Ciao everyone, I hope all is well with you and that Sunday comes just as it should. Today it is nice once again, and by nice I mean incredibly pleasant out. I just took a walk to get some groceries for the next few days and I walked out the front door to sunshine, which isn't always a welcomed thing with the heat, but in the hottest part of the day, it was only 68 out and perfectly comfortable and dry.
I love it when fall arrives and you can feel the cool, brisk air and having it just feel so peaceful, you can feel the seasons change here and it's really refreshing after spending the past two falls in San Diego where seasons are a figment of your imagination (not that I'm complaining, just saying).
Anyway, my yesterday after blogging wasn't that exciting, I just kind of took it easy, worked on my puzzle for a while, watched a little TV and read some news online. It's really cool with the internet, I can watch all of my ESPN and CNN online, and I can read the OregonLive reports for Portland stuff; it's all really nice. This, however, requires one thing: internet, which I am blessed to have.
My computer, on the other hand, decided recently that it was not going to be my friend and instead was going to take away my internet by automatically shutting off its wireless adapter and refusing to allow me to get back on. Long story short, I thought I fixed it two days ago and I apparently did not, since last night it went away for good, like completely screwed. After 2 hours of tinkering and reinstalling and removing and just about everything I could do, I managed to get online for 5 minutes before it crapped out again. So, I repeated my steps and found a driver for my exact problem, got 5% away from having it all downloaded, and AGAIN it went away. But the 3rd time's a charm, and I got it and it's completely resolved. Thanks for making my life more difficult than it need to be Intel Wireless 3945abg card, but I got it back and so now I have my life back internet-wise.
Anyway, to celebrate, Bert and I went to go get a beer from a local bar, and when we got there, they asked if we wanted a little one or a big one. Now, I saw the little one and it was like a glass, and I was like, well, it's a Saturday and I'm celebrating my victory over Intel, hell, make it a big one, thinking it'd be like 24 ounces.
But no, oh no. We went and sat down outside and he brought us two 1.25 liter beers, which came in these HUGE glasses that were filled to the brim with Guinness. For those of you out there who are bad at conversions, that's like 4 bottles of beer, and Guinness no less. But we'd ordered it, and so over the next half hour we just joked about the mammoth beers and how suddenly it wasn't all that cold out anymore. It was delicious and a fitting celebration, but it was also 16 euro. Wait, what? The small was 4 euro, so we figured the large would be like 10, but 16? Well, it's cheaper than a new computer or wireless card, right?
But yes, I have just lounged today to finish my puzzle (yeah, I know, 1000 pieces gets me two days, I'm a nerd) and went to the store. Now, stores over here are open til 2 on Sundays if they're open at all; most are not. So I went and I was loading up my cart with groceries, and two rolled around, and instead of letting us trickle out of the store, they closed everything down and wouldn't even let us buy what we had in our carts, we had to put it all back and hurriedly and get rushed out of the store.
Lame, right? I mean, I couldn't even buy what I had in my cart and support your store? Silly if you ask me.
But yes, I am just back for the day and prepping to have class at 8:30 tomorrow morning; it's going to be a busy day here tomorrow with my 3 classes and not being out until 6:30, but I'll report back with results tomorrow. Until then, have a nice rest of your weekend, and until next time,
Ciao.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
And the life marches on
Ciao everyone.
Today is a very nice today. Yesterday, however, was rainy and nasty and as the Italians say "fa brutto," or it's ugly.
But I disagree it was beautiful.
I really enjoyed the break from the muggy, hot, sweaty weather to be honest. I wouldn't mind if the next week was all like that, but it's not going to be. It is, however, going to be only 70 or so for the coming days with a chance of precipitation, which I couldn't be more excited about. I can wear all of my clothes now, not just t-shirts, and they last soooooo much longer this way. I hate doing laundry, so more clothes and less sweaty-ness = less laundry, which is A+.
But yes, yesterday I just got up on my own accord, blogged my big post, and just watched it rain outside for a while. In the 15 minutes after I posted that blog, my view count went to 150 people, and apparently all of India read my blog since there was a huge explosion of views from New Dehli and Calcutta. It's funny, if you go up and push the "next blog" link in the upper corner, you can see blogs that were published chronologically on Blogger, and since I published it at 1am America time, it was perfect reading time in India, apparently.
Who knew?
But it stayed nasty all day yesterday, and Bert and I ventured out around 2:30 into the rainy madness and just took it all in. In seemingly a day, everyone switched to long sleeves and jackets, boots and long pants, and everything looked different, like they'd all been preparing for this inevitability for a while now, which they probably have been. They say Summer has broken, and it's now time for Fall, and I don't doubt it.
We went into a couple toy and book stores, looking at the English stock and trying to find something to read for such a rainy day, and we came across a few books, but they weren't really what I was looking for, and I saw a bunch of puzzles, but they were so outrageously expensive (see 30+ euro for some, like 45 bucks) so I had to abstain. Then we remembered they had some puzzles for relatively cheap at the Vatican, so we went there and I paid the Catholic Church 14 Euro for a panoramic puzzle of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which is both very difficult and very entertaining.
It's going to look awesome when it's done. I've got it over a third of the way done just working on it in-and-out, but that was the perfect rainy day activity; I just worked away and enjoyed it all wet and smelling fresh, just like home. Kirsten and I also booked our trip to Munich for her birthday and I must say, this is going to be a hell of a stay over here. In 10 days of time, I'll see Cairo, Athens again, London, Munich, and Rome. WOOHOO! Break two is going to be awesome, I can't wait for November now! But after that excitement, I stayed in until last night and just went to bed early and slept in today, but it's much nicer out today.
Today I went to 5 different grocery stores looking at their prices on a variety of things, just seeing where was the cheapest to get certain things and the best value for others. Very worthwhile venture. Tomorrow my break ends and Monday I've got class, so gotta get ready for that excitement I suppose. I am really pretty excited for this to get underway and see it all, it's going to be great, no doubt. I mean, I get to see all of Rome for one class, learn about Roman Culture, and study Science vs. Religion and Politics in Italy. Am I excited? You bet.
And that's about it. Everyone gets back tonight / tomorrow, so that'll be nice to have some more company, and we're thinking about Venice / Cinque Terre on Friday, so I'll let you all know obviously about that, but until next time, as always,
Ciao.
Today is a very nice today. Yesterday, however, was rainy and nasty and as the Italians say "fa brutto," or it's ugly.
But I disagree it was beautiful.
I really enjoyed the break from the muggy, hot, sweaty weather to be honest. I wouldn't mind if the next week was all like that, but it's not going to be. It is, however, going to be only 70 or so for the coming days with a chance of precipitation, which I couldn't be more excited about. I can wear all of my clothes now, not just t-shirts, and they last soooooo much longer this way. I hate doing laundry, so more clothes and less sweaty-ness = less laundry, which is A+.
But yes, yesterday I just got up on my own accord, blogged my big post, and just watched it rain outside for a while. In the 15 minutes after I posted that blog, my view count went to 150 people, and apparently all of India read my blog since there was a huge explosion of views from New Dehli and Calcutta. It's funny, if you go up and push the "next blog" link in the upper corner, you can see blogs that were published chronologically on Blogger, and since I published it at 1am America time, it was perfect reading time in India, apparently.
Who knew?
But it stayed nasty all day yesterday, and Bert and I ventured out around 2:30 into the rainy madness and just took it all in. In seemingly a day, everyone switched to long sleeves and jackets, boots and long pants, and everything looked different, like they'd all been preparing for this inevitability for a while now, which they probably have been. They say Summer has broken, and it's now time for Fall, and I don't doubt it.
