Vacation coming to an end

So I have gotten so use to the Italian lifestyle of taken a three hour lunch break, having a cappacino, and a pastry and I have to say I love it.  But my 7 week vacation has just ended because I have just realized I am in school and have a project due tomorrow morning.  Looks like I have to work for a few days before going on a three day trip to tuscany.  Keep everybody posted.

Mean while listen to the most popular song in Italia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcjaLW91sCQ&feature=player_detailpage

Best pizza in the world

Cooking class and Napoli

On friday I experienced my first cooking class with our schools chef, Andrea.  We started off by going to the local market in Campo de Fuor (which is the American party place at night) and he showed us what and how to buy ingredients.  So after an hour so of shopping we went back to his kitchen where he taught us how to make an amazing 5 course meal.  The meal was unbelieveable and the main thing is that I now know how to make an awesome pasta sauce plus he is emailing mecall of the directions and ingredients which means I can share how to make this fabulous meal. 

On Saturday I had my second trip outside of Roma and went to Naples.  Me and my roommate went through a travel group called Bus2alps to make sure everything would go smoothly, but thats not at all how it started.  We were suppose to meet the group at Roma Termina which is the main trainstation in Rome so pretty simple right.  We get to the station near our apartment and by a one way pass to Roma Termina and hope on the first train we see that says Roma Termina on it.  Apparently this one had departed from Roma Termina and was heading the oppisite direction.  We all had a feeling that we were heading the wrong way but its hard to no for sure when you can't understand anything, so after 25 minutes of heading the wrong way we knew we were lost and go off at some random stop.  Immeditately as we got off another train had stopped and was going back the way we had come so we all ran and just barely caught it. 

Now we were suppose to meet at the main station at 8 we left are original station at 645 so we could be early and once we finally got on the train heading the right way it was 745.  We were screwed, we thought they were gonna leave us behind because we were 35 minutes out of the way.  So I called the women at bus2alps and told her our story and she said "sorry we are leaving at 8".  Just great now me mike and steve were going to have to spend even more money to buy a one way ticket to Naples.  So we finally arrive at the meeting spot and luckily they were still waiting for us thank god trip saved. 

After the crazy beginning the trip was smooth and was great.  I ate at the best pizza in the world at the best pizza place in the world called L'antica pizzeria Da michele which is in that new movie eat pray love or something.  Truly is the best pizza I've ever,  when we got there, there was a line out the door adn we had to wait 20 minutes for pizza, and let me remind you that this is not a tourist time at all so he was all locals waiting. When we finally sat down there menu was awsome it only had four things but we didn't even get to order because when the waiter came over who looked at our table and just said five double cheese pizzas and five beers.  Eat pizza was the size of a large and you had to eat with a fork in a knife. But this pizza experience has kinda ruined pizza for me because it makes Romes pizza taste crappy.  I'll upload some pictures soon.


Ciao

Ortopedia???

So yesterday I have my appointment with my orthopedic doctor to make me new orthadics.  I had no idea where I was going except a glance at the map and made it there in one piece with a little help from some Italian locals.  In Italia directs don't really help, street names just everytime there is a piazza or a fountain and there are a million piazzas and fountins in Roma. Pretty much they change all the time for some random reason also Italians drive like freaking maniacs.  Don't follow street signs, no speed limit signs, and a million motorcycles makes walking pretty scary and life threatening.  But like I said I got there in one piece. 

I thought the difficult part was over and it hadn't even begun.  Unlike the last doctor I visited, this one, who was making my orthadicsspoke no English at all.  Imagine trying to communicate with someone who is making an replica of what your arc is suppose to look like who can't understand you and you can't understand him.  Obviously was an adventure and itself and was extremely confusing so lets hope that everything turns out alright.

Tomorrow I have a cooking class at 11 a.m. so I can show all of you back home how to cook. I'll try and have a few more pictures up by the end of this week but its hard to post a lot on the blog

Ciao

Transportation Strike

Today there is a 24 hour transportaion strike starting at 830 this morning last til 5 then starting back at 8pm, don't know how that is 24 hours but thats what they're calling it.  Crazy Italians, its probably because no one pays to ride the buses or trams because they go on an honor system to pay when you ride.  But the locals don't even do that so I think I'm gonna go join the strike and make an awesome picket in English. 

 Rome has been great, I went to an Ice Bar last night, everything is made out of ice and they give you an extra coat to wear.  Honestly it was pretty silly, but hey who can say they've been in a bar made entirely out of ice. 

Friday I have a cooking class and Saturday I go to Naples, so I'll keep you posted.

Ciao tutto

When in Rome get chronic tendonitis in your achilles?

So after my consultation with my new foot doctor it seems that I have chonic tendonitis in my achilles from walking to much around Rome..... Wow this sucks.   But not to worry I'm not letting it stop me from having fun and walking all over the city.  I'm just going through the same old feet problems I've been dealing with forever.  Today I'll get new orthodics and I start therapy on next Monday yippee.   But this weekend I'll be in Naples so I guess I'll look at it as a trade off.

Seems like a long time

Hey guys,


Seems like a long time since the last time I've blogged, sorry been busy but heres whats been going on.  Start with bad news, my feet problems that started in middle school have decided to come back at the perfect timing, yes sarcasim.  And yes I'm in the coolest city in the world which you have to walk everywhere to do anythng, but don't worry I'm use to the pain and I'm not letting it be a factor in what I see or do.  I see the doctor on monday and hopefully get some new inserts and learn some new strecthes but not worrying about that at all everything will be ok and work out.

