So much Plaid

After a bright an early morning we landed with yet another “on time Ryan air flight.” Our flight left so early that when we landed in Edinburgh the sun was not yet up. Uffda! We dumped our stuff at our hostel and hoofed it up a hill that rivals those of GAC to a Starbucks (sensing a trend for the weekend?).

When the clock struck nine we dashed off to Black Medicine Coffee. It was a super cute little place with wooden chairs and antiqued decorations. Kelsey and I twitched every time the door creaked hoping it would be Claire or Ava. Eventually they did come and we sprang from our seats to shower them in hugs. Erica acted like the paparazzi and took pictures of the reunion.

Claire and Ava were our tour guides for the day and gave us the grand tour of Edinburgh. They showed us all the major sites.

The first thing that we did was go to a cemetery where there are graves with the names of Harry Potter characters (James Potter, McGonigal. Riddle….). Then they took us to the cafe where JK Rowling wrote her books. It was one hopping cafe, as one can only imagine because she wrote some awesome books!

Then we walked up a hill to see incredible views of Edinburgh. The wind was so strong. I thought that GAC had prepared me for all windy days, I am used to my hair being a mess and hunching into the wind to walk to class, but this was unreal. It was literally blowing me backwards. Ridiculous. I think I have grown weak while in Rome.

We saw the Scottish memorial, an unfinished monument, and Edinburgh castle (that one only from a distance though).

When lunch time rolled around we ate lunch at a place Biblos. We ordered nachos to split for the table and then Erica, Kelsey, and I all ordered burgers. I love that food in the UK is similar to food back home. Every once and a while it is nice to have a taste of home.

Then we went back to Claire’s flat to chat for while. It was so nice to be able to catch up with them. Then Ava, Kelsey, Erica, and I went shopping on the Royal Mile. It sounds all fancy and formal, but it really just a street of tourist shops. If the conversion from the Pound to the Dollar was not so icky I would have come home with an armload of cashmere and wool. The Scottish have some really nice garments. Everywhere I turned there was a plaid something, whether it was on a shortbread tin, a mug, a scarf, or a skirt.

When we returned to Claire’s flat she and her boyfriend had made dinner. It was a Bulgarian dish called Musaka. We likened it to Bulgarian lasagna. It had potatoes, veggies, and beef with a bready (egg and flour) top layer. Kalin even put a cheese smiley face on it! It was delicious! We even had a popular Scottish drink, sorry, the name evades me. It tasted like orange bubble gum, but carbonated. It was interesting, but I don’t think that I will be getting again.

After dinner we went to a Christmas market. We rode the swings and the ferris wheel (it had an awesome view from the top, though frightening because it was so windy). It was a great end to an even better day.

Side Note: Men in Scotland actually wear kilts. I thought they would only where them for special occasions, you know, holidays and things. Nope. I saw several men just wandering the streets wearing them. Sadly, only one of them was playing a bagpipe.

Leprechauns Exist!

Day two in Ireland was a whirlwind. There was so much to do, and so little time to do it. We got up and went to Starbuck’s to get our day off to a coffee filled start. Such good choices.

I am not entirely sure of the order in which we did things, my apologies, so I will just tell you the sights that we saw.

We went to St. Patrick’s, which is a very old church. They have an awesome park/garden thing outside the church. It screamed photo-shoot. Obviously we took advantage of that (pictures to come soon). Inside the church there were lots of cool artifacts. They had memorials from various wars where Irish people fought. Things I did not know, there was a South African war, and Irish people fought in it. This church was also where Handel’s Hallelujah chorus was first played. In remembrance of that they have the original score. Erica, Kelsey, and I were totally geeking out. They even have the original organ. So cool!

We also went to the Guiness Factory. It was surprisingly cool. There was lots of history of the family and the brewing process. They had old advertisements and the old wooden and copper tools that they used to make the beer way back in the day. I also found it kind of cool that the factory that we toured has a 9000 year lease signed by Arthur Guiness from the 18^th century. My favorite part was the cafe on the seventh floor that has panoramic views of Dublin.

After that we just wandered around. They have all the Christmas lights up so we thought we would walk around and soak that up. It was really very pretty.

