Things are coming to an end in Ascoli! I can't believe it is ending so soon. On one hand, I feel like this was a sufficient time to be living in Ascoli Piceno, but on the other hand, I feel like I could stay for another two months.
I had my Italian teaching practicum this morning where I teach the Italian children English. At the end of class, they all gave me little cards that they wrote out and colored for me. Each one wrote a note inside and they were all sooo cute! It made me want to stay with those kids for ever! Haha. Of course, that wore off when I remembered that I would be seeing my niece and nephew when I go home!
I have a big paper due tomorrow, and right now I should be working on it but I am actually blogging...coincidence? I think not....
I also have an Italian final on Wednesday, but I'm not too worried about that. It should be pretty easy seeing as it is ELEMENTARY Italian...:)
So, since I should be writing my paper, and not writing on my blog, I am going to stop writing this post now. Leave you people with a cliff hanger...maybe? haha
CIAO!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Registering for Classes
So I get to register for my classes today at 5:30pm.....American time...which means that I have to be up and at some sort of internet point tonight at 11:30....great haha. But it's ok. My friend's apartment has internet so we'll just have a movie night and then I'll register and go home.
So about registering....anyone that want to hang out with me...do it over the summer because I will literally have NO LIFE next semester. My OT classes are literally going to kill me. There are sooo many hours of class time and LABS! Ok, that's all of the complaining I am going to do...for now.
Ehhh the days in Ascoli are winding down...My program ends on April 30th :( It's bittersweet I guess. Atleast there are travel opportunities afterward. I'm going to miss friends that I made here, but I am also going to be ready to come home when that day comes :)
So about registering....anyone that want to hang out with me...do it over the summer because I will literally have NO LIFE next semester. My OT classes are literally going to kill me. There are sooo many hours of class time and LABS! Ok, that's all of the complaining I am going to do...for now.
Ehhh the days in Ascoli are winding down...My program ends on April 30th :( It's bittersweet I guess. Atleast there are travel opportunities afterward. I'm going to miss friends that I made here, but I am also going to be ready to come home when that day comes :)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday and Tuesday 4/20 and 4/21
My parents and brothers and Andrea left Monday morning. I had to teach English at the Italian school from 8-10 and so I met them at the Bistro under my school at 10:15 to get a coffee and say bye before my class at 10:40. I also sent them along with one of my suit cases :)
The rest of the day was back to the same old same old. It was one of the girl's 21st birthday Monday night so we took her out for some Chinese food in Italy... haha go figure.
Tuesday I woke up with a massive stomach ache (the chinese no doubt) but I got over it during the day. I finished the third book of Twilight too,but I am waiting to start the fourth one until my 10 hour plane trip home is closer:)
The rest of the day was back to the same old same old. It was one of the girl's 21st birthday Monday night so we took her out for some Chinese food in Italy... haha go figure.
Tuesday I woke up with a massive stomach ache (the chinese no doubt) but I got over it during the day. I finished the third book of Twilight too,but I am waiting to start the fourth one until my 10 hour plane trip home is closer:)
Saturday with the Family
The next day it rained ALL DAY! We walked around and I showed my parents around Ascoli a little more. We went into some of the churches and the crypt of one of them. By lunch time we were all soaked and decided to call the touring a day. We went for lunch at Café Lorenz and ate yummy pasta. ML wanted to shop a little bit so we did that in the afternoon.
For dinner we went to Vagabondo with some of my friends. We were the only customers that night and the man that owned the place was the only one working. Insteada of making a bunch of different dishes for us, we ate family style. One dish for each course for everyone. SO Fun!
After dinner we were all tired AGAIN haha so we called it a night.
For dinner we went to Vagabondo with some of my friends. We were the only customers that night and the man that owned the place was the only one working. Insteada of making a bunch of different dishes for us, we ate family style. One dish for each course for everyone. SO Fun!
After dinner we were all tired AGAIN haha so we called it a night.
End of Rome, Beginning of Ascoli
The next day, we were leaving for Ascoli Piceno but we had a few things to see first. We was the Pantheon, Piazza Minerva, the lion thing, a monastery with a secret. The secret was a gate leading into a garden. Through the key hole in the gate you could see down a long path of trees in this garden that eventually led to a gorgeous view of the dome on the Vatican. Finally we ended with the Colosseum, but that was not before we accidentally walked in on a wedding in a little chapel near the monastery.
Saying bye to Giorgio was so hard. He drove us to the highway and then he was like…Ok! I’ll see you again I hope! He got out, we said our goodbyes and he grabbed a bus back home. When we got back into the car we noticed that he wrote us a note saying goodbye! SO CUTE AND NICE!
The drive to Ascoli Piceno was much quicker when my dad drove versus the bus. Just over two hours and fifteen minutes I would say. Oh daddy….My family checked into their hotel and then we walked around for a little bit. Then they went for a rest before dinner. That night we ate dinner at Al Teatro and had some good pizza with my friends.
Saying bye to Giorgio was so hard. He drove us to the highway and then he was like…Ok! I’ll see you again I hope! He got out, we said our goodbyes and he grabbed a bus back home. When we got back into the car we noticed that he wrote us a note saying goodbye! SO CUTE AND NICE!
