Day 1 Rome-ing Around (Rome, Italy)

Meg:

So, we slept in a little and woke up excited to walk into Rome. We were staying on the outskirts of the city so we had to walk about 45 minutes before we were to hit the Colosseum.  This meant halfway through our walk we needed to stop for breakfast...

GE-LA-TOOOOOOOOOOO...."When in Rome" am I right!?!?! We could eat it for every meal and we fully intended to! Unfortunately, we didn't find another well-priced shop in the city (tourists mess up everything), so we had to eat pizza again...bummer (pictured later). So we walked the rest of the way, stopping in this park in the middle of no-where to sit down and people-watch (mainly because our legs were tired from Greece). This sculpture was in the middle, but this is like a squirrel in Michigan. Sculptures and detail and ruins are just EVERYWHERE like it's NORMAL or something. 

So while in this park, we discovered the open-cup policy that we found was so common in our future (Budapest and then Prague). People everywhere at 11 in the morning sharing vodka and beer and wine. Hilarious! Also, comforting in some ways, hehe. :) 

So we walked and walked, past pizzerias and ristorantes and gelaterias, saying, "Scuzi" as much as possible cuz it's so gosh darn fun to say (sometimes we bumped into people on purpose I think just so we could say it some more). Then one moment we were in the middle of some other park with sculptures and the next we were shot back in time and could hear Maximus Decimus Meridius shouting his name. The Colosseum. 

HOLY CRAPPUCCINO!!!!!!!! This is the kinda building that makes you wanna pee in your pants just so you know you're not dreaming or in a movie. SHEESH it's huge...and amazing...and intriguing...and surrounded by other incredible things. The most interesting was the scaffolding right down the middle...hehe. We realized after seeing more than a few items under construction (i.e. the Trevi Fountain had no water and was covered in construction blankets) that we are travelers in the off season (not so bad because it IS a lot less busy). We got used to not being disappointed when seeing something covered in scaffolding or ladders or material that was painted like what was supposed to be underneath. We tried to take pictures as best we could to crop out the construction, so we had to get a little creative. Here is where I tell you to not be bummed about the lack of photos from Rome, because Tom has all the good ones...

He will be posting up his own pictures later. I just wanted to catch us up a little bit before you forgot we even had a blog! I know we'll talk about this later, but we are just so darn overwhelmed in the beginnings of our program!! Currently we're spending our time looking for jobs, an apartment,  planning our lessons for the week of teacher-training, getting paperwork started for our visa, AND trying to socialize with our new friends (best part)!! The blog has taken a back seat for now, but don't fret! We're gonna keep it coming as best we can! So here are a few more stops on our Rome-ing Around tour...

So let me tell ya something about Vatican City that you may or may not already know...there are big lines, and everyone tells you you shouldn't wait in them. So we bought a reservation and an entrance ticket for the next day. However, we couldn't wait until then to stop by. We wanted to see where we'd be waiting and we heard there were a few things you could do without a ticket, so we tried those. 

St. Peter's Square is like the front door to the city....a million pictures couldn't do this justice, but we felt a panoramic would do it best...

Once you've had your fill, which is basically never, you can hop in line for the free view of St. Peter's Basilica. Once again, my iPhone isn't going to be able to show you what this place is like, so you should go there. Remember Tom has the good pictures, but here are a few of the inside.

So after walking around with our mouths agape for hours, we wanted to find some dinner. We popped through a bunch of places. Our favorite area of Rome was called the Trastevere. If you move to Rome, which I know most of you are planning to do some day, move here. It's the "little Italy" that most cities try to mock. Tiny alley ways with music playing and vines growing on balconies. It's super-romantic and made us want to find a spaghetti-place to Lady-and-the-Tramp-it. We saved that for night two because we wanted to see more.

We stumbled back upon a few places we had seen in the daylight that seemed even more mythical or magical at night. We couldn't help imagining what it was like to live in the time where these were new buildings. We truly felt like we were in some time machine that had really good food.

Day 1 of Rome-ing became very tiring as we tried to avoid the touristy deals, but we finally stumbled across a 2 pizza with a bottle of wine special that we couldn't pass up. We dined outside, listening to the sounds of Rome and stuffed ourselves with delicious Margheritas. 

So I know we're not in Prague yet in blog-life, but we are now in real-life. We just wanted to thank all those sending thoughts and prayers our way. We are definitely stressing a bit as we prepare for living abroad, "We're not on our honeymoon anymore To(m)-to(m)". Real life is hitting us in the face right now, but we are meeting GREAT new friends that are either in the same boat or have recently gotten out of said-boat and have fantastic advice and connections. Prague is a beautiful city to live in and sometimes we don't believe we are this lucky and we cannot wait to share pictures and stories with you about this crazy city that stares at you on the bus and tempts you with the best beer you'll ever drink or punches you in the face with its incredible views and tumultuous history. Until next time! 

Italian goodbye: Chau!

Czech goodbye: Na shledanou!!

