Cheers, London!

So this weekend confirmed two important things for me- One, couples on their honeymoon should never travel budget airlines, and two, I cannot return to London until I am a million times richer than I am right now.

On the way to London we ran into very unfortunate travel delays.. despite being near a couple who were on their honeymoon. I really thought they would be bringing us good karma for being on their honeymoon and yet delays were just announced, and then announced and then announced. So really the lesson to be learned is that you should never, ever fly RyanAir for your honeymoon. I think I would get an on the spot annulment if I found out my husband had booked that. But after about 2 hours worth of delays we were finally off and were able to get into our hostel at around 3:30 in the morning in London where it was about 30 degrees colder than Rome. Not a warm welcome per se. But we were extremely excited! The view coming in for landing was incredible, London was so lit up and just sparkling. 

Sleeping in a tiny room in bunk beds in the hostel just me and Kelly was very much a throwback to being freshman year roommates in our tiny McCormick room. Another guest asked us on the way out how much we liked the place and we both basically shrugged.. we will always have stayed in smaller rooms (and for significantly longer periods of time) after our year in McCormick together. The other guest didn't seem as happy with her experience.

The next morning we got up and headed over to the Borough Market. We used the tube and everything and were extremely happy with how easy the maps are to interpret and for how convenient it is. The Borough Market was probably my favorite thing we did the whole trip. We circled the whole thing probably two times stealing samples which I suppose you could call breakfast. We chose these chicken wraps that smelled, and tasted absolutely amazing and had that for lunch while we continued to look around. One of the best things that we sampled was this honey- but we also came across a sign for Chocolate Wine which we asked for a tasting for. It was wine, brandy and chocolate and tasted just like drinking liquid chocolate but thinner. So good! We had a lot of fun just trying stuff. 

After we finally dragged ourselves out of the Borough Market - hot cross buns in hand (because we just couldn't resist paying a little homage to the fourth grade elementary school recorder classes) we began to wander around London. I loved London so much. Maybe it's the nostalgia for Harry Potter but it's actually probably the adorable way that kids say "Mum."

Statue in King's Cross Station

London Bridge!

St. Paul's Cathedral

We spent part of our day at the London Museum which had a lot of great exhibits. I particularly liked the one about the London fire. It had a picture of this little guy below- a symbol of gluttony as a reminder of the fire. People believed that it had been caused by the indulgence of gluttony because rumors were that it started at Pudding Street and ended at Pie. 

We spent part of our day at the Tower of London. One of the best parts was seeing the inscriptions that prisoners had wrote in the walls, but beyond that we got to see the Crown Jewels that were there for a special exhibition. I didn't know all that much about the crowning of the monarch or anything like that, so I was impressed by the luxury of the crowns and coats and the whole exhibit felt a bit like Disneyland as you wound through all the rooms. Definitely a fun part of the trip. 

Later that afternoon we went over to the Tate Modern. One of the exhibits was "Poetry and Dreams" which was just about too weird for Kelly and I both. We spent most of our time in that exhibit making up the stories of whatever made people dream these odd dreams that they were now depicting. Ended up hilarious.  After wandering through all the exhibits- we headed up to the top for a beautiful view of London at night. These iPhone quality pictures.. 

That night Kelly and I went out for Indian food. Who remembers the days that all Mary McNellis would put in her mouth was chicken, uncooked vegetables and pretzels? Certainly my Mom. But no more! Try all kinds of strange things including lamb tikka, chicken tandoori, naan and all kinds of things like that. 

The next day we got up to go explore the other end of London. That began with Harrods, which I am endlessly in love with. I don't know if we even saw half the rooms, but each of them had amazing things in them. We spent tons of time wandering around wondering why in the world there is not one of these closer to us. All the knowledge I had of Harrods came from those Confessions Of A Shopaholic books- which makes 100% sense now because I too would be a shopaholic if I had one close to me. 

Glitter doughnuts- would have brought one home for you Stephanie if you still lived down the hall! 

Because department stores have clock rooms.

& flower shops.

We walked through Hyde Park and Green Park over to Buckingham Palace where we were fortunate enough to see the police march around the square. 

