THE LAST DAY ABROAD!

It's finally come to this...my last day of study abroad (hopefully not my last day abroad ever). I appreciate all of you who read my blog or at least tried to keep up with it (Thanks Mom and Nanny and Pop! lol.) I will write at least one more entry tomorrow though.

So enough of the sappy stuff. Let's share my last day in Rome! We got up later than usual because everyone was tired and exhausted starting off the day. We took the city bus to the tour bus. On the tour bus, while we waited 20 minutes for it to depart, we met a couple from New Zealand. We had a long conversation with them, and they were really nice. The guy was excited when Rounette said she was from Charleston because Dave Matthews Band is from there! We went straight to the Vatican so I could see it. I wanted to go through alone, but the line was ridiculously long so they convinced me to take a tour.

I was in a group of about 30. Our tour guide was Elle Woods, no joke. She was peppy, blonde, skinny, loud, smiley, and wearing all pink and purple (including her umbrella which she guided us around with). And guess where she was from? Georgia. I come all the way around the world to get a tour guide from my own state! But she was VERY good. We had to wait in line still to get in, which was annoying, but after about 40 minutes we made it in. We saw some incredible artwork (a lot by Michaelangelo). Some of the highlights were the mask sculptures that once hung in the Theatre of Pompey (the oldest marble theatre I believe) and the theatre Marcellano. They also had a sculpture of a guy wearing a mask believed to be an actor! I don't think other people on the tour quite understood why I took pictures of those things :P Our tour guide also pointed out a statue that looked like Bill Clinton..and it did! In the tapestry room they have one where Jesus's eyes and foot follow you, and another where the way the table is turned changes! The ceiling also looks sculpted, but it is just painted. They were all very cool obstacle illusions.

Our guide talked to us for a long time about the Sistine Chapel. She explained the different pictures and when and how they were painted. It was pretty fascinating, but then we got to it, and I'm not gonna lie, I was kind of dissapointed. I mean, this thing is known everywhere! I expected a huge tall, long ceiling. I mean it was kinda heigh, and kinda long, but not really. Don't get me wrong, it is incredible artwork...I guess all the hype just didn't add up. By this point, the tour that was suppose to take 2 hours, now took 3 and a half. I met up with Nanny and Pop and we did a little bit of shopping and had lunch at a self service place (with a very cute cleaning boy). We went a stop further to a more popular area and did more shopping. I bought souvenirs and I got a plaid hat! I was very excited. By now it was getting late, so it was time to head back.

Now I am back at the hotel safe and sound. The food downstairs is gross, so we are going without dinner tonight. I'm all packed and printed out my ticket. Keep up the prayers that I make it home safely tomorrow! Arrivederci, Rome! Hello, America!

When in Rome, Do as the Roman's Do!

I spent the wonderfully rainy day exploring the ancient city of Rome, and man is it beautiful (and old). We got off to a rather late start, but we managed to figure out the bus system to get into the city (since our hotel is so far outside of it). When we got to the train station, we got off and exchanged money and then had to go about finding an ATM and a bathroom. It sort of took awhile, but at least it was inside.

On the way to find the blue tour bus, we ran into people asking if we wanted to go on a bus. I asked him where the blue one was, and he said he would take us. He was probably in his late 20's early 30's. Really nice guy! He told us the blue one would take 30 minutes to wait on, but the green one only 15. He let us cut the lines to by the tickets from the office and then showed us to where the bus picked up. Before leaving us, he came up to me and said "Enjoy Rome. We love the pretty American girls so keep coming back!" I was very flattered. Apparently his girlfriend was from Canada. We had to wait at the bus stop FOREVER. Pop couldn't sit at the top (plus it was raining) and everyone was getting on there. I was getting kind of antsy since it was already 12, but we finally made it.

Our first stop was the Roman Colosseum. It was incredible. Huge, and so much of it still intact. It was wonderful to see because I had learned a lot about it in theatre history, and I bought the audio tour so that I got some extra details. It was just really amazing. I wanted to go on Palentine hill, but the grandparents couldn't walk up it so I ran over. Climbed up the hill (backwards since I went through the exit), and then found out it was a dead end, so no good view, but I didn't want to leave them waiting too long, so I left. Found out later I was on the hill by the Forum and the other hill was on the opposite side of the Colosseum. Next we stopped at a staircase that Michael Angelo built, which was by an ancient theatre. You couldn't go in because it was just the remains of the shell, but I was absolutely enthralled none the less. I also saw the oldest four sided porch communal area. It was just SO cool to see all the remains everywhere. They city is just so ancient, it feels like going back in history.

