A week into living in Washington DC, I’ve been lost more times than I can count. You would think that since the streets are arranged in ascending numbers and letters I would stand a chance, but even such sensible logic can’t help the extreme directionally challenged. My biggest problem is that I often have gut feelings about which way is the right way to go, but such feelings are always wrong.
Getting lost can be a good thing when you’re trying to explore a new city, just not when walking home from the metro stop late at night or carrying heavy bags of groceries. But I’m getting craftier: Today I got off at the stop for the National Shrine to go to mass, had absolutely no idea how to get there, and then stealthily followed a guy carrying a Bible right up to the doors of the church. Whatever works, right?
Apart from constantly getting lost, I’ve settled into life in DC pretty easily. I have enjoyed my walks to and from work, except when it has rained – I often wondered this past week if I were back in Scotland. But now the weather is just how I like it: sunny, sunny, sunny and hot, hot, hot. And getting hotter!
My walks take me past the White House, and while I haven’t laid eyes on Mr. President yet, I’m pretty sure I saw David Axelrod one morning (or maybe it was wishful thinking, having watched the NBC special about the Obama White House the night before). I’ll update again if I have any more “celebrity” sightings – they’re my celebrities anyway! I was pretty excited.
My internship is going well; It has been fun getting to know the other interns and the kitchens are well-stocked with tons of drinks and AEI’s homemade cookies to break up what can feel like pretty long days. I think I have a better understanding now of what a think tank is (or at least what AEI is): The scholars, who are the very well educated top dogs, research and write about different areas of public policy. Then, their findings make their way into the public sphere and often into the hands of people who actually draft policy. AEI lets its scholars have free reign to work on topics that interest them, and to present whatever conclusions they want to make. Our HR rep told us at orientation that AEI has its fair share of liberals, conservatives, and “raging moderates.” It’s definitely been interesting so far and an overall nice place to work. We had our company picnic this afternoon, complete with a dessert contest - I didn’t participate, I just “judged.”
I’ve been having fun traipsing through DC in my free time and just getting to know the city. After an a.m. fire alarm went off at the dorm yesterday (woo hoo for microwave fires!), I walked from GW to the National Mall and visited the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. I have to say I was a bit disappointed – I’m not a museum person anyway, but this one just seemed to be lacking overall. I may just be jaded, though, because there is nothing quite like experiencing the culture firsthand. I’m planning to hit up the American History Museum, the Natural History Museum , and the Newseum (all about journalism and the news) in the coming weeks.
One other thing: July 15 can’t come soon enough! We youngsters have managed to find some places to go out, but this town just isn’t that friendly to the under-21 crowd. I’m hoping my GRE score will make up for it, though (aka I haven’t started studying yet). I will be one appreciative 21-year-old, that’s for sure. Luckily there are enough restaurants to try, places to walk to, and free concerts to get me there.
Guten nacht from the District of Crime and here’s hoping I don’t show up here.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Just for shiggles
I raved about AEI's lunch fare in my last post, and I thought it would be fun to share this week's menu with my readers:
Appetizer
Sweet Shrimp Tempura with Vegetables and Thai Ginger Sauce
Hot Entrée
Grilled Teriyaki Tenderloin of Beef with Japanese Coconut Fried Rice and Lemongrass Port Sauce
Cold Entrée
Pennsylvania Cobb Salad with Grilled Paillard of Turkey, Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Tomatoes, Hard Cooked Eggs, Avocado, Onions, Fresh Basil and Roquefort Cheese
Tuesday, June 2
Appetizer
Rice Crepes Filled with Spinach, Chicken, Golden Chanterelle, Shallots and Fresh Herbs
Hot Entrée
Pan-Roasted Alaskan Wild Striped Bass with Tomatoes, Truffle, Bouillabaisse and Spring Assorted Vegetables
Cold Entrée
Asian Mixed Green Salad with Grilled Black Angus Beef, Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, Vidalia Onions, Cucumbers and Sesame Yuzu Vinaigrette
Appetizer
Vietnamese Barbeque Pork Loin Kabobs with Eggplant, Shiitake with Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Relish
Hot Entrée
Grilled A.E.I. Organic Chicken Breast with Corn, Cilantro and Black Bean Salsa served with Asparagus and Risotto Cakes
Cold Entrée
Salad of Pan-Roasted South Pacific Salmon with Red Bell Peppers, Artichokes, Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives tossed with Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette
Appetizer
Pan-Seared Asian Ahi Tuna Burger with Wasabi Aioli and Fries
Hot Entrée
Linguini with Gulf Prawns and Red King Crab Legs, Sautéed Blue Foot Mushrooms and Green Peas in a Delicious Lightly Spiced Basil and Brandy Sauce
Cold Entrée
Kaiso Salad with Chinese Black Peppered Chicken, Ginger, Cucumbers, Carrots, Scallions, Green Cabbage, Papaya and Fresh Red Chilies tossed with Citrus Sesame Dressing
Buffet-Style Luncheon Served
I feel a little silly, but I know I'd eat this up if I were reading!
