Ice Storm!

Currently, the weather is described as a 'wintry mix' meaning miserable. It's raining and all the snow is turning into slush and the ice is very slick. Enormous puddles have sprung up along all the ways I walk to school and back. It's gross. Solution: stay in bed.
But I should be writing a paper that is big and long and needs to be worked on but I don't have the motivation. I did notice this morning that despite how gross it looks on the street level, if you look up into the trees, it's rather lovely. They're all iced over so it looks like they have white buds blossoming all over. If it were spring, they'd look the same except green. I find it quite appealing. And now, I'll make a half hearted attempt at research. Not much can happen while I'm in bed, but I'll gloss over that right now.

You know what's not fun? Breaking up with someone. I'm not usually one to just put all this kind of stuff out there but I need to do something right now. I've never had to do that with someone like this. It wasn't a mutual agreement at all. I think I prefer being broken up with rather than this.
But I had to break up with him. I didn't have a good concrete reason other than it was just an ok relationship. I don't want ok. He's a great person and I do like, I just can't date him. Obviously he didn't like that. And I have the worst timing ever; this has probably been one of the worst weeks ever for him. I feel terrible, he feels worse.
I wish I didn't have to do this but I couldn't just continue with it. It's cliche and all that but my heart wasn't in it. I didn't know what else to do though.

Ready for a Road Trip?

Woo! Because the Hawkeyes are the best team in college football these days, I will be following them to Penn State this weekend. I'm going to put on a tailgating clinic. Jake's coming with me so I don't have to be alone for that long drive so that's nice of him. But he has to meet my family. Actually that's not a bad thing because my family is awesome. I'm calling it payback for making me have dinner with his family tonight. Which wasn't too bad so I guess we both have pretty cool families. It's weird how normal this has all been because I'm usually crazy and things get weird. Not that it won't still happen. But despite my neuroses and attempts to sabotage it, he isn't gone yet. A good sign? I'm trying to be mature. But the amount of time we'll be together this weekend will probably change things. It could be good or bad. Given my inability to spend long amounts of time with anyone, this will be interesting. I can predict at least one hour of bad moods. But that's this weekend. I still have weekdays to deal with and oodles (that's right, I said oodles) of work to do!

Birthday!

Ahh yes. The 21st birthday. It's been a fun weekend but fairly anti-climactic. The Hawkeyes lost and were a general embarrassment to college football so that's no good. And being 21 is good I guess except it doesn't really change anything. Because, and I know this may shock you, I've been drinking for years now. I guess I don't have to rely on other people to buy things for me anymore. I'm sure they appreciate that more than I do. Mostly it's nice to not have to worry about getting a PAULA also known as an MIP in other parts of the country. Unlike many other Iowa students, I avoided that certain rite of passage. So, yep, birthday.

My goal for this year is to visit every bar in Iowa City. I've already been to a lot so it shouldn't be hard. I really have some serious hopes and dreams right now.

We lost to Iowa State. So shameful but maybe this means that we'll play well the rest of the season. I'm just glad I decided not to go to Ames. However, I will be travelling to Penn State for the Oct. 6 game and there's a good possibility I'll go to the Northwestern game on Nov. 3. I just want to have some home games so I can host amazing tailgates.
I'm starting to think about the future some more. Looking into grad schools and the like. Maybe I'll apply for Teach For America just for the hell of it. Though I don't think that it's a viable option. I should really just register for the GRE already. October. That's when I'll take it. Fantastic.
I can't focus lately though; mostly I just want to sleep in my bed. I took two naps today. I have done my homework for tomorrow which is good news. Actually I'm reading this book that Melissa lent me; it's called The Medici Conspiracy. It's all about stolen/looted antiquities! This is one of my favorite subjects and I'm hoping to enter the seamy underworld of blackmarket art. There's isn't a grad school program for this though. Damn. But for now, I will try to be productive and contribute to society rather than find ways to make money by selling pieces of our cultural heritage.

What did I do all day?

Today I shook Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s hand. It was soft. I also turned in my application for Homecoming Court and interviewed to be a University tour guide. Don't get your hopes up for those things even though it would be awesome if one or both worked out. I got a library card too. And a free Chipotle burrito. I know, I know. How do I have the time for all this? Turns out by ignoring the future, one can accomplish quite a bit in a day.
Now I'm trying to go to sleep so I can establish some sort of sleep pattern but the 10 minute nap I took on the couch while watching the Cubs game has thrown me off. Also I feel bad for not reading for my classes tomorrow. Bjorn Anderson, don't be disappointed in me. I will read all about the Geometric Period, just not tonight. So yes, that's that.
Birthday is in less than 3 weeks and it's about time. I'm not into paying cover/not being able to buy wine for dinner/beer for tailgates. No ideas about how I will celebrate yet; hopefully, I can keep it a low key affair. I'm too old for all that craziness anyway.

No sleeping for me tonight. I was really tired so I went to sleep at 9:30 only to wake up at 1. Now, I can't go back to sleep. I suppose some good came of it because I was able to work on things but still. I think it's just that I do have so much to do in the next couple weeks that I am already getting anxious. Hopefully my post-it note lists will help.

Moving

Whew. After driving over 1000 miles I made it to Iowa City. It is basically the same as I left it. A few businesses came or went (Chipotle is here!) and the IMU is finished I think. But it's still Iowa City. Our house on SoJo is nice. I have the attic which is good because I have a lot of space but it gets a little warm and I feel a little bit isolated. Oh well. I like it all and soon we will all be settled in here for the year.
I stopped at Miami University in Ohio to see Galen and that place is nice. I was a little bit jealous of him. I am just going to have to visit there again.
Now I have to continue shoving piles of things around my room and go grocery shopping and take a shower.

Summer Wrap Up

So you probably don't know exactly what I was up to all summer but you should know that it was glorious. I love The Netherlands. And Dutch people and bikes and fried foods. I do not like biking after eating fried food though. Anyway, in a day or two I will begin the drive back to Iowa City. I've been gone for about nine months now which is weird. I feel like everything has changed but also hasn't changed. We'll see if I still have any friends left. I know Christina is my friend because we hung out in Amsterdam which was great. I do get to move into our house! and plan exciting tailgates. I fear I may have already over committed myself this year but I suppose I could drop Self Defense or something. But I probably won't. I have a lot of thinking and planning to do these days. One year isn't so long and soon I will have graduated. Can a move to The Netherlands really happen? I want it to but there are a lot of factors to consider, not the least of which is financial. I am so very close to being an adult in the real world and yet I feel woefully ill prepared. I suppose now is not the time to stress out about the unknown. After all, there are so many other things that need to be done before the spring. Like driving 1000 miles. I am excited about that. I plan on listening to music very loudly and singing along. Hopefully I won't get lost. I probably won't. So there it is. See some of you in less than a week. Others, I will call you or you should call me. Or email...whatever you prefer.

Archaeology

This past week we have been working on a real excavation in Bergharen. Its some medieval stuff with the occasional prehistoric or Roman feature underneath. I found a big piece of pottery too. But I turned it in rather than pocketing it because they needed it to help date the site. Next time though... I am learning a lot about excavation and getting to rather good at some things. I can do all the drawings as well as dig holes. I am not so good at identifying soil layers and stratigraphy but come on, who is? The archaeologists are beginning to trust me to do things on my own too which means I will have more opportunities to steal artifacts! Also they let us ride in the shovel part of the crane thing which was fun. Clearly serious archaeology is happening here. We only have about 2 more days on the dig though because the developers want to start building their houses or buildings or whatever. it is kind of frustrating because we wont be able to get everything done in time but that's how it goes.
This weekend though should be exciting as the Vierdaagse comes to a close. A huge party is going down in the city tonight and I intend to be part of it. Except it is raining a lot a lot right now. Melissa and Myra will come hang out with me though. Also! The other night Melissa and I went out and saw some awesome cover bands and also saw 2 people we know! Of the hundreds of thousands of people in Nijmegen right now, we saw people we know. We might as well be locals. Tuesday night we watched fireworks while sitting on the dike outside our house. The fireworks were mediocre probably because Dutch people aren't good at blowing things up. But they did play Let It Snow during the show. I still haven't figured that one out. Crazy Dutch.
On Monday a new student will arrive and then another one will come the week after. We are hoping they are cool and not boring. And hopefully they will counteract some of the less agreeable residents of the house which I shall not mention by name.

The Heineken Experience

I forgot to mention that Erin and I went to the Heineken Experience. I learned a lot and drank some beer. Also some Asians took their pictures with me. Perhaps I look uncannily like a member of the Heineken family. Or Asian tourists love taking pictures.
Nijmegen is getting crazy! Tons of people are here and more are streaming in. Last night we went into town and the city looked like a giant party. Everyone was out on the streets, drinking, dancing. It kind of reminded me of Iowa City on a weekend night but better. We hung out with two friends of Rogier and they were nice but a little weird too. One is a serious anarchist. Friday night we hung out at Rogiers too and met more of his friends. There was a Czech anarchist that night. Also, Rogier has hung out with Frank Zappa and has pictures of them together. He has led a very interesting life. He was a professional cook at one time too. Now he is an archaeologist.
Switching topics. Silent Disco. Amazing. Nijmegen has one and we saw it last night. Everybody wears headphones and dances like crazy. But if you don't have headphones, you cant hear the music so its silent. Also, people can listen to different music on various channels so you might be dancing to a song and I could be dancing to something completely different. This leads to hilarity. More of these should exist.
Sidenote. As is the case with most things, after a few drinks I am highly skilled at riding my bike. I can speak Dutch too.
I really think I want to live here. Houses are expensive though.

Vierdaagse!

