was by Ernest Hebert, called Young Pensive Girl. Unfortunately I cannot post a picture, because it won't let me copy it to my desktop. Look it up if you have time, and then look up the other artists!

Hanging out on the second level of the Musee D'Orsay

The rest of our time was composed of delicious food, La Duree Macaroons, Nutella crepes, onion soup, Croque Madames, chocolate croissants, escargot, steak and fries, and the most delicious french bread, the Louvre, catacombs, Notre Dame, Champs Elysees, Arc De Triomphe, Luxembourg Gardens, Tuilaries Park, Shakespeare and Co. bookstore (where we bought the original version of Alice and Wonderland), and more walking than my legs ever thought possible. None of us wanted to leave, except to be back in own beds. Paris still tops my list of places to visit. I would take any chance to go back again.

Notre Dame Stained Glass

Champs Elysees with the Arc De Triomphe at the end

Italy vs Europe integral

BirthdayBirthdayBirthday

First glass of wine on my 21st birthday

 

My wonderful roomie, Courtney, set this up for me! Nutella to go!

Going out for dinner!

 

My 21st birthday was lots of fun thanks to some amazing friends I have made out here. Much delicious food and laughter. I can't wait to continue celebrating over the next week or so since many people had to take rainchecks due to papers and other homework.

Thank you to everyone who made it special. I very much appreciate and love you!

Where the Chocolate Overflows

Yesterday Nina and I jumped on the train and head to the land of chocolate and more chocolate for the Eurochocolate festival. After 3 hours we found ourselves in Perugia, but with no idea how to find the center or the festival. Maybe we should have planned this out a little better. Luckily we met someone on the Pollino trip who is studying Perugia so we gave him a call and he guided us to correct place. It took a waiting through a 40 minute line to buy a ticket for the mini metro, a 5 minute metro ride, and 3 sets of escalators up to find the chocolate, but we made it! Also note that we did not look at the weather and were quite underdressed for the drizzly, cold weather. Characteristic Taylor behavior at it's prime. Always makes for an adventure though. It gets better at the end too.

Our first stop in this chocolate dreamland was a tent making nutella calzones (closest I can describe it in English). Mine had hazelnuts, favorite compliment to chocolate, in it too. Dream.

And then we entered the masses, with our friend in Perugia as our guide. He clued us into all the secrets. We bought a 5 euro card that made us eligible for free stuff at various booths throughout the festival. Best decision. It was fun to find the booths and maneuver our way to the front of the crowds. We received quite the little stash from the day, including the free samples and chocolate we ate there, an the chocolate pasta and strawberry chocolate bar I bought.

Other highlights include chocolate tortellini, a huge display of chocolate being made, a Milka sponsored ferris wheel, chocolate kebab, and the most chocolate in one place I have ever seen. It was nice to escape the masses and wander the other parts of town though. We all agreed that living in Italy has created a strong dislike for tourists. Why can't they all just stay home? People think strollers in masses of people are a good idea. Never.

We ended the day with the most delicious brick oven pizza and relaxing in our friend's apartment, so much so that we decided to take a later train and almost missed that one. At about 8:45 you could see two very late girls sprinting toward the train station in the rain. The first ticket machine was in Italian, but we managed to buy a ticket back to Rome. Only problem, we got a refund receipt for the change, but not the actual change. With a ticket still to buy, 3 minutes until the train was scheduled to leave, and a machine that wouldn't take our 50, we were a little panicked. Praise Jesus there was another ticket machine and trains in Italy are always delayed. Needless to say we made it home! Not without realizing Nina's ticket was for a different train and the help of our guardian angel from Oakland though. Stick with me and adventures galore. Successful day trip!

Sorrento&Pompeii

Last weekend, I traveled to Sorrento and Pompeii to see the ancient ruins left after Mt. Vesuvius erupted. Sorrento is situated right on the coast and the views are breathtaking. The water and the sky were the perfect shade of blue. If I ever move to Italy, I will live on the coast. Can't take the beach away from the California girl.

We spent Saturday walking around the quaint little town of Sorrento, looking in shops, buying a few things, and wishing to buy a lot more. There were the most beautiful handmade music boxes, but the one I loved the most was more than 60 euro, so I had to settle for looking. Afterward we checked into our hotel (couldn't open our door, again, this seems to be a pattern) and headed to dinner, which of course was delicious. First, a plate of bruschetta, fries, and suppli (various fried rice balls). Then about 4 different kinds of pizza, one with fries on top, and finally, a chocolate cake and the most wonderful pineapple and kiwi. Let's say we were more than a little full. I'm glad everywhere I've traveled embraces fries as much I do. I think we should stop considering them so American, especially since the rest of the world does them better than we do.
Sunday we drove to Pompeii and explored the city's ruins. I could have spent the whole day wandering the ancient streets and imagining the opulent houses and busy streets. I could even see the ruts in the stone from the chariots. I would have loved to live in Pompeii way back when, minus the tragic volcanic eruption. There's another eruption due any time now, so hurry over before it's buried again. Maybe stop in Rome and say hi to me too. :)

Mt. Vesuvius and the view from our hotel.