OK, enough puns and enough about food - I won't talk too much more about my gastronomical adventures. On a non-foodie note, tonight I took an evening stroll to the National Mall and had some nice face time with Honest Abe. Dusk here is lovely right now; it's delightfully warm and just humid enough. My research assistant reminded me today that it's a farce, but for now I stroll.
Monday, June 1
Appetizer
Sweet Shrimp Tempura with Vegetables and Thai Ginger Sauce
Hot Entrée
Grilled Teriyaki Tenderloin of Beef with Japanese Coconut Fried Rice and Lemongrass Port Sauce
Cold Entrée
Pennsylvania Cobb Salad with Grilled Paillard of Turkey, Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Tomatoes, Hard Cooked Eggs, Avocado, Onions, Fresh Basil and Roquefort Cheese
Tuesday, June 2
Appetizer
Rice Crepes Filled with Spinach, Chicken, Golden Chanterelle, Shallots and Fresh Herbs
Hot Entrée
Pan-Roasted Alaskan Wild Striped Bass with Tomatoes, Truffle, Bouillabaisse and Spring Assorted Vegetables
Cold Entrée
Asian Mixed Green Salad with Grilled Black Angus Beef, Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, Vidalia Onions, Cucumbers and Sesame Yuzu Vinaigrette
Wednesday, June 3
Appetizer
Vietnamese Barbeque Pork Loin Kabobs with Eggplant, Shiitake with Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Relish
Hot Entrée
Grilled A.E.I. Organic Chicken Breast with Corn, Cilantro and Black Bean Salsa served with Asparagus and Risotto Cakes
Cold Entrée
Salad of Pan-Roasted South Pacific Salmon with Red Bell Peppers, Artichokes, Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives tossed with Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette
Thursday, June 4
Appetizer
Pan-Seared Asian Ahi Tuna Burger with Wasabi Aioli and Fries
Hot Entrée
Linguini with Gulf Prawns and Red King Crab Legs, Sautéed Blue Foot Mushrooms and Green Peas in a Delicious Lightly Spiced Basil and Brandy Sauce
Cold Entrée
Kaiso Salad with Chinese Black Peppered Chicken, Ginger, Cucumbers, Carrots, Scallions, Green Cabbage, Papaya and Fresh Red Chilies tossed with Citrus Sesame Dressing
Friday, June 5
Buffet-Style Luncheon Served
I feel a little silly, but I know I'd eat this up if I were reading!
OK, enough puns and enough about food - I won't talk too much more about my gastronomical adventures. On a non-foodie note, tonight I took an evening stroll to the National Mall and had some nice face time with Honest Abe. Dusk here is lovely right now; it's delightfully warm and just humid enough. My research assistant reminded me today that it's a farce, but for now I stroll.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
DCeeeeee
Helloooo from Washington DC!
I have some good news: there is a 24-hour 7-Eleven on the ground floor of my building! I shall not go hungry, or without slurpies!
I was very excited to see my favorite convenience store after a tiresome day of travel yesterday - BR to DC involved two takeoffs, two landings, a looonggg cab ride into the city, and a fairly hectic check-in process with two gargantuan bags. But now I is here, coming at you from my fabulous (ok maybe not so fabulous) dorm room at GW. I don't think the building has been renovated since it was built likely in the 1920s, but I have everything I need and I'm quite content.
The J-O-B started today, and after encountering one of DC's most eloquent truck drivers ("You don't even need to work, you a honey!) and getting a bit lost (shocker), I found the tall AEI building. But all in all the stroll was quite nice - it was actually cool this morning and I tried to savor it, as I know it will be hot as hades soon. I people watched as I walked - this city is bursting with young people in power suits off to their jobs in the political world.
I really enjoyed my day at AEI, especially lunchtime; it's an hour-long full table service affair and the food is very, very good. Today we had various types of sushi for an appetizer followed by some sort of teryaki beef and coconut rice. Mmmmm - and everything tastes better when it's free!
Apart from describing the food, I won't be able to do much blobbing about my internship; our HR supervisor listed it as a big no-no in our orientation today. What I can say is that my scholar seems very nice and the projects I'll be working on are interesting and right up my alley. As a bonus, my supervisor (every intern is assigned to an AEI scholar as well as his or her research assistant) is leaving for good in two and a half weeks, and I will be essentially taking over his job, office and all. Seems a little daunting now, but hopefully I'll learn the ropes quickly.
I haven't had much time to sightsee, but I did go by the White House today. It seemed smaller than the last time I saw it, but I've probably just gotten bigger. I'm planning to hit up some of the monuments and museums this weekend.
I'll update again when there's more to say, but for now this working girl says good night from the executive city. Oh and get ready, I have tons of googled DC nicknames up my sleeve!
I have some good news: there is a 24-hour 7-Eleven on the ground floor of my building! I shall not go hungry, or without slurpies!
I was very excited to see my favorite convenience store after a tiresome day of travel yesterday - BR to DC involved two takeoffs, two landings, a looonggg cab ride into the city, and a fairly hectic check-in process with two gargantuan bags. But now I is here, coming at you from my fabulous (ok maybe not so fabulous) dorm room at GW. I don't think the building has been renovated since it was built likely in the 1920s, but I have everything I need and I'm quite content.