Life in the Netherlands continues to be blissful. More pottery gluing and bike riding. Marike, the Dutch archaeologist who lives with us, has been cool lately. Hanging out with us and such, she likes us better than the previous students. Dave is still annoying. I think Floris has a thing for Myra, Myra things Joep has a thing for me, and we all know Mikele has a thing for Melissa. It is funny and awkward. Mainly awkward for Melissa because she is engaged and Mikele is putting on the moves. Next week is the Four Days Marches, Nijmegens biggest event. People walk 40-50 kilometers a day for four days and the city has a party all week. It should be quite the spectacle. Plus we get a paid day off. Melissa and I have planned some joyous outings. Rogier and Mikele know whats going on too so they can help us find the good bands and such. Should be an interesting event.
This past weekend I met Erin in Amsterdam and we hung out there. Did some touristy stuff ie Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Red Light District, canalboat ride. Also took a nap in the park one afternoon, ate pancakes, ate fries, drank beer, visited some coffeeshops. Except we are no fun when high because we just get tired. But the Red Light District is fun. I stared more than I should have. Turns out there are a lot of British creepsters there. Gross. I will be going to Amsterdam again when Christina visits so I can do some other fun things like the Marijuana Museum and the Sex Museum. You know, all those good things that Amsterdam is known for. Anyway, it was great to see Erin and she is having an amazing time in Geneva so all is well.
I think of everywhere I have been thus far, the Netherlands is the place I would want to live. Dutch is a crazy language and would take me a long time to learn but everybody already speaks English! Also, if I found myself a Dutch man, I could be assured that my children would speak at least two, if not three or four, languages. I cant lose. I will work on getting a full time job with the Nijmegen Archaeological Bureau. They don't pay much, but I can figure it out.

Nijmegen

I love the Netherlands. And in particular the city of Nijmegen. I could definitely live here. Except everything closes at 6 which doesn't work for me so much. But I guess most people only work 4 days a week so I can deal with it. I am living in an old farmhouse with other American students and two Dutch archaeologists. The house is great and though we don't have any animals, we are surrounded by land that does have animals. Sheep, cows, horses, goats, chickens. They are all here. The house is right next the the river Waal and looks over into the city. Very convenient. I have a bike and ride it everywhere as it is the premier mode of transportation for the Dutch. The weather hasn't been great but I can get over that. The only bad part is that with rain, we don't get to work on the actual dig as much. Also the dig site has been rather slow lately anyway. So I wash dirt through a sieve and try to find pottery or flint or wood. I find a lot of worms, snails, and even newts. In short, I find ways to amuse myself. I have learned a lot considering I knew nothing about actual archaeological methods when I showed up here. So that is good. I don't know if I could make a career out of it but its fun. the people are all nice. Rogier is basically our go-to man for everything. He tells us what to do, how to do it, cool places to go, and answers any question we might have about the Dutch. The other Americans are nice. Myra is an anthropology undergrad, Melissa is art history grad, and Dave is...well Dave is a 50-something eternal student and general unemployable individual. He isn't exactly a favorite among us. But that's ok. He can one up every story we have and be a general know it all. I think he is enjoying himself and I can enjoy myself in spite of him. Lately we have been going to the main headquarters and gluing pottery together. It ranges from Roman to Medieval to modern stuff so it is quite a task. I am not a superstar at puzzling it all out but I am getting better. It is really satisfying to put a whole pot together too. It just gets cold in the warehouse because it is temperature controlled. I like it all. It can sometimes get a little dull but then I just make some fun for myself which means finding random things to glue or asking absurd questions of everyone else. Ja, I like het Nederlands. My Dutch is not outstanding though.

Greece

June 14. To Athens! It was hot there. Very hot. Met Esther and a group of her friends in Athens. All very nice people. Hung out for a day then jumped on a sailboat and headed out into the Aegean. I love sailing and I am good at it. Our captain Dmitri thought I was good too. I bed he would let me have my own boat or something. We sailed through the Southern Cyclades for 8 days. Stopped at Kythnos, Syphnos, and Kimolos. Swam a lot, got too much sun. Ate a lot of feta cheese and olives and gyros. Some of us swam out to this rocky island and jumped off a cliff. It wasn't too high but still lots of fun. Explored some islands, relaxed on the beach. Slept a lot. Saw the blue and white houses that Greek islands are so famous for. I would highly recommend sailing in the Greek isles for a week. Or more.
Finally we returned to Athens and I got to go to the Acropolis. It was scorching up there though. Still I was there. I plan on going back to Greece to really do everything but I am glad I have finally been there in person. Checked out the ruins, felt kind of nerdy, saw more things I had previously studied. Hung out with Greek people. That kind of stuff. So Greece is fantastic. I think I should return when it isn't so hot though. Perfect. Unfortunately, I left my journal there and am now without it. But Esther was going to send it to me so hopefully it makes it. I don't know how reliable the Greece to Netherlands postal route is.

Back to Europe!

I'm leaving today to go back to Europe! Wooo! This has been a nice little vacation in the States, full of rest and free food and graduation and family. So I'm winging my way to Athens today. I'll go sailing around some Greek isles for a week with Esther and the gang. Then a couple days in/around Athens until I leave for the Netherlands. Then I get to live in a Dutch farmhouse, pretend to be an archaeologist, and hopefully maintain some sort of schedule. I will be returning to the U.S. on August 11. A week later I will make my way back to Iowa, exotic vacation spot.
Sorry to everyone for kind of disappearing for what will be 9 months come August. I've been lazy about keeping in touch and I apologize. However, I will probably continue to be bad about this because I won't have much internet access in Greece or the Netherlands. Also, I may or may not have a phone. It's not like I called anyone when I had one though so that's not much different. Still, I apologize and let's all be friends again when I get back. Also, one day I will eventually write about my travels in May around Turkey/Hungary/Switzerland/Germany. Hopefully I can get my act together and be a real-ish person again soon. So wish me luck with all this nonsense that is my summer. I miss everyone and please let me know how you're doing. I know I'm not really returning the favor but come on, I'm unreliable and you knew that.

Photos

I'm trying to get all my pictures from the past 6 months organized. This is just a start but I figured everyone should get to see what I have now. So enjoy.

http://picasaweb.google.com/gillian.l.grady/Rome
http://picasaweb.google.com/gillian.l.grady/OstiaPompeiiAssisiTuscany
http://picasaweb.google.com/gillian.l.grady/VeniceSpainMorocco

Where I was May 12 and onward

Ok, here's how it went. Finals were a breeze. May 12 we had to move out of our apartments so there was a frenzy of packing and cleaning. A long trek to school with my enormous and heavy suitcase so that it could be stored while I traveled. Rome was beautiful, our apartment looked almost spacious once it was completely empty. Roommates disappeared one by one, all off on different adventures or just home. Mike, Mike's friend Mark, and I checked into a hostel in Rome. The bossman there was funny, kind of wacked out or maybe just high. He had a nice cat though. We met some other students there and that night we all went out for gelato at Old Bridge. The next day we moved to another hostel, more utilitarian but still good because there were beds which is all I require. We went to Villa Borghese and hung out, went to the Galleria Borghese which has everything good in art, and of course had a lovely dinner followed by liters of beer. Mark left very early the next morning and then Mike and I headed to Ciampino airport to begin the adventure.

May 14 Our flight was delayed of course. Granted this seems to have been because the Pope's plane was arriving from Brazil. We saw it, papal flags and all. Finally we headed off. We flew into Basel and my image of Switzerland as the perfect country was shattered. It was raining! And cold! I couldn't believe this kind of weather existed there. No matter. We spent the day in Basel/the train station. I had a Whopper which made me feel sick and I realized why I don't eat that stuff. Also Swiss soda drink (I can't remember the name) is gross. That evening Mike and I were back on an airplane, this time winging our way to Istanbul!

May 15-18 We arrived in Istanbul at 1 or 2 in the morning. Caught a bus then taxi to the hostel, finally arriving there around 6 AM. We just crashed and slept til noon. Then we left the hostel, got kebaps which were delicious and proceeded to eat them outside the Blue Mosque while looking at the Hagia Sophia. Not too bad. Then we went into the Blue Mosque. It was beautiful; I had never been in a mosque before so this was a nice one for my first. Lots of tourists and screaming/running Turkish children on fieldtrips but still there were people in there praying. Lovely. We walked around some more, over the bridge to the main business/shopping district. The next day more walking, through a huge park called the Tea Gardens or some such thing. Got a good view of the Bosphorous! More kebaps, sesame bagels, anything I could buy off a food cart or boat. Nothing like catching some fish then pulling the boat up to the dock and selling fish sandwiches right off it. We went into the Hagia Sophia and stayed there for a good three hours. It's amazing; I never thought I'd be there but I'm glad I was. It's huge by the way and of course, there is scaffolding right in the middle of it because it is undergoing perpetual restoration. Took a ferry over to Asia and walked around there. We tried to walk over a giant bridge back to Europe but that isn't allowed. So we took a bus. Saw Spiderman 3. Awful and hilarious because it is so awful. Went down into the Basilica Cistern, setting of something James Bond. Had tea in there too. I cant even remember everything I did. All of it was cool though.

Then flew to Geneva, successfully sprinted to catch the last train out of the airport. Got to Mikes aunts house where we crashed. Hung out there for a day and then that evening back to the airport to go to Budapest.

Budapest. Another lovely city. Very European feeling too. It was hot. Went to Széchényi Spa, some Hungarian baths, which were nice. Kind of like a public pool because everyone is there but there are more pools. Like whirlpools, aerobics pools, hot tubs, lap swimming. Old men did play chess while wading in the water. The locker rooms were full of naked people. Lots of old people in general. I think that's what all the old men do, go to the baths everyday. I cant blame them. Walked around a lot as usual. Saw a cool cave church, more parks, St. Steven Cathedral. The best being the central park with an artsy wading pool thing that people put there feet in. Or if you are a larger Hungarian man, put in your Speedo and sunbathe. And be very active, climbing in and out of the pool, leaning against trees, drinking from the decorative water jets that shoot out of the ground. That man was everything good about Hungary but its hard to explain. Had a picnic by the Danube, walked over some bridges, saw the opera house. Visited the Terror House. Wikitravel all these things or ask me in person to elaborate. Ate a serious meal full of meat and felt ill afterwards but that's ok because I am a carnivore. Then after 3 days I think, we went back to Geneva to recover.

Geneva. Wonderful as always. Did laundry, biked around Lake Geneva, slept. General goodness. Then off to Berlin to meet Nikki and Andrew!

I love Germany and Germans. They are fun, funny, and friendly. Drank delicious beer, ate meat and spatzel and a pretzel.. Drank a beer while walking along the Wall, visited MUSEUM?ISLAND. Genius idea. Saw some awesome ancient things that I had learned about in my art history classes. Also ran into my Italian teacher from last summer outside one of the museums. Weird how that kind of stuff happens. Went to Potsdam and walked around some royal gardens and viewed some spectacular buildings, palaces, fountain, and such. Went to the Reichstag and climbed to the top to get a sweet view of Berlin. Saw the Siegessäule and then in the Tiergarten got caught in a huge thunderstorm. I was soaking wet but it was fun all the same. Also went to the Holocaust memorial...and proceeded to play tag in it. Maybe bad form but it was an intense game. I think I need to return to Germany. I was way jealous of Andrews German speaking abilities. I should learn it so I too can sound awesome. It was great seeing Nikki too because she is off to be a rockstar teacher in South Korea and I wont be seeing her for awhile. So after Berlin, I went back to Rome for a couple days to see my city one last time.

