I feel like I didn't really wrap up my Eurotrip details. I wanted to talk about sinks with peddles on which you have to step for the water to work. I wanted to talk about how Europe has a serious issue with bathrooms {you have to pay to use the ones on the street and stores and restaurants won't let you use them unless you buy something - OH and gas stations don't seem to exist either}. So when one is out of the hostel all day running around being a tourist and suddenly needs to use facilities....well like I said, Europe needs to straighten out their snobby bathroom ways. I wanted to talk about my obsession with fake aviators and Martha's obsession with Irish rings and sporty sunglasses. We must have stopped at every tacky souvenir shop and stand to see if we could find those three things. I wanted to make the trip sound as amazing as it was. Yet now, as I contemplate really detailing all of this, I find myself exhausted by it all. We did it. We took pictures. I blogged about it already - some of the memories will just have to stay as memories in my head and not here. It almost takes the magic out of it to continue relating every little thing....Anyway, like I think I've mentioned a few times, the trip was unforgettable and a wonderful experience.
As it stands now, I just got back to Toulouse just days ago from a trip to London! I had a 5 day weekend and knew sitting here in Toulouse would just intensify the loneliness that I've managed to mostly banish this semester. I'll definitely blog about going to London, but before I start on that series I just wanted to take a moment to talk about the present here in Toulouse. The sun is shining (when it's not pouring outside) and the temperature is a cool 50 to 60 each day. The girls are still donning boots, but they are beginning to pair them with skirts and tights instead of leggings. Shorts over tights are a big trend too. The layers of scarves and jackets worn just two months ago has been downsized to pashminas and cardigans. I think it is spring and I couldn't be happier about it !!! Bring on the warmth !
And the future...the title of this post says I'm supposed to talk about the future...I cannot believe I have one or two more class meetings left in my courses. It's ridiculousness! Exams in some courses are in two weeks while others don't happen until mid May. It makes no sense to me really. But what that means is that I begin to have way too much free time again. Although, I bought running/walking (probably more of the latter) so perhaps I can achieve a daily routine of fitness....perhaps. What I know about the future is that these next three weeks are important. I need to soak up all the remaining information that I can and get through some exams. Now if only the movie theatre weren't calling my name and naps in the sunshine didn't sound so appealing.... :-)
~ Tam in Toulouse
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Eurotrip 2011 (Paris prt 2)
The shop wasn't closed! Since it was the end of our adventure, Martha and I allowed ourselves to go a bit crazy buying sweet goodies. I bought a cookie tin which we partially filled with cookies, or biscuits as the French call them, and chocolate covered olives. (Just so you know, chocolate covered olives just taste like chocolate. They don't taste like olives at all. The olives make for the chocolate to be less sweet, but it still tastes just like chocolate.) I also bought a sachet of caramels for a friend. Martha bought a tin of caramels for herself. We dragged each other away from buying anything else and exited the store with out signature mustard yellow La Cure Gourmand bags and our goodies.
We passed back by Notre Dame, and snapped some photos, on our way to the metro. We needed to get all the way across Paris in order to visit Le NordSud restaurant for dinner, and then return for our 9:30 appointment at the Eiffel Tower. I was unsure of how Martha would react to the NordSud. I had only been once and loved it, but the food was 'very' french and could be pricey too. The very same sweet waiter I'd had back in October for my GRE sat us down near the window. He commiserated with me over the fact that they were no longer serving the pasta I had enjoyed back then. Martha and I settled on french onion soup with an appetizer of smoked salmon on toast. *I used to love salmon till I had it tartare here in Toulouse, TWICE, and now the texture turns my stomach a bit.* I ate almost my fair half of the salmon, and thought to myself that hopefully soon I'd get over my recent issue with it. We loved our soup. The wine was lovely as well. Sadly we were in a rush to make our appointment at the Eiffel Tower, so we didn't get to stay for dessert. If I go to Paris again, I WILL visit NordSud again. It's just a fabulous, charming place with great food and great staff.
The Eiffel Tower at night I had already seen. I'd seen it from Trocadero though. This time, Martha and I had gotten tickets for the second observation deck so I'd actually be IN the Eiffel Tower at night. The tower was beautiful as we approached it. She really is magnificent by night all lit up and shining against the velvet sky. From a very short line, we stepped into a huge elevator that took us up to the second observation deck. As we looked out over the city below we were able to make out Sacre Coeur in the distance, Trocadero, the Arch, and Notre Dame. It was really cool to see the boats on the Seine below us. Even more interesting were the little flashes of light from the crowds at Trocadero taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower that we were standing in. The coolest thing, by far about being on the second level was the moment that the tower began to sparkle. A collective intake of breath happened, the flashes at Trocadero quadrupled in quantity, and seemingly everyone on the observation deck lifted their cameras and phones to record the sparkles.
After that, and after we'd looked out from every side of the observation deck and through the souvenir shops, we made our way back to the hostel. It was late, we were tired, but it had been an afternoon and evening in Paris to remember.
The next day we woke up, took the metro out to Charles de Gaule, and came home to Toulouse where showers and naps and junk food happened, photos and videos were shared, short convos with missed boyfriends took place, and final hours were spent recalling all the wonderful things about our adventures over the past 10 days.
