#the Trevi fountain was so beautiful!!! and the Pantheon!!! :O

[strawberryteabunny]

First day in Rome! I saw the Pantheon and Trevi fountain and met up with a couple girls from the Rome lolita comm for dinner ૮꒰ ྀི◜༝◝꒱ა (photo with Clara (IG pi_po_password))

Coord rundown:

OP: BTSSB Gingham Rose Ribbon

Headdress: AP

OTKs: Meta

Shoes: Cotton Candy Feet

[polishksiezniczka]

Camerlengo Patrick McKenna Fluff ABCs | Camerlengo x Female Reader

Il camerlengo deserves more love ❤

Notes: These take place in an AU where the Cardinal Strauss and Commander Richter are guilty of the attacks on the Vatican. 2K words.

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

There are so many things about you Patrick adores: your beautiful, soft smile; the curiosity and warmth your eyes convey; the feminine lilt of your voice. But most of all, he loves you for your heart. The kindness you show towards others makes you an angel in his eyes.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why or why not?)

Despite his vocation to the priesthood, Patrick would love nothing more than to start a family with you. He views the love you share as a gift from God, not something that should be disgraced or vilified. The arbitrary man-made rules of the Church which prevent him from realizing this longing—your own little family—frustrate him to no end.

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

With the utmost care and gentleness. He holds you against him, reverently stroking your hair, face, and body with his warm fingers. He especially loves to admire the suppleness of you, softly kissing each and every glorious inch he can reach. While these moments are few, they are precious to him.  

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

Because your relationship with Patrick is technically “forbidden,” you can’t go on dates in the normal sense. When he can, Patrick will use the secret passage between the Vatican and Castel Sant’ Angelo to discretely travel to the outside world in order to visit you. Because you really can’t be seen alone with him, you instead spend time with Patrick in your apartment, often cooking dinner, talking, and just enjoying each other’s company. Even if you can’t confess your love to the world yet, all he desires is to spend every moment he can with you.

E = Everything [“You are my ____________.” (e.g. my life, my world)]

“You are my heart.”

“You are my treasure.”

“You are my life’s greatest blessing. You are a gift from God.”

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

When he imagined his life without you. The pain he felt even entertaining the notion was too much for him to bear. He knew he needed to tell you before it was too late.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

This is one of the main reasons you fell in love with Patrick—he is truly the gentlest soul you have ever met. He treats you as if you were a priceless relic, practically worshipping the ground you walk on and swearing to defend you from any harm. Not that he won’t stand up for what he believes—he is a fierce defender of his faith and possesses the ability to inspire millions with his commanding oratory. But the look of love in his eyes when you catch him watching you makes your heart flutter rapidly in your chest like a schoolgirl’s.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Secretly and with all the affection he can possibly give. He especially loves to brush his thumb across the back of your hand, squeeze them lightly, or bring them to his lips when they are intertwined. When you are alone together, he always wants to maintain this type of intimate contact.  

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

When you first met Patrick, the always-charming young priest was left speechless. Not only was he enamored of your beauty, he was mesmerized by your intellect and eloquence. At first, he chided himself for such foolish and boy-like thoughts—he was a priest, after all! But after slowly getting to know you, he realized how much you embodied perfection to him: your poise, the uncommon kindness you showed to all those you met, your deep devotion to your Catholic faith. And you couldn’t help but feel the same strong attraction to him.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous much?)

Patrick is not the jealous type—he would never have any reason to be. Your love is built on trust and truthfulness, and he alone holds the key to your heart.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

You were the first to kiss Patrick. You had gone to him for guidance after suffering a deeply personal anguish. His words were so gentle and reassuring, you couldn’t help but softly kiss his cheek in gratitude as tears slipped silently from your eyes. You were too numb to even feel ashamed, let alone prepare for Patrick’s response: taking your hand and kissing it lovingly, a gesture meant to assure you your feelings were reciprocated.

Because of Patrick’s profession and his constant presence in the public eye, you can’t be together as often as you’d like. But when you are, you nearly die and go to heaven from his mouth’s attentions alone. Patrick’s kisses are gentle, reverent, and full of love. He is never aggressive or rough; instead, he worships you with his lips, laying them everywhere like a starving man put before a feast.

L = Love (Who says I love you first?)

Patrick did. He was running to the helicopter to dispose of the antimatter chamber, willing to sacrifice his life for the safety of the faithful gathered in the Square and his beloved St. Peter’s. As he prepared to take off, he saw you standing on the steps at the entrance to the basilica, tears in your eyes. He silently mouthed to you, “I love you. Pray for me.” You were distraught but could do nothing but nod as tears clouded your vision and watch as he ascended from the plaza into the night sky.    

M = Memory (What’s their favorite memory together?)

