Prague: I think I'm in love

...with the city that is. I am going to try to refrain from using curse words as explicatives, but to be frank Prague is the most amazing ______in' city I have ever visited. Granted it's my first "abroad abroad" experience, but I have certainly set the bar high for myself. Let me start off by describing the airplane we flew on to Prague. When travelling as an abroad student, one doesn't have the resources to get an expensive nice flight. What the abroad student does is shell out the minimum amount of money possible so as to save money for more important things (like pubs). Our airline was called "Wizzair" (not kidding) and the plane look like a Greyhound bus that had wings glued on to it and was painted entirely pink. While in the air the plane refused to conceal it's poor build quality as turbulence proved to be a test of nerves for a majority of us. As we flew east, the view changed starkly from luscious green mountains to those that were ice-capped. It made me miss snow (that would change drastically upon landing).

When we got to our hostile we realized that everything they say is true: Hostels suck. The room had holes in it and the sheets, although appearing to be clean, certainly were not. We spent as little time in there as possible and made our way to a restaurant we got from a travel book called U Matejicku. On our walk there we discovered quite quickly that Prague has a bit of a mosquito problem. Mosquitos in the states are little tiny bugs that buzz around you annoying you relentlessly with their fervent pestering. Mosquitos in Prague are essentially the same thing, but instead of insects they are people who try to take you to go get "hot peppers" (which are not actual hot peppers...they are prostitutes). Of course we didn't make eye contact or speak to them, but just like mosquitos they just didn't seem to get the message. After walking through the Prague new square with swarms of these guys we finally went down a small side street, thus escaping the infuriating bugs. U Matejicku is a restaurant in an old beer cellar underground, like many of Prague's fine dining establishments. This is because Prague is world renowned for its beer, which we would soon find out. The beer is cheaper than water in the Czech Republic, so naturally it was the smart choice to get one or two with every meal. The meal itself did not disappoint either as we found out that Czech cuisine consists majorly of meat. Lots of meat.

After polishing off a stack of ribs we made it over to a place called Beer Factory (clever, right?) to spend our first night in Rome and to cap off the start of my 21st birthday, a birthday that (if you continue to read on) proved to be one of the most amazing days of my life. The next morning we woke up fairly early in order to catch a free tour of Prague.

We met outside the Astronomical Clock of Prague at 11am to meet Brian, our lovely albeit a bit of a tool tour guide, to commence our tour. We started in the Old Square, which served as the hub for Czech life through a majority of its history. I would love to go in-depth about the historical significance of every building I saw, but that would be burdensome (both for you to read and me to type), so I shall stick to the short(ish) version. The square was encompassed by beautiful cathedral and buildings with architecture dating back to the early 13th century. Needless to say it was a sight to behold. We then walked to the Jewish Quarter, an area that used to be populated far more than it is now. There were synagogues that are museums now, and a lot of the buildings in the area had a Star of David adorning them in some fashion. It too was breathtaking in its own way.

We then made our way past your garden variety historical landmarks, including the opera house where Mozart performed his famous "Don Giovanni" performance. We concluded in the New Square where we learned of the Czech Republic's 20th century history, which was filled with years of brutal rule from neighboring nations and revolt. Prague was a tumultuous city to live in until the fall of the Soviet Union 20 years ago. After adopting capitalism due to Czech practicality, Prague is now the most modern city in Eastern Europe (Starbucks everywhere). We went back to the old square and had a delicious lunch at a restaurant named...I don't really know. It was too hard to pronounce. One of the guys in my group then got in touch with a patient of his Dad's who now lives in Prague who said he would show us some sights. We never could've imagined the amazing afternoon we had in store. It turns out Matt, the acquaintances' name, took us all around Prague pointing out other points of interest with astounding accuracy. As it turns out, Matt used to lead tours of Prague as well, so it was extra delightful having our own 2nd and private free tour. He took us to a tavern he favors for a round of beers on him. We didn't really put up much of a fight there. As it got dark we crossed over St. Charles Bridge and were struck by the view of the river and the lights from the city shimmering off of it one of side and an illuminated Prague castle on the other. Matt then took us for a snack at his favorite stop: A Mediterranean restaurant. I had falafel on my birthday. This was the point where I knew no birthday could ever top this one; however, we weren't done yet. As the final stop on his personal list of "you have to see's," Matt led us to the Lennon Wall, a wall of graffiti done over the past three decades starting with an image of John Lennon's head in the center. The emotional response here was the strongest, as you could feel the hearts and souls of those citizens who decorated the wall so lively and spirited. If you go to Prague, make the Lennon Wall a must.

