Bike ridin' through Medieval Times

Just got back from our awesome little trip to Tarquinia! It was the perfect, compact trip that was a lot of fun for such a short amount of time. We left Rome in the morning and headed northwest to the medieval town of Tarquinia for a bike tour around the city. It was a lot of fun riding throughout the cobblestones and stopping at the major monuments while learning about the history. Tarquinia was founded by the Etruscans, giving it a direct connection to the history of Rome which was also founded by the same royal families.

fresco chronicling Etruscan history.

Along the way we stopped at one of the town's oldest churches and actually got to go inside of it. Although the dome had collapsed some time ago, the church was very impressive.
Throughout the tour we got to stop at many beautiful vistas of Tuscany. Some of my favorites:

As we left the city we got to ride down a fairly steep road and I was glad nobody crashed because we were going pretty fast. It felt a bit like the Tour de France! After riding down the long hill we arrived at the agriturismo, an establishment that was basically a farm, restaurant, and hotel all in one.

When we go there we were allowed to eat some of the grapes right from the vineyard:

After eating a delicious variety of grapes, we sat down at the "restaurant" that was basically a family's home kitchen. We were treated to an amazing meal that was complimented with wine tasting.

The food was spectacular; everything was grown and the farm and was extremely fresh and organic. It was a four-course meal that included an antipasto (bruschetta with tomato, cheese, and prosciutto), a vegetarian (but nonetheless excellent) lasagna, a delicious chicken dish, and finally a delicious tiramisu ciliegie (cherry tiramisu). The three wines were wonderful as well. We were served a white, chianti, and a darker red similar to a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Hands down, best meal in Italy so far!

Following our amazing meal we got to spend time at the hotel's pool. It was a beautiful pool with a disappearing edge overlooking the green farmland:

After having a very relaxing afternoon, we got back on the bus to get back to Rome. It's always exciting coming back to this place we are all so fortunate to call home.

Weekend to Sorento, Capri, Pompeii

Where to begin on what was perhaps the greatest 3 days of travel in my entire life? I just got back this evening from my weekend adventure to Mount Vesuvius, Sorento, Capri, and Pompeii. Its hard to believe I traveled so much in a short time; it was a really compact weekend so I will try to write down as much as I can remember right now. On Friday we left Rome in our big ol' tour buses and headed for Mount Vesuvius, the active volcano on the Amalfi Coast responsible for the destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD. The bus ride was fun in itself sitting next to all my closest friends (so far) and went by pretty fast considering it was about four hours.

When we got to the Mountain, the bus took a VERY windy road up through the town towards the summit. This was fortunate because we didnt want to have to hike to the 4,200 foot summit. Once the bus parked we took a short but very steep hike up to the big crater and took a look into its massive opening. It was absolutely stunning in every direction we looked. The cloud layer was right up to where we were standing so it felt like we were up in our own little world, kind of reminding me of my experience at Hearst Castle in Cambria. After taking quite a few (MANY) pictures, we headed down and got on the bus to go to our hotel outside Sorento.

The view looking into the crater, with my roommate Vince

Not what you would normally think a volcano's interior looks like but really cool nonetheless.

The hotel was, like Hotel Tiziano in Rome, a uniquely Italian experience. First of all, the lobby was all the way up on the fifth floor. It was worth the walk up the stairs considering the lobbys windows faced the Mediterranean with a beautiful panoramic view of the clear blue waters. Our room unfortunately faced the mountains but it was beautiful in its own way, watching the sun and fog climb over the top each morning.

View of Sorento coastline.

View from our hotel balcony.

After checking in we left for the center of Sorento, a quaint little town filled with windy streets and marinas. For dinner, API arranged for a private table in the basement of a restaraunt that was a lot of fun. They served us some great antipastos and gnochi (which I finally know how to pronounce now!)

Shot of the Group

When dinner was over we had a few hours to check out the town so we walked around and drank at a few spots. My favorite place was walking down to the marina with the group while sharing a few bottles of wine. The views were spectacular considering we were surrounded by massive cliffs and beautiful yachts.

The following morning we got up early to catch our ferry over to the island of Capri. This was perhaps the most beautiful place I have ever been to in my entire life. It looked very similar to the Virgin Islands but there was something even more special about it, maybe because of its history and knowing that former Roman emperors had made it THEIR vacation spot. As soon as we got there we hopped on a private boat tour around the island that quickly became quite the fiesta!

Basically a private yacht that took us around the island.



two of Jeremys excellent panoramic shots.