For our last night we went to a traditional Irish food. I don’t recall what the restaurant was called, but I do remember that the food was good. Vanessa got a super tasty mushroom soup, and the rest of us got something called Boxty. It was basically like an Irish burrito, but the shell was a potato pancake. Erica got steak, Kelsey had chicken, and I had lamb. We rotated plates to share because they were all so tasty! Also, they split checks in Ireland, what?? We got really excited and our server laughed at us. Not nice.

After our traditional meal, we wanted more traditional Irish. So we went to the Arlington Hotel. Each night they have folk music and river-dancing. It was a lot of fun. Usually that thing is not really up my ally, but seeing as we were in Ireland it seemed fitting to spend our last night doing that.

At this time, I will explain my blog title. All over the streets of Dublin there are midgets (I don't know the PC term...vertically challenged persons of Ireland?) who dress as Leprechauns and you can pay to take a picture with them. They wear little green suits, hats, and all have redbeards. Clearly, this leads one to assume that Leprechauns do indeed exist. I say this, because they would never stoop so low as to monopolize the folklore as a ploy to extract more money from tourists. Thus, proving that Leprechauns are real!

When we were ready to call it a night we went back to our hostel to book a shuttle to the airport. Funny story. We thought our flight left at 7:30 so we could get up early, but not like crazy early. Well...its a good thing we checked, because our flight actually left at 6:30. So we said our goodbyes to Vanessa at night, set our alarms for 4 am (yuck), and went to bed dreaming of our reunion with Claire and Ava.

Oh the Irony

Not going to lie. Spending Thanksgiving in another country, particularly the UK was just plain odd. Not only for the historical reasons, but also because it was sans family. On our flight to Ireland we discussed the things that we were missing most about Thanksgiving at home. We got lots of looks from those who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, a couple people were nodding in agreement though.

We only spent a day and a half in Dublin before we left for Edinburgh, so we were resolved about getting the most out of it.

On Thursday our first stop was obviously Starbuck’s. Italians don’t believe in chain coffee stores. I love them (the italians), but they feel like they have the best coffee. Don’t get me wrong, they do have good coffee, but every once and a while a girl just needs a taste of home.

When we made our way to the hostel, we discovered that Vanessa, who was meeting us for our stay in Ireland, had missed her bus and would be late. Kelsey and I wiped our tears and then began our wanderings around Dublin. Erica, Kelsey and I had an awesome afternoon. We saw lots of cute little streets. The best part of the afternoon was by far finding an Irish grocery store. Erica knew that the UK had Dr. Pepper, so we were on the hunt for it. So we found a grocery store and scampered in. Sadly we did not find our fizzy drink of choice there, but we did find other goodies like Doritos and cheddar cheese, and some chip Erica had in England and really liked. We also saw other things that Italy does not have that sent us into squeals of delight. There was BBQ sauce, real brown sugar, gallons of milk, and cranberry juice!!!! Italy is really dropping the ball by not having these things.

On our way back to our hostel we found a convenience store type thing that had Dr. Pepper for Erica. As an added bonus they even had root beer AND Reese’s peanut butter cups. The man at the register laughed at us. Realizing that he spoke English (WHAT?!?!) we were able to explain why we were so ecstatic. He smiled and laughed and told us to enjoy.

Back at the hostel we unwrapped our block of cheese and and passed it around our little circle. I must say, after months of white cheese (though delicious) it was really nice to be able have cheddar cheese.

In the middle of our cheese/chip feasting the door knob jiggled. Kelsey and I both jumped up (expecting it to be Vanessa) in preparation of the worlds biggest hug. We were right, and the three of us soon became entangled in a massive hug (Erica was still feasting on the cheese like a very cute gerbil).

After our mini reunion we decided we should eat a real meal, not just chips and cheese. So we went to a restaurant that we found in our wanderings. It was a cute little Irish pub and we all (sans Vanessa the vegetarian) ordered fish and chips. Best fish and chips that I have ever had. They were crispy and tasty, and the french fries all salty and delicious dipped in catsup.

Since we knew that Ireland was known for its live music we wandered until we found a place that we liked (ie. the music sounded good from the street) and grabbed a table. The place that we decided on had a guy on a guitar doing covers for popular music. Much to our delight (mainly Erica and I) he looked exactly like a young Collin Firth.

Overall it was a good Thanksgiving. It was filled with fun, good food, and friends. The only thing it lacked was family. Although who knows if there would have been space at the table, I heard my spot was stolen AND someone else helped my mom cook. I feel as though I have been replaced.

