We arrived in Derry one week ago. (I'm really horrible about updating this these days... whoops :) ). We got picked up at the airport by one of my absolutely charming and hospitable relatives with possibly the best hair in the family. We stayed at my mom's cousin's (Patti) home in Derry, which is in Northern Ireland. Everyone was so nice to us, even though I hadn't visited in seven? years. On Sunday, we went on a small tour around the walls of Derry, and then we drove to the beaches around Greencastle. And Elise and I met almost all the relatives on my mom's side of the family. It was absolutely crazy. It was 10 at night and we were still visiting people and having cups of tea. But I LOVVVVVEEEE tea, so it was all good fun.
On Monday we took a train to Port Stewart to visit another of my mom's cousins (Schira). I got to meet 7 of her 8 children, and countless other relations. She drove us up to Giant's Causeway (a cool rock formation thing) but Elise and I opted out of getting out of the car. It was really cold, and really windy, and somewhat rainy. Then we drove past Bushmill's distillery. It was closed, otherwise I would have totally earned my "official whiskey taster" certificate. Then I'd have just as many bragging rights as my father. However, that did not work out, so he's still the family's whiskey consultant. We went back to Patti's house pretty late that night.
Tuesday Patti drove us down to Sligo, so we could meet up with another cousin, Terri. On the way down, we stopped at a few cool churches, including one that was built to look like a ship. We stopped at a cute little beach town for lunch. And when we finally got to Sligo, we went and vistied WB Yeats' grave, which is apparently on the list of 1000 things to do before you die. CHECKED THAT OFF. Tuesday night we had a lovely dinner with Terri, and she told me lots of good stories about my mom and grandma's younger days. All good fun! That night, Elise and I stayed in a hotel that was converted from an old psych ward. A little unsettling, but probably the best night's sleep I've had in a while. I think they might still put something in the water to calm people down.
On Wednesday we took the bus to Ennis. We stopped in for the lunchtime Irish music concert, which was excellent. It was very similar to Scottish music, except instead of bagpipes, they just had a regular pipe, but it sounded almost the same. We went back to the hostel and cooked dinner. Then we headed out to a local pub for the Irish set dancing class. It was like a mix between the Ceilidh we went to in Scotland, and good old fashioned line dancing from Billy Bob's. Downside: Elise and I got separated, so I ended up paired with some guy from Alabama who was like 40, but was still reliving his glory years. AKA he was wearing way too much Abercrombie cologne and probably should have worn pants that weren't so snug. But other than that, it was great to learn how to dance. I can now feign being Irish.
On Thursday we arrived in Dublin. We checked into the hostel, bought the "hop on hop off" bus tour pass, and then headed to the Guinness Storehouse for the grand tour. It was really cool seeing how the beer was made. The storehouse was put together really well, and you definitely learned a lot when you went around. And then we arrived in the sampling room. We got about a fourth of a pint of Guinness Draught. AND HOLY CRAP THAT STUFF IS SICK NASTY. "Guinness is Good For You" ?? Lies. Absolute Lies. Lies. Lies. Lies. So then we go upstairs to discover that our tickets also included a free pint at the Gravity Bar. A whole pint of gross? No thank you. So we found some charming college aged boys to drink ours for us. It was a win-win situation. Anyway, after that great disappointment, we finished the bus tour and then called it a day.
Friday we shopped our way through Dublin. As girls tend to do :) . We visited Trinity College, and then made our way to St. Stephen's gardens. We went to Temple Bar, the outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral (they were charging too much for us to care to go inside-- besides, we had just been in Rome. We've seen gorgeous churches). And then we shopped shopped shopped. :) Except I didn't buy too much. I got the cutest shot glass ever. Ask me to see it next semester!
Saturday we flew back into London and were greeted at a train station by my Uncle Rob and my little cousins (and my big cousin Tom!). We went to Crystal Park and saw some really legitimate dinosaur sculptures. Then we went back to their house and Elise and I played games with the kids. I think that's the first time I've been in the same room with all of my Eastaway cousins. And we're clearly all an intelligent bunch, because the London Underground game we were playing took some serious strategy. That night, we went to the park and walked past the kid's school. It was a good little tour of the area.
