SPRING BREAK WHOO!

Just thought I'd mention this and get it out of the way... I'm going to IRELAND tomorrow. Ok, I won't mention it again the rest of the blog.

So midterms are finally over and I believe they all went well. But then I receive an e-mail that was like a shot to the heart. "Hello, Marissa. Here is... your... scheduling date... for NEXT semester's classes!" Nooooo! I am in severe denial about this whole being a senior thing as well as the fact that this semester has to end. True, I do want to go home but I want to be here too. Can't I have both? Like my birth chart says, due to the opposition formed by Jupiter and Saturn, I am caught between the need for the familiar and existing structures in my life and the need to expand my horizons which includes things like traveling. Aren't you all glad that I've spent my semester studying planetary aspects and the meaning of the signs (and getting credit for it!) while everyone else studies real subjects? I'm telling you, this class will help me in any life path I choose to take.

Guess who's in Venice right now shooting a movie that I desperately want to stalk? Angelina Jolie? No. She's there but its her costar I want to follow around. Yeah, that would be Johnny Depp. He's RIGHT THERE. Much better than silly old Elton John, whose apartment everyone oogled on our trip instead of looking at the centuries old churches or fantastic canals. Even if Johnny (and Angelina's significant other Brad Pitt) weren't there I still would want to go back and see the awesomeness that is Venice without Carnivale.

I have been continuing with my culinary experiments and last night I made a sort-of stir fry thing with carrots, celery, potatoe, tofu, olives, mozzerella, basil (which I didn't particularily like in the dish) rosemary and pepper (what else?) and the ever present olive oil. It was a success especially when I finished off the meal with a slice of bread topped with my goat cheese. And, while on the subject of gastronomic experiments, the other day I tried a new flavor of gelato-- riso-- which is rice pudding flavored. Good choice Marissa! So today I got a small thing of it at the store to try it in reality. I'll let you know how that goes!

Most unfortunately, I've had Party in the USA stuck in my head all day. All semester, actually, that is, when I don't have Bad Romance in there (much better than Party in the USA). It doesn't help that those are pretty much the only songs they ever play here, those and Tick Tock. grr. Now that I've got them stuck in your head...

Cancer!

Cancer would refer to the astrological sign I forgot the name for on my exam today, not the deadly illness. Naming the sign wasn't all that important but now I'm mad at myself that I didn't remember what it was called while taking the test, but remembered on the way down the (insanely long) stairway after class. I almost shouted cancer! on the stairway but caught myself in time. Exam good news: I got a 99 on my Italian exam. I put a pizzeria instead of in pizzeria. Aren't I just a failure at life?

Hey. Have I mentioned that I'm going to IRELAND this Friday?

I had two exams today, Age of Heroes, on the last half of The Iliad and the general introduction to The Odyssey. It was pretty easy. I was suprised though, because my professor only copied half the exam then got flustered and angry when she figured out 11 questions were missing. This professor's usually pretty unflappable. After Age of Heroes was the aforementioned Philosophy of Magic exam. Unlike the Heroes exam, which was 20 essay questions long, this one was only six. The nice thing about midterms was getting out of class early and having more time to wander around this beautiful day. And I needed the time too-- my kebab lunch place was out of falafel! And so was the other kebab place around the corner! Seriously Florence, I want my Wednesday kebab! Argh. So I ended up going to Coronas (even though its all the way on the other side of Piazza Republica and nowhere near my route from Faenza to Strozzi) because none of the cafes I passed had good looking sandwiches or I didn't feel like going into them because they were crammed with tourists. Not that Coronas was free from tourists but it had a better balance of Italians.

