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June 26, 2005
Ciao 4 now Roma
Ciao a Tutti,
So I have been home for about three weeks now, and am still in the midst of reverse culture shock and reverse homesickness. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing like sleeping in the comfort of your own bed, I just wish that my own bed were in Rome. Everything that was once so familiar now feels so different, whats more, I feel different. My time in Rome feels like this beautiful dream that I've just woken up from, almost like I blinked and ended up right where I was before, except ... changed. It's kinda like the twilight zone.
It is weird not seeing my roommates everyday. We lived on top of each other for 6 months, so not knowing what they are doing every second of every day is very weird. Va Bene, as soon as school starts the three of us will be living in the same city together again so I think that we will be fine.
My last few days in Rome were bittersweet (that seemed to be the theme for my last month in Europe). I was so happy to be in Rome, it felt so right, I felt like I had finally made it home. I stayed in a single room in Residence Candia, where I had lived during the program. It was really sad to be there by myself actually, and very strange to be there but not to be in my apartment, or ... what was my apartment. Even though I missed my roomies and my friends, I wasn't intimidated by being in Rome alone. It was kinda nice actually, I got the chance to do whatever it was that I wanted and to say goodbye to all my favorite places.
My first evening back in Roma after Budapest was spent wandering around Prati, my neighborhood in Roma. I looked into the little stores and sifted through the bins set out by the street vendors. I thought about the wine bar my roommate Emma loved, about the all night bakery Sam, Em, Bri and I used to go when we were putting off sleep, and about the small park/ play ground that Sam showed us. It's amazing because just above the park's enclosing wall you can see the Dome of St. Peter's rising above my apartment building. You don't realize how big it is until you are far away from it, then it just looks huge. I went to L'Alter Ego Cafe, my favorite Tea room in the city and wrote in my journal for a really long time. Then I went to an Internet cafe. I was on my way back to the residence when I decide to get gelato. I went to Millennium, this place right next to the residence, it's what everyone in the program practically survived on. It was the most random thing, I ran into my friend and neighbor from my freshman year at UCSD. She had been studying in another Italian city, and was staying at my residence for the night. I almost fainted when I saw her. I spent the rest of the night talking about Italy with her and her friends.
The next day I woke up REALLY early. It was my last full day in Roma. I went to the Vatican that morning. There wasn't a line and I slipped in with a tour group. I spent hours there, I looked at everything I could, and then I went through a second time. It was all so amazing, tapestries, statues, frescoes, paintings, artifacts, the Sistine Chapel. It blows me away even now. The Sistine Chapel is a very surreal place to be. It is a large cavernous space, packed with people cramming their necks to look at the ceiling, while Italian guards yell at everyone (in Italian) to be quiet and respectful. But the frescoes are absolutely breath taking. I was really startled by how big, and bold they are. The colors and figures leap out of the wall, they seem three dimensional. I couldn't believe I was standing there, I stayed there for a good long while. After I went through the museums, I went to St Peter's. It was really hot and muggy in Rome all through the end of May. I wore a lot of tanks, but you can't go into any church, let alone one connected to the Vatican, with bare shoulders, so I got in the habit of carrying a wrap with me. Some tourists don't know this, and try to get into St. Peter's, but they won't let you. They won't even let in a Dad with long shorts on. There was a very large group of upset Americans outside of the Basilica. I walked through the whole place, trying to make a picture of it that would last. I went down below the church and saw the tomb of St. Peter himself, and the tombs of the Popes,
including the tomb of Il Papa, GP Due.
After St. Peter's, I walked to Il Castel St. Angelo, over the Tiber, andthrough the back alleys of Rome to Piazza Nevona. I love the alleys in Rome. That's where you really feel like you are roaming through an Italian city. They are cobble stoned, vine-covered, and crowded with shops and cafes. For a while I watched a group of old men play chess on the patio of a ristorante. I walked through Piazza Nevona, looked at Bernini's "The Four Rivers," and bought a "Pace" (peace) flag. Then I made my way to the Pantheon, one of my most favorite places in the city, I sat inside for a while, and then I sat by the obelisk in the center of the Piazza and wrote in my journal some more. Then I got a cafe at Tazo d'Oro (the best espresso in Rome) and had a long conversation with the man who works there (in Italian). I walked through the alleys toward the Trevi Fountain, I stopped to listen to some street performers and ducked into a few shops. My school had been right in that area, so that walk from the Pantheon to the Trevi Fountain was very familar. That's what I did when I had breaks between classes. It was soo odd and sad to know that that was the last time I would walk there for who-knows-how-long. I stayed at the fountain for a long time, just drinking it in. They say that if you throw a coin in the fountain, backward over your shoulder, then you will return to Rome. So I did, punto, I'm going back. After, I walked toward Via Del Corso (the main shopping street). I stopped into a church I'd never been in before and lit a candle. Then I walked down the crowded Via Del Corso, I people watched, shopped, and went to the Spanish steps. I stayed for a bit, and then took the metro home. My last metro ride in Rome. My old routine was quickly becoming a novelty.
