SO just for the sake of memories way down the line, I'm going to go into painstaking detail in describing an average day. Average meaning: no traveling involved. Except from the dorm room to the classroom to the mensa.
As most of you probably know, I'm rooming with Paige and Elise again this semester. We're living in a room about the size of the single room I had last semester. With only two desks, and about 120 books for classes. We're all morning people. So we normally get up around 6, but Paige is up even earlier. This is prime homework time. Except on Tuesdays and Thursdays (classes start later), when I go to the pathetic excuse for a gym on campus and attempt to ward off the pasta weight. The mensa (cafeteria) opens for breakfast at 7. Its always the same: slices of white bread, cheese, ham, two types of cereal, and croissants. Which is fine with me.
On "A" days, we have Lit Trad, Art and Arch, and Phil of Man. Classes start at 8 AM and go until 1 PM. We get 15 minutes between classes. But lets be honest, by the end of the last class, no one is even listening any more. But it's Art and Arch which is the only class I've currently got an A in.... So lesson learned: stop caring and you'll do fine :). We also have "A*" days, which means that the Art and Arch class is on site somewhere in Rome, like the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Borghese Gallery, etc. However, on these trips we have to be in our big group of 105, so we always look like tourists, which is something I hate. But it's a great excuse to go into Rome, and we've seen a lot of cool things. On "B" days, we have Theology and History, and classes don't start until 10. However, breakfast is still at 7, so if you want to eat before lunch at 1, then you have to get up anyway. There's something about the classes at 11:30... they just go on forever. Our class attendance in mandatory; we are only allowed one absence before they drop us from the course. Which blows. Anyway, we have two classrooms on campus, one called the Aula Magna (also used for Sunday Mass and Monday night Meeting), and the Aula Minore (which is located in the basement of the dorm; it's always really warm in that room, so combined with uninteresting philosophical material, it makes for some great naps).
On days we don't have Art and Arch field trips, we have the rest of the day off. Except on Mondays, when we have the mandatory Monday Night Meeting, where the dean tells us what we're doing for the week and people make various announcements about upcoming activities and such. Dinner is always at 7. And it's always pasta. With vegetables soaked in oil. Delicious??..... We spend the rest of the nights doing homework. "homework". This semester, there's really not enough hours in the day to do all the work. The first thing to go was reading for Art and Arch. Then philosophy reading stopped happening. And then Theology turned into more of a glancing over. And then West Civ reading got delayed for five weeks. The only thing I've consistently done the work for is Comedy/Tragedy. Our strategy for the semester: divide and conquer. I do about 1/4 of the work necessary, as do Elise, Paige, and Renee. It's great to have wonderful roommates who will share their notes. Finals are going to be a special kind of nightmare. At least I've relaxed my perfectionist standards.
So now that the general schedule of the week is layed out, here's what we like to do in our free time:
Elise and I walk to the Dem (local supermarket) and count how many times we get honked at. Our record was 10, with one guy enthusiastically blowing us kisses. Italians are very forward.
Also, we like to put on heels and do jumping jacks in the room to piss off the boys below us (Andrew and Nick). This is loads of fun, until Andrew gets pissed enough to start throwing oranges at our window. So, if the window is not all the way shut, it tends to get in and explode over everything.
NOTE: we just played this game, except instead of running around in heels we were banging drawers on the floor. about fifteen seconds later the oranges start hitting the window. And then explode. So our window is now coated in pulp. Thanks, boys.
We spend most of our free time planning our next trips and looking up things to do in Rome.
And that's what an average day is like in Rome.
Time for an Art and Arch trip to Baroque churches! This weekend we're staying in Roma for the beatification of Pope John Paul II. Except I'm sick of large crowds of people, so I might not go. Haven't decided yet.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
I miss my Chi...
As the end of the semester approaches, one of the most common questions I hear: "What do you miss most from back home?" Well most people give the standard answers: family, friends, Tex Mex, etc. But what I really miss is my straightener. Four months of big hair is getting a little obnoxious. Granted, I did acquire a European flat iron to use over here, but lets be honest: it sucks. So in about five weeks, my hair will be back up to its normal standard of awesomeness. I'm also looking forward to getting back in shape. I can barely run three miles any more. Sad days!