We went into a couple toy and book stores, looking at the English stock and trying to find something to read for such a rainy day, and we came across a few books, but they weren't really what I was looking for, and I saw a bunch of puzzles, but they were so outrageously expensive (see 30+ euro for some, like 45 bucks) so I had to abstain. Then we remembered they had some puzzles for relatively cheap at the Vatican, so we went there and I paid the Catholic Church 14 Euro for a panoramic puzzle of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which is both very difficult and very entertaining.
It's going to look awesome when it's done. I've got it over a third of the way done just working on it in-and-out, but that was the perfect rainy day activity; I just worked away and enjoyed it all wet and smelling fresh, just like home. Kirsten and I also booked our trip to Munich for her birthday and I must say, this is going to be a hell of a stay over here. In 10 days of time, I'll see Cairo, Athens again, London, Munich, and Rome. WOOHOO! Break two is going to be awesome, I can't wait for November now! But after that excitement, I stayed in until last night and just went to bed early and slept in today, but it's much nicer out today.
Today I went to 5 different grocery stores looking at their prices on a variety of things, just seeing where was the cheapest to get certain things and the best value for others. Very worthwhile venture. Tomorrow my break ends and Monday I've got class, so gotta get ready for that excitement I suppose. I am really pretty excited for this to get underway and see it all, it's going to be great, no doubt. I mean, I get to see all of Rome for one class, learn about Roman Culture, and study Science vs. Religion and Politics in Italy. Am I excited? You bet.
And that's about it. Everyone gets back tonight / tomorrow, so that'll be nice to have some more company, and we're thinking about Venice / Cinque Terre on Friday, so I'll let you all know obviously about that, but until next time, as always,
Ciao.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Firenze
So yesterday I really started to get a taste of Italy outside of Rome for the first time since arriving. Living in Roma is amazing; it's a place with such immense cultural history and a rich tapestry of human stories, beautiful architecture, and antiquated scenery that it really is tough to describe it as anything other than Roma. It sometimes feels like its own country, if that makes sense. The Vatican in Roma is slightly like a microcosm of Roma in Italia in general: it's walled in, filled with history, and surrounded by the landscape that shaped its existence and yet operates on its own agenda.
That's Rome, really.
Florence (or Firenze in Italia) is similar and yet infinitely different from Rome: it was the capital of the Renaissance, with such intense art and architecture and cultural impact that it really is its own beast. Seeing it really did make me feel like I live in Italy, the country, more than just Roma, the city.
So it all began yesterday with a 5:20am alarm, a shower/shave/breakfast combo, and a quick day-pack organizing and train schedule check before Bert and I headed out to Termini, or the Central Station here in Rome. The Metro line runs directly to it from just about 200 metres or so from our apartment, so we walked over there around 6, got to Termini around 6:20, bought our tickets from there to Firenze and got ready to go.
A quick note on trains here in Italy: they have about 3 or 4 different types of trains, and they all cost a bit different amounts with their own perks and cons. The Eurostar (the fastest) doesn't stop anywhere but the destination and is obviously the fastest, complete with individual seats and tables. The IC trains stop a few times, cost about 2/3 as much as the Eurostar, but you just get a seat and no table in a compartment of 6 seats. The final trains are the cheapest, stop-at-every-stop trains, and they are about 1/3 the price of the Eurostar, but take about 3 times as long.
So really, you pay for speed and comfort, or wait for cheaper. Makes sense.
Bert and I took an
IC train to Firenze for 27 Euro, which is around 40 bucks. Expensive? A little. But it was to see the capital of the Renaissance and totally worth it. We left around 7 and got to Florence around 9:30 after about 4 stops and 2.5 hours of train riding and sightseeing out the windows, which was fantastic. I really loved seeing the Italian countryside, complete with Villas and fields of green and sheep and hills and just general beauty. This picture is lame and really doesn't do it justice, but it was very beautiful to see slideshow out the window.
We got to Firenze and hopped off into the Santa Maria Novella Train Station and were immediately greeted with train hoppers, pay-to-use facilities, and a McDonalds that sold Grade A, Parmeggiano Reggiano cheeseburgers. No wonder foreigners think highly of Mickey D's: they're gorgeous and smell delicious over here (and by delicious I don't mean in the fries way, even though that always smells sooooo good).
So we had a rough plan in our head of what to see for the day, and as to what that was I'll keep it a surprise for reading. The first thing up we knew we were close to and had to hit was the Duomo di Firenze, or the insanely ornate and beautiful Catholic Church of Florence. We walked about a km or so and really just followed the signs, eventually turning a corner to be blindsided by this gargantuan church out of nowhere in a huge plaza, bell tower, and of course, the church itself. I'll post pictures here, but later I'll post them to the Picasa feed so you can see all of them, it's much more useful that way.
Basically, it's beautiful, and a perfect rendition of how amazing the Renaissance really was, and what a progressive leap forward from the ancient stylings of a city like Roma. It's so massive, just look at the people at the bottom of it and know that it's as big as you can possibly fathom, with tons of little sculptures and beautiful decorations adorning the entire walled side of the facade. Awesome.
We read about a way to take the 414 stairs of the bell tower next to the Duomo up to the top and see all of Florence, and since it was still early, we decided to do it then and now, both to kick off our day in Firenze and to avoid the warmest part of a relatively (read:82 degree) cool day. Look to the left and see the bell tower in relation to the Duomo itself: they're roughly the same size, the actual dome and the tower, with the facade being about 2/3rd the height of the tower.
It cost 6 Euro to head up the tower, we paid our way and proceeded to spindle our way up the ever-narrowing, Statue-of-Liberty esque staircase up the tower, and every 100 steps or so, there'd be a lookout where you could see views of Firenze from ever-increasing heights. I took pictures all the way up, and you're welcome to see the online album of them, but for
the sake of the length of this post, I'll just mention when we finally, after about 15 minutes of climbing a bit of sweatiness later, reached the top.
The view? Breathtaking. I know I use that word a lot in this blog, but know when I say it that I am really meaning that your breath is ripped from your chest and you just go slack-jawed taking it all in. I really, really wish that I could show you just how high it is and how amazing it really is. Take from this picture that that is only about 1/8th of the total view, but it's tough to capture just how high and amazing the view really is.
But I took a video of the other side, since I'm cool like that and I feel like it gets you all thismuch closer to being here with me, even though know that while seeing these videos is a fun thing, please, please do not imagine it as a substitute: there really is nothing like breathing in the air over one of the Western world's most legendary cities.
We soaked that view in for about ten minutes, really just seeing the city before descending down the steep stairs to the bottom of the tower and touching ground once again and lining up to check out the inside of said Duomo. It's very impressive from the outside, and I'm going to try and post a few pictures in a row that will not give a panoramic effect but give you an idea of the door paneling alone at the entrance to the church itself.
Don't know if that will work like I hoped it would, but we shall see.
We went inside and it's beautiful, no doubt, but the ceilings, unlike in say, St. Ignacio or Sistina, were blank. No frescoes. No adornment. Just blank. Beautiful. There was one fresco over the actual alter, The Last Judgment, but that's to be expected. It was done to be a beautiful place to pray from the outside, but it was a simple place for worship on the inside. I liked that message. Plus the floorplan from the ceiling shapes out to be a cross. Also cool symbolism. Tough to take pictures inside of there however due to low-light conditions, so I'll spare that for now and move on to our next, incredible, awesome adventure.
We went to the Galleria dell'Academica, or an art museum that just houses the most amazing sculpture ever created ever, hands down, end of story: the David by Michelangelo. We had to wait about 45 minutes in line, but we met some people from Denver and talked beer and Wii for the while before getting inside to pay the 10 Euro to simply see really the one thing everyon
e comes to see: David. There was a sign in there that made me laugh at the terrible translation, and I've included it just to see if it makes you laugh like it did me.
