I did go hang out in Piazza del Duomo for a little while in order to catch a glimpse of this magnificent church and have a sandwich (the panino Capri from Autogrill, always a winner in my book). The Cathedral of Milan is the world’s largest gothic cathedral and the world’s 4th largest church of any style. It was a huge structure that dominated the entire piazza and it’s surroundings. I wish I would have been able to go in!

On Monday I grabbed a train direct from Milan to Zurich. The ride was a relatively quick 4 and a half hours. During that time I read a book and enjoyed the scenery of the train snaking through the Alps. I took some videos of the ride and made a little movie. Please excuse the music, I did not choose that, and the horrible videography, transitions, etc. Filmmaker, I am not. And even if you don’t watch the whole thing, fast forward to last 10 seconds or so for the most beautiful part!

Because of our last minute weekend plans my trip back got somewhat altered from my original plans. I had intended on spending all day exploring Lugano, in Italian speak Switzerland, but that turned out to be a fairly impossible feat. Instead I got the 7:18 train out of Luzern and didn’t get to Lugano until well after the sun had set and everything had closed. I decided I would just head to my hostel and get a good night’s sleep. Something that had evaded me the past two nights. I had the directions that the hostel had emailed to me when I booked and I headed in what I thought was the right direction. No. So I walked the other direction. No. After doing this a couple more times, wondering if I had missed this elusive sign to the Ciao Bella Milano hostel I decided to just call and have them point me in the right direction as I was tired, it was dark and I had a nearly 60 pound suitcase with me.

“Go to the left, up some stairs, to the left again, up some more steps, to the left again, then the road curves and go right.” After getting lost a couple more times looking for the stairs (turns out instead of going out the main entrance next to platform 1, I needed to go out under platform 4) I found them. And boy, they weren’t kidding when they said a lot of stairs. I hauled this suitcase up about 4 flights of stairs and then was still wandering for about another 20 minutes until I found the place. I’m not sure if the directions were bad or if I am just that directionally challenged. But what is important is that I made it. And then proceeded to pass out cold until my alarm at 8.

The next morning was one of my classier moments in life. Many towels give out or rent towels. All do not. I do not own a towel here so I did not have one with me. This hostel was one of the one’s who didn’t have any sort of towels for guests. I had not showered since Friday. It was now Monday morning (shut up, I washed my face and dry shampooed my hair). When placed in do or die situations one must do things that don’t always seem the best idea. The small pink hand towel hanging in the communal unisex bathroom? Used it. Had to.

After I finally felt clean and presentable I headed to the train station to buy my ticket home. Of course, since I was back in an Italian speaking area I had to fend off the unwanted comments from men. About two minutes after leaving my hostel some guy started making comments to me and I just shot him a look. His response? ‘Che brutta faccia’ (What an ugly face). There’s only one appropriate response to that. ‘Vaffanculo’. OK. There might have been another. Walking away without saying anything. But Italians like to get angry with each other. I was only trying to fit in. Once I bought my ticket I had a few minutes to take a couple pictures of this enchanting Italy in Switzerland.

I can’t wait to go back when it is warmer for some hiking and sunning on the lake! It turned out that I had more than a ‘few’ minutes for my train. It was delayed about thirty. Apparently the Italian speaking Swiss are just as inefficient as the Italians. On the short 40 minute ride I had the pleasure of sitting next to two Italian girls who spent the first 10 minutes talking trash about me. Lovely. Tip for everyone: always assume that the people around you speak whatever language you are speaking. Especially if this language is A) English or B) the language of the country you are currently in. Anyway, because of the delay in Lugano I had to run through Milano Centrale to make my next train. Let me tell you, 10 cars of the Eurostar Frecciarossa is quite the long haul. Especially with said 60 pound suitcase. But I got myself and my belongings on seconds before the whistle blew, all the matters. I sat down in a seat away from everyone, turned on my iPod and thought about the amazing week in Switzerland that had just transpired.

Stay tuned for the details of my Swiss adventures!

That week a friend from back home who is an au pair in Zurich was in town visiting on her week off.  Since I was also off I figured it would be fun to see what Rome was like as a tourist.  Um, crazy.  The first day we did a nice free tour of ancient Rome and then did the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Forum trio.