The drive to Ascoli Piceno was much quicker when my dad drove versus the bus. Just over two hours and fifteen minutes I would say. Oh daddy….My family checked into their hotel and then we walked around for a little bit. Then they went for a rest before dinner. That night we ate dinner at Al Teatro and had some good pizza with my friends.
Sistine Chapel and Vatican
The next morning we woke up early and met Giorgio at 8:30. We had a tour of the Vatican scheduled with a retired CAPTAIN of the Swiss Guard, Martino. So cool. We walked us through the Vatican and told us SO many things about it! He knew so much, and you could tell he knew more and was just giving us the “abridged” version. After the Vatican came the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. Martino knew everything about everything.
Just as we were about to leave the Sistine Chapel Giorgio came running over to us and motioned for us to follow him. He brought us into this little side room in the Chapel that was off limits. When we were in and the door was shut he explained where we were. We were in the Room of Tears in the Sistine Chapel. Martino, who was in the Swiss Guard for 37 years had only been in there twice! This room holds all the ancient treasures and old vestments of past Popes from the 1200’s-1300’s till the present. It is also the room where the newly elected Pope goes to “collect himself” between being elected and first speaking to the people. SOOO COOL!!!! Once in a lifetime.
After the long day, my family was tired because they were still dealing with a time change. They rested up but I still had energy. Giorgio, Andrea and I walked around Rome. We happened to pass the Trevi Fountain and then we walked around looking for a leather jacket. Eventually we had to head back and get everyone for dinner. We met Danilla and Giorgia again and had an amazing time with them. They really were so much fun to be around!
Things I saw in Rome:
1. Dig
2. Old circus (where they used to race chariots)
3. Really cool fountains
4. Massive statues
5. Road with old chariot marks in the rocks paving it
6. An old water fountain (that I somehow shot water into my face and hair with).
7. Spanish Steps
8. Trevi Fountain
9. Pantheon
10. Colosseum
11. Piazza Minerva
12. Vatican
13. Sistine Chapel
14. Vatican Museum
15. Lion face thing you put your hand in and hope it doesn’t get bit off while you make a wish
Just as we were about to leave the Sistine Chapel Giorgio came running over to us and motioned for us to follow him. He brought us into this little side room in the Chapel that was off limits. When we were in and the door was shut he explained where we were. We were in the Room of Tears in the Sistine Chapel. Martino, who was in the Swiss Guard for 37 years had only been in there twice! This room holds all the ancient treasures and old vestments of past Popes from the 1200’s-1300’s till the present. It is also the room where the newly elected Pope goes to “collect himself” between being elected and first speaking to the people. SOOO COOL!!!! Once in a lifetime.
After the long day, my family was tired because they were still dealing with a time change. They rested up but I still had energy. Giorgio, Andrea and I walked around Rome. We happened to pass the Trevi Fountain and then we walked around looking for a leather jacket. Eventually we had to head back and get everyone for dinner. We met Danilla and Giorgia again and had an amazing time with them. They really were so much fun to be around!
Things I saw in Rome:
1. Dig
2. Old circus (where they used to race chariots)
3. Really cool fountains
4. Massive statues
5. Road with old chariot marks in the rocks paving it
6. An old water fountain (that I somehow shot water into my face and hair with).
7. Spanish Steps
8. Trevi Fountain
9. Pantheon
10. Colosseum
11. Piazza Minerva
12. Vatican
13. Sistine Chapel
14. Vatican Museum
15. Lion face thing you put your hand in and hope it doesn’t get bit off while you make a wish
Wednesday and Thursday! SURPRISE!
So I returned from Ischia on Monday, and Wednesday afternoon I took the 4:30 bus BACK to Rome! I was meeting my family the next day in the Airport, but they didn’t know that because it was a surprise! So I got to Rome at 7:30 and met Giorgio , a friend of the family who lives in Rome. Did I mention that neither he nor his wife speak ANY English haha….He was picking up my parents, two younger brothers and Andrea (family friend…basically family) at Fiumicino (one of the airports in Rome) in the morning. This whole scheme was actually Andrea’s idea and everything was all set-up for me. All I had to do was show up in Rome Wednesday night.
Giorgio and his daughter Giorgia took me to grab a big rental car for the fam when they got here. When I saw it I instantly dubbed it “Nostro Pullman!” (our bus! Haha). It was actually a 9 person van hahaha! Giorgio got a kick out of that one.
Then we headed back to their house where Giorgio’s wife Danilla was preparing dinner. She made an amazingly delicious meal. It was simple but out of this world. Pasta and chicken but SO GOOD!
After dinner…so at like 11pm haha….Giorgio, Danilla and Giorgia drove me to my hotel and got me settled for the night. The next morning Giorgio picked me up at 6:30am so we could get to the airport for 7:30am. Naturally, my parent’s plane was late, but it gave me more time to figure out a surprise strategy with Giorgio.
When they finally walked through the arrivals door I ran behind a column and popped up in front of them….SURPRISE! They had no idea. It was great.
We went to the hotel and the fam took a nap while I read. Did I mention that I started reading Twilight? BAD CHOICE! MY LIFE REVOLVES AROUND THESE BOOKS! Haha kinda sad actually…anyway...After their nap Giorgio met us and we went out and saw a few things around Rome. There are some pictures that I took of a site of a dig that is actually going on in the city right now. Giorgio was basically our master-mind tour guide all weekend that had every connection possible in Rome. It was great!