The museum was awesome, for sure, housing some of the most important religious artwork from the 1300's to the 1800's. It was really cool to see a lot of musical instruments as well, had fun touring that. But we eventually got to the David Room, and it is fantastic beyond description. But they have a no picture policy that they enforce like their lives depended on it. I, however, am a rebel and refuse to be held down, so I took a few guerrilla pictures that I have since included for you. Hope this turns out well, but no matter how beautiful it looks, it will never be like seeing David firsthand. Undoubtably, the most beautiful piece of art I have ever seen, and the reasons for praising it aren't exaggerated in the least.
Yup, so that was amazing.
We dallied there for a while and then went over towards the Piazza
Uffici and Ponte Vecchio to eat, considering it was about 1 and I last ate at 5:30, we were both starved. Piazza Uffici is gorgeous, and it was where the original David statue was that we just saw, but it is now replaced with a rendition to spare the original. We got there and pictured it up for a while, and it was filled with high-end shopping, so KK, just for you, here's a little shout-out:
We ate at a nearby nice restaurant while taking it all in, before coming out and taking a video and leaving for Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge. It used to be an jewelery selling juncture in the 1400s, and it still is today, with the shops lining the bridge literally built over the edge of the water over, still selling some of the nicest things imaginable in terms of jewelery, cutlery, dishes, and whatnot. Pretty cool.
Picture time!
We enjoyed the view there and wandered a bit more, seeing far too many things to name and the history of which I couldn't possibly do justice to, and so I leave it to you to imagine a day in Firenze, just seeing it all, taking it in, and being lost in the pages of history, seeing it all.
I had fun. Here's an additional video of my trip in Piazza Uffici:
We decided to take an earlier train back and to just get home around 6 instead of leaving around then and took the Eurostar superfast train back for about 38 euro, which cost a lot, but hey, I was in Firenze and I enjoyed every minute, and I will remember it for the rest of my life, I don't doubt it in the least. I saw Florence. In a day trip. From where I live: Roma, Italia.
Ah, it's just the life I lead, I guess.
In a final, parting note, I just want to say this, since this blog is about what's important to me: today is three years since Kirsten and I started dating. Yeah, it's a long, long time, and I couldn't be happier. I'm such a lucky guy, I've got an amazing girlfriend who I'm getting to see the world with and couldn't be any more crazy about, a supportive, loving, awesome family (who I am very proud of . . . Megan, this means you, you know! I'm a proud big brother and I hope college starts well for you!), and really just a fantastic group of people I am proud to be related to and who care about me very much.
Without a doubt, I'm a very lucky man, and I have reason to smile like I am above. I don't need reminding of just how lucky I am, but days like today do just that.
So this post took about an hour and ten minutes to do . . . hope it was fun to read and know that I don't hold it against you if you didn't make it this far . . . it was a lot. I'll be updating again soon with my other life happenings, but until then,
Ciao.
That's Rome, really.
Florence (or Firenze in Italia) is similar and yet infinitely different from Rome: it was the capital of the Renaissance, with such intense art and architecture and cultural impact that it really is its own beast. Seeing it really did make me feel like I live in Italy, the country, more than just Roma, the city.
So it all began yesterday with a 5:20am alarm, a shower/shave/breakfast combo, and a quick day-pack organizing and train schedule check before Bert and I headed out to Termini, or the Central Station here in Rome. The Metro line runs directly to it from just about 200 metres or so from our apartment, so we walked over there around 6, got to Termini around 6:20, bought our tickets from there to Firenze and got ready to go.
A quick note on trains here in Italy: they have about 3 or 4 different types of trains, and they all cost a bit different amounts with their own perks and cons. The Eurostar (the fastest) doesn't stop anywhere but the destination and is obviously the fastest, complete with individual seats and tables. The IC trains stop a few times, cost about 2/3 as much as the Eurostar, but you just get a seat and no table in a compartment of 6 seats. The final trains are the cheapest, stop-at-every-stop trains, and they are about 1/3 the price of the Eurostar, but take about 3 times as long.
So really, you pay for speed and comfort, or wait for cheaper. Makes sense.
Bert and I took an
IC train to Firenze for 27 Euro, which is around 40 bucks. Expensive? A little. But it was to see the capital of the Renaissance and totally worth it. We left around 7 and got to Florence around 9:30 after about 4 stops and 2.5 hours of train riding and sightseeing out the windows, which was fantastic. I really loved seeing the Italian countryside, complete with Villas and fields of green and sheep and hills and just general beauty. This picture is lame and really doesn't do it justice, but it was very beautiful to see slideshow out the window.We got to Firenze and hopped off into the Santa Maria Novella Train Station and were immediately greeted with train hoppers, pay-to-use facilities, and a McDonalds that sold Grade A, Parmeggiano Reggiano cheeseburgers. No wonder foreigners think highly of Mickey D's: they're gorgeous and smell delicious over here (and by delicious I don't mean in the fries way, even though that always smells sooooo good).
So we had a rough plan in our head of what to see for the day, and as to what that was I'll keep it a surprise for reading. The first thing up we knew we were close to and had to hit was the Duomo di Firenze, or the insanely ornate and beautiful Catholic Church of Florence. We walked about a km or so and really just followed the signs, eventually turning a corner to be blindsided by this gargantuan church out of nowhere in a huge plaza, bell tower, and of course, the church itself. I'll post pictures here, but later I'll post them to the Picasa feed so you can see all of them, it's much more useful that way.
Basically, it's beautiful, and a perfect rendition of how amazing the Renaissance really was, and what a progressive leap forward from the ancient stylings of a city like Roma. It's so massive, just look at the people at the bottom of it and know that it's as big as you can possibly fathom, with tons of little sculptures and beautiful decorations adorning the entire walled side of the facade. Awesome.
We read about a way to take the 414 stairs of the bell tower next to the Duomo up to the top and see all of Florence, and since it was still early, we decided to do it then and now, both to kick off our day in Firenze and to avoid the warmest part of a relatively (read:82 degree) cool day. Look to the left and see the bell tower in relation to the Duomo itself: they're roughly the same size, the actual dome and the tower, with the facade being about 2/3rd the height of the tower.
It cost 6 Euro to head up the tower, we paid our way and proceeded to spindle our way up the ever-narrowing, Statue-of-Liberty esque staircase up the tower, and every 100 steps or so, there'd be a lookout where you could see views of Firenze from ever-increasing heights. I took pictures all the way up, and you're welcome to see the online album of them, but for
the sake of the length of this post, I'll just mention when we finally, after about 15 minutes of climbing a bit of sweatiness later, reached the top.The view? Breathtaking. I know I use that word a lot in this blog, but know when I say it that I am really meaning that your breath is ripped from your chest and you just go slack-jawed taking it all in. I really, really wish that I could show you just how high it is and how amazing it really is. Take from this picture that that is only about 1/8th of the total view, but it's tough to capture just how high and amazing the view really is.
But I took a video of the other side, since I'm cool like that and I feel like it gets you all thismuch closer to being here with me, even though know that while seeing these videos is a fun thing, please, please do not imagine it as a substitute: there really is nothing like breathing in the air over one of the Western world's most legendary cities.
We soaked that view in for about ten minutes, really just seeing the city before descending down the steep stairs to the bottom of the tower and touching ground once again and lining up to check out the inside of said Duomo. It's very impressive from the outside, and I'm going to try and post a few pictures in a row that will not give a panoramic effect but give you an idea of the door paneling alone at the entrance to the church itself.
Don't know if that will work like I hoped it would, but we shall see.
We went inside and it's beautiful, no doubt, but the ceilings, unlike in say, St. Ignacio or Sistina, were blank. No frescoes. No adornment. Just blank. Beautiful. There was one fresco over the actual alter, The Last Judgment, but that's to be expected. It was done to be a beautiful place to pray from the outside, but it was a simple place for worship on the inside. I liked that message. Plus the floorplan from the ceiling shapes out to be a cross. Also cool symbolism. Tough to take pictures inside of there however due to low-light conditions, so I'll spare that for now and move on to our next, incredible, awesome adventure.
