Sometimes I like to sprint

I left Thursday after class to go to the airport to fly to London! I got in and met Aimee and we were off to the hostel. We checked in and ran into one of our friends from Stonehill. She had said how they had just been put into a weird room with some guy who like lived at the hostel and they had to switch rooms. Luckily, we were staying in a six person hostel, but there was only 2 of us that night. I was so tired and passed out! We woke up Friday and got ready and hit the town! We went and did all the typical London stuff which was very fun! Friday night we had 3 German roommates who came in, and must have had to go through 329048 zippers to get to the contents of their bags (yes, I counted). Then, they were worse in the morning! They decided a German pow wow was necessary in the room, which included slamming of doors. Needless to say we didn’t get a whole lot of sleep. Saturday we did pretty much the same thing by seeing more sites and doing a little shopping! We had rearranged the nights of the hostel a couple of times, so we had to change rooms on Saturday. We went to go to our new room, and opened the door to hell. The room looked like a college dorm room in a way…it had a refrigerator and half eaten food, a message chair..pictures of naked girls on the wall, and probably more, but one look and I was outta there. Aimee and I decided there was no way we were sleeping in that room. We asked to change, but they were booked for the night, so we deicded to go back to her school instead. We could have done that in the first place, but it’s a little more out of the way. So we hopped on a train and we were off to her school, which was beautiful! She had such a nice room too! We watched *Flashdance* and loved it! Then we talked and went to sleep. We were up at 6 and I finished packing. We had to walk to the train station, and we started going but then she remembered the gate might not be open. She ran inhead, and it wasn’t, so she paniked. We had to walk (or run) the long way and she wasn’t sure if we were going to make it ontime. Since I had no idea where we were going I didn’t know if I should panic orr not. Finally, I told her we could run if that would make her feel better. So that’s what we did, we ran through Engam England. We made it to the train station and of course our train was about 10 minutes late. The next stop for me was the bus to the airport, and that’s when we parted ways. Of course there was a TON of traffic, but I finally made it to Heathrow. I wanted to just do carry-on bags, but Heathrow said no! So I got in line to check my bags, and of course there was only one counter open. So, when I finally checked in they said to hurry through security. But I had to stop for a laugh when the women in front of me was literally throwing a tantrum and insisted on speaking to the manager because she didn’t want her “designer” purse to touch the bottom of the conveyer belt. I made it to the gate and on the plane where I attempted a nap but the turbulence did not agree. So, we were suppose to land at 12:50 and I want to make the 1:05 train to Roma Termini, to get the 1:46 non stop train to Perugia. Otherwise, I had to switch trains and it would take an extra 2 hours. So, luckily we landed “early” but still had to wait for our docking spot. We got off and took a bus to the airport. If I had been able to carry on my bags I would have been all set, but I was nervous because my bag was checked. It was about 12:50 (ok so we were early) when i checked the clock while waiting at baggage claim. If there was one time I REALLY wanted my bag first, this was it. And as luck would have it, number 4 baby! I grabbed it, and quickly walked through customs, while noticing it was 1:01. I knew if I was going to miss this train, it was going to be as it was pulling away which is such a slap in the face. So I sprinted down the escalators, across the moving walkway, and up 2 flights of escalators. I shoved my credit card in the machine, grabbed my ticket, validated it, and literally hoped on the train as the doors were closing. I spent the next 10 minutes walking the length of the train to make sure I was closest to where my next train was going to be. I knew I should have 10 minutes inbetween, but unfortunately I noticed 3 snails pass us, so I arrived in Roma Termini at 1:41, 5 minutes to get to the other side of the station and buy a ticket. I ran to the ticket machine to purchase, and since I had cash in my pocket I said cash, but apparently it didn’t want cash. So I had to void that transaction and start again. 1:43 and I was not at the right side of the train station. This time it liked my credit card, so I validated it and wobbled (with all my bags) to the train, and again was greeted with the doors closing behind me. oh life! I am very grateful that I made everything, but it was stressful!