Jogging Tour (Thessaloniki to Rome)

So when we woke up and tiptoed through the apartment trying not to wake our Mr. Mouse, we packed and my man of a husband ran through the rain and caught us a taxi. We took the train to Thessaloniki, which if you googled it you’d see it’s a city on a bay that also has an airport in Greece. So there was an accident on the tracks (not sure of the details), and our WHOLE train had to get off and take 4 greyhound busses to a stop about an hour along the trek to get back on the train for 3 more hours.

Everyone was a little antsy, but luckily we found an English speaking young woman to take us under her wing and make sure we were walking and sitting where we were supposed to be. A few other Greeks caught on and whenever announcements were made they would lean in and explain in broken English. It was quite sweet. We felt very taken care of during this trip. We were 3 to 4 hours late for our next host, and he wasn’t pumped, but when we explained what happened he was super sympathetic and helpful. That night we had some local Greek food (DELICIOUS and fumbled around in a tired stupor until we fell asleep). The next morning we woke up and decided to jog our way through town. Double reason: We’ve been doing nothing but eating and drinking so we need to exercise, and we also don’t have all day before we need to get to the airport, so jogging helps us do that quickly. Here’s our jogging tour through photos...

We got back to the apartment, straightened up, then packed up all our luggage. We hadn’t been everywhere, so we thought we would take our two huge pieces of luggage and double back packs and walk along the beach. Maybe this wasn’t the most comfortable walk, but it sure was beautiful. It was also hilarious at times. We got a lotta great looks. Then my favorite was when a young man on a bicycle rode up to us and said, “Are you lost with a lot of luggage!?” He was very worried. Why would two foreign people be walking along the beach with a lot of luggage? Maybe we wanna check out the beach one last time before we go sit in another taxi or another airport? hehe...people are nice and we are super grateful. It’s so wonderful to see how people take care of each other in this word. We’re loving it.

We finally decided it was time to grab a meal and a taxi. We stopped at To DayLicious 

(a coffee and HOT DOG joint, yes you read that right), then had a great taxi driver take us to the airport. We chilled a little bit before they would let us check in and....before I tell you the next part...let me tell you, normally I cry a lot...but it’s almost always for things that make me emotionally, uncontrollably happy. But it takes me a while to cry about things that frustrate me and Ryan Air charges you 70 Euro if you don’t check in online at least 2 hours before the flight...per person. We strode to the desk, pleading that we have never flown RyanAir before so we didn’t know about this rule, could they make an exception. Straight-faced man behind the counter said, “It’s in the terms and conditions, shall I continue with the printing of the boarding passes?” WELL WE NEED TO GO TO ROME MR MAN WHO DOESN’T HAVE FEELINGS....goodness....tears start just free flowing down my cheeks and I just put my head down while my hubby pays the fee that doesn’t make sense while wrapping me under his arm. Because I didn’t hit “submit” on the online check in the day before, our new family is out 140 Euro. WHAM, that’s a big punch in the stomach. We then used their “free” wifi to make sure we were checked into our next flight out of Rome. 

So to all those who plan to take RyanAir in the future (which you actually should because it’s really cheap and can get you almost anywhere in Europe), just make sure you check in online before you go to the airport...bleh.

We played UNO...then flew a couple hours to Rome, then showed up at our next apartment after a few wrong bus stops, met our new host Giuliano-a just hilarious, crazy-fun Italian actor. This guy is so welcoming and makes you feel like roommates right away instead of guests. We left to go get our first dose of pizza (mozzarella and anchovies-accidentally but my dad will be happy). We also had a tiny little glass of limoncello (check the picture: it was delicious). 

THIS WAS THE BEST PIZZA EITHER OF US HAD HAD IN OUR LIVES-everyone knows we all like to eat pizza and we all like to say some place has the best pizza...this mozzarella MELTS in your mouth, the sauce was just the perfect amount and I have NEVER had anchovies on pizza, but this was delectable. The whole thing was mouthwatering and I’m glad they invented it. We headed back to thank Giuliano for the recommendation and he had remembered it was our honeymoon...he popped open a bottle of wine for us and moved his record player into our room with some “wedding music”. 

We embraced the tunes from the 50s and fell asleep happy...sooooo pumped to see Rome the next day.

Stranger Danger (Athens, Greece)

Tom:

After our lovely day in Athens, we decide to enjoy a relaxing night full of wine and spaghetti – it is the first time we have cooked since leaving the states, and I’m relishing the flavors that remind me of home.

Choosing to stay on theme, we find a collection of movies our host has left us. After some deliberation, we decide on American Gangster. How awesome is that? We switch it on and settle in for the night.

A little insight into our relationship: Meg falls asleep whenever we start a movie. To clarify, Meg falls asleep IMMEDIATELY whenever we start a movie. I, on the other hand, get invested in the story and fight off sleep to keep watching. So, without disappointment, that exact scenario plays out.