I can't believe we've only got two more weeks of classes, and then a week of finals. The semester has literally flown by. But it's been really nice being in Rome this past week. On Wednesday, we took an Art and Arch trip up to the Borghese Museum. It was an area of Rome I hadn't been to before, and it's now probably one of my favorites. It's got a huge park to hang out in, and it's not touristy. Jackpot. So that's where I'll be "studying" for my finals.
We didn't have classes on Thursday or Friday, because it's Holy Week. So on Thursday, Michael, Ellie, Elise and I decided to be really ambitious and visit 15 churches. I think we only made it to about 9 of them. Note: If you're ever in Rome, I recommend visiting Trastevere. It's a really neat area and the food is delicious. And cheap. A broke student's dream. We went to Mass at Santa Maria Maggiore and then visited seven different churches that were in Repose to gain a plenary indulgence. It was the first time I've been in Rome at night and it was awesome. There were so many young Catholics walking from church to church. It's nice to see that kind of commitment.
On Friday we went to the service at Santa Croce de Gerusalemme. They have pieces of the True Cross there. And it was amazing to get to see it on Good Friday.
Today: almost all of campus left to go get in line for the Easter Vigil about 9 hours ahead of time. I decided I didn't want to stand in line for so long. So I stayed behind and am trying to get caught up on homework. I've already written two papers today. And it's not even 4 yet.
Tomorrow I'm going to the Easter Sunday mass at the Vatican with the Pope. We're leaving in the early hours of the morning, but hopefully we'll get decent seats again. Ideally it won't rain on us, but it's looking a little cloudy.
So for all those concerned: I have yet again increased my Italian vocabulary. It now consists of about 10 words and three phrases. One of which I can use to tell creepy old gentlemen to leave me alone. Wish I would have known all of this in Florence...
I can't believe we've only got two more weeks of classes, and then a week of finals. The semester has literally flown by. But it's been really nice being in Rome this past week. On Wednesday, we took an Art and Arch trip up to the Borghese Museum. It was an area of Rome I hadn't been to before, and it's now probably one of my favorites. It's got a huge park to hang out in, and it's not touristy. Jackpot. So that's where I'll be "studying" for my finals.
We didn't have classes on Thursday or Friday, because it's Holy Week. So on Thursday, Michael, Ellie, Elise and I decided to be really ambitious and visit 15 churches. I think we only made it to about 9 of them. Note: If you're ever in Rome, I recommend visiting Trastevere. It's a really neat area and the food is delicious. And cheap. A broke student's dream. We went to Mass at Santa Maria Maggiore and then visited seven different churches that were in Repose to gain a plenary indulgence. It was the first time I've been in Rome at night and it was awesome. There were so many young Catholics walking from church to church. It's nice to see that kind of commitment.
On Friday we went to the service at Santa Croce de Gerusalemme. They have pieces of the True Cross there. And it was amazing to get to see it on Good Friday.
Today: almost all of campus left to go get in line for the Easter Vigil about 9 hours ahead of time. I decided I didn't want to stand in line for so long. So I stayed behind and am trying to get caught up on homework. I've already written two papers today. And it's not even 4 yet.
Tomorrow I'm going to the Easter Sunday mass at the Vatican with the Pope. We're leaving in the early hours of the morning, but hopefully we'll get decent seats again. Ideally it won't rain on us, but it's looking a little cloudy.
So for all those concerned: I have yet again increased my Italian vocabulary. It now consists of about 10 words and three phrases. One of which I can use to tell creepy old gentlemen to leave me alone. Wish I would have known all of this in Florence...
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Staying in Rome = More Shoe Options.
That's right, everyone. Because when you're living out of a backpack, you can only bring two pairs of shoes tops. Half the time, you're wearing the same pair all weekend. And that's just not okay. So one of the perks of not traveling this weekend was having my whole shoe collection within grasp. :) :) :) :) :)
So here are some highlights from a full week of classes. (We even had class on Friday... what's that about??). We had a Theology exam on Thursday, which was very European style because the professor is Irish. Which essentially means that she won't tell you whats on the test, because you better prepare yourself if you're left in the dark. That's all fine and dandy, but when you haven't done the reading all semester, it'd be really nice to know what information you need to cram into your brain for 2 hours and then promptly forget.