Rome. Walked around, just enjoying the place. It was overrun by tourists but I can understand why. Ate some delicious food and drank some wine. And then that was it. Ciao, Roma. I miss it. I am planning my return. There is still so much left for me to do there.

European Adventure Over...For Now

Made it back home in one piece and with all my luggage. Outstanding, though of course it wasn't as easy as hoped. Mainly my flight into Frankfurt was late so I missed my connection and had to fly into Newark 4 hours later. Ahh, air travel. Anyway, I have lots to tell. 3 weeks of adventure. But not enough time or patience for it now. So later. But I'm home for two weeks! Let's hang out before I leave again.

Packing Up

We're in the midst of cleaning and packing up everything which is quite a task. But this also means that I have to pack up my computer and I won't get to see it again for a few weeks. What? I don't like that feeling. I like the interent and emails and being able to wikipedia everything. So I am getting some last minute computer play time in right now but then it's over. I won't be able to brighten your lives as often as you'd like. I'll be having adventures. I'll try to stop in some interent cafes and such but we'll see.
So that's it. Rome, you've been a delight. I'll see you again soon. Everyone, there's more to come from other countries so be patient. Ciao ciao!

Finito!

Well, I successfully completed my finals, thus ending my academic career at JCU. Needless to say, it was not a particularly challenging semester. I just hope all my classes do transfer and that they fulfill my major requirements. Nobody needs to know that the school is kind of a joke. It's Middle States accredited! and therefore legitimate. Anyway, my finals all did go well and I left each of them feeling quite confident. It's good to be done because now I can focus on other things.
These other things include: cleaning a lot, packing, finalizing travel plans, going to museums, and Rome in springtime. I have a few places I still want to see here so I've got to get that done before I jet out. Ooooh, I don't like to think about leaving. I know I'll come back here; I just don't know how soon it will be. Maybe someone needs a travel companion? Yes? No matter. I will be back in Italy.
On Saturday I begin another big adventure. We have to move out of our apartment then so I will store most of my stuff and live out of a backpack for 19 or so days. Awesome. I have to pack wisely. Anyway, I may go to Florence for a day or two or just hang out in Rome. Then on the 14th, Mike and I fly off to Istanbul and Budapest. We'll stop back in Geneva after that to rest a bit and do some laundry then we got to Berlin to meet Nikki and Andrew. Finally, Germany! I hope it can live up to the hype I've created in my head. And finally I will return to Rome around the 30th, say good bye and probably cry a little bit on a bridge over the Tiber because I don't want to leave, and fly home on the 1st of June. And then Galen graduates! Everybody is getting so old. I am super excited that everybody will be home and I get to see them all at once. If there wasn't a graduation, I probably wouldn't have the opportunity to hang out with certain family members because they're all grown up and don't live at home anymore. And I would leave for Europe again and then go right back to school. It would be almost a year before I saw them again. Fortunately, that's not how it's going to work. Also, I think Grandpa King will be in town! So much family!
So I am going to get dressed now and spend some time with Rome. Look at art or maybe just go to the park. It is another perfect day here and I have no responsibilities. Absolutely lovely.

My apologies to everyone. It may seem that I've disappeared due to my inability to respond to any form of communication. Turns out I have to take finals. That sucks. Also, leaving Rome sucks. So maybe I'll get back to everyone within the week, maybe not. Then my European travels will further prevent me from communicating with anyone. Therefore, don't expect to hear from me much. However, I return to the U.S. on June 1. Then I will call you or see you. We'll take it from there...the chances of me disappearing into The Netherlands are high. No matter, just still be my friends and family when I get back.

I don't feel as weird anymore because I slept for 10 hours. I do feel weird because I'm turning in a term paper two days late. Oops. I swear I am a good student and this has never happened before. It most likely won't ever happen again.
In other news, Galen is going to college. Miami Ohio will never know what hit it. Congratulations! It's no Iowa, but oh well.
Rome, why is it raining here all the time? You should be prefect and lovely for these last 10 days. 10 days! That's crazy; I can't leave. Damn. I'll be back for a day or two ad the end of the month but after that...Who wants to finance an important research project? It's called "Gillian Lives in Europe: Studies of Urban and Rural Living" Who wouldn't want to support that?
You know, I take it back. I still am feeling weird. I guess I should just give it some time.

I love Switzerland!

This past weekend Esther, Pooja, Mike and I went to Geneva. We were celebrating Esther's and Pooja's 21st birthdays. And it was one of the finest weekends ever. Mike's aunt and uncle live outside Geneva on the lake so we got to stay with them. They made us delicious food and generally spoiled us for 3 blissful days. Thanks, Kate and Bob! I'll be back soon!
Anyway, we visited Geneva, Montreaux, and Laussane (?), all three are towns on the lake shore. Things of interest: Olympics Museum (wooo! awesomeness), Alps, chocolate and watches, beautiful parks, the Jet d'Eau, flower clock (sort of disappointing actually), castles, and everything else. I loved it all.
In Geneva there's a park right by the university where there are giant chess sets and old men play chess there. Mike and I played but I lost miserably. Then an old man who had been watching explained where I went wrong. I still don't get it but it was fantastic. We ran into a bachelor party that was quite interesting. The groom was dressed as a polar bear while the others wore blonde wigs and devil horns. They also had one of those long, alpine horn things that are in Ricola commercials. I think they are at least. So these dudes were just out walking the streets with their cases of beer. Awesome.
I skipped rocks on Lake Geneva a lot. I'm getting pretty good. Then on Sunday night we stayed up all night because we had an early Monday morning flight. So we built a campfire right by the lake and stayed out all night. Also we went night swimming! IN LAKE GENEVA! It was cold but amazing. We hadn't planned on it but then just went for it. That was an incredible night. I love Geneva and everyone there. Erin, I will totally visit you there. We can play chess.
Today we didn't have school so I just hung around. I feel pretty weird right now; I don't know what happened to me but if I did drugs, this is probably what it would feel like. But Mike and I started booking our travels for May. I am very excited. We're using Geneva as homebase and then going to Istanbul, Budapest, and Berlin. Yes.
I just have to get through finals first. Allora...I need to eat food to feel less weird. Or sleep. Ok. Just know, Switzerland is the best.

Sailing on the Mediterranean

Whew, what a relaxing weekend. A nice way to unwind before I spend the next week holed up in the library writing papers and doing research.
Friday, Esther and I went to Santa Marinella for some beach time. Typical European behaviors were observed: toplessness, Speedo-wearing, paddle ball while wearing said Speedos, leathery tans. But it was lovely to be there though the water was a bit cold. Then Esther went back to Rome and I continued to Ostia. There I met Tamy and 15 other students to go sailing! My boat had 6 other girls on it; the other boat was all ND kids. Out boat was named Doppio Gioco, translated 'double game' aka cheating. Nice. That night while we slept, Tamy and our captain Maurizio sailed us some 60 miles to Palmarola. We woke up on Saturday to bright blue skies, clear Mediterranean waters, and a rocky deserted island. Well, it's deserted except for Fendi's summer villa. Anyway, we all went swimming and explored some caves. Tamy took us out in the dinghy to see some other caves. There were amazing; the water was so clear and blue. A little cold but I've been in much colder water. We climbed on some rocks, laid out on the boat deck, listened to Italian club remixes. Outstanding. I got some sunburn, surprising I know. Then in the afternoon we sailed to the island of Ponza where we docked for the night. It was a cute little town with brightly colored houses and white staircases winding throughout. I've never been to Greece but I'm pretty sure this would be very comparable. It was a quiet place, great to just wander around and relax. We had dinner on the boat then got some gelato. The other boat got a little rowdy and went to the one bar in town, only to have one girl get sick. Good thing I turned in early and was rocked to sleep in the boat. Very relaxing. I like sleeping on boats. It's crowded and if the engine is on or the anchor is being put out, it can be loud. But I like it. The next morning we set out early to sail all the way back to Ostia. It was clear when we left port at 8:30 but around 11 fog rolled in. Very unusual but thrilling. We had to go very slowly because there are lots of rocks in the area and we couldn't see anything. A couple of times we got pretty close to the rocks but were able to turn in time. Being the nerd that I am, I thought about Odysseus and other ancient mariners trying to sail through these waters. It would be terrifying. Anyway, the fog burned off by early afternoon and we had smooth waters all the way back. We stopped once for a quick swim, right out in the middle of the Mediterranean, no land in sight. I took lots of naps on the boat and generally did nothing. We made it back to port around 9:30 last night and then everyone returned to Rome. I was salty, sunscreen-y, and burnt so a shower was imperative. It was an amazing trip; I think I need to get a boat and live on it. But I also need someone to sail it because I don't have those skills yet. So, who wants in on this plan? Everyone. But really, if you get a chance to sail on the Mediterranean, take it. It's beautiful. We lucked out with some gorgeous weather but still...it would be amazing no matter what. Imagine a picture of a white sailboat on deep blue waters with bright blue skies and puffy white clouds behind it. That's what it was like. Perfect.
I want to be back on the boat right now, instead I am procrastinating. Whenever I get around beaches and water, I'm convinced that I should live there. Of course, that's how I feel wherever I am. Wow, that was a great weekend. A nice mini vacation before finals. This weekend it's both Esther's and Pooja's birthdays so we probably going to go somewhere. I don't know where that might be though...Sicily, Croatia, France...all possibilities. It's up to the birthday girls to decide. That will be another nice mini vacation before finals. I'm taking a lot of vacations. From what? I don't know. I certainly haven't been writing my papers. But I am going to start them right now. Maybe.

There's no time!