I finally belong...

Quick story...there is a place we call "Euro Pizza" where you can get a slice of pizza for only a Euro..and its VERY good. its always very busy with American as well as Italian students. I usually only go on Mondays (I swear!) and get 2 slices of cheese pizza. Anyway yesterday Kate was hungry for lunch so we went to Euro Pizza. So we walk in, and the girl behind the counter looks at me, picks up two slices of cheese pizza and smiles. I am offically a regular :-)

The Best Week Ever

On Monday I went to Italian, but skipped photography so I could finish my paper for my Abnormal Psych class at 3:30! So I went to Abnormal Psych and I had a debate which went well! It was nice to get it over with! Then I went back to the apartment and showered and Kate and I met mom and the boys and we went to my birthday dinner! It was so much fun! I got steak that was delicious! For dessert I had a chocolate fondue which was so good! After dinner they came back so the boys could see my apartment and then they walked Mom home and Kate and I got ready. We met our friend Becky and the boys and went out because it was Karaoke night! It was fun because we were able to start the celebrating of my birthday, and I was so happy to be able to that with my friends and my brother! Becky, Kate, and I sang “Heaven is a place on earth” So we had a lot of fun and then came home! On Tuesday I slept in and that went to lunch with Mom, Scott and Aleks! We had a great lunch and then I had to leave to go to class and they were leaving for Rome! After class I came back and our living room was decorated with balloons and it was so nice! I took a little nap and then did some work on the internet. I got a package from Mom, Dad, and Scott with a cake and balloons and it was so nice! Then Becky, Kate and I went out to dinner. We found this great place and our waiter was so nice! I got spaghetti and it was delicious! All of a sudden Becky was like oh I have to go get something for my mom, so she left! Then Kate’s phone kept ringing, so I kind of thought something was weird. So anyway we left to come back to the apartment before going out that night. So anyway I opened the door and everyone yelled “SURPRISE!!!” and all my friends were there! It was soooo nice and I really was surprise! They all had princess hats on and we had three cakes and I got to blow out all three! I got wings and a wand and ears and a birthday crown! It was so nice of everyone to come and it was so fun! We had princess fizz to drink! So everyone sang and had cake and it was so nice! On Thursday I skipped Italian again for Thanksgiving!! Kate and I got a train to Orvieto, and met mom and the boys there! We walked around for a while, but realized all the places were closed for lunch! So we ended up grabbing a slice of pizza and then getting pizza at the train station. It was funny, but we said thanksgiving is about who you are with, and I couldn’t have asked for better people! So that was really fun, and then kate and I came back and got on the internet quickly and then made some pasta (we said we were lucky to have SO many thanksgiving meals!) then we cleaned up the kitchen, watched a Laguna and went to sleep! Overall, I had a great Thanksgiving!