We passed back by Notre Dame, and snapped some photos, on our way to the metro. We needed to get all the way across Paris in order to visit Le NordSud restaurant for dinner, and then return for our 9:30 appointment at the Eiffel Tower. I was unsure of how Martha would react to the NordSud. I had only been once and loved it, but the food was 'very' french and could be pricey too. The very same sweet waiter I'd had back in October for my GRE sat us down near the window. He commiserated with me over the fact that they were no longer serving the pasta I had enjoyed back then. Martha and I settled on french onion soup with an appetizer of smoked salmon on toast. *I used to love salmon till I had it tartare here in Toulouse, TWICE, and now the texture turns my stomach a bit.* I ate almost my fair half of the salmon, and thought to myself that hopefully soon I'd get over my recent issue with it. We loved our soup. The wine was lovely as well. Sadly we were in a rush to make our appointment at the Eiffel Tower, so we didn't get to stay for dessert. If I go to Paris again, I WILL visit NordSud again. It's just a fabulous, charming place with great food and great staff.
The Eiffel Tower at night I had already seen. I'd seen it from Trocadero though. This time, Martha and I had gotten tickets for the second observation deck so I'd actually be IN the Eiffel Tower at night. The tower was beautiful as we approached it. She really is magnificent by night all lit up and shining against the velvet sky. From a very short line, we stepped into a huge elevator that took us up to the second observation deck. As we looked out over the city below we were able to make out Sacre Coeur in the distance, Trocadero, the Arch, and Notre Dame. It was really cool to see the boats on the Seine below us. Even more interesting were the little flashes of light from the crowds at Trocadero taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower that we were standing in. The coolest thing, by far about being on the second level was the moment that the tower began to sparkle. A collective intake of breath happened, the flashes at Trocadero quadrupled in quantity, and seemingly everyone on the observation deck lifted their cameras and phones to record the sparkles.
After that, and after we'd looked out from every side of the observation deck and through the souvenir shops, we made our way back to the hostel. It was late, we were tired, but it had been an afternoon and evening in Paris to remember.
The next day we woke up, took the metro out to Charles de Gaule, and came home to Toulouse where showers and naps and junk food happened, photos and videos were shared, short convos with missed boyfriends took place, and final hours were spent recalling all the wonderful things about our adventures over the past 10 days.
Eurotrip 2011 (Paris)
Yes, Paris again. I can't get enough of that city. She shows me something new each time I visit her. So, it was only proper that since Martha was coming to visit me in France, that we actually BE in FRANCE for some time. While Toulouse certainly has a lot of offer, it just HAD to be Paris for the last day of our trip.
We awoke early in the morning to catch our coach and then our plane. As usual, I slept for most of the plane ride (I thank my Mother for this wonderful ability of sleeping like a log). I never thought I would say this, but it was nice to get back to speaking French after our time in Italy. I finally understood what everyone was saying and could converse with ease. That skill helped Martha and I make friends with the French couple sitting next to us on the plane. Since we didn't know Orly airport at all, they kindly offered to help us find the Orlyval train that would take us into inner Paris. Even though we easily found the Orlyval and bought tickets, and even though we knew exactly how to get to the hostel without getting lost, it still took us over two hours from the time we landed in Paris until the time we dropped our bags at the hostel. In the end, I'm thankful that we dropped our bags off since we were out sightseeing until midnight, but at the time all I worried about was the time we were losing.
We hadn't eaten in the morning, nor had we eaten lunch since the lunch hours were spent on the metro traveling to our hostel. Thus, by the time Martha and I popped out of the metro near Notre Dame we were irritable and starving. We looked diagonally across the place..."The American Cafe" read the nearest awning. Were we really going to eat in an establishment, in Paris, that boasted it's American-ness? We didn't care. We just wanted food. The meal was fabulous, and it turns out that the name of the cafe was NOT the American Cafe but rather the' Brasserie des Deux Palais'. The alternate 'title' was simply a little descriptive phrase signifying the bi-lingual staff and the menu made up of 'typical' french dishes according to Americans. It didn't serve American food at all. Instead, it served the same foods a student of french learns in their first years of taking french: omelets, croque monsieurs, croque madames, cappucinos & cafes, baguettes and cheese, etc. We both polished off our coffee (well I had hot chocolate) and our food (a croque madame for Martha and a ham & cheese omelet for me), then made our way across the street to Saint Chapelle.
The entire trip I'd been hearing about how Martha wanted to re-visit Notre Dame. I myself wanted to visit Saint Chapelle which I didn't know much about but had heard that it was one of 'THE' things to see in Paris. With the rain starting to come down and the line into Saint Chapelle getting longer and longer our hope of seeing both before closing time was quickly diminishing. I tried to tell Martha that she should "Go." "See." Notre Dame again. As I pointed out after about twenty minutes of waiting, "I'll probably still be in this line when you get back." Martha was adamant that she would stay with me which I was secretly nervous about. I really didn't want to ruin her one day in Paris by forcing her to see something she had no interest in seeing. She assured me, as if reading my mind, that she was up for seeing something new in Paris. It took over an hour, but when we made it inside I decided the wait in the light rain had been worth it. The base chapel was really orate and pretty. Then we climbed the narrow, stone spiral staircase up to the upper chapel, and my breath was taken away by the sight that greeted our eyes. Surrounding us were the most beautiful stain glass windows I've ever seen rising almost from floor to ceiling, throwing sparkling color around the inside like a jewel box. Just as we'd done in the Sistine Chapel, Martha and I sat in chairs to the side just staring up at all the tiny scenes played out in glass. It was one of the most beautiful things I've seen in Paris apart from Sacre Coeur and the Eiffel Tower.
Almost too soon, but really quite some time later, we made our way across the Ile de la Cite toward Notre Dame. To our surprise, when we entered the church, there was a mass happening. In the very last row we seated ourselves. There was a choir singing so beautifully, the sound carried around the big cathedral in a way that you felt it while you heard it. I never wanted it to stop.This was a Notre Dame I hadn't seen before. The first time I'd visited I remember it being dark and stark and, although impressive, almost unwelcome. This though, this huge space vaulting higher and higher with shining chandeliers and lovely music...this was moving. This was Notre Dame in her glory. I'm really happy that we got to visit when we did, because truthfully I wasn't all that interested in visiting again after my first time. After the mass was over a most curious but wonderful thing happened...
