Rome in 3 days

How to do Rome in 3 days:

Day 1 - Arrive in Rome, jump on a bus to the main station, find your Hotel down one of the many many side streets in 30 degree heat and get exploring! 

We started off with a wander into the centre of the town for dinner with some sights on the way: 

- the Piazza della Republica 

- San Carlo Quattro Fonanta

- Quirinale

- Fontane Trevi

and Tempio Adriano

Piazza della Republica

Once in the centre of the city, in among all the tiny alleyways, we decided to try and find some dinner. In Rome, as with many other European cities, as soon as you look mildly interested in eating in a restaurant, you will get absolutely bombarded with menus and people trying to sit you down. As I was looking for somewhere offering gluten free food, (in Italy - Ha!) it worked as a pretty good deterrent to get rid of all the restaurant people! It went something like this:
Them: "Ahhh table for two?!" (Imagine the Italian accent and menus being shoved in your face)
Us: "Gluten free?"
Them: "Err no sorry!"
And then they'd move on. Sweet!

The only problem was, as soon as someone said "Yes we do have GF" I got so excited that we just had to eat there! Luckily it was a nice restaurant and I had some lush GF carbonara :D

Fontana di Trevi

Day 2 - Grab yourself a cheap cappuccino and croissant (or just a cappuccino if you're me!), head to the station to attempt to buy your next train ticket and fail, and then head out to see some more sights!
- Santa Maria Maggiore
- St. Pietro in Vincoli
- Colosseum
- Arco di Constantino
- Palatino/Roman Forum

Tiny piece of advice if you are thinking of visiting the Colosseum, Palatino and Roman Forum - book a ticket for all of them in advance! We joined a short queue, which lasted about 10-20 minutes and watched all the poor innocent people queueing for hours and hours who hadn't booked a ticket.

Visiting the ruins was definitely worth it. All the things you learned about in primary school about the Romans suddenly comes to life and you can picture exactly how they would have spent their lives.
Two slightly embarrassing tourist errors we made whilst visiting the Palatino and Roman Forum. Whilst we were walking around the old Palatino on the top of the hill, with a view of most of Rome, I saw a "big ruined building" through some trees and made the mistake of asking what it was... turns out it was the Colosseum. Akward.
Another mistake was searching for ages for the Roman Forum, following signs which were taking us back on ourselves and places we'd been before. After a good half and hour (possibly an hour...) we realised that all that time we had been standing in the Roman Forum. Oops.

In amongst our extreme touristing we managed to fit in some real Italian gelato (very overpriced but YUM!) to keep us refreshed and to stave off hungry. On the way back to the hotel we went via:
- the courtyard of Campideglio
- Ara Coeli steps
- Monumento a Victoria Emanuele

I'd highly recommend trekking up the millions of steps of the Ara Coeli because the view you get of Rome at the top can't really be beaten!

Hiking the steps of the Ara Coeli

Roma

Day 3 - Book your Vatican tickets in advance, queue for 10 minutes instead of 4 hours, and some culture!

One of the hottest days so far! We headed over to the Vatican City for some pretty intense culture. Although it was really cool to have a look round, it was mostly a massive art museum... so it didn't take all that long for Sam and I to get a bit bored of looking at vases and paintings by people we had never heard of! The Sistine Chapel was very cool though, with the guards violently shushing every 20 minutes or so!
Now I wont lie to you, we definitely thought that St Peter's Square and Basilica were part of the Vatican City, as in included in your ticket. How wrong we were! At the end of the walk through the Museums we were a bit disappointed - the square is what we came to see really, aside from the Sistine Chapel. In case anyone else ends up confused like we did, you actually have to walk around the City walls in order to get to the square, but it's so cool!

St Peter's Square and Basilica

After the Vatican we decided to walk back to our hotel across Rome, catching some more sights on the way. We grabbed some (very expensive) lunch and followed the river towards the Palace, stopping to look at a little riverside market and pick up some pretty paintings of Rome to take with us. After another sneaky gelato stop to keep us going (coconut ice cream = best thing ever) we visited the Pantheon, which mysteriously has a huge circular hole in the roof.

By this point I was exhausted and had a headache so we visited our last sight of the day, the Spanish Steps (which we just sat on because we were too tired to climb them!). We decided to take the lazy option and get the metro back to our hostel for the last night of our Rome experience. 

