Porto

So I know that I said I was finished writing, and I really should be since this thing called finals is coming up....but you know me, anything to avoid starting to study....but really, anything. Which brings us to now. I would give an account of my last few days, only they haven't happened yet or at least what I have done this week would not even fill a paragraph and I will prove it:

I caught up on all of my TV shows that I will never watch when I get back to W&L. I went gift shopping for almost 4 hours and bought everything which I have been procrastinating getting all at once, ensuring great deals. Then since no one wanted to go out to eat (and I was trying so hard to spend all of my money...I guess I will just have to keep some) I ate an entire pizza (to go), fudge, and port...and then had a crepe later. Not to mention that I more or less got proposed to that night, sweet, only I really don't think I speak enough Italian, and so that was my cue to leave. Ok so I guess my life can fill 1 paragraph...but really for being abroad that is sort of pathetic. Oh well, I threw a coin into the Trevi and that worked well for me last time, so I am sure that I will be back.

So what to fill the rest of this blog with...how about Portugal! (since every other sentence I mention port...) Porto, Portugal was a unexpected pleasure. I booked it with two lovely friends early on, but I had not had a chance to see either of them since well before Fall Break and it was more their trip so I had no idea what to expect. What I got was a lovely weekend with the best food, port, churches, and company.

The trip started at the worst possible moment, once again early on we had thought cheap 6am flights were a good idea...as in wake up at 3:30 to get to the airport...hmmm. So we got there in the midst of pouring rain, exhausted. But the city looked beautifully mysterious in the midst of the rain. (Once again my camera was not so good, because I forgot a charger...but I am just going to take my friend, the photographer's photos..perfect fix). The churches in Portugal are covered in these beautiful tiles, a very different look from Baroque Rome. Ok so the days blur together somewhat (because we did a lot of the same things each day) so I will summarize them here:
- delicious food, such as melt i your mouth roles (better even than crescent roles!), and several other wonderful things that I do not know the names of
- again so many churches
-beautiful scenery, with one drawback....everything was a huge hill! It reminded me of San Francisco, but without the trolleys (things on a map always seem so much closer when they don't mention hills)
- cheap shopping! Also did I mention that they had a real mall complete with food court, H&M, a store that seemed to be a mix between urban/american eagle/something, and Christmas decorations??
- so many amazingly deep conversations about faith, beliefs, and desires from life

Things which stand out: Port tasting

So we crossed the windiest bridge ever which was designed by Monsieur Eiffel, before he built his tower.  Then we started what we thought was a simple task of finding a wine tour/tasting in English...and preferably for free. This was actually a really difficult assignment near the water, so we started hiking uphill. Only we misread the map and probably actually walked an extra mile, and after almost giving up at least five times (and after stating "I refuse to go uphill anymore" at least 4 times) we finally found "Taylor's" which was owned by an Englishman. The port was good, but not amazing, what was amazing was sitting down for 5 minutes....and the satisfaction of finally finding it! Then we walked downhill (because literally everything on that side of the river/sea was downhill from us at this point) and went to an adorable place where we each ordered a tasting of port with a certain type of food. I had the rouge with chocolate...or at least that is what I thought that I was getting. What actually came was so much better! It was little espresso beans covered in amazing chocolate, coated in cocoa. Heaven in your mouth. Unfortunately after this we had to walk back uphill to get to our hostel, but it was definitely worth it.


This was followed by a shopping spree (since my boots did break) and a nap at the hostel (oh and did I mention that this is the best hostel I have ever seen? It was a private room with drawers and doors that locked/unlocked using a computerized bracelet? I felt like a super cool spy all weekend. Further the hostel had only opened a week ago so it was uber clean, uber cheap, and the staff were all still really excited about working there. Not to mention the free wifi, computers, and breakfasts.

Last story to end on (which is the reason why I love port). The three of us did some sightseeing Sunday before we had to leave. We were considering taking a train along the coastline to see it, when it suddenly started raining. We walked down along the wharf until it started pouring and so we ducked into an adorable restaurant to wait for the rain to die down. They probably hated us but we just ordered port and appetizers. We tried the 'tawny' flavor which was suppose to be a deeper, wood flavor (I just had assumed that I would prefer the sweet dessert ports) As we peered out at the sea from our warm, second story window and had a life chat with our port in hand, I fell head over heels in love with port. And so when I found that exact make in the airport, I immediately bought it. And it has become a wonderful reward system for me. When I finish a big assignment, I get to have a glass with dinner or while I watch a movie....I am definitely going to miss being able to legally drink (although I looked into importing this import, and it would cost around 120 euros to ship...so maybe its best that I just enjoy here....)

And that is how the relatively unknown city of Porto became one of my favorite trips of the entire term.

Ciao for now

P.S. there might be a few more posts, depending on how deep my procrastination runs, and if I run out of tv shows to catch up on....

