Gelato

      When in Rome....I ate ate gelato every single day. (Don't even pretend like you're surprised..you know me well enough to know I don't lie about my ice cream! It's serious business.) So yummy!

      I was really lucky to have a built-in gelato guide in Meg, helping us scout out all the most inexpensive and delicious gelato places in Rome. 3 scoops of 3 different flavors for €1.50?? Ja, bitte!

 

       

       This gelato place we went to was called "Old Bridge" and was right outside Vatican City (you can see the Vatican walls behind us)

Ein Kurzurlaub nach Florenz!

       Maura and I made a short day trip to Florence while in Rome. I really liked Florence. It's become incredibly touristy, but I can see why that is. Firenze is beautiful, quaint, and quite a center for art. Unfortunately, the David, which was one of the main points we wanted to hit, was closed on Mondays. (Schade!) But there is a fake David outside the Palazzo Vecchio that we took advantage of. 

       We spent the day wandering around Florence and impulsively going in places that looked interesting (not having done much Florence research prior to our day-excursion.) We climbed up the Duomo, which had a GORGEOUS view, we wandered through the incredible rooms of the Palazzo Vecchio, we found the only iced coffee place in Florence, and seemingly, only iced coffee place in Europe! (aside from Starbucks, ugh), and we, of course, ate gelato. It was a fantastic day. :)

Duomo dome

View!!

Palazzo Vecchio

NO CAPTION NECESSARY mmmmm

The Flower Men

   
      Something from Rome and Florence that caught my attention, and now I feel the need to mention, are the flower-selling men from Bangladesh. They're fascinating specimens.  They parade around Piazza del Popolo, the Spanish steps, and other such touristy spots, trying to trick people into buying their flowers! During the week, Meg was busy writing an anthropology paper on these flower men actually, which is what made me stop and notice them. For her paper, Meg had to observe them and record their success rates and "battle tactics", so to speak. Honestly, if you have a panino and some time to kill, go sit in Piazza del Popolo and watch these guys in action! It is so worth it.

      They target couples. They make it seem like the flower they're selling is a gift to you. They make it seem like you really need a flower, and they make it seem like if your boyfriend doesn't buy you a flower, he's a bad boyfriend.

      They're not very verbal in their approach. they literally just thrust a flower into your hand in hopes that you walk away with it and are trapped into paying for it. They're relentless, they really are! I think they're so interesting though!! 

       Sorry if you're not as interested in the flower men as I am....totally welcome to skim this post, for truly, the only content of this blog post is my obsession with the flower men, with some incidental scenery shots of Piazza del Popolo..

[Consult Meg's paper for further reading ;)]

stalking his prey...

oh this poor couple, they had a hard time shaking this guy.

Come baaaaaaackkkkkk

Guy in Florence, who clearly has mastered how to target Americans, particularly New Englanders :)

The Eternal City

     I know I keep saying this for every place I've been to, but Rome is my FAVORITE city that I've visited so far. I mean, historically, IS there a more interesting city????
Better than Prague, better than Bratislava, better than London, Dublin (ok maybe not) and I guess nothing is better than Vienna......But the point is, Rome rocks. 

      If there was ever a city that is a perfect example of old mixed with new, it's Rome. One minute you're in the Pantheon, the next minute you're a block over, browsing sandals and leather bags, and then NEXT you're in a Baroque church, or maybe then admiring some Renaissance art at a museum.  Talk about an onslaught of history and information. But I really couldn't (and still can't) get enough of Rome. 

       The Pantheon was, hands down, my favorite site in Rome.

 

Fortunately we went on a sunny day!

I miss American Breakfast

Speaking of America....here is a less awesome cultural difference: ;)

--cornetto + cappuccino = Italian breakfast

--croissant/cake + espresso = Viennese breakfast

--pancakes, eggs, sausage, orange juice, coffee, etc.... =the breakfast I desire and deeply miss!

HOWEVER, when I discover Nutella in my cornetto, you'll be hard-pressed to get a complaint out of me.. ---->

     Which reminds me of: that time Meghan and I were interviewed for the Travel Channel!

     We were happily sitting outside the Colosseum, eating cornettos (typical day, huh??), when a woman approached us and asked if we spoke English. I was afraid she was going to try to sell us some tour or something, but nevertheless, we replied, "Yes, we do". 

To which she said, "Would it be alright if I interviewed you for the Travel Channel??" 

Meg: "....uhh..."
Me: "OF COURSE!"

        So she brought over her camera guy and equipment and started questioning us! It was so funny! I wasn't sure how legitimate this interview was.., but she gave us here email address, in case we wanted to be in touch.

        I've never been interviewed in a setting like that, and it was actually pretty strange...we'd answer her questions, but she'd have us repeat shorter catch-phrase-like versions of our responses, because she said they only wanted short clips.  For example, she asked Meghan about the cornettos we were eating, and Meg explained how Italians eat breakfast--that drinking cappuccinos after 11am is a faux-pas, and that eating anything more than say, a cornetto, would be seen as strange. But the woman only had her repeat "I bought this cornetto for 30 cents!"

        And then she asked me what I like the most about the Colosseum. I said that I found it amusing that it is viewed as this powerful icon of civilization and development, when really it was a bloody and barbaric venue (men being torn apart by wild beasts!) But still, I like visiting it. She had me repeat "The Colosseum is very barbaric, but I like it." ........not kidding.  Like I'm all on board the brevity and eloquence train, but do you need to dumb down our responses THAT much?? I mean, we call 'em like we see 'em....Ha. Still. We might be on TV??

Here are some Colosseum pics! 

Christmas Card 2012 anyone???

Americano

     More than just a coffee drink (which is a delightful mix of espresso and hot water), Americano is now a new and exciting fashion statement in Rome!....but actually...I kid you not.

     There really is a new fashion trend sweeping through Italy and much of Europe that never fails to catch me off guard! And that is: wearing the American flag as clothing. Be it a scarf, shirt, pants, earrings, fancy sunglasses...make a trip to Italy and you will see countless Italians, both male and female,  bedecked in American flag fashion statements. What is it? Do they love America that much? Or simply are the colors, red, white, and blue "in"? I guess they look cool. It's a cool idea to have a flag as a scarf. Only problem is, if I did that, I'd be taken for a psycho patriotic freak who doesn't know when the 4th of July is. Guess I can go ahead and do my 4th of July clothes shopping in Italy...anyone need anything??

   

    

Now do you believe me? :) Photographic PROOF!

This is all so hilarious! I mean, how can walking American flags NOT catch your attention?? Does anyone else think this is weird?? Or is it just me?

Meine Osterferien!

      Just got back from the greatest spring break of my life to date! I spent the Easter Holidays (Osterferien) in ITALIA!

      I spent 6 wonderful days in Rome and can NOT wait until I get the chance to go back. I'm glad I had a week in the city,  but I feel like I could live a year in Rome and still not see everything it has to offer... FORTUNATELY, I tossed a coin into the Trevi Fountain over my head; and from what I've been told, that augurs an imminent return trip to Rome!

(This picture is definitely not staged.)

                                                                       

I have SoOoOooo many thoughts/feelings/pictures on Rome and Italy, that I'm going to need to definitely break them up into a number of different posts.......Osterferien, to be continued.