Tanning in Tel Aviv

The last few days in Rome, saying goodbye to friends one by one was very bittersweet. We enjoyed our last authentic and very filling italian meals and made the most of our last days and nights together at the end of our abroad experience. Rome you shall be missed o so much!

I can really say that I would not have been able to go straight back to the Minnesota from Rome, and I am so happy that I had planned my trip to Tel Aviv at the very end to visit Nicole...her turn to show me around.

I was all packed and after my final meal (brushetta and rigatoni amatriciana) and a visit to see the Trevi Fountain lit up at night and one last coin toss and gelato, I would say it was the perfect way to say goodbye to Rome. My plane was scheduled to leave at 9 AM, so I headed to the train station to get to the airport very early. The flight was easy and I landed in Tel Aviv around 2 pm. The plane to Israel was so strange, I really didn't know how to feel, abroad was over, but not quite..very odd transitional feeling, but nevertheless SO EXCITED to get to Nicole.

I arrived to her dorms via taxi in Ramat Aviv, which is a suburb of Tel Aviv, where she was standing at the gate ready to greet me. It was not quite as movie-reunion-esque as the first reunion between the two of us, but it was still rather grandiose. Did I mention it was boiling outside and I was wearing pants??
Description of where Nicole lives: Nicole, unlike me, during her abroad time, actually went to Tel Aviv University, which is a real campus with numerous students from all over Israel and elsewhere. It is a gorgeous campus, I am telling you so pretty and impressive. She was put up in housing in dorms, where not just abroad students live, but all of the above. There are several towers that house students, thank god she happened to live on the second floor. Her dorm room was big enough, with an area for a "kitchen", I say this in parentheses because her kitchen included and fridge-freezer, sink, table, and hot plate...so not much cooking going on in there. She had one roommate and two suite mates, so two bedrooms and one bathroom with shower. Pretty quaint space, but I felt very very lucky for the apartment I lived in all semester in Rome. This is when I began to miss Rome. Nicole had been very nice and prepared for my stay by purchasing an air mattress, which she blew up with a hair dryer. Nice. I got situated and plopped down my bags. I had warned her before coming, that I would be fully wearing only her wardrobe during my visit, since 1, I had no summer clothes, and 2 I was just sick of my wardrobe. Thanks Nicole!

The first few days Nicole showed me all around Tel Aviv. We went to the beach, walked down Ben Yahuda street, Dizengoff street, shopped, and ate. The life in Tel Aviv runs at a much slower pace than Rome. This trip was much more of a vacation than any other trip I took abroad. I was able to just enjoy myself and enjoy being with Nicole and her friends. We laid on the beach, which is gorgeous. Tel Aviv beaches have the smoothest whitest sand and the water is warm! The beach was packed everyday with tons of Israelis and beach bathers. I got a pretty decent tan for the amount of time I was there, but in comparison to Nicole I was still pale. Nicole took me to some really good places to eat. I had no pasta! But instead ate as many vegetables as I could. Israeli breakfast is a staple, with eggs, israeli salad, tuna and an assortment of bread, and real coffee. We had really good salads and shakshuka, and hummus. The works. It was incredible, all of my favorite foods! I know you must think I am crazy for choosing these types of foods over pasta, but I guess I was just on pasta overload at the moment, and someone honestly would have had to pay me to eat another bowl of carbs. However, I am craving pasta, now that I am home. mmm. The streets of Tel Aviv are lined with the cutest little cafes and restaurants all with outdoor seating. Each is so different, and welcoming, with lounging areas and breezy atmospheres. Tel Aviv also has great shopping! So many places with cute sun dresses, sandals and accessories. We also had our fair share of yogurt, which Nicole and her friends let me know is a must have when in Tel Aviv. Basically it is like frozen yogurt, but tastes like tangy yogurt. You can choose from several toppings from fruit to chocolate to granola to put on your yogurt. It is very refreshing. Nicole and I had such a good time just going to eat, walking around the city and going to the beach and relaxing. Her lifestyle abroad was in fact quite the opposite of mine in Rome. Everything is much more laid back and free, while in Rome I always felt busy and consumed by the culture of the city. I loved the feel in Tel Aviv and hearing everyone speak hebrew, and seeing hebrew everywhere. Another big difference between Nicole and my experience abroad was our living locations in each of our cities. I lived right in Rome and had it very easy and convenient being able to hop on the tram (for "free") to head into Trastevere and get anywhere really by walking. Nicole lived in a suburb of Tel Aviv, so she really got the hang of commuting everywhere, either by cab or sherut (a shared cab, much like a van). She still lived in a great location, but just not as simple and effortless to make an on the whim decision to head into Tel Aviv.

One day, Nicole, Todd, Steve and I took a day trip to Jerusalem. Nicole planned it all out and how to get there. It takes about a 45 minutes to get to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, and we took a cab with a very nice cab driver. We went straight to Wall and the boys and Nicole and I went our separate ways, splitting among the mahitza divider. Nicole and I put our notes in the wall and stood in front l for a good amount of time just to take it all in. It really is amazing seeing all the people at the Wall, the women, children and men (on the other side) all praying. We walked around the old city and then headed to Ben Yehuda street. I remembered everything very well from Birthright, which I can say is impressive for me with my memory. We had really delicious bagels with lox spread for lunch. We then went to the Shuk, which is a huge market in Jerusalem with everything, including rugalah. O my goodness, the best. So warm, gooey, fresh and salivating. Good thing I only had one. The day in Jerusalem was short, but we were able to see alot for the amount of time we were there. There is not much to do in Jerusalem, but being there is in itself enough. The feeling in this city is much different than in Tel Aviv. There really is an unsaid presence of Jewish culture and religion. I would have enjoyed being at the Wall during shabbat, but there just wasn't time. We called the same cab driver that drove us to Jerusalem to take us back, which was kind of funny, but really convenient.