Right at home in the Pompeii ruins.

Roman House in Pompeii. They were broken up into 2 parts, the atrium in the front with the pool (pictured) in the center that collected rain water, and the peristyle in the back, which was mostly gardens. All the rooms faced inward and the roof had a hole in the middle for light and air circulation since there were no windows. 

 

Fountain in front of St. Peter's Church. Going to a service on Sunday!

Top 3 Gelato Spots: Old Bridge by the Vatican, Frigidarium by Piazza Navona, and the gelato shop across from Accademia Italiana (name unknown)

Beautiful sunset on the way back from a wonderful afternoon of losing myself in Rome.

Dinner tonight. Definitely becoming my usual.

 The time is flying by! I can hardly believe I am ending my 6th week in Rome. There is still so much to see and areas I have yet to set foot into. I want to soak everything in and then have time to soak my favorites in again and again. Yesterday I promised myself solo adventures. My first adventure consisted of a street full of vintage shops, Haight-Ashbury Roman style perhaps?, browsing Italian music, stumbling upon some of the best gelato recommended by my Italian teacher, losing myself in the most charming little backstreets, and observing, observing, observing. My favorite part of being out alone is that I can pretend to be Italian. I keep my mouth shut and no one knows any better. Just walk with confidence and NEVER pull out a map. Now to learn how to respond when spoken to in Italian and practice my accent.

Only a Bang Away...

I'm running out of creative blog titles, can you tell?
Tuesday night I was a little bored or needing some change. I'm not sure which, but either way, my impulsiveness took over and gone went my bangs. Picture me, 11 at night, roommate video taping, pair of kitchen scissors in my hand, attempting to see well enough through my bangs to cut in a straight line. And there goes months of growing my bangs out. Typical. No regrets. It was exactly what I needed to be inspired, not that inspiration does not hit every time I walk out my door. All the beautiful art and architecture is both awe inspiring and an over load to the senses. I did not think it possible to take in too much. I wish I had more time to take in the city at leisure. Once again, a sign I must be coming back. Italy has made a home in my heart. Before coming here, I hated the thought of life without APU, now I cannot wait to graduate and continue exploring the world. Secretly I miss Nepal more than the United States right now. Some friends and I helped serve food to the homeless last night and my only thoughts were of the street boys in Nepal. Every time I see someone on the streets here, I see the faces of those we met in Kathmandu. It breaks my heart.

On a lighter note, here are some pictures from Pollino as promised:

Entrance to the Angel Caves. Bats and water dripping everywhere since they are live caves and still developing. We took a boat ride inside and then walked around. It reminded me of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but without the pirates.

Gorgeous hike in the hills.

At the top of the hike. Worth all the cold and rain. I thought I might be blown off the mountain, but I just pretended I was in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day!

Exploring the town. It had so much charm I was giddy with excitement. An accidental proposal to Izzy and lots of clapping and jumping up and down were involved.

 And tomorrow we are off to Pompeii and Sorrento!

Adventures and Sick Days

An update is long overdue, I know. I've been too busy making friends with some Italians, known as my bed and apartment walls. They are very friendly and have seen me at my worst. We don't even have to use words anymore. Last Sunday began this lovely, yet clingy relationship. I wish they would give me some breathing room. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to leave the apartment for more than 3 hours. I think my apartment was jealous of my love for the country outside these 4 walls and decided to pass the worst Italian cold onto me through my hotel walls in Pollino. Yes, inanimate objects can be this sneaky. All that aside, I do have some swollen tonsils and an all around sickly body, but between Advil, antibiotics, tea and honey, and some wonderfully nurturing friends, I am on the path to health. Hopefully this will be the last of my sick days. I've missed far too much school and opportunities to explore.

Last week provided me with more pleasant days, such as exploring ancient ruins under one of the oldest churches in Rome and traveling to Pollino in Southern Italy. One of my favorite parts of school in Rome is our close proximity to history and art. No need to look at pictures in books. In my Roman Emperors class, we took an excursion to San Crisogono Church.

 We went down these stairs into another time, the door even closed behind us. I thought we might not make it back out into 2010.

 

bones of a saint where put here, close to another object, such as a piece of cloth, to turn that object into a relic

Very old fresco

 Tomb of a poet or musician because the muses are depicted on the side.

Pirates?!

 

 Ruins from the Byzantine Empire

 Just hanging out with a 1500 year old pillar. A typical day in Rome.

i'm saving Pollino for when I can steal some of my friends' pictures. I'll add them in my next update!