The J-O-B started today, and after encountering one of DC's most eloquent truck drivers ("You don't even need to work, you a honey!) and getting a bit lost (shocker), I found the tall AEI building. But all in all the stroll was quite nice - it was actually cool this morning and I tried to savor it, as I know it will be hot as hades soon. I people watched as I walked - this city is bursting with young people in power suits off to their jobs in the political world.
I really enjoyed my day at AEI, especially lunchtime; it's an hour-long full table service affair and the food is very, very good. Today we had various types of sushi for an appetizer followed by some sort of teryaki beef and coconut rice. Mmmmm - and everything tastes better when it's free!
Apart from describing the food, I won't be able to do much blobbing about my internship; our HR supervisor listed it as a big no-no in our orientation today. What I can say is that my scholar seems very nice and the projects I'll be working on are interesting and right up my alley. As a bonus, my supervisor (every intern is assigned to an AEI scholar as well as his or her research assistant) is leaving for good in two and a half weeks, and I will be essentially taking over his job, office and all. Seems a little daunting now, but hopefully I'll learn the ropes quickly.
I haven't had much time to sightsee, but I did go by the White House today. It seemed smaller than the last time I saw it, but I've probably just gotten bigger. I'm planning to hit up some of the monuments and museums this weekend.
I'll update again when there's more to say, but for now this working girl says good night from the executive city. Oh and get ready, I have tons of googled DC nicknames up my sleeve!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Life would be easier if airlines didn't weigh bags...
"It is sometimes called the City of Magnificent Distances, but it might with greater propriety be termed the City of Magnificent Intentions." - Charles Dickens
Washington DC has intrigued me for a long time, and I'm finally getting the chance to spend the summer there. In less than two days I'm leaving one swamp for another. After Scotland, though, the hotter the better. Bring it on!
I've been to DC as a tourist a few times, but I think there's a big difference between just visiting a city and living in it; I'm hoping 10 weeks will give me a good idea of what it's like to live and work in the nation's capital. I'll be interning at the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank that contributes to research and education on a number of public policy issues. At least that's what it says on the website -- hopefully working at a think tank will clear up my confusion about how exactly one operates. But any place that gives its interns free breakfast and a gourmet lunch sounds pretty solid to me :)
I'm living in a dorm at George Washington University, conveniently 15 minutes from AEI and just two blocks from the White House! My morning stroll to work will take me by 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and I hope a certain someone will make an appearance at least once. The summer is starting out to be quite interesting already: it will be exciting for this political junkie to be in DC while the Supreme Court confirmation hearing is taking place.
DC is supposed to be a really fun place for college students to spend the summer and I plan to make the most of it -- trips to memorials (the Iwo Jima one is my favorite), to museums, to nighttime movie showings on the Mall, and to neighboring places in Virginia and Maryland are in the works. I also will be turning 21 while there, woo hoo!
Will my admittedly too-full suitcases make it onto the plane? Will I be able to think enough to do OK at my job? Stay tuned for more of me, live from the nation's capital!
Washington DC has intrigued me for a long time, and I'm finally getting the chance to spend the summer there. In less than two days I'm leaving one swamp for another. After Scotland, though, the hotter the better. Bring it on!
I've been to DC as a tourist a few times, but I think there's a big difference between just visiting a city and living in it; I'm hoping 10 weeks will give me a good idea of what it's like to live and work in the nation's capital. I'll be interning at the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank that contributes to research and education on a number of public policy issues. At least that's what it says on the website -- hopefully working at a think tank will clear up my confusion about how exactly one operates. But any place that gives its interns free breakfast and a gourmet lunch sounds pretty solid to me :)
I'm living in a dorm at George Washington University, conveniently 15 minutes from AEI and just two blocks from the White House! My morning stroll to work will take me by 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and I hope a certain someone will make an appearance at least once. The summer is starting out to be quite interesting already: it will be exciting for this political junkie to be in DC while the Supreme Court confirmation hearing is taking place.
DC is supposed to be a really fun place for college students to spend the summer and I plan to make the most of it -- trips to memorials (the Iwo Jima one is my favorite), to museums, to nighttime movie showings on the Mall, and to neighboring places in Virginia and Maryland are in the works. I also will be turning 21 while there, woo hoo!
Will my admittedly too-full suitcases make it onto the plane? Will I be able to think enough to do OK at my job? Stay tuned for more of me, live from the nation's capital!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Not done quite yet!
I'm back in good ol' Louisiana now and glad to be home after almost three weeks of travel through Europe and a semester with the kilted. I'm trying to muster up the motivation to update about my fantastic escapades through France, Germany, and Austria, but until I do check out the blog of my ginger friend: http://londonlillylass.blogspot.com/.
Lilly traveled with me in France and Germany and is doing a darn good job updating about our experiences there; her most recent post about the all-nighter we spent in Paris caused me to break out in hysterical laughter much like the kind we shared in the train station. Read on, read on!
Here's one snippet from my travels on the continent, from perhaps the coolest thing I did. If you're a Sound of Music fan, you'll understand:
[caption id="attachment_384" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The gazebo in Salzburg: I am 20, going on 21, I know that I'm naive!"]
