Eat, Drink and Be Healthy

Bryan and I have joined a softball and baseball club in Munich. It’s actually in Gauting, south of Munich.  It’s not co-ed…I play softball and he plays baseball. When I was younger and really into softball, we literally played ALL year…Rec., Travel and then Fall Ball. It was never an issue in Florida since we could always be outdoors. Well in Germany, it’s cold, it snows and the ground freezes so we practice indoors. What I didn’t realize was that there are indoor tournaments. This was a whole new arena for me. I had no idea what to expect.

Indoor softball/baseball is not your typical ball game. It’s fast-paced and there’s a lot of action. Games are either 20 minutes or 7 innings – whichever comes first. Each team has 6 players playing at one time with open substitution. Batting orders and subbing is not really paid much attention to like it is in traditional games.  The games are played in gymnasiums...about ½ - 1/3 the size of a full-sized basketball court. The infield is much shorter and in most cases a wall is a few feet behind third and short stop. “Right field” is a little bigger, typically about maybe 20 feet deep. On the wall in right field is a basketball hoop. Any ball that directly hits the backboard is an automatic homerun. The ball used is rubber and very bouncy, but the same size as a regular softball or baseball. The bases are taped to the ground and not actually raised. When scoring a run at home plate, the runner must touch the base with his/her hand. This rule is implemented to reduce the impact/collisions of the runner with a defender. You are only allowed slide head first. There is no stealing bases…I believe in baseball too.

There isn’t a tradition pitcher as there is in a standard game. The umpire tosses the ball in front of the batter as you would with soft-toss. When exchanging defense to offense, players are sprinting into position. Once the batter is at the plate, the ump can toss the ball, even if the defense isn’t in position. On the other hand, if the batter is taking too long to get up to the plate, the ump can toss the softball and if the batter isn’t there, the untouched ball is counted as a strike. Also, the automatic count is 1 strike…basically, a batter gets two strikes instead of three. You’re probably thinking to yourself, how do you strike out?? It actually happens (although never to our team J ) that a batter can swing and miss the ball. Also, if you hit two foul balls they count as strikes. Unlike traditional softball, you can strike out on a foul ball. There is another unique way to foul a ball. There is a horizontal line about 6 feet high that lines the outfield. To prevent batters from pounding the ball downward and having it bounce high into the air (remember, the ball is rubber) and making it an easy base hit...if a ball hits the ground and then rises over the outfield line, it’s a foul ball. Also, if the ball slams into the left field wall, goes untouched and then crosses over the foul line on the opposite side (first base line), the hit is considered a foul ball since it is unplayable.

If a ball is hit upwards and hits the ceiling or any other structures attached to the ceiling, it’s an automatic out. A ball hit off of a wall and caught is an out.  If a ball gets stuck in an obstruction in the outfield or is overthrown and goes into the crowd or behind a structure, it’s considered a dead ball. Any runners get to advance one base automatically. Also, to end a play the ball is thrown or rolled to the ump. Once that occurs, runners can no longer advance.

I find indoor games exciting since there’s always action. Sliding is much different since you slide really far on the court. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get burned if your skin contacts the court while you’re in motion…it hurts! Sometimes there is a pad against the wall to the first base side of home plate since players can slide so far. It’s sort of fun as long as you don’t get burned…I got my hip bone last week…ouch! The downfall of indoor games is that if the defense has one bad inning, it’s hard to come back sometimes, especially late in the game. It’s very frustrating to know you’re a better team but your opponent had a few lucky hits that you didn’t have time to recover from since there are only 20 minutes in a game. It’s a very different game but I find it fun. I think it would be a great adult game to implement in the States, similar to the adult kickball leagues…light on the competition and heavy on the social aspects and Jello shots.

Speaking of Jello shots…Bryan and I found some of the events at our home tournament a little unorthodox. Our first tournament we participated in was our own, held in Gauting. There were 50+ teams that entered our tournament and 4 or 5 different divisions /age groups. The tournament was held Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was standard play to determine Sunday brackets. We were at the court for 12 hours and exhausted. However, there’s a party…?!? Over at where our outdoor fields are located there is another gymnasium with indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a restaurant attached to the gymnasium and to our surprise….a bar in the basement. Although I quit playing competitive softball when I was 14 , our coaches would have a BIG objection to partying the night before playoffs….let alone hosting  the party. I mean, we had 10pm curfews. The gym was used as a huge dormitory where the visiting teams set up camp. There were air mattresses and sleeping bags set up all over the place…it looked like a refugee camp. Downstairs there is a small room consisting of a bar, a dance floor and disco ball and a DJ booth. Being a part of the home team had its advantages at the bar…too many advantages. We had originally intended to stay for a few beers, mingle a little and head home to Munich. Well, we all know how good intentions go down the drain when we’re having a good time. Sunday morning was a little rough but both of our teams placed 2^nd in the tournament.