Oh! Awesome Italian usage story! At the second kebab place I tried the woman spoke to me in Italian, I replied in Italian then when she told me they were out of falafel I understood her and replied, yet again in Italian! Point, Marissa! Of course, my bubble was burst when the woman at Coronas spoke in English and really good English too. I mean, kudos to her on her command of the language, but I need practice. Then, at the restaurant last night (Indian for ethnic tuesday didn't happen because we didn't feel like trekking halfway across Florence to find it so we did Za Zas instead because its on our ginormous list of places to go) I asked the waitress how much more bread would cost. That was a fail. I think she thought I was asking how much the bread we already had cost (comes in the cover charge). So we didn't get our "più pane". Which was probably a good thing. I had a wonderful Tuscan fagiolo (bean) and farro (spelt) soup. It was nice and thick.

Anyway, I need to go pick up my boarding pass before the place closes. Cause I kinda need it to go to IRELAND. Which is where I'm going this Friday. Did you know that? Sorry about the picture lackage. If you don't like it then buy me a digital camera and I'll be happy to oblige you with all the pictures you want. Ciao!

A short little Snapshot of what its like to be Me in the Middle of a week in florence

Midterms, midterms midterms. So far, so good... Two down, three to go. I was angry thinking I would have to take three tommorrow then I realized I took the Italian one Monday. I still have to go to class though. Oh well. Everyone around me is frantically writing papers. I feel guilty. I AM writing a paper but these people are doing research and in-depth analyses of intellectual, important subjects. I'm analysing my birth chart. Which takes more thought than you would think, there's a lot of connecting and angles involved but its not as, real, I guess would be the closest word, as what others are doing. I felt kinda Harry Potterish while writing this paper and thinking of what angle Saturn makes with the moon or what house Mars is in. I love feeling Harry Potterish.

So on my way to the computer lab I was kissed on the cheek by a mime. Oh, life in Florence. He wanted some money (of course) but my pockets were empty so he slapped me on the cheek. How rude. I did not make eye contact with this mime, I swear, I am very good at avoiding the street performers. Stupid mime.

Countdown to Ireland: 2 days. wednesday and thursday. Boo ya! But that means I have to do laundry (my sock supply is running low. as in nonexistant) and I'll have to pack and print out my boarding pass and etc and etc and etc. But still. IRELAND.

Ethnic Tuesday tonight equals Indian food! My experiences with this food genre have been pretty small so I am really excited. Be prepared for another "it was soooo good!" blog tomorrow. Actually. Maybe not what with classes all day. Though I do still have to do the boarding pass thing (no yelling at me for not doing it now- I don't have my passport and the site wants the number) so a blog is a maybe.

On to more interesting stuff. Umm... nothing interesting has happened since Verona! Unless you count sitting around the table "doing homework" or the fury of my roommates when the internet went down. I had a bagel with PB&J for lunch today. Too much J and not enough PB. I took my mythology exam. I had lentils for dinner last night with carrots, celery, basil (?), onion and olive oil. It was rather sweet (sweet as in the flavor not sweet as in awesome. it was sweet as in awesome too but that wasnt what i was refering to). For lunch I had a mozzerella and olive omelet that turned out rather well, if I do say so myself.

The weather has been GREAT the past few days. Lovely, sunny skies, still chilly but not cold and sometimes warm(ish). Perfect soccer weather *sigh*. I just have to content myself with a walk. I sometimes take the long way to class just to extend my outside time. I really hope it holds out and goes with me to IRELAND. Cross your fingers. I leave for Ireland in two days, did I mention that? Whoo HOO!

Ah, fair Verona!

Sorry about the title. I just couldn't resist. It really was fair anyway, the city is lovely and we were blessed with great weather and sunny skies. The following picture demonstrates just how lovely this place really is.
So we set out on Friday and didn't arrive until later in the afternoon. Immediately after our arrival we found our way to the hostel and dropped everything off. The hostel was a lovely reddish color that made me happy. The building was just so Italian. The whole city was just really Italian (shocker, I know). But it was helped by the fact that there were fewer tourists than other places I've visited.

