I am currently sitting on the TVG train watching the French countryside and acres upon acres of grape vines rush past. I am quite exited because I am traveling again, and this time to the French Riviera! We had Good Friday and Easter Monday off classes, and as a result the ability to travel! I spent the first day in Albi, and then left early Saturday morning for Sete on the Mediterranean Sea! I took the train for the first time which was surprisingly nice. It was about an hour ride from Albi into Toulouse and then 2 hours from Toulouse to the Mediterranean. After having rain and cold weather all day on Friday and riding though rain most of the day on Saturday, I was ecstatic to get off the train in Sete to a BEAUTIFUL day. There was not a cloud in the sky, and I walked around all day in just a t-shirt (a great improvement form the winter coat I have been wearing since the beginning of the trip.) The Mediterranean Sea is by far the prettiest body of water I have ever seen. When looking straight down into the water, it is crystal clear. You can clearly see anything at the bottom of the sea 5 or 6 ft. deep! However, when looking out at the sea at the sea as a whole the effect is a stunning bright blue color I had never seen before. I growing up near the Atlantic coast of the USA, I had only visited east coast beaches: Ocean City, Virginia Beach, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island, Florida, etc. While these beaches are very nice, none of them compared to the Mediterranean. The town of Sete was bigger than Albi, but smaller than Toulouse. The town itself is a bustling fishing port where most of the streets are canals. It reminded me of pictures of Venice, take out the gondolas and replace them with fishing boats and you have Sete! It was one of the most picturesque places I have ever visited.
My hotel in Sete was also quite nice. Every other trip in Europe so far I have stayed in a hostel. Hostels are livable, but since you are usually staying with about 10 other strangers in bunk beds, and I was traveling alone for the first time, I decided to splurge for the hotel (much to my parents’ relief). The hotel was situated right on the Mediterranean, and had a pool on the roof. My hotel room had a plasma flat screen TV that even came with an English channel!
The town of Sete surprised me greatly because in France there is a national law that requires all businesses to close on Sunday (only a few food stores can remain open on Sunday, but those then must close on Monday instead). I was expecting everything to be closed on Sunday in Sete, because not only was it a Sunday, but also Easter. However, there were sightseeing boats cruising the sea all day, many restaurants and bakeries open all day, and even a movie theater that was open!
I was able to find a Catholic mass on Sunday for Easter, and although I am still having great difficulty understand all the French, I am making some strides in comprehension. At this Easter Sunday morning mass there was a baptism which was exciting to witness! I spent the rest of the on the beach, exploring the quaint town, and relaxing.
Today, I got up early and was able to take a peaceful walk on the beach. This was followed by a lunch sitting on a bench overlooking one of the many canal “roads” lined with boats. I am currently on the train to Toulouse, and will later back up with my group in Albi before heading back to Ambialet to finish the remaining 4 weeks of the semester!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
French Riviera for Easter!!!
Thoughts from the First 3 Weeks in Ambialet
I have really fallen behind on this blog! We have moved into our new home in Ambialet, in Midi-Pyrenees region in Southern France. The experiences of living here could not be more different that of Pairs for the first 6 weeks. Let me being by stating the populations of the two towns. Paris = 6.5 million inhabitants + million of visitors annually (most visited city in the world). Amibialet = 30 inhabitants (our program makes the town population 37 – It’s booming now!) + 3 horses, several sheep, and a handful of dogs.
The facility we are living in was is a centuries old monastery. The chapel which is attached to the building was built in 1057, and that is not even the oldest part of the building! It is full of history, but unfortunately most of it ancient rather than recent. The building had started to fall into disrepair as no one was really living in it for quite a while. Needless to say, there were quite a lot of renovations that needed done (such as a roof that didn’t leave lakes on the floor, electricity, bathrooms, hot water, and a heating system (which we are still waiting for to be complete). The building is very large, and only a small part of it is under current renovation, but what is finished is very nice.
One of the best parts about living in Ambialet is the gorgeous view of the French countryside from our new home. We are situated on the top of a mountain almost fully enclosed by the Tarn River. To get down to the town below the mountain we have two options. The first is to take a one mile road that wraps itself around nearly the whole perimeter of the peninsula of Ambialet and is a straight mile of downhill. (Which is great for going down the mountain, coming back up is another story.) However, I have been running the hill in an attempt to get back in shape. The second option is a rocky trail cut into stone cliffs that wind down the steep side of the mountain. The friars lined the path with the stations of the cross, and this path is still used by the townspeople to come to mass on Sunday.
Aside from these two options, there are many more hiking / rock climbing paths we have already discovered and had some adventures on! The first week we were in Ambialet, we ventured across to the next mountain with the intention of climbing to some ruins of a 1000 year old castle formerly owned by a medieval feudal lord. It was about ½ way up the hill, overlooking the cliff, what we determined to be a fairly easy afternoon hike. However, once we reached the ruins we decided to climb all the way to the top of the mountain. Here, I will mention that right before the hike ran the killer hill up to the monastery twice (about 3-4 mile run). I therefore died climbing this mountain. My legs were shaking, and we were on narrow stony paths over looking 100ft. drops. It was enough to make my adrenaline pump! In addition to this hike, we have found a few other paths and gorgeous overlooks near our monastery that were more enjoyable to hike later in the trip with fresh legs!
Other than running and hiking, our director, affectionately known as l’oncle to our group, secured several pedal bikes so we have also gone biking a few times! The French countryside were are located is really pretty.
Now, if you have been paying close attention to the description of available activities thus far, you may have spotted a common theme. Everything is an outdoor activity and very weather dependent! Unfortunately, the weather has not always cooperated with us as much I would like it to. When it rains (which it frequently does for days at a time) we are stuck inside the monastery. Fortunately, our group has picked up a new hobby… PING PONG! We have two tables set up, and feel confident at this point to challenge anyone back home at a game. The other hobby we have enjoyed is cooking and eating. The French are known for their long dinner (commonly 2-3 hours) and for eating many different courses. Since the purpose of our trip is to grow culturally, we felt it important to fully experience the culture in this way also. Since arriving in Ambialet we have been cooking our own food, and have grown accustomed to eating 4 course dinners (salad, dinner, the cheese course, and possibly a dessert). These dinners take up a good deal of time (cooking, eating, and then doing all the dishes).
Also, you may have noticed that travel (particularly individual, personal, or pleasure travel) has been quite limited. Because we live about 20 miles from Abli (which is the nearest train station, or larger town) it has been nearly impossible to get anywhere aside from scheduled field trips. Our only current mode of transportation is either bike (the rode between Ambialet and Albi is where the individual time trails were held for the tour de France), taxi (which can get very pricey), or by getting either the director or Dr. Remillard to drive you in one of the two cars owned by the University (which only happens for scheduled field trips). After living in Paris with the metro only a few blocks away and the whole expanse of one of the largest cities in the world at our fingertips, it has been rather frustrating to be stuck in one small place for long. Our director has been looking into hiring regular private transportation into Albi for us, and I feel this will make a huge difference in the program once it is in place.
However in the meantime, the program has been making an effort to get us out as a group into some of the neighboring towns. Part of this initiative is the new religious studies course that we are now taking. We are studying pilgrimage in addition to our language, art history, and comparative economics. The pilgrimage is class focuses mainly on medieval pilgrimage through Southern France which was actually one of the most common routes though all of Europe. Our professor, Eric, who has lived his whole life in this region, has a lot of energy, passion, and knowledge about the subject. He lectures every Tuesday, and then everyday Wednesday we take a fieldtrip to a neighboring town. So far we have visited Albi, Toulouse, and Carcassonne for class, and Cordes, and a second trip into Albi for something to do on the weekend.
The first trip was to Albi where we visited in the Chapel of St. Cecil a painting of the last judgment which dates from the 15 century. We also visited the University of Albi, where our school is trying to forge a partnership, and where hopefully we will be able to have lunches and possibly use a classroom for a change of scenery. Albi is a quaint town, slightly smaller than Altoona, but with a lot of charm.
The second trip, to Toulouse, we visited the two different places of medieval pilgrimage, both monasteries. They both housed sacred relics, which the faithful of the middle ages believed the relics acted as a intermediary between heaven and earth and by praying on the relics they would be granted answers to their prayers. Also in Toulouse, we was the room that acted as the court room of the church during the crusades. The Cathar Crusades have a long and bloody history in this region, and it was very interesting to visit the room where so many people’s fates were determined. In addition, the ceiling in this building was painted with over 20 scenes from the life of St. Dominick. The Dominican Order emerged in this area with its mission to fight the heresy of the era.
