The City That Stuns | Prague [4]

This past weekend, I was the only person from my program to stay in Prague. Tons of people ventured off to Vienna, Rome, and London, but I decided to save some money and stay in the beautiful city I have called home for the past three weeks. While, I wasn't able to go to clubs at night or go dancing, I managed to have a great time exploring the city and uncovering different areas. All in all, my weekend consisted of eating and walking, but that is never anything to complain about.

On Thursday night I decided to go see The Dancing House in person. It is a beautiful deconstructivist building along the Vltava River. It was built after communism fell in the Czech Republic, acting as a sign of freedom and expression. I had researched the building prior to coming to Prague and was so happy to be able to admire it in person for the first time.

I was very excited to visit the Dali and Warhol museum in Old Town Square on Friday.  The museum was relatively empty and the quiet atmosphere made for a much more enjoyable experience. I wandered from floor to floor, taking in the quirky artwork for about two hours. There was so much to see and I was happy to be able to take it all in alone.

I also managed to eat at some really quaint, local restaurants and cafes. One meal I had was hummus and bread with a small salad. It was the first time I saw hummus on a menu since arriving here, so I had to check it out. I got beet hummus with special rye bread and it was fantastic. I also had a great quiche for brunch one day. It had fennel and goat cheese and was the perfect serving size. The food here has yet to disappoint me!

Lastly, I visited Kampa Museum, which houses work from Czech artists. The building itself was incredibly cool, with various sculptures in the stairwells and lining the courtyard outside. The artwork inside was also visually pleasing. The best part was the roof. There were mirrors on the perimeter of the building, reflecting the sunlight in a stunning way. It also created beautiful shadows. I took this picture of the clouds because it reminded me of a heart.

While my weekend alone was pretty magical, it is great to have my friends back. I was getting a little sad only communicating with waiters and waitresses. This week should be fantastic because the weather is finally cooling down. I will keep you posted, of course. 

Weekend Getaway: Pt. 2

     The next morning we were up and ready for checkout by 10:30. We gathered our things, and made our way towards the train station. Our next stop was Pompei, roughly 45 minutes away. The ride passed by quickly, with the help of the best crudo and mozzarella sandwich we've had. Once in Pompei, we headed to the hotel to drop our bags. After a quick change, we decided it was time to check out the ancient city ruins. A short walk later we arrived at the entrance, and got our tickets. With daylight counting down, we did our best to expedite a tour that could take the whole day if you wanted it to. The first building, most comparable to the Colosseum, housed a small museum with some of the preserved bodies that were caught in the eruption. The remains were amazing, completely petrified in ash and still holding their poses from time of death. We marveled at these for a few minutes, but couldn’t help wishing they would have left them posed in the original locations they were uncovered throughout the ruins. After leaving the museum, we headed towards the heart of the city. Towards the outskirts stood the framework of many houses and living domains. They varied in sizes, and most of all in ornate detail that still remained. They start out modest, but as you begin working your way towards the city center the decadence heightened. Basic brick and stone turned to marble, granite and walls adorned with murals. Along with the mural covered walls, many portions of mosaics and decorative pieces still remained. These small remaining features added personality and narrative to each home, and in a way are more important than the actual structures. All in all the ruins were great, and I would recommend a visit to anyone in that region of Italy. 

     After our tour, we made the walk back to the hotel pretty worn out. After resting for a minute, we decided it was time for dinner. The couple who owned the hotel seemed very eager to give recommendations, so we turned to their advice for dinner. Being in the mood for seafood, the husband told us he knew of the perfect place. Simple directions would have sufficed, but he insisted he’d take us on the 150 yard walk to the restaurant. Once we arrived, we were seated, as he humorously (to us) waited around so that he could talk to the waiter from afar. I’m still not too sure what was said, because no out of the ordinary circumstances or suggestions occurred. That being said, we ordered what we wanted, which consisted of an array of mostly seafood. Mixed seafood pasta was their specialty, so we opted for two of those along with mussels and some other small dishes. The meal was surprisingly cheap, considering the amazing seafood, and house wine for a measly 6 euro. In fact, we were so satisfied with the taste and price, we showed back up at 10:30 the next morning for brunch!