Happy Turkey-Day (one day early...)

Wow. This week went by so quickly. I had just enough time to do a load of laundry and have everything completely dry before jetting off on my next adventure. Tomorrow morning we (Erica, Kelsey and I) head off to Ireland. Then, on Saturday we go to Scotland. The weekend will consist of visiting Claire, Ava, and Vanessa. I am so excited!!! I can not wait to see them and give them giant hugs.

I am a bit sad, however, that I will be missing Thanksgiving. My mom makes the most delicious food ever! I feel as though my absence will be particularly rough on her as I am her sous chef. I am not quite sure who will fill my role. I mean, love you Jim, but lets be real. You are not very gifted when it comes to the kitchen. You are a master of the grill though, so don't lose heart! As for Dad, he too is a master of the grill, but in the kitchen the kitchen he peaks at eggs and pancakes (remember the candy 'cakes, things that happens when mom jets of to the PNW for the weekend).

Fun Factoid: We were talking about Thanksgiving in my Italian class and learning the words for the foods. When we got to cranberries she looked at us and was all confused. After much describing and funny looks we learned that in Italy it is called "mirtillo rosso americano." Direction translation: blueberry red american.

I am off to dinner. Molly's parents are in town and we are all going out to dinner. Should be a good time. They are super nice and her dad and I are political BFFs. Her mom also had quite the zinger today. She made me laugh hysterically.

Enjoy Thanksgiving everyone. Eat lots of turkey, stuff yourselves with stuffing, eat an extra slice of pie for me, and enjoy watching the football game.

Side note: Mom, don't leave the sweet potato casserole in the oven over night, as Molly would say that is "bad news bears!"

The Land of Lederhosen

This post is happening a bit later than I would have liked, but at least I got my pictures up in a timely manner. Anywho... This will be a long one. So brace yourselves.

Friday:

We woke up at 4:30 in the morning. Ick. I have not been up that early in ages. Our flight out was at 7:10, and with rush seating we wanted to be there with plenty of time to spare. Success. Erica and I were able to get seats next to each other and rocked out to the Wicked Soundtrack while looking at the swiss alps from a birds-eye view. When the end of our flight approached we had to listed to "Springtime for Hitler." We thought it was necessary given we were spending the weekend in Germany, Berlin to be precise.

When we arrived at our hotel for our whirlwind 36 hour adventure we promptly scampered off to the Starbucks down the street. They have there Christmas coffee out AND they had bagels!!!!!! Erica and I snagged a table feasted on our treats and created a plan of attack.

First stop: Hamburger Bahnhof Museum fur Gegenwart. Translation, museum of contemporary art. We saw some Cy Young, Andy Warhol and other really random things.

Second stop: Luther-Wittenberg. This was a must for us. Ever since we found out it was an hour from Berlin we knew that we had to go to the birth place of the protestant reformation. Funny story. Since we had no idea how to get there we asked for directions. When we said "Wittenberg" the man looked at us and said something that sounded like "Luther Van Vittenberg?" I dumbly looked at him and replied "uhhhh, Martin Luther.....the protestant reformation......" He proceeded to type feverishly and then printed out directions. Turns out he was right. Yeah for locals!

We were told that it was a small town and would find everything easily. Lies. It took us almost an hour to get to Market Square. We wandered and wandered, we almost asked someone for directions, but then realized that we spoke no German. Uh-oh. Then, through the haze of the fog (which made for awesome pictures) we saw a promising looking building. Turns out we were right. It was the church where Luther first delivered a protestant service. We also saw the chapel where he pleaded to not be labeled a heretic, his statue, and the 95 thesis doors. It was amazing. The town was super cute. In addition to seeing all of this history we ate the most amazing chocolate truffles. Gotta love those Germans.

After finding our way back to the train station we had a silent (I felt like my breathing was audible to everyone on the train) and very clean train ride back to Berlin. After coming out of the train station we heard screaming. Without missing a beat Erica and I looked at each other and followed it. We were led to the Sony Center in Potsdamer Platz located a few blocks from our hotel. Much to our surprise we stumbled upon the Berlin premier of Twilight: Breaking Dawn. There were throngs of screaming tweens, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and others. We got some pictures, and nearly got tickets to the premier.