We took another day trip to Haifa, just Nicole, Jess (Nicole's roommate), and I. We hopped on a train, which I was fairly familiar with, but excited to see what Israeli train rails were like. Let's just say it is a joke. Anyone can go on, you barely have to buy a ticket, and random men will just let you through the gate. O, and did I mention the trains are filled with Israeli soldiers? This is where I decided the Israeli train system beats the European train system. Plus it really is much less stressful then the scary run ins you can have with logistics and tickets on Euro trains. But all of Israel is laid back about most everything. Back to the Israeli soldiers. One in particular boarded the train. I could not help staring, and it happened that he ended up sitting down with the three of us. Best part of the day. He was beautiful. Nicole attempted to take a picture, I began to giggle like a little girl, it was bad. He said a few words to us, but no I did not get his name, so I am sad to say there will be no wedding in the future. Done with daydreaming...on to Haifa.
Haifa is a very small city at the very north of Israel. We went straight to the beach and had lunch. The beach there is very odd. There is sand and grass, I did not understand. We sat at a quiet little restaurant near the water and had a relaxing lunch/breakfast, with a very nice waiter. We then went to see the B'hai Gardens which Haifa is known for. They are huge gardens with many levels, it is beyond perfect. So beautiful. After touring through the gardens, we were directed to go to the the cable car, where there was a church, and the cable car would take us back down to the beach. We went into the church, which was small, but still a sight to see and pretty, with stained glass windows and gold detailing. But we learned that the prophet Elijah is supposedly buried there...pretty cool. We then took the "cable car" down. This was similar to a gondola or tram, but instead with three orange ball shaped cars that took the three of us downward to the beach. It was hysterical. See picture for a more vivid image. The day was great, and exactly what we wanted to do. The train ride was not as eventful as the way there, I slept. I was happy to actually tour around Haifa, because on birthright they just have you hop off the bus overlook the B'hai Gardens and get back on the bus. Needless to say, you do not get a very good feel of the city, so on this trip I did.

My time in Tel Aviv was great and exactly what I wanted, to spend time with Nicole and see her life there. In 8 days I really got to see what a day in the life of an Israeli is like. Tel Aviv is so relaxing and just has a carefree essence to it. The beach, cute loungy restaurants, shopping, and hot hot hot weather, what is bad about that? Plus the hebrew adds a lot to it and I enjoyed being able to at least try putting my language skills to use. Nicole showed me a wonderful time and I can definitely see the temptation of wanting to stay longer in Tel Aviv for the summer, as many students who study there feel toward the end. I will most probably be going back at some point in my life.

I left bidding shalom to Nicole, who had less than two weeks left. It was sad, and me leaving made her realize how soon her abroad time was about to be over as well. We had a really nice last dinner and yogurt, and took one last sherut ride back to her dorm before leaving. My flight was at 5:15 am and I was prepared for a full 24 hours of traveling ahead of me.

Tel Aviv, thanks for the great tan to go back to the states with and Nicole, you are actually an Israeli. Perfect way to end my time abroad!

Days are winding down...

So since the last time I wrote...all of a sudden I have 5 days left! 5! I can count that on one hand. Not ok.

Sunday morning I leave very early to depart for Israel, which I cannot wait for! I am more than excited to see Nicole and be back in the holy land. Nicole has been telling me of all the exciting things we will be doing. I get to meet her friends, see what she has been doing for so long and get to have a taste of the completely different experience she has been having. Plus, two friends will be in Israel at the same time, Todd from here in Rome and Steve, my friend from school. It will be zman mitzooyan! (an excellent time)..I guess I will try to speak hebrew while I am there, which will be great. Put that college level hebrew to use, as I have not been speaking very much italian here.

So what have I been doing in Rome these past few days?

The weather here has been so gorgeous and hot and sunny I cannot tell you! The sun has finally come out. But honestly, it may be a little too hot for me, I am not used to it yet. That may be a problem in Israel...

On Friday it was really nice out and I had heard really good things about this park near school, that had turtles! So, Jori, Todd and I went to go check it out. Before hand, Jori and I were ordered to try these sandwiches at this "cheese shop". It was more of a simpler sandwich (I got turkey, pesto, cheese) the bread was amazing, and not so greasy, I thought it was maybe the best sandwich yet. I've raved over others, but I think since this one was less oily and the bread was so hearty, I enjoyed it more.
So the park...Todd had been there once before, so he led us there. Let me tell you it was not an easy walk, but it was very pretty, it took us probably a half an hour. We walked up and up, stairs and a windy hill to an area that overlooks a great portion of the city. It was beautiful. We kept walking and walking, and passed some Academy of Rome that had four pictures of kids in togas with wreathes on their heads...it made me wonder if that was their school uniform? Maybe. Very possbily. But it looked like a very prestigious private school, that very cool young Italian students and international students may go to, in this amazing location. I would consider going there. We continued to walk and came upon this humongous park, that went on forever. There were fountains, grass, trees, it was perfect. Todd said that someone had told him it was bigger than Central Park, which was hard to believe, but later when we explored, I would believe it. We picked a spot and laid there for at least an hour, just basking in the sun. There were a lot of people in the park as well, running and just sitting. Later on we wandered into another area where there was a small little river/creek that led into a small lake. There were swans and birds...and turtles! And this really weird chicken-turkey-pigeon-duck creature, that scared me. It was so pretty and I could not believe I had not been to this park yet! It really upset me that this discovery came about so late in my time here, but at least I made it there once. It was a very calm and worthwhile day spent in this amazing park right near school...who knew?
Later on Jori and I went on a date to our last dinner at Alla Fratte. We shared the rigatoni carbonara and the salmon penne (our fav). It was a cute way to eat our last meal there. Great find.


