21 Cheers for Cilento

The weekend had finally come. The one I have been anticipating for years and the one my parents simultaneously feared and applauded with relief. My 21st birthday! We had a planned class trip for all 32 of us to venture to the south of Italy. The area was called Cilento, but the city we stayed in was Eboli, but ate lunch in Oppidi, and then we went to Salerno. I am still confused on where we exactly were, so I'll just call it Cilento. Friday we headed straight to a farm and saw Buffalo that they make mozzarella from, "Mozzarella di Buffala" pronounced (boof-fa-la). I ate so much mozzarella di booffala this weekend I was completely booffalaed out. I girl can only handle so much booffala. The farm worker told us that it has 9% fat and you should only eat it about twice a week. Well, great. They served us every damn meal that weekend withbuffala. Our first dinner they literally came out with an egg the size of a football made of booooofala and served us each one individually. I could just feel my arteries clogging by the sight of it. But dinner came with a side of entertainment. The owner of the restaurant had karaoke set up and insisted on full participation. He had no shame in putting on a few performances of his own that we sang along to in Italian. 

Another stop we made was to a sea port where fishermen were coming in from their day that started at 4am that morning. They pulled out buckets of live squid still sloshing around, one even inked. He also pulled out shrimp and was handing it out to eat on the spot straight from the water. I was obviously too big of a shrimp wimp to try it, but others said it was really fresh! 

The rest of the weekend was jam packed with boring tours for us to listen to in Italian and then wait for the English translation only prolonging the tour to twice the amount of time. We saw different types of fish and sea creatures learning about the mediterranean diet and we also went to an archeological sight to see more ruins. 

But enough about that, let's talk birthday celebrations. It all started when I got out of the shower to find a powder blue cowboy hat trimmed with feathers and a tiara on front along with a drink in my bag. My roommates made me take a knee and chug the drink on the spot, while wearing this ever so fashionable head piece...and my towel. The whole group met in the hotel lobby and the facilitator brought us to a small local bar where all 32 of us could not even fit. It was actually smaller than my bedroom. I had such a great time singing and 

dancing with all of my friends while they bought be drinks. At midnight they brought out a flaming bottle of champagne and I looked like a kid on the Fourth of July. My face lit up from this unexpected sparkler drink and I had way to much fun pretending I was a fire breather. I have to say the best part of the birthday was the 7am wake up call the next morning.

I honestly think I deserve some kind of medal for being able to get out of bed at that disgustingly unreasonable of a time after the night of my 21st birthday. I am a warrior. However, I can't completely say I retained a word of the tour through the botanical gardens. Luckily we had the rest of the day free in Salerno, which is in the Amalfi Coast, so we just hung by the water.

Another memorable meal we consumed this weekend was at a pizza place we were given a behind the scenes tour of before dinner. The oven they use to cook the pizzas in are so hot that it literally took 20 seconds. We got to try a sample of several pizzas they create including a dough made entirely from vegetables, and gluten free pizza. There was not better way to finish the meal with a slice of Nutella pizza!

London Calling

Off to the most expensive city in all of Europe, London Town! We dove right into the underground and got it all figured out, including the lingo, “Mind the Gap”. We took the tube everywhere we went, such as our hunt for Chipotle. It wasn’t until about 10:30pm that we got in to our hotel, so it was 30 minutes until close. After I gave a brief pep talk to the group that we really could make it, we jumped on the tube and tried to find our way. The street name was nowhere to be found on a map or a sign. I asked someone walking by if they knew where 

Chipotle was and he replied, “Bloody Hell, isn’t that a sauce?” Things were not looking up from here. As 11 o’clock neared we gave up hope and settled for an outdoor café. We people watched to find everyone very well dressed as well as very drunk. Leicester Square was happening on this Thursday night and we instantly knew we would come to love this city and were already looking forward for our day to start tomorrow.

First thing in the morning we went straight to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards. It was more crowded than Disney World on a hot Saturday afternoon in the middle of July. I couldn’t see much at first so I just stood on my tippy toes, stuck my arm as high as it could go in the air, and snapped a picture. I inched my way up as much as I could to enjoy the Chia Pet figures putting on a show in front of this beautiful palace.