Then we went to a pizza place where we met-up with Danilla and Giorgia. After we all successfully ate enough for two weeks we rolled ourselves back into nostro Pullman to go back to the hotel and crash for the night.
Giorgio and his daughter Giorgia took me to grab a big rental car for the fam when they got here. When I saw it I instantly dubbed it “Nostro Pullman!” (our bus! Haha). It was actually a 9 person van hahaha! Giorgio got a kick out of that one.
Then we headed back to their house where Giorgio’s wife Danilla was preparing dinner. She made an amazingly delicious meal. It was simple but out of this world. Pasta and chicken but SO GOOD!
After dinner…so at like 11pm haha….Giorgio, Danilla and Giorgia drove me to my hotel and got me settled for the night. The next morning Giorgio picked me up at 6:30am so we could get to the airport for 7:30am. Naturally, my parent’s plane was late, but it gave me more time to figure out a surprise strategy with Giorgio.
When they finally walked through the arrivals door I ran behind a column and popped up in front of them….SURPRISE! They had no idea. It was great.
We went to the hotel and the fam took a nap while I read. Did I mention that I started reading Twilight? BAD CHOICE! MY LIFE REVOLVES AROUND THESE BOOKS! Haha kinda sad actually…anyway...After their nap Giorgio met us and we went out and saw a few things around Rome. There are some pictures that I took of a site of a dig that is actually going on in the city right now. Giorgio was basically our master-mind tour guide all weekend that had every connection possible in Rome. It was great!
Then we went to a pizza place where we met-up with Danilla and Giorgia. After we all successfully ate enough for two weeks we rolled ourselves back into nostro Pullman to go back to the hotel and crash for the night.
Monday- Return to Ascoli from Ischia
The next morning we caught the ferry at 7:45am. We almost got lost and missed the ferry like a bazillion times…as usual when I travel. So typical… haha only this time there was no taxi to rely on. From the ferry we thought the train station was close, so we opted to walk rather than pay for a taxi…bad choice….typical. We walked for 45-50 mins through the port of Naples…AGAIN! Tempting fate two times on our one trip…not very smart. Eventually we made it to our train, boarded and just found seats together before the train left. It was PACKED! Little did we know it could and would get worse.
By the time we made two more stops (picking up more people) there was a HUGE group of teenagers standing INSIDE of our compartment and out in the hallway. FIRE HAZARD! Hahaha. They were EVERYWHERE though. My friend was sitting in a fold out seat in the hallway and they literally smothered her. She had butts in her face no matter where she turned. She couldn’t breath. I had to blindly stick my arm out into the teenage abyss and attempt to reel her in. Eventually I got a hold of her and pulled her into the compartment. There wasn’t much more room in there either but at least she could breath!
We finally made it to Rome and killed a few hours before boarding the bus back to Ascoli. Once the three hour ride was behind us, we all trudged the 20 minutes back to our apartments and crashed. We were all physically and emotionally exhausted from the long day of travel. 7am till 6pm. SO WORTH IT!
By the time we made two more stops (picking up more people) there was a HUGE group of teenagers standing INSIDE of our compartment and out in the hallway. FIRE HAZARD! Hahaha. They were EVERYWHERE though. My friend was sitting in a fold out seat in the hallway and they literally smothered her. She had butts in her face no matter where she turned. She couldn’t breath. I had to blindly stick my arm out into the teenage abyss and attempt to reel her in. Eventually I got a hold of her and pulled her into the compartment. There wasn’t much more room in there either but at least she could breath!
We finally made it to Rome and killed a few hours before boarding the bus back to Ascoli. Once the three hour ride was behind us, we all trudged the 20 minutes back to our apartments and crashed. We were all physically and emotionally exhausted from the long day of travel. 7am till 6pm. SO WORTH IT!
Sunday in Ischia
We decided to dedicate Sunday to sun-bathing and a hike to the castle on Ischia. We woke up and grabbed some breakfast at the hotel and threw our bathing suits on…TIME TO TAN…only it was a little chilly. So we wrapped up in towels and waited it out…we were determined to TAN! Hahaha
After lunch, we hiked to Castello Aragonese d’Ischia. It was soo pretty in the distance we just had to see it up close. We were preparing for like an hour and a half, two hours there, and hour back down. When we got to the base of the castle, we were pleasantly surprised….by an elevator. It was 1 minute to the top haha.
The castle was really cool. Lots of old buildings and you could tell that this was a castle town and not just a plain castle. There were churches and homes and an abbey….you name it. Even a SUN temple…can you say ZELDA!? All I could think of was Mike trying to beat that stupid temple in Zelda. Once again…look at the pictures. If you do you get to see the NASTY nun thing we found…They look like seats. Just as I was about to sit on one, my friend started to read the description of what they were. They were in fact seats…but they weren’t for living people. They were where the dead nun corpses would rot away…delicious huh?
It started to rain so we went back and got ready for dinner. We walked to the downtown area for food after waiting to no avail for the rain to let up… no chance on that one. Good food and bed…as usual. Early ferry in the AM.
