Forza Roma!! My First Italian Soccer Experience

Rome has two competing soccer teams: AS Roma and Lazio. The rivalry between them is huge. The team you support in Rome is part of your identity.The Lazio-Roma soccer game was a few weeks ago and my friend Tighe and I really wanted to go, so we invested in the 20-euro tickets at a Tabacchi and got some of our friends to come along with us.

As I got dressed for the game on Sunday, I tried to stay as neutral as possible. Black pants, white shirt and black jacket. Could I show less spirit? Well, I didn’t want to show any. Wearing colors in support of one of the teams can be dangerous, especially for a foreigner like me who can’t speak the language.

Tighe ended up getting stuck in Milan on Sunday during his trip back from Amsterdam, so he wasn’t able to make it to the game, but my roommate Carly and I looked up the route on the bus and made our way there with some friends.

As Carly, Susan and I approached the stadium, we could hear the roar of the fans from across the street. They were all singing! In Italian, of course, so I couldn’t really understand what they were saying, except “Forza Roma!” There was a lot of security around the stadium because these games can actually get dangerous if the rowdy fans lose control and start fighting. This is another reason why we dressed neutral.

Despite my attempt to focus on the game, I kept getting distracted by the fans! Every few minutes, they would break out into a new song. The cheering seemed to come out of nowhere, then within a couple seconds, the entire stadium was roaring in synchrony. It was amazing, and so much fun! Our entire side of the stadium was dressed in red and orange, which are Roma colors. The other side of the stadium was decked out in baby blue. I found myself looking at the stands more than I actually watched the game.

When Roma scored, everybody went crazy. Several people had snuck in smoke bombs and set them off, spewing yellow and orange smoke into the air. Others had brought in giant flags, which they waved in victory, and the crowd once again broke out into one of the roaring cheers. I found myself jumping around and screaming with everyone else. The spirit and enthusiasm is so contagious!

Roma ended up winning 2-0. The second goal occurred after we had left the stadium when there were only about 10 minutes left in the game, but we could hear the celebration from the bus stop across the street. The game was so much fun, and a couple weeks later there was another game against Munich, which I also attended. There is nothing in the world like a Roman soccer game and I am now proud to call myself an AS Roma fan!

Wilkommen(to Brussels and Berlin)!

Hello again my loyal readers!

Apologies for the lack of updates over the past few weeks, they’ve been quite action packed, if I do say so myself. Headlining to semester so far are my trips to Brussels and Berlin, followed closely by another trip into London. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Brussels: the center of the EU, a city with more embassies than any other. My reasons for going to Brussels? Food, naturally. More specifically, waffles and french fries, or pomme frites, as the Belgians (and French) would put it. I’ve basically been craving waffles since I arrived in England, since waffles aren’t exactly a staple in the traditional English breakfast. The Brits instead prefer a hearty breakfast of fried bread, fried eggs, sausage, bacon, beans, hashbrowns, and mushrooms. On the same plate. So, as you can see, I was desperate for waffles, and Brussels did not disappoint. Technically, there are two types of waffles in Brussels, the traditional Belgian waffle, and the liege waffle, which has sugar baked into the waffle. My new favorite. More a dessert waffle than a breakfast

Got milk?

At the beginning of this week, we paid a visit to Toulouse in the south of France. The focus of the visit was mostly on food production. I know – it sounded booooring to me too, at first. But as we were touring a winery and a dairy farm, I realized how important the issue is. Not so long ago, everyone’s parents or grandparents were farmers. Food came from people you went to church with or whose kids when to school with yours. Now, we go to the grocery store and pick up our cheese and eggs and such and don’t give a second thought to what it took to get those products onto the shelves. Food dictates so much of our lives – shouldn’t we know what exactly we are eating?

In France, traceability is a big issue. That means that most “natural” products you buy, like milk or eggs, can be traced back to where they came from originally using a tracking number. Not only does this ensure that one is buying local products, but it helps safeguard against diseases like salmonella or mad cow. They also have many different organizations that guarantee the quality of certain products. Farmers have to apply to get these certifications and the restrictions are stringent, but the customer knows for sure that he or she is getting the real thing. Pretty cool, huh?

Mostly what I gathered from this trip was that agriculture is extremely important. We tend to forget about it in the whirlwind of business and technology and tourism and all these newer, flashier industries. But at the end of the day, agriculture affects every single one of us. We can’t really escape it. I am very thankful that there are honest people out there who want to create and distribute things for me to eat. Better yet, these are things that come out of the ground, not out of a factory. Although I love me some Oreos, good veggies or a great wheel of real French cheese are much more satisfying…most of the time.

