From Philly To Roma

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

Now that I've been home for about a month, I figured it's time to wrap up this blog.

Being home has been absolutely wonderful, but I miss Rome and Greece terribly!

I had the most amazing experience this summer and even though I have way too many school loans to pay off, every penny I spent was worth it.

I have to say my favorite place in Italy is Rome....maybe I'm biased because I lived there, but I loved everything about it. Venice is a close second!

Our 10 day holiday in Greece was also amazing. Lounging on the beaches of Santorini with a drink in my hand and a good book? Nothing can beat that.

But still, as Erica, Reilly and I saw in a little ice cream shop in Athens on a cup, "Home is where your story begins..."

That couldn't be more true, and I'm so glad to be back!

Thank you all for reading my blog and taking this amazing journey with me!

I'm Coming Home!

2009-07-13T02:37:00.003-07:00

I know I have a lot to update on (end of Rome, Athens, Santorini) but tomorrow, I am coming home!!!

I will be back in the states around 4:00 p.m.

So excited!

Last Night In Roma

2009-07-07T01:14:00.000-07:00

I'm safely in Santorini, but before I start talking about Greece, I have to wrap up a few things about Rome!

On our last night in Rome, my roommates and I decided to go out for a special dinner and then to walk around to some of the major tourist-y spots for a photo shoot and to finally throw our coins in the Trevi Fountain.

We went to a cute restaurant in Piazza Navona (my favorite Piazza!). They gave us free glasses of champagne which was also a plus.

Final toast to our time in Roma!

I finally had bruschette for the first time in Rome (and on my last night nonetheless) and also had the most delicious spicy pasta.

Amazing

After that, we wandered around Piazza Navona admiring Bernini's Fountain of the 4 Rivers. We headed over to the Pantheon and took a few pictures there. We wandered past the Spanish Steps on our way to the Trevi Fountain and then reached our final destination.

I'm sure most of you have heard the story of how if you throw 3 coins into the Trevi Fountain you ensure your return to Rome. Of course, we had to take part!

Roommates at the Trev

Yay! Now I can come back to Roma....next summer, Mom?!

More about the last week in Rome later...

Bittersweet

2009-07-04T01:32:00.000-07:00

Today, I leave Roma.

I didn't think I would be this sad, but I really have fallen in love with this city.

However, I am not going home yet!

Tonight, I fly to Athens to spend a few days there and on Monday, I take a ferry to beautiful Santorini until the 14th.

More posts later on my final days in Roma.

Ciao bella Roma!

Florence and Venice

2009-07-03T01:27:00.001-07:00

As it's probably pretty clear from my previous post, I had a great time in Florence and Venice. The shopping wasn't the only thing that made it great though!

When we got to Florence, we headed right to see the statue of David in the Accademia Gallery.

Amazing!

Then, we walked over to the Duomo.

Duomo

Sitting on the steps of the Duomo

Later, we had an amazing dinner of Florentine steak and Chianti. After that, we headed to an outdoor music festival for some drinks and dancing.

Girls at dinner

The next day, we took an early train to Venice. I absolutely adored Venice. I thought it was so charming and picture perfect.

Basically in Venice, we were told to just wander and "get lost" in the curvy streets. We wandered around for hours, and took a gondola ride!

Gondola ride

Roommates in Venice

On a bridge

We took an overnight train back to Rome which was not so fun.

I can't wait to go back to Florence and Venice!

Florence and Venice Purchases

2009-06-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

I have no money left in my bank account...but I have a beautiful new leather bag from Florence!

Let's just say Florence and Venice were a success.

More tomorrow about what I saw and did while there, but for now, let's get to the important stuff: the shopping. Everyone told me that Florence and Venice were fabulous for shopping and they definitely weren't wrong.

In Florence, I went to an open air market that sold tons of leather (what Florence is famous for) scarves, jewelry and other things.

I bought a beautiful leather bag...it took me 3 hours to pick out because I'm very picky, but I'm definitely happy with it. I also bought a few scarves and some gifts for my family.

Girls with our leather bags

In Venice, I bought a ton of Murano glass (Venice's speciality) jewelry. Everything was so reasonable priced! I bought each piece of jewelry for 5 euros.

Roommates and our rings! Can you guess which hand is mine?

I also bought an adorable 5 euros nautical tote bag with an anchor! Love!

Venice bag

Success? I think so!

Italians In Love

2009-06-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

If there is one major thing I've noticed about Italian culture during my time in Rome, it's that Italian couples seem to be way more in love than American couples.