Gondolas

So this weekend I went to Venice and had an amazing weekend! I left Thursday night and took the long train ride (about 5-6 hours) to Venice. But surprisingly it went by so fast! I had to switch trains once, and then I was able to get some homework done, I had two papers due so I had a lot of articles to read. So I got into Venice around 11ish on Thursday night. I was going to met up with my friends Abbie and Colin, but they were coming until Friday, so I found a hotel 3 minutes from the train station, since I didn’t want to be walking around by myself that night. So when I got in I found the hotel pretty easily and checked in. The room wasn’t anything great but it worked! I was able to buy internet time and it was soo nice! I was able to catch up on some of my shows I have missed and write emails. I also took a hot shower which felt very good! So then I woke up Friday morning and checked out, and took the water metro to meet Colin and Abbie. Colin was there first and Abbie came shortly after and it was so nice to see them! So we met the owner of our hostel and she gave us directions to our “apartment”. It seemed a little weird, but it was like a treasure hunt! So we had fun trying to find it, and we finally did! AND IT WAS HEAVEN! Normally hostels are small and just have a bed and a shared bathroom (sometimes you end up sharing in big rooms). But knowing me, I researched and researched and made sure this one had a good rating and reviews. So our apartment was beautiful! It had a full kitchen, table, TV, 4 beds, full bathroom (with a shower with jets and a radio!) It may not sound like much, but for poor college kids it was AMAZING! We contemplated spending the weekend in our apartment! But we ventured out! We spent about 3 hours and just went exploring without a map, which was fun! It was soo pretty! We did the Italian thin and sat down and got cappuccinos! At one point I wanted a picture of Abbie and I by the water, but she got a little too close and almost fell in! Luckily I was there to save the day! We decided we wanted to go back to the apartment and shower and get ready for dinner, but had no idea where we were. So at one intersection this man came up to us and asked us where we were going and he said he would take us there. So we start following him, and then he pointed out the best pastry shop and informed us he needed to buy some pastries. So we weren’t really sure what to do, but we followed him in and waited. He showed us the best pasties to get. Colin talked to him mostly, but anyway we finally got to a point and he asked someone something, and he told us he had passed where he needed to go, but he pointed us in the right direction and recommended a few places for us to go. It was so nice because people are so very helpful! So we went back and showered and headed out for dinner! We found a great place and got a lot of food! But we had a great meal! After we went to St. Marco’s square but nobody was there! So we walked around, and then tried to find a place to hang out at night! But it was dead! We got a great night sleep because we slept in for a while on Saturday. I think one of the things I loved about Venice was it was so relaxing! Most of the time there are so many things we want to see on the weekend its go go go! But this trip was relaxing, we did what we wanted when we wanted! So after getting ready Saturday morning we headed back to St Marcos! We got hot chocolate which was so good and then went to a museum! We stopped for lunch and also visited the Basilica which we were disappointed with! Next, the best time of my life..feeding the pigeons! Gross I know. At first I thought it was disgusting, but after I while I fell in love with them! There are places all over to buy bird feed, and the pigeons are smart and know when you have it because thy swamp you! It is such a funny feeling to have birds all over you! The 3 of us had fun! (Don’t worry we washed our hands after!!!) Mom called and they were in Venice! Yay! So we met then at their hotel and it was so nice to have my family there! It was fun too because Abbie and Colin were excited, and it was like Portsmouth was in Venice! I’m lucky to have such a great family and friends! So the boys grabbed some pizza and then we went on a gondola ride which was really fun! It was pretty at night, and you can’t leave Venice without going on a Gondola ride! After that we went to dinner. Scott and I got steaks which were not cooked at all. The place was nice, but they told us we had to be out by 8pm. Then, when the check came and Mom wanted to pay by credit card, the guy told us the “machine was broken”. It was not his lucky day because we were not stupid! Mom had read about how they try to get you to pay with cash because they lose some money when you pay with credit card. He told us it was our lucky day; they found a machine that worked! So anyway we were all tired so we went back and watched Laguna Beach and hit the sack! Abbie was up at 6am to catch her flight. Colin was up and out around 930. I left and went to the main building to pay and then I met the boys for lunch! We had pizza (obviously!) Then I left to go back to the train station and took a train home! It was such a fun weekend!!

When in Rome!