A really great perk of being a part of the Gauting team is that we both received complimentary gym memberships. It’s an all-inclusive gym membership. It’s not huge like the LA Fitness gyms at home but the equipment is all new and we really like it. It’s probably even smaller than Stayin’ Alive in PBG but way nicer. A fun challenge is that all of the weights are in kilograms and I have no idea how to properly work the cardio machines since they are in German...I just pess "quick start" and hope it works. Before noon, there is dry breakfast usually consisting of cereal, granola and oatmeal. After noon there are snacks such as veggies, fruit, crackers, cream puffs(!) and pretzels. There is a free upscale coffee machine with lattes and espressos, various flavored performance liquid to mix into your water and yogurt drinks. Downstairs there are men’s and women’s locker rooms with lockers, showers and hair dryers (one less thing to lug around). It takes us about an hour to get the gym since it’s in Gauting, so we are happy there are showers so we don't have to be stinky all the way home and are able to continue our day without first having to go all the way home to get clean. Also, we don’t have to worry about having the correct change to pay for hot water like we do at our apartment. However, the showers are communal. I’m not a big fan of being naked and showering with other people. Even at Zeta we had dividers. And Zeta was Zeta…no big deal. But the thought of showering with strangers up to the age of 70 just isn’t my cup of tea. But we’re in Europe and I guess this is all part of the experience. So I suck it up for the sake of being clean and it’s getting easier each shower.

The men’s and women’s locker rooms are on opposite sides downstairs. In between them is an open area with massage machines and rooms with tanning beds. Unfortunately for me, I rarely use tanning beds for the fear of getting skin cancer. I’m starting to get pretty pale. On the back end of the locker rooms, there is another common area accessed only through the locker rooms. There is a relaxation room with great lounge chairs that are super comfortable, two saunas and a steam room. The first time I used these facilities I went to the gym without Bryan and took advantage of being on my own schedule. My mom and I have a love for the PGA spa. PGA has great facilities including the Jacuzzi and sauna. Every time we go, I insist on keeping my bathing suit on even though we’re in female-only facilities. It’s the whole being naked in front of other people. Anyways, I walk into the sauna and there’s two ladies laying naked in the sauna. No big deal, don’t look at anything you don’t want to see and just relax. They were kind of taking up a lot of space since they were so spread out so I decided to sit upright and try to relax. I had positioned myself near the door of the sauna since I didn’t want to cause a lot of noise getting situated. The doors of the sauna happen to be glass so I was able to see out. A few moments into my “try to be relaxed state” I see a man coming towards the sauna. Oh Scheiße, the saunas are unisex! This man is going to come in here.

I was so thankful of my now strategic positioning. I quickly wrapped my towel around me and as nonchlantly as possibly walked out of the sauna like I was finished using it as the man was walking in. I was almost safe when I turn and accidentally see a 70 year old man walking stark naked from the men’s locker room. It was not a pretty sight and I’m going to leave to that subject alone. Again, I think it’s just the European way but I’m American and am just not comfortable being naked in a room with other naked men. I don’t feel it’s possible for a man sit across from or next to a woman and not steal a quick glance...awkward. And I have no interest in seeing strange mens‘ body parts.

I still want to make use of the facilities and have concluded that even if everyone thinks I’m strange, I will keep my towel tightly secure around my body while outside of the female-only areas. Even in the relaxation room, there are men that insist on lying naked. I try not to look at my surroundings too much in fear that I will see the unwanted. I knew going into this adventure that we were going to try to experience as much as the European and German culture as possible, but this is one aspect I just can’t conform to. Maybe the Europeans view Americans in a negative aspect for our cencorship and lack of openess to the human the body...but it’s the culture I was raised in and have no interest in changing my views. Literally.

Link to a slide show of the gym if it works: http://www.workout-fitness.com/Bilder_web/diashow.swf Click the 'forward' icon in the bubble on the top right.