And today is SUNDAY. This morning we just played with the cousins and failed at repacking our bags. How did we get all our stuff on a ryanair flight? One of those unanswerable questions. But anyway, I've currently got multicolored sparkly nails, courtesy of my 8 year old cousin Jenna. Super adorable. And now we're back at Maggie's house, and just had more food than I know what to do with. Three weeks in the UK has been nearly as detrimental to my waistline as four months in Italy eating nothing but pasta.
Elise and I leave tomorrow! My five month tour of Europe is finally (almost) over.
Travel Log:
Rome (ITALY)
Subiaco
Assisi
Lisbon (PORTUGAL)
Fatima
Bern (SWITZERLAND)
Olympia (GREECE)
Delphi
Athens
Corinth
Napflion
Mycenae
Patras
Vienna (AUSTRIA)
Krakow (POLAND)
Prague (CZECH REPUBLIC)
Munich (GERMANY)
Paris (FRANCE)
Florence
Venice
London (ENGLAND)
Edinburgh (SCOTLAND)
Pitlochry
Inverness
Kyleakin
Oban
Glasgow
Derry (NORTHERN IRELAND)
Port Stewart
Sligo (IRELAND)
Ennis
Dublin
....Busy semester. I haven't left, but I can't wait to come back :) there's still so much to see!!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Hairycoo and Haggis
Just a note: updates from here on out are probably going to be scarce because of my lack of internet. Which is too bad, because I've seen and done some badass stuff in the past week.
So after the adventures on Monday, we headed to the Isle of Skye to stay at Kyleakin for two nights. Along the way, we stopped at this freezing cold river in the middle of the mountains. Our tour guide, Ruthie, told us if we stuck our face in the river, we'd gain eternal youth and beauty. And I'd quite like to look this good forever, so naturally I plunged my face into the icy waters. We stopped at various other points, including a waterfall that was supposed to grant eternal good sex. You were supposed to stick your entire head under this one, and it was absolutely frigid. So given my exceedingly high morals and dislike of getting my hair wet, I skipped that one. We also saw Eilean Donan, the castle from Made of Honor. And I went against all my principles and tried a smallllll bite of haggis. Which is not all that good. Considering that I've never seen a haggis, I'll just assume that they really don't exist and continue to avoid eating anything made from sheep. Tuesday night we stayed in the hostel and went to bed. We didn't get hardly any sleep on Monday night. However, Elise and I have mastered the bar scene. Not paying for drinks is a great way to economize :)
On Wednesday we went all around the Isle of Skye. We stopped at the capital city for lunch, and got to play in the Faerie Glen. It was this area with a whole bunch of cute little hills and trees-- it was similar to the Shire in Lord of the Rings. We didn't see any faeries while we were there though. After that, we went over to these mountains and climbed one of them that wasn't ridiculously high. And oh my goodness, I'm surprised a gust of wind didn't knock us into the see. It was so freaking windy. There were a couple of moments when I thought I was going to die, but it turned out all right in the end. Wednesday night we went to the local pub in Kyleakin to listen to a semi-famous Scottlish band. And I've come to like bagpipes and accordions. It's all good fun.
Thursday we headed down to Oban. Notable stop along the way: the Harry Potter bridge. (It's the bridge from the second movie that Ron and Harry are flying the enchanted car around). So we got off and took stupid pictures in front of it. Actually, we have stupid pictures in front of all of these sites. Be prepared. When we got to Oban we took a tour of the Oban Distillery. The Scottish really love their whiskey. And we got free samples! They gave us some of this 10 year old stuff that hadn't matured properly. So it was really strong. It was like drinking fire. Whoo, child. The 14 year old stuff was a little less potent. And that was our adventure in one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. We got free glasses, too. Don't know how all this crap I'm acquiring is going to fit on my Ryanair flights to Ireland... hmm. Guess I'll be wearing all my clothes on the plane. Which is just as well, because it is absolutely freezing over here. That small tan I gained in Italy.. yeah that's gone. Hello pasty white English skin. Nice to see you again.
Thursday night we went to the Skipinnish house to learn Ceileidh dancing and hear traditional Scottish music. The dancing was a lot of fun, and as previously stated I really like bagpipe music now. I just wish the men on stage in kilts would have worn some form of undergarment. It's not really anything I want to see.
