Chocolate, waffles, and mussels from Brussels (and I'm not talkin' Jean-Claude Van Damme): Belgium

Spring break found Joy, Sean, and I headed to Belgium for 4 nights and 5 days of relaxation, chocolate-eating, and sight seeing.

We started our vacay away in the European Union capital of Brussels. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Brussels outside of the stereotypical ideas that I had about the city: chocolate, politics, and a kind of drabness. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, there was a lot of chocolate, and I mean A LOT of chocolate, politics, and even areas that seemed sterile, but it was a rather beautiful city towards the old town. We spent our first day exploring the area around the Grand' Place. What a sight! Surrounding the Grand' Place were shops, chocolatiers, waffle stands, beer halls, and homes. I was taken aback by the stature of the square and found it to be so wonderfully romantic and memorable.

Far left: Grand' Place. Center: Manneken Pis...I have NO idea why the fountain/statue of a little boy is such a big deal, but apparently it is. There are replicas (even in chocolate) of this all over the city. Right: Chocolate capital!!! Wonder if I would have gotten in trouble 
for gnawing on Mickey's ear?

We spent Saturday wandering through the city and into various neighborhoods. It was fun to explore and see the variety that Brussels had to offer. We meandered through a fabulous curio market, ate chocolate, toured a couple of churches, stopped for a quick drink, ate chocolate, checked out the World's Fair Atomium, ate chocolate, soaked up the night life, and I don't know if I mentioned this, 
but...ate chocolate. 

Left: Joy and I about ready to hunt for treasures. Right: the Atomium...this is as close as we got because we didn't want to pay...better things to spend money on. Below: chocolate!!!

We left Brussels on Sunday and spent the next couple of days north in Bruges and Ghent. I will say that while I enjoyed Brussels, I LOVED Bruges!! It was so quaint and full of so much character. There was a lot to see, though it was such a small town. It was like stepping into a nursery rhyme. I fully expected Mother Goose to show up somewhere! Ghent, on the other hand, was ok. I suppose that was due to the fact that the skies opened and literally DUMPED rain down on us. I don't know if my jeans have ever been so wet...even in the washing machine! We spent the last couple of days of our time together in Belgium discovering the hidden corners of these small towns, eating chocolate (you'd think we'd had enough after 2 days in Brussels!), and sitting back and relaxing. All in all, it was a great adventure...next stop? Perugia and Cortona!

       

To the East!

In February, my colleagues and friends, Joy and Sean, and I decided that we needed to get going on this whole travel Europe thing while we were in Italy for our spring semester. We shot around a few ideas of places we wanted to go to including Barcelona, Brussels, Istanbul, Switzerland, Austria, and Greece, and decided that we would make the most of the one weekend off I have a month by going to one of these places. So, when it came time to decide where to go in February we thought it might be nice to go to Switzerland, but little did we know how expensive it was to get there and stay there until we began to look into it. That's when Joy suggested Poland--home to her ancestors. Poland? Yes, Krakow. It's home to interesting architecture and has a long, sad Jewish history. Well, tickets were cheap and so was the hotel. Poland here we come!

My first thought as I stepped off the plane at 7:30 a.m. on February 17 was: why on Earth did we come to Eastern Europe in February!? This question was prompted by the ice cold wind that struck my cheeks as my feet came in contact with the gray slush that lined the tarmac. Man it was cold! What had I gotten into?

Cloth Hall 

We made our way into the city, dropped off our luggage at our cute hotel, and went in search of adventure and something to warm our systems. After a quick breakfast and a hot coffee, we set out to explore the city. I'd read somewhere that Krakow has one of the best preserved and beautiful medieval squares in all of Europe and I'm here to say: so true! The shops and apartments that line the square are lovely, but it's the Cloth Hall in the center that's really something. The world's oldest shopping center, Cloth Hall is a place for tourists and locals alike to score authentic Polish trinkets. There is booth after booth inside the building that sells everything from wood work to pottery to the famous Polish eggs.