We parted ways with Matt, planning to meet him again on Saturday after our tour of the Prague Castle. We met up with a few of the girls who came with at a restaurant for dinner called U Fleku. The food itself was alright, but the ambiance was stellar. Two men, one playing the accordion and the other a tuba, serenaded our table of twelve for a good portion of the night. We also were greeted by a beautiful women who we found out was shooting a travel show for MTV Lebanon, and wanted to sit with us for a little and cheers with us on camera. We had no idea who she was, but we were all immediately starstruck. She said her and her production team were coming to Rome soon, so we gave them our number...maybe they'll call (probably not).

We spent the last hours of my birthday at two bars. The first, Usudu, looked like a small little bar at the beginning, but after following a series of staircases leading to further chambers and taverns we discovered this wonderfully bohemian pub. We left after a retrospectively brief amount of time to go to a location called the Kross Club which was a bar filled with, in layman's terms, crazy Czechs listening to mind numbing electronic music and doing something that more closely resembled bobbing up and down than actual dancing. Still, it was a cultural experience unlike that of Rome or the US...or anywhere else for that matter.

We started off our next morning a little closer to home. We went to an acclaimed breakfast place called Bohemia Bagel. Although the eggs weren't quite as good as the likes of Northshore breakfast staples, the hash browns and bacon made my mouth water. We then to the subway to the old Prague Castle (on advice from Matt) and it was indeed gorgeous. It was on a hill that overlooked the river and rest of Prague and was certainly a sight to behold. We went straight from there to the current Prague Castle, and although it was closing shortly after we got there, we got to go around to different cathedrals and complexes within the castle and see many of Prague's architectural wonders.

From the castle we saw Prague's Eiffel Tower, a lookout station atop of Petrin Hill (the big hill that everything cool in Prague is on) and decided to go up there and catch a view of the entirety of Prague. Like St. Peter's Basilica, the stairs to the top of the hill and further up the tower were treacherous, but well worth it once we looked out at the whole city 360 degrees around. As we descended the hill, we stopped at a restaurant that sat on the side of the hill, due to another suggestion from Matt. Again we were not disappointed with his assistance, as we all agreed it was by far the best meal we had the whole weekend. We missed the tram down, so we walked down the whole side, which turned out to be a fun little adventure in itself.

Later that night we attended a "dark show"-- a performance in a black light theatre where the performers where phosphorescent costumes and black lights illuminate their bodies. It was the pinnacle of bohemian, as I could never imagine this type of experience in America. It was one of the more interesting spectacles I think I will ever see. The trip concluded at a club called Karlovy Lazne with the claim to be the biggest club in Eastern Europe. With five different dance floors playing everything from radio hits to oldies to 90's faves, it lived up to its reputation.

I can honestly say that the two worst things about Prague are as follows:

1. They didn't stamp my passport
2. I bit my cheek

That's about it for negatives. I had an amazing time in Prague and if I ever get the opportunity to go back I think I just may...but there's a lot more of Europe to see, so I'll save that trip for another time. If you've made it this far into the post, my sincere appreciation for grinding through my declining writing skill. Its hard to hammer this stuff out. PEACE.

Healed and leaving

Walking out the door as I type. Bye.

