After returning from Dublin later than expected (sorry, Ma),
I had about twenty hours to prepare for the arrival of my first ever visitor in
Rome: Olivia JPP. Armed with a
nasty cold and general lack of sleep, I met Olivia Wednesday afternoon and our
Italian adventure commenced. Remember, when you’re studying abroad your
mentality needs to be: sleep is for dead people. Olivia is my main girl so having her visit was equal to everyone
else’s families stopping by in the last few weeks! It was a blast having
someone to show all my favorite spots and take in my Roman lifestyle.
Of course Casey, Avery, and I had a few must-sees for her:
- The Trevi Fountain for a few wishes and the Pantheon because nowhere has ever topped it for me
(until last Saturday…).
- A stop at our favorite Enoteca for some of Olivia and my
favorite beverage, Bloody Marys, during happy hour!
- A night at the Abbey because well… it’s a lifestyle.
- And Gilda…this reappears in my highlight reels but is never
really a high point. It is however a must see for anyone going clubbing in
Rome.
I love everything about Rome (obviously) so it’s been hard
dragging me away from the Eternal city to experience other parts of Italy. Yes,
I’ve been to Venice but that was for the big draw of Carnivale (SO AMAZING).
When we realized Olivia would be flying out of Florence early Sunday morning we
realized we had the perfect opportunity to finally get ourselves over to
Tuscany. Saturday we boarded a train and decided to spend the day in Florence.
The weather was glorious and the company was great. It’s ridiculous how lucky I
am to have had three best friends traveling around Italian cities with me!
 |
| breakfast on the go |
After lunch we met up with Avery (who was on break during a
class excursion to Florence coincidentally) at the Duomo. It was fate how well
this trip worked out.
The Duomo is so unbelievably massive and very green. Its
sheer size is breathtaking but the details make it truly amazing. We walked
around it, ventured inside, and then did some “casual Duomo chillin’”.
Olivia and I decided to do a three-minute caricature by one
of the many artists lining the streets. Sitting there watching Casey and Avery
react to his drawing was one of the most amusing things I have ever witnessed.
They kept shaking their heads and turning away because they couldn’t stop
laughing. Once we saw the finished product, we understood why. We may have
actually stumbled upon the worst caricature artist in Florence. FAIL! But the
laughing fits of Casey and Avery made it more than worth the cash.
The only hiccup on this trip was the hour we spent waiting
in line to see the David, if you can even call that a hiccup. If you couldn’t
tell, I’m not the biggest on traditional sightseeing. I love experiencing
beautiful wonders and all of that but I hate waiting in lines and wasting time
that could be spent experiencing a city.
Thank god Casey was so firm on staying in line. The David,
or just David if you’re in love with him like I am, was life changing. He
should be the number one world wonder. This statue is the most attractive thing
I’ve ever seen. Michelangelo was a genius and I will forever be in his debt. Or
I might curse him for the rest of my life because no man will compare to a
statue- I’m feeling a creepy Pygmalion and Galatea vibe over here (YES! Nailed
that mythology reference, Professor Brucia would be proud). David Mania is real
and I have a new sticker for my laptop to prove it. No photos were allowed,
most likely because our cameras would have shattered from all the sex appeal. We
had to leave after about fifteen minutes because there’s only so much a girl
can take. Swoon.
When you think of Florence you should immediately think of,
besides David, leather (and truffles and chianti…yum). The four of us were
adamant about coming home with some killer new leather jackets. We found a
little hole in the wall shop and about an hour, and fifty jackets, later we all
walked out with unique and brand new leather coats. Casey bought the FIRST
jacket she tried on and it fits her like a glove- it’s completely badass and
makes her look like an adult (praise Jesus!). Avery decided on a panty dropping
gunmetal jacket and Olivia will be walking around NYC like a boss in her
chocolate brown classy coat. I went in looking for a grungy black jacket and
wound up with a camel brown, boho inspired one. I absolutely adore it. All in
all, leather is a must in Florence… and now we all look really cool. We might
even start a gang.
Casey’s friend from home studies abroad in Florence as well,
so we had him take us to his favorite restaurant for dinner! The food was
delicious! I had mushroom ravioli in a truffle cream sauce and might just die
thinking about it now. It was so, so good.
After dinner we headed out for our first experience of
Florence nightlife. Olivia had spent a few days visiting friends here so she
led us to the English pub, Kikuya. They have Dragoons, a type of beer that,
after your second one, has the same effect as an original Four Loko, and free
lollipops with every drink. Throw in some jagerbombs and we had a solid
night.
On our walk back home, we made a pit stop at the “Secret
Bakery”. This is not a joke. You literally walk up to a frosted glass door on
the side of a building in an alley, knock, order a chocolate croissant for one
euro, and then the door closes for a minute before a man reappears with a
fucking chocolate croissant. There’s no sign or any indication of a business
and apparently it only opens after midnight. It was one of the best, if not the
best, croissant I have ever had. Incredible. I wish Rome had one of these… or I
hope I find it soon. It was the perfect end to our collection of Florence
memories.
 |
| covered in secret chocolate |
Sunday found us back in Rome for the start of a new week.
This week marks the return of, drum roll please, FAMILY DINNER! You might
remember we had family dinners in the beginning of the semester but then Roman
Mom and Dad got divorced, mom moved out, and family dinner fell to the wayside.
I am so happy for the return of this tradition. So far we’ve had chicken parm,
manicotti, baked gnocchi, lots of caprese and wine, and even some Caribou Lou.
Tuesday I decided to tag along on Casey, Avery, Tom, and
Brandon’s (why am I not in this class?) excursion to the Vatican Museum.
Professor Huber (our guide way back on the Todi trip) gave a tour of the museum
with a ton of great information. The collection of artwork is simply stunning-
Raphael is prominently featured and the pieces will constantly remind you how
boss he was.
 |
| School of athens selfie! |
I finally got to see the Sistine Chapel as well! It will honestly
give you chills. It was such a neat experience- I think I’ll tag along again with
their class in the future! All of the ceilings in the museum are quite
spectacular and worth a visit to check out.
 |
| Sneaky shot with Tom! |
So there you have it, my life is still a dream. I am so
grateful for the people that make it so special, whether they’re sharing each
moment with me directly, or just stopping in to add some extra liveliness. Unbelievably,
April is around the corner (NO!) but is lined up to be the most incredibly
month. Tonight, family dinner is taking a night on the town to let loose with
sangria and burritos at La Cucaracha! Here’s the round up of captures- I need a
nap to recover from it all:
 |
| train ride home with PLL and vino! |
 |
| Avery's modern art |
 |
| elevator shot for traditions sake |
 |
| my best friend |