Friday we left Oban and headed back to Edinburgh. We stopped along the way at a Monty Python castle, a Campbell castle that we got to mess around in, a gorgeous old church, and the oldest pub in Scotland. Eating lunch at a 300 year old pub was kind of interesting. I wasn't convinced that the hygienic standards had changed in the three centuries since it opened. Luckily my immune system is like steel! After that, we went and visited Hamish, Heather, and Honey, the famous hairycoos of Scotland. (Hairycoo = hairy cow. They're brown and have a lot of fur and are native to the highlands). We got to feed them carrots and potatos and whatnot. They were very friendly hairycoos as these things go. We also stopped at the William Wallace monument; I decided I really need to watch Braveheart. Someone make me do it this summer, okay? Good. So after arriving in Edinburgh we caught a train to Glasgow. That was a little stressful. They kept cancelling trains and sending us to different platforms. But we got here in the end, and were greeted by my cousin Helen., who is studying at the University here.
Last night Helen took us to her school's end of term party. And holy crap, do Scottish people know how to rave. I've never hair more alcohol thrown on me in my life. At the end of the night, my foot was adhered to the bottom on my flipflop because it was so sticky. Another reason I am glad I don't live in a frat house. However, frat life is a lot of fun in moderation. So it was an excellent way to see what university life in the UK is like. It's way different from UD. Like Groundhog on steroids and caffeiene.
Today (Saturday) we're apparently doing the artsy stuff of Glasgow. It looks like a really pretty city, and I can't see too many clouds in the sky. Jackpot! Tomorrow we leave for Ireland (Derry, Ennis, and Dublin), and then I'll be home in about 10 days (boooooooooooooo.... =[ )
So after the adventures on Monday, we headed to the Isle of Skye to stay at Kyleakin for two nights. Along the way, we stopped at this freezing cold river in the middle of the mountains. Our tour guide, Ruthie, told us if we stuck our face in the river, we'd gain eternal youth and beauty. And I'd quite like to look this good forever, so naturally I plunged my face into the icy waters. We stopped at various other points, including a waterfall that was supposed to grant eternal good sex. You were supposed to stick your entire head under this one, and it was absolutely frigid. So given my exceedingly high morals and dislike of getting my hair wet, I skipped that one. We also saw Eilean Donan, the castle from Made of Honor. And I went against all my principles and tried a smallllll bite of haggis. Which is not all that good. Considering that I've never seen a haggis, I'll just assume that they really don't exist and continue to avoid eating anything made from sheep. Tuesday night we stayed in the hostel and went to bed. We didn't get hardly any sleep on Monday night. However, Elise and I have mastered the bar scene. Not paying for drinks is a great way to economize :)
On Wednesday we went all around the Isle of Skye. We stopped at the capital city for lunch, and got to play in the Faerie Glen. It was this area with a whole bunch of cute little hills and trees-- it was similar to the Shire in Lord of the Rings. We didn't see any faeries while we were there though. After that, we went over to these mountains and climbed one of them that wasn't ridiculously high. And oh my goodness, I'm surprised a gust of wind didn't knock us into the see. It was so freaking windy. There were a couple of moments when I thought I was going to die, but it turned out all right in the end. Wednesday night we went to the local pub in Kyleakin to listen to a semi-famous Scottlish band. And I've come to like bagpipes and accordions. It's all good fun.
Thursday we headed down to Oban. Notable stop along the way: the Harry Potter bridge. (It's the bridge from the second movie that Ron and Harry are flying the enchanted car around). So we got off and took stupid pictures in front of it. Actually, we have stupid pictures in front of all of these sites. Be prepared. When we got to Oban we took a tour of the Oban Distillery. The Scottish really love their whiskey. And we got free samples! They gave us some of this 10 year old stuff that hadn't matured properly. So it was really strong. It was like drinking fire. Whoo, child. The 14 year old stuff was a little less potent. And that was our adventure in one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. We got free glasses, too. Don't know how all this crap I'm acquiring is going to fit on my Ryanair flights to Ireland... hmm. Guess I'll be wearing all my clothes on the plane. Which is just as well, because it is absolutely freezing over here. That small tan I gained in Italy.. yeah that's gone. Hello pasty white English skin. Nice to see you again.
Thursday night we went to the Skipinnish house to learn Ceileidh dancing and hear traditional Scottish music. The dancing was a lot of fun, and as previously stated I really like bagpipe music now. I just wish the men on stage in kilts would have worn some form of undergarment. It's not really anything I want to see.