Once things started to wind down there we decided to go get some food. We chose a place in the Sony Center so we could keep an eye on the action. Erica and I were both super excited to eat German food. We split Weiner-Shnitzel and brats on a bed of sauerkraut. Yum. Two things made it fantastic: it was not Italian food, and it tasted like home.

Then we wandered back to where the premier was and hung around for a while to see if we could snag pictures with any of the stars. We saw the man who played Carlisle, but were to slow/unwilling to shove through the people to get pictures of him. Meh. I think I will live.

After our whirlwind day we tiredly made our way back to our hotel where we fell into bed and instantly fell asleep.

Saturday:

Up bright and early, though not as early as Friday. After a quick breakfast we hit the ground running. We had a lot to see and not a long time to do it.

First stop: the Jewish Museum. This does not focus on just the Holocaust, but the history of Jews in Europe. It was really fascinating. It kind of reminded us of a science museum for kids because they had a lot of hands on things. They had a memorial garden, a tower that brought to mind gas chambers, and a memory void where you walked on metal faces symbolic of those who died in WW2.

Second stop: Checkpoint Charlie. This is a checkpoint from when the wall was up. There is a big sign that warns that you are leaving/entering the American Sector (depends on what side you were on). Where the wall once stood they have banners (in wall shape) that show the history of that time period. They even have a spot where you stand with a foot on each side of Berlin.

Third stop: Topography of Terror. This is where a portion of the wall still stands. Oddly enough, right below the wall were the crumbling foundation stones of the Berlin S.S. headquarters. It blew our minds that two horrible things happened in one town so close to each other. We took our pictures next to a portion of the wall that had "madness" spray painted on it. They could not have been more right.

Fourth stop: Lunch. We were starving so we headed off in the direction of the shopping district. We managed to find a little pub. I say managed, because unlike Italy there is not a restaurant every three feet. At one point we began to question whether or not Germans actually ate. Luckily we found this place. It was so good. Once again, we shared. Erica had currywurst (brats with a bbq type sauce and curry powder) with potato salad and I had goulash. Seriously, Germans know how to cook. I realized this weekend that most of my favorite foods that my mom makes are German. They have mastered the art of food for cold weather. On that note. I LOVED THE WEATHER IN BERLIN (happy caps, picture me jumping up and down with glee). It was in the 30s and I could see my breath. I even saw pine trees (photos happened). Erica said I looked like a happy Minnesotan.

Fifth stop: German History Museum. This was a history of Germany from the beginning, before they were actually Germany. Erica and I, not really caring about Germany in 500 BC walked to the 1800s. There were some really cool antique weapons (swords, canons, and such) and old military uniforms. It got pretty depressing pretty fast. I feel like Germany has been at war for the better parts of the recent-ish history. Once we got to WW1 there were old posters (Uncle Sam, War Bonds....) that I loved. There were also some really depressing pictures, but what isn't depressing about WW2?

After this our time became more filled with random wanderings. We went where ever things looked pretty. So pretty much everywhere. They were starting to set up for Christmas, so lights were going up as were little villages.

As we wandered back to our hotel we found a Christmas village that had been set up. It was so cute. There was a tubing hill and the swing rides for kids. There were also stands that sold corn on the cob (literally dipped in a vat of butter), brats, chocolate, cotton candy. The works. Erica and I pretty much ate our way through. It seemed like it was the quintessential German Christmas.

Feeling full and happy we continued our wanderings. We went to Brandenburg Tor (something exciting happened there, but I don't remember what) and saw German Parliament. Both are very pretty all lit up at night.

All in all we were out and about in Berlin for 12 hours that day. I am sure you surmised this from my description of the day, but we only sat down for lunch. That means a grand total of 11 hours and 15 minutes on our feet. Thank goodness we are young!

The weekend went by far too quickly. There was so much to see and do, and we flew in on Friday morning and out on Sunday morning. It gave us about two days to explore. We were constantly on the go, but we were able to see everything on our list.

And now I shall right no more. If you made it this far you are a trooper. I am off to bed. Hope you all have a great day!

Old Adages prove true

Time really flies when you are having fun. Exactly one month from today I come back to that states. It is hard to believe that I have already been here for three months. I feel like I just got here yesterday, alas, I did not.

