Looong time since the last post! We are spending our last day here in Dublin before we fly out tomorrow morning. Hopefully we do not have the same experience in the airport as in Italy! WE spent a night in Killarney seeing the best Irish cover band, weird I know, and drinking tons of Guinness. Lets see, in the past few days we have kissed the blarney stone, seen the Rock of Cashel (where St Patrick first explained the Trinity using a shamrock), and gone on a guinness tour. Kelly and I have mastered the "pull" of the Guiness pint. WE have over 1000 pictures of the last 2 weeks and an insane amount of video. Its going to take soooo long to sort through! Alright out to enjoy our last nights in the pubs!!!
Erin and Kelly
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Roma & Firenze forever :)
Hate to break up the flow of the Ireland posts....! But I'm back in the states now and figured I had better do some writing about my overall experience. (However, I keep imagining myself in Ireland with the girls - I miss you already too!!! The color green is dominating my thoughts, for some odd reason - haha).
Let me also say this - very important: I knew Earl had to die. We will need to have that song on the video of our trip - hahhahahaha! That story is absolutely HILARIOUS. I am so happy that Earl is gone - may we all remember him as fondly as we can.... He just couldn't handle Europe, poor guy. I would have paid big bucks to see this airport fiasco. My travel story was not quite as hectic, but it was certainly unpleasant - I'll explain later.
So - I am sitting back in my apartment now (which I am leaving for good in a few short days), and I am still waiting for it all to sink in. I hear a lot happened while we were gone - Obama got the nomination (yay) and gas is about to be $5 (not yay).
I told Kelly & Erin before I left that I would be sad to leave Italy, but that I feel incredibly filled by the whole experience. Roma, Florence, and just the act of traveling abroad - has definitely given me a new perspective on life. I wish everyone could do it at least once in life.
I really don't know how to capture it all in words yet (or maybe ever), but here is a list of my favorite highlights/memorable moments of the trip:
1. Looking out the window of the plane and watching the East coast of the US disappear behind me, for the first time.
2. After telling each other "Meet you in Roma!" the day before, seeing Kelly & Erin come through the Passport doors of Fiumicino airport, and thinking "this is really happening".
3. Seeing Trevi fountain as our first landmark in Roma. It became "our place"
4. Eating the same amazing pizza for our first meal and our last meal on the trip
5. Eating Gelato every chance we could possibly handle it, and still manaaging to say things like : "oh man, we have to get some more gelato, I feel like we haven't had it for days!"
6. The food at Ristorante Alla Rampa, where we definitely found that red wine had been searching for - we have to find out if they bottle it. And I can't forget Gioia Mia, great little place (wish we would have had more time there). Diego's recommendations were always perfect ;)
7. Our tours of the Colloseo, Palatine, and the Vatican. Just. simply. wow.
8. Being completely speechless for hours after seeing what is extremely likely, if not certainly, the bones of St. Peter, an apostle of Jesus. Literally a man who walked, talked and ate with Jesus Christ. That will have changed me forever, and I am still trying to process it.
9. Our apartment in Florence, my favorite accommodation on the trip. "The Market House" by Antica Dimora Firenze. Right next the most amazing, fresh market, the cultural center, and the cutest shops (which we did not find until it was almost too late).
10. One more thing about the Mercato, grocery stores will never EVER be the same to me again. Running out the door to grab eggs, fresh veggies, fruit and bread to make breakfast was so much fun.
11. Hiking up the nearly 500 stairs of the Duomo, and having Kelly and Erin on either side of me to keep me calm as I nearly had a panic/claustrophobia panic attack. I made it through, but not before screaming at some (I believe, Russian) teenagers. The incredible view of Florence was worth it, but i will NEVER do it again! haha
12. Osteria de' Macci in Florence- now, this restaurant was really something special. I don't know where to begin with this one either. I wish we had gotten the owner's name. But he was from southern Italy, and his food shared that same flair. First and Second courses were wonderful (the meat with white spices, the veggie flan, the cream filled mozzarella, wow wow wow) - but he added something special to our experience withe the small breads that we soaked in olive oil, pepper and salt, the smothest dessert wine you have ever had, his house wine that he makes (and allowed us to TAKE HOME), and the special cheescake covered in chocolate - I will have to explain that later as well. We got to meet the chef too. This was the best meal and service on our whole trip. www.osteriademacci.it
13. Per's (pronounced "pears") Bike Tour in Tuscany. http://www.persbikerides.com/ Next to St. Peter's this was the BEST part of the trip. Per and Melissa were the most amazing guides, and we truly saw Tuscany the way it was meant to be seen. The food that was prepared for our group of just 6 girls was simply amazing. The whole experience can only be explained in pictures.
