10 days later
Okay, so for anyone who isn't already tired of Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" ... try waking up to it at 4:15 AM to an Albanian and his Italian friends butchering it ... needless to say, I have had enough American music while on my trek across Europe.
The past ten days have been quite jampacked, hence the lack of postings. I apologize. I will now bring everyone up to date with all of the interesting and slightly embarrassing stories and adventures I have to share still.
Last Friday brought not only the end of an actually short week, but the end of Italian 101 class as well. We had our final and I like to think I did pretty well on it. But this was not the highlight of the day, no siree.. (is that how you spell 'siree', I do not know...)! We had our first (and last) Verona Gelateria Crawl. Talk about intense. We went to 10 Gelaterias, where we ate 11 different kinds of gelato (my list will follow soon). We started after everyone had completed thier exam, and went for 3 hours, but trust me, this was no easy task. Only 5 or 6 of us, yes I was included in this select few, made it to the end, at which point we had TWO scoops of gelato. It was crazy, but I somehow shoved all 11 scoops into my tiny stomach including 3 cones and a wafer cookie. I couldn't look at gelato for two days.
The List:
After Eight (like the mints and spectacular)
Strawberry
Blueberry (left my tongue a funny blue, and my teeth even more blue)
Lemon (most refreshing)
Melon
Kiwi (too sweet to end on, which I did... ugh, pain)
Pibe (rich chocolate with chocolate chunks)
Ace (a carrot ... yes carrot ... blend with lemon and orange - very good!)
Peach
Nutella
... and one that escapes my memory ... but it was good!
So that is the list of gelatos in one day ... but not the end of the 10 days!
After Friday, our group had a group trip to Venice. Venice would be great ... esepecially if you weren't jogging through the city like we did. Running late with an appointment to catch, jogging was necessary but not fun. We had lunch at a small pizza place where the waitors were mean and the wine was not flowing. Not that I wanted wine, all I wanted was a coke, but when it was not brought to me, I was forced into helping the others finish the wine at the table...
Sunday brought a relaxing day in the mountains, a cable car ride up 6000 feet, and an unforgettable fish dinner. Although, I would not say fish as much as I would creatures. There was everything from shrimp, to mussels, to squid and octopus... I tried it all. It was fantastic. The only thing I must say was far from great were the anchioves --- salty, dispicable little creatures!
The next two days were spent in Rome and the Vatican City. Rome is magnifico! So much history and wonder ... how could the Romans, so unadvanced compared to today's society be such marvelous architects! It baffles my mind and intrigues me so! The Colloseum is huge, but in all honestly, not as beautiful as the Arena I walk by everday on my way towards class! But the other wonders, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain to name my favorite two, are spectacular. The four fountains and the Spanish Steps also leave you in wonder! I have pictures, but unfortunately cannot share with you at this time ...
I imagine the Vatican City and its museums should be amazing and inspiring places ... but unfortunatley for me, only a place of embarrassment! Let me explain! Tuesday I woke up and showered, feeeling a little queasy I thought I was only hungry. After getting a quick bite to eat and hopping on a crowded metro, I began to feel even worse. But I thought that this was from the smelly crowded metro ....
We arrived at the museums, where the line was RIDICULOUSLY long, but only because the museum was not yet open. But standing in the hot sun, I began to feel even worse. The feeling passed, however, and an hour or so later we were in the museum. However, once we got into the Geographical Map Room, all of the queasiness returned .... full force. After sending the other four ahead, I sat down on a bench to recuperate (sp?). A crowd then began to come through, and 20 minutes away from the nearest bathroom, I was forced to empty out (quickly empty out) my only plastic bag, which was home to my new sweatshirt and t-shirt. I then did what I feared the most, threw up IN the Vatican... and with no trash bin nearby and only mean security gaurds surrounding the area, I was forced to carry in hand my clothes, a cell phone, a guide, and a bag of my wonderousness through some of, probably the most beautiful, the Vatican. Fortunately I came to a bathroom and caught up with my group in time to see the Sistine Chapel and Michaelangelo's Last Judgement.
Later in the day, we went to St. Peter's Square and the Basilica where I fell asleep on a stone bench next to an Indian man for two hours. We said not a word to each other ... at least until right beofer he left when he, in a strong accent, asked, "Are you tired?"
So there ends my 10 day adventure ... there a couple days missing, mostly yesterday as all I did was only sleep off the sickness. Now I am back at school and wating for class to start in 45 minutes.