We had neglected finding the address to La Cure Gourmand (the chocolate and pastry shop we found in Carcassonne) in Paris. We were leaving the next morning. I was sure that we wouldn't happen across it in such a big city and, even if we did, it would be closed for the evening.
...As we were sitting in Notre Dame (we had moved closer after the mass) a man waked right in front of us with a medium sized La Cure Gourmand bag. Immediately my hope flared up as I quickly beckoned him and asked where he'd found the shop. "It's quite near here. A 5 minute walk maybe. Let me get my wife, she'll know which street it was on." He beckoned his wife, who then needed to beckon a friend who knew, but within 5 minutes Martha and I were on our way to the shop, crossing our fingers that it wasn't closed.
We awoke early in the morning to catch our coach and then our plane. As usual, I slept for most of the plane ride (I thank my Mother for this wonderful ability of sleeping like a log). I never thought I would say this, but it was nice to get back to speaking French after our time in Italy. I finally understood what everyone was saying and could converse with ease. That skill helped Martha and I make friends with the French couple sitting next to us on the plane. Since we didn't know Orly airport at all, they kindly offered to help us find the Orlyval train that would take us into inner Paris. Even though we easily found the Orlyval and bought tickets, and even though we knew exactly how to get to the hostel without getting lost, it still took us over two hours from the time we landed in Paris until the time we dropped our bags at the hostel. In the end, I'm thankful that we dropped our bags off since we were out sightseeing until midnight, but at the time all I worried about was the time we were losing.
We hadn't eaten in the morning, nor had we eaten lunch since the lunch hours were spent on the metro traveling to our hostel. Thus, by the time Martha and I popped out of the metro near Notre Dame we were irritable and starving. We looked diagonally across the place..."The American Cafe" read the nearest awning. Were we really going to eat in an establishment, in Paris, that boasted it's American-ness? We didn't care. We just wanted food. The meal was fabulous, and it turns out that the name of the cafe was NOT the American Cafe but rather the' Brasserie des Deux Palais'. The alternate 'title' was simply a little descriptive phrase signifying the bi-lingual staff and the menu made up of 'typical' french dishes according to Americans. It didn't serve American food at all. Instead, it served the same foods a student of french learns in their first years of taking french: omelets, croque monsieurs, croque madames, cappucinos & cafes, baguettes and cheese, etc. We both polished off our coffee (well I had hot chocolate) and our food (a croque madame for Martha and a ham & cheese omelet for me), then made our way across the street to Saint Chapelle.
The entire trip I'd been hearing about how Martha wanted to re-visit Notre Dame. I myself wanted to visit Saint Chapelle which I didn't know much about but had heard that it was one of 'THE' things to see in Paris. With the rain starting to come down and the line into Saint Chapelle getting longer and longer our hope of seeing both before closing time was quickly diminishing. I tried to tell Martha that she should "Go." "See." Notre Dame again. As I pointed out after about twenty minutes of waiting, "I'll probably still be in this line when you get back." Martha was adamant that she would stay with me which I was secretly nervous about. I really didn't want to ruin her one day in Paris by forcing her to see something she had no interest in seeing. She assured me, as if reading my mind, that she was up for seeing something new in Paris. It took over an hour, but when we made it inside I decided the wait in the light rain had been worth it. The base chapel was really orate and pretty. Then we climbed the narrow, stone spiral staircase up to the upper chapel, and my breath was taken away by the sight that greeted our eyes. Surrounding us were the most beautiful stain glass windows I've ever seen rising almost from floor to ceiling, throwing sparkling color around the inside like a jewel box. Just as we'd done in the Sistine Chapel, Martha and I sat in chairs to the side just staring up at all the tiny scenes played out in glass. It was one of the most beautiful things I've seen in Paris apart from Sacre Coeur and the Eiffel Tower.
Almost too soon, but really quite some time later, we made our way across the Ile de la Cite toward Notre Dame. To our surprise, when we entered the church, there was a mass happening. In the very last row we seated ourselves. There was a choir singing so beautifully, the sound carried around the big cathedral in a way that you felt it while you heard it. I never wanted it to stop.This was a Notre Dame I hadn't seen before. The first time I'd visited I remember it being dark and stark and, although impressive, almost unwelcome. This though, this huge space vaulting higher and higher with shining chandeliers and lovely music...this was moving. This was Notre Dame in her glory. I'm really happy that we got to visit when we did, because truthfully I wasn't all that interested in visiting again after my first time. After the mass was over a most curious but wonderful thing happened...
We had neglected finding the address to La Cure Gourmand (the chocolate and pastry shop we found in Carcassonne) in Paris. We were leaving the next morning. I was sure that we wouldn't happen across it in such a big city and, even if we did, it would be closed for the evening.