14. Getting matching team "Italia" sweatshirts
There is so much more but i should stop. Have to get packing for the big move. I have decided that the balcony at my new place is going to be Tuscan-themed.
Roma and Firenze..... I will never, ever forget!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let me also say this - very important: I knew Earl had to die. We will need to have that song on the video of our trip - hahhahahaha! That story is absolutely HILARIOUS. I am so happy that Earl is gone - may we all remember him as fondly as we can.... He just couldn't handle Europe, poor guy. I would have paid big bucks to see this airport fiasco. My travel story was not quite as hectic, but it was certainly unpleasant - I'll explain later.
So - I am sitting back in my apartment now (which I am leaving for good in a few short days), and I am still waiting for it all to sink in. I hear a lot happened while we were gone - Obama got the nomination (yay) and gas is about to be $5 (not yay).
I told Kelly & Erin before I left that I would be sad to leave Italy, but that I feel incredibly filled by the whole experience. Roma, Florence, and just the act of traveling abroad - has definitely given me a new perspective on life. I wish everyone could do it at least once in life.
I really don't know how to capture it all in words yet (or maybe ever), but here is a list of my favorite highlights/memorable moments of the trip:
1. Looking out the window of the plane and watching the East coast of the US disappear behind me, for the first time.
2. After telling each other "Meet you in Roma!" the day before, seeing Kelly & Erin come through the Passport doors of Fiumicino airport, and thinking "this is really happening".
3. Seeing Trevi fountain as our first landmark in Roma. It became "our place"
4. Eating the same amazing pizza for our first meal and our last meal on the trip
5. Eating Gelato every chance we could possibly handle it, and still manaaging to say things like : "oh man, we have to get some more gelato, I feel like we haven't had it for days!"
6. The food at Ristorante Alla Rampa, where we definitely found that red wine had been searching for - we have to find out if they bottle it. And I can't forget Gioia Mia, great little place (wish we would have had more time there). Diego's recommendations were always perfect ;)
7. Our tours of the Colloseo, Palatine, and the Vatican. Just. simply. wow.
8. Being completely speechless for hours after seeing what is extremely likely, if not certainly, the bones of St. Peter, an apostle of Jesus. Literally a man who walked, talked and ate with Jesus Christ. That will have changed me forever, and I am still trying to process it.
9. Our apartment in Florence, my favorite accommodation on the trip. "The Market House" by Antica Dimora Firenze. Right next the most amazing, fresh market, the cultural center, and the cutest shops (which we did not find until it was almost too late).
10. One more thing about the Mercato, grocery stores will never EVER be the same to me again. Running out the door to grab eggs, fresh veggies, fruit and bread to make breakfast was so much fun.
11. Hiking up the nearly 500 stairs of the Duomo, and having Kelly and Erin on either side of me to keep me calm as I nearly had a panic/claustrophobia panic attack. I made it through, but not before screaming at some (I believe, Russian) teenagers. The incredible view of Florence was worth it, but i will NEVER do it again! haha
12. Osteria de' Macci in Florence- now, this restaurant was really something special. I don't know where to begin with this one either. I wish we had gotten the owner's name. But he was from southern Italy, and his food shared that same flair. First and Second courses were wonderful (the meat with white spices, the veggie flan, the cream filled mozzarella, wow wow wow) - but he added something special to our experience withe the small breads that we soaked in olive oil, pepper and salt, the smothest dessert wine you have ever had, his house wine that he makes (and allowed us to TAKE HOME), and the special cheescake covered in chocolate - I will have to explain that later as well. We got to meet the chef too. This was the best meal and service on our whole trip. www.osteriademacci.it
13. Per's (pronounced "pears") Bike Tour in Tuscany. http://www.persbikerides.com/ Next to St. Peter's this was the BEST part of the trip. Per and Melissa were the most amazing guides, and we truly saw Tuscany the way it was meant to be seen. The food that was prepared for our group of just 6 girls was simply amazing. The whole experience can only be explained in pictures.