Everywhere I go in Rome, I see Italian couples holding hands at a trattoria, kissing by a fountain, and even snuggling on the metro! At first I thought it was absolutely adorable, but now I'm wondering....are Italians just way more in love than Americans?

Is it something about their culture? In America, if you walk down a street, it's not unlikely to see a couple arguing. In Italy, it's definitely not uncommon to see a couple making out on a street corner.

Is it just me? Am I just noticing things, or is it true? Are Italian couples more in love than American couples?

For those of you who have been to Italy, what do you think?

Firenze e Venezia

2009-06-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Firenze (Florence) and Venezia (Venice).

All of my friends who have already been have raved about the shopping (leather in Firenze, glass jewelry in Venice) so I'm all ready to shop til I drop!

I also am super excited to take a gondola ride in Venezia!

This will be our first experience traveling by train (Thank God! No more flights for a bit!) and we are taking an overnight train on the way back.

Ciao!

St. Peter's Basilica- Lifechanging

2009-06-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had the amazing opportunity to visit St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

View from St. Peter's Square

Papal Residence

Once I entered the building, I was in awe. The sheer beauty of the church is enough to take your breath away.

We wandered through the tomb of Popes which was a bit creepy, but still amazing to see. Walking past Pope John Paul II's tomb was incredibly eerie and saddening. We were shepherded through quite quickly and no photos were allowed, but no one could take their eyes off the tomb. Some people even tossed letters and photos into the area.

After seeing the tombs, we headed into the main church and saw Michelangelo's famous Pieta and Bernini's Baldacchino. Beautiful.

Main church.

Pieta.

We went into a chapel just for private prayer. It was amazingly beautiful and I felt chills just being in the room.

Afterwards, we headed to the gift shop and purchased some beautiful and reasonably priced rosaries for our family members.

I had a great experience visiting St. Peter's and might even head back there on Monday when I go to see the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel!

Fabulous Barcelona

2009-06-24T05:48:00.000-07:00

I really loved Barcelona!

We arrived in Barcelona on Saturday early afternoon and headed to Urbaney Hostel. We were pretty happy with our 6 person dorm room hostel. It was very nice and a good place for young people to stay.

Reilly and I on the terrace of our hostel with the Torre Agbar in the background

To see the city, we purchased a pass for the tour bus that lets you hop on and off as you please. We rode around on the bus for a few hours checking out the city and stopped off a few times.

Some of the highlights we saw: La Sagrada Familia and Gaudi's architecture.

La Sagrada Familia

People in Barcelona generally don't eat dinner until very late, so we ate dinner around midnight. We ate at an amazing restaurant. The sangria was awesome!

Delicious sangria at dinner

After dinner, we headed to a bar called Chupito's that my friend Sarah recommended to me. The bar specializes in shots that involve fire. I had a "boy scout" shot where I roasted a marshmallow over a fire on the bar and then took a shot. Another shot that we did had us dipping our thumb in the alcohol, the bartender lighting out finger on fire, sucking our thumb and then taking the shot. This bar was definitely an experience to say the least.

On Sunday, we headed to the beach (my favorite!). It was a beautiful day, and we spent hours relaxing and reading on the beach. The beach wasn't as clean as I thought it would be, but we were on the first beach near the city, so maybe that's to be expected.

Beach

Sunday night, we went out for another great dinner. I had steak which was really great considering I don't eat a lot of meat here in Rome. After dinner, we headed to the "Magic Fountain" to see an amazing show of lights, fountains, and music. It was great.

Fountain show

After that, we wandered down La Rambla, a pretty happening street full of bars, clubs, and restaurants.

Barcelona was great and I had so much fun. There are definitely some things I didn't get to see, but overall, I think I was able to catch a lot in the short 2 days I spent there.
Have you ever been to Barcelona? What was your favorite part?

In Barcelona

2009-06-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in Barcelona!

Get ready for a picture-filled update when I return!

Has anyone ever been to Barcelona? What was your favorite part of the city?

Rome at Sunset

2009-06-19T16:04:00.001-07:00

Can it get more beautiful than that?

Barcelona Bound!

2009-06-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to Barcelona early on Saturday morning until Monday morning.

Since I have such a short time there, I really want to make the most of it.

What are my Barcelona must-sees?

Weekend In Paris

2009-06-18T04:00:00.001-07:00

Check out my guest blog post on Wandering Educators about my weekend in Paris.

Click here to read my post!