I only have about 3 weeks left in Rome. Of course I have about 3 more weeks after that to run around but still. No time! Fortunately, travel plans are slowly coming together and it looks like I may be visiting Sicily, Istanbul, Budapest, and Berlin in the near future. These are all tentative so don't hold me to it. But exciting.
Unfortunately, I have approximately 40 pages of academic writing to do before all that. Yikes. I have on page done. Hopefully I'll be able to churn out another 9 tomorrow. A little ambitious.
Lately, around the apartment, I think relationships have cooled. Esther and I are still fine but I'm seeing the others less. We've all had visitors coming and going so it's been hard but it's not even just that. I think, well I speak only for myself here, that perhaps people have realized that though we've lived together for months now, there isn't much else beyond that. I've just gone about doing my own thing which apparently doesn't work for others. There was a small incident just moments ago, nothing big, but suffice to say that one of my roommates may not be pleased with me. I'm being cryptic on purpose. I told her how I felt because I wasn't comfortable with just letting things lie. Perhaps that was a bad idea. I think she was unreasonable and she thinks I was unreasonable. So be it. I know I'm not actually friends with some of them. We just have to live together.
SLEEP! I need more of it.

The Bay of Naples

Bright and early on Saturday morning everyone went to Pompeii. Esther and I had to go for class for the weekend and the other kids were going on a day trip. Tommy and Matt snuck in too. So we saw Pompeii. But I already knew everything there was to know about it. Thanks, Brenda Longfellow! It was cool to see it all in person. The weather wasn't so good though so we didn't get to spend as much time there but I saw the frescoes and the plaster casts. Also stray dogs. Then the class went to a villa at Boscoreale which is just 20 some minutes from Pompeii. It wasn't nearly as interesting as the city but va bene. The class was staying in a hotel in Sorrento but in order to save money and spend time with our visitors, we stayed at a campground just outside town. It was great, though a bit cold at night. But first we had pizza in Sorrento and walked a bit through the town. It's a cute place but definitely a tourist spot. I would go back for a beach weekend though. Much better than Naples, home of pizza and the Mafia.
I woke up super early on Sunday morning to meet my class but Esther decided to skip out so she could be with Matt and Tommy more. Class was great. The weather was perfect. We climbed Mount Vesuvius (it was steaming!) and then went to Herculaneum. Also a cool place. For me at least. A lot of people in the class were less than interested. Their loss. Mike met up with the class there to take our class bus because he wanted to get back to Rome sooner than Esther and the gang would return. So we talked on the way home with Wish too. It was a good trip though tiring. Then I met Pooja for dinner and we hung out for a few hours. It was a nice date. Obligatory late night gelato was eaten at Old Bridge. Stayed up way too late and was a zombie in my classes. Stayed up way to late again last night but it was Tommy's and Matt's last night in Rome so that was ok. Today, after Tommy left, Esther, Matt, and I hung out in the Villa Borghese. So much leisure! Too bad I had to go to class and be a zombie again. Despite the warm sun, there was a freak hail storm this afternoon. Fortunately, I was sleeping inside during class so I didn't get hit/wet. Now, I am playing around, waiting to register for my classes. I love registration!
Also, this summer I will definitely be in the Netherlands! WOOO! I might also get to go sailing in the Greek islands. Have I told you this before? Probably. But you get to hear it again because it's awesome. So even though I know you miss me dearly, I'll only be stateside for a few weeks this summer. I'll be back in August though, just in time for school to start.
One other thing. I have the worst luck with cameras ever. I had already damaged the new one my parents brought for me. But just now when I tried turning it on, it didn't work. There is no explanation for this. I know the batteries are fine. It is entirely too frustrating. Why did this nonsense start happening? I'm not usually one who breaks/loses electronics. Such a waste. I guess I'll just use only disposable cameras.

Finally...

I know, I know. You thought I fell off the face of the earth/got arrested and deported from Italy. Not so. I’ve just been a little busy. Rome has been busy. But it’s ok now. I can tell you what I’ve been up to.
Well, I went to Palm Sunday mass at the Vatican. It was very crowded but not nearly as crowded as other Easter events. I saw the PopeMobile in action. Awesome. Benedict ought to cruise around in that thing more often. I also saw some very formal Swiss Guard uniforms and I saw them do something. That something was preventing old ladies from sneaking their way into the ticketed seating area. They had to physically restrain them. Nice work, guys. It was awesome how excited people were for the Mass though. The usual flag waving and so forth. But I also watched a group of nuns sprint across St. Peter’s Square when it opened so they could get some palms and a good seat. Funny. I went with Fareen who is Muslim so she was a little confused by it all. Especially when they sent the priests out into the square for Communion and everyone was pushing and shoving each other to get some Body of Christ. (I totally got some.) But it was a nice Mass. Mostly in Italian but once again Latin served me well. Anyway, that was a nice day.
Rome was crazy packed with tourists for Holy Week. Hordes. That’s what there were. Hordes. I was also really busy with school. Presentations and so forth. Matt from Madrid was in Rome with his two friends so I hung out with them. Then saved Matt when he missed his flight and let him stay in my apartment. But it was good to see someone from Iowa again. Then Mom, Dad, Galen, and Nolan came to visit me! They arrived on Thursday morning and stayed till Tuesday morning. So they too were part of the horde. But I forgave them that because they brought peanut butter and new camera for me. (Side note: I’ve already damaged the screen of this new one. But va bene. I can still take all the pictures I want.) Anyway, it was wonderful to have them here for Easter. We visited the Forum and the Vatican. They saw the Coliseum while I was at class. And of course we ate well and often. Friends met family and family met friends. I think everyone truly enjoyed each other’s company. We went to the Via Crucis at the Coliseum on Good Friday. There my brothers got to see Benedict for the first time albeit from a fair distance. It was long but good. And more Latin! I can’t even remember what we did the whole time they were here. Gelato. Umm…for Easter we went to Santa Maria in Trastevere. It was a reasonable length of time and though in Italian, I think everyone followed along rather well. We had a leisurely Sunday and Monday. Saw some Caravaggios and sat in the park. Dad was perturbed by all the leisure. And more eating! Thanks for visiting me, family. I miss you all and love you!
Nikki rolled in from Ireland on Sunday night. So she got to hang out with my family and friends too. It was awesome to have her here! I did more tours of Rome. Also headed to the Vatican Museum which was great though very tiring. There is a lot of art in that building. One night, Nikki, Mike, Pooja and I headed out to a bar to watch Roma play Manchester United. Roma lost badly so we didn’t end up watching much of the game. We did hang out with a bunch of high school boys from Chicago who were on a school trip and some pilots who were in Rome just for the night. Both groups were doing their best to be drunk. It was hilarious. I found out I am good at conversing with high-schoolers because I make fun of them when they’ve had too much to drink. That’s nice to know…in a way.
Then on Thursday night, Nikki, Esther, and I went to Termini to pick up Esther’s friend Matt. It was around 11:30 PM so Termini was more shady than usual. The bus there was rather crowded and I was standing up in the aisle. People were pushed up against me. Then I felt my bag jostle a bit. I thought it was just the guy next to me readjusting his coat. But then the movement continued. I could distinctly feel someone rummaging in my bag. So I turned around and I see the man behind me holding my wallet. I had literally caught him in the act of pick pocketing me. So I grabbed my wallet back, shot him a death glare and yelled no. Then the bus stopped and he jumped out and ran away with his buddies. I probably should’ve done more, like yell ‘thief’ or punch him. But I was just glad that I still had my wallet. So that was interesting. Then we had to wait around Termini for awhile because Matt’s plane was late. Termini late at night is not a good place for girls. There were a series of men trying to approach us, as usual. Then one guy tried to talk to us and we kept trying to tell him to go away. Finally he just looked at me and said, “You have sex with me.” Again I used my death glare and shouted ‘no, go away’ in Italian. And he went away. Thanks for all the fun, Termini.
Anyway, once we had collected Matt we all went to see the Trevi Fountain. It’s nice at night, not crowded. Although there was a rat running around. Eh, there are probably lots of them in Rome; what else do the stray cats eat? So we got home around 3 0r 4 in the morning. I took a short nap but then Nikki and I returned to Termini because she had to catch a bus to catch her flight. Daylight makes Termini a much nicer place and it was a smooth send-off. Thanks for visiting me, Nikki! Hopefully we’ll be able to meet up again soon. Berlin? Yes.
On Friday, Esther, Matt, Stacey, and I hung out. Went to the Pantheon, had a delicious lunch, walked around a bit. Then I went to the Vatican to mail some things and hang out and people watch. There an Italian fellow who was sitting near me started talking to me. Apparently he was a poet and I had inspired him. So he gave me the poem and we chatted for a bit. But then I met Stacey and we sat around some more waiting for Esther and Matt to finish their St. Peter’s visit. After that we all went back to Termini to pick up Esther’s friend, Tommy. His bus was in an accident on the way from the airport (nobody was hurt) so he was late. Then we got pizza, watched some street performers in Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, and finally headed home. We lovingly call these particular street performers The Ambiguously Gay uDo. They do acrobatics interspersed among some creative dance while wearing skintight black leotards. Amazing. Anyway, I have to end here for now. Apparently, I have to go to school. But I will write more because this past weekend I went to Pompeii! I know! You’re on the edge of your seat with anticipation. But you’ll have to wait.

Danger!

I don't know why this is happening now, but public transportation officials are cracking down. Twice in the past week ticket checkers have boarded the 8 tram that I was riding. Both times I got off the tram, not inconspicuously, before they could get to me. I don't ever have a ticket for the tram so I would be in trouble. But what? I've gone months without ever seeing them and now, they're everywhere. I am going to have to buy a monthly pass or walk more. Seriously though. ATAC, don't do this to me.

The next couple of weeks are going to be crazy. I have a lot of school work to do, actually catch up on, and everyone is coming to visit Rome. I'm very excited to have people visit but I know I'll just get farther behind in school. Oh well. I should've prepared for this.

Family! Most of you will be here in 5 days!

And to finish it off...

Finally, I will end my account of Spring Break 2007. Actually I will probably keep remembering things and mentioning them but this is a good overview of it all.

