When in Rome... (And Sevilla)

As it turns out, this whole blogging thing is a lot harder to keep up with than I expected. Thus, I am going to be playing catch up over the week and a half before I go home for winter break! I really do enjoy reflecting on my time here and writing it down so I can look back and remember all of my adventures. My time here has been so rewarding and incredible in so many ways. 

So, I'm going to start by going back about a month ago to when my boyfriend, Ben, came to visit me in Spain! I am a very, very lucky girl to have a boyfriend that flies across the globe to spend time with me. His support has made everything so much easier for me abroad, so I knew I had to show him just why I love this experience so much. 

Ben arrived in Sevilla on his birthday, November 2nd. After hours and hours of traveling, I knew he would want a relaxed birthday. I still, of course, wanted to make it special, so I biked all around Sevilla that morning before he arrived buying things for a picnic in the María Luisa Park- a big, beautiful park in Sevilla that includes Ben's new favorite place, Plaza de España. I bought Iberian ham, manchego cheese, wine, fresh bread, and a palmera (a special heart-shaped cookie that boyfriends and girlfriends typically share in Spain). We both really enjoyed our first few hours together in the park, and Ben's love for jamón y queso (Spanish ham and cheese) lasted throughout the entire trip. :)

After a nice birthday dinner, Ben was ready to get a good night's sleep. The next day was filled with lots of walking around, tapas and beer. It was a perfect Spanish Sunday. 

I had made reservations for Sunday night at one of the best restaurants in Sevilla, Abades Triana. It's right on the Gualdaquivir River, so it has floor-to-ceiling windows that capture the beautiful nighttime scenes in Sevilla. I saw bull's tail on the menu and suggested it to Ben. He likes pretty much all meat, so he went with it. When in Sevilla, right? He liked it and said it was very tender. The presentation was simply incredible, and it was definitely a meal we'll remember forever. 

On Monday, we started our day with a little shopping on Calle Tethuan and Calle Sierpes, the two main shopping streets in Sevilla that make up one of my favorite places in the city (of course). In the afternoon, my friend from BC, Sarah, along with her friend Gus from her study abroad program in Morocco, arrived in Sevilla. They were visiting for just two days, so we met up and tapa-hopped along the river and in the city center.

In the evening, we met up with my friends so that Ben could finally meet them! We got some beers and ended up at the Cervecería Internacional, a bar that has hundreds (I am not exaggerating) of beers from all over the world. Ben and I liked it so much that we ended up going back later in the week! I was so happy that my friends and Ben could finally meet each other, and we had a great time.

On Tuesday, we woke up and met Sarah and Gus at the Alcazar, Sevilla's royal palace. I had been before, but it's definitely not a place I could get sick of anytime soon. We walked through and saw the impressive architecture and gardens, taking lots of pictures, of course!

My host mom, Eva, had invited Ben and me over for dinner on Tuesday. This was something I had been looking forward to for weeks. I have had such a great experience so far living with Eva, so I couldn't wait for Ben to meet her, taste her incredible food, and see my Spanish home. Eva la cocinera (Eva the chef, as a call her) really pulled out all the stops for our big lunch. She made a very special meat that came from a pig's jaw area, and it was perfectly tender, juicy, and delicious. Paired with some homemade french fries (hand cut and fried in olive oil), bread, and Cruzcampo beer, it was a great introduction to Spanish "at-home" life for Ben. 

(Sorry it's blurry!)

We ended up sitting and talking for a long time. Ben took a little Spanish in high school and college, so he was able to follow the conversations pretty well. I was proud of him! After going back to the hotel to freshen up, we went and got some wine at a rooftop bar across from the cathedral. The views were absolutely incredible, and it was a perfect night- only a sweater or blazer necessary. 

On Wednesday, we woke up and went to see the Seville Cathedral. It is the third largest cathedral in the world, but the largest gothic cathedral in the world. I knew Ben would like to see the grand gothic architecture. The cathedral also houses Christopher Columbus's tomb and has a ~17-story tall bell tower that you can climb up to see incredible views of Sevilla!

After some more delicious tapas for lunch and a bit more shopping, we met my roommate, Olivia, at the best ice cream place in Sevilla, Rayas. My friends and I love this place and its delicious, homemade ice cream.

Per Ben's request, we took another walk over to Plaza de España before dinner. He just loved that place! We then had tapas and wine on one of my favorite streets to end our last night in Sevilla! Overall, our time in Sevilla was very fun and relaxing. We had a lot of time, so we never had to rush any sights or activities. We got to enjoy Sevilla in the best way- by walking around and having lots of beer and tapas! 

¡Adios, Sevilla!