Throughout the course of the last 90 days I have done amazing things. Trips have been taken to Venice, Pisa, Florence, and the Maremma towns of Tuscany. Various exhibits in Rome have been visited, I have wandered random streets and gotten tragically lost, I have braved Rome's public transportation, eaten the best pizza ever, become regular at a cafe, mastered the art of cooking with my retro stove, and soaked up the history of the city I currently call home.

I am truly blessed to be able to go on amazing adventures like this with my awesome roomies in tow. Even more blessed to have shared this experience with my parents. It is hard to believe that this once far off dream of studying in Italy actually became a reality. Three months later I still have to give myself a pinch to remind me that this is real. I actually live in the eternal city.

Three of my four months in this amazing place have passed, and the last one shall not go to waste. There is still so much to see and do. We have trips planned to Berlin, Dublin, Edinburgh, and Prague. The month will be a whirlwind and my passport is going to get a serious workout, but I will enjoy every second of it.

The adventure spree commences tomorrow morning, bright and early, when I head off to Berlin with Erica. It will be a weekend filled with pretzels, sauerkraut, and schnitzel. There will probably not be any waterfalls with sharp pointy rocks at the bottom (Emperor's New Groove anyone?), but I still say "bring it on!"

All you need is a light jacket...

Oh hey. Its me again. Nothing terribly exciting has been happening in Rome. Now that the political turmoil has subsided there are not riots around every corner. It is a real shame. Never fear! Now that the drama surrounding Berlusconi is calming those in the unions are picking up the slack. I just got notification that there will be a strike tonight and tomorrow night. Woohoo! You may be thinking, "self, I thought she said there was no excitement in Rome, that seems like excitement." You would be partially correct. It would indeed be excitement if I relied on public transportation to get to and from school and the store. Alas, I am within walking distance of everything. So no excitement for Kate.

Classes today were interesting. My human trafficking prof decided to do our final exam review today. It was five minutes in length and she told us the final would cover everything after the midterm. Super helpful. Also, the exam is not until December 13. The next three weeks will be student presentations. Things I am not really looking forward to.

The class that is now being taught by the University's President has gone from my favorite to my least favorite. I feel like we are being babysat. We all shuffle into class, my peers give their presentations, and we shuffle back out. He takes attendance and says a few words. Today however, he decided to lecture on how one should give a presentation. Good idea, yes. However, it would have been better had he not used the two presentations given in class today as the "what not to do" examples. He spent a good fifteen minutes critiquing their presentations. I felt awful for them. If you have problems with their presentations address it with them individually, not in front of the whole class. As Molly would say, "bad news bears."

On a completely different note, IT FEELS LIKE FALL!!!!!!!!!!!!! *happy dance* The lows in the evenings are in 40s and during the day it is in the low 60s. The Italians, and those from warmer climates, are all freezing, but I could not be more ecstatic. I chuckle to myself as I watch them waddling to and fro all bundled up. Some of them even have a slight Minnesota lean going on. I have been wearing a light jacket (not too hot, not too cold... Ms. Congeniality anyone?) or no jacket at all. They look at me like I have six heads. Oh well.

I have been throwing open the windows and basking in the October like weather. I even have been sleeping with the window open. My roommates think that I am insane. They have been shutting my open windows and turning on the radiators. *sigh* To each his own I guess.

Look! A pij-ee-ohne-ay

Think back to my post about my MIA prof. Well, today I got some news. He is being replaced. He has asthma and chronic bronchitis, and as such does not have the energy or lung capacity to get to school and lecture. As a result, we now have a permanent substitute teacher, the president of the JCU. Should be interesting. I am really grateful that I am done with my presentation. The good news is that he will still be grading our papers and is available be email to answer any questions. More good news, we are done with the lecture portion of the class, it is now all presentations. That aside, we all really liked him and it stinks that he is no longer teaching. I hope he recoops quickly, because it can't be fun for him to be sick for so long.

In other news while eating lunch today on my usual bench with Kelsey I was nearly killed by a pigeon (here they call them pij-ee-ohe-ays), not once but twice. I am not lying. The darn birds swooped at my head. I saw my life flash before my very eyes. Luckily no bodily fluids landed on my head or persons. However, when wings brush your head and sharp orange talons are inches from your head it is frightening. I may, or may not, have squealed.

Well, that is my day in a nutshell. Hope you all are having a good day!!

