Amalfi and Pompei with Mamas!

How lucky am I to have my mom and my two aunts come to visit me for a week while I was in Rome!! Mom and Aunt Carla flew to Venice earlier in the week, but on Friday, April 11, I picked up Aunt Connie at the airport and Mommy and Aunt Carla met us at the hotel later that evening (after a 5 hour train ride and a bottle of wine [each]).  The next morning, however, Aunt Carla and Aunt Connie headed up to Florence, and Mom and I spent a lovely weekend in the Amalfi Coast! 

 After a 2 hour train ride, another hour commuter train, and an hour and a half bus (which was miserable on account of the twisty roads, making me extremely carsick) we finally arrived at our wonderful hotel, Hotel Onda Verda (The Green Wave) in Praiano, known as the diamond of the Amalfi Coast.  It was a beautiful place, family owned and must have just been renovated because was extremely clean and new looking. The family (father, mother, and 5 year old girl) were lovely and very personable. Immediately, they ushered us into the dining room and made us the most amazing Caprese salad we have ever had.  The region that the Amalfi Coast is in, Campania, is where all the bufalo mozzarella comes from, so thus we were eating the best fresh mozzarella we have ever had. 

The hotel was covered in beautiful pottery that Mom fell in love with, so after an hour nap to recover from the car ride, we headed to the pottery shop that created all the pottery for the hotel, who also happened to be the cousin's of the hotel owners.  This is me waking up from the nap in our beautiful, oceanside room with a balcony. 

 

The pottery place, called Liz Art, was one of the most beautiful stores I have ever been in, and not just because of the pottery.  On the street that runs through the entire Amalfi Coast, overlooking the water, we walked into the store and were greeted by two gentlemen playing the mandolin and the guitar in the corner.  We had beautiful music the entire time we were in the store, it was lovely and like out of a movie.  The entire store was filled from corner to corner, floor to ceiling with hand created and hand painted pottery.  

I began using my fantastic Italian skills to converse with the store owners.  Anna, the women, kept telling me how beautiful my mother was, and was complimenting me on my Italian.  Told you I was good, Mom.  We talked for almost an hour while my mom browsed, until after the sun set.  Romolo, her husband, kept asking me "Dove ti ho visto?" which means "Where have I seen you [before]?  He said I looked so familiar to him.  Aldo let me play his mandolin for a little while, and we chatted for so long. We spent so long in the store that as we were leaving around 8pm, they asked us to stay for a coffee but we kindly declined as it was dinner time.  Instead, they made us sit down and performed "Thats Amore" for us on the mandolin and guitar. It was a beautiful moment, the kind that makes me really happy I studied in Italy, since the people are so kind and generous all the time.  I'm glad Mom got to experience something like that as well.  I also decided I'm naming my first daughter Anna as all Italian women named Anna that I have ever met have been angels.  Anna is the name of my host mother in Parma, and also the name of the kind woman at the pottery store.  

After we left the store, on our blissful walk home, we were frightened by what sounded like a cannon going off.  After staring into the sky for a few seconds, fireworks began to brighten the sky right near where we were.  It was to celebrate a wedding!  It was a spectacular moment, only adding to the amazing night we were having already.  

At the hotel restaurant, we had a lovely, homemade meal.  I ordered the most incredible cheese ravioli in a cherry tomato and basil sauce. I'm not kidding, it was heaven.  The cheese was a mozzarella, parmesan, and ricotta mixture that melted in your mouth.  Heaven on a plate, if you ask me.  I seem to say that a lot, don't I?

 

5 more weeks...

Bonjour Family!

As many of you know, I have left Rome for good (well, sort of), returned to Boston to see Jamie graduate (tear) and have come back to Europe for another 5 week adventure! I got a job working on the Tennis Channel production of the French Open, called the French Open Tonight Show, and will be here for 2 whole weeks! After, I will be traveling to some new places and some places I've already been, so I will do my best to update you on my travels in the next few weeks, as well as some from my last month in April, including my mom and two aunts coming to visit!