After sweating it up under the hot Roman sun we decided to go back to Danielle’s hostel for a quick drink to relax and cool down.  Little did we know that this drink would turn into three nights of partying with some really cool people…  At her hostel (The Yellow, if you are looking for a fun place to stay with cheap drinks while in Rome) we met a bunch of Australians who really knew how to party.  Rome is not really know as being a nightlife capital of Europe (Italians don’t really drink in the same style as we do) but we definitely turned it into a party place.  Spanish Steps Pub Crawl 3 nights in a row.   Nothing really else to say regarding that one except for that it was a fantastically fun week.

The week after everyone left was my recovery week.  It was also a week of drastic temperature change.  The temperature went from sweating the second you stepped on the bus to winter coat is necessary in the matter of about 24 hours.  One morning I woke up to get coffee and it was a whopping 37 degrees out.  Slightly depressing.  You will be happy to know though, that the temperature did warm back to much more reasonable mid 70s the next couple of weeks.

During these two weeks in Rome I was lucky enough (note the sarcasm) to find myself in the middle of three different political demonstrations.  Romans really love to strike and stage protests, large gatherings and the like in order to state their beliefs and try to change the actions of the government.  I’m not really sure how successful these demonstrations are but they are frequent and often very large.  The first protest was in Piazza del Popolo the day I got back from Florence.  I had no idea what was going on but I started walking down the metro stairs and immediately knew the true meaning of the phrase ‘salmon swimming upstream’.  Thousands of people were filing off the trains and up to the Piazza.  This particular protest was against Berlusconi’s attempts at silencing and controlling the media.  Apparently something like 500,000 people attended the demonstration.  Later that afternoon I stumbled across another, much smaller, manifestazione (the Italian word for these lovely events).  This one was outside the Institute of Public Education.  I’m still a little unclear as to what this WEEK LONG event was trying to accomplish but on a few of the days there was quite the police presence.

The last Saturday I was in Rome I happened across another one of these joyous occasions on the way home from the mall.  Because they were protesting right near the biggest transportation hub in Rome my bus was severely detoured, late or just wasn’t coming.  So I walked the 2 miles home.  This one particular event was a protest against institutionalized racism.  I only caught the beginning but it apparently got to be pretty large, which I can believe as people were heading en masse towards Piazza della Repubblica as I was trying to get away.

It was the day after this that I had to leave Rome again.  I had a week to kill before my move in with my family was to take place.  Once again I packed my three huge suitcases and deposited them for safekeeping and then headed to Termini to catch a train.  This time I was crossing international borders!

I had originally thought that I was going to be able to move in with my host family around the second week of October so I planned to go to Florence for 5 days to kill some time while I was homeless and see something new.  Well, newish, as I’d already been to Florence for a hot minute in the spring.  I found myself what ended up being a great hostel, stashed my huge suitcases at friend’s houses around Rome and jumped on the Eurostar to Firenze Santa Maria Novella.

The beauty and magic that most people speak about after visiting Florence had escaped me during my first visit.  It had been short.  I spent what was basically only a day in the city, climbing to the top of the Duomo and visiting the Accademmia to see Michelangelo’s David, and just wasn’t impressed.  I felt surrounded by tourists and that the city lacked any ‘realness’.  This time that all changed.  I was struck by the beautiful red tiled roofs, the small cobblestone streets that would probably be more accurately described as alleyways in the United States and the charming cafes and piazzas.  The slower pace and relaxed atmosphere was a nice break from the loud, chaotic, hustle and bustle of Rome.

I spent my days in Florence alternating between sightseeing and relaxing in different piazzas around the city.

Every morning as I walked into the center of town I was greeted with this spectacular view, the Duomo peeking out of the haze.  From there I continued on my journey to a cappuccino and cornetto (Italian version of the croissant, and much better in my valued and non biased opinion).  One morning I dined at Caffe Giacosa at Roberto Cavalli’s flagship store.  It really wasn’t anything that special but I sat outside and window shopped things I can’t afford!

One day I ventured on up to Piazzale Michelangelo which boasts an impressive view of the city and another copy of the David.  It’s a shame I never made it up for sunset which is when the view is supposed to be truly breathtaking.  There’s always next time, right?