After lunch, we hiked to Castello Aragonese d’Ischia. It was soo pretty in the distance we just had to see it up close. We were preparing for like an hour and a half, two hours there, and hour back down. When we got to the base of the castle, we were pleasantly surprised….by an elevator. It was 1 minute to the top haha.
The castle was really cool. Lots of old buildings and you could tell that this was a castle town and not just a plain castle. There were churches and homes and an abbey….you name it. Even a SUN temple…can you say ZELDA!? All I could think of was Mike trying to beat that stupid temple in Zelda. Once again…look at the pictures. If you do you get to see the NASTY nun thing we found…They look like seats. Just as I was about to sit on one, my friend started to read the description of what they were. They were in fact seats…but they weren’t for living people. They were where the dead nun corpses would rot away…delicious huh?
It started to rain so we went back and got ready for dinner. We walked to the downtown area for food after waiting to no avail for the rain to let up… no chance on that one. Good food and bed…as usual. Early ferry in the AM.
Saturday in Capri!
we woke up early to take a ferry to Capri for the day. So much fun!!
On the ferry a man approached us and asked us if we wanted to see the Grotta Azzurra. I had no idea what it was but my friend did so we decided to go. Apparently, it is the MAIN tourist attraction in Capri….haha so much for knowing where I am. We bought tickets for the boat ride to the Grotta Azzurra, and when we got off the ferry in Capri we went straight there.
When you get to the area of the Grotta Azzurra, you can’t go in it with a normal boat because the opening is too small. It was literally two feet high when I was there because it was high tide. Since the opening is so small, people are transferred from the bigger boats, that take them out to the Grotta, to super small row boats that take you into the Grotta Azzurra. I got into a small boat with my friend and a family of three from Argentina. Haha…typical. I would find the only Spanish people in Capri.
Anyway, we were getting closer and closer to the opening of the cave, but it wasn’t until we were just about to enter it that I realized just HOW low the opening actually is!! I shimmied down (on top of the Argentinean family) and laid as flat as I could in the bottom of the boat. It’s a good thing! Because my head would have gotten chopped off if I didn’t move! WE WERE SO FRIGGING CLOSE TO THE ROCKS! Let me repeat….we were moving toward the opening, next thing I know I was franticly trying to keep from being decapitated while at the same time trying to pretend that the guy rowing the boat wasn’t laying completely on top of me so he could fit through as well. Good Times in Capri…
Needless to say, the Grotta Azzurra was SO PRETTY! I literally can not describe it with words…it was soo BLUE. On the boat there, we met two women who were traveling together around Italy. The originally came over to visit one of their daughters and were just going from place to place after that. When they found out we were studying in Italy as well, we struck up conversation that lasted the whole boat ride.
When we made it back to Capri (the land part of it anyway) we asked the women if they knew anywhere that was good for lunch. They said that they were going to hike up to the town center (at the top of this massive mountain) and see what was up there. We decided we would go along. We wanted to go up to the center anyway.
After what seemed like an endless climb to the top (it took forever!) we all of a sudden passed through a massive archway and were in the middle of this quaint but amazingly stunning town center of Capri. Once we were up there we decided to go to a famous pizza place for lunch. We walked in and soon realized that they served more than pizza….and stuff that was a lot more expensive than pizza. My friend and I figured…”Hey, how often are we at the top of a mountain in the historical town center of Capri in a nice restaurant? Let’s go all out”. We literally just decided this when the woman whose daughter the two women went to visit said that we could pick whatever we wanted…and it was on her. SO NICE! So we got some delicious fish and shrimp pasta!
After lunch we had to catch the ferry to Ischia so we had to say bye to our new found friends. They were so NICE! We really enjoyed lunch with them.
After the ferry ride back, we took a nap and then went downtown for some dinner. More fish….go figure! How could I not take advantage of the fishy opportunity presented before me?! After dinner we were exhausted to we decided to call it an early night again…but not before getting another gelato
On the ferry a man approached us and asked us if we wanted to see the Grotta Azzurra. I had no idea what it was but my friend did so we decided to go. Apparently, it is the MAIN tourist attraction in Capri….haha so much for knowing where I am. We bought tickets for the boat ride to the Grotta Azzurra, and when we got off the ferry in Capri we went straight there.
When you get to the area of the Grotta Azzurra, you can’t go in it with a normal boat because the opening is too small. It was literally two feet high when I was there because it was high tide. Since the opening is so small, people are transferred from the bigger boats, that take them out to the Grotta, to super small row boats that take you into the Grotta Azzurra. I got into a small boat with my friend and a family of three from Argentina. Haha…typical. I would find the only Spanish people in Capri.
Anyway, we were getting closer and closer to the opening of the cave, but it wasn’t until we were just about to enter it that I realized just HOW low the opening actually is!! I shimmied down (on top of the Argentinean family) and laid as flat as I could in the bottom of the boat. It’s a good thing! Because my head would have gotten chopped off if I didn’t move! WE WERE SO FRIGGING CLOSE TO THE ROCKS! Let me repeat….we were moving toward the opening, next thing I know I was franticly trying to keep from being decapitated while at the same time trying to pretend that the guy rowing the boat wasn’t laying completely on top of me so he could fit through as well. Good Times in Capri…
Needless to say, the Grotta Azzurra was SO PRETTY! I literally can not describe it with words…it was soo BLUE. On the boat there, we met two women who were traveling together around Italy. The originally came over to visit one of their daughters and were just going from place to place after that. When they found out we were studying in Italy as well, we struck up conversation that lasted the whole boat ride.