Next we went to the Vatican. We got there sort of late in the day, so there was not enough time for me to go in (doing that tomorrow). But we did a lot of window shopping and had lunch at a little sandwich shop. We then hopped on the bus and went to the stop I had been waiting for...the Trevi fountain. Yes, it was very packed, and raining, but I threw a coin in, AND I felt like Lizzie Mcguire! Oh that movie... I also got gelato (Melon flavored since that what Lydian said was the best. And it was good.). Finally we got back on the bus back to the first stop to get on the city bus to go home. We took a quick break in the rooms and ate dinner in the hotel...and man are they SLOW! The food isn't even that good, but it took like an hour to get it with about 4 other people in the whole place.

Well, exploring more of Rome tomorrow (probably the vatican and shopping). It's going to be my last day abroad (well, for awhile). CrAZY It's all coming to an end....

A town covered in volcanic ash...ironic?

Day two in Italy, and still no hot man...that's okay, I'm still looking! Well, correction, there are plenty of good looking men, just none I have talked too. :P

Today we went to Pompeii! It was a three hour drive there and our driver was named Luca. He was pretty funny, and told good stories at the beginning. We got into a little bit of traffic, but we made it there. It was gorgeous! And HUGE! For those of you that don't know, it is a civilization from 79AD that was completely covered in ash from Mount Vesuvius. We saw the Roman baths, the main streets, houses, shops, bakeries, town hall, brothel, and the theatre!! You could walk through and touch almost everything. There was beautiful architecture. We also saw the plasters of the people who were caught in the ash. Some had their hands in the sky or were crouched or hovered. The theatre was also really amazing. They had two- a small one and big one. The acoustics were great, and it was very cool to see how important the theatre was to the town (especially since I missed out on my Greece trip). Our tour guide was great, but we were in a rush the whole time, which was unfortunate. I bought some souvenirs and bargained with the guy really well! He started off wanting to charge me 55 euros for a necklace and earrings and by the end of it he was going to give me a necklace, ring, earrings, and 2 bracelets for 40 euros. I should bargain for a living :P

Our driver was in a rush to get out, so we left and picked up a sandwich at a rest stop on the way home. I slept most of the rest of the way. I'm just tired for some reason! We hung out in the hotel for a couple hours to recooperate, and then we headed out to get some Italian pizza. It was delicious! Different from ours, yes, but thin yummy crust! We also had really great desserts.

Well I am actually going to get some sleep tonight. Finally exploring Rome tomorrow!

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way From Florence

We woke up at the crack of dawn! We had breakfast downstairs and then headed out to Florence. My great aunt Rounette got us a private car that was driving us the three hours there. Our drivers name was Constantino, but we just called him Tino. He was super sweet and him and Pop talked a lot about random things the entire car ride.

It was a beautiful ride through the country with lots of little towns on hills and stuff. I was tired, so I dozed in and out, but I very much enjoyed the ride. We stopped at a little gas station and I got some Italian chocolate that was pretty good. When we got to Florence we walked around one of the famous Cathedrals there. Here is the thing about Italy, it looks exactly the way you picture it. The movies are spot on in how Italy looks. There are motorcycles everywhere and lots of little streets and old old buildings. It's a little bit dirtier than I expected, but just very Italy. We drove to the museum academia to see some famous art. Michaelangelo's David is there. I got bored pretty fast, as usual, but we didn't stay long. I bought a picture and a post card and then we headed to a square that had a replica of the statue of David, but one that you could take pictures with. We also got Gelato...and omg, thank goodness I do not live here because that stuff is delicious, and I would eat it ALL the time! We walked up to the old bridge which had a market on it, and then we went to a church. I can't remember the name of it, but a lot of famous people were buried there- Galileo, Dante Alegheri, Machievelli, and Michaelangelo (to name a few). It was beautiful and had a wonderful courtyard. At that point it was time to head back, so Tino took us up top so that we had a wonderful view of the entire city of Florence. He told me to come back with a boy at night and that made it a hundred times better. lol.

On the way home I was exhausted, so I fell asleep. I woke up to a loud "pop". We blew the tire. Luckily we were close to a gas station. I mean, what do you expect if you are traveling with me! Something has to go wrong! Well, we didn't have a spare so we waited for another car to be delivered. It only took about an hour, and we were back on the road! However, about 10 minutes into the ride Tino got a call. He forgot to leave the keys to the other car so it could be driven back. We had to turn around except first we had to drive another 15 minutes to get to an exit to turn around. Tino felt awful! And to make it up to us he told us he would drop us off at dinner and wait for us to take us home. As much as we pleaded with him not to, he felt so bad, he wouldn't allow it any other way. We eventually made it back into Rome at 9 and ate dinner at a local place he suggested. My food was cheese wrapped in beef in a creme sauce. It was delicious. We also got a panacotti for dessert, which I liked. We were wiped by the time we got home. And of course, when we got out of the car, Rounette realized she left her coat at the restaurant. Tino offered to pick it up and leave it in the car for us tomorrow. Ay ay ay...traveling with Lys, always an adventure!

