So we got up early on Saturday morning and had a delightful breakfast with Walter and his wife, who own and run Haus Am Moos. I swear they have the best breakfast ever -- lots of rolls, jams, cakes, juice, tea, etc. And the company really makes the meal. Walter told us how to get to Hallstatt and then he entertained us with different stories and such. I think the conversation came around to me, and the man looked shocked when I told him that I was twenty. He looked even more shocked when I said my boyfriend was at home. Then he asked me about Andre, whom Barbara, Mandy, and I went to Salzburg with the first time around. We had to clarify that he was just a friend and that my boyfriend boyfriend was at home. It was slightly awkward and very funny.
Then we went into the center of Salzburg to catch the bus to Bad Ischl, where we would hop on a train to go to Hallstatt. Getting to Hallstatt is a bit of an adventure, but it's completely amazing. And worth it. The busride was very pretty, and just as we were getting on, I got a call from Matt, who was up very late for some reason (hmm...I wonder what it could have been) and wanted to call and tell me that he loved me. How cute :-) For the most part, though, I just took a lot of pictures on the bus, even changing sides when the views got better in one place or another.
Once we got to Bad Ischl, we changed transportation to a train. Originally, I think we were supposed to take another bus down, but the train was there sooner than the bus was, so that's what we did. The train ride was gorgeous, again. I'm really a fan of trains, and I think I'm gonna miss them a lot when I get home. I think I'm gonna miss a lot of public transportation when I get home -- this driving thing is very overrated.
When we got off the train, we followed the crowd down a small hill to a dock. Once you get off the train, you have to take a boat to the other side of the lake, where Hallstatt is. Our boat driver person (I can't think of the word in English) was awesome. He had the hat and the bushy moustache and the pot belly. It was the perfect slightly grumpy sailor look. And his first mate was exactly the same.
Picture-taking continued on the boat, and we wanted to get a group shot of the three of us, so I asked an older man to take our picture. Now Daddy, at this point, was pretty much convinced that I really didn't know any German, so he was kind of impressed that I knew how to ask this guy to take our picture. Then we had to explain to him how the camera worked. Finally, after we got the picture, the guy started up a conversation with us that lasted all the way across the lake. Actually, he was having a conversation with Daddy, who is an absolutely amazing conversationalist when he's talking to someone who speaks a different language (Just ask us to tell you about the Mick Jagger story...). He gets like a typical American tourist -- speaks very loudly and slowly and uses ridiculous hand gestures. It's the greatest thing to watch. Oh, Daddy. Anyway, Daddy and this man were having a "conversation" and then they got the bright idea of having me translate. So I got to have a conversation with the older man, who was very proud of being able to name all the states and their capitals in the US. He told us that he was from Linz and that he and his wife grew up near Salzburg, and he also said that Daddy didn't look like he was Austrian. And then, prepare for this, he said that I spoke very good German. :-) How awesome is that???
On the other side of the lake, we stepped off the boat and started on a trek to look for food. As we were looking, we were window shopping. And the old man found us, so we got to have another in-depth conversation with him about the United States and his son and such. I think I used more German that day than I do in a normal week.
I think Hallstatt only has one real street, and we walked the length of if foraging. Just as we were coming to the end, I heard someone call my name. When I looked over, it was Mary! She's in my German and Drama classes and she's also Mandy's roommate. How weird is it to bump into another IES person in the middle of nowhere Austria? But it turns out that they had a good tip for us for lunch, which was absolutely amazing. I think it might have been because I was so hungry. But there's this little local place all the way at the end of the road in Hallstatt that all the local people go to, and that's where Mom and Dad and I went for lunch. I think I had schnitzel again (it's been a very vegetarian semester, so I'm not going to pass up meat when I get the opportunity to eat it). Afterwards, we ordered a few desserts to share, which were all very good. We sat outside so we could look at the lake, and there were all these punky little boats that were going back and forth. On the other side there was a castle-like house that we took pictures of because Mom and Dad decided that that's going to be their retirement house. I'm all for that.
After a slow walk back along the main drag and a jaunt through the museum, we had to hurry over to the boat or else we wouldn't have made the train that was coming at 4:30. We got there just in time, after I got to be the silly tourist that ran through the village... So we took the train back to Bad Ischl, but once we got there, we realized that we lost the ticket for the bus, so we had some gelato (it was a major ripoff compared to Vienna) and walked back to the train station because we could take a train to Salzburg. We got there just in time again, hopped the train, and bought our ticket en route. We were headed up toward Linz and switched trains to go to Salzburg.
Once we were back in the 'burg, we headed back to Haus Am Moos. I'm not really sure what happened for dinner that night, but it was probably really good.
The next morning (Sunday, April 15) was a lazy day, and we didn't get down to breakfast until about 8:30. Then I think we spent about an hour and a half or so chit-chatting with Walter and his wife about recipes and places to eat in Salzburg. They suggested a few places to try, so we planned our day around where to eat.
We grabbed the bus into town and walked along the cool sign street. I still don't know the name of it, but they have really cool signs. Since everything is closed in Austria, and probably most of Europe on Sundays, we got to do a lot of window shopping. Daddy really likes the tradition costumes with the Dindrl (the skirt like thing for women) and the nifty jackets and hats for men. After a few hours of looking in windows and lusting after awesome shoes, we decided to break for lunch.
Today we went to the Sternbräu, which is a restaurant in the older part of Salzburg. The food was good, but the service was horrible. Our waiter was the biggest grouch I've ever seen. And honestly, I don't plan on going back.
During lunch, we had a really nice discussion about economics and what was going on with the business, and I put in my two cents, but I'm not sure if it'll play into any decisions or not. Either way, I got to feel smart around my Daddy, which is really important to me. I love conversations like that.
After lunch, we headed up to the Fortress. We had all been there before, but it was nice just to take lots of pictures up there. This time, instead of walking like I had done the time before, we took the Funicular (?) up to the top. It took like 3.25 seconds to get there -- keep in mind, it took about half a hour to walk up there the last time I was at the fortress. So we wandered around the fortress for about an hour or so, and then because it was so warm, we decided to take a break at the restaurant that they have up there. They have the most gorgeous views.
While we were there, there was a little bird who was very noisy and very nosy. He would hop around the tables looking for scraps, and at one point, a lady a few tables down ordered a huge souffle. When she was reading her book, the little bitty bird hopped over and sat on the edge of her plate, like "wow, I really hit the motherload this time!" But then he got scared off by something and by the time he came back two minutes later, the remains of the souffle had been taken away by the waiter.
It was starting to get a bit late, and we had to find the other restaurant that Walter recommended before it got too dark and we couldn't see, so we hopped back on the funicular and started the trek back out to Haus Am Moos. The restaurant was only a couple of stops away from the B&B, so we asked the driver, and she let us off right in front.
Walking into the gasthaus was a bit awkward because all of the locals sitting outside gave you "The Look." It wasn't so bad inside, and the schnitzel was absolutely amazing. Mom and I split a lot of things so we could each try two things at one meal. It's one of the best plans ever. I think we had strudel that night too.
After dinner, it was definitely dark out, but we decided to walk back to Haus Am Moos since it was only a few stops -- how far could it be? About a mile and a half later, we made it back to the B&B, and told Walter that we really enjoyed his recommendations.
Monday morning was our last breakfast at Haus Am Moos, and we spent a lot of time chit-chatting again. It really is an amazing place, and Walter and his wife are incredibly charming. They laughed at me for coming back, and even more when I told them I'd be back in a month or so with my sister and Paul, but how could I stay anywhere else after staying there?
Following another leisurely breakfast, we went out to town and grabbed a train back to Vienna. We had to leave a bit early so I could get back and work on some things for the next week. So we got back and I dropped them off at their apartment/hostel and ran home to crank out some major work.