When we made it back to Capri (the land part of it anyway) we asked the women if they knew anywhere that was good for lunch. They said that they were going to hike up to the town center (at the top of this massive mountain) and see what was up there. We decided we would go along. We wanted to go up to the center anyway.
After what seemed like an endless climb to the top (it took forever!) we all of a sudden passed through a massive archway and were in the middle of this quaint but amazingly stunning town center of Capri. Once we were up there we decided to go to a famous pizza place for lunch. We walked in and soon realized that they served more than pizza….and stuff that was a lot more expensive than pizza. My friend and I figured…”Hey, how often are we at the top of a mountain in the historical town center of Capri in a nice restaurant? Let’s go all out”. We literally just decided this when the woman whose daughter the two women went to visit said that we could pick whatever we wanted…and it was on her. SO NICE! So we got some delicious fish and shrimp pasta!
After lunch we had to catch the ferry to Ischia so we had to say bye to our new found friends. They were so NICE! We really enjoyed lunch with them.
After the ferry ride back, we took a nap and then went downtown for some dinner. More fish….go figure! How could I not take advantage of the fishy opportunity presented before me?! After dinner we were exhausted to we decided to call it an early night again…but not before getting another gelato
Friday! Traveling to Ischia
Friday morning we began our journey to Ischia. We grabbed the 6am bus from Ascoli Piceno to Rome. We were going to try and catch the 10:24 train to Naples, but we got into Rome a little later than planned and the train was completely booked.
My Italian professor told me that on Christmas, all of the Italians stay at home with their families. On Easter, they all travel….I could definitely see that she was right. Termini (the train station) was packed.
We ended up having to take a later train, and we had a few hours to kill, so we headed to the most American thing that we could find in the train station….Mc Donalds. When we got on our train, it was literally IMPOSSIBLE to find seats near each other. We found a compartment that had one other person in it and just settled….It wasn’t until we were seated that we realized we were sharing a compartment with a bit of a “fishy” character….haha…yeah…
We made it to Naples alive, but that was only half of the journey. From the train station, we had to take a bus (where we all got molested one way or another, emotionally or physically) and then got off at the port to take the ferry to Ischia. We got off at the wrong port, so we had to trek through the port district of Naples (probably the most unsafe place in Italy…) to the other port. We grabbed the ferry and took in the two hour ferry ride to Ischia. SO GORGEOUS!
When we docked, we grabbed a taxi and finally made it to the hotel…after 11 hours of traveling….
That night, we went out to dinner and I had some delicious muscles (Cozze) and a gelato! YUM!
My Italian professor told me that on Christmas, all of the Italians stay at home with their families. On Easter, they all travel….I could definitely see that she was right. Termini (the train station) was packed.
We ended up having to take a later train, and we had a few hours to kill, so we headed to the most American thing that we could find in the train station….Mc Donalds. When we got on our train, it was literally IMPOSSIBLE to find seats near each other. We found a compartment that had one other person in it and just settled….It wasn’t until we were seated that we realized we were sharing a compartment with a bit of a “fishy” character….haha…yeah…
We made it to Naples alive, but that was only half of the journey. From the train station, we had to take a bus (where we all got molested one way or another, emotionally or physically) and then got off at the port to take the ferry to Ischia. We got off at the wrong port, so we had to trek through the port district of Naples (probably the most unsafe place in Italy…) to the other port. We grabbed the ferry and took in the two hour ferry ride to Ischia. SO GORGEOUS!
When we docked, we grabbed a taxi and finally made it to the hotel…after 11 hours of traveling….
That night, we went out to dinner and I had some delicious muscles (Cozze) and a gelato! YUM!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Update
I just put up some pictures from Ascoli and my most recent trip to Ischia and Capri! The accompanying blog is soon to come!!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Ischia!!
So it is official!! I am going to Ischia for Easter Weekend! Yay! We have Monday off from school because it is a national holiday for Easter in Italy, so we are taking advantage of the four day weekend and taking a trip to Ischia!
Originally, we were thinking of going to Capri, but Ischia is a little less well known, therefore it is a little less expensive.
We booked our hotel, and it has it's OWN PRIVATE BEACH! I'm so excited...ahh! I just hope that I don't come down with this sicky thing because we have a three hour bus ride to Rome, a two hour train ride to Naples, and then an hour and a half ferry ride to Ischia. That's a long time to feel nauseous. Cross your fingers for me!
Originally, we were thinking of going to Capri, but Ischia is a little less well known, therefore it is a little less expensive.
We booked our hotel, and it has it's OWN PRIVATE BEACH! I'm so excited...ahh! I just hope that I don't come down with this sicky thing because we have a three hour bus ride to Rome, a two hour train ride to Naples, and then an hour and a half ferry ride to Ischia. That's a long time to feel nauseous. Cross your fingers for me!