Arrivederci Parents

I have, once again, been remiss in my obligations to update this blog on a more regular basis. My apologies. So here is the update on my life since the last post. Ready, set, GO!

Thursday:

This was my first full day with my parents all week! After class I scampered over to their hotel for a fun filled day. After a quick bite to eat at a local cafe, we commenced our day. Essentially we walked all over Rome. I took them to all the major sights. Along the way we did some shopping (Dad loved that) and generally soaked up the atmosphere. As dusk set in we decided that we all wanted to see the Trevi fountain at night. It was AWESOME! I would say it is better at night, it just seems so much more magical. It is by far my favorite tourist site in Rome.

For dinner we went to Hard Rock Cafe. I have been here for three months and was dying for cheddar cheese and a taste of home. It was scrumptious. I hate to say it, but I am growing weary of pasta. Another bonus, it is super close to the American Embassy. I was so close to American soil, and I got to see Ol' Glory all lit up and pretty. So worth it.

Friday:

This was my favorite day with my parents. It was so leisurely because we had already seen the sights. We spent close to an hour drinking coffee and eating chocolate croissants in a cute little cafe called "H." They had massive green couches that were super comfy and, well, green. Enough said.

Then we meandered over to an Audrey Hepburn exhibit (shout out to Amy, totally made me think of you). It was amazing. There were black and white pictures of her throughout her career, her old passports, outfits, the vespa from "Roman Holiday," and home videos. It was really well done.

After that we went back to Campo di Fiori. That was cool because we got to see the change over in the piazza. The open air market is only open until three-ish, so we got to see them break it down. We had a snack at an place called Obika Mozzarella bar. We ordered a cheese sampler with bread. My parents were astounded by the tasty cheese, and of course, mom loved the presentation. Upon Mrs. Steen's and Mrs. Luckie's recommendation, we ordered a hot cocoa. It was the best ever! It tastes like a melted chocolate bar and had the consistency of pudding. Dad thought it was too rich, I thought it was delicious as did mom.

Then Erica joined us and we went off in search of a black and white photography exhibit. In typical Italian adventure style, we did not find it. We wandered, asked some people, wandered some more, hiked up a hill, and well, gave up. We did, however, find an awesome view of Rome at night. The moon was pink and we could see the twinkling lights of the city. So the hike up the hill to the non-existent museum was so worth it.

To cap off our evening we feasted on fine italian pizza and pasta, stopped at a delicious chocolate store, and went back to my apartment for brownies (baked by Erica). We all said our goodbyes and then I packed my parents into a cab wishing them safe travels.

Saturday/Sunday:

Fairly lazy days. Worked on some homework, looked into law schools, uploaded pictures. The highlight of the weekend was seeing Mr.Whittaker from Adventures in Odyssey. We were sitting in church and all of a sudden Erica elbowed me in the side and said "Look." I discreetly looked and Erica and I both went wide eyed. This man was the spitting image of Mr. Whittaker!! Oh the good ol' days of car rides with the family and Adventures in Odyssey cassette tapes. That makes me sound old, but hey, at least it was not played on one of those eight track things my parents reminisce about.

A lesson in being Politically Correct

Tangent time again, conservatives read on....

My human trafficking class is driving me insane. Right now we are talking about migration. Obviously, the topic of illegal versus legal migration came up. My prof decided it would be a good time to lecture us on politically correct terminology. She explained that illegal migrants are not actually illegal, rather "irregular." She argued that no human can be illegal.

This, as one might assume, incensed me. Humans can be illegal. Sorry, but if you cross a border without the proper identification and credentials, or hire someone to smuggle you across said border you are illegal. The very word "smuggle" would connote illegal action. Yes, I agree that all humans have a certain degree of rights, but we also have to follow moral code and abide by laws.

To be afforded the opportunity to study here I had to fill out a visa application. It was a lengthy process, and sure, I got frustrated, but every study abroad student had/has to do it. It is the law. It is no different for working in a foreign country, you must go through the visa process. It is something you have to do. If you knowingly violate those laws you are illegal. There is no other way to slice it. To use the term irregular migrant, in my opinion is to thumb ones nose at the the government and the laws that give us our safety.

Okay, tangent over.