We bypassed much of the square as we wanted to make our way to the Kazimierz Jewish Quarter and to the Oskar Schindler museum. We began our time in the Jewish Quarter at the Remuh Synagogue and its cemetery. It seemed that everywhere you turned you were faced with reminders of what happened in that part of the world some 70+ years ago to people who were victims of senseless hate. The Jews' plight and the Nazis' evil is still evident today in the many synagogues and museums in this area. Personally, I found the Empty Chairs Memorial and the Schindler museum---one of the best museums I've ever been to---to be particularly haunting and reflective.

Above left to right: Empty Chairs Memorial, Oskar Schindler's desk, and a replica of the barbed wire that surrounded the ghetto.

After the Schindler Museum, we headed back in to the heart of the Kazimierz area in search of a traditional Jewish dinner with live Klezmer music. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a restaurant that had live music early enough---after a long day on our feet and a before-dawn flight, we wanted to turn in early. Instead, we ate a dinner of traditional Jewish food and enjoyed good company before trekking back to our hotel.

The next day, we arose and made our way through town towards Wawel Castle. First, we stopped in at the Pope John Paul II museum. Surprisingly, it was very interesting. The former Pope's life was on display from his days before he became the head of the Roman Catholic Church until his death. From there, we went to the castle that once housed the ruler of the area. On our way, though, we encountered two street performers clothed in traditional garb who ended up serenading Joy!

  The sun finally began to peek through the gray clouds while we were at the castle and I imagine that in the spring and summer the grounds and the view are gorgeous! Again, why Eastern Europe in the winter!? From the castle, we took our time exploring the city--and it's food offerings--at a leisurely pace. We wandered inside churches, shops, ate kielbasa, drank vodka, and soaked in all that Krakow had to offer.



 

From top left to bottom right: One of Krakow's lovely churches, delicious lunch of kielbasa, main square, outside the city's old walls, managed to track down a Starbucks!, and the nativity contest.

Krakow pleasantly surprised me. It was a lovely city with a lot to offer. I'd like to get back there one day--in the spring or summer!!--so that I can see more of what makes it unique and to go to Auschwitz. I highly recommend Krakow to anyone who is considering it and to those who've never considered it: you should! 

Great Roman snow storm of 2012...well, sort of

We left Rome for Pompeii last Friday under a cover of darkness...that is, at 6:30 am. What sane person is up at that hour?? The morning was cold as we departed and snow was forecasted. I had high hopes that it would be a light dusting and nothing more as that's all the snow Rome has seen in the last 25 years or so. Was I wrong.

My first clue that something was awry was when we were waiting for our train back to Rome. I was looking at the board to see which platform we were on when "cancellato" scrolled past me. Cancelled? Huh? Oh gosh. Ok, ok. Breathe. Talk to someone. Breathe. Had it just been me, no worries. But 21 other people? Oh my. My colleagues and I made our way over to the information office where a line had already begun to form. We waited, prayed, waited, and prayed until our turn finally came. I asked the man if our train had been cancelled. Yes, it was cancelled. I asked him what we should do. He said that there was another train departing in 20 minutes and I could take that one. I told him that there were 22 of us. His eyes grew large and he repeated the number back to me. Yep, 22. Ok, there is room in cars 9, 10, and 11. Just get on one of those. Could it really be that easy? We headed back to our group and made our way to our new platform. I stopped the conductor to confirm what the other man had told me as I certainly didn't want to be half way to Rome only to be booted from the train or fined. The man confirmed what we were told and we boarded the fast train home. Now, this was a huge blessing in and of itself as we'd purchased tickets for the slow train which takes 2 hours, but the fast train wasn't going to cost us anymore and only takes about an hour.

Anyways, we arrived back in Rome and I saw the snow that had accumulated in front of the trains. Hmm. And then I walked outside. Holy white stuff! There was a steady and heavy stream of snow falling from the sky and much of it had already built up. We quickly made our way over to where we get the bus home only to be told that buses weren't running. Thankfully, though, the Metro was. So, we boarded the Metro to Piazza Bologna and then made the 15 minute trek home---though it took us closer to 20-25 minutes as we had to slow down to account for ice and an occasional snowball. I will say, though, that it was beautiful. So peaceful and quiet.