[/caption]
I'm home in Baton Rouge for two weeks and will then be spending the summer interning in Washington DC -- not as exotic as Taiwan or Europe, but Helen of Troy may still have a few things to say from our nation's capital. Y'all come back now, ya hear?
Lilly traveled with me in France and Germany and is doing a darn good job updating about our experiences there; her most recent post about the all-nighter we spent in Paris caused me to break out in hysterical laughter much like the kind we shared in the train station. Read on, read on!
Here's one snippet from my travels on the continent, from perhaps the coolest thing I did. If you're a Sound of Music fan, you'll understand:
[caption id="attachment_384" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The gazebo in Salzburg: I am 20, going on 21, I know that I'm naive!"]
[/caption]I'm home in Baton Rouge for two weeks and will then be spending the summer interning in Washington DC -- not as exotic as Taiwan or Europe, but Helen of Troy may still have a few things to say from our nation's capital. Y'all come back now, ya hear?
Friday, April 24, 2009
With a day to go in the land of haggis and whisky...
I'm always a sap when it comes to saying goodbye, and in less than 24 hours I'll be bidding farewell to Scotland. Bear with me, because this post will be gushy.
Before I talk about what this experience has meant to me in general, I'll fill the readers of this blog in on what has transpired since I returned home from Rome. Not anything too notable last week, if I'm remembering correctly. On Tuesday night we celebrated an intern's birthday at the Filling Station, an American-like pub I've mentioned here before. And on Thursday I went to the Southsider, a local pub that's supposed to have great fish and chips. Naturally, I got the fish and chips -- the first I've had here and an experience I wanted to check off my list. Very greasy, but very tasty. Oh and chips = french fries. The British can make some good chips.
On Saturday, I went with another intern and another intern's friend (but not the one who came with us -- confusing sorry) to St. Andrews. The three of us were the southern triumvirate - one from Mississippi, one from Alabama, and me from Louisiana. They are very nice girls, and we had alot of fun chatting about the South and its customs that are befuddling to so many. A crawfish boil? What? One of the other interns referred to it as a less classy lobster bake.
St. Andrews: what a beautiful little town on the sea. It's the home of golf (boring!) and also home to St. Andrews University. We picked a great day to go -- lady luck was on our side -- because the Kate Kennedys (from what I gather a club of St. Andrew's poshest students) were doing their annual procession through town. We happened upon a group of lads on campus decorating a buggy in yellow flowers and got the scoop. The whole town came out to see the students dressed convincingly as historical Scottish figures walk through the streets. St. Andrews students wear red dress robes that are right out of Harry Potter. It was a really neat thing to see.
The rest of the trip centered around walking through the town and visiting its castle and cathedral. St. Andrews is very small; we could see the whole thing from the cathedral tower.
[caption id="attachment_372" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The Kate Kennedys decorating the buggy on university grounds."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_373" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The sea!"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_374" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Ruins of St. Andrew's Castle"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_375" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The town from the cathedral tower."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_376" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Kate Kennedy procession."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_377" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The oldest golf course in the world -- it takes years on a waiting list to be able to play here."]
[/caption]
And that plus some mandatory gelato at B. Janetta's was my St. Andrews experience. I'm glad I was able to see it on my last weekend here.
This past week has been full of intern romping through Edinburgh and some formal goodbyes. On Tuesday night we had our "graduation" from the parliamentary programme. I have a certificate and everything! Paddy gave a surprisingly brief speech followed by others who were involved with the program. When it was the interns' turn no one else spoke up so I told Paddy I would say a few words.
[caption id="attachment_378" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="PADDY!"]
[/caption]
Yesterday was my last at Parliament, and while it's been a really good internship I'm glad to be done. I finished up my project and did a few other things before cleaning out my desk and saying my goodbyes. I will miss that cafeteria food and its custard covered desserts.
[caption id="attachment_379" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The interns minus two on our final day at Parliament."]
[/caption]
Last night was the INTERN BLOWOUT, but it didn't turn out to be much of a blowout at all. We're all really, really tired. We started at an apartment and went to two bars/pubs before calling it a night.
I realized last night that I probably won't see some of the people who I've shared the last 15 weeks with again; it's a saddening thought. The interns spent an exorbitant amount of time together -- we saw eachother every day and most nights. It was a great group and we had had alot of fun. (Yes, I did cry a little when I was hugging everyone goodbye).
Now I'm starting my last day in Edinburgh, and it's cold and dreary as it should be. I wouldn't have wanted to go out any other way. I really am ready to go, but I'm still a mix of emotions.
Four months has been a long time to be cold; I will not miss the weather at all. What I will miss: the interns and other people who have made this experience, being able to walk everywhere I want to go, lovely Scottish music in pubs, pubs, being able to drink legally (my 21st birthday is in July), cider, Scottish accents, kilts as normal dress, train rides, Parliament gossip, I could go on...
Tomorrow I'm flying to Paris with Lilly and two other girls and thus will start my 3-week European adventure! I'm doing a week in France, a week in Germany, and a week in Austria. I'm ready to see some more of this world.
Thanks to those of you who kept up with this blog; it was fun to write and I hope fun to read as well. I may not be able to blog so much in Europe since I'll be at the mercy of hostel computers, but I'll try to do some if I can.
