In which my life is a Disney movie complete with singing animals.

After an intimate walking tour of the Pantheon, ancient ruins turned feline colony, the Campo di Fiori market, Bernini’s fountain of the four rivers, and the Trevi Fountain… 

Get with the times, gladiator... That phone is so 2010.

Fellow tourist man is not amused by my flamboyant coin toss into the Trevi.

After viewing the poetic tomb of Raphael, sharing bottles of prosecco at charming outdoor cafes, standing in awe of the Colleseum, and climbing the many Alice and Wonderland spiral steps to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica… 

Taking fastidious notes, like I do.

The gang at St. Peter's

To Rome!

After all this, the four of us piled into the back of a van and watched the scenery outside our windows turn from crowded Roman streets and tourist traps to sprawling hills, poppy fields, and sheep. Tuscania appeared like a breath of fresh air, and our experience here so far has been as charmed as a Disney movie.

This is where I'm living for a month.

Our apartment is not the sparse, one room dorm we were expecting, but a home—four stories with a bright, fully stocked kitchen, spiral staircase, and decorated bedrooms. We are a short walk to crumbling medieval walls, the school, and breath-taking views of hazelnut trees and Roman temples. My life is enchanted. Not real. Too amazing.

Our adorable kitchen.

The faculty here are great. Matteo, our API guy, was such a fun companion around Rome, and in Tuscania, Mei and Mossimo have been giving us all the tips we need to feel like locals and make the most out of our month here.

 

Meet Matteo.

Classes start Monday. As of now, I only know of one other person taking the Travel Writing class, but that’s fine by me.

Ciao!

Oh and here's Eduardo the singing cat I adopted.

In which I finally get to meet my partners in Italian crime

We have a regular Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants set up here in Italy: four very different girls from very different backgrounds all getting along splendidly. 

There’s CJ, the gorgeous purple-streak-haired Italian from New Jersey:

CJ with her first real Italian pizza

Michelle, the twelve-times-tatted Mississippian party girl:

Look at how cute my apartment roomie for the month is!

Liz, the horse loving Catholic from Illinois:

Liz after she got proposed to by a random gladiator man.

And then me, the… well, whatever I am. I already love them all. We’re staying in a nice hotel right in the center of historic Rome, so by simply walking out the front door and through some cobblestone streets, we were able to experience marketplaces, giant sculpture fountains, and all sorts of cafes. We’re going on a legit tour of everything tomorrow, but it was fun to get out and explore a little on our own. My first Italian espresso was a much needed success, and the sunshine did me major good.

3 of the 4. Hopefully tomorrow we'll get some pictures of the whole gang.

Hello, grotesque fountain faces.

Tonight, our study abroad program directors took us out for a HUGE authentic Italian dinner. I’m talking four courses of massive portions—caprese salad, cold cuts and bruschetta, pasta, veal (which I managed one bite of), and tiramisu. Parts of it was good, but I'm very much looking forward to being in charge of my own meals from now on.

My Tuscania girls about to embark on course #1.

Next up: Monument tour and the Colosseum!

In which I make a total fool of myself in an empty Hamburg airport terminal

The plan was simple enough in theory. Fly from Munich to Hamburg Monday night, find a comfortable enough row of terminal seats/patch of floor to sleep on, and then hop on a plane to Rome early the next morning.

I arrived in Hamburg according to plan, sat down at a little table where I could plug my laptop in, and splurged on an hour of wifi. But when I looked up from my screen at the end of the hour, it was like I had entered the twilight zone. No one in sight. All the stores and shops completely closed. Had I missed the rapture? I gathered my things tentatively and headed toward the terminal of my morning flight. A single worker was sitting in the passport checkpoint booth; he was on the phone, probably with his wife or something. He seemed confused by my presence, as I was confused by the overall lack of presences.

“In Hamburg,” he explained in broken English. “It is prohibited to fly at night.” He looked at my confused face again. “You are going to… sleep?”

I nodded.

“Poor thing,” he said, and let me through.

 

empty

totally empty

Left. Right. Total 360 turn. Yep—I was, quite literally, the only person in that entire wing of the airport. I had lots of open space and chairs all to myself, not to mention a fully charged laptop and a whole lot of excess energy.

It was quite the opportunity to make a fool out of myself, and revisit some of those old show choir moves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw-GG31HM9M

I wish the German police officer had made it into the frame so you could see him. Don’t worry, I wasn’t arrested or anything. He just directed me, in German, to a terminal that was actually open 24 hours a day (one with very uncomfortable chairs, homeless people, and about fifteen different construction projects going on).

Needless to say, I did not get much sleep last night. Thankfully, however, I was so excited to see Rome that I managed to function. I’ll write more about my study abroad group/first day in Rome later, but suffice it to say I think it’s going to be a fabulous month.

In which we watch the Champions League Final in style

Quick quiz.

A slurring German boy with gap teeth approaches you on the street while you’re on your way to find dinner and a TV to watch the Champions League final, and he offers to sell you two tickets to the giant public viewing that night at the Allianz Arena for 10 euros a pop. Do you

A)   Politely refuse and then go on your way.

B)   Consider, but then when his highly intoxicated older friend approaches you and says “I can vouch for him” and “I pray to you with my hands in the fire” over and over again, politely refuse and go on your way.

C)   Realize the tickets are probably fraudulent, but haggle the price down on the off chance they’re actually legit.

D)   Buy them.

Well you see, this is kind of a trick question because normally, the answer is A. But when you’re in Munich for just two nights, and the Champions League final is between two German teams for the first time in history, and you’ve made a vow to say “Yes” to every opportunity that does not involve LSD or human trafficking, you go D.

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of gap-tooth German boy ticket salesman, but this kind of gives you an idea.

We were encouraged by the shiny silver stickers.

So with potentially fake tickets to the biggest event in all of Munich, we joined the throngs of beer swigging, scarf wearing, flag flying Germans and headed for the train station. After a series of stops and switches that felt much more like being swept along on a Disney ride than responsibly navigating an underground metro system, we arrived at the Allianz Arena just minutes before kick off. Did small German boy and his intoxicated friend hook us up with the opportunity of a lifetime, or set us up for a walk of shame in handcuffs away from the arena entrance? I invite you to see for yourself in this bite-sized documentary with a hilariously inappropriate film noir soundtrack:

(Once again my video is foiled by blogger and slow wifi! 

Let's try this link. Sorry if it doesn't work.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCq_hIn27U8

Anyway, Bayern Munich won, we jumped around and pretended to know the fight songs, and thanks to this scarf Andrew bought me so I’d stop stealing his, I got to look like a real fan.

All the cool kids have them.

SUPER BAYERN SUPER BAYERN HEY! HEY!

The rest of our stay in Munich has been much more low key, thanks in part to the bitterly cold wind and rain we’ve been having. The weather gave us the perfect excuse to pop into an English theatre and watch The Great Gatsby, spend all evening eating authentic German food and drinking half liters at a beer hall (Well, Andrew ate authentic German food), and read a lot on our kindles. Speaking of which, have I mentioned that I am reading the most perfect book? I could not  have asked for a better literary companion for all my adventures than Ahab’s Wife. We are two girls on whirlwind adventures, Una and I. Although hers are heavier on the marriages and scampering up mast poles.

Kindling with Ahab's Wife in the hotel lobby.

Andrew's hardcore Bavarian feast at the beer hall. I got salmon, so I'm not as legit. 

I say goodbye to Andrew and fly out of Munich tonight... Starting my Rome adventure in the morning!