entering verona

We explored Verona for a bit while searching for the recommended dinner place. There's a long street filled with just about every designer outlet imaginable (and a Disney store randomly enough) that leads to the street that holds Juliet's house and a plaza that has a market every Saturday. Dinner was nice, I had gnocchi with "phildelphia" as most places here refer to all cream cheeses and cumin. There's something about the gnocchi dishes here, as with my gnocci and truffle dish, the first half was exquisite but by the end it felt like too much. It is too rich and thick for large portions. After dinner, cappuccino ensued. Then back to the hostel for some much needed SLEEP.

the room

Breakfast the next day was slightly disappointing-- I've been spoiled by hotels! But it worked to fill me and there was a good kind of cereal that I enjoyed. After collecting ourselves and our possessions we headed out into Verona. First stop: ancient Roman amphitheater:

outside (taken the night before, hence the dark lighting)

inside from the bottominside from the top

Climbing up and down this amphitheater was INTENSE. The stairs were really steep and slippery especially since parts of the climb did not have stairs and we were forced to climb the seats. Shows and concerts still take place in this theater which is awesome.

Next stop: Juliet's house. After some gelato of course! I tried mint and didn't really like it. It was too strong. The other flavor, a hazelnut a chocolate blend was good though.

the famous balcony

Yes, I left a note to Juliet and taped it to the wall leading to the house and took a picture with her statue, though I forgot you're supposed to rub her breast. But I'm too lazy to put those pictures up right now so you'll just have to do without (and I don't have much time left). Use your imaginations people. We searched for Romeo's house but, after a disastrous hunt through Verona we only found a plaque quoting Shakespeare next to a door. There is not actual place the way there is for Juliet's home. Bugger.We wandered along the river (whose scenery added to "fair Verona"):
The Duomo in Verona is a pink/red color that made a nice contrast to the green Duomo I'm used to seeing here. Flanking the main doors are two griffins. Not an image I often associate with churches but it added to the place's charm. As far as a church in Italy goes, Verona's Duomo was unique and pretty. It will stand out in my memory from the phalanx of other churches that I've seen while here.

from afar (thats me over there)
from close (you can just make out the griffin on the right)

After the Duomo we meandered our way back to the hostel to grab our bags and get our butts to the train station. Of course, what is an Italian afternoon without some cappuccino? So we rested a little at the same stop as last night. On our way back we ran into an old friend: Dante! He lived here for a few years after leaving Florence. The train ride home was exhausting, but we made it better with a visit to Il Vegetariano where I had a nice broccoli and ceci soup.

Before you go, on the train station before leaving Alaina and I broke down and tried the tiramasu milkshake. Lets just say... fail. It did not taste like tiramasu at all, just like a cream or a vanilla milkshake. Not gross but not good and bland. Oh well. I'll just have to have real tiramasu now won't I?
btw im not going to edit cause im in a hurry. youll just have to enjoy it this way :)

Pinnocio, Greece, and riding a tunny Fish.

Pinnocio! Pinnocio!

Yes indeedy, I saw Comencini's Le Avventure di Pinnocio at cinema club last night, the version that is considered by all to be THE ultimate Pinnocio movie. Once again, cinema club has not failed in bringing me the ultimate Italian movie experience. Much darker than its Disney counterpart, this version closely follows the book. An example of its darker tone can be found midway through the movie when two thieves hang the small boy from a tree to convince him to reveal the location of his gold.

The little boy who plays Pinnocio is adorable as is the man who plays Gepetto. He reminded me a little of my Italian teacher, but older. Gepetto spends a lot of time calling Pinnocio's name and has a very distinct way of doing so hence the introduction. I'm sure most of you already know the basic story of Pinnocio so I won't explain the plot as in depth as I usually do. But I will add one thing for those only acquainted with the Disney version: remember the cricket? In this version he only appears for a few seconds and plays a very inconsequential role. Nor is he the only animal to talk to Pinnocio-- a chicken gives him advice and a tunny fish gives him and his father a ride home after escaping the monster shark. The fairy, on the other hand, shows up a lot and cares for Pinnocio as she switches him from boy to puppet, depending on his behavior and need.