Monday
Yesterday after my Italian class, I left school ASAP because I just wanted to be back in my apartment, sitting in my window and reading. I sat there for THREE hours, just reading and people watching. It was such a nice break from all the stuff going on. The other five girls that I live with were still in school so I had the whole apartment to myself!
Needless to say, I got sunburned....yay!
After my window-time, I went to the fountain for internet and then I hit up Tonic.
Bed early again...I am trying to stay healthy since there is a pukey thing going around with us....three girls down now...IM SCARED! haha...
Needless to say, I got sunburned....yay!
After my window-time, I went to the fountain for internet and then I hit up Tonic.
Bed early again...I am trying to stay healthy since there is a pukey thing going around with us....three girls down now...IM SCARED! haha...
The end of Sunday....and EARTHQUAKE!
So mass was a little bit longer on Sunday because it was Palm Sunday and they had to read the Passion of Christ. So...it finished in about an hour vs 45 mins haha. After mass we went back to my apartment and just hung out and made some dinner. I went to bed early because I was so exhausted on Sunday.
Then, all of a sudden, around 3:30 in the morning, I woke up to shaking. I thought that my roommate Christine was shaking my bed so I was like "CHRISTINE! STOP SHAKING MY BED!! ITS GOING TO BREAK!"....then I realized it was an EARTHQUAKE! The shaking went on for atleast a good 60-90 seconds. After it had passed, I was a little scared, but I didn't think too much of it.
Literally three days before the quake hit, my italian teacher told my class that "tremors" were common and not to really worry about them. I thought that this was just a "tremor"...oops. So after it passed, I told my roommate what my teacher said and then we both just went back to sleep. We felt a few smaller tremors after the big one, but I really honestly thought that it was normal since Ascoli Piceno is close to a fault line.
It wasn't until the next day that I found out the actual damage that happened in L'Aquila. I cannot even imagine what it would have been like to experience the earthquake there. All I could think about was being one of those students who were trapped in their dorm rubble. The amount of people that have lost their lives is just horrific.
So yes, I felt the earthquake the other night. No, I wasn't scared when it was happening because I thought that it was just the usual for Ascoli. Yes, I am TERRIFIED now because I felt another smaller tremor last night that woke me up...around 1am. Maybe I'm just oversensitive to them now...I don't know.
Then, all of a sudden, around 3:30 in the morning, I woke up to shaking. I thought that my roommate Christine was shaking my bed so I was like "CHRISTINE! STOP SHAKING MY BED!! ITS GOING TO BREAK!"....then I realized it was an EARTHQUAKE! The shaking went on for atleast a good 60-90 seconds. After it had passed, I was a little scared, but I didn't think too much of it.
Literally three days before the quake hit, my italian teacher told my class that "tremors" were common and not to really worry about them. I thought that this was just a "tremor"...oops. So after it passed, I told my roommate what my teacher said and then we both just went back to sleep. We felt a few smaller tremors after the big one, but I really honestly thought that it was normal since Ascoli Piceno is close to a fault line.
It wasn't until the next day that I found out the actual damage that happened in L'Aquila. I cannot even imagine what it would have been like to experience the earthquake there. All I could think about was being one of those students who were trapped in their dorm rubble. The amount of people that have lost their lives is just horrific.
So yes, I felt the earthquake the other night. No, I wasn't scared when it was happening because I thought that it was just the usual for Ascoli. Yes, I am TERRIFIED now because I felt another smaller tremor last night that woke me up...around 1am. Maybe I'm just oversensitive to them now...I don't know.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Catch-up
Since spring break nothing too exciting has happened. The week following my Sunday return to Ascoli, I pretty much slept in EVERY day in attempts to catch-up on sleep. On that Thursday, I was supposed to go to the Italian school to teach English (I go once a week), but when I woke up my eye was all infected and gross again.
Friday, we decided that it would be nice to go out to Murphy’s because we hadn’t been there since before break. So basically, I laid around all day trying to get better, and then went three steps down the street for two hours haha.
Saturday…much of the same. We attempted a hike, but that failed miserably because for some reason, all of Ascoli decided that they would do work on their trails and walkways. So I went to Tonic instead and sat in a Jacuzzi for an hour…probably not the best thing for the homeostatic regulation of my body, but what are you going to do…
Sunday, I laid around outside all day, and then headed to church at 6:45pm. I was expecting a regular mass…hymns, singing, the whole lot. Let’s just say, it was lacking a few…ok all musical overtones of a mass. I felt like I was at mass at that church in Seabrook, NH where you go during the summer between leaving the beach and going out to dinner. The mass started at 6:45pm and I was out, in Piazza del Popolo, drinking an apertivo, before 7:30pm.
We met some friends around 8pm and went out to dinner at a place called Pepperoncino. Apparently, everything there is spicy. After eating, we three of us were waiting outside while our fourth was paying the bill. We were standing outside of the restaurant talking when, all of a sudden, a guy approaches us and starts speaking to us in English. He had a British accent, so I figured he was from England. Then he said, “Are you in the University of New Hampshire program?” When we said yes he asked if we were from New Hampshire. I said I was from Rye Beach and he said… “NO WAY! I’m from PORTSMOUTH!” So basically what happened was….I ran into a guy that lives 15 minutes away from me on Congress St. in Portsmouth, NH, IN ASCOLI PICENO!!! Thousands of miles from my home…So CRAZY! So yeah, that was Sunday.