Saturday (pause) Saturday, Saturday...had been planned for awhile. Mifflin? Have you ever heard of it? Well, Mifflin is a big deal in Madison. It is a huge block party on Mifflin Street where all of the students go for the day to party. It is a day not to miss, however, us study abroaders missed out this year. Which is why, our little Roman crew decided to celebrate here in Rome, why not? We determined the day "Tour de Roma", sipping beverages at special spots all over Rome. We started at the Bergese Gardens, headed to the Trevi Fountain to toss coins, stopped at Miscellenea for lunch and "sexy wine", continued to Tiber Island where we were greeted by our friend Oliver decked out in a Toga, and then time for a dinner feast at "Tony's". It was a long fun filled celebratory day and such a great Saturday to remember. We did Mifflin proud back in the States. Jori and I arrived home at 8 pm, got in bed to lay down for a bit...and didn't wake up till 9:30 am the next day. Woops. Yes, that is true and I have no idea how that happened. I have never ever slept that much before. Tour de Roma was a success.

After all of the festivities on Saturday, it was time to crack down and hit the books for finals week. On Sunday Todd, Lucas, Jori and I had our last meal at Le Fate, the 10 euro student deal place, with the chef from the cooking classes. It was quite sad, but a good meal to end on there.

Today, Rachael and I went on a little adventure to find the mysterious "key hole". We had heard about this "key hole" from a few people, that said you look through it and there is a perfect view of the city. So for a break from studying we headed to the Circus Maximus to find it! We didn't really know the exact directions, so we went up this hill to find this cute and beautiful area. There were a few churches and buildings, but it was very lush and there were rose bushes and orange trees and a few sitting areas, like small parks. We found the key hole, by following a group of people. It is literally this building, and there is a small hole...but you look through and it is magical. You just see this green covered pergola leading straight to a tiny little saint peter's basillica. It is perfectly shaped and incredible that it is so carefully placed to look right onto st peter's. We went back a second time to look. And then we wandered the area and found a little cove of orange trees with benches in a green and gravel area, with a spot that looked over the city. It really was such a gorgeous area and very enchanting. I thought of the secret garden to paint a picture for you. I am so glad we went!

The days are really flying by and one of my suitcases is packed and ready to go, which is scary. I am going to miss Rome a lot and the little things I do everyday, and being in this amazing city. Two exams down, and two to go! And then off to Israel.

Sevillians, Meatballs and the Beach

Some exciting things have been happening in these sad and upsetting final days of being abroad in Rome...don't remind me.


Last week Rome was graced with the presence of a group of lovely girls called the Sevillians, Melissa, Jana and Hannah, a few of my best friends from school, along with a few other familiar faces and friends. We had them here all to ourselves from Tuesday to Friday morning...YES. It had been way too long since I had seen them and it was so so good to be back with them and almost a fully united group of the 10 of us...Nicole, Jayne and Alexa were with us in spirit. When we went out to dinner I made a reservation for 10 and we pretended like you guys were enjoying pasta with us...

Jori, Suzy, Cara and I planned a fun filled week with them and showed them the ropes of Roma. They really liked the city and trust me we took them on a food eating tour as well. Pizza, pasta, suppli, the works. It was a delicious break from their home-stay mom's spanish cooking. We had a grand 'ol time walking all over the place, but mostly it was just so good to be together. The weather was hot, hot and hotter, and of course the day they left it rained, meaning Rome didn't want them to leave. Having them here just made me so excited to go back to Madison next semester, but freaked me out a bit that we will be returning as seniors. Oy. Sevillians I hope you had a gelato of a time here, come back anytime! See you soon!

After we parted ways and went off to our own lives in Rome and Seville, it really settled in that I only have a few weeks left, and the weeks are turning into just days, and soon enough hours. Although finals week is around the corner, and I have two big assignments due in a few days, our Roman group has decided we need to make the most of our time left. We have key events and things to do before we set off back to the homeland, America, soo let's begin.

Saturday night we got a big group together and made what I think is one of the best home cooked meals yet. Todd welcomed us into his apartment for the amazingness that was yet to be created in his kitchen. On the menu: appetizer of bread with pesto, mozzarella and tomato, "excellent" meatballs, baked macaroni with salami and mushrooms, baked vegetables and lots of wine. It was definitely top notch. The kitchen was small, but a feast was made. And we all thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of our labor. It was probably the last meal we would all make together her in Rome, so we had to go out with a bang.

The next day we went to the beach! Beach in Rome are you asking? Well, yes indeed! Jori and I learned from our on-site teacher, Jens, during our field trip to Ostia Antica that if you take that same train/metro all the way to the end there is a beach. And he was right. Thank you Jens for your wise advice. So decked out in beach gear, 8 of us headed off to the beach. We successfully found it. It was very nice weather, and the beach was probably not the prettiest beach I have ever seen, but nonetheless it was a beach. And in Rome, convenient. Nicole here would insert, "that's a joke." Dad, you would have died and gone to heave from how windy it was. I have never seen so many windsurfers and kite surfers. I would guess there were 20 of each, all zooming and flying across the water...which was freezing. Yes, I know you would have liked me to check out the gear, but perhaps maybe next time...

We laid on the beach and soaked up the sun. All kinds were at this beach, including people in winter jackets. I am not kidding. I guess italians have thin skin or something. We found some food to eat and ice cream and we called it a day at the beach. It was very relaxing, and I think I got some color to prepare me for Israel, but I doubt it. The sand was so soft and perfect, however, I was not brave enough to wade in the water. Two friends did, and they are simply nuts, there is just no way. We rode the train back and later that night hit up Aperitivo. I got a refreshing Sprtiz drink, and an endless buffet. All in all it was a great day!