Big Ben & Westminster Abbey.

We went over to Trafalgar Square and the square IS beautiful. And immense. We wandered through the National Museum there too for a while.

We spent the rest of the day shopping up and down Oxford Street and basically dying over the terrible exchange rate. Nonetheless we still had a lot of fun and loved London even if we did not love the pound so much. And on the way out of King's Cross Station we got to see a movie being filmed! So we'll have to see later if we recognize what movie it is. I'm praying it's a Harry Potter prequel or sequel but we'll see! 

And because my parents let us watch Friends from a young age, and our dog is named after a Friends character, and therefore I would practically be a sinner if I didn't- I was obligated to take the Joey Tribiani "I'm going to have to go into the map!" London picture.

It was wonderful to come home to Rome, as always. But not so great to come back to midterms. Not only because I am in no way prepared for them, but also because it means that we are already more than halfway done! It's a terrible thing to think about, but this Thursday night Meghan, Kelly and I leave for Spain! So at the very least we have the thought of tequila and tacos to get us through this rough week. 

As a final note- Happy Birthday (in about an hour Rome time) to my amazing older brother Jimmy! I'm having such #whitegirlproblems over missing you turn 24. Try not to have any of your own. Love you!

A few days lived well

This weekend in Rome marks the last one that all of our roommates would be home for. Starting next week, everyone (myself included) will be traveling basically every to every other weekend, so we wanted to fit in a few of the things that we still hadn't taken the time to do in Rome. It didn't sound like such a long list when we started.. but by the end of the weekend we had done so many things that it's hard to believe I considered the weekend relaxing. 

During the week we had another Marquette dinner- wine and cheese themed. James introduced us to pecorino and honey- possibly one of my new favorite things. Best picture ever, right James?

Thursday was Valentine's Day and so five of us roommates and a few extra friends from the surrounding apartments decided that we were going to cook dinner and just drink in the apartment. I've mentioned before my roommates are practically professional chefs- and this definitely showed that night. Katelyn made roast chicken for all of us with all these little chickens that were like her little babies for the night. The rest of us pitched in for mashed potatoes, broccoli, gelato, and the grocery store's best deal- massive jugs of wine.

That's Katelyn in the back making sure she had tons of pictures of her baby chickens. So good. We all ended up staying in and just spending time together- everyone had traveled the weekend before and we had still gone out a few nights during the week so it was really just nice to relax for a while. 

Earlier in the week Meghan and I had decided we definitely wanted to check the Colusseum and the rest of the Forum (I had been already for class to different parts) off of our list. We were able to convince Briana and Hunter into coming with us, so we ended up spending Friday afternoon at the Colusseum marveling over its size. One of the museum walls discussed the fact that so much of viewing Rome is impacted by the stories that one hears prior to coming- which is especially true for the Colusseum. Between Hunter quoting Gladiator and all of us talking about the different events that took place there that we had been taught every year of our grade school lives, it was definitely hard to see it how it is actually there rather than just how I had imagined it.

                

                 

Later that night Kelly, Briana, Meghan and I decided to try a wine bar in Trastevere. We went over to this little place to find out that it was dessert hour- a real killer for Briana who bravely gave up chocolate for Lent. It also ended up being the first time that I tried dessert wine.. which was honestly not something I could ever see myself drinking again- but nonetheless we were excited to find a really cute, small place that was cheap and felt like ours. 

Saturday we spent at the Forum. It was a beautiful day- we didn't end up wearing coats for the greater majority of it- and we really loved looking around. I was fortunate enough to have been there another time with my art history teacher who had developed all the narratives that take place within the Forum. So much interesting information. We accidentally too wandered into an amazing view of the Colosseum thinking we were entering into some kind of garden. Also found a great tree at the top of the Palatine- ones they do not cut that way but actually grow that way. That one's for you Uncle Greg! We also went out for an all-you-can-eat sushi lunch. I had never tried sushi before and could not be happier that Meghan and Briana insisted on it. Not only now can I tell Mother Mur that I love sushi without lying (hahaha) but also because now I have a new date spot for Dad and I since he loves it so much! 