We went to the Galleria dell'Academica, or an art museum that just houses the most amazing sculpture ever created ever, hands down, end of story: the David by Michelangelo. We had to wait about 45 minutes in line, but we met some people from Denver and talked beer and Wii for the while before getting inside to pay the 10 Euro to simply see really the one thing everyon
e comes to see: David. There was a sign in there that made me laugh at the terrible translation, and I've included it just to see if it makes you laugh like it did me.The museum was awesome, for sure, housing some of the most important religious artwork from the 1300's to the 1800's. It was really cool to see a lot of musical instruments as well, had fun touring that. But we eventually got to the David Room, and it is fantastic beyond description. But they have a no picture policy that they enforce like their lives depended on it. I, however, am a rebel and refuse to be held down, so I took a few guerrilla pictures that I have since included for you. Hope this turns out well, but no matter how beautiful it looks, it will never be like seeing David firsthand. Undoubtably, the most beautiful piece of art I have ever seen, and the reasons for praising it aren't exaggerated in the least.
Yup, so that was amazing.
We dallied there for a while and then went over towards the Piazza
Uffici and Ponte Vecchio to eat, considering it was about 1 and I last ate at 5:30, we were both starved. Piazza Uffici is gorgeous, and it was where the original David statue was that we just saw, but it is now replaced with a rendition to spare the original. We got there and pictured it up for a while, and it was filled with high-end shopping, so KK, just for you, here's a little shout-out:We ate at a nearby nice restaurant while taking it all in, before coming out and taking a video and leaving for Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge. It used to be an jewelery selling juncture in the 1400s, and it still is today, with the shops lining the bridge literally built over the edge of the water over, still selling some of the nicest things imaginable in terms of jewelery, cutlery, dishes, and whatnot. Pretty cool.
Picture time!
We enjoyed the view there and wandered a bit more, seeing far too many things to name and the history of which I couldn't possibly do justice to, and so I leave it to you to imagine a day in Firenze, just seeing it all, taking it in, and being lost in the pages of history, seeing it all.
I had fun. Here's an additional video of my trip in Piazza Uffici:
We decided to take an earlier train back and to just get home around 6 instead of leaving around then and took the Eurostar superfast train back for about 38 euro, which cost a lot, but hey, I was in Firenze and I enjoyed every minute, and I will remember it for the rest of my life, I don't doubt it in the least. I saw Florence. In a day trip. From where I live: Roma, Italia.
Ah, it's just the life I lead, I guess.
In a final, parting note, I just want to say this, since this blog is about what's important to me: today is three years since Kirsten and I started dating. Yeah, it's a long, long time, and I couldn't be happier. I'm such a lucky guy, I've got an amazing girlfriend who I'm getting to see the world with and couldn't be any more crazy about, a supportive, loving, awesome family (who I am very proud of . . . Megan, this means you, you know! I'm a proud big brother and I hope college starts well for you!), and really just a fantastic group of people I am proud to be related to and who care about me very much.
Without a doubt, I'm a very lucky man, and I have reason to smile like I am above. I don't need reminding of just how lucky I am, but days like today do just that.
So this post took about an hour and ten minutes to do . . . hope it was fun to read and know that I don't hold it against you if you didn't make it this far . . . it was a lot. I'll be updating again soon with my other life happenings, but until then,
Ciao.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Roma: Home sweet home-a?
Ciao everyone, I hope you're all having a nice day after my birthday, I am enjoying taking it pretty easy today and just relaxing a bit, I've been really moving these past few weeks and today is nice to just take a break and breathe a bit.
I traveled last night from about 3 o'clock Rome time to about 10:30, and my journey was complicated and intricate, but I am really proud of myself for figuring out how to do everything, of course, with Kirsten's help in Athens. I rode the Metro in Athens to the Airport, which took about an hour and change, and then went through the check-in process, got through security, blogged at the airport, then flew the two-hour flight back to Roma.
The flight was at dusk, and it was at such a nice time to get out of town. It was a clear night with only a few clouds sprinkled in the sky, and as we took off, I could see all of the islands in the Mediterranean and the topography of Greece, complete with all of its hills, buildings, inlets, and islands. I wish I could've taken a few pictures, but at that time, no cameras allowed. It was beautiful to say the least, and I really want to go back there someday to do an island trekking adventure. It will occur someday, I know it.
But yes, I made it into Roma about 8:30, got off and made it to my train back to Tiburtina, the little train station, around 10:05, then took Metro line B to Termini Stazione Centrale, then finally to Cipro station of Linea A, which is about 100 metres from my apartment.
All in all, on my trip, the first thing I thought of when I got off my plane in Roma was "welcome home." Which made me double take a bit. Rome is home? I felt so comfortable going through the motions here in Rome on my way back to my apartment that I didn't even really think twice about them, and one time on the train I realized I asked somebody what time we got into the station and they responded, and it was all in Italian. And I understood it! Big progress moment if you ask me.
But yes, I made it home safe and sound and just admired my pictures from the trip along with KK's (some real nice ones in there, alright!) and really just needed to hit the sack. I gotta say, I am going to miss having the companionship of Kirsten for the second half of this break. Being in Athens and going around with her was awesome, since I know it's a big deal for me, but to see the look of wonder and excitement in someone else's eyes too makes it more real, if that makes any sense. I know the sight visits with her were awesome, but seeing them with her made them even more so.
My break is about half way done, and I have tomorrow, Friday, and the weekend before class starts on Monday. So I've got some time off. I'm going to head to Firenze tomorrow with Bert, my roommate who is here in Roma for the break, and we're going to see it all in a day. So, I don't think there'll be a blog tomorrow, sorry. But Friday will be a big one full of Florence's finest, including the Duomo, Michaelangelo's David, Ponte Vecchio, the tombs of Galileo, Dante, and Michaelangelo, along with countless other sights to be seen, it should be a blast. We're going to do it in a day, so leaving here early, like 6:00 am and coming back around 9ish on the train, and with the 2.5 hour train ride, it should be about 10 hours to see Florence. Enough time to see everything? Of course not. Enough time to see a ton? You bet.
Then, I believe next weekend (like 9 days from now), as a group we might head up to San Marino / Venice, or maybe Cinque Terre. It's supposed to be so beautiful and amazing in Cinque Terre, but 4 dudes really isn't the company I'd want there, either, so we'll have to see about that. Venice would be exciting! Canals! Gondolas! Sinking stuff! Yeah!
And yes, a week after that excitement comes Switzerland and Milan with KK. Schedule's filling up. The weather here has finally broken, I wore a long sleeve shirt today just because I could. It feels EXACTLY like Portland in October, which was lovely, and I really hope it holds at about this mid 60s, not raining but not too hot day. Oh, and they finally fixed the AC in here, so if it does get hot now, we'll be prepared.
Andddd that's pretty much it. I hope you all have an excellent Wednesday, thanks for the birthday wishes, and more pictures coming your way soon. Until next time, as always.
Ciao.
I traveled last night from about 3 o'clock Rome time to about 10:30, and my journey was complicated and intricate, but I am really proud of myself for figuring out how to do everything, of course, with Kirsten's help in Athens. I rode the Metro in Athens to the Airport, which took about an hour and change, and then went through the check-in process, got through security, blogged at the airport, then flew the two-hour flight back to Roma.
The flight was at dusk, and it was at such a nice time to get out of town. It was a clear night with only a few clouds sprinkled in the sky, and as we took off, I could see all of the islands in the Mediterranean and the topography of Greece, complete with all of its hills, buildings, inlets, and islands. I wish I could've taken a few pictures, but at that time, no cameras allowed. It was beautiful to say the least, and I really want to go back there someday to do an island trekking adventure. It will occur someday, I know it.
But yes, I made it into Roma about 8:30, got off and made it to my train back to Tiburtina, the little train station, around 10:05, then took Metro line B to Termini Stazione Centrale, then finally to Cipro station of Linea A, which is about 100 metres from my apartment.
