La Dolce Vita

The final stop on our excursion was my home away from home, Rome. Since Joe had been to Rome before, he wanted to experience my version of it as best as he could. After a few glitches (typical of FCO airport) we finally made it to my beloved neighborhood of Trastevere. It was late and we were hungry. Unlike Vienna where restaurants were closing at 8:30, the restaurants were just getting crowded the time we arrived at 10. After walking in circles trying to appease an angry Italian woman who was our apartment host, it was finally time for Joe to try my favorite pizza place in the whole world, Dar Poeta. I think it's safe to say it was the Nutella and ricotta filled calzone that won him over. The next day was full of sightseeing. I took him to all of my favorite spots including the market in Campo di Fiori and Piazza Navona. It was also necessary to take him to the oldest wine bar in Rome for lunch. He claims it was the best pasta he'd ever had. After seeing the Coliseum, it was time to reenergize for the Roman nightlife. Joe was finally able to meet the faces in all of my pictures. As I assumed, he was a hit. Even though we were a little tired, the next day we managed to do some final sightseeing. We spent a lovely afternoon at the Vatican before the rain came. The evening was filled with an amazing last meal made up of steak and pear-filled ravioli, followed by drinks with my roommates. It was so fun to be able to be a tour guide for a few days.

Piazza Navona

Hanging out at the Coliseum

View from my apartment

Joe and the girls

Resting at the Vatican

Best conolo he has ever tasted

Wiener Schnitzel in Vienna

The next stop was Vienna. As food being one of my primary motives for anything, the first thing we did was eat. Bratwursts and cakes galore. I think this is the city where I ate and drank my weight in sausages and beer. Joe's lovely and delightful aunt is a longtime residence of this magical city. While we were visiting, she was kind enough to take us to the hills above Vienna for a breathtaking view of the city and the Danube River. From there we went for some authentic Viennese cuisine. So authentic I had no idea what the menu said, but we ended up with Wiener Schnitzel. It was like a five-star version of chicken fried steak. My mother would have been so proud. To continue on the topic of food, I had tasted the most delicious combination of beer possible in the Viennesse drink the Radler, a beer and lemonade delight. Sounds iffy, but trust me it's amazing. The next day was an action packed day. We walked around the city from 9 to 7 seeing everything possible. We started Freud museum, and meandered to the Rathaus, the Burgtheater, Stephansdom, the Vienna Opera House, Mozart's house, and the beautiful Schonbrunn palace. We decided since we experienced all of Vienna culturally it was necessary to experience its nightlife as well. It was an interesting night to say the least. Our final day was spent at Pratar riding the oldest ferris wheel and with Joe's aunt at her favorite restaurant. After losing track of time the Viennese residents witnessed us sprinting to make our bus to the airport. It was definitely something you would see on the Amazing Race.

Can't handle Vienna

Joe and his aunt

Freud's waiting room

My new home

Demel, home of the best Sacretorte

Beer and Bratwurst, perfect combo

View from the top of the oldest ferris wheel

Ballin' Out in Berlin

The next stop on the trip was Berlin. We only had 2 full days in Berlin, so Joe and I decided it needed to be done right. The trip began with a little confusion. Train stations were under construction therefore our directions to our apartment were no longer valid. But luckily a kind Irishman residing in Berlin was in the same boat. We ended up sharing a taxi with him to our destination. Once everything was settled, we were starved, as usual. It was time for some authentic German cuisine. To me that meant anything with beer, so I was surprised when we ordered pheasant and suckling pig knuckle. I know, it sounds somewhat disgusting, but it was delicious. Who would have thought? And of course we had beer. The next day it was time to explore. Since we became pros in Amsterdam, we rented bikes again. It was a little scarier this go-around because we were in the main road pedaling next to all the Mercedes and BMWs. We saw as many sights as we could possible fit into one day: Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburger Tor, the Reichstag, the TV tower, Alexanderplatz, the Holocaust Memorial, the Berliner Dom, and KaDeWa, the second largest department store behind Harrods in London. We were exhausted, but refueled with some currywursts, pretzels, and beer (of course) at KaDeWa. The day drained us. Berlin has one of the craziest nightlife scenes in the world, but we were too tired to see what a Monday night had to offer. Just another reason to go back. Instead we drank beers with our host at the apartment and had a fantastic evening.