     With our stomach’s off to a confusingly delicious start to the day, we headed for the train that would take us to Sorrento. Upon arrival, we connected to the ferry that would take us to our final destination on the isle of Capri. Immediately when approaching, we began to see why it remains such a popular destination. The landscape was absolutely gorgeous, with a mixture of tropical and mountainous terrains in the most breathtaking way. Once we got to the top of the elevation and dropped our bags at the hotel, it was off to explore. We were very hungry, but unfortunately in Italy 3 pm-6pm equate to screw you eat your fingernails. After 30 minutes or so of closed restaurants, I stopped in a deli and asked if they could prepare us a sandwich. In the end, this was an awesome idea because we were able to eat with a great waterfront view! Revived, we continued our walk towards the Marina Piccolo beach. The walk was border line insane, with elevations that would have been only acceptable at Vesuvius. Even though the beach ended up being straight rocks, the water was amazing and refreshing. We swam around for a little over an hour, enjoying the last little bit of sunlight. As we were swimming, Emily noticed a piece of sea glass. This went quickly from “ooooooo sea glass!”, to us digging for sea glass until my whole back pocket became filled with a variety of colors. Who knows if we’ll figure out a way to use them, but either way it was a really cool find neither of us had ever seen. After our fun in the (kinda) sun, it was time to hit the hotel for clean up. Once we got back, we decided forget the showers and just drank limoncello instead. With the proper amount of pregame for fine dining achieved, we headed for a spot a little fancier than the others of the weekend. Very off the beaten path lied Da Tonino, a gem of Italian fusion waiting for us to uncover it. During my time in Italy my eating expectations had gradually lowered, so “good” was all I was hoping for. Da Tonino paid no mind to that however, and melted all notions that Italian food can’t push traditional boundaries in the right kitchen. There was really no standout because everything was amazing, however the curry rabbit and veal with porcini stuffing were out of this world. 

     With our stomach’s floating on a cloud, we made the hill bound walk home much easier this time around. The next morning we tried to get an early start, and proceeded to head back to the beach. In prime time the beach was much more crowded, but we were still able to find a nice private area to swim off to. We swam around, which for me is more of a doggy paddle, and enjoyed the perfect water. I was even able to get Emily to jump off a small cliff with me, after lots of encouragement. After our pale bodies were sufficiently sunned, we decided it was time to catch the bus back to town. The main area of Capri is littered with Italian designer stores, so we thought a small amount of final shopping was necessary. We didn’t find much for ourselves, but were thankfully able to find both our mothers nice gifts to take back. Once shopping was conquered, there wasn’t much time left before the last ferry, so we gathered our things from the hotel and headed for the ferry. Sad to leave, we departed Capri and headed back to Rome satisfied and refreshed. 

    

Czech Surprises

Last weekend was another one for traveling. I went to Prague with 4 of my friends who are studying in London and we were all so happy with our decision to go! Prior to going we really had no idea of what to expect however we had heard so many good things about the city that we knew we had to go!

            Not knowing anything about the London when we booked our flights, we of course chose the farthest airport to leave from at 6:15am. Once finally planning the week of the trip we realized we needed to leave at 3am in order to get there on time…a rough beginning to the trip but never the less worth it.

After dropping our bags at the apartment we were staying at we headed out for lunch at a place recommended by friends. It was about 95 degrees out and after walking up a mountain in the middle of the city we were all dying. We were rewarded with a beautiful view of the city and amazing food. Plus there was a wedding taking place as we ate… Lunch and a show! After lunch we found the John Lennon wall, one of the few things we knew we had to do while there. We all agreed one of the best parts of the wall was the performer in from of it because he sounded exactly like Lennon.

Finding the Philly LOVE sign at the John Lennon wall!