Preseason for outdoor baseball started this weekend and softball will start in a few weeks. It’s been a fun way to exercise and be social. It’s also great to have a gym to work out at even though it’s an hour away, as we weren’t initially planning on getting memberships. It’s nice to arrive and relax with some breakfast and coffee before our workout. Then we try to relax when we have time afterwards and take advantage of the facilities. Our pace of life here has drastically slowed down and I think it’s helped keep our stress down. I don’t miss the go-go-go of work, gym, study, fit in social time, drive to Orlando/Tampa/Lake Placid/WPB. Bryan has started working at the Marriott and I’m interviewing for a full-time position in childcare or English while teaching/tutoring on a freelance basis for now. Life is still treating us well and our biggest concern is trying to find a new apartment. It looks like we’ll be here throughout the year so start saving your money if you want to visit. We can’t wait for our friends and family to visit. Although we miss them very much, we couldn’t be happier right now. J

Naples/Sorrento/Capri and Overall Opinion

From Rome, we travelled to Naples. We found 10 Euro tickets on a regional train and didn’t use a day on our Eurail pass. Someone said that tickets from Rome to Naples are usually 20-30 Euros, so we found a great deal. The train ride was quick and easy and you could see Mt. Vesuvius as you arrived into the city. You could also see a lot of graffiti and trash. I had read that Naples is “the ghetto” of Italy but I’m glad we went. Being the birthplace of pizza was the main reason I was initially excited to visit. Seeing Pompei and a day trip to Sorrento and Capri made for an even better visit.

We stayed at “6 Small Rooms” hostel – 6smallrooms.com. It was about 10 minutes from the main station. The rooms were huge, as was the kitchen. It was very cozy and we felt at home. Jenny, the owner, was very personable and helpful. Simon, the hostel cat, was great, and I’m not particularly a cat person. Fresh bread and coffee were provided in the mornings. There was also a large DVD collection to view for free.

Once again, my expectations were exceeded on our visit to Pompei. It was huge. I was expecting a few ruins and a quick glance. We spent almost 3 hours exploring this excavated city. Bryan did a great job navigating and took us off the beaten path for some beautiful scenery and views of the surrounding cities. We got lucky with beautiful weather and clear skies. The bodies found, although sad, were interesting to see. It’s amazing how they’ve been preserved for so long. There was also mention of the controversial indoor heated pool. We either somehow didn’t see it or didn’t notice but supposedly the paintings on the wall have been deemed by the Vatican as unsuitable for children. Later we realized why…they are very provocative. Not sure I’d want my kids to see it at a young age. Too many questions would arise. Pompei is definitely a sight worth seeing. We opted for an audio guide and it was well worth it.

We both really enjoyed Sorrento. Although the weather was a bit chilly and windy, it was still beautiful. We wondered the side streets and visited various vendors and boutiques. A popular staple item was lemon peel alcohol. It was a mix of lemon peel, liquor, sugar and water. I didn’t find it extremely appealing but I usually try not to turn down free samples, especially when it involves alcohol. They also had delicious chocolates and lemon candies to sample. Sorrento is much cleaner than Naples and catered to tourists. It’s a perfect place to sit for a meal or a drink and take in the views.

http://www.sorrentotourism.com/eng/index.html

We took a ferry over to Capri and it was a quick 20 minute ride from Sorrento. Beware for those who get seasick…the people behind us didn’t do so well. The island of Capri is gorgeous. Many cliffs and pretty Italian homes nestled on the hill sides. There are tons of shops. Fortunately for Bryan and my bank account, many of the shops were closed due to being the off season. A lot of them were high-end…reminded me of the Garden's Mall directory or the “expensive side” of Mall at Millennia. I wouldn’t have been able to afford anything anyways. The Blue Grotto was closed as well, but I don’t think it would have been enjoyable due to the cold weather. I’m sure I’ve seen comparable water colors in the Bahamas. If you’re up for the hike, make sure you walk to the top of the city. It’s a narrow passage up the hill. I believe there is a bus you can take if you’re not up for the exercise. Leaving, there is an option to take the ferry back to Sorrento or go to Naples.