Bear with me...I have limited internet access in the next few weeks, but I promise eventually I will get everything up! Thanks for sticking around, I appreciate your enthusiasm with this blog. Well, hopefully you are as enthused as I think...if not looks like Dad, you're my only fan.

Love you lots,
Caitlin

A Day in the Park

On the weekend after Spring Break, only three of us in our apartment were around. It was a nice, recuperating weekend from the hustle and bustle of travel, and we did nothing but relax and enjoy Rome during the day. On Saturday, we went to Villa Borghese to enjoy the beautiful day, and rented boats out on a little pond. My friend Kia and I, the smallest girls around, were designated the rowers for the afternoon. Here are some pictures I thought you might enjoy.

Spring Break

So Spring Break did not go exactly as I had imagined it, to say the least. I left early Monday morning with a fever and a throat that was the size of an orange to catch a flight to Budapest, Hungary. We landed around 10am and immediately took a 2 hour nap as soon as we arrived in our hostel. Budapest, from what I saw, was cold, quiet, and empty, and nothing like I have ever seen before. After our nap, we set out to wander the city and found a sushi restaurant for lunch. I couldn't even finish a bowl of Miso soup, so I decided wandering around the city in the cold was a bad idea. I went home, slept all afternoon and into the night, feeling worse the next morning. I forced myself to eat some yogurt almost unsuccessfully, as I couldn't even get that down easily. I also knew I had to take advantage of being in Budapest no matter how sick I was, so my friends and I went to the famous Turkish Baths for some healing waters. It was really cool to see and a lot of fun to just relax in, but no healing was had. In fact, my sickness just kept getting worse. I finally started taking some anti-biotics my roommate had sent with me after some tearful and expensive phone calls to Mom and the doctor in Park City. I was miserable, to say the least.



After missing 99% of Budapest, we left Wednesday morning for a train to Vienna. As soon as we checked into our hostel, we couldnt move into our room until later so we went into the city. I saw St. Stephan's Cathedral and went to their famous Central Cafe for lunch, where my tears and lack of appetite convinced my roommates a trip to the doctor's was necessary. So Fly took me to an English speaking doctor who told me I had strep throat/ acute tonsillitis. As Mom said, theres nothing cute about that. So I continued taking my antibiotics and spent the rest of the afternoon and the entire next day all by my lonesome self in the hostel while my roommates were Museum hopping. I finally went a little crazy and forced myself to go out that night to the Vienna Opera which was awesome and I'm so glad I did, even if I wasn't feeling 100%. I missed everything else, but the Opera House is definitely the thing not to miss.





Friday morning, we caught a train on to Munich!! This was where I began to feel infinitely better, although my appetite was still not up to par so I couldn't enjoy the weinerschnitzels, and my anti-biotics keeping me from enjoying that great German beer. We walked around the city Friday afternoon, saw Pope Benedict's church, and walked through the English Gardens during Sunset just in time to catch the last round at the beer gardens by the famous Chinese tower. The park is beautiful, and twice the size of NYC's Central Park.









After my friends enjoyed their beer and I attempted to munch on a pretzel, we went to the Hofbrauhaus, Munich's most famous beer garden and brewery, to get some dinner and enjoy the traditional Bavarian cuisine and music. Men were literally walking around in the traditional Bavarian outfits, with a stein in hand, laughing and singing in a happy drunken German manner. I love my heritage. I, on the otherhand, sipped some warm chamomile tea to pass the time.








After a couple hours spent enjoying the scene, we decided to go back to the hostel, and as I'm leaving I see a familiar face...non other than Joanna B., one of my best friend's in high school who is studying in Florence, sitting with her friends. Of all the places in all the world, I run into Jobie in the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, Germany. If that isn't any indication of a small world, I don't know what is. It was so great to see her, and I still can't believe how random it was! I had no idea she was going to be there that weekend. I tried to see her later in the weekend but she was on a school sponsored trip and had things planned all weekend.

Saturday afternoon we took a bike tour of the entire city, called Mike's Bike Tour. It was four and a half hours long, complete with a stop at the Chinese Tower beer gardens, an amazing South American tour guide who was so much fun, and some exercise which we all needed. We all had a blast with this group and got to see the entire city with some awesome things pointed out to us. Munich is basically made of all bike-paths, as EVERYONE rides bikes there. I'm in love with this city.







