La Verità

Want to know the difference between Italy and the rest of the E.U.?
Everything about this video explains it!

More Paris Photos

-----------------------Eating Snails at Amelie's Cafe


----------------------Here at the Moulin Rouge


-----------------------Pere Lechaise. RIP Jim Morrison


-----------------------Even the Metro signs are Arte Nouveau


----------------------Chelsea killing it at the Shakespeare and Co. Book Store

Je suis parti mon coeur à Paris

Paris is a sexy, sexy city. Parisians turn everything they touch into art; food, fashion, music, and lifestyle in general. Chelsea and I spent a few days in the amazing spring break and I loved every second of it. We set a schedule for ourselves because we had limited time there, and we managed to see everything on our list and still have time on our hands to relax. - The Louvre. As pessimistic as it sounds, it was the first thing we wanted to get done on the list just to get it out of the way. We woke up sometime before the sun on our first morning there and took the subway straight there. We did not make reservations because the museum is free for European Union citizens, and the reservation fee is something like 30Euros. So, figuring we are young and able we got there an hour before opening time and got in line. There were maybe 20 people there when we got there, and within 15 minutes the line had at least quadrupled. Our timing was perfect. Massive is not even a sufficient word to describe the collection there. There are 35,000 pieces of art currently on display there. (If you looked at each piece for three minutes, you would be there for three months solid.) We booked is straight to the Mona Lisa as soon as we got in before the crowd. After that, it was just masterpiece after masterpiece. I mean, really as an art historian I was just speechless. The museum is enormous though, and always packed so we were ready to leave after only a couple hours.
- Musee D'Orsay - This museum is more manageable in both size and collection compared to the Louvre. I enjoyed the Orsay much more than the Louvre, mainly because the collection was much more concentrated on modernism. It is the home of numerous masterpieces of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Arte Nouveau, Cubism, some Fauve work and some Sublime work. If you know and appreciate Henri Toulouse-Lautrec then definitely catch this museum.
- Notre Dam- An early gothic cathedral famous of course for its hunchbacked bell ringer. It’s a great sight for anyone who is interested in Gothic architecture, and its free!
- Eiffel Tower- Its huge. Acclaimed to be Arte Nouveau in style, it is a massive steel beast. Go see it at sunset because when it gets dark there is a light show. Its just gorgeous . If you plan to take the elevator to the top, however, make reservations because the lines are hours long. - Montremarte- The district in Paris that overlooks the city. It is the home of the Moulin Rouge, the Moulin De La Gallette, Seplechure Church, and all kinds of interesting café's and shops.
- Café Des 2 Moulins- Most people would have no idea the significance of this café, but if you know and appreciate the French film Amelie, you must go. The story follows the life of a strange and interesting French girl who works at this café. The menus now sport a picture of her face, but it is clear that at least 80 percent of the people who frequent the café have no clue that the movie was filmed there. It is in the Montremarte district and not difficult to find. Chelsea and I sat right at the window in the sunshine, ate some escargot and people watched. I think it was one of my favorite moments throughout the entire trip.
- Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore- An old English bookstore, lined floor to ceiling anything you could ever desire to read. Everything from antique classics, to poetry, to Dr. Seuss to Harry Potter (the original British versions, which were weird). The upstairs is strictly for leisure. The books up there are not for sale, and there are beds and couches scattered about for comfortable reading. There is also a piano for anyone interested in practicing. Chelsea by the way, has 12 years of classical piano training under her belt and blew me away with her talent.
- Pere Lechais Cemetery- Slightly outside the center is the cemetery housing the tombs of hundreds of famous figures. Artists, scientists, musicians, writers, everything. It is enormous, so we set to find three in particular. Oscar Wilde, Chopin, and Jim Morrison. Conveniently I had just read a book about the life of Morrison, and seeing his grave was quite unreal. He was a true artist.
- And Finally, the Food! - Crepes, crepes, crepes! They are everywhere, they are cheap, and they are delicious. I recommend the cheese and chicken if you are hungry for lunch, and the butter and sugar ones for desert. The nutella ones are obviously fantastic too. The crème brulee is great, and it is quite fun to crack the sugar layer on top. And for the daring, Escargot (snails, a traditional french gourmet) is actually quite good. They are a little tricky to get out of the shell, but taste similar to muscles.
Paris has not seen the last of me either. And by the way, French people are actually quite nice, contrary to popular belief.