http://www.capri.com/

The trip home was nearly disastrous. We opted for a 6:50 train in the morning vs. 7:50 just in case our train was delayed or something happened. Our trip was supposed to be: Naples>(through Rome)>Milan>Zurich>Stuttgart>Munich. Again, we avoided Austria so that we didn’t have to pay extra money. The first train was an easy 5 hours. Since we took the early train, we have an hour and a half in Milan before our train to Zurich departs. I’m excited to have one last pizza while in Italy and we’re about to set out to find some. Bryan randomly turns one more time to the departure board and sees that the only train cancelled is our connection to Zurich. What are the chances of this happening twice?!? And both times it’s to get to Zurich. So we cancel the search for pizza (I’m very disappointed) and head to Customer Service. Of course, there’s nothing they can do. The train isn’t coming; we need to find another way to get home. Bryan gets major credit right here…in under 5 minutes, he finds an alternate route home through a totally different way. We take a train to Brig, from there to Bern, from there to Zurich. The train leaves in 15 minutes. We run across the station to get downstairs where ticketing is located. The line takes us 10 minutes to get through and we finally get the ticket with 5 minutes remaining to get to the platform. We are sprinting to get to the train, bags and all. I feel like I’m going to pass out. I know I haven’t been exercising like I normally do, but I seriously thought I was going to hyperventilate. We jump on the train and settle in, proud of ourselves that we made it. We get 30 minutes into the ride, the person comes around to check our tickets and immediately starts saying something in concerned Italy. I know immediately that we’re on the wrong train.

What are the chances of this: Two trains headed for “Brig.” One of them is headed to Brig, Italy and the other to Brig, Switzerland. The train we wanted should have said “Geneve.” How in the world are we supposed to know this, that was not our destination??

Back to Milan it is. We have multiple options, none of them good. To save you time from having to read all them, we decide to suck it up and go through Austria straight to Munich. We didn’t get reimbursed for the accidental train we took. The lady in Customer Service said that it was our fault we didn’t ask someone on the train. Those of you at Anspach, I hope you understand how furious this made me. Whatever, let’s get home. We catch a regional train to Verona and from there, go through Austria and finally make it to Munich at 10:30pm…before our original train would have arrived. Oh, and we didn’t get penalized going through Austria. J

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We’re pretty spoiled when it comes to tropical settings. Being from Florida and havingbeen to many tropical destinations, we didn’t find Capri all that impressive. Yes, it was gorgeous and we’re glad we saw it, but we now know it won’t be the destination for a future tropical getaway. I do predict that we will return to Naples for pizza and Sorrento for another day trip. We will explore other tropical areas in the vicinity instead of return to Capri. We are excited to see the Almalfi Coast and Cinque Terre. Also, don’t expect Florida beaches at the above mentioned destinations. The beaches that do exist are rather small and we heard they get packed in the summer time.

An upside to traveling Italy in the winter is that there are minimal tourists. Not only are prices usually lower for accommodations, but we didn’t wait in any lines our entire trip. We had a lot of photo opportunities and didn’t have to worry about having crowds ruin our photos. Although I was ready for a short break from the cold weather of Germany, I can recommend visiting Italy in winter if you only want to sightsee and not spend your time in a bathing suit.

The subways and public transportation of Italy:

In one word…dirty. I was kind of shocked the first time a train rolled up in Rome, it was covered with graffiti and not clean. Isn’t Rome supposed to be the city of romance? I imagined Rome to be so much cleaner. (Don’t get me wrong, I still loved Rome.) It made me realize how clean and quiet the rail systems are in Munich, as well as how much I missed them. Then we got to Naples and I realized how clean Miami is in comparison. Just to put it into perspective. Not only were the rail cars covered in graffiti, there were piles of trash in the streets as we passed through on the local trains. I still love Naples for the food and how Italian it felt, but if you’re looking for 5 stars, Naples isn’t the place. It doesn’t matter how clean Rome is…it’s Rome. But I think we’ve both agreed that we’re so happy we settled in Munich.

Public restrooms are not frequent in Rome or Naples as far as I saw. You either have to pay to use them or be a customer. You may be lucky and a restaurant will let you slip in real quick. So I suggest you keep that in mind if it may be an issue for you. Also, we noticed that a lot people thought the sidewalk was theirs. A lot of people made no effort whatsoever to give you a little space as you passed. We were shouldered and run into a good amount of times.

