Hey Everybody,
Oregon was amazing.
If you can, look at pictures of Crater Lake. It is gorgeous.
The last few days of my trip were spent locally. We spent a few hours shopping around Bend. My parents bought cowboy boots. HA.
The whole family did a (unofficial) microbrewery tour of Bend. At that point, we assumed that there were 4 main breweries (later we found out there were 5). We had had lunch at one of them, and decided that our last night in Bend would be spent going around getting samplers at the rest of the breweries.
If you are ever at a brewery, always get the sampler. You get a boatload of beer for cheap. Typically around 10 dollars in Oregon, closer to 12 in NY.
While we went shopping, I bought a Pink Floyd DVD, we watched it that night.
Portland was pretty uneventful besides the fact that we spent half an hour getting donuts at Voodoo, a restaurant typically featured on Travel Channel. SOOO worth it.
After a quick(ish) flight home, I have to say that Oregon was one of the best family trips I have ever been on.
Until next time,
Zac
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Out In The Wild West Part 2
Hey Everybody,
As I type to you, I am sitting at my aunts computer in Oregon. I am in a city named Bend which is the largest city in central Oregon. The population of the largest central Oregonian city is a little over 80,000. As we drove here from Portland, we passed by cities that had populations under 500.
The first day that we arrived, we did a small tour of Portland. The two things that I know about Portland are Voodoo donuts and microbreweries. Voodoo Donuts is featured on the travel channel as a place that has a unique twist on donuts. Unfortunately, when we got there, the line was about an hour long, so we left. My parents were a little tired to go to Microbreweries, so we ended up going out to a nice dinner in Portland and called it a night early.
The next day we left for Bend. Bend is about a 3 hour drive from Portland. On the side, my uncle has a license that lets him marry people. Once we got to Bend, he had to leave to marry his friends sister.
The next day we went to a town called Sisters. This is a stereotypical small western town with a boat load of shopping. The reason the town is named Sisters is that there are three mountains that are close together on the range that are named the "Three Sisters". It is absolutely gorgeous, and even during the end of the summer there is snow at the peaks of the mountain.
Since we have been in Oregon, my Aunt and Uncle kept raving about this restaurant called the Cowboy Dinner tree. It is literally in the middle of nowhere. We had to drive a combined 3 hours to get there and back. The great thing about Oregon is that there are a million two lane highways that are the only connectors between parts of the state. In other words, the Garden State Parkway is a two lane highway out here. To get to the restaurant we had to go through two national forests, a desert and some plains.
The restaurant looks like a shack on the side of the road. While there, there was at least a turnover of about 50 people. This shocked me. The closest city of any big population was around a 3 hour round trip. The food was spectacular, and one needs to make a reservation in order to eat there. They serve unbelievable tri-tip steak and a really great bean chili thing. If you ever find yourself in central Oregon, go to this place!
Yesterday, we went to this naturally formed lake named Crater Lake. A large volcano fell years ago, and a lake formed where it once stood. We were driving on roads that had a sheer cliff drop on one side, pretty cool.
The lake is crystal blue, and I found out later it's because there aren't any rivers that flow sediment into it. It was one of the prettiest natural things I have ever seen.
That night, we went to a top of a butte and watched as the sun set and the moon rose. It was gorgeous.
Side thoughts:
I really have not seen anyone under the age of 25. Though there is a semi big population, it seems to be mostly retired people.
The natural beauty is second to none.
I should have taken this trip years ago.
See you all soon,
Zac
As I type to you, I am sitting at my aunts computer in Oregon. I am in a city named Bend which is the largest city in central Oregon. The population of the largest central Oregonian city is a little over 80,000. As we drove here from Portland, we passed by cities that had populations under 500.
The first day that we arrived, we did a small tour of Portland. The two things that I know about Portland are Voodoo donuts and microbreweries. Voodoo Donuts is featured on the travel channel as a place that has a unique twist on donuts. Unfortunately, when we got there, the line was about an hour long, so we left. My parents were a little tired to go to Microbreweries, so we ended up going out to a nice dinner in Portland and called it a night early.
