Oh, Venezia.

Truth be told, I don't have much to say for good old Venice. I took the train to St. Lucia Station where I had to board a water bus. Now, water buses bring out the very worst in the human race. It was a miserable race to cram ourselves onto this tiny boat with people complaining and yelling and pushing and shoving, ugh it was awful. To top it off I missed my stop and had to get back on another boat going the opposite direction before I finally made it to my hotel. 

It got better from there as I walked around and got lost all day through the narrow streets. The weather was very foggy which would have been upsetting after the gorgeous days in Rome and Barcelona, but it actually made a very ethereal setting on the canals and was quite spectacular. 

Venice is another world. It's beautiful and it looked just as I have always thought it would, however I think its about time they rename it Disney World Italy. Its absolutely absurd how many tourists flood the streets of Venice. I honestly don't think I saw a single Italian the entire time I was there. Its as though they dump thousands of tourists into the middle of the city with maps and set them loose. I saw more Americans in this tiny city than I have my entire time in London. Overall it was just very off-putting. Everything was in English and it felt very commercialized. 

In the end, Venice had its moments of beauty and charm, but after I had seen Piazza de San Marco and tried desperately to no avail to find some local streets I ended up taking an earlier flight back home to The Big Smoke. London really felt like home as I struggled to find a train and finally made it back to my little Borough tube stop. "Home sweet home!"

Roma ha il Mio Cuore!

My trip to Rome was an absolute dream. The Eternal City completely and utterly captured my heart from the very start. The weather was perfect, the people were amazing, just the bus ride from the airport to the city was fascinating and gorgeous. I immediately dropped my things at the hostel and began to walk around Rome. I didn't take a single picture, I don't even think I took a breath. I was simply enchanted. Every street is exquisite, there are ancient ruins and magnificent old buildings around every turn. I got completely lost for hours, walked until my feet bled and loved every second of it. 

Somehow through just ambling around the city I managed to see Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, The Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II, and Ancient Rome, among other things. Somehow - maybe this isn't a very tourist-heavy season for Rome - I managed to walk right into a guided tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. It was absolutely fascinating. I am such a nerd when it comes to history, and being right in the heart of it was mind-blowing. I could have stayed there forever. 

Like my hostel in Paris, The Yellow in Rome had a bar downstairs which was a great way to meet amazing people each night. This particular night found me hunkered down at a table with two American guys, three British girls, a guy from Germany, and another girl from India. After a late night I was pretty baffled by a knock on my door at 9 AM the next morning. It was Jake, Will, Laura, Lottie, and Alex, the Americans and Brits from the night before to tell me that they had rented Vespas, or motor scooters for the day. The result was one of the most beautiful days I've ever lived. We scooted around warm, sunny Rome all day just casually driving by some of the most beautiful structures in the world. We ventured out of the city and into the countryside a bit before making it back to Vatican City where we parked the scooters, ate lunch, and took a tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. It was wonderful and striking, and afterwards we had an almost cinematic drive home as I watched the sunset from a bridge over the River Tiber while being driven on a Vespa. Incredible. That night I took myself to dinner where I enjoyed real Italian bruschetta and ricotta tortellini with sage - good thing I wasn't in Rome longer, I would have gained 100 pounds. 

The next morning I had a very lazy morning en Roma after a fun night of dancing the night away with a bunch of Canadian and American students all studying in Italy. I took an obscenely long ride on the Metro to taste some of the "best pizza in Rome!" To be fair, it was really good pizza. I then took the metro to the Circo Massimo, or Circus Maximus.

I walked along the river where I found a gorgeous old mossy cobblestone path which led me up to Aventine Hill. I found a lovely old church with a huge courtyard garden overlooking Rome. I must go back to Rome. Absolutely stunning. 

I then walked back to the city center where I had the best gelatto of my entire life and went to the Largo di Torre Argentina, a square in the middle of Rome where Julius Cesar was said to have been assassinated. The square now hosts a no-kill shelter for homeless cats so I sat and ate my gelatto in the company of a few curious furry friends that came to see what I was doing. My last night in Rome began with dinner at a table with a Marine from southern california and a woman's activist from NYC. I then met up with the Canadians from the night before and somehow got roped into a game of beer pong which ended in the entire hostel/bar - about 200 people - chanting my name as I led my team to victory. A group of US Navy guys based in Italy were there as well, and of course I found the only gay one of the group and we became best friends...there's just something about me and gay men, must be the musical theatre in me. 

Thus ends my amazing trip to Rome. I can easily say that it was one of the most special places that I have ever been, and you better believe I threw all three coins into Trevi Fountain in hopes that I will find myself there again someday. Rome has my heart! 

Barcelona!