Walking and shopping like a zombie

The zombie part indicates that I'm still dealing with being sick, but again, being in Rome means I don't have time to sleep all day. We started off by walking to Roma3, which is a university in Rome, to meet a bunch of Roman college kids just like us to meet with and to show the "real" Rome. Unfortunately there is a strike of public transportation today, so we walked about 45 minutes to get there. Double unfortunately instead of interacting with them, we just watched a series of videos where Italians spoke poor English and Americans spoke worse Italian. All in all it was two hours that could've been spent in bed nursing myself. The strike also meant that we would have to walk the hour-and-then-some to our next class, which was not an easy task with a now grumbling stomach and extremely runny nose. I figure you all deserve a photo, so here is where a homeless guy sleeps. Probably.

After a short but sweet language class (100% on first quiz) we walked down Via Del Corso (my favorite street) to a large clothing store called Zara. Here I found out that there are no overweight people in Italy, as it was extremely difficult to find dress shirts in my size. Eventually I found a few nice shirts that actually fit pretty well, but it certainly was a task.

Short day here in Rome with no real excitement; however, I leave for Prague tomorrow afternoon (for most  of you before you wake up) to spend my birthday and the rest of the weekend there. I'm going to keep up the fight to get better lest I fall prey to this illness abroad...er.

Triaminic, not more cowbell, is the only prescription for a fever here

I was debating whether or not to title this post "I'm dying," but I'm sure that would concern quite a few people right off the bat. Alas I do in fact have the flu, which means I feel like shit right now, but that doesn't mean I had a terrible day.

I woke up this morning for my second Layers of Rome tour which brought me to the Republican Temples. The area they now reside in is a tad more commercialized than it was 1000's of years ago...or is it? The area used to be the a hustling forum for trade and money changing, as well as one of the largest markets for meat and vegetation in Rome. We then visited Capitoline Hill, which housed one of the largest temples in Rome designed to pay tribute to Jupiter [Roman for Zeus (Greek for the big glowing white-haired guy in Disney's Hercules)]. Finally we took a look over the long-since pillaged Roman Forum, which as you can see was quite a site to see. I'd have a lot more pictures to show you; however, I haven't charged my camera battery since I got here so it gave out on way during the middle of the tour. Blame Canada.

I FINALLY HAD CANNELLONI! For those of you who have made this far and are wondering why that sentence is in all caps, cannelloni is essentially the reason I came to Rome. Pathetic right? Wrong. It's a huge tube of pasa filled with stuff like meat, ricotta cheese, and spinach and is slathered in sauce that can only be described as super amazingness. This was certainly a meal to show you...had my camera been functional. My bad. Now I'm sitting in my room blowing my nose every 3 minutes and rocking a fever hotter than the sun. Not quite that hot, but you can understand where I'm coming from.

Stairmasters don't even compare

Why would that be the title of my entry this fine evening? It's because after spending the better half of a three-day weekend on my ass I decided to do something of merit today. I woke up this morning to both a gloomy sky and the hustle and bustle of the weekly Sunday market that goes on right below our apartment. After combing the tents of what I could only assume to be stolen goods I decided that my only purchase would be a slice of pizza from the vendor at the end of the market. As I arrived back at my apartment, I was greeted with an invitation to go to Vatican City. I figured walking around the smallest sovereign state in the world could be a nice activity to offset the past two days of bum...ness. Upon our
arrival I couldn't help but be taken aback by being in a place with such a vibrant history as well as the location of Angels and Demons (it's one of approximately four books I've ever read in my life), so it was a pretty big deal stepping past the walls that separate it from the rest of Rome. After wandering around the main square (more like a circle) for a bit, we decided to take a tour of the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano, or St. Peter's Basilica for the Italian impaired (myself included).


 At the entrance we were asked if we wanted to take the stairs or the elevator for 2 euro more...we chose stairs, but that turned out to be a decision we would lament. We climbed a spiral of wide stairs which turned out to be a trek and a half; however, the view from the top was quite a sight to see. We soon realized that not only were we not at the very top, but we had about four more excessively long and increasingly narrow flights of stairs to advance before completing our ascension of St. Peter's. 