The next day we left for Bend. Bend is about a 3 hour drive from Portland. On the side, my uncle has a license that lets him marry people. Once we got to Bend, he had to leave to marry his friends sister.
The next day we went to a town called Sisters. This is a stereotypical small western town with a boat load of shopping. The reason the town is named Sisters is that there are three mountains that are close together on the range that are named the "Three Sisters". It is absolutely gorgeous, and even during the end of the summer there is snow at the peaks of the mountain.
Since we have been in Oregon, my Aunt and Uncle kept raving about this restaurant called the Cowboy Dinner tree. It is literally in the middle of nowhere. We had to drive a combined 3 hours to get there and back. The great thing about Oregon is that there are a million two lane highways that are the only connectors between parts of the state. In other words, the Garden State Parkway is a two lane highway out here. To get to the restaurant we had to go through two national forests, a desert and some plains.
The restaurant looks like a shack on the side of the road. While there, there was at least a turnover of about 50 people. This shocked me. The closest city of any big population was around a 3 hour round trip. The food was spectacular, and one needs to make a reservation in order to eat there. They serve unbelievable tri-tip steak and a really great bean chili thing. If you ever find yourself in central Oregon, go to this place!
Yesterday, we went to this naturally formed lake named Crater Lake. A large volcano fell years ago, and a lake formed where it once stood. We were driving on roads that had a sheer cliff drop on one side, pretty cool.
The lake is crystal blue, and I found out later it's because there aren't any rivers that flow sediment into it. It was one of the prettiest natural things I have ever seen.
That night, we went to a top of a butte and watched as the sun set and the moon rose. It was gorgeous.
Side thoughts:
I really have not seen anyone under the age of 25. Though there is a semi big population, it seems to be mostly retired people.
The natural beauty is second to none.
I should have taken this trip years ago.
See you all soon,
Zac
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Out to the Wild Wild West
Latest update on me:
I have been home for a little over two weeks. I have applied to many different jobs, and I am waiting to hear back on most of them.
I still have yet to make a scrap book of any sort, neither have I gone through all of the pictures from Europe. I think the fact remains that I am still reeling from the trip, and want more time before I reflect upon it.
With that being said, I am going to Oregon tomorrow.
The first question most people ask is, (with a face of disbelief) Why Oregon??
Well, the short answer is that I have an uncle who lives out there. My part of the family has never been to Oregon, so it should be quite an adventure.
The second thing most people say is that the only thing they know about Oregon is that there was a trail that led there. AKA, The Oregon Trail video game.
This game was absolutely amazing. For those who don't know you started out East sometime in the 19th century, and were trying to get to Oregon in order to start a new life.
Sounds easy?
Well, You have to hunt your own food, and people were always getting dysentery. I don't even know what dysentery is besides the fact that apparently many people perished with it while on the Oregon trail. God rest their souls.
The first and last night of the trip we will be in Portland. I read that Portland is one of the 15 most underrated cities in the US. There a million micro breweries there, which is totally up my alley.
The meat in the sandwich part of the trip is going to be spent in Bend, Oregon. This is in central Oregon. There are some touristy parts of it, but in general it is supposed to be beautiful.
I hope to be less ignorant by the time the trip ends.
See you all soon,
Zac
I have been home for a little over two weeks. I have applied to many different jobs, and I am waiting to hear back on most of them.
I still have yet to make a scrap book of any sort, neither have I gone through all of the pictures from Europe. I think the fact remains that I am still reeling from the trip, and want more time before I reflect upon it.
With that being said, I am going to Oregon tomorrow.
The first question most people ask is, (with a face of disbelief) Why Oregon??
Well, the short answer is that I have an uncle who lives out there. My part of the family has never been to Oregon, so it should be quite an adventure.
The second thing most people say is that the only thing they know about Oregon is that there was a trail that led there. AKA, The Oregon Trail video game.
This game was absolutely amazing. For those who don't know you started out East sometime in the 19th century, and were trying to get to Oregon in order to start a new life.