That night Chelsea's dad was in to see her- so he took all of us who were home out for Elephant beers at this bar in Trastevere. It ended up being such a hilarious night between Bri deciding if we were caught without tram tickets that she would just tell the police officers, "My name is Julius Caesar and I live at the cat sanctuary" and all of us doing pushups at about 4 a.m. to make up for some of our Lent promises gone wrong. 

So many pictures of us laughing like this over how bad our pushups are. Just love my roommates.

The next morning we were up early and headed out to see the first Papal blessing since the announcement of his retirement. So many people were in the square to hear it - and Briana being the incredible genius that she is (my age with a company of her own and an extreme talent for photography and graphic design and about a hundred other things that we haven't probably figured out yet) pretended to be a journalist and got into the media pit. Which is how she ended up with amazing pictures of the Pope, one of which I stole because my iPhone just really doesn't come anywhere near capturing it like she did. The blessing was beautiful- even if it was not understandable by me. The people in the crowd seemed very moved and happy with it. He also repeated a shorter prayer after in six different languages- so we did get to hear him speak in English. It was an amazing experience! 

This is the picture that Bri had took of the Pope during the blessing from his window. She, of course, in the media pit with a ton of professional photographers, journalists and news teams. 

This was how crowded the square was as we were entering. And St. Peters just looking absolutely beautiful. Per usual. 

Spent the rest of the week trying to get ready for midterms next week and London this weekend! Kelly, Meghan and I went for a picnic on this sort-of rooftop near our apartment building. And also here's a taste of just how delicious every window is in Rome right about now - and we're still about a montha way from Easter. It's practically unfair. 

Kelly and I are leaving for London Thursday night! Could not be more excited- except for the whole coming home to midterms thing in a lot of classes that I'm yet to do much for. 

Ain't everybody got time to see their best friend in Ireland?

To take from Emma's own words.. This weekend was really an Irish celebration for our much anticipated reunion. As inseparable as we have been for the last few years we have actually both been having too much fun to think about missing anyone, even each other. Regardless, it's still nice to be able to introduce each other as that girl I met in 3rd grade Downers D.O.L.L.S fall ball. A story that I still cannot tell to this day without cracking me up. I was even happier to be in Dublin this particular weekend because I absolutely, positively could not miss the minor face disfiguration Emma had. Despite the fact that she not only got to witness my tooth get knocked out and see it in all of its aftermath, she was only willing to send a SnapChat of her lip. I mean if I didn't have flights scheduled already I would have scheduled them right then and there simply because I deserved to see that disfigured face!

So with that said, Kelly and I arrived in Dublin late Thursday and met Emma and two of her friends Lauren and Melanie and went out to 'Clublin' (I forget who gets credit for that pun) but it was such a fun night. Emma's friends are so hilarious, so hospitable, and so, so much fun. They literally kept us entertained the entire time. The kind of friends that greet you with a flask are always going to be friends of mine. The clubs there are so much bigger than the ones in Rome and so we actually got to dance and have our own space. More importantly though was that people there speak English. To finally be able to communicate with people who are not just study abroad students or kind of just laugh and work with the Italians' attempts to speak English was like coming home. One funny story from the night was that this guy told me that my "freckles are unbecoming of a woman." I must have looked utterly shocked because he thought that was hilarioussssss that I wouldn't just know that. Which I thought it was hilarious too, but mostly I was just glad that he never saw me in the summer because that would have been about 100x worse than how many I have now. For that comment though I did insist on a few rounds of tequila shots, which he happily gave to me and Emma and for that I'm not even sorry for these unbecoming freckles in the least.

So the next day we got up to go to Galway. Ireland was absolutely beautiful in such a natural way. We got to Galway City a little too late to do any of the big tours, so we ended up wandering around by ourselves, shopping, seeing the Spanish Arch and such and just generally wandering around. It was just fun to all be back together and trading off on all of our experiences. Galway was small so it wasn't even as though we were missing out on too much by doing things our own way that day. Plus the weather was dry so everything was going our way. Got so many pictures for our apartment next year it's actually going to be unreal to try to narrow these down at some point. Anyone who comes to visit will actually probably just walk in to see our walls plastered with pictures of us abroad. Just so everyone's ready for it. 

