When in Trastavere...

Anyone who knows me can vouch that I have been dreaming of traveling to Italy for years. This past weekend, while most of the American students in Prague took a train ride to Vienna, Sam and I made a tiny detour...to Rome!

Our apartment ended up being located in what was touted as the perfect neighborhood, Trastavere. Trastavere is on the southwest side of the Tiber River, below Vatican City, and it consists of several universities and an eclectic mix of restaurants, bars, shops, churches, cafes, and local Roman residents.

On our first night we found an aperitif bar that was just around the corner. At L'aperitivo, one pays around 8 euros for an aperitif, or an alcoholic drink that is normally consumed before one's meal. Then, with the show of your receipt, you have access to a delicious and variant antipasto buffet. Freni e Frizioni was apparently appeared to be the most favored bar in the neighborhood, with groups of younger local patrons and tourists alike spilling out of the small locale and into the square along the main street.

Despite being intrigued by the nightlife that was peaking all around us, we collapsed in our beds soon after dinner, weary from our day of traveling, and woke up early the next morning when our tourist endeavors ensued!

The Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Sistine Chapel - we saw it all. The fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome, and the Pantheon is extremely well preserved and has been in used consistently since its construction. Sam was an awesome tour guide and, having been to Rome before, she managed to map out some pretty efficient routes. Over the course of just less than 3 full days we were able to witness a striking collection of some of the most significant remaining architectural and historical structures that are still standing today. Watching slides of the Pantheon flash before your eyes during an Architectecture & Society lecture more than pales in comparison to seeing these structures in person.

What struck me the most about Rome is how condensed the city way. The historic center especially has several monuments packed into such a small area, with modern building having sprung up around every corner. I can only imagine living and working in a city where you pass the Fontana di Trevi every morning when you ride your moped to work.

And on our way to the airport on Sunday, only minutes before we caught the Metro to Termini Station, we stopped to take in the Spanish Steps at the Piazza di Spagna.

(London is Like a) Heat Wave

Once again, I had to go there and quote a song to express what London feels like right now. Instead of the famous Motown song "(Love is like a) Heatwave," London is actually experiencing a heat wave right now. When I tell you the temperature is in the 80s here, you probably wouldn't think twice because it is somewhere near a blistering 95 degrees in Philadelphia; however, London rarely sees temperatures above the 70s and so they are calling this a heat wave right now. It hasn't even rained in a week! Apparently, London hasn't seen sunny skies and temperatures such as these in seven years! Lucky me...

Despite the heat and lack of air conditioning in this country, I have continued to go out and explore. Last week was our first trip to Shakespeare's Globe theater with my Shakespeare and Elizabethan English class. We went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream. Staying true to typical Shakespearean times, we stood for the entire play. I am happy that we did because we were right near the stage to see and hear everything that was going on. Before going to see the show, the only knowledge I had about it was the part America Ferrera played in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. I came to find out a great deal more after watching the play and seeing how the characters interacted. They even made the audience get involved! The atmosphere was much different than any play I've ever been to before, mostly because there was no roof (actors had to adjust to the outside sounds such as planes and birds flying overhead) and the building was shaped like a circle. Yesterday, we went back to the Globe with our other class, but instead of seeing a play we went on a tour. We were informed about the history of the globe and learned how Shakespeare would have conducted his plays. During his time, the cast would be made up solely of males and rather than having copies of the play to hand out, each actor only got the lines of their character written on a scroll and rolled up, this is why their part is called a "role."