The Best Coffee In All Of Roma!

2009-06-17T05:48:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Roma.

Everything about it.

Especially the delicious coffee.

Now, I'm normally a Starbucks girl myself, but they don't have any of that here in Rome! What they have is better...

Their coffee drinking culture is so different from in the states. In the US, I would drive to Starbucks, grab my grande mocha frappuccino and get back in my car and be on my way. Not so, in Rome.

In Rome, take-away coffee is virtually unheard of. Italians order their coffee, and stand at "the bar" and drink their coffee. The cups are usually quite small, but also filling. No venti cups here!

Today, my art history professor took us to what he told us was the best coffee place in Rome. It's near the Pantheon and called Tazzo D'oro. He suggested we all try a "granita di caffe" or an iced coffee. I love iced coffee at home, so I was excited to try this.

Coffee place..Tazzo D'oro

The coffee came in a small plastic cup with what looked like coffee grounds and some whipped cream. I mixed the whipped cream in with the icy coffee and took a sip. It was AMAZING. I've never had anything like it. It was the perfect amount of coffee without feeling too full or gross.

Yum

We all enjoyed our coffee sitting outside the shop chatting.

Much nicer than the drive-through at Starbucks, right?

Paris Update

2009-06-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

Since I have a big midterm tomorrow, this has to be a short post!

Overall, Paris wasn't my favorite city. This may have to do with the fact that my roommates and I all got food poisoning, and spent a good portion of the weekend in bed, but I just didn't fall in love with the city like I thought I would.

I'll give more details on what I did in Paris after my art history midterm tomorrow, but here are some pictures to hold you over until then!

Eiffel Tower

Moulin Rouge

Hanging out with Mona Lisa

Arc de Triomphe

Crepes

Amalfi Coast Bus Trip Review

2009-06-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

Angela Nickerson (@aknickerson on Twitter) was kind enough to let me write a review about my Amalfi Coast bus tour experience for her travel blog The Gypsy's Guide.

Click here to check out my post.

Bonjour Paris!

2009-06-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

I am currently in Paris!

Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions on things to do while there.

Here's hoping I can cram all the history, art and culture of Paris into 3 short days!

See you Sunday!

The Pope

2009-06-11T04:13:00.001-07:00

Yesterday in Art History, we were supposed to go to St. Peter's in Vatican City. For some reason, my professor didn't know/remember that on Wednesday's there is a Papal audience. We got to St. Peter's Square and saw that Vatican City was filled with hundreds of people waiting to see the Pope.

I was instantly excited at the opportunity to see the Pope in person.

My professor sat us on steps and began to lecture.

I watched as the area filled with people.

The Pope finally came out in his Pope-mobile and drove around waving and shaking hands for a few minutes. He went to his seat and began to speak. We couldn't hear very clearly, and he was speaking in Italian, so I'm not sure what he was saying, but it was still an incredible experience to see the Pope.

Pope Benedict XVI

Since we were with our class, we weren't able to fully soak in the experience. I plan on going back on a different Wednesday and trying to get a seat so I can hear and see better.

Amalfi Coast Part 3- Positano

2009-06-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

On our last day on the Amalfi Coast, we went to the beautiful island of Positano. We took our bus to a certain point but had to walk about a mile to the top of the island and then down about a thousand (not even exaggerating!) steps to reach the beach.

The walk down the steps was a bit difficult because the steps were pretty jagged and did not have railings. Many people got dehydrated and started feeling dizzy. My legs were shaking by the time I made it to the bottom.

The beach from the highest point of town

Me in Positano

The beach was beautiful, and the sun was super strong. I laid out all day, and got pretty tan. Some people opted to rent a speed boat to take them to a point where they could cliff jump.

After spending the day at the beach, we hopped back on our bus that took us back to Rome. We hit a lot of traffic and got to Rome around 9:00 p.m.

Overall, I had a great weekend and am in love with the Amalfi Coast. I would definitely like to come back here someday!

Amalfi Coast Part 2- Capri

2009-06-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning, we woke up early and took a bus to a ferry to take us to Capri. Capri is probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen (Bermuda still takes number 1 on my list!).

Capri

The ferry ride was really bumpy and a lot of people got sea sick. We got to Blue Grotto which is a cave that lights up the most beautiful blue color because of the sun and the way it positions itself. We had to go in tiny rowboats and duck our heads when we entered the cave. We were only in there for about 5 minutes, but it was well worth it.