Onto food-my favorite subject! The pizza in Italy is amazing…my favorite food on earth! I could eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner…which I did while in Italy. The pizza sauce was light and the cheese melted right off the slice-it was heavenly. I did have some pasta and other things, but pizza was my favorite! Bryan had delicious veal with prosciutto in a white wine sauce that is definitely mentionable. There are so many different flavors of gelato and I wish I could have tried them all! My favorites were cannoli, biscotti and nocciola. In Naples, there were these really big donut-looking things with large granules of sugar, called something like “graffe” - also amazing and very filling. Bryan enjoyed a fried rice ball that seemed to be common. There were also bottles of wine available as low as 2.50 Euro. I’m definitely fond of the prices of alcohol in Europe so far.

Overall, Italy was wonderful. We can’t wait to explore more cities and eat more pizza.



Rome

Besides a few transportation issues, Italy was a success! Bryan and I purchased Eurail tickets http://www.eurailtickets.com/. We chose to travel 3 countries, 7 days of travel within two months. We chose Germany, Switzerland and Italy. In hindsight, we should have chosen Austria instead of Switzerland due to the fact that you can only travel through countries you have purchased (even if you don’t stop in that country) or else you get penalized. We didn’t realize this until we booked our trip to Italy. Obviously, it’s a straight shot from Munich to Rome right through Austria. So we planned our trip as so: Munich>Stuttgart>Zurich>Milan>Rome. Also, for major trains in Italy, you have to reserve a seat on the train which costs 10 Euro per seat. So from Zurich to Milan it costs 10 Euro each and then from Milan to Rome it costs an additional 10 Euro each. Regional trains are free if you’re using your Eurail pass that day.

Our first train was great. The trains are spacious and comfortable. However, our connecting train from Stuttgart to Zurich was 45 minutes late. Unless we made up time “on the rail,” we were going to miss our connection in Zurich. Not only did we lose time once we got on the train, the company decided it was so late, that we weren’t going to Zurich. Great. So we get off the train at some random stop in Germany and find a train to Zurich. Get to Zurich and have to find another train to Milan, since we missed our original connection. We only have Euros which adds to the drama, but ends up working out to my benefit. We were able to pay in Euro but only receive Franks as change. The only useful thing we can do with Franks is buy food! Zurich train station has great food and goodies! Life is good again.

We finally get to Rome around 11pm, exhausted and ready for bed. We stayed at The Yellow http://www.yellowhostel.com/. I recommend the location of the hostel, 5 minute walk from Termini Station, but the hostel itself wasn’t great. The showers were really awkward and security wasn’t the best. You do, however, receive a free drink at the bar. I don’t know how high the overall standards are for hostels in Rome. If we go back, we’ll stay in an actual hotel. This hostel was bearable though.

To buy public transportation tickets in Rome, you buy them at the newspaper stand at the station (at least at Termini Station/main station). To the best of my knowledge, they are 1 Euro and last for around 90 minutes once validated. The best advice I have is to buy a “Roma Pass” for 25 Euro http://www.romapass.it/. This card will get you free entry into the first two visited museums/sites and reduced ticket prices to all other museums/sites after that, free public transportation for 3 days and a few other perks. We bought ours at the Tobacchi shop across from the Colosseum.

As we were approaching the Colosseum from afar, I was a bit disappointed in its size. Once we got closer, it was massive. To think that this structure was built 2,000 years ago just blows my mind. We arrived just as it opened and pretty much had the entire place to ourselves. I wonder if I was alive back in the Gladiator days, if I would have found people fighting for their lives entertaining or grotesque. Today, it would make me depressed…thankfully, we don’t do it! Under where the floor would have been (they’ve constructed a partial floor to give you a sense of the original floor) is where animals were held and lifted up in elevators then were released into the arena. The whole time I envisioned the movie “Gladiator.” We would love to be able to explore the subterranean area as well as the secret underground tunnels out of the arena. We didn’t do a tour for the Colosseum and I’m not sure if it’s necessary. They have audio guides that may be beneficial if you need some insight, but we were fine without it.

I didn’t expect to find the Roman Forum as interesting as I did. I guess because I wasn’t sure exactly what it was. I had kind of slacked on the brush up reading for this part of our exploration (moving vehicles make me fall asleep…but at least I was well-rested for our trip.) The Forum was the political, religious and commercial center of Rome 2000 years ago. I highly recommend spending some time here. We had a guide book to reference for all of the sights and I would assume an audio guide would be worth the money. There are about 14 sights to see.

The Pantheon was another neat sight. The dome is 140 feet high and wide and was Europe’s biggest church until the Renaissance. Raphael and Italy’s first two kings chose to be buried here. The building is sunken below current street level from 2000 years ago. It’s also a great location to get some gelato! There are some other churches in the area that we didn’t get to.

