12/02/07
The legal smoking age in Italy is 16. When the boys found out about that, they decided they wanted to smoke their first cigars there. So, one day when we were in the lovely town of Siena, Fr. Foos searched out and purchased three Cuban cigars: one for him, one for Joe, and one for the eager Andrew. I had them write out their experiences in my journal, and here are their thoughts for one and all to read. Thanks guys!
"Well, Sarah wants me to write on my experience on how my first cigar was so here it goes...All day everybody was building it up saying that I am not going to like it and that I am going to throw up after the first couple puffs. So I get it lit up and start smoking it. Some said that I looked more natural than Joe. But I never threw up. About halfway through the cigar I started to feel a bit dizzy so I sat down. It was a Cuban Habana cigar, and I liked it! While I was smoking it, it went around and Bekah, Amanda and Sarah had a few puffs as well. Towards the end of the cigar it started to taste ashy, so I put it out and saved it so that I can remember my first cigar in Italy." - Andrew Bradley, age 17.
It's true...some of we girls had a few puffs as well. I consider it a nasty habit for women to smoke, and especially to smoke cigars. Fr. Foos actually gave me his to try, which was shocking, if you know him. What are my thoughts on the subject? It felt like having warm smoke in my mouth...I personally don't think it would be much different if I held my mouth over a campfire!! But anyway, moving right along...
"Most of what Andrew said works for my story as well. Honestly, I wasn't super impressed. I mean, it was fun because it seemed like a rite of passage. I couldn't smell or taste a lot, and I don't know if I was doing it right because my cigar kept going out. However, I didn't get dizzy and I didn't vomit. I simply had a relaxing evening with my friends." - Joseph Salvatore...er...Don Giuseppe Salvatore, age 17
There you go.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
My First Day In Italia
11/30/07
Our first day in Italy. Roma, actually. We explored the city quite a bit today, and our feet are all quite sore. At least mine are, anyway! We just finished our first Italian dinner, which consisted of wonderful bread, olives, Parmesan cheese, prosciutto and red peppers with cioccolato and meringues for dessert. And, of course, there was vino. It was my first glass of wine ever...technically, I should say plastic cup of wine, since our budget did not include the purchasing of wine glasses each time we had a meal. I don't believe I'll ever be much of a wine-drinker, but it is great fun to try it.
Last night was by far the the worst, and yet the most memorable, travel experience we (the company of St. Andrew's Academy) have ever had. After leaving San Fransisco at 3:30 pm, we landed in Amsterdam, the city of pot and sex shops, at 10:30 am local time. I didn't get a lick of sleep on the plane due to a tempting assortment of movies provided for the entertainment of the passengers. We spent about five hours touring the city, then we boarded another flight to Roma. We met up with Fr. Brown in the airport, and that is when our pleasant travel experiences came to an end. No, not because of Fr. Brown. He is one of the most entertaining people I have ever met. It was because of the silly traditions of the Italianos. You see, on random days, the Metro (subway) or the bus system will go on strike, leaving the poor travelers in a lurch. We got a train from the airport to the city just fine, but after we found our stop for the train and got off to get to the Metro station, there was trouble. It was strike day. So what do we do? We get on a crowded bus...standing for half an hour in a crush of people with our huge backpacks on. Then we walked. Fr. Brown cheerily told us that the hostel was surely no farther than a block or so from the bus stop. It was pouring rain, we were exhausted, and it was midnight. Not very good walking conditions. But we had to get there somehow. So walking it was. We walked for about an hour in the rain before we stopped for directions. Then we walked another hour, and finally, we found it. 2 am in the morning, soaked to the skin...I'm sure we made a great impression on the desk clerk. So anyway, that was our fantastic first night. (Looking back on it now, I think it was quite fun!)
We slept in until 8:30 this morning. I know, not very much sleep, but 8:30 is sleeping in for us. We usually get up at 5. We ate our breakfast of a roll and cocoa, then walked into Rome. We walked about 12 blocks to the Vatican City, which we had walked through the night before in the rain. It is absolutely beautiful this morning, and the statues of the saints surrounding the walls stand out clearly against the blue sky. Afterwards, we wandered more, then met up with Fr. Brown at the Pantheon (btw, he is studying at the Vatican! He's a Roman Catholic priest...used to live here in the Lake Almanor basin). We ate our lunch of bread, cheese and salami underneath the ancient Egyptian obelisk, then went inside the Pantheon, which is now a functional church. The ceiling has a hole in it! It was made on purpose by the Greeks, for what reason I have no idea. So when it rains, it rains inside too! There are two kings and a queen buried there.