In the blue grotto

We got back on the ferry and headed to the beach. Some people on the program opted to take a walking tour of Capri, but my friends and I were tired so we decided to stay and lay on the beach. Capri has rocky beaches, which was weird to me since I'm so used to sand beaches. I went in the water for a bit, but it was freezing! It was nice to lay out and relax for a few hours though.

Relaxing on the beach

On the ferry ride back, we were able to see some more of the island including what the locals call "the tunnel of love" and a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Tunnel of Love

A rock statue in a cave that people think looks like the Virgin Mary. This is completely natural! Amazing.

Capri was definitely amazing and is a place I would love to return to and see more of the island!

Does anyone else love Capri? What's your favorite part of the island?

Amalfi Coast Part 1- Pompeii

2009-06-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my amazing Amalfi Coast weekend! Instead of writing one long post, I'm going to break up the trip by day. I'm going to leave out the logistics as I'm going to be writing an actual review of the trip's itinerary for Angela Nickerson's travel blog Just Go later this week.

We left on Thursday night by bus and headed to our hostel in Sorrento. Our hostel was called Seven Hostel and it was amazing for a first hostel experience. We had a great time hanging out on the hostel's rooftop bar and terrace.

We woke up early on Friday and headed to Pompeii.

We had a choice of taking a guided tour of Pompeii, or just wandering around ourselves. I decided to take the guided tour, which was really beneficial. I learned so much.

Pompeii is the town that was utterly destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Surprisingly, there was no lava or magma when the volcano erupted; our guide informed us that it just rained ash over the entire city and covered the city 100 feet deep. The city was left alone for hundreds of years until someone decided to uncover it. When it was uncovered, the city was surprisngly intact. Many artifacts and even dead bodies were found. Houses were left untouched with paintings still inside. We even saw a brothel with stone beds and erotic paintings that stayed intact for hundreds of years. It's quite eerie to walk around, but very cool.

Remains of a fresco inside a house

Dead body filled with plaster to preserve it

Building preserved

Later, we drove to Mount Vesuvius. Our bus was able to take us up to a landing point, but we had to walk up the steepest parts of the volcano from there. I didn't think I was going to make it, but I did!

It took about thirty minutes to get to the top of the volcano. Interestingly enough, it was easier to walk up the volcano, than down. I slipped several times going down as it was very dusty and dirty and I was stupidly wearing flip flops (no one told me I'd be hiking up a volcano this weekend!) Overall, it was an awesome experience to have made it to the top of a volcano. It's something I never would have pictured myself doing (especially since I thought I'd be relaxing on a beach all weekend!) but I'm so glad to have done it.

On the way up the volcano

Erica and I made it to the top!

Has anyone else ever been to Pompeii? Did you have a good experience there?

On Holiday!

2009-06-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in Sorrento, Positano, Capri, and Pompeii for the weekend!

I will be taking a ton of pictures, so expect a wonderful photo-filled post sometime next week!

Have a great weekend!

Festa della Repubblica

2009-06-04T05:41:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a national holiday in Italy.

While many banks and shops were closed, I still had class. My art class headed to the Colosseum area to sketch, but we were greeted with a large military parade.

According to About.com, Festa della Repubblica celebrates the day in 1946 that Italy voted for a republic form of government.

I've never seen so many military persons in one area! It was quite a sight.

The Colosseum was draped with a gigantic Italian flag.

I even caught a glimpse of the Italian president Giorgio Napolitano.

Paris

2009-06-02T16:10:00.001-07:00

Last night, my roommates and I officially booked a weekend in Paris!

I've wanted to go to Paris since I began taking French in 7th grade. I only took French until the end of 10th grade, but I've always wanted to visit. I can't wait to see the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night!

We are going from June 11-14 and staying in a hostel and flying Ryanair.

In addition to my 3 roommates, we are traveling with a group of 6 other friends.

Unfortunately, it's peak travel time since it's June, so it was difficult to find a hostel for all 10 of us. We ended up booking two seperate hostels that are in the same general area.

Does anyone know of a good itinerary for a short 3 day weekend in Paris? What are the must see museums and sites?

Pentecost at the Pantheon

2009-06-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

Angela Nickerson (@aknickerson on Twitter) was kind enough to let me write a guest post for her travel blog Just Go about my experience attending mass at the Pantheon.

Click here to check out my post!

Un Fine Settimana Perfetto

2009-05-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

A perfect weekend...