Friday we left Oban and headed back to Edinburgh. We stopped along the way at a Monty Python castle, a Campbell castle that we got to mess around in, a gorgeous old church, and the oldest pub in Scotland. Eating lunch at a 300 year old pub was kind of interesting. I wasn't convinced that the hygienic standards had changed in the three centuries since it opened. Luckily my immune system is like steel! After that, we went and visited Hamish, Heather, and Honey, the famous hairycoos of Scotland. (Hairycoo = hairy cow. They're brown and have a lot of fur and are native to the highlands). We got to feed them carrots and potatos and whatnot. They were very friendly hairycoos as these things go. We also stopped at the William Wallace monument; I decided I really need to watch Braveheart. Someone make me do it this summer, okay? Good. So after arriving in Edinburgh we caught a train to Glasgow. That was a little stressful. They kept cancelling trains and sending us to different platforms. But we got here in the end, and were greeted by my cousin Helen., who is studying at the University here.
Last night Helen took us to her school's end of term party. And holy crap, do Scottish people know how to rave. I've never hair more alcohol thrown on me in my life. At the end of the night, my foot was adhered to the bottom on my flipflop because it was so sticky. Another reason I am glad I don't live in a frat house. However, frat life is a lot of fun in moderation. So it was an excellent way to see what university life in the UK is like. It's way different from UD. Like Groundhog on steroids and caffeiene.
Today (Saturday) we're apparently doing the artsy stuff of Glasgow. It looks like a really pretty city, and I can't see too many clouds in the sky. Jackpot! Tomorrow we leave for Ireland (Derry, Ennis, and Dublin), and then I'll be home in about 10 days (boooooooooooooo.... =[ )
Monday, May 16, 2011
Functioning alcoholics-- Scotland!
This will be brief because I'm on Elises itouch. Anyway, were in Scotland! We arrived in Edinburgh yesterday by plane because we waited a wee bit too long to book train tickets. And those things get very expensive if you procrastinate. (I'm going to try and use my new Scottish vocabulary. It consists of "wee" "Bonnie" and "sexy"). So we walked around Edinburgh and then decided to go to bed really early because we were exhausted and figured we'd be going out every night this week.
Monday morning we left on our Five day tour of the highlands. Were traveling with two PhD candidates from Germany. Legit. So we stopped at the hermitage of Ossian, Pitlochry, two battle sites, Loch ness, and were staying the night in Inverness. The weather has been cold and rainy, but what else could you expect from scotland. I'm also disappointed that Nessie didn't make a grand appearance. Elise won a cool Nessie figurine fr the resident nutcase who gave up his job to spend his life searching for the loch ness monster. I wonder if I should tell him that it's not real-- but it might break his heart.
So we get to the hostel in Inverness and make dinner. We went to a pub with a couple of Canadian boys who have been here for a few months. They were playing live Scottish music that didn't involve bagpipes. It was kind of trippy. Anyway, we met a couple of locals including a precious 19 year old bartender who was explaining to me that every one in scotland is a functioning alcoholic. He was appalled when Elise and I didn't want to drink more than a pint. He didn't understand the concept of a lightweight. Anyway, Scottish people are a riot! Were heading to the isle of Skye for two nights.
Monday morning we left on our Five day tour of the highlands. Were traveling with two PhD candidates from Germany. Legit. So we stopped at the hermitage of Ossian, Pitlochry, two battle sites, Loch ness, and were staying the night in Inverness. The weather has been cold and rainy, but what else could you expect from scotland. I'm also disappointed that Nessie didn't make a grand appearance. Elise won a cool Nessie figurine fr the resident nutcase who gave up his job to spend his life searching for the loch ness monster. I wonder if I should tell him that it's not real-- but it might break his heart.
So we get to the hostel in Inverness and make dinner. We went to a pub with a couple of Canadian boys who have been here for a few months. They were playing live Scottish music that didn't involve bagpipes. It was kind of trippy. Anyway, we met a couple of locals including a precious 19 year old bartender who was explaining to me that every one in scotland is a functioning alcoholic. He was appalled when Elise and I didn't want to drink more than a pint. He didn't understand the concept of a lightweight. Anyway, Scottish people are a riot! Were heading to the isle of Skye for two nights.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
TEA! TEA! TEA!
TEA TEA TEA TEA TEA TEA TEA TEA TEA.
A four month separation was too rough. And now I'm back in the land of tea and chocolate. AWESOME.