...As we were sitting in Notre Dame (we had moved closer after the mass) a man waked right in front of us with a medium sized La Cure Gourmand bag. Immediately my hope flared up as I quickly beckoned him and asked where he'd found the shop. "It's quite near here. A 5 minute walk maybe. Let me get my wife, she'll know which street it was on." He beckoned his wife, who then needed to beckon a friend who knew, but within 5 minutes Martha and I were on our way to the shop, crossing our fingers that it wasn't closed.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Eurotrip 2011 (Rome prt 5)
Our last meal in Rome was famous, really. The pizzeria we’d chosen from my guide book (Da Baffetto), which looked dodgy to me, was a pizza hotspot, and a line had formed around the corner before it opened. Once inside – I’m glad we got inline before it opened because the line got really long- we were seated in front of the brick oven and the pizza making station. My eyes were mesmerized by the ease with which they spun the little pats of dough into perfectly even circles, then layering the top with copious ingredients, and finally tossing them deep into the oven. I saw no measurements, no timers, no mechanical devices of any kind, and yet every pizza came out perfectly done and perfectly portioned. For the second time on the trip, we finished entire pizzas by ourselves. The red house wine was perfect with our yummy food too! At the end of our meal, while Martha escaped to the restroom, our waiter taught me how to say pizza makers or pizza champions or pizza experts ----actually I’m not sure what he taught me since he spoke no English. He simply pointed to the two cooks, said a phrase and pointed to me. I repeated the phrase a few times and, when I got it right, he stopped another waiter to hear his new student’s progress. I was congratulated by both waiters and smiled at by the two cooks, so I guess whatever I learned was a compliment. Two little postcards were the memento gifties given to us by the owner as we left. It was a good, good meal indeed.
Perfectly located next to the pizzeria was a gelato shop. We’d traditionally been given the option of whipped crème on top of our gelato whenever we bought it. This time, we were given the option of having it dipped in chocolate. Of course we chose to have ‘dipped gelato’ which turned out to be SO yummy. I think that Old Bridge near the Vatican gave us more for our euros, but this place offered the chocolate dip – if I visit Rome again I hope to grab gelato from both again, lots and lots of gelato.
We certainly didn’t have to walk all the way across the city back to our hostel, but we were headed to the Trevi fountain anyway so it wasn’t too long of a walk in the end. Incidentally the midway point, the Trevi fountain, provided us with great last memories of Rome. We ended up meeting a super cute couple from Houston and three girls from the US on Spring Break from their study abroad program in Belgium. Right off the bat we were all old friends, and spent a good while sitting at the fountain drinking wine (graciously provided by the sweet young couple). Little stories were traded back and forth, antics were had, photos were taken, hugs and names were traded, but finally Martha and I needed to get to bed for our early morning. The little American group at the Trevi fountain broke back up into parts, Martha and I headed east toward the hostel. The walk took a while and included the mistake of climbing the Spanish Stairs only to find we needed to descend them again straight away to get to the right road. Then we were back at the hostel and packing for the next morning. Rome was over but it had been great! Granted, I left with a limp and a cold, but Rome had been good to me otherwise. I can’t wait to go back again someday. I have faith that I will because Martha and I threw coins into the Trevi fountain and wished it so!
Perfectly located next to the pizzeria was a gelato shop. We’d traditionally been given the option of whipped crème on top of our gelato whenever we bought it. This time, we were given the option of having it dipped in chocolate. Of course we chose to have ‘dipped gelato’ which turned out to be SO yummy. I think that Old Bridge near the Vatican gave us more for our euros, but this place offered the chocolate dip – if I visit Rome again I hope to grab gelato from both again, lots and lots of gelato.
We certainly didn’t have to walk all the way across the city back to our hostel, but we were headed to the Trevi fountain anyway so it wasn’t too long of a walk in the end. Incidentally the midway point, the Trevi fountain, provided us with great last memories of Rome. We ended up meeting a super cute couple from Houston and three girls from the US on Spring Break from their study abroad program in Belgium. Right off the bat we were all old friends, and spent a good while sitting at the fountain drinking wine (graciously provided by the sweet young couple). Little stories were traded back and forth, antics were had, photos were taken, hugs and names were traded, but finally Martha and I needed to get to bed for our early morning. The little American group at the Trevi fountain broke back up into parts, Martha and I headed east toward the hostel. The walk took a while and included the mistake of climbing the Spanish Stairs only to find we needed to descend them again straight away to get to the right road. Then we were back at the hostel and packing for the next morning. Rome was over but it had been great! Granted, I left with a limp and a cold, but Rome had been good to me otherwise. I can’t wait to go back again someday. I have faith that I will because Martha and I threw coins into the Trevi fountain and wished it so!
Eurotrip 2011 (Rome prt 4)
The third and final day in Rome was both more relaxing and more frustrating than the first two days. It was more relaxing because it was just a day of sightseeing by foot, but it was more frustrating because, at the end of the day, we ran off of free, close-by things to see. I don’t think you could ever run out of things to see in Rome, the tricky, limiting part was not spending any money.
We began at the Piazza della Republica and admired the fountain there. The fountain was surrounded by a traffic circle which lessened its appeal greatly. From there we walked west to the Piazza Barberini. Another pretty fountain greeted us in the shadow of some pretty buildings. We then hiked northwest to the Piazza Trinita dei Monti which is the spot of the white cathedral at the top of the Spanish Steps. Although the obelisk and cathedral were pretty enough, I was more entertained by the spectacular view and by the dozen artists selling paintings of all sizes.
When Ross had finished European Studies he’d brought me a little watercolor of the Pantheon. I really wanted watercolors of some of the other well- known Roman monuments. As Martha explored the church I stayed below examining all the watercolors in hopes of finding the perfect one. My final purchase was a matte of three watercolors depicting the forum, St. Peter’s Square, and the Trevi fountain. It was the perfect combination to sum up the three days in Rome. I’d been telling Martha of the watercolors before we ever got to Rome, so naturally when she saw how pretty my new one was, she was inclined to purchase one too. I really liked the one she purchased! We were both more than happy to tote our art around for the rest of the day and night.