Day 9 Friday
We arrived back in Tangier in the morning and hiked on over to the port. Got some ferry tickets only to get a little lost and be unsure of where to get on the boat. So we ended up just missing our boat. But the ferry guys took pity on us and snuck us on to another boat that was leaving just a few minutes later. Literally, they snuck us on. Our tickets were for another ferry company so they led us onto the boat through the cargo area and then we climbed up the maintenance ladders in the interior of the boat. And emerged into the main cabin from a door that said 'Employees Only.' That was pretty cool. This ferry was not super fast so it took about 3 hours. Most of them were spent sleeping. Having made it back to Algeciras we got to the bus station, grabbed some food and hopped on a very hot bus back to Sevilla. Hot and crowded but again, I slept and stared out the window a lot. In Sevilla we had to go to the other bus station so we took a local city bus there (a lost of bus transportation happening) only to find we had missed the bus to Madrid by 15 minutes. And the next one didn't leave til midnight. So we had about 6 hours to kill. Fortunately, Esther was still in Sevilla with her friends so we met up with them for dinner. I had a lovely time with them; they're all awesome people. So that was nice even though our plans had been all messed up. I had been getting very testy with my two travel companions lately and a break from their company was needed. It was just too much time with each other, aggravated by much travel and uncertain circumstances. But at midnight we got on another hot and crowded bus and set off on our last bus journey.

Day 10 Saturday
We arrived in Madrid at 7 AM which is too early for anything, including checking into our hostel so we sat around the bus station for awhile. This was the same station that we had slept outside of on our first night so we had really come full circle. But we knew from previous experience that there were excellent croissants to be had so that's what we did, ate croissants. Around 9 we went to our hostel where we dropped off our bags because check-in wasn't until noon. Then we walked around Madrid a bit. Having been there before, I could find my around to the major attractions. It was funny how familiar Madrid felt even though I don't actually know it that well. But having come from a place where I couldn't speak the languages and had no idea where I was ever going, this felt like home. We had churros for breakfast then went to the Prado which I enjoyed immensely. But again my travel companions were getting cranky and clearly did not enjoy the art like I did. So we left relatively soon and went to the hostel for a siesta. They went to sleep but I decided to walk around Madrid more. I also checked my email and felt really popular because I had a lot of emails. I also called Jake and made plans to hang out with him that evening. I figured he would be good to have around since he's been living in Madrid and also it would be another relief from my fellow travelers. Then I too took a siesta and a much needed shower. We went to the Plaza Mayor which was packed with Danish people in town for the Spain v. Denmark match. They were funny and drunk even though the game was still 5 hours away. We just had drinks and watched all the activity for awhile. Then for dinner, I had fish and chips. I know, not exactly Spanish. But in Marrakech, all the people pick up random British phrases and just yell them at you to get your attention. And one of them is fish and chips so I had been thinking about them a lot. And luckily the guy at the hostel recommended a nearby restaurant that happened to serve fish and chips. It was destiny. Finally we met up with Jake and his roommate Alec whereupon we hopped back and forth between a couple of pubs to watch the soccer game. Ashly left really early because she was tired and then Alec left to meet some of his Spanish friends. Molly proceeded to drink a lot more than either me or Jake and tried to befriend some Danes. She also really did not like Jake. Why? I'm not sure but at that point I didn't care what she thought. I was getting really mean and hostile to Ashly and Molly by this point. Anyway, around 3 AM we went home, only after I flat out rejected Molly's pleas to go to a club with some Danish guys. She was pissed about that but I was tired.

Day 11 Sunday
Had another chance to sleep in. As usual I was up before everyone else but I liked having some time to myself. When they got up we got breakfast and then went out into the city again. It was a lovely day; I was again perfectly content to just walk around. We passed by the Palacio Real and then sat in the Plaza de Espana for a bit, people watching and the like. Esther was supposed to meet us in Madrid on Monday for our flight home but got confused and went to the airport Sunday morning. So she decided to just go home that day. Molly and Ashly, hating Madrid, decided they wanted to do the same but it would've been way too expensive so they were forced to stay. I would've preferred having them leave because they were really bringing me down. Fortunately, we went to the Parque del Buen Retiro which was packed with people out enjoying Sunday afternoon. I ditched the two of them and met Jake and some of his friends. We walked around and talked until I was called back to the two helpless ones. We didn't have a hostel booked for that night so they needed me figure out what to do. So we went back to the hostel from the night before and got beds there. Not that difficult. Then I met Jake again for tapas and Ashly and Molly went somewhere else for tapas. They were invited along with me and Jake but I just couldn't handle them anymore. The whole situation had gotten pretty bad. Anyway, I had a lot of fun in Madrid, even if nobody else did. So then I went to bed and woke up 5 hours later to get our flight back to Rome which went smoothly. Or as smoothly as it can go when you can't even bear to look at the people you're traveling with. I'm being harsh. But anyway, it felt nice to be back in Rome. It was truly like coming home. Except we came home to a not from JCU Housing saying they had inspected our apartment and it was "a shambles! unacceptable!!" Now, I know it was a little messy and maybe more than a little dirty but nothing compared to some other people's apartments. Nevertheless, I agree, it was not acceptable. Last night Esther and I cleaned the entire place, top to bottom. I feel much better now. Other roommates didn't help and didn't say thanks. What are you going to do?

So that was my spring break. I keep remembering little details that are funny/awesome/mean but I don't have the energy to include them now. Hopefully I'll just remember them and they'll come out when I talk about my adventures. All in all, it was an amazing trip. I can do anything now. I even looked up shark diving but that is pretty expensive so until I get a financial sponsor, that'll have to wait. I'll figure out some other things to do. My relationships with Ashly and Molly have changed; I know them a lot better and I know that we're not so compatible as travellers. I also know that I will always have to travel. I love being at home but new places are amazing. So yes, I am ruined. Well, that's it for now. I've got to get back to school work even though I decided I should be having more fun. And fun is taking time from school. Ah, so be it. Mom, Dad, Galen, and Nolan will be here in a week! I am so excited to see them. Unfortunately, they won't be able to meet Molly or Meryl as they are going to Greece for Easter. I would've liked to have them meet each other but I guess it's not meant to be. Actually, right now, I am going to make some pasta. My favorite.

Let's continue

Day 5 Monday
We woke up early and headed over to the Djemaa el-Fna, the main square of Marrakech. There we met Omar, our camel trekking guide, and the 5 others who would be joining us. There was Andrew and Caroline, a young British couple, and Cindy, Vid, and Charlotte, three students from Cambridge. Cindy is actually from the U.S. so the nationalities were even. Omar is Berber which means he is a member of the indigenous people of North Africa. (Famous Berbers include: St. Augustine, Terence, and Zinedine Zidane) He was born out in the desert so he knows his way around there pretty well. Now he leads tours through Morocco and the desert. Good stuff.
We spend Monday driving from Marrakech in the direction of Merzougae which is a city close to the edge of the desert. We didn't make it there all in one day because we stopped at various places. We stopped at two casbahs (requisite rock the casbah joke here) and had Moroccan tea. We also stopped at Dades Gorge which is amazing. A river flows through two sheer cliffs faces which people can climb. I wish I could rock climb but I probably would start with something easier. Anyway, the drive was beautiful. We went through the Atlas Mountains too. They were amazing. Snow at the tops but lower down they were just red. Very red with some green vegetation. And the drive was a little scary with all the switchbacks and a lot of times no guardrails and speeding and donkey carts and people. But everybody survived. So it was a long day but definitely worth it.
And now a word about Moroccan food. There isn't a whole lot of variety here but it's good. Couscous is always good as are kebabs. Tajine is a stew like dish with veggies and meat; I always went with the lamb. Omelettes are also big and some crepe like things for breakfast with a bit of jam. Also lots of flat bread and olives. Moroccan tea is a very sweet, hot, mint tea which is good but can be a little too much sometimes. Also there's some sort of way to pour it but I can't do it because I was afraid I'd spill. Oh and fresh squeezed orange juice. That is delightful. Anyway, that's mostly what I ate the whole time.
That night we stayed in a little hotel somewhere in southeast Morocco. There was a group of Berbers at the hotel who played drums and sang for us. They had an electric banjo too. OK, it wasn't a banjo but a stringed instrument similar to a banjo. It was amazing. Some of the best music I've ever heard. They were a bunch of older French couples there too and they got chosen to be dressed up in traditional Berber dress and dance a bit. It was very cute because they were a little embarrassed but clearly having a lot of fun. They were groups of older French couples all throughout Morocco; it's a popular destination for them.

Day 6 Tuesday
Another early wake up to finish our drive to Merzouga and the desert. More scenery and tea but we were all getting really excited to see the camels and desert. We weren't really on any roads anymore. Just driving through a very arid landscape in the direction of the desert. But we couldn't see any desert yet and though there were some camel crossing signs, no camels. Then we crossed over a little ridge and there it was in front of us. Huge dunes of golden-orange sand. They just sprang up from the cracked, dry earth. There wasn't any transition. It was the Sahara. And camels! They are big and when they yell, they sounds a bit like Chewbacca. We were all a bit anxious to get started. Omar tied scarves around our heads in the correct Berber manner and then we jumped on the camels and headed out. We were tied together in a caravan so nobody would get lost and there were two other guides besides Omar. They walked though. And Omar trekked all over taking his own path. Obviously he knows where he's going but out there, to me, every dune looks like the next. We rode for an hour and half to two hours. Riding camels isn't scary and not very hard. There's a saddle and they're pretty slow. I would always get a little nervous when we went down steep dunes because I wasn't sure the camel would be able to keep it's footing. Of course it did but I held on tight. It wasn't particularly hot out there either. Granted it is early spring still and Omar assured us that it got hot. Very hot. I was very comfortable though. It was like stepping into a postcard. Every picture you've seen is accurate, only being there it's just more. There's nothing like it. I felt as if I could've been on another planet. It was surreal to say the least. I also decided that next time I want to sled down some dunes. That would be fun. After a bit, we reached our camp. Nestled between two huge dunes, Omar had a tent set up. Very spacious really. Then we climbed up a big dune to watch the sunset. Climbing this thing was hard and we all struggled. The sand is rather fine too so we all picked up some extra pounds of sand in our shoes and pockets and mouths and ears. But it felt good tor each the top even though it was overcast so the sunset wasn't much to speak of. This is when my camera broke (I'm assuming there's sand in it) so I didn't get pictures of the 2nd half of our journeys. So that means I just have to go back. After the sunset we slid back down to camp and had dinner, more tajine, bread, and couscous. Omar and his buddies got a fire going and we all sat around while they played the drums. Omar had also let us stop earlier on the drive over to get some beers so we sipped those around the campfire. He obviously knows his audience because getting alcohol in Morocco isn't as easy as it is in other countries because it's Muslim. But he knew people would want a drink. It was all very pleasant. They let us try the drums too. I was undoubtedly the best one there... I'm sure it was absolute cacophony to Omar and his buddies. Then we just sat around and talked. The sky was very clear and we could see nearly every single star ever I think. I identified various constellations (Dad, I'm sure you would've known a lot more but I held my own) though their positions in the sky were different than at home. Then we turned in for the night and slept on some pallets in the tents with lots of blankets. As soon as I got into bed, it got really cold. I could feel the cold air blowing on my face so I had to duck my head under the covers. I slept pretty well except for when I heard some scratching noises and became convinced that a scarab was crawling on my pillow. I'm pretty sure it was just the camp's cat prowling around though.