Oh, the places you’ll go

It’s really hitting me how little time I have left in Paris. Only a little over a month! I don’t know if I will ever be ready to leave.

Part of the reason time has been flying by at such a rate is that I have been keeping EXTREMELY busy! I have been running all about the city with the International Affairs program seeing all kinds of things. My mind is blown daily, to say the least.

On the weekends that I haven’t been too crazy, I’ve been trying to travel. I have been to Amsterdam and Barcelona so far. Barcelona is a great city, very lively and friendly. Also, I studied Spanish all through high school and college so far (and yet I’m living in France…go figure), so I felt great being able to speak a language that I am more familiar with! My two friends and I stayed at a fantastic hostel, which made my first experience in one much easier, but probably spoiled me a little.

Amsterdam is a much smaller city than Paris or Barcelona. I’d go as far as to say that it has a very small-town feel. Everyone rides bikes. There are no skyscrapers in sight. It was a nice little break from the big city, and definitely worth a visit. Most people there speak excellent English, as well, which is not necessarily the case in Paris, that’s for sure! However, both of these places were beautiful, but I was still happy to return “home” at the end of the weekend.

For a few weeks, my best friend was here for his own work. How amazing is that, meeting up in Paris?! Plus, it gave me a chance to be a tourist again for a little while. Like I said, I still barely know this place, so any opportunity I get to just look around, I take it. I feel best at the moments when I look around and realize that I live in this incredible place. I feel like after two months I still barely know the city, but that is what I love most about it.

Statues and Stories

Hello again from England!

These past few weeks have been quite the adventure, as to be expected in a foreign country. I’ve been into London (twice!), spent a misty morning at Stonehenge, and endured more than my fair share of rainy days here at Royal Holloway University. Let’s recap:

London, my second favorite city in the world (to visit) after New York City. Always raining, always crowded, yet it wouldn’t be London without these elements. London is the perfect city to get lost in, probably because it it incredibly easy to get lost in London. So far, my mornings in London have been spent aimlessly wandering around the city, at least until it’s time to eat lunch at Chipotle. Yes, I managed to find the only Chipotle in England and eat lunch there. Twice. Evidently, I wasn’t the only one with that idea, as the restaurant has been filled with Americans on both occasions. After lunch, I’d make my way to the West End, London’s theatre(the British way to spell theater) district, where I’d take in a Saturday matinee. Finally, I’d cap off the day with a relaxing forty minute train ride back to school. Two lovely days, if I do say so myself.

Stonehenge is another beast entirely. The mammoth rocks stand just off a major roadway; I had expected them to be guarded like the Queen’s jewels, yet there they stand, relatively untouched by modern society. Despite hundreds of years of erosion, the stones still stand quite tall, much larger than I anticipated. Of course, you can’t exactly touch the stones, but the rocks manage to exude a sense of power and authority no matter how far away you are. The fog surrounding Stonehenge on the day I visited only added to the mystique and atmosphere. For the record, however, Stonehenge was not constructed by aliens. Prevailing wisdom indicates that humans are the more likely culprits. Nevertheless, it is still quite awe-inspiring to be in the presence of such an incredible accomplishment.

My less adventurous days have been spent on this small, but charming, campus. I’ve got three papers due within a fortnight (the British two weeks), so I better start procrastinating on them, inevitably finishing them at the last possible minute. You can put me in a different country, take me completely out of my element, and, yet, some things will just never change. After the papers are due, I’ve got trips to Brussels and Berlin on the books. I’ll meet you back here with a full report on my European escapades. Until then, cheers mates!

Cinque Terre: Beach, Hiking and Pesto!

Cinque Terre is located in the Italian Riviera, a four-hour train ride from Rome. Dubbed the “five lands” for its five adorable towns, this beautiful area is full of beach, sun, pesto, focaccia, and hiking trails. I learned about the Cinque Terre from my friend Erin, who was in Europe for the summer. Had she not told me about it and suggest that I go, I may have missed out on this under-appreciated part of Italy.