When we got back to the Marina Grande, Jeremy, Vince, Thao and I made our plans for the day which was extremely important because we had a lot to see and only a few hours. We hopped on a bus to Anacapri, a smaller town located near the highest point on the island. The bus ride was CRAZY! It felt like a rollercoaster as we hauled up and around these cliffs that had massive, straight down drops. I thought we were going to fly down the mountain but I took comfort in knowing the bus driver had driven it a million times before. Once to Anacapri, we grabbed a quick bite to eat to save money and time. I had a fried calzone that was delicious; the gooey dough and fresh mozarella and tomato was unbeatable.

We hurridly got on the chairlift which took us to the top of Monte Solaro, the highest point of Capri. This was definitely one of the highlights of the day, it was amazing each of us sitting in our own little flying chair as we floated our way over the little houses and gardens to the top. The view at the top was unlike anything I have ever seen. It looked like the best post card I have ever seen, only it was right in front of me, from all directions. I was sad to leave that mountain top but I hope to one day go back there. It certainly rivals some of the peaks I have been too, particularly Half Dome in Yosemite which again, I cannot go the rest of my life without seeing again.

View of all the tiny boats (that were actually massive yachts)

The awesomely productive group.

When we got back down the chairlift to Anacapri, we embarked on another adventure to the famed Blue Grotto. This alone made the trip for all of us; it was completely worth the time and money it took to get there. We took a taxi down to the grotto which was a blast with the driver hauling ass and blasting electronic dance music. I loved the open air feeling of the cab (the taxis in Capri literally have their roofs chopped off). When we got to the grotto we got right in line and the wait wasnt too bad. We boarded a tiny raft that barely fit the four of us and had to duck to get through the entrance to the cave.

Once inside I was astonished that this place was created by NATURE. It was absolutely gorgeous; I just wanted to spend hours swimming around there but I guess that would be pretty dangerous given the fluctuating tides. Even though we were in for a brief moment, I know this and my mental image will stay with me forever


One of the tiny rowboats and the driver.

By the time we got out of the grotto and back to Anacapri our time was quickly running out so we booked it and took 2 buses to get back to the Marina Grande as fast as we could. We had about a half hour to swim and it was the perfect way to relax and cool off after a busy day. The water was just as beautiful being in it as it looked.

Triumphant after doing everything we wanted to do that day.

It was hard leaving Capri; I think we all wanted to permanently move their but like many times throughout this weekend, we had to move on to new things. When we got back to Sorento we again had time on our own to have dinner and walk around. I went with a few girls to an American pub and although my dinner cost a lot, it was well worth it. I ordered a steak (the first one I have had since getting here) and damn it was good. While eating we checked out some locals (or they checked us out) who were there to watch the local Napoli soccer game. I couldnt believe how energized they were over it, definitely not something you see in the States unless it's the playoffs! Overall it was a relaxing evening and everybody was exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel.

The next day we got up and checked out of the hotel to head for Pompeii and back to Roma. At Pompeii we had a great guided tour of most of the city which was absolutely fascinating. I was shocked to see how well-preserved the city was despite the eruption. Their city was extremely sophisticated considering its old age; I loved learning about how their technology allowed for the city to house the 12,000 inhabitants that once lived there. We walked through an amazinly well preserved bathhouse that had a working steam system that heated the many rooms, rivaling what we have today. Pompeii really made me want to see more ancient ruins throughout the Mediterranean given my interet in history, architecture, and art.


Ancient Main Street.

Didnt make it out in time.

The main forum, with Mt. Vesuvius as the backdrop.

Despite the spectacular weekend, the bus ride home could not have been much worse. It was extremely hot and uncomfortable and worst of all, I somehow left my camera under the seat in our rush to get off. Although that was devastating in itself, Im trying to not let that ruin my weekend experience. Thankfully, plenty of others took pictures to fulfill this blog.

To end on a high note, I am eccstatic that I was able to do all this in just my second weekend abroad. I truly recommend coming to visit these places, there just isnt anything quite like it. And if you do, let me know and I can join you so I can see it at least one more time!

Primo giorno di Scuola

Today is my first day of school and my Junior year. I can honestly say that I feel like I am on top of the world right now, even though I barely got any sleep last night. Yesterday was a great and simple day going grocery shopping, making dinner, and stopping by some girls' apartment for a little birthday get-together. When I got home I spent the majority of the night skyping Jessie, my parents, and Eric in Madrid to figure out our plans for Oktoberfest (!) I even chatted with Wanjae who is in Korea right now so I truly felt like a global citizen haha. It was great to see everybody's faces and hear their voices. After going through much anguish looking at cheap air fair, train tickets and hostel reservations, I am hoping we now have a plan for our trip. We found an all-inclusive weekend trip that includes bus transportation to Munich, camping accommodations, meals, and access to the festival. I think it will be inexpensive and convenient to have it all organized in one purchase. I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday weekend which is quickly approaching.

