Other blogs...

So it's been awhile since I posted, for obvious reasons- I'm not across the sea. But anyway, I wanted to share the links of our class's final assignment, which I thought was pretty cool. They're web art galleries in the form of blogs on various topics... Enjoy!

http://00wefoundlove00.wordpress.com/

http://lifeofjesusblog.wordpress.com/

http://meetingmyths.wordpress.com/

http://1ebrosius.wordpress.com/

Walk On...

Okay, so the time has come. I've been in denial for a little, but now that my suitcases are full and my wallet is officially empty of all Euro, there's no getting around it. It's time to "Walk On" as U2 so perfectly puts it. I listened to that song last night while I was reflecting and jamming out. I think that it's a perfect bookend to my semester seeing that my mindset was inspired by their album "All that You Can't Leave Behind."

Anyway, in this last post, I don't want to recap and get too sentimental for you guys. Lord knows I can get emotional, especially with goodbyes to people and a place that I love. So, I'm gonna try and leave on a lighter note with a list of some of my "favorites." It's nearly impossible to just pick one thing and say this way the ultimate best part of my trip, so I broke it down into subcategories for some of the highlights...Enjoy!

Best Sunset: Positano, Italy

Favorite Market: St. Ouen Market, Paris, France

Favorite Street Performer: Jet'Zik, Sacre Coeur, Paris France

Favorite Coffee: Italy! Specifically, I loved Sant' Eustachio in Rome

Favorite Gelato: Old Bridge, Rome, Italy

Favorite Pasta: Italy! Anywhere and everything

          My favorite dish is called "amatriciana" 

Favorite Pizza: Italy! 

      Naples' style pizza is best if you can find it, but enjoy it like this....

Favorite Church: Notre Dame, Paris, France

Favorite Stained Glass: Saint Chapelle, Paris, France

Favorite Breakfast: B&B in Sorrento - bacon, eggs, fresh OJ, cheese, and endless croissants 

Favorite Pastries: Paris, France

Favorite Nightwalk: Rome!

Favorite Waiter: Ben in Brussels near the Grand Place. This guy knew 8 languages fluently and could "defend himself" in like 14 total!

Favorite Hot Chocolate: Dark Hot Chocolate at the Happy Pear, Greystones, Ireland

Favorite Bread: Paris, France. Tough to beat full sized baguette for 1 euro :)

Favorite Chocolate: All of Belgium! Creamy, rich and delicious

Favorite Museum: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

       Super user friendly, clean layout and flow, and great information

So that is what were some of my favorites that I'll always remember, but what I'll miss most about my trip is the relationships that I've formed and the roots that began to take place while I was here. Our group has grown super close I think. We were 21 people who may never have hung out together at Geneva. Now, we've grown to be close friends and nothing will be the same when we come back. I mean that in more than one way. Our relationships with others will never be the same and our relationships with each other will never be the same. In a very "PoMo" mindset, our perspectives will be forever colored by our time together in Rome. You all will only be able to understand my experience through your own limited lens, and we will only be able to tell and recreate our stories through our own personal perspective...

I'm expecting a tough adjustment, but I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends back home. It's weird to say that I know Rome better than my hometown city of Baltimore. Kinda weird to think about...

Before this Ship officially sails for home, I'll leave you with some of my advice for future travelers:

-Places are not only defined by the monument sand sites; the people make the experience great.
-Your eye is your best camera. Don't worry about snapping so many pictures, but focus on treasuring the moments and memories.
-Pick a winner and go with it! (applies to almost anything in life)
-If you're buying specialty food as souvenirs, go to a small shop or grocery store - it's much cheaper and support local businesses :)
-Guidebooks are great to get started on your trips, but no offense to Rick Steves, he doesn't know everything. You gotta explore and make your own trip.
-Be flexible. Plans rarely always go according to plan, so leave some buffer room :)
-Be aware of opening and closing times of public transportation (see Orvieto post)
-If you're on a budget, eat a big breakfast, little snack at lunch, and save your money for dinner and sightseeing...
-Don't let jealousy or competition creep into your trip. I know this sounds weird, but it's true. Everyone wants to have the best trip, and if they feel like other people are having more fun or excluding them, it could turn sour. So, your trip is what you make it. No one will have the same two experiences, and everyone connects with a place in a different way, so find yours and make it awesome!

It may seem like I'm so educated and cultured after this trip, but the more I travel and learn about the world, the less I know and the smaller and more insignificant I feel. I'm a peon in this world and this blog has just my limited slice of how I've experienced Europe. Take from it what you will or leave it all on the side of the street for the trash men to pick up in the morning.