Last night, just for one last hoorah, Jori, Suzy, and Cara did another cooking class with chef Andrea! It was Suzy and Cara's first time, but Jori and I are rookies and it was our third. This time the menu included: Suppli (fried rice balls with tomato sauce and mozzarella in the center), saltimbocca, and pesto pasta. So delicious. Suppli was a daunting task, but the people in charge were very successful and they were hot and tasty. The mozzarella just oozes out, and they were piping hot. The four of us were in charge of making the pesto, so now I am a perfect pesto preparer. The saltimbocca was so savory as usual, I can't wait to make it back at home. We all ate outside on the rooftop with perfect evening weather over candle light. Third time is the charm, but all three cooking classes were fantastic, and I am so glad that I was able to take part in so many. So many new Italian recipes to try out this summer! Get ready mom and dad.

It is April 27, Nicole and my B'not Mitzvah Anniversary, but also creeping closer to May 9 when I jet off to Israel. Finals are in a few weeks...but I am still making the most of my time left here.

It's a bird, it's a plane...no it's 4 trains home from Prague

Volcanic Ash rolled in after an eruption in Iceland Thursday...thousands of flights were cancelled and millions of worldwide travelers were stranded...including me! Woohoo!

Saturday afternoon after three hours in the train station of Prague, Jori and I finally put our feet down and said we will take on the trains of Europe and find our way home! There was much talk and hysteria of choosing from the many options of how to get home, but at the end of the day it was our own responsibility to get ourselves home and to do it on our own, and as 21 year olds now experienced globe trotters, I knew we could do it.

Saturday night we grabbed a bunch of candy, crackers, water and goodies to keep us sustained for our 18 hours of trains the next day. We went to bed at midnight and woke up to head to the train station at 3:45 am.

Train 1: Prague to Schwandorf, Germany

I've now been to Schwandorf! I'll save you the trip, there is only a tiny train station there, literally two platforms. The train ride was early, I thought I would sleep, but I did not and instead watched the sun rise. After realizing we did not have seat assignments, like many of the other riders, we ended up in first class. Not bad. The train man who checks the tickets understood and let us off easy. THANK YOU FOR NOT MAKING ME PAY A FINE. I am schwandorfond of you. We pulled into Schwandorf at 8 am and were ready for Munchen. There were also cute French boys on the train...good think I looked sooo pretty.

Train 2: Schwandorf to Munchen

On this train I overheard a son and father talking about how they needed to catch a train to Verona...so I tapped the kid on the shoulder and asked. As Verona was our next destination. We ended up chatting, the son, father and mother about their experience.., they were visiting their other son in Prague and got stranded trying to return to the states. They were so nice, from somewhere in New York. They were going to end up staying the night in Rome, so we shared a bit of our Roman knowledge to tell them where to go. On our way pulling into the station there was another couple headed to Verona, so we ran from one train platform to the other together to promptly find the next train and make it on. It was a quick easy ride, but the next one would be the doozy.

Train 3: Munchen to Verona

I have never been to Verona before! Ok, so good thing Jori and I had seat assignments for this train, or else we would have spent 6 hours in the aisle. No thank you. We shared a train car with four other people. One, being a woman who did not speak the entire time and was on her computer. Two, an older skinny Italian woman who taught school in Germany. Three, a younger Italian boy who was visiting Germany aspiring to be an Archeologist, very smiley. And Four a business man from Hong Kong, who was trying to get home to see his son, but was then coming back to Europe in a few days, oy. The train was packed and hoppin' clearly the place to be was Verona. Jori and I ate snacks, read, and slept. I mostly slept. But the scenery, I am telling you was amazing. We went through Germany and Austria and Italy and saw many mountain ranges and vineyards. It was really beautiful. The hours went by decently fast, and we finally arrived to Verona where we needed to purchase our ticket to Rome...I had a feeling the train would be full, as several times I overheard people saying this was the last train to Rome that day. So Jori and I stationed ourselves at the door ready to run to the ticket line. The man from Hong Kong tagged along, it was a bit strange, I guess he thought we knew what we were doing.

We ran to the ticket line, smart, because the line immediately became very long. However, the train to Rome was sold out, so we were forced to by a train ticket to Padova leaving at midnight (it was now 5 pm) and from Padova to Rome and we would get home at 7 am. At this point I didn't care, there was a McDonalds near by, so we would kill time there. We had a ticket home and that is what mattered. However as Jori and I were savoring our first McChicken sandwiches in a looong time (the man from Hong Kong sat down with us...), we saw several familiar young faces. There were tons of kids studying from Florence and Rome in the Verona train station. See, I told you it was the place to be. After talking of cars to take home, buses, shuttles, flying squirrels and magic carpets, and several other methods of getting home...we decided to look into hopping on the train we originally wanted to take to Rome leaving at 6:55 pm. Jori and I sprinted to the train platform at approximately 6:45, feeling nauseous from my McChicken as we were running. We spotted a conductor and we hunted him down. I don't know who was looking over us and how it happened, but Jori and I began telling him our situation, and I managed to sweet talk him into letting us on that train!! I guess I am persuasive, I have no idea, definitely not my looks because I looked like shit, excuse my french. We had to pay the difference for our tickets, but we honestly did not care at that point. I wanted to kiss the man on his feet, but refrained. We were on the train and going HOME! Jori and I were elated. We sat in the back and let me tell you, honey, this train was not full! Jori and I were expecting to have to stand in the aisle, but we sat comfortably the whole ride. We pulled, miraculously, into the Termini train station at 9 pm. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY. I will never leave Rome again! That is I may never be able to leave Rome again.

All in all, this is what abroad is about. These are experiences I will always remember. Sitting in a classroom does not teach you what I learned in that one single day of traveling. I feel like I can accomplish anything now, bring me another Volcano and I will take it on! It was a day to remember and now Jori and I can laugh and look back at how insane that trip was. We, however, had it pretty good traveling back, there are so many worse cases, including more trains, ferries, buses, over night stays in foreign countries, etc. Good Luck to whoever is still stranded out there! If you need moral support give me a ring.