We went to McDonaughs too that day and had fish and chips. They also advertised that they came with "mushy peas" ... As though I would want mushy peas more than regular peas. And even when they came they weren't one of those things that surprised you and were good. So that was mostly funny and we even saw mushy peas on several other menus so that must be a thing. So after we ate we went back to our hostel and got to meet our wonderful roommates.. and by wonderful I do mean one bizarre Brazilian man who ultimately ended up hating us, and one professional poker player who was very comfortable smoking weed in the room with us. To be fair we were deserving of the Brazilian man's dislike, I happened to leave my phone plugged in under his bed overnight on vibrate. Unfortunately for him, I received close to 57 text messages throughout the night from Kyle, Cosmo and David that were basically nonstop vibrating under his bed. I mean I don't blame him at all for that one. 

We went on a pub crawl that night with a bunch of students from Emma's school that also happened to be there which was so much fun! We went to King's Head, Fibber McGees, and Carbon nightclub. Such a fun night! Irish people know how to drink. Given I already knew that but the atmosphere of all of these places was so much fun, boisterous and lively and just fun. Such a great time. 

That night when we got back to our hostel though I started running a fever and got a sore throat which was so weird for me in general because I'm never sick but also because I'm up in this bunk bed in some hostel with a Brazilian man and a professional poker player near me and it's just not home, and it's not Marquette and it's not Rome. So the next day we were off to the Cliffs of Moher and I sucked it up and actually took medicine just so that it wouldn't ruin my time. On the way we saw this AllWee cave which ultimately was not that cool but we laughed pretty hard about just being in there and Kelly searching for WiFi in a cave and Emma asking if it was man-made seconds after the woman literally said it was a natural cave. There was some beautiful waterfalls in the cave too and even this place where the calcium had fixated itself just so that it looked like praying hands which was not just one of those 'it kind of looks like that if you squint a bit' but no it was actually right when they turned on the lights in that area you picked it out as praying hands. They also turned off the lights and so we were in complete darkness, the kind your eyes never adjust to. So that itself was cool and worth it for me especially since it was on the way. So very cool.

So we did get to the Cliffs and they were awe inspiring. So massive and the water crashing against them was so powerful. The waves were so huge and it would have been my literal dream to be swimming in that water if it were safe even in the least. But it was so cool. We even managed to avoid the mist and fog for the few hours we were there, but definitely not the wind. At times we would just be being comically blown from side to side. Naturally it was Emma who got her scarf caught in the wind and attached to some barbed wire. Twice.  

We also stopped off at the Burren Coast which is that last picture. Rocks as far as you could see, especially because the fog had set in by that time so as far as you could see was about 50 yards. That night the pills weren't doing so much so I was feeling sick again and we came back to our hostel to the pro poker player literally telling us how things would be easier if he weren't so stoned .. Emma's awkward laugh at that was about all I needed to finally put out a call of desperation to my parents and I know now that if I ever want to stay somewhere other than a hostel all I have to do is tell my parents that I'm sick. So that strategy is in the playbook now. We ended up going out to dinner and moving over to a hotel because I was just not up for anything else which was a huge bummer but we all also really needed the sleep. 

The next day we headed back to Dublin and got to see UCD and some more of Dublin and went out that night to Temple Bar. The atmosphere in Dublin is incomparable- the people are friendly, loud, fun and just happy. So many times where there are random groups just singing or chanting and everybody joins in, there is live music everywhere and people are just so lively. Can't wait to go back for St. Patrick's Day because if it was that great on a random Sunday in February I can't even imagine what it'll be like then. We had dinner at Porterhouse Brewery and also a sample of beers there- Oyster Stout, Temple Brau and the Red Ale. None of us particularly loved the Oyster Stout, so much so that it became a rule in Cheers Gov'nah. But we really liked the other two and then Emma's friends came to meet us so that when it closed (where in which they sang the national anthem, something none of us recognized at the time but my Grandma informed me about later). We all came out to the club and that was so fun too- already miss Bulmers.