--------------------------------Eiffel Tour


--------------------------Cityscape



--------------------------No hunchback at Notre Dam


-------------------------This is as close to the Mona lisa as you can get

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam; the home of hash bars, the red light district, liberal laws, art and stroopwaffles. Chelsea, Emily and I jetted off to the city in the heart of the Netherlands for a weekend before spring break. It’s a must see city for hippies and art lovers for sure. Amsterdam is famous for its liberal drug and prostitution laws. The streets downtown are lined with coffee shops that serve a gram of pot with your coffee. If you are itching to try 'magic mushrooms' just pop into the local smart shops and pick your poison. The red light district is a strange phenomenon that really intrigued me. Right in the heart of the city there are buildings with windows where prostitutes lure men into a 50Euro fun time. They don’t give a flying terd about the women walking the streets, but they will put there best show on when men walk by. The setting is just surreal.

Aside from the drugs and prostitution, the city itself is quaint and beautiful. In a way it resembles Venice because it works on a system of canals. The buildings are what you would expect when thinking of Holland. If you have ever been to Salvang, California then you can understand what the architecture in Amsterdam resembles. It was still quite cold when we were there, but the spring tulips were surfacing. A couple of sights not to miss in Amsterdam are the outdoor markets and the Heineken factory. There is an enormous flower market downtown that was very interesting. And of course, Heineken beer was born in Amsterdam, so the first brewery serves as a kind of museum. The "Heineken Experience" includes demonstrations of the brewing process, the history of Heineken, and three free beers. Sweet deal right?

Another popular place to visit in Amsterdam is the Van Gogh museum. It cost around 15Euros to get in, which is insane for a museum. They had some of his good paintings sure, but nothing of his that blew me away. As an art lover, I suppose I am required to see it. If you are on a tight budget, however, I don’t think you would be insane to skip it.

As far as food goes, Amsterdam has every kind of restaurant you can think of. We grubbed on some delicious Thai food and stroopwaffles galore. They are a traditional cookie/dessert type thing. Imagine two flat cinnamon waffles stuck to together with a layer of caramel. Yeah, definitely can't eat just one.

All in all, Amsterdam was a good time. I would like to return someday when I have the time.

Hey, a giant Shoe!

Welcome to Amsterdam

Brewing some beer at the Heineken Experience

Love.

It has been seven months now since I left the states, and although homesickness hasn't been an issue, I am missing the people that I love that are still at home.
I couldn't ask for a better family.
My mom is awesome. I am lucky enough to have a mom that's not only a great mother figure but one who is also one of my best friends. Its impossible to spend time with her without cracking up, but she is also the person to go to when you feel your world crumbling under life's pressures. So maybe she cant bake the best cookies in the world, but she can sure cook the hell out of meatballs and serve it up with a bottle of wine when you're refrigerator and bank account hit empty at home. She is always trying her best to make things possible for my sister and I even if we don't deserve it.

My Dad is one of the best people I know. He is the dad that helps with homework, the one who coaches your sports teams, the one who teaches you important life lessons like how to change your oil and fix a leak in your bathroom, the one who buys you a Beatles album and a guitar for your 13th birthday and the one who takes you to sushi when all you have had to eat for a month is potatoes. He is so open-minded about life I always feel comfortable talking to him about politics, religion and life choices without feeling disdained. He can sure rock out on the guitar and outrun most 20 year olds. I can count on chocolates and flowers every year on Valentine's day, the day that single women hate, and a letter every week from him to brighten my day. He is the kind of person that never thinks about himself and does amazing things when people aren't watching. He's a goofball half of the time and some sort of philosophical genius the other half.

I couldn't ask for a better sister either. Sure, we fought like animals when we were younger, all sisters do. But we have really grown to like each other in our adulthood. She seems to be the person I call when I am freaking out about one thing or another, she has a way of calming me down. Shes the kind of person that can really make you laugh when its time to have fun but can also put on a serious face if someone messes with her family. (I mean, she hosed our neighbor down when he started criticizing our dad, how rad is that?) She's stong willed and proud of it. She is the last person to let someone talk down to her and the first person to stand up for what is right.