One night you begged Patrick to go for a walk around the city together, like a normal couple would. You couldn’t brush away the romantic childhood notions of strolling through Rome with your beloved. He finally acquiesced to your pleas (your doe eyes and breathy implorations being of great assistance to you) and the two of you slipped quietly out into the dusky night. You frolicked at the Trevi Fountain, gazed at the enormity of the Pantheon, and shared a sweet treat from the gelateria while nestled on a bridge overlooking the Tiber River. Although the ancient city was beautiful, the sight beside him was what truly took his breath away.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

Priests are sworn to a life of poverty, so Patrick does not shower you with expensive presents (nor can he afford to). But none of that matters to you because all you care about is Patrick and your love for him. Of his few earthly possessions, Patrick gifted you his late mother’s golden crucifix necklace inlaid with emerald, despite your attempts to dissuade him. He gave you the look of utmost adoration and smiled. “Angelo mio, you are the only one worthy of wearing it.” You wear the necklace every day as a secret declaration of your love for Patrick.  

O = Orange (What color reminds them of their other half?)

There are two: light pink (it is your favorite color and the color of your favorite flower, the gardenia) and white. White symbolizes purity and peace, as it is the color of the angels, and to Patrick, you are his angel on Earth.  

P = Pet Names (What pet names do they use?)

Angelo mio (“my angel”); cuore mio (“my heart”); mi amore (my love); “beloved”; “dearest”; “my treasure” ; “sweetheart.”

Q = Quaint (What is their favorite non-modern thing?)

His rosary, made of olive wood grown on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. It was a gift from His Holiness.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Ideally, he would spend the day curled up together on the sofa with you, reading, talking, or just basking in the other’s presence. Two mugs of tea and a plate of delectable pastries you had baked for him would sit on the table but would remain uneaten because of the sustenance you provide to each other. When he cannot be with you, he enjoys spending time in his study, doing research, reading Scripture, or writing his weekly homily.  

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

Prayer—he always turns to God and the Saints for guidance.

Naturally, being by your side and in close physical contact immediately quells even his deepest fears. He relishes listening to your soft, sweet voice, lulling him into a sense of profound comfort and eventually, sleep.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

Patrick is an intellectual at heart and loved the time he spent in seminary. He is incredibly well-versed in a variety of topics, including literature, history, science, music, art, philosophy, and theology. You could listen to him for hours and never lose interest.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

You. Patrick can be himself around you, let his guard down. He knows that he can tell you anything. Sometimes when he has a lot on his mind (responsibilities, the welfare of his Church, your future together), he simply gazes at you lovingly and observes the subtle movements you make when you’re engrossed in a task like cooking, reading, or playing the piano.

When he’s anxious and you are not around, prayer provides him a deep sense of comfort. He also relishes in your sweet scent—a small vial of your perfume you gifted him.  

V = Vaunt (How do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

Vanity is a sin! 😉

But in secret, he loves showing off his Latin skills to you! You find it incredibly sensual when he speaks to you in that ancient tongue.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

On a dreamy spring night, Patrick led you up to a secret balcony near the base of St. Peter’s massive  dome—a hidden observatory shown to him by His Holiness when he was a young boy. The view is breathtaking; you can see the whole city bathed in golden light, the inky blue darkness above cut by the silver caresses of the moon. You turn to Patrick in complete awe and could hardly articulate how beautiful the view was. He pulls you close to him and whispers that he would be happy if he could never see this view again if it meant he could spend the rest of his life with you. You turned to him, overwhelmed with love, your breath hitching at the significance of his words. He then knelt down before you, taking your hands in his.

“Y/F/N Y/M/N Y/L/N, of all the blessings God has bestowed upon me, none is more precious than you. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew that we were meant to be together, in this place and time.” His eyes were sincere and insistent, his tone earnest as he held your hands tighter and continued: “My mind told me that we could not be together, that my vows of celibacy and chastity forbid this. But my heart tells me that if a love so pure as ours exists, is it not a gift from God, meant to be treasured? And though I may not deserve to understand, all I wish to know and feel is my love for you.” His eyes shone softly with tears.  

“Y/N, my love, will you make me the happiest man on Earth and spend the rest of your life with me? Will you be my wife?”

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Patrick loves the ancient hymns from the early days of the Church, their melodies hauntingly beautiful yet powerful. “Ave Maria” also has a special place in his heart after he heard you singing it softly to yourself one evening while preparing dinner.

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Every day! Patrick is so torn between the duties of his priesthood and his intense longing to spend the rest of his life as your husband. He prays to God often about this personal conflict, but finally decides to propose to you before Him alone, indifferent to anyone else’s judgement.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

Because Patrick is so easygoing and affectionate, he would do really well with dogs.

Tag: @lemairepstuff @seraferna

[laurenborrelli]

Allora, va bene

Ever since studying abroad in rome 4.5 years ago, I have been anxious about my next trip to Italy.  Could it possibly live up to the experiences I had while living there?  But it was not a matter of competition.  I have graduated university, moved to Boston, worked in Architecture for 3 years, and traveled to 6 countries since.  I am a different person now - so I tried to be excited to experience the same environment in a different way!

My roommate (Stephanie) for my first two years in Boston had moved to Rome to live with her boyfriend.  Since Kate has never been to Italy and knows Stephanie, we decided to venture together to visit her!  And while Stephanie sporadically moved home just 10 days before our flight...we made the most of quickly booking two new hostels in Rome and forgetting the money we suddenly had to spend.  Everything happens for a reason.  And that reason made our trip even better.