Down the Spanish Steps, with a brief stop by the fountain at the bottom for a few touristy photos of course, then we were on our way to the Trevi fountain. Martha really wanted to see it at night, which was fine with me, but I also wanted to see it in daylight for the comparison. It was so beautiful: a huge wall of sculpture that meets with a large basin of water. It wasn’t quite time for lunch, but it was always time for gelato. Since we were about to sit and contemplate the greatness of the fountain, gelato seemed appropriate. It became trip tradition to stick to our 2 euro price. It was surreal to be sitting at the Trevi fountain eating gelato. Even though we were in Rome, and had been for two days, we still couldn’t help from turning to each other and saying, “We’re in Rome!!!” as if we’d just stepped off the plane.
Of the things we did in Rome I think that the colosseum was my favorite with St. Peter’s in second place and the Trevi fountain in third place.
Walking along the streets, Martha and I ducked into various souvenir shops. I came away with some Murano glass earrings in the shape of tiny rectangles. I already own probably too much green and blue jewelry but that’s the color combo I bought.
Next, after passing the Piazza Colonna and standing in the shadow of the huge sculpted column there, we admired the Pantheon from the outside as we passed it looking for our lunch spot. I think the meal had at Armando Al Pantheon was Martha’s favorite. It was definitely a highlight of the trip that we even ate there at all, considering we got there before it opened and snagged the last table for 2. Apparently the entire lunch crowd had reservations. The interior was very rustic, more like a grandmother’s kitchen with old and new all mismatched together into a perfectly cozy harmony. While I decided on bruschetta roma (bread with oil, tomatoes, salt, and pepper), Martha delightfully munched her artichoke and fresh mozzarella. Afterward we both enjoyed ravioli with mushrooms and white crème sauce. The meal was sheer perfection – the other sit down meals we had in Italy were fantastic but this lunch rose above the rest.
From lunch, we grabbed more gelato (yes gelato both before AND after lunch – which explains the pounds I gained on the trip), seated ourselves at the Pantheon, and took a moment. Inside the Pantheon, which was pretty and structurally impressive, I tried and tried to take really good photos of the dome and the hole in the center of the dome. Martha and I found Raphael’s burial tomb before heading out the door and toward more sights.
We stopped in the Piazza Navona, admiring the three famous fountains there, and the street artists (and the odd political rally winding down). We walked over the Ponte S. Angelo (Angel bridge) taking in the river winding below us and the beautiful cityscapes to either horizon. We walked up to the Piazza Borghese where I thought the Borghese Gallery would be, but it was not. Thus, we strolled down the Via del Corso and then spent some minutes sitting in the Piazza del Popolo trying to figure out our next move. It was still a little bit too early for dinner, and my right knee and ankle were really hurting by now, which made me less inclined to budge. However, Martha suggested catching sunset near the Angel bridge and the Vatican, then walking leisurely toward dinner. That would be the end of our sight seeing for the last day in Rome.
We began at the Piazza della Republica and admired the fountain there. The fountain was surrounded by a traffic circle which lessened its appeal greatly. From there we walked west to the Piazza Barberini. Another pretty fountain greeted us in the shadow of some pretty buildings. We then hiked northwest to the Piazza Trinita dei Monti which is the spot of the white cathedral at the top of the Spanish Steps. Although the obelisk and cathedral were pretty enough, I was more entertained by the spectacular view and by the dozen artists selling paintings of all sizes.
When Ross had finished European Studies he’d brought me a little watercolor of the Pantheon. I really wanted watercolors of some of the other well- known Roman monuments. As Martha explored the church I stayed below examining all the watercolors in hopes of finding the perfect one. My final purchase was a matte of three watercolors depicting the forum, St. Peter’s Square, and the Trevi fountain. It was the perfect combination to sum up the three days in Rome. I’d been telling Martha of the watercolors before we ever got to Rome, so naturally when she saw how pretty my new one was, she was inclined to purchase one too. I really liked the one she purchased! We were both more than happy to tote our art around for the rest of the day and night.
Down the Spanish Steps, with a brief stop by the fountain at the bottom for a few touristy photos of course, then we were on our way to the Trevi fountain. Martha really wanted to see it at night, which was fine with me, but I also wanted to see it in daylight for the comparison. It was so beautiful: a huge wall of sculpture that meets with a large basin of water. It wasn’t quite time for lunch, but it was always time for gelato. Since we were about to sit and contemplate the greatness of the fountain, gelato seemed appropriate. It became trip tradition to stick to our 2 euro price. It was surreal to be sitting at the Trevi fountain eating gelato. Even though we were in Rome, and had been for two days, we still couldn’t help from turning to each other and saying, “We’re in Rome!!!” as if we’d just stepped off the plane.
Of the things we did in Rome I think that the colosseum was my favorite with St. Peter’s in second place and the Trevi fountain in third place.
Walking along the streets, Martha and I ducked into various souvenir shops. I came away with some Murano glass earrings in the shape of tiny rectangles. I already own probably too much green and blue jewelry but that’s the color combo I bought.
Next, after passing the Piazza Colonna and standing in the shadow of the huge sculpted column there, we admired the Pantheon from the outside as we passed it looking for our lunch spot. I think the meal had at Armando Al Pantheon was Martha’s favorite. It was definitely a highlight of the trip that we even ate there at all, considering we got there before it opened and snagged the last table for 2. Apparently the entire lunch crowd had reservations. The interior was very rustic, more like a grandmother’s kitchen with old and new all mismatched together into a perfectly cozy harmony. While I decided on bruschetta roma (bread with oil, tomatoes, salt, and pepper), Martha delightfully munched her artichoke and fresh mozzarella. Afterward we both enjoyed ravioli with mushrooms and white crème sauce. The meal was sheer perfection – the other sit down meals we had in Italy were fantastic but this lunch rose above the rest.