What would be this blog without a reference to my latest culinary adventures? On the recently dubbed "ethnic Tuesday" my roomies and I ventured out into the cold, rainy, sleety nastiness to a Greek restaurant down the street. I am sure you are all tired of hearing this but it was SO GOOD! Instead of a bread basket we were given a basket of warm pita. To my dismay and surprise, the restaurant did not offer hummus. I ordered a pita vegetariana and buried my sorrow in its deliciousness. Topped with tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and frenchfries, the pita is laid flat and spread with tzaziki. I devoured it and was left feeling full and happy.

Speaking of rainy, sleety nastiness, come on Florence! Stop emulating moody Ohio and pick a weather (preferably of the springish sort) and stay with it. I want the sun! Grr...

So, the next few weeks are going to be BIG and my internet time will probably be sporadic. Next week is midterms, this weekend is Verona (!) then the week after midterms is spring break. Which equals Ireland! And (hopefully) some sort of trip to Pompeii. We'll see how my planning skills/budget hold up to that one. Never fear, my spring break WILL be interesting even if I do nothing after Ireland. And, don't worry, you will hear from me during midterms... I have a paper to write and blogging is a perfect pretending to work/procrastination/waiting for an idea to hit me activity.

One last scene from Pinnocio, as Gepetto and Pinnocio are heading home on the tunny:

A lazy Weekend that turned out to be Full anyway.

This past weekend was just about the most unproductive weekend ever. NOT that I'm complaining in the slightest. Friday consisted of sitting around, only emerging from my self-induced coma for dinner. What did I have? Um... good question. I can't remember. I believe it involved rice. AFTER dinner came the only important part anyway: gelato! Of course both places we tried first were closed but thats okay. We're in Italy and, as with cafes and bancomats, you're bound to stumble upon a gelateria somewhere without even trying. This gelateria was a good find and not too far away. I had a delicious chocolate biscotti mousse and something else... oh no. There is something wrong with me. I can't remember what flavor GELATO I had! I distinctly remember ordering and consuming this gelato. I even remember which bucket the flavor was in, the second from the left, on the bottom row. I just can't remember the flavor. Pathetic.

behind me is a slice of the stunning panaramic view of florence from fiesole, a small hilltown/"suburb" that sits high to the north of florence

Fiesole. Doesn't sound like much. Doesn't seem like much when you first arrive. Its small with steep streets because of its location on the side of a mountain. But Fiesole harbors some of the greatest views of Florence and the surrounding mountains. Remember Piazzale Michaelangelo? This was better.

You can see everything from the many "panoramic points" in the town and the higher you go the better the view. Florence looks tiny, like a little doll town I could leap over in one giant step. I was tempted to try, feeling as though I really could step out and be in Florence in a single instance (the reality of the 20 minute busride is NOT allowed to intrude on this fantasy). I have often mentioned my desire to take the Duomo home with me to the amusement of the people within listening distance. This vista encourange my fantasy because it created the idea that all I had to do was reach out, pick the Duomo up and place it snugly in my pocket.

just chillin on some swings

Beautiful views of Florence were not all that Fiesole had in store. Before we even encountered any panoramas we found this cute little playground. I immediately jumped on a swing. You wanna hear something funny? Roller coasters? No problem. Being on a boat? Two seconds of nausea then I'm fine. But put me on a swing and its motion sickness galore. I don't understand, the swings used to be my favorite. Maybe its a psychological thing: I was, after all, on a swing when I had my concussion. But that was in the first grade and I continued to happily swing away until long after my recess years were over. Shucky darn. Ooh! I also found a park here in Florence not far away from the apartment. How rockin sweet is that? Unfortunately when I found that one it was swarming with children and I don't think they, or their parents, would have appreciated an American college student interupting their play.