The rest of Mom and Dad's visit will be in the next post and then...AMSTERDAM!!!
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
Hullo, Mom and Dad
Once I got home from Rome, I barely had time to get settled and enough work done to cover me for Tuesday and Wednesday, and Mom and Dad were in town. It was really only the week before I left for Rome that their plans were finalized. Needless to say, I was incredibly happy to see them. I think they missed me!
Mom and Dad got in around 7:30 on Tuesday (that's April 10, for those of you worried about dates at home) and I met them at the train station. Mom was so happy to see me that she cried!! She seemed to do an abnormal amount of that during the time she was here. I guess she missed me a lot. Daddy only cries when I leave for college or Austria, not when he gets to see me again. I think he makes a bit more sense.
Anyway, we took their suitcases to their hostel/apartment and then ventured into the first district for dinner. There is a restaurant that isn't too far from IES that I took them too. It's called Studentenbettl or Bettlstudent, I'm not sure which. But that doesn't really matter since I know where it is. I think we all got schnitzel that night. Dad got his with fries and a beer and so did Mom. I got mine with the potatoe salad and a glass of wine. I think I shocked Dad with how much I could eat, especially after I said that I wasn't particularly hungry. I mean, I did clear the entire plate and eat all of my potatoe salad. Then I think we ordered an apple strudel to share, and I ate a large part of that too. Then since it was getting late, as in heading toward midnight, we figured out how to use public transportation to get them home. I'm pretty sure it was well after midnight by the time I got home, but it was so good to see them. A little weird since it was like two worlds colliding, but I was really happy that they came. Over dinner, they caught me up with all the things that had been happening at home, and I heard all sorts of stories about the horses eating baby Matthew's hat and different things that happened to Erika, including her meningitis/tonsilitis thing. Poor Pooks.
I met Mom and Dad again on Wednesday morning at their apartment so we could go to breakfast and to see the Lipizanner stallions doing their morning exercises. Since they were running behind, they didn't get to eat breakfast and we went right to the horses. It was pretty darn cool to see. There weren't many Aires Above Ground, but I had a fun time just watching them practice. I could see how it would get boring if you didn't ride or have a background in horses, but when you can pick out if a rider is struggling or a horse is giving someone a hard time, watching them practice becomes a lot more entertaining. We watched the whole practice, which lasted about two hours, and then I think I took my parents to Wolfganger (?) for lunch. Again, its one of those things where I know where it is, so I don't have to bother with names. Then I had to run to class because my econ class meets only once a week and its my favorite class, so I try to not miss it (aka, I haven't missed that one at all this semester).
After class, Mom and Dad were waiting for me outside of IES. We walked around the first district for a while and window shopped. And actually went in the H&M's because there were some things I had wanted to try on and Mom liked their window displays. After our shopping adventures, we went to Billa to stock them up on the essentials -- beer and cake. Literally. We got them a bunch of different beers to try (I don't touch the stuff) and some cakes for them to eat for breakfast. Then we went to dinner at a Gasthaus that I know of in the first district. Dad liked this one too. I think we had schnitzel again, and Mom got something with a creamier sauce and mushrooms which was very good. For dessert, we walked up to my gelato place near Stephensdom. If you haven't heard already, this place is amazing. I've been cultivating a relationship with one particular gelato man and up until this point he hadn't given me a break on my gelato. However, since I visit him at least once a week, it had to be coming soon. Then we sauntered back down Kärtnerstrasse so we could get Mom and Dad home since it was getting late again. I rode with them on the way home, and then got myself home not too much later. (All of the time Mom and Dad were here, I pretty much only slept at my apartment -- I'm not sure my flatties knew I existed because I'd get in really late and then be out again really early).
On Thursdays, I have class at eight, so I wasn't going to meet Mom and Dad until after German. I can't exactly remember what we did that day for lunch, but I'm sure it was something nice. Then I had to run back to IES for my afternoon classes. I skipped my second class that day and instead we tried to get on line for Stehplatz at the Opera to see Fille de Regiment, which was supposed to be amazing. However, the line was out the door and they didn't expect anyone to turn in their tickets prior to the performance, so we had to scrap that idea and decided to go shopping again. I felt really bad that they didn't get to see an opera while they were here, but I'm definitely going to try to take Paul and Erika to see something when they come. For dinner that night, we had Käsekrainers from the stand on Würstel-street. That's not really the name of the street, but that's where the stand is, so in my mind it works. It's like IES isn't really on Johannesgasse, it's on Mickey D's Street because that's the sign on the corner. I think it makes a lot of sense, even if you don't.
On Friday after my German class, I met up with Mom and Dad at their apartment. They were already checked out, so I helped them take their luggage to my apartment where we would keep it for the weekend since we were going to Salzburg. After we dropped off the luggage and they had met Ellie and Rosa, our cleaning lady that I really don't want to make angry, we went for lunch in the first district and then walked over to the Naschmarkt. On the way, we got some fries from Micky D's and Mom agreed that they tasted different from home. Still good, but different.
Daddy absolutely loved the Naschmarkt, which is like a huge farmer's market. He even bought some clementines, those crazy little oranges. Mom and I made the scarf sellers happy because we cleaned out a lot of their stock. I don't even want to think about how many we bought. But it was a lot. We had to carry them with us to Salzburg because we weren't going back to the apartment before we left, so it's a good thing that they fold up really small and aren't that heavy, even when you buy them in bulk.
On the way to Salzburg, we mostly read on the train. I'm pretty sure I took a nap because by this point in the week, I was really tired. All of this running between classes and entertaining Mom and Dad had really worn me out. Don't get me wrong, I loved that they came, but it was a rough week and a half. We got into Salzburg around six or so, and bought tickets to use the buses for the weekend. Then we walked over to Spaghetti and Co, a nifty little restaurant on the street with the really cool signs. I was impressed because Dad said it was nice to have a bit of a break from schnitzel for a while. I never thought I'd hear him say that, especially since all he'd been talking about before he came was how much schnitzel he wanted to eat.
And then I got to introduce them to the marvel that is Haus Am Moos. I absolutely love this B&B. Andre found it last time we went to Salzburg, and the people remembered me from before, which was pretty darn amazing. That night, we checked in, and went right to bed because it had been a busy day. However, we asked Walter, the owner, where he thought we should go on Saturday because we thought he might have some suggestions. He actually told us to not go to Innsbruck, because he said the only thing that was there was the "goldene Dacherl" which is the golden roof, but in the diminutive form because the Austrians tend to make fun of it. Instead, he told us that we should go to Hallstadt, the most picturesque (in my opinion) part of Austria that I've seen. He said it was an excellent day trip. So that's what we decided to do. And that's what I'll tell you about in the next post!
Mom and Dad got in around 7:30 on Tuesday (that's April 10, for those of you worried about dates at home) and I met them at the train station. Mom was so happy to see me that she cried!! She seemed to do an abnormal amount of that during the time she was here. I guess she missed me a lot. Daddy only cries when I leave for college or Austria, not when he gets to see me again. I think he makes a bit more sense.
Anyway, we took their suitcases to their hostel/apartment and then ventured into the first district for dinner. There is a restaurant that isn't too far from IES that I took them too. It's called Studentenbettl or Bettlstudent, I'm not sure which. But that doesn't really matter since I know where it is. I think we all got schnitzel that night. Dad got his with fries and a beer and so did Mom. I got mine with the potatoe salad and a glass of wine. I think I shocked Dad with how much I could eat, especially after I said that I wasn't particularly hungry. I mean, I did clear the entire plate and eat all of my potatoe salad. Then I think we ordered an apple strudel to share, and I ate a large part of that too. Then since it was getting late, as in heading toward midnight, we figured out how to use public transportation to get them home. I'm pretty sure it was well after midnight by the time I got home, but it was so good to see them. A little weird since it was like two worlds colliding, but I was really happy that they came. Over dinner, they caught me up with all the things that had been happening at home, and I heard all sorts of stories about the horses eating baby Matthew's hat and different things that happened to Erika, including her meningitis/tonsilitis thing. Poor Pooks.