Okay so let's recap since Wednesday afternoon:
We had final convocation mass in the amphitheater on campus, followed by closing speeches. I honestly cannot believe how fast the semester went by. It's been two days since I left Italy, and I already miss everyone like crazy. I really hope everyone is so close next semester. We're definitely hosting Monday Night Meetings in our Condo. It's a five euro buy in, for all of you who are interested. (Yes, thats EURO, and not DOLLARS, we're still trying to scam you).
After convocation we had our final dinner, complete with Campus wine from our vineyard. Which is still as crappy as ever. However, when mixed with coke, it's tolerable. Downside: you'll start doing stupid stuff.
Charming mustaches, absolutely charming.
After dinner, the Mensa ladies started spraying us with champagne. Which was hilarious to watch from the back of the room outside of the splash zone. If the dress I was wearing got covered in alcoholic beverages, I would have been slightly pissed. I don't want to resemble someone who gets into bar fights, after all.
So we headed into the Aula Magna for one last time and watched the slideshow of the semester. It was really cute. And hysterical. They picked some really awful pictures to put up. I escaped too many embarrassing photos, except for that one of me and the statue butt at the Louvre (if you haven't seen it, go look at my "we're going to art history hell..." post). It was really the perfect way to end the semester.
And this was all followed by a bonfire and the burning of our less than stellar tests and papers. Unfortunately, some of the staff was there, so we had to restrain ourselves from vocally showing our frustration. So that went on until two in the morning, with everyone drinking their last bottles of wine and whatnot. We got kicked out of the firepit at 2, and then we headed over to Dr. Nelson's apartment for a little while. Only at UD can you go drink with your professors. Classic. So I didn't get back to the dorm until after three, and then didn't go to sleep until nearly four. Which is really great when you have to get up at five.
Thursday morning was just a rush. A complete rush. Making sure everything was packed and the room was clean was chaotic. But we got on the bus, and made it to the airport. And then Elise and I found out our gate was right next to the group flight's gate. So we got to hang out with everyone until they left. Which was awesome, because I'm going to miss everyone.
And then we headed off to England!
Yesterday, my Auntie Maggie took us to Hampton Court Palace, which is where Henry the VIII liked to hang out and behead people and whatnot. So that was really cool! And then we walked along the Thames back towards her house. Then in the evening we headed into London after chaotically figuring out a method to get Elise and I from London to Edinburgh. Note to self: don't wait last minute to buy tickets, because they are freaking expensive. So we're going to be flying up there. Oh well.
Anyway: London. We went to a show called "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert" which was about as glitzy as it sounds. Basically it's about three drag queens that make their way across the Australian desert to get to a casino. And it was hysterical. The costumes were fantastic, and it sort of makes me want to be a drag queen. Except not really, because from the looks of the production, they have a hard life. I will take a drag queen's shoe collection any day of the week though.
Today we're heading into London again and going on a Jack the Ripper tour and seeing the touristy stuff again. It'll be an adventure for sure.
We got to wear legit costumes for visiting the palace. We are obviously courtiers.
Us with "Lady Kate" or something.
A four month separation was too rough. And now I'm back in the land of tea and chocolate. AWESOME.
Okay so let's recap since Wednesday afternoon:
We had final convocation mass in the amphitheater on campus, followed by closing speeches. I honestly cannot believe how fast the semester went by. It's been two days since I left Italy, and I already miss everyone like crazy. I really hope everyone is so close next semester. We're definitely hosting Monday Night Meetings in our Condo. It's a five euro buy in, for all of you who are interested. (Yes, thats EURO, and not DOLLARS, we're still trying to scam you).
After convocation we had our final dinner, complete with Campus wine from our vineyard. Which is still as crappy as ever. However, when mixed with coke, it's tolerable. Downside: you'll start doing stupid stuff.
After dinner, the Mensa ladies started spraying us with champagne. Which was hilarious to watch from the back of the room outside of the splash zone. If the dress I was wearing got covered in alcoholic beverages, I would have been slightly pissed. I don't want to resemble someone who gets into bar fights, after all.
So we headed into the Aula Magna for one last time and watched the slideshow of the semester. It was really cute. And hysterical. They picked some really awful pictures to put up. I escaped too many embarrassing photos, except for that one of me and the statue butt at the Louvre (if you haven't seen it, go look at my "we're going to art history hell..." post). It was really the perfect way to end the semester.