14. Getting matching team "Italia" sweatshirts
There is so much more but i should stop. Have to get packing for the big move. I have decided that the balcony at my new place is going to be Tuscan-themed.
Roma and Firenze..... I will never, ever forget!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best Guiness Ever
We arrived at our hotel yesterday evening. It's apparently an old 18th century mansion which is now used as a hotel. Its pretty nice :) And we got it super cheap which makes it even better. After we settled in a bit, we drove into downtown Dublin. Driving is definitely a unique experience as everything is the opposite here! Your drive on the left side of the road so that took some getting used too but Erin has definitely mastered it.
In Dublin, we saw the River Liffey, the Temple Bar area, and a bit of Grafton Street. We made a random stop at M.J. O'Neills because we wanted a beer. When we walked in and grabbed a table we met Ed, a local, who told us that this particular bar carries the reputation of having the best Guinness in Dublin. So obviously we ordered some Guiness and it was really, really good (and this comes from someone who really doesnt like Guiness very much). It was very smooth and creamy (not heavy like in the U.S.).
We are about to hit the road for Galway. It should be a beautiful drive! :):)
In Dublin, we saw the River Liffey, the Temple Bar area, and a bit of Grafton Street. We made a random stop at M.J. O'Neills because we wanted a beer. When we walked in and grabbed a table we met Ed, a local, who told us that this particular bar carries the reputation of having the best Guinness in Dublin. So obviously we ordered some Guiness and it was really, really good (and this comes from someone who really doesnt like Guiness very much). It was very smooth and creamy (not heavy like in the U.S.).
We are about to hit the road for Galway. It should be a beautiful drive! :):)
Saturday, June 7, 2008
R.I.P Earl
Wow, its been too long since we have blogged! Heres the scoop on whats been going on. On Thursday we went on a 15 mile bike ride through the Tuscan countryside. It was soooo beautiful and such a tough bike ride. The ride to the vineyard took us through a couple small towns where we met some kind locals. It also took us up MANY steep hills. It was definitely a work out (but one which we all needed cuz we have been eating like crazy!) Per, our fearless bike leader was from Sweden and was really cool. He stopped at a lot of great spots so we could take pictures of the countryside. So if anyone is planning a bike ride through Tuscany go to Per's Bike Tours (we promised him a shout out). The vineyard was amazing. Its a small 17th century vineyard that only produces 40,000 bottles of wine a year and even less olive oil. A very nice Tuscan woman cooked lunch for us (to die for!!!!!) and then we went on a tour. It was very cool to see how the wine and olive oil were made.