Spanish steps

Berlin Trip 2013 - Day 2

This morning was a little more productive than yesterday, in that we were up and out by 9:45 instead of spending 45 mins eating an insane amount of buffet breakfast like yesterday!
We started off the day by jumping on the S-bahn and heading to the DDR Museum to find out about daily life in the socialist East Germany (1949-1989). As German students we already knew everything there was to possibly know about the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) but this museum is such a fun, hands on way to see how normal people lived that it really isn't worth missing! With our great railcards we even got a reduced ticket price, so there was not excuse not to go.

Wandering round the museum you can pretend to to be a Party Leader as modelled by my dear friend Rachel, be interrogated by a (black cut out) Stasi officer like Nick, and have a rest in the DDR style flat.

After visiting the DDR Museum we were all pretty peckish so went on a hunt for the traditional Currywurst (essentially a Bratwurst sausage with ketchup or curry sauce and curry powder on top. It sounds disgusting but I can promise you it's delicious.

Yum.

We then headed over to the Brandenburger Tor again, this time to meet out tour guide for our free walking tour, something we would really recommend doing! The tour lasts 3 hours which sounds like a long time, but our tour guide was great so despite the constant drizzle and occasional torrential rain the time went very fast! We visited a lot of the famous attractions of Berlin: the cathedral, the university, and the old Stasi headquarters. The tour guide also gave us lots of great ideas for places we could visit during the rest of the week, like going to the top of the cathedral and inside the Konzerthaus. All in all a fab day! 

Berlin Cathedral 

Berlin Trip 2013 - Day 1

So I'm abroad again! This time on a trip to Berlin with the Bristol Uni German Society - which I'm vice-president of, just saying - and so far on Day 2 it's going brilliantly!
After viel Stress of organising the trip (people dropping out, flights changing price suddenly etc) we have finally made it here, and we are staying in the nicest hostel possibly on earth. It can only just still be described as a hostel (the bunk beds) as the restaurant, bar, pool and general atmosphere is definitely hotel. It was even rated as 2nd in the Guardian's Top 10 Luxury Hostels in Europe! I shall do a separate blog reviewing the hostel. For now though, back to the trip!
Despite a bit of a stressful evening on my part - delayed train back to Bristol Monday morning, cash machine eating my card in the afternoon - we managed to get everyone (who turned up...) on the right flight at the right time! On arrival at Berlin Shoenefeld we all bought our Welcome to Berlin travelcards, which for €36,50 gets you unlimited travel in and around Berlin and so many discounts everywhere! Definitely get this if you are ever in Berlin for a week.

We then successfully herded everyone onto 2 trains to Warschauer Platz where our super snazzy hostel was situated. After a cosy night in and an insanely giant buffet breakfast the next day, we were ready to hit Berlin!
Starting with mastering the epic U/S-bahn system of Berlin, we managed to navigate our way to the infamous Brandenburger Tor, once the symbol of the German Empire, then the gate dividing East and West Europe, now a top tourist attraction - also strangely apparently a popular hangout for men dressed as Mickey Mouse, Darth Vadar etc.

The Brandenburger Tor... and Darth Vadar

After a quick photo stop we still had an hour and a half until meeting everyone for our tour of the Reichstag, the German parliament building. So we decided to stroll up to the gold Victory Collum. *WARNING* do not be fooled! It is NOT a stroll away, actually a 3 day hike (nearly). In the rain it was, as some might say, "totes not worth it". Although if you have a speedy means of transport it is a rather nice photo opportunity.
We then zipped back to the Reichstag so fast in our panic that we were early for our tour. Luckily they let us in anyway. Our ticket (we found out...) was just to go up the 'dome' on top of the building, but really this is the most exciting bit (no offence Angela). On the way in to the dome we were given an audio tour, which gave us a low down on all the sites we were seeing through the huge glass panels with a history of each place. As a free trip it was the best way to see the city from above, deffo choose this over the TV Tower (Fernsehturm) which is frankly over-rated!

From the Reichstag we walked to the Holocaust memorial, which is something everyone must see if they are visiting Berlin. The memorial itself is hard to explain, and is really something which must be experienced in person in order to fully understand the impact that it has on you. The museum below the memorial is very moving, with extracts from letters of those affected by the Holocaust. Everyone must go there, but leave an hour and half to look round and 2 hours to recover from the emotion of it all.
To try and recover from the museum experience we wandered down to Potsdamer Platz for a spot of shopping. After a BubbleTee (YUM) and stocking up on -,59€ Milka bars, we were ready to head back to the hostel and chill ready for the next day of extreme walking!