Sounds easy?
Well, You have to hunt your own food, and people were always getting dysentery. I don't even know what dysentery is besides the fact that apparently many people perished with it while on the Oregon trail. God rest their souls.
The first and last night of the trip we will be in Portland. I read that Portland is one of the 15 most underrated cities in the US. There a million micro breweries there, which is totally up my alley.
The meat in the sandwich part of the trip is going to be spent in Bend, Oregon. This is in central Oregon. There are some touristy parts of it, but in general it is supposed to be beautiful.
I hope to be less ignorant by the time the trip ends.
See you all soon,
Zac
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Its all over now baby blue
Hey Everybody,
A week ago today, I landed back in the US.
It took about 3 days to get over the jet lag, and the realization that I wont wake up in a European city is slowly settling in.
I came home to a loving family that missed me dearly, and they brought with them the Chicken Parm sandwich I mentioned I longed for in Rome.
The trip was unbelievable. Life changing. Exciting. Scary. Fun. Exhilarating. Stressful. The list goes on and on.
The most important aspect of my trip was not the places I went to. Instead, its the people who I met.
I now have met people from all over the world. A cop from Greece, a graffiti artist from Amsterdam. A cardshark from Australia. A professional baseball player in Germany. This list also goes on and on.
All of these people influenced me in their own way. Stereotypes I may have once had about certain countries have been broken.
To talk to people who have never been to the US and try to understand their perspective of what the US is was quite possibly the most interesting aspect of the trip. How do you explain that some people love guns in the US but others are totally opposed to it?
Some really cool statistics of the blog:
USA:
21 states looked at the blog
International
19 countries from every continent besides Africa
in total, there were 784 visits from around the world.
I would like to thank everyone for reading my blog.
More importantly, TRAVEL! TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL! Nothing will make you a better person then traveling.
Also, if anyone knows of any jobs available in marketing please contact me. Applying for jobs kind of sucks.
Love you guys and good luck,
Zac
A week ago today, I landed back in the US.
It took about 3 days to get over the jet lag, and the realization that I wont wake up in a European city is slowly settling in.
I came home to a loving family that missed me dearly, and they brought with them the Chicken Parm sandwich I mentioned I longed for in Rome.
The trip was unbelievable. Life changing. Exciting. Scary. Fun. Exhilarating. Stressful. The list goes on and on.
The most important aspect of my trip was not the places I went to. Instead, its the people who I met.
I now have met people from all over the world. A cop from Greece, a graffiti artist from Amsterdam. A cardshark from Australia. A professional baseball player in Germany. This list also goes on and on.
All of these people influenced me in their own way. Stereotypes I may have once had about certain countries have been broken.
To talk to people who have never been to the US and try to understand their perspective of what the US is was quite possibly the most interesting aspect of the trip. How do you explain that some people love guns in the US but others are totally opposed to it?
Some really cool statistics of the blog:
USA:
21 states looked at the blog
International
19 countries from every continent besides Africa
in total, there were 784 visits from around the world.
I would like to thank everyone for reading my blog.
More importantly, TRAVEL! TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL! Nothing will make you a better person then traveling.
Also, if anyone knows of any jobs available in marketing please contact me. Applying for jobs kind of sucks.
Love you guys and good luck,
Zac
Thursday, August 5, 2010
When in Rome (Part 2)
Hey Everybody,
I am back in the U.S.S.A, I was born in the U.S.A, This land is my land, this land is your land... etc.
The last few days of my trip were some of the best experiences that I had while abroad. I stayed with my friends Marisa and Max and we had a ball. Each morning that I was there, a small street market was open. We would go down to the market and buy different fruits and veggies, and make breakfast.
I had seen most of the big things in Rome by this point, so we were never really in any type of rush. After I left, they still had a few days to explore the city. The first full I day I had with them I had to wake up unbelievably early because I had yet to check out of my hostel. The night before we had drank a little too much, and we all came to the conclusion that it probably was not a smart idea for me to try to take the buses back to my hostel.