Arriving in Barcelona was like arriving in absolute paradise. After weeks of rain in London and then Paris, the warm and sunny weather of Spain was blissful. In typical fashion of those of us in our early 20's, Bay and I had neglected to make really firm plans for my arrival. This led to me stumbling around Barcelona trying to find her (locked) flat while she was in class 30 minutes away. Miraculously I somehow broke into her building and found my way to her flat. One of her roommates' friends was leaving as I was coming in and I think I scarred her for life. She thought I was an absolute lunatic as I burst through the doorway after climbing 5 flights of steps. Bay's flat was absolutely stunning. Old, huge, beautiful, views of La Sagrada Familia. I was rather jealous. 

Bay's amazing room in her flat on Carrer de Mallorca

After the minor setback of finding the flat (including the surprisingly easy crash review of my Spanish skills), I hit the streets. I walked down the famous, or to locals infamous, La Rambla - a street of vendors, street performers, shops, and other touristy fun. It was here that I found a huge market with some of the most beautiful food I've ever seen. 

I then spent hours wandering around the Ciutat Vella, or Old City. The incredible gothic architecture and small alleyways were so European it was almost hard to believe. From the smell of paella to the laundry hanging on lines above my head, it was a very typically Spanish experience. I could have gotten lost in those streets for days, but I finally made my way back towards Bay's flat and found myself at La Sagrada Familia, the pinnacle of Antoni Gaudi's remarkable feats of architecture that dot Barcelona's streets. I was in awe of how massive this unfinished structure is and sat at its base for a very long time just marveling at the size and complexity of it. Finally, I met up with Bay and we enjoyed a night of tapas, drinks, and hanging out with all of her friends in Barcelona. 

Tuesday I slept far too late, but I finally dragged myself out of bed and took the Metro to the base of the Park Güell where I walked what seemed like a 90 degree slope to the top of the mountain. It was absolutely worth it. The park lends itself to breathtaking views of the entire city of Barcelona, from mountains to metropolis to ocean. It was beautiful. 

I then walked down the other side of the park to the plaza designed by none other than Gaudi himself. It was like nothing I have ever seen, almost like a fairy tale, but at the same time slightly dark - he was a brilliant architect. I spent a lot of time looking around, but after a while grew tired of wading through tourists and headed back down the mountain. Barcelona actually reminded me a lot of a Mediterranean version of Cape Town. It had a lot of the same elements as beautiful Cape Town, just with a Spanish flare. 

I finally found my way to the pier and the expansive beaches, and then met Bay back at her place. We walked down the street to a food market where she very aptly ordered our dinners and spoke to everyone in fluent Spanish. The next morning I woke at the crack of dawn and somehow made it to the airport. It was so so wonderful catching up with Babs, and Barcelona was a sunny, beautiful paradise. Off to Rome! 

La Ville-Lumière, The City of Light!

So begin the chronicles of my exhilarating, eye-opening, wonderful, and far too brief European Adventure. Well, to be technical, Southern European Adventure.  Much to my own dismay, about three weeks ago I booked my solo trip to Paris, Barcelona, Rome, and Venice. I am a pretty independent person, but never would I have thought that I would have the guts to travel alone through cities and countries that are entirely foreign to me - an art that my world traveling sister has mastered. And we're off...

I'm not going lie about it...the trip had a rough start. Friday, October 12th I woke up at 3:50 AM and everything was swell. I was packed, dressed, and out the door by 4:30 AM. It is about a five minute walk to the bus route that I was taking to the train station and I made it there in plenty of time, however, no bus. I waited, and waited, and waited. I checked and triple checked the bus schedule, but none of the expected buses were stopping at my stop. After two frantic calls to the tfl, numerous calls to different taxi services, and 50 minutes of me sitting completely alone in the early hours of the morning - finally a bus. The trouble is, as we stopped at bus stop after bus stop, I watched my train departure time inch closer and closer. By the time we reached St. Pancras Station I had about 5 minutes until the train left. This found me sprinting Olympic-style through the streets of London and then running like a chicken with my head cut off around the station trying to find my train...I missed it. An employee of the station found me sputtering and shaking like a leaf and said, "You completely missed it, so you can calm down now." The angel of a woman gave me a free transfer ticket: 7:01 AM train to Paris!

Trains are great. I fell asleep in London and woke up right in the middle of Paris. No passport, no baggage claim, no nothing. I was impressed. Now, I'm not sure if you are aware, but Paris is in France and in France they speak...French. I speak absolutely no French. This led to some heinously touristy situations as I tried to order food in local restaurants. Also, it made the walk from Nord Station to my hostel quite interesting, but alas I finally made it. 