Kelsie Brooks isn't technically part of my family but someone I consider as part of it anyways. Blame basketball in the 3rd grade for linking us at the hip. We have been inseperable since then. She is really my other half and I dont know what I would do without her. I cant think of anyone with a better heart and intentions than hers. She is the only person I can go a month without talking to and still know that she is my best friend. She and I are different in so many ways its incredible, but we somehow manage to fit together like puzzle pieces. She has this way of being the best at everything she does, whether it be sports, school, or whatever else. She inspires me all the time to be a better person. She is coming to Europe in June and I cant wait to see her face.

Sud di Italia pictures 2

-------------------Pompeii


----------------Rosie and I in Pompeii


---------------In Sorrento with Vesuvius in the background

---------------Streets of Napoli

--------------Pizza on Napoli

Il Sud di Italia, Napoli. Pompei. Sorrento. Ercolano

I had my first experience in Southern Italy last week. We had a five day school field trip to Napoli, Stabiae, Pompeii, Herculaneaum, and Sorrento. It was a busy but awesome week.

First stop; Napoli (Naples) - Northern Italian always send precautions to people visiting southern Italy, Napoli in particular. They have this misconception that Napoli is full of criminals and thieves. It is quite the contrary actually. Southern Italians in general are some of the most open and friendly people you will meet. Sure, Napoli is bigger and has less money than most Northern cities. Maybe some people aren't attracted to the grungy liveliness of the city. But I found it fantastic.

-Things to do in Napoli: GO to the Museo MADRE. It is the contemporary art museum in Napoli. Although our school only allowed us one night in Napoli before heading to a town called Stabiae (aka snoozville), some of us rebels ditched a day of looking at old stuff and took the train back up to Napoli to go to this museum. They have a rad exhibition up right now called BaRock. There are tons of huge name artists in exhibition there right now, (Damien Hirst, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Jim Dine, Jenny Holzer, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Richard Hamilton, Anish Kapoor, Matthew Barney, Jeff Koons, to name a few) and an awesome exhibition called The Obsessed by Ryan Mendoza.

- Eat the Pizza. Napoli is the birthplace of pizza, so naturally it is the best. And eat it at a place called Pizzaiolo del Presidente. Although we more or less stumbled upon it, it is a world famous underground pizzeria. Translated the name of the place is "Pizza maker for the President" because Bill Clinton ate there and loved it so much they couldn't get him to leave. There are pictures of him and other famous figures who have grubbed there lining the brick walls. I have never tasted better pizza in my life.

After a few hours in Napoli, we took the train about an hour south to Sorrento, which is the first town of the Amalfi Coast. It is a stunning vacation hotspot. It is a small town, but with reputable beauty. The coastline is studded with cliffs and harbors, with Mt. Vesuvius in plain view from all angles. We walked down to a pier and watched the sun set in the clear sky. Amalfi is known for its crystal clear water and coral reefs. It consists of 30 kilometers of nationally protected shoreline. The unfortunate thing about Amalfi is that it costs about an arm and a leg to get there from Florence. Otherwise I would be back in a heartbeat.

Pompeii and Herculaneum are pretty interesting. Its amazing to see things that are so well preserved from the volcanic ash. Pompeii is actually pretty monstrous for being an excavation site. Its strange to walk the streets knowing that the mountain (actually still active volcano) above you covered the town almost 2000 years ago. There are still frescoes on the walls, tile floors are still intact, and the most interesting thing was seeing the people mummified in ash. Herculaneum is another city that has been excavated after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. It is much smaller and actually just as interesting. Worth a visit if you are in Pompeii already.

Overall, Napoli really caught me by surprise. Maybe it is the coastal atmosphere that I am drawn to, or the larger city environment. Either way, it was a pretty awesome visit.

----Pizzaiolo Del Presidente


------Ryan Mendoza Posessed


---------BaRock Exhibition, Museo MADRE Napoli


--------View from our hotel, Napoli