Greetings from Roma

Ciao! I decided putting together this blog was probably the smartest way to not only keep everyone up to date on what I've been up to, but also great for keeping all my trips and stories in one place. I've officially been in Rome for close to two weeks and I must say that I am falling in love with this city! I can step outside of my apartment at any time on any given day and find something beautiful, ancient, funky, and unexpected to do or see. I am living in Trastevere, an area within Rome that has the historic character of the ancient city, the ease of a small town, and the breathtaking views and cobblestone streets you'd expect from Italy. No night out in heels for this girl-I'd rather be tortured than attempt to walk in anything other than sandals or sneakers on these streets! 

View from My Apartment in Trastevere

 A group of us took a trip to the coastal town, Sperlunga, to visit the beach last Sunday. It was about an hour and a half train ride and a half hour bus ride to reach the water. I felt like I was in Greece without having to pay for the pricey plane ticket! The water and views were gorgeous. I have to admit that I've never been one of those "jump-in-the-dirty-ocean-water-and-never-come-out" kind of people, but this beach was seaweed and rock-free and I spent almost the entire time floating around! While people watching at the beach, I noticed how carefree and confident both the Italian men and women are with their bodies-big, small, young, old-these Italians have NOO shame!! The trip was a great success minus the fact that we almost missed our train home, but we made it! Being stuck in gorgeous Sperlunga didn't actually seem all that bad :)

Sperlunga View

My first week of classes was wonderful. I am so lucky to have had the option to travel into my senior year of college because I can now take courses that interest me, rather than ones that are required for my degree. With my schedule, my classes are more of an extension of an Italian tour guide than academics.  I am taking an Italian language course, an international affairs course, a film photography course and a Cities, Towns and Villas course. The latter two courses are entirely on-site which means that I basically get to see and study Rome on the streets and at the sites, rather than in a classroom-I'm loving it!!

Eight friends and I planned a spontaneous adventure to Madrid, Spain this past weekend. We left Thursday morning at 3:45am. Waking up that early is something I would not recommend...EVER! With backpack, travel guide and map in hand(I was labeled Cartographer Garlick) we set out to see as much of Madrid in three days as we could. The first day we explored the Parque del Retiro which included a beautiful Rose Garden, Crystal Palace and botanical gardens galore. That night we set out to indulge in the most important cultural aspect of Spain...SANGRIA! Myself and a friend split paella which is an authentic spanish rice dice with prawns, meat and loads of flavor, but our main priority was making sure our jug of sangria never ran low. Meal and conversation were great and the fact that we sat for 3 hours without ever being approached by waitstaff was so refreshing. 

Dinner & Sangria in Plaza Mayor

Day 2 started off with a trip to to Royal Palace and Madrid Cathedral where we all got some wonderful photos and were even able to walk around inside. The search for food in Spain is somewhat of a challenge though. Walk around for 3 hours and chances are you may not find anywhere to eat-it's absurd. We finally landed on a small cobblestone street with an adorable little nook of a restaurant just waiting for 8 loud Americans to walk in and take up half of the tables! The food was wonderful and that is something I've come to understand about Spain from this past weekend-the food is either absolutely amazing or not good at all...it's all part of the adventure of eating out in Spain. After lunch we walked around some more and even fit in a siesta at the hostel so that we were ready to go for the night. We met someone's friend who is studying in Madrid and she took us to Dubliners, an Irish bar, in Puerta del Sol. Obviously we got the drink of choice for those living in Rome, out at an Irish bar in Spain-Sangria. We capped off our night with a trip to Chocolateria de San Gines-one of my favorite parts of the trip! Basically the menu of this famous caffe is focused on 2 things and 2 things only: Chocolate & Churros. Everyone gets a tea cup of hot, melted chocolate and a plate towered high with warm churros(mouth watering yet?)

Royal Palace

We spent our final day/night in Madrid exploring different plazas and shops in the center of the city. That night we had a reservation at Las Tablas where we were able to watch a live, intimate Flamenco show while sipping on......what else? Sangria! I think I'm noticing a pattern here with our trip, but we couldn't resist! The show was truly amazing and the performers were so genuinely passionate about the dance, it was as if you were watching them for the first time. 

Flamenco at Las Tablas

The flamenco and a night trip to La Kapital, a 7 floor dance club, were great ways to end an amazing Spanish adventure!