Friday: As I mentioned yesterday, I went to Tivoli with my art history class. On Friday night, pretty much the entire Temple Rome summer program did the Spanish Steps pub crawl. It's definitely a tourist-y thing to do, but it was fun to do once and in a large group of friends. For those who may not know, you pay 20 euro to travel to 3 different bars and a night club and drink for free and then later for cheap, a t-shirt, and pizza. It was also a fun way to meet other people traveling in Rome.

Friends before the pub crawl

Saturday: We have been dying to get to the beach since we got here since it's SO hot in Rome, so yesterday we took the Metro and then a local train to Ostia. It was about a one hour trip and only cost 2 euro to get there and back. We went to the very last stop Columbo, and headed to a beach called Venezia. We paid 10 euro to enter the beach and rent chairs, and relaxed for 4 glorious hours. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing. It was a perfect beach day, and a great way to unwind. While we were at the beach, there was an air show, so planes were flying very low over the ocean and doing all kinds of tricks, including blowing out smoke in the shape and colors of the Italian flag! Very cool.

Ladies laying out on the beach

Crazy Italian flag colored smoke

Saturday night, my roommates and I made pasta and had bread, and relaxed and unwinded. We also booked a trip to Paris for the weekend of June 11-June 14. Very exciting!

Sunday: Today was Pentecost and we went to a special mass at the Pantheon. At the very end, thousands of rose petals were dropped from the dome of the Pantheon. I actually wrote a guest blog post for another travel blogger about this experience, so instead of writing about it here, I'll post the link when she posts my blog.

Rose petals falling on the procession

Me and my rose petals

The 2009 Giro d'Italia (bike race) took place in Rome today, so we watched a bit of that. We wanted to catch a glimpse of Lance Armstrong, but he wasn't starting until 4:30 p.m. and we watched the race around 2:00 p.m.

Later, we wandered around the Spanish Steps and ate gelato. So far my favorite gelato flavors are mint chocolate chip, nutella, limone and banana.

A great weekend in Roma! How was your weekend?

First Week Of Classes

2009-05-30T11:28:00.001-07:00

I made it through the first week of classes!

My classes are awesome. As I mentioned before, I am taking Art History and Rome Sketchbook (a beginner art course).

Art History:

My art history professor Paolo is amazing. He is a carefree Italian man who is apparently in his 50's, but looks like he is 30. He loves beauty, and often speaks of the body as being the most beautiful thing in the world. He cracks us all up with his adorable Italian accent and his funny sayings. Unlike the other section of this class, we don't have any lectures...we will be going on site every class period (lucky us; unlucky for the other section!)

He is very relaxed, and wants us to absorb everything in person, rather than sitting in a classroom trying to memorize things. Yesterday, we sat on a hill, and he read us part of a book about Hadrian's Villa for 15 minutes. It was so unconventional and not at all what I'm used to at Temple University Main.

On Wednesday, we went to the Colosseum area and talked about the architecture of the buildings and the difference between the renaissance period and the classical period.

Colosseum

On Friday, we went to Tivoli, a beautiful hill town just 30 minutes outside of Rome. First, we went to Hadrian's Villa, which was awesome. Then, we headed to Villa D'este, an amazing villa with over 200 fountains.

Hadrian's Villa

Making our way up the massive hills at Villa D'este

Gorgeous fountain

Paolo and the lovely ladies in our class

Rome Sketchbook:

I can't draw to save my life, but I thought it would be fun to learn and take this class. My professor Anita is an ex-patriot, meaning she lived in the United States, and now permanently lives in Italy.

During the first class on Tuesday, we went to Pizza del Popolo and did blind contour sketches (meaning we couldn't look at the paper or remove the pencil from the paper until we were finished) and then regular contour sketches.

On Thursday, we went to Villa Borghese and did ink sketches by the beautiful pond. I'm still not good at art, but I'll share my first two pieces of work. I definitely am no expert, but I'm enjoying taking this class. It's very relaxing.

Contour drawing

Ink sketch

Beautiful Beaches

2009-05-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

Last night, my roommates and I booked our weekend trip to the beautiful Amalfi Coast for next weekend.

We booked through Bus2Alps, a travel tour Web site. Basically, we will get on a bus in Roma and travel to Positano, Capri, Sorrento and Pompeii for the weekend. It's such a great deal as it includes the tour, transportation and hostels all for 199 euro.

This is the part of studying abroad that I am most excited about. Ever since I heard about the Amalfi Coast, I have wanted to visit. It just looks incredibly beautiful.

Positano

Capri

Sorrento

Pompeii

Has anyone ever been to any of these beautiful places? If so, any suggestions on what we should do there?