The BEST part...

etruscan tombs

While there are far larger, more complete and/or touristy sights and ruins in Fiesole these were probably far cooler. Know why? Because I got to climb on them. Hands on history ALWAYS triumphs over fame.

maybe if i listen hard enough the ghosts of etrusci will speak to me

contemplating the mysteries of italy from atop the tomb

For those of you familiar with me, you know I like to climb and explore everywhere. My mother would be able to tell you how annoyed I was at having to stay on the paths in Mammoth Cave. So being able to enter an Etruscan tomb, touch it, climb on it and really experience was beyond awesome. This particular tomb was dated back to 2nd or 3rd century B.C. As in 2,200 to 2,300 YEARS AGO. I was touching a building that had been built before Jesus, while the Romans were busy conquering their corner of the world. The Chinese were inventing paper and tofu and the Jews were experiencing the events that would become Hanukkah. It was the midst of the epic Punic wars and perhaps it was built at the same time as the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the wonders of the ancient world. Euclid, Archimedes and Hipparchus lived around this time and so did Hannibal, the man who almost conquered Rome. The Ptolmies ruled Egypt... *sigh* I could go on like this for a lot longer but I think I'll spare you the intensive history lesson.

kitty! on the way to the highest (and i mean highest) point we passed this cat just chilling in the window, staring down all the tourists passing by

Saturday ended with the perfect note: dinner at an all-vegetarian restaurant. Located just around the corner from our apartment (a dangerous location) Il Vegetariano is hidden in a basement. The food, I ordered cous cous florintina, was so, really, beyond, I'm running out of adverbs here, GOOD. One of the best meals so far. I will be going back no ifs ands or buts.

Another note on food: on Sunday the roomies and I made ribollita. Its a traditional Tuscan soup consisting of vegetables beans and bread. We used cabbage (green though you're supposed to use black) onions, leek, thyme and I think thats all. I'm sure someone will comment if I missed an ingredient. I liked it though I have no basis of comparison, this being my first experience. I'm sure we could have done better and that most restaurants actually do better.

Rounding out my weekend was Mass in the Duomo, something I had been planning on doing for a while but had never gotten around to. It was in English (though I would like to go to an Italian one). The priest had a good, intelligent homily, always a bonus, and it was kept pretty short. Interestingly, I was asked to help out by collecting the offering. Also interesting was the lack of wine during Communion. Funny observation: everything in Italy tastes better, even Jesus. (sorry if that was offensive or distasteful. There's just no other way to put it.)

After having experienced Mass in this kind of a cathedral I can understand why humanity builds their places of worship on such a grand scale despite any waste or overexessiveness. I feel as though an atheist (or at least an agnostic) could feel the presence of a deity in such a place. What I like about the Duomo was how understated it was, especially after the opulence of St. Peter's and the Duomo's own outer grandeur. There are frescoes and statues but it isn't crammed full of stuff. A person can breathe and enjoy the service. Mass in St. Peter's must be INSANE.

As a preview of blogs to come: tonight is Pinnocio at cinema club and this weekend is Verona! I also have a couple papers due, after which, I will be able to reveal the mysteries of my birth chart to all of you. You can help me decide the accuracy of the thing.

One last view from Fiesole, facing north (away from Florence). I like this view because of the flowering tree. Which... equals... SPRING!

the pics in this blog come from Gillian.

Susy and Gastronomic Ecstacy

Dinner tonight was probably one of the best things I've made so far in my life. It was simple but so good-- probably not because of my cooking skills but because of the ingredients. God bless Italy. (Just a little side note. If I ever hear of anyone I know even looking at a McDonalds etc while here I will hunt them down and introduce them to a pointy object. Though who would want to eat at a fast food joint while in this country I don't know. Unless its for the tiramasu milkshake at mickey ds. that can be forgiven). Anyway, back to the important stuff. My appetizer was tuscan bread (the kind with out salt) and goat cheese! I know what you're saying: "my oh my marissa, haven't your culinary horizons expanded." But wait, there's more.