Itinerary:

Thursday, April 19th 2018:  My flight departed Boston at 9:30pm. Kate’s left Chicago at the same time.  As I boarded the plan I got a voicemail of her panting “Lauren - I just made my flight - I ran through security - they held the door for me - see you in Dublin”.  So now that I wasn’t going to end up doing this trip alone, the journey began LOL.  We met in Dublin and shared a pints of Guinness and Magners in an airport with the best amenities I have experienced. 6 hrs later we flew to Rome.  It’s 8pm and we plan to take the train from the airport to Termini Station.  I validate my ticket in the machine - all good.  Kate goes to validate her ticket - rotates the ticket the other way - and pushes her ticket all the way into the machine and gets it stuck.  The train is to depart in 3 minutes and our Italian consists of “scusa me” and “mis dispiace” uhhh ticket-a-stuck? Luckily the snail speed of the ticket attendant to walk over, open the machine, get us our ticket didn’t deter us from running to barely make it on the train. WHEW giggles and sweat overwhelmed us.  We capped on the night by checking-in to our hostel and headed to a spot up the street for food.  The dinner consisted of with bread + nduja spread and two personal pizzas.  Safe to say we went to bed with full bellies and tired minds. 

Saturday:  Kate survived her first night in a hostel!  She talked in her sleep the whole night...which I’m sure the 3 french, 2 british, and one not sure guys were pretty thrilled about!  We were the two girls in an 8 person room...bachelor pad!  LOL JK they were all under 20 y/o but very polite and easy to stay in a room with!  The morning walking tour began with a cornetti and cappuccini at a small cafe where  I used to frequent when I had meetings for a design competition Premio Piranesi.  Moving on to Santa Maria Maggiore, through Monti, around the forum before the crowds, and checked-out my old lunch nook at the Campidoglio.  Then down the stairs along Via Maior Arenula to see where my Cartography classes used to take place and crossed the Ponte Vittorio to check out the Vatican all before noon!  There was a choir singing and thousands of people with matching hats...then suddenly the pope comes strolling out in his glass-less mercedes!  He goes zipping around and suddenly comes within 10 feet of us!!! Kate and I look at each other in awe...ok we saw the pope in our first 24 hours in Rome we can die happy now.  We later found out this weekend was Rome’s birthday, so there was a plethora of activities going on this weekend!  After all of this excitement we FINALLY realized how hungry we were!!  Pizza al taglia at La Boccaccia in Trastevere and found my old apartment! Then around the Pantheon and the journey back uphill to rest our legs at the hostel.  With sunburned noses and hungry bellies we headed in Monti to Pasta Chef.  Its a casual pop-in restaurant with a 4.9 rating on trip advisor - the paper plates and plastic cups makes it not seem like a roman restaurant.  But the food was SO FREAKING GOOD!  Grabbed wine and a tiramisu to go and wandered to check out the Trevi Fountain and Spanish steps at night.  Ahhh what a perfect night cap to an amazing first day in Rome!

Sunday:  Early morning at the Coliseum.  My first time here since it was under renovation before!  We beat (some) of the crowds and scheduled a 12am tour.  We went inside anyways just to compare what it would look like during the day.  As we left the crowds were in full form. Walked around circus maximus and say more bday celebrations kicking off.  A huge parade of gladiators took off and we caught them at the campidoglio.  Porchetta sandwich for lunch at my all-time fave Baccanale in Campo de Fiori. Espresso granita at Tazza D’oro, to Piazza Navona, then up to the Borghese Gardens.  An earth day festival was happening.  75% of the sustainable crafts consisted of spray paint.  Aerosols...earth day...jersey show...it all seemed too ironic.  Spritz and pastries in the gardens and home for a quick nap / packing before the midnight tour!  Made it all the way there despite all of the sketchy guys and cat calls and there was not one entrance point open.  Of course the police barely spoke english and made inappropriate comments so we snapped a quick photo of the colosseum light up and quickly jumped in an uber. So did the ticket booth mean 12pm not midnight?...

Monday:  Delicious breakfast at a cafe before our 8am train to Como!  At our connection in Milan, the second Kate stepped foot on the train it started to depart.  Whew barely made it.  After struggling at the grocery store in Como with our luggage / weighing every produce item (what does the check-out counter do then?) and touching produce without a glove.  We made it on the bus with all of the middle school kids getting out of school...lucky us!  Our airbnb was about 30 mins from Como in a tiny waterfront town called Careno.  The hosts met us at the house, showed us everything, and could not have been more helpful!  We basked in the sun on the beautiful balcony with some snacks and rose.  Ahhh now this is the relaxing part of the vacation.  It was a beautiful ten minute walk down to the rocky beach basically through people’s kitchens.  The water was cold and clear with a couple friendly “buon giorno” heard as we wandered down.  Finished the day with some carbonara on the balcony and Italian dancing with the stars.