In happier, less controversial news my parents are having blast. They have seen all the major historic places and are soaking up the experience. I have eaten dinner with them the last few nights. We have eaten at some cool restaurants and talk about our days. Its like the old days of family dinner. Another bonus, I don't have to cook for myself. Obviously, being with my parents is bigger bonus.

My dad says he is a natural when it comes to the language. He is picking it right up. So much so, in fact, that he has been debating pronunciation with me. He usually loses.

Tomorrow they are off to Florence. Its just a day trip, but I think they will have fun. It is smaller and quieter than Rome, so it will be a nice break from the hustle and bustle. Sadly, this means I won't get to see them at all. Woe to me.

A Labyrinth of Canals

So after an international flight, my parents had just not had enough. So a mere ten hours after they landed in Rome we took off for Venice. A lot of flying in one day for the parents, but worth it. The flight is only one hour, and Mom slept the whole way. She was out and twitching (like Mo after the Hound Dog Hotel) before the flight even took off. It was kind of cute.

The landing in Venice was very similar to that of my experience in Rome. By that I mean we did not get a terminal. We stayed on the tarmac and were herded onto a bus, and that bus took us to baggage claim. When we were walking to the bus we were faced by what some would call bitter cold, being a Minnesotan I scoffed at them. Personally, I find 45 degrees refreshing after the heat of Rome. Also, they don't know bitterly cold until they have walked to class in eight feet of snow (uphill both ways mind you) with wind whipping in their face and the weather at well below zero.

When we made it to the hotel we were blown away. It was so beautiful. It was sitting right on a canal with red and white striped poles in front of it, and the water was lapping onto a set of stairs (the bottom one covered in algae). Our room looked out to the canal and when we were sitting in it we could hear the boats passing by. Each time one did my dad would perk up and say "Una Barca!" (italian for boat) and race to the window to see it. I love my parents.

After a bite to eat in the hotel we all fell into bed. Well, my parents did. My bed was actually a pull out couch that was horrible. So I pulled the cushions off the couch and covered those in my sheets. So let me rephrase. My parents fell into bed and I fell into my couch cushions.

We woke up bright and early for our first day in Venice and had a scrumptious breakfast at the hotel. Our servers name was Bane and we loved him. He was so happy and friendly (on day two he remembered our coffee orders, I found that impressive). We happily munched on an assortment of pastries before heading out.

First stop: the island of Murano. This island is known for their blown glass, and the hotel had set us up with a shuttle and a tour of one of the factories. It was really cool to see. In order to become a master glass maker you have to do it for thirty years. The factories are usually family owned and operated, a fact we all found interesting. The experience would have been way more cool if they had not kept trying to get us too buy stuff. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to buy glass, just not a huge sculpture or chandelier fit for a palace. Not really my cup of tea.

After that we just wandered over to San Marco. This is the main hub of the island and home to a huge and beautiful church. The piazza was filled with people. Turns out we had stumbled onto a University graduation. At first we thought it was cute. Then they started chanting a song, loudly, and repeatedly. It very quickly went from cute to obnoxious.

Over the course of the two days we did a lot walking over cute bridges and down darling streets that ran along the canals. We also went into nearly every store. Mom and I were on the hunt for gifts. Dad, growing anxious and being a stereotypical male who hates shopping started a hunt of his own, one for pastries. So the girls stopped in every glass shop and Dad stopped in every bakery, I think it was a fair trade off.

The weather while we were in Venice was kinda crumbly. We spent part of the first day walking under awnings to avoid the rain. The second day was mainly really nice. That is, until the evening. The skies opened when we were on the way to meet my roommates for dinner. I became soaked (we all did). I think I liked it the least.

Other note worthy news. My mom is in love with the linens and dish-ware over here. She gasps when she sees them and picks them up and proclaims that she must find them. She is also in love with the windows and doors in Venice and Rome. She is starting albums entitled "Doors in Italy" and another called "Windows in Italy." I am in full support of this endeavor. I myself have taken pictures to contribute.

I am currently working on editing my pictures to get them up. Don't hold your breath though. It may take me a few days to get them up.

Mia Famiglia!!!!

First and foremost MY PARENTS ARE HERE!!!!!! They made it here in one piece and, despite extreme levels of exhaustion, they made it through their first day in Italy. Second, and nearly as exciting, the peanut butter made it safely to Rome. It is as delicious as one might expect.