Pompeii tomorrow!

When In Rome...Praise the Lord!

I MADE IT TO ROME! FINALLY!

I got up this morning at 6am and taxied it to the train station. I was there nice and early and I sat around for a little while. About 20 minutes before my train boarded, two girls about my age came and sat down next to me. They were speaking English, so I asked them if they were from the states. They were, and they were studying in London! One actually lived in Camden which is where BADA is, so we got to share lots of good stories. They were suppose to go to Madrid, but now they were on there way to Milan. Boarding the train was a hassle. I couldn't find which car I was suppose to be in, and no one would really help me. I finally found a conductor who said I was at the very front of the train and I better hall ass to get to it on time (well, not in those exact words, but you get the drift). I made it, after dropping my ticket underneath the train and having to climb down and get it (thank goodness the train didn't take off).

I read and slept most of the first train ride to Basel Switzerland. I sat next to a business man and i was in first class, so I got free orange juice. The first ride was from 8:32 to 11:58. I got a pretzel when I got to the Basel station (they took Euros, but they gave me back Franks). I then hopped on another train to Milan at 12:28 to 4:40. The view was gorgeous. I took some pictures of the snow covered mountains and country side. The closer we got to Milan the more it started to look like Barcelona with the spanish roofs and houses in the mountains. I sat a four seater table with 3 other people. The guy next to me did not understand the concept of personal space, so I was pretty much in the aisle the whole time. The train got in late, so I booked it with my huge suitcases to the train to Rome. I made it, but man the blisters on my hands and sweat I produced today! The train ride was from 5:00 till 8:00 and I was at a four person table, but only one other lady was sitting there, so I had room. I continued to read, sleep, and look out the window.

When I got into Rome, I got a taxi. It took him forever to figure out the name of the hotel, but he was very nice. First thing he asked me in the cab was "Obama or Bush?" I was pretty hesitant to answer that one! lol. He drove like a mad man, and it took no time at all except he charged me 35 euros! RIPPED ME OFF! I knew it too, and told him it was high, but at that point I just wanted to be at the hotel, so I gave him no tip, and let him get away with the money. Hope he really needed it. Found Nanny and Pop and Rounette eating dinner in the hotel, so I joined them and just kind of chatted. We are off early in the morning for Florence!!!

Volcanic Adventures Continue...in Paris!

Wow, this really has been a crazy trip, adventure, experience, surreal moment. I am currently in a hotel in Paris living it up on the internet. lol. Let me explain how I got here.

So after my post from yesterday, I spent a little while freaking out about trying to get home. I found no cruises with spaces open for weeks, and everyone in our flat began to freak out, so I decided to leave. There is nothing I can do about the volcano, so either I would stay in London or a way to get out would become clear. Well about this time I found out my grandparents got on a flight to Philly, but of course they weren't getting to Rome, so that was weird. I went out to eat dinner with Lydian. We walked to the other side of the Thames and went a back way so I saw a lot of cute London streets and market areas. We ate at Wagamama's and I got a freaking amazing soup! It was so nice, so we ate outside. By the time we were done though, it was getting cold, we decided to walk along by the river though because it is just so gorgeous. We talked about taking day trips together and such thinking I was going to be in London till at least Saturday. We also got stuck in a DVD store because it had SO many good movies. There were a ton of Shakespeare ones and oldies. I found The Beggar's Opera (which is what Three Penny is based off of) so I bought it! They also had Three Penny, but not in stock. Lydian got a British movie called Peter's Friends. We tubed it back because it was getting cold, and we watched the beginning on Peter's Friends.

It was about this time that I get a call from my mom saying my grandparents are in fact on a plane to Italy, and I needed to get there (since my flight there was definitely cancelled). Mom looked up trains while I got ready for our volcano party...yes we dressed in tribal gear and decorated the boys apartment. They made paper airplanes, and posted V's on all the ways. We painted ourselves with lipstick and eyeliner. We even made a volcano out of the couches, turned up all the heaters so it was hot and covered the lights with orange bags. It was amazing! We spent the night doing tribal dances, and then everyone decided to do a virgin sacrifice (and of course I got picked to be the one sacrificed). Well, about this time I kept running up and downstairs so that I could try and get eurostar and train tickets. I got a ticket to Paris before being bombarded and forced back upstairs. They made me take off my sweater and then all the boys picked me up in the air and walked me into the living room. The set me down on a set of chairs and started dancing and hailing me. Then Micah poured a red vinegar mix on me and the boys basically finger painted with it (it looked like real blood). It was hysterical! I quickly had to run back down stairs, not only to clean up, but check and make sure I had a train ticket to Italy. Well, I didn't, the train was full, but apparently they were sending out more, so you just had to be at the train station to get on it. I also got booked to fly out of Rome back home. So I was leaving in the morning for good! It was weird. I had been thinking I would be there for a week. It was my last day in London. Probably my first true love :) I went back upstairs to say by to everyone...well almost everyone. Still kind of felt unreal. Finished packing and got a small amount of sleep.