Carcassonne is a walled city near the Spanish border between the Pyrenees Mountains and the Black mountains. It lies in a very windy corridor and has long been fought over. The ancient Romans were the first to discover the area and built the first walls as a defense. However, because of the many of wars between France and Spain and the number of times the city was besieged and conquered, the town now has 3 sets of walls, ditches for moats, and many other defenses. An interesting aspect of Carcassonne is the Cathedral within its walls. It was first built in the Romanesque style of architecture, but then as the Church started facing so many heretics it wanted to show people its power and authority and chose architecture as its means. The Church (the organization of the Catholic Church) set out to rebuild the Cathedral in the Gothic Style of the era. It began with the aspse, but after reconstructing that and the transept lost interest in the project as well as ran out funds. Therefore, the Cathedral in Carcassonne is unique blend of two styles which I have not seen anywhere else. What makes Carcassonne the fascinating town that it is, is simply the fact that it was abandon for centuries. During the industrial Revolution when people really started flocking to the cities, Carcassonne was simply left and therefore no one could change the city and it remains today a perfect example of a medieval walled city. More recently, the city has undergone a revival and it is now a bustling town once again.
On one of the weekends, we went to Cordes. This too was a medieval city, but instead of having 3 walls and an elaborate defense system, it was simply built high on a hill where enemies could be seen from miles around, and would have a very difficult time getting up the hill to attack the city. It had a gorgeous view of the surrounding countryside and was a fun place to pass a Sat. afternoon.
In addition, our entire group went into Albi last Monday night for St. Patty’s day. While it is not celebrated much in France, we did find a fun Irish Pub and were able to get a Guinness to celebrate being Irish like Americans!
To sum up the past 3 weeks, it has been a dramatic change in lifestyle. I am learning to relax and take life more slowly (which is quite a change compared with how I spent every other semester of college extremely busy and torn between D1 athletics, residence life, internships, classes, and other activates.) We are in a beautiful location and I love getting outside when the weather is nice to stay active and get in shape. Hopefully, we will continue to get out and transportation will become less of an issue, and in the meantime, we are making the best of it!
The facility we are living in was is a centuries old monastery. The chapel which is attached to the building was built in 1057, and that is not even the oldest part of the building! It is full of history, but unfortunately most of it ancient rather than recent. The building had started to fall into disrepair as no one was really living in it for quite a while. Needless to say, there were quite a lot of renovations that needed done (such as a roof that didn’t leave lakes on the floor, electricity, bathrooms, hot water, and a heating system (which we are still waiting for to be complete). The building is very large, and only a small part of it is under current renovation, but what is finished is very nice.
One of the best parts about living in Ambialet is the gorgeous view of the French countryside from our new home. We are situated on the top of a mountain almost fully enclosed by the Tarn River. To get down to the town below the mountain we have two options. The first is to take a one mile road that wraps itself around nearly the whole perimeter of the peninsula of Ambialet and is a straight mile of downhill. (Which is great for going down the mountain, coming back up is another story.) However, I have been running the hill in an attempt to get back in shape. The second option is a rocky trail cut into stone cliffs that wind down the steep side of the mountain. The friars lined the path with the stations of the cross, and this path is still used by the townspeople to come to mass on Sunday.
Aside from these two options, there are many more hiking / rock climbing paths we have already discovered and had some adventures on! The first week we were in Ambialet, we ventured across to the next mountain with the intention of climbing to some ruins of a 1000 year old castle formerly owned by a medieval feudal lord. It was about ½ way up the hill, overlooking the cliff, what we determined to be a fairly easy afternoon hike. However, once we reached the ruins we decided to climb all the way to the top of the mountain. Here, I will mention that right before the hike ran the killer hill up to the monastery twice (about 3-4 mile run). I therefore died climbing this mountain. My legs were shaking, and we were on narrow stony paths over looking 100ft. drops. It was enough to make my adrenaline pump! In addition to this hike, we have found a few other paths and gorgeous overlooks near our monastery that were more enjoyable to hike later in the trip with fresh legs!
Other than running and hiking, our director, affectionately known as l’oncle to our group, secured several pedal bikes so we have also gone biking a few times! The French countryside were are located is really pretty.
Now, if you have been paying close attention to the description of available activities thus far, you may have spotted a common theme. Everything is an outdoor activity and very weather dependent! Unfortunately, the weather has not always cooperated with us as much I would like it to. When it rains (which it frequently does for days at a time) we are stuck inside the monastery. Fortunately, our group has picked up a new hobby… PING PONG! We have two tables set up, and feel confident at this point to challenge anyone back home at a game. The other hobby we have enjoyed is cooking and eating. The French are known for their long dinner (commonly 2-3 hours) and for eating many different courses. Since the purpose of our trip is to grow culturally, we felt it important to fully experience the culture in this way also. Since arriving in Ambialet we have been cooking our own food, and have grown accustomed to eating 4 course dinners (salad, dinner, the cheese course, and possibly a dessert). These dinners take up a good deal of time (cooking, eating, and then doing all the dishes).
Also, you may have noticed that travel (particularly individual, personal, or pleasure travel) has been quite limited. Because we live about 20 miles from Abli (which is the nearest train station, or larger town) it has been nearly impossible to get anywhere aside from scheduled field trips. Our only current mode of transportation is either bike (the rode between Ambialet and Albi is where the individual time trails were held for the tour de France), taxi (which can get very pricey), or by getting either the director or Dr. Remillard to drive you in one of the two cars owned by the University (which only happens for scheduled field trips). After living in Paris with the metro only a few blocks away and the whole expanse of one of the largest cities in the world at our fingertips, it has been rather frustrating to be stuck in one small place for long. Our director has been looking into hiring regular private transportation into Albi for us, and I feel this will make a huge difference in the program once it is in place.
However in the meantime, the program has been making an effort to get us out as a group into some of the neighboring towns. Part of this initiative is the new religious studies course that we are now taking. We are studying pilgrimage in addition to our language, art history, and comparative economics. The pilgrimage is class focuses mainly on medieval pilgrimage through Southern France which was actually one of the most common routes though all of Europe. Our professor, Eric, who has lived his whole life in this region, has a lot of energy, passion, and knowledge about the subject. He lectures every Tuesday, and then everyday Wednesday we take a fieldtrip to a neighboring town. So far we have visited Albi, Toulouse, and Carcassonne for class, and Cordes, and a second trip into Albi for something to do on the weekend.
The first trip was to Albi where we visited in the Chapel of St. Cecil a painting of the last judgment which dates from the 15 century. We also visited the University of Albi, where our school is trying to forge a partnership, and where hopefully we will be able to have lunches and possibly use a classroom for a change of scenery. Albi is a quaint town, slightly smaller than Altoona, but with a lot of charm.
The second trip, to Toulouse, we visited the two different places of medieval pilgrimage, both monasteries. They both housed sacred relics, which the faithful of the middle ages believed the relics acted as a intermediary between heaven and earth and by praying on the relics they would be granted answers to their prayers. Also in Toulouse, we was the room that acted as the court room of the church during the crusades. The Cathar Crusades have a long and bloody history in this region, and it was very interesting to visit the room where so many people’s fates were determined. In addition, the ceiling in this building was painted with over 20 scenes from the life of St. Dominick. The Dominican Order emerged in this area with its mission to fight the heresy of the era.
Carcassonne is a walled city near the Spanish border between the Pyrenees Mountains and the Black mountains. It lies in a very windy corridor and has long been fought over. The ancient Romans were the first to discover the area and built the first walls as a defense. However, because of the many of wars between France and Spain and the number of times the city was besieged and conquered, the town now has 3 sets of walls, ditches for moats, and many other defenses. An interesting aspect of Carcassonne is the Cathedral within its walls. It was first built in the Romanesque style of architecture, but then as the Church started facing so many heretics it wanted to show people its power and authority and chose architecture as its means. The Church (the organization of the Catholic Church) set out to rebuild the Cathedral in the Gothic Style of the era. It began with the aspse, but after reconstructing that and the transept lost interest in the project as well as ran out funds. Therefore, the Cathedral in Carcassonne is unique blend of two styles which I have not seen anywhere else. What makes Carcassonne the fascinating town that it is, is simply the fact that it was abandon for centuries. During the industrial Revolution when people really started flocking to the cities, Carcassonne was simply left and therefore no one could change the city and it remains today a perfect example of a medieval walled city. More recently, the city has undergone a revival and it is now a bustling town once again.