Then came the dinner. I'm a big fan of lentils and that particular legume has come to form the basis of many of my meals here. I usually throw it in a pot with one or more vegetables and let it boil until everything is mushy. Today I switched it up a bit by adding... TOFU!!!! Yes, thats right, I found some blessed tofu. While my lentils were boiling, along with tomato and half a red potato (another great find) and some mozzerella, I threw some olive oil and thinly sliced tofu in a pan and did a little sautee/fry thingajig. Put it all in a bowl with rosemary and pepper (my favorite spices. If you haven't noticed I've developed a bit of an obsession with rosemary. I'll probably name my child that now. Well. If its a girl.) and you have an instant genius meal. But wait, there's more.

Lunch today encompassed another great find: BAGELS! I miss bagels so much here. Its one of the few foods that America triumphs over Italy on. It was only one euro and I brought it home, fried up an egg and experienced Heaven in carb form.

If this week couldn't have been any better culinary wise, I also had the best kebab yet. I went to my usual lunch place on Wednesday (as I frantically run from Via Faenza to Piazza Strozzi to make it to class on time) and ordered my usual falafel kebab. The kebabs there are generally good, not too spicy and just the right size. But this week the falafel was cooked perfectly, there was the exact balance of ingredients and an extra amount of fries. Best kebab ever. (If you are in Italy and must get food fast, please go to a kebab place or one of the million caffes, please. MUCH better options than silly old mcdonalds)

AND, if that wasn't enough, I also experienced sushi for the first time. Fake sushi of course, with veggies instead of fish. I didn't fall to my knees proclaiming gastronomic ecstacy (a phrase I really like so I think I'll make it my title) I but it was alright. By the way, I've always thought gastronomic was an awfully unappetizing word for its meaning. But maybe thats just me.

I should probably talk about something that doesn't involve food (though I do have to mention having yogurt and dark chocolate gelato the other day). I've been struggling to get my spring break plans in order. I know for sure I'm doing Ireland (!) and I've been thinking Pompeii or Hurculaneum if I can. I've spent too many nights with a book on Italy in my lap to be able to focus on just one place and I feel there's so much Europe out there. So if anyone has an extra million, or even a thousand dollars lying around don't hesitate to share!

Story time. This happened a little while ago but with Rome this story kinda fell by the wayside. Heading into Il Centro one day, innocently on a mission to buy cheese, I was stopped at the doorway by a Typical Italian Male. Usually one ignores their advances, like any Italian woman, but there was no way around them. Therefore, I was forced to speak. He asked me where I was from, why I was here, etc and I answered pretty honestly but without details. He wasn't a bad guy, just sketch, and, as I said, a Typical Italian Male (TIM). I beleive he was trying to offer to translate, or to "speak" for me but I couldn't really hear him so I just said no. Well, anyway, as I was edging into the store he asked me my name. Not wanting to give my real name I said the first thing that popped into my head. Susy. Yes, of all the names in the world I could have picked, I picked Susy. How uncreative. Therefore I have decided that I need to make up a story to tell forward TIMs with a far better name than "Susy". I do know that I will be British but that's as far as I've gotten. I'll let you know as inspiration strikes. Oh, I just thought of this. To his credit, this guy never once said "ciao bella".

For my goodbye picture we're going to take a trip down memory lane to Venice, to another lane... I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. The credit for this picture goes to Gillian. As you can see, Alaina is in the picture with me. I'm the one on the right.

Mostly about a Movie, but yeah, I'm still in Florence and its pretty awesome

Looking back on my last blog, I really don't feel like I did Rome justice. There was so much more to that beautiful place than words could have ever captured. I was also floating so I neglected to mention any bad parts other than being worn out from all the walking and the seeing. I could never live there and I'm glad I decided to study in Florence. But visiting there was incredible and I wish I had had more time.