**Of course, I am the epitome of a responsible student, and have done every single assignment that has been thrown my way.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Anecdote: We have an Art and Architecture quiz on Monday and the professor addresses all 100 of us and asks if anyone has done the reading. Not a single hand went into the air. Welcome to the Rome Semester, where GPAs suffer, but at least we'll have excellent stories about all the cool stuff we did when we should have been studying.
So, this weekend my old high school friend Kenny was in town. (He's in Spain for the semester and is spending a week in Italy. So he came to visit me in Rome, and he'll be heading up to Florence to see another girl from high school). Anyway, nn Friday, Renee, Paige, Elise, and I were on a shoe-buying mission. I restrained myself, and only ended up with a much needed new pair of sunglasses. I've decided I should start saving my money for the England/Ireland/Scotland leg of my trip because it's more expensive over there. And after wandering around the main street of Rome, we headed over to the Colosseum where we met up with Kenny and Lindsay (both OU students studying in Spain) and went out to dinner. We went to the pizza restaurant that was recommended to us by Monsignor. And it was delicious. AND even better, we made the last metro of the night to Anagnina, so we didn't have to take the sketchy night bus. SCORE!
Saturday... Elise and I left campus around 8:30 and headed to the Vatican to meet up with Kenny and Lindsay again. The line to get in was RIDICULOUS. It wrapped allllll the way around the square, and just kept getting longer. So they decided not to go in, and so we took them to Old Bridge (the UD gelato spot). [Note: the Ricotta and Cinnamon gelato is delicious. I know it sounds gross, but it's amazing]. Then we walked along the Tiber to the Orange Garden and the Knights of Malta keyhole. Both spots offered really great views of the city (especially the Vatican) and are off the beaten path of tourists. Which is great, because at the moment, Rome is absolutely hopping with them because of Holy Week and the beatification. After that, we went to Santa Maria della Consedin, and saw the Bocca della Verita (from Roman Holiday), and then went into the church. Which just happened to house the skull of St. Valentine, AND the crypt of Hadrian (the first crypt in Rome!). Afterwards, we went out to Piazza del Popolo and then Elise and I headed back to campus to get started on all that homework we've been ignoring. :)
Tomorrow we're getting up at 5 AM to go to Palm Sunday mass at St. Peter's. We have tickets, but hopefully we actually get a seat!
Piazza del Popolo with Kenny!
So here are some highlights from a full week of classes. (We even had class on Friday... what's that about??). We had a Theology exam on Thursday, which was very European style because the professor is Irish. Which essentially means that she won't tell you whats on the test, because you better prepare yourself if you're left in the dark. That's all fine and dandy, but when you haven't done the reading all semester, it'd be really nice to know what information you need to cram into your brain for 2 hours and then promptly forget.
**Of course, I am the epitome of a responsible student, and have done every single assignment that has been thrown my way.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Anecdote: We have an Art and Architecture quiz on Monday and the professor addresses all 100 of us and asks if anyone has done the reading. Not a single hand went into the air. Welcome to the Rome Semester, where GPAs suffer, but at least we'll have excellent stories about all the cool stuff we did when we should have been studying.
So, this weekend my old high school friend Kenny was in town. (He's in Spain for the semester and is spending a week in Italy. So he came to visit me in Rome, and he'll be heading up to Florence to see another girl from high school). Anyway, nn Friday, Renee, Paige, Elise, and I were on a shoe-buying mission. I restrained myself, and only ended up with a much needed new pair of sunglasses. I've decided I should start saving my money for the England/Ireland/Scotland leg of my trip because it's more expensive over there. And after wandering around the main street of Rome, we headed over to the Colosseum where we met up with Kenny and Lindsay (both OU students studying in Spain) and went out to dinner. We went to the pizza restaurant that was recommended to us by Monsignor. And it was delicious. AND even better, we made the last metro of the night to Anagnina, so we didn't have to take the sketchy night bus. SCORE!