I also used this extended trip to take advantage of Florence’s location and take some day trips.  First up was Lucca, a medieval town about an hour and a half away.  Lucca is heralded in all the guidebooks and talked about my almost every visitor to Tuscany as a place you cannot miss.  Me?  I wasn’t that impressed.  It wasn’t horrible but I didn’t love it, or even like it that much.  For full disclosure, I was stalked by an Albanian man for a portion of the day which may have contributed to my less than stellar impression of the city.  But it didn’t end there.  Lucca is a small town and the whole place was overflowing with tourists.  I heard more people speaking German and English than I did Italian.  There were tacky plastic signs hung up all over the place leading people along the “tourist trail” planned out by the city.  If you are looking for a great medieval Tuscan town, I’d pick Siena any day over Lucca.  My favorite part of the city, though?  These walls.

Lucca is still surrounded by the walls used to protect the city from attacks during Italy’s unruly past.  Today you can walk, run, or bike on them and they offer a nice view of the city and surrounding countryside.

My other stop was Fiesole which was recommended to me by an acquaintance who grew up there.  Fiesole is a small hillside town that overlooks Florence.  It is actually reachable by Florentine public transportation and I was truly surprised when I arrived and there was almost no one else there!  The city has a cute main piazza and also boasts Etruscan ruins and some old monasteries and churches, as well as views of Florence and the Tuscan countryside.  I wandered around for a while in the beautiful weather taking pictures and exploring before finally settling down for a delicious lunch and glass of vino at a restaurant view a tremendous view.  A great way to end my week in Tuscany, if I do say!

It was quite hazy that day but you can make out the Duomo in the center!

What else did I do while in Florence?  EAT!  My first day at the hostel I met a wonderful woman from Cincinnati, Shannon, who shared a passion for eating good food.  Florentine/Tuscan cooking is, in my opinion, much better than Roman cooking so I thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Rick Steves recommended eateries.  Some of the great things we tried?  Crostini toscani (toasted bread with chicken liver pate), ravioli with meat sauce, a Tuscan bread soup, rabbit with polenta…and a lot of Chianti!

While I was in Florence I heard back from my host family saying I wouldn’t be able to move in for a few more weeks.  Thus commenced a new wave of planning where to squat until I had a home…

As many of you have heard, I left my family.  After giving myself time to adjust to the jet lag and cultural differences I realized I was very unhappy.  The situation was not what it had been made out to be and I wasn’t doing the job I thought I had come to Rome to do.  After days of tears and uncertainty I left notice with my host mother and packed my bags.  It was a scary and trying week or so but I got through it and am now much happier.  I am very lucky to have met some amazing friends so quickly in Rome.  Without them (and my parents who suffered through many the hysterical international call), I probably would have booked the first flight back to Detroit.

After a few days of perusing the various au pair sites on the internet I had an interview with a new family.  I met them at their apartment in a very nice part of the city that is near the main university and on one of the metro lines.  Almost immediately I felt welcome and at home.  They are very friendly and the job description is much more in line with what I had originally thought I would be doing.  I also have a beautiful room and wireless.  Yes, I will soon be able to video chat with everyone at home.  Exciting.  They have two daughters, Francesca (10) and Chiara (7), who are well behaved and friendly.  My start date is a little up in the air right now but I am very excited to become part of this new family.

Oh, and I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on me, please have snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree.  (Song reference, got it?)  Really though, I will be home for two weeks around the holidays!  It will be nice to be able to spend that time with my family.  And also re stock up on toiletries and books.

I’ve been in Florence and around since Monday enjoying my week off.  Pictures and stories of this Tuscan adventure to follow when I return to Roma.

A presto!

I got here safe and sound.  The flight was not bad.  Non-stop is extremely nice.  I got to Fiumicino around 11 am Rome time and had to wait around 90 minutes for my bags.  The Italian way.  Donatella (my host mother) was there waiting for me.  We went home and I met the kids and we had a nice lunch before she left to run some errands.  I spent the day playing cards with the kids and eating gelato (yum).  The next couple of days were extremely hard.  I live very far away from where I did last time I was in Rome and didn’t know my way around, I was exhausted with jet lag and I experienced culture shock that I was not expecting.  I realized that when I studied here I lived like an American in Italy and now I am living like an Italian.  There are some huge differences.  A big one is the fact that they set and clear the table for three meals a day.  I’m talking tablecloths, place mats, silverware, 3 dishes each, and the list goes on.  Slowly I am getting used to what I have to do and feeling more comfortable with the family.  It’s a process and it will take some time.  I just need to remember this!