Italian Culture vs. American Culture

2009-05-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

There are so many differences between Italian and American culture. Last night, I went to a presentation on campus about culture and social life in Rome. While it was quite humorous, I definitely learned a few things I didn't know before, some good and some not so good...

-Italians love to stare...One of Temple's staff members Gianni explained to us that if an Italian stares at us, and we feel uncomfortable to just stare back. He says that Italians are very curious people.

-There is no such thing as personal space in Italy. I learned how very true this one is today when I took the metro to the Colosseum for class. Gianni mentioned that Italians don't have a privacy bubble like us Americans do. They stand very close to each other and don't mind if they are touching someone else. The Champions League Final took place today, so fans from all over Madrid and Britain came to Roma for the match. The metro was SO crowded...I would argue it was more crowded than the Broad Street line on the day of the Phillies championship parade. We were crammed in with literally no breathing room.

-Bella Figura literally translates to mean beautiful figure, but it means being a beautiful person with a good appearance (not just physically). Gianni explained that Italians don't get drunk in public or eat while they walk because they are trying to keep the perfect appearance.

-Italians don't stop at stop signs! You need to be VERY careful crossing the street at all times.

-It's considered extremely weird here to get any kind of food or drink to-go. Italians like to relax and enjoy their food and drink and then move. It's also weird to get certain types of coffee after 11:00 a.m. here.

-Gianni gave a word of advice to the guys in the room about trying to pick up Italian girls. He said that Italian girls are VERY skeptical of American guys because they are used to Italian guys being very forward with them. He mentioned its best to take it slow and hang out with the girl a few times in a group before going on an actual date. He also said that it's wise for guys to say they are from California or New York City because Italian girls have grown up watching movies and TV shows that take place in those locations.

-This is a serious tip. As I'm sure many of us have heard, Italian men are stereotypically quite forward. Rape doesn't hold up very well in court here. There is an unspoken rule that if you enter an Italian man's apartment, you are giving up the right to say no. In one court case, the court ruled that if a woman is wearing tight jeans, she obviously couldn't have been raped because she would have had to help the man take the pants off. It's really sad, and I think this is one area that the United States might be excelling in.

-Everything is MUCH slower here. It's great. Dinners last three hours, waiters don't bother you to leave. In class, my professors ask if we want to stop for espresso's on the way to our next site visit. It's great. I love the stress-free life.

-My favorite cultural difference: siesta time! At home, I love to take naps and I guess that could be considered lazy, but here, everything shuts down from noon til three and everyone takes a rest. I love it!

Are there any major cultural differences I may have missed that you noticed when traveling in Europe?

Everything Is More Fun In Rome

2009-05-26T06:57:00.001-07:00

...even simple things, like grocery shopping!

Yesterday, my roommates and I headed down the block to the open air market (mercato trionfale) to check out some of the local vendors. It was so amazing! My one roommate Erica described it as "Reading Terminal Market [in Philadelphia] on crack." I have to say, she is right.

This market was incredible. It was humongous and the prices were great. We bought a ton of fruit for under 2 euros. We bought fresh bread and pasta. The market also sold all kinds of poultry, fish, beef, cheeses and wine. We bought 3 bottles of wine for 6 euros! You can't beat that.

Bread and pastries

Wine

After, we bought a few things at the market we headed up the block to our local grocery store. It was such an adventure looking at all the different brands, and comparing it to what the item would be in America. It cracks me up that the only cream cheese we saw in all of Rome so far is Philadelphia Cream Cheese. So funny!

The roommates and I made a delicious dinner with all our new food from the market. We made pasta with tomato sauce, salad, bread and oil. Delicious!

Dinner

Later that night, Andrea Bocelli was performing a benefit concert for the earthquake last month at the Coliseum, so we headed over there to see if we could hear anything. We got there too late, but we had a great time hanging out at the bars in the area. The Coliseum at night is just breathtaking.

Coliseum

Today was the first day of classes...more on that later!

Todi and Titignano

2009-05-26T04:28:00.000-07:00

As part of orientation, on Sunday, we took a day trip to Todi, a medieval hill town in Umbria in central Italy. It was about an hour and a half bus ride through the beautiful countryside. My pictures don't even do the beautiful landscape justice!

Todi

We arrived in Todi and had to walk up a very steep hill. It was worth it when we got to the top though, because the view was breathtaking! We wandered around the small town and saw a gothic cathedral and looked around the shops.