On one of the weekends, we went to Cordes. This too was a medieval city, but instead of having 3 walls and an elaborate defense system, it was simply built high on a hill where enemies could be seen from miles around, and would have a very difficult time getting up the hill to attack the city. It had a gorgeous view of the surrounding countryside and was a fun place to pass a Sat. afternoon.
In addition, our entire group went into Albi last Monday night for St. Patty’s day. While it is not celebrated much in France, we did find a fun Irish Pub and were able to get a Guinness to celebrate being Irish like Americans!
To sum up the past 3 weeks, it has been a dramatic change in lifestyle. I am learning to relax and take life more slowly (which is quite a change compared with how I spent every other semester of college extremely busy and torn between D1 athletics, residence life, internships, classes, and other activates.) We are in a beautiful location and I love getting outside when the weather is nice to stay active and get in shape. Hopefully, we will continue to get out and transportation will become less of an issue, and in the meantime, we are making the best of it!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Spring Break
Some Pics of Prague:
I feel a world traveler! Spring break was amazing! I don’t even know where to begin…
We left Paris, (rather sadly because I had come to really enjoy living the big city and having so much to do, see, and experience only a few metro stops away) late Thursday night. We flew Sky Europe to Prague, and the flight rather uneventful (always a good thing when flying!) except for the fact that for the first time I experienced, the stewardesses were selling the beverages and peanuts on the plane instead of just giving them out. I was beginning to become acquainted with European budget airlines. In addition, at the airport we did meet a very nice and interesting Chech woman. She had lived in Prage her whole life and was more than happy to tell us about the city and give us some excellent tips on the best things to do and see in Prague. By the time we arrived in Prague it was getting very late and most of the airport was already shut down. We were nervous because the Prague metro closed at about midnight, and we needed to take a bus to the metro stop, and then the metro into the center of the city where our hostel was located. Thankfully, luck was on our side and we made all our connections in time and found the hostel. I would have to say the highlight of arriving in Prague was using the ATM. I was able to pull out 1500CZK for less than $100! After getting such unfavorable exchange rates for the past 2 months when converting our US Dollars into Euros (2 days ago the dollar reached it’s worst exchange rates in history :’( it was fabulous to get a favorable exchange.
Friday, after sleeping in a bit, we excitedly went out to explore the city! We grabbed some free bread and butter the hostel provided for breakfast set out in the direction of St. Wenceslas Square. We quickly learned that Prague has become the fashion capital of Eastern Europe. We found all the major stores that are also in New York City, Paris, and London. Shopping around while taking our time to enjoy the beauty in the city provided for a fun and relaxing morning. However, towards the afternoon, I started feeling sick. I went back to the hostel early to take a nap. However, I unfortunately spent the next few hours battling with the chills, sweats, an intense headache, and most likely a good fever. I quickly realized that a hostel, particularly in Eastern Europe, is not the place to be when you are not feeling well. For the rest of my time in Prague I was battling this illness, although it progressed through many stages and symptoms. Friday, after sleeping for several hours my strong desire to see Prague overruled my better judgment and I decided to go back. We got some falafels for dinner and browsed a few souvenir shops. The souvenir shops were interesting because their shelves were crowded with marionette puppets, bohemian crystal and glass, wooden Russian dolls, and steins. The shops were like none I had seen before containing some of the most beautiful souvenirs I had seen, which only proved to reflect Prague culture in general. I made it all the way to Old Town Square on Friday night and saw the Astronomical Clock. Old Town Square, like the rest of Prague had beautiful architecture which is surprisingly well persevered as it was not bombed much in either world war. Following Old Town Square we made our way to the river which we followed a bit until we could see the Prague Castle lit up at night on the other side. It was amazing, although I could not go over and visit it up close yet. Despite, not feeling well, for the first day I felt I saw a good bit of the city and was experiencing Prague.
Saturday, we decided to visit the Prague Castle. We crossed the river on the St. Charles Bridge. It had statues every few feet on both sides going the whole way across. In addition, street musicians and vendors covered all the other available space hoping to earn a few crowns from the scores of tourists from all across the world. The whole effect was quite stunning as the bridge was one of the most festive places I could picture. Once on the other side we were quickly faced with a giant hill. I hadn’t looked quite so steep or long from a distance the previous night, but once we started climbing, it became a whole another story. About ½ ways up we were all so tired of climbing and walking we stopped and got some ice cream. When we finally made it too the top we briefly stopped to get a picture outside the gates of Prague Castle with the Czech guards before going inside. The Prague Castle is comprised of many different parts. The tallest, most ornate, and official looking part of the castle was St. Vitus Cathedral (also the only part without an admission fee). We spent some time admiring all the artwork impressive architecture before moving on to the rest of the castle. The Royal Palace, St. Nicolas Church, several museums, and some cafes all housed within the Prague Castle charged admission and took a good deal of time to visit. Therefore we briefly admired these aspects of the Prague Castle on the outside before beginning our long descent back down the hill and across the St. Charles Bridge. Back on our side of the river we found a fun traditional Czech restaurant and ordered a golosh dinner and a beer to drink. The restaurant was a great atmosphere and even had a live accordion player. Altogether the dinner cost less than $10 for everything (loving the exchange rate) we were only excepting it to cost about $6 but got hit with a few extra hidden fees at the end after eating. After dinner, I went back to the hostel alone to call it an early night because once again I was starting to feel worse.
Sunday, we had planned to take a walking tour of the city in the morning, but ended up sleeping in through the whole thing. Instead, we found the Communist Museum. It focused on communism in Czechoslovakia, particularly Prague, and went through how it started as a dream following the German occupation in WWII, the reality of daily life under communistic rule, and how it deteriorated into a nightmare for the Czech people. There were interesting artifacts and provided a great amount of information. This was the first time I ever visited a country formerly under communist rule and found it much more interesting to learn first hand instead of from a test book back home. After the Communist Museum we went back to Old Town Square to relax. It was a beautiful day outside and the square was packed with people enjoying the sunshine. On the far side of the square, there was an anti-communism rally taking place (all in Czech). However, it was funny because there was a lone man walking around waving an American flag. We got some more ice cream and while relaxing in the square ran into a group of Australians we had previously met at our hostel and talked with them for awhile. They were also on spring break, but their university study abroad program had already taken them to Tanzania in Africa where they were able to climb Mt. Kilimajaro and go on a safari. Most recently they had studied for 2 months in Denmark and were now traveling throughout Europe and Asia for the rest of the summer. It is amazing all the fun and interesting people you can meet while traveling and staying in hostels. Toward evening, as it started to get chillier, we started walking again. We briefly visited the Jewish Quarter of Prague and then found the giant Metronome. The metronome sits high on a hill (the same one as the Prague Castle, but further downstream) and overlooks the whole city. We climbed the stairs and were able to watch the sunset from the rooftop of Prague. It was beautiful, and scarcely deserves my humble words to describe. However, after sitting in the chilly night air I again started feeling like I had overdone it. I tried to eat something for dinner (my first food of the day) and went back to hostel for a long night of being sick.
Monday was my last full day in Prague! We left the hostel in the morning with no particular destination in mine, but found our way to a less touristy, more traditional Czech neighborhood. On our way we passed the old shipping and distributing center for Prague, and walked down a highway that was defiantly not meant for walkers! We made it to the crawling babies tower (literally a huge metal tower with large metal babies crawling up the sides of it). We also made it to the opposite end of St. Wenceslas Square where we saw the building that housed the National Galleries. That night, I did some souvenir shopping on my own, and then met up with our friend Leo who we keep seeing in every country! He has been traveling Europe on his own, but fortunately we were able to meet him in also almost every country (Britain, France, and the Czech Republic). Bridget, Alexia, Kristen, and a few of our hotel roommates all had a good time that night back at the hostel, while I called it an early night so I could wake up early to catch my flight to Rome!