This past week was much of the same thing. Tuesday was one of the girl’s 21 birthday, so I made her some chili (hahaha ohh kelli), we all bought her a nice cake, and eventually got dressed up and took her out. The rest of the week was pretty relaxed. Not much going on. No big assignments until another two weeks.
Yesterday, Saturday April 4, 2009, we took a day trip to Urbino. We left Ascoli at 7:30am. The trip to Urbino took three hours. By the time we got there…we were all exhausted and ready to call it a day haha. In Urbino there was a Rafael exhibition. We went to the “Galleria Nationale delle Marche” and walked through the Rafael exhibit and the Palazzo Ducale di Urbino. Very cool stuff. Just to get into the ancient city of Urbino, we had to climb up this massive spiral walkway. It looked just like the walkway you have to go up in (EWW a Burberry man purse just passed by under my window) the Gorgon Castle in Zelda. Yep, I know…I’m a loser, but at least my brothers and my cousins will know what I’m talking about. So after the spiral walkway, there were stairs, and then this twisty windy upward brick trail….soo sool. I’m putting pictures up so look at them!
After we got back yesterday we were all so tired. We took naps and then got dinner out. After dinner we loaded up with nutella and cookies and watched some quality Desperate Houswives. During the episode, the back legs started creaking….then all of a sudden, THEY BROKE RIGHT OFF! MY WHOLE BED COLLAPSED! WHAT THE HECK! So last night I had to sleep on the couch.
And just to put the final touches on things, when I woke up this morning, that weird eye guck thing was back. It’s not pink eye…I don’t know what it is but its weird….Oh life.
For breakfast we hit up Murphy’s because they were having a Sunday brunch. There was also a parade through the streets of Ascoli for Palm Sunday. What a day. I have to run now though, because I am trying to make it to 6:45 pm mass again. We’ll see how quick this mass is….
Friday, we decided that it would be nice to go out to Murphy’s because we hadn’t been there since before break. So basically, I laid around all day trying to get better, and then went three steps down the street for two hours haha.
Saturday…much of the same. We attempted a hike, but that failed miserably because for some reason, all of Ascoli decided that they would do work on their trails and walkways. So I went to Tonic instead and sat in a Jacuzzi for an hour…probably not the best thing for the homeostatic regulation of my body, but what are you going to do…
Sunday, I laid around outside all day, and then headed to church at 6:45pm. I was expecting a regular mass…hymns, singing, the whole lot. Let’s just say, it was lacking a few…ok all musical overtones of a mass. I felt like I was at mass at that church in Seabrook, NH where you go during the summer between leaving the beach and going out to dinner. The mass started at 6:45pm and I was out, in Piazza del Popolo, drinking an apertivo, before 7:30pm.
We met some friends around 8pm and went out to dinner at a place called Pepperoncino. Apparently, everything there is spicy. After eating, we three of us were waiting outside while our fourth was paying the bill. We were standing outside of the restaurant talking when, all of a sudden, a guy approaches us and starts speaking to us in English. He had a British accent, so I figured he was from England. Then he said, “Are you in the University of New Hampshire program?” When we said yes he asked if we were from New Hampshire. I said I was from Rye Beach and he said… “NO WAY! I’m from PORTSMOUTH!” So basically what happened was….I ran into a guy that lives 15 minutes away from me on Congress St. in Portsmouth, NH, IN ASCOLI PICENO!!! Thousands of miles from my home…So CRAZY! So yeah, that was Sunday.
This past week was much of the same thing. Tuesday was one of the girl’s 21 birthday, so I made her some chili (hahaha ohh kelli), we all bought her a nice cake, and eventually got dressed up and took her out. The rest of the week was pretty relaxed. Not much going on. No big assignments until another two weeks.
Yesterday, Saturday April 4, 2009, we took a day trip to Urbino. We left Ascoli at 7:30am. The trip to Urbino took three hours. By the time we got there…we were all exhausted and ready to call it a day haha. In Urbino there was a Rafael exhibition. We went to the “Galleria Nationale delle Marche” and walked through the Rafael exhibit and the Palazzo Ducale di Urbino. Very cool stuff. Just to get into the ancient city of Urbino, we had to climb up this massive spiral walkway. It looked just like the walkway you have to go up in (EWW a Burberry man purse just passed by under my window) the Gorgon Castle in Zelda. Yep, I know…I’m a loser, but at least my brothers and my cousins will know what I’m talking about. So after the spiral walkway, there were stairs, and then this twisty windy upward brick trail….soo sool. I’m putting pictures up so look at them!
After we got back yesterday we were all so tired. We took naps and then got dinner out. After dinner we loaded up with nutella and cookies and watched some quality Desperate Houswives. During the episode, the back legs started creaking….then all of a sudden, THEY BROKE RIGHT OFF! MY WHOLE BED COLLAPSED! WHAT THE HECK! So last night I had to sleep on the couch.
And just to put the final touches on things, when I woke up this morning, that weird eye guck thing was back. It’s not pink eye…I don’t know what it is but its weird….Oh life.