Westminster Abbey is the church that Prince William and Kate Middleton will be married in just a few short weeks. We went inside this historic building and toured all of the tombs, chapels, and sculptures of Royalty dating back to the 11^th century. This is where coronations of the Kings and Queens occur. I felt like Royalty just standing in it! After that we made our way to the most famous pedestrian walkway, also known as Abbey Road. As we approached the final destination I wondered what it would be like. If it would be roped off as a tourist attraction or just be a little side street that no one crossed paths with. None of the above. It is a full on busy street with cars zipping through and helpless tourists waiting on the sidewalk for a break in traffic to hop out and snap a quick pic. 

It was quite comical to watch and we had a lot of fun trying to mimic such a revolutionary photograph. After a few good laughs and what we hoped, a few pictures to turn out, we headed to the infamous Harrods department store. I aimed wondrously around the different levels with eyes wide open at each piece of merchandise that I would feel guilty buying even if I were Paris Hilton. We did, however, purchase cupcakes and headed over to Hyde Park and relaxed in the sun. For dinner we were recommended a restaurant equivalent to California Pizza Kitchen. 

Although I am a big fan, I wasn’t too enthused to eat pizza on a weekend out of Italy. Good thing I didn’t listen to my instincts because I had an excellent meal called the “Acapulco” and it surely was a Mexican fiesta in my mouth. MmMmMm. Later we made our way to O’Neil’s, a pub that students go to. We were very turned off by the frisky club promoters on the streets and refused to fall into their schemes. 

Saturday morning the first thing on our agenda was CHIPOTLE. Oh, how it was ever so glorious and worth the wait. Things I noticed about Chipotle abroad: there is a brown rice option, which I tested out and give a thumbs up for. Also that the portions are not as hearty as in the U.S. which I also applaud because after I polished off my burrito bowl I didn’t feel like curling up in a ball and waiting to explode. Claire happened to have a surprisingly interesting conversation with the manager when she got up to get more water and it went a little something like this:

Manager: Where are ya guys from?

Claire: Chicago.

Manager: Me too! What part?

Claire: The northwest side.

Manager: Oh yeah, what Chipotle do you go to?

Claire: The one on Touhy.

Manager: Yeah, I opened that one. Where do you go to school?

Claire: U of I.

Manager: Yeah I opened that one too, the two story one on Green Street.

Claire: Oh my God, we go there all the time!

Manager: They just sent me over to London to open up this branch.

Well how about that. This guy apparently opened all the Chicagoland Chipotles. I should have gotten his number… After we got our fix to our Chipotle addiction, we headed over to the Camden Market. This is definitely the most amazing market I have seen with a street that stretches far filled with amazing shops and stands. My sister’s voice ringing in my head about her getting her eyebrow pierced here only made me more sketched out about the whole situation. She got her eyebrow pierced...on the streets of London...by God knows which character. I even thought about getting a fake eyebrow ring to freak out my parents.

The last sight I was eager to see was St. Paul’s Cathedral, where Princess Di and Prince Charles were married. In all of the 900 churches I have stepped foot in, St. Paul’s definitely stuck out. It is right up there with St. Peter’s. It was breathtaking the size and beauty of it. We climbed up to the Whispering Gallery and the very top to look out across the skyline of London. Claire and I were so happy to have the perfect climbing gear on, skirts and flats! My dogs were barkin’ fersurree, but it was totally worth it. That night we saw the play, “Million Dollar Quartet” and had a blast singing along to all the hits of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.

London airport was stacked with super strict security that rooted through my whole bag. This man was rather rude to me and I did not particularly like him. He let me through with a fork, in which I could potentially stab him with, and I was about to, but he couldn’t bare the thought of letting my face wash see another day. I chalked that one up to a loss. Until next time… Ciao a tutti!

Spring Break

AMSTERDAM

Amped about our 10-day vacation traveling through 3 countries of Europe, we showed up at our hostel in Amsterdam. The Flying Pig is a super cool hostel that comes highly recommended. As Ellen gives her name, the kind lady informs her that the only reservation under that name is not until the 24th of March. Well that was funny because it is the 18th and they are fully booked. Nice one Ellen. We were on a time crunch to get to the Anne Frank museum because we pre brought tickets, so we dropped our stuff there for the time being and headed out. I had immediate grade school flash backs when I walked into the house of Anne Frank. I thoroughly remember reading the book and watching the movie as a kid and it was unthinkable that I was actually walking up the same stairs concealed by the bookcase where she hid for years. I stood in her room where she wrote this life-changing novel and walked through the kitchen and bathroom that she had to tip toe and restrict herself of any noise. Although it wasn't spacious by any means for 8 people to live in isolation for so long, it was quite bigger than I imagined. I pictured a single little annex of a room. There were quotes and video clips from herself and other survivors a part of this horrible history. It was incredible thinking how recent this happened compared to the history I am used to seeing in Rome. After this we still had to figure out our sleeping arrangements for the night. We ended up booking a room at the Best Western for 3 people and had to sneak in the other 3.