From there, we went to one of the five most famous Gelaterias in Roma! It was SOOOOO unbelievably good! I had cioccolato, limone and ciliegia (chocolate, lemon and cherry). The flavor was unbelievable! There were some interesting flavors there too, such as Rum and Champagne. Joseph picked the most unusual combination - chocolate, champagne, and rose. He let me have a taste, and the champagne definitely tasted like champagne!
Afterwards, we walked another few miles to the (drumroll please!) COLOSSEUM!!! Yes, the absolutely huge ancient Roman structure where so many lives were taken for the pleasure of the populace. I couldn't believe it. The walls rise up well over 1000 feet, and the wooden flooring was completely gone, leaving the dungeons exposed to our sight. I can only imagine the roaring crowds watching the gladiators and martyrs die. The sun was just beginning to set, and the light hit the ancient stones beautifully. I wish I could have seen it in it's original, marble-covered condition.
"Oh you who travel along the via Flaminia, do not walk past this illustrious marble. The delight of the city, the joy of Egypt, art and grace, laughter and voluptuousness, the ornament and the grief of the Roman theatre, all pleasures and all desires are there, buried in the tomb of Paris." - Martial, Epigrams
As we walked away, we saw a person impersonating a sarcophagi with a coin can beneath him. There are people like this all over the city. They hold impossibly still, some never move, some only move when you drop a euro in the can. Anyway, as we walked past, Andrew kicked over the can accidentally. It made a huge crashing noise, and Mandy freaked out! She thought the guy had jumped off his pedestal and was chasing her, so without even looking back, she screamed and started running as fast as she could! It was absolutely hilarious!
We then went to the Apostle's Church, where the Apostles Philip and James the Less are buried. We were able to descend below the altar to where they lie in their tombs. It was unbelievable. The feeling of holiness surrounded me like a thick blanket. I am not joking. It was like entering into a different world. It was amazing. Being in the same room as two men who walked with Jesus was definitely a wonderful experience. (St. Peter is buried underneath the altar at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City...)
We also climbed the Spanish steps, went to a French Mass at the church at the top of those steps, and saw the Trevi fountain. We then proceeded to the nearest deposito della drogheria (grocery store) and bought our supper. We are now on the top floor of Fr. Brown's "building". He lives in a 'monastery' of sorts. We had to climb up eight flights of stairs to reach this common room. The main thing about this trip is we definitely get a lot of exercise!
Another quote from the Colosseum -
"When the actor with his gaping mouth walks silently upon his high cothurni, which renders him gigantic, the spectators are gripped by fear. But when his voice booms out, they flee from the theatre as if they were pursued by a demon." - Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tinene
Our first day in Italy. Roma, actually. We explored the city quite a bit today, and our feet are all quite sore. At least mine are, anyway! We just finished our first Italian dinner, which consisted of wonderful bread, olives, Parmesan cheese, prosciutto and red peppers with cioccolato and meringues for dessert. And, of course, there was vino. It was my first glass of wine ever...technically, I should say plastic cup of wine, since our budget did not include the purchasing of wine glasses each time we had a meal. I don't believe I'll ever be much of a wine-drinker, but it is great fun to try it.