Tuesday:  An early bus ride to Bellagio to go kayaking!  Kate’s all-time favorite kayaking tour because it was 20% paddling and 80% chilling.  Just us two on a tour with the guide, Mich.  We asked him any questions we could think of about Italy - even how old kids are when they start smoking.  The answer was 13 btw...  We then had lunch of pizza at a hidden gem he recommended called La Grotta.  Wandered through the shops to buy beautiful ceramics at Magda Guaitamacchi.  The owner was an older woman who spent most of her adult life practicing art in London.  She was the sweetest and really made our afternoon.  We then spent a couple hours hanging at the park at the point.  I did a bit of watercoloring and mostly enjoying the turquoise water against the snowcapped alps.  We then hopped on a ferry home and enjoyed a spritz while on board.  Our airbnb hosts graciously got us a reservation for the only restaurant in the tiny town of Careno.  We had the corner table as the server had grown up with our host.  The meal consisted of multiple courses, each with a particular backstory.  All of the fish was caught in the lake and it was a wonderful way for us to learn about the history of the area.  As we ended with the best limoncello I’ve ever had and bill way too discounted, our server grabbed keys and let us into the church next store.  At first it seemed a bit like a horror scene but actually turned out to be magical and show how selfless his actions were.  We went to bed absolutely stunned how we could meet three incredibly kind and giving people all in one day.

Wednesday: We checked out of our airbnb and trekked down the steep walk to the ferry launch with our suitcases.  After running, sweating, and some last-minute help from our server the previous night (we stumbled upon him opening the restaurant) we made it on the ferry!  A leisurely but packed ride to the town of Menaggio on the Switzerland side.  It was the holiday for Italy’s independence after the collapse of WWII, so transportation and store times were a bit skewed.  Luckily the visitor’s center was open and held on to our luggage free of charge!  We strolled through town and had a beautiful waterfront lunch with sammies and spritz.  After espresso and gelato we grabbed our stuff to take the ferry all the way to the train station in Como.  The town of Como was absolutely packed!  Happy we didn’t spend much time there as we grabbed snacks and took the train to our next destination - Modena!  We arrived and checked into our next airbnb just in time to catch sunset on the rooftop.  People were out drinking and celebrating.  We could hear their cheering and signing resonating form the roof it was hilarious. 

Thursday: We took the train in to Parma for our day filled with food tours!  For my bday, my dad had found a guide who would take us to all local producers in region.  It was just Kate and I on our personal tour with her!  First stop: Parmigiano Reggiano!  The name comes from the rural area of Parma and Reggio Emilia (clever).  We got to see every step of the process and enjoy some delicious samples too.  Next stop:  Lambrusco winery! A refreshing wine with vines that are very young - completely different then my experience in Tuscany. Then to the Proscuitto and Culatello! Delicious meats but the parts hanging in the butcher’s stations were a bit much.  How huge these pigs must be is also quite disturbing... Then to lunch at a small restaurant along a horse race track.  Pretty heavy local cuisine which actually put me to sleep on our car ride back into town...oops!  Finished off the tour with balsamic vinegar.  Very interesting of every age is a blend of the old with the new - different then the rigidity of some aged foods.  With bellies full of very rich indulgences, we headed back to Modena and grabbed aperitivo at this awesome spot in town.  Great vibes, super friendly staff, gorgeous men drinking rose and on bikes, well behaved dogs, a bit of house music, and chips with our spritz...ahhh perfect end to a day once again.

Friday: A full day in Modena and my 26th bday!  Morning at cafe with beautiful, innovative interiors.  Walked around town and stopped in several stores for fun shopping.  Walked through the food market where the Chef Massimo Bottura shops everyday.  I made reservations for us to have lunch at his more casual restaurant Francescetta 58.  Once we arrived, boy oh boy was I treating myself on my bday!  We had a wonderful bottle of white wine with our tasting menus.  Kate got the typical 3 course option and I treated myself to the regional 4 course upgrade.  The dishes were the best I have certainly ever had and we left with the largest smiles on our face.  Best meal ever on my actual bday?...this seemed like a dream.  We then walked off a bit of the food and noodled up to the Ferrari museum.  Pretty cool space with very modern architecture and the cars were pretty sick to see.  The design of each car is so immaculate and just like with any museum, its awesome to see people appreciated the design of something.  Being in the design industry this is something I admire and hope I can implement more in my type of work (even if it isn’t something common in the U.S.).  Ended the day with apperitivo and a late sunset on the rooftop.  And gelato cake in my favorite italian flavor of Amarena. Ah what an awesome day!

Saturday: Took the train back to Rome and arrived at a different hostel for the final leg of the trip.  We grabbed a late lunch at Pasta Imperiale - a casual spot similar to Pasta Chef and then headed to my favorite museum Museo dei Fori Imperiali.  It is Trajan’s market which was accidentally found below ground in a street repair!  I have never been in a building that is an artifact in itself!  Great how interactive it is and puts the extensive Roman history into perspective.  An evening then of apperitivo and walking around Monti with a reasonable bed time.