Last Wednesday, after discussing the play we saw the previous day, two of us decided to go to Brick Lane. From the very first day that we met British people here, they were telling us to go to Brick lane for Indian Cuisine. It may be hard to believe, it was for me at least, but Chicken Tikka Masala is actually the favorite dish of the Brits, not fish and chips! We took the tube to the Aldgate stop and had a minor set back when we could not figure out where Brick lane was in relation to us, but luckily we have been trained to always have our maps with us! On our journey from the tube to Brick lane, we stumbled upon “Petticoat Lane Market” which was actually a magnificent find! We spent some time walking around the market and taking in the different shops and kiosks that were set up there. After a little while, we decided to continue our journey and we found even cuter little shops! By the time we reached Brick lane, we were famished and so ready to have some Indian food. One of the unique things about Brick lane is that men line the street trying to get people to eat at their restaurants. The way that we chose were to eat was based on the amount of people in the restaurant, so we ate at the most crowded place and let me tell you it was delicious! It was my first time trying Indian food and I was not disappointed. After dinner, we shopped a little bit more and we discovered the mecca of vintage stores; it is called Blitz. They had everything from refurbished Converse to old records and even older books. Unlike many other vintage stores I’ve been in before in Philly and New York, there was not that distinct smell of used clothing. Instead it smelled fresh and clean as if the clothing didn’t have years of history and memories attached to them.

Thursday was the fourth of July and I was a bit hesitant about celebrating our independence from the country that I am currently in. Nevertheless, I decided to wear my Free People American flag scarf. Before class, we went to take pictures at the infamous Platform “9 ¾” from Harry Potter. I have only ever seen the first movie, but I went along with my flat mates because as a tourist I felt like I just had to! Then we had class and after class, we went to Selfridges. We went on a day where Free People was having a pop up shop in the department store, so that was comforting to see a familiar brand in a store that I have never been in. My fear about being “too American” was squashed when two girls who worked at Selfridges started talking to me about how cool New York is and then proceeded to wish me a happy 4^th of July. That night, we went to a bar called Bar Rumba which to my surprised was packed with Americans, some wearing American flags as capes…that to me was a little bit much, but it was kind of nice to almost feel like I was at home on the 4^th, minus a firework display.

On Friday, we went to Parliament for a tour. It was a beautiful day to see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. During our tour we learned all about the Royal family and how decisions are made in Parliament. While we were in the House of Lords, our tour guide explained that the four seats in the front of the room would possibly one day be filled by Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and then the Royal baby whether it is a boy or a girl! Our tour guide also filled us in on all of the traditions that parliament members still engage in today such as bowing before they enter the room to vote because back in the day, members of Parliament would send their servants to vote on their behalf but by bowing, one could tell if the member is wearing a wig or not by checking the back of their neck. Members of Parliament would always be wearing a white wig and so if the person was not wearing a wig, they were not a MP (member of Parliament.) This practice is still done today obviously not because the MPs wear wigs, but just out of tradition. After Parliament, three of us went to a sushi dinner and then to see the Bling Ring movie that came out that day here. The movie theater was pitch black and it was difficult to see where we were going, the other strange thing was that there was nothing playing on the screen until 21:00 when the movie was set to start and that is when previews began playing. People also didn’t start coming into the theater until about then so for about fifteen minutes, we were the only three in whole theater.

On Saturday I decided to venture out on my own again. My friend who studied in London for five months told me that if I ever feel homesick to go to Westfield Mall and I would feel right at home. She was most definitely right! Westfield had stores like Zara, Urban Outfitters and Mango. It also had its fair share of stores customary to the UK that I enjoyed exploring. I spent about 4 hours there and only navigated the second floor! I got an iced coffee but it was more like a frapaccino because the ice was blended. That is one of the things that I am getting used to here—iced coffee is not a delicacy of theirs. I am happy to say that I navigated the tube on my own and had a lovely day shopping at the mall. I got a few books that were on sale. One was an Opening Ceremony book that features a catalog of Chloe Sevigny and her collection for OC. On Saturday night, almost all of us ventured into Camden to check out the nightlife. The bar we went to, The Monarch, does themed nights and luckily Saturday was “Soundtrack night.” That was right up my alley! I got to dance and sing along to songs from some of my favorite movies such as Grease and Dirty Dancing.

London Calling

Not to sound trite and quote the famous song, "London Calling" by The Clash but as a study abroad student in London, it is inevitable that at least one Facebook photo album or blog post will be labeled as such.