I had an amazing time with Aimee in Rome! On Thursday I took a train to Roma Termini, and I got some food and some muffins and waited for her to come! Unfortunately, her flight landed late and she had to wait for her luggage. So I did some homework and walked around and ended up buying a book that talked about Portsmouth! So that was nice! Then she finally came and she got off the train and looked at me funnily, and she goes, ah I think I left my bag on the train! It was funny! So anyway it was so nice to see her! So we walked to our hostel which luckily was only like 5 minutes away. We went up to our room which was for 6 people and there were people already sleeping, so we tried to be quiet and unpack and stuff. Then my friend Mike called, and he was staying at the same place! So we hung out with him. Then my friend Tom called from Perugia and he was in Rome with friends so we went to hang out with them too! It was fun! We wanted to sleep in, but it was kinda awkward because there were other people in our room. So this one girl woke us up and told us the cleaning lady we coming so we should leave soon. So we got ready and we took a very long bus ride to the Vatican! We stopped and got a cappuccino first, very Italian of us. We were confused as to where we wanted to take a tour, so we asked a lady and the museum had closed. So we decided to go back the next day! Next we went to the Trevi Fountain and tossed our coins in. It was a very pretty fountain, but also very busy! Then we were in need of an icecream break. So we found a place and each ordered two scoops of gelato. However, we received a 13 Euro gelato monster! The thing was huge! Mine had a lot of flags and Aimee’s had a pretty silver sparkler. After our “meal” we went to the Spanish steps, which were very pretty. We had read (in Mom’s packet of course) about a McDonald’s which was suppose to be very pretty, so of course we felt the need to stop. And it was, by far, the prettiest McDonalds I have ever seen! So we stopped for some French fries! We also did the Pantheon, and then got a good night sleep! Saturday morning we were up early and we went to the Vatican Museum. We ended up doing a tour which was so nice because we were able to pass by the people who were waiting in line (for hours) We took the tour which was good and then we were able to see the Sistine Chapel which was really cool! We had to keep reminding ourselves we were in Rome! After that we went to the Coloseeum and again did a tour to skip the lines. It was crazy to hear about all the violent and bloody things that took place there! Next we went to the Roman Forum which was very pretty! We called it an early night since Aimee had an early flight. After I she got on the train to the airport, I was off to see the Pope! I got to the Vatican around 11am and sat down to read my book. However, it started to become cold and right before 12, it started to drizzle a little. But anyway he popped his head out of a little window, and waved (he was waving to me obviously!) I waved back and when he started speaking Italian, and I didn’t know what he was saying, I was outta there! I’m really glad I went though!

Olive Harvest

On Sunday Jeanette and I went to an Olive Harvest! We went out to the countryside which was so pretty! We picked some Olives (after about one tree I was done!) The olives off the free were very sour and gross. After we went and cooked sausages and olive oil and bread, the olive oil was amazing! We were able to see the villa where the people live and it was so pretty!

The fair!

After that I went to a fair with Doug and his roommates, and I had SO much fun! We took a bus to the train station, and then our bus broke down, so we asked if we could walk to the fair from the train station, which we could! So we started walking! So we started walking towards the fair and then we saw it! We stopped and got some food first, and then we went to the actually fair! It was awesome! They had a lot of games and rides! We went on the bumper cars first which were probably my favorite! We also went on this crazy flipped ride and Doug lost his hat and his phone. Then we got a bus back to the train station, but another bus didn’t come for an hour, so we walked home, uphill! It was a long walk!

Get on a train and see where it takes you

On Saturday I woke up around 10:30 and showered and cleaned. I went to the bus station to get a bus to the train station. I wanted to catch a train going in a certain directions of small towns. So I waited on the bus for 15 minutes before it left, and I thought I was going to miss my train. It was suppose to leave at 12:14 and I got to the train station at 12:13. I didn’t have time to buy a ticket and it was only going to be 2.50 Euro and they usually don’t check your tickets, so I just sprinted to the train and hopped on literally as it was pulling away. As luck would have it, I saw the ticket checker five minutes into the ride. And I did a bad thing, I lied. He came around and I held out my money acting like I could buy a ticket on the train, which I don’t think they really let you do. He asked me in Italian if I had my ticket, and I played dumb (not too hard for me I know!) and pretended like I didn’t know what he was saying. He said it again, and I asked if he spoke English, he said no! Fhew! So anyway he asked in Italian where I was going, I waited till he asked again and then said Spello. He gave me a dirty look and kept going. Oops! So anyway I made it to Spello and followed the signs to the center, and of course it was at the top of a VERY long and steep hill. I took some pictures for photography and spent an hour or two walking around. It was really nice. Then I went back to the train station and took a train back to Perugia. I went to the computer lab and did a little homework and then I went to the photo lab to develop my film!

Happy Halloween!