I made a few calls at the phone center, and then walked to the restaurant where I had eaten out with my friends on the night before I left for Dublin. I got Pizza and took it to eat in my room. My first dinner in Rome was exactly the same as my last, kinda funny. The next morning is a blur. I packed, walked to a a bancomat (Italian ATM), and got break fast (cappuccino e un cornetto) at "my" cafe (the one where I had my first Italian cappuccino with my roommate on our first morning), then I checked out, and cried in a taxi on my way to the air port, even so, I was able to carry on a conversation with the driver.Getting through the air port with ALL my stuff, by my self, was a bit of a disaster, but somehow I made it. Then, I was flying. First to London, and then to LAX. Sigh.
Italy changed me a lot. All a wanted to do was stay. I knew that I wouldn't be able to fit seamlessly back into my old life. I am different, I have grown, and I think that my life from here on out, or at least how I choose to live it, will reflect that. I experienced things that no one at home will ever really understand, and that I'll never be able to fully explain. I feel stronger, self assured, and independent in a way I never have before. I got a taste of the world and now all I want is more. I feel like I woke up, actually woke up, in Rome. Va Bene, more will come.
Before I left, the French woman who worked at the front deck said something which really struck me. She said that the Italians may not be the most "refined" or educated people in the world, not stiff like the (stereotypical) French or English, but that they truly knew how to live. They talk loudly, they laugh loudly, they eat pasta and cheese, they drink bottles and bottles of wine, They eat gelato when it's freezing outside. They are warm and generous. She told me that I only had this one life, so if I wanted to talk loudly and to laugh loudly - then I should. It might me cliche, but her words really touched me.
So I plan to talk and laugh loudly - and go back to Rome first chance I get.
Love you all. Ciao for now.
Baci baci,
Lauren
Posted by Lauren Lester at 10:35 PM
June 13, 2005
Budapest
Ciao a Tutti,
This past Memorial Day weekend I was in Budapest, Hungary. The differences between western and Eastern Europe were more apparent in Budapest than they were in Croatia. Perhaps that has to do with the fact that we stayed on the coast in Croatia, and Hungary is a land locked country. Budapest was beautiful in a very unique way. Budapest actually developed as two different cities, Buda and Pest, separated by the Danue River. The Buda side is more historical and more expensive; the Pest side is more commercial and industrialized. We stayed on the Pest side. The architecture in Budapest is very unique; the Turkish influence is very obvious. Very old and intricate buildings are intermixed with more modern structures. The older buildings have spires, pointed roofs, very unique window shapes, and really colorful and detailed paint jobs.
The city was also creepy in a way as well. It is not a very populous city, so it almost felt empty or deserted, like a ghost town. One day Shannon and I were walking on the main shopping street and there was a single street performer playing a violin. That single violin was the loudest sound in the entire area; that sweet yet melancholy violin incapulated our feelings about Budapest. It was a bit of a shock for us coming from Paris and Rome. It was also incredibly hot and humid, oppressively so. Plus the customs and the way people interacted were very different than in any place we had previously been. In was a night and day difference in almost every respect from Dublin, which is maybe why it was a shock for us to fly from one strait to the other. There is also a very big problem with homelessness and alcoholism in Budapest. I’m not sure which caused the other, but in this city they seemed to go hand in hand. It was really hard walking around at night and seeing all theses people (most of them were elderly) who needed some much help, and really not being able to do anything. I’m not sure what kind of social programs the city had to offer them, but whatever it was it was not enough. The city was also kind of dirty; the heat only intensified the unpleasant smells of the streets.
Shannon and I were lucky, we met a Hungarian man on the plane who spoke English, shared a cab with us and helped us find Katrine’s apartment building. Katrine is Norwegian and studying veterinary medicine in Budapest; she lived in the US for a while and she and Shannon went to High School together. The apartment building was older and rundown, but Katrine’s apartment was very big and really nice. She and her roommate had three of the cutest little dogs, so it was perfect that they let us stay there. After we had showered and changed, the three of us went to List square which is one of the most social places in the city. The entire square is filled with nice restaurants and cafes. The sidewalks were filled with people sitting, drinking, talking, eating, and strutting just so that they could be "seen." We found a café and split a bottle of wine; we ended up staying there pretty late. Afterwards Katrine walked around with us pointing out places of interest. We stopped at this 24-hour pancake place, but the "pancakes" were more like crêpes. They were SOO good, and so cheap (one Euro = 250 HUF).