My two friends Susan and Ellyn joined me early  Friday morning at the metro, which we took from the Vatican to Roma Termini. We then hopped on a train to La Spezia, then switched to a small local train that took us to Monterosso, the last of the five towns and the location of our Hotel. Upon our arrival in Monterosso, we were face-to-face with an austere coastline, pebbly beaches and a dozen little focacciarias that beckoned us to fill our stomachs with pizza and cupaccino. After stowing our backpacks in the Hotel Souvenir, we set out for our first hike to Vernazza.

There are four hiking trails between the towns. The one between Monterosso and Vernazza is the most difficult, so we decided to tackle it first. We bought a 5-euro day pass then starting trekking along the coast of the Ligurian Sea. The first stretch of the trail is a steep ascent up hundreds of stone steps, which left us winded. The trail then dipped down again, up again and at one point narrowed to a daunting 2 ft width alongside a cliff. After almost two hours of huffing and puffing, we descended down more steps into the colorful town of Vernazza. Our water bottles were all empty, so we filled them in one of the public drinking fountains that are located all over Italy, then walked the streets in search of Gelato. After exploring the town for a while, we sat at the dock and soaked in the peace and charm of the tiny town.

For dinner, we went to a restaurant right next to our hotel called L’Alta Morea. Since the Lugurian region is the birthplace of pesto, all three of us ended up ordering a pasta dish smothered in the cheesy-basil sauce. The food was absolutely delicious, and we each got a chocolate soufflé for dessert. At this point, we were all exhausted from our long day of traveling and decided on an early night to prepare for the next day.

It ended up storming loudly the entire night, but when we woke up the sky was crystal-clear, without a cloud in sight. Due to all of the rain, one of the hiking trails was closed for the day, but there were still two available for us to hike. We trained to Vernazza then started on the hike to Corniglia. The wide, seaside trail was pretty tough with a lot of uphill hiking, but the bright-blue sky and rocky shoreline provided a beautiful backdrop was we travelled along. We arrived in Corneglia hungry for lunch, so we found a little street lined with restaurants, and bought some pesto pizza and powerade to re-charge.

Since Corneglia sits atop a hill, we had to walk down 280 brick steps to reach the train station. From there, we trained to Manarola, because the trail between the two towns was closed. Manorola was my favorite of the five towns. It has a couple of swimming holes with giant rocks serving as the “beach.” The water was cold and rough because of the storm the night before, so we decided not to swim and walked around the town instead. We walked all the way to the top of the town, where you can walk along a vineyard trail that is lined with lemon trees, rosemary plans and bunches of grapes.

At this point, the sky was turning very dark and we still had one more trail; the Via dell’Amore to Riomaggiore. So we quickly walked to the trail, and were stopped by the sight of a fence covered in tiny padlocks. Some were rusted a deep red-brown color, and others were brand new. This path used to be a trail used by lovers from the two towns and is lined with graffiti proclaiming the artists’ love. A current trend is for lovers to place a padlock along the trail to signify their everlasting “amore.” We arrived in Riomaggiore and wanted something to eat. Focaccia originated in this region along with pesto, so we got some at a little shop called “Te La Do Io La Merenda” (I’ll give you a snack).

We then trained back to Manarola, where we had seen a restaurant called Trattoria Il Porticciolo that looked good for dinner. Dinner consisted of clam spaghetti for me and pesto lasagna for Susan and Ellyn. Then, we had chocolate mousse and tiramisu for dessert. After dinner, we were all stuffed and tired, so we had another early night and passed out by 10 pm. Sunday we lazed around at the beach then trained back to Rome, arriving back at 10 pm. The Cinque Terre is, at this point, the most beautiful place I have been to in my life. Although, I am going to the Almafi Coast this weekend, and I hear that it is gorgeous as well. It seems as though life is just going to keep getting better ☺

Where to begin?!