The next two days were full of exploring the city and food. Highlights include a boat tour, a traditional Czech dessert called a chimney and stumbling upon a great designer discount store. I never thought Prague would have great shopping, and while compared to Paris and London there weren’t as many stores however the one we did find was great. It was full of designer clothing all being sold at a discount. While some of the clothing was a little out there for my taste the store had TONS of different scarves and I got an Alexander McQueen scarf for a great price. I had been wanting to get something special to remember my time abroad by and it defiantly fulfilled that desire.

I went from knowing nothing about Prague to loving the city in the three short days that we were there and I’m sure everyone I was traveling with would say the same thing!

From left to right: Julia, Ashley, me, Jackie and Olivia with Prague behind us!

French Movies And Their Perfect Wine Pairings

This past week and a half I have had the opportunity to take a class on the French wine business. We have learned everything from how it is made to the different tastes. In honor of my wine class, I wanted to compile a short list of must see French movies with their perfect wine pairings.

Amelie is a movie about an innocent and pretty naive girl working as a waitress in Paris. The film is surrounded by how she decides to help those around her and, along the way, discovers love. This movie is a light hearted film and deserves a light wine. Touraine Sauvignon Blanc would be an amazing pair for this kind of film. This white wine has a subtle fruity taste and, like the film, it is very refreshing. 

Coco Before Chanel is another movie with Audrey Tautou. This film follows a young Coco Chanel who works as a seamstress by day and a cabaret entertainer by night. This film shows her love life and the beginning of her fashion career. Its kind of a "love, loss, and what I wore" kind of movie. For this film, I recommend rosé. Domaine de la Garde makes a lovely rosé that tastes like strawberries. It is a little bit rounder than the sauvignon blanc, but just as refreshing when chilled. 

La Vie En Rose is one of my personal favorites. This French drama is another biopic based on the life of Edith Piaf, the singer. In this movie, she experiences great personal loss and a drug addiction. For this kind of film, I recommend a heavier wine like a bordeaux. Chateau Garraud makes a lovely bordeaux that is rich with flavor. Because this wine is a bit heavier than the others, I would advise you to drink it with a snack like a nice meat and cheese plate. Don't want you getting too drunk while watching such a movie. 

I'm In My Element

For our fourth day in Paris I finally got to visit Verlet café, the oldest coffee shop in the city. This is where the famous Coco Chanel used to go to, and the shop is known for its rare Indonesian coffee. According to my professor, a cup of this espresso would be triple the price in the United States, but in Paris it's only three euros. The coffee beans used for this drink are actually collected after cats poop them out because they can't digest them. I wanted to be adventurous and try this rare coffee, regardless of the nasty story behind it. It tasted slightly sweeter than regular espressos. I normally never go for espressos, since I love sweet and sugary iced coffees, but new things are always worth trying.

After visiting the coffee shop we went shopping at a flea market called the Porte de Clignancourt. I'm so glad my professor took us here because we would have never discovered it otherwise. Flea markets like these are located in the more ghetto areas of Paris, so it's definitely far from being a tourist attraction. However, once you walk past these areas you'll enter a world full of the finest vintage and antique treasures. Within this flea market are numerous vintage costume and furniture stores that many people from the fashion industry visit. Here, they search for inspirations or props and costumes for movies. This was basically like heaven for me because I grew up on thrift shopping and love searching through piles and racks of old rubbish for cheap but high quality products. This was a place where we were supposed to bargain so we got a lot of really good deals. I actually bought a vintage paisley Vogue tie for my boyfriend at five euros and a vintage fashion illustration for my best friend at twelve euros. Inside the flea market we even saw a mini fashion exhibit filled with the most beautiful lingerie displays. Pink, red, white and black lacey and sheer pieces were hung in different romantic settings. For lunch I had a really good arugula, mozzarella and tomato salad. It also came with fresh melon and cold soup, which was so refreshing. Overall, I loved this flea market so much, and wished I had more time to explore it. Five hours is definitely not sufficient, and I think next time I'll need the entire day.

Dublin: The Good vs. The Bad

This week brings an end to my time in Dublin before heading off to London this Friday. While I am super stoked and anticipate my liking for London to be greater than Dublin, there are some good parts of this city that I will miss. So with that, I bring you the good vs. the bad of Dublin, Ireland.