The next day, after having breakfast, packing up, and checking out of our hotel, we headed to the Sevilla airport to catch our flight to Rome! After a short stop in Barcelona, we got to Rome around 8 p.m. We checked in to our beautiful hotel, Palazzo Cardinal Cesi, and headed out for a late dinner. We found a good restaurant near our hotel, where highlights included prosciutto & melon and tiramisu. :)

Our hotel was basically adjacent to St. Peter's Square, so we paused for some Vatican pictures before heading back to our hotel to rest up for the next day of sight-seeing!

On Friday, we woke up and got ready for a day full of walking around Rome. We planned out our order of events, and headed first to the Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps were built in the 18th century, and are home to the widest staircase in Europe! The Trinita dei Monti church is at the top, where there is a beautiful view of the city.

Then we went to a famous, historical café called Caffe Greco. Founded in 1760, it is the oldest cafe in Rome, and the second in all of Italy. Throughout history, it has been a popular hangout for artists and other intellectuals. The walls are covered in historical art, letters, and other artifacts. It was definitely worth the stop for a beautiful cappuccino and sandwich! 

Our next stop was the Trevi Fountain. I had dreamed of visiting this fountain since seeing the Lizzie McGuire Movie when I was 10. It was just as beautiful as I hoped, but I could have never imagined how crowded it would be around! It was next to impossible to get a picture without someone's back or elbow in it, but we somehow managed to get some really great shots. As you probably know, legend has it that if you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, you will come back to Rome someday.

We did some more walking and wandering, and eventually ended up at the Pantheon. The Pantheon was built as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome in 126 AD! It is absolutely incredible that the building, with some help of course, has stood the test of time. The dome is known to showcase some of the most mathematically advanced architecture of its time. The outside is very beautiful and "Roman."

We ended our day with some delicious pizza and beer at a restaurant my friend had recommended called Dar Poeta. 

Saturday was our last day, so we did our best to wake up at a reasonable hour to head to the Vatican. We waited in line for a while, and then walked through St. Peter's Basilica for a while. It was enormous and so extravagant! 

Then, we walked around the walls of the Vatican to go to the Vatican Museums, which includes the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel was very impressive, but it was illegal to take pictures. We got a few peeks out to the Vatican Gardens, as well.

We made our way over to the Colosseum area for a quick pizza lunch before going on a walking tour we had purchased of the Colosseum and Roman Forum through Enjoy Rome. We knew this was the one area where we really wanted a guided tour, and we were very happy with our decision. The Colosseum and Roman Forum were probably my favorite things in Rome. It was so cool to stand in a structure that has been around for thousands of years. Our tour guide would describe how the buildings used to look, which was very interesting to imagine. 

When our tour ended, we went to a well-known gelato shop that was recommended as a "must" in our Rome guidebook, called Giolitti. It was AMAZING, and a perfect conclusion to a three hour walking tour!

We headed back to our hotel to rest and change for dinner. We had been wanting to do happy hour on our hotel's charming terrace since we arrived, so we figured it was the perfect way to end our last night there. I got a glass of prosecco, and Ben got a martini. Then, we headed off to dinner at a nice restaurant called Da Fortunato al Pantheon, where we enjoyed artichoke, risotto, and lamb for a delicious last dinner in Rome.

Ben left very early in the morning on Sunday, and my flight wasn't till the evening. So, I woke up and enjoyed some breakfast at the hotel before checking out and heading out for a solo adventure day in Rome! 

After doing a little souvenir shopping, I walked over to join thousands of people in St. Peter's Square to SEE THE POPE!!!! It was quite an incredible experience. People were crying, waving flags with the Pope's face on them, and chanting words of praise. Although I couldn't understand any of the Italian words, I enjoyed listening to the Pope's voice and seeing the tiny little figure up in the window known all around the globe.

I then decided to slowly wander over to the Villa Borghese Gardens, doing some shopping along the way. When I saw a giant pumpkin in the window of a gelato shop, I couldn't help but go get some gelato. I got a cone and took it along my walk.

I did a little bit of shopping around the Spanish Steps, and then trekked up to the Villa Borghese Gardens. I was greeted with an incredible view, which made me really wish Ben was there with me.

My time alone allowed me to do a lot of thinking and reflecting on our week together. I was sad that he wasn't with me and that we would have to go five more weeks without seeing each other, but I was so thankful for the opportunity to travel together when we're young. You learn a lot about someone when you travel with them, and sometimes it's not always fun. Sometimes you get lost and frustrated, sometimes you don't agree on things, and sometimes your feet hurt so bad from walking all day that you are just not a fun person to be around...

But at the end of the day, all of those things mean nothing, because you are traveling in Europe with your favorite person in the world at only 21 years old. Sitting along the river drinking Spanish beer, walking through a royal palace holding hands, and learning the way around a foreign city where neither of you speak the language--those are the things we will remember forever, and I couldn't imagine a better person to have by my side. :)

And, so, I said "ciao" to Roma and to an unforgettable week with the person I adore even more now than I did when I left Chicago in September.

Can't wait to see you in nine days!

A.