Friday we went to the Pantheon and then shopped in Trastevere. We stayed in a really cool hotel which was very modern. It had this whole music vibe. Our end tables were drums, there was a massive cd player on the wall and we had a disco ball that reflected blue lights in circles around the bathroom (there were also huge speakers in the bathroom which made for a very fun shower). We spent our final night eating some Italian dessert and drinking wine on the back patio of our hotel. It was an amazing experience that none of us will forget (and we already miss Marisa who is on her way back to the states as I write)
Today, we flew to Dublin. It was a ridiculous morning - Erin and I didnt know whether to laugh or cry. We arrived at the airport two hours early for safe measure. When we got to the airport we went to check our bags and found our that you can only have 15kg per person. We thought this was per bag and paid for two bags. Needless to say we were WAY over. So we regrouped and started throwing away everything that we could part with :( It was very sad. We also had to retire Earl (the very large suitcase we talked about earlier) Marisa, if you are reading this, Earl has officially died. Let the theme song begin. As we were pitching our stuff, the polizia came over to us and told us that our actions could be interepreted as a bomb threat because they thought we were just going to leave an empty suitcase there. We explained our situation to them and thankfully they understood but it was still kind of scary. Erin and I had to wear four sweathirts on the plane so we could keep more clothes (so sad I know). I think I lost like five pounds from running around with all those clothes on. It was a pretty funny site I must admit. Ok well its 3 PM in Ireland and Erin and I have yet to eat from all of our adventures so we are off to get some food. Ireland is beautiful and everything we have ever dreamed of. We cant wait to begin exploring the sites, learning the culture, and meeting the people (although actually we met these super cute older ladies from Western Ireland on the plane and we were like oh my gosh we are totally going to be them)
Friday we went to the Pantheon and then shopped in Trastevere. We stayed in a really cool hotel which was very modern. It had this whole music vibe. Our end tables were drums, there was a massive cd player on the wall and we had a disco ball that reflected blue lights in circles around the bathroom (there were also huge speakers in the bathroom which made for a very fun shower). We spent our final night eating some Italian dessert and drinking wine on the back patio of our hotel. It was an amazing experience that none of us will forget (and we already miss Marisa who is on her way back to the states as I write)
Today, we flew to Dublin. It was a ridiculous morning - Erin and I didnt know whether to laugh or cry. We arrived at the airport two hours early for safe measure. When we got to the airport we went to check our bags and found our that you can only have 15kg per person. We thought this was per bag and paid for two bags. Needless to say we were WAY over. So we regrouped and started throwing away everything that we could part with :( It was very sad. We also had to retire Earl (the very large suitcase we talked about earlier) Marisa, if you are reading this, Earl has officially died. Let the theme song begin. As we were pitching our stuff, the polizia came over to us and told us that our actions could be interepreted as a bomb threat because they thought we were just going to leave an empty suitcase there. We explained our situation to them and thankfully they understood but it was still kind of scary. Erin and I had to wear four sweathirts on the plane so we could keep more clothes (so sad I know). I think I lost like five pounds from running around with all those clothes on. It was a pretty funny site I must admit. Ok well its 3 PM in Ireland and Erin and I have yet to eat from all of our adventures so we are off to get some food. Ireland is beautiful and everything we have ever dreamed of. We cant wait to begin exploring the sites, learning the culture, and meeting the people (although actually we met these super cute older ladies from Western Ireland on the plane and we were like oh my gosh we are totally going to be them)
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Hey all!
Its about 9 PM here in Florence. We had a really great day. We went to the Duomo this morning. There were a ridiculous amount of stairs to get to the top but the view was worth it. It was an absolutely breath taking view of Florence. Words cannot do it justice. Hopefully, we can try to post a picture the next time we stop at an internet cafe. Next, we went to the Uffizi Gallery. It housed the works of Michealangelo, Da Vinci, Boticello, Rafeal, etc. It was a pretty incredible experience to be around some of the most famous paintings ever. We just finished a bit of shopping at Ponte Vecchio.
Oh we forgot to mention a bit about the Vatican so we wanted to share our experience with you. It was an unforgettable day. As you can imagine, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and the papal crypts were all moving experiences. But, by far, the most amazing moment was our tour of the excavations below St. Peters Basilica. You have to reserve this tour months in advance (which luckily we did) because it is so highly sought after. So anyway, we made our way through the gates of the Vatican (defended by Swiss Army Guards - impressive) and headed down to the side entrance of the Vatican. Next, our tour guide told us a little story about how Peter's followers cut him down from the crucifix after his death and buried him by a little hill in Rome. Subseuently, Constantine built a church for the Christians atop Peter's tomb out of his new found respect for Christianity. It has always been known in Catholic history that Peter was buried underneath Vatican City but it had never been proven that his bones were there. Ahhh so we have to go and I dont have time for the details but lets just say after a long excavation process they did actually find his bones. It was an amazing tour that I cannot do justice at this moment. Just ask us about it next time you see us.
Ciao,
Kelly, Erin, Marisa
Its about 9 PM here in Florence. We had a really great day. We went to the Duomo this morning. There were a ridiculous amount of stairs to get to the top but the view was worth it. It was an absolutely breath taking view of Florence. Words cannot do it justice. Hopefully, we can try to post a picture the next time we stop at an internet cafe. Next, we went to the Uffizi Gallery. It housed the works of Michealangelo, Da Vinci, Boticello, Rafeal, etc. It was a pretty incredible experience to be around some of the most famous paintings ever. We just finished a bit of shopping at Ponte Vecchio.