And this was all followed by a bonfire and the burning of our less than stellar tests and papers. Unfortunately, some of the staff was there, so we had to restrain ourselves from vocally showing our frustration. So that went on until two in the morning, with everyone drinking their last bottles of wine and whatnot. We got kicked out of the firepit at 2, and then we headed over to Dr. Nelson's apartment for a little while. Only at UD can you go drink with your professors. Classic. So I didn't get back to the dorm until after three, and then didn't go to sleep until nearly four. Which is really great when you have to get up at five.
Thursday morning was just a rush. A complete rush. Making sure everything was packed and the room was clean was chaotic. But we got on the bus, and made it to the airport. And then Elise and I found out our gate was right next to the group flight's gate. So we got to hang out with everyone until they left. Which was awesome, because I'm going to miss everyone.
And then we headed off to England!
Yesterday, my Auntie Maggie took us to Hampton Court Palace, which is where Henry the VIII liked to hang out and behead people and whatnot. So that was really cool! And then we walked along the Thames back towards her house. Then in the evening we headed into London after chaotically figuring out a method to get Elise and I from London to Edinburgh. Note to self: don't wait last minute to buy tickets, because they are freaking expensive. So we're going to be flying up there. Oh well.
Anyway: London. We went to a show called "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert" which was about as glitzy as it sounds. Basically it's about three drag queens that make their way across the Australian desert to get to a casino. And it was hysterical. The costumes were fantastic, and it sort of makes me want to be a drag queen. Except not really, because from the looks of the production, they have a hard life. I will take a drag queen's shoe collection any day of the week though.
Today we're heading into London again and going on a Jack the Ripper tour and seeing the touristy stuff again. It'll be an adventure for sure.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
And now it's over...
I finished finals today. This past week has been really bittersweet. So let me begin my story...
On Friday, we had our last day of classes. That night, we had our final group dinner in Rome. So Elise and I went in a little early to hang out in Trastevere one last time before we leave Italy. AND we finally got mistaken for Italians. (Two guys came up and asked us in Italian where the Colosseum was. Maybe they didn't think we were Italian and were just trying to talk to us. Because the Colosseum is kind of hard to miss. But whatever, it counts). We went up to the keyhole one last time and then went to the group dinner. It was at a pizza place, and we each got our own pizza. So much food, as always. Italians know how to eat. Anyway, the school was offering to bus us home from Rome at midnight, so we actually got to go out in the city. Normally this is hard because the metro stops running at 9:30 and cabs are expensive. So a large group of us went to a bar in Campo dei Fiori called the Drunken Ship. And oh child. They are not kidding. Jeff and I split a pitcher (like a freaking PITCHER) of something that tasted like a cherry limeade from sonic. But it definitely wasn't. So that was more fun than anticipated. And then on the way home, there was a really bad accident on the highway so what should have taken about 45 minutes took almost two hours. Which isn't fun when you really have to pee. Moving on.
Saturday our Theology term paper was due. It was also my birthday. I am officially 20. No longer a teenager, but definitely not mature enough to claim adult status. :) I spent the whole day studying. And then Elise told me I had to go out for my birthday. So we planned to go into Albano to Saints and Sinners one last time. So as we're walking out to the bus stop, we walk past the forno. Long story short, my amazing roommates Elise, Paige, and Renee threw me a surprise party and pretty much scared the crap out of me. But it was a lot of fun and really nice of them. So I got to celebrate my 20th birthday with great wine and even better friends.
I am also excited to note that a new camera awaits me in England. I broke mine back in February, so I've had to steal pictures from Elise all semester. Luckily she's a great photographer.
Sunday we had a class (I'm pretty sure that's breaking a commandment) and spent the rest of the time studying. And then a week of finals. Which means sleeping about 4 hours a night and being really stressed out. Hello heartburn. But I'm pretty sure they went well. I got my final Comedy/Tragedy paper back this week though. AND I GOT A FREAKING C ON IT. I'VE NEVER GOTTEN A C IN MY LIFE. I CAN GET A 97 IN QUANTUM PHYSICS, BUT I CAN'T EVEN PULL OFF A B ON A STUPID SHAKESPEARE PAPER? WHAT THE HELL. So that was a bitter pill to swallow. But I'm pretty sure the teacher will curb the grade at the end of the semester. Fingers crossed.
Finals ended today, and tonight we've got final convocation and a big dinner. Followed by an all night PARTY. Got to get rid of that 2 euro wine somehow.