On Wednesday it was Halloween! Becky came up with the awesome idea that we should be Rice Krispies! Snap, Crackle, and Pop! So her and Kate went out and got us hats! And then we all had colored tank tops and jean skirts and black flats! We also went out and got matching tights! And Becky made us sings and white colored things! We also had spoons and a box of Rice Crispies! We made dinner and watched Mean Girls and got all dressed up! We went out and hung out with some of our friends, and we obviously had the best costume! We slept in on Thursday and then I went to Leonardo Da Vinci and then I got on a train to Flornece. When I got there I saw Nora and Marie and we walked to their apartment. They showered and we all went out to dinner which was so good! Then, we came back and got ready to go out, but we were all so tired that we changed into our PJ’s and just hung out! In the morning we went and got bagles which were soo good! Then we went to a market and I got fresh pasta, soooo good! Then I got on a train to Perugia which was good because I had a lot of work to do and was so tired! I got back and went out to take a lot of pictres, and I went to the computer lab. Then we had some dinner and I took a shower and some friends came over, but i was so tired that i was in bed at a decent hour!

World Champs baby!

On Sunday I got back from Florence in the morning. I did some laundry with Kate. We read the sign (in English) that said it should take 25 minutes to wash. Kate’s did take 25 minutes, and mine took an hour and a half! And I had to press the emergency button to release it! Ridiculous! So anyway it was fun to all have dinner and talk about our trips! Everyone had fun! Then, the big game! The Red Sox were up 3-0 in the World Series, and they could win it all Sunday night! So of course, being a true Red Sox fan, we stayed up! My friends Rob and Doug and Becky and I all headed out to get internet at 330am. In front of our school buildings we get wireless, so we were the sketchy kids in our Red Sox gear sitting on the steps from 330am until 500am. But we won baby! Needless to say I was very tired the next day!

Firenze

On Thursday we had to wake up around 7. We checked out and went to the train station and took the train to the airport. We got on our first quick flight to Frankfort and this nice old man sat next to me, but kept speaking Germany so I really didn’t know what he was saying. Then he showed me a book with his picture in it so I think he was telling me he was an artist. Anyway we got to Frankfort and walked 2934 miles to our next gate and took our flight to Roma. We just got on a train to Termini and then just got on our next train to Florence. We got into Florence around 5, it was a long day! We took a cab to our hotel which was very cute! We have a nice room with a computer (which is how I am typing this right now!) we went out and got some pizza and pasta and gelato and walked around, and then came back and did nothing, and loved every second of it! We went to sleep at a decent hour. On Friday We woke up around 10 and had breakfast at our hotel. Then we went for a walk and found a spa, so mom got manicure and pedicure and I got a massage and haircut! My haircut was awesome! I have side bangs now and love it! We were there from 1130-330, a long time! After we got some food and walked around and I got boots! I’m so excited! Then we came back here because it’s raining! We decided to go out to dinner, and we went to Angels, which is where Doug’s cousin works! So we finally found it and the hostess brought us to the room with the table with the wine, which was kind of weird, and I think he said something about how he doesn’t give that table to people usually? I don’t know, but anyway we both got steak and it was so good! After dinner we got some gelato and walked around for a bit and then came back here! We hit the sack! Saturday we woke up at 11am and the room was so dark we had no idea what time it was! We went out and looked for breakfast or lunch, but didn’t find much! I got a doughnut and we walked around and I finally ended up finding skinny jeans to wear with my boots! So I am excited about that! After we went back to the hotel and then went to the train station to go to Pisa! We got off at a sketchy stop, but we ended up finding out it was only 5 minutes from the tower. There were a lot of people there and it was hot so we didn’t stay long. I thought it was overrated, it wasn’t that exciting. We took the bus to the train station back to Florence and got a banana as a snack because we were dying! There were also a lot of people and we didn’t like that. So we came back and thought about trying to get into Michael Buble, but instead we decided that we would rather take a shower and get ready and go out to a nice meal. So we asked out hotel guy where we should go and he recommended a place. So we went to it, but it didn’t open until 730 and it was in this sketchy place. We walked in and they sat us at a table with other people, and people we didn’t know and they didn’t speak English. So they gave us water and I spilled some, so we left. We walked around for a bit and ended up going back to the place we went the first night which was very good! And we were able to eat outside which was really nice too! So we had a good dinner and got some gelato and walked around, and now we are going home tomorrow!