Sunday: Early morning visit to the Trevi and the Spanish steps before the crowds then hopped on a train to see family an hour south!  It was Kate’s time visiting our extended family and seeing the town our great-grandmother (106 this year!) is from.  Carlo and Paula picked us up from the train station and gave us a beautiful tour of their lush garden.  It was filled with vines for wine, fig trees, strawberry planters, and a beautiful brick oven.  After a delicious lunch we headed up to Ventosa where my great-grandfather is from.  We saw the house my nana gave birth to our grandpa.  We saw her old home that is still abandoned and looks like it was bombed just yesterday.  Then went down the hill to Santi Cosma e Damiano and walked through the church that my nana got married in.  She also left her diamond earrings in the palms of the saints the night before she moved to the U. S....The piazza outside is where my great-grandfather apparently saw my nana coming out of church and realized he wanted to date her.  He had come back from the U.S. to find a nice Italian wife that would move with him... and then there were facebook icons graffitied in the wall next door.  Oh how times have changed!  LOL The views from these tall towns are stunning and the younger family members speak much better english then last time!  So it was fun to converse with time about their recent European travels and what life is like form them living in the larger town of Latina.  Took the train back into Rome in the late evening and grabbed dinner at a fancy food court in Termini Station that our hostel host had recommended.

Monday: Last day in Italy!  We walked all through the city up the Giancolo to see the cannon launched at noon.  We walked around the tempietto and hung in the Villa Doria Pamphilj park.  Then down the hill to the Vatican, to find out that it was completely mobbed and would take us forever to even get inside the chapel.  Next time, Kate!  We grabbed lunch at the most modern restaurant I have seen in Rome called Bar del Fico.  It was great and I hope more like these start to pop up!  Similar type of restaurant that Modena is filled with! Then spent the afternoon bopping into a couple art stores, checking out Ara Pacis and back up to grab spritz in our fave little garden bar at Borghese Gardens.  We even stumbled upon a gelato festival!!!  This was an awesome surprise and while I didn’t have the appetite for it, Kate certainly did!  The flavors were incredibly diverse and unique and she had the largest smile on her face the entire time!  We ended the night grabbing pizza at Alle Carrette.

Changes since my last visit:

Security: This was my first experience going through a metal detector before entering a church!  Man things have changed in Rome since I lived here...but for the better!  Better for this precaution then to have a scary situation inside the church.  To get into St. Peter’s square we even went through many check points - one including the guard making me drink my water in front of them. Ah yes just water no acid ;) 

Spring flowers: This time of year there were flowers growing everywhere!  The wisteria around the wedding cake building made it look a bit less...intimidating.  The pink and white flowers along teh spanish steps were beautiful too.

Old apartment: It’s converted into a beautiful restaurant/hotel.  Which is a relief because the place was falling apart and felt like a lost opportunity when we lived there.  Pretty surreal walking around but not a sappy feeling, just happy that I got to have my time there.  

What will never change:

Coffee:  UGH it’s inevitable to not go a morning without a cappuccino or an afternoon without an espresso. Even kate was having a cappuccino every morning by the end of our trip!  They just prepare it so perfectly well that how could anyone not resist.

Work hours:  We would be in a park in the middle of the day and it would be littered with people!  It was awesome to see how lively and happy everyone was, but why aren’t these people at school or work?... Our Parma tour guide had said full-time jobs aren’t prevalent in Italy now, but is it really THAT bad?

Men:  SO. MANY LOOKERS!  Very few people acted on it but definitely intimidating for walking around in the evening as two girls.  However I did realize if you want to feel good about yourself - go to Italy.  If you want to feel bad - come back to the U.S.!

I feel very blessed that the universe brought Kate and I together for this trip.  The trip never felt overshadowed by my previous experiences and I could not have been happier to spend it with someone I care so deeply about.

[norafinds]

Roaming Rome

It's Sunday night and the end of my week off. It sure feels like it's been more than a week - Rome seems more like a dream and I am trying to relive it by processing photos and writing this blog post. Our Rome trip was only three nights and four days and we packed so much sightseeing in despite the sweltering sun. My feet sure paid the price - we walked and walked and I'll get into it more on my next post but we had some drama trying to catch public transports so we ended up walking more than we expected. Anyway, here is the first outfit and the first day of our trip. I was thankful for this Emily and Fin Florence Dress - it was definitely the right choice for my trip and I shall talk to you more about it.

Dress - Florence Dress - c/o Emily and Fin

Sandals - Rosetta Red - c/o Miss L Fire

Hat - Original Panama hat

Sunglasses - Retro Pink Sunglasses - ZeroUV

Bag - Vintage 1940s - Lucky Dry Goods

Earrings - Vintage 1950s - The Paisley Unicorn

We stayed close to Piazza del Popolo, which automatically became our first site of the day. Under the clear blue sky we absorbed the grandiose architecture around us and blended with the other tourists. It's a very pretty city but it was indeed swarmed with tourists from all over the world - we had to snake our way around all the sightseeing spots but I feel like it added to the atmosphere. Our next destinations were Pantheon, Fontana di Trevi and Piazza di Spagna. The fountain was a lot bigger than I could ever imagine - one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen. And Piazza di Spagna was obviously a must for me as a vintage girl - it was the location of the ice cream scenes in Roman Holiday and I just had to recreate it. Well, I tried on my first day and then again on the third day as we happened to go past and I happened to pass a gelato shop haha!