The next day we went with Katrine and her friend Anita (another Norwegian student) to the top of a park on the Buda side. The park was beautiful, very green and over grown with lots of interesting statues, and at the top was an amazing view of the Danue and the Buda side. Shannon and I stayed there for a while and then the two of us left Katrine and Anita in the park so that they could study and play with their dogs. The two of us walked back over the river and toward the Basilica at the center of the Pest side. We wandered, ate, and talked. Eventually we took and open air bus tour of the city. We really didn’t care about looking like tourists in Budapest (not like how we cared in Paris and in Rome), plus it was what Katrine recommended. The tour took two hours, and went all over both sides of the city. The best part was when the bus drove up to the old citadel, built on one of the highest points in the city. From up there was the MOST amazing view of both sides of the city with the river cutting down the middle. We got some great pictures up there. After the tour we walked to the main shopping street, we were unimpressed and bought niente… Plus it was so empty that we both felt sort of off. So then we walked to List Square and got iced coffees at a café, and then later we got dinner before walking back to Quatrain’s. We changed, showered, and ended up staying out way too late.
The next day Shannon and I went to a Turkish bath, that was by far the highlight of our time in Budapest. After studying the roman baths in my Ancient Roman Civ class, and knowing how the Romans/ Byzantines influenced the Turkish, it was very cool to go to a modern day one. The bath was adjacent to a very nice hotel on the river on the Buda side. It was so luxurious, columns, statues which recalled the ancient Greeks, and beautiful mosaic tiling. We made appointments for facials, and then changed in the women’s dressing room and the made our way to the pool. It was so beautiful, in doors but with an open roof, the water was very blue; it was just what you would imagine an ancient bath to look like. We swam and then sunned ourselves before making our way to the women’s thermal bath. The thermal baths were separated by gender because people go in them either naked or topless, it was very liberating and the warm water and steamy rooms were very relaxing. Then we went into the sauna and then showered before making our facial appointment. After wards we both felt SO good, both inwardly and outwardly. Then we walked back to Katrine’s and later the three of us went out to a VERY nice dinner to celebrate our last night in Budapest. One of the nice things about Budapest was that things were SO inexpensive so we could actually afford to treat ourselves, a rare occurrence.
The next day I flew back to Rome and Shannon flew to Paris. It was really sad to say good bye to each other, and even harder for us to go back knowing that we both would have to leave Europe in a matter of days. Our entire trip in Budapest had a sad undercurrent for the both of us. We were both very pensive, just reflecting on our time in Europe, how we had changed and the thoughts of our paused lives at home waiting for us to resume. At least we had each other to talk to about it all, it was nice having someone there whom really understood me and could understand my situation both abroad and at home.
Flying to Rome was bittersweet, I was so happy to be going back there, and so sad knowing I would have to leave so much sooner than I wanted to.
Posted by Lauren Lester at 06:07 PM
June 06, 2005
Dublin
Ciao a Tutti,
Sorry it has been a while, I am home now, which is the weirdest thing you can imagine, but don’t worry I will get everyone all caught up. So, first things first, Dublin:
If I had to sum Dublin up in a single word it would be "fun," I might not want to live there for ever and ever, but I would go back in a heart beat. The only really bad part was the dreary weather, despite my travels, I am still a spoiled So Caler and require a certain amount of sun. Shannon (my roommate from San Diego who has been studying in Paris while I’ve been in Rome) and I both agreed the dreary rain was the only real draw back to Dublin. My flight in was not bad at all; I sat by this very helpful American guy named Chris who helped me find the right bus to take from the airport to the city after we landed. I met Shannon at our hotel, but before I got there I got lost (despite Chris' help) and ended up dragging my luggage all over down town before I found the place. At least I was able to ask directions and communicate with people. Lucky for me the Irish are very friendly and helpful, so it wasn’t so bad. Seeing Shannon was SO good! We hadn’t seen each other since March. It was funny because as I went up to the room in the elevator, she went down the stairs to meet me; when I got to the room, no one was there! We met in the hallway; I think our excited screams and girlish giggles echoed through the whole building. Va bene.
Our room was really close to the center of the city, we were right by Christ’s Church, which is the oldest church in Dublin built within the old city walls; thus it is considered the oldest cathedral of the government. We were just a few blocks from Temple Bar, which is the part of town filled with restaurants and the highest concentration of pubs in the city (still, there is at least one pub on each city block). This is the area where we spent most of our nights. We were able to walk everywhere, which was really nice. The first day we walked through Temple Bar, over the river Liffey on the Liffey (Ha’Penny) Bridge built in 1816. I think this was the first pedestrian footbridge built in the city; I also think that the same person who designed the Titanic built it, but I could be wrong. We had lunch, and slowly made our way to the old Jameson Whiskey factory. We took the tour and learned all about how to make Irish whisky, not as boring as you might think. Shannon forcibly volunteered me for the whiskey taste test at the end of the tour, five samples of whisky, one sample of scotch, and one sample of bourbon later, I was a certified (and tipsy) "official" whiskey taste tester. So if this whole "school" thing doesn’t work out, at least I have that to fall back on. After the tour, we walked to the Jameson Pub adjacent to the factory. We both got Irish coffees (warm coffee and whisk with cream on top – so good!). On the way home we picked up some groceries and then made dinner back at our room before going out.