Saturday... Elise and I left campus around 8:30 and headed to the Vatican to meet up with Kenny and Lindsay again. The line to get in was RIDICULOUS. It wrapped allllll the way around the square, and just kept getting longer. So they decided not to go in, and so we took them to Old Bridge (the UD gelato spot). [Note: the Ricotta and Cinnamon gelato is delicious. I know it sounds gross, but it's amazing]. Then we walked along the Tiber to the Orange Garden and the Knights of Malta keyhole. Both spots offered really great views of the city (especially the Vatican) and are off the beaten path of tourists. Which is great, because at the moment, Rome is absolutely hopping with them because of Holy Week and the beatification. After that, we went to Santa Maria della Consedin, and saw the Bocca della Verita (from Roman Holiday), and then went into the church. Which just happened to house the skull of St. Valentine, AND the crypt of Hadrian (the first crypt in Rome!). Afterwards, we went out to Piazza del Popolo and then Elise and I headed back to campus to get started on all that homework we've been ignoring. :)
Tomorrow we're getting up at 5 AM to go to Palm Sunday mass at St. Peter's. We have tickets, but hopefully we actually get a seat!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Dear Italy, Get Out of My Personal Bubble.
I have successfully survived the last class trip of the semester. Which means I'm pretty much done traveling until the end of the semester when Elise and I take our grand tour of the UK (assuming I decide against going to Norway over Easter). Living out of a backpack is super annoying.
So these past five days found us in Florence and Venice. The weather was absolutely beautiful, so two goals were accomplished. 1) I succeeded in not wearing pants the entire trip and 2) I got a tan. Goodbye pasty white skin! So we got to Florence on Wednesday, took a tour of the city, and then went to the Uffizi Art Gallery. It was a lot of paintings, which would have been cool if I was into Renaissance art. But I'm not, so I based the paper I had to write over the experience on the painting with the most amusing title that was in the closest proximity. On Thursday, I went to the Museo Galileo, and saw a whole bunch of old school math and physics pieces of equipment. And it reminded me of being back at the UD campus in Irving. Because we're just that primitive. In the afternoon, we went to the Academia and saw Michelangelo's David. Who is massssssive. And also the highlight of Florence? Because every tourist shop had like 100 novelty items featuring depictions of only his junk.
Also in Florence: the leather market. Where vendors were getting a little too friendly. And by a little, I mean I was about ready to stab the next person who touched me. First incident: some vendor walks up to me and gives me a hug, and then tells me, "I've got a free jacket for you, Lady Gaga" and then tries to lead me away. 1) I hate it when strangers touch me and 2) WHAT THE HELL, DO I LOOK LIKE LADY GAGA? SHE'S A HERMAPHRODITE. GRRRRRR. Second incident: I was walking along with Elise, Renee, and Brad, and another creepy vendor congratulates Brad on having three girlfriends and then says that I've got sexy legs and he touches my face in a creepy way. Needless to stay, I hauled butt outta there, and did not purchase any leather.
Also having occurred in Florence: wandering around for an hour trying to find the right Irish pub we were supposed to meet a Professor at. It failed. We ended up at some place called The Fish Pub with about 100 Parisian teenagers. Who probably really regretted going after one of our group members projectile vomited on them.
Venice was again nice weather. Highlights: water taxis and I went to the Guggenheim. Modern art... I just don't get it. Maybe if they were handing out LSD at the entrance or something it would have made more sense. But I was completely sober, and didn't understand how eight gray boxes were supposed to represent two figures dancing. I don't even understand artists. Not at all. But it was still fun.
And then last night we went to another bar after wandering around for an hour (I'm seeing a pattern) and ended up at a place were the bartender ineptly sprayed us with a drink he was mixing with a little to much zeal. Upside: he felt so bad about it we scored free drinks. So that saved some money, which will now be used to pay my first write up fine of the semester. We got caught eating on the bus (which is a big no-no), because we were laughing at a gummy bear heart that had the word "shatz" on it. Only Europeans would put past tense profanity on their candy. Anyway, that's 10 euros down the drain.
No traveling for me this weekend, but Kenny (from High school) is coming into town and we'll hopefully get to have some adventures!
Ciao!