Red Light District

On Tuesday we were up early once again and took the train to the airport. So we get on a train that says it is going to the airport, and it’s the train we thought we should get on in the first place. But, right before this stop, a women asks if we speak German (no we don’t) and she told us that we had to get off and switch over to another train because the train we were on goes back to the center of town. She was so nice and when we got off she pointed to the train we were supposed to get on. So we did make it to the airport and then got on our flight to Amsterdam! Like most of our flights, we had to get on a bus that then drove it to the plan. So we get on the bus, and this man gets on (he was probably around 40) and he just stares at me. I wondered if I had something on my face (besides beauty of course!) but he just kept staring. I looked at mom because I knew she could tell, and she was like uh do you know him? And I definitely didn’t. He was so sketchy! He kept staring at me the whole time and mom said he kept looking me up and down. Yuck. Anyway we had a good flight and we managed to get on the train to the center, but had no idea when that stop was. When the train finally did stop, it seemed too early to be at the center, so we asked some people and they said the center was the next stop. So we got comfy in our seats again, until all of a sudden they yelled, “it’s this stop”, as they darted off the train. In a scramble we grabbed all of our 2348 bags and hopped off the train. Scary! So we got to the outside and went to take a cab to the hotel, but the man told us that it was just a 3 minute walk which was very nice of him. So we walked to the hotel (not using the cross walk) and I almost was killed by a tram! Luckily he beeped his little tram horn and I got out of the way. So we checked in and went and found a laundry place so we would finally have clean clothes! Yay! We walked around, everything smelled like pot, yuck! We had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, typical, and it was very good! After we walked through the Red Light District! It was so weird! The girls just stand in their windows, sometimes bagging on the glass if guys walk by. I took pictures even though I am not supposed to. I’m a rebel. So anyway we did that and then came back and went to bed! So Tuesday night we went to bed around 12, and woke up around 12! It was the first time we slept that long in a while! And it was so nice! So I took a quick shower and then we went and got some pastries for breakfast/lunch! We did a little shopping (although there’s not much in Amsterdam) and then got on the internet to book the rest of our weekend, which we decided we will spend in Florence. After that we went to the Anne Frank house. We got on the tram to get there and the driver asked where we were going so he could stamp our tickets. So before the stop on his loud speaker he said “Anne Frank house next stop”. We didn’t know if he usually did that, but that was nice because we would have been a little confused. So anyway we get off the tram and have no idea where we are going and are looking all around, and as the tram is driving away we hear “Anne Frank house to your right!” We owe that tram guy big time. He was really nice. The Anne Frank house was good, but there were a lot of people which was kind of annoying, but overall it was nice. After we grabbed a quick snack, and then went through the Red Light District again, but it wasn’t too busy. We went back to the hotel to pack. My friend Doug from Perugia was coming to Amsterdam too! So I was able to hang out with him that night which was really fun!