Day 7 Wednesday
Woke up quite early as one tends to do when camping. It was still chilly out and overcast again so no sunrise. We had breakfast then got back on the camels to head back out of the desert. By this time, I felt like I could ride a camel for days into the desert. Next time I'll go for a week or something. Get farther out because in reality, we weren't very far into the Sahara. If Omar had abandoned me, I could've found my way out within a day. But despite my belief that I could be a desert dweller, I think we all know I wasn't made for it. Pale skin, light eyes...not so good for desert life. Anyway, we made it out of the desert and said goodbye to our camels. Then back into the Jeeps to drive all the way back to Marrakech. A much quieter drive because we went straight through and everybody was tired. A little awestruck that we had just done that too. Got back to Marrakech around 8 PM or so and dumped our stuff back at the riad. Then we headed out to Djemaa el-Fna to get dinner and see what it was like at night. It was amazing. Full of food stalls that set up tables and people milling around. Also smoke was billowing from the grills because there's a lot of meat being cooked. The guys working the food stalls will come out to you and give you menus and urge you over to their place. Meanwhile their neighboring competitor is trying to entice you away. They all serve the same stuff though. Just go wherever you want. It's all not very sanitary but very colorful and fun. While we were eating we watched a group of Spaniards try to decide where to eat. They were quite sought after and anytime they started in the direction of one stand, all the employees would start cheering and the competitors would boost their efforts. It was great. At dinner another American sat down with us. His name was Paul and he was travelling alone; he didn't say it but he spotted us as Americans going to this place and followed us there. I would've done the same to have someone to talk to. Anyway, he was a talker. But it was good to just meet someone like that. He had traveled a lot and had lots of stories. But we were exhausted so we went headed back to riad and bed around 11.

Day 8 Thursday
We got to sleep in a bit but were up and ready to go by 11. This would be our first time seeing Marrakech in the middle of the day. It was busy, lots of tourists but they were mostly French or British. Not many Americans at all. In fact, any time we told a shopkeeper or waiter or anything that we spoke only English, they assumed we were British. And when we said no to that, they assumed Canada, Quebec especially. Sometimes I just said I was from Vancouver. One really does get a different response when they realize you're American. The main square was full of orange juice vendors. They'll yell and try to coax you over. There were snake charmers, acrobats, musicians, storytellers, and some fellows dressed up in colorful outfits with big hats that had fringe. I don't know what they were there for except photo-ops. It was quite a scene. Then there are the souks. A maze of markets, covered and uncovered, in the tiny streets of the city where one can buy anything. There are different areas, like carpet, leather, shoes, food. But we wandered around those forever. The shopkeepers were just as persistent and eager for your business. They'd call out at us and if you even stopped for a moment just to look, they'd be all over you and urging you in to look more. And everything is negotiable there. You have to bargain with them. They'll set the price unreasonably high and you set in unreasonably low. Then from there you work it out. I'm not great at this but I tried. And it's always a good idea to start to walk away or mention that the guy four stalls down gave you a better price and you're going there. It's all a big game. Fun but tiring. We were completely lost, no maps could do us good. So we weren't able to find the Koranic school which is apparently beautiful or basically any other historical sights. We did see the big bell tower that Sevilla's Giralda is modeled on so that was nice. I was perfectly content to just wander around and take it all in. Marrakech is just one big show and there's always something going on. My travel companions were less than enthusiastic about it all though and were becoming quite trying. They had become disenchanted with Morocco, I think. I had not however. We also sampled some Moroccan sweets. I have no idea what they were but they were good. That evening we went to the train station and got the night train to Tangier to go back to Spain. It was much less eventful than on our way there. Early on, the other two had fallen asleep and I was just about to when a man walked by an tapped me on the head. I didn't see who it was but I was awake now so i just did some reading. Then a bit later the man walked by again and tapped my head again. He wagged his finger at me and said 'No sleeping' and nodded at the other two. I think he may have been French and was telling me that one of us had to be awake at all times, to watch our stuff and such. But I'm not really sure. Anyway, I stayed awake basically the rest of the night. The train was freezing cold too so sleeping wasn't comfortable anyway. It was a long night but I got some good thinking done.

OK, once again I will stop here. The next entry will finish up my adventures. And again, if you want the really good details and gossip, just ask me. I'll hold forth for hours.

Spring Break 2007

Where to begin? The 10 days of my spring break were absolutely unbelievable; I don't think any words or pictures will quite explain them. This was a true life experience. I don't want to say it changed my life but it did something. I feel like I am more aware of what I'm capable of, of what I can do even in the most foreign situations. These travels have been truly remarkable, once in a lifetime really. It's absurd that I'm only 20 years old and can check off some of those things on the 'life to-do' list. This trip was everything: stressful and peaceful, comfortable and very uncomfortable, mundane and exotic. In short, the best and worst of travel. So I willgive you a day by day account og it all. This isn't everything because there's too much to remember but it will be long. You're going to love it though.

N.B. At times I may have knowingly placed myself in potentially dangerous situations. Don't do that. I am safe and well because I am hardcore and rugged but you might not be so lucky. Also, to my parents, I'm sorry if any of this worries you. I won't do it again...or I probably will but not tell you til after it's done.

Day 1
Esther, Molly, Ashly and I left Rome Thursday evening to fly to Madrid. So far so good. Upong getting to Madrid we didn't know what bus station we needed to be at to get to Sevilla. So we went to one but that was wrong and then we got to Estacion del Sur which was right but we had missed the last bus that night. So we were stuck in the bus station at 1 AM with nowhere to go. Then we got kicked out of the bus station because it was closing. So we found a little bus shelter on the street and spent the night there. Maybe that was dangerous but there was another group of backpackers across the street. I like to think we were both keeping an eye on the other group to make sure they were safe. But maybe not. Anyway, I stayed awake the whole time because that was important to do. It got pretty cold but we played cards and talked and I thought it was a grand adventure. And now I can sleep on streets anytime I want.

Day 2 Friday
They opened the station again at 5 or 6 in the morning so we went back in, along with all the homeless people and other rugged travelers. We had to wait for another few hours for the bus but that was ok. I began to dust off my Spanish skills and rock the Spanish lisp. I know, you are jealous. So we rode the bus for 6 hours and arrive in Sevilla in the early afternoon. There Esther's friend Tommy met us and helped us get settled. He's studying there for the semester and he's really nice and awesome so it was a great intro to the city. We stayed in a cool little hostel not far from the center of town. Also we met a girl who was from the Iowa City area. She and a friend were biking thgough Spain. But she had to cut her trip short because she had to go home and start training for the Olympics. She's a triathlete. That's when I decided I needed a better story than 'Spring Break!' But I never came up with a believable one. We had lunch and walked around a bit and generally relaxed. There was a little fair going on to celebrate the three cultures that settled Sevilla so we got to see a lot of handcrafted goods and such. That night we had tapas and Tommy took us to a flamenco show. It was amazing; the dancer was very intense and the singer and guitarrist were great. Then some other couples got up and danced the sevillanas. It was a lot of fun because it was at a place that was more local and authentic. We went to bed pretty early that night because we were all exhausted.

Day 3 Saturday
Molly, Ashly, and I woke up early to get our bus tickets to the port town of Algeciras. Then we went to the cathedral (biggest in Europe) and climbed up La Giralda (bell tower) to get a spectacular view of Sevilla. It was beautiful, sunny, warm, and friendly. Kind of touristy but that's ok. We also saw Christopher Columbus's tomb. Then we met up with Tommy and Esther for lunch. He took us to this awesome place for bocadillos (sandwiches) and beer. Delicious. Walked around Sevilla more, saw some good street performers and musicians. Then Tommy and Esther left to go to a concert and we just hung out arounde the city. Had some sangria by the river and took it easy. We were in for some serious travel so we decided to relax while we could. Then that night we got on another bus and headed off to Algeciras.