All in all, on my trip, the first thing I thought of when I got off my plane in Roma was "welcome home." Which made me double take a bit. Rome is home? I felt so comfortable going through the motions here in Rome on my way back to my apartment that I didn't even really think twice about them, and one time on the train I realized I asked somebody what time we got into the station and they responded, and it was all in Italian. And I understood it! Big progress moment if you ask me.
But yes, I made it home safe and sound and just admired my pictures from the trip along with KK's (some real nice ones in there, alright!) and really just needed to hit the sack. I gotta say, I am going to miss having the companionship of Kirsten for the second half of this break. Being in Athens and going around with her was awesome, since I know it's a big deal for me, but to see the look of wonder and excitement in someone else's eyes too makes it more real, if that makes any sense. I know the sight visits with her were awesome, but seeing them with her made them even more so.
My break is about half way done, and I have tomorrow, Friday, and the weekend before class starts on Monday. So I've got some time off. I'm going to head to Firenze tomorrow with Bert, my roommate who is here in Roma for the break, and we're going to see it all in a day. So, I don't think there'll be a blog tomorrow, sorry. But Friday will be a big one full of Florence's finest, including the Duomo, Michaelangelo's David, Ponte Vecchio, the tombs of Galileo, Dante, and Michaelangelo, along with countless other sights to be seen, it should be a blast. We're going to do it in a day, so leaving here early, like 6:00 am and coming back around 9ish on the train, and with the 2.5 hour train ride, it should be about 10 hours to see Florence. Enough time to see everything? Of course not. Enough time to see a ton? You bet.
Then, I believe next weekend (like 9 days from now), as a group we might head up to San Marino / Venice, or maybe Cinque Terre. It's supposed to be so beautiful and amazing in Cinque Terre, but 4 dudes really isn't the company I'd want there, either, so we'll have to see about that. Venice would be exciting! Canals! Gondolas! Sinking stuff! Yeah!
And yes, a week after that excitement comes Switzerland and Milan with KK. Schedule's filling up. The weather here has finally broken, I wore a long sleeve shirt today just because I could. It feels EXACTLY like Portland in October, which was lovely, and I really hope it holds at about this mid 60s, not raining but not too hot day. Oh, and they finally fixed the AC in here, so if it does get hot now, we'll be prepared.
Andddd that's pretty much it. I hope you all have an excellent Wednesday, thanks for the birthday wishes, and more pictures coming your way soon. Until next time, as always.
Ciao.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Acropolis, adventures, and Greece in general
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So today, Tuesday afternoon / evening here in Athens, is my birthday.
So first and foremost, I must thank everyone who sent an email, posted a comment, or in someone's case, hosted an adventure I'll remember always. Thank you all tons for caring about me and saying something nice; I know I'm getting to experience awesome things for a 21st birthday, but sometimes, hearing from the people you care about is as refreshing as seeing what I am seeing.
Ok, but with that aside, it's time to brag:
I got to see Athens up close and personal, both old and new, and I had a blast.
I know posted yesterday a bit about my travels up until Saturday night, so I guess that means I should continue with Sunday morning. We got up and got ready a bit later on Sunday than on Saturday, had some Nutella sandwiches (man, Nutella is so awesome. I have lit the fire in Kirsten for it now too and I couldn't be more proud), and made sure we knew how to get to where we were heading: the Acropolis.
Literally, the Acropolis is the hill that all of the awesome structures of old rest on, and going to the Acropolis gets you access to several of the city's more classic sights to be seen, like the Parthenon, the Temple of the Olympiad Zeus, the Theate
r of Dionysis, etc. But we went up to the Acropolis and immediately we remembered I didn't put on sunscreen, but we pressed on. I am now burned a little, but can't say it's all that bad.
We headed up to the Acropolis and walked by a large street filled with books and magazine stands, all selling just about anything they could to make a buck. We marched on up the hill towards the structure, passing monuments as we went, with views of escalating awesomeness, like the one to the right.
Then you reach the top of the hill and at that point, we were both already sweaty. Which is not cool, and at the top of the hill, meaning no shade. Also not cool. But you know what is cool?
The Parthenon.
Which I saw.
It's tough to really describe such an ancient and famous monument in a manner that justifies it's breathtaking beauty, but I'll give it a shot. It's about 2,500 years old, or you know, about 140 generations ago to put that in any perspective. It's really amazing
to see the stonework and arrangement of such huge rocks in such a precise and beautiful order; everything is so symmetrical, aesthetically pleasing, and obviously really well built, since the damn thing has made it over 2,500 years.
We marched around and just went slack-jawed for a while. I mean, what do you really do in the presence of such an awesome sight, one that is known world-wide? We took pictures like tourists (and KK and I have both updated our picture sites, and with her permission, I'll link you through to hers too so you can see them all.)
picasaweb.google.com/kkgoestogreece
picasaweb.google.com/nomomentwasted
The plethora of languages spoken there alone was mindblowing, and let me just say: I have never had a more difficult time finding someone to take a picture of me than we had at the Parthenon. We finally tracked someone down who would, and they proceeded to take a picture WITHOUT THE MONUMENT BEHIND US! I mean, what were they thinking? "Oh these people want a picture taken that they're in but what they're seeing isn't, of course!"
So we had to find another person, and we did. And, touristy as we may look, we have now a really awesome picture next to the Parthenon, proving we were there. Mission accomplished!
There are other buildings on the Acropolis, too, and I shall post more pictures of them too. Apparently, you can't pose for pictures with Athena (the Goddess) statues, since it's offensive to the Gods. Although Greece is Greek Orthodox Catholic, which has one God. So, if they don't believe in these faiths, why can't you take pictures? I am culturally sensative and did not pose with them, but you can still take them, which I did.
It was soooo hot up there though, and we were both starting to overheat, so we took it all in for a few more minutes and decided to head down the hill.
Woohoo. What a sight-seeing day. But it's not over yet, oh far from it, in fact. We then decided to get some lunch at a cafe, and we got some Souvlaki, or a Greek Kebab, essentially, which took forever and a day to come, but it did eventually and was delicious. We then decided to go back towards The Temple of the Olympiad Zeus, which we could now enter with our Acropolis tickets. It's right near the National Gardens and the Olympic Stadium, which are on the way back to Kirsten's apartment, so it was very convenient.
The Temple is very much in shambles now, but that's not to say it wasn't beautiful and indicative of what used to be there, because it certainly was. We took some pictures, but it too was directly in the sun, so we didn't linger long. Too hot.
We went back and got cooled down, siesta'd for a while, and then just went out to get some pizza for dinner at a local restaurant, and had a few beers and some great pizza before heading back for the night to just relax. It was a hot day, and Kirsten had class early the next day, leaving me time to post to the blog yesterday. We did a little shopping, too, and I made some Pesto Pasta and turkey melts for meals, encouraging KK to use her little, under-equipped kitchen a bit more.
That was yesterday, though, and today I went (sans camera, unfortunately) to the Theater of Dionysis and got a nutella and Bailey's Crepe, which was awesome. The Theater was the birthplace of Greek Comedy and Tradgedy performances, and the ampitheater there definitely worth seeing, I'm glad I went back.
But that really wraps my Athens Trip. I took the Metro to the Airport and here I am, about to board. I hope that showed a few cool things off, and I'm sure I'll have more to say about this trip later, just thought I'd give a quick post.
Oh, and happy birthday to me.
As always, until next time.
Ciao.
So today, Tuesday afternoon / evening here in Athens, is my birthday.
So first and foremost, I must thank everyone who sent an email, posted a comment, or in someone's case, hosted an adventure I'll remember always. Thank you all tons for caring about me and saying something nice; I know I'm getting to experience awesome things for a 21st birthday, but sometimes, hearing from the people you care about is as refreshing as seeing what I am seeing.