As far as I'm concerned, I don't know when I'll be back in Europe, so on this trip, I've tried to  "abbuffata", which is Romano for "getting as much of something as you can." In short, I want to come back to Europe soon, especially since there are a lot of discounts for travelers under 26 :) But until next time, I'll say, "Ci vediamo presto Roma!"

Getting to Goodbyes

I'm just going to recap the past few days here since they've been kind of a flurry as we're winding down...

We had our last Italian class on Tuesday and finished up with a final exam on Thursday. We had fun with our  final oral skit and had to say goodbye to Lucy, our great Italian professor. Goodbyes are always tough  for me because I don't want to be overly sentimental, but I don't know when I'll see these people who have influenced me again. I want to make sure I let them know that I appreciated them and leave them with something to remind them of our time together. Anyway, when Italians part ways, either for the day or for a while, they say "Ci vediamo a dopo", which means "we'll see ya later" and they also say "Tanti auguri", which means "best wishes." So, I've been saying my fair share of both of those phrases the past few days. Especially Tuesday night. We had our last English Class and said farewell to some great people that we got to spend the last 10 weeks with. I don't know what it is, but God's been pulling my emotions extra hard this semester, so the goodbyes are tough. It was fun to go out to eat after on Tuesday night, the man who helps lead the English Classes came too. Him and his wife have a great story - they left everything they had back in America and are now missionaries in Italy...

Anyway, on Wednesday, we went to a Papal audience, which is where Papa Francesco blesses everyone in attendance and recites a short sermon in a bunch of languages. Here are some of the best shots...

Too blessed to be stressed

Blessed and "supercharged" by the Pope...

He rode around beforehand and (IMHO) this is some pretty good footage...

Then I went to see some sweet Caravaggio art. Wow!

The Conversion of Paul on the Road to Damascus...

...the Crucifixion of Peter...

Thursday we had a Toga Party...kinda. We dressed in togas and danced at the big sights around Rome. It was really fun and people even wanted to get pictures with us! We came back and had a potluck and enjoyed hanging with each other...I didn't get any pictures, but be on the lookout for a movie that may go viral with people dancing in Togas, hahaha.

This morning I had my last caffe latte at my "secret restaurant" and said goodbye to my man there. Later today, we went to the beach as one of our last big activities as a group. Sperlonga beach was soooo relaxing. There was essentially no one else on the beach, and it was a great day to spend time with everyone and soak up some rays...

Along the coast...

Chilling on the beach...

So it's been a nice past few days winding down and packing up and starting to get ready to leave. I don't know how it'll all shake out, especially saying goodbye to the people who live across the country and in Rome. Ah. We'll see when we get there. Things will never be the same. But here's a good quote, though, that I think gets at the essence of my time here:

"We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love... and then we return home." 

Final Countdown

No, not the ever so popular song by the 80s band Europe. But we are in our last week here in Rome, I can't really articulate what I'm feeling. So I won't bother. In brief, it's a mixture of nostalgia, sadness, readiness, and apprehension about returning back. I know the adjustment before me, but much like when we first began, the change of scenery is always tough. I know I'll be okay back in the "real world" of life in the States, but I'm not quite done with Rome yet.

It ain't over till it's over right? I've set myself to accomplish a sort of bucket-list sort of things to do before I go. Much of it includes restaurants and things to eat :), but also other places in Rome to explore where I haven't ventured or spent much time in. This past week we basically finished up classes, so I've had time to write my final papers and explore where I please. A lot of my explorations have been solo, just because the agenda I have doesn't always match up with my peers' schedules. Regardless, some of the places I've been have been really neat to experience and see other parts of Rome that are slightly off the beaten path. Check, Che-Check, Check, Check, Check it out:

We had a Potluck for our last film in Italian Cinema class :)

And I made a cake in honor of missing my baking time with my sisters. I've actually been baking a lot recently to get back in the swing of things and relearn my craft :)

We saw a demonstration of how the treasured "gelato" was made. It wasn't just cool, it was ice cold!

My man Ben Makin getting his inner artist on while drawing near Castel Sant'Angelo...or something like that, you have to ask him yourself :) 

Bernini's slightly suggestive sculpture of the Ecstasy of St. Teresa...I'll let you decided what you think :)

Sitting in a bamboo work of art outside the MACRO (modern art museum) in Testaccio. Yes, I was allowed to climb this, and yes, it was free. It was like a little nest to relax in...

This witty line says something to the effect of, "I take three coffees at once so I can save two tips."

