Oktoberfest, Andrea Bocelli, Scuba Diving, and more!
I’ve had an unbelievable past couple of weeks to share with you- so lets get straight to it!
Oktoberfest- Probably the most fun weekend I have had yet here in Rome. I took a 12 hour bus with a few friends leaving on a Thursday night and arrived in Munich early Friday morning. After a quick change at our hostel, we were ready and lined up outside the Hofbrauhaus house at 9:00 AM. As we were ushered inside by the nicest waitress, we were seated next to a roaring group of young Australians. We started to chat and get to know each other, with our first steins arriving promptly at 10 AM! It was amazing to see so many people dressed in lederhosen and dirndls (I really wanted to wear one, but they’re so expensive to buy in Munich!) We stayed chatting for quite a few hours, and left around 2pm to go on some rides at the festival–I’m one of those people deathly afraid of roller coasters, but my two best friends convinced me to go on one that day! Really glad I conquered that fear, but let me tell you, I felt the effects of some major whiplash the next morning! On Saturday we explored Munich and did some shopping. I absolutely loved the downtown area near the Glockenspiel; I don’t think I’ve ever seen a city so pretty! I loved being spoken to in German by storeowners. Finally my blonde hair fit in somewhere! On Sunday, one of my friends and I woke up super early and went again to the Hofbrauhaus house at about 8:00 AM, waited outside for an hour or so, and found a table amongst more Australians! We made some new friends and left around 12:00 to rush back to our hostel and get back on our bus! On the ride home, we saw the most beautiful scenery- we traveled all through the Swiss Alps, and it was breathtakingly gorgeous.
The next Thursday, I got the opportunity to see the Premio America award ceremony, hosted in the Chamber of Deputies at the Parliament building in downtown Rome. This small but prestigious ceremony commended select Italians for facilitating dissemination of Italian culture into American and vice versa. Among those being awarded were Franca Sozzani (editor in Chief of Vogue Italia), a few actresses and TV personalities, the president of Ferragamo USA (think fine Italian shoes), major economic thinkers and politicians, and Andrea Bocelli. When hearing about the ceremony through Loyola, I envisioned sitting a hundred rows back in a huge room, squinting to catch of glimpse of such phenomenal people. However, the conference room sat little more than 100 people, and I couldn’t believe my eyes to see Andrea Bocelli up close! Each awardee said a little speech and responded to questions by the Premio America team. I was flabbergasted by the amount of intellectual integrity in the room. It was lovely to hear such passionate people speak of their work to facilitate mixing of American and Italian culture. There were no cameras allowed in the building, so I was disappointing not to sneak a shot of Andrea Bocelli! However, get this: As we were exiting (Andrea + bodyguard left early), I see him and his bodyguard standing out in the street through a different exit door, so I grab my friend and we head out that way. I just couldn’t believe to see him standing in the middle of Rome, chatting with his bodyguard like everybody else! I looked over at my friend and we had the same idea: window of opportunity moment! We quickly ask his bodyguard to take a picture with Andrea, and he agrees! As we move over, Andrea pleasantly asks me where I am from, and I am so starstruck to be standing on his arm that I can barely formulate a response- I tell him I am a student from Chicago and he smiles, about to respond. More people start to recognize Andrea and people are milling about, taking pictures and waiting in line! But as soon as our picture is snapped, his bodyguard whisks him away and they jump into a private car that barrels down the small cobblestone street. I never been so awestruck in my life! As a major Andrea Bocelli fan (definitely one of the most played artists on my ipod) I was so enamored by his calm and kind disposition. Speaking to him was absolutely one of the top moments of my trip so far! Can you imagine, where else in the world than in the heart of Rome, could I say that I spoke with Andrea Bocelli and got a picture with him? Oh, how I love Italy.
After staying out for dinner downtown, I went home to pack and get to bed, because I had a train leaving at 5:00 AM the next morning! I decided to take a trip to Ischia with a bunch of friends from Loyola to scuba dive. Ischia is a little island off of Naples, and I had never scuba dived before, but was definitely excited to try something new. I had the most amazing fresh fish meal of my life there: my friend and I sat at this small restaurant right on the coast and the owner showed us all the fresh fish of the day in a basket- we pointed to the fish we wanted to share, and they prepared basically a gourmet meal for us. It was absolutely amazing. The island was so beautiful and calm- it was such a lovely break from the hustle and bustle of Rome. My first practice with scuba diving was a bit scary, I’ll admit! Getting used to breathing underwater and equalizing my ears for underwater pressure was a bit intimidating at first. Plus, the wetsuits were an experience all on their own! The first time it only took about a good 20 minutes to stretch it over my body! I’ve got some great pictures of us struggling to put them on. On our second day there, we were taken on a boat to do some real diving, and I couldn’t have been happier to stick it through. I was nervous at first, but once I was ready, swimming underwater and searching for coral and seas of fishes was so much fun. I felt like a true adventurer- I only wish I got to do it more! I can’t wait to try again in even deeper waters. After a fun night out on the island, we took a huge ferry home the next day. I made sure we sat outside on the top deck for some amazing views of the island as we sailed away.
This week I have most of my midterms! It’s definitely going to be a busy week of studying here at the Rome campus. I’m not sure yet what I’ll do next weekend, but I’ll let you know more of my adventures as I go along! Here’s to another fantastic and unforgettable week here in Rome.