Well, I think it is safe to say that A LOT has happened since I last wrote! But, after all, it has been over a month. My schedule is EXTREMELY full, between classes and meetings and other outside activities. Not to mention trying to fit in some down time! I could not possibly be happier, though. I love Paris so much, I really don’t know what is going to happen when it comes time to leave. We have been reminded over and over again that students who want to often stay for the spring semester. I don’t know if that will happen for me, but what is more amazing than anything is how seriously I have thought about it. When I was preparing for this, I thought I would be just as happy to return home as I was to come here. I had no idea I would fall so in love with another culture. It’s just amazing to look at the world from another perspective, and there are so many things I appreciate about the French way of life. They appreciate things here. The other UF students and I took a wine class recently and learned the proper way to taste and identify different wines. It sounds silly, but as the speaker told us about how often we just swallow our food and drinks without really tasting them, something much bigger clicked. That is really what life is about here – enjoying the fine things instead of rushing through life to get back to work or what else we think is waiting for us on the other side of that meal. Needless to say, I got a lot more out of that wine class than that speaker probably intended.
Today we met with a famous American filmmaker who directs most of his movies in France. He is quite well decorated with awards and has worked with some pretty big names. I never really thought I would be sitting at a table with someone like that. Actually, scratch that. I thought it was possible, but I didn’t really see it coming so soon. It was more of a distant possibility, a “wouldn’t it be cool if” kind of situation. He was truly interesting and approachable, though – none of that Hollywood diva attitude. I will admit that I had to fight the urge to ask him about the celebs he has worked with, though.
Now, let’s hope that I will remember to do this more regularly! It’s getting colder out, so this Florida girl may be spending more time inside anyway.

Spanish Steps: Seven Miles of Exploration

The store that sells my University’s textbooks is right next to the Spanish Steps. Since I needed a book last week and had nothing to do on Friday afternoon, it seemed like a great day to spend at the Piazza di Spagna. I met up with Marni, a fellow Gator, after class, and crossed the Tiber in search of the bookstore.

We decided to walk instead of taking the bus so that we could wander side streets and see parts of the city that we don’t see everyday. After crossing the river, we left the main street to look into the “nooks and crannies” of Rome (as Marni, very cutely, phrased it).

This turned out to be an excellent decision, since we accidentally stumbled upon the “mercato all’aperto” at Campo dei Fiori right before it closed. We spotted a vendor that we selling gummies and, realizing that we were both craving sweets, picked out some of the yummiest looking ones and made our own little candy mixture. Marni then found a Roma hat for Tighe that he could wear to the soccer game that weekend. We left the market, pleased with our purchases, and continued on our way.

After wandering a little more, we ended up finding a cute little gelato place that allows customers to watch as the gelato is being made. We walked inside and found dozens of different, colorful flavors. There were new ones that I hadn’t seen before, like lavender and sage-mint. There was also an icy looking concoction on the very edge of the display called Granita, which Marni and I decided to try. Once again, excellent decision. She got chocolate and coffee and I got almond and coffee. The icy stuff was “better than Rita’s Italian Ice!” It was then, at that moment, that we realized the fruity ice that we love from Clearwater Beach is actually “Italian” ice. Get it? From Italy? Brilliant.

Then, we made our next discovery. Walking around Italy does a lot of damage on one’s feet… especially if you are wearing flip-flops or flats, both of which offer zero arch support. After tossing away our empty Granita cups, we saw a store that sells Birkenstocks. Helloo, comfy shoes! We walked in and tried on several different styles and, while the store didn’t have the ones we liked in our size, we vowed to find a pair soon. In the past week, we both have purchased Birkenstocks at a store near school.

During all of this, we were slowly making our way to the Spanish Steps. We had to ask a cute little man at a statue-shop for directions, and realized that we were right next to our destination. The streets leading up to the Spanish Steps are surrounded by high-end shopping stores. Marni and I drooled in front of Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton and Cartier before finally arriving at the Steps. They were not very impressive. The end of our journey turned out to be very anti-climactic. I snapped a picture of the Steps, teeming with tourists, then continued on our way to find the bookstore. We never found it. By this point we were exhausted, and I had a toothache that was slowly transforming into a headache. We gave up and made our way back to our apartment, passing the Pantheon and Piazza Navona along the way.

After arriving back home, Marni looked up our journey on Google Maps and found out that we walked over seven miles that afternoon.  It was one of the best days I have had so far in Italy; all because we ventured off the main path and explored the hidden aspects of Rome that most tourists don’t see. These walks always turn out to be really fun adventures, offering glimpses into the everyday wonders that lie within this city.

Trestevere Tour: The Other Side of the Tiber

Last Saturday, I sat in bed all day long with a cold. When Sunday rolled around, I was feeling much better and ready to go see more of Rome with my roommate Malia! So I put on some walking shoes and grabbed my Rick Steves’ tour book as a guide, then stepped out the door to start another Roman adventure.

Malia and I decided to spend the day in Trestevere. We started walking from our apartment and made a detour through the Vatican. It was early in the day, so not that many tourists had arrived yet. It was a very different experience; much more peaceful than when there are hundreds of people roaming around like giant ants. There was, however, a large group of people huddled together near the steps. As we were walking away, the crowd began cheering and the Pope popped up on two large projection screens. We saw the Pope! Well, a live news-feed of the Pope from inside the Vatican’s walls. It was still cool, though!