That is all for now....more to come later on.

Today it is April 24, and I leave May 9 for Israel....what is happening and where has the time gone?

Plane to Prague

It has been almost a week since I came home from my trip to Prague....things have been a bit hectic and busy with days flying by way too quickly, but have no fear I will still tell you all about my trip to Prague AND back.

Thursday afternoon, after Jori and I did a semi-already trip to Ostia Antica with our on-site history class, we boarded our Wizz Air flight to Prague. I was fairly excited, knowing that of the many people I have spoken to who have traveled to Prague have said how beautiful it is and that it may just be their favorite place traveled to yet! So Jori and I arrived smoothly and safely to the Prague airport around 7:30 pm. After figuring out the bus and metro we found our cute hostel, Pension Tara (a pension is a bit different than a hostel) right off of Old Town Square, a prime location. The air was chilly, but fairly nice and crisp, and I was anxious to see what Prague would be like during the day. We meandered through Old Town Square to meet up with friends from Rome at a cool nicer restaurant called Lary Fary where we shared ginormous kebabs that they hang from a large rod-iron stake at your table. It was overwhelming, yet delicious. Lots of meat and vegetables, no pasta for once. Afterwards we returned to our hostel preparing to hit up the night life, unfortunately our group diminished as they were too tired to go out. Jori and I however were dressed and ready to go, so we found this chic bar called "BED", where, yes, the seating is all beds and you sit on the white linen dressed beds and sip sweet fruity cocktails. I definitely felt a bit sex in the city-ish, and pretended I was Charlotte for a night. It was very low-key, but Jori and I had an exceptional time feeling like true hip Prague-ians.

The next morning we woke up to a beautiful morning and were ready to explore. We grabbed breakfast at the famous Bohemian Bagel in Old Town Square where I had lox!!! I love lox, mmmm. So nice. We regrouped with our friends Cara and Suzy and decided to waste a bit of time by checking out the Charles bridge before setting off on our FREE walking tour of Prague. The Walking tour was perfect! The tour guide Justin was hilarious and told the group everything we needed to know about Prague history and more. It was not for one second boring, during the three hours of the tour, and we went from one end of Prague to the other hearing stories and seeing the sites. Prague is gorgeous, both the New town and Old town. Prague is like no other country I have been to, including the crown currency (everything is in thousands and hundreds). The architecture is above and beyond, much inspired by art noveou. The city is clean and fresh and just enjoyable to walk around. It is a colorful city and I can definitely understand why so many students want to study there. The Charles bridge is something to see, being as huge as it is, made of big brown stone with large statues lining it. The river is so pretty and goes on and on for miles with tress standing on each side. The astronomical clock that stands in the middle of Old Town Square is yes, astronomical, with so many ways to tell the time and little men and skeletons that come alive every hour, it is cool to see, but a bit overrated. Old Town Square, however is huge and has restaurants and shops all around it. So many people flock to it for food and just to sit or stand, but I surprisingly liked the older part of Prague in comparison to the new. At the end of the tour we ended in the Jewish quarter and decided to enter the Holocaust exhibit dedicated to all of the Jews lost in the Holocaust from Prague. There was a special sections devoted to the hundreds of children lost in the war as well. Names lined each wall of the synagogue, end to end, thousands and thousands of names all hand written. It definitely took me aback. The memorial for the children was made up of paintings and drawings the children in the Tenezin concentration camp drew in a project a women created for them to let out their feelings, hopes and fears. These are the only remains that are left that we have to remember these children and proof that they lived. The memorial was nothing less then horrifying and truly heart wrenching, but I am very glad that I chose to go inside. I learned a great deal about the Communist rule of Prague and Hitler's rule in Prague on the tour, that I honestly had no idea about before.
That night we went to a delicious vegetarian restaurant with Jori's friend from high school and her friends abroad. I had an amazing meal, cous cous risotto, it was seriously one of the best meals yet! Afterwards we joined up with the rest of our friends from Rome and friends of friends to check out a club Lucerna, that was having an 80's night. All night we danced and got our grooves on to 80's and 90's music and watched the music videos accompanying the songs. It was fantastic. Yes, the YMCA happened.

The next day we wanted to accomplish seeing the sights we did not see on the tour including the John Lennon Wall and the large Castle of Prague. It was again another gorgeous day and HOT. We walked all over and saw the other side of the Charles River. It was a beautiful and more relaxing day wandering around, ending up at a roof garden to drink some beer. Saturday was going about smoothly, but we eventually knew we would have to deal with this Volcanic Ash situation and figure out how to get home....yes, I guess that was important. Volcanic Ash, ever heard of it? Well we went about our day as we wanted until the clock struck 6 pm, yes the astronomical clock, and it was time to begin the chaos that was about to take place.

Overall Prague was wonderful. I am very happy I made it there and went at the time I did, to see the city in warmer weather. The Czech Republic is an entirely different culture, the city is more modern and easily walkable. I thought it would be bigger than the size it actually is, but the size is very manageable. There is definitely a certain atmosphere to the city, it is very crisp and clean and happy. People are constantly walking around and going and for the most part people were friendly, except for a few interactions. The food ranges from all types, I was sad that I did not get to try goulash or a brat, but the trip was a bit cut short. But I guess I will have to try traditional Czech food another time. I was able to see a great majority of Prague during the time spent there and I would absolute deem it a city to Czech out again....too much?

Ok so are you wondering how I returned homa to roma? Read on to the next blog for all of the juicy details, I know the suspense must be killing you.

Mama mia Lori and Papa Rick in Roma

Garelick visit round 2....Parents!

Lori and Rick were expected to arrive to Rome, Italy to visit their daughter Sonja Ann at 8:00 am on Saturday April 10, but were sadly delayed three hours in Atlanta. As they sipped their cosmos and martinis in the Atlanta airport trying to make the time pass in the airport bar, little did they know how excited and antsy their baby daughter Sonja was anxiously waiting for their arrival to Rome.