Side note about pictures with “characters”: We had read and were fully aware about not taking pictures with the men dressed as Gladiators outside of the Colosseum. We saw them at many other main attractions as well, including the Pantheon. I’m waiting just outside the doors of the Pantheon while Bryan is getting a few more pictures in another location. I notice a couple taking pictures with a Gladiator and think to myself “I wonder how this works…getting paid for taking a picture on someone’s own camera. How do you actually collect?” Well, intimidation is the answer. There aren’t any signs saying you must pay for the pictures taken. The Gladiators just seem like they’re a part of the attraction or supposed to be there. This young British couple, as I find out through their accent, was not aware they had to pay to take a picture with the Gladiators. I watch this all unfold and am pretty entertained. Unfortunately for Bryan, he’s off taking pictures of something and misses this confrontation. The English girl walks away as soon as money is mentioned and the men start to go at it (verbally). Cheers to the English guy…he’s not taking it. He claims that the picture belongs to him, he’s not erasing it and that he’s not giving the Gladiator money. The Gladiator asks the English man if he thinks he’s stupid. I’m thinking to myself, “Well, you are dressed as a Gladiator taking pictures instead of at a real job. But then again, you’re getting paid to smile into a camera.” So I was undecided on my answer. Long story short, they go back and forth and the English man wins by walking away with his camera not crushed on the floor, the picture still saved and the money in his pocket. Bryan walks out at this exact moment and we walk into the square. That same Gladiator, with a quick smile on his face, tries to get us to fall victim to his game. He tries to put a tiara on my head and get me to take a picture. (Am I supposed to pretend to be a princess? Do I look like I’m 8?) I’m not fooled by his game and say no while ducking away from him. He says, and I’m quoting, “What…you have a jealous husband?” Really? I’ve now decided that my answer to his earlier question is-yes, I think you’re an idiot.

The Villa Borghese Gardens was a nice, relaxing walk to take a break from sightseeing. It’s perfect for picnics or a nap in the sun (guilty). It leads up the Borghese Gallery which is a mansion turned into a museum. It includes Bernini’s David, Apollo and Daphne, works by Raphael and other famous artists. It’s mandatory to make reservations to get in (book online http://www.ticketeria.it/ ). You are given two hours to view the museum and photos are not allowed. You can safely check your camera and bag upon entering. The museum provides blurbs about the art in each room, so we didn’t think an audio guide was necessary.

When taking the public buses, be aware that the routes are not continuous. Meaning, if it starts in one place and ends at another…it ends. It doesn’t circle back around and get you to the starting point. We made this mistake and it cost us an hour of time. Again, we’re virgins to public transportation and are learning. We were in a hurry and jumped on the bus as it arrived and figured it would take us to our destination. It didn’t and we had to start the entire trip over from the last stop back to the first.

We love Rick Steve’s guidebooks and I recommend referring to a travel book before traveling. He provides a list of self-guided walks and we created our own evening stroll with some of his help. We began at Piazza del Popolo and walked along Via del Corso (great for shopping) to the Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps provide a great view looking toward the Tiber. From there we went to Trevi Fountain which was beautiful at night. It dates back to the 1700’s using ancient aqueducts to power water through 24 spouts on the fountain. We headed down to the Capitoline Hill area and had dinner in Piazza Venezia (Leslie, this is when we tried stuffed zucchini flowers). The Victor Emmanuel Monument at night is a pretty sight and then venture down to the Colosseum for a night-time view. The Colosseo Station is right across the street for an easy way home. It seems like Line A of the metro closes around 9pm-ish so make sure before you plan your route home at night. Line B was open around 10-11pm when we needed to get home.

We started out another morning bright and early at the Vatican. We tried to make a reservation for a guided tour but there weren’t any available. To book anything online, tickets included, you will be subject to a 4 Euro booking fee www.vatican.va.  If you chose to buy one on the day of your visit, I suggest getting there early to avoid the long line outside.