After the Vatican, we walked along the Tiber, past our school, and entered the Piazza Santa Maria in Trestevere. This square is the location of Church of Santa Maria, one of the oldest churches in Rome. Outside, there are tiles on the walls that have words written on them; most of which pertain to ancient Christian symbolism.

The inside of the church is absolutely breathtaking. The sun pours in from windows near the roof, shining across the pews and striking the intricate mosaic floor. The mismatched columns that support the church were recycled from ancient Roman buildings. There are mosaics above the main altar of Jesus’ birth and other images of Mary, Jesus, and the Pope. Every inch of the wall and ceiling is covered in paintings, and a statue of St. Anthony in the back full of pieces of paper where people have written down prayers.

We spent a few minutes walking around, admiring the artwork in the church. I am glad that this building is only several minutes away from my school, because I will surely be returning to wander around some more.

After our visit to Santa Maria, Malia and I walked over to a cheap little restaurant for lunch. The waiter seated us at the same table as four other diners who did not speak English. After eating a leisurely meal of pasta, chicken and freshly baked bread, we continued on to find the Church of Saint Cecelia.

This quest ended up being more difficult than expected, because the street signs here are sometimes difficult to find or non-existant. Along the way we saw a pretty flower shop and snapped some photos, then wandered around a few blocks before we discovered the little church. I had failed to read that the church is closed from 12:30-4:00pm every day, so it was locked up when we arrived. But we admired the outside and wandered around the courtyard before heading back home.

Trestevere is a colorful, exciting neighborhood full restaurants, churches and cute shops. I am glad that I get to walk through it every day on my way to school and don’t expect to get bored of it for the entire time I am in Rome!

Getting Lost in Rome

Last Thursday, I didn’t have any classes, so I planned some time into my day to get lost in Rome. After walking from my apartment to the Tiber River, I chose a direction and walked for several hours. I meandered north, and after several minutes I was surprised to see a huge castle just blocks away! A sign on the front of the structure said “Castel Sant’Angelo.” There was a museum that charged a 5-euro entrance fee, but I decided to save that site for another time and continued on my adventure.

Next, I crossed the river via a bridge decorated with beautiful statues. The other side of the river had residential areas unlike any in the United States. The naturally aged buildings here are probably decades, if not centuries, old. The paint is fading and there are cracks in the plaster, creating an effect that buildings in the United States try, and fail, to re-create.

When walking around Rome, I sometimes feel as though I am on a movie set and that set designers have cleverly created my surroundings. One time, I actually had to reach over and touch some ivy that was growing on a wall because it was so perfect looking that it seemed to be made of plastic. The ivy was real, of course, and I felt very silly after I did it. But I occasionally have to snap back to reality when walking around, since this city can feel like a dream.

On the other side of the river, there was a delicate and orate looking church that was hidden in the shadow of a tall apartment building. As I paused to snap a photo of the church, I noticed that a Smart Car had been parallel parked right next to me by backing into the space. This is a common occurrence around Rome, but I still find myself giggling at the tiny, random cars that are sitting along the street perpendicular to the sidewalk.

For another hour, I zigzagged through some more residential areas north of the Vatican. There were several shopping streets dotted with cute looking bars and restaurants, and more beautiful condo complexes that look more like palaces than common residences. For a while, I actually was lost, but eventually saw the giant castle in the distance and walked towards it to return to the river. On my way back to my apartment, a woman stopped me and asked me for directions in Italian. Although I understood her, I was not able to give her directions and told her so. She walked away disappointed, but I was thrilled that she had mistook me as an Italian walking around Rome. Apparently, Romans get lost in Rome, too. But it’s probably not as fun for them as it is for me!

Thursday afternoon, I got a little overwhelmed. My credit card was rejected (it still isn’t working), I was unable to book a trip for Thanksgiving break, and I was starting to feel sick. My wonderful roommates were very supportive. Malia, Maddy, Marni, Bridget and Carly are all so sweet and amazing. They offered to grocery shop for me, lend me money, and Malia even booked my trip to Ireland for me since I was not able to do so myself!

More to come about weekend traveling! I have been to Siena, Cinque Terre, and Tivoli so far, and have trips planned for the next few weekends as well.