From lunch, we grabbed more gelato (yes gelato both before AND after lunch – which explains the pounds I gained on the trip), seated ourselves at the Pantheon, and took a moment. Inside the Pantheon, which was pretty and structurally impressive, I tried and tried to take really good photos of the dome and the hole in the center of the dome. Martha and I found Raphael’s burial tomb before heading out the door and toward more sights.
We stopped in the Piazza Navona, admiring the three famous fountains there, and the street artists (and the odd political rally winding down). We walked over the Ponte S. Angelo (Angel bridge) taking in the river winding below us and the beautiful cityscapes to either horizon. We walked up to the Piazza Borghese where I thought the Borghese Gallery would be, but it was not. Thus, we strolled down the Via del Corso and then spent some minutes sitting in the Piazza del Popolo trying to figure out our next move. It was still a little bit too early for dinner, and my right knee and ankle were really hurting by now, which made me less inclined to budge. However, Martha suggested catching sunset near the Angel bridge and the Vatican, then walking leisurely toward dinner. That would be the end of our sight seeing for the last day in Rome.
Eurotrip 2011 (Rome prt 3)
“It’s so surreal!”
That phrase seemed to be the motto for the second day in Rome.
Standing in the Colosseum, the place that we’d heard about for our entire lives and especially through Humanities at Sewanee, imagining the seats lined with thousands of Roman citizens, we simply couldn’t believe that we were IN THE COLOSSEUM!!!
I’m really glad that we chose the half-hour guided tour and combination ticket to the Forum. The coolest part, to me, about the tour was being taken onto a platform hanging out over the ‘underground’ portion of the colosseum. In ancient times we would have been standing on the ground of the colosseum, over the tunnels where the animals were kept. Thanks to the wooden platform we could look down into the tunnels as well as up into the stands, thus really getting a feel for what it would have been like as a gladiator. We could have spent much more time just admiring the views of Rome through the arches. We could have sat baking in the Roman sunshine or making our way around and around and around again. Unfortunately, we allowed ourselves a little over an hour and then dragged ourselves to the exit at a very leisurely pace.
Outside the colosseum, I just HAD to get pictures with the gladiators. I knew they’d charge for them (I’m bad at bargaining, and ended up paying more than I liked). I was also a bit disappointed that they weren’t fiercer and didn’t look menacing in our photos. All in all though I really like the pictures - with the triumphal arch in the background there’s no doubt I am in Rome, being uber-touristy at the colosseum.
We’re not going to discuss the pizza bread type lunch from a snack stand outside the colosseum – all there is to say is that it’s better to starve…
The Forum was not as I imagined it. I imagined something more like the Acropolis in Greece and what I got was a hike on a plateau and a whole lot of ruins. Not that it wasn’t impressive, because it was, but the concept in my head was more ambitious that the actual result. I think if I go back to Rome I will look up some of the history of the Roman Palatin (the plateau/hill on which the forum sits) so that I can better appreciate the various temples and houses we came across. Interestingly, Rome has orange trees and palm trees, which surprised Martha and I. The two types of trees in particular made the palatin and forum more oasis-like. Adding to atmosphere was the sound of multiple little fountains dotted about. We were happy to be able to fill up our nalgenes regularly. I feel like I’m not doing justice to the historic site – it was a fantastic couple of hours we spent exploring the ruins, truly!
From there we caught a bus to the Callisto catacombs. Just like France, apparently Italy holds the idea that bus times are a suggestion and not a strict guideline – I think we waited almost 45 minutes for the bus. Touring the catacombs was interesting although half the time I couldn’t understand our guide who seemed to be talking at 90 mph. Maybe I was just fatigued from the full morning. I would like to do other catacombs if I get back to Rome, and walk to Appian Way as well. When our bus was driving down the Appian Way, the oldest remaining road in Rome, the walls on either side of the road were within a foot on either side of our bus. The driver amazed me with his skill in not hitting bikers, walkers, and somehow managing not to rub the bus against the walls.
By then, just like the day before, it was too early for dinner, but Martha and I were hungry. So, we picked a gelato place around the Capitol near the Forum and headed there as night fell. We’d already stopped by the Colosseum once more on my behalf since I desperately wanted sunset pictures of the huge, arched, monument. The gelato was found and enjoyed as we slowly picked our way through the streets toward our dinner place.
Dinner was yummy: a meat platter, a cheese board, some bread and wine. What the food lacked in portion the restaurant made up for in atmosphere. The Montecarlo was a nice little restaurant with wooden booths and dark wooden beams throughout. The walls were adorned with photography and paintings (all for sale at outrageous prices). The thing that fascinated my easily entertained self was the wine storage. The wines weren’t stored in a cave or some cabinet; no, they were perched on the tops of the wooden beams throughout the room! After we ordered our bottle for dinner, the waitress reached up with a hooked stick, grabbed a bottle from the top of the beam and brought it down for us. Besides the beams (which made me feel a bit like I was in a forest) being decorative, they also served a purpose. After a simple, very simple as you can see, Italian dinner, it was back to the hostel for bed.
That phrase seemed to be the motto for the second day in Rome.
Standing in the Colosseum, the place that we’d heard about for our entire lives and especially through Humanities at Sewanee, imagining the seats lined with thousands of Roman citizens, we simply couldn’t believe that we were IN THE COLOSSEUM!!!
I’m really glad that we chose the half-hour guided tour and combination ticket to the Forum. The coolest part, to me, about the tour was being taken onto a platform hanging out over the ‘underground’ portion of the colosseum. In ancient times we would have been standing on the ground of the colosseum, over the tunnels where the animals were kept. Thanks to the wooden platform we could look down into the tunnels as well as up into the stands, thus really getting a feel for what it would have been like as a gladiator. We could have spent much more time just admiring the views of Rome through the arches. We could have sat baking in the Roman sunshine or making our way around and around and around again. Unfortunately, we allowed ourselves a little over an hour and then dragged ourselves to the exit at a very leisurely pace.
