This will be the last post on this blog as.....I'm moving! Well not physically, but I am moving my blog to a new blogging host. My new blog address is: http:// kristintravels.wordpress.com. Not a huge change for you guys - just go to the new site and bookmark it and delete your old bookmark - but it has some cool tools for me to use that blogger does not.
I'll see you on the other side, err site.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
un caffè macchiato per favore
So, huge news - I'm starting to like coffee! If you know me and my drinking habits well, you'll know that there are about 3 things I drink on a regular basis: water (often flavored with those little crystal light packet things), juice, and alcohol. I don't often drink soda and up until now I never drank coffee. I like to think of myself as a bit of a beer aficionado but have always been disappointed to have to say I didn't like Guinness because of the little bit of coffee flavor it has.
But now it's all changing! I've recently started drinking cappuccinos and my new favorite - the caffè macchiato. Caffè macchiato is a shot of espresso with a small bit of cream on top, kind of like a miniature, more concentrated cappuccino. It's delicious. And the one I had after lunch during the bike tour my mom, sister, and I went on in Tuscany even had the foam in the shape of a heart. Awww, right?! Maybe one of our tour guides was trying to tell me something? ;)
But now it's all changing! I've recently started drinking cappuccinos and my new favorite - the caffè macchiato. Caffè macchiato is a shot of espresso with a small bit of cream on top, kind of like a miniature, more concentrated cappuccino. It's delicious. And the one I had after lunch during the bike tour my mom, sister, and I went on in Tuscany even had the foam in the shape of a heart. Awww, right?! Maybe one of our tour guides was trying to tell me something? ;)
Monday, June 29, 2009
lewis' in rome
As previously warned, I have been absent from blogging for the past week as my mom and sister came to Rome for a visit. To date, it was the longest vacation (8 days) that anyone in my family has ever taken. Plus it was the first overseas trip for either of them, which made it an even bigger deal! Here are some photo highlights from the week...
Day 1 - the Coliseum
Day 1 - inside the Coliseum
Day 1 - the Roman Forum during a brief break in the rain we endured here
Day 2 - dinner at Navona Notte where they had their first "real" Italian pizza
Day 3 - just outside of Trinita dei Monti (church) at the top of the Spanish Steps with the city in the background
Day 3 - at the Trevi Fountain
Day 4 - yes, that is the Pope! We listened to him give part of his weekly address in Piazza San Pietro in front of Saint Peter's Basilica - the largest in the world.
Day 4 - Piazza San Pietro
Day 5 - dinner in Trastevere (my neighborhood) and yes I upgraded to the big-girl beer :)
Day 6 - Florence!
Day 6 - Riding bikes through Tuscany for Brooke's birthday
Day 7 - at the Tiber River for the night-time entertainment found there. Brooke put her hand in this "mouth of truth" (electronic version of the real thing) which printed out a fortune after reading her hand.
Day 8 - One last look at the Coliseum, this time it wasn't rainy!
We had a great week, but now I'm exhausted and needing to get back to work on my thesis. Very glad they were able to visit and only wish more of my family could have been part of our fun week exploring Rome together!
Day 1 - the Coliseum
Day 1 - inside the Coliseum
Day 1 - the Roman Forum during a brief break in the rain we endured here
Day 2 - dinner at Navona Notte where they had their first "real" Italian pizza
Day 3 - just outside of Trinita dei Monti (church) at the top of the Spanish Steps with the city in the background
Day 3 - at the Trevi Fountain
Day 4 - yes, that is the Pope! We listened to him give part of his weekly address in Piazza San Pietro in front of Saint Peter's Basilica - the largest in the world.
Day 4 - Piazza San Pietro
Day 5 - dinner in Trastevere (my neighborhood) and yes I upgraded to the big-girl beer :)
Day 6 - Florence!
Day 6 - Riding bikes through Tuscany for Brooke's birthday
Day 7 - at the Tiber River for the night-time entertainment found there. Brooke put her hand in this "mouth of truth" (electronic version of the real thing) which printed out a fortune after reading her hand.
Day 8 - One last look at the Coliseum, this time it wasn't rainy!We had a great week, but now I'm exhausted and needing to get back to work on my thesis. Very glad they were able to visit and only wish more of my family could have been part of our fun week exploring Rome together!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
favorite things
These are a few of my favorite things:
Sleeping in
Saturdays
New shoes
Gelato
Beer
Pizza
Rome
Friends
Experiencing all of the above in one day makes me one very lucky, happy, smiling girl. Honestly, it doesn't get much better than a day like today!
Sleeping in
Saturdays
New shoes
Gelato
Beer
Pizza
Rome
Friends
Experiencing all of the above in one day makes me one very lucky, happy, smiling girl. Honestly, it doesn't get much better than a day like today!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
i love flowers
Like in many other large cities, the streets of Rome abound with people selling, well, all kinds of crap. But amongst the wide variety of useless things are a few gems, including roses. The flower-sellers are masters of convincing poor unsuspecting tourists to buy the in-full bloom (aka ready to die the following morning) rose that they thrust into their hands. But even though I know it is a scam and it will likely begin wilting in approximately 6 hours....