When we finally made it to the peak of St. Peter's, we felt instant gratification as the leg quivering gave way to the awe of seeing the entirety of the Vatican city as well as all of Rome. The horizon went for miles and although it was cloudy, it brought a sense of tranquility that I found appropriate for the moment. We circled the platform to really take in all 360 degrees of beauty, then made our way back down the seemingly endless number of steps back to the main chamber of the basilica.

After this exhausting excursion came to an end, we decided that we had earned a much needed meal at a highly reputable eatery we had heard about from the groups of year's past. It wasn't far from our apartment and upon reaching it both our hunger and our appetites were quenched. I'm sure you all recognize it.

Rome is not Champaign

Last night I discovered this little fact the hard way, along with everyone else. Our plans were as follows: Go to Testaccio, an area of Rome just South of where we live (Trastevere), and enjoy its extensive club district. We were doing a fairly decent job of navigating ourselves there until we discovered that a right turn instead of a left was taken. The amount of graffiti increased as the amount of buildings and seemingly inhabitable places decreased. Eventually we hit a dead end and decided to turn around; however, upon turning around we heard music coming from behind two large, tagged up doors. Immediately we rationalized that we had found the nightclub.

Upon our entry we noticed a few things that quickly convinced us we were dead wrong. The first was how empty the room was. Also there was a plate of lasagna on a table in the middle. Not too nightclubby so far. The last giveaway that we were in the wrong place were the other patrons. They were wearing dirty coats and dirtier moustaches. It turns out we were in a very loud, very hip homeless shelter. Needless to say we decided not to stay.

We eventually found the bar scene, but some of the girls were tired and probably terrified, so I accompanied them home. That turned out to be a good decision as drinks in Testaccio cost as much as the cab fare and then some. All and all it was a good night...maybe. We'll see how I feel about it tomorrow.

In other news I just booked my flight to Prague next weekend! I'll be there during my birthday, so hopefully the Czech Republic has a lot to offer, both culturally and otherwise.

It's weird, but I like learning

You read that right. When the right subject comes along I suppose you just...enjoy it. This morning we started our Layers of Rome course, starting at Tiber Island (which is about a 7 min tram ride from my apartment...that's a good thing). Remember the asshole Professor? He's much more tolerable when explaining the origins of the Basilica de San Bartolomeo. It used to be the Temple of Aesculapius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. He carries a staff with a snake coiled around it and supposedly visited the island in the form of a serpent (hence the symbol for medicine being the serpent and staff). Interesting stuff right? There is also a hospital on the island now. I hope I never have to take a tour of that facility. As interesting as the tour was, it was hard to stay awake listening to the professor's british accent. He sounded a lot like a book on tape.

The picture above was taken inside the Basilica. It was constructed in the late 900's over the old temple of Aesculapius and was used as both a church and a forum. The picture on the left is of the outside of the building, as well as the pigeons taking refuge from the rain that day. There were a lot of pigeons. I used to chase pigeons. I miss chasing pigeons. Enough about pigeons.

No crazy excursions today so this one will stay short. Us guys are making Ravioli con Carne e Ricotta e...Spinach. Yum in my tum. Then it's Morgan's birthday tonight (a girl on the trip) and no class tomorrow. The perfect equation for a wonderful night. 

Another long day, another long night

Remember when I said we'd watch Zoolander? That never ended up happening. We decided that an early night was overdue...instead a bunch of the group came to our apartment and left around 2am. Tuesday morning came and we met our 'Layers of Rome' teacher. He's british and either has the driest sense of humor i've ever heard or is an asshole. As of now it's leaning toward the latter. The class consists of meeting on-site at various locations around Rome and learning about the history of various time periods associated with wherever we are that day. He demands that we always be promptly on time, but I think he's forgetting two key things.