I literally packed five dresses for my four days - one spare just in case of emergency. I knew I wanted to wear my Florence dress - after all it's the perfect summer dress. I got this dress in size 6 and found it generous (I'm usually between 6-8) and didn't wear any shapewear underneath (Too hot! Too hot!). The lightweight cotton and the light colours helped me in the 30+ degrees and I was thankful for the lining too as it helped lessen the creases. I wore my Rosetta sandals as I wanted to be comfortable on the flight and walking around the city, and I think they sure are perfect to bring out the flowers on the dress. I don't know if you can see it but I sure was sweating my body volume in water - I made it up with proseccos. Anyway I shall keep this post short but look forward to my next one - I promise you a comprehensive guide to Rome and I really hope you'll read it if you're planning a visit because I will be saving you time and money.

[arielsadventuresinromablog]

Roma Day 6, 7, and 8

Been a little lazy with my blog for the past few days. I have had so much fun stuff to do and not enough down time to write these blogs. But I want to keep you all updated on what I am doing. On tuesday, I had my anthropology class and italian class. It was the first day of my anthropology class, so I did not know what to expect but it is really interesting and unlike any class I have ever taken before since its all about FOOD and who doesn’t love food. My assignment for the week is to eat a traditional roman speciality with artichokes before artichokes go out of season. Since I am in amalfi for the weekend, I will have to wait to complete my assignment on sunday when I return to Roma. On tuesday, I went to the pantheon and the trevi which was really cool and then I ate a prosicutto and mozzarela panino(sandwich) and got peach gelato at gelato fatamorgana which was really good. ON wednesday, I went to the sistene chapel and vatican museums for early entry and breakfast. I was the first one in line and I was very proud of myself for waking up early and finding the vatican on my own. I gotta say though They gave me a buffet breakfast and a tour of the museum and the sistene chapel which sadly I could not take a picture of, but it was still a really great experience and  learned alot and was able to send some postcards home . Then, that night I went to the opera with my friend Sarah and it was really impressive. I would definitely recommend it. We saw the opera at a church near the piazza navona and took pictures at the fountain of the four rivers. After the opera, we met up with some other frends and we went to panino romanesco and I ate a white ragu with ratatouille panini(ragu biano con patate o cicoria o melazane griglitate) . It was on my list for the best things I have had to eat thus far. On thursday, I slept in and had the experience of trying to catch my bus for class, but of course I missed it and had to run to class to be able to take my quiz for Italian I. It went well but learning languages has always been hard for me so I had some difficulty with it. After my classes were over, I walked back to campus and packed my suitcase for my weekend in amalfi and then went to catch my high speed train to naples. the high speed train gave me some serious harry potter vibes as well as some major ringing in my ears. I got into naples at about 10 last night and made it back to our airbnb which is beautiful. When I arrived at the naples train station, I gotta say I felt like I was at home in Philly. We decided to just get food at burger king and I gotta say I think burger king here is better than burger king at home. LOl very interesting tho.Just chilling for a bit this morning doing homework and going to walk around here for a bit. I am in pimonte which is situated more inland and is about 30-45 minutes from naples and amalfi and pompeii which makes transportation there difficult but it is so quiet and nice here I can’t complain. Our boat tour is tomorrow and vesuvius and pompeii is on sunday so I psyched!! 

[addictedtoparesthesia-blog]

Colossal Roma

I’m finally getting around to writing about some of my travel experiences in more vivid detail after being inspired by Warwick’s message about Psalm 96 today.

Excerpt from my travel journal, dated August 4th, 2016, Rome, Italy:

I woke up early. The Americans had already left for the Amalfi Coast - they wouldn’t be back until late, probably until the next morning. The other girl was finally in - I hadn’t met her yet. The others were still asleep.

I had pre-booked a tour with City Wonders at the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica. I left after a quick vending machine breakfast, then promptly got lost on the Metro (I took the wrong line!). Good thing I had left super early. I finally made it to Ottaviano station from Termini, with time to spare.

The Vatican Museum

The queue around the fortress was ridiculously long. It wound all around the block. I was glad that I had invested in a skip-the-line tour. 

I met the tour group (all Americans) with our tour guide, Giovanna. She was very knowledgeable and spoke five languages. She gave us radios with earpieces so she could talk normally, not shouting just so we could hear her. With all the groups, that would be chaotic!

Giovanna had explained many of the important pieces of art as we walked through the echoing hallways. I can still clearly remember the feeling of hushed awe, the rapid pounding of my heartbeat as I beheld some of the great Renaissance works of Raphael himself, and the mind-boggling ceiling fresco of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.

A frustrated artist, I had to hold back tears as I carefully and slowly studied the masterful techniques that I had previously only seen through books; through the lifeless, flat photocopies used as reference for drawing practice in design school.

St. Peter’s Basilica

I’ve been in some amazing buildings before - I live in Dubai, after all! - and I’ve been wowed by the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. But nothing could have prepared me for the grandeur of St. Peter’s.

There is a sense of your own smallness when you walk up to it...you feel tiny and insignificant. The place screams power and wealth and exquisite skill.

Walking in, I was reminded of Warwick’s sermon about Solomon’s temple a couple of weeks back. Its beauty and splendour were legendary, and I wonder how the Basilica would have measured up to it.