That night we went to Temple Bar and hit the pubs. The Irish culture is more of a drinking culture than I think I had realized. The pubs were completely filled, young people, old people, grandmas, dads, young couples, everyone was out drinking. Then later, everyone was outside stumbling and singing in the streets. This was both fun and not, because all of those people who were so friendly by day, were just plastered and belligerent come 11:30pm. The first pub we went to had live reggae of all things, so random – two best friends from Califorina, one living in Rome and one living in Paris, sitting in a Pub in Dublin listening to live reggae. It was so fun. I loved how the Irish people danced, they don’t worry about looking silly, they just flop all over the place. It was great. We went to a few more places, before we ourselves stumbled home.
The next day we decided to take the "Viking Splash" Tour – so ridiculous. But first, we wandered through the city. We went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral (the oldest church built outside of the city walls, thus it is known as the church of the people) and sat in the park behind. Then we went to a pub called the Fuzzy Lemon, it was huge - a rambling two stories. It reminded me of the Abby Theater in Rome. Shannon got some cider and we shared some nuts. Then we walked to and down Grafton Street, the main shopping street. It was really pretty: leafy trees, brick buildings, and street performers. We got some crappy coffee (nothing will ever match the coffee in Italy) and met our tour at Stephen’s Green. The Viking Splash tour was so silly, but really fun anyway. We drove around in one of those vehicles which can drive on land and then be used as a boat as well, we found out later that the one we riding in had been used on D Day in World War II. That was kinda erie. The tour went all over the city, and down the river past the U2 recording studios (making some boys that Shannon and I know VERY jealous). The tour guide was funny, but in a slightly inappropriate way, the Irish humor was somewhat crass, but good-natured at the same time. The sort of humor I think my dad would appreciate.
I don’t know as much about Irish history as I should, but the bit that I do know I feel very connected to. Even though I am a European mutt, I am more Irish and Czech than anything else. The Irish past is a mix of struggling story lines, Celtic and Viking, Irish and English, Protestant and Catholic. It was interesting to visit a place outside the reach of the Roman Empire and to see how things developed differently outside of that influence. The architecture was very distinctive, lots of brickwork, and pointed roofs. Dublin is a short city, nothing really taller than four stories.
After the tour we went home, changed and then got dinner at this very nice place ironically called The Shack. I got vegetable soup and Shannon had corned beef. Then we wandered around Temple Bar again. The first pub we went to had a live band playing American country songs with an Irish twist. It was so fun, and the vibe was so positive, I was really happy. We went to a lot of pubs that night and ended up at one called the Capitol. It was very posh; it had the same vibe as the Art café in Rome, or a really classy LA bar. Shannon and I got Champagne cocktails and sat in the lounge sipping them. It was very surreal sitting in that bar in Dublin, I just thought about my life, and the twists it had taken which had gotten me to that point. In my short 21 years I have done and seen things I never expected, things I proud of, things I’m not, but everything has either been a gift or a blessing in disguise, and all I can be is grateful for all of it.
The next day Shannon and I had a flight to Budapest at 2 in the afternoon. We checked out of our room. We went to get fish and chips at this little take out place, which is the most famous in Dublin. There is a sign out side with all the celebrities who have eaten there, U2, Sandra Bullock, Ray Charles, etc. We got our food and ate sitting on the sidewalk of a street corner. We must have looked strange sitting there with all of our stuff around us eating our lunch. Then, a man came out of the building we were leaning against with two chairs for us to sit in, so nice! We were both really touched, even though we must have looked even more odd sitting on a street corner in chairs eating, but we didn’t care. After we returned the chairs, we went to pick up something Shannon had seen before but hadn’t gotten the chance to buy. Then we went in search of our airport shuttle. It was supposed to be by the Spire (or the stiffy on the Liffey as the locals nicknamed it), but we couldn’t find it, So we took a cab that wasn’t that much more expensive.
The air port was a fiasco, we thought we had time, but then the announced our final boarding call and we hadn’t even made it thorough security yet. We ran through the airport like mad women and then when we made it to our gate that hadn’t even started boarding. Sigh. Its funny now, but then we were so confused. Va Bene, what can you do? We made it, and we were on our way to Budapest as we affectionately said good bye to Dublin.
Posted by Lauren Lester at 02:39 PM