Oh we forgot to mention a bit about the Vatican so we wanted to share our experience with you. It was an unforgettable day. As you can imagine, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and the papal crypts were all moving experiences. But, by far, the most amazing moment was our tour of the excavations below St. Peters Basilica. You have to reserve this tour months in advance (which luckily we did) because it is so highly sought after. So anyway, we made our way through the gates of the Vatican (defended by Swiss Army Guards - impressive) and headed down to the side entrance of the Vatican. Next, our tour guide told us a little story about how Peter's followers cut him down from the crucifix after his death and buried him by a little hill in Rome. Subseuently, Constantine built a church for the Christians atop Peter's tomb out of his new found respect for Christianity. It has always been known in Catholic history that Peter was buried underneath Vatican City but it had never been proven that his bones were there. Ahhh so we have to go and I dont have time for the details but lets just say after a long excavation process they did actually find his bones. It was an amazing tour that I cannot do justice at this moment. Just ask us about it next time you see us.
Ciao,
Kelly, Erin, Marisa
Hey all!!!
So we are sorry that we haven't posted anything until today. For some reason our blog wasn't working but now it is back up and we can tell you all about our trip!
Monday we went to see the Colosseo, Palatine Hill/Gardens, and Roman Forum. Amanda, our tour guide, was amazing!!!! She gave us a crash course in 2500 years of Roman History in under 6 minutes. The experience was amazing. We liked our tour guide so much that we decided to go with her on a tour of the Vatican the next day. For dinner, we went to Ristorante alla Rampa. It was a favorite among all of us! Their pasta was amazing but their tiramusu was beyond amazing! Of courase we had to top it off with some cappuccinos. The best part was that their house red was the closest wine we've had t the Dolcetto D'Asti we have been looking for all year!!. We had two carafes and finished some more on our patio overlooking the road that leads to Trevi fountain. Trevi has become "our place" in Roma. We have gotten to know all the intricacies of Roma since we got EXTREMELY lost looking for the Pantheon. We spent three hours wandering the streets of Rome eating gelato and spending some time in Piazza Navona. The artists paintings were gorgeous but a little beyond our budget. Luckily, we saw the Pantheon last night thanks to some help from Marisa's Italian love, Diego and his friends. We spent hours talking on the steps of a fountain in front of the Pantheon.
We took the train to Firenze (Florence) this morning, and Marisa has nicknamed our beast of a suitcase "Earl". I had to stand near the back of the train because it was too big to fit through the aisle. Our theme song has become "Earl has to die". He really does, its getting ridiculous. We just shopped at the mercato stocking up on cheese, fruit, and bread for our gorgeous apartment. We are staying at La Casa de Mercato aka "The Market House", which is overlooking the marketplace. We are heading off to see the Duomo, the David, get some gelato, Ponte Vecchio, more food, wine, dinner, more food, shopping......and having the time of our lives!!!!!
Eeeerenia, Kel-li, Maurizzia
So we are sorry that we haven't posted anything until today. For some reason our blog wasn't working but now it is back up and we can tell you all about our trip!
Monday we went to see the Colosseo, Palatine Hill/Gardens, and Roman Forum. Amanda, our tour guide, was amazing!!!! She gave us a crash course in 2500 years of Roman History in under 6 minutes. The experience was amazing. We liked our tour guide so much that we decided to go with her on a tour of the Vatican the next day. For dinner, we went to Ristorante alla Rampa. It was a favorite among all of us! Their pasta was amazing but their tiramusu was beyond amazing! Of courase we had to top it off with some cappuccinos. The best part was that their house red was the closest wine we've had t the Dolcetto D'Asti we have been looking for all year!!. We had two carafes and finished some more on our patio overlooking the road that leads to Trevi fountain. Trevi has become "our place" in Roma. We have gotten to know all the intricacies of Roma since we got EXTREMELY lost looking for the Pantheon. We spent three hours wandering the streets of Rome eating gelato and spending some time in Piazza Navona. The artists paintings were gorgeous but a little beyond our budget. Luckily, we saw the Pantheon last night thanks to some help from Marisa's Italian love, Diego and his friends. We spent hours talking on the steps of a fountain in front of the Pantheon.