Outside the colosseum, I just HAD to get pictures with the gladiators. I knew they’d charge for them (I’m bad at bargaining, and ended up paying more than I liked). I was also a bit disappointed that they weren’t fiercer and didn’t look menacing in our photos. All in all though I really like the pictures - with the triumphal arch in the background there’s no doubt I am in Rome, being uber-touristy at the colosseum.
We’re not going to discuss the pizza bread type lunch from a snack stand outside the colosseum – all there is to say is that it’s better to starve…
The Forum was not as I imagined it. I imagined something more like the Acropolis in Greece and what I got was a hike on a plateau and a whole lot of ruins. Not that it wasn’t impressive, because it was, but the concept in my head was more ambitious that the actual result. I think if I go back to Rome I will look up some of the history of the Roman Palatin (the plateau/hill on which the forum sits) so that I can better appreciate the various temples and houses we came across. Interestingly, Rome has orange trees and palm trees, which surprised Martha and I. The two types of trees in particular made the palatin and forum more oasis-like. Adding to atmosphere was the sound of multiple little fountains dotted about. We were happy to be able to fill up our nalgenes regularly. I feel like I’m not doing justice to the historic site – it was a fantastic couple of hours we spent exploring the ruins, truly!
From there we caught a bus to the Callisto catacombs. Just like France, apparently Italy holds the idea that bus times are a suggestion and not a strict guideline – I think we waited almost 45 minutes for the bus. Touring the catacombs was interesting although half the time I couldn’t understand our guide who seemed to be talking at 90 mph. Maybe I was just fatigued from the full morning. I would like to do other catacombs if I get back to Rome, and walk to Appian Way as well. When our bus was driving down the Appian Way, the oldest remaining road in Rome, the walls on either side of the road were within a foot on either side of our bus. The driver amazed me with his skill in not hitting bikers, walkers, and somehow managing not to rub the bus against the walls.
By then, just like the day before, it was too early for dinner, but Martha and I were hungry. So, we picked a gelato place around the Capitol near the Forum and headed there as night fell. We’d already stopped by the Colosseum once more on my behalf since I desperately wanted sunset pictures of the huge, arched, monument. The gelato was found and enjoyed as we slowly picked our way through the streets toward our dinner place.
Dinner was yummy: a meat platter, a cheese board, some bread and wine. What the food lacked in portion the restaurant made up for in atmosphere. The Montecarlo was a nice little restaurant with wooden booths and dark wooden beams throughout. The walls were adorned with photography and paintings (all for sale at outrageous prices). The thing that fascinated my easily entertained self was the wine storage. The wines weren’t stored in a cave or some cabinet; no, they were perched on the tops of the wooden beams throughout the room! After we ordered our bottle for dinner, the waitress reached up with a hooked stick, grabbed a bottle from the top of the beam and brought it down for us. Besides the beams (which made me feel a bit like I was in a forest) being decorative, they also served a purpose. After a simple, very simple as you can see, Italian dinner, it was back to the hostel for bed.
Eurotrip 2011 (Rome prt 2)
"It's not as big as I imagined."
"Tamra, we're not even IN the Vatican yet."
"Yes we are...we walked through the stone pillars. St. Peter's Square IS in the Vatican."
"Okay, but we're just BARELY in the Vatican. It will be big, there's a whole lot more to it, you'll see..."
--Then, just as we are about to mount the stairs into St. Peter's Basilica... --
"It IS big !!!"
Our first day in Rome was spent exploring St. Peter's Basilica, hanging out in St. Peter's Square, and roaming through the Vatican Museums.
St. Peter's Basilica is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! I thought Sacre Coeur had that top honor. I've seen the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. I've been inside gorgeous and ancient cathedrals in quite a few top cities in the world. But, St. Peter's...... it's indescribably, takes your breath away, magnificent. We strolled around the inside taking pictures and taking moments to just gaze at the beauty. (We learned the next day that a lot of the material used for St. Peter's came from the Colosseum and from the Forum. I can only imagine, knowing how great the basilica is, how fantastically gorgeous those places must have been in their prime.) I wish I could detail all the wonderful things we saw, all the decorations and statues, but it would take forever. It will have to do for me to say that I could easily visit Rome again and spend yet another day just sitting inside, soaking up the atmosphere.
The Vatican Museums are everything you've ever heard. Miles and miles and rooms and rooms of famous works of art. I snapped a few pictures of the ones I knew, but all I really cared about seeing, were the grand spiral staircase and the Sistine Chapel. We meandered through the museums, overwhelming our eyes with splendor. Thank goodness we shared an audio headset to guide us through and tell us what we were looking at; without it we would have been helpless. I really love museums, but there's so much art that I do not know that it's hard to appreciate it all. I feel like my eyes don't know where to look sometimes. The audio guide map showed a short cut to the Sistine Chapel (apparently we missed out on the Raphael rooms -oops!). The Sistine Chapel looks so big in pictures. Really it's smaller than All Saints' in Sewanee. Yet, it is really impressive in its' coziness. We must have spent an hour just sitting on a bench to the side staring around at the walls with our heads pressed together listening to the history behind the chapel. Guards were stationed in the room, lots of them, and they repeatedly kept shushing the crowd back into awed whispers. Although it was clearly posted, the guards had to remind people over and over not to take pictures. It was only on the other side of a wooden barrier on the far end of the room that cameras were out. I snapped two photos and then we left... After some more rooms we finally came to the exit. I took the opportunity to send a fancy postcard complete with fancy stamp. Then we walked down the famous double helix spiral staircase to exit the museum.