Tuesday morning, I woke early to find my way back to the airport. I was a little nervous because I hadn’t taken public transportation (which all information is in Czech) since late our first night when we arrived in the city. In addition, I was traveling alone for the first time between countries. Fortunately, I did make all my metro, bus, plane, and train connections just fine and even found the hostel (with only poor directions in broken English in a sketchy part of town) with little mishap. The flight between Prague and Rome was the most beautiful flight I can ever remember taking. I had a window seat and we flew directly over the Alps. It was absolutely amazing. I was able to meet up with the other half of our group, Hannah, Tim, and Claire, in Italy. I had made plans to meet them at our hostel in Rome, and it was fortunate that I did! Our hostel was basically just a guys private apartment that he crammed a bunch of beds into and rented to poor college students such as myself. My friends had been staying a 6 bed room for their first few nights at the hostel even though we had all booked the 9 bed room. The woman checking me in wanted me to pay a sizable extra sum to obtain a bed in the 6 bed room or move to the 9 bed room (in a different building) alone. Thankfully, the others in the group agreed to move with me to the other building too. The walk over was somewhat intimidating as we were staying in the Chinatown of Rome. The door to our hostel was off a back alley and was quite barren from the outside. Tim actually pulled the whole handle off the door on accident the following day. However the inside of the hostel was not bad, and was actually nicer than more expensive 6 bed room. Once set up in the hostel (and our bags securely chained to the bed with a bike chain) we went out to see Rome! I had the fortunate experience of benefiting from my friends knowledge of the area. They had spent the previous 4 days learning the layout of the city so I was given the grand tour over the next few days. On Tuesday evening we went to St. Susanna Church to pick up passes to the Papal audience the following day! I was thrilled at the opportunity to see Pope Benedict live within 24 hours!!! After we securely had our tickets we had dinner in the Republica, and called it an early night so we could get up early to see the Pope in the am!
Wednesday we woke at 6:30am so we could start our hour long walk to Vatican City. We had decided not to buy any metro passes because we had heard that Rome is a very walkable city, which was true for the most part. However, our hostel and the Vatican couldn’t have been on a more opposite side of the city. The walk was very pretty. I was able to see the Monumento a Vitterio Emanuele II, some ancient ruins that were overrun by stray cats, the Castel Saint Angelo, and get a general feel of city during the walk. A girl we had met the previous night at the hostel came with us, Jill. She was from a small town in PA only about 20 minutes from SFU! She was the first person in Europe who had heard of our school. She had been studying in Germany for a year and was not traveling by herself through Europe. We all arrived at the Vatican shortly after 8 which was great because we were one of the first ones in to St. Peter’s Basilica. We were able to get front row seats to see the POPE!!!!!!!! He didn’t come out until 10:30, but in the mean time we took turns walking around the basilica while the others saved seats. I saw Michaelango’s the Pieta, which was stunningly beautiful. The expressions on Mary and Jesus’s faces were unlike any reproduction I had seen. Pope Benedict finally came to St. Peters Basilica surrounded by the Swiss Guards to greet the assembled crowd. He gave us his blessing, and asked us to continue on with fasting and prayer during the Lenten season. He spoke in about 5 or 6 different languages including English which was awesome!! He didn’t stay very long, about 15 minutes total, but it was still awesome that we got to see the Pope! Following the papal audience, we went to see the Sistine Chapel. We had a long walk around the outside of the Vatican Wall until we came to Vatican Museum. We had to pay admission (luckily the ticket taker accepted my SFU ID card instead of an EU one and gave us a discounted price). The Sistine Chapel is at the very end of the Vatican Museums, so we half heartedly and quickly browed the other exhibits before b-lining to the Sistine Chapel. Honestly, my first impression of the Sistine was that it was crowded and nosily. We could barley get into the room because of the number of people already in it. In addition, there had to have been about 20 security men running around yelling at everyone trying to take a picture or making too much noise. However, once I got in the room and looked up, I could defiantly see what all the fuss was about. The paintings on the ceiling, which Michangelo spent 4 years on his back painting, seemed so life like they could have stepped right off the ceiling. The shear amount of artwork, and the beauty of it was overwhelming. I spent probably at least 20 or 30 minutes just looking up and was possibly the best 20 or 30 minutes I spent in Rome. I did manage to snap one quick illegal picture (which I was yelled at by 3 different security men for taking) but I captured God’s finger pouring life into Adam (the center painting on the ceiling, and my favorite). We left the Sistine Chapel, later in the afternoon, hungry! We found a fun traditional Italian restaurant and ordered some spaghetti! It was one of those things that had to be done (When in Rome…) Then, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I discovered gelato. This cold, creamy, frozen substance busting with taste was truly God’s gift to mankind. It was the BEST ice cream I ever tasted. It quickly began draining my wallet and left me quite glad to be walking hours a day so I didn’t become the size of a small building. After an amazing gelato we went souvenir shopping on the streets outside of Vatican City. While walking between shops, I ran into Fr. Brad! He was the director of campus ministry my freshman and sophomore year at SFU and was in charge of the peer ministry program 2005-2006 when I was a peer minister! However, I hadn’t seen him for 2 years, the last time being in Loretto, and had unfortunately lost touch. You can imagine my surprise at seeing him on the streets of Rome! (He is now working with the Franciscan University in Stubenville’s study abroad program in Austria – they too were on spring break). Because he was in a hurry to say mass we did not get to catch up much, but it was crazy seeing him, and makes you realize that it is a small world! Later Wednesday night I saw a chapel dedicated to St. Faustina, and Claire and I went back to St. Susanna church for a mass in English (the first since coming to Europe!). We then sat by the Trevi fountain at night reading a book. It was the perfect end to a great day.
Thursday we set out to see the San Giovanni Laterano. It was another fabulously old and huge church. We made about ½ hour visit to see the church and pray and then were able to take a guided tour of the old papal residence. San Giovanni Laterano is where the Popes lived from about 300AD (after Constantine became Christian) until about 1300AD. Following we went to see the Coliseum. We grabbed some lunch from a very reasonable fruit and veggie stand not far from the Coliseum. We took our fruit to a park overlooking the Coliseum where we ate under palm trees. I couldn’t have painted a more picturesque scene. I then walked through the Roman Forum and saw all the ancient ruins. We next tried to see some catacombs. We walked far south of the city and actually found what we were looking for (the chapel/catacombs were St. Sebastian is buried). However, their entrance fee was high and they would not accept an American University for a student discount so the group voted to do something else. We found the pyramid in Rome (which really isn’t that impressive) but then were able to see several smaller, but still beautiful churches. We went to Santi Giovanni e Paolo (where I found a side chapel dedicated to St. Gabriel!) and S. Gregorio Magno. On our way back to the hostel (in Chinatown… for us, all roads lead to Hong Kong!) we passed a rally of some type going on. There were people yelling into a microphone in a language that was not Italian or English and many police patrolling the streets. Again we felt slightly uncomfortable in our neighborhood, but did find an amazing gelato place not far from the hostel. This establishment was a cafeteria completely dedicated to gelato. They had more flavors than I knew existed. We stopped hear each night on our way back to the hostel for the reminder of our trip.
Friday we briefly visited the Basilica di S. Pudenziana, which had the oldest Christian Mosaic in Rome, as we passed it on the way to the Pantheon. The Pantheon was another of my favorite things in Rome. It was constructed in only 2 years from 27BC to 25BC. One can marvel how the Ancient Romans were able to build such a structure in such a short time period. It is absolutely immense with perfect symmetry, geometry, and construction. The lighting in the Pantheon is all natural coming from the one open whole at the top of the roof. In addition, the great Renaissance painter Raphael is buried there. After the Pantheon we went to the Piazza del Poppolo where we waited for about 45 minutes for the Maria del Poppolo Church to open. However, it was well worth the wait. On the left side of the chapel in a side alter there were 3 original paintings. The center was by Caracci, the “Assumption of Mary” and the two side ones were by Caravaggio, the “Crucifixion of St. Peter” and the “Conversion of St. Paul.” I decided after seeing these paintings up close that Caravaggio is one of my favorite painters. We then walked the steps up behind the Piazza del Poppolo and had a great view of the whole city of Rome but were also hit up by at least 5 different very pushy street vendors to buy flowers, toys, souvenirs, etc. Following, we made our way down the Spanish Steps and went into Trinite de Monti Church at the top of them. Here was unique because there were many sisters all saying their afternoon prayers at the foot of the alter. We did some shopping in the afternoon and evening around the Spanish Steps area and visited two more churches, Gesu e Maria, and Santa Maria Maggiore. On the way back to the hostel later that night we visited another church, which I didn’t get the name of, but was able to hear the station of the cross in Italian.