Aaaannd the best part of the night (the news that got me too excited to sleep), was that I learned that I got accepted to Comm! This was such an amazing feeling of relief that I am officially on-track in my college career. I have literally had nightmares about not getting in to my major so this is a huge joy for me right now. I can't think of better news to hear before starting school (and the second half of college).

Later that day...
Just got out of my first class and boy am I impressed! My professor immediately hooked me in on the subject matter, Rome in the Age of Augustus. I can already tell that the class will be nothing like what I have taken at UCLA. There are only 7 students in the class! I really think I will do well in this class as long as I participate which should be easy given it has a very intimate feel.

Later later that day....
Finally finished my first day. It was quite along day and I'm glad to be home. Everything was great except for my broken phone accident (the cheap p.o.s. broke when I dropped it barely a foot off the ground). But before all that happened I first had my Communication class that already looks interesting. My professor seemed to be a little harsh in his opinions and leading the class but I think it will hopefully be okay if I disagree with him at times during the discussion. Even better is that there is no required textbook for the class; all the readings are posted online (in a blog??). Somehow I feel there is something illegal about that but I'm not complaining.

My Italian class was again, quite a new experience. Just by the professor walking in I knew this would be a class unlike any I have ever taken. My professor ONLY speaks in Italian! Right when he walked in he began to converse with us and I was amazed at how much I could already understand. I really liked the interactive feel of the class; I hope it stays this discussion-oriented so I can really dive into speaking the language instead of only reading and writing it.

Overall this should be an awesome semester, I couldn't ask for more for on my first day (other than a working phone).
P.S.: In trying to learn as much Italian as possible I will try and post a few things in Italian just to get a better feel for it; sorry if this causes any confusion. There's always Google Translator!

Beach trip to Sperlonga!

Today we went on quite the journey to Sperlango, a beach town about an hour away from Rome. We took many forms of public transportation but it was totally worth it. After taking the metro to the Termini Station with my roommates (Vince, Jimmy, Justin, and Andy) we met up with Taylor, Kaitlyn and Lisa before getting on the train towards the Italian town of Fondi. The train was really fast- much better than the slow and annoying Amtrak trains that I've taken in the past. Once we got to Fondi we hopped on a bus to Sperlango. As soon as we got dropped off we were instantly at the water for a full 180 degree view of the Mediterranean that was just spectacular. After dropping our stuff on the sand we immediately went into the beautiful clear blue water that felt so refreshing from the high heat of the day. If only the waves were big enough to surf here!

The beach was a great hang-out spot and it was really cool to see all the local Italians. We felt like the only Americans there which was a nice change. I even met and talked to a guy from Nigeria who was interested in the Don Simeon sangria I was drinking. We got to talking about Michael Jackson and a few other American rappers like Snoop Dogg and DMX. It was great to meet someone who actually liked America!

For lunch we walked along the beach and stopped at a cafe and ordered what we thought would be an "American" meal. The hamburger ended up being just a hamburger patty which made me question what truly defines a burger, the meat or the bread? It tasted a little strange but at least it came with fries. We stayed at the beach till about 6 o'clock and then made our long journey home. All in all it was a great day and new "beach" experience.

Day of Spirituality + Spirits

Holy jesus what a time I am having here. Today was another excellent day in my new favorite city. It was quite the mix of spirituality and spirits. By spirituality I am meaning that we went on a tour to the Vatican to Saint Peter's Basilica and then to the Castel Sant'Angelo. And by spirits I am meaning a variety of alcoholic beverages I consumed at various apartments and at Studio 18, my first "clubbing" experience. Both activities were spectacular each in their own ways.

The Vatican was one of the most fascinating places I have ever been to. The sheer size and scale of the architecture and ornamentation alone is amazing, and there is definitely nothing else like this in the world. I couldn't help but question my own beliefs in thinking "there must be a reason they went through building all this, right?" I definitely want to come back to St. Peter's square often; it is so dream-like and a pleasure on the eyes.

One of the Swiss guards, I think they belong in Candy Land:

View of St. Peter's Square and an excellent candid shot of Mr. Jeremy Wood:

After the St. Peter's tour, we walked over to the Castel Sant'Angelo, a nearly 2000 year old fortress converted to a palace for the pope. This place was equally amazing to St. Peter's; hopefully it will be the first of many castles I will get to see while I am in Europe. At the top we got a breathtaking 360 degree view of the city which was amazing. It was awesome to finally get our bearings on seeing exactly where we were because Rome is such an expansive city. Hopefully these pictures will do it some justice but I doubt they can show just how massive this place really is.