When we left we ended up at this fast food falafel and fries place called Toni's .. Where in which the friendliness of the Irish was made most evident. This extremely drunk man came in and was dancing and singing to us and spilled his drink on one of Emma's girlfriends and altogether after much crying of laughter both from us and from the owners of this place, we ended up all getting free falafels. I think we were there like two hours just waiting for this guy to say "no I'm sober this was all a prank." So. So. Funny. Perfect way to end the weekend.

We were not happy to leave Dublin to say the least- the ability to ask for directions and actually read and understand advertisements is so underrated. And being in the same country with your best friend isn't the worst thing. 

Other random things from Rome- had another Marquette dinner last Wednesday and will be celebrating Fat Tuesday again with them tonight- lots of impressive cooking and we all have so much fun together! Also had a hugely successful roommate dinner.. I kid you not my roommates can really cook. Hopefully I'm absorbing their creative talent in some way while I'm here. Meghan made stuffed onions. I mean c'mon. Showing everyone up. Bri made an awesome pasta salad too, and Sydney revealed that she can make mint brownies. So basically God did right by me and my roommates. Also- news came Monday that there will be a papal election taking place in Rome! While I'm living here. There is nobody quite as blessed as me, I swear. If it isn't me who is this lucky it's somebody else who is doing all the same things as me and making me appear very lucky.

Still loving all my time in Rome- glad to be home for this coming weekend before heading off to London the next weekend with Kelly! Time is going by so fast.. Too scared to even look at my countdown at this point. 

The Vatican Museum

In Rome everyday feels like a Saturday. So in spite of it being Monday and therefore a "school day," Meghan, Kelly and I ventured over to the Vatican Museum. The Museum itself is a bit daunting- spanning over about 4 miles, and taking about 4 hours to get through- but it is also an experience that I did not want to skimp on in the least. 

Ultimately the museum did not disappoint. In any way, at all. I usually have a difficult time with museums, much preferring to analyze a text than any kind of artwork, but the Vatican Museum was most definitely an exception. At times it would be so stimulating that I would start to glaze over. In most museums I think I would have let myself fade into my own head, but for this I made a genuine effort to keep absorbing, taking in the explanations, and appreciating everything that we passed. I could not possibly begin to delve into all of the things we saw- but a few things were particularly memorable.

The Egyptian Room was fascinating- in part because I was able to recall vague memories I had about learning about Egyptians in the sixth grade. One of the things I particularly liked were the amulets that were showcased- the accompanying text explained that the Egyptians would place these amulets over the hearts of the deceased as a request that the heart of this person or soul be protected as the individual went to Heaven. From walking around it becomes more and more evident how much the Egyptians believed that their afterlife was dependent on the way in which they were buried. It's fascinating- particularly for me because I've usually thought the actual burial of human beings to be mostly a waste of space, in the most compassionate way possible. Therefore reading and experiencing the traditions that the Egyptians practiced regarding burial and the afterlife challenged a lot of what I had previously believed about the importance of such things.

We were also wholly impressed by the court that Michaelangelo built the porticoes for. Which of course I can already not remember the name of nor find it on Google. The marble slabs were extremely detailed and we spent a lot of time walking around in there. But it looked like this. Have I mentioned enough that the weather is always beautiful here? I'm even considering giving up talking about the weather for Lent because I think I say about 5000 times per day how nice it is.

Next we wandered through the Georgio-Etrusco room of the museum which was literally fun for about ten minutes, until we found ourselves in a bunch of rooms that all looked the same and were filled with vases. This led to a very Alice In Wonderland type experience attempting to maze our way out of there.. Vases are great. I think I've seen enough of them to last me an entire lifetime. 

The Raphael Stanzes were incredible. So much so that I forgot to take any pictures of them. They were so gorgeous and we spent so much time reading, looking and analyzing them that I completely spaced out on taking pictures of any of them. However, right before them we went into the room of Mary and the Immaculate Conception. The room depicts the story of the Church essentially accepting that the conception was immaculate. The depictions each take up an entire wall. They're huge and so interesting to look at. I think I had the most interest in that room simply because of the shared name. Even though I much prefer that I was named for my Great-Grandma Mary Barry and not for the Virgin Mother, I can't help but give her a bit of acknowledgement for her influence in making the name a respectable one. I'd have to confirm it but I'd say that somewhere down the line, my namesake was named for her. So while I'll take the spirit of Great-Grandma Barry, I'll still explore rooms dedicated to the life of the Mother of God that shares my name. Here is a picture of one of the walls- the Proclamation of the Dogma.