Meg is now fast asleep, and I’m just kickin’ it, watching Denzel murder a ton of people and sell drugs (in the movie). Drowsiness is beginning to overtake me, and I’m starting to consider shutting off the laptop. Then, I start to see movement near to computer. I’m thinking to myself, “wow, this cinematography is really good because I’m seeing things off of the screen. Wait, there really is something moving by the screen. Oh shit, I’m pretty sure that’s a mouse!”

So, as quietly and calmly as I can, I wake Meg up to alert her of the intruder. She is confused at the onset, and perhaps even a little disgruntled at being woken from her slumber. Then, when she realizes who/what the intruder is: Terror.

Within seconds, everything is cleared off of the floor, and we are standing on the bed searching for the critter. We soon discover that he/she is behind our bed, obviously hiding for fear of my wife. I quickly run to get a bowl, and we devise a plan.

Meg moves the bed to the left, funneling the little guy straight into my waiting arms (or bowl). I stare into the eyes of my prey, and with good reason, he/she scuttles the other way, running around the bed, underneath the luggage, and into the living room, out of sight. Damn it.

We begin scouring the apartment, but after a few minutes we give up – our solution is one that makes me admire our relationship: We stuff a towel under the door, stack some luggage on top of it, and fall asleep.

These are the types of experiences that make me appreciate my wife – although she is clearly frightened, she understands the flippancy of the plight. She is always able to identify a situation holistically – she can see the bigger picture, and pick out the humor. Telling this story makes me realize how much I love her.

M'laegs! (Athens, Greece)

Meg:

Whoa. I don’t think my legs have ever been this tired from walking. 

Maybe they have...I dunno...they feel pretty tired. I’ll talk about travel stuff...but aren’t I supposed to talk about my feelings too? Either way...day 5 of this honeymoon was pretty spectacular after the whole waking up early thing because apparently Athens gets “tourist-packed” ‘round midday so everyone says you should go early...I get it, it was packed, they were right...it’s just hard not to hit the snooze button when you’re on your honeymoon.

So our cool airbnb.com apartment (complete with coffee, jam, those toast crackers, juice, tea, bottles of water in the fridge, little soaps and shampoos, wifi, a box full of touristy info/maps, and LOVE from the father of our host who waited more than a few hours for us to arrive from the airport to let us in-he was watching Dark Knight Rises...all for thirty bucks a night-the WAY to GO people) is just a couple miles from all that cool stuff you see in books about Athens. Ya know, the Parthenon, the Acropolis, Zeus and Olympic stuff, Agora things, temples of this and that....lovely thing about Athens is that it’s all pretty close together and you can walk everywhere!! So we did!

We just strolled up and down streets and stopped when we wanted to take pictures of buildings that look like they should be in the movie Hercules, but they’re just like a shoe store or a bank. All this time we’re strolling, we keep getting little sneak-peaks in between buildings, of the Acropolis high up on a hill. 

We finally got up to the top and it is inhalation-stealing (hehe get it-like breathtaking...but I feel like Tom and I have used that term so often already because we keep seeing stuff that takes our breath away but what other word can describe that feeling? I’m gonna try to be more creative next time, but it’s hard when you’re so focused on being in looovvvveeee <----go ahead roll your eyes...that was just to annoy those people I don’t get to annoy back home-love ya’ll). Back to the sites, here are bunches of pictures:

Icarus?

There’s lots of graffiti everywhere too...

Hehehe :-P

When both of us needed to pee and we were feeling hungry we stopped for a Greek Salad (I’ve been craving one ever since my friend Sara said it was the best thing she ate on HER trip in Greece #thatfetatho). They had this other thing on the menu called Briam. It was amazing. Both...were amazing. Tom and I discussed it because we’re married and decided yes, that was our favorite meal yet. We do this quite often now, discuss things....like, “Do your feet hurt?” and “Yes, they do”, or “Should we head home?”, “Yes, what a great idea, Husband.” This is an example of the discussion we had in the late afternoon because of our heavy legs. But before that we ambled through the old town (Plaka) and what a fun little shopping experience!! We didn’t buy anything because we’re newlyweds and are saving for things like beer and wine and maybe a house someday...also, because there is ZERO space in our two bags. #realreason. But look at the little old streets! They’re so alive and cute and fun!

Athens is a super cool town and we bumped into some nice people along the way. Both of us said the city kinda reminded us of Chicago a little bit with the public trans and people everywhere, but with the added big ancient buildings popping outta the ground all ‘oer the place. There’s also a lotta dogs...and LOTS of cats just roaming around fending for themselves.**

Anyway, we’re back in the apartment, chilling now, later tonight we’ll repack our bags for an early train departure to Thessaloniki tomorrow, grab some bread, cheese, wine or beer, go to sleep early and NOT dream, because we’re already livin’ it, Praise the Lord.

**Disclaimer: This blog entry should in no way be used as a tool for appropriate English grammar. I am aware of that. Like Tom mentioned we’ve been doing our Grammar homework for our upcoming training and I’m well aware that in my writing, I am not using the things I’m practicing for school.