The group: Vince, Taylor, Me and Kaitlyn.

Once we got home we cooked dinner and drank before going out. I am already loving this opportunity to cook and our food has been pretty good so far. Luckily Jeremy is an experienced cook so he has been able to help us figure out what and how to cook. Before dinner I ran over to the local supermarket to pick up some alcohol. We bought an absolutely massive bottle of red wine (5 Liters?!) for only 8 euro which is something I still can't get my head around. After our little beer and wine pregame we walked over to some girls' apartments near the vatican. Here we drank more before heading over to the Campo for this club promotion we had heard about earlier.

At Studio 18 we got a great deal. For 10 Euro we got all-you-can-drink access for one hour. I am proud of myself for not over-indulging because clearly others (like my roommates) did. Overall it was a pretty cool club; I'll definitely want to come back. So yeah, that was a fantastic day filled with spirituality and spirits. Can't wait to do it all again...today?

Appartamento Move-In

Today was our move-in day to our apartment and my god I am impressed with it! The location is awesome in the neighborhood of Prati; we are close to the supermarket, bus stop, and metro station which is really convenient. I am so excited about our living situation. Everything is very modern and there appears to be plenty of room for the seven of us. So far I like all of my roommates, particularly Vince and Jeremy, both of whom I seem to have the most in common with. We'll see about the last two who should be getting here soon I hope. Here are some pictures of the space:

August 31, 2011

Rome is a crazy, crazy world of its own. Where to begin on my last two days here? Yesterday we went on a walking tour of Rome and the nearby monuments by our hotel led by our tour guide, Fabrizio. We first went to the Campo dei Fiori, one of Rome's oldest open-air markets. Here we got to see all the fresh produce and vendors that occupy the market during the day (it becomes a bar/club scene at night). 

We then walked to the Fountain of Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi) where once again we saw a beautiful work by Bernini

Followed by the Pantheon, need I say more?
Along the walk we saw quite a few interesting street "vendors" given that we were in such a touristy area. Here would be one of many:

We eventually made it back to the Trevi fountain which was a lot different during the day. It was extremely crowded with all kinds of tourists and street vendors but it was quite the site to see. We even got some gelato nearby which was absolutely delicious and hopefully the first of many.

Overall it was a great tour and I learned a ton. Later that night, we went out again to the river and later to Scholar's, an Irish-American pub basically designed for visiting college students. That was a lot of fun, especially since it was Tuesday karaoke night. After having a couple of pitchers, I had the idea to go up and do a song of my own. This was my first time ever doing karaoke but I think I nailed it. I ended up pouring my drunken soul into 'What I Got' and it was quite the active performance to say the least.

First day in Roma

I MADE IT!! It is such an accomplished feeling making it here at last. My flight was quite the ordeal; I've never been on one so long and it was quite exhausting. At least I got to sit next to someone my age who had a lot of helpful advice. I met an Italian-American named Salvatore who was from Wisconsin and was just leaving to attend his college, the American University in Rome. I'm hoping to contact him later on so he can show me around to some local spots.

We just checked into Hotel Tiziano where we will be spending the next two nights here. It is a really nice, 4-star hotel and is in a great central location. Just looking out our window I can see this:

Obviously a big change from back home; the city is extremely dense, particularly in this area. Today we have a few orientation things to do so I will write more later.

Later that day...
I can't believe I have completed my first day here in Rome, Italy. Already it has been quite the adventure. After our orientation I went out with a few of the girls down to a bar on the Tiber river. There's nothing better than drinking legally while sitting in a beautiful location and listening to good American music (Coldplay and Gorillaz). It has been such a long day but I feel like I have already become good friends with the people from API that I have met so far. After getting slightly tipsy, Taylor, Becca and I decided to go for a walk to the Trevi fountain. I quickly became aware of the appeal in wandering these ancient streets and being amazed at what pops up as we turn corners that we have no idea what is on the other end. In just this one walk alone we discovered the Pantheon, Trajan's Column, and the Spanish Steps. I cannot begin to go into detail about these magnificent works of art; I'm sure more photos and further observations will do more justice to these spectacular monuments marking mankind's finest innovations and attentions to detail. The fact that this happened in one day alone makes me so excited for tomorrow and the next few months. I will make it my goal to spend every moment like I did tonight with my child-like desire for adventure and the unexpected.