The food in Zurich was a blessing to say the least. They had eggs available for breakfast at our hotel. On top of having a somewhat normal breakfast again, the food the vendors had was fantastic. There were huge hot dogs, bratwurst, and many other great meaty foods that I have been missing sorely. One night I had some of the Swiss fondue, it was unfortunately not as good as I had anticipated. The cheese that they used was Swiss naturally, but they also put some kind of liquor in it. I do not mind Swiss cheese, but the taste of the liquor mixed with it really killed the meal. An item that caught me off guard to see on the menu was chicken noodle soup inside of a light, fluffy potpie type bread. I had to give it a try, and it turned out to be some of the best chicken noodle soup I have ever had. So, when in Zurich get some bratwurst, and chicken noodle soup, and if you get fondue ask for it without alcohol.
Also, the Swiss chocolate lived up to all of its hype. The candies their are fantastic. I personally recommend the truffles, but you can't really go wrong with whatever you pick. Lindt is everywhere, and always a safe bet, but for the best Swiss chocolates you need to find the homemade ones.
lunedì 23 giugno 2008
mercoledì 18 giugno 2008
Site I Have Not Been To Yet #2
Galleria Doria Pamphilj
One of the reasons that I picked this gallery was because it is right next to school, yet I still have not been in it. While reading up about it, Rick Steves says that it is one of the most unappreciated galleries. Inside you can find several works by Carvaggio, Raphael, and Bernini. Another very interesting thing about this place is that the prince who still owns it, uses some of the rooms to this day. So, on top of checking out some art, you get to walk through where a prince lives!
One of the reasons that I picked this gallery was because it is right next to school, yet I still have not been in it. While reading up about it, Rick Steves says that it is one of the most unappreciated galleries. Inside you can find several works by Carvaggio, Raphael, and Bernini. Another very interesting thing about this place is that the prince who still owns it, uses some of the rooms to this day. So, on top of checking out some art, you get to walk through where a prince lives!
Site I Have Not Been To Yet #1
Museum of Rome Civilization (Museo della Civita Romana)
This museum has 59 rooms filled with plaster casts, and scale models of what exactly Rome looked like in 400AD. What really got me interested about this place was that I could see what all of these old ruins would have looked like when they were new. It is great to see places like the Forum now, but I would kill to see what it actually did look like. Instead of just walking through piles of stones, and broken pillars, I want to see what these places looked like in their prime. This museum is located in the EUR, on Via Dell Arte.
This museum has 59 rooms filled with plaster casts, and scale models of what exactly Rome looked like in 400AD. What really got me interested about this place was that I could see what all of these old ruins would have looked like when they were new. It is great to see places like the Forum now, but I would kill to see what it actually did look like. Instead of just walking through piles of stones, and broken pillars, I want to see what these places looked like in their prime. This museum is located in the EUR, on Via Dell Arte.
Directions-Rest & Recreation
Start at Piazza S. Pietro, follow Via D. Conciliazone to the Tiber. Walk north along the Tiber until you get to Ponte Regina Margherita. Cross the bridge and climb up from Piazza del Popolo into Villa Borghese. In the park there you can rent bikes to ride around with, and sight see. With the bicycles, you can cover a lot of distance quickly. Instead of having an itinerary for this, just ride around and enjoy what you see.
After cycling, head back to the Piazza del Popolo. Go south on Via Di Ripetta, and it will become Via Della Scrofa. At the intersection where the San Luigi dei Francesi is, make a right. This will drop you off in Piazza Navona, take some time for a leisurely stroll throughout, and watch some street performers, caricature artists, regular artists, and any other fun things that may be going on at that time. Piazza Navona is a great place for street perfrormers. Some of the best that I have seen come to this piazza. Avoid eating there though, because you will find that anything around that area is more expensive than the less touristy areas.
Head back out the way you came in, except make a right onto Corso del Rinascimento. Then make a left onto Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, make your next right onto V. Arenula, and it will drop you off at the Tiber. Go down along the river and check out the riverside shops, restaurants, bars, and many other places of interest. Sit down to relax with a nice meal, and some chilled wine along the river, your journey is over. This opening of the stores only occurs during the summers here. So if you come here, and they are open consider it a treat. They have little shops selling all sorts of things, from home made candles, to Sicilian chocolate, to movies. On top of the shopping you can enjoy food along the river, as well as lounge/bar areas complete with DJ's and couches to relax on.
After cycling, head back to the Piazza del Popolo. Go south on Via Di Ripetta, and it will become Via Della Scrofa. At the intersection where the San Luigi dei Francesi is, make a right. This will drop you off in Piazza Navona, take some time for a leisurely stroll throughout, and watch some street performers, caricature artists, regular artists, and any other fun things that may be going on at that time. Piazza Navona is a great place for street perfrormers. Some of the best that I have seen come to this piazza. Avoid eating there though, because you will find that anything around that area is more expensive than the less touristy areas.
Head back out the way you came in, except make a right onto Corso del Rinascimento. Then make a left onto Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, make your next right onto V. Arenula, and it will drop you off at the Tiber. Go down along the river and check out the riverside shops, restaurants, bars, and many other places of interest. Sit down to relax with a nice meal, and some chilled wine along the river, your journey is over. This opening of the stores only occurs during the summers here. So if you come here, and they are open consider it a treat. They have little shops selling all sorts of things, from home made candles, to Sicilian chocolate, to movies. On top of the shopping you can enjoy food along the river, as well as lounge/bar areas complete with DJ's and couches to relax on.
domenica 15 giugno 2008
Boys' Town: After Visiting
The one place that really jumped out at me from Boys' Town was their church. The stained glass that the kids there had made was exceptional. Also, the fact that all types of religious services go on there, and Catholicism is not forced on anyone. A unique feature that I noticed about this church was that the roof was shaped like a sun dial. Unfortunately I forgot to ask any of the employees there if it was an actual functioning sun dial. If it is then that would be awesome, although you could not see it regardless.
Piazza Navona: Angels and Demons w/ Tom Hanks
On Friday night Tom Hanks was filming for Angels and Demons in Piazza Navona. I have never read the book, but I was told that apparently in the book, someone gets drowned in the large fountain in the middle. The only problem with the murder being there is that the fountain is under construction. I think that they will probably just rebuild a fake one somewhere for that scene, so keep your eyes peeled for the Piazza Navona scene when it comes out. Another thing I also realized was how tedious it really is to make a movie. My friends and I made one last year, it was an hour long and took us about ten months. I thought that was monotonous, but watching them shoot in the Piazza was driving me nuts. For the hour that I was there, they shot the same scene four times. Between each take they would have a 20 minute break where it seemed that nothing was getting done. Regardless, I now feel obligated to go and watch this movie whenever it is released just because I watched them film some of it in my blog spot.
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