Rome does have a pretty good bus system, but the woman at the hostel gave me entirely horrible directions. She told me to take the bus for 6 stops, and then get off. What she failed to mention was the fact that if nobody is at the bus stop and no one gets off, then the bus driver speeds by your stop.
Of course, it was dark and rainy, so I couldn't see every single stop that we passed. After a little while I asked the guy across from me if I was near my stop. He laughed. Yes, he laughed. He told me directions to get back (in Italian), so I was totally lost.
A good thing and a bad thing happened at the same time. I remembered that I had put Google Maps on my phone, so I was able to type in their address, and walk an additional half mile or so. The problem was that my phone was nearly dead. Luckily, the phone stayed on until I was about a block away or so, and was able to get to their apartment with little trouble.
For two of the three nights I stayed with them, Marisa cooked unbelievable meals. The first was an eggplant Parmigiana , and the other night was an open forced cord on bleu. I do have to mention that Max is quite a good sous chef. Yummy.
We rented bikes for a day, and ended up doing the tour of the Colosseum. The Colosseum is as cool as I imagined it, granted a tad smaller then expected. I kept making corny jokes throughout the museum part saying things like: "They had lights 2000 years ago?!?", "I didnt know they had hand rails 2000 years ago?!?". I was eventually exhausted of making these types of jokes.
A group from Eastern Europe came up to the three of us and asked me to take a picture. Marisa started saying how I was a world famous photographer, and I should charge them quite a bit. The Eastern Europeans didn't really get the joke, but I thought it was funny, and that is really all that matters in that type of situation.
We rode around for a while, had great gelato and I took the two of them to the worlds most unique McDonalds (According to Travel Channel) in the world. It was more of a lounge then anything else.
The second day full day I was with them was also my last day in Rome. I bought gifts for a few friends, my parents, and went shopping at my new obsession, United Colors of Benetton.
That night, we drank to celebrate Marisa's birthday as well as my last day in Europe. Great times were had by all!
I plan on writing one more post about thoughts and statistics from the trip...
Thank you everyone!
Zac
I am back in the U.S.S.A, I was born in the U.S.A, This land is my land, this land is your land... etc.
The last few days of my trip were some of the best experiences that I had while abroad. I stayed with my friends Marisa and Max and we had a ball. Each morning that I was there, a small street market was open. We would go down to the market and buy different fruits and veggies, and make breakfast.
I had seen most of the big things in Rome by this point, so we were never really in any type of rush. After I left, they still had a few days to explore the city. The first full I day I had with them I had to wake up unbelievably early because I had yet to check out of my hostel. The night before we had drank a little too much, and we all came to the conclusion that it probably was not a smart idea for me to try to take the buses back to my hostel.
Rome does have a pretty good bus system, but the woman at the hostel gave me entirely horrible directions. She told me to take the bus for 6 stops, and then get off. What she failed to mention was the fact that if nobody is at the bus stop and no one gets off, then the bus driver speeds by your stop.
Of course, it was dark and rainy, so I couldn't see every single stop that we passed. After a little while I asked the guy across from me if I was near my stop. He laughed. Yes, he laughed. He told me directions to get back (in Italian), so I was totally lost.
A good thing and a bad thing happened at the same time. I remembered that I had put Google Maps on my phone, so I was able to type in their address, and walk an additional half mile or so. The problem was that my phone was nearly dead. Luckily, the phone stayed on until I was about a block away or so, and was able to get to their apartment with little trouble.
For two of the three nights I stayed with them, Marisa cooked unbelievable meals. The first was an eggplant Parmigiana , and the other night was an open forced cord on bleu. I do have to mention that Max is quite a good sous chef. Yummy.
We rented bikes for a day, and ended up doing the tour of the Colosseum. The Colosseum is as cool as I imagined it, granted a tad smaller then expected. I kept making corny jokes throughout the museum part saying things like: "They had lights 2000 years ago?!?", "I didnt know they had hand rails 2000 years ago?!?". I was eventually exhausted of making these types of jokes.