Today is my eleventh day here in London, the Royal Borough of South Kensington to be exact. I boarded the plane at JFK airport in New York not knowing what to expect. Luckily, the seven hour plane ride was not too bad, but when I arrived at Heathrow airport, I was confronted with the fact that I was all alone in another country. It was up to me to retrieve my luggage and get myself to where I would call home for the next ten weeks. I got through customs without too much of a wait, but when I got to the terminal to pick up my luggage, only one of my bags was there. I waited around for a while and thought to myself, "At least the suitcase with all my clothes is here." This thought was very D&M of me. Then I realized that the bag that was missing had all of my toiletries.

Things that are probably a bit more important than my clothes. After everyone else had already gotten their bags, I went over to the service desk where they very abruptly informed me that my bag had gone to the wrong terminal and I would just have to wait. So I went back over and sat. I sat there thinking about how tired I was and how I still had to find my way to my flat. Finally, my precious bag was sent out on the conveyor belt and once I had it in my possession, I wished that I had more than two arms to wheel both suitcases and carry a duffle bag and backpack with.
I made my way outside of the airport and to my surprise, it was not raining. I found myself a black cab (these cabs are supposedly the most safe and the drivers have to pass a rigorous test and go through years of training before they can become a cab driver) to take me to my destination. There was so much traffic that it felt like I was never going to get where I needed to go but after about an hour and 80 pounds (equivalent to about $122.00) later, I was at my building on Manson Place and ready to get settled into flat 18E. Flat 18 is located on the third floor, so those two suitcases that I absolutely had to bring with me had to then be carried by yours truly up to my room (there is no elevator.)

After I settled into my room, I went out with two of my flat mates to get breakfast. I don't know if it was because I hadn't eaten or slept and was delirious, but the ham and cheese croissant that I ordered was the best thing that I have ever eaten. The next few days were extremely jam packed with tours and exploring. We had an orientation where we learned about what our classes would be like and got our schedules. We also received a quick lecture about the difference between the United Kingdom, England and Great Britain. In all honesty, I am still trying to figure it out, but it was enlightening to hear that they are actually all different and referred to in different ways by people here. We took a bus tour that our program set up and got to see great landmarks such as West Minster Abbey, the London Eye, the London Bridge and many more. Although it was a lot to take in, it was nice to get a taste of London culture from real British people. The tour also helped me to understand where everything is in relation to where I am living. Luckily for me, Kensington Palace where Will and Kate live is in walking distance from our flat!

Classes started last Monday, June 24th at 1PM. I was thankful for this late start because I was still adjusting to the time difference. I actually think that I might still be jet lagged. The five hour difference although it doesn't sound like much is definitely a big change to get used to especially when I am waking up at 9AM and in Philadelphia it is only 4AM. It makes it a lot harder to keep in touch with my friends and family because they are sleeping when I am awake and ready to chat and vice versa. I am waiting to see if I can get into a groove where there are designated times that I can talk to my parents. After that first class, I decided to go to a pub where our professor informed us that David Beckham frequents. Although I didn't get to see Beckham, it just so happened that Kate Moss was filming a Stuart Weitzman commercial right outside. For everyone that knows me, they know that I am insanely obsessed with celebrities, so at first when I saw the blonde outside the pub, I thought that maybe it was Blake Lively because she had just gotten to London with Ryan Reynolds, but then Kate ever so slightly turned her head and looked in the pub window and with those cheek bones of hers, it was undeniable that it was her. I went outside where there weren't too many people and was able to walk up and down the street only two times and it was a wrap. To say that I had an eventful first day of classes would be an understatement!