On Saturday I finally ventured out on my own.  I navigated my way to the Ottaviano metro stop (near the Vatican) to buy my transport pass.  I can now ride all buses, metros and trams in Rome for the year without fear of getting caught without a ticket.  Nice.  Then it was time for a jaunt to my old neighborhood, Trastevere.  I had a kebab at the place next to my old apartment.  The woman who works there remembered me!  I guess it isn’t all that surprising considering I went there close to 3 times a week for 4 months.  I was also able to grab a suppli from the best suppli place on earth and sit in Santa Maria in Trastevere for a while.

This church is one of my favorite places in Rome.  It is beautiful and while I was there the sun was shining through the windows making it look even more spectacular.  I continued my day by getting my Italian phone number set up and then I met 2 other au pairs.  We grabbed a drink by a cafe next to the Colosseum.  After a rain storm ended we got up and began walking to dinner where we were treated to this beautiful sight:

The sun setting over Il Vittoriano with the Colosseum at the side.  Rome truly is a beautiful city.  Yesterday I met back up with some people and we headed to Castel Sant’Angelo.  It has served a variety of purposes over the years, part was built by Emperor Hadrian and was a fortress to the city, it was later used a medieval prison, the pope used to go there when Rome came under siege and most recently is was featured prominently in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.  The best part in my opinion?  The amazing views of Roma and St. Peter’s.

So far this week has been about getting used to the school schedule and acclimating myself to the job.  Until next time, ciao!

Oh, and GO BLUE!

AS Roma

AS Roma is one of two teams that play in Rome, and the one I support. Also called i giallorossi (literally translated, the yellow reds), the crest shows an image based on the founding of the city of Rome. Two years ago Roma was Serie A champions and won the Coppa Italia. Unfortunately, last year they had a disappointing season and after losing the first two games of this season Roma has underwent a coaching change. Roma plays at Stadio Olimpico which was built for the 1960 Olympics held in Rome. It is the second largest soccer stadium in the country after San Siro in Milan.

Francesco Totti is a name you will probably be seeing a lot in this blog.  He is the team’s captain and probably the most beloved player on the team.  Totti was born and raised in Rome and has only played with on team his whole career- Roma.  Oh, and he’s also extremely good looking.  My mom took this picture of him scoring the winning goal when we went to Stadio Olimpico for a game against Bologna in April.  Isn’t it great?

The Italian National Team

The Italian National team, or the Azzurri as they are called (blue, as in the color they wear), are the reigning World Cup Champs.  This means they automatically qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.  Unfortunately, if the teams performance in this summer’s Confederation Cup is any indication, back to back World Cup championships for Italy are probably not in the cards.

Both the teams are struggling but I will definitely be following both over in Rome.  Forza Roma e Forza Azzurri!

Why am I going back to Rome?

I really fell in the love with the city while I was there. It is hard to explain why. Rome is dirty. It is crowded and often blisteringly hot. Rome is a city you either love or hate and it’s definitely not for everyone. But when you look further, past even the Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel, Rome is beautiful, mysterious and you can find something magical and new everyday. When I was there I was the happiest I have ever been. I knew even before I left that I had to return.

What am I doing in Rome?

I am going to be an au pair. It is similar to a nanny in the United States but not it is not focused on raising the children so much. I am living with a family in the northern part of the city, about a 20 minute bus ride from the historical city center and will be caring for three “children”, 15 and 13 year old girls and a 10 year old boy. I am considered a part of the family and will take meals with them and even accompany them on trips. My host mother seems very nice and I am excited to meet her. My main duties are picking the kids up from school, taking them to after school activities, helping them with homework and helping them improve their English. During the week I have most of the day off. I will spend this time studying the Italian language and exploring the city! I will even have time to travel around Italy on the weekends.

Am I nervous? Excited?

Both. It is somewhat nerve wracking to leave the country, my family and my friends for a year but I also know this is an amazing opportunity and I am very excited to return to Rome, improve my Italian and really live like a Roman.

I leave a week from today, on September 7. Time to get packing!