A group from Eastern Europe came up to the three of us and asked me to take a picture. Marisa started saying how I was a world famous photographer, and I should charge them quite a bit. The Eastern Europeans didn't really get the joke, but I thought it was funny, and that is really all that matters in that type of situation.
We rode around for a while, had great gelato and I took the two of them to the worlds most unique McDonalds (According to Travel Channel) in the world. It was more of a lounge then anything else.
The second day full day I was with them was also my last day in Rome. I bought gifts for a few friends, my parents, and went shopping at my new obsession, United Colors of Benetton.
That night, we drank to celebrate Marisa's birthday as well as my last day in Europe. Great times were had by all!
I plan on writing one more post about thoughts and statistics from the trip...
Thank you everyone!
Zac
Sunday, August 1, 2010
When in Rome! (Part 1)
Hey Everybody,
First off, Thank you Jeffrey for reminding me to use that phrase as often as I possibly can. It may be the most overused phrase ever uttered in Rome.
I arrived in Rome on the 28th of July. In my mind, I had one night to meet as many people as I could, in order to do a proper birthday dinner the following night. Unfortunately, the bar was practically empty, though at around midnight, the bartender gave me a free shot of limoncello.
The first major thing I did the night of the 28th was a free tour. Most major cities offer some type of free tour. The idea is that at the end you tip your guide. While waiting to start the tour, I ran into one of the four med students from Jersey.
Throughout my trip, I have seen these 4 med students in 4 different cities, as well as in 4 different countries.... The probability of that happening is pretty slim.
The tour took us to all the major sights in the heart of Rome. It started at the Spanish Steps, and went through a bunch of churches, the Italian equivalent of the White House, the Pantheon, and finally ended at the Trevi Fountain.
At the Trevi fountain, I ran into a friend of mine from Syracuse. Small World.
After the fountain, I ended up getting dinner with the four students. That was there last night in Rome, so we discussed everything that they did, and I tried to formulate some type of plan in order to best see Rome.
The next day it was my birthday!
WOOO!
As mentioned above, I tried to meet as many people as I could, and that failed.
I decided that I was going to enjoy the day as best I could by myself.
My friend Lainie from home told me that she had the best chicken parm in the world in Rome. Her and I come from the same hometown, and she knows damn well how good the chicken parm is at the Deli. She also knows I am basically addicted to it, so for her to claim that this was life changing was more of a challenge then anything.
I decided to go for lunch. After walking about 40 minutes, I got to the location, but couldnt find it. Then and there, I realized that the restaurant was only open for dinner. FUCK!!!
Zac: 0 World: 1
In Rome, people vow all the time. I VOWED to go back and have my birthday dinner there.
I had hours to kill. I decided to go to Saint Angelos Castle. This is a castle that overlooks the main river that runs through Rome. The castle had unbelivable views of the city, and more mosiacs then one can imagine.
On a side note
I have had to pay full price for all of my tickets into museums. There is a student rate, but one needs to be a European Union student. Even though I graduated, I still have my student ID simply because there isnt an expiration date on it. Thanks Syracuse!
If I ever open a museum, I will charge double for anyone from the EU, specifically students. I will laugh as they cry the tears of shame.
The castle is a quick two minute walk from the Vatican. I wanted to see the Vatican museum, and thought that I was on the appropriate line. Apparently, I was on line to see the Popes tombs. This was somewhat interesting, but not every tomb was there, and the history of each Pope was boiled down to a couple of sentences.
After this experience, I went to the Vatican Museum. I had been given directions, but the tourist information offices I went to decided to not tell me it was a fifteen minute walk, and that the museum closed at 4pm. I arrived at 4:05 PM.
Zac:0 World: 2
DAMN!
I needed to change this day for the better quickly. The World was beating me 2 zip on my own birthday!
I knew of a park that overlooked the city. I imagined it would be beautiful at dusk. I figured that the restaurant wouldnt open until 6:30, so I had some time to kill.