So these past five days found us in Florence and Venice. The weather was absolutely beautiful, so two goals were accomplished. 1) I succeeded in not wearing pants the entire trip and 2) I got a tan. Goodbye pasty white skin! So we got to Florence on Wednesday, took a tour of the city, and then went to the Uffizi Art Gallery. It was a lot of paintings, which would have been cool if I was into Renaissance art. But I'm not, so I based the paper I had to write over the experience on the painting with the most amusing title that was in the closest proximity. On Thursday, I went to the Museo Galileo, and saw a whole bunch of old school math and physics pieces of equipment. And it reminded me of being back at the UD campus in Irving. Because we're just that primitive. In the afternoon, we went to the Academia and saw Michelangelo's David. Who is massssssive. And also the highlight of Florence? Because every tourist shop had like 100 novelty items featuring depictions of only his junk.
Also in Florence: the leather market. Where vendors were getting a little too friendly. And by a little, I mean I was about ready to stab the next person who touched me. First incident: some vendor walks up to me and gives me a hug, and then tells me, "I've got a free jacket for you, Lady Gaga" and then tries to lead me away. 1) I hate it when strangers touch me and 2) WHAT THE HELL, DO I LOOK LIKE LADY GAGA? SHE'S A HERMAPHRODITE. GRRRRRR. Second incident: I was walking along with Elise, Renee, and Brad, and another creepy vendor congratulates Brad on having three girlfriends and then says that I've got sexy legs and he touches my face in a creepy way. Needless to stay, I hauled butt outta there, and did not purchase any leather.
Also having occurred in Florence: wandering around for an hour trying to find the right Irish pub we were supposed to meet a Professor at. It failed. We ended up at some place called The Fish Pub with about 100 Parisian teenagers. Who probably really regretted going after one of our group members projectile vomited on them.
Venice was again nice weather. Highlights: water taxis and I went to the Guggenheim. Modern art... I just don't get it. Maybe if they were handing out LSD at the entrance or something it would have made more sense. But I was completely sober, and didn't understand how eight gray boxes were supposed to represent two figures dancing. I don't even understand artists. Not at all. But it was still fun.
And then last night we went to another bar after wandering around for an hour (I'm seeing a pattern) and ended up at a place were the bartender ineptly sprayed us with a drink he was mixing with a little to much zeal. Upside: he felt so bad about it we scored free drinks. So that saved some money, which will now be used to pay my first write up fine of the semester. We got caught eating on the bus (which is a big no-no), because we were laughing at a gummy bear heart that had the word "shatz" on it. Only Europeans would put past tense profanity on their candy. Anyway, that's 10 euros down the drain.
No traveling for me this weekend, but Kenny (from High school) is coming into town and we'll hopefully get to have some adventures!
Ciao!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
We're going to Art History Hell...
Well the first thing I learned in France is that I am terrible at French. Pointing and smiling was definitely the best manner of communication, and I successfully avoided butchering too many words. America is a big FAIL at teaching kids foreign languages. And I feel really inept when I'm in Europe where everyone knows at least three fluently.
We (Amanda, Leah, Renee, and I) left for Paris on Thursday night. Our Ryanair flight was about an hour late, so we didn't get to the hear the trumpet salute as we landed. Then we had to take an hour and a half shuttle from the airport to the center of Paris. And then get on a metro. And then walk for half an hour. But we made it to the hotel before 1 AM. Success. (And yes, you did read correctly: that says HOTEL, not HOSTEL, we were living like big dogs in Paris. Community bathrooms are so last week).
Friday we got up kind of late and decided to dedicate most of the day to shopping. I mean, Paris is the fashion capital of the world, right? WARNING: For those Americans that are concerned, there is a horrendous trend that's over here at the moment and that will probably migrate to the States. Its floral print dropped crotch balloon pants that are tight around the ankles. It's so ugly and it makes me want to stab my eye. But in about two years, I'll probably be doing it too. (although I sincerely hope that one doesn't cross the Atlantic). So I'll skip the gory details about shopping, and just note that my debit card didn't take too much of a beating. We then wandered past Notre Dame and towards the Louvre. The Louvre has extended hours on Friday so we were there from 5-8. And what happened next is going to send us to Art History Hell. Long story short: I'm surprised we weren't escorted off the premises for taking ridiculous photos of major works of art.