Huge. Just utterly immense.

The Sistine Chapel was last although certainly not least. Although I do have to say that about two weeks before I was to leave for Rome, my Mom insisted- INSISTED that I go to the eye doctor and update my prescription and she had to say this with it, "I won't have you squinting up at the Sistine Chapel and not being able to really see it, Mary." She should have knocked on wood. Because I, in true Mary McNellis form, totally and completely forgot to bring my glasses. I blame not only her for actually probably cursing me by even bringing it up, but also my lifelong refusal to accept that I should have some kind of eyesight assistance at all times. So yes, I did forget my glasses. And no, I could not see possibly the greatest piece of artwork ever created by man as perfectly as I wanted to. But its magnificence was still not lost on me. And hopefully Emma will want to go back when she comes to visit. Especially because she is always dead-set on me wearing them everywhere- despite sometimes physical protests against it. 

The Last Judgement is something that I wish I could see a 1000 more times at a 1000 different times in my life. The thing about it is that the story truly unravels to you. With all the genius of Michaelangelo, he found a way to make the story move on the wall. It is as though you could see the deceased crawling out of their graves- gripping the sides of their coffins and stretching upwards to face Christ. It is as though you could see the muscles flex on the biceps of those who were pulling people into Heaven. On Christ's other side, you could almost feel the motion of people as they were hurled into hell. I don't want to say that it's indescribable, but perhaps unimaginable. It's hard to imagine a static picture communicate motion to the viewer, but that is exactly what Michaelangelo achieves. Unravels is the beset word I have for it.

The ceiling and walls.. There are so many things to say. Before I go back the next time I will definitely research what every inch of that ceiling is about. The depiction of a physical God has made me wholly confident that if anyone ever asks me again in my life who, if anyone, I would choose to have dinner with whether they be alive or deceased, I would wholeheartedly choose Michaelangelo. Seeing the Sistine Chapel one time taught me about as much about God as 8 years of catechism ever did. The depiction of God in the purple robe, and the creation of Adam from his fingertip to Adam's fingertip, these are indelible images. Suffice it to say, the Sistine Chapel is the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my entire life. In my life I do not think I have ever been more affected by something I've seen than something I've read, and the Sistine Chapel has truly changed that. I have never read a word about God that told me as much as the Sistine Chapel did. There is so much more to say about the 3D illusions and the stories of Moses and Christ along the walls, but I don't think I have even been able to process this enough. I am still so utterly taken aback by the sheer genius and talent of Michaelangelo to even begin to think about more than the middle of the ceiling and the Last Judgement. It is something that I wish I could revisit a thousand different times in my life just so I could encounter it differently every time and appreciate it that much more. 

After finally having deciphered as much as we could from guidebooks and our own eyes about the Sistine Chapel, we really needed to get back to campus. When the options are walk back the four miles you came to get to the Sistine or walk out the reserved for tours door- we took the reserved for tours door and didn't make eye contact with any of the people we passed who attempted to protest it. As it happened, we did not get out as fast as we were expecting to. But for an entirely better reason. As we were walking out, we see all these people taking pictures and videos. So immediately we begin to look around and try to figure out what's going on. And in fact, the procession into the Church is beginning. Which was amazing. So we snuck right into the Procession and pretended to know a single verse of the Italian song- all the while making our way into the family videos of all the bystanders taping it. Here is our view of the front of the Procession- which would be much more impressive if I had a picture of the actual front, but I do not as I was busy trying to keep from laughing and give away my lack of belonging in this line. You can even see a man recording the Procession from his phone.. Definitely in his video.

You can see why everyday in Rome truly feels like a Saturday. After a four hour trip through the Vatican Museum and after having absorbed more knowledge about beautiful artwork and God than I ever thought I would have learned in my entire life, I had to go to school. 

Such a remarkable day.