Saturday we started by visiting the Marelino e Pietro al Laterno Church which was a smaller, quaint church that we just happened to stumble across on our way back to the Coliseum. Today I paid the entrance fee and went into the Coliseum, and it was well worth it! There were a few signs inside that explained what you were looking at, and two different levels to visit. In addition, you could walk completely around the interior of the ancient stadium where the gladiators fought and so many saints of the early Christian church were martyred. After going inside the Coliseum we made our way up to the Republica again where I visited the Santa maria delgi Angeil Church. This church is built over the ruins where the Roman baths used to be, which used to be the largest structure in ancient Rome. The church today has a very interesting calendar that runs the diagonal length of the floor. Following, we went to Termini Train Station and bought our train tickets to get to the airport. On our way back to the hostel I got a delicious lasagna dinner at Momma Mia’s followed by a final gelato at our favorite gelato cafeteria. When packing up that night I realized the airline we were taking the next morning to paris, on Veuling Airlines, charged 9 euros to check a bag, and only allowed 10 lbs in one carry on item and a purse. Unfortunately, the flight from Paris to Toulouse on Monday, on Easy Jet, had the same rules! This was a major problem for me because I had definitely packed more than 10lbs worth of stuff! This was a problem not only for me, but others in the group as well. Tim, the only guy on our trip had to carry a purse (which he tried to hide in a bag, but it split open anyway) because his bag too was more than 10lbs. I decided to try to sneak through without paying the extra by wearing almost all the clothes I brought. I wore 2 pairs of jeans, several socks, 4 shirts, 2 jackets, and a winter coat (with a text book stuff in one pocket, and a bunch of other stuff in the other). Fortunately, when I got to check-in, my bag weighed 9.7lbs and I was good to go! I quickly went to the bathroom to take off all the layers and stuff them back in my bag before going through security. It worked well, although next time I think I will read the fine print on the tickets and keep my luggage under 10 lbs.
The final number of churches I saw in Rome during the 4 ½ days I was there was 15.
We left Paris, (rather sadly because I had come to really enjoy living the big city and having so much to do, see, and experience only a few metro stops away) late Thursday night. We flew Sky Europe to Prague, and the flight rather uneventful (always a good thing when flying!) except for the fact that for the first time I experienced, the stewardesses were selling the beverages and peanuts on the plane instead of just giving them out. I was beginning to become acquainted with European budget airlines. In addition, at the airport we did meet a very nice and interesting Chech woman. She had lived in Prage her whole life and was more than happy to tell us about the city and give us some excellent tips on the best things to do and see in Prague. By the time we arrived in Prague it was getting very late and most of the airport was already shut down. We were nervous because the Prague metro closed at about midnight, and we needed to take a bus to the metro stop, and then the metro into the center of the city where our hostel was located. Thankfully, luck was on our side and we made all our connections in time and found the hostel. I would have to say the highlight of arriving in Prague was using the ATM. I was able to pull out 1500CZK for less than $100! After getting such unfavorable exchange rates for the past 2 months when converting our US Dollars into Euros (2 days ago the dollar reached it’s worst exchange rates in history :’( it was fabulous to get a favorable exchange.
Friday, after sleeping in a bit, we excitedly went out to explore the city! We grabbed some free bread and butter the hostel provided for breakfast set out in the direction of St. Wenceslas Square. We quickly learned that Prague has become the fashion capital of Eastern Europe. We found all the major stores that are also in New York City, Paris, and London. Shopping around while taking our time to enjoy the beauty in the city provided for a fun and relaxing morning. However, towards the afternoon, I started feeling sick. I went back to the hostel early to take a nap. However, I unfortunately spent the next few hours battling with the chills, sweats, an intense headache, and most likely a good fever. I quickly realized that a hostel, particularly in Eastern Europe, is not the place to be when you are not feeling well. For the rest of my time in Prague I was battling this illness, although it progressed through many stages and symptoms. Friday, after sleeping for several hours my strong desire to see Prague overruled my better judgment and I decided to go back. We got some falafels for dinner and browsed a few souvenir shops. The souvenir shops were interesting because their shelves were crowded with marionette puppets, bohemian crystal and glass, wooden Russian dolls, and steins. The shops were like none I had seen before containing some of the most beautiful souvenirs I had seen, which only proved to reflect Prague culture in general. I made it all the way to Old Town Square on Friday night and saw the Astronomical Clock. Old Town Square, like the rest of Prague had beautiful architecture which is surprisingly well persevered as it was not bombed much in either world war. Following Old Town Square we made our way to the river which we followed a bit until we could see the Prague Castle lit up at night on the other side. It was amazing, although I could not go over and visit it up close yet. Despite, not feeling well, for the first day I felt I saw a good bit of the city and was experiencing Prague.
Saturday, we decided to visit the Prague Castle. We crossed the river on the St. Charles Bridge. It had statues every few feet on both sides going the whole way across. In addition, street musicians and vendors covered all the other available space hoping to earn a few crowns from the scores of tourists from all across the world. The whole effect was quite stunning as the bridge was one of the most festive places I could picture. Once on the other side we were quickly faced with a giant hill. I hadn’t looked quite so steep or long from a distance the previous night, but once we started climbing, it became a whole another story. About ½ ways up we were all so tired of climbing and walking we stopped and got some ice cream. When we finally made it too the top we briefly stopped to get a picture outside the gates of Prague Castle with the Czech guards before going inside. The Prague Castle is comprised of many different parts. The tallest, most ornate, and official looking part of the castle was St. Vitus Cathedral (also the only part without an admission fee). We spent some time admiring all the artwork impressive architecture before moving on to the rest of the castle. The Royal Palace, St. Nicolas Church, several museums, and some cafes all housed within the Prague Castle charged admission and took a good deal of time to visit. Therefore we briefly admired these aspects of the Prague Castle on the outside before beginning our long descent back down the hill and across the St. Charles Bridge. Back on our side of the river we found a fun traditional Czech restaurant and ordered a golosh dinner and a beer to drink. The restaurant was a great atmosphere and even had a live accordion player. Altogether the dinner cost less than $10 for everything (loving the exchange rate) we were only excepting it to cost about $6 but got hit with a few extra hidden fees at the end after eating. After dinner, I went back to the hostel alone to call it an early night because once again I was starting to feel worse.
Sunday, we had planned to take a walking tour of the city in the morning, but ended up sleeping in through the whole thing. Instead, we found the Communist Museum. It focused on communism in Czechoslovakia, particularly Prague, and went through how it started as a dream following the German occupation in WWII, the reality of daily life under communistic rule, and how it deteriorated into a nightmare for the Czech people. There were interesting artifacts and provided a great amount of information. This was the first time I ever visited a country formerly under communist rule and found it much more interesting to learn first hand instead of from a test book back home. After the Communist Museum we went back to Old Town Square to relax. It was a beautiful day outside and the square was packed with people enjoying the sunshine. On the far side of the square, there was an anti-communism rally taking place (all in Czech). However, it was funny because there was a lone man walking around waving an American flag. We got some more ice cream and while relaxing in the square ran into a group of Australians we had previously met at our hostel and talked with them for awhile. They were also on spring break, but their university study abroad program had already taken them to Tanzania in Africa where they were able to climb Mt. Kilimajaro and go on a safari. Most recently they had studied for 2 months in Denmark and were now traveling throughout Europe and Asia for the rest of the summer. It is amazing all the fun and interesting people you can meet while traveling and staying in hostels. Toward evening, as it started to get chillier, we started walking again. We briefly visited the Jewish Quarter of Prague and then found the giant Metronome. The metronome sits high on a hill (the same one as the Prague Castle, but further downstream) and overlooks the whole city. We climbed the stairs and were able to watch the sunset from the rooftop of Prague. It was beautiful, and scarcely deserves my humble words to describe. However, after sitting in the chilly night air I again started feeling like I had overdone it. I tried to eat something for dinner (my first food of the day) and went back to hostel for a long night of being sick.
Monday was my last full day in Prague! We left the hostel in the morning with no particular destination in mine, but found our way to a less touristy, more traditional Czech neighborhood. On our way we passed the old shipping and distributing center for Prague, and walked down a highway that was defiantly not meant for walkers! We made it to the crawling babies tower (literally a huge metal tower with large metal babies crawling up the sides of it). We also made it to the opposite end of St. Wenceslas Square where we saw the building that housed the National Galleries. That night, I did some souvenir shopping on my own, and then met up with our friend Leo who we keep seeing in every country! He has been traveling Europe on his own, but fortunately we were able to meet him in also almost every country (Britain, France, and the Czech Republic). Bridget, Alexia, Kristen, and a few of our hotel roommates all had a good time that night back at the hostel, while I called it an early night so I could wake up early to catch my flight to Rome!