I met Mom and Dad again on Wednesday morning at their apartment so we could go to breakfast and to see the Lipizanner stallions doing their morning exercises. Since they were running behind, they didn't get to eat breakfast and we went right to the horses. It was pretty darn cool to see. There weren't many Aires Above Ground, but I had a fun time just watching them practice. I could see how it would get boring if you didn't ride or have a background in horses, but when you can pick out if a rider is struggling or a horse is giving someone a hard time, watching them practice becomes a lot more entertaining. We watched the whole practice, which lasted about two hours, and then I think I took my parents to Wolfganger (?) for lunch. Again, its one of those things where I know where it is, so I don't have to bother with names. Then I had to run to class because my econ class meets only once a week and its my favorite class, so I try to not miss it (aka, I haven't missed that one at all this semester).
After class, Mom and Dad were waiting for me outside of IES. We walked around the first district for a while and window shopped. And actually went in the H&M's because there were some things I had wanted to try on and Mom liked their window displays. After our shopping adventures, we went to Billa to stock them up on the essentials -- beer and cake. Literally. We got them a bunch of different beers to try (I don't touch the stuff) and some cakes for them to eat for breakfast. Then we went to dinner at a Gasthaus that I know of in the first district. Dad liked this one too. I think we had schnitzel again, and Mom got something with a creamier sauce and mushrooms which was very good. For dessert, we walked up to my gelato place near Stephensdom. If you haven't heard already, this place is amazing. I've been cultivating a relationship with one particular gelato man and up until this point he hadn't given me a break on my gelato. However, since I visit him at least once a week, it had to be coming soon. Then we sauntered back down Kärtnerstrasse so we could get Mom and Dad home since it was getting late again. I rode with them on the way home, and then got myself home not too much later. (All of the time Mom and Dad were here, I pretty much only slept at my apartment -- I'm not sure my flatties knew I existed because I'd get in really late and then be out again really early).
On Thursdays, I have class at eight, so I wasn't going to meet Mom and Dad until after German. I can't exactly remember what we did that day for lunch, but I'm sure it was something nice. Then I had to run back to IES for my afternoon classes. I skipped my second class that day and instead we tried to get on line for Stehplatz at the Opera to see Fille de Regiment, which was supposed to be amazing. However, the line was out the door and they didn't expect anyone to turn in their tickets prior to the performance, so we had to scrap that idea and decided to go shopping again. I felt really bad that they didn't get to see an opera while they were here, but I'm definitely going to try to take Paul and Erika to see something when they come. For dinner that night, we had Käsekrainers from the stand on Würstel-street. That's not really the name of the street, but that's where the stand is, so in my mind it works. It's like IES isn't really on Johannesgasse, it's on Mickey D's Street because that's the sign on the corner. I think it makes a lot of sense, even if you don't.
On Friday after my German class, I met up with Mom and Dad at their apartment. They were already checked out, so I helped them take their luggage to my apartment where we would keep it for the weekend since we were going to Salzburg. After we dropped off the luggage and they had met Ellie and Rosa, our cleaning lady that I really don't want to make angry, we went for lunch in the first district and then walked over to the Naschmarkt. On the way, we got some fries from Micky D's and Mom agreed that they tasted different from home. Still good, but different.
Daddy absolutely loved the Naschmarkt, which is like a huge farmer's market. He even bought some clementines, those crazy little oranges. Mom and I made the scarf sellers happy because we cleaned out a lot of their stock. I don't even want to think about how many we bought. But it was a lot. We had to carry them with us to Salzburg because we weren't going back to the apartment before we left, so it's a good thing that they fold up really small and aren't that heavy, even when you buy them in bulk.
On the way to Salzburg, we mostly read on the train. I'm pretty sure I took a nap because by this point in the week, I was really tired. All of this running between classes and entertaining Mom and Dad had really worn me out. Don't get me wrong, I loved that they came, but it was a rough week and a half. We got into Salzburg around six or so, and bought tickets to use the buses for the weekend. Then we walked over to Spaghetti and Co, a nifty little restaurant on the street with the really cool signs. I was impressed because Dad said it was nice to have a bit of a break from schnitzel for a while. I never thought I'd hear him say that, especially since all he'd been talking about before he came was how much schnitzel he wanted to eat.
And then I got to introduce them to the marvel that is Haus Am Moos. I absolutely love this B&B. Andre found it last time we went to Salzburg, and the people remembered me from before, which was pretty darn amazing. That night, we checked in, and went right to bed because it had been a busy day. However, we asked Walter, the owner, where he thought we should go on Saturday because we thought he might have some suggestions. He actually told us to not go to Innsbruck, because he said the only thing that was there was the "goldene Dacherl" which is the golden roof, but in the diminutive form because the Austrians tend to make fun of it. Instead, he told us that we should go to Hallstadt, the most picturesque (in my opinion) part of Austria that I've seen. He said it was an excellent day trip. So that's what we decided to do. And that's what I'll tell you about in the next post!
Goodbye, Rome
Sunday, April 8, 2007 -- Easter
Today we had to be up at an ungodly hour, and Meghan actually got up without complaining too much. But I guess it's because Easter was pretty much the pinacle of her religiousness. Whatever. Either way, I was up at five and got all my packing and such finished. We had to unlock the door from the outside again, but at least we didn't get locked in.
And now is where Meghan's lack of forethought gets to come into play. Because she didn't pay on Saturday when she was leaving, and we got back too late for her to pay the night before, she tried to pay this morning, and when they told her that she couldn't pay until after 7:30, she had a hissy fit. Apparently, the rules don't apply to those that are so religious. Except at CFab, which wouldn't bend to her will. All she could do on the whole ride into Rome was complain about them when, in reality, it was her own fault for not reading the signs. I certainly didn't have a problem with CFab at all. I thought it was an excellent little campground that was very secure and a nice break from the city. But since we would have to come back anyway so Meghan could pay, we decided to leave our things in H-62 so we didn't have to carry them around or pay for a locker in the Termini.
We got to St Peter's around 7:15 and there was already a good-sized line. We got to talking to the family behind us, and they have a niece who graduated from Penn State the year before. So we talked about what we were doing for our study abroad and what we were majoring in at Penn State. It was a very nice conversation.
Then something caught my eye across the street, and it turns out that Laura, a girl from IES Vienna, was in Rome. I ran over and called her name, and I think she was a little surprised to see me there. In fact, I was surprised to see her there -- I didn't know who else was going to be in Rome during break, and it seems like a large number of the people I know in IES were there. I invited her to come stand in line with us, and she said she would, but she had to grab the girl she was staying with. Jordan, her friend, is doing a study abroad in Rome this semester, so Laura had a place to stay right in the city.
We got inside and got aisle seats, which meant we'd get to see the Pope when he walked in. Since we had a couple of hours before the Mass actually started, I amused myself by taking a million pictures of the SG's. I think the one that I took a lot of pictures of knew I was, because after a while, he started smiling for them. How cute.
Then there was a parade before the mass started. There were bands and more SG's -- these had spears!! It was kind of cool, a little bit like the Fourth of July. Then the religious folks started marching in. Near the end was the Pope, who is a surprisingly good walker. I don't know why, but I was under the impression he couldn't walk much since I had only really seen him either in the Pope-mobile or sitting on his Pope-chair.
The mass was pretty. There was a lot of repetition again and lots of languages. There was also a bit of singing, but not as much as we have at home, which I missed a lot. One of my favorite parts of going to church is the hymns, and although there were chants in Rome, there really was no singing. One priest at the Way of the Cross on Friday put it very well. He said the further you get from Rome, the more joyful and beautiful the services are. I think the politics of the Catholic church really interfere with the actual love of God, and it seems like I'm not the only one who thought so.