There was a group of boys we knew visiting Amsterdam this night as well, so we all went out to dinner together. On the way to the restaurant, we happened to be walking down the streets of the Red Light District. My reactions to the displays before me were disturbed, surprised, sad, uncomfortably giggly, scared, and disgusted. Girls were literally behind glass doors knocking, winking, and waving at everyone passing by. We were only in Amsterdam for 24 hours and it was plenty of time.

BERLIN

Luckily our next mode of transportation was by train so I didn’t have to hide my purse under my sweater and appear to be preggers on the airplane to get by with 2 bags. Just as we were marveling at ourselves on how independently mature we are for making our way from country to country without any adult to lead us, the conductor came by telling us we had the wrong tickets for this train. We were supposed to be on the earlier one and technically would have to pay for another ticket. As usual we played dumb, except I'm not so sure we are playing anymore, and we got by. We didn’t get in until later on Saturday night so we checked into the hotel and went to a traditional German restaurant for some sausage and sauerkraut, and of course beer. We were tired from traveling all day, but we decided to check out the bar on the top level of our hostel called Wombar, cleverly named by the Wombat’s Hostel. Little did we know that this would start a revelation for the next 4 days.

Sunday we did the free walking tour of Berlin and saw Hitler's bunker where he allegedly committed suicide (where we spat on the ground), the Berlin wall, Charlie's Checkpoint, the monument to the murdered Jews of Europe, and so much more in between. Berlin is such a large city that is very modernized because 90% of its buildings were destroyed during the war. Just like in Amsterdam, the history is so compelling to me to hear about because of the recency and memory of learning about it in school. It was Brittany’s 21^st birthday at midnight so we went out to a nice dinner and ended up at, what do you know, the Wombar. Claire and I met a girl from Belgium that was seemingly a very nice girl that turned into being weirded out by her overly friendliness, along with her friend with the most interesting dance moves I have ever seen. I want to say it was a mix between an elephant trunk and a pigeon head bob. I’ll be sure to bring it back to the States for it to catch on.

The next day we took a lllloooooonnnnnggg walk to find the East Gallery of the Berlin Wall. This is the part of the wall that is covered in murals by artists from all over the world. We then rode a six-person bike back to the hostel. The only advantage the guy had to convince us cheap college students was the complimentary beer. Score!

Tuesday was a day I will never forget. We went to Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp right outside of Berlin. I was truly taken aback by the stone cold facts right before my eyes. It was all too real walking amongst the death chambers as our incredible tour guide narrated thoroughly detailed stories of what happened on this site and the day to day lives of the prisoners. It was all I could think about the rest of the day, even when we hit up our usual spot, Wombar, we found ourselves immersed in deep conversations about our earlier discoveries. 

DUBLIN

I said that I could live in Paris for the semester. Well, I could live my LIFE in Ireland. The second I took foot off the airplane I had a huge rush of emotions that I should have spent my entire spring break here, that I should have studied here, that I should apply for jobs here after college. Dublin is everything I imagined it to be with pubs every 2 feet you walk, comparable to the amount of Starbucks you find on every corner in America x5, if that is even fathomable. We celebrated Pilcher’s birthday at The Temple Bar, which is the most famous pub in the heart of Temple Bar, which the main street with nothing but pub after pub. I could think of no better way than to spend your birthday at a pub in Ireland with live music and friends, not to mention the gorgeous bartenders and their ever so dreamy accents.

Thursday morning we rose at the crack of dawn to get on a train to Galway. I was head down asleep when I opened my eyes to find an old man sitting next to me. He cracked a smile and asked in the cutest Irish accent, "rough night?" It wasn’t so cute afterwards when he and his friends loudly conversed the entire way there. The stars must have been aligned because when we arrived in Galway, the tourist information center told us that the only bus to the Cliffs of Moher was in 6 minutes. So, like every other travel experience this semester, I sprinted to the station to catch the bus. It was a much longer travel than I was expecting, but one that was worth it times infinity. The view is beyond words and since a picture is worth 1000 words, here's 3000:

 