One last time from Scotland, with some Deep Scottish Love!
Before I talk about what this experience has meant to me in general, I'll fill the readers of this blog in on what has transpired since I returned home from Rome. Not anything too notable last week, if I'm remembering correctly. On Tuesday night we celebrated an intern's birthday at the Filling Station, an American-like pub I've mentioned here before. And on Thursday I went to the Southsider, a local pub that's supposed to have great fish and chips. Naturally, I got the fish and chips -- the first I've had here and an experience I wanted to check off my list. Very greasy, but very tasty. Oh and chips = french fries. The British can make some good chips.
On Saturday, I went with another intern and another intern's friend (but not the one who came with us -- confusing sorry) to St. Andrews. The three of us were the southern triumvirate - one from Mississippi, one from Alabama, and me from Louisiana. They are very nice girls, and we had alot of fun chatting about the South and its customs that are befuddling to so many. A crawfish boil? What? One of the other interns referred to it as a less classy lobster bake.
St. Andrews: what a beautiful little town on the sea. It's the home of golf (boring!) and also home to St. Andrews University. We picked a great day to go -- lady luck was on our side -- because the Kate Kennedys (from what I gather a club of St. Andrew's poshest students) were doing their annual procession through town. We happened upon a group of lads on campus decorating a buggy in yellow flowers and got the scoop. The whole town came out to see the students dressed convincingly as historical Scottish figures walk through the streets. St. Andrews students wear red dress robes that are right out of Harry Potter. It was a really neat thing to see.
The rest of the trip centered around walking through the town and visiting its castle and cathedral. St. Andrews is very small; we could see the whole thing from the cathedral tower.
[caption id="attachment_372" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The Kate Kennedys decorating the buggy on university grounds."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_373" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The sea!"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_374" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Ruins of St. Andrew's Castle"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_375" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The town from the cathedral tower."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_376" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Kate Kennedy procession."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_377" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The oldest golf course in the world -- it takes years on a waiting list to be able to play here."]
[/caption]And that plus some mandatory gelato at B. Janetta's was my St. Andrews experience. I'm glad I was able to see it on my last weekend here.
This past week has been full of intern romping through Edinburgh and some formal goodbyes. On Tuesday night we had our "graduation" from the parliamentary programme. I have a certificate and everything! Paddy gave a surprisingly brief speech followed by others who were involved with the program. When it was the interns' turn no one else spoke up so I told Paddy I would say a few words.
[caption id="attachment_378" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="PADDY!"]
[/caption]Yesterday was my last at Parliament, and while it's been a really good internship I'm glad to be done. I finished up my project and did a few other things before cleaning out my desk and saying my goodbyes. I will miss that cafeteria food and its custard covered desserts.
[caption id="attachment_379" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The interns minus two on our final day at Parliament."]
[/caption]Last night was the INTERN BLOWOUT, but it didn't turn out to be much of a blowout at all. We're all really, really tired. We started at an apartment and went to two bars/pubs before calling it a night.
I realized last night that I probably won't see some of the people who I've shared the last 15 weeks with again; it's a saddening thought. The interns spent an exorbitant amount of time together -- we saw eachother every day and most nights. It was a great group and we had had alot of fun. (Yes, I did cry a little when I was hugging everyone goodbye).
Now I'm starting my last day in Edinburgh, and it's cold and dreary as it should be. I wouldn't have wanted to go out any other way. I really am ready to go, but I'm still a mix of emotions.
Four months has been a long time to be cold; I will not miss the weather at all. What I will miss: the interns and other people who have made this experience, being able to walk everywhere I want to go, lovely Scottish music in pubs, pubs, being able to drink legally (my 21st birthday is in July), cider, Scottish accents, kilts as normal dress, train rides, Parliament gossip, I could go on...
Tomorrow I'm flying to Paris with Lilly and two other girls and thus will start my 3-week European adventure! I'm doing a week in France, a week in Germany, and a week in Austria. I'm ready to see some more of this world.
Thanks to those of you who kept up with this blog; it was fun to write and I hope fun to read as well. I may not be able to blog so much in Europe since I'll be at the mercy of hostel computers, but I'll try to do some if I can.
One last time from Scotland, with some Deep Scottish Love!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sun and gelato in ROME!
Edinburgh is covered by a blanket of fog today, and it's making me miss Rome even more. Ahhh Roma, what a beautiful city!
Easter weekend is a pretty great time to go to Rome, but it's also one of the worst. Everywhere we went was crowded, don't get me started on the Vatican. But it was such a special experience that it was well worth it...
Four of us interns awoke at the so early hour of 3 am on Friday to make it in time for our 6:30 am flight out of Edinburgh. Our flight was delayed, of course. As Lilly put it well, Ryan Air is now on my "dead to me" list. I suppose that you get what you pay for is an accurate description of the airline, so I shouldn't complain so much. I would just prefer that my flights aren't 3 hours late, as happened on the way home. But for 1 p, which is what I'm paying to fly to Paris in a couple weeks, I will settle for literally anything except a plane crash. I will never buy a scratch lotto ticket on board, though.
When I stepped off the plane I was met by wonderfully warm air and the light of the sun. How I've missed thee! Then and there I decided it was going to be a pretty great trip.