Day 4 Sunday
We arrived in Algeciras around midnight and with nowhere to stay because our plans had changed just before we left Rome and we hadn't expected to be there for the night. But we decided we could be on the streets again because we had already succesfully done it in Madrid. But Algeciras isn't quite the same and was a little darker and scarier. Fortunately just by walking a block or two from the bus station we found a cheap hostel that was decent. After all, we only needed beds. We woke up early to get a ferry, managing to just catch to 9 o'clock. The ferry port was very crowded with Moroccans going back and a large group of elderly South Americans on tour. There was also another group of backpackers; they were far more rugged though and Polish. The ferry was awesome. It was the super fast ferry so it only took an hour to an hour and a half. But it wasn't exactly smooth and walking around was hard. I talked to the Polish people a bit more and began to befriend them. The main one who spoke English said he thought I was Polish at first but then saw that I had a North Face bag so he knew I was American. But the Polish like North Face and Americans so it was ok. And now I know I could maybe pass for Polish. Anyway, it turned out that they were also going to the train station in Tanger (the Moroccan port) so we tagged along with them. We hiked from the port to the station, with a few wrong turns but nothing too bad. We got there in time to catch the 11 o'clock train to Marrakech but didn't have dirhams (the Moroccan currency) and the atm rejected me at first so then we missed that train. The next one was at 1 though so we just hung out with the Polish people at the station. And this is when I made a Moroccan friend. I was just sitting quietly and a young woman sat down next to me with her mom. Apparently despite my somewhat disheveled appearance, she thought I looked friendly so she began to talk to me. Unfortunately I don't know Arabic or French and her English was very limited but we managed ok. I think. She's a student in Tangier but was going to visit her grandparents in Sidi Kasem, where we had to change trains. So she basically made it her mission to be my best friend. We sat in the same compartment along with two other Moroccans. Hanane, my new friend, was really happy to talk to me so we passed the time having conversations though we may having been talking about different things. She kept telling me to come to her house and she would make me dinner but I had to decline because there wasn't enough time. But she gave me her number and address anyway and told me to call or write. I gave her my address at home so she could write and practice English. So, if a letter from Morocco comes for me, it's from her. Anyway, the train ride was long and very hot but the countryside was gorgeous. At Sidi Kasem, we said good bye to Hanane and her mom and got on another train to go to Marrakech. Moroccan transportation is a little different though. Basically, however many people you can fit on the train, get to ride. We weren't totally aware of this though so we didn't storm the train like everyone else. We did get on but there were no seats and it was entirely packed, all the aisles, the places where two cars connect, everywhere. So we ended up just standing for a long time although we were all in different places. It was maybe a little uncomfortable but an amazing experience and I absolutely loved it. I was jammed into this train car with all Moroccans, who spoke no English, and the train door was broken so we could see everything just flying by. Everytime we stopped, people would push on and off and everybody would get jostled about. It was very colorful and animated. We had to change trains again at Casa Voyageurs. Molly and Ashly had found seats on the previous train and made friends with some Moroccan men. I looked surly though so they didn't talk to me but I was ok with that. Anyway these guys waited with us til our next train but we managed to get rid of them once on the train. This train wasn't as crowded because it was getting to be late but we still had to stand for awhile. A little girl walked by me holding two chicks, one was dyed red and the other blue. I don't know why. A group of young men drummed on the side of the train and sang songs too. They liked Ashly and talked hip-hop and rap with her, sort of. Eventually we found seats and I sat next to Nabil. He's a student in Marrakech and he spoke the best English of anyone we had met thus far. He was also very clearly gay so I didn't have to worry about him being a creeper. He was eally nice and offered to give us a ride to our riad (hotel) but then his cousin didn't pick him up so he got us a taxi. And of course taxi drivers are notorious for trying to scam tourists so even though Nabil had negotiated a set price before we left, when we got dropped off the driver demanded twice that. Molly and Ashly were very put off by that but all we had to do was pay him what had been agreed and tell him no more. The driver got all dramatic and huffy but that's how they do. Then he just left so it was ok. The streets of Marrakech are very narrow and small though so we had to walk a ways to actually get to our riad. Despite some helpful directions by a little old man, we got lost. And Marrakech late at night is dark and a little scary. There was garbage and stray cats and we were lost. It's then that I began to really wonder what I had gotten myself into. But a nice couple who spoke some English guided us and we made it ok. We basically just collapsed into bed because we had to be up early the next morning to meet our guide for the camel trek.

And this is where I will leave off for now. More to come for sure. Unfortunately as I write this, I realize it doesn't nearly as exciting as it actually was. Or stressful for that matter. But you'll just have to believe me. And when I talk about this trip to you, because I will mention it all the time, maybe you'll get to hear some better details and all.

I have returned!

I am alive and safely back in Rome. I survived, generally unharmed. There's much to tell so check back because I will try to explain this crazy adventure. It'll be hard to do though. Also, this trip has basically ruined me forever because now I only want to do awesome things. I have to keep one-upping myself. What am I going to do for spring break next year after riding camels in the Sahara this year? I'm thinking swimming with sharks. Anyway, be ready for excellent stories.

This could be my last entry

I leave for spring break in 3 hours. I may not come back. And not because I decided to just run away but because I died. My hopes for having fun on this adventure are low but my hopes for having an unbelievable story are very high. In theory, it should be fun. Sevilla, Marrakech, Sahara, Madrid. Yeah that sounds cool. Oh but wait, there's a lot of traveling to get between those places and not enough time to do it. Also language barriers. Also Morocco IS in Africa, maybe not Africa-safari-Africa, but still. Another continent. I've never been to a Muslim country before either which will be interesting but different. And I am the responsible, let's plan ahead person in the group so I am dealing with all the stress of trying to make this a reality and make it as smooth as possible. It will not be a smooth journey. My travel companions have little to no information regarding anything; they can hardly complete the single task I give them. Needless to say, I am already frustrated with them and we haven't even departed yet. I most worried about our sojourn into Morocco. I will have no language skills there (I should've learned French) and I am worried about my companions ability to be culturally aware and to keep a low profile. I have adopted a policy of looking out for myself first and foremost. If you fall behind, I will leave you behind. And I will be mean. None of this dramatic stuff, no complaining. If something goes wrong, deal with it and tell yourself it'll be a good story at least. This will not go over well. So there it is. I guess I'll bid you adieu now. I probably love you so remember that after I've disappeared. (Who's dramatic now?) And should I come back, you'll get to hear some excellent stories.

Birthday!

Yesterday was Mike's birthday so we went out to dinner. His sister had told him about an intriguing restaurant so we researched it and decided to go. It's called L'Eau Vive and it's run by a French order of nuns. That's pretty cool. The proceeds all go to charity and the nuns all wear their native dress; a lot are from African countries so there are bright prints and such. Lovely French food and wine. A tad expensive but worth it for celebrations and interestingness. Another highlight of this place is that every evening at 9:30 the nuns sing a French and English version of the Ave Maria. Everyone in the restaurant joins in and it's quite lovely. We sat upstairs, up a long flight of circular stairs. There the ceiling was painted in beautiful frescoes. Apparently this place is popular with a lot of priests and bigwigs from the Vatican. I don't if that's true or not but rumor is Benedict used to eat here before he became the Papa. The table next to ours was 5 priests so who knows. The nuns also brought Mike a gelato and the restaurant sang Happy Birthday to him in French. Not a bad birthday, certainly memorable.
Then we went and got gelato at the place by the Pantheon that's always in the guide books and people say is the best gelato in Rome. It might be but I haven't eaten all the gelato in Rome. It had some cool flavors though. I got chocolate and cheesecake. So we hung around the Pantheon and then went to Mad Jack's 'Irish' Pub. It's totally fake Irish; only Italians work there. But now I know and will not be deceived. So we had some drinks and good talks and then called it a night. A fun way to say goodbye to everyone before spring break.
Oh but then I had to take my last midterm exam this morning. I was ill-prepared but that didn't matter because it was super easy. Now I am skipping classes to pack and pull myself together before I leave. And that's that.

Coffee flavored yogurt = delicious. Do they have this at home? I don't even know; I never looked for it. But they have it here. If I can find it at home, I will probably try to pass it off as some homemade espresso mousse dessert thing. It is that good.
I learned something about the Welsh last night. I was at a pub full of Welsh people who were in Rome for the Italy-Wales Six Nations match. (Italy won; apparently the Welsh are used to losing though so it didn't matter.) When a Welshman doesn't know the name of another male, he will call him Trev, as in Trevor. This is especially true when talking to bartenders, taxi drivers, and the like. Gareth from Cardiff told me about it though I don't know the logic behind it. I decided that I like the Welsh so I should probably go to Wales. I think it was just nice to be around some very open and friendly people again. Italians are very friendly when you get to know them but they can be a little stand-offish at first. Not so with the Welsh and Irish. I also want to go to Scotland, and England, and Ireland again. I should study abroad my whole life.

Celebrities love Rome

Two celebrity couples that have recently been spotted in Rome (not by me but by paparazzi): Tom Brady/Gisele and Jessica Simpson/John Mayer. The celebrities are loving this place right now. I also actually saw some Italian celebrity. A large crowd of people were gawking and lots of paparazzi were circling around him. I have no idea who it was though.
Another celebrity that I saw today: Benedict XVI. We hung out earlier this evening, you know just some religious banter going back forth. In the form of the rosary. I went to his audience for University students. There were satellite feeds to various other countries (India, England, Poland, etc,) where University students had gathered. The Pope led the rosary with each country taking one decade. All the people gathered in Rome would respond so we were all saying it together. A nice feeling of community and a look into the global nature of the Catholic Church. We all prayed together, though in a dozen different languages. The Pope showed off a little; he just had to speak several different languages. I mean come on, Benny, we know you're multi-lingual.
This was my first experience being in the same room as the Pope. And wow. He is a rockstar. People were cheering, clapping, taking pictures, waving flags, and best of all...chanting his name. Oh yes. It was like a soccer chant only for the Pope. Ben-e-det-to (clap clap clap)! Awesome. I didn't know we could do that but it happened, multiple times. He seemed like a genial, old fellow. He cracked some jokes but there were in Italian so I didn't understand them. Mostly, I was struck by how much he reminded me of my Grandpa King. This little old guy with white hair doing a two handed wave. Family: you know that wave. It was funny because I realize how much respect should be given to this man and still I couldn't get the image of Grandpa waving out of my head.
I think it's easy to criticize Benedict when he's that distant leader of the Church. But watching him today, I felt sad for him. He is just an old man, human and fragile. He never asked to be Pope, never asked to be put in a position where so many people look up to him and so many people vilify him. He has followed his vocation and done what God has asked of him. Seeing him today, despite all the security and papal ceremony, made me realize that this is a man. I wanted to know what he's like as a person, when he doesn't have to be in this performance that surrounds the Papacy. Like, maybe he doesn't like mushrooms. Or maybe he secretly likes to read science fiction. I don't know. But there it is. He is human. He may have tremendous power and influence...but he also owns an iPod. I haven't met him or anything like that. It's just that seeing him today reacting to the crowd and going about his duties made me think about the Pope in a completely different way. I think I now respect him much more for being able to take on this role. It would certainly take extraordinary faith and dedication. I suppose I wanted to say this here because I know many people are not happy with him and his stance on many things. I disagree with him sometimes too. But I don't think I can ever criticize him so harshly because I have seen him in this way. Just think about it. He's nearly 80 years old. Most people want a quiet life of peace at that age; Benedict can't have that. That's why I felt sad for him. Even though he is a religious rockstar.

Public Transportation

I take the tram every day. Tram 8, specifically. I could walk and sometimes I do, but the tram is amazing for various reasons. Also buses. I am better at public transportation in Italy than I am at home.
1. I never buy a ticket so it's free. Unless they decide to do a ticket raid! and they catch me. It hasn't happened to me yet so that's good. Otherwise I would have to pay them 50 euro on the spot or be charged a lot more. It makes me a little nervous and makes riding the tram even more thrilling. Italians seem to get monthly passes or else they just risk it too. Just don't get your ticket validated; it makes you look stupid.
2. The same ticketing applies for buses. Not so much for the Metro and definitely not for trains. Those are all good methods of getting around though.
3. Trams have musicians. Accordions, violins, guitars, vocal, sometimes a bass. I've seen them all. You get to the point where you recognize the musicians and develop favorites. Or get very annoyed. One man always plays a Gypsy Kings song but with the wrong beat. Another violin guy only knows one song and he has a big speaker so you can't escape it. But live music.
4. During rush hour, it's really crowded, hot, and smelly. People literally jam themselves in til it's packed. I don't like that so much. Mainly because I have a hard time keeping my balance unless I am holding on to something. And when it's crowded I can't hold on so I fall into strangers. The dangers of this are getting pick-pocketed or having an Italian man hit on you.