I found a bench where these two girls were sitting. We started talking. They were British, and in their early 20s.
Zac:1 World:2
After spending a couple of hours with them, we parted ways. The chicken parm was scratching at my soul, and I needed to quell the urge.
I got really lost, but eventually found my way to the restaurant. The parm was calling my name.
I sat down after a long day, and decided to celebrate my getting a first and second course. I am CrAzY!!!
First course was just bruschette, but it was good.
The chicken parm came out second.
Da Da Dummmmm
It was really good. Really really good. It wasnt as good as the Delis, but after a full day of waiting, it was worth it.
Zac: 2 World: 2
Afterwords, I decided to go and walk to the Colosseum to see it at night. It was absoluetly gorgeous. Throughout the night I called some friends and family to hear their voices, very pleasant.
Zac: 3 World: 2
I win!
The next day I did the full Vatican museum. It just shows how the Vatican took over the world stealing and pillaging, and then put all of the stuff they stole on display. In other words, I am not a fan of the ideas of the Vatican, but the museum was pretty.
The amount of money that could be made if the Vatican sold half of its assets it could arguably stop world hunger. Hmmm....
Either way, I saw the Sistine Chapel. The iconic image of God with Adam is quite breathtaking. I was blown away by the detail that was in the chapel. The Sistine chapel is also where all of the cardinals vote for the next pope.
The whole museum took about 3 hours, its huge.
The next day I went to Pompei.
On the way down, an older lady started talking to me in Italian. I understood that she wanted me to get her bags. After I did this, she offered me her seat, which was next to four gorgeous Italian girls. After hearing them giggle, I asked what she was talking about. Apparently the older lady wanted to set me up with these girls. It was a great trip!
Pompei is the site where a volcano erupted and buried a full city. Its impossible to see in one day, but well worth the visit. Unfortunately, its about a 7 hour roundtrip. Unless you really wanted to see it, (like me) its much easier to do if you spend the night in Naples (which I didnt).
The city was destroyed before Jesus, so there are at least 5 or 6 temples to various Roman and Greek Gods. The city is still being excavated, so each time you go, different things are open and closed. I saw an actual Roman bath which was pretty sweet. Many of the houses had original paintings of figures in sexual poses. Ah, to be a Roman.
That night, I got dinner with my friends from Munich, and after had too much wine and had to spend the night there. I am moving there today, and my last two nights in Rome will be spent there.
Thats it for now.
Ill see all of you very soon!
Zac
First off, Thank you Jeffrey for reminding me to use that phrase as often as I possibly can. It may be the most overused phrase ever uttered in Rome.
I arrived in Rome on the 28th of July. In my mind, I had one night to meet as many people as I could, in order to do a proper birthday dinner the following night. Unfortunately, the bar was practically empty, though at around midnight, the bartender gave me a free shot of limoncello.
The first major thing I did the night of the 28th was a free tour. Most major cities offer some type of free tour. The idea is that at the end you tip your guide. While waiting to start the tour, I ran into one of the four med students from Jersey.
Throughout my trip, I have seen these 4 med students in 4 different cities, as well as in 4 different countries.... The probability of that happening is pretty slim.
The tour took us to all the major sights in the heart of Rome. It started at the Spanish Steps, and went through a bunch of churches, the Italian equivalent of the White House, the Pantheon, and finally ended at the Trevi Fountain.
At the Trevi fountain, I ran into a friend of mine from Syracuse. Small World.
After the fountain, I ended up getting dinner with the four students. That was there last night in Rome, so we discussed everything that they did, and I tried to formulate some type of plan in order to best see Rome.
The next day it was my birthday!
WOOO!
As mentioned above, I tried to meet as many people as I could, and that failed.
I decided that I was going to enjoy the day as best I could by myself.
My friend Lainie from home told me that she had the best chicken parm in the world in Rome. Her and I come from the same hometown, and she knows damn well how good the chicken parm is at the Deli. She also knows I am basically addicted to it, so for her to claim that this was life changing was more of a challenge then anything.