I spent the rest of last week getting used to my class schedule and figuring my way around Kensington. Classes are four hours each, so even though I only have one a day, Monday-Thursday, it is still an adjustment to get used to sitting in a classroom for four hours, especially with so many places that I have yet to see here. On Friday, I decided to explore a little bit on my own and went into the soho area. I took the tube three stops and ended up in the Picadilly area which is much like Times Square in Manhattan in that there are tons of tourists as well as big signs and theaters. It took me a little while to find where I wanted to go which was a bookstore that I had passed on Wednesday night when we were in that area to see a very amusing play called "39 Steps." First, I came across Carnaby Street which has many stores and cafes. Some stores that lined Carnaby include Diesel, Levis, Libery London and MAC. I stopped into all of these stores along with a few others. Eventually when I did find the bookstore I was looking for, I wandered inside and came to find that it doubled as a sex shop! You can imagine my surprise when I realized that I was the only girl in the store and trying innocently to look at books about Vivienne Westwood and Pucci. Needless to say, I did not stay there long, but I would go back just because the array of fashion books that they do have to offer is quite impressive! I just may have to bring a friend the next time...Overall, I think that my adventure on my own to soho was one of my favorite because I was really able to take in my surroundings and appreciate them. When I become more comfortable here, I definitely see a lot more alone time in my future. On Friday night there was a free event at the Victoria and Albert Museum which is conveniently close to us. The V&A holds these free events on the last Friday and every month and we happened to go to the museum earlier in the week with our British Culture and Media class and heard about the event. There was live music and featured works from Dalston, an area of England. My favorite part of the museum was the fashion exhibit where fashions from as early as the 18th Century where on display right up to some of 2013's latest fashion pieces. My personal favorite era as of late is the 1920's and the pieces that were on display from that time looked like something straight out of Gatsby.

On Saturday, my flat mates and I went to the gay pride parade here in London.
Although I am from New York, I have never been to a pride parade before so yet again, it was an all new experience for me. It was amazing to see all the people and their families who are so dedicated to the cause and to see how happy they are to be standing up for what they believe in. The parade started in Oxford Circus and ended in Trafalgar Square, so I was able to take in two more sites that I had only ever heard of before. On Sunday, the weather was absolutely beautiful, a rare 80 degrees so we decided to spend it outside. Four of us went to Kensington Palace for high tea. The garden there was breathtaking! I am tired just thinking about all that I have already done and everything that is left to do! But I look forward to all that is to come during my remaining weeks in jolly old London!

Crash Course: Prague 101

Hello, and welcome to d&mAbroad! My name is Courtney and I'll be one of several bloggers reporting from the city of Prague this summer as I wrap up my junior year. It's likely you were able to infer that I'm a design & merchandising student at Drexel, but over the course of the summer I'll also be working towards my minor in art history and continuing to build my skills as an amateur photographer. I'll be enrolled in a survey of architecture and design as well as a street photography course, so prepare yourselves for loads of photos. Additionally, I've been granted the wonderful opportunity to develop a project for the study abroad department as part of a scholarship program, so hopefully I'll be able to provide you with updates along the way. 

I've known since my freshman year of college that Prague was the city for me. Since I've been accepted into the program, though, news of my travels have been met with resounding...ambivalence. "Oh! Prague? Where's that?"

(Image credit)

Nestled between Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria, Prague is the capital city of the Czech Republic. The history of this city spans a millennium: it once served as the seat of the Holy Roman Empire and Prague Castle is noted as the oldest ancient castle in the world. A coworker once referred to it as "the jewel of Central Europe" with numerous cultural hubs merely a train ride away. While I will be spending an additional month in Prague, I fully plan to take advantage of its central location. I'll be venturing to Vienna, Budapest, Rome, Berlin, Paris, and London before I make my way home to the states. 

Over the past three weeks, those of us enrolled in the program have been attending a "crash course" in Czech language and culture. We've been assigned a series of readings, plays and political manifestos alike, in order to give us a fundamental understanding of the modern Czech. Unfortunately, a solid understanding of the language has not been as easy to grasp. I experienced my first wave of panic during a phone call I made to a foreign airline last week. The woman on the other end answered in Czech and I, upon realizing that I recognized none of what she said, was unable to muster more than a pathetic "Um..." 

That being said, I'm off to spend some quality time with my Lonely Planet phrase book and a Czech audiobook in preparation for my departure next week. Wish me luck!