Ok, but with that aside, it's time to brag:
I got to see Athens up close and personal, both old and new, and I had a blast.
I know posted yesterday a bit about my travels up until Saturday night, so I guess that means I should continue with Sunday morning. We got up and got ready a bit later on Sunday than on Saturday, had some Nutella sandwiches (man, Nutella is so awesome. I have lit the fire in Kirsten for it now too and I couldn't be more proud), and made sure we knew how to get to where we were heading: the Acropolis.
Literally, the Acropolis is the hill that all of the awesome structures of old rest on, and going to the Acropolis gets you access to several of the city's more classic sights to be seen, like the Parthenon, the Temple of the Olympiad Zeus, the Theate
r of Dionysis, etc. But we went up to the Acropolis and immediately we remembered I didn't put on sunscreen, but we pressed on. I am now burned a little, but can't say it's all that bad.We headed up to the Acropolis and walked by a large street filled with books and magazine stands, all selling just about anything they could to make a buck. We marched on up the hill towards the structure, passing monuments as we went, with views of escalating awesomeness, like the one to the right.
Then you reach the top of the hill and at that point, we were both already sweaty. Which is not cool, and at the top of the hill, meaning no shade. Also not cool. But you know what is cool?
The Parthenon.
Which I saw.
It's tough to really describe such an ancient and famous monument in a manner that justifies it's breathtaking beauty, but I'll give it a shot. It's about 2,500 years old, or you know, about 140 generations ago to put that in any perspective. It's really amazing
to see the stonework and arrangement of such huge rocks in such a precise and beautiful order; everything is so symmetrical, aesthetically pleasing, and obviously really well built, since the damn thing has made it over 2,500 years.We marched around and just went slack-jawed for a while. I mean, what do you really do in the presence of such an awesome sight, one that is known world-wide? We took pictures like tourists (and KK and I have both updated our picture sites, and with her permission, I'll link you through to hers too so you can see them all.)
picasaweb.google.com/kkgoestogreece
picasaweb.google.com/nomomentwasted
The plethora of languages spoken there alone was mindblowing, and let me just say: I have never had a more difficult time finding someone to take a picture of me than we had at the Parthenon. We finally tracked someone down who would, and they proceeded to take a picture WITHOUT THE MONUMENT BEHIND US! I mean, what were they thinking? "Oh these people want a picture taken that they're in but what they're seeing isn't, of course!"
So we had to find another person, and we did. And, touristy as we may look, we have now a really awesome picture next to the Parthenon, proving we were there. Mission accomplished!
There are other buildings on the Acropolis, too, and I shall post more pictures of them too. Apparently, you can't pose for pictures with Athena (the Goddess) statues, since it's offensive to the Gods. Although Greece is Greek Orthodox Catholic, which has one God. So, if they don't believe in these faiths, why can't you take pictures? I am culturally sensative and did not pose with them, but you can still take them, which I did.
It was soooo hot up there though, and we were both starting to overheat, so we took it all in for a few more minutes and decided to head down the hill.
Woohoo. What a sight-seeing day. But it's not over yet, oh far from it, in fact. We then decided to get some lunch at a cafe, and we got some Souvlaki, or a Greek Kebab, essentially, which took forever and a day to come, but it did eventually and was delicious. We then decided to go back towards The Temple of the Olympiad Zeus, which we could now enter with our Acropolis tickets. It's right near the National Gardens and the Olympic Stadium, which are on the way back to Kirsten's apartment, so it was very convenient.
The Temple is very much in shambles now, but that's not to say it wasn't beautiful and indicative of what used to be there, because it certainly was. We took some pictures, but it too was directly in the sun, so we didn't linger long. Too hot.
We went back and got cooled down, siesta'd for a while, and then just went out to get some pizza for dinner at a local restaurant, and had a few beers and some great pizza before heading back for the night to just relax. It was a hot day, and Kirsten had class early the next day, leaving me time to post to the blog yesterday. We did a little shopping, too, and I made some Pesto Pasta and turkey melts for meals, encouraging KK to use her little, under-equipped kitchen a bit more.
That was yesterday, though, and today I went (sans camera, unfortunately) to the Theater of Dionysis and got a nutella and Bailey's Crepe, which was awesome. The Theater was the birthplace of Greek Comedy and Tradgedy performances, and the ampitheater there definitely worth seeing, I'm glad I went back.
But that really wraps my Athens Trip. I took the Metro to the Airport and here I am, about to board. I hope that showed a few cool things off, and I'm sure I'll have more to say about this trip later, just thought I'd give a quick post.
Oh, and happy birthday to me.
As always, until next time.
Ciao.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Oh, you know, just seein' the world
Ciao everyone,
Or should I say, Yiasas.
So basically I'm chilling in Kirsten's apartment in Athens. It's 1:45 pm here, or 3:45am back home, and she's in class where I am not. This gives me quite the opportunity to give an update for everyone back home.
I guess the best place to start would be at the beginning of this trip, which would be my journey over. It in its own right deserves a post just to itself, but I'll condense here and maybe write about airports next time around. But I left on Friday afternoon for the Fiumicino Airport in Rome around 4pm and took the metro to Stazione Termini Centrale and then went on Metro line B to Tiburtina Stazione, a smaller yet accessible station, and then took an Amtrak style train to the Airport with about 7 girls from my program who were also heading to Athens, although for different reasons.
We made it Fiumicino with zero problems, and we made it through security, etc, with little hassle. I know my Italian is getting better since it is getting infinitly more useful by the day. We made it to the gate about 30 minutes before boarding, and then delays hit. I guess we just had to pick the day to travel on that huge thunderstorms rolled in off the Mediterranean, and I should've known: visability on the way was drastically reduced, and it was more humid than any other day I can ever remember.
We eventually got on the plane about half an hour late: not too bad all things considered. The worst out of the way?
Far from it.
We sat on the runway for about half an hour after leaving the gate, watching HUGE bolts of lightning strike all around, and lighting up the city to our West. It absolutely poured buckets, and we were just all in awe over its omnipotent crashing thunder and radiant strikes. But we eventually got in the air, and all seemed well for about 5 minutes or so.
Then turbulance. I can pretty safely say that none of you have ever felt it like this in a jetliner, and I say that since even the pilot himself said he'd never felt any like that, which says something. The girls from my program (we were all seated together by the attendant, how nice) all looked absolutely ghastly. It was like being in the spin cycle or in a high-impact dryer. I mean, overhead compartments opened, people were crying and vomiting, it was gnarly. Amber, who was sitting next to me, turned white as a sheet and started absolutely shaking. For some reason, and I don't know why for the life of me, I just wasn't nervous at all and I kept trying to calm everyone down, and after about 5 minutes, it all subsided and we were in the clear again. WOOHOO. I was universally thanked and I felt proud of myself for keeping a cool head. It took about half the flight for everyone's color to return, and when they brought the drinks around, they offered wine and beer for free.
And they ran out. Because they were treated like shots, not beverages.
But we landed about an hour late, and I ran off to catch a cab, which I promptly hopped in and told my driver where to go. It's 11pm at this point, and he nods that he knows where we're going, and then pulls over to get gas, lights up a cigarette, and puffs it down before we leave.
I was not amused, but still in great spirits.
I was in Athens, Greece, about to see my girfriend, and nothing was dampering that.
I got in and Kirsten met me and it was very happy. Yay. We then promptly went to bed and got up the next morning, and we decided to check out Lykavittos Hill, or a HUGE hill that juts up right into the middle of the city. We got ready and headed out into Greece.
Now Greece is beautiful, no doubt about it. It's fantastic, amazing, and wonderous beyond description. Is it very clean? Not really. Is it very organized? Not in the least. Is it hot? Beyond belief. I mean, 95, full humidity, and smoggy as all get out during the peak part of the day, which is only when we decided to go out, of course. But we brought water and stayed hydrated, seeing awesome sights such as the Olympic Stadium, seen left. It was really cool and you can tell it's important, since it's kept clean. We walked by and I took obligatory pictures, although you can't go in it, so it makes it difficult.