Leaving on Sunday was something none of us wanted to do. I was finally feeling better so I felt like my trip had just begun, and we were all in love with Munich. Now, at the end of my Euro-travels, I say Munich was definitely one of my favorite places I have visited. Sunday I was able to enjoy my first and only Bavarian beer!

Easter / Compound Reuinion/ My 21st Birthday!

Hello again!!

So the weekend of Easter was one of the most fun, but hectic weekends of all time. I came home from Dublin on Tuesday, no time for rest, only to have some of my best friends (8 in total) come to visit for the weekend. Caitlin Brison came Tuesday, Jehan, Ted, Ashley (Boozer), Jac, and Bova came Wednesday, and Amy and Juli came Thursday. It rained pretty much the entire weekend (and by rained I mean poured) which only added to the stress, but everything worked out well and it was an amazing weekend!! Seeing everyone made me realize how much I missed BC! These people are my family while I'm at school, and having everyone here for my birthday was incredible.



So Wednesday afternoon we had perfect weather, 65 and sunny, and had the best day. After I met the crowd at their hostel, we spent the afternoon wandering around Rome, seeing the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Vittorio Emanuele (Piazza Venezia), and ending at the Spanish Steps just in time for sunset. I bought us some wine and we ended the perfect day with a gorgeous sunset over the city of Rome, enjoying good company and good wine. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. That night, we went to enjoy everyone's first Italian meal. Obviously we all got pasta! We met up with some friends at a bar nearby to watch the end of the Roma v. Lazio game (the two Roman teams who are the biggest rivals ever) and it was a mini BC reunion as it seems as though everyone had friends in town that weekend. It was really fun.







On Thursday afternoon, I also got a call from Fr. Greg, a friend of Carol Sanborn (my childhood best friend's mom) telling me he had 5 tickets to the Thursday morning mass at St. Peter's with the Pope, and three for Easter Sunday Mass!! We were all so excited, as everyone was going to be able to go.

So Thursday morning, Bova, Boozer, Jehan, Ted and I went to the Vatican bright and early for mass with PapaRatzi himself. It was the mass where they bless all the oils for the masses to come. We waited in line for quite some time, then finally went in the basilica, only to be pushed to the wayside by feisty little nuns. We finally found some seats, and waited around for a little, until the procession started. Everyone jumped up thinking the Pope was coming by, but no, it was actually a procession of 500 priests. I'm not exaggerating. Priests walked in for 25 minutes...and not at a slow stroll either. Full speed, 2 lines, for 25 minutes. It was insane. I kept thinking that with all these priests from all over the world here, I've got to know one. I didn't. Anyway, Pope Benedict finally walked by. He is such a rock star! He walked down the center isle, waving at people, shaking hands, pointing, etc. People were clapping, taking pictures, and he was loving it. Just like your normal celebrity. Mass was long, but it was a great experience.



After mass, it started raining cats and dogs. We ran into Caitlin Brison, who was with her parents, and she came with us to lunch. I think I was the only one who had an umbrella, so we all ran into the first restaurant we saw, which of course turned out to be a rip off seeing as how it was right next to one of the main tourist spots in Rome. I hate when restaurants charge you for bread just because you put it down on the table, then charge you a separate service charge. Afterwards, we took all the bread out of spite and fed it to the pigeons right outside the restaurant. Then of course, I had to take my guests to the best gelato place in Rome...Old Bridge. It is by far the best gelato I've ever eaten, its so cheap, and they give you so much! After a little ice cream and whipped cream was shoved into some faces (Boozer and Ted) we headed back towards school so I could take (and by take I mean fail...sorry Mom and Dad) a quiz for which I had no time to prepare.