We took a bus into the city and then found our hostel near the Cavour metro station. An older Italian lady who didn't speak a lick of English greeted us and showed us the hostel - aka her apartment with bunk beds stuffed in a couple rooms. But it was clean and in a great location, so we were rather pleased with the find.
Then it was time to explore! We had a pizza lunch at an outside cafe then roamed the streets in search of the Roman Forum. We found it, but as it closed early for Good Friday, we made our way to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps instead. On the way we tried our first gelato -- I remember thinking "I love my life" as I downed it in the sun. There are as many gelato shops in Rome as there are 7-Elevens in Taipei and pubs in Edinburgh; they're basically everywhere you look. Which is a great thing, because gelato is amazingly delicious. We had it 5 times in the 3 days we were there and it wasn't enough.
[caption id="attachment_341" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The accordion player who serenaded our pizza lunch."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_342" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="One of our first views of the city."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_343" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The ladies in Rome! I believe the building behind is a shrine to Emperor Emmanuel. Notice my tank top - woo hoo!"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_344" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The Trevi Fountain. The saying is that if you throw a coin into the fountain you'll be back to Rome. I threw in two!"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_346" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The Spanish Steps, covered in people. We hiked to the top and had a nice view of the city from there."]
[/caption]
After dinner at a lovely place - mmmm homemade pasta, bruschetta, and red wine of course -- we went to the Coliseum for a very special performance by DA POAP! That's Pope Benedict XVI, who led an outside stations of the cross for Good Friday. It was all in Italian so we didn't understand a word, but it was still a really cool experience, one that I'm sure I'll remember and talk about for the rest of my life.
[caption id="attachment_347" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Very bad, blurry picture of the pope leading stations of the cross - he's in the red!"]
[/caption]
The next day we woke early again, but not early enough. By the time we made it to the Vatican it was already mobbed by thousands of people. The line to see St. Peter's Basilica wrapped around the square, and after waiting for a bit we decided to do the Vatican Museums (which house the Sistine Chapel) first. The path to the Sistine Chapel is overwhelming to say the least: you are surrounded by amazing art, sculptures, and images and there's simply not time to truly appreciate it all. The Sistine Chapel was, as expected, breathtaking. I must say I thought the painting of God touching Adam would be more prominent since that's the image everyone knows from the chapel, but it's almost hidden among everything else.
Next we went back to St. Peter's and were relieved to see that the line was much shorter. We made it into the basilica and were hit with more extreme visual stimulation. The basilica is HUGE, ornate, and just all in all filled with really incredible things. Michelangelo's Pieta is in there as well as many famous works of art. Unfortunately the crypts were closed for the day, but that only gives me a reason to go back.
[caption id="attachment_348" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Moi in St. Peter's Square with the Basilica in the background."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_350" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Ornate pathway on the route to the Sistine Chapel."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_351" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="God touching Adam, the most iconic image of the Sistine Chapel."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_352" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Another view of Michelangelo's greatness in the chapel."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_353" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Lilly and I with the square to our backs -- the entrance to the basilica was being adorned with flowers for Easter mass."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_354" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Inside the basilica."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_355" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Michelangelo's Pieta."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_356" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The dome inside the basilica."]
[/caption]
After some much-needed gelato (coconut mmmm), we hiked it (or rather metroed it) to the Piazza del Popolo and had an unforgettable experience with one of Rome's hustlers. They're everywhere, shoving flowers and other items in your hands and then asking you to pay for them. This one fella wouldn't take no for an answer, and even after he gave us the flowers and promised us they were gifts, asked the guy in our group to pay for them. He relented, only after I threatened to put the roses on the ground.
[caption id="attachment_357" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Holding the hustler's roses in Piazza del Popolo."]
[/caption]
My Europe guidebook says Rome has more ruins and historic sites than dog poop, and that's a pretty accurate description. Everywhere you look is something amazing. Close to the Piazza is Villa Borghese, a really lovely park with a pond, museums, and lots of green space. We strolled, sat, and enjoyed being in the sun. I came back with a bit of a sunburn that's turned now to a little bit of a tan, and I couldn't be happier about that.
Dinner that night was in Campo, a great little square lined with restaurants and bars that's centered around a fountain. I enjoyed lasagna and red wine as another accordionist serenaded us.
[caption id="attachment_358" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Lilly and I at dinner in Campo - this semester has turned me into a red wine fan!"]
[/caption]
We went to a couple bars for a bit, but nothing too exciting was going on, probably because it was the night before Easter. Lilly and I departed a bit early to head back to the hostel and had some interesting encounters with Italy's gentlemen. Prior to then I was a bit skeptical about the rumor about Italian men being true, during the day it's completely fine. But we were very uncomfortable walking back - with men blantantly staring at us and making comments as we passed. We encountered some real sketchsters in the metro and were glad to make it home.
The next morning we attended Easter mass at the Pantheon, which has recently been converted into a church. I was surprised that there were not many people there at all, but I guess most tourists were at the Vatican - we chose to avoid it.
[caption id="attachment_360" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The Pantheon inside..."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_361" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="and outside."]