At the top of the hill in Todi

Cathedral

After Todi, we got back on the bus and traveled to Titignano to have a 12 course feast at an old manor. We were truly in the country...I had taken a nap on the bus and when I woke up, we were traveling on a dirt road!

The feast included food like lamb, proscuitto, pasta with wild boar meat, chicken, risoto, and lots of wine! I'm a very picky eater, but I'm proud to say that I tried lamb for the first time.

It was great to see the contrast between the bustling city of Rome and the quiet Italian countryside. I think I prefer the city right now, but I can imagine how the countryside could be a relaxing retreat for city dwellers.

Il Nostro Piccolo Apartamento

2009-05-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

Our little apartment...is so cute!

It's very different from anything in America, but that's what studying abroad is all about. There is no air conditioning, so we have all of our windows open to get some fresh air.

Now..the tour!

Tiny kitchen

Living room...don't ask why we have an awkward cot and not a couch..

Bathroom....we have a bidet...also strange to me

Sweet doors to our bedroom

Bed

Bedroom and roomie reading

Balcony that wraps around the apartment part 1

Balcony that wraps around the apartment part 2

Tomorrow night, we plan to head to the open air market to buy pasta, sauce, veggies, wine and spices and cook dinner in our apartment to eat on our balcony!

When In Rome...

2009-05-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

Another great day in Roma!

Today, I woke up and headed to school for a bit of an orientation. I felt much more comfortable navigating the city and the culture after the presentation. One really funny thing that Gianni, one of the Temple Rome guys said regarding safety in Rome was, "In Roma.....we don't....umm, kill people? You know, we don't shoot people like in Philadelphia. We just have pickpockets." Everyone in the room cracked up. Sad, but true statement about Philly!

After that, we broke into smaller groups and took a walking tour of Rome. It wasn't really a historical tour like I thought it would be; It was more of a practical tour teaching us how to get around, how to find things, and how to speak Italian in some of those places. It was really helpful.

Pretty flowers

After that we headed to the Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain). So beautiful! It was just like I've seen in pictures and movies. We didn't throw a coin in the fountain yet to ensure a return to Roma. We are planning to do it at night when the fountain is all lit up and sparkling.

Incredible!

We were tired and sweaty after the afternoon, so we headed back to our Residence to rest for a bit. It is SO hot during the day in Rome! At night, it's the perfect temperature, though!

We knew we wanted to go to a cute restaurant for dinner, but we weren't sure where to go, so we asked the security guard at our building. It was really the first time that I attempted a full conversation in Italian, and it went really well! It felt awesome to be able to actually communicate in another language. Thanks to his suggestion, we headed to La Rustichella. I misread the menu and thought I was ordering a large Coke, but actually ordered a large LITER of Coke...oops. Luckily, the table shared.

The very large Coke

We all ordered some gelato, and I got some delicious lemon sorbet. It tasted just like Polish Water Ice which is my absolutely favorite snack to eat down the shore.

After dinner, we wandered over towards Vatican City. My mind was absolutely blown by how beautiful the Vatican is. I can't wait to go there during the day, and hopefully catch a glimpse of the Pope.

In front of the Vatican

Tomorrow, we are going to the medieval hilltown of Todi to walk around and have a traditional 4 hour and 12 course meal...lots and lots of food.

More to come on Todi, and some photos of my awesome Italian apartment!

Benvenuto a Roma!

2009-05-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

I'm here!

I made it safely, thankfully. Oddly enough, the flight was actually sort of fun. This was my first time on a long flight (the longest flight I've ever been on has been to Florida) so I was a bit nervous, but everything went fine. There was a bit of turbulence, but nothing too bad.

At the Philadelphia airport

Luckily, I flew with my friend Erica so I wasn't alone. We had our own personal TV screens in front of us, so I watched Marley and Me, Bride Wars, and an episode of How I Met Your Mother. I only slept for a little bit. I was so amazed that it was dark the first half of the flight, and then became sunny, even though it was very late at home.

We got our bags with no problem and headed to Temple's apartment building. I am living in an apartment with my three friends Erica, Reilly and Melissa. We really lucked out in getting a quad (more on that tomorrow, I will post pictures of the apartment!)

I took a little nap, and then went to an Internet cafe to make sure my mom knew I got to Rome safely. Since then, I've been able to get the Internet working in my apartment, so I'm good to go.