Tomorrow I leave for England with Elise. I can't wait to see all the relatives and travel without worrying about schoolwork.
I really love the A TEAM. It's been a pleasure working with you ladies all semester.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER.
On Friday, we had our last day of classes. That night, we had our final group dinner in Rome. So Elise and I went in a little early to hang out in Trastevere one last time before we leave Italy. AND we finally got mistaken for Italians. (Two guys came up and asked us in Italian where the Colosseum was. Maybe they didn't think we were Italian and were just trying to talk to us. Because the Colosseum is kind of hard to miss. But whatever, it counts). We went up to the keyhole one last time and then went to the group dinner. It was at a pizza place, and we each got our own pizza. So much food, as always. Italians know how to eat. Anyway, the school was offering to bus us home from Rome at midnight, so we actually got to go out in the city. Normally this is hard because the metro stops running at 9:30 and cabs are expensive. So a large group of us went to a bar in Campo dei Fiori called the Drunken Ship. And oh child. They are not kidding. Jeff and I split a pitcher (like a freaking PITCHER) of something that tasted like a cherry limeade from sonic. But it definitely wasn't. So that was more fun than anticipated. And then on the way home, there was a really bad accident on the highway so what should have taken about 45 minutes took almost two hours. Which isn't fun when you really have to pee. Moving on.
Saturday our Theology term paper was due. It was also my birthday. I am officially 20. No longer a teenager, but definitely not mature enough to claim adult status. :) I spent the whole day studying. And then Elise told me I had to go out for my birthday. So we planned to go into Albano to Saints and Sinners one last time. So as we're walking out to the bus stop, we walk past the forno. Long story short, my amazing roommates Elise, Paige, and Renee threw me a surprise party and pretty much scared the crap out of me. But it was a lot of fun and really nice of them. So I got to celebrate my 20th birthday with great wine and even better friends.
I am also excited to note that a new camera awaits me in England. I broke mine back in February, so I've had to steal pictures from Elise all semester. Luckily she's a great photographer.
Sunday we had a class (I'm pretty sure that's breaking a commandment) and spent the rest of the time studying. And then a week of finals. Which means sleeping about 4 hours a night and being really stressed out. Hello heartburn. But I'm pretty sure they went well. I got my final Comedy/Tragedy paper back this week though. AND I GOT A FREAKING C ON IT. I'VE NEVER GOTTEN A C IN MY LIFE. I CAN GET A 97 IN QUANTUM PHYSICS, BUT I CAN'T EVEN PULL OFF A B ON A STUPID SHAKESPEARE PAPER? WHAT THE HELL. So that was a bitter pill to swallow. But I'm pretty sure the teacher will curb the grade at the end of the semester. Fingers crossed.
Finals ended today, and tonight we've got final convocation and a big dinner. Followed by an all night PARTY. Got to get rid of that 2 euro wine somehow.
Tomorrow I leave for England with Elise. I can't wait to see all the relatives and travel without worrying about schoolwork.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Why does my room smell like fish?
It's been a weekend of walking, to say the least.
Our fourth long weekend consisted of staying in Rome. It's the beatification of JP II this weekend, so almost everyone on campus was staying in Rome for it. So we had Friday off, and got to explore the city. We've officially got less than two more weeks here! Which means finals are rapidly approaching. But we're going to ignore that fact :)
On Thursday, Elise, Ellie, and I went into Castel Gandolfo for dinner. So we're waiting at the bus stop. And the bus never comes. So we really want to go to this restaurant, and so we decide to walk it. It took 40 minutes and it was uphill the whole way. But we get to the restaurant, and we run into Monsignor (our chaplain). The food was absolutely amazing, and at the end of the night he offers to drive us back down the hill. Which was great, because both Elise and I were wearing heels. Another perk: the pope is currently at Castel Gondolfo, so that means that the swiss guard was also there. It was a great night with the girls.
On Friday, Elise, Renee, Paige and I decided to go to the Botanical Gardens in Trastevere. It's definitely my favorite part of Rome. The gardens were amazing. And I don't even really like nature. We just kept following different paths and ended up on top of a hill over looking the city. It was so pretty. You could see almost every major basilica in Rome. After walking around the gardens, we went to lunch at a place we had been to the week before. Except they jacked up their prices a ton! Grrr. Stupid Romans. Anyway, we got back to campus and then attempted to do homework. Which failed. But last night there was the "Spring Fling: The Gathering", which was basically the Rome version of the formal back in Irving. It was surprisingly fun, but UD does not know how to pick music for dances. At all. It was kind of a throwback to the 70s. But whatever, you can't expect too much else from UD. It was nice to see everyone dressed up though.