From there, we headed past the National Gardens towards the Lykavittos Hill, going through the shopping district, where it was a bit more clean and organized. We kept walking and kept getting sweaty, but that's to be expected, I suppose. We kept going up stairs, hills, and old streets, moving towards pretty much the highest point in the city, other than the Acropolis. But we eventually got to the hill and headed on up through the very much like Central-Oregon style park and both of us started to get a littleeeee overheated, but Kirsten especially. It was ridiculously hot and muggy, but we took appropriate breaks and kept on trekking.
When we got to the top, you could tell it was worth it. I'll try and post as much as I can from here, but the internet is a bit slow, so I'll get up what I can. Know this, however:
It was, for a lack of better words, pretty badass.
I mean, you can see if you enlarge this picture (which I highly suggest), the span of the view, it was just incredible. Athens is a HUGE city, which has existed for millenia, about twice as many as Rome, to be exact. And Rome is old! But man, it was insanely breathtaking (not that we had much breath to begin with after the hike). Still, it ranks in the top five views of my life without question. I took a video and it's not amazing, but it shows a bit more of how this all looked. So I hope I can upload it, fingers are crossed.
There is a little church at the top of the hill, which we only looked in since both of us were so hot and underdressed we didn't think it appropriate, but it was cool to see. I'll put up more pictures later, I promise. In addition to this church, there was a cafe at the top, which was insanely cool to see, but also, as expected when one has a corner on the market, very expensive. But we had some water and sandwiches for pretty respectable prices, cooled down in their air conditioning, and very narrowly avoided ordering one of the 13 euro Mojitos. But just barely.
We continued to take in the view, but then headed back towards home, checking out the President's House by the National Gardens and oohing and ahhing over the Acropolis, which really does loom over everything else in the city. But that was for the next day, and we were sweaty and nasty, so much so that I was soaked through two shirts and neither of us showed signs of stopping, so we decided to clean up and siesta to go out to dinner later at a Taberna, or Greek Tavern.
I am very glad we did. It was great, awesome, and so cool. The one we checked out online didn't open un
til 8, which saddened us after we walked over there at 6 because we were hungry, but we went to the one next door and ate outside in the much more pleasant evening-time garden of the Taberna. It was really cool, there were only Greek people there and limited English was spoken, so we just worked around a much steeper language barrier than exists in Italy. It's more Eastern Europe in Greece, and the language problems are more numerous, but everyone is polite and you just do your best. Which we did. Admirably, if I could say so myself.
We had some really awesome food here. We got some bread and water, and then had some delicious Tzatziki, which I'd never had but was delicious. If you are like me and haven't ever heard of it, it's yogurt, cucumber, and garlic dip-type substance, and we liberally applied it to all our food, and it was delicious. I ordered some Village Sausage, which was excellent, along with an Amstel. Kirsten had a beer too, and we both remarked over how weird it is to be drinking over here and not have anyone question it in the least, actually encouraging it.
On a hot day, there really is nay better drink than an ice cold beer. And sausage? Cold Tzatziki? Or Kebab (like Kirsten had . . . it was very good also). But whew, eating good in the neighborhood, no joke. We ate for about 2 hours, which is really the minimum you can take to eat a meal here, no joke. We got our bill and an absolutely delicious lemon-sorbet-shot thing that was the perfect digestif for an excellent meal.
That wrapped up Saturday.
Sunday was Acropolis and Temple of the Olympiad Zeus day, which cannot be accurately described, only shown. I hope my pictures will load a bit quicker so I can show a few off, but know that I have already taken 100 and I plan on taking a few more before I leave, but I have taken many that capture the essence of what it's like to be here. Only an essence, however. Some things just have to been felt. I say it's amazing, and I show you what I see, what I feel, what I smell, and it makes a composite picture, but when it's a reality, staring you in the face, it's a feeling that can only be recreated by those who've shared in such experiences with you. I'm so glad to be seeing this with someone I care so much about, and all of you who are reading this, know that I truly wish you were here.
My connection is very poor, which I can't get too discouraged with since it is being pirated at the moment, but know that I am really looking forward to updating you all with pictures and excitement when I have the chance . I think my stories about the Acropolis must wait, but I can leave you with a picture (hopefully) that can give you a glimpse.
Until later (probably tomorrow), know that I am here and thinking of you all, but enjoying my visit while I can. It's a hell of a place to see, and I can't wait to share all my stories with you in the future.
Until next time,
Ciao.
Or should I say, Yiasas.
So basically I'm chilling in Kirsten's apartment in Athens. It's 1:45 pm here, or 3:45am back home, and she's in class where I am not. This gives me quite the opportunity to give an update for everyone back home.
I guess the best place to start would be at the beginning of this trip, which would be my journey over. It in its own right deserves a post just to itself, but I'll condense here and maybe write about airports next time around. But I left on Friday afternoon for the Fiumicino Airport in Rome around 4pm and took the metro to Stazione Termini Centrale and then went on Metro line B to Tiburtina Stazione, a smaller yet accessible station, and then took an Amtrak style train to the Airport with about 7 girls from my program who were also heading to Athens, although for different reasons.
We made it Fiumicino with zero problems, and we made it through security, etc, with little hassle. I know my Italian is getting better since it is getting infinitly more useful by the day. We made it to the gate about 30 minutes before boarding, and then delays hit. I guess we just had to pick the day to travel on that huge thunderstorms rolled in off the Mediterranean, and I should've known: visability on the way was drastically reduced, and it was more humid than any other day I can ever remember.
We eventually got on the plane about half an hour late: not too bad all things considered. The worst out of the way?
Far from it.
We sat on the runway for about half an hour after leaving the gate, watching HUGE bolts of lightning strike all around, and lighting up the city to our West. It absolutely poured buckets, and we were just all in awe over its omnipotent crashing thunder and radiant strikes. But we eventually got in the air, and all seemed well for about 5 minutes or so.
Then turbulance. I can pretty safely say that none of you have ever felt it like this in a jetliner, and I say that since even the pilot himself said he'd never felt any like that, which says something. The girls from my program (we were all seated together by the attendant, how nice) all looked absolutely ghastly. It was like being in the spin cycle or in a high-impact dryer. I mean, overhead compartments opened, people were crying and vomiting, it was gnarly. Amber, who was sitting next to me, turned white as a sheet and started absolutely shaking. For some reason, and I don't know why for the life of me, I just wasn't nervous at all and I kept trying to calm everyone down, and after about 5 minutes, it all subsided and we were in the clear again. WOOHOO. I was universally thanked and I felt proud of myself for keeping a cool head. It took about half the flight for everyone's color to return, and when they brought the drinks around, they offered wine and beer for free.
And they ran out. Because they were treated like shots, not beverages.
But we landed about an hour late, and I ran off to catch a cab, which I promptly hopped in and told my driver where to go. It's 11pm at this point, and he nods that he knows where we're going, and then pulls over to get gas, lights up a cigarette, and puffs it down before we leave.
I was not amused, but still in great spirits.
I was in Athens, Greece, about to see my girfriend, and nothing was dampering that.
I got in and Kirsten met me and it was very happy. Yay. We then promptly went to bed and got up the next morning, and we decided to check out Lykavittos Hill, or a HUGE hill that juts up right into the middle of the city. We got ready and headed out into Greece.
Now Greece is beautiful, no doubt about it. It's fantastic, amazing, and wonderous beyond description. Is it very clean? Not really. Is it very organized? Not in the least. Is it hot? Beyond belief. I mean, 95, full humidity, and smoggy as all get out during the peak part of the day, which is only when we decided to go out, of course. But we brought water and stayed hydrated, seeing awesome sights such as the Olympic Stadium, seen left. It was really cool and you can tell it's important, since it's kept clean. We walked by and I took obligatory pictures, although you can't go in it, so it makes it difficult.