Last night was the weekly cinema club and this movie was not nearly as messed up as the last one. It had its moments though. The movie was titled I Cacalieri che fecero l'impresa and I rather enjoyed it. The movie follows five French knights who journey to Thebes in Greece to recover the Shroud of Turin where it has been hidden by another French nobleman to be used in arcane rites for nefarious purposes. The movie takes place in 1271 ad right after the death of a particularily pious French king in the Holy Land. Back in England, a young knight (I WAS SO RIGHT! This knight is played by the same actor who was the young John Conner in Terminator 2. Boo yeah.) is entrusted with a letter revealing the location of the Shroud with instructions to give it to the King. He meets up with another knight (2) who is traveling back from the Holy Land with the king's body after tangling with a barbaric knight (3) who almost kills him and steals the letter. The two confront the other knight but then join forces with him and his friend (4). These knights are accompianied by a blacksmith (knight 5) who has been possesed by the devil. The five travel to Greece having a lot of adventures along the way. 5 is exorcised and made a knight after rescuing the others during one such adventure. They recover the Shroud and head back to France to give it to the king's successor. However as they are about to hand over the Shroud the evil nobleman rides up. The knights refuse to give the Shroud and head back into the forrest, where they realize they will be hunted. The give the Shroud to the representative and send a priest to talk to the king hoping to save their lives by giving the Shroud. But it does not work and the five knights face the entire French army, commanded by the nefarious nobleman.

four of the five knights: little boy knight, 2, 3, and 4

SPOILER: They all die. Even the one played by John Connor which was sad because he looked like he was twelve. I called him the "little boy knight" in my head. Even though he looked so young he was also, in a way, the leader because he was the highest ranking.

Despite the sad and somewhat unclear ending-- I'm not sure if the Shroud made it into the hands of the new king or not. I don't think it did because the preist is talking to the dead pious king and mentions he can only tell the names of the knights to him-- I liked the movie. It was based in Middle Aged Christianity, and quite historically accurate, but it wasn't a religous film. The battle scenes got quite graphic. For example, in one scene a man's stomach is sliced open and his intestines spill out. A dog climbs onto his lap and eats. There is a lot of spurting blood and, in one scene, a nose is chopped off. The director is not squeamish at all so don't see this movie if you are sensitive (like the girl next to me who had to keep hiding her eyes during every battle scene). Its very bromantic-- the final battle is preceded by a decleration of the love the knights have for eachother. Which, as we know, in movieland translates into "we're gonna die soon" because in any movie, just when any males express their feelings one or both of them are going to die. At least this is what my aunt says and so far its held true.

The movie is based on a book by Pupi Avati who is also the director. If you want to watch it, good luck, because I don't believe its popular in the U.S. but it might be easier to find the novel.

Today, while completely unproductive, has been a good day. I wandered for a while in a different direction just to see what was there. Nothing too crazy, though I did find a small child's shoe just chilling along the side of the road. The weather was just too lovely to stay inside.

Rome is a big city, I am a little person. I did my best. I DID MY BEST!

ROME. Yeah. That's where I was all weekend. It was a long and exhausting weekend but there was a lot to see, strangely enough. Who ever would have thought there would be things to see in Rome? If I actually tried to write everything we did and do descriptive justice I would be here forever and this blog would be a zillion words long. So instead I'm going to highlight a few episodes focusing on my favorite parts.

1. The epiphany moment, when I realized I was in Rome: visiting the Pantheon. It was unfortunately converted to a church but other than that and the deterioration from time it is still the same it was when it was first built. Buried inside the Pantheon is Raphael, maybe you've heard of him? Above his tomb it says (in Latin) "Here lies Raphael by whom nature feared to be overcome while he was alive and, when he died, feared to perish herself." More or less. After seeing his work I can understand why this was written.