Also, despite what everyone says, the Mona Lisa is worth seeing, and its not THAT small.
Then we walked from the Louvre to the Eiffel tower to see it at night. And it's really beautiful. And along the way, we stopped for our third crepes of the day. Paris has the best pastries in Europe, and I feel qualified in saying that after spending my Spring Break in Vienna, Krakow, Prague, and Munich. SOOOOO GOOOOOOOD.
On Saturday, we went to take photos with the Eiffel Tower in the daylight, and then we went to the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. Both of which were pretty sweet. Highlight: going inside the 4 story Louis Vuitton store. (Dear Dad, please? Love, Your Favoritest Daughter Ever). We also walked upon a movie getting filmed. I think it was French. Anyway, in the scene they were doing, this 20 something year old girl in a red dress was making out with some old guy. Let's hope she got paid well, because they did like 8 or 9 takes. And then we went to see Catherine Laboure (the incorrupt saint) and Shakespeare and Company bookstore. We finished the day with mass at Notre Dame and then went and got more crepes for dinner. We had to get up at 4 this morning to catch our flight, but now we're back on campus and ready to write our West Civ papers (er...)
On Wednesday, I leave for a five day class trip to Venice and Florence. Looks like a legitimate pair of Italian leather heels are in my future.... :-D
I'm sorry I have the maturity level of a five year old.
Girls weekend in Paris :)
We (Amanda, Leah, Renee, and I) left for Paris on Thursday night. Our Ryanair flight was about an hour late, so we didn't get to the hear the trumpet salute as we landed. Then we had to take an hour and a half shuttle from the airport to the center of Paris. And then get on a metro. And then walk for half an hour. But we made it to the hotel before 1 AM. Success. (And yes, you did read correctly: that says HOTEL, not HOSTEL, we were living like big dogs in Paris. Community bathrooms are so last week).
Friday we got up kind of late and decided to dedicate most of the day to shopping. I mean, Paris is the fashion capital of the world, right? WARNING: For those Americans that are concerned, there is a horrendous trend that's over here at the moment and that will probably migrate to the States. Its floral print dropped crotch balloon pants that are tight around the ankles. It's so ugly and it makes me want to stab my eye. But in about two years, I'll probably be doing it too. (although I sincerely hope that one doesn't cross the Atlantic). So I'll skip the gory details about shopping, and just note that my debit card didn't take too much of a beating. We then wandered past Notre Dame and towards the Louvre. The Louvre has extended hours on Friday so we were there from 5-8. And what happened next is going to send us to Art History Hell. Long story short: I'm surprised we weren't escorted off the premises for taking ridiculous photos of major works of art.
Also, despite what everyone says, the Mona Lisa is worth seeing, and its not THAT small.
Then we walked from the Louvre to the Eiffel tower to see it at night. And it's really beautiful. And along the way, we stopped for our third crepes of the day. Paris has the best pastries in Europe, and I feel qualified in saying that after spending my Spring Break in Vienna, Krakow, Prague, and Munich. SOOOOO GOOOOOOOD.
On Saturday, we went to take photos with the Eiffel Tower in the daylight, and then we went to the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. Both of which were pretty sweet. Highlight: going inside the 4 story Louis Vuitton store. (Dear Dad, please? Love, Your Favoritest Daughter Ever). We also walked upon a movie getting filmed. I think it was French. Anyway, in the scene they were doing, this 20 something year old girl in a red dress was making out with some old guy. Let's hope she got paid well, because they did like 8 or 9 takes. And then we went to see Catherine Laboure (the incorrupt saint) and Shakespeare and Company bookstore. We finished the day with mass at Notre Dame and then went and got more crepes for dinner. We had to get up at 4 this morning to catch our flight, but now we're back on campus and ready to write our West Civ papers (er...)
On Wednesday, I leave for a five day class trip to Venice and Florence. Looks like a legitimate pair of Italian leather heels are in my future.... :-D
Sunday, March 27, 2011
One, Two, Three, BEER!