From there, we headed past the National Gardens towards the Lykavittos Hill, going through the shopping district, where it was a bit more clean and organized. We kept walking and kept getting sweaty, but that's to be expected, I suppose. We kept going up stairs, hills, and old streets, moving towards pretty much the highest point in the city, other than the Acropolis. But we eventually got to the hill and headed on up through the very much like Central-Oregon style park and both of us started to get a littleeeee overheated, but Kirsten especially. It was ridiculously hot and muggy, but we took appropriate breaks and kept on trekking.
When we got to the top, you could tell it was worth it. I'll try and post as much as I can from here, but the internet is a bit slow, so I'll get up what I can. Know this, however:
It was, for a lack of better words, pretty badass.
I mean, you can see if you enlarge this picture (which I highly suggest), the span of the view, it was just incredible. Athens is a HUGE city, which has existed for millenia, about twice as many as Rome, to be exact. And Rome is old! But man, it was insanely breathtaking (not that we had much breath to begin with after the hike). Still, it ranks in the top five views of my life without question. I took a video and it's not amazing, but it shows a bit more of how this all looked. So I hope I can upload it, fingers are crossed.
There is a little church at the top of the hill, which we only looked in since both of us were so hot and underdressed we didn't think it appropriate, but it was cool to see. I'll put up more pictures later, I promise. In addition to this church, there was a cafe at the top, which was insanely cool to see, but also, as expected when one has a corner on the market, very expensive. But we had some water and sandwiches for pretty respectable prices, cooled down in their air conditioning, and very narrowly avoided ordering one of the 13 euro Mojitos. But just barely.
We continued to take in the view, but then headed back towards home, checking out the President's House by the National Gardens and oohing and ahhing over the Acropolis, which really does loom over everything else in the city. But that was for the next day, and we were sweaty and nasty, so much so that I was soaked through two shirts and neither of us showed signs of stopping, so we decided to clean up and siesta to go out to dinner later at a Taberna, or Greek Tavern.
I am very glad we did. It was great, awesome, and so cool. The one we checked out online didn't open un
til 8, which saddened us after we walked over there at 6 because we were hungry, but we went to the one next door and ate outside in the much more pleasant evening-time garden of the Taberna. It was really cool, there were only Greek people there and limited English was spoken, so we just worked around a much steeper language barrier than exists in Italy. It's more Eastern Europe in Greece, and the language problems are more numerous, but everyone is polite and you just do your best. Which we did. Admirably, if I could say so myself.We had some really awesome food here. We got some bread and water, and then had some delicious Tzatziki, which I'd never had but was delicious. If you are like me and haven't ever heard of it, it's yogurt, cucumber, and garlic dip-type substance, and we liberally applied it to all our food, and it was delicious. I ordered some Village Sausage, which was excellent, along with an Amstel. Kirsten had a beer too, and we both remarked over how weird it is to be drinking over here and not have anyone question it in the least, actually encouraging it.
On a hot day, there really is nay better drink than an ice cold beer. And sausage? Cold Tzatziki? Or Kebab (like Kirsten had . . . it was very good also). But whew, eating good in the neighborhood, no joke. We ate for about 2 hours, which is really the minimum you can take to eat a meal here, no joke. We got our bill and an absolutely delicious lemon-sorbet-shot thing that was the perfect digestif for an excellent meal.
That wrapped up Saturday.
Sunday was Acropolis and Temple of the Olympiad Zeus day, which cannot be accurately described, only shown. I hope my pictures will load a bit quicker so I can show a few off, but know that I have already taken 100 and I plan on taking a few more before I leave, but I have taken many that capture the essence of what it's like to be here. Only an essence, however. Some things just have to been felt. I say it's amazing, and I show you what I see, what I feel, what I smell, and it makes a composite picture, but when it's a reality, staring you in the face, it's a feeling that can only be recreated by those who've shared in such experiences with you. I'm so glad to be seeing this with someone I care so much about, and all of you who are reading this, know that I truly wish you were here.
My connection is very poor, which I can't get too discouraged with since it is being pirated at the moment, but know that I am really looking forward to updating you all with pictures and excitement when I have the chance . I think my stories about the Acropolis must wait, but I can leave you with a picture (hopefully) that can give you a glimpse.
Until later (probably tomorrow), know that I am here and thinking of you all, but enjoying my visit while I can. It's a hell of a place to see, and I can't wait to share all my stories with you in the future.
Until next time,
Ciao.
Friday, September 12, 2008
And away!
Ciao everyone! I am back and freshly showered, all prepared for my first of several trips this semester, and I leave in just about an hour for Athens, Greece. It's one of the cradles of western civilization, housing some of the worlds oldest and most wonderful man-made buildings, and not to mention where Kirsten Kay is. All very good things!
I am beyond excited to get going, part of me just wants to skip town this instant and just get to the airport obscenely early (my flight is in about 4.5 hours), but I'll leave in an hour with a group of people who are all on the same flight and we'll all make our way and make our mistakes collectively, leaving the only part I have to really be responsible for solely is my taxi from the airport to where I'll be crashing.
So, let me know if there's anything you particularly want me to look for or if there's any elaborations you'll want, I'll be taking tons of pictures an my computer as well so I'll be potentially able to upload, but that all depends on a multitude of things, namely if I find the time in seeing some of the world's wonders to do so.
I am now three weeks deep in Italian and I had my exams today, which I believe went pretty splendidly. I got an A on my composition, but that was only worth 5 percent of my grade, so here's to hoping I got an A on the Final and therefore an A in the class. I feel like I should, I mean, I can speak some Italian now, and I feel really awesome doing so. I did with my Pizza e Birra friends (the people who work at a Pizzarria near here). They know I spoke no Italian, as I couldn't just a few weeks ago. But today I spoke it with them as I passed by and got a snack to break a 50 Euro Bill and they were applauding my progress and I felt special. It's cool to be really learning a language and immediately putting it to use (unlike say, my French, which has been lying dormant for oh, forever?)
With that, I am going to get everything else I have together and get ready to get going I suppose. I hope you all have a great Friday and I'll send away to give you a hint of what I'm doing, but know I'll be having fun and taking pictures for everyone the whole trip.
And as always, until next time,
Ciao.
I am beyond excited to get going, part of me just wants to skip town this instant and just get to the airport obscenely early (my flight is in about 4.5 hours), but I'll leave in an hour with a group of people who are all on the same flight and we'll all make our way and make our mistakes collectively, leaving the only part I have to really be responsible for solely is my taxi from the airport to where I'll be crashing.
So, let me know if there's anything you particularly want me to look for or if there's any elaborations you'll want, I'll be taking tons of pictures an my computer as well so I'll be potentially able to upload, but that all depends on a multitude of things, namely if I find the time in seeing some of the world's wonders to do so.
I am now three weeks deep in Italian and I had my exams today, which I believe went pretty splendidly. I got an A on my composition, but that was only worth 5 percent of my grade, so here's to hoping I got an A on the Final and therefore an A in the class. I feel like I should, I mean, I can speak some Italian now, and I feel really awesome doing so. I did with my Pizza e Birra friends (the people who work at a Pizzarria near here). They know I spoke no Italian, as I couldn't just a few weeks ago. But today I spoke it with them as I passed by and got a snack to break a 50 Euro Bill and they were applauding my progress and I felt special. It's cool to be really learning a language and immediately putting it to use (unlike say, my French, which has been lying dormant for oh, forever?)
With that, I am going to get everything else I have together and get ready to get going I suppose. I hope you all have a great Friday and I'll send away to give you a hint of what I'm doing, but know I'll be having fun and taking pictures for everyone the whole trip.
And as always, until next time,
Ciao.
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