Sounds tasty

Biking in Berlin

The TV Tour

Really cool crosswalk signals

Checkpoint Charlie

The remains of currywurst, beer, and pretzels

The BEST kebab 

The best breakfast I have had in Europe 

Jammin in the Dam

 What to say about Amsterdam? Well it was absolutely beautiful and clean...surprisingly. I had all these preconceived ideas about Amsterdam. I thought it's a huge party city with streets lined up with red lights for the ladies standing in the windows. I was right. But somehow it's all done in a somewhat classy way. After 10 weeks of separation Joe and I met up for my spring break. It was time for something crazy. We arrived in Amsterdam gawking over our new surroundings; the architecture, the canals, the "coffeeshops", the Red Light District, the food. (Ironically "Roxanne" by The Police was playing in the Red Light District as we witnessed a man purchase the services of a lady of the night.) The first night we strolled the city in circles trying to get our bearings around the labyrinth of a city. The following day we woke up, got lost some more, and finally made it to the Van Gogh museum. We had a great time, stopping and trying delicious treats along the way including Dutch fries (French fries but way better), waffles, pancakes, and pastries. That night we went to the Jam in the Dam music festival where we saw one of our favorite bands Lotus up close in personal. We even had the opportunity to talk to them after the show. The next day was packed with activities. We rented bikes from our lovely host and explored. We ended up at the IJ Brewery along the Amstel River. We were too late for the brewery tour, but that didn't stop us from sampling all of the house brews. Then we cautiously rode our bikes back to our apartment. The beer there is a little stronger than back at home. After resting for a bit, we meandered over the the Anne Frank house for a more educational experience, not that learning about beer isn't educational. Then it was time for the night's festivities; a St. Patrick's Day pub crawl sponsored by Jameson Whiskey. No need to say more about that.

Waffle on a stick...need I say more?

One of my favorite bands up close and personal

This is how they have to move any furniture because the houses are so narrow

Beer sampling at IJ Brewery 

The Infamous Red Light District

Dutch Fries

Biking around the Dam

A Nice Visit from Polandia

Last month we stayed in an amazingly fun hostel in Krakow. At this hostel, we were fortunate enough to have one of the nicest, friendliest hostesses, Olga. Our awesome sense of fun made us her favorite Americans. We made such an impression on her that she booked a flight out to Rome as soon as we left. The weekend of her visit finally arrived. This past weekend we were able to show off our proud city to our Polish friend. We took Olga to our favorite pizza place (which we have eaten at 3 times within the past 7 days), out on the town, and of course to all of our favorite must-see monuments. We were a fantastic team of tour guides. It was probably information overload for our Polish friend, but we all had a great time. It's so amazing to be able to say we are making friends from around the world. 

Chasing the Sunset...Literally

We had been cooped up all week cramming yet again, so as soon as midterms were finally over yesterday it was time to see our beloved Rome again. With our guidebook hidden (we can't look like tourists obviously) we headed to our unanimously favorite location in Rome, Piazza Navona. The sun was out, music was playing. It was yet again another lovely afternoon in the Eternal City. We had been to Piazza Navona countless times, but we had never entered Sant'Agnese in Agone, the church located in the center of the piazza. Why not go on a little church excursion. After visiting that church, we headed to the national French church as well as the only German church in Rome. We got our dose of God in for the day.
It was the golden hour. The sun was beginning to cast its golden rays upon the city. We saw a random building that looked really pretty in the setting sun. Then we looked to our left and found ourselves near Castel Sant'angelo. We all looked at each other and began to run towards it. Telepathically the three of us knew we had to be on top of Castel Sant'angelo at sunset. We were determined. We were three girls running through a park, past families and vendors chasing the setting sun. We quickly bought our tickets and sprinted up the numerous flights of stairs. It must have been hilarious watching three girls running through Hadrian's mausoleum like crazy people to capture10 minutes on top of the ancient fortress. We made it (a little sweaty), and it was more than worth it. The view was absolutely priceless. Watching the sun set behind the Vatican with two of my best friends solidifies the fact I am in love with this city and simply cannot leave.

Sant'Agnese in Agone

The setting sun we were up against

Literally running after the sun

Loss of words