[/caption]
After a delightful pizza lunch, more gelato, and a canoli, we went back to the Roman Forum to see what ancient Rome was all about. I must admit I didn't have much of an idea what anything was, but it was fun to imagine the site in its heyday. We also climbed Paletine Hill, which was where the ancient Romans built their fancy homes. It has a great view of the city and the forum below.
[caption id="attachment_362" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Standing amidst the Roman Forum, ancient Rome's cultural and political center."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_363" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Beautiful flora on the way up Paletine Hill."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_364" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Rome view from the top."]
[/caption]
Next up was the site of fighting and death for the Ancient Romans: where else but the Coliseum? The building itself is pretty fascinating, as is its macabre history. Funnily enough I associate the Coliseum first with the Lizzie McGuire Movie since Lizzie performs there. Kind of a contrast of ideas, but I would associate fighting and death with a Disney chick flick.
[caption id="attachment_365" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The inside of the Coliseum, with the maze below. I believe the people would wait there before they fought?"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_366" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Shamelessly sunning myself in front of the Coliseum. Those pale, pale legs are a little tanner now!"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_367" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="A question I posed to the group: Do brown pigeons know they're different? What do you think?"]
[/caption]
We hiked it to Trastavere, Rome's hippest neigborhood so says the guidebook, for a 3-hour dinner followed by more gelato. Our waiter spoke no English, but he did speak a bit of German interestingly enough, as do I, so that's how we communicated. It was so nice to sit outside as the day turned to night and enjoy delicious Italian food and wine. A good end to a great trip.
And that was Rome! The next day wasn't so great due to the 3-hour flight delay, but we made in back to Edinburgh with enough time to rest up - I was completely exhausted. I must admit I wasn't so happy to be hit with a wall of cold air when I stepped off the plane, but in about a week and a half I'll be in France enjoying the warmth again.
Why did I love Rome so much? 1. gelato 2. gelato 3. gelato
hehe but seriously, it was refreshing to be in a place so entirely different. The UK is very similar to the US, while Rome screams ITALY! The culture is everywhere, and I'm so glad to have experienced it. I'll be back someday, for sure.
My adventures in Scotland are soon coming to an end; look for one more post from Edinburgh and then I'm on to more places! I'm ready to go!
Easter weekend is a pretty great time to go to Rome, but it's also one of the worst. Everywhere we went was crowded, don't get me started on the Vatican. But it was such a special experience that it was well worth it...
Four of us interns awoke at the so early hour of 3 am on Friday to make it in time for our 6:30 am flight out of Edinburgh. Our flight was delayed, of course. As Lilly put it well, Ryan Air is now on my "dead to me" list. I suppose that you get what you pay for is an accurate description of the airline, so I shouldn't complain so much. I would just prefer that my flights aren't 3 hours late, as happened on the way home. But for 1 p, which is what I'm paying to fly to Paris in a couple weeks, I will settle for literally anything except a plane crash. I will never buy a scratch lotto ticket on board, though.
When I stepped off the plane I was met by wonderfully warm air and the light of the sun. How I've missed thee! Then and there I decided it was going to be a pretty great trip.
We took a bus into the city and then found our hostel near the Cavour metro station. An older Italian lady who didn't speak a lick of English greeted us and showed us the hostel - aka her apartment with bunk beds stuffed in a couple rooms. But it was clean and in a great location, so we were rather pleased with the find.
Then it was time to explore! We had a pizza lunch at an outside cafe then roamed the streets in search of the Roman Forum. We found it, but as it closed early for Good Friday, we made our way to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps instead. On the way we tried our first gelato -- I remember thinking "I love my life" as I downed it in the sun. There are as many gelato shops in Rome as there are 7-Elevens in Taipei and pubs in Edinburgh; they're basically everywhere you look. Which is a great thing, because gelato is amazingly delicious. We had it 5 times in the 3 days we were there and it wasn't enough.
[caption id="attachment_341" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The accordion player who serenaded our pizza lunch."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_342" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="One of our first views of the city."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_343" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The ladies in Rome! I believe the building behind is a shrine to Emperor Emmanuel. Notice my tank top - woo hoo!"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_344" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The Trevi Fountain. The saying is that if you throw a coin into the fountain you'll be back to Rome. I threw in two!"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_346" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The Spanish Steps, covered in people. We hiked to the top and had a nice view of the city from there."]
[/caption]After dinner at a lovely place - mmmm homemade pasta, bruschetta, and red wine of course -- we went to the Coliseum for a very special performance by DA POAP! That's Pope Benedict XVI, who led an outside stations of the cross for Good Friday. It was all in Italian so we didn't understand a word, but it was still a really cool experience, one that I'm sure I'll remember and talk about for the rest of my life.
[caption id="attachment_347" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Very bad, blurry picture of the pope leading stations of the cross - he's in the red!"]
[/caption]The next day we woke early again, but not early enough. By the time we made it to the Vatican it was already mobbed by thousands of people. The line to see St. Peter's Basilica wrapped around the square, and after waiting for a bit we decided to do the Vatican Museums (which house the Sistine Chapel) first. The path to the Sistine Chapel is overwhelming to say the least: you are surrounded by amazing art, sculptures, and images and there's simply not time to truly appreciate it all. The Sistine Chapel was, as expected, breathtaking. I must say I thought the painting of God touching Adam would be more prominent since that's the image everyone knows from the chapel, but it's almost hidden among everything else.