...I still can't help being a sucker for flowers. Receiving one is a lovely surprise that can easily make my night.
And a small side note - my mom and sister have just left Iowa to come visit me in Rome for a week. They'll arrive tomorrow morning and as such I shall be too busy to blog about their visit until they leave the following Monday. So have a good week - I know I will! Arrividerci!
...I still can't help being a sucker for flowers. Receiving one is a lovely surprise that can easily make my night.And a small side note - my mom and sister have just left Iowa to come visit me in Rome for a week. They'll arrive tomorrow morning and as such I shall be too busy to blog about their visit until they leave the following Monday. So have a good week - I know I will! Arrividerci!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
the blazing italian sun
The last few days have been all about the sun for me. It's very hot - above 90 (about 33 for my celsius readers) - and the sun is relentless with clouds few and very far between. I do what I can to avoid being outside between the hours of 12pm and 6pm because of it.
I did venture out yesterday to meet some friends that I had met while traveling in Greece for an early dinner before their train left for Switzerland the other day. Our meeting time and place: 5pm at the Spanish Steps. This meant that I left my apartment at about 4pm and walked (at a good pace) for 45 minutes. In the sun. Sweating profusely. Luckily, my friends had also been out in the heat, so we sympathized with each other on our unsavory looks and smells. On a bright note, it was my first trip to the Spanish Steps. Today I was there again and counted the stairs - 135 total.
One hundred and thirty-five very worn and sometimes slippery stairs.
There was a nice church at the top too - this is the interior.
Tonight that blazing sun went down in a gorgeous sunset....this is the first of a few pictures I took over about half an hour...
...and the second...
.
...and the third. I'm having a love/hate relationship with the sun right now. I hate the afternoon bake, but I'm loving this sunset.
I did venture out yesterday to meet some friends that I had met while traveling in Greece for an early dinner before their train left for Switzerland the other day. Our meeting time and place: 5pm at the Spanish Steps. This meant that I left my apartment at about 4pm and walked (at a good pace) for 45 minutes. In the sun. Sweating profusely. Luckily, my friends had also been out in the heat, so we sympathized with each other on our unsavory looks and smells. On a bright note, it was my first trip to the Spanish Steps. Today I was there again and counted the stairs - 135 total.
One hundred and thirty-five very worn and sometimes slippery stairs.
There was a nice church at the top too - this is the interior.
Tonight that blazing sun went down in a gorgeous sunset....this is the first of a few pictures I took over about half an hour...
...and the second....
...and the third. I'm having a love/hate relationship with the sun right now. I hate the afternoon bake, but I'm loving this sunset.
Monday, June 15, 2009
a little sunday walk to la fontana di trevi
Last night I waited until it had cooled down and then took a long walk to see the la Fontana di Trevi (the Trevi Fountain) for the first time. On the way I passed by...
the Teatro de Marcello (the theater is on the left and some very large columns that look great lit up at night are on the right. There are still concerts at Teatro de Marcello in the summer; when I walked by one was about to start and I thought about going until I saw the ticket price - 52 euros! Must have been someone reaallly good.
Capitoline Hill - this is at the top of some steps that I believe were designed by Michaelangelo.
Piazza Venezia, with the capitol building more commonly known as "the wedding cake" - so true, right?
Then I headed up Via de Corso, took a right, and a few blocks (and 40 minutes) later had made it to la Fontana di Trevi. Beautiful!
On my walk home I saw these massive columns, but am not sure what they are.
I also got a good look at what the banks of the Tiber River are like in the summer evenings - it's like a mini carnival almost. And then 5 minutes later I was home. All in all a pretty excellent little walk. Maybe I don't need television to entertain me...nah, I can't help missing it a little bit!
the Teatro de Marcello (the theater is on the left and some very large columns that look great lit up at night are on the right. There are still concerts at Teatro de Marcello in the summer; when I walked by one was about to start and I thought about going until I saw the ticket price - 52 euros! Must have been someone reaallly good.
Capitoline Hill - this is at the top of some steps that I believe were designed by Michaelangelo. 
Piazza Venezia, with the capitol building more commonly known as "the wedding cake" - so true, right?
Then I headed up Via de Corso, took a right, and a few blocks (and 40 minutes) later had made it to la Fontana di Trevi. Beautiful!
On my walk home I saw these massive columns, but am not sure what they are.
I also got a good look at what the banks of the Tiber River are like in the summer evenings - it's like a mini carnival almost. And then 5 minutes later I was home. All in all a pretty excellent little walk. Maybe I don't need television to entertain me...nah, I can't help missing it a little bit!
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