Today, Elise, Renee, Brad, Michael, Andrew, and I walked the Appia Antica. It's basically this old Roman road that leads from were we live into Rome. Its about 12 miles. It took us from 12:30 until 7 to make it into Rome and then take public transportation back. Oh, and it was raining the whole time. So basically, I walked for six solid hours outside in the cold and the rain. But it was so much fun!! Definitely worth doing while in Rome. Anyway, Elise and Michael are crazy enough to stay in Rome all night to be in line for the Beatification mass. I decided that staying up all night in the cold for another papal event didn't really interest me. So now I'm back on campus and I'll try and finish some homework tonight. Wish me luck. Finals are approaching and I still have no motivation to work.
Side note: we're currently involved in a prank war, and we're losing. Tonight when we got back from dinner, we found ourselves locked out of our room. When we got in, the whole place stank like cat food. Turns out, they had filled a box with tuna and left it under our bed. Earlier in the week, they had taped all of our makeup and hair stuff to the ceiling of the room and covered most surfaces with sprinkles and shaving cream. I guess they got us back for stealing all their clothes and hiding them in trash bags in various locations in the dorm.
However, boys are stupid. And I hate the smell of fish.
Elise and I in the gardens.
Our fourth long weekend consisted of staying in Rome. It's the beatification of JP II this weekend, so almost everyone on campus was staying in Rome for it. So we had Friday off, and got to explore the city. We've officially got less than two more weeks here! Which means finals are rapidly approaching. But we're going to ignore that fact :)
On Thursday, Elise, Ellie, and I went into Castel Gandolfo for dinner. So we're waiting at the bus stop. And the bus never comes. So we really want to go to this restaurant, and so we decide to walk it. It took 40 minutes and it was uphill the whole way. But we get to the restaurant, and we run into Monsignor (our chaplain). The food was absolutely amazing, and at the end of the night he offers to drive us back down the hill. Which was great, because both Elise and I were wearing heels. Another perk: the pope is currently at Castel Gondolfo, so that means that the swiss guard was also there. It was a great night with the girls.
On Friday, Elise, Renee, Paige and I decided to go to the Botanical Gardens in Trastevere. It's definitely my favorite part of Rome. The gardens were amazing. And I don't even really like nature. We just kept following different paths and ended up on top of a hill over looking the city. It was so pretty. You could see almost every major basilica in Rome. After walking around the gardens, we went to lunch at a place we had been to the week before. Except they jacked up their prices a ton! Grrr. Stupid Romans. Anyway, we got back to campus and then attempted to do homework. Which failed. But last night there was the "Spring Fling: The Gathering", which was basically the Rome version of the formal back in Irving. It was surprisingly fun, but UD does not know how to pick music for dances. At all. It was kind of a throwback to the 70s. But whatever, you can't expect too much else from UD. It was nice to see everyone dressed up though.
Today, Elise, Renee, Brad, Michael, Andrew, and I walked the Appia Antica. It's basically this old Roman road that leads from were we live into Rome. Its about 12 miles. It took us from 12:30 until 7 to make it into Rome and then take public transportation back. Oh, and it was raining the whole time. So basically, I walked for six solid hours outside in the cold and the rain. But it was so much fun!! Definitely worth doing while in Rome. Anyway, Elise and Michael are crazy enough to stay in Rome all night to be in line for the Beatification mass. I decided that staying up all night in the cold for another papal event didn't really interest me. So now I'm back on campus and I'll try and finish some homework tonight. Wish me luck. Finals are approaching and I still have no motivation to work.
Side note: we're currently involved in a prank war, and we're losing. Tonight when we got back from dinner, we found ourselves locked out of our room. When we got in, the whole place stank like cat food. Turns out, they had filled a box with tuna and left it under our bed. Earlier in the week, they had taped all of our makeup and hair stuff to the ceiling of the room and covered most surfaces with sprinkles and shaving cream. I guess they got us back for stealing all their clothes and hiding them in trash bags in various locations in the dorm.
However, boys are stupid. And I hate the smell of fish.
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