1. We are college students and waking up is hard sometimes (I know, cry me a river)
2. We have no idea where any of these places are yet

Regardless, I'm still very excited to start touring Rome for a grade. Next we had Italian Language, which was a lot more fun. Our teacher is very enthusiastic yet refuses to speak a single word of English. She can, and very well I might add, but won't cut us any slack by using it. She's a remarkably effective teacher considering I can't understand 90% of what she says.

After class, five of us decided that it was time to get pillows that we didn't need to fold into quarters to enjoy mildly. So we set off on what we were told would be a quick and fairly straight walk...By the time we realized that we couldn't walk through Castel Sant'Angelo it proved to be quite the opposite of quick and fairly straight.

Way we were told we could go

Way we ended up going

That pretty much sums up the afternoon. Two and a half hours later we returned home with brand new pillows eager to be broken in; however, we had a long night planned ahead so the inaugural slumber would have to wait until much later. Tired and beaten, we went to the supermarket and made the executive decision to go American for dinner: A sandwich. Not a panini. A sandwich. We bought some deli meat and processed cheese, slapped it together, and nourished ourselves. I won't go into detail (as I can barely remember), but the rest of the night involved me and a nice chianti (cue that weird thing Anthony Hopkins does) getting to know each other quite well. 

Yesterday finished introducing the culture part of my trip. Today began the food portion (get it, food portion). Our professor writes for one of the top news journals in Italy in the Food and Wine section. We will be learning all about Italian food industry as well as traditions and stylings of Italian cuisine. The wine seminars start in February. That's all for now. I'm gonna keep testing out my new pillow. Yay.

First day of school + Alone in Rome

Last night was a quick break from the culture shock of Rome as the group went to an Irish bar called Scholar's lounge. It was filled with other American students studying abroad, all there to watch the Bears-Seahawks game...Let's skip that. After the game the bar hosted karaoke night. I didn't partake, but there are 119 nights left and I can honestly say that I will get my hands around that mic soon enough.

Our first day of classes began today, we met our professors and watched a short little movie (below: WATCH) that I can now attest truly exemplifies the way Italians act. After a short lunch break we had our first academic experience abroad: Italian Culture and Society. Our professor compared being abroad to the scene in Dead Poets Society where Robin Williams meets the students and makes them stand on their desks. This was a pro. Then he put me to sleep. That was a con. So far for the semester he's even stevens.

After an hour and a half of keeping my eyelids open with toothpicks, I went on a little excursion into Rome (looking for a SIM card for my iPhone). I found out that the store I was looking for was on Via del Corso, which is roughly the Michigan Avenue of Rome. There was Adidas, Nike, and a bunch of other shops (I only deviated from my plan to the phone store for shoes, obviously). Anyway, after getting excessively lost for about 30 minutes, I finally found the store and got what I wanted only to find out my phone wouldn't work with the SIM (insert swear here). The means justified the ends however, as I saw some sort of Russian politician surrounded by about 20 police vehicles. I was nearly knocked out of the street by officers standing by, but i'm ok no need to worry.

When I got home the other guys let me know the plan for the night which involved cooking our first family-style dinner: Bruschetta, caprese salad, and spaghetti pomodoro with sausage. I actually made a dinner. No microwave and no straight out-of-the-box BS. It was delicious...it was alright. We have room for improvement in the next 4 months. Right now we're just hanging out in the apartment, debating on what movie to watch. It's looking like Zoolander.

Italian nightlife is...interesting to say the least

Ciao a tutti!

That means 'hello everyone' in Italian. Cool right? Last night started off with the 6 guys on our trip navigating our way around the streets of Rome blindly looking for what was supposed to be the best pizza we would have in Italy. 45 minutes and 4 alleys later we finally found it, and it didn't disappoint. It was an actual Italian pizzeria. We discovered this because not one waiter knew English. I had my first experience with a severe language barrier. Ordering was simple enough, I just pointed to the menu and hoped the pizza I ordered would be edible (as I am still adjusting to not being excessively picky). I ordered a Parmigiana pizza (mozzarella, parmesan, and eggplant) and, as you probably assumed, I ate the whole thing swiftly. I wish I'd brought my camera to show it off, but I guess it'll just have to stay my little secret.

