http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/SephiaSputnik/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from SephiaSputnik en-us Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:18:51 +0000 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:18:51 +0000 Well its been forever since I've written and as most of you know I'm actually home in California and have been for about a week. But I'd like to continue to write about my experience now that I have the time and hopefully it will express a more accurate depiction of the time that I had in Italy... because I've noticed that describing it to my family and friends after being home... I've been so ha http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Emilia-Romagna/Rimini/blog-437119.html Sorry for the long breaks between blogs... its almost impossible to really keep up with all the pictures I take as well as enjoying myself out here. I've needed to put a lot more time in with the children as well as trying to develop more friendships while I'm out here. Put on top of that all the emails and video chats... trying to study more and harder the Italian language... its not easy to find http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-419465.html The pictures I have included for this are actually a combination of photos from two trips I made to the Vatican which is also known as St. Peter. See being the lazy American that I am I went to St. Peter one day during the week and saw the huge lines to get in and said Ahh... maybe sometime else. So I ended up just taking pictures of the piazza and stuff around it which was still an amusing tim http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-415085.html One of my favorite things to do out here is to just put on my headphones and wander around the city. I don't have to have any sort of specific goal in mind or place to be... I just love wandering around and getting lost. There are lots of cool modern city aspects to Rome even though it is incredibly old and the highlights are more focused on the old architecture. Somehow it becomes this blend of m http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-414318.html The pictures I am putting up are a collection from a couple of different nights where I have gone out with Erin and Mila. Erin is a girl about my age who is from Washington I met her about 2 weeks ago when she came here to Au Pair for a different family that is friends with the family I work for. I'll never forget the moment I met her I was cooking my first Mexican meal in Italy. She came in and http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-413690.html This happened about 3 weekends ago... as I explained already scooters in Rome are the best I lovehate getting lost because it feels so wonderful to have the freedom to explore it just doesn't feel so good after you are lost and wandering for 30 minutes and still unable to find your way. The city of Rome doesn't have one sole place to go to when you are looking for something to do in the evenin http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-412782.html I know before I came here there were certain thoughts and opinions that people have about Italy and what it is like out here. People back home ask me... the people of Rome here ask me.. So what do you think so far Here are my impressions thusfarThe Italians Italians really think highly of themselves... I'm not sure what makes them think they are better than anyone else but they sure think hi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-410776.html My trip to the ColosseumI rode Rolando's scooter to the Colosseo which is a lot more difficult than one would think. The map that I had bought to help me has been almost completely useless because the names of streets are sometimes listed... sometimes.. its not very accurate either and you have to drive so fast that its almost impossible to simply just trot along and hope you find your way. Even http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-410758.html Many of you have asked if the food is good here in Italy and what do I eat. Here is your answer... its pretty simple... Pasta... pasta... more pasta... if not pasta... then its pizza. Fortunately for me I love pasta and pizza. It is all different kinds of pasta... pasta with red sauce pesto pasta with garlic and butter some fish eggs in it too sometimes. There are many varieties of pizza too a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-409411.html I've been able to get out and about a bit more lately. I was kinda stuck being with the children the whole weekend which was ok and my Italian is getting better but still it is difficult sometimes to communicate what I want.I was getting really upset when I was having a hard time with the kids and then I would feel very lonely when I was out with the family and couldn't understand what they were s http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-407144.html Hello from Italy Well it has been a long journey to get here. I am finally done mostly with my obligations before coming here. I stayed up very very late Tuesday night packing my last few things into storage and taking a few things home to my parents. Its not so easy when you mostly do all the packing on your own plus it was very distracting sometimes to try and say goodbye as well as trying t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-405672.html