Munich and Salzburg

On Saturday We were up at 5am to take a cab to the airport! The line was so long to check in! So we checked in and went through security and on the other end I felt something dragging, my underwear! How embarrassing! Mom thought it was hilarious! We got on the plane and got into Munich and then took another train to the center. We could NOT figure out the stupid German train tickets, so we scalped tickets off some people (yeah Boston!!!). We met Lorna and it was soo nice to see her! So we went to her hostel to drop off her bagsand then went to the Glockenspiel show, it was a joke, but we got hot coco and went to Dachau which was really nice. I had been to concentration camps before, but they hadn’t. We went through a museum that was really long! But it was good! After that we came back and hung out and went to Hard Rock which was good! We also went to the Hofbräuhaus Beer Hall which was happening! Sadly, we had to leave and take a train to Austria. The train ride was fine and we took a cab to our hotel and the people were so nice! I felt like royalty checking in! The room was really cute too! I took a shower and did Internet and passed out! On Sunday we were up early and the hotel breakfast was great. We went on the sound of music tour which was really nice. We were able to see the houses where it was filmed and the gazebo and the church. After that we came back to relax and then went out shopping, but most things were closed. We did see a very pretty sign for a McDonalds. Then we went to the train station to get tickets for tomorrow and then we went to dinner at another beer hall, Auguftiner Brau, but just got snacks. It was sketchy to get there. It was kind of down a dark alley, but it was cool to go to. On the way back we thought we were taking the right bus, but all of a sudden we found ourselves in the ghetto of Salzburg, ALONE! Everyone had gotten off the bus, except for the bus driver of course, who ONLY spoke German! (this sounds familiar, Ancona?) So we tried to tell him that we got on the wrong bus and asked him nicely not to leave us in the ghetto of Salzburg to be murdered, and we somehow managed to understand he did the same loop back! So we finally made it back to safely! On Monday we decided to sleep in a little and we went to breakfast in the hotel. We took our time getting ready and packing which was nice! And then we went shopping! I got some cute shoes and leggings! (Dad keep working hard!!) Then we got a cab to the train station and had some Burger King for lunch! It never tasted sooo good! We got on our train for Munich and it was so nice! We wanted to go somewhere further than an hour and a half because it was like we had our own little apartment! We could lie down and shut the door and it was so quiet! So anyway we got back to Munich and went to our hotel which was nice! Then, a challenge was bestowed upon us. Scott had wanted a soccer jersey, so we went out around 5:30 to find the one he asked Mom to get. However, when the store clerk showed us, mom didn’t think it was right. The store closed in an hour, so we ran back to the hotel to get on the internet to get the email Scott sent to mom with the correct jersey! But, someone was on the computer! How dare they! So we asked for the closest not sketchy internet café! And we ran! I was in charge of maps and we found the place and got online! Good thing we did because the jersey the man showed us was not, I repeat, was NOT the jersey Scott wanted! (at this point we were pretending we were on amazing race, so we made a game of it) So we printed out the picture and asked the internet man where we could find it! He pointed down the street, and we ran some more! We made it to a sports store and asked the man if he had the shirt, and thankgoodness, he did! Success! We went to Hard Rock Café (obviously) and then went back to the hotel to pack because Tuesday we were off to Amsterdam! But, the hotel told us the train people were going to be on strike, which would mean we would have a very hard time getting to the airport! Fortunately, they changed their strike day to Thursday..suckers!!

Midterms = Yuck!

On Thursday I had my two final exams! Yuck! I am glad to be done with those! After my second class, I took a quick nap, and then Mom and I went and hung out at the chocolate festival for a while. I went back to her room to take a shower, probably the best shower of my life! That’s one of the things I miss the most, good water pressure and a shower where you can actually move. After that I went back to the apartment to get ready for dinner. Both Jeanette and Kate’s parents and mom were all here so we all went out to dinner at Ristorante Del Sole. We had a really nice dinner! After we went back to our apartment and cleaned out our kitchen! We had an intense cleaning party! It was fun! Kate went to bed and the 3 of us stayed up and gave each out back rubs. It was so nice! We almost all feel asleep. Jeanette has taken a massage class before, so hers hurt, but at the same time it felt really good. Finally around 2am we called it a night. Friday morning I woke up around 11 and showered and went to the computer lab. Then we all got sandwiches at Parma and Jeanette and her parents came back to the apartment and ate with mom and I. After that mom and I went to Assisi which was really fun! We dropped off our bags, which we seemed to have some trouble finding and got on the bus and took it to the top of Assissi. We walked a lot but it was really pretty and nice. We saw St. Frank but we were just kinda like eh and kept going. We went back with the nuns we saw on the bus. They were really short and funny. Then took the next train to Rome. We got to Rome and grabbed a snack before we took the train to the airport and then a cab to the hotel. We got in late and took a hot shower and went to sleep but we couldn't fall asleep!