Our next adventure began when our whole group reconvened for what would become an absolutely ridiculous night out. The club we went to was called "Gilda" which we later found out is where all of the celebrities go when they're in Rome. That was probably why the cover was 20 euro (35 dollars for those who are counting). Our jaws dropped as i'm sure yours just did, but alas it was night 2 so we all paid. Drinks were also 20 euro, which we did not pay for. We had some judgement skills left. The bar was gorgeous, the cross dressers and drag queens were not. About 20 creepy Italians later, we all left the bar after yours truly got kicked out (not for being unruly, but trying to de-escalate a situation). We all took cabs home and enjoyed a final glass (bottle) of wine before bed. I need to learn how to not log in to Facebook after nights like this (see status).

Waking up today was a bit of a challenge, but I supposed that's something to get used to. Apparently every Sunday there is a huge market, one of the most famous in Rome, set up right outside our apartment. Anything you could ever want they had. We met up with a group of Italian students who would serve as our guides for the day as we were challenged to see who among us could cook the best Italian food for our new Italian compatriots. It turned out to be the Italians, who ended up cooking for us instead. Still, it was a lovely experience and we made some new friends. I am exhausted and now it is nap time.  We're all going to a pub later to watch the Bears game, and then some karaoke. Thankfully it's during waking hours, and hopefully I don't embarrass myself. 

Do as the romans do

Today was my first full day in Rome, and let me tell you about it. We woke up around 10am (3am your time) and took the tram to our new meeting place: a bar called 79ers. We were given a croissant and a cup of espresso as they are customary elements of any good Italian breakfast. After we sat around for a while, we were taken to a ristorante where I had not pizza. The meals here are two courses, which I wasn't sure about, so inevitably I got full after the first course...which was pasta. Delicious. The second course was chicken a la something. I hear it was good but as its only day 2, I wasn't quite ready to try the bony veiny pollo. Still looked amazing though.

After the meal we split up into groups and received a packet of pictures. They were of famous Italian landmarks (The Colosseum, Pantheon, you know no big deal). The 32 of us spent the afternoon running around Rome trying to get the most pictures, running past locals and making it very clear that we were those obnoxious Americans that they warned their kids about.


3 hours later my legs fell off. Now I'm in bed nursing my blisters. Im positive I walked more today than all of Winter Break. Now I'm going to take a nap. The night has a pizza and a bottle of chianti in store for me. Yay.

First Day

So the first day is winding down, and let me tell you about a few things:

Flights are long and tedious
Baggage claim is abysmal
Mountains are gorgeous
Colors are vibrant
Pizza is amazing

Thats about it for now. Oh yea, walked past the Pantheon today, no big deal.

REVAMP: Me, Rome, and some other places I suppose

Here we are again. I haven't blogged in just over a month now, yet it still feels like I never really left. Now the question that begged to be answered is asked once more: Are you sure this is happening? Well I most certainly have been wondering the same question. In about five hours my flight departs for Rome. To be honest it hasn't really hit me yet despite the months and months of preparation...it may be because most of that preparation came from constant reminders from my mom or Marisa (school mom). Either way, it may be hitting me now, but beter late than ever.

Right now I'm sitting in my basement while my dad works. This sort of thing has become familiar to me over the last month of sitting around, watching Netflix, and pretty much doing copious amounts of nothing. I am leaving all my familiars behind, but that's the point right? Removing myself from my comfort zone to experience something new is the whole reason I'm doing this.

Prepare to embark with me on a journey that will probably be less grandiose than I'm making it out to be; however, there should be an adventure or two to be had within the four months, and I'd love to tell you all about it.