But yes school has started and big surprise its harder than Tech, ha not really I was actually worried about that.  But I'm glad it is, the small classes help I'm suppose to talk alot more and be more involved so its fun.  If i didn't already blog about this I'll blog again but my finance teacher is the Dean of JCU so the class is pretty intense which is great because that is my major so I will learn tons.  And every other class seems just as hard especially my Italian class but it is fun because the more I learn during the class it allows me to experience and adventure more of the city. 

Went to the Vatican yesterday and it is absolutely unbelieveable.  Its breath taking..... Pictures are on my Facebook and for those of you that don't have it Scott will be sending them to you even if he doesn't have enough time during law school, I'm sure he can make time for me.  He is doing this because Italian internet doesn't really work when you need it to. 

I've seen almost everything in the Roma and will upload all of the pictures on facebook and make sure everyone can see them soon.  The only thing I need to see is the inside of the Panthion.... Its always closed for prayer but I'll get in there.  But since I've since most of Roma its time TRAVEL!!!! Keep you posted on my new adventures as much as I can.


Robby

School has started

The vacation is over and school has already sunk in.  This morning I had my first finance class and the teacher, who is also the Dean of JCU, assured me that her class was no joke.  I have two more classes to go so the rest of my day should be pretty interesting.

Trapped

So i'm finally coming to the realization that I'm not on a vacation in Rome but i'm actually living here and going to school.  Well the school thing hasn't really settled in because were trapped inside of my apartment on the first day of class.  Update you when we finally get out.

Life in Rome

So if I've already said this I'm sorry.

But life in Rome is nothing like I expected, and is the exact oppisite of what everybody told me.  First of all there are no gypsies and I mean none.  I was told they would be coming up to me none stop and trying to pickpocket me but I guess because its not the tourist season they don't bother trying to pick pocket locals.  But it is nice not having to feel like you have to keep on hand on your wallet at all times, although I do it anyway out of habit already.  Second the weather is beautiful, its been mid 60's since i've been here.  And its the exact opposite of everything I was told, I was told that I would be wearing slippers and sweaters inside.  Right now its 11 p.m. and my windows are open because its hot in my apartment and I'm just in gym shorts (SAI is wrong again).  And the last thing that is completely new to me is that I only eat one meal a day two if I'm lucky.  Don't get me wrong the one meal I have is absolutely amazing and is four to five courses,  but I thought differently. 

But the European lifestyle is great, my roomates and I finally met some locals at dinner and they spoke perfect English, but they refused to help us unless we attempted to speak in Italian which is an adventure.  So after a while of getting to now them we went our different ways.  I've learned not all Italians hate American's but if you don't start off the conversation in Italian they won't even give you a chance.

I start school tomorrow and will be uploading more pictures of the Spanish steps, The Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Coliseum. 

Blog again as soon as possible

Coliseum

Rome is so crazy

So spending euros is like spending monopoly money, and the worst thing about it is it's more than American Dollars.  So I kinda just spend money like it grows on trees but like they say when in Rome.  Second Romes night life is nuts it never stops, well I mean unless you consider 5 or 6 a.m. stopping. 

Last night I met these girls and they told me I looked like someone they knew, turned out that that someone they knew was my brother.  Small world.

About of the pictures its really difficult to load because the internet is so slow and it makes me load one picture at I time but I loaded them all on facebook so I'll have to figure out how to load them on to my blog.

ostia antica

Today we had our first excursion with SAI to Ostia Antica, which is the mouth of the Tiber river, which is the main river in rome.  Unfortunately the internet here is pretty difficult and is not really allowing me to upload my millions of photos I took of this historic site.  Ostia Antica is a historical city right outside of Roma which is responsible for importing majority of Romes goods by shipping them 20 miles down the Tiber River.  After a two hour tour of that we went to a little farm village and had the most amazing 5 course meal, starting with all kinds of bread, then moving to cheese and honey, then we ate tons of pasta, then moved to chicken and finished off with desert.  I really have no idea exactly what kind of chicken or pasta or desert I was eating but it was by far the best food I've ever had.


Are aparment is showing its true self though, the first day we had heat, hot water, and fast internet.  Now the hot water is gone and are apartment bathroom is leaking, the interent is slow and the heat is gone, I guess the tenet had to tease us a little bit.  But besides that everything is great, Rome is fabulous, my days just consist of getting lost and attempting to speak Italian and failing miserable, which is more fun than I could imagine. 

Like I said I'm trying to upload all my pictures but it is only letting me upload one at a time so bare with me.



I'll talk to you soon

Finally Here

Hey guys,

So after about 24 hours worth of travel I finally reached my new apartment in Rome on Via Traversari, 94.  The apartment is great with wifi, running out water, and a good heating unit (nothing what I expected to have) .  Rome is amazing and I haven't even seen the begining of it, as soon as we arrived me and my roommates went out for pizza and beer of course and ended up getting lost in Rome for about 2 hours which was absolutely amazing.  After that I crashed pretty early from the jet lag and being up for over 30 hours straight. I had no idea how busy I would be so I will try to blog and upload pictures as much as possible but I already have a full day planned with orientation whichs starts in less than an hour, but I will upload and blog again later tonight all about the city and my orientation

Ciao

Delta Delta Delta

So it isn't a study abroad trip without immediate complications.  Yesterday I discovered that my flight had been changed ( without warning of course) and that I would be flying to atlanta today but not departing for rome til the 13th.  Obviously these unexpected changes were ridiculous and needed to be changed.  So we changed flights around last night so that this morning I flew to Minneapolis, then to Newark New Jersey, (which is where I am now) and then a direct flight to Rome in a few hours.  But after the first mix up everything has worked out so and I will be leaving for Rome in just a few short hours. 

I'll update it as soon as I get situatated, arrivederci.

So my post before was wrong I am actually leaving on the 10th which is monday.  Also if you want to check out my campus the address is Via Della Lungara 233.