Hello there, or shall I say, Ciao! I cannot believe another week, speckled with numerous “perfect days”, “new favorites”, and “wows”, has come and gone. It is crazy how quickly time passes when you are doing what you love in beautiful cities with amazing people.
On Thursday, Hope, Melissa and I set out to visit the wonderful city of Rome. We hopped on the Air Coach to meet up with our friend Ryan Air and headed to Rome. After a tedious search for the gate, we checked into House Trastevere Bed and Breakfast and met up with our Marquette friends Mary Kate and Emily. We headed to dinner at Hostaria dei Moro da Tony (Tony’s), perhaps the most delicious restaurant I have ever indulged in, with our tour guide for the week Meme, her friends Tori, Paige, Mara, and Chrissy, and a fellow Alpha Phi Kelsey. Our large group enjoyed great wine, bread, and pastas before we “celebrated my 21st birthday” with tiramisu and champagne, compliments of Tony. To make the celebration even sweeter, my friend from high school Steven met up with us and showed me the beauty of Italian Limoncello at G-Bar, Harry Potter Shots (my first fire shot) at Almalu, and the ultimate nightcap involving chocolate shots from an adorable chocolate bar. It was a wonderful night spent with old and new friends in the marvelous city of Rome.
Friday provided us with an even larger glimpse into the Italian culture. To begin our delightful day, we stopped at Dolce Bar for the croissants and cappuccinos compliments of our accommodation before heading to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. These ancient marvels and the history behind them were fascinating. The stories entailing gladiatorial battles and the excavation of a seven level city gave us a peek into the history of the Roman Empire. Ironically, we ran into Steven on the streets of Rome and headed to the Trevi Fountain for lunch. Steven showed me the beauty of suppli, which is basically a ball of rice, marinara sauce, and cheese entrapped by breadcrumbs. After wishing upon coins and tossing them over our shoulders into the breathtaking fountain (Lizzie McGuire style, of course!), we headed back to Trastevere to Santa Maria church and square before hiking up to one of my favorite places in Rome—Giancolo Hill. We sat along the edge of a wall overlooking the entire city and admired the immense beauty Rome has to offer. We met up with Steven and our friends Grace, Cami and Madeline from Paris for dinner at La Scaletta, where we sat outside the quaint restaurant, sipped wine, and enjoyed great pizza in Italian style. We headed back to Meme’s apartment, where we were shocked by the size of the cheap wine jugs Italians drink. On our way, an Italian man on the street unsuccessfully tried to steal Mara’s necklace. It was really creepy but definitely similar to the situations I had been warned about in Rome. We made our way back to G-Bar before heading to Shari Vari Club for a great night out.
The Collosseum:
Trevi Fountain:
Giancolo Hill:
Although the rainstorms on Saturday were far stronger than any I have experienced abroad (shocking!), we tried our best not to let them hinder our ability to see the city. We grabbed our croissants and cappuccino and headed to see the Pantheon, the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. We took advantage of the dry environment and 150 gelato flavors at Della Palma before heading to the Spanish Steps. With our satisfied appetites and broken umbrellas, we climbed the widest staircase in Europe and headed to the Borghese Gardens. We shopped around Via dei Corso before heading back to Tony’s for yet another scrumptious Italian meal. I have no idea how the Italians are so skinny when their food was literally the most delicious I have ever tasted.
The Spanish Steps:
Although Sunday’s wakeup call was extremely early, the experiences it allowed were monumental. Sunday was by far my favorite day abroad and perhaps one of the most inspiring days of my life. After walking along the Tiber River to Vatican City, Mary Kate, Emily, Steven, and I waited about an hour and a half before we had the opportunity to see the Vatican Museums. We made our way to the Sistine Chapel, which greatly surpassed every expectation I had. Yet again, photography was unable to previously depict the beauty behind Michelangelo’s masterpiece. I could have spent all afternoon observing the biblical pictures; however, we had to make it to Pope Benedict XVI’s final blessing at noon. We “asserted ourselves” to make it through the packed Vatican City and find ourselves a spot in St. Peter’s Square in which we could see the second window of the Papal Residence, where Pope Benedict XVI would appear. Over 100,000 people of all different ages and races, flags from almost every nation, and an immense magnitude of faith were gathered in St. Peter’s Square to receive the Pope’s final blessing and cheer “Viva la Papa”, meaning “long live the Pope”. We anxiously awaited the Pope’s appearance, and when noon rolled around, the crowd went crazy. Pope Benedict XVI blessed the crowd in seven different languages, and for the entire 15-minute period he spoke, I had goose bumps. It was the most amazing experience—one in which I have only ever dreamed I could have been a part of. I am a firm believer God works in mysterious ways, and I am so blessed He allowed me to be in Rome during such a monumental period in the Church’s history. After grabbing some yummy paninis from one of the local hotspots, 200 Degrees, we said goodbye to Steven and met up with Hope, Meme, and Melissa to make our way to St. Peter’s Basilica. It was amazing to see Steven this weekend and to have had the opportunity to partake in such special experiences with his fun personality and immense amount of knowledge. My experiences at St. Peter’s Basilica made my day even better. The massive Church was absolutely stunning and is by far the most beautiful basilica I have ever seen. After admiring its beauty from what seemed to be an ant’s view, we climbed the 551 steps to the top of the dome to observe both St. Peter’s and Vatican City from the opposite bird’s-eye perspective. The views were astonishing, and it was remarkable to see the pillared “arms” of St. Peter’s Square from a different angle. After taking in the beauty of the morning, we treated ourselves to Nutella Crepes in Trastevere, and Melissa and I shopped around the city. We made our way back to the Panthoen and Trevi Fountain and indulged in our last taste of suppli before grabbing a quick calzone at Ristorante Italiano and heading to the airport. My experiences on Sunday were the type one reads about in a newspaper, and I am beyond blessed my time in Rome allowed me to partake in such a special, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Vatican City:
Yesterday, after 7 hours of class, Emma’s parents took us to Bruxelle’s Pub in the city centre, where I tried Shepherd’s Pie for the first time. We then headed to a really fun 80s party at The Village, and I was able to Skype Kate Sandstrom for her birthday when I got home, which was literally so exciting. Today after class, I spent the afternoon planning and getting excited for my trip to London on Thursday and Kate’s arrival in Dublin Sunday morning! This week is sure to be spectacular. Talk to you soon! xoxo
Things I have learned:
1. Silent discos are so much fun. When you walk in the door, you are handed a set of headphones in which you can switch between two DJ stations. This allows for a scene entailing funny dance moves, conversation, and wonderful singing voices.
2. When in a club and you don’t want to talk to a guy, find Mary Kate Ragen and do the Jenna Marbles’ face. It is sure to scare away any creeper.
3. When in Rome, do not buy the 2 euro street umbrellas; they last no more than two hours and will allow for quite a tourist scene when walking up the Spanish Steps.
4. “Gelato mounds…crap. Pizza sitting out…crap. People or signs selling a restaurant…crap.”-Steven Patzke
5. When walking home from Shari Vari, watch out for flying baguettes from crazy Italian men. They are sure to leave flour all over your face.
6. When you are too tired to shower and get ready for the day, learn from Melanie Haak and put on workout clothes to make it look like you just worked out.
7. After obtaining a nugget international phone, learn the ringtone so you don’t mistake it for a fire alarm and freak out during Melanie Haak’s generous wake up call.
8. Don’t mind the lady that reminds you “muffins are fattening” at the coffee shop. She’ll order one, too.
My Adventures Abroad 