Zer Ikusi, Hura Ikasi

I have long been home in Santa Cruz but I've still got lots of places and pictures to show and tell of!

After Rhodes I flew to Rome, where I "couchsurfed" with a Croatian man who, unfortunately, lived considerably outside the city center. For those of you who don't know "couchsurfing.com," it's a website where people can register and arrange to stay on random strangers' couches around the world for free. Of course it's important to check that they have been reviewed by other people who have stayed with them before and that they have been "verified" by couchsurfing.com through their credit card. I "couchsurfed" my first couple days upon arriving in Barcelona and was lucky to stay with such a hospitable gentleman. Unfortunately, the experience in Rome wasn't so great-- the guy wasn't very hospitable and seemed annoyed that I was staying with him, which of course begs the question: why in the world would he offer to host random people in his apartment??? I also happen to think that I am probably one of the least suspicious or seedy characters there are, and he treated me as though I might pull out my AK any minute. But I did learn my lesson about couchsurfing and how to detect the better and not-so-great hosts ahead of time. So then let's dive into the fun part of the experience, shall we?

I was immediately struck by Rome and Italy in general. My first day walking around Roma something inside of me seemed to light up and it was as though this was my city-- everything about it: the history, the food, the people, the buildings, the style, the attitude, felt like real life to me. And can't we all agree that the sound of Italians arguing (or just talking, yet sounding as though they are arguing) is one of the finer sounds this planet has to offer? Well, maybe some people wouldn't agree but I happen to much enjoy that aural sensation. I had an amazing time walking around all day and taking it all in.

Roman ruins, of course. The kitties enjoy it as a safe haven from the city.

The most striking historical piece I encountered in Rome was the Trajan Column, built in 106 A.D. I don't think I've ever seen a ruin so old yet so in tact, and so grand and intricately carved. It was spectacular:

The following shot is one of my favorite I've ever taken. I've titled it "Era Confusion." It may or may not be obvious, but the reflection is of the Colosseum.

Trevi Fountain: quite spectacular, I spent every night in Rome quietly sitting around it (and by "quietly" I refer only to my presence, not to the 500 tourists surrounding me or to the alternating 35 year old Italian man at my side hitting on me in broken English, without fail every night...)

I spent most of my last day at the Vaticani, which was absolutely astounding in size and grandeur. I know I may have talked up Marie Antoinette's Palace at Versailles as being the most extravagant structure there is, but after seeing the Vaticani I doubt anything else could top it. It's really overwhelming.

The following photos are of the halls and rooms inside the Vaticani on the way to the Sistene Chapel. I walked probably about a mile through hallways decorated to a T like the ones in these photos, in order to reach the Sistene.

So you can see that Rome is quite the place. I would have raved that it was my favorite city if I would have written this blog entry in time, but after visiting Prague a week later, I'm not so sure I can make that claim for Rome anymore. However, I love different cities for different things, and for food, historical ruins, people, art, color, and culture in general, Rome is the city and Italy the country to be.

My first trip after leaving Barcelona was to Rhodes, Greece. I went to this particular island because one of my best friends, Jackie, has a boyfriend, Alex, doing a study abroad program there. So she met me in Barcelona and we hopped on over to Rodos. Here's what we saw along the way....

Pretty pretty, huh?

Upon arriving, Alex arranged for us to stay at a hotel out in the middle of nowhere with no hot water or functioning showers (only a faucet to bathe in...) that had been owned by the same old couple named Sam and Ellen, for the last thirty years. However, it was the best accommodation we could have asked for. There was a beautiful pool, Sam and Ellen were the nicest people ever (although they spoke no English we were able to communicate) and Ellen cooked breakfast and dinner for us every day and it was the best homemade food I've ever had!
This is Sam:

I wish he would have smiled showing his one tooth!

Jackie and Alex in our hotel pool:

The Countryside:

The town of Rhodes:

Giant beer boots!

Ancient Ruins:

We spent quite a few days at the beach...
These pictures are of the Lindos area of Rhodes, which had the most beautiful beach I've ever been to. Totally tops Kauai.


The above picture shows the whitewashed village above the beach, and the ancient Roman castle above that.

We also went to a beach called Tsampika and then drove up to a monastery on the top of a hill that overlooked the beach.
This is Jackie's eye reflecting our beach umbrella:

View from the monastery:


Tsampika Beach:

Classic Greek Church:

Finally, possibly the best part about Greece... the gyros at 4 a.m.:

Yummmmmm....

So to sum it all up, Greece was a really cool place, actually a lot cooler than I expected. I thought of the European version of Hawaii, I suppose, and thus awaited a completely Americanized party beach scene in all corners of the isles. Yet most of Rhodes seemed "untouched" and functioned probably really similar to how it did 100 years ago. In the smaller towns, the older men sit out in front of the cafes smoking cigarettes and drinking all day over a game of cards, and walking by them you can't help feeling like they look at you as though you've arrived out of a time warp.
Last but not least, did you know that the feta cheese we have in the States isn't even real? They use cow's milk (of course) instead of sheep's milk, the latter of which is the correct way to make it. That and the olives are untouchable in their deliciousness by anyone else but Greece, I believe.
Stay tuned for my next stop: Roma, Italia...
Until then,
xoxoxoxoxo

I'm now traveling through Europe, but I thought I'd make one last entry to consummate my time in Barcelona. The following are an assortment of pictures from Barcelona that I didn't get a chance to post in here yet.

Sagrada Familia by Gaudí:

Typical Narrow Streets:

There was a day in Barcelona called "Día de Sant Jordi" that celebrates the Patron Saint of Barcelona. The story goes that he slayed a dragon to win the hand of a princess, and the dragon's blood turned into roses. So every year on April 23 the men in Catalunya give the women a rose. These ones were my favorite:

Some views of Barcelona:

Barcelona at Night:

Gaudí:

More Modernism (Gaudí's era and style):
Palau de la Musica by Domenech i Montaner

Gothic era cathedral (13th century) Basilica Santa Maria del Mar:

Barcelona Beach:

Gardens of my School University of Barcelona, the second oldest University in the world:

Park de la Ciutadella:

Friends Megan and I met in Barcelona:

Arroz Negro (Black Rice, the color is from being cooked in squid ink):

Bubbles! Gothic Quarter:

Plaza Reial on a Rainy Afternoon:

Barcelona, Constantly Under Construction:

The Ladies of my Casa:

All in all, studying in Barcelona was a really good experience. I had the best apartment in Barcelona because I was living with the best people in Barcelona, and traveling Europe right now is showing me that Barcelona was the perfect city to be a 21 year old student living in.
My top three lessons learned from living there have been (in no particular order):
1. How to treat people better, or how to always be a "lady" or "gentlemen" in your mannerisms. What I mean by this, is exhibiting a selflessness, an ability to go totally out of your way to help someone and to do it because you genuinely want to help them. To try to live better by creating a sense of community with the friends, family, and strangers around you.
2. This is a personal realization: I am not a city person. I always thought I was, and dreamed of living in New York or San Francisco, but as I've matured I realize the importance of quiet, nature, and a sense of familiarity and community with your surroundings, which is hard to feel in a big city.
3. I want to live somewhere that is bursting with history and art. Europe functions and sees things differently than the U.S. because of these two elements that make up their culture, and usually I find that I like that way of living better. As Henry Miller said in one of the last lines of Tropic of Cancer, "Here, where the river gentle winds through the girdle of hills, lies a soil so saturated with the past that however far back the mind roams one can never detach it from its human background."

Next entry I'll delve into the latter idea more with more tales of my travels around Europe, especially of the most spectacular city of Roma.

Much love,
Emily