Lets start with the bad:

Where is the fashion? | When I tell you that Dubliner's are the least fashionable, I am not joking. The reason this is so confusing is that there are plenty of shopping centers with cool stores. However there is a distinct and obvious difference between tourists, usually stylish, and the not so stylish Dublin natives.

Why are the sidewalks so tiny? | Dublin is said to be a walking city. I asked a cab driver to drive me what is about a 30 minute walk away and was basically laughed at. They walk everywhere. However, the sidewalks are about 1/4 of the size of Philly's or even New York's sidewalks making it basically impossible to walk courteously never mind walking with an umbrella. Also, can they give more than 30 seconds to cross the street?!

Where is the green? | Now I know I am not the hugest nature lover and prefer the city over anything else, but Dublin would just be better if there were hills and greenery. When you think of Ireland, you think green....which is not Dublin.

Now, lets end with the good:

Pubs pubs pubs...and food | As I mentioned before, the food here is unbelievably delicious. There are literally pubs at every corner serving traditional Irish foods as well as typical bar food. You really can't go wrong. Not only are there pubs everywhere but they have so many other ethnic foods from Middle Eastern to Italian to Japanese. I had had the best bento box yesterday!

The better weather | Dublin see's better weather compared to other areas in Ireland and this summer has been particularly dry. While it can rain at any given second, regardless of the forecast, it's similar to Florida in that it won't rain for too long. Not so similar to Florida is that the warmest it will get is around 65 degrees. However, I'd prefer Dublin's dry weather over Ireland's rain any day.

The experience | How many people can say they've lived in Dublin for 5 weeks? Not many, as its not one of the more popular places to visit yet alone live. These 5 weeks were nothing like I had expected and I would not exchange it for anything else in the world. The experiences I have had on this trip are unlike anything I will experience again, and for that I am so grateful.

So long Dublin, and London I will see you soon!

A new day, a new adventure

This weekend my three friends and I went to Nice.  We were planning to go for a while and finally booked our tickets.... 2 days before we had left. Last minute planning did get us into a little bit of trouble but luckily we made the best of it and had a nice and exciting weekend to say the least.

View of Nice from the plane 

The beaches there were beautiful.  I had never seen one quite like these before, back home I am used to walking in sand while at the beach.  In Nice they have no sand, it is all rocks.  Yes, it was very hard to walk on but I was surprised that it was okay to lay on with a towel.  The water was crystal clear and the temperature was perfect.  Usually I'm not one to go in the water because I always hate how cold it is but here I just hopped right in.

Definitely not finding sand here 

 

View from the Promenade 

The next day we went snorkeling and I have to say it was one funnest things I have done so far while abroad. We suited up in wet suites which wasn't the most fashionable thing, threw on our flippers and goggles and headed out on a little boat to the destination.  The whole excursion was only supposed to be about 2 hours but since it was just the four of us on the boat with our instructor it was very personalized and we ended staying out for over 3 hours.  The views were beautiful and it was so cool to be able to get so close to the fish.

Although the weekend went by so fast, it was so nice to see another part of France!

Another highlight of my week would be last night! We went to Refuge des Fondus in Montmartre. As I walked in I have to say it was nothing like I was expecting.  All I smelt was cheese and it looked like a little whole in the wall.  However, my perception of this place changed in seconds! We ended up sitting next to American's who made the meal all that more fun.  For me not knowing much French, when I bump into fellow American's I can't be any more excited!  As soon as we sat down they bring your drink in baby bottles and serve you endless amounts of fondue.  We cooked our own meat and dipped our bread in the cheese.  This place was so much fun. Definitely an experience that I will never forget.  

                                               

The walls were covered with signatures, so of course I had to
 leave my mark there and sign it as well 

Coming down to our last few days in Paris before we leave for London I'm trying to get in all the last minute things I still need to see before I leave. I can't believe I have already been here for 4 weeks and the program is almost halfway over!  However, I'm so excited for the second half of it in London!