Even writing about it all reminds me of how tired we were by the end of the museum visit, and it was only the afternoon by then! So, what does one do when one is tired and it's not time for dinner? Well one gets gelato of course! We found the greatest little gelato place (Old Bridge) walking back down toward St. Peter's Square where they loaded our little cones to overflowing with yummy gelato for only 2 euros. We spent the time until Ash Wednesday mass enjoying our sweet treat seated beside one of the fountains in the square and reveling in the warm sunshine.
The Ash Wednesday mass in St. Peter's basilica was really nice. Even though I had no idea what they were saying it was still important and solemn and understood that it was a very important worship ceremony. The ceremony wasn't any prettier or grander than similar ones I've attended in Sewanee, but being the basilica did lend the experience a certain something special. I am quite aware that I am not Catholic, and I don't care what people think, I was SO excited to worship in the basilica and to have ashes put on my head! Just because I am a Protestant, that doesn't impede me finding meaning in such a ceremony. In fact, I quite liked celebrating Ash Wednesday. As we exited St. Peter's after mass, we were greeted by a pretty sunset to end our day at the Vatican.
For dinner we found our way to a place in the area called La Abruzzese. The waitress and matron of the establishment spoke no English, but she and I managed pretty well with my mix of broken Italian and French. Martha and I were served a wonderful meal of pizza with wine and water to drink. Both of us had no problem finishing the pizzas that were larger than our heads. Nor did we have trouble finishing the bottle of wine and the one of water. Full tummies and tired feet were what we had when we arrived back at the hostel to climb into our beds for sleep. The first long day in Rome had been lovely!
"Tamra, we're not even IN the Vatican yet."
"Yes we are...we walked through the stone pillars. St. Peter's Square IS in the Vatican."
"Okay, but we're just BARELY in the Vatican. It will be big, there's a whole lot more to it, you'll see..."
--Then, just as we are about to mount the stairs into St. Peter's Basilica... --
"It IS big !!!"
Our first day in Rome was spent exploring St. Peter's Basilica, hanging out in St. Peter's Square, and roaming through the Vatican Museums.
St. Peter's Basilica is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! I thought Sacre Coeur had that top honor. I've seen the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. I've been inside gorgeous and ancient cathedrals in quite a few top cities in the world. But, St. Peter's...... it's indescribably, takes your breath away, magnificent. We strolled around the inside taking pictures and taking moments to just gaze at the beauty. (We learned the next day that a lot of the material used for St. Peter's came from the Colosseum and from the Forum. I can only imagine, knowing how great the basilica is, how fantastically gorgeous those places must have been in their prime.) I wish I could detail all the wonderful things we saw, all the decorations and statues, but it would take forever. It will have to do for me to say that I could easily visit Rome again and spend yet another day just sitting inside, soaking up the atmosphere.
The Vatican Museums are everything you've ever heard. Miles and miles and rooms and rooms of famous works of art. I snapped a few pictures of the ones I knew, but all I really cared about seeing, were the grand spiral staircase and the Sistine Chapel. We meandered through the museums, overwhelming our eyes with splendor. Thank goodness we shared an audio headset to guide us through and tell us what we were looking at; without it we would have been helpless. I really love museums, but there's so much art that I do not know that it's hard to appreciate it all. I feel like my eyes don't know where to look sometimes. The audio guide map showed a short cut to the Sistine Chapel (apparently we missed out on the Raphael rooms -oops!). The Sistine Chapel looks so big in pictures. Really it's smaller than All Saints' in Sewanee. Yet, it is really impressive in its' coziness. We must have spent an hour just sitting on a bench to the side staring around at the walls with our heads pressed together listening to the history behind the chapel. Guards were stationed in the room, lots of them, and they repeatedly kept shushing the crowd back into awed whispers. Although it was clearly posted, the guards had to remind people over and over not to take pictures. It was only on the other side of a wooden barrier on the far end of the room that cameras were out. I snapped two photos and then we left... After some more rooms we finally came to the exit. I took the opportunity to send a fancy postcard complete with fancy stamp. Then we walked down the famous double helix spiral staircase to exit the museum.
Even writing about it all reminds me of how tired we were by the end of the museum visit, and it was only the afternoon by then! So, what does one do when one is tired and it's not time for dinner? Well one gets gelato of course! We found the greatest little gelato place (Old Bridge) walking back down toward St. Peter's Square where they loaded our little cones to overflowing with yummy gelato for only 2 euros. We spent the time until Ash Wednesday mass enjoying our sweet treat seated beside one of the fountains in the square and reveling in the warm sunshine.
The Ash Wednesday mass in St. Peter's basilica was really nice. Even though I had no idea what they were saying it was still important and solemn and understood that it was a very important worship ceremony. The ceremony wasn't any prettier or grander than similar ones I've attended in Sewanee, but being the basilica did lend the experience a certain something special. I am quite aware that I am not Catholic, and I don't care what people think, I was SO excited to worship in the basilica and to have ashes put on my head! Just because I am a Protestant, that doesn't impede me finding meaning in such a ceremony. In fact, I quite liked celebrating Ash Wednesday. As we exited St. Peter's after mass, we were greeted by a pretty sunset to end our day at the Vatican.
For dinner we found our way to a place in the area called La Abruzzese. The waitress and matron of the establishment spoke no English, but she and I managed pretty well with my mix of broken Italian and French. Martha and I were served a wonderful meal of pizza with wine and water to drink. Both of us had no problem finishing the pizzas that were larger than our heads. Nor did we have trouble finishing the bottle of wine and the one of water. Full tummies and tired feet were what we had when we arrived back at the hostel to climb into our beds for sleep. The first long day in Rome had been lovely!
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