Day 3 - January 27th 2009 Rome, Italy

Ryan and I woke up a tad late but we quickly got our act together and got downstairs for the walking tour i monumenti di Roma. We saw all the classic structures and works and they still hold great appeal even though I had seen them twice before, once on a high school trip and then again on a family trip. There was a Nike+ cross country race of some sort going on inside the circo massimo, which is fun to see the old track used for race again. Our guide through all the sites, Paola, was excellent and had great knowledge of the more intricate stories and details that I’d never heard before on other tours. We finished our tour and returned to the hotel Tiziano to spend some downtime before la cena. Our group walked a few blocks up Via Vittorio Emmanuel II and turned a destra onto Via Savelli, where the acclaimed Monte Carlo pizzeria resided. This ristorante was spectacular, the pizza crust was so thin and everything was just damn delicious. We also sipped a few litre di vino rosso. We returned to the hotel base camp to change and prepare for a night out on the city. Our group broke up into two groups, one headed to the bar straightaway and the other going to see the Pantheon at night before meeting up with Team 1. It was therapeutic to sit by the fontana and take in the magnificence of the Pantheon. After we had finished with our tranquil historic fix, we headed in search of club AnimA which was recommended by our cameriere. It was myself, Ryan and Samantha who had already gotten lost looking for the Pantheon who now had to ask for directions twice to find the place. Once inside we were gawked at by the italians, which I am not sure why because we looked pretty plain and not some gaudy american tourists taking pictures at the bar with I heart NY shirts on. So we looked for Team 1 who were supposed to have met us at AnimA. They had already left the place but we ordered our Peroni birra and sat and watched the stream of people in and out. There were four middle aged italian men who definitely were greasing us, Sam in particular of course. We played it cool and stayed for awhile longer, then departed in search of another watering hole as well as Team 1. We met them in la Piazza Navona and found our way to the bulldog inn, where Gabriella was drawing most of the italian men in to where we were sitting. We met a new friend Francesco who had drinks with us then led us to the Scholars Irish pub, which stays open later than all the other places. This pub was a madhouse and we didn’t even get in the door it was just 30 people all clamoring to get inside but a giant russian looking bouncer was throwing people out by their neck meat and solidly refusing entry into the venerable late night establishment. We canned the effort and headed back to go to sleep at the last night in the hotel.

Day 2 - January 26th 2009 Dublin, Ireland

Overall the flight was marvelous although I didn’t sleep a wink. After touching down in Dublin I had to walk over to the transfers terminal where I didn’t have my second boarding pass so I had to walk all the way back down to the front desk and grab the pass as it was sitting right on the desk waiting for me. After passing through security a second time I immediately noticed the Guinness factory store and had to have a peek at all the draught inspired merchandise. I then proceeded onto my gate for the flight to Rome, where I recognized Ryan Cicciu, who I had spoken to previously and knew he was taking the same Aer Lingus flight I was on from Dublin to Rome. I walked over to sit and he noticed me and we introduced ourselves. I told him my travel mission to arrive in Dublin, have a Guinness at 5am and continue onto Rome. He approved so we both went up to the small pub and asked the barkeep if he was serving Guinness at the moment. He said of course their serving Guinness, where do you think you are?! We agreed wholeheartedly and asked for two delicious frothy pints. The barkeep also said he serves thousands of Guinness pints for breakfast and we were not surprised in the least. After sitting and chatting over the delicious thickness that is Guinness stout, we went back to the gate and got ready to board. This flight was very different from the flight from the US. It was totally packed full, no space to move, and during the flight we had some serious up and down rollercoaster turbulence. It was also the most culturally diverse flight I’ve been on in awhile. Heard no less than 5 languages being spoken around me. Ryan and I arrived safely in Rome and passed through customs without my fanfare, I don’t think the officer even looked hard at my passport. Much to our dismay, we learned that the chartered API bus meant to take us to rome had already left at 11am, we being about 30 mins late. But Ryan and I are still certain the papers say 12 noon. Regardless, we thought about taking il treno but instead bargained with a shuttle driver and got a ride for 15euro to the hotel. After meeting Christina the resident director we promptly went up to the hotel room, unpacking nothing and passed out. We awoke around 5pm to get ready to go to our first meeting. I walked downstairs with Ryan and met the other API students who were from the Rome program, as well as Toscania and 3 cities students. We had the meeting in another hotel down the street then went to Pomodoro rosso for an API sponsored meal and our first taste of fine italian ristorante cooking. Everything was delicious, obviously, and we left feeling satisfied and full. Our group split from our fearless resident directors to pursue a vino quest. We scored quickly at a nearby bar & pub where I was told to order first because I speak a bit more of the language. Everyone had their glass of vino rosso and we cin cin’d the safe travel and first night in our new city. That night I could not sleep well because I had already napped twice during the flight and later in the day so it was a bit of a rough sleep.

Day 1 - January 25th 2009 Boston Logan Airport

Upon entering the Boston Logan Airport I sat down to wait for my mother to park the car and come up. I struck up a conversation with the old Irish fellow sitting next to me who had round and yellow front teeth. He was headed to Cork, Ireland and I said I was going to Dublin to transfer to Rome. He remarked that there was a piss drunk man outside the terminal who had peed his pants and probably was not going to be allowed to flight the because he was just incoherently wasted. We had a chuckle over this and then my mom arrived so we checked my bag at the desk and proceeded forth, but I didn’t see the piss drunk fellow anywhere, oh well. After eating a bite for lunch with my mom, (I had clam chowder) I kissed her farewell and passed through security into the international terminal of BOS. Nobody seemed to be near gate E4 which which was the gate my Aer Lingus flight to Dublin was departing from. After perusing through a few of the electronics boutiques I grabbed a big bottle of water and snacks for the plane and went and sat until my flight opened for boarding. I boarded and was sitting in the exit row right where the cabin door entered so I had unlimited leg room and space to stand up and stretch whenever. I started chatting with the stewardess and do love a good Irish accent. The flight staff were wearing complete pale mint green skirts and blouses. I watched a movie on the iPod touch and ate in the in-flight meal, which I do not mind at all and think are rather decent in fact.