When in Rome

This past weekend started off with a bit of an emergency when one of my roommates, Courtney, accidentally burst her eardrum with a Q tip. Nina, another of my roommates, and I rushed her to the hospital, and by rushed I mean waited 20 minutes for the next train to come. It proved to be stressful and frustrating with the language barrier and long wait. We watched NCIS in Italian on the waiting room TV and speculated the possibility of the man waiting with us being in the mafia. Ok, the latter was only me and my imagination, but he dressed the part and it looked like his hand injury was from punching someone. After almost 3 hours, the doctor saw Courtney for about 5 minutes to tell her the ear specialist was not there, so she had to come back the next morning, and they prescribed her some antibiotics. She’ll be fully healed in 2 months, but she can’t do much in the meantime. Kind of a downer, but better now than later since she’s a swimmer and goes back to school midseason.

We remedied the negative energy with some shopping on Via del Corso. Of course most stores were out of our price range, though we were not even on the most expensive street, but we had fun window shopping and discovering the more reasonably priced stores. I found a few gems that could equal a tragedy on my money situation if I did not have more self-control. I broke down a little in H&M, our last stop, and bought black pants a la Audrey Hepburn. How could I turn those down? Perfect for when I visit the gelateria from Roman Holiday. From H&M, we turned the corner and stumbled upon the perfect little ristorante, Hostaria Al Vantaggio. 

I enjoyed the most delicious meal yet of risotto and house herbs, while we were serenaded by an accordion player. Oh yeah and don’t forget the tiramisu and the nutella gelato from earlier in the day. Let me pause to enforce the stereotype of Italy’s food groups: gelato, pasta, pizza, and caprese (tomato/mozzarella combination). This could easily be all I eat for the next 3 months.

Sunday and yesterday after class were filled with tours of the Colosseo and Palantine Hill (According to Roman mythology, where Romulus killed his brother Remus and founded Rome. Also, the centermost of Rome's seven hills). Typical tourist activities, but these are necessary at least a few times. I know I’m a true Roman underneath my excited picture taking and childlike awe of the monuments. I feel so privileged to explore ancient ruins after class. When in Rome! We couldn’t find the tour for Palantine Hill, so guess who came in handy? Lonely Planet! Talked us the whole way through. I wish Palatine Hill was free, because I would come regularly to read a book or do homework. Maybe even write a book of historical fiction. It’s pretty inspiring. I can imagine emperors from ancient times inhabiting those immense, opulent halls.

I will leave you with 2 style tips I’ve picked up:

For men: Don’t be caught without your side bag/satchel/purse (which ever word you prefer), a bonus if it is designer, such as Gucci.

For women: Heels, preferably wedges with all the cobblestone here, are a must, even on your vespa.

Roman Desert

Our first Friday and what did we decide to do? Beach, you guessed it. I'm soaking up more sun here than I ever do in California. I adore it though. And in true Taylor style, this beach outing led to an adventure. We ended up on the wrong bus from the train station and discovered a new beach. The water and sand were gorgeous and the sky was dotted with the colorful sails of wind surfers. We practically rolled in the sand we were so happy with our fairytale discovery. It was only after playing in the waves that we realized the same wind that drew the wind surfers also wreaked havoc on us beach goers. The wind was so strong it blew sand everywhere, and i do mean everywhere: in our purses, on my camera, on my water bottle mouth piece, all over our towels, in our ears, in our eyes, in our hair (I just washed a sandbox down our shower drain), and etc. Think an 80 degree desert with an ocean and you've got this beach. The serenity and beauty of the beach won me over the wind though. I hope to visit again!

I would like to point out that I am sitting on my "towel" in this picture!

Other than the beach, I have been a diligent student, going to far more hours of class than I do at APU, 20 hours vs. 12. I'm promise I'm not complaining. I love my classes, although I already switched Political and Economic Systems for Renaissance and Baroque Art and I might switch Archeology for Roman Emperors. Italian is my favorite class so far. We went to the market at Campo di Fiori to learn the names of fruits, vegetables, meats, and spices and I thought I had gone to heaven. The food looks so wonderful and fresh. I just want to eat it all! I'm also easily sucked into the novelty items, such as lemon juice extractors and devices that make curly q's out of veggies. I resisted this time. Next time, maybe not.

The rest of my spare time has been spent having dinner parties at friend's apartments or with my Italian fling, Lonely Planet Rome. You think I'm joking, but I'm not. That travel guide is my new love interest. He knows what I need before I do and always has something intelligent to say. This weekend we might walk hand in hand on one of the walking tours he suggested, go shopping in vintage stores, and share gelato at the same gelateria seen in Roman Holiday. Romantic right? I'll let you know how it goes.