Sonja had a lovely evening the night prior to their visit, making a delicious meatball and pasta dinner with friends. She was responsible and decided to skip going out that evening and instead to get a good night sleep to rest up for her thoroughly planned week of eating, touring and holding hands. She tucked herself in and closed her eyes waiting to fall asleep and only to wake up to the thrill of knowing Lori and Rick were landing in the Fumicino Airport.

Sonja woke up and speedily brushed her teeth to prepare to greet her parents at the Trastevere train station, but was disrupted by the announcement that Lori and Rick would now not be arriving until noon. She tried to make the time pass fast...and finally the clock struck 12.

She gathered her purse and jacket, stepped into her shoes and fled out of her apartment front door into the sunny warm Roman weather. She placed her ray ban sunglasses over her eyes only to hide the eagerness she was feeling. She skipped down viale di trastevere almost reaching a slow run to reach the station. As she neared, she caught a glimpse of her parents and quickened her slow jog up to more of a sprint. The couple met eyes with their daughter and they finally embraced after so much time of being apart and separated by seas. Now they were together at last, and the couple was about to see Rome through the eyes of their newly Romanized world traveler daughter...


(Hope you all enjoyed that, if you don't mind I will be breaking out of my narrator voice to tell you about their trip here in Rome)

It was more than great to have my mom and dad here and we truly did have such a wonderful time. I knew I was so excited to see them and show them what I have been doing for all of these months and the life I have made for myself here, but the week went by so fast and the best part really was just being together. It was almost like a vacation in Rome while they were here, I took a break from my routine life for those few days and it was amazing.

I will not go into detail about the itinerary of each day that they were here, but I did get them to the main attractions and sites. The four of us had come to Rome before on Spring Break my freshman year of high school, so we had seen all of the tourist sites together once before, so I chose which ones to bring them back to, but mostly show them my favorite spots.

Before they came I did some research to find some new restaurants I wanted to try and take them to experience the best food possible while here, and I am pretty sure I accomplished that. Maybe ask them for yourselves and see if they could breath after each meal...?

Saturday we enjoyed piazza navona and the pantheon, sitting and wandering around parts of Rome. We had amazing pizza at Dar Poeta for lunch and hot mothwatering pasta from Osteria Ponte Sisto (Rick Steve's pick) where the bucatini is to die for and so is their seafood pasta that Dad had.. That night in Trastevere, which is my favorite area in Rome, everyone was out in the streets and it was almost too crowded. The nightlife in Trastevere is very cool and it is just a great atmosphere and time to walk around. I was happy they got to see that area at night and get a feel for where Romans hang out and not just the tourist sites. We ended up heading back toward my apartment to get dessert at the restaurant Le Fate (where the chef from my cooking classes works) and we shared the pear and apple strudel. Yes we were stuffed.

The next day was Sunday, meaning the open market that goes on for miles which occupied our time for quite awhile. Dad loves that stuff. We headed over to the Pantheon and walked around, winding up eating lunch at Miscellenea enjoying salads and pizza and brushcetta (which we got for free shhhh). Trevi Fountain and Via del Corso were on our list that day and it was a walking filled day and tiring, but the three of us had a grand time. Mom, are you impressed with all of the walking us "Romans" do each day? Later that night I walked to their hotel to pick them up for dinner, yes like a good daughter would do (their apartment is conveniently located down my street, so don't give me too much credit). As I was walking there the weather was nice and brisk...as we left the hotel for dinner mother nature decided to release a huge rain storm on Rome...fab without an umbrella. It was certainly hilarious running to the tram in the rain and mom and dad huddling around me to keep me dry. Dad tried to show me the up side of the situation and yes in the end I tried to find the funny in it. They were great sports, something to definitely remember. Our meal was beyond good at Alla Fratte and they were happy campers. The salmon penne was a hit. We finished our meal with lemoncello tiramisu just for dad (he loves lemon desserts).

Monday was a big day because I got a leather jacket! I waited for permission and their help to buy one and we finally found the perfect choice and it was quite an experience buying it. The man's name was Mino, he happened to be Jewish and could not have been more italian or nicer. He ended up taking my number for his sister's son to call me...no phone call yet...I say let's hope it stays that way, mom and dad might think differently. All and all I am glad I waited to buy the jacket with them because I will always remember how I purchased it. Prior to the jacket experience, I took them to the Jewish quarter where we had the best meal in their eyes. The freshest pasta and meatballs and artichokes...let's just say I think they would go back again. The pesto was the best...right dad? Mom...I think you liked the ravioli with ricotta? The Roman Forum was seen and we just walked and walked and walked, all of the food off. Ha. That night we took my girlfriends to dinner and it really was a lovely time. The restaurant choice was perfect and I really was glad that they had a chance to get to know my parents a bit better. We drank wine, had good food and I think we all enjoyed each others' company. I am pretty sure they got to see maybe a little bit of me in my parents and if I resemble them at all...I hope so.

While they were here my top thing I wanted us to do was take a trip to the Tivoli Gardens, for mom. They really are unbelievable and I wanted to take her there as the talented gardener she is. We hopped on the train there early in the morning and found our way to the Gardens. I do think mom was impressed and extremely happy she was able to see the gardens she has heard so much about, and to see them in person rather than just pictures. Everything was in bloom and there were tulips and daffodils everywhere. Pictures were taken and fountains were "ooo'd" and "aww'd" at. It was a lovely day in Tivoli with the parents. We hopped back on the train to get back to Rome at 4pm for a late lunch at the sandwich shop Frontonis. Over the meal we discussed how America should definitely bring sandwiches like these to the eating nation of the US. However, Americans would not understand this type of eating culture. Maybe we will figure out some way to bring this goodness to you all.
For our last meal, which was sad, but still yummy, I wanted to try this new restaurant I had heard rave reviews about from friends and write-ups called Da Enzo. It is in a very cute area in Trastevere and I had never been but expected great things. As we were seated, posted above us was a picture of Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal. If its good enough for them then its good enough for us. It was a tiny tiny little authentic Roman restaurant. We were seated right next to another group of four. We had food that was almost too scrumptious that I didn't want it to end. The fried zucchini flowers and fried cod was my personal fav. But Mom and Dad really liked the rigatoni carbonara. It was a perfect last meal. We sat down for a final cappuccino and I really didn't like the thought of them leaving the next day.