On another, non-Italian related note: Fall semester classes were posted today. This is the best and worst day of the year for me. On the one hand, I get to look at lots of fun classes and plan my future. On the other, I realize there isn't enough time for all the cool classes and get sad.
Also, I have a lot of applications for extracurricular activities that I need to turn in. And I am on pins and needles regarding applications that already have been turned in. I just want to know my future. That's really not so much to ask.

Not much happening of late. I feel like that's an awful thing to say while I'm here. But I guess I am getting used to the day to day stuff so everything isn't a new experience. It's like I do live here; I have to go get normal things done so I can't be always running around having crazy adventures. But it's good this way. I like it.
Last night, Mike, Ami, Mike's sister Carrie, and I went to a wine bar and just sat and talked for a few hours. We also played 1-Up, a game taught to us by Esther. Think speed Scrabble and awesome. Naturally, I love it. Also Carrie is a really cool girl. We got along really well. Too bad she's only here for another day. Tonight, Mike, Carrie, Esther, me and a few others went for Indian food. Delicious. Carrie and I made plans to see the Bocca della Verita tomorrow. She loves Roman Holiday and Mike is in class all day so I figured I could be her tour guide for a bit. It'll be a really busy day with 3 classes and all but it should be fun.
I've taken 3 of my 5 midterms so far. Based on the amount of effort I put in, I feel good. I am stress free which means I will live longer. Though my grades may be a bit lackluster. Ahh, so be it. I feel good.
I'm staying in Rome again this weekend. Esther is going to Venice with Mike so I'll have the room to myself which I do enjoy. I would like to find some people I can travel with that aren't my roommates. That's one thing that I am missing right now. I don't have that ability to just meet people everywhere I go and come back with stories of the awesome people I hung out with all weekend. I need someone to do the initial work for me. Eh, whatever. I'm pretty good with how things are now. But what am I going to do after school gets out? Travel alone? Hey, that would be an adventure so maybe yes.
Coconut gelato is delicious. Strawberry is always good but combine it with coconut and you have heaven. Also, tram musicians. I should talk about those at some point. But now, I sleep because I have to be at the Colosseum at 9 AM for class. That's what I do. Go to ancient monuments for class. Crazy I know.

Fires, Lamborghinis, and Segways

So I went to Piazza del Popolo today. I was going to look at some art but the church was closed so I sat on a the fountain and read/people watched. That place is excellent for people watching. And also...Segways. Yes, watching people ride on Segways is awesome. You can rent them in the piazza and zoom around. Also, they come in various sizes so even tiny children can ride them. Esther and I have a dream of seeing two people on Segways high five each other. Just picture it.
As I was walking back along Via del Corso, I saw some Lamborghini cars parked on the street. Lots of people were just standing around looking at them. I am not a car person but they were beautiful. I would drive one. Unfortunately, I don't think that'll ever happen. And I have no idea why they were just parked there; publicity maybe? Anyway, cool.
Also on Via del Corso (this place is full of activity) there was a fire! In a building right near the Piazza Venezia and Vittorio Emanuelle monument. So lots of firetrucks and stuff. I don't know what exactly burned but there was a lot of smoke. And after everything was put out and had calmed down, they were just trying to keep the area blocked off so they had people standing in a line, crowd control style. Except these people weren't law enforcement officials. They were Scientologists. No joke. Wearing bright yellow jackets that said 'Volunteer Minister', they were the same folks who have been handing out fliers and have a tent in Largo Argentina. Suspicious, in my opinion. Did somebody burn a Scientologist site? I am going to try to decipher some Italian news to see what the deal is.
Also, the Italian government is pulling itself together. Prime Minister is staying in office and his rival decided to back him up rather than try to get in office himself. Nice work, guys.

Midterms?

With midterms coming up this week, I am naturally not studying but rather wasting time in myriad ways. I haven't really done anything too exciting this past week/weekend. I've developed something of a cough, not a bad one by any means, but it's annoying. I should go to the farmacia. It's on my list.
I've gone out a few nights lately to Campo di Fiori. It's a big piazza with lots of restaurants and bars around it. A popular spot with some Americans. It's fun in its way but I've gotten over it. Maybe it's because I feel like I'm back in IC when I'm there. And why come to Italy if you're not going to remember it? I wonder that sometimes. Last night, a couple of us just had drinks at a smaller bar in Trastevere then hung out in Piazza Trilussa. Those Italians know what going out should be. They sit in a piazza, on steps, fountains, whatever there is, have a beer or two and just hang out. Or they'll just walk through the streets (which are packed at night) and stop every once in awhile to get a drink and then keep going. That's pretty awesome really. I wish we could do that in the U.S.
On Thursday, the tram broke down as I was trying to get to class. It was awful because it was hot and crowded and they kept opening and closing the doors so we kept thinking they had figured out the problem. But then we just got off and walked to class. It was far away and we were late. But then we went to the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum. So I felt better after a rough start in the morning.
My art history professor calls on me a lot in class. And back when we started the class, I knew the answers because it was ancient art. But now we're in the Middle Ages and I don't know this stuff but he still calls on me. I never know the answer. And finally this week, after another 'I don't know' he actually said that I've been striking out a lot lately. Yeah, thanks for pointing out the obvious. He doesn't call on other people nearly as much so the sheer number of times where I've had to say I didn't know the answer makes me look dumb. The other kids don't know either but they never have to admit that. I need to work ahead or something so I can maybe partially redeem myself. Professor, there are 20 people in the class. Don't pick on me.
I think I am going to go look at some art in churches today (Mom, I'm scouting out the Caravaggios) or sit in a piazza and write postcards or just wander around. The weather is absolutely perfect (the puffy jackets are still on though) so I need to get out. No studying will happen.

Italians: Take off your puffy winter coats. It is 65 degrees outside. Seriously, you don't need that scarf or those gloves. And stop giving me weird looks because I am not wearing a winter coat. You are the weird ones. It's snowing and icy in other places and those people are wearing fewer layers. Ok. I'm glad we had this talk.

So yeah, Italy is reaping the benefits of global warming. It's never really been winter here and now it's all spring-like and beautiful. Guess who does their homework while sitting on the steps in St. Peter's Square? Oh right, I do. That's a good place to go to sit outside, do a little work, and people watch because I don't get hassled by anyone. In other piazzas creepers will try to sit next to you or something but not at St. Peter's. Sure, sometimes I have to take pictures for Asian tourists but that's really ok. Also, I can conveniently send my mail. Yep. That's all I've got for now. Oh except one other thing. Tourists are flocking to Rome again and I don't like it. They're crowding everything up and there is no space for the regular people. I don't know how Romans stand it. So, tourists, go away so I can enjoy the city in peace. Grazie.

Getting Away

A lovely weekend spent mostly outside the walls of Rome. Friday I had to stick around the city because I had a make-up class which was awful and boring. But on Saturday Esther and I went to Ostia Antica which is just a mere 30 minutes away. But it's a different place. It's the sire of Rome's old port town and it has some of the best preserved ruins of an ancient city. It's also normal, everyday life ruins so you get an idea of what aregular town was like back then. And the best part is...you can touch everything. They just let you loose on the ruins and you can climb and touch and chip away as you please. I did not steal any rocks though. I was very pleased that I could touch everything because I always like touching old stuff and I even got to climb around on walls and stuff. I did feel a little bad because my actions are clearly not contributing to the preservation of the site but still. I had to. You can't touch anything in Rome. So Ostia is awesome. I'll be going back there a number of times for one of my classes. I'll act more scholarly then. Today (Sunday) I decided to strike out on my own. My first real solo adventure outside of Rome and I went to Assisi. Well before that I wandered around Termini train station and found Santa Maria Maggiore which I've been learning about in my art history class. A lucky coincidence. I walked in and Mass was going on so that was equally lucky. I think there were some important clergy there, lots of red hats and those security-type fellows. Oh and a priest choir! Absolutely lovely. So I was quite pleased with that as I rode to train to Santa Maria degli Angeli/Assisi. The station is actually in Santa Maria which is about 3 miles from Assisi which is in turn on a big hill. I wandered around Santa Maria for a bit then decided to walk/hike up to Assisi. A brilliant idea. Truly. It was nice and cool and a little bit blustery. A long trek but it was kind of like my only little pilgrimage. The Basilica di San Francesco is beautiful, obviously a very popular site. And all of Assisis is built from this pretty pinkish stone. So I got to see St. Francis's tomb and all that. It started getting stormy while I was there which I was pleased about. I love a good storm so my walk back was fantastic. It was really nice to be alone and out in the country. I love my solitude and the opportunity to be completely away. I was the only person walking too so my hike was uninterrupted. Delightful. Then a train/bus ride home. Strangely enough, I read Kafka's Metamorphosis. I would. Very smooth for my first time outside the city alone. Clearly I can do anything now. Maybe next time I'll try an actual city. But let's not set our expectations too high.

Also, I have been hit on/propositioned by far too many men this weekend. When Esther and I were out, two old men got all creepy on us when we were sitting by a fountain. And then when we were walking in a crowded piazza in the middle of the day, this was said to us, no joke: "Want to have sex? Yes?" NO! And there is always the usual "ciao, bella" nonsense and whatever noises they make. When I was waiting for my various means of transportation, I got a lot of that kind of stuff. Probably because I was alone. Even with my most surly and mean look, they still approach. That's the worst part of being here, I think. They can tell I'm not Italian, or even European for that matter, and that makes it worse. I am good at ignoring them and walking away but it's just annoying. I might be getting meaner while I'm here. I have to be. These Italians just don't smile and laugh in public as much as Americans do. And not so much greeting each other on the street unless they know the other person. I'm already pretty mean when walking around even Iowa City so I have practice. But watch out. When I get back I will appear Italian-unhappy in public. That doesn't mean that they are unhappy; they just don't feel the need to smile and say hello. Va bene. A little cultural difference.