I've definitely gotten in touch with my lighter, witty side this semester...

Don't fear the Reaper! I'm still curious why this was in a church...

One of Michelangelo's personal favorite sculptures: Moses in the church of St. Peter in Chains, which allegedly has the chains from the prison that Peter was held in. Catholic Churches always have good stories behind their churches if nothing else...

Also, one of the best things that I got to do this past week was to play soccer with more Italians. Outside the MACRO is the Architecture School of Rome and in between classes, there were some guys about my age kicking it around. So I joined and we played 3v3 on the cement with goals painted on the walls, just like I used to do in my basement as a kid. Oh, sweet nostalgia....Then, on Saturday, Cindy, Karmyn and I went to a turf complex nearby for the "Agape Cup" hosted by CRU and Athletes in Action. Our friend Myrthe who works with AIA helped put this together, and we met some of her friends who live here and also do ministry with CRU. That was really cool. But even better was playing! There were two small fields, about the size of a futsal court, and the games were 30 minutes long. Cindy and I were on the same team with 3 other Italian men. Cindy was the only girl and did well and got mad respect from everyone! Our team was good, but there was a lack of chemistry and understanding... I mean the language barrier had a little something to do with that :-p Karmyn's team made it to the semifinals, so that was sweet to see them do work. 

After the tournament, we were all pretty hungry and beat because we missed normal dinner time and weren't use to cutting and playing full speed. It sure was good to get back into soccer for sure...

Today I've taken it easy - went to Church did some shopping and walking around Campo di Fiori and Trestevere. I've started packing (shhh...I know) because I know this last week will be a flurry of emotions and last minute adventures. The thing I'm trying to keep in mind is that all the friendships that I've developed here can still continue back home, and the adventure doesn't have to stop. I've really seen God work on my heart, mainly by amplifying my emotions, and softening my heart to things that matter to him. What I need to think about is - how am I going to live my life after this great experience? 

I don't know if I'll live in a city like Rome ever again, but the spirit of compassion and generosity that I've seen from the people I've met and what I tried to implement this semester are definitely two things that I want to carry back home with me, but things will never be the same. And that's okay I guess. Because while I may be near the end of my time in Rome, I have a feeling that God is not finished working in my life.

Keep the shirt on your garlic...

why would you ever take it off?

I know it sounds weird, but the Italians, at least in Rome, have a saying that when you're cooking with garlic and you want the antioxidants and just a little garlic flavor, leave the skin on and cook the meat or whatever else alongside it, then discard the garlic. If you want to have the heavy taste of garlic in your recipe though, obviously, remove the skin and chop it up. Where did I learn this profound knowledge you might ask? From the coolest chef in the Rome, Chef Andrea!

So this past Friday, Jessica and I took a cooking class, and I have to say it was one of my favorite experiences in Rome! For real...The monuments and art is all incredible, but to interact with Chef and his wife, and to see their passion for food, local food especially, was awesome. The class had 12 people in it and lasted 5 hours, but it totally didn't feel long at all. We cooked everything and gobbled up each course. I took a few pictures, but I'll give you a rundown of the menu first and slide in what pictures I can:

Antipasti

Roman artichokes

Searing the artichokes. After they were carved, you could eat every part of it!

Primi piatti

Gnochetti Sardi with boscaiola sauce

Fresh pasta and sauce. Quite the yum....

Secondi piatti

Chicken Cacciatore with potato wedges as a side

Roman chicken cacciatore is unadorned with sauces and veggies. 

Dolce

Tiramisu

In the works...It was a lot easier than I thought!

Check out Jessica's blog for some more (better) pictures of our time...Really, they're great...seriously, stop reading and go here--> http://xjqu.blogspot.it/

Okay, welcome back. Of course taking this class re-ignited my passion to bake and cook, so this weekend I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen, which is good because I miss creating stuff, especially with my sisters :)

The day before, I went to this local park where one of my Italian friends from English class works, so he showed me around some cool parts of the museums in the park, and it was free so that was a plus. The place is called Villa Torlonia, and it was Mussolini's house before and during WWII. I got to see his bunker and underground area too, which was cool...Check out some of these pics!

 The house of the owls contained a lot of symbols alluding to an esoteric society...Hmm.....

Sweet stained glass is pretty rare actually in Rome, so this was cool

More stained glass with mad symbology

I now I'm jumping around here, but I hope you're still with me. Saturday, I went and served at the Afghan refugee lunch and then headed off to the beach. Yes, the beach! So I'm missing out on all the Orioles' games back home, but at least I got some relaxing seaside time...oh yea, and I'm in Rome :-p
I didn't take any pictures, but the beach was pretty simple and not really built up like a touristy attraction. Very relaxing and good to catch some rays...