After the service, there was an extended blessing by the Pope. And by extended, I mean somewhere around twenty minutes. The man is long-winded. I was pretty impressed because I could follow some of it. I'm not sure if I was actually starting to remember my Latin, or what, but it was pretty cool.
From there, I said goodbye to Laura and then Meghan and I headed back to CFab so she could check out. After she had paid up, we went to the Termini and left our bags in storage for a few hours while we went to dinner.
Dinner was over by the Pantheon again, just because it felt like it had become a tradition. We were back at the first restaurant we tried over in that area, and I got the lasagna with white wine and tiramisu for dessert. It was so weird to not be eating ham and scalloped potatoes for Easter dinner, and it really didn't feel like Easter at all. I think that that has been one of the things I miss most about being abroad -- holidays with the family, because when it comes right down to it, I'm very much a homebody. I love being able to go home and see my family and friends and pets. It's nice because I know that no matter what, they'll always be there for me, and that's the best feeling in the world.
Then it was time for one last Roman gelato. We went back to the place that remembered us and I got a medium almond. Up to this point, I had only bought small cones, but since it was my last day, I decided to splurge a bit and go for the big one. It was pretty much amazing.
Then we headed back to the Termini to pick up our bags and Meghan bought a phone card to call home and let her family know that she was still alive and well. It took us both a while to try and figure it out, and then since neither one of us is proficient at phone card usage, she just gave up and called collect. It worked out a lot better. After Meghan talked to her family, we got on the train and prepared for our trip home.
We were in a cabin with two people who were dating, a grumpy old woman, and a very talkative old man. The man and the couple talked for several hours, and then we all went to sleep. Then a few hours later, like four, the old man started up again and talked until about five in the morning. By that time, I was wide awake and I got to watch the sun rise over the Alps. It was absolutely amazing, and I didn't realize how much I had missed the mountains while I was in Rome.
Around 9:30 we got back into Vienna and headed for the apartment. I had a paper to write that was due on Tuesday, and Meghan used the day to recup from the train ride.
Today we had to be up at an ungodly hour, and Meghan actually got up without complaining too much. But I guess it's because Easter was pretty much the pinacle of her religiousness. Whatever. Either way, I was up at five and got all my packing and such finished. We had to unlock the door from the outside again, but at least we didn't get locked in.
And now is where Meghan's lack of forethought gets to come into play. Because she didn't pay on Saturday when she was leaving, and we got back too late for her to pay the night before, she tried to pay this morning, and when they told her that she couldn't pay until after 7:30, she had a hissy fit. Apparently, the rules don't apply to those that are so religious. Except at CFab, which wouldn't bend to her will. All she could do on the whole ride into Rome was complain about them when, in reality, it was her own fault for not reading the signs. I certainly didn't have a problem with CFab at all. I thought it was an excellent little campground that was very secure and a nice break from the city. But since we would have to come back anyway so Meghan could pay, we decided to leave our things in H-62 so we didn't have to carry them around or pay for a locker in the Termini.
We got to St Peter's around 7:15 and there was already a good-sized line. We got to talking to the family behind us, and they have a niece who graduated from Penn State the year before. So we talked about what we were doing for our study abroad and what we were majoring in at Penn State. It was a very nice conversation.
Then something caught my eye across the street, and it turns out that Laura, a girl from IES Vienna, was in Rome. I ran over and called her name, and I think she was a little surprised to see me there. In fact, I was surprised to see her there -- I didn't know who else was going to be in Rome during break, and it seems like a large number of the people I know in IES were there. I invited her to come stand in line with us, and she said she would, but she had to grab the girl she was staying with. Jordan, her friend, is doing a study abroad in Rome this semester, so Laura had a place to stay right in the city.
We got inside and got aisle seats, which meant we'd get to see the Pope when he walked in. Since we had a couple of hours before the Mass actually started, I amused myself by taking a million pictures of the SG's. I think the one that I took a lot of pictures of knew I was, because after a while, he started smiling for them. How cute.
Then there was a parade before the mass started. There were bands and more SG's -- these had spears!! It was kind of cool, a little bit like the Fourth of July. Then the religious folks started marching in. Near the end was the Pope, who is a surprisingly good walker. I don't know why, but I was under the impression he couldn't walk much since I had only really seen him either in the Pope-mobile or sitting on his Pope-chair.
The mass was pretty. There was a lot of repetition again and lots of languages. There was also a bit of singing, but not as much as we have at home, which I missed a lot. One of my favorite parts of going to church is the hymns, and although there were chants in Rome, there really was no singing. One priest at the Way of the Cross on Friday put it very well. He said the further you get from Rome, the more joyful and beautiful the services are. I think the politics of the Catholic church really interfere with the actual love of God, and it seems like I'm not the only one who thought so.
After the service, there was an extended blessing by the Pope. And by extended, I mean somewhere around twenty minutes. The man is long-winded. I was pretty impressed because I could follow some of it. I'm not sure if I was actually starting to remember my Latin, or what, but it was pretty cool.
From there, I said goodbye to Laura and then Meghan and I headed back to CFab so she could check out. After she had paid up, we went to the Termini and left our bags in storage for a few hours while we went to dinner.
Dinner was over by the Pantheon again, just because it felt like it had become a tradition. We were back at the first restaurant we tried over in that area, and I got the lasagna with white wine and tiramisu for dessert. It was so weird to not be eating ham and scalloped potatoes for Easter dinner, and it really didn't feel like Easter at all. I think that that has been one of the things I miss most about being abroad -- holidays with the family, because when it comes right down to it, I'm very much a homebody. I love being able to go home and see my family and friends and pets. It's nice because I know that no matter what, they'll always be there for me, and that's the best feeling in the world.
Then it was time for one last Roman gelato. We went back to the place that remembered us and I got a medium almond. Up to this point, I had only bought small cones, but since it was my last day, I decided to splurge a bit and go for the big one. It was pretty much amazing.
Then we headed back to the Termini to pick up our bags and Meghan bought a phone card to call home and let her family know that she was still alive and well. It took us both a while to try and figure it out, and then since neither one of us is proficient at phone card usage, she just gave up and called collect. It worked out a lot better. After Meghan talked to her family, we got on the train and prepared for our trip home.
We were in a cabin with two people who were dating, a grumpy old woman, and a very talkative old man. The man and the couple talked for several hours, and then we all went to sleep. Then a few hours later, like four, the old man started up again and talked until about five in the morning. By that time, I was wide awake and I got to watch the sun rise over the Alps. It was absolutely amazing, and I didn't realize how much I had missed the mountains while I was in Rome.
Around 9:30 we got back into Vienna and headed for the apartment. I had a paper to write that was due on Tuesday, and Meghan used the day to recup from the train ride.
Finally, A Day to Myself
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Thank God for little miracles. Because Meghan's friends from Galway were in Rome, she was going to sleep in and then meet up with them. Which meant I had a whole day to do whatever I wanted without having to look over my shoulder for Meghan, who consistently walked a pace or so behind me. Probably giving me death glares.
The day started off not so great because we got locked in the mobile home. The carpet had gotten stuck under the door and we couldn't unlock the door at all. Even from the outside. And I know this because I reached around through the window to try and unlock it with the key. Finally, I just jumped out of the window and walked down to the desk to let them fix it. They called someone and he had it fixed by the time I was back up there to get my bag. I left the key with Meghan because she was going to be in the room for a while longer and I went down to the desk to pay my balance. The cash register is only open from eight in the morning until eight at night, and I thought I'd be back after that and we'd have to leave before eight the next morning in order to get to St Peter's at a time when we could get in line and get a good seat. Apparently, Meghan missed the register hours memo, but we'll get to that later.