La Mia Esperienza

Ok so let’s be real. I am not going to blog about all of the places that I visited. I completely intended to….but there is not really any point now since soon I will be home to tell the stories in person. So this is rather a rapping up of sorts. Today I had my last class and took my Italian final. It was an entirely surreal experience….I feel like I should be going home now. Instead, I have a 6 day weekend and four finals and packing. I can’t decide if I love this weekend since there are a lot of things that I still want to do and I certainly still need to get the rest of my gifts which I have been avoiding for the last 3 months, but I am actually ready to go home (Yes, ME).

I have had evaluations for just about every aspect of being abroad, and they have certainly made me think about the experience. During my final, I had to write about what I liked and disliked in Rome (in Italian…). And honestly I am afraid that I am going to be bored to tears. I am currently completely exhausted and the idea of traveling to one more hotel/hostel makes me never want to leave my bed, and yet I am sure that the moment I am fully rested and sitting in Nac or Lex I am not going to know what to do with my time. And obviously the work at W&L is going to be so much more time consuming than here (especially since I am overloading with research). Yet the idea of spending all of my time studying or just going to frat houses is bleak indeed.  (Though I am excited for Southern guys, and I am so ready to go back to smiling at guys without getting catcalls.) But just walking home from school, I walk along the Tiber and pass several important things: Castel San Angelo, Farnese Palace, and several ancient bridges and fountains. 

Further, here every weekend is a completely new adventure. I have been forced to figure out how to get around, and in countries where I do not speak a word of the native language. This is, as I said, exhausting, but it also forces you to grow as a person. I know more about what I like, what I dislike, and especially what I need. I am also at least a bit more assertive now, which I think is definitely a good thing. And while I am so ready for all of the amenities of home, there is something satisfying about feeling like you are getting by on the minimum….learning to deal without an oven, dryer, or coffee maker for example….oh right and long, hot showers.

The thing that I have perhaps dwelt upon the most of late, however, is the question as to which culture has it more right.   In my “Rome as a Living Museum’ class the Italian professor introduced us to some very famous Thomas Cole paintings to compare with the mindset of Rome: ‘The Course of Empire’. These are fascinating. Cole is an American naturalists/naturists who conceived the idea for this series while studying the ruins in Rome. The first painting shows a very early settlement at dawn. This represents the beginning of a civilization. Then there is a morning painting of a pastoral  scene where humans and nature are at one and you see the figures starting to draw out equations and other scientific discoveries/occupations. At noon it shows a culture in its ‘peak’ filled to overflowing with great marble monuments (many taken from Rome). The afternoon scene is this same civilization being destroyed by fire. Finally at sunset, you see the land retaking civilization with only a single column visible to show the world what once was. This seemed truly inspired….and so the question is: What is the highest point a culture can reach? Perhaps when a culture is richest is not actually the apex. This also made me dwell on just how many people truly were privileged during the apex of Roman culture, and the list is not very long. So should the aim of civilization actually be humble simplicity and happiness as Cole suggests? I don’t know, but I am certainly rethinking success on a personal as well as global level. Must every civilization go through these phases? When is God most honored?

I have also been thinking a lot recently about relationships, and maturity. I really like a lot of people who I have met here, but I feel that most of these friendships developed more for conveniences’ sake. And I honestly do not see me going out of my way to visit anyone, and I am sure no one else will be heading to Lex anytime soon. And perhaps this is the inevitable when you go somewhere for only 3.5 months and know that you will never see any of these people again and yet it feels very sad. It definitely made me appreciate the deep friendships I have developed at home and at school. I am apparently very picky about friendships, but perhaps I need to become more open-minded about who I consider a friend, but maybe not….maybe this is just growing up.

Ok so now I think I have written a novel as it is so I am going to abbreviate the last of it. " Here are a few of my favorite things"... I have a new appreciation for Port and it will probably be culture shock not to order wine with dinner. I am going to miss walking along the Tiber, though I guess the beauty of the Appalachians will have to suffice. I would say that I will miss randomly bursting out in song, but I am pretty sure that my friends at home do that too haha. I will definitely miss trying to dissect a new cultural approach, and yet I think this experience is going to make more perceptive to what exactly American culture is.

So again I apologize for not telling more stories of travels but I will say that I absolutely loved every city I visited, just in different ways. Barcelona is fun, Munich is efficient, Santorini is gorgeous, Athens is rugged and historic, Istanbul is exotic, Amalfi is relaxing, Vienna is elegant, Salzburg is quaint, Milan is fashionable, Venice is mysterious, Florence is renaissance, London is classy and more like home, and Rome…? Rome is truly a living museum, but one that seems to me to have stopped growing for the most part since the end of WWII. And now though there are so many more places that I want to go to (and places I want to return, Turkey this summer anyone??), I am ready to go home. In 9 days I will be back in Texas and I could not be more excited!!

P.S. I am about to get ready for an american style Christmas party (aka tacky christmas sweaters and giant wrapping bows) and even though I am sort of over being abroad I am excited to be american for at least a night, silly though it is

P.P. S. Since a picture is worth a million words, here are some pictures which I think epitomize my term.