Last night was by far the the worst, and yet the most memorable, travel experience we (the company of St. Andrew's Academy) have ever had. After leaving San Fransisco at 3:30 pm, we landed in Amsterdam, the city of pot and sex shops, at 10:30 am local time. I didn't get a lick of sleep on the plane due to a tempting assortment of movies provided for the entertainment of the passengers. We spent about five hours touring the city, then we boarded another flight to Roma. We met up with Fr. Brown in the airport, and that is when our pleasant travel experiences came to an end. No, not because of Fr. Brown. He is one of the most entertaining people I have ever met. It was because of the silly traditions of the Italianos. You see, on random days, the Metro (subway) or the bus system will go on strike, leaving the poor travelers in a lurch. We got a train from the airport to the city just fine, but after we found our stop for the train and got off to get to the Metro station, there was trouble. It was strike day. So what do we do? We get on a crowded bus...standing for half an hour in a crush of people with our huge backpacks on. Then we walked. Fr. Brown cheerily told us that the hostel was surely no farther than a block or so from the bus stop. It was pouring rain, we were exhausted, and it was midnight. Not very good walking conditions. But we had to get there somehow. So walking it was. We walked for about an hour in the rain before we stopped for directions. Then we walked another hour, and finally, we found it. 2 am in the morning, soaked to the skin...I'm sure we made a great impression on the desk clerk. So anyway, that was our fantastic first night. (Looking back on it now, I think it was quite fun!)
We slept in until 8:30 this morning. I know, not very much sleep, but 8:30 is sleeping in for us. We usually get up at 5. We ate our breakfast of a roll and cocoa, then walked into Rome. We walked about 12 blocks to the Vatican City, which we had walked through the night before in the rain. It is absolutely beautiful this morning, and the statues of the saints surrounding the walls stand out clearly against the blue sky. Afterwards, we wandered more, then met up with Fr. Brown at the Pantheon (btw, he is studying at the Vatican! He's a Roman Catholic priest...used to live here in the Lake Almanor basin). We ate our lunch of bread, cheese and salami underneath the ancient Egyptian obelisk, then went inside the Pantheon, which is now a functional church. The ceiling has a hole in it! It was made on purpose by the Greeks, for what reason I have no idea. So when it rains, it rains inside too! There are two kings and a queen buried there.
From there, we went to one of the five most famous Gelaterias in Roma! It was SOOOOO unbelievably good! I had cioccolato, limone and ciliegia (chocolate, lemon and cherry). The flavor was unbelievable! There were some interesting flavors there too, such as Rum and Champagne. Joseph picked the most unusual combination - chocolate, champagne, and rose. He let me have a taste, and the champagne definitely tasted like champagne!
Afterwards, we walked another few miles to the (drumroll please!) COLOSSEUM!!! Yes, the absolutely huge ancient Roman structure where so many lives were taken for the pleasure of the populace. I couldn't believe it. The walls rise up well over 1000 feet, and the wooden flooring was completely gone, leaving the dungeons exposed to our sight. I can only imagine the roaring crowds watching the gladiators and martyrs die. The sun was just beginning to set, and the light hit the ancient stones beautifully. I wish I could have seen it in it's original, marble-covered condition.
"Oh you who travel along the via Flaminia, do not walk past this illustrious marble. The delight of the city, the joy of Egypt, art and grace, laughter and voluptuousness, the ornament and the grief of the Roman theatre, all pleasures and all desires are there, buried in the tomb of Paris." - Martial, Epigrams
As we walked away, we saw a person impersonating a sarcophagi with a coin can beneath him. There are people like this all over the city. They hold impossibly still, some never move, some only move when you drop a euro in the can. Anyway, as we walked past, Andrew kicked over the can accidentally. It made a huge crashing noise, and Mandy freaked out! She thought the guy had jumped off his pedestal and was chasing her, so without even looking back, she screamed and started running as fast as she could! It was absolutely hilarious!
We then went to the Apostle's Church, where the Apostles Philip and James the Less are buried. We were able to descend below the altar to where they lie in their tombs. It was unbelievable. The feeling of holiness surrounded me like a thick blanket. I am not joking. It was like entering into a different world. It was amazing. Being in the same room as two men who walked with Jesus was definitely a wonderful experience. (St. Peter is buried underneath the altar at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City...)
We also climbed the Spanish steps, went to a French Mass at the church at the top of those steps, and saw the Trevi fountain. We then proceeded to the nearest deposito della drogheria (grocery store) and bought our supper. We are now on the top floor of Fr. Brown's "building". He lives in a 'monastery' of sorts. We had to climb up eight flights of stairs to reach this common room. The main thing about this trip is we definitely get a lot of exercise!
Another quote from the Colosseum -
"When the actor with his gaping mouth walks silently upon his high cothurni, which renders him gigantic, the spectators are gripped by fear. But when his voice booms out, they flee from the theatre as if they were pursued by a demon." - Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tinene
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