Thursday night was the best night of the entire weekend. Katie and I hosted all 8 guests (Amy and Juli had come at this point) in our apartment for a home made meal. With a little help, Katie and I prepared a salad, pesto pasta, and chicken breast for 10 people. I also found 5 liter jugs of wine for 4 euro(!) at the grocery store, so of course I had to get one red and one white. The 10 of us sat down to enjoy our reunion dinner together, and it was incredible. It was like being back at BC again, all of us just hanging out, laughing, almost crying, and enjoying each others company. Of course, we made a toast to all of our friends who could not be there with us because they did not study abroad. Bova even took a 3 minute long video on his camera, and it seriously looks like its out of the Wonder Years. Definitely something we are going to be watching in the future, when we are 40, laughing about everything all over again. You can't really understand a word anyone is saying in the video because everyone is talking at once and there are about 5 conversations going on at the same time, but its perfect.

Friday morning, we got to sleep in a little until people came over to our apartment to start the day. It was raining again, but we went out into the city regardless. Amy, Juli, Brison, Fly, and I (everyone I lived with in the fall) walked through Campo de Fiori and Piazza Navona, shopping a little here and there, only to get lost in route to the Trevi Fountain to meet up with the others who had gone to the Vatican Museum in the early morning. I think the Trevi Fountain was a favorite of people, and I understand why. Its breathtaking! Obviously we got gelato again and wandered around a little more down Via del Corso (the main street in Rome that goes from Piazza Venezia to Piazza del Popolo). We finally split up in the evening to go back to get ready for the evening. Fly and I took them to Art Cafe, our huge club, for the one big night out.



Saturday was a day spent more for recouperation than anything else. It was pouring rain, as per usual, and many people hadn't had much sleep in the last week (myself included) so it was an easy day. Saturday night, Brison, Jac, Fly and Jules went to the Easter Vigil mass with the Brison's while the rest of us went to dinner together. We met at Piazza Venezia and literally wandered down side streets for almost 30 minutes, enjoying the evening and reprieve from the rain, as well as looking for a cute, suitable place to make 6 people happy. We found a Pinocchio shop which was awsome, and also stumbled upon what seemed to be the WWII war memorial. Finally, we found a restaurant right near Piazza Navona (that I pass constantly but never knew anything about) and we sat down to dinner. No one else can speak Italian, so I was conversing with the waiter/owner. He complimented me many times on my Italian skills, and said I spoke very well! We sat there for almost 2 hours together, until we finally decided that 11 was a little late to be sitting at a restaurant. After dinner, I took them to Piazza Navona and Ted and Bova saw the street vendors selling stupid little gadgets, and were like kids in a candy store. Bova bought this light up saucer that you send soaring into the sky, and had a field day with it. He even bough 2 of them! After Piazza Navona, I took them to Campo de Fiori, where we hit midnight (my birthday). It was really great to be with my best friends at midnight on my birthday! While mine was not the typical midnight of your 21st birthday (I wasn't wasted trying to get into my first bar) it was still something special. I was standing in the middle of a famous area of Rome with my best friends in the entire world. Fly, Brison, Jules, and Jac weren't far and came directly to Campo so we were all together. Obviously, instead of my first drink I celebrated with my first gelato as a 21 year old.



Sunday morning, we woke up early for Easter Sunday mass in St. Peter's Square. My roommate Laura had waited in line for tickets early Saturday morning, and was able to get enough for all of my friends, all of her friends, plus all of our roommates and their guests! I believe it was 24 of us in total. We got there around 8:30am for a 10:30 am mass, and obviously at around 10:15 it begins to pour rain. It never stopped. We had a very good view of where the Pope would be standing, but as soon as the rain came, the umbrellas went up.




The mass was about 2 hours long in total, and by the end, only 3 of the 10 of my guests remained. Ted, Boozer, and I were the only ones who endured the rain for Easter Sunday Mass with the Pope.

Anyway, so that night we went out to dinner for my birthday! We went to our favorite restaurant right near our house, and ti was a group of 20+ people. I'm so popular. Just kidding...but really. Dinner with my best friends for my birthday was of course incredible and we all had a great time.



Unfortunately, after dinner, I came home to find I had a 101.9 fever. What a way to end my birthday! We left for spring break that next morning, and my roommate had to pack for me. My throat was hurting so much, and I felt miserable. But more on that later.

The weekend was SO MUCH FUN and it was great to see all my friends. Life is good here in Rome!!