When in Rome...(November 10-13)

Mommy and me at the Colosseum

We're catching up! So three weekends ago I headed off to Roma to meet my Mom for a fantastic Italian weekend. This weekend was JAM PACKED so if I leave things out, it's just cus I'm trying to get the main highlights in.

I got to Rome late Thursday night and met my mama in the hotel. After throwing down my things, we walked around the corner to the Pantheon and had some delicious food right in the piazza. We split a delicious caprese salad (the first of about a million that weekend) and a pasta dish with alfredo sauce and ham. And the view was spectacular! On the way home we stopped for some gelato and then it was sleepytime for us.

Roman Forum

We woke up bright and early the next day and headed to the Colosseum. It really was amazing, just as awe-inspiring as I always imagined it was. Just to think about the fact that it was built so long ago, and yet still stands today...unbelievable.

After the Colosseum and a quick bite to eat right next to it, we were off to the Roman Forum. While this was also unbelievable, it was incredibly confusing. There are very few signs and so thank god we had a guide book that kinda walked us through for most of the sights, although we were definitely lost at some point. The ruins really are amazing though, and it blew my mind how much of these buildings built so long ago were still standing. How much of what we build today could possibly last so long?

View from the top of the Vittorio Emannuelle Monument

Vittorio Emmanuelle Monument

After the ruins we went to the Vittorio Emmanuelle Monument. The monument was built to honor the first king of the unified Italy, Victor Emmanuel. I can't explain why, but I really liked this monument, and was glad that we had to pass it so many times on the way back and forth from our hotel. It also holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and has a changing of the guards every hour. The view from the top is amazing!

Then it was off to the Piazza del Campidoglio. You walk up the huge ramp and are greeted by a huge statue of Marcus Aurelius, but the real one is even more impressive, and is held inside the Museum in the piazza, which we went to. The museum was cool, but the piazza at sunset was absolutely beautiful. After the museum we walked over to the little overlook area next to the piazza and looked at Rome all lit up at night.

After the Campidoglio we went back to the hotel to change for dinner. Now, here's my quick little rant on our hotel in Rome. The location was phenomenal, and the hotel itself was very nice. But the staff were unhelpful and rude and as a result, we got lost EVERY TIME we went somewhere using their directions. So of course, we got lost going to dinner the first night. We went to a delicious little restaurant on a side street by the Roman Forum (a recommendation from Ata) and the food was amazing. We had pasta, prawns, and artichokes. Yum! The dessert was delicious as well, and we went to bed quite satisfied with the day.

The next morning we woke up and headed off to Vatican City. It still confuses me how the Vatican is it's own country, but we got there with no problem and headed off to the Vatican Museum. While all of the artwork is beautiful, of course the Sistine Chapel takes the cake. I must say, I have NO IDEA how Michelangelo did it, because I got so dizzy just LOOKING at the thing. Here are a few of the illegal photos I snapped of the ceiling and also of Raphael's "School of Athens" which I really loved.

After the Sistine Chapel it was off to St. Peter's. We did the church first before climbing to the top. The inside of the church was truly spectacular. Once again I found my AP Art History knowledge creeping back into my brain and it was really cool getting to see some of the stuff I learned about so long ago. After the church we waited on the very long line to climb to the top of St. Peter's, and then climbed the long and extremely claustrophobia-inducing stairway to the top. I gotta say, it was totally worth it. An incredible view! After taking in enough of the view, we headed back down and rested on the lower part of the roof of the Vatican for awhile, where I wrote a postcard to Mike before we headed back down to the street.

The basilica itself is architecturally amazing. I could've stayed there for awhile, but both Mommy and my tummy's were rumbling and it was time for yet another delicious Roman meal. We stopped at a cute little street cafe in the Vatican city and had more yummy mozzarella and other such Italian food before heading back to Rome.