I had a very nice discussion with the woman at the desk about Catholicism. We agreed on a lot of points. She also believed that priests should be allowed to marry, which we agreed would decrease the number of sex scandals. I also think that women should be allowed to become priests. It's already allowed in other branches of Christianity, so why not? Nowhere in the Bible does it say that only men can be priests. In the course of our discussion, we also talked about other ways the Church needs to update. The woman really liked John Paul II and the reforms he was introducing in the church before his death, and she was concerned that Benedict wouldn't continue with those progressive reforms.
Eventually, I had to get going, but I really enjoyed our conversation. At the end, I paid my balance and said "grazzi," to which she replied "grazzi te," which is pretty much like saying thank you too. Then she caught herself and looked a little embaressed, but I thought it was cool.
My first stop of the day was Pincio Hilll, which overlooks Piazza dell Popolo and has amazing views, especially early in the day. I spend about two hours up there just walking and taking pictures. It felt completely seperate from the city, kind of like the Palatine Hill did. Up there, it was really nice and shady, a good break from the hot sun. There were also a lot of runners, bikers, and dogs about. Then I walked along the Via Belvedere to the Spanish Steps.
Today the Spanish Steps had all their flowers out, and even though there were still a lot of people there, it was definitely much better than the last time I had been here. It was also relatively early, so there weren't quite as many people as had been there earlier in the week.
On the way to the metro, I got a gelato. This time, the flavors were baccio and pine nut. The pine nut was really, really good. It tasted just like Mom's Christmas cookies. And the girl that served it was extremely happy and chipper.
I took the metro down to San Giovanni in Laterno because I didn't feel like traipsing across the city again. I have to say, I think this might have been my favorite church in Rome. It was grandiose, surely, but it was also tasteful. So many of the big churches got into the whole "let's just make everything gold" that they forgot to also make it beautiful. San Giovanni was gorgeous. There is also a cloister attached to the church, and I went in the courtyard there to look around. It was another one of those havens that was away from the city and all the hustle and bustle of so many people. I have to say, it was one of those beautifully tanquil places, and I'm so happy that I found it.
After a brief lunch break on San Giovanni's stairs, I decided to walk over to the Capitoline Museum. This was one of the ones that Barbara recommended that I see, and she's usually really good about which musuems to see and which to skip.
The Capitoline was pretty darn cool. They had a lot of old statues, but there weren't a lot of paintings. I'm more of a fan of paintings, just because some of them are of places I've been to or things I've seen, and I like to read about what the artist was trying to capture in that particular painting. I have to say, the Capitoline was much bigger than I expected. I'm glad I took the time and went there. It even managed to capture my attention for a few hours (usually I duck out after an hour and a half).
Since it was still early in the day, I read some of my book by the Piazza Venezia. I managed to get pretty far in it, which was impressive because it was all in German. Then I got a call from Matt, which was so nice because I hadn't talked to him for a few days. After that, it was getting late enough to consider dinner, so I wandered over toward the Pantheon and watched a little girl playing on a ramp for a long while. She was really cute. :-)
Then I got a text from Meghan inviting me to dinner with her and her friends over by the Colosseum. I figured, why not? and started on my way over. Dinner was good, the pasta was more like homemade and the wine was nice. Afterward, we went for gelato. I got black cherry and Bounty, which is kind of like Almond Joy. As we were saying our goodbyes, one of her friends told us to stick together and not seperate again. It was like we were twelve years old. I think he got the *eyebrow* for that. Mostly because that wasn't the only jibe that was aimed in my direction during dinner and gelato.
But then we went back to CFab since it was going to be a very early morning, we needed to get o bed early. As it was, Meghan had forgotten to pay her balance earlier and was going to try and do it that night. Since it was after eight, of course they wouldn't let her pay. Duh. Someone at the desk told her that she could pay in the morning, but I don't think they expected us very early in the morning. Either way, I was all good, so I went back to the camper and took a shower and packed my things.
Thank God for little miracles. Because Meghan's friends from Galway were in Rome, she was going to sleep in and then meet up with them. Which meant I had a whole day to do whatever I wanted without having to look over my shoulder for Meghan, who consistently walked a pace or so behind me. Probably giving me death glares.
The day started off not so great because we got locked in the mobile home. The carpet had gotten stuck under the door and we couldn't unlock the door at all. Even from the outside. And I know this because I reached around through the window to try and unlock it with the key. Finally, I just jumped out of the window and walked down to the desk to let them fix it. They called someone and he had it fixed by the time I was back up there to get my bag. I left the key with Meghan because she was going to be in the room for a while longer and I went down to the desk to pay my balance. The cash register is only open from eight in the morning until eight at night, and I thought I'd be back after that and we'd have to leave before eight the next morning in order to get to St Peter's at a time when we could get in line and get a good seat. Apparently, Meghan missed the register hours memo, but we'll get to that later.
I had a very nice discussion with the woman at the desk about Catholicism. We agreed on a lot of points. She also believed that priests should be allowed to marry, which we agreed would decrease the number of sex scandals. I also think that women should be allowed to become priests. It's already allowed in other branches of Christianity, so why not? Nowhere in the Bible does it say that only men can be priests. In the course of our discussion, we also talked about other ways the Church needs to update. The woman really liked John Paul II and the reforms he was introducing in the church before his death, and she was concerned that Benedict wouldn't continue with those progressive reforms.
Eventually, I had to get going, but I really enjoyed our conversation. At the end, I paid my balance and said "grazzi," to which she replied "grazzi te," which is pretty much like saying thank you too. Then she caught herself and looked a little embaressed, but I thought it was cool.
My first stop of the day was Pincio Hilll, which overlooks Piazza dell Popolo and has amazing views, especially early in the day. I spend about two hours up there just walking and taking pictures. It felt completely seperate from the city, kind of like the Palatine Hill did. Up there, it was really nice and shady, a good break from the hot sun. There were also a lot of runners, bikers, and dogs about. Then I walked along the Via Belvedere to the Spanish Steps.
Today the Spanish Steps had all their flowers out, and even though there were still a lot of people there, it was definitely much better than the last time I had been here. It was also relatively early, so there weren't quite as many people as had been there earlier in the week.
On the way to the metro, I got a gelato. This time, the flavors were baccio and pine nut. The pine nut was really, really good. It tasted just like Mom's Christmas cookies. And the girl that served it was extremely happy and chipper.
I took the metro down to San Giovanni in Laterno because I didn't feel like traipsing across the city again. I have to say, I think this might have been my favorite church in Rome. It was grandiose, surely, but it was also tasteful. So many of the big churches got into the whole "let's just make everything gold" that they forgot to also make it beautiful. San Giovanni was gorgeous. There is also a cloister attached to the church, and I went in the courtyard there to look around. It was another one of those havens that was away from the city and all the hustle and bustle of so many people. I have to say, it was one of those beautifully tanquil places, and I'm so happy that I found it.
After a brief lunch break on San Giovanni's stairs, I decided to walk over to the Capitoline Museum. This was one of the ones that Barbara recommended that I see, and she's usually really good about which musuems to see and which to skip.
The Capitoline was pretty darn cool. They had a lot of old statues, but there weren't a lot of paintings. I'm more of a fan of paintings, just because some of them are of places I've been to or things I've seen, and I like to read about what the artist was trying to capture in that particular painting. I have to say, the Capitoline was much bigger than I expected. I'm glad I took the time and went there. It even managed to capture my attention for a few hours (usually I duck out after an hour and a half).