We took the train to Firenze (Florence) this morning, and Marisa has nicknamed our beast of a suitcase "Earl". I had to stand near the back of the train because it was too big to fit through the aisle. Our theme song has become "Earl has to die". He really does, its getting ridiculous. We just shopped at the mercato stocking up on cheese, fruit, and bread for our gorgeous apartment. We are staying at La Casa de Mercato aka "The Market House", which is overlooking the marketplace. We are heading off to see the Duomo, the David, get some gelato, Ponte Vecchio, more food, wine, dinner, more food, shopping......and having the time of our lives!!!!!
Eeeerenia, Kel-li, Maurizzia
Buona Notte!
Hey all!
We arrived in Rome this morning after some extremely long flights and are running on no sleep but loving it. We had some difficulty with Mr Morizzio (our driver) due to late flights and started yelling in italian, until he found out weàd give him 10 more euro so he calmed down a bit. However it was a quiet drive into the city if you know what I mean. We arrived at our hotel looking like wed been up for 24 hours and >OF COURSE the checkin guy, Diego, was HOT. Marisa has found herself a hot Italian lover. No, actually he is extremely nice and apologized profusely for putting us in the wrong room intiatlly. But here is the best part of that little mishap. We walked into our first room (the one we later got kicked out of) and I (Erin) imediately ran to the shower bc I smelled like nasty. So I go in, the shower is clogged and I walk out in my towel to find Diego knocking on the door to inform of us of the room situation. I immediately RUN to the closet which has no door and made kelly block me. It was sad, truly sad. So after this, we move all of our luggage to the fifth floor (yes I am dressed at this point) in a one person elevator that makes you want to cry. It is so tiny and Marisa Kelly and I each had our turns riding up and concluded that we would be taking the stairs from now on.
The hotel is beautiful and quaint. We are steps to the Trevi fountain and millions of gelato shops. We enjoyed some authentic Italian pizza for lunch. Tonight we walked to the Collosseum, and a bunch of other sites I cant spell at the moment. We are on our way to dinner now by the Pantheon. The weatther is PERFECT and we are about to go stuff ourselves for hours :) Ok will update you all soon
Erin Kelly and Marisa (and Marisas hot Italian lover Diego) he did wink at her after all....
We arrived in Rome this morning after some extremely long flights and are running on no sleep but loving it. We had some difficulty with Mr Morizzio (our driver) due to late flights and started yelling in italian, until he found out weàd give him 10 more euro so he calmed down a bit. However it was a quiet drive into the city if you know what I mean. We arrived at our hotel looking like wed been up for 24 hours and >OF COURSE the checkin guy, Diego, was HOT. Marisa has found herself a hot Italian lover. No, actually he is extremely nice and apologized profusely for putting us in the wrong room intiatlly. But here is the best part of that little mishap. We walked into our first room (the one we later got kicked out of) and I (Erin) imediately ran to the shower bc I smelled like nasty. So I go in, the shower is clogged and I walk out in my towel to find Diego knocking on the door to inform of us of the room situation. I immediately RUN to the closet which has no door and made kelly block me. It was sad, truly sad. So after this, we move all of our luggage to the fifth floor (yes I am dressed at this point) in a one person elevator that makes you want to cry. It is so tiny and Marisa Kelly and I each had our turns riding up and concluded that we would be taking the stairs from now on.
The hotel is beautiful and quaint. We are steps to the Trevi fountain and millions of gelato shops. We enjoyed some authentic Italian pizza for lunch. Tonight we walked to the Collosseum, and a bunch of other sites I cant spell at the moment. We are on our way to dinner now by the Pantheon. The weatther is PERFECT and we are about to go stuff ourselves for hours :) Ok will update you all soon
Erin Kelly and Marisa (and Marisas hot Italian lover Diego) he did wink at her after all....
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