We arrived home and quickly changed clothes. As we'd been up for forever everyone closed themselves in their room and quietly went about their business. I went to bed and anticipated waking up to slush. Again. Was I wrong.

I got up around 7am to use the bathroom and my eyes about bugged out of my head at what I saw. Snow covered everything like a white down blanket. Everything. The cactus, the palm trees, and the grape vines. It was magic. I began taking pictures and reveling in the unusual quiet of a Roman morning. Stunning. I went back to bed for a bit and waited for students to get up and see the spectacle.

The kitchen was alive with chatter when I got up as we were all in awe over the turn of events. As I drank a cup of hot coffee, we made plans to trek down to the Colosseum as the sky had cleared and the sun was out. So, we dressed and then made the trek back down to Bologna to catch the Metro as the buses weren't moving.

We joined thousands of other Romans around the Colosseum and wondered at the sight of the ancient structure surrounded by snow. Absolutely magnificent.  Students engaged in an epic battle of snowballs with Italian teens. We took pictures. We marveled. And we went home to get warm.

The snow wrought havoc on this city as they're not used to it. Buses didn't return fully until that Tuesday and there was still snow on the ground. In fact, we got more snow this past Friday and Saturday. It was wild. It didn't stick like it did the weekend before, but it was almost worse as it was sleet-like and really cold. All in all, I loved my Roman snow experience, but I am sooooo ready for spring!!

Snow? WHAT?!

I was informed today by a friend that snow is forecasted for Rome this week on either Thursday or Friday. Not good as we're headed to Pompei on Friday. Then again, the last time it snowed in Rome? The time when it snowed in Rome for the first time in 24 years? Well, that happened to be the day that we were headed to Pompei. Hmmm, wonder what the odds are of that?!

Jolly good time

I love London. Seriously. I love it. In fact, I could live there. Truth be told, I asked Jesus if I could move there some day in the future. It's just so.....I don't know how to describe it. I just freaking love it!

I met a group of students on a Friday in November for a quick getaway. I was looking forward to this trip for two reasons: 1) I had all documentation from Italy, and 2) I had reservations for the Wimbledon tour. WIMBLEDON!! AHHHHH!!!!!

I fully admit that I was a bit nervous as I approached the passport control agent given my previous experience. Though I knew that I had everything in order and there should be no problems, I think I had a PTSD flashback of a very cross and rude agent making me feel like some sort of illegal immigrant out to take the British crown for all it's worth. Still, I approached the desk with confidence and boldness. I was greeted warmly by a woman who proceeded to ask me what brought me to London. I told her that I was on vacation for the weekend from Rome. She asked me what I was doing in Rome and I told her that I was there for work. "Do you have your permesso di soggiorno?" she asked. "Yes, I do!" I told her excitedly. Not only was this the first time anyone had asked me for it, but it was also the first time on UK soil that I felt confident to be there. I handed it over to her with a modicum of pride. She gave it back and wished me good travels. That's it?! Ok. Thanks!

I met up with my students as they were finishing their tour of the Tower of London. From there we made our way across the Thames to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Now I know it's not THE Globe Theatre, but it was still a really neat tour and experience. To think that Shakespeare was nearby the site while he was alive was pretty overwhelming.

From there we tried to catch a river cruise, but were unsuccessful so settled instead for walking around Big Ben, Parliment (hey! Isn't that a line from a movie? :) ), and Westminster Abbey. We just stood in awe of the sights and marveled. We also talked about the many movies that we'd seen that used these sights as a backdrop: Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, National Lampoons...

We walked around the city for a bit longer, grabbed some yummy fish and chips for dinner and returned to our respective hotels for the evening. After leaving Rome super early, I was ready for bed. Besides, I had to be ready for my big outing tomorrow: Wimbledon.

I am a tennis fan. I have been playing since I can remember. I love the game. When I was studying in Australia, I went to Melbourne for Easter weekend. I took some time and went to Melbourne Park, where the Australian Open is played every January. I went so far as to rent a court for a half an hour and hit with a friend who'd accompanied me. So, if I was going to be in London---I had to get to Wimbledon. Imagine how excited I was to learn that not only could I visit the museum, but have a guided tour as well! Oh. My. By the time I reached the grounds, I was practically hyperventilating I was so excited.