Since it was still early in the day, I read some of my book by the Piazza Venezia. I managed to get pretty far in it, which was impressive because it was all in German. Then I got a call from Matt, which was so nice because I hadn't talked to him for a few days. After that, it was getting late enough to consider dinner, so I wandered over toward the Pantheon and watched a little girl playing on a ramp for a long while. She was really cute. :-)
Then I got a text from Meghan inviting me to dinner with her and her friends over by the Colosseum. I figured, why not? and started on my way over. Dinner was good, the pasta was more like homemade and the wine was nice. Afterward, we went for gelato. I got black cherry and Bounty, which is kind of like Almond Joy. As we were saying our goodbyes, one of her friends told us to stick together and not seperate again. It was like we were twelve years old. I think he got the *eyebrow* for that. Mostly because that wasn't the only jibe that was aimed in my direction during dinner and gelato.
But then we went back to CFab since it was going to be a very early morning, we needed to get o bed early. As it was, Meghan had forgotten to pay her balance earlier and was going to try and do it that night. Since it was after eight, of course they wouldn't let her pay. Duh. Someone at the desk told her that she could pay in the morning, but I don't think they expected us very early in the morning. Either way, I was all good, so I went back to the camper and took a shower and packed my things.
So This is Why People Wanted to be Christian in the Old Days...
Friday, April 6, 2007 -- Good Friday
Since we were going to be in a different room tonight and on Saturday night, we left our things at the check-in desk.
Then we headed into Rome. For some reason, maybe because it was Good Friday, the metros were ridiculously busy. On today's agenda was touring St. Peter's, so that's where we went first.
The line was CRAZY. It wrapped almost all the way around the outside of the square. So we got online and entertained ourselves, probably for a long time, I don't really remember. Finally, we got inside. St. Peter's was gorgeous. I was really impressed with La Pieta, the Michelangelo statue that's in the Vatican. It's the only statue that Michelangelo carved that bears his signature. Apparently, it used to be out in the open, but they put it behind glass a few years ago to protect it.
There were a lot of statues and paintings and even some relics of dead people. It was pretty darn impressive. And I have a lot of pictures of St Peter's in my photo albums. There's a total of 630 Rome pictures, so it might take you a while to get to them, but they're worth it. Actually, the whole album is worth looking at.
Then we went to the Treasury, where you can't take pictures. The audio guides were only so-so, but some of the things they had on display were cool. I got to see Pope John Paul II's ceremonial robes, which was kind of nifty. Apparently, he was a really popular guy.
From there we went through every single religious kitsch gift shop that existed in the place. Now it's one thing to have this crap outside of a church, but for some reason, I find it very offensive to have them selling religious kitsch in the middle of St. Peter's. And I'm not even Catholic. You'd think that somebody would have said, "Hey, this isn't so cool. Let's ditch the gift shops in favor of more confession booths. Or better yet, collection boxes." Honestly, some of the things they sell are true crap. It's ridiculously tacky -- where the shops are located, what's in them, everything. Can you tell I was getting fed up with the paradoxes the Catholic church presented me with?
From the kitsch, we went into the catacombs, and we go to walk past all the dead popes. Including JPII. There were a lot of people whispering and praying, probably because he's on the fast track for sainthood -- beafication is the word for it, I think.
We would have gone up into the dome of St Peter's, but it was closed. That was kind of too bad, I missed having heart pounding moments in high places while I was in Rome.
Since we only had a couple of hours before it was time to get in line for Good Friday Mass, we decided to stay near the Vatican for lunch. Big, big, big mistake. It was the biggest ripoff I've ever seen. I had catalloni, wine, bread, and a cuppiccino for the "low, low price" of twenty-nine Euro. How ridiculous. I was pretty perturbed about that. And three-eighths a liter of wine is officially enough to make Amanda somewhat tipsy.
Afterwards, I got dragged to look at MORE religious kitsch. Yay. I even considered getting a rosary for Matt, since he's Catholic, but then I asked myself why I would support a business that was so tacky. So he didn't get one. I'm sure he'll survive.
Then I got my gelato treat. Today was wafer and ferraro rocher. It was so-so. Some of the other flavors I had tried were so much better.
And then we stood on line. Again. And it was even longer. And I got to listen to rounds of Hail Mary's and Our Father's for what felt like forever. I wonder if people say them to pray, or because the sheer repetition of them, with the way the syllables work out, is calming. Probably a little bit of both.
Eventually we got inside, but there were too many people, and all I could really see of the Mass (because you can't say service when it's Catholic *rolls eyes*) were the people in front of me falling asleep. It was very exciting.
And then the proverbial SHTF. It was time for communion again, and Meghan was having a religious fit, because how dare I go and offend her by recieving communion. To which I told her to get off her high religious horse and that I was offended that she, a mere mortal, would try and tell me when, where, and how to practice my religion. Growing up, I had been told by my mother, who is a Catholic, that it was perfectly acceptable to receive communion. And now, you may want to skip down a bit because I'm going on a religious rant.
This whole communion thing is why I don't like the Catholic church. They make themselves out to be better and higher than everyone else, and honestly, by refusing to let people that aren't in the "Club" to receive communion or practice their own religion, not only are they hindering the spread of Christianity and Catholicism, but they are turning people off of religion completely. I think the whole thing is absolutely inane and ridiculous. As a Lutheran, I practice almost the same religion that Catholics do -- we say the same Nicene Creed, we pray to the same God, and celebrate the same holidays. Yet, because I believe that Jesus was only figuratively saying "eat my body and drink my blood," I'm not allowed to partake in Catholic communion. It's not like the man chopped off a finger and told his disciples to chew on it, which is pretty much what Catholicism is telling you to believe. I mean, can you imagine coming from a different society and different religion, and hearing this, and thinking to yourself, "These people are barbarians. They believe they are eating actual human flesh and drinking human blood." In case the Catholic church didn't get the memo, that there is called cannibalism. Additionally, all of the rules that the Catholic church makes are MAN-MADE RULES. God didn't say that you had to believe that a punky little wafer was Jesus' flesh. He just wanted you to believe in God. So pretty much, I have a thing against the Catholic church, and it all developed because of the hypocracy I saw while I was in Rome. Some of which was demonstrated very well by Meghan.
Now getting back to the whole Communion thing. When I told Meghan that she was offending me, she, like any second grade child anxious to tattle, said, "It's my duty to tell a Priest about this." Big deal. So I looked at her and said, "Be my guest," knowing that she'd never have the chutzpah to do it.
After the Mass, which ended pretty much immediately after Communion, Meghan got up with her self-righteous religious indignity and stomped off. I was so upset by her behavior that I called Mom and talked about the whole thing with her. She got upset that I was in Rome by myself, but I didn't think it was a big deal. I was going to the Colosseum for the Good Friday thing going on there, I had a map, and I knew how to get home that night. Besides, I'm not a self-described weeny like Meghan is. It was far enough into the week and I was comfortable enough with Rome to handle it. So I did.
Once I got off the phone with Mom, I walked over to the Colosseum to get a good place for the night's event. They were going to read the Way of the Cross. People were everywhere and it was so beautiful. I loved listening to the Latin. In the Masses, the Latin I had heard was very stilted and not read very well, but here it was melodic and soothing and absolutely amazing. When you add in the candles that people were carrying and the way everything was lit, I could understand why people would have wanted to be Christian over two thousand years ago. It was simply awe-inspiring. I don't even have the words to descripe it, but it will stay in my mind as one of the most beautiful things I've ever done.
Then it all shattered when I got a text from Meghan. She was being a weeny and wanted to meet up to go home together because she decided that "it wasn't safe" to do alone, even though there were a bazillion religious fanatics running around Rome at this point. I sent her a text telling her that I wanted an apology first and that she was out of line. I think I also might have said that I could find my own way home without her. It seemed that she had found some of her Galway friends in the crowds so she had someone to complain to about me. Darn.
Either way, we met up and stomped off to the metro station to go home. I don't think I talked to her the entire way. And it's still not something I regret. This was my vacation, something I dreamed about doing for over a year before I came to Vienna, and I was not going to let her and her religious prejudices spoil it for me.