Tuesday morning, I woke early to find my way back to the airport. I was a little nervous because I hadn’t taken public transportation (which all information is in Czech) since late our first night when we arrived in the city. In addition, I was traveling alone for the first time between countries. Fortunately, I did make all my metro, bus, plane, and train connections just fine and even found the hostel (with only poor directions in broken English in a sketchy part of town) with little mishap. The flight between Prague and Rome was the most beautiful flight I can ever remember taking. I had a window seat and we flew directly over the Alps. It was absolutely amazing. I was able to meet up with the other half of our group, Hannah, Tim, and Claire, in Italy. I had made plans to meet them at our hostel in Rome, and it was fortunate that I did! Our hostel was basically just a guys private apartment that he crammed a bunch of beds into and rented to poor college students such as myself. My friends had been staying a 6 bed room for their first few nights at the hostel even though we had all booked the 9 bed room. The woman checking me in wanted me to pay a sizable extra sum to obtain a bed in the 6 bed room or move to the 9 bed room (in a different building) alone. Thankfully, the others in the group agreed to move with me to the other building too. The walk over was somewhat intimidating as we were staying in the Chinatown of Rome. The door to our hostel was off a back alley and was quite barren from the outside. Tim actually pulled the whole handle off the door on accident the following day. However the inside of the hostel was not bad, and was actually nicer than more expensive 6 bed room. Once set up in the hostel (and our bags securely chained to the bed with a bike chain) we went out to see Rome! I had the fortunate experience of benefiting from my friends knowledge of the area. They had spent the previous 4 days learning the layout of the city so I was given the grand tour over the next few days. On Tuesday evening we went to St. Susanna Church to pick up passes to the Papal audience the following day! I was thrilled at the opportunity to see Pope Benedict live within 24 hours!!! After we securely had our tickets we had dinner in the Republica, and called it an early night so we could get up early to see the Pope in the am!
Wednesday we woke at 6:30am so we could start our hour long walk to Vatican City. We had decided not to buy any metro passes because we had heard that Rome is a very walkable city, which was true for the most part. However, our hostel and the Vatican couldn’t have been on a more opposite side of the city. The walk was very pretty. I was able to see the Monumento a Vitterio Emanuele II, some ancient ruins that were overrun by stray cats, the Castel Saint Angelo, and get a general feel of city during the walk. A girl we had met the previous night at the hostel came with us, Jill. She was from a small town in PA only about 20 minutes from SFU! She was the first person in Europe who had heard of our school. She had been studying in Germany for a year and was not traveling by herself through Europe. We all arrived at the Vatican shortly after 8 which was great because we were one of the first ones in to St. Peter’s Basilica. We were able to get front row seats to see the POPE!!!!!!!! He didn’t come out until 10:30, but in the mean time we took turns walking around the basilica while the others saved seats. I saw Michaelango’s the Pieta, which was stunningly beautiful. The expressions on Mary and Jesus’s faces were unlike any reproduction I had seen. Pope Benedict finally came to St. Peters Basilica surrounded by the Swiss Guards to greet the assembled crowd. He gave us his blessing, and asked us to continue on with fasting and prayer during the Lenten season. He spoke in about 5 or 6 different languages including English which was awesome!! He didn’t stay very long, about 15 minutes total, but it was still awesome that we got to see the Pope! Following the papal audience, we went to see the Sistine Chapel. We had a long walk around the outside of the Vatican Wall until we came to Vatican Museum. We had to pay admission (luckily the ticket taker accepted my SFU ID card instead of an EU one and gave us a discounted price). The Sistine Chapel is at the very end of the Vatican Museums, so we half heartedly and quickly browed the other exhibits before b-lining to the Sistine Chapel. Honestly, my first impression of the Sistine was that it was crowded and nosily. We could barley get into the room because of the number of people already in it. In addition, there had to have been about 20 security men running around yelling at everyone trying to take a picture or making too much noise. However, once I got in the room and looked up, I could defiantly see what all the fuss was about. The paintings on the ceiling, which Michangelo spent 4 years on his back painting, seemed so life like they could have stepped right off the ceiling. The shear amount of artwork, and the beauty of it was overwhelming. I spent probably at least 20 or 30 minutes just looking up and was possibly the best 20 or 30 minutes I spent in Rome. I did manage to snap one quick illegal picture (which I was yelled at by 3 different security men for taking) but I captured God’s finger pouring life into Adam (the center painting on the ceiling, and my favorite). We left the Sistine Chapel, later in the afternoon, hungry! We found a fun traditional Italian restaurant and ordered some spaghetti! It was one of those things that had to be done (When in Rome…) Then, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I discovered gelato. This cold, creamy, frozen substance busting with taste was truly God’s gift to mankind. It was the BEST ice cream I ever tasted. It quickly began draining my wallet and left me quite glad to be walking hours a day so I didn’t become the size of a small building. After an amazing gelato we went souvenir shopping on the streets outside of Vatican City. While walking between shops, I ran into Fr. Brad! He was the director of campus ministry my freshman and sophomore year at SFU and was in charge of the peer ministry program 2005-2006 when I was a peer minister! However, I hadn’t seen him for 2 years, the last time being in Loretto, and had unfortunately lost touch. You can imagine my surprise at seeing him on the streets of Rome! (He is now working with the Franciscan University in Stubenville’s study abroad program in Austria – they too were on spring break). Because he was in a hurry to say mass we did not get to catch up much, but it was crazy seeing him, and makes you realize that it is a small world! Later Wednesday night I saw a chapel dedicated to St. Faustina, and Claire and I went back to St. Susanna church for a mass in English (the first since coming to Europe!). We then sat by the Trevi fountain at night reading a book. It was the perfect end to a great day.
Thursday we set out to see the San Giovanni Laterano. It was another fabulously old and huge church. We made about ½ hour visit to see the church and pray and then were able to take a guided tour of the old papal residence. San Giovanni Laterano is where the Popes lived from about 300AD (after Constantine became Christian) until about 1300AD. Following we went to see the Coliseum. We grabbed some lunch from a very reasonable fruit and veggie stand not far from the Coliseum. We took our fruit to a park overlooking the Coliseum where we ate under palm trees. I couldn’t have painted a more picturesque scene. I then walked through the Roman Forum and saw all the ancient ruins. We next tried to see some catacombs. We walked far south of the city and actually found what we were looking for (the chapel/catacombs were St. Sebastian is buried). However, their entrance fee was high and they would not accept an American University for a student discount so the group voted to do something else. We found the pyramid in Rome (which really isn’t that impressive) but then were able to see several smaller, but still beautiful churches. We went to Santi Giovanni e Paolo (where I found a side chapel dedicated to St. Gabriel!) and S. Gregorio Magno. On our way back to the hostel (in Chinatown… for us, all roads lead to Hong Kong!) we passed a rally of some type going on. There were people yelling into a microphone in a language that was not Italian or English and many police patrolling the streets. Again we felt slightly uncomfortable in our neighborhood, but did find an amazing gelato place not far from the hostel. This establishment was a cafeteria completely dedicated to gelato. They had more flavors than I knew existed. We stopped hear each night on our way back to the hostel for the reminder of our trip.
Friday we briefly visited the Basilica di S. Pudenziana, which had the oldest Christian Mosaic in Rome, as we passed it on the way to the Pantheon. The Pantheon was another of my favorite things in Rome. It was constructed in only 2 years from 27BC to 25BC. One can marvel how the Ancient Romans were able to build such a structure in such a short time period. It is absolutely immense with perfect symmetry, geometry, and construction. The lighting in the Pantheon is all natural coming from the one open whole at the top of the roof. In addition, the great Renaissance painter Raphael is buried there. After the Pantheon we went to the Piazza del Poppolo where we waited for about 45 minutes for the Maria del Poppolo Church to open. However, it was well worth the wait. On the left side of the chapel in a side alter there were 3 original paintings. The center was by Caracci, the “Assumption of Mary” and the two side ones were by Caravaggio, the “Crucifixion of St. Peter” and the “Conversion of St. Paul.” I decided after seeing these paintings up close that Caravaggio is one of my favorite painters. We then walked the steps up behind the Piazza del Poppolo and had a great view of the whole city of Rome but were also hit up by at least 5 different very pushy street vendors to buy flowers, toys, souvenirs, etc. Following, we made our way down the Spanish Steps and went into Trinite de Monti Church at the top of them. Here was unique because there were many sisters all saying their afternoon prayers at the foot of the alter. We did some shopping in the afternoon and evening around the Spanish Steps area and visited two more churches, Gesu e Maria, and Santa Maria Maggiore. On the way back to the hostel later that night we visited another church, which I didn’t get the name of, but was able to hear the station of the cross in Italian.