Michelangelo’s infamous Pieta was immediately to the right side of the entrance. Giovanna didn’t want to spend too much time there, but I went up to it for a couple of minutes before she motioned for me to rejoin the group. I was heartbroken at not being able to look at it longer.

She took us to tombs of former popes, including a couple of mummified remains. 

The Grand Dome was spectacular. As you lift your gaze upward, you can’t help but marvel at the sheer magnificence of the structure. I had seen it in countless photos, studied it in Humanities and Art History classes but pictures could not capture the breathtaking glory of the dome.

And yet, it made me think of how much more glorious God is. I am awed by the works of human hands that could never even hope to compare to the majesty of God’s works.

I thought back to the Swiss Alps I had gazed on during the flight. The uneven, jagged edges and wildness were nothing like the order and perfection of this structure...but they were so much more beautiful. I realized that’s just how God works. He Himself is perfect and yet works so beautifully in imperfection - creating in us a story far more perfect because of our flaws.

After our tour was over, Giovanna told us we were free to go back inside if we wished. I handed her my radio, thanked her, and dashed back inside to take a better look at Michelangelo’s sculpture. Twenty minutes passed before I realized I had just been staring and staring. 

The work of the master’s hand is spellbinding. What skill had to be involved in rendering fabric from cold, hard stone! I could almost feel the folds cascading down Mary’s body as she wept and held the body of her son.

I remember taking a long walk around the cavernous building after finally tearing myself away from the Pieta that day. When I’d had enough, I went out into the square and took off my cardigan, enjoying the cool breeze and the hot summer sun beating down on my shoulders.

I was overcome by a sense of gratitude. That was when it actually sank in that I was really here...it stopped feeling surreal somehow.

I walked to Castel Sant’Angelo just to look at the angel on top (I took the Dan Brown tour. LOL). It was quite hot by that time. I got some gelato at a street stall (the most disappointing one during my entire stay in Italy) and bought a souvenir magnet for Janice.

I walked back to the Metro, but had to stop and sit on some ancient Roman steps for a few minutes. I had blisters on my feet. Note to self - wear good shoes, not sandals! I spent the rest of the day relaxing and had a late lunch of pizza and pasta at a bar near my hostel, served by a very friendly waiter with whom I practiced my broken and limited Italian phrases.

My roommates were up and about by the time I got back after lunch. I finally met the other girl in our room, an Argentinian named Victoria. She was at the end of her own solo trip around Europe before going back to Buenos Aires.

They all went out for dinner and drinks, but I stayed in to cave and sleep and to take care of my introvert self, as well as my excruciating blisters. Again, forget fashion. WEAR THE RIGHT SHOES!

Excerpt from my travel journal, dated August 5th, 2016, Rome, Italy:

Trevi Fountain and Pantheon

I set out again, took the Metro to Barberini station and bravely walked on my aching, bandaged feet, periodically checking Google Maps to find my way to the Trevi fountain. 

Workmen were cleaning it when I arrived, but I still tried to take some photos. The sun was already high in the sky so the light was a bit harsh. There was no water in the fountain yet so I decided to head over to the Pantheon in the meantime. 

After a short walk, I turned a corner and there it was.

It had seemed almost comical and irreverent to see the huge, ancient Roman temple surrounded by honking cars and swarms of noisy tourists armed with their selfie sticks.

There was a man playing the cello just outside, and I couldn’t help getting emotional as it rose up before me.

I went in and took some pictures for a while. All the signs were in Italian and I wished I could understand everything without having to use Google Translate. The real-time camera translation tool is extremely useful though!

The oculus was amazing - a feat of pure engineering genius in the middle of the gigantic dome.

When I got out, I sat on the ground to watch and listen to the passionate cellist. When he was done, everyone clapped, and I dropped a Euro note into his open cello case. I gave him a teary-eyed smile as we both said at the same time - “Grazie.”

I walked back to Trevi. The sky had gone overcast by the time I got there so there was a beautiful, softer light. The water was flowing by then too. I managed to take some better photos.

Spanish Steps - sort of

I ducked into some side streets, a little off the beaten path, on the way to the Spanish Steps. I passed by La Paloma, an artisanal gelato place, and ordered a coffee gelato this time. It was heavenly - thick and creamy, full of flavour - very unlike the disappointing one I had yesterday.

I got to the steps, but was dismayed to find that they were closed for maintenance! I was heartbroken for a second, but decided to make the most of the situation by enjoying my gelato next to the fountain in front of the steps. After I crunched down the last of the wafer cone, I filled my empty water bottle from the fountain. Aahhh, clean, cool, and refreshing! And most importantly, free.

Excerpt from my travel journal, dated August 6th, 2016, Rome, Italy:

I sadly said goodbye to Kru, Toby, and John, who left for Croatia. I skipped breakfast and had an early lunch of beef cannelloni at White Caffe Bistro. Their hazelnut gelato was superb. I walked around the area for a bit since I was early for my Palatine Hill tour.

Palatine Hill, Roman Forum and Colosseum tour

Our tour leader’s name was Francesca. She was very friendly and talkative. As she guided us up the hill and through the ruins, I could almost picture Nero’s palace in its heyday, could almost hear the pounding hooves of the horses pulling chariots around the track.