Next we went back to St. Peter's and were relieved to see that the line was much shorter. We made it into the basilica and were hit with more extreme visual stimulation. The basilica is HUGE, ornate, and just all in all filled with really incredible things. Michelangelo's Pieta is in there as well as many famous works of art. Unfortunately the crypts were closed for the day, but that only gives me a reason to go back.
[caption id="attachment_348" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Moi in St. Peter's Square with the Basilica in the background."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_350" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Ornate pathway on the route to the Sistine Chapel."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_351" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="God touching Adam, the most iconic image of the Sistine Chapel."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_352" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Another view of Michelangelo's greatness in the chapel."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_353" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Lilly and I with the square to our backs -- the entrance to the basilica was being adorned with flowers for Easter mass."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_354" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Inside the basilica."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_355" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Michelangelo's Pieta."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_356" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The dome inside the basilica."]
[/caption]After some much-needed gelato (coconut mmmm), we hiked it (or rather metroed it) to the Piazza del Popolo and had an unforgettable experience with one of Rome's hustlers. They're everywhere, shoving flowers and other items in your hands and then asking you to pay for them. This one fella wouldn't take no for an answer, and even after he gave us the flowers and promised us they were gifts, asked the guy in our group to pay for them. He relented, only after I threatened to put the roses on the ground.
[caption id="attachment_357" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Holding the hustler's roses in Piazza del Popolo."]
[/caption]My Europe guidebook says Rome has more ruins and historic sites than dog poop, and that's a pretty accurate description. Everywhere you look is something amazing. Close to the Piazza is Villa Borghese, a really lovely park with a pond, museums, and lots of green space. We strolled, sat, and enjoyed being in the sun. I came back with a bit of a sunburn that's turned now to a little bit of a tan, and I couldn't be happier about that.
Dinner that night was in Campo, a great little square lined with restaurants and bars that's centered around a fountain. I enjoyed lasagna and red wine as another accordionist serenaded us.
[caption id="attachment_358" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Lilly and I at dinner in Campo - this semester has turned me into a red wine fan!"]
[/caption]We went to a couple bars for a bit, but nothing too exciting was going on, probably because it was the night before Easter. Lilly and I departed a bit early to head back to the hostel and had some interesting encounters with Italy's gentlemen. Prior to then I was a bit skeptical about the rumor about Italian men being true, during the day it's completely fine. But we were very uncomfortable walking back - with men blantantly staring at us and making comments as we passed. We encountered some real sketchsters in the metro and were glad to make it home.
The next morning we attended Easter mass at the Pantheon, which has recently been converted into a church. I was surprised that there were not many people there at all, but I guess most tourists were at the Vatican - we chose to avoid it.
[caption id="attachment_360" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The Pantheon inside..."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_361" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="and outside."]
[/caption]After a delightful pizza lunch, more gelato, and a canoli, we went back to the Roman Forum to see what ancient Rome was all about. I must admit I didn't have much of an idea what anything was, but it was fun to imagine the site in its heyday. We also climbed Paletine Hill, which was where the ancient Romans built their fancy homes. It has a great view of the city and the forum below.
[caption id="attachment_362" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Standing amidst the Roman Forum, ancient Rome's cultural and political center."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_363" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Beautiful flora on the way up Paletine Hill."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_364" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Rome view from the top."]
[/caption]Next up was the site of fighting and death for the Ancient Romans: where else but the Coliseum? The building itself is pretty fascinating, as is its macabre history. Funnily enough I associate the Coliseum first with the Lizzie McGuire Movie since Lizzie performs there. Kind of a contrast of ideas, but I would associate fighting and death with a Disney chick flick.
[caption id="attachment_365" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The inside of the Coliseum, with the maze below. I believe the people would wait there before they fought?"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_366" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Shamelessly sunning myself in front of the Coliseum. Those pale, pale legs are a little tanner now!"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_367" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="A question I posed to the group: Do brown pigeons know they're different? What do you think?"]
[/caption]We hiked it to Trastavere, Rome's hippest neigborhood so says the guidebook, for a 3-hour dinner followed by more gelato. Our waiter spoke no English, but he did speak a bit of German interestingly enough, as do I, so that's how we communicated. It was so nice to sit outside as the day turned to night and enjoy delicious Italian food and wine. A good end to a great trip.
And that was Rome! The next day wasn't so great due to the 3-hour flight delay, but we made in back to Edinburgh with enough time to rest up - I was completely exhausted. I must admit I wasn't so happy to be hit with a wall of cold air when I stepped off the plane, but in about a week and a half I'll be in France enjoying the warmth again.
Why did I love Rome so much? 1. gelato 2. gelato 3. gelato
hehe but seriously, it was refreshing to be in a place so entirely different. The UK is very similar to the US, while Rome screams ITALY! The culture is everywhere, and I'm so glad to have experienced it. I'll be back someday, for sure.
My adventures in Scotland are soon coming to an end; look for one more post from Edinburgh and then I'm on to more places! I'm ready to go!
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