For breakfast we hit up Murphy’s because they were having a Sunday brunch. There was also a parade through the streets of Ascoli for Palm Sunday. What a day. I have to run now though, because I am trying to make it to 6:45 pm mass again. We’ll see how quick this mass is….
Sunday in Dublin
We woke up on time Sunday, and every thing was going according to plan. We grabbed our taxi at 5:30 and he took us to the bus station. He offered to drive us to the Airport (which was an hour away) but we said no because we wanted to charge us £50. We went to get on the bus, and I didn’t have enough cash for a ticket so we went to an ATM. As I was taking my money out of the ATM the bus left. We figured…no big deal; we’ll catch the next one. Only the next one didn’t leave until 6:30 and wouldn’t arrive until 8am. Our flight left at 8:40 but the gate closed at 8:10. That wouldn’t work. So now we had to figure our how we were going to get to the airport in time.
We walked outside of the train station trying to catch a cab to the airport. We figured it couldn’t be that expensive. We talked to a cabbie and he said it would be £120 for a ride to the airport. £120!!!! SO much money. I tried to talk him down to a lower price, but he wouldn’t budge.
Instead of taking a cab to the airport, we took one to the train station in an attempt to catch the 6:20am train. We got to the station at 6:19am. SOO close!! We ran in and tried to buy a ticket but the machines were broken. Then we were approached by someone who worked there with an electronic ticket machine who sold us tickets. We grabbed them from his hand and RAN to the train platform, but we had JUST missed it. Luckily, there was another one leaving at 6:40am.
We took the train to the airport and got there around 7:30. We went in and made it through security without a problem. We were at our gate by 8am. Things would have been perfect….except that Ryan Air was late…AGAIN. So the airline that prides itself on being on-time was late 2 out of the 4 times I used them. Go Ryan Air.
So after all that traveling just to get to the airport, instead of just paying the £50 it would have cost us for the cab driver to take us directly to the airport, we paid £16 for the cab ride, another £18 for the second cab ride, and £20 each for a train ticket. That’s a total of £74….
We landed in Rome and caught the bus to the center of the city with ease (amazing huh?). The we had a few hours to kill before our 2:30pm bus left for Ascoli. So….we ate some pizza….and played some slots haha. I learned not to bother…I DO NOT understand those games in English, never mind Italian!
When we got on the bus, there were four other girls from our program on there too. Christine and I got front row seats on the second floor (yes, they take double decker busses around the cliffs of Italy) and we were soo excited for the ride back. Then, out of no where, some crazy old lady comes up to us and stars yelling at us saying that we took her seat. Apparently, she RESERVED! the seats we were sitting in. Go figure…typical.So we moved to the back of the bus and slept/watched Grey’s Anatomy the whole way back.
Getting back into Ascoli was the best feeling ever. I was so sick of traveling around everywhere. I was so excited for a good night’s sleep! For dinner that night (because the bus dropped us off at 5:30pm) we went to Teatro Pizzeria and had some AMAZING pizza for €4. I think the thing I missed the most about Ascoli was the cheap food!
We walked outside of the train station trying to catch a cab to the airport. We figured it couldn’t be that expensive. We talked to a cabbie and he said it would be £120 for a ride to the airport. £120!!!! SO much money. I tried to talk him down to a lower price, but he wouldn’t budge.
Instead of taking a cab to the airport, we took one to the train station in an attempt to catch the 6:20am train. We got to the station at 6:19am. SOO close!! We ran in and tried to buy a ticket but the machines were broken. Then we were approached by someone who worked there with an electronic ticket machine who sold us tickets. We grabbed them from his hand and RAN to the train platform, but we had JUST missed it. Luckily, there was another one leaving at 6:40am.
We took the train to the airport and got there around 7:30. We went in and made it through security without a problem. We were at our gate by 8am. Things would have been perfect….except that Ryan Air was late…AGAIN. So the airline that prides itself on being on-time was late 2 out of the 4 times I used them. Go Ryan Air.
So after all that traveling just to get to the airport, instead of just paying the £50 it would have cost us for the cab driver to take us directly to the airport, we paid £16 for the cab ride, another £18 for the second cab ride, and £20 each for a train ticket. That’s a total of £74….
We landed in Rome and caught the bus to the center of the city with ease (amazing huh?). The we had a few hours to kill before our 2:30pm bus left for Ascoli. So….we ate some pizza….and played some slots haha. I learned not to bother…I DO NOT understand those games in English, never mind Italian!
When we got on the bus, there were four other girls from our program on there too. Christine and I got front row seats on the second floor (yes, they take double decker busses around the cliffs of Italy) and we were soo excited for the ride back. Then, out of no where, some crazy old lady comes up to us and stars yelling at us saying that we took her seat. Apparently, she RESERVED! the seats we were sitting in. Go figure…typical.So we moved to the back of the bus and slept/watched Grey’s Anatomy the whole way back.
Getting back into Ascoli was the best feeling ever. I was so sick of traveling around everywhere. I was so excited for a good night’s sleep! For dinner that night (because the bus dropped us off at 5:30pm) we went to Teatro Pizzeria and had some AMAZING pizza for €4. I think the thing I missed the most about Ascoli was the cheap food!
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