the pantheon. yep, its awesome

2. The Vatican parts a and b.

a. St. Peter's Basilica. Its not a church, its a giant work of art. The statues, paintings, frescoes, what have you, encompass multiple eras of style but after a while it becomes repetitive due to the subject matter- if it isn't about Jesus, its about a saint or a pope. It is the Vatican, so duh, what else is going to be in there? But after a while it becomes, been there, done that. I did touch St. Peter's feet though, which is supposed to be a big deal. He actually doesn't have much feet left because of how many people have rubbed their hands over them. The Pièta, by michaelangelo is in here and that was major.

the altar in st. peter's basilica

b. The Vatican Musei and The. Sistine. Chapel. The Sistine Chapel. As in wow. I don't care, this room felt a thousand times more holy than St. Peter's ever could have. We spent a good twenty minutes in there just staring. The other major peice of art that I was dying to see was the School of Athens, by Raphael. (the chapel is Michaelangelo's if you somehow didn't know that, the same guy as sculpted the David.) I fell behind everyone else because I stared at it so long. The rest of the Musei is incredible as well (other than the "modern art" section) but its overwhelming how much and how long this place is. It takes forever to reach the Chapel.

my baby, the school of athens

3. The Trevi fountain. A giant fountain depicting Neptune and the founding of the city's largest, oldest (?) aqueduct.

4. Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit. They built the machines Da Vinci planned in his notebook and you could try them. Of course it was one of my favorites, you know me, I always want to touch and try so an interactive museum is my kinda place.

playing with one of da vinci's machines

5. The Tiber, chocolate truffle things and people making jewelry along the side of the road. Then, of course, the food. Dinner the first night was fancy and a little costly. I had small pasta with tomatoes, eggplant and bufalo mozzerella. Beyond good. The second night was much simpler, a spaghetti-like pasta in a goat cheese sauce but JUST as delicious. I forget what its called but go there if you ever visit Rome. I (staying true to my tendency to forget names while having an excellent sense of direction) remember where it is though not its name :) And, of course gelato. Don't judge but I had it three times. One time was wicked good, near the Trevi but the other two were still good but nothing to write home about. Then lunch was an excellent salad place near the Vatican wall. Very simple but delicious.

my tortufo norcia (norcia is a region in Italy where this truffle came from)

6. Castel San'Angelo built by Hadrian in 123 ad (yes, the same guy as the wall in England) and used by the popes as a fortress in times of danger. A dizzying labrinth that feels like a cave in parts and a normal Italian house or town in others. At the top there is a GREAT view of Rome and Vatican City.

the Castel

7. The Colloseo (Colluseum). Nuff said.

yeah, I went inside this.

8. Other fantastic ruins seen (though not explored) included the Circus Maximus, a temple dedicated to Zeus and another to Hercules, and some excavations in progress near Piazza Nuvona. Rome is also the city of fountains and there are a lot, running the gamut from the intricate enormity of the Trevi to little spouts from concrete lumps. Near the colluseum was a temple dedicated to Rome and to Venus and this giant triumphal arch that was pretty cool.

9. There was a match against Scotland while we were there so there was a lot of men running around in kilts, drinking beer and speaking in Scottish accents. Rock on.

10. Of course we stole food from the hotel breakfast again.

11. Rome is filled with obelisks stolen from Egypt with heiroglyphics on them. There is even a real, legitimate pyramid. So if you can't make it to Egypt, the next best thing is to visit Rome.

12. The weather. It was the middle of February and the day we visited St. Peter's it was HOT. Not middle of the summer hot but hot enough to walk around in short sleeves and sweat a little. There were few clouds and the sky was a light, happy blue. Of course, in similair fasion to Ohio, it was cold again the next day. Not middle of the winter cold but chilly enough for a jacket, mostly because of the wind.

So, all in all, I would have to say Rome was a success. An exhausting success, but a success nonetheless. My favorite sights would probably include the Sistine Chapel, the Castel, School of Athens and the Pantheon though we couldn't really go wrong anywhere we went. I know there were a million things I didn't see including the Forum, which makes me a little sad but we only had three days. But come on, how often do you see this?:

the swiss guard in their fun outfits