This time, when we got to CFab, we were put in H-62, half of a mobile home. It was really nice, much better than our Chalet, which really wasn't all that bad. And that's when I decided to take Erika and Paul there when we were in Rome. Eventually, we reached a truce about this whole communion thing -- pretty much that she had to turn a blind eye. Which was more than fine by me.
Since we were going to be in a different room tonight and on Saturday night, we left our things at the check-in desk.
Then we headed into Rome. For some reason, maybe because it was Good Friday, the metros were ridiculously busy. On today's agenda was touring St. Peter's, so that's where we went first.
The line was CRAZY. It wrapped almost all the way around the outside of the square. So we got online and entertained ourselves, probably for a long time, I don't really remember. Finally, we got inside. St. Peter's was gorgeous. I was really impressed with La Pieta, the Michelangelo statue that's in the Vatican. It's the only statue that Michelangelo carved that bears his signature. Apparently, it used to be out in the open, but they put it behind glass a few years ago to protect it.
There were a lot of statues and paintings and even some relics of dead people. It was pretty darn impressive. And I have a lot of pictures of St Peter's in my photo albums. There's a total of 630 Rome pictures, so it might take you a while to get to them, but they're worth it. Actually, the whole album is worth looking at.
Then we went to the Treasury, where you can't take pictures. The audio guides were only so-so, but some of the things they had on display were cool. I got to see Pope John Paul II's ceremonial robes, which was kind of nifty. Apparently, he was a really popular guy.
From there we went through every single religious kitsch gift shop that existed in the place. Now it's one thing to have this crap outside of a church, but for some reason, I find it very offensive to have them selling religious kitsch in the middle of St. Peter's. And I'm not even Catholic. You'd think that somebody would have said, "Hey, this isn't so cool. Let's ditch the gift shops in favor of more confession booths. Or better yet, collection boxes." Honestly, some of the things they sell are true crap. It's ridiculously tacky -- where the shops are located, what's in them, everything. Can you tell I was getting fed up with the paradoxes the Catholic church presented me with?
From the kitsch, we went into the catacombs, and we go to walk past all the dead popes. Including JPII. There were a lot of people whispering and praying, probably because he's on the fast track for sainthood -- beafication is the word for it, I think.
We would have gone up into the dome of St Peter's, but it was closed. That was kind of too bad, I missed having heart pounding moments in high places while I was in Rome.
Since we only had a couple of hours before it was time to get in line for Good Friday Mass, we decided to stay near the Vatican for lunch. Big, big, big mistake. It was the biggest ripoff I've ever seen. I had catalloni, wine, bread, and a cuppiccino for the "low, low price" of twenty-nine Euro. How ridiculous. I was pretty perturbed about that. And three-eighths a liter of wine is officially enough to make Amanda somewhat tipsy.
Afterwards, I got dragged to look at MORE religious kitsch. Yay. I even considered getting a rosary for Matt, since he's Catholic, but then I asked myself why I would support a business that was so tacky. So he didn't get one. I'm sure he'll survive.
Then I got my gelato treat. Today was wafer and ferraro rocher. It was so-so. Some of the other flavors I had tried were so much better.
And then we stood on line. Again. And it was even longer. And I got to listen to rounds of Hail Mary's and Our Father's for what felt like forever. I wonder if people say them to pray, or because the sheer repetition of them, with the way the syllables work out, is calming. Probably a little bit of both.
Eventually we got inside, but there were too many people, and all I could really see of the Mass (because you can't say service when it's Catholic *rolls eyes*) were the people in front of me falling asleep. It was very exciting.
And then the proverbial SHTF. It was time for communion again, and Meghan was having a religious fit, because how dare I go and offend her by recieving communion. To which I told her to get off her high religious horse and that I was offended that she, a mere mortal, would try and tell me when, where, and how to practice my religion. Growing up, I had been told by my mother, who is a Catholic, that it was perfectly acceptable to receive communion. And now, you may want to skip down a bit because I'm going on a religious rant.
This whole communion thing is why I don't like the Catholic church. They make themselves out to be better and higher than everyone else, and honestly, by refusing to let people that aren't in the "Club" to receive communion or practice their own religion, not only are they hindering the spread of Christianity and Catholicism, but they are turning people off of religion completely. I think the whole thing is absolutely inane and ridiculous. As a Lutheran, I practice almost the same religion that Catholics do -- we say the same Nicene Creed, we pray to the same God, and celebrate the same holidays. Yet, because I believe that Jesus was only figuratively saying "eat my body and drink my blood," I'm not allowed to partake in Catholic communion. It's not like the man chopped off a finger and told his disciples to chew on it, which is pretty much what Catholicism is telling you to believe. I mean, can you imagine coming from a different society and different religion, and hearing this, and thinking to yourself, "These people are barbarians. They believe they are eating actual human flesh and drinking human blood." In case the Catholic church didn't get the memo, that there is called cannibalism. Additionally, all of the rules that the Catholic church makes are MAN-MADE RULES. God didn't say that you had to believe that a punky little wafer was Jesus' flesh. He just wanted you to believe in God. So pretty much, I have a thing against the Catholic church, and it all developed because of the hypocracy I saw while I was in Rome. Some of which was demonstrated very well by Meghan.
Now getting back to the whole Communion thing. When I told Meghan that she was offending me, she, like any second grade child anxious to tattle, said, "It's my duty to tell a Priest about this." Big deal. So I looked at her and said, "Be my guest," knowing that she'd never have the chutzpah to do it.
After the Mass, which ended pretty much immediately after Communion, Meghan got up with her self-righteous religious indignity and stomped off. I was so upset by her behavior that I called Mom and talked about the whole thing with her. She got upset that I was in Rome by myself, but I didn't think it was a big deal. I was going to the Colosseum for the Good Friday thing going on there, I had a map, and I knew how to get home that night. Besides, I'm not a self-described weeny like Meghan is. It was far enough into the week and I was comfortable enough with Rome to handle it. So I did.
Once I got off the phone with Mom, I walked over to the Colosseum to get a good place for the night's event. They were going to read the Way of the Cross. People were everywhere and it was so beautiful. I loved listening to the Latin. In the Masses, the Latin I had heard was very stilted and not read very well, but here it was melodic and soothing and absolutely amazing. When you add in the candles that people were carrying and the way everything was lit, I could understand why people would have wanted to be Christian over two thousand years ago. It was simply awe-inspiring. I don't even have the words to descripe it, but it will stay in my mind as one of the most beautiful things I've ever done.
Then it all shattered when I got a text from Meghan. She was being a weeny and wanted to meet up to go home together because she decided that "it wasn't safe" to do alone, even though there were a bazillion religious fanatics running around Rome at this point. I sent her a text telling her that I wanted an apology first and that she was out of line. I think I also might have said that I could find my own way home without her. It seemed that she had found some of her Galway friends in the crowds so she had someone to complain to about me. Darn.
Either way, we met up and stomped off to the metro station to go home. I don't think I talked to her the entire way. And it's still not something I regret. This was my vacation, something I dreamed about doing for over a year before I came to Vienna, and I was not going to let her and her religious prejudices spoil it for me.
This time, when we got to CFab, we were put in H-62, half of a mobile home. It was really nice, much better than our Chalet, which really wasn't all that bad. And that's when I decided to take Erika and Paul there when we were in Rome. Eventually, we reached a truce about this whole communion thing -- pretty much that she had to turn a blind eye. Which was more than fine by me.
I Know Where They Keep the Italian Military
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Today we had a lazier morning because Meghan was upset she wasn't getting to sleep in enough during her spring break. I look at traveling as something new to see and do. You sleep after you're dead. I really hope Erika and Paul like that mentality...
Once we got our butts in gear, we got to Rome and walked up to the Piazza Navona so I could get my watercolor set from Diago. He remembered me from the day before and thanked me for coming back. I love those water colors. I think I'm either going to design my living room or my bedroom around them in my first house. The colors are just so vibrant, and they really are pretty.
