My Mini OE - Rome

So I have to confess I wish I stayed in Perugia. I probably shouldn't say that because I was in a beautiful city but there are too many tourists, I kept getting a headache around 2:30pm and the place just doesn't have the right vibe for me. Its like London, I can't really say I'm not enjoying it because it isn't all bad but I find that I'm not loving it as much as I've been loving others.

On the 16th of may I left a rainy Perugia and took the train back to Rome, I found the instructions given to me on how to get to the hostel were incorrect and I ended up getting lost. Once I got to the hostel I was very happy though because it was very welcoming. The place had free internet and computers to use so I wouldn't have to find an internet cafe or use my phone to write these blog posts, Definitly a perk!

I then decided to go for a walk and check out the area and find a good restaurant to eat dinner in. I came across a square that was filled with restaurants so I had lots of options, I decided on a restaurant that had gnocchi and tiramisu on its menu as I wanted to try both. I felt like the evening was well spent and I made my way back to the hostel for a good nights sleep by walking along the tiber and loving the beautiful view of the river at night.

A delicious Pimms drink

Delicious Gnocchi with Buffalo mozzarella

A tiramisu that I could unfortunately not finish

The view from my seat was excellent, I could watch all the street performers and people walking about

The river at night, so gorgeous!

The next day I decided to go to Vatican City. I didn't really know what to expect apart from what I had seen in films and I hoped for a good day. I joined what looked like a long queue and I was very lucky to stand behind a man with a cane who was more than happy to use the cane to tell others not to push in. Anytime someone stood near the line and looked like they were trying to join in he would tap them on the shoulder with his cane! 

The queue was for the basilica not the Vatican Museum so I wondered what it would be like, It was part museum part church. What I mean by that is as you enetered the buidling you saw religious statues and decorations which was what people were taking photos of and tourists were checking out then they were having a service further down the building and they had closed it off so people that were like me would be detered from going down unless we wanted to take part in the service.  

I loved all the beautiful decorations and thought the music they were playing for the service added a tranquility to the place. I felt very peaceful and satisfied which I think is how the church orchestrates it, I'm not religious and I thought that it would be easy to be religious if this was how they presented their religion. I don't think I would like being Protestant if they are so different from Catholics who seem to love pretty things to look at while they serve god.

I went outside and noticed that people were annoying me, mainly because they were being too touristy and It was starting to get on my nerves. I wanted to take photos and be a tourist also but not be a sheep and follow the crowd so Instead of taking photos of a beefeater I took a photo of people taking photos of a beefeater.

The next stop was the vatican museum and I made my way there past people selling cheap leather bags and random toys for children.

It was nice for the first half an hour but I realize now that I can only take in so much artwork, After the Louvre I think I was done with Museums/Galleries. Its like eating too much cake, eventually you feel sick and want to have a lie down. 

For me anyway.

By the time I was halfway through I wanted to go toilet and leave but It felt like there was no ending, like they were forcing me to enjoy art which just pissed me off so when I found a toilet and the end I made my way to a restaurant over the road and enjoyed a pizza.

The stairs at the end.

So once I finished the pizza I went shopping and thought I'd catch the metro, I got off at a stop near the Trevi fountain which I wanted to see so I had a look around the shops and then at about 5pm I wandered over to the fountain and it was so packed!

I threw a coin in the fountain and made a wish, then I headed back to the hostel. It was tricky figuring out how to get there but I got to see lots of the city and I ended walking past the Pantheon which was closed but in a lovely location.

I then went out for dinner and ate a crappy Tiramisu. It tasted like the fridge and was cold, blurghh!

The next day I thought about going to the Colosseum and when I got there It was so full of people that I gave up, I also couldn't find a toilet and had to go to a restaurant which was so far away that I decided to shop for gifts for my friends and for myself. I had an awesome day!

On my way to the Colosseum I saw this picturesque ruin.

One of the funny shops I saw

I came across this excellent shop and you have to check it out if you ever go to Rome, especially if you  like the kinds of things I wear like vintage style clothing.

www.facebook.com/HYDRA2

They were so helpful and the two guys who own it are really lovely and speak great english so they can help you if you don't know much Italian like me!


Later on in the evening I went out and got takeaway Pizza and Tiramisu to eat in the kitchen at the hostel, I ended up chatting with two American woman, a woman from Sydney and a woman from Brazil. The Tiramisu was awesome by the way!

I forgot to take a photo before I started eating it and It was so good I had nearly finished by the time I remembered to take a photo!