Saturday we started by visiting the Marelino e Pietro al Laterno Church which was a smaller, quaint church that we just happened to stumble across on our way back to the Coliseum. Today I paid the entrance fee and went into the Coliseum, and it was well worth it! There were a few signs inside that explained what you were looking at, and two different levels to visit. In addition, you could walk completely around the interior of the ancient stadium where the gladiators fought and so many saints of the early Christian church were martyred. After going inside the Coliseum we made our way up to the Republica again where I visited the Santa maria delgi Angeil Church. This church is built over the ruins where the Roman baths used to be, which used to be the largest structure in ancient Rome. The church today has a very interesting calendar that runs the diagonal length of the floor. Following, we went to Termini Train Station and bought our train tickets to get to the airport. On our way back to the hostel I got a delicious lasagna dinner at Momma Mia’s followed by a final gelato at our favorite gelato cafeteria. When packing up that night I realized the airline we were taking the next morning to paris, on Veuling Airlines, charged 9 euros to check a bag, and only allowed 10 lbs in one carry on item and a purse. Unfortunately, the flight from Paris to Toulouse on Monday, on Easy Jet, had the same rules! This was a major problem for me because I had definitely packed more than 10lbs worth of stuff! This was a problem not only for me, but others in the group as well. Tim, the only guy on our trip had to carry a purse (which he tried to hide in a bag, but it split open anyway) because his bag too was more than 10lbs. I decided to try to sneak through without paying the extra by wearing almost all the clothes I brought. I wore 2 pairs of jeans, several socks, 4 shirts, 2 jackets, and a winter coat (with a text book stuff in one pocket, and a bunch of other stuff in the other). Fortunately, when I got to check-in, my bag weighed 9.7lbs and I was good to go! I quickly went to the bathroom to take off all the layers and stuff them back in my bag before going through security. It worked well, although next time I think I will read the fine print on the tickets and keep my luggage under 10 lbs.
The final number of churches I saw in Rome during the 4 ½ days I was there was 15.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Another Packed Week!!
I had left off with Monday and Tuesday 11th and 12th, and the finalization of all our spring break plans. I’m will be going to Prague this Thursday night (Feb. 21) and staying there until Tuesday (Feb. 26). I come back to Paris for one night, Sunday, March 2, and then fly out to Toulouse on Monday to start the second half of the program! I’m really looking forward to the traveling, but mourning the fact that I have to leave Paris. With this being said, I have been trying to pack as much into the last week and ½ as humanly possible.
Wednesday we had classes all morning and afternoon and then went out to a modern art museum for an opening exhibit with Oxana in the evening. The art was not my favorite style and I had difficulty trying to grasp with the artist was trying to portray, but the atmosphere of the opening exhibit was fun. Then, walking back towards the metro stop, we saw the Eiffel Tower across the Seine. The city is beautifully laid out, as there was a large reflecting pond and gardens to make the scene quite picturesque. We grabbed some dinner from one of the many stands and ate paninis and hot dogs while enjoying the sights and sounds of Paris.
Thursday, we went out on another class field trip into the city. We went into the old Jewish district (before WWII) which was the aristocratic center before that. We saw St. Paul’s Cathedral, and then went to a museum that had a Benjamin Franklin display. I was greatly surprised to an American historical figure to hold such a prominent place in French culture as to have an entire museum dedicated to him. Apparently, Ben Franklin spent a great deal of time in Paris and France recruiting the French to help in our war, and after being involved in the French revolution. It was interesting to see the life of a prominent American though foreign eyes. Following we got falafels for lunch at a world renown restaurant, which really looked like a hole in the wall, but had been written up the New York Times, and had AMAZING food. We then went to the opposite end of Paris to the financial district, La Defense. It is called La Defense because towards the end of the 1880’s during the Franco-Prussian war, the Prussian army marched all the way to the outskirts of Paris (La Defense) and then struck a treaty for Alsace and Lorraine and a lot of cash. I find it somewhat humorous that the French named it La Defense because they felt they were coming to the defense of their beloved city when in reality they were not able to muster any type of defense and had to give into all their enemies demands. Today, there stands a great arch, Arch de Defense, and is in line with the Arch de Triumph. We were able to go to the top of the Arch de Defense in giant glass elevator that seemed to come straight out of a Willy Wonka book. However, at the top, you could see for miles. We also make friends with a security guard who spoke little English but had a good sense of humor. (especially about American politics!)
Friday, after classes all morning, we went the Musee D’Orsay. The Musee D’Orsay was once a large and ornate train station that was eventually converted into a museum. This museum had many famous paintings, and was quite large. The majority of the displays were impressionism, cubism, symbolism, etc. After walking though the museum all day (and Paris all week) we decided to have a quite evening in the house for a change.
Saturday morning upon awaking, we went to Versailles. It was over an hour away on the metro, but proved to be well worth the effort. We saw the bed chambers of Louie the XVI (the sun king) and Marie Antoinette. We also saw the historic Hall of Mirrors where the treaty ending WWI was signed. I was struck by the detail and ornate nature of everything. Bright colors such as reds and golds were everywhere. The other aspect of Versailles worth noting was the immense gardens that seemed to stretch for miles in every direction. There was a pond in the center of the gardens that was so large that people were boating on it. All of the gardens were meticulously maintained which gave a stunning effect. On the way home from Versailles later in the evening we stopped briefly at the Latin Quarter to get some dinner. Le grec (a Greek gryo) is one of my new favorite foods and was quite satisfying after a long day of sightseeing.
Sunday I slept in a bit and went to mass at Notre Dame. It was very sad knowing that this would be my last mass at Notre Dame Cathedral which was beginning to feel like home parish. Again, we had lunch in the Latin Quarter, and then I ventured around the area awhile in the afternoon alone to get some much needed personal time.
Today (Monday) was another busy day!!! We have not had a chance to catch our breath this week, but again after French class all morning and afternoon I went venturing out in the city. I saw Saint Chapelle, a huge Gothic Chapel that is built near Notre Dame in both location and time period. The remarkable aspect of Saint Chapelle is the windows. Stain glass windows comprise of all the walls in the church, spanning near to the floor all the way to the top of the vaulted ceiling. It seems almost the entire Bible is depicted on the walls, which was the goal of the medieval arts who created them (to educate the illiterate about the Bible).
After Saint Chapelle today, I went to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. In both July and December of 1830 the Blessed Mother appeared to St. Catherine at the alter of the small church where she gave St. Catherine the image of the Miraculous Medal. Since then, many miracles have been attributed to the Miraculous Medal, and St. Catherine’s body lies incorrupt (it has never decayed) at the foot of the alter. I fortunately found the chapel right as all the sisters who live there were saying their nightly vespers and was able to take part in the prayers. It was an amazing experience and hope to get back there again before I leave Paris.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Updates from week 5!
Tuesday we had classes and studying as usual in the morning and afternoon. In the evening I did go out exploring to the Champs Elysees and Latin Quarter. I was expecting large street parties and craziness for Mardi Gras because Paris is such a large city. However, much to my surprise both areas were as quiet as any other weeknight would be.
Wednesday morning we went to our professor house to learn about French cuisine. Our French language class that day was all about food, preparation, and French culture. Together as a class, with some helpful instruction, we made an exquisite meal. I prepared homemade pie shells filled with seasoned tomatoes and lined with a mustard sauce as an appetizer. Others in the class made couscous, rabbit, fried tomatoes, French salad topped with cooked goat cheese, and homemade chocolate mousse. Yum!