Still with me? Okay, so today is Sunday, so we went to church and had a lazy day hanging out outside in the beautiful weather and cooking up some more great food, well, mainly just some awesome desserts :)

I can't believe that my time is quickly drawing to a close, and I'm going to miss just about everything from Rome, especially the people (Italians and Americans both). The sermon today was about how to live out a life the reflects the truth of Resurrection Sunday, which was great because everybody puts so much hype into Easter, but then the passion seems to die off and fade back into a lull. But we have eternal life because our God lives; he's risen and conquered the grave! The pastor used Jesus's half-brother James as an example of someone who was changed when he encountered the resurrected Jesus. James was a disciple, but when growing up around Jesus, he had a tough time truly believing that his brother, a guy he slept next to, ate with, played with, and worked with, was the Messiah. James eventually wrote a letter that is in the New Testament and is one of my favorite books. James drops some serious wisdom (inspired by God), but here's just one of my favorites a little slices from his letter:

James 4:7-10 -"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts you double minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up."

Venice and Vatican

Ciao ragazzi! I've been trying to speak as much Italian as I can since we only have 3 more weeks left in Italy :/ That means, even if it's annoying to my companions, I stumble through sentences when responding in regular conversation. I mainly try with Kristen because she can help correct me, but I also try it out with locals and people who work in shops. It's a great way to meet some cool people and get into the culture. Ask me sometime about the people I met in Venice. They're great stories, but I just want to share my experience from the past week or so in pictures...

Gondolas galore!

Good to see Philly Union's sponsor, Pennsylvania Power and Lighting, over in Italy...

Now that's some fresh fish

The face of a Venetian empress outside the Doge's Palace at San Marco's Square...

No, my camera is not crooked, and yes, that tower is leaning to the left...

 At the Guggenheim House. Wild and weird contemporary art stuff. This, obviously, is Gugge's grave. Next to her are her "babies" - no, no children...just her dogs :)

Help! I'm lost in Venice! Which way to I go...IDK?!? 

A maestro at work on the island of Murano, known for its glass masterpieces.

The colorful houses line the streets of Burano. Okay, so I'll tell you the story behind why the houses are colored. The tale goes that Burano used to be a big fishing island, and when the fishermen would come back from a long day of work, they'd be drunk to the point of being unable to find their house number through all of the fog and haze. Thus, the colored houses would at least set them on the right track so they could look for their lime greened house or whatever...Interesting right?

Okay, so Venice was pretty cool. It rained nearly the whole time that we were there, but it was still fun to explore the back alleys and small shops. At first, I wasn't really impressed because I live near the water and have been on canals, rivers, etc. forever. But as I spent more time, I realized that literally everything was on water. Locals could drop out of their front door and into the water (they never would though, because it's so dirty). Sometimes, to get from point A to point B, it was more efficient to ride the vaporetto (water taxi) rather than try and walk. Even if the distance is short, the odds of running into a dead-end or circuitous path were high, so you'd likely be delayed anyway. I got a pretty good fell for the area though after 2 days and could get around generally without a map. By the last day, Saturday, I was ready to go because there were so many tourists! Oh, wait. Yea. I was one of those. But I try to blend in as best as I could, so as not to stick out or get in the way as some of the tourists didn't know how to walk or carry their umbrella without poking me in the face with it...Okay, yea, so you get the point....

It was a quick turnaround coming back from Venice because the next day was Pasqua aka Easter Sunday. Since it was the newly appointed Pope Francesco's first Easter Mass, and it might be the only time we were in Rome for Easter, a group of about 10 of us went down to the Vatican for Easter Mass. We were up before the dawn, and if that wasn't enough, it was Daylight Savings Time in Europe, so we lost an hour of sleep. Lovely! Anyway, we got there around 6:45 am, and found ourselves in a line about 2/3 around St. Peter's square. Whatever, we were just happy to be going and to see it all. Luck and divine intervention would have it that an entrance gate was 5 meters from where we were. 

We got in licketly split and got the best standing seats possible, which was still about 75 meters away. If you wanted to sit, you needed to notify in advance for a ticket. Anyway, front row standing room to see Papa Francesco's first Easter. 