This morning I took the tube to school to get my bags and then took a cab to the eurostar station. It was easy getting on that, and when I got to Paris I was told the cab line would be FOREVER, but there was no way I was metroing with all my bags. The line didn't last that long, and the lady behind me liked my bag, so we talked for awhile. She was French, but she knew English well and had two sons. She tried to help me find which train station I should get to to get to Italy. The taxi took awhile to get to the station because it was full of traffic. I finally got to the station and waited in line to get tickets. Well, low and behold no trains to Rome until Monday the 26th, ah hell no! So the lady was actually really patient with me, and finally figured out a way for me to get to Basel to Milan to Rome tomorrow. So she got me a hotel and then I gave her my credit card to pay for the tickets...it declined. So I used my other one...it declined. I told her it wasn't possible! I hadn't used them this month yet! Well we couldn't fax her my dad's or anything, so I just got the first train ticket with cash, and then went on a quest for an atm. I was told to go left out of the station walked a while, asked a hotel, they told me to go back in the opposite direction under a bridge....it was one LONG bridge! I was carrying all my stuff! I had to stop a take a rest about half way through, and these 4 teens came up to me, and asked me if I needed help. I said no, not wanting to be stolen from, but the girl started speaking to me in English, and was like "you need help, where are you going?" One of the guys with her carried my bag, and they helped me find an atm. The girl was the only one who knew english, but she is studying in London in the fall, and they were trapped in France because of the volcano. I was surprised I found nice people in Paris! I hauled all my stuff back to the train station after I withdrew money. I had to stand back in line. The men in front of me were trying to get to Rome too. Apparently there was a train going out at 10, but none of the people knew about it except a guy in red who said you paid on board. I thought about trying it, but it seemed kinda sketch, plus I had booked a hotel. Finally got my other two tickets and headed to the hotel!

It's a nice little hotel. I'm kinda on the outskirts of Paris, but I was like now I can relax after my crazy day, but no, my phone has no minutes on it. So I literally went up and down this huge street to 7 different stores trying to top up, but no one spoke english!!! One guy sort of did and he let me buy a top up card, but it didn't work...sigh...he gave me a refund. By this time I realized I hadn't eaten anything ALL day and it was 6:30. I stopped at a bakery and got a meringue chocolate whip covered thing, and stopped at a panini shop. I am now back at the hotel just chillin out. Reflecting on the crazy day! Mara is here and so is Lauren and Kate, but I have no money to call them. I may go to a cabaret tonight with Mara, but I am so far out, I am worried I won't be able to get back, so I may just stay in for the night.

I'm not gonna lie, I miss London already it hasn't even been a day! France just sucks in comparison. Hopefully the next update will be from Rome. But until then...the saga continues...

And in other news...the volcano is still erupting

Well, you heard it here first...well probably last...the volcano is still erupting and future forecast show no sign of stopping. Yep, I am officially stuck in London. There is a very very very very slim chance I will make it to Italy tomorrow. I spent literally all yesterday morning/afternoon looking up alternate ways to leave the country, but all flights go up and over so no matter how far south I got, it wouldn't help. For the most part the entire program is still here except for a few people who went with parents to Paris or other places in the UK by bus or train. It's crazy. It may be the most surreal thing ever. Most BADA students are screwing vacationing plans and are just trying to get home.

After freaking out and realizing there really was no alternative route, I decided to meet up with Micah, Maggie, and Logan at Trafalger square for Queen's day (a holiday in Holland). We went to a pub close by and got nachos and just kind of hung out, and then walked home. And of course, got Ben's cookies on the way. I hung out in the boys flat for awhile and Micah made tuna spaghetti for dinner, which was delicious. We went to the pub for a little while with Monica, Trevor, Calder, Ash Mar, and Harrison. I played darts, and yes, we won again! Go girls! The rest of the night we just kind of hung out in the flat and watched the year longs video they made in their film class. It was pretty funny. We got tired fast though, and decided to get some sleep since we are all just really stressed about flying.

This morning we woke up early and went to church at Westminster, which was cool, and refreshing. We walked there and back through the park (and by we I mean Micah, Alina, Maggie, and Logan). It is a gorgeous day outside and hot! We came back early afternoon and made more pasta for lunch and watched this British TV show called Spaced. It was pretty funny. They are just such poor quality and really sarcastic. Now I am in the process of booking a cruise as soon as I find out that my grandparents can't get to Italy. And people thought I was joking when I said I might need to boat home...we will know soon enough! More updates soon....now it is a waiting game that gets scarier and scarier and more and more unreal. I want to get home!! Clicking my heels three times....