Around 6, we walked to the school for a pizza party. The school is about a 30 minute walk away, but it was a pretty nice walk. I met some of the other people on the trip and enjoyed some Italian pizza. We walked over to the Spanish Steps and people watched for about an hour and a half. I could sit there all day!

After that we walked to the Piazza del Popolo which was amazing.

Piazza del Poploo at sunset

Later, we wandered around Roma and went to a restaurant called Starbess near our apartment and had some vino like true Italians!

I'm a bit thrown off by the time difference. I'm not too tired, I just never have any idea what time it is or when I should be eating or when I should be sleeping. Hopefully, my body will adjust soon.

Tomorrow, we continue orientation with a walking tour of Rome, so I will update with more pictures after that!

I am definitely loving Rome so far. Can't wait to see more!

Leaving Today!

2009-05-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is May 21st and I am leaving for Rome today!

I am so nervous to leave, but I'm also really excited.

I know that I'm going to miss my family and friends so much, but I hope that I'll be having so much fun, I won't dwell on that too much.

My flight takes off at 6:00 p.m. tonight, and I should be in Rome by 8:30 a.m. their time!

The next time I post will be from Roma!

Classes

2009-05-20T09:34:00.001-07:00

Oh yeah.

I completely forgot that the reason I'm going to Rome in the first place is to study abroad! I guess that means I will be taking classes.

Just kidding. I am actually really excited for my two classes.

The first is Art History. The class meets in the classroom once a week and on site once a week, meaning we will be learning about art, and then going to see it in person! I'm not a HUGE art fan as of now, but I think it will be so cool to get to actually see the things we are studying.

The second class I'm taking is called Rome Sketchbook. In this class, we will be drawing and painting. I am NOT an artistic person at all, which is why I'm so looking forward to this class. My Mom (love you Mom!) thinks I'm absolutely crazy for taking this class because she knows my art skills, but I think I'm going to come home an artist. And, if not? It's going to be a good experience.

I only have class on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, so I'll have long weekends to travel!

How Do You Pack For Six Weeks?!?!

2009-05-19T09:21:00.001-07:00

Packing for six weeks has proven to be quite difficult.

I thought it would be easier than packing for a one week trip, because normally when I pack for a short trip, I have to plan out outfits and shoes, etc.

I thought this would be simpler.

Nope. Not simpler.

I'm bringing one large suitcase and a carry-on duffel bag.

I haven't put all of my clothes in the suitcase yet, but they are laid out neatly, ready to be put in.

We were told not to bring a lot of white clothes because they will turn grey there. This is bad for me because I wear white all the time!

So far, I've packed a ton of sundresses (cough14cough) because I figure they are lightweight and comfortable to wear. I've brought a few pairs of shorts and plenty of tops. I have a few cardigans for when its chilly and to visit different religious places that have a dress code. I haven't figured out how many pairs of shoes I'm bringing, but I'm working on that.

A lot of people suggested buying toiletries in Rome, but I decided just to bring mine for the sake of having it already when I get there. I hope that my toiletries don't weigh my suitcase down too much!

I still need to pack my carry-on and other things. It's a bit stressful, but hopefully I'll be able to get it all done!

Does anyone have any packing suggestions?

Ciao!

2009-05-18T00:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome! My name is Jessica Lawlor and I am a senior public relations student at Temple University. I'm studying abroad this summer at Temple University's Rome campus for six weeks. After Rome, I'm going to Greece for 10 days with my friends Reilly, Melissa and Erica.

I've traveled quite a bit to the Caribbean Islands, but never to Europe. I can't wait to immerse myself in the culture.

I've been taking Italian for a year now, so I'm comfortable with the basics, but I'm really nervous to engage in conversation with locals. I'm definitely not confident with full conversations yet, but I'm excited to try my best and hopefully become a better Italian speaker. I'd love to become fluent.

Traveling abroad for 6 weeks is definitely going to be a new experience for me. I've always been very close to my family and get homesick pretty easily. You're reading the blog of the girl who could only go to school in New York for one semester before she had to transfer to Temple University to be close to her family! It will be a challenge for me to be away from my home and family, but I know that I need to learn to become more independent, and this is the first step to getting there!

I leave for Rome in 3 days! I hope you will follow me on my European adventure. I'll be updating this blog often, so you can always check back at this link. If you're more tech savvy, please subscribe to my blog by clicking the orange button on the left hand side. I'll also be twittering away while I'm abroad, so if you are on Twitter, be sure to follow me! I'd love to hear from you, so if you ever have any advice or suggestions, please leave me a comment by clicking on the comment button at the end of each post.