Not too shabby considering there were 250,000 people total packed in St. Peter's Square :) 

 Don't tell this guy that we're in the 21st Century... Just kidding, but if anyone can tell me what position this guy has, you get 1,000,0000 points from me. Really though, I'd be impressed :)

 *hint: location and outfit are key*

So, to me, the service was more of a ceremonial spectacle more than anything. There was a marching band prelude, probably 1,000 Latin Hail Mary's recited, and Catholic chants that they probably recite in their sleep. It must be pretty important to the Catholics though; it's like their Mecca I guess. Nonetheless, it was a pretty cool experience. We left early and felt the walk of shame before 250,000 + We just wanted to beat the rush and get some sleep!

We had a great big Easter dinner, and then I felt like I connected in worship later that night during our own worship session. My heart was yearning to worship God some after I couldn't connect that morning. That was really good to help me further appreciate Easter. Jesus willingly died as a sacrifice for my sin. But he didn't stay on the cross or in the grave. He rose from the dead, conquered the grave and defeated Satan to grant us eternal life. Rereading the gospels recently struck a cord inside me that really moved me beyond a "heady" understanding of that fact. This passage from Isaiah is also great too: 

Isaiah 53:5-11 - 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishmentthat brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crushhim and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Spring Break!

I want...10 days + 5 cities + 4 countries + 3 friends + 2 tired legs + 1 backpack = 1 European Combo Spring Break...Oh, and hold the hassles and sardines with that order please :)

Not my strongest introduction, but there won't be a lot of writing in this post, so don't worry. I was surprised by how much 80s music I heard in nearly every stop; I guess Europeans are preserving the "Golden Age" of music...or they just like the catchy songs...I noticed also that it's funny how most Europeans that we interacted with thought that all Americans go crazy at the beach on Spring Break. I wonder where they got that idea??? Anyway, I can't explain everything about my trip, you'd leave your computer after my first story because there's so much. But I hope you enjoy my pictures (and some snarky commentary) of my stops along our mini-backpacking trip through a tiny slice Europe...

Nice, France - A taste of the beach for spring break

Port of Nice...Yup we're right on the water :)

Nice, it's Nice!

Coast along the Bay of Angels

Two turtle doves...

Omelette ratatouille...with free bread and salad!

Paris, France - An American living on the Left Bank of Paris...how original :)

You're in Rome at The Pantheon? I thought you said you were in...

Oh, right there's the Eiffel Tower.

Wait?! Where'd it go????

Oh there it is, phew :)

Batman's Lamborghini on Champs-Elysee... 

Florence's locks got nothing on this bridge!

I took a quick stop over the blue bridge from Beaver Falls to East-vale real quick...

Just kidding, still in Paris :)

You know I got my crepe on...

My favorite church and gothic architecture in one shot...Notre Dame

Hey there I am! Saint Chapelle, gorgeous stained glass. Loved it...

Best street performer yet - freestyle soccer player by Sacre Coeur

Just some random burned sugar...or something

Brussels, Belgium - The capital of Europe...and chocolate!

Grand Place on the left. (Pssst. The steeple on the left is off-center)

Gold statue is doing his best Soldja boy - "YOOUUUU" 

If you want to start a revolution, make an awesome Opera...

Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate.

Delicious 1 Euro waffle, whaddup?!

Bruges, Belgium - The quiet gem in Belgium

I went for the 360, windmill dunk in this city

Surround by so many cool "fleas"at this market

Watch out!!!

The Belgian army was actually the strongest in Europe because of its infantry of bear soldiers...

Two guys and some slabs of sugar.... 

And they made this!

Cannon to the left, Cannon to the right...and THUNDER!

 Madonna and child escaped from Italy!

Pizza Hut amid the medieval design of Bruges...

Amsterdam, Netherlands - An eccentric surprise

 A quaint diamond soup shop in the rough of the city

The water was full of pot.... just kidding ;)

Unique cab service, eh?

Floating flower markets that go on for miles!

Wait, what did I do?

Giving a new meaning to the phrase "breaking onto the scene"

 Number 7 - Skinniest house in the world, for real, no joking here :)

Forgive me for my cliche tourism, I know not what I do

I didn't get a picture of the Van Gogh Museum, but that was incredible in Amsterdam as well. Probably my favorite, most user friendly museum so far...

Yeah, so there's my Spring Break in a a few pictures. I obviously took more pictures than this, but these were some of the unique ones I thought you guys would enjoy. I think they're swell if nothing else...I have plenty of stories; if you're curious for a good one, I'll see what I can do. I was pretty wiped out after running around for 10 days, so it's nice to be back and rest comfortably in Rome. We have about one month to go, and it's going to be a great one. March Madness is starting, there's a new Pope - Francesco, and the weather's starting to warm up... Andiamo!