The next morning was more relaxing and I took them to the Bergese Gardens, my next favorite place in Rome. It was very serene there that day and they really like the spot as well. We sat in the gardens for awhile next to a little pond and fountain. They had never seen this area before, so I am glad I could be the one to bring them there for the first time. Afterwards we had salads to take a break from all of the carb overload. And it was time to say goodbye.

Yes, I teared up a bit I will admit it after I bid them farewell at the train platform. It was such a perfect few days, we saw everything I wanted them to see and ate everything I wanted them to eat. And we just enjoyed being with each other and catching up on everything. I finally had the chance to share with them all I have done, stories about the trips I have taken and more about my experience here. I knew they were going to have such a great time in Israel with Nicole, but I could have stood having them here at least one more day...but let Nicole have her turn. I was jealous she was with Mom for her first time in Israel and I was not, but she indeed would be the best person to take her around her first time there. Nicole take it away...

I hope you two had a great time in Rome, doing as the romans do, and I will see you soon in May!

Reunited with Nicole and trip to Sorrento, Capri and Positano

So if you didn't know from my previous blog posts, I had a special visitor come stay with me for the past 10 days....NICOLE. She's my twin, ever heard of her?

Arriving back to Rome very tired from Spring Break, I had one day to convince myself that, yes, Nicole was coming the next night. Her visit was finally here.

Sunday night I went to go pick her up from Fumicino airport. I waited and waited and waited for her to get her bags, and after an hour delay I was pretty antsy, and kept thinking how I would react when I would see her walk through the doors. Finally she gracefully walked through the misty glass automatic sliding doors, rolling her overpacked suitcase. She quickly spotted me eagerly awaiting her arrival surround by the chaotic bustling airport terminal. Her eyes popped open and her mouth spread into a big smile and her jaw dropped a bit. I ran to her immediately and we finally embraced after 75 days. A few tears were shed, but nothing too overdramatic. Our reunion was perfect and everything I anticipated it to be. She looked tan, beautiful, effervescent, and fabulous and was ready for me to show her Roma. It was a perfect moment to begin our honeymoon in Rome together, filled with food, traveling, more food, and enjoying each other's company.

We were both starving, seeing that she didn't land until 9:30, meaning we needed to eat something by 10:00. I took her to one of my favorite restaurants, Alla Fratte in Trastevere near my apartment, and she got her first taste of some authentic Italian pasta. The first pasta dish of many to come. It was a great first meal, and I it was hard to realize that the two of us were actually sitting together at a table across from one another eating bread and pasta in Rome.

The next few days, Monday through Thursday, I dragged Nicole all over Rome. I wanted to show her what my daily routine was like, my favorite places to go, where I enjoyed walking around and the main sites. And of course, I took her to all of the best places to eat.

If you ask her, she would tell you how much walking we do here and how delicious and how MUCH we eat here. Our lives abroad are incredibly different, which is why it was so great to share with her what I have been doing and for her to actually get a grasp of what my life is like here in Roma. Each day, I took her to see a new area and site, and walked into stores and sat and enjoyed cappuccino. I really do think her favorite part was indeed the food. I made sure she experienced the best sandwiches, pizza, pasta and gelato I have had so far in Rome. It was a bit of a food marathon for her, but trust me she enjoyed it.

Wednesday night, Jori, Nicole and I took one of the free cooking classes that my program offers! It was the second time for me and Jori, but Nicole's first, and it could not have worked out more perfectly. We pretended Nicole was a JCU student, however, the plan almost went awry because of how tan she is in comparison to all of us insanely pale Rome kids. The chef Andrea says to her, "I am jealous of how tan you are, how are you so tan?" I quickly interjected, "Spring Break!" And Nicole cleverly told the truth saying she traveled to Israel for Spring Break, alone, and yes she had friends there to visit. It was a close call, but way worth the risk. We made bucatini amatricana with a tomato, vegetable and bacon sauce that was to die for. For the second course we made orange chicken. And for dessert, which the three of us and two other girls made, was apple and pear strudel. AMAZING. I plan to make each dish when I come home this summer. Nicole really really enjoyed the cooking class, and said it was one of her favorite meals she had while she was here, which made me happy. And bucatini is her favorite pasta, so it could not have been more perfect.

Thursday, Jori, Rachael, Nicole and I packed and prepared to board the bus, with Bus2Alps to drive to Sorrento, Capri and Positano. Before Nicole planned her visit here, we knew we wanted to travel somewhere together and we chose the Amalfi Coast. Bus2Alps is a travel company for students that plans trips for study abroad kids all over Europe, setting up housing arrangements and transportation and such. This was our first trip using Bus2Alps, and we chose to go with a group this time because it was the easiest way to get from Sorrento to Capri to Positano, and less stressful. It was a quick enough bus ride and we arrived in Sorrento around midnight. Hostel 7 is where we stayed, and incredibly nice for a hostel! In comparison to the Flying Pig in Amsterdam, this was heaven to me and Jori. We bunked with 12 girls total and the bathrooms were clean and there was a funky modern restaurant/bar in the lobby that played awesome old music videos. Hostel 7 is a 10 in my book.