I hope you have enjoyed this long winded story and I will be reporting back after Paris this weekend ... hopefully without the storeis of being sick and vomiting on sacred ground ....
The past ten days have been quite jampacked, hence the lack of postings. I apologize. I will now bring everyone up to date with all of the interesting and slightly embarrassing stories and adventures I have to share still.
Last Friday brought not only the end of an actually short week, but the end of Italian 101 class as well. We had our final and I like to think I did pretty well on it. But this was not the highlight of the day, no siree.. (is that how you spell 'siree', I do not know...)! We had our first (and last) Verona Gelateria Crawl. Talk about intense. We went to 10 Gelaterias, where we ate 11 different kinds of gelato (my list will follow soon). We started after everyone had completed thier exam, and went for 3 hours, but trust me, this was no easy task. Only 5 or 6 of us, yes I was included in this select few, made it to the end, at which point we had TWO scoops of gelato. It was crazy, but I somehow shoved all 11 scoops into my tiny stomach including 3 cones and a wafer cookie. I couldn't look at gelato for two days.
The List:
After Eight (like the mints and spectacular)
Strawberry
Blueberry (left my tongue a funny blue, and my teeth even more blue)
Lemon (most refreshing)
Melon
Kiwi (too sweet to end on, which I did... ugh, pain)
Pibe (rich chocolate with chocolate chunks)
Ace (a carrot ... yes carrot ... blend with lemon and orange - very good!)
Peach
Nutella
... and one that escapes my memory ... but it was good!
So that is the list of gelatos in one day ... but not the end of the 10 days!
After Friday, our group had a group trip to Venice. Venice would be great ... esepecially if you weren't jogging through the city like we did. Running late with an appointment to catch, jogging was necessary but not fun. We had lunch at a small pizza place where the waitors were mean and the wine was not flowing. Not that I wanted wine, all I wanted was a coke, but when it was not brought to me, I was forced into helping the others finish the wine at the table...
Sunday brought a relaxing day in the mountains, a cable car ride up 6000 feet, and an unforgettable fish dinner. Although, I would not say fish as much as I would creatures. There was everything from shrimp, to mussels, to squid and octopus... I tried it all. It was fantastic. The only thing I must say was far from great were the anchioves --- salty, dispicable little creatures!
The next two days were spent in Rome and the Vatican City. Rome is magnifico! So much history and wonder ... how could the Romans, so unadvanced compared to today's society be such marvelous architects! It baffles my mind and intrigues me so! The Colloseum is huge, but in all honestly, not as beautiful as the Arena I walk by everday on my way towards class! But the other wonders, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain to name my favorite two, are spectacular. The four fountains and the Spanish Steps also leave you in wonder! I have pictures, but unfortunately cannot share with you at this time ...
I imagine the Vatican City and its museums should be amazing and inspiring places ... but unfortunatley for me, only a place of embarrassment! Let me explain! Tuesday I woke up and showered, feeeling a little queasy I thought I was only hungry. After getting a quick bite to eat and hopping on a crowded metro, I began to feel even worse. But I thought that this was from the smelly crowded metro ....
We arrived at the museums, where the line was RIDICULOUSLY long, but only because the museum was not yet open. But standing in the hot sun, I began to feel even worse. The feeling passed, however, and an hour or so later we were in the museum. However, once we got into the Geographical Map Room, all of the queasiness returned .... full force. After sending the other four ahead, I sat down on a bench to recuperate (sp?). A crowd then began to come through, and 20 minutes away from the nearest bathroom, I was forced to empty out (quickly empty out) my only plastic bag, which was home to my new sweatshirt and t-shirt. I then did what I feared the most, threw up IN the Vatican... and with no trash bin nearby and only mean security gaurds surrounding the area, I was forced to carry in hand my clothes, a cell phone, a guide, and a bag of my wonderousness through some of, probably the most beautiful, the Vatican. Fortunately I came to a bathroom and caught up with my group in time to see the Sistine Chapel and Michaelangelo's Last Judgement.
Later in the day, we went to St. Peter's Square and the Basilica where I fell asleep on a stone bench next to an Indian man for two hours. We said not a word to each other ... at least until right beofer he left when he, in a strong accent, asked, "Are you tired?"
So there ends my 10 day adventure ... there a couple days missing, mostly yesterday as all I did was only sleep off the sickness. Now I am back at school and wating for class to start in 45 minutes.
I hope you have enjoyed this long winded story and I will be reporting back after Paris this weekend ... hopefully without the storeis of being sick and vomiting on sacred ground ....
posted by Fish at 3:49 AM
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