That's how you take pictures in Munich. Because when you say beer, you have to smile. (According to our really cute Australian tour guide, and who would want to correct him?)
We got to Munich on Friday and wandered around the main square. It is also very commercialized. Lots of Starbucks and American chains. And not really a whole lot to see or do. Except drink beer? Anyway, we got pizza for dinner (fail on our parts, but you can't get away from Italian food forever..) and then decided to be all authentically German and get Haagen Daas ice cream. And then to finish the night, we made our way to the Hofbrauhaus. And I have never seen so much beer in my life. Being the lightweight that I am, I only got half a liter, but Elise managed to knock back a full liter. I was very impressed. AND she could still walk in a straight line on the way back to the hostel. Talented. In case you've never seen a Hofbrau mug, it's pretty much the size of a small child (that might be a slight exaggeration, but seriously, it's a lot of liquid).
I woke up on Saturday feeling exceptionally awful. I'm going to assume it wasn't a hangover, because it lasted all day and I had a fever. Also, if the cleaning standards at the Hofbrauhaus are anything like those at the bar we went to in Prague, then I could have easily caught something there. Anyway, we went on a free tour in Munich in the morning, with the Australian tour guide, and saw all the main sites of the city. Which isn't much. Apparently people only go to Munich because of the beer. We chose it because it was halfway back to campus, not because we're alcoholics. Just to clarify. Anyway, there were a lot of annoying American tourists there that were our age. And the sorority type (aka STUPID). As Renee said, "If i ever have sorority girl daughters, they are NOT allowed to travel to Europe by themselves". Luckily, everyone in my travel group is exceedingly intelligent and not orange.
So we caught the overnight train back to campus last night. And it was quite possibly the sketchiest moment of my semester thus far. We were sharing the compartment with a man, who reeked, and his son. What's so bad about some nice old dad? Well he was being SUPERRRRR inappropriate to the point where we had to go ask to switch cars. Luckily the conductor let us, otherwise we would have had to stay awake all night with Renee's knife at the ready. I wish I had pepper spray.
So now we're back in Rome, and the homework can no longer be ignored... PARIS on THURSDAY :)
In front of the Hofbrauhaus!
We got to Munich on Friday and wandered around the main square. It is also very commercialized. Lots of Starbucks and American chains. And not really a whole lot to see or do. Except drink beer? Anyway, we got pizza for dinner (fail on our parts, but you can't get away from Italian food forever..) and then decided to be all authentically German and get Haagen Daas ice cream. And then to finish the night, we made our way to the Hofbrauhaus. And I have never seen so much beer in my life. Being the lightweight that I am, I only got half a liter, but Elise managed to knock back a full liter. I was very impressed. AND she could still walk in a straight line on the way back to the hostel. Talented. In case you've never seen a Hofbrau mug, it's pretty much the size of a small child (that might be a slight exaggeration, but seriously, it's a lot of liquid).
I woke up on Saturday feeling exceptionally awful. I'm going to assume it wasn't a hangover, because it lasted all day and I had a fever. Also, if the cleaning standards at the Hofbrauhaus are anything like those at the bar we went to in Prague, then I could have easily caught something there. Anyway, we went on a free tour in Munich in the morning, with the Australian tour guide, and saw all the main sites of the city. Which isn't much. Apparently people only go to Munich because of the beer. We chose it because it was halfway back to campus, not because we're alcoholics. Just to clarify. Anyway, there were a lot of annoying American tourists there that were our age. And the sorority type (aka STUPID). As Renee said, "If i ever have sorority girl daughters, they are NOT allowed to travel to Europe by themselves". Luckily, everyone in my travel group is exceedingly intelligent and not orange.
So we caught the overnight train back to campus last night. And it was quite possibly the sketchiest moment of my semester thus far. We were sharing the compartment with a man, who reeked, and his son. What's so bad about some nice old dad? Well he was being SUPERRRRR inappropriate to the point where we had to go ask to switch cars. Luckily the conductor let us, otherwise we would have had to stay awake all night with Renee's knife at the ready. I wish I had pepper spray.
So now we're back in Rome, and the homework can no longer be ignored... PARIS on THURSDAY :)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Czechsperts. Evidently a word.