In the afternoon on Wednesday we went to the Rodin Museum. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was a very famous French sculptor best known for his works: The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, and the Burghers of Calais. In the Burghers of Calais, Rodin captures a moving medieval moment during the hundred’s years war. England had besieged the small French town of Calais and order everyone to be killed if 6 prominent men did not step forward chained, barefooted, and bareheaded to sacrifice themselves. In the sculpture, Rodin emotionally captures the 6 men chained with ropes around their necks on their way to the meet the British. Fortunately, as the stories goes, the men were spared as the queen was moved by their self-sacrifice. (I wouldn’t waste your time reading a lengthy paragraph only to be depressed at the end!)
Wednesday night I got my ashes during mass at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Then, a few of us then met up with a friend in the Latin Quarter. Our friend, who we met in London at our hostel, was Brazilian but living and studying in Paris for two months. Europe is the most interesting place to meet new people!
Thursday morning and afternoon it was back to class and hitting the books again! However, in the evening we went out with Oxana, a younger Russian woman who the school hired to be our night life guide in Paris, to an after work club. It was a very interesting concept for a club because for the 15 Euro entrance fee they served a light buffet style dinner until 9 and then had a dance club until about 1 when the metro closes. Although I felt very out of place as everyone at the club was older and had successful careers we still had a fun night.
Friday was a very exciting day as we went to the Orangerie Museum of impressionist and cubist art. The top floor was designed by Claude Monet to display his immense and breathtaking waterlillies collection. The bottom floor held original Pacassio, Renior, and more. I could witness the beginnings of cubism developing before my eyes as I waked from room to room. Following, we went to the Jeu de Paume, the museum of modern art, which was right next door. This museum took the media of film, which often in America is not taught or looked at as “fine art,” and address some very serious subjects in an emotional and unique way. It made me reconsider modern art in a new way.
Friday night we again tried to go out. However, we got lost on our way to a different club and had to ask some police officers who didn’t speak English (but were carrying large automatic weapons) where to go. We eventually found the place around 12:30 but also realized it didn’t get hopping until 1:30 or 2:00am. By 3:00 we were all feeling quite tired and decided to chance the bus system in hopes of getting home and getting some sleep. Fate was not in our hands that night! After sitting on the street corner for 45 minutes without seeing a single bus anywhere on 4 lane highway we decided no busses where in that area. We proceeded to walk around the city until 5:00am without finding our correct bus. At this point we gave up to find the closest open establishment, McDonalds, to sit and wait for the metro to open. Over BigMacs, and yawns, and mice crawling all over the floor inches from our feet, we decided this was our last late night out in Paris.
Saturday we slept ALL day.
Sunday, after sleeping in late again, we decided to go up to the 3rd level of the Eiffel Tower (only open on weekends). However, our group had a miscommunication and we did not meet on time as planned and never made it to the top. Instead I found Saint Chapppelle, a huge 13th century gothic chapel with world renown stain glass windows. But alas! I arrived too late for this also and found it closed for the night. Eventually, after getting an amazing grec (Greek gyro) from a street vendor, I found my way to Monmarte and the Sacre Coure for a 10:00pm mass.
Yesterday we decided it was finally time to sit down and plan our spring break trip once and for all. Our original idea, to tour Italy (Florence, Venice, and Rome) fell through upon realizing the Euro rail tickets were double what we had planned for. Consequently, our group split up with Hannah, Tim, and Claire going to Rome for 10 days and Alexia, Bridget, and Kristen going to Prague for a week and Amsterdam for 3 days. After great debate and internal distress (and HOURS upon HOURS of researching flights and hostels) I chose to take the best of both worlds. I am super excited because I will be going to Prague for the first 5 days then flying to Rome to spend 5 days there.
I with great relief I finished booking my last flight this morning, and have since been growing steadily more excited to leave!!! The countdown to spring break is on… 9 days from tonight!!!! The only sad part about our travels means that we will be saying goodbye to Paris for good as we arrive back in southern France in Ambilet following break.
…Well if you have made it this far in my 3 page blog entry I congratulate you (an wonder slightly to myself why you have so much time on your hands… :-) I think this has been quite enough for now and bid you all a good night.
Wednesday morning we went to our professor house to learn about French cuisine. Our French language class that day was all about food, preparation, and French culture. Together as a class, with some helpful instruction, we made an exquisite meal. I prepared homemade pie shells filled with seasoned tomatoes and lined with a mustard sauce as an appetizer. Others in the class made couscous, rabbit, fried tomatoes, French salad topped with cooked goat cheese, and homemade chocolate mousse. Yum!
In the afternoon on Wednesday we went to the Rodin Museum. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was a very famous French sculptor best known for his works: The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, and the Burghers of Calais. In the Burghers of Calais, Rodin captures a moving medieval moment during the hundred’s years war. England had besieged the small French town of Calais and order everyone to be killed if 6 prominent men did not step forward chained, barefooted, and bareheaded to sacrifice themselves. In the sculpture, Rodin emotionally captures the 6 men chained with ropes around their necks on their way to the meet the British. Fortunately, as the stories goes, the men were spared as the queen was moved by their self-sacrifice. (I wouldn’t waste your time reading a lengthy paragraph only to be depressed at the end!)
Wednesday night I got my ashes during mass at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Then, a few of us then met up with a friend in the Latin Quarter. Our friend, who we met in London at our hostel, was Brazilian but living and studying in Paris for two months. Europe is the most interesting place to meet new people!
Thursday morning and afternoon it was back to class and hitting the books again! However, in the evening we went out with Oxana, a younger Russian woman who the school hired to be our night life guide in Paris, to an after work club. It was a very interesting concept for a club because for the 15 Euro entrance fee they served a light buffet style dinner until 9 and then had a dance club until about 1 when the metro closes. Although I felt very out of place as everyone at the club was older and had successful careers we still had a fun night.
Friday was a very exciting day as we went to the Orangerie Museum of impressionist and cubist art. The top floor was designed by Claude Monet to display his immense and breathtaking waterlillies collection. The bottom floor held original Pacassio, Renior, and more. I could witness the beginnings of cubism developing before my eyes as I waked from room to room. Following, we went to the Jeu de Paume, the museum of modern art, which was right next door. This museum took the media of film, which often in America is not taught or looked at as “fine art,” and address some very serious subjects in an emotional and unique way. It made me reconsider modern art in a new way.
Friday night we again tried to go out. However, we got lost on our way to a different club and had to ask some police officers who didn’t speak English (but were carrying large automatic weapons) where to go. We eventually found the place around 12:30 but also realized it didn’t get hopping until 1:30 or 2:00am. By 3:00 we were all feeling quite tired and decided to chance the bus system in hopes of getting home and getting some sleep. Fate was not in our hands that night! After sitting on the street corner for 45 minutes without seeing a single bus anywhere on 4 lane highway we decided no busses where in that area. We proceeded to walk around the city until 5:00am without finding our correct bus. At this point we gave up to find the closest open establishment, McDonalds, to sit and wait for the metro to open. Over BigMacs, and yawns, and mice crawling all over the floor inches from our feet, we decided this was our last late night out in Paris.
Saturday we slept ALL day.
Sunday, after sleeping in late again, we decided to go up to the 3rd level of the Eiffel Tower (only open on weekends). However, our group had a miscommunication and we did not meet on time as planned and never made it to the top. Instead I found Saint Chapppelle, a huge 13th century gothic chapel with world renown stain glass windows. But alas! I arrived too late for this also and found it closed for the night. Eventually, after getting an amazing grec (Greek gyro) from a street vendor, I found my way to Monmarte and the Sacre Coure for a 10:00pm mass.
Yesterday we decided it was finally time to sit down and plan our spring break trip once and for all. Our original idea, to tour Italy (Florence, Venice, and Rome) fell through upon realizing the Euro rail tickets were double what we had planned for. Consequently, our group split up with Hannah, Tim, and Claire going to Rome for 10 days and Alexia, Bridget, and Kristen going to Prague for a week and Amsterdam for 3 days. After great debate and internal distress (and HOURS upon HOURS of researching flights and hostels) I chose to take the best of both worlds. I am super excited because I will be going to Prague for the first 5 days then flying to Rome to spend 5 days there.
I with great relief I finished booking my last flight this morning, and have since been growing steadily more excited to leave!!! The countdown to spring break is on… 9 days from tonight!!!! The only sad part about our travels means that we will be saying goodbye to Paris for good as we arrive back in southern France in Ambilet following break.
…Well if you have made it this far in my 3 page blog entry I congratulate you (an wonder slightly to myself why you have so much time on your hands… :-) I think this has been quite enough for now and bid you all a good night.
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