So Rome wasn't what I expected and I won't be going back anytime soon but I enjoyed the food and the shopping so It was still a great experience.

I'm in Oviedo at the moment with Mum, John, Alex, Josh and Duncan so I won't be blogging anytime soon. Expect a massive blog next time!

My Mini OE - From Paris to Perugia

 

On the day I left Paris I had to get up at 4:30 am to catch my 7:10 am flight, Paris at 5 in the morning is awesome if a little dirty. My feet got so dark with dust and dirt. 

I got to the airport with little stress and it was straight onto Perugia from Rome once I got into Roma termini. Or was it.

A beautiful Roman morning

Leaving the airport in Rome is strangely easy, I got my bag and found the exit but the exit is where it gets strange. You see two options ahead of you, Anything to declare and nothing to declare. The only thing is they have no-one checking you if you say you have nothing to delare, you just walk on out.

I then got my ticket to Roma Termini Station and I was lucky to overhear an american say to her partner that you must validate the tickets before boarding the train in italy otherwise you can be fined $100 Euros. Once I arrived at the station I went to purchase my train ticket to Perugia where I would be staying two nights and it was quite easy for me, I was aware that in Rome there are a lot of people trying to get money off of you so when I got to the Bigiletti Machine I saw warning signs stating that anyone not wearing the official uniform trying to help at the ticket machines was to be ignored. I was lucky in that they didn't bother me because they were "helping" other people but when one of them spoke to me I said "I know" rudely and they backed off. 

Rome Termini is Dirty and gross, beggars are always coming up to you and its not what you'd expect from Rome Decoratively but luckily its a transporation area not a destination. Unfortunately I missed my train because I was at platform 2 and not 2e which isn't at the end of platform 2 but at the end of platform 1.  

I am not amused, I am a muppet

While I waited I grabbed some lunch and sat outside in the sun eating and hydrating. I was feeling tired and thinking to myself why don't I just go to the hostel I'm staying in in Rome and see if I can stay two extra nights but luckily I didn't and I now wish I stayed in Perugia an extra 3 nights! 

Just being creative, (Its the train to Perugia)

Once I managed to get to the hostel in Perugia (after a lot of sweat, a little bit of wet eyes and help from a Peruvian lady) I checked in and felt refreshed and happy. I was at my destination and it was beautiful!! I had a beautiful view and the bathrooms were like roman spas

I got a Pizza, and went to sleep.

Yummmmm

 

Perugia

I was lucky enough to have the time of one Reilly W. who, even though he was in the middle of exams, was an excellent tour guide. I meet Amanda his girlfriend, Genna W. his sister, her fiance Gavin and his newly married friends! We were all shown around the beautiful town of Perugia and then had a lunch of Pizzas.

Lots of people out enjoying the sun and sitting, which is what most Old Italian men do. Just sit. And stare.

Stylish Italian People, Look a man wearing white pants!

You go shopping and walk past this

I would make some sleazy joke about sleeping at Hotel Anna, but I'll leave that for you

Just pass this every day without going, wow I learn here

This is a room for learning, Imagine learning here

We also saw where Reilly studied and went into one of the class rooms which had a chalk board with chalk and a duster. I was so impressed with Perugia, It is such a charming town.

A view at the university

The gardens of the university

This is still part of the university

Another arty shot, check out the lady bug.

After lunch Reilly and Amanda took me to Reillys Dads Villa as they wanted to show me the countryside of Umbria which is the region Perugia is in. We drove past Assisi and went into Montefalco which were as lovely looking as Perugia. The rest of the afternoon was just me tagging along with Amanda as she showed me around, Amanda is cool. She is a feminist like me and is funny and I really respect her. Girl crush time! :)

In the evening Reilly and Amanda and I went to dinner at a local Ristorante and enjoyed a lovely Italian meal in which I got to have Tiramisu! My plan is to have it every day at a different restaurant while I'm in Italy. I've already gained weight but I don't care, I love my lady lumps.

We had Bruschetta for 3 people, One is covered in grated truffle and was the first time I had truffle, the other is Tomato and the third is Buffalo Mozzarella. Yum!

This was the delicious Triamisu, Amanda said she has had better so I'm going to say it was inviting and the chocolate covering really added a nice touch to the otherwise simple tasting dish. Or something foodie along those lines.

The next day I then caught the train back to Rome and got a little wet in the rain that they had as I left in Perugia.

The view from my hostel at night

The view during the day