Friday we were immediately back on the bus at 7:45 am (yes) and off to Capri. We took a ferry to Capri and let me tell you the coast of Sorrento and Capri are breathtaking. I have never been anywhere more beautiful and the scenery and views looked almost fake. The water was so blue, the weather was perfect and the island and coast is very mountainous and green. It is straight out of a movie. The ferry ride was so nice and I loved being on a boat! It has been so long since I have gone for a boat ride. The next thing we knew we were stepping into a much smaller boat, equipped for four people with a man standing to row the boat into the famous Blue Grotto. Our foursome hopped into the tiny little boat and ducked our heads as we entered the small cave. The Blue Gratto is amazing. Yes, the water is actually glowing royal blue, it is like nothing you have ever seen before. We paddled around for about 5-7 minutes, dodging the other small boats that were in the Grotto. Another one of the boat paddler men was singing some operatic italian song and it made the time inside the Grotto that much better, very entertaining.

We spent the day on the island of Capri and headed over to Anacapri as well. We walked all around and climbed up and up and up in the sunny weather to Augustus' gardens. The view from the top is unreal. See the pictures, because there are no words that can do justice to this heavenly view. We enjoyed the town of Anacapri, tasting lemoncello (not my favorite), chocolates and looking at handmade sandals. The four of us sat down for a nice lunch at a restaurant the Bus2Alps leaders recommended. The rest of the day we just toured around the small, white and lush town. After taking the ferry back to Sorrento and resting at the Hostel we went out and explored the town of Sorrento at night. We had a nice dinner and headed into a few bars and returned home to the Hostel ready to get our tans on the next day in Positano.

Early next morning we headed to Positano, which was my favorite place on the trip. It was a gorgeous beach and such a cute little town lined with shops and beachy restaurants. Mainly the view was just unreal and mountains are the backdrop of the beach. The four of us got situated with our towels and laid on the sandy beach enjoying the warmth of the sun. The event of the day was a boat ride on the coast to go cliff jumping and cave swimming. There were 35 of us, and we split into about 5 boats and took off. There was no time to think because within 5 minutes we were at the cliff where we were supposed to catapult ourselves from into the cold water. Nicole and Rachael bravely went before me and Jori. The two of us waited a bit to take pictures and watch everyone else. Nicole and Rachael successfully jumped and made it back to the boat, but Nicole came back one toenail less and one ring less. Very sad, but she was still glad she braved the cliff jump. Jori and I were literally the last two to go. We climbed up the rocky difficult cliff (approx. 35-40 feet tall) and each took our turns fearfully leaping off the rock into the FREEZING water. I was personally more phased by the temperature than the jump. We were all very happy we manned up and did the jump, despite losing the toe nail, but it was something to remember.

The rest of the day we lounged on the beach trying to get tan, well not Nicole who was just building upon her tan, and watched all of the kids running around on the beach. It was thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing. A perfect day in Positano. Plus we all found straw hats and for the rest of the trip looked like a traveling band. Sidenote: the oranges and lemons in Sorrento, Capri and Positano are enormous and the lemons are actually the size of my head. That night we checked out "mexican night" in the hostel restaurant and had some not so fabulous burritos and quesadillas and sangria, but it did the job. Being Sunday night of Easter not much was opened in the town of Sorrento. The four of us ventured out, but everything was closed, except a few little places. Easter in Italy means business, but not for stores and restaurants.

The final day we went to Pompeii and Naples, which Jori and I had already visited before with our on site class. Not needing to reenter into the ancient city, Nicole, Jori and I meandered around Pompeii, while Rachael went to tour the city for her first time. We occupied the two hours pretty well checking out all of the tourist souvenirs and restaurants. We sat down for some seriously delicious pizza. Naples is known for their pizza, as it is the birth place, and Pompeii is pretty close, so it was fabulous. After the Pompeii stop was completed we headed into Naples to take a quick train back to Rome. Leaving the tropical and glorious Amalfi Coast was not easy to do and I left a bit unwillingly, but I am always excited to return to what is familiar in Rome. The trip was amazing and one of my favorite trips I have taken while abroad. Traveling with Nicole made it that much more memorable, and it was the best trip we could have decided to go on together. She really enjoyed it and thought the coast was unbelievable and said she was so happy she chose to come to Rome and Amalfi on her Spring Break.

The last few days having Nicole in Rome, I continued to show her around and be with friends and enjoy more food. We shared a few amazing last meals together, cramming in as much pasta and gelato as possible before she left. One of the days I took her to the Bergeise Gardens, which is above Piazza del Popolo, one of my favorite places in Rome. We rented a golf cart and had some fun driving around in the gardens. It was a good deal and pretty funny watching Nicole drive the golf cart trying to avoid all of the bikers, segways, and walkers filling the park. We almost got lost finding our way back to the small cafe we rented it from, but it was a hilarious enjoyable afternoon in the park. All we needed was a picnic.

The week went by way too fast and all of sudden it was today, meaning the day she needed to leave me to go back to Israel. I walked her early this morning to the train station and we said farewell. I stood on the platform waving as she stuck her head out of the train window and waved her handkerchief blowing me kisses as the train slowly pulled away from the station....just kidding. It was very sad to say goodbye, but more surreal that her visit here had too quickly came and went. I will be seeing her very soon in Israel and I can't wait for her to take me around! Our experiences have been completely different. Now she has a better sense of what I have been doing here in Europe and I am very curious to see what her life is like in Israel. I am so excited to to go back, but now it will entirely different having her guide me and show me what it is like to actual live in Tel Aviv. All in all, Noodle enjoyed the land of noodles, Rome, and we had a great time together. She is back safe in Israel now and yes, we have already spoken. I hope she loved Rome just as much as I do.

Sooo just as Nicole leaves....two more Garelicks are about to take on the city of Rome! I don't know if Rome can handle all of these Garelicks... They come in early Saturday morning and are here until Wednesday. I have much planned for them and cannot wait to share everything with them and be with them again! See you soon!