The Czech Republic: where the beer is quite literally cheaper than the water. (Europe, stop charging us for tap water, it's ridiculous, Love, Claire). We got to Prague Wednesday night after a longgggg train ride from Krakow. While I like the advantages of being able to have more than a backpack, trains definitely eat up a lot of time. But it's a lot less of a hassle and it gets you where you need to go. And occassionally foreign boys ask to sit in your compartment.
We got to the hostel and then went out for Czech food, walked around, and then went to bed. Traveling is exhausting, so we can totally justify being lame. Yesterday we started off the day with yet another pastry hunt. And Prague is super cheap. Not quite as good as Vienna, but when you're only spending about thirty cents on something the size of your head, it all works out. Anyway, then we went on a free walking tour around the old town center, new town center, and some other notable destinations. Our tour guide was some 22 year old Justin Bieber wanna-be, and I had to resist the urge to cut his hair. Anyway, the architecture in Prague is beautiful, especially the clock tower and the old church. Downside: there's like five million American tourists here. Which makes it really hard to pretend you're not one. But at least everyone speaks English, and they all have a somewhat British accent when they're trying to talk to you. I don't know where they picked that one up, but there you go.
Prague is also super commercialized. There are around five starbucks, a Gloria Jean's, and TGI Fridays, and other big American chains. The only thing super Czech about Prague is how cheap the beer is. Apparently, Czech Republic is the number one consumer of beer worldwide, and Pilsner is the specialty. (I had one for 23 crown, which is literally a dollar). We met three Czech boys in a bar last night, and they claimed to be able to drink 17 half liters of beer. I think I saw one of them get up to 11, and the other one had about 8 mixed drinks. I wish I had that kind of alcohol tolerance. Except it seems like an expensive habit. On another note: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, for anyone up to speed with one of the goals of this semester.
We also walked up to Prague Castle which was exceptionally gorgeous. I felt really bad for the guards standing out front, because obnoxious American tourists were posing awkwardly in front of them. If I was on duty, I would have taken one of those intimidating looking guns and fired a few shots at them. But that's not very nice, and probably why I won't ever be allowed to hold a gun.
Today we leave for Munich, and hopefully tonight we'll be at the Hoffbrauhaus with more UD students. 10 day is almost over, and we're trying to make the most of it!
We got to the hostel and then went out for Czech food, walked around, and then went to bed. Traveling is exhausting, so we can totally justify being lame. Yesterday we started off the day with yet another pastry hunt. And Prague is super cheap. Not quite as good as Vienna, but when you're only spending about thirty cents on something the size of your head, it all works out. Anyway, then we went on a free walking tour around the old town center, new town center, and some other notable destinations. Our tour guide was some 22 year old Justin Bieber wanna-be, and I had to resist the urge to cut his hair. Anyway, the architecture in Prague is beautiful, especially the clock tower and the old church. Downside: there's like five million American tourists here. Which makes it really hard to pretend you're not one. But at least everyone speaks English, and they all have a somewhat British accent when they're trying to talk to you. I don't know where they picked that one up, but there you go.
Prague is also super commercialized. There are around five starbucks, a Gloria Jean's, and TGI Fridays, and other big American chains. The only thing super Czech about Prague is how cheap the beer is. Apparently, Czech Republic is the number one consumer of beer worldwide, and Pilsner is the specialty. (I had one for 23 crown, which is literally a dollar). We met three Czech boys in a bar last night, and they claimed to be able to drink 17 half liters of beer. I think I saw one of them get up to 11, and the other one had about 8 mixed drinks. I wish I had that kind of alcohol tolerance. Except it seems like an expensive habit. On another note: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, for anyone up to speed with one of the goals of this semester.
We also walked up to Prague Castle which was exceptionally gorgeous. I felt really bad for the guards standing out front, because obnoxious American tourists were posing awkwardly in front of them. If I was on duty, I would have taken one of those intimidating looking guns and fired a few shots at them. But that's not very nice, and probably why I won't ever be allowed to hold a gun.
Today we leave for Munich, and hopefully tonight we'll be at the Hoffbrauhaus with more UD students. 10 day is almost over, and we're trying to make the most of it!
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