After the Vatican we headed back to the hotel and were greeted by a HUGE celebration outside our hotel. Our hotel was located in the same piazza as the Italian parliament and Saturday night was the night Berlusconi resigned, and there were camera crews, celebrations, and lots of Italian songs being sung. The gov nerd in me LOVED every minute of it, and insisted we keep our windows open while we got ready for dinner. After a nap, we we headed out to dinner, which of course we got lost on the way to. Our dinner was in Trastevere, a cute little neighborhood further away from downtown Rome. Dinner was delicious yet again, and then we wandered the streets of Trastevere and stopped in some little shops and bought some gifts for ourselves before heading back.

On the way home we finally stopped at the Trevi Fountain. I'd been waiting for this the whole time in Rome, and it did not disappoint. The fountain is truly breathtaking, and of course Mommy and I took our coins and made wishes into the fountain. We sat there for awhile before turning back to the hotel and calling it another fantastic night.

The next day we headed out early again to go see the Moses sculpture at St. Peters in Chains. I wasn't looking forward to this anywhere near as much as my mom, but the statue was really impressive, and knowing the whole story behind Moses having horns made it a lot more interesting. So a worthwhile little trip. 

Then it was off to the Piazza Navona to see Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiume. This was really cool and I loved how walking around the entire fountain had so many different angles and different things to look at. A really impressive masterpiece. We sat down and had a really yummy lunch at a small cafe outside in the piazza and watched all the street performers and people wandering around. A great last meal in Italy!

As our last stop in Rome we headed off to the Spanish Steps. This was yet another time when I was really glad we weren't there during the height of tourist season. The steps weren't mobbed and we were able to sit towards the bottom and people watch and just enjoy the piazza. Along with the steps, that piazza has the fountain which is rumored to have the sweetest water in Rome. Of course, we tried it. (To be honest, couldn't tell the difference, but it was fun to try!)

Then it was off for one more delicious gelato before heading home to Prague! A wonderful weekend! 

Galway Girl

Ahhh so here comes the update of the best trip during my time here. Galway, Ireland. I'd been dreaming of this trip for months, and I was so happy to experience it and realize that my dreams of Ireland were EXACTLY as it was, and I loved every minute of it!

So I got into Dublin Thursday night of the first weekend in November. I took a bus from the city to Galway where Tory came and picked me up, and after a quick dinner at her apartment, we were off to a pub. I got my first Guinness!

We headed in early though, because we had an early morning ahead of us. Aran Islands in the morning!

Friday morning we woke up bright and early and took a bus to the ferry docks, where we then took a ferry to the Aran Islands. When we got to the islands, we went to get some food before renting bikes to ride up to the cliffs. Seeing as I hadn't ridden a bike since I was oh, about 10, I was a little nervous, to say the least. But we all were great! The bike ride was so much fun, and we passed tons of sheep, cows, and BEAUTIFUL rainbows on the way.

Partway through our bike ride, it DOWNPOURED.  But, as it does in Ireland, it lasted about 2 minutes before stopping, but of course we were all soaked though. Rain-lover that I am though, I loved it.

The cliffs themselves were BEAUTIFUL. I really just have no words, so I'll just throw you a few pictures.

Loved loved loved them! After spending some time up there, we headed back so as to not miss the ferry back to Galway. We relaxed in bed for a LONG time and watched P.S. I Love You, because Galway wasn't enough Irish for us haha. And then it was off to another bar. Friday night was by far the best night, and we all had a really good time. The band was PHENOMENAL and we just all had a great time listening and dancing and singing.

Saturday was my day in Galway, and Tory and I explored the open markets and stuff in the downtown area. We bought each other Claddagh Rings, because apparently to buy one for yourself is bad luck and means you won't find love! I also bought some other jewelry and such, and then we had the most fantastic falafel I've ever had. Afterwards we headed to a bar where we sat outside for about 2-3 hours and enjoyed hot whiskey and Irish coffees. So yummy. Then we had a yummy dinner of fish and chips and shepherd's pie. Mmm-mmm good. 

I got to see some BEAUTIFUL views of Galway along with enjoying a walk on the beach with Tory. The sunset was beautiful. After our wanderings, we headed home to relax for a little bit before going out for the night again. 

Then we were off for our last night in Galway. We had a great time but headed home early, since I had to be up super early for my bus back to Dublin. I was so so sad today, but I KNOW that I'll be back to Galway someday. I had so much fun, and a very belated thank you to Tory for taking me around. 