Galway is a very small town that was so friendly and I was sad to leave it behind. However I wasn’t too sad to be returning to Dublin. We visited the Guinness factory and learned how they brew the beer. Who knew barley, hops, and water could create such a tasty and refreshing beverage. The tour ends at the top of the factory that looks out over the city and provides you with a free beer and then cleverly happens to lead you to the gift shop right when you’re feelin’ good. The Brazen Head is the oldest pub in Ireland, established in 1198. We stopped by there to check it out and got to talking to a few of the regulars that look like they were there on the day the pub opened. Later that night I happened to run into one of my family friends studying in Dublin and his family was visiting at the time too! Once again, I really realize how small the world actually is. Every night was just a really feel good time with live music playing as we belting out along with. I would describe my voice as a mixture of Fergie and Jesus. Until next time… Ciao a tutti!

Just the Two of Us

Trip anxiety started out even before the trip began. I was gathering my things the night before around 9:15 and happened to look down at the plane ticket to Athens in my hand. I was indeed not going to Athens this weekend and to the best of my knowledge it was not April 21st. I printed the wrong godforsaken ticket. Another staple needed as a college student that I am without is a printer. The flight I was supposed to be on in the morning was at 7 am, so I had to get it figured out that night if I did not want to pay the 40 Euro for the airport to print my ticket. I Googled “Internet Points” in Rome searching and searching for one to still be open. I stumbled upon two that were of course nowhere near my apartment. Luckily Andrew was in the same boat and needed to get his train ticket printed for his trip this weekend, so with my wet hair fresh out of the shower, gym shoes, yoga pants, no bra, and a pea coat, I ran down the street to catch the bus waiting for the next thing to go wrong. And here it comes…of course this happens on the day there is a strike on all public transportation. Every month Rome has a pre-determined day they go on “strike”. I call this a “strike” because they give a specific time frame this “strike” lasts for. I don’t quite understand the logic of having a strike ensuring you will be back to work the next day. It really accomplishes a lot. Regardless, it’s a pain in the ass. We decided to catch a cab and the crisis was averted.

Venice is a gorgeous city that is in its own little word. I absolutely love the water surrounding every inch of the city. There is not one car, only boats and a lot of walking, except the city is so much smaller than you think.  Claire and I wandered and walked all throughout the streets of Venice and looking back at the map afterwards, we realized we literally had walked the entire city.

Lunch was a milestone in my life. Claire and I ordered mixed fried fish to share. A plethora of disgusting creatures arrived on a plate in front of me. They had eyes, mouths, scales, and all. I am all for adventure, but I’m not plain crazy! This was a true test of courage and I did what I did. I tried it. It was repulsive. But I tried it.

Later that day Danny, Alex, Claire, and I went on a romantic gondola ride through the canals of Venice. We grabbed two bottles of wine on the way to make it the most perfect 20 minutes of our lives. Andre, our gondola man, was a 6th generation in his family to work on gondolas. His father, grandfather, great grandfather, and so on all followed in the footsteps. He had begun at age 15. I asked if he had ever hit his head on a bridge and he replied, “Once. I’ve fallen in many many times, but clonked my head just once.”

Walking along Realto Bridge was heaven and hell all in one. I wanted to buy everything that I laid eyes on. I was like a kid in a candy store, except I had a sweet tooth for Murano glass. Let’s just say, I bought a few presents here. We took a water taxi to Murano Island and saw how they make the Murano glass. It was truly phenomenal how effortlessly they create the detailed sculptures.

There isn’t really nightlife in Venice, but somehow Claire and I stumbled upon a great time Sunday night. We asked a waiter where young people usually go and he pointed us in the direction of a piazza where he said would be a bunch of bars that all the kids hang out. There were 2. And no one really around. We walked into one and sat for little feeling like losers with no friends until we conjured up the ultimate pick-up line. Even though neither of us smoke, Claire walked up to a group of people hanging out at the tables outside and simply asked, “Can I bum a cig?” This resulted in welcoming arms from the British people there. We instantly made friends, especially when we were informed of the beer bong they had behind the bar. “Let me show you Brits how it’s done.” I believe were the words that came out of my mouth.

I awoke 20 minutes later than planned and shouted to Claire, “It’s 6:23!!!!!” The bus to the airport left at 6:40, so our departure time was vastly approaching. We literally jumped out of bed, grabbed our bags, and were out the door. On the journey to the bus stop, my boot caught on a cobblestone and I tripped, naturally. Only this time set it over the edge because I then had a huge flap from the detached sole. I had to flippedy-flop the whole way home.