Then we walked up to the Piazza dell Popolo to catch the metro and go to the Termini. We had wanted to go to Pisa for the afternoon, but it take about two hours to get there, and because we got such a late start to the day, it would have made it ridiculous to go. So we decided to stay in Rome. I didn't really mind since I had planned on going there with Erika and Paul when they came. Meghan really couldn't mind since she was the one that wanted to sleep in. So we chilled out at the Termini for a while because they had airconditioning and then we walked over to Santa Maria Maggiore, which Meghan didn't go in on our first day in Rome.
We toured that for a bit and took some pictures. There was a bunch of altar servers practicing for the upcoming ceremonies, so of course, they got their picture taken too.
Then we walked to San Giovanni in Laterno, which was high up on the lists of churches to see. On the way there, we hit up a gelato stand and I got melon and stracciatella. I thought I was ordering peach, but melon was okay too. Our walk took us through the non-touristy parts of Rome, which was kind of cool. It was nice to not be crowded. But when we got to San Giovanni, the church was closed because they were preparing for the Pope. That's where he was holding his "Last Supper" service. It was a prime event, but for some reason we didn't get tickets for it even though we were told they were on reserve for us. That's okay I guess. It was good to have some time off from trying to be religious. And I decided that I'd go back to visit it before we left.
So we continued on. This is where we found the Italian military. They hide behind high stone walls on the south end of Rome. It was very impressive. And now I can say that I know where they keep the Italian Military. How cool is that?
From there, we walked to Maria in Cosmedin, which houses the Hand Eater. It's actually called Bocca della Verita, which actually means "Mouth of Truth." You're supposed to put your right hand in the mouth and if you tell a lie, then it bites you. I wanted to see it because it was in the movie "Roman Holiday." So we got our picture there and then we got to see the skull of St. Valentine which was also housed in that church. It wasn't particularly romantic.
Since we had pretty much circumnavigated Rome, it was time for another gelato stop. This one was near the Piazza Venetiza (sp?). I got pear and dark chocolate. The pear was kind of good, except that it didn't feel like gelato. It acutally had the consistency or something of pears. So that was kind of cool. And the dark chocolate was good too. I think this might have been the one that was so chocolaty that it was almost black, but I'm not sure.
After a somewhat long break, we walked over to the Pantheon again for dinner at what had become our regular restaurant. That night, I got the lasagna again. It was just so good. And it came in a little copper pot. After dinner, I still had a bit of room, so we had another gelato stop before we went home. This time, I got mint chocolate chip and almond. The almond was fantastic. I think it was my favorite of all kinds I tried. And it was this time that the guy remembered us. That's just so cool.
On the walk back to the metro, we saw a cop risk his life by directing traffic. I really think he wanted to die. But I was also reminded of the cop in "Frosty the Snowman." It would have been perfect if this guy swallowed his whistle or a random snowman just started beboppin' along the Via Corso. Hey, it could happen.
I'm also pretty convinced they fly the Pope to where he needs to go. There was a lot of helicopter activity that evening, which would be about right since he was conducting the "Last Supper" mass in San Giovanni in Laterno. I mean, think about it. There's no traffic when you're flying, and you don't have to worry about assassins as much because I'd imagine that a helicopter would be harder to shoot down with your standard assassination rifle than taking out a carfull of people would be. I thought it made sense. Guess who didn't agree.
On the bus back to CFab, I entertained myself by eye flirting with a boy. Once it got awkward actually looking at each other, I looked out the window, but he caught my eye in there too. It was nice to just play and know that I'd never have to see him again. Kind of like the frats freshman year. And even better, once we got to CFab, it turned out that there weren't any roommates to share the room with. Yay.
Today we had a lazier morning because Meghan was upset she wasn't getting to sleep in enough during her spring break. I look at traveling as something new to see and do. You sleep after you're dead. I really hope Erika and Paul like that mentality...
Once we got our butts in gear, we got to Rome and walked up to the Piazza Navona so I could get my watercolor set from Diago. He remembered me from the day before and thanked me for coming back. I love those water colors. I think I'm either going to design my living room or my bedroom around them in my first house. The colors are just so vibrant, and they really are pretty.
Then we walked up to the Piazza dell Popolo to catch the metro and go to the Termini. We had wanted to go to Pisa for the afternoon, but it take about two hours to get there, and because we got such a late start to the day, it would have made it ridiculous to go. So we decided to stay in Rome. I didn't really mind since I had planned on going there with Erika and Paul when they came. Meghan really couldn't mind since she was the one that wanted to sleep in. So we chilled out at the Termini for a while because they had airconditioning and then we walked over to Santa Maria Maggiore, which Meghan didn't go in on our first day in Rome.
We toured that for a bit and took some pictures. There was a bunch of altar servers practicing for the upcoming ceremonies, so of course, they got their picture taken too.
Then we walked to San Giovanni in Laterno, which was high up on the lists of churches to see. On the way there, we hit up a gelato stand and I got melon and stracciatella. I thought I was ordering peach, but melon was okay too. Our walk took us through the non-touristy parts of Rome, which was kind of cool. It was nice to not be crowded. But when we got to San Giovanni, the church was closed because they were preparing for the Pope. That's where he was holding his "Last Supper" service. It was a prime event, but for some reason we didn't get tickets for it even though we were told they were on reserve for us. That's okay I guess. It was good to have some time off from trying to be religious. And I decided that I'd go back to visit it before we left.
So we continued on. This is where we found the Italian military. They hide behind high stone walls on the south end of Rome. It was very impressive. And now I can say that I know where they keep the Italian Military. How cool is that?
From there, we walked to Maria in Cosmedin, which houses the Hand Eater. It's actually called Bocca della Verita, which actually means "Mouth of Truth." You're supposed to put your right hand in the mouth and if you tell a lie, then it bites you. I wanted to see it because it was in the movie "Roman Holiday." So we got our picture there and then we got to see the skull of St. Valentine which was also housed in that church. It wasn't particularly romantic.
Since we had pretty much circumnavigated Rome, it was time for another gelato stop. This one was near the Piazza Venetiza (sp?). I got pear and dark chocolate. The pear was kind of good, except that it didn't feel like gelato. It acutally had the consistency or something of pears. So that was kind of cool. And the dark chocolate was good too. I think this might have been the one that was so chocolaty that it was almost black, but I'm not sure.
After a somewhat long break, we walked over to the Pantheon again for dinner at what had become our regular restaurant. That night, I got the lasagna again. It was just so good. And it came in a little copper pot. After dinner, I still had a bit of room, so we had another gelato stop before we went home. This time, I got mint chocolate chip and almond. The almond was fantastic. I think it was my favorite of all kinds I tried. And it was this time that the guy remembered us. That's just so cool.
On the walk back to the metro, we saw a cop risk his life by directing traffic. I really think he wanted to die. But I was also reminded of the cop in "Frosty the Snowman." It would have been perfect if this guy swallowed his whistle or a random snowman just started beboppin' along the Via Corso. Hey, it could happen.
I'm also pretty convinced they fly the Pope to where he needs to go. There was a lot of helicopter activity that evening, which would be about right since he was conducting the "Last Supper" mass in San Giovanni in Laterno. I mean, think about it. There's no traffic when you're flying, and you don't have to worry about assassins as much because I'd imagine that a helicopter would be harder to shoot down with your standard assassination rifle than taking out a carfull of people would be. I thought it made sense. Guess who didn't agree.
On the bus back to CFab, I entertained myself by eye flirting with a boy. Once it got awkward actually looking at each other, I looked out the window, but he caught my eye in there too. It was nice to just play and know that I'd never have to see him again. Kind of like the frats freshman year. And even better, once we got to CFab, it turned out that there weren't any roommates to share the room with. Yay.
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