Side note: I was very cautious when crossing the streets of Italy. I have never seen so many mopeds before and people riding them are not hesitant to squeeze in where they see fit. This includes and is not limited to…curbs, pedestrian sidewalks, around moving buses, in between moving autos, in between stopped autos…they seem fearless. As we approached the Vatican walls, I got a little over excited and let my guard down for the first time. Lesson learned: Don’t! By the grace of God, I did not get hit, but this moped came out of nowhere while I ran across the street and somehow managed to stop in time 2 inches from me. I thought Bryan was going to have a heart attack and he was not happy with me for being so careless. It’s not only the moped drivers that are crazy, I would never in a million years want to have to drive in Rome. It seemed like pure chaos.

The Vatican museum is unbelievable. First, I did not know it housed that much art. Second, I didn’t know there were so many rooms that housed all of this art and that the walls and ceilings were art themselves. It exceeded my expectations by far. The Sistine Chapel was much larger than I anticipated. Every inch of the walls and ceilings are painted. Naïve me only thought the ceiling was going to be the main attraction. I think our favorite part was the Last Judgment behind the altar. Beware that there are security guards ensuring you don’t take photos-with or without flash. However, you may take pictures everywhere else in the museum. After the Sistine Chapel, the tour is almost complete but don’t forget to visit the Pinacoteca. This houses a small collection of paintings including Raphael’s Transfiguration, Caravaggio’s Deposition and Leonardo’s St. Jerome. We opted for audio guides for the Vatican Museum since the personal tours were booked. It worked out better…when we passed some of the tour guides, they seemed to ramble on about uninteresting things. Though very informative, we liked being able to chose which exhibits we spent time learning about.

St. Peter’s Square is just as pretty as I had imagined it. It was a perfect spot to sit on the steps to enjoy the sun and have a picnic. St. Peter’s Basilica is huge. You can see Michelangelo’s Pieta behind bulletproof glass when you enter on the right hand side. The Holy Door on the right, which you’ll notice won’t be open, will be opened the next Jubilee Year in 2025. The statues and artwork are beautiful. There is a glass case housing the body of Pope John XXIII…kind of weird but interesting. You can also kiss St. Peter’s toe, which I don’t find very hygienic. There’s a lot to see and apparently they offer free 90 minute tours, but I believe they’re early in the morning and later in the evening. They have audio guides but not necessary if you know the highlights and what to see. We also went down to the Crypt underneath St. Peter’s which contains tombs of popes and memorial chapels (this is free). There were a lot people gathered at Pope John Paul II’s sight. There were also a lot of flowers.

Rome had so much to see but we did as much possible. We'll definitely be back.

Prague

Prague is much bigger than we expected and much more beautiful! We took a 5 hour bus ride from Munich, which was quick and easy. The weather cleared up as soon as we arrived and provided for a wonderful weekend, but it got pretty cold. We navigated our way to our hostel-Hostel Tyn-located right in the heart of Old Town. http://www.hosteltyn.com/ The rates were cheap but there wasn’t anything special about this accommodation aside from the location.

One of the best things was that Prague was cheap and the US Dollar was stronger, which is a nice change from the Euro. Our first meal, which included two beers, soup and two dishes, was only $13. The food was delicious. Our favorite treat was Cream and Dream ice cream in Old Town. We attended “Cabinet” at the Black Light Theatre; very different but entertaining. http://www.imagetheatre.cz/

The Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral were fascinating and the best attraction. Having a student ID gets you 50% off too! The cathedral is massive and really pretty. The views from the castle overlooking Prague are great. Sights to see in Castle Quarter: Strahov Monastery (make sure to get some beer and beer cheese!), Schwarzenberg Palace, Old Royal Palace, Basilica and Convent of St. George and Wenceslas Chapel. Unfortunately, since we visited in winter, we were not able to see the gardens surrounding the castle. The walk back down to the Charles Bridge is touristy and overpriced. The Charles Bridge is another great sight. The best advice about seeing the castle and the cathedral are to arrive when it first opens and have the place to yourself before the crowds start rushing in.

We didn’t find New Town extremely exciting and the actual on-the-hour of the astronomical clock in Old Town was a letdown but the clock itself is cool. You can’t miss the Tyn Church towering over the square. Budweiser in Prague is not Anheuser-Busch and worth a taste. The Jewish Quarter was very interesting, but obviously sad. The Old Jewish Cemetery is unbelievable with so many graves on top of each other…around 12,000. The Pinkas Synagogue has over 70,000 handwritten names of Czech Jews who were sent to Auschwitz and other camps. The Old-New Synagogue feels like a bunker as you step down to the street level of the 1200’s. Bryan got to wear his first Yakima. Overall, we had an awesome trip and love Prague!