"I've traveled around I've been all over this world 

Boys I ain't never seen nothin' like a Galway girl" 

Vienna and Dad

So I officially am THE WORST blogger ever. We're going so far back, it's actually going to October. I'm very sorry in advance. The last weekend in October, I traveled to Vienna where I met my dad for the weekend. I really didn't have particularly high hopes for Vienna, but I loved it!

I decided this picture above was appropriate, as at least for me, it captures the feeling of Vienna. There is no doubt when you're there that you're at the former seat of the Hapsburg Empire. The whole city feels imperial, and old, and regal.

We arrived on Friday around noon and met in the airport. It was so nice to see a face from home. We took a taxi to our hotel, and after settling in for a bit, we were off! Our first stop was Cafe Central, a cafe frequented by many famous people from Vienna's history. My professor was right, the coffeehouses in Vienna are the best.

After coffee and some soup we were off to the Parliament. However, much to my dismay the stupid Parliament was in session (the website had lied to me about this) and therefore we were unable to get a tour. But it turned out for the best because my dad and I were so exhausted that we were able to take a lovely nap before dinner.

The next day was a tour of Imperial Vienna thanks to my handy-dandy Kindle. And boy, did we fit a lot of stuff in. Bright and early we were back at Parliament, and this time we were able to get a tour!

After Parliament we checked out the Statsoper, or the State Opera House. We then headed to Michaelerplatz, which ended up being my favorite place in Vienna. It was just so majestic...idk. Can't really articulate it.

We visited a few churches, but I'm so bored with churches that I'm not going to bore either you or me with the details. One of them was particularly pretty though, the Minoriten-Kirche, so I'll stick a picture of it in here.

And then of course, it was off to St. Stephen's, the MUST-SEE church in Vienna. I'll give Vienna its credit where it's due...the church is beautiful. You can't really get into the whole thing, so that was frustrating, but the views we got from where you could go were truly amazing.

By then it was getting dark so it was back to the hotel for a quick nap before a delicious dinner at Do & Co. FANTASTIC food. After dinner we were pooped, so it was bedtime :)

The next day we headed to the Town Hall, as my professor had said this was a must-see. And, he was right, as usual. The town hall is HUGE and looks like some hugely important building.

We then took a tour of the Hofsburg Palace which was really interesting. Especially because I LOVED the interior of the palace. This deep, rich, red color, which while also very beautiful, actually was used because it provided better insulation than other fabrics during the cold winter months. After leaving the palace we saw a BEAUTIFUL sunset, before heading off to the Cafe Sacher to enjoy "The Original Sachertorte". Now, one wouldn't necessarily thing that's so cool, right? Wrong. Apparently the Austrians found this such an important title, that they had an actual Supreme Court case to decide which cafe should hold the title, Cafe Demel (which we went to on Saturday) or Cafe Sacher. Sacher won out though, and this is now their claim to fame. Gotta say though, it was delicious!

 After the cake it was back to Prague for a few more days with my dad. He was only here for two, so we had to squeeze in the highlights of Praha, but we managed to do it! On Monday morning I started out with my favorite, Old Town Square. We climbed up the clock tower which was cool, since I'd never done it. I loved the view, since it's mostly just a killer bird's-eye view of the square.

We spent most of the day just putzing around Old Town Square, and went to Wenceslas Square as well. At night it was off to U Medvidku for some good old fashion Czech food and Czech beer. Not surprisingly, it got the seal of approval from beer. Who could resist the best beer in the world?? And I FINALLY TRIED BEER ICE CREAM!!! One of the strangest things I've ever eaten, but definitely glad I tried it.

The next day I was in class for a large portion of the day, so my dad went off to the castle and did all the touristy stuff there. We met up afterwards and headed to Malostrana, the Lesser Town. We went to the Lennon Wall, as well as checked out some churches I hadn't seen yet. We finished off the long weekend with a delicious dinner at Nostress, as always, before saying goodbye.

WHEW! One weekend down! Hopefully I'll get in my next one tonight too, but as always, I make no promises...