I decided to go for lunch. After walking about 40 minutes, I got to the location, but couldnt find it. Then and there, I realized that the restaurant was only open for dinner. FUCK!!!
Zac: 0 World: 1
In Rome, people vow all the time. I VOWED to go back and have my birthday dinner there.
I had hours to kill. I decided to go to Saint Angelos Castle. This is a castle that overlooks the main river that runs through Rome. The castle had unbelivable views of the city, and more mosiacs then one can imagine.
On a side note
I have had to pay full price for all of my tickets into museums. There is a student rate, but one needs to be a European Union student. Even though I graduated, I still have my student ID simply because there isnt an expiration date on it. Thanks Syracuse!
If I ever open a museum, I will charge double for anyone from the EU, specifically students. I will laugh as they cry the tears of shame.
The castle is a quick two minute walk from the Vatican. I wanted to see the Vatican museum, and thought that I was on the appropriate line. Apparently, I was on line to see the Popes tombs. This was somewhat interesting, but not every tomb was there, and the history of each Pope was boiled down to a couple of sentences.
After this experience, I went to the Vatican Museum. I had been given directions, but the tourist information offices I went to decided to not tell me it was a fifteen minute walk, and that the museum closed at 4pm. I arrived at 4:05 PM.
Zac:0 World: 2
DAMN!
I needed to change this day for the better quickly. The World was beating me 2 zip on my own birthday!
I knew of a park that overlooked the city. I imagined it would be beautiful at dusk. I figured that the restaurant wouldnt open until 6:30, so I had some time to kill.
I found a bench where these two girls were sitting. We started talking. They were British, and in their early 20s.
Zac:1 World:2
After spending a couple of hours with them, we parted ways. The chicken parm was scratching at my soul, and I needed to quell the urge.
I got really lost, but eventually found my way to the restaurant. The parm was calling my name.
I sat down after a long day, and decided to celebrate my getting a first and second course. I am CrAzY!!!
First course was just bruschette, but it was good.
The chicken parm came out second.
Da Da Dummmmm
It was really good. Really really good. It wasnt as good as the Delis, but after a full day of waiting, it was worth it.
Zac: 2 World: 2
Afterwords, I decided to go and walk to the Colosseum to see it at night. It was absoluetly gorgeous. Throughout the night I called some friends and family to hear their voices, very pleasant.
Zac: 3 World: 2
I win!
The next day I did the full Vatican museum. It just shows how the Vatican took over the world stealing and pillaging, and then put all of the stuff they stole on display. In other words, I am not a fan of the ideas of the Vatican, but the museum was pretty.
The amount of money that could be made if the Vatican sold half of its assets it could arguably stop world hunger. Hmmm....
Either way, I saw the Sistine Chapel. The iconic image of God with Adam is quite breathtaking. I was blown away by the detail that was in the chapel. The Sistine chapel is also where all of the cardinals vote for the next pope.
The whole museum took about 3 hours, its huge.
The next day I went to Pompei.
On the way down, an older lady started talking to me in Italian. I understood that she wanted me to get her bags. After I did this, she offered me her seat, which was next to four gorgeous Italian girls. After hearing them giggle, I asked what she was talking about. Apparently the older lady wanted to set me up with these girls. It was a great trip!
Pompei is the site where a volcano erupted and buried a full city. Its impossible to see in one day, but well worth the visit. Unfortunately, its about a 7 hour roundtrip. Unless you really wanted to see it, (like me) its much easier to do if you spend the night in Naples (which I didnt).
The city was destroyed before Jesus, so there are at least 5 or 6 temples to various Roman and Greek Gods. The city is still being excavated, so each time you go, different things are open and closed. I saw an actual Roman bath which was pretty sweet. Many of the houses had original paintings of figures in sexual poses. Ah, to be a Roman.
That night, I got dinner with my friends from Munich, and after had too much wine and had to spend the night there. I am moving there today, and my last two nights in Rome will be spent there.
Thats it for now.
Ill see all of you very soon!
Zac
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