I immediately made my way downtown and took a cruise on the Seine. As it was my first time in Paris, I had no problem being a complete and utter tourist. I think I was the only person on the cruise that spoke English, but nevertheless, it was fantastic. 

I then ventured to Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a very posh and upmarket area in central Paris. Someone asked me for directions in French and I felt oh so Parisian until I had to try and explain - in French - that I speak no French. Oh well. I then crossed the Seine to the Latin Quarter where I had lunch. The waiter wasn't to thrilled at my lack of abilities when it came to his native tongue, but the food was amazing! It was a short walk to Île de la Cité, the island where Notre Dame cathedral is located. The line was absurdly long so I didn't go in, but I was absolutely awestruck. I have to admit, this is probably mostly because of the relation to the Disney movie so I kept praying that the Hunchback would come flying out of one of the bell towers singing. On the way back I treated myself to an Espresso and a Nutella Crepe. Needless to say, it was life changing. 

Staying in a hostel, it is always a good idea to lock one's luggage. However, this led to my discovery that I am completely incapable of using locks. Both of the locks that I used my bags broke and ironically I had to use a key to slice my bag open. Despite that setback, I had a wonderful first night in Paris. The hostel I stayed was connected to a local bar, and I met some wonderful locals and lots of Canadians and Australians (why is it always Canadians and Australians?) 

Day two began with me walking from my hostel to the city center - about a 30 minute walk. Although some of the areas were a little seedy, it was amazing to see how you could find absolutely beautiful French architecture no matter where you were in the city. Every time I heard a British accent I felt like they were my countrymen! This led me to quite the identity crisis as I had to constantly remind myself that I'm in fact American. Speaking of the Brits though, the weather was unfortunately quite Londony. Worse actually, the weather was abysmal. I found myself at Pont Neuf where you can look out over almost all of Paris, and then made my way to the Louvre. The line was obscenely long, and I really was going to grin and bear it, but when I felt the rain seeping into my boots I decided it was time to go.

    My next stop was the Palais Garnier. Probably my favorite part of my trip to Paris. The elegant, massive, ornate opera house was breathtaking. I took a guided tour, and was beside myself the whole time simply because this is the opera house that one of my favorite musicals, The Phantom of the Opera, is set in. We even got to see the box seat that is reserved for the Phantom, and the chandelier that he allegedly cut down. There was also a huge exhibit with costumes, sets, and all kinds of historical information about shows done at the opera house throughout its history. I was there for hours. 

That night I spent hours sitting and talking to the two bartenders, picking their brains about all of the traveling that they have done. Next thing I knew, it was 4:30 in the morning and I had done some serious bonding. From then on, every time I walked in I was greeted with a "Jahhsieeee!"

The next day was again rainy and freezing, but I did my best to see as much of the city as I could. I strolled through Chatalet in the morning, a really pretty cobbled and old part of Paris. Then, I walked up the mountain to reach Montmartre where there are stunning views over all of Paris. Pretty incredible. That night I met some amazing people - a couple from London, three friends from Brazil, a brother and sister from Tel Aviv, two girls from Spain - to name a few. The next morning I got a big hug from the guy at the front desk and he said "We'll miss you Jahsiee! Please please come back soon!" - Hopefully I will. 

The walk through the pretty sketchy area of Paris to the train station in the early hours of the morning was pretty hair raising, but I made it. A man who spoke absolutely no English saw me struggling at the ticket machine and came over and bought my ticket for me, and then I was Barcelona bound! 

"The center of the stage is where I am"

As expected, I seem to have neglected my blogging endeavor for a while. However, worry not, I am back on track. I don't have much to report. A lot of my past two weeks have been spent in class, in museums, watching plays, and walking...everywhere.

  A day spent wandering around Tower Hill/Tower of London

 

 I spent a particularly rainy day in Kensington exploring the Natural History Museum

One truly remarkable part of studying theatre in London - a mecca for theatre - is the amount of shows I get to see! So far I have been lucky enough to see Matilda, Richard III, Last of the Hausmans, Timon of Athens, Taming of the Shrew, Choir Boy, Blood Brothers, One Man Two Guvnors, and tonight I will be seeing Rock of Ages. Amazing. Also, the random connections I have been making - from DJ's at nightclubs that want singers to record club music to by total coincidence, sitting next to one of Broadway's top producers at Choir Boy. She was there casting the West End version of Scotsboro Boys and told me to email her my information...I clearly got her business card. 

“I believe that in a great city, or even in a small city or a village, a great theater is the outward and visible sign of an inward and probable culture.” Sir Laurence Olivier

 This week has been particularly busy as I prepare for my 10 day break from classes. I will be leaving Friday for Paris, Barcelona, Rome, and Venice. I am BEYOND excited - counting down the days!!!

XOXO