Finally - the Colosseum! We used the gladiators’ entrance, which felt so surreal. You could almost hear the crowds cheering as the gladiators came in for the games. 

So much ancient history, mixed up in more recent renovations and recycled buildings; massive columns and steps that were once adorned with valuable marble and surrounded by glittering courts have now been irreverently stripped of their former glory - a crumbling and silent ruin that tells stories of a once-great empire.

This was not a backwards society; this was an educated, technologically advanced, powerful people. And yet, their power is no more. It made me marvel all the more about the unchanging, unfailing greatness of God.

Job 12:23 says “He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and disperses them.”

And Psalm 90:1-4...

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

You turn men back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.”

For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

It was a lot to think about that day. I thought about these things for the remainder of my trip as I continued to see glimpses of bygone eras in every place I visited. 

[prague-lematic]

ROAMIN’ ROUND ROME Helloooo to my favorite humans! This weekend was legendary and beautiful. We started by checking into our hotels, which were just around the corner from the central metro in Rome and each other. If you close your eyes and picture the Lizzie McGuire movie or just Rome in general, it’s exactly that. It looks just like the pictures and the movies. We met the boys at a nearby restaurant named Capitello and I got penne ala vodka- unreal. My 6 Czech pasta from Alberts will never taste the same or even like real pasta. We then took off running to the Vatican where we saw the entirety of Vatican city. We saw St. Peters Basilica and the Vatican museum with the Sistine chapel. I saw endless paintings through the museum that were absolutely breathtaking. It was so peaceful and nice. The Sistine chapel was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. I pulled out my phone at first, forgetting you couldn’t take pictures and got yelled at by security but then just put it away and walked around, enjoying everything. People were sitting, lining the walls just taking it all in. You could sit in there for hours and still not see everything. We also found an old water fountain right outside the museum and we all took sips, while security looked on. Thank you @thevatican for having free water. My god, never ever take free water for granted US homies. We then went to Saint Peter’s Square and saw the collumns and St. Peter’s Basilica (where the Pope resides!!!!!! what a guy) We quickly got some pictures then got in line to go inside, which closes around 6 pm. We had an hour inside, where we listened to a choir that was singing inside. They sounded like angels. We complimented them afterwards and told them we were here with a choir. We also helped a little kid find his family, who had lost him in the basilica. Did our good deed for the day! Then we got pizza at this cute little restaurant all family owned near St. Peter’s Square. We then stopped minutes later to grab gelato and I got a huge canoli…. heaven. bring me back! Then we got a couple hours of sleep and got ready for the next day. We woke up bright and early to get in line for the colloseum, which we knew would a tourist disaster on a Saturday. We waited around 45 minutes and then we were in! The most magical experience ever. Crazy to think of all the people that had stood there before me. Then we hit the ruins right next to it. We found a cool tunnel that had amazing acoustics and we all started singing a song from our choir rep, O Magnum Mysterium. A small audience quickly formed and then applauded us through out the ruins. We tried to capture a few more quick pop up performances around the ruins and colloseum before getting pizza and pasta at a place by the colloseum. It was also family owned and felt super intimate and cute. PS also the amount of vespas here is CRAZY! Lizzie McGuire wasn’t lying to us. Then we quickly chased the sun and headed out to the Trevi Fountain. It was sort of hidden down a random path, but we found it with signs and it was magical. Truly. We took the cliché pictures by the fountain and all get ready to throw our coins in. The second we all tossed them in with a million other people, a huge crowd erupted and we heard a shriek. When we turned back, we were happy to find a guy that had just proposed to a girl as they embraced and she grasped flowers. It was the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen in person in my entire life. I felt like my coin did some good. Then we got gelato right next to the fountain and went back for a few mandatory gelato/fountain pictures. The man at the gelato place told me I have a beautiful smile and that I should smile all the time and I knew I’d found my people. Italians are just wonderful and friendly. Then we headed to see the Pantheon (a former Roman temple, now a church). It was having a service, so we couldn’t enter but we stood outside and could peek in which was amazing. It was just down the road from the fountain too, which was super convienent. There were tons of street performers too on our way over. When we were done near the Pantheon we stopped in to see a little trumpet concert at a nearby church right in the center there. It was stunning. That night, we all got ready and got “the tourist deal” on food and paid 17 euro for a three course meal. Amazing. Spicy mac and cheese was something different and delicious. Italy, you never do me wrong. Thank you. That evening, we hit the town and went to a nearby bar to begin the night. They had cheap drinks and an indie vibe. Super local and fun. We met a masters student there who helped us find good places to go out after the bar which was awesome. Then we headed to this club called Akab, which was super fun and only a little far by taxi. The taxi drove right by the colloseum on our way there and home. It was surreal. It was a fun packed night. The music in Akab was all American, which was awesome because that’s not the norm over here but every once in awhile they’d throw on an Italian song and everyone around us would erupt and start singing and dancing crazily. It was so fun! We then opted to just not sleep, because we had to leave for the airport by 4:30 AM. We all rushed back just in time to pack and head out. Rome was a whirlwind in the absolute best way. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. I definitely fell in love with Rome. I will for sure be back for you, Rome. Xo