Day 13 - Prague weekend away

I woke up very excited Friday morning, looking forward to visiting Prague that afternoon and seeing Sam after two weeks. I spent most of the morning checking my watch, willing time to somehow go faster so I could finally be at the airport. Lessons went well, with no embarrassing mistakes (for the first time ever!), although when we started talking about superstition I did get a little freaked out.. I hadn't realised Sam would be catching two flights on Friday the 13th! Feeling mildly concerned about him landing safely, but mostly still excited, I whiled away the next couple of hours of lessons...

At 1 o'clock I went and found Nic and Tadeja, who were also planning on going to Prague for a spot of shopping. We headed to the fave cafe on the naměstí (square), the aptly named Square Cafe, and ordered the most delicious pasta dish ever - lots of pesto, bacon, chicken pieces, spinach and about half a block of cheese! After lunch we popped back to the kolej to grab our things and left for the station, luckily only getting lost once.

After buying our tickets and confusedly going up and down the underpass three times, we finally found our train. Yay the Prague adventure was beginning!
We arrived at Hlav Naž only 10 minutes late (impressive for Czech trains!) just enough time for me to run round the station a few times, following the traditionally awful Czech signs, and find the Airport Express bus.
30 minutes squashed between a family and a business man later and I was at the airport - woo!

Waiting at arrivals I played the highly amusing game of "Guess the man on the sign". The game consisted of watching the men holding signs - taxi companies etc. - as a new bunch of businessmen came through the gate. The Sign Men then surged forward clearly crying "PICK ME, PICK ME!" in their heads. Those who managed to scoop up a businessman or two then looked smugly at the other and left. Such fun.

Ten minutes of Sign-Man-Game later and the boy walks through the door. This time it was my turn to look smugly at the other waitees - haha I won! We hopped back on the Airport Express bus to Hlav Naž and I pointed out some sights on the way (Charles bridge, TV Tower, the Eiffel Tower look-alike on the hill, etc.) On arriving at the station, the first thing we did was buy a map of Prague, then we left the station only to be confused almost immediately. On one side of Hlav Naž is a nice park - the way we should have gone - on the other side is a huge mismatch of motorways and dual carriageways - the way we decided to go..

After going in and out the station a few times from a variety of directions, we eventually decided on our route and wandered up and down the cobbled streets of Žižkov, in Prague 3. Unfortunately due to a large amount of dithering plus a noticeably long route, it took us an hour to reach the hotel...

We checked in - the woman thought I was Czech until I gave her my passport, YAY! - and decided to go into the centre of Prague, roughly a 23 minute walk, to grab some dinner.
Eventually, after a lot of indecision and wandering round the Old Town, we decided on a nice looking pizza place just off of Vaclav Naměstí. Some food and a walk later and we decided to head back to the hotel for some pivo and sleep, ready for the day of exploration that would follow!

Days 10-13 - Lessons, lectures, and learning the Polka

Lessons continued on as usual, with the odd lecture in the afternoon as a little nap-break during the day. Unfortunately as these lectures took place in the second week, they decided that by now we should be able to understand speedy and complicated Czech, thus preventing them from saying any of it in English. For us this meant that once every couple of days or so we'd head into a nice cosy room, sit down on a comfy chair, and fall asleep to the sound of a teacher speaking very fast Czech about some very interesting things that we had no hope of understanding...

Nic and Michael balloon dancing

The highlight in amongst this sleeping was the Polka lesson, which is supposedly one of the most common and popular dances in the Czech Republic (along with the rest of Eastern Europe). Our lesson on Wednesday was very amusing, as our teacher decided to introduce the balloon into the dancing. For reasons I still don't fully understand. This essentially meant blowing up a balloon and having it in between your face, and the face of your partner, and the aim was to prevent it from falling. Essentially impossible for us beginners but led to a funny hour of chasing balloons and generally dancing like the (clearly) elegant people we are!

What is Smaž?

Smažený Eidam

So Smaž has been mentioned in a couple of my blogs so far, and I imagine it has left a few of you wondering what this magical and mysterious thing could be...