The first order of business upon my parents arrival, after copious amounts of hugging was taking them for a cup of coffee. I took them to a little place next to my apartment, we call it Giovanni's (the name of the owner and a man that I want to be my grandfather). Mom thinks the coffee is strong (shocker) but after two packets of sugar she proclaimed it to be drinkable. Dad drank his with no qualms.

After coffee we traipsed the whole five feet back to my apartment to meet my roomies. My parents, wanting to make friends, brought them pastries. They promptly made a pot of coffee and became fast friends with the parents (who also brought them gifts from the land of Minnesota: wild rice soup mix, fish pen, "you betcha" card deck).

Fortified by large amounts of caffeine I then took them around Trastevere (my neighborhood). They instantly fell in love with the cute little streets, shops, and darling charm that it has to offer. I also showed them the market in Campo di Fiori. It was actually the first time that I had been to this particular market and it was really cool. There are little stands everywhere. They sell things like spices by the kilo, kitchen-ware, shirts, veggies, and fruits. Both locals and tourists flock to this market. It is the quintessential European experience.

Hungry after all of our walking we went out to lunch at the pizza place next to Giovanni's. We did discover, much to our chagrin, that no pizza is served at lunch. So instead we opted for delicious pasta dishes. First meal in Italy, check!

Then we went back to my apartment to ready ourselves for our journey to Venice. Spiked your curiosity? You will have to read the next post to hear all about it! Buonanotte!

An MIA Prof.

Not much to report on the Roman front. My media class was cancelled again, why I don't know. This makes one whole week sans that class. Seeing as this prof taught sitting with an inhaler in his hand when he had bronchitis, and he is not at a conference, I am mildly concerned as to what is causing him to cancel class. Also, they need a better way to inform the students that their class has been cancelled. They don't send out an email, no, they post in on a bulletin board in one of the campuses. Another check in the negative column for JCU. The bigger bummer lies in the fact that I will probably need to make these classes up. It baffles me. A prof cancels class and the students have to come in on their weekend to make it up. Man I miss GAC.

Other than that I have been doing homework and planning things to do when the parents get here. I also plan on scrubbing down the apartment tonight. I think our cleaning guy has gone on strike as he has not shown up in two weeks. Bah-humbug.

Speaking of the parents, I checked their flight status on Delta and they are currently boarding their plane to Rome. 10 hours and counting. Woohoo!!!!!!

There probably will not be another post until Sunday. Once the parents get here I will be showing them around my stomping grounds and we are heading off to Venice tomorrow night. I am so excited!! I have heard it is one of the prettiest cities in Italy.

Thats all for now. Have a great day!

Arrrrrgh.....

My piracy paper is finally done (just call me Patchy, wait.....)!! I have been working feverishly on it for the last week and it is done. I could not be happier. Also, it is twelve pages exactly (it was supposed to be ten to twelve in length). It is done a bit on the early side, the rough draft is not due until November 14, but I have epic travel plans coming up, and now I don't have to work on it when my parents are in town (the sacrifices that I make...).

Today is All Saints Day, and seeing as I am living in Catholic country I have the day off of school. It is a glorious day when you don't have to set an alarm. Rome is supposed to be deserted and pretty much everything is shut down. So I shall use the day to research my slavery presentation. You may think to yourself "self, didn't she just turn in a paper for that class?" Yes, yes I did. That does not stop my prof though. I have a twenty minute presentation on sex trafficking in India with a girl from my class on November 21. I wish I could do my presentation on my paper, things that would have been more logical, but my prof wanted us to pick all new topics. Its a good thing I am like researching because it seems like that is all I am doing lately.

In other news, Rome has been invaded by birds. They flock to the Tiber and apparently stay for about a month. In an effort to make them go away they pipe the sounds of their predators (Eagles) into the air. Valiant effort, but it really does not work. Instead they just frighten the people and disrupt my classes (I can hear the noises from the Tiber campus, not the Guarini campus).

Erica has also earned her place in the roommate hall of fame. She made pumpkin pie in honor of Halloween. It was so good. I sort of came home in the middle of her baking it (class had been cancelled) and she yelled at me and told be to stay out of the kitchen. Fearing for my life, I did as I was told. Man, it was worth it. She even had made whipped cream for the top it. How, I don't know. But it was delicious!

Countdown: less than 48 hours until the parental arrive