I spent some time looking around the museum that's located below the souvenir shop. There was an amazing collection of tennis history within it's walls and it was surprisingly hi-tech. Afterwards, I joined  the 30 or so people for our 90 minute tour. It. Was. Incredible. No jokes, one of the best things I've done in Europe. The tour guide not only was very knowledgable of tennis and Wimbledon history, but she was also entertaining. She took us all over the grounds--from the entrance gates to courts 2 and 3 to the court where Isner and Mahut played for 11 hours and 5 minutes spread over 3 days to the press room to centre court. I can't say it enough: WOOOOOWWWWW!!! I loved every moment of it. But I think my favorite was sitting in the press room where players discuss their matches after play. Nobody's allowed in there unless you're a player or member of the press...or you go on the Wimbledon tour. I felt like a kid in Disneyland.  So much to see and process. I really think that I'm going to try to go to Wimbledon in June because how can I not when I am so close?!

Left: Before I entered the hallowed gates of Wimbledon. Center: Press room. Right: Centre court.

Ok. So I've now made it to two of the four major tennis tournament locations. Next: Roland Garros in Paris--guess I'll have to go back--and New York for the US Open. It will be done.

Rounded the day out with a cup of coffee at Starbucks and then dinner with students. We meandered over to Buckingham Palace where it seemed a British man wanted to recreate the Trevi Fountain scene in La Dolce Vita and was wading through the fountain in front of the palace. Why? Who knows.

It was a quick trip, but wonderful nonetheless. I want to move there. I do. I think I would fit in. I mean, let's be real. I love British cinema, books, TV, clothes, and of course, accents.  Now if I could only find my British husband....

Il mio accento

This is a post that was in my draft folder from November: I have to take a moment to say: YES!!! I was paid what I consider to be a rather huge compliment today by an Italian woman. Here's what went down:

Our Italian instructor came in today despite it being an Italian holiday to give our students their mid-term exam. She wasn't able to give it to them before break because Rome flooded the day of the exam. So, she brought her mother and daughter with her as they were to head into the Center to a museum afterwards. I have met her mom on a number of occasions and so I stopped in the classroom and said a quick hello.

We chatted for a moment and she complimented my much improved Italian. In fact, she even went so far as to tell me that when I spoke I did so with a Roman accent. She said I spoke Roman Italian and not as an American speaking Italian. Stop! That can't be true! For one thing, I've never taken a formal language class, and another....that's just too cool. This has inspired me to continue my study of Italian. I want to be fluent....or at least proficient!

Io torno

I was in bed this morning and I realized two things. 1) I have been back in Rome for 16 days, but it feels like an eternity, and 2) I haven't blogged in forever. Now, this isn't a new realization. In fact my sister, Lindsay, who has an awesome blog of her own---www.lindsaysoulfood.wordpress.com---reminded me while I was home that I've been a slacker. And I have. Please forgive me.

I'd like to say that I've neglected the blogosphere because I've been so busy living life up here in Rome and in Europe, and while I have, my absence can best be attributed to laziness. Pure and simple laziness. No More!! (Don't I say that at the start of every new year?!)

There's a lot going on here at the moment. Students arrived a week ago and so this place is hopping. I have travel plans in place for February and Spring Break. And finally, I am trying to decide what to do with my life----stay or go? My contract expires at the end of June and so it's time for me to decide if I want to remain in Rome or return to the good ol' U.S. of A. Not an easy choice. There's too much on either side of the plus columns and God's being awfully quiet in this area of my life---not so quiet in others. ;)

I digress. I am sitting at home today and it's a beautiful, albeit chilly, day here in Rome. I am looking out across the yard into the high school across the way and watching the class of dancers practice their routines. It's time to head out of the house. I'm thinking that today's a good day for wandering around behind Campo dei Fiori and around the Jewish ghetto. I am on a mission to find shoes! And what better place to buy them, but Italy?

So, I'm going to venture out and live life in Rome. Before I do that, though, I am going to write a quick post about my triumphant return to London in November. It was an amazing trip and I am so thankful for it.

Ciao for now! I will be back....