It's full name, Smažený sýr translates into English as fried cheese, something that you wouldn't think was possible, and if it was, surely the Americans would have invented it first!

Smaž can come in many forms: Hermelin (Camembert), Eidam (Edam) and Mc (guess that one) and is available from most restaurants and I imagine all pubs around the Czech Republic. Some examples can be found below:

Smažený Hermelin 

Smažený Hermelin is served in arguably the more upper class pubs, with Eidam being the more common choice for deep fat frying. The cheese is usually served with a side order of potato cooked in your chosen method - crockets, chips, mash, boiled, roasted - and traditional tartar sauce. If you are lucky you might also receive a portion of vegetables or salad garnish! Although this addition does tend to be overlooked in the CR...

The most modern form of Smaž existing in the CR is the McSmažak, essentially a burger bun with a layer of tartar sauce and a fried cheese in the middle. Quite possibly the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten, being modelled in this photo by Mr S Bennett.

A McSmažak

Contrary to the appearance of the Smaž, it is, in fact, delicious, and pretty much against the law if you don't try it once whilst in the CR on hols!

Yum.

What your favourite Czech case says about you

Now Ladies and Gentlemen it is time for a bit of grammar fun: find out how your favourite Czech case can reflect your personality!

Step 1: Pick your favourite Czech case
-Nominative
-Accusative
-Dative
-Genitive
-Locative
-Instrumental
-Vocative

Step 2: Discover what your favourite case says about your personality and love life!

If you're a Nominative 

You just love being the centre of attention! You like to gather people around you so you're very rarely alone. You're not a massive fan of change, instead preferring to be left to be the way you want to be. Love: You are very compatible with Accusative people, and find that you will work well as a team to solve problems in your life.

If you're an Accusative

You are a sociable person and like to be in contact with those around you, and are a particularly caring person who is interested in other people. You are fond of going to open spaces and common local amenities! You like taking control of the situation and doing the tasks at hand, thus working well with Nominative and sometimes even the Vocative. In terms of love you should search for an Instrumental person, in order to go to those places and do the things you like so much, but with a group of friends.

If you're a Dative

You just love sending letters and visiting people! Often you might have trouble following things through, instead merely going up to them and not continuing on inside. Long conversations on the phone are another favourite of yours, as are helping all those around you, whilst offering advice. You are a very sociable person and love speaking to people, although sometimes maybe you should let them reply a little more! Love: You would be compatible with an Instrumental person as you are both such sociable people.

If you're a Genitive

For a Genitive person one of the most important things is to belong - you just don't like being alone and often will be referred to as the friend/boyfriend/wife/cousin of another person, as you always like to have your connections. You, like Dative, love visiting places, but are often more preoccupied about where you have come from than where you are now. You also like being close to and next to people, meaning you have a lot of close friends and enjoy spending time at their houses. In terms of love you might work well with a Nominative, as your caring and belonging nature can counteract their me-me-me personality!

If you're a Locative

As a Locative person you concentrate very much on the present and where you stand right now. You like to be on top of things and keep track of the life around you. As a Locative make sure you watch your tongue and don't talk or write about other people too much, as this might turn them against you! You might also find as a Locative person that many people depend on you, but you must not take this too much to your advantage in your gossiping. As a Locative you should look for an Accusative companion, in an opposites attract manner, as Accusative are looking for places to go while you concentrate on the present.

If you're an Instrumental

You just love spending time with people! Possibly the most sociable of all the cases, you love spending time with friends and family and meeting new people. As an Instrumental you are often also looking forward to the future, and know what you want to become and the profession you are aiming towards, either now or later in life. Among your friends and colleagues you are particularly well known, and are generally satisfied with your situation in love, life and work. Unlike the Locative you might be slightly less sure of where you stand among people, and find you are often between or behind people. For this reason aim to pair up with a Locative and together make the most out of your sociable lifestyles!

If you're a Vocative

Calling people's names could only be this fun to a Vocative! You love to get the attention of others, although perhaps your friends and family find you too confrontational at times! Try not to make the situation all about what you want as people might find you are too self-centred at times. Alternatively find a quiet Genitive to join your life, and use your confidence and their sense of direction to become a powerful pair.

So there you are, you now know how your favourite case can help you go further in life!