Study for Midterms? No thanks, I think I'll go to Budapest

Kate and I had an amazing time in Budapest this weekend! We left on the 3:20 bus and got to the train station, grabbed our ticket, and hopped on the train as it was basically pulling out of the station. We had a layover in Foligno, where we both enjoyed the delicious yogurts. After, we took the train to Roma Termini and then had a little bit of time before taking the Leonardo da Vinci train to the airport. When we got to the airport we knew we were a little pressed for time, so we followed the signs for terminal C. We finally found where we needed to check in, but the check in man was hitting on us, and he was wasting time. He kept saying how his mom was calling, and he would pick up the calls and talk to her. So finally he gave us our tickets and was like wow you are late. Thanks buddy. So we got in line for security, which took forever. Kate went through first, and I followed. After our bags had been screened, a man came over to Kate and asked if she was the one “with the liquids”. So he asked both of us to follow him, and we took out our 3-1-1 bags, properly done like the airport asks. He looked them over, and said “are these all the liquids you have” we politely responded “yes sir”. He then asked for our boarding tickets, and when he saw them he goes “oh you are late”. Thanks buddy. So we ran a little and then hit passport security. We had to wait in another long line for them to check our passports. After making it through, we sprinted to what we thought was our gate, only to find that we needed to take a shuttle to our gate. Of course. At this point it was about 8:02, our plane was going to leave at 8:15. I started picturing what it would be like to sleep in an airport. We jumped on the next shuttle and sprinted (once again) off the shuttle and up the escalators. I was first, and after running up the escalators, a women at the top says “Budapest”? I was winded, but managed to say yes, and she pointed us to the left. Kate was behind me, and as I sprinted, we heard people yelling “girls” and Kate told me to turn around. When we got to the counter, the employers told us to give them all our documents and we threw everything we had at them, ran down the terminal, and hoped on our plane. We literally got on the plane, sat down, and took off. They definitely held the plane for us. We had a quick trip to Budapest, and when we got there Dan and his roomie Claire (who goes to Bowdoin and knows Maria) picked us up. Claire had a friend visiting too that landed about the same time, so then we went back to their apartment to relax. Their apartment was very nice and big. I was really tired, so I took a shower and hit the sack. Friday morning Kate woke us all up early! Dan made eggs which we really good and we were off! I don’t even want to think about how many miles we ended up walking on Friday. We walked to a church, which was beautiful, and there was a funeral for an Olympic athlete going on! After that we walked some more, and went to the post office to get stamps. We then got some icecream, and walked along the Danube River, and then crossed the river to Buda. We walked up a very big hill to Castle Hill, and it was weird because we saw buildings with bullet holes. We went to the church but they were doing construction so there wasn’t too much to see. After that we had lunch at this excellent place, and had Goulash which was VERY good. It was almost like beef stew. The man asked if we wanted to eat or have drinks, and I said to eat, and he goes “black teats?” It was weird. Also, there was recorder music playing, like music from the 80’s and 90’s recorder style. After lunch we were very tired and went back to the apartment and changed into our suits to go to the Turkish baths. It was sooo cool! It was like a resort, but all the water was fresh and hot! Everyone was in their bathing suits and it felt so good to relax in the hot water. One of the pools had a type of whirlpool which was fun, but out elbows got beat up. So we hung out there for a while, and then took the metro back and got some food for dinner. Dan cooked “chicken”. It didn’t turn out to be chicken, but whatever kind of meat it was was delicious. We had dinner and then Claire had a bunch of friends over, so we just relaxed. On Saturday we slept in a little, I made eggs, and then we had an “American Day”. We went to a torture museum which was interesting, and walked around and went to the first McDonalds behind the Iron Curtin. We came back and crashed, so we decided the best course of action was to order Pizza Hut pizza. They delivered, and we curled up to watch a movie! We hit the sack and then were up at 5:00 to go to the airport and caught our plane back home! We had an amazing weekend!